Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

This was an encrypted report sent by the master of Red Dust Tower, Luo Wenzhi, that could only be opened by Gu Chen through specific means. Even if it were intercepted by someone else during transmission, they would not be able to discern the contents of the letter.

At this moment, the report Luo Wenzhi had sent to Gu Chen informed him that after extensive investigations by Red Dust Tower, they had discovered the trace of a mysterious woman from the divine realm, who appeared to be searching for something.

Therefore, Luo Wenzhi promptly relayed the message to Gu Chen.

Red Dust Tower had many methods for message delivery, but the fastest among them was a species of spirit bird nurtured within their ranks, known for its incredibly swift speed, making it most suitable for conveying urgent news.

"A mysterious woman?"

The instant he saw the report, Gu Chen thought of the breathtakingly beautiful woman he had once encountered in Youzhou.

She had left a deep impression on Gu Chen, one he found difficult to forget even now.

The reason for this was not only her appearance but, more importantly, her formidable strength.

Back then, when Gu Chen was merely at the Innate Stage, he felt an unfathomable depth in the presence of this mysterious woman.

Now, being almost peerless in the Divine Communication Stage, he still had no assurance when recalling that mysterious woman.

This showed just how powerful the mysterious woman was.

If there was someone from the divine realm who piqued Gu Chen's curiosity the most, it was undoubtedly the mysterious woman.

And to Gu Chen's surprise, Red Dust Tower had actually secured the whereabouts of this mysterious woman.

"No, that's not right."

At that moment, Gu Chen furrowed his brows, feeling that the mysterious woman might have already noticed Red Dust Tower's investigation.

There was no evidence to support this; it was purely Gu Chen's intuition.

"But I still have to go." Driven by curiosity, Gu Chen decided to make the trip.

He needed to understand why the people from the divine realm went through the trouble of crossing over to the nine provinces and what exactly they were searching for.

"With my current cultivation level, once I make a move, I should have no issue ensuring my own safety, no matter what," Gu Chen contemplated, knowing that one must always prepare for the worst.

Although the mysterious woman had not attacked him last time, it didn't mean she would refrain this time either.

Soon after, Gu Chen departed from Beidou Sect and, following the report provided by Red Dust Tower, headed for the location of the mysterious woman.

Fortunately, she was in East Province, not far from the gates of Beidou Sect. With Gu Chen's speed, it took only a short time to reach the vicinity of the location.

This was a vast mountain range, wild and primal, with numerous jungles and occasional roars of beasts.

Of course, none of these could draw Gu Chen's attention.

According to Red Dust Tower's report, the last known location of the mysterious woman was here before she vanished without a trace.

Gu Chen surveyed his surroundings while a faint light radiated from his brow, using his divine sense to probe the area. Everything around him was laid bare, with no clue escaping Gu Chen's notice.

At the same time, Gu Chen began to delve deeper in his search for the trace of the mysterious woman.

With the range of Gu Chen's divine sense and his speed, it didn't take long to scour most of the mountain range. During the search, he encountered some wild beasts, which, upon catching sight of Gu Chen, instinctively fled with whimpers.

Of course, Gu Chen had no interest in these wild creatures.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, as Gu Chen reached a valley, he sensed an unusual aura deep within it.

There, strands of exceptionally pure Heavenly Earth Essence Qi were flowing.

"It seems that without exception, this is the place," Gu Chen realized he had found the right location, though he didn't know whether the mysterious woman had already left.

Whoosh!

Gu Chen stepped into LingXu Nine Steps, transforming into a phantom. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his original spot and reappeared dozens of yards away, covering ground rapidly as he moved deeper into the valley.

"There's actually a hidden palace here?" Not long after, Gu Chen saw a staircase leading downwards in front of him.

As the saying goes, the braver you are, the more skillful your art. Without any hesitation, Gu Chen walked down the staircase.

This underground palace was deep underground, some distance from the surface. Gu Chen roughly estimated it to be about a hundred yards or so.

Sure enough, Gu Chen soon arrived at the underground palace, only to discover that it was unexpectedly another world altogether.

"An ancient sect?!"

Gu Chen was somewhat astonished as he observed the scene before him. Not far away, pavilions and terraces, and palace buildings stood silently in place.

Clearly, this was the site of a sect, with architectural styles dating back to ancient times.

"An ancient sect's ruins—what is she doing here? Could it be that what the people from the divine realm want is here, or are there clues here?" Gu Chen pondered as he continued to walk deeper, following his senses.

On the way, as he passed by some palace buildings, Gu Chen would stop to see if anything had been left behind.

After all, these ruins originated from ancient times; there might be something valuable present.

Unfortunately, Gu Chen was disappointed to find that nothing was left; the place was very clean and tidy.

The only unusual feature was the unusually pure Heavenly Earth Essence Qi that flowed in the depths of the valley.

Hence, Gu Chen quickened his pace and arrived at the deepest part of the valley.

"Hm?!"

At that moment, Gu Chen finally set eyes upon his destination for the trip. Not far off was an enchanting silhouette, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her figure undulating gently as she stood in quiet repose, exuding a transcendental air that suggested she might ride the wind away at any second, like the Fairy of the Moon.

"Fairy, we meet again." Upon seeing the mysterious woman, Gu Chen made no attempt to hide, calling out to her softly instead.

The mysterious woman clearly had perceived Gu Chen's approach well in advance, and upon hearing his voice, she tilted her body slightly to reveal a startlingly beautiful profile that left one breathless.

"Fairy, your beauty remains peerless. I have several questions I wish to consult with you about. Might I trouble you for some clarification?" Gu Chen got straight to the point, asking directly.

He could sense that this mysterious woman's attitude towards the people of the Nine States differed from that of other celestial overlords.

The way she looked at Gu Chen lacked any hint of condescension, and she didn't exude that all-too-familiar air of superiority. Here stood a remarkable woman, utterly unlike her celestial peers.

In the crystal-clear depths of the mysterious woman's eyes, tranquility prevailed from start to finish. There was an absence of unrest as if nothing in the world could perturb her.

For this reason, Gu Chen spoke plainly, revealing his purpose for seeking her out.

However, after Gu Chen spoke, the celestial-looking mysterious woman with her divine skin and bone structure did not respond. Though not disdainful, she seemed rather disinterested in engaging with Gu Chen.

She simply stood there silently, as if observing something, her aura serene and lofty. Even just her silhouette alone was breathtaking, resembling a famous painting from the Nine States, too exquisite for anyone to wish to shatter the scene with mere words.

After some contemplation, Gu Chen finally took steps towards the mysterious woman, gradually drawing closer to her.

Despite having reached the Vajra Stage, Gu Chen still found it difficult to fathom the woman's origins; she seemed to be shrouded in a layer of celestial fog that obscured her identity, making her enigmatic and inscrutable to him.

This very obscurity made Gu Chen cautious, harboring a certain wariness in the depths of his heart towards the mysterious woman.

In both his past and present lives, Gu Chen had weathered many storms; he was not one to be easily blinded by beauty alone.

"Fairy, I mean no harm. I am Gu Chen. May I have a few words with you?" Gu Chen continued to approach the mysterious woman, while also tentatively inquiring.

In this moment, the woman turned around, allowing Gu Chen another glimpse of her flawless, exquisitely beautiful face. Words truly could not describe her beauty, and to say that it was breathtaking would be no exaggeration at all.

In particular, those eyes, clear as crystal, were so pure that one could not help but be mesmerized and wish to lose themselves in them.

Even to describe her beauty as unparalleled in the world seemed insufficient, for such a visage did not seem to belong to this earthly realm, and even the mythical celestial maidens of lore could not hold a candle to her.

After gazing calmly at Gu Chen for a few seconds, her figure flashed; as swift as a startled swan, with a single step, she vanished from the spot.

The speed of her disappearance was too quick for even Gu Chen to forestall; the mysterious woman vanished from his sight once again.

It was as if everything that had just occurred was nothing but an illusion.

Seeing this, Gu Chen was somewhat helpless, not expecting to come up empty-handed once again.

He chose not to pursue her because her speed was simply too great. Gu Chen suspected that unless he perfected his LingXu Nine Steps, he would never catch up and could only watch her depart.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Gu Chen raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he looked towards a nearby pool, inside of which flowed a very translucent pale golden liquid.

Just moments ago, the mysterious woman had been standing there, gazing into this very pool.

"What is this?"

Gu Chen was surprised, quickly stepping forward to investigate, and upon closer inspection, he sensed something extraordinary about this body of water through his divine perception.

The exceptionally transparent pale golden liquid seemed extraordinary. Through his divine sense, Gu Chen felt it was imbued with various secret forces, prompting a stirring in his heart.

"Could this be some kind of heavenly treasure?" Gu Chen wondered.

Yet, if it indeed were a heavenly treasure, why had the mysterious woman left?

Was it because of his appearance?

Or was it that the mysterious woman deliberately led him here?

The pool was not large, but just the right size to accommodate one person. There was also no shortage of the pale golden liquid within, enough to submerge oneself.

Gu Chen extended a finger into the liquid, and immediately, he felt a chill. The pale golden liquid seeped through the skin of his finger, slowly making its way into his body.

"Aha?"

Gu Chen's expression shifted, for he realized this pale golden liquid could actually fortify his bodily flesh.

Though the enhancement was slight, it was still extraordinarily significant.

It was important to note that Gu Chen's physical body had reached a certain pinnacle of strength at this stage, capable of contending with superior divine weapons. There were few things in the world that could harm him.

At present, if Gu Chen wished to improve the strength of his physique, he would have to train Earth Grade, and even Heaven Grade, body-refining martial arts. But to his surprise, the pale golden liquid before him could temper his body.

At this moment, the light in Gu Chen's eyes flickered incessantly. He felt that, with the help of this pale golden liquid, his physical strength could climb to an entirely new level!

This was an unimaginable enhancement!

Unknown to Gu Chen, the pale golden liquid in front of him was an ancient and famous treasure liquid for body refinements that could even aid the paramount warriors at the Coagulation Field stage to enhance their physique.

For a warrior at the Vajra Stage, just a few drops were needed to help form an indestructible Vajra body. Even in ancient times, this liquid was exceedingly rare, and after tens of thousands of years of accumulation, there was only enough for a single person of Gu Chen's caliber to submerge and enhance himself.

If news of this body-refining treasure liquid spread, it would undoubtedly attract those prodigies of the upper realms.

"This opportunity has indeed come favorably to me," Gu Chen reflected with a sense of gratitude.

He was well aware that ancient sects were invariably protected by formations, and the reason this place had remained undiscovered was precisely because of this fact.

The mysterious woman's appearance had broken the formation, revealing this location to the world after tens of thousands of years and presenting this opportunity to Gu Chen.

After some thought, Gu Chen removed his robe and took a leap, diving into the pool in front of him.