The six Red Fang brothers, along with their contingent of lesser demons, were making their way toward the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain when a cataclysmic roar split the sky behind them. Iron Spine Mountain, along with thousands of nearby peaks, instantly disintegrated, leaving behind a colossal, yawning chasm.

Rock strata were violently peeled back, and vast plumes of Profound Condensing Frost Qi shot skyward. Tens of thousands of trailing demon soldiers from the Sirius Palace, unable to evade in time, were enveloped by the brilliant, icy energy. Without even a whimper, they dissolved into countless ice crystals, their very souls shattered by the freeze. Red Fang was horrified and immediately urged his followers to flee at top speed.

Over ten million demons, summoning every ounce of strength they possessed, fled in terror, following the Red Fang brothers onward. Behind them, the boundless Profound Condensing Frost Qi howled, continually sweeping up and shattering demons in its path.

Only after these demons had fled nearly ten thousand li did the Frost Qi finally slow the momentum of its dispersion, beginning to compress and condense inward. After roughly a quarter of an hour, the Qi suddenly emitted a deafening boom and rapidly collapsed inward.

In the blink of an eye, the Profound Condensing Frost Qi, which had annihilated over five million minor demons of the Sirius Palace, vanished without a trace.

The area where Iron Spine Mountain once stood was now nothing more than a perfectly flat ice plain. A single, towering black monolith, easily a thousand zhang high, stood locked in confrontation with an ethereal Heavenly Maiden of exquisite beauty, who also stood a thousand zhang tall, possessing three heads and eighteen arms.

The voice of Gu Xiechen, as faint as an old silk thread, suddenly resonated in Red Fang’s ear. Red Fang’s eyes darted, and he instantly unleashed all his magical power, roaring at the Heavenly Maiden Jixiang: “Senior Heavenly Maiden, we junior demons are here to assist you! Men, form ranks, attack!”

The millions of lesser demons, terrified senseless by the Frost Qi, paused momentarily. Ultimately, the authority the Red Fang brothers had built over several centuries compelled them. The demons trembled as they formed their battle array, shakily roaring an ‘Attack!’ before charging toward the Black Stone Ancestor, who was currently facing off against Jixiang Heavenly Maiden.

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden suddenly burst into laughter. She chuckled coquettishly, “The six Great Wolf Kings, what commendable loyalty! Had you not issued this command, this Seat would not have bothered with you!”

Her expression turned grim, and Jixiang Heavenly Maiden sharply commanded, “Six Great Wolf Kings, heed my order! Quickly lead your underlings out of the Ice Hell and seek refuge in the Blade Wheel Hell under the care of the Netherworld Reincarnation Celestial Venerable. He will treat you well! Depart swiftly; this Seat will occupy this greedy, relentless old monster!”

Upon hearing the Heavenly Maiden’s command, Red Fang bowed deeply with his five brothers and their followers, offering several respectful kowtows to Jixiang Heavenly Maiden. They then hastily conjured demonic clouds, trailing boundless malevolent energy as they sped toward the exit of the Ice Hell.

The Black Stone Ancestor let out a sinister ‘Jie-jie’ cackle. He sneered loudly, “Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, pinning down the Ancestor is useless. At the speed of these lesser demons, how could they reach the exit of the Ice Hell without a hundred years of arduous effort? With but a word from the Ancestor, they could all be hacked into mincemeat by the Ancestor’s own kin!”

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden let out a delicate giggle, a cold glint flashing in her beautiful eyes. She sharply ordered, “That remains to be seen if you even get the chance to give that order!” Boundless brilliant light erupted from within Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, rapidly forming a luminous banner that enveloped the Black Stone Ancestor.

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden sweetly proposed, “Black Stone Ancestor, let this Seat make a wager with you. If you can shatter this restriction and break free within a century, this Seat will hand over this pagoda, along with the twenty-four Hunyang Pearls, to you. If you fail to break my confinement, you will henceforth obey this Seat’s commands. What say you?”

The immense frame of the Black Stone Ancestor jumped slightly. He sneered, “A mere pagoda and twenty-four paltry pearls to entice the Ancestor into this wager? Is the Ancestor truly so cheap?”

With a cold snort, the Black Stone Ancestor commanded in a deep voice, “If the Ancestor shatters your restriction within a hundred years, in addition to the pagoda and the twenty-four Hunyang Pearls, all those Solar Divine Weapons shall also be mine! Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s beautiful eyes spun; she chuckled delicately, “Then, what if my husband comes calling?”

The Black Stone Ancestor roared savagely, “Then the Ancestor will simply take him into his harem as well; what’s so formidable about that?”

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden simply smiled, chuckling, “Then, perhaps allowing this Seat to offer herself upon your pillow will depend on the Ancestor’s capabilities? Starting today, if the Ancestor cannot break the restriction and escape after a hundred years, the Ancestor will become this Seat’s loyal subordinate!”

The Black Stone Ancestor burst into wild cackles, his laughter thick with unspeakable lust and profanity: “If this Ancestor breaks free, Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, the Ancestor shall arrange you into a million different positions, hehe, this Ancestor has practiced quite a few impressive techniques over the years!”

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s delicate face turned cold. The light emanating from her body intensified, and slowly, from her three-headed, eighteen-armed Dharmakaya, heavenly flowers and golden clouds began to spray forth. In a blink, a staggeringly beautiful female form, a thousand zhang tall, slowly emerged from within her; soon after, another goddess appeared, solemn and dignified, adorned with countless luminous pearls...

Gradually, thirty-five manifestations, each possessing a distinct expression and bearing, emerged from Jixiang Heavenly Maiden. Her six-armed manifestation’s crown spewed forth a beam of golden light upon which the thirty-five forms seated themselves. They began chanting Buddhist mantras and Brahmanical spells, transforming into countless heavenly flowers that rained down. The black rock that represented the Black Stone Ancestor’s nascent spirit instantly became hazy, enveloped by countless billions of spatial restrictions.

The Black Stone Ancestor laughed maniacally. Thirty-six black stone beads slowly spewed forth from his body, releasing dense black mist that billowed out, transforming into a hazy chaos that struck the void. With just one strike, one-tenth of the countless layers of spatial restriction laid down by Jixiang Heavenly Maiden shattered, and a large swath of heavenly flowers pulverized. The thirty-five manifestations seated above her head all shuddered simultaneously. “Heavenly Maiden, give us a few more hard hits, and you’ll become the delicacy the Ancestor was anticipating!”

The Black Stone Ancestor roared with laughter, savoring the moment.

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s expression shifted slightly, and she commanded coldly, “Black Stone Ancestor, concerning our wager, do you dare swear upon your Nascent Soul?”

The Black Stone Ancestor calculated for a moment, then countered in an equally icy tone, “If you swear upon your Nascent Soul, and if you lose, you will lie down obediently for the Ancestor to do as he pleases with you—then naturally, the Ancestor will swear upon his soul to take this bet with you!”

After a moment of hesitation, Jixiang Heavenly Maiden smiled coldly through gritted teeth, “Fine. You, Black Stone Ancestor, are indeed worth this Seat expending this much effort for.”

At that, Jixiang Heavenly Maiden swore her oath using her Nascent Soul, employing the most venomous curse found in the Brahmanical texts.

The Black Stone Ancestor rejoiced upon hearing this and hastily swore his own oath upon his Nascent Soul: If he failed to break Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s restriction within a century, he would willingly become her subordinate, subject to her every command.

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden immediately let out a proud, cold laugh. Brilliant light burst forth simultaneously from all seven of her apertures, followed by sprays of bright crimson blood forming the shape of lotus blossoms erupting from her orifices.

A chilling, murderous sneer echoed from the Heavenly Maiden’s manifestation. An avatar, ten thousand li tall, radiating boundless chaotic light and mist, rode upon a Golden-Winged Bird, flanked by two six-tusked white elephants, slowly emerging from within Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s form.

As soon as this goddess avatar, radiating stern majesty, appeared, the Black Stone Ancestor felt boundless pressure descending from all directions, nearly crushing the form his spirit had taken. He stared blankly at this terrifyingly potent goddess avatar and asked with a bitter expression, “Is this truly the ‘Mother of the World’? The goddess representing the highest potential of all femininity between Heaven and Earth?”

Jixiang Heavenly Maiden gazed coldly at the Black Stone Ancestor, then nodded slowly after a long silence. “To manifest this avatar once costs this Seat ten yuanhui of cultivation power. However, if it secures your submission, this Seat is not at a loss.”

The Mother of the World’s form blurred, gradually dissolving into the void. The boundless void shook violently, and Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, along with the other thirty-five manifestations, simultaneously vanished into the spatial depths. Intense spatial pressure bore down upon the Black Stone Ancestor, and countless layers of restrictions coiled around him.

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, the Black Stone Ancestor said through clenched teeth, “It seems a true battle is necessary!”

Far in the distance, a howling arose from the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain, and vast quantities of pitch-black, viscous-as-iron-juice mist shot toward the direction of Iron Spine Mountain, swiftly condensing into a colossal figure tens of thousands of li high. This gigantic silhouette instantaneously ripped through space, arriving near the void where the Black Stone Ancestor and Jixiang Heavenly Maiden were fighting. In a flash, it was swallowed by the boundless restrictions laid down by Jixiang Heavenly Maiden. This pocket of space quickly returned to tranquility, exhibiting no further anomaly.

None of the lesser demons of the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain knew the Black Stone Ancestor’s fate. They only watched in surprise as the Red Fang brothers led the demons recruited by the Sirius Palace over the years away from the mountain in a grand exodus. Red Fang told the demons they were under the direct orders of the Black Stone Ancestor to proceed to the Blade Wheel Hell for duty. Thus, not a single demon obstructed the Sirius Palace contingent, and the Red Fang brothers slipped away with ease.

Seated within the boundless Profound Condensing Frost Qi, Gu Wuchen threw his head back, laughing until he nearly wept. “I never imagined, never imagined! For a Supreme Yang Pagoda and twenty-four Hunyang Pearls, you would fight so fiercely?”

“Hahaha, Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, you even deployed the ‘Mother of the World,’ the avatar of your true body. Even the Black Stone Ancestor will be trapped by you for decades! Heh heh, I don’t have that much time!”

“Alas, Black Stone Ancestor, for all my years painstakingly calculating your moves using the Void Flames, I didn’t expect you to risk everything fighting Jixiang Heavenly Maiden before I could even make my move! Indeed, lust is a national disaster, something to be shunned, shunned!”

After a few triumphant laughs, Gu Xiechen’s eyes turned cold. He slowly took out the Vastness Seal, which he had recast using the Qilin Seal years ago, stroking it gently as he smiled, “In recent years, your power has been a little lacking compared to the other treasures I possess. Now, it’s time for you to be reborn.”

Gently stroking the Vastness Seal, Gu Wuchen said tenderly, “After all, you are the first magical treasure I personally refined. While the Pangu Banner and the Wind-Fire Cushion are excellent, they are not my own possessions; how could I use them with confidence? Only you are worthy of my trust!”

A ripple of pleased fluctuation emanated from the Vastness Seal. The seal body stirred slightly, as if a cat was affectionately rubbing itself against Gu Xiechen’s palm.

Gu Xiechen chuckled heartily, then vanished in a flash, leaving the boundless Profound Condensing Frost Qi behind.

Activating the Mirror Flower Water Moon Lunar Evasion Technique to its maximum, Gu Xiechen moved like a mere phantom, effortlessly arriving at the core of the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain. The surrounding Flames of Creation, Flames of Protection, and Deathly Heaven Flames could not approach his body. Wherever he went, these three supremely powerful, anomalous divine flames parted ways, allowing him ingress as if entering an empty estate.

Indeed, it was an empty estate. The Black Stone Ancestor had evacuated his entire harem of beauties and handsome men to reside elsewhere while he focused on refining his physical form, which engulfed the entire mountain in the tri-colored divine flames. No living creature remained in the mountain—not even a blade of grass. Within the nearly two hundred million li radius of the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain, Gu Xiechen was now the sole outsider.

The Black Stone Ancestor, unwilling to submit to Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s orders, had staked everything, drawing all his spiritual essence and avatars to contend with her. What remained here was merely the hollow shell of the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain.

Presently, the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain resembled the body of a vegetable—robust and vast, yet utterly devoid of intelligence or control.

The Black Stone Ancestor had placed too much faith in his physical form. True, his body was extraordinarily robust, originating from the Primordial Chaos and refined ceaselessly over the years. Even the powerful strike from the Yinghua Ancestor could not harm the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain in the slightest. In the current Three Realms, no one could pose a threat to the Black Stone Ancestor’s exceptionally durable physical form.

He had left this body here, sending his entire spiritual essence off to battle Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, never fearing any potential change to his main body. But Gu Xiechen was here now.

Wielding the Pangu Banner to clear the way, Gu Xiechen spent little effort to break through a layer of mountain rock, tens of millions of li thick, at the core of the Black Stone Ancestor’s body, arriving in a vast cavern spanning nearly ten thousand li.

Even if the Yinghua Ancestor himself were present, breaking through this tens-of-millions-li thick layer of mountain to reach this spot would require several centuries of grinding labor. But Gu Wuchen, holding the Pangu Banner, sliced through the mountain rock as easily as cutting tofu with a hot knife, proceeding directly to the Black Stone Ancestor’s vital core. If the Black Stone Ancestor had taken human form, this void would have been his heart. Now, the cavern was filled with dense black mist—the accumulated power the Black Stone Ancestor had cultivated over the years, swirling into a gigantic vortex around a golden blood drop, only a thousand li across, which spun rapidly. Gu Xiechen gazed greedily at the drop radiating energy fluctuations so immense they nearly pushed him back: True Blood of Pangu.

This was a drop of Pangu True Blood that the Black Stone Ancestor had obtained from the Primordial Chaos after Pangu sacrificed himself to become all things during the creation of Heaven and Earth.

Compared to this drop of Pangu True Blood, the so-called innate sacred blood of the Sun God that Gu Xiechen had previously acquired was nothing more than refuse.

The Black Stone Ancestor relied on this drop of Pangu True Blood. He hadn’t even managed to truly refine it yet; over the years, he had only absorbed some of the energy aura the drop emitted, enough to coalesce his body into this indestructible mountain.

Normally, the Black Stone Ancestor allowed this drop of Pangu True Blood to travel freely within the massive mountain structure. Wherever the true blood passed, it naturally absorbed immeasurable amounts of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, transforming it into Pangu’s unique magical power fluctuations to nourish and strengthen the Black Stone Ancestor’s body. He had considered truly making this True Blood his own, but his body was not in human form—it was merely a dormant mountain—how could it possibly endure this drop imbued with infinite mystery and infinite power?

Gu Xiechen changed his robes, donning an extremely magnificent sacrificial garment. He performed the ritual of three prostrations and nine kowtows with utmost reverence toward the drop of Pangu True Blood.

He acted purely by instinct, feeling that he ought to do so, perhaps in reverence for Pangu’s grand act of creating the universe, or perhaps for other reasons. Regardless, he kowtowed respectfully and then silently prayed toward the thousand-li wide drop of True Blood.

Carefully emitting his own aura, Gu Xiechen’s divine sense gently touched the fluctuations emanating from the Pangu True Blood. His body suddenly shuddered, and boundless illusions sprang into existence within his mind.

It was the magnificent vision of Pangu creating the world and eventually transforming into all things. Pangu fiercely swung his Heaven-Splitting Axe against the cosmos; the pure power stirred the trajectory of the Heavenly Dao, allowing Gu Xiechen to transcend the limitations of the Grand Dao realm left by the Supreme Yin True Monarch, granting him a glimpse into another, higher, more profound and unpredictable plane.

The essence contained within this drop of True Blood was not limited to this; it also recorded esoteric phenomena from the Primordial Chaos where Pangu resided. The origin of the Heaven Source Star, the existence of the Earth Source Star, the mysteries of the Human Source Star—countless ancient secrets gradually unfolded before Gu Xiechen.

Gu Xiechen’s Dao heart was completely immersed in this boundless, magnificent scroll. His cultivation realm soared upward continuously. His Three Corpses Nascent Souls rapidly absorbed the powerful essence radiating from the Pangu True Blood, and his spirit gradually condensed, resembling a true immortal. After an indeterminate amount of time, a sudden warning flared in Gu Xiechen’s heart. He snapped awake from the grand depiction with a start.

It felt like only a momentary lapse of attention, yet time had flown by twenty-four years.

Gu Xiechen pulled out a pocket watch to check the time, then performed another divination calculation, his heart jolting. He quickly kowtowed a few times toward the True Blood and, opening his mouth, inhaled sharply at the drop. The Pangu True Blood stirred slightly, instantly transforming into a flying waterfall that poured into Gu Xiechen’s mouth. He carefully concealed it within his own heart, just as he had when practicing the True Canon of Primordial Essence. With every beat of his heart, a minute amount of Pangu True Blood was sprayed out, seeping into Gu Xiechen’s entire being.

His physical body strengthened at a rate he could clearly perceive. His flesh was undergoing a marvelous transformation, a change that even surpassed the improvements the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body had brought to his physique. This was the Chaos Dharma Body, infinitely superior to the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body.

Gu Xiechen smiled reservedly; he had already deciphered three to five parts of the cultivation method for the Pangu True Body from the aura of the Pangu True Blood. Although only fragmentary sections, they were far superior to the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body.

Of course, the Indestructible Profound Yellow Body still needed to be practiced. This technique ultimately originated from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, the backer of the Haotian Supreme Emperor, and possessed its own marvels. Its intricate details were highly valuable for Gu Xiechen to reference and continuously perfect his Pangu True Body cultivation methods.

Laughing triumphantly toward the heavens, Gu Xiechen suddenly soared upward, treading upon miles of wind and clouds, arriving directly above the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain.

The Solar Profound Pearl shot out, and Gu Xiechen shouted fiercely, “Master, Ten Heavenly Sovereigns, all Star Lords, lend me your strength!”

The Solar Profound Pearl spewed forth immeasurable radiance, enveloping the Iron Water Black Stone Mountain. The massive form of the Corpse Emperor ripped through space and, with a casual sweep of his sword, cleanly severed the mountain’s connection to the surrounding earth veins.

The Ten Ultimate Formations, the Great Star Formation of the Heavens, the Great Net Formation of Heaven and Earth, and other miraculous arrays were simultaneously activated. The Iron Water Black Stone Mountain, spanning nearly two hundred million li and weighing almost incalculable tons, let out a mournful cry that echoed through the clouds. Slowly, it was lifted by immeasurable auspicious light and auspicious energy, being swallowed into the Solar Profound Pearl.

Countless streams of Solar Profound Blaze and various forms of Pure Yang True Fire rushed forth, rapidly surrounding the mountain and fiercely forging and refining it.

By the time the Black Stone Ancestor’s numerous demonic subordinates realized what was happening, Gu Xiechen had long since departed with earth-shattering laughter. All that remained was a massive chasm, nearly two hundred million li wide and almost a hundred million li deep, from which endless Profound Condensing Frost Qi spewed forth, instantly freezing vast swathes of unprepared demons into blocks of ice.

The Black Stone Ancestor, trapped by Jixiang Heavenly Maiden’s restrictions, suddenly felt a piercing pain in his heart, and boundless vital blood sprayed from his entire body. He felt an emptiness in his core; it was as if his soul could no longer attach itself to anything.

The bewildered and disoriented spirit of the Black Stone Ancestor immediately collapsed under a heavy blow from Jixiang Heavenly Maiden, who gently placed a foot upon him. “Black Stone Ancestor, you are now this Seat’s slave!” Jixiang Heavenly Maiden cried out in delight. The Black Stone Ancestor could only cry out mournfully to the heavens, torrents of bloody tears streaming from his eyes. He had suddenly lost connection with his physical form; he could no longer sense the existence of his body...