Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start-Chapter 938 - 42: Above the Cave Heaven (3 updates of 10,000 words, please subscribe!)

Chapter 938: Chapter 42: Above the Cave Heaven (3 updates of 10,000 words, please subscribe!)

At this moment, Wu Xiu and his party had not reappeared for a long while. The outside world was eerily quiet, and the complexion of that elder from the Red Cloud Sect was grim and terrible. The ominous premonition in his heart grew ever stronger.

Seated high above the firmament, the several Great Powers thought of many possibilities. If Wu Xiu and his group had been slain by a creature nearly a hundred years old, it would have been somewhat acceptable. But if they were killed by a young powerhouse, that would be truly shocking.

Even the Great Powers were deeply shaken.

To achieve this step at the initial stages of the Cave Heaven Realm was truly extraordinary, and their combat power was incredibly transcendental!

It wasn’t just those Great Powers; even the top powerhouses of the Earth realm had come to this realization.

"The ninth prince of the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, the hidden lineage successor, and also the strongest of the younger generation from the Tiankui Clan, Blood Orchid Clan, Soaring Snake Clan, and Jiuying Clan—could any of them be a match for this person?"

This was the thought on many people’s minds as they pondered this issue, and after careful consideration, most felt uncertain.

After all, the younger generation was only in their twenties or thirties, having just barely broken into the Cave Heaven Realm, and they held no advantage against someone like Wu Xiu who had condensed 196 heavenly veins at the age of a hundred.

However, what they found most fortunate was that their disciples who entered this place were all accompanied by protectors.

"Could it really be Gu Jiuge?" This question was also on the minds of many.

Within the Gray Domain, there were only a few who were named on the gold list, and only Gu Jiuge had not appeared yet. Even the older generation was seeking him out, wishing to discover his true identity.

At this moment, only the people of the Red Cloud Sect looked utterly dejected, like roosters that had lost a fight.

This was another severe blow to the Red Cloud Sect following the death of their young generation’s top figure, Luo Shengming, in the lower realms.

"Why does my Red Cloud Sect always encounter such misfortunes? Could it truly be that the heavens wish to destroy us?!" The hearts of the Red Cloud Sect’s people were filled with immense sorrow.

"I must find out the true identity of this person!" The elder of the Red Cloud Sect clenched his fists tightly, nearly gnashing his teeth in anger and resentment.

...

At this moment, in the blessed land of the cave, Gu Chen with his tall stature, handsome features, and hair black as ink stood there, still using his Heavenly Eye to observe.

Although he knew he had offended the Red Cloud Sect and might face considerable trouble once he left, he was not at all worried.

After all, he was now a hidden lineage successor, and he had a "backer."

The Red Cloud Sect, though not ordinary, could not compare to the holy lands and would naturally hold some apprehension towards hidden lineages.

"It’s about time."

Gu Chen looked at the valley in front of him. Through his recent observation, he had grasped some tricks. Although he still couldn’t break the formation, he was confident enough to pass through it.

Swish!

The next moment, his figure flashed, appearing at the entrance of the valley. Following his guess, he lightly stepped out, landing on a certain spot.

"As expected!"

Seeing that nothing happened and he was unharmed, Gu Chen’s heart stirred, knowing that everything was just as he had expected.

The Formation runes were hidden beneath the ground, and ordinary Cave Heaven Realm cultivators could not see them. Only those who had cultivated a pair of Heavenly Eyes like Gu Chen or were formation masters could discern some clues.

However, possessing Heavenly Eyes like Gu Chen was, in reality, even more challenging than becoming a formation master.

Pupil Skills were quite rare even in the upper realms.

Gu Chen took a step, avoiding the Formation runes hidden in the ground, and therefore, no attack was triggered.

This was also why people who stepped out earlier would die on the spot, while others remained unharmed.

Moreover, the formation patterns were constantly changing, so stepping in the footsteps of another was utterly useless.

Immediately after, Gu Chen took a second step, evading another formation pattern with the aid of his Heavenly Eyes, once again safely.

Just like that, Gu Chen continuously moved forward, heading towards the altar in the depths of the valley and the devil subduing pestle that radiated with a treasure’s aura.

But obtaining an excellent magical instrument was naturally not so simple. When Gu Chen traversed half the distance, he saw through his Heavenly Eye that the formation patterns hidden on the ground began to glow, with tadpole-like runes interwoven, emitting streaks of luminescence.

Eventually, the luminescence no longer remained concealed and appeared directly within the valley, visible to everyone.

Sizzle!

Suddenly, a sharp sword condensed in the void, aiming straight for Gu Chen’s shoulder, piercing towards him.

Clang!

Gu Chen did not dodge. He let the sword strike him, producing a clear sound. His body remained unharmed, while the sword automatically shattered into bits of light and dissipated.

But that was just the beginning. The next moment, countless swords congealed, numbering in the thousands, whizzing through the air, attacking Gu Chen.

"Truly, only a monstrous figure from the younger generation can succeed in crossing this place," Gu Chen remarked calmly as he observed the swords shooting towards him, as if the imminent danger was not his to face.

Boom!

He then struck back with a palm, as tempestuous winds surged and the heavens thundered. The fierce Gang Wind destroyed everything, obliterating the hundreds of swords.

Whoosh!

Seizing this opportunity, Gu Chen used Soaring Over Void, reaching the mid-stage of the Cave Heaven Realm and after condensing a hundred heavenly veins, his current speed was terrifying.

Of course, reaching the third layer of Soaring Over Void played an inseparable role in this.

At this moment, Gu Chen turned into a wisp of black smoke, merging into the void, moving with incredible speed as if closely rivaling teleportation, extraordinarily swift.

The second half of the journey would require brute force to break through.

Boom, boom, boom!

At that moment, the array within the area erupted, various formation patterns intertwining and launching a wide array of powerful attacks. Weapons of dazzling complexity condensed in the void, pressing down towards Gu Chen.

Instantly, the valley boiled over, tumultuous light shooting into the sky, creating a scene so terrifying it sent chills down the spine.

Fortunately, Gu Chen possessed extraordinary strength, not to mention the divine assistance by his side, which meant that basically no one in the Cave Heaven Realm could match him. He successfully made his way through and arrived at the deepest part of the valley.

"A supreme magical artifact!"

Gu Chen looked at the massive altar not far away, upon which the devil subduing pestle, emitting waves of precious light, was placed. At close range, he felt a kind of pressure.

This was to be expected, as a supreme magical artifact was equivalent in power to the top echelons of the Huanxu Realm or even the Earth realm amongst cultivators. Should its power be unleashed, Gu Chen feared he would turn to ash in an instant.

The Earth realm transcended the domain of mortals and touched upon the extraordinary. It was divided into four major realms.

The Cave Heaven Realm was the entry point of the Earth realm and also considered the foundational stage. Above the Cave Heaven Realm was the God Transformation Realm, followed by the Huanxu Realm that Gu Chen had previously encountered, and finally, the Unity Realm at the top.

Those top Earth realm powerhouses guarding the outside world all dwelt in the Unity Realm.

At the same time, the slightly weaker leaders of the Da Sects, or their most powerful members, were also at this level.

For instance, the Xuan Yi Sect, Bi Bo Sect, and other sects and powers of the Meteor State.

Whereas in the Red Cloud Sect and Wan Symbol Xuan Sect, which were only second to the holy lands, the strongest within were in the Heaven realm, also known as the Great Powers level.

Thus, there was indeed a huge gap between the Xuan Yi Sect and the Red Cloud Sect, even though both were considered Da Sects.

Hum!

At that moment, Gu Chen stretched out his palm, mana surged within his body, and he absorbed the devil subduing pestle displayed on the altar into his hand.

"Eh?"

Having taken hold of the pestle, Gu Chen immediately felt a weight that surprised him.

One should know, given his current strength, which was such that not even moving mountains and overshadowing the world could adequately describe it, yet the weight of a devil subduing pestle was perceptible, indicative of its heaviness.

"Without even needing to activate it, just swinging it lightly, I estimate it would collapse a mountain peak." This was Gu Chen’s most direct impression.

The power of a supreme magical artifact was indeed very strong, and even at this stage, it still surpassed the mysterious gloves by a notch.

After arriving in the upper realm, Gu Chen had allowed the mysterious gloves to absorb some artifacts, but the best of those were merely of medium quality, far inferior to the devil subduing pestle in his hand.

"Enough."

Although the power of this supreme magical artifact was not insignificant, after considering for a moment, Gu Chen decided to let his mysterious gloves absorb it.

Because he believed that the mysterious gloves, being an ancient artifact, must undoubtedly have a potential far surpassing a supreme magical artifact, otherwise, they would not be called "ancient" artifact.

At this moment, after sensing the devil subduing pestle, the mysterious gloves seemed somewhat impatient, even eager to try.

Hum!

Instantly, with his left palm gripping the pestle, a mysterious light spread from the deepest part of his flesh over the gloves, containing a special secret force that formed a vortex in his palm, firmly absorbing the supreme magical artifact.

At this moment, the devil subduing pestle trembled continuously as if wanting to escape, but was unable to break free. Gu Chen could feel its foundation’s power draining away, and its surface luster dimming more and more.

Simultaneously, the powers within the mysterious gloves strengthened gradually and could even be said to escalate sharply.

Soon, the pestle’s foundation was drained, the luster faded, covered in cracks all over, decayed to the extreme. With a gentle movement, it turned into dust and scattered with the wind.

"Such formidable power."

After absorbing the supreme magical artifact, the power of the mysterious gloves surged, leaving Gu Chen visibly shaken, feeling the unfathomable power surging within them.

Hum!

In the next moment, starting from Gu Chen’s left palm, the mysterious light flickered and slowly spread upwards, soon enveloping his entire arm in what appeared to be armor, its surface etched with inscrutable patterns.

Boom!

Gu Chen rose into the air and then swung his left arm downward, delivering a fierce punch. The violent force formed a massive shockwave, illuminating the skies, the void seemed to be crushed as if by a war chariot, producing a series of resounding rumbles, astonishingly powerful.

Thud!

Immediately after, explosive sounds came from the ground. The massive shockwave directly caused the valley below to collapse, with countless rocks and earth turning to dust in an instant.

Even the array patterns within the valley were partially erased, marking the complete ruin of this place!

This was the power of a supreme magical artifact!

No, or rather, the mysterious gloves in Gu Chen’s hand was even stronger than a supreme magical artifact, perfectly in sync with him.

At least, the power they contained was now much denser than what the devil subduing pestle had before.

As an ancient artifact, the mysterious gloves could still continue to grow, and they possessed a powerful suppressive effect over other artifacts.

After all, even though Gu Chen was strong, he could potentially be at a disadvantage when faced with the formidable talents from deeply rooted holy lands or colossal forces when it came to weapons.

But now, he no longer had such worries, as the improvement to the mysterious gloves was significant this time!

It was also thanks to the Red Cloud Sect that he was brought to this place.

"I can leave now."

With that, Gu Chen’s figure flashed, exiting the devastated valley. He did not forget his objective; he came here to search for clues to what remained.

This was, for Gu Chen, the most important thing.

"Hmm?"

But suddenly, as Gu Chen traveled two thousand miles further, within a dense forest, he detected an unusual presence.

There were faint traces of a cold and malevolent force remaining here, enough to send chills down one’s spine.

This power, to Gu Chen, was all too familiar!

"Demon, this is... the Sacred Gate?!"