A pitch-black, four-sided mythical beast-patterned Water Venerable surged against the towering flames, as black mist, formed from Xuan Yi True Water, continuously poured from the bottle's mouth.

The flames unleashed by the Great Sage of Inspiration were an unusual kind of fire, a fusion of his inherent Samadhi True Fire and the Profound Magnetic Celestial Fire that lay above the Zixiao realm. Its power was immense, specializing in damaging the primordial spirit. Yet, water naturally counteracts fire—it is the rule of the Heavenly Dao. The Water Venerable summoned by Gu Xiechen contained Xuan Yi True Water of a quality comparable to that exotic flame, and the sheer quantity was substantial enough to truly block the crimson inferno outside.

No matter how the Great Sage of Inspiration urged the flun, even as it trembled violently and the flames erupting from its interior condensed into a pillar of fire that seemed almost solid, it could not breach the black mist formed by the Xuan Yi True Water.

A fierce kui-shuang sound echoed through the void, and hundreds of powerful divine senses probed inward, observing the clash between the two sides from above.

Among these divine senses, more than seventy clearly sided with the Great Sage of Inspiration, making no attempt to conceal their killing intent toward Gu Xiechen and his companions.

The remaining hundreds of divine senses mostly adopted an attitude of gloating spectatorship. They intentionally or unintentionally vibrated the air, causing various auras to ripple in the void, as if reminding the Great Sage of Inspiration that they were watching the battle, and he must not disgrace himself.

The Great Sage of Inspiration indeed grew anxious. A dignified Da Luo Jinxian—even if only a low-grade one—was a figure of renown across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Being stalemated for half an incense stick’s time against a few Taiyi Jinxian was utterly humiliating. With so many supreme figures from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths watching behind him, he could not afford to suffer this loss of face.

With a cold snort, the Great Sage of Inspiration raised both hands, lifting the flun, and tossed it into the sky.

A strange shriek followed as the flun spun rapidly in the void, expanding in the blink of an eye to a hundred li in diameter. Three wind eyes, each as thick as a water vat, pierced the center of the flun. Accompanied by the earth-shattering roar of the wind, countless wind wheels, each the size of a human head, shot out from the eyes, slashing down upon the black mist like a torrential storm.

These wind wheels were dark greenish-black, clearly solidified Gale Force refined to its absolute peak. At the center of each wind wheel flickered a piercing red light—this was the Celestial Fire Gang Thunder, condensed by the Great Sage of Inspiration compressing his own essential true fire to its limit.

The rapidly spinning wind wheels tore through the void, trailing streams of dark greenish-black light as they descended, shredding the black mist to tatters.

"Wonderful!" Gu Xiechen laughed heartily, clapping his hands. "This flun is indeed a superior Xiantian Dharma Treasure. It can not only control fire but also wind, and the way it perfectly and seamlessly fuses the energies of wind and fire is simply exquisite."

The wind wheels tore open the black mist formed by the True Profound Water and lunged toward the group, carrying a chilling aura. The Celestial Fire Gang Thunder condensed by the Great Sage of Inspiration flickered, clearly about to detonate before them. Just then, Yu Hua opened his mouth and spat out the Heavenly Star Sword, which transformed into countless silver starlights spraying out, cleaving the thousands of wind wheels approaching them into two halves.

With a delicate laugh, Yu Hua pulled out the Netherworld Fan and gave the teeming wind wheels a savage sweep.

A surge of black energy, like a mudslide accompanied by an ear-splitting howl, rolled out from the dark fan surface of the Netherworld Fan. Countless wails of ghosts and howls of wolves could be heard. Within the black energy, indistinct figures of several million winged oddities rushed out, unleashing streams of dark, cross-shaped sword qi that clashed thunderously with the myriad wind wheels.

The wind wheels possessed unparalleled might; each one could tear through hundreds of streaks of sword qi. However, they could not withstand the sheer number of figures within the black energy, whose sword qi poured out ceaselessly, wave after wave, like a frenzied tide. The wind wheels blasted forth by the flun gradually entered a stalemate with the black sword qi, yet they were still unable to reach Gu Xiechen and his companions.

The silver sword lights spat out by Yu Hua flashed everywhere, splitting the descending wind wheels, which greatly weakened their power, allowing the ghostly avatars summoned by the Netherworld Fan to defend with far less exertion.

Gradually, the flun began to show signs of faltering. The black energy emanating from the Netherworld Fan pushed back several zhang upward.

Even though it was only a few zhang, in a confrontation of this magnitude, it counted as a defeat. For a Da Luo Jinxian to be bested by a Taiyi Jinxian—in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, this was a disgrace that could only be washed away with blood. Either their own blood or the enemy's blood; there was no other path.

If the Great Sage of Inspiration could not retrieve this lost honor, if he could not take the heads of Gu Xiechen and his group to announce to the world, he would have no standing left in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. He would have to watch his territories annexed and everything he owned seized.

The Great Sage of Inspiration was alarmed. He was stunned to discover that the sword light spat out by Yu Hua was also a Xiantian Dharma Treasure, and likely one superior to his own Seven Treasures flun. Furthermore, Yu Hua’s Netherworld Fan and Gu Xiechen’s Water Venerable clearly appeared to be ancient, rare treasures. Though perhaps not Xiantian, the unique power they exhibited at times was no less potent than Xiantian artifacts.

A flicker of regret surfaced in the Great Sage of Inspiration’s heart. For the sake of a woman, even a favored one, was it worth plunging himself into such a predicament?

A slight hesitation caused the Great Sage of Inspiration’s movements to momentarily pause; the magical power he channeled into the flun also ceased for a mere fraction of a tenth of a second. But for certain individuals, a hesitation of one ten-thousandth of a second during combat is enough to be fatal!

In that fleeting moment, almost imperceptible, Yang Jian, the Monkey, and the Kongsang brothers rushed forward simultaneously.

Yang Jian teleported right next to the Great Sage of Inspiration. Clad today only in a simple gray Daoist robe, Yang Jian had set aside his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Halberd, now carrying only a Seven-Star Dragon Spring Sword. He brought forth a purple sword light, lightly aiming for the Great Sage of Inspiration’s heart.

The Monkey leaped behind the Great Sage of Inspiration, swinging his staff toward the back of his head. The staff, dark purple and black, was wreathed in golden haze, and the resulting wind turbulence distorted the void, sending dozens of spatial rifts crashing toward the Great Sage of Inspiration along with the blow.

The three Kongsang brothers maintained their Three Talents formation, their long halberd, broadsword, and long sword slashing out beams of cold light toward the vital points surrounding the Great Sage of Inspiration. The broadsword was like a dragon, the long spear like a flood dragon, and the long sword like a tiger. The sky full of cold light enveloped the Great Sage of Inspiration’s entire body, giving him the illusion of suffocation.

"Insolent! How dare you!"

The Great Sage of Inspiration roared in fury. A pale cyan Tai Chi Daoist robe materialized upon him, delicate wisps of clear light coiling around his body, faintly tracing a Tai Chi pattern the size of a washbasin on his back and chest. An incredibly yielding repulsive force rolled outward in all directions. The long staff of the Monkey, the long sword of Yang Jian, and the weapons of the three Kongsang brothers were pushed backward almost simultaneously upon contact with the clear light.

The Great Sage of Inspiration staggered, spat out a mouthful of blood. Under the combined assault of these five, even though his cultivation far surpassed Yang Jian and the others, he could not withstand such a violent impact of power. Despite having superior Dharma Treasures protecting him, his physical body was nearly shattered.

With an enraged shout, the Great Sage of Inspiration clawed toward the Monkey’s heart, intending to rip his heart out alive. Just then, the others saw a flash of bright light—the brothers Banruo and Moke flickered into existence, their heavy fists raining down on the Great Sage of Inspiration like a meteor shower.

Today, the cultivation of the Banruo and Moke brothers was profound, and their strength was formidable. Having received instruction on various physical combat techniques from experts specializing in body refinement like Gu Xiechen, Yang Jian, the Monkey, and the three Kongsang brothers, the two brothers had synthesized various Buddhist divine abilities and cultivation methods to forge a unique and devastating divine technique: the Eighteen Hell Great Hand Seals.

This technique consisted of eighteen strikes. Once unleashed, the force of the fists was like the torments of the eighteen layers of hell, each punch striking twice as hard as the last. After every eighteen punches, the power could be aggregated like overlapping ocean waves, unleashing the combined force of the preceding eighteen strikes in a single blow.

It was only because Banruo and Moke possessed the bodies of Great Sages from the Outer Realms, sturdy enough to endure such immense force, and because their fist speed was so fast that they could instantly compress the force, that they could create such a terrifying technique. Anyone else would fail to manifest such a dreadful method.

In the span of a single finger’s snap, thousands of punches had struck the Great Sage of Inspiration’s body. The strikes of the Eighteen Hell Great Hand Seals grew heavier with each blow, and every eighteen strikes concluded with one punch fusing the power of all eighteen preceding ones into a single overwhelming strike.

Absolute speed, absolute power—a perfect marriage of strength and velocity without the slightest flourish—this was the terror of the Eighteen Hell Great Hand Seals! The impact of the fists tore the air; the wind generated by the fists rubbed against the void, stirring up wind, igniting fire, and where wind and fire met, lightning sparked. The power stimulated by pure force and speed evoked the powers of wind, fire, thunder, and lightning, akin to the mutual generation of Yin and Yang manifesting all things, producing endless transformations.

With a massive explosion, the void spanning one li in radius shattered completely. The cyan protective treasure robe of the Great Sage of Inspiration was blasted to shreds, and the heavy fists hammered directly onto his body, sending him flying millions of li away. As the fists neared his body, the Great Sage of Inspiration finally reacted. He frantically forced out the immortal power within his body, manifesting a layer of barely sufficient clear light to protect his flesh.

The pitiful, dignified Da Luo Jinxian had his protective Dharma Treasure destroyed, forcing him to use his innate immortal power to shield his physical form. This tremendous humiliation caused the seventy-odd Demon Sages allied with the Great Sage of Inspiration to collectively snort coldly, unleashing boundless killing intent toward Gu Xiechen and his group. Meanwhile, the several hundred overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, also at the Da Luo Jinxian level, burst into laughter.

How amusing! Those overlords found this utterly fascinating!

They could all discern that the cultivation of Gu Xiechen and his group was equivalent to perhaps one ten-thousandth of the Great Sage of Inspiration’s power. Yet, with such meager strength, they had beaten the Great Sage of Inspiration to the point where he could not retaliate. This was entirely due to the marvelous techniques and exquisite coordination of Gu Xiechen’s group!

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, even siblings who grew up together could not boast such (tacit understanding) coordination. How had Gu Xiechen and his companions achieved this?

With a cold sneer, Gu Xiechen gazed at the Great Sage of Inspiration, who was currently rushing back like a mad tiger from the distance, and sharply rebuked him, "You have already lost. In front of so many fellow Daoists, are you determined to discard even your last shred of dignity?"

Yu Hua and the others lined up behind Gu Xiechen. Kongsang Ri coldly shouted, "If you insist on fighting shamelessly, then we will fight!"

His long halberd trembled, shattering a small section of the surrounding space. Vast swathes of cyan immortal light rose from Kongsang Ri’s body, condensing above his head into a brilliant sun wheel, emitting cyan rays that were impossible to look at directly. Although the light was clearly cyan, everyone who saw this sun wheel had the illusion that it was a scorching sun suspended in the void, releasing endless light and heat.

Laughter echoed from the grand hall ahead. The spacious, tall palace doors swung wide open, and a dozen or so immortals dressed in Daoist robes walked out slowly. These individuals either radiated faint immortal energy, or emanated thick demonic miasma, or possessed eerie ghostly auras, or harbored strange demonic energy. Regardless, their presence was overwhelmingly powerful, radiating a domineering aura that filled the entire void.

The pressure exerted by these dozen or so immortals was vastly different from that of the Great Sage of Inspiration. It was clear that these were the strongest, highest-ranking, territory-holding, and most influential figures among the overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Legend held that each of these dozen figures had stood at the peak of Da Luo Jinxian for nearly a million years. They had touched upon some marvelous limit, needing only a gentle step to ascend to the inconceivable realm of the predecessors, the Hongmeng Immortal Saints.

Upon seeing these dozen figures, the Great Sage of Inspiration shamefacedly covered his face and fled, not even bothering to recall his Seven Treasures flun hovering in the sky.

Gu Xiechen watched the Great Sage of Inspiration flee in disarray with cold eyes. He smiled and walked forward a few steps, bowing respectfully to the dozen immortals who had come out to greet them. "Venerable Seniors, the junior Evil Dragon Daoist pays his respects. Regarding the previous incident..."

An old man, shrouded in swirling ghostly mist, laughed sternly, "The previous incident? What incident happened just now?"

The dozen figures exchanged glances and burst into laughter simultaneously. "Nothing happened just now, Daoist Friend Xie Long. It is truly fortunate that a powerful figure from the lower realms like yourself can participate in the Myriad Immortals Gathering!"

A Demon Sage with eyes like lightning, a hooked eagle-like nose, and a pair of golden wings sprouted from his back ceased laughing and coldly mocked Gu Xiechen, "Since you have come to attend the Myriad Immortals Gathering, you must understand its rules. Now this Sage asks you: whom do you intend to pledge allegiance to? To whom have you prepared to hand over your territory and forces? Heh heh, make your decision now!"

Gu Xiechen’s expression turned grim, while the other dozen immortals gazed at him with piercing eyes, full of underlying meaning.

Furious, Gu Xiechen glared at the Demon Sage whose true form was clearly some form of Great Peng Bird.

He naturally knew the rules of the Myriad Immortals Gathering: it was essentially a feast for dividing spoils, where the overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths recruited cultivators from the lower realms and then partitioned the influence across the entire Mortal Realm based on the size of the territories controlled by their respective recruits.

According to the announcement issued for the assembly, if a cultivator from the lower realm failed to choose an allegiance to a faction, they would face joint annihilation by all factions. Gu Xiechen had already made his decision before arriving; he was prepared and had a temporary target for his allegiance. But for this Peng Bird to press him on this matter before the assembly even began, in front of so many immortals, clearly showed an intent to leave him no face whatsoever.

He was deliberately reminding Gu Xiechen that even though he defeated the Great Sage of Inspiration, he was still merely a subordinate seeking to submit.

Gu Xiechen looked at the Peng Bird with cold eyes and sighed faintly, "Purple-Eyed Peng King?"

The Peng Bird paused, then nodded. "It is this Sage. You know my name? Hmm, are you on good terms with Yu Guanzi?"

Gu Xiechen smiled, fixed his gaze upon the dozen or so immortals present, and slowly drew out a consciousness-bearing slip.

He nodded. "Since the Peng King wishes this junior to state whom he intends to submit to, then this junior will speak plainly."

He pointed a finger at the consciousness-bearing slip, and a star map sprayed out from the jade slip, sparkling with points of light that dazzled the eyes. Gu Xiechen indicated the map and sneered, "This is the star map controlled by my Evil Dragon Sect, encompassing the Spiral Star Domain and surrounding star fields roughly three times its size. Compared to the area directly controlled by these Seniors, this territory is quite substantial. Whichever Senior’s sect I join, it will add a significant bargaining chip."

The eyes of the dozen immortals, including the Purple-Eyed Peng King, brightened simultaneously, and they all nodded involuntarily.

Indeed, this was a heavy bargaining chip. The hundreds of cultivation factions of various sizes they controlled fought amongst themselves, yet the star domains they directly governed were not vast. The star domain directly under their control that met the requirements for wagering was only about half the size of the Spiral Star Domain.

If Gu Xiechen brought the star domain controlled by this map to pledge allegiance to the divine beings before him, it could expand the Mortal Realm territory under their banner several times over.

Everyone gazed at Gu Xiechen with burning eyes, and the Purple-Eyed Peng King exclaimed impatiently, "Boy, if you join me, I will accept you as a disciple. If that brat Inspiration dares to cause trouble for you again, this Sage will directly devour him!"

Gu Xiechen smiled, then turned his gaze to an old man among the immortals present, whose form resembled an ancient pine and whose demeanor was like that of a crane, his flowing long sleeves subtly suggesting detachment from the mundane world. He cupped his hands toward the old man and asked with a smile, "Are you the Azure Brilliance Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable from the Far-Reaching Violet Heaven?"

The old man in the white robe, with a cluster of purple clouds embroidered on his chest, had his eyes flash. He nodded and smiled, "There's no need for such formality. Just call me Old Man Yuan Luo."

Gu Xiechen handed the consciousness-bearing slip to the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable. He smiled, "Very good. These are the terms for my sect and fellow Daoists to join the Heavenly Venerable's banner, along with a small token of my sincerity. I request the Heavenly Venerable to consider them."

The Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable narrowed his eyes. The consciousness-bearing slip suddenly shattered, and a thread of purple energy pierced into his brow. The old man's long, venerable eyebrows twitched, and he suddenly nodded. Silently, he pulled out a token carved from purple jade from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Xiechen.

"From this day forward, the Evil Dragon Sect shall be the foremost Protector Sect under my Yuan Luo Palace. All members and disciples of the Evil Dragon Sect shall heed orders but need not obey commands. Gu Xiechen, the Evil Dragon Venerable of the Evil Dragon Sect, shall be an Elder of the Yuan Luo Palace. All disciples of the Yuan Luo Palace must treat him with the respect due to an Elder!" In an instant, the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable’s divine sense gently swept across the entire Myriad Immortals Star, broadcasting this declaration.

Gu Xiechen smiled with satisfaction, while the Purple-Eyed Peng King and the others stared at the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable in apparent surprise. Heed orders but need not obey commands—what benefit did Gu Xiechen offer him to agree to such terms? This was clearly establishing an independent faction beneath the Yuan Luo Sect!

However, the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable was renowned among the overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths as someone who valued his reputation and face above all else. Since he had made this decision today, he would absolutely not alter it. Moreover, although the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable appeared immortal and full of Daoist spirit, in reality, his disposition was ruthless and largely prone to exacting revenge for the slightest offense. Since Gu Xiechen had become one of the Yuan Luo Palace, anyone wishing to move against him would have to seriously consider the Yuan Luo Palace's reaction!

Among the overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable's cultivation could reliably place him within the top ten. Gu Xiechen had chosen a truly sound backer!

But the condition of heed orders but need not obey commands seemed too inconceivable. What exactly had Gu Xiechen promised the Yuan Luo Heavenly Venerable?

All the immortals began pondering this question, and the way they looked at Gu Xiechen became somewhat strange.

The Myriad Immortals Gathering had not yet officially begun, but calculations targeting Gu Xiechen were rapidly set in motion. Countless immortals secretly left the Myriad Immortals Star and rushed to all corners.

Especially the immortals under the command of the Great Sage of Inspiration, who, without participating in the gathering, left the Myriad Immortals Star Domain directly.