On Blackwater Mountain.
Gu Qingfeng lay sprawled in his chair, one leg crossed over the other and propped on the table. One arm was wrapped around the slender, graceful waist of Lady Blackwater, while his other hand kneaded and caressed her full, sensual curves. Tipping his head back and closing his eyes, he was thoroughly enjoying Lady Blackwater's massage.
"Ah, Brother You Di," Lady Blackwater, seated on Gu Qingfeng's lap, gently pounded his shoulders while occasionally picking up a cup of Dragon Cauldron fine wine to bring to his lips. "Why didn't you just kill that annoying fellow earlier?"
"If even a notorious beast like the Black Pig Monster King can turn over a new leaf," Gu Qingfeng's voice drifted out, "then a simple, honest man like me should probably cut down on the killing too."
Sha Xiang, standing stiffly to the side, offered an awkward, embarrassed smile, inwardly scorning Gu Qingfeng over and over.
Before meeting Gu Qingfeng, Sha Xiang had considered himself ruthless enough. But after encountering Gu Qingfeng, he truly understood the meaning of 'there is always a mountain beyond the mountain.' In terms of ruthlessness, Sha Xiang felt he wasn't even fit to carry Gu Qingfeng's shoes. In the Nine Abyss, he had witnessed Gu Qingfeng's methods firsthand—they were truly vicious. When Sha Xiang killed, he merely took a life. But when Gu Qingfeng got serious, there were no limits.
First, he'd refine your physical body. After refining the body, he'd refine the soul. And he'd make your soul watch as he refined your flesh. The multiple layers of agony inflicted on body, spirit, and mind were simply unimaginable.
Want to die?
Too bad.
If Gu Qingfeng wasn't done playing, you couldn't even think about dying.
Forget about dying, even attempting body possession was out of the question.
Not just body possession—even reincarnation was impossible.
In the Nine Abyss, Sha Xiang had once seen an ancient demon of the Abyss driven to such despair by Gu Qingfeng that he violently self-destructed in an attempt to force a reincarnation. And the result?
Gu Qingfeng had physically dragged that ancient demon back out from the cycle of reincarnation.
Sha Xiang glanced at the smug Lord Saint Yang in the distance and shook his head inwardly. In his eyes, Lord Saint Yang was already no different from a dead man. Moreover, he was certain Lord Saint Yang would die a gruesome death!
Because Gu Qingfeng had said he would take the old fellow's life today.
In other words.
Lord Saint Yang would die today whether he wanted to or not. Not even the King of Heaven himself could save him. Anyone who tried would die too.
Among the crowd.
Sha Xiang wasn't the only one viewing Lord Saint Yang as a dead man. Huode did as well.
Huode not only knew Lord Saint Yang would definitely die today, but also that all of Lord Saint Yang's supporters here—his disciples, grand-disciples, including that Immortal King Yuchan and Immortal Lord Chaoyang—probably wouldn't survive either.
Huode had watched Gu Qingfeng grow up and understood him better than anyone. He clearly knew Gu Qingfeng had a particular quirk: either he wouldn't act, but once he did, this fellow would kill everyone involved, eliminating all future trouble. The reason he hadn't killed Lord Saint Yang earlier was probably because he was waiting for Lord Saint Yang to summon all his people before making his move.
He also knew Gu Qingfeng was a lazy man.
One or two people weren't worth the effort for him to bother.
He was likely waiting for all those lurking in the shadows to emerge before dealing with them all at once.
"Esteemed colleagues," Lord Saint Yang leaped into the air, declaring righteously to the crowd, "this criminal disciple Gu Tianlang defied the majesty of our Great Sun Bright Immortal Dao back in the Ancient Era, and brought calamity upon the Great Dao and all living beings. Countless heroes tragically perished by his hand."
"When Mount Wudao descended, this criminal disciple Gu Tianlang ignited the Sinful Karmic Flame, awakening the Primal Sin. Now he has returned from death, attempting to achieve the True Lord of Original Sin, slaughter the Great Dao, and end this Present-Ancient Era!"
"Fellow Daoists, for our own sakes, for our families and friends, for our clans and immortal realms, and for the multitudes of all living beings under Heaven and Earth's Great Dao, today we must unite to execute this criminal disciple!"
Immediately after.
Lord Saint Yang's disciple, Immortal King Yuchan, raised a fist high and shouted, "Execute the criminal disciple Gu Tianlang! Protect the Great Dao and all living beings!"
Following him, Lord Saint Yang's grand-disciple, Immortal Lord Chaoyang, also raised his fist, shouting to execute Gu Tianlang and protect the Great Dao and all living beings. Then the Heavenly Domain Immortal Officials and the rulers of the various world's immortal courts all raised their fists and joined the chorus.
The others gathered in Lingluo Heavenly Domain looked at each other, hesitant. Although they also wished to execute You Di—if not to protect the Great Dao and all living beings, then for their own futures—but relying solely on Lord Saint Yang and his group to execute You Di probably wasn't enough. Even with Immortal King Yuchan and Immortal Lord Chaoyang added, it was likely insufficient.
Although You Di was no longer the Nine Nethers Emperor of the Ancient Era.
And he appeared to have no cultivation or achievements to speak of.
But that was merely appearance.
Who knew what his true capabilities were now?
Just as the crowd hesitated, a voice rang out.
"'For our own sakes, for our families and friends, for our clans and immortal realms, and for the multitudes of all living beings under Heaven and Earth's Great Dao'—well said! Exquisitely said! Lord Saint Yang truly lives up to his name as the selfless, fearless Lord Saint Yang dedicated solely to the Great Dao and all living beings. This king admires you immensely!"
Everyone looked over to see a group of people marching over majestically, numbering in the hundreds.
A closer look caused universal shock and alarm.
These hundreds were actually all senior experts from Dan Ding Valley, one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, and almost all were famous Great Dao masters from the Ancient Era.
The three leaders shone with dazzling light and emanated terrifying auras.
These auras were identical to those earlier from Immortal King Yuchan and Immortal Lord Chaoyang—both were the majestic power of Heavenly Mandate.
In other words, these three were also individuals bearing Great Dao Heavenly Mandates.
They were none other than the illustrious North Altar Immortal King of Dan Ding Valley, along with White Origin Immortal Lord and Yellow Wind Demon Lord.
"The criminal disciple Gu Tianlang brings calamity upon all living beings. Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate him."
The speaker was precisely North Altar Immortal King. Dressed in a purple robe, his figure portly, his expression stern, he strode forward with dragon-tiger steps, his gaze fixed fiercely on Gu Qingfeng atop Blackwater Mountain as he boomed, "Today, I, North Altar Immortal King, leading the two Great Dao Star Lords, White Origin and Yellow Wind, along with a host of Great Dao seniors, come by order of our Dan Ding Valley Patriarch to execute Gu Tianlang!"
North Altar Immortal King's voice and power were exceptionally potent, spreading out like heavenly thunder exploding through the void of Lingluo Heavenly Domain.
His shout alone instantly threw the entire Lingluo Heavenly Domain into an uproar.
Everyone knew Dan Ding Valley was one of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands.
Everyone knew how terrifying the existence of Dan Ding Valley was, how many powerful experts it housed, how complex its background. Rumors said the existences of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands even surpassed the Three Thousand Great Daos.
Now North Altar Immortal King had brought two Great Dao Star Lords and a host of Great Dao seniors, and moreover came by order of the Dan Ding Valley Patriarch to execute Gu Tianlang. The implications contained within this were extraordinary, and its impact was not something Lord Saint Yang could compare to.
Just as everyone was still reeling from the shock brought by North Altar Immortal King and the other Dan Ding Valley experts, another voice sounded within the area.
"I, the Black Flame Star Lord, leading a host of Great Dao heroes, come by order of the True Martial Immortal Realm Patriarch, specifically to execute the criminal disciple Gu Tianlang!"