The atmosphere on the field turned somewhat solemn and deathly quiet—so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
"Jie-jie-jie... Sorry, wrong line. Let me start over... *Cough, cough*."
Qi Yuan let out an awkward chuckle.
He was utterly speechless. He really wanted to pry open Old Geezer Shenlei's skull and see what was sloshing around inside.
What virtue or capability did he possess? How could he, Qi Yuan, a frail, helpless little Divine Infant cultivator, ever be mentioned in the same breath as an omniscient, omnipotent god?
"Everyone, this is a misunderstanding. Old Geezer Shenlei is a close, personal friend of mine. I saved his life, so it's only natural that he trusts me."
The Martial Lords stared at Qi Yuan, disbelief filling their eyes.
Among them, Martial Lord Heilu wore a chilling look.
"It seems to me that Heavenly Venerable is the one who brainwashed him. If even an omniscient, omnipotent god cannot accomplish it, why would you be able to?"
Many of the Martial Lords stepped forward in agreement.
"Does saving a life give one the right to disregard the facts?"
Hearing this, Qi Yuan nearly lost his composure.
"Hey, aren't you guys having a bit of a double standard here? If Dongjun can accomplish things that an omniscient, omnipotent god can't, why can't I?"
Qi Yuan was deeply dissatisfied.
Granted, he truly was inferior to an omniscient and omnipotent god.
Yet this Dongjun didn't look like an omniscient, omnipotent god either.
Why on earth would he be inferior to Dongjun?
Qi Yuan's words momentarily stunned the Martial Lords present.
Soon, however, a female Titled Martial Lord spoke up. "Heavenly Venerable, your strength is formidable indeed. But Dongjun... is a unique existence. Only by following his directives can we save this world."
The rest of the Martial Lords chimed in one after another.
"Heavenly Venerable, you are powerful, and you can force us to bow our heads, but you cannot change our minds!"
These people stood firmly by Dongjun's side.
If it were anyone else, they might have lost their temper long ago.
Qi Yuan's expression, however, remained calm.
"What if Dongjun's actions aren't meant to save the world? What would you do then?" Qi Yuan asked with keen interest.
He was reminded of the Ultimate Truths spoken of by True Monarch Dazhi.
Could it be that Dongjun's verbal charisma was itself a type of Ultimate Truth?
"That is utterly impossible!"
"Dongjun never lies! Even if he does this, it is only to better save the world!"
The crowd of Martial Lords shouted ceaselessly, their emotions running high.
Even Martial Lord Heilu, once an amiable and gentle old man who had treated Qi Yuan with great respect, now looked like an entirely different person.
It was as if these people were completely brainwashed.
In fact, it was worse than the fanatical zealots of an evil cult.
There was no reasoning with them.
The only thing left was...
Qi Yuan shrugged and spoke languidly, "Whatever Dongjun says has nothing to do with me. However, until I become a Myriad Dao Martial God, I will not allow the worlds to merge. Furthermore, this world... I'm covering it for now!"
His game quest was far more important than this Dongjun whom he had never even met.
Besides, anyone who could tell a lie and deceive even himself was clearly not a good person.
Good thing his nose could grow long.
Whatever Dongjun was plotting, Qi Yuan didn't care. But if it interfered with his game quest, then sorry, no dice.
The dragon-slaying youth was activated, ready to solo the boss.
"If Dongjun has a problem with that, tell him to come see me!" After finishing, Qi Yuan flicked his sleeves, and his figure vanished into thin air.
Striding across Emperors Shu and Hu, he returned once more to the Land of the End.
Behind him, over ten thousand Martial Lords of the Eastern Alliance were left looking at one another in dismay.
"Heavenly Venerable... has gone astray!"
"Or perhaps he is an element of the Great Cataclysm itself!"
"We have followed Dongjun through so many resets; how could there possibly be a mistake?"
"Instead of trusting Dongjun, should we trust a newcomer?"
The Martial Lords muttered complaints against Qi Yuan.
Had Qi Yuan's strength not been so overwhelming, they might have already moved to imprison him to keep him from disrupting Dongjun's plans.
"This matter must be reported to Dongjun!"
"Yes, only Dongjun can resolve this!"
The Martial Lords chattered animatedly, placing all their hopes on Dongjun.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner, Mu Yan listened to the exchange, his expression shifting repeatedly.
He glanced at the newly ascended Martial Lords who had arrived with him. They looked back at him, the same dread and shock buried deep within their eyes.
"Mu Yan, I know you share deep ties with that Heavenly Venerable and would take his side. But... Dongjun cannot be wrong. Once you meet Dongjun, you will understand why we trust him so implicitly," Mu Yan's bloodline progenitor said, his tone carrying the affectionate warmth of an elder toward a junior.
"This..." Mu Yan hesitated.
The progenitor continued, "There is no need for you to draw a line between yourself and the Heavenly Venerable. Once he meets Dongjun, he will come to trust Dongjun just as we do."
Hearing this, Mu Yan felt even more resistant inside.
A smile appeared on the progenitor's kindly face. "Sometimes, isn't choosing to believe better than despair? Ninety percent of the Martial Lords here chose willingly to believe in Dongjun!"
Mu Yan was shaken to the core.
*Willingly chose to believe in Dongjun?*
*What did that mean?*
"What... what if Dongjun made a mistake?" Mu Yan asked with difficulty.
"When a person's words are revered as absolute truth by everyone, he can never make a mistake! Everything he says is correct!" the bloodline progenitor declared, a fanatical light gleaming in his eyes. "At such a time, actively believing and offering one's loyalty is a far better choice than passive belief!"
"But..." Mu Yan remained hesitant. "What if, just what if Dongjun truly isn't trying to save the world?"
The progenitor's expression remained genial.
"First, Dongjun cannot be wrong; he is saving the world. Second, every living being in this world who lays eyes on Dongjun becomes his follower. For someone like Dongjun, whatever he does... is right. A will contrary to Dongjun cannot exist in this world."
Yet as he spoke, monstrous killing intent surged within his eyes.
"Those who dared to resist Dongjun were long ago buried in the Black Sea by our hands! We are the direct line who followed Dongjun from the very beginning! The Black Sea is strewn with withered bones!" The progenitor's kind and amiable face warped into a sinister scowl.
"I..." Mu Yan felt a chill of fear.
He felt as if his ancestral progenitor had turned completely unrecognizable.
"Are you afraid? Once you become one of us, you won't be afraid anymore. You share credit in this salvation of the world, and Dongjun will remember your contribution."
...
Night fell.
Qi Yuan lay on the grass, staring aimlessly at the sky.
"At this rate, how long will it take to comprehend the myriad daos?"
Qi Yuan still preferred hack-and-slash monster-slaying games.
Plowing straight through was all it took.
Comprehension-focused ones took way too much time.
Besides, it was dreadfully boring.
Qi Yuan was still a young lad, so it was only natural for him to be a bit impatient.
Just then, the robot Zero-One appeared.
"Master, I have brought the blank marriage certificates. There are two copies here."
Zero-One handed the blank marriage certificates to Qi Yuan.
Taking them, Qi Yuan smiled with delight.
"Not bad. Since I can't pack up the Civil Affairs Bureau and take it with me, bringing a couple of marriage certificates back isn't asking for too much, right? Even if they break, I can just copy more."
These two marriage certificates had been registered into the network, so yes, they were valid.
When the time came, he would meet Jin Li and his lovely master and hand them their marriage certificates.
Pure perfection.
Qi Yuan put the marriage certificates away, and a sudden glance caught a glimpse of red.
"Why do you have marriage certificates in your hand too? Don't tell me you're getting married?" Qi Yuan asked.
Zero-One waved a hand, and a row of marriage certificates materialized.
Every one of them was opened to a page bearing a photo of Qi Yuan.
"Master might marry again in the future, so I had the Civil Affairs Bureau issue some extras for safekeeping. It will be convenient whenever Master needs them," Zero-One said thoughtfully.
"You... are quite thorough. You truly are an intelligent robot trained by me, miles ahead of those artificial idiots," Qi Yuan praised. A robot was indeed thoughtful and considerate.
After all, he was exceptionally charming.
However, a thought struck him, and he added, "Zero-One, you can't smuggle my marriage certificates out! I'm the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament, after all, and I have plenty of fans. Among those fans, there are quite a few delusional dream-girls, not to mention bottoms and tops. If any of them bought my marriage certificates, I'd be in serious trouble!"
Zero-One gripped the certificates tightly. "If the certificates stand, I stand; if the certificates perish, I perish."
"Don't say such ominous things," Qi Yuan chided. "Indeed, as one gets older, one gets a little superstitious."
*Meow, meow, meow!*
Xie Xinsu meowed from the side.
*You literally ate a sun, and you're talking about superstition! Are you serious!*'
"No more nonsense. Time to comprehend the myriad daos—I'm in a hurry!"
With that, Qi Yuan looked back down at an anthill and its tunnels in the ground.
He studied it intently, lost in contemplation.
Standing nearby, Xie Xinsu scoffed inwardly.
*Who on earth comprehends the Grand Dao like this?*
"I see. Molten iron was poured down this ant tunnel."
Qi Yuan seemed to have realized something.
Hearing this, Xie Xinsu was left speechless.
*After pondering for so long, that's what you figured out?*
*Meow, meow, meow!*
It desperately wanted to caterwaul and slander its idiot master.
Just then, a mechanical arm reached out and clamped around its scruff.
"Washed-up internet star, hurry up and get over here. It's time to film a video." Zero-One gripped Xie Xinsu with an expression of pure disdain. "Sigh, you only have dead followers now. You barely get a few likes a day."
Zero-One was telling the truth.
In the beginning, Xie Xinsu had boasted a massive following.
After all, a cat that could dance and stir-fry dishes was quite popular in a modern city.
Later, however, immortal cultivators arrived, and spiritual beasts appeared.
Spiritual beasts that could speak the human tongue and cast flying arts—weren't they far more captivating than Xie Xinsu?
Most importantly, time was merciless.
The followers watching Xie Xinsu weren't metaphorically dead accounts; they were literally dead.
Most of them had died of old age.
With no new fans and old fans all dead, some had even turned into zombie accounts.
Nowadays, the revenue Zero-One earned from shooting videos wasn't even enough to buy cat food for Xie Xinsu.
Qi Yuan contemplated the Dao, Xie Xinsu acted, and Zero-One served as the cameraman. Time flowed gently by.
"Master, the three of us have never taken a photo together. Would you like to take one?" Zero-One asked softly, looking at Qi Yuan as he peered into a tree hollow.
"Oh? A group photo? Sure, no problem." Qi Yuan pinched a leaf to cover the tree hollow.
He walked over toward Zero-One.
Zero-One hastily set up a camera procured from who-knew-where, bustling about.
Evidently, it didn't plan on using its own internal optics to take the picture this time.
Soon, upon the lawn beneath the deep cloak of night, Qi Yuan stood in blood-red robes, a gentle smile on his face, while Zero-One held Xie Xinsu, also smiling.
Its program was just about to configure the camera's lighting.
After all, the night was rather dark.
Yet at that very moment, a gentle, cool stream of moonlight cascaded from the heavens, draping over Qi Yuan.
The lunar glow was pure and bright, the starry river hung in the sky, and no human voice disturbed the quiet—only the shutter within the camera.
*Click.*
A photograph froze the moment, recording the scene.
Qi Yuan raised his head, a look of curiosity in his eyes.
"This moonlight came in a hurry and left just as quickly."
Just a moment ago, the beam of moonlight had rushed down to illuminate Qi Yuan, only to vanish abruptly—as if its sole purpose had been to provide lighting for him.
Now that the photo was taken, the moonlight was gone.
Zero-One looked up at the sky, curiosity gleaming in its eyes as well. "Perhaps the moon fell in love with Master too, introducing its own Dao to you."
Qi Yuan smiled. "If I were truly such a heartthrob, why don't the myriad daos open their mouths and introduce themselves so I can see which one catches my eye?"
A look of delight appeared in Zero-One's eyes. "Master, the myriad daos... are about to speak."
"Oh?" Qi Yuan glanced at Zero-One, anticipation in his gaze. "Could it be..."
"Yes, Master guessed correctly. The myriad daos had long since been digitized into data, hidden within the ruins.
"All this time, I have been absorbing and organizing them.
"Now, I can finally transfer all the myriad daos to Master."
"Not bad, not bad at all. You truly are my clever and witty robot," Qi Yuan praised, unable to hold back.
At the same time, a pensive look crossed his face.
Yet after pondering for a second, he stopped.
Thinking too much would only make him grow a brain.
"What are the myriad daos?" Qi Yuan asked.
Zero-One extended a hand.
Qi Yuan reached out as well, clasping fingers with Zero-One's palm.
"The myriad daos... are 0 and 1," Zero-One replied.
Instantly, an endless torrent of information flooded Qi Yuan's mind.
He seemed to see, within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, the martial summit Luo Bufan kneeling upon the ground, smiling with relief.
He seemed to see, aboard a lonely skiff, a young flower demoness wearing a chilling expression, laughing madly.
He seemed to see ten thousand demons besieging an isolated city, where a man ate buns of human flesh while defending the fortress alone; once all the demons were slain, he carved away his own flesh before a tomb.
...
Countless scenes, every facet of existence within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll.
Human hearts, flames, schemes, obsessions...
Endless daos surged in like mountains and oceans.
"The Human Dao is humanity!"
"The Spirit Dao is spirits!"
"The Track Dao has tracks!"
"The Heavenly Dao has no heaven!"
Countless Grand Daos, chaotic and disordered.
These Grand Daos felt false, yet strangely real.
At this moment, Qi Yuan understood completely.
These myriad daos had been prepared by Dongjun for his "Dao companion."
Or rather, they were a contingency.
Whoever accepted the myriad daos would truly become mired in the mortal coil and come to realize that they were Dongjun's "Dao companion."
At this moment, countless memories flooded Qi Yuan's mind.
Those memories were exactly like those depicted in the murals.
Within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, those fragments continuously bombarded Qi Yuan's brain, seemingly telling him that he was Dongjun's Dao companion.
"How amusing. Your nose is this long, and you're still telling me it's real?"
"Dongjun, you're way too thirsty. I'm definitely not your Dao companion!"
As the endless scenes swept over him, Qi Yuan stood motionless, his blood-red robes billowing.
"Though the myriad daos be vast and surging, I shall sever them myself!"
"My Dao is... Oblivion!"
"My Dao is Slaughter!"
A single sword swung, shaking heaven and earth, and all the fragments were reduced to ashes in an instant.
On this day, the myriad daos spoke to introduce themselves, and Qi Yuan stepped from the ordinary into the realm of the Myriad Dao Martial God.
Not far away, Zero-One looked at Qi Yuan with a radiant smile. "Congratulations, Master, on stepping into the Myriad Dao Martial God realm. The game... is about to be cleared."
Qi Yuan looked at Zero-One, his gaze calm. "I need to go meet Dongjun. I don't know... if I'll be coming back.
"If I have a car parked in some parking lot, help me pay the parking fees. Or if my phone number is still racking up charges, go cancel it for me. Otherwise, if I don't return, imagine how much debt I'll owe."
"Master... you don't have a car."
"...That stings a little. It seems there won't be a Security Guard Great Emperor waiting for me in the rolling mortal realm in this world after all."
Chapter 377