Chapter 419.2: The Power of Principle, and Qi Yuans Growing Sense of Urgency

Chapter 419.2: The Power of Principle, and Qi Yuan's Growing Sense of Urgency

Glaring at Qi Yuan, Motong abandoned defense and took the initiative to attack. Although Observing the Subtle excelled at defense, that didn't mean it couldn't be used offensively. It merely consumed even more energy while producing weaker results. Usually, Motong didn’t have to use his Principle Art to defeat ordinary Major Heavenly Position cultivators. Of course, Qi Yuan was anything but that.

Qi Yuan didn't dodge, choosing to meet Motong’s attack head-on. "That's it?"

Martial God of Ten Thousand Paths!

The power of over four thousand Nascent Soul surged into him.

Boom!

The collision between two Heavenly Venerables was powerful enough to shatter an ordinary minor world and reduce its continents to dust. The impact was so huge that even space itself became unstable. Cracks spread through the void before collapsing once more.

Qi Yuan's long hair fluttered like a waterfall. Holding the crimson sword, he stood motionless as fragments of shattered space brushed past his fingertips. "Gramps, can you still chew your food?"

Motong was truly enraged. "Damn you!"

Never in his life had he encountered such an opponent. Even when facing Heavenly Venerable Longyue, he had always held the upper hand.

Qi Yuan smiled casually. "Why don’t you give it another try?"

Deep within Motong's eyes, a trace of apprehension appeared. Launching attacks proactively consumed too much energy. Worse still, the offensive capabilities of the Principle Art was relatively weak to begin with. It was an exercise in futility. Therefore, he chose not to attack again.

Qi Yuan was full of affectionate indulgence, as though doting on a greedy little girl. "If you're not attacking, then I will. After all, you're my White Moonlight."

His sword emerged once more, shaking heavens and earth. Seeing that every single attack he launched was genuine, Motong activated Observing the Subtle without hesitation.

"Oops, you're too strong! I'm retreating!" Just then, Qi Yuan noticed that his right eyebrow didn't twitch, which meant the opponent was bluffing. "No, actually, I won’t!"

Without the slightest hesitation, his sword pierced through the heavens and slammed directly into the gigantic eyeball. It was as if the tens of thousands of eyes floating behind Motong had been pierced by needles.

"Aaaaah!" he screamed miserably, full of disbelief. "You! Do you have Principle Art as well?!"

Otherwise, he couldn't understand how Qi Yuan had seen through his deception.

"I don't. It's a man's intuition. You wouldn't understand." Qi Yuan swung his sword once more. "I'm attacking now, are you dodging or not?"

Motong grew increasingly anxious. Without holding anything back, he frantically activated his Principle Art to its absolute limit. He had made up his mind not to hold back anymore. He refused to believe Qi Yuan's energy consumption was lower than his! He was a Principle Yang Spirit. How could he possibly lose a battle of endurance to a mere Major Heavenly Position cultivator?

Unfortunately, he was gravely mistaken. He was fighting alone. Qi Yuan, on the other hand, possessed more than four thousand Nascent Souls. The immense power they provided was virtually inexhaustible.

When it came to endurance, Qi Yuan feared no Principle realm cultivators. In fact, he even dared to challenge a Major Principle one!

Thus, he toyed with Motong like a cat playing with a mouse, launching one attack after another while relentlessly wearing Motong down. "Here I come again! And now I'm retreating again! Haha..."

Motong's earlier confidence gradually disappeared, replaced by the exhaustion of old age.

Qi Yuan showed no mercy. "Die!"

Even though Motong once again activated his Principle of Observing the Subtle, it was no longer enough. Facing Qi Yuan's overwhelming attack, his giant eye shattered.

Motong shrieked in pain, "Aaaaah!"

Yet Qi Yuan's attacks continued without pause. At their level of battle, once one lost a single step, every subsequent step would only deepen one’s defeat. Motong had lost all his chance to fight back. No one knew how much time had passed before the countless collisions finally came to an end.

Qi Yuan sat leisurely in mid-air, looking at the shattered giant eye before him, muttering "You're not Motong. You're my Past Self."

A mere Violet Palace cultivator like him had defeated a Principle Yang Spirit. Within the Ninth Heaven, Principle Yang Spirits stood at the very pinnacle of power. Throughout the Sixth Heaven, aside from the Black Demon Abyss, every sacred land would eagerly accept Principle Yang Spirits who declared their allegiance.

By right, this victory should have filled Qi Yuan with delight. Instead, his expression was incomparably solemn. Even defeating a single Principle Yang Spirit required so much effort. Then what about a Major Principle cultivator? What about Taihuang Palace Master?

Feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency, he sighed. "My enemies are too powerful."

Just then, the voice within the gaming jade echoed, sounding somewhat puzzled.

Qi Yuan smiled. "My enemy is the one from the Taihuang Palace. He's an incredibly tough opponent."

The silent voice responded again.

He chuckled. "Looks like talking to people more really does make you smarter."

He could sense even richer emotions from the voice.

"That's enough chatting. I should go take a bath. Soon, I can finally see Jin Li."

His figure gradually faded from sight. As for the spoils of battle, he could always sort them out after finishing his bath.

***

Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh. "Principle Arts are graded. There are Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow grades. Motong’s Principle Art was of Profound grade. If even a Profound-gradePrinciple Art is this powerful, then how terrifying must a Heaven-grade one be? And as for the Supreme Principles above them... It's hard to even imagine."

A deep sense of urgency welled up inside him. Not long ago, he possessed Buddha Ancestor Wutian and witnessed a remnant of the Great Sun Bright Buddha's consciousness. The sheer majesty and overwhelming power of that remnant thought were beyond imagination. A mere fragment of consciousness had been enough to defeat Qi Yuan completely.

How powerful would a Major Principle realm cultivator at their prime be? Even among Major Principle realm cultivators, there existed vast differences in strength, determined by the grade of the Major Principle they had comprehended.

"There are only four Supreme Principles: Absolute, Singular, Cycle, and Innate."

As the highest-ranking principles in existence, the Supreme Principles were the strongest and most invincible of all. Across the entire Sixth Heaven, there were fewer than ten Major Principle cultivators who had comprehended a Supreme Principle. They were the true supreme overlords of the Sixth Heaven.

If this were the Primordial World of Blue Planet, they would be Saints. The other Major Principle realm cultivators would be Quasi-Saints. As for ordinary Principle Yang Spirits, they'd be Golden Immortals.

"Taihuang Palace Master bears the title Singular Sun, and the Principle he comprehended is also Singular Sun. That's why he could never allow the Great Sun Bright Buddha to continue existing. Lord Moon God comprehended the Innate Lunar Principle. It seems I absolutely must attend the Principle Symposium. Without comprehending a Supreme Principle, there's no way I can fight them."

Although Qi Yuan possessed the Myriad Principle Gate, comprehending a Supreme Principle within it could take hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of years. He simply couldn't afford to wait that long.

He felt utterly conflicted. "So, which Supreme Principle can I comprehend?"

Strictly speaking, these aren't matters a mere Violet Palace cultivator should be worrying about. But then again, on Blue Planet, people earning only three thousand a month can worry about international affairs, so why can't a Violet Palace cultivator like me think about Supreme Principles?

Casting those concerns aside, Qi Yuan changed into a crimson robe. Clad in red he stood as graceful as a jade tree. Looking up at the stars, his gaze gradually softened. "It's time to head to the Absolute Moon Abyss."

His appearance shifted once more. This time, he transformed into Motong. Within the Underworld, he had already brainwashed Motong’s remnant soul and obtained fragments of his memories. Impersonating Motong was child’s play as a result. Of course, the disguise probably wouldn't last very long. After all, the demon abyss was an active war zone.

Qi Yuan pondered. Before anyone notices, maybe I can secretly steal back my family's well?

Naturally, all of those plans would have to wait until after he met Jin Li. Their promise had endured across millions of years. Though both Seventh Moon Lake and the Ancient Qichun Tree were no more, none of that mattered anymore.

"I'm going to see you..."