Golden-Winged Peng: Don't You Dare Come Near Me

Taking advantage of Gu Qingfeng turning his head to speak, Little Yama King quickly retrieved several precious elixirs from his Qiankun Ring and swallowed them. The medicinal effects manifested, barely stabilizing his injuries.

The other prodigies did the same.

By then, Gu Qingfeng had already turned back to face them.

But when he saw them gulping down elixirs, his fury erupted instantly.

"Who the hell gave you permission to eat my elixirs?!"

Gu Qingfeng was seething. The pills they had just consumed were of the highest quality—each worth at least a million spirit stones if sold in the outside world.

That was his money!

"Stop eating, damn it!"

Unable to stand it any longer, Gu Qingfeng roared and charged at them.

Though injured by the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, the prodigies showed no fear in their eyes—only cold ruthlessness.

Proud and arrogant by nature, none of them would be in a good mood after being ambushed with a Heavenly Thunder Pearl out of nowhere.

Especially Little Yama King. Accustomed to tyranny, he had once annihilated an entire minor sect just because one of its disciples offended him, relying on his strength and backing.

Now that Gu Qingfeng had nearly blown him to pieces, his rage knew no bounds.

Little Yama King sprang to his feet, his body wreathed in bloody light, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

"I refuse to believe you have a second Heavenly Thunder Pearl! Die!"

With that, he lunged forward, leading the charge.

"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng burst into maniacal laughter mid-sprint. With a flip of his palm, a glowing orb crackling with endless lightning appeared in his hand.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I do have another one."

The murderous glint in Little Yama King’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by sheer terror as he turned tail and fled.

"Help me, brothers!!"

Whoosh!

Gu Qingfeng hurled the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.

This time, however, none of the prodigies came to Little Yama King’s aid—they were too scared.

They scattered in panic.

Little Yama King’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Having charged the farthest forward, he had no time to dodge. His mind screamed—this is the end!

But he refused to wait for death. Instead, he activated every defensive artifact he had, struggling desperately.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion followed.

Endless lightning engulfed Little Yama King, swallowing him whole.

Sword Maniac and the others, having fled the blast radius, felt a chill run down their spines. They never expected their opponent to have another Heavenly Thunder Pearl. Little Yama King was surely dead.

Now, the prodigies began considering retreat. Who could guarantee Gu Qingfeng didn’t have a third or fourth pearl?

Though confident in their combat prowess, unafraid of any challenge among their peers, they weren’t fools. No one wanted to die without even getting a single strike in.

But as the lightning dissipated, Little Yama King’s unharmed figure emerged.

He stood there, dumbfounded.

"I... I’m alive?!"

The others were equally stunned. He had taken a direct hit from a Heavenly Thunder Pearl—unscathed?!

A moment later, realization dawned on Little Yama King.

"You tricked me! That was a fake!"

Gu Qingfeng grinned savagely.

"Damn right I tricked you, idiot!"

He didn’t actually have a second Heavenly Thunder Pearl. The one he’d used was crafted from the heavenly lightning in his Palm World—identical in nature, just... slightly weaker.

Little Yama King’s face twisted with humiliation and fury.

"Bastard! Without the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, you’re nothing! Die!"

"Keh keh keh... The Heavenly Thunder Pearl is the least of my tricks. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige!

And you so-called geniuses—come at me together!

I’ve got no particular hobbies, but my favorite pastime is crushing arrogant prodigies like you!"

Gu Qingfeng activated the Nine Heavens Dragon Step, his body surging forward like an unstoppable dragon, radiating overwhelming might.

"Arrogant fool!"

"You’re digging your own grave!"

The prodigies roared in fury. They knew the Xuantian Secret Realm barred entry to Heavenly Realm experts—the strongest here were at the Heavenly Origin Peak!

Against opponents of the same realm, they feared no one!

"One Sword Shatters All Techniques!"

"Divine Demon Body Tempering—Sky-Piercing Halberd!"

"Five Directions Demon-Suppressing Fist!"

Several earth-shaking attacks hurtled toward Gu Qingfeng. United, these prodigies’ combined force was unstoppable below the Divine Pill Realm!

"Keh keh keh... Perfect! Entertain me a little longer!"

"Gengjin Sword Array!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Gu Qingfeng slapped the Gengjin Sword Case, and thirty-six divine beams shot forth!

The sword rays converged in midair, forming an intricate array. Endless Gengjin Sword Qi erupted, illuminating the sky like countless suns.

"Go!"

At his command, the thirty-six sword beams clashed with the prodigies’ attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Deafening explosions filled the air. For an instant, space itself seemed to freeze—then an overwhelming shockwave erupted. The ground split apart, boulders crumbled to dust, and ancient trees disintegrated into splinters.

The battlefield was reduced to ruins.

The prodigies were sent flying as if struck by lightning, blood gushing from their mouths like fountains.

"How is this possible?!" Little Yama King gasped in horror.

Wu Qianfeng’s expression twisted in disbelief. "Why is he so strong?!"

Only Sword Maniac wore a look of shock and suspicion.

"The Reverse Scale Sword! How do you have my Sword Sect’s treasure?!"

Gu Qingfeng paused.

Reverse Scale Sword?

A treasure of the Sword Sect?

Could that white-robed woman from the Taichu Forbidden Land—the one with the... unfortunate condition—be from the Sword Sect?

Whatever. It didn’t matter. Once in his hands, it was his!

"You so-called geniuses are nothing special. Now, die!"

The dazzling sword beams coalesced into a colossal golden blade, hurtling toward Little Yama King.

"Little Yama King, was it? Today, I’ll send you to meet the real Yama!"

"NO!!"

Little Yama King’s eyes bulged as he roared in desperation, erupting with divine light in a futile attempt to block the attack.

But it was useless.

Under the Gengjin Sword Array, his defenses shattered like glass.

In the blink of an eye, the sword light consumed him, leaving not even ashes behind.

The others watched Little Yama King’s gruesome death, a sense of shared doom creeping into their hearts.

Gu Qingfeng gazed down at them imperiously.

"Hand over your Qiankun Rings, and I’ll spare your lives."

He had no intention of slaughtering them all. These prodigies represented major factions—killing them all would make the Green Wood Domain uninhabitable for him.

Silence fell. The brief exchange had made one thing clear: none of them could withstand that sword array.

Sword Maniac was the first to act, tossing his treasured sword and Qiankun Ring forward.

He was the Sword Maniac, not an idiot. Survival meant submission. If the price was mere material possessions, so be it.

He didn’t doubt the other party was lying, because with their strength, they could easily slaughter everyone and then take the Qiankun Rings.

Seeing this, the others, though grim-faced, had no choice but to remove their Qiankun Rings as well.

Gu Qingfeng waved his hand and collected all the rings into his possession.

"Good. A wise man knows when to yield. Now, scram!"

Thus, the group of prodigies left in disgrace—no endless complaints, no relentless protests. When outmatched, any words would only sound like excuses for their own weakness.

After the crowd dispersed, Gu Qingfeng turned his gaze to the Golden-Winged Roc.

"Heh heh heh... Little treasure, now no one will disturb us!"

The Golden-Winged Roc shuddered at Gu Qingfeng’s sinister grin, an inexplicable chill running down its spine.

"You... what do you want?!"

Gu Qingfeng pulled out a Burst Essence Pill and slowly advanced toward the Roc.

"Be good, little treasure. Time for your medicine."

"Y-you... stay away from me!"