The Hundred Nations Blood War, Qi Yuan's Helplessness

Within the market street. Qi Yuan strolled with purpose. Now that there was an extra wife at home, it naturally could not remain completely bare. A home without furnishings simply would not do. For several days in a row, Qi Yuan had visited the market street to make purchases. When he reached a tailor shop, Qi Yuan halted his steps. *Should I buy a bodice for Junior Sister while I'm at it?* He recalled how last time, despite his clearly high-EQ statement, she had ended up displeased. He understood why: he was a giant in smooth words, but a dwarf in action. The moment he took real action, it would warm Junior Sister's heart all day long. Yet he hesitated again. *Junior Sister and I haven't gotten close to that extent either.* He decided to drop the thought. Something crossed his mind, and he turned to leave the market street. Back in the market, a savage glint flashed across Luo Jing's eyes. He immediately followed. Shadowing Qi Yuan ahead, he looked for an appropriate place to strike. Seeing Qi Yuan land in a secluded mountain forest, he felt a surge of secret joy. This was the perfect spot! As long as he captured Qi Yuan and interrogated him about what had occurred inside the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, he would have an explanation to offer Po Lang's master. He swiftly followed and touched down. Yet in the very next breath, he froze. "Where is he?" To his astonishment, Qi Yuan had vanished from the desolate woods. Heart leaping in alarm, he realized he had walked into an ambush. His guard snapped up immediately. However, in an instant, he felt a chilling sensation on his neck, as though a streak of blade light had grazed past his throat. His eyes widened. He saw a hand reach straight into his dantian and seize his Golden Core. Meanwhile, his head was hoisted aloft by another hand. Indeed, the moment Luo Jing touched down, his head and body had already been parted by a single blade strike. His head was gripped by Qi Yuan, and his Golden Core was pinched in Qi Yuan's grasp. "You are... from the Palace of Light?" Qi Yuan brought the head closer and scrutinized it. Before slaying this man, Qi Yuan had taken a glance, gleaning his general identity and confirming the malice harbored toward him. At this moment, tumultuous waves churned in Luo Jing's heart. "You... who on earth are you?" An early Foundation Establishment cultivator had effortlessly subdued him, a middle Origin Core expert. This was utterly preposterous! Not even those in the top one hundred of the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll could accomplish such a feat. Even if they could, it would never be so effortless—it was an outright instant kill. The person before him was no Foundation Establishment cultivator; was this some Divine Infant old monster? "Am I not the very Qi Yuan you've been obsessing over and yearning to catch, the absolute most useless one?" Qi Yuan looked at Luo Jing. He felt it was truly fortunate he had concealed his strength. Otherwise, had the Palace of Light sent a late Divine Infant cultivator to capture him, his current self might not necessarily have been a match. Inside the Heavenly Dragon Immortal Realm, he had already tested the limits of his incomplete Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment: his prowess was sufficient to slay early Divine Infant cultivators. Against a middle Divine Infant, it would likely be an even match, but after a fierce battle, he could still kill them. As for late Divine Infant cultivators, he estimated he would need to advance to middle Foundation Establishment before he could contend with them. Cultivating the *Qi Yuan Scripture* to break through to middle Foundation Establishment would still take several years. Thus, Qi Yuan was presently burning with impatience to enter the game, grinding monsters to rapidly bolster his cultivation. At present, he had quite a few concealed enemies. There was Old Demon Black Chicken, whose seclusion grounds remained unknown; Po Lang's master, True Monarch Fengnu; and the figure backing the Old Emperor. Although those enemies might not yet know Qi Yuan was their foe, Qi Yuan knew. He was already losing sleep over it. He had to elevate his strength swiftly to nip trouble in the bud. "You definitely aren't Qi Yuan! How could early Foundation Establishment possess such terrifying strength?" Disbelief was plastered across Luo Jing's face, followed quickly by desperate pleading. "Spare me, Senior! I am willing to serve you like a beast of burden!" Qi Yuan replied coldly, "I have no need for beasts of burden." His fingers began to exert force, preparing to crush Luo Jing's Golden Core. Luo Jing hurriedly begged, "Spare me, Senior! Senior, I'm very useful! I know a great deal! The Palace of Light's scheme regarding the hundred nations isn't so simple—it's for the Hundred Nations Blood War, to elevate a treasure to the Yin God grade!" Hearing this, Qi Yuan's heart tightened slightly. "I also know many secret techniques..." Luo Jing rambled frantically, showcasing his value. Unfortunately, Qi Yuan did not bother listening to any more nonsense and squeezed Luo Jing's Golden Core until it detonated. Luo Jing's aura dissipated at that very moment. "So poor? Only a single Mysterious-grade art?" After looting Luo Jing's corpse, Qi Yuan left the mark of the Divine Flower Society on his body. The Divine Flower Society and the Palace of Light were like fire and water. A cultivator from the Divine Flower Society slaying Luo Jing—wasn't that perfectly normal? What did a rich, handsome powerhouse from the Divine Flower Society killing Luo Jing have to do with a village-level Foundation Establishment cultivator like him? Even so, having killed Luo Jing, Qi Yuan still felt a lingering unease. He quickly logged into the discussion assembly. "Big shots, do any of you know about the Palace of Light plotting the Hundred Nations Blood War?" "Unclear." Rogue Celestial Venerable was always online. "I only know the Palace of Light has been making moves against the hundred nations lately." Great Sun Flame Emperor also chimed in, "Not a good thing." At this point, Iceberg Overlord Woman spoke up: "The Land of a Hundred Nations is an extraordinary place. "Across the Thirteen Continents of the Eastern Lands, nowhere else has so many cultivation mortal nations. "Within the Palace of Light rests a damaged treasure known as the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown. "The Palace of Light covets the hundred nations precisely to trigger the Hundred Nations Blood War. By having nation clash against nation, they will evoke monstrous blood qi to nourish the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown, and even elevate it into a Yin God dharma artifact!" The moment these words emerged, the other three emperors in the group, including Qi Yuan, were thoroughly shocked. What immense methods the Palace of Light wielded! What ruthless cruelty! To spark the Hundred Nations Blood War and sacrifice hundreds of millions of living souls just to forge a single Yin God-grade dharma artifact? At first, Qi Yuan had assumed the Palace of Light was only plotting against Great Shang. Now it turned out to be the hundred nations. And all to refine a Yin God-grade dharma artifact. This indicated the Palace of Light's immense resolve. Having failed in their plot against Great Shang this time, they certainly would not give up so easily. "The Palace of Light styles itself as the righteous path, yet commits acts so abhorrent to heaven and earth!" Rogue Celestial Venerable expressed righteous indignation. "The Land of a Hundred Nations does not belong to the Eastern Lands. Even if the Palace of Light does this, it will at most draw idle talk from a few people," Great Sun Flame Emperor remarked with a sigh. "A pity the Divine Flower Society's presence on Cuiyun Continent is too small; otherwise, we would certainly stop the Palace of Light," Iceberg Overlord Woman said. The Divine Flower Society was immensely powerful, perhaps even exceeding the Palace of Light. However, its forces were extremely scattered, and its headquarters was not even in the Eastern Lands. On Cuiyun Continent, the Divine Flower Society's strength was simply no match for the Palace of Light. Furthermore, there were even people within the Palace of Light who had secretly joined the Divine Flower Society. "In the Land of a Hundred Nations, there isn't even a single Purple Mansion expert. It is utterly impossible to stop the Palace of Light. "As for the upper echelons of the hundred nations, when faced with this, they will likely just turn a blind eye. "After all, those who die are merely bottom-tier cultivators and soldiers. "The rulers might even receive rewards from the Palace of Light, so they wouldn't mind more low-level cultivators perishing," Iceberg Overlord Woman stated. The ones dying were low-level cultivators, while those benefiting were the rulers. Iceberg Overlord Woman herself was in the Eastern Lands, not on Cuiyun Continent. Regarding the Palace of Light's schemes, she was powerless as well. Great Sun Flame Emperor thought of something and followed up, "Origin Celestial Venerable, you are a cultivator from the Land of a Hundred Nations, right? "Why don't you come stay on Cuiyun Continent for several decades? I can accompany you to tour famous mountains and ancient monuments." Great Sun Flame Emperor wished to use this opportunity to pull Origin Celestial Venerable out of the vortex of the Hundred Nations Blood War. The Hundred Nations Blood War was simply not something a young prodigy could alter. "Many thanks, Great Sun Flame Emperor, but I will not be going to Cuiyun Continent." Qi Yuan declined. A thought struck him, and he consulted Iceberg Overlord Woman: "If I have Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, and add to that an Immortal-grade Golden Core, could I stop the Palace of Light?" With Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, Qi Yuan could slay Origin Cores and battle Divine Infants. If he formed an Immortal-grade Golden Core, he could probably take down Purple Mansion experts, right? Could he stop the Palace of Light then? "No, far from enough. "Those of the Purple Mansion realm have already seen through the essence of dharmic power. "No matter how strong a Golden Core is, no matter how vast their dharmic power, they cannot possibly rival a Purple Mansion cultivator. "What is more, the Palace of Light has more than one Purple Mansion expert. "Worse still, the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown was originally the dharma artifact of a Yin God. "That Yin God was slain, and the artifact shattered. "To stop the Palace of Light, one must also confront the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown. "Several Purple Mansion experts joining forces could even activate the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown to summon a wisp of a Yin God's projection. "That is the projection of a Yin God. Even a single wisp could utterly dissolve an entire nation from this world. "Such mighty power is simply beyond the resistance of mortals. "Unless a Yin God intervenes, the outcome of the Hundred Nations Blood War cannot be altered. "Yet the Palace of Light's initiation of the Hundred Nations Blood War has already received tacit approval from certain eminent figures. "Therefore, unless one is an involved party, even a Yin God could not easily meddle in the Hundred Nations Blood War. "This involves a profound secret; even I cannot ascertain the specific reason." Iceberg Overlord Woman's words carried a note of helplessness. Before becoming a Yin God, even a Purple Mansion cultivator could only be considered a mortal. Though the Palace of Light's action defied the heavenly harmony, it possessed the tacit consent of truly towering figures. The hundred nations could only become sacrifices. Hearing this, Qi Yuan's heart sank heavily. Even in Dijue, where he had slain three thousand extraterrestrial demons, and ultimately annihilated the Great Sun's true form, he still could not dissolve the entire Great Shang nation in a single strike. The might of a Yin God far surpassed his own. "How long until the Hundred Nations Blood War fully commences?" Qi Yuan asked. "Roughly two to three years before the Palace of Light completely brings the hundred nations under its thumb. "At that time, the hundred nations will be divided into two camps for a bloody war. "The war will last roughly three hundred years, during which the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown will absorb sufficient blood qi and national fortune to restore itself into a genuine Yin God-grade dharma treasure." "Two to three years?" Qi Yuan felt immense pressure. During the Hundred Nations Blood War, the Palace of Light would certainly send numerous high-tier cultivators directly into the hundred nations. Qi Yuan had slain Zhu Lianhua and Po Lang, and now Luo Jing today. He had thoroughly offended the Palace of Light. The two sides were mortal enemies. Facing the Palace of Light's threat, Qi Yuan had to rapidly enhance his strength. Otherwise, if the Palace of Light impulsively summoned a wisp of a Yin God's aura and flattened Great Shang, no matter how peerless a prodigy Qi Yuan was, he would be powerless to cope. *Two to three years... Through ordinary cultivation, I can't possibly reach Origin Core.* *If I have the game's help, I'm confident I can condense a Golden Core.* *Yet even with an Immortal-grade Golden Core, I likely won't be able to defeat the Palace of Light!* Qi Yuan felt immense pressure. He was already capable of leaping realms to fight, which was terrifying enough. Killing Divine Infants at Foundation Establishment— not even the top one hundred on the Eastern Lands Heavenly Pride Roll could pull that off. Yet even at Origin Core, by his estimation, he could only battle Purple Mansion experts. He would likely need to reach Divine Infant to barely contend with a Yin God. "Just what kind of Golden Core do I need to form to contend with a Yin God?" Qi Yuan murmured to himself. ... "Xiao Jia, I won't be stargazing with you tonight. I need to study cultivation arts!" Lately, Qi Yuan had cultivated every day, occasionally lying on wooden boards at night with Xiao Jia to gaze at the stars in the sky. Now that he felt the pressure from the Palace of Light, Qi Yuan believed he needed to work even harder. Even ordinary low-grade arts had to be diligently studied and assimilated into his personal knowledge system. That way, his eyes would be able to perceive more, and the *Qi Yuan Scripture* could be perfected more rapidly. Hearing his words, Xiao Jia sat obediently to one side. During the night, Qi Yuan earnestly studied cultivation arts. A cultivation-version firefly blinked its eyes inside a lampshade, casting a dim, tranquil light within the wooden cabin. Xiao Jia sat beside him, propping her chin on her sleeve-covered arms, gazing at Qi Yuan the entire time. Qi Yuan's divine sense swept across the scriptures, scanning rapidly and delving into their principles. After a full night, Qi Yuan finally digested the Mysterious-grade art retrieved from Luo Jing. The *Qi Yuan Scripture* advanced another small step forward. Qi Yuan glanced over. Xiao Jia's sleeves drooped against the table, and she seemed to have fallen asleep, resembling a sleeping beauty. Qi Yuan looked outside; dawn was breaking. He cast a sound-isolation art over the cabin. Then, he tossed a small dried wooden fish into the wooden cat puppet's mouth. The early morning air on Seven Colors Peak carried a slight chill. He gently draped a robe over Xiao Jia's shoulders. Looking at Xiao Jia, his gaze grew complicated. "Following me... you're probably suffering quite a bit." Now that he could meet Xiao Jia, he knew her true identity was certainly far from simple. He immediately tossed aside such sentimental thoughts. Now was not the time for sentimentality; elevating his strength was paramount, as was perfecting his cultivation art. "The most precious art currently in my possession is the Great Sun's *Daytime Fantasy Art*. Unfortunately, it operates on a completely different system from my own cultivation. "At present, I cannot integrate it into the *Qi Yuan Scripture*." Qi Yuan sighed. Otherwise, had he been able to assimilate it, he felt his art could allow him to cultivate straight to Origin Core or even higher. "My experience is still too limited. I can't yet identify the common ground between the Canglan Realm and the Wangyue Continent, nor can I convert the art." So Qi Yuan reasoned. Perhaps only upon reaching a higher realm could all arts across myriad worlds attain unity. "Still, the concepts behind the *Daytime Fantasy Art* can indeed be borrowed to some degree." Qi Yuan began reminiscing again, analyzing the *Daytime Fantasy Art*. "The latter half of the *Daytime Fantasy Art* requires devouring stars to fulfill oneself. That is truly whimsical." The stars in the celestial firmament were not genuine heavenly bodies. Through Qi Yuan's eyes, the stars across the heavens were merely the projections of immortals and gods. "No wonder the Great Sun faced external enemies. Most likely, once his strength grew, he coveted... the star projection of a certain immortal or god, and thus suffered suppression. "Unfortunately, what followed remains unknown." Qi Yuan reflected on the *Daytime Fantasy Art*. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "The *Daytime Fantasy Art* is useless in this world, but what about on Blue Star?" As the saying went, there was no such thing as trash in the world; place something elsewhere, and it might well be a treasure. The *Daytime Fantasy Art* demanded devouring the star projections of immortals and gods, which meant declaring war on the gods. That was utterly impossible. However, what if this art were taken to Blue Star? Qi Yuan's eyes had previously observed that the stars of Blue Star were not projections of gods, but tangible, genuinely existing celestial bodies. Ownerless stars. "Devouring the myriad stars of the heavens here means declaring war against the gods; without strength transcending immortals and gods, it's completely unfeasible. "But if, by chance, the stars I scheme against are the ones in Blue Star's universe, wouldn't that mean as long as my mouth is big enough, I could genuinely swallow them whole?" The more Qi Yuan thought about it, the more tempted he became. He felt this plan was entirely viable. "Yet how am I to leave... this world and head to a universe like Blue Star's?" Judging by the star projections in the sky, the Wangyue Continent and the Canglan Realm he had visited so far were clearly part of the same "universe." If he wanted to swallow planets, he had to reach a second universe. "Blue Star, I miss you." "Sun, Pluto, the Big Dipper, I miss you all." Qi Yuan's appetite surged, and he felt a sudden pang of hunger. "Thinking too far ahead. I should first consider how to reach Origin Core and condense a sufficiently formidable Golden Core." And the prerequisite for all of this was entering the second game world to swiftly bolster his cultivation. Qi Yuan took out the final Soul Dividing Pill and popped it slowly into his mouth. Over this period, he had continuously ingested Soul Dividing Pills, gradually assimilating their medicinal potency. As the final Soul Dividing Pill entered his mouth, Qi Yuan began digesting the medicinal power within. His divine soul also steadily expanded. An unknown amount of time later, Qi Yuan awoke to find a robe draped over his own body as well, alongside several sweet pastries resting on the table. Xiao Jia lay sprawled over the table, seemingly asleep. He glanced outside; the sky had turned pitch-black. Stars dotted the expanse in dense clusters, reflecting across the heavens. Moonlight slipped through the cracks of the wooden cabin, resting gently upon Xiao Jia. "The strength of my divine soul has finally reached middle Foundation Establishment." The middle Foundation Establishment of a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator. He could now attempt entering the second game. Qi Yuan retrieved the game jade slip and initiated entry into the game. His divine soul once again beheld that distinct game icon. Just like before, his divine soul appeared to take a casual stroll, wandering aimlessly while intentionally or unintentionally approaching the game icon. Seeing that the moment was ripe, Qi Yuan abruptly surged his divine soul output. "Get in there!" He was already within arm's reach of the game icon. Lunging forward with explosive force, he sought to slip inside before the icon could react. This time, his divine soul had grown substantially, and it was a surprise assault. The game icon's resistance was indeed not as fierce as before. Yet the pushback remained vigorous. Just a hair's breadth from touching the game icon, his divine soul was met with a violent counter-recoil. Qi Yuan felt a wave of disappointment as he realized the truth. He would need at least a late Foundation Establishment divine soul to truly slip into that game unawares. However, how could a late Foundation Establishment divine soul be achieved so easily? Even if he obtained an identical batch of Soul Dividing Pills, he would still fail to reach a late Foundation Establishment soul. Advancing the divine soul grew increasingly arduous the further along one progressed. "Failed again?" Qi Yuan felt somewhat disheartened. Right at that moment, a familiar voice drifted into his ear. "Husband, oh Husband, your lovely little wife has already stripped stark naked. Aren't you coming to take a look?" Hearing this, Qi Yuan flared with rage. Shameless game! Dog of a game! It had just shut him out, and now it was using an NPC's voice to seduce him! Was it mocking him for not being up to the task? "I'm coming! I'm coming right now!" Qi Yuan fumed, his divine soul pushing back fiercely against the game icon's obstruction. Meanwhile, within the Heavenly Heart Palace, Ning Tao—robes half-undone to reveal a smooth, delicate, fragrant shoulder—wore an amused smile in her eyes. "Husband, let's see where you can run this time."