Half-Step Quasi-Emperor

"Indeed, the Queen Mother of the West did use a portion, but hasn’t your Heavenly Dao Sect done the same?

Emperor Gu, you must understand—this is the practice of all sacred lands, not just our Yaochi."

The Supreme of Yaochi had just fired a broadside, attempting to drag everyone into the mire.

The other Supremes immediately erupted in outrage.

"Don’t you dare slander us! We would never resort to such underhanded tactics!"

"Silence!"

Gu Qingfeng commanded the crowd.

"You heard them—none of the other sacred lands admit to such actions. Only Yaochi stands accused. What do you propose we do about this?"

The Supreme of Yaochi paled. "Emperor Gu, they are lying to you!"

Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened further. "Insolence! Do you take me for a fool? How could I be deceived? Yaochi has broken its word, and that wretch the Queen Mother of the West dares to embezzle treasures meant for me. It seems punishment is in order, lest the world think me weak."

The Supreme of Yaochi was stunned. He couldn’t believe Gu Qingfeng would ignore such an obvious lie—this was clearly a deliberate provocation against the Queen Mother of the West!

Other sacred lands had taken far more, yet Gu Qingfeng fixated solely on Yaochi. What else could this be but intentional?

Then he remembered Gu Qingfeng’s words from days prior—about wanting to grope the Queen Mother’s peach-like rear...

"To Yaochi!"

With a sweep of his hand, over a hundred enslaved Daoists materialized from the void, and the group marched toward Yaochi in a grand procession.

The Supreme of Yaochi, now in full panic, hastily sent a message via a jade talisman before pleading with the other Supremes.

"Esteemed peers, this demon’s arrogance knows no bounds! He clearly seeks trouble—no treasury can sate his greed. If we do not act now, Yaochi’s fate today will be yours tomorrow!"

The other Supremes sneered. None were fools willing to be Yaochi’s pawns.

Gu Qingfeng was undying and unkillable—even a Quasi-Emperor couldn’t end him. To oppose him was suicide.

Seeing their indifference, the Supreme of Yaochi shot them a furious glare before rushing back to Yaochi.

---

Yaochi Sacred Land.

Mists swirled around verdant peaks and crystalline waters, a breathtaking paradise untouched by mortal strife.

The flora here thrived under the favor of sun and moon, every leaf and blade of grass gleaming like carved jade. Divine birds danced through the air, rare beasts roamed freely, and sacred springs murmured softly.

Yet, within this serene haven—

BOOM!

An unimaginable pressure descended upon Yaochi, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

Countless cultivators shuddered, their faces paling as they looked skyward. The weaker among them crumpled to the ground, unable to withstand the weight.

Above, the skies churned, the void trembled, and the Great Dao resonated as over a hundred godlike figures loomed over Yaochi.

Like deities gazing down upon the mortal realm.

"O-One hundred Supremes?!"

"Is it Gu Lao—mmph! Why are you covering my mouth?!"

"Quiet! Do you have a death wish, uttering his name?!"

"What’s happening?! Why has he come to Yaochi? Weren’t the terms already settled?"

"Where is that wretch, the Queen Mother of the West?! Show yourself before me!" A voice thundered across Yaochi, brimming with divine authority.

Whoosh—

Dozens of radiant streaks shot into the sky, facing Gu Qingfeng’s forces.

Among them stood an elder woman gripping a divine staff, her voice laced with fury. "Gu Qingfeng! We handed over the treasury! What more do you want?! Do you think Yaochi fears you?!"

"Hmph! Who are you to address me? Fetch the Queen Mother of the West at once."

The elder woman suppressed her rage. "The Queen Mother is in seclusion."

"Seclusion? After stealing from me, she dares hide away? How bold! Bring her before me now, or I’ll reduce Yaochi to ruins!"

The Yaochi cultivators’ expressions darkened further, but faced with Gu Qingfeng’s overwhelming numbers, they hesitated.

"Gu Qingfeng, think carefully. This is Yaochi. If you awaken our slumbering Quasi-Emperor, neither of us will walk away unscathed."

"Attack!"

Gu Qingfeng gave the order without hesitation.

"As you command, Your Eminence!"

Just as the hundred enslaved Daoists prepared to strike—

BOOM!

A burst of immortal light erupted from Yaochi’s depths, suffusing the air with an indescribable Dao rhythm.

Then, a woman bathed in radiance, regal as a goddess, emerged gracefully from the sacred springs.

Her delicate embroidered slippers trod upon the void, each step conjuring a golden lotus beneath her feet, elevating her higher.

It was the Queen Mother of the West!

But she was not as she had been before. Once dignified and serene, now she seemed stripped of mortal trappings—her robes fluttering, her aura transcendent, as if merged with the Great Dao itself.

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes narrowed in surprise. From her, he sensed a wisp of the same presence he’d felt from the Thirteenth Ancestor.

A Quasi-Emperor?!

This wretch’s talent was so monstrous? The first to reach Quasi-Emperor?

Shouldn’t the Celestial Court or Netherworld have produced one first?

Ah, right. The Celestial Court's Holy Master and the Netherworld’s Lord were long dead. Never mind.

"Gu Qingfeng, what brings you to Yaochi?" The Queen Mother’s voice was like the most enchanting melody.

Gu Qingfeng’s gaze swept over her, lingering on her peach-like curves. For some reason, the urge to grope her felt even stronger now.

But upon closer inspection, he realized—she wasn’t a true Quasi-Emperor. Though she bore a trace of that aura, it paled next to the Thirteenth Ancestor’s.

Half-step Quasi-Emperor, then.

"Tsk tsk. Who’d have thought a mere woman would be the first to take this step? Soon, you’ll likely become the first true Quasi-Emperor of this era.

But let’s not forget—you owe this breakthrough to my treasures. Now, about compensation..."

Gu Qingfeng grinned wolfishly, his eyes tracing her figure.

The Queen Mother remained unshaken, her demeanor ethereal. "Gu Qingfeng, though I am not yet a Quasi-Emperor, I can suppress all your followers. You may be unkillable, but you cannot defeat me either.

Unlike the slumbering Quasi-Emperors, my lifespan is abundant, my power at its peak. You cannot outlast me.

So I advise you—leave now. Spare us both a futile struggle."

"And if I refuse?" Gu Qingfeng mused, intrigued. Truthfully, he was eager to test his limits. Among Supremes, he was unmatched. Against a Quasi-Emperor, he’d lose—but a half-step Quasi-Emperor? That was worth a try.

The Queen Mother shook her head, her expression pitying.

"Your demonic nature runs too deep."

"Kekeke... Then why not stay by my side? Offer yourself to this demon, and slowly purify me."