Chapter 282: Gu Qingfeng's Confidence

Chapter 282: Gu Qingfeng's Confidence

December 6, 2024

The Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm!

Upon hearing Gu Yang's words, Shi Zhen's face turned ashen.

He had once consumed the Grand Master Ascension Pill, which propelled his cultivation to the peak of the Grand Master realm in one go. He should have been familiar with such pills.

But there was no way around it.

The words spoken by Gu Yang were indeed astonishing.

A single pill that could directly break through to the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm was something hard to believe.

However.

Shi Zhen dared not doubt Gu Yang's words. He immediately consumed the pill, and his cultivation, completely beyond his control, surged rapidly.

In less than a moment, Shi Zhen had entered the Dao Palace Realm, and his cultivation soared until it reached the peak of the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm, only then did it gradually subside.

Until the medicinal effects of the pill dissipated, Shi Zhen remained in a daze, unable to fully grasp the situation.

"The Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm... Have I succeeded?"

Shi Zhen's face was filled with disbelief.

But the vast power contained within his body and the Dao Palace Essence Spirit formed in his Dantian were telling him that he wasn't dreaming; he had truly stepped into the pinnacle of the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm.

Immediately.

Shi Zhen bowed deeply to Gu Yang, his face filled with endless gratitude.

"Your Majesty has bestowed upon me such an unparalleled opportunity. I bow in gratitude and am willing to serve Your Majesty to the death!"

"There's no need for such formalities, Lord Shi," Gu Yang said calmly.

"Now that you've entered the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm, I'll give you ten years to train an elite force capable of battle. Are you up to the task?"

"I will do my utmost!" Shi Zhen replied solemnly.

He understood what Gu Yang meant by this elite force—it would be the key to the expansion of the Divine Might Dynasty's territories.

Currently, Shi Zhen commanded thirty-six thousand Heavenly Gale Army soldiers, the weakest of whom were at the Essence Refinement Realm. However, such strength was clearly insufficient.

If it were in the past, Shi Zhen would have no confidence in training an army even more elite than the current Heavenly Gale Army within such a short time.

But after consuming the pill and directly breaking through to the Ninth Level of the Dao Palace Realm, Shi Zhen's thoughts changed.

With his current strength, if he could receive the full support of the court's resources, training an elite force would not be a significant challenge.

"Good. I hope you won't disappoint me when the time comes!"

Gu Yang nodded and then waved for Shi Zhen to withdraw.

Immediately after.

He summoned the others.

Various military officials and generals gathered in the Imperial Study, each of them looking at Gu Yang with reverence.

"Today, I've gathered you all here because I have a task for you!"

"What are Your Majesty's commands?"

"The Ancient Beast Mountain Range is filled with numerous ferocious beasts that frequently harm the people of the Nine Provinces. Therefore, I intend to have you lead an army to clear a path through the Ancient Beast Mountain Range!"

As soon as Gu Yang spoke, everyone's expressions changed.

Clearing a path through the Ancient Beast Mountain Range! No one had expected this.

"Your Majesty, the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is teeming with ferocious beasts, and there are quite a few powerful ones among them. Those who have reached the Dao Palace Realm are not uncommon, and they are by no means ordinary."

The official spoke very politely, but everyone present understood his meaning.

The strength of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range was absolutely not something the Divine Might Dynasty could compare to.

Although the Divine Might Dynasty had already become an empire, in terms of strength, it was not just one level behind the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.

If they were to rashly engage in battle, the Divine Might Dynasty would undoubtedly suffer defeat.

Seeing the expressions of the officials, Gu Yang had already anticipated this.

"I don't intend to have you flatten the entire Ancient Beast Mountain Range. You only need to eliminate a portion of the ferocious beasts and open a passage for my Divine Might Dynasty to the Eastern Region."

"But even so, it won't be easy."

The official shook his head.

Gu Yang said, "I have my own plans for this matter. You only need to follow my instructions. The ferocious beasts in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range are formidable, but my Divine Might Dynasty also has powerful experts.

Additionally, the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is rich in resources, such as ferocious beast cores, heavenly treasures, and other valuable items, which are highly sought after by cultivators.

While you're opening a path through the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, you should also collect as many of these resources as possible to enhance the court's strength!"

Seeing Gu Yang's resolute expression, the other officials had different ideas, but they couldn't voice them and could only nod in agreement.

As the people withdrew, Yan Yun was summoned once again by Gu Yang.

"I plan to take action against the Ancient Beast Mountain Range. The Divine Might Dynasty will need to dispatch a group of array experts to accompany the army and set up corresponding teleportation arrays along the way to ensure the safe transfer of our forces!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Yan Yun did not ask further, merely bowing in acceptance of the order.

Once Yan Yun had left, the vast imperial study returned to its quiet state.

"Once the passage through the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is opened and the teleportation arrays are set up, the Divine Might Dynasty will truly have the capital to reach out to the outside world!"

Gu Yang muttered to himself.

The existence of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range was extremely delicate.

In the past, when the Divine Might Dynasty was weak, the mountain range served as a barrier, protecting the dynasty from external forces and allowing it to recuperate and grow.

However, as the Divine Might Dynasty gradually grew stronger, the mountain range became an obstacle.

If the Divine Might Dynasty wanted to expand its power, this obstacle must be removed.

On the other hand, even without removing the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, as long as a teleportation point was established within the Divine Might Dynasty, they could still enter the Eastern Region. Gu Yang was undecided about this.

Not to mention, the farther the teleportation array, the more troublesome it was to set up.

Moreover, setting up a teleportation array in a territory not under their control was inherently dangerous.

If any information were to leak, the other end of the teleportation array could be filled with dangers, and a slight mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army.

Therefore, Gu Yang had to proceed with caution, starting with the Ancient Beast Mountain Range to expand the Dynasty's control, and then reaching out to the Eastern Region and even the entire Ancient Desolate Realm.

"As long as we can expand the territory of the Divine Might Dynasty, the promotion to an Imperial Dynasty will become much easier in the future."

"If we can achieve the promotion to an Imperial Dynasty, I might be able to take advantage of this opportunity and directly step into the Holy Person Realm!"

Gu Yang's eyes sparkled with determination.

The benefits of the Divine Might Dynasty's promotion were already so great, and if they took it a step further and became an Imperial Dynasty, the advantages would be unimaginable.

Subsequently, Gu Yang's mind focused on the jade seal, and the vast Divine Might Dynasty seemed to be under his control. The terrifying fortune enveloped him, giving him a sense of suppressing everything.

"The Immortal Court's records mention that a Fortune Empire that condensed a Six-Leaf Lotus could suppress even the weakest Fortune Empires.

If it were a top-tier Fortune Empire, it could even suppress a Holy Person!"

"Now that the Divine Might Dynasty has just been promoted, its foundation is still at the bottom among ancient empires. But with my First Dao Palace Realm cultivation, combined with the fortune power of an empire, I believe suppressing a Fourth Level Dao Palace Realm cultivator will not be a problem!"

"If I were to use a Great Sage Weapon, even a so-called Half Sage could be suppressed..."

A realization dawned on Gu Yang, giving him a clearer understanding of his current strength limit.

Normally, with the power of the Divine Phoenix Tower, if one could fully unleash its might, they could suppress not just a Demi-Sage Ascendant but even a true Holy Person.

However, the issue was that the power of a Great Sage Weapon was not something a mere First Dao Palace Realm cultivator could fully unleash.

Even with Gu Yang's current cultivation, it was difficult to extract the full power of the Divine Phoenix Tower.

But if he were to spare no cost, Gu Yang was confident he could suppress a Holy Person, but doing so would require the Divine Might Dynasty to pay a tremendous price.

Gu Yang was quite satisfied with this situation.

Looking back, over a decade had passed, and the Divine Might Dynasty had unknowingly accumulated the foundation of an ancient empire.

A single Great Sage Weapon could match the accumulation of tens of thousands of years, if not more.

Of course, Gu Yang did not become arrogant.

He was well aware that the Divine Might Dynasty's rapid promotion was inseparable from the resources of the Ancient Waste Holy Land.

The resources of the Ancient Waste Holy Land had saved the Dynasty from hundreds or even thousands of years of detours, and these resources had not been fully exhausted yet.

If they were to use up all the resources of the Ancient Waste Holy Land, it would at least allow the Divine Might Dynasty to take a significant step forward.

Even if it couldn't directly promote the Dynasty to an Imperial Dynasty, it would still join the ranks of the old, established empires.

This was the foundation of an ancient holy land.

After all, the Ancient Waste Holy Land was not comparable to ordinary holy lands. As a once-great power that had produced Sage King cultivators, its foundation was unmatched by other forces.

"Father!"

Gu Yang looked towards the direction of the Gu family estate, his eyes deepening with thought, and the initial hesitation in his heart now completely vanished.

With Gu Qingfeng's presence, there was no way the Divine Might Dynasty could turn the tide.

Under these circumstances, Gu Yang could afford to be bolder in his actions.

---

The next day.

At the court.

Gu Yang announced his plan to target the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, immediately stirring up a storm of opinions. Many officials voiced their opposition, believing that it was too hasty to take action against the Ancient Beast Mountain Range at this time.

The reason was simple.

The Ancient Beast Mountain Range was powerful, filled with numerous top-tier Primordial Chaos Beasts, and any rash military action would undoubtedly result in heavy casualties.

In response.

Gu Yang firmly rejected all objections, standing by his original decision.

His decision to target the Ancient Beast Mountain Range was not just about removing an obstacle for the court but also seizing the opportunity to gather resources from the mountain range to enhance the court's strength.

The Ancient Beast Mountain Range had existed for countless years, and due to the abundance of Primordial Chaos Beasts, it nurtured countless heavenly treasures and resources.

Moreover, the flesh, blood, and even the inner cores of these beasts were highly nourishing for cultivators.

Given these reasons.

Gu Yang naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

In the past, they had refrained from taking action due to the weakness of the Divine Might Dynasty, only daring to look at the treasure mountain with hesitation.

But now, with their newfound strength, Gu Yang had no more reservations.

...

Several days later.

The court's army set out for the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, causing a huge sensation.

Many cultivators were astonished upon hearing the news, never expecting the Divine Might Dynasty to take such a bold action.

"Is the Divine Might Dynasty crazy to target the Ancient Beast Mountain Range?"

"The Ancient Beast Mountain Range has existed for countless years, and the number of Primordial Chaos Beasts within is unimaginable. Countless forces have attempted to conquer it over the years, only to meet with failure."

"The Divine Might Dynasty's plan to target the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is nothing but a wild fantasy!"

Many cultivators scoffed at the idea, believing that Gu Yang was completely delusional to even consider such an action.

However.

There were those who held different opinions.

"The Ancient Beast Mountain Range is indeed powerful, but don't forget that the Divine Might Dynasty has the support of Gu Family Manor. If the master of Gu Manor personally takes action, conquering the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is not an impossible feat!"

Upon hearing the words 'Gu Family Manor,' the other cultivators' faces paled, and their expressions became solemn.

Gu Family Manor!

Gu Qingfeng!

This name was like a towering mountain pressing down on the heads of countless cultivators. Throughout the ages, this figure's strength was enough to rank among the top ten.

In this era, he was even hailed as the strongest in the Age of Decline.

Undeniably.

The Ancient Beast Mountain Range was indeed powerful.

But if Gu Qingfeng were to personally take action, the Divine Might Dynasty might indeed have a chance to conquer the mountain range.

After all, no matter how many Primordial Chaos Beasts there were, in the face of a cultivator of his caliber, they were no different from ants.

According to rumors.

The Ancient Beast Mountain Range seemed to harbor a Primordial Chaos Beast of the Holy Person Realm, which was the real reason other forces struggled to conquer it.

However—

Gu Qingfeng's battle records included the annihilation of a Great Sage Realm existence.

With this,

The Divine Might Dynasty had the confidence to target the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, and it wasn't an unreasonable decision.

As for the various speculations and actions of the Divine Might Dynasty, Gu Qingfeng paid them no mind.

At this moment, he only wanted to comprehend the Celestial Phoenix Divine Art and enhance his other cultivation methods. He didn't want to waste time on other matters.

Nevertheless, Gu Qingfeng had secret guards sending him intelligence, and his information panel constantly updated, keeping him well-informed about the outside world without ever leaving Gu Family Manor.

"Targeting the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is a good idea. As for the rumors about the mountain range, it's hard to say if they are true or not.

Even if there is a Primordial Chaos Beast of the Holy Person Realm, it's not a big problem!"

Gu Qingfeng glanced at the information panel and shook his head.

At his current level, he had the qualifications to not regard even a Primordial Chaos Beast of the Holy Person Realm.

Not to mention a Primordial Chaos Beast of the Holy Person Realm, even a Great Sage or Sage King level beast would be no challenge for Gu Qingfeng if he wished to eradicate it.

Only Quasi-Emperor or Great Emperor level opponents could garner his attention.

The rest of the cultivators were not worth his concern.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end