[Qingshui Village instance cleared. Rewards granted.]
[Reward 1: Innate Seed.]
[Reward 2: Innate True Spirit.]
Information regarding both rewards flooded into Qi Yuan's mind at that very instant.
An Innate Seed was, true to its name, a seed.
Yet this seed was extraordinarily unique. It could take root and sprout in any world, configured by its master, whereupon he could descend and replace it.
"This Innate Seed... is a bit peculiar."
After stepping into the Yin God realm, Qi Yuan had come to understand that whenever he played the game in the past, his Origin Spirit had entered the game world.
However, his Origin Spirit was rather special—it was of the single-use variety, and almost identical to an ordinary physical body, complete with flesh and blood.
Either way, it was a direct descent.
Now, with the Innate Seed, Qi Yuan could first configure the seed to grow, and later, when he descended, take its place.
"It's not of much use. At most, it lets me enter the game early and learn some plot details in advance.
"No, wait, it does have some use... The feedback from increasing the Innate Seed's cultivation is greater than that from the game!"
This left Qi Yuan somewhat exasperated.
If he had obtained this Innate Seed earlier, he would probably already be in the Yin God realm back in the Canglan Realm.
Instead, here he was: having hunted down two Yang Gods, yet upon returning to the Canglan Realm, he would only just be breaking through to the Divine Infant realm.
Qi Yuan shifted his attention to the second reward.
The Innate True Spirit.
All innate beings originated from Innate True Spirits.
Possessing an Innate True Spirit, Qi Yuan could even nurture... a brand-new Mortal Heart Realm.
An innate world like this was something even Yang Gods deeply coveted.
If Qi Yuan devoted himself to nurturing it, he would travel very, very far on the path of a Yang God.
Yet Qi Yuan merely smiled. "How could a single innate world ever compare to a Heavenly Court?"
Qi Yuan remembered Great Venerable Shenlei who had died in battle, his goddaughter Qi Qi, and... all the people of Qingshui Village.
He did not hesitate in the slightest.
The Innate True Spirit before him resembled a peeled egg, translucent and sparkling, radiating an endless, boundless aura from within.
It seemed capable of giving birth to countless living beings.
Yet at that moment, Qi Yuan's divine spiritual power transformed into a tempest of blades and swords, thousands of slashes raining down.
The Innate True Spirit before his eyes shattered violently.
"Form into my... Divine Infants."
Following his voice, the Innate True Spirit instantly divided into 4,752 portions.
Four thousand seven hundred and fifty subjects, plus the Holy Mother of Inedia and Venerable Tianbao.
The divided Innate True Spirits entered Qi Yuan's Divine Domain.
Under his control, these Innate True Spirits seemed to transform into Divine Infants.
Within the Divine Domain, the divine spiritual power that had originally been assimilated now flowed back into the Divine Infants.
Countless memory fragments also surged completely into the Divine Infants at this moment.
"Time to... leave." Qi Yuan's gaze was profound.
With the quest complete, the time he had left in the Mortal Heart Realm was scarce.
Less than half a day remained.
In these final hours, he recalled once roaming this world with the Holy Mother of Inedia.
This time, he would take one last good look at the Mortal Heart Realm alone.
...
Canglan Realm.
Inside the brick house, Qi Yuan abruptly snapped his eyes open.
Seas had turned into mulberry fields in what felt like a single instant, and countless memories flooded into his mind like scattered fragments.
He glanced up at the stars in the sky and could not help but sigh softly.
"As expected... not even fifteen minutes have passed in the Canglan Realm."
This time, he had entered the game and stepped back out, yet time in the Canglan Realm remained frozen at the very moment he had left.
Innumerable memories surged through his head.
The *Qi Yuan Scripture* circulated, and all those memories were temporarily sealed away, turning into scenes like a film.
The heavy look on Qi Yuan's face vanished.
He turned his inner vision toward his dantian.
There, precisely 4,752 Divine Infants resided.
Every single Divine Infant radiated a terrifying aura, as if an innate divine spirit lay slumbering within.
Once they awoke, they would surely shake the Canglan Realm to its core.
Moreover... the Ancient Gods represented by these Divine Infants were no ordinary deities.
For instance, Great Venerable Shenlei had obtained the God Visualization Art of the Longevity Great Emperor of the South Pole. Once he entered a major world, it would only be a matter of time before he became a Yang God!
In other words, every single Divine Infant inside Qi Yuan possessed the potential of a Yang God!
Once they awakened, they would be over four thousand Great Venerables—or perhaps... Yang Gods!
"Aiya, I formed so many Divine Infants without even realizing it. Does this mean I'm now a famous Divine Infant True Monarch?"
In Great Shang, a Divine Infant True Monarch was already an apex figure.
True Monarch Kumu, Sect Master of the Divine Light Sect, was a Divine Infant True Monarch.
Qi Yuan's arch-nemesis, Old Demon Black Chicken, was also a Divine Infant True Monarch.
After enduring countless trials and hardships, Qi Yuan had finally, legitimately become a Divine Infant True Monarch in his own right.
In Great Shang, he could already establish his own sect!
"A brick house no longer befits my status. This time, I have to live in... a concrete flat!"
When one's strength rose, one's standards had to rise with it. His living quarters could naturally no longer remain so crude.
If he had a TV, it would definitely have to be a plasma one.
"Not bad, not bad at all for this breakthrough," Qi Yuan mused with satisfaction.
His strength had increased by leaps and bounds. In the Canglan Realm, unleashing these Divine Infants would be far more convenient than using his Stellar Golden Cores.
It could be said that unless he ran into a Great Tribulation, he could practically walk sideways wherever he pleased in the Canglan Realm.
Encounter a Great Venerable?
Just release one Divine Infant to deal with it.
"What a pity they're sleeping so soundly. Who knows when they'll fully awaken?"
Qi Yuan sighed.
The subjects inside him were in a deep slumber and would not wake anytime soon.
"First, let's see what my cheat updated this time."
With every breakthrough into a major cultivation realm, Qi Yuan would acquire a new cheat.
His eyes could see hidden information, while his ears could catch faint murmurs and inner voices.
Now that he had broken through to become a Divine Infant True Monarch, his cheat would naturally update as well.
"Hmm... this time it's actually..."
Qi Yuan was momentarily rendered speechless.
What had awakened this time was his nose.
Normally, when noses were mentioned, people immediately thought of a dog's sense of smell.
Yet Qi Yuan's nose, this time, was...
"Lie detection? Growing longer or shorter... Did I turn into Pinocchio?"
The ability he had awakened allowed his nose to determine whether a statement was the truth or a lie by extending or shrinking upon hearing it.
Of course, this growing and shrinking remained under Qi Yuan's conscious control, so even if he performed a detection, no one would notice any change in his nose.
"This partially overlaps with my eyes' ability to see hidden information," Qi Yuan reflected.
However, the overlap was minimal.
For example, if Qi Yuan looked at an object, he could only obtain one piece of hidden information per day.
Sometimes that hidden information was related to truth and falsehood, but now, he could tread the path of discerning truth with far greater precision.
"Does it work on words I say myself?"
A sudden whim struck Qi Yuan.
"Qi Yuan is the most handsome man in the Canglan Realm!"
Unfortunately, his nose did not change in the slightest.
"Dammit, it won't even let me exploit a bug!"
Qi Yuan was infuriated. This ability was far too shoddy.
"Forget it, can't be bothered."
Muttering under his breath, Qi Yuan walked out of his brick house.
This time, however, he did not walk with his usual lazy slouch. Instead, he imitated the dignified gait of True Monarch Kumu.
If he changed into different robes and walked through the Divine Light Sect like this, people would take him for an elder.
"Should I pretend to be an elder on an inspection tour?"
The thought flashed through his mind before he immediately squashed it.
He was already a Divine Infant True Monarch, an existence on par with a peak master in the Divine Light Sect. Why would he need to pretend to be an elder inspecting the grounds?
Exiting his brick house, he looked toward the dwelling in the distance.
He cleared his throat to moisten his vocal cords. "Junior Sister."
About a dozen breaths later, a graceful figure emerged from the room.
The hair behind her ears was tied into circular loops that dangled on either side, with a pair of braids falling over her shoulders down to her waist. Beneath the fringe of bangs across her forehead rested a pair of lively, spirited eyes.
Jiang Lingsu wore a round-collared pink robe embroidered with gold trim over a white camisole. The slightly loose outer garment did little to conceal the impressive curves beneath the camisole.
Furrowing her brows, she looked at Qi Yuan and could not help but remark, "Senior Brother, with your hands clasped behind your back looking so solemn and old-fashioned... I thought one of the sect elders had arrived!"
"Am I not worthy of being an elder?" Qi Yuan asked smugly.
Having broken through in cultivation, he was now the youngest Divine Infant cultivator in the Divine Light Sect—no, the youngest Divine Infant cultivator in all of Great Shang. Naturally, he had to flaunt it a little.
"You are, you are... Wait..." Suddenly, Jiang Lingsu looked up at the firmament. "I only dozed off for a moment, and another sun has appeared in the sky?"
Her face was filled with astonishment.
There was indeed another sun in the heavens.
Three suns hung high above the Canglan Realm.
The spectacle of three suns aloft in the sky was extraordinarily alarming.
"Next time you come out of seclusion, the space around that sun might be completely surrounded by even more suns!" Qi Yuan chuckled.
He was currently studying the art of war, applying the strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside by surrounding that celestial sun with his Stellar Golden Cores.
"Please don't; that sounds terrifying!" Jiang Lingsu shook her head, quickly dismissing the thought.
After all, an earth-shattering matter like that was beyond her ability to influence anyway.
"Senior Brother, why did you call me out?" Jiang Lingsu asked.
"I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Qi Yuan asked, smiling at her.
Jiang Lingsu's health had always been fragile; at regular intervals, her body would turn as cold as frost.
Even with Qi Yuan's warmth, he could only temporarily disperse the chill while holding her hand.
Unless he spent every waking hour glued to her side, there was no way to relieve her suffering.
This time, throughout his journey into the Mortal Heart Realm, Qi Yuan had actually kept his junior sister's physical condition in mind.
She was a wealthy young lady, after all, and had helped him immensely in the past.
Now that he had achieved great wealth and power, even if he no longer cared for her pocket change, he would never be the kind of heartless man who abandoned someone after rising to success.
"The good news," Jiang Lingsu answered directly.
She knew that when chatting with her senior brother, logic was useless; it was best to simply say whatever came to mind.
"The good news is, remember how your condition requires a Purple Mansion cultivator with a Water-attribute Heavenly Spirit Root to cure completely?
"I found one!"
Originally, Qi Yuan's plan had been to capture a Purple Mansion cultivator to treat her after he became a Great Daluo Golden Immortal.
He had not expected the Mortal Heart Realm to be teeming with Purple Mansion existences. Having encountered quite a few cultivators with Water-attribute Heavenly Spirit Roots, he had picked out a pretty and well-behaved one to take in as his subject.
Upon hearing this, intense joy surged in Jiang Lingsu's eyes. "You found one?"
Did that mean there was hope for her condition?
Would she never have to endure that bone-chilling agony again?
Overwhelmed with delight, she leaned closer to Qi Yuan and grabbed his arm.
"Where is she?"
"There's also the bad news," Qi Yuan said flatly. "The cultivator with the Water-attribute Heavenly Spirit Root that I found isn't at the Purple Mansion realm."
"Huh?" A flicker of disappointment crossed Jiang Lingsu's eyes upon hearing that.
If the person was not a Purple Mansion cultivator, they would lack an origin divine ability and would be unable to cure her condition at its root.
As for nurturing an ordinary cultivator with a Water-attribute Heavenly Spirit Root all the way to the Purple Mansion realm... that was out of the question.
Even the Jiang Clan could not accomplish such a feat.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother. It's alright," Jiang Lingsu said with a bright smile.
It was enough that her senior brother kept her in his thoughts.
Even if it didn't work out, it didn't matter.
"I haven't finished the bad news yet," Qi Yuan continued.
Jiang Lingsu put aside her earlier excitement, her face blooming into a warm smile. "What other bad news could there be?"
"That cultivator isn't a Purple Mansion realm cultivator—she's a Yin God."
In fact, she wasn't just an ordinary Yin God, but a Great Venerable—a living Mythological being among Great Venerables.
Jiang Lingsu froze, her breath catching in her throat. "Senior Brother... you found a Venerable?"
That was a Yin God!
If a Purple Mansion cultivator with a Water-attribute Heavenly Spirit Root could cure her, a Yin God could do so with even greater ease!
Her senior brother's words were taking her on a wild emotional rollercoaster!
Yet Jiang Lingsu quickly grew apprehensive; not even her Jiang Clan had the clout to invite a Yin God to act on their behalf.
"The bad news still isn't finished." This time, Qi Yuan stopped keeping her in suspense and laid it all out in one breath. "That Yin God died."
Jiang Lingsu blinked.
"And she turned into my Divine Infant."
Jiang Lingsu blinked again.
Why did that sound so bizarre?
"So, my Divine Infant can heal you!" Qi Yuan declared smugly.
Jiang Lingsu stood in a daze for a long time before finally saying, "Senior Brother, we haven't seen each other for barely the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and you're already teasing me like this?"
As she spoke, she unceremoniously thumped Qi Yuan with her delicate fist and gave his arm a sharp pinch.
At any rate, she was only at Foundation Establishment and could not hurt Qi Yuan, who was at the Origin Core realm, so she held nothing back.
Becoming a Divine Infant in the blink of an eye—who would believe that?
"Your senior brother never lies. Even if I do, they're only white lies," Qi Yuan remarked casually. "Hurry back to your room so I can treat your illness."
"Senior Brother, are you being serious?" Jiang Lingsu asked in disbelief.
Although her senior brother often seemed unreliable, whenever he insisted on something with a straight face, it was usually true.
"May I cease being a native of the Blue Star if I'm lying to you!" Qi Yuan said earnestly.
Jiang Lingsu hesitated for a moment. "Wait a second, let me sort out my thoughts. My head is spinning."
She truly was bewildered.
What her senior brother was saying sounded far too outlandish.
After a long pause, she gritted her silver teeth and said fiercely, "Senior Brother, I'll believe you just this once. But if you're pulling my leg, I will never let you hear the end of it!"
Chapter 240