Chapter 358: “Awakening”

Dark clouds veiled the moon, and the wind carried swirls of sand. Deep in the heart of Eternal Slumber City, a grand and imposing temple stood in silent majesty.

The closer one approached the Void Emperor Temple, the sparser the pedestrians became, and the quieter the surroundings grew.

Unlike the rest of Eternal Slumber City, which buzzed with life, this temple truly embodied the city’s name—tranquil, desolate, and isolated from the world.

Before the temple lay a vast plaza paved with blue stone bricks, devoid of even a trace of yellow sand.

Flanking the road leading up to it, two rows of ancient trees stood tall, their dense foliage swaying gently in the night wind, rustling with a soft “sha—” sound. This eerie symphony mixed with the heavy “clang” of armored demon soldiers patrolling the temple grounds, forming an unsettling yet strangely harmonious melody.

Perched on Gu Ning’an’s shoulder, Doubao dimmed its glow and whispered,
“Mr. Gu, if we just walk in so openly, those demon soldiers will definitely attack us!”

“Their cultivation may not be high, but their armor is all enchanted artifacts. On top of that, they’ve mastered a technique that links their vitality—fighting one is like fighting an entire army!”

“Of course, that probably doesn’t matter to you, sir…”

Gu Ning’an chuckled. “I came here with the intention of visiting the Void Emperor. If it weren’t for his wife creating a forbidden technique, I wouldn’t be here before the temple officially opens.”

“Since I’ve arrived early, I should still observe proper etiquette. Entering through the main hall is the most appropriate approach.”

Doubao flapped its wings and replied, “Understood. Lesson learned.”

As they spoke, Gu Ning’an stopped about ten paces away from the temple gates.

Because he hadn’t concealed his presence, the patrolling demon soldiers had long since noticed him. However, upon seeing that he was just an ordinary mortal with no cultivation, they paid him little mind.

That was, until he kept walking forward.

Had he been alone, they might have assumed he was simply unaware of the temple’s restrictions. But on his shoulder sat a Blaze Bug—a creature weak in power but at least intelligent enough to know where it shouldn’t go.

“The Imperial Temple is forbidden ground! No living being may enter!”

“Those who violate this decree—will be executed!”

The demon soldiers roared in unison. Even as they issued their warning, they formed a tight battle formation, surrounding Gu Ning’an from all sides!

Gu Ning’an cupped his hands and said, “I am Gu Ning’an, here to request an audience with the Void Emperor. May I trouble you all to deliver this message?”

“Insolence!”

“The Void Emperor Temple is not yet open! His Majesty sees no one!”

The leading demon general bellowed in fury, raising his spear and pointing it directly at Gu Ning’an.

“You have three breaths to leave!”

“Disobey—and die!”

The black clouds thickened, obscuring the moon. Thousands of demon soldiers gathered, their spears raised in unison toward Gu Ning’an.

Then—

The dark sky suddenly split apart, as if torn open by an unseen force. From the rift, torrents of blood-colored energy erupted like boiling magma, staining half the sky in crimson.

In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming blood energy condensed into a colossal, scarlet spear!

This spear spanned a hundred zhang (over 300 meters) in length and was several dozen feet wide, its sharp tip exuding a terrifying chill as it locked onto Gu Ning’an.

There was no room for hesitation—if Gu Ning’an did not retreat within three breaths, the spear would surely strike!

Doubao instinctively shrank back, about to speak, when—

A simple, unadorned wooden sword quietly appeared before him.

The moment the wooden sword manifested—

The massive spear, imbued with boundless blood energy, shattered into dust in an instant!

The demon soldiers’ expressions changed drastically, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

But what truly terrified them was that when they tried to circulate their vitality to prepare for another attack, they found themselves completely immobilized—like statues frozen in place.

This suppressive force emanated entirely from that plain and unremarkable wooden sword!

It did not even need to be unsheathed.

Hovering silently behind the white-robed scholar, its very presence crushed them completely.

The leading general struggled to speak, his voice trembling,
“You dare… trespass… upon the Imperial Temple… What is your intent?!”

Gu Ning’an simply waved his hand. “I am not trespassing. You all attacked first, so I had no choice but to stop you.”

The general’s eyes were bloodshot. He desperately tried to move, but aside from his mouth, his body refused to obey—completely drained of strength!

Across from him, Gu Ning’an cleared his throat and, once again, cupped his hands toward the Void Emperor Temple.

“Void Emperor, I have come with an important matter to discuss. May I request an audience?”

After a moment, Doubao hesitated and said, “Mr. Gu, perhaps the Void Emperor isn’t here? Otherwise, with all this commotion, he should have come out by now.”

To Doubao, the fact that the Void Emperor Temple’s guards had been subdued meant that if the Void Emperor was inside—whether asleep or not—he should have sensed the disturbance long ago.

Yet, there was still no response. Maybe he really wasn’t there.

Otherwise, what kind of great demon would remain holed up when someone came knocking at their door?

Even their Blaze Bug clan wasn’t that cowardly.

“Ah…”

“He’s probably here, just sleeping too deeply.”

“I’ll call him.”

Just as Gu Ning’an finished speaking, the Hongchen Sword, which had been hovering behind him, let out a clear clang as its blade slowly slid out of its sheath!

In an instant, a sword light as cold as frost and snow began to bloom, like the first light of dawn—chilling yet brilliant.

At first, the sword light was as fine as a thread, but as the blade fully emerged, it shot skyward like an inverted Milky Way, scattering the dark clouds and revealing the bright moon above!

The surrounding demon soldiers were gripped by sheer terror!

Faced with such sword light, they had no thoughts of resisting—only the overwhelming urge to flee!

“Wait! Wait!”

“Mr. Gu, your esteemed presence is an honor! This Kui has failed to greet you properly—please forgive me!”

Before the figure even appeared, an aged voice echoed through the air.

Then, just five inches in front of Gu Ning’an, a blue-black radiance materialized out of thin air.

As the light faded, a man in a loose, dark blue robe came into view. He looked to be in his eighties or nineties, his long black hair casually tied at the back of his head.

This black-haired elder was none other than the Void Emperor, a being on par with the Flood Dragon Emperor. At this moment, he was standing before Gu Ning’an, bowing respectfully as he awaited his response.

Doubao was stunned and instinctively blurted out, “You’re really the Void Emperor?”

The black-haired elder remained in his bowing posture and calmly replied, “Indeed.”

That doesn’t seem right!

A mighty great demon, bowing with such humility?

This was a peak existence of the current era!

Doubao’s eyes were filled with suspicion as he scrutinized the Void Emperor from head to toe, as if trying to find some flaw in the act.

Gu Ning’an raised a hand and said, “Void Emperor, you are too courteous. I found you sleeping too deeply and couldn’t wake you, so I had no choice but to use a last resort.”

“If I have offended you, I ask for your understanding.”

“It’s nothing! Nothing at all!”

The black-haired elder straightened up, his face brimming with a smile. “This Kui has always had this bad habit of oversleeping. Since you had business with me, it was only right to wake me.”

“Since you’ve come so late at night, you must be tired. Would you care to step inside for some tea while we talk?”

“No need for that. I’d like to invite the Void Emperor to go somewhere with me.” Gu Ning’an smiled.

“Where to?” The Void Emperor asked, puzzled.

Gu Ning’an replied calmly, “The Hunting Arena.”