Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Yan Guiren and his companions traveled swiftly and soon arrived at a secluded valley outside Qingzhou City.

Qingguo held the sleeping Black Emperor in her arms; the little guy had probably overexerted himself in the secret realm.

Or perhaps he was consuming the energy from the Blood Thunder Flower he had secretly acquired, and was currently fast asleep.

Her little nose twitched slightly, and she smacked her lips from time to time, as if she were having a sweet dream.

No one knew that it had secretly obtained the Blood Thunder Flower from the Blood Pool in the Secret Realm and even eaten it.

Yan Guiren's gaze fell on the little black dog, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and he asked:

"Where did you find this black dog?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wuji laughed and said, "Lord Ji Jue, this is no ordinary black dog; it's called Black Emperor."

"It was something that Brother Yang and I encountered by chance in the secret realm, and its origin is definitely not simple."

"We were able to escape from the Blood Demon Ancestor this time thanks to its help."

Then, he revealed the true form of the Black Emperor, an ancient ferocious beast, within the secret realm.

He briefly recounted how he swatted away the Blood Demon Ancestor with a single claw, and also mentioned the promise to help the Black Emperor restore his strength.

Yan Guiren's eyes flashed with surprise after hearing this.

The fact that this little black dog could force back the Blood Demon Ancestor, who was at the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm, shows how strong it truly is. No wonder it was able to survive in such a dangerous place as the Secret Realm.

"In that case, I misjudged you," Yan Guiren nodded.

"Since it has done you a favor and made a pact with you, let's take it back to the Eternal Night Space first and see how the monarch arranges it."

Yan Guiren then closed his eyes and communicated with the coordinates of the eternal night space in his sea of ​​consciousness.

A moment later, ripples appeared in the space in front of him, and a portal radiating a purple-gold halo slowly materialized.

"Let's go." Yan Guiren stepped through the door first.

Yang Guo, Zhang Wuji, Qingguo, and Qingcheng followed closely behind.

The moment they stepped into the spatial portal, the Black Emperor in Qingguo's arms was awakened by the spatial fluctuations.

It opened its eyes groggily, its nose twitched, and it suddenly perked up.

"Hmm? The spiritual energy here..."

A hint of surprise flashed in the Black Emperor's eyes. It could clearly sense that the spiritual energy around it was far more concentrated than that outside, and even more refined than that in the secret realm.

It raised its little head and looked around.

A vast space came into view, the sky a pale purplish-gold, with rolling mountains below.

The river meanders, and the air is filled with a refreshing and invigorating atmosphere.

"Where is this?" the Black Emperor couldn't help but ask.

Qingcheng looked down at it and smiled, "This is our Eternal Night Heaven's headquarters, the Eternal Night Space."

"Eternal Night Space?" Black Emperor murmured to himself, then quietly released his divine sense, wanting to explore the entirety of this space.

However, as soon as its divine sense spread out, it felt two equally powerful divine senses sweep over from the Five Imperial Palace. After lingering on it briefly, they withdrew, clearly sensing its probing.

The Black Emperor's heart skipped a beat, and it quickly withdrew its divine sense. It knew that it must have been discovered by a top expert in the Eternal Night Space.

It seems that this eternal night is far more unfathomable than it imagined.

Its cultivation level hasn't recovered yet, so it's best to behave itself.

Without saying another word, the group walked along a jade-paved avenue toward the most magnificent palace in the center of the space—the Monarch's Palace.

Inside the hall, Ye Junlin sat upright on the jade throne, cultivating with his eyes closed.

A faint black-gold aura surrounded him, his aura profound and powerful, as if he were one with the entire space.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Yang Guo and his companions, along with Yan Guiren, bowed in unison.

Ye Junlin slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the group of people:

"You're back. How did the trip go? Tell us about it."

His gaze inadvertently swept over the little black dog on the ground, its head held high and its chest puffed out, feigning composure, a hint of barely perceptible curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Black Emperor was also secretly observing Ye Junlin, feeling inwardly surprised.

It hadn't expected that the master of this eternal night space would be so young, looking to be only in his early twenties, yet for some reason it felt a sense of dread from the bottom of its heart.

Zhang Wuji stepped forward and recounted his experiences in the secret realm, from the various dangers he encountered upon entering.

He recounted in detail the entire process, from the struggle within the Crimson Palace to the resurrection of the Blood Demon Ancestor, the intervention of the Black Emperor, and the narrow escape of the group.

After saying that, he pointed to the Black Emperor on the ground and added, "My lord, this is the Black Emperor."

Ye Junlin's gaze fell on Black Emperor again, and he said calmly, "Your name is Black Emperor?"

Black Emperor tilted his little head back and stiffened his neck, saying:

"That's right! I don't change my name or surname; I am the infamous Black Emperor!"

Ye Junlin raised the corners of his mouth slightly, asking with a half-smile:

"Oh? Do you know Ye Hei? Or a ruthless Taoist priest surnamed Duan?"

Upon hearing this, Black Emperor shook his head blankly: "I don't know him. Why are you asking?"

Ye Junlin understood; it seemed this Black Emperor was not the one he knew. He smiled and said again:

"It's nothing. Have you ever heard this saying?"

"At the pinnacle of dogs, barking across the world, I, Black Emperor, have bitten immortals!"

Upon hearing this, Black Emperor's eyes lit up, and his little body trembled with excitement. He quickly said:

"Although I've never heard this phrase before, it's exactly what I like! From now on, it will be my catchphrase!"

Ye Junlin smiled and was about to say something when a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the hidden quest "Secret Realm Treasure Hunt: The Black Emperor Appears!"]

[Rewards are being distributed...]

[Obtain Bronze Summoning Card x1]

[Obtain Silver Summoning Card x1]

[Obtain 1 Gold Summoning Card]

[Obtain the Tengu Collar (Special Item): When worn by a canine divine beast, it can slowly recover from its injuries and restore its spirit, accelerating its cultivation speed.]

Ye Junlin was overjoyed. He hadn't expected such an unexpected gain from this trip to the secret realm; he had not only obtained three summoning cards, but also...

And this so-called Tengu collar was clearly prepared specifically for the Black Emperor.

He sized up the Black Emperor, lost in thought.

"This Black Emperor's origins are unknown; should we keep him?"

Ye Junlin asked the system in his mind, "System, can I view the Black Emperor's detailed information?"

[Ding, the message is as follows!]

[Name: Black Emperor]

【Type: Sky-Devouring Dog】

[Cultivation Level: Early Stage of Celestial Being (Recovering)]

Origin: Unknown

Ye Junlin frowned slightly: "System, why does its cultivation level show as recovering?"

[Host, the Black Emperor suffered a severe injury, causing a significant decline in his cultivation. He is currently in the recovery phase, and his true strength is far beyond the early stage of the Celestial Realm.]

"Then what is the origin of this unknown thing? What's going on?" Ye Junlin asked again.

[Ding, the system has not yet been upgraded and more detailed information is temporarily unavailable.]

When will the system be upgraded?

[Ding! The system will upgrade after the host completes this summoning.]

Ye Junlin had made up his mind.

The fact that even the system is temporarily unable to detect its origins, and that its own strength is unfathomable, shows that this Black Emperor is no ordinary person.

If we could keep it in the Eternal Night Heaven, it would undoubtedly be a great help.