In a mist-shrouded land of endless peaks and jagged ridges in the Immortal Saint Realm, just before the green beam of light pierced through the planet and fell upon Wang Sheng.

Hundreds of beings sat in silence in front of an ancient stone altar in a valley sealed beneath layers upon layers of grand arrays.

Above them, more than sixty indistinct people hovered quietly in the air.

A shadowy figure who seemed to have fused into the mountain wall said lowly, "Begin. Do not miss the timing."

The people in the air and the hundreds below thrust their palms forward, formed sword fingers, swept fly-whisks, or widened their eyes.

The altar trembled. Behind every person on the ground, manifestations of their Great Dao emerged. They appeared in many different forms, including towering trees that seemed to hold up heaven, chaotic beasts, exquisite pagodas, and razor-sharp weapons. Each person's Great Dao looked completely different from the rest.

This manifestation evidenced that their Great Dao had already solidified to an extraordinary degree—that they were all at the Taiyi or Grand Dao Golden Immortal Realm, at the very least. Now, they had united for one purpose: to locate the sacred spirit.

Even though their lineup could terrify any Heavenly Immortal, they had still set up layers of arrays around the outskirts, as if guarding against something.

An obscure and profound Dao Rhythm gathered upon the altar.

As the Great Dao trembled, the land within hundreds of thousands of li shook. Farther away, immortal light churned chaotically across the endless sea. The sixty-two mighty experts, along with the hundreds who could call themselves elites even in the Immortal Saint Realm, all resonated their own Great Dao with the Sea of Dao Laws.

The winds and clouds shifted violently. The roars of ferocious beasts echoed across heaven and earth, mixed with the sharp clang of endless killing intent.

As if all living beings in the world cried out in grief at once, the stone altar then let out a low wail. A sickly green pillar of light appeared and shot upward for a hundred zhang before it was abruptly stopped. At its tip, dense array patterns spread out. A massive array spanning a hundred li lit up under the green glow.

The array was unbelievably complex. Even a Heavenly Immortal or Golden Immortal would require hundreds or even thousands of years to construct it.

A hum filled the air, joined by shouts and sutras being chanted from all directions. Nether fire burned on the ground, and cracks split open in the sky. More than half of the hundreds below coughed up blood.

The shadowy figure near the mountain wall shouted lowly, "It is almost done! Heaven-Scouring Grand Array, activate!"

The array disk trembled violently. Above it, more than sixty complete Great Dao unleashed their power at once, striking some unseen point.

It didn't take long for the array disk to collapse inward. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a pair of enormous eyes that hovered in the air. They were fixed in a single direction, yet everyone in the area felt as though they were staring directly at them.

Finally, the eyes slowly closed and vanished into nothingness. In their place, a clear scene appeared. It initially showed a vast sea of stars, then a charred celestial body. The perspective rapidly descended toward the planet, revealing a young man wielding a greatsword.

The Immortal Saint Realm saw Wang Sheng for the first time.

As everyone instinctively focused on the scene, murmurs filled the place.

"Why is he so young? Isn't the sacred spirit supposed to be from the Ancient Era?"

"He has to be a reincarnation of the sacred spirit, considering he has only just started to cultivate! Heaven has opened our eyes!"

"Why does that armor look familiar? That insignia... I knew it! That belongs to the Black Emperor's faction!"

Another roared, "So you've been playing the long game all along, Black Emperor! You have taken that man under your wing without anyone noticing!"

An old woman laughed. "Do you wish to imitate the shameless Haotian and establish another Heavenly Court to cut off our path of cultivation?"

"Black Emperor, don't you have anything to say for yourself?! If you give us a proper explanation, you may find yourself in trouble!"

Within a patch of dark clouds, a burly figure seated upon a throne merely snorted. "Hmph!"

Faintly, he seemingly raised a hand. Simultaneously, at least half of the great experts present made subtle moves in secret.

An old man sighed helplessly. "His Majesty the Black Emperor personally spearheaded the construction of the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array. Why would he do something as absurd as harming himself?

"Have you all grown too comfortable and lost the sharpness you once had? Previously, His Majesty sent people to the Eastern Sky Region to search for anything related to the name Guishen. That youth may have infiltrated them, or perhaps he deliberately dressed this way to stir internal conflict among us.

"He's still so young, yet he's already quite the schemer! Considering he even dared to plot against the Black Emperor, he will surely become a grave threat to the Immortal Saint Realm in the future!"

From the clouds behind, a veiled young woman laughed softly. "Oh, the master remains silent, yet the servant cannot hold his tongue!"

The old man's eyes flashed as he barked in anger, "Fairy Qiongxiao, that's going too far!"

"If you are unhappy, have your master come and face me," the young woman replied coldly. "I have long found scum like you disgusting, selling out your master for personal gain. Though you kneel willingly as the Black Emperor's dog, I've never seen you grovel like this before the Western Pole Emperor."

"You!"

From the black clouds, a beam of dark light shot out straight toward the young woman who had been mocking him. However, her expression did not change in the slightest. A thin veil of mist appeared before her and easily blocked the attack.

The dark light—a spear phantasm—slowly broke apart.

Higher above, within another patch of clouds, a vague and graceful woman sat quietly. She looked at the black clouds, but the burly figure just smiled faintly and coldly; he made no further move.

At that moment, the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array showed Wang Sheng raising a middle finger.

The people in the valley were baffled. A few even copied him and raised a middle finger at those beside them.

What is that supposed to mean?

To everyone's surprise, laughter rang out from a corner of the valley below.

"Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

The figures in the air looked down, most of them frowning.

In the corner, a Taiyi Golden Immortal who had taken part in the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array had thrown his head back in laughter. Black qi surged from him as his laughter grew more and more unhinged.

Without warning, his seven orifices burst open. Blood and black qi sprayed from them, and he rapidly dissolved into a cloud of black-red mist.

The ones nearby had already retreated far away. The great experts above watched closely with tightly knit eyebrows. After all, the blood mist gave off an aura that chilled them to the core. Even the dozen or so strongest among them grew fully alert.

They identified the Great Dao as the enemy of all life—the end of every living being.

One of the experts in the air calmly commented, "I was wondering who it was. Turns out it was you, Emperor Qinghua. Why not come here in person with your Apricot-Yellow Banner instead of using my disciple's body? Are you afraid your true form would only make a fool of you?"

Within the blood mist, Qinghua slowly took shape. His long hair hung loose, and his pale face exuded a faint fiendish allure. Trailing along the ground was his blood-red robe.

Qinghua did not look at anyone. He just pointed at Wang Sheng, who was still holding up his middle finger, and burst into loud laughter. Everyone in the area was utterly confused.

"Hahahaha! So it was him! Hahaha! No wonder, no wonder! My disciple's husband truly is remarkable. He even dares to challenge everyone here with a middle finger! Hahaha! Since my rebirth, I have never felt such delight! Hahaha!"

Disciple's husband?

Everyone present began calculating with their fingers, quickly piecing together all events.

Outside the divine tree's shattered array, was Emperor Qinghua speaking to this sacred spirit? That means the sacred spirit has long been connected to the old forces of the Heavenly Court!

Meanwhile, the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array showed a black vortex appearing beside Wang Sheng. A man stepped out from within. An ice-blue vortex also appeared on the other side, allowing another man to pass through.

The two met face to face. The handsome man who emerged from the ice-blue vortex cupped his hands toward the other, smiled, and then stepped back. He vanished into the vortex.

"That's Wang Shan, leader of the Divine Guardians! I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"

A female immortal cried out angrily, "Chun Yangzi! That damned Chun Yangzi!"

Wang Shan stepped forward. He then grabbed Wang Sheng by the wrist and pulled him back into the vortex, disappearing together before the young man could speak.

Everyone in the valley had just witnessed the Great Divine Guardian take the sacred spirit away.

The scene quickly faded, and the green pillar of light vanished just as swiftly.

Qinghua calmly remarked, "You sought the sacred spirit; now you have found him."

He rose slowly, black clouds coiling around him as he walked toward the Black Emperor.

With earlier frenzy now gone, his tone grew increasingly indifferent. "I can tell you a little more about him. His name is Fei Yu. He is my disciple's husband and the one I have chosen to assist me in the future. That decision was made before today.

"I will have him restore the former glory of His Immortal Majesty. Whoever dares act against him, I will make you pay. Whoever insists on killing him at all costs, I will make your kin, your family, and everyone connected to you taste the suffering of the Five Heavenly Declines. Heh... Hahaha!"

The more wildly he laughed, the more fiendish his gaze became.

At that moment, a white figure descended from above. The indistinct silhouette blocked Emperor Qinghua's path.

"Hand Hua Qing over to me. It is too dangerous to be around you."

Qinghua did not even glance at the figure. He stepped forward and passed straight through it as he coldly commanded, "Scram!"

Black mist surged wildly from him and transformed into massive blood-colored skulls, each a hundred zhang long. They roared as they charged at the Black Emperor.

The Black Emperor, seated upon his throne, raised his left hand. The world instantly fell into darkness. A palm seemingly covered heaven and earth as it pressed down toward the skulls and the black mist.

That day, the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array had broadcast Fei Yu to the Immortal Saint Realm. However,

Qinghua's threat didn't just shake all its immortals and deities; it made the Black Emperor spit blood.

***

The moment the green pillar vanished and Wang Shan took Wang Sheng away, Hostess Su, who was hidden in the shadows, pulled Lishang into the teleportation array that they had prepared earlier.

The instant the two left, the celestial body exploded into fragments. Waves of overwhelming Dao Rhythm surged outward, the shockwave obliterating several suns within a few light-years.