Perhaps afraid of arousing Qi Yuan's suspicion, Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor did not speak again.
His fishing in the group was naturally meant to hook Qi Yuan.
Yet fearing he might go too far and trigger doubt, he merely dipped his toes and stopped.
At that moment, in a certain world, a deep blood-red glint flashed in the eyes of the man known as Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor.
He had originally been an idle wanderer who liked bragging and boasting.
After entering the chat group, he naturally spouted grand claims.
However, one day, someone in the group reached out to him for a private chat, and disaster struck.
Now, he was like a walking corpse, reduced to a puppet.
"Heavenly Dragon, what do you think of that Origin Celestial Venerable?"
Right then, a seductive voice rang out.
Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor instantly fell silent as a cicada in winter, not daring in the least to look at the speaker.
In his eyes, this person was a devil.
The world he inhabited was now conquered by her, bathed in bloodlight spanning ten thousand li.
"This humble one is short-sighted and cannot tell," Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor answered truthfully.
He answered truthfully.
Though he was an extraordinary being possessing the strength of ten dragons and ten elephants, capable of uprooting mountains with peerless might, he was worlds apart from a true god.
"He ought to be a True God, though I know not his exact strength," the seductive woman murmured. "Conveniently... he can serve as an after-dinner dessert."
The faction she belonged to was named Nine Slaughter Palace.
This was a terrifying power, though significantly weaker than Myriad Gods Mountain.
Nine Slaughter Palace had also acquired fragments of the All-Heavens Divine Mirror, using them to fish.
If Myriad Gods Mountain's cultivation was based on faith, then Nine Slaughter Palace's cultivation was based on slaughter.
Thus, they descended onto one planar world after another, unleashing bloodshed.
Precisely because of this, Myriad Gods Mountain and Nine Slaughter Palace were mostly hostile to each other.
The seductive woman was a powerhouse at the peak of the Divine Oracle realm, merely a single step away from the God Lord realm.
Therefore, to her, Qi Yuan was an after-dinner dessert.
What was more, a bold dessert.
For among the people connected to the All-Heavens Divine Mirror, many could well be fishing just like her.
Generally speaking, without thorough preparations, someone like her would never descend rashly.
Even with Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor, she had observed him for a long time, eventually beguiled him with words, and descended only after confirming there was no danger.
Yet that Origin Celestial Venerable had casually descended once right after coming across the All-Heavens Divine Mirror, and was now preparing to descend a second time. She found it quite amusing.
This reckless True God must not fall into someone else's hands; she had her eye on this tasty prize.
...
In the chat group, everyone harbored different thoughts.
Wu Santong was filled with anticipation.
If Origin Celestial Venerable helped him deal with the Heaven-Severing Society, would he have a chance to... unify the martial world and become the Alliance Leader of the Martial Forest?
At the thought, his heart surged.
Becoming the martial alliance leader would truly revitalize the Kongshan Sect, living up to his late master's expectations.
"Santong, Youshan City... seems rather turbulent lately. Why... why did we bring our entire sect here?" Liu Xian'er asked, hesitation etched on her face.
Days ago, Wu Santong had ordered all two hundred and thirty-seven disciples of the sect to hasten toward Youshan City.
Fortunately, Wu Santong enjoyed great prestige, and none of the disciples raised objections.
Yet now that they were nearly at Youshan City, the sights before them were alarming, and Liu Xian'er could no longer suppress the doubts in her heart.
"To survive," Wu Santong replied without mentioning Origin Celestial Venerable.
After all, who would believe talk of gods and immortals?
Right at that moment, a booming voice rang out. Ten riders galloped toward them. Leading them was a bearded man with a full forehead and vigorous vitality: "Is Your Excellency Wu Santong of the Kongshan Sect? Could you also be here to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Youshan?"
Wu Santong had a sharp memory; looking at the bearded man, he pondered briefly and recognized him.
In the past, when the sect ran short of money and provisions, he and Liu Xian'er had worked as bounty hunters, helping the imperial court hunt down fugitives to earn rewards.
Once, after capturing a notorious defiler in Shu, the court official responsible for receiving the prisoner had been this very bearded man.
This bearded man had been a martial arts master of some renown in Shu, yet he had joined the imperial court to become a petty official, which had puzzled Wu Santong at the time.
"Master Cui Huai, it has been a long time. You look as formidable as ever," Wu Santong said, cupping his hands.
Cui Huai raised his head, a smile in his eyes. "Presently, I unworthily serve as a captain under the Prince of Youshan. Sect Master Wu, your martial arts are formidable—have you brought your disciples to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Youshan?"
As Cui Huai spoke, he seemed leisurely and pleased with himself.
Now that the Prince of Youshan had raised his banner in rebellion, Cui Huai had joined early. Furthermore, unlike other martial artists, he had studied military strategy alongside honing his martial arts.
Though his martial arts were rather ordinary compared to Wu Santong's, he was now an army captain commanding three thousand troops, far more glorious than a mere sect master of the Kongshan Sect.
"Though it is a bit late for Sect Master Wu to join now, with my recommendation, securing a position as a retainer will be an easy feat," Cui Huai said magnanimously.
In the martial forest, whether in skill, status, or reputation, he was naturally far inferior to Wu Santong.
Yet the Jianghu...
held little weight in Cui Huai's eyes.
As for the so-called Heaven-Severing Society, if he led his three thousand troops, he could trample it flat in a turn of the hand.
"Not so," Wu Santong shook his head.
Naturally, he had not come to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Youshan.
Hearing this, Cui Huai's expression shifted slightly. "Could it be that you have allied with the court and come to assassinate the Prince of Youshan?"
At present, the Prince of Youshan had rebelled.
The imperial court had dispatched an army of two hundred thousand soldiers to quell the uprising, stationed at Matang Pass.
There were also chivalrous martial artists seeking to assassinate the Prince of Youshan to end the war.
Yet none amounted to anything; before even entering the city, they were hunted down and killed.
Seeing Wu Santong leading his disciples, Cui Huai had thought he was here to pledge allegiance, as this did not resemble an assassination party.
"Not so," Wu Santong shook his head and continued, "The Heaven-Severing Society's ambition to swallow the Jianghu is plain for all to see. A few days ago, I saw a deity in a dream. The deity said that by coming to Youzhou, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival."
"Hmph," Cui Huai scoffed, clearly finding talk of deities absurd. "Military affairs are of paramount importance right now. Your Excellency... had best not wander about outside."
Evidently, he intended to place Wu Santong under house arrest.
With two armies confronting each other, one had to beware of spies.
Regardless of whether Wu Santong was willing or not, the Kongshan Sect was ultimately placed under confinement.
The members of the Kongshan Sect were filled with turmoil and anxiety, feeling as though they had just escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's maw.
...
"We have practiced martial arts our whole lives... yet we truly were frogs in a well. How could individual martial might ever contend against an army of ten thousand?"
Wu Santong's head disciple felt terrified inside.
Over the past few days, he had watched small-scale skirmishes between military formations, which filled him with complicated emotions.
His martial arts were decent, and he enjoyed some renown in the Jianghu.
Yet facing these armored soldiers, probably a dozen of them would be enough to beat him to death.
His former pride was shattered to pieces before an organized army.
"The so-called martial forest is nothing more than a small pond in the eyes of the imperial court."
The other disciples felt the same way.
They only felt that all their years of training were utterly useless.
Power and authority were what truly mattered.
Quite a few disciples harbored active thoughts, wanting to urge Wu Santong to simply surrender to the Prince of Youshan to earn merit assisting a rising dragon, rather than remaining prisoners who might die at any moment.
Hearing these disciples, Wu Santong said in a deep voice, "We must not belittle ourselves. When our martial path reaches profound depths, a single rider can match a thousand."
Wu Santong had once conversed with Zuo Jingyun.
Zuo Jingyun had once secretly revealed that he had slaughtered three thousand bandits single-handedly.
Though there might be exaggeration, it could be true.
Such mighty power was also what Wu Santong yearned for most. If he could obtain it from Origin Celestial Venerable, perhaps... he truly had hope of becoming the martial alliance leader.
"Master, to take on a thousand men alone, one would have to accumulate ten thousand years of inner strength! How could we ever amass so much internal energy?"
These disciples secretly grumbled, harboring various thoughts.
Right at that moment, a voice suddenly rang in Wu Santong's heart.
"All right, I am about to fulfill your wish. Remember... place your faith in me."
Hearing this mysterious voice, Wu Santong was initially confused, then overjoyed.
Origin Celestial Venerable had finally come to aid him?
"This junior obeys!" Wu Santong's spirits soared. He wanted to see how Origin Celestial Venerable would resolve the Kongshan Sect's crisis and make him the martial alliance leader.
His mind was in a whirl.
Just then, the overlapping dark clouds in the sky suddenly parted.
It was as if a gigantic hand reached out from the clouds, blotting out the sky and sun, radiating brilliant golden light.
The two confronting armies—hundreds of thousands of soldiers—looked at the terrifying giant hand in the heavens with horror on their faces, their horses rearing and whinnying in panic.
"What is that?"
"An omen from the heavens!"
"It is an auspicious sign! The Prince of Youshan's rebellion will surely succeed!"
"It is an ill omen! It signifies the Prince of Youshan's defeat!"
Different people had different interpretations of the spectacle.
Yet in the very next breath, they realized all their explanations were in vain.
"I am Origin Celestial Venerable."
"My believer, Wu Santong, shall be Emperor, and shall be the Alliance Leader of the Martial Forest!"
These words echoed grandly, descending from the firmament.
Every soldier, general, and official who heard this voice was utterly shaken.
Many ran around spreading the word, all wanting to ask: who on earth is this Wu Santong?
Some generals sneered, glaring toward the heavens: "Who is playing tricks and posing as a god?!"
Cui Huai's heart jolted; he remembered Wu Santong, whom he had placed under house arrest.
"It seems I still have to play the monkey and show off some divine power in public," Qi Yuan murmured high above the firmament.
If other True Gods descended into this world and wished to display their divine might, a single slash of a sword would probably wipe out an army of a hundred thousand.
Yet Qi Yuan was lawful good.
So he, too, swung a sword.
Yet he did not annihilate an army of a hundred thousand with that single strike.
Instead...
"Half of your hair, I shall take."
As Qi Yuan's voice fell, golden light flashed.
The earth shook and mountains trembled.
Across the plain outside Youshan City, a chasm several tens of li long appeared, bottomless.
Such power and spectacle were nothing short of mythical to these soldiers and martial artists.
Apart from that...
"My hair..."
"Ah! My hair!"
The soldiers cried out in shock.
With the flash of golden light, half of their hair was gone.
Across the hundreds of thousands of troops, everyone clutched their heads in terror.
This defied description; it could only be hailed as a divine miracle.
After all, if a single strike could sever their hair, could it not just as easily sever their heads?
If the owner of that heavenly voice was not a True God, who was?
At that moment, Qi Yuan looked at the massive pile of hair before him, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"When I was little, I heard that hair could be used to make soy sauce. Turns out... it's true."
Of course... it was true.
After all, Qi Yuan cultivated immortality and had become a god; turning hair into soy sauce was child's play.
Even turning water into gasoline or stone into gold was child's play for him.
Of course, even if he turned it into soy sauce, Qi Yuan wouldn't use it for cooking—it was too gross.
If he wanted a meal, he would eat trendy takeout like Guochao Fried Rice or Pinhaofan; he heard eating lots of it made one very spirited.
"Another world subdued, easy-peasy."
"However, has this world not formed a plane spirit yet? Or has the plane spirit already perished?"
Following Qi Yuan's intervention and display of divine miracles, tremendous changes swept across this world.
Wu Santong naturally became the god's spokesperson, and even became the world's very first Emperor and Alliance Leader of the Martial Forest combined.
Wu Santong was overjoyed beyond measure.
Because at the beginning, his wish had merely been to become the martial alliance leader.
Yet Origin Celestial Venerable had made him Emperor.
Only upon witnessing armies clashing did he realize how insignificant the martial forest was; what was a martial alliance leader worth?
Yet now, with a single word from Origin Celestial Venerable, he was Emperor. How could he not be astounded?
That said, even after becoming Emperor, Wu Santong did not let it go to his head. He knew his backing was Origin Celestial Venerable—how could his future ever be confined to a mere emperor?
...
"I've already helped Wu Santong fulfill his wish. Who's next?" Qi Yuan said in the group.
He never bothered with pretenses.
"So fast? You already helped Wu Santong become the martial alliance leader?" Zuo Jingyun asked in surprise.
He had always known Wu Santong had ambitions, wanting not only to revitalize the Kongshan Sect, but also to become the martial alliance leader.
The others who had been lurking also emerged, appearing somewhat surprised or offering compliments to Qi Yuan.
"No one?"
Qi Yuan asked in the group once more.
Unfortunately, Heavenly Dragon Great Emperor did not reply directly. He was still fishing, afraid of making Qi Yuan suspicious.
"Sigh, so boring. Whatever happened to sincerity between people?"
Qi Yuan exited the All-Heavens Divine Mirror and returned to Myriad Gods Mountain.
"Cultivating step-by-step like this is truly too slow," Qi Yuan sighed.
Generally speaking, for a godchild like Qi Yuan who obtained the All-Heavens Divine Mirror, conquering all the worlds quickly was exceedingly difficult.
First, everyone possessed vigilance.
Second, danger lurked in those worlds; with the strength of a godchild, one might not necessarily conquer them.
Some worlds and planes were small, yet held many formidable figures; even if a God Lord entered, they might become fish on a chopping block. Thus, many True Gods only entered with utmost caution.
Someone as fast as Qi Yuan was truly rare.
"So, how do I speed up?"
Qi Yuan pondered.
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
"There are still too few people."
"If there were more, expanding the base, the fools... wait no, my believers, would also be more numerous."
Qi Yuan thought of scams.
Why were there so many people falling for scam tactics that were full of glaring flaws?
Obviously: casting a wide net.
As long as there were enough people, there would always be fools.
"Unfortunately, there are very few people in my All-Heavens Divine Mirror chat group..."
There were only a handful of people in his group.
Even if all of them believed in him, that would only be a few worlds.
"Maybe... should I just go back and inherit my universes, and have those people place their faith in me?"
Qi Yuan pondered.
If he returned to his Stellar Golden Core universe, as well as the Immortal Realm, and those universes created by Dao Lord Nan Ke, and had all those people place their faith in him, his strength would probably swell to a terrifying level in an instant.
Chapter 598