Chapter 359: The Imperial Edict

Chapter 359: The Imperial Edict

"Your descendant, Gu Yang, learned about the situation at the Celestial Pivot Manor and issued orders for Yan Yun and others to act when the opportunity arises!"

"Your descendant, Gu Yang, is in seclusion, contemplating the Dao. He seems to have touched upon the Saint bottleneck, but due to the suppression by the Heavenly Path, he has not yet broken through!"

"Your descendant, Gu Yang, had a sudden idea and attempted to use the nation's fortune to shake the Heavenly Path. However, he found that the fortune of the imperial dynasty was lacking. If it could be elevated to an imperial dynasty, it would be enough to shake the Heavenly Path's suppression and force his way to sainthood!"

"Your descendant, Gu Yang, is even more eager for the Divine Martial Empire to be promoted to an imperial dynasty!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xuan, accompanied a powerful adept from the Great Void Holy Land on a campaign against the Xingchen Imperial Court and was attacked by Evil Spirits!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xuan, fought a desperate battle, suffering severe injuries to subdue a disaster-level Evil Spirit on par with a Saint!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xuan, suffered severe injuries, but the Nirvana effect of the Tian Feng Divine Body activated, completely healing his wounds and subtly enhancing his strength!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xuan, attempted to use the Nirvana characteristic to forcefully break through to the Saint realm but was suppressed by the Heavenly Path, ultimately failing!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xuan, is deeply troubled by the failure, unable to understand why you could break through successfully, but he cannot!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, was attacked by Evil Spirits 1,336 times!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, was attacked by Evil Spirits 2,587 times!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, was attacked by Evil Spirits 5,666 times!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, used decisive measures to subdue a disaster-level Evil Spirit on par with a Saint, earning him a fearsome reputation!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, led many powerful adepts of the Divine Martial Empire deep into the Celestial Pivot Manor, intending to participate in the siege against Lu Zhen!"

"Your descendant, Gu Xiu, was attacked by a powerful Evil Spirit, suffering severe injuries. Fortunately, the characteristic of the Bu Mie Divine Body protected him, allowing him to survive!"

"Your descendant..."

...

Sitting in Zhenyao Immortal City, Gu Qingfeng looked at the information panel and was well aware of all the events happening to his descendants.

Having had the information panel for so long, Gu Qingfeng discovered that it only displayed specific or important matters, omitting many trivial things.

When he learned that Gu Yang intended to use the nation's fortune to break the Heavenly Path's constraints and force his way to sainthood, Gu Qingfeng's eyes lit up.

"Using the nation's fortune to challenge the Heavenly Path is quite novel. If the Divine Martial Empire's fortune is strong enough, there is a real possibility of success!"

Of course, under normal circumstances, the nation's fortune is hard to shake. Even the fortune of an imperial or divine dynasty might not be enough to challenge the Heavenly Path.

But things are different now. With the demonic invasion and the chaos caused by the Evil Spirits, the ominous energy has already shaken the Heavenly Path's suppression. Even without any action, the suppression is likely to disappear within a hundred years.

At that time, the Great Prosperity will arrive, and everyone will have the potential to become a Saint.

However, achieving sainthood a hundred years ahead of time is a different matter.

The nation's fortune is not just about power; it also involves other dimensions.

That is why the nation's fortune can challenge the Heavenly Path.

If it were another cultivator, even one as powerful as Gu Qingfeng is now, it would be impossible to directly break the Heavenly Path's suppression and force someone to achieve sainthood.

Next, Gu Qingfeng considered the situations of Gu Xuan and Gu Xiu.

The Xingchen Imperial Court colluding with the Evil Spirits, and the Great Void Holy Land wanting a share, is quite normal.

Now, with all the forces gathering, the situation at the Celestial Pivot Manor is dire. The severity of Gu Xiu's injuries clearly shows that the situation at the Celestial Pivot Manor is far from simple.

Then, Gu Qingfeng's thoughts shifted, and a piece of animal hide suddenly appeared. Using his divine will as ink, he inscribed a mysterious character onto the hide.

A moment later, the character dissipated, and the power contained within it also dispersed.

"Still no success!"

Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly, looking somewhat helpless.

However, this was not the first time he had failed. He quickly adjusted himself and continued to inscribe characters with his divine will onto the hide.

This was not an ordinary piece of animal hide but the skin of a Chaos Divine Elephant. Only a hide of this caliber could truly bear the power of Gu Qingfeng.

He had failed countless times.

Gu Qingfeng felt his divine consciousness was nearing exhaustion.

After another failure, Gu Qingfeng decided to try a different method. He used his divine consciousness as a pen and his blood as ink to write a mystic rune once more.

As the rune merged with the beast skin, the divine light visibly dimmed, and the skin became one with the rune.

"Go!"

Gu Qingfeng poured his own vital energy into the beast skin. Instantly, a terrifying divine light erupted from the rune, transforming into a devastating blow that tore through the sky, as if it could pierce through the nine heavens.

Such a massive disturbance naturally shook the entire Zhenyao Immortal City. All the cultivators watched the shocking attack with their faces pale with shock.

"It worked!"

Unmindful of the outside commotion, Gu Qingfeng looked at the beast skin in his hand, which had lost its divine light. He gently crushed it to pieces.

"It seems that the skin of the Chaos Divine Elephant can only bear the power of one strike. After that, the skin's strength is exhausted and becomes useless!"

Gu Qingfeng understood this clearly.

However, despite this, he was still quite satisfied.

Using the skin of the Chaos Divine Elephant to contain his power meant that the skin now held the full force of Gu Qingfeng's strike.

Although the power of this strike was not as great as when using the three heavenly meridians, it was still sufficient to suppress anything.

After all, with his current Second Heaven Saint King cultivation, Gu Qingfeng's strength was on par with a true Empire Aspirant.

In other words, this was equivalent to a strike from an Empire Aspirant.

In an era where Emperors were absent, a strike comparable to an Empire Aspirant's was enough to resolve many troubles.

"Since I am stationed in Zhenyao Immortal City and cannot easily move, this method will make my actions much more convenient!"

Currently, the Divine Martial Empire lacked top-tier experts, and Gu Qingfeng himself was constrained by Zhenyao Immortal City and could not leave easily. If they encountered a top-tier expert, the Divine Martial Empire's strength would be insufficient to counter them.

Therefore, Gu Qingfeng wanted to create this method to contain his own power.

In fact, many ancient powers had similar reserves.

Before their deaths, former experts would use mystical means to leave behind a decree as a trump card to protect their clans or sects.

Now, Gu Qingfeng was emulating this method.

However, he had not obtained the means to contain power, so he had to explore it step by step.

Fortunately, this method was not too difficult.

After several attempts, Gu Qingfeng finally succeeded.

Following this, he wrote five such decrees in one go.

He did not continue writing because writing these decrees was extremely draining on his mental strength. Even with his current cultivation, writing five decrees had pushed him to his limit. Continuing would damage his spirit and soul.

However, five decrees were enough.

After all, they were equivalent to five strikes from an Empire Aspirant, which could resolve most problems.

"However—"

"The biggest issue now is finding something to contain my own power, something at least on the level of the skin of an adult Chaos Divine Elephant."

"Moreover, not any part of the Chaos Divine Elephant's skin will do; it must be the most resilient part."

"Even with the mountain-like body of a Chaos Divine Elephant, the maximum number of decrees that can be made is only a dozen or so!"

Gu Qingfeng pondered.

A dozen or so decrees might seem like a lot, but it depended on how they were used.

Unfortunately, such high-level treasures were hard to come by, and Gu Qingfeng had not obtained more for the time being.

The simplest method would be for him to re-enter the Chaos Starry Sky to hunt Chaos Beasts.

However, the Chaos Starry Sky was vast, and finding the shadow of a Chaos Beast would not be easy. Encountering a Chaos Beast on the level of a Saint King would be even more difficult.

At that moment, a powerful fluctuation came from the sky. Gu Qingfeng put away the five decrees and stepped out of the palace.

He looked up at the sky above Zhenyao Immortal City, where dark clouds had gathered.

The immense power of the heavenly tribulation was filled with the aura of destruction.

"Heavenly Punishment!"

Gu Qingfeng's eyes narrowed.

The dark clouds appeared to be a normal heavenly tribulation, but Gu Qingfeng could sense a different aura from them.

This aura came from the Heavenly Punishment.

While a heavenly tribulation was a test from Heaven's Path, like the heavenly tribulation for Saints, Great Saints, and Saint Kings, these tribulations, though powerful, still allowed for a fifty percent chance of survival.

However, Heavenly Punishment was different.

Heavenly Punishment was a punishment from Heaven's Path for those who dared to defy heaven.

Under the Heavenly Punishment.

A perilous journey where death looms at every turn.

And the more powerful the cultivator, the more terrifying the Heavenly Punishment they face.

Even Gu Qingfeng, despite his formidable strength, is now reluctant to face the Heavenly Punishment directly.

It's not that he can't withstand it, but even if he does, he will have to pay a significant price.

Now.

Heavenly Punishment has appeared in Zhenyao Immortal City.

Gu Qingfeng gazes in another direction, where Huang Jie the Great Sage is in seclusion.

"It seems this one has reached the final step. As long as he can weather the Heavenly Punishment, he will truly be reborn!"

Huang Jie the Great Sage, in a strict sense, has already fallen, with only a remnant soul lingering on.

But now, he is attempting to re-form his physical body from this remnant soul, a process akin to rising from the dead. In the eyes of Heaven's Path, this is a defiance of the natural order, disrupting the balance of the world.

Thus, it is only fitting that Heaven's Path sends down the Heavenly Punishment.

If he can weather the Heavenly Punishment, Huang Jie the Great Sage will succeed.

But if he fails, he will be utterly annihilated, with no chance of revival.

At this moment.

A beam of divine light transforms into a rainbow and swiftly departs from Zhenyao Immortal City, stopping only in the depths of the Ancient Beast Mountains.

Once the rainbow light dissipates, a middle-aged cultivator in a dark robe stands with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the gathering clouds of calamity. His face shows no fear, and his eyes gleam with determination as he laughs aloud.

"Come on, mere Heavenly Punishment is nothing to fear! I, Huang Ji, have never been one to back down from a challenge!"

As soon as these words are spoken.

Heaven's Path seems to be enraged.

The long-brewing calamity clouds suddenly stir, and a bolt of black lightning strikes down, swallowing the light of the sun and moon, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

"Fight!"

Huang Jie the Great Sage roars, his terrifying life force surging like a boiling river. With a single step, his overwhelming blood energy shines like a divine sun, dispelling the darkness like a tide receding.

Then.

He punches out, his powerful and ruthless force tearing through the darkness and colliding with the lightning.

The clash of two mighty forces is like a mountain collapsing and a sea surging. Huang Jie the Great Sage's body trembles, and his solid fist bursts, spewing blood.

But in the next moment.

The wound heals.

Huang Jie the Great Sage's fists shake the heavens, the Imperial Sovereign Scripture reaching its peak, as he battles the Heavenly Punishment with all his might.

As a peak Great Sage, Huang Jie the Great Sage's strength is beyond question.

Despite his recent recovery, his true power has not diminished.

Moreover.

Over the years.

Huang Jie the Great Sage has cultivated with his remnant soul, refining the Imperial Sovereign Scripture and the Imperial Sovereign Tyrant Fist to even higher levels, hinting at a transformation to a greater realm.

Thus, upon obtaining the Jiu You Ming Hua and fully compensating for his soul's flaws, Huang Jie the Great Sage mobilized all the resources he had accumulated over the years to successfully form a new physical body.

At this level, Huang Jie the Great Sage's strength surpasses even his peak.

However—

The Heavenly Punishment is formidable.

Despite his terrifying current strength, whether he can weather the Heavenly Punishment remains uncertain.

In Zhenyao Immortal City.

Gu Qingfeng's gaze penetrates the void, witnessing the scene of the tribulation.

Seeing Huang Jie the Great Sage face the Heavenly Punishment with his physical body, he nods in approval.

"Truly a great sage of ancient times. This one's strength is indeed formidable. It's just that his physical body is still newly formed and hasn't been fully refined to perfection. Otherwise, his chances of successfully weathering the Heavenly Punishment would be even higher!"

"Even now, his chances of success are at least thirty percent!"

Thirty percent.

This is a high probability.

Normally, a ten percent chance of weathering the Heavenly Punishment is already considered good. With a thirty percent chance, it's clear how formidable Huang Jie the Great Sage truly is.

Though he is at the ninth level of the Great Sage realm, in Gu Qingfeng's eyes, he is likely on par with true Saint King Realm cultivators.

In any era.

Anyone capable of fighting across realms is considered to have a terrifying foundation.

Moreover.

The gap between the Great Sage and Saint King realms is vast, far greater than the gaps between earlier realms.

In such a situation, for Huang Jie the Great Sage to have the ability to fight across realms is a testament to his extraordinary nature.

Now.

The Heavenly Punishment continues.

Huang Jie the Great Sage fights with his fists, the Imperial Sovereign Tyrant Fist unleashing unimaginable power in his hands. Bolts of lightning are shattered into fragments, but he himself is also heavily wounded, his robe torn and his body cracking and bleeding.

"Boom—"

Another bolt of Heavenly Punishment strikes, Huang Jie the Great Sage's right arm bursts, flesh and blood flying everywhere, and his body falls from the sky. (End of Chapter)

Chapter end