Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Eastern Region, Eternal Night Space, Monarch's Palace.

Ye Junlin sat upright on the supreme throne, looked down at Yuan Tiangang, and casually asked:

"Gangzi, have all the Bad Guys been dispatched?"

Yuan Tiangang bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, we have already entered the other four domains in batches, and news will be sent back soon."

"Yes, very good." Ye Junlin nodded.

Yuan Tiangang paused, then said, "My lord, there is one more matter. Should the opening ceremony of Yongye City in Tianzhou proceed as planned?"

Ye Junlin's lips curled slightly, his tone calm: "Pass down the order, everything as before!"

"I'd like to see if those stubborn guys like Daqian, Wanfo Temple, and Xuanming Sect will still try to mess with us as originally planned."

"If they really dare to cause trouble, it's a good opportunity to establish our authority."

"Yes," Yuan Tiangang replied and left.

As soon as he left, the system's voice rang in Ye Junlin's mind.

[Ding! The host's world has been detected, and the laws of heaven and earth have fully recovered! The system has detected energy fluctuations, meeting the upgrade requirements!]

Ye Junlin raised an eyebrow and spoke casually:

"Oh? System, you're upgrading again? What new features are included this time?"

[Ding! System upgrade complete. Host can check it out!]

"Fine, then!" Ye Junlin immediately sat up straight, his tone relaxed. "Then you can begin."

[Ding! System upgrade initiated... Upgrade countdown: 7 days.]

"Seven days? That's not a long time."

……

In the Eastern Region, in Cangzhou, at Wanfo Temple.

Inside the main hall, the golden walls gleamed, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

A series of ever-burning lamps hung from the ceiling, their flickering flames illuminating the golden Buddha statues throughout the hall.

The hall is paved with bluestone flooring, each stone polished to a shine, reflecting the figures of the monks on their lotus thrones.

Seated on the main lotus throne was Abbot Xuan Chen, draped in a bright red kasaya, with white beard and eyebrows, a gaunt face, and eyes half-open and half-closed.

He was holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, each bead smooth and shiny, as if he had been holding them for countless years.

Two chief deities sat on two lotus thrones below him.

On the left is Xuan Ci, a burly man with a square face, large ears, and piercing eyes, clearly possessing a fiery temper.

On the right is Xuanzhi, whose face is like a full moon and whose expression is peaceful. He often holds a string of Bodhi seeds in his hand and is known as the "wise advisor".

Further down are the lotus thrones of the four guardian Vajras.

The three Vajras, Mingjue, Mingwu, and Mingdu, sit upright on it, their bodies robust, their muscles bulging, their eyes piercing, and their aura imposing.

Only the lotus seat on the far left was empty; that was the original seat of Mingkong, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

He perished in the battle to destroy the Nine Nether Demon Sect, and to this day, only a lotus throne remains as a memorial.

Abbot Xuan Chen twirled his prayer beads and slowly spoke, "Amitabha. Junior Brother Xuan Ci, has there been any response from the Great Qian?"

Xuan Ci clasped his hands together and replied, "Reporting to Abbot Brother, Qian Tian has replied, saying that everything will proceed as planned."

At this moment, Xuanzhi spoke up.

He was the strategist of Wanfo Temple, meticulous in his thinking, and always spoke in a calm and unhurried manner.

"Amitabha. My fellow disciples, I have something to say."

He looked at Xuan Chen and Xuan Ci, his tone slightly worried:

"Now that the five regions have just been united, the world is in turmoil, and countless changes are taking place."

"Should we temporarily shelve our plans against Eternal Night and observe the situation first?"

"Furthermore, the Tianzhou where Yongyetian is located is rumored to be shrouded in a powerful array that suppresses cultivation. This is extremely disadvantageous for us."

"Junior brother, you're overthinking it!" Xuan Ci raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"I have sent people to investigate and found out that the Heavenly Continent Array only suppresses cultivators below the level of a terrestrial immortal."

"It has absolutely no effect on terrestrial immortal cultivators."

Xuanzhi frowned, still uneasy:

"Senior brother, even so, I think we still need to reconsider."

"We know far too little about the Eternal Night Sky."

"The only known terrestrial immortals are that black dog, that person wearing a bamboo hat, and the sword cultivator who killed Jian Xiaotian, the patriarch of the Qingyun Sect."

"As for whether there are other experts lurking in the shadows, we have no idea."

"Junior Brother Xuanzhi, you're just too cautious!"

Xuan Ci grew somewhat impatient, raising his voice slightly, his tone tinged with urgency.

"Now that the Great Qian Dynasty and the Xuanming Sect have agreed to join forces, with the three parties working together, what is there to fear from the Eternal Night Heaven?"

"Now that the five regions are united, it is the perfect opportunity for my Wanfo Temple to expand its capabilities and solidify its foundation! If we merely stand by and watch, we will miss this golden opportunity!"

Xuanzhi was about to speak again, but Xuanchen raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Alright! What my two junior brothers say makes sense. We shall proceed as I propose."

"The opening ceremony of Eternal Night City will proceed as originally planned."

"However, let the Great Qian and the Xuanming Sect test the waters first. If it proves feasible, we will then step in."

"Then we will do as the abbot says."

Xuanci and Xuanzhi exchanged a glance, stopped arguing, and bowed with their palms together.

……

Almost at the same time.

Eastern Regions, Desolate State.

On a remote island called "Rihang," stands a strangely styled palace. This is the home of the Sakura Clan.

The palace is built with dark wood and covered with light pink petal tiles. Its upturned eaves and corners exude a unique charm of everyday life.

At this moment, a short man with a mustache hangs suspended in the sky above the island.

Looking down at the island below, his brow furrowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible doubt and disdain:

"The seed of fire left behind by our ancestor is hidden in a place like this? The spiritual energy here is pitifully thin... no wonder it's so weak..."

Before he finished speaking, he deliberately raised his hand and lightly flicked his sleeve.

A subtle yet powerful fluctuation of cultivation energy spread across the island like a pebble thrown into a lake.

"Buzz!"

Deep within the palace, a tightly closed paper door suddenly moved automatically without any wind.

An elderly man, dressed in a kimono, with gray hair and also short in stature, opened his eyes, his gaze filled with fear and vigilance.

With a swift movement, he floated into the air like a falling leaf, clasped his hands together, and bowed in respect.

"Who is this extraordinary person who has graced our Sakura Clan with their presence? We humbly request that you reveal yourself!"

A man with a mustache emerged from the void, sizing up the old man without any politeness, his tone tinged with mockery:

"Your team is really weak."

The old man was startled; he could clearly sense a shared bloodline aura emanating from the other person.

Moreover, the other party's cultivation level seems to be a whole level higher than mine, a mid-stage terrestrial immortal!

But he didn't remember that there was a second terrestrial deity in his clan besides himself.

Full of doubt, he quickly cupped his hands and asked:

"I am Xiao Bizai, the current head of the Sakura Clan. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Why... do I sense the bloodline aura of the same origin as my race in you?"

"My name is Bu Yaobilian."

The man with the mustache held his head high, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance:

"By bloodline, we should be brothers of the same clan."

"Your branch was left behind by our ancestor in the Eastern Region."

"This time, I have come to find you on the orders of our ancestor."

"What?!" Xiao Bizai's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "We...are of the same race?"

"That's right." Bu Yaobi waved his hand impatiently.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Now take me inside to meet your other tribesmen."

"Yes, yes! Please come with me!"

Xiao Bizaizi hurriedly bowed and led the way, but his heart was in turmoil.

"So the rumors were true after all!"

……