The broad streets of the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom were packed with people.
Even those immortals who spent years in secluded cultivation emerged on this day to witness the birth of a new Immortal King and observe this historic moment.
From the depths of the starry sky, countless streaks of light flew ceaselessly towards the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom.
It was as if the entire kingdom was hosting a grand celebration.
And this celebration instantly reached its peak with the appearance of Gu Ruochen and Gu Qingfeng.
When Gu Ruochen appeared, the citizens of the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom erupted into unimaginable cheers!
"It's His Majesty the Monarch!!"
"Wonderful! Our Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom has finally produced an Immortal King!"
"Long live the Monarch! Long live the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom!!"
Some of the ancient native inhabitants were moved to tears, weeping openly as they knelt and prostrated on the ground.
"Heaven has eyes! Our Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom has finally produced an Immortal King again! Our kingdom is destined to rise!"
"Led by the Immortal King, we will surely reclaim the glory of our ancestors."
While most were ecstatic, a small number of cultivators, including some from outside the kingdom, were casting uncertain, scrutinizing glances back and forth between Gu Ruochen and Gu Qingfeng, who stood beside him.
Everyone knew that in recent days, the most famous figure in the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom had been Gu Qingfeng, who shattered heavenly tribulations with one hand and helped dozens of immortals overcome their trials. For over half a month, the skies above the kingdom had been shrouded in tribulation clouds, creating a spectacular sight.
It was precisely this feat that caused Gu Qingfeng's name to resound throughout the entire Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom in just a few short days, even spreading to the outside world.
Later, because he often referred to himself as "This Emperor," some busybodies privately began calling him the Heavenly Tribulation Emperor, the sovereign monarch who ruled over heavenly tribulations!
And now, Gu Ruochen had successfully overcome the Immortal King Tribulation and ascended to Immortal King. Upon his appearance, he was accompanied by Gu Qingfeng, which inevitably led to wild speculation.
The immortals were no fools; they naturally understood the implications.
Especially since Gu Qingfeng had disappeared for a few days, causing quite a stir as countless immortals seeking to overcome their tribulations had searched the entire city for him in vain.
Now, his reappearance coincided with that of the newly ascended Immortal King. The more one thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed.
Thus, everyone's gaze, to varying degrees, was fixed on Gu Qingfeng, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
If Gu Qingfeng truly possessed the ability to help others overcome the Immortal King Tribulation, then the number of Immortal Kings in the world would no longer be so scarce; their ranks could swell dramatically.
Gu Ruochen hovered high in the Ninth Heaven, his majestic pressure overwhelming, like an eternal blazing sun in the cold cosmos, looking down upon the mortal world.
Watching his fervent, prostrating subjects and recalling the hardships of his journey, he took a deep breath. Suddenly, a surge of heroic spirit welled up in his heart, and he prepared to address the crowd.
"My people! Your..."
"Hold on a moment, Old Gu." Gu Qingfeng, standing beside him, interrupted directly.
The heroic spirit Gu Ruochen had just mustered instantly stalled. Under normal circumstances, anyone daring to interrupt him would have been torn to shreds long ago.
But facing his benefactor, who had aided his ascension and was profoundly mysterious with unfathomable depths, Gu Ruochen dared not show anger. Instead, he forced a welcoming smile.
"What is it, Fellow Daoist Gu?"
Gu Qingfeng nodded with an air of seriousness. "As per convention, before the main feature plays, there's always a commercial break. This Emperor is, after all, your sponsor."
Commercial break? Sponsor??
Gu Ruochen was momentarily confused.
However, Gu Qingfeng had already taken the initiative. He took a step forward, placing himself ahead of Gu Ruochen, and declared loudly, "Everyone! I believe some among you have already guessed why This Emperor stands beside Old Gu. Perhaps you find it hard to believe, but today, This Emperor intends to tell all of you.
Your speculations are correct!"
As these words fell, the crowd's expressions changed instantly. Everyone understood the meaning behind Gu Qingfeng's statement.
Gu Qingfeng continued, "That's right! It was This Emperor who helped Old Gu overcome his Immortal King Tribulation!"
Whoosh!
The crowd was instantly ignited. A wave of astonishment swept through the people. Even these immortals who had cultivated for endless ages completely lost control of their expressions at this moment.
Helping someone overcome the Immortal King Tribulation!?
Could such a terrifying person truly exist in this world?
This was something not even an Immortal King could achieve!
Although people had harbored suspicions, hearing Gu Qingfeng admit it personally still felt unbelievable, utterly bizarre, like a fantasy tale.
"This Emperor knows you don't believe it, but that's fine. Let Old Gu, the firsthand experiencer, give his testimony."
Gu Ruochen: "..."
"Say something, Old Gu."
The corner of Gu Ruochen's mouth twitched repeatedly. After taking a deep breath, he finally spoke slowly, "This Sovereign's successful overcoming of the Immortal King Tribulation was indeed greatly aided by Fellow Daoist Gu."
With this acknowledgment from Gu Ruochen, a living, breathing Immortal King, the crowd was completely set ablaze!
No matter how much they disbelieved, no matter how impossible it seemed, an Immortal King's personal admission, delivered before everyone, left them no choice but to believe.
Some immortals began to rejoice wildly. They were those on the verge of facing their own tribulations but lacking confidence. To them, Gu Qingfeng was nothing short of a savior.
Others immediately took out communication talismans, frantically sending messages to their quasi-Immortal King elders back home, urging them to come to the Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom to find the Heavenly Tribulation Emperor at once.
Seeing the crowd's emotions were sufficiently stirred and the timing was right, Gu Qingfeng spoke again, "Everyone, This Emperor is in the long-term business of tribulation assistance. From Immortal Kings and Great Luo Golden Immortals at the top, to True Immortals and Loose Immortals at the bottom, suitable for all ages, fair to young and old alike. First come, first served, limited to ten clients per day. We welcome enthusiastic sign-ups."
The crowd completely erupted. At this moment, they didn't care about Gu Qingfeng's true origins or how he managed to assist with tribulations. All they knew was that with the Heavenly Tribulation Emperor, they need never fear failing a tribulation again.
Some clever individuals, hearing the daily limit of ten people, grew excited immediately.
Someone shouted right away, "Emperor Gu! I wish to sign up!"
As the saying goes, one stone stirs a thousand waves.
Immediately, countless others followed suit, shouting, "Emperor Gu, count me in too!"
"This lowly one is willing to offer my entire fortune, begging only for Your Excellency's assistance!!"
In an instant, applicants swarmed like clouds, and the entire Seven Stars Ancient Kingdom seemed submerged under a roaring tidal wave of sound.
At this moment, the title "Heavenly Tribulation Emperor" truly resounded throughout the world.
Gu Qingfeng looked at the surging crowd, listened to their voices, and smiled with satisfaction, as if he saw a multitude of people waving their spatial rings, rushing to hand him their money.
"Heavenly Tribulation Emperor? Not bad."
Gu Qingfeng murmured to himself. Then he suddenly remembered something—he seemed to have stolen a bit of Gu Ruochen's thunder.
He was just the commercial break; the ad shouldn't be more exciting than the main feature.
So, he turned to Gu Ruochen and said, "Old Gu, This Emperor is finished. You should say a few words too. After all, today is the great day of your ascension to Immortal King."
Gu Ruochen: "..."
He looked at the surging crowd, each person shouting "Emperor Gu! Emperor Gu!" like fervent believers. It felt as if a stone were stuck in his throat, rendering him speechless.
He only wanted to curse inwardly: You finally remember today is my ascension to Immortal King? Anyone would think it was yours!
Say a few more words? Like hell I will! Who the hell wants to listen anyway!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
