The affairs of the Black Mountain Sect were put to the back of Qi Yuan's mind.
He led Knife along and continued wandering around.
Along the way, he heard many murmurs, all denouncing the Black Mountain Sect.
"The Black Mountain Sect is truly hateful!"
"They actually injured Senior Brother Zheng. They clearly have no regard for our Shinguang Sect!"
"Who told their sect master to have such a good adoptive father?"
"Even more hateful, the Black Mountain Sect will still be coming to participate in the Foundation Establishment Tournament half a month from now!"
"What? The Black Mountain Sect is coming too?"
"I heard that the chief senior disciples of several peaks are discussing yesterday's matter. Why is that one still walking his knife?"
"Keep your voice down. Hasn't that one still failed to reach Foundation Establishment? What use would there be in discussing it?"
"He probably can't even defeat Chu Tianxiong."
"Don't say that. Is it because Senior Brother doesn't want to reach Foundation Establishment that he hasn't? He certainly doesn't want to remain at Qi Refining Completion either."
Qi Yuan seemed to have no reaction at all as he listened to this.
Moon Gazing Continent.
A trace of delight appeared on Empress Jin Li's face. "Aunt Qin, your injuries have healed?"
Aunt Qin nodded. "Thanks to the imperial medicine Your Majesty bestowed upon me, this old woman's injuries have finally fully recovered. My strength has even risen another level."
"That is good." The stone weighing on Jin Li's heart finally fell.
After her imperial father and mother were gone, Aunt Qin had watched her grow up.
She relied on Aunt Qin especially heavily.
However, thinking of something, she asked, "Aunt Qin, do you have confidence in the battle against Nanfeng Nation's National Teacher six days from now?"
The appointed battle six days later concerned the lives and deaths of Jin Li and the others.
Once they lost, Sima Ting would certainly seize the opportunity to make a move.
At that time, Jin Li would have no ability to resist at all.
If she forcibly resisted, she would only cause those who followed her to die ahead of time.
At this, a cloud of worry surfaced on Aunt Qin's face. "Yesterday, the Southern Feng Crown Prince visited Sima Ting.
"Sima Ting gave him a great medicine called the Hun Yuan Blood Locking Pill."
"What!" Jin Li ground her teeth until they pierced her gums. "Sima Ting's intentions are clear for every passerby to see!"
Southern Feng Kingdom's National Teacher was a late King Rank powerhouse.
What he cultivated was the Dragon Elephant Purgatory Art.
The more abundant one's qi and blood with this art, the stronger one became. At its highest realm, it possessed the strength of a hundred dragons and elephants.
Before this, Aunt Qin, after consuming Nine Flower Qi Luo, had been slightly stronger than Nanfeng Nation's National Teacher.
But the great medicine Sima Ting had gifted was a peerless medicine for qi and blood.
With Nanfeng Nation's National Teacher consuming such a great medicine, it was like adding wings to a tiger. His strength would surely surge greatly.
Advancing from late King Rank to completion would be no difficult matter; he might even have hope of glimpsing the scenery of the Emperor Rank.
The current Nanfeng Nation's National Teacher was not someone Aunt Qin could defeat.
And the one responsible for all this was Sima Ting, the prime minister of Nanqian Kingdom.
"Is Sima Ting not afraid of being condemned by ten thousand men?" Hua Xian, the Imperial Guard Commander beside them, was also incomparably furious.
Sima Ting was becoming less and less inclined to conceal himself.
Jin Li frowned and took out the remaining imperial medicine. "Aunt Qin, if you consume this imperial medicine, can it raise your strength?"
When Aunt Qin saw the imperial medicine, shock flashed through her eyes.
She did not know where Her Majesty had obtained so much precious imperial medicine.
"If I consume this imperial medicine, I am confident that I can break through into the Emperor Rank within three years. But... there is not enough time." Aunt Qin's words were filled with regret.
Jin Li's brows knitted tightly as she considered a way to break the deadlock.
Use imperial medicine to hire an Emperor Rank powerhouse?
Ruled out.
Find some vicious medicine that could raise strength in a short time?
No!
For a moment, Jin Li had no good solution.
She could not help recalling what Qi Yuan had said about capturing some lesser demons in the Attire Forbidden Area to help her.
That emotion flashed past in an instant.
Subduing Attire Demons was not so simple.
It was nothing more than empty talk.
She did not know where there might be a way to rapidly raise one's cultivation.
Unable to think of anything, Jin Li looked at Aunt Qin. "Aunt Qin, keep your recovery a secret for now. Do not let Sima Ting know. I will find a way regarding the matter of raising your strength."
"As you command."
"Greetings, Sect Master."
The great hall was empty. Qi Yuan stood in its center, his attitude respectful.
Withered Wood True Lord glanced at Qi Yuan, a trace of teasing in his expression. "You still acknowledge this old man as your sect master."
Several months ago, this chief senior disciple of Seven Colors Peak had suddenly exposed the sect master of the Shinguang Sect—him—as a spy of the Demonic Desire Sect.
At the time, he had been terrified, thinking that he had been exposed and that the one from Seven Colors Peak had joined forces with the peak masters of the other peaks to strike against him.
Who would have thought it was a false alarm? It had all been Qi Yuan's nonsense.
He truly had deep ties with the Demonic Desire Sect. An elder of the Demonic Desire Sect had personally sent him into the Shinguang Sect.
From a menial disciple, he had become an outer sect disciple, then a true disciple.
Day after day, he had lived with his heart pounding and flesh trembling.
He often contacted that elder.
Every time, that elder would tell him to wait a little longer.
Day after day, year after year, he had moved with the utmost care. From an undercover agent, he had become the sect master of the Shinguang Sect.
When that elder met him again, Withered Wood True Lord immediately changed his face. "A person of the demonic path dares dream of driving a wedge between this venerable one and the Shinguang Sect?"
That Demonic Desire Sect elder had already been on his last legs. Upon hearing this, he directly croaked and died.
Qi Yuan looked at Withered Wood True Lord and said lazily, "You haven't done anything to betray the Shinguang Sect, so why can't I call you Sect Master?"
Withered Wood True Lord looked at Qi Yuan, his heart incomparably complicated.
This chief senior disciple of Seven Colors Peak was always muttering nonsense. How exactly did he know that he was a spy of the Demonic Desire Sect?
Or had he simply made it all up?
"Qi Yuan, there is something I need you to do." Withered Wood True Lord returned to business.
Qi Yuan's attitude also became serious.
"Half a month from now will be the Foundation Establishment Tournament." At this, a sharp glint flashed through Withered Wood True Lord's eyes. "This Foundation Establishment Tournament will be hosted by our Shinguang Sect.
"At that time, Great Shang Kingdom, Suspended Mountain, the Demonic Desire Sect, and other sects will all send disciples to participate and compete for a first-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object... the Yellow Flower Fruit."
A first-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object was the finest among the upper three grades of Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects.
In Great Shang Kingdom, it was exceedingly rare.
It was said that among Great Shang Kingdom's elusive powerhouses, only a handful had used upper three-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects to establish their foundations.
And they had not even been first-grade.
This showed just how precious a first-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object was.
Qi Yuan was stunned upon hearing this. "Why didn't the senior brothers and sisters wait for this Yellow Flower Fruit?"
"We never expected that only several Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects would grow in the Secret Realm this time, and that the Yellow Flower Fruit would be among them." Withered Wood True Lord sighed regretfully.
Had he known earlier that a first-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object would grow,
he certainly would not have allowed the chief senior disciples of the various peaks to establish their foundations in advance.
Now, among the chief senior disciples of the various peaks, only Qi Yuan had yet to reach Foundation Establishment.
Withered Wood True Lord felt that this might be a coincidence.
But it might also have been the handiwork of that one from Seven Colors Peak.
She had deliberately left behind a high-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for her disciple.
"Therefore, this time, you will lead our Shinguang Sect in participating in the Foundation Establishment Tournament.
"Qi Yuan, I hope you can raise the prestige of our sect and seize the Yellow Flower Fruit!"
Qi Yuan felt rather helpless upon hearing this. "Can I not participate?"
"No!" The Shinguang Sect's sect master refused decisively. Thinking of Qi Yuan's temperament, he added, "You only need to take the field once at the end. It will not take an hour."
Seeing this, Qi Yuan finally agreed. "All right."
"Sect Master, I shall take my leave." Qi Yuan turned to go.
Seeing Qi Yuan like this, the Shinguang Sect's sect master did not know whether to laugh or cry.
He did not know whether placing his hopes on Qi Yuan was truly reliable.
If the Yellow Flower Fruit were seized by another sect and created another powerhouse like the Black Chicken Old Demon, that would be troublesome.
But before he could think further, Qi Yuan suddenly stopped.
"Sect Master, is the Great Shang Empress... beautiful?"
Before you continue