I Can Reap Qi Fortune from Players

Ning Zheng had just left when, all throughout the Illusion Realm, one figure after another appeared in the little alley where the killing had taken place.

Each of them wore an angry look; obviously, they’d come up empty-handed yet again.

This repeated string of attacks on their Illusion Realm clients had already stirred up a chorus of complaints from a whole batch of old customers.

If they still couldn’t catch the culprit, where were they supposed to put this Black Market’s reputation?

"Damn it, did we miss him again?"

"The login point in reality wasn’t wrong; the guy was still here not long ago. But when we followed the trail, we still couldn’t grab anything."

"This group of Tribulation Cultivators has a special ability called Dharma Aspect. They can separate out a Dharma Aspect to launch attacks, flee far beyond the horizon, even manipulate things from across half an Immortal Domain. Their Dharma Aspect is also their soul, so it can enter the Illusion Realm and then kill people."

"Letting the Dharma Aspect enter? This bastard is a bit hard to kill."

Several Tributors showed looks of resentment.

These foreign Civilizations really had no manners.

Especially this kind of disgusting system that could split off part of the self—capturing it was extremely troublesome.

The Dharma Aspect went out the door, while the main body hid at home...

The more they thought about it, the more bitter their faces became. Why did this attack have to happen while it was their turn on duty as Tributors... couldn’t it have waited until after they changed shifts?

Bitter.

Far too bitter.

"Divination’s no use?"

"We already invited a True Immortal Great Power to perform Divination, but the other side seems to have found some means of severance. They’re also of the Auspicious Beast system. They said we’d need to invite a higher tier of True Immortal Auspicious Beast..."

"The higher price bracket is the tier belonging to Immortal Venerate Sects. The flock of Auspicious Beasts under the Immortal Venerates eat people without spitting out the bones; we can’t afford them. We’d have to apply to headquarters."

In the Immortal Realm, people who could do Divination were few to begin with.

After all, most people only started patching up their Destiny after becoming Immortals; their Destiny abilities could only be used passively.

You had to be an Auspicious Beast to perform Divination.

And most of the core Auspicious Beasts served under Immortal Venerates. After all, could an ordinary Cultivator just Divinate at random? Knowing too many secrets made you liable to die a sudden death.

Powerhouses of the True Immortal tier like Mo Mei could only purchase mixed-blooded mottled Auspicious Beasts under the Immortal Venerates. The Destiny Divine Techniques at that level could only be described as "good enough to fool people."

Otherwise, True Immortal Momei wouldn’t have been so delighted upon discovering the Daoist Civilization.

"Damn, the guys upstairs are too stingy to spend on Divination, yet they still expect us to catch people. They’re simply making things difficult for us Tributors."

"Let’s go squat in ambush again."

...

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In Zhongluan Domain, Xin Xichen and the others were in a room digesting their gains.

They had joined forces, using their Dharma Aspects to ambush some True Immortal Divine Senses in the Illusion Realm. It wasn’t that they lacked the ability to take them on one-on-one, but group hunts had a much better cost-performance ratio.

If they were too slow, the patrolling Tributors would come over to arrest people.

Clatter.

Xin Xichen lit the Firewood in his hand, enveloping Cursed, Phoenix Yi, and the others.

Knowledge was being transmitted.

Flames were burning.

After a while, the golden textual flames burned out completely.

Xin Xichen let out a long breath and smiled. "Through the Inheritance of the Firewood, we’ve already obtained this True Immortal’s insights. I trust each of you has gained something."

"Feels pretty good." Phoenix Yi gave a faint smile.

Xin Xichen’s Firewood was actually not as formidable as Ning Zheng imagined.

Or rather...

Burning only the sliver of Divine Sense that a True Immortal had sent into the Illusion Realm, he couldn’t obtain that True Immortal’s complete knowledge.

They were just treating these True Immortals like cheap, easy-to-use "Enlightenment Pills," burning them once and borrowing their insights into Law to carry out Enlightenment.

One True Immortal Enlightenment Pill after another—wasn’t that far cheaper than buying from outside?

Besides, the Immortal Realm was brutally exploitative!

As outsiders, they were even targeted. All the Enlightenment-type Pill Medicine and books were outrageously overpriced.

Might as well burn True Immortals and carry out Enlightenment again and again.

And so, during these months when Ning Zheng was busy, they hadn’t been idle either.

Burning "True Immortal Enlightenment Pills," then going to a Stream Speed Cave Mansion to seek Enlightenment.

Repeating this cycle.

They had already been in closed-door cultivation in the Cave Mansion for several thousand years.

Moreover, each of them had extremely rich personal experience and very deep accumulation. At this point, they could truly be described as bursting forth after long preparation.

For the Celestial Immortal Realm stage, they should have no worries. By burning these True Immortals and bug-surfing their way through, they could quickly pass through the realm using their more Advanced knowledge.

"And you don’t need to worry either."

Xin Xichen smiled. "Once I step into True Immortal, I’ll advance the Firewood Law into the Firewood Domain. When it covers an area, it’ll be even stronger, and I’ll be able to bring you along to continue cultivating."

"Yes, that’s excellent." Cursed laughed. "And with me sitting in charge of Destiny, we can rest easy when it comes to ordinary Divination."

"After I became Immortal, my Dharma Method underwent a qualitative change. The Cursed Technique I invented absorbed some Tribulation Qi, letting it cut off most Divination methods. Even True Immortals fear Tribulation and shy from it."

"Unfortunately, a few days ago that Painter bastard secretly peeked at it and learned it. Now there’s a batch of Cursed-version Painters running around, vicious to the extreme."

As Cursed spoke, his expression was full of anger.

The Dharma Method I painstakingly researched—just because you, Painter, happened to glance at me one more time in a crowd, you went and created a swarm of calamity-bringers rampaging all over the Immortal Realm?

Bitter.

Far too bitter.

I, Cursed, have spent my life saving those who suffer, building a peaceful kingdom for the Embers of the dead—yet I never imagined you Painter would be so utterly inhuman.

I may have no great merits recorded in history, but I certainly have bitter labors. You creating a bunch of Painters similar to me—doesn’t that just make me the scapegoat?

The true secrets of Cursed’s Divine Techniques were already known to Xin Xichen and the others now.

One of the Ancestors offered up in the Ancient Times encirclement and suppression of Xian, who, after death, became the Ghost King. In history, he manifested as the first sun, the Sun Golden Crow and Yin Crow that absorbed the Muddy Qi of Heaven and Earth...

After acquiring these historical titles, he completely comprehended his own nature and lived out a second life.

With the chance to alter his foundation, this Ghost King transformed into a Destiny Divine Technique of the bad-luck attribute.

In essence, he was on par with Jiu Shui as one of the two major Auspicious Beasts of the later era—only, this particular Auspicious Beast couldn’t perform Divination.

And now, after becoming Immortal...

Drawing on the accumulation and wisdom of his more than fifteen million years of life, he researched and created an entirely new, alternative Auspicious Beast Dharma Method: Tribulation Beast.

Everyone else breathes in Destiny, he breathes in Tribulation Qi.

After all, which old fossil that’s managed to live fifteen million years is simple?

Their age is comparable to an Immortal Venerate already.

Only this batch from the Nine-State won’t die of old age. Before becoming Immortal Venerates, their lifespans are this long, forming a strange kind of pseudo-eternity.

In fact.

These past few days they’ve been living pretty brilliantly, secretly clashing with the Painters several times, stopping short each time, then getting looted by the Painters again.

Only Ning Zheng has been tomb-raiding in the dark and hasn’t been paying attention, so he hasn’t watched their wonderful spell battles. Otherwise he’d definitely be sitting to the side munching melon seeds.

"Now you don’t need to fear that Painter. After suffering that huge loss, I’ve already re-encrypted your Restrictions for you."

Xin Xichen said coldly:

"Originally, I was planning that after ascending I wouldn’t run into that guy, so I prepared to delay the encryption, put my energy into cultivation, and then later update the New Immortal Realm’s encryption version..."

"But who knew, the Immortal Realm is crawling with the Painter’s claws. He’s spreading in geometric multiples under the guise of natural disasters, very quickly discovered us, and hid in the dark to record our struggle in his paintings."

Xin Xichen’s expression was extremely ugly.

You have to admit.

Firewood is the strongest cultivation cheat.

He, Xin Xichen, has the makings of an Immortal Venerate!

Once he becomes an Immortal Venerate, he even wants to put the entire Immortal Realm on a grill, burn it the way the Nine-State burns.

To become the Firewood Emperor, burn the Immortal Realm, drive the Immortal Realm’s development and great eruption!

I, Xin Xichen, was born with the bearing of an Immortal Emperor, the Supreme of the Immortal Realm, the unparalleled talent to be the Lord of All Immortals.

Xin Xichen is even less satisfied with a Deficient foundation.

He already died once to patch his foundation, and in the future he’s planning to die again, to patch a brand-new Flawless foundation.

To catch up to Jiu Shui.

Based on his observations in this period, after Immortals of Embers die and revive, they do indeed gain one chance to patch their foundation.

As long as your system’s foundation is itself Flawless and still has remaining headroom, then after you die you can continue patching that foundation.

But for an Immortal to fulfill their obsession, how difficult is that?

The stronger the Powerhouse, the harder it is to awaken, because the stronger the Powerhouse, the stronger their obsessions.

For example, some Immortal Venerates have an obsession with ruling the entire Immortal Realm—can they accomplish that?

It’s very hard!

For an Immortal Venerate to awaken, the difficulty is sky-high. If one succeeds, that’s a Trapped Dragon Ascending to Heaven.

"Hoo!"

Xin Xichen took a deep breath. "Back then, I, the Firewood Emperor, managed to find life in death; in the future I can do it again."

"My obsession is to become the common master of the Immortal Realm, the true Firewood Emperor! To rule the myriad worlds and all Heavens! To stand above all people, step by step ascend to the very peak!"

"When I approach the point of proclaiming myself Emperor, I’ll commit suicide, then ascend the Emperor’s throne in the body of Embers. I’ll instantly awaken from fulfilling my dream, seize the chance to patch my foundation, and become, of Heaven and Earth, across all ages, the first Knowledge Civilization Firewood Emperor of the Immortal Realm!"

Xin Xichen has mapped out his future very clearly.

He’s breaking through fast, and in the future he can also take a curve to overtake, stand shoulder to shoulder with Jiu Shui.

"I just don’t know what that Painter bastard is doing right now?" Cursed said.

The few of them understand the outside world better than Ning Zheng who’s hiding, and they’ve sensed that the Painter has started a full-spectrum infiltration of the Immortal Realm from more than ten directions.

Holding auctions to sell Painter-made friends.

Painters possessing high-level members of various factions.

Serving as Painter miners in the ore districts.

Painting beautiful women to marry off to various powerful nobles.

And most outrageous of all, they’ve discovered that the Embers virus in the Painter’s hands might already have advanced to Celestial Immortal Level.

He might even be hiding True Immortal–level viruses in his hand.

Cursed’s expression was calm. "I know him. He wants to stir up war. He’s insane, only wants to paint the most beautiful canvases in the blood and brilliant fireworks of Civilization, prove his Great Dao, and drag the Immortal Venerates down from their thrones."

Phoenix Yi’s expression was icy. "So he’s provoking war, trying to quietly turn the Immortal Realm into another Nine-State. No doubt, he’s preparing to unleash the Embers virus in one go."

Xin Xichen fell silent.

The Painter’s thinking might be nowhere near as complicated as they imagine.

The Painter came to the Immortal Realm just to spread the Nine-State’s specialty: Embers.

To let the Immortal Realm’s Cultivators also maintain an eternal smile, preserve their most beautiful faces...

To let everything one loves, likes, and grieves for stay behind, let Cultivators of the Immortal Realm keep the people they treasure.

As for keeping Embers secret?

The Painter never thinks Embers needs to be hidden; he thinks it should be shared.

Xin Xichen smiled. "According to the models I’ve deduced, that madman Painter may need only another month before he’s basically ready for a full-scale virus outbreak."

"One month, huh?" Phoenix Yi took a deep breath. "Do you think the Immortal Venerates in the Immortal Realm have the ability to suppress Embers?"

"Don’t know, depends on what methods the Immortal Venerates have."

Xin Xichen shook his head. "But after wide-area dissemination, with such a massive population base, the Embers virus will evolve. No one knows to what height Embers will evolve."

The reason the Embers virus in the Nine-State hasn’t evolved in so many years comes down to two factors.

One, as the years passed, the Embers virus has tended toward stability.

Two, Embers virus evolution is species-adaptive; it has already adapted to Nine-State humans.

For instance, when Embers spread to the Celestial Destiny World, it localized, mutating in line with the structure of its host life-form into Metal Embers.

And in the Immortal Realm?

Countless Civilizations, countless races, thrown together in one giant stewpot—what kind of Embers will this bug-farm produce?

The whole Immortal Realm is likely to become the next Nine-State, with ancestral graves everywhere.

People will cluster within city walls, afraid to step into the wilds.

Of course, all this is premised on testing the Immortal Venerates; nobody knows what cards Immortal Venerates hold.

Even if this virus fails, then it just fails.

The Painter’s true trump card is his personally painted Painters, never the mass-produced automated—auto-paint—Embers extending from his brush.

"Hmph, which is why we have to madly hoard resources and face the coming doomsday."

"In another month, every Immortal Venerate in the Immortal Realm’s Thirteen Domains will know the Painter’s name, know his great terror! The Painter is declaring war!"

A powerful sense of urgency rose in everyone’s hearts.

Time to go hunt another wave of True Immortals.