Challenging You Di.
One person could make a name for themselves, so could two. Three, four, even five or six could all make a name.
But if a whole crowd challenged You Di, only a handful would end up famous.
What's more important is that this matter came with great danger.
Setting aside whether this man was truly You Di or not, even if he wasn't the real You Di, he was definitely not someone to be trifled with. Mo Baiyu and the others were Upper Immortals who had received the Immortal Dao's decree, backed by great clans and major immortal realms. They could afford to be fearless, but others had no such backing. It would be a terrible loss if they failed to make a name and instead lost their lives—or even just suffered severe injuries.
Moreover, the most terrifying thing was that while one might not fear ten thousand possibilities, one should always fear the one in ten thousand. If this fellow really was You Di, then today's events wouldn't be a matter of loss or gain, but something horrifying beyond imagination.
After much deliberation and weighing of pros and cons, none of the thousands present stepped forward.
Jinyan, Wuhua, and the group of immortal experts from the Five-Spirit Immortal Realm also forcibly suppressed the impulse in their hearts. They felt that since young people like Mo Baiyu had stepped forward, they might as well use them to gauge Gu Qingfeng's strength before making a decision.
"No one else wants to be famous?"
Gu Qingfeng asked again, but still no one stepped forward. He picked up a cup of wine, drained it in one gulp, looked at Mo Baiyu and the others, and said, "Alright, that's settled then. Come on. Today, this lord will let you make a big name for yourselves."
"Wait!"
Elder Jin mustered his courage and stepped forward. "Great Old Master You Di, Baiyu and the others are all young people, full of youthful vigor and prone to impulsiveness. For today's offense, I hope Great Old Master You Di will not stoop to their level."
Gu Qingfeng remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Elder Jin went on, "Today, they overestimate their abilities by seeking instruction from you. Perhaps they harbor some ulterior motives, but I believe more than anything, they admire Your Majesty's august might and sincerely wish to receive a pointer or two from you."
He paused, then clasped his hands and bowed. "Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to show mercy when you act, to stop at the appropriate point."
Following him, Shangguan Feixing also stepped forward, clasping his hands and saying, "Elder Jin speaks truly. Great Old Master You Di is a hegemon from the ancient era who swept through the Great Desolate and shook heaven and earth with his might. Your Majesty's august prestige is known throughout the Myriad Heavens and Worlds. These juniors are not seeking death; they merely wish to receive a pointer or two from you. If they have offended, I hope Your Majesty will be magnanimous. I also beg Your Majesty to show mercy, stop at the appropriate point, and not harm their lives."
In the venue, whether it was Mo Baiyu, Fuying, Yunzhou, or the others, each had a group of immortal seniors who had cultivated for many years following them. Most of them did not approve of Mo Baiyu and the others' actions, but having failed to dissuade them, they could only muster their courage and step forward to beg Gu Qingfeng to show mercy and stop at the appropriate point.
Gu Qingfeng tilted his head, squinting his eyes. "From what you're saying, you want this lord to just take a beating and not fight back, is that it?"
"No, no, no!"
Elder Jin's face paled in fright, and he hurriedly explained, "That's not what I mean! I mean... I mean for you... for you to show mercy and stop at the appropriate point."
"Put nicely, you call it showing mercy and stopping at the appropriate point. To put it bluntly, it's just asking this lord to take a beating without fighting back. What nonsense are you spouting? What wishful thinking is this? According to you, you jump out saying you want this lord to give you some pointers. After the pointers, you get your thrill, your prestige, and you can even become famous in passing. But what about this lord? Not only do I get hit, but I can't even fight back. What's in it for me? In the end, this lord gets nothing out of it. This is just like doing business. You want to get something for nothing from this lord. Is this how fights work? Is this how business is done?"
"Gr-Great Old Master, that's not what I mean... I..." Elder Jin was so frightened he froze on the spot, at a loss, stammering and unable to articulate a proper response.
"I'll say it again: although this lord is bored out of his mind, I never fight idle fights. I also have no habit of taking a beating without fighting back. And this lord never does business at a loss. You want to be famous? Fine! This lord gives his full support. But I have to lay down the ugly truth first: once we start, you have to bear the consequences. Wanting to get something for nothing and step on this lord to make a name for yourselves—that's impossible. If you want to be famous, you have to pay the price."
He raised his cup, drank the wine, and drained it in one gulp. Gu Qingfeng said indifferently, "As for whether this lord will show mercy, that's not for you to decide. That depends on this lord's mood. If this lord is in a good mood, I might possibly show mercy. If this lord is in a bad mood, killing a person or two to satisfy my itch for a fight is not out of the question."
Shangguan Feixing said, "Great Old Master You Di, you are a hegemon from the ancient era who shook heaven and earth. Do you really expect to gain some benefit today by giving pointers to a few juniors? Don't you think doing so damages your prestigious reputation?"
"This lord says I'm a good person, and you bastards really take me for a good person? Damages this lord's reputation? Hahahahahaha!"
Hearing these words, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.
The laughter was ancient, domineering, wild and unrestrained, like the roar of a dragon or tiger, like the cry of a god or the howl of a demon. It made the thousands present turn pale, their hearts tremble, and their souls quake with fear.
At this moment, not only were Elder Jin, Shangguan Feixing, and the others panicked, but even the confident and imposing Mo Baiyu, Fuying, and the others felt a pang of panic in their hearts.
For some reason, when Gu Qingfeng's laughter reached them, they all felt a sensation—an inexplicable sense of terror.
It was truly baffling. No one knew where this fear came from. They didn't even know what exactly they were afraid of.
They only knew they were very afraid, very terrified.
Beside them, Lixin Xianzi and Qingqing Shangxian were so frightened they didn't dare breathe, their delicate bodies trembling uncontrollably, on the verge of tears. Especially Lixin Xianzi. When Mo Baiyu and the others stepped forward, she had been worried—not worried that Gu Qingfeng would kill these people, but worried that Mo Baiyu would anger Gu Qingfeng. If that happened, the consequences might not be limited to just Mo Baiyu.
As the saying goes, what you fear comes to pass. Hearing Gu Qingfeng's so domineering laughter, Lixin Xianzi might not know if Gu Qingfeng was angry, but she knew that at this moment, Gu Qingfeng's mood was certainly very poor.
One must know that according to legend, once You Di became angry, it meant a great slaughter, rivers of blood flowing!
If this fellow really was You Di, then damn it, today, every single person here, every last one of them, damn it, none would leave alive!
What to do?
Lixin didn't know. She could only pray now, pray that Gu Qingfeng was not the real You Di!
But the more she prayed, the more afraid she became.
In her heart, she utterly despised Mo Baiyu and these reckless fools. She swore that even if Gu Qingfeng didn't kill these damned things today, she would personally take action and slaughter these reckless little bastards!