Human Clan Defender

An old woman!

A middle-aged man!

A youth!

At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. But the difference lay in the fact that the old woman had four arms, her body emitting a strange green hue, and her pupils were rolled back white. The middle-aged man appeared normal, but a look from behind revealed another identical face growing out of the back of his head. The last youth was covered in Scale Armor, and a slender tail grew out from his back, its surface bristling with sharp barbs.

The moment the three appeared, an intense Yin Evil Aura radiated out to its extreme.

"Fiend Level Strange Monsters!"

"No, not just simple Fiend Level Strange Monsters; one of them is a Demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance!"

As soon as Gu Ming's words fell, Kong Ye shook his head. There wasn't much difference between a Fiend Level Strange Monster with a Flesh body and a Demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance. But upon careful distinction, one could still spot the subtle differences.

Hearing this, Gu Ming took another serious look, and finally, his gaze settled on the youth. "You're right, there is a Demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance; I almost didn't notice it!"

The four-armed old woman and the Two-Faced Demon possessed attributes beyond the realm of ordinary individuals, clearly indicating their nature as Demon Evil. As for the youth, though his appearance was very peculiar, he seemed the most human among the three. Moreover, the Demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance were originally from the Human Clan. After joining the Eternal Alliance, they transformed their bodies into those of Demon Evil. However, they could not completely abandon their human form, unlike pure Demon Evil. The most common Demonfolk usually bore Scale Armor on their bodies.

"Will you leave on your own, or stay and become our food?"

The youth licked his palm, which was covered in Scale Armor, his emerald eyes exuding a bone-chilling coldness. In his eyes, two Earth Rank Demon Hunters seemed utterly insignificant.

Gu Ming laughed in fury. "A turncoat Demonfolk dares to spout such nonsense here! Do you really think with the help of two Demon Evils we won't take you seriously?"

"Isn't that the case?" The youth's face bore a strange expression as he glanced at his own side and then at Gu Ming's. "We have three on our side; you only have two. You don't have any advantage in numbers."

"Why bother talking nonsense with them? Just kill them. It's been a long time since I've tasted the flavor of a Grandmaster!" A cruel smile spread across the weathered face of the four-armed old woman.

As the words fell, the three instantly disappeared from where they stood and lunged at the two men.

"Be careful!"

Gu Ming's expression changed slightly, yet he did not retreat. His Protective Gang Qi burst forth, a longsword unsheathed, its frosty light cleaving through the air.

At the same moment, Kong Ye placed a single hand upright before his chest, his expression becoming impassive, as a majestic and vast power slowly rose from within him. His aura was like the Great Sun, dispersing all Yin Evil Aura. In the next instant, he pushed out with a palm, a wave of energy sweeping in all directions.

The Demonfolk youth vanished in a flash, his barbed tail striking from an eerie angle, piercing through the air towards them, the barbs twinkling with a threatening cold light in the night.

BOOM!!

The battle erupted in an instant.

All the defenders of Minor Hillock Mountain watched the battle unfold, yet not a single one intervened. They couldn't; fights at the Grandmaster level were not something ordinary people could get involved in. The real defenders of Minor Hillock Mountain were inherently the two Earth Rank Demon Hunters. As for the other defenders, strictly speaking, they served as lookouts. After all, Minor Hillock Mountain was vast, and two individuals inevitably couldn't cover every aspect. They needed the defenders to help, to always remain alert. However, when a massive battle truly erupted, that small number of defenders wouldn't even be enough for a mouthful.

"What should we do now?"

"Watch and wait. The two lords are Grandmaster powerhouses. Even if the Demon Evil is formidable, they may not necessarily be overcome. Let's wait and see what happens next!"

A commander shook his head, but his heart wasn't as light as his words suggested. If the Demon Evil had attacked without preparation, why would they come so readily? One side was prepared, the other on the defensive. Even with his confidence in the two, he had no certainty that they could definitely withstand the Demon Evil.

But—

The commander harbored no great fear in his heart. As Qin People, facing Demon Evil, there was no reason to retreat.

After a long pause, he spoke with a solemn expression, "Prepare yourselves! If the two lords are defeated, we must be ready to fight. Demon Evil shall not enter Minor Hillock Mountain, unless we die fighting here!"

The Great Qin's punishment for deserters had always been very strict. If anyone deserted on their own initiative, the consequences were predictable. Of course, if they indeed died in battle, the compensation provided by the Imperial Court was also quite generous.

BANG!

BANG!!

The battle raged on. Among the two Earth Rank Demon Hunters, Kong Ye was clearly the strongest.

Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar! True Intent Manifestation!

With the vast surge of his vital energy, a soul-shaking roar echoed. It was as if a mighty warrior's phantom coagulated in mid-air. Each punch he threw was the epitome of sublimation.

As for Gu Ming, his strength was somewhat inferior. Yet, even so, there was no sign of him being defeated.

"Demon Evil must be slain!"

Gu Ming wielded his longsword, sending forth crisscrossing Sword Qi that tore through the air, each strand radiating a chill-inducing sharpness. The one he fought was the four-armed old crone. Although she appeared aged, her body was nimble, and her movements were as quick as a specter's. Her four arms attacked flawlessly, and her bluish skin was like powerful Scale Armor; occasional strikes of Sword Qi merely glanced off, creating sparks.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Gu Ming immersed himself fully in the battle, each sword blow gaining speed, accompanied by the roaring sounds of wind and thunder.

Wind Thunder Sword Technique! A pinnacle Martial Art within the Jianghu, now in the hands of a Grandmaster, it displayed its true sharpness to its fullest potential.

Members of the Demon-Subduing Division practiced Martial Arts that mostly shared a common trait: their techniques were predominantly designed to counter Demon Evil. Whether it was Kong Ye's Buddha Sect Lion Roar or Gu Ming's Wind Thunder Sword Technique, both were quite effective against Demon Evil. The Lion Roar, needless to say, was a Martial Art considered the epitome of firmness and yang. As for the Wind Thunder Sword Technique, it contained the Wind Thunder Sword Intent; thunder itself, being an entity of extreme yang, was also significantly effective against Demon Evil.

As the Wind Thunder Sword Technique was executed swiftly, the old crone was forced into a tight spot. Her pervasive Yin Evil Aura was torn to shreds by the ripping Sword Qi.

WHOOSH—

The longsword fell, severing an arm from her body; dark blood spilled all over the ground.

"AAAH!!" With a horrific scream, the old crone retreated backward.

Upon seeing this, Gu Ming naturally wouldn't let his opponent escape. He took a step forward, pressing his advantage.

"Die!"

His voice was cold amidst the roaring wind and thunder. The longsword, with a series of SWISHES, delivered countless slashes. Caught off guard, the old crone had another two arms severed. From then on, only one of her four arms remained.

Gu Ming's spirits lifted, his offensive becoming even fiercer and unparalleled. Just as he was pressing his attack, the old crone's movements suddenly halted, and her pale eyes turned blood-red. As their eyes met, Gu Ming felt as if he were seeing a mountain of corpses and a Blood Sea, causing his movements to falter slightly. But soon, a surging Sword Intent rose from within his chest, instantly tearing apart the vision of the mountain of corpses and Blood Sea.

At this moment, the old crone lunged forward. Her remaining arm detached and then abruptly exploded in the next instant.

BOOM—

The arm burst, dark blood mixed with flesh flying everywhere. Gu Ming couldn't dodge in time and was splashed by the dark blood; his Protective Gang Qi immediately corroded severely.

Soon after, two more arms burst forth from the old crone's wounds. Seizing the moment the Protective Gang Qi shattered, they reached for Gu Ming's chest at an incredibly fast speed.

SQUELCH—

It sounded like a sharp blade piercing flesh. A dry, bluish hand emerged from his back. A piercing pain caused Gu Ming's face to pale, but he didn't fall. Instead, he used the strength of his muscles to fiercely clamp down on the arm piercing his body.

Seizing the opportunity, his sword swept across. The final strike, imbued with True Qi, decapitated the old crone. Her head hit the ground, and dark blood surged up, once more splashing everywhere. Gu Ming, corroded by the blood and having lost the protection of his True Qi, felt his flesh rapidly decay.

His longsword thrust into the ground, he barely kept himself from collapsing. Clutching his chest with one hand, he tried to stem the flow of blood, but while he could cover the front, he couldn't stop it from the back. Gradually, his heavily heaving chest began to still. Then, he no longer showed any sign of life.

"Gu Ming!"

Kong Ye's eyes burned with an almost bursting rage. Gu Ming's death ignited a towering fury within him. Conversely, the young Demonfolk and the Two-Faced Demon paid no mind to the old crone's death.

"Trash is trash, taking herself out just to kill a Human Clan Grandmaster. Even if she hadn't died, she wouldn't have been of much use," the Two-Faced Demon's face twisted into a sinister smile. To the Demon Evil Clan, any of them who died at the hands of the Human Clan were considered worthless. And if worthless, then their death was of no consequence, hardly significant. The mission of the Demon Evil Clan this time was never about the Human Clan, but rather about Minor Hillock Mountain within the Human Clan's defensive line.

"Sir Gu!"

The onlooking soldiers saw Gu Ming fall in battle, their faces turning pale. Although Gu Ming had taken a Demon Evil down with him, there were still two Demon Evils remaining. If Kong Ye could not handle them, their own fate would be no better.

At that moment, the head of the old crone that had fallen to the ground suddenly flew into the air, rushing towards the soldiers.

"It's not dead yet!"

Seeing a bluish head flying towards them, the soldiers were terrified. Soon, a commander regained his composure and, trying to appear calm, said, "Don't panic! It only has its head left. Let's join forces and kill it!"