Therefore, Gu Chen did not rashly enter the vast mountains, knowing that countless dangerous beasts and treacherous terrains lay within. He wasn’t here to court death; his intention was to use his divine sense to perceive the situation in the mountains.
At the same time, Gu Chen also wanted to understand the frequency of barbarian tribe incursions.
Because if the barbarians ever harbored thoughts of attacking Da Xia, there would surely be barbarian soldiers scoping out the situation outside of the vast mountains.
But after several days in the area, Gu Chen hadn’t detected any trace of barbarian soldiers. It became clear to him that, as of now, the barbarians indeed showed no signs of an incursion or of leaving the vast mountains.
"Back when the great battle erupted in Yan State, there were rumors that the barbarian chieftain and their high shaman were deep within the vast mountains, receiving the legacy of ancient demons and gods. Judging by the current situation, it’s evidently still ongoing. This is both good and bad," Gu Chen murmured.
Despite the power of the barbarians growing stronger, as long as there was enough time, Gu Chen believed he could surpass anyone.
Yes, that’s right, anyone.
As long as for now, the barbarians didn’t surge out of the vast mountains, all would be well.
"Perhaps, one day in the future, I too will venture deep into the vast mountains?" Gu Chen gazed at the mountains, a sudden thought startling him.
"Is this... a self-prediction of divine sense?" Gu Chen frowned, realizing the notion wasn’t truly his own desire but rather a premonition conveyed by his divine sense.
In martial arts, to commune with the divine doesn’t refer solely to divine sense. Warriors who achieved this realm could sometimes foretell mysterious and intimately related events through their divine sense.
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It resembled the Tower Supervisor’s Heavenly Human Gazing Skill, though it was not as transcendental; triggering this foresight depended on luck or the right moment. It was random and uncontrollable.
"Why would I venture into the vast mountains? What in there is worth my entrance?" Gu Chen pondered, clueless as to why his future self would enter what was regarded as the most forbidden area in all nine provinces.
"Could it be that I’ll be there to hunt down barbarians?" In the end, unable to comprehend, Gu Chen could only tentatively conclude that might be the reason.
"Well, since the barbarians won’t be leaving the vast mountains anytime soon, that means the border is still safe. As for Da Yuan, I’ve heard that all their soldiers have recently retreated back to the empire. I don’t know what the Da Yuan Emperor is thinking, as if he’s been frightened by something, but this could be seen as good news," he reflected.
Considering the current situation of the world, Gu Chen felt that his fate was intertwined with Da Xia, especially since many of his friends and relatives were there; naturally, he wouldn’t allow Da Xia to truly fall apart.
As of today, Gu Chen also had to strategize for the preservation of the world.
With great power comes great responsibility; the higher one stands, the broader the horizon.
Before complete chaos engulfs the world, Gu Chen must make all the necessary preparations, or at least he must strive to be prepared for everything.
The barbarians, for now, will not venture out from the vast mountains, and in Da Yuan, the National Preceptor Bastu has been secluding himself, seeking to break through to the next realm of divine intent and is not likely to emerge in the near future.
As such, Da Xia’s—or rather Gu Chen’s—current enemies were only the Six Union God Sect within the Central Plains and the extraordinary beings from the upper realms with unknown motives who had descended into the nine provinces.
As for the martial factions of the Central Plains, if nothing unexpected happened, they had been largely suppressed by Gu Chen alone.
Now, the only sect that still had a martial artist who had attained communion with the divine at their peak was the Beidou Sect. The others had either pledged allegiance to Da Xia or were eliminated by Gu Chen.
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Gu Chen believed the Beidou Sect would make the smart choice, if they were wise.
"Six Union God Sect, upper realms, King Huai..." Gu Chen softly voiced, naming his current enemies.
Indeed, Gu Chen had come to view King Huai as an enemy. Before leaving Tiandu last time, Gu Chen had secretly met with the Tower Supervisor and discovered the spies King Huai had planted around Gu Mansion.
The Tower Supervisor had warned Gu Chen that King Huai had developed a murderous intent against him and told him to be extremely cautious.
"King Huai..." At the thought, Gu Chen’s eyes turned cold.
He knew that one day, a battle with King Huai was inevitable.
"Coagulation Field, huh? That day won’t be far off," Gu Chen said icily.
When he reached the Coagulation Field realm, the time would come for the decisive battle with King Huai.
Of course, dealing with the Six Union God Sect wasn’t that simple either. Although they had suffered losses among their six major demonic divisions and Law Enforcement Elders because of Gu Chen, this wasn’t a significant blow to their overall power.
As long as their top fighters remained unscathed, it wouldn’t pose a problem for the Six Union God Sect.
Moreover, they could create many powerful warriors by merging with demons and spirits, making them even more difficult to handle.
These three enemies, to be honest, even were somewhat of a headache for Gu Chen, not to mention the extraordinary talents from the upper realms. Most importantly, Gu Chen didn’t know what these beings aimed to achieve and only that the Tower Supervisor had instructed him to stop them.
"No matter, I’ll depart tomorrow for the Beidou Sect. After resolving this final matter, peace will return to the martial world," he declared.
As for those factions without a peak martial artist who had achieved communion with the divine, there was no need for Gu Chen to personally intervene. He believed they would see the situation clearly and know how to make the right choice.
At that moment, Gu Chen felt a sudden throb in his chest that left him feeling uneasy, the third such premonition in recent times.
"I have this constant feeling that something is about to happen to me," he frowned.
Being a peak grandmaster with communion to the divine, it was impossible for such premonitions to occur without an impending event.
The next morning, Gu Chen left the border heading for the Beidou Sect in the East Province.
However, unexpected events occurred yet again along the way.
"Who’s there?!"
Just as he left the border, he detected three unusual presences. Gu Chen immediately halted in his tracks.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, a sharp energy filled the air; three middle-aged men with swords on their backs appeared, their formidable sword intents as if capable of slicing through the sky itself.
"Vault of Sky Sword Sect?" Upon seeing the newcomers and sensing this energy, Gu Chen immediately recognized the origins of the three men.
Naturally, these three didn’t bother to hide at all. Their fierce sword intents rose to the heavens, aiming directly at Gu Chen.
Gu Chen’s brow instinctively furrowed, recognizing them as formidable enemies, their strength far surpassing any top grandmaster of divine communion he had previously encountered.
"We have no desire for idle chatter. You have killed the scions and elders of the Holy Land. Gu Chen, you are guilty and deserve death!"
"But, there is one thing. If you are willing to respond truthfully and cooperate with us, the Holy Land might spare your life," said two of them, in their characteristically imperious tone.
Hearing this, Gu Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"