Chapter 162: Spiritual Qi is Poisonous

Chapter 162: Spiritual Qi Is Poisonous

Not getting the answer he wanted, Qi Yuan felt a bit disappointed.

“May I ask, how many Great Venerables are there in the Canglan Realm?” Qi Yuan looked at the woman in white with eager anticipation.

It was rare to meet someone worthy of being his moonlit ideal—he had to milk her for all she was worth!

The woman in white said in a low voice, “There might be some, or there might not be.

Facing the Great Calamity, even Great Venerables only dare to hide from the world.

What difference does it make whether there are or aren’t?”

She held no optimism for the future of the Canglan Realm; only by leaving it and following that path could there be a glimmer of hope.

“Why not come with me, leave this land of strife?” the woman in white urged again.

Because that path was fraught with danger, and walking it alone would be very difficult.

Qi Yuan smiled without speaking, signaling his stance.

The woman in white couldn’t help but sigh: “Even Great Venerables, facing the Great Calamity, only dare to turn a blind eye. You, sir… alas.”

“Is the Great Calamity really that terrifying?” Qi Yuan couldn’t help asking.

“The Great Calamity itself is great terror, but what’s even more terrifying…” The woman in white looked up at the sky, at the stars all around, “Above it, there are immortals and gods.”

The woman in white had spent nearly ten thousand years in the Canglan Realm. Though she had never seen a Great Venerable, she vaguely sensed that some must be lying dormant there.

Yet facing the Great Calamity, these Great Venerables remained unmoved, playing the part of turtles hiding in their shells.

First, they feared the Great Calamity; second, they feared the immortals and gods above it.

Otherwise, if the immortals and gods descended, what could the Canglan Realm use to resist?

Qi Yuan also looked up at the star-filled sky. He glanced at the moon, his thoughts turning.

A sudden melancholy, then a flash of brightness in his eyes.

“Big shot, since you’re leaving the Canglan Realm anyway, do you have anything you don’t need? A clearance sale, perhaps?”

Qi Yuan looked at the woman in white expectantly.

This was a Yin God big shot.

The foundation of a big shot was extraordinarily deep.

Worth ten thousand Broken Wolves!

No, Broken Wolf was nothing—truly, names are never wrong; Broken Wolf was just scrap metal, how could it compare to a Yin God?

The woman in white paused, looking at Qi Yuan: “They’re all worthless things, probably useless to you.”

“I’m not picky.” Qi Yuan rolled up his sleeves, showing off his muscles. “I eat anything, I’m sturdy as can be—look slim in clothes, but solid underneath.”

The woman in white was utterly speechless. She pondered for a long time, then finally waved her jade hand.

A jade pendant fell into Qi Yuan’s hand.

“Meeting is fate. Take this jade pendant to the far north, find any inn, and show it to the innkeeper.

Just state your request, and those innkeepers will do their utmost to fulfill it.

If you have leisure, friend, please look after my sect a little…” The woman in white sighed softly.

Compared to survival, the sect she had tended for nearly ten thousand years meant little.

She only clung to a faint bond of incense.

Anyway, after she left, other forces would surely covet her sect, so she might as well give it to the Blood-Robe Sword God.

Qi Yuan glanced at the jade pendant, beaming: “A gift makes one’s hands short; a favor makes one’s tongue soft. I’ll take care of it!”

If he could devour the entire foundation of a Yin God, Qi Yuan dared not imagine it.

“Friend, may we meet again by fate.” With these words, the woman in white slowly faded away by the lake.

Qi Yuan gazed at the lake before him, his eyes clear: “Even Great Venerables dare not face the Great Calamity—it’s truly troublesome.

Worst of all, according to what that big shot just said, It can call for backup—the immortals and gods above!

A bunch of immortals and gods ganging up on little old me, a mere Golden Core?”

In Qi Yuan’s mind, a scene immediately formed.

Him, a Golden Core, battling the entire host of immortals and gods!

“Looks like one star isn’t enough, huh?”

“No, I need to find a way to call for backup too—or call for stars. We’ll see who can summon fiercer, stronger allies!”

…

Back in the Conqueror Nation, Qi Yuan landed on the city wall.

A map of the Mara camp had already appeared in his hand.

He looked at the others and couldn’t help sighing: “Truly, big shots are generous—before fleeing, they don’t forget to hand over their sect’s wealth to me.”

As he spoke, Qi Yuan deliberately glanced at Jiang Ya.

As if hinting, you should be generous too.

Jiang Ya was taken aback: “What big shot?”

The Blood-Robe Sword God possessed a Yin-God-level foundation; how strong must someone he called a big shot be?

A Yin God?

“A Yin God.” Qi Yuan didn’t hide it, and she hadn’t asked him to. “She said the Great Calamity is coming, and she’s preparing to flee, to leave this place.”

“Flee?” Great Wisdom True Lord’s expression turned unusually stern. “You can’t flee. Do you really think leaving the Canglan Realm can avoid the Great Calamity?”

“Oh? How so?” Qi Yuan looked at Great Wisdom True Lord.

“Based on my many years of observation, I’ve discovered a terrifying truth.” Great Wisdom True Lord’s face was heavy.

Qi Yuan’s heartstrings tightened as well.

The others present also looked at Great Wisdom True Lord, curiosity stirring within.

Though eccentric, Great Wisdom True Lord was a true prodigy; otherwise, No-Sky Elder wouldn’t have wanted to take him as a disciple.

Everyone watched Great Wisdom True Lord as he, with a grave expression, opened his mouth: “Spiritual Qi is poisonous!”

Jiang Ya was stunned.

Xu Tongchen was bewildered.

“From my observations, everyone who cultivates using spiritual qi ends up dead.

Thus, spiritual qi is poisonous!” Great Wisdom True Lord said solemnly.

Jiang Ya couldn’t help retorting: “Those who cultivate to the Great Venerable realm have nearly infinite lifespans, living as long as heaven and earth.

Great Venerables also cultivate with spiritual qi—why haven’t we seen them die of old age?”

“Have you ever seen a living Great Venerable?” Great Wisdom True Lord said softly.

Jiang Ya was momentarily speechless: “...I’ve never seen one, nor have I ever seen a Yang God. Does that mean Yang Gods don’t exist?”

Great Sage Dazhi looked up at the star-filled sky: “Who knows if they exist or not?”

Qi Yuan’s heart trembled within.

He didn’t know if the claim that spiritual energy was toxic was true or false.

But the cultivation techniques of the Canglan Realm were indeed flawed.

After practicing them, one would become nourishment.

This Great Sage Dazhi was truly a genius!

Suddenly, Qi Yuan thought of Blue Star.

On Blue Star, everyone who had ever breathed oxygen had died.

Did that mean... oxygen was toxic?

“The Great Calamity is approaching, all living beings will wither. Evasion won’t solve the problem,” said Great Sage Dazhi.

“I support Great Sage Dazhi’s view. When I’m strong enough, I’ll sneak into the Great Calamity’s lair and chop off its dog head with one blow!” Qi Yuan said earnestly.

Great Sage Dazhi’s eyes lit up: “Senior, may I come along? I want to see the Great Calamity’s dog head too!”

Qi Yuan pondered: “I happen to need someone to play the suona. When I chop off the Great Calamity’s dog head, you can play for me!”

“Good!” Great Sage Dazhi nodded firmly.

Jiang Ya said nothing.

These two... really knew how to blow.

Without the power of a Great Venerable, who would dare face the Great Calamity?

With only a few centuries left until the Great Calamity, even the Blood-Robed Sword God, for all his genius, would not step into the realm of Great Venerable.

“Let’s go, slay the Mara!” Qi Yuan said.

“Senior, I’ll play the suona for you right now, to get used to it!”

“Senior, may I join too?” Xu Tongchen said weakly.

His master’s job was about to be stolen!

He felt a sense of crisis and had to get involved.

“Alright, no problem.” Qi Yuan was delighted. He looked at Jiang Ya: “Do you want to come too? I need a cheerleading squad!”

Jiang Ya shook her head violently.

Absolutely not!

...

Five days later, in a pitch-black valley, the yin wind howled.

Within the valley, giant beasts four or five meters tall were all asleep.

Their pitch-black scales reflected faint light, appearing especially eerie in the silent night.

These Mara were all slumbering.

If Qi Yuan came here and saw this scene, he would have to praise them for sleeping without snoring.

At that moment, inside a cave.

Five terrifying figures appeared. The aura they emitted seemed out of place with the surroundings, subtly rejected by heaven and earth.

However, this world’s Heavenly Dao was flawed, so the rejection was not severe.

“The Canglan Realm has betrayed its word, actually sending a Zifu cultivator to slaughter our kin at will. How despicable!”

“Who will make a move and capture that Zifu cultivator?”

“Why don’t the five of us act together? After all, they broke faith first!”

“Good! After we kill that Zifu and pacify Wangyue Continent, why not invade the Canglan Realm?” one Zifu great power said eagerly.

After all, in their eyes, the Canglan Realm was far stronger than Wangyue Continent.

Such a world would have more resources.

“Forget about that,” said a senior Zifu. “The waters of the Canglan Realm run deep. Even Yin Spirit Venerables tread carefully there, let alone us.”

This senior Zifu had ancestors who had become Yin Spirits, and held the highest status among the five.

“Hmm, forget the Canglan Realm. Let’s kill that Zifu cultivator first!”

“I hear that Zifu cultivator has profound cultivation. Should we discuss this further?”

“One late-stage Zifu and four mid-stage Zifu—are we afraid of him?”

The five Zifu chatted for a while, reached a consensus, and were about to leave the mountain.

But just then, a deep voice rang out.

“Lately, I’ve been reading many storybooks from Wangyue Continent, especially the tale of the Faceless Sword God slaying extraterrestrial demons.

I wonder: if the Faceless Sword God hadn’t grown up, and an extraterrestrial demon had struck directly, would the Faceless Sword God have lost?”

The earth split in two, and a Mara covered in fat, like a mountain of flesh, emerged from the ground. It had plenty of flabby flesh, looking loose and saggy, but the scales on its back were dense, giving an unbreakable impression.

When they saw the newcomer, the five present showed expressions of awe.

“Greetings, Venerable Mohui!”

The arrival was none other than a Yin Spirit of the Mara clan, Venerable Mohui.

Venerable Mohui’s figure was bloated, enough to make one feel nauseous at a glance.

Now, its eyes were full of smiles: “I’ve been bored lately, so I’ll accompany you to see this so-called Blood-Robed Sword God.”

It was thirsty and hungry, planning to go out for some snacks.

“Why trouble the Venerable?” said the late-stage Zifu Mara. “We can capture the Blood-Robed Sword God and present him to you!”

Venerable Mohui squinted and smiled: “According to the latest storybook I read, if you go hunt the Blood-Robed Sword God, you might just be feeding him experience.

But I’m different. I’ll act personally and nip his growth in the bud.”

Venerable Mohui said casually.

He was just using this as an excuse to go out.

“But Venerable... the blockade of the Moon Dynasty...” the late-stage Zifu hesitated.

“No matter. With my elder brother here, the people of the Moon Dynasty... won’t be able to leave.” Venerable Mohui said confidently. “Once the Moon Dynasty falls, Wangyue Continent should be renamed.”

Seeing this, the several Zifu did not dissuade further.

...

A blood-colored sword streaked across the sky.

Accompanied by desolate and grim sounds.

Countless blood qi and sword light danced wildly.

In the camp of the demon army, countless demon tribesmen were slain by the sword light.

The endless military encampments were shattered by a single sword stroke.

Under that sword, whether Qi Refining or Foundation Building, whether Yuan Dan or Divine Infant, none had any chance of survival.

Qi Yuan’s sword—all beings are equal.

He gazed upon the ravaged continent, his eyes tender.

The battlefield, once a ruin, was instantly covered again with green hills and clear waters.

The suona’s sound grew even more fervent, even more impassioned.

Qi Yuan looked at the dozens of suona players behind him, a hint of regret in his eyes: “If only you were all Zifu, that would be perfect.”

A Zifu playing the suona would add more grandeur.

But those playing the suona for him now—the strongest were merely Divine Infant, and only a few at that.

The rest were mostly second- or third-realm cultivators.

Zhao Ci from the State of Chuang was among them.

Qi Yuan had acted to save the State of Chuang, and Zhao Ci, unable to repay him, joined the suona-playing ranks.

Later, as Qi Yuan intervened more frequently, the suona camp grew larger.

Of course, Qi Yuan kept the numbers in check; otherwise, it would hinder his travel.

Jiang Ya stood to the side, her expression complex.

Everyone else was playing the suona; she alone was not, which was rather awkward.

At that moment, her heart felt very, very strange.

If it were just Great Wisdom True Lord joining the suona ranks, she could barely understand.

Later, when they went to other kingdoms, Blood-Robe Sword God merely mentioned it casually, and yet, whether commoners or nobles, everyone eagerly signed up to join the Blood-Robe Sword God’s music band.

It was as if joining the band was the greatest honor of a lifetime.

She wanted to say to one great emperor in the band:

You abandon your throne to play in a band?

She could not comprehend it.

That great emperor—she had only seen him a few times—was clearly a ruler of grand ambition and strategy.

And this is what he chose?

“Senior, what kind of spell have you cast on them, that even an emperor comes to play the suona for you?” During this time, Jiang Ya had figured out Qi Yuan’s temperament, so she spoke more boldly.

“Isn’t it normal for an emperor to play the suona?

I’ve seen a carpenter emperor before.

I’ve also seen some countries where comedians became the top leader,” Qi Yuan said casually.

Now, there was less than half a month left until he fully regained control of the Heavenly Dao.

He was getting closer and closer to the Moon Dynasty.

Yet in his heart, a feeling of nervousness arose, like a traveler nearing home.

Just then, Zhao Ci stepped forward from the suona team, his expression respectful: “Senior, a divine envoy from our Faceless Divine Sect wishes to meet you, saying there is urgent news to convey.”

Qi Yuan heard this.

His die-hard fan?

“Let him come over.” Toward fans, Qi Yuan was always warm.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a black embroidered robe appeared. He glanced at Blood-Robe Sword God, a flicker of doubt in his eyes: “Greetings, Senior!”

“Oh, what do you need from me?”

“Senior, according to information our Faceless Divine Sect has obtained, the demon race has taken notice of you and will dispatch five fifth-realm cultivators to ambush you.

Please leave this place immediately, or you may be trapped here,” the Faceless Divine Sect’s envoy said.

At the same time, he was very curious.

For some reason, seeing Blood-Robe Sword God, this man from another realm, stirred an indescribable sense of familiarity in his heart.

He had never felt this before.

“Five Zifu, huh?” Qi Yuan’s eyes showed helplessness. “Why can’t the cultivation methods from other realms work?”

Otherwise, these five Zifu would be five white moons.

The kind he longed to slaughter.

Qi Yuan reflected.

He felt that, from now on, the standard for white moons should include one more condition: they must be from the Canglan Realm.

“Please hide your identity, Senior. Our Faceless Divine Sect will send you to the Moon Dynasty through a special passage!” the envoy said solemnly.

To escort Blood-Robe Sword God to the Moon Dynasty, their Faceless Divine Sect’s external members would act as bait, and the sacrifice would likely be heavy.

The envoy knew that every member of the Faceless Divine Sect feared death not, and would fight for the Wangyue Continent!

“I will go to the Moon Dynasty, but I don’t need your escort.” Qi Yuan did not take the five Zifu seriously.

Hearing this, the envoy’s heart grew uneasy.

This senior did not want to go with him?

He was anxious inside, wanting to persuade further.

But then he saw Blood-Robe Sword God lift his head, gazing at the sky, and slowly say: “It’s too late to leave now, because… their people are here.”

Qi Yuan had already sensed the arrival of the demon race’s experts.

Unfortunately, none were white moons that could grant him techniques; Qi Yuan’s interest waned.

The blood-colored sword behind him, as if sensing the approach of powerful foes, let out a ringing cry.

The envoy’s face turned deathly pale: “So fast… we’re doomed.”

Five fifth-realm cultivators—how could Blood-Robe Sword God withstand them?

Everyone present would likely die here.

Yet, at that moment, a thunderous voice boomed like a clap of thunder, and the envoy’s face lost all color.

For… he saw a Yin God!

A legendary deity!

“Hehehe, lucky I came, or else you five would have fed him experience.

This one—clearly no ordinary late-stage Zifu!”

The fifteen-meter-tall Demon Convergence Venerable appeared, looking down at Qi Yuan with a mocking expression, like a cat eyeing a mouse.

The five Zifu before him, as they looked at Qi Yuan, also felt a chill in their hearts.

They followed beside the Demon Convergence Venerable, like mere lackeys.

At that moment, everyone present, upon seeing the Demon Convergence Venerable, felt an inexplicable fear rise in their hearts.

It was the instinct of a weak creature upon seeing a strong one.

Especially the Divine Envoy, whose face had lost all color.

With the Yin God making a move, the Blood-Robed Sword God had no chance whatsoever to go to the Moon Emperor's Court.

At this moment, Qi Yuan also sized up that Yin God, his gaze helpless: "You, a dignified Yin God, bullying a mere Golden Core cultivator like me—your face is too thick!"

"What an interesting human. Your first thought upon seeing me was not to kneel and beg for mercy.

Could it be that you really... have a problem with your head?"

"You're the one with a problem in your head! Your whole family has problems with their heads!" Qi Yuan could not tolerate it.

The Yin God insulted him, so he had to insult back.

The Demon Convergence Venerable did not grow angry, still watching Qi Yuan with an intrigued gaze.

And the five Purple Mansion cultivators beside him could not help but speak: "Offending a deity—your crime deserves death!"

"Sharp-tongued and sharp-toothed, accept your death obediently!"

Not far away, Jiang Ya watched this scene, her eyes filled with shock and curiosity; she wanted to know what the Blood-Robed Sword God's trump card really was.

At this moment, Qi Yuan helplessly shrugged and snapped his fingers: "Play music, play joyful music."

This time, he could not play mournful music.

Behind him, the Great Wisdom True Lord picked up the suona and began to blow.

The people from the Moon-Gazing Continent behind him seemed unafraid of the deity's pressure; under the deity's gaze, a piece of music with a cheerful tune, somewhat incongruous, began to sound.

Jiang Ya beside him fell silent.

Facing a Yin God... and still playing music.

This Blood-Robed Sword God is truly extraordinary!

No, those second-stage and third-stage cultivators playing music are also extraordinary!

After all, who would dare to provoke a deity like this?

Even a Purple Mansion cultivator would not dare.

Yet these people did it!

She was very puzzled!

(End of chapter)