Chapter 368: Ancient Clan

Chapter 368: Ancient Clan

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has issued numerous decrees, and many martial sects have entered Gu Yue Province to assist the imperial court in suppressing the region!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has sensed the changes in the imperial aura and believes it won't be long before the Divine Martial Empire ascends to become an imperial dynasty!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xuan, after the battle at the Xingchen Imperial Court, deeply felt his own lack of strength and returned to the Void Sanctum to enter seclusion for cultivation!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xuan, received teachings from ancient powerhouses of the Void Sanctum through astral projection, and his strength has improved!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, has taken charge of Gu Yue Province, slaying many cultivators who intended to cause chaos!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, has slain 136 human cultivators!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, has slain 1,337 demons!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, has had a sudden enlightenment in battle, and his strength has improved!"

"Your offspring, Gu Xiu, has diligently cultivated the Ancient Divine King Sutra, and his strength has improved!"

"Your offspring, Gu Shengnu, emerged from seclusion and with one sword strike, slew demons of the third level of the Palace of Dao Realm. With three sword strikes, she suppressed demons of the sixth level of the Palace of Dao Realm. Then, despite being injured, she used her sword to slay half-saint demons, shocking all!"

"Your offspring, Gu Shengnu, was attacked by a demon lord but was fortunate enough to be saved by a mysterious powerhouse!"

"Your offspring, ..."

...

Returning to Zhenyao Immortal City, Gu Qingfeng resumed his usual calm, as if the battle in Gu Yue Province had no effect on him.

During this time.

Gu Qingfeng reviewed the information panel and was well-informed about the external situation.

Regarding the matters in Gu Yue Province.

Gu Qingfeng believed that Gu Yang could handle them.

As it turned out.

Gu Yue Province was indeed gradually recovering from the great calamity. The most obvious sign was the gradual improvement of the Divine Martial Empire's imperial aura, hinting at a potential transformation to a higher level.

From this, it was clear that the Divine Martial Empire was changing.

With the current stable situation in the Nine Provinces, it was impossible for the Divine Martial Empire to undergo such a significant transformation unless it was due to the events in Gu Yue Province.

As for Shen Yuan Province.

The situation was similar to that of the Nine Provinces.

Regarding Gu Xuan and Gu Xiu, their actions were largely within Gu Qingfeng's expectations.

Especially Gu Xuan.

The Void Sanctum, an ancient force that has existed for hundreds of thousands of years and has produced great saints, naturally has a profound foundation.

The so-called restricted area is one of the Void Sanctum's foundations.

In comparison.

The person who truly surprised Gu Qingfeng was Gu Shengnu.

"Being able to slay half-saint demons at the first level of the Palace of Dao Realm, what kind of Heaven-defying technique is the peerless sword bone that allows Shengnu to achieve this!?"

Gu Qingfeng was somewhat shocked.

To be honest.

He didn't know much about the peerless sword bone.

Only after learning that Gu Shengnu had cultivated the peerless sword bone and rapidly improved her strength did Gu Qingfeng pay slightly more attention, but he didn't delve into it deeply.

Until now.

Seeing the text on the information panel.

Gu Qingfeng suddenly understood.

The peerless sword bone not only has Heaven-defying potential but also possesses astonishing combat power.

Slaying half-saint demons at the first level of the Palace of Dao Realm!

Not just anyone can do this.

Gu Qingfeng himself is an exception.

Moreover.

Gu Qingfeng knows that his path is irreplicable.

Even for others, such as Gu Xuan with the Tianfeng Divine Body and Gu Xiu with the Bumie Divine Body, it would be highly unlikely for them to have the ability to slay half-saints at the first level of the Palace of Dao Realm.

This shows.

The exceptional nature of the peerless sword bone.

Such combat power even left Gu Qingfeng somewhat surprised.

Afterward.

Gu Qingfeng glanced at other information and summoned someone.

"What are your orders, Your Excellency?"

"I want you to investigate what the peerless sword bone is. Additionally, Shengnu has been away from the Gu family for some time; find out where she is now!"

Gu Qingfeng said to the red-leafed figure before him.

The figure bowed and accepted the mission.

"Yes!"

After Red Leaf left, Gu Qingfeng continued his seclusion for cultivation.

---

Half a month later.

Red Leaf returned.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

"Any news?"

Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes, his expression calm.

Hongye nodded: "I have gathered some information. Miss is currently in the Southern Domain, and she is accompanied by powerful figures, making it difficult for our Dark Guards to get close."

"As for the Peerless Sword Bone, I have also dispatched people to investigate. It seems to be related to an ancient sect known as the Sword Sect from the Primordial Era!"

"Unfortunately, there is very little information about the Sword Sect, and I haven't been able to gather much useful information yet!"

Southern Domain!

Primordial Sword Sect!

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Good, I am aware of this. You may go for now!"

"I take my leave!"

Hongye bowed and retreated.

Gu Qingfeng took out a communication jade token, which contained information gathered by other Dark Guards. This information largely matched what Hongye had reported.

The reason for having a backup plan wasn't that Gu Qingfeng didn't trust Hongye, but rather to ensure an additional layer of security. Just because Hongye had gathered this information didn't mean that other Dark Guards had not.

However, from what he could see so far, the information gathered by both sides was largely consistent.

"The Sword Sect... an ancient sect that has been passed down since the Primordial Era!"

"The Great Catastrophe of the Primordial Era even wiped out the Taiyi Divine Dynasty, yet the Sword Sect has managed to continue its lineage to this day. This shows that their foundation is far from simple!"

Gu Qingfeng's eyes narrowed slightly, and he silently noted the name of the Sword Sect in his mind.

He did not continue to have the Dark Guards investigate the Sword Sect.

This ancient sect from the Primordial Era was not something ordinary people could easily probe. If the Dark Guards delved too deeply, they might provoke the Sword Sect, leading to unforeseen consequences.

For Gu Qingfeng, the Dark Guards were too valuable to risk losing.

Moreover, from the information panel, it seemed that the Sword Sect harbored no ill will toward Gu Shengnan.

What intrigued Gu Qingfeng was how Gu Shengnan had managed to successfully join the Sword Sect.

Shaking his head, Gu Qingfeng put the matter aside.

Once he learned that the Sword Sect was an ancient sect from the Primordial Era, he decided not to continue investigating.

The Primordial Era.

It was the oldest age of the Ancient Realm.

If the Ancient Realm had an origin, it could only be traced back to the Primordial Era.

In that era, the Taiyi Divine Dynasty dominated the world, and it was also the most prosperous period for the human race.

Top-tier sects stood tall and mighty, and powerful figures were abundant.

The Taiyi Divine Dynasty was merely the most brilliant presence in the Primordial Era, but it did not mean that other forces were insignificant.

"According to legends, in the early Primordial Era, the human race was ignorant, living in a primitive state, and fighting beasts for survival. Later, a powerful figure comprehended the Dao from the heavens, founding a civilization and spreading the path of cultivation."

"The Dao of the Primordial Era was the simplest and closest to the source of the Great Dao!"

"Thus, the Primordial Era was also the most powerful age in the Ancient Realm—"

Gu Qingfeng recalled the information about the Primordial Era in his mind, feeling a sense of longing for that ancient age.

The Wildlands!

A multitude of races!

Ultimately, the human race emerged victorious and became the dominant force of this world.

Unfortunately, Gu Qingfeng's knowledge of the Primordial Era was limited.

Of the Primordial Era's cultivation techniques, Gu Qingfeng had only obtained the Ancient Divine King Sutra.

Even so, he could see the brilliance of that era from the Ancient Divine King Sutra.

For the Sword Sect to have established itself in the Primordial Era and continued its lineage to the present day, its strength and foundation were undoubtedly formidable.

Gu Qingfeng even suspected that there might be an Emperor-level figure behind the Sword Sect.

Although Emperors were rare, many top-tier forces that dominated an era might not have produced a single Da Di realm powerhouse.

However—

The Sword Sect was different.

As a mysterious and ancient force with a lineage dating back to the Primordial Era, Gu Qingfeng had to estimate their strength as accurately as possible.

However, while he was somewhat wary of the Sword Sect, he was not overly cautious.

After all, from his relationship with Gu Shengnan, the Gu family had no conflict with the Sword Sect.

Moreover, Gu Qingfeng's strength was steadily increasing. As long as he continued to break through, reaching the level of an Emperor was only a matter of time.

Given this, there was no reason for him to fear the Sword Sect.

With this thought in mind, Gu Qingfeng suddenly had a thought and took out the Divine Emperor Cauldron. Black mist rolled out of the ancient cauldron, forming various terrifying and sinister phenomena, as if it were suppressing some world-shaking evil.

At the same time, faint roars echoed through the grand hall, sending chills down the spines of those who heard them.

"Almost forgot about you!"

Gu Qingfeng looked at the Divine Emperor Cauldron, his eyes piercing through the rolling black mist to see the specific scene inside.

In the midst of the black mist, an eye floated, with all the mist spreading from it. When Gu Qingfeng looked at the eye, a terrifying and violent divine consciousness immediately struck him.

However, Gu Qingfeng's expression remained unchanged. His sea of consciousness was as stable as a towering mountain, unaffected by the divine consciousness attack.

"Release me... and I will grant you eternal life!!!"

The eye transformed into the deceptive Heavenly Emperor's figure, and a hoarse voice echoed in Gu Qingfeng's ears.

The latter smiled slightly. "If you want me to release you, it’s quite simple. Just tell me your true origins, and I might grant you your freedom!"

Upon hearing these words, the black mist suddenly paused.

Then, an eerie and chilling voice echoed out.

"Do you think you’re worthy to negotiate with me? You are nothing but a mere ant, incapable of understanding the vastness of the heavens. Release me, swear allegiance to me, and I will grant you eternal life, showing you the true expanse of the world!"

This statement was imbued with a powerful divine consciousness, almost as if it could bewitch the mind.

In response, Gu Qingfeng's right hand, which was holding the Divine Emperor Cauldron, trembled, and a terrifying, fiery vital energy surged into the ancient cauldron.

In the blink of an eye, the entire bronze cauldron heated up drastically, as if the rolling black mist was placed in a furnace. The Deceptive Heavenly Emperor let out a piercing, agonized scream.

"Ah!!!"

This vital energy, as fierce as the sun, was a powerful counter to Evil Spirits. The sensation was like winter snow exposed to sunlight, and the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor felt as if his soul was being torn apart by a thousand knives.

Such intense pain made the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor wish for immediate oblivion.

But unfortunately, he was nearly indestructible. Even under such torment, there was no sign of him dissipating.

"Ant... Ah!!! I will not let you off!!!"

"Ah!!!"

"I was wrong, spare me!!!"

"Ah—"

The Deceptive Heavenly Emperor's attitude shifted rapidly from angry curses to pleading for mercy.

But Gu Qingfeng showed no intention of stopping.

The terrifying vital energy enveloped the entire Divine Emperor Cauldron, and the intense heat seemed capable of incinerating the heavens and the earth. The massive cauldron was like a sun, and the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor's agonized howls never ceased.

This sound continued for several hours. The Deceptive Heavenly Emperor seemed to grow weaker, and his screams gradually became more subdued.

If an outsider were to observe, they might have doubted whether the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor had been completely refined.

However, only Gu Qingfeng, who continuously monitored the internal state of the Divine Emperor Cauldron, truly realized that the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor's essence remained unaffected.

This fiery torment only caused him pain but did not bring him close to destruction.

"Truly indestructible? It seems I underestimated you!"

Gu Qingfeng saw that the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor's screams had lost their strength, yet his essence remained unchanged. He understood that, despite his formidable power, he was not yet capable of truly eliminating the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor.

This did not surprise Gu Qingfeng. After all, even the Taiyi Divine Dynasty had failed to kill the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor, only managing to seal him away. This demonstrated the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor's terrifying nature.

If the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor could be so easily slain, the Taiyi Divine Dynasty would not have left these Evil Spirits as a lingering threat.

Thus, it was clear that slaying Evil Spirits was not so simple.

Ordinary Evil Spirits were one thing, but a being as mysterious as the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor was far more challenging to eliminate.

Half a day later, Gu Qingfeng ceased his actions.

The Deceptive Heavenly Emperor, who had been enduring the torment, now felt a sense of relief, as if he had survived a great calamity.

"You didn’t lie. To some extent, you are indeed indestructible. However, you should know that while I cannot kill you, I can still torment you. There’s no need for empty threats. Answer my questions, and you might avoid some of the pain. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to refine you again and again."

Gu Qingfeng’s lips curled into a cold smile, and his words sent a shiver through the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor, who seemed to show fear and a trace of barely concealed resentment.

However, the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor did not dare to truly erupt.

The hours of torment had instilled a deep fear in him. The agony that tore through his soul was something even an Evil Spirit found hard to endure.

Seeing the Deceptive Heavenly Emperor fall silent, Gu Qingfeng knew he had temporarily submitted.

With this in mind, Gu Qingfeng asked his first question.

"Where did you come from!?" (End of Chapter)

Chapter end