164 - Fighting Against the Flood
Added 2025-02-26 19:02:06 +0000 UTCThe ground exploded, producing extreme winds that ravaged the encroaching grey fog, pushing it back by several miles while leaving Qin Yun stranded in its centre. He was solemn and silent, waiting as the armour of rock covering his body cracked then shattered while flowers of gore bloomed from his many open wounds.
Blood streaked down his forehead, covering his eyes, but he merely wiped it with the back of his hands while the wound quickly healed, producing white smoke and a slight sizzle as it did so. He felt a slight weakness from the blood loss, yet it quickly faded as he promoted the production of red blood cells in his blood marrow by fuelling them with qi.
It’s getting stronger, but so am I... I wonder how long I can last before it overwhelms me. Hopefully long enough...
Qin Yun wasn't foolish enough to believe he could best the Corruption that had taken over an entire world leaf. By sapping away at the Corruption filling this creature, he managed to make the second leaf bloom, allowing him to reach the second stage of the Foundation Building realm, and despite his strength being far above his peers of the same realm, he could only contend against this force of nature for so long.
Even now, the creature was growing in strength. Every resource from this corrupted land was slowly being pooled into his location, empowering this beast.
Also, he was far from immune to Corruption.
The crystal heart within his chest may have given him some resistance to it, allowing him to snatch away some of its strength, but Corruption was so much more than just a form of energy one could use.
After interacting with it for so long, Qin Yun could only liken it to a fundamental force of the universe, something akin to gravity. Instead of being a physical force interacting with mass, it seemed linked with creatures' souls, changing them somehow.
Souls are the driving forces of this world, so it's no wonder Corruption would seek to make it its own. Yet, one has to wonder: Is Corruption indiscriminate, like gravity, affecting everything it touches, or does it possess consciousness, as the Heavenly Dao does?
Such questions were always on Qin Yun's mind, for the answer would shape the path he ought to travel. Only then would he find a way to save this world on the brink of collapse, only then could he save himself and those he cared for.
For now, all he could do was pour most of his attention into his training, for this was the best time to increase his cultivation quickly.
While entangled in the heat of battle, Qin Yun had long lost track of time. His waking hours consisted of constant death matches against the manifestation of Corruption and the scarce lull he was presented with each time he vanquished it.
He used most of that time for rest, allowing himself to close his eyes briefly. Fortunately, his body was sturdy, allowing him to maintain this strenuous schedule for many days. Still, even the strongest artifacts had a limit to what they could bear, and Qin Yun was quickly approaching that limit.
This is merely the Foundation Building realm, after all. It feels foolish to think I believed I could do this without any side effects, Qin Yun thought as he raised his arm to his eyes, seeing the damage Corruption had wrought on his flesh.
As he was in a world devoid of qi, Qin Yun could only rely on Corruption to provide what he needed for his cultivation. By absorbing it in his crystal heart and fusing it with the tribulation qi absorbed through that lightning strike still lingering within the sub-space channel, Qin Yun created a new form of energy that became the basis of his foundation.
Only by supplementing his lotus with this energy—as if watering a plant—could Qin Yun endeavour to make it bloom. However, such a destructive energy was never meant to dwell in any living being. Only the crystal heart could calm this unstable, destructive energy long enough to be absorbed by his lotus, prompting another leaf to emerge.
And, as perfect as Qin Yun's flesh could be, he had yet to strengthen his soul enough to resist the corrosion of this energy. Usually, only those who had reached the Soul Formation realm and connected with the Heavenly Dao through their domain could be deemed to have perfected their souls, making them indestructible and unchangeable.
Under the Heavenly Dao's coercion, Qin Yun had been forced to take that step too soon. Now, he was faced with the corrosion of his own soul through Corruption's encroachment. Deep grey veins bulged against his skin, and his flesh twisted and ripped apart at the seam, held together by his will alone.
I've always wondered, does the vessel shape the soul, or is it the inverse? It seems the answer is much more nuanced. Both appear to influence the other equally.
Qin Yun could feel the residual Corruption—the parts his crystal heart couldn't absorb—attack his soul, twisting it into a monstrous shape irrespective of his will. This was reflected in the numerous wounds now appearing on his skin, which weren't the result of his clash against Kai, for the beast had yet to be able to even touch him, much less break his defence, now enhanced by the support of his earthen qi from his newly formed foundation.
This change was only blunted by the rigidity of his vessel, stabilizing his soul enough to resist Corruption, if only barely. Qin Yun could only be grateful that he had chosen this path at the very beginning, for without it, his soul would have collapsed a long time ago, making this path impossible.
An uncountable number of circumstances needed to align for this path to be open to him, and Qin Yun couldn't help but wonder how the Heavenly Dao could have orchestrated all this. Qin Yun knew that he was no doubt playing to its tune, walking the path led out for him, yet each choice was undoubtedly his own.
No matter the threats held out over him, Qin Yun always had the means to flip the board entirely. While it would have spelled his demise, it would have only been one amount many. By taking out some of the things sleeping within his storage, Qin Yun could have taken a stance against the Heavenly Dao, but that would have undoubtedly accelerated the world's demise.
Had the Heavenly Dao deemed Qin Yun magnanimous enough not to use such means, or was he simply too jaded to even bother? Qin Yun didn't know, and frankly, looking back on it now, he couldn't help but feel it was the latter, for even now, he didn't feel any animosity towards the Heavenly Dao.
While he didn’t like being toyed around like a pawn, his current circumstances had brought his own mortality much more to the forefront of his mind. Usually, he wouldn't care much about his own demise, for he had grown too accustomed to it. But now, he strove to live with all his might, even if he was a candle flame in a storm, flickering on the verge of extinction.
No matter how long he waited for his injuries to heal, the rampaging Corruption attacking his soul only allowed even more wounds to open up. He tried to circulate the new qi formed within his lotus, trying to heal his wounds as he had done countless times before, yet the best he could do was to keep the status quo. But even then, the damage to his soul would only accrue the more he bathed in the dark fog spewed out each time the beast was slain.
Fortunately, Qin Yun remained calm despite his dire circumstances, for he had faith in the Heavenly Dao. They may not see eye to eye on many things, yet Qin Yun knew he could count on its foresight. Qin Yun was but one of many instruments in its war against Corruption, but he believed the will of this world wouldn't do something so pointless as to throw down to this diseased leaf, only for him to become corrupted with no hope of salvation.
“Well... it’s just a guess, but it should be right,” Qin Yun chuckled despite the pain, yet soon a frown returned.
Qin Yun had once noticed that despite slaying the beast many times before, the interval between each regeneration was proportional to the amount of Corruption contained within each manifestation. As its strength grew, so too did the interval through which he could rest, yet it never exceeded more than an hour.
Yet now, almost two hours had elapsed, allowing Qin Yun to get some much-needed rest. However, he could hardly do so, for the world was bathed in a dense grey fog—much thicker than anything Qin Yun had experienced. While it did wonders for his cultivation, allowing him to rapidly approach the third stage of the Foundation Building realm, his soul could hardly bear the strain.
If nothing was to be done, this fog alone could be the death of him, for it seemed to have no intentions of ever coalescing into another manifestation.
Is it instinct, or has it learned to deal with this foreign invader? This creature behaves much like an immune system, trying many ways to deal with me until it found the right one.
Without waiting another moment, Qin Yun punched, creating massive gales that blew away the fog. Yet all it amounted to was thinning it out, if ever so slightly until it all returned like a wave, drawn to Qin Yun as if under its own gravity.
With slightly narrowed pupils, Qin Yun pushed against the ground, rushing backwards until he came into contact with the shimmering barrier enveloping the abandoned manor.
His back collided against the thin film, creating ripples upon its surface, yet his charge had been stopped, for he was denied entry.
The reason for it all was simple: his entire body was contaminated with Corruption, from his flesh down to his soul. Still, Qin Yun didn't despair, for he knew how unique this barrier was. This was the only entity—except for the Heavenly Dao—able to keep Corruption at bay, and it had already done so for almost an eternity, never faltering in its duty.
Surely, the one who created such a mystical formation didn't just do so to protect this old dusty building, right?
This had always been a gamble, yet Qin Yun was ready to take the plunge. He had once been able to return after venturing outside, even with a small amount of Corruption filling his system. The only difference this time was quantity. The amount of Corruption filling his being could hardly be categorized as minor.
With a stomp of his feet, Qin Yun created a semi-circular dust bubble around him, compacted enough that no corruption could slip through. At least, he hoped to, but no amount of dust was enough to stop this ocean of miniature particles. They slipped right through, only being slightly hindered in their flow.
This action only granted him slightly more time, which he quickly took advantage of, striking the barrier with both palms and his forehead.
Sparks flew from the barrier as it shimmered, stopping any further advance. Qin Yun could feel a strange heat rise at the point of contact, almost as if his limbs were about to catch fire. He also felt a striking pain flow throughout his body, as if a lightning bolt was running rampant, destroying everything it touched.
Yet, Qin Yun couldn't help but smile, for he could feel the Corruption assaulting his flesh and soul being swiftly destroyed. His only concern was whether or not his soul could survive the process or if the corrupted chimera would give him the time to do so.
