Chapter 255: Natural and Man-made Disasters
In the mountains at night, countless taut bowstrings vibrated under the cover of darkness.
Bright arrows, imbued with flickering Spiritual Qi, shot out with a “thump,” emitting a clear silver light under the moonlight, covering the sky and flying towards the valley.
The swiftly moving sharp arrows parted the surrounding air, causing whistling sounds wherever they passed.
And in the valley where the arrows were aimed, countless figures, treading on Spiritual Qi, continuously slashed downwards with swords and blades.
“Puff!”
Under the bright gleam of the blade, a hideous Evil Seed was cut down by an iron blade, then decapitated with another strike.
At the same time, flashes of lightning occasionally flickered, striking out with palms in the darkness, quickly filling the mountain wind with a scorched smell.
However, this lightning technique was not fatally damaging to the Evil Seeds; its only purpose was to break up the tide-like clusters of Evil Seeds.
Thus, Spiritual Qi flowed through the valley until dawn, when the mountains became silent, not even the chirping of insects or birds could be heard.
At this moment, the people from the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) and the local cultivators breathed softly, finally relieved after seeing all the Evil Seeds in the valley annihilated. They then rested for a long time in the slightly cold morning mountain air.
This was almost a battle without any skill.
The bodies of the Evil Seeds were exceedingly tough; according to the Zhenbei Army squad, their Physical Body strength was incomparable even to that of the Barbarian Race.
This made those who had only heard of the Lasting Peace Race in historical records once again realize the terrifying nature of the race that had once ruled the Qingyun World for tens of millions of years.
To deal with such creatures, sophisticated techniques might not be effective; instead, pure hacking and slashing were more efficient, but this consumed a tremendous amount of one’s own strength.
After resting for a long time, the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) remained vigilant, still holding their iron blades, and began to inspect the bodies.
After confirming there were no omissions, everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze towards the flattened mountain peak.
In fact, breaking a mountain was not a terrifying technique; theoretically, as long as one’s Sword Qi was sharp enough and strength was immense enough, it could be done.
The problem was, no one could say for sure what Realm was required to achieve such combat power.
But they could be certain that not everyone could do it; otherwise, they wouldn’t have thought there was a mighty being in the mountains before they ascended.
At this moment, Ji You had already walked out of the mountain forest and was sitting at a stall in Wangyue Town, eating breakfast in the faint morning light.
A strong Physical Body requires more caloric intake, and the simplest way is through food.
When he was in the Xianxian Holy Land, he didn’t need to exert himself, so he could naturally ignore it, but the consumption from his two sword strikes last night was enormous, and he needed more replenishment.
After eating a bowl of hot plain noodles, Ji You looked towards the direction of the mountain forest.
He had only emerged from the Xianxian Holy Land yesterday evening, and as soon as he came out, he felt something was wrong.
Because it was too quiet all around, not even the chirping of insects or birds.
At the same time, a decaying smell continuously wafted through the air.
Ji You was naturally very familiar with this smell, as he had smelled it many times when he followed Tianshu Academy to Wansui Mountain to search for the missing Yuan Caiwei.
It was the smell of Evil Seeds, a rotten smell as if dug out of the soil.
So Ji You walked along the mountain range and, as expected, saw Evil Seeds all over the mountains, constantly moving back and forth in the valley.
He had stayed in the Xianxian Holy Land for a long time and had no idea what was happening outside, but he never expected such things to greet him upon his emergence.
But even so, he quickly determined how to prevent the Evil Seeds from escaping, so he swung his sword and cut down a mountain peak, blocking the side mountain path.
Yet, even at this moment, he still didn't understand why Evil Seeds had reappeared in the Qingyun World.
After breakfast, the sun rose high, and the atmosphere in the mountains gradually calmed down.
The people who had entered the mountains gradually withdrew, and among them, several individuals from the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) came before Ji You and slowly bowed.
“Young Master Ji, I am Mu Qing, a supervisor from the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department). We thank Young Master Ji for his assistance in eradicating the Evil Seeds this time.”
Ji You put down his chopsticks: “Even if you didn’t come, I would have done it. I can’t just leave these ghostly things in the mountains; they might become a disaster someday. But where did so many Evil Seeds come from? Could it be that some ruins have opened again?”
Mu Qing shook her head upon hearing this: “The Evil Seeds appeared very suddenly. Our Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) has investigated for a long time, but we still haven’t found the source, because none of the registered ruins have shown any signs of opening.”
Ji You frowned upon hearing this, his eyes deepening significantly.
After the Qi Ridge incident, Yan Shuyi had told him that there was a dungeon under the Zheng Family residence that had held many Evil Seeds.
And now, if these Evil Seeds didn't come from ruins, then it's very likely they came from a similar place.
But if that were true, it would be even more terrifying.
Because this indicates that the Qi Ridge incident is not over, and some things that appear to be natural disasters may not necessarily be man-made disasters.
But these ghostly things are neither dead nor alive, just a mass of decayed flesh. Ji You found it hard to imagine what they could do.
“Have Evil Seeds appeared in Feng Province?”
Ji You pondered for a long time before looking back at Mu Qing.
Compared to such world-shaking events that cannot be controlled by human power, what he cared about more was actually the situation in Feng Province.
Mu Qing nodded upon hearing his question: “Yes, but the Zhenbei Army camp is stationed in Feng Province, so no major troubles have occurred.”
“Then, in the past six months, has anything else happened?”
“That’s too many—”
“?”
Mu Qing’s subsequent words made Ji You realize that he had missed so many strange phenomena.
For example, a month of continuous torrential rain, sudden heavy snow in the Northern Territory, and the red mist that wafted from the Xuán Hǎi.
He knew that anomalies indicated an unstable Heavenly Dao, signifying chaotic Dao principles, which was definitely not a good thing.
But what concerned Ji You even more was the timing of these events.
Because according to Mu Qing, all these things appeared when the Xianxian Holy Land began to emit strange Qi.
Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences. Heavenly Dao anomalies and the appearance of Evil Seeds—Ji You felt that these events seemed to be related.
Besides this, according to Mu Qing, the Barbarian Race and the Yao Race have also been restless recently. The Barbarian Race army has once again left the Ten Thousand Mountains, stationing their forces outside the Northern Territory, and Yao Race merchants were recalled, returning with new Faces.
The only thing that could make these two races restless is the phrase “return to Kyushu.”
And now that these two races are beginning to stir, it inevitably makes people feel that they have seen something, such as Luck or disaster, which, when linked together, makes it feel even more ominous.
Additionally, Mu Qing also informed Ji You that Dou Yuankong was injured by an Evil Seed and had become an imbecile after being rescued.
Ji You pondered for a while after hearing this, intending to ask for more details, but Mu Qing told him that he was only responsible for the encirclement and suppression of the Evil Seeds in Sanli County at that time, and Kuang Cheng knew more about the specific investigation details than he did.
Furthermore, Mu Qing also told him everything she knew about the cultivation world.
For example, the Chen Clan and the Mountain and Sea Pavilion had another conflict, and the Saint of Asked the Dao Sect broke through his Realm and went to visit Lingjian Mountain.
Upon hearing this, Mu Qing felt a sudden Sword Qi, feeling somewhat bewildered.
“How is Lingjian Mountain doing recently?”
“?”
Mu Qing was stunned for a moment, then realized after a while that he was asking about Lingjian Mountain, not Tianshu Academy: “I don’t know much about Lingjian Mountain. Besides the matter of the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain, I haven’t heard of any major events happening.”
Ji You turned his head upon hearing the name of the tsundere: “What happened to the Young Master Jian?”
“The Saint of Asked the Dao Sect visited Lingjian Mountain after emerging from his seclusion, but the Young Master Jian refused him, saying that she already had a beloved.”
Ji You was slightly surprised: “She personally said she had a beloved?”
Mu Qing nodded: “She said it herself, but not many people believe it. Most people think it’s just an excuse, a pretense by the Young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain to prevent Asked the Dao Sect from interfering in her sect’s affairs. After all, it’s probably very difficult for such a majestic Fairy to fall in love.”
Upon hearing this, Ji You couldn't help but glance at her, thinking that this was simply too deeply ingrained a prejudice of the world against Fairies.
Difficult to fall in love?
That girl Yan Shuyi would have to wash her own pants every time she came to play with him; it was just her cold expression that fooled too many people.
Mu Qing looked at him at this moment: “Brother Ji, why are you not speaking?”
Ji You came back to his senses: “I do believe that she has a beloved. It must be a handsome man with a graceful demeanor and a very healthy body.”
“?”
“How is Dan Sect doing?”
“There are rumors that the direct Disciple of Dan Sect is attempting to control a Sacred Artifact, which has led many Worldly Family Fairies to visit the mountain as guests. Additionally, some Young Masters have also visited the daughter of Dan Sect, but the daughter of Dan Sect has also publicly declared that she has a beloved.”
Mu Qing knew that there was a private relationship between the daughter of Dan Sect and Ji You, so his question about Dan Sect didn’t seem as strange as his question about Lingjian Mountain.
Ji You thought to himself after hearing this that Yuan Caiwei had something going on; this could even be a fantastical linkage.
Yan Shuyi probably acted like a jealous spirit for a long time after hearing this.
After Mu Qing finished speaking, she looked at Ji You: “Young Master Ji, during your days in the ruins, Brother Kuang often mentioned you.”
“Where is Kuang Cheng now?”
“In Shengjing. The floods and the Evil Seeds that appeared everywhere recently caused quite a bit of trouble. The Reception Department is currently in charge of the relief work documents.”
Ji You looked up at her: “Then where are you going next?”
Mu Qing looked towards the southwest after hearing this: “There’s still a gathering place for Evil Seeds in Zhongzhou, we need to go clear it out, then return to the capital.”
Ji You pondered for a while: “I’ll go with you, and hitch a ride back to Shengjing. Is that alright?”
Mu Qing’s eyes widened: “Of course, you’re welcome. With Young Master Ji accompanying us on this trip, no Evil Seed will be able to escape.”
“When do you depart?”
“Although the Evil Seeds have been completely annihilated, we still need to search the surrounding area. On one hand, we’re afraid of missing any, and on the other, we want to investigate clues about their origin. So, we were originally scheduled to leave here tomorrow morning.”
After sitting idly with Mu Qing for a while, a young attendant from Wangyue Town suddenly approached.
The person stopped in front of Ji You, offering a post with both hands: “Young Master Ji, I am Liu Quan, a servant of the Liu Family of Zhongzhou. My second Young Master and you are fellow cultivators at Tianshu Academy. Hearing that you are here, the family head specifically sent me to invite you.”
“I’m just passing through here; I have to go elsewhere later.”
“It’s just a banquet; it won’t delay Young Master too much time.”
Ji You looked up at the sound: “Banquet? A banquet is fine.”
Mu Qing glanced at the empty plate on the table: “Young Master Ji hasn’t eaten yet.”
“Only three-tenths full.”
“?”
Ji You wasn't full to begin with, and since he was hungry, someone brought him food, so there was no reason not to go. Thus, he gladly accepted the post, then rose from the stall and, led by the attendant, headed to the Liu Family.
At this time, along the road south from Wangyue Town, those Worldly Family Disciples who had followed them into the mountains were still gathered.
The cruel ferocity of the Evil Seeds had left a considerable shadow on them, so much so that from the moment they emerged from the mountains until now, they hadn't spoken much, silently watching Ji You's figure.
Now, seeing him walk along the road, their gazes became more focused.
For more than half a year, Ji You had been in seclusion, and no one had seen him.
It wasn’t until someone emerged from Xianxian Holy Land that news of him still being in the Tong Xuan Realm was brought, sparking a flurry of discussion.
They had discussed this last night, still speculating that his Aptitude was limited, and this news had made many of them feel much more at ease.
Especially Tang Jingming.
Actually, at the Tiandao Conference, he had always felt his chances were very high.
Even after losing to Ji You, and hearing he had taken first place after waking up, he still felt that as a reliable member of the Worldly Family Disciples, he wasn't too far behind, and if he worked hard to catch up, there might still be a chance.
So, upon hearing that Ji You had remained in the Tong Xuan Realm after staying in Xianxian Holy Land for so long, he even felt that Ji You had wasted an opportunity that should have belonged to him.
This is the difference between seeing with one's own eyes and hearing from others.
It wasn’t until entering the mountains last night that Ji You, under the moonlight, severed the desolate mountain with his sword, suppressing all the Evil Seeds.
He hadn't actually seen the moment the mountain was severed, but he felt the rising Sword Qi with extreme clarity.
This strong sense of contrast made him suddenly realize that Ji You was actually not on the same level as him at all.
What he had always thought of was catching up to those well-known Immortal Sect Disciples, but what Ji You displayed last night, with his sword roaring through the mountains, was actually already at the level of a direct Disciple of an Immortal Sect.
And the most complicated emotions belonged to Qiu Hanyue.
A young lady like her, when nothing was happening, always felt that strength wasn't the primary choice.
But yesterday, when she saw the evil corpses charging at her, she realized how important it was to have a strong person protecting her.
It was a sense of security amidst turmoil, something that nothing else could compensate for.
Watching Ji You walk along the road, the hesitant Qiu Hanyue couldn't help but softly open her mouth: “Ji You, you’ve come out of seclusion?”
Ji You turned to look at her, his gaze slightly confused.
He seemed to think for a moment before remembering who she was, then gave her a polite nod.
Actually, Ji You had no particular opinion of this Young Miss of the Qiu Family; she was like a stranger whose name he knew.
Even out of habit, he would greet her.
Upon seeing this, Qiu Hanyue felt a slight sense of relief.
She then remembered that she and Ji You had only met briefly. She remembered Ji You clearly only because on the day of the Tiandao Conference, everyone remembered that figure clearly.
But conversely, to Ji You, she was just a woman he had met once.
Afterward, Ji You was invited into the Liu Family.
The Liu Family of Zhongzhou is also a Worldly Family close to Tianshu Academy. The Aptitude of their children and grandchildren has always been quite good. Although they are not top-tier in Zhongzhou, they are still a well-known name.
Liu Qichen, who had challenged him in the Tiandao Conference preliminaries, was a Disciple of this Liu Family.
Because of their closeness to Tianshu Academy, it was not strange for the Liu Family to host a banquet for Ji You.
However, not only the Liu Family head attended this banquet, but also an Old Ancestor of the Liu Family with white hair and beard.
The banquet continued until the hour of Wei (1-3 PM). The conversation revolved around matters concerning Feng Province and Tianshu Academy. It was clear that the Liu Family intended to befriend Ji You, and Ji You, eating their food, naturally could not refuse to give them Face.
By the time Ji You left the Liu Family, the sun had already begun to set. The Liu Family head personally saw him off at the door, and upon returning, saw his Old Ancestor standing in the courtyard, still gazing in the direction Ji You had left.
“When I first heard that the private cultivator from the countryside of Feng Province defeated the Tianjian Peak Bloodline who broke through at the last minute of the competition, I, the Old Ancestor, didn’t believe it.”
“The Worldly Sect that can endure in Qingyun World, their foundations are not as simple as they appear on the surface, let alone Immortal Sects.”
“But after seeing him now, I am surprised.”
“Cultivators are too superstitious about Realm and Qi, but Ji You’s combat power is definitely not as simple as it seems.”
“Perhaps even I would find it difficult to deal with him, after all, I am getting old.”
“?”
The Liu Family head’s mouth slightly opened after hearing this, and a hint of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
The Liu Family Old Ancestor is a Sky Soaring Realm expert. Such a Realm can make one an Elder in an Immortal Sect, and naturally, it is no small role in a Worldly Family.
His Lifespan is now approaching its limit, so for the past decade or so, he has been in seclusion trying to Breakthrough, hoping to enter the Wujiang Realm before his limit arrives and greatly extend his Lifespan, unwilling to waste even half a moment.
And now he specifically came out of seclusion to see Ji You, a matter that quickly spread to many surrounding Worldly Sect.
Even if Worldly Family Disciples are in the same province, it is rare for them to meet.
Especially those who have reached marriageable age, like Tang Jingming, Liu Qichen, Qiu Hanyue, and Sheng Xiyu, they haven't rushed home, but are chatting in a leisurely courtyard.
“Your Liu Family Old Ancestor specifically looked at him? What did he say?”
“The Old Ancestor said… don’t be superstitious about Realm, and don’t be deceived by Qi.”
“Why?”
“He said that even he would find it difficult to deal with the current Ji You.”
“Your Liu Family Old Ancestor is someone who has already touched the threshold of the Wujiang Realm!”
“The Old Ancestor must be being humble, and he specifically mentioned that he’s old, but I think no matter what, Ji You, after staying in Xianxian Holy Land for over half a year, should have surpassed the Rongdao Realm.”
In fact, for those who cannot Ascend, the purpose of cultivating the Dao is very simple.
One is for Lifespan, and the other is for combat power, because only with sufficient combat power will one have enough prestige in Qingyun World.
After the Tiandao Conference, everyone knew that Ji You’s combat power was astonishing; he could defeat Yan Hao, who was in the Integration Dao Realm, while still in the Tong Xuan Realm.
Yet, they never expected that after he returned from Xianxian Holy Land, he would cause an Sky Soaring Realm Worldly Family Old Ancestor to utter such words.
The key is that Ji You is still very young, and far, far from his great limit.
Everyone here felt that his Dao comprehension Aptitude had been exhausted, and he had fallen into a Bottleneck that everyone feared and could not Breakthrough.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been stuck in this Realm.
But even so, he could endure through long years, and eventually, he could advance further.
So, strictly speaking, the Liu Family Old Ancestor's value was actually slightly less than Ji You's; the difference between the two was merely a matter of time.
Qiu Hanyue’s close female friends were also in the leisurely courtyard at this time. After hearing this, they exchanged glances for a long time, then cautiously turned their Faces to look at Young Miss Qiu.
And Qiu Hanyue also turned her gaze, looking at them with a cold expression, causing her close female friends’ gazes to flicker.
The one who flinched the most was Sheng Xiyu, who had originally advised Qiu Hanyue to personally go and refuse the marriage alliance with Ji You.
Initially, when they heard that Qiu Hanyue was to be betrothed to a half-Disciple from Feng Province’s Tianshu Academy, they had indeed scoffed.
That scoffing wasn’t malicious, but there was still mockery.
After all, they had never heard of Ji You at that time, and didn’t even know there was such a surname.
So, in the hearts of this group of sisters, Qiu Hanyue was going to marry into a desolate place, to be a concubine to a country bumpkin, and Qiu Hanyue herself thought the same.
But now, hearing the discussions around them, recalling the soaring Sword Qi from last night when the Evil Seeds rampaged, and thinking of the Liu Family Old Ancestor’s words, they finally understood that when the He Family wanted to act as matchmakers, the one who was truly climbing in status was actually the Qiu Family.
How dangerous, they almost made their sister live a bad life.
Qiu Hanyue now withdrew her gaze, and she also clearly realized what kind of person she might have married.
