Inside the stronghold.
Qi Yuan's figure gradually solidified into flesh and blood.
Having finished his mission, he returned once more to the stronghold.
"The mission reward is a bit ordinary."
Looking at the blood-red elixir, Qi Yuan felt listless.
Still, even mosquito meat was meat, so he swallowed the pill anyway.
Stepping out of his residence, he looked around to find a stronghold ten times larger than before.
Over these past few years, Qi Yuan had completed numerous missions, and the strongholds in the Yellow Springs World had expanded significantly.
Many of them had merged together.
What was once a small stronghold had now grown into a massive one.
Large strongholds possessed immense power and produced countless experts; even Martial Kings, elsewhere a rarity, were plentiful here.
There was even a branch of the Genius Alliance.
"Not bad this time. I can send some more grandpas and grandmas out."
This mission world had been the largest he had ever experienced.
He had slaughtered the demons of an entire realm and stepped into the realm of a Martial Lord.
Within his body, he had also devoured many new bloodlines.
He could send more grandpas and grandmas away.
"It's a pity Wu Shi's Divine Infant still can't be sent out."
Recalling his moments with the Holy Mother of Inedia, Qi Yuan sighed with emotion.
The bond between them had been as light as water, yet there was a deep attachment after all.
In particular, the Devouring Primordial Physique she had given him had aided him immensely.
Otherwise, he would never have broken through to the Martial Lord realm so swiftly.
"When you wake up, I'll treat you to fish,"
Qi Yuan murmured. His memories seemed to traverse space and time, returning to his first encounter with Wu Shi.
The frail young woman had been remarkably faithful to her promises.
Tossing these sentiments aside, Qi Yuan headed toward the Blood Jade Wall.
About fifteen minutes later, Qi Yuan opened his eyes, a flicker of disappointment lingering deep within them.
This time, he had sent many more grandpas and grandmas to the Origin Land.
Yet the Holy Mother of Inedia's Divine Infant still lay quietly within his body, utterly peaceful.
"Wu Shi? How about showing me your inner layer?"
Qi Yuan teased her lightly.
Unfortunately, the Divine Infant gave no response and remained completely still.
Just then, a young man clad in white robes walked straight toward Qi Yuan. Judging by his attire, he belonged to the Genius Alliance.
Qi Yuan knew this person quite well.
After the strongholds merged, this member of the Genius Alliance had invited Qi Yuan to join their ranks.
Qi Yuan had turned him down.
He had no interest in joining the Genius Alliance and had refused decisively.
"Mr. Qi, some distinguished guests arrived at the stronghold a few days ago, and they wish to meet with you."
"Oh? What do they want with me?" Qi Yuan asked.
If it was nothing important, he planned to leave.
He had not seen Canary in quite some time and missed her dearly.
"I heard it's related to the Origin Land," the member of the Genius Alliance said hesitantly.
"Is that so? In that case, I might as well check it out. Lead the way."
***
Meanwhile, inside a private room at a tavern, smoke drifted through the air.
Three peak Martial Kings sat in their seats, chatting and laughing, radiating the aura of those in high authority.
Behind each of them stood two peak Martial Kings.
However, those standing peak Martial Kings had the demeanor of servants.
A closer look revealed that they were practitioners of ancient martial arts.
Blood martial artists were divided into New Martial Arts and Ancient Martial Arts.
Because practitioners of Ancient Martial Arts had their cultivation suppressed by an entire realm upon entering the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, and the greater their strength, the higher the mission difficulty and danger, suffering such a drop meant that encountering a slightly harder mission could easily become a dead end for them.
Consequently, many who practiced Ancient Martial Arts chose to attach themselves to New Martial Arts practitioners, signing blood martial contracts to become servants.
This way, their missions would synchronize, and the New Martial Arts practitioner would protect the ancient martial practitioner.
Thus, even if these ancient martial artists reached peak Martial King and grew old, they still attached themselves to New Martial Arts practitioners just to survive.
Such was the cruelty of the world: without someone to rely on, you died!
After all, entering the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll was equivalent to a Divine Infant cultivator having to face an opponent in the Purple Mansion realm.
Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man wearing simple short clothes, looking like nothing more than an unrefined brawler.
Yet no one present dared to underestimate him.
He was Mu Yan, a Sword Wielder from the headquarters of the Genius Alliance.
The Genius Alliance had thirty-six Sword Wielders in total, and every single one possessed the record of having slain a peak Martial King.
"The foremost figure of this stronghold is named Qi Yuan. Quite an interesting fellow," Mu Yan said in a gruff, booming voice that contrasted sharply with his scholarly name and ordinary appearance.
"I've heard of him as well. In every mission, he kidnaps the mission targets and only finishes the task after slaughtering every demon in the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll. Many people hope to run into him and team up with him," a woman chuckled. "It seems he bears an intense hatred for demons."
This woman had a peculiar appearance: she possessed two heads, one with a human face and the other with the face of a monkey.
Evidently, she had grafted demon bloodlines into herself, becoming a hybrid.
People like her were not uncommon in the stronghold.
"To be capable of slaughtering the demons of an entire realm, he must be a peak Martial King. He barely qualifies to enter the Origin Land alongside us," another short man said.
"A pity he lacks a Martial Lord imprint. Even if he gets lucky enough to enter the Origin Land this time, he'll only end up as cannon fodder," the woman sighed.
To people like them, strength was no longer what mattered most; the Martial Lord imprint was.
A Martial Lord imprint was extraordinarily precious and exceedingly difficult to obtain, bound by harsh criteria.
First, one's bloodline progenitor had to be alive.
Second, one's bloodline purity had to be exceptionally high.
Third, one's martial talent had to be extraordinary.
Only when all three criteria were met would a Martial Lord of the Origin Land look upon them favorably and bestow an imprint.
A Martial Lord imprint could neither be transferred nor seized.
With an imprint, one could consume ancestral blood upon entering the Origin Land and break through to the Martial Lord realm.
All three peak Martial Kings present possessed Martial Lord imprints. Once they entered the Origin Land, they would step into the legendary Martial Lord realm and become second-generation bloodline progenitors.
It was only natural for them to carry an air of arrogance.
"Though he lacks a Martial Lord imprint, his combat prowess is astonishing. He makes a fine blade," Mu Yan remarked.
"A shame that such a good blade is usually too rigid and unwilling to sign a blood martial contract," the woman said with a hint of regret.
Practitioners of New Martial Arts rarely consented to serving a master.
"Taking servants in reality wasn't enough for you, and now you're bringing that habit here?" Mu Yan scolded half-heartedly.
"A pity I haven't been back to reality in ages. I heard you can collect servants online these days," the woman laughed with feigned remorse.
The stronger they became, the greater the stronghold's restrictions on them, making it nearly impossible to return to reality.
Right then, a knock sounded at the door, and the three inside ceased their conversation.
"Enter," Mu Yan said.
The door was pushed open, and the Genius Alliance member ushered Qi Yuan inside.
Several pairs of eyes landed on Qi Yuan like predatory hawks and wolves.
Under the scrutiny of these peak Martial Kings, Qi Yuan remained completely calm and relaxed.
"So this is Mr. Qi Yuan. Truly handsome and of extraordinary bearing," Mu Yan spoke up, his tone very polite.
"I'm very busy right now and in a hurry to see my wife. Skip the greetings and cut the opening pleasantries. Just tell me what you want from me," Qi Yuan said. He had always been swift and decisive, valuing efficiency above all else.
Otherwise, exchanging endless courtesies was just a waste of time.
Hearing this, a coquettish smile flashed across the woman's eyes, and the mouth on her monkey face twisted into a lewd grin. "I just love servants like this. It's only fun when a servant puts up a little resistance."
Mu Yan was momentarily stunned, then chuckled and dropped the pretense. "Our purpose in coming here is to invite you to enter the Origin Land with us, Brother Qi Yuan. Are you interested in entering the Origin Land?"
Upon reaching the Martial King realm, one gradually learned the truth of the world and understood something of the Origin Land.
"I'm interested. How do we get in, and when?" Qi Yuan asked.
He felt that in order to complete his Spirit Dao Martial Master task, he would have to enter the Origin Land.
"The exact time is unknown. It could be as soon as three days, or as long as a hundred years. However, entering the Origin Land requires crossing... the Black Sea. The Black Sea is fraught with peril, teeming with monsters forged from the rules of heaven and earth. Even Martial Kings can perish there. Do you have the courage to go?" Mu Yan asked.
Generally, the Origin Land held great appeal for martial artists, especially those with Martial Lord imprints.
For ordinary martial artists, however, the attraction was mediocre.
Particularly because one had to cross the Black Sea.
Beyond all the strongholds lay the Black Sea.
Behemoths from the Black Sea frequently swallowed strongholds whole.
All martial artists kept their distance from it, as its rules constantly shifted, and even Martial Kings faced the risk of falling.
"Oh, sure. Call me when you're ready to leave. Here, let's exchange contact info so you can reach me anytime." Qi Yuan took out the transmission device unique to the stronghold.
"Splendid! Brother Qi Yuan truly has unmatched courage!" Seeing Qi Yuan agree, Mu Yan changed his address from 'your distinguished self' to 'brother.'
With one more peak Martial King, their chances of crossing the Black Sea increased.
As he spoke, he exchanged contact details with Qi Yuan.
"Since that's all, I'll take my leave. Farewell, everyone. Bye-bye." Qi Yuan was quite polite, offering a 'bye-bye' as he turned to leave.
Mu Yan smiled. "Looking forward to our next meeting."
The monkey-faced woman then spoke up, her voice sultry. "I hear Brother Qi Yuan has been looking for a match for a good friend. What do you think of this humble woman?"
She cast a seductive wink at Qi Yuan.
"Not a good fit," Qi Yuan replied, shaking his head.
This woman had far too much fur on her body.
One could see fur without even taking her clothes off.
"Am I not drop-dead gorgeous enough?" The monkey-faced woman blinked.
She had heard that Qi Yuan had been scouring this stronghold for an absolute knockout of a wife for his good friend.
Qi Yuan looked at her monkey face and her coat of fur. "You're a bit too drop-dead."
***
Holding a jade-white foot as slender and tender as a lotus root, Qi Yuan's hand traced upward along the patterned stocking. His expression was calm, with a hint of tenderness hidden deep in his eyes. Brushing aside the dark locks falling over her chest, he leaned in close.
Canary closed her eyes and held him tightly, pouring out years of longing.
When the morning dawn broke, Canary looked up with misty, slightly aggrieved eyes. "How come you've grown so much stronger?"
Arm draped around Canary, Qi Yuan said nonchalantly, "Could it be that my Explosive Bird-Killing Fist broke through your defenses?"
"Get lost! I'll bite you to death!" Canary bit down hard on his shoulder, leaving a neat row of tooth marks.
"Has anything interesting happened in the real world over these years?" Qi Yuan asked casually.
"Just boring stuff," Canary replied.
With Qi Yuan gone, this dazzling world had lost its charm, proving far less fun than cultivating on the Stellar Golden Core.
"If you're talking about major events, there are a few, though to us, they're just trivial matters. Over these years, in order to expand recruitment, the Three Realms Alliance launched an invasion against the Guwu Kingdom. This dragged Qinyuan and Guwu into war. With the cultivators of the Three Realms Alliance present, Guwu has been retreating on every front."
The grievances between Guwu and Qinyuan ran deep.
With the Three Realms cultivators involved, an outbreak of war was only natural.
"Oh, a war?" Qi Yuan had no interest in such things.
"However, the Seventh Prince once told Zero-One that the real cause of the war was the discovery of a ruin on the border of the Guwu Kingdom. That ruin... is deeply connected to the Eye of the Sky," Canary said.
The technological level of Qinyuan and Guwu lagged behind Can Star.
If Can Star could not even produce a weapon like the Eye of the Sky, how could Qinyuan?
That weapon capable of obliterating Purple Mansion cultivators was actually an advanced artifact accidentally unearthed by Qinyuan and Guwu.
Its origin was suspected to be extraterrestrial.
Now that an extraterrestrial ruin had surfaced, neither Qinyuan nor the Three Realms immortal cultivators could sit still. What if an even more powerful weapon than the Eye of the Sky was unearthed?
"Let them fight all they want, so long as they don't disrupt my Martial Arts Tournament."
Qi Yuan cared nothing for such things.
"I heard the Guwu Kingdom is already seeking help from Can Star. A planetary war might break out at any moment," Canary added. "Still, with Qinyuan backed by the Three Realms cultivators, holding off Can Star shouldn't be much of an issue—unless Can Star finds outside help."
Canary's eyes darkened as she recalled the aura of the Myriad Demons Realm she had once sensed.
If the Myriad Demons Realm colluded with Can Star, Qinyuan would indeed struggle to hold out.
"It's fine. It has nothing to do with us. To ordinary people, isn't it just swapping out the master over their heads?" Qi Yuan said nonchalantly.
It was just a game; he hardly cared.
"What if Can Star conquers Arch Star and cancels the Martial Arts Tournament?" Canary giggled, wrapping her slender, shapely arms around Qi Yuan's waist. Her petite frame clung to him like a doll.
"How could they!" Qi Yuan said solemnly. "If they dare cancel the Martial Arts Tournament, I'll casually crush the nearest planet to pieces right in front of their eyes!"
There were quite a few planets near Can Star, though none showed signs of life.
According to Canary, this universe was only about the size of a single solar system.
Beyond its edges, even Canary could not explore.
"You can crush a planet now?" Canary blinked.
Wiping out every living creature on a planet was something Canary could manage.
Crushing a planet into dust, however, was something she could only dream of.
"Ahem, I was just bragging. If all else fails, I'll drop my Stellar Golden Core onto a planet near them," Qi Yuan said casually.
"That's completely different," Canary retorted, her eyes sparkling like stars as she gazed at him. "I want to watch you pop a planet! It would definitely be magnificent!"
"You're making things difficult for your man. Still... there will be a chance." Qi Yuan looked calm and self-assured.
Once old geezer Shenlei and the others broke through to the Yang God realm, Qi Yuan's strength would surge as well, perhaps allowing him to step into the Yang God realm himself.
When that time came, crushing a planet really would be no trouble at all.
"When you pop a planet, let me know in advance! I'll record a video and post it online. It'll definitely go viral and get me tons of followers, hehe!" Canary giggled.
"You're sounding more and more like the female lead of a romance drama. Want me to set off a few mushroom clouds for you to watch?" Qi Yuan chuckled.
Being with Canary made the days feel lighthearted and joyful.
Chapter 357