Chapter 207: The Heavenly Gang Army

Chapter 207: The Heavenly Gang Army

2024-09-20

"Grand Elder!"

Grand Master Tai Xuan was momentarily taken aback. Upon recognizing the visitor, he hastily rose and bowed.

Fu Zhao!

The Grand Elder of the Tai Su Sect.

And the only half-step Divine Realm expert in the Tai Su Sect today.

However—

Seeing Fu Zhao emerge from seclusion, Grand Master Tai Xuan seemed to recall something, his expression becoming visibly excited.

"Grand Elder, have you finally reached the Divine Realm?"

Divine Realm!

Hearing these three words, the other sect elders also became intensely eager.

Fu Zhao's expression remained calm. "Thanks to the Sect Leader for bringing me the body of a True Intent Grandmaster. Without it, it would have taken me at least a decade to break through to the Divine Realm!"

He was only a half-step away from the Divine Realm, but that half-step had trapped Fu Zhao for many years.

Until recently.

Grand Master Tai Xuan returned with the body of a True Intent Grandmaster, allowing Fu Zhao to use it to successfully break through.

The Ji family's royal lineage had been eradicated.

All the Grandmasters had perished.

Bodies of such high-level experts were naturally contested by various factions.

But Grand Master Tai Xuan, with his considerable strength, managed to snatch the body of the True Intent Grandmaster from the clutches of multiple powerful factions.

Otherwise—

As Fu Zhao himself had said, without the body of the True Intent Grandmaster, it would have taken him at least a decade to break through to the Divine Realm.

Upon receiving a positive response, Grand Master Tai Xuan was overjoyed.

"Grand Elder reaching the Divine Realm is an unprecedented event for the Tai Su Sect."

"There's no need for such formalities. What is the current situation in Central Province?"

Fu Zhao waved his hand, immediately getting to the point.

Grand Master Tai Xuan's smile faded, and he spoke seriously, "Grand Elder, since the fall of the Ji family's royal lineage, the Divine Sword Sect's supported Sword King has suppressed all factions. Our supported vassals have been repeatedly defeated. If nothing changes, Central Province will likely fall into the hands of the Divine Sword Sect. I believe that the Sword King is currently at the peak of his power. We should let the Spirit King temporarily retreat to Spirit Province, reorganize his forces, and then challenge the opposition again."

"Why go through such trouble? The various sects support different vassals to vie for control of the Nine Provinces because the balance of power is nearly equal. If they truly clash, it will result in mutual destruction. But now that I have broken through to the Divine Realm, I am the only Divine Realm expert in the world. The Tai Su Sect has the qualifications to vie for supremacy!"

Fu Zhao raised his hand to interrupt Grand Master Tai Xuan, speaking with a domineering tone.

His words left Grand Master Tai Xuan shaken.

"Does Grand Elder intend to take personal action?"

"Why not?"

Fu Zhao's words made Grand Master Tai Xuan understand.

Indeed.

As Fu Zhao had said, the sects did not directly participate in the struggle for power, only secretly supporting different factions, to avoid mutual destruction.

However—

This was all predicated on equal power.

Now that the Tai Su Sect had a Divine Realm expert, there was no need to adhere to the old rules.

At the Divine Realm level, the rules could be broken.

Thus, the Tai Su Sect no longer needed to follow the old regulations.

The next three thousand years would belong to the Tai Su Sect.

Grand Master Tai Xuan, thinking of this, smiled. "Grand Elder is right. I was mistaken. What are Grand Elder's plans next?"

"I will personally travel to Central Province. All who resist will be exterminated. If they are wise, I might allow their lineage to continue. Otherwise, they will have no reason to exist!"

Fu Zhao said this with a faint tone.

Having broken through to the Divine Realm, the Nine Provinces seemed to be within his grasp.

This level of power was incomparable to the so-called Transformation Realm or Martial Grandmasters.

If he wished, he could suppress everything.

Grand Master Tai Xuan nodded. "The sect will support Grand Elder's decision."

"However—"

At this point, Grand Master Tai Xuan's expression became more serious.

"Grand Elder may not know, but a few years ago, a world-shaking expert emerged from Green Cloud Province, rumored to be on par with the Martial Ancestor of ten thousand years ago. This person single-handedly killed Gu Yu Tian and eradicated the Heavenly Yang Sword Sect, making him the current top martial artist. During the reign of the Tai Xuan Dynasty, he was even enshrined as the Martial Saint. Grand Elder should be cautious about this person!"

"The top martial artist?"

Fu Zhao was also taken aback. Having been in seclusion for many years, he had paid little attention to the outside world and was unaware of Gu Qingfeng's existence.

Only now, hearing Grand Master Tai Xuan's words, did Fu Zhao realize that during his seclusion, a new powerful expert had emerged.

Then—

Fu Zhao coldly smiled. "So what if he is on par with the Martial Ancestor of ten thousand years ago? It is said that the Martial Ancestor spread martial arts across the world, his cultivation breaking the limits of the Martial Grandmaster realm, reaching a mysterious and profound level. But now that I have reached the Divine Realm, even if the Martial Ancestor were reborn, I would not fear him."

A young prodigy, no matter how talented, can only stir up so much trouble!"

When Fu Zhao learned of Gu Qingfeng's existence, a murderous intent already welled up in his heart.

Although he often spoke of Gu Qingfeng with disdain, the fact that Gu Qingfeng had reached such heights in martial arts in just a few decades was truly monstrous and beyond the norm.

Such a person.

Fu Zhao would never allow him to live.

Moreover, the Guangyang Army, which Gu Qingfeng supported, now ruled an entire state.

If the Tai Su Sect wanted to unify the Nine States, the Qingyun State would be an unavoidable obstacle.

Fu Zhao said, "Once I deal with the matters in the Central State, I will naturally pay a visit to the Qingyun State. This world does not tolerate the arrogance of mere martial artists!"

...

Inside the Guangyang Mansion.

In the rear garden.

Gu Yang, dressed in a purple dragon robe, had lost the youthful naivety of his past, replaced by a face of sternness and authority. He gazed calmly at the pond before him, where dozens of koi fish swam joyfully, and lotus flowers bloomed, swaying gently in the breeze.

Behind Gu Yang, Gu Yi stood in a martial outfit, reporting with respect.

"Your Majesty, a spy from the Lingzhou Dark Guards reports that the Grand Elder of the Tai Su Sect, Fu Zhao, has emerged from his seclusion and is heading towards the Central State."

"Fu Zhao?"

Gu Yang's expression changed slightly upon hearing the name.

"I remember that the Tai Su Sect has a powerful figure who has been in seclusion for many years, rumored to have reached the semi-divine realm. Could it be him?"

"That's correct!"

Gu Yi nodded.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang raised an eyebrow. "Fu Zhao has been in seclusion for many years, aiming to break through to the divine realm. Now that he has emerged, could it be that he has succeeded?"

"Whether Fu Zhao has truly broken through to the divine realm, we cannot confirm for now. For such a powerful figure, the Dark Guards cannot gather much information."

Gu Yi replied respectfully.

Gu Yang did not get angry. After all, while the Dark Guards were skilled, they could not infiltrate the Tai Su Sect to such a deep extent.

Given the secrecy surrounding a sect's Grand Elder, it was impossible to gather detailed information.

"So, he might truly have reached the divine realm!"

Gu Yang's expression became much more serious.

Although Gu Yang had never truly witnessed the might of a divine realm expert, he had gathered some intelligence on this realm.

In the past, the Ji family of the Immortal State produced a divine realm expert who dominated the Nine States, making it impossible for many immortal sects and noble families to hold their heads high.

It was only after the death of the Ji family's divine realm expert that the various sects had a chance to breathe.

Even so.

For hundreds of years after the death of that divine realm expert, no force dared to challenge the Ji family of the Immortal State.

This was the power of a divine realm expert.

Even in death, their influence could suppress the world for centuries, preventing other forces from acting rashly.

Now.

The Tai Su Sect might have produced another divine realm expert, and the impact of this would be significant.

In Gu Yang's view.

Fu Zhao's journey to the Central State was likely to end the chaos there.

A divine realm expert personally intervening would leave no room for resistance from other forces.

At that point.

The Central State would undoubtedly fall into the hands of the Tai Su Sect.

Once that happens, the next target for the Tai Su Sect would likely be the Qingyun State.

"Divine realm... such a level of existence can truly alter the balance of power in the world!"

If he relied solely on the current strength of the Guangyang Army, Gu Yang had no absolute confidence in opposing a divine realm expert.

Of course.

Lacking absolute confidence in opposition.

Does not mean he would let himself be controlled.

After all, over the years, Gu Yang had quietly developed his own forces, and the power under his command was far greater than it used to be.

Moreover.

Behind him.

He had Gu Qingfeng as a stabilizing force.

Even with his current perspective, Gu Yang still found his father's strength shrouded in mystery.

But one thing was certain.

Gu Yang was confident that his father's strength was not inferior to that of the Tai Su Sect's divine realm expert.

Therefore.

Even upon learning that the Tai Su Sect had a divine realm expert, Gu Yang did not panic.

After all—

While the situation was serious, it was not beyond his control.

Immediately after this, Gu Yang summoned another person.

"Your Majesty!"

The person who arrived was Shi Zhen, a general of the Guangyang Army. He wore simple attire, but his square face was resolute, and the iron-blooded aura he exuded was impossible to hide. His imposing figure contained terrifying power.

"Where do we stand with the Heavenly Gang Divine Formation that I entrusted to you?"

Gu Yang asked the person before him.

Shi Zhen saluted and replied, "Your Majesty, the Heavenly Gang Army has now fully mastered the Heavenly Gang Divine Formation. In a direct battlefield confrontation, as long as no Grand Masters are present, we have a good chance of surrounding and eliminating the enemy.

Even if a Grand Master personally intervenes, while the Heavenly Gang Army may not be able to eliminate them, we can certainly withstand and contain them.

If the Heavenly Gang Army can perfect this formation, even a Grand Master can be surrounded and eliminated!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang nodded slightly.

The Heavenly Gang Divine Slaughter Formation was an array he had unexpectedly obtained. To be precise, it was a military formation used for warfare.

According to the description of this formation, it required 36,000 Blood Refinement Realm soldiers as the foundation. Once the formation was set up, it could easily stand against a Master Realm expert. If this formation could be perfected, it would even be capable of challenging a newly ascended Grandmaster.

However.

This was not the limit of the Heavenly Gang Divine Slaughter Formation.

If 36,000 Master Realm experts could form the array, it would be powerful enough to challenge even the peak Martial Grandmasters, and perhaps even those beyond the Grandmaster level.

However.

This was just a hypothesis by the creator of the formation, and Gu Yang didn't fully believe it.

After all, 36,000 Master Realm experts were enough to make anyone hesitate.

Even if Gu Yang now controlled the entire Qingyun Province, he had only managed to form the 36,000-strong Heavenly Gang Army, all composed of Blood Refinement Realm soldiers.

These were the true elite forces of Qingyun Province.

Or rather, the elite of the elites.

Led by Shi Zhen, a Blood Qi Master, the Heavenly Gang Army, when combined with the Heavenly Gang Divine Slaughter Formation, could easily take down a True Intent Master.

Indeed.

Shi Zhen had already reached the Master Realm.

Two years ago, with the help of abundant resources and martial arts provided by Gu Yang, he successfully broke through the Viscera Refinement barrier and ascended to the Master Realm.

Moreover, he wasn't just an ordinary Innate Master, but a Blood Qi Master.

This was the first true Master Realm expert that Gu Yang had cultivated.

Given Shi Zhen's unwavering loyalty, Gu Yang naturally put him in charge of the Heavenly Gang Army.

"News from Ling Province suggests that the Supreme Elder of Taasu Sect has likely broken through and become the only Divine Realm expert in the world.

"Now, he is heading toward Central Province. Once the issues in Central Province are resolved, Qingyun Province will undoubtedly be Taasu Sect's next target."

"After years of rest and recuperation, I hope the Heavenly Gang Army will not disappoint me in the upcoming battle!"

Gu Yang said solemnly.

His words made Shi Zhen's expression change, and he then replied earnestly, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. If Taasu Sect dares to invade, the Heavenly Gang Army will fight to the last man and will not allow them to threaten Qingyun Province in any way!"

"Go!"

Gu Yang waved his hand, dismissing him.

He had initially wanted to send this news back to Gu Family Manor through Gu Yi, but after some thought, he decided against it.

After all, Gu Yang knew that his father had his own means of gathering information. It was likely that he had already received the news from Ling Province before Gu Yang did.

At that moment, Gu Yang sensed movement behind him. He turned around to see a woman approaching, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Li'er, you're here!"

...

"Fu Zhao!"

"Supreme Elder of Taasu Sect!"

Inside Gu Family Manor, just as Gu Yang had anticipated, Gu Qingfeng had already received the news from the secret agents and was aware of the developments in Ling Province.

At that moment, in the main hall, Gu Peng was also seated.

"Manor Lord, it is said that the Supreme Elder of Taasu Sect had already reached the half-step Divine Realm hundreds of years ago and had been in a closed retreat to break through the final barrier.

"Now that he has emerged, has he successfully broken through?"

Gu Peng's expression was serious.

He didn't fully understand the power of the Divine Realm, but he could deduce that such an expert could crush even a Martial Grandmaster with one hand.

After all, the Divine Realm was above the Life Formation Realm, and Life Formation experts were already capable of suppressing ordinary Martial Grandmasters.

Among peers,

Sorcerers were considered the strongest.

This was a widely accepted fact in the martial world.

Of course,

This did not include Gu Family Manor.

Since practicing the Longevity Sutra, Gu Peng felt incredibly powerful even among peers. Despite not yet comprehending True Intent and becoming a True Intent Master, or advancing further to become a Martial Grandmaster, he could still suppress many Master Realm experts in the martial world.

The five chapters of the Longevity Sutra allowed a martial artist to build a perfect foundation.

Even among Masters, the differences could be astounding.

Even though Gu Peng had not yet perfected the Viscera Refinement chapter of the Longevity Sutra and had only reached the Bone Refinement chapter, it was enough.

Gu Qingfeng said, "If there are no surprises, he should have broken through to the Divine Realm."

"Is it true that a Divine Realm expert is on par with the martial ancestors of ten thousand years ago? Do you have the confidence to deal with him?"

Gu Peng couldn't help but ask.

At present, the person in Qingyun Province with the best chance of dealing with Fu Zhao was the one right in front of him.

"Whether I can handle him will only be clear after a true confrontation. However, our Gu Family Manor has stood in Qingyun Province for twenty years. A single Taasu Sect is not enough to shake our foundations!"

Gu Qingfeng's expression was calm, showing no signs of tension regarding the Divine Realm expert.

Seeing this,

Gu Peng's heart eased.

Given his understanding of Gu Qingfeng, if he was confident enough to say this, it meant he had the means to suppress Fu Zhao.

With that in mind,

Gu Peng had nothing to worry about.

At that moment,

Gu Qingfeng looked at Gu Peng and said, "You are practicing the Sun and Moon Fist Scroll now?"

"Indeed, I have been practicing it for many years, but unfortunately, I have never truly mastered it!"

Gu Peng’s face showed a bitter smile.

The difficulty of a Grandmaster technique was far greater than he had imagined. Even though he was now a Grandmaster at the Innate stage and had studied the Sun and Moon Fist Scroll for years, he had never truly grasped the essence of a Grandmaster. As a result, he could not truly master this Grandmaster technique.

All these years.

Gu Peng had only managed to touch the surface of the Sun and Moon Fist Scroll.

In the end.

It was because of his limited talent.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent decades lingering at the Body Tempering stage.

Gu Qingfeng casually took out a scroll from his robe and handed it to Gu Peng, saying, "This is a notebook I wrote during my free time. It contains a portion of the true essence of the Sun and Moon Fist Scroll. If you can comprehend it, you will have a better chance of reaching the True Essence Grandmaster realm!"

"Thank you, Lord of the Manor!"

Gu Peng’s face lit up with joy as he eagerly accepted the Grandmaster notebook with both hands.

A notebook containing the true essence of a Grandmaster was incredibly precious.

"Go!"

Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, and Gu Peng respectfully withdrew.

Writing the notebook on the Sun and Moon Fist Scroll was a spontaneous idea of Gu Qingfeng’s.

There were many ways to preserve the true essence, but the main difference lay in the completeness of the essence.

For example, with Gu Qingfeng’s current strength, a single punch could leave behind a trace of true essence.

However.

This trace of true essence was incomplete, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to comprehend. Moreover, due to its incompleteness, this true essence was particularly violent, and those with insufficient cultivation might suffer from its backlash.

On the other hand.

If the true essence could be completely contained by a medium, it would be much easier for others to comprehend.

Furthermore.

There was the issue of preservation time.

A medium that could contain the true essence would allow it to last longer, much like the Grandmaster true essence diagrams and notebooks Gu Qingfeng had obtained from the Divine Fist Sect, which had existed for hundreds or even thousands of years.

In contrast.

Whether it was the true essence left behind by Gu Qingfeng’s strike in Guangyang City or his strike on Blood Mountain, it would not last long.

It might last ten years or a hundred years, but ultimately, it would completely dissipate.

This was the difference between the two.

Following this, Gu Qingfeng summoned a shadow guard.

"Keep a close eye on the situation in Central Province. Any news must be reported to me as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

The shadow guard bowed and withdrew respectfully.

After making these arrangements, Gu Qingfeng turned his gaze toward Central Province, his expression calm and composed.

"Divine Sense Grandmaster!"

"I want to see just how powerful a Divine Sense Grandmaster truly is!"

"If I can slay this Divine Sense Grandmaster from the Primal Essence Sect, I believe no one in the Nine Provinces will be able to stop Yang’s path—"

Thinking of a Divine Sense Grandmaster, a long-dormant battle spirit stirred within Gu Qingfeng.

He yearned for a fight!

But the world had no worthy opponents for him!

Whether it was the so-called Life Transformation stage sorcerers or Grandmasters of martial arts, they were no different from ants in his eyes.

Such beings could be wiped out with a wave of his hand.

Only the emergence of a Divine Sense Grandmaster could truly stir his heart.

Such a level of strength existed only in legends.

When the Ji family of Immortal Province produced a Divine Sense Grandmaster, they dominated the world for thousands of years, demonstrating just how powerful a Divine Sense Grandmaster could be.

While ordinary people would feel fear at the mention of such a being, Gu Qingfeng felt only a desire for battle.

However.

Despite his thirst for combat, Gu Qingfeng would not act rashly.

Fu Zhao’s intent to head to Central Province was clear, so Gu Qingfeng was not in a hurry.

After all, once Fu Zhao dealt with Central Province, the Primal Essence Sect’s next target would undoubtedly be Green Cloud Province.

Before that.

Gu Qingfeng needed to adjust his state, reaching the peak of his current strength. Only then could he face the Divine Sense Grandmaster.

Regardless of whether Fu Zhao posed a real threat, out of respect for the only Divine Sense Grandmaster in the Nine Provinces, Gu Qingfeng would not be careless.

Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit.

How much more so for a Divine Sense Grandmaster, who appeared only once every few thousand years.

Afterward.

Gu Qingfeng returned to the Sharpening Hall to enter seclusion.

He had already reached the seventh level of the Eighth Level Blood Tempering True Scripture but had yet to advance to the eighth level.

He hoped to perfect the Blood Tempering True Scripture before the war arrived, as mastering this top-tier Grandmaster martial art would further enhance his strength.

However.

The difficulty of cultivating a Grandmaster martial art was immense.

Frankly, Gu Qingfeng had little confidence in advancing to the eighth level in a short time.

But even if he couldn’t break through, any increase in his strength would be beneficial.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end