The old Taoist’s appearance was profoundly peculiar. He possessed a beauty so exquisite it rivaled that of a youthful maiden of sixteen or seventeen, yet beneath his jaw grew three wisps of translucent, willow-leaf beard—truly a handsome countenance. In his hand, he grasped a ruyi scepter carved from white jade. Hanging from the cloud-head of the ruyi was a small, delicate basket woven from bamboo strips, containing three or five slivers of purple zhi mushroom and a mound of vibrant, trembling peach blossoms. A refreshing aroma, carrying a faint hint of bitterness, drifted from the basket, instantly clearing the senses of all who smelled it.

The white jade ruyi held by the old Taoist tapped gently once upon the Five-Colored True Water, and fine fissures instantly cracked across the void, sucking the water clean away.

Not only Gu Xichen, but everyone witnessing the appearance of this elder was struck dumb.

Without a doubt, this Taoist possessed the majority of the characteristics of the Roman people: the long golden hair and beard, the devastatingly beautiful features, and the golden pupils. However, his height was less than one and a half meters. Compared to the average Roman male, who stood between two meters eighty and over three meters tall, his stature was utterly diminutive.

Even stranger was the fact that beneath the old Taoist’s skin lay dense magic patterns. However, these patterns were in constant motion. They were primarily black and white, a stark contrast to the fixed, golden patterns common among the Roman people. As the old Taoist’s markings flowed, they subtly traced the meaning of Taiji, giving an impression of ceaseless, unending circulation.

When Gu Xichen swept his divine sense toward the elder, he instinctively drew a sharp, cold breath.

A Void Realm expert, undeniably standing at the pinnacle of that realm. If Gu Xichen had not possessed various rare artifacts and the Thirty-Six Golden Armored Puppets serving as his frontline shock troops, he would have immediately rallied Peng Hua and the others and fled. There was no need to confront this old Taoist; the casual tearing of the void was an ability reserved for cultivators approaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage—the ability used to break through the void to ascend to the legendary Heavenly Court or the various worlds of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

However, the Thirty-Six Golden Armored Puppets had expended too much energy setting up the Grand Formation of Heavenly Thunder and Demon Smiting. Although the Golden Crow Heavenly Fire provided an inexhaustible energy source, excessive depletion required a recovery period.

Gu Xichen dared not risk whether overdrawing the Golden Crow Heavenly Fire would negatively affect the Golden Armored Puppets, but he was absolutely unwilling to take that chance.

These Golden Armored Puppets were his greatest assurance for traversing this cosmos and living life to the fullest; he would never allow them to suffer even the slightest risk.

After a few dry laughs, Gu Xichen made up his mind to adopt a defensive posture. He cupped his hands toward the elder with a smile. "Senior, this junior, Gu Xichen of the Nine Nethers Path, offers his respects."

The old Taoist smiled. He shook the ruyi in his hand and spoke first, "This humble Taoist is Yusheng. You should know my name."

With a wave of his hand, the Scarlet Dragon King, already near death from the piercing of the Grand Yin Thorn, was lifted out of the expanse of profound ice like a piece of rotten meat. The elder vigorously shook his wrist, and a stream of cyan energy swiftly circulated around the Dragon King. The catastrophic injuries immediately began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"After all these years, you all have grown increasingly inadequate," the old Taoist remarked, shaking his head as he looked at the Scarlet Dragon King.

The Scarlet Dragon King’s aged face paled yellow. He respectfully stood aside with his palms clasped.

The old Taoist regarded the praying Scarlet Dragon King with keen interest and smiled. "It seems the Buddha you cling to is inferior to the Dao Venerable I worship. The power of the Great Dao is the true source of strength in this universe. How about it? Submit to me. I am currently in need of a companion with potent vital energy. You could assist me with many experiments."

The Scarlet Dragon King’s complexion darkened. He chanted, "Namo Amitabha. I will remain loyal to my Buddha. You... you carry on. Just be sure not to let these whelps escape."

As if he had seen a ghost, the Scarlet Dragon King slapped his rear and fled, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

The old Taoist, Yusheng, sighed. He turned his gaze to Gu Xichen and shook his head regretfully. "They have strayed, but ultimately, they will comprehend the universe's ultimate mystery."

Gu Xichen frowned. He had no interest in hearing what mysteries Yusheng spoke of. Yusheng, the Scarlet Dragon King, the Night Walker, and the Mad Angel—these were the notorious Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness from the War of the Nine Threes. After suffering grievous losses at the hands of the Earth's Dark Alliance, they chose to worship and believe in the very forces that struck them hardest. However, they casually twisted and misinterpreted the doctrines they adopted, creating bizarre, unique tenets entirely their own.

According to the elders, masters, and predecessors of the Dao Alliance, these four were nothing more than cult fanatics. It was easy to imagine what Yusheng’s ‘ultimate mystery of the universe’ entailed—nothing more than a set of distorted, strange cultivation theories. Seeing how frantically the Scarlet Dragon King had bolted, it was clear this theory was something even he could not stomach.

Peng Hua, however, asked with curiosity, "Oh? Yusheng? I think I've heard your name. Uh, you cultivate the Dao? What kind of Dao do you practice?"

Yusheng’s vital spirit instantly surged. He explained enthusiastically, "I cultivate the ultimate Great Dao of the universe! The true path that engenders the myriad worlds and grants supreme divine abilities!"

"The saying goes: One gives rise to Two, Two gives rise to Three, and Three gives rise to all things."

"I believe that Taiji is One—the root of all things."

"And Two is the Yin and Yang energies. From Yin and Yang, the myriad heavens and earth are evolved!"

Gu Xichen secretly nodded. These statements were not incorrect; they generally aligned with the theories of certain Daoist sects.

But what Yusheng said next stunned Gu Xichen so thoroughly that he almost choked on his own saliva.

"Taiji is the root of everything, the beginning of all matter. We higher life forms, after entering the Acquired state, divided into Yin and Yang energies. Moving from the Innate to the Acquired state means descending to a lower level."

"The power that created the Innate world, since it can spawn all of us sentient beings, demonstrates a profundity that we Acquired things can never match."

"Therefore, I cultivate both Yin and Yang energies, merging them into my own body. My very being can generate life, and the Yin and Yang energies reproduce and rest within me, ensuring an endless supply."

"Now, I have achieved Yin and Yang embodiment; Yin and Yang are one within me. I can exist forever without relying on external objects, indicating I have initially detached from the Acquired and touched the source of the Innate."

Panting excitedly, Yusheng laughed, "Once I can fully merge Yin and Yang, making my body not distinguishable by Yin and Yang but coalesced into a single mass of chaos—that is when my Great Dao will be perfected!"

Embodying Yin and Yang?

Indistinguishable Yin and Yang?

A chilling current shot up from the soles of Gu Xichen and the others' feet straight to their scalps, startling them into retreating repeatedly.

No wonder the Scarlet Dragon King had fled so swiftly. No wonder this Yusheng moved with a strange, swaying gait—it wasn't just his delicate, maidenly appearance; his very movements carried a hint of effeminacy.

Yusheng looked excitedly at Peng Hua. "Are you willing to enter my sect and seek that boundless Great Dao together? Know this: your cultivation methods all rely on external objects. Only I possess the Yin and Yang energies intrinsically; my body forms its own universe. This is the supreme Great Dao that achieves the Innate state without seeking externals!"

Peng Hua shrieked, slapping his chest dramatically. He screamed again, "Ancestor Master is a grandmother! Someone is trying to turn me into an effeminate man!"

A torrent of flames erupted from the center of Peng Hua’s brow, and a small, adorable little hand shot out again across the void.

This time, the little hand targeted Yusheng’s heart.