"No!!!"
"What kind of power is this! It can actually devour me!"
"Bastard! I am the origin of calamity, indestructible through ten thousand tribulations. How can there exist a power in this world capable of erasing me!"
"Ahhh!! I just broke free! You can't do this to me!"
Listening to the screams of the Calamity Black Lotus within him, Gu Qingfeng let out a soft sigh. "Didn't I tell you? I told you to take a good, long look at the outside world. You just wouldn't listen. Who can you blame now?"
"I'll look! I'm willing to look! Let me out!"
"Want to look now? Too late!"
The Calamity Black Lotus's screams grew fainter and fainter, until they were completely extinguished.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the Origin of Calamity and gaining the Ten Thousand Tribulations Indestructible Body.
"Hehehe..." Gu Qingfeng suddenly erupted into maniacal laughter.
The Origin of Calamity! The Ten Thousand Tribulations Indestructible Body!
"From this day forth, I shall be the tribulation of all races across the myriad heavens!"
This "family member" had been incredibly generous!
Although it didn't provide any direct power boost—its calamitous power had long been stripped away by the Eternal True World, leaving behind only the authority of its foundational laws, similar to a Great Dao origin—having the authority to command calamity was more than enough.
The Origin of Calamity granted him the ability to command tribulations. The most basic application was absorbing heavenly tribulations.
To turn heavenly tribulations into his own power.
And to wield the myriad calamities of heaven and earth, with applications as boundless as they were profound.
As for the Ten Thousand Tribulations Indestructible Body, that was a benefit accompanying the obtaining of the Origin of Calamity. It granted true immortality, allowing rebirth through the power of calamity.
Even the Eternal True World could not extinguish the Origin of Calamity, only seal it away. That alone spoke volumes.
Of course, none of this was the most crucial part.
The most crucial part was that he could finally cultivate properly!
The normal cultivation method involved merging one's Dao with the Eternal True World. However, because Gu Qingfeng did not wish to be controlled by the Eternal True World, he had never merged his Dao, instead infinitely accumulating raw power.
But this also meant he could never prove his Great Luo Dao Fruit, as the Great Luo path cultivates the Eternal Great Dao. Without merging one's Dao, one lacks the qualification to cultivate the Eternal Great Dao.
Now it was different. He could merge his Dao!
Not with the Eternal True World, but with the Origin of Calamity.
The Origin of Calamity was part of the Eternal True World, but an uncontrolled part, like a cancerous cell.
Merging his Dao with the Origin of Calamity allowed him to enjoy the benefits of the Eternal True World without being controlled by it. It was perfect.
With a single thought, Gu Qingfeng began the merger.
He fused his own Demonic Dao with the Origin of Calamity.
A moment later... it was done. Without any complications, so simple it was unbelievable.
But Gu Qingfeng wasn't surprised. Because he was the Origin of Calamity, and the Origin of Calamity was him. The Demonic Dao was also his own Dao. Unlike others merging their Dao, for him, it was as simple as holding his own hand.
"After enduring countless hardships and twists of fate, this Emperor, who can fell Golden Immortals with a single punch, has finally become a Loose Immortal!" Gu Qingfeng sighed with emotion, a unique aura of a Loose Immortal rising from him.
"Saying it like that somehow makes it sound like a downgrade..."
At this moment, having lost the enhancement of the Thunder Pool, the tribulation clouds in the sky above began to slowly disperse.
Simultaneously, an earth-shattering, sky-piercing aura erupted violently from the ground, causing the entire Imperial Mausoleum world to tremble.
The void shattered like a mirror, heaven and earth roiled.
An unimaginable immortal aura swept across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Even the Imperial Mausoleum world could not block it. This aura connected with the outside world, drawing the attention of all cultivators in the entire Sixth Star Ruin.
In the starry sky, countless cultivators felt this vast aura, watching the constant emergence of celestial phenomena in the void, their expressions filled with shock.
"This is... the aura of a Celestial King!!"
"Someone has proven their Celestial King Dao Fruit!! Who is it?"
"How is this possible? Under the blockade of the current Celestial Kings, who could withstand the pressure and prove their Dao?"
"That direction... it's the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom! Could it be the Seven Stars Monarch, Gu Ruochen?"
Countless immortals surged towards the direction of the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom. For no other reason than to witness the glory of a Celestial King.
When a Celestial King proves their Dao, sweet dew falls from heaven, golden lotuses surge from the earth, auspicious qilin offer congratulations, and the Great Dao manifests, transforming into rolling celestial music. For onlookers, these are supreme opportunities.
A supreme opportunity to glimpse the Great Dao.
...
Imperial Mausoleum World.
After the tribulation clouds dispersed, Gu Qingfeng descended from the sky and looked towards Gu Ruochen beside him.
At this moment, Gu Ruochen's face was filled with wild joy. Immortal light shimmered around him, and the Great Dao encircled him. He closed his eyes, savoring the immense power within his body, utterly intoxicated.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, reined in all his emotions, and looked at Gu Qingfeng with a smile in his eyes.
Instantly, his pupils contracted.
I still can't see through him!!
Loose Immortal!?
I have already become a Celestial King, standing at the peak. Yet even with such strength, can I only see through one more of his cultivation realms?
Could he truly be just a Loose Immortal?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Just moments ago, Gu Qingfeng had charged into the tribulation clouds and scattered them. Such a feat was impossible not just for a Loose Immortal, but even for a Celestial King.
Thinking of this, Gu Ruochen suppressed the arrogance that came with becoming a Celestial King. He cupped his hands respectfully towards Gu Qingfeng and said, "Fellow Daoist Gu, thank you for your assistance. From now on, if you have any commands, I am at your disposal."
Oh?
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes. Is this what they mean by 'the mature ear of wheat bows its head'?
Now that he's a Celestial King, he doesn't call me 'little friend' anymore, but 'Fellow Daoist'.
"Easy, easy. Don't worry, Old Gu, if I need anything, I'll definitely come find you."
Old Gu!?
The corner of Gu Ruochen's mouth twitched. He then presented the Heaven-Shielding Umbrella with both hands.
Gu Qingfeng hadn't expected the other party to be so understanding. He had thought there might still be a fight.
As for fighting a Celestial King, he was not afraid in the slightest. After all, he was indestructible through ten thousand tribulations; even a Celestial King couldn't kill him, as he could infinitely rebirth from calamity.
Moreover, he still had a trump card!
That was the Celestial King Tribulation!
Although most of the Celestial King Tribulation had been used to break the Prison Demon Sword's seal, a bit remained. After all, the Thunder Pool had been drained dry, and part of the heavenly tribulation had transformed into the power of the Calamity Black Lotus and been stored.
Now, this portion of heavenly tribulation power naturally fell under Gu Qingfeng's control.
He had estimated it. The remaining heavenly tribulation power was comparable to a single strike from a Celestial King!
If Gu Ruochen dared to go back on his word, Gu Qingfeng would absolutely take advantage of his unstable new realm and give him a good hit. It might not kill him, but it could at least injure him.
At this moment, Gu Ruochen's expression shifted slightly, clearly sensing something. He smiled faintly and said, "Fellow Daoist Gu, a few guests are heading towards the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom. It seems this Emperor needs to go out and greet them. Would you care to join me?"
Guests?
Gu Qingfeng had already guessed who they might be and immediately grew excited. He estimated they were probably the other Celestial Kings.
After all, these people hadn't wanted Gu Ruochen to succeed from the start. Now, with another Celestial King appearing to share territory and interests, they would naturally have to show up for a detailed discussion.
And to test the methods of the newly ascended Celestial King.

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...

s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."