Chapter 485: Meeting the Moon God Yuanjun

Chapter 485: Meeting the Moon God Primordial Lord

“It seems you don’t know everything, either.”

Seeing Saintless Heavenly Lord’s silence, Qi Yuan shrugged.

“I happen to be missing a mirror at home. Any interest in hanging on my wall?”

Qi Yuan looked at the Myriad Reflection Mirror and spoke slowly.

Just then, Saintless Heavenly Lord, who had kept his eyes closed, opened them, his own consciousness returning.

“Wanri Supreme Venerable jests,” Saintless Heavenly Lord said with a smile.

“How did you know I was joking?” Qi Yuan was stealing again.

If the other agreed, he would naturally accept it.

If the other refused, it would become “I didn’t want it anyway,” just a joke.

“As for the questions I wanted to ask, thank you. Consider this a favor I owe you,” Qi Yuan said.

He had always been clear about gratitude and grudges.

Saintless Heavenly Lord stood beside Qi Yuan and spoke slowly: “Though Taihuang Palace has entered the Seventh Heaven, Wanri Supreme Venerable must still be wary of the Linya Shed. This time, even a Supreme Venerable might fall in the Linya Shed.”

Although Taihuang Palace had promised the Unique Hall that a Supreme Venerable would fall in this Linya Shed.

But with Taihuang Palace’s strength, it would be difficult to cause a Supreme Venerable’s fall.

Thus, the Zhili Society even suspected that the Unique Hall might personally intervene in this Linya Shed.

Otherwise, they could not fathom the reason for a Supreme Venerable’s fall.

Saintless Heavenly Lord then told Qi Yuan the Zhili Society’s speculation.

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes: “If they descend to the lower realms, good… I must go ask them why they shield Taihuang Palace!”

Hearing this, Saintless Heavenly Lord’s mind jolted with shock.

He admired Wanri Supreme Venerable’s audacity.

After all, regarding the Unique Hall, even the two Supreme Venerables of the Zhili Society were deeply reticent, yet Wanri Supreme Venerable dared to go and accuse them.

“Even among the Yang God Heavenly Lords of the Sixth Heaven, and even Supreme Venerables, few have seen the Alien Spirits of the Unique Hall.

How strong the Alien Spirits are remains unknown. Wanri Supreme Venerable must be cautious,” Saintless Heavenly Lord warned.

“If the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he is judged like a commoner. Can he evade justice just because he is powerful? Where is such good fortune?” Qi Yuan said casually.

Once his divine skill was perfected, he would need to go to the Seventh Heaven and arrest the criminals of Taihuang Palace.

Hearing this, Saintless Heavenly Lord dared not continue on this topic.

“Wanri Supreme Venerable, when the Linya Shed begins, I hope the Zhili Society and Ziyuan Heaven will cooperate to weather the crisis,” Saintless Heavenly Lord said.

“No problem.” Qi Yuan was indifferent to such matters.

Just then, Saintless Heavenly Lord thought of something. With a wave of his hand, a white jade porcelain bottle appeared. He said secretly, “Wanri Supreme Venerable, this is some Black Demon Ancestor Blood I have collected. I heard you, venerable sir, needed it, so I specially offer it. Please accept it.”

Now, Saintless Heavenly Lord’s words represented himself alone, unrelated to the Zhili Society.

“Oh? Not bad. Speak plainly if you have something to ask,” Qi Yuan said as he took the Black Demon Ancestor Blood.

No free lunch in the world.

Since Saintless Heavenly Lord gave him Black Demon Ancestor Blood, he surely had a request.

Could it be that this thick-browed, big-eyed fellow had fallen for him?

A flash of joy passed through Saintless Heavenly Lord’s eyes, and he quickly said, “I heard that some time ago, Saint Wuming used Root Demon Blood to plunge Ziyuan Ancestor into the Root Demon Calamity, and in the end, it was Wanri Supreme Venerable who intervened and helped Ziyuan Ancestor overcome the Root Demon Calamity?”

Saintless Heavenly Lord looked at Qi Yuan with a nervous expression, a hint of expectation deep in his eyes.

“Yes.”

Hearing this answer, Saintless Heavenly Lord was overjoyed inside, but remained calm on the surface.

It was true!

Wanri Supreme Venerable could actually resolve the Root Demon Calamity!

This…

Saintless Heavenly Lord understood how frantic the Principles and Great Principles of the Sixth Heaven would be if this news spread.

Why were the Principles of the Sixth Heaven progressing slowly? Because… the Root Demon Calamity blocked their path.

The Root Demon Calamity was like a blade hanging over their heads, making it hard for them to advance; one misstep and they would fall into the abyss.

“My Root Demon Calamity may descend within ten thousand years. I wonder… if Wanri Supreme Venerable could assist this old man?” Saintless Heavenly Lord said nervously, his posture very humble.

His Root Demon Calamity was near, only ten thousand years away.

“No problem, but the timing of your Root Demon Calamity…” Qi Yuan seemed troubled.

Hearing this, Saintless Heavenly Lord quickly said, “This old man can delay it… at most five thousand years.”

He thought that Wanri Supreme Venerable also had limits in dealing with the Root Demon Calamity, and could hardly act again within ten thousand years, so he hurriedly spoke.

“Why delay? I was about to say, wait another ten thousand years, and this Root Demon might come to my house to be a chef,” Qi Yuan said casually.

Ten thousand years was too long.

Saintless Heavenly Lord was stunned upon hearing this.

A Root Demon as a chef?

This Wanri Supreme Venerable really dared to say it!

A Root Demon… that kind of existence, not only in the Immortal Realm, but also in other worlds, was a majestic being.

It was something he could not comprehend, something even Supreme Venerables could not fathom.

Then he tentatively said, “No delay?”

“No need to delay. The sooner, the better,” Qi Yuan said.

“Good!” Hearing this, Saintless Heavenly Lord felt greatly relieved.

“Bye-bye.”

Qi Yuan waved his hand, took a deep look at the Zhili Society, and his figure vanished.

At the same time, from deep within the Zhili Society, two voices sounded.

“How is it?”

“Cannot see through.”

“Any certainty?”

“No certainty.”

“The Gate of Principle is in his hands. One day, he will be able to see through our secrets.”

“Alas… knowing this, why did he still come to the Zhili Society? Could it be… to lure us into action?”

“Cannot see through, cannot see through…”

A voice whispered, murmured, then faded into silence.

...

Time flowed.

Qi Yuan opened his eyes.

On his body, an aura of terror swirled.

"Finally, the fourteenth layer."

Qi Yuan gazed at his own arm, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.

After returning from the Assembly of Ultimate Reason, he had taken the Black Demon Ancestral Blood that Zi Yuan Zu brought back from the Black Demon Abyss, along with what Wu Sheng Tian Zun had given him, and began cultivating the *Ancestral Blood Art*.

The *Ancestral Blood Art* had finally reached the fourteenth layer.

"In the Black Demon Abyss, no one has ever stepped into the fourteenth layer!"

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

Of course, his *Ancestral Blood Art* had also been optimized by him, different from others in both method and power.

"Now, my body, empowered by the myriad Dao martial gods... is it comparable to an offensive Creation Divine Treasure?"

Qi Yuan gave an inappropriate example.

"Pity, I am still too weak."

"The aberrant spirits of the Solemn Hall—even the Supreme Venerables dread them deeply. Am I a match for them?"

"And that so-called Ming Zun—he looks like a ruthless one at first glance!"

"If I can't even defeat them, wouldn't 'Do as You Please' suffer by following me?"

Qi Yuan thought to himself.

"Still... the game is about to begin."

Qi Yuan stretched lazily.

The moment for the game to start would soon arrive.

Before that, he had to make a trip to the Moon God Palace.

"I wonder... will the Moon God Palace block me?"

After obtaining the Sun's throne, Qi Yuan felt a vague impulse in his heart—to seize the Moon's throne as well.

Taking the Moon's throne seemed as though it would elevate his power to another level.

He had this impulse, and presumably, so did the Moon God Primordial Lord.

No wonder the Sun and the Moon God Primordial Lord had always been at odds.

He stepped out of his cave dwelling, and Zi Yuan Zu's figure appeared.

"I've collected quite a bit more Black Demon Ancestral Blood... take it."

Zi Yuan Zu handed the Black Demon Ancestral Blood to Qi Yuan.

"Too little," Qi Yuan said, looking at the newly gathered Black Demon Ancestral Blood.

The final layer of the *Ancestral Blood Art* required a vast ocean of Black Demon Ancestral Blood.

This amount was far from enough.

"Ahem... there really isn't much left," Zi Yuan Zu replied. "But there are plenty of other treasures. These days, all the major powers—the Assembly of Ultimate Reason, the Azure Sky, the White Dragon Abyss—have been sending you gifts. You've become the foremost celebrity in the Sixth Heaven."

Zi Yuan Zu's delight was undisguised.

When had he ever enjoyed such glory?

Though he was a Great Ultimate Reason, in the eyes of those mighty Abyss Lords and such, he had only garnered a modicum of regard.

Now, those old codgers who once looked down on him had become genial and cordial upon seeing him.

"Could it be that they all want to transcend the Root Demon Tribulation?" Qi Yuan said.

Qi Yuan's help in guiding Zi Yuan Zu through the Root Demon Tribulation had drawn the attention of many Great Ultimate Reason experts in the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm.

Their gifts were mostly to curry favor with Qi Yuan, hoping to survive the Root Demon Tribulation.

"That should be it," Zi Yuan Zu said in a low voice.

"If they want me to help them through the Root Demon Tribulation, they must first not be my enemies... and the atmosphere needs to be cleansed."

Qi Yuan spoke languidly.

This matter could wait for now.

"I need to go to the Moon God Palace again. After I return from the Moon God Palace, I'll go and enjoy a good game."

According to Qi Yuan's calculations, after returning from the Moon God Palace, the game would begin, and he would have to enter it.

He also wanted to see how the Silent Voice was faring now.

Ever since he last infused his blood into the game, he had not heard the Silent Voice's sound.

"You must be careful. The Moon God Palace is not like the Assembly of Ultimate Reason. Now... you hold the Sun's throne," Zi Yuan Zu said in a low voice, his gaze stern.

"Don't worry. If I can't win, I'll run."

Qi Yuan's form dissipated in that instant.

When his figure reappeared, it was unmistakably at the Moon God Palace.

Unlike his previous visit to the Moon God Palace, as Qi Yuan's form materialized,

he could clearly sense that the atmosphere within the palace was especially tense.

As one of the only two Great Ultimate Reasons in the Moon God Palace, Moon Radiance Heavenly Venerable wore a stern expression, holding a Creation Divine Treasure: "Supreme Venerable of Ten Thousand Suns... what important business brings you to my Moon God Palace?"

The Sun and Moon cannot coexist.

Qi Yuan had seized the Sun's throne, destined to become an enemy of the Moon God Palace.

"I have come to see the Moon God Primordial Lord," Qi Yuan said calmly.

"The Moon God Primordial Lord is not available to see visitors!" Moon Radiance Heavenly Venerable flicked his sleeve, his former amiability gone. Now that the Moon God Primordial Lord was gravely wounded, how could Moon Radiance Heavenly Venerable dare let Qi Yuan see him?

If Qi Yuan were to strike now, the Moon God Primordial Lord might not be his match.

"Rest assured, I mean no harm," Qi Yuan said earnestly.

To some extent, the Moon God Palace was Jin Li's natal home.

He had no enmity with the Moon God Palace.

"Hmph, sometimes, whether there is harm or not doesn't matter," Moon Radiance Heavenly Venerable refused outright.

At their level of cultivation, did goodwill or malice truly matter?

With such a conflict of the Great Dao before them, who could resist temptation?

Yet at that moment, an ethereal voice came from the depths of the Moon God Palace.

"Let him in."

Upon hearing this, Moonflower Heavenly Venerable’s expression shifted sharply. She gritted her teeth, then finally spoke: “Ten Thousand Days Supreme Venerable, please!”

Clearly, the owner of this voice was none other than “Moon Goddess Yuanjun.”

A beam of moonlight flowed from the depths of the Moon God Palace, transforming into a blue bird.

The blue bird carried the moonlight in its beak, as if guiding Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan followed the blue bird, heading deeper into the Moon God Palace.

The further in he went, the lower the temperature grew, bitterly cold.

It was as if the breath he exhaled turned to frost.

What met Qi Yuan’s eyes were endless glaciers and frost.

All creations were nothing but ice.

There was no wind—only a dry, biting cold.

In such an environment, even Qi Yuan felt as though his thoughts were frozen, a momentary chill piercing him.

He looked into the distance and saw an ice bed.

Upon the ice bed sat a woman… how pure and clear she was.

Crystalline, transparent, smooth as jade—truly ice bones and snow flesh.

She was not a human body; her bones were ice, her form jade, her skin snow.

Her robes were also of ice and snow, shrouding her form.

Her eyes were pure and clear.

She gave the impression that her urine was not at all yellow, but clear and bright.

“Are you Moon Goddess Yuanjun?” Qi Yuan asked, looking at this ice-and-snow being.

“Yes… or no.” The ice-and-snow woman looked at Qi Yuan. “They… think I am Moon Goddess Yuanjun, but in truth, I am Ice Moon.”

Ice Moon, the most powerful offensive creation treasure of the Moon God Palace.

This creation treasure also ranked first among all offensive creation treasures.

Taihuang Palace’s strength utterly crushed the Moon God Palace; it was rumored that without Ice Moon, this offensive creation treasure, Moon Goddess Yuanjun would find it hard to resist Taihuang Palace.

“You wish to ask about your master, Ruan Yixi?” Ice Moon spoke, her voice also clear, tinged with a hint of cold.

“Yes.” Qi Yuan nodded.

“In the Moon God Palace, there is no such person you seek,” Ice Moon said. “Among the previous generation of Moon Maidens, there is also no such person.”

“Then she…” Qi Yuan fell silent.

“She is so mysterious, and yet a person of the Moon God Palace—then… there are two possibilities.

The first possibility: she is too strong, able to evade my scrutiny.”

Qi Yuan nodded in acknowledgment upon hearing this.

For instance, if he now returned to the Divine Light Sect pretending to be an ordinary disciple, the sect master would not recognize him.

“And the second possibility?”

“She is Moon Goddess Yuanjun.

Within the Moon God Palace, the most mysterious… is Moon Goddess Yuanjun.

She is also mysterious, and Moon Goddess Yuanjun is also mysterious.

How could such a small Moon God Palace harbor two mysterious individuals?

Therefore, these two may be one and the same.” Ice Moon said with certainty.

“Where is she?” Having received this answer, Qi Yuan was not surprised.

He had many guesses about his master’s identity.

Whether she was Moon Goddess Yuanjun or not, it did not change the fact that she was his wife.

“She…” At this, Ice Moon’s expression grew complicated.

“She may be in the past, or in the future, but… not in the present.”

“In the past… the future?” Qi Yuan’s expression was complex, his thoughts swirling.

He felt as though his mind was growing.

Indeed, the stronger one became, the more arcane the things encountered.

Like the Bright Venerable who severed the future of the Six Heavens, or Moon Goddess Yuanjun, who existed not in the present but in the past or future.

“How can I see her?” Qi Yuan asked.

“It is said that the fifth layer of Yang God can gather all timelines in the world.

If you step into the fifth layer, you may travel through time, return to the past, or go to the future to see her.” Ice Moon’s voice was calm, her eyes fixed on Qi Yuan as she spoke slowly. “Or perhaps you have already seen her, in the past, only you do not know it.”

Qi Yuan was silent, standing still, countless images flashing through his mind.

Yet, in the end, he could not recall any information about his master, Ruan Yixi.

After all, a flower blooming quietly by the roadside has its own beauty and charm, but Qi Yuan’s gaze need not linger on it.

“It seems my strength is still too weak,” Qi Yuan said.

Indeed, he was only at the Purple Mansion realm now.

He could not be absolutely certain of victory against a Supreme Venerable, let alone the Only Hall, where even more powerful beings existed.

“The fifth layer of Yang God can gather all timelines in the world—then what of the third and fourth layers?” Qi Yuan asked.

Ice Moon shook her head. “Such realms are not something a mere creation treasure like me can know.

I know nothing of the third layer, but I have heard a little of the fourth layer of Yang God. It represents… a kind of disorder, a kind of chaos.

The fourth layer of Yang God… you should have seen it too.”

“Who?” Qi Yuan had a guess in his heart.

“The Root Demon, spread across countless universes. The Root Demon that appears only during the Root Demon Calamity is the majestic existence of the fourth layer of Yang God!”

Ice Moon’s eyes held deep reverence.

A being of the second layer of Yang God looking at the fourth layer is like a mayfly gazing at the blue sky, a frog in a well seeing the sun and moon.

Though both are Yang Gods, they are not the same kind of creature.

If the second layer of Yang God is still confined to a single universe, the third layer transcends the universe.

The fourth layer of Yang God, with a single thought, pervades countless worlds.

“Root Demon?” Qi Yuan pondered.

The special being Ice Moon spoke of matched his guess.

“I do not know why you were able to resolve the Root Demon Calamity.

But… you had best not keep thinking of helping others resolve the Root Demon Calamity.”

The fourth layer of the Yang God might represent chaos and disorder, but... that does not mean It will slumber forever. What if It suddenly awakens and sees a little trinket like you?" Bingyue’s words were a warning, yet a hint of mockery gleamed in her eyes.

"Hey, I’m not little!" Qiyuan retorted, displeased.

He was so large that Ziyuan Xiaolu would stutter out three "bigs" at the sight of him.

How could he be little?

"Any more questions? The information I hold is no less than the Myriad Mirror of the Supreme Council. In a moment... I must sleep," Bingyue said, a trace of weariness spreading across her ice-like face.

"How strong are the aberrant spirits of the Solemnity Hall?" Qiyuan asked.

"The Solemnity Hall..." Bingyue’s eyes flickered with deep wariness. "You’ve been to the Tiankun Strange Land, so you should know of the Tattered Robe Wraith."

"Yes."

"The Tattered Robe Wraith, I surmise, was a being of the Yang God’s third layer in life. It is stained with the Blood of Ill Omen—blood that once sought to enter the Immortal Realm, only to be annihilated and eradicated by the Solemnity Hall." As she spoke, Bingyue’s face bore reverence and profound dread.

"So it seems the Solemnity Hall does have some strength. I am no match for them now," Qiyuan said seriously.

As he was now, he likely couldn’t even defeat the Tattered Robe Wraith. In life, it had been at the third layer of the Yang God; in death, only a remnant soul or consciousness remained, yet it was still this formidable. How terrifying, then, must the third layer of the Yang God be? The Blood of Ill Omen was probably even stronger. And the Solemnity Hall, able to withstand that blood, was surely mightier still.

"If I were you, I would enter the Gate of Supreme Truth now. The Gate of Supreme Truth is not only the foremost creation treasure of the Immortal Realm but also called the purest land of the Immortal Realm. In a sense, the Supreme Ones have already achieved co-eternity with heaven and earth, with endless lifespans. Yet over so many epochs, countless Supreme Ones have appeared in the Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm, and those who survived number no more than a handful. Hiding within the Gate of Supreme Truth... perhaps you could attain eternal life." Bingyue looked at Qiyuan with envy.

"We who tread the Great Path seek only freedom, but in this world, where can true freedom be found? The Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm show no future; to us, they are but a cage. This cage cannot be escaped—escape means death. I have also seen beings from beyond the realm; they all say that beyond, there is strife and war, even more chaotic than the Six Heavens. One can only survive by clinging to a corner, but once discovered by other... cosmic beings, war is inevitable. Just as in the Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm, countless epochs ago, there were invaders and conquerors. Strength is a calamity, weakness a disaster; ignorance is bliss, and unknowing brings joy. The stronger one becomes, the more one realizes one’s own insignificance, and the more hopeless the path of immortality seems." Bingyue spoke, a trace of despair in her expression.

Such despair Qiyuan rarely saw in the eyes of a great cultivator like the Grand Truth.

Qiyuan’s mind was calm. He understood what Bingyue said. According to a certain "electrician," it was the Dark Forest Law. Once a universe is discovered and observed by some powerful existence, then... war might break out. After all, cultivation relies on both the mind and resources. In a sense, the mind is also a resource. Plunder is the theme of the immortal path.

"Alas, the atmosphere in the cultivation world is too foul. I know," Qiyuan couldn’t help but sigh.

Having played so many games, he was familiar with these phenomena. Even NPCs were full of hostility, let alone cultivators. The Moon-Watching Continent, the Flowing Wind Realm, the Mortal Heart Realm, the Arching Star... which of these worlds was not ablaze with war? Where there are people, there is conflict and contention. It’s only a matter of scale.

"It seems I must improve my strength and rectify the atmosphere of the cultivation world!"

"First rule of cultivation: no cursing!"

PS: Ahem, there’s a red envelope below.

(End of chapter)