Chapter 144: Qi Yuan's Grand Plan, Clothed in Righteousness!

Chapter 144: Qi Yuan’s Grand Plan, Righteousness Cloaked!

The man with drooping eyes frowned and said in a deep voice, “Junior brother, you are no longer a child. The interests of the sect must come first.

The sect’s situation is not too favorable at present.

We need to cultivate good connections. The Brightness Palace is the overlord of Cuiyun Prefecture, immensely powerful. We should befriend a prodigy like Huang Tu; who knows when it might turn into support for the sect.”

Upon hearing this, the Rogue Immortal Venerable felt helpless and could only reply, “I understand, senior brother.”

…

Cloud Center City lay in the southwestern region of Cuiyun Prefecture.

This city had always been remote, not belonging to any major power.

Within the city, the most famous were one Court and one Pavilion.

Cloud Center Court, Lingtian Pavilion.

One dealt in high-class brothel business, the other in gathering intelligence from across the world.

Now, Cloud Center City had far more people than before.

The venue for the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle had been chosen here.

This city now gathered nearly all the prodigies of the Eastern Lands.

More prodigies were still arriving.

This once-remote little city had suddenly become the most bustling metropolis in Cuiyun Prefecture.

Qi Yuan followed behind Jiang Ya, casually scanning and spotting a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In the Land of a Hundred Nations, Nascent Souls were rare.

In some small cities, Foundation Establishment could dominate.

But in today’s Cloud Center City, not to mention Foundation Establishment, even some Core Formation True Persons might be serving as greeters in alchemy pavilions.

“If we talk about Cloud Center Court, the most famous is the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance.

Three hundred seductive Core Formation True Persons, draped in hollow gauze, gracefully dance amid misty pavilions.

When night falls, they don’t light lanterns; instead, they summon three hundred golden cores.

That scene… ah, what a pity, what a pity I can’t witness it.” Kang Fulu chattered endlessly beside Qi Yuan, his face full of longing as he spoke.

Qi Yuan, upon hearing this, felt nothing.

Back in No Return City, after his last sermon,

the Supreme Sheep Mix had specially prepared a grand dance feast.

At that time, one thousand six hundred beautiful female Supremes, clad in red skirts, graceful and alluring, performed a dance.

The scene was spectacular, but still slightly inferior to the three-thousand-suo-na band.

Later, three hundred seductive female Supremes performed another dance, this time in a private setting, not public.

The content of the dance was unknown even to Sheep Mix, choreographed by the three hundred Supremes themselves.

The dance was naturally more enchanting and bolder.

The audience was only Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia, who watched with great relish.

After watching the dance, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but sigh—no wonder the emperors of ancient Blue Star loved to appoint sycophants as high officials.

Which leader, which high official, could withstand such temptation?

Compared to golden cores, Qi Yuan felt that Supremes dancing was far more interesting.

Just then, suddenly, a clear sound like a dragon’s roar rang out.

Many in Cloud Center City looked up at the sky.

There, a rabbit-drawn carriage appeared, flying over the city.

This immortal chariot was pulled by eighteen cloud rabbits bearing ancient dragon bloodlines.

Its momentum was like a rainbow, surging like the sea.

Looking out, there were exactly fifty-four heads and one hundred forty-four hooves.

Where it passed, immortal light spread, and divine sounds descended.

Utterly noble.

“That’s True Person Huang Tu’s mount!”

“It’s True Person Huang Tu himself—he ranks twenty-seventh on the Eastern Lands Prodigy List.”

“The strongest prodigy of our generation in Cuiyun Prefecture. This time, he might even break into the top twenty!”

“His rabbit chariot is led by a Nascent Soul great demon—truly terrifying!”

Below, many cultivators marveled, their faces full of envy.

At that moment, inside the rabbit chariot, Xu Tongchen’s eyes suddenly narrowed, as if he noticed something.

“Tongchen, what’s wrong?” Huang Tu opened his eyes and looked at Xu Tongchen. Though his gaze was somewhat restrained, the arrogance within could not be hidden.

“N-nothing.” Xu Tongchen quickly replied.

Huang Tu glanced at him: “Train hard during this time. The Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle requires your efforts for me.”

Huang Tu spoke more directly than his master.

His master, Qian Yuan, had pressured Xu Yeli with soft words.

But Huang Tu couldn’t be bothered with such niceties.

After all, he was of noble birth and exceptional talent.

To him, it was only natural for his peers in Cuiyun Prefecture to serve him.

Toward Xu Tongchen, he was very straightforward.

Even inviting Xu Tongchen to ride with him, he considered it a great favor.

Sure enough, Xu Tongchen’s heart sank at Huang Tu’s words, but his expression remained unchanged: “Alright.”

He had long harbored resentment toward Huang Tu.

But for his master’s sake, for the Seven Words Sect’s sake, he had to endure it.

At that moment, however, he recalled the strange sensation from before.

As the rabbit chariot passed, the Solar True Fire within him leaped.

He felt as though he had seen the true sun.

An illusion?

Thinking of that man’s face, Xu Tongchen’s heart was filled with doubt and unease.

He didn’t know why he felt this way.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan watched the cloud chariot fly away and couldn’t help but sigh: “Truly, people from big cities know how to travel in style.”

Alas, I can only surpass him in games; in reality, he completely outshines me.

Beside him, Jiang Ya remained as calm as an ancient well.

The Rabbit Chariot in the sky meant nothing to her.

Kang Fulu clapped Qi Yuan on the shoulder: "Junior brother, what's so interesting about a Rabbit Chariot? How could it compare to the Fish-Dragon Golden Pill Dance?"

At the mention of it, Kang Fulu's eyes gleamed.

Qi Yuan had originally intended to conjure the Dance of Three Thousand Female Sovereigns with Daoist magic for Kang Fulu to see, to show him what true taste and refinement meant.

But on second thought, a mountain boar can't appreciate fine bran, so he let it go.

Just then, a mustachioed man suddenly sidled up: "Is this your first time in Cloud City?"

"Mm," Kang Fulu replied, eyeing the mustachioed man warily.

"I overheard you two discussing the Fish-Dragon Golden Pill Dance, heh heh."

The mustachioed man gave a lecherous grin.

"Would you like to add my communication jade slip?

I have not only the Fish-Dragon Golden Pill Dance, but also various fairy maidens' private collections, passionate secret recordings, saintess unclad, forbidden secret arts, beast-girls and fox-girls, master above, and even some young talents' materials.

Fair prices, no cheating children or old folks, bulk discounts."

Kang Fulu was stunned, his eyes gleaming; he glanced at Qi Yuan and Jiang Ya beside him, then immediately extinguished that gleam.

"I don't want any."

Qi Yuan, on the other hand, wore a contemplative expression.

Was this a bootleg seller?

"Is it really true?" Qi Yuan couldn't help asking.

"Really!" The mustachioed man, seeing business, grew enthusiastic. "If you want to buy, let's talk in the alley. Here, ahem..."

"Fine," Qi Yuan agreed, then glanced at Kang Fulu and Jiang Ya. "You two, I'm going to discuss a deal. I'll be right back."

With that, Qi Yuan followed the mustachioed man away.

Kang Fulu gave an awkward laugh: "Our Divine Light Sect does have some upright gentlemen."

Jiang Ya, however, glanced at Qi Yuan's retreating figure, her expression calm, as if nothing had happened.

Qi Yuan followed the mustachioed man into a small alley.

The mustachioed man lifted his clothes, revealing a dense array of jade slips in Qi Yuan's sight.

On the jade slips, all sorts of characters floated in the air, along with images that seemed hidden in clouds.

The scene instantly became extremely licentious.

No wonder they traded in alleys; if this scene were on the main street, some righteous hero unable to bear it might have annihilated them in the name of justice.

"Brother, which ones do you want?" The mustachioed man patted his storage pouch proudly.

There were even more goods inside the storage pouch.

"Mm, do you also help with consignment sales?" Qi Yuan was not interested in those goods; he stated his purpose.

"Consignment?" The mustachioed man's enthusiasm waned. "Little brother, you haven't secretly recorded something spicy and want me to sell it for you, have you? But we don't accept ordinary stuff."

"It is indeed very spicy." Qi Yuan took out his previous recording stone. "I've already named it..."

"Shocking! Seventeen Divine Infants of Bright Light Palace, Gathering in Licentiousness, Suffering Heavenly Retribution, Private Video Leaked!"

"Bright Light Palace?" The mustachioed man's heart tightened. He took the projection stone from Qi Yuan and watched carefully. After viewing, he swallowed hard. "Heavenly thunder? Damn, heavenly thunder is actually striking the Divine Infants of Bright Light Palace!"

"Bright Light Palace has done every evil deed; isn't it natural for them to be struck by heavenly thunder?

This is ironclad proof of Bright Light Palace's villainy!" Qi Yuan said in a deep voice.

The video had already been edited by him.

After all, anyone who saw it would think that the cultivators of Bright Light Palace had committed so many evils that they brought heavenly punishment upon themselves.

As for him, the instigator, he was completely absolved.

Releasing this video would undoubtedly provide strong evidence for the righteousness of the Blood-Robed Sword God's destruction of Bright Light Palace.

As the saying goes, a campaign must have a just cause.

The slogan must be resounding!

"What, are you afraid?" Qi Yuan said casually, seeing the mustachioed man silent.

"Hmph, who has the Lingtian Pavilion ever feared? I'll take this deal, but as for the split..."

"I don't want any split; all the income is yours."

The mustachioed man's eyes lit up: "How can I accept this?"

This deal was indeed risky, but the profit was absolutely high.

The Divine Infants of Bright Light Palace and the rare heavenly thunder—each was enough to attract people.

Moreover, these were genuine goods.

Placed among his existing stock, they would definitely attract many buyers.

Of course, many might also be fooled by the title and find upon purchase that it's just this?

That was no longer his concern.

Just ask: is the title true or not? Either way, this would definitely rake in a huge profit.

"I'm a good person, happy to help. If you feel embarrassed, just take a look at the little sun in the sky."

"Little sun?" The mustachioed man was puzzled, but still looked up.

When he lowered his head, his eyes showed a bewildered expression.

The alley was empty, with only him alone.

"Eh? Who was I just talking to?"

"Oh right, selling... Bright Light Palace!"

The mustachioed man's face flushed with excitement.

...

"Junior brother, sigh."

When he saw Qi Yuan, Kang Fulu sighed deeply.

Jiang Ya, however, remained composed: "Alright, let's go to the inn."

As if nothing had just happened.

The group of four arrived at the inn that Jiang Ya had booked in advance.

Though called an inn, it was actually a celestial mountain, with many pavilions, palaces, and immortal grottoes within.

Jiang Ya, Kang Fulu, and Qi Yuan had their grottoes adjacent to one another.

Jiang Ya bid farewell to both and followed the old woman to her own dwelling.

Kang Fulu looked at Qi Yuan and couldn't help but say, "Junior brother, what you just did... truly damaged the image of our Divine Light Sect. Such matters... should first be conveyed through a secret transmission, along with his communication jade slip."

Kang Fulu rambled on, as if disappointed that Qi Yuan had not lived up to his potential.

Finally, he changed the subject: "Oh, by the way... did you buy the Fish-Dragon Golden Elixir Dance? As a senior brother newly entered the Primordial Elixir realm, I wish to observe how powerful the Golden Elixir cultivators of Jade Cloud Continent truly are."

"The price was too high; I didn't buy it," Qi Yuan replied earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Kang Fulu's face fell with disappointment.

But at that moment, Qi Yuan extended his hand, and a jade slip fell into Kang Fulu's palm: "I stole one while he wasn't paying attention."

Of course, Qi Yuan had still paid for it.

Kang Fulu stared at the jade slip, his eyes gleaming: "Junior brother, if I achieve the Great Perfection of the Golden Elixir, it will all be thanks to you!"

Qi Yuan smiled and returned to his cave dwelling.

Entering the cave, Qi Yuan glanced around casually: "Ah, this is truly the city, after all."

Inside the cave, everything was resplendent and magnificent.

Jade pillows, golden-thread quilts, osmanthus incense... everything one could desire.

Qi Yuan opened the jade slip of the Divine Flower Society, intending to contact the Rogue Immortal Venerable.

But then he paused.

Someone with the ID "Spirit Maiden" had sent him several messages.

It was his junior sister, Jiang Lingsu.

"Senior brother, we cultivators must gather our essence and achieve great deeds; we cannot sink into desire! Especially those jade slip images—many are mere illusions, all deceit. Watching too many of these fakes is harmful to the body."

Qi Yuan was taken aback.

Had Jiang Ya told his junior sister?

His junior sister knew so much.

What did she mean by this?

Was she implying that many of the things that little-bearded man sold were fakes?

Was she warning him?

His junior sister was actually quite kind.

"Junior sister, how about you show me the real thing?"

At that moment, on Seven-Colored Peak, the jade slip hanging from Jiang Lingsu's waist flickered faintly.

She quickly took it out.

When she saw the content, her face flushed crimson, and she gritted her teeth: "Qi Yuan!"

Qi Yuan, of course, had no idea about Jiang Lingsu's reaction.

He said in the group: "Rogue Immortal Venerable, I have arrived in Cloud City. Truly a great metropolis—bustling with traffic, incredibly prosperous."

At that moment, the Rogue Immortal Venerable saw Qi Yuan's message, his face filled with anxiety and hesitation: "Origin Heavenly Lord, I will not arrive for a few more days."

"No matter; we'll meet then," Qi Yuan replied warmly.

"In that case... Origin Heavenly Lord, would you like to attend a banquet with me?" the Rogue Immortal Venerable stammered.

He knew of the sect's predicament and remembered his senior brother's warning.

But Origin Heavenly Lord was, after all, his friend; he could not abandon him.

"A banquet? What kind of banquet?" Qi Yuan asked.

"It is... Huang Tu's banquet. He will invite some prodigies to attend. Origin Heavenly Lord, please do not misunderstand. When you come with me, we need only eat some spirit fruits and pay no heed to the others," the Rogue Immortal Venerable said, deeply conflicted.

"Oh, it's him! I know him—the strongest prodigy of Jade Cloud Continent. Today, he rode his rabbit chariot, majestic and awe-inspiring. Rogue Immortal Venerable, you truly are a big shot, able to invite me to a banquet of this level! Rest assured, I will still give you face. As long as he does not provoke me, I will not be so overbearing. After all, he and I... have no enmity, do we?" Qi Yuan said casually, his gaze profound.

Upon hearing this, the Rogue Immortal Venerable was moved.

Origin Heavenly Lord truly regarded him as a friend.

He was willing to temporarily set aside his grudge with Huang Tu.

"By the way, since I am also in Cloud City, I should continue my Hundred-Day Plan these days," Qi Yuan said in the city.

Seeing this, the Rogue Immortal Venerable felt quite bewildered.

Origin Heavenly Lord's words truly baffled him.

Was he at the Foundation Establishment, Primordial Elixir, or Purple Mansion realm?

"Today, I have devised another grand scheme. After two days of preparation, I will strike against the Bright Palace."

Having said this, Qi Yuan exited the group chat.

The next day, as dawn broke, he seemed to notice something and logged into the Blood-Robe Sword God account on the forum. He posted a thread.

"The Bright Palace Ravaged a Hundred Nations, Only to Suffer Heaven's Wrath; I, the Blood-Robe Sword God, Represent Justice and Shall Annihilate It!"

The title was concise, but the content was extensive.

"The Bright Palace has committed every conceivable evil. Upon arriving at Jade Cloud Continent, I purchased some jade slips through the Soaring Heaven Pavilion, which recorded the Bright Palace's misdeeds. They ravaged a hundred nations, ultimately incurring Heaven's wrath—thunderbolts struck down over ten Divine Infants! This is the consequence of excessive wrongdoing—Heaven's punishment! The Bright Palace's fortune is exhausted; it deserves to be destroyed!"

After posting the thread, Qi Yuan exited the jade slip and continued adapting the techniques his junior sister had sent.

The path of the Primordial Elixir, the continuation of *The Scripture of Qi Yuan*, would be even more arduous.

After all, Qi Yuan's ambition was immense.

He wanted to refine all the other stars in that universe into Golden Elixirs!

A day passed swiftly.

Night fell.

Qi Yuan was in low spirits: "Too difficult. The techniques of the Golden Core stage are on a completely different level from those of the Foundation Establishment stage!"

He didn't bother adapting the techniques again, but instead entered the forum of the Divine Flower Society.

He took a look and showed a delighted expression—there were already nearly a thousand comments.

"It seems justice is on my side!"

Qi Yuan could now stand on the moral high ground and crush the Bright Light Palace.

He began reading the comments seriously.

"Who would have thought the Blood-Robed Sword God also... hehe."

"Don't even mention it. Early this morning, my little brother begged me to buy something, so I got the latest jade slip to watch. And it turned out to be this... By the way, cultivators from my Imperial Sacred Continent love watching it."

"Fellow Daoist upstairs, aren't you from Jade Cloud Continent? Give us a keyword!"

"The Bright Light Palace's Nascent Soul... the Dark Pavilion of the Soaring Heaven Pavilion has it; don't go to their main pavilion."

"Dark Pavilion? Selling... that stuff!!"

The comments were frantic, all sorts of begging.

Of course, there were also some serious comments.

"It really is true heavenly thunder!"

"What did the Divine Infant cultivator of the Bright Light Palace do to actually attract heavenly thunder!"

"Did you all see something fall from the sky? Only then did they suffer divine retribution."

"Can't see clearly; there's a layer of Dao technique on top, making it very blurry. But it looks big and round. Based on my years of experience, it should be... breasts."

"??"

"Something like that falls from the sky, and then the Bright Light Palace suffers divine retribution—what heinous things did the Bright Light Palace do!"

"No wonder they added a layer of Dao technique to blur that out. It's too cruel, too bloody!"

Qi Yuan read this and was stunned.

He opened his backup video to watch.

After watching, he was stunned.

"It's clearly a passionate and satisfying video—why does adding a mosaic make it obscene?"

Qi Yuan was very helpless.

It was clearly a bun falling, and the Divine Infant of the Bright Light Palace suffered divine retribution.

He didn't want to expose the bun, so he added a mosaic.

But now... no matter how he looked at it, it was breasts.

"Never mind. Anyway, now that righteousness is on my side, it's time for me to keep the appointment and meet those Purple Mansions of the Bright Light Palace!"

The Bright Light Palace had set up a formation and challenged him to battle.

Qi Yuan naturally wouldn't back down.

Now, with righteousness on his side and a just cause for his action,

it was time to meet those old bastards and their moonlight.

"No wonder young lads all like eighty- or ninety-year-old rich women."

"Once these old bastards kick the bucket, won't all their techniques become mine?"

"This is what a proper moonlight should be!"

"Someone like Po Lang, a young man—what kind of moonlight is that? I hereby expel him from my moonlight registry!"

(End of this chapter)