Immortal Is Indeed Brave

A year later.

In the deepest part of the Demon Realm, a grand palace now stood—the Demon Palace. Its sole occupant was none other than Gu Qingfeng, the Demon Lord who had turned the Demon Realm upside down over the past year.

During this time, he had finally achieved the modest goal he had set for himself.

One trillion years of cultivation!

To reach this milestone, Gu Qingfeng hadn’t dared to rest for a single day.

Every day, he was either devouring demons or on his way to devour more demons.

He could consume ten demons in one meal, three meals a day, and he kept at it for an entire year. He had nearly eaten himself sick, and the demon population had dwindled to the brink of extinction. But in the end, his perseverance paid off—he succeeded.

With a trillion years of cultivation under his belt, he finally felt a sliver of security. It was time, he decided, to venture out and search for his family.

Arriving in the unfamiliar Eternal True World with no kin in sight had left Gu Qingfeng feeling unsettled. He needed to find his family as soon as possible—only with them by his side could he truly feel secure.

But he didn’t set out immediately. Instead, he planned to spend some time in his Palm World with Shang Xinyan, Little Corpse Charm, Ling Fei'er, Nangong Xue, and the others.

After a year of grueling cultivation, he had only managed to spare three hours a day for them—far from enough, and he couldn’t even divide his attention equally among them.

So, he resolved to make up for lost time and ease their loneliness.

......

Ten days later.

Gu Qingfeng stepped out of the Demon Palace and embarked on his journey through the Eternal True World to find his family.

He flew forward alone, without any subordinates or his golden war chariot. His motto was to keep a low profile—when traveling abroad, one must always remain inconspicuous.

Soon, he reached the border of the Demon Realm. But before he could cross it—

Whoosh!

A hair-thin streak of golden light suddenly materialized out of nowhere, shooting straight toward Gu Qingfeng.

He narrowed his eyes and saw that it was an ant, its body seemingly forged from solid gold.

As it charged, the void split open in its wake, leaving behind a razor-thin fissure—as if sliced by a blade—its momentum terrifying.

In an instant, Gu Qingfeng reached out and snatched it mid-air, trapping the golden ant in his palm. He examined it closely, puzzled.

"This isn’t a creature from the Demon Realm."

Having roamed the Demon Realm for over a year, there was nothing he hadn’t seen or tasted.

But this golden ant was a first. He was certain it didn’t belong here.

"Did it come from outside?"

As he pondered, the distant void suddenly trembled violently. A vast expanse of golden light surged forth, and an endless swarm of golden ants poured out, dense and countless, like a rain of golden sparks.

Gu Qingfeng frowned. "Damn, did I just stumble into an ant nest?"

Just as he prepared to deal with the swarm, the ants didn’t attack him. Instead, they sealed off the surrounding space, encircling him completely.

Then, a haughty, melodious voice rang out from the void.

"Hmph! I thought I’d finally caught a demon this time, but it’s just some human."

The voice was clear and pleasant, but its tone dripped with arrogance and disappointment.

As soon as the voice spoke, the sea of golden ants seemed to obey an unspoken command, parting to form a path—as if welcoming a figure of importance.

Then, another voice, hoarse and cold, followed.

"Your Highness, this man reeks of the stench of lower-realm cultivation. If this old servant isn’t mistaken, he must be a newly ascended immortal from the lower realms."

"An ascended immortal!? Perfect! With a few years of proper training, these lower-realm savages have a decent chance of achieving Dao Unity and ascending to immortality. Having one as a servant is far better than some demon."

"To serve as Your Highness’s slave would be the honor of three lifetimes for him."

As they conversed, two figures emerged from the void—one young, one old.

The woman appeared to be in her late teens, breathtakingly beautiful, her snow-white neck held high with an air of pride, like a haughty swan. She wore a fiery-red gossamer dress and held an emerald-green jade flute in her delicate hands—clearly skilled in playing it.

The old man was clad in black robes, his face weathered with deep wrinkles, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

As the two appeared, the golden ants buzzed in unison, as if bowing in submission.

"Hehe, Elder Yan, the Golden Devouring Ants you gave me are so obedient!" the woman giggled.

Elder Yan, the black-robed old man, smiled. "As long as Your Highness is pleased."

The two chatted casually, completely disregarding Gu Qingfeng’s presence.

After all, both were immortals—the woman a Loose Immortal, the old man a True Immortal.

To them, Gu Qingfeng’s lack of immortal aura meant he hadn’t yet achieved Dao Unity. At best, he was a mere Extreme Dao cultivator.

Without immortality, one remained a mortal. And mortals could never defy the heavens to slay an immortal.

This was the source of their confidence. To immortals, mortals were nothing but ants.

In their conversation, they had already decided Gu Qingfeng’s fate—to become a slave.

Watching them dictate his future so casually, Gu Qingfeng couldn’t help but laugh. Finally, he’d get to taste what an immortal was made of.

"Lower-realm savage, you’re surrounded. But consider yourself lucky—Her Highness has taken a liking to you and wishes to make you her servant. Kneel and give thanks."

Elder Yan spoke with lofty disdain, as if serving the princess was some grand privilege.

"Keh keh keh..." Gu Qingfeng suddenly threw his head back and laughed uproariously, as if he couldn’t contain his amusement.

Elder Yan’s brow furrowed. "Mortal, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing." Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, still chuckling. "It’s just been so long since anyone dared to speak to this Emperor like that. Hearing it now is just... hilarious."

"Hmph. Ignorant insect. Did you think ruling over some backwater realm meant you could do the same in the Eternal True World? Today, you’ll learn the difference between immortals and mortals!"

Elder Yan sneered and prepared to strike, but the woman stopped him.

"Elder Yan, let me handle this," she said excitedly. "It’s been ages since I’ve met such an amusing mortal. He’s far more entertaining than those dull servants in the palace."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Elder Yan bowed and stepped aside, yielding Gu Qingfeng to her.

The woman grinned at Gu Qingfeng. "Perfect. My little darlings are hungry—Golden Devouring Ants, devour his limbs, but leave him alive."

With that, she raised the jade flute to her lips.

A sharp, piercing note sliced through the silence of the world.

In the next moment, a deafening buzz erupted as the endless swarm of Golden Devouring Ants surged toward Gu Qingfeng like a golden tidal wave.

Watching this, Gu Qingfeng laughed even harder. "Keh keh keh... Fascinating. Truly fascinating. Is this the courage of immortals? You’re far bolder than mortals.

After sitting atop the world for so long, I’ve grown tired of groveling sycophants. Sometimes, this Emperor just wants to meet a few troublemakers!"