You're Sick: Kidney Deficiency

Yang Guang's expression shifted through several shades. "Brother Qi, the demon essence blood provided by two early Jade-Blood Realm demons... should be enough, right?" An uneasy suspicion crept into his mind. Could it be that you really can never judge a book by its cover? Was this Qi Yuan deliberately making things difficult because he had no intention of handing over the entry token for the Genius Alliance? "Not enough." Qi Yuan shook his head. Holding the two hundred drops of demon essence blood, he said softly, "The ancestor of Taihuang Palace is far too strong. I must raise my strength quickly. Hmm... let me give you a demonstration right now... of swallowing demon essence blood." As Qi Yuan spoke, four hundred drops of demon essence blood flew into the air, then sank into his palms and pores. An Qiao's eyes widened. She had not watched carefully the last time Qi Yuan cultivated. This time... she was going to watch closely to see if he truly cultivated using demon essence blood. She scrutinized Qi Yuan, not missing the slightest detail. "He really did devour it!" Seeing Qi Yuan's actions clearly, An Qiao's pupils contracted, her gaze filled with shock. Yang Guang froze, his mind going blank. "Brother Qi, doing that... your body will explode and kill you!" he hastily warned in agitation. Consuming a vast amount of demon essence blood in a short period was more than the human body could endure; it would burst and perish. He felt both anxious and self-reproachful. Had Qi Yuan been provoked by his words and swallowed all four hundred drops of demon essence blood in an impulsive fit? Yet in the very next breath, an inexplicable voice rang out. Yang Guang froze, staring dumbly at Qi Yuan. "You consumed 400 drops of demon essence blood and began cultivating. "100 drops of demon essence blood fully consumed. Cultivation increased by one hundred days. Your qi and blood brim with vitality, reaching the peak of the early Jade-Blood Realm." "Consumed 300 drops of demon essence blood. You sought to break through to the late Jade-Blood Realm in one go. "Alas, brilliant and exceptionally gifted though you are, the demon essence blood dragged you down due to slight malnutrition. Your breakthrough failed, but you obtained 300 days of cultivation." As the voice faded, Qi Yuan opened his eyes, looking delighted. Playing the system this time yielded fresh progress—it now knew how to flatter its host. "See that? All four hundred drops swallowed, and I've already broken through to the mid Jade-Blood Realm." Qi Yuan looked at Yang Guang and held out his hand. "So, I still lack demon essence blood. Bodyguard... you know what to do." Seeing this, Yang Guang felt completely overwhelmed. The scene before him defied his understanding. Could it be... Qi Yuan possessed a special talent? Extremely good at eating, extremely good at absorbing? That was the only possible explanation. Yang Guang convinced himself, then looked at Qi Yuan and asked with difficulty, "How much more demon essence blood do you need?" "Almost enough. Once the demon essence blood lets me advance to the point where I can defeat my arch-nemesis, I'll stop killing," Qi Yuan said earnestly. Thanks to the Innate Seed, any increase in strength in this world would almost entirely feed back into his true body. Growing stronger here was equivalent to advancing his strength in the Canglan Realm. "Brother Yang, you're not running out of steam, are you?" Seeing Yang Guang hesitate, Qi Yuan continued, "If it's too strenuous, I won't make you face the demons alone this time. I'll join you in battle." "No need! I can handle it!" Yang Guang answered loudly. No matter how much Qi Yuan could devour, there had to be a limit. Besides, his enemy, that ancestor of Taihuang Palace, was probably only at the mid Jade-Blood Realm at best. Killing one or two more mid Jade-Blood demons would surely be enough. It was fine; he just had to hold out a little longer. He was, after all, at the Great Perfection of the mid Jade-Blood Realm, fully capable of going toe-to-toe with Zhou Yuan. Seeing Yang Guang brimming with so much confidence, Qi Yuan could not help but praise him. "Hiring this bodyguard was worth every penny!" "Hmph, naturally I won't let Brother Qi get the short end of the stick. On this mission, wherever we encounter demons, I shall personally slay them for Brother Qi and harvest their essence blood, ensuring you return with a full haul!" Yang Guang was desperate to save face even if it killed him. In any case... he had taken the lead in all the previous fights. Since they had already come this far, he had to see it through to a flawless finish. Hearing Yang Guang's words, Qi Yuan was delighted. Huo Mushi was very happy as well. After all, the demon corpses could all serve as food. Afterward, the accompanying bailiffs all carried the demon carcasses back to Zhenyang, leaving only Huo Mushi behind in the mountains to guide Qi Yuan and the others. Over the next half day, they visited the territories of three more rogue demons. Yang Guang slew three late Qi-Blood Realm demons, two early Jade-Blood Realm demons, and even one mid Jade-Blood Realm demon. By this point, he looked entirely different from his high-spirited self when they first entered the mountains. Wounds covered his body and his blood-martial qi was depleted, leaving him looking thoroughly miserable. Watching Yang Guang return carrying a demon, Qi Yuan could not help giving him a thumbs-up. "Too powerful! I can't even tell where your limit is! "When you staggered off to hunt demons this time, I thought you'd ask me to go with you. To think... you actually made it back. "I really want to sing 'The Lonely Brave' for you, but sadly I'm getting old and can't remember the lyrics." "*Cough, cough...*" Yang Guang gasped heavily for breath, staring at Qi Yuan with a look of deep grievance. What Qi Yuan had just said was precisely what Yang Guang wanted to ask him! He wanted to ask Qi Yuan... where on earth is *your* limit? After so much demon essence blood, you still... want more? Still, having made the promise and put on the show himself, he had to see it through even if it brought tears to his eyes. "Here, have some watermelon and rest a bit." Qi Yuan tossed a watermelon over, and Yang Guang caught it. Yang Guang held the watermelon and ate it slowly. A watermelon he would normally find ordinary tasted utterly heavenly right now. His blood-martial qi was simply too depleted. If he ran into another Jade-Blood Realm demon now, he would have to turn tail and run. Otherwise, losing any more blood-martial qi would leave him without the power to protect himself, making it impossible to leave Mount Shuyao. "Are you out of steam? Why do you look so weak?" Qi Yuan asked considerately, looking at Yang Guang. "No! Protecting you will be absolutely no problem!" Yang Guang hurled the watermelon rind violently to the ground. "That's good. Seeing your complexion, I thought you had kidney deficiency." Qi Yuan naturally knew nothing about medicine; whenever he saw someone who looked sick, he claimed it was kidney deficiency, and nine times out of ten, he wasn't far off. "No! I am extraordinarily strong right now! If one demon comes, I'll kill one; if a pack comes, I'll slaughter the whole pack!" Yang Guang declared hurriedly. How could a man ever admit to being inadequate? And besides... he absolutely could not let the label of kidney deficiency be pinned on his head! Watching this from not far away, An Qiao could not help stifling a chuckle. "That's good. I'm relieved then." Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing the shift in Qi Yuan's expression, Yang Guang paused. Looking up at the darkening sky, he ventured tentatively, "Are we... still hunting demons today? Isn't it a bit late?" "Don't worry, I'm no black-hearted capitalist. I won't make you hunt demons in the middle of the night," Qi Yuan hastily explained. He strictly observed the eight-hour workday. Yang Guang let out a sigh of relief. His life was saved. "However..." Qi Yuan sighed. "I might not hunt demons, but the demons are coming to hunt me. "Our slaughter on the outer fringes of Mount Shuyao today drew the attention of the demons. "To lure even more demons over and obtain their essence blood, I deliberately... didn't conceal our auras. "So... not far from us, more than a dozen demons are currently rushing this way. "Hmm... their strength isn't much, nowhere near as strong as the ones you killed. "Just three early Jade-Blood Realm, and a dozen or so Qi-Blood Realm." "???" Yang Guang's eyes went wide. He seemed to hear a sharp crack—the sound of his own heart shattering. "What... demons are rushing this way?" He hurriedly sent his senses outward. One check was all it took to give him the fright of his life. He instantly locked eyes with more than a dozen pairs of demonic gazes. His heart skipped a beat. In his current state, if he were entangled by these dozen-plus demons, he truly might exhaust his last drop of strength and perish. Before he could speak, he met Qi Yuan's expectant gaze. "Brother Yang, time for you to take the stage. I want their demon essence blood." Yang Guang wanted to weep but had no tears left; his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. He felt as if he had returned to the days before he was a martial artist, recalling the look his wife had given him a few years into their marriage. "Brother Qi... how about we run?" Life was still slightly more important than pride. At this moment, Yang Guang accepted reality and decided to flee. If he lost his combat capability and was pinned down by this group of demons, drawing the attention of the demon camp's army, they could forget about ever leaving Mount Shuyao alive. Not to mention going to Fenghua Cave to meet Flower Demon Manluo and complete the mission. "Run?" Qi Yuan paused, looking at Yang Guang. "Why should we run? They aren't strong at all, not even as strong as the ones you killed earlier." Hearing this, Yang Guang stammered, "As the saying goes, a field is never worn out by plowing, but the ox can be worked to death. There are simply... too many demons in Mount Shuyao." "The more, the better. A blessed land," Qi Yuan said. Then, looking at Yang Guang with disappointment, he added, "I understand. You're sick: kidney deficiency. "Looks like... I'll have to rely on myself this time." With that, Qi Yuan rose directly to his feet. Yang Guang's expression shifted slightly. "You only just entered the mid Jade-Blood Realm. How about we still... leave first? Once we're pinned down and the forces from the demon camp surround us, we won't be able to get away." An Qiao's face also showed concern. At this juncture, running was the optimal choice. "Why run?" A smile touched Qi Yuan's eyes. "Today on this Mount Shuyao, the moment I picked up this stick, I understood... Mount Shuyao... is my land of fortune." In Qi Yuan's hand was a remarkably straight wooden stick. Such straight sticks were rare to find. When a boy picked up a stick like that in his youth, he would feel as though he were the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Gripping this stick, Qi Yuan also felt absurdly powerful. Holding the wooden stick, he stepped forward without hesitation. "Women, children, and the kidney-deficient... remain where you are! Today, I shall protect you all!" An Qiao and Huo Mushi felt touched. Yang Guang desperately wanted to retort that he did not have kidney deficiency, but given the atmosphere, he could hardly bring himself to break the mood. Just then, more than a dozen demons appeared. They were gaudy, colorful, and grotesquely shaped. Their leader was a dog demon. "Are you the people from the Demon Suppression Division slaughtering demons indiscriminately in our demon mountain?" The dog demon looked wary, appraising the four people before him. The other two early Jade-Blood Realm demons also took on grave expressions. Originally, they had been dispatched to investigate after learning that two late Qi-Blood Realm demons had been killed. Yet the enemy turned out to be somewhat stronger than expected. "If you want to live, leave the demon essence blood behind!" the dog demon barked, clearly unwilling to clash head-on with Qi Yuan and the others. After all, the other side had two Jade-Blood Realm experts. A battle might result in severe casualties for their own side, which wasn't worth the cost. It would be better to feign letting them leave, then summon more demon soldiers to surround and slaughter them. Hearing this, Yang Guang felt a surge of excitement, itching to accept on Qi Yuan's behalf. However, a cool, stern voice rang out. "The moment I gripped this wooden stick, it was ordained that this night... would know no peace." Kill! Qi Yuan's blood-martial qi boiled over. Like a giant bird, he lunged straight toward the dozen-plus demons. At the Origin Core stage, his cultivation was suppressed by an entire realm in this world—just like a Yang God below the Ultimate Principle Realm visiting other realms. However, back in Qinyuan Kingdom, accompanied and aided by Canary, Qi Yuan's cultivation had surged by leaps and bounds. After all, what was one to do when spiritual energy ran low? Go give Canary a kiss, siphon over some spiritual energy, and engage in a bit of dual cultivation along the way. His cultivation had soared in no time. In the real world, he had already reached the Great Perfection of the Origin Core stage, merely a single step from the Divine Infant stage. In the game, he wielded strength equivalent to the late Jade-Blood Realm. Even without relying on martial arts, his immortal cultivation alone was more than enough to slaughter these demons with ease. A beam of light flashed across the wooden stick. "Grow!" At Qi Yuan's shout, the wooden stick seemed plated in golden light, transforming into something resembling the Golden Cudgel. "Die!" Holding the wooden stick, Qi Yuan struck out with awe-inspiring might in a sudden horizontal sweep. The massive wooden staff appeared as heavy as one hundred thousand jin. The wind whipped up by its swing ripped surrounding trees out by their roots and sent them flying. The howling gale roared like the muttering of gods and fiends, forming a formidable wind wall that trapped the dozen-plus demons firmly in place, unable to move. "What is this?!" The leading dog demon was gripped by shock and terror. The other demons were no different; the scene before them left their jaws on the ground. Unfortunately, they were not granted much time to marvel. The enormous wooden cudgel smashed straight onto their bodies. Even after revealing their true forms, they possessed no power to withstand this single blow. The wooden cudgel, like the Golden Cudgel, crashed down and instantly pounded them into mincemeat. An instant kill! A total wipeout in a single breath! Not far away, Huo Mushi stared with wide eyes, his gaze full of envy and admiration. An Qiao's eyes bulged in exaggerated disbelief. Last time... Qi Yuan wasn't this strong, was he? As for Yang Guang, his face was a mix of shock and suspicion. *Are you kidding me, brother? You're strong enough to insta-kill me with ease, yet you hired me as a bodyguard?* *Are you trying to humiliate me?* *And... is that even martial arts?* What Qi Yuan had just displayed did not look like martial arts at all. It looked like... the legendary immortal path. *But... doesn't entering this world suppress one's immortal cultivation by an entire realm?* *Then Qi Yuan's true body... just how powerful is he?* His mind trembled, not daring to ponder further. Meanwhile, several hundred drops of demon essence blood were credited to Qi Yuan's account. His expression remained utterly calm, as though he had merely crushed a dozen ants. "Crushing them to mincemeat really is better. No need for burial, and sinking into the earth nourishes the flowers." The wooden stick shrank back to its original form, and Qi Yuan spoke in an easygoing tone. Seeing this, Yang Guang gave an awkward smile. He felt as if he had been playing the clown all along. With Qi Yuan's strength, did he even need protection? Zhou Yuan probably wouldn't survive a single strike from that cudgel either. "Brother Qi, you kept me in the dark so thoroughly. Your strength... is even greater than mine. My talk of protecting you was nothing short of a joke," Yang Guang sighed. He felt he could kiss his certification for the Genius Alliance goodbye. "Well, I've already dropped my disguise and shown you part of my strength. Shouldn't you drop your disguise with me as well?" Qi Yuan asked. "Huh?" Yang Guang blinked, having no idea what Qi Yuan meant. "What disguise was I wearing?" "Didn't you dare challenge my arch-nemesis, the ancestor of Taihuang Palace?" Qi Yuan asked earnestly. "..." Yang Guang wore a look of aggrieved innocence. "I thought... he was weak. If he's a match for you, I'm nowhere near his league!" "Is that so?" Qi Yuan watched Yang Guang with a calm gaze. After a few breaths, he said, "You're not lying. The source of your bloodline is indeed far inferior to his." Yang Guang looked utterly bewildered, unable to fathom Qi Yuan's words. What did this have to do with the source of his bloodline? Still, he would never accept the claim that the source of his bloodline was weak. Qi Yuan might be an immortal cultivator whose real-world realm was extraordinarily high, a supreme overlord in his own right, but the source of Yang Guang's bloodline was an entity revered as an ancestral founder! Naturally, he dared not say any of this aloud. After all, Qi Yuan's actions were far too incomprehensible.