The Celestial Venerable's Plan Is the Mortal Heart Realm's Only Hope!

From Huanghun and Huolian, the Ancient God Alliance Master felt an unrivaled aura. This indicated... they were far from having merely stepped into the Four Steps of Sky Treading. How could the three Great Venerables of the Ancient God Alliance not be shaken to the core? They felt as though they were trapped in an illusion. The rest of the Ancient Gods looked upon the scene as well, horror churning in their hearts. "Kill," Qi Yuan said softly. At that, Great Venerable Huanghun and Great Venerable Huolian no longer held back. Facing their former alliance master, they acted decisively and ruthlessly. Immense Divine Domains erupted at that instant, bearing straight down upon the three Great Venerables of the Ancient God Alliance. The Ancient God Alliance Master's expression twisted drastically. "Five Steps of Sky Treading!" "How is this possible?!" another Great Venerable cried in utter terror. "We are all comrades on the same path! Killing each other like this is uncalled for!" the third Great Venerable of the Ancient God Alliance protested, choked with grievance. Unfortunately, without instructions from Qi Yuan, Great Venerable Huanghun and Great Venerable Huolian would not show the slightest mercy. Two terrifying Divine Domains swept across—one of water and one of fire—instantly crushing the Divine Domains of the Ancient God Alliance's three Great Venerables to pieces by sheer force! The deity Great Venerable Huanghun visualized was the Great Emperor Water Official Calamity Relief, master of all the world's waters. How could the Divine Domain he condensed be matched by these three? Those three had not even attained a divine office; the Divine Domains they had forged were like porcelain dolls stitched together from scrap pieces. In the eyes of Great Venerable Huanghun and Great Venerable Huolian, they were full of gaping flaws. In just a single breath, the Divine Domains of the three Great Venerables shattered completely. Their bodies could not move an inch. An instant kill! This was not only suppression in cultivation realm, but also suppression in Divine Domains. Between Great Venerables, the disparity in strength lay precisely in their Divine Domains. A Divine Domain endowed with a divine office and one without were entirely different concepts. To make an imperfect analogy, one was like a university student solving problems with a math formula, grasping the formula without truly understanding its fundamental truth, while the other was a mathematician who had created the formula himself. The gulf between them could well be imagined. The Divine Domains of the Ancient God Alliance's three Great Venerables shattered. Then, a torrent of formidable divine spiritual power swept over them, and the three Great Venerables... dropped dead on the spot. Silence. Fear, shock... a whirlwind of emotions washed across the faces of the Ancient Gods present. Qi Yuan looked at the corpses of the three Great Venerables and could not help sighing with emotion. "Traveling thousands of li to deliver divine spiritual power—a small gift, but a profound gesture. To repay your kindness, I've decided to eat three extra bowls of white rice today." The deaths of three Great Venerables did not cause the slightest ripple in Qi Yuan's eyes. His appetite was even hearty enough to demand three extra bowls of rice. Seeing this, the expressions of the other Ancient Gods shifted subtly as they looked at Qi Yuan. Ye Liuyun remained silent. Qi Yuan's actions continually shattered his understanding of the world. Three Great Venerables... slaughtered without a second thought. After all, even if those three from the Ancient God Alliance harbored murderous intent, they had not torn off all pretense and attacked outright. Qi Yuan, on the other hand, dispensed with pleasantries entirely and just killed them! Moreover, doubt lingered in Ye Liuyun's heart: how had Venerable Huanghun suddenly become a Great Venerable—and of the Five Steps of Sky Treading, no less? At this point, Qi Yuan looked at the terrified Ancient Gods and said softly, "Please don't be afraid, everyone. I am not a bloodthirsty man. Those people belonged to the main headquarters of the Palace of Light and held a bitter feud with me. Back when I was only in Foundation Establishment, they bullied and humiliated me in every possible way! Fortunately, the day finally came when the oppressed serf rose up and sang for joy, wiping out their entire sect! But who could have guessed they would set up their main headquarters here as well? I had no choice but to strike them down ruthlessly. Rest assured, I'm a very good person. I never implicate the innocent, nor do I exterminate whole families or sects." Everyone present smiled awkwardly. Ye Liuyun desperately wanted to say to him: *Brother Qi, could you bring a prepared speech next time? Do you even hear how your statements contradict each other?* *You just said you wiped out the entire Palace of Light, and then immediately followed it up by saying you never exterminate whole sects?* Yuan Kun, patriarch of the Ancient Ape Clan, was drenched in cold sweat. "My grandson offended the Origin Celestial Venerable! The Celestial Venerable killed him well, killed him right! I, Yuan Kun, offer my deepest apologies to the Origin Celestial Venerable!" Qi Yuan's gaze abruptly shifted, and a bone-chilling chill swept over Yuan Kun. Yuan Kun heard Qi Yuan say, "The Ancient God Alliance Master was your grandson? Could it be... you're some hidden almighty figure?" *Cough, cough!* Yuan Kun hurriedly explained. Only then did Qi Yuan let out a breath of relief. "So you're from the Ancient Ape Clan. You startled me. I was just wondering today why you hadn't come looking for me all this time—whether you were biding your time and enduring hardship to avenge that golden-furred monkey. I was even planning to bring a few Great Venerables and Venerables over to the Ancient Ape Clan to have a look. Don't worry, I bear no ill will. I just intended to deliver a funeral wreath for the golden monkey and join the funeral banquet while I was at it." Qi Yuan wore an amiable look, his face beaming with smiles. The smile on Yuan Kun's face looked worse than weeping, and his body could not stop trembling. The Origin Celestial Venerable claimed he bore no ill will? Like hell he believed that! Bringing Great Venerables and Venerables to deliver a wreath and eat at the banquet? He was going to exterminate their clan! Yuan Kun felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness he had come today. "Origin Celestial Venerable, my Ancient Ape Clan is willing to submit to you entirely and become your subjects!" Yuan Kun gritted his teeth and said. Above all, he feared the Origin Celestial Venerable would change his mind and wipe out the Ancient Ape Clan. After all, he had slaughtered three Great Venerables of the Ancient God Alliance without blinking. He was terrified! "Huh?" Qi Yuan was somewhat taken aback. Why was someone rushing to become his subject today? In the past, when he recruited True Gods as his subjects, he had to plead and cajole like crazy. Now, an entire clan was joining outright? Could it be that his luck was exceptionally good today? With that thought, Qi Yuan blinked, eyes smiling as he turned to the other Ancient Gods. "What about you?" He wanted to test whether his luck was truly running high. Ye Liuyun froze. Gazing at Qi Yuan's radiant and amiable smile, a deep chill welled up in his heart. He simply could not read Qi Yuan. Was he acting crazy, or threatening them? Remembering the Zhulong, Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, and other beings Qi Yuan had mentioned before, he gritted his teeth and said, "My Well Dragon Clan is willing to become the Celestial Venerable's subjects." Hearing this, Qi Yuan's face bloomed with smiles. His luck truly was fantastic today. "And the rest of you?" Seeing this, the spokespersons of the other clans felt both sorrowful and aggrieved, though some harbored different thoughts upon catching sight of Great Venerable Huanghun. "We are willing to become the Celestial Venerable's subjects!" The remaining Ancient Gods swore their allegiance one after another. Qi Yuan was quite pleased with himself. "Seems my luck really is good today. What a pity there aren't any lottery shops here, or I'd definitely buy a few tickets." The Ancient Gods looked at one another in silence, not daring to utter a word. "Xiao Qi," Qi Yuan called out then. Qi Qi, clad in her green dress, appeared once more. She glanced at the three corpses on the ground before pulling back her gaze. "Godfather." "Where are the basic information registration forms? These people said they want to become my subjects. Register their details." A flicker of surprise flashed across Qi Qi's face. "Understood." Instantly, a stack of basic information forms was handed out. At that moment, Qi Yuan added, "Be sure to register any True Gods in your clans who didn't come today as well." Hearing this, Yuan Kun nodded repeatedly. "Yes, of course!" Facing Qi Yuan, the Ancient Gods present were utterly terrified. He was a veritable god of slaughter. Executing three Great Venerables at a whim had left an indelible mark on them. Once the forms were filled out, they were handed to Qi Yuan. At this time, an old man stepped forward and asked cautiously, "Celestial Venerable, now that war is breaking out across Qingheng Province, what course should we take?" Another Ancient God spoke up, "The evil god army lords possess immense power. We should quickly relocate everyone to the North Sea God Eye and make use of the natural stronghold to resist the evil gods!" A flurry of discussions broke out among the Ancient Gods. Most of them had come here precisely for this matter. Hearing this, Qi Yuan shook his head. "Hiding in the North Sea God Eye isn't my style." "Huh?" "Could it be the Celestial Venerable has other arrangements?" The other Ancient Gods were baffled, unable to fathom what he meant. "Naturally, I have arrangements. I've even devised a detailed plan for it," Qi Yuan said in all seriousness. Beside him, Qi Qi was at a loss for words. Another... plan. The other Ancient Gods, unaware of his history, looked on with curiosity. "What kind of plan?" "As expected of the Celestial Venerable who rules over this land!" "However, my plan is exceedingly precise; a single misstep could unravel everything," Qi Yuan continued. "If word leaks out and the evil gods catch wind of it, they might prepare in advance. When I tell you today's plan, you must not leak a word of it." "There's even a plan for today?" "We swear to Heaven we will never leak it!" The Ancient Gods were deeply intrigued as to what sort of plan this could be. After all, was there really any better refuge than the North Sea God Eye? "Right now, my army is recuperating. After half a day's rest, I will dispatch all the troops at my command to launch a surprise attack on the evil gods' headquarters in Qingheng Province and wipe them out in one fell swoop! "Heh heh, to think they dared scheme against Qingshui Village—they are practically begging for death! "As the ancients said, the best defense is a good offense. They will never anticipate that I will mobilize the entire strength of our village to slaughter every single evil god in Qingheng Province!" With fervent enthusiasm, Qi Yuan laid out his strategic policy and concepts, seamlessly integrating *The Art of War*. Such a flawless plan was sure to make the Ancient Gods slap the table in rapturous applause. "..." "..." Silence. A heavy silence fell over the Ancient Gods. Qi Yuan's plan had thoroughly terrified them. Mobilize the entire village to launch a counteroffensive on the evil gods' headquarters in Qingheng Province? Just how... fantastical was this? Yet out of sheer terror of Qi Yuan, none of the Ancient Gods dared speak up. Curiosity showed in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Is my plan not good? Why aren't you slapping the table and shouting genius?" "Genius," Ye Liuyun forced out with difficulty. Yuan Kun also mumbled in a muffled voice, "Genius." Seeing this, the other Ancient Gods chimed in one after another, "Genius." This plan truly was crazy enough to be called genius. "Why aren't you slapping the table, though? Are you afraid of using too much strength and smashing the greenwood table to pieces?" Qi Yuan asked further. At this point, Ye Liuyun could not help speaking up: "Origin Celestial Venerable, you can't be serious about that plan just now, can you?" He was somewhat acquainted with Qi Yuan, which gave him the courage to ask. "Of course I'm serious. My plan is already set. Every villager in the entire village said it's great and gave their full support! You're all newcomers and your strength is too weak, so you don't need to take part in this one. But in a few days, when I counterattack the Heavenly Pillar, you can join in then," Qi Yuan remarked casually. "C-Counterattack the Heavenly Pillar? Us?" Yuan Kun was utterly dumbfounded. If the previous plan was preposterous, what was this supposed to be? A bunch of weaklings like them counterattacking the Heavenly Pillar? Was this a suicide mission? Never mind counterattacking the Heavenly Pillar—they would probably end up dead on the road before they even got close to it. "Relax, my plan is flawless. You only need to be diligent cogs in the machine, following my guidance and turning empty talk into action. "From now on, the mortals of the Mortal Heart Realm will once again become the masters of the Mortal Heart Realm. "Our convictions are firm: gods exist to serve their people; children will have good schools to attend; neighborhoods will be safe and harmonious; jobs will be stable and respectable... We will make the Mortal Heart Realm great again!" As he spoke, Qi Yuan blatantly plagiarized the speech of a certain "Know-It-All King" from the Blue Star. He was currently pondering whether he should find time to wipe out the Blue Star. Otherwise, if someone found out he had plagiarized, it would be rather awkward. Still, Qi Yuan felt these words carried great weight. He had hyped himself up so much that he almost wanted to go straight into a factory and tighten screws for twenty-four hours straight. Surely these Ancient Gods were just as thrilled right now, weren't they? Looking at the silent Ancient Gods, Qi Yuan said, "I understand. My speech was too passionate; you need time to savor it. I won't disturb you any longer." With that, Qi Yuan vanished into thin air. He came swiftly and left just as quickly. Only then did the crowd dare to exhale in heavy gasps. "That was terrifying!" "Sigh." While Qi Yuan was around, they had been so intimidated that they didn't dare say anything out of line. Now that he was gone, things felt much better. At this moment, their minds were a chaotic mess; everything that had happened today felt absurd beyond belief—outrageous to the nth degree. At this time, Ye Liuyun looked at Great Venerable Huanghun, who had not yet departed. "Great Venerable Huanghun, are you really going to attack... Army Lord Liyang today?" A smile flashed across Great Venerable Huanghun's eyes. "Yes." The moment those words were spoken, the breathing of the Ancient Gods grew ragged. It was actually true! "Isn't... isn't this courting death?" an Ancient God murmured. At this moment, the slender and tall Great Venerable Huolian spoke up: "If anyone is courting death, it's Army Lord Liyang." Great Venerable Huolian's face was filled with yearning and awe. "The Celestial Venerable's power is unimaginable. Even that existence beyond True God within the Heavenly Pillar wouldn't be worthy to carry the Celestial Venerable's shoes before his true body!" The many Ancient Gods who had received Qi Yuan's gifts had harbored all manner of speculations about his identity. Among these theories, the one most widely accepted was that the Celestial Venerable was the reincarnation of a supreme powerhouse. The deities visualized through their God Visualization Arts were all formerly subordinates of the Celestial Venerable. Though the Celestial Venerable was still relatively weak at present, his future held infinite promise. The Ancient Gods present looked at one another, not quite grasping what Great Venerable Huolian meant. "It is only natural for you to react this way, as you do not comprehend the Celestial Venerable's might and terror," she said. "However, whatever the Celestial Venerable does, he is certain to have absolute confidence. Since he dares counterattack Army Lord Liyang and dares destroy the existence beyond True God inside the Heavenly Pillar, he naturally has the means to do so. Let me share with you just the tip of the Celestial Venerable's iceberg. The Great Sun falling today... did you see it? That great sun—the Celestial Venerable said it was his Golden Core!" "What?" "The Great Sun belongs to the Origin Celestial Venerable?!" "How... how could that be possible?!" "No wonder!" The Ancient Gods erupted in an uproar, gasping in collective shock. The Great Sun in the sky... actually belonged to the Origin Celestial Venerable! Didn't that mean... Great Venerable Huolian then said leisurely, "The Origin Celestial Venerable's current strength isn't even one ten-thousandth of his peak. Against an existence beyond True God, there might still be danger. In truth... I do not know what the outcome will be either. But... this is our last chance, isn't it?" The Mortal Heart Realm had long run out of chances. The so-called Mythological Plan—fleeing the Mortal Heart Realm—was nothing more than self-deception. In Great Venerable Huolian's eyes, did taking a handful of Mortal Heart Realm people away mean the Mortal Heart Realm still survived? How utterly laughable. "The Celestial Venerable's plan is the Mortal Heart Realm's only hope!"