Boring, Interesting

“In that case, Dao God Charcoal, will you still cause trouble for God Lord Heitian?” Qi Yuan looked at Dao God Charcoal and asked calmly. His tone was placid, devoid of any emotional coloring, yet it sent a jolt through Dao God Charcoal’s heart. At their realm of cultivation, the desire for survival and eternity was no less profound than the desire to seek the Dao. “Hearing Senior’s poem, deep sorrow filled my heart. I never imagined I almost committed such a grave mistake.” Dao God Charcoal was sensible; the sorrowful expression he wore made it seem as though he and God Lord Heitian were truly flesh-and-blood brothers. Of course, in truth, by blood and lineage, he and God Lord Heitian shared no relation whatsoever. Their connection was like that between a paramecium and a monkey. “Not bad. If everyone in the Yang Realm were as sensible as you, that would be wonderful,” Qi Yuan said. Not just the Yang Realm—if only the beings in the Yin Realm and the Rebirth Realm could understand human speech as well. If everyone could be touched by Qi Yuan’s words, wouldn't the world be brimming with love? The moral atmosphere of the cultivation world would surely be upright and wholesome. Because Dao God Charcoal understood human speech, the rest of the banquet was a cheerful affair, completely free of any unpleasant friction. Sitting to the side, Dao God Charcoal lowered his voice and inquired, “Might I ask Senior’s... revered name, and which lineage you hail from?” A powerhouse at Qi Yuan's realm could not possibly be a nameless nobody; across this universe, there were bound to be traces of his past. Dao God Charcoal was immensely curious about Qi Yuan’s identity, racking his brains as to who this person truly was. Perhaps sensing that his question was somewhat abrupt, Dao God Charcoal introduced himself first: “I come from the Tianguang Lineage. Our lineage master is Fuguang, who once visited Mount Origin.” Mentioning his lineage master, Dao God Charcoal’s eyes shone with reverence and pride. In terms of raw power, the master of the Tianguang Lineage was even a cut above Emperor God. As he spoke, Dao God Charcoal watched Qi Yuan’s expression and reaction closely. “Fuguang?” Qi Yuan paused slightly. Long-dormant memories belonging to Sansheng surfaced. He had indeed crossed paths with Fuguang once. Back then, when Sansheng journeyed to Mount Origin, Fuguang had intervened to protect the Dao for another Yang Five cultivator. Later, Sansheng embarked upon the path of the Cycle, while Fuguang attained Dao Lord. As for what happened after that, Sansheng did not know. “Senior knows Lineage Master Fuguang?” Dao God Charcoal asked. “An avatar of mine once met him at Mount Origin,” Qi Yuan replied truthfully, without hiding anything. “An avatar? Mount Origin?” Dao God Charcoal inhaled sharply. Either of those two terms was enough to astonish him. His curiosity regarding Qi Yuan’s background deepened even further. It seemed this was unquestionably an ancient, eternal existence. Of course, even if he weren't, the methods Qi Yuan had demonstrated meant he had no need for a background to prove his strength. A sovereign needed only to sit upon his throne; only the weak felt compelled to prove their noble standing. ... “Life really is quite boring.” After parting ways with God Lord Heitian, Qi Yuan walked alone through the Rebirth Realm. Walking it now brought a completely different sensation than traveling as Sansheng once had. Back then, what Sansheng sought was to understand every technique under heaven, decipher a way to break them, and then carve out his own path of Samsara. Sansheng’s obsession was entirely focused on Samsara. Everything he did was to pave the way for Samsara. Alas, Sansheng possessed talent alone, but lacked Qi Yuan's brilliant mind. When Qi Yuan was on Arch Star, he had posted online, pooling the collective wisdom of countless netizens to forge an unconventional Purple Mansion. Which was the so-called Netherworld. Without a Netherworld, how could there be Samsara? A truth that every person from Blue Star understood. Regrettably, Sansheng was not from Blue Star and had not grasped this principle. Naturally, the most crucial part was that when Sansheng was at the Divine Infant realm, he had not been as ridiculously formidable as Qi Yuan, directly constructing a Netherworld. Thus, from the Samsara Sansheng had sought all along, Qi Yuan stood merely a single step away. “As long as I complete this game quest and protect the Abandoned Land, then... I can step into the Yang God realm, or perhaps... master Samsara?” “Yet, what truly is a Yang God?” Qi Yuan sank into contemplation once more. The path to Samsara had become clear to him. It was the pursuit of ultimate freedom and complete detachment. Even if all things succumbed to Returning to Nothingness, and every existence across the world turned to Returning to Nothingness, he could still command Samsara amidst Returning to Nothingness, finding his true self. “Time to go see Duke Nael and find out if that clever chief butler has any good ideas for me.” Qi Yuan’s figure flashed, and he set off toward the Abandoned Land. ... Meanwhile, within the Abandoned Land. Zhao Jian wore a look of deep worry. “Our luck is terrible. The purge by Heavenly King Mountain... is about to reach here. Duke Nael, are you really not leaving?” To search for the Three Pure Ones Method, Zhao Jian had hidden away in this world. Yet three thousand years ago, Qi Yuan had vanished without a trace. Then mysterious factions like Heavenly King Mountain began sweeping through the Abandoned Land, with multiple Dao Gods acting simultaneously. There were even Dao Gods who had survived one or two calamities joining the fray. The ruthless outlaws wanted throughout the Abandoned Land had fallen from grace one after another, broken and crushed. A vicious figure like Qi Yuan was naturally on that list. Fortunately, there were simply too many ruthless figures and desperate outlaws in the Abandoned Land, so Qi Yuan had not drawn excessive attention from the Dao Gods. The purge had not yet reached the world where Duke Nael resided. Yet it was coming soon. “Why should I leave? This is my home, and I am the Grand Mastermind Steward personally appointed by the Vampire Emperor,” Duke Nael said, tilting her head as though stating the most obvious fact in the world. “But the Vampire Emperor hasn't shown up in ages. Who knows if he...” Zhao Jian badly wanted to tell her that let alone the Vampire Emperor, even if the Vampire Progenitor himself showed up, it wouldn't make a bit of difference. When mysterious powers like Heavenly King Mountain swept the Abandoned Land, even the Dao Lords of the Cosmic Alliance dared not lightly intervene. Deep within this, immense karma seemed to be involved—enough to make Dao Gods who had crossed the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations treat it with utmost gravity. Perhaps even legendary powerhouses of the Yang Six realm were casting their gazes here. How could Qi Yuan, a mere cultivator at the God Lord realm, ever interfere in something so terrifying? “I believe in the Emperor,” Duke Nael declared, patting her still-youthful chest. “Sigh, if we don't flee now, it'll be too late,” Zhao Jian said. “In fact... it's probably already too late.” In truth, Zhao Jian had wanted to run long ago. Yet upon further reflection, he had given up. Dao Gods were far too mysterious and mighty. Whether he fled or not made little difference; the odds of encountering a Dao God remained the same. And of course, there was another reason: Qi Yuan had placed a restriction upon him, making it impossible for him to leave this place. “This is my territory. Why should anyone run?” Right then, a familiar voice rang out. Seeing the newcomer, Zhao Jian’s gaze shifted, swirling with complex emotions. All these years, the reason he had stayed behind was ultimately for the sake of that Three Pure Ones Method. If Qi Yuan could truly produce the Three Pure Ones Method, perhaps the Dao Lords of the Cosmic Alliance would attempt to breach the Abandoned Land and extract Qi Yuan from under the noses of those many Dao Gods. At this moment, a hint of regret hung upon Qi Yuan’s face. “Sigh, who knew having long legs came with its own troubles? I walked too fast—in just half a second, I covered the distance light takes an entire year to travel. “If light moved a little faster, could it cover the distance of a light-year in just half a year? “I arrived too early, far too early. If I’d come a bit later, I might have caught a Dao God in action, suppressing this realm. “With the realm on the brink of ruin, descending suddenly like a savior would have been the most thrilling way to do it. It would have injected a little fun into this boring life.” Qi Yuan said languidly. Beside him, Duke Nael’s lovely eyes lit up upon hearing this. She hadn't seen the Vampire Emperor in a long time; his speech had grown more and more profound and enigmatic. As for Zhao Jian, he was utterly dumbfounded. He had initially intended to urge Qi Yuan to see if he could produce the Three Pure Ones Method, lift his restriction, and trade it for the aid of a Cosmic Alliance Dao Lord. Seeing this now, Qi Yuan was genuinely insane—it wasn't an act. He actually wanted to take a crack at those Dao Gods!