The years passed without notice. After establishing the Heart-Linking Talisman across the icy prisons of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths and the seas of blood, Gu Xiechen focused entirely on retreating within the Spiral Star Domain, cultivating behind closed doors day in and day out.

The eighty-four thousand Innate Star Lords of the Heavens were extraordinarily attentive to the cultivation of their Supreme Venerable. Whenever Gu Xiechen had a need, the power of the entire firmament would sometimes be prioritized for him, pushing his magical prowess to a non-human level.

His Dao attainment had long surpassed that of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal; he was already at the level of the former True Monarch of the Great Moon. Now, fueled by the cost-no-object infusion of stellar energy from the Heavenly Zhou system, in just over three hundred years, Gu Xiechen’s magic power smoothly broke through to the Mid-stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, soaring immediately to the High-stage.

Achieving High-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal after cultivating for scarcely over ten thousand years. Since the creation of the heavens and earth, Gu Xiechen was the sole anomaly to accomplish this.

He endured forty-nine years of ascetic seclusion, followed by a year intertwined with Fu Ya?Ming in the singular pursuit of creating life. Three hundred years had passed, yet Fu Ya?Ming’s belly had still not swelled.

Regarding this matter, the couple would gaze at each other with concern whenever they had a spare moment, utterly perplexed as to how to resolve it.

Such a private issue was difficult to mention to others. How a Grand Unity Golden Immortal level expert could conceive a child was an extremely cutting-edge, high-difficulty problem. Even someone like the True Monarch of the Great Moon had never been in love, nor had they studied the profound mysteries involved; they could only rely on the couple racking their brains to ponder the subtle principles of the Heavenly Dao and the essence of the Great Dao, and success seemed unlikely in the short term.

Frustrated by this matter, Gu Xiechen was choked with pent-up, sinister energy with no outlet. Suddenly receiving news transmitted from the Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon, he immediately threw back his head and laughed three times. He excitedly bid farewell to Fu Ya?Ming, gathered Peng Hua and several other calamity-bringing Demon Kings and troublemaking Years who were already simmering with restlessness, and eagerly descended into the Cold Prison.

With a swift beam of light, Gu Xiechen rushed to Iron Spine Mountain at the fastest possible speed. From afar, he saw a mass of yellow clouds and fiery sand encircling and trapping the main peak of Iron Spine Mountain. Countless demonic winds and dark thunders descended like raindrops, frantically battering the mountain-guarding formation, which looked so fragile it seemed it could shatter with a single breath.

The mountain-guarding formation Gu Xiechen had set up back then was supremely mischievous. The formation responded to the intensity of external attacks by being precisely one thread stronger than the external assault each time. The yellow cloud and fiery sand swept down, the demonic winds and dark thunders shot downward—every wave of attack looked as if it could shatter the protective light shield emitted by the formation. The shield appeared several times thinner than a soap bubble, yet it stubbornly lacked that single sliver of power needed to break through.

However, the demons besieging Iron Spine Mountain were unaware of this subtle mechanism. They truly believed that just a little more effort would allow them to breach the formation, and each one exerted their maximum strength to attack. It was comical to watch these demons, strained by overexertion, panting and rolling their eyes back, their body hair soaked with sweat.

Chuckling mischievously, Gu Xiechen allowed this group of unfortunate demons to waste their energy outside while he, bringing Ming Hua and the others, executed an Earth Evasion Technique, slipping into Iron Spine Mountain through a gate he had deliberately left when setting up the formation.

The Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon waited for Gu Xiechen by the gate. As soon as Gu Xiechen entered the grand formation, the Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon burrowed back into Gu Xiechen’s Sea of Consciousness, and he instantly learned of all the changes on Iron Spine Mountain over the years.

In over three hundred years, Hong Ya and the other six young wolf demons had received the full assistance of the Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon, who spared no effort in using the Dark Moon Mystic Pearl to temper their bodies and lay their foundations. Furthermore, the technique of Primordial Spirit Manifestation was used to elevate their cultivation realms. The six former little monsters were now dignified Twelfth-rank Golden Immortals.

Besides them, the changes on Iron Spine Mountain included the demon troops increasing more than tenfold, growing from the original twenty-odd thousand Immortal Demons to over three million. Aided by the vast quantities of immortal weapons and armor forged by the Nine Nether Dao, the demon troops of Iron Spine Mountain were exceptionally elite, subtly surpassing the strength of neighboring major and minor factions.

Aside from Iron Spine Mountain, the Black Cloud Ridge and Poisonous Mountain in the east, and the Fire Earth Peak and Verdant Pine Mountain in the south, had all had their demon courts secretly pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Wolf Palace. Seven or eight other demon factions allied with the Heavenly Wolf Palace as well. Iron Spine Mountain was already emerging as the most potentially powerful force within a radius of millions of miles.

Entering the formation, the eyes of everyone present lit up. Before Gu Xiechen and his party appeared a landscape of magnificent scenery, clear waters, beautiful mountains, and bright sunshine.

In the void simulated by Daoist magic, a sun shone brilliantly, illuminating all directions. While the void was a simulated illusion, this sun was a real one, a mere incarnation of one of the Star Lords, sufficient to provide adequate light and heat for this thousand-mile-wide paradise.

The scenery was lush, the vegetation luxuriant, with gently sloping hills stretching into the distance, dotted everywhere with small streams, pavilions, and homesteads. Well-mannered demon immortals, dressed impeccably like learned Confucian scholars, were either visiting friends, silently reciting Daoist texts under the shade of trees, practicing spells in the void, or simply wandering about in groups playing and laughing—a picture of true immortal bliss.

The spiritual energy here was extraordinarily abundant. Pale violet mist rose from the earth and mingled with the dense silver light cast down from the sky, transforming into a fine, purple-silver mist that showered down, nourishing this world into vibrant life. Even the moss beneath the trees was exceptionally plump; the spiritual energy was so rich it could rival the finest immortal herbs in the mortal realm.

Seeing Gu Xiechen and his group approach, all the demon immortals along the way bowed deeply, shouting praises for the Grand Consecrator repeatedly.

Immediately after, a beam of golden light shot up from a distance, and Xin Long’er rushed over on a cloud of gold, bowing down on the cloud mass as soon as he spotted Gu Xiechen from afar.

Gu Xiechen quickly smiled, “You’ve worked hard these past few years; no need for such ceremony, Mother!” Following this, six slightly smaller golden lights shot toward the void—the six brothers of Hong Ya hurtled over on their cloud masses. Seeing Gu Xiechen, they knew the true body of the Grand Consecrator had arrived, and even from a distance...

The six brothers of Hong Ya were now Twelfth-rank Golden Immortals, possessing strength in the upper echelon of that rank. They had long since shed their half-man, half-wolf demonic forms, transforming into six vigorous, heroic, and spirited young men who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. They were clad in full immortal armor and robes, wearing an immortal sword at their waists and carrying an eight-foot-long spear—a truly imposing sight, radiating an air of immortal grace.

Looking upon the six brothers of Hong Ya with satisfaction, Gu Xiechen knew by their current achievements how the others on Iron Spine Mountain had progressed over the past three centuries. He praised them, stroking Xin Long’er’s head, and smiled, “Good, Long’er, you truly are capable. And, where is Kuan’er?”

Upon mentioning Xin Long’er, Xin Long’er’s face became somewhat awkward. He hesitated for a moment before giving a wry smile, “He’s up there, swearing.”

Eh? Swearing up there? Gu Xiechen laughed. He hurriedly led his group swiftly out of this small domain, following a straight passage leading to the main residence of Iron Spine Mountain. After just a few breaths, they arrived at the platform outside the Iron Spine Mountain dwelling.

On the vast platform stood a dozen or so small demons, ranging in cultivation from Golden Core to Nascent Soul stage—they hadn't fully shed their animal features yet. Some had rat heads, others dragged long weasel tails, waving their hands animatedly while carrying piles of scrap metal. Led by Xin Kuan’er, they were loudly cursing the demons attacking the Iron Spine Mountain formation from outside.

When Gu Xiechen arrived, Xin Kuan’er was in the full flow of his tirade. He was enthusiastically recounting alleged illicit physical relationships between the grandmothers and mothers of those demons and himself, Xin Kuan’er, and eagerly anticipating future, equally unethical, pure physical friendships with the daughters and granddaughters of these demons.

While greeting the female relatives of the demons, Xin Kuan’er also vowed that their male relatives were all merely minor demons cultivated from a single fart he had released—meaning, he claimed to have created these demons with one of his farts.

Considering all these factors, the attacking demons were all his 'grand-grandsons' (), and they ought to be kneeling and kowtowing to him three hundred times, calling him 'Ancestor Grandpa.' To dare attack their own ancestor’s dwelling as mere grand-grandsons—wasn't that sheer rebellion?

Xin Kuan’er’s curses were vile, and the small demons added fuel to the fire, embellishing Xin Kuan’er’s words to make them even more piercing. Truly, every word was a knife, and every sound a sword, infuriating the attacking demons until they convulsed and nearly fainted.

Watching Xin Kuan’er, who had suppressed his aura down to the early Celestial Immortal stage, Gu Xiechen burst into laughter, “Kuan’er, you are so naughty!”

Hearing Gu Xiechen’s laughter, Xin Kuan’er quickly turned around to salute him. He kicked the backside of a weasel spirit who was still shouting curses, driving the group of little demons back into the dwelling. He then grinned and sidled up to Gu Xiechen, chuckling softly, “Kuan’er was just playing with them, right? Anyway, since they can’t break our mountain formation, wouldn’t it be a waste not to have some fun?”

Patting Xin Kuan’er’s forehead, Gu Xiechen asked with a smile, “Did they mention their origins or background?”

Xin Kuan’er pursed his lips. Just as he was about to speak, Hong Ya, who was standing by respectfully, interjected, “They are fiends from Blood Soul Ridge, the sworn enemies of Iron Spine Mountain. For these hundreds of years, our Heavenly Wolf Palace has been expanding our influence under the guise of Iron Spine Mountain. They realized something was amiss, so they gathered a group of demons and came looking for trouble.”

Gu Xiechen nodded; so, it was the enemies of the original Mountain Lord of Iron Spine Mountain!

Although the Heavenly Wolf Palace had occupied the foundation of Iron Spine Mountain, the name 'Heavenly Wolf Palace' hadn't truly become known. Outsiders still believed that the current Iron Spine Mountain was the original one, and that the brothers Hong Ya who were in charge were merely disciples of the old Mountain Lord.

In recent years, the Heavenly Wolf Palace’s power had grown rapidly. Besides the four factions that submitted, several other powers had allied with Iron Spine Mountain. The Lord of Blood Soul Ridge, the Blood Fox Demon, realizing the situation was wrong, and perhaps spending a great price to seize the initiative, invited Demon Kings from over a dozen peaks. Two days prior, they collectively attacked Iron Spine Mountain.

The demons attacking the formation totaled over five hundred thousand. Among the few dozen leading demons, the highest cultivation belonged to two early Taiyi Golden Immortals—one a demon cultivator and the other a demonic cultivator. Under the vision of Gu Xiechen’s Reincarnation Eye, the demon cultivator’s true form was a black dove, and the demonic cultivator’s technique leaned toward the blood-slaughtering demonic path, carrying a hint of sinister, icy coldness within.

Such a force alone was insufficient to pique Gu Xiechen’s interest. If these two Taiyi Golden Immortals were not subordinates of Iron Stone Ancestor—the overlord of this territory encompassing billions of miles around the Cold Prison—the Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon would not have notified Gu Xiechen to handle the matter; he would have simply reduced this rabble of demons to ashes.

Iron Stone Ancestor was universally acknowledged to possess the cultivation of a Mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, a truly famous major figure in the Cold Prison.

What this old demon’s true form was remains unknown to anyone; what technique he cultivated is also unknown. People only knew he was utterly lecherous; whether it was a beautiful woman or a handsome man, if they caught his eye, he would snatch them back to his palace for his enjoyment.

Aside from his obsession with 'lust,' this old demon had no other pursuits. Even the grand campaign launched by the united overlords of various regions into the mortal realm did not tempt him; he stayed solely within his territory, commanding tens of thousands of major and minor peaks, millions of caverns, and tens of millions of Demon Kings and Fiend Kings, indulging completely in carnal pleasures.

Rashly clashing with the disciples of Iron Stone Ancestor would conflict with Gu Xiechen’s long-term plan. The Primordial Spirit of the Great Moon could not handle this issue, so it urgently summoned Gu Xiechen.

Gu Xiechen pondered for a moment, pulled Hong Ya over, and presented him with a talisman refined from Dark Moon Stone… and briefly explained the situation. Hong Ya’s eyes lit up, and he immediately shot into the sky on a gust of demonic wind. With a flicker, he exited the mountain formation and flung his spear, slamming a Tenth-rank Golden Immortal, a demon immortal transformed from a wild boar, over a hundred miles away.

The ugly wild boar spirit had been enthusiastically grabbing handfuls of yellow sand and throwing it continuously at the Iron Spine Mountain formation. This sand was a refined magical item; once thrown, it transformed into a towering dust cloud carrying countless chaotic Earth Element lightning bolts that slammed down. Moreover, the sand had been tempered with the saliva of various venomous insects, meaning the dust carried a potent poison that would damage the physical bodies of ordinary immortals upon contact.

No one expected anyone from Iron Spine Mountain to actively fight. The boar spirit saw a flash of light before his eyes, and a long spear slanted toward him. The shaft of the spear suddenly vibrated. It felt as if his chest and abdomen had been struck by a wolf-tooth club; spitting blood, he tumbled away, flying far into the distant mountain forest.

With a cold sneer, Hong Ya held his spear across his chest and shouted toward the two leading immortals—one demon, one fiend—“Are the two seniors disciples of Iron Stone Ancestor? Junior Hong Ya pays his respects!”

The two immortals, clad in black Daoist robes, with a fist-sized rock pattern intricately etched in silver thread on their chests, exchanged a look and simultaneously shouted, “Stop!”

The yellow wind, poisonous sand, demonic winds, and violent thunders continuously attacking the Iron Spine Mountain formation in the void all ceased. A jumble of demons surrounded Hong Ya from all directions, trapping him securely at the core.

Among these demons, a Fox Demoness, with hair, eyebrows, and pupils all fiery red, possessed a gentle, captivating, and unparalleled beauty, shouted sharply, “Hong Ya, who do you think you are? Tell that cowardly old mountain cat from Iron Spine Mountain to come out and talk to Big Master!”

This fox demoness, who looked like a maiden of fifteen or sixteen with fur the color of scarlet, was the Lord of Blood Soul Ridge, the Blood Fox Demon. However, Hong Ya had met the Blood Fox Demon before; although he was beautiful, he was dressed in men’s attire. But the Blood Fox Demon before him today was wearing a cloak of brilliant scarlet, beneath which was a set of pink palace robes!

Pink. Palace silks!

This Blood Fox Demon was dressed as a woman!

Suddenly recalling certain unpleasant hobbies of Iron Stone Ancestor, Hong Ya shuddered violently.

Peng Hua, watching the battle below, also shivered violently, grabbing a handful of goosebumps. He whispered to Siren, who stood nearby with an ugly expression, “This damned fox spirit is much prettier than you, you dead hermaphrodite. Hey, Siren, why don’t you try dressing as a woman?”

Siren’s face changed drastically, and he immediately drew his Fate Sword, pointing it at Peng Hua as if to strike.

Gu Xiechen shook his head, voluntarily retreating a few steps, creating space between Siren and Peng Hua, letting the two glare at each other and squabble.

In mid-air, the horrified Hong Ya stared blankly at the Blood Fox Demon for a long time before stammering vaguely, “The Mountain Cat King... he already, he already...”

Stuttering a few times, Hong Ya slowly calmed down. He fixed his eerie green eyes on the Blood Fox Demon and spoke word by word, “The Mountain Cat King is no longer the master of Iron Spine Mountain. Now, the master of Iron Spine Mountain is my brothers and I, the six of us!”

The Blood Fox Demon froze for a moment, and the Demon Kings and Fiend Kings from the surrounding peaks laughed in unison.

A demon king, cultivated from an iron kite, whose peak Golden Immortal cultivation was revealed, pointed at Hong Ya and roared with laughter, “ (Child/Doll), with your meager cultivation, you dare claim to be the master of Iron Spine Mountain? Hahaha, the old mountain cat, despite being timid, at least had cultivation comparable to this King. Him being the master of Iron Spine Mountain was acceptable, but as for you...”

Hong Ya glared coldly at the Golden Immortal Iron Kite. He turned and retrieved the Thunder Talisman gifted by Gu Xiechen, channeling his true energy into the rune.

With a muffled sound, a white beam, thick as a bean, shot from Hong Ya’s hand. Hong Ya’s body shook, thrown back two or three miles by the recoil.

The Iron Kite was still roaring with laughter when the white light suddenly struck him. A wave of water roared out in the void, and several hundred soybean-sized Yin Thunders formed amidst roaring sounds, rapidly attaching themselves to the Iron Kite. Then came a soft, sharp explosion.

Blood spurted, flesh turned to ash. The physical body of the Iron Kite was annihilated under the concentrated bombardment of the Yin Thunders, leaving only a wisp of his Divine Soul hovering in the air, stunned.

The hundreds of thousands of fiercely laughing demon immortals and fiends suddenly fell silent. They looked at Hong Ya with awe; not a single one dared to speak another word.

In the Cold Prison, the one with the biggest fist is king. Hong Ya had just destroyed the physical body of a peak Golden Immortal demon immortal with one strike. Among the dozens of true demons and fiends present, only the two Taiyi Golden Immortals dared to speak to him now.

The Blood Fox Demon retreated in panic several steps, grabbing the sleeve of the black dove demon immortal and crying out, “Senior Brother, Senior Brother, you must uphold justice for me!”

In his terror, the Blood Fox Demon’s voice abruptly took on a feminine quality.

The black dove lunged forward several steps, pointing at Hong Ya and shouting sternly, “Junior, what cruelty!”

He abruptly snatched the Divine Soul of the Iron Kite immortal, and the black dove grinned horribly as he shoved it into his mouth.

Mumbling while chewing the Iron Kite’s Divine Soul, the black dove rasped, “Enough nonsense. Today, the lineage of Iron Spine Mountain must be utterly exterminated.”

Hong Ya was furious and was just about to activate the Thunder Talisman to attack the black dove when the mountain formation suddenly split open... a...

Mouth.

Gu Xiechen, having concealed his aura to just the peak of the Celestial Immortal stage, flew out with a cheerful smile.

“Gentlemen Immortals, harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!”