Qi Yuan Is Dead?

The Dark Sun held dominion over the Youtian Domain. The Great Venerables of the Youtian Domain were all connected to the Dark Sun to varying degrees. Several of the Yin Gods present were well aware of this fact. "This old man believes it would be best if everyone refrained from meddling in the dispute between the Dark Sun and the Blood-Robed Sword God. Otherwise... the events of several hundred thousand years ago will repeat themselves!" The Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society spoke, his voice heavy. Hearing this, the expressions of the Yin Gods present turned conflicted. In the face of the Great Tribulation, the many Yin Gods of the Canglan Realm had always allowed themselves to be harvested. Yet several hundred thousand years ago, a supreme expert had led an army of Yin Gods to wage a terrifying battle against the Great Tribulation. That battle had been hailed as the Canglan Realm's greatest beacon of hope. That expert had even broken through to the Yang God realm. Unfortunately... The outcome had been tragic. Not a single Yin God who took part in that war had survived. As Yin Gods themselves, they naturally knew of what had occurred back then. The gathering of over a hundred Yin Gods fell into utter silence; not a single person dared to speak. The Great Venerable who had spoken earlier chimed in again. White-haired and weathered, he chuckled and said, "What? Did all the Yin Gods in the Canglan Realm with any backbone die in that battle three hundred thousand years ago?" Great Venerable Youhua's words brought a flush of shame to the Yin Gods and Great Venerables in attendance. Because they truly were terrified. Back then, that supreme expert had already attained the Yang God realm and led nearly two-thirds of the Canglan Realm's Yin Gods to launch an assault on the Great Tribulation. The result... was unimaginably grim. Every single Yin God who joined the fight perished. "The Blood-Robed Sword God is merely facing the Dark Sun, not the Great Tribulation itself. Could it be that you are all afraid?" Great Venerable Youhua said, his gaze resolute. "Three hundred thousand years ago, my father fell at the hands of the Great Tribulation. Now... haha! My wife is with child! This old man... is no longer afraid!" Great Venerable Youhua possessed a unique bloodline that made siring offspring exceptionally difficult. Three hundred thousand years ago, when his father departed to strike down the Great Tribulation, Youhua had not yet produced an heir. To ensure his bloodline would not be severed, he had had no choice but to remain behind. Now, he already had a child, and his wife was pregnant once more. He had nothing left to fear. "I am too far from the Youtian Domain to rush there in person, but I am willing to offer my cultivation arts to lend the Blood-Robed Sword God a helping hand!" a female Great Venerable announced. "I am willing as well!" Many Great Venerables spoke up one after another, voicing their support for the Origin God Sharing Society. They had cowered last time; how could they cower again? Seeing this, Great Venerable Wujun showed a flash of delight on his face. Cupping his hands, he said, "My thanks to all fellow daoists!" The Yin Gods of the Youtian Domain chose silence at this moment. With the Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society keeping quiet, none of them took a stand either. At this moment, the Grand Palace Master of Dao Seeking Palace spoke: "In a few days, the Blood-Robed Sword God will arrive in the Youtian Domain. Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society, you..." Before he could finish, the Head Society Master cut him off. "Hmph! None of you reside in the Youtian Domain, nor do you live under the threat of the Dark Sun, so of course it is easy for you to speak lightly. If this old man assists the Blood-Robed Sword God today and he dies at the hands of the Dark Sun, when the Dark Sun settles accounts, they will naturally come for me!" The Head Society Master swept his sleeves, appearing furious. "If the Blood-Robed Sword God possessed any wisdom, he would not provoke the Dark Sun and stir up pointless strife! Forgive this old man, but I will not participate in today's gathering!" The moment his words fell, the Head Society Master's figure dissipated. Seeing this, the remaining Yin Gods of the Youtian Domain hurriedly took their leave as well. "Junior's strength is meager; I will not involve myself in such affairs." "Farewell." The remaining Yin Gods looked at one another with conflicted gazes. Great Venerable Youhua could not help but sigh. "The human heart, ah..." Even if the Canglan Realm was like a pig farm, there were still those who wished to be pigs—lead pigs eager to fawn over their feeder. *** Within Wind Thunder Valley of the Dark Sun, situated in the Youtian Domain. The illusory projection of the Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society appeared. Looking at the mechanical bird before him, a humble deference surfaced in his eyes. The Head Society Master, who commanded unrivaled prestige in the outside world, was now humbled into the dust. A flicker of irritation crossed the mechanical bird's eyes. "You come to consult me over such a trivial matter? I am in seclusion. Where is Li Qiuchen?" The Head Society Master hunched his back. "Lord Li dispatched the Four Generals of the Lei Family, but they have yet to return." "Useless trash! He likely failed and is too ashamed to show his face!" the mechanical bird snapped angrily. "If this venerated one ever sees him again, I will peel his skin off!" The Head Society Master's body trembled even more violently. Each master in Wind Thunder Valley was more terrifying than the last. Li Qiuchen merely enjoyed humiliating high-level cultivators, whereas the lord before him loved tormenting high-level cultivators and commoners alike. Moreover, he had a penchant for flaying people alive. In the past, the Head Society Master had delivered cultivators to this lord for his amusement. Near Wind Thunder Valley, a settlement of mortals was kept like livestock, and people were periodically sent into the valley for this lord to skin for his entertainment. Even the Head Society Master himself had been skinned by him once. "A mere nobody from the lower realm who hasn't even left his name on the Mythological Stele dares bluster about entering my Wind Thunder Valley? Hmph! Were it not that my seclusion has reached a critical juncture, this venerated one would have personally slain this wretched beast! The various pig slaves of Wind Thunder Valley shall be left under your control," the mechanical bird said irritably. His breakthrough took precedence; he naturally could not be bothered with affairs of the lower realm. A mere Blood-Robed Sword God could be left to the Head Society Master. Hearing this, wild joy washed over the Head Society Master's face. The 'pig slaves' the lord spoke of were the puppets of Wind Thunder Valley. Within the valley, there were thirty-six puppets comparable to the Four Generals of the Lei Family, along with four Mythological-level puppets. This was the entirety of Wind Thunder Valley's military might. Now that this lord intended to hand over command of all the puppets to handle the Blood-Robed Sword God, how could he not be ecstatic? He could even use these pig slaves to hunt down Yin Gods he disliked and plunder their resources. "Subordinate will spare no effort and grind his bones to dust to ensure the Blood-Robed Sword God is slain!" the Head Society Master said excitedly. "Hmph!" The mechanical bird snorted coldly. After transferring control of the pig slaves to the Head Society Master, the presence departed from the mechanical bird. Inside the vast Wind Thunder Valley, the Head Society Master remained bent at the waist, unable to conceal the sheer excitement in his eyes. "Blood-Robed Sword God... To think that this old man's path to boundless fortune would lie with you!" the Head Society Master murmured. "When I see you, I must properly thank you!" *** In the Youtian Domain, a streak of blood-red light swept across the vault of the sky with a roaring resonance and astonishing speed. This blood-red light was naturally Qi Yuan, who was rushing from the Fengtian Domain to the Youtian Domain. Over the past days, he had journeyed without pause, crossing domains as he headed toward his destination. Along the way, he had received a steady stream of news. Great Venerable Wujun had reported that the advancement of the Origin God Sharing Society was proceeding smoothly. Dao Seeking Palace had already begun helping the Origin God Sharing Society collect cultivation arts, recording them onto jade slips. Many Yin God Venerables and even Great Venerables were willing to lend the Blood-Robed Sword God their aid, intending to march together to the Central Heavenly Domain three hundred years from now to confront the Great Tribulation. This caused Qi Yuan to sigh with appreciation—there really were more good people than bad in this world. "A pity..." Qi Yuan suddenly sighed softly. Great Venerable Wujun had mentioned that the Palace Master of Dao Seeking Palace had sent transmissions to the Yin Gods of the Youtian Domain, informing them that the Blood-Robed Sword God would arrive shortly, and that any Yin Gods who wished to could go out to welcome him. Yet up until now, Qi Yuan had been in the Youtian Domain for a while, making quite a conspicuous display, yet not a single Yin God had come to receive him. "It seems the Yin Gods of the Youtian Domain are all men. If there were women among them, they would definitely have been captivated by my charms and swept their doorsteps clean to welcome me." If nobody came to receive him, so be it; Qi Yuan was merely indulging in a passing lament. However... about the time it took an incense stick to burn later, Qi Yuan finally encountered someone who came to meet him. Atop a hillside, a man cloaked entirely in black robes appeared. The aura radiating from him was merely at the Purple Mansion realm. Just moments ago, he had used a Yin God Dharma artifact to call Qi Yuan down. Qi Yuan looked at the black-robed man, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Which Yin God are you representing? Why didn't he dare show his face in person?" The Purple Mansion cultivator in black lowered his head in utmost deference. "Blood-Robed Sword God, junior hails from the Divine Flower Society. I never imagined... that I would have the fortune to meet Senior in person!" Back when he was in the Divine Flower Society, this Purple Mansion cultivator had heard tales of the Blood-Robed Sword God and held profound admiration for him. After all, with the Great Tribulation looming, nearly all the Yin Gods hid away in their shells; a Yin God who acted with such bold, righteous vengeance like Qi Yuan was exceedingly rare. "Oh, so you're a fan of mine?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. See? His charm was potent indeed—he even had male fans. "You're from the Divine Flower Society. If I remember correctly, their headquarters is... right here in the Youtian Domain." At the mention of this, anger surfaced in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Where is the Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society? I haven't settled the score with him yet for muting me last time!" Qi Yuan had been furious ever since the Head Society Master muted him. Now that he had arrived in the Youtian Domain, if the Head Society Master was around, he could meet him offline to demand an explanation! Qi Yuan was not the type to swallow his anger when someone tried to muzzle him. "The Head Society Master of the Divine Flower Society..." A trace of indignation appeared in the Purple Mansion elder's eyes. "He turned traitor long ago and threw his lot in with the Dark Sun!" "Defected to the Dark Sun? No wonder he muted me! What a guy—turns out he's a traitor to Canglan!" Qi Yuan said hurriedly. "Where is the Divine Flower Society's headquarters? I'll go wipe him out right now!" "Currently, the Head Society Master is at the Dark Sun's headquarters, Wind Thunder Valley!" the elder said in a low voice. "Oh? What a coincidence! How considerate of him! That means I only need to destroy Wind Thunder Valley, and two enemies will be handled in one go." Qi Yuan was delighted. Destiny was on his side after all; his foes had gathered together. "Senior Blood-Robed Sword God must exercise caution. Within the Dark Sun, there are bound to be Mythological-level experts!" the Purple Mansion elder warned solemnly. The Dark Sun was immensely powerful; not only did it possess experts of the Six Steps of Sky Treading, but it also housed Mythological-level figures. "It's fine. Since I dared to come, I have certainty!" Qi Yuan dismissed it casually. Mythological or not, it didn't matter. Although his Divine Infants were still slumbering, even among the sleeping ones, many could unleash Mythological-tier combat strength. The Purple Mansion elder looked at Qi Yuan and said slowly, "Senior, junior actually hails from the Central Heavenly Domain!" Qi Yuan blinked. "A city dweller?" The Central Heavenly Domain was the true center of the Canglan Realm, as well as the site of the Great Tribulation. Rumor had it that ninety-nine percent of the Canglan Realm's Mythological experts resided there. The Purple Mansion cultivator continued, "In truth... our Canglan Realm's resistance against the Great Tribulation has never ceased. Within the Central Heavenly Domain, nearly all the Mythological figures of the Canglan Realm have gathered. These supreme powerhouses formed an organization known as Canglan. Junior is a member of Canglan, dispatched to the Youtian Domain under orders to monitor the Divine Flower Society and the Dark Sun. Senior slew the Four Generals of the Lei Family; your strength is profound. Senior, why not... let the Dark Sun be for now and journey to the Central Heavenly Domain? The Mythological experts in Canglan might band together to help you step into the Mythological realm." The elder's words carried several layers of meaning, phrased with great tact. He feared that the Blood-Robed Sword God would perish within the Dark Sun. Thus, he used the prospect of the Mythological realm to entice Qi Yuan toward the Central Heavenly Domain to rendezvous with Canglan's powerhouses. "Thank you for your kind intentions, but right now... my cultivation is low, and I am far from the Mythological realm. I would rather destroy the Dark Sun first before considering whether to go to the Central Heavenly Domain," Qi Yuan refused outright. He was merely a Divine Infant True Monarch at present. Though he was already a preeminent figure in Great Shang, in the broader Canglan Realm, such cultivation was nothing remarkable. Hearing this, the Purple Mansion cultivator sighed despondently. In truth, Canglan had not sent him any messages for a very long time; he was effectively stranded without contact. Everything he had just said was purely out of personal goodwill and advice. Seeing that he could not dissuade Qi Yuan, the elder said, "May I witness you obliterate the Dark Sun and restore light to Canglan!" He pressed no further. "Since you're here, do you happen to have a map of Wind Thunder Valley?" "Please take care, Senior!" The elder sighed with emotion and handed the map to Qi Yuan. Having obtained the map to Wind Thunder Valley, Qi Yuan set out alone. Roughly an hour later, Qi Yuan came to a halt inside a forest. The woods ahead were dense, yet the spiritual energy was exceedingly thin, practically resembling the mortal kingdoms of Great Shang. Because the spiritual energy was so sparse, there were no cultivation sects within a thousand li—only a few mortal states. No ordinary cultivator in the Youtian Domain coming across this place would ever imagine that the forest ahead concealed the domain's most terrifying power: the Dark Sun. Standing in the forest, Qi Yuan maintained a calm gaze. "Bullshit Wind Thunder Valley. If I want to get inside, I actually have to wait here for four days!" According to the Purple Mansion elder, there were only two ways to enter Wind Thunder Valley. Wind Thunder Valley did not exist within the Canglan Realm's main world, but inside a secret realm, making entry rather convoluted. The first method was for Wind Thunder Valley to open from the inside and let him in. However, when Qi Yuan first arrived, he had stood here hurling curses for several minutes, yet the entrance remained shut tight. In reality, the Head Society Master inside Wind Thunder Valley was naturally aware of Qi Yuan's arrival. However, having just acquired control of the puppets, he was not yet proficient with them and was in no rush to let the Blood-Robed Sword God inside. Even though the Blood-Robed Sword God had not left his name on the Mythological Stele, what if he possessed Mythological-grade combat power? To be safe, he chose not to open the secret realm's entrance immediately. Thus, Qi Yuan was left with only the second method. Forced entry. To force an entry, one had to play chess consecutively on the stone board ahead for four days. After four days, regardless of whether one won or lost the game, the entrance to Wind Thunder Valley would open. At this moment, Qi Yuan sat upon a stone stool with his eyes closed, compiling and analyzing the cultivation arts he had gathered in his mind to refine the *Qi Yuan Scripture*. Occasionally, his hand would drop a stone onto the chessboard. Dressed in a long blood-red robe, the quiet act of playing chess lent him an air of cultured elegance. Several farmers collecting firewood on the mountain watched Qi Yuan from afar, curious bewilderment in their eyes, though none dared approach this eccentric stranger. After an unknown length of time, with hundreds of stones already played across the board, Qi Yuan suddenly opened his eyes. "Qi Yuan died?" Indeed, the character formed by his Innate Seed had abruptly suffered sudden death. Sitting on the stone stool, he felt utterly speechless, wishing he could plunge right into the game to see what on earth had happened. "Starting this game... by dying first as a show of respect... how am I supposed to play this?" *** Meanwhile, in an unknown world. A brand-new public cemetery had been constructed. Qi Yuan's body had not been cremated; instead, he was buried in the ground. On his tombstone was something resembling a QR code; scanning it revealed the story of his life. Before the gravestone lay only a single bouquet of flowers, looking exceptionally lonely.