Human Clan Defender

Leaving the Council Hall, Shen Changqing glanced at the sky but did not head anywhere else; instead, he went straight back to his residence.

The small courtyard was still the same. His promotion to an Earth Rank Demon Hunter did not afford him a change of residence. The living quarters of all Demon Hunters were fixed from the beginning, with new Demon Hunters moving in only after someone died and a space opened up.

On his way, he encountered a group of people led by Jiang Zuo.

"Brother Jiang."

As he spoke, Shen Changqing observed those behind Jiang Zuo: men and women who were uniformly young. Their youth was apparent. Their steps were unstable, betraying a lack of martial arts foundation. However, not everyone was like that. There were a few within the group who bore determined and solemn expressions, with firm footsteps that clearly indicated a certain level of martial arts cultivation. Shen Changqing was all too familiar with this. When he first joined the Demon-Subduing Division, he too was brought in by someone else. The difference was that the one who guided him was not Jiang Zuo but Liu Chang.

Looking at Jiang Zuo, Shen Changqing thought of the deceased Liu Chang, who was, at one time, the only person in the unfamiliar Demon-Subduing Division willing to exchange a few words with him. Alas, Liu Chang had met an early death at the hands of Demon Evils.

Mixed feelings arose in Shen Changqing's heart, but they quickly dissipated.

"Brother Shen."

Jiang Zuo also nodded, a smile on his face.

"Are these the newly promoted Demon Hunters?"

"Yes, the Demon-Subduing Division has recruited a batch of people. It just so happens that the Huang Department's Demon Hunting Court has suffered numerous losses and can use these recruits to fill the gaps."

"Then Brother Jiang, you carry on with your duties; I'll be going."

"Brother Shen, take care."

Shen Changqing smiled faintly and then strode away, but as he left, he cast an additional glance at the people in the group. At a rough glance, there seemed to be twenty to thirty people joining the Demon-Subduing Division this time.

It just wasn't clear how many of these people would make it to the end. Not to mention the end, the odds of completing the assessment tasks and becoming official Demon Hunters were probably only one or two out of ten. From my own experience, out of all the people in my batch who joined the Demon-Subduing Division, I am the only one who has successfully survived to this day. The rest all perished at the hands of Demon Evils while carrying out their missions. Perhaps before, I might have felt sorry for these newcomers. But now, I've completely seen through life and death. I also understand that most of those who enter the Demon-Subduing Division are people with no other recourse. If they hadn't joined the Demon-Subduing Division, they would have eventually faced certain death anyway. On the contrary, by joining the Division, they've gained a slight chance of survival. Even if that chance is slim, it's still a chance.

After Shen Changqing left, someone in the group couldn't help but ask, "Steward Jiang, who was that person just now? Is he an official Demon Hunter?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zuo's smile vanished, and his eyes turned cold as they fixed on the one who had spoken. Suddenly, the person who asked the question felt as if a venomous snake had set its sights on him, a great fear welling up inside. He didn't understand why Jiang Zuo would suddenly have such an expression. From the start of their journey, Jiang Zuo had always been like a kindly gentleman, which had lessened his fear of the Demon-Subduing Division, leading him to dare to ask the question. But he didn't realize where he had enraged the Steward.

While he was in a state of shock and fear, Jiang Zuo's chilling voice sounded.

"Just after joining the Demon-Subduing Division, let me teach you a lesson: do not try to inquire about people you're not qualified to inquire about, because such actions can very likely bring you fatal trouble. In the Demon-Subduing Division, nothing is more plentiful than people. The death of an individual is really nothing out of the ordinary here."

The cold and somber voice caused everyone's hearts to skip a beat. Most of them were disciples from common backgrounds who had never heard such things. Fear welled in the hearts of many as Jiang Zuo finished speaking. For a moment, the thought of quitting even emerged in their minds. However, no sooner did these thoughts arise than the people forcefully suppressed them. They knew well before joining the Demon-Subduing Division that there was no possibility of leaving once in, and anyone attempting to leave would be hunted down by the Division. That's when they would truly be on the path to death.

Facing Jiang Zuo's icy demeanor, only a very few individuals remained calm.

After issuing his warning, he softened his expression slightly.

"He is Shen Changqing, a newly promoted Earth Rank Demon Hunter of the Demon-Subduing Division. You may not have heard of his name now, but as you walk the Jianghu, you will eventually come to know it."

Earth Rank Demon Hunter!

Shen Changqing!

Many people wore puzzled expressions. The hierarchy of Demon Hunter ranks was something quite foreign to them. However, a few individuals' expressions changed drastically, as if they had heard some momentous news.

"Earth Rank Demon Hunter Shen Changqing, is Steward Jiang referring to that Lord Shen who slew the Barbarian Clan General in the Great Wilderness Prefecture?" A sword-yielding youth finally couldn't maintain his calm demeanor. He had been born into a martial family and had heard much about the news circulating in the Jianghu. While others had not heard of Shen Changqing's name, to him, it was as loud as thunder.

"It seems you have some insight. Good, he is indeed that Shen Changqing," Jiang Zuo glanced at him and nodded in approval.

Upon hearing this, the youth sharply inhaled a cold breath and turned to look for Shen Changqing's figure, only to find that the other had long disappeared without a trace. The others, dressed similarly to him, now sported drastically changed expressions.

Shen Changqing!

The Shen Changqing who had slain a Barbarian Clan General!

They had not expected to encounter a renowned figure of the Jianghu so soon after joining the Demon-Subduing Division.

The youth exclaimed, "I heard that Lord Shen is a Grandmaster in the later stages. Surrounded by a hundred thousand Barbarian Clan Army, he slew their general and left with ease. The news of this battle shook the Jianghu. Yet, I never imagined I would meet Lord Shen here today."

With those words, even those who hadn't heard the name Shen Changqing were thoroughly shaken. What a Grandmaster in the later stages meant, they did not understand. But the phrase 'a hundred thousand Barbarian Clan Army' was something they could grasp. Being able to retreat after slaying a Barbarian Clan General amidst such a legion was simply astonishing.

"If you become official Demon Hunters in the future, you should have the opportunity to meet him. Don't talk too much now."

Jiang Zuo silenced the ongoing discussions. Seeing this, everyone else could only close their mouths and speak no further. However, the name Shen Changqing remained in everyone's mind. They understood that this was a formidable person they had encountered after joining the Demon-Subduing Division.

「Elsewhere.」

Shen Changqing also returned to his own courtyard. Despite it still being early, he had no intention of cultivating Martial Arts but instead sat to the side, slowly digesting the news he had obtained from Dongfang Zhao today.

Martial Artist Limit! No one has ever been able to break the Martial Artist Limit. Could the so-called limit be the maximum amount of strength the human body can withstand?

Shen Changqing thought of when he tried to improve his True Yuan; his Dantian became swollen and couldn't accommodate too much True Qi.

The Dantian has its limits. Then the human Flesh must have its limits too. After all, whether it's the Dantian or the Flesh, in essence, they are both similar to a vessel. The former holds True Qi. The latter holds vitality and blood. Advancement in Martial Arts involves not just expanding and strengthening the vessel but also enriching the internal True Qi and vitality and blood it contains. For ordinary people, once the Flesh reaches a certain limit, further enhancement becomes extremely difficult. Ordinary people cannot break the limit; that doesn't mean I can't break the limit. But this guess is only a hypothesis for the time being; I'll have to collect more Slaughter Value later and see if I can use the panel to break this limit. Then, where lies the difference between a Defender Envoy and a Demon Hunter?

Many thoughts raced through Shen Changqing's mind.

If Grandmasters represent the limit, then by what means do Defender Envoys surpass Grandmasters?

Suddenly, he contemplated another idea.

If an Earth Rank Demon Hunter is just an ordinary Grandmaster, and someone like me who has stepped into the threshold of Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar can enter the Heaven Rank, then perhaps a Defender Envoy is a warrior who has reached the true limit in one of the two systems. It could also be possible that both systems have reached their limits. According to Dongfang Zhao, reaching the limit in any one system can unleash tremendous power.

Shen Changqing speculated silently.

If the so-called Defender Envoys are warriors like this, then the mystique of the Defender Envoys diminishes significantly. After all, they are all Grandmasters, with nothing to fear. As long as I get enough Slaughter Value, not to mention breaking the Martial Artist Limit, but to ascend to that limit should not pose a significant problem. Even if it's impossible to enhance the spiritual aspect swiftly, the Physical System provides shortcuts. Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar! Great Sun Furnace!

Shen Changqing calmed his mind and connected with the vitality and blood of his Flesh. Instantaneously, the sound of Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar could be heard, akin to a slumbering Fierce Beast awakening. Gradually, the vitality and blood calmed down, and the sound of Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar faded away.

Before, although my vitality and blood were strong, it hadn't reached the level of Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar. Instead, it was when the Invincible Golden Body reached the seventeenth layer that I truly stepped into the phase of Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar. So, to put it into perspective, I am now at the entry-level of the first phase of the Physical System. To reach Perfection in Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar and then advance to Great Sun Furnace, the consumption of Slaughter Value won't be minor. Just three or five Innate Peak Demonfolk won't be sufficient to contribute the required Slaughter Value. Now for one layer of Martial Arts, it takes sixteen Slaughter Value points. Traditionally, if the cost of advancing Martial Arts doubles after the twentieth layer, by that time, sixteen Slaughter Value points would become thirty-two. A single Innate Peak Demonfolk might not even contribute as many as thirty-two Slaughter Value points. Therefore, it's clearly not cost-effective to blindly elevate Martial Arts further. Once the Invincible Golden Body reaches the twentieth layer, I should seek out other Martial Arts and then attempt another fusion.