Return to the Primordial Forbidden Land

"Emperor Gu, we've already explained the whole situation to you. For this lifetime, just bear with it for a while. Once the plan succeeds and the Heavenly Dao perishes, the so-called title of Emperor won't matter much anyway," Old Ghost patiently persuaded from the side.

In truth, Old Ghost knew that when it came to the Path of the Emperor, Gu Qingfeng stood no chance against Emperor Yan.

Because Xiao Fan had already reclaimed his former power. At this moment, he was already an Emperor—just one who hadn't yet borne the Mandate of Heaven.

Even if Gu Qingfeng possessed all the Profane Origins and the strength to challenge an Emperor, he still wouldn't be Xiao Fan's match.

The strength of the Profane lay in their indestructibility, not in direct combat.

The reason Old Ghost didn't spell it out plainly and instead chose to coax Gu Qingfeng was that he knew his temperament. Gu Qingfeng had to be handled carefully to prevent him from causing trouble.

Faced with Old Ghost's question, Gu Qingfeng fell into deep thought.

He knew his lifelong nemesis had appeared—and worse, this enemy was the reincarnation of an Emperor who could turn all his family against him.

Now he was feeling rather frustrated because this wasn't how the script was supposed to go.

So what if he got stuck with the villain's role? The damn Chosen One wasn’t even supposed to skip the leveling-up phase!

Under normal circumstances, he should have been sending minions just one realm stronger than the Chosen One to capture him, only for them to be killed in return.

Then he’d send slightly stronger minions, helping the Chosen One grind experience bit by bit until he leveled up to the point where even Gu Qingfeng couldn’t defeat him. That was the proper way things should unfold.

If that were the case, all Gu Qingfeng needed to do was mobilize the entire Demonic Sect in advance, storm the place where the Chosen One was working as a lowly servant, snap his broom in half, tear his rags to shreds, and then annihilate him outright—denying him any chance to power up.

But ideals were plump, while reality was bony.

The reality was, the guy didn’t need to grind at all. Being the reincarnation of an Emperor, he just reclaimed his former cultivation in one go.

It made Gu Qingfeng want to curse. How come other reincarnated Emperors had to start from scratch, while this guy got to cheat?

This was straight-up hacking!

Still, Gu Qingfeng wasn’t panicking. Because resurrecting the Emperor Corpses was something only possible after Xiao Fan bore the Mandate of Heaven. And before that—let’s not forget—those Emperor Corpses had all entered the Path of the Emperor together.

There was plenty of room for maneuvering here.

"Emperor Gu, have you made your decision?" Old Ghost pressed again.

After some thought, Gu Qingfeng replied, "Fine, I won’t become Emperor. But you have to give me another portion of the Immortal Longevity Body’s essence."

Old Ghost’s face immediately fell. "Emperor Gu, I truly have none left. If I give you any more, my body won’t be able to handle it."

Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened. "Do you even hear how suggestive that sounds? Cut the crap. If you don’t hand it over, Xiao Fan won’t become Emperor—I swear it, and no one can change that!"

And so, Old Ghost reluctantly gave Gu Qingfeng another portion of the Immortal Longevity Body’s essence.

Truthfully, he was just acting. While the essence was precious, it meant little to him.

"Emperor Gu, you must keep your word. Since you’ve agreed not to become Emperor, don’t go back on it."

Gu Qingfeng scoffed. "What do you take me for? I’d never stoop to such deceit."

Old Ghost, a seasoned judge of character, studied Gu Qingfeng’s disdainful expression carefully. His instincts told him the man was speaking the truth.

And his instincts weren’t wrong—because Gu Qingfeng really wasn’t planning to become Emperor.

He intended to let Little Corpse Charm bear the Mandate instead, making her the Emperor.

That way, both he and Little Corpse Charm would possess the strength of an Emperor bearing the Mandate.

If he became Emperor himself, what would happen to Little Corpse Charm?

One Emperor versus two—Gu Qingfeng knew which was the smarter choice.

"Excellent! Emperor Gu, you truly are decisive. In that case, I won’t hold back either. As a show of sincerity, why don’t we head to the Primordial Forbidden Land now and reclaim all your Profane Origins?"

"Agreed."

......

The Primordial Forbidden Land.

Rather than a forbidden land, it resembled a picturesque expanse of rivers and mountains.

Vast, boundless earth stretched beneath towering peaks, layered like folded screens. Ancient trees stood tall and lush, while thick vines coiled around the mountains like giant serpents, adding an air of antiquity.

A hundred-zhang waterfall cascaded down with a thunderous roar.

At first glance, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.

Yet, despite its splendor, there wasn’t a trace of human presence—nor even the chirping of birds. It was as silent as a lifeless void.

Suddenly, a ripple in space appeared.

A strikingly handsome young man clad in imperial robes, exuding unparalleled majesty, and a ragged, hunched old beggar materialized out of nowhere.

It was Gu Qingfeng and Old Ghost.

Without a word, the two headed straight for the deepest part of the Forbidden Land, both clearly familiar with the terrain.

Gu Qingfeng, of course, had wandered the Primordial Forbidden Land many times—many of his underlings even hailed from here—so he knew it like the back of his hand.

As for Old Ghost, he was an ancient monster who had lived for who-knew-how-long. He had existed even before the Forbidden Land took shape, and there was likely no place in the Cangming Realm he hadn’t set foot in.

The terrifying Heavenly Dao’s curse that would deter ordinary cultivators meant nothing to them—they ignored it completely.

Soon, they reached the heart of the Forbidden Land.

Once again, they were met with the endless, churning black mist—the solidified curse of the Heavenly Dao.

Without hesitation, the two plunged into it.

Inside, the void was crisscrossed with countless law-like chains, tangled chaotically as if a deity had scribbled them across existence.

Even someone as powerful as Old Ghost had to tread carefully around these chains.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle them—he simply didn’t want to alert anyone prematurely.

Navigating through the layers of chains, the two finally arrived at the deepest part of the mist and stepped through.

Instantly, they found themselves in a void-like space, as if floating in the cosmos. Empty, desolate—nothing existed here.

The only things present were infinite chains of law extending from the void, all linked to a swirling mass of black mist darker than a black hole.

The Profane Origin!

At the sight of it, Gu Qingfeng felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Mine. All of it is mine!

"Emperor Gu, channel the Profane’s aura into the Scapegoat Doll. I’ll cast a spell to loosen the Heavenly Dao’s chains momentarily. The moment they slacken, we’ll replace the Profane Origin," Old Ghost said gravely, his eyes fixed on the chains.

Gu Qingfeng nodded, retrieving the Scapegoat Doll and pouring the Profane’s aura into it.

Then, something miraculous happened—the doll began emitting endless black mist.

Gradually, the doll lost its form entirely, transforming into a swirling mass of black mist identical to the Profane Origin.

Not just in appearance, but in essence as well—overflowing with boundless sinister thoughts of all living beings. A single glance would drive an ordinary person to madness.

"The Substitution Doll embodies the Dao of illusion and reality. By channeling one's energy into it, the doll can transform from illusion into a perfect, lifelike replica—indistinguishable from the original in every way except for lacking its abilities. Used as a decoy to ward off calamities, even the Heavenly Dao would struggle to discern the truth."