Catching the Sun with Bare Hands

"Gu Qingfeng!! Pfft—"

The Thirteenth Ancestor was so enraged that he vomited blood on the spot.

"Shh! It's not your turn to play the hero yet. Stay alive."

With a casual wave of his hand, Gu Qingfeng made the Thirteenth Ancestor vanish without a trace.

At that moment, countless ancient human figures lurking in the shadows burst into curses.

Due to Gu Qingfeng's previous extortion of the great sacred grounds, his reputation was already infamous, and nearly every one of these ancient beings recognized him.

"Gu Qingfeng! As a human, not only have you sided with the Heavenly Demons, but now you’re even helping the demon race! Traitor! What grudge do you hold against humanity?"

"The Thirteenth Ancestor fought desperately for humanity, and you stopped him! Are you even human anymore?"

"You are the greatest traitor in human history! I wish I could skin you alive, grind your bones to dust!"

Countless condemnations poured from the mouths of these ancient beings—all quasi-Emperors of humanity, just like the Thirteenth Ancestor.

Facing their accusations, Gu Qingfeng grinned savagely. "Heh heh heh... What the hell are you dogs barking about?

"Every one of you claims to fight for humanity, so why don’t you step out and self-destruct too?

"All this talk about ‘for humanity’—bullshit! You just want to become Emperors yourselves!

"Earlier, when the Qilin Immortality Herb was up for grabs, you all rushed out like starving dogs. But once you got your share, you scurried back into hiding."

"Gu Qingfeng! What’s wrong with us wanting to become Emperors? If we ascend, we’d be human Emperors—ten thousand times better than a demon Emperor! Yet you aid the demon race, abandoning humanity—"

"Become Emperors my ass! You’re nothing but a pack of cowardly old mutts, hiding in the shadows and spouting nonsense. This Emperor does whatever the hell he wants—who among you dares to stop me?

"If you’ve got the guts, step out! Stop barking from the shadows like dogs!"

Gu Qingfeng’s tirade silenced the hidden human quasi-Emperors—because none of them dared to step forward.

Why waste their lives if they couldn’t kill him anyway?

Not everyone was as reckless as the Thirteenth Ancestor, willing to throw everything away for a clear conscience.

Meanwhile, other hidden beings watching the scene were stunned. Rarely active in human territories, they knew little of Gu Qingfeng.

Never had they imagined that in this era, such a figure would emerge—a man who openly berated countless quasi-Emperors single-handedly.

"Pathetic." Gu Qingfeng swept his disdainful gaze across the void and snorted.

"Hahahaha... Human! You’ve done well. When this prince ascends as Emperor, I’ll reward you handsomely!"

Having narrowly escaped death, the Qilin Child stood in the void, laughing arrogantly, his eyes gleaming with approval at Gu Qingfeng.

Gu Qingfeng tilted his head slightly, barely glancing at the Qilin Child.

"Go to hell! Who the hell do you think you are? Since when do you get a say here?"

The Qilin Child froze. This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go.

Had this human helped him only to insult him? Or had the way gratitude was expressed changed so drastically over the millennia?

Not just the Qilin Child—even the hidden ancient beings were baffled.

What was Gu Qingfeng’s deal?

First, he helped the Qilin Child escape death, seemingly to betray humanity. Then he cursed the human quasi-Emperors, only to turn around and insult the demon race?

Was he trying to piss off everyone at once? What was the point?

"Human! Do you even realize what you’re saying? You may have helped this prince, but that doesn’t give you the right to be so insolent! I am the Qilin Child, son of Emperor Qilin, the future Heavenly Emperor—"

"—future Heavenly Emperor’s mount," Gu Qingfeng interjected.

The Qilin Child blinked. "Human, what did you say?"

"This Emperor said you’ll be the future Heavenly Emperor’s mount. Are you deaf?"

Mount?!

The Qilin Child’s fury erupted. As a member of the Qilin race, nothing was more insulting than being called a mount—a humiliation their kind had endured before Emperor Qilin’s rise.

"Human! You dare insult me?! This prince will grant you death!"

"Insult? Being this Emperor’s mount is an honor for you."

"Die! Solar Trueflame!"

Boom!

Endless golden flames surged toward Gu Qingfeng, engulfing him instantly.

Ding!

Host attacked by Qilin Child.

Yang Law +10,000,000 +10,000,000 +100,000,000...

Oh? Quasi-Emperor-level attacks grant Law insights?

Gu Qingfeng smirked in satisfaction. Rushing here to stop the Thirteenth Ancestor had been worth it—not only had he saved a life, but he’d also gotten to enjoy the Qilin Child at full power.

Truly, virtue had its rewards. Heh heh heh...

As for the opinions of the masses?

Gu Qingfeng had never cared. He’d cultivated tirelessly to reach this height, gaining immense power and immortality—for what?

To bow to others’ whims? To fret over their judgments?

This Emperor acts as he pleases. Who needs explanations?

Freedom—unrestrained, unbound by laws or morals—was all that mattered.

If he willed it, even the collective wishes of all living beings meant nothing.

"This is the fate of those who defy this prince!" The Qilin Child sneered as Gu Qingfeng vanished into the golden inferno.

"Defying you gets me a sunbath? How generous of you."

Gu Qingfeng’s voice drifted calmly from within the flames. Then, the golden fire dimmed, revealing his unharmed, domineering figure.

"Impossible!" The Qilin Child’s face twisted in shock. "Solar Trueflame is the mightiest blaze in existence! How could it not harm you?!"

The hidden observers were equally stunned. Solar Trueflame could injure even quasi-Emperors—yet this man emerged unscathed?

"Harm this Emperor? Heh heh heh... Not just you—even your dear old dad couldn’t manage it."

"Bastard! You dare disrespect the great Emperor Qilin?! I’ll kill you!"

The Qilin Child roared, veins bulging. "Imperial Art: Falling Sun!"

Once more, the golden sun descended from the heavens, its overwhelming power scorching the world as if to purify all filth.

This was the same technique that had nearly slain the Thirteenth Ancestor.

Yet Gu Qingfeng didn’t even bother looking up. He simply raised his right hand, palm open, as if to catch the sky itself.

"What’s he doing?!"

"Is he... trying to catch the sun with his bare hand?!"

Such audacity left even the quasi-Emperors—beings who had witnessed eons—stunned.

The Qilin Child’s face contorted with fury. He was certain his Imperial Art was unstoppable—for it was the legacy of his father, Emperor Qilin.

Just as every Heavenly Emperor believed themselves invincible, so too did their descendants.

Comparing Heavenly Emperors was near impossible—for only one could exist per era. Until the previous Emperor perished, their Dao remained, blocking the path for successors.

Under the horrified gazes of all, the colossal sun—large enough to blot out the sky—descended...

Only for that outstretched hand to halt its fall with effortless ease.

As the sun came to a halt, all things in the world seemed to freeze in that moment.

Every eye was fixed on Gu Qingfeng, who held the sun aloft.

Awe.

Unfathomable awe.

It was as if they had witnessed an ant lifting an elephant—so insignificant in size, yet so immovable in strength.

Golden radiance bathed Gu Qingfeng’s entire being, casting him in the divine light of a sun god, resplendent and boundless.

Ding!

"The Yang Law has reached its limit. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a fragment of the Sun Immortal Body’s origin. Detecting the presence of the Chaos Body, the system has automatically integrated it for you."

Gu Qingfeng cast a disdainful glance at the stunned Qilin Child and said coolly, "If this is all the strength you possess, then I may need to reconsider your qualifications as my mount."