Chapter 324: Seven Martial Stars? Not Even Worth Dog Shit!

Chapter 324: Seven Martial Stars? Not Even Dog Shit!

An Qiao and the others exerted themselves, burying Chen Fan, Luo Bufan, and the rest.

Qi Yuan looked at the corpses scattered everywhere in Haishi Village, pain evident in his eyes.

“So many dead—this must be a feast of grand scale. Pity… I can’t eat it!”

The prompt of mission completion had arrived; they were about to leave the mission world.

Qi Yuan gazed at Haishi Village, now reduced to ruins, his expression calm.

“If there’s a chance to come again later, I’ll come back to eat.”

Just then, An Qiao walked over. She looked at Qi Yuan, her face bearing a respectful expression.

“Brother Qi, when we get back, I’ll give you the captain’s belongings.”

Generally speaking, if a newcomer’s first mission succeeds, they return to the stronghold of the veteran who dispatched the mission.

“Mm, what’s the place you’re returning to called?” Qi Yuan couldn’t help asking.

An Qiao’s eyes still seemed somewhat dazed, but she answered nonetheless: “The World of Deathly Qi, but… we prefer to call it… the Yellow Springs World.

In the Yellow Springs World live a group of people already dead, or perhaps those on the verge of death.”

“Oh, then let’s call it the Yellow Springs World. I love my country, I support domestic products.” Qi Yuan blurted out.

These words left An Qiao and the others at a loss.

“The mission is complete; we can’t stay longer than half an hour. Now, silently recite ‘return’ in your mind, and we’ll go back to the stronghold.” An Qiao explained to Qi Yuan.

“Alright.”

Qi Yuan glanced at Xiao Mei not far away and waved his hand.

This innate marriage-prone constitution—hope the next time he sees her, she hasn’t gotten married many more times.

“Return!”

Qi Yuan silently recited in his mind.

In an instant, he seemed to sense a reversal of time and space; his ears heard countless wails and murmurs.

This state lasted less than a breath before dissipating completely.

When his vision brightened, he stood in a low, small stone chamber.

The chamber was not large, about thirty square meters.

In the southern part of the room stood a stone table, on which rested a stone lamp. Inside the lampshade, a candle emitted a dim, yellow light.

This was the only source of light in the chamber.

“Hmm… a free house?”

Qi Yuan scanned his surroundings, quite intrigued by everything before him.

This house seemed to have been carved from a single massive boulder, and the stone table was fused with the floor.

Qi Yuan pushed open the stone door and was startled to find himself standing on a cliff face.

In other words, the entire stone chamber was hollowed out from within the precipice.

“If the apocalypse comes and zombies run rampant, I could stockpile supplies and hide here—the zombies would never find me.”

As a child, Qi Yuan would have loved this stone chamber, making it his secret base.

But now, as an adult, he only felt a slight flutter of excitement.

He scanned the surroundings and noticed many stone chambers similar to his own on the cliff face.

Below the cliff lay a valley, filled with the fragrance of flowers. A deep breath made one’s head spin.

Qi Yuan followed the steps down the cliff.

“Brother Qi, over here!” Not far away, An Qiao waved at Qi Yuan.

An Qiao now looked exactly as she had in the mission world, still wearing the black tight-fitting uniform of the Demon-Suppression Bureau.

However, in this stronghold, Qi Yuan saw quite a few men and women with a modern, worldly flair.

Just then, a small old man approached, sniffed at Qi Yuan, and said with an urgent expression: “Newcomer? What’s the mission reward? Is it a Body-Tempering Blood Pill?

If so, how about making a deal with this old man?

See that bamboo tower with the beautiful women and handsome men? Give me the Body-Tempering Blood Pill, and those three beauties and three hunks are yours to play with!

Hmph, ordinary folks never get a chance. I’m only saying this because I see talent in you and want to befriend you.”

Qi Yuan glanced over. On the bamboo tower not far away sat three men and three women.

The men were handsome, the women beautiful.

Their clothing varied.

The women wore, respectively, ancient-style Qin attire, modern cheongsam, and contemporary short skirts with stockings.

The men were similar, each representing the charm of different eras.

“Lin Yeshan, stop your deceit! Brother Qi is not the kind of newcomer you think!” An Qiao walked over, glaring at Lin Yeshan.

“He’s Lin Yeshan, who specializes in tricking newcomers at the stronghold.

The Body-Tempering Blood Pill is precious—it can greatly enhance strength with almost no side effects.

To enjoy the Pleasure Den, why would you need a Body-Tempering Blood Pill?”

An Qiao exposed Lin Yeshan without mercy.

Lin Yeshan gave an awkward smile, a hint of strangeness in his eyes.

This An Qiao was considered a decent martial artist—why was she calling this newcomer “Brother Qi”?

“Heh heh, looks like this newcomer performed well on your mission.” Seeing he couldn’t deceive, Lin Yeshan added, “I know all the girls in the Pleasure Den. If you want, I can arrange it for you.”

An Qiao shot Lin Yeshan a glare, seeming displeased.

“Brother Qi, let’s go. I’ll take you to the captain.” An Qiao led Qi Yuan away.

Lin Yeshan paused, then asked, “Where’s Chen Fan?”

Lin Yeshan knew Chen Fan was always reclusive; his dwelling almost never allowed outsiders in.

What did An Qiao mean by taking Qi Yuan to Chen Fan?

“The captain… is gone.” An Qiao’s voice carried a hint of melancholy.

Perhaps this would be her fate as well.

Lin Yeshan was startled, then looked at Qi Yuan with a complex gaze, saying nothing more.

An Qiao led Qi Yuan through the valley toward another cliff face.

“Your people here are quite friendly. If I’m not mistaken, that man just now was at the mid-Jade Blood stage.

You scolded him like that, and yet he had such a good temper?” Qi Yuan asked casually.

“He is… an old martial artist.”

In the stronghold, he had the strength of the Jade Blood Realm, but once in the mission world, only the mid-stage Qi Blood Realm remained.

"So..."

An Qiao did not finish her sentence.

Qi Yuan understood.

In future missions, they might go on tasks together.

In the mission world, Lin Yenshan's strength was somewhat lacking.

Most importantly, advancing in the Jade Blood Realm was far more difficult than in the Qi Blood Realm.

Thus, old martial artists like Lin Yenshan held a much lower status in the stronghold.

Before long, under An Qiao's guidance, Qi Yuan arrived before Chen Fan's stone chamber.

"The safest place in the stronghold is the stone chamber.

Without the owner's permission, no one else can enter.

Before the captain left, he gave me the authority to enter.

In three days, this stone chamber will become ownerless with the captain's fall."

At this, An Qiao's eyes reddened.

She entered the stone chamber, her gaze falling on a stone box.

"Here are the captain's belongings; he asked me to give them to you." An Qiao opened the stone box, revealing a bundle inside.

Qi Yuan took the bundle without hesitation.

This was his reward from the mission side quest—why refuse it?

"Still Blood Pills?"

"Golden Bell Shield?"

"Thousand Severance Whirlwind Blade?"

Inside the bundle, Qi Yuan saw several Still Blood Pills and a few martial arts manuals.

These manuals were not of high grade.

But Qi Yuan was quite interested in them.

These were new martial arts, capable of enhancing his combat power.

Among them, a stone token caught Qi Yuan's attention.

"What is this?"

The token bore the character "Heaven."

Qi Yuan's eyes could see hidden information, but it only revealed the token's material and method of forging.

"This is... the entry credential for the Genius Alliance.

In the Yellow Springs World, there are many strongholds, and naturally many factions.

The Genius Alliance is a major power, specifically recruiting geniuses to join.

The captain's talent was truly exceptional—otherwise, the Genius Alliance wouldn't have taken notice.

But he always had a knot in his heart, so he never went to the Genius Alliance on the East Coast."

"Oh, looks decent. I'll keep it."

After taking the belongings, Qi Yuan bid farewell to An Qiao and left Chen Fan's room.

An Qiao stayed behind in Chen Fan's room, as if intending to empty it of everything.

After all, this was the only thing Chen Fan had left in the world.

Back in his own stone chamber, Qi Yuan took out the Body Tempering Blood Pill.

"Comparable to dozens of drops of demon blood... a mosquito's share."

This reward was quite good for others.

After all, they lacked the Devouring Origin Body and couldn't devour demon blood as freely as Qi Yuan.

Even the Body Tempering Blood Pill had limits on consumption.

"Mosquito meat is still meat. System, add points!"

Qi Yuan voiced his own narration again.

After slaying the Sea God, the amount of demon blood on Qi Yuan had reached three hundred drops.

With these three hundred drops, he planned to cultivate the three martial arts he obtained from Chen Fan to perfection.

[You consumed fifty drops of demon blood and began cultivating the Golden Bell Shield.

The key to the Golden Bell Shield lies in gathering, in hardness, in deflecting force.

Consuming some demon blood, the Golden Bell Shield reaches the beginner level.

Consuming some demon blood, the Golden Bell Shield enters the second layer.

...

The Golden Bell Shield reaches great mastery, but demon blood consumption can no longer advance it.

You have a sudden inspiration, applying the principles of immortal arts to martial arts.

Consuming demon blood... Golden Bell Shield... perfection.]

Qi Yuan pushed the Golden Bell Shield to perfection in one go.

During this period of consuming demon blood, Qi Yuan also gained insights.

All paths lead to the same destination.

The martial Golden Bell Shield was actually similar to defensive immortal arts.

But the similarity was vast in difference; Qi Yuan had a deep understanding of both paths.

And such understanding, Qi Yuan did not lack.

His eyes could see hidden information, and his knowledge of immortal arts was uniquely profound.

After perfecting the Golden Bell Shield, Qi Yuan consumed more demon blood and pushed the Thousand Severance Whirlwind Blade to perfection in one breath.

He also briefly practiced a martial art similar to a storage pouch, constructing a space within his body to hoard supplies.

"This Heaven Sun Finger isn't bad—should I practice it first?"

The Heaven Sun Finger was a martial art provided by the Genius Alliance; anyone who mastered it could enter the Genius Alliance directly with the token.

[You consumed one hundred drops of demon blood and began cultivating the Heaven Sun Finger.

Heaven Sun Finger minor success... second layer... great mastery.]

"Not enough?"

[You consumed another fifty drops of demon blood. Heaven Sun Finger... perfection.]

At this point, Qi Yuan, relying solely on his martial cultivation, could suppress his former self in a fight.

Martial techniques greatly enhanced combat power, especially after the Golden Bell Shield reached perfection; in battle, the blood-qi of martial arts coalesced across the body, making the skin as hard as iron.

Even if an ordinary demon struck Qi Yuan with a blade, he would remain unscathed.

With such hardened skills, he was best suited for charging into the fray.

“Well, it’s time to return to the real world and attend the martial arts tournament.”

Qi Yuan was different from other denizens of the Yellow Springs realm.

He had not entered because he died.

His circumstances were unique.

Thus, he was relatively freer, able to stay outside whenever there were no tasks.

Of course, others were not as fortunate as Qi Yuan.

Take Chen Fan, for instance—over these centuries, he had appeared in the outside world only a handful of times.

“Wow, five days have passed?

It seems time in the game world is about the same as in reality.”

When Qi Yuan went into seclusion to break through, he specifically instructed the hotel not to disturb him.

So when he returned to reality, the room’s furnishings were just as before.

Even if some clueless person tried to come in, they couldn’t damage the room’s setup.

Before seclusion, Qi Yuan had already laid down a formation.

“This place is better; my self in the game world… is too weak.”

Entering the mission world suppressed his immortal cultivation, dropping his realm by one level.

This made him especially cautious in the first mission, unable to sleep well at night, fearing he might encounter a terrifying great demon.

Luo Bufan in the game suffered, and so did Qi Yuan.

Among the myriad beings, each has their own hardships.

For instance, some are born without parents, becoming orphans.

Qi Yuan was also pitiful—he had never had a mother-in-law since childhood.

No one cherished him, loved him, or sheltered him; his strength dropped a realm, and in the game he lived in fear, dreading discovery by a great demon.

Luckily, with his cautious and steady nature, he still completed the mission successfully.

Back in reality, with the strength of a perfected Foundation Establishment, he regained his confidence.

“It seems… I must form the Origin Pill.”

Qi Yuan gazed at the sun in the sky, lost in thought.

Soon, there would be another sun in the heavens.

When he formed the Origin Pill, he would slowly draw the stellar golden core toward him.

The first to be drawn would be the star where Ning Tao resided, also Qi Yuan’s first golden core.

“Begin… breakthrough!”

……

In a military camp, thousands of soldiers in uniform were training, their loud shouts unceasing.

The roar of engines was like thunder.

Various artillery fires raged unchecked.

Within a steel building, it was very quiet; the soundproofing was excellent, and outside noises could not penetrate.

A potbellied man in military uniform lifted his tea, took a small sip, fixed his gaze on the man before him, and spoke.

“Xiao Huan, this matter has already caught the attention of the Seven Martial Stars.

By sending a coffin to Marquis Blue Sea, he has put us in a difficult position.

Though Marquis Blue Sea’s actions were somewhat excessive, after all… his starting point was for the country, for Qin Yuan.

How about this: I’ll have Marquis Blue Sea personally go and apologize to him, and we’ll let this matter rest?”

The military man’s words carried a murderous aura.

Some time ago, the destruction of the Guiran camp had caused an uproar.

The upper echelons of the Qin Yuan Kingdom had also turned their attention to Qi Yuan.

Whether Marquis Blue Sea was driven by greed or had received instructions from certain big shots, he attempted to secretly hack into Qi Yuan’s phone and computer to obtain more information.

Little did they know that their petty moves were discovered and intercepted by Zero One.

Thus, Qi Yuan had Zero One deliver a coffin to Marquis Blue Sea.

And that led to the scene today.

Huanhuan dared not look the military man in the eye, lowering his head and saying, “Chief, I have no right to meddle in Lord Qi’s affairs!”

“Whether you have the right or not is unimportant; you must convey our words to him.

Otherwise, if he dares to send a coffin to Marquis Blue Sea today, will he dare to kill someone from the Seven Martial Stars family tomorrow?

He is indeed strong, but the Sky Eye of our Qin Yuan Kingdom is not to be trifled with.

Beneath the Sky Eye, even gods cannot survive!

However, we wish to pursue peace and do not want to start conflicts recklessly.

As long as he shows goodwill and forgives Marquis Blue Sea, everything can continue to be negotiated.”

The military man’s expression carried a threat.

Regarding an unstable figure like Qi Yuan, there was great debate among the higher-ups.

Some sought to win him over, others to eliminate him.

For now, the faction favoring co-optation held the upper hand.

But even co-optation required finesse—first, they had to suppress him a little, otherwise… he wouldn’t know who was the boss.

“This…” Huanhuan’s face showed difficulty.

At the Guiran camp, he had witnessed Lord Qi’s power and regarded him as a celestial being.

But could Lord Qi, no matter how strong, compare to the Qin Yuan Kingdom’s national guardian weapon, the Sky Eye?

Back then, when the Can Star invaded, the reason Gong Star could maintain its independence and not be annexed was largely due to the Sky Eye.

At this moment, Huanhuan couldn’t help but worry for Qi Yuan.

He knew Qi Yuan’s character—once Lord Qi did something, he would never regret it.

If spoken to politely, it might be fine, but… such blatant, worldly suppression would only make Lord Qi disdain it.

“I…” Huanhuan stammered, unable to speak.

Seeing this, the military man roughly understood how things would unfold.

Although the conciliation faction currently holds the upper hand, the war faction is constantly making sneaky moves behind the scenes.

"Kuáng Huān, your grandfather and I were comrades-in-arms. Since you don't want to go talk to him, then don't get involved in this matter." The man in military uniform decided to personally have the Marquis of Blue Sea meet Qí Yuán.

If Qí Yuán refused to apologize, then everything would be a different story.

He said this to keep Kuáng Huān out of it, to prevent him from being drawn into the vortex.

"Chief, the fault in this matter lies with the Marquis of Blue Sea..." Kuáng Huān wanted to say more.

But the man in military uniform said, "Xiǎo Huān, you're not young anymore. You should think about your family. After you go back, just pretend nothing happened, or... stay here for a while."

His meaning was to confine Kuáng Huān until the matter was resolved.

"I..." Kuáng Huān was deeply conflicted, also feeling powerless and angry.

He worried about Qí Yuán in his heart.

From what he knew, Qí Yuán would never compromise.

Once he set his mind on something, he would not change it.

What to do?

His mind was in a tangle.

He didn't know how long it had been when he walked out of the steel building.

Two guards who were "looking after" him had been following all along.

For some reason, he felt the sun was especially dazzling today.

He suddenly noticed that many soldiers seemed to be looking up at the sky.

He also looked up at the sky.

When he saw the extra sun in the sky... his eyes widened, as if he had thought of something.

A curse slipped out involuntarily.

"Damn Seven Martial Star, not even worth dog shit!"

(The chapter ends)