“I’ve kept you waiting.” The deputy sect master Xu Haobai quickly returned to the rush cushion. He nodded slightly at Lu Sheng. “Our sect has always kept a tight leash on information such as this. I think we’ve made a fool of ourselves before you, Fellow Taoist.”

“It’s alright. The Mother of Pain is sly and cunning. I’m sure your sect is just trying to be cautious,” Lu Sheng replied.

“To tell you the truth, the Mother of Pain has planted moles in our ranks before. It has cost us dearly, with many defeats and even more casualties. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have been this anxious,” said Xu Haobai with a helpless and wry smile.

“Moles?” Lu Sheng wondered aloud.

“Yes, but I can’t talk about this in detail. If you wish to know more, my friend, you’re welcome to help yourself to the records at our secretariat. Also, I have told the sect master about your situation just now. The sect master was delighted upon learning that you’re willing to join our sect. However, he’s currently recuperating in another place, and can’t greet you in person right now. Do forgive our inhospitality,” Xu Haobai said simply.

“You’re being too polite,” Lu Sheng said as he cupped his fists.

Xu Haobai soon had his men pass Lu Sheng his robe which signified his status. It was also adorned with the green three-leafed clover emblem. The only thing that set him apart was a jade milk-colored head crown.

Faint golden mist circled the crown like flowing light. It danced around the jade crown quickly as if it had a life of its own.

“This is the symbol of an elder, the Moon Shadow Flowing Crown. It’s enchanted with dozens of agility arts, tough, and durable. You can place it into your own dimension. At the same time, it gives you the power to use certain authorities and powers of the sect.”

Xu Haobai gave his explanations with a smile.

Lu Sheng received the robe with both hands. He gave it a shake, and the robe and crown spread out on their own. They nestled on Lu Sheng neatly.

“Welcome, my friend. With this, you’re officially a member of our sect,” said Xu Haobai with a smile.

Lu Sheng replied with a smile.

***

The Green Branch Sect’s Green Mountain Planet.

In the vacuum, a colossal light green planet orbited around the central star.

A huge space station in the shape of a huge sword hovered beside the planet. The Green Branch Sect’s three-leafed clover emblem was clearly displayed on the side of the space station.

At this moment, in the space before the space station, numerous green spots of light were struggling against black light spots.

The green spots of light were clover cultivators covered in blood. They were the Green Branch Sect’s final line of defense here.

The black spots of light were dark humans who wielded peculiar weapons. They were covered in faint gray auras. That was the gray Origin Qi which originated from the World of Pain. If this Origin Qi was present in high enough densities, it could ward off all kinds of arts and Capacities.

The green light spots put up a fight for quite some time. They were starting to show more spirit than fight.

Within the space station.

A group of the Green Branch Sect’s upper echelons followed the battle outside the window closely with bloodshot eyes.

The Planet King Ouyang Ling had been in control of Green Mountain Planet for tens of thousands of years. He’d never expected this planet of his, which was located in the heartlands, would become the frontlines of the resistance against the Mother of Pain.

He stared at the battlefield outside the window anxiously as he asked, “How are the different troops doing?”

“…The Wind Troop lost more than half of its members… The Mountain Troop is still in good shape, but they’re running low on energy source for their Capacities. They aren’t doing much damage to the Mirror Spirit Masters’ Pain Origin Qi, and they’ve spent all their energy stones… The Red Troop and the other main troops…” his deputy replied swiftly as beads of sweat streaked down his face.

“What happened to the other troops? Spit it out!” Ouyang Ling suddenly dreaded the answer.

“We haven’t received any information on them yet…” replied his deputy in a depressed tone.

Ouyang Ling was ghastly pale. These 10 troops were the final garrison the Green Mountain Planet to put together. Even so, they were still…

After a moment of silence, he asked in a raspy voice, “What about reinforcements from the headquarters?”

“They aren’t here yet…”

“Sh*t!” A general on the side slammed his fist onto the metal wall.

“Planet King, let’s make one final attempt!”

“Yeah, let’s do it! If we don’t, we might not even have a chance to fight back!”

“Let’s kill them! Let’s kill as many of them as we can before we die!”

His generals and officers suggested so in angry tones.

Ouyang Ling felt as though his heart was bleeding. Under the Green Branch Sect, the major planets were ruled by family-run empires. The Ouyangs had ruled over the Green Mountain Planet for tens of thousands of years. However, all that history was going to be destroyed in the span of this one year.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, the space station shook. The station, which was large enough to host tens of thousands of individuals, jerked as if it was being grabbed by some huge hand.

The blade-like part of the space station began to twist out of shape. Cracks began appearing along the body.

“It’s the Void Hand!” Ouyang Ling steadied himself. A single golden eye opened on his palm.

The single eye shot out a beam of golden light, instantly penetrating the wall. It collided mercilessly with the formless hand which deformed the space station.

“Boom!”

The huge hand shook and released its grip.

Ouyang Ling and the others knew that they had no time to lose. They rushed out of the main control room. They worked together to unleash a powerful energy wave which tore the huge hand to shreds. They immediately engaged the great general of the Mother of Pain who came at them.

From the moment they engaged, both sides went all out.

Light rings of various colors erupted as the energy bolts negated each other. The blasts of energy bolts gave rise to miniature waves of ions which mingled with the solar flares, painting the dark space with faint colors.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, another huge formless hand came at the space station.

However, a lush green leaf materialized behind the space station at this moment. The leaf shone with a glaring green light which kept the huge hand at bay.

“Kong Sha! It’s you!?” The slender figure of a cultivator could be seen amidst the green light. It was this cultivator who spoke.

“Shen Hu? How did you heal so quickly?” A slightly sharp male voice came from behind the huge hand.

“Even if I’m not completely healed, I can still take you on!” said Shen Hu with a sneer as he was bathed in green light.

The two of them were clearly not in the mood for a peaceful conversation. In the blink of an eye, huge hand and green light collided again. The two Capacities collided up to 1,000 times. Huge waves of energy particles scattered every time the two forces collided. Green and black light rings burst forth every now and then, scattering the cultivators from both sides.

Kong Sha gained all the advantage a few minutes into the battle. The huge black hand practically crushed the green light. At the same time, he had the leisure of assisting his subordinates as they attacked the space station.

“The outcome has been decided!”

Kong Sha laughed. He looked on as the space station twisted and finally broke.

Suddenly, red radiance burst forth from his right arm. A unique spider-like mark shone with a glaring, fluorescent light.

“This is bad!” Without having time to think, Kong Sha did a backflip and went several thousand meters from where he was.

The instant he left his spot, a huge yellow hand suddenly intruded into space from above the space station. It grabbed at the black cultivators.

The huge hand exerted a terrifying attraction force which froze everything in its vicinity in place. All moving arts or Capacities were nullified at the same time.

Kong Sha only managed to escape on his own. Then, he could only look on as the huge hand grabbed at the black light spots as though they were insects. It grabbed, and then clenched.

“Pooh! Pooh! Pooh…”

Countless faint explosion sounds were heard. In no time, hundreds of Devil Art Masters from the Yellow Sprigs Planet died a gruesome death.

“It’s a Void Underworld being!” Kong Sha’s hair stood on ends. He turned around and ran with wild abandon.

Even though he was at the Confusion Realm tier, one tier below Void Underworld, this single difference in tier was so close yet worlds apart. Countless Confusion Realm cultivators worked painstakingly up to their graves, and still could not achieve this breakthrough.

Ouyang Ling and his men felt as if they had encountered spring in desperate straits. Feeling huge waves of joy and sadness washing over themselves, they looked on, covered in sweat, as the Yellow Springs Planet’s Devil Art Masters were being slaughtered and pushed back by the huge hand. The tides of the battle were instantly reversed. They shuddered and felt their skin go numb. They were awestruck.

They only snapped back to their senses when the huge yellow hand erupted into yellow gas and condensed into the figure of a big, tall, and powerful white-robed man. They quickly went down on their knees in space.

“All hail the great Taoist!”

The Green Mountain Planet’s cultivators knelt and cheered.

Lu Sheng, in his white robes and with his crown, swept his gaze across the battlefield below him with a calm expression. He pointed a finger, and yellow light immediately burst forth behind himself.

Yellow light shone in all directions and covered the Green Mountain Planet’s cultivators. The gray World of Pain Origin Qi in their wounds was slowly purged from their bodies. Their injuries looked better already.

To think that a Void Underworld being had shown himself on this Confusion Realm battlefield. Moreover, it was a newcomer besides the three deputy sect masters of the Green Branch Sect.

Waves of horror immediately washed over the Green Branch Sect’s cultivators.

“I am Shun Ying, with the divine title of Devil Emperor. From this day on, I shall be looking after the Yuanguan Galaxy.” Lu Sheng’s voice boomed. Through the formation on his crown, his voice was instantly transmitted to the 15 planet kings of the entire galaxy.

The bright yellow radiance illuminated the entire battlefield. It instantly turned the area of hundreds of thousands of kilometers into his area of control.

Ouyang Ling and the others had just registered what was said. They immediately displayed looks of joy on their faces.

The Yuanguan Galaxy was the border between the Green Branch Sect and the Mother of Pain. It was also the place where battles took place with the highest frequency.

The Green Mountain Planet of the galaxy was where the fiercest battles took place.

They’d initially thought that they would lose the Green Mountain Planet today, however…

“As you wish, Taoist Lord!”

The thousands of Green Mountain Planet cultivators accepted this willingly. They raised their heads and let out thunderous cheers.

Lu Sheng looked on at the scene before him. His mind was calm. This was also going according to his plan.

Under the shine of the yellow light behind him, the remaining Devil Art Masters seemed to have been sprayed with sulfuric acid. Their bodies fumed, and they quickly melted into sticky puddles which evaporated and vanished.

A Void Underworld being had appeared on the frontlines in the Yuanguan Galaxy. This information spread among the Mother of Pain’s forces on the frontlines like wildfire.

The grand Mirror Spirit Master Kong Sha was heavily wounded. Up to 10,000 of his Devil Art Masters and Mirror Spirit Masters were wiped out. Only several dozens of his subordinated survived.

The Void Underworld being’s Capacity practically covered the area around Green Mountain Planet. There was no blind spot.

On the battlefield between the Green Branch Sect and the Mother of Pain, they referred to Void Underworld experts as Taoist lords.

A being at the Void Underworld tier was a formidable existence close to the path. Every Void Underworld being was practically a wide cultivation path of the utmost heights.

At this point, the beings were powerful enough to set up their own sects.

In half a day, the name of the Devil Emperor Shun Ying spread throughout the ranks of the Green Branch Sect and the Mother of Pain.

The Yuanguan Galaxy was henceforth listed under the Devil Emperor Shun Ying’s protection.

The two planets and Green Mountain Planet were used by the Green Branch Sect to win Lu Sheng over. They were given to him as places of cultivation and offering.

The so-called places of cultivation and offering actually meant that the resources produced by these planets would be freely available for Lu Sheng to use in his cultivation.

This way, although Lu Sheng did not have any actual authority over them, these three planets were still practically his private property.