Chapter 274: Chapter 170: A Surge in Demon Points

In the next instant, the heads of two of the triplets suddenly ripped apart, pieces scattering across the ground.

"Aaargh!"

The last one screamed and dropped to one knee, his body wracked with tremors. His face was deathly pale, and sweat poured down his skin.

VMMMM!

An invisible ripple radiated through the air.

Gu Zheng unleashed a Nether Heart Slave Seal, sending it straight into the man’s mind.

"Nngh—"

The burly man shuddered, instinctively resisting. But as he looked up, his body went rigid. He trembled uncontrollably for a moment before finally going still.

The ferocity, hatred, and dread in his eyes vanished, replaced by submission, awe, and adoration...

"Jin Erniu greets Master!"

"Jin Erniu?" Gu Zheng retracted his blade and used Spirit Capturing on the Divine Source of the two corpses, gaining 71 Demon Points.

"Your name is Jin Erniu, so were the other two Jin Da Niu and Jin San Niu?"

"Yes, Master. My eldest and third brothers were indeed named Da Niu and San Niu," Jin Erniu answered calmly. "We three share a psychic link. We’ve been able to sense each other since we were children."

"Interesting."

Gu Zheng started down a passageway. "Tell me, where is the Cult of Evil’s Main Altar? Who is the Sect Leader?"

"Forgive my incompetence, Master, but I do not know," Jin Erniu replied with a bow. "I know nothing of the Main Altar’s location, nor the Sect Leader’s identity or origins."

"Then tell me what you do know." Gu Zheng’s perception swept over two Divine Attendants hiding around the corner.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

The blade flew through the air, slicing through space.

SHINK! SHINK!

With two sharp sounds, the heads of the hidden pair burst apart.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +29]

[Demon Points +31]

...

"Yes."

Jin Erniu, who had followed him around the corner, saw the corpses but felt nothing. He respectfully revealed everything he knew.

First, this particular stronghold didn’t have many Cultists—just over four hundred in total.

More than three hundred of them had followed Luo Xihu to hunt down Cheng Zong’s party, and all of them were now dead.

Only a few dozen had remained in the cave, and Gu Zheng had now killed most of them.

Jin Erniu knew of two similar strongholds, both in western Fengzhou, but not within Nanyun Prefecture.

Besides Luo Xihu, Jin Erniu knew of one other Guardian in the cult: a man named Tang Qiyun.

Tang Qiyun was a general in the Fengzhou Army!

This news was both surprising and yet not surprising at all.

Before the Celestial Change, the State Armies were the undisputed masters of their respective states—tyrannical, domineering, and untouchable.

Even a State Governor had to negotiate to mobilize troops.

This was because the State Governor managed civil affairs, while the highest commander of the State Army was the General.

The General answered to the Ministry of War, and his rank was on par with the State Governor’s.

Before the Celestial Change, the State Army only feared the members of the Observatory.

But now, the State Army was little more than glorified wall guards, not much different from the City Defense Bureau.

In the past, no matter how powerful a Grandmaster was, they could only flee when faced with an army’s encirclement.

Now, any random expert in the Super Body Realm could slaughter their way through an army of ten thousand.

Assassinating a general was even easier.

So, Gu Zheng wasn’t particularly surprised that Tang Qiyun had secretly begun to worship an Evil God and had become a Guardian for the Cult of Evil.

Selling one’s soul to grasp power comparable to the peak of the Super Body Realm... If word of that got out, countless people would be willing to make the trade.

Those who had died in the claws and maws of Demon Fiends would have been especially desperate for such an opportunity.

By that same token, there was no injustice in killing people who made such a choice.

...

With all the Cultists in the cave dealt with, Gu Zheng took stock.

Aside from gaining over a thousand Demon Points, he had found a large amount of grain, as well as gold, silver, jewels, and various land and property deeds.

There were no extra Source Fruits or Marvels, only the rings on the three Jin brothers—the Unity Rings.

He did find a few Treasure Pills, like Anomalous Pills, Blast Pills, and Healing Pills, all of the First and Second Transitions.

There were no Spiritual Soldiers.

It was just a stronghold, after all.

Gu Zheng didn’t take any of the gold, silver, or jewels. Such things were worthless these days.

He took all the grain, stowing it in his Storage Pouch.

Grain would be extremely scarce for the next few years. One could never have enough.

In a twisted way, the roaming Demon Fiends, by eating and killing people, were reducing the population and thus alleviating the food shortage...

After leaving the cave, Gu Zheng had Jin Erniu lead him straight to the other two strongholds.

He cleared the path with the pressure of his Heroic Body Realm, his three hundred and sixty blades following close behind.

Whether they were Divine Attendants or Divine Envoys, no one in the strongholds lasted more than a few exchanges before being slain.

Wiping out the first stronghold earned Gu Zheng 7,500 Demon Points.

Wiping out the second earned him another 8,000 Demon Points!

’This Divine Source energy really showed up at the perfect time,’ he thought.

Just like that, he had gathered nearly half of the remaining 50,000 Demon Points he needed to break through to the third stage of the Heroic Body Realm!

...

With the two strongholds dealt with, Gu Zheng hurried toward the camp of the Fengzhou Army’s Western Army to root out Tang Qiyun.

As for Jin Erniu, Gu Zheng sent him to reunite with his two brothers, gaining another 33 Demon Points.

’If he had gained his power naturally, or through a Marvel in a Domain, I could have kept him around.’

’But Jin Erniu’s power came from an Evil God. It was far too unstable, a disaster waiting to happen.’

’So, getting rid of him was the safer bet.’

With Demon Fiends running rampant, all of the Fengzhou Army’s outlying camps had been moved to the outskirts of nearby cities, ready to retreat inside at a moment’s notice.

The Western Army’s camp was situated in an open clearing outside Qianshan Prefecture City.

Gu Zheng approached alone, dressed in plain clothes. Intent on preventing Tang Qiyun’s escape, he suppressed his aura and darted into the camp from a corner.

But the moment he set foot within the camp’s perimeter...

"WOOOOOOOO~!"

A loud horn blast suddenly echoed through the air.

Soldiers, Commanders, and Captains, all previously occupied with their duties, immediately began to assemble at top speed.

From the center of the camp, an invisible aura surged outward. As it swept past Gu Zheng, the very air around him seemed to twist and distort.