Stranger Danger

“Right. In short, they’re livestocks to be farmed.” Ye Qing nodded in understanding before asking, “But why didn't they gather everyone in one place? Wouldn’t it make the process easier?”

Humans kept livestocks in a pen so it would be easier to protect them from predators and to farm them. The same logic applies here.

“Oh, they would’ve done it if it was possible.” Yi Pin sneered. “You’ve already felt it, but the trials of the Earthly Sovereign’s Coffin are beyond dangerous. The rooms are the one place that can shield us from its deadly effects to a certain extent, which is why it is imperative to stay inside a room when a trial is ongoing.”

“However, you can see for yourself how big this room is. At most, you can fit three people in here. Not only that, every additional person in a room doubles the level of threat they face and the chance they might perish. That is why it is much better to have one person per room.”

Ye Qing nodded in understanding before noticing something. The corners of his lips turned up as he said, “You just said that each additional person in a room would double the amount of threat they faced. Does that mean that the trials would be significantly easier to overcome if I return to my room?”

Oh crap! I can’t believe I let slip such an important piece of information! This guy’s a little fox who will exploit anything and everything to his advantage!

Yi Pin tried to deny the allegation, “Did I say that? Nah, I don’t think so. You must have misheard, brother.”

“Har har...” Ye Qing chuckled. Go on. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.

“Fine, fine. You’re right.” Yi Pin knew there was no tricking Ye Qing after seeing his expression. “But having an extra person also means getting an extra wisp of Profound Yellow Qi, right? You are seriously injured right now, and the Profound Yellow Qi is exactly what you need to treat your wounds. I’m doing this for your own good, brother!”

The old Taoist even faked a hurtful expression to guilt trip Ye Qing.

Ye Qing sneered mentally while replying, “Har har. Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer to live alone.”

Now he understood why Yi Pin had given him the Profound Yellow Qi without any fanfare. Usually, the guy would have demanded the world for the single wisp of Profound Yellow Qi. The reason he did this was because he wanted Ye Qing to be his bodyguard!

It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand his reason. The Earthly Sovereign Coffin’s trials were definitely dangerous, and Yi Pin was just a Vessel Augmentor. Sure, the old Taoist wasn’t as simple as he looked, but combat was definitely not one of his strengths. Without someone to act as his meatshield, there was a high chance he was going to die in this place. That was why he chose Ye Qing to be that sucker.

Yi Pin exclaimed in horror, “No, brother! Haven’t we been through thick and thin in the Demon’s Tomb? Do we not share a strong, unbreakable bond with each other? I’ve also given you a ton of useful information, so surely you won’t abandon me during my time of need?!”

Strong, unbreakable bond my butt. Who even wants to share an unbreakable bond with an old man like you? Ye Qing’s lips twitched uncontrollably. He left the guy hanging for a bit to tease him before he finally said, “Fine. I’ll help you.”

As Yi Pin said, he needed as many Profound Yellow Qi as possible to heal his wounds. It was also true that Yi Pin had proven himself to be a—relatively speaking—reliable companion during the short time they journeyed together at the Demon’s Tomb. Plus, Yi Pin was a wise, cunning, and knowledgeable old man with many secrets, so he was sure he would be useful at a critical moment.

“Haha, I know you have a good heart in you, brother!” Yi Pin chirped excitedly.

“Oh right, when can we leave this place?” Ye Qing asked.

“You just need to survive nine days,” Yi Pin answered.

Ye Qing looked down. So, he had to survive another eight trials before he could leave.

“What are you thinking about, brother?” Yi Pin asked in confusion since Ye Qing had fallen silent.

“Nothing. Just wondering how I’m gonna survive this place while a good-for-nothing is dragging my ankles,” Ye Qing replied uncaringly.

Yi Pin: “...” Excuse you? Even a cat’s paw has its pride, okay?

“So, what are you going to do now?” Yi Pin asked.

“Refine the Profound Yellow Qi,” Ye Qing answered without hesitation.

Right now, there was no one he could truly rely on except himself. Therefore, the sooner he regained his strength, the greater his chances of survival would become.

As for surrendering his Profound Yellow Qi for the sake of survival, heh, that was what people called drinking poison to quench your thirst. In this place, the strong would always be strong, and the weak would always be weak. More importantly, the weak would die.

He didn’t want to grow weak and die, so he was going to fight to become strong with all his might. That was all there was to it.

Sure, there were going to be consequences for his decision, but he honestly wasn’t too afraid. He didn’t like trouble, but he didn’t fear trouble either. Who knows, he might even come out on top.

Having affirmed his decision, Ye Qing looked at Yi Pin and said, “Please protect me while I refine these two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi.”

He also summoned the Fog Demon as extra insurance. The Fog Demon had taken quite the heavy damage to shield his mind from Zhou Hengshan’s attack that day, but it was also an artifact spirit. So long as the Strange Artifact wasn’t damaged, it was only a matter of time before it recovered in full. It had regained some strength after a few days of rest.

“Haha, sure,” Yi Pin’s eyelid twitched once as he replied. Motherfucker! He has another Soulstealer-class Strange Artifact? Just how many good stuff did he have?

The Fog Demon could’ve concealed its presence perfectly, but Ye Qing had ordered it to reveal a hint of its aura. It was to intimidate Yi Pin, of course. Although he was counting on the old Taoist to protect him, that didn’t mean he could surrender his back to him without reservation. What if Yi Pin was plotting something he didn’t know? What if he “accidentally” pulled something while he was cultivating? When all was said and done, he was the one who had to bear all the consequences.

That was why he gave the order. It was a subtle warning to Yi Pin not to attempt any funny business while he was busy.

With that done, Ye Qing sat cross-legged on the floor, mustered his demonic thought, and drew the Profound Yellow Qi still circulating in the air into his body.

The Profound Yellow Qi entered his body like a river that was overflowing with life and possibilities. It was thick, heavy, vast, and absolute. It felt like nature itself was filling him up as it spread throughout his entire body.

The power was thick but not forceful, vast but not aggressive, deep but not unrelenting. It felt like the world was protecting him and nurturing him like a parent would to their children.

The heavens never run out of energy to orbit round and round, so just like them, one should always strive to better themselves.

The earth is vast and all-accepting, so just like it, one should strive to bear all there is to life with virtue.

Like a dryland that welcomed its first rain in a long while, Ye Qing’s body greedily absorbed this generous, kind power. The Black Sky Divine Palm force and saber intent inside his body began dissipating bit by bit, and his tattered body also began recovering little by little.

This was the first time since he suffered those injuries that he felt so relaxed and at ease. He felt like a baby nesting in his mother’s warm arms, calm and peaceful.

This Profound Yellow Qi is seriously amazing.

Delighted, Ye Qing hurriedly chased away his stray thoughts and cycled the “Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra” with all he got. Slowly but surely, he began refining the Profound Yellow Qi he had absorbed into his body.

An incense stick later, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled a thick, dirty puff of air. It almost looked like it was alive as it writhed back and forth like a serpent. The temperature inside the room began to nosedive, and the air quickly became choked with violence and bloodthirst. Bits of stone were sent flying when the puff of air brushed against the floor and the walls.

“What the hell?”

Startled, Yi Pin hurriedly backed a few steps and surrounded himself in the silhouette of a giant bell. When the puff of air struck the bell, it caused a resonant, metallic clang that wouldn’t fade for a long while.

Cowering at a corner, Yi Pin patted his chest and muttered to himself, “Thank goodness I have the Hill Mover Bell, or that puff of air would’ve been the death of me.”

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶