Those who submit will prosper, those who resist shall perish.

Countless hideous ghost hands acted like massive syringes, ruthlessly extracting the power of these Quasi-Immortal Kings and Great Luo Golden Immortals.

"Stop it at once!" Immortal King Liuyun shouted anxiously.

Gu Qingfeng cast an amused glance at her, looking down from his condescending height. "What qualifications do you have right now to make This Emperor stop?"

Immortal King Liuyun froze. A wave of despairing powerlessness surged in her heart. This was the first time since becoming an Immortal King that she felt so helpless.

"Oh, right, This Emperor almost forgot. You can still use your body as a bargaining chip to trade for their lives. How about it?" Gu Qingfeng smiled wickedly.

Before Immortal King Liuyun could speak, Jiang Li, who was beside her, interjected, "Gu Qingfeng, I beg you, do not hurt them. I am willing to be your servant and slave, as long as you let them go."

"Hehehe... Jiang Li, if This Emperor remembers correctly, you are already my slave. As a mere female servant, what right do you have to negotiate?"

Jiang Li still refused to give up. "As long as you let them go, you can do whatever you want to me!"

"Do whatever I want to you? It seems This Emperor can already do whatever he wants to you right now, no? My beautiful Liuyun, it is your turn to choose. There are only two paths laid before you. The first is that This Emperor kills all of them, and then takes you captive. The second is that you obediently submit to This Emperor, and they get to live. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your people, would you? Hehehe..."

Gu Qingfeng's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the entire area.

"Lord Immortal King, do not agree to his demands!"

"Indeed, Lord Immortal King! Our deaths are not worth regretting!"

The Quasi-Immortal Kings suspended high in the air shouted loudly, putting on the appearance of martyrs ready to die for a noble cause.

Immortal King Liuyun did not speak. Instead, she slowly stood up. Jiang Li tried to support her, but was pushed away.

"Master, you..."

Jiang Li's words came to an abrupt halt because she had never seen such an expression on her master's face.

At this moment, Immortal King Liuyun rose slowly, her breathtakingly beautiful yet pale face bearing an expression of unwavering resolve.

She met Gu Qingfeng's gaze without a trace of fear and said calmly, "Fine, I agree to your terms. But you must let everyone go."

"Hehehe... What an extraordinary woman, sacrificing herself for others. Rest assured, This Emperor always keeps his word. Come here and let This Emperor have a good look at you."

Immortal King Liuyun did not hesitate. Her steps were unsteady, yet exceptionally firm as she walked toward Gu Qingfeng step by step.

It was as if she were walking step by step into the abyss. As she drew closer, the surrounding darkness gradually encroached upon her immortal body, slowly enveloping it.

"No! Master! Come back!"

Tears streaming down her face, Jiang Li rushed forward and grabbed Immortal King Liuyun's jade-like hand, her face full of pleading. "Master, do not go! Let me go instead! You are an Immortal King! You absolutely cannot be defiled by this demon!"

"Let go," Immortal King Liuyun said sternly.

She knew very well that she could not escape this calamity. Even if she refused now, once Gu Qingfeng disposed of everyone else, she would still be doomed. It was better to take the initiative and at least save her people.

"I won't let go! I won't let go even if I die!" Jiang Li's tears burst forth like a broken dam, soaking her clothes.

Seeing her disciple in such a state, Immortal King Liuyun inevitably felt a pang of heartache, but she maintained her stern tone. "Li'er! Are you going to disobey your master's words?"

"Master..."

"Hehehe... There is no need to fight over it. Neither of you, master or disciple, will be getting away!"

Gu Qingfeng suddenly waved his large hand. Boundless demonic energy condensed into a giant black hand, snatching the master and disciple right over.

One on the left, one on the right. One for each side.

"Gu Qingfeng, you promised me you would let them all go, including my disciple!" Immortal King Liuyun said sharply, glaring at the wickedly handsome face so close to hers.

"You can do whatever you want to me, but the condition is that you release everyone. Otherwise, I will kill myself right here and now!"

"Hehehe... My beautiful Liuyun, do you really think This Emperor doesn't know what you are plotting? Once This Emperor lets everyone go, you will definitely commit suicide immediately. Then This Emperor would be left with nothing, am I right?"

Immortal King Liuyun's delicate body trembled. She had not expected Gu Qingfeng to see right through her plan.

Just as she was about to speak, a surge of boundless demonic energy flooded into her body.

Immortal King Liuyun instantly felt herself lose control over her own body.

"You!"

Snap!

Gu Qingfeng snapped his fingers. The Quasi-Immortal Kings and Great Luo Golden Immortals plummeted from the sky. They were not dead, but all the magical power in their bodies had been drained dry. They collapsed onto the ground, limp as mud.

Afterward, holding Immortal King Liuyun and Jiang Li in his arms, he ascended high into the air, hovering above the nine heavens. He looked down upon the entire Liuyun Immortal Realm with a disdainful gaze.

Billions upon billions of citizens watched as their Immortal King was taken captive, her face pale and her hair disheveled as she was held in a man's embrace.

"From this day forward, the Liuyun Immortal Realm bears the surname Gu! You are all This Emperor's subjects. Those who submit shall prosper, and those who resist shall perish! Hehehe..."

...

After announcing his sovereignty over the Liuyun Immortal Realm, Gu Qingfeng went to get down to proper business.

Inside a magnificent and luxurious palace.

"Jiang Li, it is about time we properly settle the score for when you backstabbed This Emperor, isn't it?"

"You can do whatever you want to me, but please do not hurt my master."

Gu Qingfeng glanced at Immortal King Liuyun beside them and smiled faintly. "How could This Emperor bear to hurt such a peerless beauty? However, I am just afraid that the bond between you two is so deep that your master might want to take your punishment for you."

"I would rather die than let you lay a single finger on my master!"

Following that, the two began to cultivate.

Jiang Li's thought process was very simple: as long as she satisfied Gu Qingfeng's desire for cultivation, her master would be safe. Therefore, she began to cultivate very diligently.

Standing to the side, Immortal King Liuyun was somewhat dumbfounded. She had never imagined she would see a side of her disciple cultivating so diligently.

But when it came to cultivation, how could a mere Jiang Li possibly compare to the battle-tested Gu Qingfeng? Not to mention he hailed from the demonic path and was a master at manipulating emotions.

Several days later, Jiang Li no longer had the strength to cultivate, but her breathtakingly beautiful face was full of stubbornness and a refusal to concede.

"Again!"

Immortal King Liuyun could no longer stand to watch. Over the past few days, she had witnessed firsthand just how hard her disciple had been cultivating. They had gone through every method of cultivation imaginable, and Jiang Li had even passed out from the intense training several times.

She knew that Jiang Li was doing all of this for her.

But Immortal King Liuyun could not bear the heartache.

Finally, after Jiang Li passed out yet again, Immortal King Liuyun stepped forward.

"Let her go right now! If you want to do something, do it to me!"

How could Gu Qingfeng possibly refuse such a request?

After another long while, Jiang Li slowly woke up. She suddenly noticed that the sounds echoing in her ears were not quite right. She opened her eyes, and the sight immediately drained the color from her face in sheer panic.

"Let go of my master! If you have the guts, come at me!"

"Li'er, your master is fine. Let me do this. I cannot just watch you suffer alone."

Jiang Li's eyes brimmed with tears, deeply moved.

"Master, you do not need to wrong yourself for my sake! Your disciple isn't worth you doing this!"

"Silly child, there is no question of whether it is worth it or not. I have long regarded you as my own daughter, and doing anything for you is worth it."

.