Chapter 408

Night fell over the Chaos Heaven Holy Land, yet there was not a hint of darkness.

Inside the Holy Lord's hall, a night banquet specially held for the main family's heavenly pride and newly risen vanguards was underway.

Jade nectar and amber liquor filled the Nine Heavens Mystic Jade cups, exuding an intoxicating fragrance; the platters bore dragon liver and phoenix marrow, a precious elixir boiled from qilin true blood, each mouthful containing enough vast essence to let an ordinary supreme break through on the spot.

Celestial music lingered, fairies danced, a scene of harmonious song and dance.

Gu Yuan and the remaining nine hundred ninety-nine natives were seated at the very end of the banquet.

The mystic armor medicines on their persons had not yet been distributed; they still wore those tattered clothes, utterly out of place among the immortal-domain cultivators inside the hall, whose immortal qi swirled and whose robes were splendid.

Many native powerhouses, seeing such a spectacle for the first time, sat stiffly in place, not daring to move their chopsticks, merely greedily inhaling the rich immortal essence in the air, feeling their cultivation surge rapidly.

Gu Yuan, however, appeared quite at ease; he poured himself a full cup of wine, imitating the manner of the cultivators at the neighboring table, and took a light sip.

The liquor entered his throat, turning into a warm, moist current that washed over this newly born body.

He did not cultivate to refine it, letting that energy flow through his body and eventually dissipate.

This body was originally a perfect disguise, needing no extra energy to fill it.

At the banquet's seat of honor, the Holy Lord's figure remained shrouded in chaotic qi, indistinct.

He did not speak, merely occasionally raising his cup to signal the crowd.

Meanwhile, Hun Yuan Xue and the ten other heavenly pride of the main family formed their own table, arrogant in demeanor, merely perfunctorily nodding at the holy land's toast, clearly not regarding this branch's Holy Lord in their eyes.

"Sister Xue, I've heard that in this true immortal battlefield, even the Supreme Immortal Palace lost a half-step immortal king—is that true or false?"

Beside Hun Yuan Xue, a heavenly pride of the Hun family wearing a star‑robed Daoist garment asked seemingly casually.

Hun Yuan Xue gave a cold snort and drained the wine in her cup:

"False. Not one, but three. One of them was even my father's nominal disciple—a worthless fool who couldn't even keep an eye on a native; his death is no loss."

Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every ear in the hall.

The Holy Lord's blurred silhouette twitched imperceptibly.

Gu Yuan's hand holding the wine cup also paused for a moment.

Three half-step immortal kings?

It seems the Primordial Immortal Domain has suffered greater losses in the true immortal battlefield than imagined.

No wonder the Hun family has come so hurriedly to the Eleventh Land to seize cannon fodder.

"A bunch of useless things."

Hun Yuan Xue seemed a bit excited from drinking; her phoenix eyes swept over the whole venue, finally landing on Gu Yuan's seat at the very end, her gaze full of contempt,

"I've heard that this Eleventh Land is also a top‑tier great world—how could it produce only such low‑grade goods?"

Her words made many native powerhouses present flush with anger, yet they dared not speak.

"Miss, you're joking."

The Holy Lord's voice sounded timely, breaking the awkwardness,

"Different lands and waters give rise to different beings; the natives of the Eleventh Land, though their foundations are mixed, also possess a touch of wildness—perhaps they could surprise us on the battlefield."

His gaze passed through layer after layer of seats and landed on Gu Yuan.

"You, are you called Yuan?"

Gu Yuan set down his cup, rose, imitated those around him, and bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Yes."

"You come from the Eleventh Land; do you know what that world was like before our immortal domain took it over?"

Gu Yuan understood clearly in his heart, yet on his face he showed just the right amount of bewilderment and recollection; he rose and bowed, saying:

"Reporting to the Holy Lord, since I can remember, the world has been a sea of blood, the Heavenly Dome hanging high with a blood moon, the spiritual energy filled with madness and chaos; we natives can only survive in struggle, advancing through slaughter."

His words were half‑true, half‑false, perfectly matching what a native ought to know.

"Blood moon…"

In the Holy Lord's voice, no emotion could be discerned,

"Then do you know who turned your world into that state?"

"I do not know."

Gu Yuan shook his head, his eyes showing just the right amount of fear of the past,

"All I have heard from the elders of my clan is that, long ago, extraterritorial heavenly demons descended, polluting our gods, which led to the world's collapse."

"Extraterritorial heavenly demons…"

The Holy Lord repeated the phrase, then continued,

"This Holy Lord asks you again: what Dao do you cultivate?"

This question drew the gaze of everyone in the hall.

Including those few heavenly pride of the Hun family, they also cast scrutinizing looks.

Gu Yuan fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his words, then replied: "I… I don't understand Dao. I only know how to beat the enemy to death."

Simple, brutal.

Yet it caused a flicker of approval to flash in Hun Yuan Xue's eyes.

"Hahaha!"

The Holy Lord let out a laugh of indeterminate meaning, this time not pressing further, merely waving his hand: "Please sit."

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere grew subtly odd, as if everyone harbored their own thoughts.

After three hours, the banquet dispersed.

Hun Yuan Xue and the others were lodged in the holy land's finest guest chambers.

Gu Yuan, meanwhile, led by Zi Qing Xuan, arrived at a cave‑heaven blessed land all his own.

Cave-Heaven No. 72.

Here immortal mist swirled, rare flowers and exotic herbs covered the ground; an exquisite pavilion stood on the mountain peak, from which one could clearly see a thick, dragon‑like superior immortal vein winding and coiling beneath the earth.

"Master, the Holy Lord's move is to win us over; it seems he wants you to do something dangerous."

Zi Qing Xuan stood behind Gu Yuan, posture humble, and voluntarily explained,

"This Cave Heaven No. 72, among the many caves of the Sacred Land, can rank within the top thirty; only core disciples can obtain it."

"Understood."

Gu Yuan nodded, waved his hand to let her step back.

After Zi Qing Xuan's figure vanished beyond the cave's barrier, Gu Yuan entered the pavilion and sat cross‑legged.

He casually found a stone platform, sat cross‑legged, and began to close his eyes and regulate his breath.

However, after less than half a stick of incense's time, he opened his eyes.

The cave's barrier was triggered from outside.

A figure silently appeared at the cave entrance.

The newcomer wore a black Dao robe, face grim, and was the Deputy Holy Lord of the Mixed Heaven Sacred Land.

"Commander Yuan, sorry for disturbing you late at night, I hope you can forgive me."

The Deputy Holy Lord wore a warm smile, as if truly a friendly elder coming to visit.

Gu Yuan stood, expression respectful, but he sneered inwardly.

It has arrived.

"Deputy Holy Lord, your esteemed presence, what business do you have?"

"Visiting late at night, I have brought some gifts for you, little friend."

The Deputy Holy Lord waved his hand, and dozens of jade boxes shimmering with treasure light were neatly placed before Gu Yuan.

"This is a token of the Holy Lord's goodwill."

The Deputy Holy Lord smiled and explained, "Inside the boxes are three Nine‑Turn Golden Pills, which can revive the dead, flesh and bone; one Profound Heaven Treasure Armor, which can withstand half a step of an Immortal King's full‑force strike; and one hundred thousand top‑grade Immortal Crystals, for you to restore your cultivation power."