Just as An Jing settled into stillness, the sword mark on the youth's forehead faintly lit up.
The Sword Spirit borrowed An Jing's perception and observed the spiritual energy of the Huaixu Realm alongside him.
It did not take long.
Suddenly, An Jing's expression changed drastically. He opened his eyes in shock, and the sword mark on his forehead also flashed with startled silver light, enough to prove that the Sword Spirit's emotions were greatly disturbed.
“Demonic qi!”
An Jing abruptly stood up, staring at his hands, then looked around the entire world around him with an incredulous gaze: “It's all... all demonic qi?!”
“How could this be... The spiritual energy of the entire Huaixu Realm has been completely polluted by demonic qi?!”
In Another World, when An Jing entered stillness to contemplate and refine qi, he could sense that the world's spiritual energy was somewhat turbid—like a city shrouded in heavy fog or gray-white smog.
One could breathe, but the air held many impurities, and prolonged breathing would harm the body.
This was an aftereffect of the 'Demon Tribulation': the whole world had been eroded by Extramundane Demons, leaving semi-permanent damage that was extremely hard to heal.
The wastelands and acid rain were merely surface manifestations. The deeper manifestation was polluted spiritual energy, which made Cultivators very easily fall to demonhood.
So when the Sword Spirit discovered that Another World still used the 'Spirit Root Qi Refining' system, it was in fact quite puzzled.
—Polluted to such a degree, and Another World could still refine qi. That was like a river filled with heavy-metal pollution, yet people still bathing in it.
Then what of the Huaixu Realm—which looked sunny and bright, with no visible pollution, yet had to adopt the 'Destiny Pattern Martial Path'? How polluted was it really?
The answer was a black sandstorm!
If Another World's spiritual-energy pollution was merely gray-white smog, then Huaixu Realm's spiritual-energy pollution was a 'sandstorm' so thick one could not see one's hand in front of one's face!
The entire world was shrouded and steeped in pitch-black spiritual energy, like swimming in a filthy pool with no visible bottom.
“Lord Huangtian! Thank goodness I held back and didn't actually try to refine qi; otherwise my Spirit Root would have been polluted!”
Out of caution, An Jing had never intended to actually cultivate with his Spirit Root in Huaixu Realm.
If he had entertained even the slightest idea of drawing in spiritual energy, he would certainly have fallen for it just now, with demonic qi entering his body.
“How could this be!”
The Sword Spirit also said in disbelief, “If Huaixu Realm's spiritual energy has been polluted to such an extent, then Huaixu Realm shouldn't be as lush and verdant as it is now. It should be like a hell on earth—barren land everywhere, filthy rivers, and blood rain falling from the sky!”
“The previous Extramundane Demons would have been strengthened as well. They wouldn't need to retreat to the You Realm's Netherworld Sea, because Huaixu Realm would be their second homeland!”
“It's precisely because I saw that Huaixu Realm's environment was still decent that I felt the demonic qi pollution wasn't that severe... This completely defies reason!”
The Sword Spirit could hardly imagine such an anomaly.
It was like how no one could ever imagine that a mountain forest of clear streams, sweet water, and vibrant life was actually covered in foul, virulent poison—taking a single breath would kill one from poisoning.
It made no sense at all.
“In that case, there must also be a reason why Huaixu Realm chose the 'Destiny Pattern Martial Path' as its cultivation path...”
At that moment, An Jing thought of something. His brow furrowed, and he focused and activated his Destiny Pattern. A crimson totem wheel of light appeared behind his head.
With his 'Destiny Pattern' activated, An Jing settled into deep meditation.
Immediately, he had a sudden realization.
—Huaixu Realm's spiritual energy, polluted until it was pitch-black, was absorbed by the Destiny Pattern Totem, then purified, returning once more to the purest and most refined spirit aura—commonly known as 'heaven-and-earth spiritual energy'!
—These pure spiritual energies, using the Destiny Pattern as a medium, passed into his body, permeating and nourishing his limbs, bones, and entire body!
The Heaven's Mandate Destiny Pattern was a filter for demonic qi!
In Huaixu Realm, without a Heaven's Mandate Destiny Pattern to filter the nearly omnipresent demonic qi, no one could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!
“I see. No wonder only Destiny Pattern holders can cultivate!”
At this moment, An Jing fully understood the essence of the 'Destiny Pattern Martial Path.'
In Huaixu Realm, only those who possessed a Heaven's Mandate Destiny Pattern could make use of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy.
Even a special individual like him, who had awakened both Destiny Pattern and Spirit Root, could only cultivate the Destiny Pattern Martial Path.
Because spiritual energy absorbed and transformed by the Destiny Pattern would disperse throughout the body, permeate flesh and blood, and strengthen the physique—essentially returning directly to Embryonic Breathing.
The Spirit Root was another system. After a Cultivator drew spiritual energy into the body with the Spirit Root, they stored it in the dantian and distributed it through the meridians—equivalent to breathing through the mouth and nose and distributing through the organs.
Theoretically, breathing with the organs was naturally more natural, less difficult, and more efficient.
But now, An Jing's skin had a protective membrane that could purify demonic qi, while his mouth, nose, and organs did not.
As long as he breathed, he would be polluted.
So it was best not to breathe at all—only Embryonic Breathing.
Everything became clear to An Jing.
No wonder. No wonder Huaixu Realm, despite clearly appearing to have a far better environment than Another World, had still been forced to abandon the already very mature Spirit Root Qi Refining and develop an entirely new Destiny Pattern Martial Path!
All because Huaixu Realm's environment had been polluted to the point where Qi Refining was completely impossible!
“This makes no sense!”
In his Divine Sea, the Sword Spirit was still struggling. “Back then, we... we should have won, right? Even though I left midway, in the end I was still receiving sacrificial offerings, and the human race multiplied and prospered. That should mean we won!”
“But look at this level of demonic qi pollution... Could it be that we lost back then? But if we lost, Huaixu should have long since been destroyed by the Extramundane Demons, and the human race should have perished as well!”
“And also, the outcome of the final battle of the Demon Tribulation back then... why don't I remember it at all?!”
At this moment, the broken sword within An Jing's Divine Sea was constantly trembling. Clearly, the Sword Spirit's mind was extremely unsettled.
“Don't worry, Fuxie.” An Jing pondered for a while, then slowly said, “I think you should know.”
“It's just that those memories are exactly the ones you lost.”
“Someone—possibly an Extramundane Demon, or perhaps one of your old companions—took those memories, leaving you completely unaware of the current situation.”
That was also a possibility.
“...Indeed. Compared to an Extramundane Demon, it is more likely that my old companions and I made this decision.”
The Fuxie Sword Spirit was silent for a while, then sighed wearily. “If that is really the case, then should I go back and retrieve those memories after all?”
“It's so complicated. I'm just a sword, so why should I be dragged into this sort of thing?”
But soon, it perked up. “Still, it doesn't matter. After all, the sword wielder now is you!”
“When the time comes, whether I should retrieve my memories or not—An Jing, you make the choice.”
After all, it was a sword, so the Fuxie Sword Spirit tossing aside the burden of thought was only natural—it was simply a sword and could not make decisions.
It was even rather pleased with itself for this choice. “Fortunately, I had anticipated this earlier, so your 'Grand White Radiant Spirit Divine Restriction' does not need to draw spiritual energy from the outside world. As long as there is enough Five Metals baleful qi, you can cultivate it.”
Chapter 65