Gu Xichen stood upon the ruins of the ancient Yafike Imperial Palace, his face grim, gazing out at the endless expanse of the "Biluo Bamboo."

The Biluo Bamboo was a rare spirit weed, shaped like the long screw shells found in the sea, thick as a man's fist and three feet tall. It was prime material for refining wood-attribute Immortal Artifacts. Furthermore, the Biluo Spirit Liquid, secreted only once every hundred years, was a superior component for compounding elixirs, tempering the Immortal Body, and even preparing spirit ink for drawing Immortal Charms.

Both the Biluo Bamboo and its Spirit Liquid were highly sought-after commodities across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. However, the growing conditions for Biluo Bamboo were brutally harsh; it absorbed the spiritual energy of the earth veins with a destructive, predatory hunger. No matter how abundant the terrestrial aura of a famous mountain or great river, planting too much Biluo Bamboo would turn the area into a desert within a million years at most.

Consequently, the cultivation of Biluo Bamboo was strictly limited across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. No Immortal dared risk the destruction of their own blessed cave-dwelling for mass production, causing the price of Biluo Bamboo to climb relentlessly. Eventually, the cost of a single pound of Biluo Spirit Liquid reached a level that could bankrupt an ordinary Golden Immortal.

And yet, the Yafike Imperial Capital Star before him was entirely planted with Biluo Bamboo.

Not a single blade of grass or tree remained; the entire planet was covered in it. Gu Xichen could even sense the spiritual veins beneath the Yafike Imperial Capital Star wailing, weeping in agony. Spiritual veins possessed a form of sentience, nearly akin to living beings, yet the Biluo Bamboo was madly draining their power without granting them any time to rest and recover their vital essence. The earth veins of Yafike were approaching collapse.

As far as the eye could see, vast stretches of desert had already appeared. If this unrestrained planting of Biluo Bamboo did not cease, in another thousand years at most, the once lush and scenic Yafike Imperial Capital Star would devolve into a completely dead world.

Chaotic spiritual light flashed in his eyes, and a hazy plume of greyish air shot out from above his head. A faint, shadowy figure carrying the Chaos Bell flew out from his body. Dong, dong, dong. With three resonant chimes, every Biluo Bamboo stalk on the Yafike Imperial Capital Star, including the roots beneath the soil, rose into the air and rushed headlong into the Chaos Bell.

The Chaos Bell instantly pulverized all the Biluo Bamboo, reducing it back to its most primal form: chaotic spiritual energy. This energy was then sprayed forth as fine, wispy spiritual rain. In the blink of an eye, lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky above the Yafike Imperial Capital Star. Rains, rich with spiritual energy, poured down, thoroughly cleansing the planet that had suffered torment for the past ten millennia.

An elder, his hair and beard stark white, accompanied by dozens of elders whose forms were warped by extreme age, knelt behind Gu Xichen. They gazed with tear-streaked faces at the uprooted Biluo Bamboo. These were the former ministers of the Yafike Empire from ten thousand years ago. Relying on the advanced bio-technology their empire had evolved, they had managed to survive until this day by utilizing residual batches of gene repair fluid.

These old retainers had never left the Yafike Imperial Capital Star, even after all their kinsmen were forcibly conscripted as slaves to cultivate the Biluo Bamboo. They had remained, guarding the place with their clansmen, holding onto the stubborn belief that either Fu Yaming or Gu Xichen would eventually return.

For this was the Imperial Capital of the Yafike Empire, the root of Fu Yaming, the birthplace of the Yafike Dynasty.

"Your loyalty is unyielding; I shall not fail you!"

Gu Xichen flicked his finger, sending streams of the purest chaotic spiritual energy into the bodies of these old ministers. This rapidly replenished their lifespan, which was almost entirely depleted, filling them with vibrant life force. In the span of a mere quarter-hour, they stabilized their foundations, regressed to their prime, and their physiques were forcibly reverted to their middle-aged, vigorous states.

Spiritual light shimmered in his Reincarnation Dharma Eyes, which completely absorbed the death aura enveloping the old ministers.

He extended a hand to gently help them rise. Gu Xichen signaled to Aredia, the only woman among those present and the one with the kindest appearance, to lead the old ministers aside. The sight of these loyal subjects weeping uncontrollably was not conducive to the task ahead—rebuilding the order of the Yafike Empire required their assistance.

The death aura extracted from them represented the final moments before a soul’s severance from life and entry into reincarnation. Turning over this dense mass of black energy in his hand, Gu Xichen smiled coldly and nodded toward the nearly a thousand Immortals kneeling on the other side of him.

"You have gall! On my territory, you engage in the mass cultivation of Biluo Bamboo for profit. You truly have gall!"

Gu Xichen’s smile was ferocious, his face contorted. With all the Biluo Bamboo eradicated, the Yafike Imperial Capital Star, shrouded in heavy rain, was truly a vast expanse of white—clean to the point of sterility, resembling a ghost realm. And the culprits for this devastation were the nearly one thousand Immortals of the so-called "Spirit Wood Sect" kneeling before him.

When the Immortals carved up Yafike long ago, the Immortals of the Spirit Wood Sect coveted the abundant spiritual energy beneath the Imperial Capital and paid a hefty price to acquire the land for exclusive Biluo Bamboo cultivation and profit.

It wasn't just the Yafike Capital; most planets in the Spiral Star Domain were like this. The Spirit Wood Sect and several other sects bought ownership of these worlds solely to cultivate various spirit woods and herbs that could destroy the environment of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, or to raise exotic beasts and birds whose toxic fumes or potent auras would render blessed lands filthy and chaotic.

Over ten thousand years, the original territory of the Yafike Empire had been brought to ruin. Yet, because this region continuously yielded rare and precious specialties, the Spiral Star Domain had become the largest free trade zone for Immortals from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths operating in the mortal realm.

As for the original citizens of the Yafike Empire? Ruled by Immortals from the higher realms, what good fortune could beings as insignificant as ants expect? The lucky ones served as slaves, cultivating spirit wood or raising spirit beasts for these Immortals; the unlucky ones had vanished without a trace.

Now, with Gu Xichen’s return to the Spiral Star Domain, sweeping through and destroying everything in his path, the nearly one thousand Immortals of the Spirit Wood Sect kneeling before him were the very last survivors in the vast domain; all others had already been ruthlessly slaughtered by his hand. Clasping the ball of death aura, a spiritual light flickered in Gu Xichen’s eyes, and a vortex of primordial energy erupted, slamming into the bodies of the kneeling Immortals. In an instant, these Immortals withered and decayed rapidly, just like ordinary mortals. Their skin wrinkled swiftly, and their jet-black hair turned white in a rush. In the time it took to blink, these Immortals, whose lifespans were once infinite, had lived out their entire existence and quickly dissolved into piles of dry bones.

With the cultivation base of early-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, the power of the Reincarnation Dharma Eyes had become even more terrifying.

He stepped forward, shattering the skull left behind by the Spirit Wood Sect Master. Gu Xichen then turned his gaze toward the Eight Great Marshals and Five Extreme Divine Generals who had once been assigned to protect Fu Yaming. They, along with their subordinate Immortal Generals, knelt on the ground, daring not to raise their heads to look at him.

Gu Xichen nodded slowly and said calmly, "Fu Ya being taken away has nothing to do with you. That old nun..."

The mere thought of the Nameless Old Nun—who could make even a Great Unity Golden Immortal powerhouse like the Purple-Eyed Roc King tremble into silence—gave Gu Xichen a rough idea of the level she occupied. Troublesome, very troublesome indeed. The Receding Swan Great Snow Mountain—this place was known even in the memories of the True Lord of Extreme Yin, and it was certainly not a place known for being accommodating.

He let out a soft snort and helped the Eight Great Marshals and Five Extreme Divine Generals rise, nodding in approval. "However, in all these years, your unwavering defense of Yafike has earned you merit."

Although these heavenly soldiers and generals assigned to protect Fu Yaming could not defeat the Nameless Old Nun, nor could they find a way to inform Gu Xichen of the news, over the years, they had led the Yafike armies and the secretly cultivated cultivators belonging to Fu Yaming and Gu Xichen, moving throughout the Spiral Star Domain, maintaining order for its populace, and racking up significant achievements.

Had they not secretly drawn the attention of these Immortals from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the Spiral Star Domain would likely have been ravaged far worse.

After pacifying the heavenly soldiers and generals for a time, Gu Xichen saw Peng Hua quietly approach.

"How is it?" Gu Xichen asked in a low voice.

Peng Hua shook his head and muttered something quietly. Gu Xichen's expression gradually grew grim.

In the last ten thousand years, all forces within Cloud Origin Mountain had been taken over by True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He. Yet, they focused solely on developing their own power, showing no intention of looking after the Spiral Star Domain. Worse, they had forcibly seized all authority of the Earth Federation, stripping Poison Wolf of his control over it.

Poison Wolf, possessing only the strength of a Golden Immortal, had no ground to stand on against Bai Shui and Han He. For years, Poison Wolf and his entire family had been imprisoned in Cloud Origin Mountain. Reportedly, due to Poison Wolf’s volatile temper, he suffered harsh punishment regularly.

When Gu Xichen returned so suddenly, Emperor Corpse engaged True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He in an old reunion, while Peng Hua contacted Yan Jiang. But all the intelligence gathered was frustrating: over the past ten millennia, while the forces of Kunlun and Zhongnan had developed rapidly, the Nine Nether Dao had remained stagnant.

In the early years, disciples of the Nine Nether Dao could still receive a share of cultivation resources. As centuries passed and news of Gu Xichen and Emperor Corpse grew scarce, the situation for the Nine Nether Dao disciples deteriorated. By the end, even core disciples like Yan Jiang were reduced to menial tasks, serving as gatekeepers at Cloud Origin Mountain—a clear indication of the treatment others must have received. Ten thousand years was ample time for True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He to comprehend the Heavenly Dao Laws inherent in their physical forms and successfully advance to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. They even used secret arts to boost the cultivation of their own disciples. Now, Kunlun and Zhongnan boasted over a dozen early-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortals and nearly a thousand peak Great Unity Golden Immortals, while the disciples of the Nine Nether Dao held no standing whatsoever.

Just three days before Gu Xichen and the others returned, Yan Mei had accidentally scratched the scale of a spirit python being raised by the youngest disciple of Daoist Xiao Zhang. As a result, she was flogged forty-nine times with a skin whip by the eldest disciple of Daoist Xiao Zhang, leaving Yan Jiang with broken bones and shattered vitality, suffering terribly.

Gu Xichen remained silent. Peng Hua gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "These were once our good brothers, our good friends!"

"Ten thousand years—that's enough time to change almost everything!"

Gu Xichen pursed his lips and smiled faintly, then issued a low command. He ordered Xin Jia, Mo Liqing, and the others to pile the remains of every Immortal they had slain at the entrance to the Spiral Star Domain. The rest were to follow him in a magnificent procession toward the transfer array leading directly from the Yafike Imperial Capital Star to the new location of Cloud Origin Mountain.

When Cloud Origin Mountain was relocated, Young Lord Yan Luo had long ago helped Gu Xichen construct a star-spanning transfer array. Ten thousand years later, this array still functioned perfectly, conveniently serving Gu Xichen today.

A large contingent marched into the transfer array. With a flash of light, Gu Xichen and his group departed the Spiral Star Domain, arriving at the planet where Cloud Origin Mountain had been moved.

Above the largest spiritual nexus of Cloud Origin Mountain, the "Two Immortals Palace"—constructed entirely of jade and luminous pearls—emitted purple qi that billowed upward. Several hundred disciples from Kunlun and Zhongnan stood in perfectly aligned phalanxes on the clouds, their gazes hostile toward the dark-armored giant standing before the palace gate.

True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He stood on either side of the dark-armored giant, Emperor Corpse, their faces like still water as they stared toward the misty, immortal-like vista of Cloud Origin Mountain. The three stood in silence, an atmosphere of profound, strange rigidity pressing heavily upon the disciples of Kunlun and Zhongnan.

After an indeterminable wait, a large formation of Nine Nether Dao disciples marched from all directions, aligning themselves neatly. From a great distance, they sensed the familiar aura emanating from Emperor Corpse. Instantly, over one hundred thousand disciples of the Nine Nether Dao knelt upon the ground, shouting in unison, "Supreme Sect Master!"

These disciples of the Nine Nether Dao wore crude, coarse cloth robes—though not exactly rags, many had patches. Their faces were uniformly grey, and some even had stone dust and mud clinging to beneath their fingernails. They looked less like cultivators and more like veteran farmers. In contrast, the disciples of Zhongnan and Kunlun were splendidly attired, radiating the luster of treasures, their lips red and complexions excellent.

Emperor Corpse looked down at the disciples of the Nine Nether Dao below, especially at Yan Jiang, who was being carried on a stretcher at the front of the formation. He suddenly chuckled, "Heh, after all these years, I truly believed you two fellows were my closest confidants, my dearest friends, brothers who’d faced death together!"

Bai Shui and Han He remained silent for a long while. Finally, True Man Bai Shui spoke faintly, "Our acquaintance lasted only a thousand years; by the time our cultivation matured and we became Grandmasters of the Asian Dao Alliance, staunch allies, it was only a mere few hundred years of friendship; and now, ten thousand years have passed!"

True Man Han He also sighed, "Ten thousand years. The time we’ve known each other is less than a tenth of that. Ten thousand years!"

Emperor Corpse led the pronouncement: "A long road tests a horse’s strength; time reveals a person's heart. Time reveals the heart!"

"Heart my foot!" A coarse curse erupted from the ranks of the Nine Nether Dao disciples. Poison Wolf, his face ashen and far thinner than before, sprang forward, his eyes—exaggeratedly large and bright due to his emaciation. He shouted fiercely, "Are these long-nosed demons even human? Damn it all! They call themselves brothers and friends, yet the moment their hands got loose and their power grew, they started attacking their brothers and friends! Are these sons of bitches even human?"

Emperor Corpse smiled slightly, saying nothing. Bai Shui and Han He’s expressions darkened, and they roared in unison, "Where are the Guardian Disciples?"

Twenty-four Immortals wearing purple-gold Eight Trigram Dao robes, each possessing Great Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, who attended Daoist Zheng Yi and Daoist Xiao Zhang, stepped forward. With a casual wave, twenty-four bolts of lightning roared down toward Poison Wolf. Judging by the might of the thunder, the intent was clearly to blast him instantly into dust!

Emperor Corpse’s expression shifted slightly. A pillar of blood-red flame shot up from his head. Within the flames, a Flying Yaksha roared repeatedly, instantly teleporting above Poison Wolf. It smashed the twenty-four lightning bolts, thick as water vats, into powder with a single punch. The visage of this Flying Yaksha was identical to Emperor Corpse’s original appearance, enveloped in surging corpse energy, its aura immensely fierce.

Bai Shui and Han He recognized the sight instantly and cried out simultaneously, "Three Corpses Primordial Spirit?"

Bai Shui suddenly twisted his head to glare at Emperor Corpse. "How many Corpses have you severed?"

Emperor Corpse remained silent, then smacked the top of his head. A mass of purple energy mixed with golden light burst forth. Seated upon this radiant cloud were a Buddha wreathed in Buddhist light and a Sacred Being encircled by clear energy, perfectly facing the Yaksha whose corpse energy surged and whose brow bore a faint vertical eye.

Emperor Corpse stared coldly at True Man Bai Shui, who immediately fell silent, his body trembling as if seized by spasms.

Seeing this display, Daoist Zheng Yi immediately shouted, "Senior Emperor Corpse, the Secret Art of Severing the Three Corpses is the core esoteric knowledge of my Kunlun lineage. How did you learn it?"

Before Daoist Zheng Yi could finish speaking, a golden light shot up from a distant peak. A massive transfer array materialized out of thin air. Gu Xichen and his entourage strode out. Accompanied by the sound of rhythmic marching, over a million heavenly soldiers and generals emerged in perfect formation from the purple-golden light.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Xichen commanded the Heaven's Net Great Formation to completely surround Cloud Origin Mountain, leaving no escape route.

The sudden appearance of such a massive heavenly host caused the expressions of everyone from Kunlun and Zhongnan to change drastically.

Gu Xichen remained silent until the Heaven’s Net Great Formation had completely sealed Cloud Origin Mountain. Then, he pointed icily at Daoist Zheng Yi and roared, "You old fool spouting nonsense! I was the one who gave you the secret text! How dare you suggest my Master cannot learn it?"

Daoist Zheng Yi’s face changed as he prepared to speak, but Gu Xichen swept his sleeve toward him.

"Get lost, you insignificant pipsqueak is not qualified to speak here!"

As an equal in early-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, Daoist Zheng Yi was sent flying by Gu Xichen’s sleeve. His body instantly froze solid from the inside out, shattering into pieces upon impact with the ground. A wisp of golden light flew out from the fragmented icy remains. Daoist Zheng Yi’s nascent soul shrieked in shocked fury as it witnessed its own shattered physical body.

Daoist Xiao Zhang pointed at Gu Xichen and cried out in disbelief, "Are you insane?"

Gu Xichen countered by summoning the Pangu Banner, unleashing a blast of chaotic air that pulverized Daoist Xiao Zhang’s body, leaving only his nascent soul to escape.

The faces of Bai Shui and Han He turned pale, and they roared simultaneously, "Junior, how dare you!"

Before their words finished, Emperor Corpse’s heavy punch slammed into the backs of their hearts at point-blank range. Alas, Bai Shui and Han He were pure Daoist cultivators, specializing in magic and divine abilities. How could they contend with the physical strength of Emperor Corpse, a corpse cultivator specializing in the physical body? Even though they had acquired the bodies of two Innate Great Sages, the original owners of these bodies had been killed by Star Lord Luo Zhu in the past, and Emperor Corpse now possessed Luo Zhu’s true form.

The heavy punches pierced through their bodies, erupting from their chests.

Bai Shui and Han He screamed in utter panic. They cried out in disbelief, "Emperor Corpse, you—do you have no regard for our friendship?"

"Bullshit!" Emperor Corpse replied with two crisp words. He seized both Bai Shui and Han He by the neck, twisting their heads one thousand and eighty degrees with immense force.

From the side, an iron staff swept across. Monkey Sun struck the bodies of Bai Shui and Han He with one blow, shattering them into pieces.

"Treasonous, shameless swine! I, Old Sun, despise this kind of person the most!"

Bai Shui and Han He managed to extract their nascent souls from their pulverized bodies, screaming in misery and panic, stripped entirely of their martial master demeanor.

Gu Xichen stood with his hands behind his back, looking down with cold arrogance at the pale-faced disciples of Kunlun and Zhongnan.

"Strip naked, leave nothing behind, not even your underwear. Renounce all your cultivation, and get off Cloud Origin Mountain!"

Gu Xichen's voice was icy, devoid of any warmth.

The Immortals of Kunlun and Zhongnan instantly froze where they stood, unable to utter another sound.