With a Thornmail on the Tank, No One Dares to Attack

"Have you considered submitting to this prince?" Gu Qingfeng looked down disdainfully at the Evil Buddha, who lay on the ground, barely alive and drained of demonic power.

"Demon! This humble monk is devoted to the Buddha. You might as well abandon this foolish notion!"

Slap!

A brutal backhand struck the Evil Buddha across the face.

"You’re drenched in wicked energy, yet you dare claim devotion to the Buddha?"

"Power knows no morality—good and evil reside in the heart. Though this monk bears an aura of corruption, my heart remains pure. You, demon, may wear human skin, but your twisted nature is no different from a monster’s!

Pity the world is blind, seeing only the surface, never the truth. If they understood, it should be you locked in the Demon Suppression Tower, not—"

Slap!

"Enough drivel. If you won’t submit, fine. This prince will return tomorrow—and every day after—to beat you senseless until you kneel."

Gu Qingfeng turned to leave, already eyeing his next target.

"Wait, benefactor!" the Evil Buddha cried out urgently.

Gu Qingfeng paused, his voice icy. "What?"

The Evil Buddha clasped his hands in a solemn Buddhist gesture. "In ancient times, the Buddha cut his flesh to feed an eagle. Today, this humble monk offers himself to a demon. I shall walk by your side, guiding you with Buddhist wisdom, leading you step by step back to the righteous path."

Gu Qingfeng smirked. "Pathetic. Too late to surrender now. This prince will beat you daily for a month first."

With that, he resealed the Evil Buddha’s prison, dispelled the spatial barrier, and strode away.

He headed straight to the fifth floor, where five Dragon Transformation Realm demons were imprisoned—mostly early-stage, their numbers sparse.

Gu Qingfeng planned to "visit" them all before dinner, draining every last drop of their demonic power.

......

Two hours later, Gu Qingfeng exited the Demon Suppression Tower and departed the Demon Suppression Bureau in a grand palanquin carried by eight men.

Inside the palanquin, his grin widened.

The headquarters of the Demon Suppression Bureau truly lived up to its name—the demons here were leagues beyond those in the branches.

In just half a day, his cultivation had soared to the fifth level of the True Qi Realm!

The cost? Every Dragon Transformation Realm demon in the tower had been squeezed dry. Such intense extraction meant their power wouldn’t fully recover even by tomorrow.

Not that it mattered. They were demons—they had no rights.

But the breakthrough wasn’t what thrilled Gu Qingfeng most.

What sent him into ecstasy was the Hedgehog Demon among the Dragon Transformation Realm prisoners—and the unparalleled talent he’d extracted from it.

Talent: [Thorn Retaliation]!!

The ability to reflect 10% of incoming damage back at the attacker!

Feeling this power, Gu Qingfeng was even happier than if he’d reached the Tough Qi Realm.

While any demon could boost his cultivation, unique talents like this were rare.

In his eyes, the Hedgehog Demon’s value surpassed the combined worth of every other demon in the tower.

Why? Because this talent was perfect for him.

It was like a tank equipping a Thornmail—now, no one would dare touch him.

This innate ability would be of little use to a fragile individual, but for Gu Qingfeng, it was like adding wings to a tiger.

Defense was Gu Qingfeng’s greatest strength, but strong defense alone couldn’t enhance his combat prowess. However, with the addition of the "Damage Reflection" ability, everything changed. Even while taking hits, he could now inflict damage—albeit only one-tenth of the opponent’s attack power. At first glance, it might not seem like much.

But let’s not forget, not everyone possessed Gu Qingfeng’s extraordinary resilience.

Most martial artists focused on refining their Qi, making them high-offense, low-defense glass cannons—capable of delivering devastating strikes but unable to withstand much in return.

What’s more, the "Damage Reflection" ability wasn’t static—it could evolve.

The key to its advancement lay with the Hedgehog Demon. The stronger the Hedgehog Demon grew, the more attributes Gu Qingfeng could extract from it, thereby enhancing his reflective prowess.

Currently, the Hedgehog Demon was only at the first level of the Dragon Transformation Realm, leaving plenty of room for improvement.

After tormenting it for an hour and plucking out all its spines, Gu Qingfeng finally succeeded in taming the creature.

He then fed it some rare elixirs and ordered it to cultivate diligently.

All in all, his first visit to the Demon Suppression Tower had been quite fruitful. Though the demons inside were foul-mouthed, they were undeniably useful.

Not only had his cultivation advanced by an entire major realm, but he had also acquired a sonic skill—["Evil Buddha’s Demonic Chant"]—and the "Damage Reflection" ability. It was a trip well worth the effort.

Upon returning to Prince Gu’s Mansion, Gu Qingfeng promptly resumed his "life is short, indulge while you can" lifestyle, as if compensating for the exhaustion of a full day of rigorous training.

......

The next day, Gu Qingfeng prepared to return to the Demon Suppression Tower for more cultivation.

But before he could step out, a crowd of people blocked his way inside the mansion.

From the servants’ reports, he learned that these visitors were all high-ranking nobles from the Great Yan Dynasty, bearing gifts to congratulate him on his recent appointment as the "Prince of Equal Standing."

In the past, Gu Qingfeng would have gladly invited them in to bask in their flattery. But now, things were different.

Jue Mingzi’s warnings echoed in his mind, stirring a faint sense of urgency. With only two years left before the looming crisis, he couldn’t afford to waste time on these people.

So he ordered the servants to accept the gifts and send the visitors away.

"Your Highness, a few individuals claiming to be from the Gu Clan refuse to leave. They insist they are your kin and demand an audience."

Gu Qingfeng frowned. The Gu Clan was like a persistent leech—undoubtedly here to latch onto his newfound status.

"Tell them I’m occupied with official duties and have no time for them. Make them scram."

"As you command, my lord."

"Wait."

Gu Qingfeng suddenly called the servant back, remembering that the "Dragon God Art" he cultivated was incomplete—it only covered up to the Tough Qi Realm, with no subsequent techniques.

"Inform the Gu Clan that if they wish to see me, they must first deliver the complete manual of the Dragon God Art."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The servant scurried away eagerly.

Gu Qingfeng couldn’t care less about what speculations his demand for the Dragon God Technique might stir within Prince Gu's Mansion—such was the confidence that came with strength.

Ever since learning of the existence of a vaster world, only those at the level of a Divine Realm expert could truly capture his attention.

After settling all mundane affairs, Gu Qingfeng set off for the Demon Suppression Bureau to continue his cultivation by harnessing the power of demons.

And so, day after day passed in a cycle of fulfillment and monotony. Like an ascetic monk, Gu Qingfeng immersed himself in rigorous training for an entire month.