Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

The Four Quarters Energy-Drawing Formation is a technique recorded within the String-Pulling Technique.

Positioning four individuals at the positions of West Metal Geng, East Wood Jia, North Water Ren, and South Fire Bing, the technique follows the principle of "water, fire, wind, thunder cultivating a golden body," incorporating some of the traditional Xuanmen Zhengzong doctrine.

It slightly surpasses the normal pace of upgrading in dual cultivation between two people — the incremental progress over time is quite considerable.

But the issue remains the same: when it's already difficult to find a completely trusted dual-cultivation partner, how do you find two more individuals and ensure safety?

If you encounter someone harboring ill intentions, while you're entering into a meditative state for Qi Refinement, they could quietly raise a hand and send a Flying Sword from their sleeve. With such close proximity, unless you have some sort of protective amulet, it's pretty much a chill through the heart — followed by them taking your artifacts, Elixir Medicine, and Flying Sword before fleeing.

Using puppets avoids this risk. Hence, as told by the Demonic Sect Enchantress, many predecessors in the Qiansi Sect also refine the Heaven, Earth, and Man triplet puppets, adding themselves to make up the four needed specifically for assembling the Four Quarters Energy-Drawing Formation.

Of course, one must not let the matter of the puppets leak, so Yan Yu had already locked the door to avoid any indiscreet intruders suddenly coming in.

After about half an hour and feeling that the efficiency of his breathing exercises had only improved by a single-digit percentage, which wasn't much, he focused on the slow and steady progress... But what if I made ten thousand puppets and created a rational interconnected pathway for Spiritual Energy, would I be able to accumulate the enhancement up to a hundredfold?

Forget it, that would be too troublesome. It's simpler to bring Immortal Venerate Xie into the circuit. But the useless pretty one is still untrustworthy for now; we'll talk about it later. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

At this moment, Yan Yu was in a meditative state, although random thoughts occasionally arose in his sea of consciousness, they soon dissipated.

No matter the efficiency of the breathing exercises, what's key is to stay grounded.

Meanwhile, Lin Ning lay down in her bed, and amidst her drowsiness, suddenly had a nightmare.

She dreamt that she tirelessly practiced her swordsmanship day and night, finally defeating Li Minghu and turned around full of pride to report the good news to her captain, "See, I'm still more formidable than her."

Then she saw Su Yunjin affectionately wrapping her arms around Yan Yu's arm, both of them smiling warmly towards her...

"Sai Linmu!" Lin Ning abruptly sat up, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, her complexion deathly pale as she sat dazed on the bed for a long while.

It seemed like a dream...

She panted heavily for a while before vigorously pulling up the covers and going back to sleep.

In the next room, Su Yunjin was startled by Lin Ning's loud shout.

She quietly listened for a moment and, hearing no further sounds, did not pay much attention and continued reading her book.

The title of the book was "Psychology of Love," not a collection of internet pop psychology, but a professional psychological treatise with a not-so-low barrier to entry, very abstruse and difficult to understand.

Outside the window, Chen Lingyun was leaning on the balcony, chatting on the phone with her mother.

When her parents first heard that their daughter had gone to the Southern Border battlefield, Chen's mother and father had a huge argument that resulted in smashing everything in the living room, with the mother declaring that unless her daughter returned safely, he shouldn't bother coming home.

Chen Tianming, quite staunchly, checked into a hotel.

Now that Chen Lingyun had returned safely from the team and even became a war hero defending the country, her mother had no more arguments, first arranging for someone to repair the living room and then preparing to ask Chen Tianming to come back — as for how humbly she needed to act in her pleas, she didn't have a clue, and could only seek advice from her intelligent daughter who inherited her father's wisdom.

Chen Lingyun advised her mother not to plead directly. "Dad has work tomorrow, doesn't he? You should get up early in the morning to cook, and let the family chef guide you to make some homely dishes. Don't go for expensive ingredients; focus on a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables, and don't forget the soup.

Take care of every detail like the insulation bags, and then wait about ten minutes before his lunch break at the office canteen. Don't attract attention and, when dad arrives, personally deliver his meal. Have lunch with him in front of his colleagues, proactively serving him food and soup."

If someone asks, just say "My husband has been working so hard these days" "I learned to cook to reward him," and do not mention the argument. By persisting for a few days, dad's attitude will surely soften, and he will superficially reconcile with you...

However, to completely mend the damage caused by this argument will require time and emotional effort, it's not something that can be resolved overnight.

Chen's mother was confused, but she always trusted her daughter and thus planned to do as told.

After Chen Lingyun finished her call with her mother, she called her father, not mentioning the quarrel between her parents at all, but rather reporting in detail her experience in the Southern Border.

Chen Tianming listened silently, then asked for some specific intelligence about the sorcerers.

"Yan Yu told me that the newly appointed Witch King Meng is even more dangerous than the former one," Chen Lingyun said at last.

"There's nothing we can do if it's dangerous," Chen Tianming replied indifferently. "Often, we know an action is not feasible but are compelled to take it. Among many choices, we have to pick one that is not the worst."

"Um-hum," Chen Lingyun expressed her understanding, "So? There's no choice but to make concessions, right?"

"The first of next month," Chen Tianming said. "The 'Regulations for the Management of Civilian Cultivators.'"

"Although the overall trend is irresistible, I agree with Yan Yu on some points," Chen Lingyun pondered for a moment before suddenly adding, "Once the existence of civilian cultivators is permitted, they will inevitably vie for the limited cultivation resources and disrupt the current order. If this continues, dignity will be hard to preserve."

"What do you think should be done?" Chen Tianming challenged her.

"In chaotic times, heavy punishments are necessary to stop those who break laws with their martial prowess," Chen Lingyun replied.

"We need to form a specialized elite force from the existing pool of cultivators, highly familiar with the Rikoku Cultivator system, with the duty of specifically eliminating illegal cultivators causing trouble, thus forming a strong deterrent against the cultivator class."

"So, what kind of people do we need to recruit?" Chen Tianming asked leisurely.

Chen Lingyun began to ponder.

Weak cultivators definitely wouldn't do; they might not even be able to defeat others when the time came. However, strong cultivators were also unsuitable; quality steel should be used for the blade's edge, as the main contradiction at the moment lay with national defense rather than public order.

Additionally, ensuring the loyalty of this "Cultivator Gendarmerie" was another significant issue.

"In any case, consider this your assignment," Chen Tianming said slowly. "Think it over well, and there's no need to rush to an answer. Don't intervene with the matters concerning your mother; I have plans."

"Okay, bye Dad," Chen Lingyun ended the call.

She stood up, thought briefly, and decided to go directly for the answers.

Although working through the problem was interesting, with a reborn husband who possessed memories from a previous life, she found the answer itself much more intriguing.

Upon arriving at Yan Yu's door, Chen Lingyun didn't knock but directly used the Wall-Penetration Technique to enter the room.

Then she saw Yan Yu and three Zhao Yuanzhens sitting on the bed, either face to face or massaging shoulders, apparently having some kind of mystical gathering.

"Ah, did I interrupt you guys?" Chen Lingyun said with a beaming smile.

"What are you doing here?" Yan Yu opened his eyes.

Zhao Yuanzhen also expressed displeasure:

"Ling Yun, did you know that in our place, Qi Refinement requires the setting up of a formation at the entrance of the cultivation cave? You barge in like this and carelessly, I might just blast you away."

"It's okay, I'll just ask a question and leave," Chen Lingyun said to Yan Yu with a smile, "Yan Yu, if you were to form a gendarmerie specifically to deal with cultivators, what kind of people would be most suitable to select?"

Yan Yu's expression suddenly became odd.

After a long pause, under Chen Lingyun's expectant gaze, he slowly said:

"For instance, mortals who can kill cultivators?"