Jiu Fuzi reclined on the ground, disheveled and unkempt, a look of otherworldly detachment in his eyes.
Inside the hall, all the cultivators held their breath, watching the scene in utter horror.
That Jiu Fuzi was truly daring!
After all, this was the Blood-Robed Sword God—the terrifying powerhouse who, according to legend, loved nothing more than slaughtering entire clans.
Could it be that he truly had something to rely on?
Qi Yuan looked at Jiu Fuzi, a puzzled expression on his face. "Could it be that you know how to sing 'Courage' too?"
With those words, Qi Yuan pointed a single finger directly at Jiu Fuzi.
The cultivators present grew tense. Were they about to fight?
Was the Blood-Robed Sword God merely testing the waters?
Many cultivators in the hall retreated in haste, some scuttling away entirely for fear of being caught in the crossfire.
With one arm wrapped around his junior sister, Jiang Lingsu, Qi Yuan pushed that single finger casually and smoothly toward Jiu Fuzi.
Still reclining, Jiu Fuzi watched Qi Yuan’s finger with a relaxed, leisurely air. "Young people truly cannot break their bad habits. The physical body and the divine soul are mere external vessels. The true might of a Yin God lies in their Divine Domain. Who still throws punches these days?"
Jiu Fuzi smiled contemptuously as his formidable Divine Domain swept out at that moment.
He intended to teach this arrogant, ignorant boy a lesson.
He had encountered far too many people like this.
Men who suddenly made a breakthrough, rose rapidly, and believed themselves to be the protagonist of the world, having no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth.
Little did they know that beyond the heavens lay higher heavens, and beyond men lay greater men!
The Divine Domain snapped open, and a wine gourd appeared out of thin air.
Immortal mist swirled, purple and green vapors boiled, and a river of wine descended from the heavens, vanishing into dust and haze.
It seemed like the resonant chord of the Great Dao, yet also like a celestial treasure from an immortal paradise.
"This single gourd of my wine can obliterate Helan Continent!" Jiu Fuzi laughed boisterously. "Young man, this old man shall give you your very first lesson upon stepping into the ranks of the strong!"
The Divine Domain spread and expanded violently.
Jiu Fuzi remained reclining, yet his frame seemed aloft and lofty, radiating an imposing majesty.
"The Divine Domain is the true foundation of power. As for that finger of yours, this old man shall claim it!"
The Divine Domain surged toward Qi Yuan, engulfing him within.
Qi Yuan’s expression did not change. He glanced down at Jiang Lingsu beside him and remarked placidly, "Junior Sister, this is how you crush an ant."
His hand reached forward.
It pierced straight through the river of wine.
The formidable Divine Domain seemed completely defenseless, allowing his finger to plunge right through.
Jiu Fuzi started, his eyes narrowing. "Some trick, is it? Refining your Divine Domain into your fleshly body? But... that is all it amounts to!"
"Witness sixty percent of my Divine Domain!"
"Not bad, young man, you do have some skill. But this old man hasn't even used his full strength yet!"
"Give me seventy percent... one hundred percent!"
"Ah... Something's wrong. Something is wrong with you!"
Jiu Fuzi kept chattering, but his expression had transformed from earlier scorn into sheer terror.
For that finger seemed impervious to all myriad arts.
His mighty Divine Domain, a domain capable of easily trapping a Great Venerable, could not harm that finger in the slightest.
That finger seemed unique in the world.
It was the finger of a god obliterating all living beings!
At that moment, Jiu Fuzi suddenly felt like an ant facing the pressing finger of a mortal human!
He could not resist at all; he lacked the power to resist.
He truly panicked.
"A misunderstanding! You cannot kill me!"
"Without me, you will certainly die! You won't survive the next Great Tribulation!"
At this point, he stopped posturing.
He laid his cards on the table.
He had backing; he had confidence. The Blood-Robed Sword God would not dare kill him.
Unfortunately, Qi Yuan did not listen to a single word of his voice, his cries.
A single finger descended, standing alone in heaven and earth, unique across all worlds.
The Divine Domain shattered instantly, and Jiu Fuzi's body and divine soul fractured to pieces in that very instant.
A contemptuous voice sounded beside Jiu Fuzi's ear.
"The greatest difference between you and an ant is that when I crush an ant, it doesn't scream. You do."
Those were the last words Jiu Fuzi heard in his heart.
His body shattered; his divine soul was extinguished.
To his dying breath, he could not fathom why Qi Yuan was so powerful, nor why... he had simply killed him outright.
Shouldn't he have asked who was backing him, what leverage he possessed?
Alas, he could only die with regret.
At this moment, every cultivator in the hall was breathing raggedly, their eyes wide with shock.
Just now, they had witnessed a divine war!
There had been none of the anticipated grandeur, not even the street-shattering force of an Origin Core cultivator, or the room-wrecking havoc of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
A single finger had obliterated a formidable foe.
The cultivators present shivered violently.
They had clearly felt that finger appear entirely plain and ordinary.
On the contrary, Jiu Fuzi's Divine Domain had felt insurmountable to them, as if it truly could submerge Helan Continent.
Yet just like that... he had perished at the hands of the Blood-Robed Sword God.
Evidently, the Blood-Robed Sword God was the true heaven above!
Jiang Lingsu blinked, feeling a touch delighted inside.
In truth, she had already harbored suspicions regarding her eldest senior brother's identity.
However, she had never actively pointed it out.
If Eldest Senior Brother did not say anything, then... she would pretend she didn't know.
After all, she had been a little afraid.
If her eldest senior brother was truly a supreme expert like the Blood-Robed Sword God, would he still acknowledge her as his junior sister?
Now, her eldest senior brother had openly exposed himself before her, holding her close as he slaughtered a powerful foe. This was his trust in her.
Her heart beat very fast. Even through... well, her ample chest, it could still be clearly heard.
Even so, she whispered, "Eldest Senior Brother, why didn't you let him finish speaking? What if there really was some supreme expert behind him?"
Jiang Lingsu had heard Jiu Fuzi's final cry.
She felt a little worried for Qi Yuan.
One could tell at a glance that Jiu Fuzi had a background.
Qi Yuan chuckled. "If an ant says before dying that more ants will avenge it, do you think I would care?"
Qi Yuan could not be bothered to care about Jiu Fuzi at all.
A mere clown jumping on a beam; dead was dead.
Listening to him, Jiang Lingsu's eyes bloomed with a bright smile. "Eldest Senior Brother... you're too strong!"
"I am quite strong, but sigh... I'm also very poor." Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon the pale-faced Wang Yunteng. "Hand over the 1.05 billion spirit stones!"
Qiong Yunting trembled all over, not daring to move an inch.
Even if she were beaten to death, she never would have believed that the person she looked down upon was the legendary Blood-Robed Sword God.
The very Blood-Robed Sword God who had annihilated the Palace of Light with ease and slaughtered Yin Gods like dogs.
Even the Feng family, the foremost clan of Yuntian City, had been wiped out by him.
"Junior was deceived by that villain! I genuinely believed he was a good friend of Senior Sword God, which was why..." This arrogant Divine Infant True Monarch dropped to his knees at that moment.
Qiong Yunting also hurriedly knelt, seemingly begging Qi Yuan for mercy.
She was truly terrified.
"Whether you know him or were swindled by him has nothing to do with me. I came here today to borrow money!" Qi Yuan said softly.
His words rang out, shaking the spirits of all the cultivators in the hall.
Wang Yunteng said in haste, "Please grant Junior some time, Senior! 1.05 billion spirit stones will definitely be presented with both hands!"
At this moment, discarding his family fortune was the only way to save his life.
Given the Blood-Robed Sword God's temperament, the fact that he hadn't exterminated their clans and merely demanded spirit stones made them feel fortunate.
Qi Yuan nodded, looking at the pair with a calm expression. "The two of you are a match made in heaven. You must stay locked together for life; don't you dare break up."
Everyone present was somewhat bewildered, sensing that Qi Yuan's words were rather odd.
Hearing this, Wang Yunteng was momentarily stunned. Then, he fished an artifact from his storage pouch—a lock.
He immediately used the lock to bind himself and Qiong Yunting together.
"Rest assured, Senior, the key has been discarded! We are locked tight!"
Seeing this, Qi Yuan was slightly taken aback.
People in this cultivation world were quite good at putting on a show.
They had actually locked themselves together.
"Also, remember to clean out your earwax, or your hearing will stay bad!" Qi Yuan kindly reminded them once more.
By this time, Qiong Yunting no longer felt her earlier shame and fury; instead, she said in sheer delight, "I'll clean it right away, immediately!"
Didn't the Blood-Robed Sword God's words mean he wouldn't kill her?
Right at that moment, a sorrowful, regretful voice rang out abruptly.
"You should not have killed Jiu Fuzi."
Everyone turned to look at once. At the main entrance, a woman in yellow robes walked in gracefully.
Her figure was lithe and graceful, her curves exquisite.
Yet what drew the most attention was her face.
Rather than a face, it was more like a sheet of drawing paper—a sheet on which a face was sketched, but without any facial features drawn.
Upon seeing this woman, the cultivators present shuddered, filled with dread and apprehension.
"Painter, it's you!" Jiang Lingsu was astonished as well.
For the woman before them was precisely the Eccentric Painter she had recommended to her senior brother.
Judging by the situation now, the Eccentric Painter even knew Jiu Fuzi.
Could she be... an enemy?
Apprehension immediately surfaced in Jiang Lingsu's eyes as she looked at the Eccentric Painter.
Though she knew the Eccentric Painter, she understood what mattered most.
Clearly, she had a close bond with her eldest senior brother; she had to form a united front with him and face enemies together.
She wasn't like certain people who couldn't sort out their priorities.
The Eccentric Painter glanced at Jiang Lingsu. "To think that after not seeing each other for so many years, you could have such a fortuitous encounter. Worthy of..."
She did not finish the remaining words.
Qi Yuan looked at the Eccentric Painter, his expression calm. "You're the formidable painter my junior sister recommended. Do you have time to paint a picture for me?"
Qi Yuan got straight to the point.
He had come here to have the Eccentric Painter paint for him.
The Eccentric Painter looked at Qi Yuan with a strange expression. "You should have understood what I said just now. I was acquainted with Jiu Fuzi."
"Oh..." Qi Yuan's expression shifted slightly. "What, do you want to avenge him?"
The Eccentric Painter shook her head. "I severed ties with them long ago.
"I merely think that what you should be considering right now isn't finding me to paint, but running away. Because by killing Jiu Fuzi, you have brought disaster upon yourself."
"Oh?" Qi Yuan grew intrigued. "What disaster?"
At that moment, the Eccentric Painter waved her pale hand, sketching a doorway in thin air.
"This concerns the secrets of heaven and cannot be disclosed lightly. Why doesn't Your Excellency come to my dwelling for a discussion?"
Having said that, the Eccentric Painter slipped into the door she had drawn, her figure vanishing.
Jiang Lingsu looked at Qi Yuan, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Had she known, she wouldn't have brought her eldest senior brother to see this Eccentric Painter.
This Eccentric Painter seemed far from ordinary.
"Come on, Junior Sister, let's go take a look together."
His right eyebrow had not twitched. Qi Yuan slid his arm naturally around Jiang Lingsu's slender waist, pulling her whole body close to him.
Jiang Lingsu's heart raced violently. She did not resist, feeling quite happy inside.
Her eldest senior brother was even bringing her along to discuss such matters.
With his arm around Jiang Lingsu, Qi Yuan stepped into that doorway as well.
Following Qi Yuan's entry, the door vanished, leaving behind only a crowd of stunned and alarmed guests.
What had happened today was far too shocking.
It was practically more than all the major events of their entire lives combined.
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan landed from the air with his arm around Jiang Lingsu.
Jiang Lingsu slipped out of Qi Yuan's embrace, her face blushing and her heart racing.
She looked around, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
All she saw was a vast expanse of white.
As far as the eye could see, drawing paper was everywhere.
These sheets of drawing paper were either drying on racks or suspended in midair.
In the center was an open area for drying paper, while all around flowed rivers of various colors—black, red, green, and various other shades. There was even white, as well as colors invisible to the human eye. The rivers resembled liquid pigments.
At this moment, the Eccentric Painter sat on a small stool before a white river, seemingly painting.
"You have arrived?"
The Eccentric Painter's voice was calm.
Qi Yuan led Jiang Lingsu over. "Can you speak now? I'd like to see just how many ants there are."
The ants naturally referred to Jiu Fuzi, Jiu Fuzi's companions, and even those behind them.
In response to Qi Yuan's description, the Eccentric Painter drew a furrowed brow onto her featureless paper face. "Your Excellency has always taken resisting the Great Tribulation as your duty. You should understand that once a name is inscribed upon the Mythological Stele, one becomes provisions."
Qi Yuan nodded. "Correct."
As long as one stepped into the Mythological realm, their name would appear on the Mythological Stele, and they would subsequently be harvested by the Great Tribulation to become provisions.
"The Great Tribulation harvests only the Mythological. Therefore, for people like us, as long as we do not break through into the Mythological, we will... not be harvested.
"However, the Great Tribulation is not so rigid. It will even pay special attention to certain talented pigs.
"Once those pigs step into the Yin God realm, they will encounter numerous fortuitous events, and their strength will soar rapidly. Even if they intentionally try to suppress it, they will have no way to do so. In the end, they will step into the Mythological realm quite inexplicably and become provisions."
As the Eccentric Painter spoke, she gave Qi Yuan an extra glance.
In her view, the Blood-Robed Sword God was precisely a pig being raised by the Great Tribulation.
"There have been countless such pigs throughout history.
"All of them believed that their extraordinary talent and favor from the Heavenly Dao made them the fated protagonists, fully capable of resisting the Great Tribulation.
"Little did they know that they were merely the kings among all the pigs reared by the Great Tribulation. Once they grew fat, they were sent to the butcher."
The Eccentric Painter spoke indifferently.
Jiang Lingsu seemed to understand something as well.
She felt somewhat worried for Qi Yuan.
Yet she knew that her strength was meager and her knowledge naturally shallow; at this moment, remaining silent was best so as not to speak out of turn and cause trouble for her eldest senior brother.
"Interesting. The resisters are all pigs, so what about you?" Qi Yuan chuckled.
He had long seen that Jiu Fuzi and this painter were different from ordinary Great Venerables.
"We... are the pigs who flee."
A desolate look showed in the Eccentric Painter's eyes.
"Once, we were just as high-spirited as you, believing ourselves to be the protagonists of heaven and earth.
"It wasn't until later, when we witnessed the terror of the Great Tribulation and just how deep the waters ran, that we fell into despair.
"Because we couldn't even suppress our own cultivation realms! Our realms kept soaring wildly, stepping toward the Mythological!"
At this point, the Eccentric Painter sketched a mocking expression onto her face.
"When one cannot even control one's own realm, how can one speak of resisting the Great Tribulation?
"Fortunately, we encountered a benefactor. Her name was Yu Nü, and she passed down an incantation that allowed us to become an alternative kind of Mythological."
The Eccentric Painter's voice grew bleak.
An alternative kind of Mythological would not leave a name upon the Mythological Stele, nor would they be harvested by the Great Tribulation.
Chapter 386