The Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits was the primary venue where the myriad deities of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths gathered for their grand assembly.

Employing the Minor Sumeru technique to defy spatial limits, the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits was unimaginably vast. Stretching a hundred li from left to right, sixteen Cloud Platforms were arrayed in a straight line from the main entrance to the center, with a depth also approaching a hundred li. The floor was paved with purple-gold, the pillars were carved from cyan jade, and the beams were formed from condensed essences of the Five Elements, topped with golden tiles fashioned from dragon scales—it exuded an undeniable aura of priceless treasure and swirling celestial light, truly possessing the majesty of a Heavenly Palace.

Upon the sixteen Cloud Platforms sat the sixteen most powerful Great Overarching Golden Immortals, universally acknowledged throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, spaced out evenly. Flanking them on either side were the various overlords of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, all beings possessing cultivation at the Great Overarching Golden Immortal level.

The Great Sage of Inspiration, who had been publicly humiliated by the group led by Gu Xechen before the gates of the Hall, was conspicuously absent; clearly, he lacked the face to attend.

Below the hundreds of Great Overarching Golden Immortals were tens of thousands of neatly arranged purple-jade long tables. Each table, eight chi long and three chi wide, had a jade seat set behind it, inlaid with numerous rare gems—these were the stations for the Grand Unity Golden Immortals from all corners of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Seated behind the foremost thousands of tables were immortals whose cultivation stood at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Each one was a major figure whose name resonated across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Following the Grand Unity Golden Immortals were hundreds of thousands of round tables, each accompanied by ten stools. This area was occupied by the Golden Immortal level immortals of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. All the immortals were arrayed in magnificent robes, enveloped in halos of precious light, showcasing their extraordinary, transcendent presence to the fullest extent—whether they were of the former era or the current one.

Then came the immortals from various forces in the Lower Realms. The leading figures of the hundreds of sects and factions making up the Cultivation Alliance sat gathered around the round tables, careful not to even breathe too loudly. Each one kept their head down, glancing sideways at their patrons and backers with extreme apprehension. Any Golden Immortal casually present from the Upper Realms could dictate their life and death, their honor or disgrace; how could they dare to be anything but cautious?

Among these Lower Realm immortals were a few who had inherited ancient immortal legacies early on and had been cultivating in secret seclusion. The strongest among them had only barely managed to survive the Golden Immortal Tribulation, barely achieving the initial stage of Golden Immortal cultivation as rogue cultivators.

These Golden Immortals, much like Gu Xechen and his entourage, possessed sufficient cultivation and means to ascend, yet they had used secret artifacts to mask their auras, continuing to live comfortably as local kings and overlords in the Lower Realms, carving out their own territories and declaring themselves patriarchs. But now, with a group of terrifyingly powerful figures suddenly looming over them, their very survival no longer in their own hands, the expressions of these few Golden Immortals became decidedly grim.

Only when the eleven figures led by Gu Xechen strode into the Hall with heads held high, bypassing the confused crowds to settle directly at the jade tables closest to the sixteen Cloud Platforms, did faint glimmers of hope and inexplicable urges surface on the faces of the Lower Realm cultivators.

Everyone had heard of the events that transpired half a month before the Grand Assembly of Immortals: Gu Xechen’s group had actually managed to shame a Great Overarching Golden Immortal from the Upper Realms. This incident had not only shocked all the immortals of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths but had also given the Lower Realm immortals a ray of anticipation.

Some factions were directly controlled by the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; for them, any notion of resistance was futile. But for those few Golden Immortals, who were attending this Grand Assembly passively with no major power backing them, a plan began to form: if they could seek refuge under Gu Xechen’s banner and become the carefree immortals who heed orders but refuse absolute fealty, that might not be a bad fate at all.

The distinction between "heeding orders but refusing fealty" to establish one’s own path, versus being taken in as a mere lackey to be ordered about like a dog, was indeed vast.

As soon as Gu Xechen was seated, he sensed several searing gazes fixed upon him. He glanced across the hall and confirmed that several Lower Realm Golden Immortals were nodding subtly towards him, their eyes holding an indefinable, complex sentiment. Gu Xechen paused for a brief moment, instantly grasping their intentions. He returned their greetings with a gentle smile, signaling that he understood their proposition.

Their gazes met only for a fleeting moment before quickly breaking away. Though the contact was brief, every immortal in the hall was a being of sharp perception and formidable divine sense. The immortals aligned with the Luo Heavenly Venerable’s lineage exchanged silent, pleased glances. It seemed the Luo Palace was about to gain more territory; the scope of their future spheres of influence in the mortal realm was set to expand significantly. Conversely, the immortals under the banners of other Great Overarching Golden Immortals grew sullen, and their looks directed at Gu Xechen became increasingly hostile.

Faced with the barrage of gazes sweeping toward him like a storm of arrows, Gu Xechen returned their stares with chilling coldness.

He entirely ignored those below the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. Those Golden Immortals who dared to look at him with provocation immediately shuddered violently under Gu Xechen’s frigid glare, nearly losing their footing and falling. They even felt their very Dao Hearts faintly shaken, as if some tremendously terrifying force was closing in on them from all corners of the void. These Golden Immortals hastily lowered their heads, daring no longer to meet his eyes.

The Grand Unity Golden Immortals did not fare much better. Gu Xechen directed a glance at them using his Eye of Reincarnation, subtly projecting a sliver of the Heavenly Dao’s cyclical power toward them. Except for those at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm who could just barely maintain composure under his gaze, the others also felt their hearts tremble uncontrollably and lowered their heads.

The sheer power of a single glance forced the millions of immortals in the hall to bow their heads, causing all witnesses to be inwardly stunned.

Some defiant immortals managed to forcibly steady their shaken minds and, gathering their spirits, glared fiercely toward those accompanying Gu Xechen.

Good, they thought, this time they will suffer even greater consequence.

Yang Jian noticed the immortals daring to direct hostile glares toward him. He snorted, and the vertical eye on his brow suddenly snapped open, shooting out fine streams of golden light. The primordial spirits of those immortals seemed struck by lightning; they sensed the terrifying might within Yang Jian’s divine gaze—a power potent enough to shatter their spiritual imprints—and were so frightened they nearly lost control of their bowels.

The Monkey was even more mischievous. Over the years, aided by Gu Xechen’s Sun Profound Pearl, he had tempered his physical body with various Heavenly Fires, even managing to recover his Fire Eyes Golden Gaze divine ability from his past. Seeing those immortals dare to meet his gaze, he immediately flashed a grin, blinking rapidly. Beams of golden light shot out like razor-sharp flying knives. Every immortal who met the Monkey’s gaze experienced excruciating pain in their eyes, as if stabbed by a blade, causing them to involuntarily shut their eyes, tears streaming down their faces.

The three brothers of the Kongsang lineage also possessed secret arts, ensuring that anyone who dared to lock eyes with them gained no advantage. Siren and the others also practiced unique cultivation methods that severely depleted the vital energy of those immortals, and their eyesight also suffered minor damage.

The expressions of many immortals in the hall changed drastically, especially those of the Demon Immortal lineage, whose faces turned exceedingly grim. Demon Immortals were generally characterized by direct and volatile temperaments. Instantly, dozens of Demon Immortals at the peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal level rose in furious indignation, intending to challenge Gu Xechen.

Gu Xechen tapped his finger lightly on the jade table, his gaze full of killing intent fixed upon these Demon Immortals. If they truly lacked sense and dared to cause trouble, then just as he had stated half a month prior: if they were killed, so be it; what was the big deal?

I, Daoist Chen, made the rules of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths perfectly clear: the strong prevail, the weak perish. To gain any ground against these immortals of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, meek compliance was useless. Without sufficiently powerful strength and an appropriately unyielding demeanor, one would be completely dominated; every minor concession would only invite further encroachment.

Watching the Demon Immortals with cold eyes, Gu Xechen suddenly smiled: "What? Are you all Mu Qingzhu’s male companions, seeking revenge for him?"

The Demon Immortals blinked in confusion. Some of the simpler-minded ones hastily shook their heads and slumped back into their seats. They certainly weren't Mu Qingzhu’s concubines; why should they stick up for him? But in the next instant, these Demon Immortals became even more enraged and leaped up. A few whose appearances were particularly fierce, with green faces and long fangs, slammed their jade tables and roared at Gu Xechen, "Stop the nonsense! We just find you displeasing!"

Looking at the Demon Immortals with feigned astonishment, Gu Xechen suddenly slapped Ru Hua (thùn, 4th tone) hard on the back of his head. He scolded, "I told you not to look for trouble. Did you flirt with their mothers or sleep with their sisters? Is that why they dislike us?"

Ru Hua wrung his ten fingers together pitifully and sorrowfully sighed, shame and anger mixing in his voice, "What kind of person do you all take me for? Am I someone who will eat anything I find? Unless they are peerless beauties or unparalleled paragons, I wouldn't bother looking at them! Look at the stock of that group. Look at their character. Would I flirt with their mothers? Would I even look twice at their sisters?" He spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the floor of the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits, then proudly raised his head and barked in a voice loud enough for every immortal to hear, "Look at them! Even if their entire families offered themselves up for free, they still wouldn't be worth a single second of my time!"

It was as if a hornet's nest had been kicked over; the Demon Immortals in the hall instantly stood up as one, glaring with eyes blazing fire. Ru Hua also leaped up, arrogantly stomping his foot on the jade table, shaking his right hand at the Demon Immortals and roaring abuse, "What is it? What do you want? Trying to overturn heaven? Looking for death?"

With a roar, a Demon Immortal whose true form was a Golden-Maned Hou grabbed a two-foot-long Primordial Bronze Hammer and brought it crashing down toward Ru Hua's head. At the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, all one's essence, spirit, and might could be condensed into one's weapon. This Demon Immortal delivered his strike with his full strength, yet it generated not even the slightest whoosh of air, seeming to float lightly toward Ru Hua.

Ru Hua’s eyes turned cold. His figure flickered, leaving several afterimages as he vanished abruptly from the spot. The next instant, he had lunged into the Demon Immortal’s embrace, unleashing his hands, elbows, and knees in a tempestuous flurry. While his attack frequency wasn't as monstrous as the brothers Banruo and Mohe, he still delivered nearly a thousand blows in that brief span.

Consider who has been accompanying Gu Xechen over these past few centuries. Gu Xechen himself, who cultivated the Indestructible Yellow-Black Body, not to mention Yang Jian, the Monkey, the three Kongsang brothers, and the numerous generals skilled in body cultivation among the Thirty-Three Heaven Generals who had their souls reformed later—there were no fewer than a thousand such individuals. Over the centuries, these individuals had shared their most proficient techniques without reservation, merging them into a unified whole. How much had Ru Hua absorbed from this exchange?

In close-quarters combat, strength determines the victor. The Golden-Maned Hou's bones erupted with a series of terrifying explosive sounds. Each sound resembled a small asteroid detonating, causing even the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits to vibrate. In the end, he spat blood from all seven of his orifices. Beaten senseless by Ru Hua’s flurry of unarmed strikes, his internal organs were shattered, and he flew backward, vomiting blood.

Just as he retreated several dozen zhang, a strand of Yin energy Ru Hua had driven deep into the Golden-Maned Hou’s body suddenly erupted. Pale green Corpse Flame spewed from every pore of the Hou’s body. In the blink of an eye, his physical form—a body of Grand Unity Golden Immortal caliber tempered over a thousand trials—was burned until the skin cracked and peeled, billowing black smoke that emitted a pungent smell of scorching flesh.

A Demon Immortal seated right next to the Golden-Maned Hou roared in anger, suddenly opening his mouth and spraying a patch of foul-smelling yellow dust toward Gu Xechen’s group. This Demon Immortal’s true form was a rare Patterned Viper. The yellow dust was his innate poison, refined by swallowing the essence of Wutu (Earth metal) and fusing it with his own inner elixir—the "Thick Earth Poison Sand," specifically designed to corrupt physical bodies and pollute primordial spirits.

As the yellow sand spread, the entire hall was filled with a noxious stench. Many nearby immortals’ faces twisted in horror, and they hurriedly activated the protective artifacts surrounding their bodies. This viper's poison sand was infamous throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; even ordinary Great Overarching Golden Immortals dared not let it approach, fearing contamination of their own Dharmic bodies, which would force them to waste years painfully re-tempering their forms.

Gu Xechen threw his head back and laughed aloud. From beneath his unbound, flowing hair, Huo Wu—looking dazed and sparrow-like—crawled out. It opened its small mouth, spewing a dazzling, golden stream of the Sun Crow Heavenly Fire. This intense fire instantly incinerated all the pervasive sand, though the pungent, fishy odor lingered. Not a single grain of sand managed to approach the table occupied by Gu Xechen’s party.

With a cold snort, Gu Xechen casually beckoned toward the Patterned Viper with his right hand. A treasure pearl, the size of a human head and uniformly deep yellow, flew from his grasp. Instantly, the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits filled with a dense aroma of realgar, and countless shafts of yellow light bathed the Patterned Viper entirely.

This yellow pearl was the "Heavenly Yellow Pearl," refined by Daoist Chen less than a century ago, using a piece of ten-thousand-year-old Realgar Essence occasionally found by the Heaven Artifact Sect, following the methods detailed in the Heavenly Artifact Collection. It specialized in counteracting all venomous insects.

Stimulated by the pure Yang energy formed from the fusion of ten-thousand-year Realgar and the Nine Heavens Profound Yang Fire, the Patterned Viper’s pores instantly contracted. It trembled violently and collapsed onto the ground. Thick, sticky yellow foam slowly oozed from its mouth; it was clearly on the verge of death, far from recovery. The marvelous principle of mutual limitation in the cosmos was evident; even a being who had achieved the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm could not withstand a single strike from a naturally antagonistic entity.

Staring coldly at the Patterned Viper writhing in the yellow light, Gu Xechen was about to unleash a streak of sword light to execute it when a melodious celestial music suddenly resonated through the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits, accompanied by auspicious light and auspicious energy swirling up from the ground. Luo Heavenly Venerable, seated on his Cloud Platform, waved his sleeve, cutting off the yellow light emanating from the Heavenly Yellow Pearl, and stated calmly, "The auspicious time has arrived. The Grand Assembly of Immortals officially begins... Elder Evil Dragon, spare his life!" With a slight smile, Gu Xechen nodded to the Luo Heavenly Venerable and casually recalled the Heavenly Yellow Pearl.

He shot a cold look at the stunned Demon Immortals, then slowly settled back into his seat. He picked up the wine jug before him, poured himself a cup, and leisurely savored the fine wines and rare spirits of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

The Great Overarching Golden Immortals each spared a glance for Gu Xechen before quickly diverting their gaze.

These Heavenly Venerables and Demon Ancestors understood their tasks perfectly clearly: although Gu Xechen’s group possessed cultivation only at the level of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Wind/Water/Fire/Earth realm, their techniques were unique, and their artifacts were immensely powerful. Within the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, none could match them. Even an initial-rank Great Overarching Golden Immortal would likely suffer humiliation when facing them; perhaps only a second-rank Great Overarching Golden Immortal could fully suppress them.

The Luo Palace had recruited some truly formidable enforcers! Every Great Overarching Golden Immortal felt a heavy weight in their heart, a sickening feeling akin to having swallowed a mouthful of frozen flies. How could this be happening?

Luo Heavenly Venerable was certainly reveling in his good fortune. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths operated under established unspoken rules: Great Overarching Golden Immortals generally could not act wantonly. The main combatants in inter-faction competition were the Grand Unity Golden Immortals. The Luo Palace suddenly gaining this cohort of Grand Unity Golden Immortals gave them a subtle, strategic advantage.

Excellent, truly excellent! Luo Heavenly Venerable looked at Gu Xechen’s group with approval. Their ruthlessness and lack of mercy in combat were matched only by the profundity of their cultivation. For a considerable time to come, the Luo Palace would completely dominate the other factions at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level.

The Great Overarching Golden Immortals present suppressed their complex thoughts. One of them, dressed in golden robes and possessing the faint bearing of a mortal emperor, spoke in a deep voice: "Enough small talk. Today, we discuss serious matters. Our descent into the mortal realm—the reason for our presence is known to all esteemed Immortal Friends. Here is the complete map of the mortal realm’s 'Primordial Star Map'; we request all Immortal Friends to examine it!"

A fist-sized black treasure pearl emerged, spitting forth starlight as brilliant as rosy clouds. This light instantly enveloped the entire Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits.

Innumerable stars shimmered, and in a blink, a colossal Star Map appeared before everyone. This map was ovoid in shape, speckled with countless tiny points of starlight, each point representing millions of star domains. On this map, which spanned the entire hundred-li expanse of the Hall, the territory occupied by the Star Alliance was merely the size of a grain of sesame seed.

All cultivators originating from the mortal realm gasped in unison. So vast was the so-called Primordial Star Map of the mortal realm!

Gu Xechen nodded inwardly. This was correct; the mortal realm was inherently this immense, a fact recorded in the memories of the True Lord of Taiyin. However, within this vast territory of the mortal realm, aside from a few specific star domains, most regions remained as uncultivated, primordial ground, retaining various ancient characteristics.

Luo Heavenly Venerable spoke with a hearty laugh: "According to the rules we agreed upon previously, we request the Immortal Friends from the Lower Realms to report the size of the territories you currently occupy. We shall then divide the scope of the mortal realm we claim based on the proportional size of these holdings."

Glancing around triumphantly, Luo Heavenly Venerable chuckled, "Why don’t we, the Luo Palace, offer a paving stone to attract jade, and register first!"

He clapped his hands lightly, and among the cultivators seated below, three cultivators at the Second-Rank Celestial Immortal level happily stood up. They flew respectfully on clouds toward the Cloud Platforms. After bowing deeply to all the Great Overarching Golden Immortals, they loudly announced their affiliations.

These three Celestial Immortals were the candidates chosen by the Luo Palace in the Lower Realms. They were the three sect masters of the Purple Cloud Dao, the second-ranked major faction within the Cultivator Alliance. Currently, the Purple Cloud Dao controlled the territory of the Charlotte Empire—one of the twenty-six six-star civilizations that once comprised the Star Alliance—and they also held sway over dozens of neighboring civilizations, both large and small.

Luo Heavenly Venerable nodded happily, immediately announcing that he accepted these three Celestial Immortals as his registered disciples, bestowing upon them several top-grade immortal artifacts of superb quality and a large quantity of immortal pills. The three masters of the Purple Cloud Dao returned to their seats with beaming smiles, their spines held rigidly straight, looking around with an air of power and dominance toward the surrounding immortals. Gu Xechen turned his head and looked toward those few Golden Immortals who had signaled him earlier.

The Golden Immortals nodded simultaneously and flew toward Gu Xechen’s position. Gu Xechen smiled warmly as he gathered with these Golden Immortals, and together they approached the Cloud Platforms. When they reported the area of the territory they currently controlled, the expressions of the Great Overarching Golden Immortals present suddenly shifted dramatically.

The Great Overarching Golden Immortals had prepared themselves mentally for the territories controlled by those few Golden Immortals; given their supreme cultivation in the mortal realm, it was predictable that they would control large star fields. However, Gu Xechen had not only claimed the Spiral Star Domain and a large adjacent expanse of the cosmos for himself but had also brought the majority of the Yanlong Empire and the Viking Empire under his dominion. This made the immortals other than Luo Heavenly Venerable look distinctly displeased.

The Great Overarching Golden Immortal dressed as an emperor, the one who had summoned the Primordial Star Map, smiled dryly at Luo Heavenly Venerable, "Luo Heavenly Venerable, your Luo Palace has excellent luck!"

Luo Heavenly Venerable merely smiled with measured reserve, nodding slowly. He announced that he accepted those few Golden Immortals as his official disciples, rewarding them with immortal artifacts and pills far surpassing those given to the three Celestial Immortals earlier. As for Gu Xechen, who had become a Protector of the Luo Palace, Luo Heavenly Venerable solemnly presented him with a Dao Scripture.

Gu Xechen outwardly pretended to be overjoyed and thanked Luo Heavenly Venerable profusely, though in truth, he held little regard for the scripture. He then returned to his original seat.

Groups of immortals continuously stepped forward to report the scope of their controlled regions. Finally, all the Great Overarching Golden Immortals arrived at a consensus regarding the size of the portion of the mortal realm’s Primordial Starry Sky they were entitled to claim.

Without question, Luo Heavenly Venerable received territory approximately ten times the size claimed by the second-ranked demonic faction, the Li Spirit Heavenly Palace. Following the predetermined rules, Luo Heavenly Venerable was granted the first right to demarcate his faction’s sphere of influence on the Primordial Star Map.

With a hearty chuckle, the Celestial Venerable Yuan Luo inclined his head to the various overlords present, then, with a subtle wave of his finger, he delineated a vast expanse of stellar territory, centered almost entirely on Earth and encompassing the former Stellar Alliance, marked off by a streak of divine light. This stellar domain accounted for nearly one-thirtieth of the entire Primordial Star Chart’s volume. The moment this region was carved out, the eyes of every Great Luo Golden Immortal flared with envy and rage.

The Celestial Venerable Yuan Luo slightly tilted his chin, gazing upon the faintly luminous star-region he had demarcated, offering a subtle, reserved nod of approval.

“Excellent. I urge all fellow Immortals to quickly claim your respective territories and dispatch your disciples to take command.”

The Patriarch of the Li Ling Heavenly Palace, the Ancestor Demon Li Ling, glared furiously, his twin eyes glowing green, as he angrily ringed off a section of stars immediately adjacent to the Yuan Luo Palace’s domain before dissolving instantly within a billowing cloud of emerald mist.

The other Great Luo Golden Immortals followed suit, each seizing a portion of space before vanishing. In the blink of an eye, the Great Luo Golden Immortals had completely emptied the great hall. They were unwilling to endure the smug visage of the Celestial Venerable Yuan Luo, or perhaps they harbored other private machinations, thus leading to their early departure.

Only when the very last stellar sector on the Star Chart had been claimed did the Celestial Venerable Yuan Luo cast a questioning gaze toward Gu Xiechen.

Gu Xiechen understood the meaning held within the Celestial Venerable’s look: Where will you go? Shall I dispatch escorts?

Gu Xiechen smiled, shaking his head slightly, indicating he had his own plans.

The Celestial Venerable Yuan Luo paused for a fleeting moment, offered Gu Xiechen a warm smile, and then vanished without a trace within a cascade of golden radiance.

Gu Xiechen let out a faint, knowing smile, gave a meaningful look to Ruhua and the others, and the entire group rose, making their way out of the Hall of Myriad Spirits.

Numerous Demon Immortals stared openly at the backs of the departing group, their gazes churning with undisguised murderous intent.