Chapter 323: Suppression of the Heavens and Earth Rules

Chapter 323: Suppression of the Heavens and Earth Rules

January 18th, 2025

Gu Qingfeng was well aware that his actions would offend the Black Abyss Emperor.

But so what?

Others might fear a single Emperor, but Gu Qingfeng was not intimidated.

These Emperors were slumbering here, undoubtedly waiting for a certain opportunity.

However, regardless of the circumstances...

In the End-Dharma Age, the Black Abyss Emperor and the others had no chance of truly emerging.

With this in mind, things would be different.

Currently, there was still at least a thousand or two thousand years until the Great Contention Age.

For other cultivators, a thousand or two thousand years in the End-Dharma Age was a difficult time to make any progress.

But Gu Qingfeng was different.

With the Attribute Panel, if he were given such a long time, he might be able to directly enter the Great Emperor Realm.

If he reached that level, as a fellow Great Emperor, who would fear whom?

Therefore, Gu Qingfeng was unafraid of offending the Black Abyss Emperor.

Compared to the value of the Elixir of Immortality and the Imperial Scripture, the hatred of an Emperor was insignificant in Gu Qingfeng's eyes.

Moreover, from the moment Gu Qingfeng made his move, it was already destined that he would tear away the Emperor's facade.

Gu Qingfeng was certain that even if he hadn't extorted the Emperor, but instead turned and left, the Black Abyss Emperor would not let it go.

Since he had already offended the Emperor, there was nothing left to worry about.

The only difference was whether he offended the Emperor thoroughly or not.

As Gu Qingfeng departed, the Black Abyss Emperor stared deeply at him, and then his figure disappeared.

The vast, dilapidated City of Life was enveloped by a mysterious power, gradually becoming impenetrable.

---

Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng did not continue deeper into the Primordial Ancient Land but headed out of it.

After encountering the Black Abyss Emperor, Gu Qingfeng had realized that the situation in the Primordial Ancient Land was more complex than he had imagined.

If the Primordial Ancient Land could have one Emperor like the Black Abyss Emperor slumbering within, there might be other Emperors sleeping there as well.

It must be known that since ancient times, the passing years were immeasurable.

Even if it was difficult for Emperor-level beings to be born, with the accumulation of time, there were bound to be numerous such beings.

Moreover, during his battle with the Black Abyss Emperor, Gu Qingfeng had vaguely sensed other ancient existences secretly observing him.

This was enough to prove that the Primordial Ancient Land was indeed a treacherous place.

Although Gu Qingfeng was confident in his strength, if he were to face ancient Emperors, he still had no chance of victory.

Despite appearing fearless against the Black Abyss Emperor earlier, the reality was different.

If the Black Abyss Emperor truly left the City of Life, Gu Qingfeng would also perish there.

The reason Gu Qingfeng was so bold was that he bet on the Black Abyss Emperor not daring to fight him to mutual destruction.

After all, the reason ancient Emperors were slumbering here was that their lifespan was limited, and they could only survive until now by relying on the City of Life.

If they left the City of Life, even the Black Abyss Emperor might face the problem of lifespan and eventually have to fade away.

It was evident that Gu Qingfeng's gamble had paid off.

Although he didn't know why the Black Abyss Emperor had initially attacked him, the current situation proved that the Emperor indeed dared not leave the City of Life.

Additionally, after spending half a year in the Primordial Ancient Land, Gu Qingfeng had experienced numerous battles, and his cultivation at the Third Heaven of the Great Saint Realm had reached an astonishing level.

His current true strength was just a thin line away from the Saint King Realm.

This thin line was not the gap between the Half-step Saint King and the Saint King.

Gu Qingfeng had already reached the watershed of the Saint King, and with further refinement, entering the Saint King Realm would be an easy task.

In other words, if Gu Qingfeng obtained a Perfect Sage-level cultivation technique, he could truly elevate his strength to the Saint King Realm.

Once he broke through this barrier and utilized the three Heavenly Veins again, Gu Qingfeng's strength would surpass the Fourth Heaven of the Saint King Realm and reach an even higher level.

...

Half a month later, Gu Qingfeng returned to the Nine Realms.

Compared to half a year ago, the Divine Martial Empire had not changed much.

Since the fall of the Return-to-Origin Empire, the Divine Martial Empire had been recuperating, silently digesting the gains from the war and further strengthening itself.

It was evident to those with discerning eyes that the Divine Martial Empire had ambitious plans and would not be content with stopping here.

However, even if they understood this, there was nothing they could do.

If the Divine Martial Empire were just an ordinary empire, then there would surely be a top power that would intervene to eliminate this threat.

After all, the Eastern Domain's territory was limited, and the emergence of another major power would affect the interests of other forces.

The existence of Gu Qingfeng was a formidable force, causing many factions to hesitate in their pursuit of power. Especially when Gu Qingfeng ventured to the Central Domain and joined forces with the four Great Emperor factions to defeat the malevolent spirits in Ancient Moon State, his reputation shook the world.

With such a powerful figure, these factions had no choice but to hold back from challenging the Divine Martial Empire. Even if the ancient forces within their own factions were to awaken, it would make no difference. Unless a Near-Emperor were to appear, even the revival of a Holy King might not be enough to contend with Gu Qingfeng.

The problem was that Near-Emperor-level cultivators were the pinnacle of power in any era, the last stage before the Great Emperor. As long as the Great Emperor remained absent, Near-Emperors were virtually invincible. Many ancient Great Emperor factions might not even have the means to awaken a sleeping Near-Emperor.

For these reasons, the Divine Martial Empire remained unchallenged.

Upon returning to the Gu Family Manor, Gu Qingfeng sent word for Gu Yang to come and pay his respects. In less than half a day, Gu Yang arrived, dressed casually.

"Your son pays his respects, Father!"

"You're here," Gu Qingfeng said, looking at the person before him.

After more than half a year, Gu Yang hadn't changed much. Although his aura was slightly more robust than before, it was still not enough to break through the seventh tier of the Daoist Palace Realm.

Then, Gu Qingfeng flipped his palm, and a ginseng root, brimming with profound Daoist essence and looking incredibly lifelike, appeared before Gu Yang.

As soon as the ginseng appeared, Gu Yang's gaze was drawn to it, and the refreshing scent that filled the air caused his vital energy to surge and boil with just a whiff.

"Father, what is this?" Gu Yang exclaimed in shock.

Just a simple whiff had such a remarkable effect. What kind of astonishing change would it bring if he actually consumed the ginseng before him?

Even as the ruler of an empire, Gu Yang, who had seen countless heavenly treasures, had never encountered anything comparable to this spiritual elixir.

"This is the Immortal God Herb!"

"The Immortal God Herb?!" Gu Yang's expression froze, and then he seemed to understand something, his eyes widening in horror.

"Father, are you saying this is the legendary Immortal God Herb that can grant a person another life?!"

Gu Yang had many thoughts, but he never expected it to be the legendary Immortal God Herb.

Given the influence of the Divine Martial Empire, Gu Yang had, of course, heard of the Immortal God Herb. However, he wasn't sure if such a divine herb from legends truly existed.

But now, Gu Qingfeng was telling him that the Immortal God Herb did exist and was right before his eyes.

Such a revelation was shocking beyond words.

"The Primordial Ancient Land contains the Immortal God Herb. I was fortunate enough to obtain three Immortal God Herbs during my recent trip to the Primordial Ancient Land," Gu Qingfeng explained.

"Perfectly timed."

"With three Immortal God Herbs, one for each of you three brothers, it's not unfair."

The Immortal God Herb! And there were three of them!

A flash of fervor crossed Gu Yang's eyes, but he quickly suppressed his impulse, shaking his head.

"I'm still young and don't need to take the Immortal God Herb."

"Moreover, as far as I know, the Immortal God Herb is effective for any cultivator below the Great Emperor level.

I'm merely at the Daoist Palace Realm, and taking this divine herb would be a waste."

"With your profound cultivation, Father, taking the Immortal God Herb would be most suitable!"

Hearing his words, Gu Qingfeng's heart warmed.

The Immortal God Herb was right before them. It was not easy for anyone to resist such temptation.

Even without the Immortal God Herb, some top-tier spiritual herbs could cause a rift between father and son.

Therefore, Gu Qingfeng was pleased that Gu Yang could resist the temptation of the Immortal God Herb.

Although, even if Gu Yang had no excuse, Gu Qingfeng wouldn't have minded. But the fact that Gu Yang considered this aspect made Gu Qingfeng feel relieved.

"Since I was able to obtain three Immortal God Herbs from the Primordial Ancient Land, there will be opportunities to get more in the future.

Moreover, I'm not currently troubled by my lifespan, so the Immortal God Herb won't be of much use to me."

"Besides extending one's lifespan and granting another life, the Immortal God Herb contains a surging power that can greatly enhance one's strength."

"As the ruler of an empire, your cultivation is only at the sixth tier of the Daoist Palace Realm, which is still somewhat lacking."

"Taking this Immortal God Herb will likely enable you to enter the Demi-Sage level.

When the Great Contention Age arrives, you can use it to achieve Sainthood!"

With the conversation reaching this point, Gu Yang no longer refused. Instead, he respectfully accepted the Immortal God Herb with both hands.

"Father, I will remember your gift of the Elixir of Immortality!"

"No need for unnecessary words. Take the elixir now, and I will protect you as you cultivate."

Gu Qingfeng waved his hand, speaking directly.

Hearing this, Gu Yang nodded without refusing.

"Then I'll trouble you, Father!"

...

In the Blade Sharpening Hall.

Gu Yang sat cross-legged.

He brought his body to its peak state, then looked at the Elixir of Immortality in his hand. Using his power, he enveloped it and directly compressed it before swallowing it.

As the elixir entered his stomach, a terrifying aura burst forth from Gu Yang's body.

Vast Vitality!

It was as if life itself was surging within him.

Under the powerful effects of the elixir, Gu Yang's skin cracked, and a large amount of blood spurted out.

But in the next instant, a terrifying vitality emerged, constantly repairing his broken flesh.

Gu Qingfeng watched Gu Yang's transformation closely, and although he was somewhat surprised by the changes brought about by the elixir, he wasn't overly worried.

At the same time, he also observed his own Attribute Panel.

...

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has consumed the Elixir of Immortality, and his flesh has been tempered by vast vitality, undergoing a metamorphosis towards a higher level!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has consumed the Elixir of Immortality, and due to its unique properties, his lifespan has successfully increased by six thousand years!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has broken through to the Seventh Tier of the Dao Palace Realm!"

"Reward: 900 Upgrade Points!"

"Reward: 100 Nourishing Spirit Pills!"

"Reward: 100 Insight Dao Pills!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has broken through to the Eighth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm!"

"Reward: 900 Upgrade Points!"

"Reward: 100 Nourishing Spirit Pills!"

"Reward: 100 Insight Dao Pills!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, has broken through to the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm!"

"Reward: 900 Upgrade Points!"

"Reward: 100 Nourishing Spirit Pills!"

"Reward: 100 Insight Dao Pills!"

"Reward: Perfect Sage-level Scripture, 'Way of Ten Thousand Spirits'!"

"Your offspring, Gu Yang, wishes to break through to the Saintly Realm, but is temporarily unable to due to the suppression of the heavenly rules!"

"Your offspring..."

...

"Way of Ten Thousand Spirits!"

Upon seeing the rewards on the Attribute Panel, a smile appeared on Gu Qingfeng's face.

Indeed, Gu Yang's cultivation progress often brought pleasant surprises.

The cultivation techniques granted by the Attribute Panel were usually of the highest grade for their respective levels.

For example, the 'Way of Ten Thousand Spirits' was a top-grade Saint-level technique, and cultivating it to perfection could allow one to directly enter the Ninth Heaven of the Saintly Realm.

However, for Gu Qingfeng, a perfect 'Way of Ten Thousand Spirits' would not lead to any breakthroughs in his cultivation.

But, a perfect Saint-level technique could still significantly enhance Gu Qingfeng's strength.

Most importantly, this meant that in the future, when Gu Qingfeng merged higher-level techniques, he could save time and Upgrade Points by not having to raise a top-grade Saint-level technique to perfection.

This way, he could save a considerable amount of time and resources.

However, when Gu Qingfeng saw the last line of text on the Attribute Panel, he shook his head in disappointment.

"Suppression of the heavenly rules!"

"It seems the power of the Elixir of Immortality is as rumored. If not for the suppression of the heavenly rules, my Gu Clan could have produced a Sage!"

Unfortunately, this is the End-Dharma Era.

Ordinary people cannot attain Sainthood.

Unless one possesses mysterious means, like Gu Qingfeng, to break through this limitation and forcefully achieve Sainthood.

Otherwise, even if other cultivators obtain opportunities, they will ultimately face the same suppression from the heavenly rules, stopping them at the peak of the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm.

Although those at the peak of the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm accumulate formidable power and are revered as Half-Sages, they do not actually reach the Half-Sage Realm.

The so-called Half-Sage is, in fact, just the Ninth Tier of the Dao Palace Realm.

The difference is that Half-Sages are the strongest among those at the Ninth Tier.

As Gu Qingfeng's thoughts settled, the vast aura surrounding Gu Yang gradually subsided.

Then, Gu Yang's tightly closed eyes opened, and a divine light suddenly rose within the Blade Sharpening Hall. A powerful pressure, characteristic of the Half-Sage Realm, naturally emanated from Gu Yang's body.

However, Gu Yang quickly reacted and restrained the aura he had emitted.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end