"Motong?"
High in the vault of heaven, Heavenly Venerable Shenxue, the founding ancestor of the Mixed Blood Sect, glared at Heavenly Venerable Motong with eyes that seemed ready to split, his aura terrifyingly intense.
Heavenly Venerable Motong was an Ultimate Principle Yang God of the Moluo Clan.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue was also in the Ultimate Principle Realm. Though deeply wary, he did not shrink back simply because of Motong.
"This old man demands an explanation for this matter! Why did you slaughter my granddaughter for no rhyme or reason?!" Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's baleful aura surged heavily.
He, too, was an Ultimate Principle Yang God and had his own temper.
He had to have an explanation for this.
"How was it for no rhyme or reason? Your granddaughter's appearance offended my eyes. I was in a foul mood, so I casually struck her dead," Heavenly Venerable Motong replied placidly, utterly shameless.
By this time, many Mythological experts and Yang God Heavenly Venerables in the surrounding void had noticed the disturbance and were hiding in the shadows to watch the fun.
"You..." Heavenly Venerable Shenxue erupted in towering fury.
He, too, was an Ultimate Principle Yang God and did not fear Heavenly Venerable Motong all that much.
"Do you not know how many eyeballs I have?
"Your granddaughter might not offend someone else's eyes as much—ordinary people only have two eyes, after all. But I'm different. I have ten billion.
"When an eyesore is multiplied by ten billion, it becomes a grave matter."
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue fumed, "If I am not given an accounting for this matter, I am not finished with the Moluo Clan!"
"An accounting? Haven't I already given you one?" Heavenly Venerable Motong said indifferently.
Nearby, Qi Yuan looked on with envy.
His own silver tongue couldn't even match his Divine Infant's.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's eyes churned with intense murderous intent. "Once the Ultimate Principle Dao Discussion Conference concludes, I shall battle you in Beyond Heaven!"
He issued a direct challenge.
At these words, the spectating Yang Gods and Mythological experts were shaken.
"He actually issued a challenge!"
"Heavenly Venerable Shenxue is genuinely enraged!"
"There's a good show to watch now!"
"Heavenly Venerable Shenxue does have some backbone after all!"
"Both are in the Ultimate Principle Realm. If Heavenly Venerable Shenxue backed down, how could he show his face in the future?"
"Even if he loses, he only loses a bit of face. It's not like the Moluo Clan can surround and kill him, can they?"
After all, Heavenly Venerable Motong belonged to the Moluo Clan.
The Moluo Clan's power far exceeded that of the Mixed Blood Sect, and they even possessed a Creation Treasure.
Thus, when Heavenly Venerable Shenxue issued the challenge, the Heavenly Venerables present were somewhat astonished.
Yet it was also understandable. If Shenxue backed down now, people would point at his back and mock him.
Even if he lost the duel, it would hardly matter; the Moluo Clan was merely an ordinary Ultimate Principle force and posed no real threat to Shenxue's life.
Heavenly Venerable Motong's expression did not waver as he answered calmly, "Very well."
Beyond Heaven was a peculiar curious land.
When Yang Gods dueled, they usually chose Beyond Heaven.
The other Yang God Heavenly Venerables grew quite excited upon hearing this.
After all, it meant entertainment.
Duels in Beyond Heaven were exceedingly rare.
The last time a Yang God fell was when a Great Ultimate Principle expert from Black Demon Abyss struck down a Yang God of Guiyu Heaven.
It had happened so fast, however, that none of them had caught a glimpse of it.
Now that two Ultimate Principle powerhouses were set to clash, they naturally intended to spectate.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's face darkened, his gaze sweeping over Heavenly Venerable Motong. "Now you can leave, can't you? Or do you intend to protect the ants down there as well?"
He truly had no way to deal with Motong right now, but he had to slaughter those ants below to vent his rage.
In the cultivation world, there were only three kinds of people: ants, Daoist friends, and seniors.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan immediately grew disgruntled. "Do you have no respect for the law? This clearly has nothing to do with me!
"The one who killed her was Heavenly Venerable Motong, and I don't even know him!
"It's not like I called him here. Why are you implicating the innocent?"
Qi Yuan was thoroughly displeased.
Not only was this Heavenly Venerable Shenxue morally bankrupt, he had no regard for the law.
"What does my killing a few ants have to do with you?" Heavenly Venerable Shenxue hadn't expected Qi Yuan to talk back, and replied coldly.
He turned his gaze back to Heavenly Venerable Motong. "If you do not leave, I shall strike right now!"
Shenxue was issuing a warning.
If two Ultimate Principle Yang Gods clashed, Motong would never truly be able to shield those people below.
"You're being completely unreasonable! We have to be reasonable!" Qi Yuan said in frustration.
In all heaven and earth, reason was paramount.
Qi Yuan always conducted himself by his own principles and reason.
"Reason? Hmph, bullshit reason." Heavenly Venerable Shenxue snorted disdainfully, his mighty aura sweeping outward as he prepared to strike at Qi Yuan.
Hearing Shenxue's words, Qi Yuan's mind stirred slightly.
For some reason, facing Heavenly Venerable Shenxue at this moment gave him a feeling akin to facing Horned Sis.
He, too, felt a sense of powerlessness.
If... he were merely Qi Yi, would reason and the law... fail to protect him right now?
He felt as though his brain was about to expand again.
Just then, a light chuckle drifted over: "Shenxue, this person... you cannot kill."
An Ultimate Principle Yang God appeared, refined in demeanor and wearing a smile.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue looked at the newcomer, wariness surfacing on his face. "What? Isn't your Buddha Realm hostile toward the Moluo Clan? Are you going to stick your nose into this as well?"
The Ultimate Principle expert who had appeared was a Yang God from the Buddha Realm.
Evidently, though, he did not recognize Qi Yuan.
"This matter has nothing to do with the Buddha Realm. This poor monk merely wishes to remind you that the fellow before you happens to be a prodigy from Black Demon Abyss."
"Black Demon Abyss?"
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's expression shifted slightly.
If it were the Moluo Clan, he dared to contend with them.
But the Black Demon Abyss of the Sixth Heaven... was someone he dreaded.
After all, any casual Great Ultimate Principle expert could easily slay him.
"Hmph, so what if it's Black Demon Abyss? Does that mean my granddaughter died for nothing?" Heavenly Venerable Shenxue glared at Qi Yuan. "He will come back to my Mixed Blood Sect! Unless Black Demon Abyss gives me an explanation, they can forget about taking him back!"
His voice was booming and overbearing, but it already carried a note of retreat.
It simply meant he would no longer kill the boy, but Black Demon Abyss would have to come redeem him.
"This is Blood Robe of Black Demon Abyss, the darling treasure of that esteemed figure in Ziyuan Heaven. What... do you intend to take him away too?" The great monk's eyes held a teasing smile.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's expression changed abruptly. "He's Blood Robe?"
His expression turned mercurial.
If it were any other prodigy from Black Demon Abyss, he would dare take him back.
Yet the one before him was Blood Robe.
Not long ago, Blood Robe had killed a prodigy from Guiyu Heaven, and a Yang God from Guiyu Heaven had gone to Black Demon Abyss demanding compensation.
In the end, that Great Ultimate Principle powerhouse in Ziyuan Heaven intervened personally, employing grand methods to obliterate that Guiyu Heaven Yang God.
At that time, the Sixth Heaven was shaken.
Even Heavenly Venerable Shenxue had witnessed that scene in the Astral Realm, and his soul had trembled.
Ancestor Ziyuan had slain a Yang God in anger over Blood Robe!
And the fellow before him... was Blood Robe?
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue was suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place.
If it were any other Black Demon Abyss prodigy, he would dare take him away, but this one... he truly did not dare.
He was terrified that the moment he abducted Blood Robe, Ancestor Ziyuan would descend between realms and slaughter him shortly after.
He wasn't afraid of the Moluo Clan, but he was genuinely terrified of a Great Ultimate Principle.
Such an entity could easily snuff him out.
At this moment, his face showed hesitation and awkwardness.
He truly dared not take Blood Robe away.
"Hey, whether I'm Blood Robe or not isn't important. What's important is that your granddaughter's death has nothing to do with me!
"I don't know this Motong at all, and I didn't tell him to kill your granddaughter! I'm innocent, understand?" Qi Yuan shouted toward Heavenly Venerable Shenxue.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's lips twitched, his face terribly dark.
If he hadn't known the person below was Blood Robe, he might actually have believed it.
Who didn't know that the Moluo Clan was a dog of Black Demon Abyss?
If Blood Robe encountered trouble and told an Ultimate Principle of the Moluo Clan to act, would that expert dare refuse?
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue forced an awkward smile. "Perhaps... I made a mistake?"
"You really did make a mistake! Heavenly Venerable Motong and I don't know each other at all—today is the first time we've even met!" Qi Yuan said earnestly.
Shenxue's expression shifted repeatedly.
He wanted so badly to point out that when he first arrived, this Blood Robe had claimed not to know Heavenly Venerable Motong yet had called out Motong's name in the very next breath.
"So this matter truly has nothing to do with me.
"Granted, your granddaughter actually threatened me, saying she would drag me back to the Mixed Blood Sect and drain my blood. Even so, I was being reasonable the whole time and harbored no killing intent.
"Her death has nothing to do with me," Qi Yuan said earnestly, looking entirely like an innocent white lotus.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue's complexion twisted again and again before he squeezed out, "This old man was mistaken."
Many of the surrounding Yang Gods couldn't help letting out muffled chuckles upon hearing this.
Blood Robe's explanation only made it worse—every word was like a slap across Shenxue's face.
"Since you know you were mistaken, don't you think you should apologize to me and pay some compensation?
"Your granddaughter was preparing to kidnap me and drain my blood.
"Even though she didn't succeed, that's called an attempted kidnapping."
Qi Yuan held out his hand, asking for compensation.
Shenxue's face looked uglier than if his entire clan had perished.
He glared at Qi Yuan, finally gritted his teeth, and tossed a storage bag into Qi Yuan's hands.
"Here is your compensation."
With that, he turned and left without looking back, clearly having no face left to linger.
Watching this, some of the surrounding Yang Gods laughed, while others sighed in contemplation.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue had dared to challenge an Ultimate Principle Yang God to a duel over his granddaughter, yet he didn't dare lift a finger against Blood Robe, a mere Yin God.
An Ultimate Principle Yang God, even in the Sixth Heaven, stood at the apex, yet he had been humiliated like this.
Heavenly Venerable Motong's figure faded away, and the spectating Yang God Heavenly Venerables dispersed.
Heavenly Venerable Fengling descended, looked at Qi Yuan, and gave a slight bow: "Greetings... Daoist friend."
Though he was a Yang God, facing Blood Robe—a junior—he addressed him with deference as an equal.
He had never imagined this affair would draw out a renowned prodigy of Black Demon Abyss.
Before Blood Robe, he dared not show the slightest discourtesy.
In particular, seeing an overbearing Ultimate Principle like Heavenly Venerable Shenxue swallow his pride and endure such humiliation before Blood Robe made Fengling even more courteous.
Qi Yuan looked at Heavenly Venerable Fengling and said indifferently, "This is my sister. I plan to talk over a few things with her and Yu Mengxian. Would that be all right?"
Heavenly Venerable Fengling's eyes widened. He hadn't expected the ordinary Qi Yi to have such a connection.
"Of course." He tactfully took his leave, giving Qi Yuan, Qi Yi, and the others their privacy.
Once Heavenly Venerable Fengling departed, Qi Yuan looked at the two of them and said calmly, "Right now, I am Blood Robe of Black Demon Abyss. Don't leak my identity."
"Understood," Yu Mengxian nodded hastily.
Qi Yi did the same, though confusion filled their hearts.
"All right, that problem's solved." Qi Yuan spread his hands. Recalling something, he asked, "By the way, do you know how to get to Arch Star? I can't remember if I turned off the lights at home. Did they run up a huge electric bill?"
Yu Mengxian was taken aback, then said, "The path to Arch Star... is gone.
"After leaving Arch Star, this concubine could no longer return."
"Gone?" Qi Yuan was somewhat disappointed.
How could Arch Star just be gone?
"It vanished. There is only a void there now," Yu Mengxian said, looking equally bewildered. "When this concubine was on Arch Star, Zero-One entrusted an item to me to pass on to Senior."
As she spoke, Yu Mengxian produced something resembling a memory card.
"Zero-One gave this?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up as he took the memory card.
At that moment, his consciousness linked with the card.
Immediately, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his ears.
"Master, when you hear this message, Zero-One knows not where it will be, nor when it will see Master again.
"Regarding Arch Star, Master likely still has unresolved questions.
"Arch Star... is merely a dream, an illusion, an emptiness, the thought of a supreme powerhouse."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan's expression did not change.
He thought back to the woman he had seen in the Root Demon Sea.
If Arch Star was indeed the product of that woman's thoughts, it made sense.
However, this also gave him a deeper understanding of just how formidable that woman was.
At the same time, it seemed to hint at what kind of existence lay above the Great Ultimate Principle.
"All things in the world are vanity.
"On Arch Star, myriad Daos are zero and one, and the Great Dao is... survival.
"To survive is to turn vanity into truth."
Zero-One's voice came to an abrupt halt.
Qi Yuan pondered, savoring the words carefully.
Myriad Daos are zero and one, and the Great Dao is survival?
Was the purpose of Arch Star's existence for a Great Ultimate Principle to undergo tribulation and break through to the third layer of Yang God?
Survival? Reproduction?
All things in the world seemed to strive for survival and continuation.
Even certain special creatures with a lifespan of only half a day seemed to strive to reproduce and leave behind offspring, proving that they had once existed.
Was cultivation not the same as those creatures?
Was it for... carefree ease? Freedom? Or survival?
As he thought, Qi Yuan felt as if his brain was about to grow, and he even felt a strong urge to swallow an Ascending Blood Comprehension Pill.
He felt that doing so might allow him to understand the meaning behind Zero-One's words.
Perhaps he could even use it to comprehend a Great Ultimate Principle.
After all, Zero-One was a robot; its processor was definitely faster than his, and it was smarter and knew more.
Soon, however, Qi Yuan snuffed out those thoughts.
He couldn't overthink it.
He was about to head to the Wall of Ultimate Principle soon. If he used up his brain now, what would he do when the time came?
"Sigh, in this life, it's more comfortable to stay blissfully ignorant." Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to ponder further.
...
Three days later.
Within the Mixed Blood Sect, an uninvited guest arrived.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue narrowed his eyes, gazing at the Heavenly Venerable before him, his gaze flickering.
"Is this true?"
"Naturally it is true," Heavenly Venerable Da Le chuckled merrily. "Are you interested in... revenge?"
This time, the Banner Lord had also issued instructions to recruit more Yang God factions.
"However... isn't the Sixth Heaven unable to gather too many Yang Gods?" Heavenly Venerable Shenxue asked in confusion.
The other party had come offering to help him seek revenge and slay Blood Robe.
In return, the Mixed Blood Sect would join Guiyu Heaven.
Heavenly Venerable Shenxue was somewhat tempted.
In the past, he had had no avenue to join any of the Sixth Heaven's major factions.
After all, the Sixth Heaven did not allow too many Yang Gods to join.
"This came directly from the Banner Lord. How could I deceive you?" Heavenly Venerable Da Le said indifferently.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Shenxue hesitated deeply before finally nodding. "Very well."
After all, the other party had laid everything out on the table.
If he refused now, he would likely offend Guiyu Heaven.
Moreover, joining a major faction of the Sixth Heaven would give him greater security.
For some reason, he sensed that undercurrents were surging in the Sixth Heaven lately, as though some monumental event was brewing.
Chapter 442