Are They All His Alt Accounts?

Everyone in the group was a good person. Qi Yuan felt touched. Struck by an idea, he said, "In another hundred days, the Palace of Light will definitely be destroyed. I've thought of a grand scheme to strike it rich, and I'm sharing it here to give back to the group." "What scheme to strike it rich?" Great Sun Flame Emperor chimed in late. "I don't know if the Palace of Light offers usury—that is, lending money—but if you're in the Cuiyun Continent, why not borrow some from them at high interest and get some spirit stones? Once I wipe out the Palace of Light, there won't be any need to pay back the borrowed stones." Qi Yuan shared his grand scheme with his fellow group members. Rogue Celestial Venerable was left completely dumbfounded. He wanted to ask: *Are you being serious?* *The Hundred-Day Plan was just drawn up! There isn't even a trace of the Palace of Light falling yet, and you're already scheming about this?* "Origin Celestial Venerable, you truly are a genius!" Iceberg Overlord Woman praised in the group. "Why don't I have a business mind like yours?" "As long as you work hard, think more, and use your brain, you'll definitely be as successful as me," Qi Yuan said, sharing his wisdom for success. "Origin Celestial Venerable, just how much net worth do you actually have?" Rogue Celestial Venerable asked faintly. "*Cough, cough, cough*... That's beside the point." Qi Yuan suddenly felt a bit guilty. *It seems I'm not that successful either?* It was just that the group's flattery had gone to his head a little. Reflecting immediately, he cautioned, "When taking high-interest loans from the Palace of Light, don't borrow too much. After all, the Hundred-Day Plan hasn't truly begun yet. Everyone should act within their means—don't pop the champagne too early." "I'll go borrow ten thousand at high interest from the Palace of Light, taking it as diminishing their spirit stone reserves to support Origin Celestial Venerable's cause," Great Sun Flame Emperor declared without hesitation. "This old lady is going to borrow a whole million!" Iceberg Overlord Woman said domineeringly. Hearing all this, Rogue Celestial Venerable shuddered. *Are you all going crazy along with Origin Celestial Venerable?* "Unfortunately, I'm too far from the Palace of Light, or I'd borrow some too." Qi Yuan felt it was a shame things couldn't be perfect. "All right, everyone, I have to go offline. I need to launch a sneak attack on that early Divine Infant emissary from the Palace of Light and wipe him out while his guard is down," Qi Yuan added. Right now, he couldn't linger in the real world for too long. After all, events could unfold in the game world at any moment, so he had to be efficient. "Origin Celestial Venerable, you're not actually going to ambush a Divine Infant cultivator, are you?" Rogue Celestial Venerable asked weakly. That was a Divine Infant expert! Not some random stray dog or cat! "Yeah, going right now." Qi Yuan naturally wasn't lying. "That's a Divine Infant..." Rogue Celestial Venerable now genuinely believed that something was wrong with Origin Celestial Venerable's head, and that he wasn't just acting. "So what if he's a Divine Infant? I achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. Do you understand the sheer value of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment?" Qi Yuan was brimming with confidence. "Unfortunately, mine isn't at full perfection like Sister Iceberg Overlord Woman's, or else I'd teach the Palace of Light how to behave right now." Iceberg Overlord Woman gave a dazzling smile and spoke in the group: "Rogue Celestial Venerable, you underestimate Origin Celestial Venerable. He achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment—why would he fear a petty Palace of Light? Since Origin Celestial Venerable has devised such a meticulous plan, I dare say the Palace of Light is bound to be wiped out within a hundred days!" Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment meant there had to be a powerful Yin God expert backing him. Rogue Celestial Venerable was stunned. *Did I underestimate the strength of these group members?* *Should I... also go borrow some high-interest loans from the Palace of Light?* "Origin Celestial Venerable, may I tell some of my friends that an expert intends to move against the Palace of Light, so they can borrow high-interest loans from them too? That won't expose your plan, will it?" Iceberg Overlord Woman asked. Qi Yuan pondered for a moment. "Say whatever you like, as long as you don't reveal my identity." On second thought, no one knew his identity in the Divine Flower Society except for his junior sister Jiang Lingsu. What did he have to fear? Even if word leaked out, the Palace of Light would never suspect that a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator wanted to wipe them out. Instead, they would focus their attention on other people. Even if they heard that a Foundation Establishment cultivator claimed he would annihilate the Palace of Light, taking it seriously would be their own loss. It was just like an internet user suggesting to a rocket scientist that parasol tree wood was brittle and burned hot, making it ideal rocket fuel. If the rocket scientist paid any attention to that, the scientist lost. *** In the Tianfeng Continent of the Eastern Lands, a woman's body was shrouded entirely in radiance, obscuring her features from view. She took out a jade slip, pondered briefly, and transmitted a message through it. "A friend of mine is preparing to make a move against the Palace of Light. Anyone who wants to borrow high-interest loans from them had better hurry." The woman was Iceberg Overlord Woman. Replies soon arrived one after another from the jade slip. "Moving against the Palace of Light? Which great figure?" "*Hiss*... A Yin God?" "It seems the Palace of Light's recent actions have provoked the displeasure of some great figure." "Let's go! Before the news leaks, quickly borrow some spirit stones from the Palace of Light!" "Any later, and they won't lend out a thing!" Over the next few days, Purple Mansion cultivators would arrive one after another at the Palace of Light to borrow spirit stones, which would likely alert the upper echelons of the palace that something was amiss. *** In the Great Shang State, atop Mount Yunzhi, mist curled like an immortal realm. From within a bamboo cottage, the notes of a zither drifted. The Divine Infant cultivator from the Palace of Light was playing his zither. Ji Boying, a contemporary true disciple of the Demonic Desire Sect, listened to the music, utterly enthralled. "Senior is indeed a master of the zither. A single melody is enough to pacify Great Shang," Ji Boying flattered. This time, she had come on her master's orders to attend to this Divine Infant cultivator from the Palace of Light, seeking to draw the Demonic Desire Sect closer to them. "You are mistaken. Great Shang is unwilling to hand over even two ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators to this old man. How can I speak of pacifying Great Shang?" True Lord Six Zithers said with a smile, looking remarkably amiable. Hearing this, Ji Boying's expression turned grim. "Great Shang is entirely in the grip of the Divine Light Sect. Naturally, they refuse to hand over Kang Fulu and Qi Yuan. From what I understand, Young Master Po Lang's demise in the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm is inextricably linked to the Divine Light Sect." "Could Kang Fulu and Qi Yuan have slain Po Lang? Are their talents truly that formidable?" True Lord Six Zithers had only a superficial grasp of what had transpired in the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm. Po Lang was ranked on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll, holding a modest status within the Palace of Light. "Hmph, that Kang Fulu is only on par with me, while that Qi Yuan is an insignificant nobody whom I could kill with a single sword strike. What capability could the two of them possess to slay Young Master Po Lang? It is said that when the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm opened, the Divine Light Sect even sent Origin Core cultivators inside. I suspect Young Master Po Lang was besieged and killed by their Origin Core cultivators," Ji Boying reasoned plausibly. True Lord Six Zithers nodded. "You make a valid point." He simply could not believe that a prodigy from their Palace of Light would be killed by same-realm cultivators from a petty backwater like Great Shang. "The imperial family of Great Shang colluded with the Divine Light Sect, plunging Great Shang into deep waters for their own selfish ends. Our Demonic Desire Sect is unwilling to be reduced to the demonic faction. I beseech the True Lord to guide us!" Seeing the moment was ripe, Ji Boying revealed her purpose. Naturally, it was to cling to the thigh of the Palace of Light. True Lord Six Zithers looked at Ji Boying with smiling eyes. "Great Shang is bound to become part of the demonic faction. But your Demonic Desire Sect... if you can set things right, you might not be unable to break free of the mire." Ji Boying looked at him earnestly. True Lord Six Zithers continued, "I hear that the Peak Master of Seven Colors Peak in the Divine Light Sect is a peerless beauty. I have cultivated the Dao for over a thousand years, entirely alone. If the Demonic Desire Sect could help me..." True Lord Six Zithers did not finish his sentence, but Ji Boying understood his implication. This True Lord Six Zithers was truly lecherous and audacious. A mere early Divine Infant dared harbor designs on a late Divine Infant expert! Ji Boying felt disdain inside, yet she still said, "The Divine Light Sect is powerful. Without the support of the Palace of Light, it will be difficult for us to defeat them." The Demonic Desire Sect had coveted the Divine Light Sect for a long time. Back then, had the Peak Master of Seven Colors Peak not suddenly risen to prominence, the entire Divine Light Sect would have become a branch of the Demonic Desire Sect. Their covetous eyes on the Divine Light Sect were not as simple as they appeared on the surface. Rather, an ancient secret was recorded in the classic records of the Demonic Desire Sect. For that reason, a massive number of spies from the Demonic Desire Sect were sent into the Divine Light Sect every year. Inside Ji Boying's storage bag, there was a roster of those spies. Many of them occupied high positions within the Divine Light Sect. "The Palace of Light must first see the Demonic Desire Sect's sincerity, otherwise..." True Lord Six Zithers was an old, shrewd fox and would not agree so easily. Just at that moment, a youthful voice rang out abruptly from midair. "Are you the one from the Palace of Light?" With those words, a black-robed cultivator descended nearby. He was bundled tight from head to toe in black robes, leaving not an inch of skin exposed. Ji Boying's face shifted slightly. "Who are you?" True Lord Six Zithers glanced at the newcomer, entirely unhurried. Coming from the Palace of Light made him lower his guard in a small place like Great Shang. He didn't believe anyone in Great Shang would dare harm him, nor could they. "Me? I came to borrow some high-interest loans from the Palace of Light. Lend me a few million spirit stones to spend." The black-robed man was naturally Qi Yuan. Staring at True Lord Six Zithers, he demanded millions of spirit stones right off the bat. True Lord Six Zithers froze for a moment, then spoke in a displeased tone, "Fellow Daoist, are you joking with me?" Qi Yuan looked at him and placed a hand on the cleaver at his waist. "I've changed my mind. I'm not borrowing money anymore—I'm robbing you directly!" Borrowing money without paying it back would get his back stabbed with insults. It was better to beat him to death and rob the spirit stones outright. Cleaver in hand, Qi Yuan pointed it straight at True Lord Six Zithers. Ji Boying was utterly stunned. True Lord Six Zithers' expression turned as dark as water. "Is this how Great Shang treats guests?" A hurried, piercing zither melody suddenly rang out, dripping with murderous intent. The moment True Lord Six Zithers attacked, he unleashed a powerful divine soul assault. This was his reliance! Precisely because of this, he looked down on Divine Infant cultivators from backwaters like this. "A divine soul attack?" Qi Yuan was surprised. The last time he had encountered a divine soul attack was from Old Demon Black Chicken. Old Demon Black Chicken's divine soul attack had been vastly stronger than True Lord Six Zithers'. "You have some discernment," True Lord Six Zithers praised. The zither notes spiked sharply as the divine soul attack swept toward Qi Yuan. Killing someone knowledgeable brought far more satisfaction. Qi Yuan showed no fear whatsoever. Facing True Lord Six Zithers' divine soul attack, he charged straight forward with his cleaver. The powerful divine soul attack struck Qi Yuan's soul without producing the slightest ripple. True Lord Six Zithers' calm demeanor vanished. "How are you unharmed?" Divine soul attacks were normally infallible, especially against cultivators from small places who had no means to defend against them. "Why would I be harmed?" Qi Yuan didn't bother explaining. The cleaver in his hand flashed with a chilling gleam. "A mere early Divine Infant—how dare you oppose my Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment?" Pity poor True Lord Six Zithers: he specialized in divine soul attacks, leaving his direct combat methods somewhat lacking. Facing Qi Yuan's combat techniques honed through a sea of blood, he had no means of resistance whatsoever. "Killing you is as simple as killing a demonic monstrosity!" Qi Yuan's combat skills had long been refined to sheer perfection. He could unblushingly claim: *I've killed more Divine Infant experts than you've ever seen!* Facing True Lord Six Zithers at early Divine Infant, Qi Yuan cleaved down with his blade, splitting him clean in half. The Divine Infant inside didn't even have time to escape before perishing on the spot. Standing nearby, Ji Boying trembled violently. "Who... who on earth are you?" "Didn't you just say you could kill me with a single sword strike?" With that, Qi Yuan swung his cleaver once more. Incredulity froze on Ji Boying's face as her body was shredded to pieces, meeting her end right there. Qi Yuan came fast and killed fast. The fight concluded so swiftly that it didn't even startle the birds in the trees. He collected both storage bags, cleared his throat, and mimicked True Lord Six Zithers' voice: "This seat shall enter secluded cultivation atop Mount Yunzhi for one hundred days. Trespassers... shall be slain without mercy!" The voice rolled out, echoing across Mount Yunzhi. Qi Yuan was reckless, but he was a clever brute. The news of True Lord Six Zithers' demise had to be concealed for now. He still needed to lie low and develop. *** By the time Qi Yuan returned to Seven Colors Peak, the simmering fish soup was not yet done. Qi Yuan sorted through True Lord Six Zithers' storage bag, revealing various treasures and spirit stones. Inside, Qi Yuan even discovered two Mysterious-grade arts. In the past, Qi Yuan would have beamed with joy. However, having just received five Mysterious-grade arts from Iceberg Overlord Woman—one of which was high-rank Mysterious-grade—he found himself looking down on these two arts. "No wonder they say it's hard for a courtesan to go straight. "Having seen the scenery from higher up, who would still want to live in the dust? "These arts are enough to refine the *Qi Yuan Scripture* up to late Foundation Establishment. It's just the Golden Core stage... still no clue." Qi Yuan then opened Ji Boying's storage bag. Even mosquito legs were meat; nothing could be overlooked. There were far fewer valuable items in Ji Boying's storage bag: some colorful undergarments, a pitiful pile of spirit stones, and cultivation arts Qi Yuan couldn't care less about. "Huh? A roster? A spy roster?" Qi Yuan hadn't expected to find a list of Demonic Desire Sect spies within the Divine Light Sect inside Ji Boying's bag. He opened the list and glanced at it, dumbfounded. "The Demonic Desire Sect really went all out, didn't they?" The roster was packed with several hundred names. One had to realize that all the elders, deacons, disciples, and even chore disciples of the Divine Light Sect only amounted to a few thousand people in total. "No wonder I always felt the Divine Light Sect was riddled with problems everywhere. "That it still functions properly is pure luck." Qi Yuan didn't pay it much mind. Having obtained the roster, he had no desire to disrupt the current situation. Nor would he imitate some netizen across the sea, holding the roster up to a senior sister or senior aunt to say: *Auntie, you wouldn't want Uncle to find out your secret, would you?* "Still, what was the Demonic Desire Sect's goal in expending so much effort to erode the Divine Light Sect?" Qi Yuan pondered. If it was merely to take over the Divine Light Sect, this method seemed far too foolish. Recalling the strange voices he had occasionally heard during his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, he suspected there had to be a deeper reason behind it all. "First complete the Hundred-Day Plan, then worry about the rest. "If needed, I'll activate my brilliant brain again and craft another meticulous plan!" Qi Yuan entered the Divine Flower Society chat group. "Good news for all fellow Daoists: the first step of the Hundred-Day Plan is complete. Your investment has yielded returns." Rogue Celestial Venerable: "...The Divine Infant cultivator is dead?" "Hacked to death with a cleaver!" Qi Yuan said nonchalantly. Rogue Celestial Venerable went completely silent. *Is something wrong with me, or is something wrong with Origin Celestial Venerable?* "Origin Celestial Venerable, you act fast. I've decided to go borrow another twenty thousand spirit stones from the Palace of Light," Great Sun Flame Emperor quickly replied. "Origin Celestial Venerable, don't move too fast! If you wipe out the Palace of Light too early, my sisters won't be able to borrow their stones!" Iceberg Overlord Woman said anxiously. Reading the messages in the group, Rogue Celestial Venerable felt conflicted. *Could Great Sun Flame Emperor and Iceberg Overlord Woman both be Origin Celestial Venerable's alt accounts?* *Otherwise, how could they genuinely believe something so outrageous?* Even with Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, you couldn't hack a Divine Infant to death in one strike! Where in the world was there such a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Even the top ranker on the Heavenly Pride Roll would never have been a match for a Divine Infant cultivator while still at Foundation Establishment. *A hundred days will pass in a single seclusion session. When the time comes, I'll see whether Origin Celestial Venerable was bragging or if I was merely narrow-minded.* Rogue Celestial Venerable chose to stop speaking in the group altogether and silently lurked. Qi Yuan naturally knew nothing of this. Right now, he committed all the newly acquired arts to memory. Once he entered the game, he could use his spare time to refine the *Qi Yuan Scripture*. After an unknown amount of time, a voice suddenly echoed in Qi Yuan's mind: "Hmph, you want me to hand him over? Not a chance!" *Ning Tao?* Qi Yuan started. *Did something happen in the game?* *** At that moment, in the Northern Lands. Several terrifying auras permeated the air, altering the weather as rain fell ceaselessly. Seven Sovereigns surrounded Ning Tao, their expressions ferocious. "Ning Tao, hand over the Blood Demon, and we will spare your life!" All seven Sovereigns present glared at Ning Tao, their eyes filled with wariness. Their wariness deepened especially when they looked at the blood sphere bound by chains behind her. "Hmph, you want me to hand him over? Not a chance!" Ning Tao wore a form-fitting black dress embroidered with plum blossoms in gold thread along her waist. Her slender silhouette stood aloft in the void, shielding the blood sphere firmly behind her. "He is not the Blood Demon, and I will not hand him over!" "On the contrary, whose bewitchment did you fall under to come besiege me?" Blood dripped from her sleeves, dispersing into the air and vanishing into nothingness. Upon reaching the realm of Sovereign, cultivators consciously prevented bodily fluids from being left behind. Besieged by seven Sovereigns, Ning Tao had sustained severe injuries. Even so, like a hen protecting her chick, she guarded the blood sphere behind her meticulously. "Ning Tao, in vain are you the Palace Master of Heavenly Heart Palace. Defying the Venerable's decree, you collude in secret with the Blood Demon. Leave the Blood Demon and depart now, and we can still grant you a path of survival!" one Sovereign said in a deep voice. The Palace Master of Heavenly Heart Palace was a formidable powerhouse even among Sovereigns. They didn't want to push her too far. Otherwise, someone among them might perish as well. "You claim he is the Blood Demon. What proof do you have?" Blood still stained the corners of Ning Tao's mouth, but her smile was exceptionally enchanting. Yet the seven Sovereigns present all felt a visceral sense of disgust looking at her. The character for "Fiend" hidden beneath her black veil was a rule of this realm's Great Dao; even when concealed, it evoked revulsion. Thus, even as Sovereigns, the Thirteen Northern Demon Fiends remained despised by heaven and detested by all. Ever since the character "Fiend" had appeared on her face in her youth, Ning Tao had known only strange looks: disgust, revulsion, slaughter. Even the mother who loved her most had crept into Ning Tao's room at night with scissors, intending to stab her to death. "His appearance matches the description of the Blood Demon given by the Venerable," one Sovereign said coldly, glaring at the blood sphere. "If he is not the Blood Demon, what is he?" "He is my... son," Ning Tao said with a sweet smile, yet her smile sent a chill through everyone present. Just then, a helpless voice drifted out: "How on earth did I become your son?" The speaker was none other than Qi Yuan. Unfortunately, he was still too thin-skinned to act like his middle-school classmate, who, when a girl claimed to be his mom, had shot back: *Mom, I want milk.*