Chapter 51: The Demon of the Eternal Life Alliance (Eighth Update)

The battle had already begun within the Zhang residence.

Facing numerous corpse puppets, Shen Changqing showed no fear. With every step he took, flashes of blade light erupted, and with every flash, a head fell to the ground.

Though the corpse puppets were troublesome, they were no match for a martial artist approaching the Outer Astral Realm. This was especially true since Shen Changqing knew their weaknesses, making them even easier to deal with.

Almost every strike of his blade landed accurately on the necks of the puppets. Although the blade had been corroded and lost some of its usual sharpness while slaying Zhuang Mingyuan earlier, under the coverage of his True Qi, it could still cut through iron like mud.

The flesh and blood of the corpse puppets stood no chance of resistance.

The battle began quickly, and it ended just as swiftly.

In just a brief moment, a pile of corpses had collapsed in the main hall. Every corpse had been decapitated; their bodies were severely decayed, looking nothing like fresh corpses. A nauseating stench filled the air.

Shen Changqing looked at the chaotic Zhang residence, his expression unchanged.

"The Zhang family members are merely corpse puppets. I want to see exactly what kind of demon is pulling the strings behind them!"

To exterminate an entire family and refine their corpses into puppets was a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations under the laws of the Great Qin. In fact, as long as one was involved with evil spirits, there were few laws that did not mandate the extermination of nine generations.

As his perception expanded, Shen Changqing stood still, searching for the location of the demon. The Zhang residence was covered by special means to shield that sinister aura, but once one entered the estate, they had effectively broken through that barrier. No matter how deeply the demon hid, there would inevitably be minute traces leaking out; it was only a matter of whether he could find them.

Suddenly, an eerie wind swept in from behind.

Shen Changqing spun around and unleashed a slash, catching sight of a disheveled figure retreating.

"That freak again!"

He immediately recognized the identity of the entity attempting to ambush him—it was the same Eerie-grade freak that had ambushed him at the yamen that night.

By now, Shen Changqing was certain. The evil spirit that had attacked him that night had indeed originated from the Zhang family—or more accurately, from the demon hiding within it. The fact that the Eerie-grade freak was now attempting an ambush proved that his killing of the corpse puppets had not escaped the demon's notice.

Even so, the opponent had not revealed themselves easily. This suggested that the strength of the hidden demon was formidable.

Remaining stationary, Shen Changqing expanded his perception, trying to locate the source of the sinister aura.

Suddenly, his body moved.

He slashed his long blade toward an empty space, only to see a female corpse manifest. The Heavenly Martial True Qi coating the blade burned with a heat like raging flames, instantly tearing the female corpse in half.

As the female corpse was slain, a familiar aura surged through the blade and into Shen Changqing's body. Simultaneously, a cold, sharp presence sliced through the air, lunging at his back. The speed of the assassination suggested the attacker had been waiting on the sidelines, merely looking for the perfect opportunity.

With no time to turn around, the Heavenly Martial True Qi in his dantian erupted.

*Buzz—*

A thin layer of Astral Qi rose from his body, enveloping him entirely.

*Bang!!*

The fierce attack collided violently with the Astral Qi. After a half-second pause, the Astral Qi was torn apart. Shen Changqing seized this opportunity to turn, slashing his blade with lightning speed, forcing a dark shadow to retreat.

"A demon from the Eternal Life Alliance!"

He pointed his blade toward the ground, his gaze fixed on the person before him.

It was an old man dressed in black, appearing as withered as a corpse. Aside from his face, his exposed skin was covered in blue-black scales, and a long, thin tail covered in backward-facing barbs swayed slowly behind him. This appearance had completely transcended the realm of humanity.

As Shen Changqing stared at him, the old man stared back coldly. His narrow, slit-like eyes held a gaze as chilling as a venomous snake.

"Innate Outer Astral!?"

The Astral Qi that had just risen filled Wen Rong with great dread. The Resentful-grade freak sent by the Eternal Life Alliance had been lost at the yamen, which had given him a good understanding of Shen Changqing's strength. He had thought the trainee Demon Slayer sent by the Demon Suppression Division was not a true trainee, but a hidden Profound-rank Demon Slayer at the Innate Inner Astral realm.

But now—

Recalling the Astral Qi that had blocked his attack, Wen Rong instantly overturned his previous assumption. Innate Inner Astral? That was merely a facade! The opponent's true realm was that of an Innate Outer Astral powerhouse; any higher would make him a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

It was clearly impossible for the Demon Suppression Division to send a Profound-rank Demon Slayer just because of an Eerie-grade freak in Gu Yue Village; even if they had ample manpower, there was no reason for it to be that excessive.

In an instant, Wen Rong connected the dots.

"He came for me!"

An Eerie-grade freak could not attract a Profound-rank Demon Slayer, but an Eternal Life Alliance stronghold certainly could. He had thought he was hiding well within the Zhang family, but it seemed he had been exposed to the Demon Suppression Division long ago. Everything the opponent had done previously was merely a ruse to lure him out. Furthermore, even if he hadn't come out, this Zhang family stronghold would have been wiped out sooner or later.

"The Zhang family members were refined into corpse puppets by you. What is the purpose of your stronghold in Lin'an City? Is it for demon blood, or something else? If you speak, I might consider giving you a way to live."

As Shen Changqing locked his perception onto Wen Rong, he voiced his suspicions.

"You'll find out once you're dead!"

Wen Rong grinned savagely and lunged at Shen Changqing the next instant. The moment he moved, the previously subtle sinister aura erupted violently. The concealment methods laid out in the Zhang residence were instantly shattered by the surge of evil energy.

Outside the Zhang residence, Cui Cheng and the others all turned pale the moment the sinister aura exploded.

"This sinister aura is so powerful!"

"It's incredibly strong—stronger than the evil spirit in Gu Yue Village. It might be Resentful-grade!"

"There really was an evil spirit hiding in the Zhang house!"

Everyone's expression was grim. They were unaware that the Zhang family had methods to hide the aura; the current explosion was actually a weakened version. Even so, the aura sent shivers down their spines.

Through the half-open doors, they could only see glimpses of the courtyard, but they could not see what was happening in the main hall. Now that the sinister aura had erupted, no one dared to approach. Without entering the house, they could not see the internal situation.

Zhao Yue's face paled slightly, the aura making her heart race. "Senior Brother, will Lord Shen be alright?"

"Even if Lord Shen hasn't broken through to the Innate realm, he is definitely at the peak of the Meridian Opening realm. Although the evil aura is strong, it is likely only at the boundary between Meridian Opening and Innate. Even if Lord Shen cannot defeat it, he will have no problem escaping. Since he told us to guard here and entered alone, he must be absolutely certain."

Cui Cheng explained casually, though he didn't entirely believe his own words. Evil spirits were difficult to deal with. When a martial artist and an evil spirit were of equal realm, the latter had a much higher chance of winning. Moreover, there was a possibility that the evil spirit in the Zhang house was at the Innate realm. If it were at the Meridian Opening realm, they could still have a chance by swarming it, but if it were Innate, ten late-stage Meridian Opening practitioners would merely be providing it with a better meal.

Therefore, until the situation was certain, Cui Cheng had no intention of risking his life. He wasn't the only one; the people from the other factions had the same thought. According to Shen Changqing's instructions, they only needed to guard the perimeter; whatever happened inside was unknown to them. If he truly died at the hands of an evil spirit, they would have an excuse when the Demon Suppression Division demanded accountability. As long as they were acting reasonably, the Division could not kill them arbitrarily. Everyone had their own backing, and if the Division killed people recklessly, it would cause negative repercussions in the martial world.

While the Demon Suppression Division was indeed known for killing ruthlessly, the people they killed and the factions they destroyed always had a justifiable reason.

Hearing their conversation, Zhang Yue, the head constable, also looked tense. Although Shen Changqing was currently the acting County Magistrate, he was the protector of the yamen; he had single-handedly repelled evil spirit attacks on the yamen recently. If he fell at the Zhang residence, the yamen's position would become very awkward. Furthermore, Zhang Yue had been promoted by Shen Changqing himself; if the man died too quickly, his own position as head constable would be unstable.

Regardless of how he looked at it, Zhang Yue did not want anything to happen to Shen Changqing. But as a mere Body Tempering realm martial artist, he had no right to interfere in matters involving evil spirits, so he could only watch. Regarding Cui Cheng and the others, Zhang Yue knew they were famous martial world factions from Guangyuan Prefecture, and he, a lowly constable, could not command them.

*Bang!*

*Bang!!*

In the main hall, two figures moving like ghosts were locked in combat, alternating between piercing blade light and surging waves of heat.

Shen Changqing used the Seven Kills Blade Technique for normal attacks and the Iron Sand Palm for close-quarters combat, pushing his Heavenly Martial Astral Qi to its limit. However, the demon before him was not weak; by now, Shen Changqing had sustained several wounds.

Similarly, Wen Rong was now covered in numerous injuries. At this moment, he was almost certain that Shen Changqing had not actually reached the Innate Outer Astral realm, but had instead practiced a technique that allowed for the external projection of Astral Qi, which had deceived him.

"If my injuries had not yet healed, how could I have let you act so arrogantly!"