Ziyuan Daxue offered a light, teasing smile. "Little Sister Xiaolu is very kind and gentle. As for An Xunlu... well, she has a loose tongue, is intensely jealous, and loves bad-mouthing people behind their backs. You'd better watch out for her."
"Ziyuan Daxue, I don't just love bad-mouthing people behind their backs, I love bad-mouthing them to their faces too!"
An Xunlu glared daggers at Ziyuan Daxue, the killing intent rolling off her completely undisguised.
This only confirmed Qi Yuan's suspicion that there was something wrong with the bloodline of Ziyuan Heaven. The cultivators here were all a bit unhinged.
Cultivators from places like Moon Goddess Palace and elsewhere were far more normal. On the surface, at least, they were courteous and polite.
"Hmph. You just arrived in Ziyuan Heaven and were immediately placed at the head of us Demon Scions. I'd love to see what you're actually capable of!"
An Xunlu was clearly ruthless and decisive, acting like a sudden thunderstorm.
Qi Yuan blinked at the scene.
*Now this feels like the cultivation world.*
His past encounters in cultivation had felt too friendly. For instance, when he visited the Jiang Family this time, not a single insignificant punk had jumped out to provoke him.
"What realm are you in? I'll lower my cultivation to match yours so you can't claim it was unfair."
"I'm in the Purple Mansion realm," Qi Yuan answered earnestly.
An Xunlu's face flushed crimson with rage. "Shameless!"
This man had no shame at all! Pretending to be in the Purple Mansion realm!
"I really am in the Purple Mansion realm. I'm not lying," Qi Yuan said with a straight face.
Standing nearby, Ziyuan Daxue burst into laughter at An Xunlu's exasperation. "I can testify! He truly is in the Purple Mansion realm."
"Hmph!" An Xunlu's chest heaved in anger, revealing a generous expanse of fair skin. She flicked her sleeves, stomped her foot, and flew away.
The sight left Qi Yuan disappointed. He had wanted to see what kind of standard a "Purple Mansion" cultivator from a major power possessed.
Ziyuan Daxue narrowed her eyes and asked suggestively, "Fair, aren't they? Big, right?"
"Huh?" Qi Yuan was somewhat baffled, not grasping what she meant.
"Hers... want to have a taste?"
"...Hey, could you not act like such a female hooligan?" Qi Yuan's forehead broke out in black lines.
Were the people of the Black Demon Abyss completely out of their minds?
Beside them, Ziyuan Xiaolu blushed bright red and clutched the hem of her robes. If not for her shyness, she probably would have covered her ears.
"Big Sis was just joking. Don't go daydreaming—even if you wanted to, you wouldn't get the chance. The one An Xunlu likes... is Hei Jian." Mentioning Hei Jian brought a rare solemnity to Ziyuan Daxue's face.
"Hey, stop spreading lewd rumors about me! I never had any thoughts about... doing whatever to An Xunlu!" Qi Yuan was speechless.
The people in the Black Demon Abyss were far too good at fabricating rumors!
Still, this sort of thing was common on the Blue Star as well. A typical case: someone makes a post asking, *"Is so-and-so impotent?"* Soon after, others start posting, *"I heard so-and-so is impotent."* And just like that, the rumor succeeded.
Even so, that usually took time to brew. Ziyuan Daxue fabricated rumors without even laying the groundwork.
Qi Yuan figured the Ziyuan Clan must only survive having such loose tongues because their bloodline was so strong.
"Sigh, you have no sense of humor. Big Sis only said all that to bring up Hei Jian."
"Wait a second. How do you know the word 'cells'?" Qi Yuan blinked.
*Could she be a fellow transmigrator?*
"We in the Black Demon Abyss study bloodlines. Is coining the word 'cell' really that strange?" Ziyuan Daxue looked at Qi Yuan as though he were an uncultured bumpkin.
Hearing that, Qi Yuan understood at once. As Yang Gods, if their vision couldn't rival a microscope, that would truly be pathetic.
"Put in some effort, cultivate the Ancestral Blood Art diligently, and suppress Hei Jian," Ziyuan Daxue said seriously. "That fellow is called the Light of the Black Demon Abyss. Big Sis is quite the rebel, and I can't stand the sight of him."
Hei Jian was acclaimed as the number one prodigy of the Black Demon Abyss, a figure capable of becoming a Great Ultimate Principle.
Furthermore, he wouldn't be an ordinary Great Ultimate Principle, but one who comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle, like the paragon from Taihuang Palace.
In all the years since the Black Demon Abyss had become a Hegemon of the Sixth Heaven, they had never produced a Great Ultimate Principle who comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle. That was why they valued Hei Jian so immensely.
Prodigies like Ziyuan Daxue had also been indoctrinated with the idea that once they stepped into the Yang God realm, they should take Hei Jian as their leader. Naturally, she refused to accept that.
"Horned Sis, don't worry. You helped me last time, so next time I'll help you deal with Hei Jian," Qi Yuan said, thumping his chest.
"You actually took that seriously?" Ziyuan Daxue said, exasperated.
Still, remembering that Blood Robe viewed the paragon of Taihuang Palace as his rival, it was only natural for him to look down on Hei Jian.
"I was only saying that. Don't actually go looking for trouble with Hei Jian. That man is terrifying. He's... a disciple of the Black Demon Prime Ancestor. Even our own old ancestor has to address him as Junior Brother when they meet." Ziyuan Daxue's expression turned grave.
The Black Demon Prime Ancestor was the First Elder among the Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss, and most of the remaining eight elders were his disciples. Hei Jian's seniority was higher than all of theirs.
Ziyuan Daxue shrugged. "Your cave abode is just ahead, so Big Sis won't go in. Conveniently, Ziyuan Xiaolu is very virtuous and skilled at chores, so let her tidy it up for you."
With that, Ziyuan Daxue yawned and took her leave.
Though the old ancestor thought highly of Blood Robe, Ziyuan Daxue understood that no matter how potent Blood Robe's bloodline was, it couldn't surpass Hei Jian's. The Black Demon Ancestral Blood... was limited.
In the open expanse, only Qi Yuan and the shy Ziyuan Xiaolu remained.
"Pink Horn Sis, I'll leave the cleaning... to you!" Qi Yuan looked at Ziyuan Xiaolu with a gentle expression.
Ziyuan Xiaolu blushed, seemingly flustered by the nickname. Lowering her head, she whispered, "Okay."
She then flew toward Qi Yuan's steel cave abode. In an instant, tens of thousands of Ziyuan Xiaolus appeared in the air, dispersing into various corners of the steel structure.
Watching this, Qi Yuan rested his hand on his chin with a grave expression, seemingly pondering a matter of utmost importance.
Finally, after dozens of breaths, excitement lit up his face.
*If I abducted Ziyuan Xiaolu to the Blue Star, sent part of her clones to screw bolts in electronics factories to rake in cash, and sent the rest to live as vagrants in a certain country, wouldn't she eat that country out of house and home?*
The more Qi Yuan thought about it, the more he admired his own brilliance. He had discovered yet another massive business opportunity.
This left him quite thrilled.
Soon, he put the thought aside. Overthinking easily led to overexcitement and insomnia.
He entered the tidied cave abode and settled in. Pulling out the Ancestral Blood Art, he examined it carefully.
[This is a bloodline leap cultivation method containing several flaws. If corrected at..., cultivation speed can increase by more than a hundredfold.]
Qi Yuan's eyes reverted to their old routine, spotting the manual's flaws at a glance.
He also gathered more information about the Ancestral Blood Art.
*The Myriad Dao Martial God actually contains a special bloodline as well.*
*Yet the Devouring Primordial Physique... doesn't.*
When Ziyuan Daxue had approached him, Qi Yuan had entertained many guesses. He initially assumed the Devouring Primordial Physique granted by the Holy Mother of Inedia was an exceptionally special bloodline. As it turned out, it was the Myriad Dao Martial God.
*So cultivating this Ancestral Blood Art can enhance the potential of my Myriad Dao Martial God bloodline, thereby raising my strength?*
Qi Yuan grew thoughtful.
Since returning from the Arch Star, his progress as a Myriad Dao Martial God had stalled. The martial path had seemed to reach a dead end. Now, he had found a way to elevate it once more.
Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
*The Myriad Dao Martial God seems to value bloodlines more.*
*The immortal path values comprehension and dao paths.*
These were two distinct paths.
*The Myriad Dao Martial God won't turn me into a musclebound meathead, will it?* Qi Yuan hesitated.
Then he considered that he had already swallowed a star whole. His dharma idol body was already an absolute meathead.
*Time to adapt the Ancestral Blood Art and cultivate!* Without another thought, Qi Yuan began earnestly modifying the manual.
Outside the steel cave abode, Ziyuan Xiaolu's tens of thousands of clones were still casting various spells to clean with meticulous care.
Inside, Qi Yuan closed his eyes and began to work.
Three days passed before Qi Yuan opened his eyes.
A wisp of black swirled within his gaze.
Surprise showed on his face. "The Ancestral Blood Art is this strong?"
After modifying the art, he cultivated rapidly and, through his own hard work, finally stepped into the first layer.
The moment he broke through, he realized the immense power of this technique. His cultivation as a Myriad Dao Martial God had surged... twofold! It was terrifying!
"Didn't they say advancing as a Yang God is harder than ascending to heaven? How is it this easy?"
Qi Yuan was in high spirits.
Just the first layer was this formidable. Once he reached complete mastery, wouldn't he easily crush Great Ultimate Principles? Or even higher beings?
However, Qi Yuan halted his cultivation for now. He felt somewhat drained from overexertion and needed to rest. One had to balance work and rest.
To make an imperfect analogy, this cultivation consumed a specific kind of blood cell; once depleted, one had to wait for them to regenerate before continuing. This constraint genuinely existed, though ordinary cultivators of the Black Demon Abyss never ran into it. After all, they cultivated too slowly.
"Let's see what gift their old ancestor gave me."
Only then did Qi Yuan recall that Ancestor Ziyuan had sent him a small gift. He opened the storage bag handed to him by Ziyuan Tan, peering inside cautiously. One couldn't be too careful with gifts from a Great Ultimate Principle.
In an instant, a drop of pitch-black blood met Qi Yuan's gaze.
It exuded an overwhelmingly terrifying aura, as if its mere fall could crush an entire planet to dust. Qi Yuan sensed an intense feeling of danger. Through this single drop, he seemed to behold a supreme powerhouse.
"This is..."
[Black Demon Ancestral Blood: The source of the Black Demon Abyss clan's bloodline, a bloodline treasure, blood left behind during the metamorphosis of a certain being.]
The brow over his left eye twitched wildly, signaling that this was an exceptional treasure without danger.
"Smells amazing..."
Qi Yuan felt a twinge of hunger. He swallowed half the drop in a single gulp, leaving the other half behind. He didn't consume the rest because... he was full.
Instantly, a profound sense of fullness washed over him, and his vitality surged once again. Innumerable transformations unfolded within his body. He felt his physical form growing noticeably sturdier. Even without immortal spiritual power to protect himself, a slap upside the face from a past enemy wouldn't hurt in the slightest.
"I feel terrifyingly strong right now!"
"I could eat a hundred million steamed white buns in one sitting without even a sip of water!"
"No wonder my well wanted to swallow Black Demon Ancestral Blood—it's a supreme tonic!"
"Coming to the Black Demon Abyss was definitely the right choice. It's truly a blessed land for me!"
Qi Yuan's gaze was profound and filled with anticipation. Brimming with energy, he felt like sprinting a few laps around the Blue Star.
Yet doubt soon crept in. Why was the old ancestor of Ziyuan Heaven treating him so well? When things were abnormal, there had to be a reason!
Pondering this, Qi Yuan flashed out of the cave abode's bedroom.
Not far away, Ziyuan Xiaolu had her head lowered, the pink horns on her head glowing as she repeatedly rammed against a door, resembling an ox plowing a field.
"Pink Horn Sis!" Qi Yuan called out.
Ziyuan Xiaolu halted her movements and jogged over, panting lightly. "Senior Brother Blood Robe, what is it?"
Blood Robe was the head of the Five Demon Scions, so addressing him as Senior Brother was only proper.
"I want to ask you about something important in secret. Make sure you don't tell anyone!" Qi Yuan said with a solemn face.
Ziyuan Xiaolu nodded vigorously, feeling a bit of joy inside. This senior brother trusted her after all. Clenching her small fists, she leaned closer. "Please speak, Senior Brother Blood Robe."
"I want to ask: does that old ancestor of Ziyuan Heaven have any long-lost family members out there? Like his dad... or his ancestor or something?" Qi Yuan voiced his suspicion.
The question left Ziyuan Xiaolu utterly bewildered. "This... Junior Sister really doesn't know."
How could a mere Mythological figure like her know the private affairs of an exalted being like Ziyuan Heaven's old ancestor?
"Why is Senior Brother Blood Robe asking this?" Fear tinged Ziyuan Xiaolu's heart, though confusion dominated. Discussing the old ancestor on Ziyuan Heaven's soil was dangerous; if the ancestor wished, he could sense it at any moment.
"Didn't the old ancestor give me a meeting gift?" Qi Yuan asked suspiciously.
"Ah?" Ziyuan Xiaolu remained baffled, with a faint hint of envy.
"The gift he gave me is a bit too precious. I'll let you take a secret peek, but don't tell anyone!"
As Qi Yuan spoke, he lifted a corner of the storage bag.
Ziyuan Xiaolu leaned in, her eyes widening into perfect circles. "Black! Demon! Ancestral! Blood!!"
Her mind reeled in utter disbelief.
This was Black Demon Ancestral Blood! Even Yang Gods of the Ultimate Principle Realm were not entitled to it unless they had rendered monumental contributions to the Black Demon Abyss. Only beings on the level of the Nine Elders held a quota.
Yet... it had been given to Blood Robe? How could she not be stunned?
Qi Yuan's next words shattered her composure completely.
"Since Black Demon Ancestral Blood is so precious, your old ancestor must have a reason for giving it to me. I strongly suspect I might be a long-lost ancestor of your Black Demon Abyss," Qi Yuan mused solemnly.
As for being Ancestor Ziyuan's son? Out of the question. Both his parents had died when he was young. Since he wasn't someone else's son, there was only one truth: he was someone else's ancestor! Otherwise, why would anyone treat him so well for no reason?
Ziyuan Xiaolu blinked, licking her moist lips in sheer shock. Looking thoroughly aggrieved, she replied, "Senior Brother Blood Robe... I really don't know about such things."
She didn't dare entertain Qi Yuan's words. If the old ancestor found out, a single fit of wrath would finish her.
"Sigh..." Qi Yuan sighed. "I won't put you on the spot."
Ziyuan Xiaolu let out a breath of relief. "Senior Brother Blood Robe, please never speak recklessly about this. If the old ancestor overhears... I'm afraid... Also, Xiaolu's lips are tightly sealed, so please rest assured!"
Qi Yuan nodded. "Mm. Go back to cleaning. I'll take a look outside."
With that, Qi Yuan vanished.
He planned to ask Ziyuan Daxue, An Xunlu, and other cultivators in Ziyuan Heaven whether the old ancestor had given him the Black Demon Ancestral Blood because he was the old ancestor's long-lost secret dad.
Humans were naturally curious, and Qi Yuan was no exception.
Meanwhile, beyond the sky canopy, Ancestor Ziyuan's body twisted as his ultimate principle laws knotted into a tangle. Since the conversation between Qi Yuan and Ziyuan Xiaolu concerned him, it naturally hadn't escaped his perception.
*What is wrong with your... head!*
*How could you even think that!*
He was ancient, having lived through untold eras. How could he possibly have a long-lost father or ancestor wandering the outside world?
Yet suddenly, a thought struck him, and his gaze turned doubtful.
*Could he... really be my little ancestor?*
Chapter 429