Chapter 380: Creating a Cultivation Technique with Gu Clan's Bloodline

Chapter 380: Creating a Cultivation Technique with Gu Clan’s Bloodline

Gu Qingfeng was unaware of what was happening in the Demon Clan.

But even if he were aware, he wouldn't have cared much.

After all, if the Demon Clan were to clash with the Emperor's Coffin Owner, Gu Qingfeng would be more than happy to see it.

Two tigers fighting would inevitably result in one being injured.

Whether it was the Emperor's Coffin Owner or the Demon Clan that suffered, it would be nothing but beneficial for Gu Qingfeng.

Moreover, the Emperor's Coffin Owner was unfathomably deep.

As an ancient emperor, his methods were undoubtedly extraordinary. The Demon Clan, on the other hand, had a rich heritage.

It wouldn't be easy for either side to gain the upper hand.

Now, Gu Qingfeng had returned to Withered Mountain Immortal City.

When he learned of this, Jiang Nanfeng, the commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

While others might not have known about Gu Qingfeng's departure, as the second-in-command of Withered Mountain Immortal City, Jiang Nanfeng could not have been unaware.

Thus, during this period, Jiang Nanfeng had been constantly worried that the news would leak and provoke a large-scale attack from the Demon Clan.

Fortunately, things didn't escalate to that point.

With Gu Qingfeng's return, Jiang Nanfeng no longer feared the demons' invasion.

It's worth noting that due to the Divine Martial Empire's ascension, Jiang Nanfeng, as the commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, received significant benefits even while in Withered Mountain Immortal City.

His cultivation level had directly jumped from the Seventh Level of the Dao Palace Realm to the Ninth Level.

This was the benefit of the empire's ascension.

If it were a regular official position, it would be impossible for a Sixth Level Dao Palace Realm cultivator to instantly break through three minor realms and reach the Ninth Level.

However, Jiang Nanfeng was different.

The Demon Suppression Bureau held an extraordinary status, and its commander was ranked at the second-grade level.

The aura enhancement brought by such a position was unparalleled.

Thus, Jiang Nanfeng was able to achieve such a breakthrough.

With Gu Qingfeng's return, Withered Mountain Immortal City returned to its usual calm.

Other cultivators continued to leave the immortal city, venturing deep into the demon territories, either seeking opportunities or hunting demons.

This was because Gu Qingfeng, under the name of the Divine Martial Empire, had issued a bounty in Withered Mountain Immortal City. Any cultivator who killed a demon and brought its head to the Demon Suppression Bureau could claim a reward.

These rewards were given in the form of war merit points, which could be exchanged for various cultivation resources and top-tier cultivation techniques and magical abilities from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

This was a temptation that many cultivators, especially independent cultivators, found hard to resist.

After all, for independent cultivators, obtaining resources was extremely difficult, and complete cultivation techniques were even rarer.

Many independent cultivators reached the Divine Transformation Realm, or even the Dao Palace Realm, through sheer luck.

But more often than not, independent cultivators practiced incomplete cultivation techniques, making each step of their journey extremely arduous.

In this world, people always cherished what they had.

Many cultivation techniques and legacies were tightly held by various forces and rarely released.

The purpose of this was to control the limited resources in the world. The more cultivators there were, the fewer resources each one could secure.

However, if a force lacked enough cultivators, it would be at a disadvantage when facing other forces.

Thus, major sects and noble families worked hard to recruit talented cultivators while strictly controlling their legacies, allowing no leaks.

Gu Qingfeng did not agree with these practices, but he did not oppose them either.

In his view, the threat posed by demons was significant. These cultivation techniques and legacies were not indispensable to the Divine Martial Empire or the Gu Clan.

If a portion of them could be used to motivate other cultivators to fight the demons, it would not be a bad thing.

As a result, a steady stream of cultivators from the Ancient Realm entered Withered Mountain Immortal City.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng was secretly in seclusion.

His goal for this seclusion was singular: to create a cultivation technique unique to the Gu Clan.

For a long time, the Gu Clan cultivators had learned a variety of techniques.

While this had its advantages, it also had its drawbacks.

What Gu Qingfeng needed to do now was to use the Gu Clan's bloodline as the foundation to create a cultivation technique truly belonging to the Gu Clan.

Many top-tier clans have their own cultivation techniques, which can be traced back to their bloodline origins. For those outside the clan, these techniques are far less effective, but for those with the clan's bloodline, they can be a powerful boost!

Although the Gu family has not been established for long, it already has a solid foundation. The only thing missing is a cultivation technique that can last for ages!

Gu Qingfeng mused to himself.

He reflected on his own situation.

In terms of the number of cultivation techniques, Gu Qingfeng had mastered countless methods, ranging from the weak to the powerful.

Among the most advanced were the Depth Sutra from the Black Abyss Great Emperor and the Ancient Divine King Sutra from the Chaos Ancient Divine King.

These two imperial scriptures were considered the strongest techniques in Gu Qingfeng's arsenal.

As for the Netherworld Rebirth Eye, it belonged to the category of divine abilities and was not a cultivation technique.

Gu Qingfeng inwardly examined himself, feeling the power of his bloodline coursing through his body. Since breaking through to the Near-Emperor Realm, his blood had undergone a further transformation, with each drop filled with mysterious and terrifying energy.

A single drop of blood could suppress mountains and rivers.

This was the terrifying power of a Near-Emperor.

"Using my bloodline as the foundation, supplemented by the two imperial scriptures, and then integrating other cultivation techniques, I believe I can create a unique technique for the Gu family!"

Gu Qingfeng instantly had a clear plan.

Immediately, he closed his eyes, his mind becoming unprecedentedly calm. The grand palace was filled with the essence of the Dao, and various mystical phenomena continuously transformed.

—

While Gu Qingfeng was in seclusion,

In the Divine Martial Empire.

Fifty million troops had already completely left the Nine Provinces and were sweeping through the region with lightning speed, covering areas adjacent to the Nine Provinces, the Divine Origin Province, and the Gu Yue Province, totaling two provinces.

One province comprised three thousand six hundred prefectures, so two provinces amounted to seven thousand two hundred prefectures.

This vast territory contained countless forces, including some ancient sects, sacred lands, and top-tier imperial families.

However, the Divine Martial Empire paid no heed to these forces, advancing relentlessly and slaughtering all who refused to submit.

In no time,

The Eastern Domain was shaken.

Many forces felt a sense of impending doom.

Those who were unwilling to submit to the Divine Martial Empire spontaneously united, aiming to resist the imperial army.

"Report to the military commander, the Anti-Divine Alliance now has five hundred and seventy-three forces, led by the Ancient Xiao Clan!"

In a city recently occupied by the Divine Martial Empire, a Divine Martial Imperial Guard scout reported to Gu Shengan, who looked at the intelligence in his hand with a cold and stern expression.

"The Ancient Xiao Clan... Do we have any relevant information?"

"Yes, here is all the information about the Ancient Xiao Clan. Please review it, Commander."

The Divine Martial Imperial Guard did not hesitate and immediately handed over a jade token he had prepared.

Gu Shengan's divine consciousness entered the token, and the relevant information immediately appeared.

The Ancient Xiao Clan!

At its peak, it had produced a Near-Emperor level powerhouse.

Unfortunately,

This Near-Emperor failed in the struggle for the imperial path against other Defy Heaven powerhouses and ultimately became a stepping stone for a new emperor, dying a tragic death.

Since then,

The Xiao Clan gradually declined.

However, this decline was relative.

The Ancient Xiao Clan still had a solid foundation, and even after the death of the Near-Emperor, it continued to produce Great Sages and Sage Kings over the years.

Now, as the Divine Martial Empire sought to conquer the world, the Ancient Xiao Clan was within its target range and was not willing to submit.

But the Ancient Xiao Clan also knew that with its own strength, it could not possibly stand up to the Divine Martial Empire. Therefore, it united with other forces to collectively resist the imperial army.

"The Ancient Xiao Clan has some nerve, knowing that my grandfather is the supreme powerhouse of this era, yet they still dare to obstruct the actions of the Divine Martial Empire.

Do they really think that the Divine Martial Empire will hesitate to strike because of their numbers?"

Gu Shengan sneered, his eyes filled with disdain for the Ancient Xiao Clan.

From the intelligence, it was clear that the Xiao Clan's actions were not only aimed at using the strength of many forces to resist the Divine Martial Empire but also to appeal to the greater good of the human race, forcing the Divine Martial Empire to retreat.

The message from the Xiao Clan was simple: With demons invading and evil spirits causing chaos, the human race was facing a great calamity. At such a time, the Divine Martial Empire raising the sword against other humans would undermine internal stability.

If the human race were to suffer a defeat in the war against the two races, the Divine Martial Empire would be the primary culprit.

If it were someone else, they might be swayed by the Xiao Clan's appeal to the greater good and be forced to retreat.

But unfortunately,

Gu Shengan was not the type to be easily swayed by moral arguments, and Gu Yang would be even less likely to show mercy.

Gu Shengan knew his father, the emperor, all too well. The man was never one to shy away from using iron-fisted methods. Otherwise, the Divine Martial Empire wouldn’t have risen from a newly established dynasty to an imperial power in less than a century.

To outsiders, the Divine Martial Empire’s rise was entirely due to Gu Qingfeng. But Gu Shengan knew that his father’s strategies played a significant role as well.

Therefore, the plans of the Ancient Xiao Clan were wrong from the start.

With this thought, Gu Shengan looked at the person beside him, a hint of respect in his eyes.

"If the Divine Martial Imperial Guard directly attacks the Ancient Xiao Clan, do you think you can withstand the clan’s hidden strongmen, Senior?"

The Imperial Great Sage Huang Jie was the trump card that Gu Yang had left for Gu Shengan. As a ninth-stage Great Sage, this ancient powerhouse could handle most variables.

The Imperial Great Sage Huang Jie smiled calmly. "The Ancient Xiao Clan indeed has a profound foundation, but that was during the Primeval Era. Since then, the clan has faced several great calamities. Especially over a hundred thousand years ago, they offended a young Near-Emperor. Once that individual grew powerful, they attacked the Xiao Clan directly.

"To counter this threat, the Xiao Clan awakened three ancient Sage Kings, but they were all slain, and even the ancestral lands were almost completely destroyed. Since then, the Xiao Clan has been severely weakened. I estimate that even now, they don’t have much of a foundation left. At most, they might have one or two Great Sages, and that’s a generous estimate."

The Imperial Great Sage’s analysis showed little reverence for the Ancient Xiao Clan, a force from the Primeval Era. He would not dare to provoke the Xiao Clan at the height of their power, but a declining clan was nothing to fear. After all, his ninth-stage Great Sage cultivation was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, Gu Yang had entrusted him with the Inferno Divine Mirror. With such a Near-Emperor-grade weapon in hand, he was confident enough to face even the ancient Sage Kings of the Xiao Clan, should they awaken.

No Near-Emperor-grade weapon was to be taken lightly. Besides, the Imperial Great Sage believed that the Xiao Clan was unlikely to have any ancient Sage Kings still alive. The great battle over a hundred thousand years ago had drained their resources, and it was questionable how much they had recovered in the intervening time.

Hearing this, Gu Shengan felt a wave of relief.

"Senior’s words put my mind at ease!"

His greatest concern had been the Xiao Clan’s hidden strength. With the Imperial Great Sage’s assurance, Gu Shengan had no reason to worry.

He then summoned several high-ranking officers of the Divine Martial Imperial Guard.

"Spread my order: immediately mobilize the army. In three hours, we will attack the Xiao Clan’s ancestral lands. In this battle, I want the Ancient Xiao Clan to be eradicated from the Ancient Realm!"

His subordinates, the high-ranking officers of the Divine Martial Imperial Guard, had no objections to his command. They all saluted and went to prepare.

...

Three hours later, three million soldiers of the Divine Martial Imperial Guard marched towards the Xiao Clan in a grand procession. Such a massive movement was quickly reported to the Xiao Clan.

Upon receiving the news, the head of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Xuan, his face turned pale.

"What does the Divine Martial Empire intend? Do they truly plan to exterminate the Ancient Xiao Clan?"

He had thought that by uniting over five hundred forces to form the Anti-Divine Alliance, the Divine Martial Empire would be deterred from taking any rash actions. After all, during this critical period, any overt move by the Divine Martial Empire would invite criticism and backlash.

With the greater good of the race at stake, many forces had no choice but to comply, even some Desolate Ancient Era families and top sanctuaries had to think twice before acting.

Water could carry a boat, but it could also capsize it. In such times, a misstep could lead to disaster. This was why Xiao Xuan had dared to oppose the Divine Martial Empire, even knowing that the empire had an unparalleled powerhouse like Gu Qingfeng.

He was gambling that the Divine Martial Empire would not dare to act rashly. If he could force the empire to retreat, the Xiao Clan would gain a significant reputation. This could allow the clan to grow stronger and even restore its Primeval Era glory.

Xiao Xuan had meticulously planned everything, but what he couldn’t understand was why the Divine Martial Empire was willing to take such a risk.

He was well aware of the Divine Martial Imperial Guard, the elite force of the Divine Martial Empire. Despite their lack of notable victories, Xiao Xuan did not dare to underestimate them.

After the initial shock, Xiao Xuan quickly took action. He ordered all forces of the Anti-Divine Alliance to prepare for the invasion by the Divine Martial Empire.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end