Chapter 35: Purifying Demonic Qi, Red Earth Desert

“Chance? It’s hard to believe this Purification Gourd has such a miraculous use.” Xuan Qing’s curiosity was piqued.

Laozi merely smiled. “What kind of chance it is—you will understand in time.”

Though puzzled, Xuan Qing did not press further. Feeling the Purification Gourd radiating divine light, he guided its power outward. The demonic qi retreated in its wake, purged into a pure spiritual aura. Though the surrounding air was quickly re-corrupted, the purification remained effective—like sunlight through the fog, brief but real.

Protected by the gourd, Xuan Qing journeyed across the western lands. The landscape stretched endlessly, shrouded in blackened mist and corruption. It was tragic. The aura here was barren, the ground fractured, and the land flowed with demonic filth. Even the surviving creatures had turned monstrous. No profound life remained—only twisted remnants of what once was.

…

After some time observing, Xuan Qing asked, “Master… why is there no innate spiritual aura here in the West? Only demonic aura?”

“Alas…” Laozi sighed. “During the great war between the Dao and the Devil, Luo Shu demonized all the dragon veins in the West. That is why the spiritual currents here have turned into devilish qi. Over time, the corruption spread across the Flood Wasteland.”

“Your ancestor Hongjun, along with many great powers, confronted Luo Shu directly. In the end, Luo Shu was defeated. But before his fall, he detonated the western dragon veins. Since then, the entire West has remained desolate. Hongjun used the supreme method to gather the remnant demonic energy and seal it away. Yet even now, devil qi still seeps from the earth.”

“Later generations attempted to transplant spiritual veins to the West, but it was in vain. The corrupted veins remained, releasing their darkness. Even now, many demonized veins continue to fester beneath the land.”

As Laozi recounted the battle, Xuan Qing felt a complicated mix of awe and sorrow. So this is the Flood Wasteland… vast, cruel, and broken. He was also shocked by Luo Shu’s ambition—attempting to demonize all beings and even the very land. No wonder Hongjun and the others had to stop him. If all aura were tainted into devil qi, how could anyone cultivate the Dao? Would all life be forced into the Devil’s Way?

Luo Shu truly was ruthless… detonating the dragon veins, corrupting the entire West into this demonic mire…

Moved, Xuan Qing followed Laozi into a deeper part of the western region.

…

Upon entering the area, Xuan Qing sensed a powerful formation covering the land. The outer barrier blocked the demonic aura from penetrating. Within the formation lay a vast blessed land. Its scale surpassed even the Kunlun Immortal Realm. The spiritual aura here was rich, and the land was laced with purified spiritual veins, flowing like underground rivers.

Here, Xuan Qing saw many Taoists—some Purple Heaven guests, others unfamiliar cultivators gathered from all corners.

“Big Brother, you’re finally here. How was the trip to the Witch Race?” Tongtian’s voice echoed from a distance as he flew in to greet Laozi.

Yuan Shi also descended.

Xuan Qing bowed. “Uncle Yuan Shi, Uncle Tongtian…”

“Haha, little Xuan Qing, no more hiding this time.” Tongtian chuckled. “Soon, I’ll take you to hunt down the remaining Devil Race cultivators. Give you a little taste of battle.”

Xuan Qing sighed inwardly. He had avoided coming with Tongtian before, but now he had been brought here regardless.

After some small talk, Laozi turned serious. “Yuan Shi, Tongtian—what is the situation?”

“It’s worse than we thought,” Yuan Shi replied grimly. “The demonic qi continues to spread. Though the Dao-Devil War ended not long ago, devil cultivators have already begun to reappear. Many were ordinary cultivators, slowly eroded by devil qi and transformed. These devil cultivators, in turn, use the corrupted veins to spread more qi. Now, nearly seventy percent of the West is once again shrouded in demonic aura.”

“Most of the devil qi is still thinly spread, but in certain places, it gathers in horrifying concentrations. That alone has birthed many powerful devil cultivators. To combat this, Duke Dongwang rallied the Purple Heaven guests and loose cultivators to root out the remnants. Di Jun and Taiyi have also joined forces with Xi He, gathering many experts.”

Yuan Shi’s expression darkened. “So long as Devil Qi remains, the Devil Race will not die out. Luo Shu created this qi by fusing the Devil’s Way into the very essence of spiritual aura. That means anyone who absorbs it receives not only power—but the Devil’s inheritance. And with that inheritance comes corruption. Those who fall to it act by Luo Shu’s will.”

Laozi nodded. “Devil qi is similar in form to aura. That makes it nearly impossible to fully eliminate. Even if Dongwang can purify individual dragon veins, truly destroying all devil qi is nearly hopeless.”

…

After some time, the Three Primal Ones led Xuan Qing deeper into the sanctuary.

Not long ago, a demonized dragon vein had been hidden here. Duke Dongwang discovered it, defeated its defenders, and purified the land, turning it into a haven. Since then, many cultivators had gathered, both guests and wanderers.

As they walked, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. A scorching heat spread through the air, hot enough to burn. The outer layers of lingering demonic qi began to evaporate.

Laozi glanced skyward. “Di Jun and Taiyi?”

“It must be,” Tongtian replied. “Only those two can release such searing flame. Their Great Sun True Flame can purify devil qi—but it also brings devastation.”

Yuan Shi’s tone was grave. “Indeed. Over the years, Di Jun and Taiyi have summoned solar essence multiple times, incinerating devil cultivators and devil qi alike. While effective, it’s also turned large tracts of the West into dead lands—deserts of scorched earth.”

“These deserts have no Daoist rhythm and can no longer nurture spiritual veins,” he added. “They are almost irreparably lost. If this continues, the already barren West will become even more desolate. Junti and Jieyin have expressed their concerns, but what can they do?”

Tongtian agreed. “It’s true. Wherever the two brothers pass, desert follows. Even if we eliminate the devil qi, I fear seventy to eighty percent of the West will be reduced to lifeless sand.”