Capital City, Demon-Subduing Division.
Compared to previous days, the atmosphere within the Demon-Subduing Division was even more oppressive; that murderous aura, even from a distance, could be felt clearly.
"The demon evil side has grown more and more rampant lately!"
Zhou Yuanzheng, clad in iron armor, bore a stern and cold expression; when speaking of demon evil, his killing intent was unmasked.
At this moment in the grand hall.
Aside from him, three others were present.
Each person radiated a tremendous aura of authority, enough to strike terror into the heart.
After the words fell.
One among them spoke: "The demon evil has set their sights on Great Qin not merely for a day or two. Now that His Majesty is aged, the demon evil wishes to probe the depths of our Great Qin's foundation."
"Hmph, for over three hundred years the demon evil has been unable to touch our Great Qin. Even with His Majesty's age, the Demon-Subduing Division is no pushover. Last battle, we slew several great demons—enough to cripple them deeply!"
"If this were before, slaying a few great demons would indeed make the demon evil wary. But now, the situation is different: even in killing great demons, our Demon-Subduing Division has paid a great price—many high-ranking Defender Envoys have fallen.
Now, with demons running amok everywhere, for us to suppress them all is no easy task."
The man seated in the center wore blue and white robes. His face, slightly pale, remained calm from beginning to end.
Dongfang
Zhou Yuanzheng spoke coldly: "The Demon-Subduing Division was established over three hundred years, and has slain more demon evil than can be counted. Even if they truly want war, our Great Qin does not fear!"
"Great Qin certainly does not fear war, but now, Great Qin's strength is waning, and that is a fact that cannot be ignored. If it truly becomes all-out war, killing eight hundred of the enemy at the cost of a thousand of our own—when the Demon-Subduing Division is dead and gone,
how much strength will remain to oppose the rest of the demon evil?"
"How is your injury?"
Zhou Yuanzheng's fury faded somewhat as he looked to the man in the center.
Dongfang Zhao!
Of all the powerful ones remaining at the Demon-Subduing Division, his strength was second to none.
Dongfang Zhao, hearing this, shook his head slightly: "It is nothing grave. I did not expect that such powerful beings among the demon evil had already awakened, but as things stand, he still cannot overcome me.
The chaos among the demon evil for now is but temporary.
His Majesty may be aged, but has not yet reached the final limit. So long as His Majesty endures, the most powerful demon evil, should they dare enter Great Qin, must weigh carefully if they can withstand His Majesty's wrath."
When he finished speaking.
He glanced at the others and continued: "At present, the demon evil are merely probing, but their means are cruel. Our Demon-Subduing Division cannot stand idly by—dispatch all suitable Demon Hunters with full force, ensure the demon evil are suppressed!
As for the Defender Envoys in each region, let them remain in place, awaiting orders.
If any powerful demon evil takes action, they must be slain or driven off at once."
Powerful demon evil—
The devastation they unleash is far more horrific than ordinary demon evil.
Those at that level can effortlessly wipe out an entire city, an entire province.
Each time such a demon evil emerges, it is accompanied by catastrophic calamity. Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of the people perish. However strong Great Qin may be, it cannot bear such chaos.
Once or twice might be bearable.
But if too many emerge,
the very foundation of Great Qin would be shaken.
Suddenly—
Someone walked in from outside, and on seeing the four, bowed in salute.
"Jiang Zuo, Steward of the Huang Department Demon Hunting Court, pays respects to the Defender Envoys!"
"What is your business?" Zhou Yuanzheng fixed his gaze on the man, speaking coolly.
He was acquainted with Jiang Zuo as well.
To serve as steward within the Demon Hunting Court was not a role for those lacking strength or qualification.
"According to the latest report, Lin'an City's County Magistrate Zhao Fang has colluded with demon evil, slaughtered over a thousand villagers to rear a Ghostly Level Fiend, and is now plotting to sacrifice one hundred thousand citizens of Lin'an City to help the fiend advance to Fiend Level!"
"What!"
"Outrageous!"
"Unforgivable!"
In the great hall, all present changed countenance, each one furious to the core.
Colluding with demon evil!
Human sacrifice!
This is a crime monstrous beyond pardon, not to be tolerated.
"Speak!"
Dongfang Zhao's face turned cold as frost, spitting out the single word with calm finality.
In that instant,
Jiang Zuo felt immense pressure as he drew from his breast a prepared letter, offering it with both hands: "I invite Defender Dongfang to inspect it!"
In the next moment,
it was as if an invisible hand had lifted the letter, delivering it into his hand.
He opened it and glanced twice.
Dongfang Zhao then tossed the letter to the other Defender Envoys.
"You all should take a look as well!"
As the letter was passed along, he looked to Jiang Zuo: "Besides this, is there any other evidence?"
"This is the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant, sent back together by the Probationary Demon Hunter Shen Changqing, who traveled to Lin'an City!"
Jiang Zuo produced the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant.
Dongfang Zhao flicked his sleeve, and the jade pendant fell into his hand.
On the pendant—
Two black threads lingered.
If one looked closely, the black threads seemed to flow slowly.
"The traces on the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant—one deep, one shallow—the deep one is quite formidable among Ghostly Level, the shallow one is not far advanced in Ghostly Level."
With a single glance, Dongfang Zhao discerned the secrets of the jade pendant.
He, as Defender Envoy of the Demon-Subduing Division, had slain too many demon evil to count.
There could be no error in his judgment of demon evil strength.
At this time—
The letter had already been read by the other three Defender Envoys, their faces all marked with clear fury.
Suddenly Dongfang Zhao clenched his fist; the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant shattered at once.
The pendant's shattering—
released both hidden black lines, which spread like dissipating gas.
Right after—
a mysterious force fell upon the black threads, which twisted and transformed until, in no time, they took on their original forms.
Yet there was a difference—
whether it was Zhuang Mingyuan or Blood Soul, their eyes now dull, their bodies insubstantial as if they could dissipate at any moment.
Such a turn of events surprised no one present.
The Pure Spirit Jade Pendant recording demon evil's aura is not simply a record—it can also capture a mark of a demon evil's power for later summoning.
What Dongfang Zhao had just done was to fully release that imprint of power.
"Now I ask you—County Magistrate Zhao Fang of Lin'an City, has he already betrayed humanity to the demon evil!" Dongfang Zhao's voice rang out like a thunderclap, shaking the hall and piercing the very souls of those within.
Blood Soul stood motionless, then suddenly let out a shrill, miserable scream and vanished utterly.
Zhuang Mingyuan's vacant face contorted in fierce struggle, and he had just spat out one word: "Yes—"
Before the word was finished,
his insubstantial form also vanished.
Yet the countenances of the attending Defender Envoys had become utterly dark.
From Zhuang Mingyuan's lips, they had received the answer they needed.