My Core is the Boss

Qi Yuan ecstatically stared at the fat cultivator who had proposed Innate Violet Qi. "Sir, your talent is so great that it truly deserves to be called unparalleled! As expected, hidden qilins exist in the wilderness. There are true experts among the common people! Sir, could you perhaps remove your mask and let me see what kind of wise eyes you possess?"

He was so sincere, reminiscent of Liu Bei paying three visits to the thatched cottage.

The fat Nascent Soul cultivator was stunned. He could not tell whether Qi Yuan was mocking him or genuinely serious. He said awkwardly, "Ahem, there's no need."

After all, the other Nascent Souls were looking at him with amusement.

Qi Yuan patted his chest. "Sir, you have helped me greatly. I'll protect you in the future!"

He really wanted to recruit such a "great genius" for his own use. Who knew what world-shaking schemes were hidden beneath that clever, oversized head?

The fat Nascent Soul did not wish to casually offend people, so he simply answered vaguely, "Ahem... alright."

Actually, he felt somewhat guilty. Seeing himself as mediocre, he didn’t feel worthy of Qi Yuan’s praise.

Qi Yuan probed, "Sir, do you have any more wise words to bestow upon me?"

This concerned his own Great Dao. Naturally, being cautious and respectful toward talent was completely normal.

The fat Nascent Soul coughed again, feeling even more undeserving of such praise. Still, thinking that a fellow cultivator admired him so much, he also felt somewhat buoyant inside. The little bit of brainpower he could muster was now entirely devoted to giving Qi Yuan a good answer.

His mind worked quickly. "Every cultivator has their own understanding of Violet Palace. The best Origin Divine Technique is the one that suits you best. Likewise, the best Violet Palace is the one that suits you best. Based on your words, it seems that you wish to walk an unconventional road? In that case, whatever suits you is naturally the most appropriate."

Others heard it as complete nonsense built upon twisted logic.

Though Origin Divine Techniques were personal and had to be forged by oneself, the Violet Palace was another matter. It was universal. There was no such thing as "suitable" or "unsuitable."

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan became thoughtful, listening seriously like a student standing respectfully in the snow outside Cheng Yi's gate.

The fat cultivator moistened his throat, rather satisfied with his own speech. "Therefore, based on your remarks, you seem to advocate that Violet Palace is truly a palace. Thus, I proposed that 'violet' refers to Violet Qi. Fellow Daoist, you may perhaps gain insights by further developing the concept of 'palace.'"

However, it still lacked the finishing touch: supporting arguments.

Thus, he added, "The path of cultivation emphasizes the harmony of yin and yang, the fusion of heaven and earth, and following nature itself. As long as you think along those lines, your path surely will not go astray."

To others, his argument sounded laughable and ridiculous. Utter garbage, honestly. Only the final sentence, borrowed from the words of ancient sages, held some logic.

Qi Yuan furrowed his brow, countless thoughts racing through his mind. "A Violet Palace suitable for oneself?"

The strongest beings in this world were immeasurable, indefinable, unobservable. Although the Violet Palace was a universal cultivation realm, a truly powerful one seemed impossible to define. Or perhaps he simply hadn't discovered what could truly be called the best—one that could be defined.

It was similar to certain powerful beings that could freely switch their worldview at will, randomly selecting whichever benefited themselves the most.

Qi Yuan was enlightened. "Master, I understand now!"

What did he currently lack? Why had he worked so hard to cultivate? For freedom. For absolute ease. For a life without regrets. Yet along his past path, there had been far, far too many regrets.

On Moonwatch Continent, the Five Ancestors had sacrificed themselves so he could master the Forbidden Zone. He never got to meet Jin Li beneath the Ancient Qichun Tree. In the City of No Return, three men defended one city. Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao, who once gave Qi Yuan wine to drink, died. Only Qi Yuan still remembered their names.

Once, Qi Yuan had declared that one day, he would re-establish earth, water, wind, and fire. He would refine the false into the true, turn illusion into reality, and allow the Five Ancestors to return to the world. That was the vision he had never accomplished.

Couldn't Violet Palace follow precisely this train of thought? As the saying went, yin and yang had to coexist harmoniously. Violet Qi was the supreme yang of heaven and earth, representing infinite vitality, the very foundation of all life's revival. If yang existed, then what was missing was yin.

What was the most yin thing in existence?

That’s right! The underworld!

Filled with wandering souls, the underworld embodied the ultimate yin. Within it existed the Six Paths of Reincarnation, linking yin and yang. It also had a palace. This was clearly fate at work!

What was Violet Palace? It was an underworld filled with the source of primordial energy, Violet Qi! Qi Yuan felt he was simply too creative. Using Violet Qi to reconstruct those he had once known, reviving them within the underworld and guiding them into it.

In that way, the Five Ancestors would also revive. All the regrets of Qi Yuan's past could be nurtured into existence and resurrected within his Violet Palace.

Qi Yuan's Origin Divine Techniques—Inner Demon Lure and the Great Forgetfulness Sutra—were also perfectly suited to this underworld-like Violet Palace.

Inner Demon Lure could become the Eighteen Hells, where those who entered suffered endless torment from heart demons.

The Great Forgetfulness Sutra could become the Oblivion Soup and the River of Forgetfulness. One sweep of it, and cultivators would forget themselves entirely. Besides reviving old acquaintances, such a Violet Palace would also boast a terrifying combat power.

He was already working out tactics in his mind. First, find some unknown world and open the Violet Palace, luring enemies in. Then, he would spread Violet Qi everywhere. Which enemy would not be tempted by the sight of the supreme treasure of heaven and earth?

Moreover, there would be neither danger nor Forbidden Zones there. It was merely something difficult to capture. Every Yang Spirit would be unable to resist the temptation.

Sorry, but the instant you came to seize it, you'd fall straight into hell.

After all, beneath the Violet Qi lay the gloomy underworld. Those Yang Spirits probably wouldn't even know how they ended up in hell.

Once inside Qi Yuan's Violet Palace, wouldn't they be completely at his mercy? He could simply erase the enemies he disliked outright. As for those he found agreeable... He could erase their souls and true spirits while preserving their cultivation, then wait for new true spirits to emerge so they could continue serving him. It was pure genius!

Qi Yuan greatly admired himself, though he also felt that the road toward Violet Palace was still long and arduous.

He then said seriously to the fat cultivator, "Fellow Daoist, I shall never forget the grace of your dao transmission. If one day you pass away, and your unfilial disciples refuse even to collect your corpse, fear not. I will revive you!"

The moment those words came out, the hall erupted into laughter once more.

"Even going as far as to mention revival? Fellow Daoist, who do you think you are? The Dao Ancestor?"

"Even the Dao Ancestor of an entire realm probably couldn't do that!"

"I'll thank you on behalf of this fellow daoist then, hahaha!"

The fat cultivator's expression changed again and again. Who cursed people to die like this? However, seeing Qi Yuan's utterly sincere expression, he felt that Qi Yuan was probably just someone with terribly low EQ. He could not help sighing inwardly. This junior brother was straightforward, and he happened to like that kind of personality.

Thus, he had no choice but to demonstrate extremely high EQ. "Many thanks for your goodwill. If my soul is extinguished someday, I'll definitely become a ghost and come find you."

He even felt rather satisfied with himself.