Human Clan Defender

The news Xun Qu brought this time caused Shen Changqing to reassess the world once more.

While the existence of the Ancient Ruins was understandable, the Heavenly Realm's existence was somewhat more mysterious.

From what Xun Qu said, he knew the importance of the Heavenly Realm. For any Defender Envoy or Jianghu powerhouse, entering the Heavenly Realm could bring enormous benefits. Among them, the problem that plagued Defender Envoys was lifespan. If one could find something in the Heavenly Realm to increase lifespan, it would be priceless.

Afterward, Shen Changqing asked, "Since the Heavenly Realm is so important, why doesn't the Defender Envoy of Mountain-Breaking City enter it?"

According to Xun Qu's statement, its appearance should draw every Defender Envoy, all eagerly flocking to it.

Xun Qu, appearing as if he had expected this question, began to explain: "Each time the Heavenly Realm appears, its entrance remains open for only one day. After that day, the entrance closes. Before the Heavenly Realm manifests, there are no signs. Only when the entrance opens do the phenomena associated with the Heavenly Realm appear. Furthermore, seven days after the entrance closes, it will open again. A Heavenly Realm opens a total of four times each time it appears. After the fourth opening, it vanishes without a trace, awaiting its next manifestation. It opens once every seven days, and each opening lasts for one day."

Shen Changqing fell into deep thought. If Defender Xun is correct, doesn't that mean the Heavenly Realm will open again in four days?

The Heavenly Realm first appeared ten days ago; that was its first opening. Counting forward seven days, the second opening was three days ago. Therefore, in four days, it will be the Heavenly Realm's third opening.

"Indeed, four days from now the Heavenly Realm will open for the third time. I originally planned to enter during the second opening, but I was delayed by the incident in Luyang City," Xun Qu nodded.

He had planned to enter during its second opening. Who could have known Luyang City would have problems? As a Defender Envoy, despite the rich opportunities the Heavenly Realm offered, he had to prioritize dealing with Demon Evil.

As it turned out, even an old horse can stumble. He went to Luyang City, not to eradicate the Demon Evil, but ended up trapped by them for several days, once again missing the Heavenly Realm's opening.

"Every appearance of the Heavenly Realm represents a massive opportunity. Thus, to ensure this opportunity is preserved, Great Qin has an unwritten rule: the Heavenly Realm belongs to the region where it appears, and people from other prefectures cannot interfere. For instance, this time the Heavenly Realm has appeared in South Nether Prefecture. Therefore, those from outside South Nether Prefecture cannot enter; otherwise, they will face a collective attack."

Saying this, Xun Qu changed the subject. He then looked at Shen Changqing with a slight smile.

"However, there's one exception. When the Heavenly Realm appears in any of the nine prefectures of Great Qin, those from the Capital City are qualified to participate. But due to its limited opening time and the time it takes for news to spread, the Capital City rarely sends people to compete. I owe Elder Shen a favor, so I'm sharing this news about the Heavenly Realm. I also want to invite you to enter it with me. If we join forces, we'll have a chance to obtain more opportunities within."

Finally, Xun Qu's expression turned serious.

He shared the news of the Heavenly Realm for two reasons: first, to repay his debt to Shen Changqing, and second, because he valued Shen Changqing's strength.

Every opening of the Heavenly Realm leads to fierce competition. Although Defender Envoys are powerful and few can threaten them, other Defender Envoys from the Demon-Subduing Division within the Heavenly Realm also pose a threat. If a treasure that could increase lifespan lay before them, no one would back down or relinquish it easily; establishing a pecking order would be inevitable.

Xun Qu considered himself strong, but he wasn't entirely confident about facing other Defender Envoys. If he could team up with Shen Changqing, their chances would be much more secure. The other was not a Defender Envoy, yet his martial prowess surpassed that of many.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing lowered his head in thought, not responding immediately.

He fully understood Xun Qu's intentions: reveal the news of the Heavenly Realm, thereby doing Shen Changqing a favor, and then invite him to compete for opportunities within it.

In essence, everything hinged on his own strength being sufficient.

Xun Qu had recognized his prowess in the battle of Luyang City, which was why he was now being invited to the Heavenly Realm.

If his strength had been insufficient, Shen Changqing believed Xun Qu likely wouldn't have shared news of the Heavenly Realm, much less invited him to enter, even if he owed a favor.

Truthfully, he didn't place much importance on opportunities like those from Ancient Ruins.

After all, however grand the opportunity, could it surpass amassing Slaughter Value to enhance his abilities through his panel? As long as he had Slaughter Value, his strength could steadily improve.

However, while his power could increase, Shen Changqing wasn't sure if his lifespan would increase correspondingly. Since arriving in this world, it seemed that apart from Demon Evil and the Demonfolk allied with them, no one lived for very long. Whether Grandmaster Peak experts or Defender Envoys, all had limited lifespans. Compared to his previous life, people in this world held no advantage in terms of lifespan. A hundred years—it wasn't particularly long, nor was it short. Shen Changqing was unwilling to accept turning to dust after a mere century. He was even less willing to one day stoop to allying with Demon Evil merely to extend his lifespan.

It was precisely for this reason that Shen Changqing hesitated when Xun Qu mentioned the Heavenly Realm might contain something to increase lifespan. Under normal circumstances, he would have spoken up and refused outright without hesitation. Just as he had rejected Yi Ning earlier, without the slightest indecision. But when it came to lifespan, he had to be cautious.

Seeing Shen Changqing lost in thought, Xun Qu didn't disturb him, silently commending his temperament.

Calm in the face of danger, unmoved by external things. Anyone else, upon hearing news of the Heavenly Realm, would likely have agreed immediately without a second thought. Clearly, though the Heavenly Realm's temptation was great, Shen Changqing's temperament was stronger. To remain steadfast in the face of such immense temptation and carefully weigh the pros and cons... Such people often live long and go further than most.

「About half an hour passed.」

Shen Changqing emerged from his contemplation. "I wonder where the Heavenly Realm will appear this time, and how many days would it take to reach it from Mountain-Breaking City?"

Upon hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Xun Qu's face.

"The Heavenly Realm isn't too far. With our speed, traveling at full pace, it would take two to three days at most to arrive."

He knew that when Shen Changqing asked this, he had essentially agreed to his proposal. With Shen Changqing as an ally, his chances of acquiring treasures in the Heavenly Realm would significantly increase.

Two or three days, Shen Changqing thought, nodding inwardly. He then asked his final question.

"I'm curious, why didn't Defender Xun invite Defender Ji? Or is Defender Ji also going to the Heavenly Realm this time?"

The Heavenly Realm was crucial. It would be far more secure to invite a colleague from Mountain-Breaking City's Demon-Subduing Division than an outsider like himself.

Xun Qu laughed. "Elder Shen, you may not know this, but not all Defender Envoys from a region can leave at once. One must always remain to maintain stability. If all Defender Envoys entered the Heavenly Realm, who would defend against a major Demon Evil attack? This time, I will enter the Heavenly Realm, while Ji Tianlu will stay to guard the Demon-Subduing Division. The other Defender Envoys operate similarly. Whatever I obtain inside, I must share a portion with them upon my return."

So that was it! The doubts in Shen Changqing's heart finally cleared.

It was prearranged who among them would enter the Heavenly Realm; those Defender Envoys not entering had to maintain stability in South Nether Prefecture. Similarly, those who entered had to share a portion of their gains with the other Defender Envoys upon their return. This way, there would be no issues of unfair distribution or everyone scrambling to enter.

"Among the Demon-Subduing Divisions in South Nether Prefecture, Mountain-Breaking City's is relatively weak, so only I am entering this time. However, other Demon-Subduing Divisions might send more than one Defender Envoy. Additionally, some top Jianghu sects, though lacking Defender Envoys, might still send one or two Grandmaster Peak experts. Comparatively, Mountain-Breaking City is likely the weakest force entering the Heavenly Realm—but that's only if I go alone. If Elder Shen joins, then Mountain-Breaking City's strength will certainly not be weak," Xun Qu added.

With Shen Changqing's agreement, Xun Qu felt greatly reassured. The single punch that vanquished the Luyang City Demon Evil—even now, that scene was deeply etched in Xun Qu's mind.

"When does Defender Xun plan to depart?"

Having decided to go, Shen Changqing didn't want to waste time. The timing of the Heavenly Realm's appearance was uncertain, purely a matter of luck. If he missed this chance, it was hard to say when he'd get another opportunity to enter. Since it concerned his lifespan, he couldn't afford to be careless.

Xun Qu said, "If Elder Shen has no other concerns, we can depart immediately."

"I need one hour to prepare. After that, I will wait for Defender Xun at the main gate of the Demon-Subduing Division."

"No problem. I'll see you in an hour."

Xun Qu nodded, then cupped his hands and turned to leave. Now that the decision was made, he wasn't worried about an hour. Compared to when the Heavenly Realm would next open, an hour was nothing; even a half-day delay would leave plenty of time.