Aboard the flying boat, Qi Yuan reclined in a lounge chair, lazily soaking in the sun.
After departing the Divine Light Sect, he had hurried toward the Fengtian Domain without pause.
The time for his offline meetup with the Four Emperors of Divine Flower was drawing near.
Upon reaching the Fengtian Domain, Qi Yuan boarded this flying boat to head for Qinghong City.
The passengers aboard were a mixed assortment.
Thousands of cultivators filled the vessel, the weakest among them at Foundation Establishment.
However, Divine Infant or Purple Mansion cultivators were exceedingly rare.
A mature, attractive woman sat beside Qi Yuan, dressed in a green robe. Her gaze rippled with endless charm. "Is Fellow Daoist not from the Fengtian Domain?"
She had boarded the flying boat at the same time as Qi Yuan.
A small trading fair had been held aboard.
After attending and purchasing quite a few cultivation arts, Qi Yuan had made her acquaintance.
Her name was Li Ruoxian. She possessed a great collection of manuals, and Qi Yuan had bought seven Mysterious-grade arts from her.
"Yeah, I'm not," Qi Yuan answered honestly.
Qi Yuan didn't despise the poor, but he loved the wealthy.
Especially rich women qualified to be his ideal white moonlight.
"Fellow Daoist possesses an extraordinary bearing. Where do you hail from? Could it be the Eastern Lands?" Li Ruoxian was quite conversational. "The Eastern Lands may fall slightly short compared to the Fengtian Domain, yet extraordinary talents still emerge in abundance there.
"That recently renowned Blood-Robed Sword God has made quite a name for himself even in our Fengtian Domain.
"The Blood-Robed Sword God slaughters all in his path. In the Divine Flower Society in particular, executing those boastful loudmouths was truly satisfying, inspiring quite a few juniors in the Fengtian Domain to follow his example."
When speaking of the Blood-Robed Sword God, a look of respect surfaced in Li Ruoxian's eyes, tinged with a hint of helplessness.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt rather smug.
It seemed his efforts to purge the corrupt atmosphere of the cultivation world had borne some fruit after all.
"I admire the Blood-Robed Sword God greatly as well. If all cultivators in the cultivation world were like him, how could there be so much moral degradation and depravity?"
Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh in reflection.
Over four thousand Divine Infants resided inside him, like a miniature society, yet they never fought among themselves.
All because of his noble moral character.
Li Ruoxian froze for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled. "Fellow Daoist makes a fair point."
Changing the subject, she asked, "Is Fellow Daoist heading to Qinghong City to visit friends?"
"Yeah, a few friends."
At that moment, the flying boat slowed to a temporary stop.
Qi Yuan rose, a smile in his eyes. "A friend of mine is coming aboard. I'll go receive him."
"Very well." A curious look glinted in Li Ruoxian's eyes.
Just then, Qi Yuan remembered something and turned to her. "Could I trouble Fellow Daoist to save my chair? Don't let anyone else take it."
He was only stepping away for a moment. Having someone swipe a seat he had already warmed up would thoroughly ruin his mood.
Li Ruoxian was caught between tears and laughter. "All right."
She watched Qi Yuan walk away.
A crisp voice soon reached her ear: "How is this Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan?"
Li Ruoxian looked at the young maiden approaching and offered a helpless smile. "Silly girl, what are you thinking?"
"This Fellow Daoist is genuinely handsome, with an extraordinary bearing. He spends so generously when buying manuals—he's clearly loaded.
"Most importantly, he also likes my favorite, the Blood-Robed Sword God. This match... I support it with both hands!"
"You..." Li Ruoxian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "A chance meeting between strangers who barely know each other, and you're already indulging in wild fantasies."
"Grandmother, Grandfather has been gone for so long, and you've kept to an empty room for so many years. It's time to think about your own future," the girl beside her urged, seemingly very pleased with Qi Yuan. "Grandmother, see how considerate I am? When you were chatting with Qi Yuan, I deliberately stayed out of sight."
Li Ruoxian's expression turned calm as a thought crossed her mind. "Speak no more of such things. We came to Qinghong City to retrieve Yang-lang's relics from the Dao Seeking Palace."
Yang-lang was Li Ruoxian's Dao companion and the girl's grandfather.
Her grandfather had passed away early, leaving many of his relics behind in the Dao Seeking Palace.
Hearing this, the girl fell silent.
Right then, two figures walked over from not far away.
The newcomers were none other than Qi Yuan and Rogue Celestial Venerable.
"This is Li Ruoxian, whom I met on the flying boat," Qi Yuan introduced her to Rogue Celestial Venerable.
Then he added, "This is Gao Xiaoyu, my good brother."
Gao Xiaoyu was Rogue Celestial Venerable's real name.
Hearing Qi Yuan address him by his real name felt rather strange to him.
Seeing them, Li Ruoxian offered a bright smile. "Greetings, Fellow Daoists."
However, she cast an extra glance at Rogue Celestial Venerable, surprise flickering in her eyes.
Previously, she had been unable to gauge Qi Yuan's strength. Seeing how lavishly he spent, she had naturally assumed he was in the Purple Mansion realm like herself.
Yet Qi Yuan's good brother appeared to be only at the Origin Core stage.
How could she not be surprised?
The young maiden beside her also stared blankly. At the Origin Core perfection stage herself, she easily saw through Rogue Celestial Venerable's cultivation.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoists." Facing Li Ruoxian and the girl, Rogue Celestial Venerable remained neither servile nor overbearing.
After all, while his cultivation was lacking, he was still one of the Four Emperors of Divine Flower.
After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Qi Yuan and Rogue Celestial Venerable began chatting.
Li Ruoxian's gaze toward them remained unchanged, but her granddaughter became noticeably cooler toward Qi Yuan.
"I'm going to see Great Sun Flame Emperor and Big Sis Iceberg Overlord Woman soon. I'm a little excited." Rogue Celestial Venerable was naturally thrilled.
He had already realized that he was the only fake boaster in the entire chat group.
"Me too. After all... it's an offline meetup..." Qi Yuan sighed.
The thought of meeting offline reminded him of Jin Li.
By now, Shen Wushen had likely sent the letter.
According to Shen Wushen, it would take three years in the Upper Realm for the letter to arrive.
Converted to lower realm time, that would be nearly ten years.
By then, he didn't know if he would have completely resolved the Great Tribulation.
"Are you planning to visit the Dao Seeking Palace this time?" Rogue Celestial Venerable asked, recalling something.
"Yeah. Though I've gathered quite a few arts recently, it's still not enough. The Dao Seeking Palace... I'll have to pay it a visit."
Qi Yuan had yet to figure out how to walk the path from Divine Infant to Purple Mansion.
That required an immense number of cultivation techniques.
Furthermore, the Golden Core Grand Dao continuously consumed techniques, compelling him to keep collecting arts.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist is also heading to the Dao Seeking Palace?" Li Ruoxian couldn't resist chiming in.
The girl beside her remarked, "The Dao Seeking Palace isn't so easy to enter."
"Oh?" Qi Yuan looked intrigued.
"The Dao Seeking Palace in the Fengtian Domain has gathered the Purple Mansion perfection cultivators of all three domains.
"With Yin Gods in seclusion, the Dao Seeking Palace is the foremost faction across the three domains.
"Ordinary Purple Mansions cannot even gain entry, let alone Origin Cores..." the girl said, pointedly eyeing Rogue Celestial Venerable.
Li Ruoxian frowned and glared at the girl.
Qi Yuan burst into laughter. "Gao Xiaoyu, did you hear that? Your Golden Core strength is being mocked."
Rogue Celestial Venerable kept his mouth shut.
Qi Yuan continued, "I'm different. I'm already a Divine Infant True Monarch, the foremost Divine Infant in the Great Shang Kingdom. The Dao Seeking Palace will surely give me face."
Saying so, he glanced at Li Ruoxian. "Right?"
The girl wanted to speak, but another glare from her grandmother swallowed her words.
Li Ruoxian smiled. "A Divine Infant prodigy is certainly qualified to enter the Dao Seeking Palace.
"If Fellow Daoist wishes to visit, why not come with me?
"As it happens, I am heading there as well."
"Oh, really?" Delight showed on Qi Yuan's face.
Although Great Sun Flame Emperor was a local host in the Fengtian Domain, he had mentioned that his grandfather, Lord Feng, had a very strained relationship with the Dao Seeking Palace—even harboring some friction.
Qi Yuan was going there to buy techniques, not wipe out the sect. He couldn't just barge in, so having someone introduce him was ideal.
"I'll trouble Fellow Daoist then." Qi Yuan hadn't expected such an unexpected pleasant surprise.
"A trivial matter," Li Ruoxian replied casually.
"Here is my communication jade slip. Let's add each other. If you encounter any trouble in the future, just contact me, and I'll settle it for you." Qi Yuan never took advantage of others for free.
His actions had always been casual and spontaneous.
In common terms: whatever came to mind, he did.
"Very well." Li Ruoxian did not refuse.
At this moment, the girl who had been glared at felt somewhat contrite, realizing her earlier words had been somewhat impolite.
She took the initiative to speak, easing the atmosphere: "Since you're both from the Eastern Lands, have you seen the Blood-Robed Sword God? Is he truly like a heavenly god descended to the mortal realm, just as the legends say?"
She admired the Blood-Robed Sword God, after all, and often followed his example by tracking people down across thousands of miles through communication jade slips to beat them up.
It was precisely because of this that Li Ruoxian had reacted oddly when the Blood-Robed Sword God was mentioned earlier.
Rogue Celestial Venerable glanced at Qi Yuan and kept quiet.
Qi Yuan said smugly, "You have great taste. I have seen the Blood-Robed Sword God. His bearing and handsome looks are practically on par with mine."
The girl froze, her eyes widening. "You're that confident?"
In her eyes, Qi Yuan was undoubtedly a rare, handsome man.
That was why she had tried to matchmake him with her grandmother.
Yet learning that he was only at the Divine Infant realm had extinguished that thought.
Such cultivation wasn't enough to be her grandmother's Dao companion, though it was still sufficient to be her grandmother's boy toy.
"One must have self-confidence! What's wrong with being an ordinary yet confident guy? Besides, I'm a handsome yet confident guy!" Qi Yuan declared as if it were only natural.
Beside him, Rogue Celestial Venerable hastily chimed in, "I can testify to that. Qi Yuan and the Blood-Robed Sword God are equally handsome, as if born from the very same mother."
"You're done for! I recorded what you just said with a shadow-recording stone!" The girl smiled slyly. "If you don't bribe me with some spirit stones, I'll publicize this in the Divine Flower Society!"
"You're in the Divine Flower Society too?"
"Huh?"
Along the way, the group chatted cordially, and no major unpleasantness arose.
Time passed quickly. Roughly a day and a half later, the flying boat came to a halt in an open expanse.
In the distance ahead stood a crowd of cultivators, seemingly waiting for someone.
Qi Yuan, Rogue Celestial Venerable, Li Ruoxian, and the girl disembarked together.
A smile lit up the girl's eyes. "Next time you see the Blood-Robed Sword God, you must capture his likeness with a shadow-recording stone!"
Qi Yuan stroked his chin. "Is the Blood-Robed Sword God that popular in the Fengtian Domain?"
"Yes, many of my sisters adore him.
"If you give me a shadow-recording stone with the Blood-Robed Sword God on it, I could definitely sell it for a fortune," the girl said excitedly.
In the Fengtian Domain today, the Blood-Robed Sword God's reputation was at its peak.
This was related to his conduct, as well as a recent piece of gossip in the domain.
"Sigh, hearing you say that tempts me. I almost want to record myself and put it up for sale," Qi Yuan mused.
It certainly sounded like a viable path to wealth.
However, Qi Yuan sold his skills, not his body. He couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.
Who knew what some unhinged cultivators, male or female, might do with his image?
After all, plenty of miniature games circulated in this world.
Take that Sword Dao Fairy game Dong Xian had given him, for instance.
"Don't tell me you're thinking of impersonating the Blood-Robed Sword God? Forget it. If he finds out, you're done for," the girl whispered.
Remembering something, she added hastily, "Right, once you enter the Dao Seeking Palace, whatever you do, never mention the Blood-Robed Sword God."
"Oh? Why is that?" Qi Yuan asked, surprised.
What had the Blood-Robed Sword God done to the Dao Seeking Palace?
"Haven't you heard about the most famous piece of gossip in the Fengtian Domain lately?"
"What gossip?"
The girl immediately sent a voice transmission to Qi Yuan:
"A while ago, Great Venerable Wujun went to Mount Yun to ask Great Venerable Moli to become his Dao companion.
"Yet who could have foreseen that Great Venerable Moli would declare her heart already belonged to someone else—the Blood-Robed Sword God.
"Great Venerable Wujun flew into a towering rage and ultimately departed Mount Yun in agonizing despair.
"Great Venerable Wujun happens to be the master ruling behind the Fengtian Domain's Dao Seeking Palace."
Qi Yuan froze upon hearing this.
Who on earth... was this Great Venerable Moli?
She had drawn an enemy to him out of nowhere.
"Great Venerable Moli is the foremost beauty of the Fengtian Domain. For even her heart to be set on the Blood-Robed Sword God shows how extraordinary his divine presence must be," the girl continued.
Qi Yuan couldn't help thinking to himself:
*Am I already that handsome?*
*Falling in love with me without even meeting me?*
Of course, there might be other hidden details.
Not knowing the truth of the matter, he refrained from making wild guesses.
The group walked as they chatted.
Li Ruoxian said, "The person receiving me has arrived. Until next time, Fellow Daoist."
A slovenly old man in a Daoist robe walked toward them, weariness lingering on his face as if he had only just awoken.
"All right. Next time, you'll take me to the Dao Seeking Palace," Qi Yuan said, bidding farewell to Li Ruoxian.
He seemed to have already spotted Great Sun Flame Emperor and Iceberg Overlord Woman.
The Four Emperors of Divine Flower had finally gathered here.
On the other side, the girl stayed close to Li Ruoxian as they followed behind the slovenly Daoist.
She appeared quite frightened of him, barely daring to breathe.
The group boarded a rabbit-drawn carriage.
At that moment, the slovenly Daoist lifted the carriage curtain, a pensive look crossing his face. "Intriguing. The person traveling with you just now is together with Lord Feng's grandson."
Hearing this, Li Ruoxian also looked out the window.
Astonishment showed in her eyes. "Lord Feng's grandson?"
Lord Feng also had considerable friction with the Dao Seeking Palace.
More importantly, she had assumed Qi Yuan was merely an ordinary Divine Infant cultivator whose clan might have a few Purple Mansion elders not worth mentioning.
Now, seeing him alongside Lord Feng's grandson, it seemed his background was far from simple.
The girl beside her looked equally stunned.
A wave of relief washed over her heart—thank goodness she hadn't genuinely mocked Rogue Celestial Venerable for being an Origin Core.
If Qi Yuan had a Yin God powerhouse backing him, wouldn't that mean... he was worthy of her grandmother?
"Next time you bring him to the Dao Seeking Palace, try to avoid the times when Yuanchen is on duty," the slovenly Daoist remarked casually.
He had overheard Qi Yuan asking Li Ruoxian to take him into the Dao Seeking Palace earlier.
"Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist," Li Ruoxian said solemnly.
"There is one more matter I must inform you of. As for Yang Cui's relics, you may only take sixty percent," the slovenly Daoist added upon reflection.
Hearing this, Li Ruoxian showed no surprise. "Understood!"
Chapter 249