Human Clan Defender

「The next day.」

When Shen Changqing finished inhaling the first wisp of Heaven and Earth Purple Qi, he suddenly discovered that the Great Sun Golden Core in his Dantian vibrated abruptly, as if it had acquired an enigmatic aura. This kind of change had never happened before.

The Heaven and Earth Purple Qi seems to have quite an effect on the Great Sun Golden Core. I have absorbed Heaven and Earth Purple Qi before, but it has never triggered such a phenomenon—

Looking at the Great Sun Golden Core in his Dantian, it now bore an imperceptible trace of purple Qi. Although the purple color was faint, making one feel as if they were seeing things, as the owner of the Great Sun Golden Core, Shen Changqing could clearly sense that the power of the core had indeed been enhanced a notch.

Although an enhancement of that degree was virtually indistinguishable from no enhancement at all, if he persisted in absorbing Heaven and Earth Purple Qi every day, in time, it would bring considerable effects.

It looks like from now on, I need to wake up early every day, otherwise it'd be a waste. As long as waking up early would make him stronger, Shen Changqing naturally wouldn't reject such a good opportunity.

Before the Great Sun Golden Core had formed, it had been a long time since he last absorbed Heaven and Earth Purple Qi. For him, the help the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi could provide at that time was marginal at best. Rather than wasting time absorbing purple Qi, it made more sense to spend that time in closed-door cultivation. But now it was different. After condensing the Great Sun Golden Core, absorbing purple Qi had a much more noticeable effect.

Moreover, such an enhancement did not conflict with the promotion of Martial Arts prowess itself. Even if the Great Sun Scripture would continue to be broken through and the Great Sun Golden Core kept strengthening, the benefits bestowed by the Heaven and Earth Purple Qi would follow like a shadow.

After quickly washing up, Shen Changqing headed to the Council Hall. In fact, after breaking through to the Grandmaster level, martial artists could almost effortlessly maintain a dust-free cleanliness, as their True Qi would naturally clean off all dirt from their bodies. It was just a matter of habit for him.

At the entrance of the Council Hall, Deng Gu was already waiting.

"Elder Shen has arrived!"

"Demon Hunter Deng!"

Shen Changqing nodded in greeting. Then, he turned to the firmly shut Council Hall and asked, "Defender Dongfang is not here?"

"Lord Defender went to an Imperial Court meeting this morning. He ordered me to wait for Elder Shen here," replied Deng Gu truthfully. His attitude was more respectful today than it was yesterday.

In just one day at the Demon-Subduing Division, he had inquired about many matters concerning Shen Changqing. The man before him was an incredibly fearsome Grandmaster. I still don't know that he's at Grandmaster Peak, but even if he hasn't broken through to that level, his strength surely isn't much weaker. Having such a powerful ally will also alleviate some of the pressure on Mountain-Breaking City. It couldn't be helped. The Mountain-Breaking City Demon-Subduing Division wanted me to come to the Capital Demon Suppression Division to request a large group of Grandmaster powerhouses for reinforcement. But it was only upon arriving at the Capital City that I was astounded to find that, compared to the Mountain-Breaking City Demon-Subduing Division, the situation in the Capital Demon Suppression Division wasn't much better. First, a large number of Grandmasters from the Martial Hall were sent by the Imperial Court to Luo'an Prefecture to assist with the defenses against Great Zhou. Then there was an attack by Demon Evil on the Capital City, causing considerable losses to the Demon-Subduing Division. Now, Demon Evil still lingers within the Capital's vicinity, and the Division's powerhouses are primarily focused on eradicating Demon Evil there. The remaining available powerhouses are few. I had prepared myself to return empty-handed. Having Shen Changqing accompany me now is a stroke of great fortune. After all, a powerful figure at least in the late stage of Grandmaster is formidable anywhere. Within Mountain-Breaking City's Demon-Subduing Division, such powerhouses are merely a handful.

Following this, the two left the Demon-Subduing Division together.

At the entrance of the Demon-Subduing Division, a group of people was also waiting. The one leading them was someone Shen Changqing recognized: Jiang Zuo. Apart from Jiang Zuo, there were not many among the rest whom he had met. Even if he had, they had only exchanged brief greetings and were far from familiar.

"Brother Jiang, what's this about?" Shen Changqing asked with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Zuo smiled and said, "Upon Defender Dongfang's command, we will also accompany you two to South Nether Prefecture to help ease the situation."

Shen Changqing nodded. I see. That makes sense. Deng Gu came all the way from South Nether Prefecture; it couldn't have been just to request my help alone. Although the Demon-Subduing Division can't field its top-tier powerhouses right now, there are still many Demon Hunters left. After all, the Capital Demon Suppression Division is ultimately the one with the deepest foundations among all divisions. New recruits are brought in almost constantly. Each year, the Demon-Subduing Division cultivates a significant number of martial artists at the Pulse Condensation Realm. Even warriors at the Innate Realm, while not overwhelmingly abundant, are still quite numerous. However, a recent internal strife caused the Demon Hunters to suffer some losses. But even so, the Capital Demon Suppression Division was still able to spare some people.

Everything else became much simpler. With Shen Changqing and Deng Gu leading, everyone mounted the fine steeds long prepared by the Demon-Subduing Division and set off for South Nether Prefecture.

「South Nether Prefecture.」

Among the nine prefectures of Great Qin, South Nether Prefecture was one that ranked high in overall strength and covered a vast territory, second only to the Capital City and Great Wilderness Prefecture. At the same time, South Nether Prefecture connected with both the Capital City and Luo'an Prefecture.

Normally, it wouldn't take too long to travel from the Capital to South Nether Prefecture. But the problem was that South Nether Prefecture's territory was vast, and Mountain-Breaking City was located in its hinterland, making the journey from the Capital rather time-consuming.

Sometimes, I wish Great Qin had some means of flying; then traveling to South Nether Prefecture would be much easier. Riding horses, after all, is an inferior method. But as much as I think about it, I also know this isn't realistic for Great Qin. Shen Changqing mused.

「After about half a month,」 the group finally arrived at Mountain-Breaking City.

The tall city walls bore patches of green moss in places, their uneven surfaces testament to the passage of time. Soldiers stationed atop the walls looked down on the bustling traffic below, where orderly citizens queued to enter and leave the city. At first glance, the city's prosperity, though not on par with the Capital, was not far off.

"Elder Shen, this is Mountain-Breaking City!" Deng Gu, holding a riding crop, pointed at the city ahead, a smile of relief on his face.

It wasn't easy. First, I spent half a month traveling to the Capital, then another half month reaching Mountain-Breaking City. Back and forth, the journey alone took a full month. The continuing prosperity of Mountain-Breaking City shows it hasn't yet been affected by Demon Evil. Indirectly, this is also a good sign.

Shen Changqing smiled. "The prosperity of Mountain-Breaking City is beyond my expectations. It seems the Magistrate here governs well. Of course, without the Demon-Subduing Division safeguarding the area, it would be hard to ensure that Mountain-Breaking City remains unbothered by Demon Evil."

As he spoke, those behind him were also silently observing the city. As a major city in South Nether Prefecture, many of them had heard of it. Subsequently, under Deng Gu's guidance, the group slowly rode into the city.

Only after entering the city did they truly witness the prosperity of Mountain-Breaking City. The streets were wide enough to accommodate eight horses abreast, and everywhere they looked were scenes of bustling activity.

"The streets of the Capital are wide and can only accommodate ten horses abreast at most. I didn't expect Mountain-Breaking City to fit eight horses abreast—remarkable!" Jiang Zuo, who had hardly spoken since they set out, couldn't help but marvel.

The most prosperous place in Great Qin was undoubtedly the Capital City. Beyond the Capital, not many places could reach Mountain-Breaking City's standard, aside from the main cities of the various prefectures. However, Mountain-Breaking City was not even the main city of South Nether Prefecture, so its current prosperity was quite remarkable.

Deng Gu responded with a modest smile, "Steward Jiang, you're too kind!" Hearing his city praised, especially by Jiang Zuo, who hailed from the Capital and was considered worldly, made Deng Gu feel honored.

Shen Changqing remained silent but nodded inwardly. Unlike Great Wilderness Prefecture's somewhat exotic ambiance, South Nether Prefecture's connection to the Capital means its people don't differ much from those in the Capital. Their dress, appearance, and facial features are consistent with those of the Capital's residents.

Looking at the passing citizens, he suddenly thought of something.

"By the way, now that Great Zhou is attacking Luo'an Prefecture, and since South Nether Prefecture neighbors it, has it been affected in any way?"

Shen Changqing had seen the map of Great Qin. South Nether Prefecture was adjacent to the Capital City and Luo'an Prefecture. However, unlike Luo'an Prefecture, which directly faced Great Zhou, South Nether Prefecture's geographical position was offset from Great Zhou's territory, bordering Dayue and Great Liang instead. Therefore, I'm not certain if South Nether Prefecture has been affected by Great Zhou.

At this, Deng Gu's smile faded somewhat. "Currently, Great Zhou is engaged in fierce battle with the Imperial Court in Luo'an Prefecture. Occasionally, some stray cavalry break through Luo'an Prefecture's blockade and enter South Nether Prefecture to raid. However, those cavalry haven't caused much disturbance before being eradicated by South Nether Prefecture's forces.

"Up until now, South Nether Prefecture has also dispatched significant forces as reinforcements. It's not about driving Great Zhou's armies back, but ensuring they are held up in Luo'an Prefecture. Otherwise, if their army advances unchecked, it might even threaten the Capital."

In the end, Deng Gu let out a deep sigh. Natural disasters and man-made calamities... Great Qin has been in turmoil year after year. Previously, it was mostly scourges from Demon Evil, which were still within manageable limits. Now, with the Barbarian Desolation and Great Zhou also meddling, the difficulties facing Great Qin have increased drastically. To be honest, with South Nether Prefecture neighboring Luo'an Prefecture, I too worry that one day Luo'an Prefecture might fail to hold back the Great Zhou Army, causing South Nether Prefecture to also suffer the calamities of war.

As they conversed, the Demon-Subduing Division came into view.