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

Chapter 380 The Place of the Game
"Master of Shanwailou, do you wish to see me?"

Chu Xiu was slightly taken aback. Although Shanwailou was just a clandestine organization, its ability to operate such a huge business meant that its network of influence must be extremely vast, and it might even have intricate connections with those three Heavenly Kings.

Chu Xiu even had a vague feeling that this Mountain Outer Tower was probably even more powerful than the four major families!

The rulers of Shanwailou were definitely among the very few people who stood at the pinnacle of power in China.

This person actually wanted to see me?
However, Chu Xiu only thought about it for a moment before calmly nodding and saying, "No problem."

Given his current strength and importance, it's not surprising that the owner of Shanwailou is interested in him.

The person in charge bowed slightly and said, "Please follow me, sir."

The person in charge led Chu Xiu to the top floor of the Mountain Pavilion. When the door opened, there were already six people sitting inside.

Chu Xiu wasn't surprised by the large number of people; in Yuan City, where only data existed, a single breath was enough to gather the necessary people.

He looked up and saw that the six people all looked quite strange. Sitting in the main seat was a Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly grace and faint protrusions on both sides of his forehead. Beside the Taoist priest stood two monsters, one with a tiger's head and the other with a dragon's head and the other with a human body. Further away, there were three more people: a guy whose face was obscured by shadows, a burly man, and a blonde woman.

Chu Xiu glanced at the guy shrouded in shadow a couple more times. Yuan City was all data and wouldn't reveal any information about the real world, but even so, this person still adopted such an appearance, like a black hole that devoured everything, revealing nothing.

"Young friend, you've finally arrived. Please have a seat."

As soon as Chu Xiu entered, the Taoist priest with an otherworldly air in the main seat smiled and spoke.

After Chu Xiu sat down, he continued, "Let us introduce ourselves first. I am the master of Shanwailou, and my friends in the industry call me Thousand-Faced Lord. The two people next to me are our envoys, Azure Dragon and White Tiger."

Chu Xiu was slightly startled. There were level four assassins of the Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow realms outside the mountain tower, and above level four were four special envoys.

If nothing unexpected happens, these two should both be demigod-level powerhouses.

The Thousand-Faced Man looked at the burly man and the blonde woman. The burly man smiled and said, "My name is Andrei, and this is Olesia."

"People from the Red Federation?" Chu Xiu asked.

Andrei laughed and said, "That's right."

The Red Federation is a major power that borders China. It has countless powerful figures, including a Heavenly King. Chu Xiu never expected that he would even attract their attention.

"Who are you and the Giant God King?" Chu Xiu asked.

The Giant King is the Heavenly King who resides in the Red Federation. He is a Heavenly King with extremely strong combat abilities and is known for his abnormally strong physical body. He, along with the Sun King and the Martial King, are recognized as the three Heavenly Kings with the best talents.

Unlike China, which has three Heavenly Kings, this country only has one Heavenly King, and the powerful figures there are almost always connected to that Heavenly King in some way.

However, Andrei simply smiled and said, "I've met you a few times."

Chu Xiu knew that the other party did not want to reveal too much. Perhaps even the names Andrei and Olesia might be fake, or even worse, they might not be members of the Red Federation at all.

In this illusory world, it's hard to distinguish between reality and fiction.

Without saying anything more, Chu Xiu turned his gaze to the last person.

The person remained hidden in the darkness, only saying briefly, "Call me Wu."

Having said that, he remained silent.

There was some silence in the room, and finally Qianmianjun said, "This friend is the one who issued the task that you accepted earlier."

Chu Xiu was taken aback, and then belatedly realized that he had indeed accepted a mission to provide information about the God of Suffering.

He originally thought it was released by an organization like the Bureau of Investigation, but he didn't expect it to be a strange person. He didn't know who this person was or how he dared to investigate the truth about the extraterrestrial demons.

The owner of Shanwailou continued, "Alright, young friend, time is precious, so we won't beat around the bush."

"We have gathered here for only one purpose: to obtain the [Anchor Point] from your possession, young friend."

"Oh?" Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow.

It has been more than two years since he passed the Awakening Trial. Including the few he gave to the Investigation Bureau, Chu Xiu still has a total of five [Anchor Points] in his hands.

Although the number is small, these are basically all the anchors that are currently out of reach. Apart from him, the Bureau of Investigation may also have a few left.

The Thousand-Faced Lord smiled and said, "Please rest assured, we will not take these anchors for free, but will offer a price far higher than the market price."

Chu Xiu said, "You jest, sir. I don't believe you guys are unaware of the current situation. Not a single one of these anchor points can be wasted."

The Thousand-Faced Lord asked, "Young friend, are you referring to your duel agreement with the divine messenger?"

Chu Xiu said, "Your Excellency is indeed well-informed."

The Thousand-Faced Lord smiled and said, "In that case, everyone will be happy. We will have the anchor points, and naturally we will help you guard civilization. I think with our strength, we should be qualified to be your helpers, right?"

"Help me defend against the enemy?"

Chu Xiu found Qianmianjun's words somewhat amusing.

He might not be able to hire help even if he spent a lot of money, but now he's saying that several powerful demigods are willing to help him fight off enemies?

Are you trying to fool a fool?

Chu Xiu's expression remained unchanged, and he simply said, "If you all really have this intention, why don't you just apply to the Investigation Bureau? I think with your abilities, they certainly won't refuse."

The owner of Shanwailou seemed to have anticipated his response, and chuckled, "Are you relieved about the Investigation Bureau? Young friend, you still trust the government too much."

"Yes, those big shots at the top are on your side, but what about their subordinates? Even the most efficient power structure is still made up of people!"

"Since it relies on people, it's inevitable that it will be infiltrated by extraterrestrial demons."

At this point, Thousand Faces paused, then looked at Chu Xiu with a half-smile: "For example, young friend, didn't you make some kind of deal with that person?"

Chu Xiu's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned cold: "Your Excellency is indeed well-informed."

“Young friend, there’s no need to be too wary of us,” Thousand Faces chuckled. “Your previous encounter with that divine envoy has been analyzed by others; it wasn’t something we deliberately investigated.”

"Please consider our proposal carefully, young friend. After all, you probably don't want our plans to be known by the enemy, right? Wouldn't it be wonderful to keep us as a surprise force?"

Chu Xiu sneered, "Those gentlemen are truly thoughtful. I admire them. But I wonder if they are so kind to others?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the white tiger beside the Thousand-Faced Lord frowned and snorted coldly, "Boy, do you know the strength of our Lord? It is a blessing for your civilization that he has taken action. You are still being suspicious and don't know what's good for you."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Before Chu Xiu could reply, Thousand-Faced Lord interrupted White Tiger: "My strength is still below Brother Wu's, and I am no match for the two from the Red Federation. How dare I utter such arrogant words? Besides, it is only natural for a young friend to have doubts. We will explain it to you. What are you doing?"

Baihu bowed slightly: "It was my oversight."

The Thousand-Faced Lord turned to Chu Xiu: "I have failed in my duty of discipline, and I hope my young friend will not take offense."

"It's alright," Chu Xiu said calmly, waving his hand as he watched the two of them working together. "But please give your explanation as soon as possible. If it's just some empty pleasantries, then I'm afraid I can't agree to it."

The Thousand-Faced Lord laughed and said, "Alright, young friend, you are quick to speak your mind, so I will speak frankly as well."

"The reason we don't want to go through the government is not only because we want to use them as a surprise attack, but also because we don't want the three Heavenly Kings to know." "Young friend, you may not know that although the Heavenly Kings are powerful, how many geniuses have been born on this land in the past few decades? After the Heavenly Kings took the throne, although they monopolized a large number of karma points, they also lost their ambition. When you can earn hundreds of thousands or millions of karma points by staying at home without doing anything, would you still risk going to the Abyss?"

"Among demigods, there is no shortage of brave and diligent individuals. If they obtain an opportunity in the abyss, even if they are still not as good as those few, the difference may not be that great."

Chu Xiu frowned slightly: "What do you mean, Your Excellency?"

The Thousand-Faced Lord smiled: "There are quite a few people who covet the throne of the Heavenly King, and many people want to enter this game."

Chu Xiu said, "Your game is none of my business."

The Thousand-Faced Lord said, "Young friend, you may name your price. I believe we have the means to offer you a reward that will satisfy you."

Instead of easing Chu Xiu's frown, Qianmianjun's words made him furrow his brows even more.

He really disliked this feeling of being out of control. Originally, it was just a duel with three blood demons, and Chu Xiu was confident that even if he was defeated, he could at least escape unscathed. But now the situation seemed to be developing in ways he could not have imagined.

Why are all these old monsters, whom we never see on ordinary days, suddenly appearing? Could this turn into another battle of kings like the one in Pengcheng?

Even though Chu Xiu is much stronger than before, he has never forgotten the feeling of powerlessness in the face of a Heavenly King-level expert.

Seeing that Chu Xiu seemed to be in a deep voice, the Thousand-Faced Lord spoke again: "I know that we have only known each other for a short time, and young friend cannot trust us. To show my sincerity, I will tell you some news first."

"There is a powerful extraterrestrial demon known as the Bronze King, and his divine messenger Vivian has already entered the world of ghouls. To be more precise, she is currently in your camp!"

A divine messenger was lurking in his camp!
The words of the Lord of the Mountain Pavilion made Chu Xiu's heart skip a beat. He naturally knew about the Bronze King, who was someone that even the five extraterrestrial demons, including the God of Pain, had to be wary of when they joined forces! Even if his divine messengers were not as powerful as Astrid, they were definitely Heavenly King level experts!
If a powerful being of this caliber were to launch a surprise attack from within the civilization during the final battle...
Destroying a civilized territory is a minor matter; the real possibility is that he could be killed before Chu Xiu even has a chance to escape!

"No wonder Astrid proposed that decisive battle."

"but."

Chu Xiu looked up and sneered, "I admire that the Mountain Outer Tower can even know the whereabouts of an extraterrestrial demon god envoy."

Thousand Faces chuckled and said, "We have our own methods. Shanwailou is based on integrity and would not deceive you in such a matter."

"How about it? As long as you are willing to trade with us, we can help you deal with that divine messenger. Even if you want to sign a soul contract, that's no problem. We can also pay you extra money. Just tell us what you want."

The words of the Thousand-Faced Lord caused Chu Xiu to fall silent. After pondering for a long time, Chu Xiu finally looked up and said, "You want admission tickets? Fine. But I need to see enough sincerity."

"What more sincerity do you want?" Thousand-Faced Lord raised an eyebrow.

Chu Xiu revealed a strange smile: "I want you to tell me your true identities in the real world!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent instantly.

Aside from Wu, whose condition remained unclear, the other four instinctively looked towards Qianmianjun. After a moment's hesitation, the latter quickly reacted and said, "Young friend, you jest. We at Shanwailou operate under code names, so even we don't know each other's identities. How could I tell you? Even if I did, how would you verify it?"

Chu Xiu smiled and said, "In that case, I'm afraid I can't trust you all."

After saying that, Chu Xiu didn't say another word and immediately initiated the escape!
His figure vanished from the spot like a bubble, causing the expressions of the six people present to turn ugly.

"Hmph, this kid is quite vigilant." White Tiger snorted coldly.

Qinglong said, "Kama, King of Anger, you two shouldn't look at the Lord and let him see through your deception."

The burly man said, "What's wrong with looking at the Lord? He is the master of this place. What's wrong with the two of us observing his reaction?"

The blonde woman sneered, "Stop talking nonsense. What can you tell from a single glance? He doesn't trust us anyway, so no matter how we behave, it won't change the outcome."

"Alright, stop arguing," Qianmianjun remained calm, simply waving his hand and saying, "It was just a casual test anyway. All the necessary information has been conveyed. Now, proceed according to the original plan."

"Yes."

Upon hearing his words, the group stopped arguing, and soon, their figures disappeared one after another, leaving the hall empty once more.

At the same time, Chu Xiu opened his eyes in the world of corpse demons.

He was still frowning, carefully recalling the conversation he had just had.

In fact, although he discovered some suspicious points, he did not have any conclusive evidence, so he was not sure whether the owner of the Mountain Pavilion was a friend or foe, or what his purpose was.

However, a sense of foreboding arose from his intuition, coupled with his inability to trust someone who dared not even reveal their true identity, which led him to choose to leave.

Without a real identity, one loses the constraints of the existing order.

Relatively speaking, it's obvious that Zhao Jie and his group are more reliable.

After a moment's thought, Chu Xiu reported what he had just seen and heard to Zhao Jie, who quickly replied that he would immediately launch an investigation.

However, Chu Xiu could sense that Zhao Jie showed some apprehension when he heard about the master of the Mountain Outer Tower, as if there were some secrets that Chu Xiu was unaware of.

He didn't think much of it.

No matter what other people's plans are, all he can do is maximize his own strength!
Thinking of this, Chu Xiu found a secluded spot within his own civilization's domain, and with a flick of his wrist, he retrieved all seven million causal points!

add a bit!

With a total of seven million karmic points, Chu Xiu will rely on this to cultivate the next level of the Yama Sutra in one go!
And the process went without any surprises.

Three days later, a notification sound rang in his ear.

[Consuming 6145823 Karma Points, the supernatural power 'Nether Chains' has been successfully cultivated!]

[Nether Chains: Ghosts connected to Nether Chains share life force and energy, greatly enhancing their basic attributes and granting them some of their original supernatural abilities. The maximum number of links depends on mental strength. Current number of Nether Chains: 7]

【Spirit +17821】

Having consumed over six million causal points to reach a new stage of cultivation, Chu Xiu's spiritual power surged once again, and he awakened an extremely powerful divine ability.

Chu Xiu experimented and found that the Nether Chain could provide at least 20,000 points of bonus to constitution and energy! Furthermore, it could allow demons to unleash powerful divine abilities such as demonic energy condensation into weapons!
It can be said that it can directly elevate seven high-ranking ghost generals to the level of top-tier heroic spirits!
If it were used on the Ghost King and those two ghosts with superb combat skills, it would completely make them comparable to ordinary demigods!
But the strongest point is the sharing of life force and energy!
Through the Nether Chain, he can make the Ghost King absorb the power of other ghosts, and then absorb the ghosts himself, thus continuously gathering the power of the entire ghost army into himself!
This is the true power of the Nether Chain Divine Power!

The only slight pity is that the ghost army is now only half of what it used to be, but Chu Xiu is confident that he can restore it to its full strength before the final battle.

Next, Chu Xiu contacted the God of Pain, hoping that the other party could recharge his God-given Living Armor, which had exhausted its energy.

This was actually a test; Chu Xiu wanted to know if this extraterrestrial demon was on Astrid's side.

The result was quite unexpected for Chu Xiu. Although Chu Xiu did not complete any tasks, the other party still readily bestowed divine power upon him.

Although he didn't know why this deity was so generous, Chu Xiu naturally didn't pretend to be modest and accepted the gift with a smile.

"Now, my strength should have reached its current peak."

"In that case——"

Chu Xiu took a light breath and sat down cross-legged.

It's time to form the Golden Core!

(End of this chapter)