Chapter 437: Chapter 249: The World in an Uproar
Qingshi County.
In the county seat, at the Gu Family’s private courtyard.
Gu Zheng sat on the roof, continuously circulating the Daluo Celestial Inference Technique.
His Three Domains Unification had reached a critical moment. He was just one final step away from completely fusing his Spirit Realm, Domain, and Territory, and then he could charge toward the path of the Emperor Body.
But he couldn’t seem to complete this final step. He was just a tiny bit away.
Gu Zheng could vaguely sense what he was missing, but whenever he tried to grasp it, it slipped away.
’What am I missing?’
Gu Zheng knew he couldn’t rush it, so he kept his mind calm.
The more anxious he became at a time like this, the less likely he was to succeed.
Aside from maintaining the Daluo Celestial Inference Technique, he cleared his mind of all other thoughts.
...
Outside the city.
On a wide mountaintop.
Gu Zheng’s fake body had remained there all this time. Suddenly, it turned around and looked to the east.
A familiar figure could be seen flying across the horizon.
Xu Jianzhu!
The Grand Director had come again.
"Gu Zheng."
Xu Jianzhu stopped in the air a hundred meters from Gu Zheng and relayed the message. "The Kao Mountain King proposes a duel to decide the victor. Whoever wins gets the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade."
’Decide the ownership of the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade with a duel?’
’That’s... not a bad idea.’
Gu Zheng knew very well that the Zhong Family would never give up on the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade. It was impossible to make them grit their teeth and accept this loss.
But the Zhong Family didn’t dare to completely sever ties either.
It wasn’t that Gu Zheng was acting fearless because he had backing, but that things had progressed to a point where neither side could take a step back.
Spirit Beast, Half-Demon, Royal Blood, and Divine Weapon.
Among these four lineages of Noble Families, there was actually a pecking order.
Not based on any single individual, but on the overall, comprehensive strength of the family. The Divine Weapon Lineage was the strongest!
Why was that?
First, the Spirit Beast Lineage was the most difficult to establish. Whether it was the time needed for Spirit Beasts to awaken since the beginning of the Celestial Change or the sheer number of Spirit Beasts, they were both limited factors.
The Yong Family of the Yue Country and the Ying Family of the Wind Kingdom were able to seize territory and establish Vassal States because they had accumulated power for thousands of years, and their Spirit Beasts were also quite special.
Spirit Beast Families like the Tang Family and the Su Family had a much harder time growing strong.
Next was the Half-demon Lineage. The risks of awakening their Bloodline Power were actually very high. Especially the first time they activated their Half-demon power, there was a significant chance of losing control and demonizing.
The destruction of the Zhang Family by the Yuan Family was a prime example. And over the past ten thousand years, it wasn’t the only one.
Then there was the Royal Bloodline. Although awakening its power was risk-free, its growth was rapid, and its potential was excellent, it was still inferior when compared to the Divine Weapon Lineage.
And that came down to time!
Starting from the Alien Body, one had to advance to the Super Body, then break through to the Heroic Body, and finally reach the King’s Body.
These four steps, taken one by one, required time.
Even a genius would need several decades.
Even someone like Gu Zheng, who had basically cheated his way up, took nearly two years to advance to the King’s Body.
If a Royal Blood Noble Family lost its King’s Body practitioner, it would quickly decline.
But for a Noble Family of the Divine Weapon Lineage, this weakness was mitigated.
Because a Divine Weapon itself could exist for thousands, or even tens of thousands, of years.
Even a King’s Body at the second stage wouldn’t dare to face the power of a self-destructing Divine Weapon head-on.
As long as the noble youth of the family weren’t all wiped out, they could call upon the Divine Weapon’s Power.
Take the Zhang Family for example again.
If the Zhang Family had been a Divine Weapon Family, then when the Yuan Family lost control, demonized, and went on a killing spree, it would have been impossible for them to be annihilated.
Because the power of a Divine Weapon would have been enough to resist!
It was like the Xiao Family. Because they possessed the Divine Weapon Thunder Shock Spear, the Xie Family didn’t dare to use brute force when they came knocking.
Without Gu Zheng’s help, they would have, at most, been forced into humiliating submission and served the Xie Family from then on.
The Xie Family wouldn’t have dared to exterminate them.
All things considered, only by possessing a Divine Weapon could a Noble Family have a chance to endure for ten thousand years!
It was no exaggeration to say that if Gu Zheng truly died and the other members of the Gu Family managed to survive, each controlling one of the two Divine Weapons—the Heaven-piercing Halberd or the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade—then they would have a chance to avenge Gu Zheng in the future.
The Zhong Family was unwilling to give up such a Divine Weapon, so how could Gu Zheng?
Zhong Zhengqiong’s proposal to decide its ownership through a duel was undoubtedly a final, desperate gamble.
"Alright."
Gu Zheng’s fake body agreed without much thought. "A duel to decide the winner, and the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade goes to whoever wins. But this matter must be announced to the world, and all the major Noble Families must be invited to watch the duel. If the Kao Mountain King agrees, then in ten days, at Lion Peak on the Mian River, we will settle it once and for all!"
"...I will relay your message."
Xu Jianzhu gave Gu Zheng’s fake body a deep look, then turned and left without another word, rushing back to the Zhong Family Ancestral Land.
Announcing it to the world and inviting the major Noble Families to watch had a simple purpose: to nail this matter down for good!
If they fought a secret duel and Zhong Zhengqiong lost, the Zhong Family might not accept it and still cause trouble. If Gu Zheng then retaliated and word got out, people might call him despicable and shameless, a man of vile deeds.
The Zhong Family gave him a True Skill to cultivate, and after he succeeded, he stole their Divine Weapon.
A true villain!
Although Gu Zheng didn’t care, if that really happened, it would still be disgusting.
But after announcing it to the world, if Zhong Zhengqiong lost and the Zhong Family still refused to give up and caused trouble, then Gu Zheng would be the one in the right!
...
Xu Jianzhu returned quickly.
Gu Zheng’s fake body waited on the mountaintop for less than an hour before Xu Jianzhu returned.
"The Kao Mountain King has agreed."
’Of course he had to agree!’
Gu Zheng had made a concession. Even if Zhong Zhengqiong didn’t agree, the rest of the Zhong Family would have.
According to the information the Zhong Family had, Gu Zheng was, at most, at the second stage of the King’s Body.
Therefore, having Zhong Zhengqiong make a move would be enough to suppress him.
If it were Zhong Duxiu, Gu Zheng would have refused outright, and the Zhong Family would have been left dumbfounded.
Zhong Zhengqiong was just right!
Both "sides" believed they would win!
...
...
Zhong Zhengqiong had accepted, and Gu Zheng had agreed.
News of their duel at Lion Peak on the Mian River spread quickly.
The major Noble Families were once again shaken, and an uproar ensued.
"What’s going on? Isn’t Gu Zheng from the Jing Country and a Demon-slaying Grand General of the Demon Slayer Bureau? Why is he suddenly dueling Zhong Zhengqiong?"
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