Yellow Rank Demon Hunters were almost always at the Pulse Condensation Realm.
Once they reached the Innate Realm, they qualified for promotion to Profound Rank Demon Hunters.
It could be said that any Innate Martial Artist in Great Qin could be considered a true expert. Even within the Demon-Subduing Division, they were no longer insignificant.
Yellow Rank Demon Hunters could deal with Ghostly Level Fiends.
Profound Rank Demon Hunters were qualified to contend with Resentment Level Monsters.
From Shen Changqing's current perspective, individuals like Liu Chang and Jiang Zuo were probably at the Innate level.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that they were stronger than Innate. But even if they were indeed stronger than Innate, they definitely wouldn't be significantly more powerful.
With the eleventh layer of the Pure Yang Technique, I've become an Innate Martial Artist. As long as I return to the Demon-Subduing Division, I have a great chance of being promoted to the status of a Profound Rank Demon Hunter.
Shen Changqing was quite satisfied.
Eliminating a powerful Ghostly Level Fiend and using the Slaughter Value gained to officially break through to the Innate Realm was an unexpected boon.
However, this also involved his own arduous cultivation. If he hadn't diligently cultivated the Pure Yang Technique to the eighth layer, fifteen Slaughter Value points alone wouldn't have been enough to break through to the Innate Realm.
After the excitement, a strong wave of weakness washed over him, causing Shen Changqing's steps to falter slightly.
He understood that it was because the Pure Yang Technique had drawn too much qi and blood during the breakthrough. In the past, when he cultivated without using Slaughter Value as a shortcut, his daily energy consumption remained relatively stable, and he wouldn't experience such depletion.
This time, however, the Pure Yang Technique's successive breakthroughs across two levels had consumed a significant amount of energy. The leap from Pulse Condensation to Innate, in particular, had consumed an exaggerated amount of qi and blood.
It seems I can't recklessly break through anymore; either I need to make full preparations, or my physique needs to become even stronger.
Shen Changqing heaved a sigh.
If I get more Slaughter Value in the future, the Thirteen Taibao Heng Practice Technique should also be improved. Otherwise, I'll have to find other Outer Techniques to train in to strengthen myself. Vigorous True Qi grants great power. Robust qi and blood are the foundation.
Standing in place to recover for a moment, Shen Changqing looked up at the sky. With the death of the Strange Monster, the enveloping fog was also dispersing.
Because so much time had passed, what was originally a scene of the blazing sun high in the sky had now become dusk, with the sun setting in the west. Darkness was gradually creeping over Heaven and Earth.
A dark and windy night is perfect for killing and arson!
「At night.」
The Yamen's inner hall was brightly lit.
Zhao Fang sat stiffly in the inner hall, his complexion appearing somewhat sinister under the lamplight. Beside him sat a lean, middle-aged man.
"There hasn't been an accident over there, has there?" Zhuang Mingyuan asked, pinching his short beard, his eyes shifty and venomous, occasionally glinting with a cold light.
"Impossible," Zhao Fang shook his head, his gaze falling on the other man. "Zhang Long's strength is not weak; he's only one step away from True Qi Generation and becoming a Pulse Condensation Warrior. Paired with a top-tier Ghostly Level Fiend, what problem could there be in dealing with a mere rookie Demon Hunter?"
A rookie Demon Hunter, at best, was only at the Pulse Condensation Realm. Moreover, there was a very high chance they had just entered the Pulse Condensation Realm.
Even if we considered the extreme, even if the person who came wasn't a rookie Demon Hunter but a seasoned Yellow Rank Demon Hunter, relying on our side's strength, we would have been one hundred percent confident in slaying him.
"If it weren't for the concern that the Demon-Subduing Division might send several Yellow Rank Demon Hunters, we wouldn't have needed to fabricate the truth. What I didn't expect, though, was that when faced with a Ghostly Level Fiend, the Demon-Subduing Division would actually send a rookie Demon Hunter. Tsk tsk, I wonder if he offended someone, or if the Demon-Subduing Division is really that short-handed."
As he finished speaking, Zhao Fang's expression also turned peculiar. He had already made preparations to deal with several rookie Demon Hunters. Yet, after all that, the Demon-Subduing Division had only sent one person. This situation made Zhao Fang feel as if he had thrown a punch into empty air, leaving him quite vexed.
After saying this, he suddenly thought of something else. "What if one rookie Demon Hunter isn't enough for Blood Soul to advance?"
The Blood Soul Zhao Fang mentioned was the name of that Ghostly Level Fiend.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Mingyuan shook his head, saying, "Blood Soul is already at the peak of the Ghostly Level. A Martial Artist in the Pulse Condensation Realm should be almost enough for it to advance. Even if it truly isn't enough, then we'll just have to sacrifice others."
As he finished speaking, a chilly smile appeared on his face. "Aren't there several other villages around Guyue Village? If we offer them all to Blood Soul, then there will be no problems at all."
Hearing this, Zhao Fang's brows instinctively furrowed.
Noticing the change in his expression, Zhuang Mingyuan's face turned cold. "Lord Zhao, don't forget, you're no longer the County Magistrate of Lin'an City, the Fair and Upright Senior Official in their eyes. You are just a human traitor who has sided with Demon Evil. Since Guyue Village has already been sacrificed, what's the issue with sacrificing a few more villages? The mere exposure of what happened in Guyue Village is a crime warranting the execution of your entire family. Do you think the Demon-Subduing Division will let you or your family off once they learn the truth?"
Zhao Fang did not reply. He understood the meaning behind Zhuang Mingyuan's words.
The Demon-Subduing Division's duty, besides slaying Demon Evil, was to eliminate those traitors who betrayed the Human Clan by colluding with demons. For these traitors, the Demon-Subduing Division had always been ruthless. Just as the other party said, if his actions were exposed, execution of his entire family would be considered a light punishment. Extermination of nine generations of one's family or the annihilation of three related clans—such punishments were all possibilities. Every year, the number of traitors executed by the Demon-Subduing Division was counted in the tens of thousands. It was because of this that the Demon-Subduing Division's fearsome reputation was deeply ingrained in people's hearts. Even those with great power didn't wish to oppose it lightly.
Seeing this, Zhuang Mingyuan's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Lord Zhao, my words might have been harsh, but every one of them is true. Besides, you're already a member of the Eternal Alliance. Even if you were to leave now, it would be too late. What's so good about the Human Clan? Those from the Demon-Subduing Division might be powerful, but look how long they live—not very long at all. On the contrary, by joining the Eternal Alliance, although you might not necessarily gain eternal life, living longer than others is definitely achievable. To my knowledge, there are even experts within the Eternal Alliance who have lived for two or three hundred years and have not yet passed away. You joined the Eternal Alliance for these reasons, didn't you? If Blood Soul is cultivated to the Resentment Level, the higher-ups in the Alliance will surely be overjoyed. When the time comes, you will receive all the rewards you are due. In that case, sacrificing some people, what does it really matter?"
"Lord Zhao, you really should consider your own interests!"
Zhuang Mingyuan's words completely shattered Zhao Fang's last line of defense.
He was right. Sacrificing one village was a capital offense; sacrificing two or three was also a capital offense. So, what was there for him to hesitate about?