Chapter 16

It has to be said.

Zhang Long and Zhao Fang's plan was flawless.

Because a powerful幽级诡怪 (Yōu-jí Guǐguài,幽-level monstrosity) could almost run rampant in the Tōngmài Realm.

As for the apprentice demon slayer,

at best, they would just be at the initial stage of the Tōngmài Realm.

Even if a few of them came, they would be no match for a powerful幽-level monstrosity, and the more likely outcome would be that they would be completely devoured by the monstrosity.

Unfortunately—

The situation was somewhat different from what the two had anticipated.

Firstly,

due to the loss of many personnel by the Demon Suppression Bureau recently, only Shen Changqing came, rather than the few apprentice demon slayers they had expected.

Secondly,

although Shen Changqing was an apprentice demon slayer, his true strength was already on par with the top Yellow Rank demon slayers.

Even more so,

he was even more powerful than the top Yellow Rank demon slayers.

With the Thirteen Protectors' Hard Qi at the 15th level and the Pure Yang Qi at the 8th level, his foundation was far beyond what an equivalent Tōngmài martial artist could compare to.

Especially the former.

External cultivation is easy to start, but to reach a profound level, it takes a considerable amount of time.

Almost no one would waste too much time on external cultivation.

However,

once external cultivation reaches a profound level, the power it can unleash is unimaginable.

Just like Zhang Long's sneak attack earlier.

That slash.

A normal Tōngmài martial artist would have been decapitated and killed.

But on Shen Changqing's body, it couldn't even scratch the surface.

This was the power of the Thirteen Protectors' Hard Qi.

"Zhang Long is dealt with, but the monstrosity in Guyue Village is still there. I need to think of a way to eliminate it!"

Shen Changqing glanced at Zhang Long's body briefly and then ignored it, returning to the original courtyard.

At this moment,

the courtyard hadn't changed much, but a strong chill was rising from all directions, at least twice as intense as when he first entered.

Without thinking,

Shen Changqing understood.

The monstrosity in the courtyard had been thoroughly enraged.

Suddenly,

a cold sensation crept up his back.

In an instant,

Shen Changqing turned and slashed with his saber, colliding with a pale hand.

The hand seemed to have no form, and upon touching the saber, it vanished as if it had never appeared.

But the saber, touched by the hand, felt as if it had plunged into an endless winter, with extreme cold sweeping over it, causing a light frost to form on the blade.

Pure Yang Qi burst forth.

The frost on the blade dissipated.

Soon, an overwhelming chill surged again, and a disheveled head suddenly rested on Shen Changqing's shoulder. When he turned his head, he met a greenish, rotting face.

Instantly,

goosebumps rose on his body.

Without hesitation,

Shen Changqing's Pure Yang Qi spread throughout his body, and he struck with his elbow. A shrill scream echoed in his ears, making his mind momentarily dazed.

In the next moment,

a pale hand shot from under his armpit, directly grabbing at his chest.

His clothes tore.

Bone-chilling cold exploded.

The flesh that had withstood Zhang Long's attacks without damage was now torn open by the monstrosity's attack.

The pain in his chest

made Shen Changqing's anger surge.

He struck with a palm, unleashing all eight layers of Pure Yang Qi, shattering the pale hand.

As the hand dissipated,

a greater chill surged from behind.

He stepped forward, his saber slicing backward from under his armpit, piercing something, and a shrill scream immediately echoed.

Soon,

the courtyard fell silent.

Shen Changqing stood with his saber, his gaze alert, scanning the surroundings, his senses at their peak, not missing any movement.

The wound on his chest had already scabbed over.

But the pain still lingered, a reminder of what had just happened.

"Truly troublesome!"

Shen Changqing sighed. This was his first time facing a monstrosity, and a powerful幽-level one at that.

Despite studying monstrosities for a long time in the library,

he found that the books still had some discrepancies with reality.

At this moment,

Shen Changqing fully understood the terrifying nature of powerful monstrosities.

Without mentioning anything else,

just that one attack earlier, if it had been a normal Tōngmài martial artist, their heart might have been ripped out.

Such a confrontation,

a single misstep could mean death.

"Whether it's a幽-level monstrosity or a怨-level monstrosity, they don't have a specific form. They must attach to something to survive!"

Shen Changqing thought about the monstrosity, his gaze scanning the courtyard.

Low-level monstrosities

have no form.

Because they have no form, they have a fatal weakness: they must attach to something.

Those things they attach to are their vital points.

If those things are destroyed,

even if the monstrosity isn't killed, it will be severely injured.

The problem is,

monstrosities can attach to many things, possibly a stone on the ground or some inconspicuous object. Finding the exact thing in such a large courtyard would not be easy.

"If I can't find what the monstrosity is attached to, it can keep attacking me without end. I might not be able to outlast it, and if this drags on, I will likely be the one to lose—"

Of course, Shen Changqing was confident that if he retreated, the monstrosity wouldn't be able to stop him.

Suddenly,

he stepped toward the room where he first encountered the attack.

As he reached the room's entrance,

Shen Changqing suddenly stopped, then changed direction and walked elsewhere.

In the courtyard,

chill spread.

A thick fog covered the area, blocking out the sun, making the surroundings seem like night.

But for Shen Changqing, he could see in the dark.

Even in the dim environment,

it didn't affect him much.

After changing directions several times, the monstrosity showed no movement, as if it had completely gone silent or disappeared.

But Shen Changqing knew,

the monstrosity was silently watching him from somewhere, having realized that he wasn't easy to deal with, and now dared not act rashly.

It was waiting.

For a suitable moment to strike.

Suddenly,

Shen Changqing changed direction again, sprinting toward the large tree in the courtyard.

Buzz—

Chill surged through the courtyard, and a shrill, piercing scream echoed, freezing the soul.

Two pale hands suddenly appeared, reaching for Shen Changqing's face and chest.

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