Chapter 267: Chapter 65: Unknown Attack
He entered through the east gate.
Shen Changqing immediately felt his whole body enveloped by a Yin Evil Aura, and at the same time, it felt as if a pair of cold, sinister eyes were watching him from the shadows. He knew he had stepped into the domain of a Demon Evil. More than that, he sensed that an unnamed Demon Evil was indeed observing him from a dark corner.
In response, Shen Changqing remained inwardly vigilant, though outwardly he showed no reaction. He was no longer the novice he had once been. The Demon Evil might be powerful, but not necessarily able to overwhelm him.
Walking slowly through the city, Shen Changqing extended his Divine Sense to its fullest, alert to every movement around him. This so-called Divine Sense is an ability mastered after a Grandmaster steps into the Spiritual System. Within it, the farther one progresses in the Spiritual System, the wider the range of one’s spiritual perception. Like Shen Changqing at this moment, his Divine Sense perception, centered on his body, could detect any movement within a radius of ten zhang without fail. This meant that nobody could approach him silently, unless he was in a state of lax attention.
As far as his eyes could see, the wide streets were littered with debris. It was as if the people who had lived here had fled in a hurry due to some dire reason. On the vast streets, there was not a trace of human presence, only belongings that couldn’t be taken in time, abandoned here.
It seems the citizens of Luyang City have truly all perished at the hands of the Demon Evil!
The scene before him made Shen Changqing’s heart sink. According to the information from Mountain-Breaking City, since the Barrier was put in place, not a single citizen of Luyang City had left. Therefore, the two hundred thousand citizens of Luyang City had remained within the city. But now, not a single trace of any citizen could be found in Luyang City.
It wasn’t impossible that the citizens were hiding. However, he found it unbelievable that all two hundred thousand citizens could hide so completely without leaving any trace of their presence. Thus, there was only one explanation left: the citizens of Luyang City must have perished at the hands of the Demon Evil.
Shen Changqing had already speculated this outcome. Although anger welled within him, he didn’t let it cloud his judgment. His purpose in coming here was to find Xun Qu and then rescue him. If the opportunity arose, he would also exterminate the Demon Evil present. If not, his priority was to leave.
However—looking at the scattered and desolate streets, Shen Changqing felt a sense of helplessness. Finding a single person’s whereabouts here would be no easy task, unless he caused some major commotion. Under the current circumstances, however, he dared not act rashly.
Let’s search for now! Shen Changqing thought to himself, walking calmly forward, continuously sweeping his Divine Sense, hoping to find Xun Qu’s traces.
Time passed by.
The man in the blue robe walked slowly on the desolate streets; the vast city resembled a ghost town, devoid of any vitality. By now, Shen Changqing had lost count of how many streets he had traversed, yet there was still no trace of Xun Qu.
Moreover, Luyang City was within a Barrier. With the cover of the Barrier, Luyang City knew no distinction between night and day, perpetually shrouded in a grey obscurity. As time wore on, he began to lose track of how long he had been inside Luyang City.
At this moment, a wind began to howl. The originally gentle breeze suddenly intensified for some unknown reason, its sound gradually morphing into the wails of anguished spirits.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!!
Shen Changqing paused his steps. The fierce whistling of the wind in his ears seemed to carry other sounds within it. When he turned to look, there was nothing to be seen.
Something’s fishy! he thought to himself. Luyang City was enveloped by the Barrier; not even light could penetrate, let alone wind. Coupled with the eerie stillness of the place, the sudden noise was inevitably suspicious.
But Shen Changqing did not retreat or seek to hide. He had been in Luyang City for so long, searching for Xun Qu without any success, and was growing impatient. With his right hand gripping the hilt of his blade, Shen Changqing stood still, his gaze fixed ahead. Even though there was nothing visible in front, a premonition told him that something invisible was heading towards him.
The sound of the wind grew louder and more frequent. On the wide street, the sound of howling wind was now barely an arm’s length away. In addition to the howls, it sounded like a dense crowd of footsteps, as though a large group was charging through the streets.
Shen Changqing made no move. His hand merely tightened its grip on the blade’s hilt by a fraction.
One breath!
Two breaths!
...
It’s here!
That instinctual premonition struck him. A sharp light flashed in Shen Changqing’s eyes. His hand, already gripping the hilt, suddenly moved, and the long blade, long held in readiness, instantly flew from its scabbard.
BOOM—
As the blade was drawn, the blood-red Blade Gang roared like a legion of ten thousand soldiers. In that moment, an overwhelming killing force erupted. On the seemingly empty street before him, only the blood-red Blade Gang filled the space, dominating everything.
The next instant.
RIP—
It sounded as if something had been torn apart, and simultaneously, a piercing wail erupted on the silent street. The wind howled, but it passed by on both sides. Shen Changqing stood amidst the fierce wind, holding his blade in one hand, yet not even the hem of his robes stirred.
After a long while, everything was calm again. The gales vanished in an instant, as if they had never been.
The Lengyue Blade was sheathed. There was no relief on his face, only solemnity.
This Demon Evil’s methods are quite bizarre.
Clearly, that was one of the Demon Evil’s techniques. The attack was shadowless and invisible. If one were not a martial artist at the Grandmaster Realm, it would be very difficult to detect such an attack. Even so, Shen Changqing couldn’t be certain whether that attack was personally delivered by the Demon Evil or was a manifestation of the Barrier’s own power.
The enemy lurks in the shadows, while I stand in the light. Truly troublesome!
His Divine Sense spread out. Only after confirming that the mysterious entity had been repelled by his strike did he turn to leave.
At the same time, Shen Changqing also glanced at his panel. The values recorded on the panel remained unchanged. This meant the entity that attacked him either hadn’t died and had merely retreated injured, or it was dead but couldn’t contribute to his Slaughter Value.
He leaned towards the latter possibility. After all, Shen Changqing was well aware of the power contained in that single strike. An ordinary Grandmaster, faced with that strike, would have absolutely no chance of survival. Even Fiend Level Strange Monsters could be instantly slain by it. If the entity that attacked him had survived such a blow, then the danger level of Luyang City would have to be elevated by another degree.
「Elsewhere.」
When Shen Changqing entered Luyang City, several dark figures were approaching the city from another direction. At first glance, the dark figures looked almost like ordinary people. But upon closer inspection, one would discover that these figures were significantly different from ordinary members of the Human Clan: green pupils, Scale Armor, tails. And the Yin Evil Aura constantly emanating from their bodies clearly proclaimed their true identities.
"For such a powerful Demon Evil to appear so quietly in South Nether Prefecture is truly surprising!" Su Wan’er chuckled lightly. Her charming face, combined with her emerald pupils, did not induce fear; instead, it stirred an inexplicable urge in those who saw her. However, the sight of the Scale Armor visible on her neck beneath her clothes would make anyone hesitate to approach.
The person walking in front spoke in a hoarse and chilly voice, "He was quite fortunate to have descended upon Luyang City. Right after his emergence, he devoured the city’s two hundred thousand citizens, which allowed him to achieve such a transformation. If he’s sensible, he’ll know what to do. Otherwise, he can’t blame us."
"Lord Yin Xiu speaks the truth!" Su Wan’er bowed her head, her tone respectful. Although she was an Elder in the Eternal Alliance, her status was still considerably lower when facing true members of the Demon Evil Clan.
This time, with a powerful Demon Evil emerging in South Nether Prefecture, both the Demon Evil Clan and the Eternal Alliance intended to recruit it into their fold. After all, after the battle in the Capital City, the Demon Evil forces within Great Qin had also suffered considerable losses. If they could secure some reinforcements, it would be ideal. Thus, the Eternal Alliance dispatched two Elders to accompany the powerhouses from the Demon Evil Clan to Luyang City.
As the two conversed, beside Su Wan’er, an old man covered in scales, his emerald eyes glinting with sinister intent, slowly spoke. "According to our intelligence, a Defender Envoy from South Nether Prefecture’s Mountain-Breaking City also seems to be trapped in Luyang City. We must be cautious. If we encounter that Defender Envoy, we could face significant trouble."
Defender Envoy! Hearing this, wary expressions flickered in the eyes of both Yin Xiu and Su Wan’er. To them, Defender Envoys were the greatest threat.
Yin Xiu scoffed, "Hmph, that Defender Envoy has been trapped in Luyang City for days; he might already be dead. Even if he isn’t, he probably wouldn’t dare show himself easily. Besides, Luyang City is vast, so the probability of encountering him is minuscule."
Then, his gaze turned even colder. "Moreover, after being trapped in Luyang City for so many days, even if he’s not dead, it’s highly unlikely he has retained his peak strength. With our combined power, even if we do encounter him, we needn’t fear him much. If we can slay a Defender Envoy, the benefits would be considerable."
As he finished speaking, a flicker of excitement, or rather, intense killing intent, arose in Yin Xiu’s heart. A major reason the Demon Evil Clan had not yet managed to conquer Great Qin was the existence of these Defender Envoys. It was they who prevented the Demon Evil Clan from reigning supreme over the lands of the Great Qin Nation. Therefore, anyone who could slay a Defender Envoy, even the weakest among them, would receive substantial rewards from the Demon Evil Clan. Not to mention, the very flesh and blood of a Defender Envoy was a tonic for the Demon Evil Clan. Even without any other rewards, devouring one could significantly boost their power.