Two second-tier Great Ultimate Principles—beings whom even a Supreme Venerable would struggle to slay outright, capable only of severely wounding them—had nonetheless shattered in an instant before Qi Yuan's irresistible onslaught, bolstered by the might of ten thousand suns.
Such awesome power was enough to leave the Yang God Heavenly Venerables observing this battle shaken, awestruck, and utterly baffled.
"Absolute strength, an incomparably domineering destructive power... Could this also be a supreme ultimate principle?"
"Even their Great Ultimate Principle Engravings etched upon the Immortal Dao's will shattered in an instant. This power..."
Many Yang Gods cried out in astonishment, stunned by Qi Yuan's strike.
It was pure, absolute strength—devoid of fancy tricks, with not a single ultimate principle contained within it.
It was sheer force, nothing more!
Inside Taihuang Palace, Heavenly Venerable Zhenyuan wore an unsightly expression, his heart chilled to the core.
Even Heavenly Venerable Tairi, augmented by the Great Sun Supreme Position, had actually been defeated!
And neither the Banner Lord nor the Abyss Lord could withstand a single blow from the Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable... no, the Ten Thousand Suns Heavenly Venerable?
"You actually seized the supreme position of a Supreme Venerable! How is this possible?!"
What Zhenyuan found most intolerable was not the demise of the Banner Lord and the Abyss Lord, but the fact that the Great Sun's supreme position had been usurped!
This meant that even if the Great Sun Supreme Venerable returned to the Sixth Heaven, his supreme position would be gone!
Zhenyuan could not even begin to imagine what would follow from this.
"You are guilty."
What greeted Heavenly Venerable Zhenyuan was Qi Yuan's judgment.
"Outside Tiankun Curious Land, you lacked even a shred of the dignity expected of a Great Ultimate Principle Yang God, spewing curses non-stop!
"In a single sentence, you had seven or eight censored words!
"The moral decay of the cultivation world is your responsibility!
"Purifying the atmosphere of the cultivation world begins with you!"
As Qi Yuan spoke, a vast, terrifying fist surged toward Heavenly Venerable Zhenyuan.
In an instant, stars filled the sky, their brilliance dazzling.
Terror painted Zhenyuan's face as he let out a wretched scream: "...Save me!"
Yet the words before it seemed bound by some mysterious restriction; he could not utter them at all, managing only the two words "Save me."
Naturally, no one answered him.
The terrifying fist crashed against Heavenly Venerable Zhenyuan's body.
The immortal spiritual energy throughout his entire body erupted frantically, his ultimate principle activating to warp and fold space.
Under the effect of his principle, the spatial distance between him and Qi Yuan seemed to stretch a million li apart.
Such was the might of an ultimate principle; ordinary Yang Gods could not even approach Zhenyuan's physical form.
Yet even so, that fist was entirely unreasonable.
The space a million li wide shattered like glass, compressed and crushed into a ball by that overwhelming force.
Space fractured, and the peerless fist struck Zhenyuan's body.
That power, that agony, that obliteration was irresistible and unimaginable.
In a breath, Heavenly Venerable Zhenyuan's body and divine soul shattered.
One fist struck, and an ultimate principle fell.
Zhenyuan's dissipating remains were swept up by Qi Yuan's sleeve and stored in the Netherworld to serve as fertilizer.
At this moment, his gaze turned toward the remaining members of Taihuang Palace, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes.
Right now, he was terrifyingly powerful.
Yet he knew this power could not last very long.
After all, his body was merely at the Purple Mansion realm; even with Xiao Jia and Robed in Common boosting it considerably, bearing the full weight of tens of thousands of Stellar Golden Cores was still exceedingly difficult.
*Sigh, I'm still too kind-hearted,*
Qi Yuan thought.
The reason he bore the weight of tens of thousands of stars was, first, because it looked cool, and second, out of kindness.
Otherwise, he could have used the simplest method: directly casting out his stellar projections to smash them!
A direct smash would carry even greater power.
However, such an attack was uncontrollable and could easily harm the innocent.
Lawful Good Qi Yuan was naturally unwilling to let the collateral damage of his battle harm ordinary mortals.
Thus, he bore the stars within himself. Right now, shining with crimson light and blazing white radiance, he was as imposing as a Heavenly God.
"Kill!"
Another formidable fist bore down with matchless momentum.
Toward the Yang God Heavenly Venerables of Taihuang Palace, he showed no mercy whatsoever.
The remaining Yang God Heavenly Venerables within Taihuang Palace were gripped by horror, all of them sensing the threat of death.
Heavenly Venerable Tairi looked at Qi Yuan's towering figure, a faint smile of relief flashing through his eyes.
Falling now was no different from falling later.
Yet right at that moment, an intense trembling suddenly surged from within Taihuang Palace.
A vast, righteous aura seemed to descend from the Seventh Heaven, blanketing the palace.
A great shout rang out:
"The Sole of the Heavens, Returning to Oneness through Eternity!
"Shelter my Taihuang!"
The remaining Great Ultimate Principle within Taihuang Palace roared.
He was the Great Ultimate Principle second only to the Great Sun in Taihuang Palace.
A token suddenly materialized upon him.
Engraved upon it were two characters: "Sole" and "One."
"That's... the Sole Token!" a Great Ultimate Principle exclaimed in shock.
"It really is the Sole Token! No wonder Taihuang Palace secured the Sole Palace's backing to preside over the Linya Molt!"
A terrifying aura emanated from the Sole Token, far more potent than any offensive Creation Treasure.
"This is the Sole Token! Qi Yuan, do you dare disobey the Sole Palace and defy the Immortal Dao's will?"
That Great Ultimate Principle roared, his voice echoing across the Sixth Heaven.
The Sole Token was a token of the Sole Palace, representing the palace's supreme authority and will.
Even a Supreme Venerable would treat it with deference upon seeing it!
The many Yang Gods of Taihuang Palace seemed to regain their confidence.
Taihuang Palace presided over the Linya Molt and had the protection of the Sole Palace. No matter how powerful Qi Yuan was, how could he stand against the Sole Palace?
Was he trying to turn the world upside down?
"Break!"
Yet Qi Yuan did not retreat in the slightest, nor did he feel any dread because of the Sole Token.
A strike of absolute power collided with the luster radiating from the Sole Token!
*Boom!*
The mighty blow tore the surrounding space apart.
Taihuang Palace rattled and shuddered violently.
The Great Ultimate Principle holding the Sole Token coughed up blood, his figure trembling as though on the verge of breaking apart.
"How... how dare you!"
He was horrified, never imagining that Qi Yuan would dare attack the Sole Token.
"Anyone who stands in my way is my enemy," Qi Yuan said slowly.
He was also somewhat surprised.
This Sole Token was indeed formidable; it had blunted the greater part of his attack.
"Could it be you truly intend to defy the Sole Palace and oppose the Linya Molt?!" that Great Ultimate Principle barked coldly.
Although protected by the Sole Token, Qi Yuan's blow had been so tyrannical that it still injured him.
"Don't try to pressure me with the Sole Palace. And what does this Linya Molt have to do with me?" Qi Yuan replied in earnest.
He was just a tiny Purple Mansion; what did the Linya Molt have to do with him?
Completely unfazed by threats, Qi Yuan unleashed another formidable strike.
Seeing this, the Great Ultimate Principle of Taihuang Palace looked exceptionally grim.
Even with the protection of the Sole Token, if Qi Yuan kept attacking, he would not last long and would be shaken to death.
"Yang Gods and Supreme Venerables of the heavens, will you truly stand by and watch this outsider topple Taihuang Palace?"
That Great Ultimate Principle shouted.
Regrettably, no one paid him any heed, watching on with folded arms.
Witnessing this, the Great Ultimate Principle felt helpless and sorrowful.
Finally, he shot Qi Yuan a deep, venomous glare.
"Presider of the Linya Molt requests the Sole Palace to open the Seventh Heaven to avoid disaster!"
Following his roar, a vast, majestic aura seemed to descend from the Seventh Heaven.
Within Taihuang Palace, the expressions of the Yang Gods and disciples turned ugly and resistant.
For by activating the Sole Token, the Great Ultimate Principle intended to ascend Taihuang Palace into the Seventh Heaven to seek refuge.
In the Seventh Heaven, there were only the Sole Palace and the special beings that remained after the Linya Molt.
That heaven was entirely unsuitable for cultivators to survive in; one could even say it was completely devoid of immortal spiritual energy or spiritual qi.
Once they entered the Seventh Heaven, they would be unable to cultivate and could not use Dao arts frequently, as they would have no way to replenish themselves.
In a sense, the Seventh Heaven was nothing more than a barren wasteland, inferior even to the lower realms.
Remaining there, cultivators might perish at any moment.
If they failed to resolve Qi Yuan and return to the Sixth Heaven before the Linya Molt concluded, every single cultivator among them would die and transform into special beings.
It was chronic suicide.
Yet they could not stop him.
Because if they did not go to the Seventh Heaven, they would have no way to survive against Qi Yuan.
An aura of chaos and dead silence descended from the sky.
The entire Taihuang Palace was engulfed by this aura.
"The Sole Palace descends upon the world!"
"Taihuang Palace is going to the Seventh Heaven... Are they seeking death?"
"Even a Great Ultimate Principle would certainly perish after spending a thousand years in the Seventh Heaven!"
At this moment, Qi Yuan looked up abruptly toward the firmament.
What entered his sight was an expanse of gloom.
A chilling, dark, deathly silent aura filled the air, permeating everywhere.
The sky was black as ink, fathomless and boundlessly quiet.
Then Qi Yuan suddenly saw that on that pitch-black dome, densely packed pairs of eyeballs snapped open, radiating an eerie glow.
These eyeballs stared quietly at Qi Yuan, completely devoid of any emotion.
They watched in silence, like bats hanging upside down in a cave.
Such a gaze sent a shiver down one's spine.
It was the first time Qi Yuan had ever felt this way.
At that moment, the aura of the Seventh Heaven leaked out as the Sole Token enveloped Taihuang Palace.
The entire Taihuang Palace—vast beyond a whole world—plunged violently into the Seventh Heaven.
Qi Yuan abruptly noticed that as Taihuang Palace escaped into the Seventh Heaven, a flicker of greed flashed across those indifferent eyes.
These eyes... possessed consciousness?
This surprised Qi Yuan slightly.
According to the information he had gathered previously, the heroic spirits of the Sole Palace were formed from the Yang Gods of the Sixth Heaven who had fallen in the Linya Molt, possessing neither consciousness nor emotion.
Their sole instinct was to open up the Seventh Heaven.
Yet now... Qi Yuan had seen greed in their eyes.
This differed from what the books recorded.
Still, what did that have to do with him?
Standing outside where Taihuang Palace had once been, Qi Yuan wore a conflicted expression: "Does this count as... me flattening Taihuang Palace?"
The world before him was completely bare; Taihuang Palace was nowhere to be seen.
He looked up toward the Seventh Heaven and yelled directly, "Hey! Harboring a criminal is a crime too! Sole Palace, do you want to commit a crime as well?"
Unfortunately, the canopy above remained deathly quiet, with no one answering him.
As for those eyes, they vanished once the Seventh Heaven closed.
"Don't think you can escape the law just by fleeing abroad—I possess cross-border law enforcement authority!"
Regardless of whether he did, Qi Yuan made sure to threaten them a bit.
Regrettably, there was still no reply.
This left Qi Yuan mildly disappointed.
"Don't think you can badmouth me behind my back just by hiding in the Seventh Heaven. I can hear you across an entire realm!"
Qi Yuan was deeply suspicious that the people of Taihuang Palace were definitely talking smack about him behind his back, especially now that he remained in the Sixth Heaven.
At this thought, indignant, he quickly activated his superpowered ears.
If he listened closely, his ears could pick up certain peculiar sounds.
There was even a chance he might hear other people's heart-voices.
He focused his hearing toward the spot where Taihuang Palace had flown into the Seventh Heaven, listening intently.
In an instant, his gaze turned strange.
A faint nibbling sound drifted over, like a rat gnawing on something or a cat chewing on plastic.
"Who's gnawing on ribs?"
Qi Yuan was somewhat surprised.
Right then, a wretched voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Save—"
The voice was hurried, then halted abruptly and vanished into nothingness, as though it had never existed.
Qi Yuan heard clearly that the voice belonged to none other than Heavenly Venerable Tairi.
It was uttered by Heavenly Venerable Tairi, who had gone to the Seventh Heaven.
It was as though something horrific had occurred within the Seventh Heaven.
Qi Yuan's gaze instantly turned toward the Astral Realm.
In the Astral Realm, the star belonging to Heavenly Venerable Tairi remained lit.
Which meant... he was still alive.
"Did I mishear?"
Qi Yuan fell into deep thought.
***
In the Sixth Heaven, news that the Ten Suns Heavenly Venerable had raised his divine throne, swept across Taihuang Palace with the power of ten thousand suns, seized the Great Sun Supreme Position, and forced Taihuang Palace to retreat into the Seventh Heaven set off colossal waves across the realm.
Countless cultivators were stunned or horrified.
After all, such an event... was unprecedented since antiquity.
Ten suns ascending into the sky was already enough to shake the Sixth Heaven.
As for tens of thousands of stars ascending into the sky... could mere "shaking" even begin to describe it?
At this moment, within Ziyuan Heaven, Ziyuan Xiaolu swallowed hard with great difficulty: "Senior Brother Blood Robe... is far too big!"
With tens of thousands of stars fused into his body, Qi Yuan's physique had swollen to a terrifying degree back then.
Standing outside Taihuang Palace, his towering, majestic form could be seen from Ziyuan Heaven across countless worlds and millions of li.
That bigness was hard to describe, hard to endure.
"Didn't I say Senior Brother Blood Robe is the number one prodigy of the Black Demon Abyss? Even the Abyss Lord was beaten to death by him in three punches!" Ziyuan Xiaolu looked at An Xunlu, unable to resist boasting triumphantly.
She wanted to see how An Xunlu could refute her this time.
Such combat power was comparable to a Supreme Venerable.
Senior Brother Hei Jian probably wouldn't achieve such might even in ten thousand years.
An Xunlu took a deep breath. "You're right. For now, in the Black Demon Abyss... Blood Robe is supreme. But..."
"But what?" Ziyuan Xiaolu asked at once, displeased.
"But your chest is small!" An Xunlu puffed out her large chest and turned to walk away.
"You!" Ziyuan Xiaolu's face flushed crimson instantly, and she stamped her feet in fury.
She was about to die of anger!
Losing an argument and immediately resorting to body-shaming, was that it?!
Within Ziyuan Heaven, many prodigies were struck with shock, followed by sheer joy.
With a powerhouse like Blood Robe in Ziyuan Heaven, what was there to fear from this Linya Molt?
Ziyuan Heaven... was bound to prosper greatly!
Hadn't they seen Taihuang Palace beaten so badly they shrank into the Seventh Heaven?
Elsewhere, Ancestor Ziyuan looked into the void, a touch of emotion flickering in his heart: "You brat, your hands are truly vicious—killing the Abyss Lord outright."
The void rippled, and Qi Yuan's figure appeared.
He no longer had the domineering presence and killing intent he displayed outside Taihuang Palace; clad in ordinary black robes, he carried a somewhat languid demeanor, like a sunny, introverted young man.
"Old man, when I said I'd cover you, I naturally wouldn't break my word."
"You truly gave this old man a shock today. I'm afraid... even the Supreme Venerables are immensely wary of you!" Ancestor Ziyuan sighed.
Even he hadn't expected Qi Yuan to be this strong.
"So many stars... it truly makes one envious!" He looked at the stars in the Astral Realm with covetous eyes.
"Sigh, I'm still too weak. Facing a Supreme Venerable... I still have no certainty," Qi Yuan said.
This was the truth.
A Supreme Venerable and a Great Ultimate Principle felt like two completely different realms.
"A Supreme Venerable facing you wouldn't have certainty either." Ancestor Ziyuan looked at Qi Yuan. "You could summon even thirty thousand stars. Who knows how many more you have?"
"As for that question?" Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Let them guess."
Naturally, Qi Yuan hadn't summoned all of his stellar projections this time.
He had kept some in reserve.
"You little rascal." Hearing this, Ancestor Ziyuan felt greatly reassured.
The stronger Qi Yuan was, the more secure he felt.
"You must be careful of the Sole Palace. While there are no cultivators inside... those heroic spirits are very troublesome.
"Though they cannot descend to the lower realms, the Linya Molt is still presided over by Taihuang Palace. Who knows what underhanded tricks they might play against you!" Mentioning the Sole Palace, Ancestor Ziyuan's eyes grew wary.
Qi Yuan's gaze also became complicated. "Old man, do you know much about the Sole Palace?
"For some reason, when the entire Taihuang Palace stepped into the Seventh Heaven, I had a premonition that all their Yang Gods had died."
"Their stars in the Astral Realm are still lit. How could they be dead?" Ancestor Ziyuan said, baffled. "Though if they don't descend before the Linya Molt concludes, they might truly all die.
"Forcing Taihuang Palace to relocate on one's own—this is unprecedented since ancient times."
Speaking of this, Ancestor Ziyuan remembered something: "If you wish to learn more about the Sole Palace, you can go meet those Supreme Venerables. They might know."
"Meet the Supreme Venerables?" Qi Yuan pondered. "I indeed need to go see them."
Qi Yuan also wanted to see Moon Goddess Yuanjun and get to the bottom of his master's affairs.
By now, his game had finished loading for the most part; he didn't have much time left.
"Old man, I need Black Demon Ancestral Blood, the more the better," Qi Yuan said.
Even with tens of thousands of stars hanging in the sky, Qi Yuan still didn't feel very secure.
He needed Black Demon Ancestral Blood to raise the levels of his Ancestral Blood Art, which could likewise advance his Myriad Dao Martial God cultivation.
Currently, his Ancestral Blood Art was stuck at the thirteenth layer, merely comparable to a Great Ultimate Principle.
There was still plenty of room for improvement in the Ancestral Blood Art.
He couldn't just resort to smashing people with his Stellar Golden Cores every time he met an enemy, could he?
Bearing the weight of Stellar Golden Cores placed immense demands on his physical constitution.
He needed to raise his Myriad Dao Martial God cultivation to strengthen his body.
Otherwise, if he took on the weight of a million stars with his current physique, he would definitely suffer from kidney deficiency.
"Rest assured, I'll go see Hei Jian right away," Ancestor Ziyuan said seriously, before adding, "Now that Taihuang Palace has relocated to the Seventh Heaven, you must be careful... The Linya Molt is very dangerous."
Taihuang Palace could also employ many unfathomable methods through the Linya Molt.
"Don't worry. With the Great Sun dealt with, I'm safe for now. My cultivation is still low—what does this Linya Molt have to do with me?"
Qi Yuan shrugged.
"Playing games without the Great Sun beside me is truly refreshing!
"Tell me, now that I've seized the Great Sun's supreme position, does he still possess the strength of a Supreme Venerable?"
Qi Yuan had a sudden thought.
Ancestor Ziyuan shook his head. "Regarding Supreme Venerables, I know nothing. If you want answers, you'll still have to ask those Supreme Venerables yourself."
"All right."
"By the way, you must be careful of the Ultimate Principle Society. They have two Supreme Venerables.
"And... there is one more thing... Before the birth of the Ultimate Principle Society, there were no Supreme Venerables in the Sixth Heaven."
Chapter 481