The room was as quiet as a deep pond, with only the faint sound of pages turning.

Having made up his mind, Qin An opened the first Cultivation Technique.

On the dark cyan cover, the four gold-plated characters of Wandering Dragon Body Skill glinted faintly under the candlelight.

After Qin An read through the entire Cultivation Technique, his proficiency in the scholar profession quietly increased.

The Wandering Dragon Body Skill emphasizes moving like a flood dragon, with wide and flexible movements. When performed, it's like a dragon swimming in the vast sea, agile and free.

Though it's not particularly stunning, it complements the Shocking Dragon Wind and Cloud Step perfectly.

Qin An closed the Cultivation Technique and circulated his True Qi as described, taking a step forward.

In an instant, a wisp of blue smoke appeared in the void, twisting like a spirit snake to form words.

[You practice Wandering Dragon Body Skill, triggering the dancer's talent]

[Since it's a Gui Cang Realm Cultivation Technique, your talent is slightly lacking, and you decide to consume blood and Qi]

[After consuming a large amount of blood and Qi, you successfully comprehend Wandering Dragon Body Skill]

[Wandering Dragon Body Skill (Initial Mastery)]

[You possess the Shocking Dragon Wind and Cloud Step and decide to unify the two]

[With insufficient talent, after sitting for several years, you again consume blood and Qi]

[After consuming a large amount of blood and Qi, you finally unify the two, naming the new Cultivation Technique Dragon Roar Wind Step]

[Dragon Roar Wind Step (Initial Mastery)]

Two demonic cores vanished, and the Body Technique finally reached the Initial Gui Cang Realm.

A flood of information surged into Qin An's mind. He closed his eyes to concentrate, and after completely digesting it, his eyes suddenly opened.

The Dragon Roar Wind Step of the Gui Cang Realm was incomparable to before.

Qin An took a step forward, and his figure vanished instantly, leaving only an afterimage.

The sound of a dragon's roar echoed at his ears, and a dragon-shaped shadow faintly appeared underfoot.

At this moment, executing the Body Technique was like a dragon roaring in the sky, the wind traveling across the lands.

"What an excellent Body Technique."

Qin An felt a slight joy in his heart.

At this point, his Body Technique had reached the Gui Cang Realm, remedying yet another shortcoming.

Suppressing the joy within his heart, Qin An took out the second Cultivation Technique.

The name of the Cultivation Technique was "Profound Iron Body," which emphasizes tempering the flesh with True Qi until it becomes impervious to harm.

Although difficult to cultivate, once achieved, its defensive power far exceeds ordinary Cultivation Techniques.

For Qin An, who possesses the Golden Finger, the difficulty was secondary; the power was the key.

After Qin An opened the Cultivation Technique and carefully read through it, he completely grasped the essentials of the Profound Iron Body.

Upon finishing the careful reading, Qin An sat cross-legged on the couch, circulating True Qi as instructed in the Cultivation Technique.

As the blood and Qi surged, the familiar blue smoke reappeared.

[You practice Profound Iron Body, occasionally gaining insights under the blessing of the Heavenly Gang Physique]

[You attempt to consume blood and Qi, and after consuming a large amount, you achieve results]

[Profound Iron Body (Initial Mastery)]

[You possess the Heavenly Gang Physique and attempt to unify the two]

[After consuming a large amount of blood and Qi again, you finally comprehend its true essence, naming the new Cultivation Technique Profound Gang Body]

[Profound Gang Body (Initial Mastery)]

A flood of information transmitted into Qin An's mind, and Qin An closed his eyes to gradually absorb it.

After absorption was complete, Qin An then opened his eyes.

With the surging of True Qi within him, a layer of Protective Gang Qi emerged.

The over-one-foot-thick Protective Gang Qi became even more resilient.

Not only that, but there was also a touch of gold inside.

If the Gang Qi were to be broken, the inside gold would have stronger defense than the Gang Qi.

This was a characteristic possessed by the previous Heavenly Gang Physique.

And now, after evolving into the Profound Gang Body, in addition to these two, there was another characteristic.

Qin An dissipated the Gang Qi, and under the effect of True Qi, his entire flesh and blood became as hard as steel.

"Triple protection, as solid as a fortress."

There was both Gang Qi and a golden glow.

Even if both were broken, there was still the strong-as-iron flesh body.

The surprise the Profound Gang Body brought to Qin An was no less than that of the Dragon Roar Wind Step.

In front of him, the smoke gathered again, transforming into the latest Cultivation Technique attributes, appearing in mid-air.

[Bodhi Profound Scripture (Initial Mastery), Ice Flame Heart-breaking Technique (Initial Mastery), Blood-Burning Demon Hand (Initial Mastery), Dragon Roar Wind Step (Initial Mastery), Profound Gang Body (Initial Mastery)]

Seeing the words in front of him, Qin An's mouth slightly curved up.

Now, all Cultivation Techniques have entered the Gui Cang Realm.

Although they are all at Initial Mastery, how many in this world have as all-encompassing a Gui Cang as Qin An?

Moreover, Qin An himself was forged by five Yang Elixirs into a perfect foundation, so even at the level of only Initial Gui Cang, he was not to be underestimated.

"All professions have reached level six; the urgent task is to advance to level seven."

"As for unlocking a new profession, there is still no clue yet, so there's no rush at the moment."

Qin An calculated silently.

"Before the black market mission is released, try to improve the scholar profession as much as possible."

After a brief contemplation, Qin An had new plans.

Lingzhou is unstable, and now as a Mount Patrol Silver Warden, he's even more watched by the Monkey Elder of the Demon Hall.

Moreover, the top three powers hold a deep-seated hatred towards him, and there's also the matter of a concealed investigation into the Yang Elixir from above.

With various crises piling up, Qin An felt that he still needed to continue improving.

The black market mission offers considerable rewards; even Wan Ziqing nearly perished there. Qin An estimated that if he went, he would undoubtedly reap rich rewards.

Before that, he might as well first practice the scholar profession.

The reason lies in the fact that the scholar profession practices within the Evil Extermination Bureau, making it the most convenient.

Furthermore, he could also browse through volumes of books, greatly increasing his knowledge.

With this thought, Qin An stopped considering further.

At this moment, the sky was still early. He tightened the Cold Star Saber at his waist, pushed open the door, and walked directly toward the Confidential Library...

...

Fire Crow Mountain.

Flames blazed to the sky, and the volcano roared.

At this moment, on the mountain peak, one after another, Fire Crows flew over, occasionally emitting fierce cries.

Within the volcano, magma surged.

A middle-aged man, entirely naked and robust, soaked in the magma, holding a wine cup filled with fresh blood.

The man drained the blood from the cup in one gulp and tossed the cup aside.

The cup hit the ground with a crisp shattering sound.

The sinister wound on the man's chest slowly healed under the nourishment of the magma.

"Damn the Mount Patrol Golden Warden, a pack of mad dogs! If I hadn't escaped quickly, I would've almost lost my life to those three mad dogs!"

Behind the man, dozens of Gui Cang Realm great demons lay prostrate on the ground, terrified and silent.

The man extended his hand again.

A voluptuous female from the Fire Crow Race stepped forward slowly and handed the man a new glass of wine.

Next to them, an unconscious human man was convulsing, with a wound on his neck, constantly oozing blood.

The blood in the glass came from this.

One of the Gui Cang Realm Fire Crows, trembling with fear, mustered the courage to say, "Clan Leader, we couldn't do anything about Old Six's death. He went alone..."

The Fire Crow Clan Leader put down the wine glass, cast a cold glance around, and the Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow immediately shut his mouth.

"Old Six went out with my approval. Are you saying my decision was wrong?"

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow started trembling all over, shaking like a sieve, prostrating on the ground not daring to speak.

The Fire Crow Clan Leader drank all the blood in the glass, shook the empty glass, and said in a deep voice, "Old Six died at the hands of Qin An. We should have avenged his death, but now the mountain-patrolling golden guards are shadowing us, leaving us short-handed."

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow hastily said, "Clan Leader, I beg you, let me go to kill Qin An!"

The Fire Crow Clan Leader sneered, "Are you stronger than Old Six?"

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow's breath caught.

The Fire Crow Clan Leader chuckled coldly, "Revenge can wait for now. We failed to kill Wan Ziqing, and the black market was exposed. The urgent task is to stabilize the black market."

"That's a place comparable to the Demon Transformation Pool."

"I've communicated with the Thousand-legged Cave and Ten Thousand Mouse Cave. We can't let the plan fail."

As he finished speaking, another Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow stepped forward slowly.

"But... after this exposure, there will surely be mountain-patrolling guards coming. If they realize our purpose, I'm afraid..."

The Fire Crow Clan Leader shook his head, his tone suddenly sharp and cold, "Three forces, each dispatching ten Gui Cang Realm members, totaling thirty."

"Ten days, just ten days needed. Once all the materials for the Blood Frenzy Elixir are relocated, the black market will no longer be necessary."

Ten days...

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow swallowed his saliva, not daring to speak further.

The Fire Crow Clan Leader said coldly, "Afraid of dying?"

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow dared not say more, only lowering his head.

The Fire Crow Clan Leader continued, "Do you know why the Lingzhou Evil Extermination Bureau can suppress pseudo-gods of the demon race?"

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow quickly shook his head.

The Fire Crow Clan Leader's gaze gradually turned icy, "They are not afraid of dying; we are. It's that simple."

"On this mission, if you hesitate and fear death, years of effort will be wasted. If you're willing to fight to the death, the pseudo-gods of the demon race in Lingzhou will reach new heights!"

"It's good for you and me."

The Gui Cang Realm Fire Crow hurriedly kowtowed, "I understand!"

The Fire Crow Clan Leader said no more, pulling a female Fire Crow close, swaying together over the magma.

"Dismissed."

The numerous Gui Cang Realm Fire Crows looked up, flashes of desire flickering in their eyes, quickly suppressed.

They hurriedly retreated.

Soon, the magma returned to calm.

...

Time passed, and three days went by.

This morning, as the sky lightened, Qin An finished his breakfast and prepared to head to the Confidential Library.

Before him, smoke shifted, twisting like a snake into words.

[Scholar lv.6 (500/1000): Your reading speed has greatly increased, and you possess perfect recall]

Lately, engrossed in reading miscellaneous books, along with previously studying various cultivation techniques, Qin An's scholar profession had seen substantial growth, now over half full.

Today he originally intended to continue honing his scholar profession, but Wan Ziqing sent a silver command officer over.

"Mr. Qin, Mr. Wan says the mission has been issued. Mr. Qin, please review it."

The silver command officer showed utmost respect, not daring to be negligent.

Qin An nodded slightly, knowing the black market mission was likely issued.

"Understood, you may leave."

"Yes!" The silver command officer respectfully clasped fists.

After the silver command officer left, Qin An took out his mountain-patrol silver token.

The black market mission was highly rewarding, and for the currently True Qi-lacking Qin An, it was like offering a pillow to a sleepy person.

Since the last enhancement, he only had one True Qi left, and True Qi had become Qin An's most needed resource.

Thus, Qin An naturally focused on the black market mission.

Before him, various tasks flashed by.

Wan Ziqing nearly fell in the black market, so this mission was reserved for mountain-patrolling silver command officers only.

After Qin An reviewed it carefully, the details of the black market mission emerged.

The content was mostly consistent with what Qin An knew, and he accepted the mission without hesitation.

"Quick execution."

Having accepted, and with nothing else pressing, Qin An found no reason to remain in the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Heading to the state official at the Internal Affairs Department, Qin An picked up a fast horse and headed straight for the black market.

...

Black Market.

Located north of Lingzhou, about a hundred miles away.

The fast horses from the Evil Extermination Bureau were top-notch, making the hundred-mile journey no issue for them.

As Qin An rode his fast horse to a secluded canyon, he had already concealed his appearance and aura completely with a human skin mask.

Surveying the canyon ahead, Qin An thought to himself, "It doesn't seem like a canyon; it seems more like a city built deep in the mountains."

Within the secluded canyon, the black market lay coiled like a dormant giant serpent.

At the entrance, several Jianghu people were standing guard with weapons, inspecting passersby.

They didn't check identities, just asked simple questions.

From the outside, one could vaguely see the streets inside, the various stalls on either side, and the masked individuals concealing their identities at the stalls.

In this black market, identities were, naturally, fake.

There were rules here, but not many.

As Qin An approached, several Jianghu people routinely inquired.

Qin An answered each one, providing only unimportant information.

Once the questioning finished, Qin An led his horse and stepped into the black market's entrance.

As soon as he entered, a damp scent wafted over.

Many at the stalls glanced at Qin An, though just mere glances.

Just as Qin An prepared to find a stall, the silver token at his chest suddenly vibrated.

A graceful woman stood in front of Qin An, a smile on her face.

A colleague?

Qin An furrowed his brow slightly.

Meeting a fellow mountain-patrolling officer at this time was likely no coincidence.

While pondering, the graceful woman approached, smiling, and whispered.

"Friend, looking for information? Fair prices."

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