An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 157 Corruption Link
As Chu Xiu's magical power surged into his body, the Soul Banner in his hand immediately shone brightly. Driven by him, the ghosts within the Soul Banner, as if injected with stimulants, began to frantically hunt down the unclaimed souls!
Tens of thousands of souls may sound like a lot, but under the devouring power of the enormous ghost, they were almost all torn to pieces in no time, turning into pure soul energy. Only a few souls with high potential were left by Chu Xiu to be refined into new ghosts.

The flesh and blood were refined into blood demons.

Nourished by these two pure energies, one ghost after another began to advance and mutate!
Not long after the soul banner calmed down, an extremely fierce aura emanated from it.

Sensing this aura, a hint of joy flashed in Chu Xiu's eyes.

"This wave has added more than twenty more vengeful ghosts to my collection! The total number of vengeful ghosts has now exceeded fifty!"

"And the number of malevolent ghosts has been greatly increased, now exceeding a thousand! There are also two thousand Yin ghosts!"

There are fifty members of the Fierce Rank and over a thousand members of the Warrior Rank at only the third level of the Fierce Rank!
If other summoning classes knew this, they would probably be so shocked that their eyes would pop out. And this is only the initial form of the ghost army!
Chu Xiu could sense that as the number of ghosts increased, his soul banner was covered with a faint blood aura, and the shaft became even more radiant, as if it had absorbed some kind of powerful tonic.

"When it comes to the Yin Soul Banner and the Evil Soul Banner, the Soul Banner is like a house for ghosts to live in. I need to constantly expand and build it to accommodate more ghosts."

"But after I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, this new lineage seems to have undergone some kind of qualitative change!"

"The brand-new Soul Banner is no longer just a space for ghosts to live in; it's more like a place where ghosts coexist and merge with countless ghosts! A portion of the power from the devoured, ownerless souls will also be fed back into the Soul Banner!"

"In other words, the more and stronger the ghosts within, the stronger the Soul Banner itself will become! I will no longer need to refine the Soul Banner separately; devouring souls is the best method of refinement!"

Moreover, Chu Xiu could sense that this trend of change was becoming more and more obvious, and once a certain critical value was reached, the Soul Banner would undergo another transformation!

"This should be what the panel description says: when there are one hundred fierce ghosts and one ghost general, it will be promoted to the Hundred Soul Banner!"

Chu Xiu was very much looking forward to seeing what changes would occur to the Soul Banner at that time!
"It's easy to gather vengeful spirits. With so many abyssal creatures here, my ghost army will grow rapidly like a snowball. It shouldn't be long before I can gather a hundred vengeful spirits."

"I just don't know how to train this ghost."

Currently, Chu Xiu only has three souls with the potential to become Ghost Generals: Baron, Blood Angel, and Corrupted Warrior.

However, having the potential to become one does not necessarily mean that one will become one. For example, when Chu Xiu was still at the mortal level, he obtained a soul with the potential to become a fierce ghost after killing an elite corpse ghost in the basement of the apartment building. However, that soul has been with Chu Xiu for so long and has devoured a large number of living souls, and it is still a fierce ghost.

Having potential only means that it is theoretically achievable.

"These three souls seem to be just on the verge of becoming ghost generals. I'd better find a soul with greater potential, otherwise I might waste a lot of resources," Chu Xiu thought to himself.

The same resources will naturally yield greater benefits when given to geniuses.

Having made up his mind, just as Chu Xiu was about to thoroughly explore the surrounding environment, a rumbling sound suddenly entered his ears.

The sound was very faint, but it immediately alerted Chu Xiu. He narrowed his eyes and searched for the source of the sound thousands of meters in the air, and soon locked onto a huge mountain peak.

That was one of the mountains in this continuous mountain range, and the rumbling sound came from inside the mountain!
Chu Xiu's eyes narrowed. Just as he was hesitating whether to send out a ghost to investigate, a huge hole suddenly blasted open on the surface of the mountain. The next moment, an old man rushed out carrying a young man. It was the old man who was a level 9 general and the young master Xue Li!
Immediately, the Fang Squad and Su Jinyu and the others rushed out of the cave, as if they were being chased by something extremely terrifying, and ran wildly into the distance with their heads down.

The rumbling sound grew louder and louder, and suddenly a large number of underground humans surged out of the cave entrance like a tidal wave!

They crowded together, clinging to each other as they moved forward, but despite the crowding, their speed was not affected at all, and within just a few breaths, thousands of people rushed out!

As explosions rang out one after another, cave entrances burst open on the mountainside, and a large number of underground humans poured out of each one! Wielding makeshift weapons made from steel sheets salvaged from who-knows-where, they chased after Xue Li and his group, covering the entire mountainside as far as the eye could see! It was like a primitive tribe hunting mammoths!
"They appeared just as I was thinking about it."

Chu Xiu had originally planned to use these people as cannon fodder to scout ahead, but he didn't expect to run into them so soon.

Chu Xiu speculated that when the deep pit rioted, this team was probably exploring nearby, which is why they were directly entangled by the scattered underground residents.

However, he still had some doubts about this.

So how come this team, whose lowest level is Rank 9, got entangled by these low-level creatures?

You should know that when Chu Xiu escaped on his own, only the corrupted awakened ones were able to keep up.

The other low-level abyssal creatures vanished in the blink of an eye; no matter how many there were, it was useless! They posed absolutely no problem for him.

The question had barely arisen when he received the answer in the next second.

Three figures burst out of the mountain at lightning speed and flew above the squad. At the same time, countless corrupted tentacles surged from their bodies and attacked the squad below!
Three corrupted awakeners, all of whom had reached the rank of general, arrived at once!
Chu Xiu suddenly realized why he had seen several figures rapidly ascending, but only one person came to cause him trouble. It turned out that everyone else had been distracted by Xue Li and the others.

"So they still took the knife for me?"

Chu Xiu felt no guilt about unintentionally implicating others. In any case, he had originally planned to use these people as scouts, and their current state suited him perfectly. So he simply leisurely observed them carefully from the sky.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At this moment, as the three corrupted awakened individuals caught up with the group, a large number of tentacles rained down from the sky. Su Jinyu and the others could only dodge in a sorry state, and their escape speed dropped drastically. Even if the tentacles did not hit the awakened team, they would spread rapidly the moment they hit the ground, forming tentacle prisons that further hindered the group's escape!

At the same time, another group of underground humans suddenly emerged from the cave!
However, unlike the previous underground inhabitants who were as frenzied as zombies, this group was clearly much more elite. Their armor was darker, their movements were orderly, just like a well-trained army, and they were actually carrying modern weapons!

Assault rifles, shotguns, heavy machine guns, riot shields, and so on—these weapons and the mycelium extending from their bodies are strangely integrated into one, and the combination of metal and flesh looks disgusting.

As the Demon Eye was activated, a panel appeared in front of Chu Xiu.

Corrupted Subterranean New Human Soldiers

[Rank] Warrior Rank 6

[Attributes] Constitution 104.5, Spirit 14.1, Energy Level 26.4
[Skill] Adrenaline Burst

[Special Trait] Super Strength, Rock Armor

[Talent] Corruption Link (can fuse itself with items through mycelium to repair item damage and can be activated in a special way)

Corrupting soldiers!

The appearance of the new creature caused Chu Xiu's expression to tighten slightly.

These corrupted soldiers, like the corrupted inhabitants, possess physical strength and reaction speed far exceeding those of their peers. However, compared to the chaotic, swarming corrupted inhabitants, they are clearly well-trained. Even while running at high speed, they can roughly maintain their formation, just like a real army! Furthermore, they possess a special talent.

[Corrupted Links]

These four words made Chu Xiu narrow his eyes slightly and look down carefully.

Perhaps because they had been left in the deep pit for too long, the guns in the soldiers' hands were covered with rust, and some even had missing barrels.

However, with the fusion and repair of the mycelium, it became usable again! Its potency was even enhanced to some extent!

These corrupt soldiers aimed and fired as they moved, and although they could not truly threaten Xue Li and his men, they still caused them a great deal of trouble!

At that moment, another loud bang was heard, and a huge mechanical construct five meters tall burst out of the mountain. It was a humanoid mech!
No, calling it a mecha is not quite accurate. Its main structure can be vaguely identified as a heavy infantry fighting vehicle made of high-strength steel. However, at this moment, five corrupted underground soldiers of the fierce rank have merged with it, and a large amount of mycelium covers this heavy infantry fighting vehicle, completely changing its form.

Two anti-aircraft cannons were moved to the shoulders, the bulletproof armor became skin, and the vehicle structure was disassembled and altered to transform it into a humanoid mech. Five ferocious corrupt soldiers formed its limbs and torso, with the different parts connected by a disgusting and peculiar flesh-and-blood link.

But if that were all, it would at most be considered as disassembling a heavy infantry fighting vehicle and reassembling it. What shocked Chu Xiu was that he could feel the engine of this heavy infantry fighting vehicle roaring, burning a special kind of fuel. The power generated by the engine could actually be injected into the bodies of the five corrupted soldiers, enhancing their strength and helping them drive this "mech"!
This is a true fusion, becoming a completely new biological weapon! After fully absorbing the armor and power of the heavy infantry fighting vehicle, this humanoid mech composed of five fierce-rank soldiers has combat power approaching that of a general!
"What an amazing talent."

Even though Chu Xiu had read a lot of information about the Abyss, he couldn't help but be surprised by what he saw.

Just as he was in surprise, the corrupted mech caught up with Xue Li and the others at an extremely fast speed. Then, the two anti-aircraft guns on its shoulders opened fire at full power, and the powerful firepower tore apart the formation that Xue Li and the others were maintaining!

As the saying goes, anti-aircraft guns are laid flat, and military courts are in the face of these large-caliber cannons. Even a level 9 Awakened One would not dare to take them head-on!

"court death!"

Anger flashed in the old man's eyes. He moved swiftly towards the humanoid mecha, wanting to deal with this strange thing as soon as possible. But as a strange laugh rang out from the sky, more tentacles descended, surrounding the old man in layers!

At the same time, another corrupted awakened being fell from the sky and engaged the old man in battle!
Instantly, a tremendous crashing sound came from the gaps in the tentacles, and an astonishing shockwave swept up the rubble scattered all over the ground!
Both seemed to be melee-type professions. Although Chu Xiu couldn't see the specific battle situation due to the tentacles blocking his view, he could still feel the terrifying power output of the two from the constantly cracking earth. They were probably no less powerful than himself.

But among the crowd, only the old man was strong enough.

Although there were still two generals left, their strength was far inferior to that of the old man. One was the captain of the Fang Squad, who had obviously only recently entered the general rank. Not only did he lack suitable equipment, but he also hadn't even leveled up his newly acquired skills to a very high level. At most, he was only at the level of the Blood Angel.

The other bodyguard from the research institute, perhaps having been too settled in academia for too long, had honed his skills to a high degree, but his combat instincts had become rusty, and his equipment was not even up to the average level for his grade.

Without the old man's help, their output couldn't keep up with the rate at which the tentacles reproduced. The two of them could barely dodge them with their speed, but they couldn't do the same with the other ferocious-class creatures, leaving them completely at a loss.

This brief hesitation caused them to miss their best chance to escape. Soon, countless tentacles intertwined, forming a completely sealed prison that trapped Xue Li and the others inside!
Before they even had time to feel fear, a series of dense, beast-like roars rang out all around them. Immediately, figures appeared outside the cage. Through the gaps in the tentacles, they could see that countless underground humans had surrounded them layer by layer. As far as the eye could see, there were no numbers, like an endless, dark tide.

They stood outside the cage, their tentacles obscuring their view, but their bloodthirsty eyes stared coldly at the crowd, their expressions a mixture of indifference and hunger, as if they were looking at pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

This scene turned everyone's faces pale.

The leader of the Fang Squad realized something and barked, "Fang Squad, prepare for battle!"

Almost the instant he finished speaking, the underground inhabitants outside the tentacle cage seemed to receive some kind of command and began to rush into the cage like madmen!
The tentacles split into countless hyphae the moment they touched their bodies, allowing the corrupted inhabitants to pass through without any hindrance. They roared, howled, leaped, and charged in from all directions!

"boom!"

Amidst a deafening roar, the corrupted inhabitants collided with the outer melee squad members. The corrupted inhabitants at the forefront were almost instantly shattered by the immense impact, their bones breaking and blood splattering everywhere!
A burly man roared, his greatsword unleashing a massive sword aura as bright as incandescence, instantly shredding dozens of underground humans in front of him. At the center of the battle formation, a psionicist raised a holy rune, and with a deep chant, a dazzling beam of light exploded like a meteorite amidst the jostling underground humans!

The terrifying energy output instantly blasted hundreds of underground humans away, and flesh and severed limbs rained down like rain.

The Fang Squad truly lived up to its reputation as an elite Awakened Squad. Their class combinations were extremely perfect, and with their coordinated efforts, a large number of underground humans were harvested. In no time, the cage was transformed into a bloody hell filled with severed limbs and blood!
However, while the Fang Squad is strong, the number of humans underground is much greater!

Each time a gap is created by a large-area damage skill, it will be filled in by more underground humans in just a moment!

These creatures seemed endless, and their rock armor gave them defense far exceeding that of monsters of the same level, requiring powerful skills to break through, causing everyone's energy to be rapidly depleted!
Soon, everyone discovered that although these underground dwellers couldn't harm them, the dark green blood splattered after the explosion could corrode their armor! Contact with their skin caused a stinging pain, as if they had been splashed with strong acid!
Even the air was polluted, so with each breath, a small amount of blood floating in the air was inhaled, corroding their trachea and internal organs!

Their breathing grew heavier and heavier, their strength rapidly waning. This torment, like being slowly cut by a dull knife, brought a look of despair and fear to everyone's faces.

"We can't keep going like this! Crow, go find the weak point in the cage, let's concentrate our forces and break through!" the leader of the Fang Squad shouted.

"Yes!"

A thin boy wearing a black robe responded, and immediately a large number of spirit crows rushed out from under his robe and flew into the sky.

He is the scout in the Fang Squad. Each of the spirit crows is an eye, possessing superhuman perception and even the ability to see ghosts and monsters.

But the more he looked, the more cold sweat he broke out on his forehead.

The tentacles' blockade wasn't actually that tight; there were quite a few weak points that could be breached.

But when the crow flew away, he discovered that, at some point, every possible escape route had been blocked by a large number of corrupted soldiers!

These corrupt soldiers were clearly much more intelligent; instead of directly participating in the encirclement and suppression, they calmly blocked all possible escape routes!
There were even several enormous fusion mechs stationed around the area. With these powerful creatures, comparable to generals, there was absolutely no chance for them to escape!
A deep sense of despair appeared on the crow's face.
His expression was quickly noticed by the other team members.

As teammates who spent every day together, they knew exactly what it meant to make the crow show that expression.

A sense of despair immediately spread throughout the cage.

But just then, the crow seemed to have discovered something and let out a soft exclamation.

He noticed that although the mechs were stationed nearby, the anti-aircraft guns behind them were not aimed at the group, but rather at the sky.

The crow manipulated the spirit crow to look upwards, and a small black dot appeared in his field of vision.

He was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up with hope, and he shouted excitedly:
"The Night King! I see the Night King! He's right above us!"

(End of this chapter)