Human Clan Defender

BOOM!

The aura burst forth.

Xun Qu had a clear target. He ignored the surrounding battles and charged directly towards the Longevity Fruit.

However, although the situation was chaotic, the Longevity Fruit was being watched by many powerful individuals. As Xun Qu made his move, some had already intercepted him.

"Xun Qu, if you want the Longevity Fruit, you'll have to get past me first!"

A middle-aged man in black, his face indifferent, blocked his path.

Seeing the newcomer, Xun Qu's eyes narrowed. "Fei Yun, do you think you can stop me?"

He was familiar with the man before him—the Defender Envoy of South Sea City.

Hearing this, Fei Yun's expression remained unchanged, his tone indifferent. "Xun Qu, you should know very well that from the moment you joined the Demon-Subduing Division, your strength has always been beneath mine. It was true then, and it is true now. What makes you think you can break through my guard?"

"Beneath you?" Xun Qu laughed in fury, his blood-red eyes filled with nothing but cold, murderous intent. "Then let's see if I'm truly beneath you!"

As he spoke, he suddenly unleashed a palm strike. Black energy, like the end of the world, erupted violently.

Facing such an offensive, Fei Yun was calm and composed. As his long sword was drawn from his waist, a terrifying Sword Gang slashed down.

BOOM!

The moment they clashed, both went all out. Terrifying fluctuations of aura spread out, forcing those with insufficient strength to retreat continuously.

Shen Changqing observed the unfolding situation. Fu Yue was entangled by the Sword Elder. Fei Yun was locked in combat with Xun Qu. Xiao An confronted Yun Dingtian of the Qingyu Sect. The remaining Defender Envoy of Baiyue City was being held up by Yin Zizhen.

Ostensibly, all the Grandmaster Peak experts and Defender Envoys had their own opponents.

But he knew very well that everyone's battles, from start to finish, revolved around the Longevity Fruit. Anyone who dared to make a move for the Longevity Fruit alone would likely face a devastating counterattack. The corpses strewn before the Longevity Fruit tree were the starkest proof. Those who had tried to fish in troubled waters were all slain instantly upon approaching the Longevity Fruit.

Meanwhile, after observing the battle for a long time, Shen Hua silently retreated.

Some Shen Family members, seeing this, asked in confusion, "Elder, are we not going to compete for the Longevity Fruit?"

"Let's wait and see. Don't throw your lives away needlessly!" Shen Hua shook his head slightly, a wary look on his face.

With the Defender Envoys and Grandmaster Peak experts making their moves, the situation instantly reached a fever pitch. Ordinary Grandmasters forcing their hand would only lead to death. As for those below the Grandmaster level, they were no different from ants.

Currently, the Shen Family had only him, one Grandmaster; the rest were merely Innate Martial Artists. To act rashly now would mean complete annihilation for them.

The current situation had already far surpassed the Shen Family's expectations.

Originally, with the opening of the Heavenly Realm, having a Grandmaster Elder lead the team and a group of Innate Realm martial artists was considered a decent lineup. They had been qualified to contend for most heavenly resources.

However, the appearance of the Longevity Fruit completely shattered this expectation. Upon seeing so many powerful figures, Shen Hua had already abandoned the thought of competing. It wasn't that he didn't want to contend, but because there was simply no way to do so.

Hearing this, several Shen Family members lowered their heads, their expressions dimming.

Yes. Before entering the Heavenly Realm, as Innate Realm martial artists, they held a considerable status in the Jianghu. But after entering the Heavenly Realm, they suddenly realized just how frail Innate Martial Artists were before true powerhouses. The two were simply incomparable.

"Furthermore—" Shen Hua's expression was grave as he observed the surroundings. "That slain Demonfolk might not have entered the Heavenly Realm alone. There could be others lurking nearby. They must have their own reasons for entering. We must remain vigilant in case those Demonfolk are plotting something!"

As he spoke of those Demonfolk, a clear murderous intent flashed across his face. The Shen Family hadn't suffered much when dealing with the Fierce Beasts. Their heavy losses came later, from an ambush by the Demonfolk. If given the chance, Shen Hua would definitely teach the Eternal Alliance a lesson.

「 」

As Shen Hua pondered the Demonfolk, Shen Changqing was also secretly observing, trying to detect any hidden Demonfolk.

But it was to no avail. Even when he spread his Divine Sense to its limit, he detected no Yin Evil Aura. Although some people were hiding nearby, they were merely Jianghu folk hoping to fish in troubled waters. But not a single Demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance was to be seen.

After much thought, Shen Changqing decided to take matters into his own hands and secure the Longevity Fruit. The powerhouses who could threaten him were all currently preoccupied with their opponents. Few knew his true identity, much less his actual strength. This gave him considerable room to maneuver.

With that thought, he acted. Suppressing his aura, Shen Changqing charged toward the Longevity Fruit like any other Jianghu martial artist.

"You think *you* can contend for the Longevity Fruit? Delusional fool!"

As he rushed out, a cold voice came from his side. Immediately afterward, a sharp aura assailed him.

Shen Changqing didn't break stride. He reached out with his left hand and crushed the incoming Blade Gang with his bare fingers.

The attacker's heart trembled in shock at this sight. Before the attacker could react, Shen Changqing glanced at him.

A mere glance, yet it carried the impact of Martial Dao True Intent.

Instantly, the man's spirit quaked, his mind momentarily blanked, and he froze on the spot.

In the midst of chaotic battle, to stand motionless was to court death. Very quickly, an attack from behind pierced his chest with a sword, ending his life instantly.

Shen Changqing paid it no mind. A mere Grandmaster wasn't worth his notice. Dead was dead. Had it been a Demonfolk or Demon Evil, he would have struck again to ensure death. Since it was a member of the Human Clan, there was no need for a follow-up strike. After all, killing them yielded no Slaughter Value, so whether he killed them or someone else did made no difference.

The battle was fiercest in the immediate vicinity of the Longevity Fruit. The domains formed by their Qi alone were enough to make ordinary people shrink back. However, this posed no significant challenge to Shen Changqing. Those fluctuations of Qi couldn't shake his physical body in the slightest.

Therefore, while others battled, Shen Changqing effortlessly drew near the Longevity Fruit. During this process, others attempted to intercept or ambush him, but he dispatched them with ease.

"Don't even think of stealing the Longevity Fruit!"

Fu Yue shattered a Sword Qi with one palm. Instead of continuing her fight with the Sword Elder, she blasted a palm strike at Shen Changqing's back.

Even though she knew the man had accompanied Xun Qu and was likely from the Demon-Subduing Division, before the Longevity Fruit, holding back was not an option.

Feeling the powerful gust of wind approaching from behind, Shen Changqing turned to see Fu Yue, her eyes bloodshot with killing intent, charging at him.

He sighed inwardly but had no intention of dodging. As Xun Qu had said, when it came to the Longevity Fruit, many had no path of retreat. Longevity was crucial. If it weren't so vital, not so many would willingly forsake their Human Clan identity to join the Eternal Alliance and become Demonfolk.

Great Sun Golden Body!

Dazzling golden light erupted from his Flesh, standing in stark opposition to dark energies. Shen Changqing formed a hand seal resembling a plucking flower, his palm raised before his chest. His Flesh, seemingly cast from gold, appeared to others like a Buddha descended to the mortal world.

Fu Yue was inwardly startled, but she had no time to dwell on it, for her attack was already upon him.

"Extinguish!" Shen Changqing uttered a single word, then pushed out his right hand flatly.

The Great Sun Golden Core in his Dantian blazed with unparalleled brilliance, instantly pushing the power of his Chiyang Divine Palm to its absolute limit.

BOOM!

Their palms met. An incredibly terrifying shockwave erupted from the point of impact, gouging out more than three feet of earth from the ground.

Immediately afterward, Shen Changqing's body trembled slightly, but he forcibly suppressed the rebound force, not moving an inch.

As for Fu Yue, she was sent flying backward by a tremendously powerful recoil. Her palm, once white as jade, was now scorched crimson by the searing heat. Moreover, Great Sun True Essence surged through her palm, wreaking havoc on the meridians in her arm.

Instantly, Fu Yue froze, silently working to expel the invasive energy from her body.

All of this happened in a flash.

Just as Fu Yue was repelled, the Sword Elder's attack arrived almost simultaneously. His target wasn't Fu Yue, but Shen Changqing, who was now close to the Longevity Fruit.

An earth-shattering sword strike descended.

Shen Changqing didn't dodge. Just as the sword was about to strike, he suddenly clapped his palms together, catching the blade firmly between them.

The Sword Elder's expression remained unchanged. His sword caught, he didn't try to withdraw it. Instead, he channeled all his True Qi into the blade, attempting to force Shen Changqing's palms apart and seize the chance to thrust forward.

But Shen Changqing's palms were like bedrock, completely unaffected by the Sword Qi. Meanwhile, the Sword Elder, pushing with all his might, found the blade stuck fast, unable to advance even an inch.

Before the Sword Elder could fully process his shock, he saw Shen Changqing's left hand slide along the blade, then twist forcefully against his right.

CRACK!

The sword, which could be considered a Divine Weapon, shattered into three pieces under the terrifying force.

And more than that, the vibrational force traveled up the remaining hilt, causing the web between the Sword Elder's thumb and forefinger to split open.

"The Sword Dao is formidable, indeed."

"However, you have not reached its apex."

"A Sword Dao that has not attained its zenith, lacking a solid foundation, is but a castle in the air—unable to achieve true grandeur!"

Shen Changqing shook his head slightly. As he spoke, he had already closed in on the Sword Elder and then thrust out a palm.

The force of the palm exploded. The Sword Elder's stooped body flew out like a withered weed.