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

Chapter 365 Immortal Aura and Stone Beads

As the celestial messenger approached, the atmosphere in the arena immediately became lively.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanhuo, it's been a long time. Since it's you who's here this time, then the one who's here to preach must be the 'Changqing Merit Immortal Lord'?"

Xuan Huozi cupped his hands in greeting: "It is indeed my master."

He paused, then added, "Not only that, the Holy Maiden will also come with my master."

Hearing this, the group of ghosts became even more excited.

"I never expected even the Holy Maiden would come!"

"It seems this presentation was extraordinary."

"By the way, didn't Fellow Daoist Liuyun say a few days ago that another fellow Daoist with extraordinary strength has appeared and is qualified to become a candidate for immortality? It is also possible that he came to test this person."

After saying this, one of the ghosts bowed to Chu Xiu and said, "In that case, we should thank you, fellow Daoist, for enabling us to meet the Holy Maiden this time."

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for such formalities,” Chu Xiu waved his hand, then asked curiously, “I wonder who this Holy Maiden is?”

The ghost chuckled and said, "It's normal that you don't know, fellow Daoist. The selection of the Holy Maiden was only half a year ago."

"Only half a year?" Chu Xiu was stunned. He looked around and found that quite a few ghosts had also curiously gathered around, obviously not knowing what this Holy Maiden was.

"I have cultivated for eight hundred years, but I have never heard of a holy maiden in the Immortal Palace. I wonder what kind of wonders this holy maiden possesses? Fellow Daoist Divine Ox, please stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly."

The ghostly creature called Shen Niu Zi did indeed resemble a green ox. It chuckled and said, "I've only vaguely heard 'Immortal Lord Houde Zhongtu' mention that this Holy Maiden was personally appointed by the Immortal Emperor. It is said that she has the ability to enlighten the mind and help people become immortals."

Help others achieve immortality!

The moment those four words were uttered, the ghosts erupted in uproar.

They cultivate the Tao day and night, isn't it all for the sake of becoming immortals!
In an instant, the eyes of all the ghosts burned with desire.

Even Chu Xiu felt a surge of curiosity.

Under the expectant gaze of the ghosts, it wasn't long before two figures strode into the hall.

The first person was dressed in a green robe, with a black face and long beard. He exuded an imposing aura without being angry, and his aura was incredibly powerful. Although he was a ghost, his appearance was no different from that of a human, just like a Taoist master who had come down from the mountain to exorcise demons.

Behind him stood a graceful woman in a black, form-fitting long dress, her face veiled. Even with her face obscured, one could still imagine from the swaying of her hips that a stunningly beautiful woman must be hidden beneath the veil.

"Are these the immortal lord and the holy maiden?"

Chu Xiu's gaze narrowed slightly; these two were both extremely unusual!
Needless to say, that immortal lord was a powerful ghost who had reached the level of a heroic spirit!
Moreover, it is not an ordinary heroic spirit. Its soul body is incredibly tough, as if it has been fused with some kind of special energy. In terms of physical strength, it is even comparable to physical creatures of the same level!

"Is this the immortal body?" Chu Xiu was secretly shocked.

The woman behind it, though only a King-level being,
He's an Awakened One!
"An awakened individual who appeared six months ago."

Chu Xiu was a little confused. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that there were only two women who had come to explore the Hundred Ghosts Furnace: Jiang Miaoyin and Sofina from the Celestial Machinery Guild.

Where did this awakened one come from?
Could there be other passages leading to the outside world?
Thinking of this, Chu Xiu's gaze towards that saintess changed.

However, he did not act rashly, but stayed quietly among the ghosts, concealing his aura.

Because of the Yama Sutra, it was very easy for him to disguise himself as a ghost. He only needed to use demonic energy to cover up the aura of his physical body and then release the pressure of his divine soul. Anyone would mistake him for a very powerful ghost.

As expected, the immortal lord did not notice him.

After greeting each of the ghosts in turn, he began his sermon.

It mainly talked about some issues in cultivating the "Reversed Yin and Yang Technique". All the ghosts listened very carefully. Chu Xiu didn't pay attention at first, but after listening to some of it, he also felt that he benefited a lot.

Although he inherited the legacy of the Demonic Sect, he had no one to guide him. The path of cultivation is extremely complex, and without a master's long-term guidance and instruction, it is easy to go astray, and it is not uncommon for one to even suffer from demonic possession.

He has always relied on the Abyss's data processing capabilities to force his way through, but if he wants to break free from the Abyss's control one day, he must have the ability to cultivate independently.

For some reason, this "Reversing Yin and Yang Technique" is very similar to the cultivation methods in the world of immortals. Listening to the immortal lord's lecture has answered many of his questions.

Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and even after the immortal lord stopped, Chu Xiu was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

However, the other ghosts became excited, as if they were looking forward to what was about to happen.

The immortal lord smiled slightly and said, "That concludes today's sermon. I wish you all a speedy attainment of the Great Dao."

"As usual, I will now bestow upon you all auspicious opportunities as a reward for your single-minded pursuit of the Dao."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stretched out his hand, and dozens of beams of spiritual light shot out from his palm and fell into the hands of the ghosts.

Chu Xiu also received a share.

He stared intently, and saw a wisp of golden gas swirling in his palm. The gas was very faint, but all the ghosts showed expressions of ecstasy, and said in unison, "Thank you, Immortal Lord, for bestowing this divine favor!"

Then, they eagerly swallowed the wisp of gas into their soul bodies and began to refine it.

To Chu Xiu's astonishment, after swallowing this wisp of gas, the aura of almost every ghost creature grew stronger, and several of the most powerful ghost creatures even showed signs of transforming into heroic spirits!
"Could this be the aura of immortality?" A thought arose in Chu Xiu's mind.

"What are you waiting for, fellow Daoist?"

Just as he was pondering this, the immortal lord's voice suddenly rang in his ears. Chu Xiu looked up and met a pair of scrutinizing eyes.

Chu Xiu frowned. He certainly didn't want to put this unknown gas into his body, but at this moment all the ghosts were meditating cross-legged, and he did seem a bit out of place.

Just as Chu Xiu was hesitating, the stone bead on his chest suddenly started to heat up slightly again.

With a thought, Chu Xiu guided the wisp of immortal energy toward the stone bead in his arms. The stone bead flashed and then swallowed the wisp of immortal energy!

Suddenly, a notification sound rang in Chu Xiu's ears.

[Item Obtained: 451 Causality Points]

"?!!!"

Chu Xiu stared in shock, his eyes wide.

What's happening here?
After absorbing the immortal energy, the stone bead actually produced causal points?

"This"

Although he knew that the stone bead must have a great background, he never thought that it would have such a heaven-defying ability!
And what exactly is this so-called celestial energy? Why can it combine with the stone bead to create a causal point?
If the so-called Penglai Wonderland is truly filled with immortal energy as the ghosts say, then wouldn't he have an endless amount of causal points?
In an instant, Chu Xiu's heart was filled with turbulent waves.

The origins of this world are probably far greater than he imagined!

Fortunately, due to the demonic energy, outsiders could not see his expression. When the immortal lord saw that he had absorbed the immortal energy, he also withdrew his gaze.

After a while, all the ghosts reluctantly ended their cultivation.

Clearly, that wisp of immortal energy wasn't much; it wasn't realistic to expect to break through to the Heroic Spirit level with just that little bit of immortal energy.

The Immortal Lord smiled and said, "Next, it's the same old rule. You can use all kinds of items to exchange for the immortal energy and immortal treasures I have." As soon as he finished speaking, the ghosts, who had tasted the benefits, took out all kinds of rare and precious materials and rushed to the Immortal Lord, asking to exchange them for immortal energy.

The price of this celestial energy is outrageously high; for example, that wisp of it required a full three kilograms of Yin Stones to exchange for it.

This scene also made Chu Xiu realize that this so-called preaching was probably just the immortals' daily scavenging of treasures from the lower realms.

This celestial energy might not be considered a remarkable treasure to immortals, but it is a coveted treasure for all ghosts.

Chu Xiu, of course, would not do such a losing business.

After almost all the ghosts had completed their transactions, he slowly stepped forward, flipped his wrist, and a series of transparent Yin Stones appeared in his hand.

Immortal Lord Changqing's eyes lit up, and he quickly determined that Chu Xiu had over a hundred catties of Yin Stone in his hands, which was among the top three riches of all ghosts.

"Hmm, 129 jin of Yin Stone, let's say 130, that's the corresponding amount."

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Xiu raised his hand to stop him.

"Immortal Lord, I do not wish to exchange for immortal energy."

These words immediately made Immortal Lord Changqing frown and ask, "Then what do you want?"

Chu Xiu said, "I want the stomach of a high-level Yin Beast?"

"Stomach bag?"

"Any material that has a similar function will do, as long as it is an organ used to digest food."

After a moment of silence, the Evergreen Merit Immortal Lord raised his hand and waved it, and a "skin" as smooth as pure white silk appeared in the arena.

"This item is a 'protective shield' used by a celestial beast to encase its core. I wonder if it is suitable?"

Chu Xiu glanced at it, and a look of surprise quickly flashed in his eyes. This was undoubtedly a top-grade material of the Heroic Spirit level. Even if its rank was not quite [Legendary], it was not far off. It was enough to be used as the main material for the Myriad Filth Returning to Origin Bag.

Of course, only the basic quality of such a powerful magic weapon can be refined. To refine it to its theoretical upper limit, the value of the materials required is extremely astonishing. It is estimated that even turning the entire Hundred Ghosts Furnace upside down might not be enough.

However, even with its basic quality, the sheer amount of death energy present here makes its power astonishing.

Chu Xiu was satisfied as long as he didn't refine anything of low quality or inferior grade.

"How much does this item cost?" Chu Xiu asked.

"Ninety-four catties of Yin stone."

Chu Xiu nodded and prepared to make the exchange, but at this moment, Immortal Lord Changqing Merit pressed down on the "skin" floating in front of him.

"Wait a minute."

"Immortal Lord, is there anything else?" Chu Xiu asked.

Immortal Lord Changqing Merit looked Chu Xiu up and down and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you are the fellow Daoist who went to explore the 'Carrion-Eating Cave' a few days ago, right?"

The ghosts around Chu Xiu all cast surprised glances at him. The Carrion-Eating Cave was infamous; only ruthless ghosts dared to go there.

Chu Xiu's expression remained unchanged: "It is indeed me."

The Immortal Lord of Everlasting Merit said meaningfully, "I just received information that the fellow Daoists Hei Yunzi and others who were responsible for guarding the Devouring Cave have all died for some unknown reason."

As soon as the words were spoken, the ghosts erupted in chaos!

"Fellow Daoist Hei Yunzi is dead? Could it be that the Carrion Eaters have invaded again? Even Fellow Daoist Hei Yunzi has died at their hands, so the scale of this invasion must be enormous!"

"Good, we should inform the other fellow cultivators to be careful when exploring in the wild."

The ghosts whispered among themselves, but none of them suspected Chu Xiu.

Only Changqing Gongde Immortal Lord glanced at Chu Xiu and said indifferently, "According to the people who went to investigate, no traces of the carrion eaters' invasion were found. The battle scene was clean and efficient. Obviously, Hei Yunzi and other fellow Daoists were killed by an existence whose cultivation was far superior to theirs."

These words terrified the ghosts even more: "Could it be that a terrible creature has been born in the Carrion-Eating Cave?"

Immortal Lord Changqing looked at Chu Xiu and continued, "Fellow Daoist, you have also been to the Carrion-Eating Cave, but left safely in the end. I wonder if you know anything about it?"

Although its tone was calm, its eyes never left Chu Xiu for a moment, and it exuded an undeniable aura that pressed down on Chu Xiu like an overwhelming wave!

But Chu Xiu remained calm and stood still, saying calmly, "It seems I was quite lucky, and the journey was uneventful."

“Yes, fellow Daoist, you must be very fortunate to have escaped this calamity.” The ghost beside him chattered again.

An impatience flashed in the eyes of the Evergreen Merit Immortal Lord, and he snorted coldly, "There is another coincidence. A few days ago, the Inheritance Immortal Stele was shaken, which happened to be the day you returned, and someone noticed that you were near the stele at that time."

"How can this be explained?"

"Explain?" Chu Xiu looked at the Immortal Lord opposite him, a cold smile appearing on his face. "How would I know what happened to the Immortal Stele? There were at least eight hundred or a thousand people near the Immortal Stele at the time, what does it have to do with me?"

Seemingly surprised by Chu Xiu's strong will, Changqing Gongde Immortal Lord's brows furrowed: "Fellow Daoist's temperament is quite different from that of other fellow Daoists."

With his hands behind his back, his aura grew stronger and stronger, and the immense power within him surged like a river!

Although Chu Xiu still completely concealed his aura, his eyes revealed a sharp edge, showing no sign of yielding.

Even the most oblivious ghosts around could sense something was wrong at this point.

Just as the two sides were on the verge of exchanging blows, a gentle female voice suddenly rang out: "Fellow Daoist, you need the 'stomach' of the Yin Beast, right? Immortal Lord Changqing, I remember that Immortal Venerable Shanhai hunted down a Celestial Beast the other day, didn't he? I wonder how that Celestial Beast's 'Heart-Protecting Screen' compares to the one you have?"

It was the saintess who had been silent all along who suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Immortal Lord Changqing was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something and came back to his senses, humming softly, "The one I killed was just an ordinary immortal beast, and it cannot be compared with Immortal Venerable Shan Hai."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Maiden turned to Chu Xiu and smiled, "Immortal Venerable Shan Hai is nearby. If you are willing, I can introduce you."

With that, she flicked her wrist and took out a small bag of Yin Stones: "If you don't have enough to exchange for them, I can lend you some."

The immortal lord watching silently took a half step back, which was taken as tacit approval.

The saintess covered her mouth and chuckled, "Fellow Daoist is truly blessed; all three Immortal Venerables have descended to the mortal realm together this time."

Chu Xiu sneered inwardly at their behavior. Did they think that one Immortal Lord couldn't deal with him, so they planned to ask for another helper?

Does he really seem that easy to fool? Or are the ghosts here too innocent, making these guys so arrogant that they treat everyone like idiots?

However, Chu Xiu felt something was strange; the saintess's words seemed to be a reminder to him.

But no matter what, Chu Xiu's answer will not change.

He glanced at the two men with a half-smile and chuckled, "In that case, I'll trouble you two to lead the way."

(End of this chapter)