The Demon Emperor Sword in Sight

It really was Gu Qingfeng!

The crowd was stunned to the point of numbness. Going from the fifth level of the Human Yuan Realm to the Earth Yuan Realm in just a month—even the Young Heavenly Emperor would have to kneel before such speed.

Wait, no… the Young Heavenly Emperor already did kneel. Never mind then.

Just as everyone was reeling in shock, the trembling of the earth suddenly ceased.

Boom!

The gates of the cave dwelling burst open!

A figure, brimming with impatience, shot out from inside.

"Fei'er! I'm burning with—"

Gu Qingfeng had just begun to send a voice transmission to Ling Fei'er when he abruptly cut himself off.

Because Dugu Wei and the seven peak masters were standing right outside his door, staring straight at him.

Uh…

"Oh, what a coincidence! Senior brothers and sisters, you're all here!" Gu Qingfeng quickly changed his tone.

Dugu Wei and the others wore strange expressions. They were well aware of the relationship between Ling Fei'er and Gu Qingfeng, but no one brought it up. Instead, they asked, "Junior Brother Gu, was it you who just broke through to the Earth Yuan Realm?"

Gu Qingfeng nodded. "I had a slight epiphany and accidentally broke through."

"Junior Brother Gu, did you really go from the fifth level of the Human Yuan Realm to the Earth Yuan Realm in just one month?!" one of the peak masters asked, disbelief written all over his face.

Gu Qingfeng didn’t bother explaining. Instead, he released a faint wisp of his Earth Yuan Realm aura.

Thanks to his Four Sacred Physiques, as long as he wanted to conceal his strength, none of the peak masters could see through him.

Feeling the unmistakable aura of the Earth Yuan Realm, the crowd grew excited.

"Such cultivation speed is unprecedented and unlikely to be matched! If Junior Brother Gu were given another twenty years—no, even just ten—he’d surely be able to stand on his own. Alas, heaven envies the gifted."

Gu Qingfeng was slightly taken aback. What did that mean? Why did it sound like he was about to die?

"Old Meng, what are you implying?"

Meng Yan shook his head and looked at Dugu Wei. "Sect Master, you should explain."

Dugu Wei nodded. "Junior Brother Gu, you’ve finally emerged from seclusion. During your time in closed-door cultivation, some things have happened in the outside world..."

Dugu Wei carefully chose his words before recounting how the Hell’s Gate Sect had joined forces with other major sects to pressure them, particularly emphasizing their underhanded tactics.

They even forced their own Holy Maidens to step forward and slander Gu Qingfeng, throwing all dignity to the wind just to tarnish his name.

After hearing this, Gu Qingfeng fell silent.

Damn. The victims have come knocking!

Lin Miaoke, seeing Gu Qingfeng’s silence, assumed he was furious and quickly tried to console him. "Junior Brother Gu, I know your character. Those people are just spreading lies. Don’t take it to heart."

"Senior Sister, you truly understand me! Those Hell’s Gate bastards have gone too far!" Gu Qingfeng fumed.

All he did was kill the Little Yama King, rob a bunch of prodigies, strip a few Holy Maidens, and enslave them for a month or so.

Was that really worth ganging up on him?

Damn it!

The major forces of the Green Wood Domain have no manners at all—utterly lawless and bullying him beyond reason!

Just as Gu Qingfeng was seething, Dugu Wei suddenly dropped a bombshell.

"Junior Brother Gu, we’ve discussed countermeasures. The best solution right now is for you to wield the Emperor Demon Sword. If you can gain its recognition, the other sects won’t stand a chance."

"Wait, what?! Sect Master, I didn’t catch that. Say it again."

"I said, you should wield the Emperor Demon Sword. As long as—"

"Heh—ahem—Senior Brother, that doesn’t seem appropriate. My cultivation is shallow, and there are so many senior brothers ahead of me. How could I possibly accept?"

Dugu Wei shook his head. "Gaining the Emperor Demon Sword’s recognition has nothing to do with cultivation. The sword is an Emperor’s weapon, and it has fallen into demonic corruption. It’s proud and arrogant—only someone with the bearing of a Heavenly Emperor can catch its eye.

After all, its original master was a Heavenly Emperor. How could it ever deign to serve beneath mediocrity?"

Gu Qingfeng smirked inwardly. Nothing to do with cultivation? What nonsense. If a real Heavenly Emperor showed up, the Emperor Demon Sword wouldn’t dare act up.

It all boiled down to insufficient strength.

"Of course, what I said applies to the past. Ten thousand years ago, the Sword Sect was teeming with talent. There were even disciples with the bearing of a Heavenly Emperor who briefly borrowed the sword’s power.

But now, the Emperor Demon Sword has fallen into demonic corruption. It’s even more unreasonable than before. Even with your unparalleled talent, Junior Brother, the odds are slim.

Still, I hope you’ll give it a try. The Sword Sect is at a life-and-death crossroads. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Gu Qingfeng urged impatiently.

"Junior Brother Gu, stay calm. The other sects won’t arrive for at least two more months. There’s no rush. You’ve just broken through, and your realm isn’t stable yet. Perhaps—"

"Senior Brother!" Gu Qingfeng suddenly cut in with a solemn expression. "This mess is my fault. I’ve dragged the Sword Sect into this. Now that there’s a way out, I’m willing to take the risk. Until the sect’s crisis is resolved, I won’t have peace of mind—how could I focus on cultivation? Let’s go get the Emperor Demon Sword first."

Dugu Wei sighed. "Very well. Junior Brother Gu’s loyalty to the sect is evident. Let’s go."

With that, Dugu Wei led Gu Qingfeng away. The other peak masters didn’t follow—they weren’t qualified.

The Emperor Demon Sword was an Emperor’s weapon, the Sword Sect’s most treasured artifact. Only the Grand Elder, the Sect Master, and the Emperor’s Chosen were permitted to approach it.

After a long journey, under Dugu Wei’s guidance, the two passed through layers of restrictive formations and arrived in a small world resembling a secret realm.

"I never imagined the Emperor Demon Sword was hidden in another dimension," Gu Qingfeng mused.

"The Emperor Demon Sword is the foundation of the Sword Sect. Its location must remain secret. Junior Brother Gu, this place is called the Sword Tomb. It’s not just where the sword is kept—it’s also where the Grand Elder resides in seclusion. The Grand Elder guards the sword day and night, preventing theft and suppressing its demonic outbursts," Dugu Wei explained.

Gu Qingfeng nodded, taking in the surroundings.

The Sword Tomb lived up to its name. It was a crimson land built atop a volcano, with thick black smoke constantly spewing from the crater, shrouding the place in perpetual darkness. The only light came from the molten lava.

Rivers of lava flowed from the volcano’s mouth, twisting like countless winding streams across the earth, filling the world with a dim red glow.

Aside from the lava, the ground was littered with broken swords—most of them shattered, their divine light faded, many snapped in half.

"These broken swords are the remnants of the Sword Sect’s past heroes. Sword cultivators possess nothing but their blades. In death, their swords become their tombs, buried here to suppress the Emperor Demon Sword."