205: I am the Great Emperor Gou Chen? How come I didn't know that?

Inside Tingfeng Courtyard.

Xu Weixiong stood in the courtyard, gazing towards the Vermillion Bird Gate.

When she “saw” that scene, her star-like eyes, usually as calm as an ancient well, narrowed slightly.

Then, a profound smile slowly curved her lips.

“Emperor Gouchen?”

“Interesting.”

“It seems my husband still hides many secrets even I don’t know.”

“That’s what makes it fun.”

Her eyes sparkled with even more intense Battle Intent and… love.

How could an ordinary emperor be worthy of her, Xu Weixiong?

Only a man like this, full of mystery and the unknown, one before whom even gods and demons would kneel, was worth her betting everything on!

Nangong Pu She, standing beside her, reacted completely differently.

She stared blankly at the red-haired demon god kneeling before Li Chengqian, then looked at the young emperor who still stood with his hands behind his back, his face serene.

The words the Wine Sword Immortal had told her echoed repeatedly in her mind.

“The size of your Heart-Nature determines the speed of your blade!”

She suddenly felt that her Dao Heart, which had just grown powerful after finding her “Dao,” became… insignificant at this moment.

So… his Heart-Nature was truly that vast?

Vast enough… to make even a Demon Supreme surrender?

The entire scene was dead silent.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the city tower of the Vermillion Bird Gate.

Focused on the red-haired demon god kneeling on one knee, and the young emperor standing with his hands behind his back.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

As the focal point of the entire scene, Li Chengqian’s mood was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Within him, towering waves were also crashing.

What’s going on?

Emperor Gouchen?

When did I acquire another identity like this?

He looked at Zhonglou, who was kneeling before him with a fervent and reverent expression, his mind equally filled with question marks.

He had imagined countless possibilities.

He had thought that after Zhonglou emerged, he would immediately fight him without a second thought.

He had also considered that Zhonglou might be wary of him for some reason, and then negotiate with him.

He had even thought Zhonglou might directly flee, as the fellow didn’t seem like an idiot.

But he never in his wildest dreams imagined it would unfold like this.

This Demon Realm Supreme, who was the ceiling of combat power in the Immortal Sword world and dared to barge into the Divine Realm, actually knelt to him upon meeting?

And called him Emperor Gouchen?

This script is all wrong!

Li Chengqian could swear to the heavens that ever since his Transmigration, he had been diligent, focused solely on developing the Great Tang, conquering the heavens, and establishing his Eternal Immortal Dynasty.

He had never once played the role of some pesky Emperor Gouchen!

Emperor Gouchen, fully known as “Gouchen Shanggong Heavenly Emperor,” is one of the “Four Sovereigns” of Taoism, an unsurpassed Divine Being who presides over the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and governs matters of warfare in the human world.

That title certainly sounded impressive.

But the problem was, what did it have to do with him, Li Chengqian?

Was it because of his identity as a Transmigrator, that he came with some hidden, awesome bloodline?

Or did the original owner of this body have some unknown origin?

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Chengqian’s mind.

But the expression on his face remained calm and unfathomable.

He knew that at this moment, he absolutely could not show weakness.

The more incomprehensible the situation, the more he had to feign an “everything is under control” demeanor.

This was his most basic professional quality as a qualified emperor.

He slowly raised his hand and pressed it vaguely towards the square below.

“All of you, withdraw.”

His calm voice, amplified by the power of the nation, clearly reached everyone’s ears.

“This… Yes, Your Majesty!”

Yuchi Gong was the first to react; although his mind was also full of questions, he always obeyed His Majesty’s commands unconditionally.

He immediately ordered the Tiance Manor army to slowly retreat.

Daoist Qingwei also recovered from his immense shock. He glanced at the bizarre scene on the city tower, then at his own “Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Formation,” which was already poised for action, and a bitter smile, uglier than crying, appeared on his face.

Well, that was a wasted effort.

He could only wave his hand, signaling the Shu Mountain Disciples to put away the formation and retreat to the side.

Soon, the Vermillion Bird Gate square, which had been bristling with tension, became empty.

Only the two “ruler and subject” remained, confronting each other on the city tower.

“Rise,” Li Chengqian said indifferently, looking at Zhonglou, who was still kneeling.

“Thank you, Great Emperor!”

Zhonglou stood up, but still bowed slightly, not daring to look directly at Li Chengqian. His respectful attitude made Li Chengqian even more suspicious.

This guy, couldn’t he have mistaken him for someone else?

“You… know me?” Li Chengqian decided to probe first.

“Of course!” Zhonglou’s answer was decisive, his eyes, burning with a faint blue flame, filled with excitement.

“Your aura, Your Divine Charm, even if turned to ash, Zhonglou would recognize it!”

“Ten thousand years ago, if not for Your Great Emperor’s moment of compassion, suppressing me beneath this Demon Lock Tower instead of directly annihilating me, Zhonglou would have long since perished, how could I be here today!”

Ten thousand years ago?

A moment of compassion?

Suppressed?

Li Chengqian’s eyelids twitched.

That’s a lot of information.

From his words, it seemed that the one who imprisoned him in the Demon Lock Tower back then wasn’t Shu Mountain’s founding Ancestral Master, but himself, this “Emperor Gouchen”?

What on earth was going on?

Had he really lost his memory? Or was there another Soul hidden within this body?

No, impossible.

Li Chengqian immediately rejected that idea.

He had absolute control over his Soul; it was impossible for a second consciousness to exist.

Then, only one possibility remained.

Reincarnation.

Just like General Fei Peng Reincarnated as Jing Tian.

He, very likely, was the Reincarnation of that so-called “Emperor Gouchen”!

As this thought emerged, Li Chengqian’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

Holy crap!

After all this time, not only was he a Transmigrator, but he was also a Reincarnated Immortal?

Was this configuration a bit too luxurious?

No wonder his Cultivation of the Human Emperor Path was so smooth; no wonder he always felt a strange sense of closeness to this world.

So, that was the root of it!

Though immense waves surged within Li Chengqian, his face maintained that profound and inscrutable expression.

With his hands behind his back, he turned around and spoke slowly, in a voice filled with an ancient weariness and nostalgia: “Ten thousand years, a mere flick of a finger. I didn’t expect you to still remember.”

Pretend!

Just keep pretending!

Since the other party had already identified him as Emperor Gouchen, he would accept this identity for now.

Stabilizing him first and extracting more information was the way to go.

Indeed, when Zhonglou heard his words, his handsome and sinister face showed even greater excitement and adoration.

“The Great Emperor’s demeanor, Zhonglou will never forget!”

“Zhonglou has been suppressed here for ten thousand years, reflecting day and night, and has long understood my past transgressions.”

“To see the light of day again today, and to see the Great Emperor once more, is truly Zhonglou’s good fortune across three lifetimes!”

“Zhonglou is willing to follow the Great Emperor, to fight for you across the heavens, and to sweep away all villains! I will not shrink from a myriad deaths!”

Zhonglou knelt on one knee again, his voice firm and resolute, full of determination.

Li Chengqian’s heart blossomed with joy as he listened to this declaration of loyalty.

Good heavens!

This was simply a pie falling from the sky!

He had originally been wondering how to subdue or eliminate this Demon Supreme.

But instead, the fellow immediately prostrated himself and offered to be his vanguard?

A Demon Realm Supreme whose combat power rivaled, or even surpassed, a Living Immortal, voluntarily asking to be his enforcer?

Could anything be more satisfying than this?

“Hmm…” Li Chengqian suppressed the wild joy in his heart, pondered for a moment, then slowly said in a “teachable Disciple” tone: “That you possess such awareness, it was not in vain that I spared your life back then.”

“Rise.”

“From today onwards, you shall remain by my side and await my command.”

“Yes! Great Emperor!”

Zhonglou excitedly stood up, looking like a primary school student who had received praise from his teacher.

Li Chengqian looked at him, and the last trace of doubt in his heart completely vanished.

It seemed his identity as “Emperor Gouchen” was confirmed.

Although he still didn’t know the specifics, it didn’t matter.

Bringing this super enforcer under his command was the most important thing.

As for those secrets, there would be plenty of time to uncover them slowly later.

When Zhonglou’s vow, “I am willing to follow the Great Emperor, I will not shrink from a myriad deaths,” echoed throughout Chang’an City, intentionally or unintentionally amplified by Li Chengqian’s national power.

Everyone who heard these words collectively turned to stone once again.

If the Demon Supreme’s kneeling earlier had merely shocked them.

Then now, the Demon Supreme pledging allegiance completely crashed their brains.

What… what kind of divine plot was this?!

That legendary ancient demon god, capable of destroying heaven and earth, that Heavenly Demon whom Shu Mountain had suppressed for three thousand years and spoke of with dread… just… surrendered?

Not only surrendered, but also wanted to be a subordinate to the Great Tang Emperor?

Who would believe this if it were told?

In the Vermillion Bird Gate square, the Tiance Manor soldiers and Shu Mountain Disciples who had just retreated to the side looked at each other, seeing the same bewildered expression in each other’s eyes.

“My… my mother… this… this…”

Cheng Yaojin stammered, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time.

He felt that all the bizarre things he had seen in his life combined could not compare to what happened today.

Although Qin Qiong did not speak, his hand, tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white from excessive force, still betrayed his inner turmoil.

He looked at the young emperor on the city tower, standing with his hands behind his back, accepting the Demon Supreme’s allegiance, and the fervent adoration in his heart had reached its peak.

Your Majesty!

How many identities and methods do you still hide that we don’t know about?

Are you human, or are you a god?

No, even gods would probably bow their proud heads before you!

Daoist Qingwei, on the other hand, let out a long, long sigh.

His old face was filled with bitterness and… relief.

He finally understood completely.

He, and Shu Mountain, had been unable to keep up with His Majesty’s pace from the very beginning.

While they were racking their brains over how to “block” the flood, he was already preparing to “divert” it, or even turn this flood to his own use.

Their perspective was too narrow.

“Enough, enough,” Qing Wei shook his head and said to his Disciples, “All of you, disperse. Go back and Cultivate diligently.”

“This era no longer belongs to us old fellows.”

His voice was filled with desolation and melancholy.

A guardian of an old era, after witnessing the advent of a new era’s miracle, chose to quietly withdraw.

But the young Shu Mountain Disciples were in a completely different mood.

In their eyes, there was no disappointment, only endless shock and… yearning!

They looked at Li Chengqian as if he were a walking Divine Being!

So, the Dao of an Emperor could reach such a level!

So, human power could truly transcend gods and demons!

At this moment, a seed named “Human Emperor” was planted in their hearts.

Perhaps one day in the future, this seed will take root and sprout, completely changing Shu Mountain’s Legacy that has been passed down for thousands of years… Changan Academy, back mountain.

The Master recovered from his violent coughing.

He lay back on his recliner, but his eyes no longer held their usual laziness and casualness.

His eyes were filled with solemnity and… a hint of trepidation.

“Teacher, that… Demon Supreme, has he really pledged allegiance to Your Majesty?” Ning Que’s voice still carried a trace of uncertainty.

“Hmm.” The Master nodded, then shook his head.

“Not pledged allegiance.”

“It’s… a return.”

“A return?” Ning Que understood even less now.

“Didn’t you hear what he called Your Majesty? Emperor Gouchen.” The Master’s voice was a little hoarse, “That is the Supreme Divine Being from ancient myths and legends who wielded the celestial armies.”

“If Zhonglou didn’t recognize the wrong person, then our Emperor Your Majesty is the Reincarnation of Emperor Gouchen.”

“A Supreme from the Demon Realm pledging allegiance to a Celestial Emperor who once suppressed him. Isn’t this very normal?”

The Master’s words revealed an even more incredible truth to Ning Que.

Ning Que listened, dumbfounded.

Emperor Your Majesty… is a Reincarnation of a Living Immortal?

This news shocked him even more than the Demon Supreme kneeling.

“Then… then us…” Ning Que didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“Observe the changes.” The Master closed his eyes and said leisurely, “This game of chess has already exceeded everyone’s control.”

“No, it should be said that from the beginning, we were all just chess pieces.”

“Now, on the chessboard, there is another incredibly powerful chess piece named ‘Zhonglou’.”

“I just don’t know where our Emperor Your Majesty, the chess player, will make his next move.”

For the first time, the Master felt a trace of confusion about the future… Tingfeng Courtyard.

Xu Weixiong looked in the direction of the Vermillion Bird Gate, her smile growing even brighter.

“What a brilliant move to cut off the source of the problem.”

She murmured softly to herself.

She knew that Li Chengqian never intended to truly fight that Demon Supreme from the beginning.

He released the Demon Supreme just to put on a show.

A show for everyone in the world, especially for the West Mausoleum Divine Hall.

He wanted to use this most direct and shocking method to announce his return.

To declare that he, this “Emperor Gouchen,” would once again take charge of this world.

Thus, the West Mausoleum Divine Hall’s so-called “acting on behalf of Heaven to punish” became a huge joke.

You, a spokesperson for “Haotian,” want to crusade against another “Great Emperor” who holds the authority of the Heavenly Dao?

This simply wouldn’t stand legally.

More importantly, through this move, Li Chengqian subdued a Demon Supreme with monstrous Battle Intent without shedding a drop of blood.

The addition of this chess piece would completely change the balance of power in the entire world.

“It seems my ‘Strategy to Destroy Northern Liang’ must also pick up pace.”

A light of wisdom flickered in Xu Weixiong’s eyes.

She knew that as Li Chengqian’s strength and prestige reached a new peak, the competition for her position as “future Empress” would also become more intense.

She had to fight for more bargaining chips for herself and for Northern Liang.

Beside her, Nangong Pu She was completely immersed in her own world.

Her hand was tightly gripping her blade.

Only one thought was in her mind.

“My blade isn’t fast enough!”

“Far from enough!”

She looked at the figure receiving the Demon Supreme’s kowtow, and for the first time, a strong desire to catch up and stand shoulder to shoulder with him arose within her!

This desire even surpassed her obsession with being the “number one in the world.”

“The Empress’s position…”

She mumbled to herself.

She knew Xu Weixiong was right.

That position was not just an identity.

It was also a qualification that would allow her to get closer.

Above the Vermillion Bird Gate tower.

Li Chengqian looked at the “audience” below, who were in various complex emotions due to his “Divine Might,” and felt secretly delighted.

The feeling of showing off was just this simple, unpretentious, and boring.

Although he himself was still confused, it didn’t matter, as long as others thought he was amazing.

He cleared his throat, deciding to strike while the iron was hot and firmly establish his identity as “Emperor Gouchen.”

He turned around and looked again at Zhonglou, who was still half-bowed and respectful.

“Zhonglou.”

“Your subordinate is here!” Zhonglou immediately responded, the role change was incredibly smooth.

“Do you know why I released you?” Li Chengqian asked in a tone full of testing.

This was a question he thought of on the spur of the moment.

He wanted to see what kind of elaborate story this Demon Supreme could come up with.

As expected, when Zhonglou heard this question, an “as expected” expression appeared on his handsome and evil face.

He raised his head, his eyes burning with the flames of Battle Intent.

“Your subordinate dares to guess that Your Majesty released Zhonglou, firstly, to test Zhonglou’s Heart-Nature over the past ten thousand years, to see if I am still worthy of following Your Majesty.”

“Secondly… because Your Majesty, you also sensed it, didn’t you?”

When Zhonglou said this, his tone became solemn.

“Sensed what?” Li Chengqian asked, following his words, but in his heart, he was wondering, What did I sense? I only sensed that you’re quite good at imagining things.

“That… disgusting light Qi from another world!” A trace of undisguised disgust flashed in Zhonglou’s eyes.

“And the wail of this world, which is heading towards collapse!”

Another world? Light Qi?

Li Chengqian’s Heart-Nature stirred, and he immediately thought of the West Mausoleum Divine Hall and the so-called “Haotian.”

It seems this Zhonglou knows quite a lot!

“Not bad.” Li Chengqian nodded, a look of “teachable Disciple” satisfaction on his face, “You did not disappoint me.”

“This world is sick.”

Li Chengqian walked to the edge of the city wall with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance towards the west, his voice becoming distant and profound.

“Some uninvited guests, not belonging here, want to sow their hypocritical light upon this land.”

“They claim to be Heaven and want to judge all living beings.”

“And this world itself, for some unknown reason, is also heading towards decay and collapse.”

“Internal strife and external threats, the grand edifice is about to crumble.”

When Li Chengqian said this, he turned his head and looked at Zhonglou with burning eyes.

“Therefore, I need a blade.”

“A blade sharp enough to cut down all internal and external enemies for me!”

“And you, Zhonglou, are the blade I have chosen!”

Li Chengqian’s words were impassioned and full of kingly aura.

He almost believed them himself.

Zhonglou was even more excited, his entire Devilish Qi almost unable to be suppressed.

“Great Emperor!”

He knelt on one knee again, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Zhonglou is willing to be the Great Emperor’s blade! Slay gods! Annihilate Buddhas! Sweep across all heavens!”

“To create for you an unprecedented, eternal Demonic… ah no, an eternal era!”

He almost blurted out what was truly on his mind.

“Very good.” Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction, calculating in his heart how to extract more information about “Emperor Gouchen” from him.

“However, before that, I have a question for you.” Li Chengqian said, feigning contemplation.

“Great Emperor, please speak! Zhonglou will tell you everything I know!”

“About my… past.” Li Chengqian pointed to his head, “Ten thousand years is too long. Many of my memories have become blurred in Reincarnation.”

“I only remember that back then, I seemed to have fought you in the Divine Realm for hundreds of rounds.”

“As for why I suppressed you here later, I can’t quite remember.”

Li Chengqian spoke half-truths.

He had to find an excuse for his amnesia, otherwise, a “Great Emperor” who didn’t even know what he did back then would be too unbelievable.

“So that’s how it is!”

Upon hearing this, Zhonglou’s face showed an expression of sudden realization.

He had wondered why the Great Emperor’s gaze seemed a bit unfamiliar.

It turned out that he had forgotten some memories during Reincarnation.

This was normal.

Even Divine Beings could not completely resist the erosion of the power of Reincarnation.

“Reporting to the Great Emperor!” Zhonglou stood up and began to recount that sealed “history” to Li Chengqian.

“Back then, I had just entered the Demon Supreme realm, believing myself invincible in the world, and was not content to only dominate the Demon Realm, so I attacked the Divine Realm.”

“I fought my way from the South Heaven Gate to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and none of the gods in the Divine Realm were a match for me in a single round!”

When Zhonglou said this, a look of immense pride appeared on his face.

That was indeed the most glorious moment of his life.

“Just when I thought the Divine Realm was nothing special and was about to kick that bird emperor of the Divine Realm off his throne, you appeared.”

Zhonglou’s gaze towards Li Chengqian was once again filled with reverence.

“At that time, you were precisely the Emperor Gouchen of the Divine Realm, wielding the Heavenly Laws and commanding all thunder.”

“You only made one move.”

Zhonglou extended one finger.

“You merely looked at me and said, ‘Wretch, how dare you be presumptuous here?’.”

“Then, I felt that the Laws of the entire world were repelling and crushing me. My proud Demonic Technique was as fragile as a piece of paper before you.”

“I didn’t even have room to resist and was directly struck down by you from the Divine Realm to this mortal world, suppressed beneath this tower.”

There was no shame on Zhonglou’s face; instead, it was filled with longing for that absolute power.

“Later, I learned that what you used at that time was the power of ‘Heaven’s Decree,’ where words become Law. It is the Supreme Divine Ability that only the highest Divine Beings who wield a portion of the Heavenly Dao’s authority can master.”

“At that time, you could have, with a single thought, made my Divine Soul perish.”

“But you only suppressed me and left behind a Divine Thought, saying that my malicious Qi was too strong and I needed to temper my Heart-Nature here for ten thousand years. If after ten thousand years, I could break through my inner obsession, I would regain my freedom.”

“It was precisely that Divine Thought you left behind back then that allowed your subordinate to sense your Qi immediately when your Reincarnated body descended into this world!”

Zhonglou, in one breath, revealed all the “truth” of that year.

After listening, Li Chengqian remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

Holy cow!

Was he really that awesome?!

One move!

One look, one sentence, and he instantly defeated Demon Supreme Zhonglou?!

And he even used some “Heaven’s Decree” power?

His past life was too fierce!

Li Chengqian felt a bit lightheaded.

But at the same time, he keenly caught several key pieces of information.

Divine Realm? Lingxiao Treasure Hall?