The man with slanted eyes knitted his brows and said in a grave voice, "Junior Brother, you are no longer a child. You must prioritize the sect's interests. Our sect's current circumstances are far from ideal. We must forge good ties far and wide. The Palace of Light is a hegemon of Cuiyun Continent, possessing immense might. We should befriend prodigies like Huang Tu. Who knows when that connection might become an asset to our sect?"
Hearing this, Rogue Immortal Venerable felt helpless inside and could only reply, "Understood, Senior Brother."
***
Yunzhong City was situated in the southwestern region of Cuiyun Continent.
In the past, the city had been remote and unaffiliated with any great power.
Within the city, the most famous establishments were a single court and a single pavilion.
Yunzhong Court and Lingtian Pavilion.
One ran a high-class courtesan house, while the other gathered intelligence from across the world.
Today, however, Yunzhong City was far more crowded than ever before.
It had been chosen as the venue for the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle.
At present, the city had gathered nearly all the prodigies of the Eastern Lands, with even more arriving one after another.
What had once been an out-of-the-way little city had suddenly leaped into becoming the most bustling metropolis in Cuiyun Continent.
Trailing behind Jiang Ya, Qi Yuan swept an idle glance across the crowd and immediately spotted a Divine Infant cultivator.
In the Land of a Hundred Nations, Divine Infants were exceedingly rare.
In smaller cities, someone at Foundation Establishment could act as a local despot.
Yet in today's Yunzhong City, to say nothing of Foundation Establishment, even some Origin Core True Persons might be found acting as simple greeters at pill pavilions.
"Speaking of Yunzhong Court, its most renowned spectacle is the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance. Three hundred alluring Origin Core True Persons, clad in sheer, openwork gossamer, dance gracefully among pavilions shrouded in mist and rain. When night falls, there is no need to light sky lanterns—they manifest three hundred Golden Cores all at once. That scene... ah, what a pity, what a pity we lack the good fortune to witness it." Kang Fulu babbled endlessly into Qi Yuan's ear, his face filled with longing.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt nothing at all.
Back in the City of No Return, after his final sermon had ended, Sovereign Yang Hun had specially arranged a grand feast of song and dance.
At that time, sixteen hundred ravishing female Sovereigns clad in red dresses had danced a magnificent routine with enchanting grace.
The spectacle had been grand indeed, though still slightly inferior to a three-thousand-man suona ensemble.
Later on, three hundred alluring female Sovereigns had performed another dance, but that performance had taken place in a private setting rather than in public.
Even Yang Hun had not known the contents of the dance; those three hundred female Sovereigns had choreographed it entirely on their own.
The movements had naturally been far more seductive and daring.
The only spectators had been Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia, and Xiao Jia had watched with great relish.
After Qi Yuan finished watching it, he couldn't help sighing with emotion. No wonder the emperors of ancient Blue Star loved making sycophants into high officials.
What leader, what high-ranking minister could withstand such temptation?
Compared to Golden Cores, Qi Yuan felt that watching Sovereigns dance was far more entertaining.
Right then, a resonant cry resembling a dragon's roar suddenly rang out.
Many people in Yunzhong City looked up toward the horizon.
A rabbit carriage appeared in the sky, soaring across Yunzhong City.
This celestial carriage was drawn by eighteen cloud rabbits possessing ancient dragon bloodlines.
Its momentum was majestic, surging like a vast sea.
At a glance, it boasted fifty-four heads and a hundred and forty-four legs.
Wherever it passed, immortal light radiated and divine tones cascaded downward, exuding boundless nobility.
"That's True Person Huang Tu's carriage!"
"It really is True Person Huang Tu! He is ranked twenty-seventh on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll!"
"He is the strongest prodigy of our Cuiyun Continent's younger generation! This time, he might even have a chance of breaking into the top twenty!"
"The lead rabbit of his carriage is a colossal Divine Infant beast! How terrifying!"
Down below, numerous cultivators gasped in admiration and envy.
At the same time, inside the rabbit carriage, Xu Tongchen's pupils contracted sharply. He seemed to have noticed something.
"Tongchen, what is it?" Huang Tu opened his eyes and looked at Xu Tongchen. Though he kept his gaze somewhat subdued, he could not conceal his overbearing arrogance.
"N-Nothing," Xu Tongchen answered hastily.
Huang Tu glanced at him. "Focus on cultivating during this period. For the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle, I will still need you to exert your strength on my behalf."
Huang Tu spoke far more bluntly than his master.
Even when his master, Qian Yuan, coerced Xu Yeli, he still couched it in gentle words.
Huang Tu, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered to mince words.
After all, he came from a noble background and possessed exceptional talent.
To him, it was only natural that his peers in Cuiyun Continent should serve him.
He was utterly direct with Xu Tongchen.
In fact, he considered inviting Xu Tongchen to ride in the same carriage an immense favor.
Sure enough, hearing Huang Tu's words, Xu Tongchen's heart sank, but his expression remained unchanged. "Understood."
He had long harbored discontent toward Huang Tu.
Yet for the sake of his master and the Seven Words Sect, he had no choice but to endure it.
Right now, however, he recalled that strange sensation from just moments ago.
As the rabbit carriage had passed by, the True Solar Fire within his body had leapt erratically.
He felt as though he had laid eyes upon a true sun.
An illusion?
Recalling that man's face, Xu Tongchen was filled with doubt and bewilderment.
He had no idea why he felt this way.
***
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan watched the cloud carriage fly away and couldn't help marveling, "As expected of people from the big city. The way they travel has so much class. Sigh, I can only surpass him in the game. In reality, he completely outshines me."
Beside him, Jiang Ya remained as calm as an ancient well.
The rabbit carriage in the sky meant nothing to her.
Kang Fulu patted Qi Yuan's shoulder. "Junior Brother, what's so interesting about a rabbit carriage? How could it compare to the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance?"
At the mention of this, Kang Fulu's eyes sparkled.
Qi Yuan originally thought of using a Dao art to project the dance of the three thousand female Sovereigns for Kang Fulu, letting him see what true refined taste looked like.
On second thought, however, a wild boar couldn't appreciate fine grain, so he dropped the idea.
Just then, a man with a mustache suddenly leaned in. "Are you folks visiting Yunzhong City for the first time?"
"Yes," Kang Fulu replied, looking at the mustachioed man with wary vigilance.
"I overheard the two of you discussing the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance just now, hehe." The mustachioed man smiled lasciviously. "Want to add my transmission jade slip? Not only do I have the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance, but I also have private collections of fairies, passionate clandestine recordings, Saintess uncensored, forbidden secret arts, beast girls, fox girls, Master on Top, and even clips of young talents. Fair prices, honest business, discounts on bulk orders!"
Kang Fulu froze. His eyes flared with interest, but after glancing at Qi Yuan and Jiang Ya beside him, he immediately snuffed out the urge.
"I don't want it."
Qi Yuan, on the other hand, wore a thoughtful look.
*Is this guy a bootleg-peddler?*
"You really have them?" Qi Yuan couldn't help asking.
"Of course!" Seeing potential business, the mustachioed man grew enthusiastic. "If you want to buy, let's head into the alley to talk. Out here, ahem..."
"Alright," Qi Yuan agreed. He looked at Kang Fulu and Jiang Ya. "You two wait here. I'm going to conduct some business. I'll be right back."
With that, Qi Yuan followed the mustachioed man away.
Kang Fulu gave an awkward smile. "Our Divine Light Sect still has gentlemen of integrity, after all."
Jiang Ya merely glanced at Qi Yuan's retreating figure, her expression serene, as if nothing had happened.
***
Qi Yuan followed the mustachioed man into a narrow alley.
The man lifted his robes, revealing densely packed jade slips before Qi Yuan's eyes.
Above the jade slips, all manner of text hovered in midair, along with various images that seemed obscured by mist.
For a moment, the scene turned thoroughly wanton.
No wonder they had to trade in an alley. If these images were displayed on the main street, some righteous crusader unable to stomach the sight might just deliver divine retribution.
"Brother, which ones do you want?" The mustachioed man proudly patted his storage bag.
He had even more stock inside.
"Do you also sell on consignment?" Qi Yuan had no interest in those goods; he stated his true objective.
"Consignment?" The mustachioed man's enthusiasm waned considerably. "Little brother, you didn't secretly record something spicy and want me to sell it for you, did you? We don't take ordinary stuff, though."
"It's very spicy indeed." Qi Yuan took out his shadow-recording stone from before. "I've already picked a title. It's called... 'Shocking! Seventeen Divine Infants of the Palace of Light Caught in Massive Debauchery, Suffer Heavenly Wrath—Leaked Private Video!'"
"The Palace of Light?" The mustachioed man shivered inside. He took the shadow-recording stone from Qi Yuan's hand and watched it intently. When he finished, he swallowed hard. "Heavenly thunder? Damn it, heavenly thunder is actually striking the Divine Infants of the Palace of Light!"
"The Palace of Light has committed every evil under the sun. Isn't it only natural for them to be struck by heavenly thunder? This is ironclad proof of their wickedness!" Qi Yuan said in a grave voice.
He had already edited the video.
In any case, anyone who watched it would think the Palace of Light cultivators had brought down divine retribution upon themselves through endless evil deeds.
As for himself, the true culprit, he was left completely out of the picture.
Releasing this video would undoubtedly provide powerful proof of the righteousness of the Bloody-Robed Sword God eradicating the Palace of Light.
As the saying went, a righteous crusade required a just cause.
The slogan had to be loud and clear!
"What, are you scared?" Qi Yuan asked casually upon seeing the mustachioed man remain silent.
"Hmph, who has my Lingtian Pavilion ever feared? I'll take this deal. As for the cut..."
"I don't need a cut. You can keep all the proceeds."
The mustachioed man's eyes lit up. "How could I accept that?"
This business certainly carried risks, but the profits were guaranteed to be enormous.
Divine Infants of the Palace of Light, alongside rare heavenly thunder—either one was enough to draw attention.
Moreover, the footage was authentic.
Placed among his inventory, it would surely entice many buyers.
Naturally, plenty of people might also be tricked by the title, buying it only to find out what it really was. But that wasn't his concern.
Was the title a lie? Technically not!
Regardless, it was bound to rake in a fortune.
"I'm a good person who loves helping others. If you feel bad about it, just look at the little sun in the sky for a moment."
"The little sun?" Confused, the mustachioed man looked up nonetheless.
When he lowered his head again, a dazed look filled his eyes.
The alley was empty. He was the only one there.
"Huh? Who was I talking to just now?"
"Oh, right, selling... the Palace of Light!"
The mustachioed man looked thrilled.
***
"Junior Brother, sigh."
Seeing Qi Yuan return, Kang Fulu sighed repeatedly.
Jiang Ya remained completely calm. "Alright, let's head to the inn."
She acted as though nothing had happened.
The party of four arrived at the inn Jiang Ya had booked in advance.
Though called an inn, it was actually an immortal mountain adorned with numerous pavilions, palaces, and immortal abodes.
The abodes of Jiang Ya, Kang Fulu, and Qi Yuan were adjacent to one another.
Jiang Ya bid them farewell and went to her residence with the old woman.
Kang Fulu looked at Qi Yuan and couldn't help saying, "Junior Brother, what you did just now... really damaged the reputation of our Divine Light Sect. For something like that... you should have secretly sent a voice transmission first, then added his transmission jade slip."
Kang Fulu rambled on, sounding deeply disappointed in Qi Yuan.
At the end, he changed the subject. "Oh, by the way... did you buy the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance? Your senior brother just entered the Origin Core stage and doesn't know how strong Cuiyun Continent's Golden Core cultivators really are. I wanted to observe and study a bit."
"The price was too steep. I didn't buy it," Qi Yuan answered earnestly.
Hearing that, Kang Fulu looked disappointed.
Just then, Qi Yuan extended his hand, and a jade slip dropped into Kang Fulu's palm. "I snatched one while he wasn't looking."
Naturally, Qi Yuan had actually paid for it.
Looking at the jade slip, Kang Fulu's eyes gleamed. "Junior Brother, if I achieve great success with my Golden Core, it will be all thanks to you!"
Qi Yuan smiled and returned to his abode.
Stepping inside, he swept an idle gaze around. "Sigh, as expected of the city."
The interior was resplendent with gold and jade.
Jade pillows, golden silk quilts, sweet-scented osmanthus incense... everything one could ask for was present.
Qi Yuan took out the Divine Flower Society jade slip, intending to contact Rogue Immortal Venerable.
Just then, he paused.
Someone with the ID 'Spirit Maiden' had sent him several messages.
It was his junior sister, Jiang Lingsu.
"Senior Brother, we cultivators should gather our essence and energy to achieve great endeavors. We must not sink into carnal desires!"
"Especially those jade slip recordings—many of them are actually illusions and deceptions. Watching too many of those fakes is bad for your health."
Seeing this, Qi Yuan was somewhat stunned.
Did Jiang Ya tell her?
His junior sister sure knew a lot.
What did she mean by this?
Was she saying that much of what the mustachioed man sold was fake? Was she warning him?
His junior sister was pretty nice after all.
"Junior Sister, how about you show me the real thing instead?"
***
Meanwhile, on Seven Colors Peak, the jade slip hanging from Jiang Lingsu's waist glowed faintly.
She hurriedly took it out.
Upon seeing the reply, her face flushed crimson, and she gritted her teeth. "Qi Yuan!"
***
Naturally, Qi Yuan had no idea how Jiang Lingsu reacted.
He posted in the group chat, "Rogue Immortal Venerable, I've arrived in Yunzhong City. As expected of a big city, the traffic flows like water. It's truly bustling."
Seeing Qi Yuan's message, Rogue Immortal Venerable felt uneasy and hesitant. "Origin Celestial Venerable, it will still be a few days before I arrive."
"No problem, we'll meet up then," Qi Yuan replied warmly.
"Well... Origin Celestial Venerable, would you like to attend a banquet with me when the time comes?" Rogue Immortal Venerable asked hesitantly.
He knew his sect's predicament, and he remembered his senior brother's warning.
However, Origin Celestial Venerable was his friend, and he naturally couldn't abandon him.
"A banquet? What banquet?" Qi Yuan asked.
"It's... Huang Tu's banquet. He's inviting several prodigies to attend. Origin Celestial Venerable, don't misunderstand. When you come with me, you only need to enjoy some spiritual fruits; you don't have to pay attention to anyone else." Rogue Immortal Venerable felt conflicted.
"Whoa, it's actually him? I know him—the strongest prodigy of Cuiyun Continent. Today, he was riding a rabbit carriage, looking mighty and imposing. Rogue Immortal Venerable, you really are a big shot to invite me to a banquet of that caliber! Don't worry, I'll definitely give you face. As long as he doesn't provoke me, I won't be overbearing. After all, he and I... have no grudges, right?" Qi Yuan said casually, his gaze deep.
Reading this, Rogue Immortal Venerable was moved.
Origin Celestial Venerable truly treated him as a friend, willing to set aside his grievances with Huang Tu for the time being.
"By the way, now that I've arrived in Yunzhong City, I should also continue my Hundred-Day Plan over the next few days," Qi Yuan added in the chat.
Rogue Immortal Venerable was utterly bewildered by this.
Origin Celestial Venerable's words truly baffled him.
Was the man at Foundation Establishment, Origin Core, or Purple Mansion?
"I planned another grand scheme today. After letting it brew for two days, I'll strike at the Palace of Light again."
Having said that, Qi Yuan exited the chat.
The next morning at dawn, noticing the time, he logged into his Bloody-Robed Sword God account on the forum and published a post:
*The Palace of Light Ravaged the Hundred Nations and Suffered Heavenly Retribution! I, the Bloody-Robed Sword God, Shall Eliminate It in the Name of Justice!*
The title was concise, but the body was lengthy:
"The Palace of Light has committed every atrocious deed imaginable. Upon arriving in Cuiyun Continent, I purchased several jade slips through Lingtian Pavilion recording their evil deeds. They ravaged the Hundred Nations and ultimately incurred heavenly retribution, with divine thunder slaying over a dozen of their Divine Infants! This is divine punishment brought upon them by their endless villainy! The Palace of Light's fortune is exhausted; they deserve death!"
After posting, Qi Yuan exited the jade slip and resumed modifying the cultivation techniques his junior sister had sent.
For the Origin Core path, continuing the *Qi Yuan Scripture* would be even more arduous.
After all, Qi Yuan harbored immense ambitions.
He wanted to refine the other stars in that universe into Golden Cores!
A day flew by.
Night fell.
Qi Yuan felt mentally drained. "Too difficult! Core Formation techniques are on an entirely different level compared to Foundation Establishment!"
Instead of continuing his adaptations, he logged into the Divine Flower Society forum.
Glancing at his post, he broke into a grin. There were already nearly a thousand comments.
"It seems justice is on my side!"
Qi Yuan could now stand on the moral high ground and crush the Palace of Light.
He read through the comments attentively.
"To think even the Bloody-Robed Sword God... hehe."
"Don't get me started. First thing in the morning, my 'little brother' down below urged me to buy something, so I bought the latest jade slip to study, only to get this... By the way, we cultivators from Huangsheng Continent love watching this."
"Fellow Daoist above, aren't you from Cuiyun Continent? Drop the keywords!"
"Palace of Light Nascent Soul... Lingtian Pavilion's Hidden Pavilion has it. Don't go to their main pavilion."
"Hidden Pavilion? The ones selling... that stuff?!"
The comments were frantic, everyone begging for sources.
Naturally, there were also some serious comments.
"It really is genuine heavenly thunder!"
"What on earth did the Divine Infant cultivators of the Palace of Light do to attract heavenly thunder?!"
"Did anyone notice something seemed to fall from the sky right before they were struck by divine retribution?"
"Can't see clearly. A Dao art was layered over it, blurring it out, but it looks big and round. Based on my years of experience, it should be... breasts."
"??"
"That thing fell from the sky, and then the Palace of Light suffered heavenly retribution? Just how utterly depraved were they?!"
"No wonder a Dao art was added to blur it out. It was simply too cruel and bloody!"
Seeing these, Qi Yuan froze.
He pulled up his backup video to watch.
After finishing it, he stood dumbfounded.
"It was clearly a thrilling, satisfying video. Why did adding a mosaic make it look erotic?"
Qi Yuan felt utterly helpless.
It was clearly a steamed bun falling before the Divine Infants of the Palace of Light suffered heavenly retribution.
He hadn't wanted to expose the bun, so he had added a mosaic layer.
Yet no matter how one looked at it, left or right... it looked like a breast.
"Whatever. In any case, righteousness is on my side now. It's time to keep the appointment and meet those Purple Mansion cultivators from the Palace of Light!"
The Palace of Light had set up a formation and challenged him to battle.
Naturally, Qi Yuan wouldn't back down.
Now that righteousness was on his side and his crusade had a just cause, it was time to meet those old geezers who were his white moonlight.
"No wonder young lads all like eighty- or ninety-year-old rich ladies."
"Once these old geezers kick the bucket, won't all their cultivation techniques belong to me?"
"Now that's a qualified white moonlight!"
"A youngster like Po Lang doesn't count as a white moonlight at all. Revoke his white moonlight status!"
Chapter 144