He was utterly shocked, only coming to his senses when the young girl from the Jiuxiao Immortal Sect let out a soft hum.

“Please wait a moment, I will go report to my superior.”

——

A while later, outside the county office.

Marshal respectfully escorted the two out.

“In five days, I will come again.”

Samuel Brooks felt somewhat helpless.

This small county office could neither verify his identity nor provide the proper reward.

All they could do was preserve the head, then send a report to the Guangshan Region, which would then be forwarded to the Demon Hunter Bureau. They would have to wait for someone from the Demon Hunter Bureau to come and verify the identity, and only then would the reward be given by the bureau.

Once the letter was sent, it would take three to five days for the Demon Hunter Bureau to send someone.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a complete loss this time—he had copied the demon hunting list from the Jinyang County office.

The demon hunting list contained three hundred and twenty-three demons, all listed on it.

“Take care, Daoist. Take care.”

Marshal nodded repeatedly, escorting them to the door, watching as the Daoist and the young girl walked away.

After leaving the Jinyang County office, at the end of the street.

“Thank you, miss.”

Samuel Brooks bowed to the young girl.

It wasn’t difficult for him to slay the demon cultivator, but he had no idea how to claim the reward.

Fortunately, this young girl was enthusiastic and accompanied him to the county office. Now that he was familiar with the process, it would be easier to claim rewards in the future.

“You’re too polite, Daoist.”

William Clark seemed to think of something, reached into her robe, took out a booklet, and said, “I saw you request a demon hunting list from the Jinyang County office, so you must intend to uphold justice and slay demons… This is the detailed record from my Jiuxiao Immortal Sect, the most comprehensive demon hunting list.”

Samuel Brooks was first surprised, then took the booklet and flipped through a couple of pages, immediately understanding.

Each page of the booklet recorded a person from the demon hunting list.

But the demon hunting list only had names and portraits.

This booklet, however, not only had names and portraits, but also detailed information such as background, age and appearance, cultivation level, abilities, and past deeds.

“The demon hunting list is updated monthly, and our Jiuxiao Immortal Sect also revises this hunting booklet accordingly.”

William Clark hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “When the next update comes, shall I bring you another copy?”

Upon hearing this, Samuel Brooks immediately smiled and said, “I would be most grateful.”

William Clark was overjoyed, clenching her small fist and secretly pumping it in excitement.

After half a month away from the mountain, she had already befriended a real Daoist master. Let’s see how her senior sister could still call her naïve and childish!

After she took her leave—

Samuel Brooks’s expression grew complicated.

He lowered his head and slowly extended his hand.

Palm facing up.

Flames suddenly appeared!

The art of fire control!

This was the demon cultivator’s skill!

“Does the Chaos Pearl really have such a miraculous effect?”

Samuel Brooks was shaken, his feelings complex.

At the moment he slew the demon cultivator, the Chaos Pearl immediately devoured the opponent’s essence, energy, and spirit.

A moment later, the Chaos Pearl refined the demon cultivator’s essence, energy, and spirit, nourishing itself.

Then he felt his own true qi surge instantly, roughly equivalent to the progress he had made through half a year of cultivation since his transmigration!

Moreover, he had gained the demon cultivator’s skills in fire and wind control—flames arose at a thought, gales came with a breath, all as if he had practiced them for years!

“By slaying an opponent, can I seize the cultivation foundation they’ve built up over years?”

“By slaying an opponent, can I acquire the mastery of spells they’ve painstakingly studied?”

Samuel Brooks’s eyes lit up. He flipped his left hand, and a gentle breeze blew out the flames on his right.

Looking again at the demon hunting list and the hunting booklet, the light in his eyes grew even brighter.

To him, the demon hunting list had once been a mountain of gold and silver.

Now, the demon hunting list was, in his eyes, centuries of cultivation waiting for him to claim, and… hundreds of mystical arts and divine abilities stored outside himself!

——

Guangshan Region, Baiyang County.

“The seventh is dead.”

An old man in black robes, gaunt-faced and with clouded eyes, opened his eyes and said in a low voice, “Fourth, go investigate Jinyang County. Don’t act rashly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a low growl came from the darkness, like a fierce tiger.

Immediately, a deep voice responded.

“Yes, Master.”

Chapter 004: Becoming Stronger Begins with Building a Daoist Temple!

Guangshan Region, Fengyuan Mountain.

The sun was rising, the morning glow brilliant.

Verdant mountains, white clouds winding, the world pure and spiritual.

This tall mountain held a special position, connecting to the Zhenxuan Mountain Range within the Great Xia territory. It started in Zhongxuan Prefecture, ran through Qingming Prefecture, passed through the nine great regions, stretching like a dragon, and ended here.

“Fengyuan Mountain connects to the Zhenxuan Mountain Range, gathering the feng shui of the nine regions.”

“Our sect’s founding ancestor was truly remarkable to claim such a feng shui treasure and establish the Baihong Temple here.”

Samuel Brooks sighed, looking down at the stack of papers in his hand.

This was the fruit of his half a year’s effort: the architectural designs for rebuilding the Daoist temple.

Since transmigrating, the Chaos Pearl had been hidden deep in his brow’s ancestral acupoint, speeding up his cultivation and enhancing his magical powers.

Six days after transmigrating, while cultivating, he comprehended a formation from the Daoist resonance of the Chaos Pearl.