Annihilation Sect, the Sect Master's cave dwelling.

Clear Immortal Light glided past the curtains, drifted between the screens, floated gently over the surface of the shallow pool, and finally settled upon Wu Wang, who was reclining above.

In Fairy Ling's absence, with no one to cultivate alongside, Wu Wang had completely taken over the entire round platform at the pool's center.

He laid out several layers of beast fur, warm in winter and cool in summer. On these, he piled more than a dozen soft cushions and pillows. The stuffing was precious, soft down from newborn rare spirit birds; for this, he had even plucked bare several endangered bird groups in the Human Domain.

The bookshelf at his side was filled with works by the great sages of the Human Domain. The desk was covered with stone slabs personally inscribed by Emperor Fuxi, and on the wall hung several strands of Spirit Grass, a new gift from the Shennong Family.

Occasionally, lightly clad female disciples would walk to the edge of the pool, either dancing, their clear reflections playing in the water, or playing a soothing immortal melody.

A common daily sight was Xiao Deng, the new girl from the Small People Kingdom, scampering about everywhere on her ear-mouse, with Immortal Mu's chubby little hand reaching for her from behind. Another was the increasingly radiant Suqing, who moved with light steps, her soft skirt swaying as she drifted past Wu Wang like a butterfly.

Her cultivation had steadily advanced to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

When Wu Wang was in the Northeast Boundary, he had caught a Spiritual Bird, a Wu Qu, which was made into a stew for Suqing as a reward.

For some reason, the newly arrived Xiao Deng had been hiding in the ear-mouse's burrow for several days, not daring to show herself.

Today was like any other.

Wu Wang wore an open-fronted robe, his long hair casually draped. Reclining or lying on his side, he would open a scroll and often remain motionless for a day, or even several days.

Immortality, how exactly is it achieved?

During the three months since his return to the Annihilation Sect, he had been pondering this question and comprehending the brand-new Way of the Stars.

He had obtained Emperor Fuxi's personal notes and seen Emperor Fuxi's thoughts on the concept of 'immortality.'

It was certain that immortality was unrelated to the amount of power one controlled.

Emperor Fuxi had proposed two hypotheses: the 'Origin of Heaven and Earth' theory and the 'Immortal Substance' theory.

The Origin Theory: Heaven and Earth possess an Origin. The Origin begets Yin and Yang. Those who entrust their Dao to this Origin can achieve immortality.

The Immortal Substance Theory: Heaven and Earth contain the Medicine of Immortality, which is the essence of all creation. Obtaining it may lead to immortality.

But later in the notes, Emperor Fuxi refuted the idea of a Medicine of Immortality.

Wu Wang guessed that the venerable Emperor Fuxi might have found a 'Medicine of Immortality' to extend his own life, only to discover it could merely increase one's vitality.

Actually, the 'Origin of Heaven and Earth' theory seemed the most plausible.

Innate Gods are nurtured by the Great Dao between Heaven and Earth. They were born before order was established and attained their Dao from within the Great Dao itself. Thus, they should be able to connect to the Origin of Heaven and Earth.

And what exactly is this Origin of Heaven and Earth?

Senior Shennong had said Wu Wang possessed a unique advantage. This likely referred to his mother, the Ice God, who commanded the power of ice throughout Heaven and Earth and doted on him, which could grant him 'cognition' regarding Innate Gods.

Actually, Senior Shennong's perspective was too narrow.

He could now directly attack the Star God and attempt to analyze her divine body.

Now that he could briefly control the Star God's body, could he find any clues within it? Seriously speaking, for a male cultivator to study a Goddess's divine body... the thought alone was a little embarrassing... Yet, amidst the embarrassment, there was also a tiny thrill.

However, after more than three months of diligent research, Wu Wang had realized that the path to immortality was a Great Dao that required an immense accumulation of time and careful deliberation to even have a chance of grasping.

Wanting to use the Great Dao of Longevity to force the Head Manager to his death in the short term was clearly somewhat unrealistic.

This conclusion left Wu Wang dejected for several days.

But on second thought, the Head Manager was such a powerful Innate God; how could he be so easily tripped up?

It was better to ponder the matter of killing Qiong Qi.

The Grand Elder's voice drifted in from outside the door, penetrating several layers of Formations. He announced,

"Sect Master, officers from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion have come to report."

Wu Wang's Immortal Consciousness swept over them, recognizing familiar faces. The book in his hand snapped shut. He said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Grand Elder. Please show the officers in."

The main doors were pushed open, and several men and women in brocade robes and long dresses entered. They appeared elderly, but their expressions were somewhat reserved.

Wu Wang also stood up and headed to the newly refurbished study to the side.

Soon, they began to report on the matters Wu Wang had previously assigned them.

"Hall Master Wuwang, news of the battle in the Northeast Boundary has spread throughout the Human Domain. Following your instructions, we have formed sixteen theater troupes to perform reenactments of this battle in the major cities.

However, the Pavilion Master feels that our script excessively glorifies Officer Xiao Jian, while your name is not mentioned at all."

Wu Wang chuckled,

"I have only recently become an Immortal; it's not appropriate for me to be in the limelight.

Officer Xiao Jian made great contributions in this battle. If he hadn't confronted the Head Manager and delayed him for a sufficient amount of time, we couldn't have achieved the feat of killing two Evil Gods and severely wounding three.

Daoist Brother Xiao Jian is about to be promoted to Hall Master, isn't he?"

The old woman hurriedly replied, "His salary has been raised."

"That's good." Wu Wang tapped his fingers on the desk. "None of you witnessed how critical the situation was. Our sole criterion for deciding whether to strike early was whether Daoist Brother Xiao Jian could injure the Head Manager.

By the way, the actor playing the Head Manager must be handsome. We cannot mock the Head Manager on this point."

Several of them seemed puzzled but still bowed their heads in agreement.

Then, an old man with thinning hair spoke up,

"Reporting to the Hall Master, the first batch of revised basic Cultivation Methods has been distributed throughout the Nine Wildernesses via the Four Seas Pavilion.

As you instructed, several illustrations depicting scenes of bountiful harvests were added, and some slogans were revised to frame the prosperity of the Human Domain as ordinary people having enough to eat.

But Hall Master, we clearly have more remarkable aspects, such as poetry, music, and essays. The great cities of the Human Domain boast many scenes of prosperity, with crowds so dense that shoulders rub, sweat falls like rain, and waving sleeves form clouds."

"That's not necessary," Wu Wang said with a smile. "Conditions differ from place to place. Aspects that might seem mundane to us, like food and public order, are precisely what the clans outside the Human Domain yearn for.

Telling them that overthrowing the Divine Spirits will allow them to live a stable life like the mortals in the Human Domain is more persuasive than anything else."

The officers all nodded in agreement.

One of them remarked with emotion, "Before your arrival, Hall Master, we only felt gnashing hatred for the Divine Spirits, cursing them daily and thinking only of defeating them in Duels. These insidious... ah, no, I mean, these stratagems, glittering with intelligence—to think they could actually have such an effect!"

Wu Wang's mouth twitched slightly. He calmly changed the subject,

"How are the seniors' discussions about the jurisdiction of the Punishment Hall progressing?"

"Your proposal has largely been approved," the old woman said. "Now, the Pavilion Masters are discussing the scope of the Punishment Hall's authority—specifically, how many of the Human Domain's Eight Pavilions will be exempt from its oversight."

"Exempt?" Wu Wang frowned slightly, clearly displeased. "If there are exemptions, what's the point of me having this authority?"

"Hall Master, consider the Four Seas Pavilion," the old woman said gravely. "It operates primarily outside the Human Domain, managing scouts in the Nine Wildernesses and trade with the various clans there.

If the Four Seas Pavilion were subject to the Punishment Hall's supervision, would the Punishment Hall need to station personnel in all those locations? Wouldn't that require enough manpower to establish a second Four Seas Pavilion?"

Wu Wang mused for a moment, then said slowly, "I will discuss this further with the Pavilion Masters. Regarding my earlier proposal to establish a new hall to oversee the punishment of mortals, what is their stance?"

"Preparations are underway."

"Good." Wu Wang thought for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk. "That will be all. Thank you for your trouble in coming here. If there are no major or urgent matters, you may all report back in three months regarding subsequent developments."

"Yes!"

"We shall take our leave."

"Hall Master, Master Liu said that if you're hungry, you should go to the main pavilion. The Pavilion Master will personally cook for you, preparing three dishes and one soup."

Three dishes and one soup? If I understood correctly, this means the Divine Power of the recently acquired Evil God corpses has been sealed, and now a set meal of 'Gu Diao,' 'Zhu Yan,' and 'Longzhi' is available. What about the soup? Right, when Qiong Qi fled, it shed its armor in its haste, and its wings, tail, and other parts were hacked off. So, this is Qiong Qi served three ways? Grilled Qiongqi Wings? I wonder what they taste like. As the esteemed Young Master of the Bear Hug Clan, I've never had such a delicacy.

As soon as these high-ranking officers left, Wu Wang called Suqing over to roast some chicken wings. The mere thought had made him hungry.

Unexpectedly, Lin Suqing stood at the entrance of the inner cave. She gently lifted her waterfall-like hair. Her tube top and short skirt, paired with a gauze shawl, created a somewhat sultry aura.

She leaned against the stone wall, bit her full lips, and said softly,

"Hall Master, are you thinking about... how to roast it?"

Wu Wang couldn't help but press a hand to his forehead. "Can you please stop learning these things from Miao Cuijiao?" he said, exasperated. "She doesn't even understand them herself! How many times do I have to tell you? You're already very beautiful as you are."

"Oh." Lin Suqing stuck out the tip of her tongue, looking a little guilty as she rubbed her hands together and blinked.

Did the Young Master just compliment her?

"Go remove your makeup. Today, this Young Master will show you a thing or two."

Wu Wang rolled up his sleeves. Humming a battle song of the Northern Wilderness, he leisurely strolled out the main door.

Lin Suqing suddenly clapped her hands to her face, her neck flushing crimson. She turned and flew back to her dressing table.

「Half a month later.」

In the West Sea, in the waters near the Human Domain's coast.

A cargo ship, several tens of zhang in length, floated more than ten zhang in the air above the calm sea. Its sails were hoisted, and the Formation at its base was activated, propelling it swiftly towards the southeast.

Since the journey was nearing its end, the passengers and crew aboard were all quite animated.

Two figures, built like iron towers, stood at the ship's bow, gazing at the azure sea and sky. The one in the lead was, naturally, Xing Tian.

"At home, it's indeed easy to lose one's drive."

Xing Tian muttered with a face full of regret, "Just when I was slacking off at home for a bit, they went and fought with Evil Gods again! And they won, even killed two of them. Doesn't this make the two of us, master and disciple, seem completely useless?"

The old man beside him chuckled. "It's said that Hall Master Wuwang played the crucial role."

"My little brother left his big bro out of the fun! Last time he returned to the Northern Wilderness, he didn't even visit the Big Wave Tribe." Xing Tian smacked his lips. "Master, give your disciple a clear answer: when will I be able to defeat you?"

"Just focus on practicing for another few hundred years."

"Then tell me, how does my little brother get strong so fast?"

The old man had set up a Barrier around the two of them, so they could now banter freely.

He chuckled. "You'd have to ask His Majesty about that. Everyone speculates that His Majesty intends to cultivate him... but frankly, I don't believe it.

The tribulation Hall Master Wuwang faced to become an Immortal was almost comparable to a transcendence catastrophe.

And Hall Master Wuwang survived such a Heavenly Tribulation entirely on his own. It's quite frightening to think about. This indirectly demonstrates that Hall Master Wuwang's current strength can rival a peak Heavenly Immortal Realm expert, someone half a step into the Transcendent realm.

How old is he? Hundred-year-old Heavenly Immortals are left in his dust. We truly have a Golden Dragon in our midst.

I heard from their messages that Hall Master Wuwang has yet to reveal his true strength openly. If one day he steps forward and slaughters even a minor god, the Heaven Palace will be in peril."

Xing Tian looked at his master with pleading eyes and couldn't help but whisper,

"Master, can we please not talk about this anymore? Consider your eldest disciple's feelings! That's my little brother—I swore I'd protect him!"

The old man scolded, "Then why are you still fooling around with those women in the Big Wave Tribe every day! You claim you're too tired to train! And you still have the gall to say that!"

"Hehehe, it's just the local custom. We have to respect our clan's traditions." Xing Tian presented the broad back of his head, confidently folded his arms, and looked up at the sky.

He said, "We men of the Northern Wilderness must possess not only broad chests but also diamond-hard napes! A true man must have the courage to face hundreds of wooden clubs without flinching!"

BANG!

A large, iron-hard hand swung out. Xing Tian yelped, clutching his head as he squatted down. Behind him, his Transcendent Body Cultivation master gritted his teeth in frustration.

This foolish disciple! He only cares about not getting hit himself! Why can't he promote me a little among the women of the Big Wave Tribe? So what if I'm a bit older? My physique is still very robust! Really...

"Huh?" Xing Tian suddenly let out a soft exclamation. He bent down, pressing himself to the deck, and peered at the sea surface.

"Master, is there something beneath the sea?"

The Transcendent master glanced indifferently towards the seabed, then frowned slightly.

A strange, large ship was submerged a hundred zhang below the surface, having just passed them. At that distance, it naturally couldn't escape a Transcendent's detection.

A Human Domain water-type restriction?

"Sniff, sniff." Xing Tian twitched his nose and mumbled, "Why do I smell something familiar... a rather bold scent."

Xing Tian's master pondered for a moment. He pointed a finger at the large ship below and then made a pulling motion with his hand, as if he had caught something.

Suddenly, Xing Tian's master's expression changed. He grabbed Xing Tian and plunged sideways into the sea.

Not far off, two cultivators working on the ship exchanged a look.

"Did they pay the boat fare?"

"Doesn't look like it... They seemed like experts, so we didn't dare ask when they boarded."

"Then raise the alarm! What are you standing there for? Someone jumped overboard to escape the fare!"

「Meanwhile, at the Annihilation Sect.」

A figure stealthily slipped out of Wu Wang's cave dwelling. She crossed the arched bridge, flitted past the pavilion, and moved along the familiar mountain path, her light steps leaving no trace.

After several turns, she entered a Rift Valley hidden in a corner of the sect's grounds. Surprisingly, it concealed a small courtyard.

In the courtyard were trees covered in small pink blossoms and a few thatched cottages. Viewed from afar, it possessed a certain hazy, ethereal beauty.

The figure snuck to the wooden door, glanced left and right, then pushed it open and went inside.

When she turned her head, she revealed her face and delicate features.

Her nose was exquisitely shaped, her pink lips slightly parted to reveal pearly teeth. Her bright eyes held a subtle charm that her brows seemed to hint at, and her delicate, translucent earlobes appeared to invite tender affection.

If not Lin Suqing, then who?

She removed the hood of her cloak and looked up at the beautiful woman drinking in a flowering tree. Though her expression was troubled, she still stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Master! This might be the last time your disciple comes to see you!"

"Oh?" The beautiful woman in the tree sized Suqing up with some puzzlement, then smiled. "Did you succeed? No, you're still a virgin... Why so dejected?"

Lin Suqing glanced up at her 'Master,' captivated by the woman's figure, and then lowered her head, sighing inwardly with admiration.

Master's charm technique was irresistible, even to other women!

She lowered her head. "Master, your disciple just feels... this isn't very fair to the Young Master."

"You are truly too soft-hearted." The demonic woman floated down from the tree, her toes landing lightly on the petal-strewn ground, a hint of emotion in her eyes.

It was none other than Miao Cuijiao, the Sect Master of the Black Desire Door. "Have you thought it through?" she asked.

"Yes! I'll just continue to diligently look after the Young Master's daily life and meals," Lin Suqing clenched her small fists. "This will be my way of repaying his kindness. It feels much more straightforward this way!"

"Silly girl." Elder Miao smiled resignedly. She suddenly glanced towards Wu Wang's cave dwelling. "Someone's coming. You should hurry back."

"Ah!"

Lin Suqing also detected the commotion near Wu Wang's cave dwelling with her Spiritual Sense. Several figures were descending from the sky, hurrying across the arched bridge, and calling out at the gate, requesting an audience.

Not daring to delay, she floated up, lightly stepping on a peach blossom branch to propel herself more quickly back towards the cave dwelling's entrance.

Seeing this, Elder Miao merely chuckled. With her hands behind her back, she walked out of the courtyard and headed towards the Treasure Hall.

Before Lin Suqing even reached the cave dwelling's gate, as she passed through the outer Formation array that blocked Spiritual Sense, she heard the shouts from the entrance and her heart lurched in alarm.

The men, who appeared to be Heavenly Immortal guards from the Lin Family, were shouting anxiously,

"Hall Master Wuwang! Young Master Ji Mo was ambushed, severely injured, and abducted! Our Young Master is leading a pursuit, but they've lost the culprits' trail! Before this, Young Master Ji Mo had discovered a secret collusion between Yunxiu Square and the Four Seas Pavilion!"

CREAK—

The heavy doors of the cave dwelling slowly swung open. Wu Wang stood behind them, his face ashen, his entire being exuding a ferocious aura unlike that of any Human Domain cultivator.

"Mumu! Take me to the Four Seas Pavilion!"

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