Chapter 222: Probabilistic Rewards, Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm!

Chapter 222: Probabilistic Rewards, Fourth Stage of the Dao Palace Realm!

October 5, 2024

Outside the Tianxiong Pass.

Monstrous beasts wreaked havoc.

Many villages along the way had been reduced to ruins, with blood and corpses scattered everywhere.

When Commander Shizhen led the Tian Gang Army to the scene, they witnessed a monstrous ape-like beast ravaging the area. Its hand, as large as a fan, snatched a person, and with a roar, its grotesque mouth opened wide, tearing into the victim. Blood spattered everywhere.

Looking around, numerous bodies lay strewn about, some belonging to ordinary civilians and others to the imperial army.

Attacks from the other people barely scratched the surface of the beast's tough hide, let alone causing any real damage.

Fear and despair spread through the crowd.

At that moment, a furious shout echoed through the air.

"Beast, how dare you harm the people of our Divine Martial Empire!"

Before the words had even finished, a terrifying surge of blood and qi energy transformed into a mighty blade of energy, slicing down toward the ape beast. The beast roared in response, punching the blade of energy with a powerful fist.

Boom!

In an instant, the beast's fur was torn, and blood splattered. Its right hand dripped with blood, and the white bone was visible beneath the torn flesh. Its grotesque face twisted in pain, and it let out a agonizing roar.

The one who had spoken was none other than Shizhen.

Seeing that the beast could withstand his initial strike, Shizhen's eyes remained cold. His crescent moon blade began to wreak havoc, and the pinnacle Master's true intent erupted, creating a powerful oppressive aura that finally made the beast feel fear.

Without hesitation, the beast turned to flee.

In the next moment, a flash of cold light appeared.

The ape's body stiffened, and its massive head rolled from its neck, a geyser of blood shooting into the sky. The corpse, several meters in size, crashed heavily to the ground.

This scene left everyone in shock, and then they broke into jubilation.

"It's dead! The beast is finally dead!"

"That noble is so powerful, he killed such a beast with just two strikes!"

For a moment, everyone looked at Shizhen with awe and reverence.

The weak always revered the strong.

This was an unchanging truth.

However, Shizhen's face showed little joy. He looked at the beast's corpse, his brow furrowed in concern.

From their brief battle, Shizhen could tell that this was a beast on par with a Grand Master. He had been able to kill it so easily because he had taken the initiative, making the beast fear him, which allowed him to subdue it.

In a true head-to-head confrontation, Shizhen was confident he could still kill it, but it wouldn't be so easy.

Half a day later, the Tian Gang Army finally arrived.

Normally, the Tian Gang Army moved swiftly, but Shizhen had received the news of the beast first, allowing him to arrive ahead of time.

...

Over the past six months, the problem of monstrous beasts in the Nine Provinces had worsened.

It was as if something in the Ancient Beast Mountains was driving all the beasts out.

To address this, Emperor Gu Yang had to issue a bounty, not only using the power of the imperial court but also mobilizing various martial artists from the jianghu to suppress the rampaging beasts.

However, the Ancient Beast Mountains were vast, and the number of beasts living within them was immense. Even with the full force of the imperial court, they could only barely alleviate the pressure.

However, some martial artists discovered that the flesh of these beasts contained vast amounts of energy. Consuming it could strengthen their blood and qi, thereby enhancing their strength.

This revelation led more martial artists to volunteer to hunt the beasts along the borders of the Nine Provinces.

On the other side, with Emperor Gu Yang's support, the Divine Martial Academy, led by Yan Yun, began to open branches throughout the Nine Provinces.

Spreading martial arts across the land!

This news caused a stir in the jianghu.

Throughout history, martial artists had often violated the law.

Even during the previous dynasty, the imperial court had subtly suppressed the various martial sects.

But now, the Divine Martial Dynasty was emulating the ancient Martial Ancestor's efforts to spread martial arts, a move that no one had expected.

...

One day, within the Gu Family Manor, an ancient blade intent suddenly soared into the sky, piercing the heavens. It could be clearly felt within a hundred-mile radius.

All cultivators who sensed this blade intent involuntarily looked toward the Gu Family Manor, their eyes filled with shock.

In the presence of such blade intent, even Masters and Grand Masters were like mere ants.

This blade intent persisted for several days before finally dissipating.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world.

However, Gu Qingfeng paid no attention to the outside world. His focus was now on himself.

...

"Your descendant 'Gu Yang' has gained insight in cultivation and slightly increased his strength!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Yang' was enraged by the rampaging beasts and dispatched powerful imperial forces to suppress the beast chaos!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Yang' established the Divine Martial Academy in the Nine Provinces, spreading martial arts and earning the people's admiration!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Yang' has sensed a breakthrough, advancing to the initial stage of the Grand Master Realm!"

"Reward: 500 Enhancement Points!"

"Reward: 100 True Intent Pills!"

"Reward: 100 Divine Blood Pills!"

"Reward: Perfect Divine Transformation Realm Cultivation Technique, 'Purple Extreme Dao Canon'!"

"Reward: 4 Divine Transformation Realm Assassins!"

...

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengnan' has advanced to the late stage of the Bone Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 30 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengnan' has gained insight from practicing the Green Lotus Sword Canon, significantly increasing her strength!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Xuan' has received guidance from a ninth-stage Divine Transformation Realm expert, enhancing his strength!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Xuan' has deepened his understanding of the True Intent of the Heaven Blade during his trials in the Ancient Beast Mountains!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Xuan' has advanced to the middle stage of the Bone Washing Realm!"

"Reward: 50 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Xi' has received Grand Master-level guidance, advancing to the late stage of the Bone Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 30 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengxing' has advanced to the late stage of the Blood Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 20 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengan' has advanced to the late stage of the Blood Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 20 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengxing' has advanced to the perfected stage of the Blood Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 20 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant 'Gu Shengan' has advanced to the perfected stage of the Blood Refinement Realm!"

"Reward: 20 Enhancement Points!"

"Your descendant..."

...

"Yang has broken through to the Grand Master Realm!"

Gu Qingfeng looked at the numerous messages, gaining a clear understanding of the events that had transpired during his seclusion.

At his current level of cultivation, Gu Qingfeng had nearly reached the point where he could completely abstain from food and survive solely on the absorption of spiritual energy.

By inhaling and exhaling the essence of the land, he could maintain his body's daily needs.

Thus, since he had entered seclusion, Gu Qingfeng had almost completely cut himself off from the outside world. It wasn't until he finally gained some insights into the Primordial Heavenly Saber that he realized a year had already passed.

During this year, Gu Qingfeng turned fifty-two, and Gu Yang reached thirty-one.

Gu Qingfeng wasn't surprised that Gu Yang had broken through to the Grandmaster realm so quickly. After all, Gu Yang carried the fortune of the dynasty, and the vast luck of the Nine States was under his control. Breaking through to the Grandmaster realm was a natural progression.

Moreover, Gu Yang had encountered numerous opportunities. When Gu Qingfeng first met him, he knew that Gu Yang was close to a breakthrough. The current outcome was only as expected.

As for the other children, most of them had made varying degrees of progress over the year.

However, what truly caught Gu Qingfeng's attention was the impact of Gu Yang's breakthrough.

From past rewards, Gu Qingfeng understood that both Perfect-Level martial techniques and loyal assassins were awarded based on probability.

The difference was that the probability of receiving a loyal assassin was much lower compared to a Perfect-Level martial technique.

Regardless, both were difficult to trigger.

The last time Gu Yang broke through from the Internal Organs realm to the peak of the Master realm, no probability-based rewards were triggered.

But now, with Gu Yang's breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm, the probability-based rewards were finally activated.

Both a Perfect-Level martial technique and loyal assassins were awarded simultaneously.

With a thought, Gu Qingfeng summoned four middle-aged cultivators to his presence.

Like previous loyal assassins, these newly rewarded God Transformation Realm loyal assassins were all at the ninth level of the God Transformation Realm, just one step away from the Dao Palace Realm.

"Pay your respects to the Honorable Master!"

"I bestow upon you the surname Gu, and name you as the elders of our Gu Family Manor, symbolizing the prosperity of martial arts."

"Thank you, Honorable Master, for bestowing us with names!"

"In the future, you may address me as Manor Lord."

Gu Qingfeng corrected their titles and then casually passed the Sun Yang Scripture to the four of them.

The Sun Yang Scripture, a legacy of the former Sun Yang Holy Land, was a top-tier cultivation technique that could lead one to the ninth level of the Dao Palace Realm. It was the only technique in Gu Qingfeng's possession that could be cultivated to the Dao Palace Realm, and he naturally intended to pass it on to them.

After all, the four of them had already reached the ninth level of the God Transformation Realm and had the potential to advance to the Dao Palace Realm. Without a corresponding cultivation technique, their chances of breaking through would be slim.

"Here are your elder tokens. If you need to supplement your martial arts, you can visit the library. If you have any questions, seek out the Outer Hall Master, Gu Peng, and explain your current status."

Gu Qingfeng handed each of them an identity token.

These tokens had been newly issued by Gu Qingfeng, each imbued with a portion of his true essence to prevent forgery.

This idea was inspired by the information left behind by Murong Xiu. According to Murong Xiu, many major forces in the Primordial World used blood-bound identity tokens and soul plates. If a member were to die unexpectedly, their soul plate would shatter.

Unfortunately, Murong Xiu did not leave behind the methods for creating such tokens and plates. He provided this information to help future generations better understand the major forces in the Primordial World.

So.

Muru Xi naturally wouldn't leave behind the method of refinement.

Without such a method, Gu Qingfeng could only settle for the next best thing—leaving a trace of his true intent on the identity token. While it wasn't as powerful as those from the major forces in the Ancient World, it was still quite good.

Despite its flaws, it at least provided a means of identification.

After dismissing the four individuals, Gu Qingfeng took out the Purple Apex Dao Canon.

The moment he opened the cultivation technique, it transformed into a stream of light and entered his mind palace.

Instantly.

A flood of memories surged forth.

Simultaneously.

Gu Qingfeng's blood and qi surged, like a hundred rivers converging into a vast sea, forming a terrifying torrent of immense power.

However, despite this, his cultivation did not advance to a new realm. Instead, his blood and qi became even more refined.

After a long while.

Gu Qingfeng exhaled a turbid breath, a faint smile on his face.

"A top-tier God Transformation realm cultivation technique. Although my cultivation hasn't advanced, my strength has increased significantly!"

This was another advantage of his unique ability.

For ordinary people, once their blood and qi reached a certain level of refinement, further compression became incredibly difficult.

However.

Gu Qingfeng didn't have to worry about such issues.

As long as he had enough enhancement points, he could refine his blood and qi to their true limits.

The appearance of the Purple Apex Dao Canon saved Gu Qingfeng from a lot of the arduous foundational work, indirectly compensating for the shortcomings of the God Sun Scripture in the God Transformation realm.

After all, no matter how powerful the God Sun Scripture was, it couldn't push every realm to its absolute peak.

Perfecting the body alone already made the God Sun Scripture stand out.

It was impossible to push every step, from Master, Great Master, God Transformation, Dao Palace, and beyond, to their utmost limits.

Similarly.

Even if the God Sun Scripture could achieve this, cultivators would find it extremely difficult to reach such heights.

The more extreme a martial art, the harder it was to cultivate.

The final push.

Was the most difficult to achieve.

The appearance of the Purple Apex Dao Canon saved Gu Qingfeng a lot of hard work, and also added another top-tier God Transformation realm cultivation technique to the Gu Family Manor.

Afterward.

Gu Qingfeng focused inward, examining his Dao Palace spirit.

The Ancient Heaven Saber broke through.

The five-inch spirit had grown to a nine-inch spirit.

Nine was the ultimate number.

The moment the spirit reached nine inches, Gu Qingfeng felt a bottleneck, as if an invisible force was suppressing and restricting it, preventing any further breakthrough.

When this sensation appeared, Gu Qingfeng already understood that it was time for another breakthrough.

...

With a thought, Gu Qingfeng consumed 500 enhancement points, and the God Sun Scripture instantly advanced from the first level of the Dao Palace chapter to the second level.

As a flood of memories appeared, Gu Qingfeng's aura surged dramatically, and the suppressing force within his spirit suddenly vanished.

Growth!

The spirit began to grow wildly!

Ten inches!

Eleven inches!

Twelve inches!

...

In a short while.

The spirit had reached eighteen inches.

However, after breaking through to eighteen inches, the bottleneck reappeared.

Immediately.

Gu Qingfeng continued to break through.

Third level of the Dao Palace!

Fourth level of the Dao Palace!

...

Gu Qingfeng used all his enhancement points at once, advancing the God Sun Scripture to the fourth level of the Dao Palace chapter, and his cultivation also reached the fourth level of the Dao Palace realm.

An extremely powerful force awakened within his body, far surpassing what he had at the first level of the Dao Palace realm.

Simultaneously.

Due to the rapid advancement in his realm.

His divine soul power had surged.

Even if a ninth-level God Transformation realm expert were to stand before him, Gu Qingfeng could directly suppress and kill them with his divine sense.

...

Name: Gu Qingfeng

Age: 52/6000

Realm: Fourth Level of the Dao Palace

Martial Arts: Heavenly Pulse True Scripture (Second Level), Heavenly Saber (Perfection), Great Wasteland Fist Scripture (Perfection), God Sun Scripture (Fourth Level of the Dao Palace Chapter), Ancient Heaven Saber (Entry Level), Purple Apex Dao Canon (Perfection)



Enhancement Points: 534

...

"Fourth Level of the Dao Palace!"

"Entry Level of the Ancient Heaven Saber!"

For the first time, Gu Qingfeng had a clear understanding of the Sage's legacy.

Just reaching the entry level of the Ancient Heaven Saber caused his divine soul power to surge, allowing his Dao Palace spirit to grow and his cultivation to advance to the fourth level of the Dao Palace realm in one breath.

When Gu Qingfeng focused inward on his dantian Dao Palace, his spirit had already grown to thirty-two inches.

However.

This was not yet the limit of the fourth level of the Dao Palace.

By the standard of nine inches being the limit for each level.

Gu Qingfeng suspected that only when his spirit reached thirty-six inches would he truly touch the limits of the fourth level of the Dao Palace.

"According to the information left by Muru Xi, the limit each level of the Dao Palace realm can reach represents a cultivator's talent and potential."

"Ordinary Dao Palace realm cultivators can grow their spirit to two inches at each level, which is already quite good. Those whose spirit can grow to three inches or more are considered geniuses."

"Those with a spirit of five inches or more are true prodigies!"

"And my limit at each level is nine inches. This must be due to the Ancient Immortal Body!"

Gu Qingfeng was very clear that his natural talent and constitution could only be considered average. The only possible explanation for his current achievements was the Ancient Immortal Body.

The emergence of such a divine body elevated his potential to the true pinnacle.

"An ancient divine body, the oldest in the world!"

Gu Qingfeng muttered to himself.

He realized that he had never fully uncovered the true mysteries of the ancient divine body, but even so, the advantages of the divine body made his foundation immeasurably deep.

Now.

A thirty-two-inch Spirit Essence.

Even many peak Dao Palace realm cultivators might not possess such a profound Spirit Essence.

To be honest.

Gu Qingfeng himself was now unsure of his true strength.

The rapid advancement in his realm gave him only one feeling:

He was now incredibly powerful.

Then.

With a thought, Gu Qingfeng summoned the Evil-Slaying Blade into his hand.

The long blade was unsheathed, and it sliced through his palm.

Gu Qingfeng used his own blood to anoint the scabbard, and then the blood seeped into the blade itself.

With his current Fourth Stage Dao Palace realm cultivation, every drop of his blood contained boundless divine power. Now, as this blood fused into the Evil-Slaying Blade, the divine weapon trembled slightly, emitting a shocking blade intent that did not escape the boundaries of the Grinding Hall.

The Blade Nurturing Technique!

Gu Qingfeng had practiced this secret technique for decades without fail.

To him,

The Evil-Slaying Blade was no longer just a simple weapon; it was a companion.

After years of being nourished by his blood, Gu Qingfeng felt his connection with the Evil-Slaying Blade deepen further. It seemed that something was about to be born within this divine blade.

This feeling was not unfamiliar to Gu Qingfeng.

He had felt the same when he was near the jujube tree in the Divine Martial Sect.

The difference was that,

Compared to the spiritual essence of the jujube tree, the spiritual essence of the Evil-Slaying Blade was clearly much weaker. To reach the level of the jujube tree, it would need more time to grow.

However,

Gu Qingfeng had plenty of time.

To him,

The six thousand-year lifespan of a Dao Palace realm cultivator was already extremely long, and he was only fifty-two years old.

Compared to the six thousand years, even a fraction of a percent was not yet reached.

—

The next day.

Gu Qingfeng emerged from his seclusion.

As soon as he emerged, Gu Peng arrived immediately.

"Your subordinate greets the Manor Lord, congratulating you on your great advancement in cultivation!"

"Um, have there been any significant events while I was in seclusion?"

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, and his divine sense could easily see through the person before him.

The robust life force of a peak Grandmaster was evident, but it had not changed much from a year ago. To break through to the Divine Transformation realm, one needed to further refine the life force and generate various divine phenomena, thus truly breaking the constraints of the Grandmaster realm and advancing to a higher level.

However,

Gu Peng was still far from breaking through to the Divine Transformation realm.

For a moment, Gu Peng felt as if all his secrets were exposed, causing his body to instinctively tremble before he quickly recovered.

Hearing Gu Qingfeng's question, Gu Peng did not hesitate and respectfully replied,

"During the time you were in seclusion, the Emperor established Divine Martial Academies across the Nine Provinces, including White Stone City. However, due to a lack of teachers, he ordered some disciples from the Gu Family Manor to serve in the Divine Martial Academies in White Stone City and other places."

"Hmm..."

Gu Qingfeng's expression remained calm.

He was well aware of Gu Yang's goal to spread martial prowess across the heavens. The establishment of the Immortal Court Dynasty was just the beginning. To further advance to an Imperial Dynasty or even an Imperial Realm, the dynasty's fortune needed to be enhanced.

The simplest way to enhance the dynasty's fortune was to strengthen the overall power of the dynasty.

This "overall" referred not only to the internal court but also to the entire world.

Therefore,

Establishing Divine Martial Academies and teaching martial arts to the world was the simplest method.

However, the Nine Provinces were vast, and it was difficult for the court to provide enough personnel to establish numerous academies. Thus, it was natural to seek help from various martial factions.

As the largest martial faction now and the backbone of the Divine Martial Dynasty, it was only natural for Gu Yang to turn to the Gu Family Manor.

Gu Qingfeng did not bother with these matters too much.

When he founded the Gu Family Manor, his only intention was to provide a foundation for future generations to survive and thrive.

At this moment,

Gu Peng handed a black iron box to Gu Qingfeng.

"Additionally, this is something the Emperor sent to the Manor Lord half a year ago, but as the Manor Lord was in seclusion, I did not dare to disturb you!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng's divine sense moved, and the black iron box was immediately taken from Gu Peng's hand and landed in his own.

The black iron box was completely sealed with no keyholes, but this was no problem for Gu Qingfeng.

He simply pinched it, and the box easily broke open, revealing a jade slip and a letter inside. The letter's cover read in large characters:

"For Father's Eyes Only!"

From the handwriting, Gu Qingfeng immediately recognized it as Gu Yang's.

Meanwhile, Gu Peng, seeing the black iron box that even a Grandmaster could not easily break, being handled like paper by Gu Qingfeng, could not help but feel even more shocked and reverent.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end