Ye Chen followed Pangu and Nuwa into the sky. Before even approaching the immense surge of energy, he spotted the strange, sable-clad youth. Ye Chen’s gaze narrowed slightly; a sensation like being scoured by a biting gale swept over him, the hairs on his spine bristling like quills, and his heartbeat quickened instinctively.

Pangu’s eyes were wide with shock, though he recovered quickly. He surged upward, positioning himself before the sable-clad youth, bowing slightly with profound respect. “May I ask your esteemed identity…?”

The sable-clad youth glanced at him coldly from the corner of his eye, his feather-like black eyebrows furrowing slightly, suggesting displeasure. He did not speak, but merely raised a hand and lightly brushed his forehead. Ten resonant string-like notes instantly rang out, the pitch abruptly ascending from the first sound, like climbing a sheer cliff, sounding ten times in quick succession.

Hearing these ten tones, Pangu’s expression shifted instantly. His pupils contracted, his look a mixture of indescribable shock and a flicker of elation. Snapping back to himself, he quickly lowered his head and spoke with a voice trembling slightly, utterly respectful, “Spirit Civilization Patriarch, Pangu, pays homage to the Ten Chambers True Man!”

“Hmph,” the sable-clad youth responded dismissively through his nose, then cast him a sidelong glance. “The world is now in utter chaos, the ‘U’ Project is initiated, and all living things across the globe will suffer devastation. I was closer to this place, so I rushed here ahead of time to help the Clan survive this catastrophe. The others will arrive shortly.”

Pangu’s face lit up with joy, and he asked eagerly, “Will all the other Progenitors be coming?”

“Mmm,” the sable-clad youth replied through his nose, then waved a hand and stated calmly, “Take me to see the strength of your high command.”

“Yes, yes!” Pangu immediately agreed, making a gesture for him to proceed, then turned and hurried back toward Ye Chen and the others, urgently commanding Nuwa, “Go quickly and summon the Clan’s high-ranking members! Everyone must be assembled!”

Nuwa looked up at the dark figure in the sky; the mist-like pools of her eyes became fiery and bright. She nodded seriously at once, then turned and sped away into the distance, vanishing in an instant.

“Ye Chen.” Pangu turned back to the bewildered Ye Chen. “You go wait in the Assembly Hall; we will follow shortly.”

Ye Chen hesitated, then asked him, “Ancestor, might I ask who this person is?”

“You will know when we return. Go now,” Pangu said, waving his hand hurriedly.

Noting his solemn and anxious demeanor, Ye Chen knew the matter was of the utmost importance. He ceased questioning, quickly turning back toward the Clan’s Assembly Hall. Upon entering, he found the hall vast and empty, save for guards standing solemnly along the sides, sharp swords sheathed at their waists.

Ye Chen chose a seat and sat down casually. In his mind, he replayed the name Pangu had uttered: “Ten Chambers True Man.” Recalling the individual’s chilling, noble aura, reminiscent of a colossal, icy python, he frowned deeply. “This person’s aura completely surpasses Pangu, perhaps even the Ten Hall Masters. Could this be the one who created the Origin Creation Lotus Platform that nurtured Progenitor Pangu?”

As he pondered, sudden streaks of sound tore through the air from outside. Ye Chen looked up to see figures descending from the sky, landing just outside the Assembly Hall. They entered in small groups, conversing amongst themselves.

Upon seeing Ye Chen seated in the honored position, these arrivals were all somewhat surprised, and their murmuring subsided. They each took their places below. One bold, slightly plump middle-aged man, dressed in a crisp suit and a vibrant red tie, approached Ye Chen with a gentle, warm smile, his eyes full of anticipation and flattery, whispering, “Lord Ye Emperor, may I ask why Lady Nuwa has urgently summoned us?”

Ye Chen recognized him as the Minister of Commerce. He had no interest in conversation and responded with only three words: “I do not know.”

The plump man, rebuffed, showed no awkwardness in his smile. He accepted the answer naturally, as if that was precisely what he expected. With a relaxed, smiling expression, he returned to his seat, gazed out at the azure sky beyond the hall, a faint melancholy touching his brow.

Just then, more people arrived, appearing first as small black specks expanding rapidly in the distant sky, landing outside the hall and quickly entering. Among them were Ye Chen’s friend, Shao Hao, and the Five Emperors, including Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun. Finally, Fu Xi and the Yellow Emperor entered.

The moment they appeared outside the hall, all the quiet murmuring within ceased abruptly, as if severed by scissors. All eyes then turned to regard the two men—tall and imposing figures. Illuminated by the light slanting through the doorway, their auras were distinctly different. The Yellow Emperor carried an innate imperial majesty, noble and elegant, with a scholarly air, yet his eyebrows were honed like blades, filled with martial energy—a true overlord!

Fu Xi, however, wore simple coarse cloth, his physique rugged, like a man from the wilderness. Yet beneath his proud brow ridge, his narrow eyes shimmered with profound light, seeming to see through all worldly things, carrying a touch of sorrow and melancholy.

These two took their seats directly to the left and right of the three uppermost thrones; the central seat remained empty. At this moment, the light from the doorway was blocked by three dark silhouettes. Everyone turned to look as Nuwa entered, her figure graceful and lithe. The light reflected on her snow-white skin, making it glow brilliantly.

She lightly crossed the threshold, then turned back to make a subtle gesture of invitation. Everyone followed her gaze to the doorway, where a figure slowly walked in amidst a faint, shimmering seven-colored halo of light. This was the sable-clad man: his chest, held high in the air, was full and strong; his features were deeply sculpted with a straight nose, presenting a cruel, handsome visage. His chiseled jaw was tilted slightly upward, and his narrow eyes held a cool indifference and a hint of defiance.

As his foot crossed the threshold, everyone felt their hairs stand on end, suffocated, as if the person advancing was not human, but a ferocious beast. The inherent pressure radiating from him made their very bones groan audibly.

The Assembly Hall fell utterly silent, broken only by the sable-clad youth’s steady walk toward the highest seat. As he passed those seated on the left side of the assembly table, each person he drew near felt their blood vessels might explode, their breathing becoming uncontrollably ragged.

The sable-clad youth reached the seat, and Long Mu Ji was pulled backward by an invisible force, allowing him to sit down casually and naturally. His indifferent eyes held a trace of haughtiness as he surveyed the assembly.

The atmosphere in the hall seemed frozen by ice. Everyone felt their breath catching, finding it difficult to draw air, yearning to flee this oppressive space, yet their bodies remained fixed to their chairs, utterly unable to move.

A smile touched Nuwa’s lips as she walked to the side of the sable-clad youth. Her voice, crisp and gentle like the warm spring breeze, soothed the troubled hearts of the assembly. “Everyone, this is our new leader. You may simply call him ‘Ten Chambers True Man.’ From now on, the entire development of our Clan will be entrusted to Lord Ten Chambers True Man. Everyone, stand up now and salute the Ten Chambers True Man!”

A tremor ran through everyone, and they instinctively turned to look at Pangu beside them. Pangu smiled and nodded at them. “Nuwa speaks the truth. Everyone salute him. The Ten Chambers True Man is an Ancestor of our Clan, holding a seniority higher than mine. With the world in chaos, I no longer possess the strength to oversee the entire Spirit Civilization. Now that the Ten Chambers True Man has agreed to step forward, it is a great joy for our entire Clan!”

All present were deeply shaken, having not expected this sable-clad youth to hold seniority even above Pangu. Was Pangu not the founder of the Spirit Civilization? Everyone felt that matters were not as simple as they appeared; a massive secret seemed on the verge of unveiling before them.

No one present was oblivious to propriety; their minds worked faster than expected. Thus, while they pondered, they simultaneously rose with respectful smiles and saluted the sable-clad youth.

This included Ye Chen and Fu Xi. Although Ye Chen was astonished, having seen the expressions of Nuwa and Pangu, he had vaguely guessed something and was somewhat prepared. Fu Xi and the Yellow Emperor, however, were greatly surprised, turning to look at Nuwa, who signaled them with her eyes to salute quickly. They suppressed their doubts and stood up to return the gesture.

“Mmm,” the sable-clad youth responded faintly through his nose, then said calmly, “You may all sit down.”

Everyone quickly pulled out their chairs and sat down obediently.

The sable-clad youth swept his gaze over the crowd, then turned his head to look at Nuwa beside him, frowning. “Under your management, the Clan has only managed to produce this few capable individuals?”

Nuwa’s cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head in shame. “Reporting to the Ten Chambers True Man, in the ancient world, civilizations were numerous, and major powers were intricately intertwined. Resources were cornered by other factions, so we could only acquire meager amounts, thus…” As she spoke, her voice grew softer, nearly inaudible by the end.

Pangu beside her coughed awkwardly, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Ten Chambers True Man, grant me some time. I will redistribute the Clan’s resources, and I guarantee we can cultivate more God-Emperor level experts.”

“No need,” the Ten Chambers True Man said impatiently, waving his hand. “God-Emperor level strength will not even rank as ants in the coming battle; cultivating more is just creating dross. It seems I must take action myself. You have been here for a long time; you should know which region of the ancient continent has the richest resources?”

There is one more chapter coming. Old Gu is rushing his pace; tomorrow he has to return to his hometown to process his ID card, which requires taking a long-distance train. Damn bad luck! Updates for the next few days will be irregular, and I may even have to miss updates—it’s so agonizing (To be continued).