"……"
The Court Master of Yunzhong Court fell silent.
He truly did not understand.
*Dragon King, please crook your mouth?*
*What did that even mean?*
"Sigh, as expected, there really is a generation gap with you old fogies." Seeing how quiet the Court Master of Yunzhong Court remained, Qi Yuan let out a sigh.
He also came to understand a universal truth.
No wonder an untouchable white moonlight always remained just a white moonlight and never became an official wife—it was because they were too old, and there was simply too big of a generation gap.
The corner of the Yunzhong Court Master's mouth twitched. "Senior truly knows how to joke."
As he spoke, he glanced at Huang Tu nearby. "Could Senior give this one some face and spare this young man's life?"
At this moment, deep within Huang Tu's eyes was a thick, suffocating dread.
How could this blood-robed man before him possibly be the Blood-Robed Sword God?
The Blood-Robed Sword God—whom he regarded as a living nightmare, whose flesh he wished to eat and whose bones he wished to crush—was standing right next to him. Yet Huang Tu dared not harbor the slightest shred of malice, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Because the Blood-Robed Sword God truly was extraordinarily good at killing.
"Why should I give you face? He wanted to kill me, so I kill him. It's only right and natural." Qi Yuan cast a flat glance at Huang Tu.
The prodigies around Huang Tu all felt as if they had plunged into an icy cellar. One after another, they backed away from him, regarding Huang Tu as if he were the plague god himself.
"Senior, if you kill Huang Tu, I fear... it will truly be difficult to reconcile with the Palace of Light," the Court Master of Yunzhong Court said. "This Prodigy Battle is of paramount importance, and Huang Tu is also the Palace of Light's sole hope of reaching the top twenty."
"Oh? He's from the Palace of Light? And so important to them?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.
No wonder Huang Tu looked somewhat familiar and amiable at first glance; turns out he was a junior of his white moonlight.
"He is more important than a Purple Mansion cultivator, perhaps even... comparable to a Palace Master," the Court Master of Yunzhong Court emphasized Huang Tu's significance.
He seemed eager to preserve Huang Tu's life,
hoping the Blood-Robed Sword God might spare Huang Tu because of this.
Qi Yuan was rendered speechless. Could the people of the Palace of Light not survive without yellow pictures? Couldn't they just watch videos instead?
A cold sneer surfaced on Qi Yuan's face. "Then he must be killed all the more."
With a flick of his fingers, a spell shot toward Huang Tu.
The Court Master of Yunzhong Court's expression shifted slightly, and he moved to intercept it.
Unfortunately, the gap in strength between him and the Blood-Robed Sword God was far too vast. Qi Yuan's attack was not something he could block at all.
Even if he managed to touch it, he would only end up injured himself.
The spell struck, and the light in Huang Tu's eyes froze.
His body went limp, collapsing to the floor entirely devoid of breath.
The Court Master of Yunzhong Court looked exceptionally grim.
The prodigies present trembled with fear.
This Blood-Robed Sword God was entirely beyond common sense.
When it came to prodigies, he truly killed them without hesitation!
He had not the slightest fear of earning a reputation for bullying the weak with superior power.
With Huang Tu dead, the Court Master of Yunzhong Court let out a sorrowful sigh. "Senior, why must you make your relationship with the Palace of Light so rigid and irreconcilable?"
Qi Yuan paid no attention to the Court Master. Instead, he clapped his hands and turned to Rogue Immortal Venerable. "Another one dead. Your ranking on the Heavenly Pride Roll has climbed up another notch. How far are you from the official roll? Do you want me to kill a few more?"
Upon hearing those words, the surrounding prodigies turned pale with fright and hastily retreated several steps.
Was this Blood-Robed Sword God a madman?
Rogue Immortal Venerable was utterly dumbfounded. He squeezed out a smile uglier than crying. "No... no need."
Nearby, Gao Ji'en stood stiffly, not daring to move a muscle.
If two Purple Mansions hadn't been present, he would have dragged his junior brother aside long ago to ask what in the world was going on with this Blood-Robed Sword God.
The Court Master of Yunzhong Court looked at Qi Yuan and slowly spoke: "In truth, during my visit this time, the Palace of Light had some words they wished for this junior to pass along to Senior."
"Are you a lapdog of the Palace of Light?" A wisp of killing intent swept out from Qi Yuan's body.
This was his white moonlight after all; it was worth a fortune.
"By no means." Cold sweat broke out on the Court Master's forehead; just a moment ago, he had smelled the impending crisis of death. "I have no affiliation with the Palace of Light whatsoever."
Only upon hearing this did the killing intent on Qi Yuan dissipate.
"Senior, may we step aside to speak?" the Court Master asked.
In broad daylight before a large crowd, some matters were truly inconvenient even via voice transmission.
"Sure, taking two steps aside is fine too." Qi Yuan nodded, then turned to Rogue Immortal Venerable nearby. "Rogue Immortal Venerable, when the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance begins later, remember to record it for me. Thanks."
With that, Qi Yuan and the Court Master vanished into thin air.
Only the prodigies remained in the hall, their faces filled with awe and terror.
Rogue Immortal Venerable sat blankly in his seat, his mind in a daze.
The rest of the prodigies all looked at him, their eyes tinged with envy and admiration.
Gao Ji'en also rushed to send a voice transmission: "Junior Brother, what in the world is going on? What Blood-Robed Sword God? What Palace of Light? Should we make a run for it right now and hurry back to Leixing Continent?"
"Senior Brother... to tell the truth, I'm not very sure either." Rogue Immortal Venerable's head was still an absolute mess.
Meanwhile, within an immortal cave, a faint incense burned, lending a touch of celestial charm to the entire dwelling.
Qi Yuan stood clad in his blood-red robe, a haze of bloody qi swirling around him. He looked at the Court Master of Yunzhong Court. "Speak, what is it?"
"Sigh. Senior should not have killed Huang Tu. This has thoroughly offended the Palace of Light," the Court Master began.
"I offended them long ago." Qi Yuan was unfazed.
He intended to wipe out the Palace of Light anyway; why would he care about offending them?
What was there to fear about offending dead men?
Even though this was a cultivation world, once he obliterated an enemy in body and soul, they couldn't possibly turn into a ghost anyway.
"Senior may not know just how crucial reaching the top twenty in this Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle is to the Palace of Light."
"Isn't it just earning the qualification to enter a new world?" Qi Yuan asked with mild curiosity.
The Court Master was slightly startled. "Since Senior already knows this, shouldn't you know what it implies?"
"Oh? What does it imply?" Qi Yuan looked genuinely bewildered. "Don't play riddles with me. Spell it out."
The Court Master's heart skipped a beat.
It seemed the Blood-Robed Sword God truly did not know.
Yet... shouldn't the top powers or orthodox great sects of every continent know about this?
Could it be... that this Blood-Robed Sword God was an itinerant cultivator?
At this thought, the Court Master felt even greater admiration.
He showed a troubled expression. "Senior, this matter pertains to heavenly secrets, and I truly cannot speak of it openly. Otherwise, the moment the words leave my lips, I fear I would lose my life on the spot. I can only disclose eight words to Senior: A great tribulation approaches; prepare early."
"A great tribulation?" Qi Yuan was surprised.
However, he did not press further.
Judging from the Court Master's look, nothing more could be pried from him anyway.
"This time, a new world was discovered in the Eastern Lands. The Eastern Lands' three... Yin Gods conferred and agreed: any sect or faction whose disciple enters the top twenty of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll will receive the opportunity to enter that world and open up new territory," the Court Master continued.
"The Eastern Lands has three Yin Gods?" Qi Yuan asked.
This was what he actually cared about.
"Such confidential secrets are beyond what this junior knows." The Court Master shook his head, not expecting the Blood-Robed Sword God to ask about this.
"How strong is a Yin God? Could ten thousand of you hack a Yin God to death?" Qi Yuan inquired again.
"Cough, cough..." The Court Master was thoroughly embarrassed. "Please don't make things difficult for this junior, Senior. A Yin God... is already akin to a deity walking the earth. A realm like that is beyond what this junior can fathom, nor would I ever dare entertain thoughts of comparison."
"If I took down the sun from the sky and smashed it onto a Yin God, would it crush them to death?" Qi Yuan asked again.
Cold sweat soaked the Court Master's forehead.
Why was this Blood-Robed Sword God so fixated on Yin Gods?
The moment he opened his mouth, he was talking about fighting a Yin God.
Granted, the Blood-Robed Sword God's strength was formidable, nearly on par with the Pavilion Master of Ascending Heaven Pavilion.
Yet the Yin God and Purple Mansion realms were two completely different tiers.
One was still cultivating immortality; the other had already become an immortal deity.
"It... it should probably crush them to death..." the Court Master replied awkwardly.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt reassured. "Right, what is that new world called, and how strong is it?"
"Wangyue Continent. Its strength is very weak; the strongest there are at most comparable to our Canglan Realm's Divine Infant stage. Therefore, the top twenty experts of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll will be more than enough to sweep across Wangyue Continent."
"Wangyue Continent?" Qi Yuan's eyelashes fluttered.
He had not expected to hear of that world here.
Wasn't that the world from his game?
The place where he achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment?
Jin Li...
Was it just a shared name, or was it the very same place?
A surge of emotion stirred in his heart, yet his expression remained placid. "Do I qualify to go to Wangyue Continent?"
"Senior, matters decided by the three Venerable Yin Gods cannot be altered. One must reach the top twenty of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll to have the opportunity to enter Wangyue Continent."
"Mm, understood." Qi Yuan's heart still rippled with emotion. "I'm leaving."
His figure flashed and vanished without a trace.
Inside the room, only the Court Master of Yunzhong Court was left with a bitter smile.
"Sigh, it seems the feud between the Blood-Robed Sword God and the Palace of Light can never be resolved."
...
The Palace of Light.
Third Palace Master Zi Ran bore a respectful expression, though deep within her eyes lingered murderous intent. "Grand Palace Master, Huang Tu... was killed by the Blood-Robed Sword God!"
The Grand Palace Master was entirely shrouded in radiance, rendering his features unseen, but his imposing, towering silhouette was unmistakable.
"I know." The Grand Palace Master's expression was calm. "I have already reached an agreement with the Eastern Lands Chapter Leader of the Divine Flower Society. He will help arrange a meeting with the Blood-Robed Sword God so we can sit down and have a proper talk."
"Talk even now?" The Third Palace Master could not understand, her expression turning somewhat fierce. "He killed Huang Tu, severing one of our retreat routes!"
"A great tribulation approaches; everything... must defer to the plan. We cannot afford to delay over such trivial matters any longer. If we must yield, then we yield; at most, we lose a bit of face," the Grand Palace Master said evenly.
"Unless the Blood-Robed Sword God walks right into our trap and comes to our Palace of Light's mountain gate, wasting more manpower will never allow us to encircle and slay him. Why engage in useless efforts? This matter should come to an end."
How could he not wish to execute the Blood-Robed Sword God?
If only the Blood-Robed Sword God came to the Palace of Light headquarters, relying on their numerous Purple Mansions alongside the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown, he could easily ensure the Blood-Robed Sword God never returned alive.
Yet the Blood-Robed Sword God was an almighty figure, not a fool; why would he come here to throw his life away?
Thus, at this juncture, the Grand Palace Master could only shake hands and make peace with the Blood-Robed Sword God.
"Before returning, I personally paid respects to that esteemed personage. That personage mentioned that our Palace of Light may accept one more disciple. Xu Tongchen's talent far exceeds Huang Tu's; he will surely enter the top twenty, perhaps even the top ten. We shall simply take the Seven Words Sect's quota for our use." The Grand Palace Master acted with swift decisiveness, determining the fate of the Seven Words Sect in a single sentence.
As for whether the Seven Words Sect agreed or not, that was not something he needed to consider.
...
The following day.
With an uneasy heart, Xu Tongchen once again arrived outside Qi Yuan's immortal cave.
Yet this time, unlike before, Qi Yuan appeared to be playing weiqi with two friends.
At that moment, Qi Yuan held a black stone, pondering where to place it.
"Fellow Daoist... Qi Yuan, long time no see." Looking at Qi Yuan, Xu Tongchen's legs trembled involuntarily.
Who could have imagined that the seemingly ordinary man before him, who cultivated alongside him every day, was the Blood-Robed Sword God whose renown currently shook Cuiyun Continent?
His unusual behavior drew Jiang Ya's attention. She glanced at Xu Tongchen, then at Qi Yuan, wondering what was going on.
Qi Yuan swept a glance over Xu Tongchen. "Come sit. Once I finish this match, I'll go cultivate with you."
Hearing this, Xu Tongchen sat down beside Qi Yuan.
Playing against Qi Yuan was Kang Fulu. At this moment, he placed a white stone down and looked smugly at Qi Yuan. "Junior Brother, you lose this round."
Qi Yuan looked at the board and could only shake his head. "Sure enough, I'm still only suited for gomoku."
Jiang Ya sat to the side, amusement dancing in her eyes.
The weiqi skills of Qi Yuan and Kang Fulu were truly abysmal.
Kang Fulu's face grew even more smug, but remembering something, he couldn't help asking, "Junior Brother, did you not attend the Fish-Dragon Banquet yesterday? Why didn't I see you?"
"I attended," Qi Yuan answered. "You were with Senior Sister Jiang Ya at the time, and beside you was... Xu Tongchen."
"Huh, strange, how come I didn't see you?" Kang Fulu remarked, then turned to Xu Tongchen. "Fellow Daoist Xu, did you see my junior brother?"
Yesterday, while attending the Fish-Dragon Banquet with Jiang Ya, he had run into Xu Tongchen, whom he had met once before here at Qi Yuan's place, and the three of them had traveled together.
"I... I saw him." Xu Tongchen stole a glance at Qi Yuan, completely at a loss for how to answer.
Was he supposed to say that your junior brother was that terrifying Blood-Robed Sword God?
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Xu, you saw my junior brother and didn't even let me know! Could it be that you were also stunned by the murderous aura radiating from the Blood-Robed Sword God?"
At the mention of this, Kang Fulu's expression turned solemn.
"That Blood-Robed Sword God... hails from the Hundred Kingdoms just like me. His strength is truly terrifying. Who knows where he slaughtered so many people to forge such a dense aura of blood? A peerless god of slaughter like that is probably rather aloof and solitary. Ordinary people wouldn't dare stay around him for too long; who knows when they might end up killed by the Blood-Robed Sword God."
Hearing this, Xu Tongchen was rendered speechless.
He had no idea how to respond.
Qi Yuan looked at Kang Fulu. "Senior Brother, the Blood-Robed Sword God is actually a very nice person. He isn't interested in young people like you; he only likes killing old folks."
Kang Fulu rolled his eyes at Qi Yuan. He had personally witnessed the Blood-Robed Sword God slaughtering prodigies like dogs; what did Qi Yuan, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, know about the Blood-Robed Sword God?
"Alright, you two go cultivate." He couldn't be bothered to argue with Qi Yuan.
"Okay." Qi Yuan did not refuse.
Last time, he had felt a glimmer of insight regarding the True Solar Fire.
This time, he intended to finish it in one breath and completely comprehend the True Solar Fire.
Following Qi Yuan, Xu Tongchen entered that immortal cave.
Entering the cave this time, his mindset was vastly different from before.
In the past, although he treated Qi Yuan as an equal, his pride as one of the top thirty on the Heavenly Pride Roll would still surface from time to time.
Now, however, that pride had completely vanished, replaced only by reverence and dread.
"Summon your True Solar Fire. This time, I must comprehend it."
Hearing the great expert give the command, Xu Tongchen hastily summoned his True Solar Fire.
Qi Yuan's expression instantly grew solemn and earnest as he entered a focused state.
The True Solar Fire before him was dark within and bright without, radiating a golden glow.
Looking at the True Solar Fire, Qi Yuan felt as though he were standing inside a sun.
Within that sun, formidable flames burned wildly, as if capable of incinerating all things.
Those flames seemed to notice Qi Yuan's presence; they burned even more vigorously and appeared far more spirited.
It was just like a daughter meeting her adoptive father.
"True Solar Fire, you are my True Solar Fire," Qi Yuan murmured, repeating the words.
Within the sun, a wisp of True Solar Fire grew joyous to the extreme. Suddenly, it flew out and landed in Qi Yuan's hand.
Qi Yuan's eyes lit up as a flame danced within his gaze.
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "I have comprehended the True Solar Fire!"
Xu Tongchen was shaken upon hearing this, but remembering that the person before him was the Blood-Robed Sword God, his shock lessened somewhat. "Congratulations, Senior! Felicitations, Senior!"
In truth, he felt rather curious now.
Why would an almighty Purple Mansion expert who had already comprehended an origin divine ability bother learning his True Solar Fire?
Even if mastered, it was merely a powerful ordinary divine ability, useful only for slaying Divine Infants; it could not contend against fellow Purple Mansions at all.
Of course, he only pondered this privately and would never ask aloud.
"You've worked hard during this period, but it can be considered a win-win," Qi Yuan said casually.
He naturally knew that standing by his side allowed Xu Tongchen's True Solar Fire to flourish.
The young man had also treated him like an old fellow.
Yet Qi Yuan didn't mind.
"Senior... then this junior shall take his leave," Xu Tongchen said tentatively after a moment of hesitation.
"Mm." Qi Yuan knew Xu Tongchen had recognized his identity, but he didn't care.
After all, the fellow's master was still a member of his funeral band.
When he set out to besiege the Palace of Light, he would have to bring them along.
After Xu Tongchen departed, Qi Yuan once again accessed the jade slip of the Divine Flower Society.
During this time, he had been posting on the Divine Flower Society forum, live-streaming the destruction of the Palace of Light.
He had garnered approval from many people.
This time, he logged into his main account and entered the chat group of the Four Emperors of Divine Flower.
The moment he entered the group, he saw Rogue Immortal Venerable heaping praise on him.
"You guys have no idea, Origin Celestial Venerable is a genuine grand boss!"
"Back when he met with me, he was excessively approachable, so I thought he was a real greenhorn newbie. But then a Purple Mansion showed up and acted like a dog before Origin Celestial Venerable! I was utterly dumbfounded! Origin Celestial Venerable is a true titan!"
"Before Origin Celestial Venerable left, he asked me to record the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance. And when the dance began, I was actually allowed to stand right on the stage! If not for the huge crowd... no, wait, if not for remembering Origin Celestial Venerable's request, I really wouldn't have been able to resist doing some strange things!"
"This lady could tell at a glance that Origin Celestial Venerable was no ordinary mortal. I'm just waiting for the Palace of Light to be wiped out," Iceberg Overlord Woman chimed in within the group.
"Sister Iceberg Overlord Woman, you won't have to wait long. My plan to destroy the Palace of Light has reached the final step. In a few days, I shall set out to obliterate them," Qi Yuan stated earnestly.
By now, the people of the Palace of Light had completely shrunk back to their headquarters.
It was said the Grand Palace Master was also about to return; he needed to catch them all in one net.
"Whoa, the boss is here! Let me pour tea and fetch water for you!" Rogue Immortal Venerable was exceedingly enthusiastic.
"Origin Celestial Venerable, you've arrived?" Great Sun Flame Emperor sent a message in the group.
Right after, Qi Yuan saw his private messages flashing.
It was a message from Great Sun Flame Emperor.
"Origin Celestial Venerable, are you truly going to destroy the Palace of Light?"
"Mm. The plan is already underway; how could I leave it unfinished?" Qi Yuan replied.
He was somewhat curious as to why Great Sun Flame Emperor was messaging him privately.
"The Palace of Light's strength is far from ordinary. They share deep ties with a Venerable Yin God," Great Sun Flame Emperor warned.
"Even if the Tathagata Buddha came, he couldn't stop me!" Qi Yuan affirmed resolutely.
Seeing this, Great Sun Flame Emperor knew Origin Celestial Venerable's mind was set. He said:
"Your matters with the Palace of Light have already drawn the attention of the Divine Flower Society's upper echelons. Presumably, the President of the Divine Flower Society should have sent a friend request to your Blood-Robed Sword God jade slip."
"Is that so? I'll check it out in a bit and accept it."
One still had to give some face to a forum administrator and authority dog.
"Origin Celestial Venerable... regarding the Palace of Light, if a Venerable Yin God makes a move against you, speak the name of Lord Feng. It might spare you from a fatal disaster," Great Sun Flame Emperor said after a pause.
Truth be told, he was not optimistic about Origin Celestial Venerable's chances of wiping out the Palace of Light.
He worried that Origin Celestial Venerable's temperament would end up offending that Venerable Yin God.
Chapter 150