Chapter 350: Chapter 205: There’s Definitely a Problem
The True Skill for creating a King’s Body Realm was only applicable to its creator.
...
...
"Gu, you’re finally back."
Inside the embassy in the Wind Kingdom Capital, Cao Qingsong saw Gu Zheng and hurried to greet him. "The wedding is tomorrow! If you hadn’t come back soon, I was about to go out and look for you."
"My apologies. I went to Chongming Prefecture City in the Wind Kingdom, entered a fourth-rank Domain, and made some gains. After coming out, I went straight into seclusion until today."
Gu Zheng cupped his fist in salute and explained, then asked, "Are all the arrangements for tomorrow’s wedding complete?"
"Everything is arranged."
Cao Qingsong nodded. "Just follow the standard procedure. All we need to do is escort the princess into the Royal Palace. The Prince will handle everything else."
"By the way, how are things in Chongming Prefecture City? Did any fourth-rank Demon Fiends appear?"
"No," Gu Zheng replied. "At least, no fourth-rank Demon Fiends appeared before the Domain dissipated. I suppose that’s a silver lining."
"Indeed," Cao Qingsong nodded in agreement.
A fourth-rank Domain, no matter which of the Vassal States it appeared in, would be extremely troublesome to deal with once it formed and evolved into a passage.
This was because a fourth-rank Domain required at least one King’s Body Realm expert to garrison the entrance of the passage.
However, how could each of the Eight Great Vassal States possibly have so many King’s Body Realm experts?
In total, there were only twenty or thirty of them.
And this was the accumulation of several thousand years.
They were humanity’s strongest power.
Using them to garrison a passage entrance was, to a large extent, a waste.
...
「Wind Kingdom Royal Palace」
"What? Gu Zheng has advanced to the King’s Body Realm?"
Ying Jiucang shot up from his Golden Throne, his eyes wide as he cried out in horror, "Are you sure? Absolutely certain?"
"Several of us saw it with our own eyes. Of course we’re certain."
Ying Jiuxin responded calmly, "Not only did this Gu Zheng break through to the King’s Body Realm, he also manifested three Domains in one go."
"Th-three Domains?" Ying Jiuyue’s jaw dropped, his face a mask of stupor. For a long moment, he couldn’t close his mouth.
Ying Ziqi was equally dumbfounded, his expression dazed and his gaze unfocused.
He had only just seen Gu Zheng once inside the Domain.
He never expected that the next time he heard news of Gu Zheng, the man would have already advanced to the King’s Body Realm!
The crucial part was that Gu Zheng was hated by the Changsheng Clan, and he’d thought there would be major trouble ahead.
But now, as a King’s Body Realm expert, Gu Zheng had no reason to fear trouble.
If the Changsheng Clan came knocking, it was hard to say who would be killing whom!
"How... how could this be?"
Ying Jiucang stood frozen, the shock on his face unconcealed. "He... how did he do it? The King’s Body Realm... he broke through in just half a month? Even if he consumed a Nine-Turn Celestial Pill, it shouldn’t be that fast!"
"R-right."
Ying Jiuyue muttered, snapping back to his senses. "It’s too fast. Advancing to the King’s Body Realm in half a month is just too fast. And manifesting three Domains at once... Something’s not right! There is definitely something unusual about this Gu Zheng! He’s hiding a great secret!"
"He... he entered the fourth-rank Domain in Chongming Prefecture City." Ying Ziqi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "To advance to the King’s Body Realm so quickly, I think Gu Zheng must have obtained a heaven-defying treasure inside the Domain!"
"That’s right. No Source Fruit could enable such a fast breakthrough to the King’s Body Realm." Ying Jiucang calmed himself and said in a low voice, "It must be a Marvel, a heaven-defying Marvel!"
"Whether it was a Source Fruit or a Marvel, anything that can help someone advance to the King’s Body Realm that quickly must have its limits. It’s most likely a single-use item."
Ying Jiuxin spoke calmly, "Even if it could be used multiple times, there would be a long cooldown period. And regardless of the situation, the treasure belongs to Gu Zheng, and he won’t admit to having it. Whether you’re tempted or just curious, it’s best not to stir up trouble."
"Er..."
Ying Jiucang faltered.
Ying Jiuyue’s eyes, however, flickered.
Ying Ziqi remained silent.
"What, are you still thinking of prying into his secret? Of obtaining the treasure that allowed Gu Zheng to reach the King’s Body Realm?"
Ying Jiuxin’s gaze swept over them as she snapped, "Have you all lost your minds? Do you not understand how powerful a King’s Body is? A King’s Body with three Domains... even if he just broke through, I wouldn’t be his match. If you dare to make a move on Gu Zheng, I’ll cripple you myself! To avoid you dragging everyone else down!"
"We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare."
Ying Jiucang waved his hands hastily, chuckling awkwardly. "I was just curious, that’s all. I have absolutely no other intentions."
"...Sigh."
Ying Jiuyue sighed. "I was originally thinking of roping Gu Zheng in, finding a niece from the younger generation to arrange a marriage with him. Now that he’s at the King’s Body Realm, that plan is ruined."
"..."
Ying Jiuxin was silent for a moment.
Indeed, no matter how outstanding a Heroic Body Realm expert was, they couldn’t compare to someone in the King’s Body Realm.
None of the young women in the Ying Family were qualified to marry Gu Zheng.
Not even two, three, or four or five of them together would be worthy.
They could be his concubines, perhaps.
But could a single concubine make Gu Zheng align with them? It was unrealistic. A concubine was little more than a high-class servant girl, who could be abandoned or even gifted to someone else at any time.
Unless she was at the Heroic Body Realm.
But there were no young women in the Ying Family who had reached the Heroic Body Realm.
Even if there were, it wouldn’t be worth sending one out to be a mere concubine.
"Forget about the marriage alliance."
After a moment of contemplation, Ying Jiuxin said, "Just maintaining our current relationship is enough."
"Understood!"
Ying Jiuyue nodded.
Ying Jiucang added, "For the wedding tomorrow, we could try inviting Gu Zheng to be the chief witness. As long as he agrees, this bond of goodwill will be established."
"That could work."
Ying Jiuxin nodded. "This is an opportunity. As for anything else, don’t do a thing. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
Ying Ziqi, Ying Jiuyue, and Ying Jiucang nodded in unison.
"Oh, right."
Ying Jiucang remembered something and ordered, "Go and warn that girl, Ying Li. That brat went looking for Gu Zheng before, wanting to take him as a consort. Now that Gu Zheng is at the King’s Body Realm, we absolutely cannot let Ying Li cause any more trouble..."
"In fact, Ziqi, go and seize Ying Li for me. Take her back to the Ancestral Land."
"Don’t let her out until after Gu Zheng leaves the Wind Kingdom!"
"Yes, sir!" Ying Ziqi saluted solemnly.
Then, he turned and left to carry out the order.
...
「Meng Family」
"What? Second Uncle, are you serious?"
Meng Huandu’s eyes widened in shock. "Gu has advanced to the King’s Body Realm? He... what kind of treasure did he find in Chongming Prefecture City? He actually broke through to the King’s Body Realm just like that!?"
"What do you mean, ’Gu’? Is that what you should be calling him?"
Meng Ao glared. "Gu Zheng is now at the King’s Body Realm. You must call him Gu King, or address him as Grand General Gu! The same goes for all of you!"
Meng Ao’s gaze swept over the other members of the Meng family in the room.
"...Understood."
"Yes, Second Uncle."
"..."
The crowd of Meng family members nodded hastily in agreement.
Though they responded verbally, shock and awe filled every one of their faces.
"Incredible. Simply amazing."
"Amazing? He’s practically not human!"
"That Gu Zheng is only in his early twenties, right? Such a young King’s Body expert, tsk tsk~"
"..."
Everyone was marveling and discussing amongst themselves.
In the crowd, Meng Yu was completely dumbfounded, her head spinning.
’King’s Body?’
’Gu Zheng is at the King’s Body Realm?’
’The last time I saw him, he was just a Heroic Body.’
’He made one trip to Chongming Prefecture City and now he’s a King’s Body?!’
Meng Yu’s mind went blank, her thoughts a tangled mess.
"Gu Zheng has advanced to the King’s Body Realm. All of you, remember this: you are only to befriend him, not to offend him. Is that clear!?"
Meng Ao scanned the crowd and barked in a low voice.
"Crystal clear!"
"U-Understood."
...
A similar scene was playing out in the Lu Family’s residence.
Lu Jing warned every single member of the Lu Family.
When it came to Gu Zheng, no one was to act presumptuously or provoke him!
...
「At the embassy.」
Cao Qingsong, Zhong Zhengao, and the others had not yet received the news. They chatted idly with Gu Zheng, just as before.
Early the next morning.
Zhong Qishan, dressed in her wedding gown, boarded a grand palanquin. Amidst a wave of music, the procession set off from the embassy, heading for the Royal Palace.
The wedding was to be held inside the Wind Kingdom Royal Palace.
The procession consisted not only of the people from Jing Country but also an official greeting party dispatched by the Wind Royal Family. Escorted by the Dragon Guard Bureau and the City Defense Bureau, they advanced majestically toward the Royal Palace.
Gu Zheng and Cao Qingsong rode on horseback, one on the left and one on the right, flanking the grand palanquin to carry out the final step of the escort.
WHOOSH—!
Suddenly, a sound like tearing cloth ripped through the sky at extreme speed.
A massive, mountain-of-flesh-like figure leaped across the sky from the horizon.
"Anyone who kills a Changsheng must die!!"
