Chapter 162.1: Spiritual Energy Is Poisonous

Having failed to get the answer he wanted, Qi Yuan felt a trace of disappointment. He eagerly stared at the woman in white. "How many Great Venerables are there in the Canglan World?"

It wasn’t every day that he encountered someone worthy of being his white moonlight. How could he not fleece her thoroughly?!

The woman in white said in a deep voice, "There could be some, or there could be none. Even Great Venerables could only hide away from the world in the face of the Great Calamity. Whether they exist or not, what difference does it make?"

She had already given up on the Canglan World. Only by abandoning it and taking that path could she find a sliver of hope for survival.

The woman in white urged once more. "Fellow Daoist, why not travel with me and leave this land of strife?"

Treading alone on such a treacherous path would be extremely difficult. Yet Qi Yuan merely smiled and said nothing, clearly expressing his stance.

The woman in white could not help but sigh. "Fellow Daoist,

haa...

Even Great Venerables chose the safest route."

Qi Yuan could not help asking, "Is the Great Calamity really that terrifying?"

"It’s already a great terror in itself." The woman in white raised her head, gazing at the star-studded sky. "What’s even more terrifying is that there are immortals above it."

She had lived in the Canglan World for nearly ten thousand years. Though she had never encountered a Great Venerable, she could faintly sense them lurking around. Once news of the Great Calamity spread, they did nothing, retreating like turtles into their shells. They feared both the Great Calamity and the immortals above it. After all, if immortals were to descend, how could the Canglan World hope to resist them?

Qi Yuan also gazed at the starry sky. His gaze lingered briefly on the moon, his thoughts circling. A sudden melancholy arose within him.

In the next moment, his eyes lit up. With eager anticipation, he turned to the woman. "Big Boss, since you're leaving the Canglan World anyway, do you have things you don’t need anymore? Why don't you do a clearance sale?"

As a Yin Spirit big shot, her foundations should be extraordinarily deep, enough to match ten thousand Po Lang! Actually, Po Lang was nothing but trash. Indeed, in this world, names were never chosen wrong. Po Lang was just scrap metal. How could he compare to the Yin Spirit?

The woman in white froze for a moment. "They're all worthless things. They may be of no use to you."

"I'm not picky, I eat anything!" Qi Yuan rolled up his sleeves, flexing his muscles. "I am a sleeper built—looks slim in clothes, but absolute unit when naked."

The woman was rendered completely speechless. After pondering for a long while, she finally waved her jade-like hand. A jade token fell into Qi Yuan's palm.

She sighed softly. "Meeting is fate. Take this jade token to the Extreme North. Find any inn there, show it to the innkeeper. You need only state your request, and those innkeepers will do their utmost to fulfill it. If you have spare time, I ask that you take care of my sect..."

Compared to staying alive, the sect she had lived in for nearly ten thousand years was indeed insignificant. She was merely holding onto a bit of lingering sentiment. In any case, once she left, other forces would surely covet her sect. She’d rather hand it directly to the Blood-Clothed Sword God.

Qi Yuan glanced at the jade token and broke into a wide grin. "To gain something, you must give something in return. So don't worry, I'll take care of it!"

If he swallowed a Yin Spirit's entire foundation, he dared not imagine the result.

"Daoist friend, farewell. If fate allows, may we meet again." With those words, the woman in white slowly dissipated beside the lake.

"A Great Calamity that even Great Venerables don't dare face... That really is troublesome." Qi Yuan gazed at the lake with clarity. "The worst part? That big shot said it can call immortal reinforcements from the heavens! A bunch of immortals ganging up on me, a humble Core Formation cultivator?"

A vivid image appeared in Qi Yuan's mind: he, who only had one Golden Core, facing immortals filling the sky.

"One star might not be enough,

huh

? No, I also need to find a way to call for reinforcements, or stars. Let's see who can call for better backup!"

***

Afterward, Qi Yuan returned to the Chuang Empire. He stood atop the city walls, a map of the Moluo camps in his hands.

Looking at the group, he could not help but sigh. "As expected, big shots are generous. Before running away, they don't forget to hand over their sect's assets to me."

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Jiang Ya, as if hinting,

You should be generous too

.

Jiang Ya froze slightly. "What big shot?"

The Blood-Clothed Sword God had Yin Spirit realm foundations. How strong would someone he called “big shot” would be?

Qi Yuan didn’t hide it. "A Yin Spirit. She said the Great Calamity is approaching and plans to run—

uhm,

leave this place."

"Run?" Lord Great Wisdom's expression turned unusually stern. "You can't run. Do you really think you can avoid the Great Calamity by leaving the Canglan World?"

"Oh?" Qi Yuan turned to look at Lord Great Wisdom.

Lord Great Wisdom said gravely, "Based on my many years of observation, I've discovered a terrifying fact."

Qi Yuan's heartstrings tightened. Everyone turned to look at Lord Great Wisdom curiously. Though eccentric, he was truly a heaven-blessed prodigy. Otherwise, Elder Wutian would not have taken him as a disciple.

With a solemn expression, Lord Great Wisdom slowly said, "The spiritual energy is poisonous!"

Jiang Ya froze. Xu Tongchen was stunned.

Lord Great Wisdom declared firmly, "Through my observations, anyone who cultivates using spiritual energy eventually dies. Therefore, spiritual energy is poisonous!"

Jiang Ya could not help but rebut, "The Great Venerables are almost immortal, sharing longevity with heaven and earth. They also cultivate using spiritual energy. Why don’t we see them dying of old age?"

Lord Great Wisdom asked gloomily, "Have you ever seen a living Great Venerable?"

Jiang Ya was momentarily speechless. "...Well, no, but I've never seen a Yang Spirit either. Does that mean Yang Spirits don't exist?"

Lord Great Wisdom raised his head toward the sky. "Who knows whether they exist or not?"

Qi Yuan's heart skipped a beat. The spiritual energy being poisonous came as a shock to him! Nevertheless, the Canglan World’s cultivation methods were undeniably

problematic. Beyond a certain stage, one served as nourishment for another being.

Lord Great Wisdom is indeed a great talent!

Suddenly, Qi Yuan thought of the Blue Planet. Everyone who had breathed oxygen eventually died.

Does that mean oxygen is poisonous?

Lord Great Wisdom said, "Once the Great Calamity approaches, all beings wither. Therefore, escape isn't the answer."

"I support Lord Great Wisdom's view," Qi Yuan said seriously. "When I'm stronger, I'll sneak into the lair of the Great Calamity and chop off its dog head in one strike!"

Lord Great Wisdom's eyes lit up. "Senior, could you take me with you? I also want to see the dog head!"

Qi Yuan pondered. "Perfect! I'm one person short of blowing the suona. When I chop off the Great Calamity's dog head, you can play it for me!"

Lord Great Wisdom nodded vigorously. "Deal!"

Jiang Ya said nothing.

These two really know how to blow their own horns.

Only a few hundred years remained until the Great Calamity. Without the strength of a Great Venerable, who would dare face it head-on? No matter how heaven-defying the Blood-Clothed Sword God was, he would not reach that realm.

Qi Yuan said, "Let's go slay the Moluo Clan!"

"Senior, I'll start blowing the suona now so I can get used to it!"

Xu Tongchen asked timidly, "Senior, can I join too?"

His master's job was about to be stolen! He felt a sense of crisis and had to join in.

"Sure, no problem," Qi Yuan said cheerfully, then looked at Jiang Ya. "Do you want to come too? I'm missing a cheerleader!"

Jiang Ya shook her head violently.

Hell no!