Human Clan Defender

Outside Mountain-Breaking City.

Shen Changqing and Xun Qu left side by side.

They didn't ride fast horses. For people of their Realm, the speed of ordinary horses would actually be inferior, unless it was a top-tier treasure steed. Otherwise, riding a horse would actually slow down their progress.

After leaving Mountain-Breaking City, Xun Qu looked at the ancient road ahead, turned his head with a smile, and said, "I have already witnessed Elder Shen's strength, but I wonder how your Qinggong is? How about we compare our skills?"

Compare our skills? Shen Changqing's eyebrows raised; he had never backed down from such a thing.

"Since Defender Xun has this idea, then let's compare!"

"Good!" Xun Qu pointed ahead and said, "The place where the Heavenly Realm has appeared this time is within Exiled Immortal Valley of South Nether Prefecture, and Exiled Immortal Valley is located where the sun rises. As long as we keep going in one direction, when we see a huge stone statue of a Taoist, that will be Exiled Immortal Valley."

Having said this, he took the lead, his body instantly vanishing from its original spot. By the time one looked again, he was already a hundred feet away.

So fast! Shen Changqing was inwardly startled and didn't hesitate much. With a movement of his feet, he also chased after Xun Qu's figure.

On the ancient road, two afterimages were speeding. When pedestrians passed by, they only felt a breeze on their faces, and then they couldn't see anything clearly anymore.

The more he chased, the more Shen Changqing was astonished. He admitted that his Qinggong had always been a relatively weak point. But even so, it was much stronger than that of an ordinary Grandmaster. After all, his strength was there. Even if his Qinggong was weak, the explosive force he could generate would still be much stronger than other Grandmasters. However, despite this, Shen Changqing was shocked to find that he was somewhat unable to keep up with Xun Qu's speed.

In his astonishment, he also thought of one thing: any Defender Envoy was originally at least a late-stage Grandmaster Martial Artist. Their mastery of Martial Arts could even be deeper than his own.

With this realization, Shen Changqing felt reconciled.

"Is this Minor Hillock Mountain?" Wang Mubai, dressed in elegant white robes, stood on the mountain peak, overlooking the scenery below.

In his line of sight, the Minor Hillock Mountain below had already diminished by more than half. Streets were everywhere, making it look like a town was hidden there. Yet, outside Minor Hillock Mountain, military guards were stationed.

However, Wang Mubai merely glanced at those guards indifferently before shifting his gaze away. Mere guards. Even if there were Earth Rank Demon Hunters among them, in the eyes of a Great Demon, they were no different from ants.

Standing beside Wang Mubai was Tan Tianji.

"Reporting to Your Lordship, that is indeed Minor Hillock Mountain. Hidden within Minor Hillock Mountain is a Calamity. Judging by the current situation, that Calamity has already grown much stronger—" As he spoke, there was a hint of awe in his voice.

Tan Tianji, as an Elder of Internal Affairs Hall, had some understanding of many intelligence reports from the Demon-Subduing Division. Among them was information about the Calamity in Minor Hillock Mountain. According to the reports, this Calamity had only appeared a few years ago, yet it had already grown to such an extent. In terms of its growth rate, it was already considered shocking.

Hearing this, Wang Mubai spoke with a gentle expression, "After so many years, it has finally truly been nurtured and emerged. Let's go. Accompany me to see to what extent this Calamity has grown."

"Yes!" Tan Tianji replied with a bowed head.

The two then headed towards Minor Hillock Mountain.

Minor Hillock Mountain was thoroughly surrounded, almost to the point of being impenetrable. But Wang Mubai and Tan Tianji entered Minor Hillock Mountain openly from the front. The guards seemed completely unaware of their presence.

Easily, the two of them successfully entered Minor Hillock Mountain.

Walking inside the town, the ground paved with bluestone slabs felt so real. The doors of the houses on both sides were tightly closed, as if no one lived inside at all. The vast streets lacked the vitality they should have had.

"The Calamity's Domain is truly extraordinary, to be so real! If I didn't know this was a Calamity Domain, I would have nearly thought it was some long-deserted town," Tan Tianji commented, a look of wonder on his face as he observed his surroundings. It was too miraculous. He had heard of Calamities before, but actually entering a Calamity Domain was indeed his first time.

Wang Mubai said indifferently, "What makes you think that the Domain of a Calamity should be illusory?"

"What does Your Lordship mean?" Tan Tianji was bewildered; Wang Mubai's words left him unsure of what was real and what was not.

Hearing this, Wang Mubai extended his hand and touched the wall of a roadside house, a cool sensation spreading from his fingertips. "The Domain of a Calamity, in my view, is truly real, no different from the outside world. If the outside world is compared to the Daqian world, then a Calamity Domain can be considered a small world within it. Once the Domain grows to a certain extent, and you are within it, what difference would you be able to perceive?"

Tan Tianji looked slightly stunned. What difference? It seemed there was no difference at all.

Then, Wang Mubai spoke again, "If one day, the Domain grows even larger than Heaven and Earth, enveloping them, would you say Heaven and Earth are real, or is the Domain real?"

Uh— Tan Tianji was again at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Wang Mubai smiled gently. "The so-called real and false are merely pursuits of one's own heart. Whether something is real or false depends entirely on a single thought."

After his words fell, Tan Tianji seemed lost in thought. Wang Mubai said no more, instead walking slowly towards a courtyard in the center of the town.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

The courtyard door was struck.

Soon after, a subtle sound came from inside, and then the tightly closed courtyard doors opened.

"And you are?" Mo Zijin looked at the two men standing before him, a puzzled expression on his face.

Wang Mubai smiled. "I was passing by and saw this town, so I wished to ask for a drink of water. I wonder if it would be convenient for you, sir?"

"To have friends come from afar, is that not a joy? It is my honor that you two have come. How could I refuse? Please, come in quickly!" Mo Zijin also smiled. He stepped aside, allowing Wang Mubai and Tan Tianji to enter.

From beginning to end, Wang Mubai's expression remained unchanged, as if he truly was just asking for a drink of water.

As for Tan Tianji, he was inwardly on high alert. There wasn't a single living soul in this town, yet here was this person. Needless to say, his origins were quite apparent. A Calamity! The master of this Domain! Facing a Calamity that could evolve its Domain to this extent, if a fight truly broke out, he had no confidence he would emerge victorious. If he were alone, Tan Tianji would have already turned and left by now. But with Wang Mubai present, he suppressed the impulse in his heart.

They entered the Great Tang and took their seats.

Not long after, Mo Zijin came in carrying two bowls of water.

Tan Tianji dared not drink the water here. Wang Mubai, however, had no such reservations and, picking up a bowl, drank directly from it. Afterward, he placed the empty bowl aside.

"Thank you, sir, for the drink of water. Otherwise, in this desolation stretching for dozens of miles with no sign of human life, I wouldn't have known what to do."

"It's merely a bowl of water, nothing much," Mo Zijin said with a smile.

At that moment, Wang Mubai stood up and looked around at the furnishings within the Great Tang, nodding thoughtfully. "Fine calligraphy and good paintings. It appears you, sir, are also a learned man. May I ask if you have ever achieved an official scholarly rank?"

"Years of arduous study, yet I have never passed the imperial examinations," Mo Zijin said, shaking his head slightly.

"That is truly a pity." Wang Mubai sighed, expressing deep regret.

Upon hearing this, Mo Zijin couldn't help but ask, "Judging from your speech and behavior, sir, you also have the air of a scholar. Could it be that you are also a learned man?"

"A scholar, I am not. Rather, I am more interested in the great trends of the world."

"The great trends of the world?" Mo Zijin's eyes brightened, his face showing interest. "It appears you, sir, have some unique insights into the great trends of the world. Might I be so bold as to ask for your teachings?"

"There's nothing particularly unique. If you, sir, were to leave this place and travel outside, you would find that the outside world is rife with war and chaos. Human lives are treated like grass, and commoners are slaughtered like pigs and sheep at the whim of the powerful, their suffering beyond words. 'When states rise, the people suffer; when states fall, the people suffer.' Nothing could be more true." Wang Mubai, his face filled with compassion for all beings, shook his head and sighed.

When states rise, the people suffer; when states fall, the people suffer. Mo Zijin was deeply moved. "Sir, your words are truly well said. I, too, feel this profoundly. In your opinion, sir, what must be done to truly achieve peace in the world?" His form of address had changed, now respectfully calling him 'sir.'

Hearing this, Wang Mubai smiled. "The world is already corrupt. On this foundation, any attempt at change is futile. Only by overthrowing this worldly corruption can a new nation be rebuilt upon the ruins. And to overthrow this worldly corruption, there is only one thing we can rely on: our own selves. Only when our own strength is sufficient will we be qualified to overturn everything. Only then can there be true peace in the world."

In the hall, Tan Tianji listened to this speech, his heart slightly stirred, but he maintained a composed exterior.

Mo Zijin's smile grew wider, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "What you say, sir, speaks directly to my heart. The world is indeed corrupt and truly needs to be overthrown. However, to overthrow this worldly corruption is no easy task."

"Confined to one place, one is like a beast in a cage, naturally unqualified to achieve such a feat." Wang Mubai's voice gradually softened, taking on a hint of allure. "Sir, why not leave this place? If you were to leave, you would be like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, destined to shock the world."

Leave this place. Mo Zijin spread his hands, an expression of helplessness on his face. "It's not that I don't wish to leave. But this cage is unbreakable. With my strength alone, there is no possibility of shaking it."

"Speaking of which—" As he spoke the final words, Mo Zijin's eyes turned completely black. Within those black depths, a reflection emerged: that of a three-eyed Demon Evil, its body covered in Scale Armor. "Sir, your words resonate deeply with me. Why not offer yourself to help me break free from this cage?"