What Gate of Ultimate Principle? Isn't That Just the Door to My Netherworld?

"Although the Gate of Ultimate Principle can isolate the marks, still... sigh, finding it is simply too difficult. This gate is the foremost among exotic treasures, pursued relentlessly by countless Yang Gods." Even with an intellect as brilliant as True Monarch Dazhi's, he had no idea where to search for the Gate of Ultimate Principle. Evidently, it was indeed difficult to find. Qi Yuan frowned. The Gate of Ultimate Principle True Monarch Dazhi spoke of was most likely the Gate of Myriad Manifestations he had encountered in the Liufeng Realm. When comprehending the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, Qi Yuan had once seen its hidden information: It could be any door. Thus, the Gate of Ultimate Principle was perhaps merely a role it was cosplaying. "I've seen it in a game," Qi Yuan said pensively. "A game?" True Monarch Dazhi was taken aback. "Yeah. Do you think if I enter that game again, it won't have respawned as an in-game item? Wait, no, maybe it's still there!" Qi Yuan clearly remembered the end of that game. Bai Ze had been plotted against by the Slate of Fate, and the Great Sun Golden Lotus had burned everything to ash. The Great Sun Golden Lotus was a sarira left behind by the Great Sun Radiant Buddha upon his nirvana. The Great Sun Radiant Buddha was a powerhouse at the Yang God level. Once the Great Sun Golden Lotus he left behind ignited, it was enough to burn the entire Liufeng Realm to cinders. In the end, Qi Yuan had swallowed the Great Sun Golden Lotus and used his game reward to forge the Key of Myriad Manifestations to open the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, taking Canary with him as they escaped the Liufeng Realm into an unknown universe. True Monarch Dazhi fell into thought. "Can an in-game item really be taken as real?" "Maybe... why not? Isn't the real world just a massive game anyway? Who knows, maybe the world we're currently in is just a giant online game! We play games in game jade slips, but in truth, our world is also a giant jade slip!" Qi Yuan said with utter seriousness. True Monarch Dazhi clutched his head. "Stop, don't say another word! I feel like my brain is about to sprout!" By "sprout," he meant breaking through the confines of his skull and bursting outward. "Indeed. Clever people like us can't think too deeply. Otherwise, this carbon-based human body just can't take it!" Qi Yuan agreed with True Monarch Dazhi. Just like back on Blue Star, the moment one started pondering the universe, the galaxy, or black holes, one's brain would try to sprout. "Can you still return to that game, then?" True Monarch Dazhi fired off several questions in succession. "If you see the Gate of Ultimate Principle, could you take control of it? Rumor has it that throughout the river of countless epochs, the Gate of Ultimate Principle has appeared many times, yet not a single Yang God has ever managed to claim it. After all, rumors say that whoever obtains the Gate of Ultimate Principle can become the common ruler of the Upper Realm!" The Gate of Ultimate Principle was legendary as the foremost of all exotic treasures. The ultimate principles comprehended by Ultimate Principle Realm Yang Gods would all leave their marks upon the Gate of Ultimate Principle. If one obtained the Gate of Ultimate Principle, wouldn't that allow them to comprehend the ultimate principle paths of all Yang Gods? Therefore, all Yang Gods ranked the Gate of Ultimate Principle as the foremost exotic treasure and clamored to claim it for themselves. Even if they couldn't get it, they would want to destroy it. Otherwise, if another Yang God obtained it and spent tens of thousands of years deciphering their own comprehended ultimate principle, it would be a catastrophic problem. "What Gate of Ultimate Principle? Isn't it just the door to my Netherworld?" Qi Yuan realized he truly was a genius among geniuses. A piece of trivia: when women spend enough time together, if one gets her period, the others are influenced and get theirs too. True Monarch Dazhi was spending time with him, and the moment that clever brain kicked into gear, Qi Yuan was influenced as well, his thoughts flowing clear and unobstructed. Conveniently enough, the Netherworld lacked a door. The Gate of Ultimate Principle—which was to say, the Gate of Myriad Manifestations—couldn't it be any door? Then why couldn't it be the door to his own Netherworld? It had stated so itself: it could be any door. That was proof right there! All he had to do was treat the Gate of Myriad Manifestations as the gate to the Netherworld, and then sprinkle out some purple qi. That spectacle would surely draw Yang Gods like a school of river carps. If he wanted to ambush an enemy, the simplest method would be to set the Gate of Ultimate Principle right at the fellow's doorstep. That Yang God would look, see purple qi and the Gate of Ultimate Principle, and think, *Jackpot!* Then charge straight in. *Surprise!* Chilly yin qi everywhere—welcome to the Netherworld! Qi Yuan could even set the Gate of Ultimate Principle's destination to the universe where his stars resided. When the time came, all his Stellar Golden Cores could smash down together! What a delightful sight that would be. "Ahem... isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" For the first time, True Monarch Dazhi slightly doubted Qi Yuan's IQ. After all, that was the Gate of Ultimate Principle. However, a moment later, a thought struck him. "What you say actually makes some sense. As long as you can catch it, it can be the gate to your Netherworld. The biggest problem is... how to catch it!" The Gate of Ultimate Principle had existed for countless years, appearing in the Upper Realm on numerous occasions. With so many almighty figures in the Upper Realm, not a single person had ever managed to capture it. "Why would I need to catch it? It's my door to begin with!" Qi Yuan said with utter conviction. He had the Key of Myriad Manifestations—didn't that prove the Gate of Myriad Manifestations was his? "Sigh, it originally belonged to my house. It just likes to play, so it ran away from home," Qi Yuan explained earnestly. He sounded so convincing that he almost believed it himself. Let alone True Monarch Dazhi. He gave Qi Yuan a suspicious look. "Is it really your door?" "Yes!" Qi Yuan nodded. "When can I visit your home as a guest?" True Monarch Dazhi asked. "My home is still undergoing renovations. Cough, cough... maybe in a while." Qi Yuan felt a bit awkward. His front door was always open—because the door had gone missing. ... "Could you also be a supreme treasure?" Inside his room, Qi Yuan retrieved the game jade slip and scrutinized it closely. Soon, he shook his head. "A broken gaming console, how could it be a supreme treasure?" If a gaming console were a supreme treasure, that would really lower the prestige of supreme treasures. According to the Eccentric Painter and True Monarch Dazhi, the value of a supreme treasure was no less than that of an Ultimate Principle Realm Yang God. If a Yang God of the Lower Three Heavens obtained a supreme treasure, they could even lead their sacred ground in ascending straight to the Middle Three Heavens. In Qi Yuan's imagination, a supreme treasure ought to have a halo, an aura that sparked the imagination. Just like how celestial maidens of the Upper Realm surely didn't fart or poop. Looking at the game jade slip, a hint of complex emotion showed in Qi Yuan's eyes. The game icon corresponding to the Liufeng Realm had already grayed out. This meant that having cleared the game, he could no longer use the game jade slip to enter the Liufeng Realm. "Looks like I can only search for a needle in a haystack." To find the Liufeng Realm, there was actually another way. That was to project stars across the heavens, patrol the heavens, and let their radiance shine over all worlds. Unlike right now, where Qi Yuan's Golden Core projection was strictly confined to the Canglan Realm. Other worlds did not have ten suns. However, in a certain sense, Qi Yuan doing this would be regarded as a provocation. After all, rules had long been established for the celestial bodies projecting across the heavens. The Great Sun was the Great Sun; the moon was the moon; the enchantress stars were enchantress stars. Now, Qi Yuan's ten stars would project across the heavens, and every single one was a sun. What did that imply? A provocation toward the Great Sun? Qi Yuan didn't care either way. He already understood that the Great Sun was that very figure in Taihuang Palace, the one behind the Great Tribulation. Since they were going to clash soon anyway, what harm was there in provoking him first? Of course, projecting across the heavens didn't mean one could automatically pinpoint the coordinates of every world. The prerequisite was that the Yang God had visited that world before. "The people of the myriad realms are in for a treat!" "Ten more suns in the sky means ten times the blessings!" "Maybe because it's too hot, there'll be more men and women showing skin and thirst-trapping, which is great for reproduction!" "For the Heavenly Dao, isn't reproduction what it loves most?" "Refuse to stigmatize thirst traps!" At that moment, Qi Yuan looked up toward the stars of the heavens. He saw an unremarkable, slightly dim star. A tender look flashed through his eyes. Back on Arch Star, Yu Mengxian, who had descended from the Upper Realm, had marked out the star belonging to the Yue Nü. "Conveniently enough, while projecting across the heavens, I can drop by and see Jin Li's star. The only pity is that I have too few stars—only ten. I can't arrange them into words and patterns like drones." Qi Yuan murmured to himself. Canary's figure materialized beside Qi Yuan. Now, Qi Yuan could summon Canary and Ning Tao down at any time and place. At this moment, Canary wore a goose-yellow skirt and looked utterly adorable. "Heehee, finally getting to go back and see Mount Jiupan. Ning Tao is on the Golden Core, helping you look for the Liufeng Realm!" "You're both the same person, so why call her by her full name?" Qi Yuan asked, puzzled. The past body and the present body were, frankly speaking, one and the same person. In fact, unless deliberately blocked, their perceptions were unified. Of course, after separating into the past body and present body, the past body had retained her appearance from when she was Canary. Canary didn't answer, asking instead, "Do you like me more, or do you like Ning Tao more?" Qi Yuan felt helpless. "You might as well ask me whether I'd save you or my mom first if both of you fell into a river!" "I won't bother you anymore. Hurry up and project across the heavens! This young lady and Ning Tao will help you together," Canary said, her little face turning serious. "Alright!" Qi Yuan's expression also grew uncharacteristically solemn. Projecting across the myriad realms of the heavens was no trivial matter. It signified that a Yang God who had elevated their divine throne was born! Elevating a divine throne versus not elevating one were two entirely different concepts. ... Upper Realm. Sixth Heaven. Taihuang Palace. Beams of light flashed one after another, descending onto a mountain peak. Upon that mountain peak, flames raged everywhere. Even the trees seemed to grow from fire. Fire trees, fire grass, fire fruit, fire birds. Amidst the mountain peaks, immortal melodies lingered in the air. A gold-robed man sat in the seat of honor, his gaze profound. Looking down at the nearly one hundred Mythological powerhouses who projected across the heavens, a trace of smugness showed in his eyes. "Fellow Daoists, this Taihuang Conference brings some interesting news." The gold-robed man was a Mythological figure of Taihuang Palace. Excluding all of Taihuang Palace's Yang Gods, among the remaining Mythological experts, he ranked within the top ten. Yang Gods almost never revealed themselves to the mundane world. Such gatherings like the Taihuang Conference, meant to liaise with other major factions, were held by Mythological figures like them. These Mythological experts were no ordinary Mythologicals; every one of them projected across the heavens and practically represented a major power. "Oh? What good news?" A Mythological powerhouse of the Moluo Clan spoke up with a smile in his eyes. "Could it be that you slew a Yang God of Moon Goddess Palace?" The Moluo Clan, like Taihuang Palace, had a grudge against Moon Goddess Palace. Rumor had it that this enmity traced back to a minor world in the Lower Realm. Toward Moon Goddess Palace, the Moluo Clan had declared open war. Taihuang Palace and Moon Goddess Palace had likewise remained in a state of continuous warfare. As for the Yang God factions backing the other Mythological figures present, most had deep ties to Taihuang Palace. When Taihuang Palace and Moon Goddess Palace were at war, the factions backing these figures had not directly entered combat, but rather... provided resource aid. "No." The gold-robed man's eyes glinted with smug satisfaction. "Far bigger than that!" "Could it be that *that person* of Moon Goddess Palace has fallen?" a Mythological expert suddenly asked in excitement. Hearing this, the other Mythological experts all looked at him speechlessly. The moon in the sky was hanging just fine! Where had she fallen? More importantly, how could an expert of that realm fall so easily? The gold-robed man cast a sideways glance at that Mythological expert, slightly displeased. The news he intended to announce was indeed monumental, but compared to that supreme being falling, it naturally paled in comparison. Now that this fellow had brought it up, everyone's expectations had been raised. Announcing it now wouldn't feel quite as explosive. "Ahem, that person has not fallen. However, the Heavenly Venerable mentioned that she... suffered non-negligible injuries!" The gold-robed man announced, sitting upon his chair of burning flames. "What? She... was injured?" The Mythological experts present were stunned. After all, beings of that caliber rarely showed themselves in the mortal realm, let alone sustained injuries. It was fair to say that even if an ordinary Yang God died in battle, it would not impact Moon Goddess Palace nearly as much as that supreme being being wounded. "How she was injured is a classified secret that I cannot know. However, the information is absolutely certain. Taihuang Palace and Moon Goddess Palace have waged war for a million years, and Taihuang Palace now holds the upper hand. That person... has suffered wounds. Therefore, fellow Daoists may consider joining forces with my Taihuang Palace to conquer Moon Goddess Palace together! Of course, you may relay this news to your Heavenly Venerables!" The gold-robed man said proudly. The purpose of holding the Taihuang Conference was to unite with other factions, secure resources, and besiege Moon Goddess Palace. Most importantly, it was to induce the Yang Gods backing these factions to enter the fray and take the field in earnest. Now that the master of Moon Goddess Palace was injured, it presented the perfect opportunity. "She possesses a Creation Treasure, yet she could still be injured!" one Mythological expert exclaimed in shock. A Creation Treasure was what the Eccentric Painter referred to as a supreme treasure. Taihuang Palace and Moon Goddess Palace had fought for so many years, yet in the eyes of these Mythological figures, it was merely skirmishing. Taihuang Palace possessed a Creation Treasure, and Moon Goddess Palace possessed one as well; neither side could truly defeat the other. Yet now, the one wielding a Creation Treasure was actually injured. The implications behind this were unimaginable. "How she was injured is something we naturally do not know, but the report is absolutely verified. Right now, we ought to unite closely. The Heavenly Venerables backing all of you should also enter the board. Even if you do not venture into the core territory of Moon Goddess Palace, the peripheral regions... are certainly fair game." The gold-robed man said smugly. The breathing of the Mythological figures present grew heavy. Moon Goddess Palace's territory was vast and boundless. If that supreme being of Moon Goddess Palace was truly wounded, the Yang God Heavenly Venerables behind them might very well enter the fray to claim a share of the spoils. "This humble one will report this truthfully to my Heavenly Venerable. If it is true... hehe, looks like we'll have to look out for one another!" "You need not worry about the core region; our Taihuang Palace will hold the front line. All you need to do is strike the peripheral regions!" the gold-robed man said happily. Once this news spread, this Taihuang Conference would have a very high chance of succeeding. If it succeeded, Taihuang Palace would gain considerable assistance. Moon Goddess Palace would be besieged, and from there... the overall balance of power would shift drastically. Right at that moment, however, the Mythological expert who had previously guessed that Moon Goddess Palace's master had fallen spoke up again. "Why does it feel like it's getting hotter?" "This is Taihuang Palace; it's quite normal for it to be a bit hot," another Mythological expert said. "No, but... it's getting far too hot. Heavens... what is that in the sky?!" The old man suddenly looked up into the heavens, his beard trembling as sheer horror washed over his face.