Kua Jingdi floated above the Imperial Capital Star, where, for a hundred miles, a massive Sun Serpent was soaring through the void. The lower half of this serpent was that of a gigantic, mottled python, covered in glaring patterns of black, red, blue, and purple. Its upper half, however, was the body of a stark-naked, beautiful woman, perfectly proportioned with exquisite features. A cascade of rainbow-hued hair danced wildly, as if alive, lending her an air of terrifying, supernatural majesty.

This serpent possessed six arms; one additional limb sprouted from the area of its upper torso where the navel would be. Behind her were seven pairs of enormous, fleshy wings that occasionally fluttered open. As they did, one could glimpse beneath them a dense mass of countless pale gold eyes, whose indifferent gazes blinked open and shut, the pupils flashing with a divine, seven-colored light that illuminated her body, making her appear as if forged from multi-hued gemstones.

Dozens of formidable Dark Deities had surrounded this beautiful serpent, raining down nearly a hundred of their Natal Holy Artifacts upon her. Yet, these attacks could not even pierce the thin yellow aura encircling her; at most, they caused occasional ripples upon its surface.

A golden pagoda, standing a hundred zhang tall, hovered directly above the serpent-woman's head. Beneath the pagoda, a mass of yellow clouds surged, emitting an immense yellow radiance that shielded her form. No matter how fiercely the Dark Deities assaulted her with their Natal Holy Artifacts, they could not harm her in the slightest.

The arm sprouting from the serpent-woman’s navel tightly clutched a long banner. With an occasional gentle sway, a sword qi would shoot out—a hazy, colorless stream resembling the primal chaos of the universe's initial division. Wherever the sword qi passed, the Dark Deities scrambled desperately to evade it, the mighty blast traveling far into the distance. Unlucky were the dark creatures caught outside the fray; one burst of sword qi often annihilated hundreds or thousands of them into ash.

Aside from the long banner, the serpent-woman’s other six arms each grasped a different treasure: a Lapis Bottle, a Three-Jewel Ruyi Scepter, a Taiji Diagram, a Wind-Fire Cushion, and two large flags, one red and one white. She seldom utilized the other four artifacts, but she brandished the two flags with great diligence. Whenever dozens of Natal Holy Artifacts descended upon her simultaneously, she would hastily wave the two banners.

With a sweep of the red flag, vast sheets of crimson light engulfed the surroundings, manifesting as dancing crimson lotuses and intensifying the surrounding flames. Even though the Dark Deities exerted all their strength, their Natal Holy Artifacts could not even land upon a single lotus blossom.

When the white flag was beckoned, an immediate fragrance filled the air. Auspicious clouds and mist ascended, intertwining with the crimson lotus flames to fiercely protect the serpent-woman’s body. Not only did the Natal Holy Artifacts fail to land, but a subtle repulsive force even sent them scattering wildly through the air, forcing their owners to hastily recall them.

The serpent-woman let out a soft, hissing laugh, her immense divine sense washing over the entire Viking Imperial City.

“You trash dare to come here hoping to snatch a bargain? My father, Lord Ushali, has gone out. If he and my brothers were here, you lot would already have your skins peeled and roasted on spits. Hss hss. It’s been a long time since I had a decent meal; I imagine you all taste quite delicious!”

While laughing, the serpent-woman maintained the standoff with the Dark Deities. She viewed these dark beings as food, which enraged the Dark Deities—creatures born inherently embodying the aura of slaughter and destruction—causing them to roar curses and surge violently toward her.

Gu Xichen merely shook his head repeatedly. While the serpent-woman’s voice was piercing, her physical body was fragile. She practiced an ancient cultivator’s technique, barely achieving the cultivation of a Second-Grade Golden Immortal. However, the treasures adorning her body left Gu Xichen speechless.

Through the information relayed by the Vast Heaven Pagoda, Gu Xichen recognized the artifacts worn by the serpent-woman. That pagoda was the Azure-Yellow Exquisite Pagoda used by Laozi, the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, for self-protection. That long banner was the Pangu Banner wielded by the Second of the Three Pure Ones, Yuanshi Tianzun, used to shatter the Primordial Chaos and fix the void. The Lapis Bottle, Wind-Fire Cushion, Taiji Diagram, and Three-Jewel Ruyi Scepter were also the personal magical implements of Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. Each was of a quality no less than the Vast Heaven Pagoda or the Vast Heaven Mirror. The two large flags were precisely the Western Innate Element Cloud Banner and the Southern Flame Light Banner.

It was obvious that the serpent-woman, possessing such supreme treasures, was stingy and deathly afraid of dying. If she were generous, her father, Ushali, wouldn't be without a single supreme artifact for protection. If she wasn't afraid of death, why would she continuously wave the two Innate Five-Element Banners for defense after already being shielded by the Exquisite Pagoda? In this current universe, who could even shatter the protection of the Exquisite Pagoda?

While contemplating how to deal with this sudden complication, the serpent-woman's eyes flashed. The Wind-Fire Cushion in her hand shot into the sky with a golden light, rapidly expanding into a massive cushion spanning ten miles before descending to envelop everything. Several thousand dark creatures were sucked in by the golden light emanating from the cushion. The serpent-woman flicked a finger, and a roar of wind erupted within the cushion; the trapped dark creatures instantly dissolved into fine dust.

After chuckling smugly, the serpent-woman cautiously recalled the Wind-Fire Cushion. She then swung another arm, causing the Three-Colored True Water within the Lapis Bottle to soar upward, transforming into surging waves that swept across a hundred miles of void. Tens of thousands of dark creatures caught in the Three-Light Divine Water instantly dissolved into pure water and perished.

The Dark Deities roared in fury. They exhausted their strength attacking the serpent-woman, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not break through the thin golden light protecting her. Instead, as the Dark Deities’ formation fell into disarray, the serpent-woman counter-attacked, tossing out the Three-Jewel Ruyi Scepter. It transformed into a three-colored beam of light that slammed fiercely onto the head of a Dark Deity wrapped in black mist, whose form resembled a skeleton.

This Three-Jewel Ruyi Scepter was an item constantly held by Yuanshi Tianzun in the past; its might was easily imagined. Although this serpent-woman could not refine it properly and failed to unleash its true power, the skeleton-shaped Dark Deity was only at the cultivation level of a Second-Grade Golden Immortal. Under the impact of the three-colored light, the skeleton’s bones were completely pulverized, and a wisp of its true spirit vanished before it could escape.

After several triumphant laughs, the serpent-woman’s eyes gleamed as she waved the Plain Cloud Banner with lightning speed, snatching the Natal Holy Artifact of the slain Dark Deity. She happily toyed with the strange book, which felt like tanned leather, taken from the dead Dark Deity’s hand. Satisfied, she tossed the Holy Artifact into her mouth and began to chew it slowly.

Glancing around greedily, the Dark Deities quickly retreated under the serpent-woman’s gaze blazing with avarice. The serpent-woman hissed, her spiritual fluctuations surging rapidly: “I absolutely adore eating things that taste good yet contain immense energy.”

Stretching lazily, the serpent-woman lightly waved the supreme artifact in her hand. “It seems you and your weapons are quite delicious. None of you will escape today; I am going to eat you all, and everyone you brought! Remember my name—my name is ‘Wusuli’!”

Wusuli twisted her long waist and serpentine tail forcefully, glaring menacingly at the terrified Dark Deities surrounding her. “I most enjoy it when the people I devour cry out my name, begging for mercy in my mouth. When I crush your bodies later, be sure to call my name!”

The Dark Deities simultaneously stepped back. As beings born from the essence of Heaven and Earth, even though the Dark Deities were inherently cruel and tyrannical, none were fools. Their Natal Holy Artifacts couldn't even breach her defenses; how could they possibly defeat this woman? Rather than be picked off one by one and eaten by this damned demoness, it was better to devise another plan!

Just as the Dark Deities were preparing a strategic retreat to harass the Mo Tang Long Gen clan elsewhere, Gu Xichen made his move.

Wusuli had already broken the courage of these dark creatures. If she were allowed to continue causing havoc, Gu Xichen’s entire plan might shatter. The dark creatures were a crucial card Gu Xichen intended to use to contain and deal with the Mo Tang Long Gen. They could not be lost like this.

Sighing helplessly, Gu Xichen’s body flickered, and he shamefully transformed into a plump, glistening, pure white pig several miles tall. Among the dark creatures, there was a lineage of Pig-Headed people. Among the deities they protected was a rather cute, chubby Pig-Headed Deity, who was currently hiding cautiously behind the mass of dark creatures and avoiding the fight.

Letting out a powerful mental roar, Gu Xichen charged toward Wusuli like a maddened wild boar, keeping his head down. He recklessly stuck out his fat forehead and slammed hard into Wusuli’s back.

An invisible shockwave spread outward, instantly pulverizing a large number of dark creatures who were too close into dust. Gu Xichen’s two eyes spun as he staggered backward, dizzy. He had poured all his strength into that collision, but over ninety percent of the impact force had been reflected back by the protective divine light emitted from the Exquisite Pagoda, nearly breaking his neck.

If not for the power of the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body technique, Gu Xichen would never have dared to perform such an absurd action. Feeling the sharp pain along his neck, Gu Xichen let out a low growl, and a five-colored light shot from the top of his head. The Vast Heaven Mirror emitted a faint green light and floated upward, slowly projecting a brilliant emerald beam toward Wusuli.

Although nine-tenths of the force was reflected by the Exquisite Pagoda, the remaining tenth of the impact was still too much for Wusuli to absorb easily. Caught completely off guard while triumphantly provoking the Dark Deities, Wusuli was sent flying by Gu Xichen’s headbutt, tumbling over a hundred miles away. Before she could right herself, the green light from the Vast Heaven Mirror gently shone upon her, and the yellow divine light from the Exquisite Pagoda suddenly dimmed!

This dimming was like a thousand-watt lightbulb suddenly dropping to the level of a faint little candle. Seeing the opportunity, the surrounding Dark Deities attacked almost simultaneously, each urging a drop of their Natal Essence Blood onto their Holy Artifacts and charging forward without hesitation.

Gu Xichen reacted the fastest. Seeing that the Vast Heaven Mirror was effective in weakening the Exquisite Pagoda’s protective light, he immediately let out a loud shout, shaking out the Chaos Bell, which trailed a stream of chaotic light as it smashed down toward the now-terrified Wusuli.

Just as Wusuli seemed about to be smashed to pieces, the two banners in her hands suddenly unfurled. Instantly, crimson lotuses erupted along with heavenly firelight, and auspicious clouds and mist swept across the cosmos. Whether it was the Chaos Bell or the Dark Deities’ Natal Holy Artifacts, they all spun uselessly in the void, none able to approach Wusuli’s body. Two Natal Holy Artifacts of slightly inferior grade were swept up by the Flame Light Banner and were actually shredded by the crimson lotuses, immediately incinerated by the Southern Brightness True Fire spewing from them.

A Dark Deity, built stocky with a large head and ears—a race somewhat related to Gu Xichen’s current pig form—let out a mournful cry as blood spurted from all seven orifices and every pore on his body. The destruction of his Natal Holy Artifact had cost him nearly half his life. His cultivation instantly plummeted from the Early-Grade Golden Immortal realm down to the level of a peak Sixth-Grade Heavenly Immortal.

Gu Xichen watched in horror. The consequence of having a Natal Magical Artifact destroyed was so devastating that he felt immense gratitude toward Mao E, who had guided him in refining his own Natal Artifacts years ago. He could not imagine if his state of mind would suffer a catastrophic blow if his Natal Artifact were destroyed while he was at the Golden Immortal level, forcing him back down to the Heavenly Immortal realm.

But this heavy-set Dark Deity was already severely injured, spitting blood as he fled backward, his chaotic spiritual fluctuations spreading outward.

He screamed wildly in the depths of his soul, unable to comprehend the hundredfold drop in his power.

That fellow is ruined! Gu Xichen thought pityingly as he watched him. Having just been born, before he could even stabilize his mental state and cultivation foundation, he suffered such a crushing blow. His Dao Heart was shattered, and his Dao foundation was largely ruined; his future path of cultivation was now bleak.

With a flip of his hand, Gu Xichen recalled the Chaos Bell. He glanced at Wusuli, who was laughing triumphantly amidst the firelight and auspicious clouds, then suddenly flipped his hand again and released an aura unique to Ushali. Ushali, whom he had trapped within the Grand Yin Profound Pearl and was currently refining slowly, was now completely annihilated—his essence reduced to mud, his very origin becoming sustenance for the pearl.

This trace of aura was a prop Gu Xichen had collected for future use. At the very least, if he were to transform into Ushali and cause chaos later, releasing this aura would firmly pin the blame on the Mo Tang Long Gen clan.

As the faint black aura emerged, Wusuli’s eyes turned icy. She gathered her strength and charged straight toward Gu Xichen.

Gu Xichen clutched the trace of Ushali’s aura in his hand and turned to flee, leading Wusuli away into the distant void like bait on a hook. While fleeing, he sent a mental fluctuation toward the stunned Dark Deities: “Brothers, slay all the damned running dogs of the Mo Tang Long Gen!”

The Dark Deities were startled, then erupted in joy, brandishing their weapons and charging toward the Viking Imperial Capital. With Wusuli, the great calamity, gone, the Viking Empire had no one left to resist the dark creatures’ invasion. Countless dark beings poured out of the star gate, spreading like a rapidly advancing plague, surging toward the periphery of the Viking Empire. The tragic scenes that once occurred on the territory of the Extreme Star Empire were now unfolding here, magnified a hundredfold in their horror.

In the vast void, Gu Xichen fled head down along the route.

Wusuli chased close behind him, emitting furious and anxious mental fluctuations at the top of her lungs.

“Bastard, where is my father? How do you have his aura? You damned thing, where is my father?”

“Where are my bunch of trash brothers? Where are they? What did you do to them?”

No matter how Wusuli pressed him, Gu Xichen just tucked his head and sped toward the Spiral Star Domain. His cultivation was a full major realm higher than Wusuli’s, and his divine abilities and spells were far beyond her comparison. His light of escape always appeared just within sight but never reachable. Wusuli couldn't lose him, but she couldn’t catch him either.

Fleeing all the way, and considering the need for secrecy, Gu Xichen avoided using the top-secret star gates or the Ancient Starry Sky Teleportation Formations. He merely led Wusuli through constant large-scale spatial translocation techniques in the void. This took about eight months before he finally lured Wusuli to the outskirts of the Spiral Star Domain, plunging into the last remaining external passage leading into it.

Once inside this channel, Gu Xichen finally felt a release of tension. He faintly sensed the presence of the Ten Absolute Formations ahead. If Wusuli dared to follow in, she was doomed to perish here today.

Just as he was feeling pleased, in a moment of carelessness, Wusuli’s eyes turned cold. The arm sprouting from her navel shook violently. The Pangu Banner suddenly spewed forth a column of chaotic energy, hundreds of miles thick and tens of thousands of miles long, formed by the four elemental forces of water, fire, earth, and wind.

With a muffled groan, the smug Gu Xichen stumbled into a ditch and was blasted tens of thousands of miles away by Wusuli wielding the Pangu Banner. The Pangu Banner was the artifact by which Yuanshi Tianzun achieved enlightenment; it was not something one could easily withstand. Even though Wusuli exerted less than one quadrillionth of its power, it still nearly shattered Gu Xichen’s physical body, sending him tumbling out, his body spewing blood.

Gu Xichen angrily slapped himself. He cursed himself and hastily activated the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body technique, flying forward while rapidly sending out mental fluctuations to notify the Ten Heavenly Lords and others waiting in ambush ahead.

Setting up the Ten Absolute Formations to seal off the Spiral Star Domain’s only external passage was an order Gu Xichen had given the Ten Heavenly Lords before he left. After waiting for nearly two years without any sign of the Mo Tang Long Gen bloodline, the Ten Heavenly Lords were growing impatient.

Suddenly receiving Gu Xichen’s notification, the Ten Heavenly Lords were ecstatic. They quickly rallied their spirits and began to activate the transformations of the Ten Absolute Formations.

A streak of watery light, accompanied by a mist of blood, rushed past. Gu Xichen, covered in blood, limped into the Ten Absolute Formations and immediately collapsed onto the ground. He lay there panting heavily, shamelessly stuffing handfuls of elixirs into his mouth.

Immediately after, Wusuli charged into the Ten Absolute Formations and began swinging several supreme artifacts down upon Gu Xichen.

The Ten Heavenly Lords let out long laughs, and they activated the formation array, sweeping Wusuli into its trap. Golden light, bloody water, red sand, black winds, and various vicious restrictions swarmed her. Wusuli was caught completely off guard; even the Exquisite Pagoda above her head trembled faintly.

Wusuli, who feared death the most, was terrified to find herself trapped in such a vicious formation. Even though she was confident her defensive treasures wouldn't fail, she was scared out of her wits and suddenly deployed her ultimate treasures.

A formation map shot into the sky, its imposing, murderous, chaotic aura slowly diffusing outward.

Four long swords slowly emerged from within the map. As the four swords appeared, the void spanning tens of thousands of miles instantly solidified. The breaths of the Ten Heavenly Lords and Gu Xichen hitched; it was as if the void had turned to stone, and all spiritual energy was sealed.

The Ten Heavenly Lords, who had just frightened Wusuli to the point of near tears, were now utterly petrified. Without a word, they retracted the Ten Absolute Formation Map. Wang Tianjun grabbed Gu Xichen, and the group fled for their lives in a desperate rush back into the depths of the Spiral Star Domain.

Gu Xichen roared in anger: “Why are you running? The Ten Absolute Formations have trapped her; what are you afraid of?”

Gu Xichen had been busy absorbing the medicinal power of the elixirs and hadn't clearly seen what other treasure Wusuli had summoned.

The voices of the Ten Heavenly Lords changed pitch as they wailed: “The Immortal Slaying Formation! The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, Master’s own formation, is in her hands!”

Gu Xichen’s long hair stood straight up. He silently broke free from Wang Tianjun’s grasp and shot forward, leading the way.

Wusuli, seeing that the magical artifact she deployed had scared such powerful foes into a desperate retreat, couldn't help but laugh triumphantly, twisting her long serpentine waist as she rapidly pursued them.

The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation floated above Wusuli’s head. Where the formation passed, although its power was contained, the sword intent alone swirling around it caused countless stars to shatter. Everything in its path was reduced to nothingness.

Gu Xichen looked up to the heavens speechlessly. He had lured the enemy, but how did he provoke such a fiend?

The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation—Heavens!