Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Share?"

It was a term he himself had once taught Great Sun Flame Emperor. Now that it was being brought up again, it was clear the man had come prepared.

Qi Yuan cut straight to the issue. "Your idea is interesting, but how do we actually get people to share?"

A resource-sharing platform sounded great in theory, he could openly reap the benefits of others' collections. However, there had to be a reason compelling enough for others to contribute in the first place.

"Most sects wouldn't be willing to hand over their core techniques," Iceberg Empress added.

Cultivation manuals were the very foundation of ancient sects. Many of them had been passed for generations and could not be shared so easily. After all, if such secrets were leaked or fell into enemy hands, they could expose certain weaknesses. As a side note, the methods Qi Yuan had given Jiang Lingsu weren't part of their sect's core inheritance, so they didn't carry such risks.

Rogue Immortal said, "Convincing a sect to part with their techniques is incredibly difficult. Without massive benefits, your only option is coercion."

With Qi Yuan's strength, forcing a few sects wouldn't be a problem. Nevertheless, he couldn’t possibly force every sect in Canglan? It would be exhausting, inefficient, and a complete waste of time.

"In that case, we just have to come up with a reason that makes them willing to share," Great Sun Flame Emperor said calmly. "Qiyuann Sovereign, don't you possess a large number of manuals already? You could upload them and assign points based on their value. To access your manuals, one must contribute new ones and earn points to trade. Valuable items, like Heaven-tier manuals, could attract sects to share their non-core manuals, granting you access to a vast library."

Qi Yuan nodded after hearing the full proposal. "It would definitely bring in a lot of techniques, but my appetite is a bit too big."

It wasn't that he was greedy, the Core Formation chapter of the Qi Yuan Scripture was simply a bottomless abyss. What was a mighty star in Canglan became an insignificant speck in the vastness of the universe. He still had a long way to go before he could devour the entire universe. Naturally, the more manuals he obtained, the better.

"What a pity I can't reach the upper world yet, otherwise..." Qi Yuan muttered, full of anticipation.

Shen Wushen’s manuals had earned him a fortune. Qi Yuan was keen to see what he would bring next. Last time, he'd obtained a Divine Method that couldn't be passed on. The entire Canglan World would surely be shaken if he uploaded it. After all, Divine Methods simply didn't exist here. The strongest methods were only Heaven-tier. With such a bait, their sharing organization would rake in an enormous profit.

Come on, Shen Wushen. Don't let me down, Qi Yuan thought to himself.

"Sharing alone won't be enough to gather a large number of techniques. We need a guiding principle—a cause," Iceberg Empress said.

"I know, we just need a bold slogan," Qi Yuan said brightly. "How about, Make Canglan Great Again?"

This time, he'd borrowed another idea.

"That's a bit... empty," Rogue Immortal said awkwardly.

Whether Canglan World was great or not had nothing to do with them.

Qi Yuan frowned, thinking seriously. "Yeah..."

Great Sun Flame Emperor said in a low voice, "The Great Calamity is approaching, every hidden power and major faction is focused on their own survival. No one cares about whether Canglan is great."

Qi Yuan, idly turning his teacup, lit up. "I've got it. A perfect slogan."

The three of them leaned in with anticipation. "What is it?"

Qi Yuan's expression turned grave. "Cultivation techniques are tainted."

"...What?"

All three of them turned pale instantly.

"What do you mean, tainted?" Iceberg Empress demanded.

Without holding back, Qi Yuan told them exactly what his eyes had revealed, "Every technique in the Canglan World is tainted. Everything you cultivate, even your Dao, is tainted. Once you reach a certain level, you'll be trapped here and reduced to nourishment for another entity."

With his strength, there was no longer any reason for secrecy. Unless he directly faced the Great Calamity, he could move freely across the Canglan World.

"What?!"

The revelation hit them like lightning. It was the first time they'd ever heard such a thing.

"Perhaps it's tied to the Great Calamity itself," Qi Yuan continued, "long ago, a peerless genius challenged it and died. I can think of two possible reasons. First, the Great Calamity itself called in reinforcements and too many powerful beings descended. Second, his cultivation technique was flawed, turning against him. No matter how extraordinary he was, he still fell," Combining what he had learned from the pavilion master of Heavenly Ascension Pavilion with his own deductions, Qi Yuan laid out his reasoning. "If you cultivate these tainted techniques, even after reaching the Yin Spirit realm, you won't be able to roam freely or ascend to the upper world. You'll remain trapped here as fuel."

Great Sun Flame Emperor's face turned deathly pale. Iceberg Empress stood frozen, struggling to process it.

"Qiyuann Sovereign, is this really true?" Rogue Immortal asked weakly.

"Yes. I have no reason to lie. My cultivation technique is self-made, so it isn't affected. But I've tested it, others don't have my level of talent. Even their self-created methods end up tainted."

"If that's the case..." Iceberg Empress clenched her fists. "We’re basically cultivating all the way to Yin Spirit just to become someone else’s resource?! If so, what's the point of cultivating at all?!"

Qi Yuan said, "No need to be so angry. Knowledge of this didn’t change the lurking Great Calamity." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The other three exchanged bitter smiles. He was right. Knowing didn't change anything. They still couldn't stop the calamity. Once it arrived, devastation would sweep the entire world.

"Qiyuann Sovereign, if I switch techniques now, would it still be possible?" Rogue Immortal asked.

As the weakest among them, a mere Core Formation cultivator, he still had a chance. The others also gazed wistfully at Qi Yuan.

However, Qi Yuan shook his head. "No need. You're not the ones fighting the Great Calamity, why bother switching?"

He wasn't joking. Given the level of the Canglan World, Yang Spirits could theoretically be born. The flaws in Canglan’s cultivation manuals likely served two purposes: making it easier to harvest "resources," and preventing the rise of someone powerful enough to break the system.

Frankly speaking, with Rogue Immortal's talent, he probably wouldn't qualify as "high-grade nourishment."