Chapter 1200: Devil Hunting
Tang Longfei, Lady Shura, and the Overlord Legion members had grown by leaps and bounds in the last several years. When Xiang Shaoyun had first left the Dragon Phoenix Academy, Tang Longfei was still a fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator but was now at the eighth stage. On average, he had advanced a stage per year, which was an incredible speed.
He might not be the most remarkable among the many genius disciples, but he was firmly settled in the upper-middle position in terms of strength. He looked much more heroic than before and had the aura of a leader. This was how the Overlord Legion's deputy commander should look like.
Lady Shura had grown even faster. She was initially a bit weaker than Tang Longfei, but she had caught up and was now at peak seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm, a step away from the eighth stage.
According to Tang Longfei, his cultivation might be higher, but the two were evenly matched in combat. From that, it was obvious how solid Lady Shura's foundations were. As she grew in strength, her figure had become much more voluptuous than before. Even with a mask on, she could still evoke the most primal instincts in any man.
Apart from the two, familiar faces like Shang Jifeng, Ma Qihao, Pan Yun and Shou Xie had also come. With his incredible talent, Shang Jifeng had also reached eighth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. His entire person looked incredibly graceful and ethereal, like someone born from the wind.
Ma Qihao was a fierce general who had caught Xiang Shaoyun's eyes in the past. He had also grown considerably, reaching the seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm. As for Pan Yun, he had surprised Xiang Shaoyun. This kid had actually become a ninth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator and was now the strongest of the bunch. A harmless and amiable smile constantly hung on Pan Yun's face.
As for Shou Xie, his cultivation level was the lowest. He was only a peak fourth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator, and his growth had been much slower than them. He had initially qualified to enter the Dragon Phoenix Academy through his talent as a beast tamer. However, his cultivation talent was, in fact, one of the worst among the many disciples. Of course, he could still protect himself well with the peak Demon Emperors guarding him at all times.
Everyone else had also grown considerably. Even the weakest among them was a fifth-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator. From this group of people, one could witness the wonder of the top geniuses of the new generation.
All of them were younger than 40. Their cultivation levels were absolutely amazing for their age. Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed to see the Overlord Legion. However, he was confused to see the people from the Bloodsin City Hall.
He personally invited them all into the grand hall. Inside, Tang Longfei said impatiently, "Overlord, you left alone and became a king here. What a carefree life you're living."
Tang Longfei wasn't being sarcastic; there was envy in his voice.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled and said, "If you want to do the same, you can, Big Brother Tang. Our Ziling Sect will always welcome you. I'm only afraid that Uncle Tang will not agree to it."
"Speaking of my father, let me first apologize to you on my father's behalf," said Tang Longfei with a bow.
Xiang Shaoyun hurriedly dashed off the main seat and held Tang Longfei up as he said, "Big Brother Tang, what do you mean by this? I can't accept this apology."
"I heard everything from my old man. When you were retaking the Ziling Sect, the city hall had sent some helpers over. However, they had deserted the sect during the battle, and they have all been punished. However, my old man is still ashamed of it, and he feels extremely guilty," said Tang Longfei seriously.
Xiang Shaoyun patted Tang Longfei's shoulder and said, "I will feel ashamed if that's how Uncle Tang feels. Back then, if it wasn't for his people, how could I have taken back the sect? They might have subsequently deserted, but their actions are understandable. Di Batian was too powerful. I almost died myself! If I had known this is how Uncle Tang feels, I would have visited him long ago to offer my apologies. I have been too busy, so I haven't had the chance to visit Bloodsin City."
"Whatever, I don't really care. My old man was the one who failed to provide enough help. We're here for something else. I wonder if you're willing to leave retirement, Overlord?" asked Tang Longfei.
"Tell me more. Why did you all travel this far?" asked Xiang Shaoyun.
"There are signs that an army is going to charge out of the Devil Domain. All four academies have sent their elites to the Devil Domain. On the one hand, it is to train their disciples, but on the other hand, they want to snatch a certain treasure that had appeared on the third level of the Devil Domain—the devilsand," said Tang Longfei.
"Is this the same devilsand used to forge a devilish body?" asked Xiang Shaoyun, his interest piqued.
"Exactly. I hear that one can undergo a devilish transformation to forge a powerful body by refining the devilsand. It is effective even for Sovereigns, so this devilsand is very valuable," said Tang Longfei with a nod.
Xiang Shaoyun gave it some thought and asked, "That's interesting. But you guys can fight for it. Why do you want me? Are you requesting my protection?"
The devilsand wasn't as attractive to Xiang Shaoyun since he already had a pseudo-saint body. The devilsand might not have much of an effect on him.
At this time, Ma Qihao interrupted, "Overlord, we are inviting you not because we want your protection but because we want you to become one of the top-100 devil hunters in this Devil Hunting Expedition."
"Devil Hunting Expedition? What's that?" asked Xiang Shaoyun in astonishment.
Tang Longfei said, "The Devil Hunting Expedition is an expedition organized by the city hall as requested by the higher-ups. This expedition is jointly organized by the city hall and the four academies. The expedition will last for three years, and all participants will be ranked based on the number of devils they killed. To demonstrate the might of our race, numerous tier-8 organizations have offered generous rewards for the top-100 devil hunters. Among the rewards, there might even be treasures that can help one become a Saint.
"Only those below the Saint Realm can participate in the expedition. Everyone can join regardless of whether one is a member of the four academies. As long as you're a human, you are free to join. The competition will be stiff. You wouldn't want to miss out on something this major, right?"
Instead of replying immediately, Xiang Shaoyun sank into thought. He wasn't too interested in this Devil Hunting Expedition. He had killed so many devils in his past life that he was one of the top-10 names on the stele.
In this lifetime, he had devil blood flowing in his veins. He never cared much for it, but he didn't know if he would attract the Imperial Nether Clan's attention if he entered the Devil Domain again.
Tang Longei's following words, however, changed his mind and steeled his resolve to join the expedition.