Chapter 375.2: My Heart Believes It, But My Nose Doesnt

Chapter 375.2: My Heart Believes It, But My Nose Doesn't

As ancestral blood washed over him, Mu Yan opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed within them. "I've finally become a Martial Lord!"

Youthful vigor and heroic spirit filled him. His gaze seemed capable of splitting mountains apart. Only after stepping into the Martial Lord realm did he truly gain a broader perspective, realizing just how weak the Martial King realm had been.

His ancestor walked into the room, his eyes filled with admiration. "Mu Yan, you've finally become a Martial Lord. Come out quickly, you're the only one left!"

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

After the breakthrough, Mu Yan’s understanding of the vast disparities between Martial Lords also deepened. A single martial aperture nearly doubled one's strength.

He then asked curiously, "What brought you here?"

"A Heavenly Venerable wishes to become the Spirit Martial God and must challenge Martial Lords."

"Huh?" Mu Yan was puzzled. What is a Heavenly Venerable?

Moreover, it sounded as though they were arranging a duel between him and another Martial Lord?

Mu Yan replied immediately, "I will give it my all!"

The Great Martial Lord smiled. "Heh. Just do as you please."

Following behind his ancestor, Mu Yan's curiosity only grew. "Ancestor, is my opponent strong? Should I hold back a little?"

The Great Martial Lord replied casually. "Just do your best. Oh, right. Don't provoke or insult him."

Though confused, Mu Yan agreed, "As you command."

The two left the tower together.

Mu Yan kept his head lowered. Before long, he noticed some familiar faces. They were all participants in the Ancestral Blood Battle and had now become Martial Lords. All of them gazed enviously at Mu Yan. He grew increasingly confused. There were more and more Martial Lords gathered here. In fact, they were packed together so densely that he couldn't even estimate their number.

As excitement welled up within him, Mu Yan asked cautiously, "Ancestor, why are there so many Martial Lords?"

He had sensed several especially powerful auras, seemingly belonging to Titled Martial Lords. The legendary Titled Martial Lords stood at the very pinnacle of this world.

The Great Martial Lord replied, "They're all here for the challenge."

Mu Yan became even more bewildered. Is it perhaps something like a martial arts tournament among mortals? Except every participant is a Martial Lord?

Just then, Qi Yuan appeared beside him. "As expected of the person I had high hopes for. You arrived last, making a grand entrance."

Delight instantly spread across Mu Yan’s face. He was genuinely surprised. "Qi Yuan! Why are you here?"

Qi Yuan’s appearance could only mean one thing: his ancestor had already resolved his problem!

Qi Yuan replied, "I'm here to challenge you, and—"

Mu Yan felt even happier for Qi Yuan. "Challenge me? Don't tell me you've entered the Martial Lord realm too?!"

He hadn't expected Qi Yuan to have found his own opportunities!

Mu Yan uttered cheerfully, "Heh, don't worry. I'll hold back, so your defeat won't be too embarrassing."

Qi Yuan smiled. "I won't lose."

Mu Yan was in high spirits. "Hmph! Though I wasn't your opponent in the Black Sea, one should view others with fresh eyes after a period apart. I'm no longer who I used to be!"

Qi Yuan replied calmly, "Well, enough talk. I still need to complete my mission and become the Spirit Martial God."

Mu Yan asked eagerly, "Where's the arena?!"

Qi Yuan's tone suddenly rose. "Why would I need an arena?"

The next moment, he soared into the sky. Mu Yan's heart immediately leaped into his throat. After all, not a single Titled Martial Lords were flying, making the other Martial Lords certainly wouldn't dare fly casually.

Isn't Qi Yuan disrespecting every Martial Lord?!

Standing amid the heavens, Qi Yuan's crimson robes billowed gently, making him resemble an immortal banished from the celestial realms.

His voice rang loudly across the entire tower. "Have all the Martial Lords of the Origin Land arrived?!"

The newly advanced Martial Lords were all stunned, staring at him in disbelief. Some of them had met Qi Yuan at the original outpost or within the Mountain-Sea Scroll.

Following that, dozens of Titled Martial Lords stepped forward respectfully.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, all Martial Lords have arrived!"

The remaining ten thousand Martial Lords bowed simultaneously, like subjects paying homage to their sovereign.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, we are all present!"

Mu Yan was completely dumbfounded. Even his own ancestor was bowing to Qi Yuan like a court official before an emperor. He couldn't understand. What is going on?

Qi Yuan explained, "Becoming the Spirit Martial God is so simple. I only have to defeat every Martial Lord in the world. Come at me at once. Don't worry. I'll be gentle. I won't hurt any of you."

He had always advocated civility and proper conduct, unlike those unrestrained old geezers from the upper worlds, who would slaughter countless minor demons merely to show off their power. If they treated even their own kind that way, they would surely slaughter innocents without hesitation.

"Heavenly Venerable, forgive our offense!"

"Forgive our offense!"

All the Martial Lords shouted in unison, their voices crashing together like ocean waves.

Confusion and anxiety mixed within Mu Yan. So many people were about to attack Qi Yuan. He stood frozen, utterly lost. "Ancestor, are we going to join forces against Qi Yuan?"

The Great Martial Lord immediately corrected him, "Call him Heavenly Venerable!"

"But what if he dies?"

Mu Yan knew Qi Yuan wasn't as simple as he appeared. Though Qi Yuan was undoubtedly powerful, facing nearly ten thousand Martial Lords was just suicide.

"Hmph. You truly dare to dream. Several days ago, the Heavenly Venerable swallowed a sun."

Mu Yan's eyes widened. "What?! Swallowed a sun?!"

Qi Yuan's voice rang out once more. "Fight!"

Countless attacks surged toward the sky. Yet before Qi Yuan, they resembled nothing more than a light drizzle. He closed his eyes, receiving every attack. After all, this was also an opportunity to comprehend the myriad dao.

***

Spring gave way to autumn. Emperor Shu and Emperor Hu frequently appeared, their immense forms stretching across the Black Sea. The Martial Lords of the Eastern Alliance had long grown accustomed to their appearances.

***

At this moment, on Arch Star, the Martial Arts Tournament was still ongoing. Everyone knew that the man who had swallowed a sun was the true champion. As much as they wanted to participate to meet Qi Yuan in person, no one dared to disrupt his life trajectory. What if beating up old men in tournaments was his favorite hobby?

Thus, the tournament remained exactly as it had always been. There was no live audience, only livestream viewers. Moreover, those viewers were exceptionally well-behaved. Even the stream itself was unusual. Only positive comments were allowed, and negative comments couldn’t be posted.

Qi Yuan said calmly to the old man standing before him, "Old man, this will be my last time participating in the Martial Arts Tournament. Next time, you'll finally achieve your dream and win the championship."

The white-haired old man seemed dazed. "​​Immortal Master, you're not participating anymore?"

For all these years, he had always lost to Qi Yuan. Though unwilling to accept it at first, he finally let go after witnessing Qi Yuan swallow a sun. He was nearly a hundred years old. Losing to someone who could devour a sun was perfectly normal, wasn't it?

Qi Yuan gazed at the empty spectator seats, feeling a trace of loneliness. "That's right. It's over."

The game was almost over.