Gu Xiyue shook his sleeve, a hidden surge of power erupting from the fabric, forcing Ruerfa Zu to stumble several steps backward. He spoke with a chilling voice, "It was your grandson who challenged me. As the bloodline inheritor of the Divine Spirit Eye in its complete form, this is an insult to my lineage. Furthermore, it is an insult to my family and my Polar Star Empire!"

Ruerfa Zu fell silent. Gu Xiyue’s words were entirely justified. His grandson's challenge was not merely against Gu Xiyue as an individual, but against the entire bloodline he represented. Gu Xiyue was obligated to defend the honor of his lineage. If Gu Xiyue refused the challenge today, it would imply that the branch of the bloodline possessing the Divine Spirit Eye was utterly suppressed by Ruerfa Zu's family—a situation the major bloodline families under the Council of Elders could absolutely not tolerate.

Casting a look of venomous resentment at his grandson, who had actively provoked the situation, Ruerfa Zu had already blacklisted him. Just observing the way the boy lecherously fixated on the maiden beside him was enough to confirm this grandson was useless. Descendants incapable of resisting the allure of beautiful women were unworthy of inheriting the glory of the Fazu family.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ruerfa Zu retreated a few steps.

A circular platform, a hundred meters in diameter, rose from beneath the ground. The platform was layered with dozens of defensive formations and restrictions, sufficient to withstand the full power attacks of any cultivator below the third rank of Celestial Immortal.

Chuckling inwardly, Gu Xiyue drifted onto the stage, beckoning to the Fazu family scion who was still utterly mesmerized by the Demoness of Desire. "Come, let us duel."

The dashing young man carefully touched the small hand of the Demoness of Desire, gently instructing her to wait for his return, promising he would dispatch Gu Xiyue quickly. Afterward, he lightly sprang onto the platform and bowed to Gu Xiyue: "Duo Duoyasi Fazu of the Fazu family has come to uphold the dignity and honor of the esteemed Miss Mei!"

Puffing out his chest, Duo Duoyasi pointed at Gu Xiyue and sneered, "Shameless wretch! You dared to attempt kidnapping Miss Mei in the street, dared to harbor improper designs against her—have you any sense of shame left?"

Gu Xiyue exchanged a look with Peng Hua in the audience. Peng Hua shrugged helplessly. Gu Xiyue was indeed wrongly accused, absolutely so. While Peng Hua might have had thoughts of kidnapping the Demoness of Desire and doing… things to her, Gu Xiyue certainly did not. Peng Hua twisted his neck, looked toward the Demoness of Desire, and blew her a flirtatious kiss.

The Demoness of Desire let out a low cry and retreated several steps in alarm, stumbling directly into the arms of a young man who had just launched a short sword toward Peng Hua, signaling a duel request. The young man instinctively embraced the Demoness of Desire's body. In that embrace, he felt her hands to be soft and incredibly smooth. Even through the rough cloth of his robe, he could sense the delicate, boneless perfection of her figure within his hold. A faint, delicate fragrance drifted into his nose. This young man felt his very soul and spirit were about to fly away.

"He—he insulted me," the Demoness of Desire mumbled in a voice like an ant’s hum, but it was perfectly clear to the young man holding her.

The young man’s eyes instantly turned crimson. Like a maddened bull, he charged forward, heading straight for Peng Hua. He glared fiercely at Peng Hua and roared in a low voice, "When Duo Duoyasi finishes off that despicable fellow, I challenge you to a duel to the death!"

Peng Hua laughed, nodding with sheer delight. "Wonderful! I welcome you to try and kill me!" He tiptoed, leaning his entire head over the young man's shoulder, and blew a long-distance kiss to the Demoness of Desire. The Demoness of Desire immediately backed away a few more steps. As she retreated, she seemed to trip over her own feet, and her delicate body squeezed into the embrace of another young man. That young man embraced the Demoness of Desire in ecstasy, and within a single breath, he too charged furiously toward Peng Hua.

On the platform, Duo Duoyasi sneered at Gu Xiyue. He suddenly brought his hands together, and a three-foot-long bone spike, exuding black smoke and evil energy, shot from his fingertips, instantly disintegrating into countless hair-thin bone needles aimed at Gu Xiyue's entire body. A fluctuation of power almost approaching the cultivation level of the Grand Sovereign Heaven surged from Duo Duoyasi’s core. He laughed maniacally, directing the bone needles, which were fiercely imbued with a white, sinister light, to whirl down from the sky, shrouding Gu Xiyue from above.

Ruerfa Zu started violently. He whipped his head around and asked in a low voice, "What is happening? Duo Duoyasi's power has diminished by at least a hundred times! What is going on?"

Power that nearly approached the Grand Sovereign Heaven level was equivalent to the peak of Tribulation Crossing. However, compared to a true first-rank Celestial Immortal, even a hundred cultivators at the peak of Tribulation Crossing could not defeat a single ordinary Celestial Immortal. Duo Duoyasi Fazu's cultivation was at the peak level of Grand Sovereign Heaven, making him one of the few elite disciples in the Fazu family. For his cultivation to have declined to this extent, and for him to seem unaware of it, was deeply unsettling.

The clansmen behind Ruerfa Zu also looked at Duo Duoyasi in surprise. Simultaneously, they all turned their gaze toward the Demoness of Desire, who was shrinking timidly in the arms of one of the young men.

"Keep an eye on that woman. If necessary, capture her alive," Ruerfa Zu snarled through clenched teeth. "Activate the defensive formations in the great hall. From this moment on, no one is allowed to leave!"

On the platform, Gu Xiyue did not even draw his natal magical artifact. He merely drew an ordinary fire-attribute immortal sword and swung it about haphazardly. A stream of flames several feet long erupted. This seemingly ordinary fire possessed extraordinary destructive power. The few bone needles that touched the flames instantly dissolved into black smoke and dissipated.

Duo Duoyasi froze, then shouted in a low voice, "You can break my Divine Demon Stab—you are indeed a master. But my power is not limited to this!"

Gu Xiyue glanced back at Ruerfa Zu in the audience. The Patriarch, whose face was already dark, bared his teeth in a grimace toward Gu Xiyue and shot a malicious look toward the Demoness of Desire. Gu Xiyue pondered for a moment, then his figure flickered. Using the Mirror Flower Water Moon Nether Escape Technique, he left several afterimages on the stage. He skillfully circled behind Duo Duoyasi, seized his neck, and lifted him high into the air.

"Esteemed Lord Ruerfa, for your sake, and for the sake of the great Fazu family, I drop the matter concerning Duo Duoyasi." Gu Xiyue casually tossed Duo Duoyasi off the stage toward the audience, sneering, "You had better inspect Mr. Duo Duoyasi closely; he is likely the victim of foul play."

Ruerfa Zu watched Duo Duoyasi tumble toward him and offered Gu Xiyue a grateful smile. Although he had already written Duo Duoyasi off, retaining a descendant with limitless potential to serve the family was preferable. Any peak expert at the Planetary level was important to the family. This time, the Fazu family owed Gu Xiyue a favor, which they were obliged to repay.

Just as Duo Duoyasi was about to fall off the stage, he suddenly roared toward the heavens. A black-red halo burst forth from his body. Duo Duoyasi was suddenly covered in a thick layer of black-red scales. His body hovered in mid-air, and his physique began to change rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Duo Duoyasi transformed into a monstrous bipedal creature, possessing two ferocious heads resembling dragons, covered entirely in scales, with a powerful, demonic physique, and two fleshy wings flapping on his back.

Standing over five meters tall after the transformation, Duo Duoyasi roared several times, bringing a gust of wind as he shot back onto the stage. His fleshy wings beat furiously. His body spun rapidly in the air, and he turned to smash his elbow toward Gu Xiyue's sternum. He shrieked, "I will kill you! I will kill you! Anyone who offends Miss Mei must die!"

Hiss! A sharp bone spike, a meter and a half long, suddenly extended from Duo Duoyasi’s right elbow. The black spike tore through the air with a piercing sound as it lunged toward Gu Xiyue's heart. Gu Xiyue, unprepared, was directly struck in the chest. Several layers of white light flared on the Taiyin Robe, the supple light deflecting the spike’s thrust. However, Gu Xiyue's body was propelled backward by an immense force, sliding back dozens of meters and nearly falling off the platform.

"You are no match for me!" Duo Duoyasi laughed madly, excitement and savage bloodlust flashing in his four large eyes. He flapped his massive wings and soared high into the sky, forming a bizarre mudra with his hands. A crimson lightning bolt coalesced in his palm, and in an instant, dozens of raging bolts, each as thick as a carriage, struck down from the heavens toward Gu Xiyue.

"Hmph," Gu Xiyue grunted lightly. He suddenly lifted his head, and a hazy, golden-purple light flashed in his eyes as he stared at the rampaging lightning that Duo Duoyasi unleashed. He had figured it out: apart from that terrifying brute strength, Duo Duoyasi’s inherited bloodline power seemed to be this innate ability to manipulate celestial lightning. Judging by the formidable defense provided by the scales on his body, coupled with his immense strength and the power of the lightning, the bloodline Duo Duoyasi possessed was indeed potent. The Fazu family was truly a top-tier family within the Star Alliance.

But as the purple-gold light shot from Gu Xiyue’s eyes, a small patch of the void suddenly shimmered and warped. The raging lightning unleashed by Duo Duoyasi touched that hazy space and instantly vanished. In the blink of an eye, the lightning erupted from the void behind Duo Duoyasi, striking him squarely in the back. A muffled thunderous explosion echoed through the hall. Countless strands of lightning, along with fragments of broken scales, ragged bits of flesh, and plasma, erupted from Duo Duoyasi's rear. He let out a piercing scream as he was blasted into critical condition by the very lightning he had summoned.

"The Divine Spirit Eye!" The guests in the great hall gasped in unison. Was this truly the Divine Spirit Eye, one of the most powerful inherent abilities rumored among the bloodlines of the Council of Elders? Legend held that the only bloodline inheritance capable of restraining the Divine Spirit Eye was the 'Eye of Misfortune.' Now that the Divine Spirit Eye had appeared, where in the universe—or among the countless noble families of the Star Alliance’s major families and twenty-six six-star civilizations—was the bloodline of the Eye of Misfortune hidden?

Duo Duoyasi, with a cavity the size of a water vat blown open in his back, roared in a low voice. Both his fleshy wings were torn off at the base, yet he relied on a surge of life essence to forcibly remain suspended in the void. He glared furiously at Gu Xiyue and shrieked with near hysteria, "You cannot defeat me! For Miss Mei, I will sacrifice everything!"

Ruerfa Zu’s face turned extremely grim. He roared, "This fiend—is he attempting to burn his bloodline?"

Amidst Ruerfa Zu’s roar, two beams of red light shot from the brow of each of Duo Duoyasi’s two dragon heads. The red lights snaked out like serpents, instantly wrapping around his body. In a flash, Duo Duoyasi’s body ignited. As his flesh burned, his scales gradually melted, turning into a viscous fluid akin to molten steel that seeped into his skin. With continuous hissing sounds, Duo Duoyasi’s five-meter-tall form, covered in scales, began to collapse inward. Finally, suspended in the air, was a massive skeletal frame encased in a thin, repulsive membrane—yet radiating immense power.

An energy fluctuation approaching the clear and bright peak of the third rank of Celestial Immortal resonated from Duo Duoyasi’s core. His two dragon heads slowly moved closer to each other with a grating creak, eventually merging into a single massive dragon head. He let out a few strange, distorted laughs, turned to look at the Demoness of Desire trembling in the arms of a young man, and roared, "Miss Mei, for you, I will spare no cost! I will burn my life, burn my soul—for you, for you!"

With a furious roar, Duo Duoyasi opened his massive mouth and spewed a stream of pitch-black lightning toward Gu Xiyue. The bowl-sized bolt of lightning silently shot toward Gu Xiyue’s body.

Gu Xiyue scoffed. A ripple of water flashed beneath his feet, leaving behind an identical phantom where he stood. His true body had already shifted to another side of the platform. The black lightning shattered the phantom and struck the defensive formation outside the stage, piercing nineteen layers of restriction in a row.

Gu Xiyue couldn't help but feel a chill. The power Duo Duoyasi commanded after burning his bloodline was truly immense.

Thump! Having exhausted all his strength, Duo Duoyasi plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the platform. Gu Xiyue shook his head helplessly, walked over, picked up the blood-soaked Duo Duoyasi, stepped off the platform, and presented his hands to the grim-faced Ruerfa Zu. "Esteemed Lord Ruerfa, I sincerely apologize; I could not stop Mr. Duo Duoyasi's reckless behavior."

Ruerfa Zu let out a low chuckle. He pulled at the corners of his dark mouth and dryly laughed, "This is not your fault. That little woman—what is her origin?" As he spoke, he motioned for the clansmen beside him to carry Duo Duoyasi to the rear of the hall for treatment. He saw clearly that Duo Duoyasi was the sole instigator; this had nothing to do with Gu Xiyue. Of course, if Gu Xiyue had not possessed the bloodline power of the Divine Spirit Eye, and if he had not secured the crystal quota for all six-star civilizations this time, Ruerfa Zu would not have minded pressing Gu Xiyue on the matter. But now, in preparation for the conversation to come with Gu Xiyue, Ruerfa Zu had to display a measure of magnanimity.

Gu Xiyue shrugged, muttering softly, "Who knows? Perhaps you should investigate her history to see if she has any record of entering Dahualicheng."

Ruerfa Zu’s expression shifted slightly. He hissed, "Are you suggesting…?"

Gu Xiyue blinked rapidly. He pointed to the crown of thorns and the grass bracelets on the Demoness of Desire’s body and stated in a low voice, "Do you recognize any clan member who dresses in this fashion?"

With just that hint, Gu Xiyue stood to the side, hands clasped behind his back. Ruerfa Zu’s somber gaze swept over the Demoness of Desire’s attire. He suddenly let out a cold laugh. He beckoned, and several key figures from the Fazu family quickly approached. Ruerfa Zu whispered a few instructions to them, and these men hurriedly dispersed throughout the great hall.

The defensive formation of the stage was soon repaired. Peng Hua and over thirty young men, their eyes burning with fury, simultaneously stepped onto the platform. The surrounding guests erupted in an uproar—was Peng Hua truly planning to duel over thirty young men at once? He displayed astonishing courage.

The Demoness of Desire, who had nestled into the arms of a middle-aged man, suddenly stumbled forward several steps. She looked at the young men on the stage and cried out hoarsely, "Don't go! All of you, come back! Don't fight them for my sake! Their power is immense; they are incredibly strong... You don't need to fight them over me."

Her plea was ill-timed. As soon as she called out a few times, the hair of those young men stiffened upright. Almost simultaneously, a piercing red light shot from their eyes, and they all ignited their bloodline power. Dull roars echoed continuously. On the stage, the thirty-plus dashing, handsome youths were replaced by over thirty bizarre, oddly shaped creatures, each unique, but all bearing scales, dragon heads, and fleshy wings.

Peng Hua burst into laughter. Grinning widely, he pulled out two heavy immortal artifact hammers and charged excitedly toward the transformed youths.

The dull thud of impacts made the entire hall vibrate and hum. Yet, in just three to five breaths of time, dozens of youths were thrown off the stage, howling in agony with broken bones and torn flesh.

Dong! Peng Hua violently dropped the two hammers onto the stage and glared fiercely at the Demoness of Desire, "You vixen! How many more lovers can you find to cause trouble for me?"

The moment the words fell, the Demoness of Desire shrieked and bounded backward like a startled fawn.

The sound of heavy footsteps approached. Over a dozen middle-aged men, with stern expressions, emerged from the crowd of guests. Their fanatic gazes swept fiercely over the chest and lower body of the Demoness of Desire, then lingered violently on her long, elegant legs, before finally settling on Peng Hua standing on the stage.

"This is no place for a rude and uncivilized brute like you to act wantonly." A middle-aged man in black spoke coldly, "To use such viciousness on such a beautiful and lovely young girl—a person like you should not be allowed to live in this world."

Amidst Peng Hua’s lament of "Beauty is a curse," the dozen or so middle-aged men jumped onto the stage together.