The Han Imperial Dynasty took in anyone.

Gu Hai did not distinguish between people who could be utilized and those who could not. As long as they were beneficial to the Han Nation and he could control them, they were valuable.

The six faction leaders seemed dangerously powerful to outsiders, given their deep roots and vast influence. However, Gu Hai did not consider this a problem.

As long as he had adequate preventive measures, each person would play their role. This was what the Han Nation urgently needed.

Despite the strength of the corps commanders, they faced formidable opponents and needed support.

Gu Hai did not keep secrets about the Nation Suppression Army. He let Mo Yike inform the six leaders about it.

Once they heard it, their eyes widened, and their hearts were overwhelmed with shock.

Gu Hai's ambitions were larger than Long Zhanguo's in the past. Two thousand cities are not enough for him? Is he trying to unify the northern part of the Divine Continent, or even half of the world?

Despite their shock, the faction leaders were excited. Upon closer examination, they realized the Han Imperial Dynasty had vast resources and was well-organized and managed efficiently, with many talented individuals. It might actually succeed.

They saw the ambitions of the Huang Heavenly Dynasty through Ji Dihong's actions. The dynasty aspired to conquer the world. Now, the Han Imperial Dynasty intended to confront it directly.

“What do the six of you think?” Gu Hai looked at the six faction leaders.

“We are willing to follow Your Reverence's orders!” the six said almost simultaneously.

At this moment, an excellent opportunity was before them. Such merit of pioneering and expanding territories could grant them authority no less than what they had in the past, once the Han Imperial Dynasty ascended to a heavenly dynasty.

“Good, then from now on, the six of you will join the Nation Suppression Army and await Supreme Commander Mo Yike's orders. How does that sound?” Gu Hai looked at the six leaders.

“Yes!”

“Greetings, Commander Mo!” the six faction leaders said in unison.

Mo Yike nodded with satisfaction, and Sima Changkong showed a slight smile.

The trust everyone placed in the six faction leaders was not only because of their breadth of heart but also their control over the faction leaders. All the relatives of the six faction leaders had been moved to Borderless Heavenly Capital, binding the six to serve the Han Nation loyally. The Han Imperial Dynasty would naturally protect their families. However, if the six were playing both sides, they would endanger their families.

Moreover, with the identities of the six, they could go to tempt other faction leaders and cause the other factions to waver.

After assigning tasks to everyone, Gu Hai dismissed the group, retaining only Gu Qin.

“Have you investigated everything about Chiyou's body?” Gu Hai asked in a deep voice.

“Yes, Chiyou's body was divided into four parts. Lord Kong already received a definitive answer from Ba. Ba will be responsible for Chiyou's arms and legs, and Father will be responsible for Chiyou's head and torso. Chiyou's head is suppressed in Blood Maple Forest, and his torso is suppressed on Eight Trigram Mountain,” Gu Qin reported.

As he spoke, Gu Qin unfolded a large map and pointed out the locations of Blood Maple Forest and Eight Trigram Mountain.

“Both places are not far from the former Chiyou City, one in the west and one in the north. Both are now shrouded in heavy fog, indicating the presence of massive traps. Father, be careful,” Gu Qin warned.

“Alright, you may leave. Let me have a closer look,” Gu Hai responded solemnly.

Gu Qin nodded and left the room.

Alone now, Gu Hai studied the locations of Blood Maple Forest and Eight Trigram Mountain on the map. After a long while, he sighed.

He knew that if Ji Dihong was planning an ambush, the terrain was secondary to people, formations, and troops.

He anticipated the two ambushes, but there were still many uncertainties.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Hai waved his hand, and the door to the study room opened. The Life Trapper Saber flew to him from a distance.

He caught the Life Trapper Saber and gently spun it.

Whoosh!

Space fluctuated before him, and a black hole slowly appeared.

Gu Hai had filled Borderless Heavenly Capital with countless Go Dao ritual arrays. Now, with a slight adjustment, he instantly opened a passage to Earth's immortal realm, using the Life Trapper Saber. Simultaneously, a Go Dao ritual array shielded the study, preventing others from sensing anything inside.

Despite their curiosity, no one dared to barge in.

Standing at the mouth of the black hole, Gu Hai called to the other end, “This humble one is Gu Hai. I wish to consult with the Mortal Palace's Senior Yellow Emperor!”

[TL Note: The Yellow Emperor corresponds to Ji Dihong. Yellow is pronounced as “Huang” in Chinese, also making him the Huang Emperor. He is a well-known deity in Chinese mythology. Here is more information about him: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Emperor.]

His voice echoed into the depths of the black hole. The black hole trembled slightly.

After a moment of silence, a figure walked out.

It was a middle-aged man in a yellow robe with a majestic demeanor. He looked at Gu Hai without displaying any emotion, only giving a slight nod. “Greetings, Mister Gu.”

“Greetings, Senior Yellow Emperor.” Gu Hai bowed deeply.

Whoosh!

The black hole vanished suddenly.

“So, this is your Six Paths Immortal Firmament? Mister Gu, to think you invited me over?” the Yellow Emperor laughed.

“Senior Yellow Emperor, it's an honor to have you here. This time, I seek your advice. I hope you won't withhold your wisdom,” Gu Hai replied, smiling.

The Yellow Emperor nodded. “If I can help, I certainly will. But may I have a look at this Six Paths Immortal Firmament?”

“Of course, please,” Gu Hai said in invitation.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai removed the ritual array around the study. People like Gu Qin, who had not yet gone far, displayed expressions of curiosity.

The very next moment, they saw Gu Hai step out from the upper study, accompanied by a man with an exceptional demeanor.

“Huh? Who is that?” Gu Qin exclaimed in surprise.

There was no one else in the study just moments ago, and Father is being extremely courteous to the newcomer.

Mo Yike and others were slightly taken aback. They were curious but held their tongues.

The Hall of Great Strength:

Vairocana was assisting Shangguan Hen and others in healing their injuries when he suddenly raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

Then he stepped out of the Hall of Great Strength, leaving everyone behind.

In the distance, he saw a man dressed in yellow robes standing beside Gu Hai at the entrance of the emperor's study, gazing into the distant horizon.

“Yellow—” Vairocana exclaimed in surprise. But he stopped himself in mid-sentence, stepped forward, and swiftly arrived at the entrance of the emperor's study.

“Mister Gu, you invited another person over?” Vairocana asked with a smile.

The Yellow Emperor looked at Vairocana, his expression changing slightly before he smiled and nodded.

Vairocana responded with a bow, his palms held together.

“Vairocana, am I right in saying that your Buddhist sect possesses the Thought Transference technique?” Gu Hai queried.

“Indeed, it is a minor skill!” Vairocana affirmed with a nod.

“Minor skills have their own merits. Senior is curious about the situation of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament. Could you possibly use Thought Transference to convey your understanding to him?” Gu Hai inquired, looking at Vairocana.

“Of course, I have no objections,” Vairocana replied, nodding.

He closed his eyes and waved his hand, producing a point of light at his fingertips. Subsequently, numerous characters and images seemed to materialize out of thin air, flowing into the point of light—apparently a condensation of the information he knew.

He then extended his hand, offering the light to the Yellow Emperor.

The Yellow Emperor seemed familiar with Thought Transference and did not resist, allowing the light to enter his forehead.

Buzz!

A plethora of information exploded in the Yellow Emperor's mind like countless messages assaulting him all at once. The Yellow Emperor closed his eyes, receiving this vast repository of information.

After a while, the Yellow Emperor finally opened his eyes.

“What an incredible Six Paths Immortal Firmament!” he exclaimed.

“Each has its strengths!” Gu Hai retorted with a smile.

“The Huang Heavenly Dynasty's Ji Dihong? Hah! He has achieved everything I couldn't!” the Yellow Emperor lamented.

“There's no need to be discontented. Please don't blame me, Senior. I am aware that you two are…,” Gu Hai said somewhat sheepishly.

“Mister Gu, there's no need to be like this. He is who he is, and I am who I am. We are not the same person; why should there be any complications? Besides, didn't Vairocana assist you in dealing with Jiang Gautama, Mortal Gautama, and Heavenly Gautama? Even our Sect Master Heavenly Access once battled against the Sect Master Heavenly Access here. Ji Dihong and I share certain parallels. If he shares my ideals, he can be my friend, but if he harbors different intentions, he becomes my enemy. Mister Gu, we are on the same side; naturally, I stand with you!” the Yellow Emperor explained, sighing.

“Thank you, Senior!” Gu Hai said gratefully.

“However, he is stronger than me, truly stronger. I am currently in the ninth layer of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, unable to break through to the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm. On the other hand, he has not only reached the consummation of the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm but also achieved the consummation of the spiritual souls. Furthermore, he possesses the secret techniques of the shaman race, making him incredibly formidable! His political tactics are superior, and his character is resolute; I am nowhere near his match. Why did you seek me out?” the Yellow Emperor asked, puzzled.

“Rest assured, Senior. I didn't request your presence to ask you to take action. I invited you here simply to consult you about some matters concerning Ji Dihong!” Gu Hai replied with a smile.

“Haha, Mister Gu, he and I are not the same person. Are you sure you aren't asking the wrong person about his matters? I don't know much about him. How can you consult me?” the Yellow Emperor responded with a bemused smile.

“Not necessarily. There are certain commonalities. For instance, the Immortal Executioner Sword, the Gautama Divine Palm, and the Buddhist Nation in Hand,” Gu Hai explained seriously.

Curiously, the two Sect Master Heavenly Accesses had their own Immortal Executioner Swords, even across two immortal firmaments. The same was true for Vairocana's Gautama Divine Palm and Jiang Gautama's Gautama Divine Palm.

“Oh? What would you like to ask?” the Yellow Emperor prompted, intrigued.

“The Xuanyuan Sword!” Gu Hai replied solemnly.

“Huh?” the Yellow Emperor responded in surprise.

“Ji Dihong's Xuanyuan Sword could behead Chiyou. Regardless of whether Chiyou had the shaman race's secret techniques, this Xuanyuan Sword remains a key element. Information about the Xuanyuan Sword is scarce; I can hardly find anything about it. Only two records of the Xuanyuan Sword's usage exist, and both instances were absolutely astonishing. The first time was eight hundred thousand years ago: the Xuanyuan Sword slew the Six Paths Veritable Lord's metal deity body. Back then, the metal deity body held the holy sword, hailed as the world's number one in the sword Dao, yet the Xuanyuan Sword won. The second time, it beheaded Chiyou. Furthermore, the Xuanyuan Sword is ranked fifth among the top sixteen ancient treasures. You must understand that the Seven Immortal Executioner Swords were only ranked seventh. A sword that ranks above the Seven Immortal Executioner Swords must be superior. I've always been uncertain when it comes to the Xuanyuan Sword, which is referred to as the sword of the sovereign Dao, protected by noble spirit. I remember that your Xuanyuan Sword also shares this quality, doesn't it? Although I'm unsure of the strength of your Xuanyuan Sword compared to Ji Dihong's, they must share some similarities! I would like to know the secret of the Xuanyuan Sword!” Gu Hai stated earnestly.

At the side, Vairocana's face evinced curiosity.

However, the Yellow Emperor looked at Gu Hai with surprise, then sighed in admiration. “Mister Gu, you indeed have extraordinary acuity. The Xuanyuan Sword is indeed different from other swords. My Xuanyuan Sword is certainly not as good as his because the Xuanyuan Sword is related to blessings. His Huang Heavenly Dynasty is much stronger than mine!”

“Oh?” Gu Hai's eyes lit up.

“You want to know about the Xuanyuan Sword? Sure. I'll tell you everything I know. I only hope it will be useful to you.” The Yellow Emperor nodded.