No Martial Ethics

"He summoned all the demons from the Demon-Suppressing Tower!"

The soldiers erupted into chaos, on the verge of complete disarray.

The Crown Prince was utterly panicked. He recalled the task assigned by Young Master Yin—to push Gu Qingfeng into a desperate situation and force his master to appear.

But now, after mobilizing nearly half the capital's forces, he found himself the one being cornered. How was this fair?

Gu Qingfeng looked at the horrified Crown Prince and felt nothing but boredom. This must be what it meant to feel the loneliness of invincibility.

"Dear nephew, I’ll give you one chance. Kill yourself. As for the rest of you? I have no desire for slaughter. Those who wish to live, leave now."

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, their resolve wavering.

The Crown Prince’s face twisted in fury. "In your dreams! Attack, now!"

At his command, the army surged forward, several Dragon Transformation experts unleashing their overwhelming auras.

"Tsk." Gu Qingfeng sighed, unwilling to drag out this farce any longer. Fighting these people wouldn’t help him grow stronger—there was no benefit to be gained.

It’d be better to hurry to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom instead.

With that thought, Gu Qingfeng drew the Wood King Sword and held it horizontally before him.

The Wood King Sword had completed its evolution. After devouring the heart of the Lightning-Struck Emperor Willow, its rank had ascended to the lower tier of Heaven Grade, now imbued with a trace of thunderous power.

Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng swung the sword.

In an instant, two opposing flames—one black, one white—erupted from his body, transforming his surroundings into extremes of blistering heat and freezing cold.

The Bone Demon Flame and the Netherworld Ghost Flame instantly coated the Wood King Sword.

"Cross-Shaped Netherworld Flame Sword!"

With a low shout, a cross-shaped slash materialized before him.

The intersecting black-and-white flames illuminated the heavens and earth, as if the world had been reduced to nothing but these two colors.

The colossal cross of fire, spanning the horizon, shot toward the Crown Prince with terrifying force, its overwhelming pressure freezing the entire army in place.

As martial artists, they could clearly sense the annihilating power contained within this strike.

The Dragon Transformation experts paled, rushing to shield the Crown Prince. They channeled every ounce of their energy, unleashing it in a desperate attempt to block the Cross-Shaped Netherworld Flame Sword.

But the moment their power clashed with the attack—

BOOM!

The opposing flames collided, triggering a violent reaction. A cataclysmic storm of energy erupted, obliterating everything in its path.

Even with multiple Dragon Transformation experts joining forces, their veins bulged as their energy rapidly drained. Yet, they could only watch helplessly as the storm inched closer, consuming them bit by bit.

This single strike combined a Heaven Grade martial technique, a Heaven Grade spirit weapon, the fusion of opposing flames, and Gu Qingfeng’s own transcendent energy.

Let it not be forgotten—Gu Qingfeng’s energy quality had already surpassed the Dragon Transformation realm, rivaling even that of a Divine Realm expert. Only the quantity fell short, but the destructive power was no less formidable.

Within moments, the weaker Dragon Transformation experts were utterly erased from existence, leaving not even ashes behind.

Just as the Crown Prince and his remaining forces faced annihilation, the prince let out a desperate scream:

"Young Master Yin, save me!"

Young Master Yin?

Gu Qingfeng’s brows furrowed. A bad premonition struck him.

Now he understood the Crown Prince’s confidence. Logically, the world knew Gu Qingfeng had the backing of a "god." So where did the prince find the audacity to challenge him?

Young Master Yin must be the key.

If he could embolden the Crown Prince to oppose a god’s disciple… did that mean Young Master Yin was also—

"Tch."

A cold chuckle echoed through the void.

Then, a figure clad in snow-white robes, with long silver hair, appeared midair, standing effortlessly upon nothingness.

"What a useless waste."

With a casual flick of his folding fan, an invisible wind surged forth, sweeping toward the storm of black-and-white flames.

Like the legendary Banana Fan extinguishing the Flaming Mountains, the raging inferno crumbled layer by layer under this single motion, dissipating into nothingness.

The Crown Prince, spared from death, erupted in manic joy.

But Gu Qingfeng’s pupils constricted. He knew full well the power behind his attack—even a peak Dragon Transformation expert shouldn’t have been able to neutralize it so effortlessly. Yet this man had dispersed it with a mere wave of his fan.

Such strength… who but a Divine Realm expert could achieve this?

"Young Master Yin, you’ve finally arrived!" the Crown Prince cried in relief.

"Silence, fool. If not for your slight usefulness and my own aversion to inconvenience, I’d have killed you first."

The Crown Prince’s face stiffened, but he dared not retort.

For a prince of the realm to be scolded like a dog by this so-called Young Master Yin—it was unprecedented.

Young Master Yin then turned his gaze to Gu Qingfeng, his eyes lazily appraising him as one would a plaything.

He even produced a wanted poster bearing Gu Qingfeng’s likeness, comparing it to the man before him.

At the sight of the poster, Gu Qingfeng’s heart sank.

This was the decree issued by the emperor, proclaiming to the world that Gu Qingfeng was the disciple of a god.

In that moment, countless thoughts raced through Gu Qingfeng’s mind.

Young Master Yin was undoubtedly a god. But according to Jue Mingzi, gods were reclusive, hiding from "them."

Yet here was Young Master Yin, flaunting his presence before the masses, even holding Gu Qingfeng’s poster…

Did that mean he was one of "them"?

Damn it!

That bastard emperor had screwed him over!

"So you’re the so-called god’s disciple, Gu Qingfeng?" Young Master Yin mused, his tone dripping with amusement.

"Who are you?" Gu Qingfeng demanded, his voice grave.

At the same time, he sent a covert message to Little Corpse Charm: "Take the demons back to the alternate dimension."

Without hesitation, Little Corpse Charm obeyed.

Young Master Yin paid no mind to their actions, as if they were mere ants beneath his notice.

His focus remained solely on Gu Qingfeng.

"You’re unworthy of knowing my identity. Here’s your chance—call your master here. Now."

That single sentence confirmed Gu Qingfeng’s suspicions. Young Master Yin was after the god. Which meant… he was indeed one of "them."

Gu Qingfeng clenched his fists, cursing inwardly:

"Damn it all! I haven’t even reached the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom yet, haven’t ascended to godhood—how is the final boss already at my doorstep?

This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!"

Based on his years of reading web novels, villains were supposed to follow a strict schedule.

If they set a three-year deadline, they wouldn’t show up a day earlier, giving the protagonist ample time to grow. They were practically models of villainous etiquette.

So why was he being denied this protagonist privilege?

Wasn’t the great calamity supposed to come in two years?

They couldn’t even give him those two years to prepare?

How dishonorable!