Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

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"This is..." The Summer Emperor hesitated a bit, for he certainly recognized what it was. His hesitation was only because he felt he should not accept it.

"A reward unearned is not deserved. I haven't been of any help; I cannot accept this." In the end, the Summer Emperor shook his head and chose to refuse.

One should know that, despite appearing to be merely some precious liquid, it was effective for grandmasters of the Earth realm in the Huanxu Realm and the Union Realm, let alone for the Summer Emperor who was only in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Upon hearing these words, Gu Chen smiled slightly and said, "In my eyes, Senior has always been a person not concerned with trivial formalities. Why suddenly become so fastidious? Besides, to me, this is but a drop in the ocean; please rest assured and accept it, Senior."

"Or, if Senior prefers, think of it as a token to seal the deal," Gu Chen added with a smile.

The Summer Emperor showed a trace of surprise on his face, then shook his head with a chuckle. Indeed, Gu Chen had obtained an entire treasure plant, and some spirit liquid really meant nothing to him.

With Gu Chen speaking in such a manner, it would indeed be ungrateful of the Summer Emperor to persist in his refusal, so in the end, he accepted it.

Gratitude is not expressed in words alone; the favor was firmly etched in the Summer Emperor's heart.

Thereafter, Gu Chen and the Summer Emperor took away all the spiritual herbs they could and left the place, heading back to the outskirts of this medicinal garden.

Once the two emerged from the depths, they found that the garden had become sparsely populated.

After covering some distance, they learned that the greatest opportunity within this secret realm had been unveiled—a venerable ancient abode. Not long ago, the Ninth Prince Gu Yan of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty and others had made their way there.

Moreover, after a prolonged joint effort, they finally breached the formation guarding the ancient abode, and everyone had rushed over in haste.

Shortly afterward, having spent a little time, Gu Chen and the Summer Emperor left the now barren garden, depleted by treasure seekers, and arrived at the front of the ancient abode.

It was a vast valley with extensive grounds. Gu Chen discreetly used his Heavenly Eye to observe, indeed detecting many intricate patterns on the ground—all were formation symbols, although now they had been broken through.

Among the attackers, the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty along with the four major alien clans were the main forces. Prior to entering, these powers had anticipated such an event and had prepared accordingly, with methods to break the formations ready at hand.

It could be seen that people were continuously arriving from afar, rushing into the interior of the abode.

Not only that, but the native inhabitants of the place, that is, some powerful ferocious beasts, had also gathered here.

Whoosh!

At that moment, after observing for a while and making sure there was no danger, Gu Chen and the Summer Emperor flashed forward and also rushed in.

The abode itself was crafted from a vast valley and contained many secret chambers which held numerous treasures within.

They might be medicinal pills, spirit stones, or possibly classical texts and weapons.

No sooner had Gu Chen and the Summer Emperor arrived than they saw a martial artist, face lit with excitement, obtaining a high-grade magical artifact from one of the secret chambers.

However, as soon as he appeared, many swarmed toward him, igniting a battle for the treasure.

Although the abode's outer formations were destroyed, the inner ones still existed, and seizing the opportunities inside was not going to be easy.

"Could the clue to the remnants of Bi Luo be here?" Gu Chen pondered silently.

Throughout this secret realm, after some time, the other areas had been basically searched through, leaving only this place. According to some fragmented records found in ancient texts, the most critical opportunity of this realm lay right here.

Because Gu Chen and the Summer Emperor were seeking the nine thousand-year-old spirit, they had stayed in the medicinal garden for a longer period, so the outermost regions of this abode had been mostly scavenged by others already.

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Within these rooms, the largest secret chamber was naturally occupied by the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty and the four major alien races. It is said that at that time, a group of young prodigies nearly came to blows over it, almost starting the final battle ahead of schedule.

Fortunately, they all knew that the greatest opportunity lay deeper within, so here they merely sparred briefly without going all out.

After arriving here, Gu Chen split up from the Summer Emperor, with the two choosing different directions to proceed. They agreed to meet again in the deepest part.

The Summer Emperor was very powerful, not at all weaker than Gu Yan and the others. Even when facing those guardian figures, if he could not defeat them, he was more than capable of retreating in one piece, so Gu Chen was not worried.

With the intention of searching for clues to the fragmented jade, Gu Chen soon came before a small stone chamber, its doors tightly shut, untouched by anyone.

Perhaps due to its small size, none from the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty or the four alien races had paid it any visit.

Moreover, this place was tucked away in a corner and would be difficult to discover without a careful search.

When Gu Chen arrived, indeed there were a few warriors trying to open this secret chamber.

Upon seeing Gu Chen appear, the faces of two of them darkened, and they wanted to rebuke him, but thankfully they were stopped by the last one.

This person was the middle-aged man who had advised Gu Chen back at the Heavenly Pool.

After he told the other two men Gu Chen's identity, their expressions changed dramatically, and without a second thought, they fled the place at their greatest speed, not daring to waste a moment.

Gu Chen did not mind them. In his quest to find the jade's clues, he used the Heavenly Eye to see through the peripheral secret chambers. All except this one.

That's why he appeared here.

With a creak, as Gu Chen exerted force, the long-sealed door opened, and what came into view were two rows of bookshelves and a simple bed.

Beyond that, there was nothing else.

"Bookshelves?"

Gu Chen stepped closer, looking over to find that the items on the shelves were not techniques or mystical abilities but books recording various matters.

Among them, there were even several diaries placed here, which struck Gu Chen as odd.

"In that era, did someone still keep a diary?" Gu Chen raised an eyebrow.

He didn't rush to leave but patiently began to open the books one by one. Despite the many years that had passed, these books were made of special materials and not ordinary paper, so they had been preserved until now.

As for the writing, although it was from an ancient time, the difference wasn't too great, and it was faintly recognizable.

"Today, Bi Luo Sky was cloudless for thousands of miles. Hearing of a strange phenomenon appearing in the north, my junior sister and I agreed to go to Rubbing Cloud Mountain for an outing and also invited someone from Azure Cloud Sky to come along."

"Rubbing Cloud Mountain is located in the Blue-Green Realm and requires several teleportations to reach. On the way there, we laughed and played. Such days are indeed joyful. Watching my junior sister's smiling face, I hope this scene can last."

As Gu Chen read the diary in his hand, the somewhat yellowed pages underscored just how ancient it was.

Even if the material was special, it was impossible for there to be no changes at all.

Just as he was about to put down the diary and pick up another book, suddenly, Gu Chen saw a line of text that made his pupils constrict.

"Suddenly, people from Azure Cloud Mountain started discussing the situation in the world. Not long ago, a group of supreme beings, including my master and several great elders, led by the Ice Emperor and a few others, left this place, heading beyond the heavens..."