Clad in a blood-red robe, he stepped upon the bridge formed by Emperors Shu and Hu, moving against the flow of time back toward the Origin Land.
Traversing space and time, crossing the Black Sea, journeying against the river of years.
Qi Yuan closed his eyes, sensing the scouring wash of time.
This time, with no one to chat with, he could focus intently on grasping the power of space and time, just as he had once meditated upon the Gate of Myriad Manifestations.
"This Black Sea... it doesn't have an owner, does it?"
"It looks somewhat like my River of Forgetfulness."
"Hey, Black Sea, you look like you're fated with me!"
Qi Yuan called out softly toward the dark waters.
His figure moved against time, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
Across countless Mountains and Seas Picture Scrolls, figures stirred with premonition, one by one lifting their heads to look at the vault of heaven.
They saw nothing, yet within their field of vision, it felt as though a streak of crimson had flickered past.
"Is that him?" Long-dormant memories swept through a one-eyed man, making his frame tremble. The image of that man who had reigned supreme beneath the heavens and swept away legions of foes surfaced in his mind.
Aboard a skiff, Lüzhu's pupils shrank abruptly. "Master?"
The sword in her hand hummed. After a brief flare of joy and loneliness came endless melancholy.
Complex emotion also surfaced in Wang Yuanyu's eyes. "Could it be Mister?"
She remembered that Mister had even promised to bring her stockings.
Within the various Mountains and Seas Picture Scrolls, across every world Qi Yuan had ever traversed, distant memories awakened in certain powerhouses.
They remembered that peerless, invincible man.
By then, Qi Yuan had finally traveled back across the Black Sea and returned to the Origin Land.
Stepping down from the bridge, he wore an inscrutable expression as he looked back at the Black Sea.
"You meditated on the Black Sea, and you gained absolutely nothing."
He tried to play the role of a system notification, but failed to pull it off.
The Black Sea was far harder to comprehend than the Gate of Myriad Manifestations.
One glance at that gate had yielded insights.
"Emperors Shu and Hu, you may return. When I have need of you, come again."
Qi Yuan spoke softly, looking at the two emperors in the Black Sea.
At the same time, he pondered whether Emperors Shu and Hu could work in the Netherworld in the future, serving as the Naihe Bridge.
"Our Lord's command is our greatest honor!"
Emperors Shu and Hu spoke in unison.
Just then, Qi Yuan's figure flashed.
When he reappeared, he arrived atop the high tower of the ancestral blood contest.
Unlike before he left, a dense crowd of Martial Lords now stood atop the tower summit.
Looking across the expanse, there were nearly ten thousand of them.
The moment Qi Yuan appeared, these incomparably powerful Martial Lords lowered their noble heads one after another.
Those without heads bent at the waist.
"Greetings, Martial God!"
Awe and reverence filled the eyes of nearly ten thousand Martial Lords.
Crossing the Black Sea, blotting out the sky with a single hand, devouring a great sun—these were feats no Martial Lord could achieve. This was a Martial God!
Only a Martial God could explain it!
Martial Lord Pangdan trembled all over—or rather, shivered with ecstatic joy.
His ancestor was actually the legendary Martial God.
In that moment, hope also surfaced in the eyes of Martial Lord Heilu and the other Titled Martial Lords.
It seemed there was truly hope for this Dawn's Toll!
Qi Yuan looked upon these Martial Lords, his expression calm. A thought occurred to him, and he murmured softly, "At a time like this, would it be appropriate for me to smirk with a crooked mouth?"
This scene reminded him of those web novel dramas.
The useless live-in son-in-law had just been slapped across the face when ten thousand men in suits suddenly appeared, kneeling on the ground.
"Welcome back, Dragon King!"
How remarkably similar!
As he spoke, he flashed a crooked smirk.
The Martial Lords exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend it.
Qi Yuan felt a touch of disappointment.
None of these Martial Lords understood his meme.
Shouldn't someone have shouted, "His mouth is going crooked! Tear it off, quick!"?
He waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not a Martial God yet, just a Martial Lord. Don't go shouting nonsense."
Qi Yuan had never liked posing as a powerhouse.
He preferred seeking truth from facts and treating others with sincerity.
Hearing this, boundless confusion surged within the gathered Martial Lords.
*Hey, is there really any need to be this humble?*
*If you're just a Martial Lord, what does that make us?*
Above all, the sight of Qi Yuan swallowing a star whole was simply too terrifying.
In fact... if Qi Yuan was willing, did that mean he could swallow the entire Origin Land into his belly as well?
With that, Qi Yuan strolled back to his throne.
"Everyone, just head back to your own places. The ancestral blood contest is still going on," Qi Yuan said. "With so many people gathered here, someone might think we're assembling an unlawful mob for a brawl or an orgy. It looks bad."
He had terrible social anxiety.
Facing so many old men and old women made him rather embarrassed.
Only in front of his white moonlight could he shed this awkwardness and be more enthusiastic.
"The ancestral blood contest is drawing to a close, and the Wall of Dongjun will soon appear. We... shall accompany the Heavenly Venerable to behold the Wall of Dongjun," a Titled Martial Lord said.
The title of 'Heavenly Venerable' was something he had picked up from the old man of the Upper Realm.
At the mention of Dongjun, both reverence and fanaticism surged in the eyes of these Martial Lords.
This look was very similar to the way they looked at Qi Yuan, yet not entirely the same.
"Fine," Qi Yuan replied offhandedly, saying no more.
Right now, what he was most anxious to ask about was what exactly a Spirit Realm Martial Lord was.
Once he became a Spirit Realm Martial Lord and a Human Dao Martial Master, he planned to make his breakthrough into the realm of the Myriad Dao Martial God.
...
Time ticked away, second by second. As though the world had activated a fast-forward button, the ancestral blood contest accelerated noticeably.
Within the high tower.
Mu Yan was covered in blood. Glaring at the horrifying monster before him, he roared fiercely, channeling his blood-martial power forward with reckless abandon.
"Die!"
He had to secure a spot in the top thirty.
Only by reaching the top thirty would his ancestor agree to his plea and intercede on Qi Yuan's behalf.
In the Origin Land, that would grant Qi Yuan an extra lifeline.
"Perish!" Mu Yan slashed down with his blade.
A strike of such power was enough to sever rivers and displace mountains.
The monstrous beast before him was naturally slain by his strike.
Having dispatched the monster, Mu Yan panted heavily, a flicker of hesitation welling in the depths of his eyes.
"Next, I'll have to face ten monsters. As long as I defeat them, I'll enter the top thirty!"
A single beast was already this difficult to handle. Ten of them...
He gritted his teeth, his gaze turning resolute.
Gripping his saber, he looked ahead.
Yet right at that moment, his pupils suddenly constricted.
"Three... hundred?"
Before him, a horde of hill-sized monsters charged his way.
Crushed tightly together, they jostled to reach him first.
Worst of all, there were fully three hundred of them!
Killing one hundred was enough to take first place.
What in the world was this three hundred?
Was he being targeted?
That was the only possible explanation.
Otherwise, why would he suddenly encounter three hundred enemies?
*No, I can't back down. If I do... I'll definitely end up dead last!*
Mu Yan thought to himself.
What he did not know was that on a certain floor of the high tower, a man in a black robe was perched atop a bamboo pole, looking utterly helpless.
"I clearly wasn't afraid of heights at all... Sob... Why don't I dare move?!"
On the other side, Mu Yan raised his long saber and charged recklessly toward the three hundred monsters.
Even if he had to make an exit, he would do so with flair.
"All of you... fucking... DIE!"
His slash came crashing down with immense power, carrying the momentum to cleave stars!
*Crack! Boom!*
Mu Yan blinked, momentarily dazed.
The expected struggle did not happen.
The three hundred monsters before him were like paper cutouts, shattering completely into piles of minced meat.
He blinked again. "An illusion? Was it all fake?"
He felt utterly bewildered, doubting his own eyes.
Did he just wipe out so many powerful monsters with a single strike?
Was this real or fake?
Right then, a gentle voice abruptly sounded.
"What a breathtaking strike, slaying three hundred fiends with a single blow.
"Child, you have reached the very pinnacle of the Martial King realm. In this ancestral blood battle, you deserve to be the champion!"
"What?" Mu Yan held his saber, completely stunned. Looking at the phantom of the Martial Lord before him, he suspected everything was an illusion.
"As expected of my bloodline, a truly undisputed number-one Martial King!" A hearty, cheerful voice rang out as the physical form of a Martial Lord manifested beside Mu Yan.
That Martial Lord looked at Mu Yan, his eyes brimming with admiration and fondness.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Mu Yan's expression tightened, and he immediately bowed. "Greetings, Ancestor!"
This Martial Lord was none other than his bloodline progenitor, a Great Martial Lord.
At this moment, profound confusion filled Mu Yan's heart.
Why was his ancestor suddenly showing him such overwhelming warmth?
"No need for formalities. Winning first place in this ancestral blood contest is truly cause for celebration," the Great Martial Lord praised, his own heart stirring with excitement.
By now, he had concluded that the Qi Yuan mentioned by this bloodline descendant was none other than Lord Martial God Qi Yuan.
Otherwise, why would the Lord Martial God bring up Mu Yan and express such high regard for him?
Besides, even if it were a coincidence...
A Martial God had claimed to think highly of Mu Yan. If Mu Yan failed to take first place, wouldn't that be slapping the Martial God's face and implying his judgment was poor?
Therefore, at this very moment, the champion of the ancestral blood contest could only be Mu Yan!
Hearing his ancestor's congratulations, Mu Yan still felt as though he were dreaming, unable to wrap his mind around it.
"Since you've seized first place, go receive the ancestral blood baptism, advance rapidly to become a Martial Lord, and join our Eastern Alliance!" the Great Martial Lord urged.
Hearing this, Mu Yan began to accept reality.
Excitement surged through him.
Could it be that he truly was a one-in-a-million genius?
In that desperate situation just now, had he unleashed a strike that transcended his realm to slaughter all three hundred monsters in one blow?
At that thought, he grew ecstatic.
As expected, he truly was the protagonist of this world, a Child of Destiny destined for endless miraculous encounters.
Remembering something, Mu Yan hurriedly spoke up: "Ancestor, now that I have entered the top thirty, could you perhaps..."
He was still worried about Qi Yuan.
"You need not worry about those matters," the Great Martial Lord replied, shooting Mu Yan an approving look.
Mu Yan's heart raced with excitement, feeling as though his life had just activated cheats.
Still, he needed to hurry through the ancestral blood baptism and become a Martial Lord.
After all, having his ancestor look out for Qi Yuan was merely a favor, and oversights were always possible.
Only after becoming a Martial Lord himself could he truly guarantee Qi Yuan's safety.
Filled with excitement, Mu Yan departed to undergo the ancestral blood baptism.
Meanwhile, atop the peak of the high tower, Qi Yuan let out a yawn.
"The ancestral blood contest is finally over."
Martial Lord Heilu hurriedly said, "The Heavenly Venerable truly has keen insight. Mu Yan took first place!"
"Oh, did he? Not bad." Qi Yuan hadn't watched the ancestral blood contest at all, spending the entire time resting with his eyes closed or occasionally chatting with that netizen about constructing the Netherworld.
It had to be said, that netizen was genuinely a good Samaritan.
He had directly prepared seven PowerPoint presentations for Qi Yuan as blueprint proposals for the Netherworld.
Such enthusiastic netizens were rare to find.
At the time, the netizen had even asked whether, once the Netherworld was built, he could join as a minor lackey.
Without a second thought, Qi Yuan had agreed.
"Since it's over, shouldn't the Wall of Dongjun be brought out now?" Qi Yuan asked softly, looking at the Eastern Alliance Martial Lords before him.
"Yes!" Martial Lord Heilu hurriedly answered. "May the Heavenly Venerable please wait a brief moment."
Several Titled Martial Lords of the Eastern Alliance stepped forward.
Surging blood-martial qi billowed forth, and in that instant, an ancient aura stirred within the high tower.
Qi Yuan sat upon his throne, a look of curiosity on his face.
Ahead on the tower, a patch of crimson appeared upon a wall.
As though stained by a single drop of blood, the entire surface of the wall turned blood-red at that moment.
Right then, a string of information reflected into Qi Yuan's eyes.
[Wall of Dongjun, bearing a single drop of Dongjun's blood.]
"Heavenly Venerable, this is the Wall of Dongjun!" Martial Lord Heilu said with bowed head.
At that moment, the ten thousand Martial Lords of the Eastern Alliance turned their gazes toward the Wall of Dongjun, their expressions filled with reverence.
"Dongjun is currently resisting the Great Tribulation all alone. Only a single drop of blood remains outside, preserved upon the Wall of Dongjun to communicate with us," a Titled Martial Lord said, complex emotion in his eyes.
That complexity contained self-reproach as well as unwillingness.
He blamed himself for being powerless to aid Dongjun.
"Through the Wall of Dongjun, one can glimpse a corner of the Great Tribulation. We do not know how much longer Dongjun can hold out," Martial Lord Heilu said worriedly.
With a wave of his broad hand, an opening like a window seemed to appear upon the Wall of Dongjun.
Through this window, a scene materialized. Horrific shrieks and roars echoed out, making souls shudder.
Qi Yuan looked over as well, and countless images flooded his vision.
They were threads of light, multicolored and dazzling, spanning every imaginable hue—not limited merely to colors visible to the human eye.
Upon every single thread of light, it felt as though the greatest evils in the world had taken shape, turning into horrifying beasts that gnawed at space and devoured all things in creation.
Within the monstrous maws, all manner of laws and rules were pulverized, turning into part of the vibrant colors of the light threads.
The entire world was split between two sides: on one side was a gigantic ball of yarn, with countless threads of light sprawling and tangling; on the other was... a figure seen from behind.
A man clad in a white robe, whose face and appearance could not be clearly discerned.
He stood in the void, as though holding up this entire world.
Even the countless threads of light and riotous colors were unable to swallow him.
[Root Demon, an eerie creature that subsists on devouring all creation. The conditions for its birth are exceptionally harsh.]
As he looked upon the light threads of that yarn ball, crucial information was transmitted into Qi Yuan's eyes.
"These monsters are growing more numerous by the day. As Dawn's Toll draws nearer, if we fail to restart the world and revive Dongjun's Dao companion, I fear Dongjun will hardly be able to hold out on his own!" Martial Lord Heilu said, fraught with anxiety.
Compared to the scene they had witnessed last time, the situation had grown even more perilous.
As he spoke, he glanced toward Qi Yuan.
If Dongjun's Dao companion could be revived, and with the aid of this Heavenly Venerable, perhaps there was truly a chance of surviving the Great Tribulation.
Qi Yuan, on the other hand, wore a look of curiosity. "These Root Demons seem to represent all the emotions of the world—jealousy, greed, stubbornness... They're somewhat similar to my origin divine ability."
His origin divine ability was Virtual Realm Sovereign: Inner Demon's Beckoning.
For some reason, Qi Yuan felt as though he shared a common origin with these Root Demons.
Or rather, he had no fear whatsoever of the Root Demon that was suppressing Dongjun.
All things under heaven and earth counter and generate one another; this was perfectly normal.
"The Heavenly Venerable's origin divine ability is... similar to these negative emotions?" Martial Lord Heilu gave Qi Yuan an extra look, feeling somewhat alarmed.
After all, that didn't sound like the trait of a righteous person.
"How are these negative emotions? This is clearly positive energy!
"Jealousy? In a certain sense, jealousy drives people to improve and inspires ambition.
"Lust? For the Heavenly Dao of a world, naturally the more living beings there are, the better. Lust encourages reproduction, yielding more chives to harvest!
"Arrogance? Is that not a form of proud aloofness, an unyielding backbone that drives martial artists to strive ceaselessly?"
"..."
Martial Lord Heilu fell silent. He felt there was a tiny sliver of truth to it, but not much.
The other Martial Lords looked at Qi Yuan with bizarre expressions. Even if they disagreed with his reasoning, none dared argue with him.
At that moment, Qi Yuan turned his gaze toward the figure resisting the Root Demon.
[Phantom of Dongjun, Holy Light Clan.]
Chapter 373