Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Tiandu, Imperial City, Eastern Palace.

Da Xia's Crown Prince, approaching thirty, resided in the Eastern Palace. Dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, he had a fair and handsome face with gentle lines, a prominent nose, and deep-set eyes, resembling the current Emperor by about seventy percent.

At this moment, dressed in a green robe, King Huai, refined and gentle, was seated to the side as the two were discussing something.

Even though King Huai had already transferred his powers, entrusting the role of regent to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince had been brought up by King Huai himself. As such, when faced with difficult decisions, the Crown Prince would often summon King Huai to the palace for consultation.

At that time, the Crown Prince seemed to remember something and suddenly asked, "Uncle, how is the situation in Xu'an County now?"

The Red Flame Demon Sect had massacred five cities of Da Xia, with hundreds of thousands of civilians dead, an action of extremely malicious nature. This news had spread throughout the land, and as the Crown Prince, he was naturally very concerned.

King Huai frowned slightly and said, "Chen Yu has already sent several messages to the Jing Tian Department asking for help. The situation is not optimistic. The Jing Tian Department has already suppressed the sudden emergence of demons in various regions with the fastest speed and is leading a joint army towards Xu'an County."

The Crown Prince's expression changed, "Does that mean the county is at risk of falling?"

King Huai remained silent, nodding his head. After Chen Yu had sent back the information and requested aid, he had already prepared for the worst.

The Six Union God Sect not only controlled the method of merging with demons but could even manipulate them to a certain extent.

At present, demons were appearing everywhere in Shen Zhou, causing chaos. The situation forced the Jing Tian Department to dispatch forces to suppress them.

"What is your opinion, Uncle, on the strength of the Six Union God Sect, now that they have re-emerged?" asked the Crown Prince.

Currently, there was peace in the nine provinces thanks to the Jing Tian Department, but the emergence of the Six Union God Sect had disrupted this delicate balance, plunging the world into turmoil once again.

King Huai said, "The Demon Sect wouldn't dare be so brazen without several Xiantian-stage martial arts grandmasters to back them up. Their act of slaughtering five of our Da Xia's cities in succession is not just declaring war on Da Xia; it's also announcing their return to the nine provinces."

Now among all the forces in the entire nine provinces, excluding the six major sacred lands that did not concern themselves with worldly matters, Da Xia's strength was undoubtedly the strongest.

As long as the Six Union God Sect could defeat Da Xia, they would have the capacity to contend for dominance over the nine provinces and rule the world.

After all, there were very few grandmasters at the Xiantian Stage, even for Da Xia at its peak of national power.

The Crown Prince said with some regret, "It's a pity that Father Emperor is still in seclusion. Otherwise, if the Father Emperor would come out of seclusion, these demons would not dare to be so bold and would forever have to hide in the shadows." Stay updated through m-v l|e,m'p y r

King Huai looked deeply into the mountains behind the royal palace, "No one knows what the Emperor is thinking. He's been in secluded cultivation for twenty-three years. It would be excellent if he could break through to the Heavenly Human Stage. By then, even the six major sacred lands would have to bow down to Da Xia, and the whole nine provinces could achieve unprecedented unity."

The Crown Prince sighed, "The Heavenly Human Stage..."

His martial talent was similar to King Huai's, not very remarkable, and with the burden of state affairs, his cultivation had only reached the External Qi Stage, bolstered by various pills.

However, his ability to govern was strong, and with a benevolent and open-minded character, he was the Emperor's choice for Crown Prince over the eldest imperial son—another significant reason.

Of course, even to this day, the eldest imperial son harbored resentment, and the relationship between the two was not good.

Even so, while not focused on martial practice, the Crown Prince was aware of what reaching the Heavenly Human Stage represented. Once the Emperor reached the Heavenly Human Stage, unification of the land under one rule would be inevitable.

By then, even demons would be no cause for fear as a Heavenly Human Stage martial artist would be enough to guard the nine provinces and protect this world.

Regrettably, since the ancient times, the world had changed drastically. Tens of thousands of years had passed, and no martial artist had reached the Heavenly Human Stage. In the nine provinces, it had become a legend.

"Uncle, if Xu'an County falls, what should we do?" Worry flickered in the Crown Prince's eyes. Since taking on the role of regent, he had never encountered such a significant event. If mishandled, it would greatly affect him.

Even some who coveted his position might take the opportunity to emerge, fabricating harmful rumors about him among the populace.

Before the current Emperor went into seclusion, he had always taught the Crown Prince that only with the people's hearts can one be unstoppable.

Though an emperor sits high above, he must always be vigilant and must never lose the people's hearts. The people's hearts are the foundation. Once lost, the seemingly prosperous and mighty Da Xia could collapse in an instant.

This saying was something the Crown Prince always remembered to this day, constantly reminding himself to be a benevolent ruler, always putting the people first.

At that moment, King Huai spoke solemnly, "Your Highness, chaos will rise throughout the land soon. Please prepare early."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was deeply shaken, his brows heavy with concern.

Seeing this, King Huai's brow furrowed slightly. The successor chosen by the Emperor was good in many aspects, but there was one point that King Huai found to be particularly unsatisfactory—his hesitancy and lack of decisiveness.

"Your Highness, Lord, I have an urgent report."

Just then, a eunuch appeared at the entrance of the hall. He knelt down with a plop, his eyes brimming with irrepressible joy.

The Crown Prince frowned, "What is it?"

The eunuch lifted his head, speaking excitedly, "Your Highness, great joy, great joy!"

King Huai raised his brow, seemingly guessing something, "Is there news from Xu'an County?"

The eunuch nodded vigorously. The Crown Prince, seeing this, urged, "You slave, speak quickly!"

"Your Highness, Lord, there has been a great victory in Xu'an County. Commander Chen has won, the Demon Sect has been defeated and fled!"

The eunuch spoke rapidly as if firing a string of cannonballs, relaying Chen Yu's message that had quickly reached Tiandu.

After all, for such a significant event, Chen Yu needed to inform the Jing Tian Department first, as well as the court.

At that moment, the Crown Prince spoke up, interrupting, "Wait, what did you say? A second-ranked Metropolitan Procurator from the Jing Tian Department held off thousands alone, one person against a thousand from the Demon Sect?"

King Huai also frowned slightly, wondering if this was an exaggeration.

A Second-Rank Metropolitan Procurator, a martial artist of the External Qi Stage, single-handedly holding off a thousand?

What a joke! Not to mention those at the External Qi Stage, even martial artists at the Vajra Stage couldn't do it, unless they reached the third level of the Vajra Stage, with a body as robust as a wild dragon and a never-ending flow of brute strength; only then would it be a remote possibility.

The Crown Prince also found it hard to believe and asked, "Are you certain?"

The eunuch who came to deliver the message hesitated slightly but still said, "This servant is certain. That's exactly what was written in the letter Master Chen sent back. Would Your Highnesses like to take a look for yourselves?"

Then, he presented the letter for King Huai and the Crown Prince to review.

"So it's Gu Chen!" King Huai suddenly understood.

The Crown Prince, looking at King Huai, asked with a puzzled tone, "Uncle, you know of this man?"

King Huai smiled slightly, not expecting Gu Chen to have grown so quickly. It wasn't long since their last meeting, and yet Gu Chen had given him such a big surprise.

It appeared he was indeed a talent worth recruiting.

Thereupon, King Huai said to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, if all goes as expected, this man is likely the legendary martial genius born with martial body. It won't be long before Da Xia has another Guardian General."

"Oh? Uncle, are your words in earnest?!" The Crown Prince exclaimed, his spirits lifting at the news.

The importance of a Guardian General from the Jing Tian Department to Da Xia was self-evident, for they were the mighty warriors who could preside over an entire province.

King Huai nodded slightly and said, "It's true. How else could he possess such strength if not for being born with a martial body?"

"Good, good! When he returns, this palace must reward him handsomely!" The Crown Prince's face was brimming with a thick smile.

"Of course!" agreed King Huai.

At this moment, the Jing Tian Department had also received the news from Chen Yu, and countless people across Tiandu were awaiting news from Xu'an County because the matter had vast implications.

Right away, the Crown Prince ordered the news to be released, and the first to be informed were those royal and noble court officials.

"What? To fight a thousand single-handedly, one man equal to an army?"

"Since when did the Jing Tian Department produce such a monstrous talent, a warrior at the External Qi Stage taking on a thousand soldiers by himself, is it real or fake?"

"Gu Chen, isn't that the same young fellow that Commander Chen brought to Duke of the Liang State's mansion last time? Does he possess such formidable strength?"

The various court officials and nobles were all discussing it, and even the Duke of the Liang State's mansion had received the news.

At that moment, the Duke of the Liang State said to Lu Xinlan, "Chen Yu has sent back news. There was a great victory in Xu'an County. Gu Chen alone held off a thousand, he alone annihilated nearly a thousand rebels of the Red Flame Demon Sect."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xinlan's eyes widened in shock, and she covered her mouth with her hand, utterly astounded.

Even common folk had heard of this news. The great victory in Xu'an County and the tale of Gu Chen fighting a thousand had spread quickly from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and in no time, everyone in Tiandu, high and low, from royals and nobles to ordinary citizens, knew of it.

After all, following the demon sect's slaughter within the city, countless people were eagerly anticipating how Da Xia would react, especially ordinary citizens who paid the most attention to such news.

"Have you heard? Lord Gu of the Jing Tian Department from Tiandu, in Xu'an County, took on a thousand enemies by himself and killed over a thousand people—truly, a sight of rolling heads!"

"Nonsense! I heard that Master Gu faced ten thousand enemies, slaying over ten thousand of them himself!"

"You're talking rubbish. Where would the demon sect get so many people? Even his blade would have become blunt from killing ten thousand enemies. Both of you are wrong!"

"What did you hear, then?"

"I heard that Master Gu Chen took down thousands of the enemy with a single sword strike. His sword light is like a surprising heron or a flying immortal. In a mere instant, heads rolled, and all enemies bowed in submission."

As the news spread further and further, more and more people learned of it, and with each retelling, it became more distorted.

There were tales of Gu Chen slaying hundreds of enemies, others of thousands, and some even said Gu Chen's sword so terrified the enemies that they died of fright at the mere sight of its flash.

The most outlandish claims were the versions where Gu Chen was said to have slain tens of thousands of enemies through a single sword strike; even Gu Chen would have to shake his head at these stories.

The news reached outside the walls of Tiandu, where Gu Chengfeng was on patrol. Suddenly, a colleague approached him.

"Old Gu, did you hear? Your nephew displayed divine prowess in Xu'an County, with one sword strike slaughtering tens of thousands!"

Gu Chengfeng was startled by the comment and said, "What did you say?"

It left him dumbfounded. His nephew slaying tens of thousands with a single sword strike? Could it be true or was the person who said this not fully awake yet?

He knew Gu Chen all too well; how could he possibly have that kind of strength?

Seeing Gu Chengfeng's disbelief, his colleague said, "Still don't believe it? Isn't your nephew named Gu Chen, the one who went with the Jing Tian Department to Xu'an County?"

Gu Chengfeng, looking bewildered, nodded.

The colleague continued, "Then there's no mistake. Unless it's a coincidental namesake, it must be your nephew, no doubts about it. The news came from the Eastern Palace; the Crown Prince wouldn't deceive us. Now the word has spread. Your nephew, Gu Chen, with a soul-chasing sword strike, has slain tens of thousands!"

"My nephew, Gu Chen, slaying tens of thousands with a single strike, saving Xu'an County?" Gu Chengfeng murmured in a low voice, repeating the words until, finally, his expression turned to exhilaration, and he couldn't even care about his patrol any longer. He rushed home to tell his wife and daughters the news.

Indeed, because of this, Gu Chen had officially made a name for himself in Tiandu. His legend reached every echelon, from the lords and generals to the commoners and the poor, everyone knew of Gu Chen.

Everybody was now aware that this Master Gu, with a soul-chasing sword strike, could take on ten thousand enemies single-handedly!