Chapter 145: I'll Go Kill Someone, Chat Later

Chapter 145: I’m Off to Kill Someone; Talk Later

Cloud Pavilion.

Prodigies gathered, banquets unending, rare delicacies and jade wine, cups raised and passed.

Huang Tu stood among the crowd, brimming with ambition.

Xu Tongchen stood at his side, holding a wine cup, his mind unsettled.

He was still pondering that strange sensation from the other day.

The Solar True Fire was his greatest fortune and his greatest reliance.

With it, he could have entered the top ten of the Eastern Lands Prodigy Ranking, but to conceal his talent and not overshadow Huang Tu, he had placed himself behind him.

The Solar True Fire was immensely powerful and most sensitive to treasures related to the sun.

Yet upon seeing that man, he felt as though the man… was like a blazing sun.

The Solar True Fire within him leaped incessantly, as if… it had seen its father.

“Real Person Huang Tu’s Dao arts grow ever deeper; in this Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle, he may well enter the top fifteen, or even the top ten,” someone flattered Huang Tu during the banquet.

Huang Tu accepted the praise with an arrogant expression.

Then another spoke: “What a pity—if Real Person Huang Tu had comprehended Xu Tongchen’s Solar True Fire, he would likely rank among the top three of the Eastern Lands Prodigy Ranking!”

Xu Tongchen’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.

The speaker was a figure ranked seven hundredth on the Eastern Lands Prodigy Ranking, named Zheng Fangxing.

His sect had long-standing grievances with the Seven Words Sect.

Now, speaking thus, he was openly sowing discord.

Yet even so, the haughty Huang Tu could not be bothered to hide his feelings; he glanced at Xu Tongchen and said, “Truly a pity.”

Xu Tongchen felt humiliated and furious, but he could not retort, merely forcing an awkward smile.

The arrogance of the Bright Light Palace was etched into its bones, reckless and unrestrained.

Zheng Fangxing continued: “That Blood-Robed Sword God from the Divine Flower Gathering keeps provoking the Bright Light Palace.

My master, Mo Ku, has long despised the Blood-Robed Sword God’s demeanor and has already gone to the Bright King Palace where Elder Qian Yuan resides, to jointly face the Blood-Robed Sword God.

As for… certain people, dwelling in the Green Cloud Continent, bound by common cause, yet unable to share the same hatred as the Green Cloud Continent, maintaining ambiguous ties with that Blood-Robed Sword God.”

Zheng Fangxing was almost directly pointing at the Seven Words Sect.

A few days earlier, Elder Qian Yuan had agreed to battle the Blood-Robed Sword God.

At a Bright Light Palace stronghold, all the Purple Mansion cultivators from forces near the Bright King Palace had been summoned to observe the battle.

Of course, though called observation, it was actually to lend support.

Zheng Fangxing’s master, Mo Ku, had received the news and gone early.

Xu Tongchen’s master, Xu Yeli, had made an excuse not to go.

“Perhaps some people are too cowardly and afraid of death, terrified of the Blood-Robed Sword God,” Zheng Fangxing kept goading.

“Hmph! A cultivator from the Hundred Kingdoms Land, who barely broke through to the Purple Mansion realm, dares to provoke the Bright Light Palace? He’s simply courting death!”

“Elder Qian Yuan has set up his formation at the Bright King Palace; I suspect that Blood-Robed Sword God won’t dare to show up and will cower in the Hundred Kingdoms!”

The young prodigies in the hall heaped praise on the Bright Light Palace.

But for the Blood-Robed Sword God, their words were laced with mockery.

Their sects might not lack Purple Mansion cultivators, and many were veteran ones at that.

Yet before the Bright Light Palace, they could only act as dogs.

And now a Blood-Robed Sword God provoking the Bright Light Palace—truly seeking death.

“Once the Prodigy Battle ends, I expect we’ll receive news of the Blood-Robed Sword God’s execution,” said a young cultivator.

Huang Tu listened and nodded as well: “The Blood-Robed Sword God is nothing to fear; he only resorts to dirty tricks.”

In the past two days, recording jade slips of the Bright Light Palace’s Divine Infant elder suffering heavenly punishment had been spreading.

In the cultivation world, many were secretly denouncing the Bright Light Palace.

After all, with the Bright Light Palace so overbearing, many low-level cultivators had long harbored resentment.

But denouncements aside, they could not harm the Bright Light Palace’s foundation.

For the Bright Light Palace had dozens of Purple Mansion cultivators and a broken Yin Spirit Artifact, meaning that even if low-level cultivators united, they could not shake the Bright Light Palace’s position.

The prodigies at the banquet were all of noble birth and scarcely paid heed to the voices of those low-level cultivators.

The banquet grew ever more heated; with Zheng Fangxing’s covert instigation, almost everyone deliberately or inadvertently snubbed Xu Tongchen.

Xu Tongchen sat alone in a corner, drinking his sorrows, and thought back to the man he had seen that day.

He had already secretly sent people to investigate.

He expected to receive news soon.

……

Inside the cave dwelling, Qi Yuan continued digesting the techniques his junior sister had obtained from Jiang Ya.

Unfortunately, progress was excruciatingly slow.

Qi Yuan rubbed his forehead and gazed at Xiao Jia, who was sleeping on the table beside him, a tender look in his eyes.

“It should be about ripe now; I’ll head to the Bright King Palace soon to meet my heart-stirring white moonlight,” Qi Yuan mused.

Just then, a sound came from outside the cave dwelling.

It resembled the doorbell of Blue Star.

Qi Yuan looked through the formation and saw a young man.

The cave door opened, and Qi Yuan regarded the young man calmly. “What business do you have with me?”

“I am Xu Tongchen of the Seven Words Sect. I caught a glimpse of you three days ago.

I apologize for this abrupt visit; I hope you will not take offense.” Xu Tongchen’s posture was exceedingly humble.

He desperately wanted to understand the reason for the Solar True Fire’s agitation.

Now, the closer he drew to this young man, the greater the anomaly in the Solar True Fire.

His entire body began to burn and heat, and his gaze toward Qi Yuan involuntarily grew fervent.

Qi Yuan frowned. “Speak plainly.”

“When I formed my Golden Core, I was fortunate enough to condense a wisp of Solar True Fire…”

“Solar True Fire?” Qi Yuan was surprised.

This was a fine treasure.

A Golden Core cultivator possessing Solar True Fire could use it to resist the divine abilities of a Divine Infant.

Truly, a big city was a big city—bumping into any random Golden Core cultivator, and he could kill a Divine Infant in reverse.

When I saw my fellow Daoist, my Solar True Fire kept leaping, as if..." Xu Tongchen could not finish the sentence.

Qi Yuan, hearing this, glanced at Xu Tongchen.

[This is an ordinary cultivator, but having condensed the Solar True Fire, he has become somewhat extraordinary.

The Solar True Fire regards you as its father.]

"Is that all?" Qi Yuan looked at the sky. "I'm very busy now, in a hurry to kill someone. After I've finished killing, we can talk."

With that, Qi Yuan paid no heed to Xu Tongchen's reaction and vanished.

Only a bewildered Xu Tongchen remained.

"Fellow Daoist..."

He wanted to call Qi Yuan back, but Qi Yuan's figure had long since disappeared.

He was deeply conflicted, and finally decided to wait here for a while.

Unable to understand the reason, it felt like ants were crawling in his heart.

An hour later.

Above the heavens, a figure in a blood-red robe, like a blood rainbow, flaunted across the sky.

From time to time, a clear voice echoed from the firmament.

"The Bright Light Palace, steeped in evil, has incurred Heaven's wrath!"

"I, the Blood-Robed Sword God, stand up for all the wronged in this world, and swear to destroy the Bright Light Palace!"

The voice was vast, spreading across the land.

Countless cultivators looked up at the sky.

Alas, that blood rainbow was too fast; they could not see it at all.

They could only hear that hearty roar.

Some were excited, some were anxious, and some were resigned.

Qi Yuan flew swiftly toward the Bright King Palace, his speed so great it was as if he were rushing to meet a lover.

But this time, he was not meeting a lover—it was his white moonlight.

Suddenly, an aged voice transmitted: "Blood-Robed Sword God, please stay."

Qi Yuan halted and landed on a hill.

"What, you have business with me?" Qi Yuan looked at the Purple Mansion cultivator shrouded in a black robe, sensing no hostility or killing intent.

"Blood-Robed Sword God, the Bright Light Palace has set an ambush at the Bright King Palace. Besides three Purple Mansion cultivators, two nearby Purple Mansion cultivators have also gone.

Elder Qian Yuan, moreover, is at the mid Purple Mansion stage, and he carries a treasure bestowed by the Great Palace Lord.

If you go now, you face certain death. Better to retreat—they have too many Purple Mansion cultivators; harassing their Divine Infant stewards is the proper course!" The black-robed cultivator spoke rapidly, a note of worry in his voice.

Qi Yuan glanced at the black-robed cultivator: "What, do you have a grudge against the Bright Light Palace?"

The black-robed cultivator paused, his eyes bleak.

The black-robed cultivator was none other than Xu Yeli.

Some time ago, Qian Yuan had forced his disciple to serve Huang Tu.

That was one thing.

Later, he received news that the Great Palace Lord of the Bright Light Palace, on this trip to the Divine Flower Gathering, was not only there for the Blood-Robed Sword God's matter but also to borrow a supreme treasure—the Divine Form Trapping Fire Cover.

After the Eastern Lands Heavenly Prodigy Battle ended, the Great Palace Lord would likely use this treasure to transfer the Solar True Fire from his disciple Xu Tongchen's body to Huang Tu.

He knew that the Seven Words Sect had encountered its greatest crisis.

"I have a grudge—a blood-deep hatred!" Xu Yeli nodded emphatically. "Sir, why not form an alliance with me? We can roam together, pressure the Bright Light Palace, and make them cautious!

We are weak and alone; we cannot clash head-on with the Bright Light Palace!"

Xu Yeli advised earnestly.

He valued this fellow Daoist, the Blood-Robed Sword God, and thought that if they united, they could cause no small trouble for the Bright Light Palace.

Perhaps the Bright Light Palace would then be wary and not move against his disciple Xu Tongchen.

Qi Yuan looked at Xu Yeli, thoughtful: "Cooperation... that is indeed possible."

"Really?" Xu Yeli was somewhat excited. Cooperation, though still like throwing an egg against a stone compared to the Bright Light Palace, was better than fighting alone.

"This time, as I head to the Bright King Palace, I happen to be missing someone... to play the suona.

When I battle the Bright Light Palace's Purple Mansion cultivators, you can play music for me on the side, how about that?

With someone playing music, killing becomes far more interesting." Qi Yuan said calmly.

He was somewhat missing the musical troupe from the Flowing Wind Realm.

"..." Xu Yeli was utterly dumbfounded.

He understood every word the Blood-Robed Sword God said, yet why did it sound so bizarre?

Killing?

Playing music?

What in the world!

"You still intend to go to the Bright King Palace?" Xu Yeli said.

"Of course. Righteousness is on my side, and Heaven's mandate is with me.

Now, I am like the great sorcerer Liu Xiu—those who oppose me are merely seeking death!" Qi Yuan said with confidence. Xu Yeli was speechless.

He felt that communicating with this Purple Mansion cultivator was very difficult.

It seemed... there was something wrong with his head.

"Ah, indeed, geniuses are always lonely," Qi Yuan could not help but sigh. "But time will prove everything.

How about this: if I level the Bright King Palace today, then every time I go on campaign against the Bright Light Palace in the future, you will play music for me from behind?"

Though having one Purple Mansion cultivator play music was not as good as three hundred or three thousand.

But circumstances were special, were they not?

Xu Yeli was silent, not knowing what to say.

He had clearly come to say that the Bright King Palace was dangerous, and not to go.

How had it turned into a bet... to play music for the other?

He looked at the Blood-Robed Sword God, and finally gritted his teeth: "If you can eliminate Qian Yuan, this old man will play music for you, so be it!"

Qi Yuan glanced at Xu Yeli, a smile spreading across his face: "Remember to wait for my good news."

Qi Yuan's figure vanished.

Xu Yeli, in his black robe, stood silent for a long time.

"Either... he is a madman, or... he has something to rely on."

But he simply could not understand—what was their reliance?

The Bright Palace had initiated the Hundred Nations Blood War, yet it had obtained the tacit approval of those great figures.

...

The Bright King Palace was shrouded in a killing stillness.

Ten thousand miles of dark clouds gathered thick, a storm brewing.

Qian Yuan gazed at the scene within the jade slip, his eyes heavy with solemnity: “Heavenly thunder…”

All heavenly thunder touched upon taboos.

Now, heavenly thunder had struck the earth, and the divine infant had fallen.

The scene was especially shocking.

“This Seven Lust Demon Lord must harbor a secret!” the red-bearded elder’s eyes flashed with sharpness.

“Heh heh, once the Blood-Robed Sword God falls, this old man will personally go to the Land of Hundred Nations to see what secret it is!” Black Rope spoke, as if he had already claimed that secret for himself.

“These people of the Divine Flower Society are utterly detestable—many are secretly supporting that Blood-Robed Sword God!” Mo Ku said, a jade slip of the Divine Flower Society also in his hand.

He too could be considered a member of the Divine Flower Society.

“After we finish slaying the Blood-Robed Sword God, we must trouble Fellow Daoist Mo Ku to announce this matter in the Divine Flower Society’s discussion area, to clear the Bright Palace’s name,” Elder Qian Yuan said calmly.

He cared not at all for the opinions of the Divine Flower Society’s ordinary members.

What mattered was the opinion of the Divine Flower Society’s Eastern Domain Master.

The Great Palace Master had already gone to pay respects, and the matter would soon have a result.

“To have cultivated to this level yet still be so unwise—this Blood-Robed Sword God…” a Purple Mansion great one sighed.

“Hmph, Xu Yeli has lived for several thousand years, yet isn’t he equally unwise?” Mo Ku spoke up then. “The Bright Palace treated him with boundless grace, yet when some trouble arose in the Bright Palace, he found excuses not to appear—utterly detestable.”

Upon hearing this, Qian Yuan’s eyes took on a profound expression: “Xu Yeli… he has lived too easily.”

Mo Ku, hearing this, felt a flicker of joy in his heart.

This was exactly the outcome he had hoped to see.

Just then, suddenly, the five Purple Mansion cultivators present all looked up at the sky.

There, in the vault of heaven, a blazing blood-red rainbow was flying straight toward the Bright King Palace.

A terror to the extreme aura spread; merely glancing at that blood-red rainbow, all felt their minds tremble.

“The Blood-Robed Sword God—he has truly come!”

“He dares to come!”

The five Purple Mansion cultivators present were all somewhat startled, but quickly calmed down.

With their numbers and strength, would they fear a newly ascended Purple Mansion?

The blood-sun rainbow halted in the air, and a blood-red figure appeared, a sword slung across his back, his features strikingly handsome.

A terrifying blood aura permeated the air, and Qi Yuan spoke coldly: “Is everyone here?”

Looking at the five Purple Mansion cultivators below, he felt somewhat disappointed.

Only five?

Too few.

And not even a late-stage Purple Mansion among them.

This batch of White Moonlights was truly lacking in quality.

Qian Yuan looked at Qi Yuan, his voice resounding: “Blood-Robed Sword God, you do have some courage. This old man rather admires you.

If it weren’t for your constant slander and provocation in the Divine Flower Society, I might even have taken you in as a guardian divine beast for the palace!”

“Your Bright Palace is rather ridiculous—at your age, still playing the clown?” The blood-red sword at Qi Yuan’s back let out a ringing cry. “Today, I come to enact heaven’s justice.”

Since a battle was agreed upon, then let the slaughter begin.

Why waste so many words?

The blood sword left its sheath.

In that moment, Qi Yuan seemed to have crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

His blood-red robe appeared to be dripping with gore.

His entire being was shrouded in a kingdom of blood.

The five Purple Mansion cultivators present were all taken aback for an instant.

The man before them—where did he resemble a righteous cultivator?

He was clearly a demonic overlord!

With that dense blood aura, if one said he had slain a hundred million living beings, many would believe it.

And this—this was his idea of enacting heaven’s justice?

“You enact heaven’s justice? What a joke! Today, the Bright Palace will rid the world of you, this demon!” Qian Yuan was a mid-stage Purple Mansion, second only to the three Palace Masters of the Bright Palace.

It could be said that throughout the entire Cuiyun Continent, he was among the very top.

His strength gave him confidence.

The five Purple Mansion cultivators looked at Qi Yuan with a mix of wariness and disdain.

At that moment, Qi Yuan held his longsword, his blood-red robe fluttering: “Once, with this sword, I slew seventeen hundred Purple Mansion cultivators. Today… sending you all on your way is a mercy.”

The Purple Mansion cultivators present heard this, paused, then burst into laughter.

“Mad and raving—no wonder you dare come to the Bright King Palace!”

How many Purple Mansion cultivators were there in all of Cuiyun Continent?

One sword slaying a thousand Purple Mansion—what a boast!

Even a Yin Spirit wouldn’t claim to have slaughtered two thousand Purple Mansion with a single sword.

Qi Yuan said no more.

With White Moonlights, sweet words were useless; one had to ravage them harshly, make them weep and wail.

Void Realm Dominator Heart Demon Summoning!

Qi Yuan’s innate divine ability was now unleashed.

Sun and moon thrown into chaos.

Soul and spirit overturned.

Heart demons sprang forth in profusion.

The Purple Mansion cultivators present, in that instant, changed their expressions completely.

When a master makes a move, one knows if they have it or not.

The former arrogance, the former disdain, vanished completely.

Only by being there in person did they realize what kind of formidable opponent they faced.

“Engraved… you’re at the late Zifu stage?” Qian Yuan’s face was grim, tinged with fear.

An engraved-level primal divine ability, late Zifu stage… the Bright Palace had only three such cultivators, and those three were the palace masters!

The Blood-Robed Sword God… was at the late Zifu stage—they had never even considered it.

For a hundred nations to produce a single Zifu cultivator by sheer luck was already terrifying.

And now, late Zifu?

Every late Zifu cultivator in the thirteen prefectures of the Eastern Lands was a long-renowned great figure.

How had one suddenly appeared?

He was bewildered, he was frenzied, desperately resisting Qi Yuan’s primal divine ability.

His own micro-level primal divine ability, under the Void Realm Lord’s Heart Demon Summoning, was fragile and weak.

Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered with the dead.

The red-bearded old man, however, fell into a frenzy.

He seemed to see, within a great city, thousands of Zifu cultivators gathering.

The man in the blood-red robe stepped forward, and with a single sword stroke, one thousand seven hundred Zifu cultivators were trapped in a demon realm, sinking endlessly, all perishing.

“It’s real… how can it be!”

How could anyone slaughter over a thousand Zifu cultivators with one sword?

His mind, at that moment, collapsed.

The other three Zifu cultivators also had no power to resist; as soon as Qi Yuan’s primal divine ability was unleashed, they fell into madness.

Though they were not the sovereigns of the Flowing Wind Realm,

Qi Yuan’s primal divine ability was of a very high level, and it was at the engraved tier.

These five Zifu cultivators, to him, were indeed finished with a single sword stroke.

Qi Yuan stood in the void, looking helplessly at the five Zifu cultivators: “You’re dying too slowly; I’m in a hurry to get back.”

After all, they were not the sovereigns of the Flowing Wind Realm; even if struck by his primal divine ability, they wouldn’t immediately have their hearts shattered by demons.

At that moment, they were sinking into a trance, unable to escape.

Thinking this, Qi Yuan thrust his long sword again.

Like Runtu spearing the melon thief, he dealt with the five Zifu cultivators one by one.

“Good thing they don’t have Overlord Body to ignore control; otherwise, killing them would have been quite troublesome.”

Effortlessly, he slew the five Zifu cultivators.

Qi Yuan felt that crushing weaklings was still the most satisfying.

Now, the entire Bright King Palace—all the Nascent Soul cultivators were stunned, endless terror surging in their eyes.

Qi Yuan simply grinned and said, “Die.”

He uttered it softly.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators then fell into the endless hell.

The Bright King Palace was instantly reduced to a scene of devastation.

A smile lingered at the corner of Qi Yuan’s mouth as he stood atop the ruined Bright King Palace.

“Five White Moonlights—not bad at all.”

He waved his hand, deftly collecting all the storage pouches.

Then, he glanced at the fallen Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Even if they’re not White Moonlights, they’ve come a long way to bring gifts.

‘The gift is light, but the sentiment is heavy.’

‘An elder’s gift dare not be refused.’”

Qi Yuan gathered those storage pouches as well, like a dragon obsessed with hoarding treasures.

Sorry, sorry—there’s another chapter at six in the morning, ahem, don’t wait up.

(End of this chapter)