Chapter 523: This Is a Proper Game, Don't Make It Lewd! (Thanks...)

Chapter 523: This is a Proper Game, No Lewd Business allowed! (Thanks to the user "Please Put the Bowl Down" for the Alliance Master bounty!)

Chen Kangbao pulled the steamed buns from his vest, arranging them neatly before the skeletal remains, one by one.

He had brought a great many buns, and it took him a full seven or eight minutes just to lay them all out.

Yet, as he gazed upon the vast expanse of remaining white bones, a look of profound agony clouded his face.

"Young Master, I didn't bring enough buns. It's not enough to feed them all."

Qi Yuan’s expression remained placid. "I have plenty of vegetables; you can cook them up."

As he spoke, various cabbages, ribs, rice, and flour flew out from his spatial artifact.

During his days playing the role of a kitchen knife, he had prepared a vast store of ingredients.

Chen Kangbao hurriedly set to work, preparing the food.

The other Weapon Masters stared at the inscriptions left upon the ground, falling into deep reflection, occasionally murmuring in low voices.

After all, these were but simple words, and the calamity that ended the world sounded far too distant from their reality.

Furthermore, there was no proper background music to set the mood, leaving them somewhat detached from the tragedy.

Only the scholar in the Confucian robe, whose eldest brother had perished in this very place, appeared utterly heartbroken.

"The world falling into ruin... to think such peril was encountered beyond the heavens... why did no one speak of this to us?" Tu Sihai expressed his utter astonishment.

"If what is recorded here is true, the Qingshan Realm is likely... in dire straits!" The blind old man’s voice was raspy.

After all, according to the text, nearly three hundred thousand of the Qingshan Realm’s most brilliant artifact masters had gathered here—including no small number of divine-grade smiths—all to forge the Heavenly Primordial, aiming to draw the gaze of the gods and transform it into shards of the Luminous Artifact to combat the eternal night.

"Three hundred thousand people vanished into anonymity, yet not a single rumor spread through the world. These people... this lady truly admires them," the seductive woman remarked.

Initially, when they entered this underground palace, they had hoped to find some fortunes.

Yet casting their eyes about, only the word desolation came to mind.

Aside from the bones, the various spiritual weapons and materials had all lost their divine resonance, no different from common trash.

It could be said that nothing of value remained within this subterranean palace.

If one were to speak of anything possessing high worth, it would likely be...

"Is the Heavenly Primordial the very thing they were forging?" The elder of the Black Fiend brothers inquired in a heavy tone. "With so many artifact masters gathered together for decades, they could have forged quite a few divine weapons. And yet... the forging of the Heavenly Primordial failed, ultimately forcing it to consume the flesh and blood of three hundred thousand masters, along with everything in this palace. Just what kind of terrifying existence is this Heavenly Primordial?"

"This is bad. Now that we've broken in, will the Heavenly Primordial consume us as well?" Terror washed over Wang Dao's face.

After all, even divine-grade artifact masters had been consumed unto death; if they rushed in blindly, their fate was easily foreseen.

"According to the records, the Heavenly Primordial should have finished its consumption... We should be safe. It's just... did they succeed?" Tu Sihai wondered aloud.

These artifact masters had come to this strange domain, forging the Heavenly Primordial day and night, solely to draw the gaze of the gods and bring forth light.

"They must have failed," the scholar in the Confucian robe said, his voice husky. "Had they succeeded, the people of the Radiance Society would have arrived long ago to take the Heavenly Primordial away.

Now, this domain has remained sealed to this day, left untouched. This proves... the Heavenly Primordial failed to win the pity of the gods, nor did it transform into shards of the Luminous Artifact."

Establishing a strange domain within the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains to absorb the smithing talents of an entire realm meant the Radiance Society would surely watch its progress at all times.

Once successful, they would never allow the shards to remain buried here; they would have taken them beyond the heavens.

Looking at it now, the domain was left undisturbed as if forgotten by the world, showing that even feeding the flesh and blood of three hundred thousand masters to the Heavenly Primordial had resulted in ultimate failure.

"If it failed, where is the Heavenly Primordial now?"

The Weapon Masters present felt a sudden wave of apprehension.

What if they had forged a peerless, malevolent weapon instead?

Presently, the underground palace lay in ruins, and the most valuable thing was likely that so-called Heavenly Primordial.

Devouring numerous divine weapons and the flesh of three hundred thousand artifact masters, it surely... surpassed the divine grade, did it not?

That such a terrifying entity could not even draw the gaze of the gods to become a shard of the Luminous Artifact.

Just how precious must the legendary Luminous Artifact itself be?

"Mr. Qi, this old man must go find his elder brother. Farewell." The scholar in the Confucian robe bowed with cupped hands, then moved toward the deeper recesses of the palace.

Along the way, the white bones continued without end, all buried within these deep, desolate mountains.

It was a shocking, sorrowful sight throughout the ghostly valley.

Finally, he stopped before a flight of stone steps, where a skeleton rested. Its posture suggested that, in life, it had been leaning back against the stairs, as though lazily basking in the sun.

The moment he laid eyes upon this skeleton, the scholar knew he had found his eldest brother.

"Big brother..."

The scholar’s voice choked with emotion.

Though he had harbored suspicions ever since his brother’s disappearance, seeing the skeletal remains still brought a wave of grief to his heart.

His brother had been the eldest legitimate son of the family, untamed and unrestrained, loving fine clothes and swift horses, wandering the martial world.

Their father had always worried, questioning how a man of such a temperament could ever shoulder the family responsibilities and burdens.

That his brother had come to this domain was entirely beyond the scholar's expectations.

His gaze fell upon the hand of the skeleton; through the gaps in the finger bones, he could see words carved into the stone step beneath.

"Should descendants behold these words, I am willing to bestow a forging mantra upon them. My only request is that they travel to the capital of the Shang Kingdom, to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, and redeem the courtesan Anxiang from her contract. My utmost thanks."

Gazing at those few brief words, the scholar sighed with emotion.

This writing was entirely in his brother’s style.

In his youth, his brother had been wild and unbridled, most fond of listening to music in the pleasure houses.

He had loved a courtesan named Anxiang and wished to redeem her to marry her into the family, which had met with their father's fierce opposition.

Because of this, his brother's relationship with their father had turned incredibly strained.

He reached out his hand, intending to touch his brother’s remains.

Yet, the moment his fingers brushed against them, the white bones dissolved into ash and dust.

The last physical trace of his brother's existence in this world vanished into nothingness.

The scholar's hand froze mid-air, a melancholy sigh escaping his lips.

"Three hundred thousand souls hidden deep within the peaks, their loyal, scarlet hearts reflecting the chill of the night.

Do they regret burying their bones in this ghostly vale? Yet their heroic names shall never be sung through the ages!"

"Hmph, I never expected to encounter the Grand Grand Master of the Wentai Pavilion of the Shang Kingdom here!"

Right at that moment, a group of over ten people marched toward them.

The leader was none other than Diwu Wei.

He carried a thick, malevolent aura around him, along with the distinct arrogance and condescension characteristic of those in high positions.

He strode forward with long steps, trampling upon the corpses on the ground as if they were nothing but wild weeds, entirely unbothered.

Seeing the newcomer, the scholar's eyes narrowed sharply: "Diwu Wei!"

"The Grand Grand Master of the Wentai Pavilion has always maintained shady dealings with the Adjudication Council. It's just as well that I capture you here, to see if those clowns from the Council have the guts to show themselves." Diwu Wei's voice carried a mocking sneer.

After arriving at the underground palace, he had gained nothing, so his mood was naturally poor.

Upon seeing the Confucian-robed scholar, a murderous intent surged within him.

At once, a burly Heaven-rank Imperial Soldier stepped forward, ready to strike at the Confucian-robed scholar.

But just then, a calm voice rang out like a thunderclap.

How contradictory.

“Stop! I, the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan, am here. How dare you act so insolently!”

A group of several people was seen approaching; the young man at the lead had handsome features and a languid expression.

This man was none other than Qi Yuan.

At this moment, he looked at the Confucian-robed scholar, a smile brimming on his face.

This old man was truly his lucky star.

Earlier, he had brought him Mo Sangkong.

Now, he had brought him a full twelve Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers.

Diwu Wei swept his gaze over the crowd, his expression disdainful: “A mere bunch of riffraff, daring to come here and court death!”

The Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers behind him discerned Qi Yuan and the others’ cultivation levels and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

A group of Earth-rank Imperial Soldiers—any one of them could easily kill them all with a single move.

At this, Tu Sihai said anxiously, “Brother Qi, they are Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers of extraordinary strength. You are merely a live-in son-in-law; you must be extremely careful.”

Hearing this, Diwu Wei initially thought they had some self-awareness, but for some reason, as he listened, he felt that Tu Sihai’s words carried a hidden meaning.

The other Earth-rank Imperial Soldiers also quickly chimed in.

“You are merely a lowly live-in son-in-law; how can you contend with Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers? If you anger these great figures, there will be no place for you in the Kingdom of Ning.”

“That’s right, quickly kneel and beg for mercy, ask the Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers for forgiveness!”

The group chattered on incessantly, appearing earnest and well-meaning, yet none of the Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers present detected even a trace of fear in their tone.

Rather… they even exuded a sarcastic, mocking air.

The Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers present were all somewhat bewildered.

The scene before them was truly bizarre.

What these people said… seemed quite reasonable.

But… it also carried a sarcastic tone, as if deliberately said that way.

This left the twelve Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers present feeling utterly perplexed.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Diwu Wei couldn’t help asking.

“Afraid? I’m scared to death—you’re a Heaven-rank Imperial Soldier!” Tu Sihai quickly replied.

“We’re doomed! Qi Yuan, the live-in son-in-law, why don’t you ask for their forgiveness? Maybe they’ll be magnanimous and let us go!” Wang Dao also said from behind.

They spoke all sorts of humble words with masterful acting, making it seem genuine.

Yet, when Diwu Wei and the Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers heard it, they all felt a strange, unpleasant sensation in their hearts.

They always felt it was sarcastic and mocking.

Diwu Wei’s face erupted with fury: “Insolent! Die!”

He was a prodigy, accustomed to adulation, and could not tolerate even a speck of sand in his eyes.

At this moment, he was enraged and struck directly.

“I’ll tear your mouths apart!”

He did not attack Qi Yuan, but instead went for those Earth-rank Imperial Soldiers who kept chattering endlessly.

Tu Sihai’s eyes showed terror; this time he was afraid: “Don’t tear my mouth—tear Brother Qi’s! He’s about to smirk!”

After all, a Heaven-rank Imperial Soldier attacking him—the terrifying pressure was enough to frighten; his body tensed as if stared down by a colossal beast, unable to move at all.

“Hmph!”

Qi Yuan gave a cold snort.

“Diwu Wei, I didn’t expect that besides bullying live-in sons-in-law, you also bully ordinary people!”

Diwu Wei’s figure abruptly halted: “You know me?”

When the Confucian-robed scholar had called out his name earlier, this group had not yet arrived.

“You sent Mo Sangkong to take my wife as a maidservant—why wouldn’t I know?

Don’t you know that for a live-in son-in-law, his wife is his reverse scale?”

Qi Yuan’s voice was impassioned and fervent.

“As the saying goes, a dragon has its reverse scale; touch it and you die!”

“The woman of a live-in son-in-law—how dare you touch her?”

Having experienced so many worlds, Qi Yuan’s acting skills were especially superb.

With his looks and acting now, if he were to film a show called ‘Dragon King Live-in Son-in-Law,’ it would be a perfect natural performance.

Winning an award would be no trouble at all.

Diwu Wei was taken aback: “You are Shen Lingxuan’s husband?”

He looked at Qi Yuan, his gaze shifting, then broke into a smile.

“This king has changed his mind. I won’t kill you—I’ll castrate you and send you to the palace!”

“This king wants you to watch with your own eyes as your wife is…”

Diwu Wei was about to speak when he suddenly discovered that, for some reason, he could not utter the following words.

Or rather, he spoke them, but no sound came out.

“Hey, this is a proper game—don’t say sensitive words. What if you summon the Harmony God?

If it gets banned, will you compensate my investment?”

Qi Yuan looked at Diwu Wei, somewhat annoyed.

This game isn’t adult-only—can you not use forbidden words?

“You…” Diwu Wei was somewhat shocked.

Today’s events were far too strange.

Especially the words he had just spoken—inexplicably, there was no sound, or rather, the sound did not carry.

“What ‘me’? Prepare to die!”

Qi Yuan threw a punch, attacking Diwu Wei.

The Heaven-rank Imperial Soldiers behind him, seeing this, all wore relaxed expressions.

This strange move looked bizarre, but after all, without achieving unity of heaven and man, it could not possibly harm Diwu Wei.

Diwu Wei naturally also had this thought: "Those who play tricks and pretend to be gods, what is there to fear?"

As he spoke, in an instant, the heaven-earth power within a radius of thirty meters converged upon him.

He stood there, as if the overlord of heaven and earth.

All living beings in the surrounding area seemed to be under his control.

This was the power of heaven and earth, this was true power.

No matter what tricks or oddities, under such majestic power of heaven and earth, they would all be reduced to dust!

"The power you have painstakingly cultivated—how can it compare to the stability of power gained through my incremental leveling up?" Qi Yuan threw another punch.

After completing the Chef's role, his body had become hard to a terrifying degree.

Even if a Heaven-level magical weapon struck him, he could meet it head-on.

Facing Diwu Wei, he showed no mercy.

A terrifying punch landed!

Without any surprise, the heaven-earth power around Diwu Wei receded like a tide.

His face was full of terror and utter bewilderment.

At that moment, a voice reached his ears.

"See? The power you cultivated with such effort is not reliable!"

The fist struck his chest.

Blood splattered, and a huge hole appeared in Diwu Wei's heart.

An expression of disbelief was on his face.

"How..."

"The biggest mistake you made was underestimating a son-in-law. Let me tell you, in all the myriad worlds, sons-in-law, security guards, bodyguards, deliverymen... none of them are to be trifled with."

Qi Yuan did not even glance at Diwu Wei's corpse.

He looked at the remaining eleven Heaven-level Weapon Masters, a smile spreading across his lips.

"Now... it's hunting time."

In an instant, Qi Yuan's speed increased tenfold.

The Earth-level Weapon Masters present could not even see Qi Yuan's figure.

The other Heaven-level Weapon Masters had not yet awakened from the shock.

"Monster!"

"He's a monster!"

"Run!"

Even the prince had died in battle; how could they be a match for this Qi Yuan?

This Qi Yuan... was too bizarre.

He was not a Heaven-level Weapon Master!

Why... was the power of heaven and earth useless against him?

They had no time to think further, and fled in all directions in panic.

"Alas, you were too fond of play. If you had cultivated diligently in your youth, perhaps you would have given me more experience, and you could have breathed in a few more breaths of this world's fresh air."

Qi Yuan, with a single hand-chop, slew a burly man.

His figure flickered again, and the drone also changed, affecting the escape of these people.

He was like a god of slaughter, entering an unguarded territory.

The Heaven-level Weapon Masters present, having lost the power of heaven and earth, none could withstand even a single move from Qi Yuan.

In just a hundred breaths, blood stained the palace.

All the Heaven-level Weapon Masters present were slain.

The palace, covered with withered remains, was now dotted with plum blossoms of blood.

Qi Yuan stretched lazily.

"Not a bad harvest."

These white moons of the Raksha Kingdom were all fat sheep; they had plenty of silver and gold notes, and many rare materials.

Moreover, he had gained a pile of experience points.

He had also devoured a good amount of Unity of Heaven and Man, but it was still far from a breakthrough.

The completion of the son-in-law role... had increased quite a bit.

Qi Yuan guessed that what he lacked now was... riding Shen Lingxuan?

(End of chapter)