The Devils Have Come!!

Qi Lin had only joined the Divine Strategy Manor yesterday.

And this list should have been settled long ago.

That was why he had appeared after Xiao Yao'er, who had been saved for last.

"Will I have any compatibility with the devil bone?"

Qi Lin felt he was the only person present who did not already know the outcome.

He rose and stepped onto the platform.

Everyone's eyes were on him, scrutinizing him.

The young empress also raised her head and watched him silently.

"Lady Shen."

Qi Lin nodded to Shen Xintang.

Having heard that she was Master Fu's first love, Qi Lin couldn't help taking another look at her. He found her truly valiant and beautiful, a woman who inspired respect.

But for some reason, Qi Lin felt she was acting strangely today...

A little like a walking corpse!

"Begin the test,"

Shen Xintang said.

"All right."

Qi Lin squeezed out a drop of blood and let it fall onto the devil bone.

The devil bone trembled slightly.

Half a segment lit up.

"That barely counts as low compatibility."

Shen Xintang glanced at it, then said to Qi Lin, "If you obtain a devil bone of your own, you can try to forge a Demon-Slaying Blade. Your chance of success will be about ten percent."

"Understood."

Qi Lin understood what she meant.

He had actually passed the test!

Of course, he had only just scraped through.

In the future, he would have a ten percent chance of becoming a devil-banishing master.

With a result like this... those who had failed would not envy Qi Lin. After all, it was practically nothing.

And those who had passed, even with only low compatibility, would look down on him all the more.

Qi Lin quietly returned to his seat.

"Congratulations."

Just then, the words of congratulations came from beside him, completely out of the blue.

Qi Lin turned his head and saw the young empress looking at him. She gave him a faint smile.

That smile was all too rare.

It was like a ray of morning sunlight falling on his eyes.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Try to become a devil-banishing master."

"Mm."

"It's only a suggestion. You can refuse."

Hearing that, Qi Lin patted the black wooden sword and the Azure Soul Sword at his waist.

"Your Majesty, I really am one Demon-Slaying Blade short."

"Three swords for one person? Not bad."

The young empress glanced at him again, then quietly listened to the lesson.

On the platform.

"Students who passed the devil bone test may, upon obtaining a devil bone and successfully forging a Demon-Slaying Blade, register as devil-banishing masters at the Demon-Slaying Headquarters."

Shen Xintang's voice sounded somewhat mechanical.

"Yes."

The forty-two students who had passed gave a scattered response.

"The lesson will begin."

Shen Xintang proceeded directly to the next part.

Perhaps because the main event was over, the three hundred-odd Divine Strategy students had lost interest. Though they remained in their seats, their minds had wandered far away.

Qi Lin, however, listened attentively!

"Devils, also known as Prison Devils, exist in the Nine Nether Purgatory."

"The Nine Nether Purgatory is said to lie on the reverse side of the Divine Scion Continent. Others say it is in another spacetime. To this day, neither claim can be verified."

Shen Xintang spoke in a flat tone, as though trying to finish her task quickly.

"In the Nine Nether Purgatory, there are dozens of devil bloodlines: Chi, Mei, Wang, Liang, Ba, Xiao, Kui, Ji, Yu, Piao, Xu, Qi, Qi, Ji, Mei, and others. Each bloodline is isolated from the others, forming a clan and lineage of its own."

"Of these, four types of devil are the most common, each with a vast population."

"These four types are Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang."

Only then did Qi Lin understand.

It turned out that the Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang the elders often spoke of were the devils of the Nine Nether Purgatory.

Grandpa Yang Ting said he fought for the kingdom, but at his level, I doubt he even made it into the real Nine Nether Purgatory.

Shen Xintang continued her lesson.

"The first type of devil: Chi."

"Chi, fully known as Yang Chi and commonly called Yang Devils, have perfect bodies. They are taller and larger than humans, possess complete souls and flesh, have high intelligence and few weaknesses, devour fire, and usually dwell in the furnaces of purgatory. They are the largest devil bloodline in the Nine Nether Purgatory. Most have fearsome appearances, with blue faces and fangs, and are bloodthirsty and lawless."

"The second type of devil: Mei."

"Mei, fully known as Yin Mei and commonly called Yin Devils, are close relatives of Yang Devils and look more like humans than any other devil. They have pale skin, and the females are stronger, tall, voluptuous, and alluring. Their physiques are balanced, and their clan has an aristocratic hierarchy and values etiquette and education. They wish to abandon devilish habits, yet are conflicted because they are not as strong as Yang Devils, and most are vassals of the Yang Devils. Many Yin Devils have also infiltrated the Divine Scion Continent, disguising themselves as humans and enchanting the people."

"The third type of devil: Wang."

"Wang, fully known as Heart Wang and commonly called Heart Devils, are said to be the weakest devils. They are extremely unbalanced, with bodies shorter and smaller than humans' and very large heads. They are relatively few in number and keep a very low profile, hiding among Yang Devil populations. In truth, however, Heart Devils are extraordinarily intelligent. Their physical abilities are poor, but their souls are powerful. They excel at beguilement and calculation, and are extremely sinister."

"There is also a fourth common devil bloodline: Liang."

"Liang, fully known as Giant Liang and commonly called Giant Devils, are an unusual type of devil. They have the largest bodies, commonly standing more than twice a person's height, and possess powerful flesh. Though not very intelligent, they are exceedingly brutal and feed on humans, earning them the name Devouring Devils. They once fought the Yang Devils for supremacy and were defeated."

"There are also Curse Devils, Witch Devils, Nether Devils, Blood Devils, Night Devils, Mountain Devils, and other groups. They are uncommon in our Great Cang Kingdom, so I will not go into detail."

Though Shen Xintang's account was brief, judging from Great Cang's present state, Qi Lin could still sense the vast numbers and terror of these Prison Devil bloodlines.

Gods, chained since antiquity, swallow the sun and moon; devils, imprisoned in purgatory, bury the Nine Nether... That was the couplet that appeared on the Divine Prison's black wooden sword.

There are Symbol Gods, King Gods, Wandering Gods, and False Gods. They are listed in the Myriad Gods Sacrificial Canon and all seem to be recorded there, and most are individuals.

But devils actually come in vast clans and hordes?

That was something Qi Lin had not expected.

Still, whether it's individuals running rampant or brutal hordes, neither is easy to deal with.

In the human world now, high and low alike were suffering!

Shen Xintang continued her explanation:

"Devils and humans follow different cultivation systems. Devils cultivate blood primarily, with bone and flesh as secondary pursuits. With the exception of Heart Devils, almost all have formidable flesh."

"To most devils, human blood is like Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Prison Devils can increase their strength by offering human blood in cultivation. Thus, humans and devils have been enemies who cannot live under the same sky since ancient times. Devils are the diners, humans the blood meal. The battle for survival has existed since antiquity."

"Devils are semi-immortal beings, capable of being born from a drop of blood. Ordinary essence weapons cannot eradicate them... But! In the long history of our struggle, we discovered that some people are naturally compatible with devil bones. Using a devil bone as a foundation, supplemented by their own bloodline and forged in the Mother Devil Cauldron, they can create a Demon-Slaying Blade capable of killing any Prison Devil."

"Thus, devil-banishing masters were born, and humans and devils could counter one another!"

"Unfortunately, devil-banishing masters are still too few, while devils can withstand the Boundless Passage with their flesh and blood and kill without leaving a trace."

When she finished, the devil-slaying lecture finally gained some atmosphere.

As the students of the Divine Strategy Manor heard this bloody history recounted again, quite a few must have felt some hatred in their hearts.

And at this very moment, the human world was still part of that bloody history.

That bloody history was far from over.

"The Xiao Clan should grow stronger and produce more devil-banishing masters, so that the people of our Great Cang Kingdom will never again be threatened by Prison Devils!"

A young student spoke loudly, greatly excited.

"Do not disturb Lady Shen's lesson."

Xiao Qian smiled and gently admonished him.

"Yes!" The student nodded, then added in a low voice, "I support the Xiao Clan."

After that, the Hall of Law Enforcement fell silent.

On the platform, Shen Xintang stood motionless, her eyes gray-white, and continued:

"The so-called Boundless Passages are the passages connecting the Divine Scion Continent to the Nine Nether Purgatory. These passages are found throughout the world, and their locations change constantly. Only devils can open them. Devils can use the Boundless Passages to travel freely across the Divine Scion Continent, coming and going without a trace and bringing calamity to the people. They are extremely difficult to counter."

"The means by which devils open the Boundless Passages are Boundless Flags. Each Boundless Flag is black and red, only as large as a palm, and carries a devil's blood Qi."

"If any of you students see a Boundless Flag, you must withdraw as soon as possible and report it to the Demon-Slaying Headquarters..."

As Shen Xintang spoke, her voice gradually grew hoarse.

Below the platform, faint, almost imperceptible smiles curled the lips of the ten Xiao Clan experts.

Xiao Qian's smile was the widest of all.

"I hereby declare this devil-slaying lecture concluded."

Having said that, Shen Xintang turned around.

Below the platform, Xiao Qian murmured in a low, eerie voice, "Concluded? This lesson has only just begun."

Outside the Hall of Law Enforcement, thunder suddenly exploded, and rain poured down.

And on the platform inside the hall, devil Qi abruptly surged to the heavens!!!