The Red Dragon, Lieyan, the exterior hull of the Death Star was entirely crimson, a shade so intensely red it verged on deep violet. Beneath the mirror-like crystalline armor plating, a faint glow shimmered, subtly revealing rising tendrils of flame. The entire death star gave the impression of a burning conflagration. A single, extremely fine line of golden light coiled around the outer hull, precisely tracing the image of a red dragon exhaling fire.

At the eager invitation of Chi Long, Lieyan (Red Dragon, Lieyan), Gu Xiechen stepped onto the Death Star. Inside the vessel, he immediately felt a heavy lurch as his body sank; the gravity within this death star was roughly ten times standard, and the atmospheric pressure was immense. The air contained very little moisture, as the surrounding fire-attribute spiritual energy had vigorously purged nearly all water molecules. It was an excellent place for cultivators of the fire element to train, but for those of other spiritual meridians, the internal environment of this death star was an extreme burden and a source of significant weakening.

Gu Xiechen had long been familiar with this ultimate weapon of a legendary six-star civilization. Finally seizing the opportunity to examine a physical specimen, Gu Xiechen immediately unleashed his spiritual sense at full power, enveloping the entire death star. His innate divine consciousness, fluid and penetrating like spilled mercury, meticulously observed and analyzed the internal structure. It was as if countless surgical scalpels were dissecting the death star’s specific architecture, omitting no detail, and etching the entire blueprint into his sea of consciousness for memory.

The interior structure of the two-hundred-kilometer-diameter death star was intricate, particularly the network of energy conduits, which subtly mirrored the patterns of the celestial spheres. Its entire design was clearly the result of over a hundred large-scale formations coupled together in a three-dimensional matrix. Centered around an object deep within the core that reflected extremely intense energy, large formations of varying sizes were continuously nested and integrated from the inside out, collaborating with alloys smelted from innate materials gathered from subspace, thus composing this death star.

Judging solely by the material composition, the strength of the death star likely surpassed that of top-tier Immortal Artifacts, though it still fell significantly short of true innate Dharma Tools.

However, the integration of over a hundred large formations within the death star, when coupled and interconnected, yielded astonishing results. Gu Xiechen estimated that the maximum destructive power and defensive capability this death star could unleash had surpassed the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm, likely reaching the standard of a Golden Immortal. Most of these hundred-plus formations were documented in the Canon of Heavenly Artifacts—powerful Immortal Formations utilized by the ancient immortals, certainly not comparable to the common Dharma Formations found in lower realms.

The few formations not recorded in the Canon of Heavenly Artifacts served a crucial, almost mechanical function: they forcefully synchronized the most powerful formations, much like drainage channels alongside a great river, unifying the surging power of several massive currents, creating a continuous flow that made the entire structural array significantly more complete.

What artistry, what magnificent technique! It was a pity, however, that the creator of the death star likely lacked an innate flame of sufficient temperature and energy. Consequently, the materials used to construct the star were not refined completely, leaving behind numerous impurities and mixed energies. If Gu Xiechen had first refined the materials three times using the Solar Blazing Flame, followed by a final purification with the Lunar Serpent Flame, the resulting material would be over a hundred times tougher than even the death star’s most durable outer armor. Coupled with the tens of thousands of profound Immortal Formations he mastered from the Canon of Heavenly Artifacts, as long as he could sustain the energy expenditure, he could forge his own death star.

To be precise, what was termed a ‘Death Star’ had already transcended the conventional scope of a battleship; it was, in essence, a semi-finished innate artifact.

The designer of this death star was undoubtedly a genius. It was simply that their materials were inferior and their repertoire of formations was insufficient; otherwise, the star's power could have climbed several more tiers.

In mere seconds, Gu Xiechen had completely pirated the structure of the entire death star. Because he had mobilized his entire spiritual sense instantaneously, his body trembled slightly, his skin felt hot, and his face flushed with a slight feverish look, as if he were struggling to withstand the intrusion of the fire-attribute spiritual energy within the death star. But for the sake of obtaining the death star's blueprints, it was all worth it. At this moment, the death star held no secrets from Gu Xiechen; he could now replicate an even more powerful and perfected version at will.

Chi Long, Lieyan glanced at Gu Xiechen’s flushed face and immediately began apologizing profusely. This death star served as his private meditation chamber, and he had intentionally activated the power of the Divine Crystal within to breach subspace, continuously drawing fire-attribute spiritual energy into the vessel. If cultivators of fire-attribute arts didn't inherently find the environment uncomfortable, Chi Long, Lieyan would have assumed Gu Xiechen was suffering a conflict with the intense fire-attribute spiritual energy.

Gu Xiechen repeatedly shook his head, assuring him it was nothing. He followed Chi Long, Lieyan with keen interest as they made a cursory tour of the death star a few times. He specifically visited the core area to observe the massive Divine Crystal embedded precisely at the energy heart of the star. That semi-transparent, darkish crystal made Gu Xiechen’s head swim. Isn’t this the material the Roman people use to carve statues of their gods? How can it contain such immense energy? The energy reaction from the Roman statues was nowhere near this potent.

The hospitable Chi Long, Lieyan misinterpreted Gu Xiechen's slight change in expression as awe at seeing such a large Divine Crystal. With a touch of boastfulness, he led Gu Xiechen around the crystal a few times before ushering him into a plainly furnished reception room and ordering a servant to bring tea.

Once seated, Chi Long, Lieyan and Gu Xiechen formally exchanged names. Chi Long, Lieyan was the current Emperor of the Blazing Dragon Empire, and within the core cultivation circles of the Star Alliance, he also held the Taoist name 'Tyrant Dragon Daoist'—the name spoke volumes about Chi Long, Lieyan's temperament. As for his cultivation method, it stemmed from an obscure branch sect of ancient Kunlun, founded by an unremarkable minor immortal who established the 'True Flame Sect,' specializing in fire-attribute cultivation.

Gu Xiechen introduced himself as 'Wu Long Daoist,' a moniker he used while serving with the Hell Angels Mercenary Group. He omitted any details about his lineage or origins, claiming instead to be a fortunate rogue cultivator who, during an adventure on some planet in his youth, accidentally stumbled into a cave and inherited the legacy of an ancient immortal.

After a period of mutual flattery and courtesies, the young man who had been chased by Xuanwu Asura entered, having bathed and changed into simple, neat red robes. Upon entering, he bowed deeply to Gu Xiechen and thanked him with utmost reverence. Although Chi Long, Lieyan had been watching the nearby spectacle for a long time, Gu Xiechen’s righteous intervention in dealing with Xuanwu Asura and her cohorts was undeniable. This young man, Chi Long, Lieyan’s ninth son, Zhiye, Lieyan, was clearly well-versed in proper etiquette.

Chi Long, Lieyan boisterously waved his son over to sit nearby and scolded him bluntly: "You've stirred up quite a mess this time; I'll deal with you when we get back! Always chasing after women and getting into trouble—no more wandering off randomly!"

Zhiye, Lieyan knitted his brows and obediently nodded, but the darting glances from his eyes indicated he hadn't taken his father’s words to heart. Gu Xiechen merely chuckled internally; seeing Chi Long, Lieyan’s demeanor, he knew the father couldn't manage his son. The man chose a death star as his retreat—he himself was restless as a thorned backside; how could he expect his son to meditate obediently? After admonishing his son, Chi Long, Lieyan ruffled his hair and turned back to Gu Xiechen with a sheepish wave, shaking his head repeatedly: "They’ve all been spoiled rotten by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They all run around causing trouble just because they know a few tricks, forcing me to constantly clean up after them all these years."

Gu Xiechen gently fanned himself with his Five-Water Dragon Beard Fan and nodded with a smile: "It's good for the young to be lively. Zhiye didn't waver when threatened by that demonic woman this time; he’s still a good child."

Chi Long, Lieyan puffed out his chest proudly: "Of course! Even if they’re spoiled by their elders, they are still my bloodline; how could they fall for a trick like that!"

Looking around with smug satisfaction, Chi Long, Lieyan lifted his teacup and smiled at Gu Xiechen: "Please, try some. It’s nothing special. A few years ago, I killed a nearly mature Unicom Quadrupedal Great Python guarding this pile of Green Silk Golden Dew Tea. Come, taste it."

Green Silk Golden Dew Tea? Gu Xiechen inwardly acknowledged that this was one of the superlative famous teas listed in the Heavenly Court’s records. He only had a faint impression of it from the memories of the Grand Monarch of Taiyin. This tea demanded extremely high growing conditions and was a rare, exquisite treasure. Chi Long, Lieyan calling it "nothing special" was an extreme understatement of modesty.

Lifting the cup and offering a slight gesture toward Chi Long, Lieyan, Gu Xiechen inhaled the pale green liquid with satisfaction.

The moment the tea touched his tongue, Gu Xiechen nearly spat it out.

It was nothing like the silken smoothness and refreshing coolness—reminiscent of deep autumn dew—described in the Grand Monarch of Taiyin’s memories of Green Silk Golden Dew. The texture of this sip was like silk, yes, but green steel wire; and as for coolness, there was none. The entry was an explosion of chaotic spiritual energy that hit his mouth, with attributes so mixed—as if a dozen seasonings had been thrown into a single dish—that Gu Xiechen couldn't categorize the flavor.

I truly don't know how Chi Long, Lieyan cultivated this Green Silk Golden Dew; he's ruined the taste completely. "How is it?" Chi Long, Lieyan looked at Gu Xiechen eagerly, boasting, "How’s the texture? This is some good stuff I secretly kept hidden. Hmph, all the rest that was harvested was snatched up by my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, those old fellows. Ah, this spiritual tea is incredibly invigorating!"

Gu Xiechen maintained a straight face and nodded solemnly: "A fine item. Truly fine!"

Forcing a smile for Chi Long, Lieyan, he downed the rest of the tea in his cup. But as the liquid swirled in his throat, a wisp of Solar Blazing Flame transformed into a small bird and quietly neutralized it.

Delighted that his prized possession was praised so highly by his guest, Chi Long, Lieyan was so excited he practically danced, personally picking up the teapot to pour Gu Xiechen another cup, earnestly urging him to drink more.

Helpless, Gu Xiechen could only raise his cup repeatedly, forcing down several pots of tea that tasted as if knives were slicing his tongue upon swallowing.

Chi Long, Lieyan was incredibly extroverted, so much so that it seemed every thought in his belly was ready to explode. He was also single-minded, with a direct path from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His words flowed like the ceaseless current of a great river, accompanied by sprays of saliva, torrentially pouring out everything he wanted to say to Gu Xiechen for over an hour.

Gu Xiechen stared blankly at Chi Long, Lieyan, truly wondering why this man had so much to say to someone he had just met—a 'rogue cultivator' of unknown origin. He recounted everything, starting from how he was unwilling to be emperor but was pushed onto the throne, to the hardships of raising and protecting his sons, and even revealing that he kept several mistresses on an administrative planet outside the Blazing Dragon Empire's foundational capital star system... At this point, Chi Long, Lieyan quickly glanced sideways at his son and swiftly changed the subject.

Zhiye, Lieyan hung his head, his eyes fixed vacantly on some point or points on the floor, his mind long since wandering elsewhere. Chi Long, Lieyan failed to notice his son’s distraction, and upon seeing his vacant state, the Emperor’s tension eased. He continued his non-stop, articulate confession to Gu Xiechen about everything he wished to unburden himself of.

Gu Xiechen watched Chi Long, Lieyan speechlessly. This man dared to speak about absolutely everything, and to him, a 'rogue cultivator' whose background was completely unknown.

The words poured out like a fountain, revealing state secrets: how many star domains the Blazing Dragon Empire controlled, the size of its military, and the volume of daily administrative affairs the Emperor had to manage. Gu Xiechen learned all of it.

Then came details on the imperial family: how many current members there were, and how many among them could cultivate the True Flame Sect's Jade Purity Celestial Burning Art. From this, Gu Xiechen understood that Chi Long, Lieyan’s father and older relatives numbered over fifty individuals. The weakest among them was a Fourth Tribulation Loose Immortal, and the strongest was the Emperor before the eleventh generation of the Blazing Dragon Empire. Chi Long, Lieyan admitted he didn't know the exact extent of that ancestor's cultivation, only that he was incredibly, supremely powerful.

Next, Chi Long, Lieyan shifted the conversation to the Blazing Dragon Empire's foreign relations.

Among the twenty-six six-star civilizations in the Star Alliance, the Blazing Dragon Empire ranked within the top five. The Blazing Dragon Empire had a near-innate enemy: the Zenith Star Empire.

The reason was simple: the Dortro family, which inherited the lineage of the Zenith Star Empire, practiced cultivation methods derived from the Kunlun lineage, including a divine ability called Separating Light and Dissolving Shadow, which specifically countered the Jade Purity Celestial Burning Art.

Fortunately, the royal family of the Blazing Dragon Empire had good fortune. In addition to inheriting the True Flame Sect’s tradition, they unexpectedly gained the Dharma inheritance of a Bodhisattva from the Western Buddhist Realm who perished alongside a past Patriarch of the True Flame Sect. Thus, besides the Jade Purity Celestial Burning Art, they also cultivated the Three Heads and Eighteen Arms Demon Subduing Golden Body divine ability from the Western Buddhist Realm.

A cultivator from the mainstream Asian Dao Alliance, even if they had acquired both these abilities, would only dare to cultivate one. Although Daoist methods and Buddhist divine abilities nominally stemmed from the same origin, over the years of development, they had formed two distinct systems. Cultivating both simultaneously carried the risk of meridian conflict and qi deviation if handled improperly.

Yet, the Blazing Dragon Empire's royal family, somehow, succeeded. After three to five generations of royal members exploding and dying tragically, they finally managed to merge the two paths: refining the primordial spirit internally while cultivating the external Golden Body. Although their magical arts were still partially suppressed by the Separating Light and Dissolving Shadow ability, in actual combat, the technique could dissolve the Blazing Dragon Empire royalty’s Jade Void Celestial Burning Divine Flame, but it could not affect the Demon Subduing Golden Body. Worse for the enemy, once the Separating Light and Dissolving Shadow technique was deployed, it immediately triggered a counter-reaction from the Demon Subduing Golden Body.

Before achieving the Celestial Burning Golden Body perfection, three generations of Blazing Dragon Empire Emperors died at the hands of the Zenith Star Emperor and the contemporary head of the Dortro family—an irreconcilable blood feud. Once the Blazing Dragon Imperial Family achieved the Great Completion of the Celestial Burning Golden Body, their inherent violent and straightforward temperaments led them to retaliate fiercely. Within ten thousand years, they ambushed the Zenith Star Emperor thirty-seven times, severely wounding him thirty-seven times. Furthermore, eighteen heads of the Dortro family were either gravely injured or outright killed by members of the Blazing Dragon royal family.

Gu Xiechen held his cup, watching Chi Long, Lieyan with a slight smile. Once the Emperor finished detailing the conflicts and ancient grievances between the two nations, Gu Xiechen smiled and asked: "Your Majesty’s words are not uttered without cause, I presume?"

Chi Long, Lieyan let out a hearty laugh and slammed his palms together with a sound like thunder. He then pointed his thumb up in praise: "As expected of the Gu Xiechen who single-handedly took down the Zenith Star Empire's Wolsom Star Domain! Daoist Xie Long is truly both wicked and ruthless!"

Extending his broad right hand toward Gu Xiechen, Chi Long, Lieyan declared loudly: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend! What do you say? Are you interested in becoming an honored guest in our Blazing Dragon Empire? A master of your caliber, Planetary level, is highly sought after by all six-star civilizations! Our meeting today is fated; rather than joining another nation, you should join the Blazing Dragon Empire."

He added: "I’ve laid out nearly the entire foundation of the Blazing Dragon Empire just to talk to you. We have a feud with the Zenith Star Empire, but our national strength is comparable. With you, we can strike that old monster of the Zenith Star Empire with serious force." Chi Long, Lieyan looked at Gu Xiechen with anticipation.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend? Gu Xiechen smiled. He looked at Chi Long, Lieyan and slowly nodded: "If I join the Blazing Dragon Empire, what conveniences can you offer me?"

Chi Long, Lieyan roared with laughter. "Putting aside other things, you are heading toward the Starlight Domain, aren't you? I don't care how you managed to arrive here in just six months, but at your current speed, it would still take you three to five years to seek revenge against the Zenith Star Empire. I can provide you with a top-secret Stellar Gate passage that will put you directly in the Starlight Domain within seven days. What do you think?"

He squeezed his eyes together and chuckled softly: "This secret passage took our Blazing Dragon Empire over thirty thousand years to construct. It can only accommodate small fighters, and it is our highest-level channel for secretly infiltrating the Starlight Domain. It will save you a massive amount of time, and it’s also an excellent escape route!"

Looking at the beaming Chi Long, Lieyan, Gu Xiechen firmly clasped his hand: "It seems you recognized me after all?"

Chi Long, Lieyan gripped Gu Xiechen’s hand tightly and sighed helplessly: "You and your companions destroyed the entire Wolsom Star Domain! And we lost over three hundred thousand spies and informants there. If they couldn't transmit your intelligence back to the capital, I’d truly have been wasting money supporting their widows and orphans!"

Er, over three hundred thousand intelligence agents from the Blazing Dragon Empire were 'accidentally' killed by him? Gu Xiechen shook his head helplessly. These were truly collateral damage; the entire planet was utterly annihilated, so the deaths of those agents were somewhat tragic, yet unavoidable.

However, clearly, Chi Long, Lieyan didn't dwell on such a minor issue. Losing three hundred thousand agents in exchange for securing the allegiance of a Planetary-level expert? This was an absolute bargain. The members of the Blazing Dragon Imperial Family only dared to ambush the Zenith Star Emperor or key ministers; they wouldn't dare to blatantly destroy an enemy administrative planet as Gu Xiechen had. After all, their strengths were comparable, and no one dared to risk universal opprobrium by engaging in such mutually destructive behavior.

But Gu Xiechen was different. As a rogue cultivator, without the foundation of a six-star civilization, he had no need to fear retaliation from an enemy nation and could casually destroy their administrative planets at will. This was the best way to undermine the Zenith Star Empire's national strength. Since fate allowed him to encounter Chi Long, Lieyan, the Emperor would naturally spare no effort in recruiting him. A secret Stellar Gate passage—this was precisely what Gu Xiechen needed right now. Chi Long, Lieyan offered his highest state secret as a favor, showing undeniable sincerity. As for the specific benefits of becoming an honored guest of the Blazing Dragon Empire, Chi Long, Lieyan didn't mention it, and Gu Xiechen didn't pursue the topic. Having reached Gu Xiechen's level, worldly wealth and glory held little appeal; the only things that could truly interest a Heavenly Immortal-level expert were rare cosmic treasures and profound skills or techniques.

After a brief exchange, Gu Xiechen agreed to become a royal honored guest of the Blazing Dragon Empire—specifically, the highly autonomous, top-secret type of honored guest.

As per Chi Long, Lieyan’s request, both men swore soul oaths. Chi Long, Lieyan vowed absolutely never to act against Gu Xiechen and to treat him with complete sincerity. Gu Xiechen, in turn, vowed never to intentionally harm the interests of the Blazing Dragon Empire or its royal family, and to assist the Empire to the best of his ability when his own safety was not threatened.

Seeing Gu Xiechen accept his proposal, Chi Long, Lieyan rubbed his hands together excitedly and immediately extended an invitation to Gu Xiechen.

One year hence, in a highly classified location within the Blazing Dragon Empire—a secret known only to the Crimson Dragon, Lieyan—a strange life form would emerge: the Scarlet Dragon. Crimson Dragon, Lieyan, desired to seize the life essence of this nascent being to reconstruct his own physical body, and for this, he required the aid of Gu Xichen.

The Crimson Dragon, Lieyan, pledged that he would only claim the creature's own vital blood; all other discoveries would belong entirely to Gu Wuchen.

Gu Xichen pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to state his urgent need to depart for the Starlight Domain, his sea of consciousness shuddered violently. The first level of the Vast Heaven Pagoda had been completely repaired, and a flash of divine consciousness, like lightning, blasted into his Innate Primordial Spirit. The information concealed within the first layer of the Vast Heaven Pagoda caused Gu Xichen’s heart to leap, and immediately following this, he nodded repeatedly in ecstatic delight, accepting the invitation from the Crimson Dragon, Lieyan.

One year was more than enough time! Hidden within the first level of the Vast Heaven Pagoda was the first stage of the profound body-tempering technique, the Xuanhuang Indestructible Body, a secret transmission from the Lord of the Heavenly Court, the Supreme Deity Haotian—the foundational discipline! One year was the perfect amount of time to lay that foundation.