Gū Wūchén gazed at the cloud-shrouded Yúnhuá Mountain, the picturesque, pristine landscape of Wò'ěr Star, and the familiar star-strewn expanse surrounding him, a pang of reluctance hitting him. After all, this had been his base of operations for hundreds of years, and now he had to abandon it.

But there was no choice. He had severely underestimated the destructive power of those immortals. If he didn't lure them away, the Spiral Star Domain would be ruined.

Gū Xiéchén had never imagined that a Great Overarching Golden Immortal of Lán Míng Tiānzūn's stature could actually trigger such a radical shift in the spiritual energy of the entire Spiral Star Domain's heavens and earth. The heavy losses suffered by the citizens of the Yǎfēikè Empire this time—he bore some responsibility for that.

He had already reached an exchange agreement with Yǎnluó Shǎozūn: Gū Xiéchén would trade intelligence concerning an ancient ruin for Yǎnluó Shǎozūn's help in constructing a Domain Transference Array between his future new abode and the Spiral Star Domain. This way, even though he was moving, it would be as if he hadn't left the Spiral Star Domain at all.

More importantly, moving to a new home provided Gū Xiéchén with an excellent, perfect excuse.

He already possessed the Lídì Yànguāng Qí and the Sùsè Yúnjiè Qí. He had also reclaimed the Xuányuán Kòngshuǐ Qì from Gū Guóhuá and retrieved the Qīnglián Bǎosè Qí from Dàoist Wǒchén. Of course, he had also gifted the other two powerful, brand-new Innate Supreme Treasures for their protection. Following that, he sought out Dàoist Zhèngyī.

Deep within Yúnhuá Mountain, Dàoist Zhèngyī was studying the Dao arts with True Man Bái Shuǐ. True Man Bái Shuǐ, having obtained the physical body of that Innate Great Sage, had managed to glean many profound mysteries from the trace amounts of the Heavenly Dao rules of that alien new universe still lingering within the remains. He was now imparting these insights bit by bit to his disciple, striving to advance Dàoist Zhèngyī’s Dao techniques.

With True Man Bái Shuǐ's current cultivation, he possessed the capacity to propel his disciple to the realm of a Great Overarching Golden Immortal; all that was lacking was the complete fusion of his own spirit soul with his current physical body. Such profound and subtle cultivation meant that making Dàoist Zhèngyī achieve comprehension in a short time was beyond his immediate reach. All he could do was focus intently on Dàoist Zhèngyī, seizing every second to transmit his hard-won insights into the Great Dao.

When Gū Wūchén arrived, True Man Bái Shuǐ was demonstrating a Dao technique, one of an exceedingly subtle and profound nature.

Barehanded, he pinched a bit of mud from the ground, then with a backward sweep, conjured a patch of moist, fertile soil. A small green seed took root in the soil, and in barely two or three breaths, it had grown into a massive tree a thousand zhang tall. A gentle breeze rose from nowhere, blowing down leaf after leaf. Before long, the once lush and leafy tree was reduced to a smooth, bare, cyan trunk.

Seeing Gū Wūchén descend gracefully from the cloud mass, True Man Bái Shuǐ, seated atop the pinnacle of the brush-like peak, nodded and smiled. He pointed a finger at the tree trunk before him; the trunk instantly shattered, revealing a green crystal block several zhang in diameter at its core.

A petite, delicate Green Luan was curled up quietly within the crystal block. With a sharp cry from True Man Bái Shuǐ, he swiftly executed a series of hand seals and struck the green crystal. The block instantly dissolved into a large puff of green mist that merged into the Green Luan's body.

Accompanied by a soft chirp, the Green Luan, only a little over two feet long, opened its bright eyes and gently rubbed its neck against True Man Bái Shuǐ’s palm. Flapping its wings forcefully a few times, the Green Luan soared into the sky, leaving behind a trail of green wind and shadow. A deep thunder sounded as its feathers moved, and large swathes of cyan lightning constantly fell from its form. “What a marvelous spirit bird,” Gū Wūchén praised from his distended belly, then fixed his gaze on True Man Bái Shuǐ and asked with a smile, “Martial Uncle’s great divine power—has it reached the capacity for creation?”

Dàoist Zhèngyī started in shock and looked toward True Man Bái Shuǐ with intense fervor. The capacity for creation—what was creation? Nüwa creating humanity was creation! If a great divine practitioner possessed the ability to create, they were already an existence on the level of the Primordial Chaos, qualified to open their own void and establish themselves as a Patriarchal Master. True Man Bái Shuǐ conjuring a Green Luan out of thin air already held the shadow of creation. He shook his head and self-deprecatingly remarked, “It’s merely a minor art, not true creative capacity.”

After a moment of hesitation, True Man Bái Shuǐ said calmly, “It is merely the innate divine ability carried by this physical body. The universe they originate from is far vaster than the one we were born into, and its Heavenly Dao rules are more… advanced! Creation is quite common there.”

“I see!” Gū Wūchén bowed deeply to True Man Bái Shuǐ, looking at him with great envy and sighing, “Martial Uncle now possesses a rare, great power. Um, Martial Nephew has come this time to discuss a matter with Dàoist Zhèngyī.”

Dàoist Zhèngyī blinked in surprise and quickly laughed, “Martial Brother, what important business requires my attention? As long as Zhèngyī can be of use, Zhèngyī will surely comply with any request!”

“How infuriating!” Gū Wūchén laughed. He summoned a cloud of water to float before him, then placed three offensive Innate Supreme Treasures upon the water cloud, followed by an Yùnshí Jiǎn.

The three Innate Supreme Treasures were: a pagoda inlaid with seven jewels on seven-colored glaze; a great cauldron adorned with coiled dragons on its four sides; and a bell entirely jet black yet emitting a faint white light, devoid of any decorative patterns. All three treasures were derived from the remains of three Innate Great Sages from the alien new universe, painstakingly refined by Gū Xiéchén from the artifacts seized from the Kunlun Immortals, with their essential life spirits infused into them, making their power immense.

“These three Innate Supreme Treasures, Xiéchén found them inadvertently in the Northern Extreme of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. The Yùnshí Jiǎn contains the secret chapter on the Three Pure Ones’ method of severing the corpse to attain sainthood—the supreme technique for the Three Pure Ones to achieve sainthood. This treasure, too, Xiéchén acquired by chance.”

Gū Xiéchén ignored Dàoist Zhèngyī and walked towards True Man Bái Shuǐ, stating, “Martial Nephew intends to move Yúnhuá Mountain out of the Spiral Star Domain. Martial Uncle has already seen it: those immortals from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are fiercely aggressive. Without the protection of supreme formations and treasures, Yúnhuá Mountain is vulnerable.”

True Man Bái Shuǐ pondered for a moment, then patted his knee and asked with a smile, “Wūchén has already found the Sùsè Yúnjiè Qí and the Lídì Yànguāng Qí?”

Gū Xiéchén nodded without hesitation and smiled, “Indeed! That’s why Xiéchén wants to gather the Five Directions and Five Colors Flags together to see what changes might arise.”

“Is that so?” True Man Bái Shuǐ’s gaze swept over the three supreme treasures and the Yùnshí Jiǎn containing the path to sainthood of the Three Pure Ones. Finally, he let out a long sigh, “In the future, the lineage of Jiǔ Yōu, Kūnlún, and Zhōngnán will rely on you, Wūchén, to uphold their standing. Zhèngyī is too rigid, and Zhǎngxiào [referring to another figure] is too fickle and unrestrained. Only you, Xiéchén, possess the majesty of a sect master yet possess the necessary ruthlessness.”

He beckoned towards Dàoist Zhèngyī with his hand, and a small apricot-yellow flag floated out. True Man Bái Shuǐ casually handed the Apricot-Yellow Flag to Gū Xiéchén. With a sweep of his great sleeve over the water cloud, he collected the three supreme treasures and the corpse-severing secret technique.

Gū Xiéchén thanked True Man Bái Shuǐ and turned to leave, but True Man Bái Shuǐ suddenly asked with a smile, “Xiéchén, where has that old zombie been hiding lately?”

Gū Wūchén snapped back to attention and chuckled, replying to True Man Bái Shuǐ, “He is in the underground secret vault beneath the Northern Extreme of Dòngyuán Huà Yìng Shēngtiān. The yin energy at the earth's core is dense there, which is the best cultivation spot for Martial Master. That is why Martial Master remains there.”

Nodding in realization, True Man Bái Shuǐ waited until Gū Xiéchén was far away before frowning, tilting his head, and pondering for a long time before muttering to himself, “Earth's core—yin energy? It doesn't feel quite similar, hmm... Was that previous place one of the array spaces within the Ten Absolute Formations?” After deep contemplation, True Man Bái Shuǐ took out the items he had just exchanged with Gū Wūchén.

The three Innate Supreme Treasures were certainly good, but they were all offensive Innate Supreme Treasures, which made the exchange slightly imperfect. As for the secret technique of the Three Pure Ones severing the corpse for sainthood, that was genuinely invaluable; nothing in the world could surpass it in preciousness.

All things considered, one’s own cultivation is more important than anything else. The secret technique of the Three Pure Ones for severing the corpse and attaining sainthood—what more needs to be said?

Rubbing the Luòshí Jiǎn vigorously, True Man Bái Shuǐ laughed happily. Gū Wūchén was still the Gū Xiéchén of the past; things that others would hoard jealously, he would hand over without a second thought to share. Trading three offensive Innate Supreme Treasures for the Wùtǔ Xìnghuáng Qí must have been a desperate measure.

Gū Xiéchén flew far away on his cloud, then clutched the Wùtǔ Xìnghuáng Qí, looking at a patch of floating cloud on the horizon and laughing, “My life is important; Martial Uncle cannot blame me.”

Stroking the Apricot-Yellow Flag, Gū Xiéchén took a deep breath. True Man Bái Shuǐ possessed the physical body of an Innate Great Sage from an outer-domain new universe, and he had comprehended the Heavenly Dao rules from that universe, causing his own magical power to be tainted with the aura of that new universe. Heh heh, cultivating the Three Pure Ones’ corpse-severing art using magical power and divine abilities from an outer domain was akin to trying to make shredded pork from a plate of roast beef—the difficulty of that endeavor was self-evident.

“The orthodox Kunlun lineage, indeed!” Summoning the Pangu Banner and holding it, Gū Xiéchén stayed in a daze for a moment. Then he looked in the direction of the secluded cave where Dàoist Xiǎo Zhāng and True Man Hán Hè were cultivating: “The direct lineage of Zhongnan, alas!” Gū Wūchén sighed, drove his cloud, and soared away.

The next morning, like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, the four members of the Chìyuè Shénjūn family from the Yǎfēikè Empire, putting on airs, charged into the dining hall of their guesthouse for a meal. Dressed in extremely ancient-looking traditional noble attire of the Yǎfēikè Empire, Chìyuè, Qīngyáng, Bái Shuǐ, and the young man Tiānyuán sat formally around the dining table, tasting the spiritually impoverished food and drink provided by the restaurant with little enjoyment.

The four individuals, with their eight eyes darting around like thieves, had already received news of Gū Wūchén’s fierce slaying of Lán Míng Tiānzūn.

They were deeply apprehensive about this. If Gū Xiéchén were merely a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, killing him stealthily would leave no evidence for anyone to seize. But if Gū Xiéchén also possessed the cultivation of a Great Overarching Golden Immortal, matters would become far more tricky and troublesome.

“No matter what, the hatred for the annihilation of the Dàlóu Mountain lineage must be avenged.” The pure silver steak knife cut fiercely into the rare, blood-oozing steak on his plate, and Chìyuè Shénjūn gritted his teeth and hummed low. He cursed inwardly: why were the consumption habits of these mortals in the lower realm so strange? The meat they ate was still bleeding—wasn't that the behavior of ancient savages who ate raw?

Young Tiānyuán picked up a trembling, soft-boiled white egg, and with a strange expression, swallowed the egg, which only had a thin layer of coagulation on the shell while the inside was still runny liquid. Frowning as the fishy egg liquid slowly slid down his esophagus, Tiānyuán kept shaking his head. “If Yǎnluó Shǎozūn weren't here, we would just storm the place. That woman, that woman—this child must have her.”

Tiānyuán still harbored an obsession with Fúyā Míng. Her ethereal and transcendent face made his body burn hot whenever he thought of her, and even his immortal power showed signs of boiling.

A neatly dressed waiter approached with robot-like strides, carrying a large jar of inferior, blood-tainted wine, and poured a full serving for each of the four before them—a scarlet liquid whose stench was overpowering. With a standard, stiff smile, the waiter quietly introduced this as a precious specialty of the Yǎfēikè Empire, Lizard Blood Wine, renowned for nourishing vitality, brewed especially for the four honored guests.

Chìyuè, Qīngyáng, Bái Shuǐ, and Tiānyuán’s faces stiffened. They stared blankly at the scarlet liquid before them, finally sealing off all their senses and forcing the wine down.

Yǎnluó Shǎozūn was still on Yúnhuá Mountain; with his cultivation, every movement in the entire Spiral Star Domain was within his divine sense’s perception. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to disturb Yǎnluó Shǎozūn. To secretly assassinate Gū Xiéchén and abduct Fúyā Míng—only then could they vent the malice in their hearts.

As they were plotting sinister designs against Gū Wūchén, dozens of massive light screens suddenly lit up simultaneously on the walls of the restaurant. Gū Xiéchén, clad in a Daoist robe, appeared in the screens. He smiled gently and spoke words that nearly made Chìyuè Shénjūn and the others vomit blood. “Esteemed Immortal Friends have traveled a great distance from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. The Wūlóng Sect’s hospitality has been lacking; we have been remiss in our duties.”

“Heaven cherishes life. Given the cultivation of your Daoist Friends, if you were to unleash your power in the Spiral Star Domain, the common people here would suffer greatly.”

“This Venerable One is most compassionate. The Evil Dragon Sect has lived in seclusion here for countless years, unwilling to let the common people here suffer entanglement because of us. Therefore, our sect has decided to move Yúnhuá Mountain entirely out of the Spiral Star Domain. Immortal friends who have hidden here have had a difficult time. If you seek our displeasure, feel free to come to our new abode…”

With a soft sound, the hotel where Chìyuè and the others were staying vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a clean, dust-free patch of flat ground. Of course, the thousands of cloned waiters and guests inside the establishment also disappeared.

Four streams of immortal light shot straight into the sky. Chìyuè and the others, gnashing their teeth, bolted towards Wò'ěr Star.

But they were too late. By the time they arrived, Wò'ěr Star was already completely empty, not even a strand of hair remaining. The billions of settlers from the Earth Federation had scattered throughout the Spiral Star Domain. Where Yúnhuá Mountain once stood, only a level, flat expanse remained. Tiānyuán Shàonán roared in anger and destroyed Wò'ěr Star with a single strike.

The four of them looked at each other with wide, vexed eyes. True Monarch Bái Shuǐ’s eyes caught a glimmer of golden light left behind where Wò'ěr Star had shattered—a spot about the size of a human head. They rushed over and grasped the golden light. A star map appeared in their sea of consciousness—this was the direction of Gū Xiéchén’s new abode, left for those who were perceptive enough.

After cursing fiercely through gritted teeth, the group of four from the Three Divine Palaces rushed toward the direction marked by Gū Wūchén.

Fortunately, the four from the Three Divine Palaces had traveled far enough away. Only then did the Purple-Eyed Vulture King condescend to arrive at the site of the destroyed Wò'ěr Star, leading a troop of elite immortals.

He let out a few cold laughs and murmured to himself, “Moved house? They were quite quick, but it was expected. Otherwise, the base he had managed for so many years would truly have been ruined along with it.”

His deep purple eyes swept around a few times. The Purple-Eyed Vulture King commanded in a low voice, “My children, let’s go! Let those fools from the Three Divine Palaces take the lead. Whoever dares to humiliate this King in such a manner shall surely die.”

The host of Demon Immortals rode the dark, eerie demonic clouds far away. Then, the immortals from Xiǎo Qīngtiān Xuánláng Palace clustered around an elderly immortal who stood barely three feet tall, possessing a large, bald head like the legendary God of Longevity, with not a single hair remaining on his forehead.

This short, elderly immortal reached out and touched the golden light left by Gū Wūchén, suddenly laughing, “Moving house to escape disaster, yet leaving behind the location of his new entrance? This child is interesting, very interesting. However, having killed my eldest grandson and seized the supreme treasure of the Grand Unity Earth Mother—he cannot escape so easily!”

Taking a deep breath, the old immortal said to the disciples beside him, “Fortunately, our Xuánláng Palace has deep ancestral roots, and we possess quite a few ancient texts. Otherwise, we truly wouldn't know the origin of this Grand Unity Earth Mother. How can the residue left by a Primordial Chaos powerhouse be given to others?”

Waving his cyan jade staff heavily, the old immortal spoke in a low, forceful voice, “Follow those demonic brats and see what they do. Hmph, why have the three Palace Masters of the Three Divine Palaces and that little Purple-Eyed bird become subordinates to someone else again?” Accompanied by a string of cold sneers, the group of immortals headed straight for Gū Xiéchén’s new abode.

Long after this group of immortals departed, a scattering of immortals with low cultivation but extremely profound escape techniques and high flight speed arrived at the original location of Wò'ěr Star. These immortals also investigated the address left by Gū Wūchén, then hastily sent out several messages before closely trailing the preceding groups.

Immortals came and went. Everything was clearly observed by the reconnaissance satellites densely deployed near Wò'ěr Star. The immortals, however, were unaware that the mortals in the lower realm also possessed such instruments capable of scrutinizing reality from trillions of miles away. They were unknowingly mapped by Gū Wūchén, and their foundations laid bare.

Looking at the images transmitted from the real-time communication system in his hand, Yǎnluó Shǎozūn asked Gū Xiéchén with surprise, “Are all these people the Elder’s enemies?”

Gū Xiéchén gave Yǎnluó Shǎozūn a deep look: “They are not only this Venerable One’s enemies but also the Heavenly Venerable’s enemies.”

A chilling, murderous glint immediately flashed in Yǎnluó Shǎozūn’s eyes. He nodded as if he suddenly understood everything.

This location was on the border of the Viking Empire, which, according to the spheres of influence divided by the major powers of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, was under the jurisdiction of the Yuánluó Palace. The ancient battlefield entrance where Gū Xiéchén was once trapped after infiltrating the Demonic Mountain Lóngèn was where he chose to establish his new abode.

Currently, Gū Guóhuá and the others were installing Yúnhuá Mountain on that planet and enveloping the entire world with a grand array.

With the assistance of the Immortal Cultivators from the Battle Immortal Academy of the Yuánluó Palace, this task became remarkably easy.

Yǎnluó Shǎozūn looked at the planet before him in confusion. There was nothing remarkable about it—the spiritual energy was insufficient, the subterranean spirit veins were mediocre, and its material wealth was even more barren. In his view, this was simply a trash planet, incomparable to the blessed lands of the Nine Heavens.

“Why did the Elder choose to settle his abode here?” Yǎnluó Shǎozūn asked in surprise. “If the Elder needs a new dwelling, the Yuánluó Palace has several famous mountains and grand rivers available for the Elder to choose from.”

Gū Xiéchén gazed at Yǎnluó Shǎozūn with feigned solemnity, and after a long while, he nodded: “In the future, not only will this Venerable One’s abode be established here, but your residence, Shǎozūn, will likely need to be here as well.”

Before Yǎnluó Shǎozūn could ask, Gū Xiéchén leaned in conspiratorially and whispered into his ear, “The entrance to the ancient ruin where the Heavenly Venerable is in seclusion lies right at the core of this planet.”

Yǎnluó Shǎozūn’s expression shifted, followed by an explosion of ecstasy. His gaze toward Gū Wūchén now held greater affection.

Gū Xiéchén smiled: “Once this Venerable One’s abode is properly settled, I will naturally take Shǎozūn inside for a look. However, due to the Heavenly Venerable’s command, that area where he is in seclusion cannot be approached by Shǎozūn.”

He paused, then looked at Yǎnluó Shǎozūn with a peculiar light in his eyes and remarked emotionally, “The Heavenly Venerable entrusted the Battle Immortal Academy to you, Shǎozūn. I presume you will be in charge of the Yuánluó Palace in the future. I will surely have many things to rely on you for in the time to come!”

Yǎnluó Shǎozūn nodded forcefully. He grasped Gū Wūchén’s hand and declared loudly, “From this day forward, the Elder’s business is my business.”

Gū Xiéchén and Yǎnluó Shǎozūn exchanged smiles, seeming deeply united in their understanding.

Suddenly, a beam of cyan light shot out from a distance, narrowly grazing Yǎnluó Shǎozūn’s cloud chariot. With a crisp shattering sound, the protective restrictions of Yǎnluó Shǎozūn’s chariot were completely pierced...