Human Clan Defender

In front of a small hill, a seven-foot-tall, crystal-clear tree that seemed to have been carved from crystal stood deeply rooted in the ground. Above the tree, five fruits hung, also resembling crystals, approximately the size of an adult's fist.

An overwhelming Spiritual Energy burst forth from them. In glimpses, radiant lights flowed on the surfaces of the crystal fruits.

"Longevity Fruit!"

Shen Hua's eyes glimmered with fervor as he gazed at the crystal fruits before him.

Longevity!

For anyone, this was a hurdle difficult to overcome. Similarly, the Longevity Fruit was a great temptation to anyone. The five Longevity Fruits now lay before their eyes. If one consumed three, it would surely extend one's lifespan by more than a decade.

However, although desire blazed in his eyes, Shen Hua felt no urge to rush forward and seize the Longevity Fruits. The reason was simple. Shen Hua felt that although he was not weak, among those present, he certainly wasn't the strongest.

A few young men and women from the Shen Family were also obediently standing behind Shen Hua at this moment, not daring to make a sound rashly.

"It seems like the competition for the Longevity Fruits is indeed fierce!"

A woman in palace attire chuckled, her every glance captivating and drawing involuntary attention.

As her words fell, a man with an ordinary appearance but an unmistakable aura calmly said, "Defender Envoy Fu jests. Who doesn't desire the Longevity Fruits? However, although there are many here, only a few truly qualify to contend for them."

Having said that, he cast a cold smirk at the other attendees. "Not to belittle anyone, but those below the rank of a Defender Envoy should kindly step back. Otherwise, should a battle truly ensue, it would merely add to the casualties."

At his words, someone sneered in response. "I've long heard of the reputation of the Demon-Subduing Division of South Sea City. However, seeing the manner of Defender Xiao An is truly disappointing!"

At this, Xiao An's expression turned icy. When he saw who had spoken, a fearsome killing intent flashed in his eyes. "So it's someone from the Qingyu Sect. But has Sect Master Yun ever heard the phrase 'trouble starts from the mouth'? Is what Sect Master Yun just said not tantamount to slandering our Demon-Subduing Division?"

Yun Dingtian, clad in Taoist robes, with a square face showing no fear, responded, "Defender Xiao is rather severe. The Qingyu Sect would not dare to slander the Demon-Subduing Division. We merely find the overbearing actions of Defender Xiao disagreeable. The Longevity Fruits are Spiritual Objects nurtured by heaven and earth. For Defender Xiao to take them all without so much as a word—does he truly disregard our presence?"

Upon hearing this, many figures from the martial world joined in support.

"Sect Master Yun speaks truly!"

"Defender Xiao's behavior as a Defender Envoy is indeed overbearing!"

"Heh, if one didn't know better, they'd think the Longevity Fruits belonged to Defender Xiao himself."

With Sect Master Yun taking the lead, the other martial artists showed little fear. They had been greatly dissatisfied with Xiao An's words from the start. It was only out of wariness for his status that they had not spoken out. Now that the Qingyu Sect dared to take the lead, they found no reason to remain silent out of fear.

However, they also understood clearly. It was one thing to be dissatisfied with Xiao An, but quite another to be dissatisfied with the Demon-Subduing Division. Thus, the thrust of their words targeted only Xiao An and did not implicate the Demon-Subduing Division in the least.

Fu Yue's beautiful eyes settled on Yun Dingtian. "I hear that Sect Master Yun of the Qingyu Sect reached the Grandmaster Peak a decade ago. Today I'm very curious, just how powerful is Grandmaster Peak?"

"I'm flattered. After all, the Grandmaster Peak is ultimately difficult to showcase in a distinguished assembly, unlike the esteemed Defender Envoys," Yun Dingtian said with a proud smile. His words were humble, but his expression was anything but.

Grandmaster Peak. It was the confidence that enabled him to dare to be dissatisfied with a Defender Envoy.

"Sect Master Yun is right. There are so many Longevity Fruits. The Defender Envoys should not be too overbearing. How about letting us have a few?" a voice laced with allure chimed in.

Yun Dingtian looked over and saw a seductively beautiful woman draped in black, sheer fabrics, giggling behind her hand, every gesture exuding charm.

The Heavenly Demon Sect!

Yin Zizhen!

Upon seeing who it was, his heart remained completely unmoved. He also did not dispute the words she had spoken.

If they were in the outside world, the Qingyu Sect would be considered righteous, while the Heavenly Demon Sect would be seen as heretical, inherently at odds with each other. But inside the Heavenly Realm, with the pressure of the Demon-Subduing Division present, if the Heavenly Demon Sect showed intentions of a temporary alliance at this time, Yun Dingtian would not reject it. After all, even by himself, he had no assurance of contending against so many Defender Envoys. The Heavenly Demon Sect's willingness to stand with him was undoubtedly a good development.

Noticing Yin Zizhen's arrival, Fu Yue's eyes flashed with a hint of disgust, then her voice turned cold. "And how does Sect Master Yin suggest the Longevity Fruits be distributed?"

"In my view, the forces present can be split into three groups," Yin Zizhen said, her enchantingly beautiful face wearing a captivating smile. "With representatives from the two great Demon-Subduing Divisions here, taking two Longevity Fruits is naturally not a problem. Of the remaining three, the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Qingyu Sect should each have one. The last Longevity Fruit can be left to the others present. What do you think, Defender Fu?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Yue's gaze grew colder. "Sect Master Yin certainly knows how to curry favor!"

"Defender Fu jests. It is only that I considered the Longevity Fruits to be treasures of the Heavenly Realm. Everyone present should have an opportunity to vie for them. If Defender Fu is unsatisfied with this distribution, I'd like to hear her thoughts on a more fitting division." Yin Zizhen threw the question back.

Seeing this, Fu Yue merely had an indifferent look in her eyes and didn't readily engage.

At this moment, another powerful presence approached. All conversations paused abruptly, and everyone simultaneously turned their heads to look in the same direction. Before long, two people appeared in everyone's field of view.

Upon seeing one of them, the expressions on the faces of Fu Yue, Yun Dingtian, and others changed slightly.

Mountain-Breaking City Demon-Subduing Division!

Xun Qu!

Although the Demon-Subduing Division was a collective entity, strictly speaking, each sub-division was considered an independent existence. Now that the Longevity Fruits were before their eyes, even people like Fu Yue and Xiao An didn't wish for any other powers to get involved. The arrival of Xun Qu clearly took them by surprise.

However, even though they were surprised internally, being part of the same Demon-Subduing Division, they didn't display any significant outward reaction.

Fu Yue was the first to smile and say, "I was wondering what kind of strong figures there were in the Heavenly Realm; it turns out Defender Xun has come." While speaking, she glanced at Shen Changqing, who was standing beside Xun Qu, and then quickly shifted her gaze.

Following the breakthrough of his Great Sun Golden Body, apart from the moment right after the breakthrough when he couldn't conceal the surge of vital energy, Shen Changqing now kept his aura exceedingly well-hidden. At first glance, others would only mistake him for a common Grandmaster.

However, upon seeing Shen Changqing, Shen Hua's expression changed subtly. If it had been any other time, he would have already approached to get friendly. But the current situation was unclear. If he were to speak hastily, it might bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.

"Greetings, Defender Fu Yue!" Xun Qu also nodded.

Then his gaze swept over everyone present in turn. His usually calm eyes imperceptibly gained a hint of gravity.

As Xun Qu sized up everyone present, Shen Changqing was also silently assessing the situation. First, his gaze settled on Fu Yue and Xiao An. He had heard of their reputations before. One was the Defender Envoy of Baiyue City's Demon-Subduing Division, and the other was the Defender Envoy of South Sea City's Demon-Subduing Division.

But—

Judging from the people here, the Demon-Subduing Divisions of the two cities hadn't just sent Fu Yue and Xiao An alone. Each of them still had one person standing beside them. Although those two people hadn't spoken, he was quite certain, based on his own powerful perception, that they were definitely Defender Envoy-level experts. This meant that, apart from Mountain-Breaking City's Demon-Subduing Division, the other two had both brought two Defender Envoys.

However, Shen Changqing wasn't too concerned. With his current strength, dealing with an ordinary Defender Envoy was not a problem at all. With Xun Qu joining forces, securing the Longevity Fruit would be even easier.

Afterward, Shen Changqing then looked towards Yun Dingtian and Yin Zizhen. From the two of them, he felt as if he saw Yi Ning's shadow. Evidently, it was quite possible that both of them were also Grandmaster Peak experts. But one thing he was certain of: even if they were at Grandmaster Peak, they were surely experts in the Spiritual System; their Physical Systems had definitely not yet entered the second stage. As for the others, although there were some strong individuals present, he didn't regard them highly.

After sizing up everyone present, Shen Changqing finally let his gaze fall on the Longevity Fruits. This kind of rumored heaven-sent treasure—it was his first time seeing it for real. At first sight, if he didn't know it was a Spirit Fruit, Shen Changqing would have almost mistaken it for a precious artifact. There was no helping it; the Longevity Fruit really didn't look much like a Spirit Fruit. But the surging Spiritual Energy contained within, even from a great distance, could be clearly felt by him.

Looking at the Longevity Fruit, Xun Qu, at this moment, actually calmed down. He looked at everyone present and said lightly, "The Longevity Fruit's Spiritual Energy is now contained. At most, within one hour, it will fall off automatically. A Longevity Fruit that falls off by itself will not last long. By then, its efficacy will be greatly reduced, and consuming it will have little effect. There's no need for pleasantries. Everyone desires the Longevity Fruit, and it's impossible to share the five fruits equally. If anyone wishes to have them, then let's rely on our own abilities!"

Having said that, he took the lead in stepping forward, his aura surging violently.

Many sensed this aura and their expressions changed dramatically. Fu Yue, Yun Dingtian, and others also looked at Xun Qu with more gravity. Even though only one Defender Envoy from Mountain-Breaking City's Demon-Subduing Division had arrived, it didn't mean that they were pushovers. In fact, any Defender Envoy was a formidable opponent not to be underestimated.