Human Clan Defender-Chapter 794 - s 109 to 110: The Martial Saint Title, Direct Lineage of the Divine Spirit (Two in One, Request for Monthly Tickets)
"Imperial Edict has arrived!"
Wu Gan led a group of people straight into the Demon-Subduing Division.
Having received the news, Zhou Yuanzheng stepped forward to meet them.
"May I ask Eunuch Wu, what exactly is His Majesty's Imperial Edict?"
"This matter concerns Defender Shen, and I hope Defender Zhou can summon Defender Shen," Wu Gan said with a smile. In front of the Defender Envoy of the Demon-Subduing Division, he did not put on any airs on account of the Imperial Edict.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuanzheng did not say more and immediately sent someone to relay the message to Shen Changqing.
"Eunuch Wu, please follow me to the main hall and wait for a moment. I trust Defender Shen will arrive shortly."
"Much obliged."
Less than a quarter of an hour later, Shen Changqing stepped into the main hall. Looking at Wu Gan, he offered a faint smile. "May I know what decree Eunuch Wu has brought from His Majesty this time?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
"Good tidings," Wu Gan replied with a mysterious smile. Then, he took out the Imperial Edict, his expression turning solemn.
"Defender Shen, please receive the Edict."
Shen Changqing cupped his fists, refraining from a full bow.
Wu Gan was not bothered by this. The other party was equivalent to a sovereign of a different surname; his status and position were not much lower than Emperor Qin's, so he was not required to perform a mandatory ceremonial bow when receiving the Imperial Edict.
Clearing his throat, Wu Gan began to proclaim the Imperial Edict.
"Great Qin Defender Shen Changqing, by his sole power, has blazed a new path for the Martial Dao. His martial cultivation is exquisite, beyond the reach of ordinary people, and he can truly be called a Saint in Martial Arts. Furthermore, by establishing the Martial Institute and spreading martial arts throughout the world, he has caused our Human Clan Martial Path to flourish. This is a great merit. I am deeply moved and hereby bestow upon you the revered title of Martial Saint. By Imperial Decree!"
After proclaiming the Imperial Edict, Wu Gan's expression reverted to normal, and his smile became enthusiastic. "This one congratulates Defender Shen. You should know, since the founding of this dynasty, there has never been such a revered title."
"This subject accepts the Edict!" Shen Changqing stepped forward and received the Imperial Edict.
The title of Martial Saint. He was somewhat surprised, yet also somewhat relieved.
During the refinement of faith, he had already heard some people respectfully call him Martial Saint. Now that the Imperial Court had granted him the title of Martial Saint, this was likely one of the reasons.
This revered title seemed impressive, but in reality, it carried no substantial power. It was not as useful as his status as the Great Qin Defender.
But—no matter what, being conferred the revered title of Martial Saint would surely earn him the reverence of the world. This was a considerable benefit.
Shen Changqing could see that Gu Xing, by bestowing the revered title of Martial Saint upon him, also intended to show goodwill.
"Alright, this one has other matters to attend to and won't disturb Defender Shen's rest any longer. I shall take my leave now!"
"Eunuch Wu, take care."
After someone escorted Wu Gan away, the main hall fell silent again.
Envy flickered in Zhou Yuanzheng's eyes. "Congratulations, Defender Shen, on receiving the revered title of Martial Saint. From now on, the words 'Martial Saint' will surely rise to prominence with the flourishing of the Martial Dao."
A Saint in Martial Arts! What a grand reputation. Alas, he could only look on with envy. His own achievements in the Martial Dao had only reached Grandmaster Peak—oh, no, it should be called Great Grandmaster now. It was because he couldn't break through further that he became a Defender Envoy. It could be said that ninety-nine percent of those who became Defender Envoys did so because they had no further path in the Martial Dao and were forced to find an alternative. Fortunately, among the current Defender Envoys, the path forward had been somewhat expanded. The Venerable Rank was no longer the limit; there were already those at the Saint Rank. Whether further progress could be made, however, remained to be seen.
Defender Shen smiled faintly. "It's just an empty title, nothing significant. Speaking of which, Defender Zhou, now that you've entered the Venerable Rank, how long do you think it will take for you to break through to the Saint Rank?"
This question brought a bitter smile to Zhou Yuanzheng's face.
"Breaking through to the Saint Rank is not that easy. I've only just stabilized myself at the Venerable Rank and barely reached the peak of the early stage. I haven't even entered the middle stage, let alone the Saint Rank. Every level for a Defender Envoy is extremely arduous. Because we have extremely high requirements for nature's spiritual energy, only where it is sufficiently dense can we progress rapidly. Now that the Ancestral Vein is severed, the nature's spiritual energy in the world is diminishing daily. Our speed as Defender Envoys in absorbing spiritual energy has decreased. Who knows how long it will take to break through to the Saint Rank," Zhou Yuanzheng said, sighing once more.
The inability to break through was truly vexing. Although reaching the Venerable Rank had greatly increased his lifespan, he couldn't afford to squander it like this.
Hearing this, Shen Changqing's eyes flickered.
"I will find a way to resolve the matter of the severed Ancestral Vein. Speaking of which, Defender Zhou, do you know the exact location of the Ancestral Vein?"
There had always been talk of the Ancestral Vein being severed. Yet, he suddenly realized that he didn't even know where the Ancestral Vein was, let alone having seen it.
Zhou Yuanzheng shook his head. "The Ancestral Vein is rumored to be at the center of Heaven and Earth, but in truth, no one has ever actually seen it. If anyone in the world knows where the Ancestral Vein is, it would likely only be that figure from the Barbarian Clan."
He was referring to the Barbarian God.
As a Divine Spirit from Ancient Times, an Ancient Powerhouse like him couldn't possibly be ignorant of the Ancestral Vein's location.
"Thank you for clarifying, Defender Zhou." Shen Changqing nodded.
This was something he hadn't considered. Indeed. It would be more straightforward to ask the Barbarian God or to directly inquire with the Mount Tai Prefecture Lord. Even if the Barbarian God didn't know where the Ancestral Vein was, the Mount Tai Prefecture Lord would surely know.
Subsequently, Shen Changqing did not linger. He returned to his room, put the Imperial Edict away, and then left immediately for the Barbarian Clan's territory.
「 」
"Greetings, Lord Defender!"
"Defender Dongfang—"
Inside the Martial Hall, the members greeted the visitor respectfully upon his arrival, despite the fact that he was no longer the most eminent person among the Defender Envoys. Nevertheless,
