Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

At this moment, inside a tavern in Tiandu.

The place was already packed to the brim, with a storyteller sporting a goatee striking his lectern fiercely, "At the great battle of Tiandu, the Great Yuan Buddhist disciple Ananda perfected the Dragon Elephant Scripture, an untransmitted secret of the Daxue Mountains Dragon Elephant Buddhist Sect.

He even mastered the Dragon Elephant True Form, boasting incomparable strength and recognized as the number one among his peers in the martial path of the Great Yuan!"

The crowd, already engrossed and unable to extricate themselves, saw one person raising a hand, a look of puzzlement on his face as he asked, "What is the Dragon Elephant Scripture?"

Hearing this, everyone immediately turned their gazes towards the goateed storyteller, including some martial practitioners who were also curious, unaware of the origins of the Dragon Elephant Scripture.

The storyteller grinned, pleased with the effect he had created, paused for a moment, and when he saw everyone eagerly watching him, he then slowly said, "The Dragon Elephant Scripture is a profound teaching from one of the six great holy lands, the Sumeru Buddhist Sect, which is known as the premiere of countless Buddhas in the nine provinces.

The Dragon Elephant Scripture is an ancient legacy of this sect, extremely powerful, and can be described as terrifying!"

Wow!

Enjoy exclusive content from empire

The crowd, cooperating splendidly, immediately filled the room with a collective gasp of astonishment.

The reputation of the six great holy lands, let alone to martial practitioners, even common folks knew it to be an entity that had suppressed the nine provinces for countless years, renowned throughout the world, its name known to all.

It was also the first time they heard that the Daxue Mountains Dragon Elephant Buddhist Sect, the number one sect within the borders of the Great Yuan, actually derived from one of the six great holy lands, and that the Dragon Elephant Scripture belonged to an ancient heritage!

Ancient martial arts, compared to today's martial techniques, were vastly more powerful. The martial path back then was much more prosperous and flourishing than it is today, unlike now where not a single Celestial Realm powerhouse can be found.

"Quickly describe to us the details of that particular battle!" a citizen could not help but exclaim.

Although Gu Chen's deeds had been wildly circulated among the people recently, and the citizens of Tiandu had heard them over and over again, the fervor remained undiminished, the heat unabated. Many wanted to listen again and again, just to fully comprehend every aspect of that day's battle.

The great battle took place in the inner city, and due to the overwhelming number of people, many citizens and martial artists did not know the details of the fight. Furthermore, the versions told by each storyteller differed.

The storyteller smiled faintly, puffing out his chest with pride, and said, "Although Ananda had cultivated the Dragon Elephant True Form, our Lord Gu, Gu Chen, is now acclaimed as the number one talent in the nine provinces for hundreds of years, having cultivated the Indestructible Vajra Body!"

"During that battle, the Great Yuan Buddhist disciple Ananda unleashed the Dragon Elephant Great Strength, invoking the ancient phantom of a dragon elephant. Yet, our Da Xia's Lord Gu, Gu Chen, was even more extraordinary.

His golden blood qi filled the void, embodying the ultimate yang and rigidity, squeezing the heavens and the earth, his divine might awe-inspiring as though a war god had descended!"

"Even though Ananda was a talent unparalleled, practicing the ancient technique Dragon Elephant Scripture along with many ancient martial arts, he still was no match for Lord Gu! Their combat was overwhelming; with a few punches from Lord Gu, thunder roared, and the sky changed color.

With a single gesture from Lord Gu, eighty-one heavenly dragons soared into the sky, shattering the heavens and splitting the earth, pummeling the once overbearing Great Yuan Buddhist disciple, making him spit blood and fly away horizontally."

"The Great Yuan is simply insignificant!"

As soon as he said this, countless citizens echoed in agreement, their expressions roused, shouting, "Yes, the Great Yuan is insignificant!"

Even martial practitioners couldn't contain their excitement, shouting, "What Daxue Mountain Dragon Elephant Buddhist Sect, what future head of the Buddhist sect, what first martial arts practitioner of the future Great Yuan, they are all still bested by a single punch from our Lord Gu!"

"A single punch to defeat!"

"Lord Gu is invincible!"

"Da Xia triumphs in a hundred battles!"

The blood of the citizens and martial practitioners alike was stirred by the storyteller, and the atmosphere within the tavern reached a fever pitch.

The tavern keeper sat to one side, having heard these tales countless times, yet he still found them thoroughly engaging, munching on peanuts while listening to the storyteller's account.

It wasn't just this one tavern. Now, every tavern in Tiandu, even every corner of the city, echoed with the stories of Gu Chen's battle that day.

Some storytellers were relatively impartial, describing the actual scenes of the great battle, but others, like the one just now, were more exaggerated in their accounts, nonetheless better at stirring the emotions of their audience.

Regardless of the form it took, Gu Chen's reputation reached an unprecedented peak in Da Xia, with countless citizens venerating him.

Even Gu Chen's attire and bearing from that day had become trendy, and now across the entire Tiandu, many people emulated him.

...

Ever since Gu Chen had defeated Ananda, Gu Mansion's threshold was nearly trampled down by the influx of people recounting Gu Chen's deeds, not just in Tiandu but also outside it.

Now, Gu Chen could be said to have become a celebrity in Da Xia, and indeed the entire nine provinces. Naturally, countless individuals wished to meet him in person.

This included some of Da Xia's high officials and nobles. Throughout these days, a ceaseless chain of carriages had made their way to and from Gu Mansion. These individuals were very shrewd, almost all bringing their own children with them.

Boys sought to take Gu Chen as their master, even presenting exorbitant gifts in hopes of being accepted as disciples.

Girls, on the other hand, hoped to forge a beautiful matrimonial bond with Gu Chen. Even if they couldn't become his wife, they were willing to become his concubines.

It could be said that during this period, the Gu Mansion had received so many gifts that their hands grew weary, and Gu Chengfeng and Xu Qinge, by virtue of being the uncle and aunt of Gu Chen, were pursued by numerous high-ranking officials and nobility.

In the past, when these people saw Gu Chengfeng, they wouldn't even give him a second glance, but now they were all chasing after him, eagerly following in his footsteps, just to exchange a few words with him.

Gu Chen's potential was now known to all; having secured such a swift and decisive victory for Da Xia, the Crown Prince and King Huai would undoubtedly reward him handsomely, and as Gu Chen already held the title of a viscount, should he wish to take up an official post in court, he was sure to become a close confidant of the Crown Prince and his future achievements would be boundless.

Even if he chose not to take an official post and remained in the Jing Tian Department, with Gu Chen's abilities and the honors he had just earned, his promotion to Commander was as good as confirmed!

Such a revered figure, destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Nine Provinces, if they didn't curry favor now, when would they?

Latterly, there were so many people seeking Gu Chen that the Gu Mansion simply couldn't accommodate them all, and the servants of the Gu Mansion, including Gu Chengfeng, Xu Qinge, and Gu Qingyan, were utterly exhausted from receiving all these figures.

Having no other choice, Gu Chen found a way out by claiming that he had sustained some injuries in his battle with Ananda and needed to recuperate in peace, and with this statement, the Gu Mansion once again became quiet.

Although he had been tired to death during this period, Gu Chengfeng was very happy because Gu Chen had made something of himself, becoming a person of great importance in Da Xia, and Gu Chengfeng felt he had not let down Gu Chen's parents.

...

The Imperial Palace.

At the moment, in the great hall, the Crown Prince and King Huai had gathered a host of ministers to discuss how to reward Gu Chen.

Despite several days having passed, the Crown Prince was still visibly exhilarated, with joy written all over his face.

Compared to him, Uncle Dingyuan and Marquis of Wuwei had extremely unpleasant expressions on their faces.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The Crown Prince looked at his ministers, his handsome face brimming with a hearty smile, said, "I've summoned all my loyal ministers here today mainly to discuss what sort of reward should be given to Gu Chen. I have thought of many things, but following the suggestions of my royal uncle, I've decided to deliberate over this matter with all of you."

Upon hearing this, Duke of the Liang State stepped forward immediately and said, "I have something to say."

"Duke of the Liang State, please speak," replied the Crown Prince with a slight nod.

Duke of the Liang State Lu Sheng said, "In my opinion, Gu Chen has indeed performed an outstanding service for Da Xia, contributing greatly to our country. Since the emperor overcame his calamity, the scattered spirits of the citizens have been gathered together once more, with pleasing news arriving from every province. The morale of our soldiers has increased enormously because of this victory.

Truly, it is all thanks to Gu Chen. I believe he deserves a substantial reward. After all, the eyes of the entire nation are watching us, and even the people of Tiandu have been singing Gu Chen's praises during this time."

"If the reward for Gu Chen's efforts isn't substantial enough, I fear it will fail to satisfy the people."

"Hmm, the Duke of the Liang State speaks wisely," said the Crown Prince, nodding slightly. For him, if such a prodigy as Gu Chen could be firmly in his grasp, he could not afford to dishearten him.

Moreover, Gu Chen truly had accomplished a tremendous feat for Da Xia, boosting our national prestige, foiling Dayuan's scheme against Da Xia, and also delivering a powerful slap to Dayuan's face.

During the time Ananda was stationed outside the fortress, Da Xia's people were disheartened, and countless citizens had become disappointed with Da Xia, and with him, a fact the Crown Prince was acutely aware of.

Without Gu Chen, Da Xia would have suffered an unprecedented blow, and the prestige of the strongest nation of the time might have collapsed in an instant.

As the Duke of the Liang State said, if he skimped on rewarding Gu Chen, it's likely that the people of Da Xia would not agree.

"What reward does the Duke of the Liang State propose we give Gu Chen this time?" asked the Crown Prince.

"I believe that a promotion in rank would be most suitable!" replied the Duke of the Liang State without hesitation.

The Crown Prince nodded and said, "Gu Chen is currently a viscount. Is the Duke suggesting we confer upon Gu Chen the title of an earl?"

The Duke of the Liang State was just about to nod when Uncle Dingyuan, with a dark expression on his face, stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, that must not be done!"

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince intended to promote Gu Chen to the rank of an earl, Uncle Dingyuan and the Marquis of Wuwei's expressions changed instantly. After all, they had rendered innumerable services to Da Xia and only held the title of an earl. To them, Gu Chen had simply won a victory for Da Xia and was suddenly catching up to their lifelong effort, sitting at the same level as them.

This, Uncle Dingyuan and the Marquis of Wuwei could not accept.

The Marquis of Wuwei also stepped forward and said, "I implore Your Highness to reconsider. The matter of conferring titles is of great significance, and Gu Chen's position as viscount has not even been solidified yet. So soon after, Your Highness seeks to make him an earl, skipping two ranks in just a few months. Our Da Xia has never set such a precedent!"

Even during times of war, such rapid advancements in nobility were not common, let alone in peaceful times.

Moreover, once Gu Chen was made an earl, it would inevitably affect the interests of the current powerful elite in Da Xia, with the possibility that the existing pie might be redistributed, something the elites of Da Xia certainly wouldn't want.

Especially those who were in league with Uncle Dingyuan and the Marquis of Wuwei.

Consequently, many stood up and collectively urged the Crown Prince to retract his decree.