The female Realm Lord’s eyes went wide, and she reflexively covered her face.
A blush bloomed across her glamorous cheeks, while her chest stood proudly erect.
She looked just like a shy young maiden.
She had never imagined that the moment she talked behind someone's back, she would get caught red-handed.
"Actually, I'm quite modest and reserved too."
"If it weren't for how perilous this Cosmic Spirit Sea is, I’d be bundled up tight, covered from head to toe."
An aura both innocent and alluring seemed to emanate from her all at once.
Qi Yuan was rendered speechless.
"Spare me. I can’t compete with seasoned old drivers like you who’ve lived for hundreds of millions of years."
He could tell at a single glance that her blush was completely fake.
"Hey, don't think you can play innocent just because you're handsome," she huffed in displeasure. Lowering her hands from her face, she revealed a delicate, slightly youthful countenance. As she spoke, she shifted her long, slender legs, crossing them to block the scenery below.
In her every gesture, Qi Yuan caught glimpses of every archetype imaginable—pure, seductive, fiery, mature, schoolgirl, married housewife, and more.
This was the terrifying nature of a Realm Lord: conjuring myriad manifestations with a single thought, striking straight at the heart and soul.
Of course, this was different from Shen Lingxuan's Profound Yin Physique.
Shen Lingxuan’s allure was unconscious, whereas this Realm Lord was doing it entirely on purpose.
Seeing this Realm Lord made Qi Yuan instinctively think of Shen Lingxuan.
Unfortunately, ever since leaving the Divine Wood Universe, he had not been able to see Shen Lingxuan again.
Still, Shen Lingxuan was a Mandate bearer, an embodiment of his master Ruan Yixi’s rules.
Now that Heitian was destroyed, her safety was surely guaranteed.
"No need to act; I've always been young and fresh." Qi Yuan was indeed still young—just a little over a hundred years old.
Back on Blue Star, this was a prime age: one could kick back and collect a pension every single day.
"Really? Why don't you let me see?" The female Realm Lord wore a playful, teasing expression, her gaze drifting downward.
"You..."
Qi Yuan was struck dumb once again. His figure vanished on the spot.
"Hahahaha..." Within the Cosmic Spirit Sea, the female Realm Lord's raucous, ringing laughter echoed behind him.
Elsewhere, Qi Yuan came to a stop and muttered to himself, "A young man out in the wide world really has to protect himself. There are way too many creeps among these aliens."
The crucial issue was that he lacked Horned Sis's sharp tongue. Coupled with his thin skin, he was no match for these old monsters who had lived for countless eons.
Declining further conversation with these people, Qi Yuan pressed forward.
The female Realm Lord watched him from afar. By now, she had adopted yet another appearance, whistling at Qi Yuan from time to time.
"Little brother, stop holding out! Just strip!"
"Don't worry, big sister is an honorable woman. I won't record a keepsake shadow stone!"
Having seemingly discovered Qi Yuan's weak spot, she maintained this playful guise to tease him.
Qi Yuan acted as though he had heard nothing.
"Didn't you claim he'd strip by layer two hundred? He's already past the three-hundredth layer," the Wild Boar Realm Lord chimed in.
"A slight misjudgment on my part, but he will definitely strip at the five-hundredth layer!" the female Realm Lord asserted with full confidence. "After all, even that person could only reach the 499th layer fully clothed, and she's been stuck at that layer for a century now."
At the mention of that person, a look of reverence crept onto the female Realm Lord's face.
That person and she were both Realm Lords in the Myriad Things Realm.
Yet the difference in their strength was astronomical.
One could say that while she possessed a decent amount of power within the Myriad Things Realm, the other was a genuine titan.
If that person wished to slay her, it would likely take no more than a year.
Had that titan not insisted on keeping her clothes on, the female Realm Lord believed she could have reached the seven-hundredth layer.
Reaching the seven-hundredth layer unclothed, or halting at the 499th layer fully clothed—both were feats belonging solely to titans.
A titan-grade Myriad Things Realm expert might step into the Heaven-Opening Realm at any moment.
Though separated by only a single realm, the disparity between the Myriad Things Realm and the Heaven-Opening Realm was immense.
With no Dao Lord emerging and the fourth tier of the Yang God realm unseen, the Heaven-Opening Realm already stood at the pinnacle of the universe.
"You certainly think highly of him," the Wild Boar Realm Lord remarked.
"It’s not overestimating him. Last time, didn't someone reach the five-hundredth layer without shedding their clothes and receive an invitation to join the Myriad Changes Society?" the female Realm Lord countered.
At the mention of the Myriad Changes Society, the Wild Boar Realm Lord's expression shifted slightly, deep awe shining in his eyes.
These Realm Lords were already the supreme geniuses of their respective universes.
However, compared to the Realm Lords who had gained entry into the Myriad Changes Society, they were still far behind.
Rumor had it that the Myriad Changes Society was co-founded by multiple Dao Lords to recruit and absorb the truly peerless talents across countless universes, worlds, and planes.
Needless to say, joining the Myriad Changes Society held an enormous allure for Realm Lords like them.
The step from the Myriad Things Realm to the Heaven-Opening Realm was a formidable threshold.
Some remained unable to cross that barrier even after ten thousand cosmic eons.
"Could this person... also be a peerless genius trying to catch the attention of the Myriad Changes Society?" the Wild Boar Realm Lord murmured.
The female Realm Lord froze for a moment, struck by a thought. "Could it really be? Realm Lord Liuxu has been lingering at layer 499 for a hundred years now, and the people from the Myriad Changes Society have kept their eyes on her the entire time.
"If he steps into the five-hundredth layer fully clothed, the Myriad Changes Society... will definitely extend an invitation!"
At this thought, excitement and delight flooded her face. "Doesn't that mean once he crosses the five-hundredth layer and draws the Myriad Changes Society's notice, he’ll finally start stripping?"
"..." The Wild Boar Realm Lord chose not to dignify her words with a response.
"Oh, you have no appreciation for beauty. A handsome young man is the most magnificent treasure in the world. It’d be a waste not to look!"
"I prefer looking at sows," the Wild Boar Realm Lord retorted sourly.
***
Meanwhile, up in the void, Qin Twenty-Seven and Qin Yuannü sat around idly, pouring wine straight from the air into their mouths from time to time.
"I wonder how much longer it will take Realm Lord Liuxu to step into the five-hundredth layer."
"What, are you that concerned about her?" Qin Yuannü asked.
"Didn't you hear what Big Brother said? Realm Lord Liuxu's identity is an enigma. She doesn't belong to any of the universes we know of," Qin Twenty-Seven replied.
Their eldest brother was an official member of the Myriad Changes Society, completely different from outer affiliates like them.
"The universes in existence are as vast and numerous as the stars. What's so strange about hailing from an uncharted universe?" Qin Yuannü asked, perplexed.
"It's different." Qin Twenty-Seven chose not to elaborate, keeping up an air of mystery.
In truth, he didn't know much either.
"Hmph." Qin Yuannü let out a cold snort, her gaze drifting down toward the Cosmic Spirit Sea. "Look there. Another one refusing to strip. Probably aiming to join the Myriad Changes Society as well."
"A bit of petty cleverness," Qin Twenty-Seven scoffed with a grin. "Pity for him. Realm Lord Liuxu being able to step into the five-hundredth layer is one thing, but the Myriad Changes Society is taking her in largely because of her origins."
Naturally, he assumed Qi Yuan was an opportunist.
Believing this newcomer had noticed the Myriad Changes Society watching Realm Lord Liuxu, he figured the man was simply copying her—braving the Cosmic Spirit Sea with clothes on to cross into the five-hundredth layer.
Little did the fool know that the society's current recruitment standards were far higher than in the past.
Just then, Qin Twenty-Seven suddenly stood up. "Realm Lord Liuxu has finally stepped into the five-hundredth layer. Time to get to work."
Qin Yuannü nodded.
As Realm Lord Liuxu stepped onto the five-hundredth layer, countless gazes converged upon her.
"She finally entered the five-hundredth layer!"
"Formidable! Truly formidable!"
"Even among the titans of the Myriad Things Realm, she ranks among the absolute strongest."
"Most importantly, the Myriad Changes Society will invite her!"
Amidst the rising tide of murmurs, a resonant voice rolled down from the void into the Cosmic Spirit Sea, echoing across hundreds of millions of li.
"The Myriad Changes Society formally invites Realm Lord Liuxu to join our ranks. We wonder if Realm Lord Liuxu is willing?"
Standing in the void, Qin Twenty-Seven delivered the message to Realm Lord Liuxu.
The surrounding Realm Lords, including the titans, all cast envious glances her way.
"I accept," Realm Lord Liuxu replied coolly, pausing slightly to catch her breath on the five-hundredth layer.
In the distance, the female Realm Lord's eyes shone with envy. "As expected, Realm Lord Liuxu has joined the Myriad Changes Society. That handsome little brother should be able to seize this chance to join as well, right?"
By this point, Qi Yuan had already reached the 498th layer.
At first, he had walked very quickly.
Later, he realized that the tempering offered by each layer was completely unique.
Once he bypassed a layer, that particular tempering was gone.
Thus, he intentionally slowed his pace.
He savored each step, using the pressure to refine and temper his true spirit.
Although the growth of his true spirit was meager, Qi Yuan was never greedy. Even mosquito meat was still meat.
By now, more and more Realm Lords had noticed Qi Yuan.
Realm Lord Liuxu turned her gaze toward him as well. *He’s actually at layer 499, and he’s keeping his clothes on too. Could it be...?*
A suspicion arose in her mind.
The other Realm Lords harbored the exact same thought, expressions of excitement spreading across their faces.
"Could it be that we'll witness two Realm Lords joining the Myriad Changes Society on the very same day?!"
"That’s the Myriad Changes Society! Legend has it that every cosmic eon, a Dao Lord descends to preach the Dao to them!"
A playful smirk tugged at the corner of Qin Twenty-Seven's mouth as he murmured, "A pity."
Just then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd,
Qi Yuan stepped into the five-hundredth layer.
Realm Lord Liuxu's expression tightened. *He is stronger than me!*
"I knew it! He was aiming for the Myriad Changes Society all along!
"Otherwise, who in their right mind would keep their clothes on?
"Strip! Strip already!" The female Realm Lord’s eyes gleamed with fervent anticipation.
Some Realm Lords looked on with envy, while others turned toward Qin Twenty-Seven.
Realm Lord Shenmei was visibly shaken. *He's actually this powerful?!*
Yet to everyone's surprise, Qin Twenty-Seven issued no invitation.
"What's going on?"
"Why hasn't the Myriad Changes Society invited him?"
"Didn't they just invite Realm Lord Liuxu?"
The crowd of Realm Lords buzzed with confusion.
Qin Twenty-Seven held out his hands, putting on an innocent look.
He muttered under his breath, in a voice only he could hear, "Trying to take shortcuts like this won't work anymore."
The female Realm Lord was utterly bewildered. "What happened?"
As for the clamor of the outside world, Qi Yuan paid it no heed whatsoever.
*So, a true spirit can actually be tempered like this.*
*Too bad it barely tickles.*
*Now that I've gotten the hang of it, I need to pick up the pace. I’ve spent quite a while in here, and I have to head back for dinner soon. Otherwise, the food Junior Sister Lingsu made will go cold.*
With that thought in mind,
his speed exploded.
Layer 510.
Layer 520!
"Could it be that five hundred layers weren't enough, so he sped up to delve deeper to earn their recruitment?"
"Must be."
"How many layers will be enough?"
Many Realm Lords harbored various thoughts as they stared at Qi Yuan.
Right then, Qi Yuan stepped onto the six-hundredth layer.
High up in the void, Qin Twenty-Seven's expression shifted dramatically. *He's actually this strong?!*
He began to waver.
Higher-ups had instructed that those seeking such shortcuts were not to be recruited.
Yet reaching the six-hundredth layer fully clothed was an undeniable display of genius.
"What's the matter? Why haven't the people from the Myriad Changes Society recruited him yet?"
"How strange."
"Six hundred layers still aren't enough? That's ridiculous!"
With so many eyes locked on him, Qin Twenty-Seven felt deeply embarrassed.
He felt both exasperated and thoroughly unsettled.
This fully clothed pretty boy was excessively exceptional.
Before much time had passed, Qin Twenty-Seven's face drained of color.
"He... he actually stepped into the seven-hundredth layer fully clothed! This... I have to report this to the superiors."
The other Realm Lords were shaken to their cores.
Especially Realm Lord Liuxu.
She had been recruited the moment she stepped onto the five-hundredth layer.
Yet here was someone at layer seven hundred who still hadn't been invited. Standing beside him, she felt as though she had gotten in through nepotism, leaving her burning with embarrassment.
However, before the crowd could recover from their shock, wave after wave of astonishment battered their senses.
"One thousand layers!"
"How is that possible?! He reached the one-thousandth layer fully clothed!"
"Heaven-Opening Realm! He has to be in the Heaven-Opening Realm!"
"What is going on? How could an unfamiliar Heaven-Opening Realm expert appear in this patch of the Cosmic Spirit Sea?"
Every Heaven-Opening Realm expert was a terrifying powerhouse renowned across countless cosmic eons.
Yet no one recognized the man before them.
This was utterly bizarre.
"Which universe is he from?"
"Just who is he?"
"Realm Lords may be numerous across the universes, but Heaven-Opening Realm experts are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns! Having ten in an entire universe is already astonishing!"
"Damn it all, why won't he strip?! That's a Heaven-Opening Realm handsome man right there!" The female Realm Lord gnashed her teeth, her focus entirely different from everyone else's.
Right at that moment, a terrifying aura descended.
The newcomer wore a white robe with gold trim on the sleeves.
The moment they saw this figure, the surrounding Realm Lords' expressions changed.
"An official member of the Myriad Changes Society!"
"It’s actually a full member!"
Envy filled the eyes of the crowd.
Only the female Realm Lord had just one word on her mind: *Strip.*
As the gold-trimmed white-robed man arrived, Qin Twenty-Seven and Qin Yuannü hurriedly bowed in greeting.
The white-robed man cast his gaze into the Cosmic Spirit Sea. When he saw the figure standing at the one-thousandth layer, his eyes widened in shock.
*Wasn't he supposed to be at layer seven hundred?*
*How did he reach one thousand already?!*
*This is a supreme grandmaster!*
Even he felt a tremor in his heart.
"Senior, to tread one thousand layers fully clothed demonstrates strength beyond measure. This junior has come specifically to invite Senior to join our Myriad Changes Society!" Ultimately, the official member extended the invitation, lowering his posture to the utmost humility.
The other Realm Lords looked on with undisguised envy.
If reaching the thousandth layer fully clothed wasn't enough to enter the Myriad Changes Society, then no other Realm Lord stood a chance.
"The Myriad Changes Society? What's that?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.
Hearing this, the crowd froze in utter bewilderment.
"He doesn't know about the Myriad Changes Society?"
"Then why on earth did he enter the Cosmic Spirit Sea with his clothes on?"
"There's actually someone in this world who doesn't know about the Myriad Changes Society?!"
Many Realm Lords whispered in disbelief.
The female Realm Lord was equally dumbfounded, never expecting this kind of development.
"Hey, stop gossiping behind my back!"
"I keep my clothes on because I respect myself and observe male propriety!"
"And what's so odd about not knowing your Myriad Changes Society? My junior sister doesn't know it, my daughter doesn't know it, and tons of people don't know it either!"
Qi Yuan retorted indignantly.
His words left every Realm Lord present utterly at a loss.
*Observe male propriety?!*
Furthermore, the Realm Lord who had blurted out that "someone in this world doesn't know about the Myriad Changes Society" desperately wanted to clarify that by "someone," he meant Realm Lords.
Yet he didn't dare utter a peep, terrified that Qi Yuan might swat him dead.
After all, that was a Heaven-Opening Realm powerhouse.
A universe having ten of them was already considered a lot.
The official member of the Myriad Changes Society was equally flabbergasted.
Could it be that because they failed to invite him at the five-hundredth layer, they had offended this senior?
Or perhaps...
Was his own cultivation too low, rendering him unqualified to invite such an esteemed elder?
"The Myriad Changes Society is..." After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth to explain.
Qi Yuan waved his hand. "Save it for later. My junior sister called me home for dinner."
Of course, Jiang Lingsu hadn't called him.
It was simply mealtime.
With that, his figure dissolved into thin air, leaving behind a crowd of Realm Lords staring at one another in speechless stupor.
***
Atop Seven Colors Peak.
Jiang Lingsu was still wearing that high-waisted, short-jacket long dress.
However, unlike the modest, tightly wrapped attire she had worn in previous days, today the azure silk ribbon bound across her chest was tied a little lower, revealing a broad expanse of snowy, silky skin and a deep, enticing valley.
There was no need to squeeze; the milky fair expanse was dazzling enough to stir the soul.
"Sis, sigh, you're practically an old maid now," the little girl sighed mournfully.
Though she was only six years old, she was a cultivator after all, and understood quite a lot.
"You little brat, what do you know?" Jiang Lingsu blushed, her heart fluttering in disarray. "This young mistress is still young and gorgeous!"
"Cousin's granddaughter is already big enough to bully me, Sis. What about you?" The little girl twisted the knife, piling on the emotional damage.
"No dinner for you today!" Thoroughly flustered, Jiang Lingsu chased her younger sister out of the room.
Fuming with embarrassment, her ample bosom heaved.
Looking at the table laden with dishes, she fell into a daze.
"Eldest Senior Brother..."
she murmured, feeling restless.
What was their relationship, really?
In the past, she might have thought it sweet.
Lately, however, ever since Ning Tao, Canary, and Jin Li moved to Seven Colors Peak, she would occasionally overhear Jin Li's reserved panting or Ning Tao's stifled, tender murmurs, and an uncomfortable tightness would grip her chest.
She and Eldest Senior Brother still hadn't crossed that final threshold.
She was plagued by insecurity.
Did Eldest Senior Brother simply not like someone like her?
Or was it that she lacked Jin Li's delicate collarbones and fragrant shoulders, or lacked Ning Tao's snow-white skin, or...?
Yet she was very fair too.
In the past, she hadn't cared about taking that final step.
Now that everyone else had, while she had not,
the comparison naturally tipped her emotions out of balance, leaving her anxious and afraid that she wasn't Eldest Senior Brother's type.
Setting all that aside, she was human too, with her own desires.
Having not seen him for a century, she had gathered all her courage to dress rather revealingly in front of him.
Clutching her chest, Jiang Lingsu's beautiful eyes were filled with worry.
Suddenly sensing a presence, she scrambled to her feet in a fluster. "Eldest Senior Brother, you're back?"
With her back turned toward Qi Yuan, she gritted her teeth and pulled the silk ribbon bound across her chest down another notch.
Even more of her rounded, supple curves spilled out into the open.
"Yeah. Time to eat. You did a great job today." Qi Yuan cast a casual glance over her, his expression placid.
"Well, look who made it!" Jiang Lingsu waved a small pink fist, speaking with proud triumph.
Just then, a large hand wrapped around her fist.
Jiang Lingsu froze. Even though she was already in the Purple Mansion realm, her heart began racing wildly in that instant.
"How about tasting something different today?" Qi Yuan's voice was as clear and steady as ever.
Jiang Lingsu felt dizzy. She seemed to realize what he meant, yet could hardly believe it. "Taste... taste what?"
"What do you think?" Qi Yuan asked, his expression calm.
Jiang Lingsu's face flushed crimson instantly, her heart fluttering like a frightened deer. "Whatever Senior Brother wants to taste... you may."
She clutched the hem of her clothes, her lovely eyes shimmering with intense embarrassment.
"Is that so?"
A smile flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes. His fingers brushed against the azure silk ribbon and gave it a gentle tug.
Snowy, silky skin was exposed to the open air.
Proud and perky, too ample to be held in a single hand.
Qi Yuan leaned in close, his lips and teeth nuzzling against her.
A maiden’s fair peaks lacked the soft, sagging laxity of a mature matron; instead, they were firm, supple, and crystal-translucent.
Jiang Lingsu's delicate body trembled, not daring to move an inch.
With her long skirt half-undone and pooling upon the floor, her voluptuous, hourglass figure was laid bare.
Curvaceous where it counted, slender where it should be.
Her narrow waist formed a stark contrast with the plump peaks above and the lush hips below.
As Jiang Lingsu squirmed softly, the alluring dimples on her lower back were breathtakingly beautiful.
Everything fell into place with effortless grace.
"Mmph... Eldest Senior Brother..." Jiang Lingsu sat half-perched on the edge of the table, her cheeks flushed wine-red. A fine sheen of fragrant perspiration broke out across her fair back. She dared not lean back too far, afraid of knocking over the vase on the table.
She was no longer that clumsy girl from the Qi Refining days; even as sweat dampened her skin, there was no trace of bodily impurity, only a sweet fragrance.
The young maiden’s thoughts were a tangled mess. She longed for her senior brother to draw even closer, yet her hands reflexively pushed against his chest, as if the intensity were too much to bear.
In the end, she went completely limp, panting softly as she cupped her own snowy breasts. "If Eldest Senior Brother desires..."
"Hold on, I haven't had my fill yet!" Qi Yuan flatly refused, his lips trailing down to where the lower curves met her smooth belly.
With such a lavish feast set before him, how could he let it go to waste without savoring every bite?
It was just that this dish... was particularly plump and round.
Chapter 571