Chapter 311: Chapter 186: One Slash, and the Mountains and Rivers Shatter

The first thing Gu Zheng did upon returning to Jing Country was to head to the Royal Capital to claim *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter*!

Crown Prince Zhong Tianlong was already aware that he had perfected *Golden Thousand Blades* and grasped Spatial Blade Intent.

His progress was a bit fast, almost absurdly so, but it had been several months since he’d obtained *Golden Thousand Blades*, and he had also entered the Nine Heavens Shadow Realm. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Whether it was due to his heaven-defying Sword Dao Talent or a stroke of incredible luck, he at least had an excuse.

When it came to cultivating a True Skill, you either knew how or you didn’t.

Success was success!

The envy and jealousy of others were useless.

However, *Golden Thousand Blades* could still be comprehended and obtained in the Dragon Guard Bureau’s underground treasury.

But the place where *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter* was stored was now the Zhong Family’s royal treasury.

Or rather, a treasury belonging to the Zhong Family itself!

Outsiders were absolutely forbidden from entering.

If it weren’t for the matter of awakening the Divine Weapon and Gu Zheng’s undeniable Sword Dao Talent, he would have been equally unqualified to enter.

When he received *Golden Thousand Blades*, he had been guided by Chen Wuji of the Dragon Guard Bureau. This time, he was led directly by a Prince of the Zhong Family, Gunshan King.

They went deep underground and entered a secret chamber ravaged by a sharp, piercing aura.

Gu Zheng approached a stone platform covered in blade marks. He channeled *Golden Thousand Blades*, released his Sword Intent, and connected with the Sword Intent information contained within the stone.

That is to say, the remnant of *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter* left on the platform!

The entire process took a day and two nights, after which he had obtained the complete *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter*.

When he emerged from the secret chamber, Gunshan King and Zhong Zhengao were still waiting outside.

"Grand General Gu, the Sovereign has summoned you!"

Zhong Zhengao gestured for Gu Zheng to go with him.

’The Sovereign wants to see me?’

Gu Zheng was surprised, but he showed none of it on his face. He nodded and replied, "I’ll have to trouble you, Your Highness."

"Mm," Zhong Zhengao responded coolly and began to lead the way.

Gu Zheng followed at a leisurely pace.

Neither of them spoke along the way.

Not until they entered Qianyuan Hall.

A middle-aged man in imperial robes was sipping warm tea, reclining on a lounge chair for a short rest.

"Your Majesty, I have brought Grand General Gu."

Zhong Zhengao bowed, his clear voice echoing in the vast, empty hall.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Gu Zheng followed behind him and bowed.

"Ha, Ping’an, you’re here."

Zhong Yi sat up, put down his teacup, and waved a hand. "Brother Prince, please rise. I’ve told you before, there’s no need to be so formal."

"Propriety must not be abandoned."

Zhong Zhengao straightened up and replied stiffly, "I have brought Grand General Gu. This subject will take his leave!"

"Alright, you may go."

Zhong Yi raised his hand slightly.

After Zhong Zhengao had left, he stood up and walked toward Gu Zheng, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Ping’an... By the way, I can call you Ping’an, right?"

"Of course." Gu Zheng remained respectful, bowing as he spoke. "To be called Ping’an by Your Majesty is my honor."

"Haha, excellent, excellent."

Zhong Yi walked over, patted Gu Zheng on the shoulder, and said gently, "Ping’an, Tianlong has told me everything. King Hanshan is just that sort of person—he prioritizes interests above all else. In his handling of certain matters, he may seem cold and impersonal, but his heart is dedicated to the country. There is absolutely no question about that."

"I have already reprimanded him! Of course, a reprimand is just lip service; it doesn’t truly harm him in any way. So, I have also fined him three years of his stipend and ordered him to enter the Cold Abyss for three years of solitary reflection!"

"This is his punishment. Punishment for being a Prince of Jing Country who stood by and watched while one of his own was threatened."

"Correspondingly, Ping’an, you and Ling Feng will each be rewarded with three Earth Pills..."

"Your Majesty..." Gu Zheng tried to speak when he heard this.

"Say no more!"

Zhong Yi cut him off. "Ping’an, you are a hero of our Jing Country, a prodigy seen once in a century, and a Grand General of the Demon Slayer Bureau. You have been wronged, and Jing Country will see that justice is served! That Xiao Xing will soon pay the price for his mistake. Ping’an, just you wait and see."

"...Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gu Zheng bowed, his voice tinged with feigned excitement as he expressed his gratitude.

Inwardly, however, he was perfectly calm.

Gu Zheng knew very well the purpose behind Zhong Yi’s long speech, with all its placating words and rewards.

At the exit of the Shadow Realm, King Hanshan, Zhong Zhenghong, hadn’t helped at the very beginning. It was only after Zuo Lingfeng cried for help and Zhong Tianlong spoke up that he finally intervened with a shout.

After Zhong Tianlong brought news of this back to the Royal Capital, if the Zhong Family did nothing, it would alienate their supporters.

Thus, the scene with Zhong Yi just now: acting cordially, speaking kind words, and offering benefits, all for fear that Gu Zheng would harbor resentment over the incident.

Setting aside the fact that the Zhong Family was a Noble Family, Zhong Yi was actually a pretty good Sovereign.

After taking the throne, the policies he enacted were all for the benefit of the people.

He had also been swift and decisive in purging corrupt officials.

When not holding court, in private, Zhong Yi was like a friendly neighborhood uncle.

At least, since Gu Zheng had entered the hall, Zhong Yi hadn’t displayed the slightest hint of a Sovereign’s authority.

For this reason, Gu Zheng played his part, acting deferential to go along with Zhong Yi’s attempt to build rapport.

Gu Zheng held no real resentment over Zhong Zhenghong’s choice to be a bystander.

Because from the very beginning, he’d never had any loyalty to the Zhong Family to speak of.

The resources from the Demon Slayer Bureau were all things Gu Zheng had exchanged for with his own merit points.

He didn’t owe anyone anything.

Now that Zhong Yi was offering him benefits, Gu Zheng certainly wasn’t going to be polite and refuse.

In fact, being polite would have been a bad thing.

...

Zhong Yi kept him for a long while, making small talk, and it wasn’t until an attendant requested an audience from outside the door that Gu Zheng was able to excuse himself and leave the Royal Capital.

Without stopping, he returned directly to Qingshi County, entered Great Dragon Mountain, and began cultivating *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter*.

With his foundation in *Golden Thousand Blades*, getting the hang of *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter* was quick.

Once he grasped the basics, he immediately spent Demon Points to advance his mastery.

And with that expenditure, Gu Zheng truly understood what level a True Skill, a tier above an Ultimate Skill, really was.

Ten thousand Demon Points!

To advance his mastery of *Ten Thousand Blades Heaven Slaughter* to the perfection realm, he had spent a total of ten thousand Demon Points!