Chapter 143.1: Could They All Be the Same Person?

After leaving the sect's grand hall, Kang Fulu walked side by side with Qi Yuan.

He sighed, uncertainty clouding his expression. "Junior Brother, this is your first long trip in years, right? We're suddenly leaving Great Shang and heading to Cuiyun Continent. Who knows what lies ahead? And who knows when we'll be able to return?"

Now, with the Hundred Nations Blood War looming, Great Shang was already teetering on the edge.

Perhaps, Lord Withered Tree had hoped they'd escape the chaos altogether by having them participate in the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle. Best-case scenario, they'd catch the eye of a major sect, join them, and break free from the cage of the Hundred Nations and Cuiyun Continent.

"The Bright Palace will be gone soon. I'll finish the tournament and come back. I won't take long," Qi Yuan said casually, looking entirely relaxed.

Seeing him so calm, Kang Fulu couldn't help sighing.

Ah...

sometimes it’s better to be blissfully ignorant. At least then, one could live without constantly worrying.

Even though he had formed a Golden Core, his heart was always weighed down.

"Junior Brother, just do your best in the tournament," Kang Fulu said, a faint hint of pride flashing in his eyes. "Don't compare yourself to me. I may have a First-grade Golden Core, which is unprecedented within Great Shang. But compared to the prodigies of the Eastern Lands, I'm still far behind."

He was being modest, yes, but it was also a humblebrag through and through.

"Within the top hundred on the Eastern Lands Prodigy Ranking, there are people who have forged Profound-grade, Earth-grade, even Heaven-grade Golden Cores. It's unimaginable."

Qi Yuan blinked, then looked at Kang Fulu with a sympathetic expression. "Senior Brother Kang, don't be discouraged. A First-grade Golden Core is indeed on the weaker side, but you still rank in the top ten in our sect, don't you?"

Kang Fulu was speechless. He didn't want to talk anymore. He came here to show off, not to be comforted like some insecure junior!

He really wanted to tell Qi Yuan,

Do you have any idea how valuable a First-grade Golden Core is in a tiny place like the Hundred Nations!?

Just then, Kang Fulu's eyes lit up. Ahead of them, the chief disciple of Myriad Arts Peak, Xu Yiyi, was passing by.

Kang Fulu immediately abandoned Qi Yuan and flew over. "Junior Sister! I recently obtained a treasure, want to take a look?"

"What treasure?"

"My First-grade Golden Core!"

"Golden Core? Senior Brother, you've reached Core Formation!?"

Qi Yuan watched this scene from afar and sighed. "Fortunately, I started at the very bottom, but set my sights on the stars and the sea. A mere First-grade Golden Core can't possibly dazzle me."

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He shifted his gaze to his own Golden Core. He couldn't help but wonder when would it obtain another chance to devour stars? Larger stars? Neutron stars?

If that happened, then aside from the divine constellations, every star would be swallowed by his Golden Core. What a sight that would be!

He looked up at the small sun in the sky and murmured softly, "What a shame, my Golden Core is too far from me. If I could pull it out like Senior Brother Kang and show it off, I'd probably receive endless praise."

Then he paused. Well, maybe not. If he released it, anyone who saw it would probably die instantly.

***

At the Bright Palace.

Qian Yuan's face was dark and ugly. "Nearly a hundred Nascent Souls dead in the Hundred Nations? Useless trash!"

Over the last few days, nearly a hundred Nascent Soul realm cultivators sent to the Hundred Nations had been slaughtered within two days. Even for the Bright Palace, that was a crippling loss.

Hei Sheng was shrouded in swirling spiritual energy, as though he was about to explode. "Mad Daoist, Seven-Desires Demon Lord, Blood-Clothed Sword God... The people of the Divine Flower Society have such vicious methods!"

Every Nascent Soul trembled in fear as they avoided his gaze.

Qian Yuan's fury was palpable, his voice shaking with rage. "Since when did our Bright Palace provoke so many terrifying enemies?"

Many people had come out of the woodwork all at once, targeting the Bright Palace. To make matters worse, every single one of them was a prodigy. It was absurd.

"Tell me," the red-bearded elder muttered, "is it possible they're all the same person? One man playing several roles and hunting us down?"

"Unlikely." Elder Hei Sheng's voice rumbled like thunder. "The Mad Daoist carries a strange treasure, shaped like a vegetable knife. He uses that thing to butcher Nascent Soul cultivators like chickens. The Seven-Desires Demon Lord uses some forbidden art that summons divine lightning to kill. The Blood-Clothed Sword God is a Violet Palace powerhouse and commands an Origin Divine Technique. Each of them is extraordinary in their own way. They can't possibly be the same person."

Everyone silently agreed. The massacre of Bright Palace's Nascent Soul stewards had involved ten attackers in total.

"How could a tiny place like the Hundred Nations produce so many middle-generation prodigies?" Qian Yuan said darkly. "It's obvious, they're all members of the Divine Flower Society."

Middle-generation prodigies referred to those who had been listed on the previous era's Prodigy Rankings. And the ones who killed the Nascent Soul stewards were all at that level. That was terrifying.

The stewards exchanged uneasy glances. "Divine Flower Society...”

It was a loose, yet incredibly powerful organization, one whose headquarters wasn't even in the Eastern Lands. If the Divine Flower Society truly meant to move against them, things would get troublesome.

Seeing their apprehension, Qian Yuan said reassuringly, "Don't worry. Even the Divine Flower Society doesn't have the authority to meddle in Eastern Lands affairs. The grand palace master has already gone to the Eastern Holy Continent to meet the Divine Flower Society's Eastern Lands branch master and demand an explanation."

Relief washed over the room.

Qian Yuan then said, "The Mad Daoist, the Seven-Desires Demon Lord, and the others have already been placed on our Bright Palace's most-wanted list. If they dare step into the Cuiyun Continent, they will die. As for the Blood-Clothed Sword God, three of us have already issued a battle challenge through the Divine Flower Society. If he dares show himself, it's over for him. While he remains alive, we don't need to send any more stewards to the Hundred Nations."

The stewards all exhaled in relief. "Yes, sir!”

The thought of being sent to the Hundred Nations felt like being marched to the execution ground.

***

When Qi Yuan logged into the Four Divine Flower Emperors chat group, he was immediately greeted by a flood of praise.

└ Qiyuann Sovereign, you're insane. Nearly a hundred Nascent Souls, killed just like that!

└Charging thousands of miles overnight, you are too impressive!

└This is how true cultivators act.

Qi Yuan read through the fawning messages, floating a little, but also mildly embarrassed.

Qiyuann Sovereign: Compared to the true seniors in this group, whose words shape reality itself, I'm nothing.

He remembered what the Iceberg Empress had said. With the Heavenly Dao class, words became law, and gods fell with a thought. Qi Yuan suddenly felt painfully ordinary.

Just then, Rogue Immortal chimed in, acting like Qi Yuan's number one bootlicker.

Rogue Immortal: You're too humble!

Rogue Immortal: You're already slaughtering Nascent Souls like stray dogs. Meanwhile, I still have to participate in the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle. Comparing ourselves is too depressing.

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

Qiyuann Sovereign: You're joining the Prodigy Battle?

Rogue Immortal: What's this, Qiyuann Sovereign? You have a junior planning to enter as well?

I'm still young. I haven't even mar—

Qi Yuan almost typed out "married," but stopped midway.

Wait, isn't Little Bride my wife?

Qiyuann Sovereign: I don't even have kids yet.

Qiyuann Sovereign: I am joining the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle too. Rogue Immortal, let's meet up in person then! I've never actually met any of the big shots in this group.

The Rogue Immortal froze.

Rogue Immortal: But Qiyuann Sovereign, you're already killing Nascent Souls like chickens? You even have an Origin Divine Technique. Why would you participate in a Prodigy Battle?

Qiyuann Sovereign: I'm just a little Core Formation cultivator. It's perfectly reasonable for me to join, isn't it?

Rogue Immortal: Well... yes... but what about the Blood-clothed Sword God? Aren't you a Violet Palace elite?

Qiyuann Sovereign: I'm Core Formation.

Rogue Immortal: But you have an Origin Divine Technique and you kill Nascent Souls like dogs!

Qiyuann Sovereign: Who said Core Formation cultivators can't have Origin Divine Techniques? Who said Core Formation can't kill Nascent Souls?

Rogue Immortal: ...No one, I guess.

Qiyuann Sovereign:

Hmph

! I haven't even used my Golden Core yet. If I do, I might scare a Yin Spirit out of his wits.

Qi Yuan’s smugness rendered Rogue Immortal speechless.

Is it my brain that's malfunctioning, or his? But he's clearly a mighty Violet Palace. Someone like that cannot possibly be insane. Which leaves... me?

Rogue Immortal suddenly felt he had to visit a female healer to mend his fragile heart.

Great Sun Flame Emperor: It's a shame I'm not in the Eastern Lands right now. If you two meet up, I'd go no matter what.

Qiyuann Sovereign: It's fine. The world is big, but we'll cross paths eventually. We're all living in the same era. As long as none of us dies, there'll be chances.

Iceberg Empress: Why does something as simple as a meetup sound so heavy when you say it?

Qiyuann Sovereign: It's just a touch of melancholy.

Closing the group chat, Qi Yuan shifted his consciousness into the gaming jade again.

A moment later, he looked disappointed. "Still nothing. No new game?"

Ever since leaving Flowing Wind World, he had tried entering the jade slip to find new games. Yet it remained empty, as though no new worlds had been created yet. He even swept through the jade slip with his spiritual sense, but sensed nothing new.

He sighed. "Is the jade slip too vast, or my spiritual sense too weak to notice the entries? Do I need something to trigger it? No new game, and I still can't return to the Golden Core. Luckily, I've got the Bright Palace to toy with for now. Otherwise, life would be way too dull."