Yu Guanzi chuckled mockingly, a burst of white light gathering in his palm, ready to meet Hua Zhongquan’s heavy punch. In the corner of his eye, however, he abruptly noticed Gu Wuchen take a step forward, his eyes emitting a strange, turbid spiritual light directed at him. Being naturally suspicious, Yu Guanzi’s serpentine heart clenched fiercely, and he quickly retreated several steps, hastily withdrawing the light in his palm. Forcing a smile, Yu Guanzi nodded towards Gu Wuchen and asked in a gentle tone, "Fellow Daoist, who might you be?"

Gu Xechen remained silent. He merely employed a certain secret technique from the Great Desolation Scripture, slowly releasing an aura of ancient, primordial solemnity and might. This secret technique was one used by the ancient peoples during sacrifices to the Primeval Heavenly Gods, communicating with the myriad spirits of heaven and earth, forcibly merging their souls with the cosmos, and praying for celestial blessings. It possessed no direct offensive power, but the resulting aura it projected was absolutely astonishing.

Yu Guanzi and the fleshy orb retreated several steps further, their expressions growing increasingly bizarre.

The fleshy orb managed a dry chuckle and hastily executed a salute towards Gu Xechen, "I hadn't expected that even the Lower Realm harbors hidden ancient peers. May I ask, Daoist... no, Senior, your esteemed name?" The aura emanating from Gu Xechen was too ancient, as if he were a bronze artifact covered in green moss within an ancient tomb—aged to a degree that was utterly terrifying. The fleshy orb had initially intended to address him as 'Fellow Daoist,' but upon carefully sensing his aura, it swiftly corrected itself to 'Senior.'

With a deep sigh, Gu Wuchen clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes gazing blankly into the void. He shook his head slowly, the ancient aura surrounding him growing even more potent, so ancient it made one’s tongue taste bitter. He narrowed his eyes, adopting the look of one whose painful past could never be recalled, "No need to mention it. My origins are too complex to explain to you people... The matters of the past are long forgotten!" Pretending. Gu Wuchen began to feign, intent on projecting an aura of unfathomable mystery regarding his background.

From Yu Guanzi's unrestrained attack just moments ago, it was clear that the Immortals from the Upper Realm were no harmless entities. They held a mindset of life and death over the cultivators of the Lower Realm. The future was set to become utterly chaotic, and to ensure self-preservation amidst this turmoil, one needed not only sufficient strength but also a certain degree of mysterious backing.

Yu Guanzi sucked in a sharp breath, hastily bowing to Gu Xechen: "So it is... Senior! May I ask how you are addressed?"

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Xechen slightly opened his left hand, and a thread of the Lunar Candle Flame erupted. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and the ashen-white cold flame burned silently in the void, scorching the surrounding space with exceedingly fine fissures. Vast amounts of chaotic energy from the sub-space poured into the cold flame, which devoured them as nourishment for itself.

"The True Art of Taiyin!" The fleshy orb was even more startled. It quickly bowed deeply: "This junior is Daoist Feixing, a disciple under Heavenly Venerable Panluo of the Meteor Sea in Yudan Wuliang Heaven. I was dispatched to the Lower Realm to scout ahead. I truly did not anticipate Senior's presence here; my intrusion was inexcusable. I beg for your forgiveness, Senior, please forgive me!"

While Daoist Feixing was merely surprised, Yu Guanzi reacted as if he had encountered his natural predator; his body trembled. He, the ancient variant Yu Guanzi Flying Serpent, had cultivated the path to immortality. The Yu Guanzi Flying Serpent feared no blades, spears, swords, or halberds; it was immune to drowning, burning, or celestial lightning strikes, which explained why he acted without restraint, guided only by instinct. However, he was utterly terrified of the cold; ordinary ice and snow techniques could affect him, let alone the Qi of Taiyin.

The Lunar Candle Flame spat forth from Gu Xechen's palm was exceedingly pure and immensely powerful. Although the cultivation level displayed was merely that of a Second Grade Golden Immortal, it perfectly suppressed Yu Guanzi. Despite Yu Guanzi possessing the strength of a Tenth Grade Golden Immortal—equivalent to that of Taihuan Jiyao Heaven—the Lunar Candle Flame could effortlessly dispatch him. The mutual restraint between elements in heaven and earth is the most inescapable reality; a single spark truly has the potential to consume the plains.

Yu Guanzi’s killing intent completely vanished, and the trace of wickedness on his face disappeared without a trace. He bowed repeatedly and respectfully to Gu Xechen: "This junior is a disciple under the Demon Ancestor Tunyue of the Iron Wheel Hell, and like Daoist Feixing, I am here on official business assigned from above. I apologize for my earlier abruptness; please forgive me." Gu Xechen snorted coldly, gave a brief nod, and casually withdrew the Lunar Candle Flame.

With a slight stirring of thought, the Fire Crow, which had been standing stiffly on Gu Wuchen’s shoulder pretending to be a wooden bird, suddenly opened its beak and spat out a thin stream of Golden Bird Heavenly Fire. Scattered sparks shot out in all directions, almost singeing the robes of both Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing. They were even more alarmed, staring deeply at the Fire Crow, their facial muscles twitching uncontrollably.

The Fire Crow’s vacant eyes fixed rigidly on the two, and it slightly flapped its wings, releasing a trace of grand, scorching aura from its ancient Golden Crow bones. Daoist Feixing and Yu Guanzi immediately held deeper speculations regarding Gu Xechen’s identity. The aura emanating from the Fire Crow, originating from an ancient, primordial variant beast, could not be faked. If one could subdue such an exotic beast, what need was there to question their cultivation?

Clearly possessing the might of a Tenth Grade Golden Immortal, capable of sweeping aside the two Golden Immortals currently in the mortal realm, they now behaved with utmost deference, daring not show Gu Wuchen the slightest disrespect. Including the cultivators from the Daoist Alliance, everyone present regarded one another with suspicion, carefully choosing their words and cautiously inviting each other down to the Myriad Immortal Star, entering the Myriad Immortal Palace to take their seats.

Originally, the Daoist Alliance had prepared two chairs for Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing, but with the sudden appearance of Gu Xechen, neither dared to sit. They were exceedingly humble, pleading with Gu Xechen to take the seats. Gu Xechen, unwilling to draw too much attention, refused outright to occupy either chair. After a period of mutual refusal, Elder Zhaixing hastily brought over a large pile of meditation cushions, and everyone sat down in a circle.

As soon as they were seated, Gu Wuchen asked Daoist Feixing, "May I inquire what brings the two of you here? What counsel do you offer?"

The ears of the numerous prominent figures of the Daoist Alliance sitting on their cushions immediately perked up. Getting straight to the point was the best approach; they were deeply concerned about what these Immortals from the Upper Realm intended to do. Resistance was absolutely out of the question; the Upper Realm could dispatch a Taiyi Golden Immortal at will, enough to utterly annihilate the Mortal Realm.

Therefore, the leaders of the Daoist Alliance had long prepared themselves mentally to submit to the Upper Realm and become their slaves. But even as slaves, who wouldn't hope their masters offered more generous terms? Thus, they all looked towards Daoist Feixing, hoping for slightly better news.

Daoist Feixing forced a couple of dry laughs. He glanced at Gu Xechen and cautiously extended his divine sense toward him.

Unfortunately, protected by the Haotian Mirror which blocked all scrutiny of divine thought, the divine senses of Daoist Feixing and Yu Guanzi circled Gu Xechen dozens of times, yet they perceived him as if gazing through a fog, unable to ascertain the true depth of Gu Xechen's strength. Moreover, Gu Xechen's Primordial Spirit, aided by the esoteric power within the Pangu Banner, had elevated his divine sense to the level of a peak Golden Immortal. He casually released a sliver of divine pressure exceeding that of the two, like a massive stone crashing down upon their heads, causing them such pain that tears sprang to their eyes. Terrified, with their hearts racing, they dared not probe Gu Xechen's strength further and hastily retracted their divine senses. Clearing his throat lightly, Daoist Feixing honestly explained the purpose of his and Yu Guanzi’s descent.

After obtaining the Nine Dragon Sky-Piercing Ladder, the Divine Demons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths began to covet the Mortal Realm. No matter the aspect considered—the environment, resource abundance, spiritual energy concentration, or even population size—the Mortal Realm was inferior to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

However, the Mortal Realm formed the foundation of the Three Realms; both the Thirty-Three Heavens and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were rooted in it. Seizing control of the Mortal Realm was tantamount to seizing the dominant authority over the Three Realms, securing a portion of the Three Realms’ destiny. If someone could monopolize the Mortal Realm, perhaps they could seize the Heavenly Court in the process and become the new Lord of the Heavenly Court, commanding the Three Realms.

Currently, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were filled with powerful experts, yet none submitted to another; whether orthodox, demonic, or monstrous, constant conflict raged within. These powerful beings were all pinning their hopes on obtaining a catalyst to solely seize the destiny of the Mortal Realm and, subsequently, become the new ruler of the Three Realms.

The master of the entire Three Realms, the new Haotian God—that was far more satisfying than being a local tyrant within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

And for countless ages, a legend persisted within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths: during the ancient era, when the world underwent a great transformation, numerous incomparably potent ancient great experts from the myriad worlds departed this realm for other places; even Patriarch Hongjun himself packed up and left this cosmic world.

Hongjun Patriarch, who merged with the Heavenly Dao, fled. The Sages who maintained the world's order beneath the Heavenly Dao fled. Even the Haotian God, who oversaw the daily affairs of the Three Realms, fled with countless subordinates.

The resulting vacancies surely needed filling. Since Patriarch Hongjun was already part of the Heavenly Dao and his departure left the Dao incomplete, according to the rule of self-perfection of the cosmos, a new Hongjun, new Sages, and a new Haotian God were bound to emerge.

According to legend, the opportunity to become the new Hongjun, new Sages, and new Haotian God lay within the Mortal Realm.

The powerful beings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were stirred. For ages, they had devised numerous schemes to interfere in the affairs of the Mortal Realm. But at most, like Yanwu Asura in the past, they could only pass down inheritances to a minor demonic spawn’s projection in the Lower Realm, secretly developing certain powers.

And with earth-bound allies like the descendants of the Mo Yue Long Gen, these projected demons suffered heavy losses but ultimately achieved nothing.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were isolated from the Mortal Realm. For the Divine Demons to travel directly to the Mortal Realm, their current power was insufficient. The seals were reinforced by the great experts of antiquity; the current Divine Demons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were not as powerful as the Sages and ancient Golden Immortals of that time, and thus, they could not descend.

The accidental acquisition of the Nine Dragon Sky-Piercing Ladder stirred the ambitions of the Divine Demons—it was a golden opportunity to descend and seize that sliver of fortune.

Especially in recent years, about sixty years ago, the Divine Demons clearly sensed the fleeting aura of Sage Nüwa flashing across the Mortal Realm.

What did this signify? It meant that the Sages had indeed laid groundwork in the Mortal Realm! They had left behind certain things!

Therefore, after jointly repairing the Nine Dragon Sky-Piercing Ladder and purging the polluting essence of the Celestial Fox, the Divine Demons immediately dispatched emissaries below, arranging a method for dividing the territories of the Mortal Realm among themselves.

Counting from the day Daoist Feixing and Yu Guanzi descended, six cycles of sixty years—360 years later—the great figures of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would personally lead their numerous followers down to carve up the Mortal Realm's territory.

These Divine Demons did not wish for conflict over territory, fearing that intense fighting might shatter the Mortal Realm, leaving them with no benefits at all.

Thus, a cycle before, they began communicating with the Lower Realm cultivators with whom they had karmic ties, sparing no effort to enhance their perception of the Dao, boost their cultivation, and deepen their understanding.

During these 360 years, the various organizations of the Daoist Alliance would engage in mutual warfare, allowing them to determine the dominion over the entire Mortal Realm.

Taking the Star Alliance's controlled star domain as the benchmark, 360 years later, based on the size of the territory occupied by the major and minor factions within the Daoist Alliance, the Divine Demons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would divide ownership of the entire Mortal Realm in corresponding proportions!

For safety, and to prevent the destruction of too many stars, the strongest cultivation level capable of engaging for the major and minor factions of the Daoist Alliance was restricted to the Heavenly Immortal realm.

Regarding any Golden Immortal level experts who might exist in the Lower Realm, the opinion of the great experts of the Upper Realm was: the Lower Realm Golden Immortals could retain a personal domain as preferential treatment for those naturally cultivated in the Lower Realm. After all, achieving the Golden Immortal realm in the Lower Realm required extraordinary perseverance and fortune—exactly the kind of talent the Upper Realm factions urgently needed.

However, 360 years later, once the great experts of the Upper Realm descended, the Lower Realm Golden Immortals would be forced to pledge allegiance to one faction or face joint annihilation by the powers descending from above.

Daoist Feixing picked up his teacup and took a sip. Yu Guanzi smiled thinly, "These are the rules concluded by the various Heavenly Venerables, Demon Ancestors, and Beast Ancestors of the Upper Realm. They are fair and rational. Three hundred and sixty years is more than enough time for you all to unify the star domain controlled by your Daoist Alliance with your capabilities."

Setting down his teacup, Daoist Feixing spoke solemnly, "Occupy as much territory as possible. The larger the territory you control, the greater the rewards you will receive in the future! Heh heh, if someone is lucky enough to occupy the three Origin Stars—Heaven, Earth, and Man—the rewards will be even greater!" The Heaven, Earth, and Man Origin Stars? Gu Wuchen’s heart stirred slightly. The cultivators of the Daoist Alliance hastily and clamorously inquired about what these three Origin Stars were.

However, Daoist Feixing and Yu Guanzi seemed unclear on the origins of the Heaven Origin Star, Earth Origin Star, and Man Origin Star themselves. They vaguely informed the cultivators that these three Origin Stars were the most vital stars in the Mortal Realm, possessing inconceivable power and fortune.

However, these three planets had been obscured into the vast void by the powerful magic of the ancient great experts. Even if encountered face-to-face, one might not recognize the true identity of these three Origin Stars. Whether one could encounter and occupy them depended entirely on fate.

It was fitting; if they were found and successfully occupied, and if the Divine Demons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths recognized their true nature, the cultivator occupying that planet would be incredibly fortunate. The bounty offered by the big shots of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was: if any lucky soul truly encountered the Three Origin Stars and offered one of them, the patron would expend their own vital essence to forcibly elevate that cultivator to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm! What a massive bounty, what heavy stakes! Gu Wuchen and the other three felt their hearts clench violently, their expressions changing.

They did not know the locations of the Heaven Origin Star or the Earth Origin Star, but the Man Origin Star... Tsk, a Taiyi Golden Immortal! Forcible elevation to Taiyi Golden Immortal—this heaven-defying power, this price—was enough to drive one mad!

Suddenly, a cold snort came from outside the door: "What game rules are these? Let me listen in as well. I find this matter quite interesting!"

A graceful figure walked in from outside the Myriad Immortal Palace: the upper body of a human, the massive serpentine tail of a multi-colored python, with faint traces of green Qi flickering beneath dry skin. Gu Xechen recognized this person—it was the Aier Loli whom he had tricked with the Yi Shen Art! It seemed her integration with the current physical body was successful enough for her to move around in it freely.

A pity. Gu Xechen had spread the word to the descendants of the Clan Elder Council to leak her identity. Clearly, the descendants had failed to find her, allowing her to safely survive the most perilous period following the body swap due to the Yi Shen Art. Aier Loli walked arrogantly before Daoist Feixing and Yu Guanzi. She looked at them coldly and said lightly, "I wonder how much territory one Golden Immortal can control? I shall participate in this game as well!"

Hua’s body suddenly tensed up. He stared fixedly at Aier Loli, his eyes filled with uncontrollable avarice.

Aier Loli had entered empty-handed, but Hua knew exactly how many treasures this fellow possessed! Taking advantage of this opportunity to kill her and seize her magical artifacts would be an unexpected windfall!

Especially after hearing Daoist Feixing’s unrestrained explanation, perhaps the fortune left behind by the Sages in the mortal world was contained within the artifacts Aier Loli held.

Gu Xechen smiled faintly and reached out to restrain Hua. He narrowed his eyes at Aier Loli: Since you insist on jumping out to seek death, don't blame me. Having refined the Pangu Banner and obtained the secret technique for corpse slaying within, Gu Wuchen held great interest in the magical artifacts Aier Loli possessed.

A solemn and authoritative voice resonated from outside the hall: "The will of the Progenitor is supreme. Our clan will not participate in your game!"

Beams of sacred light shone in from the doorway as three Archangels, enveloped in golden light and possessing Golden Immortal strength, strode into the Myriad Immortal Hall. Clearly, they had also received the tokens for participating in the Dao-Demon Assembly, but it was unclear why they had delayed their arrival until now.

Yu Guanzi’s pupils constricted, and he sneered, "The price of non-participation is death! Do you wish for your entire race to be annihilated?"

"Who dares annihilate us? Hmph?" A deep, stern voice boomed from outside. A dozen hulking Dark Spirits marched in. They glared fiercely at the golden-clad Archangels and then snarled viciously at Yu Guanzi, "We will absolutely never submit to you!"

The eyes of Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing lit up. The Archangels were one thing; having had too much of their origin power extracted by the Progenitor of the Angel Clan, the innate aura belonging to them as primordial beings was extremely faint. But these Dark Spirits were different; they had just taken shape from the matrix, and the dense primordial aura surrounding them was like a lighthouse in the dark night—impossible to miss. "Primordial beings! So many!" Greed shone in the eyes of Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing.

What could primordial beings do? If slain, they could forge artifacts! And they could absolutely forge treasures of the level of Innate Magic Artifacts!

Alas for Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing, despite being Tenth Grade Golden Immortal masters, they currently possessed only a few Mid-Grade Immortal Artifacts they had refined themselves! Innate Magic Artifacts—legendary items that even their own ancestors possessed only a handful of! Having a dozen Dark Spirits here represented a dozen Innate Magic Artifacts!

Gu Xechen’s mind stirred; he keenly sensed the avarice in Yu Guanzi and Daoist Feixing, and he laughed inwardly!

Just as he was pondering how to exploit this situation, the main doors of the Myriad Immortal Palace were violently smashed open. Six descendants of the Mo Yue Long Gen, clad in black scales and possessing the heads of dragons upon human bodies, strode in.

The leading Mo Yue Long Gen descendant roared in a deep voice, "What bullsh*t Dao-Demon Assembly? Our Progenitor has declared that we are uninterested in the rules you have set! The Mo Yue Long Gen lineage has never bowed to any pressure!"

He threw his head back and laughed a few times, then declared loudly, "More brothers from the Mo Yue Long Gen lineage are on their way! Our Progenitor has stated that anyone who dares challenge the Mo Yue Long Gen lineage’s control over this starry sky will face death!" With a few cold snorts, the six descendants suddenly fixed their gaze on Aier Loli. One descendant roared in a low voice, "Wusuli? Or Aier Loli? We received intelligence that..."

Aier Loli let out a strange chuckle a few times, suddenly twisting and transforming into a streak of green light, rapidly fleeing. By whatever method she used, she vanished instantly. The six Mo Yue Long Gen descendants immediately shouted curses and chased after her, also quickly disappearing without a trace. The three Archangels and the Dark Spirits exchanged glances, unable to resist stepping forward simultaneously. But after a moment’s thought, both groups took a step back.

The three Archangels roared in low voices: "The Mo Yue Long Gen are our enemies! They killed our kin, so we will overlook this matter today! Although you are also in opposition to us, still..." With a few cold laughs, the three Archangels turned and left.

The Dark Deities also departed the Myriad Immortal Palace with haste. Even from a great distance, the echo of their roars continued to reverberate.

These dull-witted Dark Deities seemed deeply affronted by the arrogance of the Angels, vowing to deliver a harsh lesson to them once the Tyrannosaurus Rex clan was utterly vanquished. They vividly recalled that their kinsmen, those who had been 'set up by the Tyrannosaurus Rex clan,' had all been transformed into the likeness of Angels; this foul deed could not be disconnected from the Angelic race. What of the chaos in Guohua?

The Tyrannosaurus Rex clan, the Angelic race, and the Dark race—three formidable powers—had all been stirred into a chaotic mess by the hand of Gu Wuchen alone. Such skill was undeniably formidable.

Gu Xichen merely offered a faint smile, chuckling as he addressed Daoist Feixing and Yuguanzi. "Then I shall not be modest. The rules established by the Daoist friends across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are fair and just. I harbor no grand ambitions; I shall pre-emptively claim a territory. I trust none of you will contest this boundary."

Glaring coldly at the cultivators of the Cultivation Alliance, Gu Wuchen sneered, "Remember the rules of the game. If you dare step a single foot into the territory I have demarcated, do not blame me for exterminating your entire lineage!"

Daoist Feixing and Yuguanzi nodded repeatedly, chuckling. "The rules are thus. If these witless wretches dare trespass upon Senior's domain, they are inviting their own doom."

After a brief pause, Yuguanzi hastily added with a smile, "However, Senior, the territory you carve out cannot be excessively large. On every single planet within that domain, there must be at least ten of your disciples residing as stewards, otherwise, the boundaries you define will not receive recognition!" Gu Wuchen counted on his fingers, feigning concentration for a moment, before finally nodding in agreement.

With a gesture of his hand, a star chart of a certain Star Alliance appeared before him. With a gentle flick of his finger, a beam of golden light enveloped a vast expanse of space, encompassing the Spiral Nebula and extending to an area three times the size of the Spiral Nebula itself.

Gu Xichen stated plainly, "My sect has countless followers. We can easily place a thousand disciples on every planet. This entire region is now mine!"

Grinning broadly at Daoist Feixing and Yuguanzi, Gu Wuchen turned with the three from Guohua and departed. As he left, Gu Wuchen transmitted a message to the two Daoists via sound transmission: "My mountain gate is located on Wuo'er Star in the Spiral Nebula. You are welcome to visit anytime!" Happy National Day! May everyone be joyful and merry... Brothers working through the holiday or taking time off, remember to cast your votes!