Chapter 379: Rising from the Dead, the Universe Will Tremble Because of Me! Qin Feng

Chapter 379: Resurrected from the Dead, the Universe Shall Tremble Before Me! Qin Feng Returns! The Ultimate God-Emperor!

The Myriad Feather Celestial Pavilion, a grand auction house suspended amidst the sea of stars, fell into an unprecedented, deathly silence.

This stillness was not a void; it was saturated with a substantive pressure so heavy it seemed to warp the very light.

All sounds, all radiance, and even all thoughts felt as if gripped by an invisible hand, rendered utterly immobile.

The epicenter of this pressure emanated from one man.

Qin Feng.

He stood motionless, dragging the corpse of the Golden Emperor—a body vast as a mountain range, now cold and lifeless.

The Emperor’s blood had yet to dry, dripping from his blood-stained battle robes to bloom into dark, golden flowers of death upon the mirror-polished floor.

His body was covered in scars that reached the bone—immortal medals earned from a ten-thousand-year death match against a veteran top-tier Emperor—and each wound still radiated the terrifying remnants of shattered laws.

Yet, he stood straight as a divine spear piercing through the nine heavens and ten earths. Even severely wounded, the aura emanating from the depths of his soul was sharper and more chilling than it had ever been in his prime.

It was the supreme baleful aura that could only be forged by one who had slaughtered an equal—the aura belonging solely to the victor.

The dozens of Emperors present were all hegemons whose mere footsteps could cause a star sector to tremble. They were accustomed to life and death, having orchestrated countless demises themselves.

But now, as they looked at Qin Feng and the corpse at his feet—the Golden Emperor, who had been laughing and boasting with them only moments ago—a chill born of primal instinct crawled from the base of their spines to the tops of their skulls.

He was dead.

The Golden Emperor, a powerhouse of tens of millions of years with strength ranked among the pinnacle of the Emperor realm, had simply died.

Not through an ambush, not through suppression, but in a fair, just, and highly anticipated life-and-death duel, he had been erased head-on by an obscure "stranger."

What froze their minds even further was the realization that this "stranger" was the very legend they had all declared dead thirty thousand years ago—the one even the Will of the Universe had struck from its records: the Ultimate God-Marquis!

No, now he should be called... the Ultimate God-Emperor.

"Haa..."

The host, Emperor Yan, exhaled a long, heavy breath.

The divine ring of flames surrounding him fluctuated violently, betraying his inner turmoil.

As the witness and proposer of this duel, he understood the significance of this battle better than anyone.

He had expected a clash of dragons and tigers, a brilliant duel between a rising star and a veteran powerhouse. He had even prepared to intervene at the critical moment to prevent things from spiraling out of control and to preserve both lives.

Yet, he never imagined the outcome would be so... clean and absolute.

Ten thousand years of mortal combat seemed long, but to beings of eternal life, it was but a fleeting moment.

And in that moment, an Emperor had fallen.

Emperor Yan’s gaze fell upon Qin Feng, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was shock, there was wariness, but above all, there was the awe of witnessing history.

He knew that from the moment Qin Feng walked out of the arena dragging the Golden Emperor’s corpse, the landscape of this universe was about to change.

He steadied himself, his formidable willpower allowing him to quickly regain his professional composure as host. He stepped forward, his voice projected by divine power throughout the silent hall.

"The duel is over; life and death have been decided."

His voice shattered the solidified air, causing the Emperors present to wake as if from a nightmare, snapping back to reality.

"The victor is..."

Emperor Yan paused, unsure how to address Qin Feng—whether to use his name directly or...

Qin Feng seemed to read his mind. He spoke indifferently, his voice slightly hoarse from his wounds, yet every word was clear as the clashing of divine gold: "The Ultimate God-Emperor, Qin Feng."

The Ultimate God-Emperor!

These four words seemed to possess the magic of reality-warping.

When Qin Feng personally claimed this title, the last shred of hope in the hearts of the Emperors present was utterly extinguished.

It was him, truly him! The peerless monster who had defied the heavens to slay Kings while only a Marquis, hunted by all races, and who had finally "self-detonated" to his death—he had returned!

And he had returned in a manner far more terrifying, far more domineering, and far more unreasonable, to claim the throne of the Emperor realm!

Emperor Yan took a deep breath and nodded slightly at Qin Feng, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible respect: "According to our agreement, the final purchase rights to the [World Tree's Tear], as well as all of the Golden Emperor’s possessions, now belong to His Majesty, the Ultimate God-Emperor."

He waved his hand, and the Feather-folk attendant, who had been waiting nearby trembling in fear, hurriedly used divine power to lift a crystal bottle shimmering with seven-colored light and a storage bracelet engraved with complex spatial runes, carefully presenting them to Qin Feng.

Inside the crystal bottle, a single teardrop, as if containing the essence of a nascent universe, floated silently, radiating infinite vitality. It was the ultimate treasure—the [World Tree's Tear].

The other bracelet contained the Golden Emperor’s life-long collection.

The entire fortune of a top-tier Emperor was enough to drive any immortal heritage to madness.

Qin Feng’s gaze swept over the two items, his face expressionless.

He did not reach for them immediately, but instead dragged the Golden Emperor’s corpse, step by step, back to his original seat.

He walked slowly, each step feeling as if it were landing on the hearts of the gathered Emperors.

"Thud!"

He tossed the Golden Emperor’s corpse onto the floor with a dull, heavy sound.

Only then did Qin Feng sit down and, looking toward Emperor Yan, say calmly: "Settle the accounts."

Two simple words, yet everyone understood his intent.

He intended to complete the final settlement of this high-stakes gamble right here, in front of everyone.

A flash of admiration crossed Emperor Yan’s eyes.

This act, seemingly superfluous, was in fact the most powerful way to declare the indisputability of his victory.

He was telling everyone that he, Qin Feng, had won fairly and squarely, and that he took his prize as a matter of course.

"Very well."

Emperor Yan nodded. "The final price for the [World Tree's Tear] was 120 trillion cosmic crystals. According to the Myriad Feather Celestial Pavilion’s preliminary assessment, the total value of the assets in the Golden Emperor’s bracelet is approximately 380 trillion cosmic crystals. After deducting auction fees and the price of the item, the remaining balance, along with all priceless curios, divine materials, and inherited artifacts, is sealed within this bracelet."

As the numbers were spoken, another collective gasp echoed through the hall.

380 trillion!

What a terrifying figure!

Qin Feng had swallowed the entire life-long accumulation of a top-tier Emperor in one gulp!

Qin Feng did not speak; he merely reached out his hand.

The storage bracelet and the crystal bottle containing the [World Tree's Tear] transformed into two streaks of light, landing steadily in his palm.

After a brief sweep of his divine sense confirmed everything was in order, he put them away.

From beginning to end, his expression remained unchanged, as if obtaining this wealth—enough to overturn the cosmic order—was a trivial matter to him.

This demeanor chilled the hearts of the Emperors present even more than his slaughter of the Golden Emperor.

It meant that in his eyes, neither the Golden Emperor’s life nor his wealth was anything more than a stepping stone for his return to the stage, a means to announce his existence to the entire universe.

"Shall the auction continue?"

Qin Feng raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

His gaze was tranquil, yet not a single sovereign dared to meet his eyes.

Everyone swept by his glance felt a piercing agony in their souls, as if an invisible, ultimate divine light were pressed against the center of their brows.

Continue?

What a joke!

The Golden Emperor’s corpse lay right there, the stench of blood yet to dissipate.

Who had the heart to continue participating in this auction?

Who dared to bid on treasures in the presence of such an existence?

The Flame Emperor offered a bitter smile; he knew that this event, which should have been the most prestigious in the history of the Feather race, had ended prematurely.

"Your Majesty, you jest."

He bowed, "Having witnessed a duel worthy of being recorded in the annals of the cosmos, we are too stirred to concern ourselves with anything else. This auction concludes here. All items already bid upon will be delivered by the specialists of my Ten Thousand Feather Pavilion shortly."

Qin Feng nodded, accepting this arrangement.

He stood up, casting one final glance at the Golden Emperor’s corpse, which was rapidly losing its divinity, a flicker of complex emotion passing through his eyes that no one caught.

It was finished.

A karmic cycle spanning hundreds of thousands of years had finally reached its bloody conclusion.

He lingered no longer, turning to drag the massive corpse toward the exit of the auction hall.

Wherever he walked, the sovereigns rose and parted like those fleeing a plague, clearing a wide path.

No one dared to obstruct him; no one dared to speak.

They could only watch, helpless, as that blood-stained silhouette dragged the remains of a sovereign, step by step, vanishing beyond the brilliant, star-lit gates.

Only when that suffocating pressure had completely dissipated did the atmosphere in the hall suddenly loosen.

"Thud!"

A low-ranking sovereign with weaker resolve collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, his body soaked in cold sweat.

"A monster... he is a monster through and through!"

A sovereign muttered, his voice trembling with terror.

"The Ultimate God-Emperor... he has truly returned. And he is ten thousand times more terrifying than the legends suggested!"

"The Golden Emperor... just like that? I still feel like I’m dreaming."

"A dream? Did you not see?"

Another sovereign pointed to the pool of blood on the floor that had yet to dry, lingering fear in his tone, "It is real! We have all witnessed the fall of a top-tier sovereign and the return of a... no, a living legend!"

"Quick! Send this news back to our clans! Immediately! At any cost! Adjust all strategies regarding the Human race! From this day on, the 'heavens' of the universe are changing!"

In an instant, the auction hall was filled with divine sense fluctuations, laden with shock and urgency, weaving together like a tsunami and spreading in all directions.

But Qin Feng, the center of the storm, had already left the Feather Empire.

He piloted the Oracle into a desolate, uninhabited star sector.

After casually carving out a temporary dimensional cave and tossing the Golden Emperor’s corpse into the Primordial Furnace to be refined, he immediately entered the deepest state of seclusion.

The ten-thousand-year death match with the Golden Emperor had not been won easily.

Though his Ultimate Body possessed astonishing regenerative powers, the depletion of his sovereign origin was real.

At this moment, he desperately needed time to heal his wounds and stabilize his realm.

More importantly, he needed to refine the Tear of the World Tree.

It was a cosmic wonder that would make any sovereign green with envy, containing boundless life essence and the laws of the world.

Once fully refined, not only would his wounds heal instantly, but the strength of his Ultimate Body—and perhaps even his cultivation—could take a massive leap forward.

Outside the cave, the vacuum of space was deathly silent.

Inside, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his mind sinking into a state of absolute stillness.

He did not know that at the very moment he chose to seclude himself, a monstrous storm, sparked by him and sweeping across the entire known universe, had just begun.

The source of the storm did not come from the panicked transmissions of the sovereigns.

It came from... the Will of the Universe.

The moment Qin Feng dragged the Golden Emperor’s corpse out of the arena.

The instant he personally acknowledged the name "Ultimate God-Emperor."

Throughout the entire universe, every powerful being capable of sensing the cosmic will received a vast, ancient, and supreme stream of information in their minds.

This stream of information eventually coalesced in the depths of their consciousness into a dazzling list.

The Cosmic Heaven’s Pride Ranking!

This list was not compiled by any race or faction; it was the most authoritative notarization and ranking, determined by the fundamental laws of the universe based on a being’s foundation, potential, achievements, and destiny.

Those who ascended this list were all the most elite prodigies of the Golden Age, powerful contenders for the future God-throne.

And at this moment, the list, which had been silent for tens of thousands of years, was undergoing an unprecedented and violent shift.

The three names that had hung at the very top, radiating endless brilliance like three eternal suns—

[First Place: Ancient Void King]

[Second Place: Divine Silkworm King]

[Third Place: War Martial King]

—these three names, representing the strongest combat power of the current generation, dimmed before everyone’s "eyes" at a visible rate, fading away...

They did not vanish, but were forcibly suppressed and overshadowed by a more domineering, more brilliant, and more unquestionable supreme radiance, until they became insignificant.

In their place was a brand-new name.

This name seemed to have been inscribed by the fundamental laws of the universe itself, every stroke containing the supreme essence of "Ultimate" and "Slaughter." With a posture of ruling over the world, it descended directly to the very top of the list.

[Heaven’s Pride Ranking First: Ultimate God-Emperor]

Following it was a line of commentary and notarization provided by the Will of the Universe itself:

[Achievement: In the Feather race arena, engaged in a one-on-one frontal duel, slaying the top-tier sovereign "Golden Emperor."]

[Evaluation: Prodigy of the Divine Path, the return of the deceased. A powerful contender for the God-throne of the Golden Age.]

BOOM!!!

The moment this information was received by billions upon billions of powerhouses across the universe, the entire cosmos seemed to have detonated billions of supernovae simultaneously!

...

Heaven-Swallowing Cosmic City, Heaven-Swallowing King Palace.

Within the vast hall, large enough to contain stars, the Heaven-Swallowing King, with his burly frame and aura like an abyss, sat cross-legged upon his throne. The space around him distorted slightly, as if unable to bear the weight of his existence.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open.

What kind of eyes were those? Within them, the terrifying scenes of the universe’s birth and destruction, and the turning of galaxies, seemed to be playing out incessantly.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the endless expanse of time and space, fixing upon that list branded into the very origin of the universe: the Heaven’s Pride Ranking.

When he beheld that name, which had descended from the heavens to claim the top spot, along with the notarized record of the battle that followed, even his heart—tempered by eons of stillness—stuttered in his chest.

The next second, an irrepressible ecstasy erupted from the depths of his eyes.

The corners of his mouth, usually set in a mask of stern, cold authority, curled upward in a wild, uncontrollable arc, eventually breaking into a roar of laughter that echoed throughout the entire Cosmic City, brimming with boundless relief and pride.

"Hahahaha... Hahahahahaha!"

The laughter was like thunder, causing the very foundations of the Royal Palace to vibrate. In the void outside the hall, the sound was so potent that it tore countless fissures into the fabric of space itself.

"Good! Good! Good!"

The Heaven-Swallowing King repeated the word three times. With each utterance, his aura surged in intensity, drawing the cosmic energy above the Heaven-Swallowing Cosmic City into a frenzy, coalescing into a massive, sky-obscuring vortex of power.

"My disciple Qin Feng... you have finally succeeded!"

He rose slowly, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the infinite starry sky beyond the hall, his eyes filled with profound emotion.

"Feigning death to escape, lying dormant for eons; you remained silent, only to stun the world with a single cry! Upon your return, you offer the life of a top-tier Emperor-ranked powerhouse as a tribute to your ascension! Such courage, such grand ambition—you are truly worthy of being the disciple I chose!"

He had known Qin Feng was not dead.

When Qin Feng first devised the plan to "fake his death," he had consulted with him.

But he had not known when Qin Feng would return, or in what manner he would reappear.

He had waited thirty thousand years.

Throughout those thirty millennia, he had endured immense pressure.

Within the human race, many had questioned why he had spared no cost to protect Qin Feng, even at the risk of making enemies of other Kings and Emperors.

The myriad races, meanwhile, had viewed him as a thorn in their side, a target to be eliminated.

But he had held firm.

Because he believed, with absolute conviction, that the uncut jade he had personally polished would never simply fade into obscurity.

Today, he had received his answer!

And the surprise Qin Feng had delivered far exceeded his wildest imagination!

An Emperor!

His disciple had not only returned, but had stepped into the realm of the Emperors he had dreamed of! He had announced his comeback with an earth-shattering slaughter of an Emperor!

"Ultimate God-Emperor... what a title, Ultimate God-Emperor!"

The Heaven-Swallowing King whispered the name, the smile in his eyes deepening. "From this day forth, who in this universe will dare say the human race is failing? Who will dare claim we have no successors?!"

Just then, several streaks of light shot in from outside the hall, landing in the center of the chamber and taking the form of figures—the Heaven-Swallowing King’s direct disciples, led by Marquis Fire-Kirin and the others.

Marquis Fire-Kirin, at the head of the group, wore a face etched with shock, horror, and a turbulent sea of disbelief.

"Master!"

His voice trembled, almost a roar. "Did you see? The Heaven’s Pride Ranking! It’s the Junior Brother! He... he is not dead!"

The brothers and sisters behind him stood in a daze, their expressions as pale as if they had seen a ghost.

They had witnessed Qin Feng’s "fall" with their own eyes and had mourned him for it.

But now, the will of the universe was telling them that this man, who had been "dead" for thirty thousand years, had not only come back to life but had... had slain an Emperor?!

How could this be?!

It completely shattered their understanding of reality!

The Heaven-Swallowing King looked at his disciples' pathetic display, his smile fading as he cast a cold, indifferent glance their way.

"What are you panicking about?"

He snorted, his voice low yet striking their hearts like a heavy hammer. "Your Junior Brother was never meant to be confined to a shallow pond. A dragon hidden in the abyss, soaring into the sky—this was always his destiny."

"But... Master..."

A female disciple asked, her voice trembling. "How could he... have become an Emperor? And he killed the Golden Emperor? That was the Golden Emperor! We..."

She wanted to say that they, the strongest of whom was Marquis Fire-Kirin, were still only at the peak of the Marquis rank, still a step away from becoming Kings.

Yet Qin Feng, a junior brother who was countless years younger than them, had already reached that pinnacle and surpassed it!

The gap left them feeling a profound sense of despair.

The Heaven-Swallowing King took in the reactions of his disciples, sighing inwardly.

He knew that Qin Feng’s return was a massive blow to these proud disciples, one that might even shake their resolve.

But he offered no comfort.

The path of martial arts was like rowing against the current; if you did not advance, you retreated.

If they could not withstand even this shock, then their future achievements would be limited indeed.

"..."

The Heaven-Swallowing King’s voice turned icy. "From today on, Qin Feng is no longer your Junior Brother, but the 'Ultimate God-Emperor' of the human race—an existence equal to us, and one who may one day far surpass us."

"What you must do is not envy or question, but use this as your goal, to chase after him, to fight with your lives!"

"Get back to your seclusion, all of you! Until you reach the rank of King, no one is to step a single inch outside the Heaven-Swallowing Cosmic City!"

With that roar, Marquis Fire-Kirin and the others trembled as if struck by lightning.

The only thing they could do was transform this shock into the fuel for their progress!

"Disciple... obeys!" The group bowed in unison, then transformed into streaks of light, retreating from the hall with complex yet determined hearts.

Inside the hall, silence returned.

The Heaven-Swallowing King cast his gaze once more toward the infinite stars, a faint smile curling his lips.

"Qin Feng, oh Qin Feng, you have truly... given your master a heaven-sent surprise..."

...

In the Cosmic Sea, among the ruins of a chaotic battlefield.

Countless shattered star fragments and the remains of powerful creatures formed a vast, desolate sector of death.

At the heart of this sector, a small-scale but high-intensity battle was underway.

Dozens of King-ranked powerhouses from different races were tearing the heavens asunder and obliterating the laws of nature, all to claim a cosmic miracle herb that had just emerged.

On the edge of the battlefield, in the shadow of a massive meteorite, a figure floated in silence.

He had brilliant golden hair and features as handsome as a god, yet his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.

It was Caesar, the peerless genius who had once vied with Qin Feng during the Cosmic Genius Tournament, only to eventually choose submission.

His aura now was ten thousand times stronger than it had been back then; he was a true, top-tier King-ranked powerhouse.

He did not rush to join the fray, but waited like the most patient of hunters, observing the battlefield, waiting for the moment when everyone was exhausted and exposed a fatal flaw.

This was his style of combat.

However, just as he suppressed his aura to the absolute limit, preparing to launch a thunderous strike, that vast information from the will of the universe surged into his mind without warning.

[Prodigy Ranking No. 1: The Ultimate God-Emperor]

[Combat Record: ...Slew the top-tier Emperor-rank "Golden Emperor" against all odds...]

Hum—!

Caesar’s mind felt as if it had been struck head-on by a star, instantly turning into a void.

His eyes, usually as still as an ancient well, flickered with violent turbulence for the first time, followed by horror, shock, and... utter disbelief!

"Qin... Feng?"

He whispered the name, a name buried in the deepest recesses of his memory—a name that belonged to both his greatest rival and his leader—now resurfacing like a curse.

Was he not... dead?

Thirty thousand years ago, that cosmic-shaking manhunt had ended with Qin Feng’s self-detonation, his body and soul utterly annihilated. He had verified that news countless times.

For that very reason, he had languished in despair for a long time.

His life’s goal had been to chase and surpass that man. Yet, when that man vanished, he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of emptiness and confusion.

Over these years, he had cultivated with madness, surging forward to become a top-tier King-rank, all to prove that even without that target, he, Caesar, remained the pinnacle of genius in the universe.

But now...

He has returned?

And he has become an Emperor-rank?!

And he even slew... the Golden Emperor?!

Caesar felt his heart gripped by an invisible hand, leaving him gasping for air.

The gap between him and Qin Feng had not narrowed through his efforts; instead, it had widened to a... despairing degree!

A Marquis-rank slaying a King-rank was already a myth.

But he, he had slain an Emperor-rank while being an Emperor-rank! What was this?

A myth among myths?

"Boom!"

The energy explosion on the battlefield nearby jolted Caesar from his stupor.

He saw the cosmic wonder-herb, caught in the final clash between several King-ranks, about to be destroyed by the violent shockwaves.

In any other moment, he would never have missed such an opportunity.

But now, he simply watched, his eyes devoid of any ripples.

What cosmic wonder-herb, what battle of Kings...

In the face of the news that "the Ultimate God-Emperor slew the Golden Emperor," everything seemed so... insipid.

His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, looking toward the direction of the Human Territory, his expression becoming infinitely complex.

"You... have returned..."

He murmured to himself, his voice filled with shock and bitterness, but more than that, a sense of... excitement and fanaticism he had not yet realized himself.

The target he had chased his entire life had returned!

His martial path was no longer lost!

The next moment, Caesar hesitated no longer, turning into a streak of golden light and leaving the battlefield without a backward glance.

The slaughter and treasures behind him no longer held any meaning.

He only wanted to find a place to digest this news, and then... pursue that legendary silhouette with even greater madness and resolve!

The ripples of the storm spread to every corner of the universe, measured in light-years.

From the prosperous Central Star Region to the desolate frontier battlefields, from the secluded caves of the powerful to the bustling cities of mortals, countless beings were receiving, in their own ways, news capable of altering their perceptions and even their fates.

Human Territory, Defense Sector C-897.

A massive war fortress, like a giant of steel, hung silently in the center of the galaxy, guarding the vital wormhole leading to the rear hinterlands.

Inside the fortress command center, three figures sat upright, processing mountains of military affairs.

Their auras had reached the vast, sea-like level of Domain Lords, each gesture carrying the majesty of those who hold the lives of billions in their hands.

They were none other than Qin Feng’s three teachers from Qiming High School—Wu Shangfeng, Lin Yue, and Gu Yue.

Time had left traces of frost upon them, but it had also settled into the composure and confidence of the powerful. The teachers who once fretted over a student’s future in the small city of Qiming had now grown into high-ranking officials of the Human Race, each capable of holding their own.

"Hum..."

The light screen in the command center flickered suddenly, and a cosmic bulletin marked "Highest Authority" popped up automatically.

The three looked up simultaneously.

When the dazzling changes to the [Prodigy Ranking] and that familiar yet strange name came into view, the three battle-hardened, iron-willed Domain Lords were, at the same moment, turned to stone.

The command center fell into a silence so deep a pin could be heard.

Time seemed to have frozen in this instant.

"Am... am I hallucinating from processing too much military work?" Wu Shangfeng’s voice was dry; he rubbed his eyes hard, staring fixedly at the name on the screen.

"Ultimate God-Emperor... Qin Feng..." Lin Yue’s red lips parted, her beautiful eyes filled with unbelievable shock; she instinctively covered her mouth to stifle a cry.

"It’s him... it really is him! This aura, this title... it can be no one else but him!" Gu Yue’s voice trembled. The strategist known for his calm and reason was now flushed with excitement, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Silence.

After a long silence came an irrepressible, explosive joy!

"He’s not dead! Qin Feng is not dead!"

Wu Shangfeng slammed the table and stood up abruptly. The iron-blooded fortress commander was now as excited as a child, tears shimmering in his eyes.

"I knew it! I knew that such a monster could never fall so easily!"

Gu Yue also stood up, pacing back and forth, his face glowing with unconcealable excitement and pride.

Lin Yue said nothing, but tears were already streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably.

They were tears of joy.

They would never forget the youth who had sweated on the training field with such determined eyes.

They had witnessed his rise, rejoiced at his every improvement, and taken pride in his every victory.

They had also grieved for his "fall," burying that regret deep in their hearts and turning it into the motivation to protect humanity.

They had thought that the brightest star in the Qiming sky had been extinguished forever.

But today, that star had not only reignited, it had transformed into a... sun so brilliant it could illuminate the entire universe!

"Emperor-rank... he has actually reached the Emperor-rank..."

Wu Shangfeng sighed with deep emotion, "We are still struggling at the Domain Lord level, while he... he has reached a height we can only look up to."

"That is him, after all!"

Gu Yue laughed, "From the first day we met him, hasn't he always been creating miracles? Qiming Star General, Imperial God-Chosen, Rookie Cup Champion, Imperial Valedictorian... now, what is one more miracle of ‘slaying an Emperor-rank’ that we cannot accept?"

Quick! Patch me through to those two boys, Wang Hao and Wang Jie!

Lin Yue wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with urgency, We must be the first to tell them this incredible news!

...

The Seventh Spiral Arm, flagship of the 37th Expeditionary Fleet of the Human Alliance, the Dawn.

On the bridge, the atmosphere was chillingly austere.

Wang Hao and Wang Jie, brothers clad in crisp military uniforms, were directing the fleet with grim focus, orchestrating a campaign to purge an alien threat.

Tempered by tens of thousands of years of service, the callow youths of the past had long since vanished, replaced by seasoned and formidable fleet commanders.

Just then, an encrypted communication request bypassed all standard protocols and projected directly onto the bridge's main screen.

Lin Yue’s face appeared, tear-stained yet radiant with joy.

Teacher Lin? Wang Hao blinked in surprise.

What happened? Wang Jie frowned, fearing some catastrophe had befallen the rear.

You two, look at the Universal Rankings yourselves!

Lin Yue offered no further explanation, merely pointing with an excited gesture.

The brothers exchanged a glance and immediately pulled up the official bulletin.

The next second, the entire bridge erupted as two roars, filled with such ecstasy and disbelief that they seemed to threaten the very hull, echoed through the chamber!

Holy hell!!!

Big Brother!!!

Wang Hao and Wang Jie, commanders renowned among their subordinates for their stoic composure, were now dancing about, pounding each other on the shoulders, jumping and cheering, completely indifferent to the stunned gazes of their crew.

I knew it! I knew Big Brother wouldn't die! Wang Hao stammered, incoherent with excitement.

God Emperor! Brother Feng has become an Emperor! And he slaughtered an Emperor! My god! This is more thrilling than any dream!

Wang Jie bellowed in triumph.

Their lack of decorum drew no ire from anyone.

For when the other officers on the bridge saw the bulletin, they too were plunged into a state of profound shock.

Ultimate God Emperor, Qin Feng!

To the officers who had graduated from the Canaan Star Martial Academy, this name was a living legend, an immortal totem of their faith!

Now, the totem had returned, and the myth had been reborn!

The entire fleet was instantly set ablaze by the news!

...

The Human heartland, Central Academy of Sciences, Power Armor Research Institute No. 9.

This was one of the holiest sites of human technology, gathering the most brilliant scientists and engineers in the galaxy.

In a vast, dust-free laboratory, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat, his hair streaked with gray but his spirit sharp and vigorous, was meticulously calibrating the core of a black-hole-class power armor.

He was Wang Ming, Qin Feng’s uncle.

As one of Qin Feng’s few surviving relatives, he had never stepped foot on the blood-soaked battlefield, choosing instead to contribute his brilliance to the human race through the field of science.

His movements were precise and steady, each action a work of art.

Suddenly, his personal terminal vibrated sharply. It was a top-priority notification.

Wang Ming frowned, pausing his work, and opened the light screen with a hint of annoyance.

He assumed it was another emergency task from the Academy.

However, when the Celestial Rankings appeared, he froze completely.

His gaze locked onto that single name.

Qin Feng.

This name was the eternal ache in his heart.

He could never forget the feeling of the sky collapsing when he first heard that his nephew had fallen. He was the only blood relative left of his beloved sister.

Over the years, he had buried his grief in his work, using the frantic pace of research to numb himself.

He had believed he had finally accepted reality.

But when that name reappeared, shining with such brilliance and glory, the heart he had armored with science was shattered in an instant.

Clatter.

The high-precision particle tweezers slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a soft chime.

Wang Ming’s body began to tremble.

He reached out, yearning to touch the name on the screen, but his fingertips shook violently in the empty air.

A scalding tear slid from the corner of his eye, landing on the cold metal floor, where it evaporated instantly.

Then came a second, a third...

This authoritative expert, the chief engineer of black-hole-class power armor, now stood like a helpless child, covering his face and letting the tears flow through his fingers. The longing and sorrow suppressed for tens of thousands of years transformed, in this moment, into joyous sobs.

You... returned...

You... finally... came back...

...

The Human Holy Court, Temple of the Ultimate.

Deep within the folds of dimensions, inside a temple constructed entirely from the laws of the Ultimate, the Lord of the Ultimate suddenly opened his eyes.

A flicker of astonishment crossed his face, followed immediately by irrepressible ecstasy.

Hahahaha! Good lad! I knew you wouldn't die so easily!

A laugh, filled with boundless joy and admiration, echoed through the deep dimensions.

Those who walk the path of the Ultimate must seek breakthroughs between life and death, and find eternity in the heart of despair! You... have done well! Better than I ever imagined!

The Lord of the Ultimate beamed. He could feel that as Qin Feng’s title of Ultimate God Emperor was ratified by the will of the universe, the fortune of the ethereal path of the Ultimate across the entire human universe was surging wildly!

Qin Feng had become a new, radiant beacon on this path!

...

Yet, while some rejoiced, others mourned.

As the human race celebrated the return of Qin Feng, those alien powerhouses who had once participated in the hunt for him were plunged into a frigid abyss.

The Crystal Race, Crystal Palace.

Upon a throne carved from primordial divine crystal, the face of the Crystal Emperor, composed of countless crystalline facets, lost its usual luster for the first time, turning deathly grim.

Ultimate God Emperor... Qin Feng...

He whispered the name, each syllable heavy with a biting, marrow-deep chill.

Your Highness, dozens of marquises and kings of the Crystal race stood frozen, silenced, not daring to draw a full breath.

They had all seen the bulletin.

After the shock came a bottomless, suffocating dread.

"He is not dead... he actually survived..."

The Crystal Emperor’s voice carried a tremor he himself had failed to notice.

"Your Majesty, this... this is impossible!"

A Crystal king ventured, emboldened by desperation, "We witnessed his soul-fire extinguish with our own eyes; the Will of the Universe struck his name from existence. How can this be..."

"The Will of the Universe?"

The Crystal Emperor sneered, cutting him off. "The Will of the Universe only certifies facts! The fact is, he was dead, but now he lives! And he lives more vibrantly than any of us!"

"He killed the Golden Emperor!"

The Crystal Emperor surged from his throne, the very space within the temple groaning under the weight of his uncontrolled aura. "The Golden Emperor’s strength was equal to my own! If he can slay him, he can slay me!"

Fear, like a virulent plague, swept through the grand hall.

Yes, that was the crux of it.

The one who had returned was no longer the marquis they could trap in a web of steel.

He was a hunter of emperors, capable of stalking them one by one, treating them as nothing more than prey.

"What is there to panic about!"

The Crystal Emperor forced down his terror and roared, "He has just emerged from a life-and-death struggle; he must be grievously wounded! And he is but one man!"

"Pass my decree!"

"Contact every race that participated in the 'God-Fall Project'! The Sky-Demons, the Horned-Devils, the Rock-Spirits... leave none out!"

"Tell them the mad dog we thought we had put down has returned! And he has transformed into a prehistoric beast capable of tearing our throats out at any moment!"

"If they do not wish to be liquidated one by one, they must cast aside all grievances and form a 'Slayer’s Alliance'! Otherwise, the Golden Emperor’s fate today shall be our tomorrow!"

The Crystal Emperor’s bellows echoed through the crystalline halls.

Almost simultaneously, in every corner of the universe, those who had once driven Qin Feng to his "end" reacted with identical fervor.

Initial disbelief rapidly curdled into bone-chilling panic.

They were afraid.

They were truly, deeply afraid.

A genius of infinite potential is not terrifying, for growth takes time and can be strangled in the cradle.

But a peerless god of slaughter, already fully grown, blade in hand, and bound to you by an undying blood feud—that is the ultimate nightmare.

In an instant, the entire expanse of the cosmic sea boiled over with the news of Qin Feng’s return.

Countless factions scrambled to establish contact, countless masters were jolted from their meditations, and dark currents surged violently through the shadows of the cosmos.

Some moved to celebrate the return of a legend.

Others moved in terror of the impending reckoning.

Everyone knew: the man who once stirred the winds of the entire universe with his own two hands had returned.

And this time, he brought with him a tide of blood, far more violent than that of thirty thousand years ago, destined to shatter the old order entirely.

The universe would tremble, for the sake of one man.