After a long silence, someone finally snapped back to reality and hurried over to the stone monument to check. Instantly, they gasped in shock.
"The top spot on the Human Yuan Ranking has indeed changed! It's Gu Qingfeng now!"
Like a stone tossed into a calm lake, the news sent ripples through the crowd.
The area before the monument was soon packed with disciples, all pushing and shoving to catch a glimpse, as if witnessing history unfold.
To their astonishment, the name "Sword Heavenly Emperor," which had stood unchallenged at the pinnacle for tens of thousands of years, had now been relegated to second place. In its stead, the name "Gu Qingfeng" shone brilliantly at the very top, radiating golden light.
At the sight of this name, the crowd was left utterly stunned. Not a trace of envy remained in their hearts.
When they had first learned that Gu Qingfeng possessed dual Sacred Physiques and saw the Twin Jades of the Sword Sect accompanying him, many had burned with jealousy.
But now, all such feelings had vanished. Such is human nature—when the gap becomes insurmountable, envy gives way to awe.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Look! Gu Qingfeng's cultivation level!"
The crowd turned their attention to the details, and their minds reeled, their Dao hearts nearly faltering.
"What?! He's only at the fifth level of the Human Yuan Realm!"
"How is that possible?! How could someone at the fifth level defeat Sword Heavenly Emperor, who was at the peak of Human Yuan?!"
It felt like listening to a fantastical tale—something so absurd that not even the wildest stories would dare to depict it.
Those cheap martial arts novels might write about reincarnated Heavenly Emperors who could effortlessly defeat opponents far beyond their level.
But here? The Heavenly Emperor, who had always been the one to surpass others, had been surpassed himself?!
This shattered all common sense!
The disciples' exclamations caught the attention of Dugu Wei and the others. They descended from the sky and made their way toward the monument.
A gentle force pushed the crowd aside, clearing a path.
The disciples, initially ready to curse, nearly fainted when they turned and saw the Sword Sect's leader and the seven peak masters approaching together.
Dugu Wei and the others reached the monument and gazed at the name in first place. Their pupils constricted sharply as their eyes locked onto the words "fifth level of Human Yuan."
A stunned silence fell over them all.
This defied all logic. Throughout history, young Heavenly Emperors had been defeated before—but never by someone of a lower realm. Only those one or even two major realms above them had ever managed such a feat.
For a young Heavenly Emperor, surpassing others was as natural as eating or drinking. They never deigned to compete with peers of the same level.
Yet now, a young Heavenly Emperor had been surpassed—and defeated—by someone beneath him?!
This overturned all conventional understanding.
It was like reading a web novel where the protagonist, who should always be the one to defeat stronger foes, suddenly found himself crushed by a weaker antagonist. The sheer absurdity of it was mind-bending.
"Does anyone remember what Gu Qingfeng's cultivation level was when he first joined the Sword Sect?" Dugu Wei suddenly asked, still staring at the monument.
One of the peak masters pondered before replying, "If I recall correctly, he was at the second level of Human Yuan."
"Exactly. The second level. And yet, in just one month, he has reached the fifth level. Such speed is unheard of!"
"Even with dual Sacred Physiques, this shouldn't be possible. The only explanation is that Gu Qingfeng has been cultivating day and night without rest since joining the sect. Only such relentless effort could allow him to break through three levels in a single month."
"This boy's talent and determination are truly peerless," another peak master remarked with admiration.
However, no one noticed Ling Fei'er in the crowd, who rubbed her slender jade-like legs when she heard this.
They felt stiff—after all, being stretched apart every day for extended periods would do that.
"Gentlemen, Gu Qingfeng has defeated Sword Heavenly Emperor despite being at the fifth level of Human Yuan. His talent is unparalleled in this era. I propose we initiate the Imperial Heir Trial for him."
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
The peak masters all nodded in unison. No one dared oppose such a suggestion.
Only Meng Yan seemed anxious, as he had yet to awaken Gu Qingfeng's "true kindness and virtue."
Just as Dugu Wei and the others were deliberating, another wave of murmurs erupted among the disciples.
"Hey, is it true that Gu Qingfeng defeated Sword Heavenly Emperor in just a few breaths?"
"Absolutely true! I was here at the Sword Tower since dawn and saw Gu Qingfeng enter. He first challenged the 100th-ranked opponent—within two breaths, golden light erupted from the monument, signaling his victory.
Then he challenged the 10th-ranked opponent. Again, in less than two breaths, he won.
And then... Sword Heavenly Emperor."
The disciple swallowed hard before continuing in a trembling voice, "Again... less than two breaths..."
"You're lying!" another disciple shouted, his face twisted in disbelief.
"We've all taken the Sword Tower trial. You know the projection takes time to form. If it was less than two breaths, subtracting the formation time... that means Gu Qingfeng defeated every opponent instantly?!
Defeating others is one thing, but Sword Heavenly Emperor?!"
This disciple, a fervent admirer of Sword Heavenly Emperor, was on the verge of collapse, his faith shattered.
But then, others stepped forward.
"He's not lying. I saw it too. Gu Qingfeng's arrival caused quite a stir—many of us witnessed it."
"Same here."
"Me too."
The disciples who had been present that morning all confirmed the account, leaving no room for doubt.
The Sword Heavenly Emperor fanatic paled, his legs giving out as he collapsed to the ground, muttering in despair, "But... but it's Sword Heavenly Emperor...
Sword Heavenly Emperor!!
How could a Heavenly Emperor be instantly defeated by someone weaker?!"
A strange silence settled over the crowd.
Dugu Wei and the others, being supreme experts, naturally overheard the disciples' discussion. They, too, were left speechless.
A lower-realm cultivator instantly defeating a young Heavenly Emperor? What did that even mean?
Not even a reincarnated Heavenly Emperor could accomplish such a feat!
And Sword Heavenly Emperor wasn't some late-blooming prodigy—he had been hailed as the foremost genius of the sword path, unmatched from the very beginning of his cultivation, invincible all the way to his ascension as a Heavenly Emperor.
Yet he had been surpassed—and instantly crushed—by someone beneath him?
Just how monstrous was Gu Qingfeng's talent and potential?
In the past, the highest praise one could receive was "this one has the makings of a Heavenly Emperor."
But how could one describe a genius capable of instantly defeating a young Heavenly Emperor?
No one had an answer.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
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...
