The crowd buzzed with discussion, all wondering whether Immortal Su Hua had lied about Gu Qingfeng's death nine years ago to protect him.
However, both Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao within the arena knew that Immortal Su Hua had not protected Gu Qingfeng nine years ago. Even if Su Hua had wanted to, she couldn't have. Because back then, it was the Three Thousand Great Daos that wanted to erase him.
No!
To be precise, Gu Qingfeng didn't need protection at all.
Back then, even the Great Radiance Judgment descended by the Immortal Dao had failed to shake Gu Qingfeng in the slightest. What need was there for protection?
Not to mention the Immortal Dao's Great Radiance Judgment; even the Sacred Judgment, hailed as the Verdict of the Gods, had failed to erase Gu Qingfeng.
Protection?
What could Immortal Su Hua possibly use to protect him?
And what about Gu Qingfeng would require Immortal Su Hua's protection?
Nothing!
Absolutely nothing.
One might say that Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao, both former Profound Immortals in their past lives, were definitely masters who had weathered great storms and waves. But at this moment, as they stared at Gu Qingfeng in the arena, they both felt a sense of the world spinning upside down.
It was him.
It really was him!
He truly hadn't died!
Good heavens!
He actually...
He actually really survived the Sacred Judgment!
Why!
That was the Sacred Judgment, the Verdict of the Gods! Even the heavens themselves held it in awe. How could he possibly have survived the Sacred Judgment!
Fear?
Terror?
Perhaps there was some, but for Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao, it was more about disbelief and an inability to accept it.
This feeling was as if a Demon God had suddenly appeared in the mortal world.
Even more terrifying was that this Demon God possessed power sufficient to destroy heaven and earth.
How could they dare to believe it? How could they dare to accept it?
If these two, who had no connection to Gu Qingfeng, felt this way, then Bei Changqing, who was intricately linked to Gu Qingfeng by karma, had long since collapsed to the ground.
Yes.
Collapsed.
When Gu Qingfeng walked into the arena.
When Bei Changqing confirmed he was that Chiyan Young Lord from the Great Northwest, she collapsed to the ground in an instant. Her mind shattered, her spirit broke down completely, her thoughts went blank, and she was utterly stupefied.
Earlier, she had been restless and filled with anxiety.
She had been afraid that the newly emerged Monarch of Yanluo was Gu Qingfeng.
Because there was karma between her and Gu Qingfeng.
What kind of karma?
She didn't know.
Nor was it important.
An existence from the Ancient Era who overthrew the Immortal Dynasty.
An existence who achieved the unparalleled creation that is the Myriad Forms Floating Pagoda.
An existence who achieved the pinnacle of Human Kings, the Supreme Ultimate Myriad Forms.
An existence who gave birth to the terrifying Ancient Taboo.
An existence who fused with the heaven-defying blood of Original Sin.
An existence whom even the Three Thousand Great Daos could not shake, an existence whom even the Verdict of the Gods could not judge to death.
For Bei Changqing, what did it matter what the karma between them was?
This kind of person was simply the chief culprit of Original Sin between heaven and earth. Having even the slightest connection with him guaranteed a terrible end.
If there was karma between her and him, what would the consequences be?
Bei Changqing didn't know that either.
That question was too terrifying.
So terrifying she never dared to think deeply about it.
Earlier, there had still been a sliver of hope, a sliver of luck in her heart. But when Gu Qingfeng appeared in the arena, that last shred of hope and luck in Bei Changqing's heart vanished like smoke.
She just lay collapsed on the ground, staring blankly, her face deathly pale without a trace of color. Her expression held neither fear nor terror, only endless despair.
The crowd in the arena continued to buzz with discussion.
They discussed whether Immortal Su Hua had really protected Chiyan Young Lord Gu Qingfeng nine years ago.
They also discussed whether this person was truly Gu Qingfeng.
One thing everyone was very certain of:
If Immortal Su Hua had really protected Chiyan Young Lord nine years ago,
If that white-robed man was truly Gu Qingfeng,
If the Blood Fiend Dragon-Elephant's reverence for him was truly because he had fused with a wisp of the Monarch's remnant consciousness,
Then it meant the true Monarch was dead.
Of course.
These were all just 'ifs'.
No one knew if these 'ifs' were true. Without complete confirmation, no one knew the truth.
In the arena.
Tang Laoguai led Gu Qingfeng to the pavilion and invited him to take a seat. Gu Qingfeng didn't stand on ceremony either, directly sitting down on the imperial chair representing the supreme authority of Yanluo. Looking at the sumptuous delicacies laid out on the table, he chuckled, "Well now, quite the feast you've prepared."
"What kind of talk is that? For entertaining you, kid, would I dare not prepare a feast?"
Tang Laoguai, shedding his usual disrespectful old man attitude, was extremely obsequious towards Gu Qingfeng. As he spoke, he personally picked up the wine pot to pour wine for Gu Qingfeng, saying, "Today, I had Yunqi bring all the 'Azure Wave Immortal's Journey' wine reserves in the imperial palace. I'll let you drink your fill, drink to your heart's content, drink until you're satisfied."
Gu Qingfeng was not one for formalities, never had been. Moreover, having Tang Laoguai, this old rascal, serve him was a rare opportunity, so he naturally enjoyed it.
"You brats!
What did I tell you earlier? What are you all standing around for!"
Tang Laoguai, seeing Tang Yunqi, Tang Yunhao, and the other descendants of the Yanluo royal family all frozen in place, flew into a rage.
Tang Yunqi, Tang Yunhao, and the others looked at each other, then could only kneel and perform the grand salute with extreme reluctance. In their minds, since things had reached this point, even if the old master was playing some mysterious trick, they had no choice but to cooperate and play this act out.
Tang Manqing also knelt down. At this moment, her expression was filled with both helplessness and embarrassment.
If earlier, when everyone didn't know this guy's true identity, kneeling was one thing—after all, no one knew if he was really the Monarch.
But the problem was, now everyone knew he was Gu Qingfeng, the Chiyan Young Lord from the Great Northwest nine years ago, not the Chixiao Monarch at all.
And yet, Great-Grandfather was still making them kneel.
For Tang Manqing, this feeling was like a play that had gone wrong, been seen through, yet they had to brazenly continue acting.
It was very awkward.
What made Tang Manqing even more devastated was that it was still unknown whether this guy was really that Chiyan Young Lord from the Great Northwest nine years ago. He might very well be a complete and utter fraud!
If that were truly the case, then even if the Yanluo royal family survived the Immortal Dynasty's intimidation this time, they would lose all face.
"Alright, no need for so much ceremony."
Gu Qingfeng waved his hand. He had never cared much for these formalities. Not only that, he often felt they were superfluous. It was better now; in the past, if someone performed a grand salute to him, he would feel extremely uncomfortable all over.
"Normally, skipping the formalities is fine, but on such a grand occasion today, with all our Yanluo royal descendants present, we must at least perform a grand salute for you, kid."
The descendants of the Yanluo royal family all obediently performed the grand salute. No one dared to defy the words of Patriarch Tang. Only Tang Yunhao seemed somewhat unwilling and reluctant, his actions looking very forced.
"Yunhao, you brat!
Do you want me to give you a good slap!"