A Mysterious Man

Qi Yuan looked at the Three Pure Ones Method recorded within, a thoughtful expression surfacing on his face. "This Three Pure Ones Method... couldn't be something like 'transforming one Qi into the Three Pure Ones,' could it?" Qi Yuan asked. Neither in the Immortal Realm nor on Myriad Gods Mountain had he ever heard any information regarding the Three Pure Ones. Although he occasionally encountered organizations named Mount Sanqing, the Sanqing Sect, or the Sanqing Gate, none of them bore any resemblance to the Three Pure Ones in his memories. Those three seemed to have existed only on Blue Star. Of course, he had also visualized the Three Pure Ones in the past. Could this truly be a mere coincidence? A look of surprise flashed in God Lord Heitian's eyes. "Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan has also heard of the Three Pure Ones Method? The so-called Three Pure Ones Method is a technique that condenses three bodies, each enduring tribulations in one's stead. "Naturally, this Three Pure Ones Method is by no means an ordinary avatar technique. After all, the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations act directly upon the true self; neither clones nor avatars can substitute for the original. "By condensing three true bodies via the Three Pure Ones Method, each can die once in your place, mitigating the tribulations and substantially raising the probability of surviving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations." God Lord Heitian had investigated information concerning the Three Pure Ones Method before; this was the entirety of what he had uncovered. "However, ever since the Heavenly Emperor vanished, no further news of the Three Pure Ones Method has surfaced in this world. "Rumor has it that the Three Pure Ones Method did not conform to the Great Dao and was despised by heaven and earth, so the Heavenly Emperor took it away before departing. "Others claim that no such thing as the Three Pure Ones Method ever existed in this world, that it was merely fabricated by certain True Gods or spread through baseless hearsay." In short, the Three Pure Ones Method simply wasn't available. "The first method can only be learned once one becomes a Dao God. The third method is ephemeral, unheard of, and completely out of reach. Of what is recorded in this book, only the second method is genuinely useful," God Lord Heitian said. The second method documented numerous formidable bloodlines and physiques, along with the possible means through which these bloodlines and physiques might appear. "These bloodlines and physiques may be exceedingly faint—faint to the point where... even a Dao God cannot extract them, or where extracting them proves entirely useless. "However, we are True Gods. So long as beings possessing these bloodlines and physiques place their faith in us, we too will obtain their bloodlines and physiques," God Lord Heitian explained. "Thus, for True Gods like us, faith... is something that must be fought for. This is a battle of Daos. "The more faith one amasses, the more bloodlines and physiques one may acquire, deepening one's foundation and heightening the odds of surviving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations." "Thank you for telling me. This book... will be of tremendous use to me," Qi Yuan expressed his sincere gratitude. After all, he was already a God Lord; it was time to consider surviving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations. As for obtaining a divine treasure to break through and become a Dao God? First, he possessed no divine treasure. Second, after ascending to Dao God, the divine kingdom within him would enter the Cycle, and all who believed in him would likewise be ensnared within the Cycle. He did not care for that path. Therefore, he might as well brave the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations in the body of a God Lord. Returning to his quarters, Qi Yuan held the *Original Manuscript of Taiqing Yicha* in his hands and continued browsing through it. "Strange... people in the Abandoned Lands seem to possess special physiques and bloodlines in far greater numbers. "Could this be related to the misfortune and curses they endure?" Qi Yuan murmured. "In other words, my current foundation is actually far stronger than that of ordinary God Lords. "The only thing missing is converting these physiques and bloodlines into my own foundation." Merely having people with special bloodlines and physiques believe in you was not enough; they still needed to be converted. As for the methods of conversion, they were concealed within the *Original Manuscript of Taiqing Yicha*. This was one of the book's most valuable aspects. [Bloodline Tracing Method: An ordinary conversion technique. It contains numerous flaws. If 300,000,700 areas are revised, its efficacy can be increased over a hundredfold.] [Physique Devouring Art: An ordinary conversion technique. It contains numerous flaws. If 573,000 areas are revised, its efficacy can be increased over a hundredfold.] The conversion arts recorded within naturally were not all the conversion arts in this grand world, nor were they the most effective. But after Qi Yuan modified them, their effectiveness would likely rank among the absolute pinnacle. "The first method is currently unattainable, and the Three Pure Ones Method is especially enigmatic. It's better to employ the second method first to bolster my strength." Regardless of anything else, the second method would enhance his foundation and power. Even if he didn't use it to weather the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations, it remained immensely useful. *** Spring went and autumn came. Upon Myriad Gods Mountain, a mysterious man arrived. He came in utter silence. Across the entirety of Myriad Gods Mountain, very few True Gods took notice. Tianmo, one of the Twelve Pillars, received him in person. "Now that you have arrived here, Fellow Daoist, when do you plan to take Heitian away? "If you are taking him, I will still need to inform Tiankai. After all, Heitian is Tiankai's offspring." The mysterious man standing before Tianmo was clad in black robes. An extraordinary aura clung to him, exuding the refined demeanor of a noble lord. He was unmistakably a Dao God. "It took thirty thousand years just to obtain a divine treasure and break through to become a Dao God. My cultivation remains unstable, and my grasp on braving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations is not great. "I still need to enter secluded cultivation for some time to deepen my foundation before using Heitian to take the tribulation in my stead," the mysterious Dao God stated impassively. Pillar Tianmo nodded, offering courteous flattery. "To step into the Dao God realm in a mere thirty thousand years—it seems Fellow Daoist's foundation is profound indeed." The mysterious man smiled faintly. "Thirty thousand years... is somewhat lengthy. Didn't I hear that Heitian has recently formed an ambiguous relationship with a certain God Lord, investing in him continuously? That fellow... reached the God Lord realm in only a century. His talent is quite astonishing." Despite saying this, there was not the slightest trace of surprise in his expression. The cultivation system of this grand world was inherently built for quick advancement. Pillar Tianmo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Could he be...?" The mysterious man shook his head. "His aura is ordinary. He doesn't hail from the same place as me. Perhaps... he simply has decent talent." Even with decent talent, the mysterious man remained unimpressed. What did decent talent in this grand world matter? Was he not still constrained within this realm, unable to achieve detachment? "In that case..." Pillar Tianmo let out a sigh of relief, the wariness he had previously felt toward Qi Yuan vanishing without a trace. In the eyes of these lofty Dao Gods, a genius without backing in this grand world was no different from a weed. Their sole purpose was to perish while challenging the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations, accumulating a sliver of negligible experience for these Dao Gods. "Since that is the case, and seeing as he has grown close to Heitian, should I pen a letter to Tiankai?" Pillar Tianmo asked casually. A few offhand words decided Qi Yuan's fate. The mysterious man chuckled. As expected, this grand world... was terribly crude. Having already weathered two of the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations, this fellow still lacked a proper Dao heart. Of course, it was also possible he was merely putting on a display for him. "No need. After all, in a certain sense, Heitian shares a bond of fate with me. You could even say he is another me. "Let him carry hope... as he takes the tribulation in my stead," the mysterious man murmured with broadminded magnanimity. He did not care about Qi Yuan in the slightest. "Fellow Daoist is truly worthy of having come from that place," Tianmo continued to flatter him. "If I have the fortune to survive the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations and travel to that place in the future, I hope Fellow Daoist will look after me." The mysterious man nodded, then remarked, "Heitian can only help me through one calamity and one tribulation. There is another Heitian... though I do not know if he will ever arrive in this grand world. Alas." He let out a long sigh, sounding somewhat melancholic. "That other one?" Hearing this, Pillar Tianmo grew thoughtful. "Some time ago, Myriad Gods Mountain captured someone from the Cosmic Alliance... Fellow Daoist could go question him to see if he knows of that Heitian." The mysterious man's gaze grew deep and profound. "That grand world is so vast; how could encountering him be that simple? Furthermore, if we do meet, whether he takes the tribulation for me or I take the tribulation for him remains uncertain. We would have to settle it through battle." *** All things generate and overcome one another; there is yin and yang, substance and emptiness. "This Yin-Yang Dao Physique is rather interesting," Qi Yuan remarked casually. After breaking through to the God Lord realm, many godchildren had sent him gifts. This race possessing the Yin-Yang Dao Physique was a gift presented to him by Godchild Ha Jin and Goddaughter Xi Shui to help deepen his foundation. It was considered a rather fine present. "Since they are so generous, in the future... if they die, I'll contribute a bit more condolence money," Qi Yuan pondered carefully. As for these gifts, he did not accept all of them. Those who had previously sent him rude messages—he couldn't even be bothered to accept theirs. Even if they gifted white-haired lolis or blonde beauties, Qi Yuan was an upright man. Begone! Begone! Begone! At least when Ha Jin and Xi Shui had invited him before, their tone had been quite amiable. Last time, they had even transmitted a message warning Qi Yuan that the Eleventh Prince, Tong Xun, might move against him, showing good will. Though such goodwill was merely an effortless gesture, Qi Yuan was willing to accept it. "Too bad Tong Xun has already rushed off to the front lines. Otherwise, I would have had to go ask him whether he intended to make a move on me. "How terrible would it be if I misunderstood a good person?" Qi Yuan muttered. With that in mind, Qi Yuan turned his attention to the chat group. During this period, he had discovered several more Abandoned Lands. These Abandoned Lands were all exceedingly chaotic, with yin and yang inverted, teetering on the verge of collapse. Thus, Qi Yuan transformed into plane spirits and used the Sword of Oblivion to sever their 'dead' misfortune and Curses of Sinking. What was supposed to be an agonizing ordeal did not feel painful at all in Qi Yuan's eyes. Qi Yuan even suspected he had turned the pain slider down to zero in this game. Yet when he yanked out a single strand of hair from a 'refined native,' that 'refined native' had clearly felt pain. The reason he called them 'refined natives' was that during game time, Qi Yuan had once returned to Ziyuan Heaven. That old fellow Ancestor Ziyuan had actually taken another wife. When Qi Yuan met Horned Sis back then, the two of them had talked at length. Qi Yuan had casually mentioned 'natives,' only for Horned Sis to ask, "Didn't you say everyone is equal? Why use a derogatory term like 'native'? Are you calling them crude and rustic?" Qi Yuan couldn't quite remember the actual definition of 'native.' Being socially anxious and poor at communication, he couldn't win the argument against Horned Sis, so he had no choice but to rename them 'refined natives.' Of course, after reflecting on it later, Qi Yuan immediately felt he hadn't performed up to par during his discussion with Horned Sis. He shouldn't have said 'native' at all; he should have just called them 'indigenous people.' "Alright, time to head to Duke Nael's world," Qi Yuan said calmly. Over the years, the number of people in the chat group had grown larger and larger, and he had entered an increasing number of worlds. However, he had never had the chance to visit Duke Nael's world. This time, it was the perfect opportunity to go. *** The Abandoned Lands. In a certain world, Zhao Jian's figure descended, whereupon he concealed himself. Right at that moment, a terrifying divine sense swept across the heavens. Finding no anomalies, it vanished once more. Zhao Jian remained seated quietly, a complex expression on his face. "I've finally entered these legendary Abandoned Lands." He was clad in streamlined silver armor, identical to the suits worn by powerhouses from factions such as Heavenly King Mountain and Water Star Palace. Wearing it while on missions could insulate against the curses and misfortunes of the Abandoned Lands. "Rumor has it that after the Heavenly Emperor sealed off the Abandoned Lands with the Heavenly Laws, the Three Pure Ones Method was hidden here. I wonder if I will have the chance to find it." Anticipation stirred in his heart at the thought. Of course, it was merely anticipation. If the Three Pure Ones Method were so easy to locate, factions like Heavenly King Mountain and Water Star Palace would have found it long ago. After all, this technique could be used to survive the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations—a secret that even Dao Gods went mad over. "Fortunately, I have the destiny guidance of the Mandate Dao Lord. Perhaps I truly will be able to find the Three Pure Ones Method." Hope rekindled within Zhao Jian. Although a certain Dao Lord skilled in divination had once claimed that no Three Pure Ones Method existed in this world—or perhaps that the Three Pure Ones Method was a trap—since hope remained, he had entered to try his luck. If he accomplished the mission assigned by the Dao Lord, or rather the Dao God, the benefits for him would be immense. "However, before that, I need to lie low in this world and avoid detection by Water Star Palace and Heavenly King Mountain." With this thought, Zhao Jian disguised himself as a mortal and headed toward a settlement. In the period that followed, he lived like an ordinary mortal in this mundane world. This mortal world possessed highly developed technology, but it was also utterly mad. Zhao Jian clearly saw that many people bore horse faces, while others had fish fins or reptilian scales. Meanwhile, normal humans were all rounded up and locked inside massive buildings, declared diseased, and forced to take medicine every day. To blend in with the local customs, Zhao Jian conjured a pair of wings for himself. Naturally, to hide his aura, he ceased using Dao arts altogether, blending in like a true mortal. Life settled into quiet routine. Even so, he occasionally had to suppress his revulsion as a waiter served up a large platter of claws, pretending to eat it. Other times, watching a chimpanzee's hairy legs wrapped in black silk stockings writhing on stage, he had to pretend to look at its eyes first, and only glance at those hairy silk-clad legs when the creature wasn't looking at him. Yet one day, this peaceful life was abruptly shattered. On that day, a magnificent figure suddenly descended from the heavens, striding across the horizon and spanning the four seas and eight wildernesses. A voice resonated through the clouds, echoing in the hearts of all living beings: "I am the Origin Celestial Venerable. Place your faith in me, and I shall deliver you from the sea of suffering!" The voice was rich with allure, resembling a divine hymn. Hearing this, Zhao Jian's expression changed drastically. "Damn it! Which reckless young fool entered the Abandoned Lands? Are they courting death? If they draw the attention of Heavenly King Mountain and drag me down with them, what am I supposed to do?" Zhao Jian was frantic. He had never expected to encounter such a low-probability event here. The reason the Abandoned Lands were called the Abandoned Lands was that True Gods did not set foot here. It was exceedingly difficult for True Gods to arrive here in the first place. Yet in the world he occupied, he actually ran into a greenhorn openly harvesting faith. How could he not curse his rotten luck? "I'm finished... How am I supposed to resolve this? "Should I just run?"