Chapter 36: The Demon Person

The demon’s body froze momentarily before rapidly shrinking back into its ordinary human form.

As intelligence returned to his mind, he gazed at Li Zhen with disbelief and lingering defiance in his eyes.

His mission had been clear: infiltrate the first-year cultivator class of Second High School undetected and eliminate Cheng He.

In the belief of the Demon-Worship Cult, Cheng He had sabotaged their secret base in Yunxi County—a crime that marked him for certain death.

Of course, eliminating Cheng He was only part of their revenge; they also targeted the county’s Security Bureau. To instill terror across all Yunxi County, this retaliation must showcase the overwhelming power of the Demon-Worship Cult.

According to the intelligence received by this demonic agent, Cheng He posed the greatest threat within the first-year cultivator class due to his mid-grade fire elemental spiritual root and the intensive training he’d undergone at school. If anyone among these novice cultivators could pose a danger to the demon, it would undoubtedly be Cheng He.

Yet, never did he anticipate finding three students capable of putting up such resistance hidden amidst them.

Han Wenqin and Yu Nan were relatively easier to deal with—one relying on mid-grade magical artifacts for defense, the other using mid-grade talismans for offense. In truth, these methods offered limited threat against a transformed demonic being like himself.

However, no one could have foreseen how devastatingly skilled Li Zhen’s swordsmanship would prove to be. By exploiting the vulnerability created when his fur-based defenses were breached, Li Zhen delivered a fatal blow—a move that sealed the fate of the demonic intruder beyond any hope of recovery.

The demon’s body crumpled heavily to the ground, casting a silence over the classroom.

Even Yu Nan and Han Wenqin, let alone the other students, gazed at Li Zhen with expressions of sheer disbelief.

“Cheng He wet his pants!” A girl’s voice broke the stillness.

She pointed at Cheng He, who sat on the floor, yellow liquid spreading visibly beneath him.

“But wasn’t he hailed as a hero? Didn’t he even kill a demon before? How could he just pee himself upon seeing another one?” one student questioned aloud.

It was worth noting that despite Cheng He’s failed attempt to rapidly advance through Qi Refining second layer—a move deemed too hasty by many—the majority of their classmates still held him in high regard. After all, the school had officially recognized him as a champion for his previous deeds.

“I did not wet my pants!” Cheng He insisted stubbornly, trying desperately to cover the telltale stain pooling below him.

“Is anyone injured?” Teacher Zhang rushed into the classroom, her gaze flitting anxiously between the corpse on the floor and each student present.

“Teacher Zhang, no one is hurt,” reported Yu Nan, the class president, lowering his mid-tier copper bell. “Li Zhen killed the demon!”

“It was all three of us—me and both class presidents—who together eliminated the demon!” Li Zhen hastily clarified.

“Well done,” Teacher Zhang said approvingly, addressing Li Zhen and the two class presidents. “I will report this to the school; every student involved here deserves a reward!” She then turned slightly towards Cheng He, her brow furrowing ever so gently. “Mr. Cheng He, please stand up.”

Cheng He remained motionless, his head bowed even lower as he tugged at his clothes, desperately trying to conceal the liquid pooling on the floor.

It was then that Teacher Zhang finally noticed Cheng He’s predicament—along with the unmistakable scent wafting through the air.

“All students, follow me to the combat room immediately,” she announced firmly. “Cultivator class students, gather there for protection by your teachers!” She paid no further heed to Cheng He as she issued her commands.

This directive stemmed from Principal Wang himself. Upon detecting signs of Transfiguration—a demonic presence—in the first-year cultivator class, he had tasked Teacher Zhang with addressing the issue promptly. His plan also included consolidating all cultivator students in one place for their safety.

As classmates filed out of the classroom, Cheng He brought up the rear.

Though sizable, the combat room couldn’t accommodate every student in the school; only those from the cultivator classes were allowed entry.

From this alone, it was clear how society valued cultivators. In times of genuine peril, schools prioritized protecting these elite students above all others.

Of course, even demons rarely attacked ordinary students, as such actions offered them little benefit. Demons acted solely when there was something to be gained, and harming non-cultivators held no appeal for them.

Li Zhen, Han Wenqin, and Yu Nan occupied a corner of the combat room together. Their fellow classmates, impressed by their display earlier, deliberately gave them space to converse privately without interruption.

“News from home,” Han Wenqin began softly, “reports that four other high schools have also suffered attacks by cultivators. Two students were killed, and six others injured.”

“Could these be the work of those demonic individuals as well?” Li Zhen asked.

“The attacking cultivators showed no signs of demonization,” Han Wenqin replied quietly. “While we can’t confirm if it was directly due to the Demon-Worship Cult, they remain our strongest suspect!”

Yielding the floor, Yu Nan added his thoughts: “Lack of demonization doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t affiliated with the cult. These could very well be cultivators being evaluated for membership. To gain entry into such an organization, they might commit any atrocity imaginable!”

Li Zhen reflected on how he had slain one such demonic figure earlier in front of numerous classmates. From now on, he realized, the Demon-Worship Cult will undoubtedly keep their eyes on me.

Yet, he harbored no regrets. The thought of standing idly by while his fellow students fell victim to those fiends would have left him unable to face himself—a fate worse than death itself.

Besides, eliminating the demonic threat had been necessary for self-preservation too; even if he hadn’t acted first, once Cheng He perished at their hands, he’d likely become their next target.

“It seems like those demonic beings specifically targeted Cheng He,” Li Zhen observed, recalling the scene when the intruder entered their classroom.

“This isn’t surprising,” Yu Nan mused aloud before suddenly turning towards Li Zhen. “After all, who else but Cheng He would flaunt both his mid-grade fire elemental spiritual root and claim credit for uncovering the secret base of the Demon-Worship Cult?” His gaze lingered meaningfully on Li Zhen, leaving an unspoken question hanging in the air between them.

If he remembered correctly, Li Zhen had been captured alongside Cheng He by the Demon-Worship Cult and taken to their secret base.

It hadn’t struck him before, but now that he saw Li Zhen using a sword to slay Transfigured demons, it raised suspicions about whether there was any connection between the discovery of the cult’s secret base and Li Zhen himself.

“Li Zhen, you just used the ‘Wrapping Technique,’ didn’t you?” Han Wenqin asked curiously. “When did you learn such magic?”

She knew well that Li Zhen possessed a Wood Spirit Root as his primary spiritual affinity, making cultivation of the Wrapping Technique quite natural for him. However, mastering it enough to employ in actual combat was no small feat.

Even with her privileged background and family support, honing magical techniques remained challenging for her. Beyond theoretical knowledge, extensive practice was required. Her own spiritual energy reserves were somewhat limited, unable to sustain the rigorous training needed for advanced spellcasting.

“I was just lucky,” Li Zhen explained with a smile. “When I realized something was amiss earlier, I quickly applied the Wrapping Technique on the Iron Thread Vine seed—and surprisingly, it worked at first try!”

He couldn’t reveal that his mastery over the Wrapping Technique had already approached the realm of Understanding Magic—a level where one could instinctively comprehend and wield magical principles.

Back at the Security Bureau, each piece of bad news darkened the chief of public security’s face further.

“Guard Shang,” he said grimly, “eliminate those troubles posthaste!” Though reluctant, the chief issued the command—the situation demanded swift action.

With students already dead at the school, any further inaction by the Security Bureau would be unforgivable.

Guard Shang bowed briefly before taking flight, his figure encased in martial fighter armor—a stark contrast against the clear sky.

Shortly after Guard Shang’s departure, seven shadowy figures stormed into the Security Bureau. Each was a Transfigured demonic being, their transformed auras unmistakably marking them as late-stage Qi Refiners.

Upon entering, they embarked on a frenzied rampage of destruction.

The remaining policemen within the bureau retaliated with rune darts, but these magical weapons proved utterly ineffective against the demonized beings’ defenses.

Realizing rune darts couldn’t halt the demons, the chief himself charged onto the battlefield with a thunderous shout: “Die!”

Already a powerhouse at the ninth level of Qi Refining, the chief’s combat prowess surged even higher when augmented by the martial fighter armor. For a brief moment, he could match an early Foundation Establishment true cultivator—one who had achieved the first major breakthrough beyond mere Qi Refining.

Both martial fighter armor and rune darts were strictly forbidden outside military and law enforcement circles within the city.

Unlike rune darts, however, martial fighter armor was prohibitively expensive. Aside from the army and the Security Bureau, very few units ever found their way into private hands—an oversight that now threatened to cost lives.

Most crucially, martial fighter armor required specific authorization to operate. Even if such armor fell into another’s hands, it would be exceedingly difficult for them to use effectively.

The chief of public security, clad in his martial fighter armor, stood no shorter than the Transfigured monsters. With the aid of the armor, his movements were so swift that they blurred beyond the naked eye’s ability to discern.

With a sickening crack, one armored arm pierced through a monster’s chest, emerging from its back while clutching the creature’s still-beating heart. The chief’s arm dragged the corpse towards another monster; as the lifeless body collided with its kin, he had already reached their side.

His hand swept across the second monster’s neck, severing it cleanly. The monster’s head rolled away, coming to rest several meters distant.

In this brief initial encounter, two out of seven Transfigured monsters perished instantly. Yet, the remaining five showed not an ounce of fear as they charged at the chief once more. He dispatched them effortlessly—one after another—until all seven lay dead on the ground.

No trace of smugness crossed the chief’s face. To him, these seven Transfigured monsters, possessing Late Qi Refining Stage strength, were merely equivalent to mid-Qi Refining cultivators. Had they been true late-stage practitioners transformed by Transfiguration, the battle wouldn’t have been nearly as easy.