"So Ning Tao and I don't have to stay here anymore?" Canary's doll-like face lit up with unmistakable delight.
Of course, for beings like them, ten thousand years could pass in the blink of an eye.
Even so, she clearly preferred to experience the slow passage of time at Qi Yuan's side.
"Congratulations, Husband!" Ning Tao's lovely eyes were likewise filled with joy. It seemed her husband's cultivation had reached unfathomable heights as well.
"I originally thought that once I reached the Yin God stage, I'd come here and slay Palace Master Great Sun of Taihuang Palace. But in the end... that unlucky fellow was slain by you, Ning Tao," Qi Yuan said casually.
Having continuously condensed Golden Cores, Ning Tao had attained a terrifying level of cultivation.
Moreover, the Stellar Golden Cores here were all solid, physical stars rather than illusory stellar phantoms, allowing Ning Tao to draw upon their power at any moment.
In a universe so vast, for Great Sun to stumble directly into Ning Tao's line of fire was truly rotten luck.
The moment Ning Tao unleashed the might of a million Stellar Golden Cores, someone as formidable as Great Sun was instantly blown to dust.
After all, bigger meant stronger, and more meant better.
A single Stellar Golden Core was comparable to a Yang God.
What was more, this was not the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm; these Stellar Golden Cores were tangible stars.
The very instant he encountered Ning Tao, Great Sun was finished.
"So he must have used up all his luck in his youth, bringing misfortune upon his later years. First he ran into me, and then, in a universe this vast, he somehow crossed paths with you as well," Qi Yuan mused.
How immense this universe was—vastly greater than the Divine Wood Universe.
Even Qi Yuan, with combat strength on par with the Heaven Opening realm, could not traverse its full expanse.
"Condense!"
Qi Yuan made his move, casting a ray of light that settled upon his very first Golden Core.
In terms of volume, that Golden Core was quite small, essentially a miniature sun, yet the flames dancing upon it burned with extraordinary ferocity.
The rule of devouring descended onto this Golden Core.
From there, the devouring rule spread at a terrifying speed toward the surrounding void.
In that single moment, every stellar Golden Core acquired the property of devouring.
"Speaking of devouring, one usually thinks of black holes. Yet my Stellar Golden Cores also possess a devouring property. What should I call this?" Qi Yuan murmured to himself.
Endowed with this devouring trait, the Stellar Golden Cores would automatically and continuously consume the other stars until every star in this universe became a Golden Core of his.
"Indeed, the strength erupting from these million-plus Golden Cores is enough to overpower even a realm lord of the rule realm." Qi Yuan felt the power coursing through the stellar Golden Cores, struck by the sensation.
If he had even more Golden Cores—if the entire universe were filled with them—what kind of power would that be?
Dressed in a black gown and stockings, Ning Tao stood barefoot in the void. As she looked out at the distant stars, delight danced in her eyes.
"This is much faster than Ning Tao and I refining Stellar Golden Cores ourselves," Canary remarked from beside them.
"Now that I've finally stepped into the Yin God stage, the Stellar Golden Cores can devour on their own. Not only that, but I can also... impregnate anyone just by glaring at them!" Qi Yuan teased, turning to Ning Tao. "Want me to give you a glare?"
"Don't!" Ning Tao refused at once. She had always been a bit yandere, though she rarely showed it. "I don't want to divide my heart among anyone else."
"I don't want to either! I'm still small!" Canary chimed in hurriedly, clutching her belly.
Qi Yuan laughed. "Since neither of you agrees, I'll just have to glare at this planet instead!"
With that, Qi Yuan cast his glare toward a distant, ordinary planet.
In an instant, countless rules swirled into motion.
It was as though a deity had showered the mortal world with the water of life.
"This one, and this one too..."
Qi Yuan kept glaring at the planets.
One after another, the planets seemed to plunge into the water of life.
Myriad rules descended, transforming each world.
A full half-day passed before Qi Yuan finally ceased his actions.
Curiosity gleamed in his eyes.
"Now, each of these planets has been granted the opportunity to give birth to life. I wonder how many will ultimately produce living beings."
He had not created life directly.
With his current strength, he was fully capable of creating creatures from nothingness.
Yet there was no need; he wanted to watch life emerge through pure chance.
"Regrettably, even someone as strong as me still cannot resurrect... the Five Ancestors of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground. Must I truly step into the fifth tier of the Yang God and reach the Dao Lord realm to do it?"
Presently, Qi Yuan could place marks upon living beings at will. If any such marked being perished, he had only to pay a price to allow them to be reborn in the Netherworld.
However, he could not resurrect those who had died before he possessed the Netherworld.
To resurrect them, his only option was to advance to the fifth tier of the Yang God: the Dao Lord realm.
Once he attained the Dao Lord realm, the Cosmic Mother River would take shape, and the true spirits of all living beings could be found within it.
"To think the promise I made back then remains unfulfilled after all this time," Qi Yuan sighed.
Back in the Five Elements Forbidden Ground of the Moon Gazing Continent, the Five Ancestors had sacrificed themselves so that he could master the forbidden ground and temper his qi with the five elements. Ever since, he had intended to revive them.
"Let's go... back to the Immortal Realm. As for the unfolding of life here, we'll let nature take its course. Who knows when strange and wonderful life might arise."
With an arm around Canary on one side and Ning Tao on the other, Qi Yuan returned to Seven Colors Peak.
First, he sampled his junior martial sister's cooking. He had to admit, her culinary skills were quite good and had improved considerably.
Later, he sought out Jin Li to share some intimacy. As for how intimate—to put it vulgarly, skirt lifted, he from behind.
...
Ziyuan Heaven.
A brilliant light flashed, and an imposing figure appeared.
"Hahaha! I've finally reached the Yang God stage!"
After all these years, Ziyuan Daxue had at last chosen to break through to the Yang God realm.
Ziyuan Xiaolu looked at her senior sister with an envious expression. "Congratulations, Senior Sister, on becoming the second prodigy among our Ziyuan Heaven's younger generation to break through to the Yang God!"
Speaking of this made Ziyuan Xiaolu recall Senior Brother Blood Robe.
Back then, Senior Brother Blood Robe had revealed Yang God–level combat strength, drawing the pursuit of Great Sun Supreme Venerable.
Ziyuan Xiaolu had been fraught with worry, never imagining that in the end, Senior Brother Blood Robe would lure Great Sun Supreme Venerable into parts unknown, march alone upon Taihuang Palace, and summon a myriad of stars that battered Taihuang Palace until it fled into the Sole Palace to hide.
At the time, the entire Sixth Heaven had been shaken to its core.
A century had passed; she wondered how Senior Brother Blood Robe fared now.
The surrounding crowd offered their congratulations one after another: "Congratulations to Senior Sister Ziyuan Daxue on breaking through to the Yang God!"
Even so, someone murmured under their breath, "With the Linya Molt at hand, rashly advancing to the Yang God is truly unwise."
The Linya Molt targeted only Yang God powerhouses.
Ordinary Yin Gods were hardly affected by it.
Yet once someone stepped into the Yang God realm, everything changed.
There was no telling when the Linya Molt might conscript them.
Although the current Linya Molt was not overseen by Taihuang Palace, its intensity far exceeded that of any previous molt.
A mere century after its onset, thousands of Yang Gods had already been drafted.
Even a Supreme Venerable from the Ultimate Principle Society had been swept up in it.
Thirty years ago, Ancestor Ziyuan of Ziyuan Heaven, along with the Abyss Master of White Dragon Abyss and that Supreme Venerable from the Ultimate Principle Society, had been conscripted into the Immortal Palace.
Only a century into the Linya Molt, several powerhouses in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason had already been drafted, demonstrating just how terrifying this molt was.
Consequently, even Mythological-tier experts delayed their breakthroughs as much as possible, waiting for the Linya Molt to conclude before advancing.
Otherwise, perishing in the Linya Molt would be nothing short of sheer misfortune.
"Alas, my daughter, breaking through now... I know not whether it is a blessing or a curse," Ziyuan Tan said ruefully, his face etched with worry.
"Father, you're way too cowardly," Ziyuan Daxue retorted dismissively. "Back then, that fellow Blood Robe dared to move against Guiyu Heaven without even an offensive Creation Treasure! What's wrong with me breaking through to the Yang God now?"
Ziyuan Tan rolled his eyes at his daughter. "Can you compare to Supreme Venerable Blood Robe?"
Did she have any self-awareness at all?
Blood Robe possessed the combat strength of the realm of Great Ultimate Reason, matching a Supreme Venerable. In the entire Sixth Heaven, powerhouses like him could be counted on one hand.
"This lady used to have periods—can Blood Robe do that?" Ziyuan Daxue said smugly. "Everyone in this world has their own strengths. Take Senior Brother Bing Jian, for instance; he's exceptionally good at laying eggs. Can Senior Brother Blood Robe match that?"
Nearby, Bing Jian's mouth twitched upon hearing this.
He had only laid an egg once in a while; how had he become "exceptionally good at laying eggs"?
"When it comes to laying eggs, I indeed cannot compare to Bing Jian," a youthful voice rang out at that moment.
A peerlessly handsome man dressed in a blood-red robe appeared, bearing a calm smile.
At the sight of the newcomer, all the Yang Gods and disciples of Ziyuan Heaven present trembled with shock.
"Greetings, Supreme Venerable Blood Robe!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Blood Robe!"
Beside them, Ziyuan Xiaolu clenched her small fists, stars shining in her eyes.
After a century apart, Senior Brother Blood Robe was even more handsome.
"Congratulations on finally breaking through to the Yang God, Sis Horns!" Qi Yuan offered his congratulations as he looked at Ziyuan Daxue.
"Unfortunately, it's only the first tier of the Yang God. Terribly weak," Ziyuan Daxue said, sounding somewhat disappointed.
Beside them, Ziyuan Tan's eyes filled with excitement. "Supreme Venerable Blood Robe, before the Old Ancestor was conscripted by the Immortal Palace, he left a message for you."
All these years, he had been searching for Qi Yuan, but to no avail.
After all, when someone at the level of a Supreme Venerable deliberately concealed their traces, not even those in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason could find them.
"Oh? What did the old man say?" Qi Yuan asked.
Before coming, he had already learned about the Linya Molt, and that thirty years ago, the Immortal Palace had opened and Ancestor Ziyuan had been conscripted into it.
This conscription might well be related to his destruction of Taihuang Palace.
"The Old Ancestor said that in the Immortal Palace, he will value his life dearly, and told you not to worry," Ziyuan Tan said.
He knew the Old Ancestor feared Qi Yuan would act rashly.
"Rest assured, I am not worried at all," Qi Yuan clapped his hands. "I've already reserved a spot for him in the Netherworld. If he dies, he dies."
Ziyuan Tan froze upon hearing that.
How could anyone speak like that?
If Blood Robe were not a Supreme Venerable in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason, he would certainly have given him a piece of his mind.
"I have a question," Ziyuan Daxue spoke up, looking puzzled.
Everyone turned their gazes toward her in bewilderment.
"As the saying goes, when a man dies, his cock points to the sky. The Immortal Palace sits atop the Sixth Heaven, which is the highest heaven of the Immortal Realm. If our old ancestor dies, where will his cock point?"
"..."
Hearing this, Qi Yuan gave it serious thought. "The Seventh Heaven?"
Though the Seventh Heaven had not yet been opened and living beings could not enter, it still counted as a heaven, didn't it?
Not to mention, the Sole Palace was situated in the Seventh Heaven.
The fugitives from Taihuang Palace were currently hiding in the Seventh Heaven as well.
Qi Yuan was still wondering when he might bring those fugitives down and bring them to justice.
"The Seventh Heaven hasn't been opened yet," Ziyuan Daxue said. "Probably quite a few more Yang Gods need to die before it can be opened."
The Sixth Heaven had been forged by experts of the realm of Great Ultimate Reason over countless years.
As for the higher Seventh Heaven, who knew how many Linya Molts it would take to achieve.
If there were a Seventh Heaven, perhaps Supreme Venerables in the realm of Great Ultimate Reason could take another step forward and enter the third tier of the Yang God.
Then the living beings of the Immortal Realm's Nine Heavens might also glimpse a future.
At that moment, Qi Yuan closed his eyes and activated his ear superpower, listening intently.
"I am a wolf!"
"I am guilty! Supreme Venerable Blood Robe, I am guilty!"
"I don't want to stay in the Sole Palace any longer!"
"...Hungry!"
Amidst the myriad voices, he located sounds related to the beings of Taihuang Palace.
"The Seventh Heaven hasn't been opened, but can I enter it? The Sole Palace in the Seventh Heaven took my criminals away as it pleased, which is rather unsportsmanlike. I seem to hear my criminals pleading, begging me to bring them back to the Sixth Heaven! Look how well-mannered and orderly these criminals are—how could I not bring them back?" Qi Yuan said.
Ziyuan Tan was taken aback. He had not expected Qi Yuan to change the subject so abruptly, but he was accustomed to it.
After all, his daughter Ziyuan Daxue was always like this too.
"Taihuang Palace could only be ushered into the Sole Palace because it received an edict from the Sole Palace. Others cannot enter. To reach the Sole Palace, the Seventh Heaven must first be opened," Ziyuan Tan answered.
"The Immortal Palace sits atop the Sixth Heaven. If I enter the Immortal Palace, will I also have a chance to reach the Seventh Heaven?" Qi Yuan asked.
"Once the Immortal Palace closes, those inside likely cannot leave until the Linya Molt concludes," Ziyuan Tan said. "However, the next time the Immortal Palace opens will probably be a century from now. Supreme Venerable Blood Robe, you need only wait a century or so, and you may be able to enter. But..."
He did not finish his sentence.
That was the Old Ancestor's instruction: Blood Robe must not enter the Immortal Palace out of worry for Ancestor Ziyuan, lest disaster strike.
"A century? Too slow. I'll go see the Immortal Palace in person."
With that, Qi Yuan vanished on the spot.
Watching him leave, a helpless expression crossed Ziyuan Tan's face.
As expected, Supreme Venerable Blood Robe refused to listen to advice.
Fortunately, once the gates of the Immortal Palace closed, no one could open them.
In the past, three Supreme Venerables had joined forces in an attempt to breach the Immortal Palace's gates.
Yet even with the might of Supreme Venerables, they could not damage the Immortal Palace in the slightest, let alone open it.
Ziyuan Tan did not believe Qi Yuan could open the gates of the Immortal Palace.
After all, even beings as powerful as Supreme Venerables had to bow their proud heads before the Sole Palace.
Not to mention, Blood Robe's strength was presumably weaker than Great Sun Supreme Venerable's; otherwise, he wouldn't have used a scheme to lure Great Sun away before plotting against Taihuang Palace.
Even now, the stellar phantom belonging to Great Sun remained intact in the sea of stars, which meant Great Sun had not fallen.
Of course, what he did not know was that Great Sun's seat of honor had long since been devoured by Qi Yuan.
Meanwhile, within the Ultimate Principle Society.
A murmur sounded.
"He... has appeared again."
"He offended the Sole Palace. I wonder how the Sole Palace will move against him."
"He has comprehended two Supreme Ultimate Principles... Is it worth investing in him... to help him evade the Linya Molt?"
"This Linya Molt is different."
Chapter 565