"Not bad, Rogue Celestial Venerable! You actually made it onto the Eastern Lands Lesser Heavenly Pride Roll!"
Iceberg Overlord Woman, who had remained quiet in the group until now, spoke up.
Rogue Celestial Venerable quickly replied, "How could that ever compare to you, Sister Overlord!"
Rogue Celestial Venerable seemed to hold a bit of fear toward Iceberg Overlord Woman.
Great Sun Flame Emperor chimed in, "Rogue Celestial Venerable, put in a little more effort and get onto the main Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll!"
After lurking in the group for a bit, Qi Yuan finally understood that the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll recorded the top one thousand geniuses under the age of sixty across the Eastern Lands.
The Lesser Heavenly Pride Roll was a secondary roll for those who couldn't make the main list.
In any case, both were far more impressive than Great Shang's Ten Paragons Roll.
Filled with boundless admiration, Qi Yuan thought of his well-informed groupmates and asked in the chat, "Does anyone here know Po Lang from the Palace of Light?"
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.
"Po Lang? Never heard of him. Oh? A newcomer? Looks like our Divine Flower Three Sovereigns have become four," Iceberg Overlord Woman said.
Rogue Celestial Venerable anxiously messaged, "Origin Heavenly Venerable, don't tell me you ran into Po Lang?
"He's a cultivator ranked in the top seven hundred on the main Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll.
"The real Heavenly Pride Roll, not something my Lesser Roll can compare to.
"Anyone capable of getting onto that roll has the strength to fight above their cultivation realm.
"The Palace of Light and our Divine Flower Society are bitter enemies. You must never expose your identity as a member of the Divine Flower Society, or Po Lang definitely won't spare you!"
Hearing this, Qi Yuan was both surprised and delighted.
Surprised because the other party seemed quite strong.
Delighted because this white moonlight was guaranteed to carry plenty of good stuff.
At this moment, Great Sun Flame Emperor also chimed in with concern: "Origin Heavenly Venerable, if you don't possess Origin Core strength, it's best to steer clear of Po Lang."
Great Sun Flame Emperor knew a bit about the Palace of Light's movements.
Po Lang had seemingly gone to some minor locale on an errand, though he didn't know the exact location.
Now, it appeared that Origin Heavenly Venerable's Resplendent Sword had been acquired by slaying someone from the Palace of Light.
Po Lang had gone there to avenge that person and reclaim face.
"Thank you all for the concern, but as a grand Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator, why would I fear him?"
"You're a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator too?" Iceberg Overlord Woman asked.
"Naturally. That day, after bloody battles against three thousand extraterrestrial demons, I seized the Heavenly Dao in my grasp and finally achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment!" Qi Yuan stated impassively.
Iceberg Overlord Woman paused upon reading this, then quickly replied, "Origin Heavenly Venerable is truly formidable! Another titan is rising in the cultivation world!"
Basking in the flattery, Qi Yuan felt that the people in this group chat were truly the best.
No one else ever believed he was Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment; only his groupmates believed him.
Remembering something, he followed up with another question: "Does this Po Lang carry any powerful cultivation arts on him?"
Only a white moonlight laden with enormous wealth was a good white moonlight.
"Po Lang's master is True Monarch Fengnu, a late Divine Infant powerhouse. Po Lang should have quite a few treasures on him," Great Sun Flame Emperor said. "Origin Heavenly Venerable, you must be careful."
Iceberg Overlord Woman spoke up again: "Fengnu? I've met him. He's no good.
"Once, just to forge a Dharma treasure, he secretly overthrew a minor kingdom.
"If his master weren't somewhat formidable, this old lady would have scattered his ashes long ago."
Rogue Celestial Venerable: "...Sister Iceberg Overlord is as mighty as ever."
"Sister, let's cuddle up!" Qi Yuan hastily scrambled to hug her thick thighs.
This Iceberg Overlord Woman was definitely a heavyweight big shot.
As the saying went: if an older woman is three thousand years older, you're practically seated in the immortal ranks.
Qi Yuan wouldn't mind riding her coattails to celestial heights.
After singing Iceberg Overlord Woman's praises in the chat for a while, Qi Yuan exited the chat group, bursting with anticipation.
"I'm already burning with thirst. I can't wait to find a secluded spot and take that white moonlight and violently..."
"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, the hour has arrived. It's time to set out," Dong Xian's voice drifted in.
Only then did Qi Yuan rein in his stray thoughts.
...
Inside the palace, a crowd stood with their hands clasped behind their backs.
Qi Yuan stood near Dong Xian, scanning the gathering as if searching for someone.
More and more people filled the grand hall.
Over a dozen princes all wore golden robes embroidered with enormous pythons.
Behind each prince stood Foundation Establishment cultivators bearing diverse expressions.
The First Prince was tall and bearded, standing at the very front.
Two Foundation Establishment sword cultivators from Floating Mountain stood behind him, radiating sharp, cutting auras.
If an ordinary cultivator cast so much as a glance at those two sword cultivators, their eyes would prickle with pain as though stung by blades.
Just then, a voice entered Qi Yuan's ears:
"Senior Sister has cultivated a Mysterious-grade art; she can suppress the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Floating Mountain and the Divine Light Sect with one hand."
It was a voice transmission.
However, Qi Yuan's ears occasionally picked up bizarre sounds from his surroundings.
Some were spoken conversations, some were inner thoughts, and others were voice transmissions.
Hearing this voice now, his eyes instantly lit up.
Which little cutie possessed a Mysterious-grade art?
Mysterious-grade arts were Qi Yuan's absolute favorite.
His gaze swept across the room and finally landed on an enchanting female cultivator from the Demonic Desire Sect.
She wore a crimson gown that accentuated her exaggerated curves, her slender waist forming a stark contrast with her explosive bust. The gown was made of minimal fabric, revealing glimpses of milky-white skin.
Her deep cleavage and voluptuous curves were displayed completely openly, without any attempt to cover them with her hands.
Very large, yet in Qi Yuan's eyes, still not quite up to Junior Sister Jiang Lingsu's standard.
His junior sister wore loose robes, but that was just keeping her treasures well hidden.
Qi Yuan's gaze burned like torches as he stared fixedly at the woman.
A white moonlight!
He had gained yet another white moonlight.
He had to keep his eyes glued to her.
He had discovered that if he locked onto a specific target at close range with clear intent, he might be able to hear their inner thoughts.
What if this Demonic Desire Sect female cultivator was circulating her cultivation technique right now, and he eavesdropped on it? How great would that be?
Lu Fei, the female cultivator from the Demonic Desire Sect, seemed to notice Qi Yuan's heated gaze.
She turned toward him, her eyes brimming with flirtatious charm. "Little Brother Qi Yuan, if you keep staring at big sister like that, big sister will get shy. Why not come to my room tonight? I'll let you look to your heart's content."
As Lu Fei spoke, she deliberately thrust out her chest, offering Qi Yuan a generous view of her scenic charms.
Her words instantly drew the gazes of everyone nearby.
All eyes shifted between Qi Yuan and Lu Fei, wearing amused and knowing expressions.
Among them, a female sword cultivator from Floating Mountain looked at Qi Yuan, a flicker of disdain flashing across her eyes.
Qi Yuan naturally paid no heed to those looks. A delighted expression broke out on his face. "Really?"
He could ask for nothing better.
Lu Fei froze for a moment, then smiled even more broadly. "Big sister will be waiting for you."
She was slightly baffled. Could it be that the chief disciple of Seven Colors Peak was truly this sort of degenerate?
Still, that was all the better.
She loved nothing more than using the advantages of her body to toy with foul men in the palm of her hand.
Right then, a forceful voice rang out: "Is everyone here?"
Outside the grand hall, a man clad in a white robe stepped slowly inside.
Across his back was strapped a longsword.
His entire person seemed bathed in radiance.
Everyone present understood that this was the result of his cultivation technique.
The newcomer was none other than Po Lang. The Eighteenth Prince followed closely behind him like a servant.
All the princes and cultivators looked toward Po Lang with wary eyes.
After all, the Palace of Light was an outsider.
Every one of them harbored deep resistance toward the Palace of Light.
Qi Yuan also fixed his fiery gaze onto Po Lang.
After all, this was the true white moonlight.
Compared to him, Lu Fei was nothing.
Po Lang swept his gaze over the crowd. His eyes paused on Qi Yuan and Kang Fulu before finally resting on Kang Fulu. Only after lingering for several breaths did he withdraw his gaze.
Po Lang stepped into his designated position and said nothing more.
Yet everyone present felt immense pressure.
Qi Yuan remained utterly calm, glancing back and forth between Po Lang and Lu Fei.
Two white moonlights—he had to watch them closely, or if they ran off, he'd be stuck chasing his white moonlights in a crematorium of regret.
Qi Yuan's burning gaze drew the attention of many people in the hall.
Po Lang was also made extremely uncomfortable by Qi Yuan's staring. He glared back at Qi Yuan, a sliver of murderous intent glinting in his eyes. "I've memorized you, Divine Light Sect's Qi Yuan!"
The white-haired one was Kang Fulu, the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Divine Light Sect.
Thus, the other had to be Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan naturally sensed the murderous intent in Po Lang's eyes.
He felt a surge of annoyance.
I only looked at you once, and you want to kill me!
The Palace of Light truly lived up to Junior Sister's words: utterly domineering, a nest of hypocrites.
Look at that white moonlight from the Demonic Desire Sect—when Qi Yuan stared at her, she even invited him to come look at night.
People from the Demonic Desire Sect were far more generous.
Hearing Po Lang's words, Kang Fulu stepped in front of Qi Yuan. "The Palace of Light is overbearing as always. So you're Po Lang?
"I am the son-in-law of the Divine Light Sect Master, closed-door disciple of the Five Lights Peak Master, and late Foundation Establishment cultivator Kang Fulu! The person you should remember is me!"
A powerful aura emanated from Kang Fulu.
Po Lang narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."
Having said that, he fell silent once more.
As a figure on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll, why waste words with these backwater Foundation Establishment cultivators?
Once they entered the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, a single strike of his sword would end them.
Kang Fulu glanced back at Qi Yuan. "Junior Brother, with me here, Po Lang won't be permitted to run wild!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Backed by his senior brother, Qi Yuan stared at Po Lang and Lu Fei even more brazenly, his eyes ping-ponging between the two.
Kang Fulu was rendered quite speechless at the sight.
Meanwhile, the female sword cultivator from Floating Mountain glanced at Qi Yuan from time to time, hesitation in her gaze, tinged with undisguised contempt.
As everyone stood waiting in the grand hall, a shrill cry rang out:
"His Majesty arrives!"
All who had been murmuring below raised their heads toward the dais.
Supported by a beautiful woman in regal palace attire, the Emperor of Great Shang walked slowly into view.
He coughed with every step, his complexion pale and feeble, appearing as though he might pass away at any moment.
Qi Yuan glanced at the emperor.
[This is an ordinary emperor. Suffering from severe injuries and grave illness, under normal circumstances, he has only one month left to live.]
This was an emperor well into his twilight years, aged and frail, hovering on death's door, devoid of imperial majesty.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, Empress."
Those present bowed respectfully; basic decorum still had to be observed.
"Cough, cough..." The Emperor of Great Shang glanced at the assembly. Standing for just those few moments had left him breathless, and the Empress assisted him onto the dragon throne.
The Empress of Great Shang sat beside him, her presence far more imposing than the sovereign's. "In two days, the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm will open, and the Dragon Contention shall begin.
"Within the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm lie numerous treasures.
"The rules of this Dragon Contention are simple: whoever obtains treasures of the greatest value shall become... the future sovereign of Great Shang!"
The Empress measured her words like gold, giving no tedious speech.
With just these few sentences, the breathing of every prince present grew ragged.
Some clenched their fists; some wore sullen expressions; others appeared completely resigned, harboring no hope for this Dragon Contention.
Even Dong Xian was visibly excited.
He, too, wanted to become the emperor of Great Shang!
"His Majesty is unwell. You may all disperse." The Empress departed as briskly as she had arrived; the Emperor of Great Shang had not even uttered a formal word before they were gone.
The crowd below harbored various thoughts, while Qi Yuan kept his eyes on Lu Fei, hoping to overhear her inner voice.
Noticing his gaze, Lu Fei smiled seductively. "Be sure to come play with me tonight, little brother. Big sister will leave the door half-open for you."
Radiating allure with every step, Lu Fei of the Demonic Desire Sect departed in the wake of the Seventh Prince.
The others in the hall began filing out one after another.
The female sword cultivator from Floating Mountain looked at Lu Fei's retreating figure, then glanced down at her own utterly flat chest, cursing in her heart: Shameless!
...
Night fell. Qi Yuan was eager to leave and go have fun with his white moonlight, Lu Fei.
However, he couldn't leave just yet.
Senior Brother Kang Fulu had mentioned that guests would be visiting tonight.
Sure enough, before long, a young man and woman entered the hall, radiating sharp sword qi.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Kang. Greetings, Junior Brother Qi."
The two visitors were the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from Floating Mountain.
The male cultivator was named Lei Wen, and the woman was named Miao Li.
Upon entering the hall, Miao Li's gaze toward Qi Yuan held a trace of displeasure.
Kang Fulu warmly offered, "Please, take a seat."
Lei Wen and Miao Li sat down nearby.
Lei Wen said, "Regarding this Dragon Contention, our master once stated that Great Shang's national affairs must not be meddled with by outsiders.
"Facing the Palace of Light this time, our Floating Mountain and your Divine Light Sect ought to join hands.
"We should first drive out the Palace of Light before considering anything else."
Lei Wen stated his purpose plainly.
Kang Fulu nodded. "That is reasonable. Before we set off, Master also instructed that Great Shang must not fall into the control of the Palace of Light."
If Great Shang were seized by the Palace of Light, life would become difficult for the three major sects.
"I have already secretly contacted Foundation Establishment cultivators from other sects, and five have agreed to cooperate with us.
"As for several others that are closer to the Divine Light Sect, we would trouble the two of you to reach out to them." Lei Wen got straight to the point, explaining his objective to Kang Fulu and Qi Yuan.
In Great Shang, the three major sects were the heavens.
The remaining sects were essentially backed by the big three and had ties of varying degrees to them.
"Rest assured, that's a small matter," Kang Fulu replied amiably.
"Po Lang of the Palace of Light possesses unfathomable strength. When the time comes, we will need Senior Brother Kang to join forces with my junior sister and me to take him down!" Lei Wen said. He didn't mention Qi Yuan.
After all, Qi Yuan had only just achieved Foundation Establishment, so his combat power was assumed to be low.
"Mm." Kang Fulu nodded. "As fellow Daoists of Great Shang, we should share a common hatred for our enemy."
With that, an agreement was reached.
The two sword cultivators of Floating Mountain prepared to take their leave.
At this moment, Miao Li, the female sword cultivator who had remained silent all along, said faintly, "Lu Fei is ruthless and merciless, and she specializes in arts that absorb yang to nourish yin. Certain people had best not be blinded by her beauty."
Having spoken, Miao Li departed alongside Lei Wen.
Hearing Miao Li's words, Qi Yuan was somewhat confused, unsure of what she meant to convey. After pondering for a moment, he said to Kang Fulu, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister Miao was warning you not to lose yourself in Lu Fei's tender embrace."
Kang Fulu: "..."
...
Deep into the night, a half-moon hung in the firmament.
Qi Yuan left the palace. Employing a stealth art, he moved through the palace grounds.
The palaces tonight were brightly illuminated.
Cultivators could be seen walking about from time to time.
With Qi Yuan sneaking along in stealth, no one noticed him in the slightest.
"The Demonic Desire Sect's quarters seem to be right ahead, aren't they?" Qi Yuan hesitated for a moment. His goal in sneaking out tonight was to eavesdrop beneath Lu Fei's window and see if he could overhear some Mysterious-grade technique or something similar.
Anyway, that busty big sister was so nice and kind-hearted, having invited him to come look in her room. Since Qi Yuan was shy and reserved, too embarrassed to go inside, eavesdropping beneath her window seemed like the perfect alternative.
Chapter 85