Plundering the Gates of Hell

Chu Jingchen and the others stared at the hellish scene before them, so shocked they were rendered speechless, their injuries momentarily forgotten. At this moment, they even began to suspect that their Senior Uncle Gu might have been possessed by some ancient demonic entity.

Just then, Gu Qingfeng suddenly turned his head and glanced at the six disciples from the Sword Sect, asking, "Are you all alright, my dear juniors?"

The seemingly casual concern from this great demonic figure startled the six Sword Sect disciples, making them shiver involuntarily. They hurriedly shook their heads and stammered, "N-no... we're fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior Uncle."

Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, observing the six still-bleeding figures with silent admiration. Truly, they were the chosen disciples of the Imperial Court's immortal sect—so resilient that even rivers of blood couldn't faze them.

After this brief show of concern, Gu Qingfeng ignored them and focused entirely on controlling the Banner of Ten Billion Souls to devour the members of the Hell Sect.

Under the relentless slaughter of the banner, the already terrified Hell Sect disciples stood no chance of resistance. With their main forces led away by Wang Yan, the remaining members were like lambs waiting for slaughter.

An hour later, the Hell Sect was completely consumed by the banner. The once-prosperous sect now lay in ruins, littered with corpses and drenched in blood. The pungent stench of blood permeated the air, and the very heavens seemed dyed crimson.

With this done, Gu Qingfeng plunged into the Hell Sect’s grounds, looting everything in sight. Valuables or not, he swept them all into his possession, scraping the land down by three feet in the process.

Spirit springs, spiritual lands, blood pools used for refining corpses—nothing was spared. Even the corpses and blood were collected, as the flesh and blood of cultivators were extraordinary delicacies for demons and monsters.

This would make a perfect gift for Little Corpse Demon when she emerged from seclusion. That little minx would surely be delighted.

He soon located the Hell Sect’s treasure vault. Though sealed with an extremely intricate array, the Forbidden Heaven Seal made breaking through it effortless.

The vault was a magnificent sight. As one of the top sects in the Verdant Wood Domain, the Hell Sect’s accumulated wealth was staggering—piles of treasures, though most were sinister artifacts favored by demonic cultivators.

Items like Soul-Locking Lanterns, Spirit-Shattering Chains, and Blood-Melting Blades clearly marked this as anything but a righteous sect. Then again, what righteous sect would call itself the Hell Sect?

Now, the name was truly fitting—it had become a literal hell.

Faced with such an immense fortune, even Gu Qingfeng’s usually unshakable composure wavered with delight.

By now, the six Sword Sect disciples had regained some mobility. They stood up, watching Gu Qingfeng’s frenzied looting with uncertainty. None dared interrupt until he finally paused.

Sword Maniac mustered his courage and asked, "S-Senior Uncle Gu... what should we do next?"

Gu Qingfeng glanced at them. "We? What can you six deadweights possibly do? Plan to trap me with the Seven Swords Immortal-Slaying Formation again?"

The group exchanged awkward glances and hung their heads in shame.

"You should all go back and recover. Leave the rest to me."

As proud chosen disciples of the Sword Sect, the six were naturally arrogant, but now they could only wallow in the frustration of being reduced to burdens.

Still, when they heard that Senior Uncle Gu intended to send them back, they secretly sighed in relief. It wasn’t that they feared further danger—it was their dear Senior Uncle himself who unnerved them. The pressure around him was overwhelming, and they couldn’t shake the fear that he might suddenly lose control and toss them into the Banner of Ten Billion Souls as well.

As for condemning Gu Qingfeng?

None of them were fools. In the world of cultivation, strength ruled supreme. The strong could do no wrong, and the weak had no right to judge. Besides, the Hell Sect had attacked the Sword Sect first—their annihilation was deserved. Though the methods were brutal, they weren’t entirely unacceptable.

"We will follow your orders, Senior Uncle," they replied.

Gu Qingfeng nodded and began casting the Heavenly Delivery Array. Mystical runes enveloped the six, and as the light flared, he added, "Oh, and when you get back, tell Little Wei for me—once I’ve wiped out all the sects that dared besiege us, I’ll return."

The six nearly stumbled out of the array mid-transport, whether from hearing the Sword God Dugu Wei referred to as "Little Wei" or from Gu Qingfeng’s casual declaration of exterminating multiple sects.

Before they could respond, the light flashed, and they vanished.

With them gone, Gu Qingfeng felt a refreshing sense of freedom. Being unburdened by deadweights was indeed pleasant.

"Now then... who shall be the lucky next contestant? Hehehe..." Gu Qingfeng muttered with a sinister grin.

He lowered his head to examine a map of the Verdant Wood Domain, marked with the locations of all major sects and factions.

The setting sun cast its glow upon him, but with his face tilted downward, only his eyes gleamed faintly red in the shadows.

Finally, after a round of eeny-meeny-miny-moe, he settled on his next target—the Peerless Manor!

This was none other than Duan Changsheng's lair.

......

Sword Sect.

At this moment, the Sword Sect remained embroiled in chaos—the clashing of swords, the roar of thunder, and the explosions of flames raged incessantly.

A dazzling array of divine lights bombarded the mountain-protecting formation, sending ripples of golden energy cascading across its surface.

The disciples of the Sword Sect scurried about in frantic urgency—some hauling materials, others repairing the formation, while a few prepared defensive lines within the sect, bracing for the moment the barrier might collapse.

Yet, amid the chaos, a sudden radiance flashed within the Sword Sect, and six figures materialized out of thin air.

Their abrupt appearance immediately drew the attention of the sect members.

"It's the Holy Son and the others!" someone exclaimed.

"How did they return so quickly?"

Dugu Wei's keen perception instantly detected their arrival, and in a flash, he teleported beside them.

The seven Peak Masters arrived just as swiftly.

The moment they laid eyes on Chu Jingchen and the others—drenched in blood—their expressions darkened. And when they realized Gu Qingfeng was missing, their hearts pounded with dread.

Dugu Wei stepped forward urgently. "What happened? Where is Junior Brother Gu? How were you all so grievously injured?"

In that instant, the Sword Sect's leadership pieced together a grim scenario—the seven must have encountered a formidable enemy, leaving them severely wounded. As for Gu Qingfeng, he had likely fallen, mustering his last ounce of strength to send the others back in a final act of self-sacrifice.

A tragic yet heroic tale unfolded in their minds.

Though they found it hard to believe Gu Qingfeng would do such a thing, the evidence before them left little room for doubt.

"Senior Uncle Gu... he didn't return. He—" Before Sword Maniac could finish his sentence—

BOOM!

An overwhelming aura erupted from Dugu Wei, shaking the heavens and earth.

"WHO DID THIS?!"