Chapter 552: Ultimate Exquisite White Moonlight

Chapter 552: The Ultimate Exquisite White Moonlight

“He seems to be in Cloudblood City; it would be worth paying a visit.” The Master of the Academy sighed softly.

While compiling the *Outline of World History*, he had encountered all manner of people—ordinary mortals and heroes alike.

He sang the songs of common folk and erected monuments for the valiant.

In his eyes, any who dared to draw a blade against the Darkpupil Cunning God in the Kuijin Realm was a true hero.

The maiden stood behind him, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

…

Three thousand leagues away, Qihuang hung high in the firmament.

His entire body was covered in white whiskers, and he bore curved ram’s horns like a bow, his aura extraordinary.

Beside him, the towering Darkpupil wore a cold expression, gazing into the distance at his own corpse, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

“Heh heh, Darkpupil, you’re quite the waste—slain by a human, and then your corpse propped up to frighten us!” The Two-headed Serpent Cunning God’s eyes gleamed with mockery.

The other Cunning Gods’ expressions hardened; most of them were on par with Darkpupil in strength.

If Darkpupil had been easily killed, it meant that white-haired man could slay them too.

“If Lord Qihuang hadn’t revived you, you’d be standing forever in Cloudblood City as a famous… attraction,” said the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God.

Only when mentioning Qihuang did the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God show respect and awe.

Unlike them, Qihuang was a second-generation Cunning God, hailing from Black Heaven and Black Earth.

“Darkpupil slain by a human—this is an insult to all us Cunning Gods!

I shall go and kill that human at once. Wait a moment—I’ll be back shortly.”

The Two-headed Serpent Cunning God spoke, eager to prove himself before Lord Qihuang.

His strength was indeed formidable, ranking among the top ten in the Kuijin Realm, a Great Venerable in combat power.

Darkpupil endured the humiliation but dared not retort, for the Two-headed Serpent was truly powerful.

“With the Serpent God going, won’t it be a sure catch?”

“To dare cause trouble in the Kuijin Realm is to court death!”

The assembled Cunning Gods spoke, their expressions indifferent, yet with a hint of flattery toward the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God.

If the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God went, no matter how strong Qi Yuan was, he would likely be no match.

The Two-headed Serpent Cunning God basked in the praise, turning to Lord Qihuang, waiting for his nod to head to Cloudblood City and slay Qi Yuan.

Just then, Qihuang curled his lips into a smile: “Interesting. So this is the Heaven’s Chosen, favored by fate?”

Qihuang’s words were cryptic, and the surrounding Cunning Gods could not grasp his meaning.

Then Qihuang said, “If I agreed to let you go, don’t even think—your fate would be no different from Darkpupil’s.

After that, I suppose Kaichi, who’s at odds with you, would volunteer to claim the credit, only to be slain in turn!”

Qihuang spoke lazily, a relaxed smile on his face.

The Heaven’s Chosen are blessed by destiny.

Even though the Kuijin Realm had been conquered by the Cunning Gods, the world still belonged to the Divine Wood Universe, and its will would naturally favor the Heaven’s Chosen.

Correspondingly, the enemies of the Heaven’s Chosen would suffer mishaps or lose their wits for inexplicable reasons.

The Two-headed Serpent Cunning God’s face stiffened; he was unconvinced: “Though he slew Darkpupil, he is not yet a Great Venerable. I could kill him with ease!”

Qihuang chuckled: “Who said he is merely a Venerable?”

“Could he be a Great Venerable?” The other Cunning Gods’ expressions turned grave.

If he were a Great Venerable, the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God might indeed stumble.

“He is not only a Great Venerable, but no ordinary one.” Qihuang’s eyes flashed with greed. “He is a… Withered Mythical.”

“What… Mythical?”

“A Mythical being!”

The assembled Cunning Gods trembled in fear upon hearing this.

A Mythical and an ordinary Yin God are two entirely different concepts.

If a Mythical made a move, all ninety-nine Cunning Gods of the Kuijin Realm would die.

Some of these Cunning Gods even wanted to flee immediately.

“Three thousand years ago, one of my uncles sought to ascend to the Yang God realm and encountered this man… beyond the realm. They clashed.”

Qihuang said smugly.

“Naturally, this man failed. My uncle returned, sat in meditation for a thousand years, and entered the Yang God realm.”

Hearing Qihuang speak of his uncle, all the Cunning Gods showed reverence.

Lord Qihuang had many uncles.

Rumor had it… there were even uncles at the second layer of Yang God, and that was not the strongest.

Qihuang often spoke of his uncles, each one inspiring awe among these Cunning Gods.

“As for him, his Mythical power has withered. He is probably only a bit stronger than a Six-Step Heaven-Treader, far weaker than a true Mythical,” Qihuang said.

If not for his uncle, he would not have recognized Qi Yuan.

“Even so, if we join forces, even if we capture him, we would suffer heavy casualties. Please, Lord Qihuang, send for aid from Black Heaven and Black Earth. Only a Mythical can slay this beast!” the Two-headed Serpent Cunning God said, a chill of fear in his heart.

If he had gone, he would truly have died.

Qihuang smiled: “See? This is the Heaven’s Chosen, blessed by fate. If not for my formidable uncles, the Kuijin Realm might have fallen today.

Fate may affect you, but it cannot touch me.”

Qihuang’s face was confident, greed flickering in his eyes: “Why summon a Mythical? We are enough to kill him!”

As a Great Venerable of the Six-Step Heaven-Treading, Qihuang was deeply interested in Qi Yuan’s body.

The cultivation methods of Black Heaven and Black Earth were quite bizarre; obtaining the body of a powerful cultivator could greatly shorten training time.

If he slew Qi Yuan and claimed his corpse, he could leap to the peak of the Seven-Step Heaven-Treading.

That would save nearly hundreds of thousands of years of bitter cultivation.

Thus, he did not wish to call upon a Mythical.

If a Mythical intervened, Qi Yuan’s corpse would be out of the question.

Qihuang chose to act himself.

“We…” Kaichi’s face showed difficulty. “Even if he is a Withered Mythical, it will be hard for us to kill him, and even if we do, the cost will be immense!”

He was afraid.

Qihuang dismissed it: “My uncle gave me a Cunning Source. Why fear death? Even if we die, we will revive like Darkpupil.”

In his hand, he held a high-grade Cunning Source.

The endless stream of powerhouses from the Dark Sky and Dark Soil existed solely because of the Paradox Source.

Should a Sun God fall in battle, spending a mere fraction of the Paradox Source could resurrect them.

Even Dark Eye had been brought back to life by Qi Huang.

"If that is the case, we shall fight without fear of death; united, we possess the strength to slay him!"

"Indeed, even if his might is formidable, at worst, we can all detonate ourselves—we will wear him down to his grave!"

"But what if... what if he is not of the Withered Mythos?"

Qi Huang maintained a tranquil countenance: "Rest assured, my lords, I possess a rather abundant reserve of Paradox Source."

It was not merely a bit abundant; it was an ocean.

In fact, it was grand enough to sustain the resurrection of a Sun God at the level of a World Realm Master.

After all, he had quite a number of uncles.

Moreover, he stood as the sole, precious heir within his clan.

Hearing this, the remaining Paradox Gods let out a collective sigh of relief.

With an abundance of Paradox Source, the predicament ceased to be dire.

Even if their adversary had attained the Perfect Mythos, after a few rounds of their frenzied self-detonations, he would likely breathe his last.

Qi Huang was steeped in confidence; even if there were a one-in-a-billion chance that the opponent's inner universe erupted and, blessed by destiny, broke through into the Ancestral God Realm.

An Ancestral God without the blessing of the Divine Tree was merely an oversized Mythos, to be blown up and slaughtered all the same.

"Yet... should he intend to flee, and we find ourselves unable to stay his path, what then?" the Paradox God Scarab-Wing inquired.

Backed by the Paradox Source, they possessed more than enough to slay Qi Yuan, but if Qi Yuan chose to flee, capturing him would prove arduous.

"Fret not. Since I have chosen to strike, I naturally possess the means to ensure he cannot escape," the Paradox God Scarab-Wing spoke, brimming with assurance.

He harbored a certain treasure that contained a world of its own.

When the moment came, they would enter the artifact and draw Qi Yuan into its depths, leaving him absolutely no avenue of escape.

Of course, until they succeeded in slaying Qi Yuan, they themselves would be unable to depart.

But such matters were trifles.

……

"At long last, two days of peace and quiet."

Qi Yuan stretched his limbs lazily.

His progress in Transcending the Mortal Realm had finally managed to inch forward by one percent.

These past few days had been spent in absolute leisure.

Over on the rebel side, they seemed to have deduced that the one who slew the Paradox God Dark Eye was Qi Yuan, all through those two words—Transcending Mortality—and thus they dared not come to disturb him.

As for Wu Lian, she remained next door, showing no signs of departure.

"Master, how strange. Why hasn't the Blood Tiger Gang come by these past two days?" Zhao Yan looked at Qi Yuan basking in the sun, his face painted with curiosity.

He had been living on a knife's edge these past few days, terrified that the Blood Tiger Gang would seek trouble, to the point where he had not even stepped foot outside the courtyard.

Beside him, Hong Mei's face broke into a radiant smile: "Perhaps my senior brother took action."

Her senior brother was also in the vicinity, and she had mentioned their offense against the Blood Tiger Gang to him; given his temperament, he might well have intervened on her behalf.

"Oh?" Zhao Yan uttered upon hearing this, his countenance filling with gratitude.

His favorability toward Hong Mei deepened once more.

"Master... should we perhaps relocate our nest?" Zhao Yan asked tentatively.

He had brought up the matter of joining the Academy to his master more than once.

Yet his master was an obstinate old fool, utterly unwilling to go.

"If you wish to move, then move yourself!" Qi Yuan cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Yan.

He was currently roleplaying the mortal version of Qi Yuan, and he had completely immersed himself in the character.

As expected, by slaughtering those pests who disrupted his path to mortality, the speed of his transcendence hastened significantly.

Hong Mei remained silent.

She did not press the matter further, for she could not confidently guarantee that Qi Yuan would be accepted into the Academy.

After all, entry into the Academy was an exceedingly grueling ordeal, testing one's scholarship, disposition, and innate talent.

Seeing this, a helpless expression washed over Zhao Yan.

Right at that moment, a rhythmic knocking echoed upon the door.

Zhao Yan's heart tightened instantly.

The Blood Tiger Gang?

Astonishment similarly mirrored across Hong Mei's face.

Then, an old, refined voice drifted into the courtyard.

"I wonder if this old soul might have the fortune to pay his respects to the master of this abode?"

The voice was uniquely elegant; merely listening to it made Zhao Yan feel as though he were bathing in an ocean of literature.

Hong Mei's body trembled violently, her face displaying an expression of utter disbelief.

For this voice... was entirely too familiar.

How... how could he have come here?

"No," Qi Yuan rejected outright from his lounging chair.

See him for what?

Could they not see he was busy being a mortal?

Hong Mei was stunned, and she hurriedly spoke: "Senior, the one outside is... the Lord of the Academy!"

Zhao Yan was dumbfounded upon hearing this as well.

A grand figure like the Lord of the Academy had actually come to visit his master?

"A special NPC?" Qi Yuan blinked, startled. "Does he possess a wealth of information?"

"In the entire Kuijin Realm, none knows more than he!" Hong Mei declared with absolute confidence.

"Bring him in!" Qi Yuan changed his mind instantly.

Aside from his pure first love, his absolute favorite was the exposition-type NPC.

Only by understanding the world's lore and storyline could he effortlessly crush the game.

Before Zhao Yan could move, Hong Mei rushed forward, flinging the courtyard doors wide open.

Upon beholding the hunchbacked old man, deep reverence and awe filled Hong Mei's face.

The old man's hair and beard were stark white, and his hunched back made him appear barely over five feet tall, looking no different from any ordinary mortal elder.

Yet his robes were meticulously arranged, washed to a faded white, without a single crease out of place.

At first glance, he exuded an air of scholarly refinement.

Hong Mei’s heart raced with excitement!

It truly was the Master of the Academy!

Qi Yuan glanced at the hunchbacked old man, a look of surprise crossing his face.

Because the hidden information his eyes perceived revealed that this old man was no ordinary NPC.

Far from ordinary.

In fact… he might no longer be in a living state.

“Old sir, are you writing a book?” Qi Yuan asked.

He recalled the Immortal Elf, who had once mentioned helping an old gentleman gather some information.

Could it be him?

The Academy Master nodded: “You know of me, sir?”

Seeing this, Hong Mei was puzzled. Why was the Academy Master behaving so deferentially toward Qi Yuan?

Even addressing him as “sir”?

Usually, terms like “old man” or “young fellow” were used.

The word “sir” was quite rare.

Could it be that Qi Yuan had a special identity?

“I’ve heard a little. I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Qi Yuan said.

A smile spread across the Academy Master’s face: “Before you ask, sir, might this old man pose a few questions to you first?”

“Go ahead,” Qi Yuan replied.

Hong Mei immediately pricked up her ears, eavesdropping intently.

“Sir, you dwell in a humble abode, hidden among the marketplace—why did you suddenly slay the Dark Eye Demon God?” the Academy Master asked, eyeing Qi Yuan with curiosity.

Beside them, Hong Mei and Zhao Yan were thunderstruck.

The Dark Eye Demon God had been slain?

Killed by Qi Yuan!

“Because… I was living as a mortal,” Qi Yuan answered truthfully. “I wanted to cultivate in peace, but every day someone came to disturb me, vexing my spirit. With no other choice, I killed the strongest Dark Eye in Cloudblood City. I figured I could have some peace for a while, with no one bothering me.”

Zhao Yan: “???”

Hong Mei: “???”

To avoid being disturbed, he slew a demon god?

Even the Academy Master was taken aback, not expecting such an answer.

“Interesting. But have you considered, sir, that demon gods are endless? This is a war-torn region. Kill one demon god, and another will come… I fear you’ll hardly enjoy a moment’s tranquility.”

“If they come, I’ll kill them all. Then no one can bother me,” Qi Yuan replied casually.

That was his plan—simple and brutal, yet thorough.

The Academy Master paused, then said with a slight smile: “Demon gods are infinite. Even if you slay all the demon gods in Kuijin Realm, even more powerful ones might descend. You stand alone here, sir—a single tree cannot withstand the storm, isolated and without support.”

“Do I need support? The advantage is clearly mine!” Qi Yuan said in surprise.

He wasn’t afraid of a strong opponent; he was afraid the opponent wasn’t strong enough.

The Academy Master was stunned again, his curiosity deepening: “You are most intriguing, sir.”

“Alright, you’ve finished your questions. Now it’s my turn,” Qi Yuan said, looking at the Academy Master. “First question… do you know what lies within the Divine Wood Abyss?”

The Academy Master frowned, surprised anyone would ask that.

“This old man has never entered the Divine Wood Abyss, but I’ve heard some Fatebound say it’s empty—nothing at all,” the Academy Master replied.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan fell silent for a moment, then continued: “Second question—what is the Black Heaven? Are they strong?”

This was also something Qi Yuan cared about.

After all, he was something of a shareholder in this game; he couldn’t let others take it over.

The Academy Master grew even more silent, not expecting Qi Yuan to ask such a thing.

“Regarding the Black Heaven, I fear no one in this world knows their origin.

Once, the Divine Wood Universe marshaled all its strength, cooperating with a Voidwalker, who asked the mighty Void Realm Lord about the Black Heaven’s origin.

The Void Realm Lord answered truthfully, yet that Voidwalker could not remember any information about the Black Heaven at all.

Thus, the Black Heaven may be unknowable. Even if someone knows, unless they reach the power of a Void Realm Lord, they likely won’t remember.”

Qi Yuan pondered.

This Black Heaven… was indeed something.

“Third question—is the Black Heaven’s Black Earth very strong? Does it also have Realm Lords?”

The Academy Master was a bit puzzled; this Qi Yuan was different from what he’d imagined, but he answered truthfully.

“Only Rule Realm Lords, number unknown,” the Academy Master shared what he knew. “The Black Heaven’s Black Earth is terrifyingly strong, strong enough to drive one to despair, because their strength is… inexhaustible.

As long as the Black Heaven exists, no matter how many Black Earth warriors fall, they can be revived.”

Speaking of this, a trace of bitterness appeared on the Academy Master’s aged face.

They revive after death, and they’re stronger than you—how do you fight such an enemy?

How many strong warriors of the Divine Wood Universe had fallen, never once truly exterminating a single Black Earth Yang God!

“They revive after death?” Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up.

Didn’t that mean infinite experience?

This was no great enemy!

This was clearly… the ultimate, exquisite white moonlight!

A white moonlight that kept respawning at the refresh point!

(The chapter ends)