Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Gu Chen and King Huai stood opposite each other, their gazes clashing as if tendrils of electricity were generating in the void, instantly making the atmosphere around them tense and charged.

At this moment, King Huai seemed vastly different from before; if the King Huai of the past was gentle and restrained, the King Huai of now was domineering and unrestrained.

That look in his eyes was full of contempt and arrogance, like that of a sovereign looking down upon the world.

This inevitably made Gu Chen wonder, of the King Huai he had known before and the King Huai known to the whole world, which one was the real King Huai?

Or had the King Huai of the past always been disguising himself?

About this, Gu Chen had no way of knowing.

The change in King Huai was simply too great; had Gu Chen not witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe.

Just when Gu Chen thought King Huai would become angry, the great prince of Da Xia instead smiled faintly, dissolving the tension between them into thin air.

"Gu Chen, I value talent. You are a rare genius in the Nine Provinces, truly loyal to Da Xia, and have made many contributions. I do not wish for you to meet with any misfortune. What I do is actually for your safety and with Da Xia's interests in mind."

Gu Chen's expression grew solemn as he said, "So, I should thank Your Highness?"

King Huai slightly shook his head and said, "You don't need to thank me. I know you misunderstand me now, but one day, you will understand my difficult decision. Da Xia, as it stands now, does not have the power to contend against the whole world nor continue suppressing it. Necessary restraint and patience are indispensable, and I hope you can take this into account."

Gu Chen stood tall and resolute, replying, "I only know that the more you yield and show patience, the more contempt you invite from your opponents, leading them to press step by step until Da Xia is driven into a corner.

Moreover, with Your Highness's vision, you surely do not believe that if Da Xia just keeps yielding and hiding, the barbarians, Da Yuan, and the Six Union God Sect will cease targeting Da Xia, right?"

"I have my ways of dealing with all this. I know you want to unite the powers of the world to fight against the great calamity. That's my intention too. Our aims are the same; it's just that our methods differ. My approach, compared to yours, is more cautious, isn't it? You must understand that what is too rigid will easily break," King Huai said.

"Please forgive me, but I cannot agree with Your Highness. It is true that what is too rigid may break, but being too soft can hasten one's own demise, making enemies believe you are weak and continuously testing Da Xia's limits. Should Da Xia's bottom line keep dropping because of this?" Gu Chen asked King Huai seriously.

"You're still too young to understand the reasoning behind my actions," King Huai said shaking his head, without further explanation.

Gu Chen said, "If our paths differ, we cannot plan together. Your Highness, I take my leave!"

Having said this, Gu Chen did not give King Huai the chance to respond and turned to leave.

However, before he departed, Gu Chen's words resonated in King Huai's ears.

"Disasters should not befall family members. Whoever dares touch my second uncle's family, Gu Chen will stop at nothing to fight them to the end!"

Hearing this, King Huai's eyes narrowed slightly, and the fist hidden in his sleeve clenched tightly then released. After repeating this several times, he eventually regained his composure.

"So be it. Considering your extraordinary talent, I will give you some more time. If you continue on this stubborn path, you can't blame me for taking harsh measures," King Huai said indifferently, gazing in the direction Gu Chen had left.

Outside Prince Huai's Mansion, Master Gongsun was waiting. Seeing that Gu Chen left immediately upon exiting, he knew that the negotiation had fallen through.

"Alas…" He sighed softly to himself, decided not to enter, and just stood guard there.

King Huai was indeed becoming more and more oppressive.

Leaving Prince Huai's Mansion, Gu Chen felt a heaviness in his heart. He didn't know why King Huai had changed to such an extent; this behavior was clearly not good news for the current state of Da Xia.

To apologize to the six holy lands and then compromise was out of the question. It was no different from killing Gu Chen, and he could never agree to it.

Moreover, if Gu Chen agreed to King Huai this once, there would certainly be a second and a third time. Can ceaseless concession truly earn peace?

Gu Chen didn't think so.

True peace is acquired through formidable strength. Only when one's strength is sufficient to deter the world can one earn respect from others.

Forming alliances and engaging in conspiracies, in a world like the Nine Provinces where martial prowess was paramount, could never pass as the most honorable solutions or be the best answer.

Just as Gu Chen and King Huai had discussed, although both wished to unite the forces of the Nine Provinces, their methods were entirely different. Since they were on different paths, there was no need to continue talking.

As for his second uncle's family, Gu Chen believed that with the Deputy Commander Qin Wu of the Jing Tian Department and the Tower Supervisor of the Qintian Monitor present, even if he left Tiandu for a mission, these two would surely protect his uncle's family.

Besides, at least for the short term, King Huai was unlikely to break with Gu Chen completely.

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After all, Gu Chen was no longer a minor figure nowadays. Whoever sought to harm him would have to think twice.

"The eldest young master has returned."

At that moment, Gu Chen had unknowingly arrived back at the Gu Mansion. Uncle Zhang, the gatekeeper, saw Gu Chen's return and showed a face full of joyful surprise.

Since arriving in this world, Gu Chen had always been incredibly busy and spent very little time at home. However, given his deeds that shook the entire realm, all of Tiandu's citizens knew of him, and naturally, the servants at home were well aware of Gu Chen's exploits, which brought them much pride and joy.

The more famous Gu Chen became, the more visitors the Gu Mansion received. Given that Gu Chen had no parents and only his second uncle Gu Chengfeng, his aunt Xu Qinge, and his sister Gu Qingyan as family, many prominent families of Tiandu sought to curry favor with Gu Chen's relatives, hoping to form a relationship with him.

After all, the current Gu Chen was not just anyone that people could freely visit.

Indeed, as a result, even the status of the servants in Gu Mansion had risen, and no matter where they went in Tiandu, they could hold their heads high. Even when buying vegetables at the market, mentioning the name of Gu Mansion would enthuse many vendors to offer additional goods enthusiastically.

"Uncle Zhang."

Although Gu Chen's fame grew with each passing day, his nature wasn't arrogant, and he still greeted the gatekeeper Uncle Zhang as usual before entering Gu Mansion.

"Madam, Miss, the eldest son has returned," Maid Xiao Yu hurriedly reported to Xu Qinge and Gu Qingyan upon seeing Gu Chen's arrival.

Upon hearing the news of Gu Chen's return, the mother and daughter ran out with faces full of surprise. Auntie Xu Qinge asked, "Eldest son, how long do you plan to stay at home this time?"

"I should be staying for a few more days this time," Gu Chen smiled. After returning to Gu Mansion, he felt relaxed in both body and mind.

In the evening, when his second uncle returned, under Gu Chengfeng's vehement request, the uncle and nephew had a good drink together. Unsurprisingly, Gu Chengfeng became drunk.

His eyes blurred, reeking of alcohol, he kept muttering about "Gu Chen making something of himself," "having something to report to Gu Chen's parents," and "Gu Chen bringing glory to the ancestors," causing Xu Qinge to frown repeatedly and glare disapprovingly at her husband several times.

Even Gu Qingyan felt somewhat helpless as every time Gu Chengfeng got drunk, he would say the same things. Alone or not, he repeated the same words over and over, and the mother and daughter were tired of hearing them.

Witnessing this warm scene, Gu Chen thought of what King Huai had said during the day, and his eyes involuntarily turned slightly cold.

He would never allow anyone to dare harm his family. Whoever did would die!

No matter who the person was, even if they were the Co-Owner of the world, it was all the same!

"Eldest son, if you're tired, you can go back to your room to rest early," Auntie Xu Qinge said to Gu Chen in a soft voice.

"Alright, I will also see the second uncle back," Gu Chen said, about to help his second uncle Gu Chengfeng to his feet.

"No need, no need. He loves drinking so much; let him stay here for the night," Auntie Xu Qinge said, rolling her eyes at Gu Chengfeng.

"This..." Gu Chen was hesitant for a moment.

Gu Qingyan, her brows sculpted and her lips vermilion, said with a light laugh, "Don't worry, big brother. This isn't the first time. Every time father drinks too much, mother doesn't let him into bed."@@novelbin@@

At her words, Gu Chen also couldn't help but laugh. Since his second uncle was also a martial artist, though not very powerful, sleeping here wouldn't make him sick, so Gu Chen followed his aunt's words.

Afterward, Auntie Xu Qinge and her daughter Gu Qingyan left, and Gu Chen went back to his room to rest.

As for his second uncle Gu Chengfeng, after drinking too much, he had already dozed off on the table.

In the following period, perhaps due to the series of things Gu Chen did on Dragon Tiger Mountain, the world fell into a peaceful cycle, and Gu Chen was able to enjoy a relatively long time of calm at Gu Mansion, akin to taking a short vacation.

Soon, the end of the year arrived, and on this day, goose feather-like heavy snow fell from the sky. The streets of Tiandu were brightly decorated, and joy was evident on the faces of the people.

Another year passed peacefully in the city of Tiandu, with the occasional sound of firecrackers.

At this moment, Gu Chen followed his sister Gu Qingyan, acting as her guard and staying close by her side.

Gu Qingyan wore a coat made of sable fur, which, along with her exquisite and beautiful facial features and graceful figure, made her look extremely noble, like a princess from the palace, as she played with fireworks near Maid Xiao Yu.

Gu Chen stood to the side, watching this scene unfold. Despite the cold weather, he still wore a dark robe, tall and slender, standing like an ancient pine.

During this time, the world was peaceful, demons seldom appeared, and he was distant from the kill and be killed life, immersed in the secular world, temporarily setting aside all the turmoil of the outside world.

His mindset, too, had become much calmer than before, and Gu Chen vaguely felt that his thoughts were purer and his spiritual strength had slightly improved.

"The extreme of anything is harmful. The path of the martial arts, after all, requires both tension and relaxation," Gu Chen sighed softly. This was the first time he had spent such a tranquil period ever since he arrived in the land of Da Xia.

Now, Gu Chen's heart was very tranquil, with all the murderous aura dissipated, and his mind was like a clear platform, a bright mirror, reflecting many things during this period.

"Distancing from strife, merging into the mortal world, and experiencing the myriad states of life could also be a way of cultivation," Gu Chen murmured. Ancient texts had recorded that in ancient times in Da Xia, many martial artists would observe the mountains, the earth, and the many facets of life, and their cultivation could still progress.

Even those who had sudden insights saw their cultivation surge, breaking through several realms in a single day, and such events had indeed happened.

As Gu Chen said, there are many ways to cultivate. Being overly strict would inevitably bring too much pressure, making it difficult to focus one's heart and thoughts and condense the divine consciousness in such a state.

"No wonder the six holy lands send their heirs down the mountain periodically to experience the world. Indeed, there are many different epiphanies to be had."

Soon, the year-end passed, and shortly afterward, Gu Chen celebrated his birthday, turning from twenty-two to twenty-three years old.

By now, he had been in this world for two years.

And on the day Gu Chen turned twenty-three, a major change occurred in the world, and the peaceful state of Da Xia once again began to surge with waves.