Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

As Gu Chen closed in on achieving great perfection in the Coagulation Field and was condensing the one and only Holy Field, all of Shen Zhou was once again thrown into tumult due to Bastu's challenge to Gu Chen.

Many had thought that Da Yuan would declare war on Da Xia and that Bastu would personally take action, directly annihilating Tiandu, slaughtering Ji Yuan, the Emperor of Da Xia, along with all the ministers and high-ranking officials. However, to everyone's surprise, Shiba Shitu Bastu, who had attained the Divine Intent Realm, actually wanted to challenge Gu Chen.

Although Gu Chen was now renowned throughout the land, recognized as the foremost prodigy of all times in Shen Zhou, he was still far too young. His future achievements might be boundless, but to face off against Bastu of the Divine Intent Realm now, people still did not favor his odds.

After all, not to mention Bastu's decades of fame, just the three words "Divine Intent Realm" were enough to prove everything.

This battle, it was said, would stake the fortunes of nations. If Gu Chen won, Da Yuan would directly surrender and be incorporated into the territory of Da Xia. If Shiba Shitu Bastu triumphed, the reverse would be true.

It could be said that this battle between the two would determine the power structure of Shen Zhou, as well as the fate of both empires.

"What a pity. Although this decision avoids countless innocent deaths and spares a great war, Marquis of Wu'an is too young and might not be a match for the Shiba Shitu of Da Yuan," some martial artists and civilians sighed with reluctance, feeling that Gu Chen had lost due to timing.

"Indeed, if Marquis of Wu'an had time, that Shiba Shitu would absolutely not be his opponent, but now... alas!"

"Da Yuan is truly crafty, recognizing the potential of Marquis of Wu'an and thus unwilling to drag this out any longer." "Of course, to the victor goes the spoils. Only the strong have the right to decide everything. If it were you, would you be at ease with an enemy like Marquis of Wu'an? It's already good enough that they haven't started an outright war."

"So what about this battle... Alas, do you think Marquis of Wu'an will accept the challenge?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Would Gu Chen go to a battle where defeat and death were certain?

"Actually... whether he goes or not, the outcome will be the same," someone said this.

"Are we to be ruled by Da Yuan henceforth?" Some people balked, their fists clenched tight, yet they were powerless to change anything.

Those who had once had confidence in Gu Chen now fell silent because it was the Divine Intent Realm they were facing, where each individual could be invincible in the world.

"Da Yuan intends to use Marquis of Wu'an to establish their power," someone saw through the essence and sighed as they spoke.

At this moment, within Da Xia, from the new Emperor Ji Yuan, the ministers and military officers, to the martial arts circles and the common people, the mood was exceedingly somber.

They hoped for Gu Chen to win this battle, but they also understood that it was no more than a pipe dream.

Meanwhile, in the Da Yuan palace, Toumuer's mood had been very good since Bastu had emerged from seclusion.

Toumuer was now sitting high at the top, listening to the guard's report beneath him.

"What is the situation like in Da Xia?" Toumuer asked with satisfaction, while several beautiful women massaged his shoulders and legs.

"Reporting to Big Khan, those Central Plains people are now a total mess, saying that they are in a state of panic is no exaggeration. Countless people are discussing this battle, and even many martial arts sects from the Central Plains are quietly pledging allegiance to us," replied the guard below.

"Hahahaha, those who surrender, one can only say they know their place!" On hearing this, Emperor Toumuer of Da Yuan could not help but laugh boisterously.

He had already decided that after subjugating Da Xia and unifying Shen Zhou, he would implement a system that divided people into classes based on their status. Da Yuan people would be of the highest class. The status of others would depend on specific circumstances.

Regardless, after unifying Shen Zhou, Toumuer had decided to carry out a massacre in the Central Plains because he believed only such actions could stabilize his rule and instill fear in the people of the Central Plains.

He had already discussed this idea with Bastu, and the Shiba Shitu had agreed with no objections, considering Toumuer's actions necessary.

Although the war between the two countries had been resolved through his battle with Gu Chen, this did not mean that no one would die.

Clearly, Toumuer was preparing to implement a tyranny after unification, to ensure thorough control over the Central Plains and prevent any unrest.

"What about that Gu Chen from Da Xia? Has he accepted the challenge?" Toumuer asked languidly, enjoying the service of the maids around him and taking a bite of fruit.

"Back to Big Khan, no, there hasn't been any news regarding Gu Chen from within Da Xia," the guard reported back.

"Hahaha," Toumuer laughed out loud. "This Marquis of Wu'an, this Man Butcher, I see he is clearly afraid. What a coward!"

As he spoke, the Emperor of Da Yuan wore a look of disdain, and the guards below echoed, "Of course, our Shiba Shitu is now the strongest in the world, who wouldn't fear him? Gu Chen's reputation is nothing more than mere hype."

"Hmm, a reasonable point," Toumuer nodded, his expression relaxed and carefree. "I truly look forward to that day coming quickly. I'm getting a little impatient, hahaha!"

The reason the date was set for the eighth day of the eighth lunar month was that Bastu had just broken through to the Divine Intent Realm and had yet to solidify his foundation completely, requiring some time.

Otherwise, he would have already marched straight to Tiandu.

"Oh, and those martial arts sects that have not yet surrendered, make a note of them, especially those who are on good terms with that Gu Chen of Da Xia. After the decisive battle, eliminate them all, not sparing a single one," instructed Toumuer.

"Yes!" the guard below hastily responded.

Boom!

At this moment, from behind the imperial palace, an astonishing surge of Qi came forth, causing the mountains to tremble, and Emperor Toumuer of Da Yuan Country's face immediately lit up with joy.

"National Teacher, are you ready?" he asked excitedly, looking at the towering figure in a black robe that appeared in front of him.

National Teacher Bastu nodded slightly, saying, "I shall take a trip to the Central Plains first."

As soon as he finished speaking, without any noticeable action, Bastu's towering figure vanished from the Da Yuan imperial palace.

"Is this the Divine Intent Realm?" the guard below spoke with a face full of fear. He felt utterly powerless before Bastu, as if he were a rabbit, and just by looking at Bastu's figure, he was already terrified.

"Is the National Teacher going to make a move?" Watching Bastu disappear, Emperor Toumuer was both excited and thrilled, feeling that a glorious future was beckoning him.

"I am about to become the founding emperor!" he thought to himself with great vigor.

...

Like a hurricane, Bastu soared from the Da Yuan imperial palace. As a supreme martial artist in the Divine Intent Realm, his speed was so fast it was almost instantaneous, rendering him almost invisible.

Quickly, he left the territory of Da Yuan and then did not fully conceal his aura anymore. In an instant, wherever he passed, thunderous sounds erupted, and a series of explosions were heard, causing countless commoners and martial artists to look up into the sky in terror.

"What... what just passed by? Why did I feel like I was almost going to die?"

"I… I don't know..."

Such scenes unfolded repeatedly within the territory of Da Xia, and Bastu did this as a show of force, intimidating, with an even greater display of his strength.

For no particular reason, at his level of martial arts, having condensed Divine Intent, he did whatever he pleased, acting on a whim without need for any reason.

Traveling at full speed, it took Bastu less than a day to reach Shen Zhou and arrive in Tiandu.

He stood tall above the heavens like a deity, looking down upon this city revered as the foremost in the world.

"Indeed, it is much more prosperous than Da Yuan by many folds."

At this moment, Bastu's gaze was fierce as he looked towards the imperial palace of Da Xia. Twenty-odd years ago, it was similarly, Emperor Ji Xuandao who stood outside the capital of Da Yuan and, with a single move, killed the previous emperor of Da Yuan, Toumuer's father.

Of course, Bastu saw Emperor Ji Yuan within the palace, his eyes narrowing slightly, emitting a dangerous aura. He was somewhat tempted to strike then and there, to slay Ji Yuan on the spot.

"Ji Xuandao, what you could do back then, I can do now as well," Bastu murmured softly, a glint of hatred flashing through his pupils.

He had been invincible across Da Yuan for decades, and that battle back then was regarded by Bastu as an utmost humiliation. It was precisely because of this pent-up frustration that he chose to enter prolonged seclusion, vowing not to emerge until he reached the Divine Intent Realm.

"I succeeded, but you, Ji Xuandao, are dead," Bastu snorted coldly. Wearing a black robe, with a tall and imposing figure, he exuded a strong sense of oppression.

Then, he looked down at Tiandu below, his Qi slightly released, and immediately, dark clouds emerged, completely covering the sky above Tiandu.

This scene immediately sent the countless commoners of Tiandu into a panic, as if doomsday had arrived.

The Divine Intent Realm, capable of changing the weather and the land in a single thought, possesses overwhelming power!

"What… what's going on?"

"What happened?"

"Look… look, is there someone in the sky?!"

Suddenly, Bastu's figure became visible to the people of Tiandu, a powerful pressure emerging in everyone's hearts. That figure stood proudly in the sky, looking down at everyone, like a celestial god, igniting a profound fear in their hearts.

"Who… who is he?"

"I feel… I feel like my heart is going to shatter, I can't breathe!"

"This is… too terrifying!"

At this moment, the entire populace of Tiandu was thrown into chaos, like drowning victims, nearly every person struggling to breathe, with many children starting to cry loudly.

"Is that… Bastu?!"

At that moment, in the Da Xia imperial palace, Qin Wu, deputy commander of Jing Tian Department, saw the figure and his pupils shrank, utterly shocked.

"What, Bastu has come to Tiandu?!"

Emperor Ji Yuan, with lower martial prowess, could not discern Bastu's features from his location. Hearing Qin Wu's exclamation, he too was greatly startled.

"Could it be that Bastu is about to strike at Tiandu?!"

At this thought, both Ji Yuan and Qin Wu felt as if they had plunged into an icy abyss, their hearts nearly shattering, their bodies cold and rigid, rooted to the spot.