198: launch an attack

Gu Yuchuan sat on the bed, heightening his vigilance; he was still a bit apprehensive.

As expected, his suspicions were correct—an assassin had come. He could sense someone entering his courtyard, even though the intruder was doing their utmost to hide their tracks. However, they could not escape Gu Yuchuan's Dharma Eye.

The newcomer was dressed in night-traveling clothes, and it was impossible to tell what Realm of Cultivator they were. Their strength was highly restrained, suggesting they were likely a shadow guard or someone similar. Having cultivated techniques to conceal their Qi and strength since childhood, even with Gu Yuchuan's best efforts to probe, he still couldn't discern the opponent's exact cultivation level.

The intruder's movements appeared somewhat furtive. He knew that his target was a Golden Core Stage Cultivator; if he couldn't land a decisive blow, he wouldn't be able to take the opponent down quickly. Once exposed, he would be in great danger. Thus, he also felt a degree of panic in his heart.

Clutching a dagger, he slowly entered the room, but he had already stepped into Gu Yuchuan's Formation. Although it was only a second-rank Formation, it was sufficient to provide brief resistance and confusion.

"A visitor is a guest. Sit down and have some tea."

From the assassin's perspective, a bank of clouds and mist appeared before him. He could see nothing clearly. Gu Yuchuan's voice sounded in his ears, and a table appeared in front of him with a cup of tea on it. He certainly didn't dare to drink it, nor did he even dare to speak.

He raised his dagger and began to swing it in front of him. He knew his own strength, and this small Formation could not trap him. Sure enough, as soon as he struck, the cold glint of his blade broke the second-rank Formation. While the Formation was mysterious, it was a bit forced to try and trap a Cultivator of a higher rank than itself.

However, the moment he acted, his strength could no longer be hidden—he was a Cultivator of the Third Layer of Golden Core. If Gu Yuchuan had stabilized his Realm and refined his Lifebound Treasure, he could truly have fought a Cultivator of the Third Layer of Golden Core. But for now, he likely couldn't win, though he wouldn't be defeated that quickly either.

A hint of disdain appeared in Gu Yuchuan's eyes. He remained sitting on the bed without moving, as if he had a grand plan in mind and feared nothing.

"What? Does Prince Zhao look down on me so much that he only sent a Cultivator of the early Golden Core Stage to kill me? Isn't that a bit too optimistic? It's simply a joke."

This person was Prince Zhao's shadow guard and had handled countless unsavory tasks for him. Since he was a toddler, he had been taught to be loyal to Prince Zhao; the Prince was his faith. Now that Gu Yuchuan looked down on his faith so much and was so provocative in his speech, the man naturally couldn't endure it.

"A mere snake demon, what do you know of the Human Race's prowess? Since I have come today, your fate is sealed. A mere Prodigy dares to oppose my master? Watch as I skin you and pull out your tendons, making you regret ever coming to the capital!"

The offense caused Gu Yuchuan's expression to turn significantly colder. His Long Spear had already appeared in his hand. But as the Long Spear and dagger collided, he felt a massive force recoil into his chest, making him feel a faint sense of discomfort.

Although their clash was stealthy, it was, after all, a battle between two Golden Core Cultivators. The aftershocks of the magical power were still felt by many Cultivators. However, no one actually wanted to come and investigate. It seemed that in order to successfully assassinate him, Prince Zhao had made many preparations, and of course, the Crown Prince was secretly providing convenience as well.

Gu Yuchuan could feel the gap between himself and his opponent—one in cultivation and one in weaponry. The opponent's dagger was a true Magic Treasure. Although it was only Low Grade, it was enough to significantly boost a Golden Core Stage Cultivator's strength. No matter how powerful a Spiritual Artifact was, it was still just a Spiritual Artifact; compared to a Magic Treasure, there was a massive divide.

After only a few collisions, he felt his Long Spear becoming unstable, even showing signs of cracking. This was clearly the gap in grade making it unable to withstand the impacts. Gu Yuchuan felt the sting of loss; as his cultivation rose, this Long Spear was becoming inadequate, but it could still be passed down to his subordinates. The value of this Long Spear was definitely over three thousand Spirit Stones; he would be pained if it were destroyed.

Furthermore, Gu Yuchuan didn't need to determine a winner today. The clash just now was actually just to test his own strength. He became even more convinced of what he needed to do: go into secluded meditation, forge a Magic Treasure, and learn Golden Core Stage Spells. He lacked too much right now and needed time.

Ordinary Human Race Cultivators have a lifespan of over five hundred years after ascending to the Golden Core. Not to mention the Dragon Kin, who naturally have long lifespans; his current lifespan exceeded a thousand years. After reaching the Golden Core Stage, everything required a vast amount of time. Unfortunately, he truly didn't have much time right now.

He surged his Qi and rushed out, shouting: "In the capital of the Human Race, someone is actually assassinating a Prodigy of the Yao Race! Is there no one to intervene?"

Gu Yuchuan's words were like oil in a hot pan; in an instant, the entire capital was in an uproar. This was truly no small matter. If handled poorly, the Human Race would lose all Face, and it might even affect the future cooperation between the Human and Yao Races. Thinking from another perspective, if a Prodigy of the Yao Race comes to compete and cannot even preserve their life but is instead hunted down, how could anyone believe that cooperation is possible?

The Imperial Guard of the capital immediately mobilized. The shadow guard also knew things had gone south. He hadn't expected the opponent to be able to set aside their pride and seek help like this. How could a Prodigy do such a thing? Weren't Prodigies all arrogant? He had seen many Prodigies who valued their Face extremely highly; very few would seek help in this manner.

He immediately wanted to flee, but at this moment, it depended on whether Gu Yuchuan was willing to let him.

"You think you can come and go from my residence as you please, as if it were your back garden? You're looking for death."

He transformed into his true form. A Yao Race member's true form is often their ultimate trump card. Gu Yuchuan might have deficiencies elsewhere, but his true form possessed the strength of a true Golden Core Realm. In the sky, several bolts of Divine Lightning struck toward the shadow guard.

Even though the shadow guard turned into a cloud of black mist to block the attack, he had already lost his best chance to escape. The Imperial Guard had already surrounded them, and the Heaven and Earth Net Battle Formation had hemmed them in. He could no longer run.

The leading Imperial Guard Captain was a Cultivator of the Late Stage of Golden Core. Clad in golden armor, his attitude was very polite: "Demon King, please step back. It was our negligence that allowed such a thing to happen today. I will certainly give you an explanation."

Gu Yuchuan said nothing to him and descended with a cold Face. An explanation? For an Imperial Guard Captain, providing a satisfactory explanation would be difficult indeed.