On the eastern side of Chongming Island in Shanghai, facing the vast expanse where the river meets the sea, stood a mansion spanning nearly a hundred mu in area, named the Hidden Garden. The residence, typical of Jiangnan garden style, was shrouded by dense, towering trees. Small bridges, flowing water, carved beams, painted rafters, rockeries, and ponds were all immersed in a deep, lush green. Large swathes of slate-gray roof tiles were arranged with meticulous order, creating an atmosphere of extreme elegance and seclusion.

This estate boasted a history of over two hundred years, having been established here after the Second War of Religion. It had consistently served as the daily administrative headquarters and liaison point for the Asian Dao Alliance.

Gu Xichen sat inside the transport vessel, still replaying the image of Yulith vanishing amidst the chaos at the Hawaiian base. As the soldiers closed in at the base, Gu Xichen clearly saw Yulith, clad in a white dress, drift like a phantom into the surging crowds.

Several high-ranking officers moved to intercept Yulith. She presented some form of identification before slipping into a rapidly departing car and speeding away.

“This is for the best, for now… Though, frankly, I prefer Aredia; that girl is much more suited to Siren!”

Catching Siren in his peripheral vision—her face a mask of forced geniality—Gu Xichen couldn't help but let out a few soft chuckles. The sound broke the silence, and Siren’s expression instantly soured.

The transport vessel hovered above the Hidden Garden. Below, several large rockeries slowly slid apart, clearing a spacious area for landing.

Gu Xichen and the others disembarked. Dozens of young men and women, dressed in various styles, hurried forward, eagerly greeting Daoist Zhang and the others. Daoist Zhang, his eyelashes nearly fluttering open from grinning so widely, laughed heartily in return, engaging boisterously with the group. The Xuanbing casing the frozen, tranquil young Daoist nun was carefully carried out. Immediately, three elderly figures, clad in indigo robes and smelling strongly of medicinal herbs, rushed out, ushering the attendants who took Daoist Jing to an undisclosed location.

Two charming and sweet-looking little girls, like silver dolls, quickly approached. They pursed their lips, smiled at Gu Xichen, and chirped, “Mr. Gu? The Ancestor calls for you!”

Penghua, who had been busy greeting acquaintances and boasting, quickly nudged Gu Xichen. He chuckled, “My Master needs you. Hey, long-nosed fellow, I’ll catch you later!”

The two little girls led the way. Gu Xichen, Penghua, Siren, and Aredia followed them, winding their way through the Hidden Garden for quite some time before arriving at a modest courtyard. The yard was perhaps only ten meters square, but expert craftsmanship had arranged a few clusters of bamboo reeds and a small rock formation to encircle a delicate flower hall. Great swathes of trailing vine covered more than half the hall, and a clear spring flowed out from beside it, circled the structure once, and then disappeared past a rockery.

The vines in the courtyard were of an unknown species; they bore no flowers, only countless fruit the size of mung beans, emitting a faint, exquisite fragrance that was utterly delightful.

Beside the flower hall stood an exquisitely crafted pavilion. Before it was a shallow pool of clear water, home to two pairs of carp barely the length of a hand. Resting at the bottom of the pool was a crab the size of a small sea bowl. While the carp were unremarkable, this entirely black crab radiated a dense, sinister energy. Its prominent eyes sparkled fiercely, casting an eerie, greenish light over the meter-square pool and lending the area an air of spectral menace. Seeing Gu Xichen and the others approach, the crab actually surfaced from the water and began brandishing its claws menacingly toward Gu Xichen.

“Zhi zhi, zhi zhi!” The crab emitted a piercing, ghostly shriek, and circles of swirling, Yin-laden wind rose from the ground.

Penghua kicked the crab flying with one foot. He gave Gu Xichen a dry laugh. “This fellow is my Master’s pet. He’s been with the Old Man since the early Song Dynasty. Its true form is a Star-Patterned Iron-Armored Crab, an exotic species from overseas. Alas, after cultivating for so many years, its corpse energy hasn't fully coalesced into shape, so it remains in the form of a crab.”

A zombie crab? A pet? Gu Xichen stared in astonishment at the Star-Patterned Iron-Armored Crab, which was now spitting white foam while clinging petulantly to the rockery after being kicked by Penghua, feeling as if his horizons had just been vastly broadened. The crab radiated palpable malevolence; to Gu Xichen, it felt even more powerful than Siren had upon their first meeting. Such a monstrous crab was merely a pet. At that moment, a zither melody—high, clear, and soaring like a great crane piercing the clouds—suddenly echoed from the flower hall. The notes lingered and entwined around them, filled with an ethereal, otherworldly charm.

Gu Xichen coughed lightly, cupped his hands toward the hall, and called out clearly, “This junior, Gu Xichen, greets Senior Corpse Emperor!”

The zither music ceased abruptly, and a voice resonated directly inside the minds of Gu Xichen and the others, “Come in… Yuehua, Yueling, brew a pot of Blood Luo!”

The two little girls, Yuehua and Yueling, smiled faintly, and with a swirl of dusty gray wind beneath their feet, they vanished. Gu Xichen’s mouth twitched. He realized he had misjudged them completely. He had taken them for ordinary young girls, but now he saw they were the same kind as Penghua—a Jiangshi. Yuehua and Yueling were likely some type of spirit entity (Jingmei).

Following Penghua, Gu Xichen stepped into the small flower hall (.16.\m 1|6|Official Site Four Dishes and One Nap Upload). He rapidly scanned the furnishings within.

Ancient, supremely ancient. Every single component in the hall looked to be at least a millennium old. Hundreds of weathered turtle shells, intricately carved with Jiaqing markings, hung on the walls. In one corner, several curiously shaped bronze longswords were plunged into a ghostly-faced bronze square ding cauldron. A set of rune-inscribed half-armor, seemingly carved from stone, leaned against the wall. Beneath the large south-facing window rested a massive platform cobbled together from what appeared to be the bones of some giant beast, upon which lay an old zither so aged it looked as if a single gust of wind might turn it to dust.

The Corpse Emperor, the premier master of the Nine Nether Dao—the most notorious faction within the Asian Dao Alliance’s evil path—sat cross-legged before the beast-bone platform.

Even seated cross-legged, the Corpse Emperor’s height reached nearly to Gu Xichen’s neck, indicating his immense stature. Clad in simple, coarse gray-white robes, his skin possessed a faint undertone of bluish-green beneath its pallor. He had a square, authoritative face, and his hair was tied in a Daoist knot, adorned with three jade pins carved with the patterns of a dragon, a phoenix, and a tortoise, respectively. Aside from his extraordinary height, the Corpse Emperor appeared entirely like an ordinary elder.

Gu Xichen bowed deeply, his torso bent low in respect, cupping his hands toward the Corpse Emperor.

“This junior, Gu Xichen, greets Senior Corpse Emperor. Your bearing, Senior, truly commands admiration.”

The Corpse Emperor smiled faintly, his voice harmonious. “I am aware of everything that transpired on the Wandering Immortal Star. To ensure that scatterbrained old fool, that undutiful rogue, doesn't snatch them from me, you should kowtow and acknowledge me as your master right now!”

He gestured toward Siren and Aredia, adding with a light chuckle, “You two... very well, kowtow together.”

Gu Xichen noted that the Corpse Emperor used the name Youxian Xing (Wandering Immortal Star) rather than the Federation’s official designation, Tiantang Xing (Heaven Star). Gu Xichen had only learned the name Youxian Xing from Xin Jia.

Two plumes of gray mist, trailing chilling coldness, erupted from beneath the ground. The young girls, Yuehua and Yueling, carefully emerged from the whirlwinds, bearing a tea set.

Gu Xichen respectfully kowtowed nine times to the Corpse Emperor. He then presented a cup of the crimson, blood-like, pungent tea handed to him by Yuehua.

The Corpse Emperor nodded in satisfaction. He took a sip of the tea presented by Gu Xichen, set the cup on the bone platform beside him, and produced a grayish-white inscription slate that faintly pulsed with sinister light, handing it to Gu Xichen.

“I accept this disciple of yours. This contains some introductory methods for guiding Qi and gathering energy, along with several practical spells. You can occupy yourself with them when you have time.”

Gu Xichen accepted the inscription slate and tucked it into his Qiankun Pouch (.16.\m 1|6|Official Site Four Dishes and One Nap Upload).

On the journey over, Siren had already explained the agreement he struck with Gu Xichen to Aredia. Thus, when the Corpse Emperor called for them to kowtow as disciples, both followed Gu Xichen’s lead, performing nine deep bows and offering a cup of Blood Luo tea, thereby becoming disciples of the Corpse Emperor as well. Henceforth, should anyone seek to cause them trouble while traveling, they would have to consider not only their status as Jieshi (Realm Warriors) but also the immense evil power standing behind them: the Corpse Emperor. The Corpse Emperor clapped his hands and laughed heartily, looking at Siren and Aredia. “Today, I have gained three excellent disciples. This is truly cause for joy, cause for great joy!”

With a flip of his hand, the Corpse Emperor retrieved a strangely shaped bronze sword from his sleeve and presented it to Siren. Ancient Chinese bronze swords were typically thick and heavy, but this one was long and slender, perfectly suited to Siren, who was accustomed to Western rapiers. This four-foot-eight-inch-long rapier was thin as paper, only about the width of a common little finger, its blade densely patterned with mottled, cracked turtle shell markings. The entire sword exuded a profound coldness, clearly marking it as no ordinary weapon.

Siren grasped the sword with delight. He swung it lightly, feeling that its length and weight were perfectly balanced to his desires. Injecting a mere fraction of his inner strength into the blade, he saw a meter-long sword-qi whistle out from the tip, possessing truly astonishing power. However, in the next instant, cold sweat poured down Siren’s body. How did the Corpse Emperor know he favored the rapier? And how did he prepare such a divine weapon in advance!

Gu Xichen’s mouth twitched. He glanced at the stiffened Siren and chuckled, “Master, does this sword have a name?”

The Corpse Emperor smiled and shook his head. “This sword has no name. I acquired it three centuries ago while excavating an ancient tomb in West Kunlun. The sword is too light, and my sect members favor heavy halberds and great axes, so no one ever used it until its true master appeared today.”

Interrupted by Gu Xichen, Siren snapped back to awareness and quickly bowed to thank the Corpse Emperor.

The Corpse Emperor chuckled a few times, then pulled a fist-sized, entirely crimson orb from his sleeve.

The temperature in the flower hall suddenly spiked dramatically. The two young girls, Yuehua and Yueling, shriveled under the intense heat and swiftly transformed into two gusts of wind, rushing out the door. The Corpse Emperor handed the orb to Aredia with a smile. “This pearl also has a history. According to our sect’s records, it was left by my ancestor six generations back. It is the Inner Elixir of a fire Jiao that was about to undergo its tribulation to become a dragon. Great-Grandfather Ancestor sneak-attacked and killed the Jiao, taking all its essence blood. Only this single elixir remains, containing pure Yang fire energy that conflicts with our Nine Nether Dao cultivation techniques, which is why it has been kept until now!”