Return to Mount Shu!
Dead silence.
Absolute silence.
The six Heavenly Monarch looked at each other, their faces filled with struggle.
Walk?
I'm not reconciled.
Aren't you leaving?
Then you'll die.
Sixth Layer of Tribulation Immortal facing Heavenly Monarch is essentially no different from Heavenly Monarch facing True Lord. It's a crushing defeat. Even if six Heavenly Monarch attacked together, they wouldn't last three moves against Sixth Layer of Tribulation Immortal.
"Walk."
Sky-Splitting Spear was the first to make a choice.
He sheathed his black blade and, without looking back, dashed towards the eastern void. The duty of the Great Chu Dark Shadow Guards was to complete their missions, not to die. If they failed a mission, they could try again; but if they lost their lives, they lost everything.
Sky-Splitting Spear left, the others couldn't hold back any longer.
Without saying a word, the Heavenly Monarch of the Beast Taming Sect captured the Three-Eyed Fire Python and ran away.
The three Heavenly Monarch Rogue Cultivator, without even saying goodbye, transformed into three streaks of light and disappeared into the sky.
Only two people remained standing there.
The Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan.
Guiyuan of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan's face alternated between pale and flushed, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He carried the orders of the Ji Clan Grand Elder and dared not retreat easily.
Guiyuan, however, had a different mindset. His gaze shifted back and forth between Chen Changqing and True Lord Qingxiao, his lips twitching several times, as if he were weighing something.
"Two?" True Lord Qingxiao looked at them, his tone as if speaking to a grandchild, "Aren't you leaving?"
"Senior!" Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Chen Changqing killed two generations of my Ji Clan's successors. This blood debt—"
True Lord Qingxiao raised his eyelids slightly.
With just the simple act of raising his eyelids, Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan felt as if an invisible hand had suddenly clenched his heart. His Heavenly Monarch Law Power surged violently within him, and he nearly vomited blood on the spot.
"The fact that your Ji Clan's descendant died on the arena of the Heavenly Void Grand Tournament is because he was simply outmatched."
True Lord Qingxiao's voice turned cold.
"You want to settle scores with the Mount Shu sect over life and death on the arena?"
"If you think this debt should be settled, then I'll settle it with you today. But before we do, think about one thing carefully—"
The emerald Immortal Sword beneath True Lord Qingxiao's feet hummed, its Sword Intent soaring into the sky.
"Can your Ji Clan withstand the wrath of Mount Shu?"
Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan's body was trembling.
He clenched his teeth so tightly that veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists were so clenched that his nails dug into his flesh.
Three breaths later.
He lowered his head.
Goodbye.
Heavenly Monarch of the Ji Clan transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the eastern horizon.
Seeing Guiyuan chuckled dryly twice and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards True Lord Qingxiao.
"I'm taking my leave now, senior. Farewell."
Before the words were even finished, the person had vanished.
Above the Netherworld Trench, only the people of Mount Shu remained.
True Lord Qingxiao sheathed his emerald Immortal Sword and slowly landed on the deck of the Mount Shu Warship.
Daoist Chen Yuan, along with Bai Wuya, Liu Ye, and the others, stepped forward to pay their respects.
"Disciple Chen Yuan (Bai Wuya / Liu Ye) pays respects to Grandmaster Qingxiao."
"Get up, all of you." True Lord Qingxiao waved his hand, his gaze falling on Chen Changqing, who was being supported by Bai Wuya.
"You're Chen Changqing?"
Chen Changqing clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Junior Chen Changqing thanks Grandmaster for saving my life."
True Lord Qingxiao looked him up and down.
"Middle True Lord Stage slaying Early Heavenly Monarch Stage..." A faint smile appeared on the old man's lips. "You brat, you're even more troublesome than your grandmaster Wu Zhen was in his youth."
Chen Changqing didn't reply, he just smiled.
True Lord Qingxiao suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Chen Changqing's crown.
A gentle yet vast power surged into Chen Changqing's body, rapidly repairing his disordered meridians and damaged Primordial Spirit.
"The injury isn't serious; he'll be fine after a few days of rest." True Lord Qingxiao withdrew his hand and looked at Daoist Chen Yuan. "Regarding your disciple, I'll speak on behalf of the Nine Elders of Mount Shu —it's a good choice to accept him."
Daoist Chen Yuan gave a wry smile.
He's managed to keep the child under control, but every time the child goes out, he causes a huge mess. As the teacher, his heart is about to give out.
True Lord Qingxiao turned and looked towards the eastern horizon.
His gaze pierced through the vast emptiness, seemingly looking towards some extremely distant place.
"This matter won't end so easily," True Lord Qingxiao's voice deepened. "The people who spread the information on the Nine Provinces Darknet haven't been found yet, and those Heavenly Monarch won't let it go once they return."
He paused.
"I just checked whether there was any residual Chaotic Origin Energy in Chen Changqing's body—and indeed there was."
Upon hearing this, everyone on the deck turned their gaze to Chen Changqing.
Chen Changqing's pupils contracted slightly.
After True Lord Qingxiao finished speaking, the atmosphere on the deck suddenly changed.
Daoist Chen Yuan frowned.
Bai Wuya paused for a moment while holding the silver spear.
Liu Ruyan subconsciously took half a step towards Chen Changqing.
Chen Changqing stood still, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
He knew it in his heart.
The Divine Pool absorbed so much Chaotic Origin Energy. Although most of it was digested by the Nine Primordial Spirits, it was reasonable that a trace remained. While the Automatic Guided Absorption Mode of the AFK System was highly efficient, it could not achieve 100% conversion.
"How many?" Chen Changqing asked directly.
True Lord Qingxiao glanced at him, his tone indifferent.
"Very rare. It's fused into the core of your Nine Primordial Spirits, and has become one with your divine soul. To extract it, someone would have to shatter your Primordial Spirits."
Daoist Chen Yuan's expression softened slightly.
It's good to be one. Being one means that they can't be separated, which also means that even if those who covet the Chaotic Origin Energy capture Chen Changqing, they won't get what they want.
"But outsiders don't know this," True Lord Qingxiao changed the subject, "In their eyes, Chen Changqing is a piece of fat meat containing Chaotic Origin Energy. The aroma of this fat meat has already spread, and trying to take it back—is difficult."
Chen Changqing remained silent for a moment.
He understood what True Lord Qingxiao meant.
After the news of the Netherworld Trench spreads today, the label of "possessing Chaotic Origin Energy" will only become more firmly attached to him. Even if he stands in the very center of Nine Provinces and shouts, "I don't have Chaotic Origin Energy," no one will believe him.
People only believe what they want to believe.
"Let's talk about it when we get back to Mount Shu." True Lord Qingxiao patted Daoist Chen Yuan on the shoulder.
With Sixth Layer of Tribulation Immortal of Tribulation personally escorting them, the rest of the journey was surprisingly peaceful.
Those True Lord Cultivator were still lurking in the distance and Heavenly Monarch were secretly watching all scattered and fled like mice seeing a cat after sensing the aura of True Lord Qingxiao.
The Mount Shu Warships traveled through the Netherworld Trench for half a day, entering the western edge of Western Nine Provinces through an underwater tunnel.
The interior of the ship's cabin.
Chen Changqing sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing.
The vast True Essence that True Lord Qingxiao infused with his palm strike had largely repaired his damaged meridians and Primordial Spirit, but the backlash from the complete shattering of Avatar five avatars still needed time to process.
The AFK Panel was running quietly in the Sea of Consciousness.
[Current AFK Points Balance: Points.]
Today's battle resulted in the deaths of over eighty True Lords, one Early Tribulation Transcendence, and one Early Heavenly Monarch Stage, with the total AFK Points gained approaching five million.
A single chaotic battle was equivalent to several months of accumulated experience from his usual Idle Cultivation.
"Fighting is definitely the fastest way to get results," Chen Changqing thought to himself.
He flipped the page on the AFK Panel to the Fusion Function area and glanced at the cooldown time—two more months before he could use it again.
It's not available for now.
Chen Changqing then checked his current cultivation level.
Middle True Lord Stage, still some distance from the Late True Lord Stage. However, the enhancement brought by the Nine Great Red-Gold Primordial Spirits after the transformation of the Divine Pool is all-encompassing, and his actual combat power has far exceeded the limits of his cultivation level.