Exorcise Evil, Destroy Fiends

Time flew by like a white steed passing a crack. Lin Yan and Mo Xuan had worked together, toiling on this vast, desolate land outside the canyon for nearly a hundred cold and heat cycles.

A hundred years might be but a blink of an eye in the Primordial Heaven and Earth, but for this land, it was enough to bring about immense changes, a complete transformation.

The area outside the canyon, once filled with soaring Sha Qi and rampaging Fierce Beasts, had changed drastically. Most of the Sha Qi had been absorbed and transformed by the Primal Chaos Plate. The air was no longer filled with the destructive Fierce Sha Qi, but was gradually becoming infused with pure and peaceful Innate Spiritual Qi.

The ravines on the ground had been filled, and the earth fire suppressed. The Fierce Beasts that had run rampant everywhere were nowhere to be seen. However, they hadn't all been annihilated; some had quietly hidden in secluded corners, lying dormant.

The one human and one Qilin outside were too ferocious. Although Fierce Beasts lacked reason, the instinct to avoid danger and seek fortune was common to all living beings. Since the enemy was powerful, it was safer to hide in their lairs and wait for those two even fiercer beasts to leave before coming out to play.

One day, Lin Yan and Mo Xuan stood side-by-side on a newly formed verdant hill, overlooking a swampy area below that was emitting wisps of Sha Qi.

"Haha, exhilarating!" Mo Xuan shook his majestic Qilin head, his Seven-Colored Scales shining brilliantly under the sun. "Lin Yan, look, there must be a Fierce Beast lair here. Let's go down and annihilate it."

Over the past hundred years, Mo Xuan, the Seven-Colored Qilin, had been the muscle of their duo, using his hooves to flatten countless Fierce Beast lairs. This feeling of "acting righteously and cleansing the world" had given him, the Kirin Young Master, a great sense of accomplishment.

But as the number of Fierce Beasts they killed increased, it became harder and harder to achieve this sense of accomplishment. Now that they had finally found another Fierce Beast lair, he was already impatient to start fighting.

Lin Yan retracted his gaze from the swamp, which emanated a faint Fierce Beast aura and sparse Sha Qi, and turned to the Seven-Colored Qilin beside him. "Xiao Mo, don't rush. We'll leave the Fierce Beasts here for now; let them continue to stay."

"Huh? Leave them? Why? Judging by the aura, the Fierce Beasts here shouldn't be strong, right? I can handle them by myself," Mo Xuan asked, somewhat confused.

"Xiao Mo, have you ever thought about why the Primordial Heaven and Earth has a Distinction Between Clear and Turbid, and a Distinction Between Yin and Yang? And why there is both Spiritual Qi that nourishes all things and Sha Qi that destroys everything?"

Mo Xuan was taken aback. He tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Great God Pangu created the Primordial Heaven and Earth. The clear rose to become heaven, and the turbid sank to become earth. This is the Principle of Heaven and Earth. As for Spiritual Qi and Sha Qi... well, Spiritual Qi is good, and Sha Qi is bad. We should keep the good things and get rid of the bad things, right? Why so many questions?"

"While that may be true, the operations of heaven and earth must maintain Balance," Lin Yan said slowly. "Look, without the contrast of night, how can we appreciate the Daylight? Without the comparison of Severe Cold, how can we know the value of Warmth? This Sha Qi, although it is the Power of Destruction, is, in a way, also a part of the Cycle of Heaven and Earth. It can decompose decaying and declining things, and in a sense, it has contributed to this world."

He paused and then pointed to the newly grown spiritual grass in the valley below. "Plants wither and flourish, and eventually decline. If we were to clear all the Sha Qi and annihilate all the Fierce Beasts, what would happen when these spiritual grasses eventually wither and decay?"

Little Qilin Mo Xuan was born into the Qilin Clan and was a natural top-tier Spirit Beast. Both the knowledge from his Bloodline Inheritance and the teachings of his elders had told him that Fierce Beasts were their natural enemies, and purifying Sha Qi was their innate Duty.

Lin Yan's words were the first time he had heard someone interpret the relationship between Spiritual Qi and Sha Qi from such a perspective, but upon careful consideration, it seemed to make a lot of sense.

Seeing that he was still somewhat puzzled, Lin Yan continued, "Therefore, I believe we should not annihilate all Sha Qi and Fierce Beasts, but rather seek a dynamic balance between Spiritual Qi and Sha Qi. This will promote continuous Self-Improvement in the ecosystem and make the world more Stable."

Mo Xuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Lin Yan, what you're saying... seems to make some sense. An Elder in my clan once said that the Way of Heaven is to Reduce the Excess and Supplement the Deficient. Too Rigid Breaks Easily, Too Soft Withers, Solitary Yin Does Not Give Birth, Solitary Yang Does Not Grow. This is essentially the same principle as what you're saying. Pure 'cleansing' is not a good thing for the world in the long run."

Lin Yan couldn't help but show a hint of admiration when he heard Mo Xuan say this. It seemed this Kirin Young Master was very good at thinking and wasn't a stubborn, pedantic fellow.

"Xiao Mo, your comprehension is terrifyingly strong. You understood after just a brief explanation. As expected of a Genius Qilin from the Qilin Clan, the direct Great-Grandson of Ancestor Qilin, the 3,560th generation," Lin Yan said, patting him on the back with a well-timed compliment.

Little Qilin Mo Xuan's eyes immediately narrowed. He was very receptive to Lin Yan's flattery; he always looked like this whenever Lin Yan praised him.

This little Qilin seems a bit starved for affection. A couple of nice words and he's completely won over. How unsupportive are your Qilin clan elders of their children? Lin Yan thought to himself.

Just as Lin Yan was about to praise the poor little Qilin further, the system suddenly transmitted information.

[Ding! Detected that the Host has cleared most of the adverse factors significantly affecting the ecological environment within the designated area and has produced an initial positive impact on the ecological environment. Mission Judgment: "Explore the area within a million li around the canyon and clear the adverse factors affecting the ecological environment within the area" mission completed.]

[Reward Host: Cultivation increased to Mid Earth Immortal;]

[Reward Host: Three Innate Spiritual Objects "Earthen Spiritual Crystal";]

[Reward Host: Divine Ability "Earth Vein Resonance" (Beginner).]

Immediately after, a surge of pure energy instantly poured into his various acupoints. The Earth Origin within his Dantian also expanded, and his comprehension of the Law of Earth deepened significantly. Simultaneously, a divine ability method for connecting more closely with the Great Earth Pulse was imprinted into his mind.

Mid Earth Immortal now... Lin Yan felt the instantly growing power within his body, his heart filled with joy.

Over the past few hundred years, he had absorbed countless amounts of Spirit Power and Wutu Essence. His eighty-one links had long been filled with Spirit Power, but he had been unable to break through his current cultivation.

Now, having completed one of the three tasks, his cultivation had instantly increased by one level. It seemed that to increase his cultivation, he had to complete tasks with both quality and quantity.

"Huh?" Mo Xuan keenly perceived the change in Lin Yan's aura and asked curiously, "Lin Yan, why did your cultivation suddenly increase?"

Lin Yan naturally couldn't explain the system to him, so he could only smile and vaguely say, "Perhaps it's thanks to you. I had a sudden realization just now, and my cultivation naturally increased a bit."

"Haha, the Elders in my clan always said we Kirin are Auspicious Beasts. You've been with me for a long time, and you've been influenced by the Auspicious Aura I emit, so your cultivation could even increase by a level out of thin air." Mo Xuan was very proud of his racial talent.

Seeing him so pleased, Lin Yan followed his words and smiled, "That's natural. Being with a Heavenly Auspiciousness like you, a Kirin Young Master with deep roots, I will naturally receive more Favor of the Heavenly Dao. Xiao Mo, I thank you in advance." Lin Yan casually cupped his fist towards Mo Xuan as a gesture of thanks.

Mo Xuan proudly raised his Kirin Head.

"Xiao Mo, we've been clearing out malevolent energy for a hundred years. The Fierce Beasts and Fierce Plants around here are almost all gone. Why don't we go back to my home valley and rest for a while?"

"Your home?" Mo Xuan's eyes lit up. He was naturally restless and felt bored staying at Qilin Cliff for too long, which was why he had sneaked out to travel the Great Wilderness. Over the years, he had heard Lin Yan mention his own valley camp countless times and had long wanted to explore it.

"Okay, okay!" Mo Xuan quickly agreed. "I'm getting a bit tired of fighting Fierce Beasts. There are no Fierce Beasts here worth my effort anymore. It's a good time to visit your place. By the way, is there anything fun at your place?"

Lin Yan smiled upon hearing this, "Don't worry, I definitely won't disappoint you. However, before we go back, we still have some things to do."