What!
You Di is here?
Everyone in the vicinity was startled, turning around to search for You Di. However, the Lingluo Heavenly Domain was packed with people, a dark, endless sea of humanity. They searched high and low, but no one could find any trace of You Di.
"Brother Nether Emperor, this humble one knew you would surely come."
The mysterious woman's voice rang out again. People continued searching, many immediately summoning their Immortal Armor for protection and their Immortal Weapons just in case. The celestial officials of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain and the lords of the various Immortal Dynasties all wore tense expressions, scanning with their eyes while probing with their Divine Sense.
At that moment.
A voice emerged from within the crowd.
"How could I, your lord, possibly refuse such a grand and beautiful lady's enthusiastic invitation?"
The voice was gentle, like a spring breeze lightly sweeping through the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. It carried no imposing aura, no sonic might, and didn't echo through every corner of the domain. People tried to locate its source and soon spotted two figures in the crowd. One was an old man in purple robes whom many recognized as Patriarch Yunxiazi of the Yunxia Sect from the Primordial World.
Walking ahead of Yunxiazi was a man.
The man had a slender build and a plain, unremarkable appearance.
He wore simple white robes, his long black hair loosely draped over his shoulders. There was nothing dazzling about him—none of the arrogant aura of a favored scion of the Great Dao, nor the profound, inscrutable air of a senior Dao practitioner. He didn't even possess a hint of cultivation or attainment; he wasn't even an Immortal, appearing more like a mortal.
Could he possibly be You Di?
Everyone found it hard to believe.
Although rumors said You Di's appearance had changed after his rebirth from the ashes of Nirvana, no matter how one's appearance might change, a person's unique temperament and imposing aura shouldn't become so utterly ordinary, should it?
Many present had personally witnessed You Di in the Ancient Era. Some had even clashed with him and knew full well how solitary, arrogant, and overwhelmingly dominant the You Di of that era had been. His unrivaled, heaven-defying aura shook the Nine Heavens above and cowed the Nine Netherworlds below, causing the void itself to tremble. Countless beings within the Heavenly Domain had feared him.
In stark contrast, this man in white robes bore no resemblance whatsoever to the legendary Nine Nether Emperor who had shaken the Great Desolate. Even Lord Saint Yang, who had been beaten to within an inch of his life by Gu Qingfeng back then, harbored doubts.
"It's him!
He is You Di!"
"That's right!
We saw him on the Xuantian Vessel!"
Upon seeing Gu Qingfeng, the group from the Five Spirits Immortal Realm who had been shaken until their orifices bled by a single sound from him on the Xuantian Vessel cried out in terror and agitation.
Their shouts were enough to plunge the entire Lingluo Heavenly Domain into instant chaos.
A person's reputation, a tree's shadow.
Who You Di was, no one across the Myriad Worlds of the Heavens was ignorant of.
Destroying Immortal Dynasties, burning the Nine Heavens, defying the firmament, slaughtering the Great Dao—it was common knowledge.
Therefore.
Upon hearing the shouts, the crowd dared not hesitate. Their first instinct was to retreat. As they fell back, they all summoned their Immortal Armor and Immortal Weapons. In an instant, dazzling Immortal light bloomed everywhere in the void of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain, like countless stellar flowers blossoming.
Even those arrogant favored scions of the Great Dao grew extremely nervous. While summoning their Immortal Armor and Weapons, they also manifested their personal attainments. This included the Ten Supreme Immortals of the Great Desolate led by Shi Que, and the Ten Supreme Demonic Ancestors led by Tu He.
Although they had previously clamored about competing with You Di, it had been mere bluster. When truly facing You Di, none dared act recklessly.
If they were like this, the celestial officials led by Lord Saint Yang reacted as if they had seen ghosts or gods. Not only did they summon their Immortal Armor and Weapons, they also brought out their command tokens for summoning the Laws of the Immortal Dao and the Laws of the Heavenly Domain.
Yet even this did little to calm them; their faces remained ashen with fear.
Because they had all lived through that mad era of antiquity and understood better than anyone how terrifying the existence known as You Di truly was.
Previously, they might have dared to follow Lord Saint Yang in searching for You Di under the banner of protecting all living beings of the Great Dao.
But that had just been about shouting slogans.
It was like shouting a slogan about defying the heavens.
Anyone could shout such a slogan. Anyone dared to shout it.
However.
Who truly dared to act against the heavens?
The answer was certain.
No one dared.
They didn't dare, and neither did Lord Saint Yang, who had led the search for Gu Qingfeng.
At this moment.
Lord Saint Yang's complexion wasn't good either—to be precise, it was extremely grim. He too had summoned Immortal Armor for protection, holding a command token for the Heavenly Domain Laws in one hand and one for the Immortal Dao Laws in the other. Though he repeatedly took deep breaths, telling himself not to be afraid, his spirit still trembled uncontrollably.
It was utterly beyond his control, like a lingering shadow.
And indeed, that was the truth.
He had led the charge to besiege You Di back then, only to be beaten to within an inch of his life. That beating had left him with a psychological shadow regarding the name 'You Di'.
He might not fear death.
But for Lord Saint Yang, Gu Qingfeng's existence was more terrifying than death itself, because Gu Qingfeng had once made him wish for death yet find it unattainable.
In the distance, within the crowd.
Some members of the Eternal Life Pavilion stood watching. Patriarch Kaishan gazed at You Di as he slowly approached and sighed, "You Di's existence grows ever more unfathomable…" Qingqing watched the approaching You Di with a complex expression, murmuring, "He…
actually showed himself for real."
"Who would have thought? This guy really came out…
Heavens!
It's over!
Now it's really over!
Something major is about to happen!"
Immortal Centrifugal and the others were filled with anxiety and fear.
Patriarch Kaishan looked up at the firmament. He knew and could sense that the moment Gu Qingfeng appeared, all those hiding in the shadows had begun to emerge. There were far more than he had imagined, and they were more terrifying than he had anticipated. All sorts of mysterious, unknown experts were present.
Though he didn't know the exact situation on the side of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, he had no doubt that the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had long since prepared for this.
It wasn't just Patriarch Kaishan who detected this; Sha Xiang also sensed it, as did Yun Wan and others, along with Mo Ruyi, the lord of the Immortal Dynasty in the Primordial World. Of course, Lord Saint Yang sensed it too. He not only detected all the hidden experts emerging but also knew that the powerhouses from Dan-Ding Valley had shown themselves. Most excitingly for him, the majestic authority of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had already enveloped the Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
Yes.
The majestic authority of the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao had secretly descended upon the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. As the ruler of this domain, Lord Saint Yang could feel it.
This immediately gave Lord Saint Yang, who harbored a deep fear of Gu Qingfeng, a surge of confidence.
"My, what a lively scene."
The mysterious woman atop Blackwater Mountain looked up at the firmament and chuckled coyly, "Brother Nether Emperor truly has such a grand reputation…"
"Can't be helped. Your lord's reputation has always been this grand."
Gu Qingfeng strolled leisurely through the void, holding a handful of crimson demon fruits in his hands. He chewed on one, a gentle smile playing on his lips. His relaxed and carefree demeanor was as if he were browsing a market street, utterly at ease. He truly gave off the impression of being like a refreshing breeze.