Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
The entrance to the Gu Clan was a vast city known as Gu Sacred City. Built from pale blue giant rocks, its structure had visibly aged with time. The wear of the years lent it a sense of decay, and from the city radiated an ancient and mysterious aura, allowing one to glimpse the atmosphere of a bygone era.
Gu Sacred City had been constructed by an ancient Dou Di from the Gu Clan. The entire city was enveloped in a transparent barrier that contained traces of Dou Di power. Outsiders were required to descend a thousand feet and walk on foot to enter. Otherwise, not only would it be seen as disrespect to the Gu Clan, but the might of the Dou Di embedded within the barrier would be enough to shatter even a Dou Zun's will.
Naturally, Qian Renhan paid no heed to this so-called Dou Di pressure. After all, he had even crushed the lingering soul of the Yao Clan's Dou Di ancestor. A mere protective barrier posed no threat to him.
However, since the Devouring Soul Extinction Array required the Gu Clan as a power source, Qian Renhan decided—perhaps for the first time—to walk through the main gate, sparing unnecessary bloodshed.
On either side of the city gate, nearly a hundred figures clad in black armor stood tall, gripping long spears. Their sharp, icy gazes continuously swept the surroundings. Waves of intense energy radiated from within their bodies.
With synchronized precision, the hundred soldiers stepped forward, their cold eyes fixed on the suddenly appearing figure in front of them—a man in black, with snow-white hair streaked with blood. The leading soldier stood rigid in armor that shimmered faintly with cyan light, lending him an air of sharpness and pride. His cape fluttered behind him, accentuating his commanding presence. Clearly, he was their captain. He spoke coldly, "Who are you? Do you have a jade token?"
"Tell Gu Yuan that the demon Qian Renhan has come to visit."
The moment they heard the words "Demon Qian Renhan," the expressions of the hundred black-armored guards changed drastically in fear and shock. Only the captain frowned and roared angrily, "Demon Qian Renhan? Never heard of him! How dare you speak the clan leader's name so disrespectfully—are you looking to die?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the captain's Dou Qi erupted like a volcano. Lightning surged from his hand, forming a long spear of thunder, which he thrust straight at Qian Renhan's throat.
"Commander Lingquan, stop!" several soldiers cried out in trembling voices. Even their bodies shook with fear. Though they didn't personally recognize Qian Renhan, his demonic reputation was infamous across the entire continent. Everyone in the Gu Clan knew of him. But Lingquan, unfortunately, was an exception. He had barely survived the Dou Saint Ruins after being blown up by Xiao Yan's Buddha's Wrath Lotus Flame. When Qian Renhan returned to the ruins, Lingquan had been rescued a split second earlier by a Half-Saint elder who tore space to bring him back. He had only recently recovered and was now acting as their commander.
Before the last syllable of their warning faded, Lingquan—who had just lunged forward with his spear—was instantly blown apart into a bloody mist. Blood splattered across the stunned soldiers, staining some of their black armor crimson.
"I was planning to kill him later," Qian Renhan said casually. "But a mere two-star Dou Zun guarding the gate… it hardly matters."
Qian Renhan then stepped leisurely into Gu Sacred City, as the terrified soldiers all turned and bolted back into the city to report what had just occurred.
As Qian Renhan strolled calmly through the city streets, the entire Gu Realm fell into chaos. The Three Immortals of the Gu Clan emerged from seclusion, and Gu Lie, the Black Abyss King, assembled his eight commanders and four generals to guard the realm's entrance with his Black Abyss Army.
Even Gu Yuan, who had barely recovered enough to exert the peak strength of a mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, had no choice but to emerge. His face was grim. "That demon is still alive? And he dares to come to the Gu Clan? How is this possible?"
Gu Yuan couldn't believe it. He himself was still wounded and not yet fully healed. How could Qian Renhan, after sustaining such injuries, still be alive and possess the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Sheng? He didn't believe Qian Renhan would come here just to die unless he had the confidence to escape.
Among the many Dou Sheng experts hovering in the sky above the Gu Realm, one elder—at the late stage of Five-Star Dou Sheng—stood out. While the others wore solemn expressions filled with killing intent and fury, his eyes held a hint of amusement. This elder was, in fact, under the control of Void Swallowing Flame.
"He's really still alive? What's Qian Renhan doing at the Gu Clan?" Void Swallowing Flame, who learned of the events through this elder, was confused. Logically, even if Qian Renhan had recovered or grown stronger, he should have first targeted the Thunder and Flame Clans, as they were weaker among the ancient races. Did he really believe that Gu Yuan's injuries meant he could run amok in the Gu Clan? Surely the Gu Clan had hidden formations and secret trump cards—this move was reckless.
Hiss!
Suddenly, violent spatial ripples spread across the sky of the Gu Realm. A massive pitch-black space gate appeared from nowhere. Moments later, Qian Renhan slowly stepped through it and stood firmly in this unfamiliar land.
Before him stood a vast crowd of powerful Gu Clan experts. At their head was, of course, Gu Yuan. Behind him, the many Dou Sheng elders of the Gu Clan stood in precise formation, forming a mysterious array.
"You… you're really still alive? And your cultivation… early-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng!" Gu Yuan's expression darkened completely, his voice full of disbelief.
Qian Renhan chuckled and said, "I should thank you, Gu Yuan. Our last battle shattered my body entirely. But the Fallen Angel within me had long since fully merged with my physical form. Thanks to that, my body was able to absorb the essence blood of ancient magical beasts, allowing me to break through after destruction."
"Fallen Angel?" Gu Yuan frowned, not understanding what kind of rare treasure Qian Renhan was referring to.
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained," Qian Renhan said lightly. "I'm just here to borrow your clan's cultivation techniques and battle skills. I'll leave right after I'm done."
His shameless attitude revealed his bandit-like logic—what hadn't he stolen?
"So that's it…" Void Swallowing Flame muttered, now understanding Qian Renhan's motive. The Yao Emperor's Art of the Yao Clan wasn't suitable for combat, and the techniques of the Flame and Thunder Clans weren't ideal for Qian Renhan either. He had come for the Gu Emperor's Art. Besides Yellow Springs Wrath, Qian Renhan had no other high-grade Heavenly battle techniques.
Gu Yuan, however, laughed furiously. "Do you really think my Gu Clan is a marketplace? Come and go as you please? Look if you want?"
"Gu Emperor's Shattered Nirvana Finger!"
With a flick of Gu Yuan's finger, a massive, rune-covered finger emerged again. Though its might was weaker than in his prime—when it had nearly pierced the spatial wall of Ancient Dragon Island—it still tore the sky of the Gu Realm.
"If it were your prime, I'd be wary of this move," Qian Renhan said. "But now… it's different."
Dou Qi surged within his body as the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor materialized over him. The newly regenerated Fallen Angel Wings unfurled behind him, covered in intricate patterns. These markings depicted a variety of ancient magical beasts—Dragon Phoenixes, Void Ancient Dragons, Ancient Sky Phoenixes, and Ancient Sky Serpents.
The overwhelming blood energy Qian Renhan radiated pressured Gu Yuan no less than he had during his prime.
(End of Chapter)