A mere satellite, barely three hundred li in diameter. It was blanketed by a thick layer of Tuoli Stone, surrounded by a void that was desolate and silent, broken only by the occasional, rapidly passing meteorite, none larger than a human head.

On this barren expanse sat a rush-woven prayer mat, beside a long table crudely hewn from local stone. Gu Xiechen occupied the mat. On the table rested a pot of clear tea and two cups.

The tea within the pot had already frozen solid. On this natural satellite, devoid of atmosphere and possessing extremely low gravity, the temperature plummeted to a staggering minus one hundred and seventy degrees Celsius. Had the teapot and cups not been protected by Gu Xiechen’s restrictive seals, they too would have shattered from the cold.

A faint tremor echoed from the ground. A fist-sized meteorite struck the surface, blasting open a thirty-meter-wide crater in the meters-deep layer of dust.

Yet, Gu Xiechen paid no heed to the falling debris. His entire focus was fixed upon the Haotian Pagoda within his Sea of Consciousness.

The first level of the Haotian Pagoda was nearing completion in its restoration. It was currently drawing immense streams of five-colored energy from Gu Xiechen’s innate primordial spirit to mend the final flaw. Faint rays of black and yellow light spewed forth from the first level. Within that black and yellow mist, one could vaguely discern coiling golden dragons and dancing jade phoenixes, accompanied by the ethereal drift of celestial music. Beneath that magnificent spectacle of soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes, an image emerged of billions of common folk prostrating themselves in worship.

As the five-colored energy streamed into the Haotian Pagoda, a sliver of profound realization flowed into Gu Xiechen’s heart from within the tower.

Tian Xuan Di Huang, Yu Lei Hong Huang.

The Heaven, in that moment, was a profound black, signifying the inscrutable Heavenly Dao and boundless, mysterious majesty.

The Earth was an earthen yellow, representing the deep foundation of the ground and inexhaustible vitality.

The Heavenly Dao is unknowable; the earthly currents never cease. From this duality, all things evolve and propagate—this is the Way of Heaven and Earth.

Tian Xuan Di Huang—the essence of Heaven and Earth’s primal chaos—this is the fundamental energy upon which all living beings depend.

"Interesting," Gu Xiechen smiled, delighted. This subtle hint emanating from the Haotian Pagoda, when cross-referenced with the cultivation methods in the Taiyin True Scripture, proved profoundly compelling. This single thread of guidance acted like a needle, piercing the hazy obstacles before him, bathing his heart in sudden clarity. This instantaneous enlightenment greatly amplified his body’s vitality. Primordial Chaos Energy and Primordial Turbid Energy surged ceaselessly from his cellular structure, transforming continuously into his cultivation base.

The Taiyin Xuan Yan and Taiyang Chi Yan soared fiercely. Wisps of white energy and black light continuously jetted from the crown of his head, gradually coalescing above him into a Taiji vortex pattern, roughly a foot in diameter.

Just as Gu Xiechen’s cultivation was about to ascend to a new realm due to this sudden realization, an object approaching at high speed from the distance startled him, snapping him instantly awake.

Clad in a cyan Daoist robe, his long hair flowing, the Daoist Mu manifested from the void in a streak of strange light, swiftly flying toward the satellite. On Daoist Mu’s back was a metal box, two feet square, emitting magical fluctuations that caused Gu Xiechen’s chest to tighten and his body to ache with oppressive pain. These fluctuations were so potent they even masked the Daoist Mu’s own aura. Gu Xiechen stared intently at the metal box, calculating what earth-shattering weapon it might contain.

In a matter of several breaths, Daoist Mu arrived directly above Gu Xiechen, looking down upon him.

Without lifting his head, Gu Xiechen waved a hand. Filaments of black flame curled around the teapot, instantly heating the frozen tea until it boiled furiously, sending up clouds of white vapor that clustered around the pot’s rim. Enveloping the teapot and cups with Taiyang Chi Yan, Gu Xiechen scoffed, "This superior immortal tea, 'Yellow Tooth Green Tip,' is richly fragrant in every sip, brimming with spiritual energy. Ordinary people could never taste it!"

Daoist Mu slowly descended to the surface, stopping opposite Gu Xiechen across the long table.

Pouring two cups of clear tea from the pot, Gu Xiechen rolled his eyes and said, "Find yourself a seat! Hmm, why have you sought me out?"

With a gesture of his palm, a stone stool, two feet square and a foot high, rose from the dust nearby. Daoist Mu leaned over and sat upon the stone pedestal, taking a cup of tea in his hand. He first observed the color, then inhaled the aroma. Daoist Mu nodded and praised the tea as excellent before drinking it down in one gulp.

Gu Xiechen glanced at Daoist Mu, then took the remaining cup, draining the 'Yellow Tooth Green Tip.' This tea originated from the Netherworld Fan belonging to Peng Hua. The main body of the Netherworld Fan was originally a decorative screen used by an ancient powerful being to nurture pets and cultivate rare spiritual herbs; it contained eighteen varieties of the finest immortal-grade tea leaves alone. Yellow Tooth Green Tip was inherently Wood-attribute, yet subtly contained a trace of Martial Metal energy. Those with Metal or Wood spiritual roots would benefit greatly from drinking it.

However, Daoist Mu possessed a pure Wood-attribute spiritual root. Upon swallowing the tea, that streak of Metal energy chafed his throat, piercing directly into his internal organs before surging through his eight extraordinary meridians and throughout his body. His meridians experienced intense agony; the sensation was no different from downing a mouthful of concentrated sulfuric acid.

Daoist Mu grimaced, opened his mouth, exhaled a puff of white vapor, and frowned at Gu Xiechen: "Your petty temper means you will never achieve greatness!"

The instant the words left his mouth, the sword box behind Gu Xiechen flashed, and a burst of sword energy slashed toward Daoist Mu.

The speed of the True Magnetic Two-Aperture Splitting Light Sword was blindingly fast; Daoist Mu had no chance to evade. A thin, blood-red line split open from his brow straight down to his abdomen, nearly cleaving him in two. The delicate red line was an inch deep but several times thinner than a sheet of paper. A mist of blood sprayed from the cut; had Daoist Mu not been a cultivator, this strike would have ended his life.

"You speak to me of temper? You, who are so unworthy?" Gu Xiechen sneered, his voice savage. "I have saved Jin several times; is your measure of gratitude to turn on us and strike lethally?"

Daoist Mu fell silent for a moment. A flash of green light enveloped him, instantly repairing the bleeding wound as if it had never been. He spoke calmly, "Attacking you has nothing to do with temper. To us high-level cultivators, low-level civilization’s espers are nothing more than ants. When you walk, do you stop to care if you’ve crushed a few insects?"

Before Gu Xiechen could speak, Daoist Mu pointed coldly toward the surrounding void: "Just as you killed so many citizens of the Polaris Empire—did you ever concern yourself with their thoughts?"

"Wrong!" Gu Xiechen glared at Daoist Mu. "I kill them for completely different reasons than you! I kill them for revenge! It has nothing to do with how much I value them! Don't try to suppress me with your sophistry and trickery! With that strike just now, you should realize I have sufficient power to kill you and annihilate the Dortro Family!"

Daoist Mu’s expression stiffened. He frowned, pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Then, I propose a solution to the current predicament. How about it?"

Gu Xiechen poured himself another cup of Yellow Tooth Green Tip. Although the nature of the tea was slightly cold and fiercely potent, it caused no harm to him, who possessed both Taiyang... and... He stared coldly at Daoist Mu and loudly cleared his throat before speaking: "What proposal? Tell me and let me hear it."

Daoist Mu immediately laid out his plan for resolving the Volsum Sector crisis. In his view, the proposal was already quite fair and reasonable.

If Gu Xiechen would abandon his revenge against the Polaris Empire, Goloman and the Datalia Family backing him would be completely purged, and everyone connected to the Datalia Family would be executed, as recompense for his destruction of Earth. If Gu Xiechen was willing to join the Dortro Family and become part of it, Jin could become his dual cultivation partner, Gu Xiechen would receive the inheritance of the 'Orthodox' Kunlun Daoist Techniques held by the Dortro Family, and the Talsom Sector could be handed over to him for management.

"Your power is formidable. If you cooperate with my seizure of total authority in the Polaris Empire, we can grant you a sector in the future to rule as an independent high-level civilization," Daoist Mu threw out his final chip. "If I become the Emperor of the Polaris Empire, Jin will be the Imperial Eldest Princess, and you will hold the status of an Imperial Outer-Kin Prince..."

Daoist Mu’s words were cut short as Gu Xiechen raised a hand and gestured dismissively, halting the rest of his speech.

Standing up, Gu Xiechen smiled at Daoist Mu in a strangely unsettling manner, and his voice dropped to a low growl: "I truly dislike cursing people, but to become an Outer-Kin Prince of the Polaris Empire... I have no interest in Jin. May I ask, is your mother still married? If your mother is still a secluded maiden of sixteen or seventeen, I wouldn't mind forming a relationship and friendship with her!"

"That statement is truly too uncivilized," Daoist Mu also stood up, spreading his hands in mock exasperation. "I came here with sincere intentions."

Gu Xiechen stared at Daoist Mu darkly. He nodded his head. "You came with sincerity? Then, you must abolish your Dao foundation and forfeit all your cultivation; Goloman and every member of the Datalia Family must die; Empress Meilin and all her kin must also perish; and after I destroy ninety-nine percent of the Polaris Empire’s administrative stars and kill six trillion of its citizens, then I might consider reconciliation!"

Daoist Mu staggered, then roared through gritted teeth: "The entire Polaris Empire doesn't have six trillion people!"

Gu Xiechen stared back with ferocious malice and sneered through clenched teeth: "I will kill them on my end, and you can breed them on yours! Once I have six trillion, I will slaughter them all!"

Raged to the point that his three corpses thrashed and smoke billowed from his head, Daoist Mu stood pointing at Gu Xiechen. After a full quarter of an hour, Daoist Mu suddenly chuckled: "There's nothing left to discuss, then?"

Gu Xiechen shook his head: "Nothing to say!"

The next instant, the True Magnetic Two-Aperture Splitting Light Sword flashed through the spatial barrier, aiming a fatal strike directly at Daoist Mu’s brow. Daoist Mu’s eyes suddenly rolled back, and all traces of life force vanished simultaneously—all heartbeats and pulses ceased. The metal box on his back suddenly melted away, revealing a black, semi-transparent crystal sphere roughly one and a half chi in diameter. This sphere was clamped in a complex mechanical frame, and an extremely fine metal filament pierced out from within Daoist Mu’s body, connecting precisely to this frame.

The simultaneous cessation of all life signs in Daoist Mu instantly triggered several sensors on the mechanical frame. Dozens of ultra-fine crystal spikes shot out from the frame, precisely puncturing the black crystal sphere. Dozens of dazzling white lights erupted from the spikes, converging within the sphere into a single, blinding black focal point. A massive wave of energy rolled off the sphere. The space spanning ten thousand li began to vibrate violently. Immediately after, the sphere exploded, and the void over ten thousand li collapsed simultaneously.

It was the same technique Goloman had used—Spatial Collapse—but this time the collapse was faster and far more unexpected. The epicenter of the collapse was less than two meters from Gu Xiechen. The turbulent spatial tides created by the massive energy discharge from the positive and negative space being pierced by the Divine Crystal instantly dragged Gu Xiechen’s body into that chaotic void.

Along with Daoist Mu, three middle-aged Daoists with flowing beards appeared at the edge of the collapsing space. Along with them were one thousand and twenty-four cultivators clad in various Daoist robes, holding banners and deploying the Jade Void Sky-Locking Grand Array, the orthodox inheritance of the Kunlun Dao Sect. This array harnessed the colossal might of the surrounding elemental forces—water, earth, fire, and wind—to compress the collapsing space inward toward the center.

It was like a bomb detonating in an open wilderness; its destructive power wasn't overwhelmingly vast. But if that same bomb detonated in a confined room, its force would be enough to pulverize steel to dust.

What Daoist Mu and the others did was compress a collapsing space spanning ten thousand li into a void only a hundred li in diameter. The entirety of the energy released by the Divine Crystal's burst, along with the total destructive force of the positive and negative space implosion, was contained within this hundred li area. The instantaneous killing power generated was at least a thousand times greater than the spatial collapse created by Goloman!

"He is definitely dead!" Green light flickered in Daoist Mu’s eyes, and a smug, sinister grin spread across his face. "Foolish, low-level biological creature. A mere clone puppet imbued with a trace of my spiritual fluctuation tricked his perception. This time, we must cut the root to destroy the weed completely; you cannot be allowed to continue disrupting the empire that is destined to be mine in the future."

When the spatial collapse occurred, Gu Xiechen was swiftly sucked into the sub-space by the spatial tides. This area was already a chaotic mess. Spatial torrents spanning millions of li rolled in like vipers smelling blood, surging madly toward the center. The immense pressure from the surrounding spatial energy caused Gu Xiechen’s skin to split, oozing faint golden blood threads. He struggled fiercely, but he could not move a single finger. How could the strength of one person contend against the overwhelming might of an entire space?

Just as Gu Xiechen's flesh was about to be crushed and his bones about to snap, he suddenly cursed himself as a fool and hurriedly spat out the Taiyin Profound Orb.

The ash-gray treasure orb floated upward, a white energy current sweeping out, drawing in Gu Xiechen, along with the struggling True Magnetic Two-Aperture Splitting Light Sword, into its embrace.

The boundless spatial torrents slammed toward the Taiyin Profound Orb. Immense spatial energy, uncontrolled, surged into the orb.

Gu Xiechen, hiding and healing within the boundless Taiyin space inside the Taiyin Profound Orb, was overjoyed. Normally, he had to coerce the Taiyin Profound Orb into laboriously absorbing external energy, but now, external energy was being forced into the orb! He quickly formed a hand seal, releasing a spatial barrier on the Taiyin Profound Orb, opening an enormous, immeasurable entrance.

A white light shot out from the relatively small Taiyin Profound Orb, rapidly expanding into a halo several thousand li in diameter, suspended within the turbulent sub-space. Countless streams of energy rushed toward this halo, plunging into the Taiyin space with earth-shattering roars. Regardless of the energy's attribute or quantity, the Taiyin Profound Orb devoured it all, instantly transforming the acquired Houtian energy into the purest Xianti Taiyin Qi, integrating it into the vast and boundless Taiyin space.

The True Lord of Taiyin had been sealed for untold years, and the space within the Taiyin Profound Orb had been sealed along with him. During those years of imprisonment, the True Lord of Taiyin’s soul was perpetually scorched by the True Fire of the Sun; only the Taiyin Qi within the Taiyin Profound Orb had barely preserved a sliver of his remnant soul. Over the long passage of time, the Taiyin Qi within the orb had been entirely depleted. Even after several years of nourishment from Gu Xiechen, it was merely the equivalent of a few drops of water sprinkled into the Sahara Desert—utterly insufficient.

But this time, the collapse of the sub-space, laden with infinite energy, caused the chaotic energy flow to be squeezed uncontrollably toward the Taiyin Profound Orb. This was akin to the Sahara Desert suddenly overlapping with the Pacific Ocean, with an endless volume of seawater flooding into the desert. It instantly achieved the miraculous effect of transforming fields into seas.

Gu Xiechen, suspended in the Taiyin space, watched as wisps of white energy began to emerge in the empty expanse, gradually forming streams, then clouds, then mist. Eventually, the dense white vapor transformed into specks of water droplets scattering everywhere. The Taiyin Qi became so rich it was on the verge of condensing into liquid. After an unknown period, this liquid began to gently rain down from the void, gathering far below Gu Xiechen into a vast ocean.

With a thought, Gu Xiechen suddenly pointed at the ocean below. A section several tens of thousands of li wide of the white waves rapidly compressed toward the center, instantly solidifying into a small white island spanning a dozen li across. The island featured a few small mountain ranges, a small plain, and several winding streams, all connected to the ocean surrounding it.

A faint spark of realization seemed to cross Gu Xiechen's mind, but it fled as quickly as it came, and he could not grasp it.

His form flashed, and Gu Xiechen stood upon the small white island. He extended a finger, and a piece of mountain rock detached silently, falling into his hand. This rock, condensed entirely from Taiyin Qi, was smooth, fine, and weighed heavily; its density was at least ten thousand times that of steel. Furthermore, it was intensely saturated with water-attribute spiritual energy. This single piece of rock, the size of a fist, weighed over ten thousand jin, and the water-attribute spiritual energy contained within was equivalent to at least ten chunks of high-grade Zakkla Crystal of the same volume.

Taiyin Qi was one of the first two currents of energy to appear at the dawn of the Primordial Chaos. After the Yin and Yang energies evolved, they gave rise to the endless life forms and rare minerals of later ages. This Taiyin Qi is the ultimate source of all Yin-attribute energy in the universe, the root of all subsequent Yin energies. Water-attribute spiritual energy is also classified as a supreme Yin and soft energy; thus, the rock contained abundant, pure water-attribute energy.

Weighing the white rock in his hand, Gu Xiechen’s eyes widened. He controlled the spatial power of the Taiyin space, sweeping it over the rock, which instantly turned dark cyan. A sinister, cold aura surged up; the energy stored within the rock had been transformed into the purest Nine Nether Earthly Nether Qi required by Ghost Cultivators.

Laughing wildly three times toward the sky, Gu Xiechen rapidly shifted his thoughts. The spatial power of the Taiyin space continued to work upon the rock, causing its color to shift unpredictably for a time, and its inherent aura quickly transformed, evolving into ghostly Qi, demonic Qi, Earth Core Yin Fiend Qi, and other negative Yin-attribute essences.

Nodding with satisfaction, Gu Xiechen then reverted the rock to its basic white color and tossed it back onto the island. He now understood that with the Taiyin space, he would never again worry about sourcing offensive Yin-attribute spirit stones or securing supply of Yin-attribute primordial materials. He glared at the white rock, and it instantly transformed into a brilliant azure piece of Caiyin Water Gold—the supreme material for forging Water-attribute immortal artifacts.

The elusive spark of realization he had failed to grasp moments ago finally became clear in his heart. The memories related to the True Lord of Taiyin also surged into his mind: so long as Gu Xiechen’s cultivation reached a sufficient height, he could evolve continents within the Taiyin space, creating a world unto himself. In this world, everything that existed would be composed of pure Taiyin Qi, capable of evolving into an endless array of ultimate Yin objects relying on that energy. When Gu Xiechen's cultivation reached the Golden Immortal stage, various supreme Yin-attribute spirit grasses could spontaneously generate in the Taiyin space; upon reaching the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, he would possess vast amounts of rare, precious fruits and woods; and when his cultivation reached the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, supreme Yin spirit beasts such as Ice Dragons and Ice Phoenixes could manifest within the Taiyin space.

As long as Gu Xiechen's cultivation could break through the Earth chapter of the Taiyin True Scripture and reach the Heaven chapter, pure Yin-attribute high-level life forms, akin to Innate Immortals, could form within the Taiyin space. Gu Xiechen would become the progenitor of life in this boundless Taiyin void. And the price?

"The price is nothing more than a bit of vital essence blood integrated into the Taiyin Qi!"

Once Gu Xiechen grasped this miraculous function of the Taiyin Profound Orb, he couldn't help but laugh toward the sky. Filled with excitement, he used the True Magnetic Two-Aperture Splitting Light Sword to slash open his own wrist veins, spewing forth a large quantity of vital blood. Golden blood continuously merged into the surrounding void, becoming the very source of life for this space.

The Taiyin Profound Orb floated up and down excitedly for a moment. Gu Xiechen felt that the communion between him and the orb had become even closer!

While internalizing the wondrous sensations transmitted from the Taiyin Profound Orb, Gu Xiechen lamented that the failure of the True Lord of Taiyin back then was entirely unnecessary. If he had diligently cultivated several strong enforcers within the Taiyin space, given his background and cultivation time, he could have nurtured hundreds of Daluo Golden Immortal-level fighters. With hundreds of Daluo Golden Immortals as shields, how could he possibly have been besieged and ultimately perished by those few old rivals?

It was hardly the fault of the Grand Master of Taiyin; having been born from the very first wisp of Yin essence in the cosmos, his nature had always been cold and aloof. He had walked the world alone his entire existence, utterly devoid of close confidants. For such an inherently isolated being—a veritable recluse—the prospect of activating the Taiyin Profound Pearl’s function to nurture life originating from his own bloodline held zero appeal.

"What a pity, what a profound pity!"

Gu Xiechen danced with unrestrained joy, watching as his own vital essence gradually merged with the surrounding Taiyin energy. Slowly, it transformed into fine wisps of spiritual mist, each imbued with the breath of life, diffusing into the void. Once Gu Xiechen's cultivation reached a sufficiently high level, and the vital energy he provided grew strong enough, a new life would indeed be born in this space.

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