A blade of light, half-green, half-red, streaked across the high sky. Gu Xichen, lost in thought, observed the male cultivator who was holding onto him, his entire mind rapidly analyzing the strange state of these cultivators.

A body cultivator at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm, magic power close to that of a Golden Immortal, and a nascent soul strength equivalent to the Core Formation stage—plus a Core that was comparable to ten thousand Core Formation cultivators from Earth. By the Heavenly Dao laws familiar to Gu Xichen, such a combination was impossible.

If any cultivator in the original universe possessed such a deformed structure, they would have long since self-destructed or gone mad from being unable to control the intensity of their spiritual energy versus their physical strength, thereby destroying their surroundings in a chaotic fit.

However, in this universe, this state seemed perfectly reasonable. This suggested that this universe placed less stringent demands on cultivation level and spiritual sense; possessing a sufficiently powerful physical body granted access to commensurate magical power.

Judging by the speed at which these cultivators flew, their sword light velocity was similar to, or perhaps even slightly slower than, Earth’s Core Formation cultivators. This was because their nascent soul strength was only at the Core Formation level; even with near-Golden Immortal magic power, the force they could truly exert was limited to the Core Formation standard.

From this, it could be deduced that the spells these cultivators typically cast were only at the Core Formation level. While stronger than those of Earth's cultivators, the difference wasn't vast. This resulted in a curious outcome: when two Core Formation cultivators fought each other, neither could inflict substantial damage on the other. The power of a Core Formation spell was insufficient to truly threaten a body cultivated to the peak Heavenly Immortal standard.

No wonder these male and female cultivators seemed so ill-matched; despite hurling insults at each other, they never actually engaged in combat.

It wasn't that they were unwilling to teach the other a lesson; it was that any action would have been pointless. Unless they possessed powerful artifacts capable of threatening a Heavenly Immortal, any fight between them would be nothing more than a joke. A prolonged struggle lasting hundreds of years would result in neither side being able to harm the other—clearly not the outcome they desired. But powerful artifacts… Gu Xichen scanned the sword lights wielded by these male and female cultivators with a mocking smile.

The materials used in the flying swords were excellent. Due to the considerable natural environment of this universe, the quality of these sword materials was comparable to that used for top-tier Immortal Artifacts in his original universe. Yet, the refining techniques were extremely crude. Such fine materials were marred by low-grade craftsmanship. In Gu Xichen’s estimation, the arrays and restrictions inscribed within these flying swords were only at the level of low-tier magic tools.

Consequently, these flying swords possessed, at best, the power equivalent to mid-grade Spirit Tools from his original universe. They might threaten a body cultivator at the Void Realm, but their might was far insufficient against a Heavenly Immortal level being.

A group of robust giants fighting with toothpicks—that was the impression these male and female cultivators left on Gu Xichen.

Promising, very promising indeed. Gu Xichen rubbed his hands together and smiled, narrowing his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he cheerfully asked the male cultivator who was pulling him along on the sword light, “Esteemed Immortal Elder, where are we going?” The male cultivator glanced down at Gu Xichen, nodded, and replied, “The Black Flame City was destroyed; someone must pay the price!”

As he spoke, the sword light accelerated, quickly covering several dozen li. Ahead, in a dense mountain forest, the faint sounds of beast roars and human cries could be heard. The several thousand female knights of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe who had breached Black Flame City were now riding slowly through the ridges, excitedly discussing how much money, grain, and fine cloth they had plundered. Some complained that they hadn't managed to capture a single man this time. The male cultivator leading Gu Xichen glanced sharply at the female knights and asked, “Are those them?”

Gu Xichen perfectly exhibited a mask of terror and lingering fear, trembling as he exclaimed, “It’s them, it’s definitely them!”

The male cultivator snorted coldly, casually pointed towards the mountain ridge below, and led several of his companions straight down on their swords. He looked at Gu Xichen and said calmly, “I am Bo’er from the True Yang Sect of the Female Gong Kingdom, and those few are my fellow disciples.”

Glancing disdainfully at the female cultivators following them on their swords, Bo’er said coldly and with evident disgust, “They are cultivators from the Hidden Yin Sect of the Female Gong Kingdom. They have always been mortal enemies of our True Yang Sect. You must be extremely cautious around them in the future. Even with the decrees from the Empress of the Female Gong Kingdom mediating, the struggle between our two sects has merely shifted from open to covert. Given any chance, we will certainly give the other side a taste of their own medicine.” In just a few words, the male and female cultivators of the two sects swooped low, their swords skimming the treetops as they plunged into the forest.

Bo’er sneered, completely foregoing any greeting to the female knights of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe below. He waved his hand, summoning dozens of fireballs the size of water vats, and hurled them downward. Gu Xichen swept his divine sense over the fireballs, meticulously recording Bo’er’s entire incantation process.

The fireball technique was rather mediocre. Under Gu Xichen’s critical gaze, these fireballs were flashy but inherently weak; the restrictions within their cores were common, preventing them from unleashing much true power. Their trajectory was a dead straight line, lacking any subsequent variation. Back on Earth, if a Core Formation cultivator cast fireballs like this, he would likely be mocked to death.

All power, but no matching realm of understanding, and no sufficiently profound Dao arts or immortal spells. A cultivator like Bo’er, in Gu Xichen’s eyes, was merely a qualified humanoid cannon turret.

Bo’er waved his hand, unleashing dozens of fireballs, and with another gesture, sent dozens more. In the span of a single breath, Bo’er casually scattered over a thousand water-vat-sized fireballs, engulfing several li radius of the forest. Each fireball carried the destructive force equivalent to a heavy aerial bomb, shattering the earth and sending flesh and blood flying everywhere.

The female knights of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe shrieked and struggled under the bombardment. Often, both rider and mount were blasted dozens of feet away, their bodies blown to pieces, with gore, fragments of flesh, and severed limbs scattering everywhere. Pillars of fire shot up fifty feet high, and dust and smoke billowed upward for hundreds of feet.

The intense heat ignited the surrounding forest, causing large swaths to burn rapidly. Black smoke and raging fire enveloped an area spanning over ten li. Thousands of female knights from the Barbarian Tenth Tribe screamed and struggled within this fiery purgatory. Bo’er’s casual attack had already inflicted over a thousand casualties.

Next, the other male cultivators from the True Yang Sect roared down. The one supporting Guo Hua waved his hand, sending hundreds of translucent, pale-green wind blades, each about a foot long and a foot wide, whistling downwards. Wherever the wind blades passed, whether female knight or mount, they were sliced cleanly through, as if cutting warm butter with a hot knife. Springs of blood jetted out, and severed limbs flew, thickening the stench of blood in the forest.

The other male cultivators directed streaks of sword light, hacking and stabbing randomly into the forest below. Where their sword light passed, the female knights of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe had no means of resistance. They scrambled in all directions like headless flies, only to meet a swift end under the blade light. The female cultivators from the Hidden Yin Sect also descended, their attacks even more ruthless.

The female cultivators raised their hands, and arcs of electric light flashed rapidly between them. Following a low chant, the women pressed their hands toward the forest floor. In broad daylight, a muffled thunderclap suddenly sounded, and large swathes of lightning descended from the low sky, sweeping through the forest like dense, incessant rain.

Where the lightning passed, any female knight struck, along with her mount, was blasted into pieces, flesh charred and bones scorched.

Peals of thunder echoed continuously as the female cultivators of the Hidden Yin Sect wantonly unleashed lightning upon the female knights below. Cooperating with the attacks of Bo’er and the other male cultivators, the female knights in the forest were wiped out in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea; only a few mounts managed to survive by luck.

The forest was thick with the smell of scorching and blood. A few wounded mounts lay on the ground, emitting weak, mournful cries. The surroundings were littered with deep craters and mangled remains—a true depiction of hell.

The male and female cultivators of the True Yang and Hidden Yin Sects circled in the air, searching for a while. Satisfied that no female knights from the Barbarian Tenth Tribe remained alive, they ascended back into the sky, hovering in the clouds to coldly survey the mountain of corpses and sea of blood below.

Gu Xichen appropriately enacted the demeanor of a survivor, spitting a few times toward the ground out of feigned indignation and anger, then sighed mournfully to Bo’er, “If you Immortal Elders had arrived half a day sooner, how could my Black Candle City have suffered this disaster?”

Guo Hua also let out a long sigh, looking up at the sky, “What a pity about General Qing Dao’s messenger sent for aid; who knows what became of them.”

Bo’er shook his head. “There was no messenger requesting aid. We were resting in Bai Sha City when we suddenly saw smoke and fire rising from this direction, so we rushed over to investigate. Unfortunately, we arrived too late.” He cursed indignantly, muttering low, “As long as the Barbarian Tenth Tribe is not exterminated, my Female Gong Kingdom will never know peace!”

The white-skinned female cultivator immediately seized Bo’er’s opening and sneered mockingly, “Bo’er, since you say that, why don’t you go directly attack the main camp of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe? I imagine you’d achieve swift victory and eradicate this menace in one go.” Bo’er clamped his mouth shut, refusing to respond to the white-skinned female cultivator’s challenge.

Gu Xichen paid no mind to Bo’er and the white-skinned female cultivator bickering; he found it highly amusing. Since smoke was seen rising from Black Flame City when they were in Bai Sha City, the distance between the two cities couldn't be great—at most a hundred li. Hmm, did that woman Qing Dao perhaps not know about beacon fire warnings?

Then again, who knew? Perhaps the level of civilization development was different here, and they were simply unaware of the concept of beacon fire warnings.

While turning his thoughts over, he suddenly spotted a dark cloud rising from the mountain ridge ahead, accompanied by gusts of chilling wind swirling along the ground. Faint sounds of ghostly wails and howling drifted from the forest. That section of dark cloud suddenly condensed into a single black streak, flying rapidly toward them. This black cloud was hundreds of li wide from left to right, rolling and surging like a tide.

Within the black cloud, indistinct, distorted, and struggling phantom images of monstrous beasts could be faintly perceived. These ghastly green phantoms spewed black smoke and phosphorus flames, shrieking strangely as they moved. The surrounding evil aura and grim wind intensified, seeping chillingly into the bodies of the cultivators. Bo’er shrieked, grabbed Gu Xichen, and turned to flee on his sword.

As they fled, Bo’er roared angrily, “It’s all those damned women! If they hadn't used the Heavenly Thunder Curse, which made such a loud noise, how could they have attracted this Nascent Soul level old immortal? Go, hurry, don't linger for a fight!”

Gu Xichen glanced back at the dark cloud and the grim wind. Green lightning flickered faintly within the mist. Amidst the ghostly fire, phosphorus light, and thunderous flashes, he could vaguely make out a woman about fifteen feet tall, riding a monstrous beast completely covered in red fur, possessing two heads and eight legs, resembling a giant tortoise. She was whipping up wind and clouds, rapidly pursuing them.

This woman’s face was even more ferocious than the leader of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe’s female knights, and her musculature was startlingly powerful. Her mount’s shell carried four leather drums, and the woman wielded two drumsticks made from the leg bones of some unknown giant beast, beating the drums furiously to create a dull, thunderous sound. Beneath the sound of the drums, a faint thread of ghostly shrieks was hidden, making the noise particularly unsettling.

The sword lights of the male and female cultivators from the True Yang and Hidden Yin Sects moved swiftly, but the dark cloud and grim wind driven by the pursuing woman were even faster—at least twice the speed of their sword light. An bone-chilling, yin cold wind gradually washed over the group, tangling their hair and making their robes snap loudly in the gale.

The faces of the female cultivators from the Hidden Yin Sect were also extremely grim. The white-skinned female cultivator snapped, “Bo’er, what nonsense are you spouting? When the warriors of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe go out raiding, they are always accompanied only by Core Formation cultivators; when have we ever seen a Nascent Soul cultivator providing rear protection?”

Bo’er’s expression shifted slightly. He glared fiercely at the female cultivator, “Yin Long’er, stop your prattling. Regardless, the Nascent Soul cultivator behind us is real.”

The white-skinned female cultivator was named Yin Long’er, and Gu Xichen secretly nodded. He suddenly exclaimed loudly, “Among the warriors of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe who attacked Black Flame City, there was one who looked exactly like this!”

Cracklingly, Gu Xichen used precise words to describe the appearance of the female knight commander. Especially the way she repeatedly referred to herself as "Auntie" was the biggest distinguishing feature. As soon as Gu Xichen finished describing the leader and mentioned that she was accidentally shot dead by a heavy crossbow bolt beneath Black Flame City, Bo’er and Yin Long’er’s expressions drastically changed.

“It’s disastrous! That’s the eldest daughter of the Matriarch of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe; no wonder there’s a Nascent Soul cultivator stationed in the rear!” Bo’er cried out in despair. He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto his sword light. The light immediately surged several times its size, and their speed increased by more than double. The male and female cultivators of both sects dared not delay, each spitting essence blood to boost their flight speed.

But no matter how fast they flew, the Nascent Soul cultivator of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe behind them remained hot on their heels, seemingly about to overtake them.

Suddenly, the female cultivator heavily struck one of her leather drums. With a great whoosh, hundreds of ghastly green fireballs materialized out of thin air. Each fireball contained a fist-sized Yin Thunder Pellet, hurtling toward Bo’er and the others with a muffled roar. Bo’er gasped, “It’s the Soul-Devouring Yin Thunder of the Barbarian Tenth Tribe! We must absolutely not let them get close!”

The words had barely left his mouth when a female cultivator from the Hidden Yin Sect was struck by a fireball. The ghastly green Yin fire sputtered and burned on the woman’s body, making her flesh sizzle, but it only singed a few strands of her hair and did no physical damage to her flesh.

However, the Yin Thunder Pellet contained within the fireball transformed into a sticky, dark-green stream of light resembling molten iron, rapidly flowing into the woman’s seven orifices. In Gu Xichen’s divine sense, this stream of light rapidly converged in the woman’s brain, reforming into a fist-sized Yin Thunder Pellet, which then exploded with a dull boom. Upon detonation, the woman’s physical brain suffered no damage, but her soul was blasted into four pieces.

The woman’s body suddenly stiffened and then dropped heavily towards the ground. Before it had fallen a hundred feet, a series of Yin fire and grim winds swept over, enveloping the woman’s corpse and dragging it into the black cloud behind them.

The female cultivator wielding the beast-bone drumsticks cackled sinisterly. She chanted an incantation, and the surrounding Yin fire and phosphorus light condensed into palm-sized, ghastly green talismans, which she continuously stamped onto the corpse of the Hidden Yin Sect female cultivator.

Guo Hua sent a spiritual message, “It’s a corpse refinement technique, but it doesn't even qualify to be compared to the secret methods of the Nine Nether Path.”

Although in Guo Hua’s eyes, the woman’s corpse refinement technique was low-grade, it still possessed a certain subtle ingenuity. The body of the female cultivator whose soul had been destroyed suddenly moved. A ghastly green light pierced her eyes, and she shrieked as she shot into the sky, pursuing Gu Xichen and the others with the speed of a fierce wind. Gu Xichen shuddered in mock terror, shouting, “Monster! A reanimated corpse! Run!”

Bo’er was so frightened by Gu Xichen’s scream that he trembled violently. He gritted his teeth, biting off half of his tongue with a snap. With a pained cry, Bo’er ignored the need to chastise Gu Xichen and spat a pillar of blood onto his sword light. The light beneath his feet instantly lengthened to a hundred feet, transforming into a rainbow of light as they fled rapidly.

Seeing the female cultivator killed by the Soul-Devouring Yin Thunder and her corpse turned into a puppet zombie, the male and female cultivators of the True Yang and Hidden Yin Sects all copied Bo’er’s action, desperately biting off their tongues and spitting out jets of blood mixed with shredded meat, spurring their sword lights to dash forward frantically.

The hundreds of Soul-Devouring Yin Thunders chasing behind them narrowly grazed Bo’er and the others’ bodies, startling cries of alarm from them all.

Gu Xichen and Guo Hua exchanged a smile, both feeling a sudden wave of relief.

The physical bodies of the cultivators in this universe were hardy, and their magical power profound—the cultivators of the original universe were in no way comparable. However, the spiritual cultivation level of the cultivators in this universe seemed roughly equivalent to those in the original universe, and they were clearly several tiers behind in the quality of their flying swords and magic artifacts.

Therefore, dealing with the cultivators of this universe wasn't difficult. As long as they avoided close combat and direct entanglement, they could simply use spells and artifacts specifically targeting the soul.

To Gu Xichen and the others, that last Soul-Devouring Yin Thunder attack was nothing special. The spell wasn't very sophisticated either; it merely drew upon the energy of the dead and absorbed the putrid essence of corpses to condense the Yin Thunder, augmented by a minor spell for attacking the nascent soul. The result was the easy dispatch of a female cultivator from the Hidden Yin Sect.

The innate potential of cultivators in this universe was millions of times superior to those in the original universe, but their cultivation methodologies seemed to be in an extremely primitive stage.

Guo Hua’s eyes glittered like those of an starving wolf spotting succulent lamb.

He seemed to see countless high-potential corpses waiting for him to awaken them, waiting to be refined into Flying Night Demons. Given the physical quality and magical cultivation of the cultivators in this universe, even a Core Formation cultivator refined using the secret methods of the Nine Nether Path could easily be forged into a low-grade Flying Night Demon!

On Earth, in the original universe, finding suitable corpses to refine into high-level zombies like the Flying Night Demon was a rare stroke of luck. But here, high-quality materials were everywhere!

Guo Hua’s muscles trembled slightly; he was so excited he nearly cried out to the heavens.

The ultimate killing formation secret technique of the Corpse Cultivation branch of the Nine Nether Path, the "Myriad Souls Thousand Corpses Spirit Slaying Array," required a minimum of one thousand fully formed Flying Night Demons to set up. For many years, the Nine Nether Path had never managed to gather a thousand of them. But here, Guo Hua seemed to see an incomparably brilliant prospect.

If all the cultivators in this universe possessed the physical constitution of Bo’er and Yin Long’er, let alone a thousand Flying Night Demons, he could gather a hundred thousand, even a million! The Myriad Souls Thousand Corpses Spirit Slaying Array was an evil formation whose power grew with the number of Flying Night Demons present. If, hypothetically, a million Flying Night Demons were arrayed, their combined power would truly border on the transcendent, at least on par with the Myriad Immortals Array or the Ten Absolutes Array! Excitement, overwhelming excitement—Guo Hua vibrated so violently his entire body shook.

The True Yang Sect male cultivator dragging the panicked Guo Hua assumed he was simply terrified and sternly admonished him, “What are you afraid of? Our sect elders are stationed in Bai Sha City ahead; what is there to fear? Are you even a man?”

Guo Hua paused, looking at the True Yang Sect disciple whose forehead was beaded with cold sweat from fright.

He let out a soft hum, straightened his waist slightly, and muttered under his breath, “If you were a beautiful woman, I would absolutely let you know that I am the number one pure man in the world!”

The Hidden Yin Sect female disciple, whose corpse had been partially refined into a zombie, shrieked loudly and surged forward on a gust of grim wind. She seemed to vaguely recall her living aversion to the True Yang Sect disciples, so she flapped her arms and pounced on a male disciple from the True Yang Sect. A blast of grim wind shot out from beneath her feet, causing her to accelerate sharply. She grabbed the male disciple by his ankles and opened her mouth, aiming for his vital lower region.

The male cultivator disciple shrieked in terror, and the surrounding disciples of the True Yang Sect, including Baobauer, were utterly paralyzed with fear, their formation utterly broken. Gu Xiechen frowned deeply, letting out a sharp roar: "Duanzu, save yourselves!"

The Nascent Soul stage female cultivator from the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals had just been refined into a zombie. The teeth of the female cultivator from the Hidden Yin Gate had grown by half an inch, each one a gleaming, sharp fang, all a ghastly shade of green, continuously dripping viscous, dark green venom. Even from a distance, a foul stench assailed the face. One could only imagine the consequences of being bitten by this creature.

Gu Xiechen rapidly analyzed the nature of the venom: it did not harm the physical body but specialized in eroding and damaging the primordial spirit. If these Golden Core cultivators were struck by the venom, the immediate result would be the annihilation of their primordial spirits and total dissipation of their souls.

Therefore, looking at the True Yang Sect disciple screaming for help, Gu Xiechen once again shouted sternly: "Duanzu, save your life! Are you an idiot?" A long cry also echoed from afar: "Yang Chenzi, sever both your feet, quickly!"

Yang Chenzi, the True Yang Sect disciple held tightly by the female cultivator, snapped back to his senses with a violent tremor. He roared in fury, severing both his feet just below the knee. A thunderous explosion, like a cannon firing, instantly erupted, sending gushing fountains of blood shooting out, blasting the zombie holding his legs hundreds of zhang away.

The physical bodies of these Golden Core cultivators were supremely robust; it was difficult for other cultivators to harm their flesh, but destroying their own bodies was effortless for them. With a mere flicker of thought, their physical strength would erupt violently, naturally severing their own limbs, much like the instinct of a gecko. However, given the formidable nature of their bodies, re-growing new limbs or reattaching severed feet after self-mutilation was not so simple.

The zombie, clutching the two severed feet, was flung a great distance, unable to suppress a toothy snarl. She savagely gnawed at the two stumps, her sharp fangs piercing into the flesh. The venom rapidly dyed the severed feet a ghastly green.

The Nascent Soul female cultivator pursuing from the rear let out a cold laugh: "Heh heh, severing both feet to save one's life. Among the younger disciples of the True Yang Sect, there are indeed a few talents with exceptional fortitude. They know that the Corpse Servant Venom I have cultivated cannot be touched, heh heh, heh heh! Quite smart!"

Before the words fully faded, the dark clouds and sinister wind from behind suddenly lunged forward, instantly arriving less than a hundred zhang behind the male and female cultivators of both sects. Nearly a hundred bizarre figures, accompanied by low growls, flew out. Among them were humans, beasts, and birds, as well as strange mountain spirits and water ghosts, all having been refined into zombies by that female cultivator, flying out enveloped in heavy Yin energy.

Gu Xiechen narrowed his eyes, about to cast a minor spell to slightly increase the escape speed of Baobauer and the others, when a sudden brightness flared ahead. A fiery-red sword light, carrying an oppressive heat, shot straight toward them. A powerfully built man, clad in a crimson robe, a red kerchief tied around his head, and wearing a suit of fire-red metallic armor underneath, flew forward riding this hundred-zhang-long red light, wielding a three-zhang-long spiked club with both hands, swinging it fiercely at the nearly one hundred zombies.

A magnificent surge of vital energy whistled out, like a wall of fire stretching across the void. The nearly one hundred zombies were smashed flying by the man's blow. The fiery energy surged into the dark clouds and sinister winds, violently repelling the Female Brutal Tribe female cultivator in the clouds dozens of li backward.

"Flame General! Heh, Gong Kingdom's woman, are you leading the escort for these youngsters on their training expedition this time? The female cultivator in the dark cloud struggled to stabilize her body before letting out a piercing shriek.

The Flame General, whose height was around one zhang and five chi, held his head high and roared with laughter: "Indeed! Wu Shigui, are you turning around and rolling away, or are you taking two hits from my staff?" As he spoke the last sentence, "taking two hits from my staff," the Flame General, whose face was covered in thick, coiled beard, exuding an air of heroic gallantry, indecently thrust his waist forward and laughed maniacally several times. The sinister energy of the dark clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing the figure of the Nascent Soul female cultivator, Wu Shigui.

Opening her hideous maw, Wu Shigui licked her lips with a long tongue sticky with copious amounts of mucus, and chuckled eerily: "Is that your little ci that you're referring to, Flame General? Heh, if it’s yours, Granny can reluctantly try it out with you."

Seeing Wu Shigui unexpectedly, the Flame General hastily retreated a considerable distance, shrieking: "Strange, strange, why are you getting uglier? The last time I saw you, although you weren't exactly a beauty, you still possessed an average countenance. But this time, you've become utterly ordinary, looking just like those female ghosts from the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals. What game are you playing?" Wu Shigui’s expression suddenly shifted, and she roared: "You say I look ugly?"

A figure drifted slowly from the distance, and a chillingly cold laugh drifted serenely: "It's not that you've become ugly; you were always this ugly."

Gu Xiechen watched the figure slowly drifting closer and couldn't help but brighten his eyes. After seeing so many fierce and terrifying female warriors from the Female Brutals and the Gong Kingdom, he finally saw a woman who looked relatively normal, one with some measure of allure.

This woman in white, stepping on a patch of white cloud and drifting closer, possessed a form like an ancient pine and a face like frozen ice. Her posture was rigidly straight, looking much like a zombie. Although she lacked any seductive figure or smile, her appearance was still seven or eight parts beautiful. When contrasted with Yin Long'er and the female disciples of the Hidden Yin Gate, she appeared absolutely stunning. Truly, one must have a comparison to appreciate true beauty.

Having seen the faces of the warriors from the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals and the Gong Kingdom, even though this woman in white was not overwhelmingly beautiful, at first glance, she was strikingly pleasing to the eye, making one's mouth water.

Guohua, Sairén, and Mohe, three incorrigible lechers, were already gulping down mouthfuls of saliva as they stared at the woman. Their eyes were fixed shamelessly on her bosom, waist, and thighs. Their greedy gazes even drew dissatisfaction from the Flame General. Frowning, the Flame General flew over and physically blocked the trio’s intensely aggressive stares.

The woman in white glanced surprisingly at Gu Xiechen and the four others, then suddenly displayed a cool, reserved, and self-satisfied smile: "The True Yang Sect has indeed chosen some excellent seedlings this time... Hmm, you seem to have some discernment!" As if aware that she was significantly more beautiful than Yin Nu'er and the others, the woman in white puffed out her chest involuntarily and a faint blush appeared on her face when praising the three of Guohua for their good taste.

Yin Nu'er and the other female cultivators of the Hidden Yin Gate lowered their heads, casting glances filled with intense, venomous hatred toward the three of Guohua from the corner of their eyes.

Wu Shigui burst into maniacal laughter: "Yin Nü'er, you're here too? Heh heh, I’m done playing with you! You killed the eldest daughter of our matriarch of the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals. You people of the Gong Kingdom await our revenge for this!"

Seeing that two Nascent Soul cultivators from the True Yang Sect and the Hidden Yin Gate had arrived, Wu Shigui turned to flee without another word. She withdrew the menacing dark clouds and sinister wind, her body transforming into a streak of black light and instantly vanishing into the distance, unwilling to give the Flame General and the woman in white, Yin Nü'er, the chance to attack her together.

The Flame General and Yin Nü'er seemed quite wary of Wu Shigui, as they watched her escape into the sky without pursuing her.

Once Wu Shigui had vanished beyond the horizon, Yin Nü'er flew to Yin Nu'er and the others, quietly inquiring about the sequence of events. The Flame General also ran up to Baobauer and the others, quietly asking what exactly had happened.

When the two learned that Black Flame City had been massacred, and that only Gu Qichen and the four survivors remained, their expressions changed instantly. Only when they subsequently heard that the male and female cultivators of the True Yang Sect and the Hidden Yin Gate had jointly pursued and slaughtered all the female knights of the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals did their complexions improve considerably. But when they learned that one female disciple from the Hidden Yin Gate had been killed, Yin Nü'er's face darkened completely, while the Flame General intentionally burst into loud, unrestrained laughter, spraying spittle as he did so.

"Wonderful, wonderful! This training expedition for my True Yang Sect disciples has yielded great rewards!" The Flame General proudly slapped his chest and laughed: "Slaying over three thousand warriors from the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals—this military merit is undeniable. Furthermore, we’ve gained four disciples of exceptional aptitude! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Why are some women so foolish? They could have just done well, yet they had to sacrifice a life!"

Yin Nü'er's body suddenly trembled, and a sharp, icy light instantly struck toward the Flame General’s face. The Flame General grunted, and a fire shield, condensed from flames and about a zhang in diameter, suddenly erupted before him. With a muffled thud, a thin snow-jade bracelet worn on Yin Nü'er's wrist instantly shattered, its three triangular white gemstones crushed into powder. The fire shield before the Flame General also dissipated into wisps of green smoke, and a gem as vividly red as pigeon's blood on his belt was similarly pulverized.

The two exchanged a glance. The Flame General suddenly let out a strange laugh: "Fiery, I like it! Just don't let me accumulate enough military merit to surpass you, or I will definitely petition the Empress to bestow you upon me as a concubine. I will certainly indulge in you properly!"

Yin Nü'er gazed back at the Flame General with a cold smile. She stated coldly: "You better not fall into my hands either, otherwise..." With a flip of her hand, a sharp pair of crystal scissors materialized out of thin air in Yin Nü'er's grasp. She glanced coldly at the Flame General's vital parts, suddenly threw her head back and laughed three times, then turned and left with the female cultivators of the Hidden Yin Gate. The Flame General’s body shook slightly, and he cursed under his breath: "Damned woman."

After a few cold chuckles, the Flame General loudly proclaimed: "This training expedition for my True Yang Sect is ending early! Hahaha, great harvest!" Yin Nü'er, however, departed silently with the female cultivators of the Hidden Yin Gate, offering no greeting to the Flame General, yet she did not head back to the small city perched on the mountain ridge several dozen li ahead.

After frolicking a bit, the Flame General heavily punched Baobauer with approval, looking at Gu Xiechen and the four with admiration. Gu Xiechen and the others cooperatively bowed to the Flame General. Gu Xiechen smiled slightly: "Esteemed Senior, this junior, Nanli, offers his respects." Guohua bowed: "This junior, Nanli Yi." Sairén said cautiously: "This junior, Nanli Lin." Mohe bluntly bowed to the Flame General and stated loudly: "This junior, Nanli Ran!" The Flame General nodded and said solemnly: "The Nanli family of Black Candle City?"

Gu Xiechen asked in surprise: "Does Senior also know our Nanli family? My four brothers and I are peripheral descendants of the Southern Li family branch, our names not listed in the genealogy, but we are truly descendants of the Nanli family."

The Flame General clearly did not take the status of Gu Xiechen and the others to heart. Black Flame City had already been annihilated; their family background mattered little. What was important was that Gu Xiechen and the four possessed immortal bones, clearly marking them as exceptional geniuses for cultivation. Such fine material absolutely had to be recruited into the True Yang Sect. The more he looked at Gu Xiechen and the four, the more satisfied the Flame General became deep within his heart. Natural beauty, unparalleled talent for cultivation! Only their True Yang Sect was worthy of such fine material.

Clapping his hands in admiration, the Flame General proudly declared: "Good, good, all fine children! Heh heh, 'Righteous and Upright'? Hmph, your elders have very high expectations for you! However, the phrase 'Righteous and Upright' is precisely what describes our True Yang Sect! Our True Yang Sect is the stalwart pillar of the Gong Kingdom, a source of towering righteousness within the nation's court!"

As if speaking to a woman going through menopause, the Flame General incessantly boasted about various matters concerning the True Yang Sect. Gu Xiechen and the four naturally listened with downcast eyes and submissive smiles on their faces. Guohua, Sairén, and Mohe, however, were nearly bursting with silent laughter. When Gu Xiechen devised that title, the three of them had nearly collapsed on the spot with laughter. In their view, those four words had not the slightest connection to the four of them, but since Gu Xiechen wanted it this way, so be it! "Righteous and Upright"—heh, this title was quite deceptive!

The contingent from the True Yang Sect did not proceed to White Shā City but instead chose a direction and moved at full speed under the guidance of the Flame General. Along the way, amidst the chatter of the True Yang Sect cultivators, Gu Xiechen and the others gradually grasped the situation within the Gong Kingdom.

These cultivators already possessed the concept of planets. On this planet named Shūtuǐ, there were eleven continents of varying sizes. The Gong Kingdom was situated on the largest continent, 'Lì'è', where it was merely one insignificant minor power among hundreds of nations. The entire Shūtuǐ Star was still in a matrilineal clan society. Because all female creatures on this planet were born powerful, female authority ruled the world. Except for males born with innate luck, such as the Flame General and Baobauer, who possessed cultivation aptitude, all other men occupied the lowest rung of society, serving merely as female vassals and playthings. Historically, there were records of many "city-toppling" men inciting wars. The Gong Kingdom spanned millions of li, yet its population was barely over a hundred million—truly a sparsely populated nation.

Thus, the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Black Flame City this time was considered a monumental event for the Gong Kingdom. When this news reached the capital of the Gong Kingdom, it was certain to trigger intense conflict between the Gong Kingdom and the Ten Tribes of the Female Brutals.

The Gong Kingdom had two cultivation sects, the True Yang Sect and the Hidden Yin Gate, possessing over thirty-five thousand male cultivators and over forty-three thousand female cultivators. These two sects effectively constituted the main body of the Gong Kingdom's regular national defense forces; the garrisons in other cities were akin to a militia. Due to the innate opposition between the sexes, the True Yang Sect and the Hidden Yin Gate had extremely poor relations, constantly fighting since the establishment of the two sects, which filled the Gong Kingdom’s court with political chaos. However, the Hidden Yin Gate had always held the upper hand. The True Yang Sect possessed the power to stir trouble but lacked the strength to deliver a final, decisive blow.

Of course, this was the result of Gu Xiechen and the others' own analysis. In the Flame General's words, this translated to the True Yang Sect constantly bullying the Hidden Yin Gate, preventing them from ever raising their heads. However, what sort of people were Gu Xiechen and the others? Such empty words held no sway over them. With a few simple probing questions, the entire truth was laid bare, yet the Flame General and his company remained oblivious.

As they traveled, under the enthusiastic invitation of the Flame General, Gu Xiechen readily agreed to become a disciple of the True Yang Sect. Time slipped by in conversation and laughter as the group flew forward for several days. The destination of the Flame General and the others was now visible high in the sky. A majestic city stood looming ahead—this was the capital of the Gong Kingdom, 'Pú Jī City'. The base of the True Yang Sect was located on Pure Yang Mountain, just outside the East Gate of Pú Jī City.

Several hundred li from Pure Yang Mountain, as the Flame General was leading the group toward it, dozens of white lights filled with frigid energy suddenly shot upward. Several dozen female cultivators, led by an ugly, white-haired, long-faced old woman, intercepted the group with cackling laughter. The Flame General's face turned ashen, and he cried out in alarm: "Jiū Shénfān!"

That Jiū Shénfān let out a few triumphant, strange laughs. Her greedy gaze swept over Gu Xiechen and the others before suddenly settling on Sairén's face. She gasped sharply, and a trace of drool hung from the corner of Jiū Shénfān's mouth. Her fingers, as black as ink and withered like straw, pointed at Sairén. Jiū Shénfān called out anxiously: "Nü'er wasn't lying; there truly is such a peerless beauty. Leave these few youngsters to Granny, and you can go!" Sairén's face instantly turned as white as snow.