Star Lord Taibai Taihao of Gold Virtue

Li Yaxian's heart pounded in shock. Qi Yuan instantly killing Yang Kang was completely beyond her expectations. She had never imagined his strength would be so formidable. Wasn't he merely a Divine Infant? Could he have concealed his cultivation? At this moment, none of that mattered. What mattered was that Qi Yuan had killed someone! In the Dao Seeking Palace, he had slain one of their deacons! This was a catastrophic disaster! Even a Yin God coming to the Dao Seeking Palace would never dare kill people recklessly. Li Yaxian's mind was in utter turmoil. The girl in the yellow dress was equally dumbfounded; the scene before them was entirely beyond anything she had anticipated. "Run, quickly!" The only thought in Li Yaxian's mind was flight, even though she knew escaping was almost impossible. Yet the moment that thought arose, a succession of formidable auras erupted all around them. "Who dares commit atrocities in the Dao Seeking Palace?!" "Insolent madman! To murder within our Dao Seeking Palace is to seek your own demise!" In the span of a breath, more than a dozen powerful presences swept through, instantly encircling Qi Yuan, Li Yaxian, and the others. Every single one of them was a Purple Mansion cultivator, radiating truly terrifying pressure. Surrounded by over a dozen Purple Mansion cultivators, Li Yaxian turned deathly pale. For the first time in her life, she felt so perilously close to death. The girl in the yellow dress also gritted her teeth, her face drained of all color. Amidst the tension, Qi Yuan remained completely calm. He stated indifferently, "I am a seeker of the Dao, having come here in all sincerity wishing to challenge the fellow Daoists of the Dao Seeking Palace. If I win, I ask that all fellow Daoists grant me your cultivation arts; if I lose, I shall bestow upon you the fortune of becoming gods." ??? These words left the arriving Purple Mansion experts utterly baffled. Li Yaxian and the girl in the yellow dress were also stunned; the leaps in Qi Yuan's thought process were far too rapid for anyone to follow. "Do not try to change the subject! How do you explain the murder of Fellow Daoist Yang Kang?" an elderly man questioned Qi Yuan sharply. As time passed, more and more Purple Mansion cultivators converged on the scene, while others observed from afar. "I came prepared to pay my respects to Elder Fu Lu, but this fellow told me to sleep with him, so naturally I killed him with a wave of my hand," Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly. Facing so many Purple Mansion experts, he showed not the slightest trace of panic. Seeing this, Li Yaxian felt a mixture of profound admiration and sheer helplessness toward him. "That is merely your side of the story!" "Even if he verbally insulted you, he should have been handed over to our Dao Seeking Palace for judgment! What right did you have to execute him?" "When you come to our Dao Seeking Palace, you must abide by our rules!" These Purple Mansion cultivators bristled with hostility. After all, killing someone in the Dao Seeking Palace—and a deacon at that—was a direct slap to their faces. "I do not belong to your Dao Seeking Palace, so why should I follow your rules?" Qi Yuan asked, taking it as a matter of course. This immediately infuriated the Purple Mansion cultivators. The person before them was simply too arrogant. Did he not realize this was the Dao Seeking Palace? Where did he get such brazen confidence? Right at that moment, an ethereal voice echoed within everyone's minds. "Your Excellency Blood-Robed Sword God, as a Great Venerable, why lower yourself to play and frolic with these juniors?" A burly man clad in blood-red armor walked into view. He was completely encased within the crimson mail, radiating a terrifying aura. Standing there, he felt both close enough to touch and impossibly distant. At the sight of him, every Purple Mansion cultivator present turned pale with shock. The newcomer was none other than the master behind the Dao Seeking Palace—Great Venerable Wujun! Great Venerable Wujun was an elusive figure whose presence was rarely seen; ninety-nine percent of these Purple Mansion cultivators had never laid eyes on him before. Yet today, he had actually revealed himself. Moreover, the words he just spoke... Blood-Robed Sword God... Could it be... All the Purple Mansion cultivators shuddered. The person they had encircled was the Blood-Robed Sword God! They had actually surrounded a Great Venerable, shouting to suppress him! Li Yaxian was thoroughly dumbfounded, staring at Qi Yuan in utter disbelief. The girl in the yellow dress clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared at Qi Yuan. She could never have dreamed that the young man before her was her idol, the Blood-Robed Sword God. Qi Yuan looked at Great Venerable Wujun, his gaze calm. "I was not playing around with them. They are all Purple Mansion cultivators of advanced age, so they are my seniors. I came to the Dao Seeking Palace precisely to challenge these senior Purple Mansion experts. What I said just now still stands: if they lose to me, they hand over the cultivation arts they practice; if they defeat me, I am willing to bestow upon them the fortune of becoming gods." Qi Yuan's words caused the surrounding Purple Mansion cultivators to exchange bewildered glances. What virtue or ability did they possess that would warrant a Great Venerable traveling ten thousand li just to challenge them? That was a Great Venerable! Even if all the Purple Mansion cultivators in the Dao Seeking Palace joined forces, they would not be a match for a single Yin God Venerable. And even if every Yin God Venerable in the Canglan Realm banded together, they would be no match for a Great Venerable. A Great Venerable challenging them... they didn't know whether to feel honored or find it utterly preposterous. As for the deceased Yang Kang, no one cared about him anymore. Had he died at the hands of an ordinary Yin God Venerable, that Venerable might have feared Great Venerable Wujun's might and offered apologies and restitution. But against a Great Venerable, the situation was entirely different. Offend a Great Venerable and still expect to live? Great Venerable Wujun looked at Qi Yuan with an exceptionally complex expression. "Are you... serious?" He had long heard that the Blood-Robed Sword God was eccentric and unhinged. A few days ago, the meeting between the Blood-Robed Sword God and Great Venerable Moli had further convinced Great Venerable Wujun that this man was anything but normal. "I never lie; of course I am serious. As a mere youngster challenging a horde of old monsters from your Dao Seeking Palace, I'm already taking a loss. Consider it respecting the elderly and cherishing the young—that isn't asking too much, is it?" Qi Yuan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The Purple Mansion cultivators were left speechless. They desperately wanted to yell that this Blood-Robed Sword God was outrageously thick-skinned. A Great Venerable challenging Purple Mansion cultivators—since the birth of the Canglan Realm, had such a thing ever happened? And on top of that, he claimed he was the one taking a loss. He was entirely shameless! "Alas, facing so many renowned old monsters, I do feel some trepidation in my heart. Even so, I summoned the courage to challenge them! Even if this battle leaves me battered and bruised, besieged by enemies, I shall have no regrets though I die nine times over! In this battle, let us fight until the heavens collapse and the earth crumbles, until the cosmos itself shatters!" Qi Yuan declared passionately, sounding like an underdog boldly challenging mighty powerhouses and sharing his heartfelt sentiments. "What exactly is your purpose?" Great Venerable Wujun narrowed his eyes, as though attempting to see straight through Qi Yuan. "I... desire all the cultivation arts of the Dao Seeking Palace. I also want the Dao Seeking Palace to do something for me!" Qi Yuan swiftly ended his fired-up performance and explained the matter of the Origin God Sharing Society to Great Venerable Wujun. Great Venerable Wujun furrowed his brows. "Your demand... is somewhat excessive." Cultivation arts were the very foundation of a cultivator. How could the accumulation of over a hundred thousand years belonging to the Dao Seeking Palace be given away so casually, even to a Great Venerable? Wujun was also a Great Venerable, one at the peak of the Fourth Step of Sky Treading, and he had no fear of Qi Yuan. After all, Qi Yuan was the Great Venerable of Wangyue; within the Canglan Realm, he could at most exert the strength of a weak Fourth Step. "If I challenge you, and then challenge all the Purple Mansion cultivators of the Dao Seeking Palace, defeating you all, would that allow me to... obtain all the cultivation arts?" Qi Yuan asked softly. The moment these words left his mouth, every Purple Mansion cultivator present was stunned. A divine war! This was a divine war! The Blood-Robed Sword God actually intended to challenge Great Venerable Wujun! This surpassed everyone's wildest expectations. Great Venerable Wujun was equally taken aback. He had no idea where Qi Yuan found the audacity to challenge him. "You have great courage, and immense confidence." Great Venerable Wujun stood clad in blood-red armor, the aura radiating from him becoming extraordinarily perilous. He understood now. The Blood-Robed Sword God had come to the Dao Seeking Palace purely to pick a fight, aiming to beat the Dao Seeking Palace into submission. Everything else had merely been an excuse. "If my courage weren't immense, how could I dare challenge so many old monsters all on my own?" Qi Yuan said, sweeping his solemn gaze over the assembled Purple Mansion cultivators. Under Qi Yuan's gaze, the Purple Mansion cultivators felt their faces burn with shame, wishing they could burrow into a rat hole to hide. Great Venerable Wujun looked at Qi Yuan, divine radiance flashing in his eyes. "Even if you hadn't come to challenge me, I would have sought you out! Blood-Robed Sword God, if you win, what harm is there in granting you a copy of the cultivation manuals and secret tomes of this Dao Seeking Palace? But... if you lose, you must never again involve yourself with Great Venerable Moli for the rest of your life, nor may you touch the Mythological Secret Vault!" Great Venerable Wujun's resounding voice echoed in everyone's ears, though the part regarding the "Mythological Secret Vault" was transmitted strictly via divine sense directly to Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. He could not accept that condition of defeat. If he couldn't involve himself with Great Venerable Moli, what would happen to the Mythological Secret Vault? Yet the moment he remembered that he wouldn't lose, he smiled. "Very well," he agreed. The surrounding Purple Mansion cultivators trembled. A divine war... was it truly about to begin? How many years had it been since Yin Gods had fought in the Fengtian Domain? And now, two Great Venerables were about to clash! "In that case, seven days from now... we shall do battle!" Great Venerable Wujun's eyes flared with divine light. To obtain the Mythological Secret Vault, he had to defeat Qi Yuan. Even though he knew it was Great Venerable Moli's overt scheme, he still had to step onto the board. Only then would he have a chance at securing the vault. The immense value of a Mythological Secret Vault to a Yin God went without saying. As for Great Venerable Moli, beautiful as she was, how could Great Venerable Wujun genuinely become infatuated with a woman, even if she was hailed as the number-one beauty of the Fengtian Domain? "Why wait seven days? Let's do it now. Once I defeat you, I still have to challenge the hundred-odd Purple Mansion cultivators of your Dao Seeking Palace, so we need to hurry," Qi Yuan said. The Purple Mansion cultivators nearly broke down. They desperately wanted to beg the Blood-Robed Sword God to stop dragging them into this and just treat them like harmless air. Great Venerable Wujun was momentarily caught off guard, having never anticipated such a response from Qi Yuan. "Are you certain you wish to fight now?" "Certain," Qi Yuan said languidly. "Since that is your wish, then let us fight!" Great Venerable Wujun showed no hesitation either. He guessed that the Blood-Robed Sword God likely did not want their battle to be watched by onlookers, which explained his haste to engage. Battle intent surged within Wujun's chest. With a wave of his broad hand, a surge of divine spiritual power circulated and settled upon Qi Yuan. Instantly, both Qi Yuan's and Great Venerable Wujun's figures vanished from sight, entering into the Void Realm. Whenever power at the Yin God level erupted within the Canglan Realm, it would be drawn into the Void Realm. Back within the Dao Seeking Palace, the Purple Mansion cultivators finally breathed a collective sigh of relief as the suffocating pressure dissipated with Qi Yuan's departure. "What tremendous gall the Blood-Robed Sword God has, daring to challenge Great Venerable Wujun!" "Where does he get such confidence?" "On the Wangyue Continent, the Blood-Robed Sword God might be formidable, but in the Canglan Realm, he is nothing!" A being that devoured Heavenly Dao gained an enhancement within their native realm, but when visiting other worlds, they suffered suppression from that world's Heavenly Dao and could not unleash their full power. They could only exert the might of a weak Great Venerable; this was common knowledge. Though the relationship between the Blood-Robed Sword God and the Wangyue Continent had initially been kept secret, the information had unfortunately leaked. The Purple Mansion cultivators of the Dao Seeking Palace had already learned of his background. Not far off, the girl in the yellow dress blinked. "Grandmother, is he truly the Blood-Robed Sword God?" Hearing her granddaughter's question, Li Yaxian took a deep breath. "Most likely." She could hardly conceive that the man who had lazily basked in the sun with her aboard the flying ship, constantly complaining of poverty, was an exalted Great Venerable. The girl in the yellow dress felt an even deeper tangle of emotions. She had actually been plotting to play matchmaker between the Blood-Robed Sword God and her grandmother! Most critically, she had once believed the Blood-Robed Sword God wasn't worthy of her grandmother. Fortunately, she had never shown it openly, or if he found out... "Will the Blood-Robed Sword God win this battle?" the girl asked Li Yaxian. The Blood-Robed Sword God was her idol, and one she had actually come to know. Along the way, she had continually joked with him and occasionally traded barbs; looking back now, it all felt like a dream. Naturally, she hoped he would emerge victorious. "It will be very difficult," Li Yaxian replied. *** Meanwhile, within the desolate emptiness of the Void Realm, Qi Yuan and Great Venerable Wujun stood suspended in midair. Because this duel had begun so abruptly, there were no spectators. Even if other Yin Gods knew the two were fighting, they would have no idea where the battle was taking place. Great Venerable Wujun glared at Qi Yuan, radiating an utterly terrifying aura. Having entered the Void Realm, he no longer suppressed his strength. The ferocious aura swept through the void, threatening to shatter the surrounding space itself. Fixing his gaze on Qi Yuan, his battle intent blazed. "Let me see what your true reliance is!" He simply could not fathom why the Blood-Robed Sword God dared to challenge him. The gulf between different Yin Gods was immense. Evidently, the Blood-Robed Sword God's battle record consisted merely of slaying a few Yin God Venerables. Under the suppression of the Canglan Realm's Heavenly Dao, crushing ordinary Yin God Venerables was no problem, but confronting a Great Venerable was sheer suicide. "When I was merely at the Golden Core stage, I dared to strike against Yin Gods," Qi Yuan said. "Now that I have formed a Divine Infant, why wouldn't I dare strike against a Great Venerable?" "Madness and pretension!" Great Venerable Wujun roared. At his command, a mighty Divine Domain unfolded. A clash between Great Venerables was straightforward: a collision of Divine Domains. In deploying his Divine Domain right from the start, Great Venerable Wujun clearly intended to settle the battle swiftly. "My Divine Domain is named Breaking Gold!" Within Great Venerable Wujun's Divine Domain, the power of metal was supreme, representing the absolute pinnacle of offensive force. As the Divine Domain unfurled, Qi Yuan witnessed boundless metallic qi coalescing into countless spears, blades, and dharma artifacts, hurtling toward him in a relentless assault. Confronted by such an onslaught, Qi Yuan chuckled softly. "Your Divine Domain... is still far too small." To Qi Yuan, the domain before him was tiny, and its metallic qi was meager. "Hmph!" Great Venerable Wujun scoffed coldly. His Divine Domain was by no means small, and its energy tier was immense, ranking him among the elite even among Great Venerables. Great Venerable Wujun said coldly, "Then let me see just how vast your Divine Domain truly is!" The lethal metallic qi surged forward like a tempest of swords and halberds falling upon him. Qi Yuan remained utterly poised, his voice resounding with majestic authority. "Bright and ablaze with radiant yang, the infant emerges from the divine vault; heed my command, resplendent Gold Virtue!" Qi Yuan chanted softly. With his chant, a Divine Infant materialized, diffusing an ancient, boundless presence. Space itself seemed to freeze at that moment. An ancient, ethereal voice echoed as though traversing the long river of time. "Star Lord Taibai Taihao of Gold Virtue obeys your command!" At the sound of that voice, Great Venerable Wujun's expression froze in utter shock. What was he looking at?! His lips trembled uncontrollably and his body shook violently. The Divine Domain he took such pride in began to heave and buckle, on the verge of collapse. It was clearly just a Divine Infant, yet before him, he saw a Divine Domain as vast as an entire astral body unfolding across his vision! That stellar body appeared even larger than the Canglan Realm itself. A single Divine Domain, larger even than the Canglan Realm! Was this even still a Divine Domain? How could such a Divine Domain exist?! He trembled uncontrollably, utterly unable to comprehend what was happening. The endless metallic qi within it was of the utmost purity; a single wisp seemed capable of crushing his entire Divine Domain to dust. How... how was he supposed to fight this?