The Feast

Bang!

Gu Qingfeng slammed his palm against the coffin lid.

Yet, something bizarre happened.

The coffin lid didn’t budge at all.

This left Gu Qingfeng momentarily stunned. A simple coffin, and he couldn’t even push it open?

Something was off.

Bang!

He increased his strength slightly, but the lid still refused to move.

Damn it!

Was it the array Jue Mingzi had carved onto the coffin earlier?

A sense of foreboding rose in Gu Qingfeng’s heart. Just as he was about to channel his power to shatter the coffin, the sound of countless chains scraping against each other suddenly echoed.

Out of nowhere, several icy black iron chains, inscribed with mysterious runes, materialized inside the coffin and bound Gu Qingfeng tightly.

The sudden turn of events filled him with both shock and fury.

He was furious at Jue Mingzi for deceiving him.

And shocked because he realized he was likely in deep trouble. Clearly, the Dark Realm wasn’t what it seemed—this so-called "welcoming ritual" for newcomers was nothing but a trap.

What were these human Divine Realm experts plotting?

Though Gu Qingfeng was confident in his own strength, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease. The Dark Realm was the stronghold of the human Divine Realm. Who knew how many powerful experts lurked within?

In a one-on-one fight, he feared no one. But if they ganged up on him, even he might fall under the sheer numbers.

What the hell!

Wasn’t the Dark Realm supposed to be a place where human Divine Realm experts banded together in harmony?

What kind of twisted game was this?

As he pondered, the coffin began to slow—it was descending.

Gu Qingfeng tested the chains binding him and relaxed slightly. The restraints weren’t particularly strong, likely because the Dark Realm’s forces assumed he was a newly ascended Divine Realm cultivator. Breaking free would be easy.

But he chose not to. With the enemy’s numbers unknown, it was wiser to feign weakness and catch them off guard later.

Soon, the coffin came to a stop.

Jue Mingzi’s voice suddenly rang out from outside.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, we’ve arrived at the Dark Realm. Come out now."

But the voice no longer carried its earlier calm and warmth. Instead, it was laced with an indescribable, sinister eeriness.

Bang!

The coffin lid exploded into splinters.

Gu Qingfeng’s figure emerged, and as he took in the sight of the Dark Realm, he froze.

This place was nothing like he had imagined. There were no drifting clouds, no clear springs or waterfalls, no lush green mountains—only an endless expanse of crimson.

The entire realm was bathed in blood-red hues. A scarlet moon hung in the sky, while the earth was a dark, coagulated shade of red, as if stained by dried blood. Towering peaks rose in the distance, barren and devoid of any greenery.

Seeing this, a realization dawned on Gu Qingfeng. Could this be...?

"Welcome to the Dark Realm. We’ve been waiting for you," Jue Mingzi said with a chilling grin.

Gu Qingfeng studied the ghostly figure of Jue Mingzi, and instead of fear, delight surged in his heart. His suspicions grew firmer.

"‘We’? Where is everyone?" Gu Qingfeng asked.

Jue Mingzi gave a cold laugh before shouting into the distance, "Come out, everyone! Dinner is served!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of bloody streaks of light descended from the sky, encircling Gu Qingfeng.

When the light faded, Gu Qingfeng saw the so-called "everyone," and his body trembled uncontrollably.

What did he see?

A horde of Divine Realm demonic beasts, each wreathed in monstrous auras and twisted in grotesque forms. There were human-sized green-faced yakshas, towering black-scaled serpents with viper heads, and a three-headed monstrous bird circling above, its wingspan nearly blotting out the bloody moon.

And Jue Mingzi himself had transformed—into a colossal, hundred-zhang-tall monstrosity with the body of a man and the head of a lion, looming like a mountain.

Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust and greed as they leered at Gu Qingfeng, bound in chains, like a piece of meat on a chopping block.

It was a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Suddenly, Jue Mingzi—now a towering lion-headed demon—let out a cruel laugh. "Let’s stick to the usual rules. Each of us gets one piece of flesh per day. Though Divine Realm beings recover quickly, cutting too much might affect the quality. We’ll feast on him for two years, and when the Holy Envoy descends, we’ll offer him up as tribute."

He then added with a menacing grin, "Now, when you take your bites, be careful not to hit any vital spots. We don’t want him dying too soon."

At this, the black-scaled serpent cackled. "Don’t scare him too much. Look at him—he’s already shaking. If he pisses himself, it’ll ruin the taste!"

"Fair point," Jue Mingzi nodded his massive lion head before looking down at Gu Qingfeng with a vicious smirk. "Fellow Daoist Gu, this banquet is our way of welcoming you to the Dark Realm. Are you pleased?"

The demons all stared down at Gu Qingfeng, who stood like an ant, trembling uncontrollably. Their mocking, predatory gazes said it all.

At Jue Mingzi’s question, Gu Qingfeng’s trembling intensified, reaching a point where it seemed he could no longer contain himself.

"Keh... keh..."

"Keh keh keh..."

A twisted, exhilarated laugh burst from Gu Qingfeng’s shuddering form, growing louder and louder until it echoed across the entire scene.

The demons were momentarily taken aback. Some even sneered in amusement.

"Poor thing, he’s lost his—"

"Pleased?"

A voice, warped with excitement, cut through their chatter.

"I’m beyond pleased!"

Suddenly—Gu Qingfeng’s head snapped up.

Every demon froze at the sight of his expression.

Never in their lives had they seen a human’s face twisted with such monstrous greed and madness—far more terrifying than any demon.

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes burned with ravenous hunger as he stared at the horde of demons, his gaze so intense it seemed he wanted to devour them whole—flesh, bones, and all. His lips curled into a grotesque grin, baring his teeth like a ravenous ghost.

"Fellow Daoist Jue Mingzi, you’ve truly outdone yourself. This is the greatest surprise I’ve ever received. Honestly, I don’t even know how to thank you enough," Gu Qingfeng said, his voice dripping with sincerity.

For a moment, the demons felt an odd sense of dissonance. His words carried such genuine gratitude—like a dying man in the desert being handed a cup of water.

"He’s lost his mind! This human’s gone completely mad!"

"Say, if we eat a madman, will we catch his madness?"

"Don’t worry, we’re not eating his soul."

"Esteemed demons," Gu Qingfeng interrupted with a sinister chuckle, "before we proceed, may I ask—where is the exit to the Dark Realm?"

The demons blinked, then burst into uproarious laughter.

"HAHAHA! Did I hear that right? He’s asking us for the exit?"

"You’re not seriously expecting us to tell you, so you can run away, are you? Oh, this is priceless! I’ve never met a human this amusing in my life!"