Xie Tang's gaze suddenly settled upon a young boy and girl.
A flicker of excitement lit up her eyes.
After all, the Xuantian Sect had been in decline for far too long.
It was impossible to recruit many promising talents back in the Fire Spirit Realm, which was why they had pinned their hopes on this new world.
Finding Wang Zhiqi had already been an unexpected delight.
Now, catching sight of two individuals whose natural talent surpassed even Wang Zhiqi's, how could her heart not race with excitement?
More importantly, both of them were right here in Tianyue City.
Tianyue City was the Xuantian Sect's recruitment territory!
"Principal, you mean those two?" A look of pleasant surprise appeared in Wang Zhiqi's eyes. "What a coincidence! I know them. They're refugees Brother Qi Yuan brought back from Wugui Kingdom!"
"Oh? Who is Qi Yuan?" Xie Tang asked offhandedly, her eyes never leaving the two youths.
"He's my neighbor and a good friend of my dad's. He's also the owner of that internet-famous cat, and he's... super handsome!
"Last time my best friend saw him, she even said she was going to confess her love to him!
"Tee-hee, but when Brother Qi Yuan came back last time, he was married to an incredibly gorgeous wife. My bestie cried her eyes out!"
Wang Zhiqi beamed with animated enthusiasm as she spoke.
That best friend of hers was an utter love-brain.
In middle school, she had crushed on a street punk who rode a loud motorbike; in high school, she had fallen for her biology teacher.
Presumably, once she entered university, she would fall head over heels for her military training instructor.
"Oh, is that so? His luck is quite something, managing to pick up two such exceptional talents!" Xie Tang paid little attention to Qi Yuan. The only thing she cared about were those two ordinary mortals blessed with extraordinary talent.
Before long, however, her expression subtly shifted.
"Someone from the Battle God Sect? Wait, the Carefree Wanderer!"
To her shock, she noticed an obnoxious archrival appearing right beside the boy and girl.
It was none other than Jiang Qingjiao of the Battle God Sect.
Beside him stood an illustrious rogue cultivator known as the Carefree Wanderer.
This rogue cultivator possessed formidable strength, being an old Divine Infant monster.
At that moment, the Carefree Wanderer was performing a spell. A small bird materialized out of thin air in his palm, holding a fresh flower in its beak, looking rather charming.
"Hmph. What brings a friend from the Battle God Sect to my Tianyue City?"
After watching for a moment, Xie Tang led Wang Zhiqi straight over.
She looked toward Jiang Qingjiao with an unfriendly expression, her tone laden with displeasure.
Noticing Xie Tang, Jiang Qingjiao looked up. A hint of surprise flashed across his face before giving way to nonchalance. "So it's the second Fairy Star of the Xuantian Sect.
"Senior Carefree Wanderer happened across these two and took an interest in accepting them as disciples, so this humble Daoist simply tagged along for a look.
"Oh, as for Tianyue... your sect's junior brother lost to mine. Why should I not be allowed to set foot in Tianyue?"
Jiang Qingjiao's words bristled with hostility.
Sure enough, hearing his remarks, Xie Tang's anger flared. "What our Xuantian Sect lost was not Tianyue!"
The smile in Jiang Qingjiao's eyes widened. "Since Fairy Star happens to be here, why don't we seize the moment and compete today? Who knows... perhaps Tianyue will fall into the hands of our Battle God Sect as well!"
Hearing this, Xie Tang's face turned livid.
Jiang Qingjiao was the Holy Son of the Battle God Sect and the undisputed strongest among the younger generation.
Xie Tang lagged far behind him.
Within the Xuantian Sect, only her senior sister, Xie Xinsu, had been able to keep Jiang Qingjiao in check.
Ever since her senior sister disappeared, a gap had formed at the very top of the Xuantian Sect's younger generation, leaving them completely outmatched by the Battle God Sect.
If Xie Tang acted on impulse and took Jiang Qingjiao's bait to engage in a duel, she would only be bringing humiliation upon herself.
Faced with such an insult, she had no choice but to swallow her teeth along with her pride.
Seeing her reaction, the smirk in Jiang Qingjiao's eyes deepened. "If Senior Carefree Wanderer loses interest and decides not to accept them, then... it will be our Battle God Sect's turn.
"Only if our Battle God Sect passes on them will you lot have any chance of picking them up."
Jiang Qingjiao spoke with absolute confidence and overbearing arrogance, his tone suggesting he had Xie Tang completely cornered.
Xie Tang choked on her words, furious enough to strike.
Yet she understood that Jiang Qingjiao was deliberately provoking her, trying to force her hand.
Losing a duel would at most bring her personal humiliation, but dragging the sect into losing recruitment territory was something she could never accept.
Just then, Yaji, who had remained quiet the entire time, took his sister by the hand, looked at Jiang Qingjiao, and spoke with unwavering resolve: "I've already told you, I will not take him as my master, nor will I join any Battle God Sect.
"Stop wasting your time on me. It isn't worth it."
Jiang Qingjiao froze in slight disbelief, not expecting a mere mortal to speak to him in such a manner.
A flash of annoyance stirred in his heart.
Even so, he masked it quite well. "Joining us will grant you benefits beyond your wildest dreams.
"Power, wealth, beautiful women—whatever you desire, it's all within your grasp!"
"I don't need any of that. My life was saved by my master, and it belongs to him!" Yaji's voice remained firm.
Even setting aside the master's immense kindness, his sheer power was far beyond what these parlor-trick conjurers could ever compare to.
The master had said he wanted his blood.
In that case, his blood would flow for the master.
"Little fellow, if you take this old man as your master, you will be in a much better position to repay your master," the Carefree Wanderer said with an amiable expression. "However, living in this world, one ought to live for oneself. Freedom and carefree ease are what matter most.
"Your master saved your life, and that debt of gratitude is indeed heavy as a mountain.
"Yet you could follow me to study and cultivate. In a few decades, what would be so difficult about repaying him with an entire mountain of gold?"
Yaji still shook his head resolutely.
Without Qi Yuan's permission, not even the King of Heaven could sway him.
Seeing this, a look of disappointment flickered across the Carefree Wanderer's eyes.
His patience had run out. Furthermore, he found Yaji's foolishly loyal temperament unappealing; it did not suit his Grand Dao.
"A pity. It seems you and I... are truly lacking in karmic affinity." The Carefree Wanderer sighed.
Watching this unfold, Jiang Qingjiao rejoiced inwardly.
It seemed that within a few days, the Carefree Wanderer would completely abandon the notion of taking them as disciples.
When that time came, wouldn't these two obediently join the Battle God Sect?
He would hardly be as gentle and accommodating as the Carefree Wanderer.
Besides, if the Battle God Sect couldn't have them, then... no other sect would get their hands on them either.
***
Rolling white clouds, drizzling rain, and an endless warmth of spring.
Qi Yuan savored the girl's lips, occasionally brushing aside the cascading black tresses over her chest to draw closer. Whenever he did, the Canary disguised as Ning Tao found herself overwhelmed; sitting atop Qi Yuan, she seemed torn between pushing him away and holding him even tighter.
After who knew how long, the storm finally subsided. The girl's lingering yearning had not yet faded, and she curled into Qi Yuan's embrace like a little kitten, listening to his tales of what had transpired in the death qi world.
"You should have spared the Xi River Fish Maiden."
"Oh? Why?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to introduce a stunning wife to Han Xianyun? This young lady thought she was quite a catch."
"...That makes sense!" Qi Yuan nodded in agreement.
A fish-headed woman with a pair of jade feet was indeed quite a catch.
"Next time I enter a task world, I'll keep an eye out to see if I can find Han Xianyun a wife." Qi Yuan had always been helpful and warm-hearted.
If he ran across someone suitable in a task world, he would play matchmaker for Han Xianyun.
Even though the two might be separated by vast distances of space and time, that was not something Qi Yuan needed to worry about.
If their love was steadfast enough, they could meet even across the ends of the earth.
Appearing at the edge of the sky was fine, but appearing in the corner of the sea would be a bit improper.
Naturally, with Qi Yuan serving as the matchmaker when Han Xianyun and his stunning bride had never even met, how steadfast their love could be was hardly his concern.
"Here, I brought back some rocks and trees from the stronghold. Take a look." Embracing the Canary, Qi Yuan waved his hand, casually tossing out the junk he had scavenged from the stronghold.
He wanted to give these items to the Canary to study.
He wished to see whether she could use them to find a way into the death qi world.
The Canary's demeanor shifted from relaxed and coquettish to focused and solemn, carrying a distinct air unique to a Yin God.
After several dozen breaths, astonishment appeared in her eyes.
"The aura of time!"
"Time?" Qi Yuan paused slightly as well.
Anything involving time and space was rarely easy to deal with.
The Canary's Divine Domain happened to touch upon time.
Because of that, the Canary, now a Great Venerable, already held an exceptionally lofty position among Yin Gods based on her Divine Domain alone.
As long as Mythological beings did not emerge, she stood invincible.
"A very dense aura of time. This young lady is... far inferior!" Mentioning this, the Canary sounded somewhat discouraged and dejected, her voice tinged with latent worry.
Her concern was that terrifying existences dwelt within the death qi world, which might pose a threat to Qi Yuan.
Seeing right through her worries, Qi Yuan tapped her nose. "It's just a game, nothing to worry about."
"Hmph, it's still annoying! This young lady wants to become stronger and stronger! Ah, why can't I just swallow a sun in one gulp?!"
"Trying to steal my business, are you?" Qi Yuan chuckled.
"No, this young lady needs to go to school properly and decipher this as soon as possible so I can enter the death qi world."
As she spoke, the Canary struggled to get up and changed into her school uniform.
She looked full of drive and burning with passion.
Standing before the mirror, she looked at her reflection, then caught Qi Yuan's gaze through the glass. "Blood Pearl, this young lady is going... to school!"
"Don't go," Qi Yuan chuckled, knowing full well what she was really thinking.
"Huh?" Sure enough, hearing this, delight bloomed across the Canary's face.
"The school was blown up by little birds carrying dynamite packs. Don't bother going," Qi Yuan spouted nonsense off the cuff.
"You said it yourself!" In the end, the Canary did not go to school.
After nearly a year apart, Qi Yuan had finally returned. How could she bear to leave him behind and head off to school alone?
In this world, nothing mattered more than Blood Pearl.
The two of them chatted, talking about anything and everything under the sun.
Around nightfall, Qi Yuan pulled out his phone.
"Having been away for nearly a year, I wonder if anyone looked for me."
The Canary was currently lying in Qi Yuan's arms, eyes closed in sleep, her long eyelashes exceptionally lovely.
Of course, Qi Yuan knew she was only pretending to sleep.
Qi Yuan scrolled through his phone.
Well, despite being gone for nearly a year, the messages he had received could be counted on one hand.
One asked him to endorse clothing—a women's fashion brand called Chelsea looking to expand into the menswear market. Seeing that he had won the Martial Arts Tournament and possessed good looks, they had reached out for an endorsement.
The previous message was from six months ago.
Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to reply and deleted it directly.
Besides, the brand name sounded too ridiculous; he had assumed it was selling shoes.
Another message wished him a happy birthday, sent from an unfamiliar number.
Qi Yuan paused, then called out.
"Zero-One."
"Master, Zero-One is at your service."
Outside the bedroom door, Zero-One's hand wielding the cat-teasing wand came to a halt, and he stood respectfully outside.
Seeing the wand touch the ground, Xie Xinsu hastily snatched the red feather into her mouth, looking frantic, as if terrified someone might snatch it away.
"Who sent this text message to me? The number is 456..."
Qi Yuan gave the phone number to Zero-One.
"Please wait a moment, Master. Zero-One is on it."
Zero-One began operating at full capacity, using the phone number as a starting point to gather information from all available channels.
A few minutes later, Zero-One's voice came through.
"Master, the information regarding the owner of this phone number has been compiled and sent to you. Please check it."
Qi Yuan quickly opened the file.
The Canary, who had been pretending to sleep, also poked her head over, clearly curious about the person who had wished Qi Yuan a happy birthday.
When he saw the photo, Qi Yuan blinked.
"Isn't this Xiao Mei, my blind date?"
In the photograph was a tall woman of considerable beauty.
Qi Yuan instantly remembered who she was.
Back then, he had arranged to meet his blind date, Xiao Mei, at Qindeji, and he had even borrowed three hundred thousand yuan from her.
Xiao Mei had been very kind; not only had she lent him the money, but she had also paid for the meal.
"Could she be wishing me a happy birthday on the surface, but actually hinting that I should pay her back?"
Qi Yuan felt a bit awkward. When he borrowed the money, he had never intended to pay it back.
Now that she was dropping hints, it would be a bit of a social disaster if he didn't return it.
"Aiya, this is so unfair. Why should a mental patient have to pay back borrowed money?"
Qi Yuan grumbled a complaint and continued reading the woman's profile.
"No wonder she lent you money. She's your Innate Seed's older sister," Ning Tao said, tilting her head.
The dossier indicated that this woman belonged to the military, having long engaged in infiltration and undercover operations against Can Star, as well as taking on various military assignments.
She held another identity as well: she was an apprentice of the deceased parents of Qi Yuan's Innate Seed body.
"Hmm, she was already transferred away from undercover work before I even won the championship." Qi Yuan continued browsing the file.
Clearly, the families of the Seven Martial Stars knew of the tall woman's connection to Qi Yuan and had reassigned her away from dangerous duties, promoting her to an easy, lucrative department with real authority.
"She has actually been to the death qi world too, and now... she's even become a cultivator?"
Reading the information, Qi Yuan found this older sister's journey quite fascinating.
Even before the blind date, she had already been a member of the death qi world.
Moreover, unlike others in the death qi world, she lived primarily in the mundane world, just like Qi Yuan.
Not long ago, when the immortal path descended, she had even managed to join an immortal cultivation sect thanks to her remarkable talent, becoming a cultivator.
This older sister's background could certainly be called colorful.
"Is she currently doing a mission in the death qi world?"
Qi Yuan set down the file, his expression calm.
"She learned immortal cultivation techniques and has a wide variety of methods. Completing tasks shouldn't be a problem for her," Ning Tao chimed in from the side.
"Yeah. I hope she takes her time on this mission. Having three hundred thousand sitting in a bank account generates quite a bit of interest." Qi Yuan still felt a twinge of heartache over the money.
The later she returned, the later he could repay the debt, earning him plenty more interest in the meantime.
The Canary smiled sweetly. "I hope she runs into a Red Staff Demon Butcher who sweeps her mission target away!"
Hearing this, Qi Yuan froze, his expression growing solemn. "If that happens, and I'm the one who carried off the mission target, wouldn't that make me the big villain?"
"Huh?"
"They spend a whole year stuck in a task world—what happens if their online loans go overdue? What if the creditors start calling their parents? Wouldn't they suffer total social death?"
Qi Yuan looked deeply worried. He had always been a man who considered every detail.
Chapter 346