So it's just a petty thug.

"No, this Marquis must go personally," the Marquis suddenly declared, his gaze sharpening.

"That old bastard's death back then was suspicious—he likely faked it and has been hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries. Now that his clansmen have appeared, we can use this boy’s bloodline to track the old man’s whereabouts."

The Marquis’s eyes gleamed with growing intensity: "If we can locate him, given the severity of his injuries back then, even if he isn’t dead, he’d just be clinging to life. By then, if I plunder his accumulated treasures, my ascension to Immortal King will be within reach!"

......

"My son Wuyou, go clean up the battlefield. Gather all the immortal treasures from the entire border fortress—including those on the corpses. Remember, don’t pocket any for yourself. It’s not that your father is stingy, but the waters here run too deep for someone as young as you. You wouldn’t be able to handle it."

Ye Wuyou: "......"

Soon, Ye Wuyou followed Gu Qingfeng’s instructions and set about scavenging the battlefield.

After witnessing how his adoptive father had effortlessly slain a Golden Immortal earlier, he had become far more obedient. Secretly, he had already set a goal for himself: he would not attempt patricide until he reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

Gu Qingfeng watched Ye Wuyou’s busy figure with satisfaction, sighing inwardly about the benefits of having a son—someone to dump all the tedious and laborious tasks onto.

"You are the clansman of His Majesty the Star Extreme Immortal King?"

An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang beside Gu Qingfeng’s ear.

Gu Qingfeng was startled. Since when—!?

He turned his head and saw a middle-aged scholar standing beside him, dressed in plain robes.

The man looked utterly ordinary, devoid of any immortal radiance or divine aura, as if he were a mortal who had never set foot in the world of cultivation.

Yet, strangely, though he stood there visibly, Gu Qingfeng’s senses couldn’t detect him at all—as if the space he occupied was pure emptiness.

Or perhaps they weren’t even in the same spacetime.

Seeing this, Gu Qingfeng knew he had encountered a tough opponent. This scholar gave him a far more terrifying impression than the Golden Immortal from before.

The Golden Immortal had been visibly powerful, his might unmistakable. But this scholar was unfathomable, like an abyss with no bottom.

Still, he wasn’t afraid. The scholar’s earlier words had already revealed his identity.

A member of the Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty!

Wasn’t that just one of this Emperor’s dogs? What was there to fear?

A family’s guard dog might be fierce, biting anyone in sight—but never its own masters. After all, it knew who fed it.

So Gu Qingfeng shot the scholar a sidelong glance and sneered, "What kind of lowly thing are you, to dare question this Emperor’s identity?"

The scholar remained unperturbed, calmly studying Gu Qingfeng. "I am the Divine Martial Marquis of the Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty."

"Divine Martial Marquis? Are you higher in rank than the Star Extreme Immortal King?" Gu Qingfeng scoffed.

"Of course not," the Divine Martial Marquis replied evenly.

"Then what gives you the right to act so arrogantly? Damn it, sneaking up behind this Emperor like that—you nearly scared me to death, you know? You—"

Just as Gu Qingfeng was pointing at the Divine Martial Marquis’s nose and cursing, a streak of bloody light suddenly flashed nearby, followed by a startled shout.

"Father! I’ve found an extraordinary immortal treasure!"

Ye Wuyou rushed over in a panic, holding up a sword.

Gu Qingfeng took the treasure and examined it, his face darkening as he roared, "This is just a damn Loose Immortal-tier immortal sword! The lowest-grade trash! What’s so shocking about it?"

Ye Wuyou cautiously glanced at the Divine Martial Marquis before whispering to Gu Qingfeng, "Father, this sword isn’t as simple as it looks. Examine it closely—really closely."

As he spoke, he secretly transmitted a message through spiritual sense.

"Father! You really can’t provoke this man! He’s the Divine Martial Marquis of the Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty—a Great Luo Golden Immortal!"

Gu Qingfeng’s face twisted with disdain. He had genuinely thought the sword was some peerless treasure, but it turned out Ye Wuyou was just trying to stop him from cursing out the Divine Martial Marquis.

He transmitted back, "Divine Martial Marquis? Great Luo Golden Immortal? Pfft. What a nobody.

This Emperor is the Star Extreme Immortal King’s clansman. Have I ever bragged about it?"

Seeing Gu Qingfeng still dismissive, Ye Wuyou was on the verge of despair. He wasn’t afraid of Gu Qingfeng dying—he was afraid of being dragged down with him!

"Father! Even if you’re the Star Extreme Immortal King’s clansman, you can’t just offend the Divine Martial Marquis! Even His Majesty the Star Extreme Immortal King avoids provoking him without cause!"

"What!?"

Gu Qingfeng was stunned. Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Since when was his family so weak?

"He’s just a Great Luo Golden Immortal! What could possibly make an Immortal King wary of him?"

"Father, while the Divine Martial Marquis’s strength is nowhere near the Star Extreme Immortal King’s, he isn’t originally from the Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty. He comes from beyond its borders—rumor has it his maternal clan also has an Immortal King!

And his sister is the Star Extreme Immortal King’s most favored concubine.

So, Father… it’s best if you tone it down a little."

"You insolent brat! Do you think your father is the kind of man who bullies the weak and fears the strong? But…"

Gu Qingfeng’s tone shifted abruptly as he carefully inspected the trash-tier immortal sword Ye Wuyou had handed him. He stopped transmitting and spoke aloud instead.

"This sword does indeed hide profound mysteries. Good, good. My son Wuyou has sharp eyes. By the way, where did you find this? Take me there—maybe we can dig up a few more treasures like it."

"Of course, Father! It was in the ruins to the northwest. I’ll lead the way. Here, Father, watch your step on the rubble."

Ye Wuyou immediately began clearing a path for Gu Qingfeng.

"You there—Divine Martial Marquis, was it? Wait here and don’t move. This Emperor is going treasure hunting. Be back soon."

With that, Gu Qingfeng strode off without another word.

The Divine Martial Marquis made no move to stop them, simply watching the two in silence.

Once Gu Qingfeng and Ye Wuyou reached the ruins and were concealed from view, they simultaneously activated the Great Void Escape Technique—vanishing without a trace.

Moments later, hundreds of thousands of miles away, Gu Qingfeng and his "beloved son" Ye Wuyou reappeared.

"Damn it, you unfilial brat! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?"

Ye Wuyou: "......"

He wanted to curse. What did he mean by "not saying anything earlier"? The Divine Martial Marquis had been perfectly polite—who could’ve guessed Gu Qingfeng would start cursing him out the moment they met?

Though he thought this, Ye Wuyou obediently replied, "Yes, yes. Father’s reprimand is justified."

"Given your youth, I’ll let it slide this time. Now hand over all the treasures you collected earlier," Gu Qingfeng demanded impatiently.

The Divine Martial Marquis’s appearance had disrupted his plans.

Originally, he had intended to find an immortal official he couldn’t defeat, reveal his identity, and be escorted to his clansman.

But plans never survived contact with reality. He never expected there’d be someone in the entire Star Extreme Immortal Dynasty who didn’t fear the Star Extreme Immortal King.

Going back with the Divine Martial Marquis wouldn’t have been impossible—except the man had been so damn rude, speaking with such arrogance and aggression.

What if he lost his temper and ended up fighting the Divine Martial Marquis?

For Gu Qingfeng, not kowtowing a couple of times upon meeting someone was simply considered impolite.

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.