https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-557-Chaotic-Star-Domain-I-Call-the-Shots-/13027035/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-559-I-Qi-Yuan-Wielding-a-Few-Human-Enlightened-Radiances-Any-Objections-/13027037/
Chapter 558: Embodiment of All Things, Playing the Role of All Beings, the Great Battle Begins
Chapter 558: Embodiment of All Things, Playing the Role of All Beings, the Great Battle Begins
In the Gold Quail Realm, Qi Yuan stood tall in a black robe, his white hair billowing in the wind, his embodiment of nothingness reaching far into the Green Mountain Realm.
"As expected... If one cultivates diligently, how can it compare to the speed of plundering?"
With this move, the number of Trickster Gods he had slain was not just in the tens of thousands, and the number of worlds in a great domain was not merely in the tens of thousands.
The massive amount of experience gained from this was far quicker than slow cultivation.
Shangguan Qingteng and Shangguan Qingmiao looked at Qi Yuan with a mix of shock and awe, their hearts filled with a thousand words that remained unspoken.
Because, at this moment, they were unable to process and comprehend what had just happened.
Qi Yuan glanced at the two of them and casually asked, "Do you know what's in the Divine Wood Abyss...?"
The Blind Maiden in the Divine Wood Abyss had once given him eight wooden tablets that recorded the Art of Forging.
The wooden tablets had long since disappeared, but the eight forging arts remained in his mind.
The eight forging arts were Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Cloud, Rain, and Thunder.
Shangguan Qingteng was surprised that Qi Yuan would ask about these.
He furrowed his brows and thought carefully, "The Divine Wood Abyss... is a place of nothingness, devoid of any living beings. An ancient Ancestral Deity once said that the Divine Wood Abyss... might be the origin of the Divine Wood Universe."
"The origin of the universe?" Qi Yuan murmured, "Are there no living beings inside?"
"None," Shangguan Qingteng replied, "From ancient times to the present, many Ancestral Deities have entered the Divine Wood Abyss to investigate, but none have found any living beings."
In the Divine Wood Universe, the Divine Wood Abyss existed in almost every world.
Qi Yuan had just embodied countless forms and entered almost all the Divine Wood Universes, but to no avail.
"If you wish to know more about the Divine Wood Abyss, you can come to the Great Star Domain, where the original copy of the 'Origin Secret Manual' is located," Shangguan Qingteng said cautiously.
No matter how strange Qi Yuan's appearance was, or how peculiar his actions were.
He was still a part of the Divine Wood Universe. He just took action against the Trickster Gods, and it's worth trying to win him over."
Originally, they had thought that when Qi Yuan reached the height of the Yuan, he could be the seed of Human Enlightenment.
But now... where was the seed?
"The Great Star Domain?" Qi Yuan's gaze was deep and mysterious, "I will go there, but not now... After I complete my Mortal Transformation, I'll visit the Great Star Domain and meet with Sheng Girl."
With a wave of his wide sleeve, his figure disappeared once more.
Only Shangguan Qingteng and Shangguan Qingmiao remained, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"We must report this to Yuan as soon as possible!"
...
In an unknown world, Qi Yuan stood alone in a desert, fishing in the sand.
His fishing hook sank into the dusty sand, buried a hundred meters deep.
Qi Yuan fished quietly, his thoughts calm.
"For White-haired Qi Yuan, Mortal Transformation is a breakthrough to the Ancestral Deity Realm.
But for me... Mortal Transformation is a means to comprehend the rules of the world."
All things in the world moved in an orderly fashion, concealing the ultimate truth of the Dao.
Cultivating the Dao requires a balance of tension and relaxation, a combination of tightening and loosening.
Tightening refers to slaying Trick Spirits and gaining experience.
Loosening refers to comprehending the rules of the Dao and understanding all things.
"So... why am I fishing in the sand?"
"What can you catch?"
"You can catch... a grain of sand."
Suddenly, Qi Yuan's fishing line twitched.
A single grain of sand was lifted into the air.
This grain of sand was ordinary, no different from any other.
When Qi Yuan saw this grain of sand, he reached out his hand.
"I've finally found you, or rather... myself."
After becoming a Sovereign, he no longer needed to play different roles.
He only needed to find himself.
To find his true self.
His true self was the one who had invested his blood when the game crashed.
His blood had also merged into the Divine Wood Universe, becoming a part of all things.
This grain of sand was also a part of that.
As the sand touched Qi Yuan's arm, it disappeared.
Qi Yuan's gaze was calm, seeing through the ages.
The life and memories of the sand flowed through his mind.
It had once been hidden deep in the muddy seabed, shrouded in darkness. It had witnessed a fish growing legs and crawling onto the continent. It had also seen a piece of white finger bone sinking into the depths of the sea.
Countless powerful cultivators had fought to find this finger bone.
Later, the sea dried up, and the land withered.
This place became a desert.
"Is this the life of the sand, or rather... my life?"
"Now..."
Qi Yuan raised his head, his gaze profound and distant, "It's time for the battle flag."
His figure flashed, appearing in the gap between worlds.
The void was filled with chaotic currents, extremely dangerous, where ordinary people couldn't survive for even a moment.
Qi Yuan grabbed a corner of a tattered piece of cloth.
The tattered war flag of Hong Star Domain, a remnant of a three-thousand-year-old conflict, was a symbol of the Great Star Domain's military might. During a critical battle, the Hong Star Domain sent a massive army to support the Great Star Domain, with the war flag leading the charge.
The war raged on for thirty-six years, and the Hong Star army found itself besieged within a lone city. For seven years, they held their ground, but eventually, the war flag fell.
The broken pieces of the flag were held by Qi Yuan, a fragment of Hong Star Domain's history and his own identity.
As an overwhelming flood of memories poured into Qi Yuan, his gaze deepened with understanding.
He seemed to witness the joy of an aged blacksmith forging the war flag and an old woman, her eyes dimmed by age, embroidering under a flickering lamp.
The war flag fluttered in the wind as the army raised their cups in a toast before marching off to the front lines.
In the end, the flag was stained with blood, standing tall even as it was torn and shredded.
"This is the war flag, and it is also me."
Qi Yuan, like the war flag, bore witness to history, observing the world from a bystander's perspective.
"But who am I?" Qi Yuan wondered in surprise.
He had once shed his blood on the Divine Wood, transforming into countless forms.
There were too many aspects of himself that he needed to reclaim...
Time flowed, and Qi Yuan's figure faded into mystery. Many sought him, but none could find him.
Some claimed to have seen a white-haired man with empty and scattered eyes, muttering to himself.
...so responsive, every part of you. It's as if you're alive."
In the Great Star Domain, within a majestic hall, Yuan sat at the main seat, clad in tattered robes and armor stained with blood that couldn't be washed away, constantly corroding the armor.
The hall was filled with nearly all the powerful beings of the Great Star Domain, their expressions grave.
A bearded man spoke angrily, "Hundreds of years ago, we had only half a Radiant Artifact, and Yuan dared to go alone to the Void Sea to stop the Black Abyss. Now, with seven Radiant Artifacts, we still dare not fight?"
Once again, the Black Heaven and Black Abyss had amassed their forces at the Void Sea.
The assembled troops were far stronger than before.
The Great Star Domain was divided on how to respond to the Black Heaven and Black Abyss.
"Perhaps... the Black Heaven and Black Abyss are merely testing us. What if we gather all our strength and engage in war, only to shatter the fragile balance that has lasted for tens of thousands of years?" The white-browed elder's voice was hoarse.
"What fragile balance? It's just a way to survive!" The bearded man retorted angrily.
"The seeds of the Radiant Artifacts have not fully matured. I only wish to give them more time to grow," the white-browed elder said with a hint of desolation.
"Whether we fight or not is not entirely up to us," a scholar in a Confucian robe spoke up. "Each time the Black Heaven and Black Abyss invade, we face the possibility of annihilation. Our resistance or surrender does not change the outcome.
The reason the Black Heaven and Black Abyss have not destroyed the Divine Wood Universe is simply that... the time has not yet come."
The scholar spoke in riddles, but everyone present understood his meaning.
When the Black Heaven and Black Abyss first invaded, the Radiance Dao Lord, across countless universes and voids, drew a line within the Divine Wood Universe.
At first, the people of the Human Enlightenment didn't understand the significance of that line.
Later, they gradually realized that the line represented a timeline, constantly shortening and collapsing.
When the timeline completely vanished, reduced to a single point, it would mark the total destruction of the Divine Wood Universe.
Less than a hundred thousand years remained until the line's disappearance.
For an individual, a hundred thousand years seemed like an eternity, but in the grand scale of the universe, it was but a fleeting moment.
"Therefore, the outcome of this battle does not affect the ultimate result," the white-browed elder said. "I believe it's best not to interfere. There's no point in provoking a battle and risking our strength. Instead, we should accumulate our power and await the final battle, when we can shine with all our might."
"If we retreat today, we'll retreat tenfold tomorrow. What about the final battle? Will we retreat a hundredfold then?" The bearded man argued.
The crowd fell silent.
The Black Heaven and Black Abyss were too mysterious and powerful, leaving them feeling hopeless.
Yuan, seated at the main position, spoke up, "This time, at the Void Sea, who will accompany me?"
His words were final.
Despite their unspoken reluctance, no one dared to challenge Yuan's decision, for his authority as the sea, and his dedication to the Divine Wood Universe was immeasurable.
"Count me in," a tall man stepped forward. "My Celestial race has no Radiant Artifacts, and we were nearly consumed by the Black Heaven. We barely escaped to the Divine Wood Universe. This time, I will fight the Black Heaven and Black Abyss with a Radiant Artifact!"
The tall man's eyes shone with determination.
He was once a Celestial, a race whose ruler was a Domain Lord with the potential to transcend to an even higher realm.
The Emperor of Humanity sought to forge a Radiant Artifact to counter the Dark Heaven.
Unfortunately, he failed, and the artifact was never created.
The Celestial Clan faced annihilation.
Their civilization was lost, and only a few managed to escape.
Some found refuge in the Divine Wood Universe.
The art of forging in the Divine Wood Universe originated from the Celestial Clan.
"Is there anyone else?" Yuan asked again, having promised the Celestial Clan member.
"I've reached the second stage of Ancestor Deity, so I can," Sheng Nu said, her expression as cold as the moon.
She was in charge of Human Enlightenment.
"Alright," Yuan nodded, scanning the others, "Anyone else?"
The rest remained silent.
Most felt their strength was insufficient, fearing they would tarnish the Radiant Artifact.
In the entire Divine Wood Universe, only seven Radiant Artifacts were forged, but no powerful individuals could be found to wield them.
"If Qi Yuan were here, he would probably be the most qualified to control the Human Radiance," Shangguan Qing Miao said.
Several hundred years ago, Qi Yuan was considered a heavenly being.
After all, Qi Yuan had reached the Sovereign realm.
This realm was so profound and incomprehensible that it defied understanding.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Nu's expression shifted slightly: "I fear he alone could control two, perhaps even three, Radiant Artifacts."
"Unfortunately, this senior's whereabouts are unpredictable, and we can't find him," the white-browed elder sighed.
For years, the Great Star Domain had tried to locate Qi Yuan.
Yet, they couldn't find him.
It was as if he had vanished.
Yuan surveyed the group, his voice devoid of emotion: "Five days left. Choose the remaining four. Meeting dismissed."
The others left in groups of three and two. There's no point in staying silent."
In the vast palace, the atmosphere turned calm and quiet.
About half an hour later, a group of three entered the grand hall, heads bowed.
The leader was an old man with white hair and beard, carrying a broom.
They didn't look around as they entered; instead, they focused on their task.
Their task was not to sweep away dust but to cleanse the lingering aura of the Devious Spirits.
These Ancestor Deities often fought on the front lines, their bodies tainted by the spirits' essence.
If left uncleaned, the residual aura might give birth to a Devious God.
The three worked silently, without a word.
The palace was vast, and cleaning it took time.
The old man finished wiping a table and noticed a slender figure sitting with a peculiar gaze. "Hey, Xiao Qi, why are you sitting there instead of cleaning?"
Xiao Qi, a handsome young man, was sitting in the position of a Yang Emperor, his eyes filled with an unknown emotion.
"I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to meet these Yang Emperors. I have so many questions for them," Xiao Qi's eyes wandered.
"Can we just ask those big shots whatever we want?" The old man chuckled, thinking Xiao Qi's idea was absurd.
Xiao Qi was an orphan of a frontline warrior, and the old man had taken him under his wing.
"And your questions are so bizarre!" The old man added, shaking his head.
"What's so bizarre? I just want to ask them what a mountain is, what a shoe is, what an insect is," Xiao Qi replied, his gaze scattered and lost.
"Your questions are indeed strange, as the old man said," the other man smiled.
"What's the point of asking these things? Why not ask how to become a god?"
Xiao Qi shook his head: "Life is hard, filled with too many unknowns. It's too difficult."
"Why don't you write a book called 'Ten Thousand Whys'?" The old man suggested.
In this universe, there was also a tale of 'Ten Thousand Whys'.
"Xiao Qi, what's the point of thinking about these things? You should focus on making money to buy wine for the old man," the other man said.
"What's wine?" Xiao Qi asked, slightly taken aback. "Isn't there plenty of wine here?"
He grabbed a wine flask and shook it, his face showing disgust.
"Some stingy person took all the wine!"
"You're so bold!" The old man sighed in relief, seeing the wine was gone.
This wine was for the Ancestor Deities, and even if there was some left, it wasn't for them to touch.
Since half a flask of wine was taken by another lord, Xiao Qi wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Stop daydreaming and focus on making money to buy wine for the old man!" The tall man said.
"I'm not daydreaming; I just want to understand what these things are," Xiao Qi muttered.
"If I figure it out, maybe I can brew wine for the old man every day."
"Alright, the old man will wait for that day," the old man laughed.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
