Chapter 228: The World Seed

"When? When was this?" The ancient gods present were puzzled, their minds reeling with disbelief.

"Was the Northern Battle really your doing, Origin God?"

"So, it's true!"

"Such a shame about Venerable Tianbao, not being able to witness this moment."

"I heard the evil god stronghold fled entirely—what a relief!"

But "relief" doesn't quite capture it! The Mortal Heart Realm has been oppressed for so long, unable to deal with the evil gods. And now... they were driven off by the Origin God! So much has happened in such a short span, and without any warning.

"Origin God, mighty and powerful!"

"All hail the Origin God, eternal and unyielding!"

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The chat group was in an uproar; only such outbursts could express their overwhelming excitement.

"What’s going on? Did the Origin Heavenly God manifest another legendary feat?"

Messages flooded the chat.

At this point, Qi Yuan remembered something and asked in the group, "Since we've known each other for a while, how about I offer you all some benefits? Interested?"

"What kind of benefits?" asked Black Dragon Venerable.

"Even if the Origin God sends me to the wilderness, I'd gladly go!" replied Venerable Shenmao earnestly.

"I second that," Venerable Baixi chimed in, deeply moved.

He still remembered the first time he met the Origin God in the group—back then, the Origin Deity was still somewhat naive and modest, even calling him "senior." But now, the Origin Deity had become a dominant force. Through his master, Venerable Lishan, Baixi had learned that the events in the Northern Region were indeed true. The Origin God, leading the people of Qingshui Village and the surrounding villages, had utterly devastated the evil god stronghold. It was almost unimaginable. Could it be that every villager in that place was a prodigy?

"Come to the Lin Kingdom, Feiwu City, and become my citizens!" Qi Yuan extended the invitation, "Since we've met, I'll lead you in a counterattack against the evil gods!"

The game wasn't over yet, with the Yang Gods in the Heaven Pillar still devouring the Heavenly Dao. Qi Yuan was quietly accumulating his strength. In more sophisticated terms, the Yang Gods' path had reached its end, but he still had a long way to go.

"Citizens!"

"I, Venerable Shenmao, am the first to agree!"

"Becoming a citizen? I’d do it even if it meant dying!"

After all, the Origin God had done a great favor for the Mortal Heart Realm. The God's kindness is something to be repaid over lifetimes, so becoming a citizen is no big deal.

"I agree too!" Venerable Baixi responded. His master had already become a citizen of the Origin God, so why should he hesitate?

Seeing the other ancient gods in the group so excited, Dongjiang He was left speechless. He was a young Heavenly Emperor who had manifested a mythic-level contemplation method. Becoming someone else's citizen felt beneath him. He couldn’t bring himself to lower his pride like that.

"I have a form you need to fill out. I'll send you the information. If you want to become my citizens, fill it out, and I'll send you some benefits," Qi Yuan said, like a wealthy deity casually distributing his wealth.

After all, he was earning so much so easily. If he were earning only a fraction of this, he probably wouldn’t be so generous.

In a matter of seconds, the ancient gods in the group wasted no time, immediately filling out their information and sending it to Qi Yuan.

Dongjiang He, seeing this, widened his eyes. "These people... do they have no pride? I'm the young Heavenly Emperor who manifested a mythic-level contemplation method. I can't be like them. I need the Origin God to personally invite me. I'll refuse once or twice before agreeing!"

"Is anyone else interested? If not, I'm logging off. If you want to become my citizens later, there won't be any benefits," Qi Yuan asked in the group.

Dongjiang He’s pupils constricted at the thought. Was the Origin God really about to leave without personally inviting him? Panic-stricken, he blurted out, "Wait for me, Origin Deity! I haven't filled out the form yet!"

Opportunities like this were rare, and he didn’t want to miss out. After all, everyone else in the group had become the Origin God's citizens, with some even addressing him as their foster father. If he became a citizen too, it wouldn’t be so embarrassing, right?

...

The slaughter continued.

The fall of the evil god stronghold happened swiftly. However, hunting down the remaining evil gods was taking longer. The evil gods had scattered across various locations, and upon hearing that the stronghold's forces had all fled, they too began fleeing in all directions.

The forces of Qingshui Village fought for three days and still hadn't completely wiped out the remaining evil gods.

Atop a high mountain, the village chief, Yuli, with his white hair, exuded a profound aura. Beside him was the priest Shentu, whose presence was cold and foreboding. Anyone who saw him felt an inexplicable fear.

Zhu Zhuangshi, sitting atop a large black dog, grinned broadly, showing off his white teeth with pride.

"Now, filthy dog, do you know who your master is?"

The black dog whimpered softly, not daring to retort.

At that moment, several ancient gods at the second step of the Heaven Ascension Path appeared. When they saw Yuli and the others, they looked at them with deep respect.

"Honored ones, the three evil gods, including Lin Li, are hiding on the mountain ahead. The city has prepared a banquet for you. Once the evil gods are slain, we can feast together," one of the ancient gods said cautiously, looking at Yuli and the others with admiration.

"Very well. You may withdraw. Leave this to us," the village chief, Yuli, instructed.

The ancient gods bowed and retreated. As they left, they whispered among themselves.

"So, these are the forces of Qingshui Village? As expected of the Origin God’s direct subordinates—each one is extraordinary!"

"A village where everyone is a True God—what kind of mystical place is Qingshui Village?"

"The Origin God is quite the character, even issuing a 'No Kill-Stealing Order.' These evil gods are meant for their people to kill."

"Sigh, with our meager strength, we’re hardly a match for the evil gods. How could we even think of stealing kills?"

"We should just follow the Origin God’s preferences and focus on setting up the banquet."

"I’ve got that covered."

As the ancient gods retreated, the village chief couldn’t help but sigh.

"There was a time when we would tremble in fear at the sight of a divine being at the Purple Mansion level. Now... even true gods are cautious around us."

"This is all thanks to our God's generosity!" the priest Shentu added.

Zhu Zhuangshi's expression also shifted subtly. "Who would have thought that my chubby self could become so popular?"

In recent days, he had rampaged through the enemy ranks, encountering many ancient gods who flirted with him with their eyes.

Such things were unimaginable to him before. The once-high-and-mighty goddesses were now more obsequious than even the black dog.

"Old Zhu, how is the task coming along?" the village chief Yuli asked.

Zhu Zhuangshi frowned slightly. "We’ve killed three evil gods, and there has been some progress. The assimilation method... is indeed profound."

Over the past few days, they hadn’t just been fighting—they had also captured some evil gods to interrogate about the assimilation method and conducted some experiments.

When the evil gods came to the Mortal Heart Realm, they took control of certain areas and slowly assimilated the people there, turning them into puppets.

The village chief Yuli had tasked Zhu Zhuangshi with unraveling the mysteries of this assimilation.

"Hopefully, we can solve this soon, so that those who have been assimilated can be freed," the village chief Yuli sighed.

In the Mortal Heart Realm, millions of people had been assimilated and turned into puppets. Entering one of those cities meant seeing nothing but decay, fear, and desolation.

The priest Shentu’s gaze grew deeper. "The next three evil gods—leave them alive. We need to continue our research and ensure we fully decipher the assimilation method. Also..."

He trailed off, but the three of them understood without needing to say more.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan had returned to Feiwu City.

He had spent two days feasting in Huaye City, sometimes watching Xiao Xing’s dance performances with the suona, other times enjoying the banquet and receiving updates from all over the Mortal Heart Realm—feeling quite content.

Now, back in Feiwu City, he looked at the orderly and restored city, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

"As the game nears its end, I can't help but feel a bit empty," Qi Yuan mused. Whenever a game was about to end, he always felt a sense of loss, a kind of wistfulness.

At that moment, his attention was drawn to a nearby residence.

With a thought, he appeared outside the house.

In front of Qi Yuan was a modest red-brick, blue-tiled house, somewhat resembling the one he had back on the Seven Colors Peak.

Qi Yuan thought to himself that when the game ended and he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, he would tear down his old house and build something more impressive.

Looking at the house in front of him, he called out in a refined and gentle voice, "Is anyone home? The Origin Heavenly God... has come to visit."

The house was home to two sisters: the elder sister Yang Lian and the younger sister Yang Hua.

Qi Yuan had once received a gift from these sisters—the Blood Jade Leaf. This Blood Jade Leaf contained the world's fortune. At that time, he had obtained the Lost Glow Wand but couldn’t use it. It was the aura of the Blood Jade Leaf that had allowed him to activate the Lost Glow Wand.

The person who had given him the gift had mentioned that they didn’t like to see strangers, so Qi Yuan hadn’t disturbed them.

But now, with the game nearing its end, he thought he might as well visit the people inside.

There was a moment of silence.

But Qi Yuan could hear the nervous heartbeat of the woman inside. The sisters seemed to be whispering to each other. Qi Yuan, being a gentleman, did not eavesdrop.

If he were not a gentleman, he wouldn’t have waited outside but would have barged in directly.

After about thirty seconds, the door creaked open, and the tall Yang Lian appeared, her eyes filled with a hint of caution. "Please come in, Origin God"

Qi Yuan glanced at Yang Lian, his gaze curious.

Finally, he entered the house, where he saw a frail girl lying on the bed.

The girl was petite, her face pale and bloodless, but her deep eyes were full of intelligence.

As the girl’s information entered Qi Yuan’s mind, he caught onto a few key details.

A flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"Thank you for the gift—it was a great help," Qi Yuan said sincerely.

The little girl, Yang Hua, forced a smile, her voice as soft as a spring breeze. "You saved the people of Feiwu City, you saved me, so I should be the one thanking you."

Yang Lian, standing by, kept her gaze fixed on Qi Yuan, her whole body tense.

Her sister carried within her the seed of the world. If this were revealed to any powerful being, even an ancient deity, it could be a disaster.

The world seed was something everyone coveted, even those at the level of divine myths.

While the Origin God had driven off the evil gods and was a great benefactor to the Mortal Heart Realm, no one could truly know his intentions. The stronger the person, the more likely they were to desire the world seed.

"I once had an old friend who, like you, had a world seed within her. But... she was a bit different from you," Qi Yuan said, thinking of the Foodless Holy Mother.

Indeed, he had sensed the presence of a world seed within the Foodless Holy Mother. But the seed within her was different from the one in the girl before him.

The girl’s seed seemed to have come from the Heavem Pillar.

The Foodless Holy Mother’s seed was something else entirely.

However, the Foodless Holy Mother had perished. The girl in front of him was not her reincarnation.

Upon hearing Qi Yuan's words, the girl showed a hint of surprise.

Yang Lian was also taken aback.

She hadn't expected the Origin God to know someone else with a world seed.

"She’s someone you should be familiar with—she’s the Foodless Holy Mother."

"What? It’s her?" Yang Lian was astonished.

The little girl, however, remained calm, displaying a maturity beyond her years.

"Brother Qi Yuan, you’re very mysterious and very powerful."

"Just average, really."

"To have scared off the evil gods, you are the greatest in the history of the Mortal Heart Realm," Yang Lian said, her voice tinged with admiration.

"Don’t flatter me—I’m still quite weak, only capable of defeating a baby," Qi Yuan replied, recalling the information he had seen in the ancestral land. "I’ve seen what I came to see, so I’ll be going."

Yang Lian was surprised at his sudden decision to leave.

"You’re leaving..."

Qi Yuan looked at Yang Lian and smiled. "Though I may have flexible morals, I don’t harm others. A world seed might be precious to some, but to me, it’s not as valuable as a bowl of delicious fish soup."

Hearing this, Yang Lian was filled with guilt.

She had indeed been judging a gentleman by her own narrow standards.

The Origin God clearly had no interest in the world seed.

She believed his words. If he had truly been greedy, he could have taken it by force—there was no need for deception.

"Let me see you out, Origin God," Yang Lian said, following him quickly.

"Alright," Qi Yuan replied as he walked out of the house without a backward glance.

Yang Lian followed closely, her expression shifting several times.

"What do you plan to do next, Origin God?" Yang Lian finally gathered the courage to ask, referring to the evil gods.

"Naturally, I’ll slay the two Yang Gods," Qi Yuan said confidently. This was the final step in his plan. Once the two yang Gods were defeated, his task of protecting Qingshui Village would be complete.

Yang Lian lowered her head, a look of melancholy in her eyes. "The Mortal Heart Realm is an innate world... Anything is possible here, but... it's impossible to break through to the level above Yin gods. Your talent is unmatched in history, but... without ascending to that level, you won't stand a chance against those two."

There was much Yang Lian hadn’t said.

To walk the seventh step on the path to the heavens is to enter the realm of the Yang God. But the seventh step is a long journey, requiring one to truly walk the path of heaven.

With the Heavenly Dao within the Heaven Pillar being devoured, even hundreds of years might not remain.

Time was running out for the Origin God.

Even if it were possible to break through to the level of a Yang God in this innate world, the time was too short.

Qi Yuan remained silent.

Yang Lian continued, "The Mortal Heart Realm is doomed to perish. The two Yang Gods... they are unbeatable. Perhaps in a past life or in another form, you were a being of great power, but here in the Mortal Heart Realm, you are trapped, as if in a cage.

Yang Lian begs you to take my sister away from the Mortal Heart Realm! My sister carries the world seed within her. If you are interested, when she grows up, she could dual cultivate with you, which would greatly benefit your cultivation. If you break through to the level above Yin Gods, you will be far beyond a mere Yang god!"

Yang Lian spoke earnestly.

The Origin God was someone she could trust.

She felt at ease entrusting her sister to him.

And besides, who else could take her sister out of the Mortal Heart Realm?

Qi Yuan looked at Yang Lian's face, feeling rather speechless. "I’m really not interested in your world seed. Leaving the Mortal Heart Realm? How would I continue the game then? I can't grant your request."

Qi Yuan flatly refused.