Qi Yuan reappeared in the city lord manor. Inside, Qi Qi was frowning, seemingly deep in thought.

She quickly stood up upon seeing Qi Yuan. "Godfather!"

Qi Qi now handled all logistics, intelligence aggregation, and even diplomacy within his domain. To be fair, she managed everything impeccably, which greatly reduced the difficulty of the game. He could focus fully on charging forward, without worrying about trivial matters.

Qi Qi quickly added, "Godfather, there are some guests in the main hall. They’re from the Ancient Ape Clan, the Well Dragon Clan, and the Ancient God Alliance..."

Representatives of several major ancient god factions of the Qingheng Continent had arrived in Feiwu City. Qi Qi proceeded to give a brief summary of each faction.

"The Ancient Ape Clan and the Well Dragon Clan are likely here to seek alliance with us to resist the enemy together. The alliance leader, a Great Venerable, has also come. His attitude is vague, and he doesn’t seem friendly. And also..." She paused. "The people from Phoenix Clan are here as well. They’re willing to help you, Godfather."

Qi Qi herself carried some Phoenix Clan bloodline.

"Mhm, got it. I’ll go take a look and see who’s willing to become my people."

With that, he vanished again.

Meanwhile, over ten ancient gods sat in the reception hall, exchanging words with mixed expressions.

"Not only was the star projection at Sunset Slope truly mind-blowing, it also temporarily resolved our crisis!"

Yuan Kun, the clan leader of Ancient Ape Clan, said with a trace of helplessness, "When I saw the star projection high in the sky, even I felt dread. The strike was below the True God realm, yet terrifying. How dreadful would it be beyond that?”

Though a Third Step to Heaven with a peerless body, even a trace of that sun’s radiance could break him.

"The Sunset Slope incident is truly strange. It must be the work of that Southern Lands’ mysterious powerhouse, who visualized eight Mythics. Regardless, it’s none of our concern. Our priority is how to deal with Marshal Liyang! The loss is minor for them. The next wave of troops could arrive at any time."

An alliance member then asked, "What are you doing here, Yuan Kun? Didn’t Qiyuann Sovereign kill your grandson?"

His words were clearly meant to sow discord.

Yuan Kun was clearly displeased. "Hmph. That useless descendant of mine, arrogant and domineering for no reason. So what if he died? Do you think I can’t tell a personal grudge from a just cause for the greater good?"

The alliance member sneered. "For the greater good? Who doesn’t put that first?"

Hearing this, Yuan Kun couldn't help but sneer back. "Then why do you still want control over the North Sea Divine Eye?"

He had never liked the hypocrites from the Ancient God Alliance.

The alliance leader had arrived with two Great Venerables, bringing the total to three. Clearly, they were not here not to discuss cooperation but to usurp authority.

The crowd had never held the alliance in high regard to begin with. Furthermore, more than a hundred of their members surrendered and died at Sunset Slope, earning them even more disdain.

The alliance leader said calmly, "Precisely because we put the world first, the North Sea Divine Eye should be under our control. Qiyuann Sovereign may have many talented followers, but Qionghua alone is a Great Venerable. We don’t feel safe leaving the North Sea Divine Eye in his hands. If we take charge of it, the three of us can ensure everyone's safety."

At present, the only way to fend off the evil god army was the North Sea Divine Eye. With multiple Great Venerables coordinating a good defense, the evil god army could think twice before squandering lives. The Ancient God Alliance was determined to seize this opportunity.

Ye Liuyun grew increasingly frustrated. If they want power, why not say it outright? Why put on such self-righteous words?!

In his view, the alliance was nothing more than bullies who feared the strong and preyed on the weak. Afraid to face the evil god army, they instead targeted Qi Yuan.

Of course, the alliance leader had no idea that Qi Yuan had visualized twenty-one Legendaries and eight Mythics, or even summoned that star projection. Otherwise, how would he dare speak so brazenly?

Just then, a lazy voice called out. “Wow, who’s spouting such self-important nonsense? Don’t tell me it’s a Bright Palace Branch?"

Qi Yuan appeared in the hall, dressed in a green robe. He sat down on the main chair and stared straight at the alliance leader.

Seeing Qi Yuan, Ye Liuyun immediately sent a voice transmission. "Brother Qi, be careful. The Ancient God Alliance has come with ill intent."

The alliance leader glanced at Qi Yuan and said calmly, "My demands may be excessive, but as long as you hand over the North Sea Divine Eye, we will compensate you."

Qi Yuan’s gaze turned icy. "Do you not understand human language?"

A chill ran through the hearts of the ancient gods. Such audacity! How could Qiyuann Sovereign speak in such a manner to the three Great Venerables?!

At the same time, it was immensely satisfying. They had long resented the alliance, but were wary of their overwhelming strength.

The alliance leader’s expression barely changed. "Your anger is understandable. As long as you hand over control of the North Sea Divine Eye to the Ancient God Alliance, I will—" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Qi Yuan helplessly spread his hands, cutting him off. He said in a lazy tone, "It seems some people really don’t understand human language. When I said you were a Bright Palace Branch, I wasn’t chatting with you. I was telling you that it's time for you to die."

The expressions of the ancient gods changed drastically.

Ye Liuyun’s eyes widened. How could Brother Qi dare to do this?! How does he manage to shock me so drastically every time they meet?

The other ancient gods were equally stunned. With just those words, Qiyuann Sovereign had completely offended the alliance. Though they would hold back in front of other gods, they would not hesitate to strike in secret.

The alliance leader remained composed, though his expression flickered. "It's not too late to retract those words."

Qi Yuan seemed to ponder this. "Indeed, I should retract them because you're very strong..."

Once again, the ancient gods present were at a loss. How shameless! He was so bold just moments ago. How can he be retreating now?!

Even Ye Liuyun appeared puzzled. Is Brother Qi backing down?

The alliance leader’s eyes narrowed slightly, giving him an amicable appearance, but a suppressed murderous intent lurked within.

Qi Yuan added, "The Bright Palace is too weak. It just has a bunch of Violet Palace realm cultivators. So I retract what I said. You’re not a Bright Palace Branch, you’re the main hall itself! It is not time for you to die, because you already are!"

The alliance leader’s smile froze as killing intent erupted. "For the sake of the greater good, I won’t pursue your words."

"For the sake of the greater good, I suggest you die," Qi Yuan replied lazily, clapping his hands. "Twilight, Fire Lotus, dispatch these three."

Two terrifying figures abruptly appeared beside him, their powerful auras surging and spreading through the hall.

"Twilight, how did you become a Great Venerable?" The alliance leader’s face changed drastically. "And Fire Lotus... What’s going on here?"

Just a few days ago, the two had been at Second Step to Heaven, still far from the Third Step. Just how had they become Great Venerables?