Chapter 189: An Ant's Existence

Chapter 189: An Ant's Existence

Chen Qiu stood in the Virtue Value Shop, deep in thought as he considered the Soul Transformation Realms. Several of these realms were well-suited to him.

But if he had to choose the most suitable one...

It would be the Infinite Spirit Energy and the Three Thousand Thunder Movement Soul Transformation Realms.

Just then—

A voice that only he could hear whispered in his ear.

"Heavenly Path Edict: In response to Chen Qiu's virtuous act of mending the heavens, as a frequent recipient of the Heavenly Path Edict, his Virtue Points should be doubled. Thus, an additional 10 billion Virtue Points are being awarded."

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu was momentarily stunned by the sound of the Heavenly Path Edict. Was such a maneuver even possible? After mending the heavens, he had witnessed his Celestial Fortune doubling, but the 10 billion Virtue Points hadn't doubled, leading him to believe that Virtue Points didn't follow the same principle.

He had accepted this fact without question.

Little did he know that Virtue Points could also double. Since the full amount hadn't been issued at the time, it was now being awarded, and he turned to look at the Virtue Rank List, where his 287.9 billion Virtue Points were displayed. His expression gradually became peculiar.

In the Great Xia Kingdom, he had accumulated 9.8 billion Virtue Points, 9.7 billion of which he had used to activate the Virtue Attack Token, annihilating the Evil Race.

In total, he had accumulated 297.6 billion Virtue Points thus far.

He was just one step away from achieving the milestone task—

"Accumulate 30 billion Virtue Points or 30 billion Sin Points."

With just 2.4 billion Virtue Points to go, he could complete this milestone task.

More importantly, this supplementary edict from the Heavenly Path had mentioned his name.

Among the twelve milestone tasks on the Profound Heaven Continent, there was one that required being nominated by the Heavenly Path Edict 20 times.

This included the edict he had just heard, which informed him of his qualification to travel to the Vast Continent. Any edict that mentioned his name was counted.

One for mending the heavens, one for the Vast Continent, and now one for the supplementary edict.

This act of mending the heavens had earned him three nominations, bringing his total to 18. Just two more, and he would complete this milestone task.

Not only had mending the heavens brought him a vast amount of Virtue Points, two strands of Celestial Fortune, and countless other benefits, but it had also...

"Wonderful."

Chen Qiu smiled with satisfaction, agreeing with the ancient saying that good deeds are rewarded. He hadn't yet decided how to acquire the remaining 2.4 billion Virtue Points.

He wasn't sure if a Twelfth Rank Soul Transformation Realm would cause a celestial anomaly, but if it did, he would acquire those 2.4 billion Virtue Points quickly, and there would be plenty left over.

And it would add another nomination.

He was one step closer to completing the nomination milestone task.

Looking at the statues of himself in the Heavenly Palace, he felt a sense of fulfillment as these seemingly impossible milestone tasks were accomplished one by one.

"Well?"

Ao Tian, who had initially decided not to speak, couldn't help but probe after seeing Chen Qiu's lack of response: "Are you still undecided? Should I give you some advice, little brother?"

"The Infinite Spirit Energy Soul Transformation Realm is indeed powerful among spellcasters, but your spirit energy is already far more abundant than that of your peers. While it will enhance your abilities, the improvement won't be as significant as for other ordinary cultivators."

"I think the Three Thousand Thunder Movement Soul Transformation Realm suits you better, little brother. After all, your primary spell is Lightning, and this realm will greatly increase its power."

"Wait—"

Ao Tian suddenly noticed the change in Chen Qiu's Virtue Points on the Profound Heaven Continent Virtue Rank List and muttered in bewilderment: "Little brother, why did you suddenly gain 10 billion Virtue Points?"

"You were just sitting here doing nothing. How did you suddenly acquire such a large amount of Virtue Points?"

"In that case, I'd recommend the Virtue Sage Soul Transformation Realm for you, little brother. With your Virtue Points, the golden human figure you manifest will undoubtedly be powerful!"

"No, thank you."

Chen Qiu chuckled and shook his head lightly: "I'll take the Infinite Spirit Energy and Three Thousand Thunder Movement Soul Transformation Realms. Both are quite suitable for me."

"Two? Each person can only have one Soul Transformation Realm!"

"I can have two."

". . ."

After a moment of silence, Ao Tian took a deep breath and turned to Chen Qiu, speaking earnestly: "Little brother, how about we offer the Blood Contract to the Mock Heaven Sect and the Dragon Clan and renew it for another ten or eight years?"

The Infinite Spirit Energy and Three Thousand Thunder Movement Soul Transformation Realms.

Whichever he chose, the effects of these realms would surpass all others. Each realm cost 20 billion Virtue Points, while the others only required 1 billion.

The price alone was twice as high.

Of course, the Infinite Spirit Energy Soul Transformation Realm's price was twenty times higher, but its effect wouldn't be twenty times as powerful.

The price of an item might not differ much when its quality is between 30% and 80%.

However, once the quality exceeds 80%, every 10% increase in quality can cause the price to skyrocket. Therefore, items with 70-80% quality often offer the best value.

Chen Qiu had already met the requirements for a Twelfth Rank Realm, meaning he could have two such realms. It was foreseeable that, as long as he didn't perish, he was destined to become the strongest cultivator on the Profound Heaven Continent!

The Dragon Clan had truly found a benefactor!

A great benefactor!

They must hold onto this blessing!

Chen Qiu didn't hesitate. He immediately spent 40 billion Virtue Points to purchase both Soul Transformation Realms. Soon, two small totems appeared in his Heavenly Path Ring.

A one-time totem.

It would dissipate after being comprehended.

A one-time totem could only be comprehended by one person.

With 247.9 billion Virtue Points remaining, he had plenty to spend in the Virtue Value Shop. It was time for a shopping spree!

Malevolent Wood: 10,000 Virtue Points each, limited to 100,000 pieces.

- The purchase limit of 100,000 here means that each person can buy up to 100,000 of them.

His Malevolent Wood had just been completely used up.

As for the few thousand pieces of Malevolent Wood given by Ao Tian, Chen Qiu originally intended to return them, but Ao Tian refused, saying that the Dragon Clan had no use for it, so he didn't insist further.

Although this would mean owing a favor.

But relationships deepen through such exchanges of favors, and not accepting others' kindness at all is, in a sense, the greatest ill intent. At least, that's how some people would see it, and some might even hold a grudge because of it.

Purchase limit of 100,000.

He bought them all, leaving none behind.

A total of 100 million Virtue Points were consumed.

- "Eight Directions Fruit": 100,000 Virtue Points each, limited to 500 purchases.

- He was also in need, and the Eight Directions Fruit he brought from the Great Xia Kingdom was almost gone. He even hesitated to feed them to his Nascent Soul.

Buying all 500 would cost 50 million Virtue Points.

Not much.

It must be said that the purchasing power of Virtue Points is quite strong.

But upon further consideration, the difficulty in obtaining Virtue Points seems understandable.

Continue!

Consume!

- "Virtue Attack Token": 10 billion Virtue Points, limited to 1 purchase.

-

As Chen Qiu scrolled through the Virtue Value Shop, his expression gradually became peculiar. He seemed to have discovered something extraordinary within the shop.

An old acquaintance.

And the price was only 10 billion Virtue Points, which was even less than the cost of a Divine Transformation Domain.

Needless to say, it was a must-buy! With nearly 100 billion Virtue Points, one could destroy the entire Evil Province. Now that he had thousands of billions of Virtue Points, if he spent them all at once, the attack he could launch...

Perhaps, out of the Ten Nine Provinces of the Profound Heaven Continent, ten of them would cease to exist?

This was equivalent to having the capital to take down the entire world with him.

If people were to target him, and the Virtue Defense Token couldn't stop them, he could activate this Virtue Attack Token before his death, ensuring that all his enemies would have to send him off from the underworld!

A great item!

He liked it.

But there were more treasures in the Virtue Value Shop. There were also the Divine Transformation Domains worth 100 million Virtue Points each, and he planned to buy one for each disciple of the Mock Heaven Sect.

Although they might not need them now, they would surely be useful in the future.

The total cost was still less than 100 billion Virtue Points.

A small price to pay.

Moreover, the items in the Virtue Value Shop were diverse, with around a hundred items, each with unique effects.

Celestial Materials only made up a small portion.

Most were heavenly gifts, the kind that appeared in Heavenly Dao Secret Realms or the Mystic Continent Proclamation.

For example:

- "Human's Pride Fortune": 100 million Virtue Points for a strand, limited to 1 purchase.

- "Earth's Pride Fortune": 1 billion Virtue Points for a strand, limited to 1 purchase.

- "Celestial Fortune": 10 billion Virtue Points for a strand, limited to 1 purchase.

- Even Celestial Fortune was for sale, but only one strand could be bought. Otherwise, buying three strands at once could directly synthesize a higher-grade one.

And Celestial Fortune was something that couldn't be transferred or taken away.

It was something that disappeared upon death.

The prices weren't high, so he bought one of each, including a strand of Celestial Fortune. Acquiring Celestial Fortune wasn't easy, but given the opportunity to buy it for 10 billion Virtue Points, he wouldn't miss the chance.

Another 11.1 billion Virtue Points were spent.

He still had 226.6 billion Virtue Points left.

More than enough.

Next was the time to choose a spell. He had always wanted to learn an additional spell, and the Virtue Value Shop had many Inferior Divine Transformation Spells' Celestial Jade Slips.

For example:

- "Inferior Divine Transformation Spell 'Eight-Directional Fire Tribulation' Celestial Jade Slip": 1 million Virtue Points.

- "Inferior Divine Transformation Spell 'Black Sea Apocalypse' Celestial Jade Slip": 1 million Virtue Points.

The prices were quite reasonable.

He bought 100 of them.

He purchased a few of each type, so that he could also provide them to the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect, enhancing not only their cultivation but also their battle prowess.

There were also the corresponding Enlightenment Stones for the Inferior Divine Transformation Spells.

Also priced at 1 million each.

Limited to 100 purchases.

Buy!

He bought all 100!

It was just 100 million Virtue Points, which he had in abundance.

But even after such consumption, he still had over 200 billion Virtue Points left, more than he could use. Then, he noticed another "Virtue Defense Token."

Also priced at 10 billion Virtue Points.

He bought it too.

Now he had two Virtue Defense Tokens, further increasing his margin for error.

Just then—

"Hey, little brother."

Ao Tian, standing nearby, spoke in a slightly embarrassed tone: "Can I ask you for a favor? I also want to buy something from the Virtue Value Shop, but I don't have enough Virtue Points. Could you..."

Before Ao Tian could finish his sentence, Chen Qiu waved his hand to interrupt: "Just tell me what you want."

"These two!"

Ao Tian's face lit up with excitement as he pointed at a cloud-covered bottle and a cultivation technique in the shop.

- "Supreme Divine Transformation Dragon Clan Secret Art 'Dragon Ascend Four Seas'": 1 billion Virtue Points, limited to 1 purchase, exclusive to the Dragon Clan, and requires at least Eight-Grade bloodline.

- "Dragon Lineage Token": 10 billion Virtue Points, limited to 2 purchases, exclusive to the Dragon Clan, and can raise the bloodline up to Twelfth-Grade.

- "Hmm?"

Chen Qiu raised his eyebrows slightly. He hadn't noticed the Dragon Clan exclusive items in the Virtue Value Shop earlier. The power of the Supreme Divine Transformation Dragon Clan Secret Art should be formidable.

As for the "Dragon Lineage Token,"

it could elevate the Dragon Clan's bloodline by one grade.

For example, if one originally had a Seven-Grade bloodline, using this token would upgrade it to Eight-Grade, significantly raising their potential. Since their bloodline grade increased, the bloodline grade of their descendants would also rise accordingly.

It could be said to be an item that enhances the Dragon Clan's foundation.

Therefore, the price is also very steep.

A whopping 100 billion virtue points, not many in the Profound Heaven Continent could afford it, but he happened to have the means.

However, the upper limit is the Twelfth Stage bloodline, for example, Fatty Dragon possesses the Twelfth Stage Five-Clawed Golden Dragon bloodline. If Fatty Dragon were to use this token, his bloodline grade wouldn't change at all; it would remain at the Twelfth Stage and not advance to the Thirteenth Stage.

The Twelfth Stage bloodline is the limit for the Dragon Clan's bloodline.

It couldn't be upgraded further.

It was already at the ceiling level.

These two items were worth a total of 110 billion virtue points.

Without saying much more, Chen Qiu purchased both the "Dragon Clan Bloodline Token" and the "Dragon Clan Secret Technique," and handed them over to Ao Tian.

"The extra one is a gift for my nephew, Black Dragon."

"This..."

Ao Tian uneasily accepted the two Dragon Clan Bloodline Tokens, his voice trembling slightly, "This isn't right, these items are too precious, and Black Dragon isn't worthy of them."

"That's 200 billion virtue points combined, brother. It's a big expense."

"Let's not beat around the bush between us. From now on, your enemies will be the Dragon Clan's mortal enemies!"

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded and looked at Ao Tian with a smile, "Then brother, you should go and cultivate. In a few days, we're heading to the Profound Heaven Continent, and you'll get to witness the might of this Dragon Clan secret technique."

"Great!"

Ao Tian's eyes lit up with excitement as he nodded vigorously, then transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the depths of the island, clearly eager to try out his newly acquired Dragon Clan secret technique.

". . ."

Chen Qiu watched Ao Tian's departing figure and shook his head with a light laugh. Although Ao Tian had lived for several hundred years, there weren't many living people on the island to talk to, and he hadn't visited the Profound Heaven Continent much either.

His mind was actually quite simple.

He was a bit better than Black Dragon, but not by much.

The advantage of dealing with such a person is that it's not tiring.

And he is grateful.

That's good.

After this spending spree, his virtue points finally dropped below the 200 billion mark, reaching the 1900s. The main reason was that Bu Tian had given him too many virtue points.

Otherwise, with only his 879 billion virtue points, he would have already run out of funds.

He would have to start being frugal.

Then he turned his head and gazed into the distance, his face calm and silent. Next, he had to go to the Profound Heaven Continent, and when the Age of Chaos began, it was time to raid every household.

The good news is,

many of the top powers in Zhongzhou are in seclusion, making his raids much easier.

The bad news is,

there are too many top Zhongzhou powers in seclusion, resulting in fewer spoils from his raids.

There are pros and cons to everything.

Where should he go first to test the might of the Thunder Tribulation he triggered with 29 billion sin points? Chen Qiu pondered. This level of tribulation might not be impressive to those top Zhongzhou powers, so he should find someone who doesn't know better.

He remembered a place called Three Spring Tower.

The young mistress of Three Spring Tower had once ordered her escorts to kill him. It was a relatively powerful force in Zhongzhou, but not among the top ones.

This would be a good place to start.

In the next three days,

Dragon Island didn't make any moves. Neither Chen Qiu nor Ao Tian and the others took any action, even though the World Chaos version had already arrived three days ago.

But Chen Qiu showed no signs of leaving the island.

As usual, he remained on Dragon Island.

"Black Dragon."

Fatty Dragon, who had completed all the tasks and successfully impregnated all ninety-eight mother dragons, was lying leisurely on the beach.

He looked at Black Dragon, who was lying beside him, and smiled, "What's on your mind? You seem a bit down."

During these days,

only Black Dragon had been keeping him company, and their relationship had grown closer. Black Dragon was particularly impressed with his physical qualities, often expressing his admiration from the sidelines.

He provided emotional support.

This made Chen Qiu enjoy spending time with Black Dragon even more. Scholar wouldn't praise him like this; he would only tease him, which was no fun.

Black Dragon was his true friend.

And his cultivation had already reached the Peak Nascent Soul Stage. Yes, he was just one step away from the Soul Transformation Stage!

This was Fatty Dragon!

This was the result of the Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation Clause and the ninety-eight Soul Transformation Mother Dragons.

Even after the mother dragons became pregnant, they could still dual cultivate with Fatty Dragon without any issues.

However, he didn't choose to break through to the Soul Transformation Stage, as Elder Brother Qiu was still at the Peak Nascent Soul Stage and hadn't advanced yet. If he broke through first, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?

Did he want to prove he was better than Elder Brother Qiu?

He had already chosen his Soul Transformation Realm in the Virtue Value Shop and was just waiting for Elder Brother Qiu to break through so he could go to him.

"It's not a big deal."

Black Dragon, feeling a bit down, said, "Elder Brother Qiu gave my father two Dragon Clan Bloodline Tokens, which can enhance the Dragon Clan bloodline grade. My father used one for himself and kept the other one."

"He didn't plan to give it to me."

"Huh?"

Fatty Dragon was slightly taken aback, "If he's not giving it to you, who else would he give it to? You're the only dragon cub Ao Tian has."

"Father said he's giving it to my sister."

"Why?"

"Because my sister has an Eighth Stage bloodline, and with this token, she can upgrade to the Ninth Stage. I only have a Seventh Stage bloodline, and even if I use it, I can only reach the Eighth Stage. The value for me is too low."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Sadness flashed in Black Dragon's eyes, "Do you think so too? My sister doesn't even need to fight, and it's always me who goes out to battle. What's the use of a higher-grade bloodline for her?"

"My sister immediately withdrew from the Soul Transformation Battle Strength Rank Secret Realm, and only I fought until the end. If it weren't for me, how would Father have met Elder Brother Qiu?"

"Whether it's merit or hard work, shouldn't I be the one with the greatest contribution?"

"Mhm."

Fatty Dragon nodded heavily, then after a while, he said, "You're right. I'll take care of this matter. I'll ask about the situation."

"Really?"

Black Dragon looked up at Fatty Dragon with a hint of surprise, "You can convince my father?"

Fatty Dragon stood up solemnly and said, "I'll give it a try."

Deep within Dragon Island, outside the Ao Tian Cave.

Fatty Dragon hesitated at the cave entrance, unsure of how to proceed. This was a private matter, and he certainly didn't want to bother Brother Xiu.

But he felt awkward about approaching Ao Tian on his own.

After all, Black Dragon had acknowledged him as his big brother, and he was the first person to admire him. This made Fatty Dragon feel a sense of self-worth, and as a big brother, he couldn't just stand by while his little brother was in trouble.

That was the heart of being a big brother.

Just then—

"Hey, Brother Fatty Dragon."

Stepping out of the cave, Ao Tian saw Fatty Dragon standing there for a moment before walking towards him with excitement, "What are you doing here? I was just about to look for your brother to discuss our next move regarding the Xuantian Continent."

"Oh, right—"

"I forgot to tell you something. I have a daughter with an eighth-grade bloodline, the highest in the Dragon Clan. I myself am only a seventh-grade bloodline."

"Your brother gave me a Dragon Lineage Token, which can enhance the bloodline grade. I plan to use it to elevate my daughter's bloodline to the ninth grade."

"With that, you two will definitely be able to produce dragon cubs with even higher bloodline grades!"

"After all, you and that sixth-grade bloodline Mother Dragon have already given birth to a tenth-grade bloodline dragon cub. This time, who knows, you might even have an eleventh-grade one!"

"An eleventh-grade bloodline is already the grade of the First Dragon Emperor!"

"The Dragon Clan will rise to greatness!"

"Ahem," Fatty Dragon coughed lightly, interrupting Ao Tian, who was still in high spirits. "I believe giving this Dragon Lineage Token to Black Dragon will have a greater impact. There are three reasons for this, firstly—"

Before he could finish, a token appeared before him.

He looked up at Ao Tian in confusion, and saw that he was staring at him intently.

"I think you make sense. This token will indeed be more effective in Black Dragon's hands."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, go ahead and take it."

"Oh," Ao Tian said, watching Fatty Dragon's departing figure. With a sigh of relief, he said, "Black Dragon has grown up, hasn't he?"

It had only been a few days.

Black Dragon had already formed such a deep connection with the second-in-command of the Mock Heaven Sect, and the fact that Fatty Dragon had come to him personally meant their relationship was already quite significant.

This was the situation he had hoped for.

Not only did the leaders of the Mock Heaven Sect and the Dragon Clan get along well, but their subordinates also had a harmonious relationship. This was crucial for their continued cooperation and prosperity.

So, regardless of the reason for Fatty Dragon's visit, he knew he had to agree.

He couldn't lose face in front of Fatty Dragon.

This would also make Black Dragon grateful to Fatty Dragon, further strengthening their bond. Although he knew that the token would be more valuable for his eighth-grade bloodline daughter, he was clear about one thing.

Maintaining a good relationship with the Mock Heaven Sect was far more important than a ninth-grade bloodline.

The key to the Dragon Clan's rise lay with the Mock Heaven Sect, not with a few grades of bloodline. These were just icing on the cake, not the decisive factor.

At that moment—

In the rear mountain area within the Three Spring Tower's territory.

The young master, accompanied by several members of the Three Spring Tower, stood with reverence outside a cave mansion where the outer array formation was slowly dissipating.

"We welcome the Patriarch's return!"

Soon!

An elderly man in plain clothes emerged from the cave mansion, his body emanating a terrifying aura.

The young master of Three Spring Tower hurried forward, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes, "We welcome the Patriarch's success. Has the Patriarch broken through to Essence Refinement?"

". "

The old man's face turned cold as he glanced at the young master, his body still emanating a terrifying aura that seemed on the verge of uncontrollable rage, "Breaking through to Essence Refinement is not that easy."

"Half-step Essence Refinement."

"Has Three Spring Tower recently had any enemies? I'm in a foul mood and feel like killing."

Hearing this, disappointment flashed in the young master's eyes.

Half-step Essence Refinement meant a failed breakthrough, and this failure meant that he had almost no chance of breaking through to Essence Refinement in this lifetime.

Although Half-step Essence Refinement was undoubtedly stronger than the peak of Divine Transformation, in the eyes of those at the Essence Refinement stage, there was no difference between Half-step Essence Refinement and the peak of Divine Transformation.

Although the Patriarch hadn't broken through to Essence Refinement, the young master was slightly disappointed that Three Spring Tower couldn't become one of the top forces in Central Province. However, he didn't show it and only bowed respectfully.

"Yes, there's a person named Chen Qiu, a Quzhou Prodigy, who killed San Qing."

"San Qing?"

A cold glint flashed in the old man's eyes as he stared at the young master, "If I remember correctly, she's your sister, right? Chen Qiu of Quzhou. I've never heard of this person before my seclusion."

"Do you have her image?"

"What's her cultivation level?"

"Since I've come out of seclusion, he won't live long."

"Of course. This person has a Fifth Layer Nascent Soul cultivation. A few days ago, when he appeared in Quzhou, he had already reached the peak of Nascent Soul cultivation. His progress is quite remarkable."

The young master nodded respectfully and waved for someone to bring out the shadow stone containing Chen Qiu's image. He knew his patriarch had a clause.

The effect was that as long as the target's cultivation was lower and their image was known, regardless of their location in the Xuantian Continent, as long as they weren't in a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm or a mini universe, they could be forcibly teleported to the user's side once a month.

This clause had always been Three Spring Tower's biggest secret.

When the patriarch was younger, he had used this clause to secretly assassinate many prodigies from other sects.

"Peak Nascent Soul?"

The old man's eyes gleamed with arrogance, and he coldly said, "Mere ants."

As a half-step Essence Refinement cultivator, he was indeed confident. He also knew that this failed breakthrough meant he would never reach Essence Refinement in this lifetime.

The anger in his heart couldn't be suppressed.

He desperately needed to kill someone to vent his frustration.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end