Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

A terrifying chill spread; seeing Zheng Jinan's appearance like this, all of the martial artists in the hall suddenly changed their expressions.

Liu Tong also widened his eyes, his heart in utter chaos to the extreme point, and he quickly hid behind Captain Lin.

Captain Lin frowned, glanced at Liu Tong, and then came to Gu Chen and bowed with his fist, saying, "Sir, let us confront this foe together."

Gu Chen did not refuse but simply said, "Be very careful."

Captain Lin nodded, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gu Chen as they both stared at Zheng Jinan.

At this moment, Zheng Jinan was surrounded by sinister black qi, emitting waves of eerie aura all over, causing discomfort to all. His eyes had also been completely enveloped by the black qi, the demon eroding his consciousness.

"I want you dead!"

Zheng Jinan roared furiously like a vengeful ghost howling, with the piercing soundwaves entering through both ears, causing the many warriors to scream out in pain.

Whoosh!

It was then Captain Lin made the first move. Drawing the long saber from his waist, his figure flashed toward Zheng Jinan and slashed down at his head.

"Scram!"

Zheng Jinan bellowed angrily, swinging his arm. A corrupting black qi swarmed towards Captain Lin, who changed color, withdrew, and retreated. However, his long saber had been tainted with a trace of black qi, hissing as it corroded, and in a moment, the blade was half-eaten away.

"Specter Level Demon!"

Gu Chen's face became solemn. A Panic Level Demon would not possess this kind of strength that could easily repel warriors at the Exterior Qi Stage.

Only a Specter Level Demon could do this, far surpassing the Panic Level Demon, several times more troublesome and powerful.

If a Panic Level Demon is comparable to a cultivator's state from Condensed Essence Stage to Meridian Unblocking Stage, then even the weakest Specter Level Demon is comparable to a warrior of the Human Clan's Ou Exterior Qi Stage.

It was evident that the one possessing Zheng Jinan was a Specter Level Demon, and for Gu Chen, this was his first time facing one directly.

"Sir, this is too dangerous. We should withdraw for now and devise a long-term plan," Captain Lin looked towards Gu Chen with a somewhat scared expression. Without even being able to get close, Captain Lin did not believe that together with Gu Chen they could overcome Zheng Jinan as he now was.

Gu Chen didn't speak but handed over the treasured weapon he had received from Zheng Yan to Captain Lin; he didn't need Lin to do much, only occasionally harass from a distance.

The strength of this Specter Level Demon could corrupt ordinary weapons, but it couldn't damage a treasured weapon.

Captain Lin was startled at first, then came to an understanding, grasping Gu Chen's intention. He quickly caught it, and though he, a warrior of the Exterior Qi Stage, was touching a treasured weapon for the first time.

"Sir, be careful!" Captain Lin said gravely.

Gu Chen nodded, and at that moment, Zheng Jinan had already rushed over. The sinister black qi swirling around him, like tentacles, attacked Gu Chen and Captain Lin.

Seeing this, Captain Lin immediately dodged to one side, leaving sufficient space for Gu Chen, not wanting to be a drag on him.

Confronting the evil black qi, Gu Chen neither dodged nor avoided, his internal energy of one hundred and eighty-six years of cultivation crazily circulating, pushing the Pure Yang Technique to the ultimate limit of his current stage.

Boom!

At this moment, Gu Chen's body emitted intense heat from every pore, the Pure Yang Technique being a type of yang force martial art and the nemesis of demonic energy. With his profound internal energy, the black qi ignited the moment it touched his skin, unable to penetrate his body at all.

"Die!"

Gu Chen gave a cold shout, his inner Qi surging to its peak as he struck out with a Red Flame Palm at its complete stage.

"Roar!"

Zheng Jinan howled to the sky, his body controlled by the demon, but his instincts remained. At this moment, he dropped all pretense, using the Evil Heart Sect's demonic techniques, wanting to clash head-on with Gu Chen.

Bang!

Where the Red Flame Palm passed, all the black qi began to burn. Gu Chen's palm firmly imprinted onto Zheng Jinan's chest.

"Heart-piercing Claw!"

Struck by Gu Chen's palm, Zheng Jinan's body trembled, and he reached out with his five fingers sharp as claws, using the Evil Heart Sect's demonic power, he reached for Gu Chen's chest, determined to rip out his heart.

Seeing this, Gu Chen's eyes flashed with a cold light. He also stayed put, ready to resist Zheng Jinan's attack head-on.

Hum!

At that moment, Gu Chen's body shook, and faint golden light appeared on his skin, as if he were a high monk.

Bang!

Zheng Jinan's claw, charged with demonic power, left five marks on Gu Chen's chest, the sinister black qi seeking to invade Gu Chen's body through them, but it was all stopped by the faint golden light around Gu Chen, unable to penetrate the slightest bit.

Horizontal Training Technique with the Roar of Dragons and Tigers!

It was precisely because he had relied on a superior martial arts technique for tempering the body that Gu Chen dared to withstand Zheng Jinan's strike head-on.

"Ha!"

At this moment, Captain Lin, seeing that Gu Chen and Zheng Jinan were at a stalemate, circled behind Zheng Jinan. With a slash of his sword, the treasured blade sliced across Zheng Jinan's back, and a spray of black blood burst forth.

Captain Lin hastily dodged to avoid the black blood, which, as it hit the ground, corroded and pitted the surface.

This was the power of a demon, akin to containing a deadly poison, highly corrosive and erosive.

Wounded, Zheng Jinan howled like a wild beast gone mad. Gu Chen, seeing this, poured all his strength into the fight, pushing the Pure Yang Technique and Horizontal Training he practiced to their limits with his profound energy.

Roar!

At that moment, faint sounds of dragons roaring and tigers howling echoed through the air. The ethereal images of a dragon and tiger flashed behind Gu Chen for an instant, and the layer of golden light around his body grew even more intense.

There was no holding back any hidden strength; Gu considered wanted to crush Zheng Jinan completely in the shortest time possible.

Boom!

Gu Chen's black hair whipped about wildly, his dark garb rustling in agitation. With a steely expression and dazzling eyes, he reached his utmost limit. Skin, flesh, sinews, and bones seemed to fuse into a single entity, as infinite power erupted within him. His strength soared again at this moment, and as his breath surged, his palms appeared to be enveloped in flames.

In an instant, Gu Chen unleashed a flurry of «Red Flame Palm» strikes.

Fifty meridians and one hundred eighty-six years of cultivation, combined with the mastery of Horizontal Training and the perfected Red Flame Palm—even a Panic Level Demon inhabiting Zheng Jinan's body couldn't withstand it.

"Aaagh—"

Zheng Jinan screamed. If Gu Chen's assault was a raging storm, then Zheng Jinan at this moment was a fragile boat amidst the tempest, open and vulnerable, continuously hit by Gu Chen's strikes, with the sound of cracking reverberating from his bones.

Splat!

The next moment, numerous streams of black blood spurted from Zheng Jinan's pores, and the dark aura swirling around him momentarily paused, becoming stagnant midair.

Thud!

After Gu Chen ceased his attack, Zheng Jinan's body fell stiffly backwards onto the ground, with copious amounts of black blood flowing out. His life force had dwindled to a mere whisper.

Having unleashed so many attacks in such a short span, not holding anything back, even someone as resilient as Gu Chen couldn't help but feel slightly winded and weary.

But right now, he couldn't afford to let out that breath.

Gu Chen approached Zheng Jinan, whose complexion was deathly pale and who was barely hanging onto life. If not for the demon's possession granting him strength, Zheng Jinan would have died long ago.

Just as Gu Chen was about to finish off Zheng Jinan, a loud cry suddenly erupted nearby.

"Father!"

It turns out that Zheng Yan had awakened. Seeing the sorry state of his father, Zheng Yan's eyes immediately reddened with rage, his murderous intent towards Gu Chen skyrocketing.

"Ah... I will kill you, I will kill you!"

Zheng Yan, having lost his mother at an early age, was raised by Zheng Jinan. Regardless of Zheng Jinan's actions, he was his father in Zheng Yan's heart.

With eyes bloodshot, Zheng Yan glared at Gu Chen, his eyes nearly bleeding with hatred. He blamed Gu Chen for destroying everything—his life, his father, and their home.

He could no longer return to Sunset Sword Sect!

In an instant, years of effort crumbled, and Zheng Yan placed all the blame on Gu Chen.

"It's all your fault, all because of you, I want you dead—"

Zheng Yan roared to the heavens. Perhaps responding to the overwhelming negative emotions within him, the demon that had possessed Zheng Jinan burst out from his body in a black mist, which entered Zheng Yan's head and possessed him.

Crack, crack!

The moment the demon possessed Zheng Yan, who had been lying on the ground with most of his bones shattered by Gu Chen, he suddenly stood up. The grinding sounds were his bones painfully knitting back together.

Had it been just Zheng Yan himself with such grave injuries, he would have been left either dead or crippled for life.

But with the demon's power within him, those severe injuries began to heal rapidly, and Zheng Yan's inner energy continued to surge, barely holding back a breakthrough from the Meridian Opening stage to the Qi Externalization stage.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yan swallowed the Longevity Pill that was originally meant for Zheng Jinan, not for any other reason except to accelerate the healing of his wounds.

"I—want—you—dead!"

Zheng Yan, with vengeance seething in his eyes and his visage ghastly as a fierce ghost, stared at Gu Chen, his body wrapped in a cloak of black aura.

Seeing this, Gu Chen's brows furrowed slightly. He could feel the speed of Zheng Yan's recovery was not slow—in fact, it was rather swift.

If Zheng Yan were to fully recover, Gu Chen, after enduring several fierce battles, might indeed not be a match for him in his Qi Externalization stage.

Unfortunately for Zheng Yan, Gu Chen wasn't about to give him that chance.

Clang!

With the sound of a sword cry, Gu Chen drew the Red Refinement Blade, then hurled it with great force. The treasured sword turned into a streak of light, piercing at a breakneck speed through Zheng Yan's chest and straight through his heart.