Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

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The so-called spirit body is forged personally by the Great Powers or heavyweight figures of the Upper Realm using various heavenly and earthly treasures, somewhat similar to an incarnation.

Then, individuals like He Lianying would divide a portion of their soul to inhabit and control the spirit body, descending to the lower realm.

After all, their true bodies are at the pinnacle of martial arts within the Divine Realm, a level of mightiness that the local lands of the Nine Provinces cannot birth. And the difficulty of crossing the barriers between heaven and earth is even greater, with any carelessness potentially leading to their demise.

Therefore, to ensure these sacred-level individuals do not meet with mishaps, those heavyweights of the Upper Realm would pay a great price to create a spirit body for their descent.

Because it is not their true body, everyone's foundational strength is roughly the same, which is why Qian Ming felt that He Lianying and other sacred children could jointly handle the Ninth Prince of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty.

He Lianying's expression grew serious, and with his pride, he naturally scorned such actions, but if his opponent were the Ninth Prince of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, then it would be a different matter.

However, he still shook his head and said, "Don't underestimate this Ninth Prince; although our foundations are the same, it doesn't mean our combat strength is identical."

Qian Ming nodded, a fact he was well aware of; many factors determine a warrior's combat strength, and foundation, albeit crucial, is but one of them.

But at this moment, Sacred Child He Lianying said something that shocked Qian Ming to the core.

"Moreover, it is said that the Ninth Prince of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty has begun to ponder transcendental abilities."

"What?!" At those words, Qian Ming and the others were immediately shocked, unable to hide the turmoil in their hearts.

They knew full well what transcendental abilities were: something beyond the reach of those in the Divine Intent Realm because it far exceeded the scope of martial arts.

Even in the Upper Realm, throughout history, he had never heard of anyone in the Divine Intent Realm who had managed to ponder a transcendental ability.

At this time, He Lianying's expression grew tense as he said, "Of course, there's no need for excessive worry. Although the Ninth Prince is extraordinary, merely with a spirit body, he might not be much stronger than us. To ponder transcendental abilities does not mean one can comprehend them; he is merely laying the groundwork for the future."

Qian Ming and the others nodded, but the astonishment still lingered on their faces, for the mere act of pondering transcendental abilities was astonishing enough.

Though He Lianying spoke lightly, his expression confirmed that his heart did not match the calm displayed on the surface.

He still harbors considerable wariness towards the Ninth Prince.

"Regardless, let's first locate the whereabouts of the Nine Dukes' Inheritance," said He Lianying.

"Yes." Qian Ming and the two other direct disciples from their generation all nodded in agreement.

Not only Fu Ling and He Lianying but also the Sacred Children from the Infinite Dao Gate, Cloud Heaven Palace, and even the Pure Yang Martial Sect who descended to the lower world all had their own schemes.

Regarding the Nine Dukes' Inheritance left in the Nine Provinces by Emperor Yu, each one of them was determined to secure it.

A short period of calm in the Nine Provinces was now gathering storm clouds once again, on the verge of an unprecedented great war.

If these mighty beings were to go to war, a single misstep could plunge the Nine Provinces into a catastrophic state of death and despair.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen and Da Xia had also become the targets of many.

After all, Gu Chen is now acclaimed as the number one figure of his time, and Da Xia has unified the Nine Provinces; to seek inheritance, they are clearly the most advantageous allies.

Not to mention that the talents from the Upper Realm who descended earlier had disputes with Gu Chen, who is now a thorn in the side for many.

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At this moment, after Gu Chen had dealt with Jiang Hui from the Pure Yang Martial Sect and turned him into a puppet just like Luo Shisen of the Vault of Sky Sword Sect, he returned to the Gu Mansion.

No, it was no longer the Gu Mansion but the Martial King Estate, with its vast palatial garden complete with rockeries, water pavilions, pagodas, and pavilions adorned with glazed tiles—nothing was lacking.

At the entrance stood two exquisitely crafted, valuable jade Pixiu statues, and two martial artists with not insignificant cultivation stood guard, specially transferred here by Ji Yuan from his imperial guard.

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This time, returning to his home, Gu Chen did not disguise his form but made his direct appearance here.

Upon seeing Gu Chen appear, the two martial arts experts guarding the gate immediately turned solemn, their eyes igniting with fervent zeal, as they greeted him with clenched fists: "We've seen the prince!"

"Hmm."

Gu Chen nodded slightly and promptly entered the mansion. By now, the original gatekeeper, Uncle Zhang, had shifted to another less demanding role, living quite leisurely as if retired.

Most of the original servants of the Gu Mansion were like this, having been with his Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng and Aunt Xu Qinge for a long time, and as Gu Chen's status rose, so did their treatment accordingly.

Seeing Gu Chen return, every face in the mansion blossomed with rich smiles as they respectfully greeted him.

And to these people, Gu Chen also nodded in response.

Soon, upon hearing the news of Gu Chen's return, Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng and his family also hurried over.

By now, the Second Uncle no longer had to serve at the Royal Sword Guard; after all, he was now a first-rank loyal and brave duke—a title that, though lacking real power, was not something Commander Wei of the Royal Sword Guard could compare with. When he visited the Imperial Sword Camp, everyone had to greet him with a salute.

Moreover, those former colleagues dared not jest with him as before; every one of them was extremely respectful toward him.

As Gu Chen's position continued to rise, so did the status of the Second Uncle's family. Gu Chengfeng couldn't stand such treatment and therefore resigned from his post.

Now at home, he spent each day with his wife and daughter, planting flowers, tending trees, living a life of considerable comfort.

"Eldest son, you're back!" On seeing Gu Chen return, Gu Chengfeng felt a weight lifted from his chest, as did Aunt Xu Qinge.

Every time Gu Chen left home, on the surface, they would act relaxed, so as not to worry him, but in reality, they were extremely tense.

No matter how great Gu Chen was in the eyes of others, in the hearts of Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng and Aunt Xu Qinge, he was just a child.

After all, everyone only paid attention to Gu Chen's achievements—the Divine Intent Realm at twenty-four, his prestige and legend reaching an extreme point.

But in the eyes of Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng, Gu Chen was only twenty-four years old and had to bear so much, the weight of the entire Zhou on his shoulders, which also caused Gu Chengfeng and Xu Qinge much distress.

"The eldest son is back, just in time; today, I will cook some of your favorite dishes myself," Aunt Xu Qinge said with a smile.

"Good, then I'll trouble you, Aunt," Gu Chen replied, his face also brimming with a smile, feeling a surge of warmth.

Looking over the entirety of Zhou, this was the only place that allowed Gu Chen to relax completely. He treasured his Second Uncle's family immensely.

Moreover, if it weren't for these people he cherished, Gu Chen would not have protected Zhou and been willing to fight against demons and ghosts to the end.

By now, protecting Zhou had become a responsibility that rested on Gu Chen's shoulders.

He naturally understood the meaning behind Second Uncle Gu Chengfeng and Aunt Xu Qinge's actions; all of this was etched in Gu Chen's heart.

At this moment, Gu Qingyan, who was beside him, seemed to remember something and suddenly said, "Oh right, Big Brother, there's a letter for you here."

"Hmm?" Gu Chen was taken aback and asked, "Who sent it?"

"I don't know; it just appeared out of nowhere," Gu Qingyan shook her head, somewhat puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen's expression immediately turned grave. He quickly opened the envelope and looked inside, his brows involuntarily furrowing slightly.

"Big Brother, has something happened?" Seeing Gu Chen's expression, Gu Qingyan couldn't help but ask.

Hearing this, Gu Chen responded with a smile, "It's nothing, just a minor matter."

Although he said this, a fleeting trace of icy coldness flitted through the depths of Gu Chen's eyes.

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