Qi Yuan transformed into a streak of light, venturing deeper into the secret realm.
Suddenly, he froze.
In the distance, spiritual energy flowed like a stream, washing continuously over a crystal coffin.
Frail, dangling vines from an unknown source were slowly dragging the crystal coffin away from the area.
Inside the crystal coffin lay a figure Qi Yuan knew better than anyone.
Xiao Jia!
The moment he clearly saw who was inside, Qi Yuan gripped his kitchen cleaver, focusing all his magic power to the absolute limit.
A single strike lashed out, shaking heaven and earth.
This blow was vastly more powerful than the Resplendent Sword.
It struck straight against the vines attempting to haul the crystal coffin away.
"Pfft." Blood trickled from the corner of Qi Yuan's mouth. Yet the vines remained completely undamaged, and the speed at which they dragged the crystal coffin abruptly quickened.
Every trace of emotion in Qi Yuan's eyes vanished, replaced in an instant by chilling calm.
Seeing Xiao Jia so suddenly had filled him with genuine shock and joy, throwing his mind into momentary disarray.
Now, having regained his composure, he gave a low shout: "Share the Same Robe!"
Indeed, he unleashed his ability.
Share the Same Robe: so long as he and Xiao Jia remained within the same space, no matter the distance between them, Xiao Jia would appear by his side.
Under Qi Yuan's gaze, the indestructible vines suddenly snapped.
The crystal coffin flew open. A crimson bridal gown, seeming to come alive, stepped upon the materialized spiritual energy.
Every vine surged madly, tightly wrapping around and dragging Xiao Jia, determined to haul her away.
Yet she continued walking toward Qi Yuan, step by step.
Her footsteps made no sound, but each fell as heavily as if treading upon Qi Yuan's very heart.
The vines snapped one after another.
The bridal gown wavered slightly.
"Silly Xiao Jia," Qi Yuan called out softly.
Gripping the kitchen cleaver, he struck the vines with all his might.
The vines remained unmoved, but Qi Yuan kept hacking.
Xiao Jia already walked clumsily, stumbling and teetering, and now these vines barred her path.
He knew how agonizingly difficult these seemingly simple hundred steps were for her.
The kitchen cleaver hacked away in a frenzy; Xiao Jia advanced toward Qi Yuan, step by step.
Blood dripped from the corner of his lips, and a self-deprecating look surfaced in his eyes.
"Your husband is still far too weak."
Who knew how much time had passed.
As if traversing an endless expanse of obstacles, she finally arrived at Qi Yuan's side.
In an instant, blood-red armor enveloped Qi Yuan's body.
Standing nearly a hundred meters tall, covered in blood-red barbs, he looked like a gentle god of death.
The fused state dissolved an instant later. Xiao Jia drifted down as a frail bridal gown, and Qi Yuan caught that familiar, cool waist in his arms.
A wooden plaque reading "Snuggle" slipped into his hand.
Looking at the slumbering Xiao Jia, a smile crept onto his lips unbidden.
He held Xiao Jia tightly, as if demonstrating the meaning of "snuggle" written on the wooden plaque.
He whispered softly, "I thought I might never see you again, or that when I did, eras would have passed and the world would have changed beyond recognition.
"Even the Civil Affairs Bureau would have gone bust, and the divorce cooling-off period would have long passed. If I still hadn't found you, this marriage couldn't be dissolved anyway.
"People say that what comes easily is never cherished, but I think longing for the unattainable is merely craving—holding you within arm's reach is what's truly real.
"To me, it has only been three or five months without Xiao Jia. But to her, how long has it been since she last saw me?"
When he woke up on the Wangyue Continent, his side had been empty.
He hadn't found Xiao Jia, and Share the Same Robe had failed to work.
He had assumed that seeing Xiao Jia again would require him to reach at least the Yin God realm, capable of roaming the great void and journeying across worlds.
He never imagined he would find his Xiao Jia right here.
Finding her had been so easy, devoid of earth-shattering drama—just that simple. Yet Qi Yuan was overjoyed.
A surprise gained so simply was like catching the very first ray of dawn upon waking, something that could be grasped with an outstretched hand.
He held her close, gazing quietly at the sleeping Xiao Jia.
[The slumbering Bridal Gown Imperial Princess. She is your wedded wife, brought through your doors with an eight-bearer palanquin.]
[She may awaken at any moment, or she may be waiting for you to wake her.]
His eyes revealed quite a bit of information this time.
"She'll wake up." Holding Xiao Jia, Qi Yuan wondered what was running through his mind.
Suddenly, he muttered inwardly, 'I'm done for. Stay single long enough, and even a bridal gown starts looking pretty.'
Cradling Xiao Jia, he thought for a moment, then dressed her in a set of his own clothes.
After all, someone had already seen the creature inside the crystal coffin in the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm.
He had no desire to expose Xiao Jia.
"Dressing up a bridal gown... that's kind of amusing."
He cast a glance at the crystal coffin before finally leaving the area, carrying the sleeping Xiao Jia in his arms.
***
"The Land of Sunken Coffins!" Kang Fulu and Elder Li Xiao stood beside the Lost Soul River, helpless looks in their eyes.
"Without the proper method to cross the Lost Soul River, even a Divine Infant expert could fall into it!" Li Xiao was fraught with anxiety.
He had stayed behind for two reasons: first, to locate Qi Yuan and bring him away safely; second, to see if he could disrupt the Old Emperor's conspiracy as the situation developed.
Otherwise, if the Old Emperor's plot succeeded, the Divine Light Sect would be in grave peril.
He had grown up within the sect from childhood, and like the Sect Master, he viewed it as his home.
The two stood on the bank of the Lost Soul River, consumed by worry yet powerless to act.
"Qi Yuan must have been halted by this river as well. If he is unharmed, that alone is a blessing."
"Still, where could he be?"
Standing on the riverbank, they racked their brains for a way across.
At the same time, both executed dao arts, releasing several origami cranes that took flight to search for Qi Yuan in their stead.
After an unknown stretch of time, a streak of light suddenly appeared on the horizon.
Elder Li Xiao's gaze sharpened. "Someone's coming!"
An enemy?
"Could it be Qi Yuan?" Amid Kang Fulu's head of white hair, two strands of black had strikingly emerged.
Elder Li Xiao was utterly astonished. "He's coming from inside?"
He had no idea how Qi Yuan had managed to enter.
A breath later, they watched as Qi Yuan crossed the Lost Soul River and landed beside them.
Elder Li Xiao's pupils contracted. Qi Yuan truly had the ability to cross the Lost Soul River.
He hurriedly asked in agitation, "Qi Yuan, you came out from inside? Did you run into any danger in there? Did you encounter the Old Emperor of Great Shang?"
Kang Fulu's gaze, meanwhile, fell upon the peculiar being Qi Yuan carried in his arms.
Cradled by Qi Yuan and clad in ill-fitting clothes, the creature looked utterly bizarre.
A thoughtful look crossed his face.
Qi Yuan looked at Elder Li Xiao, his thoughts turning briefly until he understood why the elder had come. A smile appeared on his face. "It's very safe inside. I didn't encounter any danger. I even found my... wife."
Hearing those last two words, Elder Li Xiao and Kang Fulu froze.
This eldest disciple of Seven Colors Peak was truly incorrigible, calling anyone his wife.
Translated into Blue Star terms, he would be... an utter creep.
"As long as you are safe, that is what matters." Elder Li Xiao let out a sigh of relief. He assumed Qi Yuan had simply been fortunate enough not to cross paths with the Old Emperor within the Land of Sunken Coffins.
Otherwise, facing the Old Emperor alongside those Red Demon Seed Origin Core cultivators, Qi Yuan—having just stepped into Foundation Establishment—would surely have perished.
"Qi Yuan, you don't know what monumental events have transpired outside. The Old Emperor of Great Shang faked his death and slipped secretly into this place from the first Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm..." Elder Li Xiao recounted everything that had occurred outside, his expression weighed down with worry. "If he gains control of the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, immense disaster will surely befall our Divine Light Sect.
"Qi Yuan, you and Kang Fulu leave first. I will remain behind to see if there is any chance to thwart the Old Emperor's plot!
"For that, Qi Yuan, you must tell me how to cross the Lost Soul River!" Elder Li Xiao was already prepared to sacrifice his life.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan spoke softly, "Elder Li Xiao, there's no need to go in. The Old Emperor is already dead."
"What?" Elder Li Xiao was bewildered.
Kang Fulu was equally stunned, having no clue what Qi Yuan meant.
Qi Yuan simply held out an open palm.
Over a hundred blood-stained Soul Thought Flowers hovered above his hand, among them a master Soul Thought Flower.
Qi Yuan's voice sounded casual and unbothered.
"I needed Soul Thought Flowers, and they wanted to kill me, so I had no choice but to kill them all.
"I have to go now. Sleeping like this won't be comfortable for my wife; she needs a bed. Farewell, Martial Uncle, Senior Brother."
With that, Qi Yuan turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Elder Li Xiao and Kang Fulu were left standing where they were, exchanging silent, wide-eyed stares.
After a long pause, Elder Li Xiao finally managed, "Did I hear correctly just now?"
"No... you didn't mishear," Kang Fulu said with great difficulty.
"Blood-stained Soul Thought Flowers..." Elder Li Xiao could already envision the horrifying clash that must have taken place.
According to the estimates of the Sect Master and True Monarch Kuangjian, the Land of Sunken Coffins held at least a hundred Red Demon Seed Origin Core cultivators, alongside the Old Emperor whose might rivaled a Divine Infant.
Just how had Qi Yuan pulled it off?
***
At Seven Colors Peak, Qi Yuan landed in front of his wooden cabin, carrying Xiao Jia.
Not far away, Jiang Lingsu saw Qi Yuan and the figure cradled in his arms. Puzzlement registered on her face. "Senior Brother, weren't you taking part in the Dragon Contention? Why are you back?"
"The Dragon Contention is over. That fellow Dong Xian will most likely become the emperor."
On Po Lang's corpse, he had discovered many precious treasures harvested from the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm.
He had handed all those treasures over to Dong Xian.
Barring any unforeseen mishaps, Dong Xian would become the Emperor of Great Shang.
This made Qi Yuan rather pleased.
He had sent Dong Xian—a suspected "jinx" with a "protagonist's destiny"—far away from the Divine Light Sect.
His future days would certainly be much more peaceful.
"It's over? So fast?" Jiang Lingsu was astonished. Then, recalling something, she quickly asked, "Senior Brother, did you run into Po Lang?"
Before he had departed, she had urged him repeatedly to avoid fighting Po Lang if possible.
She knew her senior brother possessed the talent of a prodigy.
Yet compared to a late Foundation Establishment prodigy like Po Lang, he was still outmatched by a wide margin.
"I did. I killed him," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. "No time to chat. My wife fell asleep, so I need to go tuck her in."
???
"Who is she?" Jiang Lingsu couldn't process this at all.
"My wife!" Qi Yuan replied proudly before heading back into his wooden cabin.
He left Jiang Lingsu standing dazed in the wind.
What had she just heard?
Senior Brother killed Po Lang?
And brought back a wife?
Neither of those sounded even remotely plausible!
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan stepped into his wooden cabin, a look of relief on his face.
'Thank goodness I replaced the thatched cottage with a wooden cabin recently. Otherwise, when my newly wedded wife came through the door and saw a thatched hut, she would've looked down on me for being useless.'
Placing Xiao Jia on the bed, Qi Yuan watched her in silence, one hand holding her sleeve.
Darkness gradually fell outside. Qi Yuan continued watching Xiao Jia while quietly cultivating.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He activated his Divine Flower Society jade slip and entered the chat group—the Divine Flower Four Emperors Exchange.
"Everyone, I recently discovered an earth-shattering secret!"
"What secret?" Rogue Celestial Venerable seemed to be online constantly, always the first to respond.
"During battle, using a music jade slip to play background tracks to build the atmosphere boosts your combat strength quite a bit, and it makes fighting so much more exciting."
Since the people in this group were generous and open, Qi Yuan decided to share his combat experience with them.
"For real?" Rogue Celestial Venerable was baffled. Could playing music actually increase combat power?
Just then, Iceberg Overlord Woman, who had been lurking silently, chimed in: "Whoa, Celestial Venerable Origin, you're an absolute genius! That is so creative! Why didn't I think of playing tunes while fighting people? That has so much class!"
Great Sun Flame Emperor surfaced as well, seemingly full of admiration for Qi Yuan: "Pioneering the 'shocking clickbait style' had already earned my profound respect. I never expected Celestial Venerable Origin to possess such immense genius to even invent combat background music. What an incredible concept!"
Rogue Celestial Venerable wore a bizarre expression.
Did playing music in battle really have class?
Wouldn't it just be... awkward?
Still, with everyone else heaping praise, he didn't feel right contradicting them.
He could only ask, "Celestial Venerable Origin, does that really work?"
"Of course it does. Even as a lowly village-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, blasting music allowed me to take out Po Lang with a single forehead flick."
"Wait, what did you just say?" Rogue Celestial Venerable froze. "You killed Po Lang?"
Po Lang was ranked among the top seven hundred on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll!
A powerhouse whom Rogue Celestial Venerable could only look up to!
Killed by Celestial Venerable Origin?
He couldn't quite believe it, assuming Celestial Venerable Origin was joking.
Celestial Venerable Origin came from some tiny backwater; how could he possibly be that strong?
Right then, Great Sun Flame Emperor sent another message: "Celestial Venerable Origin, you truly killed Po Lang! You actually uploaded an advanced version of the Resplendent Sword!"
Rogue Celestial Venerable was stunned. He checked immediately, and his astonishment only deepened.
He hastily copied the phrase Celestial Venerable Origin had used before:
"Prostrating before the grandmaster!"
Instantly, three more "Prostrating before the grandmaster" messages flooded the chat.
Qi Yuan prostrated to himself as well.
Basking in the group's flattery, Qi Yuan felt on top of the world.
"Sigh, Po Lang was nothing.
"Back then, facing a hundred Origin Cores and two hundred late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, I held a single kitchen cleaver and chopped my way from the ground to the sky.
"I only played about five songs before they were all wiped out."
Seeing these messages, Rogue Celestial Venerable felt thoroughly intimidated.
Could this be real?
Was he the only fake grandmaster in this entire group?
"In the end, confronted by an old Divine Infant monster, I marched forward with my blade and slew him in a single strike!"
Rogue Celestial Venerable: "..."
Great Sun Flame Emperor was dumbfounded as well.
Could it be that Celestial Venerable Origin was a supreme expert masquerading as a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Slaughtering Origin Cores like butchering dogs!
"Honestly, it was nothing special. Compared to the three thousand extraterrestrial demons I slaughtered, that Divine Infant was complete trash!
"Unfortunately, when I slayed those three thousand extraterrestrial demons, I didn't blast music. Otherwise, the outcome would have been entirely different," Qi Yuan boasted eloquently.
Then he recalled something and asked in the group:
"Does anyone have the recipe for the Soul Dividing Pill? I urgently need it."
"I do. I'll transcribe it into the exchange," Iceberg Overlord Woman replied. "Celestial Venerable Origin, remember to bring me along next time you hunt extraterrestrial demons. I really want to kill enemies with as much class as you!"
"No problem! Many thanks, Sister Iceberg Overlord Woman!" Qi Yuan was immensely grateful.
He hadn't expected a casual inquiry to yield the exact answer he needed.
Before long, the recipe for the Soul Dividing Pill appeared before Qi Yuan's eyes.
"Sister Overlord Woman, I don't know alchemy. Can I have an alchemist brew it for me?" Qi Yuan asked.
After all, leaking Iceberg Overlord Woman's recipe wouldn't be proper.
"The recipe for the Soul Dividing Pill isn't particularly rare; it's the main ingredient that is expensive. Practically any decent-sized faction has this recipe. Don't worry about it, show it to whoever you like."
"Thank you!" Qi Yuan expressed his sincere gratitude. "I happen to be skilled at modifying cultivation techniques. In a moment, I'll optimize the recipe and transcribe it back into the group."
Having nothing else to repay her with, he decided to revise the recipe.
On the other end, Iceberg Overlord Woman replied, "Thank you for the kind thought, Celestial Venerable."
Celestial Venerable Origin had just admitted he didn't know alchemy, yet now claimed he would revise the recipe. Naturally, she didn't take it seriously, though she saw no reason to call him out.
Qi Yuan logged off, staring at the recipe with a contemplative expression.
Not long after, a freshly minted pill recipe emerged.
Qi Yuan was utterly exhausted, his mental energy severely drained.
After uploading the modified recipe, he glanced at the dark night outside, washed up, and gathered Xiao Jia into his arms, preparing to sleep.
He was far too drowsy right now; finding an alchemist could wait until tomorrow.
Just then, a voice suddenly drifted into his ear.
"Husband, your petite, adorable little wife has now become a Sovereign. When shall we meet?"
In the Liufeng Realm.
The former Ning Tao had grown into an overlord of an entire region, with several Sovereigns serving beneath her.
Her courage had grown alongside her power.
She wanted to see for herself just which Sovereign had spoken into her ear back then.
Alas, though she had searched for years, she had never been able to find him.
"Not meeting! I don't want to meet!" Qi Yuan blurted out instantly.
His very first offline meetup had left him with far too much psychological trauma.
He had no desire to ever meet up again.
In the Liufeng Realm.
A woman in a black dress reclined upon a throne, her slender legs fair as jade.
Hearing Qi Yuan's voice, a faint smile rippled across her tranquil eyes.
"Husband, are you afraid of me? Do you not dare to see this concubine of yours?"
Having spoken, she waited in silence.
Yet just like before, no one answered her.
The woman in black gazed at the heavens, complex emotions stirring in her eyes.
Meanwhile, in the Canglan Realm, inside the wooden cabin, Qi Yuan held Xiao Jia tightly in his embrace. Moonlight filtered through the cracks in the walls, draping over the two of them with exceptional tenderness.
Chapter 90