CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94: YOU ARE A GRANDMASTER!!

Illusory Realm!

Shen Changqing’s eyes turned cold as all fourteen layers of his Heavenly Martial Gang Qi burst forth. Taking a step forward, a chilling, deadly aura instantly erupted.

Hundred Battle Blade Technique!

Lone Army Deep in Enemy Lines!

At that moment, he felt as if surrounded by thousands of troops and horses, where only by fighting valiantly could he carve a bloody path for himself.

"Slash!"

A roar erupted, and the Lengyue Blade thundered down.

The desolate village ripped apart as though made of cloth. When he looked again, Shen Changqing found himself still within Wanhua Building, just a step away from leaving it. Meanwhile, a whistling wind struck from behind his head.

Shen Changqing did not turn to block; instead, he took another step forward, completely exiting Wanhua Building’s premises.

The moment he was out, he spun around, his blade swinging horizontally to block, precisely colliding with a pale hand.

A bone-chilling coldness traveled up the blade, seeking to freeze Shen Changqing’s blood and Qi.

Heavenly Centipede True Qi surged from his Dantian, dispelling the coldness.

"Not bad!"

Applause rang out. Shen Changqing turned his head and saw a woman with a graceful figure, dressed in a long red gown, slowly walking towards him.

As she approached, an intensely strong Yin Evil Aura rushed towards him.

Facing this Yin Evil Aura, Shen Changqing’s blood and Qi boiled and surged within his body, forcibly expelling the coldness that had invaded his flesh.

"A demonfolk from the Eternal Alliance!"

He did not strike rashly, instead locking his senses onto the person before him.

Hearing this, the woman smiled faintly. "My name is Hongyi. I suppose I am part of the Eternal Alliance. You must be Shen Changqing, the one who razed the Lin’an City outpost some time ago. Your reputation is well-deserved."

"You’re quite familiar with me?" Shen Changqing’s expression remained unchanged as he conversed with her, all the while keeping an eye on the surroundings.

At this moment, the street was eerily quiet.

Although it was nightfall, it was not yet curfew. Normally, there should have been people walking about.

However, in his perception, not a single civilian appeared.

Not only that, but the loud commotion he had made when he shattered the entrance to Wanhua Building had attracted no onlookers, which was highly unusual.

"Familiar is a strong word; I’ve merely heard of you," Hongyi shook her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on Shen Changqing. "Your strength is great. Staying in the Demon-Subduing Division is truly a waste of your talents. Wouldn’t it be much better to join our Eternal Alliance?"

"Whether or not to join the Eternal Alliance can be set aside for now," Shen Changqing said, pointing the Lengyue Blade diagonally towards the ground, countering her question. "I’m more curious if the disappearances in Jincheng and the Zhou Family affair were your Eternal Alliance’s doing."

He could tell that the person before him did not hold him in high regard, which explained her confident, almost arrogant, demeanor.

Shen Changqing was not angered by this; rather, he wanted to use this opportunity to learn more. After all, some things were easier to find out by asking those involved directly rather than investigating laboriously on his own.

Hongyi smiled. "The disappearances in Jincheng are indeed related to us. However, what happened to the Zhou Family was not the doing of our Eternal Alliance. To be honest, if the Zhou Family hadn’t been exterminated, we wouldn’t have acted so quickly."

Hearing this, Shen Changqing immediately had some ideas.

"So, the one who destroyed the Zhou Family isn’t aligned with your Eternal Alliance. Were you worried that their extermination would draw powerful experts from the Demon-Subduing Division? Is that why you abandoned your cover and gave up Wanhua Building directly?"

By now, he could roughly understand some things. Wanhua Building was indeed a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance, and they had acted discreetly to avoid exposing it. However, the events at the Zhou ancestral home and the family’s annihilation would inevitably draw the full attention of the Demon-Subduing Division to Jincheng. Once the Demon-Subduing Division focused on Jincheng, even if Wanhua Building were well-hidden, it could not possibly remain undiscovered.

To put it plainly, Wanhua Building’s concealment was only effective against the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s outposts. If the Demon-Subduing Division were to search extensively, their true nature would be revealed.

"I am curious," Shen Changqing posed another question that puzzled him. "If Wanhua Building is a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance, why would you make people disappear? If you had continued to keep a low profile, I believe the Demon-Subduing Division would not have been alarmed, right?"

Hongyi covered her mouth with a light laugh, her coquettishness growing. "If I answered you, would you consider joining our Eternal Alliance?"

"I might consider it."

"It’s simple. Wanhua Building’s purpose is to collect the vital essence of living beings. If some people have too much essence drained, they either show abnormalities or die suddenly at home. This would lead to Wanhua Building being exposed more quickly. Therefore, making those whose essence is nearly depleted disappear allows Wanhua Building to remain hidden longer," Hongyi stated, her expression turning cold.

"To be honest, even if the Zhou Family hadn’t been exterminated, Wanhua Building didn’t plan to hide for too long. Once enough of Jincheng’s residents’ vital essence was drawn out for my breakthrough, that would have been sufficient. It’s just a pity—I was so close. Had he not ruined it, I would have succeeded in a few more months."

Breakthrough!

Shen Changqing sharply caught onto that word. From the moment Hongyi appeared, his attention had been on her. Judging by that Yin Evil Aura alone, Hongyi’s strength could only be described as immense. Shen Changqing even suspected she might have reached the Grandmaster level. But now, hearing her words, the tension he initially felt subsided.

She needs to collect vital essence to make a breakthrough. Then it’s unlikely she’s a powerhouse at the Grandmaster level. In other words, the demonfolk before me is most likely only at Innate Peak.

"You want to break through to Grandmaster!"

"Who doesn’t want to break through to Grandmaster?" Hongyi retorted, then chuckled lightly. "I’ve said all that needs to be said. What do you think? Have you considered joining my Eternal Alliance?"

Afterwards, she continued, "Staying with the Demon-Subduing Division holds no future for you. The Demon Evil Clan is powerful now, while the Demon-Subduing Division’s strength is waning; it can hardly cope. And there’s something else you might not know. The Emperor of Great Qin is old and won’t last much longer. Once he’s gone, Great Qin will completely become a playground for demon evils. By then, not even the Demon-Subduing Division will be spared. I see you have good talent, and you would do well in the Eternal Alliance, so I’m making an exception to recruit you."

Hongyi’s words sent a jolt through Shen Changqing. From her words, he could discern that Great Qin’s current stability was not primarily due to the Demon-Subduing Division, but because of the Emperor of Great Qin’s existence. That is to say, the Emperor of Great Qin was, in fact, an extremely formidable powerhouse. It was just that this powerhouse who safeguarded Great Qin was nearing the end of his life.

In just a few moments, Shen Changqing’s thoughts had rapidly turned.

"I’ve thought about it seriously," he said. "Becoming a demonfolk is not what I aspire to—"

Upon hearing this, Hongyi’s expression changed.

Before she could become enraged, Shen Changqing’s figure moved, his frost-cold Lengyue Blade tearing through the night sky toward her.

"Ungrateful wretch!"

Hongyi roared in anger, sending out a palm strike. A chilling coldness swept through the surroundings, and the terrifying palm force shattered the Blade Gang, continuing its assault on Shen Changqing.

Shen Changqing did not retreat, striking out with a palm of his own.

BAM—

Their palms collided.

The fiery poison of Iron Sand Palm, combined with Heavenly Centipede True Qi, erupted. The overwhelmingly strong force of the impact immediately sent Hongyi stumbling backward, her slender, fair hand scorched black.

"Impossible!" Shock covered Hongyi’s seductive face. That palm strike had completely exceeded her limit of endurance.

Grandmaster!?

"You are a Grandmaster—" Hongyi screamed, black Scale Armor beginning to spread across her beautiful face, her hands and feet similarly covered. Immediately afterward, her body twisted and fell, sprawling on the ground. Her pair of green eyes stared fixedly at Shen Changqing.

No! He isn’t a Grandmaster! After the shock, she quickly realized that while Shen Changqing was undoubtedly powerful, he had not manifested Martial Dao True Intent, so he could not be a Grandmaster.

Having understood this, the next instant, Hongyi sprang up, her movements as swift as a phantom, and in a moment, she was right before Shen Changqing.

Shen Changqing naturally felt no fear at such an onslaught. He executed the Snare Trampling Gang Step, evading her attack, then immediately struck out with the Lengyue Blade, intending to slay the demonfolk before him.

But in a flash, the demonfolk vanished.

Before he could think further, a cold aura assaulted his mind. Shen Changqing spun and struck with a palm, sending a figure flying.

"Corpse Puppet!"

Seeing the figure blasted away, Shen Changqing immediately recognized it—it was Qing’er, whom he had met two days ago.

When he looked towards Wanhua Building, Corpse Puppets—whose whereabouts should have been unknown—began to emerge one after another, swiftly surrounding him.

Elsewhere, Hongyi, like a giant spider, had climbed onto a nearby building, her green eyes fixed on Shen Changqing as if she wanted to devour him alive.

"Kill him!" she commanded.

Many Corpse Puppets rushed toward Shen Changqing, aiming to besiege and slaughter him.

Shen Changqing was well-prepared. Gripping the Lengyue Blade firmly, he stepped forward, and an immensely strong murderous aura burst forth, spreading like a tidal wave in an instant.

SLICE— As his blade struck, several Corpse Puppet heads soared into the air, their dark blood spraying.

Unable to avoid it all, some of the dark blood splashed onto Shen Changqing, corroding a hole in his clothes and causing white smoke to rise from his skin.

A slight sting came. He saw that where white smoke rose from his hand, the skin had merely reddened slightly. He quickly relaxed and then resumed the slaughter.

The blood of Corpse Puppets was highly corrosive indeed. But evidently, the seventh layer of his Invincible Golden Body could fully withstand its corrosion.

As he was slaying the Corpse Puppets, Hongyi, who was perched on the building, made her move again, pouncing towards Shen Changqing.