Qi Yuan's Identity

Tong Xun whimpered, terrified to the extreme. He had been cultivating in his cave abode when his father god, Tiankai, suddenly seized him. Without asking a single question, his father god had directly subdued him. He had been utterly bewildered. Now, looking through the sphere, he saw Qi Yuan! Confusion, shock, and deep regret overwhelmed him. "I was wrong! Spare me, please spare me!" Seeing his father god Tiankai treating Qi Yuan with immense respect, as though facing the Emperor God, Tong Xun lost all courage and backbone. He dropped directly to his knees, begging for mercy. The longer one lived, the more one feared death. Looking at Tong Xun, Qi Yuan saw through a great deal of information at a single glance. He could not help but recall a famous saying. And then, he could not resist plagiarizing it. "He doesn't know he was wrong; he only knows he is going to die." As his words fell, Tong Xun—who had repeatedly caused trouble for Qi Yuan time and again—perished completely. At the death of this promising offspring, Pillar Tiankai felt nothing at all, as though a mere mosquito had died. Yet at that moment, a look of melancholy surfaced on Qi Yuan's face. "Am I not Returning to Nothingness as well?" Casually slaying Tong Xun—was that not also a form of Returning to Nothingness? One could say Returning to Nothingness existed precisely because there were too many people like him. Especially that certain country on the Blue Star that loved wiping out entire families—if they all transmigrated and achieved success in cultivation, Returning to Nothingness would probably encompass every corner of the myriad heavens, all realms, and every universe. Ha Jin and Xi Shui looked solemn, having no idea what his words meant. Pillar Tiankai, on the other hand, felt as if he had just heard some deep secret; looking pensive, he began to ponder it earnestly. "Alright. Now that I have the transit writ in hand, it's time for me to take my leave and head to the Extreme North to meet the Heavenly God." Bidding farewell to everyone, Qi Yuan's figure dissipated and vanished, leaving behind only Pillar Tiankai, Ha Jin, and Xi Shui. Pillar Tiankai's expression grew profound. "The Heavenly God... That is..." An existence even more terrifying than the Emperor God, suspected to be a Yang Six powerhouse. Tiankai murmured to himself. From Qi Yuan's words, a battle seemed imminent. "The Rebirth Realm... is about to be thrown into chaos." "I wonder how many eyes this battle will draw." "In the end, who will win... and who will lose?" Reason told Tiankai that Qi Yuan was bound to lose. Though Qi Yuan's strength was unfathomably mysterious, he was ultimately still within the scope of Yang Five, likely on par with the Emperor God. Yet that Heavenly God was rumored to be a legendary Yang Six existence, someone even the Emperor God had to look up to. Still, since Qi Yuan dared to go and battle the Heavenly God, he had to possess at least a shred of confidence. At their level, a ninety-nine percent certainty and a one percent certainty made no difference. If one could not achieve total suppression and an absolute kill, then... anything was possible. …… Meanwhile, throughout the Rebirth Realm, countless titans awoke. "Qi Yuan... wishes to challenge the Heavenly God?" "Someone wishes to battle the Heavenly God?" The Rebirth Realm shook as countless experts whispered in shock and spread the news far and wide. "This Qi Yuan... who is he?" None of them had ever heard of Qi Yuan. They only knew he was a reclusive expert who had kept to the shadows. For him to provoke the Heavenly God the moment he emerged—how could it not send shockwaves through the realm? Many titans and prominent figures awoke one after another, turning their gazes toward the Extreme North. They wanted to see how this world-shaking battle would ultimately conclude. …… "Someone wishes to provoke the Heavenly God. For us, this is a good thing." Dao Lord Black Crow spoke, his voice void of sorrow or joy. The Cosmic Alliance had always been hostile toward the Nine Heavens Divine Palace. The battles between the two were beyond count. There were even instances where many Dao Gods, and even Dao Lords, had fallen. The Cosmic Alliance was exceedingly wary of the Heavenly God. "What is this Qi Yuan's identity, and why does he oppose the Heavenly God?" asked a Dao Lord concealed in darkness. They were immensely curious about Qi Yuan's origins. After all, the enemy of an enemy was a friend. Of course, they had to ascertain Qi Yuan's background. What if this Qi Yuan was also an enemy of the Cosmic Alliance? Most beings of the Cosmic Alliance hailed from the Yin Realm and were at odds with the beings of the Yang Realm and the Rebirth Realm. Especially the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, which sought to conquer the Yin Realm and use all its living beings to nurture beings of the Yang Realm so they could transcend the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations. "I observe through Fate: he shares affinity with the Yin Realm, the Rebirth Realm, and the Yang Realm... with all Three Realms," a mirror spoke. This mirror was a Dao Lord of the Cosmic Alliance, wielding the mysterious Great Dao of Fate. "An affinity with all Three Realms?" Dao Lord Black Crow's gaze turned complex. Generally speaking, it was very difficult for a being of the Yin Realm to form any connection with the Yang Realm. After all, it was exceedingly difficult for Yin Realm beings even to enter the Rebirth Realm, let alone reach the Yang Realm. The Yang Realm, however, was different; when beings of the Yang Realm entered the Rebirth Realm or the Yin Realm, the difficulty was somewhat lower. Qi Yuan shared an affinity with all Three Realms, which made it almost certain that he hailed from the Yang Realm. "It seems he is a foe, not a friend," said the Dao Lord concealed in darkness. Because of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, they held no favorable impressions of Yang Realm beings. "His entanglements with the Yin Realm... run deepest," the mirror spoke. "What?" Hearing this, the other Dao Lords were taken aback. These words meant that this mysterious powerhouse named Qi Yuan might actually originate from the Yin Realm. Only in that case would his entanglements with the Yin Realm run deepest. "Qi Yuan... Qi Yuan... In the Yin Realm... is there such a person?" Dao Lord Black Crow murmured. He waved his hand. Instantly, a sea of stars appeared. Within the sea of stars were clusters of mysterious nebulae. The nebulae rotated, exuding a sacred and inviolable aura. Yet in the sea of stars, far more regions lay in unobservable zones of darkness. The mirror's gaze fell upon these nebulae. It looked at one spot and shook its head, then looked at another and continued to shake its head. "He is none of our old friends." "Or perhaps, he is hidden too deeply." These Dao Lords had existed for a very long time and were exceptionally ancient. "Someone even older than us?" someone wondered. The true spirits of the Dao Lords present extended outward, seemingly probing every secret of the Yin Realm. "Such a powerhouse... doesn't seem to exist. Or perhaps... he has stepped into Yang Four." Hardly anyone could be found matching Qi Yuan. Most importantly, if the other party deliberately concealed themselves, they might never find him. "We should inquire among some newcomers," Dao Lord Black Crow said. The Dao Lords present felt somewhat skeptical. The probability of a newcomer was far too low. Even so, they chose to ask. After all, too many impossible things existed in this world. Dao Lord Black Crow waved his hand, sending his intent into the nebulae. About ten breaths of time passed. Suddenly, a fierce light erupted in Dao Lord Black Crow's eyes. "Found him!" The others all turned to Dao Lord Black Crow, expressions tinged with urgency. Granted, upon reaching the Dao Lord realm, or even the Yang God realm, one could easily conceal all emotion. Yet sometimes they gave free rein to their true nature—raging when angry, startled when shocked. This, too, was a form of cultivation. Otherwise, if one remained completely impassive without a ripple of emotion, it was very likely that upon cultivating to the depths, one would solidify into a rule of heaven and earth, just like Yang Four. "In the Bright Cosmic Sea, there is a powerhouse named Qi Yuan. Though only at Yang Three, his combat prowess is astonishing—he can battle Dao Lords!" "What? Yang Three battling a Dao Lord?" "This..." The Dao Lords were truly shaken this time. Everyone knew just how immense the gap between Yang Three and a Dao Lord was. In this world, there had never been a case of a Yang Three defeating a Dao God, let alone battling a Dao Lord. "This... such talent is utterly shocking! I fear... he is not inferior to that legendary figure of the Yang Realm... Sansheng!" As Dao Lords, they had resided in the Rebirth Realm for countless years. They also knew many secrets concerning the Yang Realm. The path of Yang Four was formed from the Yang Six powerhouse Dun. The self was lost, the true spirit silenced, existing only in the past and future, never appearing in the present world. And the path of Dao Lords had been forged by Sansheng. Rumor had it that this peerless genius had been friends with Yang Six powerhouses, yet rejected the paths of multiple Yang Six beings, walking solitary along his own Great Dao. Ultimately, that powerhouse pioneered the Great Dao of Cycle. All who reached Yang Five could enter the Cycle, becoming omniscient and omnipotent. However, because of this, that powerhouse also offended Returning to Nothingness and was ultimately extinguished. Rumor had it that the Abandoned Land was precisely the location of His dao arena. "If he enters the Yang Realm, he will surely step into Yang Six!" one Dao Lord said, invigorated, his eyes filled with longing. Beings of the Yang Realm, by paying a heavy price, could enter the Rebirth Realm and even the Yin Realm. But for beings of the Yin Realm wishing to enter the Yang Realm, there was no way whatsoever. Without entering the Yang Realm, how could one head to Mount Origin, and how could one step into Yang Six? "Entering the Yang Realm... Mount Origin... a chance at Yang Six!" These Dao Lords considered themselves prodigies; in their respective eras, their talents had all been shocking to the world. If they could enter the Yang Realm and head to Mount Origin, it was not impossible for them to scale even higher peaks. It was just that the gates to the Yang Realm had always remained shut tight. For these Dao Lords, even surviving in the Rebirth Realm was a struggle, to say nothing of counterattacking into the Yang Realm. Yet... what if... Qi Yuan's appearance gave them hope. "Could it be possible for Qi Yuan to become the leader of our Cosmic Alliance?" a Dao Lord spoke up. The other Dao Lords were all stirred. "In this battle... no matter how strong the Heavenly God is, I dare to aid Qi Yuan and fight him!" Dao Lord Black Crow declared, his battle intent surging. For this was the only opportunity he had in all these years to step into the Yang Realm. If he missed it, he might never have another chance in this lifetime. These Dao Lords had lived for countless epochs and weathered countless Cycles. If they could step into the Yang Realm and seize the chance to reach Mount Origin, they might truly catch a glimpse of the scenery of Yang Six. "Agreed!" "Even unto death, no regrets!" At this moment, these Dao Lords—with all their intricate schemes and diverse temperaments—became unified in purpose. After all, the road to the Yang Realm lay right before them. To not take the gamble would leave them utterly unwilling. Granted, the probability of dying in battle was enormous. Yet... what of dying in battle? Compared to catching a glimpse of Yang Six's scenery, dying a thousand, ten thousand times... held no regret. "With us present, together with Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan, we dare draw our swords even against the Heavenly God!" "What if he is Yang Six?" At this moment, these Dao Lords chose to step out of their Cycles, to aid Qi Yuan and confront the Heavenly God directly. Stepping out of the Cycle carried the risk of having one's true spirit extinguished. Yet seeing that glimmer of hope, they were willing to fight for passage! Of course, the prerequisite was that this Qi Yuan... was indeed the Qi Yuan they knew of. …… Meanwhile, in the distant Extreme North. A carriage traveled along leisurely. The mountain master of Heavenly King Mountain, acting as the coachman with a solemn expression, drove the horses. Their speed appeared slow, but in truth was astonishingly fast. In a single breath, they traversed untold light-years. Right then, Qi Yuan stretched lazily inside the carriage. "Sure enough, handsome people are the center of attention wherever they go." "Just going to see a Heavenly God, and already so many people are gathering to watch!" "If I'd known, I would've held a concert, sold tickets, and raked in millions!"