Chapter 375: The Heart Believes It Fully, but the Nose Doesn't

Chapter 375: The Heart Believes, the Nose Does Not

The information conveyed by his eyes was quite succinct.

That silhouette was none other than the phantom of Dongjun.

He was locked in battle against the Root Demon.

Qi Yuan’s eyes also told him that if the Root Demon crossed Dongjun, the Land of Origin, the Scroll of Mountains and Seas, and the Land of Termination would instantly become the Root Demon’s playground.

Thus, Dongjun was indeed resisting the great calamity, saving the world.

The martial lords on the field gazed at Dongjun’s phantom, their expressions wistful.

“In the Land of Origin, perhaps only a few hundred thousand years have passed, but in… the Land of Calamity, Dongjun has stood alone against the great calamity for a million years,” said the Black Deer Martial Lord, his voice bleak and laden with helplessness.

“The world has been reset so many times, always ending in failure. This time is the last chance. We must revive Dongjun’s Dao companion to support him!”

“Dongjun has been utterly isolated for a million years!”

These martial lords were visibly moved, a myriad of emotions flickering in their eyes.

Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm: “Tough luck for Dongjun. He probably hasn’t bathed in a few million years. When I see him, I’ll have to gift him a bucket of bathwater.”

“…”

The martial lords present were speechless.

Yet, after spending time together these days, they had gradually come to understand something of Qi Yuan’s character and thought process.

A martial fanatic—this was only natural.

If not obsessed, how could one become a Martial God!

“Heavenly Lord, the Wall of Dongjun will soon close. If you have any questions, please ask the Wall of Dongjun quickly!” the Black Deer Martial Lord reminded him at that moment.

“Alright.” Qi Yuan nodded, looked at the Wall of Dongjun, and asked politely, “Excuse me, do you know the Spirit Realm Martial Lord?”

On the Wall of Dongjun, blood spread.

Everyone stared at the wall.

A refined voice rang out, like a celestial melody.

“The Spirit Realm Martial Lord is the foremost among martial lords. Challenge all martial lords under heaven; defeat them, and you shall become the Spirit Realm Martial Lord.”

“That simple?” Qi Yuan was astonished.

He touched his nose; it had not grown longer.

This meant that what Dongjun said was true.

Qi Yuan swept his gaze over the martial lords present—did this mean that if he defeated all these martial lords, he could complete the task and become the Spirit Realm Martial Lord?

“How does one become the Myriad Dao Martial God?” Qi Yuan asked again.

The realm of Martial God lies above that of martial lords.

The Myriad Dao Martial God is somewhat different from an ordinary Martial God.

“Transform your body into the myriad Dao, becoming the Dao of heaven and earth in this realm, and you shall become the Myriad Dao Martial God.

But once you become the Dao of heaven and earth in this realm, if heaven and earth are destroyed, the Myriad Dao Martial God will also fall from that realm.

Only one Myriad Dao Martial God can exist in a single realm.”

The Wall of Dongjun spoke again.

Qi Yuan sensed it briefly; his nose had indeed not grown longer.

This meant that the Wall of Dongjun had not deceived him.

“Does this world have a Myriad Dao Martial God?” Qi Yuan asked once more.

He wished to become the Myriad Dao Martial God. If this world already had one, wouldn’t that mean a confrontation was necessary?

“None.” The voice from the Wall of Dongjun was refined.

This was not Dongjun’s true self answering, nor even a clone—merely mechanical, as if a person were asking an intelligent AI, responding instinctively.

Having obtained all the answers, Qi Yuan felt delighted.

Suddenly, he thought of something and said softly,

“What is the greatest obstacle to my becoming the Myriad Dao Martial God?”

Since the Wall of Dongjun was so formidable, why not squeeze a bit more out of it, ask a few more questions?

“Yourself. The most difficult part of the Myriad Dao Martial God realm is transforming your body into the myriad Dao. This requires a profound understanding of all the myriad Dao in this realm. An ordinary martial lord, even in a lifetime, can hardly achieve it.”

The voice was as refined as ever.

But Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes, his expression still calm: “Really?”

At this moment, he found it quite intriguing.

Because he had believed Dongjun’s words at first, and they had seemed perfectly reasonable.

But… his nose had grown longer.

This feeling was especially strange.

It was as if a person had gained a superpower to accurately judge whether simple arithmetic was correct or not.

Yet, when faced with “1+1=2,” the superpower judged it false.

That was how Qi Yuan felt now.

Dongjun’s words were deeply implanted in his heart, taken as truth, but his nose told him they were false.

“The Wall of Dongjun never deceives; it only imparts the information it knows to others.” The Wall of Dongjun’s voice remained refined.

Qi Yuan smiled: “My mind tells me to believe you, but my nose frantically insists that you are lying.”

At this, the Black Deer Martial Lord said, “Dongjun would never lie. What he says must be true!”

“Yes, it must be true!” said a titled martial lord.

“It is true!”

The other martial lords chimed in.

Clearly, these nearly ten thousand martial lords all believed what Dongjun had said.

Then, Qi Yuan thought of something and said softly, “Old Thunder God, do you think what he said is true or false?”

As his words fell, the figure of Old Thunder God appeared atop the tower, unbeknownst to all.

He was clad in a purple robe, covered in lightning, exuding a profound and vast aura.

At the sight of Thunder God, the martial lords present fell silent, all feeling an immense pressure.

Could this be… another Heavenly Lord?

Their gazes toward Qi Yuan shifted once more.

Especially when Thunder God looked at Qi Yuan with a respectful expression, like a subordinate.

“What he said… is true.” Old Thunder God replied, his voice like a thunderclap.

Qi Yuan remained calm upon hearing this.

The Divine Thunder Old Man was no mere Martial Lord, nor a fanatical follower of the Eastern Lord.

Whatever the Eastern Lord said, he would believe without hesitation.

Of course, Qi Yuan himself believed it too—it was just his nose that refused to.

"Eastern Lord, where do you come from? And what kind of race are the Holy Light?" Qi Yuan asked again.

But at that moment, the Wall of the Eastern Lord fell into silence.

The Black Deer Martial Lord quickly said, "Energy is insufficient. The Wall of the Eastern Lord has fallen into dormancy and cannot respond."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt a pang of disappointment. "Ah, I was about to ask him if he was a hopeless romantic."

The Black Deer Martial Lord then spoke, "Heavenly Lord, if you wish to become the Martial God of the Way, you must aid the Eastern Lord.

Otherwise, if the calamity destroys the world, you will not be able to transform into the myriad paths and become the Martial God of All Ways in this realm!"

The Black Deer Martial Lord understood that Qi Yuan aspired to become the Spiritual Martial Lord and the Martial God of All Ways.

Becoming the Spiritual Martial Lord was simple; the Martial God of All Ways was far more difficult.

To become the Martial God of All Ways, one had to protect the world.

Thus, he used this matter to draw Qi Yuan into his camp.

After all, Qi Yuan was a Heavenly Lord, and he commanded other mysterious Heavenly Lords as well.

"Don't worry, I'm a good person. I'll save the world!" Qi Yuan agreed readily.

Seeing this, the Black Deer Martial Lord breathed a sigh of relief.

...

Ancestral blood washed over his body, and Mu Yan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

"I am finally a Martial Lord!"

At this moment, he was brimming with pride, his gaze seemingly capable of splitting a mountain in two.

Only upon stepping into the realm of Martial Lord did he part the clouds to see the sky, realizing how weak the Martial King realm truly was.

"Mu Yan, you've finally become a Martial Lord! Come out quickly—you're the only one left!"

Mu Yan's ancestor, a Great Martial Lord, walked in, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Greetings, Ancestor!" Having entered the Martial Lord realm, Mu Yan knew he had grown immensely strong, but he also understood more clearly the vast gap between Martial Lords.

A single Martial Aperture meant nearly a twofold difference.

"May I ask why the Ancestor has come?" Mu Yan asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"It's like this: a Heavenly Lord wishes to become a Spiritual Martial Lord and needs to challenge a Martial Lord."

"Ah?" Mu Yan was puzzled.

What was a Heavenly Lord?

But from his ancestor's words, it seemed he was being asked to duel a Martial Lord?

"I will do my utmost!" Mu Yan quickly replied.

"Heh, take it easy." The Great Martial Lord chuckled.

Following the Great Martial Lord, Mu Yan was filled with curiosity. "Ancestor, is my opponent strong? Should I... hold back?"

"Just give it your all," the Great Martial Lord said casually. "Oh, and don't provoke anyone, and don't curse."

"Understood." Though confused, Mu Yan agreed.

Following the Great Martial Lord, the two walked out of the tower.

Mu Yan kept his head lowered, and soon he spotted some familiar faces.

They were all participants in the Ancestral Blood Contest, now Martial Lords.

Those people looked at Mu Yan with envy in their eyes.

Mu Yan's confusion grew heavier, for there were more and more Martial Lords here.

In fact, they were densely packed, their numbers beyond count.

"Ancestor... why are there so many Martial Lords?" Mu Yan asked cautiously, his excitement mounting.

Because he seemed to sense several particularly powerful auras.

Those seemed to be... Title Martial Lords.

They were the legendary Title Martial Lords, the pinnacle of existence in this world.

"They've all come to participate in the duel," the Great Martial Lord said.

Mu Yan was even more bewildered. Could it be...

This was like a martial arts tournament in the mortal world?

And all participants were Martial Lords?

Just then, a voice suddenly rang in Mu Yan's ears: "As expected of the one I favored—arriving last as the finale."

A man in a blood-red robe appeared, standing beside Mu Yan, his expression calm.

Seeing the newcomer, Mu Yan's face lit up with surprise. "Qi... Qi Yuan, how did you get here?"

He was overjoyed to see Qi Yuan here.

If Qi Yuan could appear here, it meant his ancestor had already resolved matters for him.

"I came here to challenge... you, and..."

"Challenge me? Does that mean you've stepped into the Martial Lord realm!" Mu Yan was even more delighted for Qi Yuan.

He hadn't expected Qi Yuan to have encountered another stroke of fortune.

"Heh, don't worry. I won't go too hard on you. I won't make you lose too badly," Mu Yan said cheerfully.

Qi Yuan smiled. "Lose? I won't lose!"

"Hmph, on the Black Sea, I was no match for you, but after three days apart, one must look at me with new eyes. I am no longer who I was!" Mu Yan said happily.

"Alright, no more nonsense. I need to complete my task and become this Spiritual Martial Lord!" Qi Yuan's voice was calm.

"Where's the arena?" Mu Yan was eager to try.

"Why need an arena?" Qi Yuan spoke, his tone rising at that moment, and in an instant, he flew out of the tower.

Seeing this, Mu Yan's heart tightened, leaping into his throat.

Because all the Martial Lords present were gathered on the platform.

Not a single one had taken flight—even the Title Martial Lords stood on the ground. Though the reason was unclear, the other Martial Lords surely dared not fly.

And Qi Yuan taking flight—wasn't that an insult to the other Martial Lords?

At that moment, Qi Yuan soared into the sky, his blood-red robe billowing in the wind as he stood in the void, like an immortal banished from heaven.

"Are all the Martial Lords of the Origin Land... gathered here?" Qi Yuan spoke, his voice loud and clear, echoing throughout the tower.

On the tower, the new Martial Lords who had crossed paths with Qi Yuan at the stronghold and in the Mountain and Sea Scroll were all stunned, staring at Qi Yuan with astonishment.

At this moment, dozens of titled martial lords stepped forward, their faces bearing respectful expressions: "Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, all martial lords have arrived!"

The remaining ten thousand martial lords bowed in unison, like commoners before a monarch.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, we have all arrived!"

Seeing this, Mu Yan was utterly stunned.

Because his own ancestor was also bowing to Qi Yuan, like a eunuch paying homage to an emperor.

"What is this?" Mu Yan wondered in confusion.

"To become a Spirit Realm Martial Lord is simple—just defeat every martial lord under heaven.

So, all of you attack together. Rest assured, I will be gentle and will not harm you!"

Qi Yuan had always advocated civility and fostered new customs.

He was not like those reckless old men from the upper realm, who had no sense of measure.

When descending to a lower realm, to display their might, they had shaken to death many of their own lesser demons.

If they treated their own demons like this, how much worse for ordinary people—they would surely slaughter the innocent indiscriminately.

"Heavenly Venerable, forgive us!"

"Forgive us!"

All the martial lords roared at once, their voices like surging waves.

Mu Yan's face was full of bewilderment, his heart torn between doubt and anxiety.

So many people were attacking Qi Yuan.

"Ancestor, shall we fight Qi Yuan together?"

"Call him Heavenly Venerable!" the Grand Martial Lord quickly instructed.

"If he... dies, what then?"

Although Mu Yan knew Qi Yuan might not be as simple as he appeared, and should possess considerable strength,

No matter how strong, facing nearly ten thousand martial lords—

This was still courting death.

"Hmph, kill the Heavenly Venerable? Do you even dare to dream?

A while ago, the Heavenly Venerable swallowed a sun."

"What? Swallowed a sun?" Mu Yan's eyes went wide.

"Fight!" At that moment, Qi Yuan's voice rang out again.

Endless attacks surged, hurtling toward the sky.

Yet these attacks were like nothing more than a drizzle.

Qi Yuan closed his eyes, offering no resistance, letting every strike land on his body.

For this, too, was an opportunity to comprehend the myriad paths.

……

Spring passed, autumn came.

The two emperors, Shu and Hu, often appeared, spanning across the Black Sea.

The martial lords of the Eastern Alliance took their appearance in stride.

Now, on Gongxing, atop the Martial Arts Tournament arena.

Qi Yuan looked at the old man before him, his expression calm: "Old man, this is my last time participating in the Martial Arts Tournament. Next time, you will realize your dream and claim the championship."

The Martial Arts Tournament continued.

Though everyone on Gongxing knew that the one who had swallowed a star was the champion,

They longed to join the tournament and see Qi Yuan.

Yet no one dared.

No one dared disrupt Qi Yuan's life trajectory.

What if participating in the tournament and beating up the old man was that Heavenly Venerable's hobby?

Thus, the Martial Arts Tournament remained as before—no audience on site.

If there were any audience, they were only in the livestream room.

And the viewers of this livestream room were of extremely high quality.

This livestream room was also very special: no negative words could be typed, only "positive" barrage comments.

The white-haired old man, hearing Qi Yuan's words, looked somewhat dazed: "Immortal Master, you won't participate anymore?"

All these years, he had always lost to Qi Yuan.

At first, he was indeed very unwilling.

Later... after seeing Qi Yuan swallow a star whole.

Well, he was convinced.

He was nearly a hundred years old; losing to someone who swallowed a star was only natural, wasn't it?

"Yes, it's over." Qi Yuan gazed at the empty spectator seats, a hint of emptiness in his heart.

The game... is almost over.

(The chapter ends)