Gu Hongguang's hair stood on end from fear.
He had never witnessed the might of a Divine Emperor, but he knew in his heart that if Xia Feng were merely a peak Divine Venerable, he wouldn't be able to immobilize him, nor would the entire space be suffused with the aura of rules.
Thus, Gu Hongguang's first reaction was Divine Emperor.
Divine Emperor, such a distant term. It had been countless tens of thousands of years since he had heard this word. There was no Divine Emperor in the entire God Realm.
Currently, the most powerful individuals known were universally recognized as peak Divine Venerables.
As for whether Divine Emperors truly existed, no one had seen one for millions of years. Some said Divine Emperor was merely a legend, a fabricated term, and that no Divine Emperor existed in the God Realm.
Others said Divine Emperors had existed before, but for millions of years, no Divine Emperor had appeared, leading to the gradual belief that they didn't exist.
Now, with Xia Feng appearing before him, Gu Hongguang believed he was a Divine Emperor.
This was a power he had never experienced before, so suffocatingly strong.
He already considered himself a super expert standing at the pinnacle of the God Realm. The only being capable of making him feel fear and suffocation from the depths of his heart was a Divine Emperor.
"Divine Emperor?" Gu Hongguang exclaimed, his shock unparalleled, as if he had caught his partner cheating with someone else.
"Kneel." Xia Feng uttered softly.
Gu Hongguang suddenly felt an irresistible pressure. His bones felt like they were coming apart, and his mind automatically registered Xia Feng's command.
*Thump...*
Gu Hongguang immediately fell to his knees on the ground, unable to muster any thought of resistance.
Gu Hongguang's entire body trembled violently. He prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing and crying out, "Di... Divine Emperor, I am sorry. I have offended your majesty, and I deserve to die."
Circumstances had changed. Now that he knew Xia Feng was a Divine Emperor, he was utterly bewildered.
This was simply not a comparable realm.
Perhaps he was already invincible in the eyes of others, but facing a Divine Emperor, he realized that a Divine Venerable who was considered invincible by others had no ability to resist before a Divine Emperor.
So this was what a Divine Emperor was. Such power made one's heart tremble.
Now, Gu Hongguang finally understood. No wonder Zhang Sanfeng had so confidently stated that he wouldn't intervene when outside.
What intervention was there to speak of?
This wasn't a matter of intervention; it was being played for a fool.
At this moment, Gu Hongguang felt like crying. He admitted defeat this time, thoroughly falling into Zhang Sanfeng's trap. After a lifetime of rivalry, he was actually tricked by Zhang Sanfeng today.
He didn't know how Xia Feng would deal with him. He could only tremble and beg for forgiveness, hoping for a lenient judgment from Xia Feng.
"You know my strength very well, don't you?" Xia Feng retorted.
"Yes, yes, yes, I know, I know." Gu Hongguang nodded hurriedly, not daring to utter a single unnecessary word.
Now that Xia Feng's strength was confirmed, he wouldn't dare to speak idly.
Similarly, Xia Feng's statement was an indirect acknowledgment of his Divine Emperor status.
In reality, whether he admitted it or not was irrelevant; the truth was already evident.
"You made me kowtow and apologize, and I am merely returning the favor. If not for True Man Zhang pleading for you, you would not have been forgiven so easily today," Xia Feng said calmly, looking at Gu Hongguang kneeling on the ground.
Xia Feng was right; a significant reason for this leniency was Zhang Sanfeng's intercession.
Gu Hongguang was somewhat stunned upon hearing this. Zhang Sanfeng pleaded for him?
He found it unbelievable.
Zhang Sanfeng pleading for him was as likely as the sun rising from the west.
Although Gu Hongguang remained silent, Xia Feng could see the disbelief on his face.
"Do not try to fathom the magnanimity of others with your narrow mind. True Man Zhang personally told me that although he has rivaled you for over a thousand years, the conflict between you was merely factional and harmless. He also said he admired you as a person because you once saved tens of thousands of people."
"If he hadn't told me this, how would I have known? Furthermore, do you think I would lie to you?"
Xia Feng explained the gist of what Zhang Sanfeng had told him.
Gu Hongguang was left speechless for a long time. As Xia Feng said, he wouldn't stoop to deceiving him; what was he, anyway?
Would an invincible expert like a Divine Emperor bother to deceive him?
Would he conspire with Zhang Sanfeng to lie?
This was simply impossible and could never happen.
At this very moment, a complex emotion welled up within Gu Hongguang.
He never expected that the person he had rivaled for so many years was the one who understood him best. Gu Hongguang felt a deep sense of self-reproach.
Zhang Sanfeng was not hypocritical but a true master. Compared to him, Gu Hongguang was utterly insignificant.
"Thank you, Divine Emperor, for enlightening me. I was too narrow-minded," Gu Hongguang continued to kowtow, showing courtesy to Xia Feng.
"Forget it. I only asked you to kowtow and apologize, which you have done. Today's matter ends here." Xia Feng finished speaking and turned to leave the private room.
Gu Hongguang watched Xia Feng open the door and walk out. Only then did he slowly stand up, realizing his back was drenched in sweat.
Gu Hongguang had now experienced a profound awakening, and his gaze seemed to hold a different quality.
Indeed, besides his ambition to rival Zhang Sanfeng, he wasn't a bad person. On the contrary, he was someone who frequently did good deeds.
He had been unable to see this clearly before. Even Zhang Sanfeng, whom he considered his opponent, admired him, yet he had always viewed him with disdain. This was truly wrong.
With this realization, Gu Hongguang's heart felt suddenly clear and open.
Xia Feng emerged from Gu Hongguang's private room, and all eyes turned towards him.
He had emerged unharmed?
Where was the Divine Venerable Gu Hongguang?
Had they reached some agreement?
But that didn't seem right. Gu Hongguang was a Divine Venerable; what kind of agreement could he reach with Xia Feng?
As everyone watched with curiosity, Gu Hongguang also walked out behind Xia Feng and bowed to Zhang Sanfeng downstairs:
"True Man Zhang, previously my heart was narrow-minded. I am not worthy of being your opponent."
"From this day forward, I, Gu Hongguang, swear to the Heavenly Dao in front of everyone that from now on, True Man Zhang shall be my elder. Whenever we meet, I will perform a grand禮, for you are the true master."
After speaking, Gu Hongguang performed a deep bow to Zhang Sanfeng downstairs.
Gu Hongguang was not foolish. He could naturally discern Xia Feng's relationship with Zhang Sanfeng. Given that Zhang Sanfeng had pleaded for him after he had offended a Divine Emperor, this kindness alone deserved his future reverence.
Zhang Sanfeng was not surprised by Gu Hongguang's actions; rather, he found it to be quite normal.
Xia Feng was a Divine Emperor. He wondered if Gu Hongguang had soiled himself in the private room.
Zhang Sanfeng found it normal, but all the onlookers were stunned.
What was going on?
The Divine Venerable Gu Hongguang was performing a grand禮 to the Divine Venerable Zhang, and it would be performed every time they met.
Just who was that young man?