Human Clan Defender-Chapter 598 - s The New Emperor Ascends to the Throne, Annihilation Rule (4-in-1, Request for Monthly Tickets)_3

The initial restraint was merely a spontaneous reaction to suddenly meeting the other party. Now that I've composed myself, it's nothing.

Shen Changqing said, "How many Elders and members are currently in the Martial Hall?"

"Including myself, there are only two Elders left in the Martial Hall. The Pavilion Master should also have met the other Elder, Zhao Bai."

Zhao Bai? Shen Changqing thought of the grey-clothed old man he had once met and nodded slightly.

Only two Elders left in such a vast Martial Hall? He was a bit surprised at this. The Martial Hall has existed for so many years, and Martial Artists have longer lifespans than Defender Envoys. It seems impossible that it could be left with so few Elders.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ning couldn't help but give a bitter smile. "Pavilion Master, you may not be aware, but there were originally quite a few Elders in the Martial Hall. However, in the war with Great Zhou, many of us Martial Pavilion Elders have already fallen. Not to mention Elders, even ordinary members of the Martial Hall have suffered losses of more than half. These heavy sacrifices were made because the Martial Hall intercepted many of Great Zhou's experts. Otherwise, Luo'an Prefecture would have collapsed long before the reinforcements from Great Liang and Dayue arrived."

The weakest members of the Martial Hall were all Martial Artists at the Grandmaster Realm. However, in the clash of two armies, even Grandmaster Martial Artists were not invincible. Especially in large-scale wars, numerous Grandmasters were killed by disorganized troops. More importantly, Great Qin had Grandmasters, and Great Zhou had them too. It was a case of soldier against soldier, general against general. Once war erupted, it became an all-out slaughter. The fact that the Martial Hall had managed to preserve some of its strength already showed its profound foundation. If it were any other Sect Force, they might have been completely wiped out long ago.

"How many Grandmasters are left in the Martial Hall now?"

"Currently, there are about twenty-odd Grandmasters in the Martial Hall, while those scattered outside number around thirty to forty." Zhong Ning made an estimate and provided an answer.

Shen Changqing understood. Altogether, there are still fifty to sixty Grandmasters remaining in the Martial Hall. This number is neither too large nor too small.

"Are all individuals who entered the Martial Hall registered?"

"Yes."

"Good. Elder Zhong, please issue an edict instructing all Martial Hall members who are outside to return. I will give them three months. After three months, anyone who has not returned will be removed from the Martial Hall," Shen Changqing said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ning's expression was startled. "What does the Pavilion Master mean?"

"The original purpose of establishing the Martial Hall was to cultivate Martial Artists who could break the Grandmaster's Limit. Now that I have broken through that limit, I have also left the breakthrough method in the Martial Hall. In light of this, if members of the Martial Hall continue to drift outside, showing no progress in the Martial Dao and no inclination to serve the Demon-Subduing Division, then there is no need for them to remain in the Martial Hall." Shen Changqing's expression was calm. Only those who can be of use to me are truly useful. If they are perpetually drifting outside, what's the difference between having them and not? Perhaps it would even waste more of the Demon-Subduing Division's resources. It's better to remove them all and save some expenses.

Zhong Ning looked hesitant. "Pavilion Master, if we do this, I'm afraid it might cause some turmoil." Being part of the Martial Hall came with many benefits. Removing a portion of the members would inevitably lead to some problems.

Shen Changqing scoffed disdainfully. "I have already given them an opportunity. If they do not return, then that is blatant insubordination. If anyone has objections, let them come and voice them to me in person. Elder Zhong, you have been an Elder of the Martial Hall for many years; you should understand how to handle such matters better than I do. To put it bluntly, the Demon-Subduing Division is not lacking in Grandmasters. Or rather, since I became Pavilion Master, the Demon-Subduing Division will never be short of Grandmasters."

Grandmaster! For ordinary people, it's a realm that's difficult to break through. But Shen Changqing was confident in his ability to cultivate a new batch of Grandmasters.

Hearing this, Zhong Ning finally understood. This person before me is incomparable to any past Martial Hall Master. He is the current number one expert in Great Qin, possibly even the strongest in the Human Clan. In his eyes, Grandmasters are no different from ants. Even if Shen Changqing were to disband the Martial Hall entirely, no one would dare say a word against it. This... this is the awe inspired by absolute power.

Having understood this, Zhong Ning nodded. "Alright, I'll issue the edict immediately and spread the news."

"Elder Zhong, do you have information on their whereabouts, or will we primarily rely on the Heavenly Inspection Guard?"

"Naturally, the edict will be issued through the Heavenly Inspection Guard. While there aren't many Martial Hall members outside, they are scattered throughout Great Qin. Only the Heavenly Inspection Guard can accurately track their whereabouts," Zhong Ning replied, shaking his head with a wry smile. He, an Elder, only had access to the member roster at best; how could he possibly keep track of their individual whereabouts?

Shen Changqing nodded. Then, after taking his leave from Zhong Ning, he directly entered the Martial Hall.

He did not linger on the first floor. The Spiritual Energy in those secret chambers was especially important for Grandmasters, but from his current perspective, it was already negligible. Unless... the entire Spirit Vein were given to me. But that would be tantamount to excavating the Martial Hall's last remaining foundation. For the time being, Shen Changqing had no such thought.

「The second floor.」

「The third floor.」

It was not until he reached the third floor that he saw other people sitting there, slowly flipping through scrolls. Among them, Shen Changqing saw a very familiar scroll. It was one he had written by hand, containing the method for breaking through to Great Grandmaster.