A full sixty-year cycle passed in the blink of an eye.
Worldly affairs were like drifting clouds, dispersing in an instant.
Time could wash away all things; not even the deepest marks could withstand its steady erosion.
"Congratulations to contestant Qi Yuan for once again defending his title as the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament!"
A clear, resounding voice rang out. Qi Yuan looked at the ninety-year-old gentleman lying on the ground before him, his expression placid.
"Not bad, young fellow! You're quite a bit stronger than last year!"
A helpless smile appeared on the elderly man's face. "*Sigh*, I've lost yet again."
"It's fine. There is glory even in defeat. Aren't you the runner-up?" Respecting the elderly and cherishing the young, Qi Yuan offered comforting words.
"There are only two contestants! What bloody good is being the runner-up?" the old man grumbled discontentedly. "This Martial Arts Tournament... it's a miracle it hasn't gone out of business yet."
As he spoke, the old man swept his gaze across the arena.
Well, the venue was certainly vast, if a bit run-down.
Back when he was young, the Martial Arts Tournament hadn't been extraordinarily popular either, but the stands were at least half full. Occasionally, if the organizers were willing to spend money, they would hire fake spectators to prop up the crowd.
Now, however... there wasn't a single spectator in sight.
Wait, that wasn't right. There was still one.
Up in the stands, a gorgeous young woman was waving a glowstick, her face flushed with excitement.
"Too strong! Champion yet again!"
"Qi Yuan, you're the best!"
"This young lady is your number one fan!"
Indeed, that sole spectator was Canary, who had joined Qi Yuan in his antics.
Every time he competed, she acted as his cheerleading squad, his fan club, and his family, waving banners and cheering at the top of her lungs for him.
Hearing her shouts, the ninety-year-old man's expression grew even more bitter. "Immortal Elder, could you please stop entering the Martial Arts Tournament? It was this old man's childhood dream to become champion just once. You've already beaten me nearly sixty times. Can't you give me a chance?"
The old man was completely exasperated.
In his youth, he had loved watching violent martial arts television shows. Whenever he swung a wooden stick around, the blooming rapeseed flowers in the fields suffered immensely. However, his martial talent was mediocre; he couldn't even qualify for the main tournament.
Later on, the immortal path revived while martial arts fell into decline, and fewer and fewer contestants entered the tournament. Only then did the desire to compete rekindle within him.
His rankings had steadily improved, until the hope of seizing the championship was finally within reach.
Yet every single time... he lost.
"Immortal Elder, I don't have many years left to live. Can't you cut this old man some slack? After all, the Martial Arts Tournament is cruel. The flowers, the applause, and the glory all belong to first place; no one remembers the sorrowful departure of the runner-up." The old man appealed to reason and emotion.
Nearly sixty years had passed, yet Qi Yuan's appearance hadn't aged a day. If he wasn't an immortal cultivator, what was he? For an immortal cultivator to enter a mortal martial arts tournament, what was that if not outright bullying?
"You're different. You've always been the runner-up, so people will remember you." Qi Yuan smiled faintly.
With that, he walked over to Canary and took her fair, delicate hand. "Young fellow, see you next year."
Canary bounded over and pressed against Qi Yuan, waving her hand. "Quick, look! What's this?"
"An invitation?" Qi Yuan asked, eyeing the item in her hand.
"Mm-hmm! Haven't you been trying to figure out how to break through to the Purple Mansion? I've been keeping an eye out lately, and I found out that... cultivators from the Three Realms and some monster cultivators from Can Star are jointly hosting a symposium to discuss the Great Dao of the Purple Mansion. Anyone who wishes to attend must be at the Divine Infant realm. If you go, you might gain some insights."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan nodded solemnly.
"You make a lot of sense."
Although Qi Yuan had reached the Purple Mansion long ago within this game, his breakthrough had been a complete muddle.
His true self was currently merely a weak Divine Infant in combat strength, forced to look up to grand Purple Mansion figures.
"Perfect. After attending this symposium, I'll compile everything I learn and ask the netizens online. I'll definitely be able to find the correct answer!"
Qi Yuan was very clever; he knew that listening to all sides brought enlightenment.
Listening merely to a few Divine Infant or Purple Mansion lectures was not enough. The wisdom of the working class was boundless. Once he posted a thread online to ask around, he was bound to be struck by a burst of inspiration.
"I have an invitation as well, so I'll go with you." As Canary spoke, she waved her hand, producing two masks. "Quick, put it on. Guests aren't allowed to show their faces at this gathering; we need to conceal our identities."
Qi Yuan looked at the masks with an odd expression. "Are you sure this symposium is legitimate?"
He had only ever seen masks like these in certain spicy short videos.
"What kind of wild nonsense are you thinking?" Canary's cheeks flushed.
Sometimes, for fun, she would wear masks too; she knew better than anyone what was going through his head.
"Nothing. Let's go attend the symposium." Qi Yuan wrapped an arm around Canary's waist, and their figures vanished into thin air.
By now, his quest in this game was drawing to a close.
He was on the verge of beating the game.
Yet regarding the Purple Mansion realm, he still didn't have the slightest clue.
Although he had learned a great deal back when he consulted True Monarch Dazhi, it still felt insufficient. He needed creativity.
Otherwise, if he cultivated some trash-tier Purple Mansion, it would be quite embarrassing. After all, he was about to become the Divine Light Sect's first Purple Mansion cultivator—unprecedented in history! He had to possess adequate strength.
***
The symposium was held over a stretch of ocean.
Upon the waters drifted a dilapidated cruise ship. From time to time, streaks of light flashed across the sky and descended onto the deck.
A piece of black cloth veiled Xie Tang's face, her expression tinged with melancholy.
Sixty years had passed, and she had become a Divine Infant cultivator. Within the Xuantian Sect, she was the strongest aside from the sect master.
As for her senior sister... there was still no trace of her.
With the heavy burdens of the sect resting upon her shoulders, she had matured considerably.
"Master, there are so many experts here." Wang Zhiqi surveyed the abandoned cruise ship ahead, her eyes filled with curiosity.
This former neighbor of Qi Yuan had now attained the perfection of Foundation Establishment. Even after sixty years, she still retained the appearance of a young maiden.
"Conceal your aura carefully! Don't let anyone discover your identity!" Xie Tang warned, her starry brows knitting tightly.
Presently, Guwu and Qinyuan were still locked in war.
This conflict had persisted for nearly sixty years.
The Three Realms Alliance had also fragmented, turning on one another in bitter, bloody warfare. With various monster factions entering the fray, the world's situation had grown chaotic.
There might very well be mortal enemies among the attendees of this gathering. If their identities were exposed, it could provoke those enemies into striking with lethal intent.
"Understood, Master!" Wang Zhiqi hurried to conceal her cultivation once more.
Just then, Xie Tang's brows twitched. A man and a woman had landed not far ahead. Though their faces were obscured, their bearing was extraordinary.
Most importantly, for reasons she couldn't explain, she sensed a familiar scent about the pair. Yet she couldn't immediately recall where she had encountered it.
"Are you two fellow Daoists also attending the gathering? Why don't we go together so we can look out for each other?" Xie Tang called out.
Wang Zhiqi followed along, curiosity written across her face.
She, too, felt a sense of familiarity.
That striking couple was, of course, Qi Yuan and Canary.
Looking at Xie Tang and Wang Zhiqi as they approached, Qi Yuan nodded. "Acceptable."
Wang Zhiqi was Yang Shan's daughter.
When Qi Yuan had first arrived in this game, his martial cultivation had been shallow, and Yang Shan had offered him a great deal of help on his martial path. The very first time Qi Yuan entered the Martial Arts Tournament, he had relied on Yang Shan to slip in through the back door.
Qi Yuan naturally held plenty of goodwill toward Yang Shan's daughter.
Xie Tang studied the pair with curiosity, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.
Across the Three Realms and the monster territories, husband-and-wife pairs of Divine Infant cultivators were exceedingly rare. Moreover, none matched the physical stature of these two.
Judging vaguely by their perceived ages, they appeared to be like her—newly ascended Divine Infants rather than ancient monsters. Since all her enemies were old monsters, she remained watchful toward Qi Yuan, but not excessively so.
"The immortal path is truly arduous, especially the Purple Mansion... It stands on a completely different level from the Divine Infant. I wonder if I will ever have the chance to step into the Purple Mansion in this lifetime," Xie Tang couldn't help but sigh.
"*Sigh*, I couldn't agree more," Qi Yuan agreed with a nod. "Every step of the immortal path is fraught with perils and hardships. When breaking through to Foundation Establishment, I fought a grand battle against two thousand seven hundred old men and nearly died there. When breaking through to the Golden Core, it was even more perilous; my Golden Core was a bit too large, and it nearly burst me to death. And when reaching the Divine Infant, I faced the greatest crisis of my life—that person nearly crashed the game I was playing."
Qi Yuan spoke with utter sincerity.
His journey had been far, far too difficult.
Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Xie Tang felt something was rather bizarre, yet she still agreed in principle.
Nearly being beaten to death by two thousand seven hundred old men when establishing a foundation sounded a bit absurd, but it was still within the realm of comprehension. But... what on earth did breaking through to the Divine Infant and nearly crashing a game mean?
"Fellow Daoist must be a rogue cultivator. The road to breakthrough must have been arduous," Xie Tang sighed.
Sympathy showed in Wang Zhiqi's eyes as well. "Senior, though you are a rogue cultivator and your early breakthroughs were far harder than those of sect disciples like us, you can now be said to have tasted sweetness after bitterness—a mortal transforming into a dragon."
Wang Zhiqi offered flattering praise at just the right moment.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan was displeased.
He had a sect!
Was the Divine Light Sect not a sect? He was about to break through to the Purple Mansion and become the Divine Light Sect's greatest Divine Infant through all eternity—such an ancestor-honoring achievement!
"I am not a rogue cultivator!"
"Ah?" Wang Zhiqi blinked in surprise. "If you're not a rogue cultivator, how could breaking through have been so hard?"
Her gaze turned even more admiring.
His innate talent must have been terrible.
"Senior is truly a late bloomer!"
Qi Yuan was rendered speechless.
Yang Shan's daughter was already an old woman in her seventies or eighties, yet she was still so terrible at speaking, with zero emotional intelligence.
"Is it possible that my Foundation Establishment is simply different from yours?" Qi Yuan looked at Wang Zhiqi, a sudden urge to show off welling up within him. "A Foundation Establishment cultivator like you is far too weak; I could fight ten thousand of you at once! If you don't believe me, how about we exchange pointers?"
"One hundred thousand," Canary chimed in with a giggle.
Wang Zhiqi froze, utterly bewildered.
*Hold on, Senior. You're a mighty Divine Infant expert, yet you want to spar with a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Isn't that blatant bullying?*
"*Cough, cough*... Senior, how could this humble girl dare exchange pointers with you?" Wang Zhiqi stammered in a panic. "This humble girl is unworthy."
"*Sigh*, the Qing Dynasty fell all those years ago, so why are there still people walking around with queues on their heads? In this modern era, we believe in equality for all, equality between men and women. You and I are both human beings, perfectly equal. How could you be unworthy to spar?"
Qi Yuan resolved to give Yang Shan's daughter a proper "education." Wang Zhiqi was younger than him, yet her mindset was so feudal; she wasn't an independent woman of the new era at all.
Wang Zhiqi was stunned. For some reason, what this senior said sounded... surprisingly reasonable.
Yet at the thought of sparring with a Divine Infant senior, her face fell into a bitter grimace. Left speechless, she shot a pleading look at Xie Tang.
Xie Tang smiled faintly. "Senior, why must you tease a junior like this?"
"I'm not teasing, I'm serious," Qi Yuan said earnestly. "You're an ancient person, so having feudal thoughts is one thing, but she's a modern person, yet she's still so hopelessly old-fashioned."
Xie Tang was rendered speechless as well.
The previously harmonious atmosphere instantly turned awkward. The four fell silent and conversed no further.
Presenting their invitations, they boarded the cruise ship to take part in the gathering.
It had to be said that quite a few cultivators had arrived—a full thirty-plus Divine Infants. As for younger-generation disciples like Wang Zhiqi, there were even more. Seats were arranged for all the Divine Infant cultivators, while juniors like Wang Zhiqi stood. Nearly a hundred people gathered in the hall.
An old man wearing a pure red mask stepped inside, radiating a powerful aura—he was at the perfection of the Divine Infant.
His gaze swept across everyone present, taking them in one by one before he spoke: "Now that everyone has arrived, let us get straight to the point and begin our gathering. This old man shall cast a brick to attract jade, that we may all exchange insights and learn from one another."
Seated in the host's position, his features concealed, the red-masked elder spoke slowly in an ethereal voice that sounded like immortal music.
"The transformation from Divine Infant to Purple Mansion hinges on the divine soul. Only when the divine soul is tempered to the absolute limit can one break through.
"The greatest distinction between the Divine Infant and the Purple Mansion lies in divine abilities. The Divine Infant wields Dao-art divine abilities, whereas the Purple Mansion commands origin divine abilities that align with the rules of heaven and earth.
"Therefore, this old man believes that to break through from the Divine Infant to the Purple Mansion, one must temper the divine soul and comprehend the origin.
"The most difficult part is comprehending the origin. Since ancient times, countless cultivators have been trapped at this hurdle. Comprehending the origin can only be achieved by oneself; no outsider can offer aid, not even if a god descends to the mortal realm.
"Neither element can be lacked. If the divine soul is sufficient but comprehension of the origin is lacking, one cannot cross over. If one successfully comprehends an origin divine ability but the divine soul falls short, one may use a God Burning Pill to stimulate the divine soul, which likewise allows one to step into the Purple Mansion."
As the red-masked elder finished speaking, many cultivators in the hall nodded in agreement or sank into deep thought, feeling they had gained immense insight. The rogue cultivators, in particular, had never encountered such knowledge before.
Qi Yuan, however, was sorely disappointed.
This fellow wasn't worth a single hair on True Monarch Dazhi's head.
"*Sigh*. When you said you were casting a brick to attract jade, I thought you were just being modest. Turns out you were dead serious—you really did cast a brick! I have to say, you're quite honest." Qi Yuan felt that if the discussion continued like this, he certainly wouldn't gain anything. Perhaps... he should steer them in the right direction?
The moment these words left his mouth, they drew the attention of everyone present.
Wang Zhiqi's eyes went wide as she stared at Qi Yuan. She thought this senior... had a truly venomous tongue.
How could anyone speak like that?
"This senior is at the perfection of the Divine Infant and is generously sharing his experience with us out of goodwill. Why must Fellow Daoist disparage him?" a rogue Divine Infant cultivator couldn't help speaking up.
A look of annoyance surfaced in the eyes of the red-masked Divine Infant cultivator. "Since what this old man spoke is a brick, does Your Excellency possess words of jade?"
"I don't have words of jade, but... your brick is a defective brick. Take what you said about using a God Burning Pill to enter the Purple Mansion when the divine soul falls short—is that even viable? Well... I won't say it's completely impossible, but maybe one in a hundred million succeeds. And as for comprehending the origin, who said nobody can help with that? I know plenty of people trapped at the perfection of the Divine Infant who broke through to the Purple Mansion with outside help," Qi Yuan said earnestly.
Back in the Liufeng Realm, he had preached the Dao and assisted numerous powerhouses in comprehending origin divine abilities, helping them step into the Sovereign realm.
"Absurd! Utter nonsense!"
"An origin divine ability is one's own Dao! How could it possibly be imparted by someone else?"
"Can you produce even a single such person?"
Qi Yuan's words immediately sparked an uproar of disbelief and skepticism throughout the hall.
Among them, a man cloaked entirely in purple robes felt his heart thump wildly with dread upon hearing Qi Yuan's words, as if he had just heard something horrifying.
He stared at Qi Yuan, his face filled with terror and suspicion.
Chapter 358