Qi Mu kept kneeling and pleading for mercy, but Gu Qingfeng paid him no mind, acting as if he hadn't heard a thing. He returned to the pavilion, drank three cups of wine in a row, and only then did he speak. "Alright, enough with the kowtowing. If I wanted to kill him, a single thought would suffice. As I said, since he possesses an edict granted by the Human Dao, today I'll give the Human Dao some face. I'll let him remember this lesson—so he doesn't disappoint the Human Dao's expectations of him, and so he doesn't wander around flaunting the Human Dao's edict for no good reason! The Human Dao bestowed that edict so he could cultivate diligently and accomplish something in the future, not so your lot could strut around throwing your weight about!"
"I don't want to say anything more. Take your people and get the hell out of here."
Qi Mu didn't dare utter half a word in response. He kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, then without any hesitation, hurriedly took Wang Feiyu and left.
Ever since his nirvanic rebirth in the Great Northwest, Gu Qingfeng's physical body had remained exceptionally weak, making it truly inadvisable for him to engage in combat. After the earlier round of fighting, he was now genuinely feeling rather fatigued. He drank several more cups in succession, then turned to look at the dozen or so Chixiao Sect members from the Mei Shan Branch Hall.
"I'd originally planned to share a few drinks with you all and have a chat, but..." Gu Qingfeng rubbed his forehead. "But today I'm just too tired. Another day. We'll sit together another day."
Old Branch Hall Master Yuheng, the current Hall Master Benlei, Fengxu, and the other Chixiao Sect members exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. They, too, couldn't determine whether Gu Qingfeng had fused with a remnant consciousness of the Monarch. In their minds, even if Gu Qingfeng hadn't fused with a remnant consciousness of the Monarch, he must be connected to the Monarch in some way. Otherwise, the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant would never have shown him such reverence and affection.
And if he hadn't fused with a remnant consciousness of the Monarch, and was unrelated to the Monarch...
Then there was only one possibility.
He was the true Lord Chixiao.
But...
Was that possible?
Unclear.
None of them could be sure.
Gu Qingfeng stretched, his bones crackling, and let out several yawns in a row, preparing to leave. When he reached the entrance, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Where can I find you all tomorrow?"
Yuheng's heart skipped a beat. He cupped his hands respectfully. "This old man and the others reside at the Mei Shan Branch Hall. If the young master has time, you are most welcome to visit."
"Alright, that's settled then. It's getting late. You all should get some rest soon too."
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand and vanished.
After he left, no one in the area dared to speak for a long time. The Elders from the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects, though they had regained consciousness, were merely conscious—each of them slumped wretchedly on the ground. Even now, their ears still rang thunderously, their minds were so scattered they couldn't coalesce, their awareness was blurred and slow to react, and as for their Nascent Souls and Dharma Appearances, needless to say, they were all battered and in disarray.
Forget recovering in a short while; even three to five years might not be enough for them to recuperate.
Tang Manqing, Liu Yue, and Lin Xiang'er were also slumped on the ground, no longer the graceful, beautiful goddesses they had been before. They looked utterly dejected, like wilted roses.
Looking at the Sect Elders sprawled on the ground and the Heavenly Geniuses lying in pools of blood, their feelings were indescribably complex.
These Sect Elders were all experts who had cultivated for thousands of years, some with one foot already in the door of immortality. Yet now, they couldn't even withstand a single shout of authority from Gu Qingfeng.
Those Heavenly Geniuses were all darlings of the Present-Ancient Era, each blessed with great Fortune.
Earlier, at the garden entrance, how awe-inspiring they had been when confronting the Elder from the Jade Void Sect of Tianzhao Kingdom.
And now?
Gu Qingfeng, using pure, unadorned fist and foot techniques, had—in three moves and two strikes—beaten them to death, injury, or crippled them. Even their proud Fortunes were left broken and incomplete, and Zhou Ting's Lesser Mandate had been directly extracted by Gu Qingfeng.
Heh.
Tang Manqing felt like laughing.
Not at the Elders of the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects, nor at those Heavenly Geniuses.
But at herself.
At her own ignorance, at her own childishness.
Earlier, the three of them had planned to join forces to deal with Gu Qingfeng. For that, Tang Manqing had even specially borrowed the Binding Immortal Rope from the Yanluo Empress, Tang Honghao.
She had thought that with their combined strength and the Binding Immortal Rope, they would surely be able to subdue Gu Qingfeng.
Now,
she realized it was all just her own assumption.
Subdue him?
This fellow, with a single furious shout, had caused thousands of people to fall to the ground without even a grunt. Even Feiyu Cloud Lord, bearer of the Human Dao's edict, had been shaken until his seven orifices bled, kneeling on the ground, unable to move.
How could the three of them possibly be his match?
Never mind the three of them; even thousands upon thousands of themselves would probably be like ants before him.
However,
this was only one of the reasons the three of them were so dejected. More than that, this experience had dealt the greatest blow to their self-esteem in their entire lives.
The three of them were all darlings of the Present-Ancient Era. Their personal Fortunes might not compare to Wang Feiyu's Human Dao edict or Zhou Ting's Lesser Mandate, but compared to other Heavenly Geniuses, their Fortunes were undoubtedly among the very best.
Since childhood, whether it was Tang Manqing, Liu Yue, or Lin Xiang'er, their cultivation paths had been incredibly smooth. They never felt inferior to anyone. Lesser Mandates, Great Dao edicts—they didn't envy them.
However, after witnessing Gu Qingfeng's overwhelming strength firsthand today, their self-esteem simply couldn't bear it. That single shout from Gu Qingfeng not only shattered their minds but also completely obliterated all their self-respect and confidence.
If this fellow were a reincarnated being, that would be one thing.
At least then, Tang Manqing could accept it. After all, reincarnated individuals were all Immortals in their previous lives, so it was only natural they'd be powerful in this life.
But that fellow wasn't reincarnated. He wasn't even a possession-reborn soul.
If his cultivation were higher, or if his Fortune were more formidable, that would also be somewhat acceptable. Tang Manqing wasn't completely unable to accept it. She clearly understood that everyone had their own Fortune; it was decreed by heaven, not something to be envied.
The key issue was, that fellow had no cultivation whatsoever! He had no Fortune either!
He had absolutely nothing on him.
Yet with just his pure physical body, he had utterly crushed the Elders from the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects present, leaving them too terrified to even breathe loudly.
Where was the logic in that?
How could anyone accept that?
What was the point of having Fortune?
What was the point of cultivation?
What meaning did it hold?
No matter how strong the Fortune, no matter how high the cultivation,
even if one attained the Dao and became an Immortal, so what? Could they withstand a single slap from this fellow?
Could they endure a single shout of authority from him?
Thinking of this, Tang Manqing and the other two felt their lives were filled with darkness and that the Heavenly Dao was unjust!
They were all Human.
Why was it that this fellow, who had nothing, spent his days drinking wine and listening to music, carefree and unrestrained, was so incredibly powerful? While they, who had cultivated diligently and painstakingly, in the end couldn't even withstand a single shout from him?
Wasn't it said that heaven watches all deeds?
Was the Old Man Upstairs blind?
How could You tolerate such an utterly monstrous fellow existing in this world?
How were others supposed to live?