Chapter 58: Too Quiet

The mass grave had existed for many years.

If the bodies of many commoners had no proper place for burial, they would ultimately be chosen to be interred here.

Over the long years, no one knew exactly how many corpses were buried within this mass grave.

Now, under the contamination of the demon's essence blood, those corpses had all transformed into corpse puppets, crawling back out from their graves.

"Fortunately, not all corpses can turn into corpse puppets. Only those that are relatively intact can undergo the transformation; otherwise, the number of corpse puppets would increase drastically."

Shen Changqing unsheathed his long saber, slaying a lunging corpse puppet.

Although the number of puppets crawling up was significant, it had not yet reached a level of despair.

In his estimation, the powerhouse who had sealed the demon's essence blood here likely never imagined that this place would one day become a mass grave.

"This place is under my jurisdiction. Since when has it been the turn for evil spirits to run rampant!"

Shen Changqing gave a cold shout. As he stepped forward, his saber qi erupted, instantly tearing through the air and decapitating over a dozen corpse puppets in an instant.

"External projection of Qi!"

This scene was witnessed directly by the others, sending a chill through their hearts.

External projection of Qi!

That was the standard for experts in the Xiantian External Qi realm.

While some martial arts techniques could allow a martial artist to achieve a similar effect before reaching the External Qi realm, who could be certain that this Lord Shen was not an expert of the Xiantian External Qi realm?

Amidst their shock, they also felt a great deal more relief.

The large number of corpse puppets had placed considerable pressure on these members of the martial arts world. Now that a Xiantian External Qi expert was present, the puppets were no longer a major problem.

Shen Changqing did not care about their thoughts.

In any case, his breakthrough to the Xiantian realm could no longer be hidden. However, with the Heavenly Martial Qi in his body, he had a way to account for himself to the Demon Suppression Division. As long as he did not deliberately expose himself, no one would know he had already become a Xiantian External Qi martial artist.

Due to the unique characteristics of the Heavenly Martial Qi, one could project Qi externally upon breaking through to the Xiantian realm.

Shen Changqing's intervention was a morale booster.

Immediately, the speed at which the others killed the corpse puppets increased significantly.

In less than half an hour, not a single corpse puppet crawled out of the canyon abyss again. The slain puppets were all thrown back to where they came from.

At this moment, a bloody light surged upward.

A sound like the low, angry roar of a giant beast echoed incessantly through the canyon abyss, causing everyone's expression to change.

It was coming out!

Sheathing his long saber, Shen Changqing's hand instinctively rested on the hilt. His gaze was solemn, and he did not dare to relax his mind for even a moment.

The strength of a demon was not something ordinary ghosts and monsters could compare to. He could not be certain just how powerful a single drop of unrestricted demon essence blood could be. From the preceding earthquake to the resurrection of the dead, the extraordinary nature of the essence blood was evident.

Following this, Shen Changqing's gaze swept over Cui Cheng and the others one by one. Even at his cultivation level, he felt immense pressure.

Could these martial artists, who were merely at the Meridian Opening realm, truly have the means to subdue the demon's essence blood?

Regarding this, Shen Changqing harbored great suspicion.

The scene was silent, save for the continuous, roaring bellows.

Before long, a green blood sphere the size of a person's fist rose from the canyon abyss. The eyes of everyone present were involuntarily drawn to it. Looking closely, one could see red light intertwining within the green sphere. The soul-shaking roars were emanating from within the blood sphere.

"Move!"

Someone shouted first, and immediately, people began charging toward the green blood sphere.

Their purpose for coming here was specifically for the demon's essence blood. Now that it had appeared, no one could restrain their impulses. As soon as the first person moved, a second and third followed in the next breath.

Even Cui Cheng, Ming Zhengyang, and the others could not maintain calm expressions.

"The demon's essence blood belongs to my Guiyuan Sword Sect. No one can snatch it!"

Cui Cheng drew his long sword, its cold light reflecting as he aimed directly at the martial artist closest to the essence blood.

At the same time, Ming Zhengyang stepped forward, his figure appearing to flicker like a shadow, vanishing from his original position in an instant. In the next breath, he appeared near the essence blood, his folding fan thrusting out like a long sword, the sharp wind causing people to turn pale.

"The Guiyuan Sword Sect wants to monopolize the demon's essence blood? That is a bit too presumptive. This essence blood belongs to my Seven Luminaries Sect. If you all can show some respect, I, Ming, will ensure the Seven Luminaries Sect repays you handsomely in the future!"

"Whatever reward the Seven Luminaries Sect can offer, my Heavenly Saber Sect will double it. Why not leave the essence blood to me!"

Xiao Bo laughed loudly. The long saber on his back was unsheathed, and an unparalleled, sharp saber qi erupted, instantly slicing through the air.

Before the demon's essence blood appeared, the members of these great sects had maintained some restraint. Now that it had truly manifested, they had no more reservations.

A chaotic melee erupted instantly!

Everyone wanted the essence blood, which meant there was no possibility of a peaceful resolution among those present.

Shen Changqing took two steps back, silently watching the crowd fight for the essence blood, with no intention of intervening himself.

As he had said at the beginning, the demon's essence blood was precious, but only relatively so. In the eyes of other factions, the essence blood was incredibly valuable, but in the eyes of the Demon Suppression Division, while still precious, it was not something they absolutely had to possess.

"The martial arts movements of the Seven Luminaries Sect appear relatively gentle, carrying a certain Confucian flavor. I heard that the founder of the Seven Luminaries Sect was originally a great scholar in the imperial court. It seems the rumors were true!"

Shen Changqing's gaze fell upon Ming Zhengyang. Among everyone present, his strength was the highest. By comparison, even the two from the Heavenly Saber Sect, who also had a Grandmaster overseeing them, were a notch below Ming Zhengyang.

While the strength of a sect does not entirely represent the strength of its disciples, a stronger sect possesses deeper foundations. Consequently, those who grow up there are much stronger than average.

If one were to rank everyone present, Ming Zhengyang would be in the first tier, the two from the Heavenly Saber Sect in the second tier, and the disciples of the remaining sects would struggle between the second and third tiers. The remaining rogue martial artists would all fall below the third tier.

Martial combat is a struggle between life and death. Especially now, under the bewitchment of the demon's essence blood, everyone's killing intent had been invisibly amplified, causing people to fall dead shortly after the battle began.

Suddenly, a cold aura permeated the surroundings.

Shen Changqing's expression changed slightly. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes, flying backward like a great bird, instantly moving out of the range of the essence blood.

Just as he retreated, a sudden mist rose before his eyes. The previously clear view instantly became blurred.

"Evil spirits!"

Having killed several evil spirits himself, Shen Changqing had become sensitive to their aura. When he first saw the demon's essence blood, he had harbored some doubts. If they were fighting for the essence blood, why had the evil spirits not made a move despite so many martial artists being present?

Previously, Shen Changqing had attributed this to the fact that he had slain all the evil spirits sent by the Eternal Life Alliance. But he had not expected that the evil spirits actually had a hidden move.

Now, the area of the mass grave where the struggle for the essence blood was occurring was covered in mist, and the mist showed signs of spreading outward.

With his keen perception, Shen Changqing could detect a powerful sense of danger within the mist. Therefore, after initially retreating from the mist, he did not pause; he performed several light leaps and left the mass grave entirely.

"The evil spirits appeared at the mass grave for the demon's essence blood. Then what about Lin'an City? I fear those many commoners are also being coveted by the evil spirits—"

Shen Changqing did not stop, rushing toward Lin'an City. If evil spirits appeared at the mass grave, it was highly likely they would also appear in Lin'an City. He had not forgotten his mission, which was primarily to guard Lin'an City. If Lin'an City were occupied by evil spirits, his mission would be a failure.

Furthermore, even if it weren't for the mission, Shen Changqing had no reason to allow so many commoners to perish at the hands of evil spirits when he had the power to prevent it.

"The evil spirits at the mass grave pose a threat to me; there must be a Resentment-grade monster present, possibly one, possibly more. Moreover, the mass grave itself is a place of buried corpses, making it unsuitable for a confrontation for now. As for those martial artists, it's up to their luck—"

Shen Changqing thought to himself. To be honest, he did not believe Cui Cheng and the others had much chance of survival. After all, even someone at the Xiantian External Qi level felt threatened; the fate of those who hadn't even reached the Xiantian realm was predictable.

However, since they dared to fight for the demon's essence blood, they had to accept the consequences. Moreover, compared to the commoners of Lin'an City, those martial artists were expendable.

Thus, Shen Changqing retreated, and he did so decisively. The evil spirits at the mass grave seemed to sense how troublesome he was, as they made no attempt to stop him during his retreat.

It did not take long for Shen Changqing to return to Lin'an City. The earthquake had ended, and following his previous orders, all commoners had returned to their homes to take shelter, leaving the once crowded streets empty. The entire city even exuded a different kind of tranquility.

The earthquake had occurred at noon, but he had been delayed for a long time at the mass grave. By the time Shen Changqing returned, although it was not yet night, the sun had already set, and the darkness of the sky had begun to descend.

Walking along the quiet streets, Shen Changqing gripped the hilt of his saber tightly with his right hand. His gaze was calm as he walked steadily toward the yamen.

It was too quiet!

The surrounding environment was excessively silent. The streets, which were not particularly long, seemed to have no end in his eyes.