Qi Yuan's Plan

Qinghong City, at the flying boat docking station. Strictly speaking, this was the very first time the Four Emperors of Divine Flower had ever met in person. Dressed in a golden robe, Great Sun Flame Emperor was strikingly handsome and carried a refined, scholarly air. He looked at Qi Yuan with a smile in his eyes. "Origin Celestial Venerable is indeed as handsome and extraordinary as the legends say." "Rogue Celestial Venerable is a bit shabby, though. Plenty of room for improvement," Iceberg Overlord Woman chimed in from the side. She was tall with pretty features, yet her gaze gave off an exceedingly rough, boisterous impression. "The Four Emperors of Divine Flower have finally gathered here! Today is a day worthy of commemoration, and a momentous day for the Canglan Realm!" Qi Yuan could not help proclaiming. "Origin Celestial Venerable, do you have another plan?" Rogue Celestial Venerable asked excitedly, prompted by Qi Yuan's grand declaration. He had assumed Qi Yuan had some new scheme, such as establishing an influential faction. If so, following along might allow him to make a fortune. "...No," Qi Yuan answered with a shake of his head after a moment's thought. "I just felt that the scenery and the occasion called for such words." Did the literal content and meaning behind them matter? Not at all. Just as back in the Mortal Heart Realm, before every banquet, Qi Yuan felt compelled to deliver a lengthy speech expressing his thoughts. Seeing this, Great Sun Flame Emperor merely found it completely in character. Iceberg Overlord Woman spoke up: "If you want to do business, this old lady can invest three million spirit stones. Heh heh, every single one of those spirit stones was made from the Palace of Light." Back then, Qi Yuan had devised a plan to wipe out the Palace of Light within a hundred days. He had notified the Four Emperors of Divine Flower and invited them to take out high-interest loans from the organization. In the end, the Palace of Light was annihilated, so naturally, those debts never needed repaying. Hearing this, Qi Yuan was consumed with envy. "I'm green with jealousy! What a pity those white moonlights of the Palace of Light were simply... far too fragile. With one blow from my Stellar Golden Core, they were wiped out completely. Not a single spirit stone or cultivation manual was left behind for me." At Qi Yuan's words, the other three fell into a brief silence. All three instinctively looked up toward the firmament. There, high above, two dazzling suns had appeared, flanking the sun in the center. Blazing with scorching heat, they hung high and cast their brilliance across the world. Even across an unfathomable distance, one could still feel the sheer terror radiating from those suns. Such terrifying celestial bodies... were apparently Qi Yuan's Golden Cores. Truth be told, when they had first harbored such a suspicion, they were startled by their own thoughts, finding the notion utterly absurd. After all, how could anyone in the world condense a sun into a Golden Core? "Origin Celestial Venerable, that other sun that recently appeared in the sky—could that also be your Golden Core?" Iceberg Overlord Woman asked from the side. "Indeed. My third Golden Core is currently being condensed and refined. It probably won't be long before it succeeds," Qi Yuan said, his face brimming with boundless ambition. "As long as I am given enough time, across the heavens and firmament, every star in the sky will become my Golden Core, illuminating all four quarters!" Qi Yuan was speaking the truth. Given sufficient time, his Stellar Golden Core would devour more stars and celestial bodies, projecting endless Golden Cores across the heavens. Perhaps later on, he might even devour black holes and other phenomena. That would be far more amusing. "I don't ask for a sun, but if only I could have a star of my own," Rogue Celestial Venerable remarked wistfully. Iceberg Overlord Woman chuckled. "Isn't that simple? Cling tightly to Origin Celestial Venerable's coattails, and when you cultivate to Sky Treading Seven Steps one day, he might reward you with a star to illuminate the heavens." Great Sun Flame Emperor smiled as well, a peculiar expression flitting across his face, for she spoke the truth. With Origin Celestial Venerable's terrifying talent, reaching the legendary Yang God realm was merely a matter of time. As long as Origin Celestial Venerable could resolve the Great Tribulation, then... anything was possible. If they held tightly to Qi Yuan, they might genuinely get a chance to illuminate the heavens. Was clinging to someone's coattails embarrassing? Not in the slightest. Origin Celestial Venerable himself had explicitly stated in the chat group many times that he was always looking to latch onto a wealthy woman. "If that happens, we won't just be the Four Emperors of Divine Flower anymore—we'll be... the Four Emperors of the Canglan Realm!" Rogue Celestial Venerable said, thoroughly thrilled. Great Sun Flame Emperor nodded in agreement. Cultivators walking nearby seemed to overhear their exchange, each wearing a bewildered expression. "Those four look decent enough, but... they're completely unhinged." "Illuminating the heavens? They dare to dream!" Qi Yuan and his companions paid no heed to the bystanders' reactions. Great Sun Flame Emperor merely cast a calm glance toward them. Had it been in the past, he likely would have reacted just like those people upon hearing such talk, dismissing it entirely and secretly mocking them. But times had changed. He recalled seeing the post Qi Yuan had made back then, finding him astonishing, pulling him into the group, and chatting casually together. Who would have thought that such an ordinary encounter would turn into the greatest opportunity of his life? "I reserved a private room on the top floor of Wangxian Tower to welcome the three of you. Come, let's eat and talk," Great Sun Flame Emperor suggested. "Sounds good." Together, they boarded a cloud rabbit carriage and slowly headed toward Wangxian Tower. Wangxian Tower was the most renowned restaurant in Qinghong City, renowned for its array of spiritual delicacies and immortal jade nectars. A single meal there cost a minimum of a thousand spirit stones. Many second-generation immortals chose it for banquets and gatherings. Wangxian Tower had nine stories in total, symbolizing the Nine Heavens. Just as Great Sun Flame Emperor, Origin Celestial Venerable, and the others stepped down from the cloud rabbit carriage, an ordinary-looking waiter approached with a beaming smile. "Distinguished guests, please follow me." Following the waiter, the four stepped onto the first floor of Wangxian Tower. Instantly, the scenery transformed: glazed jade tiles, delicate gossamer silks, and a faint, delightful fragrance wafting through the air. "Sigh, the wealth gap in the Canglan Realm is simply too immense. Our Great Shang doesn't have a restaurant like Wangxian Tower," Qi Yuan remarked with a sigh. A major hub truly was a major hub. Iceberg Overlord Woman chuckled. "How about this old lady invests some money to build a Wangxian Tower in your Great Shang and gifts it to you?" Hearing this, the waiter sneered inwardly, though his expression remained cordial and welcoming. "No, building a Wangxian Tower is far too dull. We might as well build a Dao Seeking Palace," Qi Yuan said earnestly. He had been coveting the secret manuals and techniques of the Dao Seeking Palace for a long time. The waiter could no longer hold back a chuckle. "Distinguished guests... you truly have a great sense of humor." Who didn't know of the Dao Seeking Palace? It was fair to say that Qinghong City's immense prosperity was largely because the Dao Seeking Palace's three-domain branch was established here. Daring to speak of building another Dao Seeking Palace was bold indeed. Iceberg Overlord Woman, however, furrowed her brow and pondered seriously. "Building a Dao Seeking Palace is doable, but my spirit stones probably aren't enough." To the Four Emperors of Divine Flower, even if Origin Celestial Venerable spoke nonsense, it carried profound meaning. After all, would a figure of his stature ever utter empty words? The waiter said nothing more, unable to keep up with the strange logic of these four. They entered the private room. Qi Yuan stretched lazily. "How much do you think the Dao Seeking Palace is worth? How about I acquire it?" Nearly all the Perfected Purple Mansion cultivators across the three domains were gathered in the Dao Seeking Palace, and many ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators had joined as regular members. These Purple Mansion cultivators gathered together precisely to break through to the Yin God realm. Naturally, the Dao Seeking Palace possessed a vast treasury of cultivation arts. "That... must be an astronomical figure," Rogue Celestial Venerable said, swallowing hard. Following a true powerhouse was truly eye-opening—he casually spoke of building a Wangxian Tower and acquiring the Dao Seeking Palace. A novice like himself could hardly keep up with such lofty topics. "We can't afford it," Iceberg Overlord Woman remarked. "Even if we had enough spirit stones, they wouldn't sell." Why would such an organization ever pack itself up for sale to someone else? Great Sun Flame Emperor pondered for a moment before speaking: "The Venerable is in great need of cultivation arts. While the Dao Seeking Palace is a prime source, there is another path you might consider." "Oh? What path?" Qi Yuan asked. "The Venerable should know that behind the Dao Seeking Palace here, Great Venerable Wujun holds control. However, before him, the one overseeing this branch was a Mythological figure. That Mythological figure... perished in the Great Tribulation." Mentioning the Great Tribulation brought a flicker of pain to Great Sun Flame Emperor's eyes. Iceberg Overlord Woman narrowed her eyes as well, visibly wary of the catastrophe. A Mythological figure had fallen just like that during the Great Tribulation. "Before that Mythological figure perished, he left behind numerous hidden vaults. Nearly half of the Dao Seeking Palace's resources and arts remain sealed within those vaults. Even Great Venerable Wujun has never been able to take control of them; they are entirely in the hands of that Mythological figure's daughter, Great Venerable Moli." At this point, Great Sun Flame Emperor cast a deliberate glance at Qi Yuan. "Some time ago, Great Venerable Wujun wished to invite Great Venerable Moli to become his Dao companion, but she refused, claiming her heart already belonged to the Blood-Robed Sword God." The Blood-Robed Sword God was Qi Yuan's alternate identity. Great Sun Flame Emperor was uncertain whether Great Venerable Moli was truly acquainted with him. Stroking his chin, Qi Yuan murmured, "Given how good-looking I am, could this Great Venerable Moli be a diehard fan of mine?" According to Great Sun Flame Emperor, Great Venerable Moli was definitely a wealthy woman. Half of the Dao Seeking Palace's resources were in her possession, along with a multitude of cultivation techniques. "I have a plan. Help me evaluate it," Qi Yuan said to the three. The others immediately grew intrigued. Qi Yuan's plans were always remarkably entertaining. "Please do tell, Venerable." Looking at the three of them, Qi Yuan said with absolute seriousness, "What do you think of marriage fraud? I pretend to marry Great Venerable Moli, have her present the mythological vault to me as a betrothal gift, and then immediately file for a flash divorce. Under the law, a flash divorce doesn't support the return of betrothal gifts, and I could even split half her assets. Wouldn't I get my hands on the mythological vault with ease?" Qi Yuan felt that this plan was utterly flawless, with the law firmly on his side. Even if it was the law of Blue Star, who said Blue Star's laws couldn't be applied in the cultivation world? "Ah... this..." Rogue Celestial Venerable was rendered speechless. "You can make money like that?" "Origin Celestial Venerable, doing so would completely offend Great Venerable Moli," Great Sun Flame Emperor warned solemnly, genuinely afraid Qi Yuan might carry it out. "You really are a piece of work!" Iceberg Overlord Woman burst out laughing, covering her mouth. Qi Yuan pondered it further and ultimately shook his head. "Forget it, let's drop this plan. Otherwise, getting divorced and remarried at such a young age—wouldn't people laugh at me?" Most importantly, he was cultivating immortality; marrying purely for profit—what kind of immortal cultivation would that be? Far too uninteresting.