Liu Sheng was somewhat astonished, but he dutifully put the divine artifact away.
Ripples stirred in his heart.
Could there truly be a being in this world so utterly selfless?
He knew he could never do the same, and his admiration for Qi Yuan deepened all the more.
Qi Yuan focused his gaze on the books inside the storage artifact.
As a God-rank weapon wielder, his reading speed went without saying; with just a single sweep of his eyes, the pages flipped on their own, and a massive influx of information flooded into his mind.
The records concerning Sheng Nü were mostly piecemeal.
Yet when all these scattered fragments were pieced together, the image of an elegant, pure-hearted, gentle, and enigmatic woman formed in his mind.
"Sheng Nü wasn't a native of the Qingshan Realm. She first appeared here five hundred years ago, vanished at Sunset Cliff, and reappeared a hundred years later."
Based on this information, Qi Yuan surmised that during the century she had gone missing, she had most likely been in the Divine Wood Deep Abyss.
"Two hundred years ago, Sheng Nü descended upon the Rakshasa Country, left behind the divine artifact Shenlin, and vanished once again."
"According to the books, she went to... the Tai Star Domain."
In the final records of the texts, Sheng Nü had once stated that she would go to the Tai Star Domain.
"Where is the Tai Star Domain?" Qi Yuan asked Insect Maiden Caidie.
As for the people of the Qingshan Realm, they likely had no idea where the Tai Star Domain was.
Insect Maiden Caidie replied, "The Divine Wood Universe has a total of seven hundred and eighty-one star domains, large and small. The Tai Star Domain is one of the nine star domains on the very front lines!"
Insect Maiden Caidie continued to explain.
The Divine Wood Universe was actually an embryonic universe, born less than an epoch ago.
Compared to other universes, the Divine Wood Universe clearly resembled a miniature, budget version.
Even so, it currently comprised seven hundred and eighty-one star domains.
Each star domain was unimaginably vast, containing countless minor worlds like the Qingshan Realm.
And among these seven hundred and eighty-one star domains, quite a few were fallen zones.
The Chaotic Star Domain, where the Qingshan Realm was situated, was half-fallen.
As for the Tai Star Domain, it sat on the very front lines resisting the incursions of Heitian.
The nine major star domains banded together, gathering virtually all the elites of the Divine Wood Universe to stand united against Heitian and Heitu.
As for the other star domains in the rear, it wasn't as though they were idle.
Take the Qingshan Realm: although it was nearly under the Radiant Society's control, three hundred thousand implement masters remained hidden deep in the mountains, forging fragments of the curious treasure of light.
Though it followed the path of God-Kindled Light, which differed from the Renqi Society's ideals, whether God-Kindled or Man-Kindled, both were for the sake of the Divine Wood Universe.
"The Tai Star Domain is very far away..." Insect Maiden Caidie looked at Qi Yuan with a complicated gaze. "If it were before, I might have been able to escort you there. But after you slew Fengti, the Radiant Society is certain to have their eyes on you. Leaving the Chaotic Star Domain now will be exceptionally difficult."
Her original plan had been to wait for Shen Lingxuan to step into the God rank, then use a teleportation array to head to the front line and regroup with the Renqi Society.
"You mean if I leave, people will come deliver packages to me? There's really such a good deal?" Qi Yuan didn't care in the slightest.
If people from the Radiant Society came to stop him, he would simply kill them.
Insect Maiden Caidie fell silent. Qi Yuan truly possessed the right to be confident.
Since he could even slay Fengti, ordinary Great Venerables were completely helpless against him.
As for Ancestral Gods, or Yang Gods, why would beings of that stature pay attention to a mere God-rank weapon wielder?
"Do you have a way to take me out of the Qingshan Realm?" Qi Yuan asked.
"I do, but it could be very dangerous," Insect Maiden Caidie hesitated.
The Tai Star Domain was too far away; it would require taking teleportation arrays multiple times, transferring again and again.
If a star domain or transit route along the old path had become a fallen zone, they might have to seek out a new passage.
"Danger doesn't matter. But before heading to the Tai Star Domain, take me to the Kuijin Realm first," Qi Yuan said calmly.
After finishing his portrayal of the Blind Implement Master, he had awakened a new role to portray.
This character was located in the Kuijin Realm and had died not long ago.
The role was a Mythological-grade God-rank weapon wielder who had lived in seclusion in the Kuijin Realm all these years, attempting to "transform into a mortal" to break through to the Ancestral God realm.
However, after living in seclusion for countless years, his attempt to transform into a mortal had failed, and he eventually died.
Qi Yuan was going to portray this character and complete the mortal transformation on his behalf.
By completing the mortal transformation, one could step into the Ancestral God realm, which was to say, the Yang God realm.
As for how to transform into a mortal, Qi Yuan had already drafted an outline in his mind.
Once he reached the Kuijin Realm, he could make fine adjustments based on the actual situation on the ground, turning the draft into an official plan.
Now that was what you called clever and wise!
"The Kuijin Realm?" Worry showed on Insect Maiden Caidie's face. "That world has already fallen. It was conquered by Heitian!"
The Chaotic Star Domain was in utter chaos.
Half of it was controlled by the Radiant Society, while the remainder consisted of fallen zones and areas held by the Renqi Society.
The Kuijin Realm was a fallen zone, and it had been fallen for a very long time—several thousand years.
It could be said that the Kuijin Realm was thoroughly shaped by Heitian and Heitu.
"Young Master Qi, why are you going there?" Insect Maiden Caidie asked, puzzled.
Currently, in the warfare between the Renqi Society and Heitian and Heitu, the society had been suffering steady defeats.
The Renqi Society had no strength to spare to reclaim the Kuijin Realm.
"It's a secret." Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to explain.
Otherwise, he would have to waste his breath on a massive explanation to these NPCs, only for them to doubt him anyway.
"All right, I'll take you there," Insect Maiden Caidie gritted her teeth and looked toward Shen Lingxuan.
Shen Lingxuan's cool voice rang out, "I'm coming too."
Qi Yuan looked at Shen Lingxuan, his gaze calm. "All right."
...
Kuijin Realm.
Yunxue City.
Night had fallen, and the entire world's firmament was stained a bloody crimson.
A gigantic blood-colored eye seemed concealed amidst the clouds, appearing exceptionally chilling.
This colossal eye of blood was one of the ninety-nine guishen of the Kuijin Realm.
Suspended high in the vault of heaven, or lurking within mountains, rivers, earth, and oceans, the guishen were the supreme, exalted deities of the Kuijin Realm.
Inside a courtyard residence, Wang Tong wore a savage expression. "That old bastard wasn't honest with us. We treated him like a father all these years for nothing! In the end, he died... without leaving us a single speck of inheritance?"
Xu Jiaoyun nodded in agreement. "Do you think Master left everything to that brat Zhao Yan?"
Wang Tong, Xu Jiaoyun, and Zhao Yan were all locals of Yunxue City, and all of them were orphans.
Thirty years ago, a white-haired young man had come to Yunxue City, adopted the three of them, and raised them to adulthood.
Not long ago, that white-haired man had grown senile and passed away.
Wang Tong and Xu Jiaoyun had always feared their master.
After all, to remain youthful in appearance even after thirty years, he was clearly a weapon wielder.
How could such a weapon wielder leave no inheritance behind?
Unfortunately, they had turned the old geezer's residence completely upside down and hadn't found a single item of real value.
Xu Jiaoyun couldn't help casting her eyes on their master's final disciple, Zhao Yan.
"Zhao Yan buried Master, so it's indeed possible Master gave it to him. Or perhaps..." A flash of murderous intent surfaced in Wang Tong's eyes. "The goods are right inside the old geezer's coffin!"
"Hmph, Zhao Yan has repeatedly stopped us from opening the coffin. He's practically asking to die! We should have a womb implanted into him and send him off to the Wangsheng Courtyard!" Xu Jiaoyun said viciously.
A so-called womb, in Blue Star terms, was a female uterus.
In Yunxue City, there was a mysterious, eerie courtyard known as the Wangsheng Courtyard.
Year-round, the Wangsheng Courtyard took in young women, specifically using them for breeding and reproduction—either to propagate humans or to nurture guiling.
Every year, countless innocent women were sent into the Wangsheng Courtyard.
Of course, besides women, some men were also sent in.
Through sinister, twisted methods, men would be modified—implanted with a womb—and delivered into the Wangsheng Courtyard.
"If he gets in our way again this time, I'll contact the Blood Tiger Gang to send him in!" Wang Tong agreed with Xu Jiaoyun's words.
In Yunxue City, standing highest above all were the members of Thorn Blood who had transformed into guiling.
Below them were the nobility and officials.
Further down were the various gangs and organizations.
As for the common folk, they were kept like livestock, with suitable males and females selected each year to be shipped off to the Wangsheng Courtyard.
"The Blood Tiger Gang hasn't given us much time. Tonight, we have to dig up that old bastard's grave!" Wang Tong said.
He had thrown in his lot with the Blood Tiger Gang and become one of their members.
If he wanted to climb higher, he had to offer up valuable treasures.
Right at that moment, a lean, wiry man entered. He looked at Xu Jiaoyun, suggestive desire in his eyes.
Stepping into the room, he casually smacked Xu Jiaoyun on the buttocks, clearly very familiar with her.
"I just saw that fellow Zhao Yan heading in the direction of Zichen Woods." This lean, wiry man was a member of the Blood Tiger Gang and one of Xu Jiaoyun's lovers.
"Dammit! That guy refused to let us dig up the grave because he wanted to keep Master's treasures all for himself!" Wang Tong said furiously.
Xu Jiaoyun hurriedly got to her feet. "We have to stop him!"
"Don't worry, two of my brothers have already followed him. If he dreams of escaping with the treasure, he's just daydreaming," the wiry man said.
Xu Jiaoyun cast him a flirtatious, sultry look.
The three of them also hurried toward Zichen Woods.
Their master was buried there, amidst the Zichen Woods.
Meanwhile, up in the firmament, cold moonlight mingled with crimson, casting the earth in an ethereal wash of blood-red clarity.
Zhao Yan's handsome face was etched with anxiety as he hurried forward.
'Do they have any humanity left at all? If Master hadn't taken them in back then, they would have starved to death on the streets long ago!'
Zhao Yan felt both sorrowful and indignant.
He revered his master and treated him like a father.
Yet Master's other two disciples were beasts in human form, lusting after his inheritance the moment he died.
With hurried steps, he hastened toward Zichen Woods.
Roughly half an hour later, Zhao Yan arrived at Zichen Woods.
Dark shadows danced among the trees. Numerous purple bamboo stalks stood erect, and burial mounds were scattered everywhere.
The night was pitch-black, and the red light cast upon the tombstones looked especially eerie.
Even with so much weighing heavily on Zhao Yan's mind, he couldn't help finding Zichen Woods rather terrifying.
'I have to relocate Master's grave. Otherwise, if it stays here, with Wang Tong and Xu Jiaoyun's natures, they will definitely desecrate the elderly master's remains!' Zhao Yan calculated in his heart.
If Wang Tong and Xu Jiaoyun found no inheritance in Master's coffin, they would certainly dissect his body to see if anything was hidden inside.
Zhao Yan couldn't bear to see such desecration happen.
Carrying a hoe and an iron shovel on his shoulder, he quickened his pace.
Soon, Zhao Yan arrived before a familiar grave.
The mound was still fresh, clearly buried not long ago.
Looking at his master's grave, grief welled up in Zhao Yan's heart.
"Master, forgive this disciple's offense."
Zhao Yan knelt and kowtowed on the ground, then picked up the hoe to dig, using the shovel to toss the soil aside.
Under the bloody night, Zhao Yan dug at the grave, breaking into a heavy sweat before long.
Though he practiced cultivation and possessed some cultivation, it was very meager.
Thorn Blood kept a tight grip on the commoners at the bottom; they allowed them some martial ability, but never too much.
If one wanted to increase their cultivation further, they had to report to Thorn Blood and earn the qualification.
Soon, the dirt was shoveled away, and a red wooden coffin came into view.
Tense and nervous, Zhao Yan repeated once more, "Master, forgive my offense!"
He prepared to climb down and pry loose the coffin nails.
Yet right at that moment, footsteps sounded.
A mocking voice rang out.
"Zhao Yan, didn't you respect Master the most? How come the moment Master dies, you're digging up his grave to search for treasure?"
A group of five strode over. Wang Tong led the way, a sneer plastered across his face.
Zhao Yan froze, his face flushing crimson. "I'm not... I dug up Master's grave to prevent his remains from being desecrated by you!"
"Stop pretending, you shameless scoundrel," Xu Jiaoyun said coldly. "Hypocrite."
The Blood Tiger Gang thugs wore playful smirks. "It just so happens he dug the grave for us. Saved us the trouble."
They pressed toward Zhao Yan.
Panicking, Zhao Yan held out his arms to block them. "You can't do this! Master took you in and raised you! Disturbing his rest like this will bring down divine retribution!"
"Divine retribution?" Wang Tong sneered disdainfully. "There is no divine retribution in Yunxue City, only Thorn Blood!"
If divine retribution truly existed, how could Thorn Blood, guilty of such heinous atrocities, still be thriving?
"Talking to us about retribution is laughable," Xu Jiaoyun chuckled with contempt.
"Master raised you, just like a second father! Doesn't your conscience ache doing this?" Zhao Yan cried.
"Hmph, speaking of that makes this old lady furious! If this old bastard hadn't picked me up, who knows, I might still be the young mistress of a wealthy household!
"He picked me up, but did he compensate me for my losses?"
Twenty years ago, amidst heavy snowfall, Xu Jiaoyun had been rescued from the blizzard by the white-haired young man. Had she been left out in the cold, she would have frozen to death.
Yet three years ago, Xu Jiaoyun learned that she had actually been the lost daughter of a wealthy merchant in the city, but that wealthy merchant had fallen ill and died several years prior.
When she went to claim kinship, she was rejected, which infuriated her.
Not daring to resent the wealthy patriarch, she directed all her resentment toward her master.
Xu Jiaoyun felt that if Master hadn't taken her away back then, perhaps her father could have found her.
She would have been a rich young lady enjoying a life of luxury and fine dining, instead of following this "useless" master and suffering every single day.
If not for Master's uncanny extraordinary qualities, she would have struck at him long ago with her personality.
"Master hasn't even compensated me for the life he owed me. What's wrong with me taking his inheritance?" Xu Jiaoyun said shamelessly.
A smirk also spread across Wang Tong's face. "Since Master doted on us so much, he must be more than willing to leave his inheritance to us."
"Shameless!" Zhao Yan's face turned livid. "Beasts!"
Immediately, two Blood Tiger Gang members pinned him down.
No matter how frantically Zhao Yan struggled, it was futile.
A smug look appeared on Wang Tong's face. He stepped up to the coffin and gloated, "Old bastard, let's see where you hid your inheritance after all!"
Xu Jiaoyun walked over, looking at the painted red coffin with a touch of fear.
She wasn't afraid of her master, but rather of ghosts.
"There won't be any unclean things here, will there?" Xu Jiaoyun asked uneasily.
In this era, guiling ran rampant, and the chances of encountering unclean things were quite high.
"This is inside the city, under the watchful gaze of the guishen! What unclean things could there possibly be?" Wang Tong scoffed. He bent over, preparing to pry open the coffin.
Right at that moment, thudding sounds suddenly echoed out.
Xu Jiaoyun's gaze snapped to the coffin. A chill ran down her spine, and terror washed over her face. "A noise... There's a sound coming from inside the coffin!"
Wang Tong froze as well, growing a bit flustered. "Don't scare yourself!"
Master was one hundred percent dead.
Even big shots from Thorn Blood had come to examine him in person, departing only after confirming that Master's corpse could not be refined into a guiling.
How could the big shots of Thorn Blood make a mistake?
Still, he was only forcing himself to act bold as he summoned his courage to look at the coffin.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
Suddenly, the pounding from inside the coffin grew louder.
Xu Jiaoyun's face turned pale as a sheet. "Ghost!"
She turned on her heel to flee.
Wang Tong was getting scared too, clutching a dagger tightly in his hand.
Right then, a youthful voice drifted out from inside the coffin.
"You're all so noisy. Can't you let me sleep in peace?"
*Bang!*
The coffin lid was sent flying, and a young man sat up.
He was peerlessly handsome, his gaze calm and profound, his hair entirely white.
Displeasure was written across his face, as though suffering from morning grumpiness.
Upon seeing him, shock flooded Wang Tong's eyes. "M-Master..."
How could Master still be alive?!
The big shots of Thorn Blood had inspected him with their own eyes!
Could it be that he wasn't Master, but a guiling that had awakened from Master's corpse?
Chapter 544