Zi Yu Jun’s entire body was trembling. Miao Hua actually dared to insult Hong Gan, whom he cherished more than his own life.

For a Grand Unity Golden Immortal to seek an heir was exceedingly difficult. Zi Yu Jun, possessing the cultivation of an Upper-Rank Grand Unity Golden Immortal, had conceived his first child with Hong Gan after only a century of knowing her. This was not just a supreme joy for him, but an event of immense importance for the entire Xuan Yue Palace.

Yet, Miao Hua dared to insult Hong Gan with vulgar, commoner’s language, implying that the child in her belly was of uncertain origin, suggesting Zi Yu Jun himself had been dishonored!

Unable to tolerate it, Zi Yu Jun’s Purple Flower Jade Tree above his head erupted with ten thousand feet of brilliant light. The immense immortal power of an Upper-Rank Grand Unity Golden Immortal surged forth as the Purple Flower Jade Tree began to grow, rapidly towering to a height of a hundred miles. Oppressive heatwaves rushed out in all directions, the zenith-yang immortal power transforming into endless light and heat that enveloped an area spanning hundreds of millions of miles of the void.

As Zi Yu Jun exerted his full power, the immortals of Xuan Yue Palace naturally could not stand idly by. Nearly ten thousand immortals simultaneously activated their most potent immortal artifacts or unleashed their strongest immortal arts and forbidden curses. Nearly ten thousand high-tier immortals simultaneously drew upon the primordial energies of heaven and earth. The surrounding void twisted violently, as if a black hole had materialized from thin air, poised to devour nearby and distant stars alike.

The simultaneous activation of the arts by nearly ten thousand beings, the weakest of whom were peak Golden Immortals, required such a confluence of heaven and earth primal force that it nearly tore this star-filled region apart. The star fields visible to Gu Xie Chen’s divine sense shattered, and turbulent energy tides from the subspace surged toward them.

“Things that do not know how to die!” Gu Xie Chen coldly scoffed. “Intruding upon my Nine Nether Dao Realm, you shall all remain here!”

Suddenly, one hundred and eight silver beams of intense light shot up from within the Spiral Star Field, resembling one hundred and eight colossal pillars supporting the collapsing void in all directions. Wherever the silver light reached, the void healed itself, and the violent subspace energy tides instantly subsided. The immortals of Xuan Yue Palace could no longer draw even a shred of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

These massive pillars of light began to move like roaming dragons, gathering toward them with the thunderous roar of mighty ocean waves.

The silver streams of light, tens of thousands of miles thick, arrived before everyone as if instantaneous, merely sweeping and coiling lightly, engulfing Gu Xie Chen and the people of the Nine Nether Dao Gate, along with Zi Yu Jun and Qing Ju Shao Jun, drawing them all into the Spiral Star Field.

The destined stars of the One Hundred and Eight Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend manifested brilliant radiance in the void. Immense stellar power poured into the Spiral Star Field, instantly saturating the entire space. Faced with the absolute advantage of this Primordial Star Power, the ordinary elemental energies of heaven and earth in the Spiral Star Field, such as the Five Elements Qi, were immediately expelled. The vast expanse of the cosmos now churned only with incomparably pure star power.

This colossal amount of star power could be directly absorbed and converted by any living being or manifested into various talismans.

However, under the control of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Star Lords, the immortals of the Zi Ji Palace and Xuan Yue Palace could not draw even a sliver of this star power for their use. The mighty star power surged around them, yet it pressed in from all sides like an impenetrable wall of copper and iron. The immortals of the two palaces could not use it, let alone be oppressed by the star power to the point of breathlessness.

Suddenly, several piercing, miserable shrieks rang out. The few weakest Golden Immortals of the Zi Ji Palace were crushed into pieces by the highly condensed star power. Blood and viscera jetted out from their bodies, and in the blink of an eye, even their internal organs were pulverized.

The intense light emanating from the one hundred and eight great stars dominated the entire Spiral Star Field. Their radiance was extreme, shining far into the distance. Under this brilliant light, all other stars appeared translucent; the sparse, vast cosmos revealed only these one hundred and eight enormous silver celestial bodies.

“What in the devil’s name is this place!” Zi Yu Jun cried out in terror, looking up at the sky.

Not to mention the immortals he brought, even he himself was immobilized, like a fly trapped in amber. The Purple Flower Jade Tree above his head was also a wondrous innate treasure, capable of transforming all acquired spiritual energy into innate Purple Fiery Sky Fire to attack enemies. It was a superb artifact, adept in both offense and defense. But under the immense pressure of the surging star power, the once hundred-mile-high Purple Flower Jade Tree continuously shrank. Even pouring in all his immortal power, Zi Yu Jun could not resist the endless pressure of the surrounding star power.

The Purple Flower Jade Tree was compressed to about ten zhang high, and the purplish fiery heatwaves it emitted could barely shield the immortals of the two palaces.

Zi Yu Jun screamed in panic, “Qing Ju! Qing Ju! Besides the Nine Heavens Starlight World-Ending Blast, what other mountain-guarding treasures did you bring from the Zi Ji Palace?”

Qing Ju’s legs had just been swallowed by the Demon-Coiling Dragon Root, and half his body was currently held by Qing Zhi. Hearing Zi Yu Jun’s shriek, Qing Ju also turned deathly pale and repeatedly shook his head. He had originally thought he could easily deal with Gu Xie Chen; the Nine Heavens Starlight World-Ending Blast was brought only as a precaution for any unforeseen circumstances. How could he have brought the other treasures of the Zi Ji Palace?

Zi Yu Jun wailed, “None at all? What about the Innate Four Symbols Instrument? The Earth-Shattering Mountain Drill? The Formless Dust-Veiling Banner?”

With every famous magic treasure of the Zi Ji Palace mentioned, Qing Ju’s expression grew uglier; he shook his head so violently his neck nearly broke.

Zi Yu Jun roared to the heavens in anger, “Damn it! You brought nothing, yet you dare seek revenge? Has your brain gone rotten?”

Gritting his teeth, Zi Yu Jun bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Purple Flower Jade Tree. He casually pulled out a jade axe, ancient and mottled with earthy yellow stains, from his sleeve. Staring fiercely at the greenish-jade axe, Zi Yu Jun suddenly raised it and brought it down fiercely onto Qing Ju Shao Jun’s forehead.

Standing far away on a small meteor, watching the trapped Zi Yu Jun and his entourage, Gu Xie Chen was astonished. “Such ruthless methods; attacking his own kin like this?”

Qing Zhi screamed in terror, pointing at Zi Yu Jun and crying out, “Divine Lord, you—”

A sly, wicked smile spread across Zi Yu Jun’s face. He looked at Qing Zhi and roared with laughter, “Qing Zhi, what use is following that good-for-nothing Qing Ju? Why not submit to this Lord! One hundred years, and he still hasn't taken you. He truly is the dregs of the dregs! Heh heh, follow this Lord—”

From the side, Hong Gan’s mouth opened, and a sword light shot out, cleanly severing Qing Zhi’s head.

Zi Yu Jun paused, looking at Hong Gan as she opened her mouth, but uttered no sound.

Hong Gan looked at Zi Yu Jun with a gaze full of grievance, then suddenly placed both hands on her lower abdomen and sobbed softly, “Child, you must grow up quickly and avenge your mother and your Aunt Qing Zhi! If not for these fiends of the Nine Nether Dao, how could your Aunt Qing Zhi—”

The immortals of the Zi Ji Palace cursed in fury, all moving to save Qing Ju Shao Jun. However, the Xuan Yue Palace immortals outnumbered them and possessed deeper cultivation. As soon as Zi Yu Jun made his move, the Xuan Yue Palace immortals attacked en masse, slaughtering every immortal from the Zi Ji Palace on the spot, not even allowing a wisp of remnant soul to escape.

The small jade axe was embedded in the center of Qing Ju Shao Jun’s brow, and he stared at Zi Yu Jun with a strange expression.

With difficulty, Qing Ju Shao Jun turned his head, looking at the tragically dead Qing Zhi, and let out a strange, small laugh. “I respected and valued you, never wishing to wrong you; I only wanted to marry you properly. This time, finding an opportunity to slip out of the Zi Ji Palace to take revenge for you, I never expected that—”

Taking a deep breath, Qing Ju Shao Jun looked at Zi Yu Jun with a bitter smile. “Zi Yu Jun is indeed Zi Yu Jun; to save himself, he would sacrifice the people of an entire palace. Truly consistent in his ruthlessness and cold-heartedness. Grandfather told me to stay away from you all, not to associate with the people of Xuan Yue Palace, but I did so because Qing Zhi was Hong Gan’s friend, I—”

Hong Gan stared coldly at Qing Ju Shao Jun and said flatly, “I never considered her a friend! She was merely my competitor!”

Qing Ju Shao Jun smiled bitterly. He slowly nodded, about to say something, but the small, greenish-jade axe suddenly shone with fierce light, as if a large mouth was ravenously sucking the flesh and blood from within him. Qing Ju Shao Jun’s physical body visibly withered.

Watching Qing Ju Shao Jun, who could no longer speak, Zi Yu Jun suddenly shed two lines of hot tears.

“Qing Ju was my only true friend. But, damn the Nine Nether Dao! If you hadn't trapped us with this evil method!”

Zi Yu Jun gripped the handle of the jade axe, gnashing his teeth and roaring toward the distant Gu Xie Chen.

Gu Xie Chen shrugged, sighed toward the sky, “Fortunately, I didn’t plan on leaving any of you alive today. I am ashamed of this mastery of twisting black into white!”

Clenching his right hand, Gu Xie Chen shouted sharply, “Stop wasting time, kill them!”

The light of the One Hundred and Eight Primordial Great Stars suddenly intensified. The originally silver starlight instantly transformed into a deep purple, beautiful and mysterious, yet brimming with the aura of death.

The entire surrounding starry sky turned purple. Millions of purple great axes, each several miles in radius, slowly materialized from the starlight. With a shout from Gu Xie Chen, the countless axes capable of shattering mountains and crushing seas whistled down upon Zi Yu Jun and the others. Axe light flashed from all directions, the piercing sound of their passage making the scalps of Zi Yu Jun and his company tingle.

Wielding the greenish-jade axe, Zi Yu Jun let out a fierce roar to the heavens, hardening his heart and hacking off his own left arm with a single swing. The severed arm was enveloped by a thread of greenish-jade profound light, instantly turning into a puff of fine ash that drifted away.

This jade axe possessed terrifying power, yet it was savagely cruel and intensely evil. To activate it required not only the soul and all the essence blood of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal as a blood sacrifice but also a portion of the activating immortal’s own flesh and blood.

The unfortunate victim of the blood sacrifice was naturally Qing Ju Shao Jun, but Zi Yu Jun also had to sacrifice a limb of his own to satisfy this extremely vicious jade axe. As countless purple-light-entwined axes descended upon him, Zi Yu Jun shrieked, and the Purple Flower Jade Tree above his head suddenly exploded.

The self-detonation of an innate magic treasure was akin to the destruction of a segment of the rules of heaven and earth. Its terrifying power instantly swept away the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Star Formation, blasting out a narrow gap in the formation—barely three zhang wide—leading precariously toward the outer edge of the Spiral Star Field.

Zi Yu Jun’s body flickered, and he bit his teeth as he plunged into this rapidly healing narrow passage.

The One Hundred and Eight Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Star Lords were enraged. To enter their Star Formation only to try and escape? Such a thing would not be tolerated!

The concentration of starlight increased severalfold. The surrounding void was sealed as tightly as copper walls and iron ramparts. The few Upper-Rank Grand Unity Golden Immortals brought by Zi Yu Jun were already stiff and unable to move. The pressure of the starlight was too great; their bodies emitted terrifying cracking sounds, their bones shattering inch by inch, their forms on the verge of being crushed into fragments.

The countless purple great axes whistled down, tearing through the bodies of these Xuan Yue Palace immortals like breaking bamboo, ending their suffering.

In his haste, Zi Yu Jun glanced back, just in time to see the nearly ten thousand subordinates he brought slaughtered. He also saw a great axe, glistening with purple light, cleave through Hong Gan’s waist and abdomen, tearing loose a startling thread of golden blood.

“My child!” Zi Yu Jun let out a shrill scream. “You useless woman, why didn’t you protect this Lord’s child?”

Cursing Hong Gan with venom, Zi Yu Jun spat another mouthful of essence blood onto the greenish-jade talisman. The jade axe suddenly shot forth, transforming into an Asura ghost image surging with evil energy, flashing forward. Zi Yu Jun’s form condensed into a purple light clinging to the Asura phantom, and in a flash, they vanished without a trace.

A grand, magnificent purple star beam descended from the void, barely catching up to the purple light that was Zi Yu Jun’s transformed body before striking his back.

Gu Xie Chen saw clearly: this purple star beam pulverized half of Zi Yu Jun’s body, leaving only the upper half to rush out.

With a cold snort, Gu Xie Chen shook the Pangu Banner, shattering the void as he vanished without a trace.

The greenish-jade axe was an extremely rare ancient demonic treasure, also an innate object—a peculiar treasure born at the beginning of the Primordial Era, condensed with innate turbid demonic qi. It specialized in manifesting various forms of demonic god avatars and possessed the divine ability to cleave open the heavens and earth, shatter the void, kill imperceptibly, and control beings without their awareness; it was truly a miraculous artifact.

If this jade axe had not been overly fierce and cruel, and if the price for using it were not so steep, Zi Yu Jun would have long refined it into his natal magic treasure, further enhancing its might.

But in terms of the ability to shatter the void, what treasure in the Three Realms could compare to the Pangu Banner?

Gu Xie Chen merely shook the Pangu Banner once, and he already saw the fleeing Zi Yu Jun ahead. Shaking the Pangu Banner again, he caught up to Zi Yu Jun, shoulder to shoulder. Turning to look at the wide-eyed, terrified Zi Yu Jun, Gu Xie Chen smiled coldly, drew out the God-Beating Whip, and viciously lashed out at Zi Yu Jun—

A single strike from the God-Beating Whip caused Zi Yu Jun only to bleed from the head and suffer some shock. However, the Asura Demon God avatar manifested by the jade axe cried out mournfully under a strike from the golden light and auspicious energy emitted by the God-Beating Whip. With a splatter, it instantly dissolved into a puddle of bloody water that scattered away.

The greenish-jade axe reverted to its original shape—a palm-sized jade axe floating powerlessly in the air. Its once ancient and mottled surface was now covered with countless cracks. The God-Beating Whip specialized in striking all innate objects and beings; this jade axe belonged to the innate category and was therefore suppressed by the God-Beating Whip.

Zi Yu Jun broke free from the axe light, spitting blood as he desperately teleported hundreds of miles forward, yet Gu Xie Chen easily caught up to him.

With another whip strike, the jade axe was smashed to pieces. Gu Xie Chen seized Zi Yu Jun by the neck.

“I have seen the heartless and unjust, but never one so utterly ruthless as you!”

Raising the Seal of All Beings, Gu Xie Chen was about to strike and kill Zi Yu Jun.

Zi Yu Jun cried out urgently while spitting blood, “If you dare kill me, Xuan Yue Palace will pursue you to the death!”

Gu Xie Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “As the Head of the Nine Nether Dao, if I were frightened away by a mere word from you, wouldn't I lose too much face?”

With a lift and a drop of the seal, ten thousand points of peach blossoms bloomed. Zi Yu Jun was struck so hard his skull split, and a wisp of his soul was blasted into dust.

Spitting out a stream of Solar Blazing Fire, Gu Xie Chen incinerated Zi Yu Jun’s immortal body into nothingness. He glanced coldly at the surrounding void, then suddenly shouted toward the distant starry sky, “Who is there? Get out here for this Venerable One!”

In a patch of stars ahead, a faint Buddhist light flickered. An ugly, solemn-faced, yet powerfully built monk, standing one zhang and two chi tall, carefully floated out on a cushion of white clouds.

The monk looked around left and right, bowed to Gu Xie Chen with his hands clasped as if stealing something, and whispered, “May this humble monk ask, is this the Spiral Star Field?”

Gu Xie Chen’s eyes narrowed. He scrutinized the monk from head to toe, his gaze quickly sweeping over the string of pitch-black prayer beads on the monk’s wrist. The Pangu Banner suddenly released wisps of chaotic energy. Gu Xie Chen stared grimly at the monk and demanded, “This is the Spiral Star Field. Why do you ask?”

The monk vigorously patted his chest and said with a grin, “This poor monk was afraid of going to the wrong place. It seems I have arrived correctly.”

After a brief hesitation, the monk cautiously and carefully asked again, “Then, the one currently in charge of the Spiral Star Field—does the benefactor happen to know him?” This monk acted like a startled little rabbit; his eyes darted continuously toward Gu Xie Chen, looking at him as if he were a fierce tiger. His posture and movements suggested he was ready to bolt at any second, and his legs were still trembling continuously.

Gu Xie Chen was surprised. Ignoring the monk’s question, he said in a deep voice, “Monk, why are you so afraid of me?”

The ugly monk chuckled dryly. He pointed a finger at the Seal of All Beings in Gu Xie Chen’s hand and said cautiously, “Benefactor’s killing is so clean and decisive, just like when this monk sneaks around killing pheasants in the back mountain… Thus, I presume the number of people Benefactor has killed is as many as the mountain pheasants this monk has slaughtered; this monk has killed no fewer than ninety-eight thousand pheasants. Since Benefactor has killed so many people, he must be a supreme villain. If this poor monk is careless, this small life of mine will be in danger.”

The monk spoke in a roundabout, verbose manner, causing Gu Xie Chen to roll his eyes. It seemed he was an inexperienced young monk, yet he possessed the cultivation of an Initial-Rank Grand Unity Golden Immortal. He truly didn't know how he had managed to cultivate to this level.

Judging by the monk’s expression and demeanor, he appeared utterly innocent and simple, as if he had just stepped out of a village.

Shaking his head, Gu Xie Chen stated solemnly, “The current master of the Spiral Star Field is my Nine Nether Dao. Why have you come here?”

The monk, ready to flee at any moment, clasped his hands toward Gu Xie Chen, “I was ordered by my master to find someone—ah, Nine Nether Dao?”

Hearing the words ‘Nine Nether Dao,’ the monk’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, “What is your Head’s name?”

A faint, gloomy wind stirred in the surroundings. Peng Hua and others had already surrounded the monk from all directions. Hearing the monk’s question, Mo He vigorously rubbed his bald head and laughed loudly, “Our Head? Look there, right before you—Venerable Evil Dragon, Gu Xie Chen!”

The monk froze abruptly, looking at Gu Xie Chen and exclaiming, “You are Gu Xie Chen?”

Gu Xie Chen nodded, “Authentic, without a doubt!”

The monk frowned, “You aren’t impersonating him, are you? Take an oath for me to hear! Are you truly the disciple of Corpse Emperor Master of the Nine Nether Dao, Gu Xie Chen?”

Gu Xie Chen nodded, “No need for an oath. I am Gu Xie Chen.”

After a brief pause, Gu Xie Chen declared proudly, “In the Three Realms, anyone who dares impersonate my name will surely regret it!”

After thinking for a moment, the monk solemnly bowed to Gu Xie Chen. He said with dignity, “Then, may Benefactor please display the Profound Yin Blazing Flame!”

Glancing at the string of prayer beads on the monk’s wrist, Gu Xie Chen flicked his finger, and a misty white Profound Yin Blazing Flame spewed forth.

“Namo Amitabha! My master sent me to beat you!”

The monk’s eyes widened, and a sound like a lion’s roar erupted from within his body. His frame rapidly expanded to three zhang tall. The string of pitch-black prayer beads on his wrist suddenly erupted with a massive wave of cold air. The prayer beads, originally the size of dragon eyes, swelled to the size of human heads, which the monk swung to smash down upon Gu Xie Chen.

Gu Xie Chen’s eyes chilled as he stared coldly at the monk who was exerting all his strength to strike him.

However, just as the monk swung the beads out, his wrist suddenly twitched, and the string of beads scraped diagonally past Gu Xie Chen’s body.

The monk squeezed out an awkward smile, scratched his forehead in distress, and asked Gu Xie Chen sheepishly, “Benefactor Gu, my master ordered me to beat you severely, but also to be careful not to injure you, otherwise, I will have my skin flayed when I return—so, what do you think?”

Peng Hua and the others burst into loud laughter. Hearing the monk’s words, everyone knew this must be Fu Ya—

Gu Xie Chen’s face twitched. His body flashed, and he instantly appeared behind the monk, kicking him flying away.

With a cold snort, Gu Xie Chen said calmly, “You are no match for me, so naturally, there’s no need to beat me. How is Fu Ya doing now?”

The monk’s eyes regained focus. He stood up straight and hurriedly bowed to Gu Xie Chen, “When this monk set out, the Ancestor Wu Xing was forcing my respected mistress to marry! Alas, it was those wicked thieves from the Xuan Yue Palace; they came knocking!”

Xuan Yue Palace?

A wicked flame surged in Gu Xie Chen’s heart. He had just annihilated Zi Yu Jun of the Xuan Yue Palace, and now they were seeking him out again.

With a cold snort, Gu Xie Chen grabbed Mu Jian Lian and flew back into the Spiral Star Field.

Several hours later, the boundless starlight of the Spiral Star Field poured out, engulfing the entire field in the vast void, making it impossible for ordinary people to find any trace of it.

Then, ninety-nine peals of thunder exploded in succession. White clouds, each spanning a hundred li in width and length, lifted away from the Spiral Starfield, each one densely packed with one hundred and eight thousand fully armed Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. One hundred and eight clusters of clouds ascended into the sky, over ten million Heavenly Troops and Generals surging forth with a murderous intent that scraped the heavens.

Behind these one hundred and eight cloud clusters followed an uncountable, densely packed legion of undead creatures, numbering, at minimum, in the billions. Millions of Necromancers shrieked as they manipulated this astonishing horde of the undead, driving the massive army into the vast void right behind the Heavenly Host.

Amidst this infinite mass of undead, Linghu Xiao sat cross-legged atop a pool of blood, his body entirely crimson, its flesh rippling like flowing water. Around him, over a million Blood Rakshasas manifested and vanished in perpetual motion. Standing guard beside Linghu was a figure with dual horns and a long tail trailing behind him: Yiru An of the Kṣitigarbha Temple.

Trailing the bulk of the undead creatures was a rolling, dark demonic cloud. Gu Xichen sat enthroned upon the Bone Dragon Chariot, drawn by eighteen of his strongest Bloodline kin and pulled by the Demonic Riding Dragon Gen. He led the vast assembly of Demon Immortals, Ghost Immortals, Corpse Immortals, and other monstrous entities from the Nine Nether Dao, soaring into the sky.

The One Hundred and Eight Star Lords of the Heavenly Stellar and Earthly Fiends stood sentinel on either side of Gu Xichen’s dragon chariot, their heads radiating a brilliant, starlit glow.

Five multi-colored banners were planted into the axle supports of the dragon chariot, trailing wisps of radiant mist that enveloped and shielded the entire magnificent army, stretching for a hundred thousand li.

From Gu Xichen’s head, a stream of Chaos Qi surged upward, within which the Primordial Yin Pearl, the Primordial Yang Pearl, and the Chaos Bell—three supreme treasures—tumbled and churned.

Within the Primordial Yin Pearl, the Corpse Emperor, alongside billions of Yin Phantoms formed into the Primordial Yin Celestial Maiden, practiced their sword formations. Within the Primordial Yang Pearl, Fire Crows led countless spirits bred from the Yang space in aggressive maneuvers. Inside the Chaos Bell, the essence, blood, and corpses of countless Immortals whom Gu Xichen had slain floated, being continuously devoured by the Bell’s cavernous maw.

Peng Hua, Siren, and other old brothers who aided Gu Xichen sat properly on a carriage crafted entirely from various beast bones situated behind the Bone Dragon Chariot. The beasts pulling their carriage were also Bloodline kin of the Demonic Riding Dragon Gen, possessing fierce, terrifying forms and immense bulk.

Divine Crystals were continuously absorbed by the bodies of Peng Hua and his companions, pumping boundless energy into their Sea of Consciousness as they prepared for the war that was inevitably descending upon them.

With the energy reserves they currently held, the moment they struck, they could instantly summon an equally massive army of World Puppets, numbering in the billions.

The astonishingly potent army surged toward the Myriad Immortals Star, effortlessly crushing the Immortals guarding the Nine Dragons Heaven-Reaching Ladder.

With unreasonable force, Gu Xichen employed the Haotian Mirror to shatter tens of thousands of restrictions within the Nine Dragons Heaven-Reaching Ladder. He then infused a strand of his Nascent Soul into the artifact, thereby seizing control of this ancient divine object, which was simultaneously held by numerous powerhouses from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

The moment the restrictions within the Nine Dragons Heaven-Reaching Ladder were destroyed, the great mighty sages across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths all sensed the disturbance. They instantly projected their divine consciousness toward Gu Xichen’s location.

Faster than thought, the four-colored sword light erupted from the Primordial Yin Pearl. The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, possessing the foremost destructive power in the Three Realms, unleashed boundless, terrifying sword qi that swept across the void. The great powerhouses of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths who dared to probe the situation with their divine senses all suffered damage to their consciousness, withdrawing in absolute terror.

Gu Xichen laughed wildly, directing his massive army to flood into the Nine Dragons Heaven-Reaching Ladder. After rapidly reaching the entrance to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, he snatched the golden light—the transformed body of the Ladder—and tucked it into his sleeve.

The numerous mighty sages of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths erupted in furious curses. Gu Xichen’s action forcibly severed the connection between the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths and the Mortal Realm.

These figures could no longer remain still. Whether they were in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths or the Mortal Realm, they raced toward the original coordinates of the Nine Dragons Heaven-Reaching Ladder.

Everyone shared the same thought: they wanted to see who possessed such audacity as to oppose everyone from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Gu Xichen paid no heed to their potential movements. The vast army poured into the Parama-Nirvana Blissful Heaven (Bolonimibu Jiaoletian), heading straight for the Returning Swan Great Snow Mountain (Huiyan Daxueshan).

Alarm bells rang incessantly throughout the Parama-Nirvana Blissful Heaven. For the first time in history, invading Immortals had breached their territory with an army.

And their advance was ferocious and sharp.

On the very first day of entering the Parama-Nirvana Blissful Heaven, the local Seven Great Zen Monasteries and Three Great Daoist Sects—Buddhist and Daoist cultivators—stepped forward to obstruct Gu Xichen’s advance. Hundreds of thousands of Buddhist cultivators and tens of thousands of Daoist cultivators were easily slaughtered by the Heaven and Earth Net Great Array that Gu Xichen unleashed.

The audacious Seven Great Zen Monasteries and Three Great Daoist Sects were thoroughly looted under the command of Peng Hua, who directed countless disciples of the Nine Nether Dao. Even the cloth wraps the monks used for binding their feet were stripped clean under Ming Hua’s orders—these wraps were crafted from superior materials like Celestial Silkworm Silk, Snow Silkworm Silk, and Golden Spider Silk, making them prime materials for artifact refinement once dismantled.

Like a column of marching ants, Gu Xichen’s army advanced in a straight line toward the Returning Swan Great Snow Mountain.

The eminent Buddhist monks residing within the Great Snow Mountain were shaken to their core. Ancient ascetics who had gone into seclusion for countless yuanhui periods were roused. Buddhist light and auspicious radiance surged forth from beneath the eternal, unmoving peaks of the Great Snow Mountain.

Seventy percent of the Parama-Nirvana Blissful Heaven’s forces converged upon the Great Snow Mountain.