Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Among them, several martial artists were dressed in white robes, embroidered with the mark of falling snow, which identified them as disciples of the Feixue Sword Sect.

Apart from the disciples of the Feixue Sword Sect, there were also disciples from the Xuantian Sect and the Da Guangming Sect present.

The martial artist holding the Thousand Spirit Grass was a solitary cultivator of no ordinary strength, having reached the late stage of the Returning to True Stage, and with exceptional lightness skills, which was why he could hold on until now.

The Thousand Spirit Grass, valued as a heaven-sent treasure, could help martial artists enhance their cultivation. If refined into a pill, it could boost a martial artist's strength by at least thirty years.

There was no shortage of pills that could enhance a martial artist's strength in Jiuzhou, such as the Longevity Pill from the Sunset Sword Sect, yet they couldn't be said to be plentiful either.

This was because similar pills all required heaven-sent treasures like the Thousand Spirit Grass as a catalyst, and nowadays, the natural environment in Jiuzhou had deteriorated significantly compared to ancient times, making such rare treasures exceedingly scarce.

Treasures that could increase strength by thirty years were, of course, coveted even by martial artists born from top-tier powers.

Rumors had it that within the six great holy lands, the Xumi Buddhist Sect possessed the Minor and Major Reversion Pills. The Minor Reversion Pill could enhance a martial artist's strength for a cycle of sixty years, while the Major Reversion Pill could do so for twice that duration, or one hundred and twenty years.

Within the Xumi Buddhist Sect, the most potent pill for enhancing strength was the Supreme True Reversion Pill. Even within the sect, these pills were incredibly rare, reportedly only being produced once every decade, and a single Supreme True Reversion Pill could increase a martial artist's cultivation by a full two hundred and forty years.

Besides the Xumi Buddhist Sect, the other great holy lands also possessed such pills or heaven-sent treasures that could enhance martial strength. After all, the six great holy lands inherited their legacies from ancient times and their foundations were incomparable to any contemporary power in Jiuzhou.

Among the top forces, these types of pills existed as well, but not in abundance. The most famous among them was not the Longevity Pill from the Sunset Sword Sect, but the Dragon Tiger Pill from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Sect, one of the three great Da Sects. It was said that a single Dragon Tiger Pill could help a martial artist increase their cultivation by fifty years.

Although it was not on par with even the Minor Reversion Pill from the Xumi Buddhist Sect, it was still an extremely precious medicine in the Jianghu.

From this, one could see the value of the Thousand Spirit Grass.

At this moment, the appearance of Gu Chen attracted the attention of many onlookers, who recognized his identity.

All of them watched Gu Chen with wary expressions, including the martial artist holding the Thousand Spirit Grass, fearful that Gu Chen might make a move to seize it.

However, Gu Chen was not particularly interested in the Thousand Spirit Grass; what he truly desired was only the Sun Flame Stone.

But the others did not think the same way, and there was a subtle sense that they were banding together, ready to confront Gu Chen first.

Among them, a disciple from the Feixue Sword Sect spoke in a deep voice, "Gu Chen, my brothers are deep in the valley. I advise you not to act rashly!"

Gu Chen naturally paid no heed to such feeble warnings. Suddenly, the Gangqi within his body started to grow restless.

Gu Chen's brow furrowed, puzzled by this sensation.

Seeing this, the other martial artists from the Feixue Sword Sect, Xuantian Sect, and Da Guangming Sect tensed up, believing Gu Chen was about to make a move for the Thousand Spirit Grass.

But at that moment, Gu Chen's figure flashed, and he disappeared from the spot, leaving everyone around him stunned.

Gu Chen didn't concern himself with the thoughts of these people, for he felt that the source of his Gangqi's restlessness was somewhere in the deepest part of the valley.

At this moment, deep within the valley, there were over a dozen figures, among whom three stood out prominently, locked in a standoff.

One of them was dressed in white, with a tall, slender build, thick black hair, bright eyes, handsome features, and an extraordinary bearing. His body shimmered with a faint glow, pure and holy, as if he were an immortal from heaven.

This man was Zhuo Siyuan, the most outstanding descendant of the current generation of the Da Guangming Sect.

Zhuo Siyuan, the most senior direct disciple of the Da Guangming Sect, was only thirty years old, yet his cultivation had already reached the grand completion of the Returning to True Stage. He had been designated by the Da Guangming Sect as the next sect leader.

Wu Changyun of the Da Guangming Sect, along with disciples like Tang Xiao and others, were currently standing behind Zhuo Siyuan.

The other two people confronting him, one named Ning Tian and the other named Qiu Zhen, were the foremost direct disciple of the Xuantian Sect and the eldest legitimate son of the Qiu family head, respectively.

"Brother Ning, Brother Qiu, would it be possible for you to cede this item to me?" Zhuo Siyuan said with a smile, an astonishing charisma radiating from him. Combined with his handsome features, had there been any women present, they would have fallen for him without restraint. With just one word from Zhuo Siyuan, they would willingly die for him.

However, the cultivation levels of Ning Tian and Qiu Zhen were not much different from Zhuo Siyuan's. All three of them were among the top ten on the Leaderboard of Heroes, and they each had top forces backing them, so naturally they wouldn't cede such an ancient relic to Zhuo Siyuan just because of a single sentence from him.

Qiu Zhen, who bore a slight resemblance to Qiu Li who died at the hands of Gu Chen, had the same thin lips. At this moment, a cold smile appeared on his face as he said dismissively, "Zhuo Siyuan, what nonsense are you thinking? Just because you say so, I should hand over this treasure to you? You must be dreaming!"

On the other side, Ning Tian stood in his white garb, but his demeanor was entirely different from Zhuo Siyuan's. He was tall and straight, with untied black hair, resembling a pine tree on a cliff, his presence extremely stable.

Hearing this, his eyes firm, Ning Tian also spoke up simply, saying, "Impossible."

Seeing their reactions, Zhuo Siyuan didn't get irritated but shrugged and said, "It seems that the three of us can only settle this with a fight right here."

Qiu Li grinned, showing off a row of snow-white teeth, and said, "I've been annoyed by you for a long time. Why should you be ranked fourth on the Leaderboard of Heroes, while I can only be seventh?"

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Zhuo Siyuan's handsome face, and he responded, "Brother Qiu, you'll know once you try."

Ning Tian stood aside, silent, watching calmly from the sidelines.

What the three of them were competing for was the ancient relic—the Sun Flame Stone.

The Sun Flame Stone was a palm-sized odd stone, different from ordinary rocks. It was pale golden and transparent, with strands of what looked like molten lava flowing within.

It was rumored that the Sun Flame Stone contained a trace of the Sun's true fire, which was essential for condensing Sun Gangqi. Moreover, it had miraculous effects. If a martial artist were to refine the Sun Flame Stone, the Gangqi within their body would also carry a hint of the Sun's true fire, making its power increase manyfold.

The Sun's true fire is able to burn all things in heaven and earth, nothing can withstand it, and its might is terrible. Although the Sun Flame Stone only contains a trace of the Sun's true fire, even in ancient times, it was considered an extremely rare and valuable substance, only stored within absolute top forces like the Pure Yang Martial Sect.

In recent ancient history of the Nine Provinces, the Sun Flame Stone had already disappeared, possibly not even present within the six holy lands.

The one before them could very well be the last one in the Nine Provinces nowadays. For such a rare item, even figures like Zhuo Siyuan, Ning Tian, and Qiu Zhen wouldn't easily give it up.

The reason why Gu Chen's Gangqi within his body was agitated was also because of the presence of the Sun Flame Stone.

Just as Zhuo Siyuan and the others were about to contend for the Sun Flame Stone, a figure clad in dark clothes also appeared not far from them.

Tang Xiao had not forgotten the battle at the Yao Platform feast to this day. Gu Chen's strength was deeply imprinted in his mind. As soon as Gu Chen appeared, the sharp-eyed Tang Xiao instantly recognized him.

He blurted out in shock, "Gu Chen?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Siyuan and the others immediately turned their gaze over.

But Gu Chen paid them no attention. After he arrived, his gaze fixed tightly on the Sun Flame Stone, his heart gradually filling with excitement.

The Sun Flame Stone he had longed for day and night, that he had constantly thought about, had finally appeared before his eyes!