Holding the gift box, Ziyuan Daxue looked eager to give it a try.
"Which Heavenly Venerable should we go pay our respects to first?"
Within the Black Demon Abyss, dozens of Yang God Heavenly Venerables had arrived to oversee Demon Pass.
Finding the mole was by no means a simple task.
"Hei Jian, then," Qi Yuan decided after some thought. "Among the Yang God Heavenly Venerables stationed at Demon Pass, he holds the highest status. If he receives us warmly, which other Heavenly Venerable would dare turn us away?"
"Makes sense. Plus, we're holding such precious eggs. Those Yang God Heavenly Venerables won't refuse to see us," Ziyuan Daxue added.
Of course, given the status and standing of the three of them—especially Blood Robe's—barring exceptional circumstances, none of the Yang God Heavenly Venerables would turn them away.
"Let's go, off to see Hei Jian!" Ziyuan Daxue declared boisterously.
Ziyuan Xiaolu trailed silently behind the two like a little follower.
In truth, she was deeply curious about what special method Senior Brother Blood Robe had to locate the mole.
The mole was hidden so deeply that even the old ancestors couldn't dig them out. How was Senior Brother Blood Robe supposed to find them?
Filled with doubt, she puzzled over it endlessly.
About a hundred breaths of time passed.
Inside the grand hall, Hei Jian, dressed in white robes, held an ice egg in his hand, a strange expression surfacing in his eyes.
"This egg... I shall accept. But coming to see me... surely isn't just to present an egg, is it?" Hei Jian sat upon his throne, his voice echoing drawn-out and resonant.
After comprehending a Supreme Ultimate Principle, an extra layer of mist seemed to envelop him, preventing anyone from seeing him clearly.
Looking at him gave one the impression of gazing into the vastness of the stars.
Ziyuan Xiaolu lowered her head, not daring to speak.
Even Ziyuan Daxue reined in her unrestrained temperament, appearing quite subdued.
Only Qi Yuan remained no different than before.
"It's like this. Didn't the two of us encounter an assassination attempt last time? I want to meet all the Yang Gods and see who the mole is," Qi Yuan said earnestly.
Hei Jian's gaze remained unchanged. "The waters run deep in this matter. Wait patiently; I will see that justice is done for you."
Having comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle, Hei Jian was no longer who he had been.
In the past, when he suppressed his aura, young prodigies of the same generation would merely feel his immense strength.
Now, even when suppressed, that vast aura made people dare not look directly at him, as though facing a deity ensconced in a divine realm.
Hei Jian's meaning was clear: he would investigate this matter himself.
Yet right at that moment, Qi Yuan's voice suddenly cut in.
"Hei Jian... are you the mole?"
Qi Yuan looked at Hei Jian, asking with complete earnestness.
Ziyuan Xiaolu froze.
Even Ziyuan Daxue blinked, staring at Qi Yuan.
Neither of them had expected Qi Yuan to ask something like that.
Evidently, Qi Yuan's question slightly surprised Hei Jian as well.
Nevertheless, he answered placidly, "No."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan pressed on, "When I encountered danger last time, were you involved?"
"No."
"If I head out this time, will you leak my whereabouts?"
"No."
"Do you want to harm me?"
"No."
One dared to ask, and the other dared to answer.
Qi Yuan looked at Hei Jian and slowly said, "Thank you for informing me."
Hei Jian regarded Qi Yuan with profound eyes. "The Black Demon Abyss is inherently one body. Senior Ancestor Ziyuan has misunderstandings with the Abyss Master, which I wish to resolve. Please relay these words to Ancestor Ziyuan."
Even though Hei Jian kept his imposing might suppressed, a few spoken words were enough to strike dread into Ziyuan Xiaolu and Ziyuan Daxue.
Such was the terrifying aura of a powerhouse.
Even when genial, even with their presence restrained.
Just standing there, they still exerted limitless pressure.
"All right." Qi Yuan departed, taking Daxue and Xiaolu with him.
The moment they left, Ziyuan Daxue exhaled in relief. "Comprehending a Supreme Ultimate Principle really is something. When seeing Senior Brother Hei Jian before, I never felt this sort of trembling dread. But seeing him today... I couldn't help feeling frightened."
Ziyuan Xiaolu nodded in wholehearted agreement. "That palpitations-inducing sensation felt just like looking up at the stars when I first set foot on the path of cultivation."
"Is it really that terrifying? Why didn't I feel anything?" Qi Yuan had felt no such thing. "It seems that deep in your bones, you simply refuse to believe that all people are created equal."
Very quickly, Qi Yuan figured out the core issue.
"It's because you're too out of this world!" Ziyuan Daxue could not help remarking, recalling Qi Yuan's actions just now.
Who on earth searched for a mole by asking them straight to their face?
And what was the point of asking Hei Jian?
As everyone knew, Hei Jian was the future leader of the Black Demon Abyss.
Why would His Majesty rebel against himself?
"Cultivation is inherently an act of going against the heavens, so it's only normal for a few out-of-this-world figures to crop up," Qi Yuan replied solemnly.
"You're out of this world, all right, but you haven't comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle. Compared to Hei Jian, you really are a notch below," Ziyuan Daxue said.
Hearing that, Qi Yuan looked dejected. "Hei Jian has comprehended an average of one Supreme Ultimate Principle. Meanwhile, my average is... well, approximately equal to zero. I truly am inferior to Hei Jian!"
He had over four thousand Divine Infants within his body.
In total, he had only comprehended two ultimate principles. Averaged out, the figure was thoroughly heartbreaking.
And that was already counting the Holy Mother of Inedia, who had gone off to another universe.
Otherwise, the statistics would look even more tragic.
"As long as you can recognize the gap between you and Hei Jian, there's still hope for you!" Growing hungry as she spoke, Ziyuan Daxue popped a raw mushroom into her mouth and munched on it while chatting.
"Actually, as long as I comprehend another 4,751 Supreme Ultimate Principles so my average is greater than one, I'll surpass Hei Jian," Qi Yuan pondered seriously. "However, without the Wall of Ultimate Principle, comprehending 4,751 Supreme Ultimate Principles is simply too difficult."
Ziyuan Xiaolu stood silently to the side, entirely afraid to speak.
Ziyuan Daxue chuckled. "With so many Supreme Ultimate Principles, aren't you going to give me one?"
Qi Yuan gave it serious thought.
Truth be told, the well at home had returned.
Yet the wall at home was still missing.
However, he harbored no grudge against the Ultimate Principle Society. It would be somewhat inappropriate to... seize it by force.
Moreover, he didn't have an awesome grandfather to demand it directly for him.
Therefore, he had to rely on his wits.
"Tell me, both the Ultimate Principle Society and I reside in the Sixth Heaven. Wouldn't that count as cohabiting?"
"Huh?"
"Now that our relationship has broken down and we're living apart, can half of that Wall of Ultimate Principle be awarded to me in the division of property?"
"You're way too imaginative!"
...
Inside Demon Pass.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai narrowed his eyes, feeling somewhat curious.
"What on earth does Blood Robe mean by this?"
Just moments ago, he had received word that Blood Robe was carrying the eggs laid by Bing Jian and visiting the Yang God Heavenly Venerables all over the place, inquiring about the mole.
Originally, Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai had thought it better to avoid trouble by refusing to see him.
However, even Hei Jian had received him, and all the other Yang Gods had answered Blood Robe's questions.
If he refused an audience, wouldn't that make him look guilty?
"Could this be a ploy to beat the grass and startle the snake?" Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai pondered.
Naturally, he didn't believe Blood Robe could uncover anything through a few simple questions.
Ancestor Ziyuan might well have laid some scheme behind this, so caution was warranted.
"Greetings to Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai!"
From outside the grand hall, Qi Yuan's crisp voice rang out.
Seated on the main throne, Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai adopted a genial expression. "Welcome, the three of you. Please, take your seats."
"These are Bing Jian's eggs, a gift for Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai."
Qi Yuan handed the gift box directly to Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai.
Just as Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai was about to offer polite pleasantries, Qi Yuan spoke up.
"No need for idle chatter, let's cut straight to the chase!"
"Have you ever thought about harming me?" Qi Yuan asked point-blank.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai looked kindly. "Among those in the Black Demon Abyss, one of the seniors this old man respects most is Senior Ancestor Ziyuan.
"You are the scion he values most. How could I ever think of harming you?"
Qi Yuan blinked.
His nose grew slightly longer.
Did this mean... the other party was a mole?
His interest was piqued at once.
After asking more than a dozen Yang God Heavenly Venerables, he had finally found a mole.
Sure enough, this line of work required immense technical skill.
Even with an intellect as brilliant as Qi Yuan's, it had taken this long to ferret out the mole.
"Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai, stop hiding it. You're lying to me; you clearly want to harm me!" Qi Yuan stated with utter seriousness.
The mole had already exposed himself, and one of them was Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai's expression remained steady.
Instead, it was Ziyuan Daxue and Ziyuan Xiaolu who jumped in fright.
"Blood Robe, you jest. Why would I ever harm you?" Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai said with a chuckle, though a sliver of suspicion sprouted in his heart.
"When I met with danger last time, were you involved?" Qi Yuan asked again.
"No," Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai continued to deny.
The nose grew a bit longer.
"Does your old ancestor want to be a mole?" Qi Yuan questioned once more.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai hailed from Yinhun Heaven, whose power ranked among the top three within the Black Demon Abyss.
"Certainly not. How can such things be spoken of lightly?" Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai flicked his sleeve, appearing somewhat displeased.
Beside them, Ziyuan Xiaolu blinked in bewilderment.
Blood Robe asking the other Yang God Heavenly Venerables straight up whether they were moles was already abstract enough.
Now, when Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai answered no, Qi Yuan simply concluded with absolute certainty that he was.
"Sigh, your acting skills really are superb," Qi Yuan lamented.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai wore a smile on his face, but inside he was anything but smiling; he even felt an urge to crush Qi Yuan to death.
"Right, I plan to launch a surprise attack on... Heavenly Venerable Huizeng. I've only told this to you. You won't leak it, will you?" Qi Yuan stared intently at Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai.
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai's face shifted through several expressions. "Blood Robe, I have shown forbearance time and again solely out of consideration that you are a junior. What do you mean by these words?"
"Don't change the subject. In one month, I will set out to assassinate Huizeng of Guiyu Heaven. You won't leak this news, will you?" Qi Yuan watched Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai.
"I will not," Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai replied, his complexion darkening. "See the guests out."
Clearly, he had no wish to speak with Qi Yuan any further.
"I know you're anxious, but don't rush," Qi Yuan said with a chuckle. "In one month, I'll launch the surprise attack on Heavenly Venerable Huizeng. If anything goes wrong, I'll be coming to trouble you."
Having said his piece, Qi Yuan departed with Ziyuan Xiaolu and Ziyuan Daxue.
Within the spacious, empty hall, only Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai remained.
"How did he find me out?"
"Is he bluffing, or is it something else?"
"He's going to assassinate Huizeng in a month... I..."
"Could Ancestor Ziyuan be watching me right now?"
Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai's thoughts ran wild, leaving him paralyzed with caution.
He was utterly baffled, feeling that today's events defied all reason.
If Ancestor Ziyuan had discovered he was a mole, why send Blood Robe to tell him?
Shouldn't they feign ignorance and lay a trap?
And if Blood Robe was bluffing, why hadn't he bluffed anyone else?
No matter how he analyzed it, none of it made sense.
He didn't even dare take out a transmission jade slip to contact those above him.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the entire situation was bizarre and devoid of logic.
Who operated like this?
Sitting amid the clouds, he dared not make any reckless move.
On the other side, as the trio walked away, Ziyuan Xiaolu asked anxiously, "Is something really wrong with Heavenly Venerable Fengshuai? Senior Brother Blood Robe, how did you know?"
Ziyuan Daxue also looked at Qi Yuan, her face full of curiosity mixed with bewilderment.
"My intelligence organ told me," Qi Yuan said solemnly.
"Could there truly be a problem with him?" Ziyuan Xiaolu hesitated. "Senior Brother Blood Robe, since you discovered something was wrong, why tell him?"
"I felt like telling him, so I told him," Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly.
His Supreme Ultimate Principles were Absolute Adaptation and Do As One Pleases.
To make these two Supreme Ultimate Principles more stable and engrave them more deeply, Qi Yuan's conduct needed to align with their true essence.
That way, mastery came faster.
Therefore, because he felt like telling him, he told him.
"This..." Ziyuan Xiaolu felt somewhat worried.
If they hadn't told him, they could have observed him in secret and laid out a strategy.
Having told him, the situation would now be fraught with uncertainties.
Qi Yuan patted Ziyuan Xiaolu's tender pink horns and smiled. "We're already cultivating immortality, yet people still spend all their time scheming and plotting. It's exhausting.
"In this world, the only thing that truly matters is strength.
"Only formidable strength grants the right to survive.
"Schemes and plots are nothing more than passing clouds."
What Qi Yuan cared about least were schemes and plots.
The grandest scheme possible was nothing more than Guiyu Heaven and the Black Demon Abyss joining forces to send Great Ultimate Principles to hunt him down in secret.
Yet since Qi Yuan dared to come to the Black Demon Abyss and enter the fray, he had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.
He had long prepared himself to make enemies of every Great Ultimate Principle.
Hence, he couldn't care less about scheming.
Cultivating immortality was difficult, but in truth, it was also very simple.
Looking past the surface to the core essence, it boiled down to just three steps: first, slay the enemy; second, plunder their resources; third, attend their funeral feast.
"Senior Brother Blood Robe, are you really going to hunt Heavenly Venerable Huizeng in a month?" Ziyuan Xiaolu asked again.
"I don't know." Qi Yuan shook his head, his expression turning grave.
"The most formidable aspect of a truly great plan is that not even the person who devised it knows what will happen next. As for hunting a Yang God... we'll see where fate leads."
"..." Ziyuan Xiaolu was struck speechless.
This great plan was a bit too great.
They might as well not have made one at all!
Either way, no one had any idea what was coming next.
"Come on, let's go see if there are any other moles among the remaining Yang Gods," Qi Yuan said earnestly, holding an ice egg.
Ziyuan Xiaolu looked at Qi Yuan and said timidly, "Senior Brother Blood Robe, when dealing with a Yang God, don't act rashly... You must seek help from some Heavenly Venerables."
For some reason, she felt Senior Brother Blood Robe truly dared to go hunt a Yang God.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Senior Brother... don't put too much pressure on yourself. Cultivation... also requires balancing effort with ease." Ziyuan Xiaolu looked at Qi Yuan with a tinge of heartache.
She suspected that Senior Brother Blood Robe might have felt anxious and overly pressured after seeing Hei Jian comprehend a Supreme Ultimate Principle.
That would explain why his recent behavior felt so unfathomable.
"Hmm..." Qi Yuan paused slightly. "You do have a point. I've been far too busy lately. Sigh... looks like I need to start up a game to unwind."
Qi Yuan muttered to himself.
Ever since stepping into the cultivation world, he had been constantly occupied.
All manner of crises and threats hung over his head.
The Black Mountain Sect, the Palace of Light, the Great Tribulation, Taihuang Palace...
Only in games could he find a moment of peace.
In particular, spending a honeymoon on Arch Star with Canary, Ning Tao, and Xiao Jia had been one of the rare times Qi Yuan had granted himself a vacation.
For the rest of the time, the strings of his heart were wound taut, leaving him completely unable to stop.
"Why not come have a delicious mushroom hotpot with me, and we'll invite Bing Jian along too?
"We've given away so many of his eggs to others; we ought to properly express our gratitude to him," Ziyuan Daxue chimed in from the side.
Qi Yuan nodded. "Makes sense."
Chapter 455