Chapter 326: Chapter 124: Getting Old? (Seeking Monthly Pass)
An Earth Rank Demon Hunter had fallen!
Shen Changqing took a deep breath, then nodded. "I am aware of this matter!"
"Elder Shen, safe travels."
The person in charge said nothing more. He was simply fulfilling his duty to offer a reminder.
Actually, in his view, with Elder Shen’s strength, he was not someone those Jianghu martial artists could deal with.
Leaving the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s base, the killing intent in Shen Changqing’s heart grew a bit stronger.
If Shimohe’s killing of the two Defender Envoys was considered a complete falling out between the Myriad Buddhas Sect and the Demon-Subduing Division, then the others attacking Demon Hunters were also pushing themselves to the opposing side of the Demon-Subduing Division.
Do they really not fear death, or do they have that much confidence in the Myriad Buddhas Sect? Attacking a Demon Hunter leaves no room for turning back once exposed! Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered.
He had thought the Myriad Buddhas Sect wouldn’t be able to stir up any significant trouble. The so-called assembly of sects in response was merely a publicity tactic; when the powerhouses from the Demon-Subduing Division arrived, all the sects would scatter like birds and beasts.
But now, these sects dared to attack Demon Hunters. In that case, the matter was not so simple. With this development, South Nether Prefecture was bound to descend into chaos.
Gazing at the sky, Shen Changqing’s thoughts wandered far. Great Wilderness Prefecture was still in turmoil. The situation in Luo’an Prefecture was not optimistic either. Now South Nether Prefecture was also falling into disorder, and with the previous attack on the Capital City, Demon Evils were becoming increasingly rampant everywhere. He felt as though he was watching a decrepit True Dragon being torn apart by a multitude of beasts.
Great Qin has been established for over three hundred years; could it truly be nearing its end? When a nation is about to perish, omens will appear. All these events seemed to indicate that the kingdom, which had stood on this land for over three hundred years, was heading towards its fall.
To be honest, Shen Changqing wasn’t particularly concerned whether Great Qin fell or not. What he cared about was simply that Great Qin’s fall would make the situation more chaotic. At that time, it would affect him personally. Therefore, it would be best if Great Qin could last a while longer, until he gained enough strength to deal with everything. By then, whether Great Qin stood or fell wouldn’t matter anymore.
Shen Changqing had not forgotten that Shimohe and that Great Demon were both watching him closely. Moreover, he had deeply offended the Eternal Alliance. If Great Qin weren’t standing in the way, he might be torn to pieces in the next instant.
Shaking his head, Shen Changqing dispelled the miscellaneous thoughts in his mind. Thinking too much is pointless. Assuming Great Qin is on the brink of collapse, I need to improve my strength as much as possible before the situation completely deteriorates.
He pulled out the dossier, reviewed the information on it, and then headed towards the next location.
「Capital City. Demon-Subduing Division.」
Inside the Council Hall, a person of ordinary appearance and indiscernible age walked in from outside.
"Greetings, Lord Defender!"
"What is it?" Dongfang Zhao asked in a calm voice.
The man held up a bamboo tube with both hands and said with his head bowed, "There is a message from South Nether Prefecture, intended for Lord Defender’s personal review."
"South Nether Prefecture?" Dongfang Zhao’s expression was puzzled. "Could it be that something has changed with the Myriad Buddhas Sect’s affairs?"
He was aware of the current situation in South Nether Prefecture. Two Defender Envoys had fallen. The Myriad Buddhas Sect was rallying various sects, clearly intending to overturn the Demon-Subduing Division and take control. If there was a message from South Nether Prefecture that needed to be passed to him, it was highly likely about the Myriad Buddhas Sect.
Hearing this, the man shook his head. "I am not sure, but there indeed has been some change regarding the Myriad Buddhas Sect."
"What change?" Dongfang Zhao reached out, and the bamboo tube flew into his hand. He asked while opening it.
The man replied, "Quite a few sects in South Nether Prefecture are heeding the call of the Myriad Buddhas Sect and are secretly attacking Demon Hunters throughout the region. Many Demon Hunters have been lost, including Earth Rank Demon Hunters who have perished."
HUMMM—
An invisible aura spread out, making the entire hall seem to whine softly. The man’s shoulders grew heavy, and he nearly knelt on the ground.
Dongfang Zhao clutched the bamboo tube, his expression terrifyingly calm. "Good. Very good. It seems the Demon-Subduing Division has been inactive for too long, making them think we are decrepit. But they fail to understand that even an aging tiger is not something wild dogs can provoke."
"Besides," Dongfang Zhao continued, his voice hardening, "the Demon-Subduing Division is far from decrepit!"
Fury! Dongfang Zhao was truly enraged.
If previously it was only the Myriad Buddhas Sect provoking the Demon-Subduing Division, now it was as though the entire South Nether Prefecture was challenging them.
If this issue was not resolved, the Demon-Subduing Division would face constant obstacles when operating in South Nether Prefecture. Other prefectures would also likely start entertaining inappropriate ideas.
It could be said that the Myriad Buddhas Sect is currently attempting to forcibly break a seal that contains endless calamities. Once the situation in South Nether Prefecture cannot be suppressed, then all nine prefectures of Great Qin will fall into chaos. The authority of the Demon-Subduing Division will cease to exist, and maintaining the stability of Great Qin will become nothing but a joke.
The man bowed his head and said, "The Myriad Buddhas Sect and the sects of South Nether Prefecture are mere grasshoppers in late autumn; they won’t be able to hop around for much longer. As soon as the powerhouses of our Demon-Subduing Division make a move, they will be obliterated in an instant."
"Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit," Dongfang Zhao said, shaking his head. "Since the Myriad Buddhas Sect has such confidence, we must not underestimate them."
He looked at the man below, his expression having returned to normal. "It’s rumored that the one currently presiding over the Myriad Buddhas Sect’s affairs is Mahavairocana Shimohe, from eight hundred years ago. Is this information completely reliable?"
"Reporting to Lord Defender, that person is indeed Shimohe. According to the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s intelligence, he has already broken through the Martial Artist Limit and ascended to another level. Shimohe calls that realm Great Grandmaster."
"Great Grandmaster!" Dongfang Zhao murmured, then his eyes narrowed slightly. "It seems he has indeed succeeded in his breakthrough. However, to live for eight hundred years merely by breaking the Grandmaster’s Limit and advancing to Great Grandmaster... I do not believe it!"
"According to intelligence, Shimohe has not always been present in the Myriad Buddhas Sect; he vanished from sight more than seven hundred years ago. Furthermore, the Heavenly Realm that recently opened in South Nether Prefecture had also opened once before, over seven hundred years ago. It was at that time Shimohe truly disappeared. Only when the Heavenly Realm opened this time did he reappear before everyone," the man stated.
Hearing this, Dongfang Zhao’s mind stirred. "Are you suggesting that Shimohe hasn’t genuinely lived for eight hundred years, but rather used certain methods within the Heavenly Realm to survive until now?"
"Precisely!" The man nodded, then took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "According to information from the Heavenly Inspection Guard, at least two among Fu Yue, Xiao An, and Yun Dingtian consumed Longevity Fruit while in the Heavenly Realm. And they, coincidentally, died at Shimohe’s hands. Furthermore, after emerging from Exiled Immortal Valley, Shimohe also ambushed Shen Changqing. Shen Changqing had seized three Longevity Fruits in the Heavenly Realm; if I’m not mistaken, he and Xun Qu also consumed Longevity Fruit."
Hearing the man’s words, Dongfang Zhao’s expression remained calm. "You mean to say that Shimohe killing Fu Yue, Xiao An, and the others was very likely because of the Longevity Fruit?"
"Yes."
"Besides this, has the Heavenly Inspection Guard gathered any other intelligence?"
"There is no additional information for now, but all Heavenly Inspection Guard members in South Nether Prefecture have been deployed. I believe it won’t be long before more accurate information arrives. However, based on current intelligence, I speculate that Shimohe likely possesses some method to seize the effects of the Longevity Fruit, even if others have already consumed it."
The man paused for a moment before continuing, "Moreover, Shimohe didn’t appear earlier or later, but specifically when the Longevity Fruit ripened. This was undoubtedly premeditated. It’s possible some secret technique allowed him to wait within the Heavenly Realm for hundreds of years until the Longevity Fruit matured, intending to consume it to extend his life. Or, it could be a mere coincidence. In my opinion, the former is more likely."
"When Shimohe appeared, the Heavenly Inspection Guard immediately began gathering all intelligence related to him. Although not all information has been collected yet, based on the existing intelligence, we can deduce many things."
Dongfang Zhao nodded. "Your deductions have a solid basis. Relay a message to the Demon-Subduing Division in South Nether Prefecture for me. Ask them if they are confident in dealing with the Myriad Buddhas Sect. If not, the Capital City can provide some support. However, I have one condition: they must suppress the Myriad Buddhas Sect and all associated rebels with overwhelming force. If they fail, and the nine prefectures of Great Qin are affected, then they can just wait for the consequences!"
"Your subordinate understands!" The man bowed deeply and then slowly withdrew.
Peace returned to the great hall.
Dongfang Zhao did not immediately open the bamboo tube. Instead, his face suddenly flushed red, then darkened. After this repeated for a long while, his complexion returned to normal. He let out a slow breath, an obscure emotion in his eyes.
"Troublesome indeed!" he sighed.
Only then did Dongfang Zhao look at the white paper he had taken from the bamboo tube, unfolding it to examine its contents.
One breath.
Two breaths.
After three breaths, his expression changed drastically.
"Mystic Creatures!"
The message written on the white paper was indeed from Shen Changqing, sent from South Nether Prefecture. Transmitted by the Heavenly Inspection Guard, it had taken some time but finally arrived at the Capital City.
Originally, Dongfang Zhao had thought the contents of the bamboo tube were only related to the situation in South Nether Prefecture. He hadn’t expected the information recorded inside to be so far beyond his predictions.
Mystic Creatures!
This term was unfamiliar to Dongfang Zhao. However, the white paper also explained what Mystic Creatures were: To possess Spirit Intellect is to be ’Mystic.’ For the body to undergo mutation is to be a ’Creature.’
What Shen Changqing had written on the white paper was news of Mystic Creatures in Fengqiu Mountain, along with some of his own speculations.
After a long while, Dongfang Zhao put down the white paper, his eyes filled with puzzlement. Are these things merely Elder Shen’s conjectures, or have they actually existed before?