Before the Hall of Luozhu, the Corpse Emperor and the other two were completely surrounded by over sixty Grandmasters of the Void Realm. . . The Evil Dao Sovereign smiled strangely, a mocking curve to his lips, and pointed toward the pitch-black entrance of the Luomo Hall.

True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran exchanged a look, sighing in unison. As the respective leaders of the Kunlun and Zhongnan factions, how could they fail to sense the terrifying power emanating from the Luolian Hall, a force that chilled the very soul? It was a bizarre energy—devouring all, destroying all, eerie and silent like the eighteenth layer of hell, yet brilliant and magnificent like a meteor burning its entire fuel in a streak across the sky. It was pure and potent, subtly integrated with the very planet beneath their feet, seemingly capable of crushing everything effortlessly. How could they dare to charge inside?

The Corpse Emperor struggled to stand, repeatedly spitting out droplets of vital essence blood. Corpse Cultivators possessed no actual blood, only a core of fervent, intrinsic vital essence in their hearts. When a zombie spat blood, it signified damage to their origin, requiring hundreds of years of secluded cultivation to recover. The Corpse Emperor had coughed up so much vital essence blood that merely maintaining his Void Realm cultivation might prove difficult.

“What exactly do you want?” the Corpse Emperor asked the Evil Dao Sovereign directly.

“The treasure map of the Nine Nether Way. Don’t tell us about all the good things, including the immortal artifacts that have vanished from the human world for countless years—those were all obtained by your disciple, Gu Xichen, who cannot cultivate the Dao. If he truly had such fortune and luck, he would have become a Grand Unity Golden Immortal long ago!” The Evil Dao Sovereign glared at the Corpse Emperor and replied just as bluntly, “Hand over the treasure map. You three may live today.”

After a moment of silence, the Corpse Emperor looked towards True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran with a wry smile; both old Daoists shook their heads simultaneously.

Sighing inwardly, the Corpse Emperor let out a low roar, “How long have you been plotting this?”

The Evil Dao Sovereign answered without preamble, “We began plotting sixty years after the War of the Nine Luminaries. The Nine Nether Way, Kunlun, and Zhongnan—the three of you joining forces—don't you think that presents too grand a front? You have monopolized all the benefits in the cultivation world; the fellow Daoists of all other factions have long been resentful of you!”

A monk nearly ten feet tall, with a benevolent face like a full moon, strode forward. He pressed his palms together and boomed, “This poor monk does not lie. Back then, our Dao Alliance was barely able to hold the line against those savage Luo Man fiends, which is why we tolerated you and did not strike. But now, our Dao Alliance has dozens of Grandmasters of the Void Realm, and those mere Luo Man fiends can be wiped out with a flip of the hand. Coupled with such a perfect opportunity today, how could we not strike to eradicate your ambitious thieves attempting to dominate the cultivation world? Wouldn’t that be a betrayal of this heaven-sent chance?”

The Corpse Emperor sneered. He nodded, “Vajra Immovable King of the Myriad Buddha Sect, you old bald donkey, very well. As the leader of the Buddhist path, your words are certainly shameless.”

Another figure emerged from the crowd: a middle-aged scholar dressed in a green robe, possessing a handsome, dashing, and extraordinary appearance. Holding a jade ruyi scepter, he slowly bowed to the Corpse Emperor, “Green Lotus Hermit of the Righteous Qi Sect greets the three Daoist friends. To know when to advance and when to retreat, and to understand the times—this is the path to longevity. We request the three of you to present the treasure map of the Nine Nether Way, entrust all treasures to the care of the assembled Daoists, and transfer all temporal authority of the Nine Nether Way, Kunlun, and Zhongnan factions to our disciples. If you do this, we will drop the matter of today.”

The Corpse Emperor laughed tragically, “How shameless. You won’t pursue the matter?”

Vajra Immovable King of the Myriad Buddha Sect coldly chuckled. He forcefully slapped his forehead, causing a white Sarira the size of a large bowl to shoot into the high heavens, trailing a long rainbow. The Sarira manifested myriad wondrous forms in the void; hundreds of Vajras, Arhats, and Dharma Protector Heavenly Kings spontaneously appeared. Thirteen white rainbows streaked across the void from east to west, blazing brightly, a supreme pressure descending directly upon the three Corpse Emperor figures. The old monk roared in anger, “Why waste breath talking with them? Since you’ve done this today, there is only one course: hack the grass and pull out the roots. Do not forget that the Nine Nether Way is utterly vengeful; we must not leave a single survivor!”

The Evil Dao Sovereign smiled mysteriously, muttering in a low voice, “Naturally, we cannot leave a single survivor.” His body shrank, transforming into countless wisps of faint yin winds that swept along the ground toward the three Corpse Emperor figures.

The Green Lotus Hermit let out a hearty laugh, raising his arms to shout, “Leave thirty Daoist friends with me to ‘attend’ to these three. The rest of the Daoists, enter the Luozhu Hall and see what treasures lie within.”

He paused, and the Green Lotus Hermit continued in a deep voice, “This place is bizarre; all Daoist friends must proceed with caution.”

The more than thirty Void Realm Grandmasters exchanged glances, simultaneously eager yet supervising one another, rushing toward the main entrance of the Luozhu Hall. They too sensed that immense energy radiating from within the hall. Clearly, some marvelous existence resided inside, and they were naturally unwilling to fall behind in seizing such a prime opportunity for treasure.

The Green Lotus Hermit shook his jade ruyi scepter, summoning a majestic, righteous aura that transformed into a colossal mountain, smashing down toward True Man Baishui.

The Corpse Emperor, True Man Baishui, and True Man Hancran looked at each other, three bitter smiles crossing their faces: “Today, we perish here.”

Brilliant light flashed. The Corpse Emperor donned a suit of dark gold armor, and two four-edged purple-gold steel weapons appeared in his hands. He summoned his divine strength and lunged toward the White Sarira of Vajra Immovable King descending from the sky.

True Man Baishui’s face flushed red. He spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood tinged slightly with pale gold. Seven immortal swords shot out from above his head, transforming into seven-colored rainbows that swept toward the mountain descending upon the Green Lotus Hermit.

Blood suddenly sprayed from True Man Hancran’s eyes. With a solemn expression, he retrieved a pale gold measuring unit the size of a fist from his robes. With a flick of his wrist, he tilted the unit, and instantly, four-colored wind and fire churned out, swirling toward the yin winds transformed by the Evil Dao Sovereign. Within the wind and fire, one could vaguely discern tens of thousands of threads resembling hair, several dozen feet long. These were Bone-Melting Soul-Devouring Extreme Light Rays, refined from the most venomous Ice and Fire Two Extremes Magnetic Light, specialized in wounding the nascent soul and destroying the physical body.

In the blink of an eye, the three Corpse Emperor figures had brought out their ultimate, hidden immortal artifacts obtained from Gu Xichen and clashed fiercely with the Green Lotus Hermit and the others. They cursed inwardly; this trip was supposed to be a treasure hunt, not a desperate situation like this. Otherwise, they would certainly have carried the foundational treasures of their respective sects. If nothing else, if the Corpse Emperor had brought the ancient zombie dragon of the Nine Nether Way, even if he couldn't defeat the combined force of over sixty Void Realm experts, escaping would not have been difficult.

“What a pity!” the three Corpse Emperor figures sighed inwardly.

It happened faster than words could describe. Before the three had even fully engaged their opponents, a piercing, tragic howl suddenly rang out from the entrance of the Luozhu Hall.

A thick mass of black mist surged from within the hall, within which a gigantic, shadowy figure could be vaguely discerned. The ink-viscous black mist entangled the thirty-odd Void Realm cultivators who had rushed toward the main door, swallowing them whole in the blink of an eye. Piercing, desperate shrieks continuously rose from the black mist. The mist rapidly expanded outward for hundreds of feet, swallowing another fifteen Grandmasters of the Void Realm who were near the Luozhu Hall. Even louder screams followed, after which the black mist gradually retreated back into the Luozhu Hall. Not a single strand of hair remained of the dozens of Void Realm Grandmasters.

Everyone present was jolted by this sudden terror. The Evil Dao Sovereign and Vajra Immovable King exclaimed in alarm, “Everyone, be careful! Retreat swiftly!”

The remaining dozen or so Void Realm experts shrieked in fear, retreating several miles backward, trembling as they stared at the deathly silent Luozhu Hall.

Seizing the opportunity, the Corpse Emperor, True Man Baishui, and True Man Hancran said nothing, turning sharply to flee diagonally. Flying was still impossible here; they could only rely on their movement techniques to escape. But after fleeing less than ten steps, a magnificent, ten-foot-long chastising ruler, radiating dazzling light and accompanied by a dull whistling sound, smashed down upon their backs, striking their heart centers fiercely.

This blow caused the three to spew out their True Samadhi Fire. The spines of True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran were instantly smashed to pulp. The Corpse Emperor’s body was sturdy, and he had armor protection; although he too coughed up vital essence blood, he was merely staggered, nearly falling to the ground. But True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran immediately lost the ability to move. The Corpse Emperor could only sigh helplessly toward the sky, holding his twin copper weapons to guard Baishui and Hancran.

“My two old comrades, it seems we are out of luck today!” the Corpse Emperor said with a bitter laugh. “You know the details of my Nine Nether Way. Does my sect really possess a treasure map?”

True Man Baishui’s mind was still clear. He spoke calmly, “The matter has reached this point; even without a treasure map, they would not let us go. Wealth moves the heart, but we have been too smooth sailing over the years, ignoring the treacherous nature of human hearts. It is not strange for the Evil Dao Sovereign to do such a thing, but Vajra Immovable King and the Green Lotus Hermit are supposedly figures of the Righteous Path.”

True Man Hancran gave a wry laugh, muttering darkly, “Figures of the Righteous Path? How many good people have died at the hands of the Righteous Path? Especially the members of their Righteous Qi Sect—they speak constantly of gentlemen, righteousness, human relations, and heavenly principles, but where is any semblance of principle or humanity in their actions? Are there not countless people wrongly accused by them, only to have black pots placed on their heads even after death?”

The Corpse Emperor spat out blood and cursed softly, “Enough nonsense. Save your strength and wait for death. I’ve died once; I’m quite familiar with the process. You two long-nosed oxen, hmph!”

True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran’s faces paled, and they simultaneously cursed back, “That joke isn’t funny at all.”

The Green Lotus Hermit, who had struck down the three with the chastising ruler, strolled over leisurely. He cast a wary glance at the Luozhu Hall, which had just swallowed dozens of Void Realm Grandmasters, and then laughed heartily, saluting the three, “Three Daoist friends, three Daoist friends, now that things have come to this, let’s dispense with false words. A thousand words boil down to nothing more than the victor takes all. With the Tianxie Sect, the Myriad Buddha Sect, and the Righteous Qi Sect replacing the Nine Nether Way, Mount Kunlun, and Mount Zhongnan as the leaders of the Dao Alliance, the situation is settled!”

Vajra Immovable King and the Evil Dao Sovereign walked over, looking proudly at the three Corpse Emperor figures, letting out triumphant laughs.

The Corpse Emperor sighed helplessly, dropping his twin copper weapons. He looked calmly at the Green Lotus Hermit, “Everything is in the hands of my disciple, Gu Xichen. Take me to see him, and at least spare our souls to be reincarnated.”

The Green Lotus Hermit and the others were overjoyed. They exchanged glances and repeatedly guaranteed their word. As long as Gu Xichen cooperated and handed over all the treasures, they naturally would not make things difficult for the three Corpse Emperor figures. The Evil Dao Sovereign spoke even more kindly: these three had made so many contributions to the Dao Alliance and the human race on Earth over the years; this merit was concrete. Even if they were completely insane, they wouldn't risk heavenly retribution to utterly scatter their souls.

The three Corpse Emperor figures only scoffed internally. Heavenly retribution? Having already committed such acts, what was there left to fear from heavenly retribution?

It was just that the annihilation of their sect’s elite forces in one fell swoop was truly unbearable. Moreover, after the high echelons of the Dao Alliance had butchered each other like this, how could they possibly deal with the looming external enemies?

The three gave up resistance, allowing the Green Lotus Hermit and the others to lay layer upon layer of restrictive seals upon them. Everyone present knew of their profound cultivation and mastery of countless secret arts; they might escape if guards were dropped. Thus, the seals were layered one after another until the three were finally encased in glowing cocoons, bound by countless restraining artifacts such as hooks, chains, and rings. The Corpse Emperor, physically the most formidable, had every joint pierced and fastened tightly with golden hooks and jade locks.

Having settled everything, the dozen or so Void Realm Grandmasters led by the Evil Dao Sovereign, Vajra Immovable King, and Green Lotus Hermit excitedly returned to the mothership they had arrived on. With their cultivation and strength, they easily controlled the vessel’s crew and ordered it to return to Earth at maximum speed. However, before leaving, everyone glanced back fiercely through the viewport toward the direction of the Luozhu Hall. There was definitely something good in there. That was beyond doubt. Once they had sufficient strength, they would return.

Unlike the journey there, where they had wasted considerable time searching for the location of the twelfth planet in the solar system, the return trip was familiar territory. The mothership gradually accelerated to its top speed in subspace. In just two days, they returned to the solar system and jumped out near Mars orbit.

The mothership’s radar swept the void, and the returned data froze everyone in terror: Earth no longer existed. In its place was only a massive black hole, devouring the countless surrounding stardust. This black hole was clearly recent, still erupting with intense subspace energy radiation.

Far enough away from the black hole, a mechanical platform, twenty meters long and wide, floated in space. Gu Xichen and his group stood there, stunned.

A small life support system was functioning. The platform had normal gravity and air, and even the scent of the air was regulated, carrying the aroma of brilliant sunshine and green grass.

Large clumps of white tulip petals continuously drifted from Gu Xichen’s palm, floating lightly toward the pitch-black black hole, gradually being devoured.

What flew from Ducart’s hand were crimson, blood-red azalea petals—the favorite flower of Ducart’s mother, Xiao Yiqiu.

Pure white and blood-red petals drifted down like a heavy snowstorm toward the black hole. The petals Gu Xichen had prepared were so numerous that they slowly floated downward, covering a void spanning several hundred kilometers. Viewed from a distance, the area was a sea of flowers.

Four streams of tears flowed from Gu Xichen’s and Ducart’s eyes. The tears flew out beyond the life-support energy shield, silently drifting toward the distant black hole amidst the sky full of petals, silently being consumed.

After a long while, Ducart finally spoke in a subdued tone, “Whoever did this, I will destroy their nation.”

Ducart’s tone was flat, yet within that flatness was an immeasurable killing intent that made Fuya Ming and Jinben shiver instinctively. Fuya Ming wanted to remind Gu Xichen and Ducart that the Polaris Empire was a six-star civilization, and the power possessed by a six-star civilization was utterly beyond their comprehension. But when she saw the expressions of Gu Xichen and Ducart... she merely shook her head in vain. “It’s useless. The Polaris Empire has provoked two extremely dangerous enemies for itself.”

Gu Xichen’s tone was even colder. He said icily, “What is destroying a nation? If we destroy their country, they can just establish a new one elsewhere. Exterminating the entire race is enough.”

Ducart smiled gently and inclined his head toward Gu Xichen, “I misspoke. Destroying the nation truly doesn’t matter; exterminating the race is enough.”

He clasped his hands, grinding the azalea petals in his palm into dust. He straightened his chest and laughed loudly, “Then, shall we depart now?”

Gu Xichen frowned slightly and shook his head, “No. We will depart after Master and the others return. Someone must remain to oversee the Earth Federation. With so many Grandmasters of the Void Realm, plus the immortal artifacts we obtained, the Luo Man people are not something to fear. With the containment provided by the Papal State and the Dark Church, the Luo Man people will only become the whetstone we use to temper our army according to our wishes.”

Ducart nodded vigorously, “You are right. We will leave once Master and the others return.”

A super mothership suddenly jumped out near them. Gu Xichen recognized it immediately as the vessel the Corpse Emperor and the others had used to search for the twelfth planet. He exclaimed with joy, “They’re back!”

Before the words had faded, over a dozen bright beams of light flashed. The Green Lotus Hermit and the others rushed out of the mothership, escorting the tightly bound Corpse Emperor and his companions, stopping less than a mile from where Gu Xichen’s group stood.

Gu Xichen’s face instantly darkened. He looked coldly at the triumphant Green Lotus Hermit and the others and asked calmly, “Is it due to possessing treasures, or is it standing out too much?”

The Green Lotus Hermit patted his jade ruyi scepter, his True Essence surging, and sent a thread of sound over, “Both. So many immortal artifacts—that is coveting treasure. We grew greedy. The Nine Nether Way, Mount Kunlun, and Mount Zhongnan—having been the leaders of the Dao Alliance for so many years—that is standing out too much; we felt resentment.”

Waving his Five Water Dragon Whisker Fan lightly, Gu Xichen said coldly, “So you acted? Thirty-two Grandmasters of the Void Realm from the Nine Nether Way, Kunlun Mountain, and Zhongnan Mountain—where are the others?”

Vajra Immovable King pressed his palms together, chanted a Buddhist invocation, and then stated calmly, “All slain, their souls scattered, not a single one escaped.”

The Evil Dao Sovereign added with a hint of mockery, “Not only did we kill them, but we used the immortal artifacts gifted to us by the Corpse Emperor to launch a surprise attack!”

Peng Hua was completely stunned. He stared blankly at the tightly restrained Corpse Emperor and suddenly roared fiercely, “Shameless villains, I curse all of your female ancestors!”

The faces of the Green Lotus Hermit, Vajra Immovable King, and the Evil Dao Sovereign instantly changed. The three roared in unison, “Insolent brat! You will have a difficult time later.”

The Evil Dao Sovereign impatiently shouted at Gu Xichen, “Hand over everything good you possess, and let us peruse the memories in your soul. We can allow you to be reincarnated!”

Vajra Immovable King grabbed the Corpse Emperor by the neck, hauling him forward. He casually pried open the restrictive seal on the Corpse Emperor’s throat. He roared, “Corpse Emperor, speak clearly to your disciples. This poor monk is a disciple of the Buddhist path after all; my hands are unwilling to be stained with much more blood. If they cooperate and hand over everything we desire, we will naturally spare their lives.”

The Corpse Emperor sighed mournfully. He lifted his eyes, smiled at Gu Xichen, Peng Hua, and the others, “What terrible luck. I’ve been wicked my whole life, yet in my old age, I’ve been corrupted by two old long-nosed fellows, actually becoming somewhat Dao-like. Back when I first became a zombie, if anyone dared to scheme against me, they would have been torn limb from limb by me.”

Coughing a few times, the Corpse Emperor said with a trace of melancholy, “Disciple Xichen, if your Master and the others are gone, can you withstand the Luo Man people?”

Gu Xichen fell silent for a moment, then said resolutely, “Yes.”

As soon as the word “Yes” left his mouth, Gu Xichen was about to summon the Golden Armor Puppet to slay the Green Lotus Hermit and the others. Unexpectedly, the Corpse Emperor, True Man Baishui, and True Man Hancran gave him no chance to act. Upon hearing that Gu Xichen could hold off the Luo Man people, the physical bodies of True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran suddenly disintegrated, collapsing entirely into a mass of extremely pure Daoist spiritual power, fusing tightly with their nascent souls.

A white lotus spewed out from the mass of Qi that was True Man Baishui, and a green lotus surged from the mass of Qi that was True Man Hancran. The two lotus blossoms, one white and one green, circled and intertwined in the void, causing waves of distortion in the space, completely enveloping the Green Lotus Hermit and the others, whose faces had turned ashen with fear.

The Corpse Emperor nodded and smiled at Gu Xichen, “Good. Protect my Huaxia descendants well, remember, remember. They never dreamed that my disciple would also possess the cultivation of the Void Realm.”

Laughing wildly, the Corpse Emperor leaped into the white and green twin lotus blossoms formed by True Man Baishui and True Man Hancran. The two lotus blossoms spun rapidly, instantly teleporting everyone tens of thousands of miles away into the void. The Corpse Emperor screamed toward the sky; all the restraints and seals on his body shattered instantly. A torrential burst of power erupted from within him, rapidly entwining with the power of the two lotus blossoms, exploding outward violently.

From the nascent soul to the complete physical body—the self-detonation of the three Void Realm experts elicited curses of despair from the Green Lotus Hermit and the others.

Brilliant light flashed. The three Corpse Emperor figures vanished without a trace.

In the distant starry sky, the Vajra Immovable King, the Green Lotus Hermit, the Evil Dao Sovereign, and the other six Void Realm Grandmasters appeared in disarray. Blood sprayed from all seven orifices simultaneously. Their bodies were injured to varying degrees—one had lost an arm, another a leg, one was missing half his torso. The most severely injured, the Evil Dao Sovereign, was reduced to only the upper half of his chest and his head.

Nine Void Realm Grandmasters coughed violently, frantically pulling out massive bottles of elixirs. Some didn't even bother to take the pills out, instead shoving the entire bottle into their mouths, shattering the glass and swallowing both the medicine and the shards. The combined self-destruction of the Corpse Emperor, True Master Baishui, and True Master Hanhe—a complete annihilation spanning from their primordial spirit to their physical form—inflicted damage on those nearby far worse than their external appearance suggested. Their cultivation levels plummeted by two or three major tiers. Although they clung to life, even Qinglian Jushi, the strongest among them, was reduced to only the Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

Gu Xiechen stood frozen, staring blankly at the spot where the Corpse Emperor and the other two had detonated. Suddenly, he understood the meaning of the Corpse Emperor's final words.

"They could never have dreamed that my disciple also possessed the cultivation of the Void Realm!"

The Corpse Emperor, True Master Baishui, and True Master Hanhe had sacrificed their lives to carve out a sliver of survival for Gu Xiechen and the others. Against a joint assault by over ten Void Realm Grandmasters, Gu Xiechen and his allies stood no chance by all logic. But with the sacrifice of the three masters—

—it was a loss. Qinglian Jushi and the others were fated to suffer heavy losses. Gu Xiechen, possessing Void Realm cultivation, could annihilate them in one swift move!

"But Master, you didn't need to sacrifice yourselves. I could have destroyed them too!"

Two streams of bloody tears streamed from Gu Xiechen's eyes. Thirty-six beams of golden light shot out from his body, manifesting into thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets around Qinglian Jushi and the others. The immense pressure exerted by these Celestial Immortal-level entities made Qinglian Jushi's group despairingly halt their attacks. They stared at the thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets surrounding them; some people even broke down, weeping hysterically in desperation.

Zhang Daoren of Penghua, and True Master Zhengyi also stared blankly in the direction of the Corpse Emperor's self-detonation. They collapsed onto their knees with a thud, two lines of bloody tears spilling from their eyes.

"No!" Penghua coughed twice, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood engulfed in raging flames. As soon as this blood erupted, Penghua's cultivation plummeted directly from the Soul Transformation stage to the Golden Core stage.

"Master!" Zhang Daoren slammed his head down, his body trembling violently. The chaotic true essence within him surged, and with a few splurting sounds, the runaway true essence ruptured several of his meridians.

"Master!" True Master Zhengyi dug his fingers fiercely into the mechanical platform. His two fingers cramped, and the surging true essence shattered the blood vessels in his hands, causing blood to erupt like a fountain.

"It shouldn't have been like this." Gu Xiechen's body swayed a few times, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. His vision swam with glittering stars, and he sank weakly to the ground.

Fu Yameng clung to Gu Xiechen in terror, shouting his name repeatedly, but Gu Xiechen remained lost in a daze, unresponsive. Panicked, Fu Yameng slapped Gu Xiechen fiercely across the face: "Are you even a man anymore? Do what you need to do now!"

Slap after slap, Fu Yameng struck Gu Xiechen's face with all her strength.

Over thirty continuous slaps jolted the numb Gu Xiechen back to awareness. The crimson light in his eyes intensified. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and coldly inclined his head toward Qinglian Jushi and the others: "From this day forward, the Asian Daoist Alliance will only consist of the Nine Nether Path, Kunlun Mountain, and Zhongnan Mountain. I will personally wipe out all other factions! I will annihilate your lineages, and every single one of your disciples will have their souls scattered!"

Slowly stretching his hands toward the sky, Gu Xiechen roared: "From this day forward, my actions will know no restraint. Those who follow me shall prosper; those who defy me shall perish! If Heaven obstructs me, I will split Heaven; if Earth obstructs me, I will shatter Earth; all gods and Buddhas in the firmament, if any dare oppose me, I will slaughter gods and execute Buddhas! In the name of all my ancestors, I, Gu Xiechen, swear that from this day forward, I shall act solely according to my heart, and nothing else!"

"ROAR!"

The thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets swung their battle hammers simultaneously. Qinglian Jushi and the others struggled to mobilize the last remnants of true essence within their bodies to resist. But facing the combined assault of thirty-six Celestial Immortal-level entities, their resistance was like a matchstick against a tsunami—easily extinguished. Their physical forms vanished, their souls scattered. After centuries of arduous cultivation to transcend life and death and stand at the threshold of the Great Dao, they met this end due to a moment of greed.

Gu Xiechen struck Penghua's back with a palm, flooding his body with Primordial Chaos Qi. He roared: "Penghua, act like a man! You can cry later; we still have people to kill!"

Penghua's expression hardened. He ravenously absorbed the Primordial Chaos Spirit Qi injected by Gu Xiechen, rapidly restoring his cultivation. He yelled: "Yes! We must kill all these greedy wretches!"

Zhang Daoren and True Master Zhengyi sprang up at the sound. They didn't need Gu Xiechen's help; they pulled out their life-preserving elixirs and swallowed them, diligently circulating their arts to repair their physical damage.

Gu Xiechen narrowed his eyes, his gaze flashing with a ruthlessness as feral as a wolf and as sinister as a demon lord. He sneered coldly, countless venomous plans brewing in his mind. One thought could forge a Buddha; another could forge a demon. After experiencing such drastic changes within a few days, Gu Xiechen's temperament underwent a profound shift; he was no longer the Gu Xiechen of the past.

The residual memories of True Master Taiyin and Gu Xiechen's Soul Pearl rapidly merged. Gradually, an aura of ancient desolation, supreme transcendence, and irresistible might spread from Gu Xiechen's body. Vast quantities of Primordial Chaos Turbid Qi and Primordial Chaos Clear Qi churned within him; his cultivation realm was ascending rapidly.

A crystal-like detector, the size of a human head, monitored everything from afar, transmitting every event on the scene to an entity lurking in subspace.

An asteroid spanning two hundred kilometers in diameter floated silently at the core of an energy vortex in subspace—the safest location possible, entirely unaffected by the rampaging energy surges surrounding it. Thirty jewel-like, shimmering, bird-shaped warships clustered around the asteroid. Occasionally, the light on the warships' hulls flashed intensely, causing the asteroid's surface to emit a strange luster, a fusion of amethyst and sapphire.

The asteroid's surface was smooth and pristine, without the slightest flaw; its shape was perfectly spherical, without imperfection. From a distance, the asteroid looked deep and dark, as if it could swallow everything, but up close, its surface proved to be thousands of times smoother than a mirror, capable of reflecting the finest strand of hair.

Within a spherical cabin nearly a thousand meters in diameter at the asteroid's core, Goloman looked proudly at a black, semi-transparent crystal nearly sixty meters high, with a base diameter of about five meters.

"No one is more generous than Her Majesty the Empress; no one is more considerate of subordinates than Her Majesty the Empress. To be able to serve Her Majesty is truly my greatest fortune."

Goloman lovingly caressed the black semi-transparent crystal, sighing deeply, "Such a massive Divine Crystal—think of the energy it contains! Ah, truly, Her Majesty the Empress is too generous!" Goloman was ecstatic. An asteroid-sized vessel like this was the standard flagship for a Governor-General level dignitary of the Polaris Empire, possessing incredible combat prowess. This planetary battleship, known as a "Death Star," was rumored to be a secret even the Polaris Empire hadn't mastered in its construction; its origin remained a mystery.

In the Polaris Empire, the total number of "Death Star" flagships did not exceed fifteen. Only high-ranking ministers with exceptional merits and substantial power were ever bestowed with a "Death Star" as their flagship.

Goloman had only performed a minor service for the Empress, yet he was appointed Governor-General of a crucial star sector. And yet, on his return journey to the Empire, this Death Star was already waiting for him. Her Majesty the Empress of the Polaris Empire was truly the most generous person in the entire universe!

One Death Star, supported by thirty top-tier star destroyer warships of the Polaris Empire—this level of force was sufficient to annihilate any five-star civilization, starting from the very foundation.

Goloman inspected the Death Star's various configurations, paying special attention to its powerful weaponry, and a strange idea took root in his mind. He recalled that when destroying the homeworld of that small, backward civilization, several of his fleet ships were annihilated.

What an utter humiliation! A high minister of a peak six-star civilization suffering losses at the hands of a backward one. This vengeance must be exacted.

The Divine Crystal equipped on the Death Star gave Goloman the courage and confidence for retaliation. A standard fleet division of the Polaris Empire only received a head-sized allotment of Divine Crystal every hundred standard years, but this piece within the Death Star was colossal; the power it could unleash was beyond the limits of human imagination. In this universe, no living being could survive the strike of a Death Star.

Therefore, Goloman turned back midway, bringing the Death Star and twenty additional star destroyers to reinforce his position, hiding within the subspace torrent corresponding to the Solar System's coordinates.

The self-detonation of the Corpse Emperor, True Master Baishui, and True Master Hanhe, and Gu Xiechen's deployment of the Golden Armored Puppets to eliminate Qinglian Jushi and the others—Goloman witnessed every moment.

Caressing the smooth, bone-chilling Divine Crystal, Goloman nodded to himself: "Very impressive power. This backward civilization must belong to a mutated race. They are extremely primitive in technology, but profoundly advanced in the path of individual cultivation."

The detector returned the scan results of Gu Xiechen and the others.

"Truly terrifying!" Goloman exclaimed, gazing at the screen, "That man named Gu Xiechen possesses Meteor-level energy."

"And those thirty-six combat robots—their power is actually Planet-level!"

"Hmm, a terrifying race, terrifying beings! But—"

Goloman's smile abruptly froze. He stared intensely at the figure on the mechanical platform, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Target, Target... Target is still alive? How is that possible?"

"It's fortunate I returned. Otherwise—" The thought of the Empress's terrifying might and methods sent shivers down Goloman's spine. How many long-established families, glorious for countless ages within the Empire, were utterly annihilated within a mere dozen standard years for opposing the Empress's will? This terrifying woman was as dreadful as her nickname suggested!

"Eliminate those people at all costs!" Goloman swallowed hard, staring grimly at Jin, and said menacingly: "I didn't expect that Gu Xiechen would have such powerful Planet-level energy sources around him. Hmm, thirty-six Planet-level energy sources combined might just escape the initial stage of a black hole annihilation."

"But that's all. Draw power from the Divine Crystal and create a spatial collapse for me. Calculate their coordinates and launch the probes. Ensure absolutely no one survives!"

Goloman's command was executed. The Death Star's control personnel activated its most powerful weapon: the Spatial Collapse Generator. This weapon could tear open a rift between subspace and normal space, allowing the explosive energy of subspace to flood into normal space and completely annihilate that region. No living being, unless their physical form was more robust than the structure of space itself, could survive such an attack.

At its maximum, the Death Star could instantly create a spatial collapse covering a radius of several thousand kilometers. Although its total destructive power was less than a black hole annihilation, its instantaneous destructive force per unit of time and space was hundreds of times greater than a black hole's.

"This time, I will confirm your death before leaving. Otherwise, both the Datalia family and I are finished!"

Gu Xiechen stared blankly at the spot where Qinglian Jushi and the others had their souls scattered. His body twitched involuntarily. If only there had been a fraction more time—just a tiny bit more time—he could have saved the Corpse Emperor and the others. But that sliver of time eluded him!

"Zhengqi Sect, Myriad Buddha Sect, Heavenly Evil Sect!"

A fierce glint flashed in Gu Xiechen's eyes. He cursed through clenched teeth: "All the Daoist Alliance factions—you will all die!"

Composing himself, Gu Xiechen recalled the Golden Armored Puppets and roared: "Return to Paradise Star! Annihilate all the Daoist Alliance factions!"

Penghua, Zhang Daoren, and True Master Zhengyi bristled with killing intent, shouting in unison: "Annihilate all the Daoist Alliance factions!"

In that instant, the surrounding void suddenly turned black. The structure of space was shattered by a sinister, dark energy brimming with destructive intent. The spatial structure across more than three thousand kilometers disintegrated, and the characteristic energy torrent of subspace surged forth, instantly tearing apart the mechanical platform where they stood.

Gu Xiechen roared, and the Golden Armored Puppets simultaneously ejected blinding firelight. They formed a sphere, tightly shielding Gu Xiechen and his group.

The surging energy torrent coalesced into a near-solid mass, pressing down like a giant millstone upon the Golden Armored Puppets—

—the Spatial Collapse. This was a direct collision between two spaces.

Normal space and subspace collided like two Mount Himalayas, and the Celestial Immortal-level Golden Armored Puppets were like tiny ants at the foot of the mountains.

In the blink of an eye, the outer shells of the Golden Armored Puppets were vaporized. The Golden Crow Heavenly Fire spewed out from within them but was stripped away layer by layer by the subspace energy torrent. In just two or three breaths, more than half of the thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets were destroyed; only the most vital chest cavities remained intact.

Gu Xiechen, his face grim, struck his sword-sheath. A beam of strong light, black and white, shot into the sky, enveloping the group and the battered remains of the Golden Armored Puppets. It forcefully pushed back the oncoming subspace energy torrent and plunged into the eternally stable, silent spatial barrier between the two spaces. The sword light only brushed against the spatial torrent, yet Gu Xiechen felt as if a steamroller had crushed him; his body nearly shattered, and blood sprayed from every pore.

The moment he dragged the group into the spatial barrier, Gu Xiechen's divine sense swept across the void. He spotted a head-sized detector and three warships positioning spatial coordinates in normal space.

People from the Polaris Empire again!

Two intense streams of blood-red light shot from Gu Xiechen's eyes. He instinctively wanted to unleash his sword light to shatter those three warships, but as his divine sense swept toward the subspace barrier, he immediately suppressed the futile impulse.

An asteroid spanning two hundred kilometers in diameter floated in subspace, situated exactly where the spatial collapse had occurred. A strange black light covered the asteroid. Gu Xiechen sensed the terrifying power contained within this black light. He had an instinctual feeling that the energy that destroyed space originated from this black light.

An asteroid was an artificial object; no natural celestial body could maintain such perfect, flawless sphericity.

The Polaris Empire? Gu Xiechen smiled grimly, his lips pursed. He would certainly visit the Polaris Empire. Soon, not long from now, he would be there!

Spatial collapse differed from black hole annihilation. The damage from a black hole annihilation was persistent; a black hole could exist for billions of years. However, the damage from a spatial collapse lasted only for a brief dozen breaths. In compliance with irreversible spatial laws, the forcibly opened rift between the two spaces was sealed once more, and everything returned to normal.

Goloman smiled complacently. He could not find Jin's presence in subspace, nor could he find any trace of Jin in the Solar System.

A very precise spatial collapse! It not only eliminated Jin, the primary target, but also wiped out the future threat posed by Gu Xiechen and the others. A terrifying biological entity possessing asteroid-level energy—Goloman, a member of a prominent family in the Polaris Empire, had never heard of a natural organism possessing Planet-level energy.

It was hard to imagine the immense threat such a terrifying being would pose to the Empire if it ever reached the Polaris Empire.

However, Goloman had successfully resolved this troublesome issue.

After releasing hundreds more probes and scanning the surrounding cosmic space spanning several light-years, Goloman was satisfied and relaxed, only then heading off to assume his new post once he confirmed Gu Xiechen and his group were absent from both normal space and subspace. The new Governor-General of the Polaris Empire? This was an incredibly lucrative position!

Wave after wave of divine sense swept through the surrounding space. Once Gu Xiechen confirmed that Goloman's fleet had departed, he cautiously led the group out of the spatial barrier back into normal space.

He gently patted the True Magnetic Two Poles Splitting Sword. Cold sweat broke out on his back. If he hadn't forged this miraculous artifact, and if the True Magnetic Two Poles Light couldn't operate within the spatial barrier, Gu Xiechen and the others would have certainly perished today. What level of power did the attack launched by that asteroid possess? Golden Immortal level? Perhaps only a legendary Golden Immortal could erase thousands of kilometers of void with a mere wave of the hand.

What a pity about the thirty-six Golden Armored Puppets! Gu Xiechen gritted his teeth fiercely.

His divine sense swept over his own body, and Gu Xiechen could only manage a bitter smile of helplessness. His confrontation with the subspace energy torrent while controlling the sword had caused numerous large and small fissures in his meridians. Fortunately, the inherent cold containment of the Taiyin Profound Gang, coupled with the extreme control over true essence granted by the Taiyin True Scripture, prevented the injuries from being more critical.

However, in the short term—at least for the next ten days—Gu Xiechen could probably only exert the strength of the Soul Transformation stage.

"Hmph. Soul Transformation stage is more than enough. Exterminating those Daoist Alliance factions won't take much effort!"

Gu Xiechen ground his teeth, having no intention of reasoning with them.

There were countless ways to slaughter those cultivators. The actions of the Polaris Empire had given him significant inspiration.

While ferociously calculating how to enact vengeance first upon the treacherous Daoist Alliance factions, the expressions of Gu Xiechen, Penghua, True Master Zhengyi, and Zhang Daoren all drastically changed.

A precious, luminous, cyan rainbow shot out from the distant void, arriving before the group in the blink of an eye.

It was a long shuttle, twenty-four zhang in length and one zhang and two chi thick, appearing cast from cyan glaze, its entire body faintly emitting a precious luster within which countless swirling cloud lights spun. Within the cloud lights inside the shuttle, several distorted, ancient earthworm-like characters could vaguely be discerned, their meanings translating to: Soaring, Burrowing, Splitting Water, Avoiding Fire. At the pointed front and rear ends of the shuttle, two cyan light showers, each a hundred zhang long, sprayed out, spinning rapidly and emitting sharp crackling sounds—truly wondrous.

Jin stared blankly, then cheered: "Father?"

Gu Xiechen was greatly alarmed. This was clearly a top-grade Immortal Artifact, but why did Jin call it "Father"?

The shuttle flickered with flowing light, then suddenly disintegrated in the brilliance into twelve extremely thin shards of glaze, gradually—

A middle-aged man wearing a cyan robe, exceptionally handsome and possessing an elegant, worldly air, stepped out slowly from the brilliant light. He casually gathered the twelve glaze shards in his hands.

The man nervously glanced left and right, then strode to Jin's side and seized her shoulder.

"Jin, are you alright?"

Jin opened her mouth and asked in surprise: "Father, how did you know I was here?"

Gu Xiechen struck out with a palm towards the man's hand, coldly demanding: "Who are you, sir?"

The cyan-robed man snatched Jin and retreated rapidly, evading Gu Xiechen's attack with fluid grace.

Staring coldly at Gu Xiechen, the cyan-robed man let out a sharp cry: "I call myself Daoist Mu. My master is from the Kunlun orthodox lineage, a disciple of the Yuqing Primordial Heaven Sect. How dare a mere junior like you attack me?"

Mastered by the Kunlun orthodox lineage?

Disciple of the Yuqing Primordial Heaven Sect?

Gu Xiechen stood stunned. True Master Zhengyi was also dumbfounded.

Daoist Mu's eyes flashed coldly, and he abruptly unleashed dozens of extremely fine cold lights towards Gu Xiechen and the others.

The cold lights flashed by; Gu Xiechen and the others had never anticipated Daoist Mu would strike so viciously. All of them were pierced through by the cold light, spurting blood far into the distance.

Trembling with horror, she cried out, "Father! What are you doing?" She then urgently called out to Gu Xiechen, "Brother, you two—"

Daoist Mu let out a cold snort. He snatched Jin back up, bringing forth that shuttle-shaped immortal artifact once more. With a casual toss, he flung Jin into the magical tool.

He turned back, his voice icy. "You were struck by the Five Elements Transformation Body Soul-Dissipating Ray. This treasure is a secret handed down by my sect. Unless one possesses Innate Azure Wood Qi, there is no cure under heaven."

With a sigh, Daoist Mu shook his head. "It is a pity. Where is there any Innate Azure Wood Qi to be found these days? You are Jin's friends, and I should not have acted this way. But I cannot allow the news of Jin's survival to become known. Therefore—"

With a long cry, Daoist Mu vanished into the shuttle. The immortal artifact let out a peal of thunder, generating a streak of azure light that disappeared without a trace in an instant.

Gu Xiechen slowly straightened his body, his tone cold. "Innate Azure Wood Qi? Heli, I'll have to trouble you."

The entire group looked simultaneously toward Daoist Zhengyi. Gu Xiechen managed a wry smile. "Senior Brother Zhengyi, don't you think you owe us an explanation?"

Daoist Zhengyi looked around blankly, first left, then right, before suddenly exploding in a tirade. "Explanation my foot! The Kunlun Sect only accepts pure, authentic descendants of the Huaxia people. Forget aliens—we don't even accept people of other native races!"

Gu Xiechen shook his hands and stomped his foot hard.

"Daoist Mu, Ran, we will see about this!" (To be continued)