NOVPUB
Chapter 181: Chapter 178 Order
Because the order had already been issued in advance,
the gathering of the Demon God Guards was swift this time.
By the time Gu Jinlai rode up on the Mechanical Tyrannosaurus named Gu Ya to the newly constructed drill ground outside the manor, three hundred people were already there waiting.
Three hundred people, led by Gu Chifeng and others, were mounted on T-Rex.
Each T-Rex was fitted with a specially made beast saddle that could carry a Short Range Defense Cannon.
The others rode Horned Horses capable of traveling a thousand miles in a single day.
Over the years, Gu Jinlai had accumulated a vast fortune by judging "Karma" and eradicating wealthy but unrighteous families who believed their disguises were flawless.
As part of the Blue Star people’s philosophy, he had no intention of hoarding this wealth for generations to come; instead, he scattered all the money, exchanging it for various cultivation resources, armor, and Horned Horses.
These three hundred Demon God Guards were the best proof of this.
Thanks to the nurturing of various resources, as of today, twenty-nine out of these three hundred had achieved the body of an Upper Demon God.
More than two hundred possessed the body of a Middle-level Demon God.
The rest were on the verge of breaking through.
They were equipped with the finest gear and advanced gunpowder weapons.
Machine guns, rockets, and even artillery that could be operated by someone other than a Heavenly Master!
Despite the discrepancy in equipment, they already bore semblance to a modernized army.
The only difference was that this army was imbued with the local characteristics of this world.
With the appearance of Gu Jinlai, three hundred men each stood tall and proud, their faces alight with excitement and fervor.
Whenever Gu Jinlai glanced at them, their gazes burned even brighter, yearning to demonstrate their strength and loyalty to the fullest, in hopes of earning further favor from the Patriarch.
Gu Jinlai approached Gu Ya.
The nine-meter-tall monstrous beast quickly crouched down, allowing Gu Jinlai to leap onto its back with ease.
Mounted on the Mechanical Tyrannosaurus, he looked at what could be considered the elite force of Lingxiao Six Cities and said gravely, "Each of you has been cultivating the Great Sun Demon God Body Refining Method and already possesses power on par with Gang Condensation, Hugging Pill, and even that of a Refining God Immortal. Yet, during this time, no one has been aware of the power you’ve gained, nor do they know the price you had to pay for this strength."
Everyone listened carefully to Gu Jinlai, their unblinking eyes fixed on the figure seated atop the Mechanical Tyrannosaurus, who had brought them prospects for their future.
"Demon God Warriors, in everyone’s eyes, always seem like the crooked path of demons; some even brand the warriors of the Demon Path as Demon Martial Artists, something so taboo that Daqian’s laws consider it a deep-seated aversion. But we know very well that everything we do is not about succumbing to devils; we use the power of devils to fight against them, to drive them out, to slay them, and to become the indomitable Demon Gods in the eyes of devils, all to protect the peaceful life we have now!"
Gu Jinlai’s voice resonated around the field, "And devils are not only the mutated Fierce Beasts but also the greedy human hearts consumed by demons. The true demon is the heart demon! Those who for their own ambitions and desires indiscriminately wage wars, disrupting peace and causing countless people to be displaced—the damage and harm these rulers and ambitious individuals bring to our human society far exceeds that caused by devils!"
Gu Jinlai’s words stirred deep emotions among the many warriors present.
Demon God Guards!
It sounded glorious to the ear,
but everyone knew exactly how they had trained to become what they were.
This cultivation method...
was indeed regarded as a crooked path by all.
If not for this, then the number of people hoping to become Demon God Guards and undergo training would undoubtedly increase tenfold.
Of course, Gu Jinlai had deliberately omitted the fact that becoming a Demon God Guard no longer warranted worries about demonization, specifically to filter out those with wavering will.
But now...
"Today is the day you step out of Lingxiao City and onto the battlefields of Star State to voice your presence to all powers within Star State!"
Gu Jinlai’s voice grew increasingly impassioned: "This time, we will let the world know that we embrace the darkness yet yearn for peace, that we suppress hell to keep order in the human world, that we take on the form of devils only to safeguard the prosperity of our age! All those with ambitions, troublemakers, warmongers, today, we will make them aware that we, as Demon Gods in their nightmares, will utterly crush them all!"
He fiercely drew the Cheng Ying Sword, pointing towards Starlight City, "We draw our swords for peace, we kill for justice, we destroy for order! All Demon God Guards, grip your swords tightly, shoulder your guns, secure the ammunition on your mounts. After today, everyone will understand that we are the truth!"
"Truth! Truth! Truth!"
All three hundred Demon God Guards roared in unison, their eyes shining bright with fervor.
They could hardly wait to rush onto the battlefield at top speed, declaring their might to all powers within the territory of Star State.
They...
could not only fight devils!
But also those human powers that wage wars for their own ambitions!
"Forward!"
Gu Jinlai commanded with a wave of his sword.
All at once, in a disciplined manner, they mounted their steeds and rapidly headed in the direction of Starlight City.
"Rumble, rumble!"
The thunderous sound of their charge filled the air.
Though there were only three hundred, the might they brought was comparable to that of three thousand, or even thirty thousand soldiers.
...
To the residents of Lingxiao City, this scene was an exhilarating one. Each one felt an impulse to join the Demon God Guards and become one of them, to fight in defense of Lingxiao City, to spread the city’s fairness, justice, and order.
However, those with ulterior motives watching this scene turned pale, a look of terror surfacing in their eyes.
The power of Lingxiao City had expanded too quickly.
In less than two years, they had already acquired such a foundation.
Especially since not long ago, Gu Jinlai completed a stunning counterattack at Dragon Sparrow Manor against two Primordial Spirit Monarchs and seven Divinity Transformation Cultivators.
Two Primordial Spirit Monarchs fell.
Four Divinity Transformation Cultivators perished.
Such fearsome battle achievements were enough to chill any power to its core.
Even top forces such as Yellow Sky Sect, Cold Moon Sect, and Netherworld Sect were no exception.
Many had already resolved in secret to persuade those behind them when sending out the message that Lingxiao City...
must not be made an enemy.
...
More than three hundred people maintained a speed of nearly a hundred miles in one hour, rushing rapidly towards Star Curtain City.
Observing the pace that was akin to a forced march, Gu Chifeng approached Gu Jinlai and whispered, "Patriarch, should we slow down, and wait for the State Governor’s Mansion to take down Star Curtain City before leading our forces into it? Once Star Curtain City, and perhaps the two adjacent cities, are under our control, then..."
"No!"
Gu Jinlai flatly rejected the suggestion.
He looked at Gu Chifeng, "It may sound hypocritical, but if I truly make that decision, how many people will lose their families, and homes in the flames of war?"
Gu Chifeng was stunned.
"My goal has never been to occupy more territory. What I want is simply for Star State to quickly restore order, at least... to ensure that people living on this land won’t have to worry about their survival from day to day," Gu Jinlai added calmly.
Gu Chifeng looked at his own patriarch.
He had originally thought that the patriarch’s earlier words were just to boost the morale of Demon God Guards, painting themselves as the side of righteousness, so they could proceed with subsequent actions without reproach.
But now it seemed...
The Patriarch...
Gu Jinlai offered no further explanation.
Order!
It had always been his goal.
Star State, south of Tianhe, and even the entire Daqian Territory, were all in chaos.
Despite the looming threat of devils and demons, chaos still reigned supreme.
Within the territory of Star State, Purgatory Sect, Netherworld Sect, Cold Moon Sect, the State Governor Mansion, Dragon Sparrow Manor, Yellow Sky Sect, including their alliance with Star Sky Alliance, fought over this small piece of land, all clashing with one another.
South of Tianhe, friction and collisions among these forces happened even more frequently.
As for Daqian...
The Ten Demonic Sects, the Six Great Immortal Sects, and the Daqian Royal Family were also in constant strife.
In between, there were many others like the Demon Refining Hall and certain powerful state governors who carved out territories for themselves, dominating a region.
Everything was in total disarray.
And this chaos had persisted for nearly a century.
He knew that where there were people, conflicts were inevitable.
But...
He still wanted to do something about it.
Though his goal might seem illusory, even incomprehensible and laughable to many.
Like Wang Yinfeng and Jin Que from Dragon Sparrow Manor.
If he revealed to them his true intentions, they would undoubtedly think he was a fool.
But...
If a person has no goals, no dreams, what is the difference between them and a salted fish?
Even if he were truly a salted fish, since he had arrived, he would have to let himself, let this world, turn over and change posture.
Without going into details, Gu Jinlai simply issued a command, "Travel at full speed, reach Star Curtain City by nightfall, and enter the battlefield."
...
War flames reignited on Gu Jinlai’s side, kicking off a second major battle.
At this time, the news of Gu Jinlai’s attempted assassination had just barely begun to spread.
Informing all parties without deliberate concealment through dispatching edicts, this news became known by many forces.
Among these forces, the first to receive the news was Purgatory Sect, which had dispatched Refining God Elder Zhao Qian and many Hugging Pill Dharma Protectors to follow his orders.
When the news reached Purgatory Sect, Dongzhen Hall Hall Master Yuan Xizhi was taken aback, almost thinking he had read it incorrectly.
He stared at the report for a good while, word by word, phrase by phrase, not missing even a punctuation mark, for fear that someone was playing a joke on him.
But it turned out...
The news was true.
There wasn’t just one channel that sent this news, but three.
One channel could have an error, but three channels confirming simultaneously...
"The heavens are changing, it’s going to change!"
Yuan Xizhi felt his own voice tremble slightly.
Two Primordial Spirit Monarchs from Dragon Sparrow Manor dead in a single breath?!
This wasn’t just a change; the sky was falling!
A cataclysm!
"My God, this Elder Gu... Ah, no, it’s Elder Gu... No, no... Is it... Venerable Daoist Gu?!"
Yuan Xizhi shivered, and the next moment, gathered the report as fast as he could and ran towards the Sect Master Hall.
"Extraordinary news, extraordinary news!"
