Chapter 305: Chapter 103: Must Breakthrough (10/3)
There wasn’t much else to say about what happened next. Shimohe departed. Xiang Yuan departed. Shen Changqing and Xun Qu also did not stay in Exiled Immortal Valley, directly heading back to Mountain-Breaking City.
The appearance of Shimohe and the death of Fu Yue—news of these events, once spread, would cause considerable turmoil. By comparison, the fall of Yun Dingtian didn’t seem to concern the Defender Envoys much. A Grandmaster was just a Grandmaster. Compared to a Defender Envoy, the two were conceptually different.
Atop a certain hill, Shimohe, who had supposedly already left, stood there silently. He made no move watching Xiang Yuan depart. When he saw Shen Changqing and Xun Qu leaving together, his gaze fluctuated for a moment, but he still made no move.
In his prime, Shimohe was confident he feared no one. But now, his strength had diminished too much. Dealing with Shen Changqing alone was already a challenge; with Xun Qu added, it would be difficult to gain any advantage.
Finally, Xiao An and Fei Yun departed. Seeing this, Shimohe quietly vanished from the spot.
「After two days.」
Xun Qu and Shen Changqing successfully returned to Mountain-Breaking City. Inside the Demon-Subduing Division, Xun Qu said, "Elder Shen, I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave for now. If there is anything, you can seek me out. As for the Demon Evils I promised you, I will not keep you waiting too long."
"Good!" Shen Changqing nodded, cupped his fists, and then turned to leave.
Xun Qu had his own matters to attend to, as did Shen Changqing. This trip out of the Heavenly Realm had also been quite fruitful.
Watching Shen Changqing’s departing silhouette with Tiankui on his shoulder, Xun Qu did not linger and headed towards the Council Hall.
"You have returned." Ji Tianlu smiled faintly, but his expression shifted when he saw Xun Qu’s condition. "Did you find the Longevity Fruit?"
"I was fortunate to find two, successfully extending my life by fifteen years," Xun Qu admitted openly. He then took out several jade boxes from his bosom and tossed them to Ji Tianlu. "These are some other Spiritual Objects. I have no need for them; they are all yours."
According to the rules, whenever a Defender Envoy entered the Heavenly Realm, any gains obtained had to be shared with the other Defender Envoys of their Division. Having obtained the Longevity Fruits, Xun Qu didn’t place much importance on the other Spiritual Objects.
Ji Tianlu reached out and took them. He didn’t open them to look but casually placed them aside.
At this moment, Xun Qu also sat down in his seat.
The smile disappeared from Ji Tianlu’s face, which then became solemn. "News came from Baiyue City: Fu Yue’s Soul Lamp has been extinguished, suspected to have fallen inside the Heavenly Realm. Do you know anything about this?"
Upon hearing this, Xun Qu showed no surprise. Each Defender Envoy had a Soul Lamp; if it went out after their fall, it was only natural for the news to spread.
"Fu Yue is indeed dead, and so is Yun Dingtian from the Qingyu Sect. This time, the Heavenly Realm has seen the death of a Defender Envoy and a Grandmaster at the Peak—an unprecedented loss. But if you ask me whether it was the work of a Defender Envoy, I can give you a definite answer: no!"
"No?" Ji Tianlu felt a sense of relief, but great curiosity remained. It was good that a Defender Envoy wasn’t involved, meaning the Demon-Subduing Division wouldn’t turn on itself. But he was very keen to know what kind of power could cause Fu Yue and Yun Dingtian to perish in the Heavenly Realm.
Xun Qu spoke, "An exceptionally powerful expert has recently emerged from the Buddha Sect. I suspect him to be a Grandmaster who has mastered both major systems to their peak. His strength is exceedingly formidable; even with several other Defender Envoys and Elder Shen, we could only barely manage to defeat him. If Fu Yue died at someone’s hand, this Buddha Sect expert is the prime suspect."
Peak of both major systems! Ji Tianlu’s expression changed. He found it hard to imagine that a Grandmaster at the peak of both major systems could appear. In this whole world, it’s impossible for an expert of such a Realm to exist! Not even Gongyi Fei from over two hundred years ago could achieve that.
Though the Grandmaster Peak might only be on par with a Defender Envoy, there were significant differences even among those at this level. A Grandmaster who had just reached the peak was approximately equal to an average Defender Envoy. But if someone truly reached the peak of one system, they would be much stronger than an average Defender Envoy. By the same token, if one mastered both systems to their peak, they would be terrifying.
Ji Tianlu was well aware of how difficult it was to reach the peak of one system, let alone the far greater difficulty of mastering both systems to their peak simultaneously.
Xun Qu said seriously, "I have no reason to deceive you in this regard. Not only did I participate in the battle, but so did people from Baiyue City and South Sea City. If he weren’t at the peak of both systems, he couldn’t possibly be so overwhelmingly powerful. What we need to consider now is, if he is indeed at the peak of both systems, could he break through the Martial Artist Limit? If he does break through, what level would his strength reach?"
From Xun Qu’s words, Ji Tianlu also understood the hidden dangers. The appearance of an unknown expert could affect the Demon-Subduing Division. In normal times, this wouldn’t be an issue; with the Demon-Subduing Division’s methods, even the most powerful beings could be suppressed. However, the current situation was chaotic. If an unknown expert were to intervene, the trouble would not be insignificant.
Ji Tianlu’s fingers drummed lightly. "We should ponder this matter carefully. Fu Yue is from Baiyue City; let’s see their reaction first."
He could almost imagine how troubled Baiyue City’s Demon-Subduing Division must be right now. A Defender Envoy had fallen, yet there was no direct evidence to prove the Buddhist expert was the killer. Even though the Demon-Subduing Division was aggressive, it was impossible for them to straightforwardly accuse anyone without proof. After all, everything had to be based on evidence, especially when the Buddhist expert was suspected to be a Grandmaster at the peak of both major systems. Handling the matter carelessly would definitely cause greater turmoil in the South Nether Prefecture. In different times, different tactics were required. Ji Tianlu even suspected that Baiyue City would probably have to swallow this bitter pill in silence.
"You handle this matter yourself. I don’t want to interfere too much," Xun Qu said. "Having just returned from the Heavenly Realm, it’s time I took care of the Demon Evils in various places."
Xun Qu stood up, left these simple words behind, and departed the Council Hall.
Seeing this, Ji Tianlu helplessly shook his head and smiled wryly. As a fellow Defender Envoy, Xun Qu was more like a hands-off manager, seldom dealing with matters unless specifically asked. Now, having raised the issue of the Buddha Sect, he had left the problem for Ji Tianlu to solve. Ji Tianlu didn’t know what to say.
Forget it, let’s wait for orders from the Capital City. A Grandmaster at the peak of both major systems... unless there’s direct evidence proving he murdered Fu Yue, the Demon-Subduing Division won’t necessarily take action against him. He fell into deep thought.
The crux of the matter was this individual being at the peak of both major systems. Ji Tianlu knew that the Demon-Subduing Division had always been seeking ways to break through limits. To break those limits, one first had to reach the peak of both systems. In the entire world, not a single person had managed this. For hundreds of years, the Demon-Subduing Division had been quietly cultivating, yet had failed to produce an expert of that level. Reaching the final stage in both major systems was often not something that could be achieved simply by piling up resources.
Therefore, now that a Grandmaster at the peak of both systems had finally appeared, the Demon-Subduing Division might very well let him attempt a breakthrough in peace, to see if it was truly possible to break the limit. If he succeeded, the Demon-Subduing Division might be able to obtain the method to break the limit from him. This method was not only important to the Demon-Subduing Division but was also vital for the entirety of Great Qin.
「Upon returning to his own courtyard,」
Shen Changqing found that after being away from the Demon-Subduing Division for nearly half a month, a slight layer of dust had settled inside. With a wave of his True Yuan, he swept all the dust away.
Then, he grabbed Tiankui from his shoulder and set him down on the ground.
"Stay in the courtyard, don’t run around, and you are not allowed to harm people at will. This is the Demon-Subduing Division; any expert here could take your life!" he warned Tiankui, who looked like a pup, with a serious expression.
Tiankui seemed to understand. It tilted its fluffy head, blinked twice, hopped onto a stone stool, and sat there quietly.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing nodded in satisfaction. He liked Tiankui more and more. The mere fact that it could understand human speech solved many potential troubles. If it were a little creature that didn’t listen no matter what, Shen Changqing wouldn’t bother raising it.
Sitting on another stool, he calmed his mind and looked at the attributes on his panel:
Name: Shen Changqing
Force: Great Qin’s Demon Suppression Division
Identity: Martial Pavilion Elder
True Intent: Hundred Battles True Intent (60%)
Martial Arts: Great Sun Golden Body (Level 29, can be upgraded), Great Sun Scripture (Level 26, can be upgraded), Chiyang Divine Palm (Level 2), Seven Stars Stepping on Air Step (Level 1)
Slaughter Value: 283
There wasn’t much change on the panel, but the Slaughter Value had increased from the original sixteen to two hundred eighty-three. This amount was just enough to upgrade some of the Martial Arts on the panel. The source of the Slaughter Value was the Demonfolk he had slain in the Heavenly Realm.
That person is very strong. If Xun Qu and the others hadn’t stepped in, a prolonged battle would have left me with no choice but to flee!
Thinking of Shimohe, Shen Changqing’s eyes grew sharp with cold intensity. The opponent’s strength was the most formidable he had ever encountered among all Grandmasters, without exception. When it came to methods, he admitted he was no match for Shimohe. Of course, being no match didn’t mean he couldn’t escape; it would just come at a cost.
Initially, Shen Changqing had thought that at his current stage within the Grandmaster Realm, he would have no rivals. But Shimohe’s appearance had taught him a profound lesson.
There are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people. Having not reached the peak of any system yet, what right do I have to call myself the strongest among Grandmasters? Breakthrough! I must achieve a breakthrough!