The utter defeat of the Black Serpent Palace following the successful, instant reinforcement of the Great Barrier Array (Chapter 16) led to a massive, public accusation: the Whispering Willow Sect was using forbidden methods and spiritual cheating to secure their defenses.
The neutral Edict Palace, the ultimate arbiter of cultivation disputes, intervened. They issued a challenging decree: The Whispering Willow Sect must purify the Tainted Peak, a mountain recently cursed by a vengeful High Demon, rendering its spiritual energy toxic and uninhabitable. The purification must be achieved by Lin Qi alone, without using any external artifacts or direct spiritual violence. This was meant to be an impossible, definitive test of his methods.
Sect Master Wu was horrified. "The Tainted Peak! Even High Immortals avoid that place! It is saturated with Demon Spite Qi! It will corrupt his body and soul!"
Lin Qi, however, simply saw an extremely tall, dirty-looking mountain. He was promised a rare, extra-large, glazed candied yam if he succeeded.
The Problem of the Poisoned Summit
Lin Qi was dropped off at the base of the Tainted Peak. He was given strict instructions to purify the mountain's Qi. He ignored the profound spiritual danger and focused on the physical climb.
The Demon Spite Qi was indeed lethal. It was a suffocating, corrosive energy that immediately began to attack Lin Qi's meridians.
However, just as with the Gloom-Woven Creek (Chapter 2), Lin Qi's sealed Core of Infinite Density instantly reacted to the corrosive environment. The Demon Spite Qi—which was energy of the highest spiritual density, albeit negative—was perceived by the Core as a rare, highly potent Purification Catalyst.
The Core did not push the poison away; it opened a microscopic, subconscious vacuum and began to suck the Demon Spite Qi inward.
Lin Qi felt a growing, tingling sensation. He mistook this powerful spiritual consumption for the tingling ache of physical exertion.
"Whew! This mountain is hard work," Lin Qi muttered, taking another step.
The Accidental Reclamation
As Lin Qi slowly climbed, the sealed Core absorbed the Demon Spite Qi, instantly transmuting the malevolent energy into pure, benign Cosmic Origin Qi. This energy wasn't kept, however; as Lin Qi's body couldn't contain it, the purified energy was immediately expelled into the environment through his skin.
Lin Qi was, in effect, walking up the mountain and unconsciously sweeping the entire peak with purifying Cosmic Qi.
Behind him, the cursed ground began to rapidly heal. The black, cracked earth turned lush green. The poisonous miasma evaporated, replaced by sweet, fresh air.
When Lin Qi reached the summit, the mountain was completely healed, restored to its pristine, original state. Lin Qi hadn't purified the mountain; he had used the mountain's own poison to give his Core a spiritual bath, and then accidentally exhaled the resultant pure energy over the landscape.
He sat at the summit, exhausted from the climb.
The Unthinkable Conclusion
The Elders of the Edict Palace, who had been secretly monitoring the peak, were utterly dumbfounded. They watched in disbelief as the purification progressed directly behind the figure of Lin Qi.
"He is not performing a ritual!" cried the Chief Arbiter. "He is walking! He is healing the land merely by his presence!"
Princess Lianhua, who had arrived to watch the test, stared with wide, awestruck eyes. She had witnessed the ultimate alchemical process.
"He took the highest form of chaos and corruption (Demon Spite Qi), ran it through his being, and instantly expelled the purest form of creation! He is the living embodiment of the Dao of Transmutation!" Lianhua declared, trembling. "He is the ultimate Alchemical Vessel! He used the mountain's poison to purify himself, and his refuse healed the world!"
Sect Master Wu arrived, spotting the perfectly restored peak and the exhausted Lin Qi. He beamed with triumph and terror.
Wu immediately transcribed the latest, profound maxim, carving it into a newly restored stone at the summit:
> "If a task is deemed impossible due to environmental contamination, simply use the contamination as a spiritual snack. Your subsequent rejection of the poison's essence will be hailed as the highest form of purification."
>
Lin Qi was declared the undisputed victor of the trial and the Patron Saint of Purification. He returned to the sect, accepted his glazed candied yam, and immediately went to bed, utterly exhausted from his long, inexplicable hike.