Because You Have Too Few Divine Infants

Hearing this, the others all nodded in agreement with Shen Zhifeng's words. That way, they would not lose too much face. Just then, a lazy voice drifted over. "His strength is passable at best, but as for the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll, he still wouldn't take first place." Qi Yuan wore a crimson robe of deep blood-red. His features were peerlessly handsome, and his bearing was akin to a banished immortal's. Every cultivator who laid eyes on him showed a trace of awe or some other emotion. Even Jiang Lingsu stole several extra glances at him, for today Qi Yuan seemed to have dressed up with particular care. He was exceptionally easy on the eyes; his aura and appearance made even her heart flutter and her cheeks warm. The only slight blemish was the leash clutched in his hand, at the other end of which trailed his pet kitchen knife. "Greetings, Senior Brother Qi Yuan!" "It has been only a few days, yet Senior Brother Qi Yuan's brilliance is undiminished." Zhuge Miao of Divine Medicine Peak wore a complicated expression. The last time he saw Qi Yuan, he had asked him how to improve a pill formula. Back then, he had addressed Qi Yuan as junior brother. Afterward, he ventured into a secret realm, gained immense rewards, broke through straight into the middle Foundation Establishment stage, and returned in high spirits. Only to find... Qi Yuan had reached the Divine Infant realm. Hearing that news had left him thoroughly dazed. At this moment, the Divine Infant cultivators present all looked toward Qi Yuan, their expressions varied. "Greetings, True Monarch Qi Yuan!" "I never imagined our Great Shang could gather such extraordinary talent today." "Before long, I fear True Monarch Qi Yuan will become a second Shen Wushen." "A youthful genius like the True Monarch will surely achieve greatness in the days to come." These Divine Infant cultivators could not resist offering lavish praise. Qi Yuan could not help retorting, "No need for 'days to come'—I've already achieved greatness right now." Saying he would only make something of himself later—wasn't that practically an insult? Monk Wudian, who had spoken those words, froze and gave an awkward smile. Just then, Shen Zhifeng looked at Qi Yuan and questioned, "Why do you claim Young Master Shen couldn't take first place on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll, True Monarch?" In Shen Zhifeng's eyes, Shen Wushen, who had descended from the Upper Realm, was a scion of an immortal clan. How could a Divine Infant cultivator of the lower realm compare to her young master? Even Yin God Venerables had to show him deference. The rest of the crowd also stared at Qi Yuan, wondering why he would say such a thing. Wasn't that offending Shen Wushen? Shen Wushen's background was certainly not simple either; there might even be a Yin God behind him. His status was by no means inferior to Qi Yuan's. "Because... I took part in the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll too." Qi Yuan smiled proudly and cleared his throat, looking for all the world like someone who had slicked his hair with pomade and was preparing to deliver a speech. "Unworthy as I am, I pulled a few strings and took first place on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll." The moment these words left his mouth, everyone present went still, followed by shock or... bewilderment. First on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll? Pulled strings? That Blood-Robed Sword God, master of the Blood-Robed Alliance, had to be Qi Yuan's birth father. Otherwise, how could he let Qi Yuan slip through the back door and seize first place on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll? A trace of disdain flashed deep within Shen Zhifeng's eyes. "If that is how it is, then Young Master Shen indeed could not take first place on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll. But... surely he can claim the title of Great Shang's number one Divine Infant?" Shen Zhifeng looked at Qi Yuan with an inscrutable expression. She was like a zealous devotee who demanded that her idol be first under heaven in everything. "My apologies, but Great Shang's number one Divine Infant is already taken—by me!" Qi Yuan said modestly. Keep a low profile when one ought to, and boast boldly when called for. His Divine Infant was indeed rather ordinary; currently, even if unleashed, it couldn't kill a Yang God. Yet its growth potential was astonishing. With the God Visualization Art combined with the tower in the Ancestral Land, once the Divine Infant within him fully awakened, it could tread the path of the Yang God. He might be ordinary for now, but his future was brilliant, and even right now, he was more than qualified to be called Great Shang's number one Divine Infant. Qi Yuan certainly did not want someone else snatching that title. At these words, all the Divine Infant cultivators were stunned. Kang Fulu hurriedly sent a voice transmission: "Senior... Brother, this Shen Wushen is ruthless! He just defeated thirty-three Divine Infant cultivators on his own!" He worried Qi Yuan had been playing video games again and remained completely ignorant of what had just happened. "Oh, he has some skill, but not much," Qi Yuan transmitted back. After acquiring the God Visualization Art, which of his people wasn't a peerless prodigy of their generation? Even Zhu Zhuangshi alone could challenge opponents across realms into the Yin God stage. Once Shen Wushen cultivated to the Yin God realm, he definitely wouldn't measure up to Zhu Zhuangshi. If the man couldn't even compare to one of his Divine Infants, how could he possibly call himself Great Shang's number one Divine Infant? Following Qi Yuan's declaration, Shen Wushen fixed his gaze on Qi Yuan, a fierce battle intent welling up in his eyes. He was a combat fanatic by nature. "You are strong?" Shen Wushen looked at Qi Yuan with excitement. "Average, just average. Third under heaven," Qi Yuan said lazily. And that was him being modest. "Injure me, and this bottle of pills is yours!" Shen Wushen produced the Seven Accumulations Spirit Nourishing Pills once more. The breaths of the Divine Infant cultivators on the field quickened, their eyes greedy. They longed to obtain that bottle of pills, but they had suffered a crushing defeat at Shen Wushen's hands. Qi Yuan glanced at the pills and yawned. "I'm not interested in those pills, nor am I interested in defeating you." Shen Wushen paused. This was the first time he had met a Divine Infant cultivator who showed no interest in Seven Accumulations Spirit Nourishing Pills. Shen Zhifeng could not resist sneering, "Could it be that you simply don't dare?" The other Divine Infant cultivators wore looks of people watching a show. They too believed Qi Yuan was likely no match for Shen Wushen. After all, the strength Shen Wushen had displayed just now was simply too terrifying. Qi Yuan had only just entered the Divine Infant realm. His speed was astonishing, but in terms of sheer combat power, how could he rival Shen Wushen? Besides, Shen Wushen's identity and status were not necessarily beneath Qi Yuan's. "You aren't my white moonlight, so I can't be bothered to lift a finger," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. He generally fought for three reasons: first, to kill a white moonlight for material gain; second, on a whim, where even he couldn't predict when the mood would strike; and third, pure and simple—an itch to show off and flex. "A white moonlight? What is that? What are the requirements to become your white moonlight?" Shen Wushen asked. He had come to the Canglan Realm solely to seek worthy opponents. Moreover, he never forced others; he only pursued a fair contest. During his previous descent to a realm, in order to fight a female Divine Infant cultivator, he had agreed to her conditions. He had accompanied her in secluded mountain forests for fifty years, playing the zither, practicing sword dances, living like a pair of celestial companions day in and day out. Fifty years later, he finally had his chance to battle her. In the end, that female cultivator could not even withstand three of his moves. That had left him deeply disappointed. At the time, he had shaken his head at the beautiful cultivator and said, "Too weak." Having said that, he drifted away. The female cultivator chased after him relentlessly, weeping as she pursued him, practically begging to fight him again. Naturally, Shen Wushen had no desire to spar with the weak, so he called out, "Once you become a hundred times stronger, I shall fight you again." Facing Qi Yuan, an opponent whose cultivation and strength he could not see through, Shen Wushen was more than willing to make sacrifices—even if it meant fifty years of seclusion together. "You aren't an old man, so you don't qualify as my white moonlight," Qi Yuan said, shaking his head. "Still... if you can produce a Heaven-grade art, perhaps I could play along with you for a bit." Heaven-grade arts were exceedingly rare. Usually, a Yin God possessed only a single Heaven-grade art, and most were low-grade. Even after emptying out the Ascending Heaven Pavilion, Qi Yuan had not found a single high-grade Heaven art. "A Heaven-grade art? That's simple enough." Shen Wushen reached into his robes casually, and an art jade slip appeared. "I obtained this by chance." He produced the Heaven-grade art as effortlessly as pulling out a turnip. "Let me take a look." Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. After all, due to differing world laws, the current Qi Yuan could not yet utilize techniques from other worlds to perfect the Qi Yuan Scripture. Shen Wushen clearly did not hail from the Canglan Realm. Shen Wushen casually tossed the Heaven-grade art into Qi Yuan's hands. Seeing this, the Divine Infant cultivators on the field breathed raggedly. The techniques they cultivated were mostly Jade-grade; an occasional low-grade Black-grade manual would be enough to stir up bloodbaths across Great Shang. Yet here, a Heaven-grade art had appeared just like that. Unfortunately, the person holding it was simply too powerful. Even if greed stirred in their hearts, they dared not harbor any designs. "Huh, this technique of yours is actually decent?" Qi Yuan remarked in surprise. The Heaven-grade art Shen Wushen handed over clearly did not originate from the Canglan Realm, yet it could actually be adapted into the Qi Yuan Scripture. How could he not be surprised? Even though cultivators of the Canglan Realm likely could not cultivate this art either, it didn't matter as long as he could draw reference from it—after all, he wasn't going to cultivate it directly anyway. "Do you have many techniques like this?" Qi Yuan found numerous thoughts bubbling up in his mind. If the world Shen Wushen came from had an abundance of such arts, should he just take over that world and "requisition" all its techniques? "Plenty." Shen Wushen looked at Qi Yuan, battle intent surging from his eyes. "Do you want them?" "I do." Qi Yuan felt Shen Wushen's gaze was somewhat strange, but he nodded nonetheless. "Injure me, and I will give you five!" Shen Wushen said generously. Qi Yuan was tempted. Five Heaven-grade arts—this guy was loaded. No wonder his left eye had been twitching incessantly ever since he got up this morning. A windfall was coming. "What if I defeat you?" Qi Yuan's eyes gleamed. "If you defeat me, all the arts on my person—even my primary cultivation manual, a divine art... can be yours!" Shen Wushen's battle intent roared like a torrent. "A divine art?" Qi Yuan grew somewhat excited. This was a divine art. To this day, he had never laid eyes on a divine art. He hadn't even seen a high-grade Heaven art. "I won't take advantage of you. If you manage to defeat me, I'll modify and upgrade your divine art for free!" Qi Yuan said warmly. He had never liked taking advantage of people. If he won a heap of rewards upon victory, Shen Wushen deserved a heap of rewards if he won as well. Not far away, Jiang Lingsu was left completely speechless upon hearing this. She muttered inwardly, *Senior Brother, you're not offering free modifications at all—you're clearly just eyeing Shen Wushen's divine art!* Even so, she hurriedly called out, "Senior Brother... you can do it, and be careful!" The phrase "you can do it" was something she had learned from Qi Yuan. "Thank you, Junior Sister." Qi Yuan was very polite. Shen Zhifeng's eyes brimmed with smug satisfaction. "Soon, you shall understand what true power looks like!" The rest of the Divine Infant cultivators shared Shen Zhifeng's sentiment, nearly all believing that Shen Wushen's victory was a foregone conclusion. Seeing this, Jiang Lingsu couldn't bear it anymore. She said to Jiang Ran, "Cheer for Senior Brother with me!" After all, no one else was cheering for him. Today was Senior Brother's Divine Infant Assembly; she couldn't let him feel neglected. And so Jiang Ran and Jiang Lingsu seemed to turn into a cheer squad, shouting encouragement for Qi Yuan. At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at Shen Wushen with a calm expression. "I'll let you strike first. Otherwise, once I make a move, you won't get the chance." The man was a wealthy patron, a man of means. Qi Yuan naturally would not mistreat a rich benefactor. He had to save him some face. "Arrogant and conceited!" Shen Zhifeng could not help sneering. The other Divine Infant cultivators felt the same, but wary of Qi Yuan's status, none dared voice an opinion. When immortals fought, they might dare to gossip if they stood far off. Standing right alongside them, shutting up was the only sensible choice. "Come, then! Let me see just how much of my power you can force out!" The moment Shen Wushen's words fell, a vast, boundless aura unfurled. The power he unleashed this time was an entire notch stronger than what he had used against the thirty-odd Divine Infants earlier. A terrifying strike crashed downward. Qi Yuan stood rooted in place, motionless, as though he hadn't even reacted in time. *He's finished.* Such a thought sprang into the minds of the other Divine Infants. Not only had Qi Yuan failed to mount a defense, he hadn't reacted at all. True Monarch Kumu was frantic. He hastily flew upward, intending to intercept the blow. Yet how could he stop it? He was simply too late. Shen Wushen's strike slammed squarely onto Qi Yuan. Then something entirely unexpected occurred. Qi Yuan was not injured in the slightest; he was completely unharmed. That strike had not harmed a single hair on his head. A lazy voice drifted out. "To be honest, it's been a long time since I personally took action against a Divine Infant this weak." Every Divine Infant present was struck dumb. After all, Shen Wushen's formidable might had been on full display for all to see. A strike like that would have been enough to execute any Divine Infant present. Yet it hadn't even broken Qi Yuan's defense. "Qi Yuan is actually this strong?" "Hasn't he only just broken through to the Divine Infant realm?" "He has some skill, but compared to Young Master Shen, not much!" "You are strong!" Shen Wushen did not retreat in the slightest; on the contrary, his excitement flared even higher, as though he had met his fated rival. "Once I defeat you, my Divine Infant path will have reached its culmination, and I can condense my Purple Mansion! "To think I would gain so much this time!" "I advise you to form your Purple Mansion sooner. As for defeating me... you're still far from it." Qi Yuan smiled faintly. Looking at Shen Wushen, he suddenly opened his mouth and blew a gentle breath. Instantly, bewilderment surfaced on Shen Wushen's face. A terrifying gale swept forward. This wind appeared to have been blown forth casually by Qi Yuan, yet Shen Wushen sensed that this gale was even more formidable than an origin divine ability. "God Slaying Annihilation Technique!" Shen Wushen bellowed, unleashing his strongest blow. This strike was potent enough to slay even a Purple Mansion cultivator. Yet against the casual breath blown by Qi Yuan, his divine ability was like an ant roaring at a hurricane. Shen Wushen could not move. That gust of wind, akin to the supreme divine ability under heaven, pinned him firmly to the spot. This scene left every Divine Infant present utterly appalled. "Such a method..." "It isn't a divine ability—how can this be?" "And yet... the method Qi Yuan unleashed clearly... still belongs to the Divine Infant realm!" "The skies of Great Shang are truly about to change!" Shen Zhifeng wore a look of terror, her face filled with sheer disbelief. "How is this possible!" Jiang Lingsu froze for an instant before delight swept over her, mingled with a faint trace of wistfulness. She waved her arms excitedly: "Senior Brother is mighty!" The gazes of the Divine Infant cultivators on the field toward Qi Yuan had completely transformed. At this moment, Shen Wushen hung his head, his expression lost and bewildered. He murmured, "I lost... I lost..." He could not comprehend why he had lost. Why could he not even withstand a gentle breath blown by Qi Yuan? Suddenly, he lifted his head and stared fixedly at Qi Yuan. "We are both Divine Infants... why are you so strong?" A smile appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Because you have... too few Divine Infants."