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

Chapter 371 The Taiyin Treasure Vault
“In the cultivation system of ancient cultivators, they called their own bodies ‘divine treasures’, and cultivation is a process of opening up the ‘divine treasures’. The various parts of the body are the various ‘divine treasures’.”

"The 'Taiyin' mentioned by the exorcism civilization is the location of that ancient cultivator's soul, and it is also the most important of all the divine treasures."

Qingyunzi explained unhurriedly, "After that ancient cultivator died, most of the Daoist essence left in his body remained in various divine treasures, forming extremely mysterious [treasure troves]. These treasure troves are not what you might imagine, but they do contain countless secret treasures evolved from Daoist essence. For example, the Inheritance Immortal Stele in my hand was discovered from one of these divine treasures."

"However, over the long years, the Daoist essence has been continuously eroded and consumed, which is why the remaining treasures are so rare."

"But the [Taiyin Treasure Vault] is different. As the place where the consciousness of an ancient cultivator is stored, it is the most heavily guarded place of a cultivator. From the fact that there is no trace of tribulation in the Yin Qi that is constantly descending from it, it can be seen that it is still in a [sealed] state and has not been contaminated by tribulation. It is very likely that it contains infinite Dao treasures!"

Qingyunzi's words finally made Chu Xiu show some interest.

The Taiyin Treasure Vault! A secret treasure formed from the essence of the Dao!
He had personally witnessed the wonders of the Immortal Stele, which not only formed its own space within its body but also inspired creativity and bestowed upon it the legacy.

And this is still the Taoist scriptures left behind in the area that was widely attacked.

It's hard to imagine how many secret treasures are hidden within the 'Taiyin,' which is the most important divine treasure and has not been attacked!

Although he was tempted, Chu Xiu did not let his guard down.

He wasn't foolish enough to completely trust a stranger he'd just met, so he simply said, "So, you don't know what the situation is like inside that secret realm either? Otherwise, you wouldn't be making inferences based solely on the falling yin energy."

Qingyunzi said, "That's not true. Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but there is actually a passage leading to 'Taiyin' within Penglai."

"Oh?"

"However, the gateway to the Yin is always covered by a barrier, and a great deal of calamity gathers before the area leading to the gateway."

"The sheer number of those tribulations is beyond your imagination, fellow Daoist. Compared to them, the deathly aura waterfall cascading down near Penglai is but a drop in the ocean, which is why we have been unable to make a move."

"But this also shows that the barrier of the Taiyin Treasure Vault is still intact, and even the Tribulation cannot enter it," Qingyunzi continued.

His words made Chu Xiu nod silently. If this was true, then the treasure vault was likely still well preserved.

Despite the passage of so many years, power still remained. Even after death, the vitality within the body could automatically evolve into a world, and even give birth to treasure troves and secret treasures. It is truly unimaginable just how powerful this ancient cultivator was in life.

"Although there is a lot of death energy on the way to the portal, we have crafted quite a few magical artifacts to resist it over the years. They can hold out for a few minutes, but destroying the portal amidst layers of death energy is far from possible."

"So you're planning to rely on Jie?" Chu Xiu asked thoughtfully.

“That’s right,” Qingyunzi nodded. “That tribulation bead contains a large amount of tribulation, but like the immortal tablet, it cannot be activated by ordinary means. However, as long as it is thrown onto the barrier, it will automatically trigger and unleash a large amount of tribulation to damage the barrier.”

"Over the past two thousand years, we have collected six Tribulation Pearls. If we include the one you have, that makes seven. To break through the barrier, I estimate that at least eight are needed."

As he spoke, Qingyunzi glanced at Su Jinyu beside him and said with a smile, "I originally intended to rely on Miss Su's talent to slowly replicate the Tribulation Pearl, but now that we are only one pearl away, I do have some secret techniques that may allow us to succeed directly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Jinyu's face turned pale, and she immediately looked at Chu Xiu with pleading eyes.

Although Qingyunzi didn't say it explicitly, how difficult is it to replicate the Tribulation? Even though Su Jinyu has already fused with the ancient god's relic, he is still only a King-level being. How could he replicate something so terrifying? Anyone with a brain knows that this so-called evil technique must be some kind of method that forcibly refines something by sacrificing one's life.

After pondering for a while, Chu Xiu asked, "How confident are you about this?"

“It’s hard to say,” Qingyunzi shook his head. “I haven’t fully mastered the characteristics of the Calamity yet. Those secret techniques are just to help Miss Su enhance her replication ability.”

"Then let's talk about obtaining the Calamity Pearl."

After saying this, Su Jinyu breathed a sigh of relief, while Qingyunzi remained expressionless and smiled, "Alright, these Calamity Pearls are usually only born in places with dense death energy. However, among the four perilous realms, only the Carrion Cave is not explored much because it contains dead souls that are particularly effective against ghosts like us. The Calamity Pearls in the other three perilous realms have basically been collected."

Chu Xiu said, "I only sensed this one Calamity Pearl in that cave. There might be more deep inside, but searching for them would take an unknown amount of effort."

Exploring the Carrion Cave was quite taxing for Chu Xiu. After searching with all his might for a day, he would have to meditate outside to recover. The Carrion Cave had not yet been explored to its full extent. If he searched aimlessly, he didn't know how long it would take, and there was even a possibility that there would be no more Tribulation Pearls left, and he would end up with nothing.

Qingyunzi said, "My guess is also inaccurate. To be on the safe side, it would be better to have nine Tribulation Pearls."

Chu Xiu said, "There may not be so many Tribulation Pearls in the secret cave."

Qingyunzi said, "There is another place. There is a source of death energy outside Penglai, which is also the reason why calamity beasts appear in Penglai. At its core is a calamity pearl, and that calamity pearl is far more powerful than ordinary calamity pearls. One of them is enough to be equivalent to three."

"If we can obtain that item, we will be absolutely certain of success on this mission."

Chu Xiu glanced at Qing Yunzi with a half-smile: "Since you have such a treasure, why have you hesitated to take it? I wonder why?"

Qingyunzi coughed lightly: "Fellow Daoist, why ask a question you already know the answer to? The source of death energy is extremely dangerous, and the calamities it contains are more than a hundred times greater than those in the Four Great Perilous Lands. How could we dare to go there so easily? We still need to rely on your supernatural powers."

"Since that's the case," Chu Xiu's eyes narrowed, his tone suddenly turning fierce, "then why don't I wipe you all out first, and then slowly plan the treasure vault matter?"

Upon hearing this, the eight immortals behind Qingyunzi were all enraged. One of the immortal lords sneered, "Then why don't you try it! The Immortal Emperor invited you to cooperate, do you think he's afraid of you?"

Chu Xiu ignored him and looked at Qing Yunzi instead. The latter remained calm and waved his hand, saying, "Fellow Daoist knows perfectly well that although we are restrained by the calamity, we have cultivated some supernatural abilities over the past two thousand years. We are not afraid to fight against others. A fight to the death would not benefit you."

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to exert any more pressure. As long as we can go to Taiyin, please feel free to name the conditions for this world."

Chu Xiu chuckled twice and said, "You are quite straightforward, so I will be frank. I have two conditions."

Qingyunzi said, "Fellow Daoist, please speak."

Chu Xiu said, "First, you must hand over all the Daoist rhymes, Daoist scriptures, and materials you have collected over the past two thousand years to me, and you must also tell me how to use the stone tablets and other Daoist scriptures."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the eight immortals began to clamor again. The three who had fought with Chu Xiu remained silent, but one of the others angrily shouted, "Who do you think you are, trying to take away our two thousand years of accumulated strength with just a word?"

However, Qingyunzi simply waved his hand to signal those behind him to shut up, and then said, "These are just external possessions. We need to keep the magic weapons that have already been refined. There are still many risks on this trip to Taiyin, so we must not be without magic weapons to protect us. The others can be left to you, fellow Daoist."

After saying that, he glanced back and said, "Why should we cultivators care about worldly possessions? Going to Taiyin to escape the danger to our lives is the most important thing."

Since he had spoken, the immortals behind him naturally had no objections. Qingyunzi then turned back: "What is your second condition, fellow Daoist?"

Chu Xiu didn't stand on ceremony and continued, "The second condition is that I need you to take the lead and enter the core of the source first."

Upon hearing this, Qingyunzi, who had maintained his composure, finally changed his expression: "Fellow Daoist, please don't joke. If we had such ability, why would we have waited until now?"

Chu Xiu sneered, "I'm not joking. Do you really think I would personally venture into danger based on just a few words from you?"

He knew nothing about the source of the deathly aura, nor what dangers lurked at its core, so he would not go there lightly.

Qingyunzi was clearly not going to back down, and coldly snorted, "That calamity is fatal to us. We are cooperating with you to get rid of it, so why would we provoke it? I'm afraid I cannot agree to this condition."

“In that case, I have no choice but to change my plan,” Chu Xiu said with a forced smile. “Compared to fighting against the unknown calamity, I still think dealing with you is simpler.”

"According to what you say, the barrier of Penglai is nearing its limit. After dealing with you, it shouldn't be difficult to break it with the help of Jie."

"The matter of the Taiyin Treasure Vault is too far in the future. I would rather secure it for myself. I am also quite interested in what good things you have amassed over the past two thousand years."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Xiu flipped his wrist, and the Chiwen was already in his hand!

This time he wasn't just pretending; he was genuinely intent on killing. Almost the instant the Chiwen appeared, divine and demonic power and the essence of magical treasures surged into the heavy sword!
Qingyunzi's expression changed drastically. He only had time to draw a rune in the air before an overwhelming sword aura swept over him!

"boom!!!"

The surging sword energy easily shattered the hard rocks in Penglai. The extreme destructive energy that erupted in an instant was no less than that of a small nuclear bomb! The eight immortals reacted extremely quickly and stepped forward at the same time, standing behind Qingyunzi as if forming some kind of formation. However, even with the combined efforts of the nine people, they were still like a small boat in a raging wave, constantly drifting in the violent sword energy, as if they were about to collapse at any moment!

"dismiss!"

Suddenly, Qingyunzi shouted, and Chu Xiu felt as if his brain had been hit by a sharp rivet and was being churned. The continuous sword energy in his hand came to an abrupt halt.

Qingyunzi breathed a sigh of relief, but then saw Chu Xiu's expression return to calm as he raised his sword again.

"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment!" he hurriedly called out, "We will do as you say!"

He paused, then a fierce look appeared on his face, and added, "If you insist on fighting to the death, then I am not afraid!"

He said he was not afraid, but the horror in his eyes was undisguised. Although he had not received the complete inheritance of the ancient cultivator, he had naturally and mysteriously comprehended some mental attack techniques from the scattered consciousness. These techniques were certainly very different from the originals and their power was far inferior, but they were still extremely powerful mental attack techniques.

Qingyunzi originally thought that with these secret techniques, even if he was still no match for Chu Xiu, he would have the confidence to fight to the death. However, he did not expect that the other party's soul had increased in strength again in just one month since their last meeting!
Although the attack he just made was not his most powerful technique, it was still unbelievable that it only made his opponent stagger for a moment.

Meanwhile, Chu Xiu on the other side also stopped after thinking for a while.

He still harbored some apprehension towards this being who had lived for two thousand years and was born from the consciousness of an ancient cultivator. Since the other party had yielded, he didn't want to push it too far.

After all, his previous actions were merely to exert pressure. Given Chu Xiu's personality, how could he possibly give up such an opportunity as the Taiyin Treasure Vault?

The eight immortals behind Qingyunzi, having personally experienced Chu Xiu's terrifying power, tacitly remained silent.

Things became easier after that. Qingyunzi agreed to all of Chu Xiu's requests, and without further ado, the group prepared to set off for the source of the deathly aura.

Just then, after hesitating for a long time, the four members of the Celestial Machinery Guild finally couldn't help but say, "Senior, may we..."

"Oh, you guys," Chu Xiu glanced at them and asked Qing Yunzi, "Is there any way to restore their bodies?"

Qingyunzi had already noticed the four of them. When Chu Xiu asked, he said, "The tribulation within their bodies has penetrated into every cell. It can only be forcibly neutralized with immortal energy, but the amount of immortal energy required is not small, probably..."

Qingyunzi flipped his wrist, and a large ball of immortal energy appeared in his hand.

He then looked at Chu Xiu and said, "Since I have already promised all my immortal energy to you, the decision to save me or not is entirely up to you."

After he finished speaking, the four members of the Heavenly Machinery Guild looked at Chu Xiu with pleading eyes. Shen Tianxie hurriedly said, "We beg you, senior, to help us. Our family will repay you handsomely afterward!"

Chu Xiu estimated that the wisp of immortal energy, if directly converted using the Tribulation Pearl, could be exchanged for approximately 200,000 Karma Points.

Thinking of this, he said, "One million karma points."

The four of them were stunned for a moment after hearing this, clearly frightened by Chu Xiu's outrageous demand, but they quickly gritted their teeth and nodded, saying, "As you wish, senior."

Chu Xiu nodded and said, "There is another option. If you can advance to the rank of Heroic Spirit and help me fight a battle, it will be enough to offset the loss of these immortal energies."

With the decisive battle against Astrid imminent, the construction of the Titan machine has been under the government's direct supervision for so long that there shouldn't be any problems, but relying on Guan Ke to drive it is too much of a stretch.

If it were replaced by a War Fortress of Heroic Spirit level (S), the situation would be very different; it could even serve as a weapon to contend with demigods.

Most importantly, Chu Xiu didn't believe that these four people could come up with so many karma points. As far as he knew, they had already used all their savings and borrowed some from their clan in advance to obtain the anchor point of the Hundred Ghost Furnace.

It's impossible to know when this one million karmic debts will be repaid, and the other party might even keep stalling and dragging it out.

This suggestion caused a change in the expressions of the four people. In fact, Shen Tianxie was already well prepared to attack the heroic spirits, but like Jiang Miaoyin, he had been hesitant to take the first step.

Chu Xiu stopped wasting his energy on the four people. He looked up and gestured for Qingyunzi to lead the way. The group sped through Penglai and soon spotted a huge vortex spinning in the sky in the distance.

An incredibly powerful death aura surged forth, even forming a vast domain spanning dozens of miles. The waterfall of death aura appeared as small as an infant before it.

Qingyunzi took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, you must watch carefully!"

As he finished speaking, he and the eight immortals behind him formed a mysterious nine-palace formation, with several magical artifacts floating beside each of them.

These magical artifacts dispelled the surrounding death energy, and like a sharp dagger, they plunged straight into the center of the death energy vortex!

(End of this chapter)