My Core is the Boss

Qi Yuan reappeared, smirking faintly. "I heard someone talking behind my back, so I thought I'd come take a look."

The woman with a second monkey head grew awkward, then hardened. "I was not talking behind your back. I was stating facts. A peak Martial King like you might be powerful in an outpost, but in the Origin Land, you’re nothing."

As an owner of a Martial Lord Seal, she had a powerful backer. Thus, she grew bolder. People were often like that. When she was still weak, she had been endlessly cautious. She feared offending anyone and drawing unnecessary dangerous enemies.

However, as her strength grew, so did her arrogance. It was just like so many people in the world, who put on a certain skin and suddenly considered themselves superior to everyone else. Though it was only natural to feel superior, some took it far beyond what was acceptable.

Mu Yan's expression soured and he chided, "You were the one in the wrong, and he simply heard you. An apology would be appropriate."

She felt aggrieved and absolutely had no desire to apologise. Even so, she still required Mu Yan's resources for the upcoming Ancestral Blood Battle. Glaring fiercely at Qi Yuan, her expression became conflicted.

Qi Yuan raised a hand. "You don't have to apologise."

The young woman felt a surge of contempt. Clearly, she'd intimidated him.

"If she apologizes, I won't be able to refuse it in good conscience. And if I don't, killing her afterward will weigh heavily on my conscience."

The young woman went pale, then snapped. "Y-you dare?! Do you know who's behind me?!"

"When a common man is enraged, blood spills within five paces. Why would I not dare? Just because I have no ancestors, do I deserve to be pushed around?! What an unjust world! It is stacked so heavily against someone with no backing! No! Justice demands I act!"

Just then, Qi Yuan remembered he technically had a Martial Lord grandson. Would that count? Or maybe that was more like having a front-desk connection? He felt dizzy just thinking about it, so he ignored his thoughts. Otherwise, he was afraid his brain would have to expand again.

He struck decisively. "Die."

Mu Yan lunged forward in alarm. "Spare her!"

At the end of the day, she was still a Martial Lord's descendant bearing a Martial Lord Seal. If Qi Yuan killed her, Mu Yan would have a very difficult time in the Origin Land.

In Mu Yan's opinion, Qi Yuan was among the strongest of the Martial Kings. The woman was not his match at all. That was precisely why he'd been trying to recruit Qi Yuan all along.

Qi Yuan swept his hand and a single head landed at Mu Yan's feet. "Ah, you shouted too slowly. There's still a head left. I’m being sparing, aren’t I?"

The young woman had been obliterated, and only her human head remained. Mu Yan stared flabbergasted. She was truly gone!

Mu Yan held the head. "Brother Qi, you are in trouble! She had the seal. A Martial Lord was watching over her. He won’t let you go!"

The other Martial Kings on the ship stared at Qi Yuan with varying degrees of wariness, but none of them revealed any emotions. Qi Yuan was genuinely terrifying. Even though they were of the same realm, he had killed her without a second thought. He was probably one step away from the Martial Lord realm.

Qi Yuan said, unbothered, "She had a backer, I have a front desk. What is there to fear?"

The surrounding peak Martial Lords were baffled. Front desk? The kind at a hotel? What does that have to do with anything?

"I'm a specialist in dealing with elders. I'd be delighted if her backer showed up. I just hope they've bathed first. I don't want my White Moonlight smelling like an old guy."

With that, his figure vanished once more.

The others watched and frankly understood him. He killed someone, talked big, then ran. What a sensible person. If the dead woman's Martial Lord ancestor caught him, there'd be no escape.

Of course, they only dared think that. Saying it aloud was out of the question. What if that lunatic came back for a parting shot? They had no desire to share the young woman's fate.

***

Inside the Origin Land, Qi Yuan looked at the thousand-odd faces gathered below. "Old Thunder, Goddaughter, Village Chief, Zhu Zhuangshi... long time no see. You are all in the Yang Spirit realm. Not bad! If any of you returned to the Mortal Heart World now and ran into those two great enemies... Heh. They wouldn't even be fit to carry your shoes."

He was quite moved. These were familiar faces. They were his citizens, who had fought alongside him in the Mortal Heart World.

"Lord God!" Zhu Zhuangshi pushed his way forward, his eyes gleaming with tears. "I never imagined I would see you again in this lifetime!"

Yang Spirits were once the Mortal Heart World's greatest nightmare. Not even Qi Yuan could match them. Thus, Zhu Zhuangshi and the other villagers devised a plan from early on. Using the technique by which the new gods devoured their followers, they would sacrifice themselves to empower Qi Yuan against the two.

From the start, they had already made peace with dying. Yet somehow, they had returned from the dead, and as Yang Spirits at that.

Qi Yuan unceremoniously said, "Stop crying. It's not moving at all."

Zhu Zhuangshi's face crumpled. "Do you prefer delicate, lovely women? What an oversight! I should have cultivated my Past Self into a woman's form. That way, I can stay by your side day and night."

The Past Selves of Yang Spirits could take any shape. Some cultivators had even made entire worlds into their Past Self.

Qi Yuan's expression turned into one of pure disgust. "Don't make me sick."

Then, another thought hit him and he felt even worse. In the Mortal Heart World, he had come to understand that all things were himself. Thunder was him, Qi Qi was him. Zhu Zhuangshi was him. Which meant Zhu Zhuangshi was making him sick... of himself?

His caring little goddaughter, Qi Qi, stepped forward and swept her palm through the air. "Godfather, look what we found!"

A great rush of dense violet mist materialised before Qi Yuan.

He lit up. "Violet Qi!"

[Violet Qi. The innate qi of the immortal dao. The origin of the world, representing endless vitality.]

Qi Qi announced with delight, puffing out her chest as she eagerly awaited praise, "The moment we knew you were in need of Violet Qi, we combed through the Origin Land and gathered every last trace of it!"

"Well done, Goddaughter." Qi Yuan took the Violet Qi, beaming. He gazed at it in admiration. "As the innate qi of the immortal dao, it could probably bring anyone below the Yang Spirit realm back to life."

He was happy. He had Violet Qi now, and the only thing he lacked would be the underworld palace.

Setting the Violet Qi away, Qi Yuan looked at Qi Qi and the small, potato-shaped maid beside her. "Have you found any trace of the boss here?"

The Spirit Martial Lord quest was still up in the air. Dong Jun was probably the only one who knew. He was the largest known boss in this world, at least to Qi Yuan.

Qi Qi shook her head. "Nothing. We searched the Origin Land completely, including the Eastern Alliance's forbidden grounds and treasure vaults. There is no sign of him."

Qi Yuan thought back to the murals he had seen in the ruins. "Ah. So if the mural was true, he may be in some unknown place, holding back a great enemy?"

In those paintings, a woman had faced a powerful enemy and ultimately fell. If Dong Jun was the man in the murals, then perhaps he was still locked in battle with that enemy even now.