Star Odyssey

Chapter 1757: Qing Cao

Lu Yin could see from the rune lines of this poisonous gas, and it was as strong as Enlighters, which made it extremely dangerous. Still, the old man had even more runes, which meant that he had no problem walking through the gas. In fact, it even looked like the old man was studying something.

The most interesting thing of all was the old man’s identity, as he was wearing clothes with Windrift Hall’s emblem on them.

Lu Yin exited his vessel and made his way towards the old man.

The old man was wearing a white robe, and he was staring intently at one of the strange little flowers that grew within the poisonous gas.

Lu Yin did not want to bother the old man, so he just stood behind him, waiting. More than ten hours passed until the small flower finally wilted. The old man suddenly moved, and his hand shot out to grab hold of the flower. There was a satisfied smile on his face as he collected it.

"May I ask what Senior is doing?" Lu Yin asked. He did not raise his voice, but due to the absolute silence in the area, the old man was quite startled.

He turned around, an ugly expression on his face, but he let out a sigh of relief when he saw the curiosity in Lu Yin’s eyes. The man patted his chest. "Young man, do you know that it’s possible to scare people to death?"

Lu Yin quickly apologized, "I'm really sorry. This junior didn't mean to startle you."

The old man waved a hand dismissively. "I know. You must have been waiting here for quite a while."

"A bit more than ten hours."

The old man admired Lu Yin’s patience. "You waited here more than ten hours without disturbing me? You’re pretty good. Actually, young man, have we met before? You seem rather familiar."

Lu Yin smiled. "This junior is Lu Yin."

The old man thought for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, "Lu Yin? I remember now—you’re the leader of the Great Eastern Alliance. You must need something quite important."

Lu Yin said, "It’s nothing too important. I just wanted to ask for Senior's name."

"I am Qing Cao," the old man said with a smile.

Lu Yin was surprised. "The master of Windrift Hall? That Master Qing Cao?"

The old man smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "It’s nothing worth mentioning."

Lu Yin was quite impressed, as he had not expected this old man to be the master of Windrift Hall. Even though it was not a particularly large power, its members were all well respected individuals because they all healed and saved other people. They had no connection to any other organization, and they had no conflicts of interest either. They simply wanted to help save the world.

If Shamrock Enterprise was a company that manufactured pharmaceuticals purely due to their desire for profits, then Windrift Hall was a place that was formed on the basis of kindness.

The truth was that cultivation encouraged cruelty and ruthlessness, which was why Lu Yin had never believed that a group like Windrift Hall could actually exist. Even if a power was established on such principles, things would change over time. However, Windrift Hall had not changed; it had always remained the same.

This was also why when Lu Yin had seen that the old man was from Windrift Hall, he had not left or disturbed him. Lu Yin had instead stayed, mostly hoping to help the old man if possible. After all, Lu Yin had been helped by Windrift Hall before. When Lu Yin had been at the pirate port with Zhuo Daynight, Windrift Hall’s Zeng Die had saved the girl. Also, Lu Yin had a good relationship with both Coco and Zora; overall, Lu Yin had a very good impression of Windrift Hall.

Windrift Hall was a place that deserved respect.

"Windrift Hall helps the world and saves people. This junior had been helped by Windrift Hall in the past, and Master Qing Cao has done much to help others in the universe. This junior is genuinely grateful." Lu Yin sincerely expressed his appreciation.

Master Qing Cao smiled. "There’s no need to concern yourself with that. Windrift Hall is able to cure diseases and save people, but part of why I do such things is that I enjoy studying pharmacology, and I also am not by any means short of money. This is why I can often help others for free. However, things will become quite different if I end up broke, haha."

Lu Yin smiled. "If Windrift Hall ever ends up short of funds, this junior would be happy to help."

"Then I’ll offer Alliance Leader Lu my thanks. I’ve long since heard that you are quite wealthy, so this old man won’t be shy." Master Qing Cao remained calm and did not refuse Lu Yin’s gesture.

Lu Yin looked out at the poison gas before them. "What did Master Qing Cao just do?"

"Venom Flowzone is sick, so I am treating it."

Lu Yin was stunned for a moment, and he blinked, as he did not understand the old man at all. "Master Qing Cao, what do you mean?"

Master Qing Cao smiled and repeated himself. "Venom Flowzone is sick, so I’m treating it."

Lu Yin looked around. "I guess so."

Master Qing Cao laughed. "Do you understand?"

"Not at all."

Master Qing Cao smiled. "Life is truly miraculous. It is capable of self-repair and can expel harmful substances. For example, when people get sick, there are some minor illnesses that can be healed without outside assistance because of life’s innate ability to protect itself. Venom Flowzone is also a form of life—the poison is its blood, and the planets form its meridians. At the moment, it is sick, so I want to find the cause."

Lu Yin finally understood. "This junior understands what you’re saying, but how do you treat such a disease?"

Master Qing Cao shook his head. "I don't know. I’ve been studying this place for hundreds of years, but I still can't find the source of this sickness."

"How do you know that Venom Flowzone is sick?"

"It’s quite easy to see that the poisonous gasses are moving about abnormally. It’s just like when a human’s breathing is wrong."

"You can see this?"

"You can’t?"

Lu Yin was left speechless. Still, everyone has their own abilities. If an ordinary person was asked to observe another person’s rune lines, it would be impossible for them to see anything at all. Qing Cao was able to see Venom Flowzone from a completely different perspective than Lu Yin.

"I know that you can't see it," Qing Cao continued quietly.

Lu Yin pursed his lips. He had first believed that Qing Cao was an honest and straightforward person, but why would the old man ask such a question if he already knew the answer?

"Let me give you something." Master Qing Cao took a piece of grass out from his cosmic ring and handed it over to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin's eyes lit up; green grass? Just like Master Qing Cao’s name. Could this grass be a natural treasure? While surprised, Lu Yin did not feel such a thing was completely unexpected. While Master Qing Cao was just an Enlighter, his power level was more than 400,000. The man was mostly admired for his skills in healing and his eagerness to heal and save people, not his personal strength.

Even if this green grass was a rare natural treasure, it could not be anything too impressive.

Lu Yin took the grass and studied it. He frowned, as there were no runes at all. No matter how he looked at it, it was the most ordinary sort of grass.

"Senior, what is this?" Lu Yin felt quite puzzled.

Master Qing Cao solemnly replied, "Grass."

"This junior knows that much."

"Then why ask?"

Lu Yin hesitated. "Why did you give me a blade of grass?"

Master Qing Cao grew serious. "Look, when the day comes that you are able to see this grass observing you, you should also be able to see Venom Flowzone’s breath. In this universe, every natural order has its own breath and its own life.”

Lu Yin blinked. While this sounded quite profound and quite logical, why did it also feel rather strange?

Suddenly, Lu Yin remembered something else and he asked, "Do battle techniques also have breath?"

Master Qing Cao glanced over at Lu Yin in surprise, and he voiced his admiration. "Young man, that’s quite perceptive."

"So, do battle techniques have breath?"

"Are you asking me? I thought you already knew. Keep working at it." Master Qing Cao sighed.

Lu Yin left, as Master Qing Cao wanted to remain where he was and continue his research. There was no need for Lu Yin to be concerned with the old man’s safety, as he had already been in Venom Flowzone for hundreds of years.

Before leaving, Lu Yin asked about Coco and the other people he knew from Windrift Hall, as he had not seen any of them for a long time. However, Master Qing Cao could not answer, as he had absolutely no idea who any of the people Lu Yin asked about were.

There was a massive landmass in the center of Venom Flowzone that was known as the Divine Venom Continent. It was surrounded by poisonous gas, and rumors claimed that Venom Flowzone’s oldest and most powerful creatures lived beneath the landmass, but no one knew what creatures there might be.

At the center of the continent, there was a city known as Venom King City, which was the capital of the Divine Venom Dynasty. It was ruled by the Qing family, which had established the city as the capital from which they ruled the entire Divine Venom Dynasty.

It was not easy for outsiders to get access to the Divine Venom Continent, and each person had to go through stringent identity checks before entering the continent. They also had to have a token from the Divine Venom Dynasty, which gave people the ability to resist the countless poisonous creatures that lived on the Divine Venom Continent.

Of course, this only applied to ordinary cultivators. For people like the Second Nightking, the Divine Venom Continent, Venom King City, and even the Divine Venom Dynasty’s imperial palace were perfectly accessible and safe to enter.

"Second Nightking?" Qing Shaohuang blurted out in shock as he stared at a man relaxing in the imperial garden while quietly enjoying a drink.

Even though the Divine Venom Dynasty was sealed off, they were not completely isolated from the outside world. They remained quite aware and informed about major events that occurred, but their focus was simply different. They were merely concerned about whether or not any major events would affect Venom Flowzone.

For example, both battles between Envoys and the war between the Daynight clan and the Great Eastern Alliance had garnered attention, particularly so the current situation regarding the Daynight clan. After all, the Divine Venom Dynasty and the Daynight clan have an inseparable relationship.

Qing Shaohuang had always paid attention to news regarding the Second Nightking. There was when the ancient powerhouse had left the Celestial Frost Sect’s ruins, the prison break that had occurred in Gaia's Swamp that had allowed the Second Nightking to escape, and how the man had become wanted by the Hall of Honor; Qing Shaohuang had paid attention to all of these details.

The imperial garden was quite beautiful, and it was full of all kinds of exotic flowers and plants that were in full bloom. This place was not as poisonous as many people would expect.

As for the Second Nightking, he lowered his wine glass and calmly looked over at Qing Shaohuang. "You look a great deal like your ancestor."

Qing Shaohuang glanced around, but the guards patrolling around the garden acted no differently than usual. They were likely being controlled by the Second Nightking, as it would have been otherwise impossible for them to show absolutely no reaction to his presence. No one in the entire imperial palace had sensed the Second Nightking's arrival or presence. The emperor's heart sank; if the Second Nightking wanted to attack, the emperor would most likely not be able to escape.

"Junior Qing Shaohuang greets Senior Second Nightking." Qing Shaohuang stepped forward and bowed in the manner of a junior. He behaved in a very respectful manner.

The Second Nightking stood up. "The Third Nightking was the one who helped your family found your empire, but we all knew what he was doing at that time and allowed it."

Qing Shaohuang expressed his gratitude. "Many thanks to the Daynight family for the help that they gave my Qing clan."

"Back then, there was only one person in the Qing family who barely managed to become an Envoy, which was the first emperor, Qing Fan. However, right now, your strength exceeds what he achieved. If I still possessed my strength from back then and not what I have achieved more recently, I might not even be able to compare to you." The Second Nightking sighed.

Qing Shaohuang grew solemn. "The Daynight clan’s kindness towards my Qing clan is something that can never be repaid. Senior is like an ancestor to my Qing clan."

"Very well." The Second Nightking stared at Qing Shaohuang. "I had thought that your Qing clan had forgotten about your original oath, but since you remember, then can you help me? With this, there will be no debts between us."

Qing Shaohuang instantly became serious. "Senior, please tell."

Hatred filled the Second Nightking's eyes. "I want Lu Yin to die."

Qing Shaohuang was startled. "Senior, this-”

"What? Is there a problem?" The Second Nightking stared at Qing Shaohuang with cold eyes.

Qing Shaohuang answered in a solemn tone, "Lu Yin is visiting the Divine Venom Dynasty because he was personally invited by this junior. If he dies while here, my Divine Venom Dynasty would lose the entire universe’s trust."