Human Clan Defender
Chapter 97: The Great Camp

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Great Camp

Looking at the panel, Shen Changqing was happy, but he also felt some regret. It was a pity that the fifteenth layer of Heavenly Martial Gang Qi still hadn’t given birth to Martial Dao True Intent. In other words, he still couldn’t be considered a Martial Dao Grandmaster Realm powerhouse.

However, Shen Changqing could feel the abundant Heavenly Centipede True Qi in his Dantian; he was now stronger than he had been before the breakthrough.

Simply put, even without Martial Dao True Intent, relying on his current foundation, probably no one in the Innate Realm could contend with him.

The only problem was whether he, as he was now, could contend with a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

The main issue with Grandmaster powerhouses lies in Martial Dao True Intent, meaning their real strength is in spiritual level attacks. If we don’t consider the spiritual level, just the strength of their flesh and the concentration of True Qi, they may not be much stronger than I am now, Shen Changqing thought to himself.

He knew his own condition very well and also had a considerable understanding of the Martial Dao landscape in this world.

In the Jianghu, the vast majority of people focused on Inner Strength. Outer Techniques were primarily for building a foundation during the Body Tempering Realm. Once they reached the Pulse Condensation Realm, they began to focus on Inner Strength.

Beyond that, achieving anything with Outer Techniques required a significant investment of both time and resources, which were by no means trivial. It would be one thing if it were merely a matter of high consumption. However, even when Outer Techniques were mastered, they were completely incomparable to Inner Strength of the same realm. As a result, very few people truly dedicated themselves to studying Outer Techniques.

The seventh layer of Invincible Golden Body made Shen Changqing confident that there wouldn’t be many who could match him in physical toughness.

In that case, the gap between him and Grandmasters might just be Martial Dao True Intent.

"Martial Dao True Intent!" Shen Changqing muttered softly.

Even though he had heard Jiang Zuo discuss it, he really didn’t have much of a clue how to comprehend Martial Dao True Intent. The Hundred Battles Saber Technique, when fully mastered, could point directly to the realm of Martial Dao True Intent. But so far, his own comprehension of the Hundred Battles Saber Technique was only around the third layer; he hadn’t yet stepped into the fourth, let alone achieved Great Achievement at the fifth.

"Slaughter Value!"

I need more Slaughter Value now—

Discarding any unnecessary thoughts, Shen Changqing knew very well what he needed at the moment. Martial Dao True Intent was hard to comprehend, but that didn’t mean he would always be stuck at the Innate Realm.

The so-called division of realms was merely a reflection of strength. In other words, if his True Qi became so powerful that he could kill a Martial Arts Grandmaster with a single punch, then who would dare say he was merely a martial artist in the Innate Realm?

Basically, the division of realms is just a way to distinguish strength; what really matters is an individual’s overall capabilities, Shen Changqing was clear in his heart.

If Martial Dao True Intent couldn’t be comprehended, then he would drastically improve his Heavenly Martial Gang Qi and Invincible Golden Body. If the fifteenth layer of Heavenly Martial Gang Qi couldn’t contend with a Grandmaster, then could the twenty-fifth layer reach the point where it could kill a Grandmaster with a single punch?

When that time came, what realm he was in would be for him to decide.

That street where Wanhua Building is located very likely still harbors other Demon Evil. But with Hongyi’s retreat, even if other Demon Evil are present, there’s a high chance they withdrew as well. For now, I can only wait for news from the Heavenly Inspection Guard. Shen Changqing steadied his mind, no longer dwelling on it.

Outside East City, there was a wide open space where tents were pitched, and many soldiers could be seen patrolling back and forth. This was the main camp of the Black Tiger Army. Limited by the geographical location of Great Wilderness Prefecture, almost every city and locality had a large army stationed.

As night fell, torches blazed in the camp, scattering the darkness.

And in the Central Military Tent, a burly man clad in iron armor sat in the foremost seat, with two other individuals seated below him. One was Zhong Chi. The other was Nie Xu. However, unlike his appearance at Tianyi Tower, Zhong Chi had now completely changed his appearance, disguised as a young scholar.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the tent was extremely solemn.

Zhong Chi spoke, "Wanhua Building is undoubtedly an Eternal Alliance Stronghold. Today, a powerhouse from the Demon-Subduing Division went deep into Wanhua Building and engaged a Demonfolk from there, only to find that everyone in Wanhua Building was a Corpse Puppet. The leading Demonfolk was particularly powerful. One of the purposes of Wanhua Building’s existence is to collect the vital essence of living beings to help that Demonfolk advance to the Grandmaster Realm."

After he finished speaking, Nie Xu’s face instantly filled with rage. "The Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance truly deserve to die, daring to perform such acts right under my nose! Those who have gone missing, no doubt, are the work of Wanhua Building behind the scenes. If Wanhua Building hadn’t been destroyed today, I would have led troops tomorrow and razed it to the ground!"

He was genuinely angry. Under his very watchful eye, seemingly calm Jincheng had been harboring such hidden affairs.

After his anger subsided, Nie Xu’s expression turned grim as he looked at Zhong Chi. "Lord Zhong, were you aware of the true nature of Wanhua Building from the very beginning?" As he spoke, his dissatisfaction was evident.

What did this mean? The Heavenly Inspection Guard knew about Wanhua Building but didn’t communicate with the Yamen, keeping everyone there in the dark. This thought alone made Nie Xu more furious.

When faced with the interrogation, Zhong Chi remained calm, responding unhurriedly, "Lord Nie, there’s no need for anger. The Heavenly Inspection Guard was also uncertain whether Wanhua Building was indeed infested with Demon Evil from the Eternal Alliance. It was only by chance that Lord Shen uncovered this issue when he delved into Wanhua Building. Moreover, it’s unwise to excessively publicize matters concerning an Eternal Alliance Stronghold. Leaking this information could not only cause panic among the civilians but also put the Demonfolk on alert. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was that Wanhua Building would collapse so quickly, leading to the situation getting somewhat out of control."

Nie Xu wasn’t very satisfied with Zhong Chi’s explanation. He huffed heavily but didn’t press the issue further.

Unlike Shen Changqing, who was a Demon Hunter from the Demon-Subduing Division possessing a high status that warranted respect, he didn’t have such considerations for Zhong Chi. Although the Heavenly Inspection Guard was under the Demon-Subduing Division, compared to a Demon Hunter, its members were still a notch lower. As an official responsible for an entire city, Nie Xu’s status was not much lower than that of a Heavenly Inspection Guard steward; thus, there was no need for him to be overly courteous or deferential.

In the midst of their argument, the person seated above spoke up, his voice exuding authority. "There’s no need for the two of you to quarrel. The deed is done, and further discussion is pointless. What we need to do now is find a way to resolve this issue."

Hearing this, Zhong Chi nodded. "General Chu’s words are wise."

"Lord Zhong, the Heavenly Inspection Guard is the Demon-Subduing Division’s most powerful intelligence agency. Do you have any clarity on the specific actions of the Eternal Alliance and their ultimate goals at this point?" Chu Ding asked solemnly.

Zhong Chi pondered for a moment and then replied, cupping his fist in salute, "The Heavenly Inspection Guard is currently disseminating the information. I believe it won’t be long before the various branches relay corresponding messages. In my view, the events in Jincheng might not be isolated."

"What do you mean by that?" Chu Ding’s eyebrows raised, his gaze turning stern.

Under that intense scrutiny, Zhong Chi felt some pressure but maintained his composure. "Jincheng’s geographical position isn’t particularly important. If the Eternal Alliance were only to make a move in Jincheng, they’d be suppressed by the Demon-Subduing Division before causing any significant disturbances. Besides, with the Black Tiger Army stationed outside Jincheng, they’d hardly allow the Eternal Alliance to stir up any trouble. If they intend to disrupt the situation in Jincheng, then the Eternal Alliance must have other contingencies, likely requiring cooperation from other locales. However, as no intelligence has come through yet, I can’t speculate too much."

"Lord Zhong’s words are sound," Chu Ding nodded.

At this moment, Nie Xu suddenly spoke up, "Do you think it’s possible that the Eternal Alliance could have any connections with the Barbarian Clan?"

"The Barbarian Clan!" Both Chu Ding and Zhong Chi frowned instinctively. Especially Chu Ding, from whom an air of ferocity emanated, as if he held deep resentment towards the Barbarian Clan.

"At this time, it hasn’t yet reached winter, so it shouldn’t have much to do with the Barbarian Clan," Chu Ding said. "Moreover, the armies stationed at the borders of Great Wilderness Prefecture haven’t shown any unusual movements. If the Barbarian Clan intended to attack, the respective defending forces wouldn’t be so silent."

After his initial anger, Chu Ding shook his head in calm reassessment. Every year, the Barbarian Clan would invade Great Wilderness Prefecture, aiming to loot enough resources to ensure their survival through the winter. At times, to plunder sufficient resources, the Barbarian Clan might even risk deep incursions. However, each time they did so, the Barbarian Clan suffered heavy losses. Even though they managed to loot some supplies to return with, many more members of the Barbarian Clan were buried on the lands of Great Qin. Speaking of losses, it was somewhat akin to killing eight hundred enemies at the cost of a thousand of their own. Yet despite this, the Barbarian Clan never skipped a year, resolutely launching their attacks when the time came.

However, the Barbarian Clan’s annual invasions mostly occurred near the onset of winter. Currently, autumn hadn’t even arrived, and winter was still far off.

Nie Xu nodded, then laughed lightly. "I was merely speculating. Given the awkward position of Great Wilderness Prefecture, the unprovoked chaos caused by the Eternal Alliance here just made me think of the Barbarian Clan."

At this, his expression became solemn. "Let’s not talk about other matters for now. Yesterday, Jincheng’s Zhou Family was annihilated, and today, Demon Evil from the Eternal Alliance are causing chaos. With the Yamen’s current manpower, it’s very difficult to maintain order within the city. To prevent panic among the populace and to avoid further havoc from other Demon Evil, I hope General Chu can dispatch troops to assist the Yamen in stabilizing the situation."

Having said this, he stood up and respectfully bowed to Chu Ding.

Chu Ding pondered briefly before nodding in agreement. "Agreed!"