Qi Yuan spent two days hosting banquets in Huaye City. Sometimes, he listened to Little Xing lead a suona dance, enjoyed the feast, or reviewed intelligence flowing in from across the Mortal Heart World.

Now, he found himself back in Feiwu City. The streets were orderly again, the chaos long since swept away. Life had resumed its rhythm.

Looking at it, he felt a faint stir of emotion. "When the music ends, the crowd disperses. The game is nearing its end."

Whenever a game approached its finale, he felt that hollow ache. It was an inexplicable sense of loss. His gaze drifted toward a modest residence.

With a shift of his figure, he appeared outside it.

Red bricks, gray tiles. Everything screamed ordinary. It even resembled the brick house he owned on Seven-Colored Peak. He mused that once he broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, he’d tear that old place down and build something grander.

Finally, he called out gently to the house, his voice refined and calm, "Is anyone home? I am Qiyuann Sovereign."

Inside lived two sisters, Yang Lian and Yang Hua. They were the ones who had once given him the Blood Jade Leaf, infused with the world's fortune.

If not for that gift, he wouldn’t have been able to activate the Lost Glow Stick. He had been told the sisters disliked meeting strangers, hence he had not disturbed them. However, he wanted to see them before clearing the game.

The house was quiet, yet he could hear a maiden’s stirring heartbeat. She was nervous and tense. The sisters whispered to each other. Qi Yuan, ever the gentleman, did not eavesdrop or break in.

After several dozen breaths, the door creaked open.

Yang Lian stood there—tall, poised, but wary. "Heavenly Sovereign, please come in."

He studied her briefly, curiosity in his eyes, then stepped inside.

On a bed lay a frail young girl. Though she was petite and sickly pale, her large eyes were deep and luminous, far too perceptive for her age. As he perceived her information, certain key phrases caught his attention. A flicker of disappointment passed deep in his eyes.

Qi Yuan said sincerely, "Thank you for your gift, it helped me greatly."

Yang Hua smiled faintly, reminiscent of an early spring breeze. "You saved the entire city of Feiwu. You saved me. I’m the one who should be thanking you."

Yang Lian stood nearby, all tense. Her sister bore the World Seed. Should certain Venerables or Great Venerables see through her identity, the consequences would be catastrophic. After all, even Mythics coveted the World Seed.

Though Qiyuann Sovereign had driven out the evil gods and saved the world, knowing a face did not mean knowing a heart. The stronger the cultivator, the stronger the temptation.

"I once had a friend who also carried a World Seed, but she was different from you," he said softly.

It was No-Food Goddess he was referring to. He had sensed the seed within her as well, though it was different from Yang Hua’s. Yang Hua’s seed seemed to come from the Heavenly Pillar itself. No-Food Goddess’ seed was slightly strange, but she was gone now, and this girl was not her reincarnation.

Yang Lian's heart trembled.

"You are probably familiar with her. She is No-Food Goddess."

Yang Lian was visibly startled. "What? Her?"

Meanwhile, the little girl remained calm, almost unnaturally so.

"Brother Qi Yuan, you're mysterious. And very strong." she said quietly.

"Just average," he replied casually.

Yang Lian added with genuine admiration, "You drove the evil gods away. You are the first in history to do so."

"Don't exaggerate. I'm still weak. I can barely beat a baby," he said lightly, recalling some information he had seen in the Ancestral Land. "I've seen what I came to see. I'll be going."

Yang Lian blinked in surprise. He is leaving?

Qi Yuan smiled faintly at her. "My moral boundaries may be flexible, but I don't eat people. The World Seed may be priceless to some, but to me, it’s not worth as much as a bowl of good fish soup."

Guilt surged through Yang Lian. She had judged him by her own fears. If he truly coveted it, he could have taken it by force. Deception would have been unnecessary.

"Qiyuann Sovereign, I'll see you out," she said quickly.

He stepped outside without hesitation.

As she followed him, her expression shifted again and again, before she finally gathered her courage.

"What will you do next?" she asked softly, wondering about the evil gods.

"Kill the two Yang Spirits," he answered without hesitation.

Such was the final step of his plan. Once they were slain, his task of protecting Clearwater Village would be complete. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Yang Lian lowered her head, sorrow flickering in her eyes. "The Mortal Heart World is a Primordial World. Although it holds infinite potential, no one here can ascend beyond True God. Even with all your talent, you stand no chance against the Yang Spirits until you break through.”

To reach the Yang Spirit realm, one had to complete all Seven Steps to Heaven. That path was unimaginably long. Meanwhile, this world’s Heavenly Dao was still being actively devoured, with perhaps only a few hundred years left.

Qi Yuan had nowhere near enough time. Even if he could ascend here, it would require far greater time than imagined. He remained silent.

Yang Lian finally said what weighed on her heart, "The Mortal Heart World is doomed. Those two are invincible. Perhaps your past life—or your true self—is exalted beyond measure. But here, you are trapped in a cage. I beg of you, please take my sister away from this realm. She carries the World Seed. If you desire it, when she grows up, she can dual cultivate with you. It would greatly benefit your cultivation. If you break beyond True God, you would not be an ordinary one."

Her voice was steady. Qi Yuan was someone she trusted. Aside from him, who else could take her sister beyond this dying world?

He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "I truly have no interest in your World Seed. Leave the Mortal Heart World? How would I keep playing the game then? I'm afraid I can't grant your request."