What Are You Barking At

"You are the Soul Heavenly Emperor?" Gu Qingfeng asked, eyeing the black-robed figure flying toward him from the distance.

The Soul Heavenly Emperor nodded. "Indeed. I've spent months searching for this projection in the Endless Abyss. Fellow Daoist Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, I implore you to hand it over."

"Oh?" Gu Qingfeng sneered. "And why should I?"

The Soul Heavenly Emperor was taken aback. He knew Gu Qingfeng wasn’t an easy man to reason with, but this was just a projection—useful only to him. Was this small favor too much to ask?

"Abandoned Heavenly Emperor, this projection is of no use to you—"

"Call me Gu Heavenly Emperor."

"Ah... Gu Heavenly Emperor, I need to devour this projection to restore my strength. Considering we are both comrades in the Heaven-Destroying Plan, please yield it to me. I will repay you handsomely."

The Soul Heavenly Emperor spoke politely. He hadn’t yet regained his full power and didn’t wish to clash with Gu Qingfeng. This was one of the rare moments in his long life where he had shown courtesy.

Yet life seldom goes as one wishes. Retreat often invites further aggression. Every provocation is a test of your limits—the more you yield, the more others will push.

Faced with the Soul Heavenly Emperor’s deference, Gu Qingfeng’s arrogance only swelled.

"Comrades? Heh heh heh... This emperor roams the cosmos unchallenged, revered by all under heaven. Since when have I needed comrades? Who dares stand beside me? Only sheep herd together—lions and tigers walk alone!

You think you’re worthy of being my comrade?"

The Soul Heavenly Emperor was stunned, then furious. He hadn’t expected Gu Qingfeng to be so unreasonable. He was, after all, a Heavenly Emperor—how could Gu Qingfeng deny him even this small face?

"Gu Qingfeng! What do you want?"

"Simple. This emperor wishes to see if you’re qualified to stand as my equal," Gu Qingfeng declared, his tone dripping with disdain, his expression one of utter contempt for the weak.

The Soul Heavenly Emperor’s rage burned. Though he hadn’t yet returned to his peak, he was no longer in his previous state as an emperor’s corpse. He had reclaimed his immortal body and restored a fraction of his power.

Even if it was less than one percent of his prime strength, no Quasi-Emperor could hope to withstand him!

"Fine! Gu Qingfeng, since you refuse to show respect, don’t blame me for being impolite!"

The Soul Heavenly Emperor prepared to strike—but then Gu Qingfeng’s next move left him stunned.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Gu Qingfeng tossed the projection over.

The Soul Heavenly Emperor caught it, bewildered. "Gu Qingfeng, what is the meaning of this?"

"This emperor disdains taking advantage of the weak. Since you haven’t regained your strength, I’ll help you restore it."

The Soul Heavenly Emperor was visibly moved. In a low voice, he asked, "Aren’t you afraid of being capsized in a shallow ditch?"

"Heh heh heh..." Gu Qingfeng threw his head back in laughter, his voice filled with arrogance. "This emperor fears no enemy’s strength—only their weakness. To be invincible is to be lonely."

The Soul Heavenly Emperor was further moved. He understood the loneliness of invincibility—as did all emperors and sovereigns throughout history. In their respective eras, they stood unchallenged, peerless under heaven.

That feeling of standing at the summit—it was indeed unbearably cold.

For a moment, the Soul Heavenly Emperor sensed that beneath Gu Qingfeng’s aloof exterior lay a heart as solitary as his own.

His opinion of the man shifted slightly.

"Good!" the Soul Heavenly Emperor roared. "You are a worthy opponent. In respect, I shall face you with my full power!"

Gu Qingfeng, too, was momentarily touched. Such sensible "family" were rare these days.

His view of the Soul Heavenly Emperor also softened.

Without hesitation, the Soul Heavenly Emperor began devouring the projection right before Gu Qingfeng’s eyes, seemingly defenseless—though in truth, he remained three parts vigilant.

Gu Qingfeng did not disappoint. He made no move to interfere, simply waiting in silence.

An hour later, the Soul Heavenly Emperor fully absorbed the projection. When he opened his eyes, an overwhelming aura erupted from him, enough to make one tremble.

His gaze toward Gu Qingfeng now held a trace of admiration. He had misjudged the man earlier, suspecting that Gu Qingfeng had handed over the projection only to ambush him during the absorption.

But now it was clear—Gu Qingfeng was a true gentleman!

In modern terms: a reliable ally.

Gu Qingfeng, observing the terrifying might radiating from the Soul Heavenly Emperor, grew even more satisfied.

Yet all goodwill between them shattered the moment the Soul Heavenly Emperor struck.

"Face me, Gu Heavenly Emperor!"

The Soul Heavenly Emperor laughed wildly as boundless bloody energy surged from his body, transforming into an endless sea of blood. Within it, bones churned, exuding a horrifying power that chilled the soul.

"Today, we fight to our hearts’ content!"

Behind his bone mask, the Soul Heavenly Emperor’s eyes gleamed with dark light. Bathed in the blood sea, his presence was one of indomitable grandeur.

Boom!

With a single palm strike, the heavens and earth trembled. The blood sea churned violently, rising into a towering wave ten thousand zhang high, crashing toward Gu Qingfeng.

Gu Qingfeng didn’t dodge. He took the full force of the blood wave head-on.

Ding!

Host has been attacked by the Soul Heavenly Emperor.

Ghost Dao Laws +1,000,000 +1,000,000 +1,000,000...

The admiration on Gu Qingfeng’s face vanished, replaced by displeasure.

Only ten times stronger than the projection?!

This is the power of a Heavenly Emperor?

This?! Just this?!

The projection had been at the peak of Quasi-Emperor strength, yet after absorbing it, the Soul Heavenly Emperor’s true body was only ten times stronger. Was this the might of an emperor?

Pathetic! Could it be that an emperor’s power relied entirely on bearing the Mandate of Heaven?

No wonder Gu Qingfeng thought so. The legends he’d heard spoke of emperors as peerless beings, unmatched in their era, with no equal under heaven.

Such beings, even without the Mandate of Heaven, should fear no numbers. But if the Soul Heavenly Emperor was any indication, a hundred Quasi-Emperors could easily overwhelm him without the Mandate.

"Heh heh heh... As expected of the Abandoned Heavenly Emperor of ancient times, to withstand my full power..." The Soul Heavenly Emperor laughed heartily, as if delighted to have found a worthy rival.

"What the hell are you barking about?" Gu Qingfeng’s icy voice cut through the blood sea.

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