Translator: CinderTL
"According to what you've said, wouldn't Lotus Square City—and even the entire Qicang Domain—eventually be swallowed by the Primordial Qi Death Zone?" Song Wen asked.
"This old one dares not make such a sweeping claim," Chen Jing replied. "However, even if such a fate were to befall us one day, it would be countless years from now. By then, my very bones would have long turned to dust. Such distant matters are beyond my concern. Moreover..."
Chen Jing paused, then continued, "My Chen Family likely won't even live to see the day Lotus Square City is consumed by the Primordial Qi Death Zone. We'll have to relocate long before that. Legend has it that this land was once rich in Spiritual Qi, a place where heroes and spirits thrived. But as the Primordial Qi Death Zone expanded, the Spiritual Qi seemed to be drained away by an invisible force, growing thinner by the day. Fortunately, Lotus Square City still retains a relatively abundant supply, allowing my Chen Family to cling to survival here. But perhaps one day, the Spiritual Qi in Lotus Square City will suddenly vanish altogether."
Chen Jing's aged face was filled with melancholy.
Faced with such cosmic upheaval, cultivators and mortals alike were powerless to resist.
Hearing his words, Song Wen immediately recalled that the Chaotic Sea in the Lower Realm was also surrounded by Primordial Qi. The Outer Sea regions near the Misty Ghost Realm had far lower concentrations of Spiritual Qi compared to the Inner Sea.
This confirmed that the presence of Primordial Qi indeed diminished the surrounding Spiritual Qi levels.
As for the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon, Song Wen didn't delve further nor ask any more questions.
First, Chen Jing likely didn't know the true reasons behind this phenomenon.
Second, as Chen Jing had previously stated, this matter was irrelevant to them; it was a concern for human cultivators countless years in the future.
"Do you have a map of the surrounding area, preferably one that indicates the concentration of Spiritual Qi?" Song Wen asked.
Song Wen intended to break through to the Void Refinement Stage, so naturally, he needed to find a place with relatively high Spiritual Qi density.
"Of course," Chen Jing replied respectfully, producing a jade slip and offering it to Song Wen. "Please examine it, Senior."
Song Wen accepted the jade slip, briefly examined it, and stored it in his storage ring.
"The map is remarkably detailed. I'm quite satisfied. Little Friend Chen, calculate the total cost of today's information in spirit stones."
Hearing this, Chen Jing immediately understood that Song Wen was preparing to leave.
He stood up, his already hunched frame leaning forward slightly as he clasped his hands respectfully.
"These are merely common knowledge, Senior. How could I dare ask for spirit stones?"
Song Wen smiled faintly. Chen Jing certainly knew how to handle people.
Given the opportunity to gain something for free, Song Wen naturally wouldn't refuse.
"If that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony."
With those words, Song Wen strode toward the exit.
Chen Jing hurried after him. "Senior, if you ever need anything in the future, please visit our humble shop. This old one will do his utmost to assist."
"Thank you for your trouble."
By then, they had reached the shop's entrance.
After bidding farewell, Song Wen soared into the sky, vanishing into the distant horizon.
Song Wen hovered in mid-air, gazing at the pitch-black expanse before him, his brow furrowed deeply.
The Primordial Qi stretched endlessly, drifting silently like a slumbering behemoth, both terrifying and alluring.
The Qi was sparse at the periphery, growing denser as he ventured deeper.
Song Wen's vision could only penetrate about three thousand meters; beyond that, everything dissolved into impenetrable darkness. His divine sense, however, could extend over fifty kilometers.
After a long pause, Song Wen moved, slowly drifting into the Primordial Qi Death Zone like a tiny ant venturing into an endless abyss.
The moment he entered the Death Zone, Song Wen felt the surrounding Primordial Qi stir as if sentient. Like swarms of tiny, ravenous insects, they sensed the scent of prey and surged toward him with frenzied hunger.
The Qi clung to his skin, pulsing and writhing, attempting to burrow into his flesh and corrode his body.
Song Wen's cultivation of the Corpse King's Rebirth Art granted him strong resistance to Primordial Qi. Combined with his peak divine transformation stage cultivation, the Qi density at the Death Zone's edge posed no immediate threat.
He continued to fly deeper into the Death Zone, the silence growing increasingly oppressive.
After traveling fifty kilometers, Song Wen stopped and gently patted the Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist.
A Nether Fox over three meters long materialized with a sudden flash.
Its dark eyes erupted with a brilliant, piercing light.
"Where... where am I?" The Nether Fox's voice was crisp and melodious, tinged with barely concealed excitement.
"This place is called the Primordial Qi Death Zone," Song Wen explained. "It's somewhat similar to the Misty Ghost Realm in the Lower Realm."
He had waited until now to release the Nether Fox, fearing others might see it.
In the nearly a century since his Ascension, both the Qianchang Wilderness and the Qicang Domain had been partially consumed by the Primordial Qi Death Zone, yet he had never encountered a single living Nether Fox.
He didn't know the reason for this, but his instinctive caution made him reluctant to expose the creature to others.
"Primordial Qi Death Zone? What a fitting name! This is precisely where our Nether Fox Clan should thrive!"
The Nether Fox's eyes sparkled with vitality as it eagerly scanned its surroundings, its four long tails swaying like silken ribbons in the air.
"Nether Fox, what's the farthest you can sense?" Song Wen asked.
"About... two thousand li, I think," the Nether Fox replied.
Song Wen was taken aback. He turned to gaze at the pitch-black creature, which seemed to have seamlessly merged with the surrounding Primordial Qi. No wonder the Divine Blood Gate went to such lengths to create this being, he thought. It truly possesses extraordinary abilities.
At the same time, Song Wen couldn't help but marvel at the Divine Blood Gate's power, capable of fusing such extraordinary beings.
In the outside world, the Nether Fox's sensory range was even inferior to that of humans. With its fourth-tier cultivation, it could only perceive an area of about a hundred miles.
Yet within the Primordial Qi Death Zone, while Song Wen's divine sense was severely compressed, the Nether Fox's sensory range had been dramatically amplified.
It was well-known that the Primordial Qi grew denser the deeper one ventured into the Primordial Qi Death Zone. After traveling two thousand miles, Song Wen had no idea how much further his divine sense would be suppressed. Yet the Nether Fox could effortlessly perceive an area of two thousand miles—a phenomenon that defied all logic.
"Do you sense any danger nearby?" Song Wen asked.
The Nether Fox, oblivious to Song Wen's unease, continued to survey its surroundings with undiminished enthusiasm.
"No danger."
"Lead the way," Song Wen instructed. "Let's explore this Primordial Qi Death Zone."
"Alright!"
With that, the Nether Fox transformed into a black shadow and darted forward.
Song Wen hurried to keep up.
True to the Nether Fox's word, there were no immediate threats. The pair soon ventured ten thousand miles into the zone.
"Stop," Song Wen suddenly commanded.
"What's wrong?"
The Nether Fox halted, turning to look at Song Wen with a puzzled expression.
Its curiosity about the Primordial Qi Death Zone had been abruptly interrupted, and it couldn't hide its displeasure.
(End of the Chapter)
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