Human Clan Defender

Passing through the multicolored vortex, Shen Changqing felt as if he had passed through a thin membrane, followed by the world spinning around him. A strong wave of dizziness surged from his mind. Subsequently, the blood-red lotus in his Sea of Consciousness trembled, and the dizzy sensation vanished instantly. When he regained his senses and looked at his surroundings, he realized he had appeared in a completely different place.

Emerald waters!

Verdant hills!

Tall trees blocked out the sun, and the indistinct roars of some unknown beasts could be heard.

Before Shen Changqing could take in much of his surroundings, a tremendous noise suddenly erupted from behind him. The next instant, a powerful gust of wind swept past. With a light tap of his toes, his body soared a hundred feet into the air like a great bird, just as a beast resembling a ferocious tiger pounced on the spot where he had been standing.

His body twisted in mid-air. The Tiger Fang Blade at Shen Changqing's waist was instantly unsheathed, Great Sun True Yuan coating its surface. In a flash, a heatwave accompanied by an overwhelming murderous aura erupted, causing the ferocious beast to falter. The long blade descended, swift as lightning. The beast didn't even have time to let out a wretched howl before it was decapitated. Its massive head thudded to the ground, blood gushing from the wound.

Landing softly, Shen Changqing sheathed his blade. Now he had ample time to examine what had ambushed him. It was shaped like a ferocious tiger but was much larger than an ordinary one. The beheaded carcass before him measured at least thirty feet. Instead of fur, its body was covered in pale yellow Scale Armor. When he had used the Tiger Fang Blade to decapitate it, he had felt a slight resistance. Though the resistance wasn't strong, it was enough to indicate that the beast's defenses were truly astonishing.

With a full-force strike from my blade, I can decapitate even a lower-ranked Demon Evil in a single blow, and ordinary Grandmasters are as easy to cut down as vegetables. Yet, this beast's defense is comparable to a Martial Artist of the Grandmaster Realm!

Shen Changqing's expression turned solemn. This single encounter is quite telling. I've just entered the Heavenly Realm, and I'm immediately attacked by an unknown ferocious beast. Looking at this tiger-like creature, let's still call it a tiger for now. But an ordinary tiger, at best, is only equivalent to a Martial Artist in the Body Tempering Realm. Any Martial Artist in the later stages of Body Tempering could kill a tiger if they were careful. However, the tiger before me was definitely not that simple. Its strong defense, in a way, made it innately difficult to defeat. A Martial Artist in the Body Tempering Realm would find it very hard to contend with. The Heavenly Realm is no simple place; if a random beast possesses such strength, there are bound to be even more powerful creatures lurking—

Shen Changqing internally raised his guard. He stopped looking at the tiger's corpse and began to scrutinize his surroundings. From what he could tell, he seemed to be in a forest. Shen Changqing couldn't be certain if the entire Heavenly Realm was a forest or if there were other landscapes beyond these woods. Or perhaps, the sheer size of the Heavenly Realm itself was an unknown.

Remembering something, he took out the booklet Xun Qu had given him. Xun Qu had mentioned that the booklet contained a record of the Natural Treasures within the Heavenly Realm. Come to think of it, I've never actually opened it.

He flipped open the booklet. The first page revealed tiny, densely packed characters:

"The Heavenly Realm is vast; no one has ever fully explored it. Therefore, the exact number of Natural Treasures it holds is uncertain. This booklet only records those treasures that have previously been discovered. It is hoped that this record will be of some use to those who enter the Heavenly Realm in the future."

The introduction was brief, merely providing a simple explanation of the Heavenly Realm. From the content, it was clear the Heavenly Realm was indeed expansive. The inability to explore it completely didn't necessarily mean it was infinitely large; it could also be due to a lack of time. After all, the Heavenly Realm only existed for twenty-eight days. Even if one entered the moment it appeared, they could stay for a maximum of twenty-eight days. Within that time, even a Grandmaster might not be able to explore much territory. Furthermore, the Heavenly Realm was not without its perils. Encountering formidable dangers would require time to retreat.

Shen Changqing then flipped through the rest of the booklet. The pages within detailed various Natural Treasures. After a brief glance, he put the booklet away. There's no need to read so much now; I'll consult it when I actually find some Natural Treasures.

He glanced at the corpse on the ground, then, after discerning his direction, quietly withdrew. The tiger had died here, and the potent smell of its blood was spreading. It wouldn't take long to attract other ferocious beasts. Although he felt no fear, he didn't want unnecessary trouble.

Sure enough, not long after Shen Changqing left, another beast appeared. It was the size of an ox, with a white body, four horns on its head, and shaggy fur that resembled a straw raincoat, giving it a rather intimidating appearance. The beast glanced at the tiger's corpse on the ground, then opened its cavernous, blood-stained mouth and devoured the carcass. In just a few moments, the tiger's corpse was completely consumed.

Just then, a gigantic bird swooped down from the Firmament. But the four-horned beast, leaping with all four hooves, directly kicked and shattered the bird's menacing head. Blood splattered as the giant bird's body plummeted to the ground. The beast opened its mouth again, devouring the giant bird until nothing remained. Afterward, its nose twitched as if sniffing the air for a scent, and in the next breath, it leaped towards a certain direction in the forest.

WHOOSH—

A scorching palm wind swept out. A two-zhang-sized ferocious beast let out a wretched cry before collapsing to the ground. Outwardly, there were no severe injuries, but internally, its organs had already been incinerated to ash by the Great Sun True Yuan.

Withdrawing his palm, Shen Changqing glanced at the corpse on the ground and continued forward.

Only a short time had passed since he entered the Heavenly Realm, perhaps about half a two-hour period. Yet, he had already slain three ferocious beasts. The sheer density of these creatures was staggering.

Are there an excessive number of ferocious beasts in the Heavenly Realm, or am I just unlucky? Shen Changqing's expression was one of helplessness. He hadn't come here to kill beasts; after all, slaying them didn't yield any Slaughter Value. Although these beasts looked extraordinary and likely possessed valuable parts, he had entered alone and couldn't possibly carry much away. Even if their carcasses were extremely valuable, he couldn't take them.

Moreover, Shen Changqing had a clear purpose. He wasn't looking for other treasures; he sought Spiritual Objects that could increase his lifespan. Aside from such Spiritual Objects, he needed nothing else.

Meanwhile, Shen Changqing once again flipped through the booklet. According to the records, places containing Natural Treasures will exhibit many distinct phenomena. So, wherever such treasures are located, they should be relatively easy to find.

The presence of many phenomena offered a significant advantage: it meant less effort would be wasted in searching. However— Shen Changqing spread his Divine Sense, but within its limited range, he found no trace of any Natural Treasures.

He didn't get discouraged, though. After all, I've only just entered the Heavenly Realm. Finding Natural Treasures isn't supposed to be that easy. Even if there are many treasures here, they won't be simple to locate.

BOOM! BOOM!!

The fluctuations of a battle, accompanied by angry voices, came from not far away.

"Hmm?" Shen Changqing's expression changed slightly upon feeling those fluctuations. He was very familiar with that particular ripple of energy. Because—it was the unique aura of Demon Evil!

Demon Evil! His heart sank. From the aura, the combatants were either Demon Evil or Demonfolk who had allied with them. He hadn't expected anyone from the Demon Evil Clan to be in the Heavenly Realm.

But on second thought, the Heavenly Realm has opened several times. It wouldn't be entirely strange if some Demon Evil Clan members managed to sneak in, especially since there are many Natural Treasures here. Perhaps there are things inside that the Demon Evil Clan needs.

If it were an ordinary battle, Shen Changqing wouldn't get involved. But—if it involved the Demon Evil, he couldn't just stand by and watch. No matter what, he still held the title of Demon Hunter in the Demon-Subduing Division. As a member of the Demon-Subduing Division, he couldn't ignore the presence of Demon Evil. Besides, he benefited from their deaths.

So, after only a brief pause, Shen Changqing rushed towards the direction of the battle.

The battle was taking place in a large clearing formed by fallen trees. In the middle of the clearing, however, a medium-sized bush stood unscathed, several bright red, fist-sized fruits hanging from its branches. Below the bush, a long, snake-like corpse lay sprawled, with blood already flooding the ground. Aside from that, several other bodies were left on the ground. Outside the clearing, a few injured young men and women were tending to their wounds. At the center of the action, two phantom-like figures darted back and forth in combat, terrible gusts of wind and shockwaves emanating from their clash.

"Demonfolk, die!" Shen Hua roared in fury, his long sword a blur of motion. Dazzling sword light burst forth, accompanied by a chilling killing intent.

His opponent was a Demonfolk clad in Scale Armor. The Demonfolk moved with extreme speed, and its Scale Armor possessed formidable defensive power. Whenever the sword light grazed it, sparks flew, but the armor—and the body beneath—remained undamaged.

"HEH HEH HEH," the Demonfolk cackled, "so this is the might of the Shen Family from South Nether Prefecture. It's truly an eye-opener! Today, I'll use you to whet my appetite. The day will come when my Eternal Alliance reigns supreme over the Shen Family, and that will be the day your family is exterminated!"

"Insolence!" Shen Hua laughed, his anger palpable. "A mere Demonfolk dares to make such outrageous claims! Your arrogance truly knows no bounds!" His attacks instantly became even more ferocious.