The First Line Star Abyss fell into chaos. First, Gu Xichen and Mo Tang Longgen shamelessly unleashed their Saintly pressure. The Immortals secretly controlled by Gu Xichen were greatly encouraged and rushed to join him from various star fortresses. Eighteen star fortresses, including Jiazi and Yichou, along with their affiliated medium and small fortresses, all fell into his hands. Following them, DuKate and Xiao Xiao arrived, bridging vast distances with hundreds of interconnected Tri-City structures. Gu Xichen summoned countless Dharma Protector Heavens, Immortal Soldiers, and Immortal Generals, openly stationing his forces within the Tri-Cities. For a time, Gu Xichen's influence held absolute dominance in the First Line Star Abyss. The Immortals of the Immortal Gate and the Celestial Mansion were suppressed to the point of suffocation, urgently calling their high-ranking leaders for aid.

Especially Yang Jian, as the Grand Marshal of the Celestial Mansion's forces in the First Line Star Abyss, he consecutively issued seventy-two decrees of distress within a single day, hastily summoning countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to reinforce the area. As a result, under the joint efforts of Gu Xichen and his ally, those reinforcements—the highest in cultivation and longest in tenure, those who had sworn allegiance to the Heavenly Court since the Haotian God in the original universe—were entirely replaced by forces summoned by Gu Xichen. Unbeknownst to them, the vast majority of the Celestial Mansion's deployed strength in the First Line Star Abyss had fallen under Gu Xichen's control. Immediately afterward, Shunhua arrived with a large contingent of indigenous Immortals he had violently subdued, including countless beings from the Innate lineage. Most of these cultivators were above the level of Heavenly Immortal and below the peak of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, with only a few indigenous Immortals reaching the Great Overarching Golden Immortal realm, their cultivation levels not particularly high. However, their numbers were immense, densely packing and obscuring nearly half the sky, and they all garrisoned the Tri-Cities. A few days later, Siren and Mo He arrived with cultivators from tens of thousands of star domains, centered around the Fuxuan Star Domain. The number of these reinforcing Immortals was small, barely amounting to less than one percent of the Immortal Gate’s total strength in this universe, but the psychological impact on the countless Immortal Gate Immortals was immense. So many cultivation sects defecting to Gu Xichen, betraying the Immortal Gate—even Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun were moved by this.

After Gu Xichen had finally settled these forces, another fluctuation rippled through the void. Following the spatial coordinates left by Gu Xichen, the Corpse Emperor and Aredia arrived across space with countless Immortals from the Nine Nethers Dao. Two more Saintly auras soared into the heavens. Gu Xichen burst into laughter and released his own full aura once more. Fuya-Ming followed with a soft, coquettish laugh, releasing her aura immediately after Gu Xichen. Then came Shunhua, Siren, and Mo He, followed by Mo Tang Longgen. Adding the auras of the newly arrived Corpse Emperor and Aredia, the energies of eight Saints merged into one, churning and scattering in all directions, almost reaching every corner of this vast, boundless universe. In that instant, Taishang was struck dumb, Yuanshi lost his voice, Jieyin’s expression changed drastically, Zhunti looked tragic, and Haotian was left speechless. The Queen Mother angrily smashed her most cherished crystal fruit platter.

Tongtian Jiaozhu, Amitabha, and the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who was also a Saint, all experienced sudden, severe changes in expression. Those veteran Sacred Beings, if they joined forces, could muster nine Saints. However, they were entangled by endless internal conflicts; disputes over various interests made any alliance impossible. Conversely, although Gu Xichen only had eight Saints—all of whom had achieved their Saint status within the last few epochs—a Saint was still a Saint. Furthermore, they were united in purpose; the eight auras merged perfectly, without the slightest discord between them. One side was like loose sand; the other was unified by a single will. After using their auras to intimidate the Immortals in this region, Gu Xichen wasted no time or words. He immediately summoned all his companions and disciples, selecting those whose cultivation was sufficient—at least High-Grade Great Overarching Golden Immortal—and transmitted Haotian’s insights on Dao attainment, along with the laws of the Heavenly Dao that Gu Xichen had organized within the Yuanlong Pearl, to them. Over the next few days, Gu Xichen used mental communication techniques, expending his vital essence without reservation, to imprint his comprehension and understanding of the Heavenly Dao onto everyone's primordial spirit. Consequently, the cultivation of Saints like Fuya-Ming and the Corpse Emperor soared rapidly, quickly closing the gap with Gu Xichen. The numerous disciples at the Great Overarching Golden Immortal level also experienced tremendous leaps in cultivation, reaping countless benefits.

After about a month, a joint Primordial Spirit fluctuation from Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun suddenly echoed through the void. The Primordial Spirits of the two Saints emitted a faint pressure, descending loftily upon the Jiazi Star Fortress where Gu Xichen was situated. Gu Xichen frowned. His Three Corpses Primordial Spirits flew out, accompanied by the two Profound Pearls, Yuanyang and Yuanyin, and the Chaos Bell, two ultimate treasures coupled with the Heavenly Dao Seal, roaring as they moved to meet the incoming pressure. His stance was uncompromisingly defiant, adopting a posture ready to clash head-on with Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun. The divine minds of the two veteran Saints trembled slightly, and the faint pressure instantly dissipated without a trace, gently brushing against Gu Xichen’s Three Corpses Primordial Spirits. “Greetings, Fellow Daoist!” Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun released their goodwill. “I am not well!” Gu Xichen retorted without any warmth. Originally, he never needed to come to this wretched place; he never needed to fight these Sacred Beings here. He could have been living a carefree, eternal life with Fuya-Ming in their original universe. But it was these Saints, with their myriad of backstabbing maneuvers, cheap shots, and treacherous traps, who had caused him, without reason, to be dragged here to suffer.

Sensing the towering resentment in Gu Xichen’s tone, Taishang Laojun spoke with marked benevolence: “If we wish for Fellow Daoist to remain an impartial observer, what are the required conditions?” Gu Xichen’s Chaos Primordial Spirit replied coldly: “If the two of you prevail, can you grant me leniency? Allow me to withdraw from this Heavenly Dao and return to my original universe, where we will mind our own business—I won’t provoke you, and you won’t provoke me!” Yuanshi Tianzun’s voice, rigid and full of killing intent, rang out: “Impossible! The Heavenly Dao of this world is incomplete; the Saints have already become one with the Heavenly Dao. How can you detach?” After a few cold laughs, Gu Xichen ended the conversation with the two Saints without hesitation: “Then there is nothing more to discuss. I also intend to lay claim to the Heaven Tower. This First Line Star Abyss, whatever its mysteries, I have decided to step in and contest it. If you possess control over the Heavenly Dao Tower, you can arbitrarily dictate my life and death. It is better for me to exert all my strength in a gamble and seize control of you!”

A surge of malevolent energy rose from Gu Xichen’s heart. The Primordial Demon in his Sea of Consciousness roared with laughter: “Well said! Why be polite to them? Slaughter them, monopolize the Heavenly Dao! Those who submit prosper; those who defy perish. The Great Dao of Heaven is governed by the survival of the fittest. Why waste breath on pleasantries?” Black flames erupted around the Primordial Demon’s body, within which the spectral images of countless Primordial Demon Gods could be vaguely discerned. In the past, this was rarely displayed. But now, facing Taishang Laojun and Yuanshi Tianzun, the boundless resentment he held for Hongjun’s disciples suddenly surged forth, transforming into towering demonic flames, threatening to burst forth and slay this sliver of divided spirit from the two Saints.