Tormenting the Sword Emperor Again

After leaving the Tranquil Heart Hall, Gu Qingfeng did not return to his cave dwelling to rest as Dugu Wei had suggested.

His Indestructible Sword Body was stuck at a critical point, on the verge of reaching perfection. This left Gu Qingfeng, who had a slight obsessive-compulsive streak, deeply unsettled. He needed to break through immediately.

As for how to achieve this, he already had a plan—relying on the Sword Pagoda.

After all, the hidden easter egg of the Sword Pagoda was that defeating the Sword Heavenly Emperor would grant him the essence of the Indestructible Sword Body.

So far, he had only defeated the Sword Heavenly Emperor’s projection at the Human Yuan Realm. There were still the Earth Yuan and Heaven Yuan Realms left to conquer.

Now that he had advanced to the Earth Yuan Realm, it was time to challenge the Earth Yuan Realm’s Sword Heavenly Emperor.

If not for the Sword Pagoda’s realm restrictions, Gu Qingfeng would have long since cleared the Heaven Yuan Realm as well.

Then he wouldn’t have had to lose over a thousand divine swords.

Thus, Gu Qingfeng returned to the Sword Pagoda.

His appearance immediately caused a stir among the disciples gathered around the pagoda. Countless disciples rushed forward to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Imperial Son!"

"Imperial Son!"

"Imperial Son, do you still need followers? This disciple possesses an Earth Soul Physique and has long admired you..."

Gu Qingfeng was already accustomed to such scenes.

This had happened many times before—female disciples usually asked if he needed a dao companion, while male disciples sought to become his followers.

After all, who wouldn’t want to latch onto the future Heavenly Emperor’s coattails?

It was like stumbling upon Ma Yun or Ma Huateng twenty years ago. Knowing they would one day become billionaires, wouldn’t you rush to befriend them?

Gu Qingfeng remained indifferent to the enthusiasm and strode straight into the Sword Pagoda.

"Why is the Imperial Son entering the Sword Pagoda again? He’s already ranked first—what’s left to challenge?"

"Maybe he enjoys the thrill of bullying the Sword Heavenly Emperor?"

"Shh! Don’t spout nonsense. Have you forgotten the earthquake a few days ago? I overheard the elders whispering that it was caused by the Imperial Son breaking through to the Earth Yuan Realm and condensing terrestrial energy. My guess is he’s here to challenge the Earth Yuan rankings."

"What?! That earthquake was from the Imperial Son advancing to the Earth Yuan Realm? And it shook the entire Sword Sect? That’s just..."

"As expected of the Imperial Son. His cultivation speed is terrifying. It’s only been a month, and he’s already at the Earth Yuan Realm. At this rate, he’ll reach the Heavenly Human Realm in a few years."

"Hey, do you think the Imperial Son will challenge the Heavenly Emperor again in the Earth Yuan Realm?"

"Impossible! Even with his Four Saint Physiques, the Imperial Son has just entered the Earth Yuan Realm. Making it into the top ten would already be impressive. How could he challenge the Heavenly Emperor?"

...

"Spirit of the Pagoda, I challenge the Sword Heavenly Emperor," Gu Qingfeng declared.

"To challenge the Sword Heavenly Emperor, you must first rank in the top ten of the Earth Yuan Realm."

"We’re old acquaintances. Must we go through the formalities? Fine, let’s start with second place for a warm-up."

Soon, a beam of light descended from above. When it dissipated, a figure appeared—a man in a long robe, wielding a silver sword, with sharp brows and bright eyes.

"The third generation of the Sword Sect—"

Boom!

Before the silver-sworded man could finish, an overwhelmingly fierce fist force erupted.

The spot where he had stood was obliterated, as if struck by a nuclear blast, leaving a bottomless crater.

"Spirit of the Pagoda, I challenge the Sword Heavenly Emperor."

The Spirit of the Pagoda: "..."

Moments later, the familiar Sword Heavenly Emperor appeared—still ordinary in appearance, but his aura was even more imposing, as if he commanded the very earth beneath his feet.

"The Sword Sect—"

Boom!

Another deep crater appeared.

"What kind of monster are you?" The usually cryptic Spirit of the Pagoda couldn’t help but ask.

"Stop wasting time. Announce the victory to the entire sect, hand over the rewards, and stick to your NPC role. Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t," Gu Qingfeng snapped impatiently.

The Spirit of the Pagoda: "..."

Outside, the Sword Pagoda erupted in a blinding golden radiance, just like before. A brilliant light shot into the heavens, illuminating the entire Sword Sect as if the sun had fallen to the mortal realm.

"Ah! My eyes!"

"Quick, shield them with divine energy!"

"Not again! Last time the Imperial Son topped the Human Yuan rankings, several people were blinded. Who knows how many will suffer this time? At least we’re cultivators—our eyes can heal. Otherwise, no one would dare come near the Sword Pagoda."

"Could it be the Imperial Son again? This looks exactly like last time!"

At that moment, several overwhelming auras erupted from the depths of the Sword Sect, soaring into the sky before streaking toward the Sword Pagoda like meteors.

It was Dugu Wei and the seven Peak Masters.

Their faces were filled with shock. "Why is the Sword Pagoda glowing again? Did someone else claim first place?"

"Could it be Junior Brother Gu again? But he just entered the Earth Yuan Realm!"

As they puzzled over it, a grand and majestic voice boomed from the Sword Pagoda.

"The Sword Heavenly Emperor’s legacy has been unlocked!"

"Gu Qingfeng, 14th-generation disciple of the Sword Sect, inheritor of the Sword Formation Dao from the Reverse Scale Peak, has defeated the Sword Heavenly Emperor, the top-ranked cultivator of the Earth Yuan Realm, within the Sword Pagoda. He meets the criteria to inherit the Heavenly Emperor’s legacy and is hereby designated as the successor."

The crowd was stunned upon hearing the familiar proclamation.

"It really is Junior Brother Gu!"

"What kind of freak is this? He’s done it again!"

Meanwhile, the stone stele recording the Earth Yuan rankings blazed with golden light. The name in first place had changed to Gu Qingfeng, while the Sword Heavenly Emperor was demoted to second.

...

Inside the Sword Pagoda.

As before, an enormous divine sword appeared in the sky, its sheer size blotting out the heavens. Boundless gray-white energy coiled around its blade, its sword light condensed yet undiminished, radiating a terrifying killing intent.

Gu Qingfeng eyed the colossal sword with resignation. "I hope it doesn’t hurt as much as last time."

Hum!

The sword emitted a soft hum before descending like a streak of dazzling light, piercing straight into Gu Qingfeng’s body.

"Eh? It doesn’t hurt!" Gu Qingfeng exclaimed in delight.

"Must be because I already have the Indestructible Sword Body. Last time was transformation—this time is enhancement."

After an incense stick’s worth of time, Gu Qingfeng’s Indestructible Sword Body reached perfection!

His aura erupted violently. Endless gray-white sword qi, brimming with destructive energy, coiled around him like massive serpents. The ground beneath him collapsed instantly, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across the entire Sword Pagoda’s space.

"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng couldn’t contain his ecstasy. "Truly, the most satisfying upgrades are the free ones!"

Swish!

He raised his right hand and slashed downward, unleashing a monstrous gray-white sword beam that seemed capable of severing heaven and earth.

The sky was split asunder, the clouds parted, while the earth was carved into a fathomless chasm.

Observing the devastation from a casual strike, Gu Qingfeng’s joy only grew. "Keh keh keh... With this power, who in the Heavenly Human Realm can stand against me?"

At this point, calling himself invincible within the Heavenly Human Realm was no exaggeration.

No matter how many Heavenly Tribulations one had weathered—any who dared challenge him would meet their end!