All Beings Are Equal Before This Emperor

Terrifying sword might enveloped everything—from the heavens to the earth, filling the void in every direction.

Gu Qingfeng wore a look of disdain and smiled ferociously. "Futile struggles. Do you still not understand? No attack works against this Emperor. Heh heh heh..."

Saying this, he stepped directly into the boundless rain of swords.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Billions of terrifying strands of sword qi slashed across his body, yet each one passed through him without obstruction, as if striking a phantom. Where the blades cut, momentary gaps appeared, only to be instantly filled by surging waves of tribulation energy.

Watching Gu Qingfeng cross the rain of swords like a monster, the Scruffy Old Daoist was scared out of his wits. Boundless fear rose in his heart. He regretted making an enemy of such an undying, indestructible monster. Was this truly an existence that a living being could defeat?

Yet, he refused to sit and wait for death. Gritting his teeth, he pulled an ancient, rustic Immortal Cauldron from his robes, within which burned rolling golden flames.

Buzz!

The Immortal Cauldron hummed and rose into the air, erupting with golden firelight. The light wove into dazzling runes, transforming into chains of golden law that firmly bound Gu Qingfeng before dragging him into the cauldron.

A look of ruthlessness flashed in the Scruffy Old Daoist's eyes. "Today, this poor Daoist shall refine you alive!"

He rushed to the Immortal Cauldron and slammed his hands against it, pouring his mana in frantically. Because he channeled his power without regard for the consequences, his injuries worsened, and his face twisted in pain.

As the mana surged, the Immortal Cauldron instantly expanded, becoming a thousand feet tall. It burst forth with monstrous, eternal Dao patterns and interwoven golden immortal light. An ancient, profound totem emerged on the cauldron's surface.

Under such terrifying might, there was no movement from within the cauldron, as if Gu Qingfeng had already been reduced to ash.

The Scruffy Old Daoist revealed a trace of confusion. Could this demon have been refined just like that? Why was there no struggle?

Just as he was wondering, a pale white hand suddenly reached out from the Immortal Cauldron and clamped directly onto the Scruffy Old Daoist's neck.

Urgh!

The Scruffy Old Daoist's breath hitched instantly, filled with terror. Sounds of cracking came from his neck as bones fractured. The immense force made his eyes bulge, his face turn crimson, and his veins pop out.

He swung his sword desperately, trying to sever the arm. Yet, no matter how sharp the immortal sword was, it slashed through the arm as if striking an afterimage, passing through without any resistance.

Slowly, a pale, ferocious human face emerged from the surface of the Immortal Cauldron. It stared straight at him, smiling. The demonic light in its eyes was blazing, full of disdain, carrying the indifferent look one gives an ant.

Under the Scruffy Old Daoist's horrified gaze, the face gradually peeled away and separated from the cauldron. Next came the neck, arms, collarbone, and chest, until the entire person had emerged.

It was none other than Gu Qingfeng!

Gu Qingfeng stepped out of the Immortal Cauldron. Gripping the Scruffy Old Daoist by the neck, he lifted him high, staring at him with savage cruelty, quietly watching him struggle, suffer, and wail.

"Why must you resist so stubbornly? Your fate was sealed long ago. Wouldn't it be better to just obediently wait for death?"

"You... you cannot kill me!" the Scruffy Old Daoist struggled to say.

Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng burst into wild laughter. "Cannot kill you? Heh heh heh... In this world, there is no one this Emperor cannot kill. So what if you are a Quasi-Immortal King? So what if one is an Immortal King? I can kill powerless mortals, and I can kill high and mighty Immortal Kings! Before this Emperor, all living beings are equal!!"

Seeing the deep demonic nature in Gu Qingfeng's eyes, the Scruffy Old Daoist felt a chill run through his body. His limbs went cold, as if he had fallen into a boundless hell.

"I... I am willing to submit!" he pleaded with difficulty.

"Submit? If it were any other Quasi-Immortal King, this Emperor might have pitied them, perhaps softened his heart and agreed. But you! You killed this Emperor's family. That was the family I poured the most effort into, my most precious family! So, you must die!"

As Gu Qingfeng spoke, a terrifying devouring force erupted from his hand, frantically consuming the Scruffy Old Daoist.

"Ah!!"

The Scruffy Old Daoist screamed miserably, feeling his cultivation base and foundation draining away like water from a burst dam.

"I am useful! I still have use!"

Gu Qingfeng acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to devour him while enjoying the unsightly desperation of a dying Quasi-Immortal King.

"It's true! I am useful to you! I am the successor of the Heavenly Secret Sect, an expert in deducing heavenly secrets. Since I saw you, I knew you were destined for a great calamity. I can help you turn danger into safety!"

Gu Qingfeng remained unmoved. "Calamity? This Emperor has always been the calamity for others. When has a calamity ever dared to come looking for me?"

By now, the Scruffy Old Daoist could no longer speak. Shivering, he fished out a dilapidated tortoise shell from his robes. The shell was emitting an obscure, ghostly glow.

Upon seeing the tortoise shell, Gu Qingfeng's pupils instantly contracted. He loosened his grip, and the Scruffy Old Daoist fell to the ground.

The tortoise shell fell as well, and Gu Qingfeng caught it in his hand.

He didn't speak, but simply gazed at the shell.

He had never seen this shell before, yet it emitted an inexplicable aura—an aura that was intimately connected to him.

He didn't understand what the shell was, nor what the aura meant, but he instinctively felt that the shell was trying to convey a message to him.

To the side, the Scruffy Old Daoist gasped for air. He hurriedly took out several immortal pills and swallowed them, finally recovering enough breath to avoid dying on the spot.

"What is this?" Gu Qingfeng asked.

Ignoring his injuries, the Scruffy Old Daoist hurriedly explained, "This is the inheritance treasure of my Heavenly Secret Sect. No one knows its origin, only that it has existed since the founding of the sect. It has no offensive or defensive capabilities; no matter how one tests it, it appears to be just an ordinary tortoise shell. However, its unique trait is the ability to guide destiny. A fated individual can use it to peek into the River of Fate and turn bad luck into good!"

"Destiny?" Gu Qingfeng murmured.

"Just now, while I was fleeing for my life, I felt a strangeness from it. I thought it knew I was in trouble and was guiding me. But no matter how I tried to communicate with it, I received no response. That's when I realized—you are the fated one! Because there are only the two of us here! It only started glowing because it sensed your aura! Its purpose is to help the fated one survive a destined great calamity!"

Gu Qingfeng stared at the shell, sensing the inexplicable aura. He knew the Scruffy Old Daoist wasn't lying, because the aura really was closely linked to him.

"How do I use it?"

The Scruffy Old Daoist stood up and trembled, saying, "Emperor Gu, as long as you are willing to let me off, this lowly one will immediately help you use it."

Swish!

Gu Qingfeng grabbed the Scruffy Old Daoist by the neck once more and began devouring him frantically.

"You!! No!"

"You dare bargain with this Emperor, you ant? Once I search your soul, I'll know how to use it all the same!"