Do you not even have the courage to strike at this emperor

"Why should humans go first?!" a demonic quasi-Emperor protested indignantly.

"Hmph! What gives you the right to question this Emperor’s decision?" Gu Qingfeng sneered coldly.

The seven black pythons coiled around him immediately hissed in warning.

The demonic quasi-Emperor paled instantly, feeling an overwhelming surge of sinister thoughts flooding his mind. His Dao heart wavered, nearly driving him to qi deviation. He dared not utter another word.

"Elder Gu, I’ll go first!"

A human quasi-Emperor wasted no time, eager to step onto the Path to Emperorship. He promptly took out his Qiankun Ring and handed it to Gu Qingfeng.

Yet Gu Qingfeng didn’t accept it. Instead, a golden glint flashed in his eyes as he scanned the human quasi-Emperor.

"Take out the treasures hidden in your dantian," he said indifferently.

The human quasi-Emperor’s expression changed. Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly retrieved several rare treasures from his dantian, his eyes flickering with pain at the loss.

Only then did Gu Qingfeng nod in satisfaction. "You may enter."

Without hesitation, the human quasi-Emperor transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the Path to Emperorship.

The others, witnessing this, hurriedly began offering their "tolls."

Having seen what happened to the first man, none dared to hide anything, surrendering their entire fortunes obediently.

Soon, all the human quasi-Emperors had entered the Path.

The other races, waiting impatiently on the side, grew restless, fearing they would fall behind.

"Elder Gu, here is my Qiankun Ring," a Tiger Demon quasi-Emperor said urgently.

But Gu Qingfeng shook his head. "Your entry conditions are different from the humans’."

"What?!" The Tiger Demon’s face twisted in shock.

The other quasi-Emperors erupted in fury, their eyes burning with killing intent.

"What do you think you’re doing?!"

Ignoring their rage, Gu Qingfeng spoke calmly. "The Path to Emperorship isn’t a place for trash. To enter, you must earn this Emperor’s approval. The test is simple—I will stand here and take your full-power strike. Those who meet the standard may pass."

The furious crowd froze at his words, wondering if they had misheard.

Was he essentially asking them to hit him?

"What? Too cowardly to even strike this Emperor? Hmph, don’t worry—I won’t retaliate. But if you still lack the courage, then scram back to where you came from. Don’t embarrass yourselves here."

"Gu Qingfeng! You said it yourself!" the Tiger Demon growled coldly.

Gu Qingfeng glanced at him dismissively, too arrogant to even lift his eyelids. With a faint hum, he acknowledged the challenge.

Infuriated by his arrogance, the Tiger Demon’s killing intent exploded.

He threw a punch, and behind him, the phantom of a sacred White Tiger manifested, its overwhelming might shaking the heavens as it lunged at Gu Qingfeng.

Faced with this earth-shattering strike, Gu Qingfeng merely extended a single finger.

The Tiger Demon, feeling insulted, roared. The White Tiger phantom swelled another hundred feet, as if it could devour the world.

BOOM—!

Gu Qingfeng’s finger met the White Tiger’s forehead. In an instant, the colossal phantom shattered into nothingness, dissipating like smoke.

The Tiger Demon’s face twisted in horror as he stared at Gu Qingfeng, completely unharmed.

He never imagined the man could be so strong—blocking his full-power strike with just a finger.

The other quasi-Emperors exchanged uneasy glances, reassessing Gu Qingfeng’s strength. Even the descendants of ancient Emperors wore grave expressions, sensing a formidable enemy.

"Barely passable. Leave your Qiankun Ring and enter," Gu Qingfeng declared indifferently.

The Tiger Demon, no longer defiant, hastily handed over his ring and vanished into the Path.

Seeing that Gu Qingfeng kept his word, the others hesitated briefly before lining up for their turns.

One by one, the second, third… up to the tenth quasi-Emperor took the test. All passed except for a newly ascended quasi-Emperor, whose strength fell short.

The rejected quasi-Emperor seethed with resentment, but since his full-power strike couldn’t even scratch Gu Qingfeng, he dared not protest.

He glanced at the others for support, but they were too stunned to care.

Gu Qingfeng had taken ten full-power strikes from quasi-Emperors—each time with just a finger—without a single injury.

They weren’t afraid of opponents stronger than themselves. Every quasi-Emperor had experience surpassing their limits, defeating stronger foes.

But Gu Qingfeng’s strength defied reason. No matter how hard they struck, he remained unmoved, like an insurmountable chasm.

Under the rules set by the strong, the weak had no choice but to submit.

The rejected quasi-Emperor could only slink away in defeat.

The eleventh quasi-Emperor was from the Spirit Race.

Spirit Race members had unique physiques, resembling ethereal beings, their bodies glowing faintly like luminous spirits.

Just as the Spirit quasi-Emperor handed over his Qiankun Ring and prepared to strike, Gu Qingfeng suddenly spoke.

"This Emperor senses your solid foundation and decent potential. You’re qualified. Enter."

The Spirit quasi-Emperor was puzzled but didn’t question it—entering the Path was all that mattered.

While he didn’t dwell on it, the others began speculating.

Their eyes flickered as they studied Gu Qingfeng.

Was he sparing the Spirit Race because he was already weakened?

Enduring ten quasi-Emperor strikes must have taken its toll.

At that moment, the Black Dragon Emperor’s descendant stepped forward. "I’ll go next."

Unlike the others, he didn’t offer his Qiankun Ring first. Instead, he attacked immediately.

"Nine-Five Supreme Technique!"

With a roar, his true dragon form emerged. His qi and blood surged like an ocean, his body wreathed in dragon energy as the Nine-Five Supreme Technique blazed brilliantly.

His body swelled to ten thousand feet, radiating overwhelming power—as if the Black Dragon Emperor himself had returned.

In that moment, the dragon race showcased the pinnacle of physical might. His claw strike shattered the void effortlessly, annihilating all in its path.

Yet Gu Qingfeng’s response remained unchanged—a single finger.

He knew what the Black Dragon Emperor’s descendant was thinking. Seeing him spare the Spirit Race, the dragon assumed he was faltering.

But was that truly the case?

In truth, Gu Qingfeng had let the Spirit quasi-Emperor pass simply because the Spirit Race wasn’t aligned with demons—they carried no evil aura, making them uninteresting targets.

The next instant—

Claw met finger.

A deafening metallic clang rang out, grating on everyone’s ears.

Then—CRACK.

It broke.

The Black Dragon Emperor’s descendant’s claw snapped.

The crowd was utterly dumbfounded. The dragon race, famed for their unrivaled physiques—especially the Black Dragon Emperor’s descendant, whose bloodline rivaled the ancestral dragons, a top candidate for the Heavenly Emperor title—had lost in a contest of raw strength…

To a human.

No—to a human’s finger.

The scene was so surreal, many wondered if they were trapped in an illusion.