Within the Ancient God Alliance's communication channel.
Venerable Huanghun poured out the indignation burning in his chest.
He declared boldly, "Right now, the generals under Origin Celestial Venerable are sweeping through Feng and Lin Countries! This move will definitely draw the attention of the evil god encampments!
"This old man is willing to head to Lin Country to assist Origin Celestial Venerable. Who is willing to go with me?"
"So today's massive commotion was Origin Celestial Venerable's doing? Count this old man in!"
"Who is this Origin Celestial Venerable? This action is rather unwise."
"They are merely courting momentary limelight. Once the evil god encampments mobilize, every last one of them will die.
"Going to reinforce them now is nothing more than throwing your lives away!"
"They wipe out evil gods, and you call it courting the limelight? We shrink like turtles in our shells, so what kind of head are we showing?"
"Is wiping out the evil gods of Lin Country and Feng Country something our Ancient God Alliance cannot achieve?
"Why haven't we done it? Isn't it precisely because we are enduring for the greater good?!
"Could it be that this, too, is wrong?"
"If all the Ancient Gods in our Ancient God Alliance mobilized to assist Origin Celestial Venerable, even if the evil god encampments came, they would suffer more than they could stomach!"
"Right now, we should develop discreetly. Rashly initiating warfare will drag the Ancient God Alliance and the Mortal Heart Realm into eternal perdition."
"Retreat, retreat, retreat—must we wait until the evil gods slaughter their way to our front door before we begin resisting?"
The channel buzzed with discussion as different Ancient Gods voiced their opinions.
The fierce debate in the channel raged for half an hour.
Beneath a locust tree, Venerable Huanghun sighed with deep emotion.
Around him gathered roughly twenty Ancient Gods.
These twenty-odd Ancient Gods had all voluntarily departed from the Ancient God Alliance, intending to travel to Qingshui Village to reinforce Origin Celestial Venerable.
At this moment, their expressions were impassioned, filled with resolve in the face of death.
"Venerable Huanghun, we should depart," Venerable Huolian spoke up, her voice gentle and soft, like that of a southern maiden.
"We have waited for so long. Those who were meant to come have already arrived.
"The other Ancient Gods have their own choices; there is no need to wait any longer," another Ancient God said, his tone laden with helplessness.
Within the Ancient God Alliance, there were fully three hundred Ancient Gods, yet only twenty-odd had arrived.
Not even a tenth.
Yet this was only natural.
Going to reinforce Qingshui Village meant facing the siege of the evil god encampments.
It could be said that with their current strength, they stood no chance of holding back the evil god encampments.
At this time, Venerable Huolian asked Venerable Huanghun, "You are the most familiar with Origin Celestial Venerable. Do you happen to know why Qingshui Village's strength suddenly surged, and why... they suddenly launched an attack on the evil gods of Feng and Lin Countries?"
The moment these words were spoken, all the Ancient Gods present looked toward Venerable Huanghun.
They were indeed intensely curious about this matter.
Qingshui Village had been entirely unknown, possessing merely a village-grade guardian deity. Yet quite a few True Gods had suddenly emerged from it, and they even dared to make a move against the surrounding evil gods.
This was utterly exaggerated and baffled all comprehension.
In all likelihood, even the evil gods had failed to react in time.
Venerable Huanghun knitted his brows and pondered for a moment. "Origin Celestial Venerable... he once visualized twenty-one Legendary-grade God Visualization Arts!"
Facing these Ancient Gods who were willing to venture to Qingshui Village, Venerable Huanghun chose to trust them.
"What? That peerless prodigy was actually him?!" A look of shock appeared in the gentle eyes of Venerable Huolian.
Back then, an Ancient God in the Land of Visualization had visualized twenty-one Legendary-grade God Visualization Arts in succession, sending shockwaves throughout the Mortal Heart Realm.
Almost all the Ancient Gods in the Ancient God Alliance had heard of this incident.
They had originally assumed it was some peerless prodigy from the Southern Lands.
Never had they imagined it was someone from the fallen territories.
"If that is the case, it makes sense," the Ancient Gods present chimed in one after another.
Just then, one of the Ancient Gods suddenly thought of something.
"The other day, eight Mythological arts manifested in the Land of Visualization. Could it be... that was him as well?" By the time this Ancient God reached the end of his sentence, his voice was trembling.
Visualizing twenty-one Legendary arts was already exceedingly rare.
Eight Mythological arts was practically a fairy tale.
The probability of both being the same person was terribly low, yet simultaneously terribly high.
"I do not know either," Venerable Huanghun replied, shaking his head.
"If it is him... then I actually feel those old fellows in the Alliance were right; we ought to develop discreetly and build up our strength," an Ancient God could not help saying.
"They develop discreetly, but what have they developed? It's nothing more than playing the turtle!"
The Ancient Gods argued back and forth.
Venerable Huanghun's gaze turned resolute. "If he truly visualized eight Mythological arts, then no matter what, we must protect him!"
The rest of the Ancient Gods nodded.
The evil god encampments were indeed formidable, but that did not mean Qingshui Village was already a hopeless dead end.
...
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.
Great Venerable Shenlei had already returned to Feiwu City, even paying a visit to Qingshui Village.
At this moment, his teeth were gritted as he glared at the big black dog beside him, fuming, "Couldn't you lot have held Origin Celestial Venerable back?!"
The big black dog shivered in fear, feeling profoundly aggrieved inside.
Today was simply wretched luck.
It was bad enough that its sworn brother Shi Chongshan had refused to serve it tea and meals.
Zhu Zhuangshi had even sat his hefty backside right down onto it.
And now, even Great Venerable Shenlei had come to bully it.
It was just a dog; how was it supposed to stop Origin Celestial Venerable?
By barking non-stop?
It certainly had no desire to end up served on a dining table.
"Sigh, where on earth did Qi Yuan go!" Great Venerable Shenlei felt utterly desolate inside.
Originally, he had been deeply moved when Qi Yuan led people across thousands of miles to execute Zhang Feng.
He had planned to return immediately, urge Qi Yuan to keep a low profile, and lead the deities to relocate.
And yet, before he could even offer a word of advice, Feiwu City and Qingshui Village were completely empty.
When he asked around, he learned Qi Yuan had formulated a plan to slay a hundred gods in a single day.
Now, every Ancient God of Qingshui Village had mobilized to hunt down evil gods.
Making such a grand spectacle would inevitably plunge both Feng and Lin Countries into a dead end.
"I don't know my godfather's whereabouts either," Qi Qi spoke from the side, looking quite calm. She seemed not the least bit surprised by Qi Yuan's actions.
Great Venerable Shenlei could not help wanting to roar at the heavens.
Remembering something, he hurriedly opened his communication jade slip.
In the Southern Lands.
Inside a cave dwelling.
Great Venerable Shenlei's phantom projection coalesced. Glaring at Great Venerable Lishan ahead, he directly hurled a streak of lightning at him.
Great Venerable Lishan was startled. Waving his hand casually to disperse the lightning, he demanded, "Great Venerable Shenlei, what are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Great Venerable Shenlei seethed with fury. "Since you knew Qi Yuan visualized eight Mythological arts, why didn't you keep him in the Southern Lands?!
"Those are eight Mythological arts! How many Mythological descents can the Mountain of Visualization support right now?!"
The foundation of the Mountain of Visualization was the Heavenly Pillars.
"He refused to participate in the Mythological Plan. He said he was sworn to slay those above True God.
"Since he possessed such lofty ambitions, this old man naturally wouldn't force him.
"An Ancient God like that deserves my utmost admiration!" Great Venerable Lishan muttered.
Back then, Qi Yuan's declaration about slaying those above True God had thoroughly stunned him.
Hearing this, Great Venerable Shenlei's anger flared even higher. "Letting him return is one thing, but couldn't you have urged him to exercise caution?!
"This old man told you long ago, he's even more reckless than I am!"
Great Venerable Lishan had an ominous premonition. "Could it be that he didn't keep a low profile and dispatched people to rescue you?
"That only proves you hold considerable status in his heart; it is no big deal. Just advise him further to remain calm in all matters."
Great Venerable Lishan had listened to Qi Yuan's sincere speech back then.
Qi Yuan had stated he would develop slowly, accumulate strength, and only make a move once victory was completely assured.
"Dispatched people to rescue me? Far from it! He led over twenty Ancient Gods straight into Cai Country and executed Zhang Feng!" As Great Venerable Shenlei spoke, he was torn between gratitude and utter helplessness.
Great Venerable Lishan was also taken aback.
This Origin Celestial Venerable was truly audacious.
"Sigh, to think he is such a passionate, loyal man.
"No matter. You are currently very close to the North Sea God Eye. If you bring him to the North Sea God Eye during this period, nothing major should happen."
The North Sea God Eye was an extraordinary location; even the evil god encampments could not breach it easily.
"From now on, just look after him well and advise him not to act rashly." Great Venerable Lishan felt that while the matter was significant, it was not catastrophic; there was no need to exaggerate like Great Venerable Shenlei.
Shenlei was simply accustomed to acting brash and lacked the composure befitting a Great Venerable.
"Advise my foot! The moment I returned, I heard he led those Ancient Gods off to sweep through the evil gods of Feng and Lin Countries!
"He intends to slay a hundred evil gods in a single day!" Great Venerable Shenlei ground out through clenched teeth.
"What?!" Great Venerable Lishan froze completely.
It seemed... less than a day had passed since he parted ways with Qi Yuan?
Just moments ago, he had repeatedly preached about lying low and developing, yet the instant he returned to Qingshui Village, he ignited a divine war!
This was... far too fast!
Had his head been kicked by a donkey?!
"Not good. Once the evil god encampments strike, they will... have no way out." Deep worry gripped Great Venerable Lishan. "No, I must head to Qingshui Village!"
Great Venerable Lishan quickly made up his mind to go to Qingshui Village.
Qi Yuan could not be allowed to act so recklessly any longer.
He only hoped that heading to Qingshui Village now would not be too late.
"Hurry and take him to the North Sea God Eye! You must keep Qi Yuan safe at all costs!"
"Hmph, as if I need you to tell me that!
"Couldn't you have advised him properly in the first place?" Great Venerable Shenlei complained discontentedly.
...
Huaye City.
Located in the fallen territories, this city possessed no Ancient Gods, only New Gods.
However, this New God had remained in secluded cultivation and had not assimilated the citizens of the city.
Therefore, although the people here lived as if treading on thin ice, they could still barely manage to survive.
At this moment, upon a small hill within the city, two figures stood.
One was burly and robust, looking like someone not to be trifled with.
The other was tall, slender, and exceptionally handsome. He wore a distant expression, as if recalling the past. This person was Qi Yuan. Looking at the small hill and the pavilion atop it, he could not help sighing with feeling.
"To think I would end up at Xiaojiang Mountain."
"Has My Lord been here before?" Zhu Zhuangshi asked from beside him, somewhat surprised.
Qi Yuan's origins had always been an enigma.
The villagers of Qingshui Village and the other Ancient Gods had all speculated about Qi Yuan's identity during the ancient era.
"Yes. Once, I traveled the realm with a peerless woman. She said this was her birthplace.
"This place was supposed to be a bamboo grove, yet now, a pavilion has been built here."
Qi Yuan could not help lamenting, feeling how unyielding the passage of time was.
Back then, the Holy Mother of Inedia had brought Qi Yuan to Xiaojiang Mountain. She had cut a piece of bamboo, fashioned it into a fishing rod, and fished alongside Qi Yuan.
The Holy Mother of Inedia had once murmured how wonderful it would have been had she been born several hundred thousand years later.
"Since it is an old haunt, why not revisit it?" Zhu Zhuangshi suggested thoughtfully.
He had accompanied Qi Yuan here to accomplish great things.
Even so, he was in no hurry.
"Mm. It happens to be a teahouse. Let's go take a look," Qi Yuan said casually. "There seems to be a supreme treasure inside. I'll take it along the way in a bit."
Though called a teahouse, it was no ordinary establishment.
Singers, dancers, and zitherists—it had them all.
Before they even stepped inside, a plump woman greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Are the honored guests here to listen to music or watch dancing? Do you require a private room?" The plump woman's eyes fixed on Zhu Zhuangshi, a cryptic amusement gleaming in them.
"A private room," Qi Yuan said.
"Right away!" Hearing this, the plump woman broke into a giggle that set her bosom trembling.
Stepping into the pavilion, an exotic fragrance assailed their senses. In the center of the hall, seventeen graceful maidens were dancing lightly.
Draped in colored gauze, their willow waists swayed gently as their lotus steps glided forward. Every frown and smile radiated enchanting charm.
Zhu Zhuangshi's eyes went wide, staring fixedly.
The surrounding patrons clapped lazily, enjoying the maidens' captivating dance.
In such an extravagant, decadent scene, who could ever imagine this was a fallen territory?
Perhaps it was precisely because they knew the future was hopeless that these cultivators indulged themselves so wholeheartedly.
Aunt Liu led the way ahead, a peculiar look in her eyes.
She could not see through the strength of either guest.
However, even though that burly fat man concealed it well, she could perceive that he was at least at the peak of the Purple Mansion realm, perhaps even an Ancient God.
What were they doing in Huaye City?
Aunt Liu was bewildered, but she dared not pry.
In this world, how many Ancient Gods still remained loyal to the Mortal Heart Realm?
Most were running dogs.
As disciples of the Holy Mother of Inedia Cult rooted here, they could not afford to expose themselves.
"Please take a seat, honored guests. Which maiden would you like to summon to play the zither or sing a tune?" Aunt Liu asked with a flattering smile.
With a wave of her hand, the illusory figures of over a dozen maidens appeared in the air.
Every single one was strikingly beautiful with charming expressions, far surpassing anything enhanced imagery could offer.
Beside each maiden floated a few lines of introductory text.
Some were skilled with the zither, some with the flute, and others were masters of both song and dance.
Qi Yuan swept his gaze across the dozen-plus maidens without finding a suitable choice. He asked, "Who knows how to play the suona?"
Aunt Liu froze, her expression blank. "Honored guest, your tastes are truly unique."
It was normal for patrons coming here to have all sorts of peculiar habits.
Yet listening to the suona was indeed unique—downright unheard of.
It was akin to hiring a pair of comedic crosstalk performers to banter at a funeral.
"Whenever the sound of a suona rises, I feel like killing someone.
"I just happen to be getting ready to kill someone, so I need a suona player," Qi Yuan said casually.
The smile on Aunt Liu's face froze solid.
Killing someone?
She knew that a major event was bound to happen soon.
At a glance, these two guests were clearly no ordinary folk.
"There is a New God stationed nearby; you two should think twice before acting," Aunt Liu hinted vaguely, speaking in an ambiguous tone.
"Who knows how to play the suona?" Her words went in one ear and out the other as Qi Yuan simply repeated his question.
"Xiao Xing once studied the suona for a period of time," Aunt Liu had no choice but to reply upon seeing this.
"Her, then." Qi Yuan sat by the window. Looking down, he could view the graceful dancing in the center of the pavilion.
"Please wait a moment, honored guest."
Aunt Liu exited the room and headed to another chamber.
"Xiao Xing, two guests have arrived in Room Seventeen of the Heaven Class. Keep a close watch on them and see if you can tease out their identities," Aunt Liu instructed.
As believers of the Holy Mother of Inedia Cult, they paid special attention to mysterious experts like Qi Yuan and Zhu Zhuangshi.
"Try your best to find out whom they intend to kill," Aunt Liu added. "However, your own safety remains the top priority."
Dressed in an apricot-colored gown, Xiao Xing nodded. "Understood, Aunt Liu."
Chapter 213