Chapter 421: Birthday Gift for Jin Li

Chapter 421: The Birthday Gift for Jinli

Snowflakes fell, the water shimmered, like pear blossoms drifting on the current.

Yueshuang gazed at the distant snow, moon, wind, and blossoms, her pupils widening, a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.

If anyone was most stunned, it was Zhegui and the deputy garrison commander.

In their hearts, there were a hundred thousand whys?

Not a conspiracy or betrayal, not an invasion of the Moon God Palace, not a surprise attack on the Moon-Gathering Celestial?

How could it be—embracing a Moon Maiden?

A war drama turning into a romance?

Yet, even if they could not comprehend it, at this moment they could only assume that this Yang God Celestial’s charm was so extraordinary that he had lured away a Moon Maiden from the Moon God Palace.

They did not suspect Qi Yuan’s identity.

First, they had never seen the Demon Eye Celestial.

Second, that was indeed a Yang God Celestial, arriving from the territory of the Demon Luo Clan—there was no way to fake it. Who else could it be but the Demon Eye?

The deputy garrison commander of the Absolute Moon Abyss pondered for a moment, then bowed from afar toward Qi Yuan’s position.

“The Celestial’s charm is astonishing, enough to make even a Moon Maiden of the Moon God Palace fall for you.

I wonder when the Celestial will accompany me… to strike deep into the heart of the Moon God Palace and gravely wound the Moon-Gathering Celestial!” The deputy garrison commander spoke, her voice resolute.

As long as the Moon-Gathering Celestial was injured, the Demon Eye Celestial before her would grant her the opportunity to step into the Yang God realm.

She bowed to Qi Yuan, shattering the original atmosphere.

From afar, Yueshuang sensed a dense wave of danger.

She desperately wanted to say to Jinli, “Sister, if you’re having a romance with a Celestial of the Demon Luo Clan, couldn’t you at least tell me?

Or, if nothing else, just say the word and ask that Yang God to spare my life?”

She, too, naturally assumed Qi Yuan was a Yang God Celestial of the Demon Luo Clan.

Otherwise, there was no way he could have bypassed the Demon Eye Celestial to come here.

Her eyes half-closed, her heart filled with utter speechlessness.

At that moment, Qi Yuan grasped Jinli’s soft hand and said softly, “Today is your birthday, and I have some gifts for you.”

Jinli nodded, gripping Qi Yuan’s hand tightly, just as she had by the July Lake, when the Moon Maiden clung to the Faceless Sword God’s hand, unwilling to let him leave.

Qi Yuan’s gaze fell upon Zhegui and the deputy garrison commander, his eyes like swords and blades.

Zhegui and the deputy garrison commander’s minds jolted violently.

Suddenly, both of their faces turned pale, and they spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Kneel!”

Qi Yuan’s voice thundered like a bolt of lightning.

These two myths had no power to resist; disbelief painted across their faces, they knelt stiffly.

Between a Yang God and a myth, there was but a thin line, yet the gap was as vast as heaven and earth.

“Close your eyes,” Qi Yuan said.

Jinli glanced at him, seeming a little afraid, but she obediently closed her eyes, her hand still clutching his tightly, as if fearing this was all a dream.

At this moment, a serious expression appeared in Qi Yuan’s eyes.

The birthday gift for Jinli had to be special, unique.

Best to start from what Jinli needed.

Before coming, he had secretly investigated: among the Yin Gods of the Demon Abyss, Jinli was known as a god of slaughter, a battle maniac.

What she sought was achievements.

Qi Yuan, emotionally intelligent and considerate, was naturally meticulous.

He waved his wide sleeve, and in an instant, shadows fell from within.

Suddenly, the figures of nearly thirty myth-level powerhouses appeared.

He also tossed out several hundred Yin God venerables from his sleeve.

These Yin God venerables were bound by powerful magical force, unable to move or speak.

Their faces were filled with shock and confusion, only their eyes still rolling.

Qi Yuan threw them out, lining them up with Zhegui and the deputy garrison commander.

Looking at the scene before him, Qi Yuan was especially satisfied.

Jinli might not be moved to tears, but she would surely like it.

“You can open your eyes now and see the birthday gift I carefully prepared for you,” Qi Yuan said cheerfully.

The Moon Maiden Jinli opened her eyes, her gaze first falling on Qi Yuan.

“Look ahead!” Qi Yuan said.

Only then did Jinli shift her gaze, and saw not far away, hundreds of Demon Luo Clan members arranged into…

Happy Birthday!

The shape of those four characters.

These bound Demon Luo Clan members all wore gentle, kind smiles on their faces, as if they had come to celebrate Jinli’s birthday.

No matter who it was, every face bore a joyful, beaming smile.

Those without long faces had even drawn a smiling face on their bellies, looking especially comical.

Jinli’s gaze froze for a moment.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan felt smug.

Nailed it.

He spoke as if claiming credit: “You’ve been lacking in achievements. Here are 490 ordinary Yin Gods, 29 myths, and 2 traitors.”

Qi Yuan even listed the numbers.

Jinli listened intently, her gaze fixed entirely on Qi Yuan.

As for the gift, seeing him was the greatest fortune.

“Hehe, 521 people in total!” Qi Yuan reminded her again.

He was meticulous, deliberately choosing a very auspicious number.

Not only that, he was also thoughtful.

Originally, he had planned that when Jinli opened her eyes and looked at these people, he would have all the Demon Luo Clan imitate a certain hotpot chain and sing a birthday song for Jinli.

That scene would surely be joyful.

But then he thought, what if Jinli, like him, was an introvert with social anxiety? So he scrapped that plan.

The moon maiden Jin Li focused intently, murmuring under her breath: "Five, two, one..."

A realization dawned on her.

She looked at Qi Yuan, gently rose on her tiptoes, and without hesitation leaned in, brushing a kiss as light as a dragonfly skimming water.

Qi Yuan froze for a moment, the softness vanishing in an instant.

He gazed at Jin Li's breathtaking face, his eyes intent.

Had they just met... and he was already forcibly kissed?

If it had been any other woman, he would have refused.

But this was Jin Li—his online friend, the mother of his daughter.

He... would let it slide for now.

If not for the crowd around, he would have kissed her back, lest he be at too great a loss.

Still, he understood in his heart that his gift must have moved her deeply.

If those lovesick "Boiling Sheep" and "Li Zongheng" types on Blue Star learned this trick, they'd surely have their goddesses eating out of their hands.

"These are all merits—should I kill them?" Qi Yuan asked.

Jin Li looked at the group of Mara, recalling the times she had used the Linglong Yuxi to communicate with Qi Yuan.

Back then, she was naive, kind-hearted, a far cry from the one who now slaughtered on all sides.

"I... rarely kill," Jin Li said, her face flushed.

She was glad she had dressed up today.

"Huh?" Qi Yuan blinked, looking at her, speaking bluntly, "The killing intent on you is practically smoking out!"

As a Yang God, he could see the killing aura on her at a glance—it couldn't be disguised.

To put it bluntly, it was even thicker than the killing aura he had carried when he left the Flowing Wind Realm.

"This..." Jin Li's blush deepened, spreading to her translucent ears.

In the distance, Yue Shuang watched this scene, her eyes wide, feeling as if today's events were a dream.

And that man in the blood robe—was he really a Yang God?

His actions... why did they seem so divine?

Seeing that Qi Yuan seemed to bear no ill will and had a good relationship with Jin Li, Yue Shuang grew bolder and couldn't help but speak.

"People's constitutions are different. If Sister Jin Li accidentally steps on an ant, the killing intent on her becomes this thick."

"Oh, is that so? I'm just ignorant, then. Another day of learning something new," Qi Yuan said blandly.

He had originally thought of giving Jin Li the few Yang Gods from the Underworld as birthday gifts.

But then he reconsidered—those Yang Gods couldn't be killed; killing them would expose him.

Seeing this, Yue Shuang breathed a sigh of relief.

This Yang God was different, very divine.

"Who is the Heavenly Lord?" Yue Shuang asked, blinking.

She had many questions in her heart.

"I am Qi Yuan," Qi Yuan said without hesitation. "An old acquaintance from Wangyue Continent."

Hearing this, Yue Shuang's heart churned with shock.

It really was him!

From the start, Jin Li's behavior had made her suspect that the man before her might be that person.

But it seemed almost impossible.

After all, that person couldn't have become a Yang God—the time was too short. Even if he had, he would only be a minor Yang God of the Small Heaven Realm, and he couldn't have emerged from the Mara.

Unless he was originally a Mara himself.

"He is Qi Yuan!" Jin Li said firmly, as if knowing Yue Shuang's doubts.

A look of recollection appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Leaving Tianjue, I kept our appointment, but you never came."

Qi Yuan looked at Jin Li, his gaze tender.

He had waited long under the ancient Qizhi tree by the July Lake.

"Still, I did get to eat the crispy sweet duck you made with your own hands."

In Qi Yuan's memory, the figure of the little moon maiden surfaced.

A smile spread across his face.

Back then, Jin Li had said that when he came to July Town, she would make him her specialty crispy sweet duck.

He hadn't seen Jin Li, but he had seen the moon maiden.

Jin Li hadn't made it; the moon maiden had.

He had still eaten the crispy sweet duck.

Hearing this, Yue Shuang was also filled with emotion.

"How did the Heavenly Lord... appear here?" Yue Shuang asked.

This question was crucial.

If Qi Yuan was truly a Yang God of the Mara, then Jin Li's fate might be very grim.

"I ascended from the lower realm and entered the Fifth Heaven of the Mara. The Mara Yang Gods were unrighteous—they came to rob my home in secret. I caught them red-handed and captured them. So I pretended to be the Molten Flame Heavenly Lord and came to the Abyss. But who knew that the Demon Eye Heavenly Lord also had no martial virtue and spied on me in secret. How could I tolerate that? I took him down directly! So I pretended to be him and came here." Qi Yuan summed up his experience in a few words.

Yue Shuang's face showed shock.

Because every word Qi Yuan said was unbelievable.

Capturing Yang Gods, and finally... taking down the Demon Eye Heavenly Lord!

Demon Eye... was a Yang God of the Ultimate Principle Realm!

This was almost unimaginable.

Qi Yuan... had once nearly died at the hands of those "aged" Zifu in the Earthly Abyss.

How could he suddenly leap into the realm of Yang God? It was beyond comprehension.

Jin Li tightly grasped Qi Yuan's hand.

She knew that the price Qi Yuan had paid to come to the Sixth Heaven to see her was far from simple.

Just like under the lamplight, an old friend from ten thousand miles away returns to cast a shadow.

Who knows the hardships of this ten-thousand-mile journey?

“Will the Celestial Lord go to see Lord Longyue?” Yueshuang asked at that moment.

After all, this matter was of great importance.

She could not be certain of the truth in Qi Yuan’s words.

Moreover, if Qi Yuan were to take Jinli away, he would also have to ask the Moon Goddess Primordial Lord.

Jinli was, after all, a Moon Maiden.

Regardless, it was necessary to meet the Yang God of the Moon God Palace.

“Very well.” Qi Yuan nodded.

This kind of sudden entry was entirely different from being discovered while breaking in.

After all, now that he controlled the Deputy Warden, a stealthy infiltration would suffice to gravely wound Lord Longyue.

All this, once Lord Longyue learned of what had happened here, she would understand.

Thus, she could no longer regard Qi Yuan from the perspective of an invader.

In fact, she would even owe Qi Yuan a debt of gratitude.

Otherwise, without Qi Yuan, the Moon God Palace in the Abyss of Absolute Moon would surely have suffered a heavy blow, and Lord Longyue herself would have been injured.

The situation in the Demon Abyss would have collapsed.

...

The Moon Chen Banquet continued, with figures bustling, songs and laughter filling the air in lively cheer.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had such excitement; Senior Sister Yutiao’s connections are truly enviable!”

“Half of the Wardens have sent congratulatory gifts—that says it all!”

Flattery and chatter never ceased.

A radiant smile also bloomed in Yutiao’s eyes.

Yet, at that very moment, suddenly, an overwhelming and unmatched aura began to spread.

All the guests widened their eyes, their hearts suddenly tightening with tension.

“Lord Longyue!”

The source of this aura was none other than the Yang God of the Principle Realm who presided over this place.

Lord Longyue was on the move… Could it be…

A look of vigilance appeared in everyone’s eyes, as they sensed that something momentous was about to happen.

In that instant, without any hesitation, the guests transformed into a state of wartime readiness, bracing for the impending battle.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Qi Yuan held Jinli’s hand, gazing calmly at the Yang God Celestial Lord before him.

Lord Longyue swept her gaze over Qi Yuan, her eyes deep and unfathomable: “For this favor, Longyue acknowledges your debt, Daoist.”

Yueshuang had already informed Lord Longyue of what had transpired.

After learning of it, Lord Longyue felt a lingering fear in her heart.

Had the Demon Eye Celestial Lord’s plan succeeded, the Moon God Palace’s war front in the Demon Abyss would have collapsed.

“It’s nothing, a small matter. Given my relationship with Jinli, doing this… is only natural.” Qi Yuan replied calmly.

Lord Longyue could barely be considered half of Jinli’s guardian, so he still had to show respect.

Lord Longyue’s gaze fell upon Jinli, and she sighed deeply: “This child, ah…”

As she spoke, she then turned to Qi Yuan: “You have just entered the Sixth Heaven and have not yet joined a major power. You won’t stay long in the Sixth Heaven. Would you like to join my Moon God Palace?”

Lord Longyue extended the invitation.

After all, having seen the remnant soul of the Demon Eye Celestial Lord, she now knew the terror of the man before her.

If such a Yang God of the Principle Realm could join the Moon God Palace, it would count as a formidable combat strength.

Qi Yuan shook his head: “No.”

He had already brought his marriage certificate—how could he join the Moon God Palace?

Most importantly, Moon Maidens could not marry.

There was another reason: he wanted more freedom.

Yang Gods who joined the Moon God Palace had to become subordinate gods to the Moon Goddess Primordial Lord.

That was something he could not accept for now.

Hearing this, Lord Longyue felt a pang of disappointment.

She knew that the Moon God Palace was now in a precarious state; how could any Yang God of the Principle Realm be willing to join?

Other major powers would not refuse a Yang God of the Principle Realm either.

“As for what happened today, I ask that you keep it secret.

I still have important matters to attend to among the Mara clan.”

Qi Yuan said calmly.

Someone had stolen his well, and he had to get it back.

“Very well!” Lord Longyue nodded, her spirits somewhat lifted.

Qi Yuan’s move against the Mara clan was good news for the Moon God Palace.

“If you ever need assistance, feel free to send me word at any time!” Lord Longyue calculated in her heart.

The Demon Eye Celestial Lord was now gravely wounded, leaving the Mara clan with only two Principle Realm experts in the Demon Abyss.

This was an opportunity for the Moon God Palace.

“Alright.” Qi Yuan agreed without a second thought.

It seemed he would truly have to play that undercover role, continuing his act.

Lord Longyue then shifted her gaze to Jinli.

Now it was time to discuss the… private matter between Jinli and Qi Yuan.

In the Moon God Palace, Moon Maidens could not marry.

“Jinli, with the addition of those five hundred and twenty-one Mara clan Yin Gods, your merits are sufficient.”

Longyue said no more, but the meaning was unmistakably clear.

Jinli could now request one thing from the Moon Goddess Primordial Lord.

(End of this chapter)