Chapter 286: Heavenly Disaster Malevolent Spirit

Chapter 286: Heavenly Disaster Malevolent Spirit

December 10th, 2024

Gu Family Estate.

Main Hall.

Gu Qingfeng had emerged from his cultivation, and before him stood Gu Yang, the long-time resident of the ancestral hall.

"Father, your son pays his respects!" Gu Yang greeted with his usual reverence.

Even though he had already reached the fifth level of the Dao Palace Realm and could leverage the fortune of the entire Divine Might Dynasty, even using the power of the Divine Phoenix Tower to challenge a true Sage, he still felt an unfathomable depth when facing Gu Qingfeng.

"The fifth level of the Dao Palace Realm, it seems you've completely refined the Sage Realm Beast Core," Gu Qingfeng observed, not needing to check the information panel to know the extent of Gu Yang's cultivation.

The fifth level of the Dao Palace Realm! Such a cultivator would be considered a formidable figure throughout the Ancient Desolate Realm.

With Gu Yang's talent, reaching the peak of the ninth level of the Dao Palace Realm or even the Half-Sage Realm before the Era of Great Struggle would not be a significant challenge.

Then, Gu Yang spoke again.

"Today, instead of handling affairs in the palace, why did you find time to return to the estate?"

"There's an anomaly in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, and I need your decision on this matter!" Gu Yang's expression turned grave as he mentioned the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng's eyebrows slightly arched, but his demeanor remained mostly unchanged.

"Tell me the details."

Although Gu Qingfeng was aware of the changes in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range from the information panel, he was not yet clear on the specifics.

However, the fact that Gu Yang had personally come regarding this matter indicated its unusual nature.

Without hesitation, Gu Yang explained, "A month ago, a mysterious black mist appeared in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, completely consuming a thousand-strong army. Many Dao Palace Realm beasts disappeared without a trace within the mist."

"As the mist expanded, I sent a ninth-level Dao Palace Realm cultivator from the court, carrying the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, to investigate.

But they discovered a field of corpses within the mist, and some mysterious beings had awakened. If that Dao Palace Realm cultivator hadn't retreated in time, they might have perished..."

"Later, I personally entered with the Divine Phoenix Tower, but unfortunately, I still couldn't uncover the origin of the black mist. However, it attracted the attention of the mysterious beings within.

Fortunately, the Divine Phoenix Tower protected me at the critical moment, or I might not have made it out alive."

At this point, Gu Yang suddenly tore open his robe, revealing a black palm print on his chest. An eerie, chilling aura lingered around it, as if constantly corroding his vital energy.

"The power of a malevolent spirit!" Gu Qingfeng's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon seeing the black palm print.

"Indeed!" Gu Yang smiled bitterly. "There must be a Sage-level malevolent spirit hidden in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, perhaps even stronger. If it were an ordinary malevolent spirit, even if I couldn't suppress it, I could still retreat safely."

"It's just that—"

"I've never heard of a malevolent spirit of such a level!"

As Gu Yang spoke, his expression grew more somber.

Before the establishment of the Divine Might Dynasty, the most powerful malevolent spirit in the Nine Provinces was the Catastrophe-level one.

Such a spirit possessed strength comparable to the Divine Transformation Realm.

After the founding of the Divine Might Dynasty, weaker malevolent spirits like these had completely disappeared, replaced by more formidable ones.

These new malevolent spirits were named Heavenly Disaster-level by the Divine Might Dynasty.

Simultaneously, to better analyze the power of Heavenly Disaster-level malevolent spirits, the Divine Might Dynasty categorized them into three ranks: upper, middle, and lower.

Among them, the lower-rank Heavenly Disaster malevolent spirits were equivalent to the Dao Palace Realm.

As for middle-rank Heavenly Disaster malevolent spirits, they were on par with the Sage Realm.

The drought demon that appeared in Divine Crane Province was labeled as middle-rank Heavenly Disaster.

Similarly, it was also the most powerful malevolent spirit the Divine Might Dynasty had encountered in the past.

Gu Yang initially believed that the drought demon killed by Gu Qingfeng was the strongest among all malevolent spirits.

However, the malevolent spirit that had appeared in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range made Gu Yang realize his mistake.

"Based on my judgment, the strength of that malevolent spirit, even within the middle-rank Heavenly Disaster, is likely among the top tier. But it probably hasn't reached the upper-rank Heavenly Disaster level.

Otherwise, even with the protection of the Divine Phoenix Tower, I might not have survived!"

Although the Divine Phoenix Tower was powerful, upper-rank Heavenly Disaster malevolent spirits were equivalent to the Great Sage Realm. It wasn't something a Dao Palace Realm cultivator with a Great Sage Weapon could easily contend with.

In the end, the Dao Palace Realm is still not enough to perfectly unleash the power of the Great Sage Weapon.

"What I'm most worried about right now is that if we allow these malevolent spirits to grow stronger, will they one day evolve to the level of an Upper Rank Heavenly Disaster?"

If that were to happen, the problem would become even more severe!"

This was another concern that Gu Yang had.

The more lives the malevolent spirits slaughter, the more powerful they become.

In the past, a single Catastrophe Malevolent Spirit could easily destroy an entire prefecture, and some powerful ones could even turn an entire province into a dead land.

Although the Divine Might Dynasty is now incredibly strong, far surpassing the previous dynasty, if an Upper Rank Heavenly Disaster-level malevolent spirit were to appear, the Divine Might Dynasty would undoubtedly be unable to resist it.

It is only because Gu Qingfeng is here that Gu Yang isn't in such a panic.

Otherwise, he would have already started preparing to lead the people of the Nine Provinces to relocate elsewhere.

After all, if there is no matching force to counter it, and if that malevolent spirit sets its sights on the Nine Provinces, with its terrifying power, turning the Nine Provinces into a dead land would be an easy task.

As Gu Yang finished speaking, Gu Qingfeng suddenly struck out with a palm, and a mighty Vital Energy force, like the blazing sun, surged into his body. Immediately, Gu Yang heard a piercing, shrill screech in his ear.

The next moment, the black palm print on his chest turned into rolling black smoke and dissipated.

Within a few breaths, all the palm prints vanished without a trace, and the cold, sinister aura that had been clinging to Gu Yang, trying to devour his Vital Energy, also disappeared.

"Thank you, Father, for your help!"

Gu Yang's face relaxed.

This palm print was like a bone-attaching poison to him, constantly threatening his life.

It was only because of Gu Yang's profound cultivation and the protection of the Divine Phoenix Tower that he could withstand such an invasion. If it had been any other Dao Palace Realm cultivator, they would have been reduced to a withered corpse by now.

For Gu Qingfeng, dispelling the malevolent spirit's power from Gu Yang's body was an easy task.

Not only is his current strength even more formidable, but even in the past, dealing with this kind of malevolent spirit's power was not a difficult task.

"The origin of these malevolent spirits is not as simple as you think. The ones that plagued the Nine Provinces in the past were nothing compared to the truly powerful malevolent spirits.

Even I, as a father, do not have the confidence to deal with them."

After casually dispelling the crisis from Gu Yang's body, Gu Qingfeng spoke up.

His words caused Gu Yang's expression to change.

But before Gu Yang could respond, Gu Qingfeng continued, "However..."

"This malevolent spirit in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range is not a major problem. As long as it doesn't reach the Upper Rank Heavenly Disaster level, it will ultimately not be a significant threat."

Gu Qingfeng paused for a moment before continuing, "But no matter what, this malevolent spirit is not to be taken lightly. I will personally take care of it. Until this problem is resolved, no one should venture into the Ancient Beast Mountain Range to avoid unnecessary casualties."

"I have already given the order to temporarily evacuate the Ancient Beast Mountain Range!"

Gu Yang's face relaxed, and he nodded again.

Upon learning of the terrifying nature of the malevolent spirit in the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, Gu Yang had ordered the evacuation early on, even if it meant abandoning years of accumulation.

As long as the army remains, what is abandoned can eventually be reclaimed.

But if all the elite forces were to be lost to the malevolent spirit, it would be an unimaginable heavy blow to the Divine Might Dynasty.

Gu Yang was well aware of the choices he had to make.

Now that he heard Gu Qingfeng's willingness to take action personally, Gu Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as his father is willing to step in, the problem is not too big.

...

Qingyun Province.

At the Heavenly Hero Pass.

The army was stationed.

Over a million elite troops were now stationed here.

The reason was that the Heavenly Hero Pass was the first and most crucial line of defense between Qingyun Province and the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.

If the malevolent spirit were to emerge from the mountain range, the Heavenly Hero Pass would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the attack.

If the Heavenly Hero Pass were to fall, it wouldn't just affect Datong Prefecture; Guangyang Prefecture and other areas of Qingyun Province would also be impacted.

At that time.

The number of civilian casualties would undoubtedly be high.

Therefore.

The army was stationed here, ready to fight to the death the moment the malevolent spirit appeared.

"Your Majesty!"

On the Heavenly Hero Pass, Gu Shengan, dressed in military armor, looked at the person before him with reverence.

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

"It's been a few years, and you've matured quite a bit. Your cultivation has also improved; it seems you'll break through to the Master Realm soon!"

The current Gu Shengan was much more mature and composed than before, and his cultivation had advanced to the latter stages of the Master Realm.

At the age of twenty-seven, with his cultivation at the later stage of the Master Realm, he is already considered quite exceptional in the Nine Provinces.

The same would be true if we were talking about the Ancient Desolate Realm.

After all, at this age...

It indicates that he has the potential to enter the Divine Transformation Realm within a hundred years.

Being able to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm within a century means that he could step into the Dao Palace Realm within a millennium.

In the entire Ancient Desolate Realm, any cultivator who reaches the Dao Palace Realm can be considered a powerful expert. However, those who can truly enter the Dao Palace Realm within a thousand years are still a minority.

Most cultivators may need three to five thousand years, or even their entire lives, to break through this realm.

Therefore...

Gu Shengan's breakthrough level is naturally not bad.

However...

Compared to his father and two uncles, the difference is more than just a little.

Whether it's Gu Yang, Gu Xuan, or Gu Xiu, they have all entered the Dao Palace Realm, and Gu Xiu has even broken through to the seventh level of the Dao Palace Realm.

It should be known...

Gu Xiu is only in his early forties.

To reach the seventh level of the Dao Palace Realm at this age is truly astonishing.

Even the so-called top geniuses have a standard of breaking into the Dao Palace Realm within two hundred years.

In other words...

Cultivators who can enter the Dao Palace Realm before the age of two hundred are truly top-tier in terms of talent.

But being a top genius is a vague term; it's like being a Half-Sage—some Half-Sages struggle to defeat a ninth-level Dao Palace Realm cultivator, while others can slay Great Sages. It's the same principle.

Entering the Dao Palace Realm within two hundred years is just the threshold for being a top genius.

The stronger one's talent, the faster they can break through.

Of course...

There are also those who obtain heaven-defying opportunities, leading to astonishing cultivation speeds. But whether it's innate talent or other opportunities, they are all part of one's advantages.

If it weren't for the outstanding achievements of Gu Yang and the others, Gu Shengan's progress would be considered remarkable.

But now, he can only barely be described as 'not bad.'

Hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, Gu Shengan couldn't help but smile, his usual composure seemingly vanished.

"Grandson hasn't been able to serve by Grandfather's side for a long time!"

Gu Qingfeng glanced at him and said with a smile, "Alright, if you have the time, you can go back to the Gu Family Estate and stay for a while. Changing the environment will also be beneficial for your cultivation."

"Grandson understands!"

Gu Shengan's face lit up with joy.

He naturally understood the meaning behind Gu Qingfeng's words.

The Gu Family Estate is no longer a place that anyone can visit at will, and Gu Qingfeng is in seclusion most of the time. Even if he went there, he might not be able to meet him.

Now, with Gu Qingfeng's personal permission, Gu Shengan was overjoyed.

If he could receive guidance from Gu Qingfeng, Gu Shengan believed that breaking through to the Great Grandmaster Realm would be much easier.

It should be known...

In the current Nine Provinces, the Master Realm is no longer impressive, and even the Great Grandmaster Realm is barely sufficient to hold some influence.

Only by entering the Divine Transformation Realm can one initially qualify to become a powerful expert.

However, Gu Shengan also understands that breaking through to the Divine Transformation Realm is not something that can be achieved overnight. Still, being able to break through to the Great Grandmaster Realm faster is never a bad thing.

At this moment...

Gu Qingfeng's gaze shifted towards the direction of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range. In his vision, the area was shrouded in black mist, as if blocking out the sun and the moon. Within this eerie black mist, a deathly cold and desolate aura permeated.

As Gu Qingfeng's gaze tried to penetrate the black mist to see the scene inside, the mist trembled, and a pair of crimson eyes suddenly appeared.

In an instant...

Their eyes met.

A terrifying and chaotic divine consciousness force surged towards him.

If an ordinary cultivator were to be struck by such a divine consciousness attack, they would easily be polluted by the chaotic power within, leading to a damaged mind and becoming foolish at best, or even losing their true nature and falling into becoming a malevolent spirit at worst.

However...

This level of divine consciousness attack couldn't affect Gu Qingfeng in the slightest.

Gu Qingfeng's eyes shone with the Great Sun Divine Light, shattering the chaotic divine consciousness and blasting into the black mist, causing it to churn violently, and there were even signs of it dispersing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end