Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Chen Yu looked at the slightly more relaxed Duke of the Liang State and couldn't help but find it a bit amusing, knowing full well what the latter was thinking.

Soon, under Gu Chen's lead, they sat down in the courtyard. Gu Chengfeng spoke with some restraint, "Eldest brother, you should first speak with the two masters. We will not disturb you."

Then, Gu Chengfeng led his wife and daughter away.

"Your family seems to have a good relationship," Chen Yu remarked as he watched Gu Chengfeng and his family leave.

Gu Chen nodded and asked the two men, "May I know the purpose of your visit today?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of the Liang State and Chen Yu exchanged glances. With a solemn expression, the Duke said, "We are here today because there is something we need to discuss with you."

Immediately thereafter, the Duke of the Liang State briefed Gu Chen on the events of the past few days, including the conversation in the palace's great hall from the day before.

Gu Chen's expression grew tense when he heard this, as he had also sensed the terrifying presence that had come from Tiandu last night. He was startled by the power of the top-tier grandmaster; in the face of such strength, he felt a chill in his heart.

Fortunately, Da Xia currently had two such figures stationed in Tiandu, so there was no fear of the opponent causing trouble.

Gu Chen was also aware of the actions taken by the Da Yuan diplomatic delegation after they arrived in Tiandu, as his second uncle Gu Chengfeng had told him.

At this moment, Gu Chen turned to the Duke of the Liang State and inquired, "King Huai has specifically named me to go into battle?"

"Yes!"

The Duke of the Liang State said, "In recent times, countless warriors have challenged Ananda, including some experts from Da Xia, but not one has been his match, none even forcing him to make a move. If this continues, Da Xia will lose face and become the laughingstock of the world. If word spreads, the morale of our soldiers guarding the borders will drop.

As their morale diminishes and that of Da Yuan swells, this growing disparity is something Da Xia absolutely does not want to see."

Gu Chen nodded. At the moment, facing all of Shen Zhou, Da Xia absolutely could not show any sign of weakness, for any slight hint of vulnerability would surely invite a pack of ruthless wolves to attack.

"Ananda is extremely powerful, a Buddha son from the Long Xiang (Dragon Elephant) Buddha Sect of the Great Snow Mountain in Da Yuan territory, and is furthermore an incarnated living Buddha with the Dragon Elephant True Body cultivated. In all of Tiandu, among those of his generation, no one besides you is his match. King Huai has ordered you to fight tomorrow, demanding victory, not defeat.

Do you have the confidence for this battle?"

This battle was of critical importance to Da Xia; victory would recover the prestige and face they had lost previously and might even be leveraged to suppress Da Yuan's increasingly rampant arrogance. If they lost, Da Yuan's morale and prestige would escalate to an unprecedented level, and they might even immediately dispatch their armies to attack Da Xia.

Therefore, this battle would not only be watched by Tiandu but also by the entire land and the countless people of Shen Zhou.

Gu Chen was well aware of the stakes, understanding what this battle meant for Da Xia.

When he first saw Ananda, he knew this young monk was strong, and now with information from the Duke of the Liang State, it was evident that his formidable origins were indeed from the revered Long Xiang Buddha Sect, one of the six great holy lands of the summit of Buddhism, with the Dragon Elephant True Body perfected.

Seeing that Gu Chen remained silent, the Duke of the Liang State thought he might be worried and thus said, "No matter, as long as you do your best, even if you lose, nobody can blame you."

Chen Yu remained silent, saying nothing. If Gu Chen chose to fight, a victory would make him famous throughout the world, far surpassing his prior reputation, not only in Shen Zhou but across all of Shen Zhou. All forces would come to know his name.

Should he lose, however, were there those like Uncle Dingyuan and Marquis of Wuwei, who had other motives and might deliberately create public sentiment, Gu Chen's reputation could plummet drastically, and he might even be spurned by the people of Da Xia.

Every situation has its dual aspects, and Gu Chen was certainly aware of them, especially since he was a subject of Da Xia. As the nation's glory was his, now that it had been insulted and needed him, he had to stand up.

However, Gu Chen was quite confident about this battle. He too wished to see whether his own Indestructible Golden Light would prove superior or if the opponent's Dragon Elephant True Body would be unrivaled.

Therefore, Gu Chen directly said, "Please trouble the Duke of the Liang State and Master Chen to go back and inform His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and King Huai that I, Gu Chen, accept this battle!"

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of the Liang State was delighted. Regardless of Gu Chen's confidence, his sense of duty alone surpassed that of the vast majority. The Duke looked at Gu Chen with a much deeper sense of admiration.

"I just knew, I, Lu Sheng, have not misjudged the person!"

Hearing that Gu Chen had accepted the challenge, Chen Yu felt the same delight as the Duke of the Liang State, cherishing Gu Chen even more in his heart. He was already planning to meet with the Deputy Commander of the Jing Tian Department, Qin Wu, upon his return. Regardless of whether Gu Chen won or lost, they had to ensure his safety.

...

At this moment, outside Tiandu city, in a tavern not far from the arena.

As time passed, all of Tiandu became aware of Ananda's deeds, and naturally, countless people were drawn to this place, wanting to see if the grand monk from Da Yuan was truly as extraordinary as the rumors suggested.

And atop the platform, Ananda sat cross-legged, withstanding the assaults of various warriors, none able to breach his defenses.

Ananda, dressed in red robes with a refined visage, hands in prayer, sat on the platform, surrounded by bursts of Buddhist light, and spoke, "Is this the extent of Da Xia's experts, unable to break even a monk's defenses? If this is where the abilities of Da Xia's experts end, then you have truly disappointed this humble monk."

"It's often said that Da Xia is the strongest nation of the current age, with Central Plains full of unparalleled experts, and a martial world of unparalleled prosperity. I, a humble monk, have traveled thousands of miles from Da Yuan to Tiandu, to witness the might of Central Plains' martial artists and to verify my own learning.

But so far, I have been thoroughly disappointed, as not one has proved worth my time to engage."

"Does Da Xia look down upon this monk, belittling the Dragon Elephant Buddha Sect, or is this the true limit of experts of Da Xia and Central Plains' martial arts?"

This speech immediately changed the expressions of the countless people around.

"Arrogance!"

"Such an ignorant monk doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"A barbarian from the steppes also dares to belittle the world?!"

Hearing the words "barbarian from the steppes," Ananda, who had been consistently holding a tranquil demeanor, had a flash of terrifying sharpness in his eyes that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Boom!

The next moment, a ring of overwhelming energy suddenly erupted from Ananda on the platform like a peerless tidal wave, crashing in all directions. His robes flapped as his red kasaya rustled loudly.

"Ah..."

In an instant, a dozen warriors on stage cried out as they spat blood and were sent flying.

Ananda himself still sat there, perfectly still, as golden Buddhist light enveloped his body, and a heavy pressure descended on everyone present.

Suddenly, the place fell deathly silent, with not even the sound of birds to be heard.