How could origin ever be taught?
It was completely impossible!
Besides, what did this sworn-brother-to-be of his know about origin? Jack shit!
The very first step of this plan was a nonstarter, let alone everything that followed—it was utter, unadulterated nonsense.
To think he had placed so much faith in it.
"Who says origin cannot be taught?" Qi Yuan asked softly. "Chen Huan, if I teach you origin and help you ascend to Sovereign, how about pledging yourself to my service for a century?"
"Forget a century, I'd do a millennium!" Chen Huan replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Swear it on your inner demon," Qi Yuan said flatly.
"You're serious?" Chen Huan's eyes went wide as he stared at Qi Yuan.
The man didn't look like he was bluffing.
"Yes." Qi Yuan nodded, adopting an unfathomable demeanor. "Opportunity lies right before your eyes. It all depends on whether you can seize it."
"A vow is just a vow—who's afraid!" Chen Huan possessed an inherently irreverent temperament; otherwise, he never would have lingered in the City of No Return for so many years.
"I, Chen Huan, swear upon my inner demon: if the Guardian of the City of No Return successfully guides me to master origin and aids my ascent to Sovereign, I shall serve him... for a hundred years.
"Should I break this oath, may my inner demon tear through my body and strike me dead!"
In the Liufeng Realm, swearing upon one's inner demon was the most solemn oath possible.
Once broken, the inner demon would truly erupt through one's flesh, and a demonic monstrosity would be born ahead of its time.
"Big Brother, I've sworn the oath. Now it's time for you to carry your little brother and help me step into the Sovereign realm," Chen Huan said with a casual shrug.
Right then, Qi Yuan's attire inexplicably turned blood-red, draping over him as a scarlet robe.
An inscrutable, mystic aura swirled around him. Though he stood right beside Chen Huan, Chen Huan somehow felt as if he were seated high above, enthroned in a heavenly palace.
Astonished and then thrilled, Chen Huan heard whispers that seemed to hail from an ancient god of antiquity.
"The power of human-demons is rooted fundamentally in the seven sins: greed, pride..."
"A whirlwind lasts not the whole morning; a downpour lasts not the whole day; yet the human heart never ceases..."
"If you wish to take, you must first give..."
The voice was ethereal, drifting into Chen Huan's ears and flooding his divine soul.
Chen Huan felt as if he were suspended amid clouds, yet also plunged into the deepest earth.
Beneath the vast celestial vault, the whispering voice descended like sweet dew upon his body.
His parched, cracked physique grew lustrous and supple, and his desiccated divine soul brimmed to the full for the very first time.
After who knew how long, he suddenly snapped his eyes open, a terrifying luminescence bursting from his pupils.
"I... I understand!"
Chen Huan stared at Qi Yuan in his blood-red robe. In that moment, a tumult of emotions surged within him, beyond his power to describe.
Or rather, it was utterly beyond comprehension.
How could the Guardian of the City of No Return understand origin?
Even if he did, how could he lecture on it to someone else, and how could that person actually grasp it?
To preach the Dao in such a way...
Even the White Emperor and the Venerable could not deliver a sermon that allowed a cultivator to perceive and comprehend origin.
Could it be... that the Guardian of the City of No Return was the reincarnation of some almighty figure?
Yet no matter how great an almighty figure was, how could one possibly expound upon origin?
"How is it?"
Qi Yuan's voice broke in, pulling Chen Huan from his thoughts.
Chen Huan looked at Qi Yuan. The blood-red robe had already vanished, returning him to the familiar appearance Chen Huan knew.
Much of that heart-gripping awe and trepidation faded.
Suddenly, with a loud *thud*, Chen Huan dropped to his knees. "Father! Father! I'm your long-lost son!"
As he cried out, he wrapped both arms tightly around Qi Yuan's leg.
"Piss off!" Qi Yuan kicked Chen Huan flying. "Hurry up and become a Sovereign so we can carry out my plan!"
With that, Qi Yuan vanished from sight.
Only Chen Huan remained on the city wall, crestfallen and brooding.
"What a shame... I missed my chance to claim him as my dad." Disappointment etched Chen Huan's face, looking as if he had run out of toilet paper the previous night, made do by wiping himself with a two-dollar lottery ticket, and discovered the next day that the ticket had won millions.
"Still..." Chen Huan's spirits rebounded. "If I can't be the big boss's son, being the big boss's enforcer isn't bad either!
"To think that at barely eleven hundred years old, I'm about to step into the Sovereign realm—and not just any ordinary Sovereign!"
At the thought, Chen Huan grew wildly excited.
The origin Qi Yuan had imparted was different from what ordinary Sovereigns comprehended.
Though he did not know what it looked like when other Sovereigns grasped origin, he knew a disparity existed.
Those who barely managed to perceive origin had no room to be picky about their origin divine abilities, forced to settle for the lowest grade.
Yet Chen Huan now felt that countless paths lay open before him.
Every single one was a grand, broad thoroughfare!
The Sovereign realm he was stepping into was not of the lowest tier, but one brimming with staggering potential!
...
In the Endless Sea of Blood, waves surged and boiled without end.
A whisper echoed: "A familiar sensation... like something I have known before."
Blood Qi towered into the sky, where countless demonic monstrosities struggled endlessly amid the sea of gore.
The voice sounded once more.
"Little Croc, take the sword and go to the Hundred and Eight Thousand Cities.
"If you encounter a person... or an object that causes the blade to flash blood-red, invite them here.
"Treat them... with greater deference than you would me."
The voice came in intermittent fragments before sinking once more into silence within the sea of blood.
A colossal crocodile soared out from the depths of the bloody sea, bearing a sword upon its back, and vanished into the distance.
The Sovereigns guarding the Endless Sea of Blood naturally heard the Venerable's voice.
Bewilderment and shock surfaced in their eyes.
Especially at those words: *Treat them... with greater deference than you would me.*
Just who had appeared in the Hundred and Eight Thousand Cities?
Judging by the Venerable's tone, that figure seemed... extraordinary beyond measure.
At the same time, a flash of light gleamed within the White Emperor Palace.
An inner hall that had remained sealed for a millennium swung open, and a white crane flew out, soaring toward the Hundred and Eight Thousand Cities.
All the Sovereigns who witnessed this were struck with astonishment.
What could have happened for the White Emperor's crane... to take flight?
That crane had not emerged for several millennia.
Even when the North-South Accord was finalized, it had never shown itself.
Countless messages spread from the vicinity of the White Emperor Palace, rippling out to every corner of the Liufeng Realm.
The gazes of innumerable Sovereigns turned toward the Hundred and Eight Thousand Cities.
Across the Liufeng Realm, undercurrents surged.
...
"Big Brother, I'm a Sovereign!" Chen Huan trailed behind Qi Yuan, speaking in his usual casual tone, though laced with a touch more respect.
In truth, he hadn't known how to face Qi Yuan at first.
After all, this was clearly a supreme powerhouse.
Yet after pondering it for a long while, he decided to act just as he always had.
Of course, he couldn't bring up becoming sworn brothers anymore.
Who knew—maybe down the line, there would still be a chance to have him take him in as an adoptive father.
"Barely passable." Qi Yuan was in good spirits as well. "Seven days to achieve Sovereign—looks like my meticulous plan is entirely viable."
"Big Brother's plan is seamless, unprecedented, and never to be surpassed!" Chen Huan heaped on the flattery without shame.
"In that case, let's go hunt Sovereigns," Qi Yuan said, brimming with anticipation.
He couldn't kill a Sovereign on his own, but he could have Chen Huan beat one within an inch of their life, leaving him to harvest the final blow.
That way, he could rake in massive amounts of experience.
His leveling speed was simply too slow right now.
Ordinary demonic monstrosities yielded far too little experience.
Only by slaying Sovereigns could he gain enough to reach Level 120.
Now that Grand Sovereign Daoist Purple had arrived, Qi Yuan was once again losing sleep over it.
He had to hurry and reach Level 120 to comprehend origin and awaken an origin divine ability; only then would he have the power to put up a fight.
"Hunt Sovereigns?" Chen Huan still felt a lingering worry. "Big Brother, can you really pull it off?"
"Don't you have me? What are you afraid of?" Qi Yuan replied confidently.
"That's not what I wanted to hear." Chen Huan didn't even believe in himself.
"With me supporting from the side, a Sovereign can be suppressed with a wave of the hand.
"Don't underestimate the worth of the Milky Way's Number One Support."
Hearing this, Chen Huan felt considerably relieved.
With the supreme powerhouse handling main DPS, he could just coast along.
"Big Brother, how are we going to find a Sovereign?" Chen Huan asked.
"Just follow me; you can't go wrong."
Qi Yuan frequently ventured out to hunt demonic monstrosities, and he occasionally had little "encounters" that clued him in on where Sovereigns often showed up.
When it came to the Sovereigns in the Land of a Thousand Cities, Qi Yuan had a decent grasp.
"Let's go!" Qi Yuan said.
"Right!" Chen Huan hurried after him, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Hunting Sovereigns!
That was hunting actual Sovereigns!
What right or qualification did he have to hunt a Sovereign!
...
Liuchuan Demonic Cavern.
Neither Demon Controllers nor demon slayers were willing to set foot in this place.
Every so often, a steady stream of demonic monstrosities would emerge from here to join the great war of the Hundred and Eight Thousand Cities.
At this moment, a grim-faced woman appeared within the cavern.
Below her, over a dozen Nation Protectors and even Terrestrial Myths trembled on the ground, prostrating themselves in visible dread of her.
"Sovereign Yu Bai, what happened in the Liuchuan Demonic Cavern... was our oversight," a Terrestrial Myth managed to squeeze out with great difficulty.
"Hmph. In the entire Land of a Thousand Cities, there are only eighty-one demonic caverns.
"Someone barged into this one and wiped it clean, leaving the supply of monstrosities dry for ten straight years. If not for the impending great battle, even I wouldn't have discovered this. Just how long did you intend to hide it?" Sovereign Yu Bai's face was dark with fury.
A Demon Controller's ability to command monstrosities was inextricably linked to demonic caverns and Sovereigns.
With this cavern's vitality gravely damaged, it urgently required an infusion of a Sovereign's origin before new monstrosities could continually pour forth.
"We did report it, but you were in seclusion, Sovereign..." a Terrestrial Myth ventured tentatively, trying to defend himself.
"Oh? So it's my fault then?" Enraged, Sovereign Yu Bai unleashed her power of human-demons, instantly freezing the air.
That powerful Terrestrial Myth found himself unable to breathe, his entire body pinned and paralyzed.
"Deceiving superiors and withholding the truth—you deserve death!" Sovereign Yu Bai clenched her hand, and the Terrestrial Myth dozens of meters away shattered on the spot, exploding into a mist of blood.
Having killed one person, Sovereign Yu Bai's mood seemed to improve slightly. Looking at the crowd, she asked, "Who stormed into the Liuchuan Demonic Cavern? I want an explanation."
"Reporting to the Sovereign, this place is closest to Yuzhou. It was likely the Guardian of the City of No Return.
"He is at the Terrestrial Myth realm, exceedingly powerful, and elusive. Over the past several decades, he has frequently swept the surroundings to purge monstrosities," a Nation Protector answered.
A Terrestrial Myth added, "With the Grand Sovereign's arrival, the cities of the Land of a Thousand Cities have begun retreating toward Great Compassion City. Yuzhou is completely deserted now, yet only that Guardian of the City of No Return refuses to accept death, still stubbornly holding the city."
Hearing this, Sovereign Yu Bai sneered with disdain. "A mere Terrestrial Myth dares to act so brazenly?
"Take some men and raze the City of No Return to the ground."
She tossed out the order casually, as though dealing with the most mundane of chores.
The assembled Terrestrial Myths exchanged glances, none daring to respond.
"What? You can't even handle a petty Terrestrial Myth?"
"Sovereign, that Terrestrial Myth is no ordinary one.
"Three of our comrades once besieged him, only for him to slay every single one with a single sword strike.
"Rumor has it that the Guardian of the City of No Return is a disciple of the White Emperor."
These Terrestrial Myths suffered in bitter silence.
By now, the land of Yuzhou had turned into a death trap.
None of them dared show their faces, terrified of running into that harbinger of doom and dying by his blade.
"Hmph, a single Terrestrial Myth has scared the wits out of you—what a joke." Sovereign Yu Bai felt thoroughly displeased. "Did he grow six legs and seven arms?"
The Terrestrial Myths kept their heads bowed, not daring to speak.
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"How dare you fabricate slander against me? You truly deserve death!"
Along with that voice came a brilliant, dazzling flash of sword light.
A sneak attack!
Every cultivator present felt an unimaginably horrifying sword intent that made their scalps prickle and their blood run cold.
Had that strike landed on them, it would have been more than enough to obliterate them completely.
As the sword light flashed past, stones fell continuously from the cavern walls.
Furious rage flashed in Sovereign Yu Bai's eyes. "A mere Terrestrial Myth dares draw a blade against me!"
Confronting Qi Yuan's strike, she didn't even move, taking the blade directly with her chest.
*Rippp! Clang!*
The sword collided violently against Sovereign Yu Bai's chest as origin rose to shield her.
A sword powerful enough to effortlessly decapitate Terrestrial Myths felt as if it had struck the hardest tempered steel.
The strike Qi Yuan took so much pride in, even bolstered by Robe Rend, managed only to puncture a hole through Sovereign Yu Bai's garments.
Through the tear lay a swath of snow-white skin.
The blade had failed to leave even a faint red mark on her soft flesh.
Sovereign Yu Bai was somewhat stunned; she hadn't expected him to pierce clean through her clothes.
Though this dazzling strike had failed to harm her, piercing her attire was astonishing enough.
Yet while she was shocked, Qi Yuan was even more so. "You're... way too hard, aren't you?
"If you ever get married and your husband isn't a Sovereign, wouldn't he fail to breach your defense altogether?"
Fury blazed across Sovereign Yu Bai's face. "Insolent brat, how dare you humiliate me—die!"
A petty Terrestrial Myth dared to provoke a Sovereign!
If word of today's incident got out, she, Yu Bai, would become the laughingstock of the Northern Lands.
Her rivals would mock her mercilessly to her face!
Enraged, she snarled, "I'll make you understand what a Sovereign truly is!"
The moment Sovereign Yu Bai struck, it was with a mighty origin divine ability.
In an instant, Qi Yuan saw a slender flying needle shooting straight toward him.
The needle carried an intensely concentrated aura of slaughter.
Unflustered, Qi Yuan fixed his eyes intently on the flying needle.
Lifting the broken sword in his hand, Qi Yuan suddenly bellowed, "Chen Huan, split your origin divine ability into three tiers and strike her Danxin acupoint, Xiaokong acupoint..."
Following Qi Yuan's voice, Chen Huan, who had been lying in wait the entire time, finally struck.
Following Qi Yuan's instructions to the letter without daring to make the slightest error, he unleashed his origin divine ability in a frenzied surge toward Sovereign Yu Bai.
The corner of Sovereign Yu Bai's mouth curled into a smug sneer. "I've been waiting for you!"
Naturally, she had sensed someone lying in ambush nearby all along.
Otherwise, how would a mere Terrestrial Myth dare launch a sneak attack against her?
To sacrifice a Terrestrial Myth just to give a Sovereign an opening for an ambush—they truly looked down on her.
Three slender needles materialized, shooting straight for Chen Huan.
Chen Huan's face darkened as he felt an intense sense of mortal danger. Having only just broken through to the Sovereign realm, he didn't know how to counter it, and he feared that improvising might ruin Qi Yuan's plan.
More importantly, Sovereign Yu Bai's origin divine ability was also hurtling toward Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan was only a Terrestrial Myth—could he even withstand it?
Just then, Qi Yuan's voice transmission reached him with lightning speed: "Trapped in the heavens, envision the white crane..."
Hearing this, sheer delight broke across Chen Huan's face.
"So that's how it is!"
Sovereign Yu Bai's terrifying assault, which had seemed impregnable, suddenly appeared riddled with gaping flaws.
Wild excitement seized him.
In that split second, his body shifted, evading Sovereign Yu Bai's origin divine ability entirely and materializing directly behind her.
Myriad Phenomena Astral River!
During Qi Yuan's sermon, he had envisioned a river forged of stars.
Having never seen stars before, a deep yearning had taken root in his heart.
He had directly forged that vision into his origin divine ability.
The mighty origin divine ability slammed squarely into Sovereign Yu Bai's body.
Incredulity washed over Sovereign Yu Bai's face.
Qi Yuan's voice rang out once more.
"Shackle three inches, lock upon the returning heart!"
Without hesitation, Chen Huan poured his origin divine ability into Sovereign Yu Bai's body as though it cost him nothing, following Qi Yuan's exact directions.
For the first time, genuine terror surfaced on Sovereign Yu Bai's face.
"Who are you? Why... are you so familiar with my origin divine ability?"
This went beyond familiarity—it was as if they understood her divine ability better than she did herself.
"Me? I'm the one who's going to kill you!"
Right then, Qi Yuan's figure flickered and landed right before Sovereign Yu Bai. Clutching his broken sword, killing intent erupted from his eyes.
"You..." Sovereign Yu Bai was even more baffled.
Her origin divine ability should have wiped out a Terrestrial Myth with a wave of her hand. How was he still breathing?
"Die!" Qi Yuan wasted no words, plunging his sword into Sovereign Yu Bai's body.
Deprived of her defenses since her origin divine ability was thoroughly suppressed by Chen Huan, Sovereign Yu Bai was impaled and slain on the spot by Qi Yuan's blade.
"Finally softened up!" Qi Yuan held the broken sword, thoroughly pleased with himself.
Earlier he couldn't pierce her at all, but without her origin divine ability protecting her, a bit of force was all it took to breach her defense.
At that very moment, a massive flood of experience poured in.
Qi Yuan felt an intoxicating rush.
His experience bar shot up relentlessly.
In the blink of an eye, it halted at Level 119, agonizingly close to Level 120—and agonizingly close to his next chance to comprehend origin.
Hardening his resolve, Qi Yuan turned his gaze toward the surrounding Terrestrial Myths. With a sweep of sword light, over a dozen corpses dropped to the ground.
He couldn't slay a Sovereign on his own, but butchering Terrestrial Myths was truly easier than slaughtering chickens.
Looking at the blood-drenched Chen Huan, he asked, "How are you holding up?"
"A few wounds, but nothing serious." Chen Huan felt entirely detached from reality.
A Sovereign... had been killed by them just like that?
With Qi Yuan's guidance, he had been able to exploit the blind spots of Sovereign Yu Bai's origin divine ability and strike directly at her core.
Even so, the final clash of origin divine abilities had left him with no small amount of injuries.
Yet he was so pumped with adrenaline that he couldn't care less about the pain.
"Since you're fine, follow me. We're heading to the other caverns to turn them completely upside down!" Qi Yuan's face remained placid.
He needed to kill a few more monstrosities to scrape together the remaining experience for Level 120.
"Right!" Chen Huan agreed without a second thought. His blood was boiling; slaying a single Sovereign just now hadn't fully satisfied him, and he desperately needed to vent.
By now, he had been led astray by Qi Yuan, his senses intoxicated by slaughter.
Had this been the Chen Huan of old, he would have fled for his life the moment the deed was done. Who would ever dare hit a second cavern? That was asking to be cornered and slaughtered!
"Move!"
The two swiftly departed the Liuchuan Demonic Cavern, making for the next one.
Meanwhile, within the Northern Demon Controllers' headquarters in the Land of a Thousand Cities, Daoist Purple opened his eyes, stunned disbelief written across his face. "Sovereign Yu Bai... is dead?"
Chapter 113