What? You Want Me to Be the Chief Examiner?

Qi Yuan wore a pensive expression. It was still unclear whether Dongjun, this big boss, was friend or foe. Even though Dongjun was depicted on the murals as a devoted lover, that devotion was reserved solely for the female lead. In romance dramas, an overbearing CEO was wonderful to the female lead, but an absolute nightmare to the maids and butlers around him. *What? The female lead threw a tantrum and flipped the dining table? Old Woman Wang, make ten identical servings right this instant!* *What? The female lead fainted from grief? Doctor Wang, if you can't cure her, your entire family will be buried with her!* Yes, projecting oneself onto the female lead felt great, but being a supporting character was miserable. Among the teeming masses of living beings, most were mere extras. Qi Yuan also felt he was utterly ordinary—just a modest Divine Infant True Monarch, nothing more than a supporting character. "It seems I still have to find Dongjun. My fate is determined by me, not heaven! It's time for us extras to stand up!" Qi Yuan declared with impassioned fervor. The subjects beside him exchanged bewildered glances. Just a moment ago they had been talking about finding Dongjun, so how did it suddenly turn into *my fate is determined by me, not heaven*? Still, they were accustomed to Qi Yuan. Lord God was simply like this—occasionally baffling, with a very bizarre train of thought. "Godfather, if our strength were placed in any other world, none of us would be considered extras, would we?" Qi Qi asked softly. Hearing this, the other subjects felt strange emotions stir within them. Though Yang Gods were gathered here in droves, cheap as common cabbages in a vegetable patch, the reality was stark. Even in an innate world, had Qi Yuan never arrived, it might not have produced a single Yang God in millions or even tens of millions of years. Aside from the Holy Mother of Inedia, practically none of the other Mythological powerhouses ever had a chance to step into the Yang God Realm. As for these subjects... forget the Yang God Realm, most would never have even set foot into the Great Venerable Realm. Meeting Qi Yuan was the greatest fortune of their lives. If Qi Yuan had not been present to keep them in check, unleashing them upon the Upper Realm would probably cause shockwaves across the immortal realms. After all, even in the Upper Realm, a Yang God served as the ultimate foundation of a sacred ground. With a Yang God presiding, a sacred ground would endure for hundreds of millions of years. "Still, what Godfather said makes sense. Dongjun's strength remains unknown, so we must keep a low profile," Qi Qi mentioned again. Qi Yuan nodded. "Right, a person should always be prudent. Even if his strength isn't that great, what if there's a dried booger left behind by the Supreme Dao Ancestor in this Origin Land?" "Uh... the Dao Ancestor probably wouldn't pick His nose, would He?" Old Geezer Shenlei could not help but chime in. "Emperors use golden hoes, so why wouldn't the Dao Ancestor pick His nose?" Qi Yuan replied in all seriousness. "According to the Tang Niu inequality principle, just because the Dao Ancestor possesses supreme cultivation doesn't mean He doesn't pick His nose." "..." Everyone fell silent. Qi Qi could not resist whispering, "Godfather, even I haven't done that sort of thing in ages. How could the Dao Ancestor?" "Should we drop this topic? Wouldn't gossiping about the Dao Ancestor be somewhat improper?" Old Geezer Shenlei said. Back when his cultivation was negligible, Old Geezer Shenlei would not have cared if he spent every day cursing the Dao Ancestor. But now, things were different. He was a Yang God who had visualized both the Nine Heavens Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Celestial Venerable and the Longevity Great Emperor of the South Pole, one of the Six Imperial Sovereigns. The divine status of those two beings was unimaginably exalted. Consequently, he felt immense reverence and dread toward a supreme existence like the Dao Ancestor. Qi Yuan nodded. "Come, take me to where the purple qi is born. I want to secretly learn the craft and see if I can produce it wholesale." *** The Origin Land. Inside a crumbling palace, Martial Lord Pangdan suddenly opened his eyes. "My father's... aura?" Just moments ago, as he rested with his eyes closed, he had abruptly caught a familiar scent and felt his bloodline boiling. This sensation made it obvious: his "father" had emerged from seclusion. Over the past years, he had been exceptionally happy. As expected of his never-before-seen "father," his strength had been soaring by leaps and bounds. This had triggered successive bloodline leaps for Pangdan, propelling his cultivation straight into the Fourth Stage Great Martial Lord Realm. Such advancement was terrifyingly swift. Of course, this also had to do with his solid foundation, which was widely known among all the Martial Lords. Before the Great Cataclysm, he had been a Titled Martial Lord. Now, with the bloodline leaps, his strength rose frequently. Because of this, his status within the Eastern Alliance had risen once more, earning him a promotion. After all, he had a hidden, formidable father backing him—one who seemed very likely to be at the level of a Titled Martial Lord. "Martial Lord Pangdan, has your father appeared?" At that moment, a voice sounded from within the ruined palace, belonging to an emaciated old man. This elder had also been a Titled Martial Lord before the Great Cataclysm. Now, he was a Sixth Stage Great Martial Lord and belonged to the upper echelons of the Eastern Alliance. "Yes, I seem to have caught his scent. He should have just emerged from seclusion," Martial Lord Pangdan said thoughtfully. "Where? Take me to meet this senior. Times are tough for our Eastern Alliance right now; we need to recruit fresh blood." The emaciated elder spoke with an air of urgency and anticipation. The tasks assigned by Dongjun had originally been proceeding smoothly. Yet over the past millennium, many tasks had suddenly failed. If the overall completion rate could not reach sixty percent before Dawn's Toll arrived, everyone would die. The Origin Land, the Land of the End, and the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll would all face destruction. Under these circumstances, having an extra hand was always a good thing. "Let's go. I'll take you to meet my... father!" Martial Lord Pangdan gritted his teeth and declared. "Good," the emaciated elder agreed. "What if my father refuses to acknowledge me?" Martial Lord Pangdan suddenly hesitated. "You worry too much, Martial Lord Pangdan. Your lineage possesses a powerful bloodline, and you must have inherited it perfectly. He looks just like you, so why wouldn't he acknowledge you?" the elder said. Pangdan looked down at his round belly and finally nodded slowly. "You have a point. Let's go!" *** The Origin Land, the Myriad Souls Sea. This was the confluence where the Ends of the Earth met in the Origin Land, radiating vigorous, surging vitality. Qi Yuan sat alone, his robes fluttering in the wind, his expression serene. "All things in this world emerged from the Myriad Souls Sea. But where did all things in the universe originate? Did they stem from coincidence, or the elusive 'one' that escaped the Great Dao?" Staring at the Myriad Souls Sea, he pondered many things. "No, I can't keep thinking like this. My brain is going to grow too big." Qi Yuan's Divine Domain was in utter disarray, filled with all sorts of bizarre sights—planets turned into soccer balls lying on a pitch, dung beetles rolling giant spheres. His thoughts were growing somewhat chaotic. If his brain developed any further and he pondered too much, he suspected his true spirit wouldn't be able to hold out. This was the first time Qi Yuan felt that his physical body was unworthy of his noble, brilliant intellect. "A pity that even someone as sharp as me can't duplicate purple qi." Qi Yuan looked ahead as countless streams of information flooded into his perception. Yet duplicating purple qi remained utterly impossible. Or rather, if he sat here in bitter meditation for ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, or even five million years, absorbing different information every single day, he might manage it. But that would take far too long. Right then, the space behind him suddenly rippled. Two beings—one fat and one thin—appeared. Martial Lord Pangdan craned his neck, gazing around in search of someone. When his eyes fell upon Qi Yuan, he froze for an instant. A sense of profound inferiority washed over him. He wished he could tear off his own flesh. How could someone be... so perfect? *Is this my father?* Martial Lord Pangdan took a deep breath and sucked in his stomach, trying to make himself look a bit slimmer. The emaciated elder also felt suspicious. Looking at Qi Yuan and then examining Martial Lord Pangdan, he murmured, "He really doesn't look like you." Even so, neither wasted any time and flew forward. "Shensou of the Eastern Alliance greets Senior!" "Pangdan of the Eastern Alliance greets Senior!" Both bowed respectfully and stood to the side, the fat-and-thin pair cutting an exceptionally striking contrast. Though Martial Lord Pangdan tried his hardest to hold his breath, his waistline was still several times wider than Martial Lord Shensou's. Qi Yuan did not turn around, his eyes remaining fixed on the Myriad Souls Sea. "What do you want with me?" Hearing this, Martial Lord Pangdan felt a pang of disappointment. His boiling bloodline confirmed that the man before him truly was his biological "father." Yet that cold, indifferent attitude stirred an inexplicable sorrow within him. The bloodline martial path was far more of an accelerated shortcut than the immortal path, even offering perks like bloodline leaps. However, it came with a major flaw: practitioners with weaker bloodlines always felt an involuntary closeness toward the progenitor of the strongest bloodline, making them easily swayed. For the immortal path, such a thing was entirely unimaginable. "Senior, Dawn's Toll is drawing near, yet progress on the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll is sluggish. Our Eastern Alliance sincerely invites Senior to join us in this great undertaking!" Martial Lord Shensou said earnestly. Then, shifting his tone, he added, "Senior's descendant, Martial Lord Pangdan, has also been serving in the Eastern Alliance all this time." Martial Lord Shensou was playing the sentimental card. As for the profit card? There was none. The Origin Land was impoverished, devoid of substantial benefits. Most importantly, this matter concerned life and death; no Martial Lord could stand aloof. Otherwise, once Dawn's Toll rang out, the world would sink into eternal silence. "Saving the world with you guys sounds rather interesting," Qi Yuan muttered. "However, saving the world is a job for heroes and Children of Destiny, and it takes up far too much time. I'm very busy; I don't have the time." Hearing Qi Yuan's response, Martial Lord Shensou was taken aback. He had anticipated rejection, but he had never expected the reason to be "too busy to save the world." "Senior, time... can always be squeezed out if you try," Martial Lord Shensou urged. Martial Lord Pangdan could not help but pipe up as well. "...Senior, what are you busy with? The Eastern Alliance can relieve your burdens!" Qi Yuan glanced at Pangdan with an appreciative look. "I want to become a Spirit Realm Martial Lord. Do you have a way?" This task had a much higher priority than saving the world. "I have never heard of such a thing," Martial Lord Pangdan said, frowning. Within the records of the Eastern Alliance, there was no mention of a Spirit Realm Martial Lord. Martial Lord Shensou also furrowed his brows, but then thought of something and said softly, "Though we do not know of the Spirit Realm Martial Lord, the... Wall of Dongjun might know!" "The Wall of Dongjun? What's that?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. "Within the Eastern Alliance stands a wondrous wall left behind by Dongjun. It knows all affairs under heaven and can discern truth from falsehood. Senior, the ancestral blood battle will take place in a short while. Once it concludes, the Wall of Dongjun will manifest. You may then inquire about the Spirit Realm Martial Lord from the wall," Martial Lord Shensou explained seriously. "If Senior is willing, I can recommend Senior as one of the three chief examiners for the ancestral blood contest! The chief examiners possess the right to question the Wall of Dongjun!" Qi Yuan pondered briefly upon hearing this. "Sounds... decent. In that case, I suppose I'll reluctantly serve as a chief examiner." He was looking forward to the Spirit Realm Martial Lord path. The task for the Human Dao Martial Master was nearly finished. Once he completed the Spirit Realm Martial Lord task and broke through to become a Myriad Dao Martial God, this game would be cleared. Martial Lord Shensou beamed with delight. "Congratulations on joining the Eastern Alliance, Senior!" "Oh, let me make this clear beforehand: by joining the Eastern Alliance, I won't be swearing allegiance to Dongjun!" Qi Yuan had come to play a game, not to acknowledge a master. "Naturally! Although our Eastern Alliance was founded by Dongjun, our purpose is to save the world, not to swear loyalty to any individual. If Dongjun ever sought to destroy the world, we would slay him as well!" Martial Lord Shensou quickly assured him. Qi Yuan nodded. "In that case, I'll go have a look at your Eastern Alliance." "Please follow me, Senior," Martial Lord Shensou said. The three swiftly set off toward the Eastern Alliance. Trailing behind them, Martial Lord Pangdan struggled internally. In the end, he gathered his courage and called out softly, "Senior, please hold your steps!" "Oh?" Qi Yuan stopped, a hint of wariness deep in his eyes. "What is it?" Anyone who uttered phrases resembling "Fellow Daoist, please hold your steps" never brought anything good. "May I ask... are you my long-lost... father?" Martial Lord Pangdan stammered, finally asking the question that had puzzled him for years. Within the eyes set in his massive, tens-of-thousands-of-jin body, there was still a trace of childlike innocence. Such was the power of bloodlines. Even a Great Martial Lord would involuntarily display the demeanor of a junior when facing a stronger, more perfect bloodline. Qi Yuan looked at Martial Lord Pangdan, nearly losing his composure. "Don't spread rumors! I only got married recently; I couldn't possibly have a kid as old as you!" His household registry currently contained only three names: himself, Xiao Jia, and Canary. There was certainly no Martial Lord Pangdan. Hearing this, Martial Lord Pangdan was struck by profound disappointment and heartbreak. "I understand." He spoke no further, nursing his sorrow alone. He realized that his mother must have been too ugly, disgusting his father to the point that he refused to acknowledge him. He felt utterly helpless—why had he inherited his mother's looks instead of his father's? *** "Greetings, Ancestor!" "Greetings, Senior!" Aboard a derelict vessel, Mu Yan looked at the ancestor before him, deep respect shining in his eyes. Behind Mu Yan stood several peak Martial Kings who had departed the outpost alongside him. Some bore Martial Lord imprints, while others had pledged allegiance to Mu Yan to help him achieve good results in the ancestral blood contest. Mu Yan gazed at this avatar of his ancestor in awe. It was merely an avatar, yet Mu Yan could sense that if the ancestor wished, a single glance could obliterate everyone present. This was a Martial Lord—the pinnacle dreamed of by all martial artists. "Not bad. Young and promising. In this ancestral blood battle, strive to break into the top thirty. As long as you reach the top thirty and receive the ancestral blood baptism, you will certainly step into the Martial Lord Realm within ten years!" the ancestor's avatar praised. Every peak Martial King bearing a Martial Lord imprint would receive the ancestral blood baptism. However, their performance in the ancestral blood battle determined the depth of that baptism. Those ranked near the bottom might take many years to reach the Martial Lord Realm even with the baptism, and even if they succeeded, their potential would be exhausted, leaving them trapped forever at the First Stage Martial Lord Realm. "Junior will give his all to reach the top thirty!" Mu Yan declared resolutely. "If you make it into the top thirty, I can grant you a small request." This Martial Lord clearly held his descendant in high regard. "Speak, is there anything you need right now?" Excited, Mu Yan thought of something and said, "During our voyage across the Black Sea, we encountered a crisis. A peak Martial King named Qi Yuan saved my life. However, he had a conflict with Zhixian and killed her. Behind Zhixian stands Martial Lord Diemiao. I hope Ancestor can step forward to mediate this grudge." Mu Yan gritted his teeth as he spoke. During the journey across the Black Sea, Qi Yuan had intervened multiple times to defuse perilous situations. In a sense, he truly had saved Mu Yan's life. "Very good. Loyal and righteous, truly a worthy descendant of mine. I shall help with this matter. When the time comes, have him apologize to Martial Lord Diemiao, and the matter will be settled." The Martial Lord seemed to be in a good mood. "Thank you, Ancestor!" Mu Yan was overjoyed. Qi Yuan's life was saved. Then, another thought occurred to him, and he continued, "The Eastern Alliance is currently in dire need of people. Brother Qi possesses the greatest strength and talent among all the Martial Kings I have ever met. Might he have an opportunity to participate in the ancestral blood contest?" He wanted to give Qi Yuan a helping hand so he could take part in the contest as well. Hearing this, jealousy flashed deep within the eyes of the peak Martial Kings behind Mu Yan. Clearly, none of them wanted to see Qi Yuan join the ancestral blood contest. The Martial Lord mused, "Without a Martial Lord imprint, one has no qualification to participate in the ancestral blood contest. A matter like this can only be approved by a chief examiner. Every chief examiner possesses strength on par with a Titled Martial Lord. With my humble status, I cannot make such a decision." Mu Yan felt a twinge of disappointment, but still bowed gratefully. "Junior was presumptuous!"