The Ironwater Black Stone Mountain stretched for two hundred million li, an endless expanse where strange peaks and bizarre waters emerged endlessly, with demonic clouds swirling amidst the towering ridges and malevolent energy soaring up from the hidden ravines. Within this colossal mountain range, who knew how many fully cultivated Demonesses were concealed, or how many ancient relics lay hidden?

True to its name, the water in this mountain range spanning two hundred million li was pitch-black, like flowing bronze and iron, absorbing all light without the slightest reflection. The stones of the mountain were utterly black as well; across the vast mountain range, not a single stone or patch of soil of a different hue could be found.

Even the ubiquitous flora in the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain consisted only of bizarre Iron Pines. Each tree soared a thousand zhang high, with a girth requiring nearly a hundred people to encircle, stabbing the heavens like iron lances. The bark of the pines was mottled and gnarled; the bark of some exceedingly ancient pines was so black it verged on purple. Dragon-like vines coiled around these massive, ancient timbers, projecting an aura of primordial age that washed over anyone viewing them from afar.

Perhaps due to the soil and water, apart from the strange Iron Pines, no other trees could be seen in the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain. As for the fine grasses, mosses, and creeping vines growing beneath the giant pines, they too were predominantly black. The occasional sporadic splashes of colored flora were frail and insignificant.

It was a cold, pitch-black mountain range, devoid of any warmth, so oppressive it made one long to slit their own throat.

Not only the great mountain, but the demons patrolling the ridges also wore grim masks, their faces carved from slabs of iron—rigid and utterly expressionless. Their eyeballs barely moved; when they regarded someone, their gaze was startlingly direct.

Gu Xiechen even wondered if these demons had become psychologically twisted under the immense pressure. He maliciously speculated on how many cases of fratricide occurred annually among the demons under Patriarch Tieshi, or how many demons chose to commit suicide each year.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere and the bleak, black scenery, the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain was a domain for cultivation. Whether the underground spirit veins were naturally formed or deliberately manipulated, the entire two-hundred-million-li range rested atop an immeasurably vast spirit nexus. Dense spiritual energy rolled up from beneath the earth, condensing into great chunks of spirit stones beneath many rocks, while more energy dripped from the leaves and slid off the stones like water beads.

With such rich spiritual energy, it was clear that the demons here achieved cultivation results with twice the effect for half the effort. Given guidance from skilled Daoist arts, it would be difficult for any demon here to have mediocre cultivation.

Thinking of Dao Xiao's matter, Gu Wuchen hastily and secretly activated his Samsara Dharma Eye to spy upon the lesser and greater demons along the way. With one look, Gu Xiechen’s heart leaped in shock: the heavily armored demons he observed practiced magical arts and divine powers that were anything but ordinary.

In fact, the Daoist techniques practiced by the Immortals of Yuanluo Palace that Gu Wuchen had witnessed seemed less profound and refined than what these demons were practicing.

The closer Gu Wuchen approached the core of the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain, the stronger the cultivation of the demons became, and the more exquisite their techniques. Some demons hidden within mountain caves emitted not mottled, impure demonic qi, but pure, condensed immortal qi. Moreover, emanating from a few of the cave dwellings were wisps of Buddhist aura.

Gu Xiechen and Fu Ya 7Ming spent their days together; they could never mistake that Buddhist aura. Furthermore, through Gu Xiechen's Dharma Eye, the Buddhist techniques practiced by the demons within the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain seemed several grades superior to the Buddhist divine powers inherited by the Buddhist cultivators of Huiyan Great Snow Mountain.

This Black Stone Patriarch, he’s certainly interesting.

Gu Xiechen curved his lips into a smile, yet his heart suddenly felt heavy. What was the origin of this old fellow? He had chosen this territory because he assumed the Patriarch was a soft target for his endeavors, but what if he had charged straight into a massive iron plate? That would be awkward.

However, it didn't matter. If the Black Stone Patriarch truly was a large iron plate, he would simply summon the Corpse Emperor to confront him head-on. With the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation inside, the Ten Absolute Array outside, plus the Heavenly Net Grand Array for a full assault, refining the Black Stone Patriarch would be feasible.

Gu Wuchen possessed such confidence now. Peak Great Unity Golden Immortal? What was so fearsome about that? At worst, this fellow was merely a chess piece left behind in the Icy Hell by some other party, and a mere chess piece did not warrant Gu Wuchen’s concern.

With his plan settled, the expression on Gu Wuchen's face grew colder. Guohua, who knew Gu Xiechen best, glanced at him in surprise. He sensed wisps of killing intent emanating from Gu Xiechen, which did not align with the plan they had set upon arriving.

The Ironwater Black Stone Mountain was heavily fortified. After nearly a hundred inspections and being handed over by more than a dozen different guiding demons, Gu Wuchen and his party finally reached the mountain's core.

The core of the two-hundred-million-li Ironwater Black Stone Mountain was a vast, pitch-black ocean, its expanse at least ten million li across. In the center of this sea stood a solitary peak, thrusting abruptly upward.

The base of the black solitary peak was less than ten li in circumference, resembling a giant mushroom; it grew wider the higher it went. At an altitude of about a thousand qian li above the sea level, the peak spanned three thousand li across, subtly forming a sizable landmass.

On this huge, circular landmass, the entire area was covered in the black Iron Pines and vines, maintaining that frustratingly dark vista.

And precisely in the center of the black pine forest stood a rigidly square palace complex, constructed from rough, black stones. Its style and construction methods were so crude as to be indescribable. This complex comprised ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine halls of varying sizes, all perfectly square, as if stamped from a single mold. Between the halls lay squares paved with black stone.

The palace complex bore no embellishment, no decoration; it simply stood nakedly exposed. Across the complex, nearly a thousand li wide and long, not a single blade of grass grew. As far as the eye could see, there were only rough, black stone lumps.

Gu Xiechen flew closer to the palace group from the high altitude. With his sharp eyesight, he spotted a line of pretty maidservants, all wearing similar attire, accompanying a young woman in black robes—who also wore a deadpan expression—as they walked with stiff, mechanical steps from one hall toward another.

Whether maids or the young woman, their expressions were as rigid as stone, their eyes devoid of any feeling. They moved like a procession of the walking dead, maintaining perfectly uniform steps, each stride measuring exactly the same distance as they slowly traversed the pitch-black square.

Fortunately, the midday sun shone brightly, flooding the area with intense light. If this were midnight, and such a group of women suddenly appeared, Gu Xiechen surmised his first reaction would be to strike them down with a bolt of dark lightning, without a moment's hesitation.

If not for the probing of his divine sense confirming these women were living beings, all possessing cultivation at the Golden Immortal level, Gu Wuchen would have genuinely believed them to be a host of specters.

The guiding demon led Gu Xiechen and his party down onto the massive square before the palaces. A large throng of helmeted and armored demons poured out from the surrounding black pine forest, staring hostilely at Gu Xiechen and his group.

The guiding demon ordered that the eight thousand accompanying demon soldiers remain on the plaza, and then led Gu Wuchen, Guohua, and Siren into the palace complex.

Gu Xiechen smiled, unconcerned, ordering his accompanying soldiers not to cause trouble, and then followed the guide into the palace.

The injured Grizzly Bear Demon, the Black Pigeon Immortal, and the Blood Fox Demon also followed, each staring at Gu Wuchen with eyes sharp as knives.

Upon entering the palace complex, Gu Xiechen felt a sudden heaviness envelop him. The spiritual energy within the halls had become bizarre. The qi of the Wutu (Earth) element in the air aggressively expelled all other elemental qi. All that could be sensed was an incredibly dense, heavy Wutu spiritual energy that threatened to suffocate.

In other blessed lands, Wutu spiritual energy, while heavy, carried the vitality that nurtures and supports all things. But the Wutu qi within this Black Stone Palace was dry, utterly lacking moisture, like sand that had been baked under the sun for a hundred years—heavy, dense, and flavorless.

The guiding demon and the Grizzly Bear Demon trailing behind also stiffened their faces. They seemed to have stopped breathing altogether, moving forward slowly with perfectly synchronized steps. A strange rhythm governed this palace complex. Gu Xiechen was astonished to realize that the frequency and stride length of these demons’ steps were identical to those of the group of women he had observed from afar. The Black Stone Patriarch had grasped some rule of the Heavenly Dao that permeated this palace group.

Within this complex, if one’s strength did not surpass that of the Black Stone Patriarch, one would naturally be constrained by the rules he comprehended, likely leading to assimilation. This was something far more terrifying than a Primordial Spirit restriction. Once assimilated with the Black Stone Patriarch, one became an extension of his body, entirely subject to his control, with no capacity for independent will.

This old monster—Gu Xiechen felt a wave of terror. He hurriedly and secretly shielded himself with the Mysterious Yellow Qi of Heaven and Earth, and seized the moment to infuse Guohua and Siren with a stream of pure Profound Yellow Qi.

Guohua and Siren, who had nearly started marching in time with the demons’ pace, suddenly felt a lightness around them. They exchanged looks of dread but stayed close to Gu Xiechen without daring to let their guard down, following his feigned imitation of the demons’ movements. Under Gu Wuchen’s deliberate control, their steps became identical to those of the other demons.

A cold, contemptuous laugh echoed through the void. The voice of the Black Stone Patriarch drifted down, "Honored guests arrive. Heh heh heh, welcome, welcome!"

Ahead lay the largest hall in the complex, fronted by three layers of massive black stone gates, guarded on either side by several thousand robust, armored great demons. As the Black Stone Patriarch laughed, several demons strode forward and slowly pushed open the main central gate.

Gu Xiechen strode confidently through the main entrance, passing through three sets of massive doors until he reached the threshold of the hundred-zhang-high grand hall. Immediately, Gu Xiechen heard strange moans and impact sounds, as if some violent activity was taking place within.

Guarding the entrance were two rows: on the left, nearly a hundred stunningly beautiful maids, and on the right, nearly a hundred handsome, alluring male attendants. The maids were scantily clad, exposing large expanses of pale skin, while the male attendants wore only a light sash wrapped around their waists, barely covering their awkward areas.

Guohua and Siren stared fixedly at the line of maids, nearly drooling.

If they hadn't known an ancient demon of unfathomable power resided inside, they surely would have abandoned restraint and rushed forward to "exchange life insights" with these serving maids.

Upon seeing Gu Wuchen’s party, the maids and male attendants approached gracefully, swaying like willows in the wind, before slowly pushing open the heavy hall doors.

Although Gu Xiechen found using the word pìngpīngtīngtīng (graceful/slender) to describe the male attendants jarring, their movements could only be described with that term.

As the doors opened, a foul stench—a mixture of sweat and a certain peculiar bodily fluid—assaulted their senses. This strange odor was mixed with the heavy scent of strong perfume, dizzying them. Inside the brightly lit hall, hundreds of naked men and women lay on the floor, uttering soft cries.

Nine figures, no taller than three feet, skeletal and hunched like mountain apes, darted about the hall, cackling incessantly as they galloped across the bodies of these men and women. A bizarre aura, a confluence of the five paths—Demon, Devil, Immortal, Buddha, and Ghost—constantly emanated from these nine pitch-black, strange figures.

The Blood Fox Demon, who had been closely following Gu Xiechen’s rear, suddenly let out a sharp, mournful shriek. He staggered into the hall, tumbling several times before weeping as he embraced one of the black figures. "Patriarch, you must deliver justice for Huiji!"

The Blood Fox Demon hugged the figure tightly, holding him close like a doting mother clutching her beloved child, rubbing the figure’s head against his flat chest.

Gu Xiechen felt a numbness spread to his fingers. He suddenly felt the urge to summon the Pangu Banner or some other Innate Supreme Treasure and obliterate the entire Ironwater Black Stone Mountain in one blow. This Black Stone Patriarch was definitely a monstrosity!

It was not the man's lustfulness that bothered Gu Wuchen; even if he preferred men, that was his personal preference, and Gu Wuchen wouldn't interfere. Even if he liked to enjoy his concubines together, that was his hobby and irrelevant to Gu Wuchen.

But the display from the Blood Fox Demon—a male monster—made Gu Wuchen feel physically sick.

Forcing down the impulse to kill the Black Stone Patriarch, Gu Xiechen sneered coldly, "Black Stone Patriarch, is this how you welcome distinguished guests?"

A sudden cold wind swept through the hall, and all the naked men and women instantly vanished. The Black Stone Patriarch’s nine clones converged, transforming into a single old man, eight feet tall, skin pitch-black, bearing an ancient appearance, sporting two long whiskers beneath his jaw, and radiating oppressive demonic qi.

The hall, previously filled only with human flesh, suddenly manifested a throne and two rows of grand chairs. The Black Stone Patriarch, clad in black Daoist robes, sat upon the throne and slowly gestured toward the grand chair to his right: "Honored guests have arrived. Please, be seated!" The Blood Fox Demon, showing a lack of sense, lunged forward again, trying to cling to the Black Stone Patriarch’s leg to continue his lament.

A cruel, ferocious smile flickered across the Black Stone Patriarch's face. He casually pinched the Blood Fox Demon’s neck and hissed, "Nonsense!"

Crack. The Blood Fox Demon’s neck shattered, spraying blood and gore. The Black Stone Patriarch, his expression unchanged, pulled out the demon’s soul, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it. A few maids, accustomed to the scene, stepped forward carrying various utensils, wiping the floor covered in blood and pulp until it was spotless.

Gu Xiechen nodded, walked directly into the hall, and slowly took a seat in the first grand chair to the Black Stone Patriarch’s right. "Tea? Wine? Blood plasma?" The Black Stone Patriarch let out a few dry chuckles and focused his gaze on Gu Xiechen.

"Tea!" Gu Xiechen replied with a faint smile, tossing the black bead he held earlier toward the Black Stone Patriarch.

Waving his hand and shouting 'Serve tea!', the Black Stone Patriarch unceremoniously caught the black bead and examined it closely. Several streams of pure Daoist immortal power sprayed from his fingertips, gently enveloping the bead without allowing the True Yang Fire sealed within to touch his own skin.

That True Yang Fire could only be contained by Daoist immortal arts; any method from the Demon, Devil, or Ghost paths would only result in self-harm. Gu Xiechen observed the few strands of pure immortal energy on the Black Stone Patriarch's hand, secretly nodding. It was pure Yuqing immortal energy; it suggested he practiced orthodox techniques from the Jie teaching lineage to achieve such cultivation. What was the origin of this old fellow?

"If I'm not mistaken, this is a bead forged from Solar Essence. Heh, the restrictions within are as numerous as the sands of the Milky Way—tsk, tsk, the person who refined this bead is truly remarkable. Furthermore, they all utilized ancient restriction methods. Remarkable, truly remarkable!"

The Black Stone Patriarch cackled a few times, then asked Gu Wuchen with a smile, "Daoist Friend, where did you acquire this bead? Do you have anything else?"

Gu Xiechen chuckled. He accepted the tea from a maid and placed it on the nearby table, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a scroll bound in dragon hide, tossing it through the air toward the Black Stone Patriarch.

This scroll was also black, saturated with the aura of chaos, tyranny, devouring, and destruction. It was a piece of soft hide cut from the belly of the Demonic Yue Longgen. Gu Wuchen had carved off hundreds of square li of that demon’s skin specifically to prepare scrolls for transmitting supreme arts like this one. "Hmm, a very pure Demonic Dao aura! And... I sense traces of ancient Witchcraft influence!"

The Black Stone Patriarch commented casually and flipped open the scroll without much regard. As he opened it, the Black Stone Patriarch's eyes froze.

What Gu Xiechen had inscribed in this scroll was a cultivation method named the 'Profound Scripture of the Desolate Abyss'—a supremely profound technique that cultivated both the physical body and the Primordial Spirit, ultimately achieving physical sainthood through the union of flesh and spirit.

This technique originated from the Great Desolation Scripture, an ultimate secret method used by the Witch Dao during the ancient Primordial Era to refine the Mountain Protecting Witch Gods. Legend held that when cultivated to its deepest level, this method could coalesce the mythical Pangu True Body, capable of delivering a world-shattering blow—a terrifying technique of infinite power.

However, the Profound Scripture of the Desolate Abyss possessed a fatal flaw: once one began practicing it, they fell under the control of the Desolate Abyss Divine Curse contained within the Great Desolation Scripture, rendering them a puppet to the caster for life, with no hope of transcending the spirit.

To enhance its credibility, the text Gu Wuchen inscribed on the Profound Scripture of the Desolate Abyss was written in standard Ancient Divine Script, which few cultivators today could decipher.

The Black Stone Patriarch’s eyes glowed; he trembled as he hastily flipped through the Profound Scripture of the Desolate Abyss once, then looked up sharply at Gu Wuchen and demanded, "If this cultivation method is so profound, why don't you practice it yourself, instead gifting it to this Patriarch?" Gu Xiechen spread his hands and stated calmly, "What is written there? I cannot read it!"

The Black Stone Patriarch paused, blinked a few times, and then burst into laughter, "Magnificent, truly so! This is the Nine Heavens Golden Script of antiquity, the divine script used by the Ancient God Clan to forge ritual implements and pray to Heaven and Earth. How could you possibly recognize it? Hahaha! In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, besides me, who else can recognize it?"

Looking at Gu Wuchen with obvious pleasure, the Black Stone Patriarch praised, "You are wise. Possessing a supreme treasure you cannot use only invites disaster. It is better to present it to this Patriarch to secure a path forward. Very well, on account of this supreme scripture and the precious bead, this Patriarch will make an exception and allow your Iron Spine Mountain lineage to submit to my Ironwater Black Stone Mountain!" Gu Xiechen put on an expression of immense joy and hurriedly stood up to offer his respects to the Black Stone Patriarch.

This old fellow was overly confident. Before Gu Xiechen could speak, he had already provided a plausible excuse and justification for Gu Xiechen’s actions, saving him considerable trouble.

Opening his massive mouth, the Black Stone Patriarch swallowed the bead and the dragon-hide scroll for storage, then clapped his hands and roared, "Summon my children from all mountains and peaks! Today, your Patriarch is overjoyed; we shall hold a grand banquet! All my children must come and drink three hundred cups! Hahaha! Hmm, what is your name?"

Only after ordering the banquet did the Black Stone Patriarch inquire about Gu Xiechen's name, clearly indicating he hadn't truly taken Gu Wuchen seriously.

This was the best outcome Gu Xiechen could have hoped for. If the Patriarch couldn't remember him, all the better. As long as he granted the Iron Spine Mountain the nominal status of a vassal to the Ironwater Black Stone Mountain, Gu Wuchen could borrow his authority to achieve his own goals.

Smiling faintly, Gu Wuchen bowed again, "This junior is the Dao Monarch Potian; my true form is a Howling Blizzard Wolf. I pay my respects to the Patriarch."

The Black Stone Patriarch raised an eyebrow and stated indifferently, "Potian? For a Howling Blizzard Wolf to cultivate to the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm is certainly your fortune." Suddenly, a sharp beam shot from the Black Stone Patriarch's eyes, glaring fiercely at Gu Wuchen.

Gu Xiechen frankly exposed his body, allowing the Black Stone Patriarch to scan his interior and exterior clearly.

The Haotian Pagoda and other Innate Supreme Treasures were far beyond the reach of Old Ancestor Heishi; he could only discern that Gu Wuchen’s Daoist robe was a top-grade Immortal Artifact for defense, and he sensed several other extremely high-grade Immortal Artifacts within him, clearly having been refined quite recently.

Old Ancestor Heishi stubbornly believed this was simply the bounty Gu Xichen had gained when acquiring the Treasure Pearl and the Scripture of Treasures.

His gaze then sharpened towards Gu Wuchen's Sea of Consciousness, only to see a world of ice and snow; a snow wolf, perhaps three zhang long, lay coldly upon a sheet of icy wind and chilling energy. Only then did Old Ancestor Heishi finally nod with genuine relief.

An immortal’s primordial spirit would never manifest in such a form. A spirit shaped like a wolf confirmed that Gu Wuchen was truly of demonic cultivation background.

As for "Guohua," at first glance, Old Ancestor Heishi recognized him instantly as a stiff, walking corpse; Siren’s body exuded an incomparably dense aura of darkness, yet it aligned perfectly with certain demonic fiends who practiced the Demon Path of Destruction, clearly marking him as someone outside the orthodox path. Consequently, Old Ancestor Heishi categorized Gu Xichen as nothing more than a lucky upstart, seeking to latch onto someone like himself for backing. Such demons and fiends were common under Old Ancestor Heishi’s command; he didn't particularly care about adding one more like Gu Xichen.

However, given the sheer grade of the treasures Gu Wuchen presented, Old Ancestor Heishi bestowed upon him the honorary title of guest elder within his sect, along with a set of talismans and seals; from now on, he could use these talismans to bully the lesser demons within Old Ancestor Heishi's domain.

Immortals act with the utmost speed. Old Ancestor Heishi roared for a banquet to be laid out, and within fifteen minutes, thousands of Demon Kings and Devil Kings swarmed in, various wines and dishes were presented, and the assembled demons cheered and drank heartily, celebrating the addition of another demonic brother to their warm family on Iron Water Black Stone Mountain. As the demons reveled raucously, a sharp voice echoed from the void from afar: "Fellow Daoist Heishi, Elder Yinhua has convened the Myriad Demon Assembly, ordering you and yours to convene with Elder Yinhua at the Bottomless Pit's Sinking Immortal Pool one month hence!"

The voice was shrill and unpleasant, yet it carried a terrifyingly potent evil force. Of the thousands of Demon Kings and Devil Kings feasting, eighty percent immediately spat blood from their seven orifices and collapsed heavily onto the ground. Old Ancestor Heishi’s face instantly became hideous.

"Yinhua... Damn it!"

The entire Iron Water Black Stone Mountain shuddered violently, instantly causing earth-shaking tremors across a radius of hundreds of millions of li, shattering countless living beings. Old Ancestor Heishi roared in fury, comrades, if you still have monthly tickets, cast many! Don't forget the recommendation tickets either!

Well, Pig Head is working hard on the manuscript, everyone please show more support! F