Human Clan Defender

The spiritual tea goes down the throat.

Instead of the expected warmth, a cool sensation that penetrated to the soul slid down the throat and settled directly in the abdomen.

In that instant.

It was as if frost blossomed, letting his burning blood cool by a few degrees.

At the same time.

The true qi within his dantian became even gentler, no longer as restless as before.

One must know.

After merging Pure Yang True Qi, the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi naturally inherited the attributes of Pure Yang True Qi, growing incomparably scorching.

The searing Pure Yang True Qi is extremely effective in subduing Demon Evil, but at the same time, true qi that is too hot can also harm oneself.

However.

Shen Changqing's true qi is abundant, and his blood is strong, so he is unafraid of the heat of this true qi.

But no matter what, the risk is always there.

Yet after swallowing the spiritual tea, he was startled to find that the heat within the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi had been somewhat neutralized, making it rounder and more robust.

This discovery made Shen Changqing's heart skip a beat.

"What kind of tea is this?"

"Ice Spirit Tea."

Jiang Zuo seemed to have expected Shen Changqing's reaction, giving a slight smile.

"If you advance to Profound Rank Demon Hunter, you can exchange for it once a year. Each gram costs one merit point, up to a maximum of one hundred grams."

One merit point per gram.

Shen Changqing's pupils shrank slightly. This price is a little excessive.

How much is a gram of Ice Spirit Tea, after all? At most just enough to brew a few cups. A normal pot of tea would need at least a few grams.

A single Ghostly Level Fiend is worth only a point or two in merit, a Resentment Level Monster yields just three or five points.

A Fiend Level Monster comparable to a Grandmaster Realm gives slightly more, but only several dozen at most.

From this, it is obvious.

Just how rare and precious Ice Spirit Tea truly is.

And there are even purchase limits for Profound Rank Demon Hunters, so it's clear the Demon-Subduing Division doesn't have much in reserve.

"If not for your arrival, I wouldn't have shared Spirit Tea with anyone else," Jiang Zuo said with intention.

Then.

He brewed two more cups of spiritual tea, lifting one of them himself.

"To be honest, I never imagined your strength would rise so quickly. Slaying the Barbarian Clan General Mairba—now you have truly made your name in the Jianghu!"

"Steward Jiang knows too?"

Shen Changqing looked surprised.

At those words—

Jiang Zuo shook his head and laughed.

"How could I not know? Or rather, are there even a few people left in the Jianghu who don't know? A Grandmaster naturally attracts attention in the martial world, let alone someone like Mairba, an old and seasoned Grandmaster.

Back when the Barbarians breached the Hundred Rivers Sect, it caused a huge stir.

If you had slain any other Barbarian Grandmaster, perhaps the impact would not be as great. But you specifically killed Mairba—naturally, the impact is tremendous."

As he spoke, Jiang Zuo was full of emotion.

He knew very well—Mairba was a mid-stage Grandmaster. For Shen Changqing to slay him, his power could only be imagined.

In less than three years, from a mere Probationary Demon Hunter to now slaying a Grandmaster-level expert—if one claimed there wasn't anything unusual about it, no one would believe it.

However.

Jiang Zuo did not press further.

Everyone has their own fortunes; Shen Changqing must have gained some opportunity unknown to him to get to where he is now.

Such opportunities, for anyone, are as valuable as one's own life.

If he pressed further, not only would the other party not tell, but it would also damage their relationship.

More importantly—

Shen Changqing was no longer the Probationary Demon Hunter he was before; in terms of strength, Jiang Zuo admitted he could not compare.

Under such circumstances, to probe into another's secrets was nothing short of idiocy.

"Brother Shen, there's something I have to say to you."

Jiang Zuo's sudden change of address made Shen Changqing's expression more peculiar.

"Please speak, Steward Jiang."

"Opportunities are personal—they must never be revealed to a second person. Even if superiors inquire, you must guard your secrets. Hiding secrets is not a problem, but losing your value is.

Within the Demon-Subduing Division, as long as you don't collude with Demon Evil, there's no crime that can touch a Demon Hunter—especially a Grandmaster Realm Demon Hunter."

Jiang Zuo advised solemnly.

"I understand."

Shen Changqing showed a look of gratitude, though inwardly he was very calm.

He understood the hidden meaning in Jiang Zuo's words; at heart, the other just wanted to score more points with him.

To this—

He had no reason to decline.

"It's good that you understand. Some things are better left unsaid. Besides, with your strength, you are more than qualified to advance to Earth Rank Demon Hunter. Frequently calling me Steward Jiang is a bit too formal. If you count me a friend, you needn't be so reserved."

"Brother Jiang!"

"Good!"

A warm smile appeared on Jiang Zuo's face—he seemed truly happy.

Then—

His smile faded slightly.

"It's time for you to seek promotion. A Grandmaster Realm Yellow Rank Demon Hunter is simply unreasonable. Your fame is already widespread; it will inevitably attract extra attention.

With that, even if you try to hold back on promotion, the Demon-Subduing Division might begin assigning you higher-difficulty tasks regardless.

My suggestion? Why not directly promote to Earth Rank Demon Hunter? Enjoy the benefits, take the corresponding tasks. That's far better than lingering at Profound Rank."

Seeing Shen Changqing's expression,

Jiang Zuo paused, then continued,

"To put it simply, the Ice Spirit Tea has exchange restrictions for Profound Rank Demon Hunters, but for Earth Rank Demon Hunters, the limits are much lower—and the price is cheaper.

The Demon-Subduing Division's stores span the realm, with countless treasures in inventory.

If you get promoted, you'll be able to redeem many more items, which is a great boon to your strength."

"Brother Jiang's words have truly enlightened me. In truth, I was already considering promotion to Earth Rank—just unclear about the specifics. Now, hearing what Brother Jiang said, I can proceed with confidence."

Said Shen Changqing.

He had already intended to be promoted to Earth Rank—visiting Jiang Zuo was merely a formality.

Now Jiang Zuo's words solidified his resolve.

Jiang Zuo said, "But for promotion from Yellow Rank to Profound Rank, you must slay a Resentment Level Monster or Innate Realm Demonfolk. For Profound Rank to Earth Rank, you must slay at least an Innate Peak Demonfolk, or a Resentment Level Peak Strange Monster.

You visited the Great Wilderness Prefecture, so I suppose you've already met that requirement—Yellow to Profound Rank shouldn't be a problem.

But for Profound to Earth Rank, you'll still need to complete an assessment mission. Pity that Mairba isn't a Demonfolk; if you'd killed him, you could have saved the assessment."

Jiang Zuo showed a hint of regret.

If Mairba had been a Demonfolk, Shen Changqing's gain would have been immense.

But alas—

The Demon-Subduing Division is an institution for slaying Demon Evil; all its missions revolve around the supernatural. Anything unrelated is not very useful.

"Speaking of which, for killing Mairba, the Imperial Court ought to issue you a reward. But since you only just returned, the court probably hasn't acted yet. Wait a few days and you'll surely be rewarded.

A Barbarian Clan General, and a mid-stage Grandmaster at that—that is no small reward!"

Jiang Zuo smacked his lips, his eyes full of envy.

Just imagining it, he could guess how generous the reward would be.

"I can delay that reward for now. When I destroyed the Eternal Alliance Stronghold in Great Wilderness Prefecture, I slew a Demonfolk of great strength. The merits earned from that should exempt me from the assessment mission."

As Shen Changqing spoke, he took out the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant.

Seeing the jet-black color, Jiang Zuo drew in a sharp breath.

"Such dense Yin Evil Aura!"

The Pure Spirit Jade Pendant absorbs Yin Evil Aura and also seals off qi flow, so unless Shen Changqing takes it out, one wouldn't sense the Yin Evil Aura upon it.

But once Shen Changqing produced the jade pendant—

Jiang Zuo could clearly see just how dense that pitch-black Yin Evil Aura was.

"I was overthinking things."

"With such a concentration of Yin Evil Aura, you don't even need to take the assessment mission. You can proceed directly to Demon Slaying Hall and promote your rank!"

Jiang Zuo gave a wry smile.

Turns out he had still underestimated the other.

This level of Yin Evil Aura is more than enough for a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter to directly advance to Earth Rank.

Once Shen Changqing put away the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant, he spoke again.

"You can go for your promotion now, if you like. Anyway, there's nothing on my side at the moment, and as an Earth Rank Demon Hunter, you are technically no longer under the control of the Demon Hunting Court. If you return here in future, just report to me briefly.

As for anything else, you can handle it on your own."

A simple report lets the Demon-Subduing Division know whether a Demon Hunter is in headquarters or out on a mission.

Previously—

In addition to reporting, one had to submit mission content; now that trouble can be skipped.

"Then I'll take my leave. After my promotion, I'll come back for another chat with Brother Jiang."

Shen Changqing rose to his feet.

Jiang Zuo did the same. Only after seeing him out did he return inside.

"Less than three years, already late-stage Grandmaster. That kind of fortune is enough to make anyone jealous!"

He sat back in his usual seat, envy on his face.

All along—

Jiang Zuo had thought highly of Shen Changqing, but now even more so, which explained why he said so much earlier—just to curry favor. After all, goodwill doesn't cost anything; who knows when it might be returned in the future?

"It won't be long before the Demon-Subduing Division gains another top expert!"

He sighed softly.

Jiang Zuo thought no more of it.

Looking at himself, then at Shen Changqing, the more he thought, the more frustrated he became.

Instead of making himself uncomfortable thinking of such useless things, better to conserve energy and think about how to break through to Grandmaster Realm himself.

On the other side—

Shen Changqing was also heading toward the Demon Slaying Hall.