I'm Home, Your Majesty

Boom......

Endless divine light erupted from the four poles of heaven and earth, shooting into the sky.

All across the world, people witnessed four radiant pillars connecting heaven and earth, converging into one, piercing through the cosmos and stretching into the void beyond.

The heavens and earth split open in an instant!

In the distant void, a rift shimmered with immortal light, ethereal and dreamlike, like a mirage.

Across the void, a vast and solemn celestial hymn echoed, as if the sacrificial chants of ancient times had resurfaced—grand and boundless, like the sacred scriptures chanted by three thousand divine demons.

The spiritual energy of the world boiled like water.

"The Path to Emperorhood has opened!!"

Someone roared, dancing wildly in ecstasy, their demeanor bordering on madness.

"Damn it! Why has the Path opened now? I was so close, just a little more!"

Another pounded their chest in frustration, lamenting their insufficient cultivation.

"In this lifetime... can I become an Emperor? Or will I perish on the Path?"

Someone murmured to themselves, torn between excitement and fear.

Many had longed for the Path to Emperorhood, yet like the fabled Lord Ye who claimed to love dragons but fled at the sight of one, when the Path truly appeared before them, they were seized by dread, their hearts trembling with uncertainty.

The terror of the Path to Emperorhood was a tale passed down through the ages.

Countless Quasi-Emperors had perished on that road—a path destined for only one to reach its end, while all others served as mere stepping stones.

Those who could attain Quasi-Emperor status were all peerless geniuses, one in a million, blessed with unyielding will and immense fortune. None were inferior to another, and this very fact ensured the Path's cruelty.

Thus, it was no surprise that some were plagued by worry and fear.

Yet, those who harbored such doubts were doomed never to become Heavenly Emperors.

Those destined to ascend as Emperors possessed invincible conviction, unwavering confidence that in this era, none but themselves would claim the throne—without exception!

Regardless of the outcome, after waiting for endless eons, with the Path now before them, they would inevitably step forward to challenge it.

Across the heavens—the Celestial Court, the Netherworld, the Jade Pool, the Eternal Divine Dynasties, the Ancient Imperial Clans, and the various forbidden lands—countless Quasi-Emperors opened their eyes. Once-mighty beings now gazed intently at the rift in the void, their Quasi-Emperor auras surging, yet none made a move.

For the opening of the Path required time—days at the shortest, months at the longest. Only when the rift fully split apart, revealing the complete road, would the optimal moment to tread the Path arrive.

After observing briefly, the world fell silent once more.

Yet in that fleeting moment, the majority of cultivators in the Cangming Realm came to realize just how many terrifying powerhouses had been hidden across the land.

All understood.

This was the calm before the storm—a time of dormancy, of gathering strength, of refining oneself to peak condition!

When the Path to Emperorhood truly opened, the entire Cangming Realm would tremble. Winds would rise, clouds would surge, heaven and earth would shift in hue, and countless Quasi-Emperors—young and old alike—would emerge, vying for supremacy in an unprecedented spectacle!

......

Yinming Domain, headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Gu Qingfeng stared intently at the soon-to-open Path to Emperorhood, his excitement rare and palpable.

He summoned the little Corpse Spirit: "You're about to become a Heavenly Emperor. Aren’t you happy?"

The little Corpse Spirit giggled. "Master, you're about to sleep with a Heavenly Emperor. Aren’t you happy?"

"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily.

Mwah!

"Eek! So mean!"

"Have you thought of an imperial title for when you become Emperor?"

"The Moonlight Heavenly Emperor."

"Moonlight?" Gu Qingfeng was puzzled. "Shouldn’t it be the Corpse Heavenly Emperor?"

"Ugh, that sounds so ugly for a girl! Moonlight is much prettier."

"But why Moonlight?"

"Because my name is Li Mingyue, silly."

"Eh?"

Only then did Gu Qingfeng realize—the little Corpse Spirit had a name all along.

"Why didn’t you ever mention it?"

"You never asked! Besides, I like it when you call me 'little Corpse Spirit.'"

"That won’t do. Before, I didn’t know your name, but now that I do, I should use it."

"Fine. Then from now on, call me 'Little Yueyue.'"

"Little Yue... Yue... Never mind. I’ll stick with 'little Corpse Spirit.'"

"Keh keh keh... The Forsaken Heavenly Emperor certainly has refined tastes."

A grating laugh suddenly rang out.

Gu Qingfeng didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Old Ghost—after all, no one else in the world had such an unpleasant laugh.

He patted the little Corpse Spirit. "Go on ahead. I’ll find you later."

The little Corpse Spirit’s greatest virtue was obedience—no, wait... it was her ability to shapeshift.

Without another word, she nodded and left.

Gu Qingfeng glanced at the hunched, beggarly figure of Old Ghost and said disdainfully, "What do you want?"

Old Ghost scrutinized him, his murky eyes flashing with a sharp glint. "You’ve restored your cultivation to Quasi-Emperor? And you’ve walked a different path than before. Truly worthy of you, Forsaken Heavenly Emperor."

"Enough chatter. I don’t have time to waste on an old fossil like you. Spit it out if you’ve got something to say."

Since reaching Quasi-Emperor, Gu Qingfeng’s unshakable confidence as a powerhouse had only grown, and even the enigmatic Old Ghost no longer intimidated him.

"The Path to Emperorhood is about to open. Our plan must begin. I’ve come to invite you to the Burial Grounds," Old Ghost said, unfazed by the disrespect, his laughter eerie.

"Burial Grounds?"

Gu Qingfeng’s interest was piqued. He remembered Old Ghost’s earlier words—the Burial Grounds were where the long-dead Emperors and Sovereigns resided.

"What kind of place is the Burial Grounds?"

"The Burial Grounds are the closest to the cycle of reincarnation—you could say it’s my domain. Certain parts of the 'Heaven-Slaying Plan' cannot be discussed in the outside world, lest the Heavenly Dao take notice. Only within the Burial Grounds can we speak freely."

"Lead the way."

Gu Qingfeng harbored no fear of any schemes Old Ghost might have. Though even with his Quasi-Emperor cultivation and nascent Chaos Body, he might not be a match for Old Ghost, he was immortal!

Even if Old Ghost could seal him away like the Heavenly Dao, it wouldn’t matter.

Because his family was nearly here.

After reaching Quasi-Emperor, his perception had sharpened, and with the Heavenly Demons drawing ever closer, his connection to the triad of Heart, Longevity, and Oath Demons had grown clearer.

Why had his family crossed endless oceans, traversing billions of miles?

Wasn’t it all for him?

If they arrived only to find their target missing, they would never let it rest.

With such formidable backing, Gu Qingfeng had every reason to be bold.

Old Ghost said nothing more and began leading the way, shuffling forward like a feeble old man. Gu Qingfeng followed closely.

After just two steps, the space around Gu Qingfeng began to warp. With the next step, the scenery before him transformed entirely.

He had left the Cangming Realm behind, arriving in a mysterious land.

How did he know he was no longer in the Cangming Realm?

Because he could clearly sense—the Heavenly Dao of the Cangming Realm was absent here.

The Heavenly Dao was omnipresent, governing all things in existence. Yet here, its influence was nowhere to be found.

"Hehehe... Welcome to the Burial Grounds!" The Old Ghost cackled as he looked at Gu Qingfeng.

Yet, Gu Qingfeng's originally pale face suddenly twisted into a sinister grin as he sneered.

"Hehehe... This is no Burial Grounds—this is practically home for this Emperor!"

Old Ghost: "..."

No wonder Gu Qingfeng was so exhilarated. It was because he sensed an endless, overwhelming surge of ominous energy in the Burial Grounds.

The last time he had felt a similar aura of calamity was when he encountered the Supreme Abomination in the Primordial Forbidden Land.