Chapter 435: Your Ancestors Won't Let Me Tell You

Chapter 435: Your Ancestor Wouldn’t Let Me Say It

Through the traces on Ziyuan’s snow-white arm, Ziyuan Ancestor deduced that Qi Yuan’s bloodline was extraordinary—perhaps even surpassing that of the Black Demon Ancestral Blood.

Bloodlines were terrifying, but they didn’t determine everything.

Yet, in just three months, he had already reached the seventh layer of the Ancestral Blood Art.

At this rate, wouldn’t he attain the Great Principle in less than ten thousand years?

That was far too exaggerated and frightening.

Ziyuan Ancestor’s thoughts shifted.

His figure vanished in an instant.

When he reappeared, he stood within the Ancestral Blood Pavilion.

The surrounding space seemed frozen, time itself halted.

The white-haired old man stood nearby, his body still as a statue, unmoving.

Qi Yuan’s mind suddenly grew alert.

His eyes, filled with curiosity, studied the purple-robed elder before him.

This purple-robed elder gave him a profound and boundless feeling.

[Ziyuan Ancestor, progenitor of the Ziyuan Heaven, a cultivator at the Great Principle realm.]

Qi Yuan had a feeling: if he attempted a sliding tackle…

Well, he wouldn’t win.

Even if he had a spear and the other wielded a sword, he still couldn’t win.

“Greetings, Senior!”

Qi Yuan possessed the fine virtue of a Blue Star native—flexible, able to bend and yield. Facing a Great Principle, he chose to submit.

“Entering the seventh layer within three months—barely passable.” Ziyuan Ancestor’s expression was calm, unreadable. “Do not be too proud. Remember, there are always greater men and heavens beyond.

And keep this matter to yourself.”

Ziyuan Ancestor knew the Blood Robe’s temperament was flighty.

He had to offer a reminder.

Otherwise, if Blood Robe spread this news, it might attract the attention of hostile forces in the Black Demon Abyss, who would secretly send a Yang God to snuff him out in the cradle.

“It’s indeed quite ordinary. Alas, I blame my lack of effort, my failure at the starting line.

I know of a race where they are born as Yin Gods. If malnourished, they drink a growth tonic and sprout a divine domain. If they cultivated the Ancestral Blood Art, they’d probably be far faster than me.”

Cough, cough…

Ziyuan Ancestor felt like coughing.

He had merely said that, and this Blood Robe actually took it as humility?

And what race was born as Yin Gods?

“As the saying goes, a dog doesn’t despise its master’s poverty. The Black Demon Abyss is far inferior to that race I know, but it’s still decent—it gave me a drop of Black Demon Ancestral Blood. Barely acceptable.” Qi Yuan spoke with high emotional intelligence.

After a long detour, he finally circled back.

The meaning was clear: Old man, cough up the goods.

Ziyuan Ancestor paused, then instantly grasped Qi Yuan’s intent.

“I have only one drop of Black Demon Ancestral Blood left.”

Ziyuan Ancestor spoke the truth.

“You’ve been diligent in your cultivation lately. Consider this a reward.” Ziyuan Ancestor, with a pang of reluctance, handed the Black Demon Ancestral Blood to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Senior!”

Another drop of Black Demon Ancestral Blood.

A great gain.

“When you reach the ninth layer, I will reward you with another drop.” Ziyuan Ancestor calculated the time. In a few years, his share of Black Demon Ancestral Blood would arrive.

By then, Blood Robe would likely be at the ninth layer.

The cultivation of the Ancestral Blood Art grew slower in the later stages.

In fact, the time needed for the final layer might exceed the total time spent on all previous layers.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Since saying thanks cost nothing, Qi Yuan kept at it.

“Take this jade talisman. If you encounter danger, you can activate it instantly.” Ziyuan Ancestor tossed a protective jade talisman to Qi Yuan.

This talisman was enough to let Qi Yuan escape a sudden attack from a Principle Realm Yang God.

Even if Qi Yuan couldn’t activate it in time, it would activate automatically.

[An ordinary protective jade talisman, not lacking in energy, but with several flaws. If improved… its power could be more than tripled.]

“Thank you!” Qi Yuan thanked him again. “Senior, I have a word—should I speak it or not?”

Qi Yuan accepted the talisman, intending to inform Ziyuan Ancestor of its flaws so he could fix it on the spot.

That would greatly increase the talisman’s value.

If he needed money, selling it would fetch a good price.

“You should not!” Ziyuan Ancestor couldn’t be bothered to listen. He feared Qi Yuan might say something shocking that would embarrass him.

For instance, asking outright: Am I your long-lost father?

How would Ziyuan Ancestor answer?

No matter how he replied, he would lose face.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt disappointed.

Another billion lost.

But then he thought of all the good things Ziyuan Ancestor had given him—like a grandfather rewarding a grandson.

He didn’t want to be a grandson.

Yet the Black Demon Ancestral Blood was too tempting; returning it would be like taking his life.

Qi Yuan hesitated.

Ah, humans were too conflicted. That wasn’t good.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. A flash of inspiration. He looked seriously at Ziyuan Ancestor and spoke solemnly.

“Senior, I accept your gifts, but that does not mean I accept your favor or become your descendant grandson.

Some are born without a mother-in-law; I grew up without parents or grandparents, and I don’t want an extra ancestor over my head.

Your gifts, I will repay tenfold or a hundredfold in the future.”

But during this time, if the elder treats me as an enemy, I shall reciprocate in kind!"

Qi Yuan laid the situation bare.

The Black Demon Abyss and the Moon Goddess Palace had long been at odds, making them enemies of Jin Li.

In such matters, he naturally had to stand by his wife.

As for that "reckless" outburst just now, it was, of course, plagiarized.

Zi Yuanzu looked at Qi Yuan, rendered speechless by this string of remarks.

"What, are you going to make an enemy of me too?" Zi Yuanzu's voice was calm, betraying no emotion.

"When I was in the Demon Abyss, I eloped with a moon maiden and made her my wife—we even got the marriage certificate; all that's left is the Moon Goddess Yuanjun's approval!" Qi Yuan said.

Zi Yuanzu gave Qi Yuan another glance, a hint of surprise in his heart.

With a sweep of his eyes, he noticed the moon maiden mark on Qi Yuan's arm.

"The Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss are not a unified whole, nor is it Zi Yuantian that wages war against the Moon Goddess Palace," Zi Yuanzu said flatly.

Among the Nine Elders of the Black Demon Abyss, only three were on good terms with Zi Yuanzu.

The rest were mere acquaintances.

Some were even mortal enemies, wishing for each other's death.

"Go back."

With that, Zi Yuanzu waved his hand, and Qi Yuan's form vanished.

In the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, time seemed to rewind; fragments of the old man's memory were excised, and Zi Yuanzu's figure disappeared in that instant.

Outside the Ancestral Blood Pavilion, the wariness in Qi Yuan's eyes deepened.

The Great Principle was far too powerful.

With the mere display Zi Yuanzu had just shown, Qi Yuan had no means to resist.

Thus, even if he made ten thousand sliding tackles, he could not kill Zi Yuanzu now.

If an ordinary Great Principle was this formidable, then the one in the Taihuang Palace... how terrifying must they be?

At this thought, Qi Yuan looked up at his star, recalling the goldfinch and Ning Tao earnestly chasing the sun in the cosmos, and his heart settled a little.

"Senior Brother Blood Robe, how did it go? Which layer?" Zi Yuan Xiaolu stood outside, looking at Qi Yuan with eager anticipation.

"Well... your ancestor forbade me from telling anyone," Qi Yuan replied truthfully.

"The ancestor?" Zi Yuan Xiaolu's eyes widened, then she said, "Even the ancestor was stirred? Could it be... at least the third layer, maybe even the fourth!"

Her face lit up with excitement, brimming with joy.

At the same time, curiosity gnawed at her; Zi Yuan Xiaolu itched to know which layer Senior Brother Blood Robe had reached.

Whether it was the fourth layer, or even... surpassing the record of the Black Sword.

Yet she understood that she likely wouldn't know for centuries, given that the ancestor had appeared.

Her heart itched unbearably, but she could only endure.

Just then, she blinked at Qi Yuan, only to see him extend seven fingers.

"The ancestor told me not to say it, but he didn't forbid me from gesturing.

Do you understand now? Which layer I'm at? Oh, and don't spread this around," Qi Yuan said calmly.

Zi Yuan Xiaolu stared at the seven fingers, her mind spinning.

The seventh layer?

Her body went limp, her mind a blank.

On the other side, Zi Yuanzu witnessed this scene and couldn't help shaking his head.

"This kid, what a troublemaker!"

...

Eleven days passed.

Qi Yuan was still not satisfied.

"What a pity, the Black Demon Ancestral Blood has been devoured again."

Three days went by, and Qi Yuan had consumed and digested all the Black Demon Ancestral Blood, greatly advancing his progress in the *Ancestral Blood Art*.

Suddenly, he stepped into the eighth layer.

After the eighth layer, Qi Yuan noticed that his blood now contained some strands of shimmering gold, cold and fierce.

This startled Qi Yuan, making him suspect he had metal poisoning.

To be safe, he dyed his golden blood a different color, turning it red.

That way, he felt much more normal.

"What a pity, I'm still far from the ninth layer."

The further he went, the slower the progress.

To speed things up, he would need a vast amount of Black Demon Ancestral Blood.

Otherwise, Qi Yuan calculated that without it, relying solely on his own talent, working diligently without food or drink, it would take at least a hundred years to cultivate to the fifteenth layer's perfection.

That was terrifying.

No light ahead, no future in sight.

It was no different from working in an electronics factory for fifty years just to scrape together a down payment.

"Black Demon Ancestral Blood... how can I get more!"

Qi Yuan couldn't help sighing.

His origins were too humble; he had lost at the starting line, and only through his own efforts could he narrow the gap by a tiny bit.

Just then, suddenly, Qi Yuan thought of something and pulled out the golden bowl.

On the golden bowl, there was a mass of blood.

Within the blood were densely packed intelligent micro-detection bugs.

Anyone with trypophobia who saw it would be disgusted.

Oh, people on Blue Star didn't have such sharp eyesight.

"Robots, can you talk?"

Qi Yuan greeted the intelligent micro-detection bugs.

But these machine bugs gave no response, remaining utterly still.

"What a pity Zero One isn't here—otherwise, if I called Zero One over, it could definitely communicate with these machine bugs."

Qi Yuan mused.

These intelligent micro-detection bugs didn't seem like products of the Six Heavens.

The methods of the Immortal Path were useless against them.

Or rather, for a Yang God Venerable, this probe insect might be nothing more than a special creation.

"No, back then Zero One transmitted the insights of the Myriad Dao Martial God to me, and also gave me quite a few... useful things."

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

In that ruin, Zero One had seized control of the spaceship's authority, mastered many black technologies, and even undergone some evolution.

Back then, when Zero One transmitted the Myriad Dao Martial God's insights to him, it had also mixed in quite a bit of black technology.

Those black technologies also fell within the scope of the Myriad Dao Martial God's insights.

After all, the Myriad Dao Martial God was not just an empty title.

He had to understand not only the Dao of Heaven, the Dao of Earth, the Dao of Trees, and the Dao of Human Paths, but even the Dao of Hackers.

"Access data."

Qi Yuan reached his hand toward the intelligent micro-probe insects.

Instantly, these intelligent micro-probe insects rapidly approached him.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan's eyes brightened.

"It seems that this Black Demon Abyss... is absolutely deeply connected to the universe where Dongjun resides!"

Because his technology was effective on the intelligent micro-probe insects.

This indicated that they used the same kind of technology.

"Receive data."

These intelligent micro-probe insects also carried the functions of recording and storing data.

Qi Yuan directly invaded their cores to receive the data, hoping for some unexpected gains.

"The data is intermittent, the distortion is too severe."

Qi Yuan was somewhat disappointed.

Perhaps it was because the era was too distant.

Plus, this probe insect had not received any energy replenishment.

Most of the data he received was fragmented and broken.

However, he still saw some useful information.

"Such a huge insect... endless spaceships!"

In the vast and boundless universe, Qi Yuan saw a colossal insect.

The insect swam through the pitch-black starry sky; even stars were not as large as its compound eyes.

Such a behemoth was enough to move Qi Yuan.

"Even from just a broken image, this is definitely a Great Principle, or even... not an ordinary Great Principle!"

Qi Yuan's expression remained calm as he received the residual images.

At that moment, another image caught Qi Yuan's attention.

"What's going on?"

This image flashed by in an instant, but it recorded... this giant insect breaking through its realm, only to suddenly become extinct, its spirit and soul vanishing.

Its body was like an empty shell.

This was enough to be horrifying.

This was a being at the peak of Great Principle, or even having transcended the Great Principle realm and entered the third layer of Yang God, just like the woman he encountered on Arching Star.

Yet, at the moment of breakthrough, its spirit and soul disappeared, leaving only a husk.

This was a being at the peak of Great Principle, or even at the terrifying realm of Yang God third layer.

Suddenly, it became extinct upon breakthrough?

The information revealed behind this was too shocking.

The next image showed endless spaceships approaching the giant insect, seemingly wanting to collect its body and blood.

The endless fleet, relying on the giant insect's body, built a sky fortress.

"Could this insect be the source of the Black Demon Ancestral Blood? With such a huge size... wouldn't there be a lot of blood?"

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up, too late to grieve over the giant insect's fall.

Because, from the database of these intelligent micro-probe insects, he discovered some places where the giant insect's blood color was stored!

"Black Demon Ancestral Blood?"

Qi Yuan's breathing quickened.

If he obtained the Black Demon Ancestral Blood, wouldn't that mean the "Ancestral Blood Art" could rapidly advance?

If he broke through again, his Myriad Dao Martial God cultivation could reach the Principle realm.

Without using his Divine Infant or slowly grinding with the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra, relying solely on combat power, he could contend with Principle.

Although he had already dealt with the Principle realm Yang Gods of the Mara clan,

Qi Yuan knew how difficult that struggle had been.

Now, with a large amount of Black Demon Ancestral Blood, did it mean that even at the Myriad Dao Martial God realm, he could contend with Principle, or even Great Principle?!

P.S.: There's another chapter, check it out at eight tomorrow!

(End of this chapter)