Perhaps knowing that another parting was imminent, Jin Li talked far more than usual.
"Your identity as the Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable must never be exposed!"
"Mm," Qi Yuan nodded with a smile.
Nowadays, whenever he fished for Yang Gods, he tricked them into the Netherworld to slaughter them.
Thus, no one would connect him to the Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable.
As long as he did not reveal his origins from the Moon Gazing Continent or employ his Stellar Golden Core in battle, nobody would ever discover that he was the Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable.
"I'll see you out." Deep reluctance to part lingered in Jin Li's eyes.
"Look, what's this?" Qi Yuan suddenly produced a piece of jade in his palm.
This piece of jade looked remarkably similar to the Exquisite Jade Tide.
Over the past few days, Qi Yuan had instructed the Divine Infant to forge it so that it would form a pair with the Exquisite Jade Tide in Jin Li's hands.
Although an ordinary communication jade slip was more than enough for them to converse, a sense of ceremony was still important, and the Exquisite Jade Tide held extraordinary meaning for Jin Li.
"Shall we swap Exquisite Jade Tides?" Qi Yuan gave the jade in his hand a light shake.
This custom-made Exquisite Jade Tide came with additional functions, enough to safeguard Jin Li's life.
"All right!" Jin Li beamed, accepting Qi Yuan's Exquisite Jade Tide.
A while later, the two departed from the great hall.
Time spent together was always fleeting. Jin Li still looked somewhat anxious and unsettled, feeling as though she were living in a dream.
Only by pinching her palm and feeling the slight sting of pain could she find a measure of reassurance.
"Eldest Miss!"
Not long after they stepped out of the hall, an armored woman exuding an aura of slaughter strode toward them.
Her expression was cold, edged with urgency.
Seeing the newcomer, Jin Li's demeanor turned chilly, worlds apart from when she was beside Qi Yuan.
"What is it?"
As Jin Li spoke, she leaned against Qi Yuan like a bird nestling close.
She seemed to be declaring through her actions that this was her man.
The armored woman before them was impressively a Yin God.
Her status was rather unique.
In the Moon Goddess Palace, there existed entities known as Yue Nü Clans.
This woman was a member of the very clan Yue Nü Jin Li hailed from.
Jin Li's parents had perished long ago; her clan had sent her to the Moon Goddess Palace, where she eventually rose to become a Yue Nü.
Consequently, her clan had become a Yue Nü Clan, enjoying lavish privileges and benefits.
"Eldest Miss, I heard that you intend to renounce your status as a Yue Nü!" The armored woman spoke with respect, yet shot a hostile glance toward Qi Yuan.
It had not been easy for their clan to produce a Yue Nü.
It was precisely because of Jin Li that their clan had enjoyed wealth and glory for over ten thousand years.
"Should this matter... not be considered more carefully? The clan elders... might have objections!" the armored woman said through gritted teeth.
Facing Jin Li, she felt a trace of trepidation.
"If an elder has objections, then he can step down as elder and make room for someone else." Jin Li's tone was entirely unyielding.
The armored woman stiffened. She had never expected Jin Li to be so unbending, leaving no room for compromise.
She desperately wanted to argue further.
After all, if Jin Li lost her Yue Nü status, the resources allocated to their clan would plummet, and their privileges would dwindle.
"Eldest Miss, if you forfeit your Yue Nü status, I fear... it will be exceedingly difficult for you to ever step into the Yang God Realm!" the armored woman could only press on through gritted teeth.
At the same time, her glare toward Qi Yuan grew increasingly unfriendly.
Bewitched by a pretty face!
The Eldest Miss favored a handsome man over power and status.
"Whether I remain a Yue Nü is my own affair." Jin Li stood firm.
Truth be told, everything the clan possessed today had been bestowed by her.
Now, they were merely losing those extra privileges.
It was only natural for them to harbor grievances.
It was like handing a beggar a hundred yuan every day; the moment you stopped, the beggar might furiously demand, "Where's my money?"
"He will be my Dao companion," Jin Li declared solemnly, holding Qi Yuan tight.
The armored woman felt utterly disheartened. "Eldest Miss, the clan's interests are a minor matter, but your... future..."
Before Jin Li could respond, Qi Yuan stepped forward.
"My left eyelid is twitching, which means Jin Li's future with me will be exceptionally bright," Qi Yuan said with supreme confidence.
Following the Moon Goddess Palace's nurturing, Jin Li could indeed step into the Yang God Realm.
But the realm of Great Ultimate Reason?
That was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Putting everything else aside, if he placed Jin Li inside the Gate of Ultimate Principle to visualize for several million years, she would have no rival across the Sixth Heaven.
Such was the might of the Sixth Heaven's number one Creation Treasure.
Therefore, following him gave Jin Li a far better future than being some damned Yue Nü.
The armored woman was bewildered and at a loss for words.
She placed little faith in Qi Yuan's claims.
After all, across the Sixth Heaven, factions stronger than the Moon Goddess Palace were few and far between.
Even if Jin Li went to other major factions, she would not necessarily receive such treatment.
Thus, the woman strongly suspected Qi Yuan had swept the Eldest Miss off her feet with sweet talk.
Of course, this was only suspicion; lacking evidence, she could not say it aloud.
"Since you're Jin Li's family, you're my family too," Qi Yuan said amiably. "Losing the Yue Nü status might diminish your perks. But... I have a secret fortune-making tip to share with you in confidence. Don't let it slip."
The armored woman froze, looking deeply suspicious.
A fortune-making tip?
Jin Li chimed in, "His words are as my own."
She stood firmly on Qi Yuan's side.
"Then please... elaborate, Young Master!" Though bewildered, the armored woman spoke respectfully.
To be frank, she didn't believe a word of Qi Yuan's claim about making a fortune.
Qi Yuan transmitted his voice directly into her mind: "I have inside information that the Moluo Clan is about to croak. Take this chance to borrow Immortal Jade from them. Once the Moluo Clan kicks the bucket, you won't ever have to repay the jade!"
The Moluo Clan and the Moon Goddess Palace were actively at war, but subordinate factions under both sides still conducted trade. War was war, trade was trade.
If all else failed, Jin Li's clan could partner with other forces and borrow Immortal Jade from the Moluo Clan under another name.
At these words, the armored woman was utterly dumbfounded.
What Qi Yuan proposed was pure lunacy.
The Moluo Clan wiped out?
Borrowing Immortal Jade?
Both sounded completely unhinged.
Although the Moluo Clan acted like subservient lackeys to the Taihuang Palace and the Black Demon Abyss, they were hegemons of the Fifth Heaven.
Within the Sixth Heaven, the Moluo Clan's power ranked solidly in the top thirty.
How could such a colossal behemoth suddenly be eradicated?
Unless a holy land overseen by a Great Ultimate Reason intervened, who could possibly destroy them?
Moreover, the Moluo Clan possessed a Creation Treasure, the Moluo Well. Even if outmatched by a Great Ultimate Reason, they could carry the Moluo Well, flee to the First Heaven, and go into hiding.
Hence, holy lands with Great Ultimate Reason experts wouldn't bother inviting such trouble upon themselves.
Above all, regarding such a monumental matter—how on earth did he know?
"Don't worry. Even if the Moluo Clan isn't completely wiped out, their vitality will be severely crippled. You won't need to worry about repaying the Immortal Jade you borrow," Qi Yuan added.
He had plenty of experience with this sort of thing.
Back then, he had teamed up with Iceberg Overlord Woman to borrow spirit stones from the Palace of Light.
Now, he was simply switching the target to the Moluo Clan.
The armored woman looked torn. Were it not for the Eldest Miss standing right beside them, she would have blurted out: Are you joking?
Qi Yuan's words were sheer fantasy, impossible to take seriously.
If Moon Goddess Yuanjun were truly resolved to wipe out the Moluo Clan, she would formulate an elaborate plan and strike with thunderous force to crush them.
Before the Moluo Clan fell, there was no way such news would leak—let alone be disclosed just so someone could go borrow Immortal Jade.
To an organization like the Moon Goddess Palace, what was a bit of Immortal Jade worth?
A leak of information was what truly invited disaster.
What Qi Yuan said was far too frivolous and absurd.
Seeing her hesitation, Jin Li said seriously, "Do not leak a word of this. Go back now and urge the elders to borrow Immortal Jade from the Moluo Clan!"
Jin Li was no longer the weak empress of the past; her actions were swift as lightning and decisively resolute.
Seeing this, despite a hundred doubts churning within her, the armored woman answered, "Understood."
Ever since the Eldest Miss returned from the mortal realm, her temperament had transformed, turning assertive and uncompromising.
"The more, the better," Jin Li added.
She wasn't worried about leaking information through this.
After all, even if Qi Yuan said this straight to Moluo Heavenly Venerable's face, the venerable wouldn't believe it.
What holy land would go around borrowing Immortal Jade before wiping out another holy land?
Qi Yuan looked at the armored woman and grinned. "Rest assured, stick with me and I guarantee you'll live like kings—feasting well, pork at every meal, and an extra egg in your noodles!"
Armored woman: "..."
...
Leaving the territory of the Moon Goddess Palace, Qi Yuan felt a faint touch of melancholy.
"Sigh, back to being an actor again."
"Holy crap, I've just discovered one of the world's top ten unsolved mysteries!"
"How strange. Who's the director? Who's the producer? Why haven't they paid my acting salary?"
"Who owes me money?!"
Qi Yuan was speechless.
Out of nowhere, he realized someone out there owed him money, and worst of all, he didn't even know who it was, which frustrated him immensely.
Still, now was not the time to dwell on that.
He had to begin his performance.
Within Jueyue Abyss, a terrifying aura descended.
A massive eyeball shrank abruptly and fled into the immortal cave.
The Yin Gods guarding Jueyue Abyss instantly sensed a horrifying, chilling aura.
Their faces drained of color, realizing a major event had transpired.
At that moment, a vast voice rang in the ears of every Yin God:
"Activate the grand array! Full defense!"
"This Venerable shall enter seclusion! No disturbances permitted!"
Hearing that commanding voice, most Yin Gods of the Moluo Clan turned pale or grim.
Murmurs and voice transmissions erupted everywhere.
"Did Heavenly Venerable...?"
"Mythological Feng Kui and several other lords seem to have been missing for days..."
"Something massive is brewing!"
Although Heavenly Venerable Motong's sneak attack on the Moon Goddess Palace had been conducted covertly without leaking information, the disappearance of several Mythological experts and Great Venerables in Jueyue Abyss left unmistakable traces.
In particular, they had previously felt tremors from the direction of the Moon Goddess Palace, suggesting Yang God-level figures were active.
Coupled with Heavenly Venerable Motong entering seclusion and activating the defensive array, they could vaguely piece together what had happened.
Everyone's expression turned grave and anxious.
Inside Heavenly Venerable Motong's immortal cave, Qi Yuan lurked, his aura unstable as though heavily wounded.
"This giant eyeball really is hideous."
"Sigh, no wonder modern actors hate wearing ugly makeup and playing clowns. If not for my grand plan, why would I endure the humiliation of playing a giant eyeball?"
This time, Qi Yuan had formulated an elaborate plan.
The plan was dubbed "Sending the Well Home."
It was divided into three steps.
To ensure the success of this plan, he had even specially summoned Lord Buddha Wutian, who held the Buddha Realm.
It was safe to say that the detail and rigor of this plan ranked easily among the top three Qi Yuan had ever devised.
Just substituting beams for pillars to bring in Lord Buddha Wutian was no less brilliant than Han Xin openly repairing the gallery roads while secretly sneaking through Chencang.
Han Xin was hailed as the God of War, so Qi Yuan felt he deserved the title of "Immortal of Schemes"—he made such marvelous plans!
Step one: Use the Gate of Ultimate Principle to lure all the Moluo Clan's Heavenly Venerables in the Demonic Abyss inside and slaughter them.
Step two: Sneak into the Fifth Heaven when no one was looking, repeat the trick, and lure the Moluo Clan's Heavenly Venerables there inside to slaughter them.
Step three: Bring the well back home.
His family's well had wandered far and wide, destitute, lonely, and enduring all sorts of abuse; it was high time it returned home to enjoy life.
Or so Qi Yuan reasoned.
Meanwhile, he continued refining the plan in his mind.
Before long, a vast aura permeated Jueyue Abyss.
Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes, composed his expression, and murmured, "Heavenly Venerable Moheng, since you're here, do come in."
The moment the words left his mouth, a towering aura rose within Heavenly Venerable Motong's immortal cave.
A phantom image of Heavenly Venerable Moheng manifested, staring at Qi Yuan in astonishment. "Motong, what happened to you?"
Heavenly Venerable Moheng was one of only three Ultimate Principle Yang Gods belonging to the Moluo Clan stationed in the Demonic Abyss, and on quite good terms with Motong.
"Alas, I fell for that old hag Longyue's scheme!" Qi Yuan's voice came out raspy, his eye burning with hatred. "She actually sacrificed a Vice Guardian and destroyed a trace of authority over the Secluded Bamboo Waning Moon just to lure me into a trap!"
Qi Yuan spoke with fury.
Inside the immortal cave, chains rattled incessantly, and space itself warped unstably.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Moheng grasped what had transpired. "Motong, you acted too rashly this time!"
Heavenly Venerable Motong had clearly walked into Longyue's plot and lost many subordinates.
"Are your injuries severe? Does Jueyue Abyss need reinforcements?" Heavenly Venerable Moheng asked.
Motong's pupil dilated sharply as his aura flared: "I am not injured! Nor does Jueyue Abyss require any reinforcements!"
Heavenly Venerable Moheng's expression remained unchanged.
Heavenly Venerable Motong had always been arrogant, domineering, and obsessed with saving face.
"Just make sure not to lose Jueyue Abyss," Heavenly Venerable Moheng remarked before his figure vanished.
Inside the cave, Qi Yuan sat upon the throne, eyes narrowed. "My acting was pretty good, wasn't it?"
Meanwhile, outside Jueyue Abyss, Heavenly Venerable Moheng's phantom figure hovered in concealment, his gaze deep and pensive.
"Motong... seems somewhat different from before."
As an Ultimate Principle Realm Yang God, Heavenly Venerable Moheng's keen perception far surpassed ordinary cultivators.
"I am stationed too far from here to keep a constant watch on Motong. That is troublesome."
Moheng pondered.
He vaguely sensed something was amiss with Heavenly Venerable Motong.
"Right, Mochi is nearby. I can seek him out and have him keep an eye on Motong." Having formed a plan, Heavenly Venerable Moheng set off toward Duanyue Abyss.
Chapter 422