Speak I Command You to Speak

Gu Qingfeng struck with a counterattack, grabbing Hei Baizi’s unconventional hair and immediately flipping him over with a shoulder throw.

Boom!

Hei Baizi felt himself enveloped by an overwhelming force. Despite his terrifying strength as a Celestial Immortal, he was as powerless as a child before this man. His body plummeted like a meteor, crashing violently into the ground and leaving behind a bottomless crater, surrounded by a spiderweb of cracks.

After undergoing the enhancements of the Eternal Night Lamp Technique and his recent devouring spree, a mere Celestial Immortal like Hei Baizi was nothing in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes—he usually kept such prey in his stomach.

"Your pitiful strength can’t even scratch this Emperor. Hurry up and use your Death Curse!" Gu Qingfeng hovered high in the sky, looking down disdainfully at the deep pit.

Bang!

Hei Baizi, shrouded in black and white energy, burst out of the crater in a disheveled state, his face twisted with fury.

Having witnessed Gu Qingfeng’s bizarre speed and power firsthand, he knew this was no ordinary mortal. Against such an opponent, only the Death Curse would suffice.

Yet, he hesitated. He had spent a million years refining this technique, intending to use it against a Profound Immortal to cement his reputation. But now, he was forced to waste it on a mere mortal—no matter how extraordinary, the story would still be humiliating.

People would surely mock him: "Hei Baizi spent a million years mastering the Death Curse, only to use it on a mortal."

As he wavered—

Crack!

The sound of shattered space erupted from his left. Gu Qingfeng’s figure tore through the void, his massive fist hurtling toward Hei Baizi’s face.

Seeing the terrifying punch, Hei Baizi’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. He sensed imminent death and could no longer afford hesitation—he had to retaliate.

But Gu Qingfeng was too fast. Before Hei Baizi could even open his mouth—

"This Emperor told you to speak! Are you deaf?!"

Bam!

The fist smashed into Hei Baizi’s face, distorting his features visibly before sending him flying.

He crashed into the ruins once more, but it wasn’t over.

Gu Qingfeng reappeared before him, delivering punch after punch with devastating force.

"Speak! This Emperor ordered you to speak!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"You think you’re tough? Today, this Emperor will smash that mouth of yours!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

After the brutal beating, Hei Baizi was left barely breathing, his face unrecognizable. Gu Qingfeng, ever considerate, had even plucked out his half-white hair—after all, who could resist pulling out white strands? No white hair meant looking younger.

"Fine. You’d rather die than submit? Then this Emperor will—"

"AAAAHHH!!! Die! You die!"

Seizing his chance, Hei Baizi roared through his broken, gaping mouth, his expression twisted with madness.

Boom!

A million years’ worth of refined death energy surged toward Gu Qingfeng like a black beam fired from Hei Baizi’s mouth.

"Hmph, such foul breath!"

Gu Qingfeng raised a hand to block it—just as the system’s notification chimed in.

[Death Energy +1,000,000 +1,000,000 +1,000,000…]

As the death energy flooded in, he felt his Indestructible Demon Soul undergoing a terrifying mutation.

It had already transformed unimaginably after absorbing Supreme Sin and further mutated upon devouring the Heart Demon. Now, with this vast influx of death energy, the changes grew beyond measure.

His spiritual power turned overwhelmingly sinister—dark, silent, and cold, like the depths of the cosmos.

"How are you unharmed?!" Hei Baizi screamed in disbelief. His million-year Death Curse hadn’t even singed Gu Qingfeng.

Gu Qingfeng grinned. "You’re useless now."

With those words, the Gates of the Netherworld swung open behind him. Countless ghastly hands clawed at Hei Baizi, tearing him apart as they dragged him screaming into the abyss.

"Ahh…"

Feeling his power swell with another Celestial Immortal’s essence, Gu Qingfeng’s mood improved. As for reuniting with his family?

He wasn’t in a hurry. His logic was simple: once he revealed himself, wouldn’t his family’s subordinates become his? Their immortal dynasty, his? Their harem, his?

But then, wouldn’t it be awkward to keep devouring their forces?

Better to feast now while he could. If enemies stronger than him showed up, he’d just reveal the Starfire then. Surely his family wouldn’t mind losing a few underlings.

Power was power—every bit counted. After all, who knew what dangers awaited in the Starfire Immortal Dynasty?

Following the usual tropes, after killing a Celestial Immortal, the dynasty would surely rage and send stronger foes—Profound Immortals next, then Golden Immortals. He’d test himself against the former and reveal the Starfire for the latter.

Gu Qingfeng happily plotted it all out.

He hoped the next wave would bring multiple Celestial Immortals, then Profound Immortals, then multiple Profounds, then Golden Immortals… repeating until he finally met his family. That was the safest approach.

Of course, such conveniently stupid antagonists were rare.

Unfortunately, plans never survive contact with reality. Unbeknownst to Gu Qingfeng, Hei Baizi wasn’t like the low-ranking immortal officials he’d killed before.

Those officials, though weak, were formally registered members of the Starfire Immortal Dynasty. Hei Baizi, despite his strength, was merely a retainer of a mid-ranking official—unregistered.

His death wouldn’t trigger the dynasty’s immediate awareness like an official’s would.

The noble who’d issued the order never imagined it would pass through so many hands without a single official acting, ending up with a temp like Hei Baizi—who then failed spectacularly.

…

Gu Qingfeng waited at the border for three days. Not even a fart arrived. He’d had enough of the Starfire Immortal Dynasty’s inefficiency—but what could he expect? Absolute power bred absolute corruption.

The Starfire Dynasty had created the Stellar River. Here, their word was law. In a world where individual might crushed all opposition, even a global rebellion meant nothing to them.

Naturally, dysfunction thrived.

Finally, Gu Qingfeng gave up waiting. Since this was Starfire territory, they’d find him wherever he went. Better to focus on freeing his family from the Prison Demon Sword.

His next destination: Mount Wuyou.

First, to meet Ye Wuyou, the demonic cultivator. Second, to find artifacts capable of breaking the seal.