Having dismissed Third Young Master Tu and Zhan Wenyu, Qi Yuan brought out the Divine Wood Token, a complex look in his eyes.
"The aftereffects from last time are finally completely resolved. It's time to head out and take a walk."
He needed to go see Shen Lingxuan.
The final link in completing his roleplay of the matrilocal son-in-law rested on Shen Lingxuan.
Moreover, reaching the unity of heaven and humanity required more high-quality white moonlight.
"Hey, how many Heaven-rank weapon wielders, God-rank weapon wielders, or guiling does your Thorn Blood have?" Qi Yuan asked directly.
Ji Wuyun, who was taking a bath, saw this and felt that another speechless day had begun.
How did the exchange between these two look in any way like mortal enemies?
"Not many, not many at all—very few," Thorn Blood's staff member replied. "As for God-rank weapon wielders, merely... five."
Mentioning this, the staff member of Thorn Blood, tens of thousands of li away, wore a smug look in his eyes.
That ought to intimidate the kid, right?
"Ah, your Thorn Blood is no good. God-rank weapon wielders in the single digits? You should have them reflect on whether their cultivation has grown at all over all these years, and whether they've been practicing diligently!"
"..." The smile froze on the Thorn Blood staff member's face.
"Pass a message to them for me: don't eat too much tonight, and don't sleep either. Cultivate hard and raise your cultivation as soon as possible!" Qi Yuan was very serious.
If these people didn't work hard and stayed weak in cultivation, how could they become high-quality white moonlight?
He had already lost interest in ordinary white moonlight.
Nowadays, only Heaven-rank white moonlight with the unity of heaven and humanity could create ripples in his heart.
So as he looked at Thorn Blood now, he felt rather vexed at their failure to live up to expectations.
"How about I make a cultivation plan for you all? No one in this world understands making plans better than I do. If you cultivate according to my plan, within three months, you will definitely have a few more God-rank weapon wielders!"
Qi Yuan was utterly sincere.
Ji Wuyun sprayed out a mouthful of bathwater.
The Thorn Blood staff member also wore a complicated expression.
"Brother Kitchen Knife, I am looking forward more and more to meeting you at Divine Wood Abyss. I really want to see what you look like. What virtues could this Qingshan Realm possibly possess to produce such an extraordinary person as you?"
"It seems you all still refuse to work hard," Qi Yuan lamented.
No wonder rulers in general seemed to dislike the idea of "lying flat."
He wasn't even a ruler yet, and he was already worried about Thorn Blood's people slacking off.
"Brother Kitchen Knife, if no amount of effort can change the predetermined outcome, what is the point of trying?" The Thorn Blood staff member seemed somewhat moved.
"How could that be? That just proves you didn't make a plan. I've played many games for many years; of the things I set out to do, basically every single one succeeded." As Qi Yuan spoke, he secretly plagiarized the words of a high official from Blue Star.
He thought to himself that having a reputation for plagiarism didn't seem great.
Should he... just destroy Blue Star, or perhaps buy Blue Star?
That way, he could plagiarize openly without shame.
"Brother Kitchen Knife is far too confident. I wonder if you can change... the fate of the Qingshan Realm?"
Tens of thousands of li away, a proud look appeared in the eyes of the Thorn Blood staff member.
He got up, pushed open the window, and fresh air instantly flooded into the room.
Resting his hands on the windowsill, lush green scenery filled his vision.
"Indeed, kirins hide in the wilderness. When you get close to the unknown, ordinary people of the mortal world, you can discover their extraordinary qualities. I read through the entire *Qingshan Book* without finding a trace of him; he ought to be a nameless nobody," he murmured to himself.
*The Qingshan Book* was something he had exchanged for in Void Paradise.
The book came from the Radiant Society.
He had spent a great deal of merit to obtain it.
It was also the reliance that would allow him to complete this mission.
...
The carriage trundled along slowly, while fast horses galloped past on the official road from time to time.
Chen Kangbao drove the carriage in leisurely comfort.
"Young Master, there are only a hundred li left until the Heavenly Sect. We should arrive before dark."
After leaving the Shen family stronghold, Qi Yuan's objective was clear: he was heading straight for the Heavenly Sect.
The final step in roleplaying the matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan was probably to ride Shen Lingxuan.
This step required careful thought and had to be taken slowly.
Qi Yuan looked ahead to see endless stretches of mountains and rivers.
Boundless and vast, they seemed to go on forever.
The headquarters of the Heavenly Sect was situated right within those mountains.
And these mountains happened to border the State of Moshan, adjacent to Shiwanshanjue.
Back then, the spearhead of the Moshan army had driven straight in, and the State of Ning had been completely powerless to resist.
In the end, it was the Heavenly Sect's Sect Master of that generation who sacrificed the founder's artifact to halt the Moshan army's advance.
Only then did Moshan's forces halt, and the two countries began negotiations, with the State of Ning ultimately ceding several prefectures.
As for that Sect Master of the Heavenly Sect, he succumbed to severe injuries and passed away half a year later.
"The grand mountains to the south... that should be Shiwanshanjue. What a coincidence, we're brushing right past this dungeon," Qi Yuan remarked, glancing at Chen Kangbao.
Chen Kangbao seemed to have some connection to Shiwanshanjue.
Qi Yuan had received that hint when slaying Feng Tie.
"How about we go check out Shiwanshanjue sometime? There might be a lot of treasures," Qi Yuan said casually.
Grandmaster Hengshan and Feng Tie, two peak Earth-rank weapon wielders, had explored Shiwanshanjue in the past, seemingly searching for something.
"Whatever Young Master decides!" Chen Kangbao responded. Looking at Shiwanshanjue, he seemed to grow hungrier, quickly devouring another steamed bun. Even with his belly bulging round, he still felt somewhat hungry.
"Little brother, if you don't mind, could I share a ride with you?"
Just then, an aged voice called out. A burly old man appeared with a buzz cut and short clothes, looking thoroughly like a bandit.
Yet his speech was refined and literary.
"Sure." Qi Yuan swept his gaze over the old man.
*Mm, Tu Sihai, peak Earth-rank weapon wielder.*
Tu Sihai leaped from his horse, landing right inside Qi Yuan's carriage.
His horse didn't leave, trotting alongside the carriage.
"Aren't you afraid I'm a highwayman, little brother?" Tu Sihai chuckled with a hearty voice.
"Not afraid. I like punishing evil and promoting good the most." Qi Yuan had always strictly adhered to the lawful good alignment.
He never harmed innocent people; if he harmed anyone, it was only his own white moonlight.
Qi Yuan looked at Tu Sihai and inquired, "What brings you here? Speak plainly."
A peak Earth-rank weapon wielder was an expert ranked among the top thirty in the State of Ning. Coming to see him was naturally not a fleeting impulse.
"Little brother, your... fortune is not shallow, but... currently, disaster hangs over you," Tu Sihai said seriously.
"Are you a fortune-teller? I can tell fortunes too," Qi Yuan said.
He had told fortunes for many people, and in the end, every prediction had been remarkably accurate.
Whenever he said someone was in for bloodshed, they would certainly suffer it.
Tu Sihai shook his head. "This old man is not joking with you. Little brother, please look."
Flipping his palm, a bronze mirror appeared before Qi Yuan's eyes.
The surface of the bronze mirror was far from smooth, pitted with numerous small dots, and bronze rust clung to the handle, making it look ancient.
*[Calamity-Suppressing Bronze Mirror: Heaven-rank artifact. Contains multiple flaws. If modified using..., its power can be increased by ninety percent.]*
"Little brother, look closely."
Tu Sihai held the Calamity-Suppressing Bronze Mirror in front of Qi Yuan, and Qi Yuan's gaze naturally drifted toward the mirror.
A smug expression crossed Tu Sihai's face.
Wouldn't this scare the little brother out of his wits?
However, upon seeing the scene in the mirror, Qi Yuan's expression remained exceptionally calm.
"A guiling has actually been following me all along, slipping past my eyes without me noticing?" Qi Yuan's tone was calm.
He looked into the mirror and saw that behind his reflection clung a colorful, motley gu insect.
The gu insect was the size of a soccer ball, covered in gaudy, multicolored patterns that looked rather chilling and thoroughly dangerous.
Yet the gu insect appeared to be completely dead and silent.
"Hmph, that is a spirit body gu, a special kind of guiling. It has no physical body; it is a manifestation of the laws of heaven and earth. It cannot be seen or perceived by the naked eye. Only a Heaven-rank weapon wielder at the stage of the unity of heaven and humanity can detect its existence," Tu Sihai explained. "If this old man didn't possess this Calamity-Suppressing Bronze Mirror, even I wouldn't have discovered this spirit body gu."
Driving the carriage, Chen Kangbao turned his head and looked at the gu insect in the bronze mirror, terror flashing in his eyes. "Young Master, that thing has been following us even after dying? That's way too creepy!"
Chen Kangbao was genuinely frightened.
Tu Sihai looked at Qi Yuan with a complicated gaze. "This spirit body gu was probably placed there by an expert to protect your safety. However, that expert perished, and this spirit body gu also died for unknown reasons. A dead spirit body gu continuing to follow you... is not a good thing. The spirit body gu belongs to the dark guiling element, harboring an inauspicious aura. Its corpse inadvertently radiates the stench of calamity. Remaining in close contact with it for too long will bring certain death."
Tu Sihai raised an eyebrow, bragging smugly, "Boy, aren't you going to thank this old man? If I hadn't pointed this out, you probably wouldn't have survived more than a few years."
"Thank you for informing me!" Qi Yuan bowed solemnly.
Granted, the spirit body gu posed no real threat to him, and once he achieved the unity of heaven and humanity in a short while, he would have been able to see it himself.
Still, Tu Sihai had made him aware of the fact in advance, and he kept this favor in mind.
"Old man, if you ever run into trouble in the future, come find me, Qi Yuan. I'll guarantee your safety." Qi Yuan was very generous, not stingy in the least.
"You brat... you don't have an ounce of manners." Even as Tu Sihai spoke, he wasn't angry at all; evidently, he had an amiable disposition.
"This old man is an Earth-rank weapon wielder. Why would I need you to guarantee my safety? In this State of Ning, there aren't many who are stronger than me," Tu Sihai said. "Come, sweeten your tongue a bit and beg this old man, and I'll help you resolve this spirit body gu."
The corpse of this spirit body gu was also a good item for him, suitable for research.
"Why trouble you? I can resolve it myself," Qi Yuan said nonchalantly.
"At such a young age, you can boast even harder than I did when I was young! When this spirit body gu was alive, it rivaled a Heaven-rank weapon wielder. Even for this old man, dealing with it would be extremely tricky. You can't even perceive it on your own, yet you claim you can resolve it?"
Tu Sihai naturally thought Qi Yuan was bragging.
At such a young age, he looked no older than twenty.
No matter how much of a prodigy he was, at most he'd be an Earth-rank weapon wielder.
Claiming he could protect him? What a joke!
"Old man, watch closely."
At that moment, Qi Yuan looked at the spirit body gu behind him and suddenly opened his mouth wide.
Before Tu Sihai could react, that mouth snapped shut.
In an instant, the spherical spirit body gu plunged straight into Qi Yuan's stomach.
Tu Sihai's eyes went wide as he stared at Qi Yuan as though looking at a monster. "You... ate it?!"
That was a spirit body gu!
A special Heaven-rank guiling!
He just ate it like that?!
Such a sight completely exceeded his imagination and understanding.
How could a human... a human couldn't eat a guiling, could they?
Beside them, Chen Kangbao swallowed hard. "Young Master... does it taste good? Did it get stuck between your teeth? If it got stuck, pick it out and let me have a taste!"
Hearing this, Tu Sihai found the master and servant pair even more deranged.
His legs went thoroughly numb.
"Tastes good. I want to eat more." Qi Yuan rubbed his belly.
Eating this spirit body gu felt like swallowing air, but it contained the rules of the unity of heaven and humanity.
His inability to break through to level 120 stemmed from a lack of unity of heaven and humanity.
Now that a little bit had been supplemented, though the quantity was too small to support a breakthrough to level 120, his combat strength had increased considerably.
"Monster." Tu Sihai gulped, his face filled with bewilderment. "Just how did you do that?"
He felt somewhat frightened; the event before him was beyond his comprehension.
"I felt like eating it, so I ate it," Qi Yuan said casually, adopting a lazy posture.
Tu Sihai took a deep breath. "I have yet to learn your name, sir. This old man is Tu Sihai of the Huangshan Sword Sect!"
"Qi Yuan."
Tu Sihai committed the name to memory while racking his brain, yet he could not recall any formidable figure surnamed Qi.
"The Huangshan Sect seems to be a sect of the State of Yunhai. Old man, why did you come here?" Qi Yuan asked offhandedly.
Since Tu Sihai had helped him after all, Qi Yuan remembered the kindness.
Tu Sihai eyed Qi Yuan with a hint of wariness and pondered before saying, "Rumor has it that a treasure has appeared in Shiwanshanjue, and many experts are rushing there."
"What treasure?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.
Shiwanshanjue again.
It seemed this dungeon truly had an affinity with him.
Tu Sihai narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "A divine artifact embryo!"
Above Heaven-rank artifacts were divine artifacts.
Across the dozens of surrounding small states, divine artifacts were nowhere to be found, and even Heaven-rank artifacts were exceedingly rare.
A divine artifact embryo was a semi-finished divine artifact.
Once it surfaced, it naturally drew numerous surrounding experts.
Although a divine artifact embryo was not yet a complete divine artifact, in terms of value, not even ten or twenty peak Heaven-rank artifacts could compare.
"Just that?" Qi Yuan didn't care in the slightest.
He himself was a peak divine artifact, so he naturally looked down on such things.
Tu Sihai was astonished, yet he still cupped his hands and asked, "Brother Qi, if you are interested, why not accompany me?"
Given Qi Yuan's feat of swallowing the spirit body gu whole, Tu Sihai already treated him as an equal.
"Forget it. I have to go see my wife. I'll hit this dungeon next time."
Qi Yuan didn't care about a divine artifact embryo.
You couldn't eat a divine artifact embryo, after all.
Hearing this, many thoughts flashed through Tu Sihai's mind.
He deduced that this Qi Yuan probably possessed average strength but peculiar methods, and didn't want to risk the dangers of Shiwanshanjue.
Those heading to Shiwanshanjue this time were at least Earth-rank weapon wielders, with no shortage of peak Earth-rank experts, not to mention that even Heaven-rank weapon wielders might appear.
It was only natural for Qi Yuan to avoid it if he was weak.
After all, a divine artifact embryo held immense allure for any weapon wielder.
"Brother Qi, since the spirit body gu has been dealt with, this old man won't linger. I take my leave here; until we meet again!" Tu Sihai spoke decisively.
Moreover, this master and servant were truly too bizarre. He didn't dare stay too close and thought it best to depart.
"If you run into trouble, come find me at the Heavenly Sect. I'll protect you once," Qi Yuan offered generously.
"Many thanks, Brother Qi!" Tu Sihai committed the Heavenly Sect to memory.
The Heavenly Sect was ranked among the top two sects in the State of Ning. Regarding its strength, he held a sliver of wariness, but it was merely wariness.
The Huangshan Sect was far stronger than the Heavenly Sect.
Tu Sihai vaulted out of the carriage, landed on his horse, and rode away.
"Let's go. Pick up the pace to the Heavenly Sect," Qi Yuan said casually.
Regarding the spirit body gu, he had some guesses.
It was likely left behind by the matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan's father to protect him.
Fang Shisan of the Radiant Society and Elder Black Crow of Thorn Blood had probably been wary of the spirit body gu, which was why they hadn't acted directly against Qi Yuan.
*The spirit body gu might not have been just to protect me; it could also have been... to protect the Divine Wood Token!* Qi Yuan contemplated.
*It seems the father of this matrilocal son-in-law Qi Yuan was quite extraordinary as well.*
*Then when I roleplay, I must take him into account to make it complete.*
Pondering while taking in the scenery, the carriage leisurely traversed the mountain ranges and arrived at the Heavenly Sect at sundown.
"Shen Lingxuan's husband, Qi Yuan, requests an audience."
At the great hall at the foot of the Heavenly Sect's mountain, Qi Yuan called out softly.
Generally, for visits without advance written notice, one had to explain their purpose at the foot-of-the-mountain hall.
As Qi Yuan's voice faded, a pretty young woman walked over. When she saw Qi Yuan's appearance, a flicker of amazement passed through her eyes.
"It is actually Senior Brother Qi Yuan! I shall go notify the elders immediately. Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Qi!"
Although Qi Yuan was a matrilocal son-in-law, he was still Shen Lingxuan's husband—a figure whom ordinary disciples like her could not afford to offend.
About half a shichen later, Wang Qingyi appeared in a Daoist robe, a look of surprise in her eyes. "What did you come here for?"
A wooden hairpin was stuck casually into her hair, and deep within Wang Qingyi's eyes lay profound exhaustion.
"I haven't seen Lingxuan for many days since we parted. I'd like to see her. May I ask if she is here?" Qi Yuan explained his purpose.
Wang Qingyi frowned, the worry in her eyes deepening. "Lingxuan is not in the sect right now."
She glanced at Qi Yuan and Chen Kangbao. "Many disasters are currently occurring near the Heavenly Sect. Return to Fengshan Commandery at once. I will inform Lingxuan of your visit."
Wang Qingyi paused, then thought of something. "It won't be safe for the two of you to return alone either. I'll have disciples of the Heavenly Sect escort you back."
"This... Senior Wang, where did Lingxuan go?" Qi Yuan asked.
After a moment's consideration, Qi Yuan still addressed her as Senior.
"This is not something you should know," Wang Qingyi refused to say.
She knew Shen Lingxuan's husband was merely an ordinary person.
Informing him would only make things worse.
Right now, it was best to send him back to Fengshan Commandery. If he stayed here and the Heaven-rank weapon wielder from Rakshasa Country found out, matters would become complicated.
A few days ago, that Heaven-rank weapon wielder had arrived aggressively, throwing his weight around and claiming he was offering Shen Lingxuan an opportunity to serve Diwu Wei.
The Heavenly Sect naturally refused. That Heaven-rank weapon wielder hadn't held back, moving directly to suppress them.
However, the Heavenly Sect was an established sect with considerable foundations after all; the Sect Master brandished the founder's personal sword to hold the enemy off.
Wary of the consequences, that Heaven-rank weapon wielder didn't attack again, instead waiting quietly outside the Heavenly Sect.
At that time, panic gripped the Heavenly Sect.
With an expert as formidable as that old eunuch, Mo Sankong, given enough time, he could easily unravel the Heavenly Sect's defenses.
When that happened, Shen Lingxuan would still be in danger.
It just so happened that an upheaval occurred in Shiwanshanjue, drawing numerous Earth-rank and Heaven-rank weapon wielders, throwing Shiwanshanjue into utter chaos.
At this juncture, Shen Lingxuan suddenly proposed heading to Shiwanshanjue.
Remaining in the Heavenly Sect was no longer safe; it was better to slip into Shiwanshanjue.
Shen Lingxuan possessed an artifact capable of altering her physical form, the best disguise available.
Wang Qingyi had opposed it, unwilling to let her disciple venture into danger.
In the end, it was the Sect Master who agreed to Shen Lingxuan's proposal and quietly smuggled her out of the Heavenly Sect.
These things, of course, she would never tell Qi Yuan.
*Heaven-rank weapon wielder Mo Sankong?* Qi Yuan murmured internally.
What she didn't know was that every thought in her mind had just been overheard by Qi Yuan.
Although Qi Yuan's ability to hear inner thoughts was unstable—he couldn't hear just anyone's mind—he had just happened to catch Wang Qingyi's heart-voice.
"Understood, Senior Wang. I'll head back right away. No need for an escort; since I could come here on my own, I can head back directly." Having obtained his answer, Qi Yuan told a rare lie.
He couldn't be bothered to squabble with Wang Qingyi or engage in some drama of mutual distrust.
Heading straight back was enough.
Wang Qingyi froze, not expecting Qi Yuan to agree so decisively.
A hint of disappointment crept into her gaze as she looked at him.
She assumed this matrilocal son-in-law had been frightened and was fleeing straight away.
It seemed her disciple had entrusted herself to the wrong man.
At this thought, her worry for her disciple grew even deeper.
"In that case, you may leave." Wang Qingyi's expression turned cold, showing Qi Yuan no further pleasantness.
Qi Yuan didn't take offense either.
"Old man, drive faster. We're heading back."
"Right away!"
Chen Kangbao hurriedly drove the carriage, which soon vanished from Wang Qingyi's sight.
Wang Qingyi sighed faintly. "These troubled times... First the Luotong River Lord, now the divine artifact embryo appearing. Lingxuan, she... Sigh..."
The current Heavenly Sect was swaying in the wind and rain, positioned squarely at the center of an explosive powder keg that could ignite at any moment.
On the other side, the carriage traveled along the official road.
A smile welled up in Qi Yuan's eyes. "I didn't expect such good luck. Not only will I get to see my wife, but I might even encounter some white moonlight!"
With the divine artifact embryo appearing in Shiwanshanjue, many Heaven-rank weapon wielders would likely descend.
For Qi Yuan, this was a wonderful thing.
"If I'd known, I would have accepted Old Man Tu's invitation. Now I have to run an extra few hundred li."
"Old man, speed up!"
"Young Master, the horse can't take it; it's exhausted," Chen Kangbao replied.
The carriage horse was panting heavily, clearly spent.
"How about this: I'll bestow a blessing upon you, and you pull the carriage." Qi Yuan was very clever.
This blessing was a genuine blessing, not the trickery from before.
"Master, this..." Chen Kangbao hesitated.
"You fellow, you eat too much. If you don't get more exercise and digest it, you probably won't live past three years," Qi Yuan said calmly.
Chen Kangbao's physical condition was extremely complex. He had once suffered severe injuries, and surviving at all was already a miracle.
"Alright!" Gritting his teeth, Chen Kangbao unhitched the horse. Receiving Qi Yuan's blessing, he grabbed the carriage shafts and took off running.
"Keep it up, faster!"
"Young Master, I've only got two legs! I can't run fast!"
Pulling the carriage, Chen Kangbao ran as swiftly as if he were flying, faster than a horse.
"Your young master is kind-hearted. I'll add four more legs to make you run faster."
A smile flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes.
With a flick of the drone in his hand, Myriad Transformations engaged, and a roaring tiger suddenly burst forth.
The tiger charged after Chen Kangbao, planting its front paws directly onto his shoulders while its hind legs pushed hard against the ground.
"Aaaaargh!" Chen Kangbao let out a wretched scream and ran even faster!
"As expected, six legs are more useful than two," Qi Yuan commented mildly.
Once he reached level 120, he could formally treat Chen Kangbao's condition.
Otherwise, eating like this all the time was no good.
Chapter 517