…Hu Bingchen jumped nearly three feet high. He roared, “Quick! Go! Advance at full speed! Gang, Uncle, where are you?”

Penghua leaped fully thirty feet high, his head striking the ceiling of the command module with a loud clang. He bellowed, “Damn those two bald thieves! They have the purple Christal Spheres? Agh, they didn't leak a single word! What kind of brotherhood is that? Ouch, if I had known they possessed those, I could have borrowed one first! Why bother troubling the Master himself?”

The mustachioed commander couldn't be bothered with Penghua’s grumbling complaints and urgently stated, “We are at your residence in Paris, hurry!” He then cut the communication.

The rapid assault cruiser sped toward Paris at its maximum velocity. Barely half an hour later, the small warship descended upon Gu Xichen’s estate by the Seine River, crushing a large expanse of flowers and plants.

The viewport of the ship was violently shattered, and a plume of cold, eerie white flame jetted out several meters. Gu Xichen and Penghua transformed into twin blurs, diving straight into the estate. Penghua was shouting throughout, “Where are those two disloyal baldies? Ouch, purple Christal Spheres! They kept their mouths shut tight. They wouldn't even let us see such a rare treasure!”

Prajna and Mohe were deep within the estate’s basement.

At Gu Xichen’s request, during the more than month he had been away on the Third Colony Planet, the basement had been converted into a three-tiered underground base. The two brothers sat cross-legged in the hangar bay on the lowest level. Over a dozen heavy combat vehicles were positioned far from them, their main cannons aimed squarely at the brothers’ bodies. Should they fail to integrate the Christal Spheres and instead fall under the residual will of the Christal People, these vehicles were set to open fire instantly to eliminate them.

Uncle Big Mustache and the other high-ranking executives of the defense corporation stood anxiously by the warehouse door, frantically sending curses toward the mothers of the two brothers.

The round Linghu squatted on the ground, sighing miserably, “A zero-point-three percent survival rate! A zero-point-three percent survival rate! You two foolish bald asses, is this something you play games with? You are gambling with your lives! Oh, what foolishness has possessed your mad monk of a father to send you on such a dangerous errand!”

Gu Xichen rushed to the warehouse entrance. The mustachioed commander immediately handed him a folded letter.

The handwriting on the paper was neat, rounded, possessing a sense of radiant clarity, like pearls and jade. Clearly, this script belonged to Prajna. If the letter had been left by Mohe, the writing would undoubtedly have been wild, sweeping, and filled with killing intent.

The letter explained the origin of the two Christal Spheres (for details, please refer to the side story Life, Death, and Illusion). It stated that due to a series of incredible fortunes, the brothers had reached the state described in their father’s will: “The vital energies of life and death perpetually flowing, the thirteen meridians revolving ceaselessly.” Thus, they dared to integrate the Christal Spheres.

Both brothers were proud individuals. During their time with the Hell’s Angels Mercenary Group, they had always been indomitable and suffered no losses. However, the battle on Heaven Star—the appearance of powerhouses like Lieutenant Blade, Siren, Aredia, and Dulu—had completely shattered their arrogance. Yet, it had also ignited the untamable ambition in their bloodline: the drive to contend with the heavens themselves. Having finally met the requirements set forth in their father’s will, they immediately began the Christal Integration without delay.

“Either become the contemporary strongest, or proceed to the Western Paradise to meet my Buddha. Nothing else!”

This was the final sentence in Prajna’s letter.

Gu Xichen was so angry he nearly laughed. For such an absurd reason, the brothers went to integrate the purple Christal Spheres?

Only those who had experienced Christal Integration knew what a terrifying ordeal it was. If Gu Xichen hadn't had the Primordial Dao Fetus as his anchor, he would have long since been taken over by the black Christal Person. For ordinary people undergoing Christal Integration, the survival rate was only three in a thousand. Even if the brothers were far stronger than ordinary men, what were their actual chances of survival?

“I would rather you never advance an inch in cultivation your entire lives than have you fall into a life-or-death crisis!”

Gu Xichen said in a deep voice, “You only know that Boundary Masters are the contemporary powerhouses, but you don't know that above them stand the Daoists—those non-human entities! Prajna, Mohe, you two stubborn donkeys!”

After roaring the insult, Gu Xichen strode into the warehouse. A few soldiers standing by the heavy combat vehicles tried to stop him, but he kicked them flying one by one.

Prajna and Mohe sat cross-legged in the center of the warehouse. Their bodies emitted dazzling purple light, their hands clasped tightly together. The vital energies of life and death flowed ceaselessly within them, while thirteen purple halos spun rapidly above their heads, chest, dantian, shoulders, elbows, groin, knees, and feet.

The brothers’ muscular frames swelled grotesquely, like pigs. Immense energy rampaged inside them, stretching their skin, muscles, meridians, and even their bones until they expanded. This was energy they could neither fully control nor absorb. If anyone were to poke them lightly with a fine needle, they would explode instantly.

Hearing Gu Xichen’s footsteps, the brothers opened their eyes simultaneously. The left eye of each brother retained a sliver of clarity. In Prajna’s left pupil, a white Swastika Buddhist Seal spun rapidly; in Mohe’s pupil, there was a gray inverted Swastika Buddhist Seal. However, both of their right eyes had turned the icy, merciless purple of amethyst, staring fixedly at Gu Xichen. A wave of madness, harrowing killing intent, and ancient resentment shot out from those pupils.

Gradually, even their remaining clear eyes began to take on tinges of purple, clearly indicating that their consciousness was being eroded by the residual will within the Christal Spheres.

Gu Xichen inwardly cursed the bad luck, but faced with this situation, he was completely helpless.

Just as he was at a loss, the five Xin Jia brothers, without being summoned, transformed into a stream of purple light and surged forth. The brothers cupped their hands toward Gu Xichen and spoke in unison, “Exalted One, is there some matter causing you difficulty?”

Without a word, Gu Xichen pointed toward the two brothers, Prajna and Mohe.

The five Xin Jia brothers glanced over and roared together, “What demon dares to forcibly seize human flesh!”

Without Gu Xichen needing to say another word, the five brothers took up positions corresponding to the Five Elements in the Five Elements Transformation Array, slowly revolving around Prajna and Mohe. The elemental lights of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth surged up from beneath the ground, causing the warehouse to tremble faintly.

If someone skilled in Qi observation were looking down from high above Paris, they would see the five-element spiritual energy for thousands of miles around Paris swirling and surging toward the Seine. These vast currents of energy, roaring like five giant dragons, eventually flowed into Gu Xichen’s mansion, absorbed into the bodies of the five Xin Jia brothers. As the five brothers’ subtle ascension occurred, a Heavenly Well constantly formed, gradually merging into Prajna and Mohe’s bodies.

The Innate Qi continuously strengthened the brothers’ physical forms, slowly integrating into their life-and-death energies and imbuing them with a trace of innate creation and innate destruction power. This trace was infinitesimally small, but like a seed dropped into the earth, it was destined to grow into a towering tree.

The brothers’ bodies grew stronger and stronger; the vast energy contained within the Christal Spheres no longer burdened their forms. Gradually, their physical conditions returned to normal, though a faint white light and gray mist undulated subtly beneath their skin—a light utterly different from before. The white light was soft and agile, while the gray mist was ethereal and drifting. The two streams of energy converged in their palms, gradually forming a hazy chaos.

The five-colored currents of Qi steamed upward, merging above the brothers’ heads into a small purple cloud cap, within which faint lightning flickered.

At a sharp cry from Xin Jia, ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine extremely fine streaks of lightning, thinner than a single strand of hair, rained down continuously from the cloud cap, striking precisely upon the vital acupoints surrounding the brothers. With every bolt that struck them, the purple hue in their right eyes dimmed by a fraction. With every flash, while their bodies convulsed, the Swastika Seal and the Inverted Swastika Seal in their left pupils grew distinctly brighter.

This lightning was incomparably miraculous. The residual will of the Christal People, trapped within the crystal sphere, was pulverized by the light, slowly transforming into primal soul power that the brothers swallowed, gradually amplifying their strength.

It took a full three days and three nights before the brothers completely absorbed the immense energy that had invaded their bodies, and the Christal Person’s consciousness lingering in the spheres was converted into vast mental power and absorbed as well.

Prajna and Mohe, enveloped in a divine radiance, rose simultaneously and bowed respectfully to Gu Xichen with hands clasped. They knew perfectly well that without Gu Xichen, they would undoubtedly have perished!

A stream of white light surged up from behind Prajna’s head, forming an illusion of the Medicine Master King Buddha behind him.

A current of gray Qi surged up from behind Mohe’s head, forming an illusion of the Sixteen-Armed Shiva behind him.

A surging wave of energy expanded from their bodies, pushing the heavy combat vehicles around the warehouse until they lost footing, scraping loudly as they were forced backward.

A white light shot from Prajna’s brow, and he laughed joyfully, “One leaf of Bodhi, one grain of Bodhi, one mind of Bodhi. Wherever I go, it is Bodhi!”

Hundreds of tender Bodhi saplings sprouted from the white light. The warehouse floor transformed into a pool of clear water, where golden lotuses bloomed. The Bodhi saplings rooted themselves in this crystalline lake, filling the air with a rich fragrance of blossoms and trees. Gu Xichen felt his spirit instantly invigorated, a surge of potent energy rising from his limbs, a warmth circulating within him, as if he possessed endless vigor. Even Uncle Big Mustache and the others standing by the doorway stood taller by several inches, their faces ruddy, looking as if they might bleed from their pores.

Mohe, however, threw his head back and roared with laughter, “Mortals can be killed, beasts can be killed, ants can be killed—all sentient beings can be killed! The Buddhas and Gods across the heavens can all be killed, you old bastard! You’re dead and gone, so why do you ramble on? You almost killed us brothers; aren’t you afraid of having no descendants?”

As Mohe cursed wildly, a sea of blood rose from the floor, pungent and foul. The faint sounds of billions of heroes fighting, the clang of weapons striking armor, the death cries of warhorses, and the painful wails of countless living beings drifted into everyone’s ears. A burning killing intent flooded everyone’s hearts, including Gu Xichen’s, making them suddenly wish to slay every living thing under heaven.

“Duo!” Prajna shouted loudly, startling everyone out of their murderous frenzy. The clear pool water swelled into high waves that crashed down upon Gu Xichen and the others.

A cooling essence flowed through Gu Xichen’s body, and he instantly sobered up.

Prajna smiled, hands clasped, “The Domain I have attained is the Pure Land of Bodhi Forest, the Eight Treasures Golden Lotus Pond. Entering my Domain small wards off the influence of inner demons and rapidly heals all internal and external toxic injuries!”

Uncle Big Mustache laughed, shouting excitedly, “Good! This damn thing will save us so much on medical bills!”

Prajna’s face twitched violently, and he offered a helpless, dry laugh.

Mohe suddenly puffed out his chest and bellowed, “My Domain is the boundless Sea of Blood, the Ultimate Hell. Hmm, the more people I kill, the stronger its power becomes. I estimate that for every ten billion people I personally eliminate, a single drop of blood in my Sea of Blood could poison ten thousand people!”

Gu Xichen affectionately slapped Mohe on the shoulder, “So, that means it’s more powerful than a nuclear warhead? In the future, if possible, we should load you onto a missile and launch you at the Romanians’ main base!”

Mohe immediately shut up and hastily retracted his Sea of Blood Hell.

Linghu, however, walked thoughtfully over to Prajna and Mohe, then looked up at Xin Jia and the others. He frowned in thought for a moment before cautiously musing, “Uncle Mustache, according to common sense, Prajna and Mohe shouldn't have survived this. But they lived through it successfully, and they activated their Domains without consuming a single Christal Energy Crystal. Look, perhaps…”

Gu Xichen’s eyes lit up. He grabbed Xin Jia’s arm, “Xin Jia, do you have a way to help those undergoing Christal Integration?”

Xin Jia nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, saying dismissively, “If the situation is like the one just now, as long as the Five Elements Transformation Array is established, and there is sufficient Five Elements spiritual energy—we could help ten thousand people integrate successfully!”

Two cold beams shot from Gu Xichen’s eyes, and he clapped his hands forcefully.

Two brilliant golden lights erupted from the eyes of the mustachioed commander, and he practically flew toward Xin Jia.

“Oh, good brother Xin Jia, you can truly help people through the Christal Integration ritual?”

After receiving Xin Jia’s affirmative reply, the commander looked earnestly toward Gu Xichen.

“My dear Xielong, there are two months until the decennial joint hunt between the Earth Federation and the Roman Kingdom. Both sides will dispatch specialized hunting vessels to Pluto to hunt Christal People! Don’t you think our company is still a bit too weak?”

Gu Xichen’s eyes shone brilliantly, and he roared an order:

All warriors present were immediately detained by the senior executives of the defense corporation!

Joint hunt? Gu Xichen’s heart itched and burned, so fiercely it felt like it might split open. Reminder: Mid-session break.

May 1st, Eleventh Explosion.

Where are the monthly tickets? (To be continued)