Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

Cool.

Gu Chen enjoys the feeling of rapidly increasing strength.

The time that follows.

Gu Chen continued his alchemy practice as usual, steadily accumulating wealth.

As for the Wen family, ever since Wen Wushuang and Duan Yanxin lost to him...

There was no further action against the Cheng family.

The Cheng family's life finally settled down into peace.

only.

In the desolate state.

A statement emerged.

Wen Lingtian, the heir of the Wen family, made a statement.

He stated that both of them were disciples of the Chief of the Night Watch of the Wilderness State.

He decided to formally challenge Gu Chen.

They asked Gu Chen if he would accept the challenge.

If Gu Chen chooses to accept the challenge, the duration of the battle within the next year will be determined by Gu Chen.

This news came out.

This instantly caused an uproar among various forces within the desolate state.

Wen Lingtian is preparing to challenge Gu Chen.

This newly promoted disciple of the Night Watch Division finally couldn't hold back any longer after his younger brother and his follower Duan Yanxin were defeated by Gu Chen one after another.

In this regard.

Many factions found it interesting.

This is a calculated move against Gu Chen.

Wen Lingtian was a few years older than Gu Chen and his cultivation level was in the late True Essence Realm.

He is currently ranked 387th on the list of prodigies.

Gu Chen was at a disadvantage in coming to challenge him.

If Gu Chen were given a few more years to cultivate, he might very well reach his current level, or even surpass it.

But in this world, there is often no such thing as absolute fairness.

Wen Lingtian had accurately grasped the current opposing status of the two and the opportune moment to challenge Gu Chen, which would be advantageous to him.

If Gu Chen accepts the challenge, he will lose face, and he will also lose face for his master, Shangguan Wuqing.

It would be shameful not to fight back.

People would think he was a coward, only daring to bully those weaker than him, and afraid of Wen Lingtian, the newly promoted chief disciple of the Night Watch Division, and would label him as a coward before even fighting.

This is a blatant, overt conspiracy.

No solution.

Wen Lingtian chose a very clever time.

The selection period is within the next year, with the specific time to be determined by Gu Chen.

He timed it precisely within this specific timeframe.

No matter how much Gu Chen cultivates, he can't surpass him. We can be more magnanimous.

He demonstrated his confidence without letting Gu Chen gain any advantage.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen received this news.

It just feels ridiculous.

"This Wen Lingtian really thinks he's got me cornered," Gu Chen sneered.

So you want to lose face? Bring it on!

Gu Chen directly summoned Cheng Mengling and asked her to release the news to the public.

He said he had already accepted Wen Lingtian's challenge.

The timeframe is set for one and a half months from now.

At that time.

He took the opportunity to show that he had broken through to the mid-stage of the True Essence Realm, and then defeated him.

Maintaining one's image as a genius.

This also made Wen Lingtian lose face.

Currently, he is with his master, Shangguan Wuqing.

They did not interfere with the situation of their three disciples in the desolate state.

They're probably waiting.

We await their resistance and achievements.

Instead, they suppressed the momentum of Chen Lei and the Wen family.

If he can defeat Wen Lingtian in front of everyone, he will surely be able to help his master regain some prestige.

It's also good for him.

Meanwhile, on the Wen family's side...

After Wen Lingtian received Gu Chen's response.

He gave a cold laugh.

"The fish has taken the bait." Wen Lingtian said to Wen Wushuang, "In the month and a half leading up to the upcoming challenge, you need to spread the word about this challenge as much as possible, ideally making sure that all the forces in the entire Desolate State know about it."

"The challenge will take place in Yuehai County. I will defeat him in front of all the forces in the entire Desolate State. I will not only make him lose face, but also make his superior, Shangguan Wuqing, lose face as well!" Wen Lingtian sneered.

"Yes, elder brother." Wen Wushuang nodded.

Gu Chen is indeed still too young.

Faced with his elder brother's blatant scheme, he immediately took the bait.

Those who don't know their own mortality.

He thought that by defeating him and Duan Yanxin, he could become his elder brother's opponent.

ridiculous.

Next, Gu Chen will learn how big the difference is between the early and middle stages of the True Essence Realm.

Wen Wushuang quickly mobilized the Wen family's resources to spread the word.

All forces in the desolate state.

They soon learned of this.

There are many first-rate and second-rate forces in the desolate state.

The top-tier forces are only the Wen family and the Qingyun Sword Sect.

Many forces felt that Gu Chen was still too young.

He was provoked by Wen Lingtian.

If one lacks the necessary character, one will accept it.

At Gu Chen's age.

In a few years, he might become Wen Lingtian's rival.

But now.

They were on the verge of collapse.

After all, there are two minor realms between the early and late stages of the True Essence Realm.

Even though Gu Chen had cultivated the Four Beasts Celestial Phenomenon Technique.

It's also very difficult to make up for.

After all, Wen Lingtian is no ordinary late-stage True Yuan Realm cultivator.

He was a late-stage True Essence Realm cultivator nurtured by a top-tier power like the Wen family, whose combat strength was comparable to many rogue cultivators at the peak of the True Essence Realm.

It's roughly equivalent to needing to overcome three minor realms to defeat Wen Lingtian.

difficult.

Within the Qingyun Sword Sect.

Upon receiving this news, Liu Chen became excited.

Gu Chen actually agreed to Wen Lingtian's challenge.

good good!

What an idiot.

So you're still so confident in yourself?

His ankles and hands, now crushed by Gu Chen, are being nourished by the precious spiritual medicine and true essence that his father found.

The bones have begun to recover.

But the goal is to return to previous levels.

There's still a long way to go.

He needs to re-strengthen the skin, muscles, and bones in his hands and ankles.

His skill level will remain stagnant for at least another year or two.

All of this is thanks to Gu Chen.

The battle between Gu Chen and Wen Lingtian will take place then.

He was determined to go and witness firsthand Gu Chen's defeat and disgrace.

While the whole desolate state was buzzing with discussion about this matter...

There are disciples from several factions.

They also entered the desolate state without making a sound.

Huangshi City is one of the cities under the jurisdiction of Heiyan Prefecture in Yuehai County, and it is one city away from Jiuwan City.

A group of rugged and sturdy young disciples stepped into Huangshi City. All of them were dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with thick cloth bands wrapped around their forearms. They were tall and strong with broad shoulders and backs.

His steps were steady, his hands were calloused and imbued with a faint golden aura of fist energy, and his eyes were sharp and arrogant, exuding the fierce and domineering aura of a martial artist.

"Senior Brother, we've finally arrived," one of the accompanying disciples said to the senior brother who was leading the group.

"Hmm." Among the group, the eldest disciple nodded and said, "Let's find an inn to stay in first. We should be the first to arrive at Black Rock Prefecture. I wonder if the others have arrived yet."

They are none other than themselves.

He was a disciple of the Divine Fist School, one of the eight major schools.

The Divine Fist Sect, along with the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, belongs to the same eight sects.

It is a top-tier force.

They have now arrived at Black Rock Prefecture.

It was by chance that we came together.

This opportunity stemmed from a treasure map that several senior experts from the Divine Fist Sect, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the Haoran Academy, and the Golden Radiance Palace had deciphered some time ago.

Several of the older generation from their four major factions.

He stumbled upon a treasure map when he was young, and after years of deciphering it, he has finally found the answer.

This treasure map leads to the tomb of a half-step Earthly Venerable Realm expert.

They were maps he acquired in his youth, and now his realm has long since reached the upper three realms.

The treasure map no longer held much appeal for them.

The four parties decided to hand over the treasure map to their younger generation of disciples.

Let them find the treasure themselves.

It was both a learning experience and an opportunity.

The other three cities within the territory of Black Rock Prefecture.

In Xiling City, which is relatively close to Jiuwan City, a group of disciples from the Wan Du Sect also arrived.

They were all dressed in wide gray-purple robes, with their hats hanging low to cover most of their faces, and their cuffs and hems were embroidered with fine, dark poisonous patterns.

She was surrounded by a very faint, cool medicinal aura, her eyes were gentle and sinister, and she deliberately avoided crowds as she walked. Her figure was elusive, and she exuded a chilling aura.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is also one of the eight sects.

Their strength is no less than that of the Qingyun Sword Sect and the Divine Fist Sect.

Outside Jiuwan City.

The disciples of Haoran Academy had also arrived by this time.

This group of scholars were all dressed in clean and elegant moon-white scholar's robes, holding folding fans, their postures gentle and upright. Their features were clear and refined, their demeanor composed and dignified, and they exuded a faint aura of righteousness.

Haoran Academy, one of the Seven Palaces.

One dynasty, two gates, three outside, four clans, five families.

Six palaces, seven halls, eight factions, nine top streams, and ten merchant guilds.

The Seven Palaces are ranked above the Eighth Faction, so their overall strength must also be greater than that of the Eighth Faction.

Meanwhile, in Yunyan City, east of Jiuwan City, another disciple from the Jinyao Palace, one of the Seven Palaces, also arrived.

The entire Jin Yao Palace was dressed in bright white brocade robes with gold trim, the fabric of which was luxurious and dazzling, and gold-patterned jade pendants hung from their waists.

The group of people stood tall and proud, their eyes and brows exuding arrogance and nobility. Their bodies were surrounded by shimmering golden light, and all of them were haughty and arrogant, walking with an air of disdain for the local people of Yunyan City around them. They exuded the powerful aura of disciples of the Seven Palaces.

"Let's rest here for a while, and then discuss exploring that tomb together once the other major forces arrive," said the leader of the Golden Palace disciples.

They obtained the map to the cemetery treasure.

However, according to the elders within their own faction, the cemetery was hidden in a mountain ridge.

They need to work together to explore this.

So we have to wait for the other companies to arrive so we can dig together.

Otherwise, if we let them dig on their own, how long will it take them to finish?

The key to open the cemetery was given to each of the four families, and they dug it up on their own, without the keys from the other three families.

They couldn't open the cemetery either.