Once You Meet Dongjun, You Will Understand

Within the Eastern Alliance, Qi Yuan touched down. Several Titled Martial Lords stepped forward to greet him at once. "Your willingness to join our Eastern Alliance is truly our great honor." At their head was an elder with flowing white hair and several deer antlers growing from his scalp, carrying an air of transcendent refinement. Before escorting Qi Yuan back, Martial Lord Shensou had already sent word about him. This stronghold of the Eastern Alliance housed a full three Titled Martial Lords and over a hundred Martial Lords. The other Martial Lords were weaker and stood farther back: Great Martial Lords in front and ordinary Martial Lords in the rear, not even qualified to step forward and greet Qi Yuan. These ordinary Martial Lords gazed at Qi Yuan with awe and yearning envy. "Might I ask your esteemed name? This old man goes by Heilu," the elder said. Qi Yuan glanced at him and said flatly, "Qi Yuan." "Ah, so it is Martial Lord Qi Yuan!" Martial Lord Heilu replied cordially. Right then, among the crowd of Martial Lords, one sent a voice transmission: "Diemiao, this venerable figure shares the exact same name as the person you're looking for. Could it be him? Heh heh, want to go up and ask?" "Piss off! The one I'm looking for is a measly Martial King. How could he possibly be a Titled Martial Lord? Quit talking nonsense!" "Just a joke, don't get mad. But if the Qi Yuan you're hunting really turns out to be this venerable one, what will you do?" "What else could I do? I'd just sever that portion of bloodline entirely." The two exchanged words through voice transmission. Martial Lord Heilu looked at Qi Yuan. "I have heard that Mister Qi Yuan has been searching for information regarding the Spirit Realm Martial Lord. The Eastern Alliance's Library Pavilion encompasses all the books under heaven and records many secrets of the world. Would Mister Qi care to take a look inside and see if there are any records concerning the Spirit Realm Martial Lord that you require?" Martial Lord Heilu continued to extend goodwill. "No need, there's nothing in there," Qi Yuan said with a yawn. Old Geezer Shenlei and the others had already scoured the Eastern Alliance's Library Pavilion from top to bottom. It held all sorts of secrets, but nothing about the Spirit Realm Martial Lord. Martial Lord Heilu was slightly startled, then smiled. "Mister Qi seems quite familiar with our Eastern Alliance's Library Pavilion." "Yeah, I have people. They already flipped through the entire Library Pavilion and found nothing." Martial Lord Heilu couldn't help glancing at Martial Lord Pangdan with a meaningful look. Seeing this, Martial Lord Pangdan was a bit bewildered. What was that look supposed to mean? Qi Yuan ignored these subtle interactions and asked, "Can I consult the Wall of Dongjun ahead of time?" "My apologies. It is not that we are unwilling, but truly that we cannot. The Wall of Dongjun may only be seen once the ancestral blood battle concludes." Martial Lord Heilu wore a troubled expression. Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt a bit disappointed. "By the way, what kind of person is Dongjun? Have you seen him?" At the mention of Dongjun, many Martial Lords present displayed looks of reverence. "Back then, black crows filled the skies, and the world was on the verge of ruin. Dongjun stepped forward, standing alone against the calamity to turn the tide, winning a slim glimmer of survival for us in the depths of despair. Dongjun is a true gentleman, a saint the likes of which this world has never seen!" Reverence and admiration brimmed in Martial Lord Heilu's eyes as well. This admiration was impossible to fake. "I heard Dongjun had a lover?" Qi Yuan pursued. He wondered whether the male and female leads in the murals were Dongjun and his lover. "Dongjun possesses not only great righteousness and boundless love, but is also a profoundly devoted romantic. Dongjun was not originally from this realm; his lover was born here, which was why he came. When the catastrophe descended back then, his lover perished. He could have departed this world, free of all entanglement and karmic ties. Yet to protect his lover's world, he chose to stay behind, standing alone against the calamity. If not for Dongjun, we would have fallen and perished long ago, scattered like dust across the river of history," Martial Lord Heilu said, his voice tinged with melancholy. A female Titled Martial Lord beside him remarked, "Had it been me, I know I could never have done that. I would likely have just taken the corpse and fled far from the vortex." Martial Lord Heilu nodded. "Over these years, Dongjun has not only resisted the calamity alone, but also used the Mountain and River Sheji Brush to create the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, all to revive his Dao companion. Once his Dao companion is revived, the two of them joined together will be able to confront the Great Tribulation!" "Oh? How does that revival work? It's urgent," Qi Yuan said, thoroughly intrigued. He was currently trying to achieve the Purple Mansion Realm. He had the purple qi, but he still lacked the Netherworld. As for how to revive someone, he hadn't the slightest clue. "The spirit of Dongjun's Dao companion is scattered within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll. The Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll is the key to reviving Dongjun's Dao companion, as well as the key to reshaping the world. Time and again, we reenact past history, gradually awakening the memories of Dongjun's Dao companion—or rather, reshaping those past memories. But Dongjun's Dao companion was too powerful; no living being within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll could bear it. Thus, the spirit of Dongjun's Dao companion was divided into many portions. Each portion awakens past memories and retraces the path of old. Ultimately, before Dawn's Toll begins, the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll and the Land of the End will collide. When all the spirits merge into one, Dongjun's Dao companion will awaken. And the restarted history within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll will replace the history of the Land of the End. This world's history will be altered, and those who died in the past will be revived as well." Martial Lord Heilu explained at length. It was rather complex. According to him, Dongjun's plan had two parts: one was to revive his Dao companion, and the other was to let those who had fallen in the past revive and reenact their lives within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll until they truly returned to life. By merging the history of the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, it would replace the world's predetermined course toward destruction. "Oh, so it's turning fiction into reality, sort of like cloning? With implanted memories?" Qi Yuan summarized. Put simply, clone a bunch of people, have them act out a TV drama, and once they obtained the original memories, they would believe they were the people they played. "In that case... won't the living beings of the Land of the End be wiped out?" Qi Yuan asked. "When Dawn's Toll sounds, this realm will fall into true stillness. They cannot escape it either," Martial Lord Heilu said. The female Martial Lord sighed, "If one could meet a man like Dongjun, this life would have no regrets." A male Martial Lord lamented, "Watching over an entire world and planning for ten thousand years just to revive his lover... such devotion truly tugs at the heartstrings." The other Martial Lords shared the same sentiment. If placed in Dongjun's shoes, they could hardly imagine matching what he had done. "Indeed, truly touching. One should be buried at the North Pole and the other at the South Pole," Qi Yuan quipped offhandedly. "What does that mean?" Martial Lord Heilu asked, perplexed. "Nothing." Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to explain. "Mister Qi Yuan, please! The Eastern Alliance has prepared a welcome banquet in your honor!" Martial Lord Heilu emerged from his reminiscence and returned to business. "Lead the way." Qi Yuan didn't refuse. ... One day later. Qi Yuan opened his eyes, a rare look of confusion flickering in his gaze. "Too hard. It's way too hard. Establishing a Netherworld is harder than advanced calculus." After hearing about how Dongjun used the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll to revive his Dao companion, Qi Yuan had wondered whether he could borrow some ideas to forge his Netherworld. Yet no matter how he deduced it, the result he reached was... fake. What was created was, in the words of anime, merely two similar flowers. "It seems I'm still too weak. Not to mention turning fiction into reality, I can't even achieve true revival. Could it be that I can only build a budget Netherworld?" Qi Yuan felt a bit gloomy. He was already a Divine Infant True Monarch living in a single-story house. How embarrassing would it be if he built a budget Netherworld? His junior sister Jiang Lingsu would probably look down on him. "Looks like I'll have to shake down this game." Back when the Liufeng Realm was still the Mortal Heart Realm, Qi Yuan had frequently extorted the Heavenly Dao, reaping abundant rewards. He looked up at the sky, growing dejected once more. "This bullshit world doesn't have a Heavenly Dao!" Without a Heavenly Dao, how could he shake it down? As for replacing it? Forget it, he had no interest in that. "Still, when I have time, I can discuss it with my daughter. She visualized Houtu, so she ought to know a great deal about the Netherworld," Qi Yuan thought to himself. "Lord Deity!" Just then, a voice called out. A headless, burly figure appeared, standing beside Qi Yuan. Though he was doing his utmost to suppress it, Qi Yuan could still sense that surging, powerful battle will. Without suppression, if that battle will were allowed to roil unchecked, the living beings across the entire Origin Land would likely explode and die. Such was the immense might of a Yang God. It could be said that every single one of Qi Yuan's current Divine Infants possessed the strength to swallow the Origin Land whole. Yet before Qi Yuan, they remained thoroughly deferential, just as they had been back in Qingshui Village. "Great Venerable Lingzhong, you're here. How did your discussion go?" Qi Yuan looked at the headless Ancient God. Great Venerable Lingzhong had lived for an extraordinarily long time. He had fought in the Hongtang Great War and had even met the Holy Mother of Inedia. Later on, he had given Qi Yuan the "fish" left behind for him by the Holy Mother of Inedia, enabling Qi Yuan to acquire the Devouring Primordial Physique. The visualization method he received was that of Xingtian, the God of War, representing boundless battle will and unyielding resolve. Though Qi Yuan had arrived in the Origin Land, he still wanted to be able to return to the Land of the End at any time. He had assigned them to handle this matter. What Qi Yuan was asking now was how he could travel back if he wished to return to the Land of the End. "Emperors Shu and Hu stated that they can transform their physical bodies into a bridge spanning the Black Sea, bridging past and future. Should my Lord require it, the two of them can carry my Lord across at any moment," Xingtian said. Emperors Shu and Hu were also formidable Ancient Gods within Qi Yuan's visualization methods. The two were respectively the Emperor of the South Sea and the Emperor of the North Sea. They had existed before Pangu opened the heavens. In Qi Yuan's memory, Emperors Shu and Hu were close friends with Hundun. Hundun had neither shape nor form nor orifices, existing as an undivided whole. Emperors Shu and Hu enjoyed Hundun's company greatly and sought to chisel seven apertures into Hundun. They chiseled one aperture a day, and on the seventh day, Hundun died. Emperors Shu and Hu commanded powers akin to time and space. In this peculiar game, transforming their bodies into a bridge allowed them to traverse between past and future. Naturally, this had to do with the game's setting. A strong link existed between the Origin Land and the Land of the End. Of course, if Emperors Shu and Hu cultivated to the realm Qi Yuan had envisioned, they would likely not be confined to this world at all. "Not bad, not bad! Blue Star truly produces talent after talent!" Qi Yuan said with excitement. "When I need them, I will call upon them. Alright, you may withdraw. Tell the others to cultivate diligently and increase their strength. There might be... a tough battle ahead." "Understood." Lingzhong "bowed his head" in acknowledgment, and his figure faded away. Qi Yuan was left alone in the hall. About an hour later, a voice rang out, reverberating across the hall. "Brother Qi Yuan, the ancestral blood battle has begun. Please grace us with your presence." "Alright." With that, Qi Yuan flashed away, reappearing atop a towering spire. The spire reached thirty thousand zhang high. At its summit lay a circular platform roughly the size of a city. The structures below the spire were the trial grounds for the ancestral blood contest. Now, thirty-six thrones had appeared upon the platform. The thrones were forged of unknown materials and seemed stained with dried blood. Over thirty Martial Lords took their seats. Mysterious mists swirled around each Martial Lord, concealing their features. Three thrones stood at the highest elevation, far grander, projecting high into the clouds. Heilu sat at the center, Qi Yuan sat on the left, and a female Martial Lord sat on the right. Seated upon their thrones, a layer of mysterious mist also shrouded the three of them, preventing onlookers from seeing them clearly. "Now that all Martial Lords have gathered, let us sit back and observe this ancestral blood contest to see if there are any promising seeds worthy of nurturing. If one catches your eye, taking them as a disciple would be fine as well," Martial Lord Heilu said with a chuckle. "This old man glanced over them; there are no good prospects. Without deliberate grooming, given their aptitudes, not a single one could reach the Great Martial Lord realm," an old man muttered contemptuously. "The current generations are becoming more and more hopeless." "That is unavoidable," another Martial Lord sighed. "When the catastrophe struck, our bloodlines fractured. Without the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, given how thin their bloodlines are, reaching the Martial Spirit realm at most would already be hitting their ceiling." "Indeed, they cannot be blamed." "If the world cannot be restarted, all of us will perish, and bloodline descendants will be an impossible luxury." "We must fulfill Dongjun's entrustment! Otherwise... we won't have another chance!" "Yes, Dongjun is our only hope!" The voices of the Martial Lords below grew resolute. It was as though Dongjun were their steadfast faith. Qi Yuan's expression remained calm as he glanced at Martial Lord Heilu. "You all seem to trust and revere Dongjun quite a lot." A trace of respect and deep emotion surfaced in Heilu's eyes. "If you had met Dongjun, you would be just like us. He is the person most worthy of trust and reliance I have ever known. He is also this world's sole remaining hope. Had he not appeared, the Origin Land would have vanished long ago. Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, Land of the End—all would be mere illusions, and we would have been dry bones in a tomb long ago. No, not even a tomb or a bone would remain. That is why all of us old fogies, those youngsters below, and every living soul still drawing breath in this world owe a debt of gratitude to Dongjun." "Dongjun's kindness cannot be repaid in a lifetime," Qi Yuan remarked with a smile. Heilu's expression turned stern. "Mister Qi, one must not make light of Dongjun! Once you meet Dongjun—or rather, when the Wall of Dongjun opens and you hear Dongjun's voice—you will understand what kind of man he is. Truth be told, in the beginning, when others praised Dongjun to the high heavens, I did not believe it either. How could such a person exist in this world? But when I saw Dongjun, I felt utterly ashamed of my own inadequacy. I was wrong, and I felt deep remorse for my narrow-mindedness." Interesting, truly interesting. I really want to see this Dongjun right now and see what his character profile is actually like, Qi Yuan thought, a glimmer of curiosity rising within him. These people were fanatical about Dongjun. Yet Qi Yuan could tell their minds were not being manipulated; this fanaticism was entirely spontaneous.