Volume 5 Chapter 72

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/

Volume 5 Chapter 72: The Situation

Except for a few, most cultivators care greatly about their appearance. Since starting their journey, Xu Qingfan had rarely seen any cultivator who looked disheveled.

But the cultivators rushing towards Xu Qingfan were not just disheveled; they seemed to have forgotten how to walk, crawling on all fours like beasts, roaring at Xu Qingfan and the others, with wild eyes, drooling mouths, and dirty, torn clothes.

Most importantly, the violent energy they exuded, combined with their beast-like looks and behavior, made Xu Qingfan think of something truly terrifying – Beast Madness!

"Beast Madness" was a term that struck fear into the hearts of all cultivators. Any cultivator with some knowledge understood the dangers of "Beast Madness."

In fact, throughout the thousands of years of chaos in the cultivation world, the greatest destruction was not caused by the battles between demon cultivators and righteous cultivators, but by "Beast Madness."

"Beast Madness," another name is "Return to Origin."

It is said that 25,000 years ago, there was a Mahayana Stage master whose pursuit of the Heavenly Way was different from others’ "Unity of Sky and Earth." Instead, he proposed the concept of "Return to Nature" based on the "self," which means allowing the cultivator to return to their original self, living freely and without restraint.

Although this idea was not widely accepted in the cultivation world, the master persisted in his pursuit of his path.

But one day, for reasons unknown, the master suddenly went mad. His disciples either went crazy with him or were cruelly killed by the master and his other mad disciples. Not only that, but the mad master and his frenzied disciples broke out of the mountain and began to senselessly kill innocent mortals and cultivators.

If it had only been that, it would have been one thing, but the most frightening part was that this madness was contagious. Many cultivators, after being injured by these mad cultivators or getting their blood on them, also turned mad and bloodthirsty.

In the end, about one-fifth of the cultivators in the cultivation world became beast-like creatures due to this inexplicable contagion, while about two-fifths were brutally killed in the madness. Over half of the mortals in Shenzhou Continent were also killed, making it the most devastating disaster among the eight great calamities.

Later, all the cultivators in the cultivation world gathered together to confine all the cultivators overtaken by madness in one place. However, even after being trapped together, these mad cultivators could not contain their killing intent and began to fight each other, finally bringing the "Beast Madness" to an end.

Afterward, some said that the master’s research had actually succeeded, because according to his theory, humans did not appear out of nowhere on Shenzhou Continent, but evolved from the beasts of Shenzhou Continent. However, the master’s so-called return to origin merely awakened the beastly nature hidden deep within people’s hearts, and he did not realize this. Thus, the moment he succeeded was also when he transformed into a beast.

Of course, this theory did not gain recognition in the cultivation world. However, from that time on, cultivators called this sudden loss of reason, like beasts, that could spread "Beast Madness." Eighteen hundred years ago, someone accidentally encountered a long-dead skeleton in a desolate mountain and later learned that the skeleton was from a cultivator infected with "Beast Madness" from ten thousand years ago, nearly causing chaos in the cultivation world again.

After more than ten thousand years, has "Beast Madness" appeared again in the cultivation world? Could it be that this calamity in the cultivation world is caused by Beast Madness once more?

As Xu Qingfan charged toward the group of cultivators with fierce looks and their mouths wide open, silently screaming like wild beasts, he constantly remembered information about "Beast Madness" in his mind.

Beast Madness is terrifying because it spreads for unknown reasons. Once someone is bitten by these cultivators or touches their blood, they completely lose their humanity and become a beast that only knows how to kill. Besides this, there is nothing special about it; although their Spirit Qi and strength increase significantly, they don’t know how to use it and only use some very simple techniques. Among this crazed group of cultivators, the strongest one is only at the Lingji Stage, making them not a real threat.

This is why Xu Qingfan did not allow Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu to join the fight. Although he wanted them to gain some combat experience and they were fully capable of dealing with these irrational cultivators, he was worried that they might also get infected by the "Beast Madness."

Just as he thought this, the group of cultivators infected by "Beast Madness" charged toward Xu Qingfan and Ting’er. However, as mentioned earlier, these infected cultivators were no match for Xu Qingfan and Ting’er.

Ting’er was surrounded by swirling black flames that gave a chilling feeling. Each mutated cultivator that charged at her was turned to ash by the black flames before they could reach her. Xu Qingfan’s worry that the blood of these mutated cultivators would touch Ting’er was unnecessary.

After seeing that Ting’er was fine, Xu Qingfan began to attack the group of mutated cultivators. The opponents in this battle were not strong, and Xu Qingfan used this opportunity to experiment with his "Formula of Life and Death." He moved with incredible speed, appearing and disappearing among the mutated cultivators. Each time he appeared, he would lightly tap one mutated cultivator, while black and white lights flickered in his hands.

After the black and white lights entered the body of the mutated cultivator, Xu Qingfan quickly vanished before the other cultivators could reach him. As soon as he disappeared, the mutated cultivator exploded violently, causing such a powerful blast that it shattered the nearby mutated cultivators as well.

About sixty or seventy mutated cultivators attacked this time. Although they were numerous, the difference in cultivation levels was too great. In less than a tea break, Xu Qingfan and Ting’er together eliminated all the mutated cultivators.

After Ting’er burned all the broken bodies of the mutated cultivators, Xu Qingfan put away the "Five Spirit Bell" that protected Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu, then frowned as he thought about why "Beast Madness" had returned to the world and how its appearance was related to the great disaster in the cultivation world.

If this disaster in the cultivation world was only due to "Beast Madness," Xu Qingfan would feel relieved. Although "Beast Madness" is very destructive, last time the losses were so great because the cultivators did not understand "Beast Madness." If this catastrophe is just "Beast Madness," the cultivation world should be able to handle it much more easily this time.

But almost instinctively, Xu Qingfan felt that this disaster might not be so simple.

At this moment, Ting’er returned to Xu Qingfan after following his order to burn all the bodies of the mutated cultivators.

Looking at Ting’er’s indifferent expression, which had not changed at all after killing sixty or seventy cultivators, Xu Qingfan, who already knew that Ting’er was a decisive person, couldn’t help but sigh slightly in his heart.

Xu Qingfan hoped that Zhang Ningmei and Bai Yu would be a little braver and more decisive in this matter, but he wished Ting’er would be a bit softer when it came to killing, at least that would make her more like an ordinary person.

Seeing Xu Qingfan sigh slightly, Zhang Ningmei thought he had done so because of the ruins and the mutated cultivators around, so she cautiously asked, "Master, were those cultivators changed by ‘Beast Madness’?"

There are many records about "Beast Madness" in the cultivation world’s books. Zhang Ningmei, like Xu Qingfan, loves reading various books, so she was not surprised to know this.

Xu Qingfan slowly nodded and sighed, "Yes, it is ‘Beast Madness.’ This vast area is desolate, probably because ‘Beast Madness’ is rampaging. With ‘Beast Madness’ reappearing, how difficult it will be for the cultivation world."

With a sigh, clouds rose again beneath Xu Qingfan’s feet, carrying Ting’er, Zhang Ningmei, and Bai Yu on top. Without any delay, he swiftly flew towards the distance to find Zhang Ningmei’s grandfather, Zhang Long, and Bai Yu’s father, Bai Lianye.

Things were a bit better than Xu Qingfan had imagined. On their way to General Bai’s Mansion, Xu Qingfan and the others finally saw living people and a small town that appeared quite normal. However, when they asked about the situation in the town, they were surprised to learn that the people there were completely unaware that just a thousand miles to the west, the surrounding area was desolate, with no survivors left.

A thousand miles may seem far for an ordinary person, but it is not impossible to reach. Yet, these people seemed completely oblivious, which was quite strange.

"Could it be that this ‘Beast Madness’ has only started recently?"

Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

But just as Xu Qingfan left the town and continued flying towards General Bai’s Mansion, he discovered that more than ten cultivators were quickly approaching him and his three companions.

"Halt, you four Taoist friends ahead."

At the same moment Xu Qingfan noticed them, a soft voice gently rang in his ear.