Only I am Venerable

"Qin Li?" Hai Shixiong glanced at Hai Jinzun, a bit puzzled.

Hai Jinzun smiled and said, "The very same fellow I have a grudge against..."

"This..."

Hai Shixiong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at this family prodigy, born four generations after him. "Isn’t this a bit childish?" he said.

Hai Jinzun shook his head. "No, Patriarch. This isn’t me using my position to settle a personal score. In my opinion, that Qin Li is far more terrifying than any so-called Purple-eyed New King! Do you know what rumor is currently circulating in the East?"

"Oh? What rumor?" Hai Shixiong knew this junior was highly intelligent. His insights into many matters were often even more profound than his own.

"You’ve likely heard the first half of the rumor, Patriarch: ’When the Divine Temple appears, conflict will arise, and glory will be restored!’"

Hai Shixiong nodded, indicating he had indeed heard of such a rumor. But he didn’t understand what it had to do with Qin Li.

Hai Jinzun continued, "The second half of the rumor... claims that this Qin Li is the very person who will fulfill the prophecy!"

"What?" Hai Shixiong stared at Hai Jinzun in astonishment. "How... How is that possible?"

"It’s entirely possible, Patriarch. Think about it. I’ve thoroughly investigated Qin Li’s origins. He was born in a small, mortal kingdom in the East, an illegitimate son whose identity had to be hidden. Before his teens, his strength wasn’t even at the Yellow Level, the lowest of the mortal ranks of Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow! But in just over a decade, he’s had all sorts of fortuitous encounters. The last time we met, he sent me flying and coughing up blood with sheer brute force. Do you think such a person could be ordinary, Patriarch?" As he spoke of being forced to cough up blood, an indignant and furious glint flashed in Hai Jinzun’s eyes. It was the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered in his life.

Hai Shixiong sucked in a sharp breath. As the Patriarch of a major power with a family full of experts, Hai Shixiong was of course well aware of how difficult it was for an ordinary person from the Mortal Realm to become a master. In fact, for an ordinary person from the mortal world, it was already a remarkable achievement to break through to the Celestial Level and reach the Celestial Shattering Realm in their entire lifetime!

And yet, in just over a decade, this Qin Li had grown from a penniless nobody into a Martial Artist who could go toe-to-toe with someone at the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation Realm, and even gain a slight upper hand... This... he truly couldn’t be regarded as an ordinary person.

Seeing the Patriarch fall into deep thought, Hai Jinzun decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Furthermore, you may not be aware of this, Patriarch, but not only is Qin Li a master of the Disguise Skill, but the Sword Qi produced by the Primordial Power Heart Method he cultivates is purple!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Hai Shixiong’s interest was finally piqued by this peerless prodigy of his family. The reason was simple. On the Celestial Essence Continent, there were thousands of Primordial Power Heart Methods and Combat Techniques for Martial Artists to cultivate. However, without exception, the moves they produced corresponded to the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. There could be variations. For instance, Water Element Combat Techniques could branch into Water Element, Ice Element, and Thunder Element, and so on. The Fire Element could also be developed into many different types. Some people even specifically sought out Celestial Fire to cultivate and integrate into their Combat Techniques to enhance their power.

But he had never heard of purple Sword Qi. What element did purple Sword Qi even belong to? Hai Shixiong had never heard of such a thing. He pondered for a long time but couldn’t find an answer. Then he said, "But no one in the Purple-eyed Race uses purple Sword Qi either, do they?"

Hai Jinzun laughed. "That’s why he’s the king! If we say he is, he is! Even if he isn’t!"

Hai Shixiong was dumbfounded. The muscles on his face twitched violently a few times as he stared at the smiling junior sitting across from him. An involuntary chill ran down his spine. ’Whoever becomes this guy’s enemy is truly unlucky,’ he thought. ’This isn’t just framing someone; this is just slapping a label on them and calling it a day!’

In truth, neither Hai Shixiong nor Hai Jinzun knew that their decision, born of a whim, to spread the rumor that Qin Li was the Purple-eyed New King wasn’t a frame-up at all. It was an ironclad fact!

At this moment, Qin Li, with Cao Hong in tow, had left Lengqiu Palace and was on the road to Moon Shaking Immortal Palace.

Cao Hong was still shaken by the commotion they had caused back at Lengqiu Palace. He had gained a completely new appreciation for Qin Li’s strength and felt truly lucky to be following such a person. The man had single-handedly thrown all of Lengqiu Palace into chaos and still managed to escape with ease. You had to be impressed!

Since Cao Hong was dead set on following him, Qin Li told him his name and origin. However, Qin Li didn’t mention what had happened inside Lengqiu Palace, because it was simply too bizarre. Even now, Qin Li didn’t understand why the throne in Lengqiu Palace had chosen him when he didn’t have a single drop of Purple-eyed blood in him.

’Perhaps only the old Daoist who gave me the Innate Purple Qi Technique all those years ago could explain any of this. Unfortunately, I can never return to that world, and I don’t even know if the old Daoist is still alive.’

So, this secret could only be buried deep inside him. Unless a miracle occurred someday, the mystery might never be solved.

But just because Qin Li wasn’t talking didn’t mean others weren’t. As the two of them traveled, the rumor about a new king appearing in Lengqiu Palace had already begun to spread far and wide.

When Cao Hong first heard it, his gaze toward Qin Li wavered. It wasn’t that he was afraid of what Qin Li might do to him; it was just that the matter was too incredible to believe.

Qin Li didn’t offer any explanation. However, the further they traveled, the more outrageous the rumors they heard on the road became. The latest news actually claimed that Qin Li was the new king of the Purple-eyed Race, and it was told with startling detail! From his personal history to the Combat Techniques he used, everything was being laid bare. And so, overnight, the name Qin Li became famous throughout the entire Land of the Far West!

Qin Li was utterly speechless at this outcome. He didn’t even know how to face Cao Hong’s curious gaze. Qin Li knew in his heart that whoever started this rumor definitely didn’t know about his experience in the Earth Palace on Lengqiu Palace’s main peak. This had to be a rumor fabricated by someone who knew him very well.

The problem was, the rumor was so cleverly crafted that it was hard for anyone to tell fact from fiction. What’s more, for Qin Li, it wasn’t a rumor at all—it was the truth!

Qin Li had a few suspects in mind. In the Land of the Far West, only two people held a grudge against him and also knew him to some extent: one was Han Mei, the Saintess of Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, and the other was that peerless prodigy of the Hai Family, Hai Jinzun, whom he had beaten until he coughed up blood.

As for the little trouble he’d caused in Tongtian City, it was nothing. If he hadn’t told Cao Hong, Cao Hong wouldn’t have even known who he was, let alone that bald youth or the young man from the small sect, Wen Bin.

This left Qin Li with a feeling of helpless amusement. ’Fate really is a fickle thing!’ he thought. Fortunately, Cao Hong was understanding. The love of his life had been a woman with Purple-eyed blood, so he didn’t care at all whether Qin Li was the new king of the Purple-eyed Race or not, and he showed his firm resolve to follow him.

"Young Master, all fingers are pointing at you now. Not only is that group of Purple-eyed people searching for you, but I’m afraid all the powers here are looking for you too. It’s no longer suitable for you to travel the Land of the Far West with your current appearance. Although you aren’t afraid of them, it will inevitably lead to trouble."

After brutally killing Lou Chengfang, Cao Hong’s resolve had completely solidified. Being an assassin could only bring him temporary fame. If he wanted to advance his realm, it would be incredibly difficult without a powerful backer. And in every respect, Qin Li was the perfect person to be that backer.

This conviction was especially reinforced after he learned a great deal about Qin Li from the recent rumors.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Qin Li nodded. Indeed, with his current appearance, if he were to enter Moon Shaking Immortal Palace, even if he didn’t have any issues with Han Mei, that woman’s overzealous sense of justice would probably not let him have a moment’s peace.

And so, two days later, Qin Li once again changed his appearance, disguising himself as a young man of twenty-three or twenty-four with dark skin, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, giving him an honest and dependable look.

Meanwhile, Cao Hong and Qin Li agreed on when and how to meet up, after which Cao Hong would slip into the shadows. Traveling together made them too conspicuous a target. By hiding in the shadows, Cao Hong could gather useful information for Qin Li.

After parting ways with Cao Hong, Qin Li immediately picked up his pace toward Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. He wasn’t worried about Cao Hong betraying him. Even if Cao Hong went back on his word and exposed him, it would only make the rumors more credible. Meanwhile, Cao Hong himself would become a public enemy, a loss that would far outweigh any gain. There was no benefit in it for him.

In an instant, the entire Land of the Far West was thrown into turmoil, all because of the name Qin Li. So much so that when Bu Yunyan heard the rumors, she was also left speechless. ’The man I love truly can’t find a moment’s peace wherever he goes!’ she thought.

At the same time, Bu Yunyan couldn’t help but worry about Qin Li. She firmly believed that he couldn’t possibly be one of the Purple-eyed Race. But even if he were, she still wouldn’t change her feelings for him.

’So what if he has Purple Eyes? Does that make all of them villains? And are all the native Martial Artists of the Celestial Essence Continent good people?’

Take Saintess Han Mei, for example. In essence, she wasn’t a bad person, but she was definitely no saint either! Ever since these events began, Han Mei’s attitude toward Bu Yunyan, Zhao Qianqian, and Linghu Feiyue had become far worse than before.

Because of her status, Bu Yunyan and the others couldn’t argue with her directly. They could only endure it in silence, all while cultivating desperately. They were holding in their resentment, vowing to one day get away from this detestable woman.

Just then, Qin Li stood outside the gates of Moon Shaking Immortal Palace. He gazed at the simple yet majestic mountain gate before him, a naive expression on his face, as if he were stunned by its imposing aura.