Destiny's Guidance: The Three Pure Ones Method Is Actually...!

Zhao Jian's mind was in total turmoil; he had no idea what to do. Should he run right now? If he ran, he would certainly draw this True God's attention. Wouldn't that expose him all the same? Heavenly King Mountain would easily learn of his existence. He felt he had walked straight into a dead end. Was his only chance of survival staying put and playing dead? But that relied entirely on luck. Once Heavenly King Mountain's people arrived and discovered him, he would die without a doubt. *My luck is terrible. How could such a low-probability event happen to me?* Zhao Jian thought glumly. One Dao Lord had performed divination for him, and another Dao Lord had even given him guidance from destiny, yet he still ran into something like this. *Perhaps sacrificing me will pave the way for someone else,* he could only console himself. Under destiny's guidance, he was not the only one who had entered the Abandoned Land. Sacrifice many to fulfill one. As long as that chosen person truly found the Three Pure Ones Method, it would count as a success. After all, the Cosmic Alliance was currently besieged by troubles from within and threats from without. Terrifying as the Dao Lords' combat prowess was, they were outnumbered by the sheer quantity of Dao Gods—to say nothing of those horrifying Dao Gods who had survived the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations. Even if the Dao Lords recovered their peak combat strength, they would have to steer clear of them. Surviving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations placed one on an entirely different plane. After some thought, Zhao Jian decided to remain in hiding. Meanwhile, as Qi Yuan's voice echoed across hundreds of millions of li, drastic changes unfolded across the world. More and more people chose to believe in Qi Yuan. At that moment, inside a shopping mall, Qi Yuan sat on a miniature train, his expression serene. Looking ahead, the children looked bizarre and grotesque. Some had sharp, fragmented teeth packed densely together like saw blades, while others had tails. "So many mutations... Once they mutate completely, they become... food." This world was cursed as well, and the nature of the curse thoroughly repulsed Qi Yuan. Since arriving, he hadn't even eaten pig's trotter rice or duck leg rice, nor had he touched any otaku happy water. This world was thoroughly deranged. The chicken wings sizzling on an iron griddle looked, in Qi Yuan's eyes, like mutated wings torn from human bodies. What was sold as grilled fish was actually deep-fried fish; slicing open its belly would reveal charred severed fingers and greasy, sizzling ears. "The people of this world... are all sick, yet completely unaware of it," Qi Yuan sighed. In the Sky Federation, people at least knew of mei, feared them, and resisted them accordingly. In this world, however, humans were steadily degenerating into "ingredients." Once they turned into ingredients, they were chopped up and cooked into meals. Wives chopped up their husbands and packed them into refrigerators; mothers pickled their own children. They carried out these horrors as a matter of course, sensing nothing abnormal. Those normal, unmutated humans accounted for only a tiny minority, so they were branded as mentally ill and locked away inside their homes. "See? I told you! The world is sick, but no one believed me!" Duke Nael, a young girl wearing a long gown draped in lace gauze, raised her head with an expression of firm conviction. "The world is indeed sick, and quite severely so," Qi Yuan agreed with a sigh. Coming to the Abandoned Land had truly exposed him to the boundless diversity of species; he had encountered all kinds of mad and chaotic things. "You're the only one who understands me, Vampire Emperor! They're all sick, and only I'm sane!" The young girl pursed her lips. Remembering something, she continued, "Actually, during all these years trapped in that room, I wasn't just idling. I've been researching the truth of the world, the essence of the world." Speaking of this, a look of longing and fervor appeared on her face. "Oh?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. Had he run into another great talent? "Duke Nael, what profound insights do you have?" he promptly asked. "I discovered... that the world is actually cyclical. It is a loop," Duke Nael uttered words that astounded. Hearing this, Qi Yuan grew thoughtful. *Could Duke Nael be a reincarnated Dao Lord? Or are true paragons in this Great World really as common as carp crossing a river? Bump into anyone on the street, and they're an authentic genius?* "Are we truly alive? In reality, we are on the road to death. From the moment we are born, we walk toward death. "Death is the starting point of rebirth. "The world is the same way, starting from its inception and slowly marching toward destruction. "The things we experience today have happened in the past. In the past, I have met you, and today's conversation has happened before. "Have you ever had that feeling? For instance, suddenly feeling as though something has already happened before?" As Duke Nael spoke, she gazed earnestly at Qi Yuan, resting her fair, tender hand on his shoulder. "This morning I tripped and fell, pressing my hand right into dog poop. I didn't get up right away, because I felt... hasn't this happened before?" Hearing this, Qi Yuan glanced at the girl's fair, tender hand and discreetly cast a Dust Cleansing Technique on his shoulder. "That's not an illusion; it's a loophole and a bug in the world's existence," Duke Nael said with utter seriousness. "The universe is constantly rebooting, endlessly cycling. What past? What future? Tomorrow is the future of today, but on another scale, today is the distant future of tomorrow." Her words were brimming with philosophical depth. "A true talent!" Qi Yuan couldn't help praising her. "Would you be willing to work for me?" Keeping Duke Nael's brilliant brain around would be of great use. "You are the Vampire Emperor, and I am merely a duke. It is only right and natural for a duke to serve an emperor," Duke Nael replied solemnly. "Here's the thing. There's a difficult problem that has troubled me for a long time." Qi Yuan stated his request. "I hereby appoint you Chief Steward of Intelligence! Help me think through... what on earth is a Yang God!" This Duke Nael wasn't even an extraordinary being, yet she had deduced that many universes had entered cycles. She was a genuine prodigy; having her help him ponder what a Yang God was should be a piece of cake. Duke Nael knitted her brows and finally said, "I will not fail your trust." On the other side, Zhao Jian, who was driving the miniature train, listened to the conversation behind him with trembling fear. He began to suspect whether this True God had discovered him. Soon, he realized it wasn't mere suspicion—it was fact. "Hey, why don't you believe in me?" At some point, Qi Yuan had appeared right at the very front of the train. Zhao Jian's thoughts tangled. It seemed things had gotten troublesome. "Does Fellow Daoist know this is the Abandoned Land?" Zhao Jian asked. At the same time, he honked the horn. Ahead, a dog held a leash while a human was tied to it, lying on the ground blocking the tracks. "I know," Qi Yuan said nonchalantly. Hearing this, Zhao Jian grew even more panicked. It seemed the True God before him had already been affected by the Abandoned Land, his mind rendered chaotic. He had secretly observed Qi Yuan for a long time today. Clearly, he was very sick. "Fellow Daoist, staying here will attract other True Gods to hunt you down," Zhao Jian politely cautioned anyway. "They dare hunt down the Vampire Emperor? Don't they know that in this world, justice will always triumph over evil? Anyone who dares come to kill the Vampire Emperor will only become fuel and stepping stones for His Majesty!" Duke Nael couldn't help chiming in. Qi Yuan found Duke Nael more and more agreeable. He was Lawful Good. In any proper story, Lawful Good was the ultimate victor. Of course, evil NTR stories and doujins didn't count. Those weren't stories, nor were they proper books! Zhao Jian shrugged, not daring to argue, and could only say, "Fellow Daoist, if True Gods come hunting you, could you please not expose my existence?" he asked tentatively. Since the other party was not right in the head, perhaps he could reason with him. At that thought, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity. A dignified True God, his brain scrambled from entering the Abandoned Land! He could easily scheme against him or fish for information. "Sure. But in return, you have to tell me your purpose for coming here," Qi Yuan looked at Zhao Jian. "I came here... to hide from enemies," Zhao Jian said. "Duke Nael, what kind of person usually lies?" Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered with Zhao Jian directly and turned to the girl. The girl quickly replied, "Generally speaking, someone harboring ill intent. Though in a few cases, it's a white lie." "I didn't sense any goodwill," Qi Yuan said, gazing calmly at Zhao Jian. For some reason, pinned beneath that calm gaze, a chill ran down Zhao Jian's spine. A terrifying feeling seized him: if he made a single wrong move, he could die at any moment. At this thought, he realized there was no point in hiding it any longer. Besides, searching for the Three Pure Ones Method was hardly a secret. "I came here to search for the Three Pure Ones Method." "The Three Pure Ones Method?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise. "The Three Pure Ones Method is hidden in the Abandoned Land?" During this period, he had been working hard to elevate his strength and foundation, absorbing a chaotic multitude of physiques and bloodlines, yet there had been no trace of the Three Pure Ones Method. "According to a senior, the Three Pure Ones Method might be somewhere in the Abandoned Land." "The Abandoned Land is so vast, how do you expect to find it?" Qi Yuan couldn't help asking. He felt the senior Zhao Jian spoke of had essentially said nothing at all. Qi Yuan could just as well claim the Three Pure Ones Method was somewhere in the Great World. In terms of scale, the Abandoned Land was likely no smaller than the Great World. Zhao Jian hesitated. Recalling that terrifying sensation from earlier, he finally confessed, "That senior gave me a special dharma artifact called Destiny's Guide. It will guide me to find the Three Pure Ones Method." Destiny's Guide was also known as the Guidance of Destiny. Destiny was something unfathomably mysterious and profound. At the Yang God stage, nearly every Yang God felt destiny was a terrifying, formidable Great Dao. Yet once one stepped into the realm of a Dao Lord, destiny seemed to become a joke. The world had entered a cycle; everything was predetermined, everything a replay. Who could manipulate destiny? They were merely toys in destiny's hands. "How about... I help you look for the Three Pure Ones Method, and when we find it, we split it fifty-fifty?" Qi Yuan suggested. He was quite curious about the Three Pure Ones Method. For one, it might actually be useful. For another, he wanted to see if this so-called Three Pure Ones Method differed from transforming one Qi into the Three Pure Ones. Zhao Jian hesitated. He definitely didn't want to team up with Qi Yuan. After all, Qi Yuan was being so flamboyant; Heavenly King Mountain might already be watching him, waiting for the right moment to strike and kill him in one fell swoop. But right now, he was meat on the chopping block, his life in Qi Yuan's hands. "Well..." Zhao Jian looked conflicted, ultimately deciding honesty was the best policy. "Fellow Daoist is likely under the watch of certain True Gods who might launch an ambush at any moment. If I search with you, I fear I'll lose my life before we even find it." "You're too timid. I've stayed in this Abandoned Land for over a hundred years, and aren't I doing just fine?" Qi Yuan said lazily, completely unconcerned. Over these past hundred years, True Gods had indeed constantly come looking for trouble with him. Beat the young one, and the older one came; beat the older one, and the ancient one came. After killing who knew how many waves, no one came anymore. He had enjoyed peace and quiet for over sixty years now. Hearing this, Zhao Jian was stunned. A hundred years? And still alive? A horrifying thought dawned in his mind. *Could this Qi Yuan... be one of those ruthless figures on the bounty list?* In that mysterious organization, missions were posted daily to hunt down or deter True Gods who had strayed into the Abandoned Land. But some ruthless individuals were so formidable that hunting them or driving them off repeatedly failed, landing them on the list. Some of them could no longer even be called True Gods; the curses covering their bodies were so terrifying that no one was willing to deal with them. At this thought, Zhao Jian's heart trembled, and he desperately wanted to put distance between himself and Qi Yuan. Although he wore special armor, he feared it might not completely isolate him, potentially transferring the misfortune and the Curse of Sinking onto him. When that happened, he wouldn't be far from death. No wonder Origin Celestial Venerable had stayed here for so long without any True Gods hunting him down. It turned out he was a listed monster. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. "Fellow Daoist must still be careful. Every ten thousand years, a Dao God descends upon the Abandoned Land to wipe out those listed True Gods. There are less than a thousand years until the next Great Purge," Zhao Jian warned. Ordinary True Gods certainly wouldn't take action against a listed monster. When the time came, a Dao God would personally intervene. With the grandeur and might of a Dao God, Qi Yuan wouldn't stand a chance. "It's fine, there's still plenty of time. Maybe by then, I'll have already survived the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. Although he was currently no match for a Dao God, there was plenty of time, and he had vast room for growth. Hearing this, Zhao Jian understood that Origin Celestial Venerable was thoroughly delusional; trying to explain things to him was useless. "In that case, I will bring out Destiny's Guide and see... if there is any indication from destiny." Zhao Jian resigned himself to his fate. Following a listed monster had its perks. At least True Gods from Heavenly King Mountain wouldn't come looking for trouble. With that thought, a sinan compass appeared in Zhao Jian's hand. The sinan was crafted from special materials like sunflare stone, fire-frost, and mangqi, imbued with the power of destiny. "Heaven's mandate is mine, guide me to the Three Pure Ones!" Zhao Jian immediately cast a Dao art, seeking indications from the sinan via Destiny's Guide. Normally, such indications were exceedingly faint, offering at best a vague direction that made tracking it down difficult—a true needle in a haystack. Yet right at that moment, something completely unexpected happened. The Destiny's Guide sinan suddenly burst with brilliant radiance. It spun relentlessly at an astonishing speed exceeding that of light. "Why is the reaction so strong?!" Zhao Jian's eyes widened in profound shock and bewilderment. *Could it be... is the Three Pure Ones Method right nearby?!* After about seven times seven, forty-nine breaths, the sinan's rotation grew slower and slower. Ultimately, its speed dropped to zero, coming to a dead stop. And the direction indicated by Destiny's Guide pointed squarely at Qi Yuan! "The Three Pure Ones Method... is on you?" Zhao Jian's eyes went wide, wild joy surging in his heart alongside deep bewilderment. Was finding the location of the Three Pure Ones Method really this simple? In this world, the Three Pure Ones Method truly existed!