Human Clan Defender

Baiyue City.

Demon-Subduing Division.

The Soul Lamp inside the grand hall suddenly shook violently before extinguishing. The elder guarding the Soul Lamp almost thought he had misseen and couldn't help but rub his eyes vigorously before looking at the Soul Lamp again.

At that moment, his expression changed drastically.

Not good, the Soul Lamp has gone out! A Defender Envoy has fallen!

Only those at the level of Defender Envoy could leave their Soul Lamp in the grand hall. Now that the Soul Lamp had gone out, it indicated that a Defender Envoy had fallen.

Glancing at the name carved on the Soul Lamp, the elder hastened to leave the grand hall to report the matter.

Soon, a middle-aged man with graying hair walked in from outside. He immediately looked at the extinguished Soul Lamp, his face turning pale with shock.

Fu Yue's Soul Lamp has gone out! She has fallen!

The middle-aged man's face was incredibly grim. There weren't many Defender Envoys in the Demon-Subduing Division of Baiyue City. He also knew where Fu Yue had gone this time.

Although the Heavenly Realm was mysterious and contained certain dangers, a Defender Envoy's strength should have been sufficient. Even if they couldn't defeat the Fierce Beasts therein, they absolutely shouldn't have perished. Besides, apart from Fu Yue, another Defender Envoy had gone with her. Two Defender Envoys joining forces should have been more than capable of handling anything within the South Nether Prefecture. But now, Fu Yue had indeed fallen.

For a moment, the middle-aged man felt not only anger but also overwhelming confusion.

Fu Yue's strength was considerable; she could contend with Demon Evil-level entities in the world. Even if she encountered a more powerful entity, it shouldn't have directly led to her demise. What on earth happened in the Heavenly Realm!

The elder standing behind him remained silent, his head bowed. The demise of a Defender Envoy was a serious matter. The issues involved were far from simple.

Although there had been several unnatural deaths of Defender Envoys in the South Nether Prefecture over the years, these incidents were, on average, quite spread out over time. Moreover, most Defender Envoys fell during great battles against the Demon Evils. Defender Envoys typically died in battle during large-scale invasions by Demon Evils. But when there was no large-scale Demon Evil invasion, it was rare for a Defender Envoy to fall. Now, a Defender Envoy had perished merely by entering the Heavenly Realm, which made the situation extraordinary.

The middle-aged man's expression was cold. Apart from Demon Evils, only other Defender Envoys could kill a Defender Envoy. I want to see if anyone truly dares to slay a Defender Envoy under the laws of Great Qin.

Unlike others, if a Demon Hunter was killed in the Heavenly Realm, it wouldn't be a major issue. But a Defender Envoy was different. Each Defender Envoy was a vital force of Great Qin, a powerful weapon against the Demon Evils. If internal strife were allowed to run rampant and lead to excessive losses of Defender Envoys, Great Qin might very well disintegrate during the next Demon Evil invasion. Therefore, Great Qin and the Demon-Subduing Division had established rules forbidding members within the Division from killing each other, especially those at the Defender Envoy level. Whenever a Defender Envoy perished inexplicably, Great Qin would conduct a thorough investigation. Anyone who defied this rule, even if they were a Defender Envoy, would face severe punishment. Even if the offender was not killed, there were other ways to deter the Defender Envoys.

"Exiled Immortal Valley!"

After uttering these words, the middle-aged man turned and left.

After collecting three Longevity Fruits, Shen Changqing left decisively. He did not take all the Longevity Fruits.

Taking three was enough to make those present wary of my strength and prevent them from acting rashly. But if I had taken all the Longevity Fruits, I would have become a target for everyone.

He stopped in a forest. It wasn't long before Xun Qu also arrived.

Looking at Shen Changqing, Xun Qu smiled. "Elder Shen, your strength is truly admirable. All the experts present were deterred by you; not a single one dared to approach. There are less than a handful of people in the entire South Nether Prefecture capable of such strength."

Xun Qu was genuinely impressed by Shen Changqing. In the past, although he knew the other party was formidable, he hadn't realized the extent of their power. By his own strength, Shen Changqing had suppressed two Defender Envoys and a Grandmaster at the Peak. Truthfully, this level of power, even if not comparable to a mid-tier Demon Evil, was certainly not far off. Xun Qu felt his decision to bring Shen Changqing into the Heavenly Realm this time was extremely wise. If not for this, he might not have had a chance to compete for the Longevity Fruit. Among the experts present, the strength of the Mountain-Breaking City Demon-Subduing Division was considered the weakest.

Shen Changqing smiled. "If Defender Xun hadn't acted as a deterrent, it would not have been easy for me to take the Longevity Fruits relying solely on my own strength. According to our agreement, this Longevity Fruit is yours, Defender Xun."

He took a Longevity Fruit from his robes and tossed it over.

Xun Qu caught it. Upon holding it, a surge of potent Spiritual Energy emanated from it. He looked down at the crystal-like fruit, his eyes blazing with fervor.

Longevity Fruit!

After waiting for so long, he had finally obtained it. A single Longevity Fruit could extend one's lifespan by ten years.

Without hesitation, Xun Qu opened his mouth and swallowed the Longevity Fruit.

Shen Changqing watched him consume it. Immediately, powerful Spiritual Energy burst forth from Xun Qu's body, and an endless vitality emerged. The next moment, Shen Changqing saw the other man's somewhat graying hair return to its original black color. He was still the same person, yet he seemed much younger.

After a while, Xun Qu let out a long breath. Feeling the changes in his body, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. "The Longevity Fruit is truly a treasure that rivals Heaven and Earth Creation. Although consuming it doesn't bring true rejuvenation, the effects are still remarkable."

Ten years of increased lifespan. His inner vitality had become abundant. Ten years is a significant amount of time for anyone, especially for a Defender Envoy. It represents a considerable portion of one's life.

Immediately afterward, Xun Qu took out two jade boxes from his robes and tossed them to Shen Changqing. "The Longevity Fruit must be consumed within one hour of being plucked; otherwise, its Spiritual Energy will dissipate, and its efficacy will be greatly reduced. If not consumed immediately, it must be stored in a jade container to prevent the Spiritual Energy from escaping."

"So that's how it is."

Shen Changqing took the jade boxes. He placed one Longevity Fruit into a box and immediately swallowed the other. The crystal-like fruit wasn't as hard as he had anticipated. Upon contact with the saliva in his mouth, it dissolved like flowing water, transforming into a clear stream that surged down his throat.

In an instant, a surge of Spiritual Energy rose from his abdomen and entered the depths of his mind. At that moment, his qi, blood, and True Yuan all surged joyously. Shen Changqing couldn't help but close his eyes, enjoying the exhilarating sensation. Eventually, the feeling gradually subsided.

Opening his eyes, he had a contemplative expression on his face. So this is the Longevity Fruit. It truly rivals Heaven and Earth Creation. After consuming it, I feel as if I've grown much younger. It's a pity such a fruit cannot be consumed continuously; otherwise, achieving immortality might not be impossible!

The Longevity Fruit was too powerful; a single one could increase lifespan by ten years. However, the more powerful something is, the greater its restrictions tend to be. Just like the Longevity Fruit: at most, one could consume three, adding a total of just over fifteen years to a normal person's lifespan.

Following this, Shen Changqing thought of something else. If we could bring the Longevity Fruit tree back, couldn't we cultivate new Longevity Fruits?

He raised an eyebrow.

Hearing this, Xun Qu shook his head. "Others have considered your idea before, Elder Shen, but transplanting the Longevity Fruit tree is impossible. Firstly, the Longevity Fruit tree has very high requirements for Spiritual Energy. Secondly, it takes an extremely long time for the fruit to mature—cultivation is practically impossible without several hundred years. Moreover, after a Longevity Fruit tree matures and bears fruit, it wilts completely soon after. In other words, each Longevity Fruit tree can only bloom and bear fruit once. To cultivate new Longevity Fruit trees, the Longevity Fruit itself must be used as the seed!"

If cultivating Longevity Fruits were easy, the Imperial Court and the Demon-Subduing Division would have done so long ago. The problem is that it takes a Longevity Fruit itself as a seed to cultivate a new tree, and the growth period is measured in centuries. In several hundred years, anyone would have long turned to dust. Who would sacrifice consuming a Longevity Fruit themselves just to plant it for future generations?

Shen Changqing fell silent. Xun Qu's words made sense. This also explained the rarity of the Longevity Fruit.

Afterward, he asked, "Then, is there any way to accelerate the cultivation of Longevity Fruits?"

"The Longevity Fruit has extremely high requirements for Spiritual Energy," Xun Qu said, shaking his head. "The richer the Spiritual Energy in an area, the faster it will grow. So, I suppose the method to accelerate cultivation would be an environment with an utmost concentration of Spiritual Energy!"

He paused, his heated gaze settling on Shen Changqing. "Elder Shen, if you do not intend to consume your last Longevity Fruit, you could give it to me. As per our agreement, I can give you a living Demon Evil in exchange!"

It was apparent that Shen Changqing wasn't overly concerned about the Longevity Fruit. If an exchange were possible, Xun Qu still hoped to acquire the other Longevity Fruit. That way, I could increase my lifespan by a total of fifteen years.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing smiled faintly. "Giving the Longevity Fruit to you, Defender Xun, isn't an issue. However, I have another question: are there any restrictions on consuming the Longevity Fruit?"

"Restrictions?" Xun Qu was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. "There are no particular restrictions. Anyone can consume it. However, everyone's natural lifespan differs, so consuming it doesn't guarantee one will live longer than others who haven't. Although it's said that a lifespan is about a hundred years, some people can live to be over a hundred, while others may only live for sixty or seventy years. Even if the latter group consumes a Longevity Fruit, they still might not live as long as the former."

Shen Changqing understood this point.