Chapter 357: Stalemate

Chapter 357: Stalemate

February 23, 2025

As Gu Fengchen left, Gu Xiu narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Qingfeng beside him.

"Father, this great-grandson of mine seems rather extraordinary!"

Being a possessor of a Divine Body himself, Gu Xiu was highly sensitive to the aura of other Divine Bodies.

Gu Qingfeng said, "Gu Fengchen has just awakened the Star Dao Body not long ago!"

"The Star Dao Body!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiu's expression changed slightly.

"But it's the 27th ranked Star Dao Body!"

There were numerous unique body constitutions in the world.

Those that could rank within the top hundred were considered top-notch.

Of course, this didn't necessarily mean that the top hundred body constitutions were stronger than those ranked beyond a hundred.

This ranking was based on the strength and achievements of past possessors of the same body constitution.

Gu Xiu's own Bu Mie Divine Body was ranked ninth, but that didn't guarantee that it was stronger than the 27th ranked Star Dao Body.

Any Divine Body that could rank within the top hundred was usually possessed by someone who had reached the Da Di Realm.

Beyond the top hundred, the Divine Bodies were not as remarkable.

Therefore, when Gu Xiu learned that Gu Fengchen had awakened the 27th ranked Star Dao Body, he was quite shaken.

Immediately, Gu Xiu's expression turned joyous. "This means our Gu family has three Divine Bodies!"

One Bu Mie Dao Body, one Tian Feng Divine Body, and one Star Dao Body! Even many ancient and primordial forces might not be able to produce a single Divine Body, yet the Gu family now had three, which was truly astonishing.

To be blunt, the current Gu family, with just these three Divine Bodies, could grow to become one of the top imperial clans.

After all—

These three Divine Bodies were all ranked within the top hundred.

As long as they had sufficient resources, the probability of them entering the Da Di Realm in the future was incredibly high.

"Now that I have to stay in Zhenyao Immortal City, the Xingchen Imperial Court is colluding with evil spirits, sacrificing the lives of an entire state, inciting the wrath of both heaven and mankind. The Divine Martial Empire and other forces are launching an attack on the Xingchen Imperial Court, your interest in the Divine Body is also intriguing. The situation there is likely to be grim.

Currently, in the Divine Martial Empire, aside from my father, there isn't a single Saint-level or above power.

Right now, you should go to the Xingchen Imperial Court. With your strength, you might be able to make a difference!"

"However, before you go to the Xingchen Imperial Court, you should first make a trip to the Imperial Capital to meet your older brother!"

Gu Qingfeng spoke with certainty. He had witnessed Gu Xiu's strength firsthand.

The other party's cultivation had reached the Half-Saint level, and his power was at the pinnacle of the Half-Saint stage.

Moreover, Gu Qingfeng remembered that Gu Xiu had cultivated the first layer of the Heaven Pulse True Scripture. If he utilized the power of the Heaven Pulse, he could even rival Saints. With the Can Que Di Bing in his possession, Gu Xiu's strength surpassed that of many Saints.

Otherwise, Gu Xiu wouldn't have been able to instantly slay a Saint at the second level of the Sheng Ren Realm.

Currently, Gu Xiu's strength was undoubtedly the strongest among the younger generation of the Gu family.

Of course, this referred to his overall strength.

If divine weapons and treasures were excluded, and it came down to a one-on-one fight, Gu Xiu's strength might not necessarily surpass Gu Yang's.

Although Gu Xiu possessed the Bu Mie Divine Body, Gu Yang had cultivated the second layer of the Heaven Pulse True Scripture.

With the advantage of an extra Heaven Pulse, it was possible to bridge the gap between their body constitutions.

Furthermore, Gu Yang's foundation was already extraordinary.

"I understand, Father!"

Gu Xiu nodded in response to Gu Qingfeng's words.

However, just as he was about to leave, Gu Qingfeng took out the last Eternal Life Immortal Herb.

"This is the Eternal Life Immortal Herb. By consuming it, you can live another life. Your older brothers have already taken the herb, and this last one is reserved for you!"

"But with your current cultivation, there's no need to consume the Eternal Life Immortal Herb. It's better to wait until the suppression of Heaven's Path dissipates, and then use this herb to break through to the Saint level!"

Gu Qingfeng added a final reminder.

Gu Xiu stared at the Eternal Life Immortal Herb before him, his face filled with shock.

"The Eternal Life Immortal Herb?!"

This was a legendary herb that defied the heavens, and Gu Xiu had only heard the Huang Ji Sheng mention it once before.

Even Quasi-Emperors could only dream of obtaining such a herb.

No matter how Gu Xiu thought about it, he never imagined that one day, an Eternal Life Immortal Herb would be presented to him so openly.

Soon after, Gu Xiu took a deep breath and solemnly accepted the herb with both hands.

"Thank you, Father!"

He didn't refuse.

Gu Xiu was well aware that since Gu Qingfeng had taken out the Eternal Life Immortal Herb, it meant he had more of them.

The Eternal Life Immortal Herb only holds power for cultivators below the Emperor realm. Once a cultivator reaches the Emperor realm, any special attributes gained from the herb are completely purged.

While others were unsure, in Gu Qingfeng's eyes, it was inevitable that Gu Xiu would attain the Emperor realm. With his father's strength, breaking through to the Emperor realm would be effortless.

The herb, which others considered a Heaven-defying treasure, might not even catch the eye of his father.

To be honest, even with his own Bu Mie Divine Body, Gu Xiu wasn't entirely confident that he could break through to the Emperor realm. After all, not every Bu Mie Divine Body in history had achieved such a feat.

The Emperor realm marks the pinnacle of cultivation. Countless beings strive to reach this peak, but only a select few ever truly attain it.

Upon obtaining the Eternal Life Immortal Herb, Gu Xiu did not consume it immediately. Instead, following Gu Qingfeng's instructions, he headed to the Imperial Capital to meet with Gu Yang.

Gu Xiu was not yet a hundred years old, and with the half-saint's lifespan of thousands of years, the herb was of no immediate use to him. Just as Gu Qingfeng had said, it would be better to save it for when he attempted to break through to the Saint realm.

After spending half a day in Zhenyao Immortal City, Gu Xiu set foot in the Nine Continents. But before meeting with Gu Yang, he decided to make a stop at home to see Xu Yulan.

The reunion between mother and son was heartwarming. Xu Yulan had been longing to see her youngest son after several decades apart. However, the warm atmosphere soon shifted as Xu Yulan's expression turned stern, and her voice grew sterner. She began to scold him.

"Do you even think of me as your mother? You've been gone for decades without a word, and you have no idea how worried I've been!"

"I know I'm wrong, Mother. But I was in the Demon Realm, and it wasn't easy to get away. Please don't blame me!" Gu Xiu bowed his head, admitting his mistake, not daring to argue with Xu Yulan.

Seeing Gu Xiu's obedient demeanor, Xu Yulan's anger dissipated. Her voice softened once more.

"Since you're back, stay home for a few days. I haven't seen you in decades, and I have some things I want to discuss with you.

Also... You're not getting any younger, and it's time you found a partner. Tell me, what kind of person do you like? A talented cultivator or a well-bred lady from a noble family?"

Xu Yulan couldn't bring herself to be harsh with her own flesh and blood. She began to worry about Gu Xiu's marital affairs.

Gu Yang was already married and had been working on expanding the Gu family's influence. But the truth was, Gu Yang was not her biological son.

The issue was that both Gu Xuan and Gu Xiu, now at an age where they could be great-grandfathers, were still single, which worried Xu Yulan.

In the past, with Gu Xuan at the Tai Xu Sacred Land and Gu Xiu in the Demon Realm, there was little Xu Yulan could do about her concerns. But now, with Gu Xiu finally home, she was determined to arrange his marriage.

After spending half a day at the Gu residence, Gu Xiu made his way to the Imperial Palace to meet with Gu Yang.

When Gu Yang saw Gu Xiu, his expression was filled with joy, and the two brothers had a long heart-to-heart talk.

Afterwards, Gu Yang issued an imperial decree, ordering Gu Xiu to carry it and head towards the Xingchen Imperial Court. If he encountered the imperial army along the way, he could present the decree to prove his identity.

Upon receiving the decree, Gu Xiu immediately set off for Guyue Province without lingering in the imperial palace.

As he entered Guyue Province, Gu Xiu felt a sinister aura belonging to the evil deity. Every city he passed through was nearly empty, and in some, even the corpses remained uncollected.

Witnessing this scene, Gu Xiu's expression gradually darkened.

"Torturing the innocent!"

"The Xingchen Imperial Court indeed has no reason to exist!"

Over the years in the Demon Clan, Gu Xiu had developed a deep hatred for evil, and seeing this situation, anger welled up within him.

Afterwards, Gu Xiu continued to venture deeper into the Xingchen Imperial Court.

Several days later, on a battlefield, Gu Xiu arrived to witness a fierce battle between two armies.

One army was from the Divine Martial Empire, while the other was eerily different.

These so-called soldiers were actually walking corpses. Gu Xiu saw some with severed arms, yet they showed no pain and continued fighting. Black, foul-smelling liquid oozed from their wounds, not common blood.

Only when their heads were severed would they truly die.

"Evil deity!"

Gu Xiu looked behind these corpse soldiers, sensing a terrifying aura—dark, chilling, and sinister, like a fountain of darkness.

He understood that the evil deity was there, manipulating these corpse soldiers from behind.

"General Yan, these corpses feel no pain and fear no death. If this continues, we'll suffer heavy losses!"

A general who accompanied the army on the campaign looked at the battlefield with a grim expression, his heart silently bleeding.

Every soldier lost was a pain for the Divine Martial Empire.

While it was true that war had no mercy, the problem was that the enemy wasn't human.

These were the corpses of commoners sacrificed by the Xingchen Imperial Court. Killing them wouldn't make a difference.

General Yan's expression was also unpleasant, but his determination was unwavering.

"We must defeat them in this battle. The Xingchen Imperial Court has sacrificed countless commoners, and their intentions are definitely not simple. If we retreat now, all our previous efforts will be in vain!"

At this point, the imperial capital of the fact that you're also determined to not let these sacrifices be in vain.

Moreover, our army has already come this far, shedding the blood of countless soldiers on the battlefield. If we retreat now, I couldn't face those who have fallen."

So, in this battle, the Divine Martial Empire couldn't afford to retreat.

As his words fell, General Yan turned to the person beside him.

"Zhang Gongyang, do you have a way to find and kill the evil deity hiding in the shadows?"

"It's difficult to say... That evil deity moves mysteriously, and it can control this army. Its strength is definitely not weak. If we venture deeper, the chances of successfully beheading it are extremely slim!"

Zhang Gongyang understood General Yan's intention, so he replied with caution.

If the Gongfeng Institute took action and ventured alone, they might face annihilation.

Moreover, even if they did so, it wasn't certain that they could kill the evil deity.

At this point, Zhang Gongyang seemed to worry that General Yan might misunderstand him, so he quickly explained.

"General Yan, this isn't because we fear death. But if we fall into the evil deity's trap and there's no Half-Saint to hold the line, our army might not be able to withstand the evil deity's power.

Currently, it dares not show itself, probably fearing our presence!"

In Zhang Gongyang's view, the evil deity's reluctance to reveal itself created a delicate balance between the two sides.

But if members of the Gongfeng Institute ventured deeper and were defeated, it might trigger a chain reaction, endangering the entire Divine Martial Empire army.

General Yan understood Zhang Gongyang's concern.

Without the deterrence of a Half-Saint from the Gongfeng Institute, he had no doubt that the evil deity would directly attack them.

However, if they couldn't find and eliminate the evil deity, breaking the current stalemate would be challenging for the Divine Martial Empire.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end