Above the headquarters of the Spirit Artifact Sect, dense clouds and mist spread out, ethereal strands of white vapor writhing across the sky like a vast net, enveloping the entire sect.

From the high heavens, extremely fine wisps of smoke continually descended, trailing down into the deep ravines, plunging thousands of miles beneath the earth, encasing the dozens of artifact-forging halls and various secret chambers beneath the Spirit Artifact Sect, wrapped as tightly as an impenetrable cocoon.

Dozens of small, triangular formation flags fluttered wildly in the wind high above. A light crystal, thin as a cicada's wing and spanning several zhang, hung suspended in the void, casting down vast swathes of strange light that covered a region spanning eight hundred li around. This eight-hundred-li expanse was precisely the territory designated as the Spirit Artifact Sect’s entrance domain.

Because of this strange light, no one in Wanhè City noticed that the Spirit Artifact Sect had been surrounded by a formation. Whether viewed from near or far, whether by divine sense or naked eye, the territory of the Spirit Artifact Sect appeared exactly as it had before—calm and completely undisturbed.

Beneath the interwoven net of white vapor, a Daoist clad in black, with skin as dark as ink, standing no more than three feet six inches tall, yet bearing a pair of long, fleshy wings that spanned at least twelve to thirteen feet when unfurled, cackled sinisterly. His hands, resembling bird talons, continuously rained down clusters of Yin Lightning Seeds, small as mung beans, jarring the protective grand formation of the Spirit Artifact Sect until it trembled violently.

Accompanied by the dense roar of thunder and fire, great plumes of flame rose above the Spirit Artifact Sect’s gate. The black-robed Daoist merely waved his hand, unleashing nearly a thousand Yin Lightning Seeds at once. Each seed, upon detonation, possessed enough destructive power to cover a space spanning several li, shattering nearby rocks and causing cliffs to crumble into dust, shaking the very stone platform upon which the Spirit Artifact Sect rested incessantly.

Were it not for the formation that solidified the earth veins, protecting the stone platform and the surrounding ley lines of the Spirit Artifact Sect, the black-robed Daoist would have long since shaken the platform apart, sending everyone within the sect tumbling down into the chasm tens of thousands of miles deep.

Even so, the black-robed Daoist’s attack had come without warning. For these past few months, Elder Wai Lingqi and other masters of the Spirit Artifact Sect had been deep inside the Sword Forging Hall, following Gu Wuchen in refining that flying sword, simultaneously undergoing tempering and enhancement from the Nine Abyss Earth Furnace. The Spirit Artifact Sect's protective formation was left unmanned, and it was now being blasted by the black-robed Daoist’s nearly inexhaustible supply of Yin Lightning Seeds until it was on the verge of collapse. The outermost layers of the grand formation were clearly close to failure.

Just as Gu Xiechen stepped out of the small teleportation array connecting directly to the surface, the sky suddenly brightened, and another wave of Yin Lightning Seeds exploded overhead. The outermost protective layer of the grand formation on the southeastern side of the Spirit Artifact Sect instantly disintegrated. This was a Pure Yang Heavenly Fire Array, constructed using three bronze lamps; the impact of the Yin Lightning Seeds shattered one of the lamps, causing the entire array to collapse.

Countless crimson flames erupted, transforming into streams of fire dragons that danced wildly in all directions. For a moment, the world was saturated with rampaging crimson flames, and rolling waves of fire poured down, clinging to the surface of the second protective formation on the southeastern side and burning fiercely. The cliff face on that side began to roar, and the stone and earth were burned into molten magma, flowing down into the deep ravine.

Fortunately, the second protective formation on the southeast side was composed of four Earth-attribute great cauldrons. Earth, which carries all things, granted the formation extreme defensive strength. The fierce fire held no inherent counter to the four core artifacts within the formation, so the second layer merely shuddered slightly. After sacrificing some surrounding peaks and hills that had been used to augment the formation’s power, the second layer solidly withstood the destructive force released by the collapse of the Heavenly Fire Array.

The black-robed Daoist cackled triumphantly. He cast a satisfied glance at the cliff face on the southeast corner of the Spirit Artifact Sect, which glowed fiery red, shaking his head as he admired the torrent of rolling magma streaming down the cliff into the depths. With a flick of his wrist, another barrage of Yin Lightning Seeds rained down.

The ground of the Spirit Artifact Sect suddenly jolted, and the polished floor, paved with heavy stone tiles, rippled violently like disturbed water. Many disciples of the Spirit Artifact Sect whose cultivation was insufficient lost their footing and fell. Those above the Qi Refining stage, who could fly on swords, soared into the high sky, peering through the protective formation, fixedly staring at the black-robed Daoist laughing wildly in triumph.

At least ten thousand disciples of the Spirit Artifact Sect hovered in the air. Under their collective gaze, the black-robed Daoist laughed toward the sky unabashedly, bowing forward and backward in extreme amusement: "Interesting, interesting! This tiny ant hill, the Spirit Artifact Sect, but its shell outside the gate is quite sturdy!"

With another flick of his hand, over a thousand more Yin Lightning Seeds were unleashed. This time, the Daoist did not scatter them randomly; instead, they formed a straight green line, falling like arrows toward the bluestone memorial archway standing outside the Spirit Artifact Sect’s gate.

This bluestone archway had stood there since the founding of the Spirit Artifact Sect. Although it was not particularly valuable, it held immense sentimental significance for the sect. The three characters "Spirit Artifact Sect" inscribed upon it were penned by the founding ancestor, Lord Tianqiao, himself.

However, the core defense of the Spirit Artifact Sect's grand formation rested upon the numerous palaces, pavilions, and forging halls within the sect grounds. Although this archway stood just outside the main gate, it was protected by only two layers of the formation. After all, it was merely a lifeless structure; who would invest significant power in protecting it?

Over a thousand Yin Lightning Seeds rained down above the archway, detonating one after another. In the blink of an eye, all thousand-plus seeds exploded above the archway. A pillar of fire shot toward the heavens, carrying black smoke and green miasma hundreds of li high. Two thin light curtains flickered slightly, dimly revealing countless golden blades and tens of thousands of enormous green timbers being pulverized into dust mid-air by the blasts.

The Myriad Swords Return to One Formation and the Myriad Forests Lush Formation, which protected the archway, shattered. The archway itself, cast from ordinary bluestone, collapsed with a crash, blasted into shards, then powder, eventually dissipating into a wisp of pale smoke. The white jade plaque from the archway, bearing the words ‘Spirit Artifact Sect’ personally inscribed by Lord Tianqiao, was also utterly vaporized.

Fu Lingqi, who had rushed out of the small teleportation array right behind Gu Xiechen, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. He stared, trembling, at the vanished memorial archway, roaring toward the heavens: "I have failed our ancestors, failed our ancestors! You fiend, what grievance do you hold against the Spirit Artifact Sect that you dare assault our gates?"

The black-robed Daoist, having destroyed the archway, struck the ground with his staff and unleashed another thousand Yin Lightning Seeds randomly, causing the surrounding mountainsides to churn and the entirety of the Spirit Artifact Sect to shake once more. He shrieked fiercely: "No grievance! I, this old immortal, merely accepted a reward and settled a debt for someone. Someone sent me three hundred peerless virgins and a thousand kinds of rare treasures to ask me to slaughter your entire Spirit Artifact Sect. I had no choice!"

Shaking his long black bird wings, countless sheets of pitch-black feathers shot out from them, accompanied by sharp, whistling sounds of slicing air. They transformed into millions of black crossbow bolts, trailing long plumes of smoke, descending like a tidal wave. These bolts moved with incredible speed; wherever they passed, stones were instantly reduced to powder. The protective grand formation of the Spirit Artifact Sect shuddered violently, and several locations where the first and second layers met seemed on the verge of being pierced by the bolts.

Elder Wai Qianji, Wai Linghu, and other elders of the Spirit Artifact Sect rushed to various crucial locations within the sect, leading their disciples to control the various nodes of the protective grand formation. Under the coordinated command of these elders, the formation suddenly blazed with light. Strange energies shot up from the southeast, west, north, and south, weaving together into a thick canopy of light above the Spirit Artifact Sect.

The dazzling canopy of light suddenly dispersed, replaced by wisps of auspicious clouds and mist drifting in the air above the sect. Within the mist, one could vaguely perceive various entities—golden blades, giant timbers, fierce flames, flowing sand, and profound ice—clashing and neutralizing each other. Muffled thunder rumbled faintly, truly exuding murderous intent veiled in infinite mystery.

With the Spirit Artifact Sect’s protective formation fully activated, the Yin Lightning Seeds scattered by the black-robed Daoist could no longer affect the formation in the slightest. The violent shockwaves from the detonating seeds merely caused the auspicious clouds and mist to sway faintly. The millions of black crossbow bolts whistled as they pierced the air, yet they could not disturb a single blade of grass or tree in the Spirit Artifact Sect, and many bolts were actually shattered upon impacting nearby rock formations.

Seeing the grand formation rise and the Daoist’s curses rendered useless, Pu Lingqi let out a huge sigh of relief. He pointed at the black-robed Daoist and laughed fiercely: "What manner of demon are you, daring to invade my Spirit Artifact Sect? Today, you will leave here in defeat!"

Gu Xiechen stepped onto a streak of sword light and flew into the sky, coldly sneering at the black-robed Daoist: "Honestly confess who sent you to provoke our Spirit Artifact Sect. State clearly who is behind this, and we will merely cripple your cultivation and let you go. Otherwise..."

He raised his hand, and a streak of sword light shot out, cleanly slicing a large tree beside him in half. Gu Xiechen said sinisterly: "If you refuse to confess honestly, we will cripple your cultivation, break all your limbs, and find a thousand men who favor male companionship to thoroughly 'cherish' you!"

Gu Xiechen’s words were vicious and venomous, perfectly portraying the demeanor of a spoiled, dissolute young master. However, the actions he threatened were excessively cruel. Even the most depraved of true Outer Sect disciples could not conceive of such ways to torment someone!

Wai Lingqi suddenly shuddered. Every disciple of the Spirit Artifact Sect near Gu Wuchen glanced quickly at Gu Wuchen as if they had seen a ghost. Even the black-robed Daoist trembled violently, glaring at Gu Xiechen and roaring with laughter: "What a vicious brat! Why are your words so disgusting? Male companionship? Nonsense! This Old Immortal Black Mantle only loves women; I never touch men!"

Gu Xiechen said darkly: "Oh? You don't love male companionship? Never mind. It only matters that others love your male companionship. When we capture you, I will absolutely deal with you in this manner!"

Forming an incantation seal with both hands, Gu Xiechen pointed toward the northwest of the Spirit Artifact Sect. The void in that direction instantly rippled like water. In the blink of an eye, a dragon's head, a hundred zhang large and formed from blue ice shards, materialized. It opened its mouth and spewed forth a bone-chilling blast of cold air directly at Old Immortal Black Mantle. Wherever the bluish cold air passed, the air itself froze solid, turning into flakes of snow that fluttered down.

Old Immortal Black Mantle let out a contemptuous snort. He shook his twin wings, and hundreds of thousands of black feathers shot out from them, transforming into black crossbow bolts that whistled sharply as they flew downward, directly intercepting the beam of bluish cold air.

Piercing 'hissing' sounds erupted continuously, resembling the violent struggle between fire and water when the sun plunges into the sea. Old Immortal Black Mantle launched countless black feathers, but the cold air advanced inch by inch. Wherever it passed, countless crossbow bolts were frozen into ice shards, reverting to their original black feather form before dropping to the ground and shattering against the rocks.

The Spirit Artifact Sect’s protective formation drew energy from the stars above and the earth veins below. Although the sect’s self-defined gate territory spanned only eight hundred li, the earth veins tapped by the formation covered an area of millions of li.

In the past, when establishing the Spirit Artifact Sect, Lord Tianqiao had pleaded with the ancient Immortals who studied under Yunzhongzi to set up the various formations and restrictions outside the sect for him. Although, over several generations, the power of these formations and restrictions had weakened due to shifts in the earth veins, the residual strength was still enough to contend with an ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortal without being at a disadvantage.

The dragon head conjured by Gu Xiechen and the cold air it sprayed were condensed from the profound nether energy absorbed by the grand formation. Using the power of an entire formation against one person, even though Old Immortal Black Mantle's cultivation was strong, he was merely at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm; how could he withstand this stream of cold air?

In the span of a single breath, the black feathers spat out from Old Immortal Black Mantle's wings were shattered by the cold air. The light, sharp as knives, struck Old Immortal Black Mantle directly, sending him flying dozens of li backward until he slammed into the towering cliff behind him.

The terrifying cold air instantly froze that section of the cliff into an iceberg, trapping Old Immortal Black Mantle beneath a thick block of ice. His long wings were spread out, making him look like a small chick frozen stiff in a blizzard. Gu Xiechen snorted coldly, shaking his head with disdain: "All empty boasting, truly just a delusional fool!"

Wai Lingqi nodded approvingly at Gu Wuchen, slapping him heavily on the shoulder: "Chen’er, well done! What is the origin of this Old Immortal Black Mantle? There is no one like him on Misha Star. We must capture him later and interrogate him thoroughly to find out who instigated him."

Hesitating slightly, Wai Lingqi chuckled dryly: "That scheme involving a thousand good men who favor male companionship... Our Spirit Artifact Sect is considered a major established power on Misha Star. Chen’er, you are destined to become the Sect Master. You must maintain a broad perspective—and your methods should be more upright!" Stunned, Gu Wuchen rolled his eyes and reluctantly nodded, accepting Wai Lingqi's instruction.

With a casual wave of his hand, Gu Wuchen ordered several disciples of the Spirit Artifact Sect at the Soul Transformation stage: "Go, bind that arrogant fool and bring him here! Confiscate all his magic treasures and hand them over. Be careful that this bird-man doesn't..."

Before Gu Wuchen could finish speaking, a streak of green, ghostly lightning flashed within the cliff where he was frozen in ice. Large sections of profound ice and the cliff face were silently blasted into powder. Old Immortal Black Mantle, his body emitting chilling cold energy, shrieked in fury, flapped his wings, soared into the sky, traced a massive arc through the air, and dove rapidly toward the space above the Spirit Artifact Sect's gate! "That brat Bai Jiangmu was right. Your Spirit Artifact Sect’s protective formation is indeed quite formidable!"

Old Immortal Black Mantle sneered with a chilling sound, venomously staring at Gu Wuchen through the formation: "If it weren't for the fact that my mother was a transformed spirit from the Deep Sea Profound Salamander, and my father was an immortal spirit refined from the Nine Heavens Thunder Roc, who fear all thunder-fire, lightning, and profound ice energy, I truly would have suffered a great loss today!"

The Deep Sea Profound Salamander was a jellyfish-shaped venomous creature that lived in the profound ice at the deepest seabed, feeding on the cold energy of the earth's core. It was born with the innate ability to control all ice and water-based energies and was immune to all freezing attacks. The Nine Heavens Thunder Roc was an inherently powerful life form, nearly immune to attacks from all Five Elements energies. The offspring of their union, Old Immortal Black Mantle, found mere cold energy utterly insignificant.

No wonder that despite his peak Golden Immortal cultivation, the Yin Lightning he unleashed could breach the Spirit Artifact Sect's grand formation. His father, the Nine Heavens Thunder Roc, possessed the innate talent to manipulate all thunder and fire in the heavens and earth. His Yin Lightning was hundreds of times more powerful than the thunder-fire emitted by immortals of the same rank. Although he was only at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, the offensive power of his Yin Lightning had reached the level of a mid-grade Taiyi Golden Immortal! Gu Xiechen’s eyes flickered with chaotic spiritual light, and he instantly understood the entire background of Old Immortal Black Mantle.

Wai Lingqi sucked in a sharp breath. As the Sect Master of the Spirit Artifact Sect, he had witnessed countless strange spiritual beings. He naturally knew how powerful the Immortals refined from the Deep Sea Profound Salamander and the immortal spirits refined from the Nine Heavens Thunder Roc were, and what prodigious talents their mixed-blood offspring possessed.

Essentially, purely based on the innate talent derived from the Nine Heavens Thunder Roc bloodline—immunity to attacks from the Five Elements—the Spirit Artifact Sect’s protective formation had already lost over eighty percent of its effectiveness against Old Immortal Black Mantle. Apart from illusionary formations that targeted the primordial spirit by deceiving the mind, other formations were completely useless against him.

And Old Immortal Black Mantle’s mastery of Yin Lightning was truly terrifying; he possessed the capability to directly breach the Spirit Artifact Sect’s grand formation!

Thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Wai Lingqi flew up and shouted sternly at Old Immortal Black Mantle: "Old Immortal Black Mantle, what is the identity of that Bai Jiangmu? Why did he hire you to attack our Spirit Artifact Sect?"

Old Immortal Black Mantle let out a few cackling laughs, speaking smugly: "Scared now? Realizing fear? Heh heh. I have traveled the world for so many years; which person who has heard of my father’s and mother’s origins is not terrified?"

After laughing several times, Old Immortal Black Mantle said arrogantly: "Very well, I shall let you die enlightened. He didn't ask me to attack your Spirit Artifact Sect; he wants to wipe out your entire clan! Heh heh, Bai Jiangmu? He is the direct great-grandson of the Grand Emperor Taibai, the firstborn great-grandson of the main branch of the Taibai Star's Grand Emperor Taibai!"

Spitting out a mouthful of phlegm, Old Immortal Black Mantle shook his body, dislodging the profound ice shards clinging to him. He snarled: "As for why he hired me to exterminate your sect, it’s because your Spirit Artifact Sect is utterly useless! You actually broke off the engagement with Zi Guǐng, letting Bai Cangmu, Bai Jiangmu's younger brother, reap a massive benefit! He managed to secure the backing of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and now Bai Cangmu’s standing within the sect has greatly increased, heh heh!"

Bai Cangmu hook up with Zi Guǐng, and the newly ascended Taiyi Golden Immortal, Elder Jianxin, naturally became Bai Cangmu’s maternal grandfather. Bai Cangmu gained a Taiyi Golden Immortal backer out of thin air, and his influence within the Taibai Immortal Sect naturally grew immensely!

Gu Xiechen had been in closed-door cultivation in the Sword Forging Hall for over three years, which, to him, was merely the blink of an eye. But three years were more than enough time for Bai Cangmu, backed by Elder Jianxin, to massively expand his influence within the Taibai Immortal Sect!

In fact, with his augmented power, Bai Cangmu now threatened the status of Bai Jiangmu, the direct firstborn great-grandson of the Grand Emperor Taibai!

There is no familial affection in the house of the Son of Heaven. The status of the Taibai Immortal Sect in this star domain was even more noble and lofty than that of any mortal imperial family. Within the Taibai Immortal Sect, among disciples of the same Bai family, they could never afford to be close and loving like one family; there was only naked struggle and scheming, only endless competition for profit.

Clearly, Bai Jiangmu had suffered significant losses at the hands of Bai Cangmu over these three years. In his rage and humiliation, he transferred his anger directly onto the Spirit Artifact Sect! He offered Old Immortal Black Mantle three hundred beauties and a thousand rare treasures, begging him to annihilate the entire Spirit Artifact Sect! Wai Lingqi’s veins throbbed with rage. What kind of reasoning was this? What kind of idiotic logic?

Their Spirit Artifact Sect was already forced to endure extreme humiliation by breaking the engagement with Zi Guǐng. And now, they were being targeted for assassination because Bai Cangmu surpassed his older brother? Wai Lingqi cursed in anger: "This is outrageous, utterly outrageous! What does this affair, from cause to effect, have to do with our Spirit Artifact Sect? We, our Spirit Artifact Sect, also acted out of necessity!" Old Immortal Black Mantle nodded seriously; he agreed with Pu Lingqi’s words.

He cackled: "This old immortal also thinks your Spirit Artifact Sect is simply too unlucky! This matter was a conflict between the two brothers; what in the hell did it have to do with you? But those three hundred beauties and one thousand rare treasures were laid out there. Since the other party wanted your clan exterminated, this old immortal could only comply!" With a wave of his hand, a large patch of green light gathered in Old Immortal Black Mantle’s palm; he was about to rain down Yin Lightning upon the Spirit Artifact Sect again.

Gu Xiechen suddenly shouted sternly: "Old Immortal Black Mantle, my Spirit Artifact Sect is not so petty! Three thousand peerless beauties, and three thousand immortal artifacts meticulously refined by our sect—I will hire you to kill Bai Jiangmu instead, how about it?"

Wai Lingqi was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Chen’er is absolutely right! What are three hundred peerless women? Forget Misha Star; right here in Wanhè City, our Spirit Artifact Sect will find you three thousand peerless beauties! The immortal artifacts refined by our Spirit Artifact Sect are famous goods on Misha Star; three thousand of them should certainly be worth more than those thousand mere treasures!" To be frank, Wai Lingqi truly did not wish to make an enemy of Old Immortal Black Mantle.

The sheer, terrifying power of the Black Mole Immortal was indeed one factor, but the main reason was that Wai Lingqi dimly sensed the dreadful background behind the Black Mole Immortal—as a descendant of an alien race, the Black Mole Immortal was not an immortal cultivated through human form. Yet, such a freakish monster, having achieved sentience, could roam the world freely. It was obvious what kind of force stood behind him! What an immense, terrifying power that must be! It was one of the absolute pinnacle forces in the universe's cultivation world!

Furthermore, that force had a most unpleasant habit: if you struck a junior, a whole pack of elders would inevitably leap out to seek retribution for him. If you struck down a group of elders, then an even larger swarm of even more senior figures would emerge! Moreover, they habitually called upon friends, habitually resorted to any means necessary, and habitually gathered more sect members to retaliate after suffering a loss! This was the number one hornet’s nest known to any novice cultivator in this universe. Unless absolutely necessary, he truly did not wish to fight the Black Mole Immortal to the death! Compared to the powers behind the Black Mole Immortal, the Grand Pure Immortal Lord was as endearing as a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl! Therefore, Wai Lingqi genuinely hoped the Black Mole Immortal would accept the terms offered by Gu Xiechen. The Black Mole Immortal’s eyes clearly brightened; he swallowed greedily, letting out a dry cough or two.

After a moment of hesitation, the Black Mole Immortal spoke slowly, “The price for transportation is quite fair. That pretty boy Bai Jiangmu, honestly, isn't worth the price you’ve named. But, I, the Black Mole Immortal, value my honor above all else. Since I said I would slaughter every soul in your Spirit Artifact Sect, I must slaughter every soul in your Spirit Artifact Sect!”

With a deep sigh, the Black Mole Immortal flapped his wings and descended slightly, hovering just outside the protective mountain formation of the Spirit Artifact Sect. He looked at Gu Wuchen with sincere words, “How about this: select some beautiful female disciples from your Spirit Artifact Sect and let this old immortal confine them first. Then, give me three thousand Immortal Artifacts. After I have wiped out everyone in the Spirit Artifact Sect, I will go and kill Bai Jiangmu for you. How does that sound?”

Gu Xiechen rolled his eyes and let out a cold, irritated sneer, “Your calculation is quite clever, sir. If you kill everyone in my Spirit Artifact Sect, why should I still give you beauties and Immortal Artifacts?”

The Black Mole Immortal nervously rubbed his hands together, chuckling dryly, “It’s truly unavoidable. It’s not easy for this old immortal to make a living outside. I rely entirely on my good reputation; that’s how new and old clients refer business to me so I can earn a living by resolving disasters for people. I have already accepted benefits from Bai Jiangmu; if I don't slaughter everyone in the Spirit Artifact Sect, my reputation will be completely ruined!”

Taking advantage of the Black Mole Immortal’s predicament, Gu Xiechen whispered to Wai Lingqi, “This cannot be settled amicably; we must kill him. Attack his primordial spirit with the ‘Seven Luo Bewitching Heart Formation’ and strike with all our might!”

Wai Lingqi nodded faintly, gripping the purple longsword he had just refined, which hadn't even been named yet. Ethereal, misty purple energy coiled around the faintly visible blade. As Wai Lingqi’s right hand closed around the hilt, infinite courage and confidence surged through his heart. The Black Mole Immortal was merely at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and Wai Lingqi was also at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm!

Although Wai Lingqi had only just stepped into this realm and was not yet fully familiar with wielding its power, the object in his hand was a Heavenly Tier Immortal Artifact, rare even in the cultivation world. Even ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortals rarely possessed one, yet Wai Lingqi held one! Even if the Black Mole Immortal’s Yin Lightning possessed killing power comparable to a mid-grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal weapon, with the Heavenly Tier Immortal Sword in hand, Wai Lingqi held absolutely no fear of him!

Gu Xiechen continued to negotiate with the Black Mole Immortal in an on-again, off-again manner. The Black Mole Immortal was quite tempted by Gu Xiechen’s offers, but he was, after all, an assassin with a solid commercial reputation. No matter what Gu Xiechen said, he adamantly refused to give up the mission to annihilate the Spirit Artifact Sect.

Elders Wai Qianji, Wai Linghu, and others from the Spirit Artifact Sect had already received the news transmitted by the disciples near Gu Xiechen. They focused the main power of the sect’s protective formation onto the Seven Luo Bewitching Heart Formation. Over sixty percent of the massive spiritual energy surging from the underground spirit veins was injected into a golden-lacquered gourd situated atop the Spirit Artifact Sect’s highest council hall.

On top of the golden gourd, which was three zhang tall and several feet thick, seven small, crude banners inscribed with dozens of ghostly faces were greedily absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. These banners fluttered without wind, the ghostly faces on them baring teeth and making grotesque faces, occasionally flashing a deep, cold light in their eyes, emitting an uncanny power that shook the mind and destabilized the primordial spirit.

Gu Xiechen continued to chat idly with the Black Mole Immortal, who truly believed Gu Xiechen intended to strike a good deal with him. He eagerly discussed various details with Gu Wuchen, striving to convince him that once he wiped out the Spirit Artifact Sect, he would certainly go and slay Bai Jiangmu as well. In the Black Mole Immortal’s own words, accepting payment and not delivering was not his style!

As he spoke, a faint ghostly light began to emanate from the golden gourd atop the council hall, and a subtle, hair-raising power rippled throughout the Spirit Artifact Sect’s gates. Gu Wuchen formed a hand seal, preparing to activate the Seven Luo Bewitching Heart Formation and summon the Heart-Devouring Seven Ghosts from beyond the domain to attack the Black Mole Immortal.

Wai Lingqi suddenly sighed softly, “If I weren't forced into this, I truly wouldn't want to kill this Black Mole Immortal! He’s a major problem!” A major problem? Gu Xiechen glanced at Wai Lingqi in surprise.

Taking advantage of Gu Wuchen still distracting the Black Mole Immortal with nonsense, Wai Lingqi quickly shared his conjecture. “The father or mother of the Black Mole Immortal is very likely a disciple of the Jie Teaching! Even if not a formal inner disciple, they certainly hold the status of an outer disciple of the Jie Sect!”

And everyone knew that within the Jie Teaching, there was no real difference between inner and outer disciples. Once any cultivator bearing the Jie Sect banner was provoked, regardless of who was right or wrong, the surging mass of Jie Sect disciples would descend upon you without explanation— Unless they could ensure no one knew the Black Mole Immortal died at the Spirit Artifact Sect, even if they killed the Black Mole Immortal today and resolved the current threat of annihilation, they would certainly face cruel retaliation and attacks from Jie Sect disciples in the future. Moreover, they would never reason with you, nor would they spare the Spirit Artifact Sect because the Black Mole Immortal instigated the conflict; the members of the Jie Sect were notorious for being unreasonable ancestors. This was a headache! Gu Wuchen frowned. Why was the Jie Sect dragged into this again?

The Six Soul Banner inside his body trembled slightly, and Gu Xiechen shook his head. Whether it was the Jie Sect or not, unless Gu Xiechen was willing to abandon the Spirit Artifact Sect—this pawn he had his eye on—he had no other choice in today’s matter! Who asked the Black Mole Immortal to have such strong commercial integrity?

With a wry smile, Gu Xiechen whispered, “We can only take it one step at a time. At worst, we kill Bai Jiangmu to silence him! He shouldn’t be foolish enough to broadcast the matter of hiring an assassin across the world, should he?” Wai Lingqi’s eyes lit up, and he nodded abruptly.

Gu Xiechen hesitated no longer. He pointed a finger, and the seven banners suddenly shot out of the golden gourd toward the sky. A chorus of ghostly chirping sounded in the void, and thick smoke of seven colors swept across the area. The Black Mole Immortal, caught off guard, was engulfed by the smoke. Vaguely visible, various terrifying and vicious ghosts rose from the smoke, shrieking as they charged toward the Black Mole Immortal.

These Heart-Devouring Ghosts were similar to the Heavenly Demons from Gu Wuchen’s original universe—they were formless, shapeless evils from another domain specifically designed to harm the primordial spirits of cultivators. Moreover, the Heart-Devouring Ghosts not only attacked the spirit but also consumed the cultivator’s spirit, viewing the cultivator’s heart as the most supreme delicacy.

The Black Mole Immortal’s vision went black, and his primordial spirit suddenly dimmed; he was utterly lost, unaware of where he was or who he was. Then, an icy chill sprang up near his heart; his heart throbbed with excruciating pain, as if someone were frantically tearing at it with teeth. The sheer agony almost shattered his soul; it was boundless torment that no normal person could endure.

The Black Mole Immortal let out a shrill scream, flailing wildly in the air before suddenly slamming into a cliff face, tumbling down the rock in a daze. At that critical moment, Wai Lingqi let out a clear cry toward the sky, plunging out of the Spirit Artifact Sect’s protective formation. The Heavenly Tier Immortal Sword in his hand transformed into a brilliant purple beam of light several zhang thick and ten miles long, carrying a faint sound of thunderous wind and fire, stabbing directly toward the Black Mole Immortal’s chest. As the sword light was released, it seemed to reach the Black Mole Immortal almost instantly.

Wai Lingqi, controlling his sword flight, was startled himself. He had never seen such a fast sword light in his life! Even the immortal sword he had crafted in his youth out of rare materials, designed purely for speed with no other function, was not one percent as fast as this purple beam! Fast, indescribably fast, the sword light instantly pierced the Black Mole Immortal’s body, boring through his heart.

With a sizzling sound, half of the Black Mole Immortal’s body was pulverized by the sword energy, leaving only a head and the two bird wings on his back barely intact. His consciousness muddled from the attack of the Heart-Devouring Ghosts on his primordial spirit, the Black Mole Immortal let out a piercing shriek, then suddenly snapped his eyes wide open. His brow exploded, and a monstrous primordial spirit, neither bird nor insect, drenched in blood, flew out of his skull. As the Black Mole Immortal’s primordial spirit flew out, a blue-green, brilliant light erupted from within it, and a deep, powerful shout rang out from within the light: “Who dares harm my child? You seek death!”

With a flash of light, vast swathes of lightning erupted from the Black Mole Immortal’s body. The few Heart-Devouring Ghosts tightly affixed to his primordial spirit, frantically draining his essence and spirit, let out desperate howls as they were instantly vaporized into smoke by the lightning.

The Black Mole Immortal glared fixedly at Wai Lingqi and roared fiercely, “You dare harm this old immortal? You actually destroyed this old immortal’s physical body? Fortunately, I possess a Primordial Spirit Treasure bestowed by my father, or wouldn't I have been killed by you? Damned wretches, you have no sincerity in doing business with me! You will all die, you will all die!”

With a final, shrill cry, the Black Mole Immortal’s remaining head and two bird wings suddenly burst apart, scattering blue-black blood and flesh everywhere. As the Black Mole Immortal chanted an incantation, this scattered blood and flesh simultaneously flashed with dazzling purplish-blue electric light, instantly transforming into a colossal ball of thunder tens of miles in diameter, smashing down upon the Spirit Artifact Sect gates and Wai Lingqi, who hovered above them, with a muffled sound of breaking air.

Fearing that this ball of thunder, into which he had poured his vital blood and risked his remaining physical form, might not be enough to kill the people of the Spirit Artifact Sect, the Black Mole Immortal stopped at nothing and summoned the Primordial Spirit Treasure his father, the Nine Heavens Thunder Roc, had given him for protection. It was a magical artifact shaped like a bird's claw. The blue-purple claw, seemingly cast from crystal, held a rhombic blue crystal within it, inside which countless minute lightning bolts flickered rapidly. At the core of the crystal was a strange rune composed of distorted lightning, which intermittently erupted with blinding blue light.

The Black Mole Immortal, crazed with rage after losing his physical body, hurled the Primordial Spirit Treasure into the thunderous mass tens of miles in diameter. He shrieked at the sky, “This is the ‘Primal Thunder Blast’! My father requested the elders of his sect to refine this for me. It is a low-grade Heavenly Tier Immortal Artifact! You fools, you bumpkins from Misha Star, just wait to die!”

As the Primal Thunder Blast manifested, the vast Spirit Artifact Sect gates shuddered violently. The enormous stone platform sank several miles into the ground, nearly shattering entirely from the crushing pressure of the lightning in the void. Surrounding cliffs began to disintegrate and collapse, sending countless large and small stones crashing down chaotically. The mountains and rocks within a thousand-mile radius were utterly pulverized, presenting a scene of complete, world-ending devastation.

Gu Xiechen and the elders of the Spirit Artifact Sect, including Wai Lingqi, were greatly shocked. Even a low-grade Heavenly Tier Immortal Artifact should not cause such destruction with its residual pressure alone. The Spirit Artifact Sect’s mountain gates were connected to the underground spirit veins for millions of miles, giving it astonishing defensive power. How could the mere leakage of pressure from a low-grade Heavenly Tier Immortal Artifact cause such chaos?

Sweeping his divine sense down into the ground, Gu Wuchen’s eyes instantly narrowed, and a murderous intent surged forth. Tens of thousands of miles beneath the Spirit Artifact Sect, a young man bearing a resemblance to Bai Cangmu, though slightly older, his eyes filled with arrogant arrogance, and his face etched with ferocious murderous intent, was driving two strange beasts through the earth veins. These beasts resembled crocodiles in nine out of ten aspects but possessed eight legs and a single horn on their heads, each about three miles long.

It was these two strange beasts that were destroying the Spirit Artifact Sect's underground spirit vein network, depriving the protective formation of more than half its spiritual power supply, thus rendering it incapable of protecting the terrain within a thousand-mile radius of the Spirit Artifact Sect, leading to the current sorry state caused by the Primal Thunder Blast. With a sinister sneer, Gu Wuchen shouted fiercely, “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Wai Lingqi seemed hypnotized, pouring all his immortal power into the sword in his hand. Then, he bit his tongue, spraying a mouthful of hot heart's blood onto the immortal sword. Countless purple beams shot toward the sky; the Heavenly Tier Immortal Sword, jointly forged by Gu Xiechen and the elders of the Spirit Artifact Sect, transformed into a magnificent purple rainbow, a hundred miles long, soaring upward to directly collide with the thunderous mass struck out by the Black Mole Immortal. In battles between cultivators, the stronger force prevails, and the weaker dies; there is no room for luck.

The immortal sword, primarily forged by Gu Xiechen, crushed the thunderous mass in one fell swoop, cleaving through the Primal Thunder Blast. Innumerable purple rays swept upward, enveloping the Black Mole Immortal’s primordial spirit, instantly twisting inward and crushing it. The Black Mole Immortal let out a miserable scream, and his primordial spirit was instantly ground into pieces. A faint roar of rage echoed in the void, but no one paid heed to it.

That was the Black Mole Immortal’s father, issuing a threat through his son's shattered primordial spirit at the moment of death. But what use was fear now that the deed was done? The collision of the two Heavenly Tier Immortal Artifacts generated a backlash like a tsunami, washing over the surrounding cliffs, leveling the mountains and rocks within a thousand-mile radius. The continuous, earth-shattering roar echoed endlessly. The impregnable rock walls of Wanhuan City cracked open. Starting from the Spirit Artifact Sect gates, the surrounding terrain rapidly subsided and disintegrated. The platform where the gates stood crumbled like a piece of paper, rapidly descending amidst the countless shattered stones.

Gu Xiechen shouted fiercely, “Someone is playing tricks underground! Someone has destroyed our Spirit Artifact Sect’s underground spirit veins!”

Wai Lingqi, momentarily stunned while observing the heaven-and-earth-shattering scene, let out an angry roar, plunging his body into the purple rainbow that had just slain the Black Mole Immortal in mid-air. With a sound of wind, fire, and thunder, he shot straight toward the ground. The earth suddenly ripped open with a massive gaping hole. With the Heavenly Tier Immortal Sword leading the way, Wai Lingqi instantly pierced deep into the underground spirit veins.

The two strange beasts wreaking havoc underground hadn't even time to react before they were twisted by the endless purple energy, instantly reduced to heaps of minced meat.

Bai Jiangmu, who was controlling the two beasts, was horrified. Looking at the purple sword light shooting toward him, he roared, “Spirit Artifact Sect, how dare you harm me?”

Wai Lingqi, controlling his sword flight, hastily tried to slow the sword light, but alas, it was a newly refined immortal sword, and Wai Lingqi had not yet fully mastered its control. A stream of purple energy spat forth from the front of the sword light, easily piercing through Bai Jiangmu’s two protective artifacts and his robes, passing right through the area near his heart. With a sweep of the purple energy, Bai Jiangmu screamed as both his arms were instantly pulverized by the sword energy.

Severely wounded, Bai Jiangmu roared furiously, “Spirit Artifact Sect, just wait for your annihilation!” Leaving behind a threat, the staggering Bai Jiangmu managed to conjure a streak of sword light and fly upward.

Despite his severe injuries, Bai Jiangmu exerted every ounce of his strength to control his sword flight, yet the light still crawled forward as slowly as a turtle. He had only ascended a dozen miles when a golden light descended from above his head. Gu Xiechen was already descending rapidly on his own sword. “You intended to wipe out my Spirit Artifact Sect? Then I’ll kill you first!” Gu Xiechen grinned ferociously. Before Wai Lingqi could object, he swung his sword.

Blood splattered; a flash of crimson light erupted. Gu Xiechen cleaved off Bai Jiangmu’s head with one strike, and the sword energy pulverized his primordial spirit as well. Wai Lingqi rolled his eyes, his throat making gurgling sounds before he fainted on the spot. The true emperor of this star system, the eldest great-grandson of the Grand Pure Immortal Lord, Bai Jiangmu, died by the sword of ‘Wai Chenzi’!