In the crowd, Gu Qingfeng employed a series of spells—Size Manipulation, Invisibility, and Breath Concealment—to stealthily blend in and slip out of the Hanging Heaven Secret Realm.
He dared not leave openly, as most of these prodigies had elders waiting outside to receive them.
It went without saying that these prodigies would report his actions to their elders, and then all hell would break loose.
A united assault!
Moving cautiously through the crowd, Gu Qingfeng took the opportunity to observe the elders of these prodigies. The sight nearly made his heart stop.
One, two, three, four, five...
Damn! Over a dozen Heavenly Human Realm experts!
There were no Heavenly Monarch-level figures, of course—such beings wouldn’t bother coming out just to pick up their juniors.
But the problem was, even Heavenly Humans were beyond his current strength.
At full power, the Golden-Winged Roc only reached the Half-Step Heavenly Human Realm, meaning Gu Qingfeng could handle Half-Step Heavenly Humans with some effort, but a true Heavenly Human? That was a different story. And here, there weren’t just one—but over a dozen!
Better not push his luck. Time to scram!
He resisted using Earth-Treading Golden Light to flee outright. While the technique was blindingly fast, it was also blindingly conspicuous—a radiant golden streak oozing with flair.
Instead, he chose to inch his way out of the crowd.
As he made his escape, the prodigies had already begun tearfully recounting their grievances to their elders.
"Qing'er, seeing you emerge so overjoyed, did you obtain some great fortune in the Hanging Heaven Secret Realm?"
The young woman named Qing'er immediately welled up with tears, her face twisted in grievance. "Master, what fortune? There’s only a great enemy!
That man not only stole my Qiankun Ring but also forced me into hard labor—digging spirit mines and gathering herbs day after day."
"What?! How dare he!"
"But Master, that’s not even the worst part! The worst part is that he treated Wu Xuan, that bitch, differently!"
"Oh? What did Wu Xuan do?"
"That bitch got the easiest job—just giving him massages! Master, tell me, am I less attractive than her?"
Qing'er heaved with rage, though even her furious breaths failed to stir much movement in her chest.
"That damned bastard! Where is he? I’ll hunt him down!"
......
"Yu'er, did you injure your leg in the secret realm? Why are you limping? Here, your uncle has some top-grade healing pills."
"Waaah—!" Yu'er burst into loud sobs. "Uncle, it’s not my leg—it’s my butt!"
"What?! How did you hurt your butt so carelessly?"
"I was beaten! Other female cultivators only got a few dozen strikes, but that man hit me over a hundred times, saying my butt was too big..."
Similar scenes played out everywhere, and soon, all grievances were directed squarely at Gu Qingfeng.
The Heavenly Human experts unleashed their vast divine senses, sweeping the area in search of him—yet found nothing.
With his Half-Step Heavenly Human strength and an array of mystical techniques, evading their detection was child’s play.
Just as he smirked to himself, gradually putting distance between himself and the crowd—
Suddenly, the sky turned blood-red. A figure bathed in crimson light rose high into the air, standing atop the void like a blood moon.
"Thief! Return my young master’s life!"
"It’s the Blood River Sage of the Netherworld Sect!" someone in the crowd gasped.
"What’s going on? Sounds like the Little Yama King was killed?"
Some of the recently emerged prodigies quickly relayed the news of the Little Yama King’s death in the Hanging Heaven Secret Realm to their elders.
The Heavenly Humans’ expressions grew subtly strange, some even smirking in schadenfreude.
The Little Yama King, as the Netherworld Sect’s top prodigy, had long been groomed as the future sect master. Who would’ve thought such a talent would perish just like that?
In comparison, their own disciples only had their Qiankun Rings stolen, endured some forced labor, or got their backsides swollen—at least they were alive. That seemed almost acceptable now.
At the same time, curiosity about Gu Qingfeng swelled in their minds. Just who was this man? Who was his master, to suppress so many prodigies single-handedly?
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion shook the heavens. The clouds churned violently, as if birthing something terrifying.
Then, the sea of clouds seemed to tear apart—revealing an enormous face in the sky, unmistakably the Blood River Sage’s!
Like an enraged deity, it glared down at the mortal world.
Gu Qingfeng watched the Blood River Sage’s overwhelming display with calm amusement. No need to panic—this was just impotent rage. There was no way he’d be found.
The technique even resembled the Golden-Winged Roc’s Heavenly Roc Descent. This must be the legendary Heavenly Human Avatar!
It was said that upon reaching the Heavenly Human Realm, one could harness the power of heaven and earth to manifest such an avatar—truly borrowing the might of the world itself.
As for the Heavenly Monarch Realm? They were like sovereigns of the cosmos, bending reality to their will.
The Heavenly Venerable Realm remained a mystery, and realms beyond were simply beyond his current reach.
But just as Gu Qingfeng observed leisurely—
A chilling aura abruptly locked onto him.
His expression shifted slightly as he glanced warily at the towering Blood River Sage.
"Found you!" The Blood River Sage grinned savagely and swiped his hand downward.
Instantly, a colossal hand materialized in the sky, crushing down like a falling mountain.
Damn it!
How did this old bastard find me?!
Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng remembered what the Sword Sect disciples had mentioned—the Soul Lamp. When a sect member was killed, the lamp would extinguish, leaving a mark on the killer.
Though the Netherworld Sect wasn’t an Imperial Court Immortal Sect, it was still a top-tier faction. Such methods were hardly surprising.
With the colossal hand bearing down, its crushing wind pressure already upon him, Gu Qingfeng had no time to think. He dispelled Size Manipulation, reverting to his true form.
His sudden appearance drew every eye in the vicinity. Even the Heavenly Humans were eager to see the man who had dominated their prodigies.
But Gu Qingfeng paid them no mind. Against a Heavenly Human’s strike, he had to go all out. Even with his Minor Completion Prison-Dragon Elephant Body, he wouldn’t die instantly—but severe injuries were inevitable.
"Swords—come forth!"
With his roar—
Hummm!
A chorus of sword cries erupted behind him, merging into a thunderous resonance.
Then, sword light bloomed—one beam, two, three... a hundred, five hundred, a thousand!
Over a thousand divine swords shimmering with radiant light materialized in the air.
The spectacle left the crowd utterly stunned. Forget the power—just the sheer extravagance alone was overwhelming!
Even Heavenly Humans didn’t possess such ludicrous wealth!
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
