Human Clan Defender

Upon hitting the ground, the Sword Elder spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, but his gaze remained fixed on Shen Changqing, a mad obsession in his cloudy eyes.

"Have you ever seen the pinnacle of Sword Dao?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing slightly shook his head. "I haven't seen it!"

The light in the Sword Elder's eyes instantly dimmed.

Suddenly, Shen Changqing added, "But I have heard of it once. Perhaps that is the ultimate in Sword Dao!"

"Tell me!" The Sword Elder's withered palm clawed at the earth, his eyes burning with an intensity that seemed capable of devouring someone whole.

Shen Changqing sneered, "Why should I tell you?"

PFFT!

The Sword Elder spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, his aura weakening further.

At this moment, some people's gazes landed on Shen Changqing, their eyes filled with shock.

When he didn't make a move, he seemed unremarkable. But once he did, it was earth-shattering. One palm strike repelled Fu Yue, another gravely injured the Sword Elder. Such strength was truly astounding.

When Shen Changqing first arrived with Xun Qu, they hadn't paid much attention to this young man. With the Defender Envoy present, everyone else seemed insignificant, like mere green leaves serving as a backdrop. But now, it was different. The strength Shen Changqing displayed was enough to astonish everyone.

They couldn't help but wonder when the Demon-Subduing Division had gained such an unfamiliar Defender Envoy.

"No, he's not a Defender Envoy, he's at Grandmaster Peak!" someone suddenly exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, the others' expressions changed. Then, scrutinizing Shen Changqing closely, they noticed his Flesh shone with a dazzling golden light, completely different from the power wielded by Defender Envoys. This realization shocked them all once more.

Grandmaster Peak! Such individuals were even rarer than Defender Envoys.

Grandmaster Peak! Shen Hua's mind reeled.

He had long known that Shen Changqing was not to be underestimated, certainly not an ordinary Grandmaster, but he had never imagined that the other was a Grandmaster Peak expert. An existence of this level was a true top-tier expert, even within the Shen Family.

On the other side, after repelling Fu Yue and gravely injuring the Sword Elder, Shen Changqing wasted no time and immediately moved to pick the Longevity Fruits.

"Stop him!" Fu Yue's regal dignity had long vanished, replaced by a frenzied rage. Black energy erupted. Fu Yue seemed to transform into a Demon God, her terrifying power running rampant.

At the same time, Yun Dingtian and Xiao An, who were originally exchanging blows, seemed to have agreed on a truce. They then joined forces to attack Shen Changqing. Whoever approached the Longevity Fruit would be slain. Since Shen Changqing was closest to the fruit, he had to be dealt with first.

Two Defender Envoys and a Grandmaster Peak expert combined their might, creating a force that seemed capable of shattering the world.

Standing at the center of the storm, Shen Changqing's expression grew serious. He didn't retreat. Instead, his feet rooted themselves to the ground like a great boulder. For the first time, he fully activated all twenty-nine layers of his Great Sun Golden Body.

BUZZ—

An immensely brilliant golden light manifested the phantom of a colossal Buddha in the void.

Then, he gripped the Tiger Fang Blade in his right hand. In his mind, the six-petaled blood-red lotus swayed frantically. Instantly, the golden Buddha phantom was stained a bloody red. The originally righteous and awe-inspiring Buddha had degenerated into an evil Buddha. A blood-red long saber materialized in the great Buddha's hands, and a terrifyingly baleful aura permeated the surroundings.

"Slash!" Shen Changqing took a step forward, drawing the Tiger Fang Blade from his waist with the speed of thunder, unleashing his Battle True Intent, which had been accumulated to its absolute peak.

The supremely hard and yang Great Sun True Essence!

The supremely fierce and malevolent Battle True Intent!

These two diametrically opposed powers now merged perfectly, forming a world-shaking slash.

BOOM—

The three streams of power converged, clashing violently with the saber qi that blazed with gold and blood.

Heaven and Earth fell silent. All things went quiet. The ongoing battle came to an abrupt halt as everyone stared in horror at the collision of the opposing forces.

In the end, the saber qi tore through everything. The residual power struck the three of them.

BANG—

Three figures flew outwards, blood arcing through the air.

Shen Changqing also let out a muffled grunt, his body uncontrollably staggering backward, the blood and qi within him churning violently. Immediately after, a sweetness rose in his throat, as if something was about to surge up. But he forcibly suppressed this coppery taste, his gaze stern as he looked ahead.

As the dust settled, Fu Yue and Xiao An appeared, their clothes somewhat torn, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. As for Yun Dingtian, he seemed uninjured on the surface.

However—he couldn't hold on for long before spitting out a mouthful of crimson blood.

Shock! Unparalleled shock!

Even though they knew Shen Changqing was a Grandmaster Peak expert, they had never anticipated his strength would be so formidable. He had contended against two Defender Envoys and Yun Dingtian, a Grandmaster Peak expert.

As a result, looking at the current situation, it was clear that Shen Changqing held the upper hand. Fu Yue and the others had all suffered injuries to varying degrees. But looking at Shen Changqing, he seemed completely unscathed.

"Who on earth are you? When did the Demon-Subduing Division gain such a powerful figure like you!" Xiao An's expression was grim. He couldn't believe he would be defeated by an unknown junior. And it was a defeat suffered while allied with others. If it had been another Defender Envoy, he might have been able to accept it, however reluctantly. But to lose to this person before him—Xiao An was unreconciled.

Shen Changqing's Tiger Fang Blade pointed diagonally at the ground. His expression was calm as he said, "Who I am is not important. What's important is that this time Defender Xun and I will take three Longevity Fruits; the rest, you can decide amongst yourselves.

"If anyone disagrees, they are welcome to try.

"Even if I don't get the Longevity Fruits, you definitely won't get them either."

Arrogant! Utterly arrogant! Excluding Xun Qu, there were four Defender Envoys and two Grandmaster Peak experts present. For him to dare speak such words was clearly the height of arrogance.

But—upon closer thought, his strength was formidable; his ability to hold the upper hand against three opponents was clearly not his limit. To be certain of victory against him, they would need to add at least one or two more experts of the same level to their side. But doing so would very likely allow others to reap the spoils. For a moment, everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, Xiao An's expression turned grim. "Your strength is indeed formidable; I don't deny it. But for you alone to demand three Longevity Fruits, isn't that a bit too much?"

Wary of Shen Changqing's power, he didn't dare to act rashly, but it was impossible for him to simply give up on the Longevity Fruits.

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing's expression was indifferent. "There's one thing you need to be clear about. If I take three Longevity Fruits, the Mountain-Breaking City Demon-Subduing Division will withdraw from this contest. How you divide the remaining two Longevity Fruits is no concern of mine.

"If you disagree, then I will join forces with the Qingyu Sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect. I am confident they would gladly ally with me if it means they can secure two Longevity Fruits.

"At that point, your two Demon-Subduing Divisions will have no chance at all!"

Xiao An's expression changed repeatedly. Fu Yue and the others also fell into silence.

At that moment, the Longevity Fruits suddenly emitted a strange, sweet fragrance. Everyone's gaze temporarily shifted from Shen Changqing to the Longevity Fruits. The crystal-like Longevity Fruits were seen to tremble slightly before suddenly detaching from the vine.

As the Longevity Fruits dropped, Shen Changqing, with swift eyes and hands, immediately gathered three of them and then swiftly retreated.

Seeing this, Xun Qu, who was confronting Fei Yun, understood and withdrew as well.

Xiao An glared hatefully at Shen Changqing. He didn't chase after him; instead, he rushed towards the other two Longevity Fruits. Rather than contend with an unbeatable expert, it was better to snatch what was readily available. The others seemed to share Xiao An's thinking. Seeing Shen Changqing take three Longevity Fruits unopposed, they all focused their efforts on snatching the remaining two.

"The South Sea City Demon-Subduing Division claims one! No one else touch it!" Xiao An roared angrily. He desperately wanted to take both Longevity Fruits.

But—Xiao An knew very well. The others wouldn't let him take both; vying for one was more realistic.

At the same time, Fu Yue also made her move. "The Baiyue City Demon-Subduing Division also wants one Longevity Fruit!"

"Ridiculous! There are only two Longevity Fruits left, and you Demon-Subduing Divisions intend to take them all? You clearly don't take us seriously!" Yun Dingtian laughed in extreme anger. He had conceded Shen Changqing's claim to three because he was no match for him; he had no choice. But now, the Qingyu Sect absolutely had to obtain one of the two remaining Longevity Fruits. When it concerned longevity, there was no room for negotiation.

BOOM!!

Azure True Qi erupted as Yun Dingtian threw a punch, his target clearly Fu Yue.

At the same time, Yin Zizhen did not hesitate. The Qingyu Sect wanted a Longevity Fruit, and her Heavenly Demon Sect needed one just as badly.

As the experts from the two top sects made their moves, the previously cowed Jianghu martial artists began to stir restlessly once more.

"The Longevity Fruit is mine!"

"Quick, snatch it!"

"You're courting death!"

Xiao An's expression turned frigid, an intense killing intent brewing within him. He struck out with a palm, directly blasting one of the Jianghu martial artists into pieces, flesh and blood scattering everywhere.

However, the death of this individual didn't deter the others; instead, it made them even more frenzied.

The Longevity Fruits were ripe. If they could obtain one, whether for personal use or to trade for other opportunities, the benefits would be immense. At this moment, no one was willing to back down.

FIGHT!

FIGHT!

FIGHT!

The scene instantly descended into chaos, even more intense than the previous melee. People were dying every moment.

Xiao An sent Yun Dingtian reeling with a palm strike and was just about to grab a Longevity Fruit when a chilling aura attacked him from behind. He was forced to abandon his attempt and defend, his palm meeting Yin Zizhen's attack.

BOOM!!

A violent force erupted. Yin Zizhen was blasted back, and Xiao An's body also trembled.

At this instant, Fu Yue, facing no opposition, managed to grab one Longevity Fruit. Her eyes fell on the other Longevity Fruit, and unable to resist, she reached out to take the second one as well.

Xiao An witnessed this, fury erupting in his eyes.

"Fu Yue, you dare!"

As his voice fell, his formidable power was already hurtling towards her.