Chapter 330: The Aura of Demons
Chapter 330: The Aura of Demons
January 25th, 2025
"The Elixir of Immortality was obtained by your father from the Primordial Ancient Land. Your eldest brother has already taken it."
"You should have taken it earlier, but I was in seclusion, and this matter slipped my mind."
"However, it's not too late now. This elixir can lay a solid foundation, allowing you to reach the Demi-Sage Realm."
"After that, you can refine your body and wait for the Great Contention Age to arrive, and then you can attain Sainthood!"
Gu Qingfeng's words made Gu Xuan's expression change.
So that was it!
No wonder his eldest brother's strength had improved so quickly; he had already reached the threshold of the Demi-Sage Realm more than a decade ago.
Comparing his cultivation speed to Gu Yang's, Gu Xuan even doubted the authenticity of his Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body.
But now he understood.
Gu Xuan felt much better.
Then, he looked at the Elixir of Immortality and said, "It's said that the higher one's cultivation, the better the effects of the elixir. Why don't you take it, Father? It would be a waste for me to consume it."
"For me, the Elixir of Immortality is dispensable. Moreover, it only has some effect for those below the Great Emperor Realm. Once you advance to the Great Emperor Realm, all the properties of the elixir will be completely removed from your body."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head.
This was the dominance of the Great Emperor Realm.
Even before reaching the Great Emperor Realm, no matter how many elixirs one consumed, it wouldn't matter how many lifetimes they could extend.
As long as one stepped into the Great Emperor Realm, their lifespan would be permanently fixed.
Ten thousand years!
This was the limit of the Great Emperor Realm.
If one could find an abundant supply of the Elixir of Immortality below the Great Emperor Realm, they might barely achieve half-immortality.
But once they entered the Great Emperor Realm, there would be no chance at all.
Even so, countless powerful cultivators still strived to attain the Great Emperor Realm.
This was because the Elixir of Immortality was rare and not everyone could find it.
Additionally, there was the pursuit of immortality.
Those who aimed for the Great Emperor Realm wanted to extend their lifespan, and the only way to do so was to take the next step and reach the rumored Immortal Realm.
Even if the chances of attaining immortality were slim, it still captivated these powerful cultivators.
After all, immortality alone held no meaning.
In the face of stronger beings, even an extended lifespan would be insignificant.
Of course, some Great Emperors who couldn't achieve immortality would either enter a meditative state or venture into the Primordial Ancient Land, choosing to seal themselves like the Black Abyss Emperor.
In Gu Qingfeng's opinion, these slumbering Great Emperors were probably waiting for an opportunity to attain immortality.
Otherwise, why would they remain asleep in the Primordial Ancient Land?
But nothing was absolute.
Perhaps some Great Emperors were simply afraid of death and preferred to linger in the City of Life and Death, barely surviving, rather than taking that final gamble.
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be sure.
He didn't have all the answers.
As long as his strength was sufficient, nothing was impossible.
Meanwhile, on the other side, when Gu Xuan heard Gu Qingfeng's words, his heart stirred with excitement.
Great Emperor!
This was a level he dared not even imagine.
After all, even with a divine body, reaching this level was not an easy feat.
The previous Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body had only reached the Great Sage Realm.
Clearly, although the divine body was powerful, the chances of attaining the Great Emperor Realm were still slim.
Subsequently, Gu Xuan didn't say much more and directly consumed the Elixir of Immortality.
With Gu Qingfeng's protection, even the powerful effects of the elixir couldn't truly threaten Gu Xuan.
On the contrary, as Gu Xuan absorbed and refined the elixir's power, his cultivation soared.
Sixth Tier of Dao Palace Realm!
Seventh Tier of Dao Palace Realm!
Eighth Tier of Dao Palace Realm!
Ninth Tier of Dao Palace Realm!
...
Under the influence of the Elixir of Immortality, Gu Xuan's cultivation advanced rapidly, and in no time, he directly entered the peak of the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm.
Just like Gu Yang, after breaking through to this level, Gu Xuan's aura continued to grow, and behind him, a phantom of a fiery phoenix appeared. An awe-inspiring heat erupted, accompanied by a vast oppressive force.
The phoenix spread its wings, as if trying to break through the sky.
But in the next moment, Gu Qingfeng sensed a terrifying force of the Dao suppressing everything, causing the phoenix to let out a mournful cry and eventually dissipate into nothingness.
As the phoenix vanished, Gu Xuan's aura stabilized at the peak of the Dao Palace Realm, reaching the Demi-Sage Realm.
"Suppression of Heaven's Dao!"
Gu Qingfeng understood.
This was the suppression from Heaven's Dao.
Just like Gu Yang's failed attempt to break through to the Saintly Realm, this suppression was at play.
As Gu Xuan broke through to the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm, Gu Qingfeng's Upgrade Points also reached the eight-thousand mark.
Gu Xuan opened his eyes, his face filled with emotion.
After breaking through the ninth and highest level of the Daoist Palace Realm and entering the Half-Sage Realm, he truly understood the power of this level.
Compared to his previous self before the breakthrough, his current strength was not just a little bit stronger.
If he were to face his pre-breakthrough self, Gu Xuan was confident that he could easily defeat him in a single encounter.
This was the difference between the Half-Sage Realm and the fifth level of the Daoist Palace Realm.
Practitioners of the same level with similar talents became more formidable as their cultivation increased.
Thinking of this, Gu Xuan looked at Gu Qingfeng, his eyes burning with intensity.
"My cultivation has just broken through, and I wish to seek guidance from my father. May I have your permission?"
Seeing Gu Xuan's expression, Gu Qingfeng smiled slightly.
"As you wish!"
...
A moment later, Gu Xuan emerged from the Blade-Sharpening Hall with a dazed expression. The cool breeze on his face snapped him out of his stupor.
Looking at the outside world, Gu Xuan felt as if he were in a dream.
After a long while, he let out a bitter laugh.
"This is my father's strength!"
Recalling the battle inside the Blade-Sharpening Hall, Gu Xuan shuddered.
No, it couldn't even be called a battle.
From start to finish, he hadn't truly fought back.
A mere glance from Gu Qingfeng had made him feel like he was falling into an abyss.
Even now, when he thought back to that moment, Gu Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He had been overly confident, thinking that breaking through to the Half-Sage Realm would make him worthy of challenging his father.
But now it seemed that the gap between them remained unchanged.
Whether before or after the breakthrough, in the face of such existence, he was no different from an insignificant ant.
As Gu Xuan walked away, Gu Qingfeng didn't seem too concerned.
"It's good to teach this kid a lesson, otherwise he might think that breaking through to the Half-Sage Realm makes him invincible."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly and then withdrew his spiritual consciousness from observing Gu Xuan.
He wasn't worried that this battle would leave Gu Xuan discouraged.
On the contrary, witnessing the true strength of a powerful opponent would stimulate his desire to become stronger.
Indeed, Gu Qingfeng's assessment proved to be accurate.
In just three days, Gu Xuan emerged from his room.
Unlike three days ago, he now exuded a vibrant and powerful aura, along with a sharpness he hadn't possessed before.
When he approached Gu Qingfeng again, the latter glanced at him and nodded.
"You've overcome your inner demons in just three days. It seems that the Immortal God Herb wasn't wasted after all."
"Last time, I was narrow-minded!"
Hearing Gu Qingfeng mention the events of a few days ago, Gu Xuan smiled bitterly.
Then, he curiously asked, "Father, what is your current cultivation level?"
"You can consider it the Grand Sage Realm," Gu Qingfeng said, glancing at him and speaking indifferently.
Finally, he added in his mind, "It won't be long before I break through to the Saint King Realm."
This wasn't a joke.
Breaking through to the Saint King Realm required a single mistake, a single hair out of place, a single breath, a single movement, or a single glance.
All he needed was a thousand Upgrade Points.
Gu Qingfeng already had eight thousand, and with another two thousand Upgrade Points, he could directly break through to the Saint King Realm.
Once he achieved the breakthrough, his strength would undergo another transformation.
"Grand Sage!" Gu Xuan took a deep breath, his face filled with awe.
Gu Qingfeng said, "It's just the Grand Sage Realm, no need to be so surprised. The depth of this world is beyond your imagination.
Many ancient powers, including ancient noble families, have the foundation of Grand Sages and above.
And in some ancient forbidden lands, there are even Great Emperors slumbering.
However, during the End-Dharma Age, these beings won't awaken easily, but that doesn't mean they don't exist!"
"Hiss..."
These words made Gu Xuan gasp in shock.
He had thought that as the son of the Great Void Sacred Land, his perspective was already broad enough.
But only now did Gu Xuan realize that his vision had been shortsighted.
The depth of this world was unfathomable.
Gu Xuan suspected that even the Great Void Sacred Land might not be fully aware of some hidden powerful beings.
However, since these words came from Gu Qingfeng's mouth, Gu Xuan had no reason to doubt them.
After all, his father was a Grand Sage of this generation.
The knowledge and experiences of such a being were naturally beyond the imagination of other cultivators.
Subsequently, Gu Xuan asked a question similar to the one Gu Yang had posed.
It was about the End-Dharma Age.
How did Gu Qingfeng manage to attain the Grand Sage Realm during this era?
In response, Gu Qingfeng casually gave a reason to brush him off, and Gu Xuan didn't inquire further.
...
Half a year passed.
Gu Xuandu spent his time at the Gu Family Manor, sometimes serving Xu Yulan with filial piety and at other times seeking guidance from Gu Qingfeng on cultivation matters.
Although Gu Xuandu had reached the pinnacle of the Half-Sage Realm in terms of cultivation, there was no further progress to be made in the End-Dharma Era.
However, a cultivator's strength was not solely determined by their cultivation level; various supernatural abilities also contributed to their overall power.
But mastering these abilities was no easy feat.
Even with Gu Xuandu's exceptional talent, truly cultivating the profound techniques of the Great Void Sacred Land to a high level was challenging.
Fortunately, with Gu Qingfeng's guidance, this problem was easily resolved.
With Gu Qingfeng's current cultivation level, understanding the mysteries of the Great Void Sacred Land's abilities was a simple task.
A casual remark from Gu Qingfeng could instantly enlighten Gu Xuandu.
Next, it was time to focus on cultivating the Divine Phoenix Art.
Gu Xuandu, having received the legacy of the Divine Phoenix Great Sage, naturally possessed the Great Sage's abilities.
Coincidentally, Gu Qingfeng had already perfected his cultivation of the Divine Phoenix Art.
As a result, Gu Xuandu's progress in cultivating the Divine Phoenix Art was astonishing.
---
On this day, Gu Qingfeng's expression shifted slightly.
He gazed towards a certain location in the Nine Realms, where a terrifying aura soared into the sky, accompanied by a bloodthirsty and violent force that shocked all cultivators in the Nine Realms.
At the same time, in the Primeval Wastes, similar strange phenomena suddenly appeared in many places.
In an instant, numerous ancient beings were startled awake.
In the Central Domain, within the Ancient Qin Clan, Qin Xiongdao, who was in seclusion to recover from his injuries, suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards a direction in the void. A look of astonishment appeared on his solemn face.
"This aura... Demons!"
In an instant, Qin Xiongdao emerged from his seclusion.
Simultaneously, many powerful members of the Ancient Qin Clan appeared.
When they saw Qin Xiongdao, their expressions relaxed, and they immediately bowed in respect.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
After the greetings, Qin Zhen Tian spoke up, "Ancestor, do you know the reason for this unusual phenomenon?"
"Demons!"
"Demons?!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhen Tian and the other high-ranking members of the Ancient Qin Clan turned pale with shock.
It was evident that this outcome surprised and caught them off guard.
Qin Xiongdao said, "Back then, I happened to encounter a demon-infested world. I am all too familiar with this aura.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, demons appeared just like this, and then they caused a massive calamity in the Primeval Wastes."
"Many forces immediately resisted, using all their resources, and barely managed to repel the demons."
"Even so, our human race suffered heavy losses."
"Many of my brothers perished in the war against the demons!"
At this point, a cold killing intent flashed in Qin Xiongdao's eyes.
This deep-rooted grudge, even after hundreds of thousands of years, was still difficult to truly dissipate.
Therefore, when the demonic aura appeared, Qin Xiongdao immediately recalled the scenes from his ancient memories.
The same scene! The same aura!
It was clear that after many years, the demon race had returned.
"Pass down the order. With the demon invasion, let everyone prepare for battle. I will go and check the situation personally!"
After leaving these words, Qin Xiongdao directly tore through the void and departed.
Seeing this, many of the Qin Clan's elders showed concern.
"The Ancestor has not fully recovered from his injuries from the recent battle in Huangyan City against the Deceptive Emperor. If he encounters the demon race now, will there be any problems?" an elder asked.
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhen Tian's expression became resolute. "The Ancestor has attained the Dao of Creation. How can mere demons threaten him? Moreover, with the Ancestor's abilities, even if the demon race produces a peerless powerhouse, he will surely be able to retreat unscathed.
For now, let's follow the Ancestor's instructions and spread the news of the demon invasion, allowing all parties to prepare!"
Demon Invasion!
This battle would undoubtedly be extremely challenging.
This battle would be even more severe than the chaos caused by malevolent spirits.
According to the records of the Ancient Qin Clan, every demon invasion brought about a massive calamity, and countless humans perished.
The last demon invasion nearly exhausted the strength of the entire Eastern Domain, and they still haven't fully recovered to this day.
This shows just how great the threat of the demons is.
Therefore, even with the Ancient Qin Clan's deep foundations, Qin Zhen Tian dared not take the demon invasion lightly.
Any carelessness could result in heavy losses for the Ancient Qin Clan.
As the head of the Qin Clan, Qin Zhen Tian would never be negligent.
(End of Chapter)
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