My Core is the Boss-Chapter 110.2: Are All Those in the Group His Alts?

A black-robed cultivator descended from the sky. His face was completely hidden, and no one could tell his identity.

Ji Boying's expression shifted. "Who are you?"

True Lord Liuqin glanced at the intruder calmly. He'd let his guard down simply because he was from the Bright Palace. In a small place like the Great Shang Kingdom, he simply couldn't imagine anyone daring, let alone being able to harm him.

"Me? I came to borrow a loan. Lend me a few million spirit stones," said the black-robed man casually.

True Lord Liuqin Liuqin froze for a moment, then finally said sourly, "Fellow Daoist, are you joking with me?"

Qi Yuan stared at him, resting his hand on the vegetable knife at his waist. "I've changed my mind. Forget borrowing money, this is a robbery."

Borrow money without returning it, and you'd get cursed behind your back. Might as well just kill him and take the spirit stones directly. Qi Yuan raised his knife and pointed it straight at True Lord Liuqin.

Ji Boying stood there, completely stunned.

True Lord Liuqin's expression turned dark. "So this is how the Great Shang Kingdom treats its guests?"

A sharp, grating tune of the guqin suddenly burst forth, rich with killing intent. True Lord Liuqin struck with his most powerful soul attack. That was why he never took cultivators from this backwater place seriously.

Qi Yuan seemed taken aback. "Soul attack?”

The last time he'd seen one was from that old Black Rooster Demon. Of course, it had been far stronger than this.

"You've seen such things before?" True Lord Liuqin's tone held a note of appreciation. His music grew louder, his soul force surging toward Qi Yuan.

Killing a man of insight, now that is satisfying, True Lord Liuqin thought.

Qi Yuan, however, didn't flinch. He simply charged forward with his vegetable knife. The assault landed on his soul, yet not even a ripple appeared.

True Lord Liuqin's calm expression faltered. "How... how are you unharmed?"

Soul attacks were unstoppable, especially against cultivators from small regions, who were defenseless against them.

"Why would I be?" Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to explain, his knife flashing coldly. "A mere early-stage Nascent Soul dares to stand against a Heavenly Dao class cultivator?"

Pitiful Liuqin, his entire cultivation centered on soul arts. Hence, his combat skills were sorely lacking. He didn't stand a chance against Qi Yuan's battle sense, which was honed through blood and death.

"Killing you is as easy as killing a demon spawn." As someone whose combat technique had been honed to the extreme, Qi Yuan could boast shamelessly. "I've killed more Nascent Souls than you've ever met."

One strike was all it took against an early-stage Nascent Soul like True Lord Liuqin. The blade came down, splitting him cleanly in half. Even his Nascent Soul had no time to flee before it perished on the spot.

Ji Boying trembled all over. "Y-you... who are you?"

"Didn't you just say you can kill me instantly?" Qi Yuan replied coolly, swinging his knife once more.

Ji Boying’s face froze in disbelief before her body shattered into fragments.

Qi Yuan had arrived and killed just as swiftly. The battle ended so quickly that not even the birds in the trees noticed a thing.

He collected both storage bags, then cleared his throat and mimicked True Lord Liuqin's voice. "I shall be in seclusion at Cloudmist Mountain for a hundred days. Anyone who trespasses will be killed without mercy!"

His voice rolled across the mountain like thunder. Reckless as he was, Qi Yuan was a clever kind of brute. True Lord Liuqin's death had to be hidden for now, as Qi Yuan still had to grow stronger in secret.

***

When Qi Yuan returned to the Seven-Colored Peak, the fish soup he'd left simmering still wasn't done. Upon opening Liuqin's storage bag, he was greeted by piles of treasures and spirit stones. Among them, two Profound-tier cultivation techniques caught his eye.

Normally, he would've been grinning ear to ear. But after receiving five Profound-tier techniques from the Iceberg Empress, these two hardly impressed him anymore.

"No wonder they say once a girl's seen the world, she's untameable. Once you've glimpsed the higher peaks, who wants to crawl in the dust again? These manuals would suffice to refine the Qi Yuan Scripture up to the late stage Foundation Establishment, but for my core... I'm still clueless."

He then opened Ji Boying's storage bag. Every little bit counted[1], he couldn't afford to waste anything. Yet the bag was pitifully bare: some colorful undergarments, a few sad little spirit stones, and low-level manuals Qi Yuan didn't even bother to glance at.

Qi Yuan blinked in surprise. "Hm? A spy list?” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He found a record of Demonic Desire Sect spies planted within Divine Radiance Sect.

He unfolded it, and his eyes widened. "Is the Demonic Desire Sect's reach this big?"

The list was packed with hundreds of names. Meanwhile, the Divine Radiance Sect had only a few thousand people in total, counting elders, deacons, disciples, and servants...

"No wonder I always felt something was off with that sect. The fact it's still running smoothly is a miracle."

Qi Yuan wasn't too bothered, though. He had no intention of disturbing the current balance. Unlike those petty schemers online, he certainly wouldn't wave the list around, saying to some senior sister or auntie, “You wouldn't want your secret getting out, would you?”

"Still, for the Demonic Desire Sect to go this far infiltrating Divine Radiance Sect... What's their real aim?"

Qi Yuan pondered. If it were only about taking over the sect, this was far too elaborate a move. Thinking back to those strange voices he'd heard when he was building the Heavenly Dao class, he was sure there was something deeper behind it all.

"First, finish the hundred-day plan. I'll think about the rest later. If I have to, I'll activate my brilliant mind again and come up with another flawless plan!"

Then, he entered the Divine Flower Society chat group.

Qiyuann Sovereign: Good news, everyone. The first phase of the hundred-day plan is complete. Your investments have paid off.

Rogue Immortal: ...That Nascent Soul cultivator is dead?

Qiyuannn Sovereign: Killed him in one blow.

Rogue Immortal fell silent. Is it me who had problems, or is it Qiyuann Sovereign who is insane?

Great Sun Flame Emperor: Qiyuann Sovereign, your speed is impressive. I think I'll borrow another twenty thousand spirit stones from the Bright Palace.

Iceberg Empress: Don't be too rash! If you wipe them out too soon, my sisters won't have time to borrow their spirit stones!

Rogue Immortal stared at the chat, his expression twisted in disbelief. Are Great Sun Flame Emperor and Iceberg Empress just Qiyuann Sovereign's alts? How could anyone actually believe this madness? Even a Heavenly Dao cultivator couldn't kill a Nascent Soul with one strike! There is no such Foundation Establishment cultivator in all the heavens! In fact, not even the first on the Prodigy Ranking could achieve this!

"Fine," Rogue Immortal muttered. "A hundred days will pass soon enough. Then we'll see if Qiyuann Sovereign is full of hot air, or if I've just been short-sighted."

Then, Rogue Immortal went silent.

Qi Yuan, of course, knew nothing of this. He was busy memorizing his newly acquired cultivation techniques. Once he entered the game again, he could use spare moments to perfect the Qi Yuan Scripture.

He didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind. "Hmph, you think you can make me hand it over? Never!"

Ning Tao? Qi Yuan froze. Something had likely gone wrong inside the game.

***

At that very moment, in the Northern Lands.

Several terrifying auras filled the sky, bending the weather itself. Rain poured endlessly. Seven Supremes surrounded Ning Tao, their faces twisted with hostility.

"Ning Tao, hand over the Blood Demon and we'll spare your life!"

Their gazes were all fixed on her, full of wariness, especially of the blood-red sphere chained behind her.

"Hmph. You want me to hand it over? Never! Who instructed you to ambush me?"

Blood dripped from her sleeve, scattering into the air, before vanishing into nothingness. Once one reached the Supreme Realm, even the shed bodily fluids could be willed out of existence.

Surrounded and besieged, Ning Tao was already gravely wounded. Even so, she stood her ground, shielding the blood sphere with fierce determination. The sight was reminiscent of a mother hen protecting her chick.

A Supreme said in a low, heavy voice, "Ning Tao, as the Palace Master of Skyheart Palace, you've defied the Supreme One's decree and conspired with a Blood Demon in secret. Leave the creature and walk away now, and you can still live."

Even among Supremes, Ning Tao was formidable. They didn't wish to push her too far, lest they lost one or two of their own in the process.

Ning Tao's lips, still stained with blood, curved into a sultry smile. "You claim it's the Blood Demon, but what proof do you have?"

The seven Supremes flinched instinctively, their eyes filled with disgust.

Even though her cursed mark was hidden by the black veil, they could still feel its vile presence, as it was tied to the very laws of this world's dao. Hence why, despite being one of the thirteen northern Supremes, Ning Tao was always met with loathing and repulsion.

Ever since the demon character appeared on her face, the gazes she received had always been the same—disgust, hatred, murderous intent. Even her mother, who had once doted on her dearly, sneaked into her room at night with a pair of scissors, intending to stab her to death.

"It looks exactly like what the Supreme One described, the Blood Demon," one of the Supremes said coldly, his gaze fixed on the blood sphere. "If it isn't the Blood Demon, then what is it?"

Ning Tao smiled sweetly, sending a chill up everyone's spine. "It's my... son.”

Then, Qi Yuan’s helpless voice rang out. "How the hell did I end up as your son?"

Unfortunately, his skin wasn't thick enough to pull off what some middle-school classmates would've said: Mommy, I want some milk.

1. Original: even mosquito legs were still meat. Not sure about the factual aspects of this, but anyway, it just means even a small opportunity is worth pursuing ☜