Chapter 556: Someone from the Tai Star Domain

Chapter 556: The One from the Tai Star Domain

Qi Yuan extended a finger; the turtle, belly-up, struggled ceaselessly, clumsy and slow, trying to bite the finger, but its limbs were too short and its strength too meager—it could not turn over at all.

A fearsome existence at the second layer of Yang God, now as foolish as an ordinary turtle—how could this not shock the heart?

Xianling Yingjun and the other three stared at Qi Yuan, the awe in their hearts beyond measure.

The Yang God who had been hiding within Wu Chun’s consciousness now also revealed her form.

She looked at Qi Yuan, trembling as she bowed with reverence.

“Greetings, Senior.”

Wu Chun and Tong Chang, snapping out of their daze, also hurriedly bowed in respect.

“We pay our respects, Senior!”

That single move from Qi Yuan had truly stunned them.

A majestic being of the second Yang God realm, effortlessly subdued by the man before them.

What realm was this?

The legendary Great Principle?

As for the even higher Realm Lord, they dared not even imagine it.

A Realm Lord to them was like a Yang God to a mortal—the gap far too vast.

Xianling Yingjun blinked, his face twisting: “You… really became a Realm Lord?”

He recalled the message Qi Yuan had sent.

At first, he was stunned.

Then he convinced himself that his brother wasn’t driving a Land Rover, and he felt balanced.

But now, his brother was piloting a space battleship.

The others’ minds tightened?

Realm Lord?

The cosmic overlord, Realm Lord?

This man, who looked far too young, was a Realm Lord?

“Yes, a Realm Lord. Didn’t I already tell you?

Or have you also caught amnesia and forgotten?” Qi Yuan said calmly.

Xianling Yingjun’s heart churned; he stared at Qi Yuan, thoughts swirling.

As for the other three, their expressions grew even more vivid.

A Realm Lord—the legendary Realm Lord!

In the Zhou Universe, Realm Lords stood high above, rarely appearing among mortals.

Ordinary Yang Gods might go their entire lives without ever being worthy to see a Realm Lord.

And they had seen one… a living Realm Lord?

Yet the next moment, Xianling Yingjun’s reaction made them lose composure.

“Hey… Brother Qi Yuan, ahem, don’t you still owe me some favors?” Xianling Yingjun was bold, his expression both fawning and absurd.

The other three were dumbfounded.

Addressing a Realm Lord by name—weren’t they afraid of dying so utterly that even their true spirit ceased to exist?

And moreover, telling a Realm Lord directly that he owed them a favor—that was utterly tactless.

Weren’t they afraid the Realm Lord would grow angry and kill them all in a fit of rage?

“Yes,” Qi Yuan nodded, his reaction calm.

“How about this… I’ll acknowledge you as… Grandfather?” Xianling Yingjun said shamelessly.

He dared not call him adoptive father or godfather.

After all, a Realm Lord was far beyond him.

The three nearby, seeing this, thought Xianling Yingjun both audacious and shameless for saying such a thing.

“No, I don’t want my daughter to gain another godson—she’s still young,” Qi Yuan refused outright.

Qi Jianjun was still small; to make her a mother so soon would weigh on Qi Yuan’s heart.

Seeing himself rejected, Xianling Yingjun was not flustered: “Then… how about I become your disciple?”

He was hopeful.

If it were another Realm Lord, he would never dare act so recklessly.

But Qi Yuan was different.

All things in the world seemed the same in Qi Yuan’s eyes.

“I’m too lazy to take disciples—troublesome… How about this: I’ll adapt your cultivation technique for you, boost your strength… or… help you casually comprehend the rudiments of a rule?” Qi Yuan said.

This exposition-style NPC had indeed helped him greatly, and Qi Yuan always distinguished between kindness and enmity, repaying favors.

Though sometimes, what he repaid… far exceeded what others gave.

But he cared not at all.

In life, one should act as one pleases, follow one’s whims.

Xianling Yingjun’s eyes shone with wild joy.

The three around him felt deep envy but dared not show it.

After all, they were not familiar with this Realm Lord.

What if… this Realm Lord killed them? No one could save them.

They also dared not casually speculate on the Realm Lord’s thoughts, for to beings of that realm, their guesses were like ants guessing at gods.

…

[Strange Source, a differentiation of Black Heaven’s origin, with infinite energy and polluting properties… Where the Strange Source lies, Black Heaven is present.]

Gazing at the Strange Source in his hand, Qi Yuan’s eyes flickered with curiosity.

From this Yang God, Qi Yuan had extracted a wisp of Strange Source.

As for the Strange Source on Qi Huang, it could not be extracted because it had been activated.

The Strange Source before him was like a grain of long-grain rice in size, crystal clear, dazzling to the mind.

“It seems the Strange God of Black Heaven Black Earth intends to use the Strange Source… to invade the Zhou Universe?”

Through the Strange Source and the turtle Yang God, Qi Yuan learned much.

This Yang God of Black Heaven Black Earth was fishing through Strange Source contamination.

In the Void Paradise, there were many tasks recording the aura of the Strange Source.

Many voidwalkers had come to the Sacred Wood Universe, all to document the aura of the bizarre source.

And at times like these, the Yang Gods of the Black Sky and Dark Earth would strike, seizing control of these voidwalkers, implanting the bizarre source into their true spirits so that they might carry it into the Void Paradise.

In this manner, the bizarre source would take root within the Zhou Universe.

To the Black Sky and Dark Earth, the Zhou Universe was merely a second Sacred Wood Universe.

"Is the Black Sky and Dark Earth truly that confident?" Qi Yuan mused in astonishment.

The Zhou Universe was no Sacred Wood Universe.

The Zhou Universe possessed World Masters of the Heaven-Opening Realm.

In terms of sheer power alone, a hundred or even ten thousand Sacred Wood Universes were no match for the Zhou Universe.

Yet, the Black Sky and Dark Earth actually had the audacity to lay their hands upon the Zhou Universe.

"What exactly... is the Black Sky?"

"I truly wish to catch a glimpse of it."

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

If he could lay his own eyes upon the Black Sky, he would be able to discern its true origins.

He also wished to see what kind of sacred entity this so-called Black Sky truly was.

...

The Cosine Realm.

Shangguan Qingteng was clad in plain black robes, looking for all the world like an ordinary old man.

Shangguan Qingmiao sipped his wine, a faint glint of desolation lingering within his eyes.

"Qingmiao, matters have already come to this; sorrow is of no use," Shangguan Qingteng consoled him.

The two of course had followed Yuan's commands, rushing from the Greater Star Domain to the Chaotic Star Domain to rescue Qi Yuan, a genius who showed promise of breaking through to the Ancestral God Realm.

Before their departure, seventeen separate armies from the Greater Star Domain, including the Azure Cloud Army, the Battle Star Army, and the Smear Star Army, had marched to the front lines to halt the forces of the Black Sky and Dark Earth.

The numbers of these combined hosts easily exceeded a hundred million.

They had marched in forced haste, without a single moment of rest, surging forward wave after wave, indifferent to the wind and rain.

The march had taken three long years, and upon arrival, they plunged straight into the vanguard, only to be entirely wiped out... in less than three months.

Sweat, blood, and flesh had paved the front line.

And yet... the front line had fallen regardless.

Having just received this news, one could well imagine the state of Shangguan Qingmiao’s heart.

It was a grief beyond measure.

"Big brother, tell me... was their death... worth it? Can future generations... truly protect these magnificent lands?" Shangguan Qingmiao asked, his face a mask of sorrow.

Tragedies of this nature were by no means isolated incidents. Over the countless years, the heroic spirits of the Sacred Wood Universe buried along the front lines numbered far more than hundreds of millions.

The Void Sea was like a massive, grinding mill of blood and bone.

Shangguan Qingteng’s gaze grew wistful, and he could only speak with helpless resignation: "Man proposes, but heaven disposes."

To surrender meant certain death, and to resist meant death as well, but at the very least... one died standing.

"I say, we might as well have joined the Radiance Society, perhaps then we would have a sliver of hope for survival!" Shangguan Qingmiao spoke out in discontent.

A profound look flashed through Shangguan Qingteng’s eyes: "A universe can harbor those who crawl in the dark, but it also requires those who dare to fight, and we just happen to be the ones who dare to fight."

Within the Radiance Society, the highest leader from the Sacred Wood Universe's faction was Yi, the younger brother of Yuan.

Yuan had chosen the Path of Human Enlightenment.

Yi had chosen the Path of Divine Enlightenment.

If the Path of Human Enlightenment fought to the last breath, the Path of Divine Enlightenment could still take the remaining sparks of the Sacred Wood Universe and reignite them within the Radiant Universe.

Of course... was the Radiant Universe truly benevolent, and would it truly grant them a path to live?

That was something no one could foresee.

"Forget it, I have always been arrogant and domineering by nature; to make me go to the Radiance Society and play the grandson, I simply cannot do it," Shangguan Qingmiao muttered, draining the wine in his cup once more.

Shangguan Qingteng tapped his fingers against the tabletop, his emotions similarly melancholy: "Once we bring Qi Yuan to the Greater Star Domain, if he manages to break through to the Ancestral God Realm, it will be considered a boost to our combat strength."

"True, I heard the boss say that this Qi Yuan’s talent is immense, and in the future, he might not lack the opportunity to break through to the Second Realm of the Ancestral God." As Shangguan Qingmiao spoke up to this point, a look of invigoration returned to his face.

This could at least be considered a piece of good news.

In the current Greater Star Domain, what they lacked most was high-end combat power.

Both the Path of Human Enlightenment and the Path of Divine Enlightenment plans had been underway for tens of thousands of years.

The number of artifact refiners who had perished for this cause was beyond counting.

As of now, there were already seven treasures of Human Enlightenment.

Faced with the invasion of the Black Sky and Dark Earth, the Sacred Wood Universe was no longer entirely defenseless, unlike several centuries ago when Yuan had gone out to the Void Sea entirely alone to face an enemy several times his size.

Now, the greatest shortage was in high-level combatants.

"Heheh, now that the Black Sky and Dark Earth are invading, we must bite off a piece of their bone as well," Shangguan Qingmiao chuckled darkly.

As for the ultimate conclusion, they were well aware of it, but did knowing the end mean they should not resist?

"Hmph, even if they possess the bizarre source and can revive indefinitely, still... we can wear down a portion of their bizarre source through sheer attrition!" Shangguan Qingteng declared.

Yet in truth, he understood that the bizarre source was boundless and could never be truly exhausted.

Had anyone ever seen the Void World Masters of the Zhou Universe willing to provoke the Black Sky and Dark Earth?

Nevertheless, being able to tear a piece of flesh from the Black Sky's body was a good thing to them.

"My Lord, something terrible has happened!"

Just then, a god-level weapon master approached, his face etched with anxiety.

"What is it?" A sense of foreboding flashed through Shangguan Qingteng’s heart.

"I am afraid we cannot use the nearest teleportation formation," the god-level weapon master reported.

Teleporting experts of the Ancestral God level required a massive amount of energy.

Thus, Shangguan Qingteng and Shangguan Qingmiao had been staying in this realm, waiting for this member of the Human Enlightenment Society to clear the pathways before teleporting to the Kuijin Realm.

"What happened?" Shangguan Qingmiao asked hurriedly.

"I hear... that fifteen Yang Gods are heading toward the Kuijin Realm, and all the surrounding worlds... have been placed under martial law; no one knows what great crisis has occurred in the Kuijin Realm," the god-level weapon master said in a heavy voice.

Shangguan Qingteng’s expression shifted slightly: "Could it be..."

A terrifying conjecture arose within his heart.

Yuan had once mentioned that ninety-nine bizarre gods of the Kuijin Realm were hunting Qi Yuan.

Qi Huang of the Kuijin Realm was a notorious scion of privilege who possessed many treasures, enough to surround and slay mythical powerhouses.

Now that over a dozen Yang Gods were rushing toward the Kuijin Realm, it meant... Qi Huang had very likely been slain by Qi Yuan.

It was highly likely that Qi Yuan had broken through to Yang God during the battle.

Such talent was truly terrifying.

But...

“A dozen Yang Gods… Qi Yuan is doomed.”

With a dozen Yang Gods making a move, let alone Qi Yuan having just broken through to Ancestral God.

Even if the two of them joined forces, it would likely be difficult to handle.

“No, now we have to be crude—force our way through the teleportation array, take Qi Yuan and flee to the Tai Star Domain, and only then will there be a glimmer of hope!” Shangguan Qingteng said.

This was the only chance, every second counted, and there was no room for hesitation.

“Alright!” Shangguan Qingmiao nodded.

He knew that one misstep in this move would mean death in the Chaotic Star Domain, but there was no better way.

They could die, but those seeds capable of wielding the light of human awakening… could not.

They were the hope of the Divine Wood Universe.

“Go!”

Instantly, two terrifying auras soared into the sky, flying toward the teleportation array.

As the two struck out, their presence was awe-inspiring.

The obstructing Spectral Gods couldn’t hold for even a single breath before falling in an instant.

Since they had made a move, it meant exposure, and what awaited them next would be endless pursuit.

“Go.”

At that moment, in the Kui Gold Realm.

Qi Yuan’s expression was languid.

“Indeed, with no one disturbing me, the progress of my Mortal Transformation has sped up quite a bit.”

Now, his Mortal Transformation progress had reached 10%.

There was still some distance to completion.

“If I can just lie low peacefully for another three or four years, I should be able to complete it and succeed in Mortal Transformation.”

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, a helpless look appeared in his eyes.

“Pity, gold shines wherever it goes.”

“With my handsome looks, even staying indoors every day, those Spectral Gods still find me and stop my Mortal Transformation.”

“So… maybe… if I slaughter all the Spectral Gods in the Chaotic Star Domain, can I then focus on my Mortal Transformation?”

Qi Yuan had a sudden whimsical thought.

No one could stop his Mortal Transformation!

Just then, two terrifying auras suddenly descended from the sky.

Those two terrifying auras were enough to make even Spectral Gods tremble.

A vast voice also spread across all directions at that moment.

“Where is Qi Yuan? We are Ancestral Gods of the Human Awakening Society, entrusted by Yuan to take you to the Tai Star Domain.

A dozen Spectral Yang Gods are now chasing after us—we must leave quickly!”

These two Ancestral Gods did not hesitate at all and directly stated their purpose.

For they had already sensed that those dozen Yang Gods were also rushing this way and would arrive soon.

If they didn’t leave now, it would be too late.

“From the Human Awakening Society?” Qi Yuan was surprised.

He hadn’t expected Yuan to send someone to fetch him.

He thought of the Academy Master; it must have been his entrustment.

“No need to worry. Now that my divine skill is complete and I have become a Realm Lord, such trivial enemies I can slay with a wave of my hand,” Qi Yuan replied calmly.

In the sky, upon hearing Qi Yuan’s response, Shangguan Qingteng and Shangguan Qingmiao’s faces initially showed joy, but the next moment they turned bewildered.

Had this Qi Yuan… gone mad from cultivation?

How could he be a Realm Lord!

How could he possibly be a Realm Lord.

Without any hesitation, their figures landed in Qi Yuan’s courtyard.

“No time to explain—we must go now; the Tai Star Domain is safe.”

The Kui Gold Realm was located in the war zone, a territory of the Spectral Gods, and they couldn’t stay long.

“No, it’s safe here. I am a Realm Lord—who dares provoke me?” Qi Yuan said casually. “Besides, I’m busy with Mortal Transformation to break through to Yang God, and I have no time to go to the Tai Star Domain.”

Qi Yuan refused.

Hearing this, Shangguan Qingmiao was speechless inside.

This Qi Yuan really had gone mad from cultivation, speaking incoherently.

First he said he was a Realm Lord, and now he’s talking about Mortal Transformation to break through to Yang God.

(End of chapter)