Chapter 376: Jin Li's Stars

Chapter 376 Jinli's Stars

The wind stirred.

Qi Yuan threw a punch.

It was blazingly fast, yet seemingly slow.

With a sharp "Ouch," the hoary-haired elder tumbled straight to the ground.

Qi Yuan withdrew his fist and brushed his sleeves, carrying the distinct aura of a grandmaster.

"Not bad. You are just as powerful as the opponents I faced when I became a Spirit Realm Martial Lord—all it took was one move!

It seems some titled Martial Lords truly are no weaker than mortals."

Qi Yuan offered his critique.

Back in the Spirit Realm, he had fought nearly ten thousand Martial Lords single-handedly.

Settled in one move, and facing the runner-up of the Martial Arts Tournament, it was still just one move.

Therefore, in Qi Yuan's eyes, they were equally powerful.

The silver-haired old man pushed himself up: "You rascal, you didn't even show a little leniency to this old-timer. Weren't you afraid I'd just lie there and extort you?"

Over the years, the old man and Qi Yuan had grown quite familiar.

Granted, when Qi Yuan, that immortal lord, swallowed the star over a decade ago, the old man had shivered in fear for several years.

But... he had adapted.

At worst, death was just a clean break!

"Not afraid. We signed a contract before stepping onto the stage. Even if compensation is due, it's the tournament that pays!"

Qi Yuan shrugged.

"Old man, bye-bye."

With that, he walked toward the spectator stands.

In the stands, Canary had been absent for many sessions now.

Today, the one acting as Qi Yuan's cheerleader was Meow-Meow, Xie Xinsu.

She wore a blue camisole, holding a tiny flag in her cat paws.

"Meow, meow, meow!"

She shouted with all her might.

Yet, anyone could detect the reluctance and dissatisfaction in her tone.

Qi Yuan scooped Xie Xinsu up with one hand, his fingers instinctively sliding into the camisole as he began to stroke the cat.

Xie Xinsu's meowing vanished, replaced by a look of complete resignation.

Qi Yuan suddenly paused: "Why does this feel somewhat suggestive?"

Usually, stroking a cat without clothes looked perfectly normal.

Slipping a hand into a camisole to stroke a cat felt a bit inappropriate.

"So, it's better to take it off before petting!"

Qi Yuan muttered, tearing off Xie Xinsu's camisole.

...

The Tianyuan Sect.

The woman in the tight-fitting attire kept her head bowed beneath the eaves, where the fine drizzle fell like a veil of pearls. The Sect Master, clad in pure green, let her dark tresses cascade down to her waist.

She gazed into the curtain of rain, her eyes carrying an endless sense of wandering.

"The crisis revealed by the Tianyuan Stone is drawing closer and closer!" the Sect Master spoke, her eyes harboring a deep, heavy dread.

"With that person around, does the crisis still exist?" The woman in tight clothes recalled Qi Yuan.

Back then, Qi Yuan swallowing the sun in a single gulp was enough to shake the heavens and earth.

Even if the ancestral founder of the Tianyuan Sect descended to this world, they would fall far short.

"The Tianyuan Stone is a supreme treasure; it absolutely cannot be mistaken," the Sect Master said.

And right at that moment, a gentle voice resonated.

"The Tianyuan Stone is a rare, wondrous treasure of the world, and it certainly makes no errors.

It seems this realm is indeed bound for annihilation."

A woman dressed in a palace gown appeared. Her eyes were remarkably spirited, and she wore a veil over her face, obscuring her features.

Upon seeing the woman, the Sect Master and the woman in tight clothes hurriedly bowed in salutation: "Greetings, Ancestor!"

The woman in the palace gown was none other than Yu Mengxian, the founding ancestor of the Tianyuan Sect who had descended from the upper realm.

At this moment, Yu Mengxian looked up at the vault of heaven, a complex expression filling her eyes: "Without stars to reflect upon the universe, this must be a place of wonders."

The upper realm consisted of the Nine Heavens.

The countless stars above the Nine Heavens were the Sun Gods reflecting upon the universe, along with the relatives and subordinates they held dear.

Any lower realm or secret realm belonging to the Nine Heavens could behold these stars reflecting upon the universe.

But there were certain anomalous lands where those stars could not be seen.

Yu Mengxian had only ever heard rumors of such wonderous places and had never witnessed one, making this her very first time.

"According to the Tianyuan Stone, the Arching Star will fall into oblivion, which will even implicate the Fire Spirit Realm," Yu Mengxian spoke with worry. "The calamity is unstoppable; only by returning to the upper realm can we escape the danger!"

It was only natural for all kinds of anomalies to arise in a place of wonders.

"Can even the Ancestor not resolve this?" the Sect Master asked.

In her heart, the Ancestor was the ultimate powerhouse of the world.

"Let alone me, even the Yang God Heavenly Venerable who guards the sacred ground I reside in within the upper realm might be unable to... resolve this." When Yu Mengxian mentioned the Yang God Heavenly Venerable, her eyes were filled with nothing but awe and reverence.

Possessing a miraculous stone, her progress had been meteoric, and she was now a Yin God of the mythic tier.

Within the sacred ground, she had repeatedly achieved great merits, earning her an audience with the Heavenly Venerable and the granted ability to reflect upon the universe.

A Yin God capable of reflecting upon the universe was not something ordinary Yin Gods could compare to.

Even within the sacred ground, she was considered part of the upper echelon.

"To think that even a Heavenly Venerable of the upper realm cannot resolve this?" The Sect Master slumped in dejection.

"Doesn't this realm... possess a Heavenly Venerable?

If the scenes you recorded back then are true.

This Heavenly Venerable is likely far more powerful than the one in my sacred ground."

Yu Mengxian's heart tightened.

The manifestation body of a Yang God was immense, even exceeding the size of an entire realm.

But an ordinary Yang God Dharma Body is only the size of an ordinary star.

A Dharma Body that could swallow a star whole is beyond imagination.

“However, such an existence should not fear the great calamity.

Even if this realm is destroyed, he would not die,” Yu Mengxian said.

Upon hearing this, the woman in the tight-fitting clothes breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she grew somewhat confused: “Ancestor, do you think he… is still Qi Yuan?”

Her younger brother, the one afflicted with mental illness—how could he suddenly become so powerful?

“The Tianyuan Mystic Stone tells me he is the Qi Yuan of this realm,” Yu Mengxian murmured.

The woman in the tight-fitting clothes sighed in relief upon hearing this: “That’s good.”

“Could you arrange an introduction for me to meet this Heavenly Venerate?” Yu Mengxian’s attitude was very humble.

Every Heavenly Venerate was worthy of her reverence.

Not to mention that this Heavenly Venerate was even stronger than the one from their sacred land.

“Alright!” the woman in the tight-fitting clothes quickly replied.

…

In the park, Qi Yuan held Xie Xinsu in his arms, his head bowed as he stared at the running track, a contemplative look on his face.

“To become the Martial God of Ten Thousand Paths, one must comprehend ten thousand paths.”

“This running track… what path does it represent?”

He stared at the track, unable to look away.

Just then, a short-haired woman in cool attire walked over, carrying a faint smell of sweat.

“Handsome, your cat is really cute. I like cats too—can I get your contact info?”

Qi Yuan did not look up, but said softly, “You also carry a path? Oh, I’m not interested in your path.”

With that, he left, holding the cat.

The short-haired woman froze, her eyes widening as if she had thought of something, and she couldn’t help muttering, “Creep!”

Qi Yuan paid her no mind.

Nowadays, for years, he had been measuring the world with his steps, comprehending the Great Dao.

This kind of comprehension was very similar to cultivation.

With Qi Yuan’s ability to see hidden information with his eyes, his understanding of the Dao was twice the result with half the effort.

No matter how difficult the Dao, to him it was merely ordinary.

“This humble woman, Yu Mengxian, pays homage to the Heavenly Venerate!”

Just then, a voice rang out.

Qi Yuan, holding Xie Xinsu, looked at the woman in the palace dress and the woman in the tight-fitting clothes.

“Ahem, I’m out and about, and I didn’t bring my bank card,” Qi Yuan quickly said.

Hearing this, the woman in the tight-fitting clothes said helplessly, “I’m not here to ask for money back.”

She had come to understand her brother’s way of thinking.

Her mood was somewhat lighter—this brother was still the same as before; he should still be her brother.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: “Then what are you here to see me about?”

Yu Mengxian bowed gracefully, then said, “This humble woman is the founding ancestor of the Tianyuan Sect, having come from the upper realm.

This realm… seems to be on the verge of destruction.”

“Oh, I know a little about this, but not in detail,” Qi Yuan said.

Seeing this, Yu Mengxian felt that it was indeed so.

If the Tianyuan Stone knew the world was about to be destroyed, how could such a majestic existence not know?

“Does the Heavenly Venerate have a way to stop it?” Yu Mengxian asked.

Qi Yuan shook his head: “Actually, I’m not entirely sure either, but since I must become the Martial God of Ten Thousand Paths, I naturally won’t let this world truly shatter.”

Hearing this answer, Yu Mengxian was somewhat stunned.

She felt that this Heavenly Venerate seemed a bit unreliable.

He also lacked the dignity and mystery of the Heavenly Venerate from the sacred land.

“If this realm shatters, mortals likely cannot survive. I will take some people to leave this realm…” As Yu Mengxian spoke, she glanced at Qi Yuan.

This woman in the tight-fitting clothes had a close bond with Qi Yuan; if she wanted to take her to the upper realm, she naturally had to ask for Qi Yuan’s opinion.

However, taking people to the upper realm was extremely difficult—even she probably couldn’t bring many.

“Do as you please, as long as you don’t affect me,” Qi Yuan said nonchalantly. But then, as if remembering something, he suddenly asked, “Since you come from the upper realm, do you know the Moon Goddess Palace?”

Yu Mengxian’s heart skipped a beat.

Indeed, this person was definitely a powerful being from the upper realm.

“This junior knows of it. The Moon Goddess Palace is a sacred land of the Middle Three Heavens!” Yu Mengxian replied.

The upper realm was divided into nine heavens.

The Lower Three, the Middle Three, and the Upper Three.

The higher the heaven, the richer the immortal spiritual energy.

Thus, the higher the heaven where a sacred land was located, the stronger it was.

The Moon Goddess Palace was located in the Sixth Heaven.

“I have a wife, a Moon Maiden of the Moon Goddess Palace, named Jin Li. Do you know her?” Qi Yuan asked.

As he spoke, he waved his hand.

Instantly, before Yu Mengxian, a phantom of a woman appeared.

Radiant as spring blossoms, lovely as the autumn moon.

The moment she appeared, all the colors of the mortal world seemed like dust.

The beauty of Yu Mengxian and the woman in the tight-fitting clothes was completely overshadowed.

Qi Yuan had never seen Jin Li, but he had seen the Jin Li transformed by Qi Jianjun.

“This…” Yu Mengxian’s heart pounded violently. “This junior saw this Moon Maiden seven hundred years ago at the Abyss of Demons.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s heart raced.

There was a feeling of time and space intertwining, of dreams and reality blending.

The former Moon Maiden, the later Jin Li, at this moment, seemed so close to him, as if he could reach out and touch her.

In that instant, Qi Yuan himself became poetic.

“Years have passed with no word from you, and every inch of parting sorrow ties a thousand knots.”

"When you saw her, how was she?"

"She... should be well.

I have heard that since this Moon Maiden returned to the Moon Goddess Palace, she has been battling ceaselessly in the Abyss of Demons, never resting, as if striving for greater merits to petition the Moon Goddess Primordial." Yu Mengxian cast another glance at Qi Yuan.

In the Moon Goddess Palace, the Moon Maiden's status was especially unique.

She was almost raised as an heir.

The Moon Maiden of the Moon Goddess Palace could never marry.

Once, a Yang God came to the Moon Goddess Palace, seeking to wed a Moon Maiden, and was directly expelled from the palace gates by the Moon Goddess Primordial.

The Moon Goddess Primordial declared that that Yang God could never again set foot in lands touched by moonlight.

Now, she had begun to form many conjectures.

"Is that so?" Qi Yuan sighed, then suddenly thought of something. "In the lower realm, is there any way for me to contact her?"

Though he had already asked the God of No Gods to deliver a letter to the Moon Maiden.

But the God of No Gods was in the Lower Three Heavens, and a single letter would take many years to arrive.

"In the lower realm... I fear it would be very difficult.

Ah, by the way, this Moon Maiden is favored by the Moon Goddess Primordial and possesses a star that reflects across the heavens.

If she knows Your Excellency's star, you could move your star next to hers, and she should understand your intent," Yu Mengxian said.

"Oh, it can be done like that?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

Did that mean he could move one of his stellar golden cores next to Jinli's star?

Then, transform that stellar golden core into a "heart" or "love-struck" shape, and Jinli would know he had arrived?

Of course, she might not know.

After all, Jinli had no idea that the sun in the sky was his golden core.

But that didn't matter.

"Which star is hers? Do you know?" Qi Yuan asked.

"Your Excellency, behold!" Yu Mengxian waved her hand, and a star chart appeared before Qi Yuan's eyes.

"This one is the Moon Maiden's star."

Qi Yuan's eyes fixed on that tiny star, a look of adoration welling up in his gaze. "How adorable."

Xie Xinsu, held in Qi Yuan's arms, kept struggling, meowing.

"What's so adorable about that?"

"Your Excellency, please be cautious. The Moon Goddess Primordial is a powerful Yang God. Your star's projection must not come too close to her, or it will be seen as a provocation!" Yu Mengxian continued to warn.

"Mm, I understand. Rest assured, I'm a good man, law-abiding, and never break the rules." Qi Yuan agreed readily, but in his mind, he was thinking about how to use his stellar golden core to tell Jinli he had arrived.

"By the way, do you have any cultivation techniques that can change the shape of one's reflected star? Always being round is rather strange," Qi Yuan asked.

Turning it into a heart-shaped sun—Jinli would surely know he was here.

"Ahem, this junior has never heard of such a technique."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt somewhat disappointed.

"Alas, I still have too few golden cores.

If I had a few million, I could form words and patterns like drones and send messages across realms directly."

Qi Yuan thought to himself.

If he had a few million golden cores, that would be wonderful.

He could write a few big characters across the sky of all heavens and realms.

"Be civilized, foster new customs."

Mm, the atmosphere of the cultivation world would surely improve.

Beside him, Yu Mengxian fell silent, not quite understanding Qi Yuan's words.

At that moment, Qi Yuan asked again, "Do you know Ruan Yixi? She is my master, also my wife, and she's from the Moon Goddess Palace."

Yu Mengxian gave Qi Yuan a strange look. "I have never heard of her."

She had a premonition that if Qi Yuan appeared at the Moon Goddess Palace, he would definitely be beaten by the Moon Goddess Primordial.

"If I write letters to them, how long would it take for you to deliver them?" Qi Yuan inquired.

"It should be... several years?" Yu Mengxian replied.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt disappointed.

It seemed he could not rely on sending letters.

The God of No Gods had already helped him send the letter up.

Moreover, when the game returned and he resolved the great calamity, he could also go to the upper realm and see Jinli.

He and Jinli had always been online acquaintances, never meeting face to face; to be honest, Qi Yuan's heart was quite uneasy.

But then he thought, they already had a child together, so they could barely be considered an old married couple—why be shy!

"Alright, no more idle talk. I still need to comprehend the myriad paths. Bye."

Having obtained useful information, Qi Yuan did not speak further with Yu Mengxian.

He carried Xie Xinsu and left.

Robot Zero-One followed closely behind, like a loyal servant and little sidekick.

(The chapter ends)