Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Yan State, DaHuang Mansion, the border.

The climate at the border during the night was extremely cold, and sometimes there would even be heavy snowfall. Soldiers had tested it, and during the coldest days of winter, spitting on the ground, it would freeze into ice within three seconds.

But after dawn, as the sun rose, the temperature would rebound dramatically, scorching to an unbearable degree.

This was the border, with its unpredictable and bizarre weather. Soldiers stationed here were the elites among elites. Even within all of Da Xia, they would be ranked in the top three.

At this moment, inside a military tent, candlelight flickered, casting long shadows. Marquis of Pingxi, with his handsome and sharply defined features, clad in armor, sat at this post, reading through documents.

At that time, the tent flap was lifted, and Xu Wei, a towering figure clad in heavy armor, walked in. One could see that his armor was covered with a thick layer of frost.

This was the night in Yan State, extremely cold.

"Greeting Lord Marquis." Upon seeing the Marquis of Pingxi, Xu Wei knelt on one knee, his armor clanking, and paid his respects.

"What's the matter? Speak," the Marquis of Pingxi, Cao Shuang, said. His face was calm, his demeanor extraordinary, extremely composed as if nothing in the world could perturb him.

Remaining kneeled on one knee, Xu Wei lowered his head and said, "Lord Marquis, a decree from Tiandu has arrived. Regarding the reinforcement matter, the imperial court has said it needs further consideration. Currently, there is great turmoil under heaven, and all the states and mansions are unstable. The court stated that it cannot only focus on the border and must consider the bigger picture."

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi did not respond verbally, only noncommittally "hmphed."

After reporting the news, Xu Wei raised his head, looking at the Marquis of Pingxi's calm face, which showed not the slightest ripple, and ventured to ask, "Lord Marquis, shall we just let this matter go, then?"

The Marquis of Pingxi glanced indifferently at Xu Wei, whose build was burly and face rugged, and said, "What else?"

"Lord Marquis... It seems you had already anticipated that the imperial court wouldn't agree?" Xu Wei asked, puzzled.

The Marquis of Pingxi did not answer his question but instead asked, "Has there been any news from the barbarian tribes?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei's expression turned solemn, and he spoke in a heavy tone, "A scout has reported that they have seen barbarian figures lurking around the periphery of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. They have even approached our borders several times, but as soon as they were discovered, they left immediately, and we were unable to capture them."

The Marquis of Pingxi nodded slightly. The mention of the barbarian tribes caused even his expression to gradually turn serious.

Because he had received intelligence that the barbarian tribes had reemerged from the Hundred Thousand Mountains not just because they learned of the emperor's disappearance after his tribulation but mainly because the barbarians had found an ancient deity's relic in the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains!

The barbarians were the name given by Da Xia, or rather the Human Clan of the Central Plains, to this group. Within the barbarian tribes themselves, they referred to themselves as — the descendants of deities and demons.

They considered the word "barbarians" as a disgrace, feeling that it was an insult from the Human Clan of the Central Plains.

The reason they called themselves the descendants of deities and demons was that buried in every barbarian's body was the bloodline of ancient deities and demons, regardless of gender or age.

In the ancient times, the Nine Provinces were not as they are now, divided into twenty-one large states. There were only nine landmasses, and the Human Clan was extremely weak. The concept of martial arts had not yet emerged, and those times were ruled by a group of deities and demons.

During that era, the Human Clan was nothing more than food for the deities and demons.

The ancient deities and demons were overwhelmingly powerful, capable of plucking stars and grasping the moon, omnipotent. They dominated the Nine Provinces, wandering with impunity, and no individual or race could stand against them.

During that period, deities and demons enslaved the Human Clan. The offspring that resulted from their unions with humans became what is now known as the barbarian tribes.

The barbarians, with a trace of the deities' and demons' bloodline and considering themselves of noble descent, not only refused to unite with the Human Clan but also enslaved them alongside the deities and demons.

Martial arts, also known as the path of warfare, emerged during this time as a method devised by the Human Clan to combat the ancient deities and demons.

However, later on, for unknown reasons - perhaps it was a catastrophic change in heaven and earth, or maybe another cause - one day, all the ancient deities and demons suddenly disappeared.

As for the barbarians, they still wished to enslave the Human Clan and rule the Nine Provinces like the deities and demons had. Naturally, the Human Clan would not submit and rose up in resistance. At that time, there were no countries within the Human Clan, only tribes.

Each tribal leader was a martial arts expert who led countless members of the Human Clan to overthrow the ambitions of the barbarians.

Thenceforth, the Human Clan became the sovereigns of the Nine Provinces. The barbarians and the Human Clan frequently clashed, but as time went by, the blood of deities and demons in the barbarians gradually thinned, and they became less and less of a match for the Human Clan.

It could be said that the grudges between the barbarians and the Human Clan had continued from ancient times to the present.

But as time passed and the bloodline within them thinned, the strength of the barbarians also weakened. Now, they could only shrink back in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, struggling to survive.

The Hundred Thousand Mountains emerged at the end of the ancient times, with a bizarre environment and perilous terrains. It was rumored that in the deepest parts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains lay the treasures of the ancient deities and demons, along with the secrets of their disappearance.

It was this intelligence that the Marquis of Pingxi had received: The barbarians had ventured deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains and found treasures left from the times of the ancient deities and demons, which significantly increased their strength.

This was precisely what the Marquis of Pingxi feared. Regarding the deeds of the ancient deities and demons, he could only seek answers in ancient texts and had no way of knowing what exactly the barbarians had found in the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

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At this moment, Xu Wei suddenly spoke up, "Lord Marquis, now that the Da Xia emperor has vanished and chaos is rising everywhere, we, sitting on the border with hundreds of thousands of troops under our command, perhaps…"

At this point, Xu Wei lifted his head, his eyes gleaming mysteriously as they met the Marquis of Pingxi's, like a fierce blaze burning vehemently.

Xu Wei knew that with the emperor gone, given the current power of the Marquis of Pingxi, the only one in all of Da Xia whom the Marquis needed to be wary of was that King Huai in Tiandu, who knew nothing of martial arts.

After all, though King Huai himself did not practice martial arts and was a person weak and sickly, he always had a grandmaster of the Innate Stage by his side to protect him.

Besides, that was only the overt strength of King Huai. In secret, no one knew just how many experts King Huai had garnered over the years.

At least, according to the information Xu Wei had received, there was certainly more than one martial arts grandmaster of the Innate Stage under King Huai's command!

And on the border here, including the Marquis of Pingxi himself, none possessed the cultivation of the Innate Stage; therefore, the Marquis of Pingxi had his reservations about King Huai.

Hearing Xu Wei's words, the Marquis of Pingxi furrowed his brow slightly, clearly displeased, and the atmosphere inside the military tent suddenly became tense.

Seeing this, Xu Wei was instantly alarmed and swiftly knelt to the ground, urgently saying, "I am just speaking out of the injustice done to you, my lord. You have been stationed at the border for many years, and not only has the court not granted any rewards, but even the young lord died in Tiandu. Now, as the barbarian tribes are stirring and you ask for reinforcements, the court refuses.

Aren't they pushing us toward death?"

If it hadn't been for his understanding of Xu Wei's character, the Marquis of Pingxi would have executed anyone else on the spot for daring to utter such probing words in his presence.

"If there is nothing else, you may take your leave," the Marquis of Pingxi said with a voice that had grown a bit cold, clearly showing impatience.

Despite this, Xu Wei, still kneeling with his forehead to the ground, heaved a sigh of relief, his back drenched in cold sweat, and whispered, "Lord Marquis, there is one last matter."

"Speak," the voice of the Marquis of Pingxi once again became calm; he always managed to conceal his emotions well.

Xu Wei said, "The crown prince of Tiandu has sent a message saying that the murderer responsible for the young lord's death, Gu Chen, has been ordered by the Jing Tian Department and is currently en route to support Yan State."

Before his death, Cao Ying had sent a message to the Marquis of Pingxi, staking his life guaranteeing that Cao Zhen's death was undoubtedly related to Gu Chen.

Moreover, he had also mentioned in the letter his plan to take the opportunity to set up an ambush to assassinate Gu Chen, and since no follow-up news had arrived, the Marquis naturally assumed that Cao Ying was probably dead.

Lowering his head, Xu Wei said, "Lord Marquis, the crown prince has disclosed such information to us and also mentioned he would make arrangements about sending reinforcements. He asks us to wait for his word. It seems this Ji Nian intends to build a good relationship with you."

The Marquis of Pingxi responded indifferently, "He wants to be emperor, which is why he urgently needs support from all sides. But unless King Huai agrees, it is not his turn to sit on that throne."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Xu Wei nodded in agreement, then his eyes narrowed coldly as he asked, "Lord Marquis, as for the lad Gu Chen, shall I personally take care of him?"

Although it was known that Gu Chen defeated Ananda and achieved the invulnerable Vajra Body—a feat unaccomplished for hundreds of years in the Nine Provinces, Xu Wei was still confident.

Because not long ago, he had broken through to the Returning to True Stage and become a True Man, significantly enhancing his strength.

Even if Gu Chen possessed the Vajra Body, since he had achieved Gangqi and become genuine, as long as he did not engage in close combat, Xu Wei was not afraid of him.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi gave him a nonchalant glance and said, "Now that he is unlike before, even if you have become a True Man, you might not necessarily be his match."

Xu Wei felt somewhat indignant but did not dare contradict the words of the Marquis of Pingxi, muttering discontentedly, "What should we do then, are we to let the young lord's death go unavenged?"

The Marquis of Pingxi's tone was casual, as if he were discussing something trivial, "There is no need for you to personally get involved to deal with him, just let someone else handle it."

He spoke with ease, clearly not taking Gu Chen seriously.

Despite Gu Chen achieving the Vajra Body and being touted as the first prodigy of the Nine Provinces in hundreds of years, having reached the Gang Qi Stage, and becoming a Yellow Level Commander of the Jing Tian Department, in the eyes of Xu Wei or the Marquis of Pingxi himself, Gu Chen was still far inferior in comparison.

If the Marquis truly intended to kill Gu Chen, he wouldn't need to act personally; the hundreds of thousands of troops under his command were enough to crush Gu Chen like an ant.

After all, the Marquis of Pingxi was a lord of Da Xia, who had been in charge of the border, wielding actual power and possessing tremendous influence. If he wished, he could also summon martial arts grandmasters of the Innate Stage, albeit at a high cost.

"Lord Marquis, what do you mean?" Xu Wei frowned, not quite grasping the Marquis's intent. With Gu Chen's strength, if they did not take action, who would be apt to do so?

The Marquis of Pingxi spoke indifferently, "Go contact the Red Dust Tower and have their number one assassin from the Black List, the Infinite, take the job. This person has had past grievances with Gu Chen. Let the Red Dust Tower take care of Gu Chen so it wouldn't trace back to us. As for the bounty, as long as it's not excessive, you can pledge it on my behalf," said the Marquis of Pingxi.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei's confusion cleared, and he promptly replied, "Understood!"

Having supervised the border for so many years, the Marquis of Pingxi naturally had his own intelligence network to monitor the barbarians' movements at all times.

Even though it could not match the speed at which the Diancang Pavilion, Red Dust Tower, and Jing Tian Department obtained information, it had its unique advantages.

Moreover, especially in Yan State and, to a greater extent, at the border—that was his territory; he was the de facto emperor there.

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