Above Rahu Star, the three-headed demon-treading dragon, Gen, expanded its body to a length of a hundred miles, hovering silently above the dense black clouds of the planet. The Corpse Emperor’s form had barely shrunk to ten meters tall—the limit of his current control—and he, along with the equally imposing True Man Baishui and True Man Hanjue, clung to the dragon’s heads with furrowed brows, each man occupying one of the three skulls. Demon-treading Dragon Gen was still unconvinced, emitting low, rumbling roars and strange noises of indeterminate meaning from his throat.
Seeing Demon-treading Dragon Gen in such a state, Gu Xichen snatched the black cudgel from the monkey and began to beat the creature indiscriminately.
This cudgel was the accompanying natal artifact when Demon-treading Dragon Gen broke free from its matrix. It belonged to the Innate category, ranking as barely mid-grade among Innate artifacts. Though it possessed no profound or mystical divine abilities, it had only two qualities: immense weight and absolute hardness. The cudgel, spanning several miles, battered Demon-treading Dragon Gen until its head bled, forcing it to shriek continuously without daring to move an inch.
After thrashing Demon-treading Dragon Gen for a full hundred strokes, Gu Xichen tossed the cudgel back to the monkey. He pointed at the dragon and roared sternly, “Now understand your place! You are the mountain-guarding divine beast of my Nine Nether Dao, not the progenitor of your own lineage!”
After a slight pause, Gu Xichen swept a cold glance over the two dozen or so blood descendants huddled fearfully on Demon-treading Dragon Gen’s tail, sneering, “The same goes for you. Your ancestor is now a member of my Nine Nether Dao, which makes you all disciples of my Nine Nether Dao. The position of a mountain-guarding divine beast suits your status just fine. If you have any grievances, speak them now!”
The descendants immediately shook their heads, just like Demon-treading Dragon Gen; none dared utter a word.
Ever since Demon-treading Dragon Gen submitted, both he and his two dozen blood descendants had their lives controlled by the malicious restrictive seals inscribed in the Great Wilderness Scripture by Gu Xichen. Now, even if they wished to commit suicide, they had to report to Gu Xichen and await his consent. They had absolutely no room to speak out of turn.
Huge tears began to stream from Demon-treading Dragon Gen’s six great eyes. With a crestfallen look, he let out a long, mournful cry toward the heavens. Finally accepting his fate, he flapped his massive fleshy wings, transforming into a streak of black light that carried everyone toward Earth.
On the Rahu Star behind them, all the black mist had vanished completely. This black mist was the native vital energy that had leaked from Rahu’s physical body. Now that the Corpse Emperor had barely managed to vacate Rahu’s body, having spent a moment reclaiming all the original energy, Rahu Star had become ordinary, looking no different from any other common planet. Even the palace atop the highest peak had been retrieved by the Corpse Emperor.
The Earth now was immensely larger than it had been in the past. Though the terrain and geography remained unchanged, its colossal volume startled the Corpse Emperor. Baishui and Hanjue, the two old Daoists, also stared intently at Earth, their eyes alight with excitement.
They had learned what Gu Xichen had accomplished. To calculate that the members of their various sects had been utterly annihilated by the disciples of the Nine Nether Dao, Kunlun Mountain, and Zhongnan Mountain—this was something they never could have imagined in their wildest dreams. This meant that currently, only their three lineages persisted as orthodoxies on Earth. This fortune was incomparably greater than when hundreds of large and small sects coexisted.
As sect masters of their respective clans, the Corpse Emperor and the others naturally understood the difference between sharing the Earth among three Daoist sects versus hundreds. The way they looked at Gu Xichen grew even more fervent. The Corpse Emperor thought: having such a disciple, he needed nothing more in this life. Baishui and Hanjue, however, pondered: such an excellent disciple, why did he become a member of the Nine Nether Dao? Why couldn't they just seize him?
The three of them subsequently returned to their respective mountain gates, naturally welcomed by cheers from the disciples and members left behind on Earth. The three sects celebrated together for several days, feasting lavishly until the small guardhouse Gu Xichen had excavated at the entrance of the Nine Nether Dao for Demon-treading Dragon Gen was finally completed. Only then did Gu Xichen mount Demon-treading Dragon Gen and ride off, deeply satisfied, toward the Heaven Star Domain.
Although it was the Corpse Emperor who subdued Demon-treading Dragon Gen, the Corpse Emperor cherished his disciple and knew that everything Gu Xichen was currently engaging in was akin to plucking chestnuts from the fire—one wrong move meant utter destruction of soul and body. Therefore, he simply assigned Demon-treading Dragon Gen to Gu Xichen’s side, letting him serve as a powerful bodyguard. The Corpse Emperor, along with the old Daoists Baishui and Hanjue, remained within the mountain gate, focusing intently on gathering spiritual energy, aided by the great formation established by their many disciples, striving to quickly refine their current physical bodies to perfection.
Arriving at Heaven Star, Gu Xichen provided Demon-treading Dragon Gen with some guidance, clearly explaining the star’s origins and its status within the Earth Federation. He also sketched out a star chart of the vicinity of Heaven Star for him. Then, using the pretext of Heaven Star being safe, he rushed toward the Thirteen Consecutive Star Domain.
Though Demon-treading Dragon Gen was inherently savage and brutal, he was keenly aware of the current situation. His personality tended a bit toward bullying the weak and fearing the strong. When Gu Xichen was not his match, he could use every trick in the book against him. But now that his very life was in Gu Xichen’s hands, after a few days of dejection, Demon-treading Dragon Gen became Gu Xichen’s most devoted subordinate. He thumped his chest and swore that as long as he was around, Heaven Star would be absolutely safe; anyone who dared touch a single hair on Heaven Star would be devoured by him.
Gu Xichen arrived at the Thirteen Consecutive Star Domain in high spirits. He immediately instructed Demon-treading Dragon Gen to assume human form, and the two infiltrated the Dark Temple, finding Blackjack busy refining the taxation system for the Dark Empire.
Blackjack’s cultivation was low, so he naturally couldn't detect Gu Xichen and Demon-treading Dragon Gen lingering invisibly nearby. He was alone in the Pope’s bedchamber, facing a massive stack of parchment scrolls, frowning as he continuously scribbled notes upon them.
Peering over the scrolls, Gu Xichen raised an eyebrow in surprise. The tax system Blackjack designed was extraordinarily convoluted and intricate; a tax equivalent to a single copper coin had to pass through anywhere from a dozen to over thirty hands before reaching the treasury. With such a complex system, it was impossible to tell what purpose he intended it for.
Shaking his head, he gently tapped Blackjack’s shoulder.
Blackjack’s body froze. He abruptly raised both hands and spoke in a low, authoritative voice, “Which esteemed master from the Holy See is here? I am Pope Blackjack of the Dark Church. Did your Pope, His Majesty Gu Yuru, not send you to assassinate me?”
With a cold snort, Blackjack raised his voice slightly and scolded in a low tone, “Whatever you are here for, if you seek to assassinate the leaders of the dark creatures, I can tell you where they are now. If you covet the beauty of the Fox-men, I have several in my bedchamber; feel free to take them.”
Demon-treading Dragon Gen rolled his eyes, scoffing sullenly, “Spineless wretch. We aren't here to kill. As for beautiful women, let me see them first!”
Blackjack’s facial muscles twitched. His reaction was almost instinctive: “You are not here to kill, nor for the women. You are here for wealth? But I, Blackjack, have been upright as clear water my entire life! I have not a single copper coin saved. If you seek riches, you have indeed come to the wrong person!”
With a few chuckles, Blackjack pointed out calmly, “If you want wealth, go kill the Grand Chief of the Minotaur Clan. They love the armor and weapons forged in the City of Gold. He carries tens of tons of gold on his person, all in the pouch at his waist. Kill him, and all that gold is yours, besides quite a bit of other jewelry.”
Gu Xichen glanced at Demon-treading Dragon Gen. Demon-treading Dragon Gen nodded in understanding. He reached out and grasped Blackjack’s forehead, sneering, “You’re quite well-informed. Hmph, cooperate with us. Call that Minotaur Grand Chief here; we’ll ambush him right here.”
Hearing Demon-treading Dragon Gen’s words, Blackjack immediately proposed terms, “I can cooperate with your assassination, but given the huge risk I’m taking, I demand fifty percent of all the proceeds. If you don't agree, you can find him yourselves!”
Demon-treading Dragon Gen tightened his fingers, causing Blackjack’s head to creak ominously. He chuckled sinisterly, “Refuse to cooperate, and you die!”
The light shining from Blackjack’s eyeballs turned green, like a hungry wolf spotting hot flesh. He hissed, “Heads may be severed, blood may flow, but gold and silver treasures cannot be abandoned! Half for me, or we part ways! If you kill me, you won’t escape either!”
Gu Xichen laughed. Blackjack was, after all, Blackjack!
Demon-treading Dragon Gen rolled his eyes. In his long existence, he had seen countless contemptible individuals, even misers who valued a single penny above the heavens. But someone willing to sacrifice his life for money that didn't even belong to him was a first. He looked at Gu Xichen in confusion. Was this despicable fellow truly his subordinate?
Gu Xichen burst into loud laughter. He slapped Blackjack’s shoulder forcefully.
Blackjack, who had been squeezed until he was nearly crying from the pain, flinched, then leaped up in ecstasy. He scrambled to his knees, grabbed Gu Xichen’s leg, and exclaimed joyfully, “My honored Boss, you have arrived? Heavens, I was terrified! I truly thought I had run into robbers!”
Shaking his head with helpless amusement, Gu Xichen glanced at the heavy strands of jewelry adorning Blackjack, unable to resist mocking, “Upright as clear water, you say? Whose water? Wastewater from a chemical plant's sewer, perhaps?”
He pulled up the fawningly smiling Blackjack and pointed at the parchment scrolls on the table, asking what they were about.
Blackjack proudly explained, detailing how, over the decades, he had subtly guided and shifted the mindset of the dark creature overlords he served so diligently, finally leading to the establishment of the Dark Empire just two months prior. He boastfully informed Gu Xichen that he had devised all the Dark Empire’s laws and supervisory systems, and what he was currently drafting was, in his opinion, the most crucial imperial regulation—the Dark Tax Law!
In Blackjack’s grand scheme, this Dark Tax Law would be an unprecedentedly perfect system. He intended to establish the divine and unshakeable status of the Dark Tax Law within the Dark Empire’s constitution. Given the ingrained, traditional mindset of the dark creatures, once the status of this tax law was fixed, they likely wouldn't alter a single word of it for the next hundred thousand years.
Concealed by this complex tax code, and exploiting the dark creatures’ profound ignorance of finance and law, Blackjack could manipulate affairs at all levels, funneling the Dark Empire’s output brazenly into his own pockets. His sole pursuit in life was plundering as much money as possible, watching the gold, silver, and jewels in his treasury grow ever larger. Gu Xichen and Demon-treading Dragon Gen stared at Blackjack in silence for a long time.
After a long while, Demon-treading Dragon Gen gave Blackjack a thumbs-up. “Impressive, truly impressive!”
To amass wealth, he dared to incite dark creatures to form an empire and seize control of its leadership. Wonders never cease in the world. Such an ultimate miser as Blackjack was unparalleled.
Clapping Blackjack’s shoulder hard, Gu Xichen sighed deeply, “There’s no need for you to go to such trouble. Summon those fellows. Tell them there’s a wonderful opportunity awaiting them.”
Blackjack didn't ask what the opportunity was. He summoned his personal guards and ordered them to quickly invite all the Grand Chiefs and Clan Leaders over. Blackjack had subtly become the civilization mentor for the dark creature overlords; he was the one who led them out of their primitive, blood-and-raw-meat existence, propelling them into civilized society in a great leap forward. Therefore, when they heard Blackjack wished to discuss something with them, within fifteen minutes, everyone had gathered in the Temple’s assembly hall.
Upon entering the hall, the leaders immediately sensed something amiss. The Dark Pope, Blackjack, stood respectfully to one side, while the throne that usually belonged to him was occupied by a stranger.
The Minotaur Grand Chief, being the most straightforward, immediately pointed at Gu Xichen and demanded, “Your Majesty Blackjack, who is this fellow?”
Blackjack smiled deviously, much like a slave trader eyeing a continent full of Black slaves. A greedy, unsettling gleam flickered in his eyes, reflecting the unease of the dark creatures. He chuckled a few times before tapping his scepter, then said with a charming smile, “This is the noble Boss Gu Xichen. He brings the glad tidings of the Dark Gods to you all, and he will guide you onto the dark path!”
Gu Xichen coughed lightly. What kind of words were those from Blackjack? Guiding them onto the dark path? It sounded as if he had appointed himself an instigator of crime!
Looking at the bewildered dark creatures, Gu Xichen stated plainly, “I’ll be direct: I am here to subdue you.”
The dark creatures blinked, then erupted into a chorus of loud laughter. They pointed at Gu Xichen, shouting insults. Subdue them? On what grounds? Based on Gu Xichen’s small frame and pale, delicate looks? Who did he think they were to demand subjugation?
Only the sly Fox-man leaders and the heads of a few other races secretly turned around, attempting to slip away. But they had barely taken a few steps back when a colossal dragon head, exuding a dense aura of darkness, solidly blocked the main entrance of the hall. Demon-treading Dragon Gen extended his long tongue and slowly licked the face of the Fox-man Chief leading the group. The viscous saliva was a thousand times more corrosive than aqua regia. The Fox-man Chief wailed as half his body instantly dissolved into a puddle of pus.
Witnessing this, the dark creatures closed their mouths in terror.
Gu Xichen slowly stood up. He spread his arms toward the dark creatures, whose courage had been shattered by the peak Golden Immortal aura emanating from Demon-treading Dragon Gen, and shouted with great emotion:
“Brothers, welcome to the warm family of the Nine Nether Dao!”
“Hmph, so that you don't engage in any strange self-harm, please release your souls so I can set a small restriction!”
“Oh? You are unwilling? Demon-treading Dragon Gen…”
A Vampire Clan Chief had just expressed dissatisfaction with Gu Xichen’s disagreeable act of binding his soul when Gu Xichen immediately roared.
Demon-treading Dragon Gen’s tongue shot out like a lizard’s, snapping up the Vampire Clan Chief, who was at the third rank of Celestial Immortal, and pulling him into its mouth.
Two teeth tapped lightly against the old vampire’s body, and with a crisp sound, the old vampire’s form exploded like a sunflower seed shell.
Demon-treading Dragon Gen swallowed the old vampire with satisfaction, his greedy eyes slowly sweeping over the terrified Dark Relics: “Who else wishes for a tour inside my belly? Hmph, males only, for now. As for the females, I don't mind using them as matrices for my new progeny.”
His long tongue licked his lips, and Demon-treading Dragon Gen sighed deeply, “What novel genomes! So many strange and bizarre creatures. I can almost see nearly a hundred variations of powerful new descendants arrayed before me—what a magnificent sight!”
The dark creatures simultaneously turned toward Gu Xichen. They cried and wailed, throwing themselves into Gu Xichen’s embrace.
Gu Xichen smiled. He eagerly presided over the initiation ceremony for these dark creatures joining the Nine Nether Dao. Afterward, he informed them that the Dark Gods had hatched and arrived in this space.
Watching the dark creatures whose faces were frozen as if they had just eaten a mouthful of dog feces, Gu Xichen smiled with great satisfaction.
He told the dark creatures that he would use them as bait to lure those Dark Gods into also becoming brothers of the Nine Nether Dao. The dark creatures exchanged glances and simultaneously burst into loud wails.