An Incensed Qi Yuan

Thundercloud Valley. Bathed in lightning, the emaciated Great Venerable Shenlei could not help sighing. "This lightning is still too weak. It can't heal my injuries at all." Seventy years ago, one of his close friends had betrayed the Ancient Gods and defected to the camp of the evil gods. Furiously enraged, Great Venerable Shenlei had brazenly intervened. Single-handedly battling two Great Venerables, he severely wounded that friend of his. Yet his own injuries were evidently even more grave. "To still be able to live another three hundred years... isn't bad, I suppose," Great Venerable Shenlei murmured, taking stock of his body. His injuries were far, far too heavy. Otherwise, for a dignified Great Venerable, lifespan was measured in units of hundreds of thousands of years. Three hundred years would pass in the snap of a finger. Right then, an aged voice sounded. "Great Venerable Shenlei, long time no see." The speaker was none other than the white-haired elder who had just finished communicating with Venerable Baixi. Great Venerable Shenlei's brow twitched, and a bolt of thunder crashed down on the white-haired elder. "You're at such a ripe old age, and you still don't know to knock before entering? Is an old man's body really that nice to look at?" Seeing this, the white-haired elder did not get angry in the least, chuckling instead. "Great Venerable Shenlei, haven't you always wanted to find a disciple to inherit your mantle? I've brought you one." Great Venerable Shenlei frowned upon hearing that. "If he's too weak, this old man would rather do without." "He is definitely not weak. If it weren't for having to nurture the Child of Destiny, I wouldn't yield such a fine prospect to you, either." Following that, the white-haired elder recounted Qi Yuan's situation to Great Venerable Shenlei. "A Legendary?" Great Venerable Shenlei was somewhat astonished. A Legendary-grade God Visualization Art could virtually forge a Great Venerable. "According to him, there are three more True Gods of the same tier," the white-haired elder added. Great Venerable Shenlei lowered his head and muttered to himself, "These Four Heavenly Kings—why has this old man never heard of them? "Nor have I ever heard of this Howling Celestial Dog, Earth God, or Giant Spirit God." Hearing this, the white-haired elder also furrowed his brows in contemplation. "This old man hasn't heard of these True Gods either." "Could it be a certain divine lineage that never appeared on the front lines?" Great Venerable Shenlei could not help speculating. During the Hongtang Great War, besides the frontline engagements, there were also deities of certain lineages who shouldered heavy burdens and concealed their names. "None of that matters. Let me ask you: are you satisfied with this disciple or not?" "He's so-so." Though Great Venerable Shenlei said this, the mustache on his upper lip was practically curling up to the heavens. "The True Gods he visualizes are completely unknown to the world. "Perhaps he even knows of some deities who command thunder and lightning. If he visualizes one, it might help heal your injuries." "Heh, you sure dare to dream. That would require at least a Legendary-grade God Visualization Art." Great Venerable Shenlei kicked the white-haired elder. "This old man is going to put on some clothes. Scram!" The white-haired elder chuckled. "Shenlei, don't be as reckless this time as you were in the past." Great Venerable Shenlei had always had a brash temperament, much like an outright brute. Back then, had he not acted on impulse and taken on two Great Venerables single-handedly, he would not have suffered such grievous wounds. "Does this old man need you lecturing me?" Great Venerable Shenlei glared at him. "Alas, taking in a disciple means that young fellow is in for a rough time. "I expect he'll be urging his master every day to keep a low profile, stay safe, and not act recklessly." The white-haired elder beamed. "Scram already! I need to get ready to head out too!" Great Venerable Shenlei snapped. Heading into the fallen territory, even he had to be cautious. Otherwise, he could very well fall. There was more than one Great Venerable in the fallen territory. Moreover, in the Northern Lands, there was even a Great Venerable at the level of the Fifth Step of Sky Treading. Against a Great Venerable of that caliber, let alone winning, Great Venerable Shenlei didn't even harbor the thought of fighting. He would be obliterated in an instant. One day later. Feihuang City. Wang Wenqi watched the rain falling outside her window like beaded curtains, sorrow clouding her eyes. She thought of Jiang Country, of her family, and of her great-grandfather. The maid beside her was similarly stirred by the scene. "Miss, when will we leave Feihuang City? I want to see Jiang Country's snow again." While Lin Country was now drowning in rain, snow had begun to fall in Jiang Country. Wang Wenqi gazed blankly toward the window. "I don't know either." Originally, following her great-grandfather's instructions, she had come to Feihuang City to seek out the Origin Celestial Venerable. Yet now, the Origin Celestial Venerable was colluding with the New Gods. Her great-grandfather had died at the hands of an evil god; how could she ever hand his belongings over to the Origin Celestial Venerable? Today, in the castellan's manor, she had met many prominent figures of Feihuang City, as well as the Ancient God of Shisha Town, Ruoyu. All of them were immensely wary of the Origin Celestial Venerable. Most of them believed that the Origin Celestial Venerable had chosen to compromise and scrape by, cooperating with the New Gods. In the past, she might have held different views regarding those who compromised and cooperated with the New Gods to preserve their lives. But her great-grandfather's betrayal at the hands of his friend from Lü Country remained a thorn in her heart. Toward the Origin Celestial Venerable, resentment had similarly welled up inside her. "It's all that Origin Celestial Venerable's fault—why did he have to go and submit to the New Gods!" the maid could not help blurting from the side. If the Origin Celestial Venerable were still a good Ancient God, her young mistress would have handed her great-grandfather's belongings to him, helping him grow strong and eventually avenge them. Yet with things turning out like this, the young mistress felt utterly lost about the road ahead—even despairing. Even she felt that way. Right then, rhythmic footsteps sounded. A man walked through the veil of rain, holding an umbrella. The umbrella tilted upward slightly, revealing a clean, handsome face. Seeing the man, surprise flashed in Wang Wenqi's eyes, only to hear him ask, "Have you ever seen Venerable Tianbao?" Wang Wenqi started, then nodded. "I saw Great-grandfather, but not often." "Among the living, who knew him best?" the man asked again. Fury flared in Wang Wenqi's eyes. "Zhang Feng, of Lü Country!" "A True God?" "A True God at the Third Step of Sky Treading!" "Then... his memories of Venerable Tianbao must run very deep," the man murmured. Then he looked at Wang Wenqi. "I am Qi Yuan, your great-grandfather's fellow group member. "Wang Wenqi, do you want to slay a god?" Wang Wenqi's eyes widened, her chest heaving with nervous tension, or perhaps pure excitement. Behind her, the maid grew frantic. "Miss, he's the Origin Celestial Venerable! He joined the evil gods!" Wang Wenqi looked into Qi Yuan's clear eyes and reached out her hand. "I... do!" She leapt down from the window ledge, splashing water across the ground. ... The day of the New God's descent drew closer and closer. In Feihuang City, panic gripped the hearts of all. Huang Mengying's expression was grim; she looked utterly exhausted. "The Origin Celestial Venerable is simply too stubborn. There's no talking him around at all!" Ruoyu said, lowering his head. Rather than saying he couldn't be persuaded, the truth was that they didn't dare try. "This old man, however, feels that the Origin Celestial Venerable might be plotting against that New God," Nangong Wuji spoke up on Qi Yuan's behalf. "Otherwise, Miss Wang Wenqi wouldn't have agreed to go to Qingshui Village with him." Hearing this, everyone present fell into silence. Ruoyu retorted, "His audacity is simply immense! That is a True God—a True God who has opened three divine apertures! How could he dare plot against him?" Ruoyu was genuinely baffled. Right at this moment, an ethereal voice drifted in: "Three days from now... when Taiyi descends, I shall strike once, as a favor to that young friend." Hearing that familiar voice, ecstatic joy washed over the faces of everyone present. "God Yuan, you've awakened!" "Lord God, you've finally awakened!" They were overjoyed, yet received no further response. Ancient God Yuan had lapsed into slumber once more. Still, a trace of confidence settled in their hearts. With Ancient God Yuan stepping in, three days from now... they would not be entirely without a fighting chance. At the same time. In Qingshui Village, Qi Yuan looked at the altar before him, an excited glint in his eyes. "Venerable Taiyi will descend right here three days from now?" The evil god was skinny and small, looking downright malnourished. "Yes." Toward Qi Yuan, this demon of a man, he felt utter terror. Hearing this, a smile touched Qi Yuan's eyes. "I really hope time moves faster. Three days from now can't come soon enough." When a True God falls, what kind of feast would be appropriate? Hosting the feast in a tiny place like Kuangfeng Town again would be a bit insulting to the god. No matter what, they had to throw a grand banquet across Feihuang City. Standing beside him, the evil god trembled violently at his words. Qi Yuan sat on a rock for who knew how long. Just then, someone ran over and whispered something into his ear. Surprise flickered across Qi Yuan's face. "God Yuan is launching?" Sitting beside Qi Yuan, Wang Wenqi cradled a pipa, her fingers pinching its strings. "Do you think Venerable Taiyi might get spooked and decide not to descend?" Qi Yuan asked Wang Wenqi. He hadn't spread the word about his plot against Venerable Taiyi. What if Venerable Taiyi was timid as a hare and got scared off? Because of that, up until now, he had only given Wang Wenqi the God Visualization Art of the Chiguo Heavenly King to visualize, and hadn't yet let her consume the supreme treasures to break through to the True God realm. When Wang Wenqi came to him this time, she had even brought five treasures capable of enabling a peak Purple Mansion cultivator to break through to True God. Though Qi Yuan had never met Venerable Tianbao, he kept that gratitude firmly in his heart. And the name Zhang Feng was also etched into his mind. "Probably not. Ancient God Yuan has been comatose with severe injuries all along. Even if he awakens, he won't have much power." "That's good, then. I was only worried... his guts were too small and he wouldn't dare come down." The altar rituals continued. In an enigmatic space, a voice spoke up. "Venerable Taiyi, you still intend to go down? Aren't you afraid someone has set a trap for you?" "Hmph! If this old man were that cowardly, I never would have become a True God!" "Then why are you risking heavy divine power depletion just to force an early descent?" "That kid is extraordinarily bizarre. I cannot give him any more time to prepare." "Then I wish Venerable Taiyi a smooth journey!" Ignoring the voice, Venerable Taiyi stepped directly into the membrane. Instantly, colossal heartbeats and wet chewing sounds reached his ears. The divine spiritual power on Venerable Taiyi drained wildly. Upon his three divine apertures, powerful light flared brilliantly. "So hungry... so hungry! I'm so hungry!" Venerable Taiyi could not help roaring. A fierce hunger assaulted him, making him yearn to carve off his own flesh and devour it. After who knew how long, the ravenous Venerable Taiyi suddenly burst into laughter. "Mortal Heart Realm... this venerable one has finally arrived!" Just then, in the night over Kuangfeng Town, a colossal figure appeared. He roared with wild abandon, his expression ecstatic. The aura belonging to a True God permeated the air at this very moment. It seemed as though a layer of mist had draped over the entire world. In Kuangfeng Town, every townsperson was stunned in this instant. "Venerable Taiyi... descended early!" "How can this be?!" At the castellan's manor in Feihuang City, the powerhouses also sensed this aura, their faces draining of color. "Venerable Taiyi!" "He descended ahead of time!" "He must have smelled danger! We're finished!" "Where is Ancient God Yuan? Has he not awakened yet?" Huang Mengying stared at the terrifying silhouette in the sky, her face particularly grim. "Ancient God Yuan... cannot awaken right away. The Origin Celestial Venerable will have to rely on himself." Hearing this, everyone in the castellan's manor felt their hearts sink, overwhelmed by immense crisis. Meanwhile, looking up at the terrifying silhouette in the firmament, Qi Yuan was also somewhat surprised. "He finally used some brains—though not much." Seeing this, Wang Wenqi beside him immediately swallowed the Yin-Birthing Stone into her belly. Instantly, the spiritual energy in her body converted into divine spiritual power. A divine aperture swiftly condensed. The True God realm... attained as smoothly as water flowing through a channel! Yet right at this moment, Qi Yuan's face changed drastically. "Oh no, someone's kill-stealing!" Just then, hearty laughter boomed: "Good disciple, Master brings you a greeting gift!" Across the nine heavens, vast lightning cascaded downward; every single terrifying serpent of thunder possessed the power to slay a divine being. At this, Qi Yuan hollered at the top of his lungs, "Please, I beg you! Leave a sliver of his life! Don't steal my kill!" In truth, he desperately wanted to curse the guy for having no shame, but the other party was a Great Venerable! When he was Great Venerable Wangyue, he had known full well the terrifying might of a Great Venerable. "All beneath the Fourth Step of Sky Treading are ants"—that was no mere exaggeration. The difference between a Great Venerable and a Venerable lay in the Divine Domain! Within their Divine Domain, a Great Venerable could execute a Venerable in the flick of a finger. So at this moment, he chose to back down! Meanwhile, Venerable Taiyi was both starving and terrified. Pity this poor old man, who had endured untold hardships just to descend. And what did he run into the moment he arrived? A Great Venerable! A Great Venerable, camping him—a mere First Step of Sky Treading with three divine apertures—did they have no shame at all?! "You people... have no shame!"