The clouds billowed and receded in the sky, a natural ebb and flow. The two red suns in the west were slowly sinking, dyeing the expanse of clouds in hues of crimson.

A demonic haze permeated the high heavens, where nearly ten million immortal fiends hovered in formation, suspended in the void, yet not a single sound escaped them. The atmosphere in that empty space was solemn, a heavy iron curtain pressing down upon everyone’s heart.

Even the wind dared not approach this place; the flora, trees, insects, fish, and birds remained utterly motionless. Even the water in the rivers and lakes was silent as a nightmare, smooth as a mirror reflecting no ripples whatsoever. Fallen leaves clung to the surface, stuck fast as though caught in glue, without the slightest tremor.

Gu Xichen stood with his hands behind his back, regarding Gu Juechen, whose face was ashen, with cold eyes. After a full quarter hour passed, several sounds of an infant’s cry suddenly echoed from the Gu Clan manor. Gu Xichen’s expression instantly shifted, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“Whose child is that?”

Gu Juechen’s face stiffened as he slowly turned his head. Gu Yuru quickly stepped forward, forcing a broad, ingratiating smile as he reported to Gu Xichen, “It is Yuru’s eldest grandson. Following the generational names Heguang Tongchen and Yunyuan Ruyi, the Great-Grandfather has added another eight characters: Lingxu Chongying and Shouxin Chishun. They belong to the ‘Ling’ generation of the Gu family.”

Nodding, Gu Xichen smiled lightly and remarked, “Heguang Tongchen, Yunyuan Ruyi—those are precepts for the marketplace. Lingxu Chongying, Shouxin Chishun. Heh, it truly carries the scent of an immortal lineage.”

With a wave of his sleeve, Gu Xichen looked down at Gu Juechen and said coldly, “Tell me, we share the same father. I’ve brought so many people to offer aid from afar—do I not even warrant a cup of tea? Hah, you truly have the gall to leave me standing at the door to face the wind and drink the dew! Even immortals shouldn't behave like this!”

Gu Yuru shot Gu Juechen a nervous, dry laugh.

Gu Juechen threw his head back and sighed deeply. A purplish-red flush suddenly spread across his face, which had been gray and dry as salt-alkali soil. His face congested with blood, a mixture of embarrassment and shame forcing him to lower his head, offering a weak bow to Gu Xichen. “I… I have no face to meet you.”

Gu Yuru’s face flushed red as well, and he miserably bowed his head.

When he had carried out Gu Xichen’s orders to lead all the clergy to pledge allegiance to the True Cultivation Hall, his own strength had increased, and the Seven Cultivation Heavenly Venerable had shattered the seals within his primordial spirit. Because of this, he had been unable to wait, truly casting himself into the True Cultivation Hall and utterly betraying Gu Xichen.

Now, the very hall he had joined was moving to exterminate the entire Gu Clan, yet it was the Gu Xichen he had betrayed who had brought reinforcements from afar.

If Gu Juechen felt he had no face to meet Gu Xichen, how much less face did Gu Yuru possess? Not just them—but every other member of the Gu Clan who understood the history of enmity between Gu Juechen and Gu Xichen, who knew the relationship between Gu Yuru and Gu Xichen, all lowered their heads, their faces burning, not daring to utter a word. The Gu Clan’s conduct had truly been unsightly; what they had sown in years past, they were now reaping today. What more could they say?

Gu Xichen offered a faint smile and lightly floated down to the ground on his cloud, saying dismissively, “Enough. At your current level of understanding, if you still cannot see past these grudges and right and wrong, then your achievements will naturally be limited.”

Looking up at the void, Gu Xichen sighed faintly. “The Heavenly Dao is ruthless; Heaven’s will is inscrutable. All of us are merely struggling for survival within that Heavenly Dao, seeking a single thread of life, so that perhaps in the future we might transcend its constraints. For that ultimate Great Dao, any means are justifiable.”

“Whether loyal or treacherous, fierce or wicked, it all boils down to methods of survival. These matters of yours—compared to what some others have done—what do they even count for?” Gu Xichen gazed at Gu Juechen, his tone lingering sadly. “Those things between you and me, I no longer hold them in my heart.”

Gu Juechen’s face grew even redder, like fresh blood, as if genuine blood threatened to seep from his pores.

He had always harbored resentment toward Gu Xichen, yet Gu Xichen had long dismissed him from his concerns. The gap in their realms was now vast.

Shamefaced and humiliated, Gu Juechen cupped his hands toward Gu Xichen in a formal salute, but remained utterly silent.

From among the assembled Gu Clan members, two beautiful matrons suddenly stepped forward. They carefully carried three pink, tender infants and approached Gu Xichen. The older of the two matrons performed a deep, deferential bow to Gu Xichen with great restraint, then smiled and presented the infant in her arms before him. “Old Ancestor, please bestow great names upon these three children?”

Gu Xichen paused, then suddenly burst into laughter, taking the infant from the matron into his arms and beginning to play with him.

The infant was plump, fair, and utterly adorable. Tears still clung to the corners of his eyes, clearly having been the source of the recent crying. Gu Xichen delicately lifted the corner of his sleeve to wipe away the tears, then gently hooked his finger under the infant’s nose.

Perhaps tickled by the gesture, the infant opened his eyes wide to gaze at Gu Xichen, then closed them and began to wail loudly again. Furthermore, he impolitely relieved himself upon Gu Xichen, spraying warm urine all over him.

The matron turned deathly pale with fright, and Gu Yuru glared fiercely at the woman, who must have been his daughter-in-law, wishing he could rush forward and beat her soundly. But Gu Xichen merely roared with laughter, doubled over with mirth, gently patting the infant with his hand and repeatedly nodding. “Good, a fine, sturdy boy! Heh, and those other two little ones—I shall bestow great names upon you all.”

After a brief contemplation, Gu Xichen said gravely, “These are the Gu family’s—”

Gu Yuru hurriedly bowed low. “Elder Ancestor, these are the three direct grandsons of the current Gu family’s ‘Ling’ generation. As of now, they are the only three of that generation.”

Nodding slowly, Gu Xichen smiled gently. “They are three fine children! You must ensure they do not waste their lives caught up in the scheming and power struggles that consumed us.”

His gaze swept over Gu Juechen, Gu Yuru, and all the assembled Gu Clan members, and Gu Xichen said coldly, “The Three Realms, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, are immensely vast. If you must fight, go fight those outside. If you must seize, go seize from those outside. The Heavens are so wide, and good things are countless. What do the few things within the Gu family itself amount to?”

Gu Juechen, Gu Yuru, and all the members of the Gu Clan lowered their heads.

Indeed, what was there to fight over? To contend for? To struggle for? Merely for the petty trifles of the Gu Clan estate?

Back then, Gu Juechen had painstakingly schemed to kill Gu Xichen and monopolize the Gu Group’s inheritance. But now? The Gu Clan was confined to a tiny planet, nearly wiped out by an unpromising young wastrel from the True Cultivation Hall. Meanwhile, Gu Xichen commanded hundreds of thousands of planets in the Spiral Star Domain, leading armies numbering in the hundreds of millions. Which immortal in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths did not know the great name of the Evil Dragon Venerable?

Compared to that, all the internal strife and struggle for power within the Gu Clan’s own house held absolutely no meaning.

After a few bitter chuckles, Gu Juechen said dryly, “You speak truly. If any relative within our family turns against another in the future, the family rules will strip them of their cultivation and expel them from the clan, never to be enshrined in the Ancestral Hall again.”

Gu Xichen nodded slowly. “It is good that you grasp this principle. These ‘Ling’ generation children must remember our words today, must remember the principle I have laid out. Heaven and Earth are vast; the world outside is even vaster. Let your vision be broader, higher, and do not fixate only on the meager benefits within your own small plot of land.”

Pausing for a moment, Gu Xichen laughed. “There will be more children in the ‘Ling’ generation than just these three. Work hard to produce more. While you are young and fertile, you must bear as many as possible! Establish a family rule: a Gu clan member, once their Nascent Soul is formed, must marry and have children as quickly as possible, even if it means exhausting their primal Yin or primal Yang, even if it depletes their cultivation. Otherwise, they are an unfilial child!”

Sighing with deep emotion, Gu Xichen said gently, “For these three children, and for all future children of the ‘Ling’ generation, I shall give them eight characters for their names: Brothers United, Their Sharpness Cleaves Metal. The words may sound coarse, but you must remember this phrase.”

He shot a fierce glare at the assembled Gu Clan members, sneering coldly, “Remember these eight characters. Do not repeat the mistake of this time. Turning against one another for a mere scrap of family power, nearly causing the entire clan to be massacred—that is truly glorious!”

With a cold snort, the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Sound Divine Ability manifested, its chilling laughter transforming into a sharp awl that pierced violently into the minds of the Gu Clan members. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale, a loud ringing filling their ears, their bodies wracked with discomfort, nearly causing them to collapse to the ground. But Gu Xichen’s words were thus deeply branded upon their souls, never to be forgotten.

Having bestowed the great names upon the three infants, Gu Xichen, as their Old Ancestor, naturally needed to show some proper conduct. He deliberately took out three sets of supreme Artifacts, three sets of supreme Spirit Artifacts, and three sets of supreme Immortal Artifacts, placing them into the swaddling clothes of the three infants.

The three sets of Artifacts and Spirit Artifacts were one matter, but these three sets of supreme Immortal Artifacts were exquisite creations personally forged by Daoist Chen. Within each Immortal Artifact was sealed the soul of a Spirit Beast. The artifacts possessed immense power and extraordinary spirituality. The moment Gu Xichen produced them, ten thousand zhang of brilliant light shot straight into the heavens, illuminating an area hundreds of miles around, even outshining the light of the two red suns in the west.

Glancing coldly at the surrounding Gu Clan members whose faces showed horror, Gu Xichen pointed at the supreme artifacts and sneered, “Look clearly. The required artifacts for these three children, from infancy through the Condensing Qi stage right up to the Great Luo Golden Immortal level, have all been prepared.”

“Show some bearing befitting a great noble clan. Do not engage in contemptible behavior over trifles like mosquito legs for meager profit. I shall tell you once more: the heavens are high and the earth is vast; good things are countless. What is the power of the Gu Clan? What is one Golden Cloud Crown? Good things are everywhere. As long as you possess sufficient strength, what good thing can you not obtain?”

Gu Juechen and Gu Yuru could only sigh and shake their heads in shame. They humbled themselves, cautiously inviting Gu Xichen and the core members of the Nine Nether Path, such as Mo Tang Long Gen, into the Gu Clan manor. They were seated in the central hall of the manor—a grand structure covering nearly a li square.

Soon, beautiful serving maids brought fragrant tea and fresh fruit. Gu Juechen spared no expense in entertaining Gu Xichen and his retinue. He even brought out the few ounces of premium Immortal Tea he had obtained from the True Cultivation Hall, brewed it with spirit spring water, and presented it.

Gu Xichen made no ceremony of it, picking up the teacup to drink, grabbing the fruit to eat. After some eating and drinking, he then began to inquire about the current state of the Gu Clan from Gu Juechen.

He asked, and the situation revealed was astonishing: Gu Juechen, whose cultivation was merely at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal level, along with his descendants, were not particularly accomplished in cultivation, but they possessed an exceptional, fruitful talent for having children. Over the past three to four thousand years, Gu Juechen himself had fathered twenty-eight more children. Including his former sons, he now had forty-nine sons and twenty-seven daughters.

These children were also prolific breeders, one surpassing the other. Through generations of proliferation, the direct bloodline of the Gu Clan residing in this manor alone numbered two hundred and seventy thousand souls, among whom over twenty thousand possessed excellent aptitude and had achieved cultivation success.

Hearing the population figures reported by Gu Juechen, the muscles in Gu Xichen’s face twitched repeatedly, and his expression became incredibly strange.

He and Fu Ya7Ming had tried for three or four thousand years without even a sign of pregnancy, yet here was Gu Juechen proving so prolific?

Unfortunately for Gu Xichen, Gu Juechen had been overly stimulated these past few days. The usually shrewd and cunning Gu Juechen failed to notice Gu Xichen’s peculiar expression and stubbornly asked, “What about you, Second Brother Xichen? How have things been regarding offspring these past few years?”

Yan Qie and Mo Tang Long Gen all rolled their eyes toward the ceiling, while the nimble Gu Yuru clamped his mouth shut and turned his gaze toward the scenery outside the hall.

Gu Xichen gave a few dry laughs, then diverted the topic with a smile. “These years, I focused entirely on diligent cultivation. I married over three thousand years ago. You know my wife; she is Fu Ya7Ming, the queen of the Yakific Kingdom from back then.”

Clearing his throat, Gu Xichen adopted a stern expression and spoke seriously, “I see that the cultivation of the Gu Clan members is not very high! Is it a problem with the cultivation method, or something else?”

Gu Juechen was momentarily stunned. He suddenly recalled the rumors he had heard from the cultivators of the True Cultivation Hall: the higher a Heavenly Immortal’s cultivation, the more difficult it became to conceive. Gu Xichen had effortlessly dealt with two Great Luo Golden Immortals and over a hundred thousand immortals as if it were child’s play—one could only imagine the level of his current cultivation. In that case, did it mean Gu Xichen still had no children?

Oh dear, Gu Juechen suddenly realized he had unwittingly touched upon Gu Xichen’s sore spot!

After a few strained laughs, Gu Juechen quickly followed Gu Xichen’s lead to change the subject. He said bitterly, “It is the cultivation method. The method our Gu family practices is the preliminary section of the Profound Scripture of the Cave, granted by the True Cultivation Hall, which can only lead to the Golden Immortal realm at best.”

Gu Yuru, standing nearby, added, “The Profound Scripture of the Cave is considered a mid-to-low grade technique even within the True Cultivation Hall; it only allows cultivation up to the Golden Immortal realm, and the speed of advancement is extremely slow. We only learned in recent years that this scripture is what the servants in the inner hall of the True Cultivation Hall use.”

Gu Xichen smiled strangely. “Heh, a method for inner hall servants? It seems Old Man Qixiu was quite generous to you; it’s a miracle he didn’t give you the scripture used by the outer hall servants. But, only the first half?”

Gu Xichen’s lightly mocking words caused Gu Juechen and Gu Yuru to feel a wave of awkwardness once more. The Gu family had tried every means to curry favor with the True Cultivation Hall, but they were essentially dismissed as servants. Although their status was slightly higher than that of actual servants—being formal members and an affiliated family—the actual benefits they received were less than those enjoyed by the inner hall servants.

A scripture that was unremarkable, and only the first half granting cultivation up to the Heavenly Immortal peak, justified by the excuse that the True Cultivation Hall’s rules were strict, and profound techniques could not be rewarded without sufficient merit!

Gu Juechen couldn't help but reflect inwardly: from a business perspective, he had sold the Gu Clan for too cheap; far too cheap!

Gu Yuru looked toward Gu Xichen with hope glimmering in his eyes. Perhaps the future of the Gu family rested entirely on Gu Xichen’s whim.

Gu Xichen’s spiritual perception was now so potent that he clearly perceived the hope in Gu Yuru’s gaze. Frowning, his eyes swept over all the clan members present—their cautious, subdued, and even submissive postures, infused with an underlying air of servility. Gu Xichen let out an annoyed ‘Hmph’.

This single sound of annoyance nearly made Gu Juechen and the others jump out of their skins; they feared Gu Xichen was finally enraged and intended to settle the score for their past betrayal.

But then Gu Xichen raised a single finger and stated coldly, his face set, “From this day forward, I shall be the Eternal First Grand Elder of the Gu Family, possessing the authority to supervise and mete out collective punishment to all clan members. My decree shall be the Gu Family rule; none shall defy it.”

Gu Juechen hesitated slightly. The First Grand Elder? Then how would he, Gu Juechen, face the clan members?

But upon reflection, Gu Juechen recalled the recent near-annihilation brought by the calamity caused by Qingya Little Saint, which had almost shattered their household. He hardened his heart and roared loudly, “It shall be so! Xichen shall henceforth be the Eternal Supreme Patriarch of the Gu Family, and all rewards and punishments for clan members shall be decided by him alone.”

Gu Xichen nodded in satisfaction, raising a second finger. “Gu Juechen shall become the Eternal Supreme Patriarch of the family. Of course, his authority will be lesser than mine!”

This statement was clear and direct. Gu Xichen’s current power far surpassed Gu Juechen’s, so his authority within the Gu Family would naturally be greater. However, he needed to grant Gu Juechen sufficient face, so this title of ‘Eternal Supreme Patriarch’ precisely suited the status of Gu Juechen, Gu Yuru, and the other Gu Clan members.

Raising a third finger, Gu Xichen declared coldly, “From this moment forward, all Gu Clan members shall become disciples of the Nine Nether Path. Immortal masters from the Nine Nether Path will impart the secret arts of the Nine Nether. All Gu Clan members will have priority in hearing my discourse on the essence of the Great Dao within the Nine Nether Hall. However, all Gu Clan members will be under the dual supervision of the Punishment Hall of the Nine Nether Path and the Punishment Hall of the Gu Family. Anyone who dares violate the sect rules or the clan rules will surely face severe punishment.”

He swept a harsh gaze over the apprehensive Gu Clan members present and snarled, “If you violate the clan rules, the punishment will depend on my mood. If you violate the sect rules, the punishment received will be ten times that of an ordinary disciple of the Nine Nether Path!”

Taking a sip of the clear tea, Gu Xichen said lightly, “After all, I am the Sovereign of the Nine Nether Path. You are my kin; if I do not impose strict discipline, it will inevitably cause me to lose face and harm the interests of the Nine Nether Path. Therefore, starting today, all Gu Clan members must turn over a new leaf and reform. Pack away all those rotten temperaments you had before!”

With a few strange laughs, Gu Xichen glanced sideways at the stiff-faced Gu Clan members like Gu Yuru and sneered coldly, “Any Gu Clan member who objects to these rules of mine can pack their bags and leave today; I will absolutely not obstruct your future prospects!”

After saying that the Gu Clan members were free to leave and that he absolutely would not hinder their futures, Gu Xichen’s tone shifted, and he added with a sinister laugh, “As long as you can escape the relentless pursuit of the Nine Nether Path’s enforcement disciples—heh heh—feel free to pack up and depart!”

Gu Yuru and the other Gu Clan members straightened up, sitting rigidly upright, daring to harbor no other thoughts.

The enforcement disciples of the Nine Nether Path were, at their weakest, mid-grade Taiyi Golden Immortals. How else could they subdue the hundreds of millions of demons, ghosts, and monsters within the Nine Nether Path? The strongest among the Gu Clan were Gu Juechen and Gu Yuru, both merely at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal stage. If they wanted to escape the pursuit of Taiyi Golden Immortals, that was nothing but a pipe dream!

Gu Xichen intended to forcibly seize control of the Gu family through sheer power. The Gu Clan members understood this as clearly as a mirror. In the future, the days of the Gu family would be difficult, but the eventual prosperity of the Gu family would never again be in question. With a strange smirk, Gu Xichen casually pointed a finger, and a burst of purple energy erupted, from which four elderly men dressed in Daoist robes slowly walked out.

These four elders all appeared full of vigor, exuding an air of immortal elegance, possessing youthful faces and aged hair. Purple mist swirled above their heads, indicating their cultivation was profoundly deep. The four old men looked benevolent, like kindly neighborhood grandfathers, yet their eyes, as they opened and closed, shot out sharp glints, faintly revealing the cunning shrewdness of those who have lived long and seen much. It was clear their inherent nature was vastly different from their outward appearance.

Gu Juechen looked at the four old men with surprise and cautiously inquired, “Xichen, who are these four seniors?”

Gu Xichen smiled strangely, chuckling wickedly, “These four are the future Eternal Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grand Elders of the Gu Clan. Together with me, they form the Supervisory Committee of the Gu Clan Punishment Hall. When I am absent, these four will have absolute authority over the rewards and punishments of the Gu Clan members.”

The four old men smiled courteously and bowed to Gu Xichen in unison, replying loudly, “We humble Daoists will certainly cooperate wholeheartedly to assist the Gu Clan in achieving prosperity and development.”

Gu Xichen laughed for a good while before pointing at the four Daoists and saying, “These are the Four Heavenly Masters of the Tongming Palace from the thirty-three heavens of the Ancient Heavenly Court: Zhang, Xu, Qiu, and Ge. Heh heh, they held high positions and great power. These four Heavenly Masters are meticulous in character, impartial in their conduct, and thus most suitable for overseeing the Gu Clan members.”

With another gesture of his hand, four majestic Heavenly Generals clad in gold armor, leading hundreds of Golden Armored Heavenly Soldiers, strode out of the purple mist.

Gu Xichen introduced them: "These four are the four great marshals of the Tongming Palace—Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan. They command eight hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals, who are the first batch designated for the future Law Enforcement Squad of the Gu family. Hmm. For a period of time to come, if any member of the Gu clan makes a mistake, they will face pursuit and punishment from the Taiyi Golden Immortals. Heh heh, family rules must be strict; only then can we prevent the emergence of pampered wastrels!"

Gu Juechen, little Gu Yu Ru, were already numb. The highest cultivation level in the Gu family was barely the peak of the Celestial Immortal realm; did they really need eight hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals for a law enforcement squad?

However, to be able to produce eight hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals as an enforcement team on a whim—just how terrifyingly strong was Gu Xichen now?

Gu Juechen’s heart hammered rapidly. He faintly glimpsed a future where the Gu family prospered and flourished. With Gu Xichen at the helm, it was only a matter of time before the Gu family became renowned across the Three Realms. He drew a deep breath, having already resolved that he would never contest with Gu Xichen again.

He could no longer contest, and neither could the Gu family.

Eight hundred Taiyi Golden Immortals!

While Gu Xichen was planning the Gu family’s future and meticulously perfecting its internal regulations, a dull thunderclap suddenly resonated above his head. A chilling voice echoed across the wilderness.

“Which blind, mongrel dog dared to injure this Venerable One’s beloved son? All of you shall die today!”

Gu Xichen paused slightly, then suddenly smiled.

“Why is it that so many times, these people always declare that I must die?”

Shaking his head languidly, Gu Xichen extended a hand toward Gu Juechen.

“Big Brother, shall we go take a look together?”

Gu Juechen’s face turned pale, then instantly flushed a deep purplish-red.

His body trembled as if tens of thousands of vibrators were racing chaotically within him. With great effort, he shakily extended his hand and tightly grasped Gu Xichen’s palm.

Gu Xichen clasped Gu Juechen’s hand and led him slowly toward the main hall.

“Let’s face it, we share the same father.”

“Putting aside everything that happened before, I will lend the Gu family one last hand. If this family still proves useless, I will wash my hands of the entire matter!”

Gu Xichen’s words sent a jolt through Gu Juechen. He then nodded heavily.

In the void, not a single disciple of the Nine Nether Dao could see these utterly treacherous demons and monsters. They had long since hidden themselves in the forests surrounding the Gu Clan estate, each one concealed as secretively as a common ground rat.

Mid-air, a stern-looking middle-aged man with a three-foot-long beard, clutching a pale silver steel whip, led tens of thousands of immortals, cursing incessantly in the void in utter fury.

Gu Xichen took a deep breath, then suddenly roared sharply: “Which blind, mongrel dog dares to make a scene before the gates of my Gu family? All of you shall die today!”

Reciting the middle-aged man’s words back verbatim, the man immediately flew into a rage and swung his whip down directly toward Gu Xichen’s head. (To be continued)H