Starry River

Gu Qingfeng soon arrived at the edge of the Heavenly Demon Realm. Gazing at the hazy boundary, he took a deep breath. Turning back, he cast a reluctant glance at his home, then at his loyal followers—Heart Demon Lord and the other demon subordinates—who looked equally unwilling to part with him.

"This Emperor is leaving," Gu Qingfeng declared solemnly.

Heart Demon Lord instantly wailed, "Master! This old servant only regrets being unable to leave the Heavenly Demon Realm. Otherwise, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth, serving you with every ounce of my strength!"

"Is that truly how you feel?"

"Absolutely! The time spent serving you has been the happiest of this old servant's life..."

The other demons watched Heart Demon Lord's performance with envy, wishing they could match his eloquence but finding themselves at a loss for words.

Gu Qingfeng then turned to the others. "And what about you?"

The demons immediately perked up, hastily replying, "Master! We feel the same!"

"Kekeke... Since none of you wish to part with this Emperor, I have a solution that will ensure we are never separated," Gu Qingfeng cackled wildly.

Heart Demon Lord suddenly felt a surge of dread but forced himself to ask, "M-master, what solution might that be?"

"By merging with this Emperor! From then on, you shall forever remain by my side, never to part!"

Heart Demon Lord and the others paled instantly. "M-master... this old servant is unworthy of such an honor! Moreover, I wish to keep this humble body intact so I may continue serving you!"

"Kekeke... Your sincerity has moved this Emperor. If I say you are worthy, then you are worthy! Devour Heaven and Earth!"

Gu Qingfeng suddenly opened his mouth wide, and a terrifying black hole formed before him, unleashing an overwhelming suction force that engulfed Heart Demon Lord and the others.

"No! Master! Please don’t eat us—"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Heart Demon Lord and his companions were reduced to streaks of black light and swallowed whole by Gu Qingfeng.

Nearby, Shangguan Wan'er trembled in terror, too afraid to even look directly at him.

"You seem frightened of this Emperor?" Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes.

Shangguan Wan'er shook even more violently, her delicate lips quivering. She was so terrified she couldn’t speak, only managing to shake her head.

"Hmm? You’re not afraid?"

Shangguan Wan'er flinched, then stammered, "A-afraid..."

"What? Does this Emperor truly inspire such fear?"

Thud!

Shangguan Wan'er collapsed at Gu Qingfeng’s feet, clutching his leg in panic. "Master, I beg you, don’t eat me! Don’t eat me! I’ll do anything you ask!"

Gu Qingfeng’s face softened into a gentle smile as he helped her up, tenderly wiping the frightened tears from her face.

Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "You are this Emperor’s most cherished servant. How could I bear to devour you? However, there is one thing I despise more than anything—those who owe me and refuse to repay. Do you understand?"

"M-master, rest assured... that one million jin of immortal jade... once I return to the Feather Transformation Immortal Dynasty, even if I must sell everything I own—"

"Shh."

Gu Qingfeng pressed a finger against her trembling lips, sending an electric jolt through her body. Shangguan Wan'er stared up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"Not one million jin. It’s 999,999 jin. Don’t forget—you yourself are worth one jin. This Emperor won’t allow you to devalue yourself."

"Y-yes, yes..."

Shangguan Wan'er retreated half a step, her face deathly pale as she nodded frantically.

"Let’s go."

Without another glance at the trembling girl, Gu Qingfeng strode out of the Heavenly Demon Realm.

The moment he crossed the hazy boundary, the world transformed around him, as if he had stepped into an entirely different realm.

Gone was the lifeless, gray sky and the dark crimson earth stained like dried blood. Instead, he was greeted by a paradise of lush greenery, fragrant blossoms, and an ethereal mist of immortal energy.

Most striking of all was the vast celestial river that stretched across the entire Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty.

It was impossible to miss—so immense and majestic that it dominated two-thirds of his vision, an endless silver expanse dotted with shimmering starlight, as though an entire galaxy had been condensed into a flowing river.

Even Gu Qingfeng, who had seen countless wonders, was awestruck. To refine an entire galaxy of countless stars into a river—what unimaginable power did that require? What terrifying might? And what a generous family indeed!

"So this is the Star River?" Gu Qingfeng murmured.

Shangguan Wan'er kept her head bowed, answering cautiously, "Y-yes, Master. This is the Star River."

Gu Qingfeng glanced at her, and she shrank further, as if wishing she could bury her face in her chest.

Sigh. What a shame—this once-arrogant and cruel princess has been reduced to a trembling mess.

"This Emperor preferred you when you were still defiant."

"How could this lowly servant dare to defy someone as exalted as Master?"

Dismissing the topic, Gu Qingfeng asked, "Since the Star River functions as an immortal vein, supplying the entire Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty with energy, can one simply drink from it to absorb its power?"

"Master, the Star River’s waters cannot be drunk—nor even touched."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Stars are unimaginably massive, let alone billions of them. The Star Extreme Immortal King refined and compressed countless stars to forge this river, infusing it with the annihilating force of stellar destruction. To drink from it or enter its waters is to face the crushing weight of billions of stars. Such terror is beyond what any ordinary immortal can endure. In all my years, I’ve never heard of anyone surviving contact with the Star River."

"Kekeke... Is that so? Then today, this Emperor shall test it for himself!" Gu Qingfeng grinned savagely.

Shangguan Wan'er paled in horror. "Master, have you gone mad? Legends say even a Golden Immortal once attempted to dive in—he vanished without a trace the moment he touched the water!"

Ignoring her, Gu Qingfeng strode to the riverbank, observing the surging silver currents. Waves crested with glimmers of starlight, and upon closer inspection, each droplet seemed to contain a dazzling star.

Was he insane?

Of course not.

Gu Qingfeng reasoned that since the Star River was forged by his family’s divine power—much like the Star Extreme Demonic Flame—it was essentially a product of his kin’s abilities.

So he decided to take a swim.

Retrieving the million-zhang-long strand of hair, he placed it atop his head and activated his cellular regeneration. The strand instantly fused with his scalp.

Then, like a fisherman casting a line, he flung the hair into the Star River.

Whoosh!

The hair pierced the water.

Ding!

Host has been attacked by the Star Extreme Immortal King.

Star Extreme Law +10+10+10+......

Huh!?

Gu Qingfeng's spirits lifted instantly. Without hesitation, he severed his hair, which stretched hundreds of thousands of feet, and stored it away for future use.

Then, with a single leap, he plunged headfirst into the Star River.

With a loud splash, silver waves surged over a meter high.

Beside him, Shangguan Wan'er stood frozen in shock.

In all her years, she had never known anyone—no matter how powerful—to survive entering the Star River.

Yet Gu Qingfeng had recklessly jumped in like a madman.

This is it, this is the end! The oath’s binding means if my master dies, so do I!

Just as Shangguan Wan'er resigned herself to her fate—

Splash!

Gu Qingfeng resurfaced, his face alight with joy, swimming through the Star River with effortless grace—backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle...

Shangguan Wan'er: "......"