Mortal Speech

The Starfall Guards were a violent institution used by the Star Province Governor to govern the cultivation world, and their estate covered an enormous area.

But at this moment, the entire rear courtyard had been occupied by Gu Jinlai.

Today, however, the rear courtyard seemed especially lively.

Led by Gu Chaoyang and Nian Buwang, a group of Qi Refining cultivators...

During this period, Gu Chaoyang had relied on the innate Primordial Unity Art he had switched to, supplemented by Qi Refining Pills, and had already refined qi into gang force.

Their group, along with the thirty-odd people who had just hurried over from the Gu Clan under Gu Xiangyang's leadership, filled the courtyard.

"Have the areas where Demonic Beasts appear nearby been thoroughly investigated?"

Gu Jinlai asked.

"They have."

Gu Chaoyang nodded and directly took out a map. A trace of oddness colored his expression. "However... there are very few traces of Demonic Beasts around Lingxiao City. In recent times, there have hardly been any reports of Demonic Beasts eating people or slaughtering villages."

Gu Jinlai was somewhat surprised.

Lingxiao City's defensive forces were weak, yet there were actually no Demonic Beasts nearby?

"The nearest traces of Demonic Beasts are three hundred li from Lingxiao City."

"Three hundred li."

It had only been a few days since he seized the western branch of the Starfall Guards in the city. If he went three hundred li away to sweep out the Demonic Beasts...

It would probably be easy for unforeseen variables to arise.

But immediately afterward, he thought of something else.

Slaying Demonic Beasts was itself one of the Starfall Guards' duties.

As long as he took all the Starfall Guards, including the peripheral members, away from Lingxiao City, what meaning would there be in whatever the others wanted to do?

With no one left, were they supposed to occupy an empty shell?

"Summon all the Starfall Guards. Since I have taken up the post of Lingxiao City's Protector, I should naturally contribute to Lingxiao City's stability. Starting today, we will conduct a month-long demon-hunting operation, slay the Demonic Beasts in the surrounding area, and restore peace and order within Lingxiao City!"

Gu Jinlai declared righteously.

"Yes."

Gu Chaoyang cupped his hands and sent people to carry out the order.

"Gu Junxiu, Gu Junlei."

Gu Jinlai turned toward the two Gu Clan disciples.

The two of them possessed extraordinary skill in smithing. Gu Jinlai's swords and armor had all been forged by them, after which he infused them with spirit, merged spirits into them, and awakened those spirits.

He took out a series of completed drawings. "You two, go to the estate secretly purchased by Buwang. Following the parameters and requirements on these drawings, forge these devices. I want to see the finished products in one month."

The two looked at the strange iron tubes on the drawings. Though they did not understand their purpose, they naturally obeyed their Old Ancestor's orders. "Yes."

Looking at the two, Gu Jinlai thought of the bullet-production process.

The cartridge cases and bullets were formed by stamping molds, after which the propellant was loaded and the primers installed.

To ensure safety, this often required over a hundred procedures.

Without automated production, forming each batch of bullets would inevitably consume a great deal of manpower and resources.

Thinking of this, he said to Nian Buwang, "Send word back and have the household recruit a group of skilled smiths. At the same time, select loyal and reliable people for training. I will write a manual explaining what they should be trained in."

"Yes."

Nian Buwang acknowledged the order.

Gu Jinlai turned his gaze toward the thirty newly arrived members of the Gu Clan in the Organ Refining and Blood Changing realms.

These thirty people mainly cultivated the Great Sun Demon God Body-Tempering Method and practiced the Great Sun True Demon Body divine ability. Once the conditions were met and the technique matured, they would take the field in armor, wielding swords in their left hands and Gatling guns in their right, specifically for charging and breaking formations.

They did not need to be particularly strong. As long as they reached his current level, once fully equipped, thirty of them could absolutely break through ten thousand.

"It would be even better if we could equip each of them with a Battle Tyrannosaur mount covered head to toe in steel armor."

Gu Jinlai added inwardly.

A Battle Tyrannosaur was over ten meters long, weighed dozens of tons, possessed astonishing strength, and traveled at an average speed of eighty kilometers per hour, reaching a maximum of one hundred and forty kilometers per hour.

Add to that the ten tons of ammunition it could carry...

Thirty of them breaking through one hundred thousand would be no difficult feat.

Elite troops?

Ordinary soldiers?

There would be no difference before them.

Soon, more than twenty official Starfall Guards led by Zhao Fan, along with one hundred and forty-five reserve Starfall Guards, finished assembling.

With an order from Gu Jinlai, more than two hundred people left the city and headed straight for the first location where Demonic Beasts had appeared.

By the time Fang Que and the others received the news and sent people to inspect the western branch in the city, the entire branch had already been deserted.

Two hundred people carrying swords and blades rampaged across the wilderness. Wherever they passed, pedestrians and merchants all hurriedly dodged aside.

However...

They did not see many pedestrians or merchants along the way either.

Not only were pedestrians and merchants scarce, cultivators traveling the world were equally rare.

At some major crossroads, they could still see quite a few patrolling soldiers, seemingly maintaining public order, or perhaps guarding the surrounding area.

Gu Jinlai's group was numerous and flew the Starfall Guards' banner. Those patrolling soldiers naturally did not dare to stop them.

With few carriages and horses, the group traveled a hundred li a day and reached the location where the Demonic Beasts appeared after three days.

It was a small town beneath Autumn Mountain, abandoned for three years.

After resting for a day, Gu Jinlai ordered all official and reserve Starfall Guards to pour into Autumn Mountain and search for traces of Demonic Beasts.

There was strength in numbers.

After only one day, a Demonic Beast appeared.

It was a mid-ranking Demonic Beast.

Gu Jinlai led the group in surrounding and killing it, swiftly putting it to death.

He then had the Starfall Guards continue searching for Demonic Beasts, while Gu Chaoyang and Nian Buwang took people to guard the surroundings. He himself brought the thirty Gu Clan disciples to the corpse.

"Over the past few days, you have gained an initial grasp of the Great Sun Demon God Body-Tempering Method. Although you have yet to enter the beginner stage, you can already draw in Demonic Beast blood. Now, follow the order and come one at a time."

Gu Jinlai spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes."

The thirty people shouted in unison.

Although they knew that embarking on the path of demon warriors might bring all sorts of dangers, and that they might not even live long in the future, none of the thirty hesitated in the slightest.

The education they had received since childhood was all for the sake of strengthening and raising the clan. They were willing to give everything.

Including their lives.

Moreover, these thirty were all carefully selected members of the Gu Clan. Their will and convictions were beyond doubt.

"I will guide your cultivation. Gu Chifeng, you are first. Begin."

Gu Jinlai shouted.

Gu Chifeng, who had already reached the peak of Blood Changing, quickly smeared some of the Demonic Beast's blood essence over his body, inscribed the runes, and circulated the Great Sun Demon God Body-Tempering Method to begin absorbing it.

As he absorbed the power of the blood essence, Gu Jinlai pressed one hand against his head. In the next instant, a blazing, majestic sun seemed to appear behind him.

The great sun illuminated all things and radiated dazzling brilliance. Under its light and scorching force, the demonic nature remaining in the Demonic Beast blood essence on Gu Chifeng's body seemed to let out a shrill scream before being burned away completely.

With the interference of the demonic nature gone, Gu Chifeng absorbed the blood essence more quickly. As his aura surged, his body showed signs of condensing into a Demonic Beast body.

"Good!"

Gu Jinlai praised heavily.

Recalling his earlier speculation, spiritual perception should also possess the profoundness of divine intent, though its effect was not as pronounced as divine intent.

At once, he used his spiritual perception to draw out the spirituality within Gu Chifeng and subtly assisted him in forging a true Demonic Beast physique.

Just as he had guessed.

If instruction through divine intent was equivalent to a teacher giving guidance hand in hand, the guidance of spiritual perception was equivalent to a video lesson. Although it was somewhat inferior to hands-on instruction, for Gu Chifeng, who was only one step away from forging a Demonic Beast physique, it still pointed out the direction.

In less than half an hour, Killing Intent surged from Gu Chifeng's body. His original height of roughly one meter seventy-six directly increased to one meter eighty-one, while his muscles and physique clearly grew a full circle larger.

"Thank you for granting me this transformation, Old Ancestor."

Gu Chifeng spoke in a deep voice.

"Good."

Gu Jinlai patted him on the shoulder. "Well done. Go and properly familiarize yourself with your increased strength."

Then he turned toward another person. "Gu Qingmei, you're next."

Gu Qingmei, who was likewise at the peak of Blood Changing, stepped forward.

Over the following month, Gu Jinlai led a group of Gu Clan disciples and more than one hundred and sixty Starfall Guards through the mountains and forests.

Two hundred people actively searched, and with the monster-attracting buff from twelve layers of Karma, they hunted thirteen Demonic Beasts in one month!

Among them were three high-ranking Demonic Beasts!

Relying on the blood essence contributed by these Demonic Beasts, everyone completed their transformation into demon warriors.

Of course, because their foundations differed, only six people, including Gu Chifeng, Gu Qingmei, and Gu Luocheng, could condense a Demonic Beast physique in a single breath.

Although the other twenty-four had failed to cultivate a Demonic Beast body, their own blood and qi had still grown tremendously compared to before.

More than half had reached the peak of Blood Changing, while the other half had stepped from Organ Refining into the Blood Changing realm.

Such growth...

Could only be described as terrifying.

"There are more Demonic Beasts outside Lingxiao City than in Starlight City. Is that because Starlight City's demon hunters are more numerous, or because the Karma Buff has risen to twelve layers?"

Gu Jinlai walked through a barren little town, pondering slightly.

At that moment, Gu Chaoyang hurried over to report. "Old Ancestor, we have discovered another mid-ranking Demonic Beast. Zhao Fan and Senior Brother Su are leading people in surrounding and killing it."

"Good."

To avoid casualties on his side, Gu Jinlai immediately rose and hurried toward the encirclement.

When he arrived at the battlefield, Zhao Fan and Su Nanxing were still fighting the mid-ranking Demonic Beast, which wielded an iron staff and resembled a giant monkey.

This Demonic Beast was incomparably agile. Even with the two Core Forming cultivators joining forces, they could only suppress it and were unable to kill it. If not for the several Gang Condensing Starfall Guards around them attacking from time to time, it would probably already have escaped.

"Squeak!"

At that moment, the Demonic Beast suddenly cried out, and then...

It spoke human words.

"Humans... you... don't keep your word..."

When the Demonic Beast spoke, not only Su Nanxing but even Gu Jinlai was slightly stunned.

All along, they had known that Demonic Beasts fused with Demonic Spirits possessed intelligence. Even the ways in which they tempered their bodies contained a civilized system, and some with special bloodlines could even speak human languages. They had not expected to actually encounter one!

One had to know that Demonic Beast anatomy was completely different from that of humans. Those capable of producing human speech were all extraordinarily gifted!

This Demonic Beast before them...

"Whoosh!"

While Su Nanxing and Zhao Fan stood stunned, the Demonic Beast suddenly leaped away, breaking free of the two men's suppression at astonishing speed.

But before it could escape into the open, force exploded beneath Gu Jinlai's feet. Without drawing his sword, he slammed a palm containing tremendous power into the Demonic Beast. With the sound of bones shattering, the leaping Demonic Beast was sent crashing heavily toward the ground.

"Bang!"

Mud flew and scraps of grass scattered in all directions.

"Tell me, how have we humans failed to keep our word?"