Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

An incense stick’s time later, Jiang Mu and Zhang Xiaokui each received their Star Official Seals.

Zhang Xiaokui chose the Earth Guardian Star Official.

It was ranked in the lower-middle tier among the Seventy-two Earth Fiends.

As for high-grade Star Positions like the Earth Spirit, ordinary Cultivators had no chance of obtaining them.

Those were reserved for people with connections.

Jiang Mu rubbed the warm, smooth seal in his hand, feeling a wave of emotion. ’From this day forward, I guess I’m finally on the path to stardom.’

After receiving their Star Seals, the two went to the Affairs Office to collect their resources.

Upon entering the Third Realm, one was granted a universal Cultivation Technique, the "Spirit Induction Art," to aid in absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Only after advancing to the Fourth Realm and performing great deeds would they be eligible to switch to a more profound Dharma Gate.

Zhang Xiaokui also used the merits the two of them had accumulated to exchange for a martial technique.

It was called the Primordial Golden Bell Shield.

The Divine Abilities of the Earth Guardian Star Official excelled at condensing a protective Gang Qi, making this Cultivation Technique a perfect complement.

However, this technique had one restriction: the user must remain a virgin.

Zhang Xiaokui didn’t care about this at all.

’Women only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword. Besides, I have my brother. The task of getting married and continuing the family line can be left to him.’

Jiang Mu, on the other hand, chose the Spirit Snake Body Step.

His Earth Concealing Star Divine Abilities were geared toward stealth and unpredictable movements. When used, his body moved like a snake, making him difficult to target.

This movement technique was like giving a tiger wings.

Afterward, the two also exchanged their old tokens for new ones.

Upon entering the Third Realm, their status was upgraded to Iron-Carved Demon Slayer Envoys.

The happy days of being a silly "sand-sculpture" were gone, never to return.

Jiang Mu felt a strange sense of reluctance about it.

...

Back at the Jiang residence, Jiang Mu couldn’t wait to dash into his bedroom.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, regulated his breathing, and then, following procedure, gently pressed the Star Official Seal to the space between his eyebrows.

He guided it with his divine sense, intending to merge with it.

However—

There was no reaction at all.

"Hm?"

Jiang Mu opened his eyes, a look of confusion on his face.

’Is my posture wrong?’

’But I saw Zhang Xiaokui do it exactly like this before we left, and he succeeded in one go.’

He tried a few more times.

But the Star Official Seal was like a stubborn rock, refusing to enter his sea of consciousness no matter what.

’I don’t believe this!’

Frustration flared in Jiang Mu’s heart. He directly summoned the Demon Slot, attempting to mobilize a sliver of Demonic Qi to force it.

Who would have thought that as soon as the Demonic Qi approached the Star Official Seal, it would shrink back in disgust, as if it had smelled something foul.

Seeing this, Jiang Mu finally understood.

’My System Daddy finds this bootleg Star Position too cheap and dirty, and refuses to let me cultivate it!’

’Damn you...’

Jiang Mu gripped the Star Official Seal, his composure shattering.

’Dad, I want the official version too, but it’s out of stock right now! Can’t you just hold your nose and bear with it?’

After several more failed attempts, Jiang Mu gave up completely.

’Fine, System Daddy, you’re so high and mighty. You’re so incredible.’

’Then let’s just rot together, the two of us.’

Just as he was feeling dejected, his gaze suddenly fell upon the Demon Shadow to his side.

As if possessed, he mimed pressing the Star Official Seal toward Shadow Number One.

In an instant, a strange transformation occurred!

Starlight flowed around the Demon Shadow’s body and a faint Dao Rhyme emerged as it began to resonate mysteriously with the Star Official Seal.

’Holy shit? The shadow can do it, but the main body can’t?’

Jiang Mu was truly speechless.

Since it worked, he immediately transferred the contents of the "Spirit Induction Art" to Shadow Number One.

Sure enough, Shadow Number One immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate on its own.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was drawn in, pouring into the Demon Shadow’s body. After being converted, it was continuously fed back into Jiang Mu’s Dantian.

A cool sensation he had never felt before flowed through his meridians.

That was Star Power!

It was completely different from the Qi and Blood or True Qi of the past.

It was more ethereal, more agile, and seemed to faintly resonate with the distant stars, bringing an unprecedented sense of clarity.

Jiang Mu’s mind was reeling.

’Did I successfully become a Star Official, or not?’

’If I say I did, my Dantian is completely empty, with no Star Pill.’

’If I say I didn’t, I have Star Power flowing through my body.’

’It’s not much different from a proper Star Official.’

This kind of "unlicensed operation" was probably a unique case in the entire world.

’Whatever, I’ll just cultivate like this for now.’

He then summoned Shadow Number Two and transferred the contents of the "Spirit Induction Art" to it.

However, Shadow Number Two showed no reaction.

’It seems a Demon Shadow can’t cultivate without a Star Official Seal.’

Jiang Mu fell into thought.

’Oh, right. There’s also that Cultivation Technique.’

He suddenly remembered that when they collected their resources, the Affairs Office had given him and Zhang Xiaokui an extra book.

Its name was the "Purple Pole Art."

They said the Bureau Chief had ordered that all Third Realm Demon Slayer Envoys could study it.

But it wasn’t mandatory, and there were no consequences for failing to learn it.

Jiang Mu took the booklet from his robes and began to flip through it.

One page, two pages...

After a good while, Jiang Mu closed the book, completely bewildered.

’What the hell is this stuff?’

’I recognize every word on its own, but when they’re put together, it’s like a heavenly script. It’s completely baffling.’

He forced himself to study it for a while longer, but still couldn’t make any headway.

He decided to just transfer the Cultivation Technique’s contents to Shadow Number One.

The Demon Shadow began to circulate energy through its microcosmic orbit according to the technique’s instructions, and soon, a peculiar aura was generated within Jiang Mu’s body.

It was warm, but not unpleasantly so.

’As expected, whether I can comprehend it or not, I just have to hand it over to System Daddy.’

Jiang Mu carefully sensed this strange, warm energy and frowned. "It doesn’t feel like Spiritual Qi, nor does it feel like True Qi... And I don’t feel any stronger either."

...

「Deep within the Underground Palace.」

Countless icicles hung from the dome like suspended swords, their faint blue, cold light crisscrossing to make the stone walls glisten like pig iron.

In the center was a round, icy platform.

It was surrounded by a pool of Spiritual Spring Water that never froze, clear and tranquil.

Shangguan Luoxue, clad in a purple dress, sat quietly on the icy platform.

The purple hem of her dress spread out over the icy jade like blooming lotus leaves, exuding a kind of proud and lonely beauty.

Her silhouette was exceptionally clear in the water’s reflection.

It especially accentuated the full-moon curve of her chest, like an untamed arc in a frozen mountain range.

Suddenly, those closed purple eyes opened, a trace of surprise flashing within them.

"Hm?"

’Someone has already grasped the basics so quickly?’

Shangguan Luoxue was a little surprised.

The Purple Mansion Agreement was profound and abstruse, demanding extremely high comprehension and innate talent.

She had originally thought that among the people in the Hu State Demon-slaying Bureau, it would be difficult to find anyone worth cultivating.

She didn’t expect there to actually be someone with decent talent.

’However, this technique becomes more difficult the further one progresses. I hope this person can give me a pleasant surprise.’

Shangguan Luoxue let out a soft sigh.

’If I hadn’t been forced into a corner, why would I have resorted to such an unorthodox method?’

’Perhaps I was too hasty last time.’

’I only had a ten percent chance of breaking through, but I insisted on taking the gamble. In the end, I failed at the final step and ended up in this state.’

"The Great Dao is found after the heart dies; this body’s error was being born at all..."

"The Great Dao..."

Shangguan Luoxue raised her right hand.

In her palm, a swirling mist of starlight spun on its own.

Looking closely, one could see it was the phantom of a miniature star.

This was the orthodox Earth Evil Star Position she had attained when she first entered the Third Realm.

Normally, when a Cultivator breaks through to a higher realm and attains a higher-grade Star Position, the old Earth Evil Star Position would automatically detach, return to the sea of stars, and await its next destined owner.

However, she had used certain methods back then to intercept and keep it.

Such methods were not uncommon among the powerful clans and major Sects with deep foundations.

It was often done to ensure the continuation of their lineage, keeping it under their control.

Passed down through generations, never allowing outsiders to get their hands on it.

It was for this very reason that fewer and fewer orthodox Star Positions were available in the world, leaving Loose Cultivators from humble backgrounds to practice with those pseudo-Star Official positions, with no hope of ever rising up.

’If this person can truly master it and help me overcome this tribulation...’

’...then it wouldn’t matter if I gave this Star Official Position to him.’

Shangguan Luoxue’s purple eyes narrowed slightly.

The phantom star in her palm pulsed with light, sparkling like a diamond.

Female-owned, 99% new.