Surname Gu?
Given name Tianlang?
Daoist title Chixiao?
Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang?
Boom.
Su Hua's voice was not loud, but at this moment, as it reached everyone's ears, it was akin to thunder from the Nine Heavens, shaking the minds of everyone present into blankness, freezing their consciousness and thoughts, and making them feel the heavens and earth spinning, barely able to stand steady.
Not to mention them.
Even the two Earth Fiend Lords, Black Buddha and Black Water, along with the three hundred-odd Chixiao people, felt dizzy and disoriented at this moment.
Ever since Gu Qingfeng appeared, they had suspected he might be Monarch Chixiao.
Yes.
They truly suspected.
Because when facing Gu Qingfeng, the palpitations from the Blood Fiend Dragon-Elephant within their bodies were too clear and too familiar. They knew better than anyone that under the entire heavens, only Monarch Chixiao alone could make the Blood Fiend Dragon-Elephant palpitate like this.
But suspicion was just suspicion.
No one dared to believe it.
Over the years, they had been deceived too many times by those impostors pretending to be Monarch Chixiao, especially those ambiguous figures in the South Sea whose authenticity was unknown. They had been tricked to the point of being overly suspicious, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.
However, with Old Master Tang's prostration.
The prostrations of the two reincarnated great experts, Wan Huaiyu and Qin Hao.
Black Water, Black Buddha, and the other Chixiao people had almost come to believe that Gu Qingfeng was Monarch Chixiao.
Yet, deep in their hearts, there remained a line of defense—a line they could not clearly articulate. It was this line that kept them cautious and vigilant.
And the prostration of Taiji Sect's Ancestor Xuanze caused this line of defense in their hearts to begin loosening.
Until Su Hua appeared and personally told them that Gu Qingfeng was the Monarch Chixiao from the Ancient Era. At that moment, the final line of defense in the hearts of Black Water, Black Buddha, and the three hundred-odd Chixiao people completely shattered. They finally dared to believe that Gu Qingfeng was the Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang they had been waiting for.
"Monarch! You really are the Monarch!"
The one who spoke was neither Black Buddha nor Black Fiend, but Elder Mei.
At this moment, Elder Mei's originally cautious and stern face was filled with uncontrollable excitement. With a thud, he knelt on the ground, crying out hoarsely, "Monarch! You really are the Monarch! You truly did not die! You have truly returned!"
As Elder Mei knelt, the eyes of the two Earth Fiend Lords, Black Water and Black Buddha, immediately reddened. The emotions they had long suppressed could no longer be restrained, erupting completely as they rushed forward, prostrating themselves on the ground, wailing and sobbing. The three hundred-odd Chixiao people also knelt and prostrated, their faces flushed crimson, tears streaming down their aged cheeks.
They were all Chixiao people from the former Chixiao Sect, followers who had campaigned north and south with Monarch Chixiao.
Especially Black Water and Black Buddha—they had followed Monarch Chixiao to conquer the world since very early on, back before Gu Qingfeng had even founded the Chixiao Sect. Their bond with Gu Qingfeng was forged time and again through blood and carnage.
Ever since over three hundred years ago, when Gu Qingfeng alone shouldered all the blame and willingly submitted to the judgment of the Immortal Dao, all the Chixiao people could not accept such a cruel reality. They refused to believe the Monarch would die under the Immortal Dao's judgment, so they had been waiting.
They waited year after year, but news of the Monarch's return never came.
Instead, impostors claiming to be the Monarch grew more numerous. Every time they heard news of the Monarch, they would drop everything and rush to the scene, always arriving with hope, only to return with disappointment.
Once was like this.
Twice, thrice...
Ten times, a hundred times.
They could no longer remember how many impostors they had seen or how many times they had been let down.
Even so.
They had always firmly believed the Monarch would not die and would return one day.
And that day had finally arrived.
The Monarch had finally returned.
Emotions suppressed for a full three hundred years erupted at this moment like a bursting river, overwhelming all. These iron-willed, stalwart men, these fierce and formidable Chixiao people, now wailed like children, their cries heart-wrenching and soul-rending.
Over at the Taiji Sect.
When Immortal Su Hua personally declared that Gu Qingfeng was Monarch Chixiao, Vice Sect Master Cang Yun died on the spot.
Yes.
Died.
He was scared to death.
The old sect master of Taiji Sect also died.
Although not scared to death, he suffered such a severe shock that his spirit became disordered, he fell into Qi deviation, and perished violently.
The dozen or so Inner Council ancestors who had earlier attacked Gu Qingfeng had already been eradicated by Xuanze.
As for the Immortal Dynasty crowd who had earlier recounted Gu Qingfeng's crimes, hoping Immortal Su Hua would seek justice for them, along with the elders and disciples of the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects—the moment they heard the name Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang spoken from Su Hua's lips, thousands of them collapsed on the spot in terror. They were afraid, fearful, trembling.
A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow.
In this world, there was no one who did not know who Monarch Chixiao was.
They dared to speak of the crimes of Chiyan Young Master Gu Qingfeng, but they did not dare speak of the crimes of Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang.
They dared to seek justice against Chiyan Young Master Gu Qingfeng, but they did not dare seek justice against Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang.
Even if Gu Qingfeng's identity was mysterious and his power immense, they still dared to recount crimes and seek justice.
But if it were Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang, even if he were just an ordinary person without any strength, they would not dare recount crimes, much less seek justice.
What is prestige?
This is prestige.
The seven characters 'Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang' were built layer upon layer from countless blood and bones, endless frenzied slaughter, innumerable unbelievable miracles, and timeless legends. Each character was deeper than the sea, thicker than the earth, higher than the heavens.
Under such circumstances, who would dare recount the Monarch's crimes? Who would dare seek justice from the Monarch?
No one dared.
Because they could not bear the consequences. No one could. The mere thought was enough to scare them to death.
Tang Manqing and Liu Yue also collapsed onto the ground.
Earlier, witnessing Gu Qingfeng's terrifyingly immense power had scared them so much they could not stand steady, but that was all—they collapsed but could still get up.
But now.
Upon hearing Immortal Su Hua personally declare that Gu Qingfeng was Monarch Chixiao Gu Tianlang, they collapsed onto the ground, utterly unable to rise again.
Their spirits had shattered.
Their souls seemed to have left their bodies.
Their physical forms felt completely numb.
Su Hua's voice continuously echoed in their minds: In the Ancient Era, his surname was Gu, given name Tianlang, Daoist title Chixiao...
This echo, like a demonic chant, could not be driven away or dispersed.
Especially for Tang Manqing, who recalled the events of the past year.
From the beginning, when Gu Qingfeng inexplicably fell from the sky, she thought he was just another cultivator who, due to the descent of the Heavenly Mandate and the brilliant blossoming of the Great Nature, had excessively pursued cultivation, ultimately lost control, and had his cultivation completely stripped away.
Later, when Gu Qingfeng said he was the Chiyan Young Master from the Great Northwest nine years ago, she thought he was a fraud.
Later still, when Gu Qingfeng claimed to be Monarch Chixiao, she became even more convinced he was a fraud.
When she used a message talisman to verify with Immortal Su Hua and learned that Gu Qingfeng was even impersonating the Chiyan Young Master, she considered him a fraud among frauds.
To expose this fraud's identity, she had even stolen her old aunt's Immortal-Binding Rope and planned to join forces with Liu Yue to tie up this fraud and flog him for three days.
Thinking of this, she did not continue further, because Tang Manqing, overwhelmed by retrospective fear, directly fainted dead away.