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

Chapter 269 Lamp

"died???"

Even with Chu Xiu's composure, this news made his eyes widen involuntarily.

After calming himself down, he quickly asked, "What exactly happened? How could Senior Qin be dead? If he's dead, why is the camp safe and sound?"

"Because he did not die in the world of the dead, but in the Trial of Heroes."

Ya Zi also sighed: "As you know, the development of civilization takes time. After the calamity left, it started some kind of ritual, causing the entire Corpse Demon World to break free from the abyss and begin to recover. Originally, we had more than ten or even several decades to develop slowly, but now this stage has been greatly shortened."

"The analysts at the Bureau of Investigation unanimously agree that even with a bit of luck, there's a high probability they'll encounter a [Heroic Spirit] within five years!"

"Therefore, Qin Xiang believed that his strength was not enough to continue protecting the civilization in the Corpse Demon World, and two and a half months ago he chose to challenge the Heroic Spirit Trial."

Chu Xiu was stunned by Ya Zi's words.

He couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment. He didn't know if it was the regret of losing a free bodyguard, the sorrow of Qin Xiang's death, the admiration for his dedication to the country, or perhaps all three.

Seeing his complicated expression, Ya Zi had misunderstood and comforted him, "You don't need to blame yourself. This was his own decision. If he wants to move forward, he will have to cross this threshold sooner or later. In fact, he has the courage to try, and I support him."

"Moreover," Ya Zi stopped halfway through his sentence.

"Besides what?" Chu Xiu asked.

"It's nothing," Ya Zi shook his head.

Chu Xiu said, "Please speak freely, senior."

Ya Zi sighed, "I originally wanted to say that Qin Xiang might not necessarily be dead, but then I thought that was just self-deception and consolation, and there was no need to say more."

Chu Xiu asked in confusion, "Senior Qin is still alive? What exactly is going on, Senior?"

Ya Zi thought for a moment and said, "Actually, this is not a secret. Most kings with backgrounds prepare an item called the [Trial Termination Talisman] when participating in the Ancient Trials."

"The purpose of this item is to cancel the entire trial if you realize that you are about to fail."

Ya Zi's words reminded Chu Xiu of a girl named Jiang Xue who had an escape item during his warrior-level trial, which was still lying in his storage space.

This item must be extremely valuable, but if Qin Xiang possessed it, why did he die?

Chu Xiu voiced his doubts.

Ya Zi said, "This is because this item is not just about canceling the trial. If such a magical item existed, the death rate of the Heroic Spirit Trial would not be so high."

"Its core principle is to directly eliminate the entire identity of the 'Awakener'!"

Eliminate the Awakened One's status immediately!
Chu Xiu instantly realized: "So that means..."

“That’s right,” Ya Zi nodded. “Qin Xiang will become an ordinary person. He can retain his cultivation level, but he can no longer gain experience by killing monsters. He must cultivate slowly, bit by bit, like the cultivators of the past.”

"More importantly, the Awakening Space and Storage Space will also disappear, which means that even if Qin Xiang ends the trial, he will have no way to return to Blue Star."

"Can we send someone to pick him up?" Chu Xiu asked.

“That’s the key,” Ya Zi said with a wry smile. “Theoretically, there is a method, but no one has ever succeeded. There was even a demigod who got lost in the abyss because of it and has not been heard from since.”

"Even a demigod..." Chu Xiu's eyes widened in surprise, but he still asked, "What method is it?"

When Ya Zi pressed him for details, he didn't hide anything and said, "The abyss is vast and boundless, incredibly large, like a complete universe. Even the strongest among us humans can only explore a tiny fraction of it."

"Therefore, if it were an ordinary King-level being lost, there would be no way to rescue them. But Qin Xiang's special feature is that he has an information entity within [Yuan City]."

"Although the information body fell into a dormant state with the cancellation of the Awakener's identity, it has not yet disintegrated. This means that Qin Xiang is still alive. We can trace Qin Xiang's location through the spatial channel connecting the information body and the original body that Yuancheng opened up."

Chu Xiu was overjoyed: "Doesn't this mean we can save Senior Qin?"

Ya Zi shook his head with a wry smile: "You have this idea because you haven't tried [Free Deep Dive] yet, right?"

"The dangers within the abyss are far beyond what those who haven't been there can imagine. It may seem as vast and empty as the universe, with planets separated by immense distances, but in reality, it's fraught with danger at every turn. Abyssal turbulence, psychic cascades, star-devouring creatures, and other terrifying beings can easily devour even Heroic Spirits and Demigods! Even the eight Heavenly Kings wouldn't dare say they're confident they could survive there!"

"And the higher the depth, the greater the probability of encountering these terrifying beings! And the depth of the Heroic Spirit Trial exceeds 20,000!"

"At this depth, without a [light], it's suicide. Even a [demigod] has a survival rate of no more than 50%. No one would risk that to save a mere king-level being."

"So, we're just broadcasting Qin Xiang's approximate location to all the powerful individuals at the [Heroic Spirit] level or above. If anyone happens to be nearby and has a [Lamp] nearby, they might give it a try."

"But the abyss is so vast, the probability is too small!"

After saying that, Ya Zi sighed again.

You could sense that although he usually had a cold face, he actually valued this subordinate he had promoted quite a bit.

Meanwhile, Chu Xiu, who was standing to the side, keenly noticed a word.

"lamp?"

“Oh, this? This is a tool for exploring the abyss. It can expand the range of your senses in the abyss. Without this tool, don’t even think about diving freely into the deep sea,” Ya Zi said.

"Currently, even the cheapest lamps on the market, which only increase the exploration distance by 0.1, are worth two to three hundred thousand causal points. Top-tier lamps with an exploration distance of more than 1 are so sought after that even heroic spirits would fight tooth and nail for them. Usually, only demigods can possess them, and their value is immeasurable."

These words made Chu Xiu's heart pound.

He remembered that his Xi Huang Search Lamp could detect a distance of a full 5 points!

At this moment, Chu Xiu had another thought: Could this detection range be measured in the same unit as the depth of the abyss?
"No wonder this was the final reward for a perfect clear of the [End] difficulty level."

Almost instantly, Chu Xiu realized the immense value of this treasure!
Taking a deep breath, Chu Xiu said, "Senior, please tell me Senior Qin's approximate location."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ya Zi frowned: "You don't need to worry about this. You just need to develop properly step by step. What kind of strength do you have to dare to think about this?"

Chu Xiu said, "Senior misunderstands. I am self-aware and would never take any risks. It's just that Senior Qin has been kind to me, and I would like to learn more about him."

Upon hearing this, Ya Zi's brows furrowed even more, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.

Judging from Chu Xiu's appearance, he seems to really intend to save Qin Xiang. However, how come he never noticed before that this young man is a person who values ​​loyalty and righteousness?
Both his intuition and the Bureau of Investigation's analysis indicated that Chu Xiu might have some feelings, but not many. His past actions in saving people were more of a pretense or for personal gain.

He would never act when his true interests were at stake.

Could it be that I and the people from the investigation bureau have misjudged him?

After a moment's thought, Ya Zi said, "You'd better not think about this anymore."

"Let me tell you something else: even if you do manage to reach the world where Qin Xiang is, it might not be in time."

Chu Xiu asked, "What do you mean by this, senior?"

Ya Zi said, "First of all, the Trials of Heroes are extremely dangerous. Canceling the trials only removes the restrictions and penalties for failure; it doesn't mean those dangers have disappeared. Secondly, you should also know that the flow of time in the world swallowed by the abyss is different from that on our Blue Star, right?"

Chu Xiu nodded. In his Hundred Ghosts Furnace world, only twenty or thirty years had passed on Blue Star, while two thousand years had passed in the Hundred Ghosts Furnace! A hundredfold difference!

Ya Zi's meaning is quite clear: by the time Chu Xiu arrives, Qin Xiang will probably already be old and dead.

However, Chu Xiu still said, "Please give me the coordinates, senior. I know what I'm doing." Seeing this, Ya Zi didn't say anything more. He raised his hand and waved, and a string of information entered Chu Xiu's mind.

(4576232, -2358912, 25672, error ±2)

"These are the coordinates starting from our Blue Star. But remember, in the Abyss, even a difference of 1 point is an immeasurable distance. Without the [Light], never even think about exploring," Ya Zi warned finally.

Chu Xiu nodded.

Ya Zi said no more, and said, "What you should really be worried about now is the defense of your civilization."

"Our government has recently purchased a newly discovered [anchor point] for two billion and sent a new King-level expert there. We have also re-established contact with Mu Wu and put him in charge of guarding it. Security should not be a problem in the short term."

"However, once the powerful beings of the Corpse Demon World have fully recovered, these two will certainly not be willing to continue to risk their lives there."

"The Bureau of Investigation's follow-up plan is to establish a comprehensive modern defense system with mechanic Guan Ke at its core. However, this plan requires a large investment, and funding and time are issues, and it is also full of variables."

"In short, you can't rely entirely on the government to bail you out and just sit back and do nothing."

Chu Xiu hurriedly replied, "This junior understands."

After saying this, Ya Zi said no more, waved his hand, and his figure gradually faded and disappeared.

Chu Xiu stared at the coordinates in his hand and let out a long breath.

Although Qin Xiang had been kind to him, given Chu Xiu's personality, this favor was not enough to make him take immediate risks.

At most, let him try it out as a side trip during his future explorations.

"With the [Deep Diving Safety Rope] and the [Xi Huang Searchlight], I will definitely do free diving; otherwise, it would be a waste of these two treasures."

"However, we still need to improve our physical strength first, so that we will have more confidence in dealing with danger."

"So what I need to do now is continue to refine my work according to the established plan! But I need to speed things up!"

Ya Zi's words stirred a sense of urgency within him.

Having made up his mind, Chu Xiu didn't think any further. After returning to Blue Star and resting briefly, he quickly re-entered the Hundred Ghosts Furnace world.

In the following time, he and Jiang Miaoyin continued to collect materials and hunt ghosts in the inner area.

Two months later.

Jiang Miaoyin commanded three cursed spirits to chase after a ghostly creature resembling a burning, agile horse, as they raced swiftly across the wide open space.

The ghost was extremely fast, dashing left and right, making it impossible for Jiang Miaoyin to attack it.

In the chase, the two soon arrived at a valley, where there were three different passages at the entrance.

Jiang Miaoyin raised her hand, and two more cursed spirits rushed out, spitting out large balls of raging fire, blocking the roads on both sides and leaving only the middle one open.

Without a second thought, the steed ghost plunged into the central passage. But not long after it entered, countless hands of dead souls suddenly rose from the ground, and the next moment, countless vengeful ghosts pounced on it!

【Bone Binding Soul Technique】!
Amidst the piercing screams, the ghost's soul was completely torn apart, becoming its food.

[Obtained item: 4534 Karma Points]

[Item Obtained: Ghost Steed (Royal Treasure)]

As the notification sound rang, Chu Xiu stepped out of the shadows. Without hesitation, he took out the newly acquired item and tossed it to Jiang Miaoyin.

Jiang Miaoyin caught it and chuckled, "Senior, our cooperation is becoming more and more seamless."

Chu Xiu did not refute, but nodded and said, "That's right, thanks to you, my hunting efficiency has increased a lot."

"If it were just me alone, I might not have achieved what I have now even after another year."

"Huh?!" Jiang Miaoyin looked shocked and suspicious. "Senior, why did you suddenly change your tune? I'm not used to you praising me like this."

"You should ignore or even suppress me like before, so that I won't dare to even think about asking for more money!"

Chu Xiu found it somewhat amusing: "No, is that how you perceive me?"

"Oh, of course I was just kidding, although you don't usually compliment people much, senior."

Jiang Miaoyin leaped down from the air and landed in front of Chu Xiu. The impact of landing lifted her skirt, revealing her full and firm thighs.

Today she was wearing a blue and white knee-length dress, paired with white socks and JK uniform shoes, a pure and innocent girl's outfit.

However, even without a figure-flattering dress, she couldn't hide her overweight figure, creating an indescribable contrast. In particular, her cunning yet alluring eyes added a unique charm to her.

The combination of a young girl's vitality and a mature woman's figure was so alluring that even Chu Xiu had to admit it.

However, Chu Xiu's eyes remained largely unmoved as he simply said, "I have something to tell you."

"what is the matter?"

"Our cooperation should come to an end."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Miaoyin let out a somewhat disappointed "Ah," but she only said sensibly, "That's right, most of the ghosts here have been eliminated, so continuing won't be very profitable."

In recent days, both of them could clearly feel that their gains were getting smaller and smaller, and the king-level ghost they had obtained earlier was their only gain in the last three days.

"But senior, even if we don't have this place, we can still look for it elsewhere."

Chu Xiu said, "This is what I wanted to ask of you. I have things to do and will not be returning to this world for a while. I hope you can help me find out where the opportunity is and keep an eye on the movements of other people."

These blunt words left Jiang Miaoyin speechless: "Senior, you seem to be that scumbag woman who used me as a tool and a simp."

Chu Xiu did not deny it, but said, "If you find an opportunity that you are capable of seizing, then you don't need to wait for me. I will pay you for the information later."

Jiang Miaoyin sighed: "Senior, I didn't say I was going to refuse you. If you had just said a few nice words, I would have agreed. Why have to be so distant?"

Chu Xiu did not answer. He could tell that this woman wanted to get closer to him, but he knew very well that friendship, love, and bonds were things for young people. At their level and status, all that mattered was the exchange of benefits.

It is impossible to cultivate a trustworthy and reliable relationship without long-term cooperation.

He also didn't believe that Jiang Miaoyin was as honest as she appeared. Chu Xiu never assumed that she was an overprotected canary just because she came from a prominent family.

So he simply said, "So you agreed?"

Jiang Miaoyin pouted: "Anyway, if I encounter an opportunity that I can't handle, I'll have to cooperate with someone else, so why not with you, senior? But next time I want a 30/70 split!"

Chu Xiu nodded: "Okay."

After the deal was struck, he returned to Earth without further delay.

After two months of hard work and reflection, it's time to reap the rewards.

(End of this chapter)