While Qi Yuan was speaking with Martial Lord Heilu, nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings gathered beneath the Sky-Propping Tower.
These peak Martial Kings hailed from various strongholds, standing quietly together while dispersed into their respective factions.
Because the ancestral blood contest was of paramount importance, no one dared to raise their voice or step out of line.
On the surface, they appeared calm and composed, but inside, excitement surged. Their eyes held varying glints, many burning with raw ambition.
Just then, a serpentine creature spoke in a mechanical voice, "The examiners have arrived. Bow to the examiners!"
At its command, thirty-six thick beams of light and shadow descended from high upon the tower.
Each beam of light and shadow represented a mighty Martial Lord.
These Martial Lords sat high atop the tower, revealing only a wisp of their aura manifested into light and shadow.
The nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings present bowed their heads at once, offering respectful salutes.
"Greetings, Examiners!"
They did not dare look up at these examiners, keeping their heads lowered with utmost prudence.
Even if someone were bold enough to raise their eyes, they would see nothing beyond the faint traces of aura leaking from the Martial Lords.
The light and shadow lingered for only a single breath before vanishing, like gods dwelling high above the clouds.
The serpentine creature spoke once more, "Bow to the Primordial Ancestor!"
All the assembled elites immediately turned south, assuming reverent expressions and bowing solemnly.
The ceremony concluded.
The serpentine creature proclaimed, "Let the ancestral blood contest begin!"
Instantly, an iron gate slowly opened at the base of the tower.
The peak Martial Kings grew thrilled.
"In this ancestral blood contest, I will definitely claim a spot in the top ten!"
"The top thirty will certainly have my name!"
"I, too, shall eventually ascend the throne and become a supreme Martial Lord!"
Some looked up at the Martial Lords atop the tower, their hearts brimming with yearning.
"Mu Yan, in this ancestral blood contest, my ranking will definitely surpass yours!" Just then, a black-robed man stepped in front of Mu Yan, his eyes brimming with overbearing confidence.
Mu Yan glanced at him and gave a relaxed smile. "My goal has never been to surpass you."
Hearing this, the black-robed man's gaze shifted as a memory surfaced. "You really are like that Qi Yuan. Back in the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, he told me the exact same thing.
"Back then, he acted so high and mighty, completely disregarding everyone else as he took the quest objective and did whatever he pleased.
"And what of him now? After entering the Origin Land, he lacked a Martial Lord imprint and could only slink into hiding, not daring to show his face.
"Since you speak just like him, it seems you are headed for the exact same fate."
The black-robed man had met Qi Yuan before.
He had run into Qi Yuan during the previous quest.
He had long heard of Qi Yuan's fame.
While other bloodline practitioners chose to sightsee and wait for Qi Yuan to slaughter the demons and complete the quest, he had been dissatisfied and wanted to challenge Qi Yuan—to show him that he could finish the quest too, and that he was an obstacle Qi Yuan could never surpass.
The outcome had been miserable. Qi Yuan had spoken words almost identical to Mu Yan's, then defeated the black-robed man with effortless ease.
"If he had ancestral blood, you wouldn't even be fit to carry Brother Qi's shoes," Mu Yan sneered.
In truth, his heart also ached for Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan was the most talented martial artist he had ever encountered.
It was safe to say that even if dozens of the Martial Kings on that ship banded together, they likely would not be Qi Yuan's match.
The only tragedy was his lack of ancestral blood.
"After experiencing so much in the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, don't you understand that one's background is also a form of strength?" the black-robed man declared arrogantly.
Possessing a Martial Lord imprint proved that one's ancestor was still alive.
Mu Yan fell silent and argued no further.
High atop the tower, screen-like projections flickered into view, displaying the appearances and conversations of all the peak Martial Kings below.
Martial Lord Heilu wore a smile. "Do any of you see a promising seed?"
One Martial Lord remarked, "Li Fan appears unremarkable at first glance, living up to his ordinary name, but on closer inspection, he shows exceptional promise with the makings of a Great Martial Lord. Quite good indeed."
"I think Zhuge Yu is decent. He looks clever. On the path of martial cultivation, intellect matters just as much as talent and bloodline."
The Martial Lords offered casual assessments.
To them, the juniors below held no secrets whatsoever.
A single casual glance laid everything bare.
Watching the Martial Lords below converse, Martial Lord Heilu turned to Qi Yuan beside him and asked casually, "Brother Qi, who catches your eye?"
"If we're talking about someone promising, that fellow named Mu Yan isn't bad," Qi Yuan remarked offhandedly. "Though don't go opening back doors for him just because I mentioned his name. I only brought him up in passing since I know him somewhat."
He had always followed the rules and valued fairness.
So even if personal sentiment made him mention Mu Yan, he made sure to add that no special treatment should be given.
Qi Yuan felt he was truly a thoughtful and consummate gentleman.
"Oh, him? He truly is dashing and carries himself with an extraordinary demeanor," Martial Lord Heilu praised after glancing at Mu Yan.
The other Martial Lords below also swept their gazes over Mu Yan.
Among them, a burly Martial Lord's eyes flashed with confusion.
Mu Yan was his own bloodline descendant. How could this Lord Qi Yuan know him?
And be familiar with him, no less?
*Wait...*
Suddenly, he recalled the request his descendant had made, and a bolt of lightning seemed to strike his mind.
*No, that can't be. In the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, one cannot break through to Martial Lord without ancestral blood.*
*Furthermore, we Martial Lords cannot leave the Origin Land at all.*
*It must be a shared name, a mere coincidence.*
*Or perhaps that Qi Yuan shares some connection with this great lord.*
The Martial Lord pondered the thought.
He calculated internally that he needed to pour more resources into nurturing Mu Yan to foster good relations with Qi Yuan.
"If there are those I favor, naturally there are those I don't. See that fellow in the black robe? I don't think much of him at all.
"Look how long his legs are, and how his butt swaggers and sways when he walks. Clearly...
"His butt has acrophobia.
"If his butt is afraid of heights, the man naturally can't avoid it either.
"The trial ground is a tall tower, and the higher one goes, the steeper it gets. With such severe acrophobia, he definitely won't achieve good results."
Qi Yuan analyzed the situation earnestly, sounding entirely reasonable, like a meticulous scholar.
"..."
Silence. A heavy silence fell over the gathered Martial Lords.
*His butt has acrophobia?*
*What peak Martial King would be afraid of heights?!*
Senior Qi Yuan's words were utterly baffling.
Still, since he had spoken, there had to be some profound truth behind it.
Martial Lord Heilu gave a light chuckle. "Mr. Qi makes a great deal of sense."
Qi Yuan had just joined the Eastern Alliance and possessed such immense strength; face had to be given.
Since he disapproved of the man and even provided a rationale, Heilu had to take it seriously, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.
"Naturally. I have always been a reasonable person who never shoots without a target. My actions are grounded in practice," Qi Yuan said, giving a shrug.
"Haha," Martial Lord Heilu chuckled politely.
The remaining Martial Lords maintained their silence, none of them sparing a moment of grief for the black-robed man.
Still, being singled out by Qi Yuan meant a wretched outcome was virtually guaranteed.
Just then, Qi Yuan spoke again.
"Does this ancestral blood... have anything to do with the Myriad Demons Realm?"
The native ancestral demons of the Myriad Demons Realm had disappeared without a trace, likely having arrived in this realm.
Hearing the words 'Myriad Demons Realm,' Martial Lord Heilu's expression shifted slightly before he said, "It seems Mr. Qi has lived for a very long time indeed, to even know of the ancestral demons.
"Dongjun's Dao companion was an ancestral demon.
"Or rather, the Lord of Ancestral Demons.
"However, during that ancient calamity, every ancestral demon fell in battle.
"To a certain extent, we can be considered the descendants of the ancestral demons. The source of our bloodline is precisely the ancestral demons."
"I see." Qi Yuan fell silent.
The two ceased their conversation.
The Martial Lords present either watched the battles in the tower, chatted quietly, or closed their eyes to rest.
Had Qi Yuan not descended in person, they would never have bothered coming here in their true bodies just to serve as examiners; a single avatar would have sufficed to go through the motions.
"Sigh, their competition is moving too slowly. When will the Wall of Dongjun appear? I'd like to see what the legendary Dongjun actually looks like," Qi Yuan said lazily.
He was only interested in Dongjun and the Spirit Realm Martial Lord.
"If Brother Qi feels bored, you could enter secluded cultivation here for a spell. By the time you open your eyes, it will likely be over," Martial Lord Heilu said casually.
For Martial Lords like them, entering secluded cultivation for several thousand years was entirely routine.
Of course, because of Dawn's Toll and Dongjun's instructions, they had rarely entered true secluded cultivation over these past few millennia.
"Secluded cultivation is out of the question. I'd rather surf the internet."
With that, Qi Yuan closed his eyes.
Though he was currently in the Origin Land where there was no internet connection, that did not hinder him in the slightest.
He still had his Divine Infant.
His Divine Infant could surf the web for him, and he could receive the information just the same.
***
In the Land of the End, within Qinyuan Kingdom, Wu Qi—who had been preparing to explore a set of ruins—suddenly halted her steps.
"Fellow Daoists, my apologies. Something has come up, so I will not be joining the expedition to the ruins this time."
With those words, Wu Qi's figure dissolved and vanished.
When she reappeared, she was inside a hotel room.
Pulling out a laptop, she published a forum post:
*Seeking advice: How does one build a Netherworld?*
***
Tianxuan Sect Building.
Wang Zhiqi stared wide-eyed at the cat before her, her gaze filled with shock.
"She is... Martial Aunt?"
Xie Tang's eyes crinkled with amusement, the joy on her face lingering. "Yes, I didn't expect it either. She rebooted... into a cat."
Even though the senior sister she had always idolized had turned into a useless feline and could not share the burden of the sect, she was still thrilled to see her long-lost senior sister alive.
"I actually petted Martial Aunt!" Wang Zhiqi murmured, feeling a bit timid. "Martial Aunt won't hold it against me, will she?"
"Of course not! This Meow is generous and won't lower herself to your level!" With Xie Tang's help, Xie Xinsu was already able to speak human words.
Hearing this, Wang Zhiqi breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a relief."
Yet right then, Xie Xinsu cried out, "Meow! This Meow won't hold it against you, but hehe meow, the humiliation endured all these years must be wiped clean! Everything this Meow lost must be reclaimed!"
Xie Xinsu rose onto her two hind legs, standing upright like a human with her front paws struggling to rest on her hips, looking 'overbearingly majestic.'
Over the years, she had not only been forced to shoot short videos, but had also watched plenty of them.
She was quite fond of those dramas about returning home for vengeance.
When the time came, beating her enemies to a pulp and leaving their jaws hanging would surely feel exhilarating!
*See that? The little meow-meow you once humiliated and looked down on is none other than the Eldest Senior Sister of the Tianxuan Sect!*
Xie Xinsu turned to Wang Zhiqi. "You follow the account, so you should know best how much suffering I endured!
"In that house, I suffered endless indignities, forced to shoot videos every day with zero feline rights!
"Worst of all, I only got one day off a week! Not even a two-day weekend!
"Once, this Meow secretly dialed the Labor Bureau, but they completely ignored me!
"This Meow suffered immense grievances!
"Junior Sister, you have to back me up!
"Your senior sister's days of suffering are finally over!"
Wang Zhiqi was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Martial Aunt, actually, Brother Qi Yuan was quite good to you... He took care of you for so many years!"
At the mention of Qi Yuan, the cat's face twisted slightly. "Hmph! He condoned Zero-One bullying me—that is a crime in itself!
"He crossed me, so he's finished! I'll make him... feed me ten bags of cat food a day!"
Wang Zhiqi blinked, then chuckled softly. "That works, that works!"
Xie Tang smiled dotingly.
Though her senior sister seemed a bit foolish now, she was still her senior sister after all.
"Qi Yuan can be forgiven, but the robot Zero-One is beyond pardon! This Meow will make it my slave, shooting videos every day, working nine-to-nine, six days a week, without even a single day off!" Xie Xinsu declared furiously.
Xie Tang said indulgently, "Alright, I'll take you to get revenge right now!"
"Bring more cat food! Sob... this Meow walked over a thousand li to find this place! All that suffering must be repaid onto Zero-One's head!" Xie Xinsu fumed.
"Alright, I will teach them a proper lesson!" Xie Tang agreed.
Of course, since they had raised her senior sister for so many years, she would keep that kindness in mind and refrain from being too harsh.
Still, a small punishment was in order.
After all, her senior sister had suffered for all these years!
Half a day later.
In Jun'an Community, the figures of two women and a cat appeared.
Xie Xinsu looked excited. "Hmph, hahaha, this Meow has returned!
"See that dog over there? Last time this Meow broke out of prison, it dared to bully me by letting out a massive, stinky fart right in my face!"
Spotting a pet dog, Xie Xinsu grew quite agitated.
Taking advantage of the robot Zero-One's absence, she had escaped her cage, only to be bullied by that dog the moment she left the residential complex.
Seeing this, Xie Tang smiled helplessly. "Zhiqi, I leave it to you."
"Understood, Master." Wang Zhiqi stepped away, though before leaving, she whispered, "Master, Brother Qi Yuan is really a good person. Don't be too rough."
"Mm." Xie Tang nodded. "I am a reasonable person."
With that, she carried Xie Xinsu and walked toward Qi Yuan's apartment.
"Junior Sister, that robot is truly vile! Once we lock her up, don't charge her battery! Starve her for a few days until she gets on her knees to beg this Meow, and only then will this Meow show mercy!" Xie Xinsu chirped excitedly.
"Sure, no problem," Xie Tang replied.
Soon, she arrived outside Qi Yuan's door.
A look of surprise flashed across her eyes. "No one is home?"
She sensed no living aura within.
Meanwhile, Xie Xinsu was already laughing smugly. "Open up! Open up quickly! Your Queen has returned!"
As she spoke, her paws beat continuously against the door.
Just then, the tightly closed door swung open.
A robot's face emerged. Looking at Xie Xinsu, a human-like smile appeared on its mechanical face. "Little cat, you've finally come home.
"Mm, there are still three hundred videos waiting to be filmed. You'll just have to work hard these next few days and shoot them all."
Hearing that familiar, cruel voice, Xie Xinsu erupted in fury. "See that, Junior Sister?! This robot Zero-One doesn't have a shred of conscience! It actually wants me to keep filming videos!
"Junior Sister, hurry and help me take it down! It's the one who should be filming all these videos!
"Junior Sister, why aren't you saying anything?
"Hurry up and attack!"
Meanwhile, Xie Tang's eyes went wide, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Staring at the robot Zero-One, she gasped in shock, "Se... Senior..."
She instantly remembered that previous expedition and the terrifyingly powerful senior.
It was at least at the Yin God realm!
"Junior Sister, what's wrong with you? Why are you calling this detestable robot 'Senior'?" Xie Xinsu asked in confusion.
Xie Tang gritted her teeth, her star-shaped eyebrows twitching. "Senior Sister... it might be the servant of a god."
"Impossible! How could that be!" Xie Xinsu's worldview crumbled.
How could Zero-One be the servant of a god?
Her master was a god? How was that possible?
"Come, it's time to shoot videos. Our account hasn't been updated in a long time. If we don't start earning money soon, your cat food will be cut off." Zero-One reached out and scooped Xie Xinsu up.
Xie Tang did not dare resist in the slightest.
Moreover, she had an intuitive feeling that even if she fought back, she likely would be no match for this robot.
"Se... Senior, this is my senior sister..." Xie Tang forced herself to say through gritted teeth.
"It's fine. Master has always been kindhearted. He won't harm it, just have it shoot videos.
"Look how obedient and well-behaved it is in the videos. It clearly enjoys it quite a bit."
"No! Junior Sister, sob... meow! Save me!"
Xie Xinsu wailed, but she could not break free at all.
Right at that moment, an immense sound suddenly reverberated across the sky.
Xie Tang could not help but look up, and Zero-One raised its head as well, its mechanical eyes calm.
High in the firmament, countless tiny fireworks seemed to detonate across the sky.
"What is happening?" An ominous premonition arose in Xie Tang's heart.
"The Eye of the Sky... has been destroyed," Zero-One replied calmly.
Chapter 367