Chapter 2618

Zhu Yanyi’s face was cold. "If you don’t believe me, try cultivating. Your progress has stopped."

Tong Linghai’s master was surprised. He sat on the ground to cultivate. He found he could not absorb spiritual energy. His eyes filled with terror. "How is this possible? I cannot absorb spiritual energy."

"You do not understand emotion. You offended emotion," Zhu Yanyi said. She looked at everyone. "Most of you are like this. If you do not believe in emotion, if you think it is useless, you cannot absorb spiritual energy now. Those who believe in emotion, or have no malice toward it, can still cultivate. Try it if you don’t believe."

Everyone was skeptical. But seeing Tong Linghai’s master, they were shocked. They began to cultivate. Some truly could not cultivate. Others could.

"I can cultivate."

"I can’t… I can’t absorb spiritual energy."

"I can feel the energy, but I can’t absorb it."

"I can absorb it."

Whether they could absorb it or not, everyone knew Zhu Yanyi was telling the truth.

"Sister Zhu, what is happening?" Baili He asked.

"Friend Baili, do you know this friend?" the Tianyi Sect Master asked.

Baili she spoke slowly. "She is a friend of our Sword Sect. We call her Senior Sister. Even my master calls her Senior Sister."

Hearing this, no one dared to underestimate Zhu Yanyi. Most importantly, she stood in mid-air. She showed no sign of coming down.

Cultivators who reached Foundation Establishment could fly using tools, like sword riding. But no one stood in the air like Zhu Yanyi. She seemed completely stable, with no fear of falling.

Baili She’s question was in everyone’s mind. They all looked at Zhu Yanyi.

Zhu Yanyi scanned the crowd. Her face was calm. More accurately, she did not see these people as opponents. As an Immortal Emperor, she had her dignity. To her, these people were like ants.

"I just said it. You do not believe in emotion. You forgot it. Those who can absorb spiritual energy still have emotion in their hearts. For example, family love, gratitude, or brotherhood. Depending on how strong their emotion is, they can absorb more or less spiritual energy," Zhu Yanyi explained slowly.

"How is this possible? Cultivation requires cutting off all emotions. Only by cutting off emotion can one calm the mind," the Tianyi Sect Master said.

Zhu Yanyi raised an eyebrow. "Cultivation is about cultivating the true self. Emotion is one way to express the true self. If you cut off emotion, you abandon your true self. If you abandon your true self, how can you succeed in cultivation?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Zhu Yanyi’s eyes. "Some of you once had emotion. But for the so-called Great Dao, you cut it off. So your hearts no longer have emotion. You do not believe emotion exists. You think it only hinders cultivation. That is why you did it. But in reality, you are tasting the bitterness now. Without emotion, your cultivation stops here."

Zhu Yanyi sighed deeply. "This is the backlash of emotion. You abandoned it, so it abandons you."

"Impossible!" someone shouted. "If that is true, why did I kill my wife to prove the Dao?"

"So you will fall into the heart demon of killing your wife to prove the Dao. The heart demon will make you wish for death. You will feel the pain of being killed over and over. You will feel as if you are your wife, experiencing her death again and again. Others are the same. Some of you killed parents, children, wives, or friends. If you did, you will be consumed by this emotional backlash. Finally, the heart demon will devour you."

Zhu Yanyi was not exaggerating. She was telling the truth.

Those who could not absorb spiritual energy looked very pale. They abandoned emotion for the Great Dao. But now, someone told them that Heaven was punishing them for it.

Others felt lucky. "Fortunately, I still love my family."

"Yes, fortunately, I have a good relationship with my family."

Hearing this, those who could not absorb spiritual energy glared at them angrily.

The Tianyi Sect Master took a deep breath. "Immortal Lady, please tell us what we must do to resolve this disaster?"

"Go through trials," Zhu Yanyi said calmly. "Do not trial in this realm. Go to the mortal world. But when you go, your cultivation must be sealed. You must live as mortals. When you return, you will understand what emotion is. Only by understanding emotion can you return. If you cannot understand it, you will die at the average human age. Oh, the age starts from when you enter the world. You will live from one year old."

Zhu Yanyi spoke calmly. "Whether you can pass the test of emotion depends on you."

"But if so many of us go, the Immortal Palace might not agree," the Tianyi Sect Master frowned.

Zhu Yanyi looked calm. "Write down your reasons and report to the Immortal Palace. They will agree. Even if they do not agree to all, they will agree to let you go in batches. Besides, you are not going to bully people. Your cultivation is sealed. So there will be no problem."

Zhu Yanyi looked at everyone again. "The path ahead is in your hands. Whether you can return from the wrong path depends on you."

She added, "It is better to go early. The cultivation world has taken a wrong path. It is better to correct it early."

"Wait. Why do you know so clearly?" the Guixian Sect Master looked at Zhu Yanyi.

Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "Why do you think I know so clearly?"

The Guixian Sect Master said, "Did you cause this?"