The Demon Hunter and a Panorama of Cangyuan Realm

Meng Chuan and all the Taoist Academy disciples, along with the youths from the major families, watched intently. Almost all of them would eventually serve in the military, a duty they could not escape.

"Pig demon," a sturdy youth with a shield in his left hand and a large axe in his right leaped into the arena, staring at the pig demon on the other side.

The pig demon stared at the human youth, baring its sharp teeth with a low, eerie "heh heh~~~" sound, then suddenly charged forward.

Boom!

The pig demon charged recklessly at an astonishing speed.

"So fast."

"This speed rivals that of the Transfiguration realm. The books were right—even the most ordinary demons possess bodies comparable to the Transfiguration realm." The watching Taoist Academy disciples felt a sense of dread. This was already the most ordinary demon.

The youth, Zhang Rushang, however, sidestepped at the moment of collision, raising his shield with his left hand while slashing fiercely at the pig demon's lower body with his axe.

The pig demon charged too fast to change direction, but it raised its right arm, its elbow grazing the shield. Zhang Rushang felt a surge of force impact him, involuntarily staggering back three steps, his axe swing missing its mark.

"The books say demons have strong bodies but inferior combat skills compared to us. That's true," Zhang Rushang thought to himself. "But they're also more savage. I can't make mistakes. I need to find the opportunity to kill it in one strike."

"Humph~~~" The pig demon's eyes grew even more frenzied as it continued its fierce charge.

In the arena.

The pig demon was extremely brutal, possessing immense strength and speed. Even a casual swipe from it sent the human youth staggering back. Yet, the human youth was resilient, his footwork exquisite, never engaging in direct clashes. His shield was highly effective at deflecting the force, completely blocking the pig demon's repeated assaults. He was clearly slippery.

"That junior from the Zhang family is quite skilled with the shield."

"He's completely defended, not giving the pig demon any chance."

"I wonder if the pig demon is hiding something." The high-ranking members of the five major families conversed casually.

Suddenly—

The pig demon's claw swung with a sudden burst of speed.

This caught Zhang Rushang off guard. His expression changed drastically as he quickly ducked behind his shield.

"Bang." The claw slammed into the shield. Although the shield's angle made it awkward for the pig demon, the force of the blow still sent the shield flying. Zhang Rushang used the momentum to propel himself backward even faster, landing outside the arena.

As soon as he hit the ground outside the arena, Zhang Rushang spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

"So treacherous, hiding its strength." Zhang Rushang glared at the pig demon in the arena.

"You escaped quickly," the pig demon said in a low voice.

"What?"

"The pig demon was hiding something?"

"Using it at a critical moment—that's terrifying." The Taoist Academy disciples felt a chill in their hearts. It was fortunate that the first to go up was the cautious and defensive Zhang Rushang. Another disciple might have suffered greatly.

"It really was hiding something." The high-ranking members of the five major families conversed casually, having experienced battles with demons on the battlefield. They knew full well how ferocious demons could be! The current scene was quite 'gentle' compared to what they had seen.

The court official overseeing the list laughed heartily, "Demons possess awakened intelligence. They can scheme too; they're not to be underestimated. Alright, next up, Xiahou Song from the Spring Rain Taoist Academy."

In the arena.

he pig demon stood there, speaking in a low voice to the one-armed man beside him, "I won the first round."

"Win three in a row, and you can return to the prison," the one-armed man said.

"Good," the pig demon nodded, but its eyes gleamed with malice. Given the chance, it wanted to kill the human youth. Not just because killing one would grant it ten days of delicious food and fine wine, but also because of the hatred in its heart. Being captured by humans had condemned it to a miserable existence. If it could take revenge, it would do so fiercely.

The next youth to step forward was 'Xiahou Song,' a skilled swordsman.

His footwork was elusive, and the pig demon couldn't lay a hand on him.

Finally, he found an opening.

"Thud." His blade struck the pig demon, cutting through its thick hide, but the sword got stuck in the demon's muscles. Xiahou Song's expression changed drastically. "Not good!" He immediately abandoned his sword and retreated, but the pig demon seized the opportunity to deliver a vicious slap. Xiahou Song was hit, the loud impact causing many Taoist Academy disciples to wince.

The leaders of the five great families and the prefect remained calm; this was just a trivial matter to them.

Xiahou Song was sent flying out of the arena, blood spraying through the air.

Fortunately...

He was wearing his family's protective treasure armor, so he only suffered severe injuries and didn't lose his life. With a few months of rest, he would fully recover, which was a great relief.

"Next, from Fengyang Taoist Academy, Ruan Mi."

"Ruan Mi, the archer." This immediately drew the attention of many present. Every archer was of great importance, and Meng Chuan watched closely because his dear sister Qiyue, was also an archer! Ruan Mi's confrontation with the demon would be highly instructive.

Ruan Mi was quite famous among the younger generation in Dongning City. Though he came from an ordinary family, becoming an archer set him apart, making him a prominent figure among the disciples of Fengyang Taoist Academy. With his long arms, he leaped onto the arena with a large bow, took his position at the edge, and immediately drew his bow to shoot.

"Whoosh."

The arrow pierced through the air.

The speed was incredible! A truly dedicated archer is a force to be reckoned with.

The boar demon let out a howl and charged forward immediately, swinging its claws to deflect the first arrow, while the other claw protected its head, its vital spot.

However, the second arrow had already pierced its thigh, embedding itself deep within! Normally, the weapons of a Marrow Washing Realm expert would lose much of their power after breaking through the boar demon's hide, but this arrow completely penetrated its thigh, disrupting its running stride. The young archer, Ruan Mi, moved with a cold expression, firing the third and fourth arrows in quick succession.

Thud! Thud! Thud!!!

The third and fourth arrows both struck its legs. The boar demon's muscles and bones trapped the arrows, leaving little blood. Yet its running speed slowed by half. Ruan Mi moved with swift ease along the edge of the Arena, continuing to fire arrow after arrow.

"Die."

"Just die." The boar demon vaguely sensed death approaching, growing more frantic as it tried to close the distance to the human archer.

But its legs couldn't move fast enough, and the seemingly short distance between them became an insurmountable chasm.

The boar demon's body was riddled with twelve arrows. It howled and ran until the twelfth arrow finally pierced its head, its vital spot. With a loud thud, the boar demon collapsed to the ground, twitching, unable to rise again.

"The resilience of these demons is truly astonishing," Ruan Mi muttered softly.

"Well done."

"Beautiful."

Cheers erupted, especially from the disciples of Fengyang Taoist Academy, who shouted the loudest.

"Drag it away," ordered the one-armed man beside the Arena. Immediately, two soldiers stepped onto the Arena and dragged the boar demon's corpse away, leaving only bloodstains behind.

The death of a boar demon was of no concern to anyone!

The demons were the aggressors, the ones who slaughtered. Humans only sought to protect their homes. Even so, countless humans died. Half of those who served in the military perished in battle. Many of the survivors were left disabled. The cost to humanity was immense.

The number of human civilians slaughtered was beyond count. Primordial Mountain established Yuyang Palaces in every prefecture, dispatching Divine Lords to guard and protect the common people! These Divine Lords stood watch in all directions, eradicating any demons that dared to infiltrate human lands. Only then could the human realm remain stable. The hatred humans bore for demons was so deep, not even the waters of all the seas could wash it away.