Am I the Abandoned Emperor

And so...

Boom!

Gu Qingfeng extended his left fist and threw a punch through the void toward Qilin Child.

The overwhelming force contained within the punch instantly tore through space, flashing past Qilin Child’s left cheek before he could even react.

A violent gust roared, the air shattered, and Qilin Child’s left ear instantly went deaf. Even though the punch had missed by a considerable distance, the sheer force of the shockwave still scraped off several bloodied scales from his face.

Before Qilin Child could even register the pain, an even more thunderous explosion erupted, like a bolt from the blue.

BOOM—!

Qilin Child’s expression froze in place. Though he didn’t turn his head, at his level of cultivation, his spiritual perception was far sharper than mere sight.

In his mind’s eye, he saw it clearly—the terrifying punch had grazed past his left cheek before its full force erupted.

It was as if a planet hundreds of kilometers in diameter had slammed into the earth at a speed of thousands of kilometers per second.

The ground tens of thousands of miles away instantly melted, the mantle shattered, and the impact blasted open a chasm so deep that subterranean flames and magma surged forth from unfathomable depths.

Waves of fire and molten rock spread outward at supersonic speeds, devouring everything in their path—mountains, rivers, forests—all vaporized in an instant. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, blotting out the light, leaving only the dim red glow of the magma to illuminate the world.

The sheer might of this single punch rendered the world speechless.

The ancient beings lurking in the shadows fell silent. Qilin Child stood dumbfounded.

Gu Qingfeng retracted his fist and lightly blew away the wisp of smoke rising from it—a result of the intense friction with the air.

He said calmly, "This time, I used my left fist. Surely you don’t think my left fist is also an Emperor’s weapon?"

Qilin Child remained stunned, unable to speak.

Gu Qingfeng smirked, satisfied with the destruction he had wrought. This was what it meant to surpass one’s predecessors—such was the power of the Chaos Physique.

Having devoured the Sun Immortal Physique and the power of a Quasi-Emperor, merging them with his own, the eruption of Chaos energy was even more devastating.

Seeing Qilin Child’s silence, Gu Qingfeng knew the other was still reeling from shock and self-doubt—the perfect moment to invade his mind and subdue him as a mount. Without hesitation, he unleashed an endless tide of sinister thoughts.

But the instant those overwhelming dark thoughts surged forth from Gu Qingfeng’s body—

Hum.

A faint, almost imperceptible resonance echoed through the heavens, as if the very fabric of the Great Dao itself had trembled.

The ripples formed by this resonance carried the weight of countless Dao runes, suppressing all existence as they spread outward.

Though the ripples appeared to move slowly, they traversed space instantaneously, arriving before Gu Qingfeng’s endless tide of sinister thoughts the moment they manifested. Upon contact, the surging dark energy froze in place, utterly motionless.

Not just the sinister thoughts—everything in the world, from the grass and trees to the hidden ancient beings, Qilin Child, even the distant explosion of magma Gu Qingfeng had caused—all came to a standstill.

It was as if a deity had pressed pause on time itself.

Or like a movie scene frozen mid-frame by a remote control.

Yet, within this frozen time, Gu Qingfeng remained unaffected. His heart jolted in alarm.

This is... time freeze!? The legendary supreme Law of Time!?

As the saying went: Time reigns supreme, Space rules as king, Fate remains unseen, Karma claims the throne, Destruction knows no bounds, Creation stands peerless, the Five Elements dominate, Yin and Yang rise together, Power stands above all, and Reincarnation controls the field.

From this, one could grasp the might of the Law of Time.

What the hell is going on? Why has time suddenly frozen!?

I was in the middle of a perfectly good flex—who did I offend?

As Gu Qingfeng glanced around in confusion, a hoarse, sinister laugh erupted from behind him.

"Kekeke... Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, long time no see."

Gu Qingfeng turned to see a hunched old beggar clad in tattered sackcloth, his hair grizzled, leaning on a broken wooden staff as he shuffled forward.

Abandoned Heavenly Emperor!?

Why is this old coot calling me that?

Mystery solved! Could it be that I’m the reincarnation of the legendary Heavenly Emperor, and my so-called "system" was just a little cheat I set up for myself back then?

Wait, no!

The name "Abandoned Heavenly Emperor" sounds familiar...

Holy shit!

Isn’t that the name of the Supreme Sin from the Primordial Forbidden Land? I almost forgot.

Gu Qingfeng suddenly realized why the old beggar had mistaken him for the Abandoned Heavenly Emperor—he must have sensed the aura of the Supreme Sin on him.

But understanding this only deepened his shock. The Abandoned Heavenly Emperor was a figure so ancient his existence had been erased by the Heavenly Dao, leaving no records. Yet the Primordial Forbidden Land had existed for tens of millions of years.

The Primordial Forbidden Land was a prison the Heavenly Dao had created for the Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, meaning he had to be at least tens of millions of years old.

And yet, this old beggar recognized him!

That meant this old man was likely a contemporary of the Abandoned Heavenly Emperor.

Gu Qingfeng’s heartbeat quickened, a thrill of gambling surging through him. As the saying went, it was either heaven or hell—whether he could pause time like in those high-art films depended on this gamble.

I’ll bet he’s not human! He’s a demon!

Anyone who’s lived for tens of millions of years is probably not human.

Unaware of Gu Qingfeng’s bizarre gambling mindset, the old beggar continued forward, scrutinizing him with a creepy grin, revealing a mouthful of yellowed, missing teeth.

"Kekeke... Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, I never thought you’d actually escape the Primordial Forbidden Land. Even though you had to discard most of your origin, freedom is still freedom.

As expected of the Heavenly Emperor I admired the most!

Throughout history, among the three thousand Emperors and Sovereigns, you were the only one I truly respected. After all, you alone achieved true immortality—albeit with heavy restrictions, but still, you took a giant step on the path of eternal life."

The old beggar rambled on, spouting cryptic nonsense that left Gu Qingfeng even more confused.

What kind of lunatic is this? Not only does his laugh sound awful, but he’s also full of hot air—talking as if all the Heavenly Emperors were his juniors.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" the old beggar asked after a while, noticing Gu Qingfeng’s silence.

"Who the hell are you?" Gu Qingfeng shot back.

Old beggar: "..."

"You’ve lost your memories?" The old man tilted his head, circling Gu Qingfeng twice before reaching a conclusion.

Gu Qingfeng considered playing along—pretending to be a memory-lost Abandoned Heavenly Emperor. But given that this old coot was likely an ancient monster who’d lived for eons, tricking him wouldn’t be easy.

Before Gu Qingfeng could respond, the old beggar continued, "Ah, of course. After becoming the Supreme Sin, you were no longer your true self. With the collective evil thoughts of all living beings within you, memory chaos was inevitable. And since you sacrificed most of your origin to escape, it makes sense that your memories went with it."

Gu Qingfeng: "..."

Living a long life does make one harder to deceive, but nothing stops a person from deceiving themselves.

"Kekeke... Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, who would have thought someone as proud as you would end up a blank slate. Amusing, truly amusing." The old beggar clapped his hands in delight.

"Could you stop laughing? That sound is downright unbearable!" Gu Qingfeng, irritated by the old beggar's mad cackling, snapped at him.

The old beggar paused briefly at the insult, then laughed even louder. "Still the same as ever, I see. Even with your memories gone, that foul temper remains—utterly lacking in respect for your elders.

And besides, this laugh of mine? I learned it from you! How could it possibly be unpleasant?"