"Thank you, Lord Gu!"

Cheng Zong bowed first, paying his respects to Gu Zheng.

Ke Xiaoxia, Xue Ding, Tao Qi, and the men Cheng Zong had brought with him all bowed as well.

Gu Zheng raised a hand. "Besides the tens of thousands of common people who have suffered, the origin of the Evil God Stone statue must also be ascertained. If there’s one, there could be a second, or a third."

"Rest assured, Lord Gu, I will report this to the State City at once," Cheng Zong replied solemnly, clasping his fist.

This matter truly needed to be clarified.

Any Evil God was a Tier-5 existence.

Regardless of the method they used to enter the current world, if they weren’t found quickly, the future consequences would only grow more severe.

For this reason, a dedicated team was needed to handle the follow-up investigation.

Gu Zheng didn’t need to get involved for the time being.

Adhering to the principle of keeping his own backyard safe and peaceful, Gu Zheng patrolled the entirety of Nanyun Prefecture, searching every single county.

From the deep mountains to the riverbeds, he left no stone unturned.

During his search, he also cleaned out all the stray Demon Fiends.

He gained less than one thousand Demon Points.

The Evil God’s aura was never detected again.

...

After finishing his search, Gu Zheng returned to Qingshi County. He consumed the three Earth Pills he had acquired, refined a few more Demon Pills to temper his body, and reduced the Demon Points needed for his next breakthrough to ninety-six thousand.

This alone showed just how much energy was required to condense a Divine Seed.

Relying solely on Divine Power and Physical Strength would make it very difficult to achieve.

’Using points is still the fastest way.’

’Demon Points!’

The Demon Points gained from slaying the Electric Spirit Monster weren’t enough.

The only other Tier-3 channel in Fengzhou, aside from Grand Canyon Mountain, was Qixia Valley in Silver Mansion.

That very day.

Gu Zheng crossed prefectures and arrived at Qixia Valley to visit the two Garrisons stationed at the channel.

The Demon-slaying Grand Generals of the Heroic Body Realm, Sun Yunrang and Jiang Xiong.

"I finally get to meet you, Lord Gu!"

Jiang Xiong, who had a head of white hair and a matching beard but a tall and burly physique, beamed as he clasped his fist at Gu Zheng. "That old coot Meng Taiqi has bragged to me so many times about taking on a good student. After hearing so much, I’ve grown curious and full of admiration for you, Lord Gu. I regret not staying in the State City back then. Otherwise, how would that scoundrel Meng Taiqi and that brute Xie Bisheng have gotten the chance to become your masters?"

"Haha, I’d love to have a student like Lord Gu, too. The more the merrier." The slender Sun Yunrang, who looked refined and scholarly, spoke with a bold and hearty tone. "Jiang, you regret not staying in the State City, and so do I! Lord Meng and Lord Xie simply struck it rich when they took Lord Gu as their student."

"You two lords flatter me. I was just lucky enough to be noticed by Master Meng and Master Xie. I am who I am today thanks to their guidance."

Gu Zheng smiled and returned the fist-clasping gesture. "I have come to Qixia Valley this time because I wish to enter the channel and take a trip to the Demon Realm on the other side. I intend to slay a few Tier-3 Demon Fiends and obtain some Demon Pills. Since I’m unaware of the situation over there, I’ve come to ask for your guidance."

"Lord Gu, you’re too polite. You’ve come to kill Demon Fiends on the other side of the channel—we don’t even have time to thank you properly!"

Sun Yunrang raised a hand and said seriously, "Who in all of Fengzhou doesn’t know that any channel Lord Gu enters ends up quiet for a time afterward? Because of this, everyone else wants to invite you over, but your strength has increased too quickly. Now, you can only enter Tier-3 channels. They’re both helpless and frustrated about it!"

"Hahaha~"

Jiang Xiong laughed heartily. "That’s right! We couldn’t be happier that you’ve come, Lord Gu, to charge into the other side of the channel. The Demon Fiends over there are mainly comprised of five types."

"Centaurs, Cannibal Demons, Dwarf Earth Dragons, Blood Boiling Demon Eagles, and the rare but always at least Tier-3 Rock Giants!"

"Rock Giants?" Gu Zheng’s sword-like brows shot up at the name. "Lord Jiang, are you referring to the Rock Tribe of the Giant Race?"

"Correct."

Jiang Xiong nodded. "The Demon Realm on the other side of Qixia Valley is a mountainous region inhabited by a clan of Rock Giants. These brutes are enormous. They aren’t fast, but their strength is terrifying, and their defense is even more astonishing. A high-grade Spiritual Soldier can only leave a mark on their bodies. The crucial thing is, unless you shatter their Giant’s Heart, they won’t die no matter how you kill them."

"Thankfully, the Rock Giants have never appeared at the channel entrance," Sun Yunrang added. "Otherwise, given how difficult they are to deal with, we would have to pay a great price if one came through the channel."

"That’s true," Gu Zheng nodded.

Centaurs, Cannibal Demons, Dwarf Earth Dragons, Blood Boiling Demon Eagles.

These four types of Demon Fiends were relatively easy to handle.

But running into a Rock Giant would be a real headache.

The fact that even high-grade Spiritual Soldiers couldn’t break through their defense spoke volumes about the Rock Giants’ fortitude.

However, if one could find a Rock Giant’s Heart and dig it out, the reward would be immense.

A Giant’s Heart was the equivalent of a Demon Pill in other Demon Fiends, but it was even more miraculous. Not only did it possess surging energy, but it also held a powerful Rebirth ability and a deep connection to the earth.

One could say that a single Giant’s Heart was worth three to five Demon Pills of the same tier.

It was impossible for Gu Zheng not to be tempted.

High-grade Spiritual Soldiers couldn’t break a Rock Giant’s defense.

’But what about a Divine Weapon?’

...

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Sun Yunrang and Jiang Xiong, Gu Zheng took his leave and headed for the channel entrance.

The channel in Qixia Valley was located fifteen meters in mid-air. When Demon Fiends came through, it was as if they were descending from the sky.

The circular channel was three hundred meters long and about twenty meters in diameter.

A Rock Giant could definitely fit through a passage of this width. It was only because they had never approached the entrance that things had remained peaceful.

Although Sun Yunrang and Jiang Xiong had passed through the channel to the other side, they had never ventured far, only circling the area near the entrance.

Gu Zheng had no intention of getting too close to these two.

He hadn’t forgotten that one of them, either Sun Yunrang or Jiang Xiong, was a spy for Kang Country!

SWOOSH—

He leaped into the air, shot straight up into the channel, and crossed the three hundred meters to enter the other side.

He emerged from the other end of the channel at the foot of a mountain, the exit nearly flush with the ground.

If a Demon Fiend discovered the channel entrance, it only needed to run over and jump in to reach Qixia Valley.

Gu Zheng flew out of the exit, hovered in the air, and scanned his surroundings.

He found not a single Demon Fiend on the nearby mountain.

Evidently, Sun Yunrang and Jiang Xiong came over to clear them out from time to time.

But this kind of clearing action couldn’t keep the peace for long.

The spatial distortions caused by the channel’s existence extended for a great distance.

The stronger the Demon Fiend, the more sensitive it was to them.

Gu Zheng surveyed the area from the air and listened for a moment before abruptly rocketing off to his right, tearing through the sky.

WHOOSH—

The astral winds howled.

Covering several hundred meters in an instant, Gu Zheng arrived outside a mountain pass and saw a group of Centaurs galloping rapidly toward the channel entrance.

Centaurs, as the name implied, had the four-hooved lower body of a horse. Where the horse’s neck should be was a human torso, complete with two arms and a human-like head. But their faces were hideous, like those of evil ghosts, with mouths full of fangs. They were also carnivorous!

In their thick, powerful hands, each one gripped a Bone Staff or a Bone Blade.

Gu Zheng’s sudden appearance startled them, and they immediately threw their Bone Blades at him in attack.

SWISH! SWISH!

The Bone Blades and Bone Staffs whistled through the air.

SHIING! SHIING! SHIING!

Flashes of cold light shot out at an even greater speed, piercing the air.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

After a series of crisp cracks, all the Bone Blades and Bone Staffs shattered.

The three hundred and sixty flying blades didn’t pause. They continued forward, slicing into the troop of Centaurs, piercing, puncturing, and blowing apart each one’s head!

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +9]

[Demon Points +10]

...

A nice haul in one go.

Over twenty Centaurs, all dead.

Even the Tier-2 Centaur among them was unable to dodge, its head pierced by a blade the instant it realized the danger.

SHWISH SHWISH~

Gu Zheng recalled his blades, letting them circle his body as he continued forward, sensing for the auras of other Demon Fiends.

...

...

「Fengzhou State City.」

In a courtyard deep within the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters.

"BZZZT—"

A sudden vibration startled Ji Tianping from his seated meditation.

He slowly opened his eyes, raised a hand, and beckoned. The seal resting not far away flew into his grasp.

SNAP.

With the seal in hand, he read the information within, and his eyes suddenly flashed with light.

"Gu Zheng has entered the Qixia Valley channel to kill Tier-3 Demon Fiends on the other side?"

After reading the message, the corners of Ji Tianping’s mouth lifted into a smirk. "So he finally couldn’t hold back anymore?"

Muttering to himself, Ji Tianping stopped circulating his energy and slowly stood up.

"Excellent. Killing Tier-3 Demon Fiends is excellent. It would be best if he went to kill the Rock Giants!"