Hearing Gu Qingfeng's casual acknowledgment, the crowd fell into silence, stunned into speechlessness.
That was the Heaven-Sealing Forbidden Art—one of the Nine Ancient Forbidden Arts, representing the pinnacle of array formations.
If he had truly mastered it, did that mean Gu Qingfeng was now the foremost master of array formations in the world?
Was this the terrifying prowess of a future Heavenly Emperor?
Just as the crowd was about to speak again—BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Deafening thunderous roars erupted from beyond the Sword Gate’s grand formation.
Turning their heads, they saw the enemy forces had assembled into battle formations and begun their assault.
Night had just fallen, but divine light pierced the heavens, dark clouds loomed overhead, and lightning streaked across the sky. The enemies gathered overwhelming forces, launching relentless attacks against the Sword Gate’s protective barrier.
Moonlight cascaded like liquid silver, forming torrents that crashed against the mountain-guarding formation.
Heavenly thunder descended like divine punishment, serpentine bolts lashing down in fury.
A sea of blood surged, waves towering like mountains, threatening to drown the land.
......
For a moment, the sky was painted with dazzling radiance, as if the Sword Gate would be swallowed whole.
Some of the weaker disciples had never witnessed such apocalyptic devastation before. Their legs trembled, faces drained of color.
Yet, no matter how fierce the enemy’s assault, the Sword Gate’s grand formation stood unshaken—like an ancient golden mountain, its golden light deflecting every attack.
But Dugu Wei and the others showed no relief. They knew the principle of erosion—no matter how strong the formation, under such relentless assault, it would eventually crumble.
"How long can the mountain-protecting formation hold?" Dugu Wei asked the elder overseeing the formation.
The elder’s expression was grave. "If the attacks remain at this level, and with our full efforts to reinforce it, it can last a month.
But that’s assuming Wang Yan and the other Heavenly Monarchs don’t intervene. If they join the assault, the time will likely be halved."
"So we have at least half a month?" Dugu Wei said heavily. "Wang Yan and the others won’t act rashly—they fear expending too much strength before facing me."
Then, Dugu Wei suddenly turned to Gu Qingfeng and the others. "How is your Seven Swords Immortal-Slaying Formation coming along?"
The disciples exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes flickering toward Gu Qingfeng and Chu Jingchen.
The truth was, they had never practiced the formation even once.
Still, their talent was undeniable. Over the past month, though they hadn’t rehearsed, they had thoroughly studied the theory.
Dugu Wei observed their hesitation, his expression darkening further. "Junior Brother Gu, how is your progress?"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. "No problem here. A formation this simple? I mastered it at a glance."
Chu Jingchen quickly added, "This disciple is also ready."
Dugu Wei still seemed uneasy. "We have less than a month before the battle begins. You must practice diligently—no mistakes can be made when facing the enemy."
"Understood," the disciples replied solemnly.
But Gu Qingfeng wasn’t pleased. Since when had he ever endured such humiliation?
Being besieged at home without retaliating?
"Old Wei, do you have any real strategies? Or are we just sitting ducks?"
"Junior Brother Gu, for now, we must rely on the mountain-protecting formation to weaken them before we strike with full force."
"And if we can’t win even then?"
Dugu Wei fell silent for a long moment before murmuring, "Then we’ll have no choice but to summon the Grand Elder... or unleash the Emperor Demon Sword."
Gu Qingfeng’s heart stirred. He had long known of the Sword Gate’s Grand Elder but had never met him.
"What realm is the Grand Elder in?"
"Heavenly Monarch."
"Heavenly Monarch?! Then dealing with these rabble outside should be effortless!"
Dugu Wei shook his head bitterly. "You don’t understand, Junior Brother. Though the Grand Elder is a Heavenly Monarch, he is advanced in years, his lifespan already exhausted. If not for a few longevity elixirs sustaining him, he would have..."
"Even so, his strength has greatly diminished. He cannot act lightly—if he does, he risks burning through his remaining vitality."
Lifespan exhausted?
Gu Qingfeng suddenly remembered—he still had several Ageless Pills!
Gifts from his old friend, the Longevity Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Realm.
Now was the perfect time to use them.
He pulled out an Ageless Pill. "Old Wei, would this pill help extend the Grand Elder’s life?"
Dugu Wei glanced at it, then sighed in disappointment. "This pill contains some life essence and can indeed prolong life, but its quality is too low.
A Heavenly Monarch’s life essence is on a completely different level. A pill like this would have no effect."
Gu Qingfeng stared at the Ageless Pill in his hand, stunned.
Then, inwardly, he cursed: "Damn it! That bastard Longevity Heavenly Demon gave me defective goods! Only useful for low-level cultivators!"
Sigh. So even the Grand Elder wasn’t a reliable option.
In that case, he’d have to rely on himself!
"Old Wei, since the Sword Gate faces annihilation, why not let me try wielding the Emperor Demon Sword again? Maybe this time—"
Before he could finish, Dugu Wei cut him off. "Absolutely not, Junior Brother! Have you forgotten how you instantly fell into demonic madness last time?
You might not remember clearly, but I do. You were like a demon god possessed, ready to destroy the world.
You are the Sword Gate’s Imperial Son—we cannot take such risks. If it truly comes to life or death, I will personally unleash the Emperor Demon Sword, even if it means my own annihilation."
Gu Qingfeng’s lips twitched. "A demon god possessed? Was it really that bad?"
"Yes," Dugu Wei said gravely.
Gu Qingfeng: "..."
Damn it! My Emperor Demon Sword!!
Fuming, he glared at the enemies outside, their relentless attacks fueling his frustration.
But the enemy forces were overwhelming—how could he fight back?
Was there no choice but to endure?
Wait—
A sudden realization struck him.
They had thrown their full force into this siege!
Didn’t that mean their own sects were left defenseless?
And their treasuries...
Heh heh heh...
The more Gu Qingfeng thought about it, the more excited he became.
He knew exactly what to do now.
He would raid their homes!
While their forces were away, their sects would be vulnerable—and they wouldn’t have taken all their treasures to battle, would they?
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
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.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
