Chapter 230: Famine

Chapter 230: Famine

Thunder rumbled, and dark clouds obscured the sun over the Little Mountain Range.

Amidst the mountain range, a chorus of curses and complaints echoed incessantly.

Beams of light streaked across the sky, and soon, a massive fire engulfed the entire Little Mountain Range.

Even a torrential downpour couldn't extinguish the terrifying blaze.

The fire raged on, burning for ten straight days.

The once-lush mountain range was reduced to a desolate wasteland.

Several beams of light flew over the scorched landscape, seemingly searching for something.

"Have you found her?"

"No."

"Useless fools! A group of Purple Mansion cultivators, and you can't even capture an ordinary mortal?"

"She was in the mountain range before the fire started. With her unique life fate, she couldn't even cultivate, and she should have perished in the flames."

"The mountain range spans three hundred li. She's probably... dead."

"Damn it! We have limited time, and there are too many powerful beings in this world. Otherwise..."

"The Primordial Essence and the Devouring Essence, two of the most powerful essences, have gathered in one person. If we could obtain just one of them..."

"Never mind, since she's already dead, our mission is complete."

"Even if she's not dead, she'll starve to death or die from overfeeding."

"To kill this little bastard, we wasted a precious Summoning Talisman."

The voices gradually faded, and the beams of light disappeared.

The once-scenic mountain range, spanning three hundred li, was now a desolate wasteland, scarred by the fire's devastation.

After an unknown period, a petite figure crawled out from the ground.

She appeared to be a young girl, no older than eleven or twelve, with singed yellow hair, bearing traces of past burns.

Her tattered clothing was in rags, resembling a beggar, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the garment was once a finely crafted princess dress.

She lifted her head to gaze at the sky, filled with countless stars, yet not a single one was familiar to her.

A profound sense of loneliness welled up within her.

Since birth, she had been frail and plagued with illnesses, almost perishing at the moment of her birth.

However, her parents discovered that she possessed the Primordial Essence, one of the most exceptional constitutions ever found.

The Primordial Essence was a pristine and flawless constitution, akin to a celestial jade, untouched by mortal desires.

Because of this, her family doted on her endlessly.

Yet, within her body, alongside the Primordial Essence, lay the Devouring Essence, another of the ten most powerful constitutions.

While the Primordial Essence emphasized purity and detachment from worldly desires, the Devouring Essence was all about consuming everything in its path.

This inherent conflict resulted in her body remaining frail, akin to an ordinary mortal's, even at the age of twelve.

Daily, her clan spent a fortune on unpalatable nutritional supplements to sustain her.

She was grateful, especially to her father and mother, who endured her whims and tantrums.

Her mother, in particular, was the only one who truly cared for her, tolerating her spoiled nature.

Although she knew her parents were raising her for a lucrative business deal, she appreciated their efforts.

Her parents and the entire clan kept this truth hidden from her.

On the surface, the family appeared harmonious, everyone treating her like a princess, cherishing and protecting her as if she were their most precious treasure.

She was willful and spoiled, relishing in their adoration.

But she knew it was all an illusion.

While they feigned affection, she could hear their true thoughts.

She possessed the ability to hear their heart's desires.

In her father's eyes, there was affection, but greed for the profits she represented overshadowed it.

Her mother struggled with guilt, often holding her at night, her heart filled with remorse, repeatedly asking for forgiveness.

The little girl didn't blame her mother; she understood that her mother had done nothing wrong. She provided food and clothing and endured her temperamental nature.

Even if they sold her... it would be understandable.

The girl had encountered all sorts of people and heard their filthy thoughts.

The revered Holy Father, a tall and majestic figure, had a penchant for elderly men.

The high-ranking Governor, ambitious and scheming, harbored dreams of rebellion.

This life continued until she turned eleven.

One day, her father excitedly approached her, claiming to have found a cure for her condition and taking her to seek medical treatment.

But she heard his true thoughts; she knew he had found a buyer.

She happily boarded the flying boat with her mother by her side.

Her mother's mood remained somber during those days.

She was delighted, as she had overheard her mother's thoughts thrice, contemplating running away with her.

However, the primary reason was... the buyer's offer was too generous.

On their journey to seek treatment, an unexpected event occurred.

A group of mysterious assailants attacked their flying boat.

As the boat plummeted, her Primordial Essence suddenly activated, transporting her to this Primordial World.

Some of the assailants pursued her into this world using Summoning Talismans, intent on killing her.

After the fire ravaged the land, she crawled out of the ruins, not reborn from the ashes but quietly awaiting death.

She curled up on the ground, her gaze vacant.

"So... hungry..."

An intense hunger overwhelmed her, and she endured it.

"The feeling of starving to death... is terrible."

She looked at the ground, feeling an urge to bite into the soil.

But she knew that if she did, being a Primordial Essence, the pain would be tenfold, a hundredfold worse than the hunger.

The Devouring Essence devoured everything.

The Primordial Essence rejected everything.

These two conflicting constitutions had formed her.

All she could do was wait for death slowly.

After an unknown amount of time, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

"This is... Gluttonyless Holy Mother?"

"What a coincidence, to encounter her again."

The little girl curled up on the ground, not moving a muscle, as if she hadn't heard a thing.

Having spent over a decade in her family, she was an expert at pretending and playing her role.

She was curious and puzzled by the clear male voice in her mind, but she didn't show it.

"What's your name?" The voice asked her again.

She froze.

Name?

She didn't have a name.

Perhaps, after her birth, she was destined to be sold off, and her clan didn't even give her a name, not wanting her to be included in the family records.

Everyone else called her Tenth Miss, and her mother called her Little Ten.

She remembered the voice of the man from earlier... Gluttonyless Holy Mother.

A look of curiosity appeared on her face: "My name is Wu Shi... who are you?"

"Wu Shi?" The man fell silent for a moment, then looked at the frail body of the Gluttonyless Holy Mother before him.

He never imagined that the Gluttonyless Holy Mother, who had suppressed the Mundane Heart World, had such a pitiful childhood.

"Who set fire to the mountain? That's so immoral; they should be thrown in jail." The man thought to himself.

Wu Shi, who had been keeping her head down, heard this, and for some reason, felt a sudden surge of joy.

This person's thoughts... were so strange.

Different from what she had heard before.

"You probably haven't eaten for several days. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll treat you to a meal."

Wu Shi heard the man's voice and then his thoughts.

"It's a pity I came from the future and can't influence this world; otherwise, I'd kill someone and treat the Gluttonyless Holy Mother to a feast.

After all, she's the Sky Pillar, keeping the Sky Pillar standing tall, which is a huge help to me."

Wu Shi was stunned.

She became even more curious about the man before her.

She had once overheard the Holy Father and her great-grandfather talking, and they mentioned the past and present, but not the future.

Now, someone had come from the future.

She was curious if it was true.

A person's thoughts... wouldn't lie.

Had he really seen his future self?

And the Sky Pillar?

Helping him out?

Wu Shi's heart remained cautious, and as her stomach growled, her face contorted in discomfort.

"I can't eat anything."

She replied with a furrowed brow.

That nauseating feeling was something she would remember for a lifetime.

"I'm inviting you to eat. Don't worry, you'll be able to eat, just don't starve to death now." The man whispered.

If the Gluttonyless Holy Mother starved to death, and the Sky Pillar was destroyed, would the game still be playable?

"Really?" Wu Shi asked, puzzled.

In this world, there was no nutritional fluid.

She wondered what she would eat.

"I'm not tricking you, little girl." The man continued, "You're quite strange. Why don't you breathe air?"

"You're strange too." Wu Shi whispered.

Indeed, the man before her was peculiar.

His thoughts were also very odd.

"Where's the food?" Wu Shi asked.

She was genuinely hungry.

Especially with the Devouring Essence, which devoured everything, it was a feeling she couldn't endure.

If she could get something edible, she might genuinely be willing to follow his suggestion and help him by becoming the Sky Pillar.

"I'm inviting you to eat. Don't worry; you'll be able to eat, just don't starve to death now." The man whispered.

If the Gluttonyless Holy Mother starves to death, and the Sky Pillar is destroyed, would the game still be playable?

"Really?" Wu Shi asked, puzzled.

In this world, there was no nutritional fluid.

She wondered what she would eat.

"I'm not tricking you, little girl." The man continued, "You're quite strange. Why don't you breathe air?"

"You're strange too." Wu Shi whispered.

Indeed, the man before her was peculiar.

His thoughts were also very odd.

"Where's the food?" Wu Shi asked.

She was genuinely hungry.

Especially with the Devouring Essence, which devoured everything, it was a feeling she couldn't endure.

If she could get something edible, she might genuinely be willing to follow his suggestion and help him by becoming the Sky Pillar.

"You won't starve to death here, will you?" The man asked with a worried expression.

"No." Wu Shi replied.

She was hungry, but not to the point of starvation.

"Good, because if you die now, who will help me with the Sky Pillar later?" The man smiled.

Wu Shi felt a sense of caution.

Shouldn't these thoughts be kept private?

By expressing them so openly, wouldn't it ruin the image he had of her?

She remained silent, not speaking.

"Actually, I'm curious. If I see you in the future, will you recognize me?" The man asked.

"I should be able to."

"But the Gluttonyless Holy Mother seems to treat every encounter as if it's the first time."

"Little one, what secret does your body hide?" The man's gaze fell on the Gluttonyless Holy Mother, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Maybe... her memory is like a fish, lasting only a few seconds." Wu Shi shrugged, her small frame walking on the vast land of ruins.

Her tiny feet were covered in black ash, with traces of scorching from the flames.

"Walking like this is truly like Sun Wukong taking Tang Monk to the Western Heavens."

"Let me teach you some spells."

"Spells?" Wu Shi was intrigued, her eyes turning towards Qi Yuan's location. "I... will learn spells and become unappetizing," she said earnestly.

With her physique, once she cultivated spells, her value would diminish.

It was her family who had prevented her from cultivating.

"With your dark and unappealing appearance, you're still unappetizing. You'll make me laugh my teeth out!" The man burst into laughter.

Wu Shi was taken aback.

Was he not here because of her physique?

"Hurry up, I'll teach you a spell. Fly over, don't walk, or you'll be walking until the year of the monkey!" The man said, "My self-created cultivation method, called the Qi Yuan Scripture, probably won't suit you.

I'll just teach you some flying spells."

"This is a spell I created, called Princess on a Broom."

Soon, Qi Yuan, based on this world and Wu Shi's physique, created a spell.

In the Mundane Heart World, Qi Yuan's strength had already reached mythical levels.

Creating a flying spell based on the rules of the Mundane Heart World was the simplest thing.

"This incantation is very simple, give it a try." Qi Yuan shared the fabricated spell with Wu Shi.

Wu Shi was stunned and hesitated, testing the waters as she said, "If I learn this spell... I'll become worthless."

"You're a person, not a commodity. What does it matter if you're valuable or not?" The man said casually.

But his thoughts were elsewhere.

"This Gluttonyless Holy Mother must have had a head injury when she was young, hence her odd behavior.

The Qi Yuan Scripture isn't suitable for her cultivation. She doesn't have a clear mind like mine, and after cultivating, she'll probably become even more insane."

Wu Shi heard his inner voice and fell silent for a moment. She memorized the Princess on a Broom spell and began to learn it.

After a dozen breaths, the man nearby showed surprise in his eyes, "As expected of someone from the Mundane Heart World, you learned it so quickly?

Find a wooden stick, sit on it, and follow my instructions."

Wu Shi, upon hearing this, stared at the man's location and found a wooden stick.

She clamped her legs onto the stick, activated the spell, and her body hovered in the air.

"You look a bit like a witch. By the way, are you afraid of heights? If you are, and you fall from the sky, it'll be hilarious." The man led the way, occasionally uttering strange words.

Wu Shi followed closely, not knowing how much time had passed.

The two stopped by a small pond.

It seemed a great battle had taken place here, with half the water in the pond gone and many dead fish on the ground.

"Cook the fish, and you can eat it." The man clapped his hands, seeming excited.

Wu Shi's eyes widened in surprise, she was very hungry, but looking at the fish, she felt nauseous.

"I... don't eat fish."

Many thoughts flashed through the man's mind.

"You'll know soon enough. This fish is different from what you've eaten before."

Wu Shi hesitated but chose to trust the man before her.

After all, he had allowed her to cultivate.

If her family found out, they might tear him apart.

But she only thought about it.

Her family... wouldn't come here.

She cooked the fish for the first time, using a stick to roast it.

At this moment, Gluttonyless seemed to sense the man approaching.

A look of curiosity appeared on her face, and she heard the man say,

"Try it quickly."

Wu Shi looked at the fish before her, her eyes showing hesitation.

Because she didn't want to experience that feeling again.

Even with her Devouring Essence, eating all kinds of food made her want to kill herself.

Only the nutritional liquid was somewhat better.

She opened her lips and gently bit into the burnt fish, chewing.

A warm sensation swept through her body, and her limbs felt like they were basking in the sun.

She felt a warmth like never before.

"It's... delicious." For the first time, she tasted something so good.

Compared to the nutritional liquid she had been eating, this was like heaven.

After finishing this piece of fish, she felt it was worth dying for.

The man's eyes smiled, "You're like a cat eating a catnip."

He looked at Wu Shi as if watching a pet in a movie.

Wu Shi continued eating the fish, savoring the deliciousness she had never experienced.

She turned to look at the man's location, "Why is it so delicious?"

"It's a secret," the man replied.

Wu Shi was disappointed.

Because when the man said it was a secret, he didn't have the correct answer in his mind.

"I want to eat another fish, and I can grant you a wish." Wu Shi spoke timidly.

She still wanted to eat more.

The man beside her smiled.

But his thoughts were elsewhere.

"What's the point of me coming to see her? Perhaps there's no point."

"It's just... to witness history."

History, sealed by the passage of time, stories buried, and uncovering a boring corner, might reveal the life of a living being.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end