Chapter 2 The Heterogeneous

"If it's a living person, it might really be related to the purple light... but it could also be a trap." Xu Qing's eyes revealed contemplation as he pondered. He had learned deeply in these days within the ruins city that those beings polluted by divine energy, transformed into monstrous beasts, were all extremely ferocious and possessed unimaginable strength. However, perhaps due to the fact that the forbidden zone had not completely formed yet, these beasts mostly slept during the day. Unless, like when he obtained the bamboo slip last time, he intruded into their sleeping grounds' outer areas. Otherwise, as long as he was cautious during the day, there would be no major issues. Compared to them, Xu Qing was more wary of living people, for sometimes, a human heart could be more sinister than a ferocious beast. After some thought, his gaze gradually turned cold and sharp; regardless of whether it was a living person or a trap, he was prepared to go back to that area... but he needed to be fully prepared before heading there. Thinking of this, Xu Qing tightened his grip on the cultivation bamboo slip in his hand. The changes in his body from the past few days of training gave him some confidence, and the content in his mind from the bamboo slip, aside from the martial arts, also introduced cultivation. Cultivation traces back to ancient times before the arrival of the remnants of the divine beings. Although it has undergone changes today, the overall system still continues from the past. It is divided into Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul. As for after Nascent Soul, perhaps due to the high realm, the bamboo slip had no record, but it clearly pointed out the helplessness of cultivators. Because the divine beings' aura invaded the spiritual energy, contaminating it, this pollution was like a deadly poison to all things. It was unclear when exactly this began, but people started referring to the divine beings' aura as 'heterogeneous.' Xu Qing knew clearly that the chill he felt during his previous cultivation was actually due to the spiritual energy he inhaled being mixed with the heterogeneous. Once this heterogeneous accumulates in the body to a certain extent, it would cause the cultivator to undergo aberration, either dying violently and turning into blood mist, or transforming into a mindless beast. And when the divine beings opened their eyes to gaze at an area, the concentration of heterogeneity would instantly surge, effectively accelerating this change. Cultivation carries dangers. But if one does not cultivate, in this world filled with the pollution of divine beings' auras, people's lifespans are generally reduced, and diseases are rampant, as if living in the depths of hell, with almost no one able to meet a good end. Thus, cultivation became the only path once all choices were exhausted. Over countless years, people, based on traditions, evolved generations of cultivation methods. What is passed down today is to absorb spiritual energy while using martial arts to separate the heterogeneous mixed within the spiritual energy and compress it in a specific location within the body. This location is referred to as the aberration point. Therefore, the ratio of separated heterogeneous also becomes an important standard to distinguish the quality of martial arts. Almost all high-separation ratio martial arts are controlled by powerful factions or families, as they are their important resources. This, regardless of whether the divine beings arrive, practically remains the same. Depending on the martial arts practiced, the degree of separation of the heterogeneous varies, and thus the region where the aberration point exists also differs. But regardless, as long as one cultivates, there will be heterogeneous, and the aberration point will slowly form. Theoretically, the aberration point is irreversible; although it can be alleviated with certain pills, it doesn’t address the root cause. As for the method to completely purify the aberration point, the bamboo slip also briefly mentioned it. In this world of the end soil, apart from Southern Phoenix Continent, there exists an even grander continent named Wanggu. That is the origin of the human race; although it is also within the pollution of divine beings' auras, it seems to have found a way to completely purify it. However, this method is obviously not quantifiable; only extremely noble individuals can enjoy it. Ordinary cultivators can only look up and yearn for it. As for the low-level scattered cultivators, it is even more impossible for them to obtain it. Moreover, the martial arts of scattered cultivators generally have very low separation ratios, so not only is cultivation difficult, but the risk of aberration is also greater. Despite the immense risks of cultivation, for most people, the figure of a cultivator is still a common sight. For example, Xu Qing knows that he can now be considered a scattered cultivator. Although according to the records on the bamboo slip, every cultivator in the end soil world is walking on a difficult and perilous road of no return, akin to a mortal swimming toward the deep sea, rushing toward the unreachable shore. Yet often, before even seeing the legendary shore, they already exhaust their strength and perish. However, Xu Qing, who grew up in the slums, deeply understands that a single conflict or illness could cost a life. "So rather than worrying about future aberration, it's better to worry about whether I will still be alive tomorrow." Xu Qing murmured, touching the scar on his chest, looking out at the sky beyond the gap. At this moment, dawn seemed to be not far away, and the howls and mournful sounds outside had significantly decreased. "If the blood rain continues and I still haven't found the purple light, I'll have to consider leaving to search for herbs in other cities," Xu Qing said, lowering his gaze to his wound. Due to the spread of divine beings' aura and the continuous blood rain, almost all items within the city had been severely polluted, including herbs, making resources extremely scarce. Xu Qing raised his hand and pressed against the scar on his chest, causing some blood to seep out. His complexion was somewhat pale; he took a deep breath, removed his clothing from within his fur coat, wrapped it around his back to bind his wound, and then gathered his spirits, silently waiting for dawn. Not long after, the external howls and mournful sounds continued to decrease. Until they completely vanished, Xu Qing noticed through the gap that the sky outside was already dimly bright. Based on his past experiences, it was now a good time to venture out. However, he did not set off immediately; instead, he stood up and moved his somewhat stiff body. Once warmth began to flow through him again, he removed the stones and debris blocking the gap and, aided by the faint light from outside, opened his leather bag to organize his belongings. A rusty dagger was strapped to his calf. The black iron spike was placed in the most easily accessible position. Additionally, there was a snake's head, which he carefully unwrapped from the cloth, checked cautiously, and then carefully put back. After completing these tasks, Xu Qing closed his eyes, took a few breaths, and then suddenly opened them, having replaced his initial nervousness with calmness. He quickly squeezed through the gap, pausing at the exit. After vigilantly checking all around and confirming there was no danger, Xu Qing dashed out, moving into the gradually brightening world. He sped forward. Because of the continuous blood rain and dense clouds, the dawn here did not reveal the sun, nor would there be strong sunlight. The dim morning light resembled a seriously ill old man with age spots, and its murky gaze seemed still to hold the cold frost of the night. The breath that escaped transformed into the morning wind, carrying the scent of death—very cold, very chilling. If one did not warm up, the wind would cause one to shiver involuntarily. However, for Xu Qing, his body still retained the warmth from before, so he was not greatly affected. At this moment, he maintained his speed, heading straight for the area where he saw something resembling a living person yesterday. From a distance, in the empty city, Xu Qing's figure moved like a leopard, leaping over the remnants of the walls, flowing like water without any pause. Accompanying him was a flock of birds flying high in the sky, though their positions were too high to capture. As he raced, Xu Qing glanced up at the birds in the sky and licked his lips. He did not know why, but after the divine beings opened their eyes, living beings were polluted, and almost all died, including beasts, yet only birds survived the most. These birds had become his primary source of hunting to stave off hunger during this time. Moreover, although the birds were also trapped in the blood rain, they seemed instinctively able to find some safe havens, like Xu Qing's cave, discovered previously by following the birds' traces. Such havens were not absolutely safe; they were just relatively so, seeming to be more easily overlooked by those monstrous beasts and the bizarre. During this time, Xu Qing discovered two such havens, one being his stone cave and the other outside the city lord's mansion. At this moment, he merely scanned the sky briefly and withdrew his gaze, locking onto a specific direction within this city, growing closer. Soon, Xu Qing approached the area he had observed yesterday. He did not go directly; instead, he circled around to find a high point. After cautiously climbing up, he lay down, remaining completely still, squinting his eyes to minimize any gleam, and slowly looked down. At a glance, Xu Qing's eyes tightened; he saw that person from yesterday again! The other party was leaning against the remnants of the wall, dressed neatly, with normal skin. Most importantly... his demeanor, his body, everything was exactly the same as Xu Qing had seen yesterday. It was as if the other party had not moved an inch throughout the entire night. This was extremely unreasonable. If the other party was a living person, the dangers present in the city during the black night would not go unnoticed. If the other party was dead, an unpolluted corpse would be the best food for those monstrous beasts, so it couldn't possibly exist until now. Xu Qing fell silent; after some inner contemplation, he lay there motionless, lacking nothing in patience from his upbringing in the slums. Thus, under his careful watch, time slowly flowed by until noon passed, and that person remained completely still. After waiting for three hours, Xu Qing pondered, then gently raised his right hand, gripping a small stone tightly, and shot it toward the location of the person. The stone traveled swiftly, carrying considerable force, and when it struck the figure leaning against the remnants of the wall, it let out a loud bang. The figure swayed and fell to the side like a corpse. At the moment he fell, a streak of purple light revealed itself on the ground where he had previously sat. The instant Xu Qing saw the purple light, his eyes sparkled, and his breath quickened. This was what he had been searching for these days—the purple light that had descended into the city. At this moment, he forcibly restrained the impulse to rush over, waiting painstakingly for a moment, confirming there was no danger, before dashing forward. The speed was so quick that it almost unleashed all his strength; he surged forward like a falcon, heading straight for the location of the purple light. When he arrived at high speed, he grabbed the purple light and, without any hesitation, shot backward, distancing himself. The entire process was extremely fast, and it was only after retreating more than ten zhang that Xu Qing finally gasped for breath, looking at the purple object he held in his hand. It was a purple crystal, transparent and sparkling, possessing a dazzling beauty. Xu Qing's heart raced, and when he looked up, he saw the fallen corpse, which seemed to have lost the protection of the purple light, visibly corroding; its skin had instantly turned a shade of deep blue-black. This scene instinctively caused Xu Qing to grip the purple crystal even tighter, turning and sprinting back toward his cave. However, not long into his run, Xu Qing suddenly halted, his expression somewhat perplexed. He looked down at his fur coat, checking the binding on his chest. There was no longer any blood seeping out; instead, a faint itch had emerged. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and he tore open the remnants of the cloth binding his wound, and upon looking at the injury, his mind was violently shaken. He distinctly remembered that during his morning check, the injury had not healed, and had even darkened more, yet now... the scar on his chest had surprisingly healed by more than half, with only a faint trace remaining at the edges! "This..." Xu Qing breathed heavily, then suddenly looked at the purple crystal in his hand. (End of this chapter)