[In your twenty-sixth year of practicing Demon Taming, your rapport with the Little Cyan Snake has improved again.]

...

[In your fortieth year of practicing Demon Taming, you have learned more recipes for Demon Cores.]

...

[In your sixtieth year of practicing Demon Taming, you have finally reached the Mastered level.]

[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Occupation: Demon Hunter, Swordsman, Boxer, Cook]

[Skills: Cooking (Master), Demon Seeking (Proficient), Demon Taming (Mastered), Tiger-Crane Form (Master), Blood Tiger Saber (Mastered), Soul-Hooking Step (Proficient)...]

[Enhancement Points: 154]

Bai Yuan upgraded Demon Taming to the Mastered level in one go.

The Little Cyan Snake, which had been drowsy from a full stomach, suddenly shot its eyes wide open. Its previously bloated body deflated like a punctured ball as it rapidly grew, becoming thicker and longer.

In the blink of an eye, Xiaoqing was no different from a common cyan snake, reaching a full two feet in length.

He could clearly feel that Xiaoqing’s physical strength was now no less than that of an Yijin Martial Artist. With the addition of its terrifying venom, even a Zang-Strengthening expert would have to be cautious.

A human-like smile of satisfaction appeared on Xiaoqing’s face. Its intelligence had clearly grown by leaps and bounds, now comparable to that of a human child.

"Very good."

Bai Yuan felt that his four hundred-plus Enhancement Points had been incredibly well-spent.

As for the remaining 154 Enhancement Points, he naturally spent them on the Blood Tiger Saber.

[In your fiftieth year of practicing the Blood Tiger Saber, your Tiger Evil Qi has grown denser.]

...

[In your sixtieth year of practicing the Blood Tiger Saber, you have gained enlightenment by slaughtering over a thousand fierce tigers to train your qi.]

...

[In your seventieth year of practicing the Blood Tiger Saber, you can finally release your Tiger Evil Qi externally.] 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

’Over a thousand fierce tigers...’

Bai Yuan’s lips twitched as he looked at the information on the panel.

Thank goodness he had a cheat system, so he didn’t actually have to hunt so many great beasts.

If he had done something like this in his previous life, he’d be looking at a life sentence, at the very least.

This time, upgrading the Blood Tiger Saber didn’t require any medicinal baths or crazed eating. He had already raised his Tiger-Crane Form to the Master level, which was more than enough to suppress the Blood Tiger Saber’s backlash.

Although the Blood Tiger Saber hadn’t yet reached the Master level, his combat power had still soared.

At this point, his killing power could almost be called the greatest within the Yijin Pass.

"Time to head back."

Bai Yuan glanced at the sky, then ducked into the forest and vanished.

...

Over a hundred li away, in the small courtyard of the Huwei Arts Hall.

Xiao Qiaoniang, who had been sound asleep, felt a sudden wave of heat. Sweat drenched her beautiful hair, making it look as if it had been washed.

She woke with a start.

Then, she stared at her hands in disbelief.

She had actually broken through to the Bone Forging Pass in a single night!

This speed was a full month faster than even Bai Yuan’s. She quickly realized her breakthrough wasn’t due to her own diligent training, but because Xiaoqing’s power had surged, and she had benefited from it.

"Brother Yuan..."

All sleepiness left Xiao Qiaoniang.

She draped a thin robe over her shoulders, rested her arms on the windowsill, pillowed her head on her arms, and gazed quietly at the moonlight.

She didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

...

It was already bright daylight by the time Bai Yuan returned to the Li Family’s caravan.

When the old steward woke up and saw Bai Yuan was gone, he anxiously sent out the Li Family’s men to search for him, and gave the Martial Artists on watch last night a thorough scolding.

It couldn’t be helped; Bai Yuan was simply too important to the Li Family.

"Young Master Bai, you’re finally back."

The old steward was overjoyed to see Bai Yuan emerge from the woods.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "I had nothing better to do, so I went into the mountains and hunted a wild rabbit."

The old steward looked at the rabbit dangling from Bai Yuan’s hand, a little speechless.

"Young Master Bai, did you rest well last night?" he asked, exasperated.

He had long heard that this Young Master Bai had been a Hunter in his early years, and now it seemed to be true.

Bai Yuan nodded. "I’m fine. Let’s get moving."

The old steward sent out a signal to recall the scattered Martial Artists. Everyone quickly packed up, and they continued on their way toward Huanglong Prefecture.

...

「Four days later.」

The Li Family caravan finally appeared before the gates of Huanglong Prefecture City.

After leaving the Qinghe region, there were no further incidents. The journey was smooth and uneventful.

This was the norm for merchant travel. If every trip were fraught with peril, there would be hardly any merchants willing to do business outside their own county.

"Young Master Bai, we’ve arrived at Huanglong Prefecture," the old steward said respectfully, walking up to the carriage.

Bai Yuan lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. His eyes were immediately met with the sight of a massive, magnificent city, so vast its borders were invisible.

No city from his previous life could compare to the Huanglong Prefecture before him now.

The city walls, a full one hundred meters high, were awe-inspiring. It seemed even an army of thousands would be hard-pressed to breach this mighty fortress. The mottled marks on every stone brick testified to the city’s ancient history.

Huanglong Prefecture City had existed even before the Xuan Yang Dynasty, boasting an extremely long heritage.

Within the city, besides the undisputed hegemon, the Divine Mansion Sect, countless hidden masters also resided, their depths unfathomable.

"Let’s go."

Bai Yuan decided to dismount and enter Huanglong Prefecture City on foot.

The old steward had been to Huanglong City many times. Encountering the City Guard Army, he skillfully produced the Passage Document issued by the Qinghe County Magistrate’s Office and entered the city without issue.

Huanglong City was no small-time Qinghe; its population numbered in the millions, a truly staggering figure.

The Li Family’s business in Huanglong City was essentially to transport goods unique to Qinghe and sell them in the city for a profit.

In truth, making money was secondary. What was more important was to gather information in the city, which could lead to discovering new business opportunities.

After all, the spare change that trickled out of Huanglong Prefecture was enough to make a family from Qinghe wealthy beyond measure.

The old steward, familiar with the route, led Bai Yuan to the inn where the Li Family usually stayed.

The inn was called Yongfu Inn. Its exterior was plain, and the rooms were even plainer; only its location was decent.

The only thing that wasn’t plain was the price: three taels of silver a night.

Bai Yuan couldn’t help but grin when he heard the price.

In Qinghe, that price would be enough for a stay at the Xiangnuan Pavilion, but in Huanglong Prefecture, it only got you a room in a thoroughly unremarkable little inn.

The Li Family had brought quite a few people this time.

Lodging alone cost them twenty taels of silver a day. Even for a family as wealthy as the Li Family, it was a painful expense.

The Li Family caravan was scheduled to stay in Huanglong Prefecture for three days.

Therefore, Bai Yuan wasn’t in a hurry to report to the Divine Mansion Sect. He planned to familiarize himself with the area for a while before making his next move.

The prosperity of Huanglong Prefecture far exceeded Bai Yuan’s imagination.

It was home to all the treasures under heaven; nothing was too strange to be found there.

What surprised him even more was that people here even sold demons. It was a real eye-opener.

It was just as the saying goes: no trade, no slaughter.

These people were so depraved they’d even make a business out of selling demons.

Bai Yuan was reasonably well-off, so he bought several herbs required for his medicinal food recipes at an apothecary. These herbs were nearly impossible to find in Qinghe City, but in Huanglong Prefecture, any seemingly ordinary apothecary could produce them.

Of course, not everyone in Huanglong Prefecture was rolling in money.

The penniless and destitute lived in the slums in the south of the city, where sewage flowed freely and excrement littered the ground. It was even more miserable than Baisha Town.

’It seems that no matter where you go, life for those at the bottom is pretty much the same.’