The Seven Shinu boasted to the young Daoist Zhang and his followers about the replica of Er Liancheng they had created.

“This magnificent city, built with countless efforts and boundless materials, possesses an unbelievable magic. While specific forces under certain conditions could inflict devastating damage upon it, no other power could even scratch its surface.

This was a City of Eternal Radiance, an indestructible metropolis whose ancient glory once cast a shadow over all beings in heaven and earth, fueling the splendor of the Asura Feitian lineage for several eons.

It was only when the city's master sought to assault the Heavens and become their supreme ruler that the Destroyer, Shiva, at the juncture of day and night, struck down the entire city with a single arrow, annihilating the countless Asuras within and crushing the formidable reputation of the Three Liancheng.

This replicated Three Liancheng was constructed precisely according to the original blueprints; every arcane seal and rune was identical to the original, every stellar and lunar restriction matched, and it was further blessed by the Heavens, infused with countless more wondrous spells and arts. This replica outshone the authentic Three Liancheng in brilliance and beauty.

In this nascent epoch, with all the Saints departed, within the Three Realms, no one remained capable of destroying this city!

Here resided the twenty Heavenly Guardians subdued by Buddhism, and here gathered the divine sages of the Brahman realm conquered by the Buddha. Relying on this unfaltering city, they could unify the Three Realms, seize mastery over this universe, subsequently govern the Heavenly Dao of this cosmos, and attain the highest echelon of status.

Ducate, now possessing a brand-new physical body bestowed upon him through the combined efforts of Vishnu and others, was undoubtedly the greatest contributor to the construction of the Three Liancheng.

Only Ducate’s unique aptitude for controlling myriad mechanical life forms made the creation of such massive and numerous entities possible to build the Three Liancheng. Barring him, even Vishnu and his peers lacked such capability and architectural talent.

Led by Vishnu and Chamunda, Young Daoist Zhang and the disciples from Kunlun and Zhongnan toured the Three Liancheng. They were utterly stunned by the grandeur and splendor of this city that would not fall, rendered speechless by the vision before them.

Yet, above this stretch of starry sky, hidden behind a tiny nebula in the far distance, a gaunt, nine-foot-tall Daoist clad in black, possessing a face as dark as ink and a lone goatee, watched the scene with a cold sneer. His eyes were as black and bright as two polished jet beads.

In his hand, the Daoist held a string of jet-black prayer beads, etched with tiny lotus flowers from which faint, strange light occasionally shimmered.

In his left hand, he grasped a long banner, pitch-black and trailing six silken ribbons below. Upon these ribbons was inscribed a line of ancient, peculiar script in vermillion characters. Merely gazing upon these runes felt like confronting the true face of the primeval wilderness, conjuring the illusion of eons of history rushing forward.

Staring coldly at the Three Liancheng, the black-robed Daoist let out a chilling, hacking laugh. “These ignorant fools truly think Amitabha and the others are simpletons. Do they genuinely believe the Brahman deities were all wiped out in their struggle against the Great Sages from another world?”

He shook his head derisively, casting a sidelong glance towards a distant patch of stars, murmuring to himself, “Still, the Buddhists are the most devious. They let these demons grow powerful; I wonder what their true scheme is. Hmph.”

After a few more cold chuckles, the black-robed Daoist waved his hand, and the nebula before him shimmered, transforming into a massive black gateway standing erect in the void. The Daoist plunged into the portal, which flashed with a faint, pale light before reverting to an ordinary, unremarkable nebula.

Behind the black gateway lay a self-contained small world spanning tens of thousands of miles. It possessed sun, moon, and stars, seas and lakes, mountains and hills, as well as flora, fauna, insects, and beasts—everything a complete world should contain.

At the very center of this world was a vast ocean, spanning over twenty thousand miles in diameter. The ocean churned, releasing vapors, within which shapes resembling fish and dragons occasionally manifested. Patches of lotus leaves drifted upon the surface, each bearing numerous blossoms and pedestals, occasionally emitting varied rays of light. It truly presented the aura of a celestial realm, an extraordinary domain.

A colossal, ink-black spirit turtle, its shell spanning a hundred miles and inscribed with dim Bagua patterns, floated comfortably upon the waves, occasionally lifting its head to spray streams of water skyward. Occasionally, two or three pearl-like orbs, the size of water vats, would fly out from the ripples, absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and the essence of the earth in the void. With a flash, these orbs unleashed billions of rays of light, illuminating the entire world.

Seated cross-legged upon the lotus platforms drifting on the sea were figures whose forms were dim, their bodies subtly rippling like water whenever the celestial wind blew past. They gazed in reverence at the gigantic spirit turtle and the luminous pearls it expelled, their expressions indescribably strange.

When the black-robed Daoist transformed into a dark cloud and shot straight onto the turtle’s back to settle down, these shadowy figures collectively bowed and greeted him, “We pay our respects to Cloud-in-Black Qian Ge!”

The Daoist known as Cloud-in-Black emitted a few jarring cackles. He swept his cold gaze over the dim figures and asked boisterously, “Fellow Daoists, have you made up your minds?”

The figures exchanged glances, none speaking. Seeing this, Cloud-in-Black frowned. “Truly a bunch of fools courting death. I exerted myself, utilizing the secret treasure passed down by the Master, to rescue a sliver of your true spirit and primal soul, even expending heaven and earth treasures to nourish your souls and restore your vitality. Is this the only reward I receive?”

One figure suddenly stood up; by his appearance, he was Yuan Luo Tianzun, who should have been slain long ago by Gu Xiechen and his cohorts, his entire essence converted into the cultivation power of the Nine Nether Dao disciples. His form was hazy, like condensed mist, as if a single cold breath could scatter him. Yuan Luo Tianzun shouted fiercely, “Senior saved us, that is true, but what Senior says is utterly inconceivable. We... we…”

Cloud-in-Black stared coldly at Yuan Luo Tianzun, flicking the six-tailed banner in his hand, and coldly snapped, “What do you want? Are you suggesting my words carry no weight?” He pointed and lectured the figures for a while before finally shouting sternly, “I saved you, and I can annihilate you. Under the Six Souls Banner, within the Three Realms, no one can circumvent the Heavens to save you, unless a Saint personally intervenes!”

His dark face set, Cloud-in-Black reprimanded them with palpable murderous intent: “Today, there is only one decree: either swear fealty to my lineage and obediently follow my commands—you will then be disciples of the Jie Sect—or perish into ash!”

Everyone on the lotus platforms froze, glancing at each other, then collectively inhaled sharply. Cloud-in-Black sat cross-legged on the spirit turtle’s back and hummed smugly, “Two paths, choose for yourselves. Join my Jie Sect, and you can study countless secret arts, which are millions of times more potent than your current half-baked Daoist techniques and divine powers. A group of pseudo-Grand Unity Golden Immortals, unable to deal with even that brat Evil Dragon Venerable—you are a disgrace!”

After detailing the benefits of joining his sect, Cloud-in-Black shook the Six Souls Banner in his hand again and shouted sternly, “If you refuse, perish immediately! Perish immediately! That brat Evil Dragon Venerable has killed many recently; I won’t lack new recruits for the sect!”

Yuan Luo Tianzun and the other figures exchanged looks, gritted their teeth, and stared intently at the Six Souls Banner in Cloud-in-Black’s hand. Finally, they could only kneel helplessly upon the lotus platforms, repeatedly kowtowing and shouting, “Master!”

Cloud-in-Black laughed until his eyes narrowed into slits. He quickly jumped up, reaching out with both hands to help Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others rise, addressing them as “My good disciples” and urging them to rise quickly, concerned that their weak bodies might damage their essential vital energy.

After a chaotic round of initiation rites, everyone present became a disciple of Cloud-in-Black. Moreover, as required by him, they all swore an extremely solemn Jie Sect Blood Oath: should they betray the sect or disobey Cloud-in-Black’s commands, they would instantly suffer heavenly retribution.

This Jie Sect Blood Oath was created by the Grandmaster Tongtian. Once sworn, it was instantly recorded by the Heavenly Dao. Unless Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others could transcend the bonds of the Heavenly Dao, no matter how profound their cultivation or boundless their magic, they would be bound by this oath for life, unable to escape.

The cultivators of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—Purple Eye Roc King, Purple Eye Vulture King, Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor, Azure Sun Divine Lord, White Water Divine Lord, Scarlet Moon Divine Lord—all slain by Gu Xiechen, even Soul Ling’er being reduced to dust—had now all become disciples of Cloud-in-Black. Ironically, the Purple Eye Roc King was the father of the Purple Eye Vulture King, yet Cloud-in-Black accepted them all indiscriminately, resulting in the Purple Eye Roc King becoming his son’s martial brother!

Acting with such recklessness and lack of restraint truly embodied the true spirit of the Jie Sect lineage.

Once all the disciples had sworn the blood oath and formally joined the sect, Cloud-in-Black nodded contentedly and shook the Six Souls Banner. From within the banner surged a massive quantity of fragmented and pulverized primal soul essence, rushing toward Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others like birds returning to their forest. Nourished by this primal soul essence, the residual souls of Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others rapidly healed. Within a few hours, their divine souls were fully restored, and in fact, several times stronger than before.

“This is the benefit of joining my Jie Sect!” Cloud-in-Black chuckled, holding the Six Souls Banner. “How many Primordial Chaos powerhouses did the Grandmaster execute with this Six Souls Banner back then? Their soul fragments were all collected by the banner, and now they benefit you. Look at your divine souls; they are several times stronger than they were. Remember, this is the Grandmaster’s grace!”

Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others were ecstatic, bowing and thanking Cloud-in-Black repeatedly. Suddenly finding their divine souls several times stronger was an achievement that would normally require eons of arduous cultivation. In this light, joining the Jie Sect truly seemed a wise choice.

The group was even ashamed of their initial hesitation. It was clear that Cloud-in-Black Immortal was a famous disciple under Grandmaster Tongtian, wielding the Grandmaster’s own foundational secret treasure, and possessing a rune seal that signified his orthodox status in the Jie Sect. What was there left to hesitate about? Clinging to their status in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths? That was laughable; the identity of a Jie Sect disciple trumped everything else.

Beaming at his newly initiated disciples, Cloud-in-Black Immortal smiled smugly. “It is all the Grandmaster’s grace, helping you restore your physical forms today and further advancing your Daoist cultivation. Heh, watch closely—this is the ‘Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir,’ personally refined by the Grandmaster using countless heavenly and earthly spiritual treasures!”

He casually took out a small vial and inverted it. A single pill tumbled out, immediately enveloping the entire world spanning tens of thousands of miles in a strange, sweet fragrance.

Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others stared blankly at the pellet. This hardly seemed like a spiritual elixir in the conventional sense.

It was a sphere of golden light wrapped in a cloud of violet mist, the light subtly flickering and spinning rapidly. Within it, a strange primordial beast seemed to be slumbering, radiating an immensely dense and peerlessly powerful aura of the Great Desolation that washed over them in waves, forcing Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others backward in awed reverence.

“Is this an elixir?” the Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor exclaimed in shock.

“Of course it’s an elixir!” Cloud-in-Black Immortal adopted a look suggesting they were overly alarmed and naive. He lightly tapped the Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir. “This was refined by the Grandmaster himself after slaying an Innate Great Sage from another world. He took the Sage’s original embryonic membrane, combined it with all its core vital blood and primal spirit, and fused it with countless heavenly and earthly spiritual treasures to create this supreme elixir.”

Swallowing hard, Cloud-in-Black Immortal stated gravely, “Consuming this elixir will immediately grant you an Innate Sacred Body!”

The eyes of the assembled Grand Unity Golden Immortals turned green with greed. They stared fixedly at the rapidly spinning golden light and the strange beast within, holding their breath.

The Innate Sacred Body—the progenitor form bred in the Primordial Chaos Stars, the ultimate Dao physique yearned for by all cultivators! Possessing supreme offensive power, unparalleled defense, and incredibly strong spiritual energy absorption, this physical body alone could effortlessly contend with an ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Cloud-in-Black Immortal looked down at his new disciples with satisfaction, boasting boastfully, “Every Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir contains the supreme magical power equivalent to twelve eons of cultivation! Hmph. How many years have you all been cultivating? Many of you only began practicing after that great cosmic upheaval, didn’t you?”

Yuan Luo Tianzun and the others hastily nodded, bobbing their heads like chicks pecking grain, nearly snapping their necks. Indeed, ninety-nine percent of those present had only begun cultivating after the cataclysmic change—the invasion of the Innate Great Sages from another world. Even someone like Tian Yuan Xiaonan, the Young Lord of the Three Divine Palaces, hadn't cultivated for even a full Yuanhui.

Twelve eons of supreme magical power! Even Yuan Luo Tianzun, the most senior among them, hadn't cultivated for that long. To receive such a treasure immediately upon joining the Jie Sect—being a disciple here was truly worthwhile!

A sense of willingness to die for a benefactor instantly surged through the assembled immortals, their loyalty to the Jie Sect soaring to its peak.

Cloud-in-Black Immortal nodded in satisfaction and tossed the Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir to Yuan Luo Tianzun. Yuan Luo Tianzun respectfully received the elixir, performed the full ritual of three kowtows and nine bows to Cloud-in-Black Immortal, then solemnly turned heavenward to thank Grandmaster Tongtian for refining the pill. Finally, he exhaled a stream of vital essence from his core to envelop the elixir.

Since Yuan Luo Tianzun and the other immortals were currently in the form of residual spirits, the method of taking the elixir differed from that of those possessing physical bodies.

After wrapping the Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir in his core vital essence, the pill instantly transformed into a swirling mass of purple-gold spiritual energy that flooded into Yuan Luo Tianzun’s divine soul. Yuan Luo Tianzun let out a simultaneous cry of comfort and pain, then immediately sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, emitting absolutely no aura.

The Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor and the others, crowding anxiously around Yuan Luo Tianzun, clearly perceived a terrifying power coalescing inside him, a power hundreds of times stronger than his own former cultivation. His semi-transparent spirit body gradually regained its fleshy color. In the blink of an eye, a flawless physical body rapidly took shape, every strand of his beard appearing meticulously defined and elegantly flowing.

The elixir refined by Grandmaster Tongtian caused no major external phenomena upon consumption. After only an hour, Yuan Luo Tianzun leaped up and casually punched the void before him.

With a deafening whum, the small world constituted by Cloud-in-Black Immortal’s Golden Nose Spirit Turtle core and his own vital essence nearly suffered a gaping hole from the punch. Cloud-in-Black Immortal quickly cursed a few times before the utterly ecstatic Yuan Luo Tianzun stopped.

All the immortals looked at Yuan Luo Tianzun with a mixture of envy and jealousy. He was too powerful; this new physical body was overwhelmingly strong. The sheer physical might of this body alone rivaled Yuan Luo Tianzun’s peak strength in his prime, not to mention the twelve eons of immense magical power now contained within—a truly fearsome concept.

Cloud-in-Black Immortal then presented an even greater surprise to the immortals. He casually drew out a jade booklet and handed it to Yuan Luo Tianzun. “Stop flaunting your brute strength! We cultivators rely on channeling the power of heaven and earth to enact supreme mysteries; what good is brute force?”

The first volume of the Shangqing Spirit Treasure Scripture was thus easily placed into Yuan Luo Tianzun’s hands.

Yuan Luo Tianzun eagerly channeled his divine sense into the jade booklet, scanning its contents. The countless subtle truths of the Heavenly Dao and the profound ultimate meanings contained within caused his entire being to tremble. He involuntarily knelt before Cloud-in-Black Immortal, sincerely kowtowing and repeatedly addressing him as “Honored Master!”

This was the secret doctrine of the Jie Sect’s supreme heavenly truth, inaccessible to ordinary beings. Which immortal, aside from the disciples of the ancient Saints, could possess such karmic fortune to encounter such marvelous universal principles?

Merely by casually browsing the profound principles recorded in the jade booklet, Yuan Luo Tianzun felt his cultivation suddenly advance a small step, hinting at an imminent breakthrough beyond the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. A stream of purple-gold energy shot out from the crown of his head, and a hazy figure drifted out.

Having been stuck at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm for countless years, Yuan Luo Tianzun managed to 'sever a corpse' simply by glimpsing the Shangqing Spirit Treasure Scripture.

Seeing this, Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor, Purple Eye Roc King, Jade Staff Old Man, and other immortals whose cultivation level was comparable to Yuan Luo Tianzun immediately knelt upon the lotus platforms, begging Cloud-in-Black Immortal for a similar opportunity.

Cloud-in-Black Immortal smiled and agreed to their requests, producing one Nine Revolutions Spirit God Elixir after another to bestow upon them.

Yuan Luo Tianzun became the chief disciple under Cloud-in-Black Immortal and was tasked with transmitting the Shangqing Spirit Treasure Scripture to his fellow disciples.

As the Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor and others consumed their elixirs, Cloud-in-Black Immortal began an immediate sermon using his silver tongue, expounding upon the subtle arts of Shangqing word by word. His current cultivation and magical power had reached an unimaginable level. When he began preaching, true celestial flowers rained down, and golden showers fell from the void. Spiritual light faintly permeated the space, and the Scarlet Blood Demon Ancestor and the others swayed, their cultivation steadily rising as they listened.

As he was detailing the benefits, this small world suddenly shuddered, and an immense power slammed against its edge.

A cold, merciless shout echoed into the space: “Which hidden master dares to conceal themselves and spy on our activities?”

With a tremendous crack, a hundred-mile-long fissure tore open in Cloud-in-Black Immortal’s world, and the pitch-black Chamunda strode in. After coldly surveying the surroundings, Chamunda immediately launched a dart toward Cloud-in-Black Immortal. For future developments, please log in to Xin, for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading! B