Chapter 399: Purple Mansion Finally Achieved, Qi Yuan's New Ability

Chapter 399: The Purple Mansion Finally Complete, Qi Yuan’s New Ability

A single stroke of the brush.

The breath of life and death wandered at the brush tip; with each move, between the strokes, black and gray, red and white alternated.

The Strange Painter was earnest, painting with her very life.

From the Jade Maiden, she had learned that the Blood-Robed Sword God was no ordinary being.

The Jade Maiden also knew something of what she had done for the Blood-Robed Sword God.

The Jade Maiden bade her do well, and said that the Blood-Robed Sword God was likely refining a treasure connected to the Yin realm.

Yet from the Strange Painter’s conversations with Qi Qi and those few great powers of the underworld, she could clearly sense the Blood-Robed Sword God’s ambition.

It was not merely to refine a treasure.

But truly to establish a mythical underworld.

When she first heard this, the Jade Maiden laughed softly in disbelief.

“A true underworld—even the realm of the Great Ultimate dares not claim to reach it; it is but a legend.”

After all, a Yang God Heavenly Venerable of the Great Ultimate realm generally only wields a single Great Principle.

And to build an underworld, the Great Principles required might be more than one.

Life, death, yin, yang, reincarnation… and so on—the Great Principles needed are far too many.

I fear that even gathering all the Principle Heavenly Venerables of the Nine Heavens could not complete the underworld.

The Strange Painter did not know so much, but she understood that Qi Yuan was not merely speaking idly.

The Mountain and River Altar Brush in her hand trembled at that moment.

Suddenly, from the painting she had just set brush to, amid the gloom, it seemed a sweet little girl’s voice came.

“Ghost Gate Pass, nine out of ten never return.”

“Ghost Gate Pass, yin and yang reversed, life and death in chaos; when Granny comes, no one feels cold.”

The Strange Painter’s expression shifted slightly; on the Ghost Gate Pass she had painted, hazy and indistinct, many shadowy figures appeared.

They chanted a nursery rhyme, their voices innocent yet eerie and terrifying.

A thrill of fear slowly crept up her spine; for some reason, the Strange Painter felt that the abruptly appearing shadows in her painting—those little girls’ eyes—were all fixed on her.

Though some walked, some looked at the sky, some slept, yet all their eyes watched her.

And then, a voice like thunder, sacred and majestic.

“Ghost Gate Pass, complete!”

The speaker was, naturally, Qi Yuan.

He stood within the Gate of Ten Thousand Differences, overlooking this stretch of heaven and earth.

At his words, the Ghost Gate Pass painted by the Strange Painter turned into reality.

Those special beings like little dolls finally shifted their gaze away, all secretly staring at the sky above, at that vast, boundless being.

The Strange Painter’s face tightened; she looked at the lifelike Ghost Gate Pass—no, it was the Ghost Gate Pass—and her heart shook violently.

She had no idea how she could truly manifest it in the world.

With a calm expression, she continued painting.

The Mountain and River Altar Brush moved in her hand, and one scene after another was born.

Countless eerie auras, and things unseen, madly surged into the underworld.

Qi Yuan, seated within the underworld, narrowed his eyes but saw nothing.

“Have guests come to my home?”

The guests before him were unknowable.

The other Yang God Heavenly Venerables narrowed their eyes; Qi Qi seemed to sense something as well, yet saw nothing at all.

“Ee-ya… ah… nüe!”

“Ha… céng… ya…”

Qi Yuan listened intently; his ears, which could hear all sounds in the world, finally caught some chaotic noises.

These sounds were either shrill or like wailing ghosts and howling wolves.

He also heard crackling sounds, as if maple branches were burning, sparks flying.

He also heard sobbing mixed with the sound of burning paper money.

Qi Yuan was startled: “Have unclean things come to my home?”

Qi Qi stood beside Qi Yuan, her eyes like divine blades, gazing at the underworld.

“What petty scoundrel dares to cause trouble here!”

The majesty and mystery belonging to the Empress of the Earth, who upholds Heaven and follows the Way, swept forth at that moment.

The underworld within the Mountain and Sea Scroll trembled and was purified.

Even those unclean things seemed at that moment to realize the power of the Earth Queen and what She represented.

“…ka… qiu…”

Those unclean things no longer babbled nonsense; they only turned into a single sound, as if trying to communicate with Qi Yuan and Qi Qi.

But perhaps separated by time, or by space, they could not be heard at all.

Qi Yuan’s expression was calm, his voice tinged with helplessness: “It seems I’ll have to play the part of a language teacher.”

With his words, his clothing changed, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses hung on his nose.

Behind him, a blackboard appeared, and a piece of chalk materialized in his hand.

“Little unclean things, repeat after me: a, o, e…”

The Mountain and River Altar Brush continued, and the unclean things grew more numerous; Qi Yuan played the role of a qualified language teacher.

But halfway through the lesson, he felt a bit uneasy.

He didn’t have a teaching certificate—was this illegal teaching?

Then he remembered he had a mental illness certificate, so it was no big deal.

Endless mountain ranges kept appearing, rivers of the netherworld flowed, and the eighteen levels of hell and the Hall of the Heavenly King rose one after another.

The Strange Painter’s body trembled and shivered; she had been holding the brush for forty-four days, and the underworld was nearly complete.

At that moment, Qi Yuan put down the chalk and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses with his hand.

He spoke, his voice like a decree, majestic and sacred, not to be profaned.

“Little unclean things, have you learned? Now can you tell me why you’ve come to my home as guests?”

Pity that Qi Yuan could not see them, or he would have charged them lodging fees.

With Qi Yuan’s words, the underworld fell silent, and Qi Yuan no longer heard those wailing ghosts and howling wolves, or those inexplicable sounds.

But in the underworld, there seemed to be a white figure, twisted and illusory, not like a solid form.

Yet one could see that the white figure appeared to be bowing to Qi Yuan.

A murmuring sound also arose at that moment.

"Without... soul, borrow... return..."

Uttering these words seemed to drain all the strength from the white figure.

Those filthy things all became illusory at that moment, surging into the white figure.

Finally, they coalesced into a stone stele.

Behold, on the stele was carved the character "Death."

On the stele were all sorts of eerie auras, mysterious and unknown, as if containing the ultimate truth of death.

[The Stele of the Dead seems to have come from another realm.]

Qi Yuan's eyes could finally see useful information.

"So... the Gate of Myriad Differences is a gate that ran out of my house, and the Stele of the Dead is also a stele that ran out of my house?

Where is my well? Who carried it away?"

Qi Yuan swept his gaze around but saw nothing, and he was somewhat disappointed.

But at this moment, the overall structure of the underworld was also being sketched out by the strange painter.

What was lacking were merely details and sanctity.

Sanctity and the principles of law required Qi Yuan to bestow.

Qi Yuan looked at the strange painter; the trembling painter now had eyes sparkling with vitality.

Clearly, she was very satisfied with this painting.

And at this moment, in the underworld, Qi Yuan's vast voice resounded again, like the voice of the Great Dao.

"The ghost realm is formed, mountains and rivers take shape."

The mountains and rivers transformed from the central ghost realm, as if marks fell with the stern voice.

All mountains became ghost mountains.

"Eastern Ghost Emperor, Yu Lei and Shen Tu, govern Peach Mountain and Ghost Gate Pass."

"Southern Ghost Emperor, govern Luofu Mountain, leading the Qiang and Man ghosts."

"Western Ghost Emperor, govern Panzhong Mountain."

"Northern Ghost Emperor, govern Luofeng Mountain."

"Central Ghost Emperor, govern Baodu Mountain, ruling the central ghost realm!"

With Qi Yuan's voice, the five ghost emperors, including Yu Lei and Shen Tu, all appeared.

Their bodies were majestic, awe-inspiring, and they bowed to Qi Yuan with folded hands.

"We obey the Heavenly Lord's command!"

The five ghost emperors turned into five streams of light and flew toward the ghost realm.

Qi Yuan did not pause; his voice was solemn and vast.

"Let Naihe be the bridge, Wangchuan the river, and Wangxiang the terrace!"

"Let the eighteen layers of prisons all become hell!" ...

"The Hall of the Son of Heaven judges yin and yang, decides reincarnation!"

"Let the ten kings of hell all take their positions!"

"Let the Yin Emperor reside in the Hall of the Son of Heaven."

...

"Let Ksitigarbha enter hell!"

"Let Houtu, the Earth Queen, who inherits heaven and follows the law, govern reincarnation!"

With Qi Yuan's voice, one divine infant after another appeared, transforming into one yin official after another!

They bowed to the Heavenly Lord, then turned into streams of light and entered the underworld.

Qi Qi's consciousness seemed to merge with the underworld, and reincarnation became a part of her.

The originally empty underworld, like a dead thing, now harbored many powerful auras.

Gloom, stillness, fire and heat, decay and solitude...

The strange painter watched this scene, her eyes filled with excitement.

And at this moment, Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon a certain "terrace."

This terrace was not the Wangxiang Terrace, but the Reception Terrace.

Back on Wangyue Continent, he had thought of reviving the Five Elements and Five Ancestors.

The Reception Terrace was the place of revival.

"Indeed, it still won't work."

Clearly, the underworld was formed but could not function.

Receiving the dead was still impossible.

Or rather, the dead were too thoroughly dead.

"But then..."

At this moment, Qi Yuan's gaze turned to the Gate of Myriad Differences.

"Gate of the Underworld, return to your place!"

With his voice, the original Gate of Myriad Differences trembled, and endless changes occurred upon it in an instant.

Gate of Ten Thousand Demons... Gate of Ten Thousand Devils... Gate of Ultimate Truth... Gate of Ten Thousand Spirits... Gate of Ten Thousand Mechanisms!

Finally, it transformed into the Gate of the Underworld!

Stern, snow-white, as if the principles of yin and yang flowed within, seeming to lead to the Avici Hell.

Countless principles, countless pieces of information, countless unknowns, countless unknowables—at this moment, through the Gate of the Underworld, they entered Qi Yuan's underworld.

Indescribable changes took shape at this moment.

It became the gate of Qi Yuan's house.

"Condense... Purple Mansion!"

At this moment, Qi Yuan suddenly opened his mouth and took a great gulp toward the underworld.

At the same time, the first qi of the immortal path, the purple qi that had been collected, was also scattered, falling before the Gate of the Underworld.

"Purple is the purple qi!"

"Mansion is the underworld!"

"This is my Purple Mansion!"

With a loud shout from Qi Yuan.

Inside his body, two primal divine abilities trembled incessantly.

The blood-red demonic sword, at that moment, flew into the eighteen layers of hell, transforming into a demonic prison.

The "Forgetting" of the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra seemed to merge into Meng Po's soup, yet also hid within the River of Forgetfulness.

Purple qi drifted, vibrant with life, like the purple of an immortal's blessed land.

Yin winds howled, dark and terrifying, like the mansion of the dead.

Thus, the Purple Mansion was complete!

Qi Yuan's gaze fell once more upon the Reception Platform.

Perhaps because he had refined the underworld into the Purple Mansion, a trace of grimness deepened in his eyes.

He looked at the Reception Platform, as if understanding something.

"Yin and Yang coexist; life and death are balanced.

So, to revive the dead, one must extinguish the living."

But this kind of extinguishing was different from killing.

"So, for now, it can only be considered a small underworld, unable to receive just anyone.

Alas, the Five Elements and Five Ancestors, it seems you'll have to lie dead for a while longer."

Qi Yuan was helpless.

This underworld was far worse than he had imagined.

For example, if he went to Blue Star now and spent some time marking all living beings there,

then killed everyone on Blue Star,

all of them would become souls, enter his underworld, and work for him for free.

If he wished, he could also let the people of Blue Star reincarnate.

But... those without the underworld's mark, his underworld could not control.

For instance, the Five Elements and Five Ancestors, as well as Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao of No Return City, he could not receive them now.

Thus, this underworld was a small underworld.

If it were a great underworld, he could simply write the name of that one from Taihuang Palace into the Book of Life and Death, and wouldn't he be invincible?

Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

Qi Yuan looked at his own Purple Mansion.

Hmm, at the entrance, purple qi filled the air, the foremost qi of the immortal realm.

Purple qi, even the Yang God Venerables coveted immensely.

Seeing this purple qi, many Yang God Venerables would surely be tempted.

"But then, this underworld gate... is a bit too grim. Ten Thousand Differences Gate, transform into the Gate of Ultimate Truth!" Qi Yuan shouted.

The Ten Thousand Differences Gate seemed to understand human speech and truly took the form of the Gate of Ultimate Truth.

Upon it, countless ultimate truths seemed to flow; an ordinary person would sink just by glancing.

A Yang God Venerable, upon seeing it, would want to rush in and comprehend those ultimate truths.

After all, ultimate truths are hard to grasp.

The Gate of Ultimate Truth places ultimate truths before you to comprehend.

Even with the worst comprehension, in a million years, you could grasp one, right?

If not, just hide in the Gate of Ultimate Truth and comprehend for endless ages; step out and be invincible.

"It makes my heart stir, wanting to enter."

Qi Yuan sighed.

In truth, he also had a thought: should he go into the Gate of Ultimate Truth and spend a few hundred or ten thousand years to comprehend a great ultimate truth?

But on second thought, he decided against it.

For other Yang God Venerables, the Gate of Ultimate Truth was the foremost creation treasure.

As long as they obtained it and had enough time, they would surely become a great ultimate truth.

But for Qi Yuan, it was too much of a waste of time.

With that time for comprehension, he might as well play games to break through.

Moreover, he could not waste any more time.

The cultivation atmosphere in the upper realm had decayed to such an extent; he needed to go up and purify it.

However, the Gate of Ultimate Truth still had many uses for him.

First, to isolate the marks of great calamities; second, to gain simple insights and see if he could observe the flaws of other great ultimate truths.

The only thing to note was that news of the Gate of Ultimate Truth must not be leaked.

Otherwise, Qi Yuan might be targeted by all Yang God Venerables in the realm of great ultimate truths.

After all, the Gate of Ultimate Truth recorded all ultimate truths.

"Finally achieved the Purple Mansion. The increase in strength... not bad."

"This time, the superpower is actually... the mouth?"

"And it even links with the ears!"

"This superpower came a bit late!"

"It feels quite useless."

This time, the talent he awakened was that when his ears heard some murmurs, he could activate the talent and actively converse with that person, but due to spatial reasons, there might be some distortion.

Also, when not linked to the ears, when he activated the talent, the sound of his voice could be randomly transmitted to some existence.

"Read and reply randomly?"

"Tree hole?"

"I've become the little loudspeaker of the heavens?"

Thinking this, Qi Yuan immediately tried it.

His right eyebrow did not twitch.

"I'm so poor, kind-hearted person, who will lend me some money?"

Thanks to Lin Shengjun, Cannot Bear HW, Tianxin Naifanxin, Zizai Jushi, Book Friend 2022080702257077, Yaotiao Meng, Shana FZN, Book Friend 20240319170341971, Ye Qiu-sama, Grey Mist Jar, Proud Demon King Sun Wukong, Chuunibyou Not Disease, Book Friend 20210430231032708, Haotian Jinque Shangdi, Kong Chengdao and other big shots for their tips, thank you!

(End of this chapter)