CHAPTER 231: CHAPTER 29: THE ORIGIN OF THE DEFENDER ENVOY

The feeling Wang Mubai gave off was entirely different from other Demon Evils.

Shen Changqing had a feeling. He has already seen through my very core.

Dongfang Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as he turned his head and said, "He is the most powerful Demon Evil in the Demon Sealing Tower, and that’s why he’s imprisoned on the eighth floor. On the ninth floor, what’s confined is the remnant body of the Demon Saint. The matter of the Demon Saint’s remnant body is of utmost importance, so I won’t take you up there."

The sudden remark left Shen Changqing momentarily stunned. It took him a moment to regain his composure.

"Come down with me!"

Dongfang Zhao suddenly turned around and left.

Shen Changqing had no choice but to follow him out.

After the two of them had left, Wang Mubai was the only one remaining on the eighth floor.

Such abundant qi and blood! Judging by his bone age, he isn’t old. The Human Clan has indeed produced some astonishing geniuses. Truly impressive!

His face carried a faint smile, as if he were genuinely delighted for the Human Clan.

Shortly thereafter, Wang Mubai’s smile faded slightly.

I’ve been in this Demon Sealing Tower for over two hundred years and have grown somewhat weary. It seems it’s time to find an opportunity to leave.

His voice grew deeper. After that, there was no further sound.

「On the other side.」

Dongfang Zhao had led Shen Changqing back to the first floor of the Demon Sealing Tower.

"Defender Dongfang bringing me here, could it possibly be related to becoming a Defender Envoy?"

At that moment, Shen Changqing could no longer suppress his inner doubts and blurted out his question.

A trip to the Demon Sealing Tower allowed me to witness numerous Demon Evils. But what then? How could it possibly be connected to becoming a Defender Envoy?

Just then, Dongfang Zhao’s body exuded a terrifying aura; black gas spread from his body, and his originally gentle and refined temperament was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a heart-palpitating chill.

"Demonfolk!"

Upon seeing the change in the other, Shen Changqing instinctively took a step back.

But he quickly realized that the Dongfang Zhao before him was very different from actual Demonfolk. The biggest difference was the absence of that Yin Evil Aura. Although the aura emanating from him was still cold, it was quite distinct from the Yin Evil Aura. Besides that, although Dongfang Zhao was enshrouded in black gas, he had not completely abandoned his human form to become a monstrous creature that was neither human nor Demon Evil, as Demonfolk did.

"This is the power of a Defender Envoy!"

He spread his hands wide, feeling the strength within himself while also appearing to demonstrate the power of a Defender Envoy to Shen Changqing.

In an instant, a fierce wind surged within the first floor of the Demon Sealing Tower.

Shen Changqing was forced to retreat repeatedly by that power, involuntarily mobilizing the strength in his body to resist. Only when he was pushed back to near the entrance of the Demon Sealing Tower did he manage to stop retreating. When he looked at Dongfang Zhao again, his eyes were filled with shock.

So powerful!

Shen Changqing had always considered himself quite strong. Within the Demon-Subduing Division, likely only a few Demon Hunters could contend with him. As for the Defender Envoys, since he had never truly witnessed their power, he had been unable to make a clear assessment. But, according to what others said, reaching the Grandmaster Peak level meant one could match an ordinary Defender Envoy. Therefore, Shen Changqing thought that even if an ordinary Defender Envoy was powerful, the extent of their strength might be limited.

However, it was not until now, when Dongfang Zhao perfectly demonstrated his power, that he suddenly realized.

It turns out—with my current strength, I am nothing but an ant in the face of a true powerhouse.

In the midst of that howling wind, Shen Changqing felt like a Flat Boat, at any moment, he could be capsized by the raging waves.

Like a raging storm—irresistible and overwhelming!

All the confidence he once held seemed insignificant in the face of this force.

Dongfang Zhao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his body levitated by a terrifying force, allowing him to float in mid-air. His crimson eyes glinted with a bloody light.

"Haven’t you always been curious about what a Defender Envoy truly is?"

"I’m telling you now, this is what a Defender Envoy is!"

"Within the Demon Evil Clan, Demon Evils can dominate ordinary members of the Human Clan because they wield Demon Blood and Demon Essence. This is a power that completely surpasses that of the Human Clan. The current level of True Qi and Grandmaster Qi and Blood offers no way to resist such a force. A Defender Envoy is a further transformation based on the foundation of the Human Clan, thereby possessing power comparable to Demon Evils."

The voice was grand and mighty.

As Dongfang Zhao’s words resounded, Shen Changqing felt a violent tremor in his mind.

At the same time, within the Demon Sealing Tower, the majority of the Demon Evils fell silent as cicadas in winter, their bodies curled up in their cages, daring not to make any movements. The power emanating from him was something even the Demon Evils feared.

「The eighth floor.」

Wang Mubai opened his eyes, a strange look flickering briefly.

It seems I’ve underestimated him. Such power is indeed shocking!

「On the first floor of the Demon Sealing Tower.」

Dongfang Zhao had already retracted his aura, and all the rampant wind suddenly disappeared, as if it had never been there. His crimson eyes also returned to normal. Descending gently from mid-air, he stood before Shen Changqing.

"How about it, have you felt the power of a Defender Envoy?"

"I have felt it!" Shen Changqing expressed his admiration.

The power Dongfang Zhao displayed left me with no desire to resist. Such a disparity! Even if my Great Sun Golden Body were to break through to Perfection, I still wouldn’t be able to grasp this level of power.

Dongfang Zhao’s expression remained calm, "Becoming a Defender Envoy has always been a secret of the Demon-Subduing Division. You are now a late-stage Grandmaster Martial Artist and also qualify to become a Defender Envoy. I can tell you how to become one, but the final decision is up to you."

"I would like to hear the details."

Shen Changqing’s face was also calm, yet there was a flicker of excitement in his heart.

For no other reason... the secret of the Defender Envoy I’ve always been curious about finally has a chance to be revealed!

Dongfang Zhao said, "In the thirty-first year of Great Qin, three hundred and fifty years ago, the Sun and Moon were devoid of light, a meteor fell from the sky accompanied by flowing fire. On that very day, Demon Evils and Strange Monsters began to wreak havoc upon the world, causing widespread turmoil."

"To counter the Demon Evils, Great Qin gathered capable individuals from all over and established the Demon-Subduing Division."

"But at that time, the strong individuals within the Demon-Subduing Division were mere mortals. Even with Grandmasters at their peak presiding, they still couldn’t contend with higher-ranking Demon Evils. Faced with the onslaught of the Demon Evils, Great Qin was forced to retreat step by step. Countless commoners perished or were injured in that war, which lasted for many years. Most of the natural disasters that affect the various regions of Great Qin today were formed during that time."

Dongfang Zhao spoke evenly, yet Shen Changqing could discern the darkness of that period in Great Qin’s history in his voice.

He remained silent, listening to Dongfang Zhao continue.

"Just when Great Qin was about to fall apart, someone in the Demon-Subduing Division had a sudden stroke of inspiration: if the power of the Demon Evil Clan truly surpasses that of the Human Clan, then could we possibly steal the Demon Evils’ power to fight against them?"

"Steal the Demon Evils’ power to fight against the Demon Evils!" Shen Changqing’s expression changed, and his breathing turned rapid.

In just a moment, so many things came to mind! This proposal must have succeeded. Otherwise, Great Qin wouldn’t be as stable as it is now.

"When someone first suggested this, many were shocked. In their view, Demon Evils were completely different from humans, so how could humans possibly steal the power of Demon Evils?"

"But since the idea had been proposed, the Demon-Subduing Division at that time had no choice but to clutch at straws and began researching how to steal power from Demon Evils. Soon, someone proposed another idea:

’The power of Demon Evils originates from their Flesh. If we could transplant the Flesh of a Demon Evil, wouldn’t we be able to wield the Demon Evil’s power!’"

"After this suggestion emerged, the experts of the Demon-Subduing Division began to capture Demon Evils. You must understand, Demon Evils are absolutely superior to the Human Clan; only Martial Artists at the Grandmaster Peak level were qualified to contend with the weakest of Demon Evils. Countless Grandmasters fell capturing these Demon Evils.

After paying a heavy price, the Demon-Subduing Division finally managed to capture a few Demon Evils."

They captured Demon Evils.

They transplanted Demon Evil Flesh.

Dongfang Zhao’s gaze grew profound, and his voice gradually deepened, "During the process of transplanting Demon Evil Flesh, some Grandmasters couldn’t resist the erosion of Demon’s Power and fell into Demonization. This so-called Demonization is similar to the Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance.

After sacrificing many more Grandmasters, the people of the Demon-Subduing Division finally understood that to withstand the erosion of Demon’s Power, one’s Spiritual System must have entered the second stage, and their Physical System must be at least at the entry-level.

Because the Divine Souls of Demon Evils are powerful, without reaching the second stage of the Spiritual System, one cannot withstand the impact of a Demon’s Soul. And if one’s Physical System has not even reached the entry-level, their qi and blood would not have undergone further transformation, making it impossible to resist assimilation by Demon Blood.

Failing in either aspect could lead to Demonization.

In this way, many Grandmaster Martial Artists sacrificed parts of their original bodies, transplanted Demon Evil Flesh, and thus gained a portion of Demon’s Power. This is how Defender Envoys came into being!"

"The emergence of a large number of Defender Envoys brought a turning point for Great Qin. They continuously captured Demon Evils to allow the Demon-Subduing Division to create more Defender Envoys. Sometimes, to capture powerful Demon Evils, they even had to sacrifice the lives of numerous Defender Envoys. But there was no alternative at that time; only by capturing stronger Demon Evils could more powerful Defender Envoys emerge."

"Thus, after the appearance of Defender Envoys, Great Qin began its counterattack, step by step reclaiming the territories that had fallen to Demon Evils. Although Demon Evils were strong, Great Qin had its Defender Envoys—its ultimate weapon against them!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing remained speechless for a long while.

I had some suspicions about Defender Envoys while Defender Dongfang was halfway through his explanation, and now his words have undoubtedly confirmed my conjecture.