After hearing Qi Yuan's reprimand, Thunder lowered his head. He wanted to argue but the words wouldn't come out. The plan really had been borrowed from Qi Yuan.

Then, Qi Yuan gazed toward the distant Northern Lands. "Your plan won't work. It's not as meticulous as mine. We'll do it my way."

Pillars of light shot into the sky. Countless evil gods crowded within them, fleeing the Mortal Heart World. The sight moved the ancient gods. Even Lishan had never imagined witnessing such a scene.

Twilight had a conflicted look on his face. "We've actually become this strong?"

To such an extent that before one battle had even ended, the remaining enemies had already scattered in panic.

Gazing at Qi Yuan reverently, Wang Song said at just the right moment, "It's not that we're strong, it's that the Heavenly Sovereign is terrifying!"

The other ancient gods also turned toward Qi Yuan. Indeed, without him, they would still be muddling along in fear, worrying over the fate of the Mortal Heart World. They wouldn’t even think of launching a counterattack, much less driving the evil gods off. The change he brought to this world was simply too immense.

"Nah, not really. I'm just a puny Core Formation realm cultivator. Please don't flatter me, it's embarrassing," Qi Yuan said shyly.

He wasn’t some grand overlord as everyone imagined, just a gamer.The real big shots were the Three Pure Ones. [1]

The ancient gods were speechless, especially Thunder. He was dying to say, "Stop being modest. Show the same smug energy you had when you flaunted your Star Golden Core!"

Qi Yuan grumbled irritatedly at the pillar of light, "These evil gods are running away! They've ruined my plan!"

His original plan was to deal with them. Now that they fled, part of it couldn't be completed.

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. "Still, most who escaped were from the base and military camps. Many evil gods stationed in cities haven't had time to run."

Wang Song quickly declared, "We'll act at once and sweep through the Northern Lands!"

Qi Yuan nodded. "Sorry, no banquet for you yet, back to overtime. Never thought I'd one day resemble a capitalist."

The ancient gods immediately accepted the order, each brimming with fighting spirit. The earlier fight hadn't been satisfying enough. Transforming into streaks of light, they went to hunt down the rest of the evil gods.

***

Since the evil god's military camp had been blown up days earlier, many evil gods had come to Huaye City to investigate. Already chaotic, the city now felt even more tense.

Inside Hongye House, Little Xing, clad in a yellow dress, gazed at the sky. The heavens were now a peculiar mix of blue and faint red. Her eyes were dazed. She still hadn't recovered from what she had witnessed.

Aunt Liu patted her shoulder, inhaling deeply. "Was everything just now real?"

Little Xing jolted awake and nodded vigorously, torn between hesitation and excitement. "It was real!"

So much had happened in a single day. First, the sun fell. Then, a sea of lightning appeared, followed by the Nine Luminaries. Such battles were far beyond what Violet Palace cultivators like them could comprehend. Finally, several terrifying pillars of light pierced the heavens. They didn't know what had happened, but it was certainly monumental.

The investigating evil gods even fled in panic, muttering, "Wait for me!"

All ancient gods felt dazed. They vaguely understood what this meant.

Just then, a clear voice sounded from outside. "Last time, I left too quickly and didn't pay. How about this, I'll treat you all to a banquet."

Qi Yuan stood outside, smiling brightly. Previously, when he and Zhu Zhuangshi blew up the camp, they had eaten at Hongye House and skipped out on the bill. Qi Yuan had always felt bad about it. He came because he had once promised to treat the entire city to a feast.

Little Xing and Aunt Liu's eyes widened at the familiar voice. "My lord!"

They hurried to open the door, gazing at Qi Yuan with complicated emotions.

"My lord, you slew the evil gods and saved Huaye City. How could we ever ask for tea money?" Aunt Liu said quickly.

In their understanding, Qi Yuan was surely a Great Venerable or above. The thunderstorm at the evil gods' camp back then could have been connected to today's sea of lightning.

"I came for another reason too. Could you sell Hongye House to me?" Qi Yuan asked gently.

The former hometown of No-Food Goddess could perhaps become a memorial hall. After all, she had once been the number one figure of the Mortal Heart World.

Aunt Liu froze, hesitating. "We are believers of the No-Food Goddess. We gather intelligence here for the ancient gods... If we sell it to you, my lord, then we..."

They still wished to work for the Mortal Heart World's crisis. Even if their efforts changed nothing, even a small contribution mattered.

"You don't need to do that anymore," Qi Yuan said softly. "Did you see those pillars of light? The evil gods are scrambling to escape the Mortal Heart World."

Little Xing's almond eyes widened. Aunt Liu tensed up.

Little Xing's eyes shimmered with tears. "My lord speaks the truth?"

"Of course."

Qi Yuan smiled and suddenly rose into the sky. "Qiyuann Sovereign has arrived! People of Huaye City, there's a banquet today! Time for a feast!"

1. The Three Pure Ones are the highest deities in religious taoism. They represent the supreme, primordial manifestations of the Dao and sit at the very top of the Daoist heavenly hierarchy. ☜