Seed of the World

"In the past? When?" The Ancient Gods present were utterly bewildered, finding the notion unthinkable. "Origin Celestial Venerable, was the battle in the Northern Lands truly your doing?" "It was actually real!" "What a pity that Venerable Tianbao couldn't live to see this. Alas." "I heard the evil gods' headquarters fled outright! That is just... so deeply gratifying!" Merely calling it gratifying could no longer do it justice! After all, the Mortal Heart Realm had been suppressed for so many years, completely powerless against the evil gods. And now... they had been routed by Origin Celestial Venerable! So much had unfolded within a single day, and without the slightest warning. "Mighty is Origin Celestial Venerable!" "Eternal is Origin Celestial Venerable!" "Origin Celestial Venerable is a heavenly deity descended to the mortal realm!" The group chat boiled over. Only through such outbursts could they vent a fraction of their surging excitement. "What happened? Did Origin Celestial Venerable visualize another Legendary figure?" Messages flooded the chat in an endless barrage. Just then, a thought struck Qi Yuan, and he asked in the group: "Since fate brought us together, how about I hand out some perks? Anyone want in?" "What perks?!" Venerable Heilong asked. "Origin Celestial Venerable saved the Mortal Heart Realm! Even if you sent me out to starve in the bitter wind, I'd go willingly!" Venerable Shenmiao declared with utmost earnestness. "Seconded," Venerable Baixi chimed in, overflowing with emotion. He still remembered the very first time he met Origin Celestial Venerable in the chat. Back then, Origin Celestial Venerable had seemed so green and timid, politely addressing him as 'senior.' Now, Origin Celestial Venerable had become a reigning hegemon of his own realm. Venerable Baixi had also learned through his master, Great Venerable Lishan, that everything that had transpired in the Northern Lands was the absolute truth. Origin Celestial Venerable had led the people of Qingshui Village—and even villagers from neighboring towns—to smash the evil gods' main headquarters to pieces. It was virtually beyond imagination. Could it be... that every last resident of that village was a peerless prodigy? "Come to Lin Country, to Feiwu City, and become my subjects!" Qi Yuan spoke up, extending an invitation. "Since fate has brought us together, I shall lead you to turn the tables and slay the evil gods!" The game was not over yet; the Yang God within the Heavenly Pillar was still rampantly devouring the Heavenly Dao. Qi Yuan was still quietly accumulating his strength. To put it diplomatically, the Yang God's path ahead had reached its limit, whereas he still had immense room to grow. "Subjects!" "I, Venerable Shenmiao, am the first to sign up!" "Never mind becoming subjects—what would even laying down our lives matter?" After all, Origin Celestial Venerable had bestowed a monumental favor upon the Mortal Heart Realm. The Celestial Venerable's benevolence could not be repaid in ten lifetimes, so what was becoming his subjects? "I am willing as well!" Venerable Baixi replied. Even his master had become Origin Celestial Venerable's subject; what reason did he have to be coy? Seeing the Ancient Gods' feverish excitement in the chat, Dong Jianghe was struck speechless. He was the Youthful Heavenly Emperor who had visualized a Mythological-grade God Visualization Art! Becoming someone else's subject was a blow he could not swallow. "I have a form here. I'll send over the information you need to fill out. Anyone who wants to become my subject, fill it in, and I'll grant you your perks." Qi Yuan acted like a lavish tycoon, scattering money with wild abandon. After all, the money had come far too easily. If he had sweated blood to earn just a tiny fraction, he might not have been so generous. Within ten-odd breaths, the Ancient Gods in the chat held nothing back, submitting their personal information directly to Qi Yuan. Watching this unfold, Dong Jianghe's eyes went wide. *Do these people... have any backbone left at all? I'm the Youthful Heavenly Emperor who visualized a Mythological-grade art! I can't be as cheap as them. Origin Celestial Venerable has to invite me personally, and I need to turn him down once or twice before accepting! Now that's class!* "Anyone else? If not, I'm logging off. Anyone becoming my subject after this won't get the perks," Qi Yuan asked in the group. Hearing that, Dong Jianghe's pupils shrank. *He's leaving already?* *He's not going to invite me personally?!* Panic seized him, and he blurted out before he could stop himself: "Wait for me, Origin Celestial Venerable! I haven't filled it out yet!" It was better to seize such an opportunity first. Besides, everyone else in the chat was already becoming Origin Celestial Venerable's subjects—many had even started calling him their foster father. If he became a subject too, surely it wouldn't be that embarrassing, right? ... The slaughter continued. The collapse of the evil gods' main base had happened in an instant. However, the pace of hunting down the remaining evil gods began to slow. After all, the evil gods were scattered across various territories. Upon learning that the army at headquarters had fled en masse, they had scattered in every direction. The Qingshui Village army had been killing for three full days, yet they still had not wiped out all the remaining evil gods. At this moment, atop a towering mountain, Village Chief Yulei stood with a head of white hair, his presence radiating an unfathomable depth. Shrine Official Shentu followed behind him, his aura chilly and grim. Anyone who laid eyes on him felt a strange prickle of dread stir in their heart. Zhu Zhuangshi sat straddling the large black dog's back, grinning broadly with flashing white teeth, immensely pleased with himself. "Foul mutt, know who's master now?" The big black dog whined softly, not daring to talk back. Right then, several Step Two Sky Treading Ancient Gods appeared. When these Ancient Gods saw Yulei and the others, profound respect surfaced in their eyes. "My lords, the three evil gods including Lin Li are hiding on the mountain ahead. "A banquet has already been laid out in the city. Once you lords have executed the evil gods, we may all partake in the... feast together!" This Ancient God spoke with utmost care, his gaze toward Yulei and the others filled with yearning and reverence. "Mm. You may withdraw. Leave this place to us," Village Chief Yulei said. At his words, the Ancient Gods bowed respectfully and took their leave. On their way back, the Ancient Gods seemed to be conversing in hushed whispers. "So that is the Qingshui Village army? Worthy indeed of being Origin Celestial Venerable's personal retinue. Every single one of them is extraordinary!" "A single village where every soul is a god... What kind of blessed, wondrous land is that Qingshui Village?" "Origin Celestial Venerable is quite an odd one, too—he actually issued a 'prohibition on kill-stealing,' leaving all these evil gods for his own people to slay." "Alas, with our meager strength, we were never matches for the evil gods in the first place. How could we ever... steal their kills?" "We just need to cater to Origin Celestial Venerable's tastes and throw feasts!" "Now that's something I'm good at." As the Ancient Gods departed, the village chief could not help but sigh atop the high mountain. "Back then, encountering even a Purple Mansion-level divine creature made us tremble in fear. "And now... even True Gods act with such deference before us." "All of this is my lord's grace!" Shrine Official Shentu remarked. A subtle change also flickered across Zhu Zhuangshi's gaze. "Who would've thought that my fat frame could turn into a heartthrob?" Over the past few days, as he swept across the battlefields, quite a few female Ancient Gods had cast flirtatious glances and batted their lashes at him. Such a thing was beyond anything he had ever dared imagine before. Goddesses who once looked down on him from high above were now more flattering than that big black dog. "Old Zhu, how are things progressing?" Village Chief Yulei asked at that moment. At the question, Zhu Zhuangshi furrowed his brow. "After finishing off three evil gods, there's been some headway. "The assimilation method... is indeed ingenious." Over the past few days, they had not just been killing. They had also captured several evil gods to interrogate them about the assimilation method, conducting various experiments afterward. When evil gods arrived in the Mortal Heart Realm to oversee a territory, they could slowly assimilate the subjects, turning them into puppets. The task Village Chief Yulei had entrusted to Zhu Zhuangshi was precisely to unravel the mystery of this assimilation. "I hope it can be solved soon, so those assimilated subjects can find release," Village Chief Yulei remarked with a sigh. Across the Mortal Heart Realm, millions of subjects remained assimilated, reduced to mere puppets. Whenever one stepped into such a city, all that met the eye was desolate ruin and eerie dread. Beside them, Shrine Official Shentu's gaze grew profound. "For the next three evil gods, keep them alive. We must continue researching them and unravel the assimilation method no matter what. Furthermore..." Shentu did not finish the thought. Yet all three of them shared a tacit understanding, letting the matter rest without further words. Meanwhile, Qi Yuan had returned to Feiwu City. After feasting for two days in Huaye City—occasionally listening to Xiao Xing lead the suona dance, occasionally enjoying the banquets, and taking in news from across the Mortal Heart Realm—he had been having a marvelous time. Now, he was back in Feiwu City. Looking upon the city, orderly and restored to peace, he felt a surge of emotion. "All good things come to an end; the game... is nearly over as well." Whenever a game drew near its conclusion, Qi Yuan always felt an inexplicable wave of melancholy, a hollow pang of loss. Just then, his gaze shifted toward a certain residence. With a shift of his body, he appeared outside the house. Before Qi Yuan stood an ordinary building of red brick and blue tile. It bore some resemblance to his own brick-and-tile cottage on Seven Colors Peak. Qi Yuan thought to himself that once the game ended and he broke through into the Divine Infant realm, he would tear down that brick cottage and build something far more upscale. Looking at the house before him, he spoke in a cultured, genial tone: "Is anyone home? Origin Celestial Venerable... has come to pay a visit." Living in the house was a pair of sisters. The elder was named Yang Lian, and the younger was named Yang Hua. Back then, Qi Yuan had received a gift from these sisters—the Scarlet Jade Leaf. That Scarlet Jade Leaf contained the destiny of the world. At the time, he had obtained the Lost Glowstick but could not use it. It was the aura of the Scarlet Jade Leaf that had enabled him to activate the glowstick. Back when the gift had been delivered, word had been passed along that the sender disliked meeting strangers. So he had not disturbed them. Now that the game was almost over, he thought he would come by to meet the person inside. A hush fell over the house. Even so, Qi Yuan could hear the thumping heartbeat of a girl, seemingly wound tight with nervousness. The sisters inside appeared to be conferring about something. Qi Yuan was a gentleman and refrained from eavesdropping. Had he not been a gentleman, he wouldn't have waited outside the door in the first place, but barged straight in. After several dozen breaths, the door creaked open. The slender, tall Yang Lian appeared, a trace of wariness lingering in her eyes. "Celestial Venerable, please come in." Qi Yuan glanced at Yang Lian, his eyes filled with curiosity. Finally, he entered the room and saw a frail girl lying on the bed. The girl was small and thin, her face pale and bloodless. At this moment, she had her deep, luminous eyes wide open, radiating a remarkable spirit. Information regarding the little girl drifted into Qi Yuan's sight. Qi Yuan caught several key terms. Deep within his eyes, a flicker of disappointment flashed. "Thank you for your gift. It was of tremendous help to me," Qi Yuan offered his sincere gratitude. A smile broke across the little girl Yang Hua's face, gentle as a spring breeze. "You saved all the people of Feiwu City, and you saved me. It is I who should be thanking you." Beside them, Yang Lian kept her gaze fixed on Qi Yuan, her entire body tense. Her sister harbored the Seed of the World within her. If she were ever noticed by certain Venerables or Great Venerables, her identity could easily be exposed. For her, that would mean an irrecoverable disaster. After all, everyone coveted the Seed of the World. Even Mythological figures hungered for it beyond measure. Origin Celestial Venerable had indeed turned the tide in the Northern Lands and driven out the evil gods, making him a great savior of the Mortal Heart Realm. Yet one could know a person's face without knowing their heart. The stronger an expert was, the more they would covet the Seed of the World. "I once had an old friend who, like you, held a Seed of the World within her body. "Though... hers was somewhat different from yours." Qi Yuan recalled the Holy Mother of Inedia. In truth, within the Holy Mother of Inedia's body, he had also sensed the aura of a world seed. He had seen that Seed of the World. Yet the Seed of the World inside the Holy Mother of Inedia was different from the one in the girl before him. The girl's seemed to be the Seed of the World that had originally emerged from the Heavenly Pillar. The Holy Mother of Inedia's, on the other hand, was rather peculiar. However, the Holy Mother of Inedia had already perished. The girl before him was not her reincarnation either. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, a flicker of surprise crossed the girl's eyes. Yang Lian was equally astonished. She had never imagined that Origin Celestial Venerable actually knew someone else who bore a Seed of the World. "You should be quite familiar with her. She was... the Holy Mother of Inedia." "What? It was her?" Yang Lian was stunned. The little girl remained very calm, displaying a maturity unbefitting her years. "Big Brother Qi Yuan, you are very mysterious, and very powerful." "Just average, really." "To be able to scare the evil gods into fleeing, you are the first in the Mortal Heart Realm since ancient times," Yang Lian spoke up at this moment, her voice laced with awe. "Don't flatter me. I'm still very weak—at best, I could beat a baby." Qi Yuan recalled the information he had seen in the Ancestral Land and couldn't help muttering, "Now that I've seen you, I'll... take my leave." Qi Yuan's words caught Yang Lian completely off guard. *He's leaving...* Qi Yuan glanced at Yang Lian, amusement in his eyes. "Though my moral bottom line is fairly flexible, I don't eat people. "The Seed of the World... might be precious in the eyes of some, but to me, it's not even worth a bowl of delicious fish soup." Hearing this, guilt instantly surged in Yang Lian's heart. She had measured a gentleman's heart with her own petty suspicion. Qi Yuan truly harbored no designs on the Seed of the World. Yang Lian believed his words. If he truly had been greedy, he could have simply taken it by force. Why bother deceiving them? There was no need at all. "Origin Celestial Venerable, allow me to see you out." Realizing something, Yang Lian hurried after him. "Mm." Qi Yuan walked out of the house without the slightest hesitation. Yang Lian followed beside him, the expressions on her face shifting continuously. "What does Celestial Venerable plan to do next?" Yang Lian finally gathered her courage to ask, referring to the evil gods. "Naturally... to slay the two who are above True God." Qi Yuan was brimming with confidence; this was the final phase of his plan. As long as the two entities above True God were slain, his quest to protect Qingshui Village would be complete. At this, Yang Lian lowered her head, a trace of dejection in her eyes. "The Mortal Heart Realm is an innate world... This realm holds all possibilities, but... one cannot break through to above True God here. "Celestial Venerable's talent is unprecedented, yet... facing two beings above True God, without breaking through to above True God yourself, you will be no match for them." Yang Lian still had many words left unsaid. Only after completing the seven steps of Sky Treading could one step into the Yang God realm. Yet how arduous and protracted were those seven steps of Sky Treading? One had to truly tread across the sky. Once the Heavenly Dao within the Heavenly Pillar was fully devoured, perhaps not even several hundred years remained. There was not much time left for Origin Celestial Venerable. Never mind that one could not break through to Yang God within an innate world; even if one could, the time was far too short. Qi Yuan remained silent, saying nothing. Then he heard Yang Lian say, "The Mortal Heart Realm is doomed to destruction. Those two beings above True God... are simply insurmountable. "Perhaps Celestial Venerable's past life or true self is unimaginably noble, but residing within the Mortal Heart Realm is like being trapped in a cage. "Yang Lian wishes to beg Celestial Venerable to take my sister away from the Mortal Heart Realm! "My sister possesses the Seed of the World within her. If Celestial Venerable is willing, once she grows up, you may dual cultivate with her. It will be of immense benefit to your cultivation as well. When you break through to above True God, you will be no ordinary entity above True God!" Yang Lian spoke with utter seriousness. Origin Celestial Venerable was someone worthy of trust. Entrusting her sister to him gave her complete peace of mind. Besides, other than Origin Celestial Venerable, who else had the ability to escort her sister out of the Mortal Heart Realm? Qi Yuan looked at Yang Lian's face, utterly speechless. "I really have no interest in your Seed of the World. "Leave the Mortal Heart Realm? How am I supposed to keep playing the game then? "As for your request, I must decline." Qi Yuan refused flatly.