Demon Extermination Division

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Demon Extermination Division
Original Name	荡魔司
Affiliation	Great Zhou Imperial Court; one of Great Zhou's three divisions alongside the Dragon Martial Division and Heavenly Supervision Division 30
Occupation/Role	Exterminate demons within Great Zhou, suppress dangerous sects and aristocratic families, investigate demonic collusion, and defend against the Demon Race 30 83 445
Status	Active 624
First Appearance	Chapter 30

Background / History

The Demon Extermination Division was established when Great Zhou was founded roughly three thousand years earlier. After the first emperor drove powerful demons into the northwestern wilderness and built Demon Suppressing Pass, he ordered the Martial Saint Yu Jiucang to establish the Division, purge demons inside the realm, and suppress the martial world. This founding campaign became known as the Jiazi Demon Extermination 30.

For the following thousand years, Great Zhou experienced a prolonged period of stability. Demons were nearly absent from the realm, while demonic cults, evil sects, and major martial sects remained subdued by the Division's prestige 30.

That order later deteriorated amid disasters, rising demon activity, rampant cults, and wars between martial sects. The Division became severely understaffed; grassroots offices were generally limited to prefectural cities, leaving counties such as Black Stone County without permanent personnel 30.

The Division has repeatedly recovered from major setbacks. During the Black Mountain Old Demon's rebellion, it was forced underground in many areas; Chen Baxian later restored its standing by defeating the Old Demon. After the Five Families and Seven Sects expelled local offices from parts of Shannan Dao, Han Zheng's campaigns against the Song Family and other hostile forces again reasserted its authority 530.

Mandate and Authority

• Demon extermination — Hunts demons, investigates demonic disasters, and destroys organizations that collude with demons. Its founding mandate explicitly includes eliminating all demons within Great Zhou's territory 30 102.
• Suppression of the martial world — Maintains oversight of sects and aristocratic families, particularly those engaging in demon worship, mass murder, rebellion, or other threats to public order 83 102.
• Public deterrence — After exterminating a criminal martial force, the Division posts notices explaining its crimes to warn other factions and reassure civilians 122.
• Internal discipline — Inspectors investigate misconduct inside the Division itself; their status places them below Commanders but above circuit-level Commanders 236.
• Priority in investigations — During official cases, the Capital City's Division can require cooperation from all parties except the Dragon Martial Division and Heavenly Supervision Division 433.
• Pragmatic cultivation policy — A guard's cultivation style does not determine their loyalty. Members may practice Buddhist or demonic techniques so long as they do not harm innocents or betray the Division 100 450.

Organization

Personnel and recruitment

Most combat personnel are known as Profound Armor Guards or Black Armored Guards, named for their standard black profound armor 84.

Recruitment sources include:

• Elite martial artists selected from the military, whose loyalty to the Imperial Court is considered dependable 86.
• Talented prospects discovered by the Division and trained through the Reserve Camp 86.
• Relatives and disciples of Division veterans, including those deliberately sent to the Reserve Camp rather than recruited directly 86.
• Survivors of demon disasters; capable survivors may become Black Armored Guards, while others take administrative work 86.
• Collateral family members, illegitimate sons, and non-core sect disciples seeking resources and advancement 90.
• External demon slayers, who receive a token, may claim bounties and merit rewards, but are not formal guards and receive neither full benefits nor a salary 470.

Rank and insignia

Position / distinction	Requirements or duties	Identifying attire
Profound Armor Guard	Regular martial personnel of the Division	Black profound armor 84
Silver-patterned veteran	More than 500 merit points	Silver-patterned profound armor 84
Captain	Peak Xiantian Mortal Transformation cultivation, Water-Fire Immortal Robe, and more than 1,000 merit points	Golden-patterned profound armor 84
Demon Extermination Lieutenant	Profound Gang Realm; commands a headquarters camp or guards a small city or minor prefecture	Purple Gold Sky Wolf Armor 84
Garrison Captain	Dan Hai Realm; generally guards major prefectures and wider regions	Profound Gold Lion Devouring Armor 84
Commander	Yang Shen Realm Grandmaster	Crimson Gold Flying Bear Armor 84

At the Capital City level, the Division is described as having a Grand Commander above six Commanders, followed by the Commanders of Great Zhou's nineteen circuits. The Grand Governor leads the institution during Qi Zhangwu's tenure 236 422.

Shannan Dao branch

The Shannan Dao headquarters is located at the intersection of Kaiping Prefecture's two central avenues. Its black buildings cover nearly an entire street, resembling a small inner city 84.

• Chen Baxian — Shannan Dao Commander and Yang Shen Realm Grandmaster; later serves as Overall Garrison Commander of Demon Suppressing Pass 86 615.
• Xu Cunbao — Senior Garrison Captain who presides over major Shannan Dao matters when Chen Baxian is absent 86.
• Wen Tingyun — Core administrative figure in Shannan Dao; skilled in pharmacology, alchemy, formations, and artifact refining 84.
• Mountain Camp — A Shannan Dao camp formerly led by Yuan Longshan; Zhang Tianyang is later assigned to rebuild it 30 246.
• Kui Character Camp — The strongest camp in Shannan Dao, later placed under Han Zheng's command 246.
• Yu Character Camp — Guards Kaiping Prefecture and nearby key locations, monitoring sect activity and demonic incursions 84.

Capital City branch

The Capital City headquarters is a vast, fortified complex within the capital. Its resources—especially those of the Heavenly Craftsmen's Armory—exceed those available to local branches 418 414.

Qi Zhangwu, known within and outside the Division as the “King of Hell on Earth,” led a brutal internal purge that killed thousands of corrupt Black Armored Guards. The purge weakened the Division temporarily, enabling a major Demon Race assault on Demon Suppressing Pass 422.

Following the rebellion surrounding Ji Yuanfang, Emperor Ji Taichang appointed Han Zheng and Chen Baxian as Deputy Governors with full authority over the Division's affairs 624.

Facilities and Resources

• Treasury — Exchanges merit points for cultivation techniques, elixirs, spirit crystals, weapons, and other resources 84.
• Reserve Camp — Trains ordinary recruits before assignment to permanent camps; exceptional recruits may bypass it 84.
• Headquarters trophies — The demon carvings on Shannan Dao headquarters buildings are made from the actual bones of demons slain by the Division, rather than stone decorations 84.
• Monthly compensation — Personnel below Captain receive 500 taels of silver and one Spirit Gathering Pill each month; Captain-level personnel receive 1,000 taels and one Spirit Nurturing Pill 90.
• Heavenly Craftsmen's Armory — A Capital City resource regarded as a premier cultivation and equipment facility 414.

Major Operations

Period	Operation and outcome
Founding era	Conducted the Jiazi Demon Extermination, purging demons across Great Zhou and suppressing the martial world 30
Earlier history	Joined the Imperial Court's campaign to annihilate the Blood Demon Sect after the sect descended into mass slaughter and blood-refining practices 72 450
Shannan Dao	Exterminated the Danyang Sect after uncovering its kidnappings, Corpse Demon experiments, and demonic collusion 120 121
Shannan Dao	Pursued the Blood Wolf Bandits alongside local constables and martial factions; seventeen Division personnel were killed during the operation 123 133
Yanbo Prefecture	Han Zheng's arrival, victories, and distribution of spoils restored morale and loyalty among the local Black Armored Guards 176
Changlin Prefecture	Investigated a catastrophic demon breach that killed much of the local garrison and exposed suspected internal collusion 381 382
Capital City	Investigated the Armory Case, then pursued Blood Demon Sect remnants in Tianluo City through the Jing'an Guard 425 450 482
Capital City	Destroyed Black Feather Tower in less than half a day, intimidating other underground forces and improving public order 504
Shannan Dao rebellion	Countered a coalition seeking to kill Han Zheng and annihilate the Shannan Dao Division, using headquarters formations and allied forces 532 533 534
Demon Suppressing Pass	Deploys elite Demon Slaying Squads, whose leaders are Yang God Realm martial artists and whose members are True Core Realm Grandmasters; these squads defend the pass and conduct deep raids into the Land of Ten Thousand Demons 581

Internal Problems

• Understaffing — A recurring shortage of personnel limits its ability to maintain county-level offices, investigate sects thoroughly, and conduct large annihilation missions 30 102.
• Factional conflict — Shannan Dao developed a divide between a local faction led by figures such as Xu Cunbao and Wen Tingyun, and a Capital City faction led by transferred officials such as Wu Yunfei 250.
• Corruption — Officials including Qiao Xuan, Wu Yunfei, Pang Zhen, and Lu Tianfang are implicated in abuses or violations of Division rules 264 419.
• Demonic infiltration — The Taishan Prefecture headquarters was infiltrated by demons disguised as Black Armored Guards and human agents of the Black Mountain Old Demon 285.
• Political pressure — The Capital City branch faces opposition from nobles and powerful families when its operations threaten their interests or expose their criminal networks 505.

Relationships

• Great Zhou Imperial Court — The Division is an Imperial Court institution founded to protect Great Zhou and enforce its anti-demon mandate 30.
• Dragon Martial Division — A fellow Great Zhou division controlled by the royal family and tasked with guarding the throne 30.
• Heavenly Supervision Division — A fellow Great Zhou division that maintains an exceptionally low public profile 30.
• Demon Race — The Division's principal enemy; its historical campaigns range from domestic demon hunts to warfare at Demon Suppressing Pass 30 581.
• Martial sects and aristocratic families — Subject to Division suppression when they collude with demons, commit major crimes, or threaten Imperial order 83 102.
• Blood Demon Sect — Subject to a kill-on-sight policy because of its widespread blood sacrifices and massacres 450.
• Demon Suppressing Pass — Great Zhou's northwestern defensive line and a major theater for Division-led anti-demon operations 30 581.