Chapter 114 - 111: The Blood Demon Sect’s Concession, Obtaining the Taoist Soldier Secret Technique

Chapter 114: Chapter 111: The Blood Demon Sect’s Concession, Obtaining the Taoist Soldier Secret Technique

Smoke curled thickly within the dark room.

BUZZ!

A flash of light gleamed across the Copper Mirror as a line of text surfaced on the glass.

"Lie low for now and gather intelligence. Once this matter concludes, we will settle the score."

Li Xuehai stared intently at the mirror. The muscles in his face twitched slightly, his expression shifting unpredictably. But after a moment, his tense features relaxed, even curling into a mocking smirk.

To outsiders, the Blood Demon Sect looked unstoppable, constantly thwarting even the Demon Suppression Bureau. However, as a Squad Leader, he knew all too well that the sect’s internal factions were far from a united front, and their resources were severely stretched thin.

Given the strength the Qin Family had just displayed in effortlessly wiping out the Xuan Nine Squad, it would take at least three to five Dao Soldier squads to crush them completely. It might even require deploying a Primordial Mansion Realm expert. Where were they supposed to muster that kind of power on such short notice?

Those outer members—recruited through the Human Pill Evil Technique, coercion, or bribery—were mostly desperate outcasts or wily veterans nearing the end of their lifespans. Every single one of them harbored their own ulterior motives. Sending them to cause havoc or serve as cannon fodder was fine, but if relied upon for real tasks, they were utterly useless and would only ruin the plans!

"The Qin Family of Cyan Peak County can easily kill even Qi Sea Realm cultivators. Their true strength is entirely unknown. Without concrete intelligence, who would willingly throw their life away?" he muttered to himself. Stepping out of the secret chamber, he spread out all the files regarding the Qin Family on his desk once more.

The pages turned with a soft RUSTLE. The more he read, the deeper his frown became.

"Years of material procurement records, minor friction with local factions... no matter how you look at it, they are just an ordinary small family!" he pondered. "Why do they suddenly possess such power? Could those War Beasts have been hiding deep in the Wilderness Mountain Range all along? Does the Qin Family have a separate foundation there?"

Ever since Inspector Liu disappeared in Cyan Peak County, Li Xuehai had mobilized every intelligence network available to the Sub-Branch, even spending heavily to purchase information from the Golden Wind Pavilion. Yet, it yielded absolutely nothing. Aside from a large-scale purchase of poultry and livestock a dozen days ago, even their daily grain procurement was completely normal, no different from any other minor family.

It was absolutely absurd!

There was no way those ferocious War Beasts had materialized out of thin air over the past dozen days. What a joke! He leaned towards the theory that the Qin Family had premeditated this, mobilizing a batch of War Beasts in advance, and those livestock were merely rations to feed them.

"Once that seal is completely undone, who knows if this Bishui City Sub-Branch will even still exist... When that time comes, will the main sect have the spare capacity to meddle in the Qin Family’s affairs?" Li Xuehai sneered. He lowered his eyes, concealing the flickering, dark gleam within them.

In the Wilderness Mountain Range, at the Snake Valley Base.

Qin Yu closed his eyes, his consciousness attached to the Shadow Scale Snake coiled around his father’s wrist. Looking at the rows upon rows of neatly arranged Divine Weapons inside the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Arsenal, he couldn’t help but marvel. The Demon Suppression Bureau truly had incredibly deep pockets!

Within the arsenal of the Bishui City branch, there were dozens of Gamma-level Weapons just for bows and arrows. Among them, twelve were Gamma-level Upper Grade. After selecting a Gamma-level Upper Grade weapon named the Thunder Chasing Cloud Bow, Qin Hu immediately headed to another Treasure Vault to choose Secret Cultivation Technique Manuals.

The Thunder Chasing Cloud Bow was what Li Wanqing had promised. Along with it came three matching Wind and Thunder Arrows. Archery required swift and explosive force. The Cultivation Techniques he had previously purchased at the Treasure Pavilion were mostly of the Wind and Thunder Attribute, so this time was naturally no exception.

Secret Cultivation Technique Manuals were the real resources exchanged from selling the Black Thorn Eagles and those dozens of wanted criminals! Altogether, they were valued at 520,000 taels of silver. This was a substantial fortune, and it could be exchanged directly within the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Treasure Vault.

As for the Cultivation Techniques, they were located in the Library Pavilion.

Unlike the heavily guarded Arsenal, the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Library Pavilion felt more ancient and profound. Towering black wooden shelves reached all the way to the vaulted ceiling, categorizing countless books, while the air was filled with the scent of aged ink and a faint aroma of camphor wood.

At Qin Yu’s subtle cue, Qin Hu ignored the Fist Scriptures and Sword Manuals, walking straight toward the area labeled for Arrays. He had no immediate need for ordinary Cultivation Techniques.

In the Shegu Mountain Range, his Clones had already increased from ten to a hundred and twenty. These 120 Clones, completely identical to Qin Yu’s body, were currently practicing various Cultivation Techniques deduced by the Insect Nest. From time to time, a Clone would die, its body shattering. With the Nurturing Pool, conducting these experiments was much more convenient. Although they had not fully succeeded yet, he had still reaped some gains.

However, resources regarding Arrays, Dao Soldiers, and Artifact Refining were extremely scarce.

If tens of thousands of Insect Swarm units could be linked together to attack and defend in unison, the resulting power would be overwhelmingly devastating. Let alone those in the Qi Sea Realm, even Primordial Mansion Realm experts would likely be instantly annihilated. Of course, fusing so much power together was by no means an easy feat.

Soon, Qin Hu located the Array section and found the materials related to Dao Soldiers. Over a dozen Gamma-level Taoist Soldier Secret Techniques, such as "Profound Turtle Dao Soldiers," "Wind and Thunder Cavalry," and "God-slaying Crossbow Dao Soldiers," were neatly lined up. Qin Hu stepped forward, picked up the first book, and read it carefully.

This was, in fact, an application of Array power. Therefore, it required at least a Qi Sea Realm commander to manipulate the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi using specially forged Weapons and Armor to unify the soldiers’ strength. The more forces united, the greater the burden on the commander.

The reason they were called Dao Soldiers rather than simply Arrays was that purely controlling an Array required too high a cultivation base. Therefore, Dao Soldiers were essentially a shortcut. It typically required cultivating specific techniques, etching special Secret Patterns onto the body to cooperate with the Array manipulation, and consuming specific Elixirs to temper the bones and muscles.

For example, "Profound Turtle Dao Soldiers" required etching the Profound Turtle Seal onto the body! This allowed the cultivator’s strength and defense to increase drastically. The price, however, was a severely crippled potential after cultivation; reaching the Qi Sea Realm would be their absolute limit. Unless they encountered a miraculous, heaven-defying stroke of luck, it was impossible to break through to the Primordial Mansion Realm.

It was a force that could be cultivated in mass batches, though the costs were exorbitant. It required matching treasures, prolonged training, and precise coordination to truly unleash its effectiveness.

For instance, the "Profound Turtle Dao Soldiers" could also be called Profound Turtle Heavy Shield Dao Soldiers. Their matching weapons included a set of heavy Escape Armor, which excelled in defense. A maximum of nine people could execute it together, their power linked into one entity through the Array and Secret Patterns. They could drive their Heavy Shields into the ground to instantly form a massive Profound Turtle Qi Shield, resisting impacts like a torrential flood. When attacked, it could evenly distribute part of the damage and reflect the force of the attack back.

Next was the "Wind and Thunder Cavalry." This type of Dao Soldier was even more unique, requiring a special mount—the Wind-Thunder Flood Dragon Horse. Both rider and horse were clad in Daoist Armor, linking their power into a singular whole. When wind and thunder converged, it integrated offense and defense while significantly boosting both speed and destructive power.

Only massive factions could afford to field Dao Soldiers!

He quickly browsed through them one by one. An idea gradually formed in Qin Yu’s mind. He naturally didn’t want these Secret Techniques to cultivate human Dao Soldiers, but rather to allow the Insect Swarm to master this power. Etching Secret Patterns on the body? He could just etch them directly onto the Insect Swarm. The special armor and other equipment could simply be grown directly onto their carapaces, allowing the Insect Swarm’s power to be unified.

"These Taoist Soldier Secret Techniques in the Demon Suppression Bureau are all Sect Secret Techniques, which at most unite thirty-two people to form a Grand Array," Qin Yu analyzed. "The most suitable ones for the Insect Swarm should be military Secret Techniques. It’s said that the Dao Soldiers among the Border Army’s elites can unite the strength of thousands or even tens of thousands of elite forces through military armaments like armor, Military Banners, and War Chariots."

"I’ll choose the ’Wind and Thunder Cavalry.’ Although the ’Wind and Thunder Cavalry’ can only unite the power of nine Dao Soldiers, it can also integrate the power of their mounts," he concluded. "The Insect Swarm has the Thunder Roc as a carrier, so perhaps we can put this to use as quickly as possible!"

Having made the selection, Qin Hu didn’t delay and immediately turned to leave. This set of "Wind and Thunder Cavalry" was a Gamma-level Upper Grade Secret Technique and cost 490,000 taels of silver. But that was merely the price for the Secret Technique itself. What truly burned through money were the subsequent expenses: forging the matching Daoist Armor, breeding the mounts, and the long-term training costs. To fully equip them, the total expenditure would be more than ten times the cost of the Secret Technique itself.

As Qin Hu’s figure disappeared, an armor-clad, middle-aged silhouette suddenly materialized beside Zhao Zhenshan. Unlike fiercely muscled brutes such as Zhao Zhenshan, this man stood tall and straight with sharply defined facial features. His eyes were bright and piercing, captivating and sharp like a falcon’s.

"Is this the Qin Family that suddenly emerged?" the man asked.

Looking at the middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared beside him, Zhao Zhenshan bowed slightly. "General Situ! Yes, this is the Qin Family’s Patriarch, Qin Hu!"

Evidently, the man standing before him was the true authority figure of the Bishui City Demon Suppression Bureau—Situ Ming.

"Interesting! This Qin Family kept such a low profile and hid their depths so well. Their Patriarch only recently broke through to the Qi and Blood Realm, yet even our Demon Suppression Bureau was fooled. Now, they suddenly surface," Situ Ming sighed as he watched Qin Hu’s retreating back. "I wonder what they are scheming?"

He despised situations that fell outside his control the most. Bishui City was already tempest-tossed. Internally, numerous Noble Families and Sects were constantly making shady covert moves, while externally, the Blood Demon Sect was wreaking havoc. He was already overwhelmed. Now, the Qin Family had popped up out of nowhere! After making a high-profile entry into the city and purchasing numerous Secret Manuals, they then went and bought a Taoist Soldier Secret Technique from the Demon Suppression Bureau—one they couldn’t possibly use in the short term!

This forced him to deeply consider the hidden implications behind their actions.

"The appearance of the Qin Family should be a good thing for our Demon Suppression Bureau," Zhao Zhenshan said in a steady voice. "Qin Hu’s father died at the hands of the Blood Demon Sect, and Qin Yu harbors a deep hatred for them as well! They also have a good relationship with our Bureau. If we can win them over, our pressure will be significantly reduced."

"Hmm, you’re not wrong! It’s just that the current situation is unclear," Situ Ming said, rubbing his aching head. "The Blood Demon Sect is plotting in the shadows, and that old dragon in the Bishui River hasn’t been behaving lately either. Mr. Chen Jianqiu is locked in a standoff with it and can’t spare much strength to support us. I’ll leave the Qin Family in your hands!"

Too many things were happening recently. The Blood Demon Sect was wreaking havoc, and there was unrest in the Bishui River, with suspicions that they were secretly colluding with the Demon Sect! On top of that, the Treasure Pavilion’s auction had attracted a massive influx of experts and factions from the surrounding areas. As the Deputy General of Bishui City, his pressure was immense.

"Yes, sir!"