Entering the Black Demon Abyss, the Linya Molt

"Is the Jiang Family still poor now?" Draped in a blood-red robe, Qi Yuan descended, peerlessly handsome. His striking appearance deeply moved Jiang Ruhua. How had he never realized before that this senior was handsome enough to shake the heavens and earth? "With Senior here, the Jiang Family is not poor!" Jiang Ruhua declared without batting an eye or missing a beat. Still, remembering how he had once relentlessly pursued the Blood-Robed Sword God made his face burn with embarrassment. Fortunately, Senior Blood-Robed Sword God hadn't cared. Otherwise, if Senior had merely unleashed a flicker of his aura back then, Jiang Ruhua would probably have been utterly finished. Just then, Qi Yuan swept his gaze across the area. In this once-ordinary city, one could hardly find many cultivators of the Purple Mansion realm back in the day. Now, with a simple sweep of his divine sense, he detected more than a dozen Yin Gods. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Qi Yuan. "Staying in the Netherworld, in a sense, means you're being kept in captivity by me. It must be tough on you all." Back then, these people had been kept in captivity by the Great Tribulation, their lives and deaths held in its grip. Now, the Great Tribulation had fallen, yet the threat of Taihuang Palace still loomed. These people could not leave the Canglan Realm, nor could they ascend to the Upper Realm. To some extent, only the owner of the pasture had changed—to Qi Yuan. "Captivity? I'm living just fine in the Canglan Realm!" Jiang Ruhua replied without a second thought. After all, as a Divine Infant True Monarch, continuing to live in the Canglan Realm was no different from before. The surrounding Yin Gods, upon hearing Qi Yuan's words, all blanched. "Senior has granted us life and salvation, rebuilding our very existence! How could we dare harbor any complaints?" These Yin Gods were terrified, worrying that Qi Yuan had some hidden meaning behind his words. Hearing this, Qi Yuan's expression remained calm. Was this the legendary peril of walking beside a sovereign like walking beside a tiger? He had merely spoken off the cuff, yet they were all speculating with the utmost caution. "Senior's will is the will of the Canglan Realm, and our will as well," a Yin God Venerable said respectfully, falling just short of carving the word "loyalty" onto his forehead. "Don't be like this. I'm a very democratic person, and I have no ambition to be some despotic emperor. Besides, being an emperor is exhausting. You can't even go listen to music in pleasure houses. It really doesn't suit someone with social anxiety like me." With Qi Yuan's current strength, if he could return to the Blue Star, ruling as a tribal chieftain or an emperor wouldn't be a problem at all. Yet if he were asked to be one, he wouldn't do it. Moreover, he had no interest in "poverty alleviation." Back on the Blue Star, he had never even won an argument on the internet. If he saw a "bro" driving a Range Rover, he would probably die of jealousy. The Yin God Venerables present exchanged glances at this scene. They carefully weighed Qi Yuan's words, but found them very difficult to comprehend. Over this past period, these Yin God Venerables had thoroughly discussed the Blood-Robed Sword God's personality and character in private. After all, he was the master of Canglan, a towering mountain looming over their heads. Yet though spit had flown during their heated debates, they had reached no clear conclusion. Because they had arrived at a terrifying deduction: This Blood-Robed Sword God acted bizarrely... There was... something wrong with his head! Yet... how could a cultivator at the Yang God realm possibly have a mental illness or be deranged? After all, when such a grand figure even broke wind, there had to be profound meaning behind it—he was playing chess on a cosmic scale. Therefore, their best strategy was simple: flatter him, fawn over him, and just play along with whatever "crazy" persona the Blood-Robed Sword God was projecting. "Emperors are arbitrary tyrants... oppressing the common folk! How could they possibly be mentioned in the same breath as Senior!" the palace master of Dao Seeking Palace flattered immediately. "Indeed! How could a mere title like 'emperor' ever be worthy of describing Senior?" The other Yin Gods joined in the flattery. Qi Yuan listened, feeling light and airy with satisfaction. No wonder ancient emperors loved sycophantic courtiers—it really sounded pleasant. "Ahem, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Everyone is equal. Why shouldn't an emperor be worthy of being compared to me? Oh, right. The atmosphere in the Canglan Realm still isn't quite right. We need to keep reforming it until everyone lives in harmony!" Qi Yuan said earnestly. "Otherwise, hearing foul language every day really ruins my mood." "As you command!" The rest of the Yin Gods bowed hurriedly. As for what Qi Yuan had said earlier about democracy or having no desire for despotic rule, they treated it as though they had never heard it. Wasn't forcibly purifying the culture of the cultivation world the very definition of authoritarian despotism? *** "The Black Demon Abyss is divided into seven divisions. The region I belong to is the Ziyuan Division." Horned Sis wore a purple robe, her figure tall and straight, bearing an unruly, wild smile. After picking Qi Yuan up from the Demon Abyss, she brought him toward the headquarters of the Black Demon Abyss. "Every division has at least one Great Ultimate Principle... Your Black Demon Abyss is this strong?" Qi Yuan was astonished. One had to know that the Moon Goddess Palace only had two Great Ultimate Principles. Taihuang Palace seemed to have only three as well. And yet, the Black Demon Abyss had at least seven. How could he not be surprised? "Humph! Aside from the Ultimate Principle Society, our Black Demon Abyss has the most Yang Gods of the Great Ultimate Principle realm in the entire Sixth Heaven—a whole nine of them!" At the mention of this, Ziyuan Daxue puffed out her chest, her face brimming with pride. "In that case, wouldn't the Black Demon Abyss be even stronger than Taihuang Palace? Why don't you get someone to help me wipe out Taihuang Palace? Otherwise, I'm under immense pressure, and I can't sleep at night." Qi Yuan blinked, his eyes sparkling like little stars. Clinging to a powerful backer and living off a sugar mommy truly was wonderful. "Ahem..." Ziyuan Daxue felt a bit awkward. "The old ancestors of the Black Demon Abyss aren't your real fathers. Why on earth would they help you?" In truth, although the Black Demon Abyss had many Great Ultimate Principles, in terms of combat power, it was noticeably weaker than Taihuang Palace. The paramount figure of Taihuang Palace had comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle. Though the Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss were Great Ultimate Principles, they were no match for someone who had grasped a Supreme Ultimate Principle. The rank of the ultimate principle one comprehended determined their combat strength. Among ordinary Great Ultimate Principle experts, though there were differences in the ranks of principles they grasped and thus differences in combat prowess, the gap was not overwhelming. While one could defeat the other, they could not annihilate them! In the Sixth Heaven, a Great Ultimate Principle was already the pinnacle. Immortal and indestructible, their physical bodies and divine souls were diamond-hard and impervious to decay. Even if stars collapsed, their bodies remained unharmed. One could even say they were incapable of killing themselves. Even peers of the same realm wielding Creation Treasures could only defeat or suppress them, never obliterate them. However... A Great Ultimate Principle expert who had comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle could break this iron rule and execute a Yang God of the Great Ultimate Principle realm! "If I become their father, will they help me?" Qi Yuan pondered aloud. Ziyuan Daxue couldn't hold it together anymore and felt a bit frightened. "You're truly reckless! How dare you say such things? Aren't you afraid... an ancestor might hear you? We're already within the borders of the Black Demon Abyss!" "Anything is possible. What if... I really am their father?" Qi Yuan laughed heartily. In this world, anything could happen. For instance, "I am the father of the Black Demon Abyss's ancestors" was just one among myriad possibilities. Ziyuan Daxue looked at Qi Yuan with a complicated gaze. "How long have you been sick?" At first, she had merely thought Qi Yuan had a unique personality and was quite interesting. Genius, after all—blessed with powerful bloodlines, it was normal to be eccentric. Now it seemed this wasn't uniqueness; this was an illness! "What illness? How did you know I caught the poverty sickness? What, do you want to keep me as a kept man?" Qi Yuan fired off three questions in a row, blinking innocently. "Humph! Your big sis is about to become a Yang God who reflects upon the heavens. Supporting you... is a piece of cake," Ziyuan Daxue bragged grandly. However, remembering that Qi Yuan regarded the paramount figure of Taihuang Palace as a mortal enemy, she added: "Though I'd much rather be your concubine." Ziyuan Daxue grinned cheekily. "You look pretty, and your daydreaming is just as pretty!" Qi Yuan was speechless. "You really don't think you can take down that person from Taihuang Palace, do you? Besides, I'm almost a Yang God! A Yang God! A Yang God wants to be your concubine and warm your bed, and you're still dissatisfied? Just what is your cultivation level anyway?" Ziyuan Daxue grumbled indignantly. Qi Yuan was struck dumb by her words, flushed with deep embarrassment. "I am... at the Purple Mansion realm," he replied crestfallen. Indeed, he was only a Purple Mansion cultivator. The Number One Purple Mansion of the Divine Light Sect. The title sounded imposing enough, allowing him to throw his weight around in the Land of a Hundred Nations—sleeping with princesses, empresses, empress dowagers, or even the emperor whenever he pleased. Yet placed in the Upper Realm, it seemed rather weak. "Come on, is it really that fun pretending to be weak? Isn't your true cultivation just at the Great Venerable level anyway?" Ziyuan Daxue cursed under her breath. Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt even more mortified. Projecting the strength of a Great Venerable on the surface was only to make traveling the cultivation world easier. He had originally hoped to enjoy the perks of being superior to others. Yet here he was, getting insulted even as a Great Venerable. Alas, he was merely at the Purple Mansion realm, lacking even the backbone to argue back. In the end, he sighed helplessly. "Sigh, the culture of the cultivation world is just terrible. Clearly everyone is equal, so how can you discriminate against a humble Purple Mansion like me?" Unable to win through cultivation realms, Qi Yuan could only seek the moral high ground. "I can't be bothered talking to you." Ziyuan Daxue was in high spirits. Only now could she bully Blood Robe a little. Given Blood Robe's bloodline talent, once he entered the Black Demon Abyss, the treatment he would receive would surely surpass hers. What's more, he might become an Ultimate Principle in the future, or perhaps... even higher. "Alright, we've arrived at Ziyuan Heaven. Come on, and don't speak carelessly. If an ancestor senses it, we'll be in endless trouble!" Ziyuan Daxue said softly, and her figure vanished. At the same time, beyond the sky canopy of Ziyuan Heaven, two pairs of eyes pierced through countless spaces, sizing up Ziyuan Daxue and Qi Yuan. "Old Sixth, is this the fledgling you just recruited? He looks quite ordinary." The speaker was the Third Elder, one of the Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss. His entire body was shrouded in darkness, with only a pair of eyes visible. Within that darkness, the Great Dao seemed to circulate and ultimate principles were engraved, causing anyone who took a single glance to sink into it, unable to look upon him directly. "His bloodline is anything but ordinary. His ceiling... reaches up to us. He can become a Great Ultimate Principle," Ancestor Ziyuan said, a smug look in his eyes. "A Great Ultimate Principle..." The Third Elder's gaze turned deep. "Indeed, he is good material." Such a bloodline was already among the very finest in the Black Demon Abyss, enough to make the Black Demon Ancestral Blood boil. "Lately, destiny seems to be smiling upon our Black Demon Abyss." An astonished expression appeared in Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes. "In the main lineage, Hei Jian's bloodline... is utterly monstrous." "He is Master's painstaking creation, our Black Demon Abyss's reliance... to face the Linya Molt!" Mentioning this, the Third Elder's face grew solemn. His master was the First Elder, one of the Seven Elders of the Black Demon Abyss, and also the number one person in the Black Demon Abyss. "The Linya Molt..." At the mention of this, Old Sixth's face shifted repeatedly. "Even powers as mighty as Taihuang Palace and the Moon Goddess Palace cannot completely withstand the Linya Molt. Hei Jian... can he really do it?" "At least, if he comprehends a Supreme Ultimate Principle, we will have some backing when facing the Linya Molt, won't we?" the Third Elder said, his tone laden with sighing emotion. "The Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference is about to begin, and Hei Jian will attend. Before that, the eight of us will gather to assist Hei Jian in shaping his blood and elevating his comprehension, helping him attain a Supreme Ultimate Principle as soon as possible!" Old Sixth nodded. "Agreed." Shaping blood and elevating comprehension required refining a certain medicinal pill, which would deplete a fair amount of vitality even for beings like them. Still, this was to create a Great Ultimate Principle who grasped a Supreme Ultimate Principle; such a sacrifice was necessary. "That fledgling you've taken a liking to isn't bad either. If any dregs remain from the pill we refine, we can give them to him. Once he becomes a Great Ultimate Principle in the future, he can serve Hei Jian and enjoy Hei Jian's protection alongside us," the Third Elder said indifferently. Hearing this, Ancestor Ziyuan grew displeased. "Blood Robe is the Demon Child of our Ziyuan Heaven, after all! Why should he eat dregs? Absolutely not! He must receive the same treatment as Hei Jian. His talent's ceiling is also a Great Ultimate Principle—why should there be such a disparity?" "Even among Great Ultimate Principles, there are differences," Old Third replied flatly. "He must have it! Dregs won't do, or else I won't participate in refining this pill! At most... this old man will forfeit my share of Black Demon Ancestral Blood for the next ten thousand years!" Old Sixth shouted and clamored, showing none of the composure befitting a Great Ultimate Principle Yang God. Old Third cast another glance at Ancestor Ziyuan, rather surprised. Black Demon Ancestral Blood was extraordinarily precious even to beings like them. Growing suspicious, he asked with a grave expression, "Old Sixth, tell me honestly: is the ceiling of his bloodline... not merely that of an ordinary Great Ultimate Principle?" Otherwise, how could the notoriously stingy Old Sixth ever give up ten thousand years' worth of his Black Demon Ancestral Blood share? "Heh heh, it's just an ordinary Great Ultimate Principle, far inferior to Hei Jian," Old Sixth chuckled slyly, wearing a wretched grin. The Third Elder narrowed his eyes, his aura abruptly shifting into something far deeper. His gaze pierced through the sky canopy and settled on Qi Yuan in Ziyuan Heaven, as though seeking to see right through him. Yet he soon shook his head. "Ziyuan Heaven is your domain; this old man cannot see a thing. Once he leaves Ziyuan Heaven, his aura will surely be masked by you. Sigh..." Old Third said with some reluctance. "It seems you truly struck gold. In all likelihood... he is second only to Hei Jian." "He is indeed inferior to Hei Jian," Ancestor Ziyuan said, sounding rather leisurely. "Humph! He's only inferior to Hei Jian and you're still dissatisfied? That means he surpasses the nine of us elders! In the Sixth Heaven, his talent would rank in the top ten!" As Old Third mentioned this, his eyes gleamed. How many Great Ultimate Principles who grasped a Supreme Ultimate Principle existed in the Sixth Heaven? The Third Elder's expression turned solemn. "Indeed... this matter must not be leaked. Otherwise... if our Black Demon Abyss were to produce two Great Ultimate Principles who comprehended Supreme Ultimate Principles... You were right to conceal it. Very good. Once news of Hei Jian got out, many gazes fell upon our Black Demon Abyss. If Blood Robe... It just so happens that I am presiding over the Blood Shaping and Comprehension Elevation this time. I will secretly set aside a third for him. Don't speak a word of this to anyone, and as for your share of Black Demon Ancestral Blood, I won't reserve it for you." "A third is too little!" "Humph! Hei Jian's talent should be the greatest in the Sixth Heaven. No matter how strong this Blood Robe is, at best he would be on par with that person from Shenluo Heaven. How could he compare? Unless you have him challenge Hei Jian. If he wins, how about this old man secretly intercepts two-thirds for him?" "You..." Ancestor Ziyuan flared up. "Having a Great Venerable challenge a Yang God—do you have no shame at all?" "This matter is settled!" With those words, the Third Elder's figure dissipated and vanished. Beyond the sky canopy, only a single dark shadow remained. After an unknown span of time, a sharp glint flashed deep within Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes. He muttered to himself: "The greatest in the Sixth Heaven?" "Old Third, oh Old Third, you really ought to open your eyes and look at the whole world."