Chapter 323: Qilin Immortal, I Remember You

"Ah, by the way, here is the soil I found—the Earth of Living Soil." The Qilin Undying Medicine finally broke free from the overwhelming awe of the immortals' battle, recalling its original purpose for coming here.

"The Earth of Living Soil? The legendary celestial earth where but a single speck can dam an entire river?!" Lu Yang had only ever read of such rare clay in ancient scrolls; because its properties were so thoroughly miraculous, the world had bestowed upon it the title of "Celestial Earth."

The Immortal Fairy circled the Earth of Living Soil a few times, recognizing the origin of the loam. "Oh, this? This is a fine creation of the Immortal of the Nine Heavens. It expands upon contact with water, crafted specifically to tame raging deluges."

"In our era, the riverbeds were in utter disarray, and floods were a constant torment. Yet the tribes always settled along the riverbanks, making those shores the most densely populated regions. Consequently, every inundation wrought catastrophic casualties, and rebuilding after the ruin was an agonizing ordeal."

"The great tribes fared well enough, having high cultivators who could command the waters with hydrokinetic arts, keeping their settlements from peril. But the small and mid-sized tribes suffered wretchedly; their cultivators lacked the prowess to master such colossal torrents."

"Though the Immortal of the Nine Heavens hailed from the Mountain-Chain Clan, the grandest of human tribes, he treated all with equal benevolence and looked kindly upon those lesser clans."

"After attaining immortality, he set out to resolve the flood crises, refining a loam that swelled when wet—the very Earth of Living Soil you hold in your hands."

"Oh, right, Lu Yang—you absolutely cannot eat the Earth of Living Soil," the Immortal Fairy suddenly warned.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

The Immortal Fairy looked at Lu Yang with an expression of profound pity. "The Earth of Living Soil expands upon encountering water, and saliva is no exception. If you swallow a single mouthful, it will swell until it completely encases you."

"Never mind then." Lu Yang hastily distanced himself from the earth.

The Three-Leaf Star Grass and the Flower of Time's Demise brought forth two other varieties of precious soil. Lu Yang consumed them in turn, yet neither produced any effect.

"It is utterly useless."

It was impossible for the effects of all three soils to be limited merely to improving one's constitution.

"How about another couple of bites?" The Immortal Fairy, stubborn to the last, refused to believe her luck.

Lu Yang ate every scrap of the gathered earth until nothing remained, yet he felt entirely unchanged.

Thinking perhaps he simply had not eaten enough, Lu Yang continued to have the minor medicine kings forage for soil, gorging himself until the sky began to pale with the first light of dawn, yet still he sensed no transformation within.

"Fairy, is this Devouring of Heaven and Earth of yours truly reliable?" Lu Yang began to suspect he had been played for a fool by the Immortal Fairy.

"How could it not be? This is the Great Devouring Divine Ability taught to me by the Qilin Immortal himself!"

Suddenly, a terrible premonition gripped Lu Yang. "Hold on. The Qilin Immortal taught this to you?"

"Indeed."

"And when exactly did he teach it to you? Was it after his wedding feast?"

The Immortal Fairy looked remarkably astonished. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Not long after the wedding concluded, the Qilin Immortal sought me out and inquired if I wished to learn the ancient great divine ability of the Taotie Clan. I replied that there was no harm in learning it."

"The Devouring of Heaven and Earth is not difficult to master; I learned it in a flash. Once I had, the Qilin Immortal asked if I wanted to try eating some dirt. I told him that since I had already become an immortal, what use could eating dirt possibly be? Hearing this, he departed looking dreadfully disappointed."

Lu Yang remained silent for a long while before asking tentatively, "Fairy, you mentioned before that you had read tales of the Taotie Clan in books. Did those scrolls ever state that eating dirt could elevate one's talent for cultivation?"

"No, the Qilin Immortal told me that part."

Lu Yang was speechless.

Lu Yang finally understood the truth of the matter. The Devouring of Heaven and Earth was indeed used for consuming earth, and the Taotie Clan had indeed built their legacy upon eating soil, but there was absolutely no such thing as eating dirt to enhance one's cultivation talent!

The Qilin Immortal had merely sought vengeance upon the Immortal Fairy, deliberately imparting this divine ability to her and utilizing the ruse of "improving cultivation talent" to pique her curiosity, hoping she would eat dirt.

In this manner, the Qilin Immortal would have been able to broadcast the news of the Immortal Fairy eating soil far and wide, using it to mock her for eternity.

Who could have foreseen that the Immortal Fairy, foolish yet inexplicably wise, would refuse to take the bait!

Yet thirty thousand years later, the trap laid by the Qilin Immortal had been stepped into by a miserable wretch like himself, who had spent an entire night gorging on dirt.

Qilin Immortal, because you failed to ensnare the Immortal Fairy, you chose to ensnare me instead, didn't you? I shall remember this!

When the companions gathered at the rendezvous point, Lu Yang was nowhere to be seen.

Just as they were preparing to search for him, they saw Lu Yang approaching with heavy, leaden steps, his countenance the very color of sallow earth.

Meng Jingzhou was thoroughly startled by his appearance. "What on earth happened to you? Did you fall face-first into a mud pit while sleeping?"

Lu Yang waved his hand, feigning as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. "It is nothing. Merely a minor setback encountered while studying a divine ability—a common occurrence upon the path of cultivation."

Fortunately, those of the Golden Core stage had no need for sleep; otherwise, Lu Yang would have been so exhausted that he could scarcely keep his eyes open.

The Fifth Elder also showed deep concern for him. "Are you truly unharmed?"

"Truly, I am fine."

"That is well."

The Fifth Elder retrieved a flying shuttle from within his sleeve and tossed it lightly into the air; it instantly expanded until it was as vast as a merchant association's sky-cruiser.

The shuttle slid open, revealing rows of seats and all manner of exquisite appointments within.

This was the Fifth Elder's most cherished flying treasure; in terms of crafting cost, it was immeasurably more expensive than an ordinary sky-vessel.

"Board."

One by one, the company leaped into the shuttle, and the vessel sealed shut.

"Are you all securely seated and buckled in?" the Fifth Elder inquired calmly, standing at the very fore.

Perplexed by his gravity, they nonetheless remained dutifully in their seats, chorusing that they were secure.

"Excellent."

The Fifth Elder nodded, raising his index and middle fingers to catalyze the shuttle.

The shuttle tore through the atmospheric barrier with a thunderous sonic boom, accelerating instantly to a violent velocity.

It felt as though a crushing weight had slammed into them from the front, pressing each person so violently against their chairs that Lu Yang found himself utterly paralyzed.

This force was far too immense; even as Lu Yang gritted his teeth and strained his neck, exerting every ounce of his strength, he could not break free and remained pinned to his seat.

He attempted to manifest a spiritual energy barrier around himself for protection, but at such speed, the spiritual energy shattered the moment it left his body, completely incapable of sustaining a shield.

At long last, the crushing pressure vanished, and the four of them collapsed forward in unison, elbows propped against their knees and heads hanging limply as they stabilized their bodies.

A profound sense of survival after a brush with death washed over the four of them.

They had not felt such terror even when facing the Nine Nether Sect.

The Fifth Elder paced slowly before the four, offering instruction: "I accelerated abruptly just now on purpose, to forge your reflexes when confronted with sudden, unforeseen circumstances. Remember that sensation. As cultivators, you must remain perpetually vigilant against perils that may strike from any quarter."

"In my youth, I frequently raced sky-vessels and had to contend with law enforcement cultivators flying out from unpredictable directions; not once were those enforcers able to capture me."

The four glared warily at the Fifth Elder—at this moment, the greatest peril is you!

The shuttle traveled with breathtaking speed. Lu Yang had originally intended to display the "Heaven Devouring" technique he had just mastered to the others, but before the words could leave his mouth, the Fifth Elder spoke.

"We have arrived."

Meng Jingzhou peered downward, beholding the Yanjiang Prefecture below.

Presently, the shuttle hovered directly above the Yanjiang Prefecture, its form entirely concealed and imperceptible to the naked eye.

"Descend."

The four exchanged bewildered glances, searching the vessel entirely without finding any apparatus for landing.

Only those of the Golden Core stage could fly; Li Haoran and Qin Yanyan had not yet attained that realm, and Lu Yang suffered from a dread of heights.

How exactly were they supposed to go down?

The Fifth Elder struck his own forehead in realization. "Ah, allow me to carry you down."

The Fifth Elder swept his sleeve, and before Lu Yang could comprehend what was happening, the world plunged into darkness. When he finally managed to pry his eyes open, he found himself lying on the floor of the barbecue shop, with Li Haoran to his left and Qin Yanyan to his right.

"What happened? Does the Fifth Elder know the universe-in-the-sleeve technique too?" Lu Yang was astonished, for this was supposed to be a supreme divine ability, notoriously difficult to cultivate.

The Immortal Fairy murmured faintly, "No, he merely knocked you all unconscious and then carried you here."

(End of Chapter)