Gu Qingfeng Becoming Emperor

Gu Qingfeng reached out and caught the Heavenly Mandate descending from the sky, his blazing gaze fixed upon it, his desire utterly unconcealed.

"Keh keh keh..."

A wild laugh erupted from his lips, echoing across the entire Emperor's Path.

"The Heavenly Mandate is mine!"

He gently stroked the lotus-shaped Mandate, its holy radiance casting light upon his twisted, grinning face, making him appear as though both divinity and demonic nature coexisted within him.

Just as he reveled in his triumph, the Heavenly Mandate suddenly erupted with boundless brilliance.

Gu Qingfeng was startled, but before he could react, the Mandate had already merged into his body.

An aura of supreme authority emanated from him, instantly sweeping across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

In that moment, countless insights and cosmic truths flooded his mind, as if all the world's mysteries were being poured into him.

His Dao—the Demonic Dao—began to manifest across the Cangming Realm. Billions of demonic god phantoms appeared in the void, their visages savage, roaring, frenzied, and cruel!

It was as though the demonic realm itself had invaded the mortal world.

Countless living beings watched in terror, their hearts trembling.

"What in the world is happening?! Have the ancient demonic gods awakened?"

"No! That’s not it! This is... Dao Manifestation in the Void, suppressing all other Daos with one’s own! This is the Dao of the newly ascended Heavenly Emperor!"

A few profound cultivators recognized the truth.

"What?! How can a Heavenly Emperor’s Dao be so sinister?! Just its manifestation alone makes my heart waver, as if I’m on the verge of falling into demonic madness!"

"Is this Heaven’s punishment upon the Cangming Realm? To let a demonic cultivator become the Heavenly Emperor?! Do we even stand a chance of survival?"

......

Gu Qingfeng stared in shock as his Demonic Dao reflected across the void, merging with the myriad Daos of the world.

He even felt as though he had become the center of the universe—everything revolving around him.

"So this is the feeling of being the Heavenly Emperor? But I don’t want to be one!"

Never had he imagined that simply holding the Heavenly Mandate would force its fusion with him.

Now, fully merged with the myriad Daos, the aura of his Demonic Dao swept through the cosmos, shaking all existence.

Gu Qingfeng stood atop the battlefield of nothingness like a supreme sovereign, his presence awe-inspiring!

And in that instant, all knew—a new Heavenly Emperor had been born.

As the Heavenly Emperor ascended, the battlefield of nothingness dissolved, and Gu Qingfeng’s peerless figure appeared upon the Emperor’s Path.

At once, the other Heavenly Emperors rushed forward to offer their congratulations, discarding all pretense of dignity—when one had favors to ask, pride was a luxury.

"Congratulations, Heavenly Emperor Gu!"

"Felicitations, Heavenly Emperor Gu!"

"Heavenly Emperor Gu’s return to the throne is truly cause for celebration!"

Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened as he watched them. He had never wanted to be the Heavenly Emperor, yet these fools dared to fan the flames.

"By the way, Heavenly Emperor Gu, now that you hold the Heavenly Mandate and command the Life-Death Profound Flame, you should revive us as soon as possible. The Emperor’s Path will soon vanish, and if we remain exposed to Heaven’s gaze, disaster will follow."

"Yes, yes! There’s no time to waste—we must not delay our grand plan to defy Heaven!"

Gu Qingfeng’s face grew even colder as he swept his gaze over them. "Are you... instructing this Emperor on what to do?"

The Heavenly Emperors inwardly cursed. They had long known Gu Qingfeng was not an easy man to deal with, but they had still hoped to salvage the situation.

"W-We wouldn’t dare! Heavenly Emperor Gu, your wisdom is boundless—naturally, you have your own plans. We merely... Ah! Heavenly Emperor Gu, what are you doing?!"

The Heavenly Emperors suddenly paled, their voices filled with panic.

For Gu Qingfeng had summoned his power and forcibly expelled the Heavenly Mandate from his body!

Instantly, he fell from his state of unity with the myriad Daos, and the demonic aura pervading the void began to dissipate.

In that moment, the Cangming Realm’s Daos wailed in sorrow, as though an omnipotent will was departing from the world.

Simultaneously, across the Cangming Realm—whether cultivator or mortal—tears inexplicably fell, a profound sense of abandonment gripping their hearts.

It was as though Heaven itself was mourning, unwilling to let go, like a child being forsaken.

The countless beings of the Cangming Realm were dumbfounded. The overwhelming demonic aura that had just filled the heavens had vanished in an instant.

"Could it be...?"

"The Heavenly Emperor of this era... has abandoned the Heavenly Mandate?!"

"I must be dreaming! That is the Heavenly Mandate—the dream of all cultivators! And he just cast it aside?!"

None could have imagined that a reigning Heavenly Emperor would willingly relinquish his throne.

......

"Phew... out at last. Much better."

Gu Qingfeng held the Heavenly Mandate aloft, using his power to prevent it from merging with him again.

The Heavenly Mandate was a fragment of Heaven’s authority—even when fused, it granted only temporary control, not true ownership. Upon an Emperor’s death, the Mandate would be reclaimed.

Thus, in theory, an Emperor could expel the Mandate if they wished. Yet, across the annals of history, not one of the three thousand past Emperors and Sovereigns had ever done so.

Gu Qingfeng had set an unprecedented precedent. No wonder the other Heavenly Emperors were aghast—this was the Heavenly Mandate! The very prize they had fought and died for!

"H-Heavenly Emperor Gu... what is the meaning of this? Without the Mandate’s power, the Life-Death Profound Flame alone cannot revive us!"

"Who said this Emperor intended to revive you?" Gu Qingfeng sneered.

"What?!" The Heavenly Emperors’ expressions twisted in fury.

Emperor Qilin’s voice turned icy. "Heavenly Emperor Gu, you would do well to reconsider your words. The plan to defy Heaven was our collective undertaking. If you refuse to cooperate, you make an enemy of us all!"

Soul Heavenly Emperor followed up, "If you know what’s good for you, you will reabsorb the Mandate and revive us. Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, do you truly believe you can withstand the combined might of hundreds of Heavenly Emperors?"

The others voiced their agreement, their expressions threatening.

"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng remained unmoved, instead throwing his head back in laughter, his gaze contemptuous as if looking at mere ants.

"It’s not that this Emperor looks down on any of you in particular... it’s just that, in my eyes, every single one of you here is trash!"

"Arrogant brat!"

"Insolent fool!"

"We extended courtesy, yet you spit on our goodwill!"

"Brothers, attack together! Seize his Mandate and the Life-Death Profound Flame! I refuse to believe the plan hinges on him alone!"

Driven to the brink, the Heavenly Emperors could endure no more. The might of hundreds of Emperors erupted at once, shaking the heavens, shattering the void, and threatening to collapse the Emperor’s Path itself.

Emperor Qilin, who had been barely restraining himself, struck first.

Moving like lightning, golden runes burst from his forehead, dazzling as they formed an eternal sun that crashed toward Gu Qingfeng.

Soul Heavenly Emperor followed close behind, his body emitting the wails of countless ghosts. His eyes blazed with eerie light, unleashing twin beams of annihilation.

The other Heavenly Emperors also joined the fray, unleashing their divine Emperor Arts and Emperor Weapons with formidable force. In an instant, imperial might swept across the Nine Heavens, its overwhelming power so immense that even the Emperor's Path could not contain it, resonating throughout all realms of existence.