Human Clan Defender

"You shouldn't be from the Demon Evil Clan, correct?" Dongfang Zhao said indifferently.

Even though a higher-ranked Demon Evil could transform in myriad ways, he was certain that the other party was definitely not a member of the Demon Evil Clan. As a Defender Envoy, he had dealt with the Demon Evil Clan countless times. If the person before him were a Demon Evil, Dongfang Zhao would not have failed to recognize him.

The man in the black mask spoke calmly, "Your Excellency, if you believe I am not a member of the Demon Evil Clan, then what do you suppose my background is?"

"I've heard that the Eternal Alliance Master's strength is extremely formidable. He himself is a Grandmaster at the peak of the Perfect System. After joining the Demon Evil Clan, his strength must have increased considerably, and his methods are no less than those of a higher-ranked Demon Evil. I originally thought such claims were exaggerated, but now it seems they are not the slightest bit untrue."

Dongfang Zhao stood with one hand behind his back, looking at the man in the black mask with an extremely calm expression.

Upon hearing this, the man in the black mask didn't reply, and silence fell over the scene for a few moments.

After a long while, he finally spoke lightly, "They say Defender Dongfang of the Demon-Subduing Division has insightful eyes. Now that I've seen you in person, it's clear they were not mistaken. My identity has always been secret; even face-to-face, no one could recognize me. I didn't expect it to be useless before Your Excellency."

With those words, he had directly admitted his identity.

Eternal Alliance—Alliance Hierarch!

"You, being of the Human Clan, should exert your strength for the clan. Yet, you have defected to Demon Evil, assisting the Demon Evil Clan in slaughtering your own kind, which is truly deplorable. If you are willing to turn back, I can spare your life!"

"Do you think I would agree?" the Eternal Alliance Master retorted.

Dongfang Zhao slightly shook his head, then added, "There are not many powerhouses in the world who have reached Grandmaster Peak. I am quite curious about your identity."

"My identity is something you will never know."

"No need for that. Once I kill you, I'll naturally find out!"

As his words fell, Dongfang Zhao took a step, and his body disappeared from its original place.

Almost at the same instant, the air separating the two suddenly exploded.

The pupils of the Eternal Alliance Master's eyes shrank sharply, and his body involuntarily stepped back several paces as he threw a punch forward.

BANG!!

The punch, powerful enough to shake mountains, hit the air but seemed to encounter an incredibly hard wall, unable to advance an inch.

The next instant, the wall of air shattered.

A massive palm strike came hurtling towards him, causing the Eternal Alliance Master's body to shake violently, and he couldn't stop retreating.

"Help me!"

In just an instant of confrontation, the color behind his mask drastically changed. He had originally thought that with his strength, even if not a match for Dongfang Zhao, contending would not pose a problem. But when the actual combat began, the Eternal Alliance Master truly realized how vast the gap between himself and his opponent was. Now, retreat was impossible. Since Dongfang Zhao had already made a move, the only option was to also make a move and forcibly intercept him.

Soon, the three Demon Evils who were watching the battle, upon hearing the words of the Eternal Alliance Master, suddenly came back to their senses. After hesitating for a moment, they joined forces to attack Dongfang Zhao.

A great battle broke out at the gate of Capital City.

As Dongfang Zhao took action, the chaos caused by Demon Evil within the Capital City began to subside gradually with the combined efforts of all the Demon Hunters.

「In front of the Demon-Subduing Prison.」

Several Demon Hunters converged, then headed towards the Demon-Subduing Prison. Just as they entered, they were stopped by the defending soldiers.

"This is the Demon-Subduing Prison, a place of importance! Halt!"

Tang Yuan stopped them as a matter of routine, blocking their way. He was a leader of the Demon-Subduing Prison Guard, responsible for the security of the prison.

Seeing this, the Demon Hunters each showed their Identity Tokens.

"We need to enter the Demon-Subduing Prison; here are our Identity Tokens!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan took the Identity Tokens, inspected them carefully, then returned them.

"Do you have the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual?"

"No."

"Do you have an order from the Lord Defender?"

"No."

"Do you have a token from the Suppressing Evil Hall or the Demon Sealing Hall?"

"No."

After asking the questions one by one and receiving the Demon Hunters' answers, Tang Yuan shook his head. "Sorry, but you cannot enter the Demon-Subduing Prison."

Hearing this, anger flashed across the faces of the Demon Hunters.

Just as they were about to erupt, the one in the lead spoke first, "Given the multitude of Demon Evils within the Capital City, the Lord Defender is worried that something might go wrong with the Demon-Subduing Prison. That is why he specially arranged for us to inspect the prison to prevent any issues with the seals. As for the order, due to the urgent nature of the situation, the Lord Defender hasn't had the chance to give it to us. How about this: I'll make sure to provide the order to you afterwards, okay?"

"Sorry!" Tang Yuan replied with two simple words.

Immediately, the leader's complexion darkened.

"Won't you give us any face at all? If something goes wrong with the Demon-Subduing Prison, can you bear the responsibility for it?"

"Without the necessary order or token, entry is strictly prohibited," Tang Yuan answered decisively.

Upon seeing this, the man's face darkened further, and he nodded. "Alright, you've got guts. I hope you can remain as unyielding when the Lord Defender comes to question you. We're leaving!"

With a wave of his hand, he turned and started to leave. The other Demon Hunters also turned to follow.

However, the moment they turned around, they spun back instantaneously, launching a fierce attack at Tang Yuan.

"Ambush!"

Tang Yuan's expression changed. The sword at his waist was suddenly drawn. He barely intercepted the attackers' blows before a powerful force sent his blood and qi surging tumultuously.

By now, the Demon Hunters no longer concealed their intentions, looking at Tang Yuan and his companions as if they were looking at a group of dead men.

"You were given a chance to live and you didn't take it, so now you can all die for me!"

"Kill them! Release the Demon Evils imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Prison before the other experts from the Demon-Subduing Division arrive!"

"Kill!"

The battle unfolded quickly.

Those assigned as guards in the Demon-Subduing Prison weren't weak, but facing the attacks of several Demon Hunters, the situation became completely one-sided.

Soon, the disturbance within the Demon-Subduing Prison spread outside.

"Oh no, there's trouble in the Demon-Subduing Prison!"

"Hurry, someone is attacking the Demon-Subduing Prison—"

The cries of combat shook the heavens, and the once calm Demon-Subduing Division was plunged into chaos.

"The Demon-Subduing Prison is in trouble!"

Inside the Hidden Heart Pavilion, Shen Changqing also sensed the disturbances from the Demon-Subduing Prison. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he turned his head to look.

I had originally thought it was just some trouble in another part of the Capital City. Now, looking at it again, the Demon Evil Clan has already infiltrated the Demon-Subduing Division. No, the Demon-Subduing Division is different from other places; it shouldn't be possible for Demon Evil to infiltrate so easily. Maybe the culprits aren't the Demon Evil Clan after all, Shen Changqing thought, his eyes flickering. Although the Demon Evil Clan and the Human Clan are implacable foes, that doesn't mean all humans hate the Demon Evil Clan. If that were the case, there wouldn't be such a thing as Demonfolk. I just don't know if the ones causing trouble are outsiders or people originally from the Demon-Subduing Division.

Shen Changqing pondered as he lightly stepped forward, heading straight for the Demon-Subduing Prison.

No matter who it is, as a member of the Demon-Subduing Division, I have no reason to stand by and watch. I might not sacrifice my life for the Demon-Subduing Division, but lending a hand when it's within my abilities is no problem.

By now, the battle within the Demon-Subduing Prison had ended. The Demon Hunters had come prepared, and although the guards within the prison were strong, they were unable to hold out for long.

When Shen Changqing entered the Demon-Subduing Prison, many corpses already littered the ground.

Tang Yuan leaned on his long saber, which was stuck in the ground. There was a large hole pierced through his chest, his blood not yet completely dry.

They work fast, Shen Changqing thought, his eyes growing colder upon seeing the bodies.

After that, he stepped over the corpses and entered the second layer.

At this time, the seals on the second layer had been completely broken. All the imprisoned Demon Evils were released. The numerous Yin Evil Auras converged, creating a frighteningly dense concentration.

Upon discovering a living person entering, the freshly released Demon Evils frantically rushed towards Shen Changqing. They were desperate to draw his blood to alleviate their long-unslaked thirst for the blood of living beings.

As the Demon Evils drew near, Shen Changqing let out a cold snort, and all the hidden qi and blood within his flesh burst forth.

Brilliant golden light suddenly appeared!

Great Sun Furnace!

All Yin Evil Auras, facing this blood qi that was like the Great Sun, dissipated into nothingness, having no chance of resistance.

The approaching Demon Evils, upon being struck by this surge of qi and blood, let out shrill screams of agony. Some of the weaker Demon Evils were even obliterated by this force, their forms and spirits destroyed.

In less than a breath, the number of Demon Evils on the second layer had greatly diminished. The remaining ones all retreated at an astonishing speed. When they looked at Shen Changqing again, their eyes were filled with fear.

With their knowledge, they had never encountered a being as formidable as one who had perfected the Great Sun Furnace. That kind of power... Even a Resentment Level Monster would be like an ant before it.

He glanced at the panel. That recent surge of qi and blood had reaped a good amount of Slaughter Value. Although Shen Changqing was satisfied internally, his expression remained calm and untroubled.

"If you hadn't broken the seals and escaped, I wouldn't have had an excuse to slay you. Now that you've emerged, your timing is perfect!"

Taking a step forward, his aura surged like a mighty river.

I've had my sights set on the Demon-Subduing Prison's Demon Evils for more than just a day or two. A long time ago, I was wondering: if I killed all the Demon Evils in the Demon-Subduing Prison, how much Slaughter Value could I gain? Now, I finally have the chance. Facing the Slaughter Value laid out before me, there's absolutely no reason to pass it up.

As Shen Changqing inched closer, one of the Demon Evils finally couldn't bear the pressure and tried to flee towards the third layer.

However, just as they made a move, they were engulfed by an intensely scorching power, and no sound escaped them again.