Some People Are Formidable, Not Because They Are Special

A single Legendary art would astonish a Great Venerable and earn their utmost respect. Four Legendary arts were enough to tempt a Great Venerable into taking the cultivator as a personal disciple. As for... twenty? What kind of concept was that? None of the Great Venerables present had any concept of it. They had never seen an Ancient God visualize twenty-one Legendary-grade God Visualization Arts in a single breath. In theory, as long as there were sufficient resources and time, twenty-one visualization arts of this caliber could forge twenty-one Great Venerables. Granted, becoming a Great Venerable was extraordinarily difficult, but reaching the Three Steps of Sky Treading was an absolute certainty. "Great Venerable Shenlei, where is my brother-in-law? I'm going over right now to fetch him!" "I don't have twenty supreme treasures, but I have twenty daughters! As long as they hit it off with your disciple, I'll marry them all off!" "Great Venerable Shenlei, you looked down on him before and didn't want him as your disciple. Now, he probably looks down on you!" The members of the group had completely lost their minds. To have more than twenty God Visualization Arts of this grade appear all at once was utterly terrifying. By now, Great Venerable Shenlei was thoroughly numb. Staring at the messages flooding the chat, he snapped back fiercely, "Scram!" At the same time, in the chat group where Qi Yuan was. Those members were equally dumbfounded. Dong Jianghe said slowly, "Am I going blind?" "Old Dong, you're not," Venerable Shenmiao said in the group, finding it just as hard to swallow. "That golden light just now... it couldn't be Origin Celestial Venerable, could it?" "No way, right?" Dong Jianghe swallowed hard. "I only ran my mouth a bit, saying visualizing three Legendary deities was hard and telling Origin Celestial Venerable not to push himself, and he turns around and gives me twenty?" Just moments ago, when Origin Celestial Venerable entered the group to visualize gods, Dong Jianghe had remembered the Four Heavenly Kings mentioned earlier and remained quite skeptical. Fearing a slap in the face, he had only made a quiet, passing remark. And the result... Over twenty Legendary arts, just like that? Was there no law left in this world? Did logic no longer exist? Was his mouth really that miraculous? "If it really is Origin Celestial Venerable, Old Dong, I think you should just step down from your post and take Origin Celestial Venerable as your adoptive father!" "If it really is twenty-one Legendary arts, I'd gladly take Origin Celestial Venerable as my adoptive father too!" someone chimed in. Everyone in the chat was thrilled. Ancient Gods of the Mortal Heart Realm rarely visited the Mountain of Visualization. Right now, Origin Celestial Venerable was likely the only one visualizing there. In other words, it was ninety-nine percent certain that the brilliant flashes of golden light and the chorus of a thousand birds were all Origin Celestial Venerable's doing! Just then, Qi Yuan exited the Mountain of Visualization. Looking at the chat, he hurried to speak up. "I'm still young! I don't take adoptive sons!" If he accidentally adopted a Lu Bu, he would be doomed. It was far better to take in an adoptive daughter like Qi Qi. Seeing the messages in the chat, Qi Yuan quickly logged off, terrified of getting entangled by men. Watching Origin Celestial Venerable leave, the group members were thoroughly shaken. "It really was Origin Celestial Venerable. Absolutely terrifying!" "Dong Jianghe, you're pathetic! Even Origin Celestial Venerable doesn't want you as an adoptive son!" "If only Venerable Tianbao were here to see this, how wonderful that would be," someone sighed. At the mention of Venerable Tianbao, the clamor in the chat vanished, replaced by silence. *** After leaving the chat, Qi Yuan possessed twenty-one new God Visualization Arts. Right then, Great Venerable Shenlei materialized before him in a flustered hurry. "Were you the one in the Mountain of Visualization?" Shenlei asked. "Yeah," Qi Yuan replied casually. "Just who the hell are you, kid?" Shenlei stared at Qi Yuan, trying to see through his origins. "Me?" Qi Yuan pondered. The question stumped him; he had never seriously thought about it before. As he thought about it, he grew somewhat dazed. "By July Lake, some called me the Faceless Sword God. "In the City of No Return, some called me the Blood Demon. "In the Ascending Heaven Pavilion, some called me Great Venerable Wangyue. "All of these are me... but are they really me?" "Great Venerable Wangyue?" Great Venerable Shenlei latched onto the key term. "Your past incarnation was also a Great Venerable? Why haven't I heard of that title?" As for Qi Yuan's other mad ramblings, he ignored them completely. During this time, he had already devised a quick method for communicating with Qi Yuan: only listen to what he could actually understand. "I've got it!" Qi Yuan suddenly had an epiphany. "Is it possible that you are me? That all the stars in the sky are me, and every living creature on the earth is me?" Great Venerable Shenlei frowned. "Have you lost your mind? How could I possibly be you, and how could the stars in the sky be you?" "Why couldn't they be?" Qi Yuan mused as if enlightened. "When an ordinary cat sees its reflection in a mirror, it gets startled because it lacks self-awareness. Its cognition hasn't reached that level, so it can't recognize itself. "Right now, you think you aren't me simply because your cognition is lacking. You can't comprehend that you are me. "The stars in the sky can't comprehend that they are me, either. "Once they comprehend it, they will know that they are actually me." "Stop talking nonsense!" Great Venerable Shenlei glared at Qi Yuan. "Do you want my lightning arts to help you comprehend a thing or two?" "No thanks. My gaming addiction isn't that bad; I don't need electroconvulsive therapy," Qi Yuan chuckled. "Just joking. I was working on creating the Qi Yuan Scripture and had a sudden flash of insight." A Great Venerable's lightning arts were not something he could endure right now. "Your Huaxia Dragon Group is truly packed with talent!" Great Venerable Shenlei remarked. "Twenty-one Legendary arts? Such precious God Visualization Arts could forge twenty-one True Gods, perhaps even Great Venerables. You need to give serious thought to which promising subjects you'll bestow them upon." "No need. I'll just pick some at random. Why make it so complicated?" Qi Yuan said. Great Venerable Shenlei froze. Qi Yuan said with supreme confidence, "Some people are formidable not because of how special they are, but because I chose them." "You'd squander God Visualization Arts like that?" Great Venerable Shenlei demanded. "That's not squandering. There are plenty more where that came from. "In the Heavenly Court, we've got the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, the Sixty Year Gods, and the One Hundred Thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. There are tons of them. "As long as I have enough evil god spiritual power, I can visualize anyone." Unfortunately for Qi Yuan, he currently lacked three main things. One was evil god spiritual power; another was supreme treasures capable of facilitating a breakthrough to True God; and the last was a method for him and those mighty Heavenly Court deities to break through to True God. "You sure can brag. One hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals? "If the Mortal Heart Realm had had those one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals, would we have suffered such a crushing defeat in the Hongtang Great War?!" "See that? Isn't that proof your cognition is lacking? Everyone has the limitations of their own cognition." Qi Yuan turned into a marketing guru, lecturing Great Venerable Shenlei free of charge. "I... can't be bothered with you!" Great Venerable Shenlei turned and fled on the spot. He refused to stay near Qi Yuan any longer, terrified that lingering too long would make him catch whatever illness the boy had. Qi Yuan called Qi Qi over and instructed softly, "I have a task for you. Summon three female cultivators who are fairly good-looking, and eighteen male cultivators. "As for the criteria... good character is enough. Pleasant to look at, fairly burly, no need to be too picky. Get it done within an hour." There were far too many deities in the Heavenly Court pantheon; picking through them slowly was a waste of time. Since Great Venerable Shenlei couldn't serve as his bodyguard for the trip to the Hundred Flowers Gathering, Qi Yuan had to arrange his own escort. Right now, he was simply selecting bodyguards. What were the requirements for bodyguards? Good looks and good character were enough. As for strength, he would bestow it himself. After Qi Qi left, Qi Yuan recalled what had transpired within the Mountain of Visualization. "The Eighteen Arhats actually consumed so much evil god spiritual power. "From the spiritual power of a True God-level evil god, less than a third remains." Unfortunately, evil god spiritual power could not be traded. It could only be acquired if he or his subordinates made the kill. "I hope I run into some blind evil gods to slay during this Hundred Flowers Gathering," Qi Yuan mused. Visualizing deities required an immense amount of evil god spiritual power. Before long, Qi Qi led twenty-one villagers over. Confusion and curiosity were written across their faces. Dressed in coarse linen robes, Zhao Zun looked utterly ordinary among the crowd. He looked at the legendary deity before him, admiration and curiosity mingling in his eyes. He had originally hailed from the Zhao clan, a prominent family in Feiwu City. Tragically, his parents died early, and his adoptive father usurped his family estate. Only with the help of a loyal old servant had he managed to flee to Chenxi Village under Feihuang City, where he had lived under an assumed name ever since. Qi Yuan looked at the group and said slowly, "Most of you are from Qingshui Village, or have followed me for a long time. "Today, I'm handing out some benefits." Qi Yuan spoke with easy grace. Just as back in the Liufeng Realm, he didn't obsess over the loyalty of his subordinates. Having become their Guardian God, these people were, in a sense, his subjects. With the passage of time, their faith in him would only deepen. In some ways, it was similar to the assimilation of an evil god. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, the villagers were somewhat dazed. Zhao Zun's heart tightened, and a surge of joy welled up within him. *Could it be... a God Visualization Art?!* Having come from a great clan, he knew full well the significance of a God Visualization Art. A powerful visualization art could forge a True God. Could it be that the Guardian God was going to bestow a visualization art upon them? Zhao Zun felt both nervous and overjoyed. Yet, the thought that all twenty-one of them would likely share a single visualization art dampened his excitement slightly, lowering his expectations. Even so, it was a tremendous boon. With the aid of a visualization art, he might be able to break through to the Purple Mansion realm, or even the middle stage of the Purple Mansion. Then, he would finally qualify to seek his revenge. Just as the thought crossed his mind, twenty-one God Visualization Arts radiating brilliant golden light soared into the sky. Every single one exuded a terrifying aura. Two of them were especially breathtaking, their golden light seemingly condensing into solid form, striking the onlookers with immense force. Zhao Zun froze. "Legendary? Twenty-one of them?!" His mind was completely overwhelmed. Everyone present was stunned. The art with the most dazzling golden light fell directly into Zhao Zun's eyes. He couldn't believe it; he couldn't comprehend it. Such an astonishing God Visualization Art, handed to him... just like that? He hadn't even formally spoken a single word to the Guardian God! A visualization art of this caliber would cause biological brothers among True Gods to turn on each other in the outside world! His incomprehension gave way to profound gratitude, accompanied by a deep sense of validation. At long last, someone had recognized the greatness in him, Zhao Zun! A surge of heroic ambition welled up inside him, along with immense gratitude toward Qi Yuan, the patron who had spotted his worth. He swore never to betray Qi Yuan's trust. "Begin your visualization at once," Qi Yuan's voice commanded. Without hesitation, Zhao Zun began to visualize. Not far away, Great Venerable Shenlei flashed beside Qi Yuan once again. He stared intently at Zhao Zun. "The God Visualization Art on him... is extraordinary. It doesn't seem like an ordinary Legendary art." "His belongs to the Dragon Subduing Arhat," Qi Yuan explained. "Among the Eighteen Arhats, he's considered the strongest and carries the heaviest mythic lore." "What bold arrogance, daring to take 'Dragon Subduing' as a title! "If this old man remembers correctly, a brood of vicious dragons is entrenched within the North Sea God Eye. "If you take him there this time, those vicious dragons will probably pick a fight with him," Great Venerable Shenlei remarked. He kept his eyes locked on Zhao Zun. "Still, the visualization art he's practicing is truly remarkable. It surpasses the ordinary Legendary grade." Qi Yuan didn't respond. The group sat within the divine temple. Qi Yuan's experience points were skyrocketing. Unfortunately, he remained stuck at level 89, unable to cross that final threshold. This was remarkably similar to his situation back on the Wangyue Continent. *** The following day, as the blood-colored light once again shone down upon the world. Qi Yuan looked at the twenty-one people before him, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. "Not bad. Every single one has reached the peak of the Purple Mansion realm!" Such was the result of practicing a Legendary-grade God Visualization Art, with each art visualized by only a single person. Given sufficient time and resources, they could even be forged into Great Venerables. In other words, all twenty-one individuals before him possessed the potential of a Great Venerable! Great Venerable Shenlei stared at the twenty-one of them, unable to calm his racing heart for a long time. Such visualization arts had been handed out as casually as radishes? "Conveniently, I still have five supreme treasures. Take them and break through to True God." Qi Yuan tossed five supreme treasures into the hands of the three women. The remaining two landed in the hands of the two men who had visualized the Dragon Subduing Arhat and the Tiger Taming Arhat. Instantly, their faces filled with wild joy, and they began their breakthroughs with the treasures in hand. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* Three beams of divine light shot into the heavens. The three women were the first to break through, stepping directly into the True God realm. Meanwhile, Zhao Zun and the other man wore grim expressions, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. The supreme treasures remained in their grasp, but they were unable to absorb them; an invisible force seemed to repel the energy. It was just like what had happened to Qi Yuan. A look of astonishment flashed across Great Venerable Shenlei's eyes. "This Dragon Subduing Arhat... his talent is so formidable that he can't even break through to the True God realm with a supreme treasure." Not only the Dragon Subduing Arhat, but the Tiger Taming Arhat was the same. Neither arhat showed any reaction to the supreme treasures. "What a pity," Qi Yuan sighed. He looked toward Zhao Zun and the other man. "No need to blame yourselves. It's just that your God Visualization Arts are of too high a grade; these supreme treasures aren't enough to help you break through." Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Zhao Zun felt a swirl of mixed emotions. This was truly... absurd. He didn't know whether to consider it good news or bad news. "It's fine. There will be plenty of opportunities to break through later." Qi Yuan took the two supreme treasures back into his hands. He pointed at two other men. "You have the happiest smile, and you have long eyebrows. You two break through first." The two men Qi Yuan indicated were those who had visualized the Joyous Arhat and the Long Eyebrow Arhat. Receiving the supreme treasures, the two were overjoyed. Holding the treasures, they broke through into the True God realm in an instant. A terrifying aura swept outward in an overwhelming wave. Surprise flickered in Great Venerable Shenlei's eyes. "These people are no ordinary True Gods. Even though they've only opened a single divine aperture, their combat strength is comparable to three divine apertures." The True God realm was divided into the Seven Steps of Sky Treading, with a massive gulf between each step. Even among those at the First Step of Sky Treading, the disparity could be vast. After all, having eleven divine apertures compared to a single one was far more than an elevenfold difference. "Your names are too complicated, and I can't be bothered to remember them. I'll bestow titles upon you instead. From now on... address yourselves by your titles!" Qi Yuan said casually. He harbored grand ambitions; he wanted to recreate the Heavenly Court. "You shall be... the Dragon Subduing Arhat. You, the Tiger Taming Arhat. The Deer Sitting Arhat, the Long Eyebrow Arhat..." In one breath, Qi Yuan bestowed titles upon all of them, and also gave names to the three fair-faced women. It was just that the Four Heavenly Kings had all turned out to be women, which felt a bit bizarre. Qi Yuan merely prayed silently in his heart: if the original Four Heavenly Kings truly existed, he hoped they wouldn't take offense. He had only borrowed their names because his memory was terrible. "The bodyguard brigade is fully assembled. Let's go attend the Hundred Flowers Gathering!" Qi Yuan waved a grand hand. For this trip to the Hundred Flowers Gathering, he brought along the Four Heavenly Kings, the Eighteen Arhats, and his adoptive daughter, Qi Qi. After brief preparations, the entourage set out in grand fashion toward the North Sea God Eye. *** Meanwhile, outside Qingshui Village, the villagers seeing Qi Yuan off had tears in their eyes. Zhu Zhuangshi looked at the big black dog standing in front of him, finding it an absolute eyesore. Watching the Four Heavenly Kings and the Eighteen Arhats depart, his eyes burned with fierce envy. "Lord Deity, I... I'm fiercely loyal too!" This time, Qi Yuan had produced twenty-one God Visualization Arts, shocking the entire village. Not only the village, but all of Feihuang City was stunned. Zhu Zhuangshi's eyes were practically crimson with jealousy. Standing to the side, Village Chief Yulei remained silent. To be honest, he was jealous too. Beside him, Shentu secretly sent a sound transmission to the village chief: "Should we tell the Guardian God about the Ancestral Land?" Originally, they had planned to wait until the Guardian God broke through to the True God realm before sharing the good news to give him a pleasant surprise. Now, their only thought was to spill the secret immediately, farm some favor and familiarity, and get their hands on a God Visualization Art! "The moment the Guardian God returns, we tell him!" Village Chief Yulei decided. He would no longer put on an air of profound mystery, nor would he preach about how the time wasn't ripe. Speaking plainly was the true path forward! That was a God Visualization Art—a chance to step into the True God realm! *** "The rain is getting heavier." A streak of flowing light flew through the air. Dressed in crimson robes, Heavenly King Duowen, Mo Lihong, held up an umbrella to shield Qi Yuan from the rain. A look of cautious care showed in her eyes. "My Lord, this rain probably won't stop anytime soon." Zhao Zun spoke up, "This region borders the North Sea, and the rain has been unending for years. Rumor has it that it's related to the slaying of a vicious dragon's son in the North Sea." "Oh?" Hearing this, Qi Yuan grew interested. "Could it be the Dragon King's third prince, whose tendons were ripped out?" "A brood of flood dragons resides in the North Sea," Zhao Zun continued. "One of the vicious dragons came to the mortal realm to commit evil, burning, killing, and pillaging without restraint. "In the end, it was slain by the Third Miss of the Phoenix Clan. "From then on, bad blood formed between the North Sea Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan. "This place happens to be where that vicious dragon was executed, so other dragons frequently come here to stir up storms, preventing the region from ever having a decent harvest." Hearing this, Qi Yuan glanced at Qi Qi. It was an interesting tale. Should he visualize Nezha for Qi Qi in the future? On second thought, she was his adoptive daughter; better not. Nezha was quite the rebel. Qi Yuan didn't care for rebellious daughters; an obedient daughter was much better. Just then, an airy voice drifted over. "Fellow Daoist's words are mistaken. The frequent rain here has nothing to do with the North Sea Dragon Clan; it is solely tied to the slain vicious dragon. "That dragon possessed immense talent and was attuned to the water element, with great prospects of becoming a Great Venerable presiding over the divine office of rainmaking. "It was slain here, which is why continuous heavy rain has plagued this land for years." Along with the voice, a party of three appeared before Qi Yuan. The leader was a True God of refined features and an upright bearing. Flanking him were a young boy and a maidservant. His gaze swept over Qi Yuan and the others, a flicker of astonishment flashing across his eyes. "Ye Liuyun greets you all." He was intensely curious about the group before him. After all, their leader looked utterly unremarkable. Yet under his command were six True Gods, each appearing extraordinary. The remaining attendants were all at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, carrying formidable presences. Especially the one who had spoken just now—even though the man was only at the peak of the Purple Mansion, Ye Liuyun felt an inexplicable sense of dread welling up in his heart. Qi Yuan looked at Ye Liuyun, surprise flashing in his eyes. "Dragon Clan?"