Chapter 258: Chapter 148: Copper Skin and Iron Bone
The main gate of the Demon Suppression Department was imposingly wide, guarded by only a few heavily-armored soldiers. The street it was on was practically deserted, exuding a silent, solemn dignity.
Upon entering the gate, he was greeted by a plaza where two massive stone steles, each soaring nearly a hundred feet into the air, stood tall. The steles were clearly ancient, imbued with the profound weight of ages.
On the left stele, the two words "Suppress Demons" were written in Demon’s blood, so dark red it was almost black, radiating an ancient and heart-stopping aura. On the right stele, the two words "Demon Slayer" were engraved in cyan Demon Blood, which still seemed to retain the remnant of a terrifying, ferocious bestial might.
Standing before the steles, Chen Cheng suddenly felt an immense, oppressive power bearing down on him, making him feel as insignificant as an ant. A profound helplessness washed over him, as if he could be mercilessly crushed by some overwhelming Momentum at any moment.
Just then, Shen Qingyao spoke.
"Are you feeling that tyrannical, oppressive aura? The first time I saw these steles, I had the same unpleasant sensation."
Chen Cheng turned to look at her and asked seriously, "Are there really Demons in this world?"
"Demons?" Shen Qingyao mused for a moment, then shook her head. "I don’t know for certain. I’ve only read bits and pieces about them in my family’s private library."
"At the dawn of this world, the Heaven and Earth Origin was formed from the two energies of Yin and Yang, giving birth to all things. A thousand years ago, the Human Race was mired in endless war. Corpses piled into mountains, and an immeasurable aura of death converged, giving rise to Demons. The most famous of them is the legendary Black Lotus Demon Saint."
"Legend says that when the Black Lotus Demon Saint manifested, a nine-layered lotus platform blotted out the sun, plunging the world into suffering. The people cried out for salvation, and the founding Martial Saint of the Great Yu emerged to slay the Demon Saint."
"But Demons are immortal. The Black Lotus Demon Saint’s remnant spirit founded the Black Lotus Sect. They use the flesh and blood of Martial Artists as nutrients to cultivate Black Lotus Flowers, wreaking havoc upon the world. Their ultimate goal is to reforge its Demon Body and resurrect the Black Lotus Demon Saint."
"Once the Black Lotus Demon Saint is reborn, every disciple of the Black Lotus Sect will supposedly attain the Path of Ten Thousand Laws and become immortal. This is the meaning behind their creed: ’When the Black Lotus blooms, all laws are mastered.’"
Chen Cheng was astonished. "Is all that true?"
Shen Qingyao blinked and smiled. "That’s all just legend, you didn’t actually believe it, did you? To be honest, there are countless Demon Sects in the Great Yu, and the Black Lotus Sect is just one among them. Those ’legends’ are likely just propaganda they fabricated to delude their followers."
"However, the rumors aren’t entirely baseless. A true Demon is most likely a malevolent entity, something akin to Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, that has absorbed the essence of the Heaven and Earth Origin and developed Spiritual Wisdom."
"If a true Demon were to manifest, I’m afraid the first to suffer would be the members of the Demon Sects themselves."
"The Demon’s blood on the stele must have come from such a malevolent creature."
"As for the other stele, it was inscribed with the blood of a Tier Seven Demon Beast."
"Demon Beasts are creatures of nature, and their power is immense—no less than that of Human Race Martial Artists. The strength of a Tier Seven Demon Beast far surpasses that of an Organ Refining Realm Martial Artist. The aura from its blood alone is enough to exert immense pressure on Martial Artists like us."
Chen Cheng said, "Senior Sister Qingyao, your knowledge is profound. I am grateful for the lesson."
"It’s all just hearsay; I don’t know that much myself," Shen Qingyao said, showing no hint of pride. She continued, "These days, the ’Demon’ problem in the Great Yu is mostly just members of the Demon Sects stirring up trouble. It’s really nothing more than combat and conflict between Martial Artists."
"When Martial Artists fight, Martial Arts Power is what truly matters."
"Here at the Demon Suppression Department, the most dangerous missions are the ones involving slaying Demon Beasts. They are naturally stronger than the Human Race. Even a Tier One Demon Beast’s strength far surpasses that of an ordinary Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm."
"If you ever encounter a Demon Beast, even a Tier One, you cannot afford to be careless."
"Come on, I’ll take you to get registered first."
With that, Shen Qingyao led the way toward the Demon Suppression Department’s Government Office Hall.
The buildings of the Demon Suppression Department’s Government Office Hall were all constructed from massive blocks of green stone. The various Government Offices were mostly deserted, lending them a profound and silent air.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered a few Purple-clothed Guards, all of whom were hurrying on their way.
Purple-clothed Guards weren’t required to report for daily duties. They generally only came to accept missions or to exchange Merit. Otherwise, everyone was busy with their own affairs, so the place was naturally quiet.
After crossing the main hall of the Government Office Hall, Shen Qingyao led Chen Cheng into a quiet courtyard on the left and entered a room. This was the Government Office responsible for assessments and keeping the register.
The only person on duty was an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, dressed in purple.
Just like with the City Guard Department, joining the Demon Suppression Department required a clean background, which was naturally no issue for Chen Cheng.
Shen Qingyao had evidently made arrangements in advance, as she only needed to exchange a few words with the man.
"You must be Chen Cheng?" the old man asked, his sharp gaze sweeping over him.
Chen Cheng cupped his fists. "I am."
"Your background checks out. As for your Martial Arts Power..." The old man paused to think. "Warm up a little here in the Government Office. Let me see what you can do."
This "warm up" was clearly an assessment of Chen Cheng’s Martial Arts Power, a test to see if he had entered the Muscle Strengthening Realm.
To an expert’s eye, it wasn’t a complicated assessment. They could tell just by seeing if one’s Major Tendons could snap audibly.
"Understood." Chen Cheng gave a slight nod, immediately fell into a stance, and tensed the Major Tendons throughout his body. Then, using ten percent of his Power, he threw a sharp punch into the air before him.
HUM!
The sharp snap of his Major Tendons followed.
"Mm. Small Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm. You pass." The old man spoke flatly, then took out a Blood-Colored Jade Token and casually tossed it to Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng caught the Jade Token. On one side, it read: "Demon Suppression Department Purple-clothed Guard, Chen Cheng." The back was engraved with the unique insignia of the Demon Suppression Department.
"You are now a Purple-clothed Guard of the Demon Suppression Department. With this Identity Jade Token, you can freely enter and exit the department and accept missions."
"Purple-clothed Guards can only take on C Level and D Level missions. If you accept a C Level mission, it is best to form a team."
