Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

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DaHuang Mansion, frontier.

In the military tent where the Marquis of Pingxi resided, the brawny Xu Wei, clad in heavy armor, stepped in.

"Lord Marquis, we have failed," said Xu Wei, kneeling on one knee with a solemn voice.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi slightly lifted his eyes and said, "How many did the Blood Cloth Tower send?"

"Reporting to Lord Marquis, from the Returning to True Stage, Blood Cloth Tower dispatched three people. Among them, the top ranked of the Black List, Wujian, was slain on the spot by Gu Chen. The two specters from Blood Cloth Tower made their move as well but couldn't match Gu Chen and fled in panic," Xu Wei reported, lifting his head to look at the calm-faced Marquis of Pingxi.

"Lord Marquis, what shall we do next?" Xu Wei asked.

In fact, Xu Wei felt somewhat relieved. If three individuals from the Returning to True Stage couldn't defeat Gu Chen, then Gu Chen had truly grown stronger, and even if he were to take action himself, it was certain he would not be Gu Chen's match.

The Marquis of Pingxi spoke with an even tone, without a ripple of disturbance, "It doesn't matter, a failure is just that, a failure."

Xu Wei asked, "Lord Marquis, what shall we do next? Are we going to disregard that kid Gu Chen?"

The Marquis of Pingxi fell silent for a moment, then said, "Since he has such strength, let him come to Yan State alive. The previous operation by Blood Cloth Tower was merely a minor test."

"The world is in chaos now, the Emperor of Da Xia is missing, not only are the Yuan Dynasty and barbarian tribes making their moves, but even the myriad martial factions of Jiuzhou are restless, with intentions to overthrow Da Xia's rule.

Furthermore, with the emergence of the Holy Shadows Sect and the Black Sky Sect, the strength of Jing Tian Department in Yan State has been greatly weakened, and until support from Tiandu's Jing Tian Department arrives, the local division of Yan State's Jing Tian Department is nothing to fear,"

Hearing this, Xu Wei also expressed strong agreement. After all, with the Metropolitan Procurator of Jing Tian Department severely injured and in seclusion, there was no doubt that the strength of Yan State's Jing Tian Department had hit rock bottom.

At this moment, the Marquis of Pingxi continued, "Within the Jianghu of Yan State, not only are there two major families, but also the Da Guangming Sect, along with the top-tier factions such as White Tiger Clan and the Breaking Wave Clan.

Among them, the Qiu family from the two major families, as well as the Da Guangming Sect and the White Tiger Clan, have long been dissatisfied with the imperial court. Now that Jing Tian Department is weak and the world is in turmoil, they will most likely not miss this opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei's eyes lit up, and he said, "Do you mean to have these martial factions go against Jing Tian Department?"

Dressed in battle armor and holding scroll cases, the Marquis of Pingxi slowly said, "The Holy Shadows Sect and the Black Sky Sect will not give up, and the demon sects will certainly be plotting something in the shadows. Yan State will not be a land of peace."

Xu Wei nodded, his expression invigorated, and said, "I understand your intent. Let these martial factions confront Jing Tian Department first, and we will seek opportune moments from within, finding a chance to kill that Gu Chen!"

The Marquis of Pingxi said no more. With his status and position, though he couldn't consider Gu Chen completely insignificant, the man didn't carry much weight in his eyes.

If one attempt failed, the Marquis of Pingxi wouldn't bother to specially plot anything further for the sake of Gu Chen.

Right now, in the eyes of the Marquis of Pingxi, what mattered wasn't one person or one affair; he was considering the entire world, all of Jiuzhou.

Only events with the potential to influence the course of the world, such as the recent battles between the Holy Shadows Sect, the Black Sky Sect, and the Jing Tian Department in Yan State, would draw the Marquis of Pingxi's attention.

What did it matter if Gu Chen's reputation was great and his talent high?

In the eyes of the Marquis of Pingxi, Gu Chen was clearly incapable of influencing the overall situation of the world, so he didn't warrant his further attention.

If not for the death of his legitimate son Cao Zhen being tied to Gu Chen, the Marquis of Pingxi would not even bother to mention him, and even now, Gu Chen was not considered significant by the Marquis.

Gu Chen was someone to be dealt with by his subordinates; the Marquis of Pingxi did not intend to expend too much energy on him.

What he should consider now was how to secure greater benefits for himself amidst the current situation.

At that moment, the Marquis of Pingxi said, "If there are no significant events, do not disturb me. I will be in seclusion for a while."

Surprised, Xu Wei said, "Lord Marquis, are you attempting a breakthrough?"

Xu Wei looked at the Marquis of Pingxi with a look of joy. The Marquis had already reached the peak of the Detachment Stage and was only one step away from advancing to the Hundred Orifices Stage.

Detachment Stage, situated above the Returning to True Stage, was where martial artists referred to as martial arts grandmasters resided.

The Hundred Orifices Stage was the final barrier for grandmasters; penetrating the various acupoints would allow one to draw in the essence of heaven and earth, reverting from the acquired to the innate, achieving the coveted Xiantian realm that countless martial artists in Jiuzhou dreamt of and becoming a grandmaster of martial arts.

This would significantly enhance the strength of the entire frontier.

No wonder Xu Wei was so excited.

However, the Marquis of Pingxi shook his head and said, "The Hundred Orifices Stage is not so easily breached. This seclusion is merely an attempt; the likelihood of breaking through is not high. Do not get overly joyful, and furthermore, this matter must not be disclosed."

Xu Wei was the Marquis's confidant and a great general in the army, valiant and skilled in warfare and of great importance in the frontier. It was for this reason that the Marquis was willing to share this news with him and took the trouble to explain a bit.

Xu Wei, who had already reached the Returning to True Stage, had some understanding of the realms of martial arts grandmasters. Upon hearing this, a fierce light flickered in his eyes momentarily, and he said, "Lord Marquis, shall I help you gather some vital blood to assist your breakthrough?"

Each breakthrough at the grandmaster level was extremely difficult, and even with the Marquis of Pingxi's martial talent, at the age of forty-something, he had been stuck at the Detachment Stage for six years.

And the vital blood mentioned by Xu Wei was not that of beasts, but of martial artists. Vital blood was essentially the source of life for martial artists, and if there was a sufficient supply of it, it could indeed aid a martial artist in breaking through.

However, such a method was considered unorthodox, and if discovered, the person would be condemned by all under heaven.

Upon hearing Xu Wei's suggestion, the Marquis of Pingxi remained silent for a moment, then said, "There's no need for that."

After all, he was a Marquis of Da Xia, and if the news of him taking a large amount of vital blood for his breakthrough were to spread, Da Xia would be the first to not let him off the hook.

It wasn't that the Marquis of Pingxi thought indiscriminate killing was wrong but rather that he too had his own pride. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not wish to resort to such measures.

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Xu Wei, upon hearing this, hesitated slightly, but still nodded in agreement without daring to make his own decisions.

Marquis of Pingxi said, "While I am in seclusion, for all matters, you just speak to 'Shadowless'. If it comes to a critical juncture, he will go to the secret chamber to awaken me."

As soon as Marquis of Pingxi finished speaking, in the darkness beside him, the void rippled slightly, and a figure emerged, a man of medium stature with an iron mask covering his face.

It was Marquis of Pingxi's personal bodyguard, Shadowless.

It was rumored that Marquis of Pingxi had established his own intelligence organization to collect information from all over the world for him, and Shadowless was the leader of this organization, ranking first on the Heavenly Character list of spies and personally nurtured by Marquis of Pingxi, to whom he was absolutely loyal.

And Marquis of Pingxi trusted Shadowless extremely, even more so than Xu Wei.

No one knew exactly how many spies Marquis of Pingxi had under his command, and each spy wore a mask, with only Marquis of Pingxi knowing their true identities.

Xu Wei only knew that the spies under Marquis of Pingxi were divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, just like the command structure of the Jing Tian Department.

This alone was telling of Marquis of Pingxi's ambition.

Of course, to put it nicely, it was an intelligence organization, but to put it bluntly, it was an assassin organization, all engaged in murderous and plundering deeds, each one a ruthless character who would not spit out the bones of their victims.

The various resources Marquis of Pingxi needed for his daily cultivation were also obtained for him by Shadowless and others, with no one knowing how or by what means.

Even Xu Wei, a general in the border army of Yan State, felt a chill down his spine when facing Shadowless, the leader of Marquis of Pingxi's assassins.

"Yes," Xu Wei replied softly, not daring to raise his head and meet Shadowless's gaze.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave now. I need to make preparations to enter seclusion," Marquis of Pingxi said.

"As you command."

Then, Xu Wei stood up, retreated slowly, and left the military tent.

...

After a month's journey, Gu Chen and his companions had finally arrived at the Yan State branch of the Jing Tian Department.

The Yan State Jing Tian Department was located in the capital city of Yan State—Yulong City.

Yulong City, situated in the very heart of Yan State, was the most bustling city in the region. From Yulong City, one could reach DaHuang Mansion, Changqing Mansion, or even Binxi Mansion without much time or distance between them.

Gu Chen, leading Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the rest, arrived at the entrance to the Yan State Jing Tian Department.

This was a tremendously large government complex with soaring eaves and grand architecture, and two jade qilin statues stood imposingly at the entrance.

After Gu Chen presented his token of the Yellow Level Commanders, he was allowed to enter directly.

Inside the Yan State Jing Tian Department, many had already received the news and knew that reinforcements from the Jing Tian Department in Tiandu had arrived. Commanders of various levels, along with the Metropolitan Procurator, were waiting there.

Before arriving, Gu Chen had already learned about the situation at the Yan State Jing Tian Department. Across all the nine provinces, no branch of the Jing Tian Department had more staff than the headquarters in Tiandu.

The Yan State Jing Tian Department was made up of one Garrison Commander, three Heavenly Level Commanders, nine Earth Level Commanders, eighteen Mysterious Level Commanders, and thirty-six Yellow Level Commanders like Gu Chen himself.

Some of these officers were locals from Yan State, while others were dispatched from other provinces, not originally from the area.

After the earlier battle between the Holy Shadows Sect and the Black Sky Sect, the Yan State Jing Tian Department suffered severe losses: the Garrison Commander was gravely injured and in seclusion, the three Heavenly Level Commanders were also wounded, three Earth Level Commanders were lost, six Mysterious Level Commanders were dead or injured, and eleven Yellow Level Commanders were casualties.

Were it not for this, the Yan State Jing Tian Department would not have asked the imperial court for reinforcements.

Nowadays, except for those recovering from injuries, the Mysterious and Yellow Level Commanders were all waiting inside the Jing Tian Department to welcome Gu Chen and his group.

"This must be Lord Gu Chen, who defeated the Great Buddha Son Ananda and whose fame has spread throughout the nine provinces, esteemed as the number one martial prodigy in hundreds of years across the nine provinces," said one of the Mysterious Level Commanders as he stepped forward with a smile and clasped his hands in greeting to Gu Chen.

Gu Chen also clasped his hands in response and said, "I am Gu Chen. I've met all of you here. But these are just empty titles. I have never considered myself the foremost martial talent of hundreds of years across the vast nine provinces."

Jiang Huan glanced at the people behind Gu Chen and asked with some confusion, "Did Tiandu only send you and these others here?"

Gu Chen replied, "The world is currently in chaos, and Shen Zhou is also beset by a surge of demons wreaking havoc. There simply aren't enough hands in Tiandu to spare, so for the time being, I was sent with a group to come here. Later, Qin Command mentioned that more reinforcements will be dispatched to Yan State."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan nodded, then introduced Gu Chen to the other four Mysterious Level Commanders and the eighteen Yellow Level Commanders present.

"The Garrison Commander and Lord Wang and others are currently in seclusion. They had instructed us earlier that if Tiandu sends reinforcements, it is our responsibility to apprise you of the situation," said Jiang Huan.

The "Lord Wang" he mentioned was named Wang Jiuzhi, one of the three Heavenly Level Commanders of Yan State.

"Lord Gu, you have just arrived and have spent your time traveling. You haven't had the chance to enjoy the scenery and delicacies of Yan State. How about this – take some rest, and later tonight, we will show you the wonderful sights of Yulong City," Jiang Huan suggested with a smile.