The triumphant Corpse Emperor, the two old Daoists resolved then and there to have their disciples shadow Gu Xichen, never leaving his side for an instant. Any benefits gained must also be relayed back to Kunlun and Zhongnan Mountain by Daoist Zhengyi and Little Daoist Zhang, lest the Nine Nether Sect leave them trailing by a hundred thousand li.

Of course, while ensuring their own disciples stayed glued to Gu Xichen, they absolutely had to seal off any news related to him. They couldn't let any other major sects get wind of it. Benefits were fine to be split among the three parties; there was no need to involve outsiders. After all, the more you divide the profits, the thinner they get.

Taking a deep breath, True Man Baishui walked up to Poison Wolf and gently laid a hand on his shoulder: "Poison Wolf, kowtow. It seems this poor Daoist must take on another disciple."

Poison Wolf was stunned. He stared at True Man Baishui for a long moment before erupting in ecstatic joy, repeatedly kowtowing and calling him 'Master' without cease.

Gu Xichen clapped his hands and laughed heartily. He forcefully pulled up Poison Wolf, who was still prostrating, and boomed:

"Congratulations, Martial Uncle Baishui, on gaining such a fine disciple. Tsk tsk, picking up a peak Golden Core cultivator as a disciple for free—that's quite a bargain. Uh, what about a welcoming gift? Don't be stingy now that you have a new disciple."

True Man Baishui merely watched Gu Xichen with a cold smile, his nose visibly crooked. A welcoming gift? Not stingy? How could Gu Xichen even utter those words? Just recently, the Corpse Emperor had shamelessly visited Kunlun Mountain and gifted him a set of incredibly potent immortal artifacts. Thinking back now, it must have been Gu Xichen's doing. Excellent. He could afford to give away immortal artifacts in sets, and now he dared ask him for a welcoming gift? Truly worthy of his merchant background—what thick skin!

Gu Xichen merely smiled and extended his hand, his three fingers rubbing together in front of True Man Baishui.

True Man Baishui sighed in defeat. He shot an indignant glare at the Corpse Emperor, fumbling in his sleeve for quite a while before shakily pulling out a four-sided brass mace, four chi and nine cun long, segmented into twenty-eight sections.

With a flick of his wrist, True Man Baishui sent a dense earthen aura surging and roaring within the mace, emitting a low howl like an enraged dragon. As the bronze mace swung, the surrounding earth seemed to undulate faintly, and the distant mountain ranges gave the impression of sprouting legs and attempting to flee in all directions.

"This mace is named 'Earth Breaker' ($\boldsymbol{\Delta}$ Podi). It is a secret, inherited treasure of Kunlun’s body refinement lineage, immensely powerful. Disciple, you must refine it well and ponder its ways deeply. Your master will teach you the 'Heaven Splitting Mace Art' ($\boldsymbol{F}$ Kaitian Jian Jue), which perfectly complements your Nine Revolutions Profound Jade Art." True Man Baishui stroked the bronze mace, then handed it to Poison Wolf, pressing a finger to Poison Wolf's brow, embedding the mace technique into his divine sense.

Poison Wolf swung the bronze mace with elation. Normally, the mace felt light, but once swung, it became as heavy as holding a massive mountain, and the more true essence he infused, the heavier the mace became. Poison Wolf even had the illusion that if his cultivation were strong enough, the Podi Mace's weight could reach an unimaginable degree, truly possessing the power to shatter the earth before him with a single strike. Immortal artifacts secretly passed down by the Kunlun Sect—these were treasures dating back to antiquity!

Gu Xichen raised an eyebrow and exchanged a knowing glance with the Corpse Emperor. True Man Hanhe muttered under his breath, "As expected, Kunlun's coffers are the deepest. Hmph hmph, taking in a new disciple and immediately bestowing an immortal artifact. You white-haired Daoist, how many good things have you Kunlun Mountain truly hoarded? The ones you usually use are just high-grade spirit artifacts. Have you been pretending to be poor all along?"

True Man Baishui only squinted and smiled, offering no reply to True Man Hanhe's question. What a joke. Immortal artifacts—what were those things? Could anyone use them? Even a Grandmaster in the Void Realm might not be able to control the might of an immortal artifact without injuring themselves. If Gu Xichen hadn't pushed him so hard that he couldn't save face, why would he dare bestow an immortal artifact upon Poison Wolf?

Little Daoist Zhang beside him had his eyes flashing red with envy. Poison Wolf had just obtained an immortal artifact? An immortal artifact! This was an immortal artifact, not a spirit artifact, let alone a common magic tool! He cast a mournful glance toward his own master, but True Man Hanhe pretended not to see Little Daoist Zhang’s aggrieved look, tilting his head toward a wisp of cloud on the horizon.

Just as Little Daoist Zhang was about to open his mouth to beg True Man Hanhe, Kan Hua strolled over to him lazily, throwing an arm casually over his shoulder. He pulled out a cigar and shoved it into Little Daoist Zhang's mouth. "Hey, cow-nose, your brother has been through life and death these past few years. Sigh, finally got some decent stuff. Since we’re brothers, don't be polite. Here, this is your share."

Kan Hua tossed an immortal-grade storage ring to Little Daoist Zhang, saying nonchalantly, "Hold this for now, play around with it. If it doesn't suit you, your big brother has more."

The ring emitted a magnificent, multicolored glow, its restrained yet lustrous light like a pearl causing True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe to gasp sharply. To give away an immortal-grade ring on the spot? If it hadn't been his own disciple who benefited, and given that Kan Hua was the Corpse Emperor's most beloved disciple, and considering that True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe knew Little Daoist Zhang's Nascent Soul cultivation wasn't enough to fully refine an immortal artifact, he could only use the crudest method: dripping a drop of vital blood onto the ring's surface to reluctantly establish a sliver of connection. He eagerly plunged his divine sense into the ring, and immediately, Little Daoist Zhang began flailing his arms as if mad, letting out manic laughter.

True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe felt their hearts ache with curiosity. What was inside this ring that made Little Daoist Zhang so ecstatic?

The next instant, Little Daoist Zhang withdrew seven immortal-grade long swords from the ring, each vastly different in design and emitting distinctly varied power fluctuations. At a glance, each sword seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, the extraordinary, unique gleam on the blades became strikingly apparent. The faint power fluctuations emanating from them caused even the Corpse Emperor and the others to break out in a cold sweat along their spines. Without a doubt, if the full power of these seven immortal swords could be unleashed, they truly held the potential to threaten the lives of the Corpse Emperor and the other two.

Daoist Zhengyi swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the overjoyed Little Daoist Zhang constantly stroking and playing with the seven immortal swords.

Gu Xichen smiled, subtly moving next to Daoist Zhengyi and forcibly stuffing an immortal ring into his hand: "Brother, don't be polite. Senior Brother and I will have much time together in the future. This meager welcoming gift, please don't disdain it... Hehe, it’s nothing particularly valuable; they came easily!"

The next instant, Daoist Zhengyi pulled out more than a dozen dazzling immortal artifacts from the ring and began examining them with ecstatic fervor.

True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe stared at Gu Xichen, dumbfounded. What kind of words were those? 'Nothing particularly valuable; they came easily'? These were immortal artifacts, not clods of dirt!

Gu Xichen smiled at the two old Daoists, performing a polite salute: "They indeed came easily. Last night, I luckily stumbled upon the remnant cave dwelling of some ancient immortal and obtained these immortal artifacts." Looking up at the sky, Gu Xichen sighed leisurely, "The vast universe—who knows how many treasures powerful beings have left behind. Alas, if our sight is limited only to this paltry Earth, it is indeed a grave mistake!"

Thump. The Corpse Emperor slammed a heavy fist onto Gu Xichen's head. He roared:

"Mistake, the hell of a mistake! Are we supposed to be ignorant that treasures exist beyond the heavens? If only we could get out there! Even on this Wandering Immortal Star, records related to it exist within the shared lore of the major sects, but if one's cultivation hasn't reached peak Void Realm, survival in space is impossible. How are we supposed to search for treasures?"

Gu Xichen just laughed, dodging the Corpse Emperor's blows by darting about. While running, he observed the expressions of True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe from the corner of his eye, gradually gaining confidence. The immortal artifacts gifted to Little Daoist Zhang and Daoist Zhengyi were merely an investment and a lure; the results, it seemed, were quite satisfactory. As long as Kunlun and Zhongnan Mountain stood behind him, Gu Xichen would have nothing to fear.

Urgent footsteps sounded in the distance. Xiao Liefeng and Xiao Yusheng, their faces ashen, approached with a large retinue. Gu Xichen deftly evaded a finger strike from the Corpse Emperor and coughed lightly. The Corpse Emperor instantly returned to the sides of True Man Baishui and True Man Hanhe, assuming the demeanor befitting a Grandmaster. Little Daoist Zhang and Daoist Zhengyi, who had been playing with immortal artifacts like nouveau riche, quickly stowed away their various treasures and stood upright at attention.

Kan Hua casually tossed a storage ring to Poison Wolf. Poison Wolf, familiar with the routine, deposited the Podi Mace inside and happily slipped the ring onto his hand. He put his hands behind his back, adopting the imposing air fitting for the Federation's sole Marshal, and stood boldly beside the three Grandmasters: the Corpse Emperor, True Man Baishui, and True Man Hanhe.

Xiao Liefeng, his face grim, pushed past Poison Wolf's attendants and nodded unpleasantly toward Poison Wolf:

"Who was it just now who deliberately insulted the ancestors of my Xiao family?"

At these words, Gu Xichen and the others froze. They looked at the smug and arrogant Xiao Leizhen standing behind Xiao Liefeng with the gaze reserved for utter fools. What was this man thinking? Didn't he realize that anyone present here could easily crush the Xiao family? And yet he dared to sow discord and stir up trouble!

Casting a pitying look at Ducart, whose expression was unmoving as iron, Kan Hua whispered encouragement: "The great cause of revitalizing the Xiao family rests on your shoulders. Work hard, have plenty of children to inherit the Xiao legacy. If you encounter any trash like Xiao Leizhen, just strangle them immediately!"

Xiao Yusheng, his face a mask of dark fury, approached Gu Xichen and hissed under his breath, "Lord Gu Xichen, although we have reached an agreement on certain matters, that does not give that person the right to willfully insult our Xiao family ancestors. Allowing him to be counted among the Xiao household is solely due to your influence."

Glancing sideways at Ducart, Xiao Yusheng's expression darkened even further.