"Naturally, it's a super awesome, mind-blowingly invincible grand plan!"
Suddenly, Qi Yuan had a flash of inspiration.
"The names of my previous plans were far too crude and devoid of depth, making me look uncultured. The name for this plan cannot be so simplistic!"
"What's the name?" A watery spring rippled within Jiang Lingsu's eyes.
"Qi Yuan Eliminates the Great Tribulation!" Qi Yuan declared solemnly.
"..." Jiang Lingsu rolled her eyes.
She should have known better than to get her hopes up!
"What Great Tribulation?" Tilting her head, Jiang Lingsu rested her delicate, lotus-root-white hand against her pretty cheek and gazed at Qi Yuan.
"Naturally, it's the Great Tribulation that turns us all into provisions!" Qi Yuan's expression turned grave, exuding righteous austerity.
Jiang Lingsu's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.
Why did this sound somewhat like cultivation techniques being poisoned?
If cultivation techniques were truly poisonous, didn't that mean their Daos were completely mistaken?
All at once, she recalled that painter.
Back then, the painter had produced many bizarre paintings.
Jiang Lingsu had asked for an explanation of one of them.
In that painting, terrifying, eerie immortals ravaged the world while a mighty immortal suppressed them... leaving an endless sea of blood in his wake.
The painter had remarked that heaven and earth had long merged into one with the eerie immortals; if the eerie immortals perished, heaven and earth would be destroyed.
Jiang Lingsu's face turned somewhat pale. "Senior Brother, are you... confident about facing that Great Tribulation?"
She did not know what the Great Tribulation Qi Yuan spoke of truly was, merely treating it as an ordinary, formidable enemy.
"Of course I am. I'm the Divine Light Sect's number one Purple Mansion now!" Qi Yuan was delighted.
Having broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm, how could he not announce it to the world?
After a brief thought, he immediately fetched the jade slip of the Divine Flower Society and dispatched a server-wide announcement.
*Warmest congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan on becoming the Divine Light Sect's first Purple Mansion!*
Having posted the announcement, Qi Yuan was ecstatic.
Abusing special privileges felt truly wonderful.
No wonder everyone loved being a privileged dog.
Jiang Lingsu had not opened her Divine Flower Society jade slip, so she was naturally oblivious to this.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she said softly, "As long as you're confident, Senior Brother. Smash that bastard to smithereens!"
"Don't worry. I have always been very violent toward enemies," Qi Yuan said.
Just then, Jiang Lingsu suddenly remembered the scenes she had witnessed within her family's supreme treasure, and the painter's words resurfaced in her mind.
"Senior Brother, what if... you go to fight the Great Tribulation, and I die, and the people of the Divine Light Sect die? Would you still go fight it?" Jiang Lingsu asked.
Qi Yuan fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Jiang Lingsu recalled another painting by that artist, and an idea abruptly struck her. "If I had such a terrible enemy, I would definitely run far away and hide with you, Senior Brother. Being a softshell turtle basking in the sun on the beach is better than becoming butterflies dying for love."
Her thought process was simple: even if she could defeat a formidable enemy, if the people she cared about ended up dead, it was far better to hide far away.
"Being a turtle is no good; you'd easily get turned into turtle soup!" Qi Yuan said earnestly. "Your question is very interesting, and it reminded me of something."
Qi Yuan had never cultivated the poisonous techniques native to this world.
Yet everyone else had.
They had cultivated these techniques, attained profound realms, and engraved their names upon the Mythological Stele.
At fixed intervals, the Great Tribulation would arrive to harvest these provisions.
What would happen to the others who cultivated those techniques as provisions?
Would they be branded with a mark, their lives hanging by a single thread?
"Junior Sister, hold out your hand. Senior Brother will check your body," Qi Yuan said at once.
He wanted to clarify the impact cultivation techniques had on the people of the Canglan Realm.
"Huh? I'm not sick!" Jiang Lingsu refused verbally, yet she still offered her slender, jade-like hand to Qi Yuan.
She trusted her senior brother completely, without reservation.
After all, it was Senior Brother who had treated her condition in the past.
Qi Yuan placed his palm against the back of Jiang Lingsu's hand, pouring his divine spiritual power into her body.
He probed carefully.
Jiang Lingsu did not stir or put up any resistance.
In truth, doing this was exceedingly dangerous. If the other party wished it, she could be severely injured at best or perish at worst.
Qi Yuan's surging divine spiritual power was vaster than that of an ordinary Yang God.
The presence of the Innate Seed had allowed almost all of his power to return.
His control was exceptionally refined, so he did not worry about hurting Jiang Lingsu in the slightest.
Suddenly, Qi Yuan's brow furrowed tightly. He discovered a minute mark imprinted upon Jiang Lingsu's true spirit.
The mark resembled a blazing sun.
It looked almost identical to the suns in the sky.
Qi Yuan's desire to shoot down the suns in the sky flared even more fiercely.
*[Mark of the Palace Master of Taihuang Palace: Anyone who cultivates the techniques of this realm will condense this mark and become provisions, their life and death controlled by the Palace Master of Taihuang Palace.]*
"What is it?" Jiang Lingsu's face went pale. It was the first time she had ever seen her senior brother wear such an expression.
Could something be wrong with her body?
"It's nothing." Qi Yuan smiled faintly.
Even he was unable to remove that mark for now.
Such a mark could be considered grave, yet also harmless for the moment.
It acted like an incantation.
Whenever the master of the incantation wished, they could cause every living soul bearing this mark to perish in an instant.
Under normal circumstances, however, nothing would happen.
"You're fine, but I have a problem. It seems the plan 'Qi Yuan Eliminates the Great Tribulation' needs to be made more detailed," Qi Yuan said.
Therefore, within the plan to destroy the Great Tribulation, he had to include an additional objective: erasing the marks or severing their connection.
"It truly does need to be more detailed. We don't necessarily have to kill the enemy, but our lives must be preserved," Jiang Lingsu said softly, displaying a rare gentle side.
"Junior Sister, how about we prepare a bit and head to Helan Continent to meet that painter?"
Qi Yuan had decided to make frequent use of his eyes during this period to examine the marks inside more people and uncover crucial clues.
If he could find a countermeasure, all would be well.
"Ah? Sure. Wait for me, I'll go pack my things."
"Sounds good. I'll also take the opportunity to tell the Sect Master the joyous news of my breakthrough to the Purple Mansion. Sigh, with the Divine Light Sect producing such an outstanding disciple as me, green smoke must be billowing from the ancestral graves!"
***
Meanwhile, on the Divine Flower Society forum.
An announcement suddenly appeared.
With Qi Yuan becoming the Divine Light Sect's first Purple Mansion, members of the Divine Flower Society bustled about sharing the news, thoroughly bewildered. Everyone wondered, *Who the heck is this?*
"Who is this guy? The Divine Light Sect's first Purple Mansion? This Divine Light Sect must be pathetic if they didn't even have a single Purple Mansion!"
"Probably some remote, backwater sect!"
"If it were some backwater sect, how could they post a global broadcast on our Divine Flower Society forum that everyone can see?"
"Probably the illegitimate son of some grand figure, only able to show off and boast in this covert manner!"
"Maybe he's the son of a matrilocal son-in-law, not dared to be raised in the main clan and stashed away in the boonies!"
These cultivators loved gossip and harbored immense curiosity toward Qi Yuan's identity, speculating wildly.
Just then, a prompt abruptly appeared beneath the thread.
*Warning: Groundless rumor-mongering without evidence. One yellow card issued. Left by the Divine Flower Society Disciplinary Committee!*
*Please edit your post to include the word 'rumor.'*
Upon seeing this message, the cultivators who had been speculating wildly across the Divine Flower Society forum immediately slumped in dismay.
The Divine Flower Society Disciplinary Committee had been initiated and established by a little fox demon.
At first, the members of this disciplinary committee merely patrolled the forum to check if anyone was insulting Senior Blood-Robed Sword God.
Later on, the committee grew larger and formed an organized faction that truly patrolled the forum, seemingly upholding Senior Blood-Robed Sword God's ideal of purifying the conduct of the cultivation world.
Receiving one yellow card was equivalent to a warning.
If you collected three yellow cards, tough luck—you had to write a self-criticism essay.
Cultivators held a love-hate relationship with the Disciplinary Committee.
They loved that if someone hurled insults at them, they could directly report them.
They hated that they could no longer curse at others with reckless abandon.
At this moment, within the chat group of the Four Emperors of Divine Flower.
Rogue Celestial Venerable was frantically @-tagging Origin Celestial Venerable.
*You're Purple Mansion now?*
Great Sun Flame Emperor also appeared: *Sigh, you went into seclusion for two and a half years, acting as a hands-off boss for the Origin God Sharing Society?*
Iceberg Overlord Woman did not speak in the group.
Several years ago, Qi Yuan had dispatched three Great Venerables to help Iceberg Overlord Woman break through to the Yin God Realm; she was currently stabilizing her cultivation.
Qi Yuan finally turned his attention to the chat group of the Four Emperors of Divine Flower.
*Sigh, my talent is just too poor. Shouldn't I cultivate diligently to break through? Sigh, after toiling for so long, I barely managed to break through to the Purple Mansion. Reaching the Purple Mansion would be fine, but the result is that I only have 'purple,' no 'mansion'!* Qi Yuan grumbled dejectedly.
*What do you mean?* Rogue Celestial Venerable was confused.
Thanks to the Blood-Robed Sword God, Rogue Celestial Venerable's stature had skyrocketed.
He could be said to laugh and converse with Purple Mansions and rub shoulders with Yin Gods.
He possessed a deeper understanding of the Purple Mansion Realm.
Consequently, Qi Yuan's words completely baffled him.
*To break through to the Purple Mansion Realm, you don't just need 'purple,' you also need a 'mansion.' I've pretty much settled the 'purple' part by gathering a ton of purple qi. As for the 'mansion,' I already have a blueprint in mind, but I still need to find a painter to draw it out for me.*
*Ah... purple qi?!!* Rogue Celestial Venerable was utterly stunned. *Are you talking about the number one qi of the immortal path—the Primordial Chaos Qi, the Mother Qi of All Things, the Chaos Primordial Purple Qi?!*
*Yes,* Qi Yuan replied.
Rogue Celestial Venerable was completely flabbergasted. *I heard that even Yang Gods struggle to obtain a single wisp of purple qi, yet you actually have it... and used it for your Purple Mansion?!*
The preciousness of purple qi existed purely in legends.
Its rarity was far more terrifying than a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment; they were simply not on the same tier.
It was like someone earning three thousand a month suddenly discovering their roommate made ten to the tenth power trillion.
It was completely beyond imagination.
*Gao Xiaoyu, you're making a fuss over nothing. Even if Origin Celestial Venerable claimed he used a Dao Ancestor's kneecap as a toothpick, I'd believe him!* Great Sun Flame Emperor took it in stride. *Those ten extra suns hanging in the sky are Origin Celestial Venerable's Golden Core! Have you ever seen a fucking Stellar Golden Core?!*
Gao Xiaoyu was Rogue Celestial Venerable's real name.
Being called out by name left him feeling rather awkward.
*Sigh, it's my own ignorance,* Rogue Celestial Venerable sighed.
After all, according to the knowledge he had received, breaking through to the Purple Mansion required comprehending the origin of the immortal path first, forging one's own path, and awakening an origin divine ability.
What did purple qi or constructing a mansion have to do with the Purple Mansion Realm?
Well, they seemed related only in a strictly literal sense.
*How has the Origin God Sharing Society been doing lately? How is the collection of cultivation techniques going?* Qi Yuan asked.
He cared deeply about this.
It directly concerned his subsequent path.
Now, the cultivation techniques required to advance his Purple Mansion Realm were growing increasingly numerous.
To some extent, the myriad Daos of the world were hidden within all cultivation techniques; what he was doing now was gathering the fragments of those myriad Daos.
*The method you taught earlier and the system where everyone in the Divine Flower Society uploads techniques to obtain others worked wonders. I'll transmit the collected techniques to you shortly. However...* Great Sun Flame Emperor hesitated.
*However what?* Qi Yuan asked.
*However, after your divine art was leaked, several mysterious powerhouses visited our Origin God Sharing Society, requesting to meet you,* Great Sun Flame Emperor said tentatively.
Back then, Qi Yuan had mimicked a certain shopping app, having everyone upload techniques, slash prices, provide assists, and share divine arts.
Qi Yuan had been quite generous, truly making the divine art public in the end.
"Oh?" Qi Yuan replied calmly. *What do they want with me? Are they planning to kill me and seize my treasures? Where is their home? I'd like to drop by and see if they have a cat that knows how to cook.*
Qi Yuan remembered Xie Xinsu; her family had a cat that could cook.
*They seem to belong to some secluded clans, wanting to discuss the Great Tribulation with you. They claimed that divine arts must not be leaked, or else... once a certain threshold is reached, every single cultivator in this world... will die!*
Great Sun Flame Emperor's tone was heavy, laced with a trace of bitter resignation.
Although Origin Celestial Venerable constantly created miracles, the Great Tribulation and the waters behind it were unfathomably deep.
After all, how many cultivators in this Canglan Realm could truly assist Qi Yuan?
Yet the Great Tribulation possessed the foundation of other worlds.
If the Great Tribulation faltered, it could call for reinforcements from the Upper Realm.
Those summoned down would all be deities!
There might even be the legendary Yang Gods!
And in the Canglan Realm, who was there to help Qi Yuan?
Thus, facing the Great Tribulation was almost a solitary struggle for Qi Yuan alone.
What they did was utterly negligible.
At times, he had even contemplated that since Qi Yuan had not cultivated the poisoned techniques, he could simply leave this realm and extricate himself from this vortex.
From a darker perspective, Qi Yuan could even negotiate with the entity behind the Great Tribulation and take it as his master.
*Is that so?* Qi Yuan pondered for a moment before replying: *Don't be afraid. The plan 'Qi Yuan Eliminates the Great Tribulation' will be finalized shortly. In six months at most, my plan will be flawlessly executed, leaving the Great Tribulation nowhere to hide. What 'divine arts cannot be spread'? What a joke!*
Hearing this, Great Sun Flame Emperor felt a surge of mixed emotions. *Origin Celestial Venerable, don't push yourself too hard.*
*Hey, keep talking like that and watch out, or I'll take my Golden Core to your doorstep and fry eggs for you!*
*Don't!* Great Sun Flame Emperor chuckled, then continued, *Those secluded clan members also left a contact method. They asked you to visit the secret realm where their clan resides as soon as you appear, to discuss the matter of the divine art.*
*Go my ass. If anyone's going anywhere, they can come see me. Tell them that in five days, I will head to Helan Continent in the Eastern Lands and stay for a while. If they wish to see me, they can come to Helan Continent and beg for an audience. Otherwise, no way. I generally dislike house visits; when I take the initiative to drop by, it usually means wiping out the entire sect!* Qi Yuan stated casually.
Indeed, when he went to the Black Mountain Sect, he wiped them out; when he went to the Palace of Light, he wiped them out as well.
Of course, going to Helan Continent to meet that painter was not for the sake of wiping anyone out.
*Alright, I'll pass your words along to them. Heh, since they chose to live in seclusion, they might as well stay secluded. What truly powerful faction lives in seclusion every single day?* Great Sun Flame Emperor said.
He was not afraid of secluded clans either.
The current Origin God Sharing Society possessed formidable strength.
If that secluded clan were truly so mighty, they would have long since battered their way through the Origin God Sharing Society and dragged Qi Yuan out.
Wasn't it precisely because their strength was lacking that they chose seclusion in the first place?
And then they put on an act of being transcendent and aloof from the world?
For whose benefit was that performance?!
Chapter 382