Deploying the Sockpuppets

The Palace of Light. A glint of murderous intent flickered deep within the eyes of a red-bearded old man. "Good, good, good. A Purple Mansion has emerged from the Hundred Nations. What a tremendous blessing!" Inside the jade-white palace, three Purple Mansion experts and dozens of Divine Infant cultivators similarly bristled with killing intent. "A tiny place like the Land of a Hundred Nations gets lucky enough to produce one Purple Mansion, and suddenly they don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth! Declaring war on our Palace of Light—what an utter joke!" The Purple Mansion mighty figure Black Rope had always possessed a fiery temper. This time, the three of them were in charge of overseeing the Hundred Nations Blood War. Now, provoked by a small-country cultivator who had fluked his way into the Purple Mansion realm, how could they not be furious? The Palace of Light possessed dozens of Purple Mansion mighty figures, as well as an incomplete Yin God artifact like the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown. It was fair to say that so long as a Yin God did not appear, who could stand against them? A mere solitary Purple Mansion daring to provoke the Palace of Light all on his own… He had already found his path to doom! "This Bloody-Robed Sword God is truly arrogant. His clan should be in the State of Chen. Should we send someone to capture them and force him out?" a Divine Infant cultivator spoke up, offering a strategy. "That would be inappropriate. Our Palace of Light is, after all, the leader of the righteous path in Cuiyun Continent. How could we do such a thing? It would cost us face. More importantly, that Marquis of Earth Sword's clan was wiped out long ago," another Divine Infant cultivator remarked. Hearing this, the other Divine Infant cultivators present remained silent. They had already torn away all pretense and initiated the Hundred Nations Blood War, yet they were still talking about face. "He is merely a solitary Purple Mansion; there is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. In the days ahead, if he dares to come, we will ensure he never returns," Qian Yuan, the leading Purple Mansion mighty figure, spoke. He was a mid Purple Mansion cultivator and held a considerable status within the Palace of Light. Moreover, his disciple was exceptionally talented, ranking near the top of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll, with a strong likelihood of stepping into the Purple Mansion realm as well. His role overseeing the Hundred Nations Blood War this time was purely to burnish his credentials. In the future, if the Palace of Light were to add another palace master, his name would certainly be among them. The moment he spoke, everyone ceased their discussion. To Divine Infant cultivators like them, the Bloody-Robed Sword God posed a tremendous threat. Even an ordinary Purple Mansion mighty figure would need to take him seriously. Yet to a Purple Mansion expert like Qian Yuan, he was hardly worth mentioning. "This master still has a guest to see. Everyone, attend to your duties." Qian Yuan waved his hand, and the Purple Mansion and Divine Infant cultivators in the hall took their leave one after another. At that moment, outside the grand hall, an old man draped in a purple robe looked fraught with worry, his eyes shadowed by gloom. The old man was named Xu Yeli, the Supreme Elder of the Seven Words Sect and the sect's only Purple Mansion mighty figure. Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, Purple Mansion mighty figures stood high above, looking down upon the world. Yet Xu Yeli lived a thoroughly aggrieved existence. All because of… the Palace of Light. "Senior Xu, Elder Qian Yuan is waiting for you in the grand hall." Right then, a Divine Infant cultivator walked out of the hall. As a Purple Mansion mighty figure, Xu Yeli quickly masked his expression, replacing it with a smile. "This old man shall go greet Brother Qian Yuan at once." Saying so, Xu Yeli walked forward into the palace. A few breaths later, Xu Yeli entered the hall. Looking at the imposing man seated upon the high dais, he spoke with a trace of deference, "May I ask what matters Brother Qian Yuan has called this old man here for?" Seated on a white jade chair, Qian Yuan appeared dignified and handsome, his eyes deep as the stars. "It has been quite some time since I last saw you, Fellow Daoist. Having some free time, I thought we might catch up." Qian Yuan's so-called "catch up" was nothing more than an official decree forcing Xu Yeli out of secluded cultivation to travel thousands of li to the Palace of Light. Who ever caught up like this? Though resentful in his heart, Xu Yeli dared not show it. "Indeed, it has been quite some time." After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Qian Yuan got down to business. "Does Fellow Daoist know that the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle has been moved forward?" "I know a little." Hearing this, Xu Yeli felt an ominous premonition. The Seven Words Sect was a modest enterprise with only a single Purple Mansion. However, the Saint Child of the Seven Words Sect—Xu Yeli's disciple, Xu Tongchen—was ranked within the top thirty of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll. Xu Tongchen possessed terrifying talent; when forming his Golden Core, he had awakened True Solar Fire! Once his Golden Core was unleashed, the True Solar Fire incinerated everything, utterly unmatched. Even the divine abilities of Divine Infant cultivators could not halt the True Solar Fire. A saying had long circulated throughout Cuiyun Continent: The Seven Words Sect had held Xu Tongchen back. Had Xu Tongchen hailed from the Palace of Light, he would not merely be in the top thirty of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll—he would have ranked in the top ten! In the past, a palace master of the Palace of Light had personally visited the Seven Words Sect, intending to accept Xu Tongchen as a disciple. Mindful of his master's kindness, Xu Tongchen had refused the palace master. Because of that, a grudge had formed between the Seven Words Sect and the Palace of Light. "Xu Tongchen's talent truly makes one envious," Qian Yuan could not help but remark with a sigh. Xu Yeli's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Huang Tu ranks twenty-seventh on the Heavenly Pride Roll, while Tongchen is only twenty-ninth. He is still inferior to Brother's disciple." He was terrified that Qian Yuan was eyeing his disciple again. Huang Tu was Qian Yuan's disciple, and the highest-ranking cultivator from Cuiyun Continent on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll. "Only twenty-seventh; he cannot compare to your disciple's terrifying talent." As Qian Yuan spoke, his voice lowered slightly. "Fellow Daoist should be aware that with the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle moved forward, entering the top twenty will grant a great opportunity." The ominous feeling in Xu Yeli's heart grew even stronger. Then he heard Qian Yuan say, "The Seven Words Sect and the Palace of Light both hail from Cuiyun Continent and should support one another. For this top-twenty placement, our Palace of Light must secure a spot. I will have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist, to speak with your disciple Xu Tongchen. When the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle begins, out of sentiment for hailing from the same Cuiyun Continent, have him support Huang Tu more." At this moment, Qian Yuan revealed his true intentions. Xu Yeli's expression turned unsightly. Support? That was just polite phrasing. Qian Yuan's meaning was crystal clear. When the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle began, his disciple was not to compete for rank, but rather assist Huang Tu in reaching the top twenty of the Heavenly Pride Roll. And if he refused? Then he would be disregarding their shared ties. "Fellow Daoist Xu, I know this request may seem somewhat overbearing. But I, Qian Yuan, am not an unreasonable man. Once our Palace of Light completes the Hundred Nations Blood War, the Land of a Hundred Nations will be bestowed upon your Seven Words Sect. How about it? Though the Land of a Hundred Nations seems barren, it spans a vast territory. Who knows, there might even be an immortal abode left behind by some senior mighty figure within it. Recently, a Purple Mansion realm Bloody-Robed Sword God even emerged from the Hundred Nations. It is still a decent place." Between his words, Qian Yuan casually bestowed the Land of a Hundred Nations upon Xu Yeli. Xu Yeli's face grew somber, and in the end, he said helplessly, "This matter… shall be done as Brother says." A satisfied smile appeared in Qian Yuan's eyes. "Young people are sometimes rather hot-headed and prone to acting on impulse. I hope Fellow Daoist will counsel your disciple well." "Understood." Suppressing the rage in his heart, Xu Yeli took his leave of Qian Yuan and departed. *** Meanwhile, atop Seven Colors Peak. Jiang Lingsu finally slipped out of her wooden hut and knocked on the door of Qi Yuan's brick-and-tile house. She looked like a thief with a guilty conscience, as if sneaking around for an illicit affair. "Junior Sister, what brings you here?" Qi Yuan was currently fine-tuning his plan to annihilate the Palace of Light. The Bloody-Robed Sword God account had already made its appearance. It was time for the Mad Daoist, the Seven Desires Demon Lord, and other alt accounts to strike as well. Playing every role himself, Qi Yuan was plotting out his grand scheme. "Eldest Senior Brother, is the Bloody-Robed Sword God… your alt account?" Jiang Lingsu asked in a hushed whisper. From Sister Yaya, she had already learned that the Bloody-Robed Sword God had used an origin divine ability to slaughter the Divine Infant cultivators of the Palace of Light. She had seen the post written by the Bloody-Robed Sword God long ago. The writing style, the demeanor—it was identical to Eldest Senior Brother's. Last time, Eldest Senior Brother had even asked to borrow an alt account from her. "No," Qi Yuan shook his head. This sockpuppet could not be blown. "I am merely a tiny Origin Core. How could I be a Purple Mansion mighty figure?" Qi Yuan replied. Jiang Lingsu looked at Qi Yuan with an odd expression. In truth, having such a suspicion had startled her as well. How could Eldest Senior Brother already be a Purple Mansion? Even if he were the reincarnation of a Yin God, it would be impossible to return to the Purple Mansion realm so quickly. Seeing Jiang Lingsu's suspicious look, Qi Yuan said smugly, "Your wooden hut is small and shabby, with only a single room. It just so happens that my brick-and-tile house has been built, complete with a few side rooms. Your sister has nowhere to go at night anyway, so why doesn't she stay in my house? Although the brick-and-tile house is small and undecorated, there are still a few wooden benches. If she needs to sleep, tying a few ropes together will do." After reaching the Origin Core realm, Qi Yuan felt his thoughts becoming increasingly nimble. On the surface, he was offering a helping hand. In reality, he was showing off his brick-and-tile house to his junior sister. "No need." The suspicion in Jiang Lingsu's heart vanished without a trace. According to Sister Yaya, that senior expert was surely a genuine member of the demonic path who had slaughtered far more than a hundred thousand souls. Did Eldest Senior Brother's demeanor resemble the Bloody-Robed Sword God in the slightest? Could it be that the Mad Daoist was actually Eldest Senior Brother's alt account? "What a pity for my newly built house," Qi Yuan sighed. Recalling something, he could not help but ask, "Is Jiang Ya really your older sister?" "Of course she is." Jiang Lingsu could not understand why her senior brother asked. "Then why is one of you thin as a rail while the other is so curvaceous and plump? She looks malnourished, whereas you look overnourished." Qi Yuan voiced his confusion, subconsciously glancing at the full figure hidden beneath Jiang Lingsu's loose robe. "..." Jiang Lingsu glared fiercely at Qi Yuan. The thought process of a young girl was truly incomprehensible at times. "Are you trying to say I'm fat?" Qi Yuan looked at the young woman and said earnestly, "Not at all." His junior sister's figure was just right. Meat where there should be meat, and none where there shouldn't. If not for the loose robes she wore, having her hula-hoop would surely draw huge crowds. "Is that sister of yours very poor?" Jiang Lingsu glared at him again. "Her, poor? She's far richer than me! Her master is Old Man Wutian, the pavilion master of the Ascending Heaven Pavilion!" "Does she have a lot of spirit stones?" "Spirit stones… what are those worth?" Jiang Lingsu said proudly. "The Ascending Heaven Pavilion catalogs the world's cultivation arts. Across the Thirteen Continents of the Eastern Lands, nearly all renowned arts have been gathered by them. Even our Divine Light Sect's Seven Colors Fire Refining Art is recorded there. You know of Lingtian Pavilion, right? Lingtian Pavilion has close ties with the Ascending Heaven Pavilion and has always collected worldly cultivation arts on their behalf." Hearing this, Qi Yuan's breathing grew rapid, and his eyes lit up. "That rich?" "Yes." Seeing Eldest Senior Brother like this, Jiang Lingsu felt much more familiar with him. "Tell me, if I were to marry into their family as a live-in son-in-law, would they let me read all those cultivation arts in the Ascending Heaven Pavilion?" "...Eldest Senior Brother, what are you thinking?" Jiang Lingsu turned her head away. "If you're lacking cultivation arts, just come to me. I still… have a few." Hearing that, Qi Yuan also calmed down. He already had a brick-and-tile house. Though he was still missing a car, there was no need to sink so low as to marry into another family as a live-in son-in-law, right? "Thank you, Junior Sister. But accepting someone's favor for nothing makes me feel a bit…" "Here are quite a few cultivation arts; hurry up and take them to read." With a wave of her fair hand, several jade slips landed in Qi Yuan's grasp. "I just blackmailed these out of Sister Yaya. Don't let her find out!" Having said that, Jiang Lingsu turned and headed straight back to her wooden hut without looking back. Holding the jade slips, Qi Yuan felt touched. He returned to his room and logged into his alt account. Recalling his junior sister's questions earlier, Qi Yuan let out a sigh of relief. "The Bloody-Robed Sword God alt matches my cool and ruthless demeanor too well; Junior Sister suspected me right away. It's better to use the Mad Daoist, who has nothing in common with me. She would never think of connecting him to me." He looked up at the two suns in the sky. "Now, it's time for the Mad Daoist and the Seven Desires Demon Lord to take the stage!" There were still quite a few Palace of Light strongholds in the Land of a Hundred Nations. He needed to prune them one by one. "They were my white moonlight once, after all. I might as well send them to reunite with their ancestors." *** Outside Mount Yunzhi, True Monarch Fengnu and True Monarch Qianghong arrived side by side. Looking at the grand formation cloaking the mountain, fury blazed in True Monarch Fengnu's eyes. "This True Lord Six Zithers is certainly living in leisure, entering secluded cultivation here! If you ask me, he isn't in secluded cultivation at all, but fooling around with female cultivators from Great Shang!" He was thoroughly displeased. His disciple Po Lang had seemingly died at the hands of the Divine Light Sect. Instead of suppressing the Divine Light Sect, this True Lord Six Zithers was hiding away in secluded cultivation here. True Monarch Fengnu naturally harbored great resentment. "True Lord Six Zithers might have reached a critical juncture in his cultivation," True Monarch Qianghong played the peacemaker. Suppressing his rage, True Monarch Fengnu roared toward the grand array ahead, "True Lord Six Zithers, come out and see me at once!" He was a late Divine Infant cultivator whose father was a Purple Mansion mighty figure; he had every reason to be arrogant. Yet after his roar, absolute silence answered him. No one responded at all. Puzzled looks crossed both of their faces. Could an accident have occurred…? Right then, however, boisterous laughter echoed from the sky. "The world laughs at my madness, while I laugh at the world's blindness!" A crazed-looking middle-aged man dressed in a tattered Daoist robe appeared before True Monarch Fengnu and True Monarch Qianghong. "Who are you?" True Monarch Fengnu eyed the man warily. Holding a kitchen cleaver, the man looked at True Monarch Fengnu. "I am… the Mad Daoist." "The Mad Daoist?" True Monarch Fengnu froze, an ominous premonition suddenly seizing him. The Divine Flower Society's Mad Daoist? "Why did you suddenly appear here?" True Monarch Qianghong asked in bewilderment. At that moment, the Mad Daoist brandished his cleaver, a playful smirk dancing in his eyes. "Why am I here? Shouldn't I be asking you two? Wandering about instead of staying properly in your stronghold, wasting my time!" With that, he charged at True Monarch Fengnu and True Monarch Qianghong with his kitchen cleaver like a madman. Despite both being late Divine Infant experts, neither had any stomach to face the enemy. This entire situation reeked of bizarre danger. The two wanted to flee and reconsider their plans later. Yet the crazed voice followed them like a shadow: "The people may leave, but the corpses must stay!" As the manic words fell, the kitchen cleaver traced an arc through the air, descending upon True Monarch Fengnu and True Monarch Qianghong. Both True Monarchs unleashed their protective divine abilities. Yet the cleaver seemed utterly indestructible, brooking no resistance whatsoever. "Making an enemy of the Palace of Light—you will die!" True Monarch Fengnu roared. His body could hold out no longer; cleaved cleanly in two by the kitchen cleaver, his soul shattered completely. True Monarch Qianghong met the same fate. Facing Qi Yuan, late Divine Infant experts were like helpless chicks; Qi Yuan didn't even need to use an origin divine ability, yet neither had the slightest power to fight back. Having slaughtered the two Divine Infant cultivators, Qi Yuan waved his hand lightly, sweeping both of their storage bags into his grasp. "Only this Fengnu barely qualifies as a white moonlight. This True Monarch Qianghong is way too poor! And with that little… he dared to come to Great Shang? It's lucky there's no internet here, or I'd have posted his profile online just to ruthlessly mock him." Having finished speaking, Qi Yuan's figure dissipated. His other sockpuppets were about to take action as well. *** In the imperial court of the State of Wei, the rear palace had already become the back garden of the Palace of Light. Several Divine Infant cultivators had taken up residence in the imperial bedchambers, indulging themselves with great relish. Suddenly, a miserable, mournful wail rang out through the air. "Where is my chicken?" "Where did my chicken go?" Above the rear palace, a man with disheveled hair and a black robe appeared in the sky, radiating an extremely dangerous aura. "Who are you?" From within the rear palace, a Divine Infant cultivator soared into the air. "This is a stronghold of the Palace of Light! There are no chickens of yours here!" "Chicken… you're the ones who snatched my chicken!" The disheveled man's eyes burned with furious indignation, his voice trembling. "You goddamned wretches! That was my kin, yet you stole it and ate it!" "Are you the Seven Desires Demon Lord?" The Divine Infant cultivator instantly understood that the person before him was likely the Seven Desires Demon Lord from the Divine Flower Society. "You lack all conscience! To even steal and eat a cute little chicken—you'll be struck by lightning!" The disheveled man pointed his finger, seemingly denouncing the Divine Infant cultivator. A trace of mockery appeared in the cultivator's eyes. "Raving madman, seeking death!" He did not sense any particularly formidable aura from the cultivator before him. Right now, there were more than ten Divine Infant cultivators present in the Wei Imperial Palace. This Seven Desires Demon Lord coming here was purely courting death. Outside the palace, several Divine Infant cultivators from the State of Wei looked up at the figure in the sky, helplessness washing over their eyes. "I hope this fellow daoist… can emerge unscathed." Qi Yuan's eyes burned with fury. "Do enough wicked deeds, and heaven will strike you down! Ever since I was born, I have helped others every day. I've never even killed a chicken or stepped on an ant! You lot will be struck by heavenly thunder!" "Heavenly thunder? Heavenly thunder ceased to exist in this world long ago! Where did this lunatic come from?" Infuriated, the Divine Infant cultivator lunged straight toward Qi Yuan. At that moment, a golden steamed bun suddenly condensed within Qi Yuan's hand. The moment the bun formed, a terrifying aura permeated the air. With a flick of his wrist, the bun flew out, landing right in front of the Divine Infant cultivator. Just as the cultivator sensed a dense metal-attribute aura— A bolt of heavenly thunder tore through the sky, striking him directly. He tried to resist, but he could not block it in the slightest. "No!" He was baffled, unable to comprehend. Why had heavenly thunder suddenly appeared? Why would heavenly thunder strike him down? Naturally, he did not know that this was a secret art Qi Yuan had created in the past. Condensing the essence of metal into a sword. Wherever the sword was tossed, heavenly thunder would strike. "It's raining buns." "Chicken-filled buns." Qi Yuan looked like a dragon king amidst the clouds. Countless buns rained down from the heavens like hailstones. Dark clouds cloaked the entire Wei Imperial Palace, as though a heavenly god were raging. At this moment, every cultivator in the imperial capital could not help but raise their heads to look at the sky. Upon witnessing the dense thicket of heavenly thunder, terror and awe surfaced in their eyes. Countless bolts of heavenly thunder swept through the Wei Imperial Palace. Every single Divine Infant cultivator from the Palace of Light inevitably had a bun shoved into their mouth, only to welcome the baptism of heavenly thunder. Truly: the profound halls of the nine heavens transform into divine thunder; the dread majesty of heaven, drawn forth by a bun.