Xie Chen fled in panic through the forward hold, his thin frame contorting awkwardly as he staggered, tiny wisps of thick black smoke continuously billowing from him, leaving behind the stench of roasted meat in the air. Patches of pale golden blood dripped steadily from his mouth, staining the ground wherever he went.

Goddess Jixiang felt a sense of triumph she’d never known in her entire existence. Aside from the major setback forced upon her by the two Buddhist Saints, compelling her to become one of the Guardian Celestials—who in the Three Realms could ever truly overcome her?

Yet, it was at the hands of Gu Xie Chen that she had suffered several severe defeats, and her pristine body, treasured above life itself, had been injured by him time and again.

But Gu Xie Chen possessed extraordinary divine powers, backed by a group of ridiculously powerful Heavenly Soldiers and Generals; Goddess Jixiang simply couldn't lay a finger on him.

Only now, having finally acquired the String of Twenty-Four Hunyang Pearls, did she manage to injure Gu Xie Chen with the might of this Innate Supreme Treasure. Naturally, Goddess Jixiang was intent on pursuing the fleeing foe, utterly unwilling to let Gu Xie Chen escape so easily.

The twenty-four Hunyang Pearls transformed into balls of fierce sunlight, shielding her form. Goddess Jixiang, exhilarated, pursued him, her voice ringing out with sweet, sharp reprimands, chasing Gu Xie Chen until he had nowhere left to run—a truly delightful and satisfying spectacle. Goddess Jixiang’s pretty face was wreathed in a smile, the sheer joy practically seeping from her features. Even the hundred-plus fierce Dragon Clan warriors behind her sensed her delight, barking and roaring as they cursed and hectored Gu Xie Chen.

“Heh heh heh, Venerable Evil Dragon, you are a rare man of virtue. Why not surrender to us? There will surely be benefits for you later. What say you?”

Goddess Jixiang pursued Gu Xie Chen for a while. Then, suddenly recalling the legion of enviable Innate Supreme Treasures Gu Xie Chen possessed, she couldn't help but speak quickly, attempting to persuade him to yield.

She chuckled coquettishly, “This Seat possesses boundless profound dharma, and I command immeasurable Heavenly Maidens beneath me. If the Venerable is willing to submit, you shall be the foremost Divine General serving under this Seat. I will share my profound dharma with you, and the immeasurable Heavenly Maidens will be yours to enjoy. Boundless bliss is within easy reach. What does the Venerable think?”

Gu Xie Chen managed to spit out a mouthful of blood in his distress. He turned back to glare at Goddess Jixiang and retorted sharply, “If you were willing to marry me, cavorting with you would be no issue. If you cannot marry me, then forget about surrender!”

Goddess Jixiang paused briefly, then suddenly broke into a charming laugh. “So that is the Venerable’s desire? A pity. A pity, but it would not be hard for this Seat to marry you. If you could slay Vishnu, then this Seat would have no choice but to marry you! The pity is, with the Venerable’s cultivation, touching him will not be easy!”

A slight shift in his mind, Gu Xie Chen sped forward while shouting fiercely, “Could it be that Vishnu is even stronger than the Great Transformation Dharma King?”

Goddess Jixiang, reaching the pinnacle of complacency, let out a mocking laugh. “What significance do these frogs in a well hold? Besides their cultivation and power equivalent to a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, in every other aspect they cannot compare even to true Ancient Golden Immortals. Do they even merit comparison with Vishnu?”

With a long laugh, Goddess Jixiang suddenly teleported forward a distance, barely closing the gap to within ten li of Gu Xie Chen.

She chuckled sweetly, “We escaped the Buddhist Sect by feigning death, so naturally, we have foundations to rely upon. Vishnu’s current might is comparable to a Saint. Even I am no weaker than Amitabha of the past. The Venerable should not underestimate us.”

A heaven-shaking roar of laughter suddenly echoed out. Gu Xie Chen’s laughter violently cracked the boundless ice plain below, creating countless huge fissures. Large chunks of ice shards and vapor shot skyward, transforming into a swirling blizzard of snow that sprayed everywhere. Gu Xie Chen laughed fiercely, “Goddess Jixiang, of all the shameless people in this world, you take the prize! You are not weaker than Amitabha? Vishnu is comparable to a Saint? Keep dreaming!”

Goddess Jixiang smiled enchantingly and suddenly dissolved into a streak of light, shooting forward until she was less than ten zhang behind Gu Xie Chen. She smiled gently, “If the Venerable doesn't believe me, this Seat has no way to convince you with mere words. Once the Venerable is captured, this Seat will naturally show you my true strength. If not for certain specific reasons, there is no way this Seat should have suffered setbacks at the hands of the Venerable!”

Chuckling a few times, Goddess Jixiang flicked her jade hand out, aiming for Gu Xie Chen’s neck.

Gu Xie Chen spat blood, and large patches of black smoke began to rise again from the scorched muscle on his chest. The faint crimson of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire could be seen rolling between the charred flesh on his breast. He turned back toward Goddess Jixiang with a tragic smile and barked fiercely, “Does the Heavenly Maiden know why I fled here?”

Goddess Jixiang was slightly taken aback and quickly shook her head. “This Seat does not know. Does the Venerable still intend to flee?”

Gu Xie Chen laughed wildly. The ice plain spanning billions of li below suddenly exploded. The Primordial Congealed Frost Qi, sealed deep within the core of the Frigid Hell for untold eons, shot up in columns of white vapor that soared into the sky. The immense ice plain shook violently, and the thrust of the freezing air was intensely powerful; often, rock strata several tens of thousands of li wide and thousands of li thick were launched high into the air by jets of freezing vapor as thin as a finger. It was a sight truly reminiscent of the world’s end.

Millions of white streams of freezing vapor, varying in thickness, shot up to pierce the heavens, standing like towering pillars in the void. The already frigid temperature of the Frigid Hell plummeted, and in the blink of an eye, the hundred-plus fierce Dragon Clan warriors accompanying Goddess Jixiang began to tremble violently, large sheets of ice erupting from their bodies, threatening to freeze them solid.

Massive slabs of rock continued to launch toward the sky. Upon being agitated by the freezing vapor, these huge rock layers rapidly compressed inward. Rock strata spanning tens of thousands of li were violently condensed by the chilling frost into small "pebbles" the size of a thumb, which shot out wildly. Their speed rivaled the escape light of a peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal at full power, and their impact was strong enough to shatter the physical bodies of ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals.

Countless such "pebbles," big and small, whistled and flew everywhere. Goddess Jixiang, who was just about to seize Gu Xie Chen’s neck, was forced to dodge far away by several sudden streams of freezing vapor attacking her flank.

What was Goddess Jixiang’s origin? She naturally knew the nature of the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi beneath the Frigid Hell. The Frigid Hell, possessing extreme cold attributes, was formed by several Saints joining forces in the Chaos space to carve out a vast expanse of the Primordial Yin Essence Qi. That Yin coldness from the Chaos could freeze even the bodies of Saints, let alone ordinary immortals.

Therefore, in the initial Frigid Hell, even peak Grand Unity Golden Immortals could not survive within. Thus, the numerous Saints forcibly compressed this Innate Supreme Cold Qi deep within the core of the Frigid Hell. After countless epochs passed, this Innate Supreme Cold Qi condensed into the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi.

In terms of nature, the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi was a terrifying substance formed by compressing the Primordial Yin Essence Qi millions of times over. Even Saints dared not easily touch it with their physical forms, let alone Goddess Jixiang.

Innumerable cold streams shot everywhere. Goddess Jixiang’s accompanying fierce Dragon Clan warriors, caught off guard by a few streams of freezing vapor passing through their bodies, saw their powerful forms instantly shatter into countless ice crystals, their divine souls dissipating along with them.

Gu Xie Chen laughed uproariously toward the heavens. Vast quantities of Yin Qi rapidly spread around him. His body transformed into a wisp of Yin wind, effortlessly merging into the chaotic, scattering frost Qi, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Escaping by utilizing the Yin Escape Technique with the aid of the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi—besides Gu Xie Chen, only Saints in the Three Realms possessed such means. Unless one had mastered the Law of Taiyin, or a Saint who had completely integrated the Yin and Yang energies to forge an Indestructible Chaotic Body, no matter how profound one’s cultivation or how high one’s attainment, one dared not even touch a sliver of this paramountly vicious Primordial Congealed Frost Qi in the world.

Goddess Jixiang watched Gu Xie Chen vanish before her eyes, immediately erupting in an angry tirade. She cast aside all pretense of reserve and decorum, like a shrew cursing in the marketplace, reviling all of Gu Xie Chen’s ancestors in turn.

No matter how many insults Goddess Jixiang hurled, Gu Xie Chen merely hid within the boundless Primordial Congealed Frost Qi beneath the Frigid Hell, contentedly drawing the Qi into the Taiyin Profound Pearl, causing the Pearl’s power to grow ever stronger.

The Chaos Bell also cautiously manifested, and under Gu Xie Chen’s control, it meticulously absorbed minute traces of the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi. As soon as the pale white frost Qi touched the Chaos Bell, the Bell Spirit emitted a heart-rending shriek; its spiritual body was nearly frozen to shattering. Gu Xie Chen immediately channeled a stream of his vital true energy into the Chaos Bell to carefully digest this terrifying Qi. Gradually, the Chaos Bell acclimated to the extreme cold nature of the frost Qi and began to eagerly gulp down this infinite supply.

To truly achieve the Chaos Bell’s transformation from Post-Heaven to Pre-Heaven, recreating the unparalleled might of the Primordial Chaos, and recasting the Yin and Yang energies to merge Yin and Yang into the Chaotic Taiji—this was an indispensable process. Gu Xie Chen began intentionally supplementing the Chaos Bell with Yin and Yang energies. Today was merely an incidental way to humiliate Goddess Jixiang.

Amidst dense chi chi sounds, Goddess Jixiang was nearly pierced by several streams of Primordial Congealed Frost Qi. Fuming with rage, she shot high into the void, continually sprinkling vast swathes of Buddhist light from her hands, using the Buddhist Sect’s technique of the Earthly Vajra to forcibly seal the ground that had split into countless fissures below.

The Primordial Congealed Frost Qi itself was an extremely inward-drawing and condensed energy; had Gu Xie Chen not agitated it with the Taiyin Divine Talisman, it would never have erupted onto the surface.

Under Goddess Jixiang’s application of Buddhist divine arts, the cracked earth quickly healed, and the streams of Primordial Congealed Frost Qi retracted back underground. A thick layer of profound ice rapidly covered the surface, and the boundless ice plain once again reigned supreme over the entire Frigid Hell.

Hovering in the void atop a cloud of colored light, Goddess Jixiang suddenly began to smile flirtatiously. “The Venerable has truly powerful means. This Frigid Hell is indeed the Venerable’s haven for self-preservation. However, next time the Venerable is not fast enough to escape into the Frigid Hell, this Seat will not be so polite.”

This was merely a polite formality from Goddess Jixiang. Little did she know that Gu Xie Chen, squatting amidst the boundless Primordial Congealed Frost Qi cultivating his arts, suddenly burst into laughter. “The Heavenly Maiden should also be careful. If this Venerable accidentally forges a few Taiyin Secret Treasures using the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi next time, they will specifically counter your Twenty-Four Pure Yang Pearls!”

Gu Xie Chen’s laughter resonated through the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi, the sound waves rolling as if coming from all directions of heaven and earth. How could Goddess Jixiang pinpoint his exact location? Furthermore, the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi could block all divine sense probes. Goddess Jixiang swept her condensed, almost tangible divine sense everywhere, succeeding only in blasting countless huge ice valleys into the thick ice layer, yet she could find no trace of Gu Xie Chen.

Her expression shifted slightly. Goddess Jixiang lightly touched one of the Hunyang Pearls, then let out a cold laugh.

Gu Xie Chen’s words had indeed served as a reminder. If Gu Xie Chen genuinely used the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi to refine Taiyin-attributed magical artifacts, the Hunyang Pearls would pose little threat to him. Perhaps she should devise a way to enhance the power of the Hunyang Pearls further.

The various divine weapons used by the Guardian Celestials were condensed from Buddhist power through secret arts. Although immensely potent, they could never surpass the power of Innate Artifacts generated by Heaven and Earth. The Twenty-Four Hunyang Pearls acquired by Goddess Jixiang were her most prized exotic treasure accumulated over countless epochs, and she could not allow them to be so easily neutralized by Gu Xie Chen.

After a moment of thought, Goddess Jixiang suddenly transformed into a streak of seven-colored red light, flying toward the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain. In the previous chase, they had already reduced the distance to the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain to less than a million li. Given Goddess Jixiang’s speed of light travel, she could reach it in a mere moment.

Hidden within the Primordial Congealed Frost Qi, Gu Xie Chen smiled. He looked up toward the direction Goddess Jixiang fled and chuckled softly, “Good, hurry, hurry. I have prepared something nice waiting for you!”

Taking a deep breath, Gu Xie Chen sat cross-legged in the infinite sea of Primordial Congealed Frost Qi, diligently commanding the Taiyin Profound Pearl and the Chaos Bell to absorb this essence of Taiyin compressed millions of times over. Time passed second by second. When the first drop of Primordial Congealed Frost Qi began to condense upon the Taiyin Continent within the Taiyin Profound Pearl, Gu Xie Chen smiled with pleasure.

The world laws within the Taiyin Profound Pearl began to shift according to Gu Xie Chen’s will. Vast quantities of Taiyin Profound Qi continuously surged toward this drop of Primordial Congealed Frost Qi, enveloping it completely. Streams of Taiyin Divine Light merged into it along graceful trajectories, and vaguely, this immense mass of Taiyin Profound Qi began to take on the nascent shape of a strangely curved sword.

The first world exotic treasure condensed in the Taiyin Space was gradually nurtured and refined according to Gu Xie Chen’s will.

Goddess Jixiang sped toward the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain on her light trail. Without a word, she unleashed her divine sense, sweeping across the vast Iron Water Black Stone Mountain.

Three layers of faint fire lingered above the mountain. Old Ancestor Black Stone was still striving to refine his physical body, completely focused on restoring his true form to human shape. The deaths of Gu Xie Chen, in his guise as Heavenly Breaking Dao Monarch, and his trusted subordinates nearly a century ago had failed to shake Old Ancestor Black Stone’s resolve.

Centered on the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain, countless demons and monsters in the surrounding mountains labored to mine various ores.

Among these mountain ranges, a Great Wolf Banner could occasionally be seen fluttering in the wind. As Goddess Jixiang’s divine sense swept over these Great Wolf Banners, her pretty face immediately lit up with joy.

Just as Goddess Jixiang was about to fly toward the regions controlled by these Great Wolf Banners, a powerful divine sense surged up from the core of the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain.

Old Ancestor Black Stone’s hoarse and unpleasant voice echoed through the void: “Goddess Jixiang, why are you here again? Did you not just pay tribute of ore not long ago?”

Goddess Jixiang smiled slightly, about to exchange a few pleasantries with Old Ancestor Black Stone, when the pressure of a heavenly tribulation suddenly transmitted from afar, causing both of their divine senses to focus on a distant peak flying the banner of the Heavenly Wolf Palace.

On that peak, the six Red Fang brothers, fully armored and helmeted, sat cross-legged in the void, forming a small Mysterious Gates Formation, their expressions solemn as they watched a tribulation cloud slowly descending overhead. A brilliant radiance, like molten gold, radiated from their bodies. Above their heads, a golden cloud-light soared several thousand zhang high, encircled by golden mists. Within the golden mists and clouds, a wolf-shaped Nascent Soul danced wildly—they had indeed reached the cultivation level of a Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

Although they had only just broken through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, they were solidly there. The heavenly tribulation descending upon them was due to the simultaneous breakthrough of the six Red Fang brothers.

Old Ancestor Black Stone exclaimed in surprise, “Strange, strange. These six little wolf cubs have been cultivating for less than five hundred years, how could they have reached Grand Unity Golden Immortal? What divine technique are they practicing? Tsk tsk, what great fortune!”

Goddess Jixiang’s eyes flickered, and she suddenly chuckled sweetly, “Is the Old Ancestor willing to give them to this Seat? This Seat will exchange three hundred Asura virgins!”

After a long silence, Old Ancestor Black Stone said coldly, “Such extraordinary talents, the price is not enough.”

Holding up three fingers, Goddess Jixiang smiled faintly, “Then, add three hundred Gandharva virgin boys?” Old Ancestor Black Stone swallowed hard, then let out a cackling laugh. “If the Heavenly Maiden gains something, she must share the benefits equally with this Old Ancestor, otherwise—”

Goddess Jixiang’s heart clenched fiercely. She secretly cursed Old Ancestor Black Stone in her mind for being so cunning, having seen right through her intentions.

Then she heard Old Ancestor Black Stone continue, “These six little wolf cubs of the Heavenly Wolf Palace have been allowed to develop and grow smoothly on my Iron Water Black Stone Mountain territory over the years. This is all due to the tribute offered by their Heavenly Wolf Palace’s patron, Heavenly Breaking Dao Monarch—a ‘Pure Yang Supreme Treasure’ offered to this Old Ancestor!”

The moment the words “Pure Yang Supreme Treasure” reached her ears, Goddess Jixiang’s teeth ground together in anger, realizing her scheme to hoard the benefits for herself had completely failed.

Hating herself for not thinking of this earlier, Goddess Jixiang smiled beautifully, “The Old Ancestor speaks the truth. This Seat swears upon my innate heart-demon: if anything is gained, it shall be shared with the Old Ancestor.”

Old Ancestor Black Stone laughed heartily several times, solemnly reminding Goddess Jixiang to quickly send the promised virgins and boys to the Frigid Hell. Afterward, that divine sense retracted, never emitting another sound.

Letting out a few cold laughs, Goddess Jixiang’s spiritual light shifted, instantly transforming from a captivating, bewitching beauty into the solemn and compassionate appearance of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the savior of the suffering. She held a Seven-Jewel Reliquary Bottle condensed from thought-power, stood upon a cloud of golden light, and flew solemnly toward the location where the heavenly tribulation was descending.

The six Red Fang brothers nervously watched the tribulation cloud in the void, a massive pressure binding them, rendering them unable to move.

They cautiously retracted their Nascent Souls into their protective immortal light and meticulously activated their accompanying immortal artifacts to guard themselves. Six long swords and six long spears transformed into twelve rivers of light that encircled them—a truly astonishing display.

However, before the heavenly tribulation could descend, a solemn-faced Heavenly Maiden arrived in a streak of light. The Seven-Jewel Reliquary Bottle in her hand spewed forth a stream of golden light that easily sucked the heavenly tribulation cloud in the sky into the bottle.

Goddess Jixiang smiled faintly, her expression full of compassionate serenity.

She said softly, “You six young friends have fate with this Seat. My sect lacks six Guardian Divine Generals. I now bestow upon you the title of the Six Great Heavenly Wolf Kings. Are you willing?”

The six Red Fang brothers exchanged glances, then quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing like garlic being pounded.

“Senior is merciful! For this great kindness, we brothers sincerely submit!”