The Imperial Pass

"Cult Leader, this Emperor Beast dares to block our path. Please give the order, and let us exterminate this creature," a Quasi-Emperor volunteered.

Gu Qingfeng cast his gaze upon the colossal Emperor Beast and said calmly, "No rush. I shall test it first."

As soon as the words left his lips, Gu Qingfeng's figure vanished from the golden war chariot and abruptly appeared before the Emperor Beast.

The beast was massive, like a wandering planet, devoid of intelligence, merely trudging forward aimlessly. It paid no heed to the ant-like figures of Gu Qingfeng and his entourage.

Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng extended a powerful hand, lightly pressing it against the Emperor Beast's cold, scaly hide—like an ant reaching out to touch an elephant.

Boom!

The Emperor Beast, which had been moving like a celestial body along its trajectory, came to an abrupt halt, forcibly stopped by Gu Qingfeng's strength.

Feeling the immense recoil, Gu Qingfeng frowned. "Not family?"

Bang!

With a single punch, the Emperor Beast exploded into a shower of radiant light, dissipating into the Emperor's Path.

To enemies, he was as ruthless as the harshest winter; to family, as warm as spring—this was Gu Qingfeng's unwavering principle.

Then, with a casual wave toward where the beast had perished, Gu Qingfeng summoned an irregular, crystal-like stone into his palm. It pulsed with dense Dao Rhyme.

"So this is a Dao Stone?" Gu Qingfeng examined it with interest.

He had previously learned about the Emperor's Path from Old Ghost and knew of the Emperor Beasts' nature. Within their bodies lay Dao Stones, condensed from Dao principles—divine treasures that aided Quasi-Emperors in cultivation.

At the Quasi-Emperor realm, cultivation revolved around refining one's own Dao. By this stage, heavenly materials brimming with primal energy had long lost their usefulness. Only treasures imbued with Dao, such as Immortality Elixirs, could assist Quasi-Emperors.

And then there were the unique products of the Emperor's Path—Dao Stones.

The Emperor's Path was a trial road, where peril and opportunity coexisted. Those who walked it to the end would reach the pinnacle, and the strongest would seize the Mandate of Heaven!

"Master, what’s that shiny stone in your hand? It’s so pretty!" Little Corpse Charm’s eyes sparkled like a woman beholding exquisite jewelry.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes!" She nodded eagerly.

"Then it’s yours. This is a Dao Stone. Absorb its Dao Rhyme, and it will aid your cultivation."

Little Corpse Charm accepted the stone, her eyes betraying reluctance.

"Master, can I admire it for a while before absorbing it? It’s just so beautiful."

"There are plenty more where that came from. Once you’ve absorbed this one, I’ll find you another."

Gu Qingfeng couldn’t help but feel exasperated. He’d noticed that women had little resistance to shiny, pretty things.

The Dao Stone was a divine treasure for enhancing a Quasi-Emperor’s power, yet in Little Corpse Charm’s hands, she hesitated to absorb it simply because it was beautiful.

Truth be told, she’d been spoiled rotten. She’d always had everything handed to her—never lacking cultivation resources, never needing to fight tooth and nail for them. She’d ascended to Quasi-Emperor effortlessly, and now, even with treasures in hand, her only concern was their aesthetic appeal.

In terms of smooth sailing, Little Corpse Charm was undoubtedly unmatched. She spent more effort on her appearance than on cultivation.

"Fine," she pouted, her delicate lips pursed, before reluctantly beginning to absorb the Dao Stone.

For Gu Qingfeng, Dao Stones no longer held much significance. After his earlier extortions, he’d already reached the peak of the Quasi-Emperor realm, just one step away from perfecting the Demon Dao and becoming an Extreme Dao practitioner—an Emperor.

This final step couldn’t be bridged by any number of Dao Stones. The Emperor realm was an insurmountable chasm. Under normal circumstances, the Quasi-Emperor peak marked the end of cultivation. To attain the Emperor realm, one had to bear the Mandate of Heaven and comprehend the Heavenly Dao.

Alternatively, those who had once been Emperors but lost the Mandate would retain their realm without regression.

The Flame Emperor and the other Emperor Corpses were prime examples.

This meant Gu Qingfeng’s cultivation was currently stalled. Unless an Emperor-level family member intervened or he bore the Mandate himself, he couldn’t break through.

Thus, it was better to use the Dao Stones to strengthen Little Corpse Charm.

Time flowed swiftly, and another month passed in the blink of an eye. The eternal darkness and solitude, the unchanging stars, made Gu Qingfeng feel as though he were standing still.

Had it not been for the dozens of Emperor Beasts they’d encountered along the way, it truly would have seemed like they hadn’t moved at all.

Little Corpse Charm was in luck. After absorbing dozens of Dao Stones, her Dao became increasingly refined. Though she hadn’t yet reached the Quasi-Emperor’s limit, she was close.

With Dao Stones in abundance, she even indulged in extravagance—carving small pieces into earrings that shimmered like silver stars. Adorning her delicate, pale ears, the Dao Rhyme flowed like a galaxy, enhancing her ethereal beauty.

......

On this day, the unchanging Emperor’s Path finally shifted.

Ahead, Gu Qingfeng spotted a towering fortress blocking their way.

The gate stood tall and majestic, towering above the stars and suspended in the heavens, exuding an aura of solemnity and ancient grandeur.

It resembled the legendary Celestial Gate—its height and breadth beyond mortal perception.

As if it had existed since time immemorial, it bore witness to countless epochs of history.

Before the gate flowed a resplendent river of stars, shimmering like a moat guarding its entrance.

Above it hung an ancient plaque, inscribed with two characters in strokes as crimson as blood: Imperial Gate!

"Finally, we’ve reached the Imperial Gate!"

Gu Qingfeng murmured to himself. Despite his vast experience, even he couldn’t help but be awestruck upon seeing it for the first time. The Imperial Gate truly lived up to its reputation as the foremost barrier in the world. Even with the reach of his divine sense, he couldn’t perceive its boundaries.

Its height remained unfathomable—the Imperial Gate was like an immeasurable wall, severing the heavens and earth, blocking the path of all who sought to advance.

To behold the Imperial Gate was to truly witness the Path of the Emperor.

It was the first trial of the Path, and to proceed further, one had no choice but to scale it—there was no detour.

As Old Ghost had once recounted, a Quasi-Emperor once attempted to bypass the gate, unable to surmount it, he sought a shortcut.

Yet the outcome was grim—the Quasi-Emperor flew alongside the gate until his lifespan withered away, never finding its end.

Thus, the only way forward was to ascend, to fly higher than the Imperial Gate itself and cross over.

But scaling the Imperial Gate was no simple feat. The higher one climbed, the greater the pressure—a crushing weight of the Ten Thousand Daos, meant to temper one’s own path.

Those who endured would refine their Dao, purifying it until they could finally cross.

Those who faltered would be crushed beneath the weight of the Ten Thousand Daos, their bodies shattered and their Dao extinguished.

Gu Qingfeng gazed into the distance and saw hundreds of black dots clinging to the Imperial Gate—each one a Quasi-Emperor, flying upward at incredible speed. From such a distance, they appeared as mere specks.

Over a thousand Quasi-Emperors had entered the Path of the Emperor, yet only a few hundred remained here. Had the others not arrived yet?

Activating his Golden Eye of Truth, Gu Qingfeng scrutinized these Quasi-Emperors and realized none possessed an Immortal Physique. The truth dawned on him.

Those with Immortal Physiques were nothing but crops for the Emperor Corpses—harvested long ago.

Though mere corpses, they were the remains of Celestial Emperors. Ordinary Quasi-Emperors stood no chance against them, especially since the Immortal Physiques originally belonged to these ancient rulers. Reclaiming them was effortless.

Gu Qingfeng surmised that the Emperor Corpses must have had a unique connection to their respective Immortal Physiques. The moment they escaped the protection of Supreme Sin, they would have sought out those who bore their stolen physiques—sealing their fates.

Take, for example, the descendants of the Black Dragon Emperor, or other scions of ancient sovereigns. They had entered the Path of the Emperor with lofty ambitions, believing they would ascend to the throne. Yet in the end, they were nothing but vessels for their ancestors.

Among the Quasi-Emperors scaling the Imperial Gate, none were the likes of the First Ancestor of the Heavenly Court or other disciples and descendants of the Celestial Emperors. Their fate was likely the same.

Once the Emperor Corpses reclaimed their Immortal Physiques, they would have pressed onward. What was an insurmountable trial for others was child’s play to them.

After all, these were once Celestial Emperors—each had conquered the Imperial Gate and traversed the Path of the Emperor in their time.

That was why none of them remained here—they had long since crossed over.