With a creak, the palace doors swung open, and a figure in black garb, with a handsome visage, chiseled features, and eyes as bright as stars, walked in.
Inside this figure lay a dormant, vigorous vitality, akin to that of an Ancient Savage Dragon, full of oppressive might. Upon his arrival, the air in the great hall seemed to solidify, and the place fell into such silence that one could hear a pin drop.
No one had expected that at this time, Gu Chen would actually appear here!
"Lord Wuan?!"
After a brief moment, Murong Bo, the eldest son of the Murong family, saw Gu Chen, and instantly stood up, his face filled with shock and fear.
Obviously, the impression Gu Chen had left on him at the last birthday celebration of the Longhu Mountain’s grandmaster was profound.
Murong Bo was more than a decade older than Gu Chen, but with just one glance, Gu Chen had inflicted heavy damage on him, leaving an unforgettable memory.
The patriarch of the Murong family, Murong Huaian, also wore a solemn expression, while a hint of fear arose within him. Like his eldest son, Murong Bo, Murong Huaian deep down was filled with dread towards Gu Chen, not the least bit less.
All the people in the hall were stunned, but then the leader of the Spirit One Sect, Yang Tong, quickly recovered, his face wearing a cold smile. He looked at Gu Chen at the doorway, unabashed, and said, "Man-slaughterer, you indeed have the nerve, daring to show up here today. It seems the rumors on the streets are true; you really are exceedingly arrogant."
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"Arrogant?"
As Gu Chen stepped forward, he shook his head and said, "Facing a bunch of rotten fish and shrimp like you, what do I have to be arrogant about?"
"You!"
Upon hearing these words, Yang Tong’s pupils flashed with a cold light as he clenched his fists suddenly.
As the master of the eminent Spirit One Sect, renowned throughout the martial world, Gu Chen’s comparison of him to rotten fish and shrimp naturally made the leader of the Spirit One Sect very angry.
"Lord Gu!"
At that moment, seeing Gu Chen appear, the young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain’s Celestial Master Sect, Zhang Chengxuan, immediately stood up and quickly stepped to Gu Chen’s side, standing behind him.
Seeing this scene, the leaders of the major forces like the Spirit One Sect, Wind Thunder Valley, and Phantom Spirit Valley, all changed their expressions.
"Has the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain actually pledged allegiance to Da Xia?!"
They were all taken aback, wondering why Gu Chen had arrived so promptly, only to realize it was the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain that had tipped off Gu Chen.
"Who would’ve thought that the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain would see such a day when they would submit to the imperial court and become the court’s hunting dogs!" said Yang Tong, the master of the Spirit One Sect, with an ugly expression.
It was well known that the grandmaster of the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain, at over one hundred and fifty years of age with his cultivation at the great consummation of the Divine Realm, was one of the rare top-tier powerhouses in the martial world. With Longhu Mountain pledging allegiance to Da Xia, it was a piece of incredibly bad news for everyone present.
Hearing Yang Tong’s words, the young Celestial Master Zhang Chengxuan slightly furrowed his brows and said, "We have not pledged allegiance to Da Xia."
"Not pledged allegiance to Da Xia? Then why is the man-slaughterer here, if not for the Celestial Master Sect tipping him off?" said the middle-aged man with a stern face, Leng Chan, the Valley Master of Wind Thunder Valley.
The Valley Master of Phantom Spirit Valley, the middle-aged scholar Ji Yan, also shook his head and said, "Once the news of the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain’s allegiance to Da Xia gets out, the millennial reputation of the Celestial Master Sect and the grandmaster’s many years of prestige in the martial world will be destroyed in an instant."
"No wonder the Celestial Master Sect has been noncommittal, and the old grandmaster hasn’t shown up; they must have covertly pledged allegiance to Da Xia long ago. This action must be your pledge of allegiance!" the patriarch of the Murong family, Murong Huaian, also said coldly.
Upon hearing this, the young Celestial Master Zhang Chengxuan frowned as he remembered the words the old grandmaster had told him before he left.
Great chaos was looming in the world, and this calamity was unlike any before. As Gu Chen had previously said on Longhu Mountain, no person or power would be spared; regardless of their intentions, they would all ultimately be drawn in.
After much thought, the old grandmaster agreed with Gu Chen’s viewpoint. However, the Celestial Master Sect of Longhu Mountain wasn’t exactly pledging allegiance to Da Xia; if anything, it was siding with Gu Chen.
Or, it could be said, the old grandmaster was investing in Gu Chen, betting the future and everything of the Celestial Master Sect on Gu Chen, the Lord Wuan of Da Xia.
"There’s no need to waste words on them."
At this moment, Gu Chen appeared indifferent. His gaze shifted slightly, sweeping the entire hall as if to engrave the visage of everyone present in his mind.
Anyone who met Gu Chen’s gaze, even those who were Transcendent Realm martial arts grandmasters and leaders of the world’s top forces, couldn’t help but unconsciously shrink their pupils and turn their heads away.
This was the deterrent force that Gu Chen now held in the martial world, or perhaps, in the entire world.
Age was irrelevant. Gu Chen had, on his own merit and through his actions, already forged a mighty reputation throughout the entire world, across all of Kyushu.
"Good, it seems everyone has arrived today, which is perfect to settle all of this here and save me the trouble of hunting you down one by one," Gu Chen stated coolly.
At those words, the leaders of the Beidou Sect, Qinglong Valley, Zhenwu Gate, and all six major clans, including the business clan, all showed a change in expression and hurriedly said, "Lord Gu, please do not misunderstand. We didn’t mean to be here, and we have never intended to be enemies of Da Xia, let alone with you, Lord Gu."
At this time, the leader of the Shen Martial Sect stood up and shouted coldly, "It has come to this, and he already knows. What do we have to fear? We might as well break the pot by dropping it, once and for all, and kill him right here on the spot!"
As these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze sharpened, and the atmosphere in the great hall instantly became incredibly tense.
The young Celestial Master Zhang Chengxuan felt the same. Although he knew of Gu Chen’s strength, he was also aware that this place today surely wouldn’t only have these Transcendent Realm martial arts grandmasters.
Because, even if all the more than twenty Transcendent Realm martial arts grandmasters present were combined, they wouldn’t be enough for Gu Chen to kill with one hand!
Yang Tong and his associates dared to act in such a way, showing not the slightest fear even upon Gu Chen’s arrival, which clearly indicated they had a backup plan.
For a moment, the young Celestial Master, Zhang Chengxuan, couldn’t help but turn his gaze towards Gu Chen, wondering how the Marquis of Wu’an from Da Xia, known as the Slaughterer of the Jianghu, would handle the situation.
At this moment, Gu Chen had of course guessed they had a trump card, but he remained calm and collected, looking completely unconcerned.
Currently, there really wasn’t anyone in the Jianghu of Central Plains worthy of Gu Chen’s concern.
"Given your guts, you, this bunch of rotten fish, wouldn’t dare to discuss me here without a backer. Let the old fellows behind you come out immediately," Gu Chen said indifferently, well aware of their cards, yet still utterly composed.
Knowing full well a tiger lay ahead, he nonetheless headed towards Tiger Mountain. His composure and equanimity was something no one else present possessed.
In a matter of seconds, the young Celestial Master, Zhang Chengxuan, also began to regard Gu Chen with a trace of respect in his eyes.
No wonder the old Celestial Master held him in such high esteem. Gu Chen’s strength was not just in his might; his character was incomparable to other martial artists.
Such achievements at this age could not simply be explained by luck.
"Young man, you are too arrogant. It’s good to be young and vigorous, but too much can lead to an early death!"
"Regardless, we have been famous in the Jianghu for many years and are your seniors. You show us no respect, has nobody taught you the importance of hierarchy and order?"
Within the hall, suddenly two aged voices emerged, echoing around like thunder, causing the void to ripple like water and sending ripples spreading far and wide.
Hearing these two voices, Yang Tong and the others immediately showed signs of joy.
Gu Chen, strong and muscular, with hair like a cascading waterfall, stood there with indifferent eyes saying emotionlessly, "Relying on age to command respect, today is a good day to capture you old relics, to slaughter you all here once and for all."
As his voice fell, Gu Chen’s eyes, bright as the morning stars, shot out a sharp light, and in a sudden head turn, his gaze shifted beyond the hall, as his invisible divine sense struck out like a sword.
Sst!
The invisible divine sense cut through the void, visibly separating the air, followed by a muffled grunt from within the hall.
"Master!"
Yang Tong’s face changed immediately with the grunt; it was from the previous leader of the Spirit One Sect, his own master.
"Hmph!"
In the next moment, a cold snort sounded, and from beyond the great hall, two divine sense rapidly approached, targeting Gu Chen.
"Merely child’s play."
Gu Chen’s aura vibrated, and as his robe fluttered slightly, the young Celestial Master, Zhang Chengxuan, who stood by, was sent flying to a distance by a gentle force.
Then, facing the two rapidly approaching divine senses, Gu Chen remained unflustered, allowing them to penetrate his mind, coming out completely unscathed. Find exclusive stories on freewebnovel
"If that’s all you old relics have got, I’ll cut you all down within three moves!" Gu Chen’s hair billowed, his expression stern, exuding immense dominance.
"Insolent junior!"
Accompanied by the aged voice, sharp hissing sounds erupted, and four divine senses charged into the hall, causing all the innate realm martial arts masters like Yang Tong to feel unbearable headaches, as if their souls were being torn apart.
The mere aftershocks were this powerful; it was clear how formidable these four divine senses were.
These were actually four top-notch grandmasters in the late stage of the Divine Realm!
At the same time, this was also the backup plan of Yang Tong and the others. Having four veteran grandmasters of the Divine Realm take action, they didn’t believe Gu Chen could survive.
"The four of us joining forces, junior, let’s see how you resist this time. You’ll have nowhere to be buried when you die!" As the four divine senses shot out, a voice filled with hatred suddenly thundered throughout the hall.
It was the old master of the Spirit One Sect who had just grunted.
"Claiming I’ll die with no place to be buried? Based on you rotten fish and bags of wine and rice?" Gu Chen rebuked loudly, his voice roaring like a dragon chant. A violent wind swept throughout the surrounding area, with the Superior God Weapon Jade Necklace around his neck shining faintly.
By his own power, he withstood the divine sense attack unleashed by the four grandmasters in the late phase of the Divine Realm!
"If you want to see me dead, first, I’ll kill your sect’s disciples and members!"
In a whoosh, Gu Chen’s figure flickered like light and shadow, vanishing in a blink, reaching Spirit One Sect’s master, Yang Tong, in an instant.
In the face of his horrified expression, before the eyes of everyone present, Gu Chen reached out his arm swiftly, like picking an item out of a bag, and in a flash, he snapped off the head of this renowned innate realm martial arts master from the Jianghu.
Spurt!
In an instant, a massive spray of blood gushed from Yang Tong’s neck, spattering up to a height of three feet, and Yang Tong’s headless corpse fell to the ground with a thud.
Seeing this terrifying scene, everyone present was shocked, feeling a cold chill rising from their spines, spreading throughout their bodies!