Stronger by Killing

A few people sat and chatted for a while longer. Rong Yichu suddenly said, "Lord, actually, I don’t quite recommend you going to the Capital City at this moment. Your Method of Divine Sight is something everyone in the world desires. The court is quite apprehensive of you and their stance is unclear. It’s not very suitable for you to enter the capital now."

Kou Baimen also added from the side, "Indeed, Lord, although the Emperor’s orders can’t be directly defied, you can find reasons to delay your visit."

Gu Zhan waved his hand and said, "No need. Even if the Emperor doesn’t summon me to the Capital City, I must go for three reasons. First, my titles as Marquis and Grand General of the Army have not been formally confirmed. Second, I need to go to the Capital City to find something; I must go. Third, I need to fulfill my promise!"

"Well..." Rong Yichu frowned and said, "Since that’s the case, I won’t try to persuade you further. I don’t think there will be too much trouble; the Emperor wouldn’t risk the wrath of the world by acting against you."

Gu Zhan nodded and said, "Remember to adjust the route to the Capital City; I need to make a stop at Linjiang City."

Rong Yichu was slightly startled, then slowly nodded and said quietly, "Lord, in that case, let me accompany you to Linjiang City!"

...

Yunzhou, Linjiang City.

After several years of war, Linjiang City is in ruins. Even now that the war has ended and recovery has begun, the endless desolation cannot be concealed, forming a stark contrast with the prosperity of Yun City.

A team entered Linjiang City, slowly traversing several long streets, until reaching the foot of a mountain in the outskirts.

In the center of the team, a luxurious carriage came to a halt.

This team was the Yulin Army sent from the Capital City to escort Gu Zhan into the capital. The leading commander rode up to the carriage and respectfully said, "Marquis Gu, we have arrived!"

The curtains of the carriage were slowly lifted,

Rong Yichu was the first to step out, then he assisted Gu Zhan off the carriage.

Gu Zhan looked up at the mountain before him, sighed softly, and began his ascent.

That team of Yulin soldiers was about to follow when Rong Yichu stopped them; then Rong Yichu followed Gu Zhan up the mountain, while the Yulin soldiers waited quietly at the foot of the mountain.

The mountain was not very high, but its woods were dense.

Gu Zhan walked slowly all the way and soon found a relatively flat spot in the woods. Looking at it, there were densely packed with more than a dozen tombs.

"Back when I was still in Linjiang City, Yang Yuzhi once told me that when his matters were settled, he would come here to build a hut and guard these graves. These people, they were his family; among them were his wife, children, close friends, and his junior brother Wan Yan!"

Gu Zhan spoke as he walked.

Rong Yichu followed closely beside Gu Zhan, carrying a basket in his hand.

Soon, the two reached a new grave,

The tombstone etched with ’The Grave of Duke Yang Yuzhi’.

In front of the grave were burning candles and some paper money, clearly showing that someone had recently come to pay respects to Yang Yuzhi.

Rong Yichu slowly squatted down, taking incense, candles, and paper money from the basket.

Gu Zhan also squatted down slowly, holding a jug of wine and two cups, pouring them full, and then took one cup and poured it onto the grave, softly saying, "In the days back at Linjiang City, I always had a strong guard against you and turned down your invitations to drink together many times.

Last year, when I corresponded with you, I said I would escort you once more to Yunxi and have a good drink with you. Little did I expect it would be in this manner that we drink together."

Gu Zhan drank the wine in one go and then slowly poured more onto the ground, speaking as he did, "Speaking of which, I don’t like owing favors, and I’ve basically never owed anyone a favor that I haven’t returned. But it turns out, your favor is one I cannot repay."

Gu Zhan took a sip of wine and said, "I thought carefully about how I might repay your favor, and perhaps the only way is to fulfill the wish you could not. You wished for a grand era of peace, and it just so happens that I too am discontent with the current age!"

By this point, the wine in the jug had finished.

Gu Zhan shook the wine jug gently and stood up slowly, saying, "The wine is finished; that’s all we drink for today. When the day of an era of peace where everyone is as a dragon comes, I will bring wine again and tell you about it!"

With that, Gu Zhan tossed the wine jug aside and gazed silently at the tombstone.

Rong Yichu bowed thrice, muttering "Mr. Yang" softly.

The two stood silently before the tombstone,

For a long while, converting their countless inner emotions into a single sigh before turning away.

...

After coming down from the mountain,

Gu Zhan and Rong Yichu parted ways,

Rong Yichu needed to oversee Marquis Yun’s Mansion and thus headed directly to Yunxi, while Gu Zhan set off towards the Capital City.

From Yunzhou to the Capital City, the journey was long. Even at the speed of a Red Fire Dragon Steed, it would take over ten days to arrive. However, because of Gu Zhan’s status, he was traveling by carriage, unable to rush day and night, thus extending the time.

On the third day heading to the Capital City,

a team of the Yunxi Army, coming from Dao Ma Pass, caught up.

This was because Nangong Weiyang had made progress in investigating the White Lotus Sect’s teachings, finding several Mahayana Divine Power Techniques.

Through Nangong Weiyang’s letter,

Gu Zhan learned about the situation with the White Lotus Sect.

Unlike the Grotto Heaven forces like Sword King City, which wandered continuously, the White Lotus Sect had been attempting to adapt the Grotto Heaven Technique to the methods of this era for hundreds of years.

After capturing some high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect, Nangong Weiyang managed, through coercion and incentives, to obtain some portion of the teachings, emulated through a combination of beast pills and arrays.

Inside the carriage,

Gu Zhan examined several beast pills,

The method by which the White Lotus Sect emulated Mahayana Divine Power Technique was indeed quite ingenious, using the energy from beast pills to maintain their effect without quick depletion.

Of the few Mahayana Divine Power Techniques, none were of particular use to Gu Zhan, except for a spell named Cyan Eagle Heaven-Splitting Claw, which surprised him somewhat.

Spell: Cyan Eagle Heaven-Splitting Claw

Level: High Tier Treasure Technique

Convertible to Martial Arts Level: Mahayana Divine Power Technique (Celestial Tier Upper Grade)

...

According to Gu Zhan’s comparison of spells and martial arts,

he classified Mahayana Divine Power Techniques as Celestial Tier Martial Arts, with Treasure Techniques divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower of the Celestial Tier.

Upon being deduced into a martial art, this Cyan Eagle Heaven-Splitting Claw became a Celestial Tier Upper Grade martial art.

Gu Zhan recalled with some surprise,

that during the battle at Dao Ma Pass, he hadn’t noticed the Three Saints of the White Lotus using this treasure technique; however, the White Lotus Celestial Mother did display a similar claw-type divine technique when breaking through the Buddhist Sect’s Piercing Spirit Treasure Relic. It was fleeting at the time, so Gu Zhan hadn’t paid much attention, assuming it was a skill of the White Lotus Celestial Mother’s fox form. In retrospect, considering it to be this treasure technique is not surprising, given its High Tier status and its ability to reverse situations in such circumstances.

Gu Zhan gently summoned the system:

[Use 2 billion Experience Points]

[Treasure Technique Cyan Eagle Heaven-Splitting Claw successfully deduced into Martial Arts Technique]

Azure Heaven Hand Seal: Divided into three levels, upon successful cultivation, it possesses the power to move mountains and fill seas, and exert the force to shake the heavens and the earth.

...

Looking at the description of the Azure Heaven Hand Seal,

a faint smile appeared on Gu Zhan’s face,

[Use 500 million Experience Points]

[Azure Heaven Hand Seal upgraded to Entry Level]

[Use 1 billion Experience Points]

[Azure Heaven Hand Seal upgraded to Minor Success Level]

In a single step,

Gu Zhan used 1.5 billion Experience Points,

directly cultivating the Celestial Tier Upper Grade Azure Heaven Hand Seal to Minor Success Level, addressing his current deficiency in combat prowess.

At his current cultivation level, relying solely on the Elephant Armor Skill had become somewhat inadequate, as it was primarily a means of frontal attack and defense with a significant disadvantage in dexterity. This Azure Heaven Hand Seal, with its mysterious appearance and disappearance, compensated for the shortcomings and, being of high grade, provided more powerful offensive capabilities.

Gu Zhan was inclined to upgrade directly to the Great Success Realm, but insufficient experience points made this temporarily impossible.

Gu Zhan exhaled a deep breath and examined the system interface:

Player: Gu Zhan

Realm: Four Realms of Divine Sight

Title: Martial Arts Pioneer

Note: 1. Wearing the Martial Arts Pioneer title grants the ability to infer, requiring only experience points to deduce skills of the same realm.

2. Wearing the Martial Arts Pioneer title grants the ability to become stronger in adversity, the martial arts peak initiated and dominated by me.

Cultivation Technique: Chang Chun Skill (Fifth Floor 0/30 billion)

Skills:

Water Manipulation Skill (Great Success)

Rain Summoning Technique (Great Success)

Thunder Slash (Great Success)

Celestial Spirit Golden Body (Great Success)

Elephant Armor Skill (Great Success)

Azure Heaven Hand Seal (Minor Success 0/3 billion)

Experience Points: 2.2 billion