Chapter 365: You Have a Backstage, I Have a Front Stage! (Thanks to Lin Shengjun)

Chapter 365: You Have Backing, I Have the Front Desk! (Thanks to Lin Shengjun for the Ten Thousand Reward!)

“Husband... is this the Black Sea?”

The canary’s petite and delicate form appeared, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Long ago, when Qi Yuan’s cultivation reached the Yang God realm, he could already allow the canary to enter the world of deathly energy.

Now, summoning the canary here was as easy as could be.

Still, generally speaking, when Qi Yuan undertook missions, he rarely brought the canary along.

After all, someone had to stay home, didn’t they?

“What do you think of this place? Isn’t it perfect for you?” Qi Yuan pointed at the Black Sea and asked.

“Endless power of time, half real, half illusory... the one who created this Black Sea must be an extremely powerful being!” The canary’s face showed a wary expression.

“According to the Great Wisdom True Lord, it’s likely above the Heavenly Position realm,” Qi Yuan remarked with a sigh.

The Yang God father and daughter he had encountered in the Mortal Heart Realm were merely at the Small Heavenly Position realm.

But the big boss of this game—restarting the timeline, creating the Mountain and Sea Scroll, constructing a Black Sea that connected the present and the past—these abilities were far beyond what an ordinary Yang God could achieve.

Above the Heavenly Position realm was the Principle realm.

And beyond the Principle realm, there were others.

Given these displays, Qi Yuan couldn’t tell whether it was the Principle realm or something above it.

“Husband... you must be careful!” the canary said.

By now, she could set aside her shyness and call Qi Yuan “husband.”

“Mm-hmm.” Qi Yuan nodded, pinching the canary’s little cheek. “No need to worry—I’m just a player.

Besides, I’m just a weak and powerless Divine Infant. How could such a mighty being take notice of me?”

The canary smiled. “Should I go back and summon the other Golden Cores?”

Over the years, Qi Yuan’s stellar Golden Cores had grown to nine.

So, the people of Canglan Realm were blessed—there were ten suns in their sky.

Qi Yuan planned that once he returned to Canglan Realm, he would immediately search the entire world for any cultivator or martial artist whose name contained “Yi” and who used bows and arrows.

Such people would need to be closely monitored.

Otherwise, if Hou Yi shot down his Golden Cores, he’d be finished.

“No need. Nine Golden Cores are still too few to win by numbers. Let’s talk when I have 9,999 Golden Cores,” Qi Yuan said.

Nine stellar Golden Cores were too shabby.

Besides, these Golden Cores weren’t very massive.

He’d wait until he swallowed something big and turned it into a black hole to test things out.

“The Black Sea is rich in the power of time, and these blood beasts’ bodies also contain plenty of it. That’ll be very beneficial for you—stay here,” Qi Yuan said.

The canary looked at Qi Yuan, her gaze shifting. “This time, I must step into the Yang God realm!”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s expression grew complicated. “For you all, reaching Yang God is really as easy as pie, simple and plain!”

Among the Divine Infants inside him, those who had entered the Origin Land—well, ninety-nine percent had become Yang Gods.

Here in the Black Sea, if the canary fully absorbed this power of time, she would qualify to step into the Yang God realm.

And as for him, Qi Yuan, he worked from dawn to dusk every day, diligently and earnestly cultivating, never forgetting to train even while playing games.

And what was the result? After all this effort, he was still only a Divine Infant.

Sure, in the game, he already had Yang God-level combat power, but that was just the game.

In reality, he was merely a Divine Infant.

“Once I become a Yang God, I’ll have your back,” the canary said with a giggle.

Her tiny form leaned in, and her warm, soft lips pressed against Qi Yuan’s mouth.

“Then, my past self and my present self will both keep you company.”

With those words, the canary’s figure vanished, disappearing into the Black Sea.

When a Mythical powerhouse stepped into the Yang God realm, they would gain a past self and a present self.

The past self’s strength was comparable to a high-level Mythical.

The present self was the true body.

Generally speaking, Yang Gods handled matters with their past selves.

The present self would remain in seclusion, cultivating.

Of course, powerful Yang Gods could have their past selves possess Yang God-level combat power as well.

Qi Yuan was different—even if he stepped into Yang God in the game, he had no clones.

He was just him.

Watching the canary disappear, a contemplative look appeared in Qi Yuan’s eyes.

...

The black mist dissipated.

The people on the ship all showed excited expressions.

They looked up into the distance, their eyes gleaming with fervor.

“The Origin Land has arrived!”

“We’ve finally come... to the beginning of all things!”

The peak Martial Kings on the scene were exhilarated, barely able to contain their joy.

Those who could enter the Black Sea and head to the Origin Land were all unwilling to stagnate, eager to advance.

In the Mountain and Sea Scroll, in the strongholds, the path forward had long been blocked.

Only in the Origin Land was there a chance to step into the Martial Lord realm.

“Everyone, the Origin Land is near. I take my leave.”

At that moment, a peak Martial King left the ship, leaping into the Black Sea.

“This old man also bids farewell.”

Immediately, several more peak Martial Kings departed.

These departing peak Martial Kings bore no Martial Lord marks.

They were used to freedom and unwilling to follow other Martial Kings with marks, yet they wanted to carve their own path.

Thus, it was best to leave before reaching the shore.

They did not trust the martial lords waiting on the shore.

Qi Yuan finally rose to his feet, a glint of anticipation in his eyes: "Going back to the starting point from here—quite interesting."

He looked at Mu Yan and said softly, "Brother Mu, I have friends waiting for me here. Let us part ways here. May fate bring us together again."

With that, Qi Yuan's form dissolved and vanished, disappearing into the Black Sea like the other peak Martial Kings.

Mu Yan watched this with some regret: "Brother Qi still refuses to stay and help me. What a pity."

The monkey-faced woman beside him could not help but remark, "That guy is quite something. Afraid of being targeted by a martial lord, he leaves early, but he has to claim he has friends.

He doesn't have a single friend here.

Hmph, Brother Mu, you're just too gentle and kind.

If I were you, after how he treated you, rest assured—he wouldn't even make it to the shore."

Hearing this, Mu Yan frowned, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.

"I'm leaving—ah, I heard someone speaking ill of me, so I came back."

At that moment, Qi Yuan's figure reappeared on the boat.

Back again, a faint smile lingered in his eyes.

When the monkey-faced woman saw him, her expression shifted, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face before she turned cold: "I didn't speak ill of you. I only stated the truth.

A peak Martial King might be considered a big shot in some outpost.

But here in the Land of Origins, what are you?"

Thinking of her martial lord mark and the martial lord behind her, the monkey-faced woman grew bolder.

People are often like this.

In the past, when she was weak and went through various missions, she was extremely cautious, afraid of offending anyone or provoking a terrible enemy.

But as her strength grew, she became increasingly arrogant and reckless.

It is like many in the present world—wrapping themselves in a layer of skin, they feel superior to others.

Of course, a sense of superiority is inevitable, normal, part of human nature.

But for some, it is far more than just a sense of superiority.

Thus, one must "disenchant" certain "strong" individuals.

Even kings or high officials—do they commit fewer foolish acts?

Dignity? They wet themselves in fear when caught.

At this moment, the monkey-faced woman embodied that very feeling.

Mu Yan's expression darkened: "You were in the wrong first, and you were overheard. It would be best to apologize."

The monkey-faced woman looked aggrieved.

She had no intention of apologizing.

But for this Ancestral Blood Battle, she still needed Mu Yan's support.

She shot a vicious glare at Qi Yuan, her expression twisted with inner conflict.

Just then, Qi Yuan raised a hand: "No need to apologize."

The monkey-faced woman thought she had intimidated him.

Her contempt for him deepened.

But Qi Yuan's voice came again.

"If she apologizes, how could I refuse?

And if I don't refuse, killing her would weigh heavily on my conscience!"

The monkey-faced woman's expression changed drastically, and she instantly became wary: "You dare kill me? How dare you? Do you know who stands behind me?"

"A common man's wrath—blood spills within five paces. Why wouldn't I dare kill you?

Just because I don't have a martial lord ancestor, am I supposed to let you bully me?

Ah, this world is too unfair—too much malice toward someone like me without backing.

No, all for the sake of fairness!"

But as he spoke, Qi Yuan suddenly recalled that he did have a martial lord "grandson"—did that count as having a "front"?

No backing, but a front?

Qi Yuan got confused and decided not to think about it, lest he grow another brain.

"Kill!"

He struck without hesitation.

Seeing this, Mu Yan's face tightened, and he shouted urgently, "Spare her!"

After all, the monkey-faced woman was a descendant of a martial lord, bearing a martial lord's mark. If she died by Qi Yuan's hand, Qi Yuan would have a hard time in the Land of Origins.

In Mu Yan's eyes, Qi Yuan's strength was among the very best of peak Martial Kings, far beyond the monkey-faced woman's ability to match.

That was precisely why he had been trying to recruit Qi Yuan.

"Ah, you shouted too slowly. There's still one head left—shouldn't that count as sparing her?"

With a wave of his hand, Qi Yuan sent a head rolling to Mu Yan's feet.

As for the monkey-faced woman, her body and her monkey-like head both exploded, dissolving into smoke.

Only the human-faced head remained, tossed to Mu Yan.

Seeing this, Mu Yan's heart sank.

The monkey-faced woman was dead beyond any doubt.

"Brother Qi, you've brought great trouble upon yourself!" Mu Yan cradled the human-faced head, his voice full of regret. "She bore a martial lord's mark, watched over by a martial lord. By killing her, you've drawn that martial lord's attention."

The other Martial Kings on the boat looked at Qi Yuan with fear and regret.

But none dared to show any other emotion toward him.

After all, this man was truly fierce—a peak Martial King who killed with ease.

He was probably only a step away from the realm of a martial lord.

"She has backing; I have a front. What's there to fear?" Qi Yuan said dismissively.

The peak Martial Kings were baffled by his words.

Front?

Like a cashier?

What was he talking about?

"I'm an old-man killer. I can't wait for her backing to show up.

I hope her backing takes a bath before coming—I don't want my moonlight to smell of old age."

After Qi Yuan finished speaking, his figure vanished once more.

The others understood well enough.

Having killed someone and thrown down harsh words, of course he had to flee.

If he were caught by that Martial Lord, escape would be impossible.

Naturally, they only dared to think such thoughts.

They would never dare to speak them aloud.

What if that madman Qi Yuan turned back for another strike? Wouldn’t they end up like the monkey-faced woman?

...

“Thunder God Old Deng, foster daughter, village chief, Zhu Zhuangshi… long time no see. You’ve all reached the Yang God realm—not bad, not bad.

If you returned to the Mortal Heart Realm now and met those two… great enemies, heh, they wouldn’t even be fit to polish your shoes.”

In the Land of Origins, Qi Yuan gazed at the thousand people below, his expression filled with emotion.

These were familiar faces—subjects who had once fought alongside him in the Mortal Heart Realm.

“Divine Lord!” Zhu Zhuangshi shuffled over, the burly man’s eyes glistening with tears, as if he were about to weep. “Old Zhu never thought he’d see you again in this lifetime!”

Back then, the great enemies of the Mortal Heart Realm had weighed on them like a nightmare.

The foes were two Yang Gods.

Relying solely on the Divine Lord, they were utterly outmatched.

So, from early on, he and Village Chief Yulei, Divine Official Shen Tu, and the other subjects had plotted—using the technique where new gods devour subjects to strengthen themselves, sacrificing their own lives to boost the Divine Lord’s power, to fight against the two mighty Yang Gods.

Thus, from the very start, they had been prepared to die facing the enemy.

But who would have thought that they, who should have perished, would now be revived and even become Yang Gods themselves?

“Stop crying—it’s not moving at all,” Qi Yuan said bluntly, looking at Zhu Zhuangshi.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuangshi immediately put on a pitiful tone: “Does the Divine Lord prefer charming and seductive women?

A miscalculation—if only Old Zhu had cultivated his past body as a female form, then I could stay by the Divine Lord’s side day and night.”

At the Yang God realm, the past body could naturally be cultivated as female, male, or even genderless.

The past bodies of Yang Gods were bizarre and varied—anything was possible.

Indeed, some world might even be the past body of a certain Yang God.

“Don’t disgust me,” Qi Yuan said with a look of disdain.

Then, thinking of something, he grew even more displeased.

In the Mortal Heart Realm, he had already understood: all things are him.

Thunder God Great Venerable was him, Qi Qi was him, and Zhu Zhuangshi was also him.

If Zhu Zhuangshi disgusted him, wasn’t that just him disgusting himself?

“Godfather, look at what this is!”

At that moment, Qi Yuan’s thoughtful little cotton-padded jacket, Qi Qi, stepped forward. With a wave of her hand, a dense mass of purple qi appeared before Qi Yuan.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan’s face lit up with excitement.

“Purple qi!”

[Purple qi, the foremost qi of the immortal path, the qi of the world’s origin, representing boundless vitality.]

“When we learned that Godfather needed purple qi, we searched every corner of the Land of Origins and gathered all the purple qi we could find,” Qi Qi said cheerfully, puffing out her chest like a primary school student seeking praise.

Qi Yuan took the purple qi, his mood considerably lifted: “Well done, foster daughter.”

His gaze fell on the purple qi, admiration shining in his eyes.

“Truly the foremost qi of the immortal path—beneath the Yang God realm, no matter the injury, as long as one isn’t dead, a single wisp of purple qi could probably bring them back to life.”

Qi Yuan was indeed very pleased.

Purple Mansion, Purple Mansion.

With purple qi in hand, all that was missing was the Netherworld.

Putting away the purple qi, Qi Yuan looked at Qi Qi and the little potato maid beside her, then asked, “Have you found the whereabouts of the big boss here?”

Currently, there was no clue about the Martial Lord of the Spirit Realm.

Perhaps Dong Jun might know.

Dong Jun was, as far as they knew, the biggest boss in this realm.

Qi Qi shook her head: “No. We searched every inch of the Land of Origins, even ransacked the forbidden grounds and treasuries of the Eastern Alliance, but found nothing.”

“Oh, so if the mural is true, he might be in an unknown place, resisting a great enemy?” Qi Yuan recalled the mural he had seen in the ruins.

In the mural, that woman had encountered a great enemy and ultimately fallen.

If Dong Jun was the male lead in the mural, then he might still be locked in battle with that great enemy.

Thanks to Lin Shengjun for the ten-thousand-tip reward, thank you!

(End of this chapter)