Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start
Chapter 1059 - 111: Gu Chen's Tribulation (Three updates of ten thousand words, please subscribe!)

"Speak, who are you really?"

Princess Xidie had a tall figure, graceful demeanor, eyebrows like ink paintings, teeth like strung shells, natural beauty radiating like a rosy cloud or a graceful moon, a flawless jade-like complexion, and a bright, captivating presence.

She was only half a head shorter than Gu Chen, and as she came closer and closer, he could distinctly smell the intoxicating fragrance emanating from Princess Xidie's body.

Even, faintly, he could feel a certain softness, indicating just how close the distance between Gu Chen and Princess Xidie had become at that moment.

Since arriving in this world until now, Gu Chen had been in a constant state of battle, and he had rarely had such close contact with women.

The persistent encroachment of the tenth princess of the Holy Brilliance Dynasty also made Gu Chen somewhat helpless.

"I am Gu Bai, I have been practicing in the mountains with my master since I was a child, and after my master's life came to an end, I followed his instructions and joined Qingyun Academy," Gu Chen said, repeating the fabricated story of his origin once again.

"You're lying to me!" Princess Xidie's intuition was sharp, her delicate nose wrinkled slightly in dissatisfaction as she spoke.

The way she was in this state appeared somewhat mischievously cute, something Gu Chen had never seen before.

In the past, whenever he had met Princess Xidie, she had always carried herself with poised grace, never acting like this with anyone.

"Perhaps, this is her true self," Gu Chen thought to himself.

But as for his true origin, it was something he could not possibly reveal, since even the top figures of the Taoxu Road didn't know about it.

Although Princess Xidie was not of bad character, even could be said to be kind-hearted, Gu Chen hadn't been acquainted with her for long, so naturally he didn't plan to completely disclose everything to her.

"Enough, Xidie, do not pressure Brother Gu too much," at this moment, the saintess of Taoxu Road, Chu Yue Ling, spoke up.

Hearing Chu Yue Ling's words, Princess Xidie's delicate nose wrinkled slightly, but ultimately chose to comply, stepping back and ceasing to press Gu Chen about his background.

Of course, she had no ill intentions; it was just curiosity, wanting to know from whence came this remarkable man.

Princess Xidie had a premonition that Gu Chen might very well be a lone cultivator, and if that were true, it would be extremely astonishing!

"Anyway, to comprehend divine powers at the God Transformation Realm, is incredibly extraordinary, no one could stand alongside him," Princess Xidie thought to herself.

Although she had a premonition, she truly did not expect that the person who had rescued her from the clutches of the Devil Cloud Thirty-Six Knights would actually turn out to be of the younger generation.

"I've been searching hard, why do you keep hiding it?" Princess Xidie asked, puzzled.

After pondering for a moment, Gu Chen said, "Your Highness is of noble status, while I am merely an insignificant individual. Should I step forward, I fear it might cause an upheaval."

As soon as Gu Chen said this, Princess Xidie instantly understood; she wasn't foolish, and grasped the meaning behind his words.

Chen Xuan dared to impersonate someone because he had the backing of Yuexiao Sect, but Gu Chen was different, merely a lone individual. Standing in the spotlight would surely attract the glaring revenge of the Devil Cloud Thirty-Six Knights.

Perhaps, some "interested parties" would not let him off the hook either.

"Therefore, I kindly request that you keep this secret for me, Princess. Let all that has happened here today be forgotten once we leave this place," Gu Chen smoothly pressed his point.

"Why, when comprehending divine powers at the God Transformation Realm, with such peerless talent, do you not wish to be known by all? It will bring you tremendous benefits, comparable to the supreme existence of the last great epoch, the Ice Emperor. The entire Upper Realm will be shaken, and countless forces will go to great lengths just to have you join them."

Princess Xidie said, "Even so, perhaps even the mightiest of beings might appear, wishing to take you as their chosen successor."

In her view, this was clearly a good thing, not understanding why Gu Chen was reluctant to reveal it.

Then, the ethereal Taoxu Road saintess, Chu Yue Ling, spoke, "But before that, Brother Gu could easily become the target of attention from all sides and subject to the covert assassinations of the Holy Sects."

She left unsaid that not only the assassinations of the Holy Sects but also the very likely possibility that jealous individuals might take action to directly eliminate Gu Chen.

After all, to comprehend divine powers at the God Transformation Realm represented an exceptional talent, arguably the pinnacle in the Upper Realm. Given that the battle of the Ten Thousand Tribes across the three thousand six hundred domains was about to begin, there would undoubtedly be many who would want to remove Gu Chen, a competitive threat, for the sake of their progeny.

Moreover, Gu Chen himself was also not willing to expose his identity and be at the forefront, unlike Chu Yue Ling and Princess Xidie, who had backing to rely upon.

All he could rely on in this vast, boundless Upper Realm was himself.

Gu Chen would not assume the worst in people, but he also believed that some would indeed approach him with ill intent.

Of course, the main point was that once he was in the eye of the storm, his true origins might be exposed, leading to the secrets of being a descendant of Emperor Yu and the Nine Tripods being uncovered, which would precipitate even greater turmoil.

To say nothing of others, the Heavenly Mysterious Imperial Dynasty, or say the Holy Sects, would definitely not let him off the hook.

And the Nine Tripods, as a supreme treasure, would also entice countless people.

At this moment, upon hearing these words, Princess Xidie also came to a realization, her intelligent eyes flashing as she looked back and forth between Gu Chen and Chu Yue Ling, and suddenly said, "Sister Chu, did you already know Gu Bai from before?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen was momentarily stunned, Princess Xidie's keen perception was a bit too sharp; was this what they called a woman's intuition?

However, fortunately, he quickly concealed his expression, not letting any signs show.

Chu Yue Ling naturally denied it as well.

Of course, despite her suspicion, Princess Xidie did not pursue the matter further but instead decided to drop the subject there.

"Alright, I will keep your secret; you can rest assured," Princess Xidie said.

"Thank you, Your Highness," upon hearing her words, Gu Chen exhaled softly and expressed his thanks with a fist salute.

"No need to thank me; rather, I should thank you. You saved my life, and I have always been thinking of how to repay you," Princess Xidie looked at Gu Chen again, asking what he needed or in what way she might be of assistance to him.

"There's no need for that; I acted out of self-preservation at the time. Let's forget about thanks. If it really bothers Your Highness, then please keep the secret for me, and consider that my request," Gu Chen said.

Princess Xidie frowned, knowing that she and Gu Chen were ultimately not close enough, which was why he was behaving this way.

Therefore, she did not persist further and decided to leave the topic behind.

As for gratitude, when the day comes that she and Gu Chen become familiar with each other, asking then wouldn't be too late.

Even with her status and background, Princess Xidie believed she would eventually be able to help Gu Chen.

She lived by the principle of repaying kindness.

While the three of them were talking, the distant thunder tribulation had also ended, and the earth was left with wounds all over, with the shattered heavens slowly mending.

As for the burly man and the rest of the Devil Cloud Thirty-Six Knights, they had long since turned into ashes, completely cease to exist.

"It's finally over," Princess Xidie exhaled lightly, her tense body also relaxed, feeling a wave of weakness.

The feeling of surviving the ordeal was truly pleasant, Princess Xidie wished she could say that.

Counting the previous time, Gu Chen had now saved her twice, and Princess Xidie stole another glance at him.

The next moment, as if she remembered something, she looked towards a certain place, where a figure covered in blood was lying on the ground, life and death unknown.

It was the prodigy of the Yuexiao Sect, Chen Xuan.

"Young Master Chen, how are you?" Princess Xidie hurriedly ran over to check on Chen Xuan's condition.

At this moment, Chen Xuan was only hanging on by a breath, his cultivation wasted by the burly man, even his foundation shattered, and his internal organs and meridians were likewise severely damaged, his soul fragmenting, clearly not long for this world.

In his last moments, he heard Gu Chen's secret, and also realized that all this time, the person he had been impersonating was actually Gu Chen.

Life is so unpredictable; it was only at the end that Chen Xuan realized that the real person had been by his side all along.

"He... He..." Chen Xuan spat out mouthfuls of blood, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Gu Chen stood to the side, watching Chen Xuan with a calm expression. Another purpose of his visit was to eliminate him, but now seeing his state, he too would not live much longer.

This spared Gu Chen from personally taking action.

"Young Master Chen..." Princess Xidie called softly, although he had deceived her, the idea of a living being dying right before her eyes still made her feel uneasy.

Gu Chen could tell that Princess Xidie was indeed kind-hearted, not just pretending.

Moreover, if her nature were evil, Saintess Chu Yue Ling of Taoxu Road would not have joined her.

In the end, Chen Xuan was unable to utter a word, his neck slumped, and he passed away.

Seeing Chen Xuan die right in front of her made Princess Xidie uncomfortable; she had rarely witnessed such scenes growing up.

What happened today made her realize what "cruelty" meant.

No wonder, her father, the Emperor, had always been reluctant to let her leave the Holy Brilliance Dynasty and go beyond his watchful eyes.

Because only then could he not properly protect Princess Xidie.

Boom!

Suddenly, just then, a startling thunderclap flashed by, causing Gu Chen and the two women to tremble.

"Heavenly tribulation? Why is there still a heavenly tribulation occurring?" Princess Xidie exclaimed in astonishment, gazing at the sky in confusion.

At this moment, Gu Chen's expression changed drastically, he obviously felt something and quickly said to the two women in a solemn voice, "Stay away from me, this tribulation is targeting me!"

"Targeting you?!" When Princess Xidie heard this, her pretty face instantly changed.

"How could this be?" She exclaimed, her bright eyes filled with worry.

Gu Chen said nothing but looked solemnly up at the canopy of heaven, could it be that his recent actions had backfired?

At that moment, above them, the sky roared with thunder, and massive clouds gathered, with copious flashes of silver, the force of it seemingly enough to shatter Gu Chen into pieces.

"You two get far away!" Gu Chen commanded.

Although Saintess Chu Yue Ling of Taoxu Road was extraordinary in her own right, after using the holy artifact, she was greatly exhausted and had yet to recover, certainly not in a condition to face the heavenly tribulation.

As for Princess Xidie, with her level of cultivation, facing the heavenly tribulation could very likely be fatal.

Therefore, Gu Chen instructed the two women to leave quickly, the further away from him the better.

"This..." Princess Xidie was visibly anxious, her eyes locking on Gu Chen as she hesitantly retreated a great distance, accompanied by Saintess Chu Yue Ling of Taoxu Road.

"Gu Bai won't be in any trouble, right?" Princess Xidie asked with concern, looking at Saintess Chu Yue Ling.

"Nothing will happen, with his strength if he can't handle it, then no one under the heavens could," Chu Yue Ling said softly, her eyes fixed on Gu Chen's tall figure.

At that moment, above the area, countless silvery lights flickered, the might of heaven looming, as thunder was about to descend.

Boom!

The next instant, a thick bolt of lightning fell from the sky above, striking Gu Chen with rapidity and violent force.

Crackle!

In a flash, electric arcs danced across the ground, spreading out far like tiny silver dragons.

Seeing this scene, Princess Xidie was immediately consumed with concern, her hand gently covering her mouth, nervously watching from afar.

At this moment, the lightning surged, heaven and earth boomed, and under the sky, thousands of silver lights sparkled, engulfing Gu Chen's figure within them, completely out of sight.