Chapter 368: Meow Meow Rises, Dragon King Xie Xinsu Returns!

Chapter 368: The Rise of Meow Meow, the Return of Xie Xinsu, the Dragon King!

While Qi Yuan and the Black Deer Martial Lord were conversing, beneath the Summit Tower, nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings gathered.

These peak Martial Kings, hailing from various strongholds, stood quietly together, dispersed into different factions.

Given the gravity of the Ancestral Blood Contest, none dared to speak loudly or overstep their bounds.

On the surface, these individuals appeared quite composed, but inwardly, they were intensely stirred, their gazes varied, some carrying ambition.

At that moment, a serpentine creature spoke, its voice mechanical: "The examiners arrive! Pay homage to the examiners!"

With its words, thirty-six thick beams of light descended from the tower.

Each beam of light represented a powerful Martial Lord.

These Martial Lords sat atop the tower, only a wisp of their aura leaking out as a projection of light.

The nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings present quickly lowered their heads and bowed respectfully.

"We pay homage to the examiners!"

They dared not look directly at these examiners, keeping their heads down, cautious and deferential.

Or rather, even if the bold among them raised their heads to look, they could not see—only the leaked auras of these Martial Lords were visible.

The beams of light appeared for but a moment, then vanished, like gods dwelling high above the clouds.

The serpentine creature spoke again: "Pay homage to the Ancestor!"

All the high officials immediately turned their gaze southward, their expressions reverent, and bowed solemnly.

The ceremony concluded.

The serpentine creature announced: "The Ancestral Blood Contest begins!"

Instantly, beneath the tower, an iron door slowly opened.

The peak Martial Kings on the field grew visibly excited.

"In this Ancestral Blood Contest, I will surely enter the top ten!"

"A place in the top thirty shall be mine!"

"I too will ascend the throne and become the supreme Martial Lord!"

Some recalled the Martial Lords atop the tower, a look of yearning dawning in their eyes.

"Mu Yan, in this Ancestral Blood Contest, my rank will definitely surpass yours!" At that moment, a man in black robes blocked Mu Yan's path, his eyes brimming with dominance and confidence.

Mu Yan, seeing the newcomer, replied with an easy smile: "My goal has never been to surpass you."

Hearing this, the man in black robes’ gaze flickered, as if recalling something: "You resemble that Qi Yuan. Back then, in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, he said the same thing to me.

At that time, he was aloof, looking down on everyone, taking the mission target away and doing as he pleased.

But now? After entering the Origin Land, without a Martial Lord’s mark, he can only skulk in hiding, afraid to show his face.

Since you’ve spoken similar words, it seems you’ll share the same fate."

The man in black robes knew Qi Yuan.

In a previous mission, he had encountered Qi Yuan.

He had long heard of Qi Yuan’s reputation.

When other bloodline bearers chose to take it easy, waiting for Qi Yuan to finish slaying the demons and complete the mission, he felt dissatisfied and wanted to challenge Qi Yuan.

He told Qi Yuan that he would complete the mission, that he was a goal Qi Yuan could never surpass.

The outcome was grim: Qi Yuan said words similar to Mu Yan’s, then effortlessly defeated the man in black robes.

"If you had Ancestral Blood, you wouldn’t even be worthy of polishing Brother Qi’s shoes," Mu Yan said with a cold laugh.

In his heart, though, he truly felt regret for Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was the most talented martial artist he had ever seen.

It could be said that even the combined force of several dozen Martial Kings on the ship would likely be no match for Qi Yuan.

The only pity was that he lacked Ancestral Blood.

"After all you’ve experienced in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, don’t you understand that birthright is also a form of strength?" the man in black robes declared arrogantly.

Having a Martial Lord’s mark meant the Ancestor was still alive.

Mu Yan, upon hearing this, fell silent and did not argue further.

At that moment, atop the tower, something resembling screens appeared.

The appearances and conversations of all the peak Martial Kings below were displayed on them.

The Black Deer Martial Lord smiled: "Do any of you see promising seedlings?"

One Martial Lord said: "Li Fan seems ordinary at first glance, living up to his name, but upon closer look, he has a striking demeanor and the makings of a great Martial Lord—quite impressive."

"I think Zhuge Yu is good; he looks very intelligent.

On the path of martial arts, besides talent and bloodline, wisdom is also important."

These Martial Lords made casual remarks.

To them, the juniors below held no secrets.

A single glance sufficed to see everything.

Watching the Martial Lords below discuss, the Black Deer Martial Lord turned to Qi Yuan beside him and said casually: "Brother Qi, who do you favor?"

"If I had to pick one, that one named Mu Yan is not bad," Qi Yuan said offhandedly. "But don’t give him any special treatment just because I mentioned his name. I only brought him up casually, since I know him fairly well."

He was always one to follow the rules and valued fairness.

So even when he mentioned Mu Yan out of personal sentiment, he added a note not to bend the rules.

Qi Yuan thought to himself that he was truly a meticulous and perfect person.

"Oh, him? He does cut a fine figure, with an impressive bearing," the Black Deer Martial Lord said, glancing at Mu Yan and offering praise.

The Martial Lords below also cast a glance at Mu Yan.

Among them, a burly Martial Lord’s eyes flickered with a trace of confusion.

Mu Yan was a descendant of his bloodline—how could this Lord Qi Yuan know him?

And be familiar with him, at that?

Hmm?

Suddenly, he recalled the request of this bloodline descendant, and a thunderbolt struck his mind.

"No, no—in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, without Ancestral Blood, one cannot break through to become a Martial Lord.

Moreover, we Martial Lords cannot leave the Origin Land.

It must be a coincidence, a case of the same name.

Or perhaps that Qi Yuan is connected to this Lord in some way."

Thus the Martial Lord mused.

He calculated inwardly that he must intensify his efforts to cultivate Mu Yan and build a closer bond with Qi Yuan.

“There are those I favor, and naturally those I do not. See that fellow in the black robe? I do not think much of him.

Look at how long his legs are—when he walks, his buttocks bounce up and down. Clearly…

His buttocks suffer from acrophobia.

If his buttocks fear heights, the man himself can hardly avoid it.

The trial grounds are a tower; the higher you go, the greater the height. With such a fear of heights, he surely cannot achieve good results.”

Qi Yuan analyzed earnestly, like a scholar, his reasoning sounding plausible.

“…”

Silence fell; the many martial lords on the field were silent.

Buttocks afraid of heights?

Could a peak Martial King truly fear heights?

What this Senior Qi Yuan said… left them utterly bewildered.

Yet, since he had spoken thus, there must be some logic to it.

The Black Deer Martial Lord chuckled softly: “What Mr. Qi says makes considerable sense.”

Qi Yuan had only recently joined the Eastern Alliance and was such a formidable figure; face had to be given.

Since he did not favor the man and had offered a reason,

even if that reason sounded absurd, it had to be taken seriously.

“Naturally, I am a man of reason, never shooting without a target, and I base my actions on practice,” Qi Yuan shrugged.

“Haha,” the Black Deer Martial Lord smiled politely.

The martial lords on the field remained silent; none mourned for the man in black.

But being singled out by Qi Yuan meant his fate would surely be grim.

At that moment, Qi Yuan asked again.

“Does this ancestral blood… have anything to do with the Myriad Demon Realm?”

The native ancestral demons of the Myriad Demon Realm had vanished, likely having come to this realm.

Hearing mention of the Myriad Demon Realm, the Black Deer Martial Lord’s expression shifted slightly, then he said: “It seems Mr. Qi has lived for an exceedingly long time, to know of the ancestral demons.

The Dao companion of the Eastern Lord was an ancestral demon.

Or rather, she was the master of the ancestral demons.

But during the calamity back then, all the ancestral demons fell in battle.

We, in a certain sense, count as the descendants of the ancestral demons; the source of our bloodline is the ancestral demons.”

“I see.” Qi Yuan said no more.

The two ceased their exchange.

The martial lords present either watched the battles within the tower, chatted idly, or closed their eyes in meditation.

They were the chief examiners; had Qi Yuan not descended, they would not have come in person, merely sending an avatar to muddle through.

“Alas, they fight too slowly. When will the Wall of the Eastern Lord appear? I wish to see what the legendary Eastern Lord truly looks like,” Qi Yuan said lazily.

He was only interested in the Eastern Lord and the Spirit Realm Martial Lord.

“If Brother Qi finds it dull, you could go into seclusion here; when you open your eyes, it will likely be over,” the Black Deer Martial Lord remarked casually.

For martial lords like them, a seclusion lasting several millennia was normal.

Of course, due to the existence of the Dawn Chant and the Eastern Lord’s orders, they had rarely truly secluded themselves over these millennia.

“Seclusion? Impossible. I’d rather go online.”

With that, Qi Yuan closed his eyes.

Though he was now in the Origin Land, without a network,

it did not hinder him from going online.

He still had his Divine Infant.

The Divine Infant could go online for him.

He could also receive information.

In the End Land, the State of Qin Yuan, Wu Qi, who had been about to explore a relic, suddenly halted.

“Apologies, fellow daoists. Something has come up; I will not join this relic expedition.”

After speaking, Wu Qi’s form dissolved and vanished.

She reappeared in a hotel.

Taking out a computer, she posted a thread.

“Seeking advice: How does one establish an underworld?”

…

At the Heavenly Mystery Sect Tower.

Wang Zhiqi stared at the cat before her, eyes wide with shock.

“She is… the Senior Uncle?”

Xie Tang’s eyes held a smile, the joy on her face not yet faded: “Yes, I never expected she would restart… and become a cat.”

Though the senior sister she had always admired had turned into a… useless cat,

and the sect’s burdens remained undivided, seeing her long-lost senior sister still alive filled her heart with joy.

“I actually petted the Senior Uncle!” Wang Zhiqi murmured, a little fearful. “The Senior Uncle won’t blame me, will she?”

“No, this cat is magnanimous and won’t hold it against you!” With Xie Tang’s help, Xie Xinsu could now speak human words.

Hearing this, Wang Zhiqi sighed in relief: “That’s good.”

But then Xie Xinsu cried out: “Meow, I won’t hold it against you, but hehe meow, the shame I’ve endured all these years must be avenged! Everything I’ve lost must be reclaimed!”

Xie Xinsu stood on her hind legs, rising like a human, her front paws awkwardly on her hips, looking “fiercely majestic.”

Over the years, not only had she been forced to film short videos, but she had also often watched them.

She quite liked those dramas about returning home for revenge.

When the time came, she would trounce her enemies and make their jaws drop—it would be so satisfying.

See? The cat you once humiliated and looked down upon is none other than the Heavenly Mystery Sect’s Grand Senior Sister!

Xie Xinsu looked at Wang Zhiqi: “You followed my account; you know best how much I suffered.

In that house, I was humiliated endlessly, forced to film videos every day, with no cat rights at all.

Worst of all, I only got one day off a week, not even two.

Once, I secretly called the Labor Bureau, but they didn’t even bother with me.”

Meow Meow suffered a tremendous injustice.

Junior sister, you must stand up for your senior sister!

Your senior sister’s days of hardship are finally over!

Wang Zhiqi’s heart jolted, and she quickly said, “Senior Master, actually, Brother Qi Yuan… has been good to you, and he’s taken care of you for all these years?”

At the mention of Qi Yuan, Xie Xinsu’s cat face shifted slightly: “Hmph, he allowed Zero One to bully me—that’s his crime too.

He’s offended me, and he’s done for. I want him… to feed me ten bags of cat food a day!”

Wang Zhiqi blinked, then chuckled softly: “Fine, fine!”

Xie Tang smiled indulgently.

Her senior sister might seem a bit foolish, but she was still her senior sister after all.

“Qi Yuan can be forgiven, but the robot Zero One is unforgivable. This cat wants it as my slave—shooting videos every day, working 996, not even a single day off!” Xie Xinsu said angrily.

Xie Tang said indulgently, “Alright, I’ll take you to get revenge right now!”

“Bring plenty of cat food, boohoo. This cat traveled a thousand li to get here, and all this suffering must be repaid to Zero One!” Xie Xinsu said indignantly.

“Fine, I’ll teach them a good lesson!” Xie Tang said.

Of course, since the other party had raised her senior sister for so many years, she would remember the kindness and not strike too hard.

But a small punishment was still necessary.

After all, her senior sister had endured so much hardship!

Half a day later.

In Jun’an Residential Area, the figures of two women and a cat appeared.

Xie Xinsu was excited: “Hmph, hahaha, this cat is back.

See that dog? Last time this cat escaped, it actually bullied me and let out a big stinky fart at me!”

Xie Xinsu spotted a pet dog and grew quite agitated.

Taking advantage of Zero One’s absence, she had fled the cage.

But as soon as she left the compound, that dog had bullied her.

Seeing this, Xie Tang smiled helplessly: “Zhiqi, it’s up to you.”

“As you command, Master.” Wang Zhiqi left, but before departing she whispered, “Master, Brother Qi Yuan is very kind—don’t be too harsh.”

“Mm.” Xie Tang nodded. “I am a reasonable person.”

With that, she carried Xie Xinsu toward Qi Yuan’s house.

“Junior sister, that robot is so wicked—after locking me up, it won’t charge me, making me starve for days. Only when it kneels and begs this cat will I show mercy.” Xie Xinsu said excitedly.

“Alright, no problem,” Xie Tang said.

Soon, she stood outside Qi Yuan’s house.

A look of surprise flashed in her eyes: “No one’s inside?”

She sensed no presence of living beings.

At that moment, Xie Xinsu was already laughing triumphantly: “Open up, open up! Your queen has returned!”

As she spoke, her claws kept knocking on the door.

Then, the closed door pushed open.

A robot’s face appeared. It looked at Xie Xinsu, and its mechanical face broke into a human-like smile: “Little cat, you’re finally home.

Mm, there are still three hundred videos to shoot. You’ll have to work hard these next few days and shoot them all together.”

Hearing that familiar and “cruel” voice, Xie Xinsu flew into a rage: “See that, junior sister? This robot Zero One has no conscience at all—it still wants me to keep shooting videos!

Junior sister, quickly subdue it! All these videos—it has to shoot them!”

“Junior sister, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Hurry up and act!”

At this moment, Xie Tang’s eyes widened, her body trembling uncontrollably. She stared at Zero One, utterly shocked: “S-senior…”

She suddenly recalled the last expedition—that powerful senior.

At least at the realm of the Yin God.

“Junior sister, what’s wrong? Why are you calling this wretched robot ‘senior’?” Xie Xinsu asked, confused.

Xie Tang gritted her teeth, her starry brows quivering: “Senior sister… it might be a servant of a deity.”

“Impossible! How could it be!” Xie Xinsu’s worldview crumbled.

How could Zero One be a servant of a deity?

The master was a deity—how was that possible?

“Come on, let’s shoot videos. Our account hasn’t been updated in ages. If we don’t make money, we’ll cut off your cat food.” Zero One grabbed Xie Xinsu.

Xie Tang didn’t dare resist at all.

Moreover, she had a feeling that even if she fought back, she might not be a match for this robot.

“S-senior… this is my senior sister…” Xie Tang still forced herself to speak.

“It’s fine. The master is always kind-hearted—he won’t hurt it. Let it shoot videos.

See how obedient and well-behaved it is in the videos? That shows it actually enjoys it.”

“No, junior sister! Boohoo, meow, save me!”

But Xie Xinsu screamed, unable to break free.

Just then, suddenly, a loud noise rang out.

Xie Tang couldn’t help but look up at the sky; Zero One also raised its head, its eyes calm.

Above the heavens, it seemed as if countless small fireworks were exploding.

“What’s happening?” Xie Tang felt a bad premonition.

“The Eye of the Sky… has been shattered,” Zero One replied calmly.

(The End)