In the ruins ahead, death qi drifted through the air, as if one were immersed in absolute darkness.
Where was there even the faintest trace of light?
Clearly, they had failed.
"The line of implement masters in the Qingshan Realm... has truly come to an end." At that moment, a woman's voice spoke beside Shen Lingxuan.
It came from an insect the size of a moth, resembling a butterfly.
This creature was a spirit of heaven and earth, rumored to have existed since the primordial dawn.
Shen Lingxuan had encountered it after entering the ruins.
"All who came here to temper fragments of the curious treasure of light were true prodigies among implement masters. With them gone... the path of implements in the Qingshan Realm will stagnate for centuries," the Insect Maiden Caidie said in a strange, enigmatic tone.
In Caidie's eyes, the implement masters who had entered this guiling forbidden zone were all talents unearthed from various places.
Had they developed along a normal path, their futures would have been brilliant, their wealth and honor practically guaranteed.
Caidie turned to Shen Lingxuan. "Lingxuan, you bear the Mandate of Heaven; yours is a unique destiny. You can forgo everything else within this guiling forbidden zone, but the guiling source is something you must obtain.
"Only the Mandate of Heaven can suppress the guiling source and keep it from growing rampant. Furthermore... once you refine the guiling source, you can obtain all sorts of special abilities, allowing you to hide within the Qingshan Realm without being discovered by... outsiders."
At this point, Caidie's expression grew solemn.
"Otherwise, once you attain the unity of heaven and humanity, you will inevitably draw the gaze of outsiders, and you will perish just as you did in your past life."
A dense, frigid chill radiated from Shen Lingxuan.
Memories of her past life surged up at this moment.
In her past life, she had been a favored daughter of the heavens, diligently cultivating. Yet out of nowhere one day, a ray of sword light fell from beyond the sky, shattering her body in an instant, leaving not even a corpse behind.
Even now, recalling that strike filled her with lingering dread.
Had that kind of existence attained the legendary God-rank?
"What exactly does the Mandate of Heaven represent?" Shen Lingxuan asked.
Caidie paused before replying, "It represents the will of the world, and it represents the ownership of the world."
She was clearly speaking in riddles, declining to elaborate.
Or perhaps that was all she knew.
Her long black dress accentuated Shen Lingxuan's resemblance to a black rose—chilling and aloof. "Mo Sankong is outside, and Heaven-rank weapon wielders from Rakshasa Country are rushing here as well. Dealing with them alone will be difficult for me. Getting the guiling source will be far too hard."
Caidie swayed slightly. "That is indeed a problem. Alas, I possess no combat power; I cannot even handle an Earth-rank weapon wielder.
"However, I can go out and scout ahead for you, which may help avoid some dangers," Caidie offered.
***
"Sigh, before exploring ruins, you've got to eat your fill, or you won't have any strength," Chen Kangbao said, stuffing buns into his mouth from the stash he kept inside his robes.
Chewing away with a bun in hand, he asked Tu Sihai and the others, "Do you folks want one?"
The charming mature woman covered her mouth, looking somewhat repulsed by the sweat on the buns. "Thank you for the kind offer, old gentleman."
To her, Chen Kangbao was Qi Yuan's attendant after all, so it was inappropriate to get angry.
"No thanks," the rest declined one after another.
Only Wang Dao beamed with a wide grin. "I'll have one. Many thanks, old gentleman!"
Seeing this, Chen Kangbao was overjoyed. "Here you go!"
Wang Dao promptly took the bun and stuffed it into his mouth without a second thought. "Delicious!"
"Let's go. Time to explore the ruins and track down that Mo Sankong!" Qi Yuan declared.
The party of eight gathered their gear and set out toward the northeast section of Shiwanshanjue.
According to Wang Dao's description, Mo Sankong had entered through the seventeenth black gate in the northeast.
Under cover of night, the group moved swiftly.
At this moment, Qi Yuan glanced at the blind old man and asked with humble courtesy, "Old man, in a few months I might go blind too. What do you think matters most to a blind person?"
In a few months, he would have to roleplay the Blind Implement Master. It was rare to run into someone who was actually blind, so he figured he should seek some advice.
The blind old man was taken aback. His left eye was blind, but his right eye remained completely intact. "Perhaps... it is to see the light once more."
"To see the light once more?" Qi Yuan mused.
The Blind Implement Master's greatest lifelong wish was probably to become a God-rank implement master, or ascend even higher.
Still, with blind eyes, could one truly reach greater heights?
About a quarter of an hour later, cloaked in darkness, the group arrived at a mountain hollow.
An earthquake seemed to have struck this place in the past, causing earth and rock to collapse and exposing a corner of the ruins.
Over a dozen black iron gates met their eyes, carved with various mysterious patterns.
"Half of the iron gates here are open. Fortunately, the one we need to enter is open as well; otherwise... it would probably cost us a lot of time," Tu Sihai said.
The iron gates in the ruins were exceptionally sturdy; even top-tier grandmasters would find them hard to destroy.
"Where is it open? Isn't that just a dog door?" Chen Kangbao remarked in surprise.
"Back then, that duck-voiced fellow crawled right through that dog hole." Recalling the scene, Wang Dao still felt a lingering shock.
Had it not been exceedingly difficult to exit once inside, he suspected that weapon wielder would have casually killed him upon realizing Wang Dao had witnessed him making a fool of himself.
"What dog door? That's a dragon-and-phoenix archway," the charming mature woman giggled.
Tu Sihai laughed as well. "We all know each other well, so let's not deceive ourselves. There's no shame in it."
The others agreed; being able to crawl inside was already good enough.
The blind old man eyed the charming woman. "My only worry is that the half-jin of meat on your chest is too big to squeeze through."
"Blind man, watch out, or once we're inside I'll poke your good eye out!" The woman took no offense.
Qi Yuan looked over and said earnestly, "The blind old man is right."
The woman's face flushed scarlet in an instant.
Had anyone else said that, she would have felt nothing.
Yet Qi Yuan was a mysterious expert, a future Heaven-rank weapon wielder without a doubt, and so young and handsome to boot.
Just then, Qi Yuan spoke up.
"A mere broken door! Watch closely, everyone—the matrilocal son-in-law is about to pull his trademark crooked grin!"
With that, Qi Yuan marched straight toward the black gate.
Surprise flickered in the eyes of the Heisha brothers. The younger brother couldn't help saying, "This black gate was forged from Punan iron. Even a Heaven-rank weapon wielder would struggle to destroy it."
Clearly, he didn't hold high hopes for Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan stopped in his tracks.
"Yes, that's the feeling! Say more things like that. Otherwise, pulling the crooked grin won't feel satisfying," Qi Yuan said with a smile in his eyes.
Before the matrilocal son-in-law smirked, if nobody sneered at him, the scene lacked soul.
Ideally, a beautiful woman would even deliver a sharp slap to his cheek.
However, Qi Yuan was afraid of pain, so slapping his face was out of the question.
An awkward expression appeared on the younger Heisha brother's face.
Tu Sihai paused, recalling Qi Yuan's eccentric temperament, and tested the waters: "Brother Qi, striking this black gate will likely end in vain."
To be fair, he meant it sincerely.
"Far too weak in aggression! I ought to play some short dramas for you all so you can see how those actors deliver their lines!" Qi Yuan shook his head.
The blind old man said nothing. He didn't care much for Qi Yuan's flighty, erratic nature and merely watched with a cold detachment.
Qi Yuan wasted no more words.
He reached out and gave a gentle push forward.
Instantly, immense force surged forth.
His hand functioned like a sharp cleaver, shifting from a push into a chop.
*Bang!*
With a resounding boom, the indestructible black gate shattered like a block of tofu.
A man-sized opening appeared before everyone's eyes.
"How... how is that possible?!"
"It actually shattered!"
Everyone present was struck dumb, their faces painted with disbelief.
They had anticipated Qi Yuan would be strong, but never dreamed he would be this formidable!
Shattering the black gate with a single blow—could even a Heaven-rank weapon wielder achieve such strength?
Seeing this, Qi Yuan didn't bother pulling his crooked grin.
"Now that's a normal reaction, just like on TV. Your earlier taunts were far too feeble." Qi Yuan clapped his hands.
The others exchanged bewildered glances, completely at a loss for words.
"To think Brother Qi possessed such astounding prowess! It seems our exploration of the secret realm will entirely depend on you, Brother Qi," Tu Sihai flattered opportunely.
The blind old man also looked upon Qi Yuan with newfound respect, retracting his earlier reservations.
Wang Dao was in high spirits; Qi Yuan's strength was simply too overwhelming.
At this moment, the elder of the Heisha brothers spoke up: "If we rely entirely on Brother Qi for everything, how will treasures be distributed once discovered?"
This drew everyone's attention.
If Qi Yuan did all the heavy lifting, how would the spoils be split?
Surely they hadn't come on a sightseeing tour just to let Qi Yuan take every single treasure?
"Who said you won't contribute? You can..." Chen Kangbao smiled mysteriously. With a flick of his hand, he said, "Whenever we run into enemies, you can blow the suona to cheer on Young Master!"
In his hands were several suonas, along with gongs, drums, and other instruments.
The group looked at one another, completely dumbfounded.
"Young Master is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see enemies die in silence, so he's kindly holding grand funerals for them. I even brought along the buns for the feast!"
Chen Kangbao truly proved his worth as Qi Yuan's strategist, anticipating Qi Yuan's whims with full preparation.
Seeing this, the younger Heisha brother's face turned livid.
Making him blow a suona—was this an insult?
Just then, the blind old man took a suona. "If blowing a suona counts as our contribution, what harm is there in this old man blowing one?"
After all, braving the ruins was perilous, while blowing a suona was trivial.
"There's really such a good deal?" The charming woman took a suona, her eyes shimmering with coquettish charm. "I'm quite good at blowing."
Without hesitation, Wang Dao grabbed a suona.
Seeing this, the younger Heisha brother hesitated. When he saw his older brother take one, he reached out as well, though his expression remained stiff.
He longed to say that it remained to be seen whether Qi Yuan had the actual ability.
Yet given Qi Yuan's immense strength, he dared not voice such thoughts.
Seeing everyone holding suonas, Qi Yuan felt as though he were back in the Mortal Heart Realm.
Back when he had led the villagers of Qingshui Village, sweeping across the four corners.
Killing people and feasting at their funerals.
"Rest assured, I hold shares in this game! Follow behind me, and no one will dare take a blade to you!"
"Even if an accident happens and you get cut down, I'll track you down later and put you into my Netherworld!"
Qi Yuan spoke with utter confidence.
A matrilocal son-in-law had to be confident.
The people around him looked utterly bewildered, unsure how to respond.
Only Chen Kangbao continued to play the role of the loyal lackey.
"Young Master is a Heavenly God descended to earth! Follow Young Master, and there will be buns to eat every day!"
His flattering tone appeared especially comical.
The younger Heisha brother glanced at Chen Kangbao, a flicker of disdain crossing his eyes.
This man was utterly shameless, an embarrassment to weapon wielders.
The group stepped through the black gate.
About a quarter of an hour later, the wail of suonas arose.
Five dark silhouettes appeared, their faces grotesque.
Every one of them possessed the strength of an Earth-rank weapon wielder, roaring as they lunged toward the party.
"I already pulled my crooked grin, and you still dare try to kill me? Do you really take me for a useless matrilocal son-in-law?"
Qi Yuan remained calm. Tapping the ground with his toe, he launched five pebbles into the air and kicked out fiercely.
*Whoosh!*
The pebbles flew like artillery shells toward the five dark silhouettes.
The five silhouettes froze mid-motion, then plummeted violently from the sky.
Their breath vanished entirely!
A grin spread across Chen Kangbao's face. "Young Master is mighty! The suonas barely started, and these guiling dropped dead!"
Tu Sihai watched the scene with astonishment in his eyes.
This Brother Qi was excessively strong.
Even the younger Heisha brother felt no complaints at this moment, feeling instead that this arrangement was splendid.
Had the rest of them faced these five guiling alone, they would have likely suffered a bitter battle just to slay them.
"Come, eat the feast, eat the feast!" Chen Kangbao called out.
As he spoke, he pulled another pile of buns from his robes.
This time, no one refused. Even if repulsed, they held their noses and swallowed the buns down.
"The eyeballs on these guiling aren't bad. They're worth a bit of money. Since you've been blowing the suonas for so long, they're yours."
Qi Yuan had always operated entirely by his principle of doing as he pleased.
Tu Sihai froze. "These eyeballs... are worth money?"
It was common knowledge that guiling eyeballs were practically useless.
Surely they weren't meant to be eaten?
"Not worth much, probably a few hundred taels," Qi Yuan said.
"We owe everything to Brother Qi's efforts this time. Such treasures should belong to Brother Qi!" the elder Heisha brother offered politely.
"I don't need these things," Qi Yuan said casually.
The others didn't take it to heart either; it likely wasn't any extraordinary treasure.
As Earth-rank weapon wielders, they could easily part with a few hundred taels of silver.
Tu Sihai then asked, "What use do these eyeballs have?"
"Aphrodisiac... well, they make a person..."
Before the words finished leaving his mouth, the sound of breaking wind erupted as five figures lunged violently toward the guiling corpses.
"Brother, leave one for me! You already grabbed two!" the younger Heisha brother cried anxiously.
"Brother, you're still young! Don't fight with your elder brother!"
"We're twins!"
Not far away, the charming woman showed a smile of disgust. "A bunch of useless men."
She then turned toward the blind old man. "Blind man, aren't you usually so aloof and unbothered by female charms?"
"Hmph," the old blind man snorted. "I have a friend. I'm picking it up for him."
As he spoke, he gripped the eyeball tightly and slipped it into his spatial artifact.
"It's a pity I can't return to Blue Star; otherwise, I'd take all these eyeballs with me," Qi Yuan sighed.
He had missed out on far too many fortunes.
If he could mass-produce these eyeballs, he would be revered as a saint on Blue Star.
If they held an election for planetary leader, he would surely take first place by a landslide.
"Come on, let's keep moving."
Qi Yuan swept his gaze over the group, bearing no intention of discriminating against men who couldn't perform.
The others possessed thick skin and simply acted as if nothing had happened.
Along the way, the party encountered numerous dangers.
Every single one was effortlessly crushed by Qi Yuan.
Each time the suonas began to wail, the sound ended abruptly after just a few breaths.
Qi Yuan was simply too powerful, resembling a flawless hex-stat warrior without a single weakness.
Fast guiling, strong guiling... none could surpass him in their areas of expertise.
It could be said that Qi Yuan steamrolled straight ahead with an invincible posture.
"Watch out, I'm pulling the crooked grin!"
"Serve the feast!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Those trailing behind had felt awkward blowing at first, but the deeper they went, the more their sense of shame vanished.
"Brother, did I blow loud enough?"
***
"Cough, cough..." Deep within the ruins, a scholar in Confucian robes coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
A playful look filled Mo Sankong's eyes. "To think that upon coming to the State of Ning, I would run into... the Grand Libationer of the State of Shang's Wentai Pavilion!"
The State of Shang was a small country bordering Rakshasa Country.
It had no monarch, governed only by a Council of Elders.
Under such a system, the State of Shang fervently revered the legendary God of Judgment.
Back when the God of Judgment still lived, the State of Shang had been a vassal of Rakshasa Country, bathed in the radiant glory of Divine Descent.
However, after Divine Descent was destroyed, the State of Shang decisively broke away from Rakshasa Country.
This had enraged Rakshasa Country.
In particular, the State of Shang secretly aided the Council of Judgment; thanks to that covert assistance, the Council of Judgment preserved much of its strength.
Had the fall of Divine Descent not weakened Rakshasa Country's national might, leaving it hard-pressed against rival states, they would have long since dispatched troops to wipe out the State of Shang.
Now, seeing the State of Shang's Grand Libationer, Mo Sankong wore an amused smile.
Killing the Grand Libationer would count as quite a notable achievement.
"A mere novice to the Heaven-rank—how can you contend with me?" Mo Sankong looked at the scholar, a savage grin spreading across his face.
His eagle-claw hands lashed out toward the scholar. Though the scholar parried swiftly, a bloody gash was left across his shoulder, blood flowing freely.
Just as Mo Sankong prepared to strike again, the wail of suonas suddenly drifted from nearby.
He whipped around to look. A bronze gate swung open, and several figures tumbled to the ground ahead.
A party of eight appeared in his sight.
The suona music ground to an abrupt halt.
Seeing Mo Sankong, the suona players showed looks of shock and dread.
"The unity of heaven and humanity—that's a Heaven-rank weapon wielder!"
"The other one is too... Are two Heaven-rank weapon wielders fighting?"
Wang Dao prepared to speak, but remembering something, he swallowed the words back down.
When he had seen Mo Sankong earlier, Mo Sankong hadn't revealed his full might, leading Wang Dao to assume he was merely a powerful Earth-rank weapon wielder.
Now that Mo Sankong was engaged in combat with someone else, the realm of the unity of heaven and humanity was blatantly displayed.
How could he not realize that Qi Yuan's target was this very Heaven-rank weapon wielder?
As strong as Qi Yuan was, he had never demonstrated the state of the unity of heaven and humanity.
Even if his strength and speed far outmatched Mo Sankong's, the state of the unity of heaven and humanity was not something raw physical power and speed could overcome.
Tu Sihai realized this as well and hurriedly called out, "Senior, we intruded unintentionally and shall take our leave at once."
He adopted a very humble stance.
After all, that was a Heaven-rank weapon wielder—and clearly not one who had just entered the rank.
At this moment, a cold sneer appeared in Mo Sankong's eyes. "You may leave, but that old man must stay."
He pointed toward Chen Kangbao, his gaze wildly arrogant. Glancing at the scholar, a cunning smile flashed across his face. "You disguised it well, but when that old man appeared, the flash of surprise and worry in your eyes did not escape me. You know him... and very well at that."
Standing suspended in the air, Mo Sankong radiated confidence and swagger.
He looked every bit like a reigning sovereign.
"He stays, and the rest of you may leave.
"Otherwise... all of you die!"
His voice was domineering and dripping with contempt.
The scholar wore a look of anxiety and deep self-reproach.
It was he who had endangered Old Chen!
On the other side, Tu Sihai and the rest were fraught with worry.
Mo Sankong exerted far too much pressure on them—far more than any Heaven-rank weapon wielder they had ever encountered.
Even if they joined forces, they were likely no match for him.
No matter how strong Qi Yuan was, without stepping into the realm of the unity of heaven and humanity, he simply could not contend with him.
"Hey, old eunuch, aren't you feeling a bit too good about yourself?" Qi Yuan asked with an eyebrow raised. "Even if you want to let us go, I have no intention of letting you off!"
Mo Sankong's expression turned instantly dark and cold. He seemed to detest being called a eunuch; it struck a sore spot.
"Very well! I never imagined this tiny country would harbor so many reckless fools. Today... not one of you leaves alive!"
Killing intent flared within Mo Sankong.
Tu Sihai and the others went on high alert. He urgently said, "Brother Qi, you lead the attack, and we will support you! Let's strike together!"
At this point, with Mo Sankong brimming with murderous aura, words were useless; only fighting offered a glimmer of survival.
"Why are you getting involved? Keep playing the music, keep blowing the suonas. I'm going to send him off to his grave," Qi Yuan said calmly.
"But he's a Heaven-rank weapon wielder!" the blind old man said in a deep voice, staring at Qi Yuan in utter disbelief.
Could this man not be acting crazy, but genuinely insane?
"Hmph! Even if a Heaven-rank weapon wielder comes, they'll drop dead before Young Master!" Chen Kangbao raised his hands. "Play the music!"
Seeing this, Tu Sihai and the others hesitated for half a breath before raising the suonas to play once more, though their bodies were wound tight, ready to strike the moment anything went awry.
Qi Yuan looked toward Mo Sankong and asked calmly, "Mo Sankong, do you know what crime you have committed?"
Mo Sankong froze slightly. "You know me?"
"You actually tried to snatch my wife, Shen Lingxuan! If you steal her away, where am I supposed to be a matrilocal son-in-law?
"You have committed a capital offense, an unforgivable crime.
"If you kowtow and take your own life, I can grant you a few benefits and let you eat at your own funeral feast after death." Qi Yuan was exceedingly generous and kind-hearted; even when dealing with criminals, he respected their human rights.
As for how one could eat at their own funeral feast after dying?
Simple: slice open his stomach and stuff the buns inside.
"You are courting death!" Mo Sankong roared in fury!
"Shen Lingxuan has already caught the eye of my prince! If you track her down and present her to my prince, your entire family will be spared after you commit suicide!"
"Hey, I'm an orphan. Why don't you try bringing my whole family back to life and let me see?"
The suonas wailed, urgent and piercing.
A trace of mournful sorrow seemed mixed into the notes.
The Earth-rank weapon wielders present were on edge, full of anxiety.
The scholar was anxious as well, and utterly bewildered.
Wasn't Qi Yuan that lunatic from the Madhouse?
Hadn't he been an ordinary mortal back then?
How had he become so strong?
"Die!"
Mo Sankong attacked. In his state of the unity of heaven and humanity, he drew directly upon the power of heaven and earth to crush down upon Qi Yuan.
"Brat, before reaching the Heaven-rank, you remain an ant! You have no idea what the power of heaven and earth truly means!"
Mo Sankong was overbearingly arrogant.
His own raw physical power was inferior to Qi Yuan's.
However, in the state of the unity of heaven and humanity, he could channel the power of heaven and earth within a ten-meter radius.
Such power exceeded tens of thousands of jin, impossible for mere mortal strength to withstand!
This was the greatest gap between Heaven-rank and Earth-rank weapon wielders!
In a head-on clash, there had never been a single instance of an Earth-rank weapon wielder defeating a Heaven-rank one.
"The power of heaven and earth?" Qi Yuan chuckled. "Old eunuch, do you understand... the sheer weight of being a shareholder?!"
He lashed out abruptly, throwing a punch.
A look of terror flashed through Mo Sankong's eyes.
For he discovered, to his utter horror, that the power of heaven and earth he had gathered shattered in that instant.
No, it hadn't shattered—it had leaked away, gone completely limp!
It was just like a son bumping into his father at an upscale club.
"How is this possible?!" Mo Sankong could not comprehend it.
The power of heaven and earth was a Heaven-rank weapon wielder's greatest reliance.
It could only crush people, or be beaten back by a stronger power of heaven and earth—how could the power of heaven and earth retreat before the battle even began?
*Boom!*
Alas, his confusion was useless.
He had no idea that without Qi Yuan's blood essence, neither this world nor this game would exist.
Qi Yuan could rightfully claim to be a shareholder of this world, holding a legitimate stake in it.
How would the power of heaven and earth dare defy him?!
With a sharp crack, the fist landed upon Mo Sankong's body.
Stripped of the power of heaven and earth, his internal organs instantly ruptured, and his body went limp.
Even in death, his face retained an expression of disbelief and utter perplexity.
Unfortunately, no one was going to explain it to him.
With a single punch, a Heaven-rank weapon wielder was dead.
Qi Yuan smiled. "To me, you aren't any different from those Earth-rank weapon wielders!"
The sound of the suonas came to a halt at that very moment.
Every weapon wielder present wore a look of profound shock.
This shock surpassed anything they had ever experienced before.
How could an Earth-rank weapon wielder bypass the power of heaven and earth to slay a Heaven-rank weapon wielder?
Chapter 519