An utterly unremarkable sword strike pierced Dao Bu'er's shattered body once again.
If the first sword had wiped out Dao Bu'er's physical form, the second shredded his divine soul to pieces.
Qi Yuan's strike contained the full-power blow of a Great Ultimate Principle.
Although it wouldn't even scratch an ordinary Great Ultimate Principle, it was child's play to slay a mere Ultimate Principle.
Dao Bu'er's fractured pupils brimmed with total incomprehension and sheer disbelief.
"You aren't... a Great Ultimate Principle... Why..."
Throughout the years of bickering, Qi Yuan's eyes had been able to read vast amounts of information from Dao Bu'er.
Dao Bu'er had likewise secretly probed Qi Yuan's depths.
Qi Yuan didn't possess the slightest aura of a Great Ultimate Principle. At his strongest, he was merely an Ultimate Principle like Dao Bu'er himself.
How could he... instakill him so effortlessly?
"No wonder you lost. Your memory isn't very good."
"I was never a Great Ultimate Principle in the first place. I am... a Purple Mansion!"
As the words fell, Qi Yuan gave a flick of his wrist.
Dao Bu'er's towering, mighty body and divine soul were thoroughly obliterated in that instant.
Even in death, Dao Bu'er wore an expression of complete bewilderment.
For some inexplicable reason, he felt Qi Yuan hadn't lied to him; he had been completely serious.
Could that guy... truly be a Purple Mansion?
How was that even possible?!
"I... was slain by a Purple Mansion!"
At the very end of his life, he let out a furious roar before abruptly falling silent forever.
At the same time, the cultivators in Tiankun Curious Land watched with wide eyes. The disbelief on their faces was not a fraction less than Dao Bu'er's.
"It's over just like that?"
"He's dead?!"
They had originally assumed an earth-shattering battle was about to erupt, one that might even drag them into the crossfire.
After all, Dao Bu'er had swallowed all the spiritual energy in Tiankun Curious Land in a single gulp, leaving them utterly drained and feeble.
They had expected an epochal clash that would shatter mountains and rivers.
The result... a one-hit kill!
And most terrifying of all, the one who died was that member of the Holy Light Clan!
At that moment, several cultivators turned to look at Liu Xi, their faces full of pity.
"What a pity, Fellow Daoist Liu Xi. If you had chosen to work for that lord back then, your future... would have been limitless."
"Such terrifying might... Could he be a legendary Great Ultimate Principle?"
Since they had chosen to come to Tiankun Curious Land, they had naturally investigated the Holy Light Clan residing there beforehand. Otherwise, they would never have dared enter.
For that lord to slay that Holy Light Clan Yang God with such ease was simply... terrifying!
Hearing this, Liu Xi's expression didn't change in the slightest. He calmly said, "There are ten thousand paths in this world. Who can say for certain that every choice they make is the right one? At least I'm still alive right now, so I've already profited."
Liu Xi remained easygoing and open-minded, accepting his lot.
Meanwhile, up in the sky, Qi Yuan gazed at the tattered-robed dead soul, his eyes flickering with thought.
He was genuinely curious about what Dao Bu'er had been plotting to extract from this tattered-robed dead soul.
"Old man, want to come hang out at my place for a while? Stop wandering outside, I'll give you... a home!" Qi Yuan called out toward the tattered-robed dead soul after observing it for a moment.
This tattered-robed dead soul looked extraordinary at a glance.
He had no interest in whatever Dao Bu'er was scheming for, but he was very interested in the dead soul itself.
If he placed it inside the Human Sovereign Banner, the refinement of his banner would surely advance another step.
The tattered-robed dead soul, which had been aimlessly pacing through the void, paused once again.
Seeing this, Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. He hurriedly added, "Don't worry, I won't charge you lodging fees, and room and board are on the house!"
Qi Yuan gritted his teeth. You couldn't catch the wolf without giving up the lamb.
The tattered-robed dead soul had no physical body, yet Qi Yuan felt as though a pair of eyes was staring down at him.
Seeing that the dead soul made no further move, Qi Yuan gritted his teeth again: "I'll throw in the five insurances and one housing fund... No, make that two housing funds!"
This time, he was paying an arm and a leg.
After all, facing this tattered-robed dead soul, Qi Yuan had actually felt a faint sense of threat.
The tattered-robed dead soul gazed at Qi Yuan, and a desolate, tragic aura suddenly billowed forth.
Qi Yuan seemed to hear a mournful resonance echoing from the deepest abyss of hell and antiquity.
"Forge no light, behold no light."
As the vast voice faded, the tattered-robed dead soul vanished without a trace from Qi Yuan's sight.
The bloody hue spanning the heavens dispersed at that very moment, and no one knew where the tattered-robed dead soul had gone.
"This is..."
Qi Yuan was surprised to find a tiny, pearl-like round bead resting in the palm of his hand.
Across this translucent little pearl lay a faint stain of blood.
[Embryo of Light, tainted with ominous blood.]
Seeing this, Qi Yuan froze slightly.
With a wave of his hand, the Ancient Tiankun Mirror appeared in his grasp.
Back then, when he examined it with his eyes, this Ancient Tiankun Mirror had also seemed to be stained with ominous blood.
"What kind of blood... is this ominous blood, anyway?"
"And... why did that tattered-robed dead soul suddenly give me the Embryo of Light? Could it really have been moved by my offer of five insurances and two housing funds? But why didn't it follow me? Could it be... it doesn't need room and board?"
Qi Yuan pondered this.
He racked his brain for a long time without coming to an answer.
He shouted toward the void, "Hey, old man, what on earth do you mean by this?"
Unfortunately, not a single voice replied from the void.
"'Forge no light, behold no light'... what does that even mean?"
Qi Yuan mulled it over.
Just then, the Embryo of Light in his hand suddenly burrowed into his divine soul.
Qi Yuan was taken aback. "It burrowed into my divine soul?"
With a subtle jerk, he shook the Embryo of Light back out.
A look of curiosity crossed his face.
"This thing can actually bore into a divine soul?"
Qi Yuan was surprised.
After all, ordinary treasures could be tucked straight into a storage pouch or placed into the dantian netherworld. Very few ever entered a divine soul.
"Looks like it's a formidable treasure. It's just... I have no idea what it's used for."
For the time being, Qi Yuan couldn't figure out the function of the Embryo of Light.
"Alright, my trip to Tiankun Curious Land... is temporarily concluded. Time to head back," Qi Yuan said calmly.
Back at Ghost Pass, there was still a whole crowd of unwashed white moonlights waiting for him.
"For some reason, my right eyebrow has been twitching lately... Could I be about to run into danger?"
Qi Yuan pondered briefly.
"Could Guiyu Heaven have come up with a way to counter me?"
"No, with Guiyu Heaven's strength, they aren't worthy!"
"Which means... the greatest likelihood is Taihuang Palace. Could it be that even my superb acting was useless, and Taihuang Palace is about to... discover me?"
Qi Yuan considered the possibility.
Ever since coming to the Upper Realm, he had kept a low profile.
However, if someone searched carefully enough, they were bound to turn up clues.
"No matter, nothing to fear. Even if Taihuang Palace comes looking for trouble, I hold the high ground!"
"The light of their family's sun shone into my cave abode, violating my sacred private property!"
"That is a grave offense!"
Qi Yuan wasn't worried at all.
He had plenty of escape routes.
Tiankun Curious Land, for instance, served as a perfectly suitable fallback.
Leaving aside Dao Bu'er, that tattered-robed dead soul alone was enough to deter any Great Ultimate Principle from venturing inside.
Qi Yuan was different. An upright body fears no crooked shadow; having done no wrong, he dared to stroll right in.
...
In the dilapidated market.
Tian Yun yawned, feeling that life was terribly dull.
"Sigh, I wonder how that Heavenly Venerable is doing?" Tian Yun thought of that black-robed figure and couldn't help but sigh.
Aunt Luan sat beside her. "Don't think too much about it. Whatever happens to him has nothing to do with us."
Just then, a calm voice suddenly drifted in.
"Pardon the intrusion, but... may I come in?"
Outside the cave abode, a black-robed figure had appeared.
Hearing the voice, Tian Yun's face changed drastically.
Aunt Luan immediately went on high alert, her eyes filled with wariness.
"It's... it's that senior," Tian Yun stammered.
Exchanging a glance with Aunt Luan, she called out, "My Lord... please, come right in!"
As the words fell, the black-robed man stepped inside.
This man in black was naturally Qi Yuan.
After leaving instructions for Shi Pan, Qi Yuan had departed Tiankun Curious Land.
Instead of charging straight toward Ghost Pass, he had come to pay Tian Yun a visit first.
Upon meeting Shi Pan and the others, Qi Yuan had noticed that Tian Yun shared the exact same bloodline as them.
Or rather, Tian Yun's bloodline was even denser.
And these bloodlines surely had a deep connection to that tattered-robed dead soul.
To figure out the purpose of the Embryo of Light, Qi Yuan had come to consult Tian Yun.
"Senior... did you come out from Tiankun Curious Land? May I ask what business you have with this junior?" Tian Yun sat upright with perfect posture, her expression tense and apprehensive.
Aunt Luan stood beside her like a scolded junior.
Her mind was in utter turmoil.
How could this man have walked out of Tiankun Curious Land?
By normal reckoning, he had entered Tiankun Curious Land many years ago. Shouldn't that Holy Light Clan cultivator have subdued him by now?
"On the Supreme Yin Soul Night, I saw a tattered-robed dead soul. He should have a deep connection with you," Qi Yuan said placidly.
Hearing this, both Tian Yun and Aunt Luan began breathing rapidly.
Finally, Aunt Luan spoke, her voice desolate. "According to our clan's ancient records, that tattered-robed dead soul is the... Human King of our Tian Clan."
"Oh? A Human King?" Qi Yuan paused slightly.
Anyone who bore the title of Human King was bound to be a paragon of his era—or even the master of an entire realm.
No wonder that tattered-robed dead soul hadn't wanted room and board. He was merely a Human King; if he took up residence inside the Human Sovereign Banner, wouldn't that be overstepping his bounds?
"He said a line to me that I couldn't understand, so I came to ask you two about it." Qi Yuan stated his purpose.
"The Human King... spoke?" Aunt Luan looked at Qi Yuan in shock, finding it hard to believe.
The Human King's remnant soul had existed for who knew how many tens of millions of years.
Yet across all these years, when had it ever uttered a single word?
"He told me: 'Forge no light, behold no light.' What does that mean?" Qi Yuan asked.
At these words, Aunt Luan's expression shifted once more.
She believed him now. This mysterious lord truly had prompted the Human King's remnant soul to speak.
Lowering her head, she spoke in a somber, melancholic tone. "In our Tian Clan, there is a record. In ancient times, under the Human King's leadership, our Tian Clan... was exceptionally prosperous and powerful. We were not even inferior to the present Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm."
Speaking of this, Aunt Luan's face showed a flash of pride.
The Tian Clan had once possessed a glorious civilization spanning countless worlds.
"Yet one day, darkness descended, plunging the Tian Clan into shadow where no heavens could be seen!" As Aunt Luan recounted this, deep sorrow pooled in her eyes.
"The Human King led all the divine generals to the frontlines to hold back the darkness... Unfortunately, the darkness was too formidable. The Tian Clan ultimately could not withstand it, and our entire race was wiped out. Only a tiny fraction escaped and came to Tiankun Curious Land."
Aunt Luan's voice sounded weathered by time.
She had never personally experienced that ancient upheaval of darkness, but she had frequently heard her clansmen speak of it during her youth.
Their ancestors had once been magnificent.
"Back then, the Human King received a prophecy: only by forging a curious treasure of light could the darkness be shattered and light seen once more!" Aunt Luan continued softly. "Alas, a curious treasure of light was merely a legend. Even with the strength of the entire clan, we failed to construct one before the Tian Clan was annihilated."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan immediately made further connections.
If all of this was true, wouldn't that mean the Embryo of Light was the embryonic form of a curious treasure of light—a half-finished curious treasure of light?
"Between a curious treasure of light and a Creation Treasure, which is stronger?" Qi Yuan asked.
Aunt Luan blinked, then shook her head. "That is from far too long ago; this old woman does not know. But... the legendary curious treasure of light ought to surpass an ordinary Creation Treasure, shouldn't it?"
"Do you know how to forge a curious treasure of light?" Qi Yuan was very eager to forge one using the Embryo of Light.
However, the forging techniques he had learned inside Tiankun Curious Land didn't seem applicable here.
"I do not." Aunt Luan shook her head.
Such knowledge had been lost long ago.
"Fair enough. If your Tian Clan knew how to forge it, you wouldn't be in your current state," Qi Yuan sighed.
He now roughly understood the purpose of the Embryo of Light.
Well... it was useless to him at the moment.
"So that's how it is. I understand. Thanks, bye-bye." Qi Yuan came swiftly and left just as swiftly, though before departing, he offered a reminder: "The Holy Light Sect in Tiankun Curious Land has been wiped out, and Dao Bu'er of the Holy Light Clan was slain by me. You may return to Tiankun Curious Land whenever you wish; there is no longer any danger."
With those words, Qi Yuan vanished into thin air, leaving behind a dumbfounded and flabbergasted Aunt Luan and Tian Yun.
"Aunt Luan, is what this senior said true? That was... a Yang God of the Holy Light Clan!"
"Could he be a Supreme Venerable? No, even for a Supreme Venerable..."
"Just who on earth is he?"
...
Inside Ghost Pass.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui opened his eyes, curiosity gleaming within them as he looked toward the Taihuang Palace emissary nearby. He couldn't resist asking, "A Supreme Venerable has already... prepared to lean toward Taihuang Palace?"
Just moments ago, while conversing with several Great Ultimate Principles, the Taihuang Palace emissary had seemingly casually dropped this revelation.
Even an idiot would know it wasn't an accidental slip, but an intentional boast.
Taihuang Palace was flexing its muscles.
The Taihuang Palace emissary smiled. "Aside from a Supreme Venerable, there are also several Great Ultimate Principles of the Banner Lord's caliber leaning our way."
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan both sucked in a breath of cold air.
Although they knew that once the Linya Molt began, numerous great factions would inevitably flock to Taihuang Palace, such swift alignment still caught them off guard.
This showed that no matter how rebellious the major factions of the Sixth Heaven seemed on the surface, they had secretly deduced the outcome of this Linya Molt long ago.
"Therefore, you have nothing to fear. As long as the battle at Black Demon Abyss succeeds, the Palace Master will certainly guarantee your Guiyu Heaven's safety during this Linya Molt!" the Taihuang Palace emissary boasted grandly.
Hearing this, Heavenly Venerable Guizui's expression turned grim. "Unfortunately... that Human Sovereign Hall Emissary has been lurking outside this whole time. We simply cannot... make a move against Demon Pass!"
At this mention, Heavenly Venerable Guizui felt thoroughly suffocated.
Their entire assembly of Yang God Heavenly Venerables had been beaten into turtling inside by a single enemy, having to rely on the Banner Lord's Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner just to salvage the situation.
If word got out, who knew how their peers would mock them?
The Taihuang Palace emissary's eyes likewise flashed with frustration. "That scoundrel is far too slippery and utterly arrogant!"
Last time, their grand plot against Black Demon Abyss had been ruined just like that.
He naturally loathed the Human Sovereign Hall Emissary to the marrow of his bones. In particular, the man had even threatened him before departing, leaving him terrified of straying too far from these two Great Ultimate Principles.
After all, who could guarantee the Banner Lord's Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner was truly foolproof?
"Rest assured, everyone. Once the Linya Molt begins, our Taihuang Palace will pinpoint his location. When that time comes... it will naturally be his doom,"
the Taihuang Palace emissary remarked casually.
Taihuang Palace had many enemies lurking in the shadows.
Aside from this Human Sovereign Hall Emissary, there was the missing Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable, as well as another figure the emissary had only faintly heard of—some Qi Yuan from the Lower Realm.
What that Qi Yuan had done, the emissary didn't know, only that his name was also on the hit list.
"When the time comes, we are willing to assist from the flanks!" Heavenly Venerable Guizui chimed in.
When the hour arrived, those striking against the Human Sovereign Hall Emissary would naturally be powerhouses of the Banner Lord's tier, or perhaps a Supreme Venerable in person.
Their "assisting from the flanks" would merely amount to watching how the Human Sovereign Hall Emissary died.
"Don't worry. The more arrogant he acts now, the more miserable his death will be," the Taihuang Palace emissary sneered.
Right then, a message was suddenly transmitted into his ear. A look of wild joy broke across his face.
"Hahaha..."
He burst into laughter.
Seeing this, both Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan paused slightly. "Lord Emissary, has some good news arrived?"
The Taihuang Palace emissary composed himself and said breezily, "Hardly good news, but passable at best."
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan leaned in, eager to know what had occurred.
The Taihuang Palace emissary told them, "Word just came in: the old Abyss Lord of Black Demon Abyss has finally lost his nerve. He's willing to offer tribute to Taihuang Palace and has pledged not to oppose us in this Linya Molt.
"It seems he's a smart man who must have caught wind of plenty of information."
The Taihuang Palace emissary spoke with evident delight.
Even though they hadn't slain Hei Jian or eliminated the Great Ultimate Principles of Black Demon Abyss this time, forcing the Abyss Lord of Black Demon Abyss to bow his head was still a considerable triumph.
"We're just going to let Black Demon Abyss off like that?" Heavenly Venerable Guizui couldn't help muttering, feeling dissatisfied.
After all, in this recent campaign against Black Demon Abyss, the Abyss had suffered virtually no losses, while Guiyu Heaven had bled profusely.
If Black Demon Abyss weathered the Linya Molt intact, Guiyu Heaven would come out at a massive loss.
"Relax. Black Demon Abyss dared oppose you; how could our Taihuang Palace let them off easy?
"If they merely back down without paying a price, how could Taihuang Palace agree?" the emissary said.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan exchanged a glance and asked in a low voice, "Could it be..."
The Taihuang Palace emissary held up two fingers. "At least this many. Otherwise..."
As he spoke, his expression turned haughty, as though he were a judge holding the fates of all living beings in his hands.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan drew a sharp breath.
Two fingers meant two Great Ultimate Principles.
For existences like them to one day be discarded as expendable pawns was truly chilling!
"All we need to do is sit in Ghost Pass and leisurely await the start of the Linya Molt. That Abyss Lord should know what to do," the Taihuang Palace emissary said calmly.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan exhaled deeply, finding Taihuang Palace increasingly terrifying.
To actually obtain permission from the Sole Palace to preside over this Linya Molt...
Even a powerhouse as mighty as Black Demon Abyss was forced to sever its own limbs to survive under Taihuang Palace's overwhelming might.
"It seems this Linya Molt will be an easy affair," Heavenly Venerable Guizui laughed. "With Black Demon Abyss surrendering, who among the other factions would be foolish enough to resist, aside from the Ultimate Principle Society and Moon Goddess Palace?"
"Indeed. And clownish upstarts like the Human Sovereign Hall Emissary are nothing more than grasshoppers that can be casually..."
*BOOM!*
Before the words finished, a colossal roar abruptly detonated.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui and Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan froze instantly, a horrifying thought flashing into their minds.
How could this be possible?!
The Banner Lord had personally deployed the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner—how could that Human Sovereign Hall Emissary possibly breach it?!
Yet the next moment, a familiar voice drifted across the air.
"So this is an Ultimate Principle Yang God—it actually took two sword strikes to kill him!"
Every Yang God Heavenly Venerable whipped their heads around. Floating in the void was a man clad in blood-colored armor, holding a crimson longsword.
Before him drifted a motionless corpse.
That corpse was undeniably that of an Ultimate Principle Yang God!
Far away in the Astral Realm, a star abruptly extinguished.
This was an Ultimate Principle Yang God!
Not an ordinary Heavenly Position Realm Yang God!
Even in Guiyu Heaven, the total number of Ultimate Principle Yang Gods was exceedingly small—only about a dozen in all!
"Human Sovereign Hall Emissary! You... how did you get in?!"
Heavenly Venerable Guizui was enraged. His body surged forward toward Qi Yuan, vast immortal spiritual power sweeping out.
Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan was just about to attack as well when the Taihuang Palace emissary grabbed him tightly. "Don't go! Protect my safety!"
The Taihuang Palace emissary was terrified out of his wits.
He was only an Ultimate Principle.
If that Human Sovereign Hall Emissary targeted him, he'd probably be slain in a single stroke!
Seeing this, Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan felt both helpless and infuriated, but he didn't dare defy the Taihuang Palace emissary's command and remained where he was.
At that moment, the Human Sovereign Hall Emissary's cold, raspy voice echoed across the firmament.
"If you hand over my Human Sovereign Banner, this seat will grant you some dignity. Otherwise... don't blame me for coming to hunt you down every single day!"
Qi Yuan didn't entangle himself with Heavenly Venerable Guizui. Instead, he soared away and casually decapitated another Yang God Heavenly Venerable who had been watching the battle from afar.
That Yang God Heavenly Venerable's Ten Thousand Soul Banner was swept into his bag as well.
Seeing this, Heavenly Venerable Guizui went mad with rage. He bellowed, "Just how on earth did you get in?! Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner, suppress him!"
Following his roar, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner spanning the entirety of Ghost Pass stirred.
A profound, immeasurably boundless force instantly bore down upon Qi Yuan.
Sensing this power, greed flared in Qi Yuan's eyes.
With just a light tug, he could haul away this phantom projection of the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner.
But he had to hold back.
He had no taste for small petty gains; he wanted to play for the grand prize!
Thus, facing the crushing weight of the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner, a look of helplessness surfaced on Qi Yuan's face.
"Oh dear, is this Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner the only trick you've got to suppress me? Too bad! A banner of this meager level still isn't enough to hold me down!"
"Bye-bye, everyone!"
Qi Yuan clapped his hands, and in the very next instant, he vanished entirely from the sight of all the Yang God Heavenly Venerables.
High above, the aura emanating from the Ten Thousand Ghost Soul Banner was eerie and terrifying, enough to unnerve even a Great Ultimate Principle.
Yet it had failed to detain Qi Yuan in the slightest.
Heavenly Venerable Guizui's face was frightfully dark. "How... just how did he get in?!"
Chapter 470