Holding Xiao Jia close, Qi Yuan fed her a generous amount of snacks with his own hands.
Xiao Jia's bridal gown grew increasingly solid, yet the aura about her remained unchanged.
A flurry of complex emotions drifted through Qi Yuan's mind.
Xiao Jia belonged to the Bridal Clothes Imperial Clan.
Qi Yuan had encountered quite a few other members of the Bridal Clothes Clan. Those beings could speak, and they could take on human forms as well.
Xiao Jia was different; she existed solely in the form of a bridal gown.
Even with Qi Yuan currently possessing the combat power of a Yang God, he was still unable to change her condition.
The power of a Yang God was already terrifyingly vast. While unable to cause an ordinary stone to spontaneously awaken true sentience, awakening the sentience of an insect or a fish was effortless.
"The Upper Realm is full of talented figures; perhaps someone there can help Xiao Jia speak." Qi Yuan gazed at Xiao Jia eating her snacks with an affectionate look.
The Upper Realm was home to Yang Gods in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason. Perhaps they would understand the issue with Xiao Jia.
About an hour passed, and Xiao Jia stopped digesting the blood crystal essence; evidently, she was full.
"Let's go take a look at that... strange land. It's about time to prepare for the Upper Realm."
When the Muddled Great Tribulation fell, its chaos had transformed into a strange land situated within the Netherworld.
Qi Yuan was rather curious about that peculiar territory. However, ever since waking, he had been busy devouring the Three Thousand Realms and had not yet visited it.
A few breaths later, Qi Yuan appeared in the strange land with Xiao Jia in his embrace.
Qi Qi appeared at that moment as well. Her face was somewhat pale; clearly, her injuries had yet to heal.
In the battle against the three thousand Great Tribulations, she had also been gravely wounded. Although she and the other Netherworld deities had strived to separate the Canglan Realm from the battle, the clash between three thousand Great Tribulations and four thousand Yang Gods had taken place within his Purple Mansion, making it far too intense. Had it occurred outside the Purple Mansion, far less damage would have ensued.
"The fragments left by the fallen Great Tribulations transformed into this strange land. After your daughter's investigation, these grounds... bear similarities to Chaos. They are a kind of energy. This energy... could perhaps be utilized to sustain the operation of the Netherworld," Qi Qi reported her findings to Qi Yuan.
During this period, she had remained in the strange land, studying it. After all, her adoptive father had placed the Netherworld under her governance, so she had to thoroughly investigate any unknown region that appeared.
"It can be utilized?" Qi Yuan asked calmly.
"Yes." Qi Qi nodded vigorously, delight flickering in her eyes. "When Father restored the ruined mountains and rivers of the Canglan Realm and revived the deceased living beings, it wasn't done out of thin air—it consumed a vast amount of Netherworld energy. Much of that energy came from the Mountain and River Sheji Brush, the relocated City of No Return, Mount Jiupan, and a portion from Father yourself. The strange land formed by the Great Tribulations is actually an extremely precious source of energy, capable of reviving far more."
As Qi Qi spoke, she waved her hand and scooped up a handful of the special energy from the land.
"In the battle against the Great Tribulations, Father had a total of three hundred and twenty-seven Divine Infants shattered. If left in the Netherworld to heal on their own, it might take ten thousand years, and the Netherworld's energy would not suffice to restore them all. But using this energy makes all the difference! Only one-third of the energy here would allow Father's shattered Divine Infants to walk out of the Netherworld anew, taking no more than a single year. In fact, if more energy were expended, they could awaken in an instant!"
Qi Qi looked excited.
She understood clearly what this signified.
If such a Netherworld existed back in the Mortal Heart Realm, why would the Ancient Gods ever have feared death or battle against the New Gods? They could have sustained the war through war itself, growing fiercer the longer they fought.
This was practically the ultimate logistical base.
At this moment, Qi Yuan uncharacteristically engaged his brain: "In other words, three Great Tribulations are enough to resurrect one Divine Infant, roughly a three-to-one ratio?"
Qi Qi nodded. "That is correct."
Qi Yuan's eyes lit up, then immediately twisted in agonizing regret: "Oh no, I was far too extravagant and wasteful in the past! All those white moonlights of mine died for nothing! Ah... if only they had died in my Netherworld and turned into energy, continuing to contribute even after death, that would truly fulfill the saying: 'Some people die, yet they live on'!"
Qi Yuan was filled with remorse.
Back then, with so many white moonlights, why had he simply killed them and left them behind? He should have taken their corpses too. After all, if they were Qi Yuan's white moonlights in life, they ought to remain Qi Yuan's white moonlights in death. Otherwise, wouldn't he be failing his reputation for deep devotion?
Qi Qi felt like laughing, but being a professional, she held it in: "Father makes a good point; the corpses of slain foes are indeed of great use. However, the Great Tribulations are rather unique. It takes three Great Tribulations to gather enough energy to resurrect a single Yang God. Ordinary Yang Gods would likely require far more."
"Mosquito meat is still meat! How could I be so heartless as to let down any of my white moonlights!" Qi Yuan said passionately.
"It seems that aside from a band, a mourning crew, and a feast, I also need a corpse collection squad! Alas, I was so foolish before. Why did I leave those gentle and lovely white moonlights—even if they were a bit elderly and didn't like to bathe—exposed in the wilderness? If their bodies were eaten by wild dogs or pecked at by eagles, how painful, how wasteful would that be!"
"This time, going to the Upper Realm, I must carry forward the traditional virtue of thrift and make sure every white moonlight continues to realize their value after death!"
Qi Qi said nothing; she was all too familiar with her adoptive father's temperament. After all, back in the Mortal Heart Realm, what Ancient God had ever thought of attending the funerary feast of a New God? Her adoptive father had not only thought of it, he had actually done it.
Guided by Qi Qi, Qi Yuan inspected the Netherworld with Xiao Jia before arriving before the Gate of Myriad Manifestations.
The Gate of Myriad Manifestations could serve as an anywhere door for the world.
When enveloped in purple qi, it turned into the Gate of Ultimate Principle, enough to drive any Yang God mad with desire. If opened, it could trick Yang Gods into entering the Netherworld, where they could be ambushed. If they died, dying in the Netherworld would ensure nothing went to waste.
"What if I accidentally trick someone in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason into coming in?" Qi Yuan hesitated.
He had no concrete concept of how powerful the realm of Great Ultimate Reason truly was. If it were those True Buddhas in the realm of ultimate reason, he might dare to clash with one if they came alone. If too many came, he felt he would croak. As for the Great Ultimate Reason... they were bound to be vastly stronger.
"So my trap must be optimized. Passing through the Gate of Myriad Manifestations shouldn't just lead into the Netherworld, or it might wreck the place."
Qi Yuan pondered, once again racking his brain.
"Could Father move the other end of this gate to the void rift? That way, if you encounter an insurmountable foe, you could dump them into the void rift," Qi Qi suggested thoughtfully.
Hearing this, a spark of inspiration struck Qi Yuan, and he exclaimed with excitement, "Adoptive Daughter, as expected of someone sharing my genetic heritage! Your talent is nearly on par with True Monarch Dazhi! You've given me a great idea!"
Qi Qi's words sparked numerous thoughts in Qi Yuan.
Back in the Liufeng Realm, when he used the Key of Myriad Manifestations to open the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, he had arrived in a dead, silent universe.
Could he, then, use the Gate of Myriad Manifestations to return to the universe of his Stellar Golden Core? Could the other end of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations be set in that universe?
When that time came...
A mad glint flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes.
What if he formed a Black Hole Golden Core and aimed the other end of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations straight at the black hole? If a Yang God in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason went in... could they ever come out? If that didn't work, the moment they stepped through, thousands or even tens of thousands of Stellar Golden Cores would slam into them.
These Stellar Golden Cores were real stars, not phantoms reflecting the myriad heavens. Their might would surely be far greater.
"And if they're too strong, I'll just exile them to the other side of the universe. Yang Gods are fast, but running across an entire universe should take quite a while!"
Qi Yuan felt he was truly a genius.
If the Gate of Myriad Manifestations could truly take him to his universe, then upon facing an insurmountable foe, he could simply slip through the gate into his own universe and shut the door behind him. How would the enemy pursue him then?
Of course, this method would probably only work against ordinary powerhouses. Against someone truly overwhelming, Qi Yuan might croak before he could even step through the gate.
Looking at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, he retrieved the Key of Myriad Manifestations, his eyes flickering.
"Gate of Myriad Manifestations, you know where I want to go!"
Qi Yuan took a deep breath and inserted the key into the Gate of Myriad Manifestations once more.
With a click, the Gate of Myriad Manifestations swung open, exuding an ancient, profound, and desolate aura.
Holding Xiao Jia, Qi Yuan noticed his right eyelid wasn't twitching, so he stepped directly through the Gate of Myriad Manifestations!
"This place... really is..." Qi Yuan's gaze could no longer remain calm.
Looking ahead, an endless river of stars stretched beyond sight, profound, vast, and ancient. Even the Astral Realm across the Nine Heavens did not seem to possess a fraction of its vastness or antiquity.
Stars were burning; suns were exploding.
Suddenly, Qi Yuan's pupils constricted violently.
Far across the distant shore, a maiden in a black dress seemed to issue celestial decrees, her words carrying absolute authority. Stars drifted around the hem of her skirt, turning into its embellishments.
Formidable divine spiritual power surged as she appeared to be capturing a massive star. Her face was somewhat pale, beads of sweat rolling down her jade-like skin. Gritting her teeth, she pulled her hand inward with force.
The scorching star burned furiously; the cuff of her sleeve turned to ash before reforming anew. Her jade-like hand gripped the star tightly, seemingly attempting to refine it into a Golden Core.
Yet the star was far too immense, making the maiden's figure appear exceedingly petite.
Seeing this, a pang of heartache flashed through Qi Yuan's eyes.
Ning Tao was helping him form Golden Cores. If he formed them himself, the process was far too slow. With Ning Tao assisting, the pace could be drastically accelerated.
"Ning Tao, let me help you."
At Qi Yuan's voice, his dharma form suddenly expanded.
A colossal blood-red figure materialized. Seeing this, the black-dressed maiden on the distant shore could not suppress the overwhelming delight in her eyes.
"Husband!"
Far away, Canary, who was fanning the flames without pause, also showed secret glee in her eyes.
"Qi Yuan!"
Qi Yuan appeared, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ning Tao.
The colossal star burned furiously. It possessed no consciousness, yet its immense mass embodied resistance. Such a massive star was larger than the dharma form of an ordinary Yang God. Even a Lesser Heavenly Position Yang God struck directly by such a star would likely have their dharma form shattered.
At this moment, the Golden Core chapter of the *Qi Yuan Scripture* operated furiously.
Under the combined control of Qi Yuan and Ning Tao, the colossal star spun continuously, altering its structure until it finally condensed into a single Golden Core.
His dharma form dissipated at that exact moment.
Two soft bodies threw themselves into Qi Yuan's embrace, their tender lips passionately seeking his. Flames burned all around, yet the fire within their hearts blazed even fiercer; their incinerated garments were not conjured back into being.
Previously, Ning Tao and Canary had mostly met Qi Yuan through projections and avatars. Only now were they truly meeting him in their original physical bodies.
However, just as passion welled up in Ning Tao's beautiful eyes, she pushed Qi Yuan away.
"Husband... you must leave quickly!"
Canary looked at Qi Yuan, deep reluctance filling her gaze as well.
"Hmph, the space-time of this universe uses Husband as its anchor. In the space-time where Husband resides, a single day on earth equals a hundred years in heaven. But when Husband appears here, the space-time here becomes roughly the same as the Canglan Realm. Every moment Husband lingers is precious time wasted, which means fewer Golden Cores condensed. Facing Taihuang Palace, that would mean one less measure of certainty," Ning Tao explained earnestly.
Perhaps due to the scorching heat radiating from the Stellar Golden Core, her tender, snow-white skin flushed with crimson.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt a pang of sorrow.
He understood that Ning Tao only wanted to condense as many Stellar Golden Cores as possible before he had to face Taihuang Palace, granting him greater odds of success.
Ning Tao smiled with boundless charm: "Your servant commands the passage of years and time itself; what I lack least is time to reunite with my husband. Why wear such a face?"
Canary nodded vigorously, her smile blooming like a flower: "Tee-hee, if this young miss misses you, I can come down to play with you whenever I want!"
Ning Tao leaned close, planting a feather-light kiss on Qi Yuan's forehead.
"We are legally wedded husband and wife who have obtained our certificate. Whatever dangers or difficulties arise, we must face them together! In the Liufeng Realm, Husband helped me. Now, it is my turn to help Husband. Husband's enemies are my enemies! How could your servant leave Husband to face great enemies alone, shouldering everything by yourself, while I indulge in peace and pleasure with a clear conscience? When your servant is hurt, Husband's heart aches; when Husband is hurt, would my heart not ache as well? I, Ning Tao, am not merely the most beautiful girl in the world, but also Husband's wife—family who lean on each other."
As Ning Tao spoke, she hugged Qi Yuan tightly.
"Mm." Qi Yuan nodded firmly, emotion lacing his voice. "My luck has been a bit too good."
"Meeting each other, the luck of both of us has been wonderful."
...
Leaving the other end of the universe behind, Qi Yuan cast aside all extraneous emotion.
"Damn Taihuang Palace, going too far!"
Qi Yuan muttered, glancing up at the ten suns in the sky.
Having obtained divine techniques from the Buddha Realm, Ning Tao was working overtime to manufacture Stellar Golden Cores. By now, roughly one or two divine techniques were equivalent to a single Stellar Golden Core.
During this visit to Ning Tao, she had already stockpiled a great number of Stellar Golden Cores, though none had been projected into this world or made to reflect the myriad heavens. Otherwise, arousing Taihuang Palace's vigilance would not be wise.
Ten suns were just right.
"Time to head to the Upper Realm."
Many thoughts drifted through Qi Yuan's mind.
To actually travel to the Upper Realm, he had several paths available.
The first path was through the void rift. However, the destination in the Upper Realm reached via this route was entirely random. The Nine Heavens were far too vast; even a Yang God spending their entire life likely could not explore it completely. Thus, this path was unfeasible.
The second path was through the Canglan Realm's teleportation array. There was a teleportation array in the lair of the Great Tribulation. But that teleportation led directly to Taihuang Palace—far too dangerous. Currently, Qi Yuan still lacked a clear understanding of Yang Gods in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason. A feeble Purple Mansion cultivator like him was probably no match for that supreme figure in Taihuang Palace.
The third path, the teleportation array on the Wangyue Continent, was also impassable at the moment. When Qi Jianjun returned from fishing, she had told Qi Yuan that the teleportation array from the Wangyue Continent leading to Moon Goddess Palace had been shut down for reasons unknown. Of course, Qi Yuan did not know that this had everything to do with Moon Goddess Yuanjun being injured some time ago.
The fourth path was heading to the Buddha Realm.
Yet the fifth path was the highest priority in Qi Yuan's mind: traveling through the Wangyue Continent to the lower realm where the Black Demon Abyss was located, and ascending from there to the Fifth Heaven where the Moluo Clan resided.
The Black Demon Abyss, situated in the Sixth Heaven, was a unique faction on par with Taihuang Palace. Its internal forces were intricate and tangled, and a faction within it was locked in conflict with Moon Goddess Palace.
The Moluo Clan served two masters—one was the Black Demon Abyss, and the other was Taihuang Palace. However, the Black Demon Abyss was excessively arrogant and placed immense value on pedigree. Even though the Moluo Clan constantly fawned over the Black Demon Abyss and possessed a bloodline closely related to it in a sense, the Black Demon Abyss could barely be bothered to acknowledge them. Only then did the Moluo Clan gradually lean toward Taihuang Palace to find themselves a new patron.
"I'll go check out the Moluo Clan first. A portion of the enemies in the Demon Abyss where Jin Li currently resides belong to the Moluo Clan."
Chapter 406