Gu Yuru and Blackjack returned to the Thirteen Migrations, bearing Gu Xichen's 'goodwill' and 'blessings.' Gu Xichen had specifically instructed Gu Yuru to give Gu Juechen a thorough report on the alliance concluded with the Three Kingdoms, emphasizing the importance of the arms procurement bidding process.

The Corpse Emperor also adopted the solemn demeanor expected of an elder, kindly advising Gu Yuru that Lord Dry Bone was greatly displeased with Gu Juechen's decision to join the Church, and that the Evil Bone Cave had already expelled Gu Juechen. The Corpse Emperor warmly described Lord Dry Bone's vindictive nature and petty mind to Gu Yuru. Unluckily for Gu Juechen, Lord Dry Bone had already attained the Void Realm cultivation.

Gu Yuru turned ashen with fright, and embarked on his journey back, burdened with anxiety.

He knew Gu Xichen would not completely destroy the Gu family; at most, he would bankrupt Gu Juechen. Even so, Gu Xichen would still have to provide for the Gu family, ensuring their food, drink, and necessities were met. But Lord Dry Bone—who knew what that old man was thinking? Gu Juechen’s alliance with the Church was an absolute betrayal of the Evil Bone Cave; it would be strange if Lord Dry Bone didn't seek trouble with him.

"Your Holiness, you are too cruel!" Standing beside the Corpse Emperor with his hands clasped behind his back, Gu Xichen shook his head repeatedly as he watched Gu Yuru stagger onto the battleship.

"I am venting your anger for you. That elder brother of yours is completely useless!" The Corpse Emperor sneered, "What kind of place is the Evil Bone Cave? He has already taken a master, yet he dares to betray the sect—he will suffer for this! If it weren't for your face, and the provision of Void Breaking Pills, Spirit Artifacts, and Immortal Artifacts, Old Dry Bone would have already dispatched the Evil Bone Guards, the most formidable force in the Evil Bone Cave!"

Gu Xichen sighed, shaking his head, "Greed has blinded him; he only saw the power of Citz, never considering... Heh, I must trouble my Master to handle the situation."

The Corpse Emperor waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing major. That boy Gu Juechen is only worth a few Spirit Artifacts. I'll send Old Dry Bone a few Spirit Artifacts later, and the matter will be settled."

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye approached, examining Gu Xichen from head to toe, their astonishment growing with every glance. After a full quarter of an hour, which made Gu Xichen's skin crawl, Daoist Baishui finally laughed dryly, "What is your cultivation level? Don't try to fool this old Taoist. I am old, but my eyes are the Fiery Eyes of Truth!"

Daoist Hanhye nodded repeatedly, pulling out a palm-sized, begonia-shaped bronze mirror and shining it wildly onto Gu Xichen. A beam of green light, as thick as a fist, shot out from the mirror, striking Gu Xichen directly. However, the Grand Yin Robe suddenly produced a sound like surging waves, and a vast expanse of water rolled out from beneath it, shattering the green light into fragments that scattered like falling petals. Daoist Hanhye, holding the mirror, gasped and rapidly retreated two steps, his eyes wide open.

The Corpse Emperor winked triumphantly at the two old Taoists and roared to the sky, "Disciple, tell these stubborn old priests what your current cultivation is!"

Gu Xichen chuckled lightly, no longer concealing his power, and fully unleashed the aura of his Void Realm cultivation. In an instant, a vast, multicolored torrent of energy surged up from above his head, reaching thousands of feet high. The winds and clouds around Mount Wu churned, and the river below Mount Wu shot skyward, transforming into dozens of white dragons dancing across the heavens. Within the spray and mist, the Golden-Scaled Great Carp, which the Corpse Emperor's palace had stocked a century ago, flew through the air, soaring like golden dragons, a sight of profound wonder.

"Void Realm!" Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye stared at Gu Xichen as if they had seen a ghost.

Gu Xichen chuckled, and the Grand Yin Robe spewed out several beams of white light from the Ancient Grand Yin Divine Lotus. The moisture in all the lakes and rivers within a radius of ten thousand li surged intensely, and the surrounding water vapor seemed to dance in the air in time with Gu Xichen's laughter, creating an overwhelming spectacle. Furthermore, a grand, desolate, primeval aura surged out from within Gu Xichen. The ancient flavor unique to the Great Wilderness Scripture shocked Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye into exclaiming, and they instinctively floated back nearly a hundred zhang.

Mount Zhongnan, the ancestral home of Taoism on the Nine Provinces Continent; Mount Kunlun, the orthodox heartland of Taoism in China. Daoist Hanhye and Daoist Baishui possessed the highest level of insight and experience in the mortal realm, and both immediately discerned that Gu Xichen's aura contained something incredibly mysterious. After hesitating for a long moment, the two old Taoists looked at each other and asked in unison in hushed tones, "Congenital Body?"

Gu Xichen looked at the two elders with great surprise and nodded repeatedly, "Your seniors have sharp eyes!"

"Ah!" Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye sighed to each other, "This child has immense fortune."

After a pause, Daoist Baishui quickly inquired, "How did you obtain it?" As soon as the question left his lips, Daoist Baishui smiled self-deprecatingly, shook his head vigorously, and laughed toward the Corpse Emperor, "This old Taoist has been rude!"

The Corpse Emperor smiled and looked toward Gu Xichen.

After a period of silence, Gu Xichen concealed the existence of the Primordial True Canon but recounted his fortuitous encounter in the subspace, focusing on the cosmic changes resulting from the collision between a supernova and a black hole. To prove his account, Gu Xichen also presented several pieces of Congenital Material to the three of them.

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye were nearly frantic. They stared at the Congenital Materials in their hands for a long time before managing to speak with difficulty, "It truly is a creation of heaven and earth. Such great luck—and you didn't die?"

The Corpse Emperor also shook his head repeatedly. He could only envy Gu Xichen's incredible fortune; it was impossible to replicate. Setting aside the fact that no one could currently toss a supernova into a black hole, even if someone possessed such immense divine power to accomplish such a feat, how could they guarantee survival amidst the ensuing cosmic upheaval? While a Congenital Body is marvelous, life itself is more important.

After a moment of silence, Daoist Baishui smiled, "My youngest sealed disciple, Daoist Zhengyi, is just about to descend the mountain for experience; perhaps he should accompany Nephew Gu."

Daoist Hanhye was more direct: "Little Zhang and Nephew Gu are old friends, and he and Ruhua are sworn brothers who have faced life and death together. It's not too much to let him stay by your side to gain some advantage, is it?"

Gu Xichen's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled, nodding repeatedly, "Not too much, not too much, it should be so!"

Come, come. It would be best if the sealed disciples of all the major masters from both the righteous and demonic paths of the Dao Alliance followed him around. If this force were united, Gu Xichen would truly be invincible.

After some lighthearted banter, Gu Xichen beckoned to Fuyamei, who was standing nearby.

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye had already noticed Fuyamei, as the aura she exuded was not one possessed by ordinary people. According to ancient physiognomy, Fuyamei carried the legendary True Dragon Qi. However, what puzzled the two old Taoists was why this young girl possessed True Dragon Qi. Could she possibly be a reigning monarch?

The Corpse Emperor recognized Fuyamei. He nodded frankly toward her and smiled, "Excellent, truly a worthy match for Xichen. Well, I shall accept you as a disciple today."

Under Gu Xichen's guidance, Fuyamei clearly called the Corpse Emperor 'Venerable Master' and performed the formal rite of discipleship cleanly and efficiently.

The moment Fuyamei performed this rite, Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye became truly jealous. At that instant, the two old Taoists clearly saw that a certain kind of fortune, visible only to those who had reached a specific realm and possessed a certain secret art, had suddenly intensified manifold on the Corpse Emperor! Even Mount Wu, where the Corpse Emperor's palace was situated, seemed to transform from stubborn rock into fine jade, suffused with an extraordinary, mysterious aura.

The two old Taoists immediately understood: Fuyamei was truly a monarch, and by becoming the Corpse Emperor's disciple, the fortune of her nation became intrinsically linked with the Nine Nether Path and the Corpse Emperor. How vast is the fortune of an entire nation? Naturally, the fortunes of the Corpse Emperor and the Nine Nether Path soared!

But what baffled the two elders the most was this: according to the prohibitions of the cultivation world in the Hua Kingdom, mortal emperors have limited lifespans. Accepting such a person as a disciple disrupts the rules of heaven and earth, and the master is certain to incur heavenly retribution. Yet, the Corpse Emperor was not struck by lightning; instead, his fortune grew immensely. This was simply against all reason.

They did not know that the situation on the Star Alliance was different from Earth. Ordinary humans on Earth currently have a lifespan of only about 150 years; an emperor in ancient times reaching 60 years was considered remarkable. Teaching these emperors the arts of longevity indeed violated the rules of heaven and earth. However, the emperors within the Star Alliance had already solved the problem of longevity using gene technology. If nothing unexpected occurred, lifespans of several thousand years were commonplace, and even tens of thousands of years were theoretically achievable.

Cultivators on Earth who managed to form a Golden Core only gained about a thousand years of life, which was less than the lifespan of an ordinary citizen in the Star Alliance. In this context, Fuyamei becoming the Corpse Emperor's disciple changed nothing about the rules of heaven and earth, so what retribution could possibly descend?

Utterly bewildered, Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye pressed the Corpse Emperor for details. The Corpse Emperor proudly explained Fuyamei's origins, causing the two old Taoists' eyes to turn bloodshot with envy!

For cultivators, besides pursuing personal strength, a core responsibility and obligation ingrained in their very being is to bring glory to their lineage. Here they were: Kunlun and Zhongnan were still in the dark, while the Corpse Emperor had accepted a disciple from an alien race. According to the Corpse Emperor, the Yafike Kingdom possessed immense potential, and with the support of the Nine Nether Path, it was certain to develop into a colossal power within a few centuries. At that time, if Fuyamei decided to establish the Nine Nether Path as the state religion, the glory of the Nine Nether Path would become incomparable.

The thought that billions or hundreds of billions of citizens of the Yafike Kingdom, which would develop into a five-star or even six-star civilization, would all become devout followers of the Nine Nether Path—that magnificent vision almost made the two elders' hearts leap out of their chests. The Earth Federation, at best, has thirty billion people, and how many of them are Taoist believers? They still have to compete for followers with other Taoist lineages like Buddhism and the Witch Sect, and the Taoist system itself has dozens of branches. Even if all thirty billion people were religious, how many believers would that truly yield?

But if they could accept a king as a disciple... Ah...

The eyes of Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye darted around; their ideas began to stir.

However, the key to this matter still lay with Gu Xichen. Even if Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye wanted to expand their influence in the Star Alliance, they needed someone to show them the way, didn't they?

The two old Taoists peered intensely at Gu Xichen, wondering why such a fine disciple wasn't theirs. Sigh, if they had known the situation today, being a householder Taoist wouldn't have been so bad; if they had a daughter, marrying her to Gu Xichen would have been excellent too. A disciple with such formidable luck was no ordinary person. Look at how much benefit the entire Dao Alliance gained after the Nine Nether Path acquired Gu Xichen!

The moment they recalled the few legendary Immortal Artifacts contained within their treasure pouches, the two elders let out a long sigh simultaneously.

The Corpse Emperor was secretly delighted. He clapped the two elders on the shoulders and roared with laughter, "Hey, we are all old friends! Isn't Xichen practically half your disciple too?"

The two elders snorted, tilting their noses. Such shameless words could come from the Corpse Emperor, but they could not listen to them. A disciple was someone else's disciple, and they were very clear on that point.

Jin, standing nearby, grew discontented. Seeing Fuyamei become the Corpse Emperor's disciple brought her one step closer to Gu Xichen! After pondering for a moment, she rushed forward and kowtowed at the Corpse Emperor's feet: "Old Zombie Master, I have heard of your great name for a long time. You cannot show favoritism; you must also take me as your disciple!"

To tell the truth, Jin’s bone structure and aptitude were indeed excellent, even better than Fuyamei's before she began cultivating the Primordial True Canon. The Corpse Emperor was in a good mood today, and seeing that Jin was a friend of Gu Xichen, and also a friend of Fuyamei—he found the young girl rather pleasing; she looked quite similar to his other disciple, Siren. Thus, the Corpse Emperor readily accepted Jin.

Accepting this disciple had an immediate effect: the fortunes of the Corpse Emperor and the Nine Nether Path surged again by a massive margin. Before, the fortunes of the Corpse Emperor and the Nine Nether Path had been as vigorous as a steel refining furnace. After Jin kowtowed a few times, this fortune was like dropping a thermobaric bomb into that furnace, sending fiery steel splashes flying everywhere.

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye were nearly driven mad by jealousy. They called out hoarsely, "Girl, what is your family background?"

Jin obediently introduced her family and origins. The hands of Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye trembled. Good heavens, all the good disciples were being monopolized by that old zombie, the Corpse Emperor!

The Broken Hook Raiders, the second-ranked pirate organization in the Star Alliance. Although Jin's family profession was somewhat illicit, and they lacked a founded nation or fixed territory, the true power of the Broken Hook Raiders far surpassed that of the Yafike Kingdom or even an ordinary five-star civilization. The Broken Hook Raiders directly controlled hundreds of low-level one-star and two-star civilizations, acting as their supreme overlords—this level of strength was terrifying. No wonder the fortunes of the Corpse Emperor and the Nine Nether Path were soaring so wildly!

One-star civilizations, despite their low technological level, often possessed populations several, tens, or even hundreds of times greater than higher-level civilizations. A one-star civilization existing in a feudal period might still have over a billion people.

The Broken Hook Raiders controlled hundreds of such civilizations! How vast was that population?

Feudal emperors were the most superstitious. If the Broken Hook Raiders ordered them to establish the Nine Nether Path as the state religion, the influence of the Nine Nether Path...

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye gasped again. The Nine Nether Path might potentially command hundreds of billions of followers. This... this...

This was utterly outrageous and unjust!

With hundreds of billions of followers, even if only one in a hundred thousand were suitable for cultivation, the Nine Nether Path could acquire millions of disciples. Especially since the techniques practiced by the Nine Nether Path were sinister and mysterious, root aptitude was not always the decisive factor for a Nine Nether Path disciple's future. As long as one was ruthless enough, with such a large following, the Nine Nether Path could suppress the entire Dao Alliance within a mere century!

Jealousy, naked jealousy, Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye each gripped an arm of the Corpse Emperor, their eyes blazing with rolling fire.

"Uh, this time, it was truly unexpected!" The Corpse Emperor was also stunned. He never imagined that this young girl Jin possessed such terrifying potential backing her.

Hundreds of one-star and two-star civilizations! If not for fear of attracting the attention of certain special departments within the Star Alliance, the Broken Hook Raiders could have controlled even more civilizations. How many followers, how many disciples, how much resource was that? The thought of hundreds of billions of followers responding to a single call, commanding oceans to shift and mountains to change at a wave of his hand—that magnificent scene made even the Corpse Emperor feel a bit lightheaded.

Fortunately, Gu Xichen noticed that the expressions of Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye were turning strange; their faces were flushing and paling intermittently, on the verge of suffering Qi Deviation.

Kicking the Corpse Emperor sharply on the shin, Gu Xichen hissed under his breath, "Master, snap out of it!"

The Corpse Emperor started, hurriedly wiped a drop of saliva from the corner of his mouth, and gave a dry laugh, "Ah, a lapse in composure, a lapse in composure! Good disciple, good disciple!" The Corpse Emperor chuckled and patted Jin's head heartily. Then, thinking he couldn't slight the other, he quickly rubbed Fuyamei's head as well. He was genuinely happy, truly overjoyed! A Queen disciple, a Great Pirate disciple—he would welcome any number of such disciples!

"Pity, pity!" Looking at Jin and Fuyamei, the Corpse Emperor could only sigh repeatedly. These two beautiful, blooming flowers—he truly could not bear to turn them into zombies. Otherwise, the Corpse Emperor would willingly pass on his unique cultivation methods to them without reservation.

Gu Xichen saw the Corpse Emperor about to drift off again and grit his teeth, kicking the Corpse Emperor with all his might.

The Corpse Emperor cried out, "Ouch!" feeling a sharp pain where he was kicked, and glared viciously at Gu Xichen.

Gu Xichen jerked his mouth toward Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye, and the Corpse Emperor finally understood.

"Oh my, Daoist friends, what is wrong with you? Huh? Qi Deviation? Quickly, come here, wake up!" The Corpse Emperor recognized the danger the moment he saw the faces of Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye and yelled at them urgently. In his panic, the Corpse Emperor's zombie nature flared up, and he delivered a brutally forceful punch to each of their faces.

With two dull thuds, the two old Taoists were jolted awake. They quickly suppressed the inner demons and seized the Corpse Emperor, looking at him pitifully.

"Old Zombie, how many years of friendship do we have?"

"Old Zombie, do you remember when you first crawled out of your coffin and were nearly subdued by demon hunters? It was my master who spoke up for you!"

"Old Zombie, do you remember when you endured your first Heavenly Thunder Tribulation? We guarded the Dharma for you."

"Old Zombie, do you remember when you underwent the Tribulation of Mortal Love, infatuated with a woman on the Qinhuai River..."

The Corpse Emperor's old face changed, and he slapped his hands over the mouths of Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye, angrily shouting at Gu Xichen, Ruhua, Siren, Fuyamei, Jin, and the other disciples, whose ears had stretched out several inches, "What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you crowding so close? Is there anything good to hear?"

Gu Xichen coughed lightly and subtly pulled Fuyamei closer.

The Corpse Emperor's disciples obediently lowered their heads, diligently studying the ground beneath their feet, looking for differences between it and the rest of Mount Wu.

The Corpse Emperor managed a few dry laughs, glared viciously at Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye, and sneered, "You have the nerve to mention that river? Heh, heh, heh... Cuiping... Handai... Hmm..."

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye's expressions shifted drastically. They fiercely bit down hard on the Corpse Emperor's fingers. Being Grand Masters of the Void Realm themselves, their teeth were exceptionally strong, and even the Corpse Emperor's incredibly tough flesh split open, leaving hideous wounds.

After a prolonged struggle, they ground out through clenched teeth, "We are old; let us forget the matters of the past."

After a pause, the Corpse Emperor laughed dryly, "My disciples are your disciples too! How about this: let us not distinguish between us. From now on, our three sects will join forces and conquer a vast domain in the Star Alliance!"

Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye applauded in unison, laughing loudly and agreeing heartily.

Gu Xichen nodded secretly. These three were certainly not modest; they intended to hog the entire pie that was the Star Alliance.

However, on the Thirteenth Connected Star, Ducat and Lily were still waiting for the Corpse Emperor.

He wondered how Daoist Baishui and Daoist Hanhye would react if they saw Lily's Congenital Green Wood Body!

It was something to look forward to!