Chapter 26: The Truth of Mortal Gods

"During the reign of the Divine King Han Xei, the title of Mortal God was born. Originally, it was decided for those at the Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation, Yin Form Phase, but near the end of his reign, it had changed. It became the designation of those at the Sixth Stage of Qi Condensation, False Reality.

"This continued through the three later eras of the Myriad Yore Continent. The titles are as such, Mortal God at the Sixth Phase, Mortal Godlord at the Eighth Phase, and Mortal Godking at the Ninth Phase. The full title for Mortal Godhood actually was shortened for False God of Mortal Dao, False Lord of Spirit, Mortal King of Qi. This became divided into the three titles."

Wei Wuyin continued reading and felt shock and awe in his heart. "So those considered Gods are nothing more than False Gods. It's unknown if Divine King Han Xei was mocking those at the Qi Condensation Realm or praising them." As someone who had just become a False God of Mortal Dao, a Mortal God, he had mixed feelings when he read this.

He kept reading and learned much. The most important detail that he had read from these scrolls was a detailing of the Qi Condensation Realm to an even greater level. In the Sixth Phase explanation, it never mentioned world force or the qi of the world, but that one needed to meld their innate yin and yang energies with the ever present life in the air.

This was just the personal description of whoever reached the Sixth Phase at the time. This only reinforced Wei Wuyin's belief that those who ascended to the Sixth Phase had wildly different beliefs as to how they ascended. If Wei Wuyin heard this before, he wouldn't know what to do with that.

Hearing it now, Wei Wuyin still felt it didn't fit, but he knew that it held truth but from a different perspective.

The Seventh Phase, Sublime Qi, is all about refining one's Heart of Qi to its limit with essence, expanding its size and abilities. It's a realm for refinement and solidification of one's foundation. It was considered the simplest phase and had no requirement for talent or comprehension. It embodied the Realm of Accumulation that the Qi Condensation Realm was often described as.

Recalling the one hundred essence stones, he wondered if it would be enough. It didn't describe how much one would need, but that it required an immense amount of Essence from the Heaven and Earth.

The Eighth Phase infused spirit with qi on a higher level, giving qi spirituality and a unique connection. Even if one's qi was no longer in direct contact with the creator, they could sense it and the activity around it. They could direct and control it while its form still existed. While one's spiritual spells would take a huge leap that could influence others' spirits or minds.

The Ninth Phase gave birth to Qi Essence. Before, Wei Wuyin wouldn't have any idea as to what that was, but now that he had grasped world force, he had a clearer view of cultivation. Qi Essence was a condensed force similar to the world's force, allowing one to work on producing their own internal world.

According to the scrolls, the next realm involved creating a world. Wei Wuyin was awed by this. A door had been opened to his path of cultivation.

"Yin-Yang God Spheres!" Wei Wuyin found a scroll describing it in detail as well. He had many questions about it, and this scroll answered all of them.

It was true that only those who reached the Realm beyond Qi Condensation could create them, and that it wasn't difficult. Supposedly, it used the purest of yin and yang energies within the world to structure. However, the force used to keep it together wasn't the force he was completely familiar with.

It was the world force refined and produced by those experts themselves, not the ambient force prevalent in the world. This was why Wei Wuyin's Hearts of Qi rejected that force. While it had similarities to the world force, it was the elf man's personal force. It was different from Wei Wuyin's current world force that fused yin and yang.

This could be considered force birthed from the world and refined by him, but their force was birthed by their Qi Essence and refined by them. It was solely belonging to them.

"No wonder, no wonder!" Wei Wuyin's eyes lit in excitement. This question had kept him awake at night, and now it had been answered. It also explained how the Yin-Yang God Spheres helped others ascend to the Sixth Phase. It gave one a very small, nearly invisible clue, but it was also the most vital. If one could grasp it, the Sixth Phase was near.

He continued reading and learned many things. Before he knew it, four days passed. He had finished reading every last scroll.

"Incredible!" He sighed in utter amazement at the sheer amount of information he'd just consumed. Yesterday, there was so much about the world he hadn't known. Today, he felt like he had seen the light above his dark well. He had an itch to leap out and see the true world now.

Licking his lips, he turned towards the Qi Art, Spiritual Spells, and Qi Methods. Grinning, he browsed through them quickly and found what he wanted.

Qi Manual - Divine Element Formation.

It was the qi method used by the Divine King Han Xei. It had been publicly distributed before his death in hopes of finding a successor. However, according to the stories, he had never found a successor which led to the collapse of his legacy and thereby his empire.

The reason was that, unlike the current method he had, the Elemental Qi Transformation Method, this required one to establish high-level metal, lightning, wood, ice, and magma qi. The Elemental Qi Transformation Method was basic in comparison, only requiring the nine elemental qi birthed.

Wei Wuyin had met the high-level conditions with his metal, lightning, and wood qi. All he needed was a high-level ice and magma qi. He could then transform one or even both of his Hearts of Qi into a Divine Heart of Elemental Qi.

It would change not just the qi his heart produced, but the core of the heart itself. The benefits noted to his mind, spirit, matter, and essence that was connected to it was described, and Wei Wuyin knew that description did not do it justice.

He felt thrilled at the prospect of this method. Normally, he wouldn't have picked this Qi Method as finding a high-level ice or magma essence might be rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns, but with his karmic luck value, he felt that the heavens would help him.

No, he knew it would.

He laughed heartily, causing Old Bai to be caught off-guard and flinch. He was somewhat embarrassed as he quietly turned his blushed face away. Having become used to the silence, how was he supposed to react to Wei Wuyin's spontaneous outburst?

Stretching his limbs, Wei Wuyin was ready to leave.

He bowed to Old Bai in respect, giving him thanks for watching over him before departing. When he exited the Scarlet Dao Temple, he was caught by surprise.

A bulky, giant of a man with beady eyes and bald head was pacing back and forth, mumbling words underneath his breath. Wei Wuyin frowned, "Wei Si, why are you here?"

This was Wei Si, his cousin. Usually, he stayed near the Yang Yore Fields cultivation grounds to absorb the trace of yang energy and handle the unique condition of his body. Wei Wuyin hadn't seen him since he departed for the joint mission with the Sky Sword Sect and Aqua Echo Sect.

"Wei Wuyin!" Wei Si cried after hearing Wei Wuyin. He hastily made his way over. That bulky body of his and the momentum he could generate caused a turbulent wind current to form. Wei Wuyin felt battered by the wind before Wei Si even reached him.

"Hold up!" He held his hand out, sending a strand of qi to halt Wei Si's advance. Wei Si's large body touched that strand of qi and felt like he was being held by an almighty hand of god, forcing him to a complete stop. He was shocked, looking down and witnessing a silver string of qi.

"I'm sorry." Realizing his rushing may have caused some discomfort, he immediately apologized.

"Mn. Just tell me, what's wrong?" Wei Wuyin walked up to Wei Si instead. He had always taken special care of this cousin of his, and helped in any way he could.

"Yes! It's Big Sis Mei!" His voice was filled with panic.

"Mei Mei? Speak!" Wei Wuyin ordered, his expression changing and his aura leaked. Wei Si trembled slightly, he had never seen this cousin of his so fierce and powerful.

"Mei Mei had disappeared! She vanished two days ago."

Disappeared? Wei Wuyin's mind trembled as he searched his mind for information, "How? She should've had bodyguards!"

Wei Si hastily added, "Yes. The sect gave her three Third Phase guards, but they were found unconscious. The sect did a search, but came up empty!"

A hole was punctured in Wei Wuyin's heart, forming a pit of despair. Mei Mei was his former leader, his former lover, and most importantly, his friend. She was important to him.

"They found nothing?" His voice trembled slightly.

"No...they didn't...but I know who's responsible!" Wei Si dejectedly said, but added the last bit with gusto.

"You do? Why haven't you told the sect!" Wei Wuyin shouted, enraged.

Wei Si shrank back, he timidly muttered, "I did…"

Wei Wuyin frowned.

"The person who's responsible is also the one she made a deal with, and the sect can't act. I know because they needed my blood!" Wei Si said.

"Blood?" Wei Si had a unique constitution and physique, it was heavily influenced by yang energies, forcefully giving him a powerful body and strong vitality. His blood could theoretically be used as a medicine or a cultivation resource. However, it wasn't that potent or reliable, so the sect didn't waste its time.

"They used my blood to create a tonic to help her recover. She was pretty badly injured after The Challenge, so much so that she was physically crippled. She couldn't walk or feel as her nerves and spine were practically destroyed, in complete shambles the medics said. She called over someone by the name of The Helios Witch, she took my blood, and Mei Mei rapidly recovered. Her cultivation even strengthened.

"I smelled that witch when I arrived at the scene of capture!" Wei Si explained.

Wei Wuyin had all sorts of thoughts running through his mind.

Wait.

"The Helios Witch?" The moment he recalled this name, his expression turned ugly. No wonder the sect couldn't do anything even if they knew. That was because the Helios Witch wasn't a normal human, but one who had deep affiliation with the elves. She was rather well known, classified as a Mortal God-level character.

If they wanted to find Mei Mei, they would have to travel to the Elven's homeground, the Mystic Elven Forest, and search for the Helios Witch.

Wei Wuyin deeply frowned as his heart felt conflicted, yet incredibly curious. A high-level elf was captured by Jiu Lang and Mei Mei had dealings with this Helios Witch? Could there be a link between this or was this a coincidence?

Suddenly, Wei Wuyin's eyes became incredibly focused and driven. "Are you certain?"

"Yes! I am certain, because when she took my blood, I heard the Helios Witch mention taking back something, and her scent was at the scene! Who else but someone at her level could escape the scope of the sect." Wei Si fearfully said.

Wei Si had a unique physique, and this physique elevated his physical senses. His sense of smell was greater than a dog's. Therefore, Wei Wuyin trusted him. If the Helios Witch's scent was there, then she was there.

Someone at the Helios Witch's level wouldn't leave any trace of aura, but it would be difficult for her to hide her smell. This was similar to how Old Bai could disguise his aura but not his lifeforce.

"The sect said they couldn't verify it, and that they'll do their own investigation, but...I don't know if it'll be too late then. I don't even think they're taking it seriously!"

Wei Si had a deep connection with Mei Mei, even willing to give his blood for her. During the time Wei Wuyin and Mei Mei were together, Wei Si had interacted with Mei Mei many times. She wasn't judgemental about his appearance and treated him nicely, so he didn't want to see any harm come to her.

"Even if they verified it, they couldn't take action. The Mystic Elven Forest isn't someplace they dare to march an army against." Wei Wuyin said with an ugly expression.

"I'm going," he decided.

"I'll go with you!" Wei Si was willing to throw himself in the fire for Mei Mei, but Wei Wuyin shook his head.

"I'm going to the Mystic Elven Forest, you may have the physique rivaling a Third Phase expert, but you're still too weak. You can barely hold your own against a true Third Phase expert let alone a God-level figure like the Helios Witch. You'll stay." Wei Wuyin's tone brokered no argument.

"But Wei Wuyin, you can-"

Boom!

Wei Si was just about to argue but his mouth closed shut in an instant.

Wei Wuyin's aura infused with yin-yang qi, the four basic elements, lightning, metal, and wood qi exploded like a volcanic eruption. His black hair fluttered with the wind as various energies coursed through his veins. As he stood there, it was like the world had become one with him.

He had become a god. True fire, crackling lightning, vibrant leaves, streams of water, wads of clustered rock, wild currents of wind, and silver mist was birthed as real as they could be.

"I am enough! If she's alive, I will bring her back. If she is dead, I'll bring her murderer's head. I promise!" His words were like thunder as they resounded within Wei Si's eyes. He had never seen such power, such force, such realism before. He could feel the biting wind, heat, and electricity in the air. Gulping heavily, he subconsciously nodded.

Wei Wuyin gently smiled, his aura faded and the elements dispersed. He whistled.

Fweet!

Kree!

A shriek sounded not too far away. His crane which was stationed at a stable near the Scarlet Dao Temple took to the skies and flew over with immense speed. Wei Wuyin leapt upwards, his descent met by the crane's arrival perfectly as he landed on its back.

He looked at Wei Si as the crane turned directions, "I'll be back."

With fierce eyes, he looked towards the east. With a pat, the crane took off eastward.

Mystic Elven Forest, here I come!

Ohn!

Karmic Luck Value: 171.1 → 162.4.