He glanced at the panel.
The Slaughter Value had risen from four to six.
Clearly, that recent slash had not only shattered the Illusory Realm but had also inflicted some damage on the Demon Evil.
The rise in Slaughter Value undoubtedly proved this point.
At the same time, it made Shen Changqing realize that he did not need to slay a Demon Evil to earn Slaughter Value; merely inflicting certain damage could also yield the corresponding amount.
Back in the Demon-Subduing Prison, when he garnered Slaughter Value from the remnants of Demon Evils, he had already somewhat confirmed this.
To earn Slaughter Value, slaying Demon Evils wasn’t the only path.
The long saber hung down, its tip lightly touching the ground, as Shen Changqing made no move to act further.
The Demon Evil had launched an attack, so it would certainly not stop there.
From the direct confrontation just now, that Demon Evil’s strength was at most Ghostly Level, and it was even weaker by several degrees than the one from Guyue Village.
Even before his breakthrough, Shen Changqing was confident he could have cut down the opponent with his saber.
Now that he had achieved his Innate breakthrough, he cared even less about a mere Ghostly Level Fiend.
What Shen Changqing worried about were not Ghostly Level Fiends; he was concerned that the Eternal Alliance might send Strange Monsters stronger than Ghostly Level to attack.
To put it bluntly, he had only just broken through to the Innate realm.
Although the transformation of his Pure Yang True Qi had greatly enhanced its suppressive effect against Demon Evils.
But if a powerful Resentment Level Monster attacked, Shen Changqing was not entirely sure he could handle it.
That slash had injured the Ghostly Level Fiend, and it would not easily strike a second time.
Time passed. Shen Changqing stood with his saber, his senses heightened to their maximum, observing every minor change in his surroundings.
Cold energy surged beside him.
Shen Changqing’s body suddenly moved, his long saber slashing out like thunder, heatwaves sweeping all around.
A pale hand met the saber head-on and was instantly repelled.
A shrill scream followed as the Demon Evil retreated.
Shen Changqing took a step forward, trying to pinpoint the Demon Evil’s position, but the enemy disappeared too quickly; by the time he arrived, he was grasping at air.
Damn it! he cursed silently.
Shen Changqing’s eyes were cold as he surveyed the changes around him.
The biggest problem with dealing with Demon Evils was their immaterial and elusive nature. As long as their host object wasn’t found, they were extremely difficult to handle.
Right now, there are only two ways to resolve this, Shen Changqing thought. Either I manage to slay it with a lightning-fast strike the next time it appears, or I need to find its host object. Beyond these two methods, there are no other options.
Shen Changqing was somewhat helpless.
The Demon Evil was indeed troublesome; without finding a weakness, one could only be passively beaten.
Currently, within his field of vision, there were many objects, none of which could be confirmed as the Demon Evil’s host.
Furthermore, the object the Demon Evil possessed did not necessarily have to be inside the Yamen; it might even be outside.
Based on Shen Changqing’s understanding of Demon Evils, the range of influence of a Demon Evil’s Illusory Realm depended on its strength.
But the range of influence of a Ghostly Level Fiend’s Illusory Realm was at most around one to two thousand zhang, and its attack range was within one hundred zhang, absolutely not exceeding that.
Thus, the object possessed by the Demon Evil was definitely within one hundred zhang.
If it were not for the Yamen, Shen Changqing would even consider starting a fire to burn it down.
It’s either inside the Yamen or outside, but definitely not too far away, he mused. It’s a pity I can’t leave now. The Demon Evil’s attack on the Yamen is certainly aimed at the Zhao Family!
Shen Changqing steeled his heart. Now it was a battle of attrition.
As long as he didn’t leave this place, the Demon Evil had no chance of succeeding in its jailbreak—assuming, of course, that no stronger Demon Evils appeared.
At this moment, his mind was fully focused, his Pure Yang True Qi circulating and pervading every limb and bone, elevating his state to its peak.
Shen Changqing was waiting, waiting for an opportunity to land a fatal blow.
Before breaking through to the Innate level, he didn’t possess such strength, but after the breakthrough, the transformation of the Pure Yang True Qi was completely different.
As long as the timing was right, even if he couldn’t find the object the Demon Evil was possessing, he could potentially slay it.
After the brief engagement, the scene quieted down once again.
Shen Changqing stood at the entrance to the jail like an iron tower, no longer moving easily.
Not long after, his ears twitched slightly at a faint sound, followed by a surge of Yin energy beside him.
But this time, Shen Changqing made no move, letting the Yin energy approach—
However, as the Yin energy neared to within three feet of his body, it suddenly dispersed as if it had never existed.
A probe! Shen Changqing sneered inwardly.
After the previous exchange, the Demon Evil sensed his strength and now dared not attack rashly, only daring to test him briefly.
After one fruitless disturbance, the place quickly returned to calm.
「Not even a quarter of an hour had passed.」
A noisy commotion arose from the other side of the Yamen, causing quite a stir.
Shen Changqing grasped his long saber and watched coldly in the other direction, where bursts of firelight flickered, indicative of a battle occurring.
A feint to the east while striking to the west!
Or is it the ’encircle Wei to rescue Zhao’ tactic?
He couldn’t be sure. Now, alone and seemingly outmatched, he could either stay here to ensure the Demon Evil couldn’t break the prisoners out of jail, or abandon the Zhao Family members and rush to rescue the others.
Just then, a person ran over in a panic.
"My lord, something has happened!"
"What happened?" Shen Changqing looked at the staggering Hong Cheng, his eyebrows furrowing again.
The Hong Cheng before him had no blood on him; his face looked panicked, but for some reason, there seemed to be something off about him.
Wait a minute! Something’s off!
Shen Changqing was shocked and without thinking, he slashed his saber toward Hong Cheng.
The supposedly panicked Hong Cheng revealed a sinister smile, then dodged the saber attack. His calloused palms sprouted sharp nails and stabbed toward Shen Changqing’s chest.
Shen Changqing was furious. He didn’t withdraw his saber to parry but struck with his other hand instead. A fierce gust of palm wind howled out and collided violently with the attacker’s palm.
The tremendous force shattered the nails, and the overpowering strength twisted the arm grotesquely.
’Hong Cheng’ was thrown back. Even as his arm twisted into a grotesque shape, with pale bones jutting out through the ruptured skin, his face showed no sign of pain—only shock as he looked back at Shen Changqing.
"Resentment Level Monster!"
Shen Changqing uttered the words, his voice as cold as the depths of winter.
His worst fears had been realized.
The Eternal Alliance had not only sent a Demon Evil to stage a jailbreak but had also deployed a Resentment Level Monster.
A Resentment Level Monster could not only inhabit inanimate objects but could also directly possess living people, controlling their every action.
The Hong Cheng before him was clearly possessed.
Including the original Ghostly Level Fiend, there were now two Demon Evils within the Yamen.
Kill! With no further words, Shen Changqing stepped out and lunged straight for ’Hong Cheng’.
The long saber cleaved through the air!