Chapter 201.1: Danger in the Ancestral Land? That's It?

The ancient gods quietly exchanged thoughts. Their minds spun, filling in gaps on their own. It wasn't really their fault. They were trying to understand Qi Yuan using normal logic.

Qi Yuan had bluntly pointed out that something was wrong, yet the reasoning behind it was hard to grasp. Still, no matter how much they thought about it, running away was clearly the safest choice. After all, anyone willing to defect to an evil god was someone who valued their own life above all else.

Though on the surface, nothing seemed amiss, a flurry of voice transmissions passed between them.

"

Don't tell Ancient God Yan Xi about this. He may have betrayed us long ago. Our information was probably leaked by him!

"

At that moment, the burly, dark-skinned man turned to Old Snake. "Old Snake, how about the two of us team up once we enter? It's safer if we've got each other's backs."

Old Snake nodded absentmindedly. "Alright."

The burly man added, "I've got a treasure here, it lets the two of us attack and defend as one, sharing divine spiritual energy. Want to use it together?"

Old Snake's expression changed sharply. "No!"

Although the treasure would boost their combined strength, it would also bind him tightly to the other man's side. What a vicious move. This wasn't cooperation. This was setting him up to be slaughtered on the spot.

In that instant, every shred of hesitation in Old Snake's heart vanished. Only a single thought remained in his mind: enter the Ancestral Land and run. The other traitors also arrived at the same conclusion.

The burly man, however, was completely baffled. He had no idea what had just happened. Why such an overreaction from Old Snake?

Nearby, the elder of the twin sisters watched silently, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

Qi Yuan said eagerly, "Let's head into the Ancestral Land and take a look."

Ahead of them, the gray, overcast sky suddenly turned white. A thin, transparent membrane appeared before their eyes.

"Looks a bit like an energy shield, interesting..." Qi Yuan murmured, studying the shimmering barrier.

In most cultivation worlds, arrays carried an unmistakable immortal, mystical flair. This one, though, felt almost sci-fi. Without hesitation, the group marched forward and passed through the barrier.

Zhu Zhuangshi, Yu Lei, Zhao Zun, and the others followed Qi Yuan, crossing straight into the Ancestral Land.

In the next moment, several terrifying auras erupted. Divine spiritual energy surged violently around Old Snake as he fled at full speed. The three Violet Palace attendants beside Yan Xi also burst forth with all their might. Their divine apertures ignited, and they shot away like streaks of light.

The rest of the gods Qi Yuan had singled out earlier didn't hold back either. They ran with every ounce of strength they had. Their speed was absurd, thousands of times faster than sound.

The burly man froze for a split second. "What's going on?"

Seeing everyone bolt, he didn't bother thinking and immediately gave them a chase.

The rest stood there in a daze, staring at one another.

Qi Yuan looked ahead and sighed. "Do you get a prize for finishing first if you sprint in the Ancestral Land?"

The younger twin snapped out of her confusion. "I've never heard of that."

"Then why is that big, dark-skinned guy running too?" Qi Yuan muttered. He could guess why the others fled, but that one?

The others were also full of questions.

At last, Yan Xi turned to Qi Yuan, his eyes full of reverence. "Senior, did a Great Venerable send you here?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the confusion on everyone's faces deepened.

Qi Yuan blinked. "What Great Venerable?"

Yan Xi frowned slightly. "I thought a Great Venerable had uncovered Great Venerable Aoshi’s plot? He had planted defected ancient gods among us. Aside from a few lucky ones, the others—including Old Snake—had already pledged themselves to the evil god."

His words stunned everyone present.

"What? They defected to Great Venerable Aoshi?!"

"He's even plotting against the Final Gate now, could it be...?"

"I knew something was off when this senior pointed them out earlier."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as Yan Xi revealed more of the truth.

Years ago, Aoshi had captured Yan Xi's family, forcing him into submission. Under threat, Yan Xi had entered the Ancestral Land with three so-called attendants, who were in fact Second Step True Gods.

As for Old Snake and the others, they had long since defected. This time, their goals were twofold: secretly assassinate the other ancient gods and seize control of the Final Gate as per Aoshi’s order.

Shaken to the core, the others turned to Qi Yuan with gratitude.

"Thank heavens this senior exposed them!"

"Senior, were you truly not acting under a Great Venerable's command to capture those traitors?"

"No," Qi Yuan said simply.

"Then how did you know they were traitors?"

"I didn't." Qi Yuan blinked innocently. "I just read their fortunes."

That part, at least, was true. He'd sensed something off, but not the full story. Though his eyes could reveal hidden information, they weren’t omniscient.

Yan Xi found that hard to believe. "Read their fortunes...?"

Nevertheless, Qi Yuan's expression showed no hint of deceit. He also had no reason to lie.

"Your fortune telling... is rather powerful." the older twin said slowly, studying Qi Yuan as if trying to see through him.

"A coincidence?"

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"They must've assumed you were sent by a Great Venerable," someone said quietly. "That's why they panicked and fled. If Old Snake and those True Gods had struck from the shadows, we would be finished."

A wave of lingering fear passed through the group. No matter how it happened, they had survived by sheer luck.

A True God bowed deeply, saying solemnly, "Regardless, you saved our lives. I thank you."

"Senior, this debt is greater than heaven itself," another added. "If you have any request, please speak freely!"

The gratitude was genuine. Whatever the reason, Qi Yuan had indeed saved them. They ought to repay him by supreme treasures or favors.

"Anything I want?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. "You're all pretty strong. How about becoming citizens of my Clearwater Village?"

If he could recruit these True Gods, the village's strength would skyrocket. The atmosphere instantly turned strange.

"Senior, are you kidding?"

They were ancient gods, guardians of cities, just like Qi Yuan. The relationship between a guardian god and their people was essentially that of parent and child. They could accept him as a superior, but a father? Hence why, when Qionghua was once willing to become Qi Yuan’s citizen, everyone was reeling.

Now, Qi Yuan was proposing the same thing to them. Surely this was a joke.

"I never joke," Qi Yuan said seriously. "A joke is only a joke if the other party accepts it. Otherwise, it's an insult. I'm speaking sincerely."

The usually talkative younger twin fell silent. Inviting True Gods to become one's citizens. If it wasn't a joke, then it was downright humiliating.

Some of the gods exchanged uneasy voice transmissions.

"

Does he have a screw loose?

"

"

He's strange.

"

"

Brings a whole entourage, reading fortunes...

"

The older twin stepped forward to smooth things over. "We cannot accept that request. How about this instead. Since you've brought over a dozen citizens into the Ancestral Land, which is extremely dangerous, we can each take responsibility for protecting some of them. Consider it a token of our gratitude."

Qi Yuan waved his hand. "My people are safer with me. If you won't be my citizen, then there's no need to waste time here."

He truly didn't care much about it.

Seeing this, the others didn't press the matter. Still, many of them remained intrigued by the enigmatic god. They quietly concluded that something was seriously off about him. And just like that, the matter came to an end.