"An earth-shattering battle like this is worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Sixth Heaven. A shame you were the only spectator," Qi Yuan sighed with emotion.
The battles over these past few years had been truly thrilling.
Even for Qi Yuan, he had nearly exhausted all his tricks.
Several moments were so marvelous that Qi Yuan felt like recording highlights, setting them to the grand, melancholic, and tragic BGM of *Huang*, and producing a realm-wide compilation video to broadcast daily across the Sixth Heaven.
It would certainly shock countless cultivators.
Shi Pan, hearing this, felt rather bewildered once again.
Did this battle... really hold that much weight?
"Head back for now. I need to review where I fell short today so I don't repeat the same mistakes tomorrow!"
With a casual wave of Qi Yuan's hand, Shi Pan vanished from sight.
Within the empty hall, only Qi Yuan remained.
"When he started cursing my mother in roundabouts, I really did see red. Fortunately, the black robe hid it, so he didn't notice anything off.
"Starting tomorrow... I'll put on some BGM to bolster my courage. In my BGM, I am invincible!
"Bolster my courage, save my socially anxious soul!"
The next day.
Warm sunlight streamed into the vast, empty palace.
The black-robed man lay upon a recliner, looking cozy and warm.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred.
From the earth came the heavy, rhythmic thuds of approaching footsteps, rumbling so powerfully the palace seemed on the verge of collapse.
A man built like a double-door refrigerator strode into view, his eyes harboring a profound depth.
He resembled an imposing divine general descending upon the mortal realm to vanquish demons and slay evil.
"You're here," the black-robed man on the recliner spoke, his tone calm. The concealment of his hood made it impossible to discern his expression.
"Your grandfather has arrived!" Dao Bu'er said in a muffled, booming voice.
"Your grandfather is lying right here."
The tone was placid, yet when it struck Dao Bu'er's ears, it sounded like thunder exploding in his mind.
It was as though the Thunder God of the Nine Heavens were bellowing in shock.
His consciousness wavered, and a sliver of doubt flashed through his thoughts.
*Could this black-robed man really be my grandfather? Otherwise, why would he be immune to my Words of Holy Light?*
However, the instant the thought arose, he immediately snuffed it out.
"Hmph, I am older than you, so I am your grandfather!" Dao Bu'er remarked coldly, an expression of triumph surfacing on his face.
Throughout these recent clashes with the mysterious black-robed man, he felt he had gained the upper hand.
"Is that... your excuse for not taking a bath?" Qi Yuan asked mildly.
As he spoke, he clapped his hands.
Instantly, sixty-seven yin souls entered the palace.
These yin souls carried little red flowers, gongs, drums, and other instruments. Exaggerated, striking makeup of bright reds and stark whites painted their faces, making them look extraordinarily bizarre.
"Cue the BGM!" Qi Yuan snapped his fingers.
Immediately, the sixty-seven yin souls began dancing the Yangko, their mouths chanting cheerfully in unison:
"Dao Bu'er doesn't take a bath!"
"Dao Bu'er doesn't take a bath!"
The jubilant voices and rhythmic, swaying dance moves, combined with the lively beating of drums and clashing of gongs, composed a profoundly surreal spectacle.
Dao Bu'er's expression shifted slightly as humiliation prickled him, but he quickly sneered, "Are these the only tricks you have left? It seems... you are fated to be my grandson!"
"Dao Bu'er doesn't take a bath!" Qi Yuan replied lazily.
"Is this all you know how to do? You don't even dare face me head-on?"
"Did you take a bath last night?"
"You..."
Time slipped by, and soon half a month had passed.
Around the great hall, and across hundreds of miles in every direction, hardly any cultivators ventured near.
Only the yin soul army remained loyal and steadfast, repeating their morning exercises each day to forge an orderly, well-mannered force.
Inside his cave dwelling, Shi Pan stared at a transmission in a jade slip, a cold gleam passing through his eyes. "A Qin, if you keep talking like this, we won't even be able to remain friends. Everything I have was bestowed by the lord. How could I ever betray him?"
The one communicating with him was an acquaintance, an obedient and charming female cultivator whose great-grandmother was a Yin God.
She harbored feelings for him and was urging him to flee.
Yet how could he betray Qi Yuan?
Everything he possessed came from the lord.
What else had A Qin ever offered him besides... emotional value?
Having made his stance clear, Shi Pan tossed the jade slip into his storage pouch and paid it no further heed.
*If the Holy Light Sect truly comes... how will the lord handle it?*
To tell the truth, Shi Pan secretly worried for Qi Yuan as well.
After all, every cultivator claimed that the Holy Light Sect was overwhelmingly powerful and its Sect Master was matchless and invincible.
Even Shi Pan could not help feeling uneasy after hearing it so many times.
In a distant area, a gathering of cultivators stood with apprehensive expressions.
"Tonight is the Supreme Yin Soul Night. By past precedent... the Sect Master of the Holy Light Sect will certainly appear.
"That... Heavenly Venerable is in grave danger."
"Hmph, that Heavenly Venerable brought this upon himself. We're talking about the Holy Light Clan!"
"Liu Xi, thank your stars you didn't work for him. Otherwise, you'd likely share his doom!"
Not far away, Liu Xi took a sip of wine, his thoughts tangled, offering no reply.
"I heard that Heavenly Venerable was grievously wounded, his divine soul damaged, leaving him half-mad. Word has it that for several years now, he has been trading curses with an itinerant cultivator every single day."
"If he weren't out of his mind, why would he still linger here?"
Hearing this, Liu Xi could not help speaking up: "Regardless, without that lord, we would still have to crowd into the wind caves every Yin Soul Night, which was thoroughly miserable. That lord did us a kindness; it is better not to slander him thoughtlessly."
The other cultivators merely shrugged and ceased speaking of Qi Yuan.
"I heard that on every Supreme Pure Yin Soul Night, an ancient dead soul appears, ruling the world like a sovereign. I wonder if we will have the chance to witness the majesty of that ancient almighty being tonight!"
A Great Venerable spoke, his eyes brimming with intense curiosity.
During normal Yin Soul Nights, yin souls patrolled the skies, and none of them dared venture outside.
Now, the entire yin soul army had been subdued and commanded by that Heavenly Venerable, so they dared roam the night even during a Yin Soul Night.
Furthermore, during the Supreme Pure Yin Soul Night, that ancient almighty dead soul would not randomly slaughter cultivators like the ordinary yin soul army.
Therefore, they were safe.
"What realm of existence was that ancient dead soul in life? Could it rival the Great Ultimate Principle Realm?" one cultivator asked nervously.
In their perception, a Great Ultimate Principle was already the pinnacle of supreme power.
"This Tiankun Curious Land must have had a resplendent civilization in ancient times. What a pity," another cultivator sighed.
"I wonder if the Sixth Heaven will meet the same fate countless ages from now?"
"If that happens, we might not even measure up to a lowly foot soldier in that yin soul army!"
Liu Xi took another sip of wine, listening to everyone's laments, feeling somewhat adrift.
Night slowly descended.
The cultivators gathered together; not a single person headed for the wind caves.
Tonight's darkness was exceptionally eerie and quiet, and the blowing wind carried a chill of grotesque malice.
After an unknown stretch of time, the desolate, tragic blast of a war horn suddenly resounded.
In an instant, every cultivator felt as if they were standing amidst an ancient battlefield.
Devastation, desolation, raging fire, spilling blood...
The clash of blades and swords, shattered flying boats suspended upside down against a boundless sky.
Countless silhouettes of light, innumerable roars of fury.
A dense, overwhelming torrent of steel colliding in violent upheaval.
*Bang!*
All reduced to dead silence!
It felt like the ultimate, heartbreaking romance of warriors.
"Clearly nothing is there, yet the sorrow... feels endless."
"That grand war must have been unimaginably brutal, right?"
"Behind the battle line... not a single man was left standing!"
Just as everyone was swept up in the poignant emotion, the heavens and earth abruptly turned blood red.
A broken, ragged silhouette materialized out of nowhere.
"The ancient dead soul has appeared!"
"Look!"
The crowd strained their eyes to look, yet they could not see the figure clearly—or rather, all they could see was a tattered robe.
The body was broken, but the tattered robe fought on!
The ragged robe was stained with blood—whether belonging to enemies or to its master remained unknown.
Right at that moment, an immense, echoing voice thundered from the heavens.
"You and I share the same origin. Return to your place at once!"
As the voice fell, the cultivators looked up toward the sky. Amidst the sea of blood red, a cluster of holy light shone with blinding brilliance.
The cultivators held their breath.
"That's... the Sect Master of the Holy Light Sect!"
The sky over the entire Tiankun Curious Land had turned blood red, yet everyone could clearly see that cluster of holy light.
Who else could it be but the Sect Master of the Holy Light Sect?
The cultivators trembled, terror clutching their hearts.
Yet it was only an instinctive awe born from their soul.
After all, an almighty being of that caliber regarded them as nothing more than tiny insects and would never spare them a glance.
Outside the great hall, Shi Pan's eyes went wide as he heard that voice. *This voice... why does it sound so familiar?!*
The voice of the Sect Master of the Holy Light Sect was identical to the person who came to bicker with the lord every single day.
A coincidence?
Or...
A terrifying conjecture sprouted within Shi Pan's heart.
Up in the sky, Dao Bu'er stood with a grave expression as he gazed upon the tattered robe.
*As expected, it is immune to my Words of Holy Light!*
His sole purpose in coming here was this tattered robe.
That was why he had employed various means to suppress and control the yin soul army, hoping to use them to achieve his goal.
Yet he had failed to control the yin soul army.
And he could not control this tattered robe either.
*It seems that to seize the opportunity here, I must...* Dao Bu'er's eyes grew dark and profound.
He needed to take control of that mysterious black-robed figure.
Though troublesome, that black-robed man was still far easier to subdue than this tattered robe.
Of course, he had not given up yet, and he bellowed once more at the tattered robe:
"You and I share the same origin! Return at once!"
The voice was like a demonic incantation, audible to every cultivator across the Tiankun Curious Land.
Liu Xi and the others looked upon the scene, horror rippling through their hearts.
"Is this the terrifying might of a Yang God Heavenly Venerable?"
"If they were outside a curious land, they could swallow the entire place in a single gulp!"
"Under these Words of Holy Light, I doubt any Yang God Heavenly Venerable in the Sixth Heaven could remain unaffected!"
"Alas, now that this Holy Light Clan powerhouse has appeared, that lord is doomed!"
Whispers and anxious murmurs broke out continuously.
Yet right at that moment, a slightly languid voice drifted through the air.
"I was wondering why you didn't show up to curse at me today. Turns out... you were saving your energy to deal with this big guy!"
A black-robed man appeared, completely cloaked in shadow so that his face could not be seen.
The surrounding cultivators instantly paled.
"That's... that Heavenly Venerable lord?"
"How does he dare? That's a member of the Holy Light Clan!"
"Even Great Ultimate Principles cannot resist the Words of Holy Light! He..."
"Wait, curse at him... could it be?"
Suddenly, one cultivator thought of something, his expression drastically changing.
The others caught on, their faces twisting in shock.
There had long been a rumor that the Heavenly Venerable was half-mad, engaging in daily shouting matches with a mysterious cultivator for years.
Could that mysterious cultivator have been the Sect Master of the Holy Light Sect all along?!
Realization struck them like a tidal wave, leaving some feeling like utter fools.
Yet what puzzled them most was how the Words of Holy Light, unmatched under heaven, could have had no effect on that Heavenly Venerable.
Dao Bu'er glared at Qi Yuan, murderous intent welling in his eyes. "As expected, your signs of weakness these past days were all an act!"
Dao Bu'er stared at Qi Yuan. Where was there any sign of him being affected by the Words of Holy Light?
"Heh heh, you caught on," Qi Yuan admitted openly.
After all, he had practically drained Dao Bu'er's battery dry, so his acting had grown increasingly careless.
Dao Bu'er's expression remained impassive. "I'll give you a chance. Help me take control of this tattered robe dead soul, and I can spare your life!"
Even without the Words of Holy Light, Dao Bu'er's combat power was astounding, and he was confident he could slay Qi Yuan.
Moreover, Qi Yuan had once visited the Sixth Heaven, meaning his path forward was severed.
"Who gave you the confidence to claim you can spare my life? Did your brain rot from never bathing?" Qi Yuan asked, exasperated.
"Beneath the Great Ultimate Principle, I am invincible. You bear no mark of the Great Ultimate Principle, meaning you are not one. A mere Ultimate Principle... how do you expect to fight me?" Dao Bu'er said coldly.
During all these years of verbal sparring, he had kept a close watch on Qi Yuan.
When Qi Yuan utilized an innate divine ability similar to the Words of Holy Light, it was difficult to conceal his aura, yet he had never leaked the presence of a Great Ultimate Principle.
Qi Yuan had to be an Ultimate Principle like himself.
He probably had a formidable ancestor; otherwise, upon entering a curious land, his cultivation would have degraded to the Great Heavenly Position Realm.
So long as he was merely an Ultimate Principle, Dao Bu'er had nothing to fear.
"I am indeed not a Great Ultimate Principle," Qi Yuan admitted without deception. "But don't look down on people. Even as a lowly Purple Mansion cultivator, I dare defy the injustice of fate!"
The weak swung their blades at the weaker.
Only the strong dared swing their blades at the stronger.
Challenging an Ultimate Principle while in the Purple Mansion realm truly made him a man of valor!
Dao Bu'er frowned slightly. "Is there any point in putting on an act before me now? I saw through you long ago: you're just an ordinary Ultimate Principle."
He radiated absolute confidence, as if victory were already assured.
"I am deeply interested in your bloodline. Since I cannot have you, I can only destroy you!" Dao Bu'er's voice turned icy.
What he had desired most was to slowly bring Qi Yuan under control, and then use Qi Yuan to control the yin soul army.
However, the Words of Holy Light were useless.
He did not dare drag things out any longer. If a delay stretched for millions of years and Qi Yuan managed to step into the Great Ultimate Principle realm, he would be doomed.
As for the tattered robe dead soul, he could devise another method later. At worst, wasting a few million years would eventually yield an opportunity.
"Destroying what you cannot have... that personality of yours is far too hazardous. No wonder that tattered robe dead soul refuses to listen to you. To deal with them, you have to treat them with sincerity," Qi Yuan said serenely.
Through his exchanges with Dao Bu'er, this living power bank had been drained of all its energy. It was time to win the argument physically.
As Qi Yuan spoke, he waved toward the tattered robe dead soul. "Old dead man, want to come eat at my place? Your brothers and sisters are all at my house!"
Dao Bu'er looked toward the tattered robe dead soul, surprise flashing through his eyes.
Under his Words of Holy Light, the tattered robe dead soul had remained completely indifferent, as if it had not heard a thing.
Yet Qi Yuan's words caused the tattered robe dead soul to pause slightly.
This meant that given enough time, Qi Yuan genuinely might influence and control the tattered robe.
A trace of regret flashed across Dao Bu'er's eyes. "A dog that refuses to obey is better off dead!"
"Ready to start fighting?" Qi Yuan asked Dao Bu'er casually.
Dao Bu'er did not reply, merely staring at Qi Yuan coldly with his abnormally small head.
"Before we fight, I need to make something clear: I am not striking you out of embarrassment because I couldn't outcurse you these past years!
"Rather, it is because your manners are deplorable and you slaughter people indiscriminately. I am here to judge you in the name of justice!" Qi Yuan felt the explanation was necessary.
Otherwise, the cultivators of the Tiankun Curious Land might mistake him for a short-tempered brute who resorts to violence the moment he loses an argument!
That would tarnish his noble and lofty image.
Meanwhile, Liu Xi blinked, secretly transmitting his voice: "Are you sure both of these men are Heavenly Venerables? Why do they act so..."
He dared not say anything harsher.
The cultivators receiving the transmission nodded in fervent agreement.
These two Yang Gods were truly eccentric.
"Since innate abilities are useless, what is the point of all this talk?" Dao Bu'er said coldly. "Die!"
In that moment, he cast aside the Words of Holy Light and unleashed his true might in earnest.
The world believed that the greatest reliance of the Holy Light Clan was the Words of Holy Light.
Yet he, Dao Bu'er, was different.
His name was Dao Bu'er, a prodigy ranked among the top ten on the Holy Light Clan's Prodigy Roll.
His martial prowess was extraordinary.
Though only an Ultimate Principle, with his combat strength alone, he could clash head-on with a Great Ultimate Principle for a round or two before making his escape.
"You are not a Great Ultimate Principle. Today, death is your only path!"
Dao Bu'er bellowed.
A terrifying aura surged forth.
Within the Tiankun Curious Land, countless currents of power churned in turmoil.
Seeing this, the cultivators' previous irreverence instantly turned into sheer horror.
At this moment, the spiritual energy across the entire Tiankun Curious Land was violently drained dry.
Even the spiritual energy within their own bodies was emptied in an instant, rendering them no different from mortals.
A single strike from a Yang God was so terrifying that no one could hope to stand against it.
Yet in the very next breath, the expression on Dao Bu'er's face shifted.
The black-robed man moved.
"So what if I'm not a Great Ultimate Principle? Does me being in the Purple Mansion realm mean you get to bully me?
"Do you even understand the weight carried by the Sixth Heaven's Number One Purple Mansion?"
With his voice, the black robe abruptly fell away.
A man clad in blood-red armor appeared out of thin air, holding a crimson longsword. The aura about him was as fathomless as the sea, impossible to fathom.
"To deal with a dead power bank like you, I only need one strike!"
A sword thrust forth!
The wind and clouds did not stir!
Heaven and earth underwent no change at all.
Qi Yuan's sword strike was completely unadorned. It carried none of the earth-shattering phenomena that Dao Bu'er had caused across the Tiankun Curious Land.
It was a simple, ordinary thrust, looking no different from a mortal general stabbing forward.
Yet against this single thrust, Dao Bu'er could not defend himself at all.
For standing before him was a terrifying warrior who possessed the thirteenth layer of the Ancestral Blood Art, a Myriad Dao Martial God realm rivaling a Great Ultimate Principle, the fusion state with Xiao Jia, Five Elements Qi Refinement, Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, a Stellar Golden Core, an Innate Divine Demon Divine Infant, and the title of the Sixth Heaven's Number One Purple Mansion—Qi Yuan!
The longer the prefix, the stronger Qi Yuan became.
"The current me kills you... with an instant strike!"
As the words fell, an unembellished sword strike descended.
Dao Bu'er's body shattered.
Looking at the look of utter disbelief frozen on Dao Bu'er's face, Qi Yuan realized he still had one last thing left unsaid:
*Brat, you showed up in front of me every day. Did you really think I was blind... and couldn't see your weaknesses?*
He had stared at the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner every day until he saw right through all its flaws.
This Dao Bu'er had come to curse at him every single day. Qi Yuan knew him so intimately he even knew the color of the man's underwear.
One sword thrust forth, and the Ultimate Principle was extinguished!
Such was the terrifying power of Qi Yuan's single strike!
Chapter 469