Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

The six great sacred lands stood high above all, dominating the land of Tiandu for tens of thousands of years with incomparable strength—having several individuals who've achieved great perfection in the Coagulation Field Realm. Moreover, their "heritage" was the most terrifying aspect.

Therefore, even if Gu Chen reached the Coagulation Field Realm, in the eyes of those present at the Vault of Sky Sword Sect, he was just troublesome, but not invincible.

"Even the demonic cult leader from over three hundred years ago, Dugu Yun, met his end before the sacred lands, suffering defeat and resentment. How can we not deal with a mere young man in his twenties?" questioned the Third Master, his eyes cold, a hint of murderous intent flickering within them.

Among the ten great elders, the vast majority wanted to kill Gu Chen, with only a few remaining silent.

"Don't forget, the 'Heavenly Seed' is still within this lad!" the Fifth Master suddenly spoke up.

At these words, a commotion instantly erupted within the great hall.

How important the Heavenly Seed was went without saying—it was an exceedingly rare treasure, hard to find throughout the ages, both in Tiandu and the upper realms.

It was considered not at all inferior to the legendary heritage of Tiandu.

"Hmph, if not for the fact that the Unbounded Dao Sect, the Sumeru Buddha Sect, and the Cloud Heaven Palace are acting like fence-sitters, always indecisive, the six great sacred lands would've joined forces. Even if we had to maintain the trans-realm transmission array, Gu Chen would have been dead without a doubt!"

"Now, with no one from the upper realms wishing to descend for the time being, it's the best opportunity to kill this child Gu Chen. Sect Master, hesitate no longer!"

The middle-aged man seated at the highest place, who was the sect master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect, pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then shifted his gaze and looked towards an old man sitting closest to him and asked, "Patriarch, what are your thoughts?"

At these words, a hush fell over the hall, and everyone's gaze turned towards the Patriarch.

With a calm expression, the Patriarch pondered for a long while before slowly saying, "It is inevitable for young people to become overconfident when they achieve success."

"This Gu Chen from Da Xia, regardless of his many character flaws, lacking a heart of reverence, his talent alone is indeed outstanding, even among those in the upper realms. Our Vault of Sky Sword Sect doesn't have any notable talents on hand. If we could recruit him, then it would give us a stronger position in the upper realms and not leave us completely without merit."

"The Patriarch speaks wisely," nodded the sect master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

"Does the Patriarch intend to recruit this youngster? But what of the Heavenly Seed within him?" the Third Master asked, his snow-white brows slightly furrowing.

The Patriarch slowly spoke, "Da Xia is the strongest nation in this era, with countless subordinates. By recruiting Gu Chen, we are effectively bringing Da Xia into our fold. This will make searching for the heritage much easier, and the combined effort of the entire nation will be very efficient. As for the Heavenly Seed..."

At this point, the Patriarch paused, then continued, "If he agrees to join us, we'll find a way to extract the Heavenly Seed from him. With his current level of cultivation, he is yet unable to fully assimilate the Heavenly Seed."

"But when the time comes, will Gu Chen agree to it?" the Fifth Master was somewhat uncertain.

The Patriarch spoke indifferently, "By that time, it will no longer be up to him whether he agrees or not; it all depends on whether he knows his place."

"But how should we persuade Gu Chen to join us? With his nature, being so full of youthful vigor, not taking anyone seriously, he is unlikely to agree," the Sixth Master inquired.

"Gu Chen, as a young prodigy, will certainly not be satisfied with his martial path halting at the Coagulation Field Realm. However, with the external environment of heaven and earth, it won't be so easy for him to condense Divine Intent in a short period. Our sacred land has resources, techniques, and heritages—each aspect being fatally attractive to a prodigy who aspires to reach the pinnacle of the martial path," said the Patriarch.

At this point, the Patriarch glanced at the sect master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect and added, "Moreover, in time, direct disciples from the holy lands of the upper realms will descend to Tiandu, and even the current Holy Son has taken some interest in Tiandu. He may attempt to come here. When the time arrives, we will arrange an opportunity for this Gu Chen of Da Xia to witness what a true prodigy is. Let him understand more about the upper realms and the sacred lands, and he will realize his own insignificance."

"After all, he's still a young man, and who hasn't made mistakes in their youth? As the holy lands stand above all, we should display great magnanimity and forgive him once. Once he understands all this and recognizes his own insignificance, he will no longer act as he does now."

Upon hearing this, the crowd nodded in agreement. Thanks to their connections with the upper realm, they were well aware of the situation. The major powers of the upper world all coveted the legendary inheritance of the Nine Provinces, and soon the real prodigies of the upper realm, such as Saint Child-level figures, were very likely to descend one after another. A grand battle among the younger generation in the Nine Provinces was about to unfold.

This was the inevitable trend of the future world. The whole of the Nine Provinces had no choice but to fight fiercely for the inheritance.

"The upper realm is vast and boundless. To be famous there and known across lands, among those contending prodigies, Saint Child-level figures, just the thought of it fills one with longing. Compared to the upper realm, the Nine Provinces really amount to nothing. Frankly speaking, compared to a Saint Child-level figure, Gu Chen is just a country bumpkin. After he realizes what true strength is, it would be rather good for our Vault of Sky Sword Sect's Saint Child from the upper realm to subjugate him and make him a close follower," Fourth Master said.

Upon hearing this, the other Elders nodded. They recognized Gu Chen's talent, and believed he would have no problem becoming the right-hand man of a Saint Child.

At that moment, Third Master spoke up, "However, I heard that the Limitless Dao Sect once invited Gu Chen, but he refused."

The Grand Elder said, "I'm aware of that. It's nothing more than the matter of Gu Chen's family. We can agree to bring his family along to the upper realm, but if they die on the way, that has nothing to do with us."

"What do you think of the Grand Elder's suggestion?" At that moment, the Sect Master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect spoke up, his gaze sweeping around the room.

"Agreed."

After a moment of silence, the Elders nodded their heads. Compared to killing Gu Chen, the Grand Elder's approach was indeed more comprehensive and more advantageous for them.

Then, the Grand Elder added, "Of course, even though we, as a holy land, have the magnanimity to forgive his crimes, he still must be made aware of the necessary lessons. He must recognize the strength of our holy land, only then will the younger generation truly show reverence."

"Understood," the Elders nodded.

"In that case, I shall go to Tiandu myself," Third Master said.

Upon hearing this, the Sect Master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect contemplated for a moment before saying, "Let Fourth Master and Fifth Master accompany you, and take the 'Qiong Mountain Sword' with you."

"Yes," Fourth Master and Fifth Master nodded.

"This trip should start with a lesson, then show goodwill, letting Gu Chen understand the strength of the holy land, and then guide him to join," the Sect Master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect said, finalizing the decision on the matter.

"Understood," the three Masters nodded and added, "If Gu Chen remains unaware of the situation, then we will have no choice but to be the villains and carry out an act of killing."

"Gu Chen is not weak, you three must not be careless," the Grand Elder chimed in with caution.

Fifth Master nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grand Elder. The three of us are peak martial artists at the full circle of the Coagulation Field Realm. Together, forming the Return to Origin Extinguishing Sword Array, it is hard to find a rival under the Divine Intent Realm, not to mention we also have the Qiong Mountain Sword."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder nodded slightly.

The Qiong Mountain Sword was one of the most top-tier divine weapons even within the Vault of Sky Sword Sect, ranked third. Its grade subtly surpassed that of even peerless divine swords, with unrivaled might.

With indifference, Third Master said, "With this sword as the core, forming the Return to Origin Extinguishing Sword Array can eradicate enemies effortlessly under the Divine Intent Realm, not to mention a mid-stage Coagulation Field Realm cultivator like Gu Chen."

"If he remains oblivious, we will simply take action in Tiandu and have the whole city accompany him in death," Fourth Master said with a cold expression and a hint of killing intent in his eyes.

"In that case, the three Masters should prepare to set off," the Sect Master of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect stated, marking the end of this Elder's meeting.