Chapter 235: The Past

Chapter 235: The Past

Staring at the fish inside the storage bag, Qi Yuan fell silent for a moment. He picked up one of the fish, his gaze complex.

"After all these years, it shouldn't have gone bad, right?"

"This girl... she even saved some fish for me."

He picked up a piece of the fish with chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and slowly chewed and savored it.

At that moment, a young, innocent voice echoed in Qi Yuan's ear.

"Hehe, actually, my name isn't Wu Shi. I don't even have a name."

"When I first met you, I knew we would meet three times."

"Why? Because not only could I hear your voice, I could also hear your thoughts."

The girl's voice brought Qi Yuan back to the recent past, to the moment he saw the young Wu Shi, the last time he would see the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother.

Her voice was tender, as if she was saying something she had wanted to express when they first met.

Qi Yuan had a moment of realization.

No wonder... she had seemed so strange—because she could hear his thoughts.

This meant she must have known that they would meet again in the future and that she would eventually die at the hands of a Yang God.

As Qi Yuan ate the fish, the girl's incessant voice continued.

"When I first saw you, I was very cautious. I even thought you might eat me. I misjudged you."

"But hehe, I wanted to eat you, too, but I was too scared to do it."

The girl began to recount her past, as if she were writing in a diary, lamenting her lonely life.

Qi Yuan continued eating the fish, savoring each bite, as the voice in his ear gradually lost its childish tone and became more mature.

"The second time I saw you, I was a little happy because I finally got to eat some delicious fish."

"I was so, so hungry."

"Compared to eating fish, nothing else mattered."

"The scent on your body became even more enticing. I... really wanted to eat you back then."

Qi Yuan couldn't help but recalled the second time he met the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother. She had been curled up on the ground in a red dress, her face pale, and when she looked at him, there had been a hint of greed in her eyes.

But later, she had eaten the fish, her expression turning cold as she distanced herself from Qi Yuan.

"So, her attitude changed back then because she wanted to eat me?"

Qi Yuan's gaze remains calm.

From the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's words, he now understands that she possessed both the Innate Primordial Body and the Devouring Primordial Body.

These two terrifying constitutions were in constant conflict with each other.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

No wonder, whenever he saw the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, she always seemed strange, as if she were suppressing something.

She was suppressing her desire to devour him.

"A chance encounter... you gave me fish to eat, so I helped you guard the Heaven Pillar. We're even. But you harbored ill intentions; if I devoured you... it wouldn’t be unfair, would it?"

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's tone was light-hearted.

But Qi Yuan knew the deep-seated struggle within her.

The Devouring Primordial Body’s desire to devour was immensely strong.

Back then, when the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, a being of mythic power, ate ordinary fish, the pain had been so unbearable that she had trembled all over, lying on the ground.

She was a mythic being, and even when her body was riddled with wounds while facing a Yang God, she had not cried out in pain.

Yet, merely eating a piece of fish had caused her such agony.

"Luckily, I later realized that what I had been eating all along was... your blood."

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's voice carried a hint of nonchalance.

It seemed she had convinced herself not to follow her instincts and devour Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan’s gaze grew more complicated. "So, she really could have eaten me back then?"

Even though they had been separated by time and space, there had been moments when Qi Yuan had felt a faint sense of danger around the Venerable Wushi Mother.

He recalled the first time he saw her, when she had quietly eaten the fish in front of him.

At that time, the fish had not been purified by his blood, yet the Venerable Holy Mother Mother had still eaten it with relish.

Previously, Qi Yuan had not understood why.

He had assumed that each time he met the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, it was a different person.

Now, he understood that she had eaten the unpurified fish, enduring the extreme pain to suppress her urge to devour him.

Qi Yuan’s emotions were conflicted.

He hadn’t imagined that their three simple meetings, where nothing earth-shattering had occurred—just eating, drinking, and chatting—had such profound implications behind them.

"I wandered the Mortal Heart Realm for tens of thousands of years. This world is much more interesting than my old home, and it smells much better..."

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's voice was filled with a certain cheerfulness.

Qi Yuan remained silent.

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's childhood had indeed been tragic. Like a caged canary—or perhaps more accurately, like a piece of merchandise—she had been kept at home.

When she arrived in the Mortal Heart Realm, the people there were like Qi Yuan, ignorant of her terrifying dual constitutions.

The way they looked at her was much more normal.

It was understandable that she had lived a happier life in the Mortal Heart Realm than in her old home.

Her time in the Mortal Heart Realm had been the happiest of her life.

As Qi Yuan finished the last piece of fish, a voice rang in his ear.

"Since we met by chance, how about a deal?"

"I helped you guard the Heaven Pillar, and you help me... protect the Mortal Heart Realm."

Qi Yuan ate the last piece of fish.

He recalled how he had exchanged one fish for the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's help in guarding the Heaven Pillar.

Everyone’s spirits were high, with no fear of the future.

It was just death, after all!

For them, who was truly afraid of death?

...

Within the Heaven Pillar.

The sound of chewing echoed continuously.

The Devouring Incarnation of Blood Sun Great Saint continued to consume the Heavenly Dao.

Suddenly, Blood Sun the Great Saint’s movements halted.

"Devouring..."

Inside the Heaven Pillar, she looked towards the north.

Her chaotic eyes became clear in that moment.

Countless memories flooded back into her mind.

A crazed look flashed in Blood Sun the Great Saint’s eyes.

"The Innate World... the Devouring Primordial Body... Is this Heaven’s favor for me?"

If she obtained the Innate World and fully devoured it, her realm would rise to new heights.

Now, she had even caught the scent of the legendary Devouring Primordial Body.

Among all the Devouring Incarnations, the Devouring Primordial Body was the supreme form!

Her current body was a Devouring Incarnation.

Now, she had caught the scent of the Devouring Primordial Body?

How could she not be excited?

For her, the Devouring Primordial Body was even more precious than the Heavenly Dao of this world.

Because it was the most suitable constitution for her!

Without any hesitation, she awoke from her slumber, halting her devouring of the Heavenly Dao, and emerged from the Heaven Pillar.

Boom.

Suddenly, a loud, heart-pounding sound reverberated.

This sound was like a heavy drum, striking directly at everyone’s hearts.

All the ancient gods in the Mortal Heart Realm, as well as ordinary cultivators, were startled in that moment.

A strong sense of hunger gripped their bodies.

They clutched their stomachs, wracked by the conflicting sensations of pain and emptiness. It was as if a piece of their consciousness had been carved out, leaving them dazed.

All living beings in the Mortal Heart Realm couldn’t help but look up at the sky.

High above, beyond their sight, a towering and terrifying figure appeared in everyone’s vision.

No matter the angle or distance, that figure was clearly visible to all.

"A being... above the True Gods!"

"The Heavenly Dao... She’s devoured most of the Heavenly Dao!"

"She is the undisputed ruler of the Mortal Heart Realm!"

"Ahhh, how can such a being be defeated!"

Seeing that figure, everyone felt an overwhelming urge to worship.

It was as if they wanted to tear themselves apart and offer their pieces to her.

Just a single glance told them she was invincible!

The Mythic Plan seemed utterly ridiculous!

Some had blood-red eyes, tears of blood streaming down their faces.

Some knelt, driven mad, losing all reason.

Only those who had seen a Yang God could understand the immense power of a Yang God.

"Evil gods... go to hell, ahhh!"

"Ravaging our Mortal Heart Realm, the evil gods must be destroyed!"

At that moment, seven or eight figures shot up into the sky from the southern lands.

Each figure shone like the brightest stars!

Eight pillars of light, filled with the utmost courage, charged straight towards the figure in the sky.

For eight Grand Venerables to act simultaneously was an event of monumental proportions in the Mortal Heart Realm.

All the followers watched, filled with anticipation.

They hoped that these eight Grand Venerables could at least hurt—just hurt—that evil god in some way.

The evil god in the sky looked at the eight pillars of light, her expression unchanged.

She spoke, her voice cold and emotionless, like a deity issuing a decree from the Nine Heavens.

"How dare fireflies compete with the sun and moon for glory!"

Blood Sun Great Saint didn’t even lift a hand. With just a slight shout, her voice rang out.

It was as if a divine decree had been issued, or as if her words alone held the power of the law.

Boom!

What no one had expected was that with just Blood Sun Great Saint's voice, the eight pillars of light, like arrows that had exhausted their strength, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

In the next moment, the eight pillars of light exploded, and the brilliant light disappeared, turning into scattered starlight.

Eight Grand Venerables had attacked simultaneously, yet they hadn’t even forced the Yang God to act. With just a shout, all eight Grand Venerables were slain!

The Mortal Heart Realm was left in a state of shock.

Was this... the power of a being above the True Gods?