Chapter 39

"Even if the Tenth Prince is bold, he would not violate the rules to such an extent; this already has the suspicion of rebellion." Lou Chongxiao thought for a moment and said, "He must have sought the Emperor's permission through a secret memorial. The situation of this mission is special, so he brought more troops, and after the mission, he will return them to the roster. Also, the Tenth Prince asked for too many things, and he was sure that the Seventh Prince might not give them, so he left a way out. If the mission fails, he can say that the Seventh Prince withheld supplies from him."

Lou Chongxiao was a man of great insight, and he immediately saw through the Tenth Prince Gu Zhensha's intentions.

Speaking in such a setting would definitely offend the Tenth Prince, but it would show goodwill to the Seventh Prince.

Originally, when Emperor Tianfu asked Lou Baiyue to get close to Gu Zhensha, it deeply offended the Seventh Prince. Although the Seventh Prince did not say anything, he must have had many thoughts. Lou Chongxiao had always wanted to ease the relationship, and today he seized the opportunity to express his stance.

"The Duke of Yuan is right, but even if I wanted to give the Tenth Prince what he asked for, I couldn't. We can only wait for the Emperor to come out of seclusion." The Seventh Prince Gu Fasha smiled. "Isn't the slave named Fan Ni in my household the governor of Fenzhou? He brought me several jars of ancient wine during his recent report, saying it was dug up from the ground after a temple was destroyed, buried for a thousand years. After the meeting, you can come to my residence for a small drink."

"Thank you, Seventh Prince." Lou Chongxiao knew that Gu Fasha appreciated his gesture. The other party was also a smart person and had no reason to make himself a strong enemy.

The other ministers pretended not to notice. Throughout history, it was taboo for princes to befriend ministers, but Emperor Tianfu of this dynasty encouraged it, so it was not considered a violation.

At that moment, the many ministers in the Upper Study were handling various complex state affairs.

In the backyard of the governor's office in Bannan Province.

Gu Zhensha closed his eyes and practiced, with his blood and qi flowing smoothly in his body, responding to his will. He followed the secret method of the Sun and Moon Cultivation, using his blood and qi to massage many meridians and secret points in his body. If he took off his clothes at this moment, one would see that his body was covered with red dots formed by the concentration of blood and qi, moving under his skin.

The human body has many acupoints and secret meridians, which are very mysterious. If one exercises for a long time, using the mind to protect and stimulate with blood and qi, one can develop potential and burst with abilities beyond the ordinary.

Each martial art has such a secret method, to varying degrees.

For example, the Giant Spirit Skill includes the stimulation of over a hundred meridians and secret points, which can make one immensely strong, with tough flesh and a long life.

But compared to the cultivation method of the Sun and Moon Cultivation, the Giant Spirit Skill is like a child playing with mud.

The Sun and Moon Cultivation describes 3,600 meridians and secret points throughout the body, corresponding to the number of the heavens. In addition, the method of contemplation and the stimulation of blood and qi are unparalleled in the world. Now, Gu Zhensha sat still, actually using his mind to gather blood and qi, transforming the essence of the sun and moon into divine light, which needled his entire body, then cycled and shuttled, making his internal organs, eight extraordinary meridians, and major acupoints vibrate, aligning with the orbits of the sun and moon, achieving perfect resonance.

If a powerful Daoist realm expert used their mind to sense at this moment, they would find that Gu Zhensha's soul seemed to enter a mysterious space, while his body internally moved rapidly, expelling all kinds of impurities, like forging a precious sword, hammered and refined, becoming a single entity.

After a long time, night fell, and Gu Zhensha suddenly opened his eyes. The dark bedroom seemed to be struck by lightning, becoming snow-white, but the next moment, it was dark again.

"I still cannot break through to the Daoist realm. My soul lacks a key element, a kind of spirit, a thorough understanding of time and space." Gu Zhensha carefully tasted and summarized his cultivation gains and losses, then smiled gracefully. "I am too demanding. After all, I have only been practicing for half a year. Although my combat ability is already extraordinary, my understanding of martial arts requires time to mature. This is like wine; the longer it is aged, the more fragrant it becomes."

Thinking about this, his mind calmed down, not anxious or impatient, breathing slowly, peaceful and harmonious, his understanding deepened even further.

It had been seven or eight days since he killed the Black Fiend Bat. The memorial and the corpse had already reached the court, and although Gu Zhensha had not received any rewards, he did not mind. This was a merit that could not be erased.

He was considering how to kill more evil demons and resolve the crisis in Xianzhou.

Long Yuyun had not appeared these past few days, completely disappearing. He likely obtained the Maha Divine Pill, found a way to expel the demonic nature, and consumed it, greatly enhancing his cultivation.

"Long Yuyun's Dragon Bone Sword is truly a divine weapon, a top-tier immortal flying sword." Gu Zhensha stood up. "If I had such a weapon, I could use the Sun and Moon Kill to suddenly ambush, and even if it were a one-on-one battle with the Black Fiend Bat now, I would have a chance to kill it. However, divine weapons are rare and hard to come by. The Dragon Sword Island has been established for a thousand years, and it took generations to forge such an immortal flying sword."

Suddenly, a dark object flew through the air.

Gu Zhensha instinctively moved to the side.

It turned out to be a stone with a piece of paper wrapped around it, not an attack but a message.

Gu Zhensha did not need to pick it up but used a stick to open the paper, seeing a few lines written on it: "Come to the forest outside the city." There was no signature.

He now had some experience in the world. If the stone had poison, touching it with his hands could lead to harm.

"Who could it be? Is it a trap?" Gu Zhensha thought quickly. "If it were the barbarians, they would directly come to assassinate, not play such tricks. It's not Long Yuyun's people either. If they are so mysterious in finding me, it could be the remnants of the Xian Dynasty. In that case, I will go and see. If I encounter danger, I can hide in the altar space and wait until the danger passes before coming out."

He moved his body and set off again.

Half an hour later, he reached the forest outside the city. He deliberately slowed down, moving slowly, observing all directions, checking the surroundings for any signs of danger. Human hearts are treacherous, and one must be cautious.

"I didn't expect the son of Princess Mingkong to be so timid, not even daring to enter the forest." A voice came from behind.

"Entering the forest is an ancient warning. I cannot tell if you are friend or foe, so why should I take the risk lightly?" Gu Zhensha turned around and saw a young man, about twenty years old, holding a folding fan, with two heavily armored guards beside him.

The armor was quite peculiar, covered in small spikes, made of a material that seemed neither iron nor leather, with faint runes flowing, as if the armor could move on its own and possessed great strength.

"Is this the Giant Spirit Spiked Armor?" Gu Zhensha recalled the armor described in books, which the Xian Dynasty royal family had once developed. This armor was not only impervious to blades and bullets but could also resist the hidden strength of experts. More importantly, it had its own kinetic energy, allowing even a weak person to shatter rocks and leap onto rooftops. If a martial arts master wore it, they could face a Daoist realm expert without being killed.

Of course, just not being killed, but not necessarily winning.

Unfortunately, the production of this armor was extremely time-consuming and required a sacrifice to the Giant Spirit God. Over several hundred years, the Xian Dynasty royal family had accumulated fewer than a hundred sets, with more than half falling into the hands of the Da Yong royal family. Emperor Tianfu sometimes used it to reward nobles and princes.

Later, the Da Yong royal family improved this armor, creating the Horned Dragon Armor, which was even more robust and powerful. However, the production was too low, making it a precious item, even for the inner court's experts.

As for the Chi Dragon Armor given to Lou Baiyue by the emperor, it was even more advanced, possessing even more divine power.

Ancient books recorded that horses, birds, fish, snakes, and humans could all become dragons. There are nine ranks of dragons, the lowest being the Horned Dragon, followed by the Chi Dragon, Great Dragon, King Dragon, Divine Dragon, True Dragon, Sun and Moon Dragon, Heaven and Earth Dragon, and All-Beings Dragon.

The ancient emperors, also known as True Dragon Emperors, held a position above the Divine Dragons.

As for the last three dragons, they were mere legends, and even emperors had to undergo rigorous cultivation to possibly reach them. Therefore, the three moves of the Emperor's Divine Art were "Sun and Moon Shine Together," "Heaven and Earth Live Long," and "All Beings Unite."

"Gu Zhensha, you are in grave danger, do you know that?" The young man with the folding fan suddenly said sternly.

"What do you mean?" Gu Zhensha observed the young man's cultivation, finding that his aura was faint, no longer breathing air but absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings, indicating that he was already at the Daoist realm. He already knew what the young man was going to say, something about his dangerous situation and the need to cooperate with the remnants of the Xian Dynasty, but he pretended not to know to probe for more information.

"Barbarians and evil cults have gathered countless experts in Bannan Province. In three days, they will launch a strong attack on the provincial capital, turning the entire province into a hell on earth. In other words, you have only three days to live, or even less." The young man pointed to the direction of the three counties. "There are more than ten old demons gathered in those three counties. Even though you and others killed the Black Fiend Bat, it won't help much."

"May I ask if you are a descendant of the Xian Dynasty royal family?" Gu Zhensha's tone changed, sighing. "I know this situation is very dangerous, but with the imperial decree, I can only fight to the death."

"My name is Chen Jianfeng." The young man with the folding fan said, "In terms of seniority, we are of the same generation."

The Xian Dynasty royal family's surname was "Chen," which is also the origin of Gu Zhensha's name.

For example, the First Prince Gu Hengsha's mother's family was the Heng family. The Seventh Prince Gu Fasha's mother's family was the famous Fa family. The Tenth Prince Gu Zhensha's mother's family was the Lei family, though "Zhen" and "Lei" have the same meaning.

"Are you looking for me to cooperate to deal with the current situation? Or can you help me suppress the rebellion?" Gu Zhensha asked, secretly wary of the Xian Dynasty royal family's descendants. Although they were from his mother's family, his mother was essentially a royal discard, used for a political marriage.

Throughout history, princesses sent for political marriages were always considered discards.

"Why suppress the rebellion?" Chen Jianfeng laughed lightly. "The barbarians, evil cults, and the Da Yong Dynasty are preparing to decide the outcome. Once the war starts, the world will be in chaos, which is a great opportunity for us to restore our country. Emperor Tianfu is arrogant and has angered the powerful gods, causing the people to suffer."

"If I cannot suppress the rebellion, I might be thrown into a large prison." Gu Zhensha frowned.

"What large prison?" Chen Jianfeng's tone was contemptuous. "I heard you have activated the Giant Spirit God's bloodline. If you join us, a call to arms will make all of Xianzhou our territory."

"Are you asking me to rebel?" Gu Zhensha understood Chen Jianfeng's meaning.