The moment these words were spoken, Qin An's eyes suddenly sharpened, his gaze firmly locking onto the sandalwood box in Gao Lingyu's hand.

The surface of the wooden box was carved with intricate and exquisite patterns, faintly exuding a thick aura.

Qin An keenly sensed that it was actually a vast, ocean-like Qi Blood Power.

"Is there a Demon Pill stored inside?" Qin An squinted his eyes and asked in a deep voice.

Gao Lingyu nodded slightly, her slender fingers gently lifting the lid.

Inside, two Demon Pills lay quietly on the velvet lining, shimmering with a crystalline luster.

"If Mr. Qin is willing to help the Profound Celestial Array Gate through this tribulation..." Gao Lingyu's voice shifted, "these two Demon Pills will be your remuneration."

Qin An responded indifferently, "The Profound Celestial Array Gate is merely a Pulse Condensation Realm power. Obtaining these two objects must have been challenging."

Gao Lingyu sighed softly, "Indeed, even though we have long been arranging arrays for various forces, gathering two Demon Pills was no easy feat. As Mr. Qin said, in this world, the strong are revered, and Demon Pills are treasures that enhance cultivation, so they are naturally hard to collect."

Qin An rubbed his chin, "Such a precious item, are you truly willing to part with it for me?"

Gao Lingyu nodded, without hesitation pushing the wooden box towards Qin An, "Please, Mr. Qin, accept with a smile."

Qin An raised an eyebrow, "I haven't agreed yet. Besides, even if I did agree, I'm not assured of victory. Aren't you worried I'll keep the reward and not return it to you?"

Gao Linyu gave a wry smile, "That Secret Technique is the foundation upon which our Profound Celestial Array Gate was built. To relinquish it would lead the sect to decline. Though the Demon Pills are treasures, they are ultimately external possessions, better to gift them to you."

"And if we truly lose, at least we have Mr. Qin as a support in Xunyang Prefecture."

Qin An smiled slightly, "I'm only a Copper Prefecture General in the Pulse Condensation Realm. Why is Sect Leader Gao so certain I can be your support in Xunyang Prefecture?"

Gao Lingyu's bright eyes, clear as autumn water, fixed on Qin An and solemnly said, "I deeply believe in your potential. Back then, everyone in Lingzhou underestimated you, yet you soared to great heights."

"Xunyang Prefecture is merely a stepping stone for you."

Qin An pondered briefly, then grasped the Demon Crystal in the box, "Tell me, when does this bet begin?"

Gao Lingyu's expression turned serious, her eyes revealing a sharp glint, "In a month, the Celestial Solitary Array Gate will arrive at Xunyang Prefecture, and the bet will commence."

Qin An continued to inquire, "I have another question, but it's a private matter. May I ask?"

Gao Lingyu nodded, "Rest assured, there is nothing I will withhold."

Only then did Qin An say, "Given the Profound Celestial Array Gate's heritage, is the highest level array only at the Pulse Condensation Realm?"

Gao Lingyu replied without hesitation, "Indeed, it's at the Pulse Condensation Realm, but in Xunyang Prefecture, arrays of this level are already sufficient."

Upon hearing this, Qin An finally tucked the Demon Pills into his bosom, "I accept this bet."

Two Demon Pills, equivalent to two hundred Demon Crystals.

It was a critical moment for condensing the Supreme True Elixir, and these cultivation resources were like timely assistance for Qin An.

Now that Gao Lingyu had given these two Demon Pills, plus the hundred Demon Crystals Qin An had, he was only five Demon Pills' worth away from the Supreme True Elixir Realm.

It greatly eased a tremendous burden.

Since they were items he needed, he saw no harm in agreeing.

His earlier inquiries were actually to discern the particulars of this wager and his odds.

If it was only at the Pulse Condensation Realm, then it was manageable.

He only needed to train the Array Master to level ten within a month.

Then, with his Great Success in the Pulse Condensation Realm, he would be well-equipped to handle this bet.

Seeing Qin An accept the Demon Pills, Gao Lingyu let out a relieved sigh.

In truth, she hadn't been very confident, considering Qin An's indifferent nature.

No matter the two Demon Pills, with Qin An's aloof demeanor, if the offering didn't cater to his taste, even rare treasures wouldn't sway him.

With matters now settled and Qin An having agreed, Gao Lingyu's heart finally relaxed.

Qin An rose, "Since that's settled, I shall take my leave."

Gao Lingyu stood and opened the door to the secret chamber, "Allow me to escort Mr. Qin out."

Qin An did not refuse, stepping toward the street outside.

After escorting Qin An to the door, Gao Lingyu watched as his tall figure gradually disappeared into the distance, only then retracting her gaze.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps arose.

An elder stealthily emerged from the courtyard and asked, "Two Demon Pills, that's no small number. Is Qin An truly worth entrusting?"

Gao Lingyu turned back, her gaze as clear as a mirror, "Do not employ those you suspect, and do not suspect those you employ. Since I trust him, I won't be stingy."

The elder hesitated for a moment, then said worriedly, "But... he is still a Copper Prefecture General of the Evil Extermination Bureau, and Xunyang Prefecture is fraught with dangers. Who knows if he might perish on his next mission."

Gao Lingyu shook her head decisively, "No, I trust my judgment. With his potential, the rank of Copper Prefecture General will not constrain him. I fear he won't remain one for long."

The elder opened his mouth but, seeing Gao Lingyu's resolute expression, refrained from continuing.

Gao Lingyu said no more and returned to her room.

...

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.

During this period, due to the recent conclusion of the Hunter Conference, Xunyang Prefecture had remained relatively peaceful.

Occasional disturbances by demons were quickly quelled by the Prefecture Generals and Mountain Patrol Envoys.

Since the end of the Hunter Conference, Qin An had not undertaken any tasks, finding himself with rare leisure.

During this time, he maintained a nearly secluded lifestyle, commuting daily between the blacksmith shop and the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Many individuals from forces present at the banquet were also investigating Qin An privily.

While intending to establish connections, they found no opportunity to approach due to Qin An's reclusive habits and had to abandon their efforts.

This, in turn, spared Qin An many troubles.

...

Inside the blacksmith shop, sparks flew.

Qin An took a short break, setting the hammer aside, and calmly said, "I won't be coming tomorrow."

The blacksmith nearby was stunned, his expression perplexed.

"With your extraordinary talent, if you specialized in this craft, all the blacksmiths in Xunyang Prefecture would be overshadowed."

During this period, the blacksmith shop owner also observed Qin An hammering the iron tools from the side.

Starting from a lack of attention at the beginning, to later becoming more and more astonished.

The blacksmith shop owner felt as if his mood was like a bucket being tossed around.

Today, Qin An said he wouldn't be coming anymore, leaving the blacksmith shop owner with mixed feelings.

Qin An didn't speak but instead gazed at the smoke in front of him, unable to suppress a smile at the corners of his mouth.

The smoke gradually condensed into words, transforming into the blacksmith's information, floating before his eyes.

[Blacksmith lv.10 (0/5000): The quality of the items you forge has improved, consumption of forging materials has decreased, and the properties of forging items have been enhanced.]

[Talents: Great Success in Vein Condensation Realm power-type Cultivation Technique, Vein Condensation Realm Forged Object Spirituality Granting, Great Success in Vein Condensation Realm Heart Forging Skill]

The monotonous hammering during this period finally allowed Qin An to cultivate the blacksmith profession to level ten, achieving a significant breakthrough.

The condition for advancement was the forging of five hundred weapons.

The total number of weapons Qin An forged during this period, plus those forged earlier, had already surpassed five hundred, leaving no obstacle to advancement.

Once the words appeared in front of him, a large amount of information accompanied the words and instantly dissipated, drilling into Qin An's mind.

Qin An closed his eyes, carefully sensing for a moment, and fully grasped the essence of the blacksmith profession.

After reaching level ten, all of Qin An's talents rose to the Great Success of Vein Condensation Realm, incomparable to before.

With a thought, Qin An drew the Cold Star from his waist and gently caressed the blade: "Old partner, it's time for you to reach a new level."

Having now stepped into Xunyang Prefecture, he encountered extremely terrifying opponents.

This Cold Star was forged by Qin An during the Gui Cang Realm; it was no longer adequate for the formidable enemies in Xunyang Prefecture.

Now that the blacksmith talents have reached the level of Great Success of Vein Condensation Realm, Qin An plans to reforge Cold Star.

Without further ado, Qin An threw Cold Star into the furnace and began to reforge it.

The clanging of metal on metal lasted for half an hour.

The reforged Cold Star now had a restrained edge, with the blade flowing with the unique spiritual charm of the Vein Condensation Realm.

Qin An raised his hand to grasp the hilt of Cold Star, swinging the blade to test its edge.

Even without using any blade techniques, Qin An still felt a sense of ease, deepening his connection with Cold Star.

Moreover, the spirituality in Cold Star had increased by a level as well.

Qin An could even feel that every time he drew the blade, Cold Star would respond in kind.

"Could it really become a blade spirit girl?" Qin An mused to himself.

Then he shook off this thought, took out some silver coins, placed them in front of the blacksmith, and stepped out of the blacksmith shop, heading for the Evil Extermination Bureau.

...

The sky was moonless, with only a few stars serving as the sole source of light under the cloak of night.

Qin An walked along the stone road, his thoughts wandering, as he pondered over his next plan.

There were only about twenty days left until the one-month period with Gao Lingyu.

He initially intended to cultivate other professions, but with only twenty days remaining until the wager period, he decided to put aside other cultivation efforts, and focus solely on advancing to level ten as an Array Master.

Fortunately, practicing as an Array Master was not difficult, as even ordinary items could gain proficiency in Qin An's hands, saving him from the trouble of running back and forth.

Having made up his mind, Qin An quickened his pace under the moonlight, his figure merging into the heavy night.

...

Returning to his residence at the Evil Extermination Bureau, nothing unusual occurred along the way.

He already had ten demon crystals stored within his body, having consumed eight during the blade technique deduction.

Currently, while deducing the Heart Method, Qin An didn't want to use the one hundred stored demon crystals.

Fortunately, on the last mission, Qin An had slain enough demons.

Before returning to his room, Qin An went to the Confidential Library of the Evil Extermination Bureau and exchanged for eight demon crystals, replenishing his stored crystals.

Qin An lit the oil lamp on the table, then took out a Cultivation Technique from inside his coat.

The Cultivation Technique was inscribed with the four large characters: "Cyan Snake Strangulation."

This Cultivation Technique was obtained from the Cyan Snake Demon and was a secret of the Cyan Snake Demon clan, also an unarmed Combat Technique.

Now with the blacksmith profession reaching level ten, it was time to deduce the unarmed Combat Technique to the Great Success of Vein Condensation Realm, as initially planned.

Thinking of this, Qin An, under the light of the oil lamp, opened the Secret Technique in his hand and began reading it meticulously.

The process of reading was unimpeded, and after finishing the book, his Scholar profession grew considerably as well.

Qin An pondered briefly, then began practicing the moves of Cyan Snake Strangulation in the room.

Cyan Snake Strangulation emphasized grappling techniques and was highly compatible with the Blood-Burning Eight-Forged Dragon Demon Hand.

However, when Qin An performed each move, they were as flexible as a cyan snake.

Yet the moves appeared flexible but held a sinister killing intent within; as if a cyan snake coiled up, ready to strangle the enemy into a pulp.

Once Qin An completed the full practice of Cyan Snake Strangulation, a line of smoke appeared in front of him, gradually condensing into words.

[You have practiced Cyan Snake Strangulation, triggering the corresponding talent]

[Cyan Snake Strangulation (Great Success)]

Under the talent's influence, in an instant, Qin An deduced Cyan Snake Strangulation to the Great Success Realm.

However, the Great Success Realm of Cyan Snake Strangulation was not enough to satisfy Qin An's needs.

After a brief rest, Qin An continued the deduction.

In front of him, the smoke instantly dissipated and recondensed into text.

[You have practiced Cyan Snake Strangulation, equipped with the Blood-Burning Eight-Forged Dragon Demon Hand, intending to merge the two techniques into one]

[Sitting idle for years, the talent insufficient to merge the two techniques into one]

[After pondering briefly, you began to burn your internal Qi Blood]

[As a large amount of Qi Blood burns, a spark of inspiration arises in your mind]

[Unwilling to give up, you continued burning internal Qi Blood, and finally, after burning eight demon crystals, all the inspiration gathered into a singularity, achieving an epiphany]

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