Human Clan Defender

An extension of two quarters of an hour.

Although it wasn't much, it had indeed been extended.

He felt a piercing pain in his mind.

Shen Changqing stepped out of the room and brewed a pot of Enlightenment Tea in the small pavilion to recover from his spiritual exhaustion.

At the same time, he also checked his panel again.

Name: Shen Changqing

Affiliation: Great Qin's Demon-Subduing Division

Identity: Earth Rank Demon Hunter

True Intent: Battle True Intent (10%)

Martial Arts: Invincible Golden Body (Level 17, Cannot be Promoted), Heavenly Martial Gang Qi (Level 17, Cannot be Promoted), Iron Sand Palm (Level 5, Cannot be Fused), Snare Trampling Gang Step (Level 5, Cannot be Fused), Mountain Splitting Palm Technique (Uninitiated, Cannot be Fused), Willow Catkin Body Technique (Uninitiated, Cannot be Fused)

Slaughter: 3

The Invincible Golden Body is about to reach Level 20. At that point, I can fuse it with another martial art, causing it to transform once again, which will significantly increase my strength. As for the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, Inner Strength cannot be fused unless I find a more profound Inner Strength technique to cultivate; otherwise, I will have to rely on Heavenly Martial Gang Qi.

Shen Changqing looked at the martial arts on his panel and began to plan his future.

Gaining Slaughter Value isn't easy. I have to find a way to enhance my abilities using the least amount of Slaughter Value. The fusion of the Invincible Golden Body is a certainty. After all, once a martial art reaches a certain level, fusion only has benefits, no drawbacks. However, Inner Strength can't be fused. I have to either switch Inner Strength techniques or cultivate one Inner Strength technique to its limit.

Upon entering the Grandmaster Realm, the physical system is dominated by blood and qi, but True Qi is indispensable. The stronger the True Qi, the more it amplifies my strength. Heavenly Centipede True Qi at Level 12 meant just stepping onto the threshold of Innate Outer Gang. Now that I've advanced my Heavenly Centipede True Qi to Level 17, the quality of my True Qi should have entered the Grandmaster level. So, if I were to change martial arts, I'd have to, at the very least, switch to an Inner Strength heart technique that aims directly for the Grandmaster Realm. Even an Innate-level Inner Strength, pushed to the Innate Limit, might not balance out the expenditure I've made so far.

To improve the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, Shen Changqing had spent a considerable amount of Slaughter Value.

Not to mention other things, just the amount spent on breaking through limits had already reached a staggering 56 points. Fifty-six points of Slaughter Value. This was sufficient to cover the expenditure of other martial arts within the same Innate Realm. Therefore, I shouldn't switch Inner Strength techniques unless it's definitely a Grandmaster Level Inner Strength technique.

The Martial Hall possesses many Sect-Defining Martial Arts; Grandmaster Level Inner Strength shouldn't be lacking. I could switch when the time comes. As for Outer Techniques, I'll also find a suitable one to fuse. The rest doesn't require much attention. My Iron Sand Palm is perfected, and on the panel, the Mountain Splitting Palm Technique is listed as a backup. As long as I have Slaughter Value, I can fuse the two palm techniques into a more powerful one at any time.

However, looking at the perfected Level 5 Iron Sand Palm, Shen Changqing hesitated about whether to fuse this martial art.

Once a martial art is perfected, there's a chance to comprehend its unique True Intent. Now that the Iron Sand Palm is perfected, it means I have a chance to comprehend its unique True Intent. A martial artist isn't limited to one type of True Intent, but having two True Intents would make subsequent upgrades more troubling. Moreover, whether two True Intents are stronger than one has to be thoroughly investigated. Now that I've joined the Martial Hall, there are many Grandmasters within it. I don't believe no one has comprehended two different True Intents. If I can't understand it myself, I can simply ask others. I'll ask Zhong Ning; he should be able to provide me with an answer!

Having made his decision, Shen Changqing glanced one last time at the two remaining movement techniques—the Willow Catkin Body Technique and the Snare Trampling Gang Step.

Strictly speaking, both Body Techniques and Step Techniques shared common principles, which was why the term 'fusion' was applicable. Compared to Outer Techniques, Inner Strength, Blade Techniques, and Palm Techniques, Body Techniques and Step Techniques generally played a smaller role. However, even if their role was minimal, they still had their uses. If the opportunity arose, I'll fuse these two types of martial arts into something more powerful.

He brewed and drank several more pots of Enlightenment Tea, and the spiritual strain in his Sea of Consciousness recovered considerably.

Afterward, he got up and headed towards the Martial Hall.

Arriving at the entrance of the Martial Hall, Shen Changqing found that Zhong Ning, who usually sat there, had been replaced by someone else. This person, he also knew: Elder Tan Tianji of the Internal Affairs Hall.

"Uh, Elder Tan, what brings you to the Martial Hall?"

Shen Changqing was deeply confused seeing Tan Tianji before him. Normally, the Internal Affairs Hall and the Martial Hall were separate entities that didn't interfere with each other. For Tan Tianji to be here instead of at the Internal Affairs Hall, something was definitely amiss.

Hearing this, Tan Tianji smiled faintly, his thin hand stroking his beard. "Old Zhong and the others were summoned by the Imperial Court last night. They went with the army to provide support in Luo'an Prefecture. Now there's nobody to guard the Martial Hall, so they asked me to come over and help out, mainly to prevent unauthorized use of the secret chamber."

The secret chamber's door wasn't locked. Besides, even if it were, it certainly wouldn't stop a Grandmaster. If no one was guarding it, it was likely someone would try to use the secret chamber and freeload. This was where Tan Tianji's role came in.

"Elder Zhong and the others have left?" Shen Changqing paid no mind to Tan Tianji's other words; his attention was entirely focused on the news of Zhong Ning's departure. Only yesterday, Zhong Ning had mentioned that the Imperial Court might conscript Grandmasters. Now, less than a day later, he was actually gone.

Tan Tianji nodded. "Yes, Zhong Ning left, and the other Grandmasters of the Martial Hall left too. Now you are the only one left in the Martial Hall."

The Martial Hall was left with only himself? All the Grandmasters of the Martial Hall had left, and he was the only one who hadn't been informed. Was it because he had just joined the Martial Hall, or for some other reason? He couldn't figure it out. But joining the army on expeditions to slay Demon Evil didn't guarantee a high probability of gaining Slaughter Value; it might not even be as fast as going out on missions by himself. So, he had no strong feelings about not being informed.

Suddenly, Shen Changqing's expression turned odd as he looked at the old man before him and asked, "What did Elder Tan just say?"

"I said that in the Martial Hall, only—"

"Not that one, the sentence before."

"Oh, Zhong Ning asked me to come over and watch the secret chamber, afraid that some Martial Hall Grandmaster would come and use it without paying."

Shen Changqing remained expressionless. There was nothing inherently wrong with the statement, but combined with Tan Tianji's earlier comment that he was the only one left in the Martial Hall, the implication was obvious. Tan Tianji was here to stop him from freeloading. For a moment, Shen Changqing felt a wave of weariness.

COUGH! COUGH! Tan Tianji coughed lightly, easing the atmosphere. "Actually, you shouldn't think too much about it. Although you are the only one in the Martial Hall right now, other members of the Martial Hall may return at any time. After all, for so many years, the majority of the members have been training outside. It's only on occasional moments that they return to the Martial Hall. Who knows when a member of the Martial Hall will come back."

"I understand." Shen Changqing nodded. Tan Tianji's explanation seemed unconvincing, but since the decision was made by Zhong Ning, he had nothing more to say.

Truthfully, even if no one was stationed here, he, Shen Changqing, wouldn't freeload. He still had some principles when it came to such matters.

"Elder Tan, please take your time. I will go in first."

"Okay. If you feel bored and want to chat, you can come down. Also, if you have any doubts about cultivation, you can ask me. To tell you the truth, Old Zhong may not know as much as I do." Tan Tianji's expression was warm, with a cheerful smile on his face.

Shen Changqing nodded, thanked him with a bow, then stepped into the Martial Hall.

He wasn't very familiar with Tan Tianji. Although the Elder's words sounded pleasant, it didn't mean Shen Changqing would openly approach him with questions. Since Zhong Ning was not around, it was time to check the archives on the third floor. According to what the Martial Hall Elder had said, the archives on the third floor contained a lot of information about martial arts. By perusing them carefully, he would likely find what he was looking for. If he really couldn't find it, then he would swallow his pride and consult Tan Tianji.

On the second floor, where there would normally be a few people perusing the documented martial arts, it was now deserted. The third floor was the same.

After scanning the area, Shen Changqing walked over to the cabinets laden with scrolls.

Outer Techniques!

Inner Strength!

Human Meridians!

Ancient Rumors!

—

He passed by cabinet after cabinet, each bearing a different label. Each label indicated the category of scrolls stored within.

Finally, Shen Changqing stopped in front of a cabinet labeled: Martial Dao True Intent!

This is it! A faint smile touched his lips as he looked at the label.

Then, from the many scrolls on top, he selected one and immediately unrolled it to examine its contents.

Heaven and Earth True Intent! His eyebrows rose slightly as he read the title.

Just from the title, he could tell this scroll wasn't what he was initially searching for. However, the words 'Heaven and Earth True Intent' themselves captivated his attention.

Heaven and Earth True Intent? Shen Changqing silently repeated, his gaze scrolling down the manuscript. He quickly became engrossed in its contents.

*A martial artist's Martial Dao True Intent, apart from being comprehended from martial arts, can also be understood from the nature of Heaven and Earth. For instance, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning are among the more common phenomena of nature.*

*The understanding of Heaven and Earth True Intent is demanding, requiring not only prodigious insight but also an element of fate. I once perused some ancient records where it was mentioned that there were powerful individuals who could control wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, and were revered as Immortal Gods by the common folk. In my opinion, those were the powerful beings who had comprehended the True Intent of Heaven and Earth.*