The procession struck the grand avenue leading toward the Yavier Empire Embassy, drawing curious glances from Miao Hua.

Gu Xechen glanced at Miao Hua, puzzled. What was there to look at about him? Though he had altered his appearance, it shouldn't warrant such staring.

“Junior Brother, I suddenly notice you’ve become much more decisive and ruthless. You truly have the demeanor of Master all those years ago!” Seeing Gu Xechen’s confusion, Peng Hua couldn't help but sigh, “Casting aside tens of thousands of immortal artifacts just to potentially entrap someone in the future—even if those artifacts were easily obtained, that gesture is still too grand!”

Giving a thumbs-up, Peng Hua nodded, “The Jiuyou lineage will truly have to be led by you from now on, Junior Brother. Master wasn't wrong back then; I’m destined to be nothing more than a strong-arm enforcer, never a true Patriarch in this lifetime! Alas, for such a graceful, dashing, and exceptional young talent as myself—who once swept through all the courtesans of the Qinhuai River with a single Unfaltering Golden Lance—I still pale in comparison to you!”

Gu Xechen could only roll his eyes, caught between laughter and tears, at Peng Hua's flippant manner. The title of 'Patriarch' simply didn't suit him.

Still, had he truly become much more ruthless? Perhaps.

Slight wisps of Profound Yellow Qi coiled and spun around Gu Xechen. He narrowed his eyes, and in the sunlight, an air of ‘ruthlessness’ emanated from him even more intensely.

Rounding a large flowerbed ahead brought them to the street where the Yavier Empire Embassy stood. Gu Xechen was speaking softly to Peng Hua when a clear, elegant fragrance drifted forward, accompanied by a sound as clear as a silver bell, like the light chirp of a Western Bird of Paradise: “Two sirs, is there anywhere we might rest around here?”

Gu Xechen snapped his head up. Just a short distance ahead, beneath a flowering tree, stood a young girl dressed in a strange, coarse linen gown, wearing a crown of thorns, looking pleadingly at him. This girl possessed astonishing beauty; her petite frame was as lithe as a willow swaying in a strong wind, exuding an inherent air of charm. Her pale skin was almost translucent in the sunlight. Her exceptionally large eyes blinked rapidly, seemingly speaking volumes.

She also wore several bracelets woven from thorny vines around her wrists, from which bloomed scattered patches of small purple flowers. Although the craftsmanship was rough, they possessed a certain wild, natural charm, further enhancing the girl’s appearance as if she were an elf stepped out of the mountains—ethereal and natural, yet vibrantly alive. She was the sort of delicate woman one instantly felt the urge to gather into their arms and cherish.

Gu Xechen only paused for a moment, but Peng Hua immediately revealed his true colors as a lecher. He swallowed audibly, struck a pose of debonair gallantry, and gracefully approached the girl, offering a slight bow with a smile: “Miss, is this your first time in Dahlia City? Hmm, seeing as you have no attendants with you. Perhaps you are lost?”

The girl blinked, then suddenly smiled radiantly at Peng Hua and nodded emphatically.

As the girl smiled, hundreds of flower buds on the tree beside her burst into bloom. The sunlight, scattering upon the brilliant white petals, instantly reflected a vast, shimmering glow, bathing the girl as if she were draped in divine radiance—truly a fairy descended to the mortal realm. Moreover, swarms of bees and butterflies appeared from nowhere, circling the flowering tree, and several large butterflies even settled directly onto the crown of thorns upon her head.

The scene was exquisitely beautiful. Miao Hua nearly got a nosebleed. He stared blankly at the girl’s face, then sighed deeply, “Miss, if you believe this sincere, honest, and pure gentleman before you is trustworthy, then come with me. I possess nothing of value, but I can certainly provide a soft bed and a tub of scalding hot bathwater.”

Gu Xechen chuckled wryly. Peng Hua could probably even offer a few condoms for free; he certainly knew what schemes the fellow was cooking up. Nevertheless, this woman was truly captivating.

Blinking, the girl raised her right hand. “I am very tired. I have walked a very, very long way to get here, but I know no one here, and I don’t know what to do.”

Slapping his chest forcefully, Peng Hua gave the girl a sweeping promise. As long as Young Master Peng Hua was around, he would single-handedly cover all of her 'living' expenses—food, lodging, and 'sex'—in Dahlia City, guaranteeing she would feel as if she were back home, with her family and loved ones. Intentionally or unintentionally, Peng Hua flexed his muscles while speaking, doing his best to display to the girl how powerful, robust, handsome, and full of vigor his physique was.

What a rutting bull, Gu Xechen thought, momentarily speechless at Peng Hua’s display. Out of habit, he cast his Divine Sense toward the girl, intending to investigate the background of this peerless beauty who could summon flowers to bloom and butterflies to dance with a mere smile. However, when Gu Xechen’s innate Divine Sense swept over her, he received no response whatsoever. The small pocket of space the girl occupied seemed completely detached from this universe; Gu Xechen’s Divine Sense could not approach her body, dissipating sideways just a hair’s breadth away from her form.

Gu Xechen was alarmed. What was the origin of this girl? Either she was protected by a powerful treasure, or her cultivation far surpassed his own. In either case, the girl’s background was extraordinary. Such a powerful being—would she truly be lost, unable to find lodging in Dahlia City?

Just as he was about to caution Peng Hua to be careful, Peng Hua grinned and reached out to grab the girl's delicate hand. But before Peng Hua could move, Han Wei, clad in a fiery red palace dress, had already slipped out from behind Peng Hua and seized the girl’s wrist. Han Wei smiled coldly, and with her free left hand, she clawed toward the girl’s sternum. Chhh, chhh, the sound accompanied the popping out of five razor-sharp nails, each over a foot long, shrouded in wisps of evil Qi and Black Fire, poised to rip out the girl’s heart. Because Peng Hua’s power had rapidly advanced to the Celestial Immortal realm, Han Wei’s cultivation had consequently risen to the Grand Sovereign Heaven level. A strike from her current power was incredibly fast and fierce; Gu Xechen couldn't even clearly track her movement.

Yet, the girl lightly parried Han Wei’s claw strike away with a gentle palm. The girl looked pitifully at Han Wei and whispered softly, “Such a fierce older sister.”

The girl’s voice was like a plaintive song, every syllable like a sweet spring drizzling onto the heart, making one’s spirit tingle and creating an intense desire to embrace her and shower her with affection. The sound was utterly captivating; even Gu Xechen’s heart gave a violent lurch, and he almost took a step forward to support her.

With a cold snort, Gu Xechen’s eyes flashed with golden light. Unleashing the Buddhist Divine Skill, the Eye of Insight, a majestic and solemn aura swept in all directions. He forcefully backed up several steps and glared intensely at the girl. Peng Hua reacted even faster than Gu Xechen; he let out a startled shriek, rapidly retreated several steps, and stumbled back to Gu Xechen’s side.

A muffled thud echoed where Han Wei’s hand met the girl’s palm. Both their bodies trembled violently. Han Wei’s left wrist was visibly broken into several pieces, her hand dangling at an unnatural angle. The girl’s palm, however, was scorched black and charred by the Corpse God’s Corpse Flame. The pale, tender flesh was ripped apart, exposing purplish-blue bones beneath. Indeed, the girl’s bones were purplish-blue and continuously emitted wisps of chilling air.

“An ancient zombie, why meddle in others’ affairs?” The initially sweet and charming beauty narrowed her eyes, resembling a venomous snake coiled and ready to strike.

“A little flirtatious vixen, a Desire Demon, daring to cause trouble here?” Han Wei’s retort was even more venomous. She tilted her head back haughtily and sneered, “This Granny isn’t like those fools who think with their lower halves. I could smell your slutty scent from eighty thousand miles away. Say, which of the four great families—Lihun, Jiugu, Chiming, or Yinjiu—do you belong to?”

The girl frowned in surprise, then suddenly laughed, “Oh my, I didn’t expect you old zombies to know a few things. It’s a pity, the Lihun, Jiugu, Chiming, and Yinjiu families you speak of—their clansmen all died out ages ago, hee hee. I belong to none of them.”

Clatter. The girl’s right hand, which Han Wei had been tightly gripping, snapped off at the wrist. Her graceful figure retreated rapidly backward, and as she backed away, she laughed, “The old, immortal old zombie likes a young lady’s hand, so I’ll give it to you. Hee hee, don't you dare drop it now; if you drop it, you’ll be in big trouble.”

Gu Xechen shot forward instantly, unleashing the Taiyin Thorn to pierce the girl’s brow, heart, and lower abdomen simultaneously. At the same time, the True Magnetic Two-Element Bifurcating Sword quietly circled wide, striking toward the girl’s vital points from behind. Peng Hua, even more viciously, rushed to the girl’s flank. Faint lotus-shaped golden light rose beneath his feet, and a barely visible black mist swirled above his head. He spat out a thread of incredibly fine silver light, laced with tiny starlight fragments, which coiled and strangled toward the girl’s waist and abdomen.

The girl twisted her body. The three Taiyin Thorns grazed past her, the resulting chill only leaving three thin streaks of white frostburn on her body. Peng Hua’s starlight was met by a press and a slap from her scorched hand, causing it to spin and curve away diagonally. However, countless specks of starlight ground against her mangled palm, grinding it to dust, and even half of her otherwise intact arm vaporized into a spray of bloody mist.

Her face grew cold, and the girl let out a low curse. She retreated even faster, vanishing several miles away in a flash. But the True Magnetic Two-Element Bifurcating Sword awaited her from behind. A delicate, piercing scream was heard, and dozens of blood arrows erupted from the girl’s vital points. Vast clouds of blood mist sprayed out, leaving at least a hundred transparent holes punctured through her body.

Peng Hua cursed anxiously, shouting that Gu Xechen had been too merciless. Such a delicate beauty should have been captured alive for thorough interrogation to discover her origins. Now, Gu Xechen had killed her, and no one would have any fun. Just as Peng Hua finished speaking, he saw the girl, riddled with sword light, suddenly let out a sharp screech. The blood mist permeating the air violently contracted inward, enveloping her body, transforming her into a streak of bloody light that instantly vanished.

“What!” Gu Xechen and Peng Hua were stunned into silence.

Han Wei’s displeased voice cut through the air, “That is a Desire Demon vixen from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths of Gods and Demons—the most notorious yet also the most dangerous of the Desire Demon race. Desire Demon vixens cannot truly die unless you drain their Yin essence completely; even if their bodies are ground into meat paste, they won’t perish. To deal with them, you must use a Pure Yang Supreme Treasure for instant annihilation; all other magic tools are useless.”

Glaring fiercely at Gu Xechen and Peng Hua, Han Wei charged over and kicked Peng Hua hard in the rear, sending the dumbfounded Peng Hua sprawling.

Gu Xechen and Peng Hua exchanged awkward glances, both letting out helpless, dry laughs. This girl could only be annihilated by a Pure Yang Supreme Treasure? Alas, the Taiyin Thorn was of the ultimate Yin attribute, and the True Magnetic Two-Element Bifurcating Sword lacked Yin-Yang duality. Peng Hua’s innate supreme treasure, the Starlight Sword which gathered the power of the Myriad Heavens stars, also leaned heavily toward the extreme Yin attribute. Consequently, while they severely wounded the girl, they failed to truly eliminate her. According to Han Wei, a Desire Demon, no matter how gravely injured, could recover fully in one night after intimate relations with several capable males.

Recovery overnight through intimacy with males? Peng Hua was clearly quite interested in this ability.

Han Wei glared fiercely at Peng Hua. The Desire Demon race was an aberration born from the mixed bloodline of the ancient Nine-Tailed Heavenly Foxes and some demon god lineage of unknown origin. They possessed the Nine-Tailed Fox’s charm to bewitch sentient beings, coupled with the terrifying essence-draining nature of that demon god lineage. Any man who engaged in intimacy with a female of the Desire Demon line, even a Golden Immortal level expert, would have their bone marrow depleted and their primal Yang exhausted within two or three nights. For Gu Xechen and Peng Hua, merely exchanging words with the girl might be enough to drain their entire vitality.

Gu Xechen’s face turned extremely grim, and Peng Hua’s expression was awkward and embarrassed.

Frowning in thought for a moment, Gu Xechen finally noticed that Han Wei was still tightly grasping the girl’s severed hand and asked in surprise, “What are you still holding her hand for?”

Han Wei shot Gu Xechen a cold look and sneered, “The strangest thing about these Desire Demons is that they are like geckos; they can arbitrarily sever any part of their body, which then transforms into the ‘Nine Revolutions Marrow-Devouring Yang-Dispelling Mist.’ This mist is incredibly venomous; any male creature that touches it will have its innate Yang essence and bone marrow slowly dissolved, generating even more mist, unless they possess the cultivation of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.”

If Han Wei hadn’t used a sealing technique on the little hand she held, the dispersing mist formed from that small hand would have already spread out, killing every male within several city blocks.

What an evil technique, what a bizarre Desire Demon race. Gu Xechen frowned, and following Han Wei’s instruction, spat out the Solar Blazing Flames to thoroughly destroy the hand. He subconsciously asked, “This Desire Demon race, as you say, is an ancient remnant clan. Have they always existed in this universe?”

Han Wei nonchalantly reattached her severed left wrist, slowly mobilizing her surrounding vital blood and corpse energy to repair the fracture and meridians. Hearing Gu Xechen’s question, she stated coolly, “How could that be? The ancient remnant clans stopped living in this realm long ago. When the Heavenly Court was established, they all relocated to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.”

Someone from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!

Gu Xechen’s mouth twitched. He recalled the Nine Dragon Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

Both Peng Hua and Han Wei remembered Gu Xechen’s firsthand account, and their expressions turned grave. Peng Hua looked pleadingly at Gu Xechen, hoping he could devise a solution. Han Wei, however, frowned and muttered, “That’s not right. If they were truly coming from that place, even as a vanguard, this little vixen’s cultivation is far too weak. She is only a second-grade Celestial Immortal. Based on my understanding of those bastards from the Ten Directions Hell, if they intended to make a move, they would have flooded over here long ago.”

After a moment of silence, Gu Xechen said coldly, “I want her captured alive. I need to interrogate her thoroughly to find out where she came from and what she is doing here.”

Peng Hua quickly nodded, grinning happily, “We must definitely capture her alive. Ah, a Desire Demon? This is truly interesting.”

The three of them hurried back to the Yavier Embassy. Afterward, the Ten Heavenly Lords quickly changed into inconspicuous clothing and slipped out of the embassy one by one. They breached the dome over Dahlia City and laid down a completely new Ten Absolute Formation in the primal forest outside the city. If the girl sneaked out, with her severely injured body, she wouldn't escape the ears and eyes of the Ten Heavenly Lords. Deploying the Ten Absolute Formation just to capture a minor second-grade Celestial Immortal felt like using an ox-slayer to kill a chicken to Gu Xechen.

Returning to the Yavier Embassy, inside a heavily guarded communications room in the rear garden, Dukat and Xiao Xiao had their mental fluctuations linked, searching for the whereabouts of the Yavier Imperial family members through the Star Alliance communication network. They used the Star Alliance news network to release the information that the exiled government of the Yavier Empire had been established in Dahlia City. Furthermore, through certain unconventional means, they even posted this news on the official channels of several five-star civilizations adjacent to the Yavier Empire.

Princess Mi’er stood nervously in the communications room, her fists clenched, her mouth slightly open, staring blankly at Dukat and Xiao Xiao, desperately hoping they would bring her good news.

Gu Xechen glanced in from the doorway and did not enter to disturb them. With Gu Xechen’s power, the restoration of the Yavier Empire was not a problem; after all, he controlled even the leaders of the Wolf Pack. Restoring the Yavier Empire’s territory was a simple matter. In fact, if Mi’er was pleased, Gu Xechen could easily expand the Yavier Empire’s territory tenfold. However, Princess Mi’er’s most urgent concern was finding any surviving relatives. Gu Xechen could only wish her good luck in finding a few more surviving clan members.