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

Chapter 211 Paradise
In ordinary cultivation professions, at the level of level 9 of the Fierce Rank, it is already considered good if one's divine sense can extend 300 meters, and the precision of that divine sense is far inferior to that of Chu Xiu. This is the effect of cultivating the most advanced techniques.

Even so, Chu Xiu was still very dissatisfied. The reason was simple: his other attributes were too advanced. His divine sense was naturally a first-class reconnaissance method among the fierce-ranked, but from the perspective of the king-ranked, it was undoubtedly a weakness.

It's common for a King-level expert to lock onto a target from more than ten kilometers away.

"Hopefully, we can unlock corresponding enhancement methods during the general's rank inheritance."

"As for now, we can only make do with what we have."

Chu Xiu wasted no time, opening his divine sense and rapidly probing forward into the passage.

After walking only about a kilometer, his expression changed, and he sensed a living creature.

In the perception of divine sense, a place resembling a "checkpoint" appeared ahead, with simple bunkers made of concrete on both sides and a passage in the middle that could accommodate trucks. Several soldiers stood behind the bunkers.

These soldiers were not ordinary humans, but rather possessed strength of around level 5 or 6 in the Mortal Realm. They wore heavy black armor, carried crossbows on their backs, and had heavy battle swords at their waists.

To Chu Xiu's surprise, one of the men, who was supposed to be the squad leader, was carrying a submachine gun on his shoulder.

Although this weapon is far less sophisticated than modern submachine guns, with a rough barrel that resembles an unpolished steel pipe, revealing a low level of industrial sophistication, Chu Xiu could still tell from its structure that it was indeed a submachine gun. Moreover, the barrel caliber was quite large, at least ten millimeters. Whether it was durable or not was unknown, but its power should be sufficient.

"The technological level of the people here should be at the stage of World War I and World War II. No, that's not right. I can't simply apply it to the historical periods I'm familiar with."

Chu Xiu noticed something else: although the submachine gun was crudely made, its structure was not simple. The design of the bolt mechanism could even be considered ingenious. It had all the necessary parts and was not much different from the firearms manufactured by modern arms companies.

However, perhaps due to limitations in industrial capabilities, some components requiring extremely high precision have been replaced by other, more stable structures, making the firearms appear rather "bulky" overall.

On the side of that submachine gun, there was a piece of white "fluorite" that emitted a faint glow, the purpose of which was unknown. Chu Xiu could feel a considerable energy fluctuation from it.

Furthermore, the bows, crossbows, and armor worn by the men, although primitive cold weapons, were designed in a way that was very ergonomic.

"The theoretical level of science and technology here should not have regressed, and may even have improved."

"It's just that the scarcity of resources has hindered the development of industry."

Resources are crucial for industrial development. Even if a country gathers the world's top scientists and engineers, it will be difficult to develop a complete industry without basic fuels such as oil and coal.

Even in some branches of modern industry, the absence of a rare metal can bring an entire industry to a standstill.

In a shelter isolated from the world, such a situation is perfectly natural. Chu Xiu's only curiosity was about the purpose of the faintly glowing stone.

Without thinking further, he moved and headed towards the sentry post.

Chu Xiu didn't want to waste time. He decided that if communication didn't go smoothly, he would directly demonstrate his overwhelming strength, find the local leader in a short time, and "persuade" him to help him.

Although the method was somewhat crude, Chu Xiu felt it was the most efficient one. When you have the strength to easily kill everyone else, no one will doubt the truthfulness of your words.

However, to his surprise, the progress was much smoother than he had expected.

The moment he appeared, before he even said a word, the soldiers on duty's eyes lit up, and with a "thump," they knelt down directly in front of Chu Xiu!
"Elder, you've finally arrived!"

"General, you have been waiting for a long time. I will lead the way for you now!"

The soldier's respectful words startled Chu Xiu for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

Clearly, the other party regarded him as some important figure.

This is not surprising. Chu Xiu did not suppress his speed when he came over. With such strength, he should naturally be in a high position in this refuge where the power level seems not to be high.

Chu Xiu did not deny it, but simply nodded and said, "Lead the way, as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

The soldier's expression hardened, and he quickly jogged ahead to lead the way. Chu Xiu simply took a few steps and easily kept up. At first, the soldier was a little worried that Chu Xiu would fall behind, but after discovering that even when he ran at full speed, Chu Xiu was still strolling around with a calm and breezy air, a look of shock appeared on the soldier's face, and his eyes showed even more respect.

Meanwhile, Chu Xiu was also rapidly scanning the surrounding environment with his divine sense.

This place is like a military camp, where soldiers can be seen everywhere repairing and cleaning their equipment. Many of them seem to have just experienced a major battle, with dark red bloodstains still remaining on their bodies, and a stench can be smelled from afar.

But the soldiers' eyes were extremely calm. Some of them, even those who had lost an arm, showed no sign of dejection. Instead, they exuded a do-or-die killing intent.

These people were clearly stronger than the soldiers stationed near the outpost. They possessed a special energy fluctuation within them, and their average strength had reached the Warrior rank. Some of the best among them could even reach the Fierce rank.

"A very special cultivation method, very different from that of the Awakened. Is this the power that is slowly cultivated in a world that was not swallowed by the Abyss?"

Chu Xiu thought to himself.

He could sense that while he was observing these soldiers, they were also observing him, but their gazes were not friendly, even harboring a hint of disgust. However, when Chu Xiu passed by, each of them still knelt down on one knee to show respect.

"Hmm, it seems that I, this so-called 'elder,' am not popular."

At this moment, Chu Xiu's eyes suddenly lit up as he looked toward a room.

It was an inconspicuous house hidden in a corner of the military camp, closed off with a heavy steel door, just like the other rooms.

A gentle female voice came from inside.

"Seventh Brother, the abbot of the temple has arrived. Quickly put away your things so they don't see them."

Immediately, a young male voice filled with disgust rang out: "What are you afraid of? How could those bald monks who only know how to fuck women come to such a filthy place?"

"Seventh Brother! Keep your voice down! The Buddhist elders are incredibly powerful; who knows what tricks they might have up their sleeves? Besides, not everyone in our camp is trustworthy. Take Fourth Brother, for example."

The girl's voice gradually faded, and the young man fell silent as well.

After a long pause, his vicious voice finally rang out: "I will settle the score with those bald monks for Fourth Brother's revenge one day, and I will make that traitor wish he were dead."

"Yes, yes, but let's put things away quickly now."

“Alright,” the young man said without further insistence, “Don’t be too nervous, sister. I’ve soundproofed this place according to the methods described in the book. Those bald monks claim to be gods and Buddhas incarnate, but in reality, they are just ordinary people like us, only they have cultivated profound martial arts. They definitely won’t be able to detect us.”

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening crash rang out, and the heavy steel door was kicked open. Chu Xiu, shrouded in a black robe, slowly walked in.

The young man and woman inside the room stood frozen in place, staring incredulously at Chu Xiu as he entered. After they came to their senses, their faces turned deathly pale!

"You, you are."

"Elder! Where are you going! Wait for me!"

Before he could finish speaking, the soldier who had led the way came running up behind him, panting heavily. When he saw the man and woman in front of Chu Xiu, he stopped abruptly, his face filled with intense fear, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Elder, Elder, this is a misunderstanding. We discovered these things by accident while eliminating those 'hungry ghosts,' and we haven't had time to report it yet. It was absolutely not an intentional violation of the precepts!"

The soldier behind him was trembling with fear; Chu Xiu could see he was gripped by extreme terror. Despite his fear, Chu Xiu forced himself to speak up for the young man. Upon hearing the soldier address Chu Xiu as "Elder," the young man gave a bitter laugh, finally understanding his predicament. Disbelief still lingered on his face; he seemed unable to comprehend why a "Buddhist Elder" would suddenly appear at his doorstep.

Even though he couldn't believe it, he quickly accepted reality, knelt down and said frankly, "Elder, I possess contraband and know I have no way to survive. Just punish me according to the rules. Whether it's being slowly sliced ​​to death or burned alive, I have no complaints. I only ask that the elder not take his anger out on the other brothers in this camp. They are all good soldiers who fight for Buddha."

"Seventh Brother!" The girl looked at the young man, her face full of sorrow.

Chu Xiu, standing to the side:
No, I haven't said a word yet, what are you guys acting out?

However, he was too lazy to argue with them, and simply lowered his gaze to the so-called "contraband" they were talking about.

A well-worn book and several disassembled modern industrial products.

Chu Xiu glanced at it briefly and lost interest. He looked behind the young man and pointed lightly.

Suddenly, an invisible force descended behind him, and with a loud bang, the entire wall behind the man exploded, revealing a well-sealed secret chamber.

The secret room contained a number of books, at least a hundred at a glance, as well as a large number of old and modern handicrafts, all sorts of strange things, from discarded appliances to simple toys, densely packed into several cabinets.

It is clear that each of them has been carefully categorized and well preserved.

This scene made the already pale faces of the three people present even paler!

If the few contraband items just now could be barely explained away, and the public execution of one or two people might be enough to cover it up, then this dense array of contraband items before us is undoubtedly treason! It cannot be easily let off the hook.

Let alone one or two people dying, I'm afraid even the general will be buried with them!

The young man's face was ashen, and the other two also had expressions of despair in their eyes.

However, Chu Xiu remained expressionless. He simply pointed again, and the hundreds of books began to turn automatically without any wind. Under the sweep of Chu Xiu's divine sense, a large amount of knowledge flooded into his mind like a tide.

This scene deepened the despair on the faces of the others.

They had never seen, no, not even heard of, such profound supernatural powers! The person before them must be a great figure in Buddhism.

Chu Xiu, of course, didn't care what the three of them thought. In fact, he had no interest in what was forbidden or not, nor did he care what tricks these people were up to behind the scenes.

He simply used his divine sense to scan the area and found many books, so he came to take a look.

This allows him to understand the current situation as quickly as possible.

Humans are still too slow at transmitting information through language.

In just over ten seconds, Chu Xiu's brain, which was hundreds of times stronger than the most outstanding geniuses among ordinary people, had roughly digested the contents of the book and had a general idea of ​​his current situation.

"This shelter is older than I imagined; it has existed for at least seven hundred years."

According to the book, hundreds of years ago, a great disaster known as "Apocalypse" occurred. This was because people indulged in their desires and accumulated enormous karma, which triggered the Buddha's anger and caused a natural disaster.

In that disaster, almost everyone was burned to death by the karmic fire. Only a very few of the Buddha's followers, led by reincarnated holy monks, came to this place and escaped the calamity. This place is also known as "the only paradise on earth".

Although these few people were lucky enough to survive, they were still "guilty," and not only them, but their descendants for generations to come carried the "original sin" of their ancestors.

Therefore, they must atone for their sins in this resource-scarce place, where there are many "evil spirits".

Only by continuously listening to the teachings of the reincarnated holy monks and observing the precepts day after day until all sins are repaid can one return to the good days of the past.

"Isn't this just a distorted version of Buddhism mixed with Christianity?" Chu Xiu found it somewhat amusing.

He speculated that the person who originally established the shelter must have possessed some kind of Buddhist supernatural power. In order to better control the people in the shelter, he combined Buddhism with other religions' monotheistic ideas, indulgences, and other concepts to create a new thing.

For the next seven hundred years, the entire sanctuary was under this rule.

The Buddhist monks here are the absolute ruling class. They do not need to follow any rules and regulations, but instead indulge in extreme pleasures. They are called monks, but in reality, they are emperors.

Furthermore, in order to ensure their dominant position, Buddhists have established many rules to safeguard their rule.

For example, only Buddhists can practice secret and special lineages, a large number of Buddhist protective artifacts are built, ordinary people are prohibited from researching and developing technology, and even the exploration of past history is forbidden, etc.

If they violate the rules, they will be subjected to extreme punishments. It can be said that most of the inhumane torture methods from ancient times have been preserved, and even further innovated and extended. There is also a very domineering and unreasonable collective punishment mechanism.

This is why the three of them were so terrified after Chu Xiu discovered that they were carrying contraband.

Of course, Chu Xiu didn't feel much sympathy; on the contrary, he thought it was quite good.

"This kind of brainwashing and social structure where even a few smart people dare not resist due to the authority has a great advantage: as long as the ruling class is dealt with, the mobilization speed will be extremely fast, which will save me a lot of trouble."

Having figured things out, Chu Xiu stopped dwelling on it and instead turned his attention to the crisis facing humanity in this area.

"According to the records, the main danger here is the 'Hungry Ghosts,' which are humanoid creatures with physical abilities far superior to normal humans. They are not only extremely fast but also possess various special abilities, making them a great enemy of the humans here."

"In order to deal with the hungry ghosts, over the past seven hundred years, humans have built three 'guardian cities' in succession near the main city of the refuge. Further in from the guard cities are the 'city walls', which keep all the hungry ghosts out of the city walls."

"The main city has a population of nearly 10,000 and is the base for industrial and agricultural production. Each guard city has a population of 2,000 to 3,000. The outer guard cities have a higher proportion of military personnel and are important hubs for recruit training, supply storage and transportation."

"As for the city wall, this is where I am now. It is the front line against evil spirits and usually maintains more than three thousand combat personnel."

However, judging from Chu Xiu's experience along the way, as the power of the abyss increases, the defensive strength of the city walls seems to be gradually weakening, and they are currently in a state of shortage of both personnel and equipment.

The young man in front of him was adventuring to study technology and history, and besides his own desire for exploration, he probably also had the idea of ​​strengthening the front-line defenses.

"But now that I'm here, they don't need to worry."

"The total population here exceeds 20,000, which is more than the number of people in a typical general-level trial. If we can rescue all of them, the rewards will definitely be very generous."

"What I need to do is very simple: solve the problems at the front, and then contact the highest levels of Buddhism as quickly as possible to rescue these 20,000 people back to the Corpse Demon World."

Chu Xiu quickly made a plan in his mind.

However, just as Chu Xiu was about to turn around and leave, the man who was kneeling on the ground suddenly pounced and rushed to a table to Chu Xiu's left in the blink of an eye!

To his astonishment, the young man pulled out a double-barreled shotgun from under the table. The shotgun was engraved with ancient patterns and inlaid with four pieces of pure white fluorite. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger on Chu Xiu!
"boom!"

A fierce flame erupted in the cramped room as two bullets shot out and struck Chu Xiu heavily.

"Bang! Bang!"

The bullet turned into a disc and fell off Chu Xiu.

"Clang, clang."

The bullet fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and the small room fell silent.

(End of this chapter)