Golden Crane was weak, his feeble voice as thin as a mosquito's hum, yet it was heard clearly by many present. As the words reached their ears, each person was as if struck by lightning—mouths agape, eyes wide, as if seeing ghosts or gods, their very thoughts frozen solid.
A considerable time passed before someone finally reacted, immediately shouting hoarsely, "The Monarch! Golden Crane said he's the Monarch, he's Monarch Chixiao!"
No one knew who shouted this, but the voice was loud, thunderous as it spread, shaking people until their blood vessels felt ready to burst, dizzy and disoriented as if heaven and earth were spinning. Yet, what provoked such an intense reaction wasn't the shout itself, but the four words within it: Monarch Chixiao.
"I heard it clearly too! It's the Monarch! Golden Crane said he's the Monarch!"
"Heavens above! It's Monarch Chixiao!"
"He's still alive! He's returned!"
Instantly!
The entire scene erupted into chaos. Every single person present was shocked and clamoring, every face pale with panic, every breath choked with suffocation, every soul screaming hoarsely as if witnessing a deity descend.
A person's reputation casts a long shadow.
Who was Monarch Chixiao?
Who in the world today did not know?
The orphan from Yunxia, the youth who shook the Four Directions beneath Chiyan Ridge, whose reign of blood and terror quaked the borderlands, who rampaged across the world and awed the Divine Land, who defied the heavens and toppled the Immortal Dynasty, who laughed at the firmament with utter lawlessness.
His cultivation shattered nine times and was rebuilt nine times. His fate brought him nine lives and nine deaths. His achievements crowned him with nine immortalities and nine demonhoods. He ascended the peerless throne, his every creation defying heaven and earth, unique and singular.
He toppled the Immortal Dynasty, severed the Immortal River, dominated the Nine Heavens, trod upon the Nine Palaces, rebelled against the Nine Skies. Across the three thousand boundless great worlds between heaven and earth, since ancient times, there had never been a second like him.
He was a hero.
An undying hero.
He was a War God.
An undefeated War God.
He was a Demon God.
An indestructible Demon God.
He was a Monarch.
A solitary and proud Monarch.
An overwhelmingly dominant Monarch.
A mad Monarch.
He was Monarch Chixiao, revered by all in this world, in this realm.
When someone shouted that Gu Qingfeng was Monarch Chixiao, the scene instantly exploded into pandemonium. The situation descended into utter chaos, as if doomsday had arrived. Faces flushed red with madness, people screamed hoarsely—excited, agitated, trembling, terrified, horrified…
Chaos!
Absolute chaos.
Ming Hui and the others from the ten major Chixiao branch sects who had submitted to the Immortal Dynasty collapsed on the spot in terror.
The thousand-plus Immortal Officials of the Immortal Dynasty turned deathly pale, their minds suffering extreme fright, falling from mid-air, unable even to stand steadily.
The Immortal Dynasty's Noble Scions, led by Liuguang Qinghong, Liuguang Jiaoying, and Xingyao, were so frightened they held their breath, retreating incessantly.
Though they were arrogant and domineering.
Though they were insolent and wildly proud.
Though they looked down on everyone.
Though they had all boasted they did not fear Monarch Chixiao, those were just boasts. Because they knew Monarch Chixiao was dead, would not return to life, so they dared to speak so brazenly. But now, learning that Monarch Chixiao was still alive and right before their eyes—how could they not fear? How could they not be afraid? No matter how arrogant they were, they had all heard the legends of the tyrant Monarch Chixiao.
Facing a Monarch who once slaughtered like cutting grass.
Facing a Monarch who once overthrew the Immortal Dynasty.
Facing a Monarch who once exterminated legions of Immortals.
Facing a Monarch who could even sever the Nine Heavens Immortal River.
Facing a Monarch who once shook the world, whose single hand could blot out the sky—they dared not be unafraid, they dared not not fear!
"The Monarch! Heavens, he's the Monarch!"
Qingxi collapsed on the ground, her delicate face ashen, feeling the world spin. She was like this, and so were Liu Qingyan and the others from Five Colors Mountain. They finally understood why Old Sen revered Gu Qingfeng so. They understood…
Finally understood.
"Everyone, do not panic! He is not the Monarch! He cannot be Monarch Chixiao!"
A shout rang out, exploding in the air.
It was none other.
It was the Immortal Dynasty's Starcloud Immortal Official, Lord Xun. His face was terrible, livid and pale, clearly also badly frightened.
However, he was, after all, an old Immortal Official of the Immortal Dynasty, a Half-Immortal in cultivation. Not only was his cultivation profound, his experience was sufficiently rich. More importantly, his mental state was hard and strong enough. If not for this, the Immortal Dynasty would not have appointed him as the chief overseer for this Northwest expedition.
"This old man witnessed with his own eyes Monarch Chixiao being judged by the Immortal Dao and reduced to ashes. His physical body was, and his soul even more so, all turned to dust, every particle scattered and annihilated."
Lord Xun breathed heavily, staring at Gu Qingfeng in this place, explaining to everyone, "Let's not discuss whether the Monarch could reincarnate. Even if he truly did reincarnate, he could not be the Monarch, because he does not carry the aura of reincarnation that a reincarnated person should possess."
As Lord Xun's words spread, the frightened crowd gradually calmed down. Looking carefully, it seemed this was indeed true.
All who reincarnate carry the aura of reincarnation.
This was undeniable.
No one could be an exception.
Even the immensely powerful Monarch Chixiao was the same.
But many still doubted, asking, "If he is not Monarch Chixiao, why do the Dragon-Elephant Spirits of the Chixiao people revere him so?"
"This old man has heard that this Chiyan Young Master once said he fused with a wisp of the Monarch's spiritual will. Presumably, it is precisely because of this wisp of the Monarch's spiritual will that the Dragon-Elephant Spirits on the Chixiao people revere him so."
Hearing this, thinking carefully, many remembered that back in the Four Directions Great Domain, Gu Qingfeng had indeed said this.
Looking again at the Chixiao people of the three Black Banners in the distance, they were still standing in place. If Gu Qingfeng were truly Monarch Chixiao, presumably these Chixiao people would be more excited than anyone.
Hearing it was just a false alarm, the group of Noble Scions from the Immortal Dynasty swaggered back with pomp and bluster. Perhaps to cover up their earlier embarrassment, Liuguang Jiaoying once again arrogantly declared, "Hmph! This Noble Scion thought Gu Tianlang had reincarnated and was ready to face him. To think it's another imposter! Truly an extreme disappointment to this Noble Scion!"
Though he tried hard to conceal it, it was useless, because many had just seen him, upon hearing the four words 'Monarch Chixiao', scared out of his wits, unable to stand steadily, nearly falling from mid-air.
Lord Xun looked at these Noble Scions who knew no fear of heaven or earth, worried they would recklessly attack without regard for their lives, and advised, "Noble Scions, this Gu Qingfeng may not be Monarch Chixiao. However, there is one point this old man is very certain of: he should indeed be the Monarch's successor. If not, the Dragon-Elephant Spirits would not revere him so. His claim of fusing with the Monarch's spiritual will is certainly not false. Thus, his claim that he can represent Monarch Chixiao is also not wrong…"
"So what if he's Gu Tianlang's successor? What if he fused with Gu Tianlang's spiritual will? Do you think this Noble Scion would fear him?"
Lord Xun shook his head, sighing at Liuguang Jiaoying's ignorance, and said gravely, "Monarch Chixiao endured nine lives and nine deaths, achieved nine immortalities and nine demonhoods, ascended the peerless throne. His entire being was filled with a wild, domineering creation rare in heaven and earth, hailed as the number one figure since antiquity across the three thousand boundless great worlds. Back then, the Monarch could blow legions of Nine Heavens Immortals to ashes with a single breath, sever the Nine Heavens Immortal River with a strand of hair. Even if you used your toes to think, you should know how terrifying a single wisp of the Monarch's spiritual will must be!"