In the southern region of the Eastern Sky Region.

Over the course of twenty-six days, they swept through six locations bearing the name "Guishen."

Wherever Wang Sheng, Lishang, and Ling Sheng passed, the Golden Immortals and Heavenly Immortals under the Black Emperor could only flee in haste.

With Hostess Su as the "pilot," they went from one battlefield to another with remarkable speed. They used her intel to lock onto their targets with precision, ensuring every ambush was accurate.

Even if they couldn't kill the Heavenly Immortals or Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect, destroying their bases and clearing out their peripheral forces still counted as success. By now, their Primordial Immortals and True Immortals had become nothing more than expendable forces.

Wang Sheng also noticed the growing urgency in Hostess Su's movements whenever she drove the carriage. She now often repeated "move quickly" and "finish it swiftly" before and after every action.

The Grand Dao Golden Immortal had clearly begun to feel the deadly pressure closing in from the people chasing them.

The more frequently they appeared, the more their routes were gradually reduced. Several times, Wang Sheng even sensed that they had barely brushed past an overwhelming presence, which likely belonged to one of the Black Emperor's Eight Cloud Generals.

Under such circumstances, Wang Sheng decisively adjusted the plan.

"Let's go to Guishen, the qi star. Once we clear that place, we'll head north. We may be able to meet up with Divine Guardian Wang and draw the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect's forces in that direction."

Lishang and Yaoyun nodded, then lowered their heads and continued their game.

Hostess Su leaned by the window, her flowing blue dress outlining her soft curves. Her long hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, adding to her quiet allure. With her fingers, she lightly traced the star map before her.

It was no wonder she was close to Chun Yangzi.

She remarked softly, "Divine Guardian Wang did not treat you kindly in the past, yet you now hold no grudge. Is this what they call repaying resentment with virtue?"

"How is it repaying resentment with virtue if I am leading trouble straight to him?" Wang Sheng smirked faintly. "If I'm going to have a hard time, he should not have it easy either. I could not do anything back then because I was no match for him. Now, I finally have a chance to return the favor."

"Yeah, yeah." Hostess Su laughed delicately. "The way you are right now, you truly remind me of your forefather. Get some rest. I will detour us to Guishen, which will take about five or six days. That should help us avoid the net they have laid out."

Wang Sheng frowned slightly. "Can the Black Emperor's Cloud Generals hold their ground against Divine Guardian Wang?"

"You truly underestimate the Great Divine Guardian," Hostess Su said. A crystal sphere appeared in her hand, and she observed it for a moment. "Not long ago, he and his group encountered some trouble in the north. They fell into an ambush that the Black Emperor's forces had set, namely the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect.

"Two Cloud Generals led sixteen Taiyi Golden Immortals and over a hundred Golden Immortals to trap his group of thirty-two within an array. In the end, the array was broken, and many were slain. Divine Guardian Wang led his people out by force. They ended up killing more than half of the enemy army."

She paused briefly.

"Among the former immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court scattered across the endless space, Divine Guardian Wang may not rank within the top five, but he is certainly within the top ten. Short of all the Cloud Generals teaming up or the Black Emperor himself, very few can hold their ground against him."

Wang Sheng grew interested. "Then where would my forefather rank? Could he make the top five?"

"Mm... Just barely." Hostess Su blushed faintly. "He has endured much hardship and put great effort into his cultivation over the years. How do you think I reached the Grand Dao Golden Immortal Realm? It was by cultivating alongside him."

Wang Sheng was momentarily speechless. "The Pure Yang Immortal Mantra can be used like that?"

Hostess Su smiled playfully. "Of course not. We used a dual cultivation method revolving around both yin and yang. If you wish to learn it, I can pass it on to you in his stead. I suspect your forefather also wanted to teach it to you but held back for the sake of dignity."

"Erm..." After considering it, he answered seriously, "Please teach it to me. My senior sister and I can use it to cultivate together in the future."

"Very well."

Hostess Su quickly took out a jade pendant, inscribed something upon it, and handed it to Wang Sheng.

"This is a top-tier cultivation technique. Don't you dare have dirty thoughts!"

Wang Sheng chuckled sheepishly. "I would not dare."

Examining the jade pendant, he could not help but murmur in admiration.

Hostess Su telepathically said, "I know you are deeply devoted to your senior sister, but there are ways to improve your cultivation right now. Look over there. Is Nuwa's descendant not beautiful? She seems to hold some affection for you. I doubt she would refuse you if you asked her to cultivate with you."

Smiling, Wang Sheng telepathically replied, "Where I come from, we uphold monogamy. Only my senior sister will ever be in my heart. Besides, Lishang's race also follows the tradition of choosing one partner for life."

Hostess Su gave him a look of understanding and waved her hand, signaling for Wang Sheng to study the technique on his own.

Wang Sheng turned his head and glanced at Lishang and his sword spirit, who were still playing nearby. His gaze lingered on Lishang for a brief moment before he quickly looked at the flowing water and the starry space outside.

Since he had married Mu Wanxuan, he no longer had regrets in this life. After all, he had spent so long in secluded cultivation using the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra, which focused on pure yang energy. While the technique did not suffer from the flaw of solitary yang, it was only natural for him to have such thoughts occasionally.

Due to Hostess Su's suggestion, a few rather inappropriate images popped into Wang Sheng's mind.

He thought of the entrance trial when he first joined the Xinghai Sect, then remembered how Lishang had leaned weakly against him in her vulnerable state. His mind then drifted to her beautiful snake tail.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Whoosh—smack!

A Chinese chess piece carved with the character "cannon" shot through the air and slammed into Wang Sheng's shoulder, knocking him sideways.

Yaoyun, who was sitting by the board with her chin propped in her hand, snorted softly. "Hmph."

Lishang, who had been focused on figuring out her next move, could not help but ask, "What happened?"

With slightly puffed cheeks, Yaoyun replied, "Nothing. Just testing how it feels."

Lishang chuckled and returned to studying the board.

Wang Sheng sighed quietly. He lay down on the soft couch, turned inward, rested his head on his arm, and closed his eyes to rest.

***

Guishen.

Even from afar, Wang Sheng could already sense the pressure coming from several Golden Immortals. After Hostess Su concealed their aura, they approached the celestial body, where they saw the familiar setup again.

Dozens of people sat around the teleportation array, which remained half-activated. They were ready to flee at the slightest sign of trouble.

Fortunately, Wang Sheng's team had shaken off the Cloud General who had been chasing them for a while. Moreover, they had several tactical options available.

They could first create a false alarm to avoid exposing themselves. Once the enemy experts used the teleportation array, they could then set up arrays nearby and have Ling Sheng lie in wait. She could then eliminate the experts once they returned. However, such a plan required time and came with considerable risk. Moreover, all they'd get if they were successful was the elimination of a few Golden Immortals. It was not worth it.

From a strategic standpoint, the best course of action was to destroy this branch head-on and then quickly head north to meet Wang Shan. At this crucial moment, not drawing attention to Guishen was the best protection they could give to Earth's cultivators.

Wang Sheng whispered, "We'll follow the usual plan. Ling Sheng, do not spare anyone connected to the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect."

Ling Sheng's eyes gleamed faintly as she softly replied, "Yes, Master."

Moving with practiced ease, Wang Sheng, Ling Sheng, and Lishang reached the underground area near the teleportation array.

After making various preparations, Ling Sheng unleashed her full power, intending to trap the Golden Immortals. However, the enemy had already been frightened out of their wits. Dozens rushed into the teleportation array at once and escaped with astonishing speed.

It was almost pitiful. The Black Emperor's subordinates had traveled countless miles to the Eastern Sky Region, only to flee in such a disgraceful manner before they even put up a fight. The deterrent power of the Ghost Heart Vine had fully taken hold of them.

Wang Sheng and Lishang burst out from underground and destroyed the teleportation array in an instant. Meanwhile, Ling Sheng scattered her seeds across half the celestial body. After all, Heavenly Yuanshen Sect had occupied most of Guishen.

In the blink of an eye, half the planet turned blood red. The sea of blood churned; heaven and earth changed color; and countless cultivators slaughtered one another, their eyes turned crimson.

A massive amount of death aura poured into the ground and flowed into Ling Sheng, gradually turning her light-green dress into a deep red.

Still, her eyes remained clear and bright. She quietly watched Wang Sheng and Lishang as they fought across the battlefield, shielding them from being overwhelmed by the frenzied masses.

The malice of living beings blossomed like a vine of blood.

Half a day later, Wang Sheng brought Lishang and Ling Sheng back into the koi-drawn carriage. They sped toward the northwestern part of the Eastern Sky Region.

This time, however, misfortune struck. As they advanced, an immense pressure surged toward them from ahead. Hostess Su's expression darkened at once. She rapidly formed hand signs, steering the carriage into a sharp lateral drift through the starry sky.

Even so, they were still discovered. The Cloud General immediately turned and gave chase.

Hostess Su flicked her slender hand and summoned a cloud mirror, revealing the pursuer.

It was a woman with a striking figure and a cold gaze. In her hand was a jade tobacco pipe. Under her cloak, her outfit hovered on the edge of propriety, both alluring and suggestive.

Beneath her feet coiled a black-scaled flood dragon as she pursued them with unhurried confidence.

"Good, it is Lin Yanyun," Hostess Su breathed out a quiet sigh of relief. "She does not possess particularly powerful treasured artifacts, which means she likely won't be able to catch us."

As she spoke, she took out a water-blue palm-leaf fan and gently waved it forward, making the waters around the koi surge faster. The carriage accelerated, nearly throwing the passengers off balance.

Behind them, Lin Yanyun attempted to use Qiankun Daoist arts, but she was clearly not adept at them. By the time she opened a spatial gate to intercept them, the koi-drawn carriage had already made a sharp turn, slipping past her landing point and vanishing into the endless space. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Inside the carriage, Wang Sheng and Lishang breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Sheng laughed. "I can't help but feel like following you would be quite flashy and domineering, Hostess Su."

Puzzled, Lishang asked, "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Wang Sheng shrugged. "They cannot catch us or hit us. All they can do is glare in frustration. Is that not domineering enough?"

Lishang smiled softly. Hostess Su also covered her mouth and laughed, then quickly guided them farther away from danger.

Having met the troublemakers for the first time, Lin Yanyun snorted coldly behind them, her expression equally icy. "Hmph! Let's see how far you can run!"