Human Clan Defender

The eighth floor of the Demon Sealing Tower.

Tan Tianji was breaking the seal when Wang Mubai suddenly turned his head toward the entrance, his indifferent face showing a trace of change.

"Great Sun Furnace!"

"What?"

Astonishment crossed Tan Tianji's face.

Wang Mubai withdrew his gaze and focused on him. "Someone from the Demon-Subduing Division has arrived, and it's a Grandmaster who has reached the Great Sun Furnace Realm. Your strength is too weak; you may not be able to handle a Grandmaster of the Great Sun Furnace Realm. Break the seal quickly, and don't let anything go wrong."

He had been imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Division for so many years and was growing tired of it. If possible, Wang Mubai still hoped to leave the Demon Sealing Tower.

Upon hearing of the arrival, Tan Tianji immediately sped up the process of breaking the seal. To prevent Wang Mubai's escape, the seals implemented by the Demon Sealing Hall were significantly different from those used on other Demon Evils.

「On the other side.」

Outside the Capital City, Dongfang Zhao's momentum was unmatched. His black energy surged madly, making him appear like a Demon God descending upon the world. The three lower-tier Demon Evils had already been beaten until their flesh burst, and they no longer had the strength to fight.

Only the Eternal Alliance Master remained, still struggling desperately. But, given his state, defeat was not far off.

"I said I could deal with you all within a quarter of an hour. Do you have any last words now?"

Dongfang Zhao clenched his right fist. Black power swirled around it, emanating a destructive aura that instilled an uncontrollable shock in anyone who felt it.

In front of him, blood seeped from beneath the Eternal Alliance Master's black mask. His clothes were in disarray, and his exposed skin was cracked. The aura emanating from his body had also become significantly weaker.

He was very powerful, but compared to Dongfang Zhao, he was vastly inferior. Even with assistance, it made no difference. He was now teetering on the edge of defeat.

"Destroy!"

Dongfang Zhao spat out the word and punched fiercely. Instantly, the wind howled furiously, as if a Demon God were roaring.

The Eternal Alliance Master dared not take that punch head-on. He lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his toe, his body retreating backward at an imperceptible speed. However, the punch's force followed like a shadow; no matter how he tried to retreat, it kept close on his heels.

When the Eternal Alliance Master had retreated before a hill, the black fist struck.

BOOM!!

The hill collapsed, stirring up countless clouds of dust. By the time the dust settled, the hill had vanished. In its place was a large pit, with no sign of the Eternal Alliance Master.

"Go!"

Seeing this, the three injured Demon Evils observing the fight didn't care about anything else and turned to flee. But they hadn't gotten far before Dongfang Zhao threw another punch. The violent energy instantly destroyed their bodies.

Just then, inside the Demon-Subduing Division, a terrifying presence erupted. It instantly changed the wind and clouds, as if another astounding Demon Evil had broken its seal.

Originally, as the Demon Evils perished, the strong Yin Evil Aura had dissipated, allowing the sky to brighten once more. But in the face of this new presence, the recently brightened sky grew dim again. The overwhelming aura swept through, causing all the powerhouses within the Capital City to be horrified.

"The Great Demon has emerged!"

「Inside the Imperial Palace.」

Gu Xuanji, who had just arrived at the Star Observing Terrace, also immediately felt that powerful Yin Evil Aura. His usually calm face finally showed a trace of concern.

At this moment, the Demon Detecting Instrument trembled violently, covered in a blackness so rich it seemed almost thick enough to drip.

Baiyue's complexion changed dramatically, and his voice trembled as he spoke, "A Great Demon! A Great Demon has emerged!"

The scene on the Demon Detecting Instrument seemed to remind him of the time Shangqing Palace was destroyed. No. This was even more terrifying than the destruction of Shangqing Palace. Although Shangqing Palace had fallen to Demon Evils, a power from the Jianghu, no matter how profound its background, would not have required a Demon Evil of this level to act. When Shangqing Palace was destroyed in the past, the leader had only been a high-ranking Demon Evil. As for a Great Demon, it was something far superior to high-ranking Demon Evils. Now, a Great Demon had emerged within the Capital City. If not handled properly, everyone in the Capital City could become blood food for the Demon Evils.

Instantly, Baiyue's gaze fell on Gu Xuanji. The person most likely to stop the Great Demon in the Capital City was this Saint Emperor of Great Qin.

"Your Majesty, a Great Demon has emerged within the Capital City! If you do not take action, I fear no one will be able to stop it!" Baiyue bowed his head.

Gu Xuanji's calm eyes looked toward the black-covered Demon Detecting Instrument. "A single Great Demon does not have the qualification to throw my Great Qin Empire into chaos. Let him be; someone will deal with him."

"What a nostalgic feeling!" Wang Mubai stretched his body, an aura as terrifying as the abyss exuding from him. At this moment, all the Demon Sealing Nails inserted into his body had been removed.

Freedom. This is true freedom.

In front of Wang Mubai, Tan Tianji buried his head deeply, not daring to look up.

A Grandmaster. Even a Martial Artist at Grandmaster Peak. In the face of such a Great Demon, they were no different from ants.

Afterward, Wang Mubai looked at him and said with a gentle smile, "Since you released me, you must have a motive. Tell me, what exactly do you want? As long as it's not too excessive, I can grant it."

"I hope to become your subordinate, my lord!" Tan Tianji replied respectfully.

Wang Mubai was not overly surprised, merely explaining calmly, "Wanting to become my subordinate is no easier than becoming a Defender Envoy. If you cannot withstand that power, death is inevitable. If the transformation fails, even I won't be able to save you."

"My time is already short. Even if I do not become your subordinate, my lord, I won't live much longer," Tan Tianji replied truthfully.

Those who entered the Internal Affairs Hall almost all had one foot in the coffin. If he hadn't possessed another trump card, the earlier outburst of his own power would have killed him. Even with only a glimmer of hope, Tan Tianji was unwilling to give up.

"Good." Wang Mubai nodded. "After this matter is resolved, I will give you a chance to become my subordinate."

"Thank you, my lord!"

"Stay here and wait for me. Do not move around recklessly," Wang Mubai instructed, then made his way toward the ninth floor. He needed to retrieve the remains of the Demon Saint sealed there.

However, just as he was about to step onto the ninth floor, an extremely potent and pure yang aura burst forth. The unprepared Wang Mubai staggered and quickly retreated.

"There are other measures in place—" His expression was not pleasant.

At the entrance to the ninth floor, numerous runes were inscribed, emitting a faint glow from which one could feel a searing heat.

With a single palm strike, the Yin Evil Aura spread like frost. As the runes burst forth with searing heat, they swiftly extinguished. Afterward, Wang Mubai withdrew his hand and attempted to enter the ninth floor.

BOOM—

An explosive aura approached rapidly from afar.

His expression changed slightly. "Dongfang Zhao!"

After a deep look at the entrance to the ninth floor, Wang Mubai abandoned the idea of taking the Demon Saint's remains. He turned, grabbed Tan Tianji, and charged toward the outside of the Demon Sealing Tower.

Inside the Demon Sealing Tower, he could not fully exert his power. Dongfang Zhao was strong, and Wang Mubai felt he would be at a disadvantage fighting him here.

When the Great Demon charged, the Demon Sealing Tower shook violently. The Demon Sealing Tower, built of unknown material, couldn't withstand the force of the impact. A sizeable breach appeared, and two dark shadows shot out from it.

Having just exited the Demon Sealing Tower, Wang Mubai and Tan Tianji encountered the approaching Dongfang Zhao.

In the void, the three stood face to face. With Wang Mubai's and Dongfang Zhao's strength, levitating was not an issue. As for Tan Tianji, he could only do so with Wang Mubai's assistance.

"You actually managed to escape." Dongfang Zhao's face was grim.

He had anticipated that the Demon Evil Clan would attack the Demon Sealing Tower. But Zuo and Cao were defending inside. Although their strength wasn't at Grandmaster Peak, they weren't much weaker and were top-tier among Heaven Rank Demon Hunters. Then there were also people from the Internal Affairs Hall. Even with a Demon Evil assault, such measures should have been enough to hold out for some time. However, what Dongfang Zhao hadn't expected was that someone would still get into the Demon Sealing Tower and release Wang Mubai.

"Elder Tan, the Demon-Subduing Division has always treated you well. Why choose to betray the Demon-Subduing Division and pledge allegiance to Demon Evil?" Dongfang Zhao asked, his calm gaze settling on Tan Tianji. This betrayal was something Dongfang Zhao had not anticipated.

Upon hearing this, Tan Tianji was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Since joining the Demon-Subduing Division, I have always been eliminating Demon Evils for the Division. In my old age, remaining in the Internal Affairs Hall, I still defended the Division on all fronts.

"I can say with a clear conscience that I have repaid in full everything the Demon-Subduing Division has given me.

"Now I want to live—to live for myself. A Martial Artist's lifespan is limited, and becoming a Defender Envoy is a certain path to death. I do not wish to die, so I had to do this."

To live! Such a simple rationale.

Dongfang Zhao looked at him, his expression neutral. "Do you realize that releasing Wang Mubai will lead to more people dying at the hands of Demon Evils?"

"What do the lives and deaths of others have to do with me?" Tan Tianji shook his head.

Seeing this, Dongfang Zhao wasted no more words with him and turned to Wang Mubai. Without a word, he attacked, a punch pressing down toward his opponent.

Wang Mubai raised his hand to block, catching the mountain-shaking punch. He then grabbed Tan Tianji's shoulder and forcefully flung him toward the outskirts of the Capital City.

Aided by that momentum, Tan Tianji's True Qi burst forth. His body shot away like an arrow loosed from a bowstring toward the outside of the Capital City. At the same time, Wang Mubai's voice reached his ears.

He didn't look back and left the vicinity of the Capital City directly. Dongfang Zhao did not intercept him; all his attention was focused on Wang Mubai.