Human Clan Defender-Chapter 711 - s 61-64: The Third Layer of Divine Skills, Return to the Great Zhou Capital (Four-in-One, Seeking Monthly Votes)_7

"With me here, Great Qin shall not perish."

Shen Changqing stood with his hands behind his back, his expression always composed.

His confident posture made Mu Shentong's eyes narrow slightly.

"Indeed, I was shortsighted in the past; I never expected that apart from Gu Xuanji, Great Qin would have another being of your caliber. However, I am no longer the me of old, and Great Zhou is no longer the Great Zhou of old. Did you really come here alone, confident you can leave unscathed?"

His words suddenly filled the throne hall with murderous intent. The civil and military officials' eyes gleamed with a faint, eerie green, as if awaiting only an order to pounce and devour their opponent whole.

Mu Shentong may have regained his memories, but these civil and military officials had not reclaimed their memories of bygone eras; it was still unknown whether they were manifested illusions or truly existed.

Facing such pressure, Shen Changqing stepped forward and grasped the hilt of his saber.

HUM!

An earth-shattering saber intent erupted, its extremely sharp will tearing apart all the murderous aura filling the throne hall.

With the saber intent released, all the civil and military officials' expressions changed. The eerie green in their eyes involuntarily recoiled, daring not to meet that terrifyingly sharp aura directly.

Atop the throne, Mu Shentong's face also changed slightly.

That saber intent... it struck fear into his heart.

"Emperor Zhou may not be the Emperor Zhou of old, and Great Zhou might not be the Great Zhou of old, but I, Shen Changqing, am not the Shen Changqing of the past either. Since I dared to enter the Great Zhou Domain today, I fear nothing. Instead of wondering whether you can keep me here, Emperor Zhou, perhaps you should be concerned if you can withstand me!"

Shen Changqing's expression was cold. The moment his words fell, his right hand grasping the long saber suddenly moved. An intensely brilliant saber light erupted, seeming to plunder all illumination from the visible space, plunging the grand throne hall into sudden darkness.

First, dimness!

Then, darkness!

It was unclear whether the light had been stolen, or if it was the absolute blackness of shattered space. It felt like an eternity, yet it seemed to pass in a flash.

When the light finally returned, the throne hall was still the same, with the civil and military officials standing motionless.

The next moment, all of them dissipated into nothingness.

Shen Changqing sheathed his saber and looked at the person on the throne. "I wonder what Emperor Zhou thinks of my saber strike?"

"——"

Mu Shentong's fist clenched atop the armrest of the Dragon Throne, his face as dark as a thundercloud.

But thinking of that saber strike, his spirit trembled violently. That saber strike... it was terrifyingly powerful! Despite his vast experience, he had never witnessed such a heaven-shattering, ghost-wailing saber strike. Before that saber strike, he was utterly powerless to resist. Indeed, in that instant, he had already died once. It was merely the undying nature of an Immortal Calamity that allowed him to revive instantly. Yet, even with the ability to resurrect, the memory of that saber strike's power sent a profound chill through this Saint Emperor of Great Zhou's heart.

After a while, Mu Shentong's chest heaved, a hint of crimson flashing in his eyes. "I really underestimated you. With such a saber strike, even a Demon Saint of the Demon Evil Clan would likely be slain on the spot!"

He felt dread, and also envy. Yes, envy. Great Qin, he envied, was overflowing with talent; first, there was Gu Xuanji, then Dongfang Zhao, and now that Gu Xuanji had fallen, another Shen Changqing had emerged from nowhere. It was as if Great Qin was truly favored by destiny, always producing an unparalleled expert at critical junctures, capable of turning the tide. He was certain that with this man present, no one could shake the foundations of Great Qin. Because... he was simply too strong. Mu Shentong considered his current self no weaker than the Ghost Saint of old, yet even with such strength, he could not block that heaven-shattering, ghost-wailing saber strike. If he couldn't withstand it, then no one in the world could.

"But—if you think you can slay me, that will be impossible. Great Qin's Demon Suppression Division should have records that an Immortal Calamity is immortal and indestructible." Mu Shentong's eyes flashed blood-red. My meaning is quite clear. An Immortal Calamity is undying and indestructible. Even if his strength is great, he won't be able to slay me.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing's expression remained calm. "The notion that an Immortal Calamity is undying and indestructible is merely a jest. The number of lives Emperor Zhou possesses is equivalent to the resentment absorbed from the beings he embodies. Indeed, countless beings have perished in Great Zhou, allowing the Emperor to revive continually. However, everything has a day when it will be exhausted. Once the resentment from all beings in Great Zhou is exhausted, will you still be able to resurrect?"

As his words fell, Mu Shentong's face changed slightly. The other's words surprised him. He had assumed that the secret of the Immortal Calamities would be unknown to anyone, yet here it was, exposed by this man.

Shen Changqing said, "There's no need for Emperor Zhou to be surprised. The Immortal Calamities within Great Qin's territory have been mostly purged by me. The rumors of an Immortal Calamity's invincibility are just that—rumors."

"So what?" Mu Shentong's expression turned colder. "I embody the resentment of countless beings. Though your saber strike is powerful, I imagine you cannot unleash many such blows. You would have to kill me countless times, whereas I need only kill you once."

That saber strike was potent, but he believed delivering such a blow couldn't be easy for Shen Changqing. If he could truly unleash countless such saber strikes, the world would have long belonged to Great Qin. Conversely, he only needed to kill his opponent once for them to fall completely. Therefore, Mu Shentong felt secure.

"Emperor Zhou speaks the truth. Presently, I indeed lack the confidence to deliver countless such saber strikes. Similarly, if you succeed in killing me once, I will fall completely. But there's one thing you should not forget. While I may not be able to deliver countless saber strikes now, that does not mean I won't be able to do so in the future."

"It has been a mere five or six years since I joined the Demon-Subduing Division. Give me another five or six years, and to what heights do you imagine I will have grown? Of course, you possess the resentment of countless beings; your foundation is far more profound than that of other Immortal Calamities. But, Emperor Zhou, you might as well try it and see whether you grow faster, or I do. If I wish to leave today, you absolutely cannot stop me. If I return another day, you might not have another chance to live."

With every statement Shen Changqing made, Mu Shentong's expression darkened another shade. By the end, his counterpart's face was as black as ink.

If anyone else had spoken these words, I would have merely sneered. But the one speaking is Shen Changqing; that changes everything. Before my own demise, I had some awareness of Shen Changqing, back when he was still the Defender Envoy of South Nether Prefecture. Comparing our strengths now... a profound dread gripped my heart. When it came to growth, I considered myself uniquely blessed, unparalleled within the Human Clan. Yet, compared to Shen Changqing... I am no longer so certain. This man's growth rate... it's simply too fast! Back when Great Qin invaded the Great Zhou Capital, his strength, though not insignificant, hadn't reached such an astounding level. Such a leap... it's utterly terrifying!

At this point, it was impossible for Mu Shentong to dismiss this threat, even if he wished to. Gazing down at the person below, the blood-red in his eyes grew more intense.

For an instant, Mu Shentong wanted to strike directly, but he suppressed the urge.

Truthfully, with my current strength, I genuinely lack the confidence to detain him. My Domain is my strength, but also my constraint. Shen Changqing can come and go as he pleases; I cannot. In some respects, this is a distinct disadvantage. Moreover, I understand one principle all too well: if Shen Changqing retreats this time, he will undoubtedly return with absolute certainty of success. By then... I might truly have no means of resisting him.

Considering these crucial points, the crimson in Mu Shentong's eyes receded slightly, and he then gave the other man a deep look.

"Let's cut to the chase. Your purpose in coming here surely isn't so simple."

PS: The Silver Alliance still owes two updates (remaining two), the Alliance Hierarch owes one update, and nine updates are owed for the monthly ticket.