The bewitching and alluring Zhen Yin Niang, whose very presence hinted at calamitous beauty, gazed at the rigidly upright Gu Xie Chen and suddenly burst into a cascade of laughter, shaking her whole body like a blooming flower.

Leng Sou Sou glared up at Gu Wu Chen a few times, and then Yin Niang sneered coldly, "I can’t handle you few impudent lads? Hmph~~"

Not bothering to give Gu Wu Chen another glance, Zhen Yin Niang coldly mocked Yang Wusheng, "Listen closely, it was these boys who provoked me. The juniors of your True Yang Sect are becoming increasingly unaware of heaven and earth. They are courting death!"

Yang Wusheng smoothly shifted a step sideways, blocking the path before Gu Xie Chen and the other three. He stared into Yin Niang’s strange eyes, which shimmered with a faint purplish-blue light, and warned in a low voice, "Zhen Yin Niang, if you have the might, direct it at me. Do you really think that just because the Hidden Yin Sect has gained a few more Spirit Transformation stage Elders, you can overshadow the True Yang Sect?"

The humans on this planet were fascinating; females held an absolute physical advantage. Thus, in the lower cultivation stages, where the Sacred Realm often resembled body refinement requiring close-quarters combat, female cultivators were far more formidable than their male counterparts.

However, once they broke through the Nascent Soul stage into the Spirit Transformation stage, males naturally shed the constraints of their innate constitution. Relying on their more developed brains, they could better master powerful spells and restrictions, and their comprehension of the Heavenly Dao surpassed that of female cultivators. Consequently, among cultivators at the Spirit Transformation stage and above, male cultivators frequently surpassed females of the same rank. This gave Yang Wusheng sufficient confidence to hold the upper hand against Yin Niang.

After a few mocking sneers, Yin Niang inspected Yang Wusheng up and down, then shook her head dismissively, "Today? I’m not in the mood for a fight. Tomorrow is the perfect day for your True Yang Sect to make an embarrassment of itself. I still need to save my strength to watch your disciples disgrace themselves."

A chill wind swept past, and Elder Li Shenfan and several other Elders of the Hidden Yin Sect materialized amidst the biting cold. They cackled at the crowd from the True Yang Sect. Li Shenfan lowered her voice and proposed the wager.

"Yang Wusheng, if your True Yang Sect has the nerve, let’s make tomorrow’s arena contest the stake! If you gain more tomorrow, our Hidden Yin Sect’s participating female disciples are yours to dispose of as you wish. The reverse is also true. Do you dare?"

Yang Wusheng hesitated for a moment, but Gu Xie Chen already had his neck craned, striking a pose of a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, and shouted loudly, "Done! It’s settled!" The Elders of the Hidden Yin Sect erupted in high-pitched laughter, bending over backward in utter delight.

Gu Xie Chen narrowed his eyes, watching the female cultivators of the Hidden Yin Sect, maintaining a constant cold sneer. Yang Wusheng and the Elders of the True Yang Sect were the same; they watched the Hidden Yin contingent coldly, faint smiles playing on their lips. They were brimming with confidence in Gu Xie Chen and the other three disciples, whose potential and strength had shown themselves to be exceptional. How could ordinary Golden Core cultivators possibly be their match?

Just as the cultivators of the True Yang and Hidden Yin sects were busily calculating their own advantages, a thunderous whoosh suddenly ripped through the void.

Above them, the cloud cover abruptly tore open, revealing a massive hole over ten li in diameter, as if a colossal arrow had shot down from the heavens, blasting a huge tunnel through the dense layers. Sunlight streamed directly through this aperture, illuminating Puji City.

A faint, strange light flickered within the sunbeams, and a hazy figure suddenly materialized above the palace of the Nu Gong Kingdom. A piercing sound of tearing air followed; currents of air churned around the figure, and it took a moment for the shape to resolve clearly.

The expressions of Gu Xie Chen and the others changed drastically, especially Gu Wu Chen, whose face cycled from green to pale and back to green again. A feeling of unprecedented failure washed over him. At his current realm, with his current divine sense intensity, he had failed to grasp precisely how this figure had appeared!

When he first arrived on this planet, Gu Xie Chen’s divine sense coverage was minuscule; at that time, such an event could be excused by attributing it to his unfamiliarity with the local Heavenly Dao rules. But now, Gu Xie Chen’s divine sense was as steady as the drip of water onto stone over years of arduous cultivation, gradually seeping into the Heavenly Dao rules of this universe.

Therefore, Gu Xie Chen’s divine sense now covered the entirety of the Shu Peng Star. On the vast Shu Peng Star, not even the slightest tremor of a blade of grass could escape him. This figure clearly did not belong to Shu Peng Star; it had come from beyond the heavens. To Gu Wu Chen’s divine sense, which spanned the entire planet, the arrival should have been as distinct as a needle piercing flesh. Yet, he failed to perceive how this person arrived.

His divine sense had only just been stirred when the person abruptly arrived overhead, appearing above the Nu Gong Kingdom’s imperial palace. If this person hadn't deliberately halted his descent, Gu Wu Chen might not have detected him at all!

Staring up at the figure in shock, Gu Xie Chen’s heart clenched tightly. Just who was this visitor, to manifest such an unbelievable event? This sudden blow left Gu Xie Chen’s mind empty and chaotic, unable to settle on any single feeling. It was like a volcano churning beneath an ice sheet, burning his viscera uncomfortably.

The suddenly appearing person surveyed the shocked faces below with satisfaction. He grinned strangely and raised a jade tablet in his hand, about the size of a human head and an inch thick, shouting, "Ruler of Nu Gong, come out quickly and receive the Divine Venerable's edict! Heh, on this vast Shu Peng Star, only you are missing!"

Emperor Qing Wu had already dragged his massive, obese body toward the wolf demon and rushed out of the throne hall, tumbling down the high steps before the platform like a ball of flesh, hastily bowing and greeting the figure suspended in mid-air, "May I ask the Divine Emissary the reason for this sudden visit?" The Emissary snorted arrogantly and casually tossed the jade tablet toward Emperor Qing Wu. "Everything is recorded inside. Gather all your personnel and set off with me immediately. Hmph, if you are even slightly slow, your Nu Gong Kingdom will cease to exist!"

Gu Xie Chen’s heart hammered wildly for a moment before he finally recovered from the sudden shock. The mental state of a Saint was extraordinary; such a blow might cause an ordinary immortal’s composure to shatter, but for Gu Xie Chen, it only unsettled his thoughts briefly before his state of mind swiftly returned to the calm clarity of Xuan Bing Ming Yue (Mystic Ice Bright Moon).

Coolly observing the arrogant Divine Emissary, Gu Wu Chen’s divine sense swept over the figure without reservation.

This Emissary was barely four feet one or two inches tall, with a face resembling a sharp-mouthed, long-cheekboned macaque. Behind his small, withered body were a pair of pitch-black wings. These wings were covered in fine, jet-black hair like strands of silk, fluttering with a spectral elegance, yet markedly different from the flat feathers of ordinary birds.

A sweep of the divine sense revealed that the Emissary’s true cultivation realm was merely that of an ordinary Heavenly Immortal. Judging by his divine sense strength and Dao attainment, he was likely equivalent to the initial grade in the heavenly hierarchy of his original universe. However, an extremely pure and nimble energy flowed perpetually within him—an aura so familiar.

Mo He squinted, staring intently at the Emissary. The black wings on this figure’s back were virtually identical to those on Mo He’s own, indicating a clear hereditary link between this Emissary and the physical body Mo He had once possessed.

Naturally, this Emissary shared the same unique innate attribute as the body Mo He had occupied—that perverse speed!

In his original universe, Mo He’s speed was terrifyingly fast. Since achieving sainthood, apart from Gu Wu Chen's divine sense, even other Saints like Shi Di and Guo Hua could not track Mo He when he flew at full strength. In this universe, where the divine senses of Gu Wu Chen and the others were completely suppressed by the Heavenly Dao rules, they naturally struggled to grasp this pure, extraordinarily swift divine sense speed!

Gu Xie Chen nodded secretly and smiled with ease. It was again due to the suppression by this universe’s Heavenly Dao laws, though the Emissary’s unnatural speed was also a factor. By rough estimation, the speed at which this Emissary dove from the sky was about a hundred times Mo He’s maximum speed in his original universe!

Mo He had clearly judged this as well, and his expression instantly became deeply grim. A speed a hundred times faster than his! And this was achieved by merely a First-Grade Heavenly Immortal Emissary! Just how outrageous were the Heavenly Dao rules of this damned foreign universe? Gu Xie Chen noticed the change in Mo He's expression and quickly signaled him.

What a splendid opportunity this was! If they could capture this Emissary, or conduct a soul search, or use other means, they could certainly glean insights into the speed rules of this alien universe—insights far more easily gained than Mo He acquiring them through painstaking personal comprehension of the Dao.

Moreover, through correlation, Gu Xie Chen, Guo Hua, and Siren might also gain comprehension regarding speed and other laws, potentially reaping great benefits today! Weak sects like the True Yang and Hidden Yin could never offer such an opportunity.

The four exchanged smiles, already regarding this arrogant little Heavenly Immortal as a dish on their plate. Apart from his speed, which was disconcertingly breathtaking, he possessed no other advantages. Any one of the four, with a mere thought, could determine his life or death.

Silently, Gu Xie Chen placed a subtle divine sense mark upon the Emissary and chuckled sinisterly a few times.

Unaware of the impending disaster, the Emissary kept his head held high, arrogantly shouting orders at Emperor Qing Wu of the Nu Gong Kingdom. After quickly scanning the information recorded on the jade tablet with his divine sense, Emperor Qing Wu stood up, both startled and delighted, and loudly called out to Yang Wusheng and Yin Niang. Soon, the entire Nu Gong Kingdom descended into chaos because of the Emissary's sudden arrival.

All disciples above the Golden Core stage from both the True Yang and Hidden Yin sects were mobilized. Led by Emperor Qing Wu herself, they proceeded to rendezvous with all cultivators above the Golden Core stage from every nation on Shu Peng Star, preparing to board the 'Huan Xing Divine Boat' supposedly sent by the Divine Venerable to answer the summons for war.

"Divine Edict, Divine Edict!"

Yang Wusheng and Yin Niang cried out in excitement and alarm, hurriedly dispatching their sect elders to fly back to their respective domains to transmit orders, mobilizing all Golden Core disciples to assemble at the Imperial Palace.

In just fifteen minutes, over ten thousand streaks of sword light arrived from all directions. The True Yang and Hidden Yin sects, totaling over 108,000 disciples above the Golden Core stage, assembled neatly in formation on the largest training ground of the Nu Gong Kingdom’s Imperial Palace.

The Golden Core cultivators of the True Yang and Hidden Yin sects were integrated into the official military structure of the Nu Gong Kingdom. All mobilized disciples wore armor and were fully equipped, presenting an imposing sight.

However, the Divine Emissary, still floating in mid-air, swept a disdainful glance over the two sects' disciples and merely let out a cold hum. He lazily ground his molars and spat out a "Pah" from between his teeth. It was clear he thought little of the combat strength of these ten thousand-plus Golden Core cultivators; he was only waiting due to the Divine Venerable's decree.

Seeing all the Golden Core cultivators in her kingdom gathered, Emperor Qing Wu waved her hand grandly and called out loudly, "Warriors of Nu Gong! The supreme decree of the great Celestial Gods has descended! This time, our Nu Gong Kingdom has been honored with a summons to participate in the campaign launched by the Celestial Gods. If we achieve sufficient merit, we will receive the Celestial Gods’ rewards!"

The Emissary in the sky hummed indifferently, "The Divine Venerable’s edict states that the nation that achieves the most merit on Shu Peng Star this time will receive direct rewards from the Divine Venerable. Superior cultivation methods and high-grade treasures go without saying; that nation will also become the most powerful empire on Shu Peng Star!"

Shaking his head, the Emissary suddenly laughed mockingly, "Of course, your Nu Gong Kingdom will merely be there to make up the numbers, nothing more, nothing more!"

With a malicious grin, the Emissary cast a spell over the assembled cultivators of Nu Gong, enveloping them in a vast swath of black light, before soaring into the sky, deep into the clouds.

As the black light fell upon everyone, Gu Xie Chen immediately noticed a peculiar restriction appearing on the bodies of the True Yang and Hidden Yin disciples beside him. Their bodies became lighter, the air resistance against them became almost zero, and the gravity of Shu Peng Star lost ninety-nine percent of its effect on them. The disciples of both sects moved like greased eels, becoming somewhat slippery.

Emperor Qing Wu saw the Emissary fly into the clouds and also jumped up and down, shouting, "Alright, we'll talk nonsense later! All warriors of Nu Gong, keep up, follow closely! Ask your Sect Masters and Elders about any questions!"

Pausing slightly, Emperor Qing Wu's bronze-colored flesh rippled as she roared, "This time, whichever sect’s disciples—True Yang or Hidden Yin—achieve the greatest merit, all military posts in Puji City will belong to them!" Yang Wusheng and Yin Niang's eyes immediately narrowed to slits; they were both moved.

Gu Xie Chen snorted dismissively. The divine sense mark he had placed stopped hovering about twenty thousand li overhead, where the Emissary was situated.

At Emperor Qing Wu’s command, she led the cultivators of the True Yang and Hidden Yin sects, along with the direct retainers of the successive Nu Gong Emperors under her control, soaring upward, following the Emissary’s trajectory high into the sky.

But after flying upward only three li, Emperor Qing Wu heard wails and cries rising from below. Her new favorite, Little Yi'er, was rolling on the ground in tears, frantically clawing at his chest, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, how can you leave Little Yi’er behind when you lead the great army to war? Your Majesty, Your Majesty, without Little Yi’er by your side, can you eat well or sleep soundly?" Emperor Qing Wu’s flesh ripples shuddered. She abruptly flew down, snatched up Little Yi’er, hugged him tightly, and showered him with affection, sighing with immense tenderness, "In the end, you are the most loyal to me!"

After sharing a deep, lingering kiss with Little Yi’er, the rejuvenated Emperor Qing Wu, holding him close, soared into the sky and vanished into the clouds.

The Golden Core cultivators of both sects followed closely behind Emperor Qing Wu, rushing into the clouds with her. After flying several hundred li forward, the area ahead suddenly brightened. Aided by the Emissary's mysterious magic, all the cultivators easily broke through the cloud cover and entered the upper atmosphere of Shu Peng Star.

Strange lights descended from above, and an oddly shaped shuttle was suspended in the void more than twenty thousand li above the ground. Gu Xie Chen, having good eyesight, saw the Emissary floating impatiently near the shuttle's front section, coldly observing the cultivators of Nu Gong.

The shuttle was entirely azure blue, crafted from a strange, semi-solid material existing somewhere between liquid and solid. As strong winds swept past it, large ripples spread across the shuttle's surface, making it look as if it might scatter at any moment. These ripples reflected a magnificent silver-blue starlight under the sun, blindingly dazzling.

With Gu Xie Chen's knowledge, he could not determine what kind of texture this was. When his divine sense swept over it, the material’s properties made Gu Xie Chen gasp with astonishment—extremely heavy, extremely tough, possessing excellent defensive capabilities—a miraculous material unlike anything he had ever seen.

Not only heavy and tenacious, but the shuttle naturally possessed an overwhelmingly powerful innate Five Elements True Magnetic Force. Currently, this force was held in a delicate balance by some kind of restriction, so its power was not evident. But should the restriction change and the innate Five Elements True Magnetic Force activate, it would instantly tear apart everything within millions of li that belonged to the Five Elements into dust.

No wonder the shuttle had to hover over Shu Peng Star at an altitude exceeding twenty thousand li. If it were too close to the ground, the immense gravity of Shu Peng Star could easily disrupt the fragile balance within the innate Five Elements True Magnetic Force. Once the restriction engaged, Shu Peng Star would instantly turn into a wisp of smoke. A miraculous material, a terrifying power! It was a pity that the methods used to forge this shuttle were completely subpar!

Gu Xie Chen stared at the shuttle, his eyes turning red. What was this material? What kind of marvelous power did it possess? A material that simultaneously contained the innate Five Elements True Magnetic Force—it was unheard of, never before witnessed. If this material fell into Gu Xie Chen’s hands, he would acquire another supremely powerful innate supreme treasure. Yet, the forging of this shuttle was…

Gu Wu Chen shook his head and sighed softly. Using a lump of refined gold to pave a latrine—this was likely the description. The standard of forging this shuttle was inferior even to that of the Golden Immortal disciples in the Nine Nether Dao Heavenly Craftsmanship Hall. The arrays and restrictions inside the shuttle were very powerful, but utterly crude and simplistic!

Calculating silently, the shuttle was about a thousand li long from tip to tail, with its widest and thickest central part measuring only about fifteen li in diameter. It was a slender, shuttle-shaped flying vessel. The hull plating was ten zhang thick. Estimating based on the density of the azure material used to construct the shuttle, the vessel's weight was roughly equivalent to that of ten Shu Peng Stars!

And since the volume of Shu Peng Star was at least a million times that of this shuttle, one could gauge how extraordinary the shuttle’s material was. Gu Xie Chen nodded secretly and made a gesture toward Guo Hua.

Guo Hua smiled strangely and signaled that he understood everything. Money moved the hearts of men; facing such a rare and precious material, even the Four Great Saints might engage in some unscrupulous robbery. Of course, Guo Hua could always claim it was purely for research!

A faint black radiance emerged on the bodies of the Nu Gong Kingdom’s cultivators. Aided by the black light cast by the Emissary, the group crossed the twenty thousand li gap without incident and arrived before the shuttle.

The Emissary, who was growing impatient, glared at Emperor Qing Wu and commanded sharply, "Hurry into the Huan Xing Divine Boat, we are departing immediately! The entire Shu Peng Star, your Nu Gong Kingdom is the slowest!"

Emperor Qing Wu, a supreme ruler in Nu Gong, dared not utter a word of rebuttal before the Emissary. Dutifully taking Little Yi’er, Emperor Qing Wu repeatedly offered apologies to the Emissary before carefully leading the ten thousand cultivators of Nu Gong into the Huan Xing Divine Boat.

The Huan Xing Divine Boat had only one entrance/exit, about ten zhang in diameter, located at the head of the shuttle. Several Void Realm cultivators, dressed identically to the Emissary, stood guard at the entrance, staring coldly at the cultivators of Nu Gong.

Faced with these individuals, clearly belonging to the same faction as the Emissary, the Nu Gong cultivators dared not cause any offense, cautiously entering the shuttle. Guided by two cultivators, they proceeded to the deepest part of the vessel.

The escorting cultivators led the Nu Gong group to a spacious barracks area and then left abruptly. One of them called out impatiently, "On the Huan Xing Divine Boat, each nation on Shu Peng Star has its own designated barracks area. If you don’t want trouble, don’t wander around. You all know the strength of your Qin Kingdom; if you provoke the wrath of those larger nations, we will not intervene to protect you!"

Emperor Qing Wu’s throat let out a choking gurgle, but she managed to swallow her anger only after being soothed by Little Yi’er.

The power of the Nügong Kingdom was at the very bottom among the nations of the Shuitui Star, just as this cultivator had said; the Nügong Kingdom could afford to offend no one.

Swallowing a surge of anger, Emperor Qingwu ordered the elders of the Zhenyang and Yinyin sects to set up some defensive restrictions near the barracks, then huffily selected the largest barrack with his young protégé, Xiao Yi, and retreated to amuse himself in private. The cultivators of the Zhenyang and Yinyin sects naturally organized themselves; the female cultivators of the Yinyin sect moved into their chosen barracks without a word, while the disciples of the Zhenyang sect clearly separated and occupied the barracks on the other side.

The interior volume of this shuttle was immense. Although the area occupied by the Nügong Kingdom was near the tail section of the shuttle, the space here was about two li wide, five li long, and nearly a hundred zhang high. The barracks area could easily accommodate over ten thousand people without feeling crowded.

Just as Gu Xichen and the other three had chosen a barrack and settled in, the door was suddenly shoved open, and Yang Shan, Yang Hai, and Yang Yue—the master and two martial uncles of the four—entered with grim expressions. Yang Shan casually placed a restriction against eavesdropping within the barrack room.

The four immediately rose to bow and greet the three elders. Yang Shan and the other two nodded with furrowed brows. The barrack was empty save for the floor, which was paved with that bluish material, yet it was very clean, so everyone sat down on the floor.

Gu Xichen greeted Yang Shan again, then smiled and asked, "Master, esteemed Martial Uncles, your visit this time must be about that Divine Venerable Edict?" The three elders made no secret of their purpose and spoke frankly.

As had been mentioned before they went to Puji City, the capital of the Nügong Kingdom, the father of Yang Xin—who had shown great displeasure and provoked Gu Xichen—the previous generation's chief elder of the Zhenyang Sect, had died while participating in the Shuitui Star's bi-decennial Cultivation Assembly.

However, only the core high-ranking members of every nation and sect knew that the bi-decennial Assembly of Cultivators on the Shuitui Star was actually orchestrated by this Divine Venerable.

It was unclear what background this Divine Venerable possessed, but all sects and nations on the Peng Star worshipped and revered him. Tribes like the Nübao Ten Clans, which were still in a state of primitive wilderness, considered this Divine Venerable their Heavenly God.

The bi-decennial Assembly of Cultivators was established by the Divine Venerable to select the elite cultivators among the nations of the Shuitui Star for cultivation. He would bestow profound cultivation methods, divine abilities, sacred artifacts, potent elixirs, or raw materials like rare heavenly treasures for the cultivators of various sects to compete for. Every victor would gain immense benefits from these bestowed items.

And every few hundred or thousand years, a Heavenly Edict would be issued, and the powerhouses from all sects and nations on the Tui Star would answer the call to participate in the war summoned by the Heavenly God.

In previous Heavenly Edicts, the powerhouses ordered to march had to possess a cultivation level of at least the Void Realm to qualify.

The Zhenyang Sect had very few Void Realm masters throughout the generations, and none who had participated in the campaigns ever returned alive. Thus, they had no idea what this so-called campaign entailed.

Fortunately, this Divine Venerable, the Heavenly God who ruled over all sects and nations on the Shuitui Star, was relatively humane: if a participating cultivator died, their remains would be returned to their respective sect, accompanied by some small benefits. The Zhenyang Sect learned of the demise of their predecessors in this way, but regarding the campaign itself, they remained completely in the dark.

But this time, the Divine Venerable had unexpectedly summoned all cultivators at the Golden Core stage. No one knew what had happened. Few cultivators at the Void Realm had ever returned home, let alone those at the Golden Core stage?

So, Yang Shan and the others had brought with them Yang Yuansheng's strict instructions: "No matter what happens, Gu Xichen and the other three are strictly forbidden from seeking merit; their only task is to protect their lives. If possible, they may also secretly assassinate a few female cultivators at the Golden Core stage from the Yinyin Sect, but this must only be attempted if their own safety is assured and they have a hundred percent certainty of success."

However, no one knew what the campaign summoned by the Heavenly God was truly about, so whether they could preserve their lives depended entirely on the fortune of Gu Xichen and the other three.

After saying all this, Yang Shan flipped his hand and placed several sharp artifacts, a few sets of armor, and over a dozen bottles of pills before the four of them.

The sharp artifacts were of the Immortal Artifact grade. The armor was also Immortal Artifact grade. The pills, too, far surpassed the standard that the Zhenyang and Yinyin sects could refine—by ten times, or perhaps even more. In Gu Xichen's estimation, although the refinement techniques for these pills appeared crude, their medicinal potency was actually stronger than that of the refined Immortal Pills from the original universe, due to the excellent quality of the raw materials.

Because of the improper refinement method, while these spiritual pills possessed immense potency, their side effects were also obvious.

For example, one black powder used to treat massive internal bleeding, analyzed by Gu Xichen's divine sense, could effectively halt internal hemorrhaging and accelerate the healing of internal injuries. However, the aftereffects included excruciating pain in the viscera, vomiting, and even possible loss of bladder and bowel control. This was because a neurotoxin present in the raw materials had not been completely refined away due to the flawed technique. Yet, compared to the life-saving efficacy, these side effects were negligible.

For a minor sect like the Zhenyang Sect, such spiritual pills were peerless treasures for preserving life. To offer such spiritual medicine to Golden Core disciples like Gu Xichen, even if they truly believed them to be prodigious geniuses, represented a substantial and tangible favor.

Gu Xichen said nothing more, merely thanking Yang Shan and the others, and accepting all the equipment and pills.

Jing Guohua, Sailen, and Mo He had been in the Nine Hells Dao for many years, where countless disciples specialized in alchemy and artifact forging. Their appreciation for pills and magic tools was quite keen. Judging from the cultivation techniques of the Zhenyang Sect, they could gauge their standards in artifact forging and alchemy. The fact that they could produce such Immortal Artifacts and spiritual pills showed they had put thought into it; this favor they would acknowledge.

The three glanced at Gu Xichen simultaneously. Gu Xichen smiled graciously and accepted the thanks of the three elders with composure. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he escorted the three elders out of the barrack.

As soon as the three elders left, Jing Guohua collapsed onto the floor, spreading his arms wide and sighing dramatically, "Alas, why must they be so good to us? Now I feel too awkward to plot against their foundation later!"

Gu Xichen settled calmly into a corner of the barrack, smiling faintly. "It's not exactly plotting against their foundation. Following us will offer them a better future than stumbling around on their own. At worst, we can look after them a little more later on."

Jing Guohua tilted his head, thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "That's true. Following us, their prospects are much brighter."

The four sat cross-legged in the corners of the barrack. Their divine senses had already secretly spread throughout the entire shuttle and extended beyond it, monitoring every movement outside. Soon, they discovered that the central area of the shuttle was likely the main control room.

In a room less than a hundred zhang square, over thirty cultivators at the Void Realm were seated. Before each of them floated a multifaceted prismatic sphere, bluish-green in color, identical to the material covering the shuttle's exterior. These cultivators stared fixedly at the spheres, faint glints of light shooting from their eyes, subtly intertwining with the wave-like, bluish-green ripples emanating from within the spheres.

At the very center of the control room sat a prayer cushion, upon which rested an elder three zhang tall, possessing an aura of immortal grace, clad in a crimson robe. He clearly possessed the pinnacle Heavenly Immortal realm. The elder's appearance and temperament were excellent, but unfortunately, the dense cluster of over thirty thumb-thick sharp horns sprouting from his scalp ruined the overall impression, injecting a terrifyingly sinister aura that inspired awe.

As Gu Xichen's divine sense swept across the control room, the terrifyingly swift Divine Emissary hurried in and respectfully saluted the elder, "Lord Sha, all cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above from the Shuitui Star have arrived."

Lord Sha slightly opened his eyes and slowly nodded to the Divine Emissary, "Emissary Jixing, you have worked hard. The Divine Venerable is anxious; we should set off quickly."

Emissary Jixing nodded heavily, then suddenly sighed, "I wonder what the odds are of the Divine Venerable winning this gamble against that Divine Venerable Jingbang?"

Lord Sha frowned slightly and stated calmly, "Naturally, the Divine Venerable has the higher chance of winning. The result of the gamble is determined by the head count of cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above. A Golden Core head counts as one, and an Immortal-level head also counts as one. Whether judging by the size of the territory or the number of people, we hold an absolute advantage!" Emissary Jixing fell silent. Upon Lord Sha's command, the thirty-odd Void Realm cultivators simultaneously shouted, and two beams of black light shot from their eyes, striking the bluish-green prismatic spheres before them. This activated the spheres, causing large swathes of auspicious radiance and celestial energy to spray out and flow into the four walls of the control room. The shuttle suddenly lurched forward, instantly tearing through the void and rocketing ahead.

Gu Xichen was utterly astonished. The speed at which this shuttle flew was frighteningly fast; even if he exerted his full power to fly, he could not match the shuttle's pace. Under his divine sense, countless strands of five-colored light, materialized from the innate five-element true magnetic force, erupted around the shuttle, intertwining with the brilliant rays emitted by the countless stars in the void. The starlight and the true magnetic force lines violently collided, covering billions of li in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Gu Xichen and the other three exchanged a knowing smile, a sense of mutual understanding blooming in their hearts. The four closed their eyes simultaneously, quietly immersing themselves in the state of the shuttle's rapid forward flight.

Around Gu Xichen, a hazy Chaos Sacred Force began to surge. Jing Guohua expelled countless extremely fine blood threads from every pore, dancing in the air. Sailen was enveloped in black flames, and two enormous wings suddenly burst from Mo He's back, slowly beating the air.

The four pondered the mystery of such high-speed flight. Time passed quickly. Using the shuttle as a massive demonstration object, the four greatly improved their comprehension of the speed and distance within the void. Especially the mutual induction and fluctuation between the innate five-element true magnetic force and the starlight gave them profound insights.

Gradually, specks of silvery-blue starlight began to flicker around Gu Xichen, and starlight started to ripple from his fingertips. He began comparing the rules pertaining to stars from his original universe with the properties of starlight in this universe, gaining significant understanding.

Suddenly, after flying forward at high speed for a month and a half, the shuttle abruptly began to decelerate. The shuttle had been continuously accelerating throughout the journey, as if there were no limit to the speed achievable in this universe. When the shuttle began to slow, its velocity had reached a terrifying level.

The sudden deceleration caused the shuttle to tremble violently, triggering intense oscillations in the innate five-element true magnetic force. This turbulence caused the true qi within cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage to become disordered, as if countless small hands were furiously beating their internal organs.

Momentarily, all cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage began vomiting, and some with weaker constitutions even coughed up blood. By the time the shuttle finally stabilized, within the vast craft, only the cultivators at the Void Realm and above could still walk and stand freely; everyone else had collapsed to the floor.

Under Gu Xichen's divine sense coverage, the shuttle slowly navigated through a narrow passage surrounded by dense stardust and an asteroid field, entering a magnificent space—a vast, roughly spherical region filled with a faint purplish-gold radiance.

At the core of this spherical space was a massive planet, exceeding ten billion li in diameter. This planet was smooth, faintly wrapped with countless gigantic, vein-like entities that seemed to expand and contract like a living embryo. A colossal life aura spread out from this planet, filling the entire spherical space.

A full twelve solar stars orbited this enormous planet, suspended motionlessly in the void, bathing it in immense light and heat every moment. The planet, constantly contracting and expanding, seemed to savor this light and heat, greedily devouring all the radiance and heat cast upon it, causing its surface to appear pitch black, reflecting no light whatsoever.

This scene reminded Gu Xichen of premature infants in specialized hospital wards, dependent on artificial heating and other manufactured environments to continue their maturation.

Within the orbit of these twelve suns, three smaller planets revolved around the central massive planet, which was itself surrounded by an equal number of strange celestial bodies.

These three planets were clearly artificial constructs created through magical power and divine ability. Their surfaces were patterned with perfectly identical forests, hills, and rivers, arranged in meticulously neat formations. The houses were all of the same standard size and layout, and even their locations were identical.

On the surfaces of these planets, hundreds of gigantic tall pillars stood erected, each stretching from the ground high into the sky, extending tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of li upwards. Over four hundred shuttles were already docked atop these colossal pillars!

Based on the situation on the Shuitui Star, where one shuttle carried all cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above, did this mean cultivators from four hundred planets had been transported here? But Gu Xichen soon realized he had made a mistake.

Some of the shuttles carried pitifully few passengers. In the shuttle closest to his own, besides the operating crew, there was only a colossal creature lying in the vast cabin, about five hundred li long—it looked exactly like a common green caterpillar from Earth, possessing the cultivation level of an early-stage Golden Immortal, with physical strength subtly reaching the level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal. "A monster," Gu Xichen muttered internally. Nine-tenths of the colossal creature’s structure was identical to a green caterpillar, but its head housed an exceptionally developed brain, more intricate than a human brain. It was this highly developed brain that granted this giant green caterpillar unimaginable power.

As Gu Xichen's divine sense swept over it, the giant green caterpillar was rolling its eyes, looking as cunning and calculating as if plotting how to extort benefits—its demeanor was quite comical.

Besides this giant green caterpillar, other shuttles carried tens of thousands of occupants, others carried only thirty to fifty people, or perhaps three to five hundred. Moreover, dozens of shuttles carried only a single giant creature like the caterpillar.

The shuttle carrying them slowly approached one of the golden pillars that stretched into the high sky. At other entrances to this spherical space, hundreds of shuttles were rapidly flying in, slowing down quickly to approach these three small planets.

Just as Gu Xichen was peering around with his divine sense, large expanses of bluish light suddenly erupted from the massive central planet. A gigantic figure, easily several hundred million li tall, slowly emerged from the blue light.

Apologies, the update is a bit late today... I had an appointment with the appliance store staff this morning to install a washing machine. The water faucet was slightly incompatible, and they fussed over it for a long time. Pig Head woke up very early, didn't even get a good nap in the afternoon, and consequently lacked energy all day.

Sigh, winter is too cold; it makes one too sleepy... F