Once he fathomed the true origin of the Old Ancestor Black Stone, he knew that a hundred thousand of him combined wouldn't stand a chance against the Old Ancestor. If he didn't flee, he was doomed to become the Old Ancestor’s concubine, a fate a million times more terrifying than the Cold Prison.

He, too, was a great demon of some repute, having struggled for countless years just to barely reach his current cultivation. How could he tolerate such an unbearable humiliation?

Just as Celestial Maiden Jixiang, Old Ancestor Black Stone, and Old Ancestor Diehua were discussing the seizure of the Heavenly Court, the Immortal Monarch Four-Eyes fled with all his might.

Gu Xiechen watched with pity as the Immortal Monarch Four-Eyes shot away like a streak of divine light soaring toward the heavens. Within the Bottomless Pit's Immortal Trapping Pool, natural restrictions were inherent; even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal could not traverse space instantaneously here, forced instead to rely on escape light. The speed of the Immortal Monarch Four-Eyes’ flight was undoubtedly astonishing; in the blink of an eye, he reached the exit of the Immortal Trapping Pool.

A colossal, black mountain rock plummeted from the air, striking heavily upon the Immortal Monarch Four-Eyes’ head. It dazed him completely, causing him to tumble headlong back into the Immortal Trapping Pool, where he was swiftly seized by the Old Ancestor Black Stone. With a few crushing movements, the Old Ancestor squeezed his form down to the size of three inches and tucked him into his sleeve. Laughing coldly, Old Ancestor Black Stone cackled hoarsely to Celestial Maiden Jixiang, "A trifling matter, causing such a spectacle for you all. Akshmi, we must have a proper talk. Let’s discuss your plans for seizing this Heavenly Court and what benefits we might accrue."

Celestial Maiden Jixiang readily accepted the proposal of Old Ancestor Black Stone. The assembled great demon leaders proceeded into the Black Water Divine Palace. Old Ancestor Linhua signaled his subordinates to serve endless streams of fine wine and exquisite cuisine. Countless demons cheered and drank heavily, and amidst the revelry, they meticulously discussed the Dharma Protectors' detailed plan to seize the Heavenly Court.

Gu Xiechen sat behind Old Ancestor Black Stone, downing cup after cup of wine and clearing plate after plate of meat, feasting to his heart's content. His ears, refined by the Grand Origin Canon to be extraordinarily sharp, perceived every movement within the grand hall with perfect clarity. The matters being discussed between Celestial Maiden Jixiang and the great demon leaders did not escape his hearing.

The reason Celestial Maiden Jixiang had come to the Cold Prison to collude with these demons was all, ultimately, tied to Gu Xiechen.

He had severely wounded Ducate using the secret incantations of the Great Desolation Scripture, destroying nearly all of Ducate’s Triple-City clones. The Dharma Protectors’ work of reconstructing the Triple City immediately stalled. Apart from the Triple City clones controlled by Ducate—which flawlessly integrated mechanical, life, and electronic life forms into a singular entity—the other Dharma Protectors could not replicate the Triple City with such exquisite precision and zero error.

To rebuild the Triple City, Ducate needed an overwhelmingly vast number of clones. However, such an immense quantity of clones demanded astronomical sums of rare minerals, vital spiritual energy, and the essence of flesh and blood.

Relying solely on the Dharma Protectors, the accumulated resources from over ten millennia of painstaking collection would prove insufficient. Furthermore, over the past ten millennia, to forge enough clones for Ducate, the Dharma Protectors had exhausted every single treasury they had painstakingly gathered.

Consequently, the Dharma Protectors had no choice but to cooperate with the sacred demons and devils of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. They would collect the necessary materials, spiritual energy, and flesh-and-blood essence from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, which Celestial Maiden Jixiang would then ferry back to the mortal realm.

According to Celestial Maiden Jixiang, without the Triple City stabilizing the situation, seizing the Thirty-Three Heavens was impossible. The Triple City was a prerequisite; only after its completion could they attempt an assault on the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Especially since Gu Xiechen had snatched away the Nine Dragon Heaven-Connecting Ladder, over seventy percent of the great powers in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were trapped in the mortal realm, severed from their roots in the higher realms. This presented Celestial Maiden Jixiang with an opportunity to collude with the powers remaining in the higher realms, seize control of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and plunder the required materials.

Take the Cold Prison as an example: there were two other reclusive old demons whose power was comparable to that of Old Ancestor Diehua. However, centuries ago, when the Nine Dragon Heaven-Connecting Ladder appeared, both old demons excitedly led their trusted subordinates to the mortal realm in pursuit of that so-called great opportunity. Now, the Cold Prison, with Old Ancestor Diehua—

Oh, and now Old Ancestor Black Stone—was unequivocally the dominant power.

If Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Diehua exerted their means, the entire Cold Prison could easily fall into their grasp, becoming the most stable raw material supply base for the Dharma Protectors.

Negotiating with one or two local snakes was infinitely easier than dealing with a dozen or more at once. This was Celestial Maiden Jixiang’s chance, which is why she appeared here, moving Old Ancestor Diehua with the promise of immense future gains.

But with the sudden arrival of Old Ancestor Black Stone, she now exerted every effort to sway him. Once an alliance was forged with the Dharma Protectors, and once they jointly attacked the Heavenly Court, the benefits and rewards to be gained were countless.

After a long feast and extensive discussion, Old Ancestor Black Stone, just like Old Ancestor Linhua, reached an agreement with Celestial Maiden Jixiang, who represented the Dharma Protectors. Old Ancestor Black Stone would claim half of the Cold Prison’s territory, appropriating the various heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and rare minerals produced, and gathering vast amounts of spiritual energy and flesh-and-blood essence. These would be collected and delivered to Celestial Maiden Jixiang every sixty years for her to take to the lower realm to forge the Triple City clones.

Celestial Maiden Jixiang promised that once the Triple City was rebuilt, she would sacrifice a portion of her own cultivation. Using her innate divine abilities, she would forcibly tear open the void, bringing Old Ancestor Black Stone, Old Ancestor Linhua, their allies from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and their trusted disciples to the mortal realm to jointly assault the Heavenly Court.

Both parties swore a blood oath: upon conquering the Heavenly Court in the future, all benefits would be shared fairly, divided equitably based on their respective contributions. The Dharma Protectors would never use brute force to bully, and Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Linhua would never make unreasonable secondary demands.

The blood oath was sworn, but how much binding power that oath would hold in the future—only Heaven knows.

Gu Xiechen watched the shifting gazes of Celestial Maiden Jixiang, Old Ancestor Linhua, and Old Ancestor Black Stone, inwardly laughing. The Thirty-Three Heavens Heavenly Court was such a fat piece of meat; given the true nature of these three assembled, which one wouldn't want to devour it whole?

Still, let them jump around for a while. The fact that the Dharma Protectors were rebuilding the Triple City to seize the Thirty-Three Heavens was entirely unexpected by Gu Xiechen. But was the Thirty-Three Heavens so easily conquered? Hmph, every single palace, every single pavilion within it, had its own guardian deity; the restrictions were nearly infinite, and every single restriction subtly harmonized with the Heavenly Dao, possessing immense power.

To conquer the Thirty-Three Heavens—tsk, tsk—Gu Xiechen couldn't help but click his tongue. How many lives would be required to fill that invincible void?

While he was secretly gloating, he heard Old Ancestor Black Stone laugh and ask, "Celestial Maiden, how many peers have you contacted this time?"

Gu Xiechen's ears immediately perked up.

Celestial Maiden Jixiang smiled demurely. She raised her golden cup, took a delicate sip of the fine wine, and proudly informed Old Ancestor Black Stone that all the reclusive great powers in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had reached agreements with her. Everyone would work together wholeheartedly to collect the necessary resources, striving to complete the reconstruction of the Triple City in the shortest time possible.

Among the great figures Celestial Maiden Jixiang mentioned, Gu Xiechen heard the names of several esteemed monks from the Great Snowy Mountain of Returning Swallows.

Gu Xiechen smiled. The Dharma Protectors, represented by Celestial Maiden Jixiang, were truly fearless. The Great Snowy Mountain of Returning Swallows was faintly shadowed by those great Buddhist figures; yet, she dared to approach them and collaborate so brazenly.

But upon reflection, a chill shot up Gu Xiechen’s spine.

The Dharma Protectors had hidden for so many years under the pretense of being slain, all for the sake of their own scheme: to break free from Buddhism and stand independently. Given the Dharma Protectors’ cautious and secretive methods, it was astonishing that they walked right into the trap and ended up cooperating with the Buddhist cultivators of the Great Snowy Mountain. This suggested either that the Dharma Protectors had appallingly bad luck, or that those great Buddhist figures had laid their groundwork long ago?

If not for the exchange between Xuandu and Yunzhongzi, wouldn't Gu Xiechen also have been deceived, unaware of the formidable schemes hidden by such powerful figures within the Three Realms? Such calculation, such intricate planning—it was truly terrifying.

Gazing at the sweetly smiling Celestial Maiden Jixiang, Gu Xiechen felt a sudden surge of pity.

Poor child. After painstakingly faking their deaths and lying low for so many years, seemingly escaping the control of Buddhism, they managed to crash right back into it. Truly an unlucky child!

He couldn't imagine the immense cost they had paid to purge the various restrictions Buddhism had placed within them, but that cost could not have been small. Having paid such a heavy price for their "freedom," they hadn't enjoyed it long before willingly delivering themselves up again. It was truly pitiful.

Gu Xiechen took a few large gulps of wine from his golden cup, suddenly stood up, and proactively requested of Old Ancestor Black Stone, "Old Ancestor, your subordinate dares to volunteer; let me be the one responsible for collecting these materials."

Gu Xiechen kept stealing glances at Celestial Maiden Jixiang, affecting an appearance of being utterly bewitched by desire. Celestial Maiden Jixiang paused slightly, then masked it with a familiar, sweet laugh, her beautiful eyes continuously scanning Gu Xiechen up and down, subtly sending waves of seductive allure. Gu Xiechen seemed incapable of standing steadily; he stumbled back into his seat, knocking over the golden cup on the table, spilling wine all over his robes.

Smiling faintly, Celestial Maiden Jixiang rose without concern to take her leave from Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Diehua. She had a great deal of business requiring travel. Currently, she was the only one who could move freely between the mortal realm and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; her affairs were incredibly demanding.

Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Diehua rose to see Celestial Maiden Jixiang off. Afterward, Old Ancestor Black Stone indifferently agreed to Gu Xiechen’s request, tasking him with the responsibility of gathering all sorts of heavenly materials and earthly treasures and maintaining contact with Celestial Maiden Jixiang.

Everyone viewed Gu Xiechen as a fool hopelessly infatuated by Celestial Maiden Jixiang's beauty, thus overlooking anything else.

Like Old Ancestor Black Stone, Old Ancestor Linhua casually assigned a trusted subordinate to handle the matter—a White Flood Dragon that had cultivated from a faint trace of the Primordial Azure Dragon's bloodline, achieving the rank of Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Such mundane chores did not require the effort of a Grand Luo Golden Immortal-level demon immortal.

Because an alliance had been formed with the Dharma Protectors, Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Diehua easily glossed over the preceding conflicts and grudges. In front of their assembled subordinates, they signed a pact of friendly mutual assistance, agreeing to advance and retreat together when the time came to seize the Thirty-Three Heavens Heavenly Court.

Right there in the Black Water Divine Palace, the great demon leaders of the Cold Prison swore a blood oath, honoring Old Ancestor Black Stone and Old Ancestor Diehua as their alliance leaders, ambitiously aiming to seize a massive opportunity and gain a crucial advantage in the future.

A few days later, Celestial Maiden Jixiang returned to the Cold Prison, eagerly delivering three miraculous flames: Brahma’s Flame of Creation, Vishnu’s Flame of Preservation, and Shiva’s Flame of Destruction. Old Ancestor Black Stone accepted these three flames joyfully; this formally signified the ratification of the alliance between the Dharma Protectors and Old Ancestor Black Stone.

Catering to Old Ancestor Black Stone's known fondness for beauty, Celestial Maiden Jixiang also presented three thousand beautiful women from the various races among the Eight Divisions of Protectors, fulfilling her earlier promise. This further earned Old Ancestor Black Stone's goodwill, and he boomed assurances that he would wholeheartedly assist the Dharma Protectors in rebuilding the Triple City.

But a devil remains a devil. As soon as Celestial Maiden Jixiang departed the Cold Prison, Old Ancestor Black Stone immediately took the three thousand beauties into seclusion, completely offloading the task of collecting various heavenly materials and earthly treasures onto the self-nominated Gu Xiechen.

Leveraging Old Ancestor Black Stone’s formidable prestige, Gu Xiechen acted like an Imperial Envoy holding the Sword of Authority. Leading the demons from the Sirius Palace of Iron Spine Mountain, he rapidly expanded his influence, utilizing the power of Iron Water Black Stone Mountain for swift expansion.

Half of the Cold Prison’s territory fell under the rule of Iron Water Black Stone Mountain. All the minor and major demons in these territories received edicts issued by Gu Xiechen in Old Ancestor Black Stone’s name. All demons, regardless of cultivation level, were reduced to the hardest labor, mining materials desperately every day. Any slight disobedience was met with ruthless suppression from the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain enforcement teams.

Gu Xiechen's primary primal spirit remained stationed at Iron Spine Mountain. Raw materials painstakingly mined by countless demons were gathered and sent to Iron Spine Mountain every three years.

His Taiyin primal spirit, along with Shenghua, Siren, and others, toured the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Besides the Cold Prison and the Sea of Blood Hell, they planted seeds of influence in several other locations.

Shenghua, under a new identity, traveled to the Blade Wheel Hell, where he established a small heterodox sect, the Yaksha Gate, seizing several small mountain peaks to become its sect master.

Siren and Aredia went to the Netherworld Hell, a terrifying domain filled with the devouring power of endless darkness. There, they founded the Ten Extremes Gate, also closing their doors and calling themselves patriarchs.

Borena and the Mohe brothers simply went to the Parinirvana Heaven of the Bodhi Path, establishing a small meditation grove in a remote valley. They gathered a group of itinerant rogue monks, styled themselves as the Minor Vulture Peak, and gradually accumulated power.

In addition to them, Gu Xiechen selected a batch of his disciples from the Nine Nether Dao who were not exceptionally strong in cultivation but were highly astute, capable, and possessed good potential. They were sent deep into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, infiltrating obscure small and medium-sized sects with plans for long-term covert operations.

These disciples, though possessing limited personal cultivation, were resilient and ambitious, and moreover, skilled in interpersonal relations and deft in maneuvering. They quickly rose to prominence within these smaller sects, gradually becoming important figures there.

Everything proceeded methodically, and days turned into weeks.

Soon, the agreed-upon sixty-year term for the first submission of materials to Celestial Maiden Jixiang expired.