Chapter 67: Qi Yuan: I Am the True Moral High Ground

Qi Yuan turned to face the Divine General.

[White Sun Ascension Platform Divine General. Defeat him upon the Ascension Platform to gain mastery over Heaven's End]

So the NPC hasn't been lying.

"Alright, I accept the challenge!" Qi Yuan said firmly, holding tightly onto Little Bride's hand.

He had to bring her along lest she stumbled and bumped into things again. When he fought Flower Burial Fairy, he hadn't taken her. When he finally saw her afterward, she was covered in dust and dirt from all the knocks and falls. It was pitiful and heartbreaking.

The metal-armored Divine General declared in a booming voice, "Then fight until death!"

At the same time, a staircase unfurled on the Ascension Platform, spilling down from heavens to earth.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The steps stretched outward, each thundering like a colossal beast’s footstep. After fifteen minutes, the endless steps finally reached Qi Yuan's feet. There were exactly 129,600 steps.

The metal-armored man explained the rules, "Step onto the stairs, and the battle begins. Each victory moves you up one step."

Qi Yuan didn't move immediately. Instead, he asked, "Can I rest in between?"

"You may descend after each battle, but you may not remain outside more than one day. Otherwise, you will be forcibly summoned back. Take heed: one year on the stairs is but a single day in the outside world."

"Oh? Then that's fine." Qi Yuan's heart steadied as he smiled at Little Bride. "This time, we'll fight side by side."

Yet deep inside, he added another vow.

Not just with her, but with everyone from the Five Elements Forbidden Zone and the Yinyang Forbidden Zone as well. All of us will stand shoulder to shoulder.

All 129,600 battles would be his whetstone, perfect for tempering the insights and experiences of those eighty-four Divine realm experts. His duel with Flower Burial Fairy had already taught him much.

The Ascension Platform was a rare opportunity, and not just for growth. With this many battles and kills, the experience points were bound to be ridiculous. With that thought, Qi Yuan stepped onto the first stair. His vision blurred and suddenly, he was on the Ascension Platform itself.

He scanned the surroundings, and saw what seemed like an ancient colosseum. All around were tiered seats, some high and ornate, others low and common. Once, it had probably been a place where countless onlookers watched duels to the death. Now, the stands were empty. For someone with crippling social anxiety like Qi Yuan, that was a relief.

"Thank heavens no one's watching, or this would be embarrassing."

Thump-thump-thump!

A colossal heartbeat echoed through the arena. Charging at him was a massive, bare-chested brute, built like a sumo wrestler who'd overindulged. Nevertheless, Qi Yuan knew he wasn't a living person. He was merely a residual image, a construct—or perhaps just another mob worth some EXP.

"Little Bride!"

Qi Yuan merged with her and closed his eyes. At that moment, he ceased to be himself, and became Dragon Judge. After all, if one wished to comprehend, one had to start with the strongest. The man’s memories and combat instincts flooded into Qi Yuan's mind like an unending stream.

If I were Dragon Judge, how would I face this enemy?

Qi Yuan moved. He turned his back toward the charging brute. Reaching backward, he clamped the man's thick neck in one hand and slammed down.

Boom!

The brute crashed to the ground, blood spraying all over and painting the colosseum crimson. Qi Yuan had won.

He opened his eyes again, replaying the fight in his head. "Why fight with my back turned? Was I turning my back on the world? That was pretty damn stylish though... Oh wait... no, he just had a red face!"

Qi Yuan suddenly realized the key. One victory down. The second battle began. Another step forward, another foe appeared. This time, it was a crocodile-headed beast.

He shut his eyes again.

***

Seven days later, Qi Yuan logged off.

He went out for a walk and stumbled upon Jiang Lingsu in a plain green dress. She carried the quiet, serene elegance of mist drifting down mountain peaks. However, what drew the eye most were the instant noodle green leaves sprouting on her head.

Qi Yuan couldn’t help but blurt out, "Junior Sister, did you go green?"

Her hair had turned into a mass of curly, leafy vines that were lush and thriving. Tiny birds even flitted between the foliage.

Jiang Lingsu glared at him. "You're the green one! This is Wood Essence. It's precious!"

That very day, the entire Divine Radiance Sect was thrown into an uproar. Disciples all over found tender sprouts and leaves growing from their heads, arms, and other parts of their bodies. At first, panic ensued, some suspecting a hidden curse. Order was restored after the sect master explained it was likely due to the manifestation of a wood supreme treasure.

Soon, people realized the leaves were infused with Wood Essence, which was immensely beneficial for cultivation. Some disciples plucked them and sold them, others absorbing the energy directly. The Wood Essence of beautiful female cultivators was especially coveted, fetching exorbitant prices.

Qi Yuan nearly ground his teeth from jealousy. It was his creation—his Wood Essence! Yet everyone else profited while he got nothing. He even considered knocking people out and stripping them of their leafy treasures.

In the end, he decided against it because he still had some integrity left. Otherwise, the Divine Radiance Sect would be crawling with bald-headed monks and shaved nuns. How could he stay in the sect after that?

"Junior Sister," Qi Yuan asked, "could you spare me some of your Wood Essence?"

Her cheeks flushed red. "No."

"But I saw people outside selling..."

"Get lost!"

Her Wood Essence was linked to her very body, practically an extension of herself. How could she possibly hand it to a man?!

Still, she looked at Qi Yuan with suspicion. "Senior Brother... your aura reeks of blood lately."

"Huh?" Qi Yuan stiffened, remembering the Ascension Platform where he'd slaughtered countless foes. Some steps even had a whole bunch of enemies. Could it be the killing intent from the game was bleeding into reality?

"...is it really that strong?" he asked nervously.

Jiang Lingsu nodded. "If not for the fact you're always holed up on Seven-Colored Peak, I'd suspect you'd secretly massacred an entire clan."

Qi Yuan's eyes reddened. "Don't you dare slander me! I didn't exterminate the Black Mountain Sect!"

She laughed. "Who knows? Maybe you snuck off one night with your vegetable knife and chopped them all up."

Qi Yuan's gaze turned icy. "Junior Sister, you know too much..."

For some reason, Jiang Lingsu shivered. A trace of fear welled up in her heart. Still, she pressed on. "Whatever the case, you’d better disperse that killing aura, or at least suppress it. Left unchecked, it’ll hinder your cultivation, breed inner demons. If some self-righteous cultivator senses it, they might uphold justice by killing you."

Suddenly recalling something, Jiang Lingsu’s expression darkened with unease. She knew of such people. They belonged to a certain organization, and their definition of justice was absolute.

A cultivator who’d wiped out a bandit stronghold was slain by them for having too much blood on his hands. Those people wouldn’t ask for an explanation. If they deemed one guilty, it was all over.

Qi Yuan was flabbergasted. "What? Purging me as a demon? Are there such people?"

Jiang Lingsu sighed. She could never understand how someone with such a screwed brain could carry such a murderous aura. Could it really be from playing too many games?

"There are indeed. And not just one, they belong to a group. Don’t tell me you’re planning to wipe them all out too? Unlike the Black Mountain Sect, their weakest members are at the Nascent Soul realm."

Qi Yuan slumped to the ground, appearing defeated. "How useless I am... So weak, so powerless! I can’t even slaughter them all in one night!"

Just then, a thought struck him. He shot up. "Such vile people! I should rally righteous cultivators and wipe them out instead!"

Jiang Lingsu was long used to his bizarre way of thinking. She played along with a smirk. "That won't work. They are the so-called righteous. They use justice as a banner while committing evil in its name."

"So, they stand on the moral high ground and do whatever they please?"

She nodded. "Exactly."

"Damn it! They're copying me! Only I can hold the moral high ground! Anyone else trying to imitate me must die! If I'm not their leader, that organization is doomed! And if I am their leader, I'll expel all the evil-doers and rebels from humanity itself!"

"Expel them... from humanity?" Jiang Lingsu blinked. "Senior Brother, that's ruthless."

"What's this group called?"

"Bright Palace." [1]

"Bright Palace? Why not just call themselves the Illuminati [2]?" Qi Yuan muttered, then said aloud, "Fine. I'll remember them. If I ever run into them, they're finished."

Suddenly, worry gnawed at him. He leaned closer, whispering into Jiang Lingsu's leafy ear, "Junior Sister, their sect doesn’t have an Innate Saint, right? Someone who could sense me mentioning them just now?"

"...No."

"Good." Qi Yuan exhaled in relief. Still uneasy, he pressed. "They won't suddenly show up on Seven-Colored Peak, right?"

"No." Jiang Lingsu regretted even telling him, seeing how jittery he got.

Qi Yuan finally relaxed. "You're right. I need to get rid of this killing aura."

Jiang Lingsu murmured, "Although, I did hear that Bright Palace has sent someone into the Great Shang Kingdom to interfere with the Dragon-Seizing Contest..."

Qi Yuan nearly jumped. "What?"

"Relax. It's just one man. He's only at the Foundation Establishment realm."

"No one else?"

"No."

That night, Qi Yuan returned to his quarters, tossing and turning without sleep. Then, he remembered he still hadn't cleared the Ascension Platform, thus he decided to set the matter aside. After all, he rarely left Seven-Colored Peak. What were the chances he'd bump into one of those busybody Bright Palace people?

Besides, unlike with the Black Mountain Sect, he bore them no grudge and hadn't even met them. How could he shamelessly claim the moral high ground?

1. 光明宫 ☜

2. 光明会 the chinese characters are pretty similar, hence Qi Yuan cracked this joke. ☜