The Holy Mother of Inedia looked at where Qi Yuan stood.
All she saw was empty space.
It was as if no one was there at all.
Everything seemed like a figment of the imagination, devoid of true substance.
"We met once in the future?" the Holy Mother of Inedia murmured, her voice devoid of sorrow or joy. "Just once?"
"Yeah." Qi Yuan did not elaborate.
That had been his first time seeing the Holy Mother of Inedia, and he had witnessed her death.
He could hardly say, *The moment I met you, you died.*
That would show far too little emotional intelligence.
The Holy Mother of Inedia looked at Qi Yuan and suddenly smiled, beaming brightly. "So that's how it is."
It was as though a doubt in her heart had been resolved, or everything had been confirmed.
"Weren't you said to naturally dislike smiling?" Qi Yuan asked offhandedly.
After meeting her that once, Qi Yuan had encountered quite a few of her believers.
He had learned much more about the Holy Mother of Inedia from them.
In their descriptions, she was not only the foremost figure in the Mortal Heart Realm with terrifying combat prowess, but also naturally disinclined to smile and exceptionally bound to her word.
"Who is naturally disinclined to smile?" the Holy Mother of Inedia countered. "Am I supposed to smile at any random person I see?"
On top, she wore a pink round-collared short jacket, and below, an even more vivid red skirt embroidered with flowers. Her dark hair cascaded to her waist, and sweet smiles bloomed once more across her lovely face, bright enough to illuminate the pitch-black night.
*Historical records really are full of lies,* Qi Yuan thought to himself.
In the records, the Holy Mother of Inedia was stern, solemn, and wholly detached from earthly desires.
Most likely, those traits were just sanctified embellishments concocted by later generations.
Looking at her now, Qi Yuan could not help feeling she was a bit strange, as though she were hiding some secret.
"Everyone has curiosity. Aren't you afraid I was lying to you just now?
"After all, claiming I met you in the future is something no one in their right mind would believe," Qi Yuan continued.
Besides, when the future Holy Mother of Inedia saw him, she had shown no sign of recognizing him.
That made Qi Yuan very curious.
Could it be that the Holy Mother of Inedia he met later was not the same one before him today?
Or perhaps her head had been kicked by a donkey and she had amnesia?
"If you believe, it is so; if you do not, it is not. Belief or disbelief matters not," the Holy Mother of Inedia said, her voice like the tinkling of a mountain spring.
"...Your mental realm is a bit high. I'm just an ordinary person, full of curiosity," Qi Yuan replied casually.
He did not dwell on the topic either.
He and the Holy Mother of Inedia had met entirely by chance.
She was destined to fade into the mist of history.
He could not change history, nor did he possess the ability to do so.
However, recalling something, he asked, "Have the evil gods... appeared in the Mortal Heart Realm yet?"
The Holy Mother of Inedia's gaze abruptly turned piercing and cold. Even though they were separated by different stretches of space-time, Qi Yuan seemed to feel a bone-chilling frost, like an unsheathed sword of ice.
"Yes."
"They are the mortal enemies of the Mortal Heart Realm, and among them are one or two Yang Gods," Qi Yuan said, passing along information from the future.
He thought that if the Mortal Heart Realm received this intelligence, perhaps their fate could be altered slightly.
Even if it changed, however... the difference might not be significant.
A gap in sheer hard power could not be bridged simply by preparing in advance.
"Yes." Her expression barely shifted, as if she had merely heard about a couple of tiny bugs.
This baffled Qi Yuan, and he could not help saying, "You don't think everything I said earlier was a lie, do you?"
If she truly thought that, her previous reaction would make total sense.
She probably took him for a charlatan performing sham rituals.
"How much of what you told me is true, and how much is false?" The Holy Mother of Inedia looked toward Qi Yuan, as if trying to stare directly into his eyes.
"Looks like you really don't believe me." Qi Yuan threw up his hands, too lazy to explain.
He had no need to convince anyone else to trust him.
He and the Holy Mother of Inedia were mere casual acquaintances.
Setting those thoughts aside, Qi Yuan got straight to the point.
"What did you mean earlier when you said the Heavenly Pillar broke?" Qi Yuan asked.
Could visualization actually crack the Heavenly Pillar?
Wasn't the Heavenly Pillar... smashed by a Yang God?
"The Mountain of Visualization is a projection of the Heavenly Pillar; the two share an immense connection.
"The Heavenly Pillar is unstable right now. If you force another visualization, it may break under the strain," the Holy Mother of Inedia explained.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan frowned. "That can actually happen?"
He had never heard of such a thing before.
He looked up at the towering Heavenly Pillar and muttered, "This Heavenly Pillar is way too fragile. It couldn't even handle visualizing the Thunder Ancestor?"
If he continued visualizing and broke the Heavenly Pillar himself, what would happen?
A sudden whimsical thought struck him.
If that happened, wouldn't history be changed?
The Heavenly Pillar wouldn't be smashed by a Yang God then.
"If the Heavenly Pillar collapses, the Mortal Heart Realm will be plunged into eternal damnation." As if hearing Qi Yuan's thoughts, the Holy Mother of Inedia softly stated the consequences of its destruction.
"How can the Heavenly Pillar be repaired?" Qi Yuan asked, looking at her.
He still had to visualize others.
The Heavenly Pillar could not be allowed to truly break.
"It's very simple," the Holy Mother of Inedia replied. "Eat."
"Huh?" Qi Yuan was completely stunned.
"When I broke through to the Great Venerable realm, I transformed my body into the Heavenly Pillar, merging into one with it.
"The Heavenly Pillar is me, and I am the Heavenly Pillar," she said placidly.
This took Qi Yuan by surprise, followed by a pang of guilt. "Doesn't that mean my visualization broke one of your bones just now?"
When he visualized the Thunder Ancestor, cracks had appeared on the Mountain of Visualization. If that reflected back onto her, it meant she had been injured.
The Holy Mother of Inedia rolled her almond eyes at him. "Repairing the Heavenly Pillar is not difficult. It only requires... me eating some food, and the pillar will stabilize once more."
"It's that simple?" Qi Yuan was astonished and found it utterly bizarre. Who knew such a thing was possible? He blurted out, "I'll treat you to a meal!"
Here in the past, he naturally could not actually treat her to food. But once he returned to Qingshui Village, whenever a feast was held in the future, he could bring her spirit tablet along and treat her then.
Of course, he would never say such words aloud.
Doing so would show catastrophically low emotional intelligence, and he would very likely get beaten up.
The Holy Mother of Inedia glanced at Qi Yuan, seemingly reminiscing. "I haven't eaten anything in a very long time."
Qi Yuan nodded. Indeed, she did not eat food.
Her Dao held that humans were at their most flawless and pure at birth. Breathing air, drinking water, and eating food only contaminated oneself, for all things contained toxins.
"Then hurry up and eat!" Qi Yuan urged.
Only when she ate would the Heavenly Pillar be repaired.
The Holy Mother of Inedia remained motionless.
Qi Yuan grew anxious. "Do you have anorexia?"
"More or less."
"Aren't you cultivating immortality? How does an immortal cultivator get anorexia? If all else fails, just slice open your stomach and stuff the food inside!" Qi Yuan offered his advice.
The woman in the red dress turned to look at him. She took hold of the hem of her pink short jacket and lifted a corner, revealing skin as fair and smooth as snow. Her waist was slender, its curves graceful.
She stared coldly at Qi Yuan. "Will you do the slicing?"
"Just kidding." Qi Yuan laughed out loud.
He wasn't that perverted.
"Want to eat something or not?" Qi Yuan asked again. Recalling something, he added, "Someone died today in Liu Family Village, a thousand li away. Want to go hit the funeral feast?"
He was making that up.
Still, someone was bound to have died a thousand li away.
In this world, people passed away at every moment.
At the mention of hitting a feast, the frost on her face melted. "You cook for me."
"You're really putting Big G on the spot here!" Qi Yuan said helplessly. "I only know how to make two dishes: stir-fried ice cubes in cold water, and boiled ice cubes."
Cook, my ass!
Here in the past, he couldn't touch a single physical object, so how could he possibly cook?
"I can guide you through cooking, though." Qi Yuan was an expert at being a backseat commander.
Since the Holy Mother of Inedia had finally relented and agreed to eat, he naturally had to play along.
"Do you want braised fish in brown sauce or steamed fish?" Qi Yuan asked.
The Holy Mother of Inedia froze for a moment, looking somewhat dazed. "I like spicy food."
"Braised fish!" Qi Yuan said excitedly.
He had finally talked her into eating.
However, a thought crossed his mind, and he asked quietly, "How much do you need to eat before the Heavenly Pillar is fully repaired?"
"Roughly... before you leave." She did not answer directly.
"How do you know I'm going to leave?" Qi Yuan looked into her eyes, trying to glean some useful information.
"Are you... going to stay here forever?" A smile played in her eyes.
"...No."
The Lost Glowstick had a time limit; he could only remain in the past for four days at most.
Looking at the radiant smile in the red-dressed woman's eyes, he could not help asking, "Have we met before?"
The Lost Glowstick still had one use left.
During that final trip, had he met the Holy Mother of Inedia?
"Never." The woman shook her head. "When will you teach me how to make braised fish?"
"Right now, immediately, at once!" Qi Yuan was full of initiative. "Though, the day before I leave, I need to enter the Land of Visualization in advance to visualize gods."
"All right," she agreed with a nod.
"Do you have pots, bowls, pans, or seasonings?" Qi Yuan glanced around her bamboo hut. It was completely empty.
There was nothing at all.
"No," she said, shaking her head.
"Why don't you conjure some up?" Qi Yuan suggested.
As a Great Venerable, manifesting these everyday items would be child's play.
She could even conjure a fully cooked plate of braised fish if she wanted.
The Holy Mother of Inedia ignored his words and stepped lightly forward. "We'll buy them down the mountain."
Qi Yuan had no choice but to follow along.
"Buy a few extra. With your strength, I'm worried you'll shatter the spatulas." Qi Yuan trailed closely behind her as they departed.
Looking out, a crystal-clear lake stretched before them, its aquatic weeds lush and green. Fish flicked their tail fins, rippling across the surface.
Qi Yuan and the Holy Mother of Inedia stood above the lake.
"There are quite a few fish in this lake. We could make an all-fish banquet."
...
Outside the Heavenly Pillar.
Great Venerable Lingzhong, who had departed not long ago, returned once more.
Having no head upon his shoulders made him appear particularly eerie in the dim night.
Before him, the majestic mountain soared straight into the clouds.
Great Venerable Lingzhong spoke with a heavy voice. "The Heavenly Pillar is unstable. Has the Holy Mother of Inedia... been injured?"
Old Man Fanxin stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Great Venerable Lingzhong, his face full of worry. "Now that the evil gods have invaded, the Heavenly Pillar is of paramount importance. Nothing must go wrong with it."
Beside them, several True Gods following behind looked at the Heavenly Pillar with curiosity.
These young True Gods were intensely curious about the legendary Holy Mother of Inedia.
Now that they had the chance to accompany the seniors to meet her, they were naturally nervous.
"Rumor has it that the Holy Mother of Inedia is cold as frost and never smiles. Is that true or false?" an Ancient God asked in confusion.
"Taking 'Inedia' as her title, her Dao is truly unfathomable."
"Unfathomable doesn't begin to describe it; it's downright inconceivable.
"I heard that when she was young, a Mythological figure took a liking to her talent and offered her Divine Domain Celestial Liquid.
"In the end, she refused on the grounds that she consumes nothing under heaven."
A Venerable brought this up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
That was Divine Domain Celestial Liquid, capable of awakening a rudimentary Divine Domain upon consumption.
Even with such a peerless treasure, she had refused.
She truly ate nothing.
A look of reminiscence surfaced on Old Man Fanxin's face. "The Mythological figure you speak of was this old man."
Even to this day, he could not fathom why she had refused to consume it.
Divine Domain Celestial Liquid was an innate treasure of absolute purity. Consuming it would not have tainted her Grand Dao in the slightest.
Yet she had still refused.
Great Venerable Lingzhong spoke up then. "I have known her for a thousand years. She is utterly detached from the mundane world and even harbors... a degree of aversion toward food.
"Remember, never mention eating, drinking, or food in her presence. Otherwise... face the consequences yourselves."
Hearing this, the Venerables behind shrank back in fear.
The Holy Mother of Inedia's reputation was well known.
They hurriedly hid all their pills, celestial liquids, and wine deep inside their storage bags.
If she caught wind of them, they might incur the wrath of such an unpredictable figure.
"Why has the Holy Mother of Inedia left the Heavenly Pillar? Strange. Ever since merging her body with it, she hasn't left for several thousand years."
Old Man Fanxin looked toward the Heavenly Pillar ahead, his eyes filled with surprise.
The Heavenly Pillar had always been dilapidated, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
Thus, she had continuously resided within it.
"Look, someone is coming!" an Ancient God called out.
Everyone turned to look, only to see a streak of flowing light gliding slowly across the sky.
Within that light, a woman in red drifted forward. Her skin was fair as pristine snow, her features breathtakingly beautiful, and her hair fell like a waterfall. Dimpled smiles graced her lovely face.
She looked like an immortal stepping out of a painting.
Yet this celestial beauty was carrying three woks, several spatulas, and had an assortment of pots, pans, and bowls dangling from her waist.
"Is that... the Holy Mother of Inedia?" An Ancient God blinked in disbelief.
This seemed a bit different from what they had imagined.
Wasn't she completely detached from earthly sustenance?
Didn't she naturally dislike smiling?
Why was she grinning foolishly to herself while traveling alone, carrying pots in her hands and a kitchen cleaver hanging from her waist?
Old Man Fanxin was entirely dazed, nearly suspecting he had mistaken her for someone else.
It was fortunate that Great Venerable Lingzhong had no head; otherwise, his expression would have been quite a sight.
"Inedia... what are you doing?" Great Venerable Lingzhong voiced his bewilderment.
Upon seeing the group, the faint smile on the Holy Mother of Inedia's face had not yet faded. She cast a sidelong glance toward her side, then turned her deep gaze onto the newcomers. "Why have you returned?"
That was the look.
Great Venerable Lingzhong breathed a sigh of relief. This was the Holy Mother of Inedia he knew.
What he saw just now must have been an illusion.
Still, looking at the clutter dangling from her waist, he could barely keep his composure.
"The Heavenly Pillar trembled, so Old Man Fanxin and I came over to check on it," Great Venerable Lingzhong said. "Are you unhurt?"
"I am fine," she said indifferently.
Old Man Fanxin then asked, "In the battle at the Shenglong Arena half a year from now, will you be able to take part?"
With the Heavenly Pillar shaking, Old Man Fanxin feared she might be injured, which could affect the battle to repel the evil gods at the Shenglong Arena.
"Yes," she replied tersely.
Chapter 219