Chapter 498 - 440: Dao Path Severed?

Deep underground, within the ruins of the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.

Golden light surged like a sea, and Dao Rhyme flowed like a tide.

Qi Yun stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of this golden sea of light. Under the reflection of the pure and vast divine light of wealth, his Deep Blue Daoist Robe was plated with a pale golden hue.

His expression was calm, his profound gaze fixed upon the true body of the Imperial Soldier before him.

"A long-overdue debt must be repaid today."

He murmured softly, raising his right hand and sweeping it toward the ancient golden tree.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Five streaks of divine light—each a different color, yet incomparably condensed and radiating majestic divinity and pure faith—shot out from his sleeve! Within these streaks of light, the illusory figures of five distinct deities could be faintly seen.

They were precisely the five Grand Master Level deities he had captured from the peaceful realm of Spirit Yong years ago!

These five deities were originally Subordinate Deities on his Gods Sealing List and a source of his strength.

But at this moment, without any hesitation, he offered them as "wealth" to repay the God of Wealth.

The five streaks of divine light sank into the trunk of the ancient golden tree without any resistance. The entire ancient tree trembled slightly, and the Dao Patterns on its trunk accelerated their flow.

The moment the illusory figures of the five deities sank into the trunk, they melted away like snow in the sun. Reduced to the most essential Divine Power and faith, they were completely devoured and assimilated by the God of Wealth, becoming nutrients to repair and strengthen the Imperial Soldier.

The very instant the five streaks of divine light were entirely absorbed...

POP...

An extremely faint sound, like an invisible string snapping, echoed deep within Qi Yun’s Dao Heart.

He clearly felt the unseen karmic connection between himself and the God of Wealth before him—a formless yet tangible link quietly forged years ago when he had borrowed power on credit—completely dissipate with the clearing of his debt.

A faint sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, swept across his heart.

"As expected..." Qi Yun’s eyes flickered. "The ’loan contract’ from back then was absolutely not a simple verbal agreement. That wisp of connection was the ’voucher’ for the collateral.

"If I had intentionally defaulted or lacked the ability to repay, I’m afraid this God of Wealth would have followed that connection and forcibly taken away the collateral."

Having settled this old debt, Qi Yun delayed no further.

With a Heart Thought, the void behind him silently rippled. The vast, boundless phantom of Daluo Heaven, which evolved the Ten Thousand Laws, once again dramatically revealed a corner!

Chaotic aura permeated the air, and earth, water, fire, and wind surged, casting an increasingly mysterious and unfathomable reflection upon this golden underground space.

Immediately after, Qi Yun reached his hand deep into the unfurled phantom of Daluo Heaven and tapped lightly.

BUZZ...

A dazzling, exceptionally agile golden speck of light suddenly flew out from the depths of Daluo Heaven. After circling once, it landed in Qi Yun’s palm and transformed into a continuously pulsating golden Talisman. Faintly visible within it was a tiny, golden-robed illusory figure peering around curiously.

This was none other than the artifact spirit of the God of Wealth—Cai Shen!

Years ago, when the God of Wealth unexpectedly appeared and drew the attention of True Monarchs, Cai Shen had decisively executed a Secret Skill to avoid being captured and subjected to Refinement along with his true body. He detached himself from the Imperial Soldier’s true body, transforming into a speck of Spiritual Light. He then hid inside Qi Yun, who happened to be present and harbored secrets of his own. By using Qi Yun’s aura and Dao Rhyme to conceal himself, Cai Shen had narrowly escaped disaster.

This matter was absolutely confidential; only Qi Yun and Cai Shen knew of it.

"Go, return to your rightful place."

Qi Yun spoke in a flat tone, waving his hand at the golden Talisman in his palm once more.

The Talisman transformed into a streak of golden Flowing Light, shooting straight toward the ancient golden tree and instantly sinking into the core of its trunk!

RUMBLE—!!!

The very instant the artifact spirit returned to its true body, the entire ancient golden tree shook violently! A golden divine light erupted from its entire form, more than a hundred times stronger than before!

BUZZ—

CLANG—

CLATTER—

Unseen forces stirred as endless phenomena spontaneously emerged and manifested around the ancient tree!

Illusory mountains of gold and seas of silver bobbed up and down, their collisions echoing with the grand sound of ringing metal.

An invisible, flowing river of destiny surged forward, carrying within it the miniature histories of the rise and fall of Sects, the changing of dynasties, and the ascent and decline of Cultivators.

Gold Coins of karma rained down, each coin connecting two or more threads of fate;

The phantoms of shops faintly appeared in the river of light, with blurry figures seemingly standing behind counters to evaluate the worth of all things.

Furthermore, vast, ancient scrolls unfurled, depicting merchant caravans traveling across the myriad realms and trading goods throughout the heavens, exuding a majestic aura of the Dao of Wealth that transcended Realms!

This was the ultimate manifestation of the path of wealth and commerce!

The supreme aura belonging to the God of Wealth, this Imperial Soldier of the Dao of Wealth—flawless, intact, and overwhelmingly majestic enough to make even a True Monarch look askance—completely awakened and bloomed!

The golden light gradually retracted, and the phenomena slowly drew back. Beneath the ancient golden tree, the golden light converged. A figure transitioned from illusory to solid, slowly condensing into form.

It was a middle-aged man wearing an opulent golden robe embroidered with continuously shifting patterns of copper coins, silver ingots, abacus beads, and account books.

His appearance was extremely ordinary—the kind of face that would be impossible to pick out in a crowd. However, his eyes were piercing. Whenever they opened or closed, sharp light radiated from them, as if they could instantly see through a person’s innermost measurements and desires regarding "value."

This was precisely the artifact spirit, Cai Shen!

"Qi the Kid, you..." Cai Shen stretched the limbs of his newly condensed Spiritual Body, his face initially displaying heartfelt joy.

An artifact spirit separated from its body was like a drifting ghost; despite Qi Yun’s protection, he was ultimately a ship without an anchor. Now, returning to his true body, his Spiritual Body and form were united, making the Imperial Soldier whole once more.

This sense of security and power made him almost want to throw his head back and roar at the sky.

But following the joy, a trace of hidden worry immediately surfaced in his heart. Wasn’t the reason he detached and fled in the first place because he feared falling into the hands of villains?

Now that his strength hadn’t recovered, hastily merging...

Before he could even voice his concerns, his gaze met Qi Yun’s calm, indifferent eyes.

Qi Yun remained standing with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine. Even standing before a fully awakened Imperial Soldier and facing its overwhelming aura, he was still poised and unruffled.

Seeing these eyes and sensing the lofty aura on Qi Yun—which, though restrained, remained unmatched in the world—Cai Shen was taken aback for a moment before letting out an involuntary chuckle.

The bit of worry on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by relief and emotion.

"Heh... I actually forgot." Cai Shen slapped his forehead. He examined Qi Yun, his tone complex.

"Three days apart is enough to make one view a person in a completely new light.

"No, this goes far beyond just a new light... That little guy who used to need to borrow power on credit from me has now..."

He paused. His gaze swept over the surrounding ruins of the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm and seemingly pierced through the earth, seeing the dynamic between righteous and demonic forces in the outside world that had been overturned by this one man alone. With undisguised admiration and a hint of reverence, he said:

"With True Monarchs in seclusion, in this vast Profound Yellow... you are the heavens!"

Hearing this, Qi Yun merely gave a faint smile, remaining noncommittal, and shifted the subject.

"Since Senior has returned to his position and the Imperial Soldier is complete, congratulations are in order.

"This junior does indeed have a matter and would like to ask for Senior’s assistance."

"Spit it out, Qi the Kid," Cai Shen said straightforwardly. He stretched grandly, his golden robe shimmering with Flowing Light. Then, with a Heart Thought, he withdrew the true body of the ancient golden tree, which was still radiating a magnificent aura, deep into his Spiritual Body, leaving only a faint pressure of the Dao of Wealth permeating the air.

He rubbed his hands together, revealing the shrewd smile of a Businessman, yet his eyes were sincere.

"Though the relationship between us might not be considered a life-and-death friendship, we have shared adversity and helped each other.

"Today, you helped me return to my place and settled our karma; I owe you a favor.

"If there is anything you need my help with, speak frankly. As long as it doesn’t violate my fundamental Dao Principles, I will absolutely not decline if I can help."

Qi Yun nodded and stated his goal directly.

"I want to ask Senior to help me find the whereabouts of the final Venerable Dao Foundation."

"Venerable Dao Foundation?" Upon hearing this, the patterns on Cai Shen’s golden robe lit up slightly, and the sharp light in his eyes intensified.

"Correct," Qi Yun nodded. "I have already found the other eight Dao Foundations; only the final one remains.

"Previously, I used my own Dao Foundation to sense it and deduce heaven’s secrets, but I gained nothing.

"This object seems to have been hidden by someone using Great Divine Techniques.

"Senior governs the Dao of Wealth, where all things have a price and all karma can be traced. Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of a clue."

"I guessed it would be this matter."

Cai Shen was not surprised. With Qi Yun’s current Realm and strength, the only thing that could make him earnestly ask for help was a major issue concerning the foundation of his Dao path.

"Wait here, I will search for it for you right now."

"Thank you for the trouble, Senior," Qi Yun cupped his hands.

Cai Shen said no more. His expression turned solemn as he slowly closed his eyes. His golden robe fluttered automatically without wind, flapping loudly, as the phantom of that heaven-reaching ancient golden tree once again emerged behind him.

But it was more solid than before, its Dao Rhyme even more profound.

Upon the ancient tree, billions of golden leaves trembled in unison. The patterns on every single leaf lit up, projecting countless subtle Flowing Lights of Daoist Intent related to "value," "clues," and "secrets."

At this moment, utilizing the power of an Imperial Soldier, Cai Shen forcefully pried into the deepest secrets of Profound Yellow and even the myriad realms of the heavens.

The scene was mystical and vast, the Dao Rhyme majestic and deep. It was enough to leave any Great Master dazzled and mesmerized.

Qi Yun stood quietly to the side, his gaze steady as he waited patiently.

As time ticked by, the phenomena behind Cai Shen operated at their absolute limit, the branches of the ancient golden tree spreading ever larger and vaster.

After a long while.

All the phenomena behind Cai Shen suddenly retracted!

He abruptly opened his eyes, the golden light in them not yet fully dissipated, faintly revealing a trace of astonishment.

"Hidden... this deeply?"

Cai Shen’s voice carried gravity. He looked at Qi Yun with tightly knit brows.

"Using the authority of an Imperial Soldier, I traversed all karmic threads, flows of value, and historical traces related to the Venerable Dao Foundation...

"But the feedback I received was either a complete blank or roughly severed by some higher-tier power!

"It seems a top-tier mighty figure has taken action and is determined to hide this Dao Foundation."

Seeing Cai Shen’s reaction, Qi Yun’s heart sank slightly, but he still asked.

"Even you, Senior, have absolutely no clue?"

Cai Shen slowly shook his head and sighed.

"I am the God of Wealth, not the God of Heaven.

"The way I see it, whoever took action to hide this final Venerable Dao Foundation is absolutely no ordinary True Monarch.

"Their methods involve altering fundamental karma and obfuscating relevant heavenly secrets; they must be at least a Middle Realm True Monarch or higher."

To think that even the complete God of Wealth could not find a single concrete clue. Qi Yun’s brows involuntarily furrowed deeply.

A Middle Realm True Monarch or higher?

Even with the empowerment of the Immortal Slaying Dao Fruit, it would be absolutely impossible for him to confront such an opponent head-on in his current state.

Could it be that his Venerable Dao path had been severed just like this?

The atmosphere stagnated for a moment.

Watching Qi Yun furrowing his brows in deep thought, Cai Shen suddenly spoke again. "My skills are too varied; deduction and divination are not my strong suits.

"If you can find my Third Brother, he specializes in deduction and divination. Even if a Great Success True Monarch took action, they couldn’t deceive him. In front of him, there are no secrets in this world."

"Senior, you mean..." Qi Yun’s gaze sharpened.

"The third Golden Tang Dynasty Imperial Soldier, and also one of only two among the Imperial Soldiers to hold a Shengtang Title!

"Duke of Xuan—the Luo River Map!"