The Secret of the Ultimate Principle Society

"Mmph... mmph..." The old man tried to speak, tried to send a voice transmission, but could not produce a single sound. "What, you disagree?" Qi Yuan demanded. The terror on the old man's face deepened. "Oh dear, I forgot you were still on mute." A smile danced in Qi Yuan's eyes. With a gentle flick of his finger, the restraints binding the Yang God elder vanished instantly. The Yang God elder blurted in haste, "I agree, I agree! Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns, Qi Tan offended you—he deserved death, he deserved to die!" Though this Yang God elder of the Qi family had never seen Qi Yuan before, between the newly changed name of the market and Qi Yuan's miraculous methods, who else could it be besides Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns? Beside them, Lian Mei's pupils dilated. "Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns?" Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns! Shen Wushen's friend was actually that legendary Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns who had annihilated Taihuang Palace! That Supreme Venerable was the most miraculous, most legendary exalted being of the past century. Single-handedly annihilating Guiyu Heaven, fighting Taihuang Palace alone, the descent of ten thousand suns... shaking the Immortal Realm's Sixth Heaven to its core. Who didn't know his name? Lian Mei had never dreamed she would ever have a chance to meet such a magnificent existence. Yet not only had she met him, she had spoken with him—and had even bickered with him! The moment she realized that the person she had squabbled with was such an exalted existence, panic and tightness gripped her chest. She even began to fret over whether her dress was dignified enough. When the surrounding cultivators heard this, their bewilderment gave way to sudden realization. Heads bowed everywhere, and some dropped straight to their knees, their expressions brimming with excitement. At that moment, Qi Yuan looked down at Qi Tan, who was thoroughly dead, and suddenly waved his hand. A strange aura diffused through the air, and Qi Tan, who was already dead, was revived once more. The revived Qi Tan looked around in bewilderment. Hadn't he just been killed by that terrifying existence? Could it all have been an illusion? Yet when he looked up and saw that familiar silhouette, as well as his ancestor's humble, servile posture, his breath caught in his throat. It wasn't an illusion? Just then, a calm voice drifted into his ears. "Now do you know... how to act cool?" "I deliberately brought you back to life just to kill you again." Before the words had finished settling, Qi Tan's body shattered anew, dead as dead could be. He had been revived in utter confusion, only to die in utter confusion once more. The onlookers felt a chill of terror at Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns. Killing someone, reviving them, and killing them again... This was simply too terrifying. Only the Yang God elder had stormy waves crashing within his heart. He had clearly seen that Qi Tan was truly, completely dead, his true spirit shattered into nothingness. Even if a Supreme Venerable intervened, reviving him should have been impossible. How on earth had his descendant... no, that wretched creature, been brought back to life? Could it have been an illusion technique? That was the only explanation he could fathom. Still, for Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns to perform such an illusion right before his eyes was astonishing enough. "Indeed, killing people and flexing are life's greatest pleasures." Having killed Qi Tan twice, Qi Yuan felt thoroughly refreshed. As for why Qi Tan had been revived, Qi Yuan had simply tagged him and consumed resources to resurrect him. The Qi family's Yang God kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a peep. Qi Yuan remarked, "The atmosphere in the cultivation world is atrocious. You need to discipline your Qi family juniors properly. If anything like this happens again in the future... it won't be as simple as one Qi Tan dying." Qi Yuan gave a casual push with his hand, and the Yang God elder vanished, returned to where he had been plucked from. Qi Yuan then turned to Shen Wushen nearby. "Didn't I promise to help you enter the Immortal Palace and find some flowing light? Look... what's this?" Qi Yuan held out his hand, and a diamond-shaped crystal materialized before everyone's eyes. The Purple Mansion cultivators stared at the crystal, their eyes burning with envy and jealousy. Even a single wisp of flowing light was enough to make these Purple Mansions fight tooth and nail. And this was the source of that flowing light! If they obtained it, they could probably cross the threshold of the Purple Mansion realm in an instant and step into the Yin God realm. Nearby, Lian Mei recalled Qi Yuan saying earlier that he would help Shen Wushen enter the Immortal Palace in search of flowing light. Back then, she had thought he was boasting. Now it seemed she was the real clown. "Take it," Qi Yuan said. "Rest assured, no one will dare steal it from you. If anyone dares, they're showing disrespect to me." How could the surrounding Purple Mansions harbor any thoughts of robbery? This was a gift bestowed by a Supreme Venerable. Its symbolic weight far exceeded its practical worth. "Am I right? Would any of you dare rob him?" Qi Yuan asked, sweeping his gaze across the Purple Mansions until his eyes settled on a burly bald man. "Oh my, you seem to be the most diligent bandit cultivator around here, and the boldest too. Would you dare rob him?" Cornered by the gaze and interrogation of a Supreme Venerable, the bald man felt like weeping. Yet he also felt as if green smoke were rising from his ancestral graves—he was actually speaking to a venerable Supreme Venerable! "This lowly one... this lowly one wouldn't dare!" The bald man trembled in fright. How could he dare? The gap between a Purple Mansion and a Supreme Venerable was simply beyond words. Regardless of whether he lived or died today, from this day forth, he would undoubtedly be the most accomplished and famous person in his lineage. "See? Even the boldest bandit cultivator here doesn't dare rob you. Shen Wushen, just take it and rest easy." Shen Wushen took a deep breath. "Thank you, Brother Qi." Beside him, Lian Mei's head spun. This Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns felt rather odd. To put it disrespectfully, he seemed a bit unhinged. "Don't mention it. With the friendship between us, why bother with formalities?" Qi Yuan waved his hand, feeling his enthusiasm wane. Playing with these people for so long had grown tedious. Just then, a crisp voice sounded. "Hong Yun of the Ultimate Principle Society, by order of the First Society Master, respectfully invites Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns to gather at the Ultimate Principle Society." Hong Yun stepped forward, a respectful expression on her face. Qi Yuan glanced at Hong Yun, his eyes calm. "Since the Ultimate Principle Society extends an invitation, there is no reason to decline." This Hong Yun was rather interesting. If the Ultimate Principle Society wanted to invite him, given the strength of their First Society Master, he could manifest an incarnation at any moment; there was no need to send Hong Yun. Clearly, the master wanted to convey something to him through Hong Yun. Their figures flickered. Qi Yuan got straight to the point: "You're quite interesting. Are you from beyond the Immortal Realm?" His eyes could see a great deal of hidden information. Hong Yun looked somewhat surprised. "I come from the Nanke Universe." "That name... is quite peculiar," Qi Yuan remarked casually. "Does the Nanke Universe have a Dao Lord?" "Yes." Hong Yun nodded seriously. "A Dao Lord..." Qi Yuan's expression became unreadable. The Dao Lord realm could be considered a distinct form of omniscience and omnipotence. It seemed the Nanke Universe had already embarked on a cycle. Qi Yuan was exceedingly wary of Dao Lords. If he encountered someone at the fourth tier of the Yang God realm, he was confident he could flee with his life. But if he made an enemy of someone at the fifth tier of the Yang God realm, running away... was impossible. Fortunately, the Immortal Realm's Dao Lord was already gone. Otherwise, if that Dao Lord were a villain who cursed like a sailor, couldn't say three sentences without mentioning genitals, and was steeped in wicked deeds, how could Qi Yuan rectify the culture of the cultivation world if he had to face Him? Recalling something, Hong Yun said, "The Nanke Universe... also has no future." Qi Yuan blinked, a bizarre look crossing his face. "The Nanke Universe... also has no future?" He found it rather odd. That the Immortal Realm had no future was understandable. Its Dao Lord had fallen, and the moment Mingzun broke through to the fourth tier of the Yang God realm, he underwent a sublime sublimation and severed the future. Did the Nanke Universe lack a future as well? Could some strange anomaly have occurred there too? "The specific reason is beyond my knowledge," Hong Yun said. "Both the Immortal Realm and the Nanke Universe... have no future." Qi Yuan's gaze was calm as a thought crossed his mind. He suddenly felt exhausted. Indeed, pondering such lofty, hollow concepts was utterly tiring. Bullying petty ruffians like Qi Tan was far better for soothing his mood and unwinding. "Ah, life is truly too difficult," Qi Yuan lamented, pulling out fruit juice and chugging it down. Speechless, Hong Yun remained silent. This Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns was indeed... bizarre. Soon, the two appeared within the Ultimate Principle Society. The First Society Master of the Ultimate Principle Society manifested His true form—a dragon turtle. It possessed the head and shell of a tortoise, coiled by the body of a dragon, with divine light faintly radiating from it. Upon the shell seemed to be inscriptions of Great Ultimate Principles, exuding a mysterious, vast aura. "Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns, after a century apart, your cultivation has grown ever more profound." The First Society Master spoke, gazing at Qi Yuan. With His eyes, He could see through all things in the world, yet upon Qi Yuan, He could glean no leaking information whatsoever. This Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns was indeed mysterious and powerful. "You're quite strong yourself," Qi Yuan remarked. Although this First Society Master was only at the second tier of the Yang God realm, Qi Yuan could tell that if Realm Lord Flame of Heitian and Heitu were to clash with the First Society Master, victory would remain uncertain. Because cultivators in the Immortal Realm's Sixth Heaven could not step into the third tier of the Yang God realm, the Ultimate Principle Society had forged an alternative path—the path of Supreme Ultimate Principles—to enhance Yang God cultivation and walk an unconventional road. "Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns, by opening the Immortal Palace this time... have you come into contact with an existence of the Sole Palace?" the First Society Master asked. "You could say that." Qi Yuan was feeling lazy and kept his words brief. "As expected." An understanding look appeared on the First Society Master's face. "In that case, the Supreme Venerable should know that the Dao Lord of our Immortal Dao... has fallen." Mentioning this, the First Society Master's expression grew complex. "The Dao Lord has fallen, leaving the Immortal Dao adrift... Who knows who can take the lead in our Immortal Dao." The First Society Master sighed with poignant emotion. The fall of a Dao Lord was a catastrophic blow to an entire Dao. One could even say... it brought the danger of total extinction. "What did you invite me here for?" Qi Yuan didn't care to listen to the First Society Master's laments and asked bluntly. "Ever since the Dao Lord fell, the Ultimate Principle Society has sought to rebuild the Immortal Dao. "Thus arose the path of Supreme Ultimate Principles. "The Sole Palace initiated the Linya Molt to construct the Seventh Heaven of the Immortal Realm. Though their path differs from that of the Ultimate Principle Society, what we seek is one and the same. "The Sole Palace has its Sole Palace, and the Ultimate Principle Society... has the One Yuan Assembly." Saying this, a confident gleam surfaced in the First Society Master's eyes. "The One Yuan Assembly? A fourth-tier Yang God entity like the Sole Palace?" Qi Yuan was surprised. Now that he had grown stronger, he truly was encountering more and more things. An awkward look crossed the First Society Master's face. "The One Yuan Assembly is naturally far inferior to the fourth tier of the Yang God realm, but it is a Realm Lord curious treasure." "Oh." Qi Yuan's reaction was lukewarm. At his current realm, ordinary Realm Lord curious treasures could no longer catch his interest. In Heitian and Heitu, the number of Realm Lord curious treasures he had smashed to pieces had surpassed ten thousand. A mere Realm Lord curious treasure was truly nothing he cared about. "Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns must not underestimate this One Yuan Assembly. It was crafted personally by a disciple of the Immortal Realm's Dao Lord. "This One Yuan Assembly... connects to other universes, allowing communication with beings from those other realms!" the First Society Master said proudly. The path of Supreme Ultimate Principles was precisely the path the Ultimate Principle Society had created after communicating with powerhouses across countless universes through the One Yuan Assembly and pooling collective wisdom. "Can one leave the Immortal Realm?" Qi Yuan asked with some surprise. "No, only one's true spirit can communicate within the One Yuan Assembly," the First Society Master explained. "The benefits of entering the One Yuan Assembly are beyond measure. Not only can one comprehend the rules of diverse universes and experience different Great Daos, but one can also rapidly advance cultivation and temper the true spirit. "If a Great Ultimate Principle at the second tier of the Yang God realm spends ten thousand years within the One Yuan Assembly, their true spirit will become so condensed that even upon facing the day of cosmic termination, they might still survive to reawaken when the universe opens anew." Saying this, reverence filled the First Society Master's face. One had to understand that when a cosmic epoch ended, all living beings would perish. Only those at the third tier of the Yang God realm or above would be exempt from perishing in the end of the universe. Tempering the true spirit alone was enough to tempt every Yang God in the Immortal Realm. A Yang God enjoyed endless longevity, but when the cosmic termination arrived, anyone who had not reached the third tier would still perish. "Even though I have overseen the One Yuan Assembly for three hundred billion years, I have only entered it once," the dragon turtle First Society Master said. A single epoch lasted approximately four hundred and ninety billion years. The dragon turtle First Society Master's lifespan exceeded three hundred billion years. One could say that in this epoch, the Immortal Realm had already reached its later stage. "Your talent is extraordinary. In this epoch, I have yet to see anyone whose talent surpasses yours. "Therefore, I intend to grant you a quota to enter the One Yuan Assembly to bolster your strength. "However, such a gift does not come without a price. In the near future, you will need to represent the Immortal Realm within the One Yuan Assembly and participate in the Ten Thousand Yuan Grand Gathering!" Seeing Qi Yuan remain silent, the dragon turtle First Society Master continued, "In these myriad heavens and realms, besides the Immortal Realm, there are many other universes. "Back when the Immortal Realm's Dao Lord was still present, periodically, young talents of the Immortal Realm would pass through the One Yuan Assembly to attend the Ten Thousand Yuan Grand Gathering, discussing the Dao with powerhouses from diverse worlds and myriad universes. "The rewards for these discussions were bountiful. However, with the fall of the Immortal Realm's Dao Lord, according to the records of the Ultimate Principle Society, the Immortal Realm has gone many epochs without obtaining rich rewards. "I only hope that in the Ten Thousand Yuan Grand Gathering, Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns can bring back some opportunities. "Otherwise, when this epoch ends, I fear... few in the Immortal Realm will survive the cosmic catastrophe." This was the First Society Master's purpose. Although He had lived for an unimaginably long time, He had only comprehended one Supreme Ultimate Principle. After being baptized by the One Yuan Assembly, His strength had already reached its upper limit; naturally, He lacked the potential of a youth like Qi Yuan. "Well..." Qi Yuan pondered for a moment. To be honest, he was quite interested in this One Yuan Assembly. After all, he could see aliens. However... from what the First Society Master said, this Ten Thousand Yuan Grand Gathering would probably require a very, very long wait. Just as he was considering it, a profound, wondrous aura suddenly descended. "Senior Brother, I have something to discuss with you." The dragon turtle First Society Master was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the Second Society Master of the Ultimate Principle Society to seek Him out at such a time. He bowed in apology to Qi Yuan, and at that moment His true spirit vanished, sinking into the lowest layer of the Ultimate Principle Society. "Junior Brother, what brings you to me?" the First Society Master asked. He was currently receiving a guest; reasonably speaking, the Second Society Master would not disturb Him without cause. "Senior Brother, do you intend to bestow the gift of the One Yuan Assembly upon Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns?" the Second Society Master asked. Seeing this, the First Society Master murmured, "Junior Brother, I know you have always wished to enter the One Yuan Assembly, but your talent is simply insufficient to support you entering. "In today's Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm, Great Sun in the past possessed a slight qualification to enter the One Yuan Assembly, and aside from him, only Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns stands a chance. "Less than thirty billion years remain in this epoch. If we do not strive, I fear we will not survive it." The First Society Master earnestly persuaded him. "Senior Brother, it is not that your junior brother is being greedy, but rather that I have a better candidate," the Second Society Master said. "Oh? Who? Could it be Hei Jian of the Black Demon Abyss?" the First Society Master mentioned casually. "No, it is Supreme Venerable Biluo!" the Second Society Master said. "Supreme Venerable Biluo's talent is only a fraction superior to yours, and even inferior to Great Sun's. How could he enter the One Yuan Assembly?" the First Society Master said, curiosity showing on His face. The Second Society Master certainly wouldn't seek Him out without good reason. "Inside the Immortal Palace, Supreme Venerable Biluo obtained a variant Dao fruit! He is exceptionally compatible with that Dao fruit. Once he refines it completely, he may break through the Immortal Realm's shackles and step into the third tier of the Yang God realm! "Wouldn't a third-tier Yang God who has comprehended a Supreme Ultimate Principle be far more qualified to enter than Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns?" the Second Society Master said with smug satisfaction.