Crusade Against the Old Demon Gu

"Mm."

Qian Ya nodded slightly, then added, "We shouldn't contact each other anymore. I’m afraid Gu Qingfeng might misunderstand."

"No!!! Qian Ya!" Zuo Feichen cried out in anguish, his voice tearing through the air. "Qian Ya, I know you’re trying to protect me, but I absolutely won’t—"

"That’s enough." Qian Ya cut him off abruptly before turning away without another glance, leaving Zuo Feichen standing there, stunned and motionless, as if turned to stone.

......

Outside the palace where Gu Qingfeng resided, Qian Ya stood hesitantly before the grand doors, her emotions a turbulent mix of nervousness, anticipation, and unease—far from the icy composure she had displayed earlier.

Her thoughts raced.

Rumors said Gu Qingfeng was the most handsome man in the Cangming Realm, his portraits circulating widely. But could the real person possibly live up to the paintings?

It was also said he possessed a Chaos Womb—any saintess who dual-cultivated with him would see her cultivation soar, a single day equivalent to a decade of effort.

And he was known for his extravagance. Daily, he lounged with saintesses, flipping through imperial scriptures without a care for prying eyes. His meals consisted of spirit fruits and immortal wines, fed to him by saintesses who, in the process, might sip the leftovers—delicacies usually reserved for elders and sect masters.

To be with him was to rise from obscurity to glory, like a phoenix ascending from the branches.

"Enter." A magnetic voice drifted from within the palace, laced with lazy arrogance yet carrying an undeniable authority, like an emperor reclining on his throne.

Hearing it, Qian Ya nervously pushed open the door and stepped inside with small, measured steps.

The moment she laid eyes on Gu Qingfeng, she froze. She had thought the portraits captured his beauty, but they paled in comparison to the man before her.

Clad in robes black as ink, adorned with delicate golden threads, he exuded elegance and nobility. His jet-black hair, smooth as polished jade, was tied back with a snow-white ribbon. Beneath his perfectly arched brows, his long, narrow eyes shimmered like gentle spring waters, warm and soothing.

His nose was straight and proud, like distant azure mountains, while his thin lips, slightly pale, curved into a smirk brimming with roguish charm.

Qian Ya stood dumbstruck, staring at Gu Qingfeng as he lounged on the bed, his chest partially exposed.

When his gaze met hers, she felt as though something had scorched her. Her heart raced, her cheeks flushed, and she quickly lowered her head.

"Look up. Let this venerable one see you properly."

The commanding tone sent a shiver through her delicate frame. Biting her tender lips, she hesitantly raised her head, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty.

"Come closer."

Her nervousness grew as she approached, stopping only when his overwhelming masculine aura enveloped her.

Instinctively, she lowered her gaze again, staring at the tips of her embroidered shoes—only to find her view blocked.

Then, she felt a slight pressure under her chin. A slender, warm hand lifted her face, forcing her to meet those bewitching, almost demonic eyes.

Her mind went blank. Her body weakened, as if she had become a puppet on strings, entirely at his mercy.

A teasing, magnetic voice whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her lobe.

"A woman who cannot see her feet when she looks down is a peerless beauty. You’ll do nicely. What’s your name?"

"Th-This humble one is... Qian... Qian Ya," she stammered, dazed.

"Qian—graceful and alluring; Ya—elegant and refined. A fitting name. Come, sit beside me. Let this venerable one... appreciate you properly."

......

"Fellow Daoists, the demon Gu Qingfeng is currently in the Mingxin Hall of our Celestial Court. We must act swiftly before that fiend senses danger and complicates matters," Fu Yangxi addressed the gathering of over five hundred Supreme Elders.

This assembly was the fruit of his tireless efforts over several days. Aside from the sect masters of the great holy lands, nearly every Supreme Elder from the Sacred Domain and neighboring regions had answered the call—united for this righteous crusade to purge evil and save the world.

As for why the sect masters hadn’t come? Simple. They were seizing every second to cultivate in seclusion. These leaders, the ones closest to the Quasi-Emperor realm, had been stuck at bottlenecks for years. Now that the Great Contention Era had arrived, nothing took precedence over breaking through.

"Let us proceed as Daoist Fu suggests," the crowd agreed, voices rising in unison.

Among them were legendary figures whose names shook the heavens.

Had anyone witnessed the sheer might of this demon-slaying force, they would have gasped in awe. Five hundred Supreme Elders—each a patriarch-level existence, capable of founding their own sects anywhere in the Cangming Realm—had gathered for one man.

Truth be told, this lineup could even slay a Quasi-Emperor.

"Before we move, allow this old man to briefly outline Gu Qingfeng’s forces. He commands one hundred and ten Heavenly Supreme Elders, including five Eight-Star, ten Seven-Star, six Six-Star..."

"Daoist Fu!" A burly, bearded man with a build like an iron tower interrupted. "That whelp Gu Qingfeng has barely over a hundred Supreme Elders, while we outnumber him five to one!

"Moreover, he doesn’t even have a single Nine-Star among his ranks, whereas we have several. With this strength, even a Quasi-Emperor would fall. How could we fail against him?

"Enough talk. Let’s strike now!"

Seeing the eager, almost dismissive expressions of the crowd, Fu Yangxi nodded. "Very well. We act immediately!"

With unanimous agreement, the five hundred Supreme Elders unleashed their divine might. Without warning, they materialized high above the Mingxin Hall, descending like a host of celestial deities.

Their combined auras erupted like cataclysmic force, shaking the very foundations of the Celestial Court. The ground, walls, and mountains cracked under the pressure, fine fissures spreading like spiderwebs.

......

Gu Qingfeng, having just finished his cultivation session, was admiring Qian Ya’s breakthrough.

The young woman had already been on the verge, and under his... diligent guidance, she had pierced through that final barrier, stepping into a new realm.

Then—suddenly—the earth trembled. The air grew heavy, as though the sky itself were collapsing.

The palace shuddered violently.

A message arrived from his Dao servants outside. The corner of Gu Qingfeng’s lips curled into an intrigued smile.

Without a word, he first stored Qian Ya within his palm-world, then summoned his robes with a flick of his wrist and strode out of the Mingxin Hall.

Outside, five hundred Supreme Elders bathed in divine light loomed above, their gazes cold and condescending.

His hundred-plus Dao servants swiftly gathered around him, forming a protective formation.

"Demon Gu! You defy the natural order, bring calamity upon the world, and summon celestial demons! Your crimes merit death ten thousand times over!"

"Today, we righteous cultivators gather here, determined to uphold the will of heaven and restore peace to this world!"

His voice boomed like thunder, resonating across ten thousand miles as if the heavens themselves roared in wrath.