Fear at the Mention of Gu

"Alright, all of you, stop standing around here. Hurry up and clean up the mess. Gather the corpses and treasures from the various sects and present them to me. Also, starting today, I, Gu Qingfeng, am taking charge of the Sword Sect. Any objections?"

The crowd listened to Gu Qingfeng's domineering words, each as docile as a lamb. No one dared to voice dissent.

......

Three days later.

The aftermath was dealt with, and the Sword Sect gradually returned to normalcy.

In the grand hall of the Sword Sect, a solitary figure sat arrogantly upon the throne. His beauty was unparalleled, his stature tall and imposing, clad in a pristine black silk robe adorned with intricate golden embroidery woven from divine metal at the chest and cuffs—mysterious yet regal.

In his hand, he held a dark golden sword wreathed in imperial demonic aura, using it as a cane.

Endless demonic energy rose from the blade like countless black serpents, crawling over the wielder's body.

This added a terrifying air to the already aloof figure.

It was none other than Gu Qingfeng and the Emperor Demon Sword.

Ever since obtaining the Emperor Demon Sword, he had scarcely let it leave his side, reveling in the euphoria of the sword's demonic energy coursing through his body.

His various physical attributes grew stronger at an astonishing rate.

As long as the Emperor Demon Sword refused to acknowledge him as its master, resisting him, he could continue growing stronger indefinitely.

Just how powerful had he become? Even he didn’t know—there was no benchmark. But one thing was certain: Heavenly Lords were no longer worthy of a single punch from him.

Even half-step Heavenly Venerates like the Sword Demon couldn’t withstand a single blow.

His strength was undoubtedly on par with a Heavenly Venerate, though where he stood among them remained unclear.

"Xiao Wei, tell me—how can I unleash the full power of the Emperor Demon Sword?" Gu Qingfeng asked Dugu Wei, who stood below.

At present, the Emperor Demon Sword merely released its demonic energy at a basic level. While this had been sufficient initially, as Gu Qingfeng’s power grew, he found the pace too sluggish.

Dugu Wei glanced at Gu Qingfeng, gripping the Emperor Demon Sword, with a trace of reverence.

Respectfully, he replied, "Sect Master, to wield the Emperor Demon Sword’s full might, one must possess strength that matches it. An ordinary mortal holding the sword and a Heavenly Emperor holding it would yield entirely different results."

"But my strength has already surpassed the Sword Demon’s. Yet, in my hands, the Emperor Demon Sword is weaker than when he wielded it. Why is that?"

Dugu Wei pondered for a moment. "That may be because, while your combat prowess is immense, your cultivation realm remains insufficient. After all, the Emperor Demon Sword is primarily driven by divine power."

Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened. He had been stuck at the peak of the Heavenly Origin Divine Core realm for several days now, and it frustrated him immensely.

But frustration was useless—this world simply refused to acknowledge him, barring his ascension to the Heavenly Human realm.

It was like being an undocumented immigrant—no identity, no recognition.

He would need to find time to thoroughly study how to break through to the Heavenly Human realm.

If all else failed, he could always cultivate a few powerful demons and have them attack him with the Emperor Demon Sword.

Seeing Gu Qingfeng’s grim expression, Dugu Wei fell silent.

After a moment, he suddenly spoke up. "Ah, Sect Master, there’s something I must bring to your attention."

"What is it?"

"It concerns Ling Fei'er."

Gu Qingfeng’s brow arched. "What about Fei'er?"

Dugu Wei hesitated before answering. "Ling Fei'er is, after all, a human-demon hybrid—the only one currently in the Sword Sect. She once betrayed the sect. Though under your protection, none of the disciples dare act against her, the war has only just ended. Resentment still lingers in their hearts.

"It’s inevitable that some will whisper unpleasant things behind her back, perhaps even discriminate against her. Humans and demons are opposing races, after all.

"I fear that, over time, this may disrupt the unity within the Sword Sect."

Truthfully, Dugu Wei’s main concern was that if any of these harsh words reached Gu Qingfeng’s ears, his fury might lead to a massacre.

But to Gu Qingfeng, such trivial matters were hardly worth his attention.

With a casual wave of his hand, the Sword Sect’s grand hall was suddenly filled with a dark mass of figures.

Among them stood the Sword Demon, a host of human-demons, enslaved Daoists under Gu Qingfeng’s control, and subordinates from various sects.

Dugu Wei was startled by their abrupt appearance.

Thinking Gu Qingfeng had flown into a rage and intended to annihilate the Sword Sect, he hastily cried out, "Sect Master! There’s no need for such extremes! Please, reconsider!"

Ignoring him, Gu Qingfeng addressed the Sword Demon and the others. "From this day forth, all of you will join the Sword Sect. Remember—live in harmony with your fellow disciples. Do not discriminate against humans just because you are human-demons. Understood?"

The Sword Demon and the others dropped to their knees in unison.

"We obey, Great Lord!" they chorused.

Dugu Wei’s lips twitched. He had never imagined Gu Qingfeng’s solution would be so bluntly straightforward.

Ling Fei'er was the only human-demon?

Minorities were prone to discrimination?

Simple—just make them the majority.

With such a formidable force joining the Sword Sect, the humans within instantly became the minority.

And since the human-demons were bound by Gu Qingfeng’s decree not to discriminate against humans, a peculiar equilibrium was achieved.

"Little Wei, summon all the senior members of the Sword Sect for a meeting."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Before long, all the elders and the seven peak leaders of the Sword Sect had gathered. They stared at Gu Qingfeng, whose body was wreathed in demonic energy, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

Gu Qingfeng's current state bore an uncanny resemblance to someone who had succumbed to demonic corruption, and they feared he might lose control and unleash a massacre.

"Ahem. I’ve called everyone here today to announce the sect’s first Five-Year Plan!" Gu Qingfeng declared.

"With no faction left in the Green Wood Domain capable of rivaling the Sword Sect, I propose we unify the entire domain and restore the former glory of the Imperial Court’s Immortal Sect!"

"In its prime, the Sword Sect commanded the allegiance of ten thousand sects across the Green Wood Domain, with each paying tribute year after year. Now that I lead the Sword Sect, we shall reclaim that dominance!"

"What say you, esteemed colleagues?"

The Sword Sect members exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared voice dissent.

After all, Gu Qingfeng ruled the Sword Sect with absolute authority. Not only was he the most powerful individual, but he also wielded the Demon Emperor’s Sword and commanded a legion of demonic subordinates. Who would dare oppose him?

"Excellent. Then this goal is settled."

"Now, two more matters."

"First, scour the entire Green Wood Domain for all prodigies with unique physiques—whether Spirit Bodies, Treasure Bodies, Divine Bodies, or Sacred Bodies. No exceptions. Anyone with a special constitution must be captured and brought to me!"

"Second, apprehend all Heaven’s Fourth Stage experts in the domain."

The Sword Sect members were dumbstruck by these orders.

At this point, they couldn’t help but wonder—were they still the Sword Sect, or had they become a demonic faction?

No, even demonic sects weren’t this brazen!

Unifying the Green Wood Domain, abducting all geniuses, and seizing Heaven’s Fourth Stage experts—this was tantamount to declaring war on the entire world!

......

With Gu Qingfeng’s commands set into motion, the Green Wood Domain officially entered its Dark Epoch, shrouded under an oppressive shadow.

Countless sects were besieged until they surrendered.

Innumerable prodigies and Heaven’s Fourth Stage experts were ruthlessly captured.

A tide of demonic might swept across the land.

Once revered as the Imperial Court’s Immortal Sect, the Sword Sect was now secretly branded by the people as the Demonic Sect.

And its leader, Gu Qingfeng, was thoroughly demonized in legends.

Since he often referred to himself as "This Venerable One," the world bestowed upon him the title of "Demon Venerable."

For a time, the entire Green Wood Domain lived in fear, with even the mention of Gu Qingfeng’s name striking terror into hearts.

Yet, a few astute observers noted something peculiar—despite the chaos under Demon Venerable Gu Qingfeng’s rule, the domain’s population hadn’t dwindled. In fact, mortality rates plummeted.

Killing and plundering had always been the way of cultivators.

But under the overwhelming demonic oppression, conflicts between individuals dwindled sharply.

Though the Demonic Sect claimed to have attacked numerous sects, most surrendered without resistance.

Who could muster the courage to fight when a dozen Heavenly Monarchs stood at their gates? They bowed their heads in submission, offering tribute and willingly handing over their geniuses and Heaven’s Fourth Stage experts.

As for those prodigies and experts, they arrived at the Demonic Sect trembling in fear—only to discover the reality was far from what they’d imagined.

The geniuses merely had a few vials of blood drawn. Though it weakened their foundations, recovery was possible, a far cry from the living hell they’d anticipated.

The Heaven’s Fourth Stage experts, meanwhile, were overjoyed. Though stripped of all their possessions, they received Gu Qingfeng’s aid in overcoming their inner demon tribulations, ascending directly to the Fifth Tribulation Heavenly Human Realm—putting the Heavenly Monarch Realm within reach!