Hundred-Day Plan to Destroy the Palace of Light

"Guardian! Guardian!" Beneath the battlements, a cultivator sprinted forward, his face flushed with excitement. Dong Long gazed out into the boundless desert. News arriving from the distance stirred only a faint ripple across his heart. He was contemplating how Jialan City's military force could possibly withstand Wu Tong. Wu Tong commanded nearly a hundred Nation Protectors. Against such terrifying might, Jialan City could hardly hold out. If only the Guardian of the City of No Return had managed to kill a few Nation Protectors before retreating, that would have helped. After a dozen or so breaths, seeming to finally register that the scout dispatched to the City of No Return had climbed onto the wall, he asked slowly, "Did the Guardian of the City of No Return kill any Nation Protectors?" The cultivator swallowed the report he had carefully rehearsed and blurted out excitedly, "He did!" Hearing this, Dong Long was not surprised. With the strength displayed by the Guardian of the City of No Return, slaying a handful of Nation Protectors was well within reason. "Did he kill..." Dong Long was about to ask how many, but stopped himself, thinking that sounded too calculating. Instead, he asked, "Did the Guardian of the City of No Return escape the City of No Return?" The scout blinked. He felt the Guardian today was dragging his feet far too much, tossing out odd questions one after another instead of letting him give a proper report. Still, since the man was a superior officer, he could not afford to be disrespectful. "He did not escape!" the cultivator replied truthfully. Escape? The Guardian of the City of No Return had not fled at all—he was still sitting comfortably upon the battlements! "What?" Shock jolted through Dong Long, and old tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill over. "The Guardian of the City of No Return... chose to fight to the death rather than flee?" A grim, tragic sorrow gripped the defending soldiers present. Some threw their heads back and bellowed into the sky, while others clenched their fists so hard their knuckles whitened. "The City of No Return has fallen, but its Guardian shall live on in our hearts forever!" "No matter how strong Wu Tong is, he will have to step over my corpse!" *Damn it all!* The messenger felt a sudden urge to slap Dong Long across the face, though he didn't dare. Even so, he summoned his courage and shouted, "Everyone, listen to me! The Guardian of the City of No Return is not dead!" The wall fell instantly silent. Over a dozen Nation Protectors turned their gazes upon the scout, bearing down on him with immense pressure. "The Guardian of the City of No Return isn't dead? Did he surrender?" "Despicable!" Looking at this gathering of dignitaries, the scout was thoroughly exasperated. "Can... can you all please shut up and let me finish?" Silence. Absolute silence. A hush fell over the entire wall. Seeing this, Dong Long calmed his expression. "Calm down, everyone. Let him speak." The scout exhaled in relief and hurried to explain. "The Guardian of the City of No Return is not only alive, but he took on Wu Tong's army of ten thousand demonic monstrosities all on his own! "With a single sword, he wiped out Wu Tong's entire monstrosity host! Wu Tong was killed in battle—no, not a single demonic monstrosity or Demon Controller who came survived!" The scout poured out the words in a single, breathless torrent. Having spilled it all, he felt immensely refreshed—though that satisfaction was swiftly shadowed by a twinge of panic. Meanwhile, everyone present fell completely silent, unable to believe their own ears. Dong Long stared at the cultivator, his eyes piercing. "Is everything you said true?" "Reporting to the Lord Guardian, there is not a single falsehood in my words! If I dare deceive you, I'll be your father!" Pent-up frustration had made the cultivator reckless. He had even slipped up and blurted out the wrong phrase. Yet at that moment, no one on the battlements of Jialan City cared about his slip. Incredulity was etched onto every face. The Guardian of the City of No Return had single-handedly annihilated Wu Tong's army? Wu Tong was dead? This was nothing short of a myth! Even a Terrestrial Myth would meet only death when besieged by Wu Tong's army. And yet, the Guardian of the City of No Return had not only survived, but slaughtered every last enemy! It was unimaginable, unthinkable, like something out of a dream. "Haha, Wu Tong is dead!" Dong Long burst into uncontrollable laughter. "To think the Guardian of the City of No Return is terrifying to such an extent!" Dong Long laughed so hard he danced with wild abandon. Leaning too heavily against the parapet, he shoved away half the bricks and tumbled straight over the edge. A Nation Protector, so overcome with joy that he broke the wall and fell right off. Seeing this, the surrounding Nation Protectors couldn't help but chuckle. Only the messenger scout showed a flicker of worry, but seeing everyone else laughing, he laughed along as well. *** Within the City of No Return, Qi Yuan sat upon the battlements. "An origin strike from a Sovereign..." Contemplation gleamed in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Has a Sovereign set their sights on me... or is it something else?" He cast a glance across the City of No Return. The city stood hollow and quiet; only Yuan Qi was sweeping fallen leaves, with no one else around. "Right now... I'm still a bit too weak against a Sovereign," Qi Yuan sighed to himself. Although the opponent had wielded an origin strike from a Sovereign, Qi Yuan had already fought many fallen Sovereigns in Dijue, mastering techniques to evade origin forces sufficient to cut the enemy down. Yet that was not an absolute counter. Faced with a true, uninjured Sovereign, his attacks could not harm them at all. "Unless I obtain my own origin divine ability." That would require reaching level 120. Right now, he was only level 94. Level 120 was still a long way off. "With Wu Tong dead, Yuzhou will be left in a vacuum for a while. I should take this chance to scour the entire region and sweep away the demonic monstrosities." Qi Yuan made his decision. At present, he was fully capable of protecting himself, unafraid even if surrounded by a massive host of demonic monstrosities. It was time to clear out the monstrosities near the City of No Return and boost his strength. He needed to reach level 120 quickly and undergo his third origin enlightenment. Qi Yuan didn't know how many years had passed for the Canary since the third origin enlightenment. Nor did he know if he would ever see the Canary again, or see Mount Jiupan. "If she's still around, where could she be?" Qi Yuan looked up at the vast desert. *** Seven years passed in the blink of an eye. Earth-shattering changes swept across the lands of Yuzhou. Like an elusive phantom god, the Guardian of the City of No Return repeatedly tore into the armies of demonic monstrosities. Every few days, thousands or tens of thousands of monstrosities fell by his hand. From time to time, cultivators from the other cities in Yuzhou claimed to have seen a terrifying, blood-red silhouette slaughtering monstrosity armies out in the desert. Even from afar, the sight inspired awe and dread. Like an immortal demon god, tireless and impervious to wounds, the Guardian of the City of No Return systematically wiped out the demonic monstrosities of Yuzhou. It had been a full year since Jialan City was last besieged. During the previous siege, before the defending generals could even warm up, a flying sword had descended from beyond the horizon, annihilating the attackers in an instant. Now, outside the City of No Return, the terrifying blood-red figure stood twelve zhang tall. Qi Yuan stood amid the yellow sands, an intense baleful aura radiating from him. Had anyone from the Palace of Light seen him now, they surely would have struck him down as a demonic cultivator. Qi Yuan drew his broken sword and planted it into the sand. Looking down at Yuan Qi, he spoke slowly, "I will be leaving the City of No Return. It may be a few months, or perhaps as long as a century." Having made all necessary preparations, he was about to log off and check on things. Yuan Qi's heart tightened. Gritting his teeth, he said through a tremble, "I will guard the City of No Return for you, my lord!" The closer he stood to Qi Yuan, the deeper the dread in his heart grew. In particular, whenever Qi Yuan finished slaughtering monstrosities, Yuan Qi felt as though he were facing not a fellow cultivator, but a terrifying demonic monstrosity. Over the years, Yuan Qi had watched Qi Yuan grow stronger step by step. He guessed that Qi Yuan was relying on some secret art to raise his strength, transforming into this state solely to slay demonic monstrosities. The Lord Guardian had sacrificed far too much for the City of No Return. When others feared him, how could Yuan Qi dare harbor fear? Having stayed in the city all these years, he knew what Qi Yuan had endured. Holding a city alone might seem dashing, but it was agonizingly exhausting. "This sword can slay monstrosities. If too many attack, I will sense it. "If NPCs from other cities arrive, tell them not to approach, lest they get caught in the crossfire," Qi Yuan instructed. With the surrounding monstrosities eradicated, there would be no incoming hordes for the foreseeable future. It was time to log off. After all, the mental toll in the game still accumulated. "Understood!" Yuan Qi responded like a devoted servant. The once spirited young general was now entering middle age, weather-beaten lines etched into his face. With that, Qi Yuan vanished. Carrying Xiao Jia, he found an isolated spot and dug a pit, burying himself and Xiao Jia together just as he used to. "How unlucky!" "So many bones—must be Wu Tong's subordinates, right?" "No, from now on, whenever I kill someone, I must grind their bones to dust and scatter the ashes. Otherwise, digging a hole and running into their skeletons is just too awkward!" "What a cursed coincidence!" *** In the Divine Light Sect, Qi Yuan awoke from the game. A day in the world was ten years in the game. He had fought across the battlefield for years in the game, yet barely two days had passed in reality. "Middle Foundation Establishment already?" Sensing his cultivation, Qi Yuan grinned. "Leveling up in the game really is faster. If I cultivated step by step in reality, it would've taken several years at least." Qi Yuan felt quite pleased with himself. "Now, I should be able to instantly kill a middle Divine Infant, right?" Assessing his strength, Qi Yuan felt rather satisfied. Yet... when he thought of the Hundred Nations Blood War orchestrated by the Palace of Light, pressure still weighed heavily on his shoulders. "That wretched Palace of Light has a damaged Yin God artifact capable of unleashing a Yin God strike. "Right now... I'm still way too far from the Yin God realm." His combat prowess could insta-kill a middle Divine Infant and hold its own against late Divine Infant. Against the Purple Mansion realm, however, he was far outmatched. To say nothing of the Yin God realm above it. "Senior Brother, you're awake?" Jiang Lingsu's ethereal voice drifted in. "Yes, what is it, Junior Sister?" Qi Yuan cast a cleansing charm upon himself and stepped out of his wooden cabin. Jiang Lingsu walked over from her own quarters, her fair, jade-like face clouded with melancholy. Dressed in a long green gown embroidered with orchids, she had walked briskly, causing her soft, generous curves to bounce lightly. Even a dress deliberately tailored a size loose could hardly conceal her voluptuous figure. The moment he saw her, an improper image flashed through Qi Yuan's mind—the very illusion conjured under the influence of Monstrosity Origin in the game. He glanced down toward her legs, which were completely covered by her skirt, concealing even her slender ankles. He had never even seen his junior sister's legs, so the illusions in the game were certainly unfounded. "Senior Brother, what's the matter?" Jiang Lingsu asked, noticing his odd expression. "Nothing. You came in such a hurry—has something major happened?" Qi Yuan asked, brushing the strange images from his mind. "It could be considered major, or perhaps not. "Two days ago, someone from the Palace of Light showed up and disrupted Dong Xian's coronation ceremony. "That Divine Infant cultivator demanded that Great Shang hand over you and Kang Fulu within seven days. "Otherwise, in the upcoming Hundred Nations Blood War, Great Shang will be branded part of the demonic faction by the Palace of Light! "Once designated as demonic, we'll face coordinated sieges from the other nations led by the Palace of Light. Slaughtering our cities and wiping out our nation wouldn't even draw criticism!" Jiang Lingsu's voice burned with indignation. "Great Shang didn't hand me over, did they?" Qi Yuan caught the key point. Jiang Lingsu rolled her eyes at him, brimming with charm. "Senior Brother, what are you thinking? Great Shang belongs to our Divine Light Sect. How could they hand you over?" The Palace of Light might have known this, or perhaps they didn't, but they simply didn't care. After all, such was their arrogance. Hearing this, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, though worry still lingered. "Doesn't that mean my name is already written in the Palace of Light's little grudge book?" They had named him specifically, demanding Great Shang hand him over. "Yes." Jiang Lingsu moistened her lips. "Senior Brother, are you scared? If you are, why not go up the mountain and plead with Master? With her strength, she might be able to handle the Palace of Light." Even now, Jiang Lingsu still wondered whether Ruan Yixi was the person she was searching for. Or perhaps someone else. Qi Yuan looked up toward Seven Colors Peak, where palaces and pavilions lay shrouded in mist, indistinct and remote. "I miss Master deeply as well, but I can't go up the mountain!" Qi Yuan sighed helplessly. Thinking of the Palace of Light, he ground his teeth. "This Palace of Light is truly hateful. In my immense generosity, I hadn't even written their names in my little grudge book, yet they dared to write mine down first! "No, I must record them in my little notebook too, reading it day and night so I never forget the humiliation!" As he spoke, Qi Yuan actually pulled out a small booklet from his storage bag and scribbled 'Palace of Light' onto the page. Jiang Lingsu was already used to this. "Writing it down won't do anything; you can't curse them to death. "Sigh, Senior Brother, let me share another piece of gossip. Great Shang has our Divine Light Sect behind it, so we naturally won't hand you and Senior Brother Kang over. But besides the Divine Light Sect, there are other sects in Great Shang. "Their thoughts differ from ours. "I heard... in the past couple of days, cultivators from the Demonic Desire Sect have approached that Divine Infant emissary from the Palace of Light. You should be careful." "Even those thick-browed, big-eyed folks from the Demonic Desire Sect want to betray us?" Qi Yuan was startled. He distinctly remembered that their sect master was a spy from the Demonic Desire Sect. With that in mind, staying on the mountain didn't feel safe at all. What if someone sold him out? He would never entrust his safety to the mercy of others. Qi Yuan felt anxious, but then inspiration struck, and his thoughts cleared. "Junior Sister, if I kill that emissary from the Palace of Light, Great Shang won't have to hand me over, right?" "Don't be reckless! That emissary is an early Divine Infant cultivator who wields divine abilities! "That's not something a mere Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator like you can face," Jiang Lingsu stressed the words 'Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.' "Never mind that. Just tell me, does my reasoning make sense?" Jiang Lingsu thought about it and had to admit it made sense. If the emissary was dead, who would care about handing over Qi Yuan or Kang Fulu? Yet who in their right mind would do such a thing? His train of thought was utterly bizarre. It was like... like... Jiang Lingsu found her thoughts unable to keep up, lacking words to describe it. "It makes sense, but doing so would thoroughly offend the Palace of Light," Jiang Lingsu said. "As long as it makes sense." Qi Yuan muttered softly, bid farewell to his junior sister, and returned to his wooden cabin. His expression was solemn, looking laden with a deep, bitter grievance. The Palace of Light had placed immense pressure on him. He needed to devise a countermeasure—a flawless plan. About fifteen minutes later, a grand plan was finally forged. Qi Yuan felt immensely proud. He entered the communication group of the Divine Flower Society and uploaded his plan. "Everyone, to deal with the threat from the Palace of Light, I've drawn up a grand plan. You're all big shots here—take a look and see if there's anything to polish, or perhaps chip in a little support." Before long, someone replied. The first to chime in was, as always, the most active Rogue Celestial Venerable. "Origin Celestial Venerable truly lives up to his title, already plotting to destroy the Palace of Light! "Let me see how this plan looks." Rogue Celestial Venerable opened the file Qi Yuan had uploaded. A few large characters met his eyes. *The Hundred-Day Plan to Destroy the Palace of Light* Simple and direct. Rogue Celestial Venerable stared, somewhat baffled. Still, he clicked it open. Upon reading the text inside, he completely lost his composure. *Day 1: Ambush the early Divine Infant emissary from the Palace of Light and execute him! Difficulty: One star.* *Days 2 to 4: Perfect the cultivation technique from middle Foundation Establishment to late Foundation Establishment. Difficulty: Two stars.* *Days 5 to 7: Cultivate from middle Foundation Establishment to late Foundation Establishment. Difficulty: One star.* *Days 8 to 20: Form at least an Immortal-grade Golden Core. Difficulty: Three stars.* ... "Ahem... Origin Celestial Venerable, your plan is certainly... distinctive." Rogue Celestial Venerable couldn't find the right words. *Damn it all!* *Do you think breaking through realms is like drinking water?* *Crossing a realm in a matter of days?* *Even if the Heavenly Dao were your father, that wouldn't work!* *And forming at least an Immortal-grade Golden Core? That's beyond absurd.* "I've been brewing this plan for a long time, meticulously refining the details and assigning completion difficulties. It can be said to be seamless," Qi Yuan boasted. Rogue Celestial Venerable didn't know what to say. *You call this seamless?* *Just by slapping on a difficulty rating?* He desperately wanted to tell him that this was pure delusion! Just then, Iceberg Overlord Woman surfaced in the chat. "Wow, let me take a look at Origin Celestial Venerable's plan too!" Seeing Iceberg Overlord Woman appear, Rogue Celestial Venerable felt a faint glimmer of anticipation. He didn't want to criticize Origin Celestial Venerable outright, but Iceberg Overlord Woman would surely scoff at such a plan. After a dozen or so breaths, Iceberg Overlord Woman posted again: "This hundred-day plan is concise, direct, clearly purposed, and magnificently grand. I think it's viable! "What impresses me most is that Origin Celestial Venerable thoughtfully included what to do in each timeframe and rated the difficulty. Such wonderful attention to detail!" "That's what I'm proudest of as well." Qi Yuan was delighted to hear his most painstaking work praised. His brilliant points had finally been recognized. Rogue Celestial Venerable: "..." "Does anyone have resources to support my plan? Once I destroy the Palace of Light, I'll reward you handsomely! "Especially cultivation techniques—I want to perfect my method to late Foundation Establishment and even Golden Core!" Qi Yuan began crowdfunding in the group. "Origin Celestial Venerable, I'm willing to contribute... one spirit stone," Rogue Celestial Venerable offered meekly. "I have plenty of techniques," Iceberg Overlord Woman stated domineeringly. "I just killed a few brats and obtained five Profound-grade techniques, including a high Profound-grade one. I'll transmit them to you." Hearing Iceberg Overlord Woman's words, Qi Yuan was nearly moved to tears. There really were plenty of good people in this world!