Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Zheng Yan's face was filled with anger, the earlier ease and casualness no longer present. He glanced in the direction Luo Feng had fled, then looked at Gu Chen, weighing his options before ultimately deciding not to continue the fight.

He had thought he could easily capture Gu Chen and bring him back to kneel before Chen Song and the others to apologize, but he hadn't expected Gu Chen's strength to be so formidable, to exchange so many moves with him.

Of course, Zheng Yan was confident that if he put forth all his strength, Gu Chen would stand no chance against him, but he had his own considerations. It would still take some time to take down Gu Chen. Luo Feng's lightness skill was peerless; with that time, he would surely have escaped far away.

The effect of the Tracking Powder was about to wear off, and once it was gone, it would be difficult for the Sunset Sword Sect to find Luo Feng again.

With that thought, Zheng Yan extinguished the idea of continuing the fight with Gu Chen. After all, Gu Chen was here, and unlike Luo Feng, he didn't know the Face-Changing Skill, so finding him would still be easy.

"I, Zheng Yan, never kill the nameless under my hand. Which sect's disciple are you? State your name," Zheng Yan said in a deep voice.

"A mere independent cultivator, a person of no renown," Gu Chen replied, standing with his hands behind his back in black robes, exuding an extraordinary demeanor.

Hearing this, Zheng Yan scoffed coldly. He didn't believe for a second that Gu Chen was just an independent cultivator. How could an independent have such strength?

He knew Gu Chen must be wary of the Sunset Sword Sect behind him, afraid of the sect seeking revenge against his own, so he dared not reveal it.

"Today is your lucky day. After I capture Luo Feng, I'll come back to deal with you. If you're brave enough, don't run away!" After dropping that line, Zheng Yan immediately pursued in the direction Luo Feng had left.

Gu Chen didn't stop him, letting Zheng Yan go. To be honest, although they both didn't use their full strength in the encounter, Zheng Yan hadn't either.

It was known throughout the world that what made the Sunset Sword Sect famous was their swordsmanship, not their unarmed combat, which was why Gu Chen had managed to gain some advantage just now.

Gu Chen estimated that with his current strength, it was uncertain who would win in a fight against Zheng Yan. He had no absolute confidence in defeating Zheng Yan, especially with a treasure sword hanging at Zheng Yan's waist.

As a sword repairer with a treasure weapon in hand, his strength would undoubtedly double. After considering everything, Gu Chen chose not to engage Zheng Yan in a fight to the death.

Besides, the whole affair started because of Luo Feng, and there was no need for Gu Chen to clean up after him. With Luo Feng's lightness skill, he must have already run far away by now, and Zheng Yan wouldn't be able to catch up to him.

Zheng Yan's reputation was known to everyone in Huaiyang City, and the martial artists from around the area who saw an unknown warrior like Gu Chen exchange blows with Zheng Yan to such an extent, all looked at him with faces full of shock.

Seeing his business severely disrupted, the innkeeper intended to approach Gu Chen for compensation, but the thought of Gu Chen's strength made him hesitate, and so he could only stand there in extreme embarrassment.

Gu Chen noticed the innkeeper's awkwardness, walked over, took out a banknote from his bosom, and placed it in the innkeeper's hand before leaving the place.

This time, including the last, Gu Chen charged the expense to Luo Feng and the Sunset Sword Sect's account, intending to collect from them if given the chance.

It wasn't that Gu Chen was overly petty, but his annual salary was only so much, and these two incidents had cost him over a hundred taels—which was painful to bear.

When Gu Chen returned to the inn, he found a note on the table in his room.

Gu Chen picked it up and read the small script, "Tomorrow, fifty li outside of Huaiyang City at Tiger Rest Mountain, relics of the demon cult are rumored to appear, possibly related to Zheng Jinan."

Without thinking, Gu Chen knew this must be from Luo Feng. The fellow's intelligence network was impressive, having ascertained his lodging clearly, not to mention his audacity. It seemed like he had successfully shaken off Zheng Yan.

"Demon cult relics…" Gu Chen looked at the note in his hand, lost in thought.

The next morning, after his early exercises, Gu Chen set out, leaving Huaiyang City and heading east for fifty li until he saw a large mountain - the famous Crouching Tiger Mountain that lay in the vicinity of Huaiyang City.

It was called Crouching Tiger Mountain because from high above, the mountain looked like a tiger lying on the ground. The mountain was over a thousand meters high and quite steep, and the local mountaineers would often go up the hill to gather herbs, then sell them in Huaiyang City for some money or supplies.

At this moment, at the foot of Crouching Tiger Mountain, there was a dense crowd of people. At a rough glance, there were hundreds of them, none of whom were locals. They were all dressed in martial arts attire, armed with weapons, gathered here.

To the ignorant, it might look like they were assembling here to lay siege to Huaiyang City.

This group of martial artists, seeing newcomers joining, were already used to it by now. Many of them were not from Huaiyang City but came overnight from other cities around Li Mountain County after hearing the news.

At that time, several martial artists saw Gu Chen coming alone and approached him. The man in the lead bowed with his fists and said, "I am Zhang Chi."

Gu Chen, dressed in black with a sword at his waist and a handsome appearance, also returned the gesture and said, "I am Gu Chen."

Zhang Chi, a middle-aged man with a beard and a sabre slung on his back, smiled upon hearing this and asked, "Brother Gu, did you come here alone?"

"Yes," Gu Chen nodded.

"Would you like to team up and explore together?" Zhang Chi asked. Observing Gu Chen's imposing stance and steady steps, he knew Gu Chen must be skilled with considerable strength, hence the desire to make his acquaintance.

Gu Chen hesitated upon hearing this.

Zhang Chi did not rush him but instead asked, "Brother Gu, how much do you know about this place?"

Gu Chen shook his head and said, "I must confess, I have no understanding of this place. I only heard the news, and since it's not far, I thought I would come see the excitement."

Zhang Chi nodded, not surprised. Most of the martial artists here were like that.

"Brother Gu, I arrived a day earlier. Let me fill you in on the situation here," he offered.

As Zhang Chi said this, some of the young martial artists behind him suddenly changed their expressions. Gu Chen was not one of their own, and it would not do to carelessly divulge information. They were just about to interject when Zhang Chi silenced them with a look.

Gu Chen certainly noticed this, but he didn't mind. Then, Zhang Chi began to recount the situation here to him.

It turned out that the ruins had appeared three days ago, discovered by locals who had gone up the mountain to collect herbs. Somehow, the news had leaked, attracting numerous martial artists who had arrived yesterday.

Most of these martial artists did not have formal masters and were mostly self-taught. Even those with some inheritance had not acquired particularly powerful techniques, so for all of them, the ruins represented a great opportunity.

The importance of a strong technique need not be said. Many martial artists had missed their prime cultivation years simply because they lacked proper instruction and suitable techniques, which led to a lifetime's regret.

They all knew that the ruins belonged to a demonic sect, but no one cared. Moreover, over three hundred years ago, the Six Union God Sect had dominated the world, collecting numerous strange and wonderful techniques, further kindling the envy of these martial artists.

The ruins in front were said to be a treasure site of the Evil Heart Sect in the past.

"The ruins are at the base of the mountain. Many have explored in the last two days, and while there have been some gains, the deaths and injuries have been even greater. The demonic sects are cruel and ruthless, and the ruins are filled with all sorts of traps and ambushes.

One could easily fall victim if not cautious, and without companions, it is very possible to be overwhelmed," Zhang Chi said with a serious tone.