Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

```

No, it was ten times, a hundred times more intense than a volcanic eruption!

This rage was immeasurable, Gu Chen's entire body shaking with fury, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles whitened, and his teeth chattered. Never before had Gu Chen felt such overwhelming murderous intent towards someone.

Memories flashed by, Gu Chen recalled that on the way to Yan State, Song Yu had mentioned that Wang Yan's family had found him a match for marriage, which Wang Yan was extremely satisfied with and intended to wed upon his return.

Moreover, they had all promised to return alive, but now, all of them were gone.

Not only that, but even the Duke of the Liang State, whom Gu Chen deeply respected and who, despite his age, was willing to travel thousands of miles from Tiandu to Yan State to serve Da Xia and shed his last drop of blood, had been brutally killed by the Marquis of Pingxi.

"Cao Shuang, I want you dead!"

With this thought, Gu Chen's anger grew fiercer. He almost couldn't control himself as his expression became chillingly cold, his eyes as sharp as knives.
Stay connected with empire

With Gu Chen's current strength, when his murderous intent reached a certain level, the temperature in the courtyard plummeted, causing even Chen Yu to feel a chill in his flesh.

"You've achieved grandmaster status?!" Chen Yu said in shock.

Gu Chen didn't speak, just nodded his head, then he gathered his murderous intent and extended his palm, channeling the Great Sun Divine Gang into Chen Yu's body to heal his wounds.

"Take me to see the Duke of the Liang State," Gu Chen said in a deep voice.

"Okay," Chen Yu nodded.

...

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the lord's residence in Yongxue City, five figures sat solemnly.

The aura surrounding these five individuals was dark and profound, as if blending with heaven and earth, their every move seemingly capable of influencing the cosmos.

They were the five grandmasters of the Innate Realm, including the commanding officer of the Jing Tian Department stationed to guard Yongxue City!

The atmosphere in the great hall was heavily oppressive. The current situation in Yongxue City offered little hope.

Additionally, the anxiety was compounded by the encroaching attack on Yulong City, Yan State's state city, by an army of 120,000 barbarians.

"These past few days, the barbarians have avoided confronting us head-on, just harassing us. They're trying to wear down our morale and energy. We can't go on like this!" Wang Jiuzhi, the Heavenly Rank Commander of the Jing Tian Department in Yan State, said in a grave voice.

By now, he too had become a grandmaster of the Innate Realm, a breakthrough that fortuitously occurred during battle. Otherwise, the situation in Yongxue City, and in Yan State at large, would have been dire.

Despite this, the combined forces of the barbarians and the demonic sect still held a significant upper hand with six grandmasters of the Innate Realm, leaving them at a disadvantage.

If not for the Jing Tian Department's commanding officer of Yongxue City, Yan Qing, disregarding everything else, Yongxue City would have already been breached, and all of Yan State would have been plunged into misery and slaughter.

Especially since the main commander, the Duke of the Liang State, had been killed, the morale of Da Xia's troops was extremely low.

Among the five grandmasters present, aside from Yan Qing and Wang Jiuzhi, the other three were clearly two old men and an old crone.

The two were grandmasters of the Wang family, which explained why the Wang family ranked so high among the six major families.

The old crone was from the Yao Platform Sect and had been the previous Sect Master.

"You all should leave. Take whoever you can," Yan Qing suddenly said.

Hearing this, the four grandmasters' eyes sharpened; Wang Jiuzhi said in a heavy tone, "Sir, things haven't reached that point yet. There might still be a chance for things to turn around..."

Before Wang Jiuzhi could finish, Yan Qing waved his hand and said, "As the commanding officer of the Jing Tian Department of Yan State, it's my responsibility to bear the brunt of this catastrophe. The two grandmasters from the Wang family and the Yao Platform Sect, your willingness to come to our aid is already more than I could ask for."

"Given the current state of Yan State, its downfall is inevitable. There's no need for everyone to die here with me. I alone am enough."

With that, the commanding officer's pupils flashed with razor-sharp resolve. He had made up his mind to fight to the death.

A grandmaster of the Innate Realm determined to fight to the death can be formidable. Even with seven adversaries, Yan Qing was confident he could take at least two with him.

After all, among all the combatants on the battlefield, Wang Jiuzhi was the weakest in cultivation, while he was the strongest. Since the beginning of the conflict, it had been he, the commanding officer of the Jing Tian Department, who had been holding off two enemies, allowing Yongxue City to hold out until now.

But this wasn't a long-term solution because the fighters from the barbarians and the demonic sect hadn't yet unleashed their full strength. They were wary of Yan Qing's potential to fight to the death, thus they aimed to wear them down.

Even among the grandmasters, Da Xia's side was still at a significant disadvantage.

What more, the two grandmasters from the Holy Shadows Sect and the Black Sky Sect were barely short of Yan Qing's strength. When both joined forces, they could suppress Yan Qing and even injure him.

"The White Tiger Clan of the Jiu Family and the Feixue Sword Sect... one day, I will personally rise up and annihilate them all!" Wang Jiuzhi said angrily.

The two grandmasters of the Wang family and the old crone from the Yao Platform Sect remained silent; they had done their utmost given the current state of affairs in Yan State.

The old crone from the Yao Platform Sect was particularly worried. At Yulong City, there were still members of the Yao Platform Sect, especially LiuLuo, the sect's most outstanding disciple. If anything should happen to LiuLuo, the next generation of the sect's legacy would be in jeopardy.

"Leave immediately and head to Yulong City, I hope it's not too late," said Yan Qing.

Yulong City was the state city of Yan State, densely populated and of vital importance. Its fall could not be allowed; even if the city were breached, the lives of the inhabitants must not be fully extinguished.

This was a mission that Yan Qing couldn't take on personally, so he had to entrust it to Wang Jiuzhi and the others.

If they could save the countless residents of Yulong City, then Yan Qing could die without regrets, his duty not entirely unfulfilled.

"Sir!" Wang Jiuzhi frowned, unwilling to leave just yet.

At that moment, one of the Wang family's grandmasters said, "Commander Yan, the barbarians are keeping a constant watch on us. Escaping won't be easy, and besides, the situation in Yulong City might already be..."

"It's alright," Yan Qing said calmly. "I will stop them myself!"

Seeing this, everyone understood that Yan Qing, the commanding officer of the Jing Tian Department of Yan State, was prepared to die, resolved to live and die alongside Yongxue City.

"As for the soldiers in the city, take as many as you can with you," Yan Qing continued, his demeanor calm, having abandoned any fear of death.

Wang Jiuzhi's expression shifted, but before he could speak, a voice suddenly came from outside the great hall, belonging to Chen Yu.

"Report, news from Yulong City has arrived!"

```