The woman in the red dress paused her movements, seemingly pondering something.
"The Inedia Physique."
"Huh? Just three characters?" Qi Yuan was slightly taken aback.
Three characters was entirely too lacking in style.
"Everyone else gets names like Innate Saint Body Dao Embryo, Mandate Chaos Fiendgod Physique, Innate JK Saint Physique, or at the very least a four-character Ancient Desolate Saint Physique."
"Inedia Physique" was a first for Qi Yuan.
"I named it myself," the woman in the red dress said, looking at him with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
Qi Yuan paused, taking a deep breath. "Seems we really share some affinity. The technique I created is called the *Qi Yuan Scripture*."
He had created the *Qi Yuan Scripture*, and the Holy Mother of Inedia called herself the Inedia Physique—it was quite amusing.
"What does the Inedia Physique entail?" Qi Yuan asked.
In truth, he wanted to understand the state of her body.
"Haven't you already seen it?" The Holy Mother of Inedia did not give a direct answer.
"I think it might not be that simple. The way you looked at me earlier was very strange." Qi Yuan recalled the gaze she had directed at him moments ago; it had instinctively sent a chill down his spine.
The woman in the red dress paused her eating. Her pearly teeth lightly bit her lower lip as she gave Qi Yuan a sidelong glance. "Are you afraid I'll eat you?"
As she spoke, she deliberately took a piece of fish and bit down hard, as if she were biting into Qi Yuan himself.
"Not afraid," Qi Yuan blurted out.
Separated by space and time, even if she were possessed by a Taotie, she could never eat him.
The woman said nothing more and continued eating fish.
Sitting to the side, Qi Yuan watched her complexion gradually improve, and his mood brightened considerably.
This meant the Heavenly Pillar was recovering somewhat.
He would also be able to re-enter the Mountain of Visualization to continue visualizing.
However, a thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "If... you were fed tainted fish, would you still be able to chew and swallow so slowly like this?"
Qi Yuan recalled the Holy Mother of Inedia he had met previously.
She had sat right beside him, eating fish.
The fish had not been purified, yet she had eaten it with relish.
"No," the Holy Mother of Inedia replied bluntly.
Another sliver of doubt sprouted in Qi Yuan's mind.
Could it be that the one he met was the Holy Mother of Inedia from a parallel space?
That Holy Mother of Inedia had not seemed like this one, who reacted so violently to tainted fish.
"Hey, if you run into me in the future, please remind me that you met me before."
"Alright."
"Whoever lies is a puppy!" Seeing her agree so casually, Qi Yuan had a feeling she really might deceive him.
As the saying went, beautiful women were the best liars—simply because if uglier women tried lying, nobody would believe them.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"I'll believe you this once."
"Are the evil gods very strong?" the Holy Mother of Inedia asked at that moment.
"Mm... pretty strong, but no worries. All villain bosses end up dead by my hands!" Qi Yuan was brimming with confidence.
"It seems you are very certain," the Holy Mother of Inedia remarked with strange emotion.
"I've already drawn up a detailed three-step plan. Right now, it's advanced to the second half of step one. My plan will be completed in no time!" Speaking of his plan, Qi Yuan grew rather excited.
After all, it was his magnum opus, something naturally worth bragging about regularly.
"A pity... I was born too early," the Holy Mother of Inedia said as something occurred to her, her voice turning desolate.
Qi Yuan was slightly stunned.
He remembered that the last time he saw the Holy Mother of Inedia, she had said something similar.
A coincidence? Or something else?
Could it be that the Holy Mother of Inedia he saw that final time really was her? But why hadn't she recognized him?
Or had she recognized him, but stayed silent?
Could there be a conspiracy?
Qi Yuan couldn't help but speculate. Just as he was about to ask something, he suddenly felt the surrounding temperature plummet.
The limpid pool of warmth in the woman's eyes vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling frost.
Her eyes stared coldly at Qi Yuan. Even across spacetime, he seemed to feel that piercing freeze.
"I'm going to sleep." The Holy Mother of Inedia finished the last bite of fish, her voice icy.
Her attitude toward Qi Yuan had done a complete 180-degree flip.
The slight warmth from earlier had turned frosty.
This surprised Qi Yuan. *She actually broke out the goddess's three treasures.*
Though her sudden change of attitude made him curious, he certainly wasn't going to flatter someone giving him the cold shoulder.
"Remember to eat fish tomorrow."
"Alright." Her voice remained frosty.
Resting one hand behind his head, Qi Yuan watched the Holy Mother of Inedia walk into the depths of the bamboo house and lie down on the bed.
"This woman changes faces faster than the weather."
"Does a Mythological even need to sleep?"
Qi Yuan left the bamboo house and strolled outside at leisure.
The night was still deep.
The lake rippled with gentle, shimmering red light.
The wind rustled the emerald bamboo, making it sway in undulating waves.
Qi Yuan reached out his hand, wanting to feel the breeze, but could not grasp the wind at all.
After an unknown amount of time, Qi Yuan spotted familiar silhouettes.
At the foot of Mount Heavenly Pillar, Great Venerable Lingzhong and Old Man Fanxin had not yet departed.
The two seemed to be in conversation.
Unfortunately, Qi Yuan's ears couldn't pick up everything.
He could only hear fragmented snippets of their dialogue.
"I suspect... someone extra is beside the Holy Mother of Inedia."
"Impossible. This old man has sensed nothing."
"That person... truly exists... figment of imagination..."
After listening for a long while without gleaning any useful information, Qi Yuan returned to the Holy Mother of Inedia's bamboo house.
After all, constantly eavesdropping on people wasn't a good habit.
Time always slipped by quickly.
Atop the Heavenly Pillar, all was desolate and devoid of human presence.
Over the past two days, the Holy Mother of Inedia had cooked plenty more fish. Purified by Qi Yuan, they became unblemished and were slowly eaten by her.
Her complexion looked better and better by the day.
The Heavenly Pillar also seemed to grow sturdier.
The only thing that surprised Qi Yuan was that ever since she turned icy that night, she had treated him rather coldly over these two days. They barely spoke, and the earlier harmonious atmosphere was nowhere to be found.
Qi Yuan didn't care, however.
If she wanted to be cold, so be it.
It didn't matter to him.
His original goal was just to feed her so the Heavenly Pillar would stabilize. He hadn't traveled to the past to romance her.
To tell the truth, they were mere acquaintances, hardly even true friends.
"Come dawn tomorrow, I'll be leaving. Make more fish tonight," Qi Yuan said at midday, pretending to bask in the sun as he looked over at the Holy Mother of Inedia nearby.
"Alright." The red-dressed woman's response was still icy.
Qi Yuan said nothing more.
If relations were strained, so be it.
At the end of the day... it was just a collaboration.
"I'm heading to the Mountain of Visualization to visualize deities. I'll be away for a bit," Qi Yuan added. "If you feel unwell, let me know ahead of time, and I'll terminate the visualization."
Visualizing the Thunder Ancestor had caused cracks on the Mountain of Visualization, which damaged the Heavenly Pillar and injured her as well.
Naturally, Qi Yuan felt a touch guilty.
"As long as no cracks appear on the Mountain of Phantasy, it is of no great concern," the Holy Mother of Inedia replied, her voice remaining icy.
"Alright." With that, Qi Yuan vanished.
At the foot of the Heavenly Pillar, within the bamboo house, only the Holy Mother of Inedia remained.
Gazing at the spot where Qi Yuan had vanished, her expression was cool and aloof. "I am not one who breaks her word."
After about a dozen breaths, a meow suddenly sounded.
A snow-white kitten appeared outside the bamboo house. With pitch-black eyes, it peeked cautiously at the Holy Mother of Inedia inside.
With a wave of her hand, the cat was instantly transported away and vanished.
Just then, an aged voice sounded.
"This cat was born with pure spirit and shares an affinity with you, Inedia. Why not keep and train it? In the future, it might very well become a Great Venerable." Old Man Fanxin appeared with a beaming smile.
"It is merely a passing visitor. Why let it stay? When it dies, it only brings vexation." Her voice was frosty, identical to how she spoke to Qi Yuan.
Hearing this, Old Man Fanxin felt that something was bizarre.
The Holy Mother of Inedia he had seen two days ago really had been abnormal.
The one before him now was her normal self.
"Why always keep people at arm's length? Inedia... you should interact more with fellow Daoists like us to build camaraderie. It benefits cultivation. Our lifespans are virtually endless; having a few more companions brings more joy, wouldn't you say?" Old Man Fanxin chuckled. "That cat shares an affinity with you. Keeping it is just keeping it, a way to pass the time."
"More companions... to attend their funeral feasts?" The woman in red inexplicably recalled the phrase that person had used, and blurted it out.
A few days ago, when she and Qi Yuan went out to buy kitchen pots and pans, she had listened to him talk extensively about attending funeral banquets.
He had even said that good chefs go to New Oriental.
She had listened the whole time and kept it in mind.
Old Man Fanxin's expression froze at her words. "Saying such things is rather inauspicious."
To be a fellow Daoist of the Holy Mother of Inedia, one had to be a Mythological.
Eating at a Mythological's funeral feast? How could that be possible?
"Go back. I will participate in the battle at the Shenglong Arena. Tell the other Mythologicals that the evil gods this time are exceptionally formidable. They must prepare... to perish."
"What!" Old Man Fanxin was shocked. "You're not joking, are you?"
The Holy Mother of Inedia spoke no further. Eating her fish, she whispered softly, "Since everyone is going to die anyway, there is no need to get acquainted. It only adds pointless grief."
...
A thousand li from Mount Heavenly Pillar.
The villagers of Qingshui Village and the Ancient Gods remained standing in place.
Following Qi Yuan's instructions, none of them moved around carelessly to avoid any mishaps.
Great Venerable Shenlei sat with one leg crossed over the other, lacking all decorum. Looking at the open forest, he couldn't help but grumble, "That brat ran off to have his little two-person world with the Holy Mother of Inedia, leaving us stranded out here. Real amusing!"
Hearing this, Venerable Huanghun smiled helplessly. "The lord went to tend to the matter of the Heavenly Pillar."
"Sigh, to be honest, this old man wanted to meet the legendary Holy Mother of Inedia too." Great Venerable Shenlei stroked his beard.
He was naturally curious about the foremost figure of the Mortal Heart Realm.
At this point, Venerable Huolian, who had remained quiet, spoke up: "Actually, right now, I really want to go take a look at myself."
Her past self at this point in time should only be a Divine Infant cultivator.
"I want to wander around too," an Ancient God chimed in, quite curious about their current circumstances.
"I don't think you want to wander around—you just want to peek at pretty women bathing, don't you?" Venerable Huolian glared at the Ancient God who had spoken.
That Ancient God smiled awkwardly. "You've known me for a century. Am I really that shameless?"
"Oh, not at all!"
"Not at all—except someone's eyes were practically glued just a moment ago."
"Needless to say, it must be Venerable Zanghui!"
Just half an hour ago, several fairy maidens had come to play in the water at a lake a few li ahead of them.
Before the maidens had even undressed, Venerable Zanghui's eyes were completely transfixed, and he almost bolted toward the lakeside.
In the end, the other Ancient Gods had held him back.
They were Ancient Gods loyal to the Origin Celestial Venerable; how could they do something so devoid of class?
Peeping was shameful.
If one wanted to look, one ought to look openly and honorably.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings, thinking of nothing but this nonsense," Great Venerable Shenlei scolded grandly, surveying the crowd.
A relaxed smile appeared in Venerable Zanghui's eyes. "Great Venerable Shenlei, if I obtain a suitable God Visualization Art, I might just follow in Zhu Zhuangshi's footsteps."
The feud between Zhu Zhuangshi and the big black dog had already spread throughout Feihuang City.
The big black dog had once suppressed Zhu Zhuangshi.
Then Zhu Zhuangshi turned around and suppressed the big black dog again.
This tale was recounted with great relish in Feiwu City.
Venerable Zanghui's meaning was crystal clear:
He was hinting that he, Venerable Zanghui, might also have a chance to suppress Great Venerable Shenlei.
"Hmph, this old man will be waiting for you!" Great Venerable Shenlei scoffed dismissively.
Venerable Zanghui's words stoked the anticipation of everyone present.
Who wouldn't want to be like Zhu Zhuangshi, having a single Mythological art rewrite their destiny?
"Say, what grade of God Visualization Art do you think we'll get?"
"Will there be one suited for me?"
"Actually, I've been watching the Land of Visualization these past two days, and I haven't seen any unusual phenomena," an Ancient God murmured with worry.
Generally speaking, visualizing an Epic-grade or higher God Visualization Art triggered reactions within the Mountain of Visualization.
Phenomena like bursts of golden light or the thunderous rolling of ten thousand drums.
Yet over these two days, the Mountain of Visualization had remained utterly quiet, devoid of any commotion.
Great Venerable Shenlei stood to the side, his heart equally uneasy.
*That brat wouldn't really just casually hand me some common God Visualization Art, would he?*
Although he had claimed not to care about the perks Qi Yuan promised, that had just been talk.
It had to be at least Epic grade or higher.
Otherwise, the boost to him would be negligible.
"Great Venerable Shenlei has followed the Celestial Venerable longer. Perhaps he might obtain a Mythological art," Venerable Huolian said, a hint of admiration and envy in her voice.
Great Venerable Shenlei shook his head and quickly replied, "A lightning-based Mythological art? How could there be such a coincidence?"
He was terrified Qi Yuan would hand him a common one, so he hastened to manage everyone's expectations.
The others found this reasonable as well.
Venerable Huanghun murmured at this moment, "My Dao is the art of water manipulation. Two of the fellow Daoists who came with me share a similar path. I expect it will be difficult for the Celestial Venerable to provide suitable God Visualization Arts for all of us."
The other two Ancient Gods who practiced water manipulation looked somewhat dejected upon hearing this.
After all, a single divine office usually held only one mighty deity.
How could there be multiple?
In other words, among the three who controlled water, perhaps only one could receive a suitable God Visualization Art.
"Venerable Huanghun will most likely have the chance to obtain a powerful God Visualization Art," one of the water-manipulating Ancient Gods said with envy.
Among the three, Venerable Huanghun naturally had the best chance, having formed ties with the Origin Celestial Venerable first.
The other Ancient God also looked at Venerable Huanghun enviously.
The Ancient Gods present chatted animatedly, trading praise and speculation.
As for the ordinary villagers, they had no such worries.
To them, any God Visualization Art was welcome.
They were ordinary mortals to begin with; their paths were unchosen, and any road was open to them.
Right then, a voice rang in their ears:
"I'm here. Time to hand out the perks."
Chapter 221