Chapter 106: Feathered Immortal Holy Cough!
After staying in the underground cave for half a day and having an in-depth talk with the two siblings, Yuan Zhu not only obtained a large amount of Underground World intelligence, but also gained a preliminary understanding of Cicada City’s sphere of influence and governance model. The Great Desolation Immortal Scripture also collected the language data, allowing him to passively master a new language. Finally, he could start exploration mode.
At this time, he planned to take the initiative, examining and visiting the city from the perspective of an incoming Investor. However, simply learning the language was not enough; he was still missing a “scent.”
According to the two siblings, each Dao Seed carries a unique pheromone. Natives identify each other with it; they don’t even need to greet, they can lock onto each other. Additionally, they can leave their own traces on items. This connection method is more convenient and practical than “name + fingerprint + ID number,” and less prone to errors.
Yuan Zhu had no Dao Seed and did not practice Qi Refining Technique, so his body was very clean. He had no such scent and could not identify other pheromones. He couldn’t even pass account registration without an ID, couldn’t see others’ IDs, and was so out of place that he couldn’t even achieve basic disguise.
Once mixed into Cicada City, he would inevitably struggle every step, exposed immediately. So he had to silently mourn for his other Teammates for a second. He at least had Shadow mode for Stealth, but the others were in for it.
……
At the outskirts of the upper pollution district of the distant Centipede City in the Underground World, the taciturn Black Butcher had now transformed his uniform into Slaughter Apron form, with green Mad Blood patterns spreading across the apron and extending threads piercing into the Flesh.
He held the Bone Cleaver, his eyes bloodshot and red, surrounded by five Qi Refiners.
The leader, holding a mantis blade leg that reflected metallic sheen, pointed at the massive Black Butcher and said: “Intruder, give up resistance and surrender obediently!”
“This guy looks so weird, his smell is so strange, never heard of it!”
“Is it a new Demonic Creature born on the Surface? Why does it seem alive? Why did his Armor turn into this?”
“Not a polluter, no Corrupting Miasma, no Iron Poison, no Immortal Zombie Tendrils on him. Very Pure weirdo, a ‘flesh lingzhi transformation’ from the Immortal Realm? Maybe it can be used to cultivate Food.”
“Capture this ‘black flesh lingzhi’ and sell it to the Immortal Sect for a big sum!”
Watched by eager gazes, Huo Tuoluo also scanned the five cultivators with the eyes of one sizing up prey, muttering lowly: “Die die die!”
Then he charged head-on.
…
In Cao Ling City, Meng Xiyue held a male Head with tightly closed eyes and face plastered with cartoon stickers, propping up a thick Protection force field around her. Using an amplification technique, she shouted loudly at the native in front of her who had a fake Knight style and wore Exoskeleton Armor:
“Oi, handsome and cool Armor friend opposite, I come from beyond the heavens, the emissary of the great Mao Mao King. Bringing advanced scientific Knowledge and friendship, as well as a large Order, to visit you and revitalize the Otherworld economy. Give some face, let’s talk first, then fight if needed, right?”
…
In the upper district of Ying Huo City, in a passageway where a Demonic Giant Insect was rampaging out of control, Zhou Chu gripped a Chain extending over 20 meters. The other end controlled a red empty shell Armor holding a long spear, fiercely clashing with a one-meter-tall mole cricket with sharp scythe legs.
The Miss had a resolute expression, coldly manipulating the red Armor: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you!”
Behind her were three dirty, ragged, skinny, and terrified little girls. But their eyes on Zhou Chu were even more panicked and despairing than on the Demonic Giant Insect.
Clearly frightened silly by this suddenly appearing big sister.
The youngest one said in a trembling small voice: “Iron, iron… uh.”
Before she could finish, the oldest little girl covered her mouth. The three huddled together, looking at Zhou Chu’s back, trembling, tears swirling in their eyes but not daring to fall, afraid of angering her.
…
Meanwhile in Cicada City, Yuan Zhu was threatening and intimidating the two siblings in a cave.
To prevent his identity from being leaked, he gave each of the two siblings a dose of Holy Cough as a Meeting Gift, warning them not to act rashly and to obediently wait for him at home.
The spicy burning sensation spread and burned in their chests and lungs. The Little Brother’s face turned red from holding it in, feeling a fire line shooting from his lungs straight to his throat, connecting his voice box, mouth, and nasal cavity with suffocating burning pain.
The “Breathing Method” originally integrated into daily breathing was completely disrupted, and even the “Qi Threads” in his body were about to be incinerated clean. He was in such pain that his eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging all over, barely able to breathe…
Even the physically strong Younger Brother was like this; the malnourished weak chicken sister was even more painfully curled into a ball, coughing painfully and violently. The coughing grew more rapid and louder, as if about to cough out her lungs.
Seeing this, Yuan Zhu was dumbfounded: “Wait, don’t scam me! Just a tiny bit of Holy Cough, is it that bad?”
He had only used less than a fingernail’s worth of Holy Cough; even a Sewer Mouse would ignore it. But you two living people, after just a small mark + scare, react so hugely? Like Deadly Poison acting up, about to die any second.
Little Spicy Stick: “Could it be that they’ve lived long-term in a high-pollution environment, their bodies filled with ‘Spiritual Energy Pollution, Insect System Pollution, Root Tendril Pollution’? So even a tiny bit of Holy Cough can detonate it? Just like when you released Illumination Technique in the underground passage before.”
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “No reason for that. Holy Light’s reaction to them is average, judged as neutral objects. And I’ve checked this cave; no Highly Toxic Spiritual Energy spreading, no those polluting Slime Mold or Moss. Whatever, saving people first.”
Just as Yuan Zhu was about to retract the Holy Cough, the sister Tang Eleven suddenly ‘wah’ and spat out a Viscous blood clot, her aura weakening sharply.
“Sis!”
Her still struggling Younger Brother ignored everything else and pounced over quickly, wanting to hold up his frail, dying sister.
Holy Light Grand Heavenly Venerable Yuan Zhu also stepped forward: “Let me save her!”
The Younger Brother glared angrily at Yuan Zhu, eyes full of hatred: “Don’t you… cough cough cough.”
“Wait, I’m fine, I feel great.”
Tang spat blood while weakly speaking, advising her brother not to be impulsive. Even Yuan Zhu couldn’t stand it: “Sorry, I really didn’t know you were so allergic to Holy Light. I’ll retract it now.”
“Absolutely not! Noble one, I’m not lying, I really feel great, my chest is very warm, just a bit painful. Younger Brother, don’t hold back, cough out the stuff in your lungs hard!”
The sister’s words grew smoother, her breathing steadier, and she even crawled up herself. She started patting her Younger Brother’s chest, egging him on to cough even more violently.
Seeing his sister rallying, the Younger Brother finally calmed from his tense, anxious, angry state, and re-perceived his body condition. Then his eyes lit up, and he too coughed violently, with Qi Threads Energy wrapping his fingertips, continuously striking his chest.
With a ‘retch!’, he spat out two huge blood clots. Another series of rapid coughs, spraying mouthful after mouthful of blood, his aura waning, then slowly stabilizing.
Seeing her Younger Brother madly spraying blood, the tense-faced sister finally smiled. If Yuan Zhu hadn’t realized there was more to this, he’d think these two cultivated ‘Sword Immortal method,’ gaining power after coughing blood and self-abuse, showing strange smiles.
“Thank you, benefactor, for saving our siblings’ lives.”
The Younger Brother, with breathing restored, also looked guiltily at Yuan Zhu and said lowly: “I wrongly blamed you.”
Yuan Zhu sensed their nearly extinguished Holy Cough in their chests and was puzzled: “What’s your situation? Really okay now?”
Sister: “Not only is there no problem, but it feels great instead. The power that the noble just channeled into our lungs killed the infant bugs parasitizing in the lungs. Not only that, the ‘Immortal Zombie Tendrils and Iron Poison’ remaining in the chest were also cleared quite a bit. If it were us using ‘Qi Threads’, it would take at least a month. Even if cleared, they would refill with breathing and eating.”
“Infant bugs? What are those things, similar to ‘Immortal Zombie Tendrils’? Are they parasites hidden in your daily diet?”
He looked at those chunks resembling blood tofu and couldn’t see where they looked like bugs?
Tang: “Infant bugs are a means for [Insect City] to control us commoners, planted into the lungs which are most important for [Qi Refining Technique], growing and nourishing along with the breathing method, devouring True Qi, and infusing an intangible thing into the Qi Threads. If we don’t pay tribute and taxes on time, the lords of Insect City will trigger the infant bugs, causing the Qi Threads throughout the body to go berserk. Mildly, one endures the intense pain of being cut all over the body; severely, the meridians are completely destroyed, wasting their cultivation.”
Yuan Zhu: “So vicious?”
The little girl pointed to her own head and added: “There are ‘chirping bugs’ in the head, ‘infant bugs’ in the lungs, and ‘mayfly contracts’ below. The City Lord plants ‘chirping bugs’ in everyone’s brain, which can issue commands remotely, emit sonic attacks on the soul, or burst with noise to shatter the head. ‘Mayfly bugs’ are planted in the Dantian, devouring True Qi and secreting deadly poison. Once secretly leaving the control range of [Cicada City], or privately hoarding tribute, stealing food from the reverse birth garden… one will suffer the pain of the Dantian bug devouring. Only by completing missions each month can one receive the molting mayfly pill to temporarily delay the outbreak.”
Sure enough, it’s his familiar style. I was wondering why you two have such hard days, not fleeing but striving hard instead? Turns out you can’t flee! This [Cicada City]’s slacking management has gone ahead of Earth. My Shadow System also needs to learn advanced experience.
“If I give you a chance to escape the control of [Cicada City], would you flee?”
Tang shook her head: “No, without the protection of [Cicada City], we would only die faster. But removing the ‘infant bugs’ can reduce a lot of pain and torment, and the efficiency of the breathing method will also improve a bit.”
Yuan Zhu looked at the sister and brother again at this time and suddenly asked: “What did you feel when I just implanted [Holy Light] into you?”
Tang recalled: “The infant bugs suffered a destructive blow and resisted violently. The Qi Threads in my chest were ignited along with them, extremely painful. But the duration was very short. After that intense pain, I felt a faint warmth, but there was also the intense pain of meridians burning, though bearable. Finally, I used the remaining ‘Qi Threads’ after burning to probe my body and found that the Immortal Zombie Tendrils and Iron Poison in my chest had been cleared a lot. Overall, the benefits outweigh the harm.”
Hearing the sister’s answer, Yuan Zhu thought to himself that these natives are indeed different from wild bugs and moss! He casually released Holy Light in the tunnels of the pollution zone, triggering pollution rampage. But releasing Holy Cough at the sister and brother only made them wildly spit blood. Seems like not much difference after all?
Holy Light indiscriminately rejects and kills [infant bugs, Immortal Zombie Tendrils, metal pollution, Insect System True Qi], even purifying (damaging) their cultivated ‘True Qi’ and even ‘meridians’, but the final result makes them healthier instead, like radiation therapy.
Yuan Zhu, now interested, treated the sister and brother as little white mice and asked for opinions: “Want to experience a full-body Holy Light again? Although it harms you, it can deeply purify the residual pollution in your bodies. If lucky, maybe even clear the ‘chirping bugs and mayfly bugs’?”
Although he didn’t even know what ‘mayfly contracts and chirping bugs’ were, he dared to promise anyway!
The sister hesitated and pondered: “This…”
The younger brother stepped forward: “I’ll do it!” He planned to test it on himself; if effective, let the sister do it too.
Yuan Zhu observed this underground cavity and thought that if things went wrong, he was fully confident to switch to Tiger Demon and drag the sister and brother to flee together.
So he boldly raised his hand and unleashed a [Sanctuary Force Field Barrier] to confine Younger Brother inside, just like how he incinerated and refined flowers and grass in the garden.
As soon as the Holy Light field appeared, the sister and brother both had their hairs stand on end, looking startled and fatally threatened. At the same time, the two ‘firefly’ torches in the room flickered rapidly like crazy, as if sounding an alarm. The big bugs in the grass cage crawled restlessly, trying to escape. The ‘tube worms’ hanging from the roof like rotten umbilical cords also twitched and contracted.
Although no ‘pollution rampage’ occurred, everything in the room was rejecting and resisting the ‘Sanctuary Barrier’. Everything here is naturally incompatible with Holy Light. Unlike [Shadow], which can coexist harmoniously without interference.
“Light!”
Yuan Zhu controlled the intensity of the ‘force field barrier’ and didn’t treat the mantis as pollution to refine into ash; instead, he activated faint light radiation mode, cleverly preventing the Holy Light from spreading outward, only irradiating Younger Brother inward for light pollution elimination.
The mantis in the barrier had a pained expression, teeth clenched, fingers gripping tightly, whole body muscles tensed, enduring the radiation erosion and distortion of light pollution.
Feeling it was about right, Yuan Zhu decisively withdrew the barrier. The mantis fell to the ground, supporting his body with both arms, panting rapidly: “Huff… huff… huff…!”
Tang came forward concerned: “Little brother, how are you?”
“I… I feel so strange. Body weak and powerless, Qi Threads evaporated to less than three-tenths, whole body burning pain. But breathing is smoother, body feels cleaned thoroughly, like shedding the mortal body and exchanging the bones. The Dao Seed and True Qi surged with an inexplicable impulse, wanting to throw into that light and self-destruct?”
On the other side, Yuan Zhu also received extremely trace amounts of ‘ash’ from the mantis’s body. That was the ash from incinerating the pollution in his body, covering various pollutions, not high value.
But one thing is certain: for pure [True Qi] or [Spiritual Energy], Holy Light’s purification priority is extremely low.
If comparing ‘Holy Light’ to flame, then Spiritual Energy and True Qi are like non-combustibles. Or ‘diesel’ heavy oil, which won’t easily burn when meeting open flame. Instead, corrupt Spiritual Energy, demonized insects, wild mushrooms—these pollutions explode upon touching [Holy Light].
Little Spicy Stick: “Simple, this shows the backend behind [Spiritual Energy] (Kunlun System) is tough, [Holy Light] doesn’t want to clash head-on, so it chooses to ignore.”
Yuan Zhu: Makes sense!
“How are the chirping bug and mayfly bug on you?” He still had some confidence in his own Holy Light. Since it could burn infant bugs, others too!
Mantis: “Both still exist, but suppressed and fallen into dormancy.” Saying this, he looked at Yuan Zhu in surprise; this weirdo is impressive.
Tang looked at Yuan Zhu expectantly: “Noble, can I try too? Once Immortal Zombie Tendrils and Iron Poison are cleared, I can save more Qi Threads to raise bugs for you. Without enduring ‘brain chirp’ and ‘Dantian poison’, I can focus more on cultivation, improving bug-raising efficiency.”
Yuan Zhu looked at her suspiciously: “Possible, but I’m afraid you can’t endure it. Dying under my Holy Light.”
“Yes, sister, being irradiated by that light is extremely painful. Feels like the whole body is burning, especially the meridians, abnormally painful.”
Tang recalled the previous Holy Cough, face pale with nails digging into palms, extremely fearful but still gritted her teeth: “Not afraid! This light can clear Immortal Zombie Tendrils in the body, saving a lot of Qi Threads, which saves us a lot of food, and can also support the noble.”
Yuan Zhu waved hands repeatedly: “No no no, I don’t eat them, leave all for you!”
Damn Fragrant Fart Bug, Stinky Boss, Dung Beetle, leave them all for you two!
Another round of the same operation; even with dimmer Holy Light turned down one level, it still made the little girl writhe in agony, tears streaming. Made Yuan Zhu feel like he was abusing a child, quite guilty. Instead, Younger Brother, who had always been hostile to him, now had clearer and more grateful eyes.
This dim-witted younger brother is way worse than the one at home! Oh, only 8 years old? Then not surprising.
“Cough cough…”
Coughed up another mouthful of blood; Tang, drenched in sweat, body twitching and trembling on the ground, looking like a skinny dog doing push-ups in the gym, collapsing into butterfly wing flaps… so frail.
Yet the little girl’s bulging big eyes shone exceptionally bright: “I, I… I heard it, I heard!”
Seeing her fanatical expression, Yuan Zhu’s heart skipped; oh no, probably Holy Light burned her brain, sanity to zero, hallucinating sounds?
The tall younger brother hurried forward, lifting his sister like a chick, concerned: “Sis, you okay? What did you hear?”
The little girl’s eyes burst with fanaticism, looking at Yuan Zhu: “Metamorphosis!”
“『Huh?』?” Yuan Zhu: “Why are you looking at me?”
“Your light ignited my Qi Threads, incinerated my meridians and Dao Seed… and let me hear the voice deep in my soul: ‘Metamorphosis’!”
Yuan Zhu: “So what?” You want to scam me?
“This light can guide us onto the correct cultivation path, guide us to complete the final Feathered Ascension!”
Yuan Zhu: ‘(°ヘ°)
“Can it once again imprint that control method onto our lungs?” The little girl began proactively asking Yuan Zhu for [Holy Cough].
Yuan Zhu: ?(。ヘ°)
“[Holy Cough] is not a good thing for you. It is a pollution, a means for me to control your life and death. It will slowly erode and burn your vitality, pollute your True Qi System. If I wish, it will instantly detonate [Holy Cough], burning away your life and soul.”
Tang Que gazed hotly at Yuan Zhu: “We already have ‘chirping insects, infant insects, sandfly insects’ on our bodies, we’re not afraid of [Holy Cough]. Moreover, it isn’t pollution at all, it is salvation! We are already enduring multiple erosions from ‘Corrupt Spiritual Energy, Immortal Zombie Tendrils, Iron Poison……’ and more. With [Holy Cough], it can suppress and Burn Down these pollutions, saving a large amount of Qi Threads for cultivation. Don’t tell me the other pollutions don’t erode and consume life?”
The little girl thought it over and found it increasingly reliable. How was this [Holy Cough] pollution? It was simply a World Salvation Unique Skill!
Yuan Zhu: “Ha(Д#)? But [Holy Light] will trigger a pollution outbreak in the Underground World…”
“But [Holy Cough] is inside the body, right? In the lungs. As long as we endure the burning pain of Holy Light in the meridians, it can purify the Polluting Energy in our breath, Blessing it into the Breathing Method! The infant insects parasitize in the lungs, integrating into the Breathing Method and True Qi; switching to [Holy Cough] makes no difference, and instead strengthens cultivation!
Tiao also stepped forward, looking at Yuan Zhu with prayer + expectation: “I want it too!!!”
