Chapter 436 - 267: If Man Commits Sin, He Shall Not Live_2
This kind of impure True Qi often manifests in independent practitioners who lack a sect or school, or cultivators from minor schools without profound inheritances. These cultivators, because they took the wrong path at the beginning, seldom achieve much.
However, compared to ordinary people, they often manage to extend their lifespan by several decades. If they possess methods of preserving health, surviving three Jiazi (a period of 60 years) is not a problem, which makes them seem like immortals to ordinary eyes.
“I perceive a strong scent of the mundane world on you. Have you been wandering in the secular world and dealing with commoners for a long time?”
The other thought of Feng Qing’an as a venerable figure of Taoism, and he did not correct him. Having this status made his questioning much more convenient. If he were deemed as a fiend, then he would have trouble.
“Senior has keen insight. I, the junior, am really dull, and found it hard to excel in the cultivation world, thus I descended the mountain early, frequently wander around in the secular world, and often get mistaken for a con artist.”
Yu Songzi honestly answered and even made a self-deprecating remark.
Everyone can seek the path to immortality. He was fortunate to encounter it in his youth, but after years of aimless wandering in life, he felt desperate.
With his talents, it was tough for him to spot a trace of the Grand Dao on this long and winding path. So, he thought it was better to descend the mountain early and help others rather than wasting time aimlessly on the mountain.
“Then, you must be quite familiar with this mortal world. Can you explain to me what exactly happened here that caused such rampant negative Qi and demon aura?”
At this point, Feng Qing’an had abandoned his initial thought of exploiting his body’s unique features to draw all the Ghost Creatures flowing into the mortal world back to the underworld to massacre them.
Although this method was feasible and he could execute it, it was rather problematic. After making several trips to the mortal world to make bait, Feng Qing’an realized that his initial thought only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause.
The Ghost Nation he encountered was deserted, because of the root cause that the Human World Dynasty was in terminal decline. The order of the human world collapsed, the divine power of deities diminished, which led to a surge of Demon Qi and the chaotic period of the human world filled with demons.
After several battles causing millions of deaths, the resentment rose to the sky, thereby altering the laws of the universe, connecting to the Great Realms of the underworld, and allowing the Ghost Nation that Feng Qing’an encountered to descend, with millions of Ghost Creatures flooding into the mortal world.
He could lure and kill the Ghost King with his physical attributes, or even meticulously eliminate millions of Ghost Creatures, but this would not solve the issue.
Just like doctors saving people, even if he exterminated all of the Ghost Creatures, it would only temporarily alleviate the symptoms. The root of the problem still existed — demons thrived in the chaos of the human world.
If the order of human society here could not be restored, that is, if the root cause was not eliminated, there would still be other Ghost Nations descending here, and creatures of the underworld would still flood into the human world.
Purely killing the Ghost King and exterminating demons, hoping to eradicate the chaos caused by the dance of demons and the disorder of millions of ghosts once for all, can only be achieved by reconstructing the order of human society here, and by enabling the light of human deities to shine again and suppress the land. Only in this way can the growth of numerous demons be inhibited, so that people can live and work in peace without living in daily fear of the demons, feeling anxious and insecure.
“Reporting to senior, this place is Qi Country… ”
Upon hearing Feng Qing’an’s inquiry, the old Taoist was startled, sure now that the figure before him must be a senior from the world of Taoism who happened upon this place, saw the human race in distress under the infliction of demons, and was moved to empathize, stepping in to suppress the evil and to eliminate the demons with the might of thunder.
The old Taoist, who was a native of Qi Country, held deep affection for his homeland and tearfully recounted the various changes that had occurred in the kingdom he was once familiar with in recent years.
These changes were just a repetition of the countless instances of imperial collapse that had occurred on the land. Due to the dying words of the late emperor, the kingdom that had survived for several hundred years plunged into turmoil.
The chaos originated from the upper echelons of the kingdom and ended up affecting the lower strata. A series of wars severely weakened the country’s military strength and the common people suffered the most from the horrors of war, with their livelihoods being devastated.
Seeing the weakness of this country, the foreign neighbors were quick to invade in full force. To resist foreign enemies, the taxes imposed on common people increased substantially.
Hence, under the instigation of some who wished to pry into the divine artifacts, rebellion erupted from all corners. The Qi Dynasty, which already had quite a few shortcomings but was still more or less tolerable, was now under the threat of both internal strife and external pressure, leading it to the brink of collapse.
Such drastic changes in the Human World Dynasty naturally also affected the Incense God’s Way, which depended on it. Due to the reduction of the human population, many deities of villages and small towns lost their followers, seeing a decrease in their source of divine power. Consequently, their abilities dwindled, ultimately leading them to be consumed by demons, their souls scattered and destroyed.
As the strength of the Incense God’s Way declined due to the weakening of the Human World Dynasty, it became heavily exploited by the demons. Many monsters and evil spirits, previously suppressed by the divine way, suddenly found themselves unbound, acting without restraint.
Human villages and cities, which they had not dared to even glance at or attack, were now mouth-watering delicacies in their eyes.
Consuming humans claims the quickest and most effective way for sourcing new strength, especially for demons that have just gained consciousness.
The beasts in the mountains and birds in the forests, if they wish to gain consciousness and break free from their original constraints, need at least a century of accumulation. However, no ordinary beast has such a “lifespan”, without an extraordinary opportunity.
Yet, even if they attain consciousness and become demons, the survival of these lesser demons and monsters is still extremely challenging, especially during the golden age of the Human World Dynasty when even big demons have to lay low.
But once the Human World Dynasty’s order collapses, even the human tribes that used to lure and swallow the demons with magic, everything changes.
By engulfing the blood and souls of a healthy human being, they can obtain a cultivation equivalent to what was gathered over half a Jiazi. This temptation, for a cautious demon that has been nurturing itself for a century, how can it resist?
Once they have tasted the flavor of humans, they can never be stopped. Even if the effect diminishes with increased demon power, these man-eating demons will not want to cultivate honestly, instead, they will seek to consume more humans.
“The heaven and earth acts unkindly, causing evil spirits to appear everywhere. I implore your kindness to save the inhabitants of the Qi Country.”
The old Taoist Priest talks about his birthplace, the Human World Dynasty, and the changes that have occurred over the past few years. His old eyes swell with tears. No one wants their hometown to become a playground for demons.
“It’s not fair to not treat the heavens and earth as kind.”
After asking about the cause, Feng Qing’an couldn’t help but comment in his heart.
The old Taoist Priest in front of him perceives that the road to Taoism is blocked, and that demons and evil spirits are emerging rapidly. He believes that heaven and earth no longer favor the human race but favor the demons.
However, the environment in Qi Country, where demonization is growing and Taoism is declining, is clearly created by the people of that nation. Internal chaos and external troubles have led to a sharp decline in the population.
Without the restraint of the Incense God’s Way, and with a large number of people dying due to wars, plagues, and various other disasters, a large amount of resentment is bred naturally, creating a situation cluttered with demons.
This has nothing to do with heaven and earth, or the so-called God. It is purely self-inflicted by the locals.
“I have understood what you have asked for. Now get up, no need to bow.”
Feng Qing’an called the old Taoist Priest to stand up. He looked at the demon flesh and blood that almost covered the ground. The Demon Qi in the air didn’t weaken with the fall of a large number of demons, but became more dense.
In this world, whether it’s righteous Qi or evil Qi, or the spiritual energy revered by cultivators, or even sunlight and moonlight, none of them will appear or disappear out of thin air.
Just like the flesh blanket made of demon flesh in front of him. If left unchecked, it will inevitably regenerate into numerous demons, perhaps even more ferocious and terrifying. As long as the evil Qi doesn’t extinguish, it’s hard for righteous Qi to exist.
“Sen Miao!”