Chapter 554: One Step into Realm Lord

Chapter 554: One Step into Realm Lord

In an unknown space, Qi Yuan lounged with his legs crossed, reclining in a taishi chair, looking exceptionally carefree.

In an instant, the ninety-nine Trick Gods revived once more.

Unlike three years ago, these ninety-nine Trick Gods were now numb.

From the initial uproar to the present dead silence.

Or rather, they… had died enough.

After that battle, with continuous self-destruction and death, Qi Huang finally noticed something amiss.

Qi Yuan had activated invincibility!

That was the only explanation!

But Qi Huang was unafraid—he had many uncles and plenty of Trick Sources.

Foolish and wealthy.

So he kept self-destructing.

Then… things went wrong, and he dared not self-destruct anymore.

Yet who knew that Qi Yuan’s displayed strength far surpassed that of an ordinary peak Mythical God.

Instant kill!

Instant kill!

Constant instant kills.

Even more terrifying, at some unknown moment, that human before them had actually broken through to the Yang God realm.

This was utterly unimaginable, incomprehensible.

A withered Mythical God suddenly breaking through to Yang God in the midst of battle.

It was like an ordinary person on Blue Star eating a watermelon, taking a dump in the wild, growing a seedling, and that seedling turning into a sky-reaching vine!

After Qi Yuan became a Yang God, the battle became utterly one-sided.

Qi Huang began… threatening, begging, bribing, and using his Realm Lord uncle to intimidate Qi Yuan.

But it was useless; Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered to heed them, directly… instant kill.

Instant kills after Yang God were far faster than those during the Mythical God stage.

Almost as soon as they were revived by the Trick Source, they were slain in an instant.

Even Qi Huang, who had once boasted loudly, was now numb.

Over these three years, revived only to die—how many times had that happened?

Hundreds of millions, perhaps?

Even a person… no, even a god could not endure such agony.

Now, if those numb Trick Gods could still think, they were surely thinking… Lord Qi Huang, don’t you have too many Trick Sources?

At this point, true death was liberation.

Such revival was pure torment.

Qi Huang felt the same; for the first time, he suffered from having too many Trick Sources.

Their expressions were numb, and Qi Yuan was also somewhat numb.

“Now, what difference is there between me and someone working overtime at a factory tightening screws?

No, I’m not as tired as them, but I work longer hours, no holidays all year, and most importantly… I don’t get paid?”

Who stole his wages?

Watching the ninety-nine Trick Gods revive again, Qi Yuan methodically blew a breath.

In an instant, the ninety-nine Trick Gods fell once more.

A trickle of experience points flowed in, and Qi Yuan was long accustomed to it.

“Though it’s just mosquito legs, you can’t beat a trillion tons of them.”

That was Qi Yuan’s current thought.

Would you believe it? He spent every day blowing breath to kill Trick Gods, and now… his combat power was already comparable to… the peak of the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal Realm.

Or even stronger.

As for game levels and such, they had been solidified into cultivation realms.

If Qi Yuan had a data panel, it would show him at Yang God Third Layer, the Rule Realm.

However, his Rule Realm was different from other Yang God Third Layers. For instance, the Realm Lords of Zhou’s universe needed to merge with the universe’s rules to become true Realm Lords.

The Divine Wood Universe was different; its rules were scattered among the Heavenly Fate Bearers. Unless all Heavenly Fate Bearers were slain and sacrificed to the Cosmic True Spirit, no one could merge with the universe’s rules and step into the Realm Lord realm.

“Something’s strange.”

Qi Yuan casually slew these Trick Gods, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Cultivation gained through killing enemies and acquiring experience was naturally more stable than step-by-step training.

When his experience was sufficient, and he stepped from the peak of Yang God Second Layer into Yang God Third Layer, many insights inexplicably arose in Qi Yuan’s mind.

This was normal; when stepping into the Yin God realm, the Yin God also learned many future paths.

Regarding the path of Yang God Third Layer, one needed to merge with the universe’s rules to truly advance, transforming ultimate truths into cosmic rules, making words law.

“Strange… I don’t seem to have merged with the universe’s rules, yet… my ultimate truths seem to have condensed into… rules, I suppose they count as rules.”

Qi Yuan was puzzled.

Generally, the supreme ultimate truths Qi Yuan had condensed—Do as One Pleases and Absolute Adaptation—exerted their greatest power in the Immortal Realm.

When coming to other universes or traditions, their power diminished considerably.

But this time, not only did they not diminish, but… these two were even evolving.

Normally, for an ultimate truth to evolve into a cosmic rule, one needed to actively merge with the universe’s rules.

But Qi Yuan…

He hadn’t merged with the universe’s rules, yet he had inexplicably formed cosmic rules.

This was very, very strange.

“Moreover, I haven’t merged with the Divine Wood Universe’s rules, yet it doesn’t resist me?”

Normally, when other Realm Lords rashly entered another universe, they would be targeted by the universe’s will.

There was more than one strange thing.

“Oh right, I’m a shareholder of the Divine Wood Universe. The universe’s rules… aren’t they just my money? Why would I need to merge with them?”

Suddenly, Qi Yuan found everything easy to understand.

The Divine Wood Universe, this company—he was a shareholder.

"Then what's the point of fusing?

It was already his from the start.

Resist him?

Dream on."

"Sigh... you're reviving too slowly."

In an instant, Qi Yuan had slain these beings countless times again.

He could now easily leave this world, but even a mosquito's leg is meat.

"It seems I need to comprehend a time rule, to make them revive faster and die quicker."

After a moment's thought, Qi Yuan waved his hand casually, shattering this world.

He appeared above the Cloud Blood City with the ninety-nine trickster gods.

Now, seated in the heavens, his form unseen, he kept slaying these trickster gods.

Because their revival and death were so swift, beyond the capture of the human eye, even cultivators couldn't see them revive before being instantly slain again.

Time flowed, and three months passed.

Qi Yuan picked up his communication device and said to Celestial Spirit Handsome:

"Sigh, cultivation is so hard..."

Far away in another world, Celestial Spirit Handsome saw this, a smug look in his eyes: "Cultivation is indeed hard. Three years have passed, and I've only just stepped into the Great Venerable realm."

He was showing off a little.

After all, he had always been overshadowed by Qi Yuan.

"Brother Qi Yuan, what trouble have you encountered?" Celestial Spirit Handsome asked.

Every time Qi Yuan contacted him, it was to ask questions—he was used to it.

A seasoned tutorial NPC would proactively ask what the player needed.

"Right, I've recently found that killing is too slow, so I decided to comprehend a time rule. But three months have passed... and I have no clue."

Qi Yuan was a bit surprised too.

For some reason, whenever he tried to comprehend other rules, he could always get started quickly.

The time rule, logically speaking, wasn't even the hardest among the rules of a first-grade universe, yet he still couldn't make any headway.

"Killing too slow... wait, time rule? You're a Yin God, why are you trying to comprehend a cosmic rule? Aren't you just looking for trouble?" Celestial Spirit Handsome replied, exasperated.

Even a prodigy like Feng Ti had only grasped the rudiments of a rule.

Directly comprehending a cosmic rule was something a Realm Lord should do.

"Sigh, after three years of bitter cultivation, I finally broke through to the Realm Lord realm, thinking I'd have some fun comprehending a time rule. But..." Qi Yuan was so worried his hair was turning white. "I thought I was a genius, that spending three months to comprehend a time rule would be no problem. But... I got nothing."

In another world, Celestial Spirit Handsome's heart skipped a beat. He doubted his own eyes.

"Is there something wrong with the communication device I gave you? Why does it show you saying you've become a Realm Lord?" Celestial Spirit Handsome blurted out.

"It's not broken. I did become a Realm Lord."

"Bro... don't lie to me. You know, I take everything you say seriously!" Celestial Spirit Handsome, even as a Yin God, felt his heart racing wildly, pounding in his chest.

What Qi Yuan said was simply too shocking.

Or rather, incomprehensible, impossible to grasp.

Could it be that he had fallen into a time rift and an entire epoch had passed?

"Why would I lie to you? I'm already a Realm Lord. Do you have any methods for getting started with the time rule?" Qi Yuan asked.

"No!" Celestial Spirit Handsome had a flash of insight. "You're not a Realm Lord!"

"Huh?" Qi Yuan was stunned too.

He wasn't a Realm Lord?

"Every Realm Lord doesn't need to comprehend the time rule. Upon stepping into the Realm Lord realm, they automatically comprehend it." Celestial Spirit Handsome realized something and felt relieved.

He had almost been fooled.

This Qi Yuan was starting to lie!

"Why is that? Don't rules need to be comprehended?" Qi Yuan asked, curious and surprised.

"Upon reaching the Yang God realm, one severs the past self, forges the present self, and welcomes the future self... Past, present, and future all reside within. Upon stepping into the third layer of Yang God, one automatically comprehends the time rule," Celestial Spirit Handsome explained.

This wasn't a secret; anyone whose ancestors had produced great figures would likely know.

It was like someone who had never seen an emperor but knew the imperial robe was mostly yellow.

"Well... it seems I have no past self or future self," Qi Yuan said, feeling a bit awkward.

"It's normal that you don't. It means you're not a Yang God—you're still a Great Venerable!" Celestial Spirit Handsome grew happier and more excited as he spoke.

Thank goodness Qi Yuan was still a Great Venerable.

If he were really a Realm Lord...

Well, he didn't want his brother to suffer, but he feared his brother driving a luxury car.

"You... make some sense. In the game, I'm a Realm Lord, but in reality, I'm just a mere Purple Mansion cultivator, not even a Yin God." Qi Yuan sighed and said no more.

He was feeling a bit depressed.

After all these years of hard cultivation, he was only at the Purple Mansion stage.

If he had fans, they would surely say with tears in their eyes: "Brother has worked so hard, yet he's only at Purple Mansion—it's unfair!"

On the other end, Celestial Spirit Handsome looked at the dim display and suddenly slapped his thigh.

"Oh no, I forgot to remind Brother Qi Yuan—Wu Dong is coming to cause him trouble!"

...

"Where has he hidden?"

In the Kuijin Realm, the man in blue had searched for months without finding any trace of Qi Yuan.

Because of the trickster gods, this place was a fallen zone, and he didn't dare to be too conspicuous.

But after these months, his patience had run out.

"I need to finish this quickly—kill him and then swiftly return to the Radiant Light Universe!"

With that thought, Wu Dong hesitated no longer.

A special artifact appeared, and he flew into the air, his entire body radiating blazing golden light.

Like a scorching sun rising.

"I have heard that in this realm, there is one named Qi Yuan, who comprehends rules and is a supreme Yin God. I admire him deeply. Now, under the clear wind and bright moon, I cross realms to take your head!"

With the power of that artifact, Wu Dong was like an eternal blazing sun, hanging high in the sky.

Every living being in the Kuijin Realm could see him and hear his voice.

He hovered in the heavens, his blue robes shimmering with golden light.

That dazzling golden radiance was awe-inspiring, as if a mortal beheld a god.

Unconquerable, unmatched!

Wu Dong vented his spirit and soul to the fullest, displaying his might.

In the Kuijin Realm, countless living beings looked up at Wu Dong, fear in their eyes.

"This man is so strong... I fear even ordinary gods of trickery are no match for him in a single encounter!"

"Who is Qi Yuan, to provoke someone to cross realms and challenge him?"

Some were confused and bewildered, afraid of being caught in the fallout.

Elsewhere, near the Cloud Blood City, Wu Xiang's eyes showed shock: "He's come to challenge... Mr. Qi, but Mr. Qi..."

He felt a pang of worry.

The gods of trickery had emerged together, and Mr. Qi's whereabouts were unknown—whether he was safe now.

Just as this thought arose, he suddenly seemed to hear a familiar, languid voice.

"Always blocking my path to mortalhood—do you really think I'm made of mud?"

The voice was calm, like a breeze stirring over a dead, silent sea.

The wind suddenly turned fierce.

"Pah!"

It sounded as if someone spat lightly, a common noise by the roadside.

Wu Dong, like an eternal sun, was engulfed.

All his radiance vanished in an instant.

As if he had never existed.

Wu Dong's true spirit was extinguished in that moment.

He didn't even have time to react.

Before he could even resist... he died without a burial place.

All the beings of the Kuijin Realm were stunned, their expressions blank.

The eternal sun in the sky had disappeared.

As if it had never appeared at all.

Everyone was puzzled, astonished.

Could it be... an illusion?

...

In the Radiant Universe.

The Sanmu Realm Lord opened his eyes, shock in his gaze: "Wu Dong is dead?"

He pondered for a moment, then recalled that Wu Dong had gone to the Shenmu Universe to challenge the native who had defeated Feng Ti.

"The Creation Treasure is also shattered?"

The Sanmu Realm Lord was bewildered.

He had once given that disciple a Creation Treasure—though of the lowest grade, it was still a Creation Treasure.

Unless a Realm Lord intervened, no one could destroy a Creation Treasure.

It was common knowledge that no Realm Lord existed in the Shenmu Universe.

"It seems I must trouble the Suiyue Realm Lord to retrieve Wu Dong's true spirit from the Cosmic Mother River and find out what happened."

The Sanmu Realm Lord vaguely felt that something had changed in the Shenmu Universe.

After about ten thousand breaths, the Sanmu Realm Lord waited respectfully in a grand hall.

The master of the hall was the Suiyue Realm Lord, an existence at the Myriad Things Realm.

It was said that this Realm Lord had been cultivating mortalhood for three epochs, had reached perfection in the Myriad Things Realm, and with one more step would enter the legendary Creation Realm.

The Sanmu Realm Lord had once helped the mortal incarnation of the Suiyue Realm Lord, hence this slight bond between them.

Otherwise, though both were Realm Lords with only a minor realm difference, ordinarily the Sanmu Realm Lord truly had no chance or qualification to converse with the Suiyue Realm Lord.

"Sanmu, Wu Dong's true spirit is not in the Cosmic Mother River."

At that moment, an aged voice came, like an ancient tree.

Hearing this, the Sanmu Realm Lord's face showed shock: "His true spirit is not in the Cosmic Mother River? How is that possible?"

"Perhaps... he was devoured by the Black Heaven," the Suiyue Realm Lord said calmly.

(This chapter ends)