Hehehe

Kong Jian and Mo Xinghen exchanged a glance, each seeing the resolve in the other's eyes.

As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone them.

Knowing death was certain, the two decided to fight with everything they had.

"Even if we die, we'll take you down with us!"

Instantly, they ignited all their magic power and vital energy, erupting with a terrifying, rampaging wave of power.

Clearly, they had both activated life-burning secret arts, intending to perish together with Gu Qingfeng.

BOOM—!

A terrifying flash of lightning appeared.

Their figures, still mid-air, were struck by the lightning, their souls scattering on the spot.

The Immortal King Tribulation was truly fearsome!

Taking advantage while they were still "fresh," Gu Qingfeng pulled both into the Gate of the Netherworld.

He then collected the five Immortal King weapons and, for good measure, pulled Jiang Li into his embrace.

Thus, of the five Immortal King heirs, four were dead, and the remaining one, Jiang Li, had become a dual cultivation furnace.

The prodigies witnessing this from outside were utterly stunned. The crowd fell silent, the quiet reaching an extreme!

To offend five Immortal Kings in one fell swoop—what a monumental feat!

They could already imagine it: once the news spread in the outside world, the entire realm would be set ablaze. This was absolutely the most shocking major event in history.

No one, absolutely no one, had ever dared to offend five Immortal Kings simultaneously. Even seeking death wasn't done this way.

But Gu Qingfeng had done it without the slightest hesitation.

At this moment, Gu Qingfeng paid no attention to the crowd outside. Instead, he looked with great interest at the exquisite, pale face so close to his.

"You like to wipe, don't you? Today, this Emperor will let you wipe to your heart's content!"

Jiang Li instantly panicked: "What do you want to do! Let me go! Otherwise, my master will never let you off!"

"Heh heh heh... This Emperor has already offended four Immortal Kings. Would I fear a mere Flowing Clouds Immortal King?"

Mwah!

"Ah!!"

Jiang Li broke out in goosebumps once more, screaming loudly.

"I'll kill you! I will definitely kill you!"

“Behave. If you dare utter another word, do you believe this Emperor will have you stand openly before this crowd? I imagine these people would be quite willing to see what depth an Immortal King heir possesses.”

Jiang Li looked at the onlookers outside the barrier of the Heaven-Shading Umbrella, her face instantly turning pale. Trembling, she said, "You... you wouldn't dare!"

"Heh heh heh... There's nothing this Emperor wouldn't dare."

Just as Gu Qingfeng made a move as if to act, Jiang Li had already screamed: "Don't! I beg you, I'll do whatever you say."

"It would have been easier if you'd been like this from the start. More convenient for everyone."

As he spoke, Gu Qingfeng withdrew the barrier of the Heaven-Shading Umbrella and stored it away.

Counting the Heaven-Shading Umbrella, he now possessed six Immortal King weapons. Such resources far surpassed any single Immortal King. After all, those Immortal Kings only had one Immortal King weapon each... oh right, now they have none.

After removing the barrier, he planned to head deeper into the Sinking Void Mountain to look for the Great Dao Treasured Medicine and the Tear of the Stars. One must not forget family.

Strangely, even though the barrier was gone and the prodigies could enter, not a single one dared to take a step inside.

It seemed the physical barrier was gone, but the psychological one remained.

This situation persisted until Gu Qingfeng completely entered the depths of the Sinking Void Mountain and disappeared from everyone's sight. Only then did the crowd stir slightly, finally daring to speak.

"Is this the power of Emperor Gu?" someone muttered, their eyes vacant.

His companion beside him quickly covered his mouth, a look of terror on his face. "Are you mad! Do not speak the name of such an existence! Don't even think it!"

...

Within the Sinking Void Mountain, Gu Qingfeng led Jiang Li onto a rugged mountain path. Jiang Li had been released from her bindings, but restrictions had been planted all over her body, leaving her completely under his control.

With a single thought, Gu Qingfeng could decide Jiang Li's life or death, even control her actions.

The time it takes an incense stick to burn later.

A sprawling complex of palaces appeared before them, but they had long since collapsed into ruins, reduced to a wasteland.

As far as the eye could see, not a blade of grass grew, a scene full of desolation and decay.

The two continued forward. Suddenly, the scenery before them changed into a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, waves of scorching heat rolling towards them.

Gu Qingfeng frowned slightly. He knew this was an illusion. His frown wasn't for the illusion itself, but because Jiang Li, this wretched woman, had remained silent. Having been here before, she hadn't warned him, clearly harboring malicious intent.

Smack!

"What are you doing!" Jiang Li cried out in shame and anger.

"Mind your tone, Furnace Jiang," Gu Qingfeng said, looking down on her.

Jiang Li instantly fell silent.

"If there's a next time, this Emperor will give you an experience you'll remember for a lifetime."

With that, Gu Qingfeng drew the Heavenly Capital Sword. Without even looking, he swung it at the illusion. The formidable Immortal King weapon displayed its unparalleled power.

With just one slash, the entire illusion shattered.

Whether out of fear or harboring ulterior motives, Jiang Li actively offered warnings for the rest of the journey, helping them avoid all the array traps.

Finally, they stopped before a towering staircase.

It was called the Stairway to Heaven because it seemed endless, truly connecting to the sky. Each step was silvery-white, with powerful restrictive forces shimmering upon it.

"This is the Ascension Stairway. It has an extremely profound array. With each step upward, the pressure doubles. There are also Great Dao Battle Realms. If you encounter one, you enter a battlefield and face enemies conjured by the Battle Realm," Jiang Li proactively explained.

"The Sinking Void Mountain was originally a trial ground for disciples of the Feixian Sect. This Ascension Stairway was prepared for them. The higher you climb, the greater the rewards. We obtained our Great Dao Treasured Medicine by climbing this stairway."

"How many steps did you all climb?" Gu Qingfeng asked.

"I climbed 100,800 steps. The others were more or less the same. Only Ling Yunxiao climbed over 105,000 steps. Once you pass 100,000 steps, you have a chance to obtain the Great Dao Treasured Medicine. For every 10,000 steps climbed, you can select a treasure from the treasury. The higher the step count, the higher the quality of the treasure."

"How many steps in total?"

"According to legend, it should be 330,000 steps."

Gu Qingfeng gave Jiang Li a disdainful look. "You Immortal King heirs are that weak? Only one-third of the way?"

"I..." Jiang Li started to get angry but didn't dare. Moderating her tone, she said, "We've only just entered the Great Luo realm. If we were at the peak of Great Luo, we'd easily reach 200,000 steps!"

"Only 200,000?"

Jiang Li paused slightly, then raised her pitch. "The Feixian Sect is an ancient sect. Legends say at its peak, it even had existences beyond the Immortal King realm, far beyond what current sects can compare to."

"Enough, shut up. Don't always make excuses for failure; find more ways to succeed." After lecturing her, Gu Qingfeng stepped onto the Ascension Stairway.

As he set foot on the first step, an immense pressure descended upon him. But he acted as if he didn't notice, striding directly upward.