The Barbarians

These giants were not demons, yet their strength was formidable. A five-meter-tall giant already possessed power comparable to that of a Human Yuan Golden Core cultivator.

After a brief exchange, Gu Qingfeng was inwardly shocked. To achieve such might through pure physical prowess alone—it was almost one-tenth of his own strength.

Truly, this was the Upper Realm, where experts were as numerous as clouds.

He couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful a ten-meter-tall giant would be.

As Gu Qingfeng pondered, the five-meter giants had already surrounded him. In an instant, blades, axes, and clubs came crashing down from all directions.

There was no fluctuation of arcane techniques—only overwhelming, brute force.

Faced with this storm of attacks, Gu Qingfeng suddenly unleashed his power!

ROAR!

With a thunderous bellow, the Prison-Suppressing Demon Dragon and the Prison-Suppressing Divine Elephant surged forth from his body, sweeping through the battlefield like an autumn gale scattering fallen leaves.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The five-meter giants were instantly sent flying in all directions.

At that moment, the ten-meter giant, seeing its kin injured, let out a furious roar and charged at Gu Qingfeng. As it moved, the Dao patterns covering its body lit up, flowing like circuits suddenly energized.

The howl of wind and the crackle of thunder erupted!

Gales roared, and lightning flashed!

The ten-meter giant’s speed skyrocketed, riding the wind and thunder as it closed in!

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes narrowed. Ignoring the violent storm of wind and lightning, he unleashed the Imperial Extreme World-Shaking Fist!

Their fists collided. The raging tempest swallowed Gu Qingfeng whole, but with a flash of radiance from his Innate Sacred Physique, he emerged completely unharmed.

The Innate Sacred Physique commanded the forces of heaven and earth—wind, thunder, yin, yang, and the five elements—rendering him nearly immune to most magical attacks. Unless the disparity in strength was too great, he would hardly suffer any damage.

Yet, Gu Qingfeng’s expression remained grim, for he could not resist the opponent’s mountain-toppling, ocean-sundering physical might.

This was the first time someone had overpowered him in raw strength alone.

BOOM—!

The towering ten-meter giant staggered slightly, but Gu Qingfeng was sent flying uncontrollably, crashing through a swath of trees.

When he stood up again, his right arm hung limply, as if boneless.

Clearly, every bone inside had been shattered.

But in the next second, he violently swung his arm—CRACK!—and the bones, woven from the principles of law and reason, instantly reconnected and healed.

Just then, the roar of wind and thunder filled Gu Qingfeng’s ears once more as the air exploded violently—the ten-meter giant was upon him again.

However, when the giant’s fist struck, it met only empty air. The devastating force of the punch surged outward like a tsunami, uprooting trees for miles around and leaving a vacuum in its wake. But Gu Qingfeng was nowhere to be seen.

"ARGH!"

The ten-meter giant bellowed in rage. How could it not be furious when its prey had slipped away?

But since it had cultivated only its body and not its spiritual realm, it had no idea how Gu Qingfeng had vanished. Left with no choice, it could only vent its anger by wildly punching the air.

......

Inside the Qing Realm, Gu Qingfeng let out a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, what the hell was that giant? It was ten meters tall and still claims it’s not a demon? Bullshit!"

Gu Qingfeng was in a foul mood. What a disastrous start—he had barely set foot in the Upper Realm before being forced to retreat in defeat.

That giant was far too strong. Since he couldn’t win, he naturally wasn’t going to stand there and take a beating. Running away was the better option.

However, when he returned to the Cangming Realm, he would reappear in the same spot he had left. So, he had to wait a few days before going back to avoid the giant lying in ambush.

He also had a rough idea of how the giants had found him—it was likely due to the blood he had coughed up earlier.

The scent of his blood had drawn them in.

Only now did Gu Qingfeng fully realize that his Innate Sacred Physique wasn’t just a boon—it also came with trouble.

The flesh and blood of an Innate Sacred being were infused with Dao essence. To living creatures, they were a supreme tonic—consuming them could prolong life, enhance cultivation, strengthen one’s foundation, and deepen one’s comprehension of the Dao.

Hell, even Gu Qingfeng felt tempted to take a bite out of himself.

"Looks like I’ll have to conceal my physique first. Otherwise, I’ll be like a walking piece of ‘Tang Monk meat’!"

With a thought, the sacred glow around his body gradually dimmed, and the Dao essence within him ceased its flow, making him appear utterly ordinary.

As an Innate Sacred being, he naturally possessed innate mastery over arcane arts and divine abilities. Every movement carried the essence of the Dao, so something as simple as hiding his presence was child’s play.

This method of concealment was even more formidable than his previous flesh-transformation technique. Neither his body nor his soul would betray any trace of abnormality.

Next, he sensed the location of the Elephant Demon of the Sacred Clan and teleported straight to it.

Now that he controlled the Heavenly Dao within his palm-sized world, he was an undisputed deity here—nearly omnipotent.

Moments later, Gu Qingfeng appeared in a secluded paradise.

This paradise was originally a separate pocket dimension. When it merged with the Qing Realm, he had isolated it to prevent outsiders from discovering it and causing unnecessary trouble.

At the moment, the paradise was in chaos—a raucous banquet was underway, with demons feasting and reveling. And the main course? Naturally, the Elephant Demon.

As a premium, renewable delicacy, the Elephant Demon was the star of these demonic feasts. Every time its flesh regenerated, the demons would throw another banquet.

Gu Qingfeng’s sudden appearance startled the demons, but they quickly dropped to their knees in reverence.

"We greet our Master!"

Gu Qingfeng gave a slight nod before scanning the crowd. Frowning, he asked, "Where’s Little Corpse Charm?"

A demon at the Soul Manifestation Realm stepped forward and replied, "Master, Lady Corpse Charm is in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Divine Realm."

Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned. Without him realizing, Little Corpse Charm was already on the verge of becoming a Divine Realm expert.

Then again, it made sense. She had been drinking the blood of countless great demons—some even at the Human Yuan Golden Core level. Even if the time had been short, with such nourishment, even a pig would have ascended by now.

Damn it!

He had missed his chance!

Back when Little Corpse Charm was at the Dragon Transformation Realm, she could have undergone a physical metamorphosis to fully assume human form. But he had been too busy and forgotten about it.

Not being there to congratulate her at the first opportunity was a real shame.

Now, he would have to wait until she emerged after reaching the Divine Realm.

"Alright, pause the banquet for now. You—come here." Gu Qingfeng pointed at the Elephant Demon lying on the dining table.

The Elephant Demon’s face lit up with joy. "Master! You mean me?"

"Yes, you. Get over here, now."

The Elephant Demon scrambled to its feet and crawled over on its knees, prostrating before Gu Qingfeng.

"Answer me—in the Cangming Realm, there’s a race that resembles humans but is several times larger, with Dao patterns carved into their skin, behaving like savages. What race is that?"

The Elephant Demon’s expression changed dramatically. "Master, you must be speaking of the Barbarian Tribe."

"Barbarian Tribe? What kind of race is that?"

"Legends say the Barbarian Tribe are the cursed descendants of ancient humans. They committed unforgivable sins and were punished by the Heavenly Dao, stripped of their souls. As a result, they possess low intelligence and mostly act on instinct. Though they were once human, the curse mutated their bodies, turning them into an entirely different race.

They’re called barbarians because of their savage nature—they devour anything, be it humans, demons, or other races. Sometimes, they even cannibalize their own kind."