Evil Immortal!

As for why the experience given by the demon is less than that given by the previous painted skin ghost, it's because the painted skin ghost is also a second-tier monster, and it's an elite template.

The higher the template, the more difficult it is to deal with, and the more experience one naturally gains.

If it's a monster from the Nightmare template, whether you can defeat it or not is another matter, but at least the experience will definitely be several times higher.

"Winning against all odds, Brother Meng, that's quite a skill!"

Suddenly, Gu Zhengyang appeared out of nowhere, with a gentle smile on his face. Du Caidie and the withered monk also appeared behind him.

"I have met Lord Qianhu, Fairy Du, and Master Kumu."

Meng Yuan bowed respectfully, a hint of surprise on his face: "Did you gentlemen arrive earlier?"

Gu Zhengyang nodded slightly, glanced at the demon salamander's corpse, and couldn't help but show his approval: "Your cultivation is only at the Great Perfection of Martial Master, yet you were able to kill such a second-tier demon. Your ability to adapt to the situation in battle is quite surprising."

"You flatter me, sir. The more monsters and evil spirits I kill, the more experience I accumulate. Over time, when I encounter any monster or evil spirit, I will know how to kill it at a glance." Meng Yuan shook his head slightly, not thinking that he was anything special, just that he had a cheat code.

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhengyang admired the young man even more.

He is neither arrogant nor impatient, and has a calm and steady temperament. Moreover, at such a young age, he has cultivated to the Great Perfection of Martial Master on his own. Such a seed of cultivation is rare even in the Demon Suppression Division branch of Yunzhou.

He had seen Meng Yuan's performance over the past ten days or so.

Du Caidie also glanced at Meng Yuan with a complicated expression.

She initially looked down on Meng Yuan, always keeping her distance from such a corrupt and unclean person. However, Meng Yuan's behavior changed her opinion.

Every day, Meng Yuan would slay evil spirits and monsters by the river, rain or shine, without fail, displaying an attitude of hating evil as if he wanted to exterminate all evil spirits.

Some things can be faked for a short time, but they will eventually be exposed.

But when Meng Yuan slayed those evil spirits and monsters every day, his face showed no sign of boredom or aversion; instead, it was filled with...excitement?

She felt ashamed of herself for her persistence and willpower alone.

Meng Yuan had previously said that it was his duty to slay demons and prevent trouble before it happened, which she scoffed at the time, thinking that Meng Yuan was just trying to make himself look good.

However, it now appears that Meng Yuan was not boasting, but rather consistently putting his words into practice.

The withered monk's face was expressionless and cold as iron, but his gaze towards Meng Yuan softened.

Having come from a violent organization like the Demon Suppression Division, the three of them were taught from a young age the philosophy of suppressing demons and eliminating evil, using killing to stop killing!

Meng Yuan's actions perfectly exemplified this concept.

For this reason, the three of them developed a much stronger liking for Meng Yuan and subconsciously regarded him as one of their own.

Gu Zhengyang asked curiously, "Just now, I noticed that although your swordplay was sharp, it lacked any discernible technique. Could it be that you've never practiced swordsmanship before?"

There was nothing to hide about this, so Meng Yuan answered truthfully: "My lord has keen insight. I come from a humble background and have no way of learning any sword techniques. The only skill I have, the 'Black Pig Gluttony Technique,' was obtained by mortgaging my ancestral home to a loan shark and borrowing money."

"Pawning the ancestral home to borrow money in exchange for the 'Black Pig Gluttony Technique'... this..."

Upon hearing this answer, Gu Zhengyang and the other two exchanged bewildered glances.

The three of them were either born into prominent families or were taken in as disciples by top figures in the Demon Suppression Division from a young age, enjoying a life of luxury and wealth.

As for cultivation methods and Taoist texts, there has never been a shortage of them; the methods practiced are all rare and profound.

Not to mention the "Black Pig Gluttony Technique," a low-level martial art that's so common that they wouldn't even bother to glance at it under normal circumstances.

I never imagined that someone would mortgage their ancestral home for a mere inferior martial arts technique called "Black Pig Gluttony Technique".

After a moment's thought, the group realized that Meng Yuan was truly pitiful. They felt a deep sense of sympathy for someone from a poor background like him and looked at him with even more compassion.

Being born into poverty is not a disgrace; true men are those who can bend and stretch.

"It's quite remarkable that you've managed to cultivate to this level through self-study. However, practicing only the 'Black Pig Gluttony Technique' is still too superficial."

Gu Zhengyang pondered for a moment,

"The 'Black Pig Gluttony Technique' is, after all, only a method for strengthening the body and cultivating vitality, not a martial art for killing. Against some powerful evil spirits and demons, it will inevitably be insufficient and too much of a strain. If you don't mind, how about I teach you a sword technique?"

Meng Yuan's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I'm overjoyed, how could I possibly find it unpleasant? Please, sir, impart your teachings!"

His efforts to build a persona and win favor have finally paid off; look, the benefits are coming in now!

As for the idea that doing this would be embarrassing?

Ha... Compared to real benefits, what's the value of face?!

Meng Yuan was a practical person; he didn't care about saving face as long as there were benefits to be had.

"The cultivation techniques and Taoist scriptures within the Demon Suppression Division are strictly forbidden to be passed on privately, but I myself have had some fortuitous encounters outside, so it's alright to pass them on to you."

Gu Zhengyang stepped forward and touched Meng Yuan's brow with his finger. A surge of true meaning flowed into Meng Yuan's mind. "This sword technique is called 'Yin Wind Ghost-Slaying Blade.' It is a mid-level martial art, and it is quite exquisite. I hope you can practice it well."

[The intermediate-level martial art "Yin Wind Demon-Slaying Blade" has been detected. Do you wish to learn it?]

"yes!"

Meng Yuan thought to himself.

[System notification: You have learned the "Yin Wind Demon-Slaying Blade"!]

......

[Introduction to "The Ghost Slayer Blade" (0/500)]

......

The Yin Wind Demon-Slaying Blade is divided into four stages: beginner, minor success, major success, and great perfection, similar to the Black Pig Gluttonous Skill which has four levels. However, this does not mean that the two are almost identical.

On the contrary, the "Yin Wind Demon Slayer Blade" is a killing martial art with sharp and ruthless moves. It pursues the ultimate killing power and is quite exquisite. It also pays more attention to comprehension and talent in swordsmanship. It is much more difficult to cultivate to perfection than the "Black Pig Glutton Skill"!

Just look at the experience required for the initial stage; the first stage, just getting started, requires 500 experience points.

Over the past ten days, Meng Yuan has accumulated 3650 experience points. He originally planned to accumulate 5000 to advance to the fourth level of the "Black Pig Gluttony Technique," but now that he has learned swordsmanship, he naturally wants to improve it.

What?

Why not accumulate enough experience to upgrade "Black Pig Gluttony Technique"?

It's very simple. Upgrading "Black Pig Gluttony Skill" requires accumulating experience for a few more days, but "Yin Wind Ghost Slayer Blade" can be upgraded right now.

One requires waiting a few days, while the other can be upgraded immediately, with an instant boost in strength. Of course, the latter should be chosen.

Anyway, the meat is still in the pot even if it's rotten, so we won't lose out either way.

[Do you want to spend 500 experience points to upgrade "Yin Wind Demon Slayer Blade" to the beginner level?]

"Sure!"

Meng Yuan chose to agree in his heart.