The battle commenced, cloaking the void in dense, warring clouds.

Lord Tai Fu personally led the massive army toward Haoyuan Heavenly Pass. A sound like rolling thunder erupted, and countless streams of cloud surged from within the Pass. Upon each stream rode a perfectly arrayed grand formation of ten thousand soldiers, their battle cries clashing as the celestial host—outnumbering Lord Tai Fu’s forces by several times—charged forth.

Among them were one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers, riding Celestial Dragon Horses, clad in custom-made violet-gold Qilin Heart-Guarding Immortal Armor, and wielding strange, long halberds whose tips bore the image of a Suanni devouring the heavens. They swept out like a veritable gale.

These Celestial Dragon Horses moved at incredible velocity, colliding and dashing through the void like lightning and thunder, appearing and vanishing in an instant, shifting from east to west. Few of Lord Tai Fu’s gathered celestial soldiers and generals could even track the movements of this cavalry unit.

Their Qilin Heart-Guarding Immortal Armor proved extraordinarily resilient. No matter what spells—be they of water, fire, wind, metal, wood, earth, or fire—were hurled at them, the armor merely emitted a surge of violet energy. A phantom image of a Qilin subtly enveloped the entire Heavenly Soldier. Regardless of the magical assault, the armor’s defense remained impenetrable. These Heavenly Soldiers had virtually no concern for injury, charging ahead with relentless focus.

As for the Zhangba Suanni Heaven-Devouring Halberds they wielded, their destructive power was terrifying. Any protective magic treasure below the level of High-Grade Celestial Artifact would be pierced through with a single strike. Unless one was a body-cultivating immortal, specifically a body-cultivating immortal at the Great Overarching Golden Immortal realm, any other immortal’s body, along with their protective artifact, would be run through by a halberd, leaving a bloody puncture.

These one hundred thousand ferocious, demonic-looking Heavenly Soldiers surged and charged, shattering Lord Tai Fu’s vanguard within mere clashes. Over a hundred thousand of the two hundred thousand celestial soldiers and generals perished or were wounded on the spot. The remaining hundreds of thousands, struck with terror, threw down their weapons and banners, shouting as they beat a hasty retreat. Lord Tai Fu roared in frustration, frantically waving his sword to urge his troops back into the fight.

Before Lord Tai Fu’s most elite contingent could even advance to meet the threat, this terrifyingly equipped Heavenly Soldier unit let out a unified howl. Led by several Immortal Generals, they reformed into a massive, triangular cone formation and charged directly toward Lord Tai Fu’s main lines.

Along the way, contingent after contingent of immortals from the Jiazi Star Fortress attempted to intercept this Heavenly Soldier force. Yet, despite their strenuous efforts, only the spells cast by Great Overarching Golden Immortal-level immortals managed to cause a slight tremor in the Heavenly Soldiers’ bodies; all other magical attacks were utterly fruitless. These preposterously tough Heavenly Soldiers merely stabbed and thrust wildly, causing more than thirty intercepting formations of immortals to instantly collapse.

Golden blood sprayed across the void. Lord Tai Fu’s million most elite celestial soldiers roared loudly before him, arraying themselves into the Xuanwu Tortoise Shell Formation—a heavy, nine-layered defensive formation designed for absolute protection.

Lord Tai Fu saw that the opposing Heavenly Soldier unit was advancing too rapidly, and his own Xuanwu Tortoise Shell Formation still showed signs of disarray. Before he could fully deploy the formation, he urgently spat forth golden and jade light, summoning the colossal tortoise shell shield he had once used to clash directly with Lei Hongzi.

The gigantic tortoise shell shield blocked the path before the million Heavenly Soldiers, squarely in the charge trajectory of that fiercely aggressive Heavenly Soldier unit.

Lord Tai Fu let out a cold snort, preparing to shout encouragement to his subordinates, when suddenly, a long, piercing cry echoed from within Haoyuan Heavenly Pass. A streak of purple cloud shot out, and Yang Jian—riding a Celestial Dragon Horse, clad in Qilin Heart-Guarding Armor, wielding a Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Blade, and accompanied by a slender black dog—rushed forth within the purple cloud. Gazing from afar at the tortoise shell shield summoned by Lord Tai Fu, Yang Jian merely lifted his head and gave a cold, disdainful laugh.

With a gesture, a dazzling, blindingly bright red light shot from Yang Jian’s hand, whistling as it struck Lord Tai Fu’s tortoise shell shield. The red light was a short sword, only three feet and two inches long and no wider than a thumb. The entire blade was scarlet, as if forged from fresh blood. Within the sword, one could faintly perceive one hundred and eight continuous, shimmering golden pyramids of light. These one hundred and eight lights were bound together by a single thread of crimson flame, burning with an eerie, divine radiance.

With this single strike, Lord Tai Fu felt as if billions of thunderbolts had simultaneously crushed him. Hot blood spurted from all seven of his orifices. He grunted and staggered back several thousand miles. The gold and jade-colored tortoise shell shield had its light instantly extinguished by Yang Jian’s sword, transforming back into two small, actual tortoises that hastily scrambled back into Lord Tai Fu’s sleeve.

Lord Tai Fu roared, “Not good!” He wobblingly raised his long sword, about to issue new orders, when the ten thousand-strong Heavenly Soldier unit arrived at the front of the formation.

With a resounding clang, the ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers, gripping the Suanni Heaven-Devouring Halberds tightly in their right hands, drew a crimson longsword from their waists with their left, similarly bearing the visage of the Suanni. These ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers plunged into the Xuanwu Tortoise Shell Formation like ten thousand murderous gods, slaughtering indiscriminately as if a raging fire swept over dry grass.

Those at a distance used their long halberds to pierce, leaving a bloody hole with every thrust. Those close by used their longswords to hack, and wherever the sword light passed, heads fell in neat rows.

Lord Tai Fu swept his divine sense over the fiercely powerful, almost monstrous Heavenly Soldier unit from afar. He was horrified to discover that even the lowest-ranking ten-man squad leader within this force possessed the cultivation of a Great Overarching Golden Immortal. The five generals leading them were all at the High-Grade Great Overarching Golden Immortal level. The weakest soldier present was at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. There was not a single weak link in this entire Heavenly Soldier contingent!

A quick estimation revealed over ten thousand Great Overarching Golden Immortals among these one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers—nearly three times the entire contingent of Great Overarching Golden Immortals stationed by the Heavenly Court in the First Line Star Abyss! Clearly, after Yang Jian slew the White Dragon Star Lord, the High Heaven Emperor had rewarded Yang Jian handsomely, deploying those surplus thousands of Great Overarching Golden Immortals directly from the Heavenly Court.

The Celestial Dragon Horses, flying so fast they defied sight, the Qilin Heart-Guarding Immortal Armor with its astonishing defense—impervious to anything below the Great Overarching Golden Immortal level—and the ferociously sharp, devastatingly lethal Suanni Heavenly Soldiers were all equipment used by the High Heaven Emperor to arm his personal close-quarters guards.

According to the intelligence Lord Tai Fu possessed, the High Heaven Emperor only maintained thirty thousand such Heavenly Soldiers around himself. Yet, here, at Haoyuan Heavenly Pass, an overwhelming multitude had appeared!

Lord Tai Fu rapidly calculated the power disparity between his own celestial soldiers and this formidable Heavenly Soldier unit. He estimated he would need at least thirty times his current troop strength to even hope to resist these ten thousand terrifying foes.

Having grasped the horrifying strength of the enemy before him, a wave of sickness washed over Lord Tai Fu, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

The Jade Cauldron True Man had instructed Lord Tai Fu to feign defeat to lure the enemy deeper. But given the current battle development, there was no need for pretense—they were already being routed and bloodied! If they delayed the retreat any longer, and the celestial soldiers from the rear Haowu Heavenly Pass surrounded them, Lord Tai Fu risked the complete annihilation of his entire army. “Damn it all!” Lord Tai Fu cursed under his breath, gripping his long sword and preparing to order his troops to withdraw.

The word ‘retreat’ was still forming on his tongue when the ten thousand soldiers, who had already charged into Lord Tai Fu’s main formation, suddenly bent low simultaneously atop their Celestial Dragon Horses. As they lowered their bodies, they revealed the monstrous repeating crossbows strapped to their backs, shaped like Suanni beasts with wings.

A sound like ten thousand beast roars coalesced into a single, massive bellow. Ten thousand crossbows fired simultaneously, unleashing nine hundred thousand blinding streaks of bloody light from the Suanni Heaven-Slaying Crossbows strapped to the Heavenly Soldiers’ backs. The beams whistled through the air, flying chaotically. Wherever the ninety thousand beams passed—be it sword light, magic treasure, immortal armor, or immortal—everything was riddled with holes like sieves.

Shhhhk, the sound was incessant. A torrent of gold and fresh blood suddenly surged forth in the void. The ninety thousand beams of light pierced completely through the Xuanwu Tortoise Shell Formation, instantly annihilating Lord Tai Fu’s million most elite celestial soldiers. The bloody light swept up the golden celestial blood, coalescing into a massive torrent nearly a hundred miles thick, carrying an aura of absolute annihilation as it plummeted toward Lord Tai Fu’s chest. Witnessing the agonizing demise of his million elite troops, Lord Tai Fu cried out, spitting yet another mouthful of vital blood. These were his million core elites, painstakingly amassed over countless years, several of whom were even Great Overarching Golden Immortals. Today, they were utterly wiped out! Lord Tai Fu’s million years of effort invested in the Jiazi Star Fortress had been destroyed in a single day; how could he not vomit blood?

Staring blankly at the surging crimson and gold torrent before him, Lord Tai Fu was utterly stunned. He stared at the deluge and actually raised his long sword to meet it head-on. He didn't even summon a single immortal artifact for defense, nor did he deploy his life-saving Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Great Tortoise Shield. At this moment, Lord Tai Fu’s mind had become somewhat muddled!

The ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers, resembling blood-soaked demons sprung from the depths of hell, let out simultaneous low groans. They watched mockingly as Lord Tai Fu, throwing caution to the wind, sought a final, desperate stand. An attack joined by ten thousand immortal cultivators at or above the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, including over ten thousand Great Overarching Golden Immortals, using the Suanni Heavenly Soldier weapons crafted by the High Heaven Emperor with his entire fortune—Lord Tai Fu was certainly doomed!

Faster than words could convey, Gu Xiechen flashed from the periphery to Lord Tai Fu’s side and doused him with a torrent of ice-cold water. Gu Xiechen shouted sharply, “My Lord, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be wood to burn!”

Lord Tai Fu’s scattered gaze suddenly sharpened. He snapped back to awareness, snatched Gu Xiechen, and fled rapidly backward. With his peak Great Overarching Golden Immortal cultivation, a single spatial shift carried him away from Haowu Heavenly Pass and to the front of the Jiazi Star Fortress.

Lord Tai Fu, dragging Gu Xiechen, had already retreated far into the rear before his enraged roar exploded across the void: “All forces belonging to the Jiazi Star Fortress, retreat! Retreat! Everyone retreat! Quickly, retreat at your fastest speed! Yang Jian, old man, this is not over between us!”

With a deafening boom, the countless celestial soldiers and generals of the Jiazi Star Fortress who had marched on Haowu Heavenly Pass instantly disintegrated. They threw down their horns, war drums, flags, and all military equipment, pouring all their energy into a straight-line escape toward the rear. The void was filled with escaping immortals and cultivators riding streaks of light. Some, fearing they weren't fast enough, even ignited their primordial spirits just to boost their escape velocity. But against the absurd speed of the Celestial Dragon Horses, all streaks of light became a joke.

The ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers abruptly dispersed into squads of one hundred, pursuing the fleeing Jiazi Star Fortress immortals along their escape route. The immortals fled quickly, the cultivators slowly. Those left trailing behind, who weren't even Celestial Immortals, fell one after another beneath the butchers’ blades of these ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers. Slaughter, slaughter, slaughter—corpses piled high, blood flowed in rivers. In the blink of an eye, nearly ten million common cultivators perished.

Once the cultivators guarding the rear were completely wiped out, it was the turn of the weakest Celestial Immortals lagging behind. The ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers pressed in closely, their halberds stabbing and their longswords slashing. The crossbow bolts on their backs automatically returned, and once all nine hundred thousand bolts were recovered, the ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers simultaneously bent low again for another round of devastating volley fire. Vast swathes of immortals dropped dead.

Yang Jian squinted, his Three-Pointed, Double-Edged Blade cradled loosely against his chest, lounging atop his Celestial Dragon Horse. He watched lazily as the main force from Haowu Heavenly Pass followed leisurely behind. Gazing at the furious slaughter unfolding before him, Yang Jian suddenly yawned in a bored manner.

“These Celestial Dragon Horses, the immortal armor, and the Heavenly Soldiers—they should have been mine long ago. Does a dignified Saint truly need the protection of three hundred thousand Imperial Guards? Excluding these ten thousand sets of stored armaments, if I had those three hundred thousand guards too, I could sweep through the First Line Star Abyss within a year.”

The White Star General, laughing cheerily, followed Yang Jian on a cloud. Watching the ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers slaughtering ruthlessly ahead, the White Star General’s smile grew ever brighter. He did not pick up on Yang Jian’s remark but merely chuckled good-naturedly. “This great victory will surely delight His Majesty. Hmm, the Jiazi Star Fortress is also a major stronghold for the Immortal Sect here; conquering it now, while we have the momentum, would be excellent.”

Nodding lazily, Yang Jian sneered, “Then let’s take it. Actually, things in this world are quite simple; there’s no need for so much probing and maneuvering behind the scenes. If everyone just laid out their armies and fought openly, wouldn’t the outcome be decided immediately?”

The White Star General let out a few dry laughs. He glanced cautiously left and right, lowering his voice to speak to Yang Jian. “What Your Excellency says is certainly true... however, His Majesty holds the mandate of righteousness. Those other parties—one group must maintain face, and the other fears being taken advantage of, leading to mutual restraint and entanglement. Heh, things in this world are rarely that straightforward.”

He sighed softly. “This time, Your Excellency killing the White Dragon Spiritual Lord has completely severed ties with the Great Clarity Saint and the Jade Clarity Saint. Only then did His Majesty decide to bestow these armaments upon you. Your Excellency must not fail to live up to His Majesty’s intentions. Since you have broken with that side, you must diligently comprehend the Heavenly Dao mysteries bestowed by His Majesty. If you can attain Sainthood, His Majesty’s burdens will also be lightened.”

Yang Jian crooked his mouth. He took a purple jade seal carved from jade from his sleeve, pondered for a moment, and then nodded.

Glancing at the White Star General, Yang Jian said in a low tone, “Go back and tell my uncle: As before, I obey orders but do not report directly. If he enters conflict with those two, I will stand with him.”

Yang Jian’s words acted like a stabilizing pill. The White Star General’s smile instantly became radiant upon hearing them. He let out a quiet breath, nodded heartily, and then, looking at the surging blood light ahead and the corpses drifting among the countless meteors and asteroids, he hastily bid Yang Jian farewell and took his leave from the First Line Star Abyss in a hurry. This kind-faced, benevolent old immortal could not bear to watch the scene of bloody slaughter.

Yang Jian watched the retreating White Star General with cold eyes, weighing the purple jade seal in his hand. He let out a strange, chilling laugh. “All of the High Heaven Emperor’s Heavenly Dao insights since arriving in this universe? All his experience from advancing from an ordinary Great Overarching Golden Immortal to Sainthood? Heh, heh, heh!”

After three cold laughs, Yang Jian muttered softly, “If I hadn't let loose today and slaughtered the people of the Jiazi Star Fortress, would this treasure have been given to me? That old fossil has been mingling here for a century, just waiting for me to finally unleash my killing intent today!”

With a sneer, Yang Jian probed the jade seal with his divine sense, copying every single Heavenly Dao insight within—whether he understood it or not—directly into his primordial spirit. Then, a faint light flashed in Yang Jian’s palm, and the purple jade seal vanished without a trace.

Gu Xiechen, who had been brought back to the Jiazi Star Fortress by Lord Tai Fu, felt a subtle shift. A purple jade seal materialized out of thin air in his Sea of Consciousness. He gave a dry smile. Chaosless God, seated cross-legged in his Sea of Consciousness, threw out the Chaos Bell with both hands, securely enveloping the jade seal within it.

Every piece of information within the seal was stealthily extracted by Gu Xiechen. Then, his mind excited, the jade seal reappeared out of nowhere in Yang Jian’s hand.

Yang Jian tilted his head, looked at the seal, and flicked his finger, tossing it to the slender dog. “This is also a fine Innate Spiritual Treasure, possessing dual functions of defense and offense, particularly adept at shaking an immortal’s primordial spirit. Take it for your protection! You’ve followed me for so many years, and I haven't given you any decent treasures. Consider this fair compensation this time!”

The slender dog bared its teeth in a brilliant smile and promptly swallowed the jade seal whole, carefully nourishing and refining it with its primordial spirit and vital essence. Wisps of purple energy began to emanate from the dog’s body. Innate Spiritual Treasures were indeed extraordinary; such signs appeared right at the beginning of its refinement. “So generous, truly generous!”

The Three Corpses Primordial Spirit rushed toward the High Heaven Emperor’s Dao-attainment experience like hungry ghosts confined in the hungry ghost realm for countless years. The massive influx of information was rapidly decomposed and digested by the Three Corpses Primordial Spirit. In just a quarter of an hour, an inexplicable aura began to emanate from Gu Xiechen.

A shortcut to the heavens! The constraints that had troubled Gu Xiechen since entering this universe—the inability to freely command the power of this world’s heaven and earth—were gradually dissipating. His divine sense coverage expanded geometrically. He vaguely felt that he had established some marvelous connection and resonance with this universe. Only a thin veil separated him from the true face of this universe—a veil that, once lifted, would reveal everything! “I am truly grateful!” Gu Xiechen looked back toward the direction of Haowu Heavenly Pass. What more could he say to such a generous High Heaven Emperor? The best part was that he incurred absolutely no debt to the High Heaven Emperor for receiving this bounty! This entire Dao-attainment experience was ‘confiscated’ by Gu Xiechen from the hands of ‘Yang Jian’! If anyone was to blame, it was the High Heaven Emperor for misjudging his subordinate and entrusting his most precious enlightenment to an unreliable person! In this matter, Gu Xiechen owed the High Heaven Emperor not a single shred of gratitude! This was spoils of war, after all; Gu Xiechen was currently the enemy of the High Heaven Emperor!

There was nothing more delightful than this. The feeling of being able to control everything, which he had possessed in his original universe, gradually returned to Gu Xiechen. A faint crimson light flickered in his eyes, and he abruptly turned around, casually drawing his Seven Spirits Profound Yin Sword.

Seven cold lights transformed into white rainbows miles long, flashing by instantly. Dozens of miserable cries echoed through the void as a contingent of immortals from Haowu Heavenly Pass were instantly slain by Gu Xiechen’s sword strike.

An oppressive cold swept through the heavens. Before the blood of these immortals could even leave their bodies, they were frozen into blocks of ice.

The ten thousand terrifyingly powerful Heavenly Soldiers had been relentlessly pursuing the routed immortals of the Jiazi Star Fortress. A defeated army had no semblance of formation; countless immortals scattered like released ducks, causing the ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers to gradually lose cohesion and communication with each other.

These Heavenly Soldiers, caught up in the frenzy of the slaughter, focused solely on chasing and killing the fleeing immortals. As a result, those who pursued Gu Xiechen and Lord Tai Fu right up to the Jiazi Star Fortress turned out to be the main force of the Haowu Heavenly Pass Celestial Army led by Yang Jian.

What Gu Xiechen had just annihilated was the vanguard scout force of this massive celestial army—a group of minor immortals whose cultivation barely reached the Celestial Immortal level.

The miserable screams of the immortals caused Lord Tai Fu’s expression to tighten. He whipped around, staring coldly at the approaching purple cloud in the distance. “You’re fast enough! Hey, Yang Jian, you won this skirmish, but do you dare face me in a single combat duel?”

Numerous long streams of cloud surrounded Yang Jian as he pursued rapidly. From a great distance, Yang Jian coldly reprimanded, “Tai Fu, your courage has grown bold. You imprisoned Lei Hongzi a century ago and haven't released him since. Now you challenge me again; you’re finally showing some masculine spirit!”

Lord Tai Fu’s face flushed crimson. He was so enraged he pointed at Yang Jian, unable to speak.

What did ‘showing some masculine spirit’ mean? Had Lord Tai Fu not been a man before?

Staring at Yang Jian in near-frenzied anger, Lord Tai Fu hissed, “Yang Jian, stop relying on sharp tongue! If you dare fight me one-on-one, then come with me!” He paused slightly, looking at the countless celestial soldiers and generals behind Yang Jian with a complicated expression, hesitating as he said, “You cannot rely on superior numbers.”

Yang Jian let out a cold, disdainful laugh. He shook his head and sighed, “I, Yang Jian, never bully others with superior numbers! The Seven Sages of Mount Mei are attacking the Jiazi Star Fortress; be mindful not to suffer heavy losses. Attack from a distance.”

The seven strangely formed Immortal Generals behind Yang Jian responded in unison. With a shake of their bodies, countless nether winds surged around them, within which the shadows of three thousand Grass Head Gods could vaguely be seen, brandishing their weapons and clashing forth. Led by the Seven Sages of Mount Mei, the three thousand Grass Head Gods let out a roar and charged toward the Jiazi Star Fortress.

With the Seven Sages of Mount Mei and the three thousand Grass Head Gods as the vanguard, the countless Celestial Soldiers and Immortal Generals of Haoyuan Heavenly Pass joyfully shouted battle cries and surged toward the Jiazi Star Fortress, forming ranks to occupy the positions of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, simultaneously attacking the thirty-six smaller peripheral star fortresses surrounding the Jiazi Star Fortress.

Lord Taifu casually pushed back Gu Chen, enveloping him in a golden light that returned him to the main planet of the Jiazi Star Fortress. Then, Lord Taifu stared at Yang Jie with gritted teeth for a moment, remained silent, and rushed toward the asteroid belt near the Jiazi Star Fortress.

Yang Jian chuckled softly, reached out to pat the Heavenly Steed beneath him, and instructed his Sleek Hound to guard the Heavenly Dragon Horse carefully here. Then, he rode his cloud upward, soaring off his mount, transforming into a streak of purple light as he pursued Lord Taifu.

Faint sounds of endless slaughter drifted from behind. The hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers had almost completely annihilated the routed troops led by Lord Taifu. Now, the hundred thousand extraordinarily fierce Heavenly Soldiers were hurriedly forming up their ranks, preparing to join the assault on the Jiazi Star Fortress. The restrictive formations and various ambushes surrounding the Jiazi Star Fortress possessed immense power, requiring precisely such an elite force with unparalleled defensive capabilities as the vanguard.

Just as Gu Chen was sent back to the Jiazi Star Fortress by Lord Taifu, a stream of white mist shot out from above his head. His Chaos Primordial Spirit transformed into its true form and rushed frantically toward his Bureau of Military Affairs Immortal Envoy Residence. As he fled wildly, the Chaos Primordial Spirit shouted, "Defeat! Defeat! All disciples of the Spirit Artifact Sect, quickly gather your weapons and prepare for battle! Where are the disciples of the Thunder Hall? Prepare the thunder artifacts! Where are the disciples of the Arrow Hall? Bring out all the powerful crossbows forged over the years!"

The Chaos Primordial Spirit's loud shouting attracted everyone's attention. Gu Wuchen's true form had already transformed into a gust of wind and soared high into the sky the moment the Chaos Primordial Spirit appeared. Having just obtained the Enlightenment Experience of the Great Emperor Haotian, Gu Chen felt that the gust of wind he transformed into today moved with a nimble, smooth, and satisfying agility; his movements had already integrated with certain wondrous rhythms of this universe, without the slightest obstruction.

With a cold smile, Gu Wuchen morphed into the likeness of Yang Jian and followed closely behind Lord Taifu and Yang Jian into the asteroid belt. Lord Taifu led Yang Jian in merely flying forward for over twenty thousand li within the asteroid belt before halting his steps.

Yang Jian, trailing closely behind, slowly stopped his cloud, turned his head, and surveyed his surroundings. There were an immense number of meteors and asteroids here, with the gaps between the stones of varying sizes often less than ten zhang. Fighting here required constant vigilance that one's spells might be obstructed by the adjacent meteors and asteroids.

No one knew what strange entities might be gestating within these asteroids and meteors; perhaps several innate poisonous insects were concealed within. Once a stone was broken, these venomous insects might swarm out and deliver a severe sting. That innate venom was something even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal could not withstand.

Therefore, engaging in combat here demanded extremely high levels of control over one's spells and precision in every movement and technique. Within the One-Line Star Abyss, whether they belonged to the Immortal Sects or the Celestial Palaces, immortals were strictly forbidden from fighting in areas with such high density of meteors and asteroids, even if they encountered mortal enemies.

The leaders on both sides were deeply afraid that if their subordinates engaged in combat, they might accidentally destroy some rare natural treasures, which would truly be heartbreaking.

Surveying this battlefield, Yang Jian sneered: "Taifu, fighting here, this Lord does not fear anything. Every move this Lord makes will absolutely not have any residual energy leak out. It is you, however, if you carelessly shatter any genius treasure, or attract any strange and bizarre things, that would be very unfortunate, extremely unfortunate!"

Lord Taifu regarded Yang Jian with cold eyes, slowly shaking his head: "True Lord, the one opposing you today is not this old man."

With three loud laughs aimed at the sky, Lord Taifu's form suddenly vanished, and then he reappeared back at the Jiazi Star Fortress, which was engaged in a chaotic melee.

The countless meteors and asteroids surrounding them suddenly accelerated by more than a hundred times. Blocks of meteors and asteroids zipped through the void with 'swoosh' sounds, gradually creating incredibly fine lines of light, resembling a vast, boundless net covering the surroundings.

As these meteors and asteroids began to accelerate, tens of thousands of stars in the surrounding firmament simultaneously flashed with a faint purple light. The lines created by the meteors and asteroids suddenly turned entirely a deep, clear purple. A sticky force, as if like glue, or perhaps quicksand, or even like the viscous mass that had remained unmoved for billions of years in a swamp, determined to trap everything, spontaneously arose, firmly enveloping Yang Jian's body. Yang Jian's body trembled, and his brows furrowed tightly.

"What formation is this? Why can't even my Seventy-Two Transformations Divine Ability be used?"

A vertical eye opened on his brow, and threads of red light shot out from Yang Jie's vertical eye, aiming at a certain point in the void from a distance. Wherever the red light passed, the air writhed and boiled, and space became distorted. The red light shot out over three hundred zhang before violently colliding with an invisible barrier.

Vast expanses of jade-white light erupted from that area of the void, accompanied by Yang Jian's cold snort, as a slender, jade-white figure gradually materialized.

"The Reversing Eight-Nine Forbidden Void Grand Array, specifically formulated to counteract your Eight-Nine Seventy-Two Transformations. However, apprentice, your Divine Eye is indeed formidable!" True Man Yuding gradually revealed himself, looking at Yang Jie from afar with a light sigh.

Yang Jian put away his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Lance and bowed respectfully toward True Man Yuding from a distance: "Master has trapped me with a grand array, for what purpose?"

True Man Yuding pondered for a moment before slowly nodding: "You killed the White Dragon Spirit Lord, and your Martial Uncle Huang Long is indignant. If you return with me to the Jade Void Palace and diligently listen to the scriptures before your Master, I will stake my old reputation to reconcile this matter for you."

With a light sigh, True Man Yuding looked at Yang Jian and said, "You also know that this world is vastly different from where we came from. In the Three Realms, although your Martial Uncle Huang Long is counted among the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, he was the weakest. But having come this far, your Martial Uncle Huang Long is almost divinely aided; he cultivates day and night, his Daoist attainment and cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, only one step away from becoming a Sage."

Yang Jian looked at True Man Yuding coldly: "Does Master mean that if Martial Uncle Huang Long seeks retribution from me, I cannot escape his sword?"

True Man Yuding gazed at Yang Jian and nodded solemnly: "If he truly moves against you, you are absolutely no match for him in a single move. Today's Huang Long is not the Huang Long of the past... and today's you is not the you of the past either!"

Yang Jian's expression shifted slightly, but he merely shook his head. After a moment of thought, he gestured to the rapidly swirling meteors and asteroids around them and said in a low voice, "Release the formation, I do not wish to fight you. If Martial Uncle Huang Long seeks retribution, let him come. Today's Huang Long is not the Huang Long of the past, and today's me is also not the me of yesteryear!"

True Man Yuding’s brows moved, and he sneered: "Very well, let this Master see what difference today's Yang Jian has from the Yang Jian of the past!"

A jade-white cold light flashed in his eyes, and True Man Yuding slipped forward in the air, launching a heavy punch directly toward Yang Jie's face. The momentum of the punch was like thunder; a simple punch struck out, yet the surrounding void suddenly congealed. Before True Man Yuding’s fist, time and space were utterly scattered. They were not shattered, not disturbed, but completely dispersed into the most fundamental energy particles that construct the Heavenly Dao rules of this universe.

Gu Chen, watching the battle hidden behind an asteroid not far away, narrowed his eyes. True Man Yuding had actually reached this level? Judging by his aura, he had barely broken through the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, yet his single punch possessed such terrifying power? This universe was truly vastly different from the previous one!

If True Man Yuding's punch had landed in the original universe, it would have possessed the power to contend head-on with a Sage!

Gu Chen took a deep breath, his body trembling slightly. He was not afraid, but excited. True Man Yuding cultivated the same Eight-Nine Arcane Art, the same path of body tempering. What would happen if he himself withstood this mighty punch with his Pangu True Body? Gu Wuchen’s eyes flickered rapidly as he simulated True Man Yuding’s punch in his sea of consciousness. He simulated its movement patterns, its intent, the myriad Heavenly Dao mysteries contained within the punch, and simultaneously simulated its power, simulating what it would be like if he withstood this punch head-on with his Pangu True Body!

Yang Jian, standing solemnly in the void, his eyes flashing with cold light, suddenly puffed out his chest and advanced to meet True Man Yuding's punch without dodging or evading.

With a deafening crash, a fist-shaped surge of qi erupted from the back of Yang Jian's heart. The momentum of True Man Yuding’s punch had pierced through Yang Jian's body, shattering the Qilin Heart-Shield Armor on him and leaving a fist-print one cun and three fen deep on Yang Jie's chest. The fist-print was pure white like jade, emitting a cold, hard, and fierce aura.

True Man Yuding withdrew his fist, stepped back, and looked at Yang Jie in surprise: "Why didn't you dodge or evade? To take my master's punch head-on, do you look down on your master?"

Yang Jian looked down at the fist-print on his chest, gently patting the remnants of the shattered armor fragments on his body. He chuckled softly, "Master’s fist grows stronger and stronger. Heh, this Qilin Heart-Shield Armor can absolutely defend against all attacks below the High-Grade Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. It would require a Primordial Spiritual Treasure to pierce this armor. I never expected Master’s fist to be three parts stronger than a Primordial Spiritual Treasure!"

Shaking his head, Yang Jian tore off his battle robe, revealing a body as taut and muscular as a lion. He looked at True Man Yuding and said solemnly, "A day as a master makes one a father for life. Yang Jie owes Master a debt of immense gratitude that cannot be repaid. I will take nine punches from Master to show my respect." True Man Yuding was stunned, then suddenly looked up at the sky.

Taking a deep breath, True Man Yuding shouted hoarsely toward the heavens, "This damned Heavenly Dao, this damned Heavenly Will, this damned human heart!"

With three roaring laughs, True Man Yuding struck like lightning, rapidly landing eight punches on Yang Jian's body. Crack, crack, crack—eight successive sounds. The eight punches landed on Yang Jian, but his body didn't even sway once. These punches had speed but no force whatsoever; how could they injure Yang Jian?

True Man Yuding, laughing wildly, raised his right fist and slammed it heavily onto his own chest. The force and speed were identical to the punch he had just thrown at Yang Jian. He gasped deeply, then looked at the deeply sunken fist-print on his chest, chuckling softly, "You have your filial piety, but this master also has my master's pride. How can I take advantage of you?"

He gestured to the rapidly swirling meteors and asteroids, and True Man Yuding said coldly, "This Forbidden Void Grand Array affects you and this master equally. The Seventy-Two Transformations cannot be used, and various divine abilities cannot be employed; we can only decide the victor through the purest strength. Today, this master must capture you alive and imprison you in the Jade Void Palace for a Kalpa. " Yang Jian's brow suddenly furrowed, and he looked coldly at True Man Yuding: "Your apprentice can only offend you. " Closing his vertical eye, Yang Jie gave up his last divine ability, one that was not constrained by the formation.

True Man Yuding nodded. He tore open his Daoist robe, baring his upper body just like Yang Jie. Tightening the purple-gold silk sash around his waist, True Man Yuding clenched his fists and adopted a stance that was both open and closed.

His joints cracked loudly. Yang Jian clenched his fists and suddenly strode forward, unleashing tens of thousands of punches toward True Man Yuding in an instant. Just as Yang Jian had told Lord Taifu earlier, all his latent energy was condensed within his fists, with no leakage whatsoever. The tens of thousands of punches thrown in an instant produced not even the slightest sound of wind breaking.

True Man Yuding's eyes widened, and he too slipped forward, throwing out his fists like flying shuttles. The momentum of the fists broke the air; the speed of the fists was astonishingly fast. True Man Yuding's fist movements and posture were almost identical to Yang Jian's. Their fists continuously met head-on in the void, without making any sound, without any leakage of residual energy. The power of their fists was driven directly into the opponent's body, with no waste whatsoever. Gu Chen watched, utterly delighted; exquisite, unparalleled!

True Man Yuding's boxing style was absolutely the most suitable for body-tempering immortals in this universe. As long as Gu Chen memorized True Man Yuding's style, he could save himself countless years of arduous effort. Slowly mimicking True Man Yuding's stance with his hands, the Pangu True Blood within Gu Wuchen’s heart surged like a tsunami, gradually flooding his entire body. The momentum of the fists drew the circulation of blood qi within Gu Wuchen, and his body gradually became fluid, gradually merging with this space.

Gu Chen stared intently at True Man Yuding, comprehending his boxing style. Involuntarily, his divine sense had taken control of True Man Yuding. A faint, imperceptible force of divine sense attached itself to True Man Yuding’s fists, causing his punches to meet an extremely slight resistance.

By this time, the fists of both Yang Jian and True Man Yuding had become invisible; their punching speed had increased to an inconceivable level. This slight resistance, moreover, a force far exceeding True Man Yuding's current realm, could not make True Man Yuding notice. But this sliver of force truly existed. Gu Wuchen's divine sense attached to True Man Yuding’s fists was equivalent to True Man Yuding’s hands making exactly the same movements guided by Gu Wuchen. One punch, two punches, this slight resistance was insignificant. Ten punches, a hundred punches, True Man Yuding still showed no change.

But the speed of Yang Jian and True Man Yuding’s fists was so fast that even a fiery meteor could not describe their pace. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged tens of millions of punches. The knuckles on both their hands had cracked countless times, and their entire skeletal structures were beginning to fracture. They were purely sustained by a single breath, by a sense of pride, by an unyielding arrogance compelling them to continue throwing punches.

After tens of millions of punches, the slight force Gu Wuchen had added to True Man Yuding finally reached a critical point. After tens of millions of punches, True Man Yuding’s every punch was minutely slower than Yang Jian’s, the speed difference in each slow punch being negligible. But accumulated over tens of millions of punches, True Man Yuding suddenly discovered with panic that Yang Jian opposite him had suddenly landed exactly one more punch than he had! He had no time to react to this single punch that seemed to appear from nowhere.

One punch struck True Man Yuding's laryngeal prominence, shattering several bones in his neck, sending his body flying backward rapidly, causing him to vomit blood and nearly faint. If True Man Yuding were not also an immortal of the body-tempering lineage, if his Eight-Nine Arcane Art had not achieved such a high level, this single punch would have killed him on the spot.

The event was sudden; neither True Man Yuding nor Yang Jie could react in time. Yang Jian’s momentum continued to surge, and as True Man Yuding retreated, eighteen heavy punches landed squarely on True Man Yuding’s body. True Man Yuding flew back a hundred li before steadily planting himself on an asteroid.

He looked at Yang Jie with a complex expression, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Twisting his neck, the shattered jawbones of True Man Yuding rapidly healed with a 'kacha-kacha' sound. When his laryngeal prominence was about seven or eight tenths repaired, True Man Yuding nodded toward Yang Jian and said in a deep voice, "Yang Jian, this time, you are truly qualified to graduate! Your cultivation has surpassed this master's!" Yang Jian clenched his fists, and the crisp sound of his own bones healing could be heard throughout his body.

He also looked at True Man Yuding with a complex expression. After a long pause, he slowly clasped his fists in return.

Gu Chen nodded secretly. Yang Jian had indeed surpassed True Man Yuding. However, if Gu Chen had not comprehended True Man Yuding’s boxing style and exerted a slight external influence on True Man Yuding, True Man Yuding could have fought Yang Jian for at least three hours before being defeated and revealing that single critical flaw. But now, although the two had exchanged tens of millions of punches, the time elapsed was barely the duration of thirteen incense sticks.

Yang Jie and True Man Yuding gazed at each other from a distance. Yang Jian suddenly waved his hand, and a Hundred Flower Battle Robe appeared out of thin air; he slowly draped the robe diagonally over his body.

True Man Yuding let out a deep sigh. He also pulled out a Daoist robe and haphazardly wrapped it around himself. Then, a pale golden, semi-transparent long sword appeared in True Man Yuding’s hand. With a gentle wave of the long sword, a majestic, grand, and righteous pressure spontaneously arose, and time in the surroundings suddenly froze. Everything within ten thousand li was solidified.

Yang Jian’s body instantly froze. Besides True Man Yuding, who held the long sword, only Gu Chen could move freely. That sword had severed the normal flow of time in this realm of the void; unless the sword was sheathed, the flow of time here would not return to normal. Yang Jie looked at the long sword in True Man Yuding’s hand with horror, his body trembling slightly, yet he could not break free from the restraint of the solidified time.

True Man Yuding lightly flicked the golden sword and looked helplessly at Yang Jian with a sigh: "Apprentice, do not blame your master. The Teacher commanded me to capture you alive and imprison you in the Jade Void Palace to listen to scriptures for a Kalpa. I must obey the Teacher's decree!" Gazing deeply at Yang Jie, True Man Yuding shook his head: "This is also good. You can study in peace in the Jade Void Palace; you don't need to get involved in the machinations between these Sages. A Kalpa is enough for the Sages to decide a victor and reach a conclusion. After a Kalpa, when you emerge again, it will be as boundless as the sky allows the bird to fly and the sea allows the fish to leap. Wouldn't that be for the best?"

Holding the golden sword, True Man Yuding was just about to capture Yang Jie when a golden light flashed in the high heavens, and a terrifying force struck down directly from above. With just one strike, the Reversing Eight-Nine Forbidden Void Grand Array, which True Man Yuding had spent a hundred years of painstaking effort to set up, was smashed to pieces. Due to the chain reaction, True Man Yuding, who had just suffered heavy injuries and barely patched up his body, felt a surge of sweetness in his chest, spitting out eighteen mouthfuls of vital blood; his origin was injured.

A heaven-shaking dragon roar descended from the high heavens. A golden dragon of unknown length appeared out of thin air. With just a twist of its body, it struck the nearby meteors and asteroids far away. The golden light receded, and a Daoist, about ten zhang tall, materialized before Yang Jie. Before Yang Jian could react, this Daoist grabbed Yang Jian by the neck and shouted fiercely, "Yang Jian, how dare you kill my disciple?" Crack—a sound, and the Daoist’s fingers tightened, shattering several of Yang Jian’s neck bones instantly. True Man Yuding was horrified, and he rushed forward to shout, "Martial Brother Huang Long, by order of the Master..."

True Man Huang Long snorted coldly, waved a hand behind him, and True Man Yuding was sent flying like a kite in a strong wind, tumbling uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, he was propelled an unknown distance away by a gust of yellow wind and golden qi, far away from the One-Line Star Abyss.

Tightening his five fingers, True Man Huang Long looked at Yang Jian with a cold sneer: "You have ultimately betrayed the Jade Void Palace and defected to Haotian. Good, very good, very good. Today, Martial Uncle will eliminate this traitor who betrayed our sect..." "A hundred years ago, when you killed my sect members, you should have foreseen this day!" Raising his right palm, True Man Huang Long was about to strike Yang Jian dead with one punch when Yang Jian suddenly opened his eyes and asked softly, "Why did Martial Uncle wait a hundred years to arrive?"

True Man Huang Long was momentarily stunned, then roared in anger, "For the past hundred years, this poor Daoist has been in secluded cultivation in the mountains; my disciples dared not disturb me. If I had known you would commit such atrocities against fellow disciples, this poor Daoist would have rushed here long ago to strike you down!" Taking a deep breath, True Man Huang Long roared, "But it is not too late to kill you today!" With a glare, True Man Huang Long’s right fist rapidly smashed toward the top of Yang Jian's head.