"How is he? Worth cultivating?" True Monarch Kumu asked.
A complex look flickered in Elder Xuanchong's eyes. "I cannot see through him."
Hearing this, a ripple of astonishment crossed True Monarch Kumu's face.
Ever since Elder Xuanchong arrived at the Divine Light Sect, there had only been one person he could not see through: Ruan Yixi, the Peak Master of Seven Colors Peak.
And now, there was Qi Yuan as well?
"So Po Lang was most likely killed by Qi Yuan?" True Monarch Kumu stroked his beard. "It seems his talent has barely touched the threshold of a peerless prodigy. He is indeed qualified to warrant our focused nurturing!"
Elder Xuanchong gave a soft chuckle. "And what if he looks down on your nurturing?"
True Monarch Kumu was momentarily at a loss for words before countering, "I will provide whatever resources he needs for cultivation, helping him advance smoothly all the way to the Divine Infant stage!"
"That kid keeps claiming he achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. If he wants an Immortal-grade Golden Core, could you provide those resources too?" Elder Xuanchong's sharp retort left True Monarch Kumu completely speechless.
"If you want to move that kid, you must offer something he actually needs.
"For instance, he seems to constantly want to strengthen his divine soul.
"Don't hoard all that stash on you forever. You have no hope of stepping into the Purple Mansion realm in this lifetime anyway, so you might as well give those things to him.
"Then, lay everything out clearly, and all will be well."
True Monarch Kumu fell into silent thought.
Those treasures were his foundation. If he gave them up, the probability of him stepping into the Purple Mansion realm in his lifetime would truly drop to near zero.
He pondered; he hesitated.
***
"Husband, are you afraid of me? Do you dare not meet your lovely little wife?"
Not long after finishing the Soul Dividing Pills bestowed by Elder Xuanchong, Qi Yuan heard the voice from the game once again.
This time, the sound was even clearer, as though someone were whispering right beside his ear.
Hearing Ning Tao's voice immediately irritated Qi Yuan.
It felt just like two people flaming each other on the internet.
"Just you wait! Once I see you, I'll definitely string you up and thrash you!"
That Ning Tao had clearly been quite cute at the start, speaking in a sweet, childish baby voice.
Lately, however, she seemed remarkably arrogant, constantly provoking him.
In the Liufeng Realm.
Ning Tao reclined gracefully, her snow-white, jade-like cheeks veiled behind black gauze, her delicate curves faintly discernible beneath her long black gown.
Hearing Qi Yuan's retort, her every smile dripped with charm. "Husband, this humble one will be waiting for your arrival."
After waiting a moment without receiving a reply, she draped an outer robe over her shoulders and stepped out of the palace.
Several women dressed in matching robes approached, reverence filling their eyes.
Two of them, who radiated the aura of a Sovereign, stepped forward. "Palace Master, after expending a century of effort, we have finally brought back the Soul Locking Jade."
As they spoke, they respectfully presented a piece of jade to Ning Tao.
Ning Tao took the Soul Locking Jade, the smile in her eyes deepening.
"Husband... let us see where you can flee this time."
The Soul Locking Jade was a supreme treasure of the Liufeng Realm.
Its sole function was to forcibly lock onto and reel in a powerhouse's divine soul using traces they had left behind.
Ning Tao had always wanted to find the master of that voice.
Across thousands of years, her feelings toward that voice had begun with fear, gratitude, and a sliver of dependence, before gradually turning into something far more intricate.
To her mind, the master of the voice was most likely a Sovereign as well.
And she, Ning Tao, was exceptional even among Sovereigns.
She feared no Sovereign!
"Husband, this time, I will seal you inside a demonic monstrosity egg.
"I will temporarily seal away your memories, and when the eggshell cracks open, I will walk up to you and tell you... that I am your mother."
To the young Ning Tao of the past, the master of that voice had evoked emotions akin to a father figure.
So she was determined to do the exact opposite.
She would keep him imprisoned by her side and nag in his ear every single day.
Who told him to ignore her every time after saying just one sentence?
With the Soul Locking Jade in hand, Ning Tao set her plans into motion.
Using the Soul Locking Jade to bind the divine soul of a Sovereign was no simple feat.
After an unknown span of time, within the Liufeng Realm, a pitch-black mountain pierced the firmament like a sharp sword.
Palaces and towers dotted the mountain peak, and figures bustled about.
The entire world remained shrouded in utter darkness.
Suddenly, two beams of light pierced the gloom.
Above the mountain peak, high in the sky, two lantern-like eyes manifested.
Through those lantern-like pupils, one could faintly glimpse the ferocious countenance of a colossal creature.
Yet concealed in the shadows, its full form was impossible to fathom.
The gargantuan eyes surveyed the world below.
A vast, rumbling voice echoed through the air.
"Where is the Palace Master of the Heavenly Heart Palace?"
Inside the Heavenly Heart Palace, Ning Tao seemed to perpetually wear that same black dress without change.
"Greetings, Demonic Crocodile." Ning Tao appeared in the void. The wind ruffled the hem of her gown, making her appear exceptionally slender against the vast emptiness of the sky.
"The North-South Accord has officially been ratified. Inscribe your name."
Hearing this, a ripple of emotion stirred deep within Ning Tao's eyes.
She had not expected the North-South Accord to finally reach the signing stage.
Whispers of the North-South Accord had circulated ever since she was born.
Now, it was finally signed.
This world would at last determine the true victor.
The victor would become ruler of the world.
The losers would all be slaughtered!
She reached out a delicate, slender hand and inscribed her name upon the North-South Accord.
In the sky, the massive eyes of the Demonic Crocodile closed.
The world plunged back into darkness once more.
Standing in the void, Ning Tao suddenly thought of that voice.
She sighed inexplicably, "Husband, which faction do you actually belong to?"
In the Liufeng Realm, all powers were broadly divided into two camps.
The first camp sought to control demonic monstrosities and was known as the Demon Controllers.
The second camp sought to eradicate demonic monstrosities and was known as the Demon Slayers.
The two were utterly incompatible, like fire and water.
Whenever they crossed paths, it was a fight to the death.
"The North-South Accord... one hundred and eight thousand cities. I wonder how long they can hold out." Ning Tao stood in her black gown. She hailed from the lands of the Demon Controllers, representing the North in the North-South Accord.
"Husband, if you are a Demon Slayer, this humble one will have to tie you up securely. Otherwise, if you try to subdue demons to uphold your righteous path, what should I do if you hurt me?"
The grand trend of the world favored the Demon Controllers, who grew ever stronger.
The Demon Slayers would likely dissipate entirely into the dust of history.
This world would become a place where Demon Controllers coexisted with demonic monstrosities.
It would also become a realm of madness.
***
Seven days later.
Qi Yuan accompanied Xiao Jia in the courtyard, lying side by side on wooden boards and basking in the sun.
Since Xiao Jia loved lying on wooden boards, Qi Yuan had thoughtfully remodeled their reclining chairs into flat planks.
Lying under the warm sunlight was exceptionally comfortable.
Xiao Jia remained just as silly and clumsy as when Qi Yuan first met her in the game, stumbling and bumping into things whenever she walked.
Though they had been separated for an unknown number of years, it felt as though they had never parted at all.
Outside the wooden cabin, Jiang Lingsu stood with a thoroughly bewildered look on her face.
Yesterday, she had witnessed the awakening of that special creature Qi Yuan had brought back.
It appeared to belong to a foreign race.
Foreign races were plentiful across the Canglan Realm, so that in itself was not surprising.
What truly surprised Jiang Lingsu was that foreign races were notoriously aloof and rarely associated with humans.
Yet this foreign being Qi Yuan had spirited away genuinely acted like a little bride he had brought home.
No matter where Qi Yuan went, the being named Xiao Jia followed right behind him like a little sidekick.
"Senior Brother, tell me, how did you trick Xiao Jia into your hands?" Jiang Lingsu finally could not resist asking.
"Don't you think... I'm very handsome?" Qi Yuan replied.
He had conquered Xiao Jia purely through his good looks.
Hearing this, Jiang Lingsu was completely rendered speechless.
Senior Brother was handsome enough, but the moment he opened his mouth, he drove people to exasperation.
"Senior Brother, what is her background?" Jiang Lingsu asked curiously.
Her Kunqian Mirror could not discern Xiao Jia's strength at all.
That was truly bizarre.
"She is my wife, wedded and brought home in a sedan chair carried by eight bearers," Qi Yuan answered.
"Fine, don't tell me if you don't want to," Jiang Lingsu muttered sourly. She glared at Qi Yuan and retreated into her thatched cottage.
Just then, a white crane flew over and landed by Qi Yuan's wooden cabin.
Seeing the massive white crane, Xiao Jia seemed delighted, sitting up to take a look.
"Elder Xuanchong is quite efficient. The Soul Dividing Pills are already refined so quickly."
Qi Yuan untied the gourd from the white crane's back.
Inside, the gourd was packed full of Soul Dividing Pills—a hundred in total.
Moreover, the quality of these hundred Soul Dividing Pills made them far tastier than the ones Elder Xuanchong had given him before.
"With so many Soul Dividing Pills, it should be enough to elevate my divine soul to the strength of middle Foundation Establishment, right?"
This "middle Foundation Establishment" was naturally not measured against ordinary cultivators, but against Qi Yuan's own standard of middle Foundation Establishment.
He held the pills, their fragrance drifting into the air.
Xiao Jia took a deep breath of the scent.
"Want some candy?" Qi Yuan offered generously, holding out a Soul Dividing Pill.
Xiao Jia turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
"Oh, right. I forgot you don't have a mouth and can't eat anything."
Realizing this, Qi Yuan poured the Soul Dividing Pills into his own mouth instead.
***
"Qi Yuan..."
In the market street of the Divine Light Sect, an expressionless middle-aged man sat silently sipping tea.
Numerous thoughts raced through his mind.
The man was named Luo Jing, an Origin Core cultivator from the Palace of Light.
He had secretly come to Great Shang with Po Lang to lay schemes across the kingdom.
In the beginning, how glorious and high-spirited they were!
Even the Eighteenth Prince's beautiful consort had been reduced to his plaything.
Yet after Po Lang entered the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, his whereabouts became completely unknown, and he was very likely dead.
Luo Jing did not dare return to the Palace of Light now, nor did he dare flee.
Otherwise, the tracking imprint Po Lang's master had left on him would make his life a living hell.
"Among those who entered the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm this time, Qi Yuan was the weakest.
"I must abduct him and uncover the truth of what transpired inside the secret realm, or I won't be able to account for this at all!"
Throughout these past days, Luo Jing had remained hidden in the Divine Light Sect's market street, patiently biding his time.
Finally, when that familiar figure appeared, a vicious glint surfaced in Luo Jing's eyes.
"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being the weakest!"
If it were Kang Fulu, he would have needed to expend some effort. But against Qi Yuan, it would be effortless!
Chapter 92