Human Clan Defender

Before the gates of the Demon-Subduing Division, Shen Changqing, dressed in a fresh set of clothes, stood there.

He was back!

After entering the city with the Black Tiger Army, he hadn't lingered, promptly heading back to the Capital City from the Great Wilderness Prefecture. Thanks to his breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm, even without a fast horse, Shen Changqing's travel speed was more than twice as fast as before. Therefore, it only took him a few days to return to the Capital City.

Staring at the grand doors of the Demon-Subduing Division, a faint, familiar feeling welled up within him. Without much hesitation, he stepped through the gates.

It had been only about a month since he left, and the Demon-Subduing Division hadn't changed significantly. After quickly finding his way, Shen Changqing returned to his courtyard. He opened the door; everything was as he remembered.

Upon entering his bedroom, a musty smell assaulted his senses. He circulated his True Qi, dispelling the odor completely. After a quick cleanup, the room regained its former appearance. On the table, a large number of elixirs lay. Due to the inconvenience of carrying them, Shen Changqing hadn't brought the elixirs he purchased from the Treasure Pavilion to the Great Wilderness Prefecture.

I'll rest for today and go for promotion tomorrow, he thought. Having traveled without stopping, Shen Changqing felt some fatigue. He needed to recover from the physical exhaustion before advancing his rank.

Honestly, having broken through to the Grandmaster Realm, I already qualify for promotion to an Earth Rank Demon Hunter. However, rank advancement requires not only sufficient strength but also the completion of a corresponding assessment mission. But...

Shen Changqing took out the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant from his bosom. The color on the jade pendant had long since faded, now a pitch-black, inky hue.

The Demon Evil and Demonfolk I slew in Jincheng weren't numerous, but each was considerably strong, especially the Hongyi from the Eternal Alliance, a fighter nearing the Grandmaster Realm. For the promotion from Yellow Rank to Profound Rank Demon Hunter, the Barbarian Clan Priest I killed provides enough merit. For the subsequent promotion from Profound Rank to Earth Rank, slaying a Demonfolk close to the Grandmaster Realm should also suffice. It means losing some Merit Points, but that's negligible.

Shen Changqing mused. Currently, Merit Points don't seem very useful to me. At least, none of the items a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter can exchange for are beneficial. Besides, the crucial thing is that my improvement relies on slaying Demon Evil. As long as I kill Demon Evil and gain Slaughter Value, my strength will increase step by step, without needing much else.

Previously, I didn't rashly seek promotion because it would increase the difficulty of missions and the associated dangers. However, the battle at the Great Wilderness Prefecture has given me much greater confidence. With my current strength, I wouldn't be considered weak even among Earth Rank Demon Hunters. Advancing is fine; it won't cause any major problems.

On the contrary, the more formidable the Demon Evil, the more Slaughter Value they provide. Setting other things aside, the minimum requirement for each Martial Arts advancement is now sixteen Slaughter Value points, and this will increase exponentially. Ordinary Ghostly Level Fiends provide so little Slaughter Value that it's not even enough for a single level-up in a martial art. This means only Slaughter Value from Innate Realm Demon Evil might be enough to advance a martial art by one level.

What's more, after a martial art breaks its limit, the increase per level isn't substantial. For instance, the boost from levels fifteen to seventeen of the Invincible Golden Body is roughly equivalent to the boost from level thirteen to fourteen. Thus, although Martial Arts seemingly require few Slaughter Value points now, considering the diminishing returns, the actual Slaughter Value needed to genuinely increase one's strength by a noticeable amount is already quite considerable.

Besides, Demon Evil are scattered throughout Great Qin, not confined to one place. If I only hunted Ghostly Level Fiends, I feel most of my time would be wasted traveling. Consequently, the effort wouldn't justify the reward. Only by advancing my rank and slaying more powerful Demon Evil can I maximize my gains in a short period.

In a chaotic world, strength is paramount! Shen Changqing's eyes were deep. The more he fought, the more he understood the importance of strength. When truly faced with a dire situation, neither a vast fortune nor towering authority would be of any use. Only strength can carve out a path to survival. Especially now, the Barbarian Clan's inexplicable assault on the Great Wilderness Prefecture makes me instinctively feel there's more to it than meets the eye. Combined with the current situation in Great Qin, the escalating chaos across the land is no laughing matter.

He calmed his mind and settled into meditation to nurture his spirit.

「A night passed silently.」

Only when dawn began to break did he rise from bed and step into the courtyard. The morning mist, coupled with the dim light, made the surroundings slightly blurry.

Facing east, Shen Changqing quietly activated his Heavenly Martial Gang Qi. A wisp of purple Qi drifted toward him and, as he inhaled, settled into his abdomen.

Every day, I can only absorb one wisp of purple Qi. If I could continuously assimilate it for cultivation, my True Qi's strength would surely increase dramatically. Heaven and Earth Purple Qi... indeed, it's one of the most wondrous and transformative substances. I still don't understand where that wisp of purple Qi comes from—perhaps from Heaven and Earth itself, or maybe from the sun that illuminates the land. In any case, every time the sun rises, purple Qi is born from Heaven and Earth. But it appears and vanishes in an instant. Because of this, any Cultivator wishing to draw upon purple Qi for cultivation can only capture a single wisp; by the time they try for a second, it's already gone.

After swallowing the wisp of purple Qi, Shen Changqing digested it with his True Qi for a while before practicing Martial Arts in the courtyard.

The Hundred Battles Blade Technique, among the Martial Arts on my panel, has, to some extent, already surpassed the panel's limitations. However, although the panel only displays its True Intent, the actual techniques are fully engraved in my mind. For me now, there's no need to painstakingly practice the Hundred Battles Blade Technique; I just need to continuously contemplate its True Intent. The True Intent of the Hundred Battles Blade Technique centers on combat, and I don't have much of a clue how to improve it further. But judging by the difficulty of advancing the Hundred Battles Blade Technique itself, it's clear how daunting improving the Hundred Battles True Intent will be.

Excluding the Hundred Battles Blade Technique, while my Iron Sand Palm hasn't comprehended a Martial Dao True Intent, it has reached Perfection. Among the remaining Martial Arts, only the Snare Trampling Gang Step truly requires rigorous practice. The others are little more than components for fusion, not worth investing too much time in. To date, the Snare Trampling Gang Step has only reached the fifth layer. However, during the previous battles amidst thousands of soldiers, I gained a new insight. Now, I'm trying to transform that insight into actual strength.

In the courtyard, a figure in green could be seen continuously shifting and moving, creating layers of dazzling afterimages. The Snare Trampling Gang Step, based on the Bagua positions combined with the profundities of the Heavenly Spirits and the Big Dipper, was an intricate footwork technique.

After a long while, all the afterimages converged, revealing Shen Changqing's original form.

PHEW! He exhaled lightly, a faint smile on his face.

With a bit more time to assimilate this, the Snare Trampling Gang Step should break through to the sixth layer. It's said that any martial art, upon reaching a profound level, can allow one to comprehend a Martial Dao True Intent. That means it's very likely a Martial Artist can comprehend more than just one Martial Dao True Intent—

Looking at the Martial Arts on his panel, Shen Changqing's eyebrows lifted slightly. This is just my speculation, without substantial evidence. Even if someone could truly comprehend multiple Martial Dao True Intents, it would be no easy feat. After all, not all Martial Arts can be improved with Slaughter Value. If I hadn't practiced the Hundred Battles Blade Technique amidst an army's encirclement, it would have been difficult to comprehend the Hundred Battles True Intent. The difficulty is just as great for other Martial Arts. A person's energy, after all, is limited. Moreover, comprehending a Martial Dao True Intent doesn't mean one has reached the pinnacle of that martial art; on the contrary, it's merely the starting point of the Martial Dao True Intent.

Regarding matters of the Grandmaster Realm, I should ask someone or visit the Scripture Pavilion to learn more.

Shen Changqing looked up at the sky. The sun was high; it was almost noon. He returned to his room, swallowed a few Satiety Pills to stave off hunger, and then headed towards the Steward's courtyard.

Whether I've broken through to the Grandmaster Realm or not, I'm still a member of the Yellow Rank Demon Hunting Court, just a minor Yellow Rank Demon Hunter. Now that I'm back, I naturally need to report to Jiang Zuo.

KNOCK KNOCK.

He knocked on the familiar courtyard gate.

Soon, the gate opened, and Jiang Zuo appeared. Seeing Shen Changqing, the Steward of the Yellow Rank Demon Hunting Court's pupils contracted slightly before he stepped aside.

"You're here. Come in and talk!"

"Thank you, Steward Jiang," Shen Changqing nodded and strode in.

Jiang Zuo then closed the courtyard gate, and the two made their way towards the pavilion. In the pavilion, a pot of hot tea was already brewed, seemingly untouched by its owner.

After they sat down, Jiang Zuo smiled, retrieved two cups, and began to pour the hot tea.

"Your timing is perfect," he said. "I just exchanged this Spiritual Tea from the Demon-Subduing Division. It can help Martial Artists enhance their cultivation. You should try it and see how effective it is."

Instantly, a rich fragrance wafted through the air, soothing the senses and uplifting the spirit.

Shen Changqing, not standing on ceremony, sat down opposite Jiang Zuo.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"