"The realms of immortal cultivation." Qi Yuan had learned about the realm of Great Ultimate Reason within the Yang God stage from True Monarch Dazhi.
He did not hide this from them.
An Qiao clicked her tongue. "Just because you're a newcomer, don't think you can fool me just because of my age. I know a few Resetters myself. Where in the realms of immortal cultivation is there any Yang God realm? I've only heard that the Purple Mansion is for peak almighties, and above the Purple Mansion are gods who ascended long ago to... the Unknowable Realm."
An Qiao possessed some understanding of immortal cultivators and had heard a bit about cultivation realms, so naturally, she did not believe Qi Yuan's words.
Hearing this, surprise flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes. "You know so much. Can I ask you a question?"
Qi Yuan was back at it again, holding out his hands and sponging free information.
"I know far more than just this. Ask away," An Qiao said generously, showing great care toward the newcomer.
After all, this newbie was so handsome and easy on the eyes.
If she could turn him into a cute femboy, it would surely be even more entertaining.
Of course, An Qiao only entertained that thought in passing.
"If an immortal cultivator comes here, will their cultivation realm drop as well?"
"Probably... yes," An Qiao answered uncertainly.
The man in black beside her added, "Not probably. Definitely."
As for the reason, he did not elaborate.
"Doesn't that mean immortal arts are on the same level as Old Martial Arts?" Qi Yuan mused.
According to An Qiao, the locals here all practiced Old Martial Arts.
When fighting locally, they could retain their strength, but once they ventured to other parallel worlds within the game, they would drop by a rank.
New Martial Arts, on the other hand, suffered no such limitations, retaining its power across... every parallel world in the game.
Qi Yuan followed up, "If someone went to other worlds, or even... another universe, would New Martial Arts still maintain its power?"
That was what Qi Yuan cared about most.
If it could, then... New Martial Arts would be truly terrifying.
Even a Yang God at the realm of Great Ultimate Reason could only retain their full strength when traveling to other worlds.
However... a universe was another concept entirely.
"Another universe..." An Qiao stared blankly.
Not being someone from ancient times, she was familiar with the concept of other universes.
Scientists had once hypothesized that other universes might exist.
Yet it was merely a conjecture, never proven.
"If you can take me to another universe, I'll prove it to you," An Qiao replied.
Failing to get the answer he wanted did not bother Qi Yuan in the slightest. Instead, he looked at the two with longing eyes and asked, "If martial arts techniques can't be traded, what about cultivation arts? My white moonlight... no, wait, my white moonlight substitute is with the demons. I want to increase my strength so I can see them one last time."
Since those demons could provide essence blood, weren't they basically white moonlights?
However, these demons were still a far cry from meeting Qi Yuan's certification criteria for a true white moonlight.
Thus, they were merely substitutes for a white moonlight.
"Your white moonlight was captured by demons?" An Qiao misunderstood.
Hearing Qi Yuan say his white moonlight was together with demons, she assumed someone had been kidnapped.
The man in black beside her gave Qi Yuan another glance, an amused expression on his face. "You haven't even been here a day, and you already have a white moonlight? Could it be you've gotten too immersed in this identity and become utterly infatuated with the woman your predecessor loved? That's not good. My advice is to forget her and treat it like you just watched a television show."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Qi Yuan refused loudly. "My desire to see them is witnessed by the sun and moon! The seas may run dry, my bladder may burst, but my white moonlight must be seen!"
Qi Yuan's attitude was earnest and utterly sincere.
Seeing him like this, An Qiao was somewhat moved.
"I have an incomplete martial cultivation art here that only goes up to the Qi-Blood Realm perfection. Do you want it?" In the end, An Qiao still played the role of a generous patron to Qi Yuan.
"I do! You're truly a good person. My white moonlights will definitely be extra grateful," Qi Yuan said happily.
The man in black said nothing.
An Qiao retrieved a battered parchment scroll from her qi-blood space.
The parchment was yellowed, torn in places, and looked quite aged.
"This cultivation art is called the Heaven-Shocking Art. The name sounds grand and imposing, but in reality, it's very ordinary—barely qualifies as a cultivation art. By the way, once you get the art, cultivate diligently and don't go looking for your white moonlight. This mission is far from ordinary; the demons involved are at least in the Qi-Blood Realm. As you are now, you're no match for them. For the time being, just focus on cultivating and conducting some investigations according to our instructions. The mission will be completed smoothly, likely in... less than a month or two."
"A month or two... That long?" Qi Yuan was shocked. "What's the time ratio between here and reality?"
If one second inside meant ten thousand years outside, he would be doomed.
He wasn't sure if he would still be able to withdraw his hundred million Qinyuan coins—no, wait, ten quadrillion—from the bank.
An Qiao smiled. "You're already dead, so you should cut ties with your past. The time flow here matches reality one to one. By the way, we're staying at the county yamen. Do you want to stay with us?"
An Qiao extended the invitation.
"No need. I'm used to coming and going alone. I like being a... lone ranger." When saying "lone ranger," Qi Yuan paused slightly.
Because he wasn't truly alone; Xiao Jia had always accompanied him.
"In that case, if anything happens, come find us at the county yamen. We also need to hurry and report the results of this investigation to our captain."
"All right, farewell, everyone." Qi Yuan waved to them, and then his figure vanished from sight.
In the desolate, dilapidated courtyard, only An Qiao and the man in black remained, along with the big black dog.
"This rookie... might seem a bit unreliable, but my intuition tells me he's definitely out of the ordinary and holds some secrets," the man in black murmured softly.
An Qiao wore a playful smile. "Perhaps he's come into contact with immortal cultivators and picked up a spell."
Recalling their conversation so far, the man in black nodded in agreement.
"Unfortunately, martial arts reign supreme here. Mastering trivial immortal arts is hardly worth mentioning," he replied seriously.
Cultivating immortal arts took far longer than martial arts.
Moreover, coming to this Yellow Springs Great World caused one's entire cultivation to drop by a full major realm.
Thus, it was truly insignificant.
"Who doesn't have secrets? You have yours, I have mine, and the captain has his," An Qiao chuckled, tugging on the leash of the big black dog. "Fat dog, let's go."
The fat dog muttered under its breath, "Actually, I have secrets too."
However, no one paid any attention to its words.
***
Inside the inn.
Qi Yuan sipped tea while studying the parchment scroll.
[This is a martial cultivation art, incomplete and flawed, containing 124 defects. The art can be improved...]
Qi Yuan's eyes could perceive hidden information.
To him, this martial cultivation art held few secrets.
"A pity. The cultivation arts in my repertoire are too few to fill in the gaps."
At present, he could only slightly optimize this art, unable to deduce and complete it entirely.
Yet for Qi Yuan, it was more than enough.
"Right now, I'm too weak. Having just stepped into the Qi-Blood Realm, I won't have enough confidence when meeting my white moonlights. No... I need to increase my strength a bit."
With that in mind, Qi Yuan began cultivating the Heaven-Shocking Art.
About fifteen minutes later, Qi Yuan opened his eyes. "The speed is too slow. At this rate, reaching the mid Qi-Blood Realm will take at least three months."
Going from the early stage to the mid stage in just three months would have seemed outrageous to An Qiao—she would surely proclaim, "Terrifying to such an extent, this lad must not be spared!"
Yet for Qi Yuan, this pace was simply too sluggish.
"Looks like I'll have to rely on Deep Blue to add attribute points."
Three drops of demonic essence blood hovered around Qi Yuan.
He swallowed a drop of blood and began circulating the cultivation art.
"You have devoured one drop of demon essence blood. Your martial cultivation has increased by ten days. Two drops of demon essence blood remain."
Having no actual Deep Blue to allocate points, Qi Yuan had no choice but to provide his own voiceover.
If an outsider witnessed this, they might think he was mentally ill, but Qi Yuan thoroughly enjoyed himself.
"You have devoured another two drops of demon essence blood. Your cultivation speed increased as a sudden flash of inspiration struck, seeming to grasp the core of the Heaven-Shocking Art—which lies in the word 'Shock'!
"Shock of thunder, shock of a stampeding horse, shock of the Awakening of Insects!
"Your cultivation progressed rapidly, equivalent to two months of bitter cultivation!"
Several breaths passed, and a crimson gleam flashed across Qi Yuan's eyes.
The three drops of demon essence blood had significantly boosted his cultivation, cutting down more than two months of training time.
"I'm becoming more and more versatile. Back on the Wangyue Continent, I could do voiceovers for monsters that couldn't speak, and now... I can even do voiceovers for a system.
"If I ever resign and end up unemployed in the future, I can just play the role of a system."
Qi Yuan took pride in his voice acting, confident he would never lack a job.
"Sigh, I'm working so hard and diligently. Why hasn't Eldest Master Huang, that substitute white moonlight, come to find me yet?" Qi Yuan muttered to himself.
He had just slain Fourth Master Huang, so by logic, Eldest Master Huang should have received the news by now.
If Eldest Master Huang were a hardworking and diligent person, he would have already come seeking revenge.
However, Eldest Master Huang hadn't shown up.
"Generally speaking, after beating an old one, an even older one comes along. But since the older one won't come, I can only beat the old one and then go beat the older one myself."
Qi Yuan resolved to take the initiative and stir up trouble for Eldest Master Huang instead of sitting around waiting.
Naturally, Qi Yuan did not know that due to the Demon Suppression Division's arrival in Yunyan County, the local demon clan had been strictly forbidden from venturing out freely.
These demons were all lying low across various districts.
Qi Yuan left the inn, his martial cultivation significantly improved.
If he killed another Fourth Master Huang and encountered another substitute white moonlight, he would be able to break through to the mid Qi-Blood Realm.
This time, his plan was to kill a few more.
Night fell.
Qi Yuan stopped outside an abandoned compound.
Earlier today, he had visited the Huang Residence, only to find the place deserted.
Through his investigation, he learned that all the demons in Yunyan County were currently lying low, gathered at various strongholds, seemingly holding some sort of Demon Ascension Gathering.
At this moment, standing before the courtyard, Qi Yuan showed a relaxed look in his eyes. "In this stronghold, the strongest is Eldest Master Huang, and the Qi-Blood Realm demons number... about twenty?"
To be frank, this was a tough nut to crack.
If Eldest Master Huang pinned him down while the other demons attacked, he would find it hard to escape unscathed.
"System, you're so useless. Why do I need demon essence blood just to add attribute points?"
Qi Yuan lamented. After about a breath, he snapped back to reality.
"Sorry, my bad. I don't have a system."
Right now, Qi Yuan was like a man complaining about his girlfriend's flaws, only to suddenly remember he didn't have a girlfriend.
"Heh heh, you from the yamen? What are you staring at here? Don't you know only demons are allowed inside the courtyard ahead?"
Just then, an arrogant voice came from behind Qi Yuan. A demon with a thunder-god beak and a rooster face walked up, looking thoroughly menacing.
His appearance was eerie and utterly chilling.
His eyes flickered as he eyed Qi Yuan, looking as though he would have devoured Qi Yuan on the spot if the timing hadn't been inconvenient.
"A chicken?" Qi Yuan recognized the other party as a chicken demon at a glance.
It was his first time seeing a male "chicken."
"Although I'm not a demon, my wife is. Naturally, I qualify to enter. I'm a matrilocal son-in-law!" Qi Yuan puffed out his chest and declared with his head held high.
To see his white moonlights, he was sacrificing far too much.
"Your wife is a demon?" The Rooster Demon was surprised, and then the contempt in his eyes grew even stronger. "So you're just a hairless pretty boy."
As part of the demon race, the Rooster Demon had always looked down upon sparse-haired humans.
Yet there was no stopping certain female demons from liking them.
In the Rooster Demon's eyes, those female demons were neither fish nor fowl—stripping off all their fur and feathers, retaining only faint demonic traits, looking ugly as sin.
Truly little demon harlots worshipping humans and fawning over outsiders.
Qi Yuan chuckled. "Can I go in now?"
The Rooster Demon cast a cold sideways glance at him. "You'll have to ask the Old Locust Tree Demon at the entrance. He's lived a long time and can see through disguises."
With that, the Rooster Demon strutted forward with tail feathers held high toward the dilapidated courtyard.
Qi Yuan watched the Rooster Demon's back, a greedy look surfacing in his eyes. "That's a rooster demon—sounds just like housing fund! It could be used to buy a house; if only I were a civil servant."
As Qi Yuan indulged in that thought, a gust of demonic wind blew ahead.
An old man resembling withered tree bark appeared.
Seeing the elder, the Rooster Demon's demeanor turned respectful. "Old Huai."
The bark-skinned elder gave the Rooster Demon an indifferent look. "A rooster turned demon. Enter."
The Rooster Demon bowed solemnly and said, "There's a human behind me who claims to be a pretty boy kept by some demoness. I suspect he harbors ill intentions. Old Huai, you must examine him thoroughly."
The bark-skinned elder turned his gaze toward Qi Yuan, his eyes growing profound.
Right then, Qi Yuan walked over openly, his smile bright as morning dew. "Xiao Jia... come out."
At Qi Yuan's call, the surrounding space rippled, and a streak of blood-red light flickered.
Beside Qi Yuan, a tall bridal gown manifested.
The bright crimson bridal gown was traditional Chinese style, appearing rather eerie in the pitch-black night.
Yet at this moment, that flowing blood-red gown nestled against Qi Yuan's side like a gentle, affectionate maiden.
If she had a face, she would surely have floral ornaments on her cheeks and soft, gentle eyes.
"This is the wife I married and brought home in an eight-man bridal sedan, Xiao Jia," Qi Yuan introduced generously, holding Xiao Jia's ice-cold sleeve.
"This is..." The Rooster Demon's eyes bugged out.
He had guessed what kind of demon Qi Yuan's wife might be, but he had never imagined... this?
In this world, could a bridal gown attain spirits and become a demon?
What a rare phenomenon!
Old Huai's calm gaze wavered slightly at this moment. Looking at Xiao Jia, a strand of demonic qi flew out.
He seemed to be discerning whether Xiao Jia was indeed a demon.
Beside him, the Rooster Demon looked nervous, eager to see the verdict.
After roughly twelve breaths, Old Huai finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Bridal gown demon. Enter."
Hearing this answer, Qi Yuan was delighted.
He glanced at the Rooster Demon and said smugly, "I'm heading in."
Unable to fathom Xiao Jia's cultivation, the Rooster Demon eyed them warily and hastened into the courtyard as well.
A few breaths later, a desolate murmur drifted through the air.
"Looks like this old bag of bones has to pack up and move again. Must not watch, cannot watch... The waters run too deep."
Chapter 316