Chapter 441: Chapter 251: Who Do You Think You Are?
King’s Body: Seeking Truth!
The third stage of the King’s Body!
Holding nothing back, Gu Zheng unleashed the Power of Heaven and Earth. His three Domains, at full strength, forcibly shattered Zhong Zhengqiong’s Golden Bell Domain and grievously wounded him. He sent his opponent plummeting into the collapsing Lion Peak, crashing deep into the earth.
BOOM~
RUMBLE!
RUUUUMBLE~~!
The muffled echoes of the explosion, mingled with clouds of dust and shattered rock, slowly spread through the air.
WHOOSH~ WHOOSH!
Powerful Qi raged as fierce winds howled.
Gu Zheng retracted his Liaoyuan and Giant Wood Domains, leaving only the Hurricane Domain to swirl around him. He then looked toward the distant sky to his right, to a spot several thousand meters away, high above the Mian River.
There, a figure flickered in and out of sight. Its aura was nearly undetectable, with only a silhouette occasionally becoming visible.
"Patriarch Zhong, the outcome has been decided."
Gu Zheng spoke calmly, yet his voice resounded for miles around.
"The Kao Mountain King has been defeated by my hand. From this day forward, the Divine Weapon is mine."
"..." The flickering figure high above the Mian River, thousands of meters away, remained silent.
The sky and the earth fell silent.
Only the mighty Mian River, affected by the shockwave, continued to move. Its waters churned with countless whirlpools and crested in a series of waves as it surged and rolled onward.
He lost...
Zhong Zhengqiong—the second most powerful expert of the great Zhong Family, a man who had been famous for two millennia—was defeated by Gu Zheng today.
They had only exchanged a single round of blows. The second had just begun when Zhong Zhengqiong’s Domain was shattered and his King’s Body sent crashing to the ground. There was no question he was injured; the only unknown was how severely.
But a moment’s thought was enough to know the injuries were not light.
After all, the three Domains under Gu Zheng’s control had worked in concert, surrounding Zhong Zhengqiong and assailing him from all directions.
Hurricane, Giant Wood, and Liaoyuan—the power of all three Domains had invaded Zhong Zhengqiong’s body.
Zhong Zhengqiong might not die from this, but a full recovery would be incredibly difficult.
Until he completely purged the power of those three Domains from his system, he would remain a permanent invalid.
And was Domain Power so easily purged?
Moreover, the three Domains Gu Zheng had unleashed were all imbued with his Sword Intent!
Perfected Sword Intent was exceptionally damaging and incredibly difficult to extinguish.
It was only thanks to Zhong Zhengqiong’s profound foundation—his Blood of the Golden Bell was inherently defensive—that he survived. Anyone else would have died from that last blow, their King’s Body shattered into a thousand pieces.
A duel, announced to the world, to determine a victor.
And yet the outcome was decided so swiftly.
Yang Yidong, Zheng Jiuyang, Ying Jiuxin, Yong Xingzhou, and the others were all utterly astonished and shaken.
They were shocked at how incredibly fast Gu Zheng had progressed.
King’s Body: Seeking Truth—the third stage of the King’s Body!
How long had it even been?
Those beneath the level of a King’s Body wouldn’t know.
Even those who had just entered the King’s Body stage rarely knew.
For the third stage of the King’s Body, there were no longer any shortcuts.
It relied almost entirely on one’s own comprehension. Either you understood it, or you didn’t.
If you couldn’t grasp it, no amount of studying Enlightenment Marvels would allow you to break through.
And yet, Gu Zheng had done it.
What did this mean?
It meant that Gu Zheng was, without a doubt, a prodigy the likes of which had not been seen in millennia—a genius among geniuses!
...
"LAP~ LAP~!"
The surging river waters slowly calmed.
As Gu Zheng’s voice echoed across the sky and land, Yue’Er revealed herself, flitting back and forth in the air.
In the distance, the flickering figure’s aura suddenly surged.
"Zhong Duxiu?"
Hua Zhixia, taking in the scene, was the first to speak. "Patriarch Zhong, you actually came in person. Were you worried about Zhong Zhengqiong? Did you come specifically to provide backup?"
"..." Zhong Duxiu ignored her. His figure fully materialized from its previously hidden state. Without a glance at Gu Zheng, he descended step by step as if on an invisible staircase, heading toward the collapsed Lion Peak.
"Zhong Zhengqiong won’t die."
Seeing this, Zheng Jiuyang laughed heartily. "Old Ghost Zhong, your agreement with the Gu King still stands, doesn’t it? We’re all here, we all saw it. Zhong Zhengqiong lost. You can’t go back on your word now! Hahaha..."
"That’s right. We are all witnesses. It wouldn’t do to go back on your word," Ying Jiuxin chimed in.
"Gu King!"
Yong Xingzhou shouted, "Gu King, now that you’ve so thoroughly crushed Zhong Zhengqiong, you’ve made a sworn enemy of the Zhong Family. Do you have anywhere you plan to go? If you’re amenable, you could come to my Yue Country. The Yong Family is willing to gift you the land of three prefectures to make your new home!"
Hm?
Upon hearing this, Zheng Jiuyang, Hua Zhixia, and the others immediately started speaking up as well.
"Gu King, my Yong Country is willing to offer five prefectures."
"Gu King, my Hua Family is willing to offer the land of an entire state. Furthermore, Qianyan could be joined with you in marriage."
"Patriarch Hua, isn’t your family matriarchal? Why resort to a honey trap now?"
"How can it be called a scheme when the feelings are mutual?"
"..."
Yong Xingzhou, Zheng Jiuyang, Ying Jiuxin, and the other King’s Bodies from the Vassal States began a war of words, each shouting out their own offers.
The third stage of the King’s Body!
Recruiting Gu Zheng to join one of their families was an impossibility now.
But that didn’t stop them from trying to befriend him and forge a connection.
Gu Zheng wasn’t even involved in the Dragon Struggle, so there was no conflict of interest.
The Gu family was also small, so they posed virtually no competitive threat.
But if they could form an alliance for mutual support, that would be a different story entirely.
The voices of Zheng Jiuyang, Hua Zhixia, and the others were not concealed. Gu Zheng heard them, and so did Zhong Duxiu.
However, Zhong Duxiu acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. He entered the ruins and found Zhong Zhengqiong in a deep crater that had been forcefully blasted into the earth.
The latter was unconscious, his aura faint and fading.
Gu Zheng glanced over before looking away, then offered a respectful bow to Zheng Jiuyang, Hua Zhixia, Yong Xingzhou, and the others.
"Thank you all for your generous invitations. Unfortunately, I am something of a homebody and have grown accustomed to life in Qingshi. I won’t impose on any of you."
Hm?
Everyone was taken aback by his words.
Hua Zhixia asked bluntly, "Gu King, does this mean you intend to remain in Qingshi County from now on? You’re not going to move?"
"That is correct." Gu Zheng cupped his fist in a salute.
"This..."
Zheng Jiuyang, Ying Jiuxin, and the others hesitated for a moment.
Even Zhong Duxiu, who had been in the middle of leaving while supporting Zhong Zhengqiong with his Divine Wondrous power, paused.
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