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

Chapter 357 The Boundary Between Life and Death
"This, this is..." Chen Lengqiang's lips trembled.

Chu Xiu asked, "How long have you four been walking like this?"

Chen Lengqiang opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't remember exactly how many days he had been walking; he only remembered that he had been walking for a long time.

But how is that possible? A King-level expert has a photographic memory and can tell the time simply by sensing the internal circulation. How could he not even know how many days have passed?
The three people behind him also looked blank, their faces filled with confusion and fear.

"Do you know where this is?" Chu Xiu asked again.

Chen Lengqiang shook his head stiffly.

Chu Xiu said, "This is already the bottom of the furnace. You said you wanted to go to the upper levels of the furnace, so why are you going deeper and deeper?"

"This, this is impossible!" Shen Tianxie shouted angrily. "The Yin energy around us is clearly decreasing. When we first arrived, we had to use all our strength to activate the [Victorious Yang Candle] to resist it. Now, even without using it, we can barely hold on. What kind of tricks did you use! Don't try to fool me!"

Chu Xiu shook his head and said, "It's not that the Yin energy is decreasing, but that you have already turned into corpses, so you can naturally withstand more Yin energy."

"Take a good look around. Is the yin energy less or more?"

The four looked around, their fear growing stronger. Shen Tianxie's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling: "No, this is impossible, how could such a thing happen?"

Chu Xiu said, "Try again. Can you initiate an escape now?"

These words seemed to pierce through the last psychological defense of the four people, and fragmented memories flashed through their minds.

When they encountered the murderer that day, the four of them did not actually escape. After that heroic spirit was killed, they were caught up one by one and cut into pieces by spatial cutting.

How could a murderer who takes pleasure in killing possibly let the four of them go?

Chen Lengqiang's hands trembled as he touched his clothes, and sure enough, he felt small cuts. When he lifted them up, he found that his body had been torn to pieces, but for some reason, it was being held together by a strange force.

The only woman among the four screamed and crouched down, clutching her head. Shen Tianxie trembled, "Impossible! What kind of illusion did you use?"

Chu Xiu said no more. When faced with something unacceptable, the first reaction is denial, followed by anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance.

He knew that it would be pointless to say anything to the four of them now.

No one can accept the fact that they are dead. In contrast, the eerie illusion of an evil spirit becomes their only hope.

Chu Xiu didn't bother with the four of them. He leaped onto Garuda and sped away.

He wouldn't care whether the four lived or died, but...
“Something’s not right here,” Chu Xiu said gravely.

It's not difficult to keep a corpse moving; he already had the relevant resurrected corpse inheritance at the warrior level.

However, it is very difficult to make a corpse retain its former consciousness, or even be unaware that it is dead.

If that were all, Chu Xiu wouldn't be looking so serious.

What truly shocked him was
"It seems that the four of them were not deliberately modified, but rather that a special domain has formed here!"

"Anyone who steps into this place will be affected by the domain!"

This is incredible.

According to the four men, they died not long before Chu Xiu fought the murderous demon, and at least they had not gone deep into the bottom of the furnace.

Even so, they were still affected by this domain after their deaths! Just how vast is this domain?

This level of power.
At this moment, Chu Xiu's expression changed again.

"Miss Jiang, do you think you can still break free?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Miaoyin was startled. After carefully examining the situation, her expression changed drastically.

"Absolutely not! Senior, what do we do now?"

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment and said, "This place is strange, not what we initially thought. To be on the safe side, let's leave here and make further plans."

He originally thought that there was at most one heroic spirit entrenched in this place. Even if Chu Xiu was no match for it due to the terrain, he would still be able to protect himself. But now the situation is too strange, and it doesn't seem like a heroic spirit's ability.

The two of them made a quick decision and flew back the way they came, but soon Chu Xiu's expression hardened again.

"The terrain has changed."

His divine sense swept across the surroundings. Although the ground beneath him was a jumble of irregular rocks, his powerful divine soul immediately made him realize that something was wrong.

"This place is like the Black Death Prison, where space is disordered and different spaces are pieced together."

"After we left, the space here had been changed to another location."

These words made Jiang Miaoyin's face turn pale: "Could it be that even you, senior, couldn't see through it?"

Chu Xiu hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head.

In fact, the traditions of demonic cultivators contain a lot of basic knowledge, and the methods they are using are very similar to some sophisticated enemy-trapping formations.

How could an ordinary formation encompass an entire world? And how could it be so seamless?

After a moment's hesitation, Chu Xiu made a decisive move and immediately led Garuda straight into the sky!
This place is strange. Given his nature, he would first find a way out before seeking any opportunities.

Driven by Chu Xiu, Garuda's speed was incredible. In the blink of an eye, it soared to an altitude of ten thousand meters and continued to ascend at dozens of times the speed of sound.

But the dense yin energy formed by the descending cirrus clouds kept passing by on both sides. After rushing like this for a quarter of an hour, they had covered at least several thousand miles. However, Chu Xiu's expression remained solemn. When Jiang Miaoyin looked back, she could still vaguely see the earth under the clouds!

Chu Xiu suddenly let out a long breath and flew back again, but this time he returned to the ground in less than half a minute.

"Did you see anything amiss, senior?" Jiang Miaoyin asked.

Chu Xiu stood there pondering for a long time, and finally shook his head with a grim expression.

He knew he couldn't possibly break out so easily, but to his surprise, he couldn't detect a single clue.

This strange place is so bizarre that even those heroes or demigods skilled in spatial manipulation might not be able to break through it.

After pondering for a long time, Chu Xiu finally said, "The best course of action now is to expand the search area; perhaps then we can find some clues."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Miaoyin clearly knew the seriousness of the matter. She decisively made a hand seal, and instantly a large amount of instantaneous energy surged out of her body, flowing in all directions.

Chu Xiu thought for a moment and then released the ghost.

At this moment, he had no desire to seek any opportunity; he only wanted to escape from this strange place.

Indeed, there are many variables in this abyss. Places that you think are foolproof may suddenly be filled with strange beings.

Next, the two sat on Garuda and sped up their search.

However, after searching for three whole days, they still found nothing.

What's strange is that the space here seems to only change in uninhabited areas. Initially, Chu Xiu and his companion traveled for dozens of miles, and when they looked back, the space behind them had already changed. However, even though he had scattered the ghosts around him for at least a hundred miles, not a single ghost had been moved to another place.

This made Chu Xiu even more confused about the rules of this place.

This made Jiang Miaoyin's eyes grow increasingly filled with fear. "Senior, we have spread out our summoned creatures and scanned an area that is almost a planet in the past three days, so why have we not yet found the boundary of this place?"

Chu Xiu shook his head: "Don't even mention the border, I haven't seen any repeating roads."

His spirit was strong, and he consciously tried to remember the terrain he passed along the way. Of course, he dared not say that he could remember even the undulating rocks clearly, but he could still roughly remember the larger ravines and peaks.

Chu Xiu originally thought that this world trapped people by changing space, but after searching for three whole days, he couldn't even find the familiar terrain. His shock was no less than Jiang Miaoyin's.

Upon hearing his words, Jiang Miaoyin looked even more bewildered and anxious, saying, "Senior, what should we do now? Are we destined to be trapped here for the rest of our lives?"

Chu Xiu did not answer, but lowered his head and pondered something. After a while, he raised his head and sighed: "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Look at your index finger."

Jiang Miaoyin was stunned. She looked down and her face turned ashen. She noticed that a faint bluish-black line had appeared on her porcelain-white nails.

Although it was only a tiny, almost imperceptible trace, no matter how much Jiang Miaoyin rubbed it, it didn't disappear at all, as if it had grown naturally in her fingernail.

"Senior, what is this?" Her voice trembled.

"If I'm not mistaken, the boundary between life and death here is blurred by an unknown force. The dead are brought back to life, and the living will also fall into the path of death," Chu Xiu said.

These words caused Jiang Miaoyin's expression to change drastically: "Senior, do you mean I will become like the four members of the Heavenly Machinery Guild?"

Chu Xiu pondered intently, then suddenly raised his hand and pointed, activating a wisp of golden embryonic essence, which he then injected into Jiang Miaoyin's hand, causing the black line to disappear.

Jiang Miaoyin breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, but before she could feel at ease, she heard Chu Xiu say, "We should be fine for the time being, but if the two of us cannot replenish our supplies here, I'm afraid that if this continues, I might end up like him."

Upon hearing this, her little face fell into a gloomy mood again.

Chu Xiu's words were not an exaggeration. There was a strange power eroding his body here. If he stayed here for ten or twenty years, Chu Xiu would eventually exhaust all his resources.

Of course, if he senses things are going badly, he will decisively activate the [Freedom Deep Dive Scroll].

This item truly lives up to its reputation as the final reward for the [End] difficulty level; it is incredibly wondrous. It could not be trapped in the Black Death Prison back then, yet it can now be extracted from this strange place.

But Jiang Miaoyin is in a terrible situation.

The black line initially eroded only a trace, but it would accelerate rapidly once it entered her meridians. It was uncertain whether this woman could survive three months without Chu Xiu's golden embryonic essence.

We still need to find a way out of this predicament as soon as possible.

Not to mention, he has a decisive battle to fight in six months, and he doesn't have time to waste here.

Just as Chu Xiu was getting anxious, his expression suddenly changed, and a hint of joy appeared on his face. He was searching for a ghost on the edge of the wilderness when he spotted a giant walking in the distance.

Having finally encountered a living creature, Chu Xiu hurriedly urged Garuda to approach. However, upon getting closer, Chu Xiu's face showed surprise and doubt.

Beside this giant were a huge bronze bull and an upright-walking ape.

The giant appeared to be a member of the Exorcist race, but his body was bloated and swollen, reaching a height of over ten meters. His face was no longer recognizable, as if he had been dead for thousands of years, his flesh and blood constantly decaying and being filled with new flesh and blood.

The bronze bull was also quite peculiar. It seemed to be made entirely of metal, yet it walked like a living creature. The ape was even more bizarre. Though called an ape, it was more like a ferocious ghost, with a blue face and fangs, its soul exuding a chilling aura. It was wearing a robe embroidered with cloud patterns, making it look extremely strange.

Of the three, only the ape was a king-level being; the rest were general-level beings. Yin energy swirled around them, constantly being absorbed into their bodies.

This time, Chu Xiu did not immediately kill them as before, but instead frowned and landed in front of the three.

He originally intended to capture the three and interrogate them about the information about this place, but to his surprise, the three showed no hostility when they saw Chu Xiu. The ape-like ghost even raised its hand in greeting, conveying a sense of friendliness.

"I am Xuan Huozi, greetings to fellow Daoist."

The communication between ghosts is entirely based on thought, and there is no need for language at all.

Although the giant and the bronze bull seemed to lack intelligence and did not react much, Chu Xiu did not sense any hostility from them.

This bizarre scene caused Chu Xiu and Jiang Miaoyin to exchange a glance, both wondering what had happened here—how could the Ghost Exorcists, ghosts, and a strange bronze bull be walking side by side?

What's even stranger is that this world of the Hundred Ghosts Furnace is clearly a world where civilization has been wiped out, yet this ape has given itself a Taoist name and seems quite polite. If civilization has truly been wiped out, where did it learn that from?
With these thoughts in mind, Chu Xiu quietly transmitted his voice to Jiang Miaoyin: "This place is strange, let's keep a low profile."

Jiang Miaoyin nodded quickly.

Chu Xiu turned to the strange ape, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Qin Yu. I greet you, fellow Daoist. May I ask where you are going?"

The monkey returned the greeting, saying, "Go to the City of Darkness."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiu was even more surprised; there was actually a city here?

It's not surprising to have cities, but it's incredibly strange to have cities in this place. You see, a planet with an immortal civilization cannot be swallowed by the abyss, because civilization exponentially increases the variables in the world. Those worlds swallowed by the abyss are nothing but bloodthirsty beasts, no matter how high the world level is.

Even those powerful beings of extremely high status are either bound or dormant, and only when an awakened person comes into contact with them will they awaken and bring about new variables.

This ape is clearly intelligent; it even mentions a city. How could it have been swallowed by the abyss?

Chu Xiu felt that things were getting stranger and stranger. He didn't like the feeling of things being out of his control, but he remained calm and said, "Fellow Daoist, I am from out of town. May I ask where the 'Nether City' is located? Could you please tell me?"

The ape said, "So it turns out you've only recently become a Daoist. To be honest, I've never been to Youcheng before. I only know that it's the largest city in this Hundred Ghosts Furnace, and it leads directly to Penglai."

The ape's words contained a wealth of information, and Chu Xiu instantly had many thoughts racing through his mind. What did it mean to "directly connect to Penglai"? Could that be the path to the outside world? And what was this "newborn" thing?

He turned to the ape and asked the question that had been bothering him: "What is 'Penglai'? And what is 'new life'? Since you have never been to Youcheng, how do you plan to go there?"

The monkey chuckled and said, "Penglai is the upper realm of this world, located on the [Holy Mountain]. As long as you enter, you can become an immortal. Let alone reaching the top, even just getting close enough to breathe in some immortal energy will bring you endless wonders."

“The term ‘new life’ refers to the living beings that are reborn in this world.”

"As for the location of Youcheng, I do not know it either, but as we travel between heaven and earth, we will surely encounter it one day, won't we?"

The monkey's words made Chu Xiu frown slightly: "So, you're just wandering around aimlessly? How can you find Youcheng like that?"

The ape shook its head and said, "It is both walking and cultivation. A senior once told me that when one's cultivation reaches a certain level, one will naturally be able to see the Nether City."

These words made Chu Xiu frown even more, and he asked, "I wonder how long you have been traveling in this world?"

“I didn’t care,” the ape said.

Chu Xiu carefully scanned the ape with his divine sense and found that, like the four members of the Heavenly Machinery Guild, it was nothing more than a corpse.

Although its body was covered in grotesque flesh, there were still traces of the past in some places. Judging from the signs of decay, it wouldn't be surprising if it had been dead for hundreds of years.

This strange ghost has been traveling for so long without ever encountering Youcheng. Where is it going to find it?

Chu Xiu even suspected that the ape was making things up to amuse him.

Just as he was contemplating whether to capture the three ghosts and torture them inside the soul banner, a startled cry rang in his ears: "Senior, look!"

Chu Xiu looked up, a look of astonishment on his face.

A mountain peak piercing the sky appeared at the edge of the horizon, seemingly out of nowhere.

(End of this chapter)