Human Clan Defender-Chapter 661 - s Saint Rank Defender Envoy, the Catastrophe Reappears (Four-in-One, Requesting Monthly Votes)_4

The problem was, even if he turned every mountain range in the world upside down, Shen Changqing couldn't be sure if thousands of Mountain Spirits truly existed. If not, given the difficulty of Divine Skills and relying on self-enlightenment, he felt that progress would likely be measured in centuries. Therefore, it was best to save whenever possible. When he had nothing pressing, he would contemplate his Divine Skills more often. If, by some chance, he could advance the Heaven and Earth Slash from the first level of the Divine Skill to the second, it would mean he would save two hundred Divine Ability Value.

However—why do I feel like I've forgotten something? Never mind, it couldn't have been too important.

After thinking it over, Shen Changqing decided not to waste any more time. If it had been something significant, he would undoubtedly remember it clearly. The fact that he didn't remember was enough to show that it wasn't very important. Focusing his mind, Shen Changqing began to contemplate his Divine Skills.

Divine Skill enlightenment is about the intuitive comprehension of subtleties beyond words, something that cannot be expressed in writing but only understood through insight. Since acquiring the Heaven and Earth Slash, he had used it a fair number of times. Moreover, every time he used it, it was in combat against strong adversaries, which brought many insights. In the past, Shen Changqing didn't have time to fully digest these insights. Now, he finally had enough time to assimilate his understanding of Divine Skills and see if there was any chance of advancement.

「Three days later.」

Shen Changqing emerged from his seclusion. It wasn't because he had succeeded in making a breakthrough, but because he had received news that forced him to interrupt his retreat.

「Inside the Council Hall.」

Dongfang Zhao, who had just made a breakthrough, was seated. Zhou Yuanzheng was nowhere in sight, obviously off dealing with other matters.

Seeing Shen Changqing's arrival, the somber expression on Dongfang Zhao's face finally eased slightly. "Defender Shen has arrived."

Looking at Dongfang Zhao's grim expression, Shen Changqing's own face remained much calmer. "What exactly happened?"

To be forced out of seclusion, and for the Dominator of the Demon-Subduing Division to openly show such emotion, this matter is definitely not simple. Thus, he was already prepared for the worst.

Dongfang Zhao shook his head slightly. "Three days ago, the hundred-thousand-strong army stationed in Qingjiang Prefecture to guard against the calamity suddenly vanished, including several Heaven Rank Defender Envoys." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

As he spoke, his chest heaved slightly. "Qingjiang Prefecture is within the Central Plains. For a hundred-thousand-strong army, including several Heaven Rank Defender Envoys, to disappear without a trace—this certainly isn't something an ordinary individual could achieve. Therefore, I suspect that calamity itself took action."

"Calamity!" Shen Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly.

What the other party said made sense; indeed, the calamity itself was the most likely culprit.

Considering this, he continued, "I don't know much about the calamity of Qingjiang Prefecture. Perhaps Defender Dongfang could enlighten me?"

Dongfang Zhao's expression was stern. "Over three hundred years ago, when the Demon Evil first descended, Great Qin lacked the power to effectively resist them, resulting in severe turmoil across various regions. Qingjiang Prefecture was one of the places where the calamity was particularly severe. Even the disasters in Guangyuan Prefecture two hundred years ago were several levels less severe by comparison. During the chaos caused by the Demon Evil back then, no less than tens of millions of civilians died at their hands. The subsequent plagues and other factors led to immeasurable cumulative losses.

"Since then, a calamity emerged in Qingjiang Prefecture. Perhaps because so many people had died, the calamity there was particularly terrifying. As soon as it appeared, it possessed power equivalent to a Defender Envoy. As it grew, it became no weaker than a King Rank Defender Envoy. Combined with the undying nature of a calamity, even a Venerable Rank Defender Envoy was not confident of dealing with it within its Domain."

One could only imagine how powerful a calamity that even a Venerable Rank Defender Envoy could not handle must be. However, the Demon-Subduing Division was no longer what it once was. Venerable Rank Defender Envoys were no longer the paramount beings. Both Shen Changqing and Dongfang Zhao had completely surpassed the Venerable Rank, reaching another level. Dongfang Zhao was slightly weaker, having just stepped into the Demon Saint realm, becoming the first Saint Rank Defender Envoy. Shen Changqing, on the other hand, was at the mid-peak of the Immortal Golden Body Realm; in terms of combat capability, he could match a powerhouse at the Half-Step Demon God Realm.

Thus, despite the calamity in Qingjiang Prefecture being somewhat out of control, neither Shen Changqing nor Dongfang Zhao felt overly concerned internally. What angered them was that such a large army had perished at the hands of the calamity. This matter simply could not be let go easily.

"The army stationed there was the elite of Great Qin, with Heaven Rank Demon Hunters in command," Dongfang Zhao continued, his voice turning cold. "Even if that calamity was formidable, it was only powerful within its Domain and could not leave it. And those soldiers would not have entered the Domain. Now, there is only one possibility: the calamity's Domain has grown larger. Only this reason could explain the total annihilation of those hundred thousand troops."

Then, he looked at Shen Changqing. "Although the Demon Evil Clan has been completely expelled from Great Qin, calamities still remain. If we don't find a way to resolve them, I fear there will be even greater hidden dangers in the future."

The calamities had to be eradicated. They hadn't been dealt with before because the Demon-Subduing Division had no means to eliminate them, and also due to the pressing threat of the Demon Evil Clan. Now, however, the Demon Evil Clan had been completely expelled from the territory of Great Qin.