Senior, What Is Your Son-in-Law's Name?

Heavenly fire incinerated the heavens, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered, the sun and moon lost their light... No words could ever describe this battle. Having stepped into the Purple Mansion realm, setting aside nominal cultivation levels and speaking strictly of combat prowess, Qi Yuan had reached the pinnacle of a Great Heavenly Position Yang God. Back on Arch Star, merging with four thousand Divine Infants, he had slain Dongjun, a half-step Ultimate Principle Realm cultivator. Naturally, this was partly because Dongjun's trump cards had been utterly useless against him. In terms of pure divine spiritual power and the might of his dharma idol body, he was even stronger than a Lesser Ultimate Principle Realm Yang God. Now, charging ahead of gods and buddhas alike, he plunged straight into the three thousand Great Tribulations. The slaughter raged on! Blood flowed like rivers! Primal chaos tore apart! As far as the eye could see, enemies, nothing but enemies! Since reaching Origin Core, Qi Yuan had never fought a battle of such intensity. A demon in the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll dispatched with a single sword slash? Could the demonic monstrosities outside the City of No Return withstand even one strike? Now, facing three thousand Great Tribulation origin bodies, the clash raged until the world frayed. There were no instant kills, no slaying foes with a single stroke! It was entirely a clash and contest of pure divine spiritual power! Qi Yuan, who had not been wounded in ages, suffered injuries in this battle. Fragments of primal chaos from the Great Tribulation origin bodies continuously tumbled into the Netherworld, coalescing into an extraordinary domain. Among Qi Yuan's four thousand Divine Infants—once innate deities—some were besieged by the Great Tribulation origin bodies, shedding blood and sinking into the Netherworld. "Kill!" Qi Yuan's eyes had long turned blood-red. Clad in scarlet armor, he charged into the Great Tribulation origin bodies, slaying any god or buddha in his path! Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique! Dying Radiance! Tyrannical Strength! He unleashed all three grand skills in turn. He held nothing back! The battle was brutal beyond measure. Perhaps because the Great Tribulation was muddled and primordial, it lacked any sense of retreat. Even though Qi Yuan's side held an overwhelming advantage, outnumbering and outmatching the foe, not a single Great Tribulation origin body flinched, panicked, or fled. They were like ruthless war machines, fighting with all their might. Because of this, despite being at a disadvantage, the Great Tribulation showed no signs of breaking, continuing to meet the myriad innate deities with its fiercest might. The battle lasted ten full days. Across those ten days, the war between heaven and earth never ceased. None of the cultivators or mortals could glimpse even a fraction of the fighting; they could only judge by the crimson light and the formless primal chaos. The crimson grew ever more vibrant, while the primal chaos steadily dwindled. All the cultivators breathed a sigh of relief, while the mortals were shaken to their souls, numbed yet accustomed to it. In the void, the scarlet armor on Qi Yuan had long faded away. Dressed in a long robe, he was drenched in blood from head to toe. That blood came partly from himself, and partly from his Divine Infants. Before him, only the strongest few of the muddled Great Tribulations remained. Their eyes showed no trace of fear or despair. "Do you have any final lines to recite?" Qi Yuan asked, surging with murderous intent. The battle had been so ferocious that even his suona troupe and mourning squad had been forced to take up arms and join the fray. Qi Yuan's Divine Infants had burned themselves out as well. The Six Imperial Sovereigns stood behind Qi Yuan, towering and noble, manifesting boundless bodies. The muddled Great Tribulations finally spoke, their voices ringing in eerie unison: "Strength itself is a tribulation!" "The Nine Heavens have no true future!" "Can you... truly eliminate the Great Tribulation?" A chilling undertone ran through the Great Tribulation's voice. Hearing this, Qi Yuan was somewhat speechless. "I damn well shouldn't have let you speak. Playing the riddler with me, are you?" The muddled Great Tribulations' expressions remained unchanged, devoid of any fear of death. Just then, Qi Yuan chuckled. "Heh, anyone else might have been rattled by your cryptic nonsense and wracked their brains over it. But I'm sorry to say, I was born... without any love for thinking. I checked my brain at the door ages ago! Why bother overthinking? As long as I'm strong enough, even the Great Tribulation will have to massage my feet!" "Kill!" Boundless divine spiritual power erupted in an instant. The slaughter commenced once more, only to end half a quarter of an hour later. The entire sky turned a solid canopy of blood-red. This crimson was the hue of Qi Yuan's robe, as well as the blood of endless Divine Infants. The sky became a singular red, and the primal chaos finally vanished without a trace. Countless cultivators and common folk gazed up at the heavens. The sounds of slaughter and roaring thunder abruptly ceased. Divine spiritual power vanished, leaving behind dead silence. The sky seemed to turn into an ancient battlefield; the earlier carnage felt like merely a projection of history, a fleeting dream of mortal life. "Is it over?" "Did we... win?" Countless cultivators and mortals looked up into the sky, some weeping tears of joy. When they had watched the Great Tribulation devour other worlds alive, dread had gripped them. Safety in numbers did not mean disaster would spare the individual. Many mountains and rivers had shattered; many cities had been shaken to rubble. Their false sense of security had been bloodily torn apart, yet now, it had been upheld by that solitary blood-clad figure! Countless cultivators rejoiced, shouting in celebration: "The Blood-Robed Sword God!" "Qi Yuan slays the Great Tribulation!" Yet there were also Great Venerables and Yin Gods whose shocked expressions shifted into worry. Would this Canglan Realm... now belong to Qi? A glimmer of wisdom shone in True Monarch Dazhi's eyes. "Ordinary mortals love to worry about the sky falling, unaware that the world's worries are endless. Once you cultivate immortality, worrying is worse than not worrying at all." At this moment, high in the firmament, Qi Yuan, clad in his blood-red robe, looked exhausted. In this battle, a total of 327 Divine Infants had shattered, with around 3,700 wounded. Now, all the Divine Infants had returned to his body. As for the Canglan Realm, the collateral damage from this battle had claimed hundreds of millions of lives. Qi Yuan looked toward the Netherworld and sighed softly. "Fortunately, I left marks on everyone beforehand. Given enough time, the Divine Infants can revive, and the dead... can be remade as well." Prior to the battle against the Great Tribulation, Qi Yuan had traveled unhurriedly across the Canglan Realm, dyeing its sky red. He had visited mountains, rivers, and even insects, leaving marks upon all living beings. That way, even if the creatures of the Canglan Realm were shaken to death by the shockwaves of the great battle, they would be restored. Of course, this revival could not isolate marks like the ones from Taihuang Palace. Even if revived, the mark would remain. Furthermore, if they died because of that mark, not even the Netherworld could bring them back. Therefore, for now, the Canglan Realm could only reside within his Purple Mansion, sealed off from the outside world. "I'm so tired." In this moment, Qi Yuan felt an endless, overwhelming fatigue. Four thousand Divine Infants had fought with everything they had. All their mental exhaustion converged upon him alone. "All Beings Are Me." Innate deities turned into Divine Infants; in a sense, those Divine Infants were him. Thus, his exhaustion from this battle was the culmination of every Divine Infant's exhaustion. His injuries in this battle were likewise the culmination of every Divine Infant's wounds. He was more exhausted than ever before—even more tired than when beating that old man in Dijue. "Time to go back... and catch some shuteye." Qi Yuan glanced around. The fragments of the muddled Great Tribulation had formed a bizarre, wondrous domain. If this were in the past, he would have definitely rushed over to investigate what lay inside. Now, he was simply too tired, too sleepy; he needed to sleep. The blood-red light vanished at that moment, and the red in the sky of the Canglan Realm faded away as well. The sun and moon illuminating the heavens, and the starry expanse that had drifted like fireflies across his scarlet armor, all disappeared. In the sky of the Canglan Realm, only ten suns remained visible. Inside the pavilion, Jiang Lingsu seemed to sense something. Gathering up her skirt, she flew toward that blood-red figure. A rich stench of blood clung to him, completely unmasked. In the blood-red figure's eyes lingered exhaustion and a daze. "Eldest Senior Brother!" Jiang Lingsu looked at him covered in blood and filth, her eyes filled with delight and heartache. "I'm so sleepy... going to take a nap," Qi Yuan murmured, his voice faint, as if he could collapse into slumber at any second. Exhausted to the limit, his tightly strung nerves finally relaxed a little. "Sleep," Jiang Lingsu said, looking at her senior brother, her hand instinctively taking his. She adjusted her position, sitting down on the threshold and leaning her back against the doorframe. Qi Yuan closed his eyes and naturally lay down, resting his head upon Jiang Lingsu's lap. The moment he closed his eyes, he was asleep. Jiang Lingsu held Qi Yuan, shifting slightly to make him more comfortable and give him a softer rest. She looked down at Qi Yuan's handsome face beneath all the blood and grime, watching him intently in silence. Qi Yuan kept his eyes closed and slept deeply, breathing faintly. Sunlight slanted under the eaves, falling across Qi Yuan and Jiang Lingsu and casting a lovely play of light and shadow. The world grew serene and still. After an unknown time, a sudden voice boomed like thunder: "Where's that brat Qi Yuan hiding? This old master has arrived!" Jiang Ruhua had finally reached Fengtian Domain and flown up to the pavilion. Looking over, he saw the young man and woman sitting at the threshold. The young man wore a blood-stained robe, covered in gore, fast asleep in the girl's embrace. Frantic, he was about to speak when he heard Jiang Lingsu's soft, airy voice, laced with mild reproach: "Keep it down. Eldest Senior Brother is asleep, Father." Seeing this scene, all the fury Jiang Ruhua had worked up melted away. "Sigh..." He sighed, and his figure vanished. His daughter had spoken to him in that tone, even putting "Father" at the very end of her sentence; how could he play the villain now? Once that brat woke up, he would definitely smack him upside the head! Just because you share a name with that Blood-Robed Sword God and took some wounds doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! Jiang Ruhua grumbled as he left, quietly taking a seat in the restaurant tavern hall below. "I have to admit, that brat shares quite an affinity with the Blood-Robed Sword God. Both named Qi Yuan, both wearing blood-red robes," Jiang Ruhua muttered, sipping his liquor. Naturally, he did not believe Qi Yuan was the Blood-Robed Sword God who had resisted the Great Tribulation, nor had he ever connected the two. First, the Blood-Robed Sword God was far too distant a figure; second, a being of that caliber wouldn't have sat on a flying vessel listening to him boast back then. After all, in Jiang Ruhua's imagination, such exalted figures engaged in bitter cultivation spanning tens of thousands of years, dwelling in immortal realms and drinking heavenly dew. Mortal emotions and desires? Those had surely been severed long ago. What virtue or talent did his daughter possess to catch the eye of the Blood-Robed Sword God? "Sigh, a grown daughter can't be kept at home," Jiang Ruhua muttered, drinking gloomily alone. Yet as he drank, he felt something was off. For some reason, cultivators kept arriving at this tavern one after another. How did he know they were cultivators? Because every one of them appeared quietly, without making a sound. After arriving, these cultivators didn't converse either. Instead, they brought out their own wine and sipped it slowly. Even as a Divine Infant True Monarch, Jiang Ruhua hadn't sensed their arrival in advance. Jiang Ruhua couldn't help marveling, "Fengtian Domain truly is a grand domain; you bump into powerhouses at every turn." As he drank, he didn't even dare smack his lips with relish as he used to. The cultivators in the tavern were all drinking in complete silence, without a peep. This made Jiang Ruhua feel a bit embarrassed and ashamed. He resolved that once he got back, he would definitely write *Jiang Ruhua's Fengtian Domain Travelogue* to document the impeccable manners of Fengtian Domain cultivators. Yes, with no waiter around, high-ranking cultivators came in to drink and didn't make a peep. Such great manners. Just then, two men and a woman—all cultivators—approached Jiang Ruhua. The leader sent a voice transmission: "Brother, may we take a seat beside you?" As he spoke, he glanced around at the other tables. Jiang Ruhua looked too, and was suddenly startled. Without realizing it, the place had filled up completely? Business in Fengtian Domain was this good? Should he expand the Jiang family's businesses here? "Certainly," Jiang Ruhua replied quickly via voice transmission. The cultivators here were so well-mannered that he didn't dare make noise either, resorting to voice transmission as well. Upon receiving this answer, Wang Lingtong sat down with Wang Lingshan and their companion. At this moment, all three wore expressions of anxiety. "You cultivators from the big domains certainly have great manners," Jiang Ruhua transmitted, his tone wistful. Hearing this, Wang Lingtong's eyes showed a trace of worry before he replied, "You are far more carefree, brother, living so leisurely." "Carefree my foot!" Jiang Ruhua fumed at the mention. "Do you know my daughter was abducted by some punk? Today she even threw a tantrum at me because of him. It's driving this old master mad!" Wang Lingtong was dumbfounded. Weren't all the cultivators here to pay respects to the Blood-Robed Sword God? Why was this fellow muttering about family drama? "A married daughter is like spilled water," he could only offer casually by way of comfort. "Hmph! This old master traveled ten thousand li from the Eastern Lands. If he wants to marry my daughter, once that brat wakes up, this won't be settled until I smack him upside the head!" Jiang Ruhua was full of grievances. While the great battle raged in the sky, every cultivator had feared for their own survival. He had worried for his daughter while keeping his family in mind. Having traveled halfway, he had pressed on to Fengtian Domain anyway. Wang Lingtong was somewhat at a loss for words. He wanted to say: *Brother, everyone came here to pay respects to the Blood-Robed Sword God, so stop fretting over personal affairs.* "Hit him, he deserves it!" Wang Lingtong comforted him anyway. "Sigh, unfortunately that brat is pretty strong, one realm higher than this old master. If he hits me back, it'll be a bit embarrassing." By this point, Jiang Ruhua had shifted from complaining to bragging. It was as if he were saying: *See that? My son-in-law is quite impressive.* "Cultivation realm means nothing. How could there be any principle in this world allowing a son-in-law to raise a hand against his father-in-law? If he dares lay a hand on you, brother, I shall step forward to stop him!" Wang Lingtong said offhandedly. "You're right. Ah, people from big domains are so reasonable. If this were near my family's territory and so many high cultivators gathered together, they'd have started arguing and fighting long ago," Jiang Ruhua said, sweeping his gaze across this crowd of "well-mannered" senior cultivators. Wang Lingtong was speechlessly exasperated. *Brother, are you pretending to know what's going on?* *That very person is right upstairs. Which of these Great Venerables would dare raise their voice? Don't you see those two Great Venerables over there? They've been mortal enemies for a hundred thousand years, yet having come here, they had to set aside their feud.* Wang Lingtong said no more, settling down to wait in peace. After an unknown time, Jiang Ruhua's eyes suddenly lit up. "Brother, my son-in-law is coming down! This old master is going to teach him a good lesson right now. If he hits me, you have to back me up!" Tipsy from the liquor, Jiang Ruhua felt a bit light-headed. Slapping him upside the head had only been tough talk, of course. He wouldn't embarrass his own family in public. Still, giving him an earful was unavoidable. Wang Lingtong froze, utterly bewildered. *What do you mean...?* *Your son-in-law is upstairs?* "Bro—Senior, what is your son-in-law's name?" Waves of shock surged through Wang Lingtong's heart.