24: My fists will shake the mountains and rivers! Beijing, here I come!

Soul-Severing Gorge, A Sliver of Sky.

The roar was deafening, the mournful wail of air being rapidly compressed.

The five-meter giant that Gu Yang had transformed into smashed down his fist, which was as large as a millstone, carrying a despair-inducing shadow!

"I don't believe it! This old man's thirty years of Saber Intent cannot be unable to cut through your flesh and blood!"

Water-Severing Flow let out a shrill roar.

Facing this punch that didn't seem to belong to the mortal realm, he had no way to dodge and could only pour his entire life's cultivation into slashing out the Peak strike of his life.

"Drawing the Saber to Sever Water—God Slayer!"

A brilliant Saber Qi, thirty meters long, soared into the sky, carving countless deep gashes into the rock walls of the canyon with its sharp Saber Intent.

However...

Clang—!!!

A deafening sound of metal clashing rang out.

That peerless Saber Qi, capable of severing a river's flow and even threatening a Great Grandmaster, struck Gu Yang's giant, dark-gold shimmering fist, only to produce a shower of sparks and leave a shallow white mark!

Not even the skin was broken!

"How is this possible..."

The last spark of life in Water-Severing Flow's eyes turned into despair.

The next second.

Boom!!!

The fist landed.

The earth shook violently, as if a magnitude ten earthquake had occurred.

The hard rock ground of Soul-Severing Gorge collapsed instantly, with rubble shooting out in all directions like bullets.

Dust filled the air, blotting out the sun.

When the dust cleared...

A giant fist print, ten meters in diameter and several meters deep, appeared on the ground.

At the very center of the fist print, that once-famous Great Grandmaster of the saber path was now like a nail, smashed into the ground with only his head exposed. His eyes were rolled back, and he had long since fainted.

As for his precious saber, which he valued as much as his life, it had turned into shards scattered across the ground.

"Whew—"

Gu Yang exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, and his body rapidly shrank, returning to his normal height of two meters and twenty centimeters.

Although it was only a brief moment of Dharma Image of Heaven and Earth, his internal energy reserves had actually decreased by a tenth.

This move is strong, but it's just too much of a fuel-guzzler.

He walked over to Water-Severing Flow's "head" and flicked the man's forehead with his finger.

"What level of trash are you to dare block my path?"

"Considering that strike of yours had a bit of bite to it, I'll spare your life."

Gu Yang casually slipped the Storage Ring off Water-Severing Flow's hand (another standard operation), then shouldered the coiling dragon pillar and, without a single glance at the messy battlefield, strode away... Three days later, Great Xia's Capital.

As the center of the Dynasty, the Capital's walls were ninety meters high, built entirely of basalt and inscribed with countless defensive Formations, capable of withstanding a siege even by a Monster King.

But today, the guards of the Capital were as if facing a formidable enemy.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Heavy footsteps echoed from the end of the official road.

A burly man carrying a massive black iron pillar, with a dragon tendon wrapped around his waist and radiating the Aura of a primordial Vicious Beast, was walking over step by step.

He was clearly just one person, yet he marched with the Aura of a thousand-strong army.

"Halt... Halt! Who goes there?!"

The city guard captain swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

Gu Yang stopped, looked up at the towering city gate, and grinned:

"Gu Yang of Qingyang City, entering the capital by imperial decree."

"Open the gate."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it exploded in the ears of all the guards like muffled thunder.

Entering the capital by imperial decree?

Is this that legendary Marquis of the Realm who tore apart a Flood Dragon and destroyed a demon cult with a single punch?!

"Quick! Open the gates quickly! Welcome the Marquis into the city!"

...Imperial Palace, Golden Throne Hall.

This was the Peak of power, where the Emperor of Great Xia sat high on the dragon throne, flanked by rows of civil and military officials.

The atmosphere today was exceptionally heavy, with everyone's eyes focused on the hall's entrance.

"Announcing—Gu Yang for an audience!"

Following the eunuch's shrill voice, Gu Yang strode in carrying the coiling dragon pillar (the Emperor had given special permission to bring weapons into the hall, mainly because no one dared to stop him).

His massive physique made the spacious Golden Throne Hall feel somewhat cramped.

The surrounding officials, who usually lived in luxury, felt the lingering blood-lust Aura on Gu Yang; their faces turned pale, and they subconsciously shrank back.

"This is Beloved Minister Gu?"

The Emperor looked at Gu Yang, a flash of shock and... wariness appearing in his eyes.

How is this a human?

This is clearly a Vicious Beast in human skin!

"Subject Gu Yang greets Your Majesty."

Gu Yang merely cupped his fists slightly and did not kneel.

What a joke; with his current knees, if he were to kneel, the floor of this Golden Throne Hall would likely shatter into pieces.

"Audacious! Why do you not kneel before His Majesty?!"

A Censor dressed in scarlet robes jumped out and pointed at Gu Yang, shouting angrily, "Furthermore, carrying a lethal weapon into the Golden Hall, where are your manners! You simply have no respect for your Sovereign!"

This Censor was also acting on someone else's instructions, wanting to give Gu Yang a show of strength and dampen his arrogance.

Gu Yang glanced at him.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Hum—

With a thought from Gu Yang.

Divine Ability—Extreme Dao Force Field! 2x Gravity!

He didn't target the entire room, only the Censor who had jumped out.

Thud!

The Censor felt as if a mountain had been pressed onto his back. His legs gave way, and he fell flat on his face. His face slammed hard against the floor, turning it into a bloody mess.

"Oh my, why is this official performing such a grand ceremony?"

Gu Yang said with a face full of "surprise," "I'm a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time and don't quite know the rules. You don't need to be so polite, sir."

The surrounding officials gasped.

What kind of sorcery is this?!

Manifesting words into law?

The Emperor's eyelid twitched, but he also saw Gu Yang's unruliness.

This kind of person can only be coaxed, not suppressed by force.

"Ahem, Beloved Minister Gu is a martial arts prodigy; there is no need to be bound by mundane etiquette."

The Emperor forced a reconciliation, "I have heard that you destroyed the Blood God Cult and achieved unparalleled merit. Today, I specially enfeoff you as the 'Marquis of the Realm,' granting you a thousand acres of fertile land, ten thousand taels of gold, and a manor!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Gu Yang wasn't interested in these empty titles; what he cared about were the practical benefits.

Just then, he suddenly felt an obscure but extremely dangerous gaze lock onto him.

Gu Yang snapped his head around, looking toward the shadows behind the dragon throne.

Standing there was a very old eunuch, his face covered in wrinkles, looking as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

But in Gu Yang's perception, the blood-qi contained within this old eunuch was like a miniature sun!

Half-step Martial Saint! Or perhaps a cultivator?

The old eunuch gave a sinister smile, his lips moving slightly as he transmitted his voice:

"Young man, the inner court of the palace hides dragons and crouching tigers; it's better to be a bit more restrained."

Gu Yang's eyes lit up.

Not only did he not restrain himself, he even stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, transmitting back:

"Old man, you look... very delicious."

"I wonder if eating you would allow me to level up again?"

The smile on the old eunuch's face froze instantly.

Madman!

This is an utter madman!

The audience, filled with the smell of gunpowder, thus concluded.

Gu Yang collected his rewards and moved into the massive Marquis of the Realm Manor.

However, he soon discovered a serious problem—

The cost of living in the Capital was too high!

Although the Emperor had rewarded him with ten thousand taels of gold, a single meal of his would consume hundreds of pounds of Yao Beast meat, and ordinary meat provided very few energy points.

To maintain the operation and continued evolution of the Primordial Indestructible Golden Body, he needed higher-grade "ingredients."

"Marquis, if you want to find high-tier Yao Beasts, besides absolute danger zones like the Ten Thousand Monster Cave, there is only the 'Royal Hunting Grounds.'"

The butler suggested cautiously, "The royal family keeps rare birds and exotic beasts caught from all over there, even a few Remnants with ancient Bloodlines. However, that is a royal Forbidden Ground; only princes and favored nobles are allowed to enter..."

"Royal Hunting Grounds?"

Gu Yang's eyes lit up, and he tossed aside the braised pig trotter in his hand.

"What Forbidden Ground? That's clearly my buffet restaurant!"

"Go! Lead the way! We're having an extra meal tonight!"