Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 448 Better to be a ghost! (Second update!)

As soon as he finished speaking, Liao Zhanbo turned around and looked at Chu Xiuping. His face was half-hidden in the shadows, but his eyes were sharp and bright, like a demon or a ghost. He continued in a serious tone, "Moreover, you also said something wrong."

“‘Strange’ can also be an individual entity.”

"As long as we find the source of that 'strangeness' before it takes shape and spreads, then..."

He paused here, not explaining the specific process, but only shaking his head slightly, his eyes slightly ethereal as if recalling something, "The Heavenly Artifact Sect once conducted experiments in this area, and they were very successful!"

"All it takes is a magical artifact to enslave ghosts and control a 'monster'."

"But unfortunately, the method used by the Heavenly Artifact Sect will weaken the 'strange'."

"Moreover, unformed 'strange' creatures are extremely rare and hard to find..."

As they listened, Jiang Zhaojie, Chu Xiuping, and Bu Jianliang gradually realized the problem.

This senior Liao Zhanbo is very strange!

He was clearly just a rogue cultivator, but he knew far too much!

Can "weird" beings possess individuality?
Although their cultivation level was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, they were qualified to participate in the Immortal Examination. They were already among the best in their environment. To reach the Immortal Examination, they all had the support of their seniors and families, and had received guidance from court cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or above. In terms of knowledge, they should have far surpassed ordinary rogue cultivators.

But what Liao Zhanbo was saying was something that none of the three of them had ever heard of before!

Especially the experiments of the Heavenly Artifact Sect, such secrets are completely beyond the reach of even the most carefully selected candidates for the Immortal Examination in the prefectures. Ordinary rogue cultivators would have even less of a chance!
In addition, Liao Zhanbo had just explained some of the "strange" circumstances at the entrance of the market. Even Le Jingxuan from Tuzhou City, who was qualified to accompany his elders to the capital to broaden his horizons and was already quite accomplished among ordinary candidates, didn't understand these things, but Liao Zhanbo explained them clearly in just a few words...

Realizing something was wrong, Bu Jianliang quickly said, "Senior Liao, you are absolutely right!"

"But this is not a place to stay for long. We'd better find an exit quickly..."

As he spoke, he moved quickly, retreating to the doorway. Then he turned around and pushed the door open, wanting to leave.

However, when he pushed it, the seemingly flimsy wooden door did not budge, as if it were made of cast iron. He felt that this was not an ordinary shop door, but an indestructible wall of copper and iron!

"Compared to the experiments of the Heavenly Artifact Sect, the Heavenly Dao is now reversed, and Yin and Yang are out of order..."

"It's an inevitable trend, and that's how one should conduct oneself..."

"I'd rather be a ghost!"

Liao Zhanbo's voice continued to come from behind, and his tone became increasingly loud and strange!
Bu Jianliang was immediately alarmed and was about to call for help from his two companions, but when he turned around, he realized that the spacious coffin shop was empty and so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Looking around, he realized that he was all alone!
Yes……

I just entered this shop alone.

strange!
Why did I come to this shop?
step... step... step...

The sound of rustling footsteps suddenly came from behind.

※※※

On the deserted street, the sound of footsteps was clear and loud.

Zheng Que led Xue Shuangzi and Le Jingxuan a short distance through the market when he suddenly looked at a pharmacy by the roadside.

The shop's doors had been removed, and like other shops in the market, it appeared to be open. Inside and out, various shelves were arranged, with layers of bamboo trays on top, where semi-finished medicinal herbs were drying.

On the counter was a mahogany abacus, each bead polished to a shine, and next to it was a set of tea utensils, with a faint aroma of spiritual tea wafting from it.

A full wall of cabinets was installed against the wall, divided into numerous drawers of varying sizes. Each drawer had the name and year of the medicinal herbs labeled in the upper left corner, and a bitter, austere atmosphere permeated the shop.

Just as the two people and the ghost crossed the threshold, Zheng Li turned his head and looked into the back room of the pharmacy.

"who!"

Zheng Que coldly questioned, his true energy circulating throughout his body, ready for a battle at any moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, the small door leading to the inner room was pulled open from the inside, and a young cultivator wearing a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with a qilin holding a lingzhi pattern and a white jade belt with a gold eagle and bear motif strode out. He had thick eyebrows and bright eyes, carried a long sword on his back, and had a mutton fat jade pendant with auspicious clouds, pine trees and three sheep hanging at his waist. He looked noble and handsome, with an extraordinary appearance.

Upon seeing the young cultivator's face, Zheng Que was slightly taken aback. He immediately recognized him as the son of the prefect of Yinshan Prefecture in Hengzhou, and also a candidate for this immortal examination!

Before the immortal examination began, Cen Fuyi had even sent him a telepathic message to introduce this person's identity!

But why would this person appear in this "strange" place?

This person was not among the eleven people who entered the "strange" place this time!

Just then, the son of the prefect of Yinshan Prefecture in Hengzhou also frowned as he sized up Zheng Que and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

Zheng Que did not answer the question immediately, as he was unsure whether the other party was a human or a ghost.
Just to be on the safe side, let Yue Jingxuan test the son of the prefect...

Thinking of this, Zheng Que turned his head and saw that only he and Xue Shuangzi were nearby. Le Jingxuan, who had just come in with him, had disappeared without a trace.

Zheng Que frowned immediately, but soon he wondered why he had suddenly turned around.
So he looked at the son of the prefect in front of him again and calmly replied, "I am Zheng Que, a candidate from Qingrao Prefecture, Tuzhou."

"May I ask why you are here?"

※※※

At the entrance of the unmanned market, beneath the tall archway, the moss-covered blue bricks feel soft underfoot, as if covered with a fine felt.

Twelve figures stood silently beneath the archway.

Yin Congyi suddenly woke up and quickly looked around. The four Foundation Establishment stage subordinates—the scarred male cultivator, the crimson-clad female cultivator, the dark green-clad old cultivator, and the gaunt cultivator—were currently surrounding him in the middle, maintaining a certain distance from the others.

Besides the five of them, there were two other cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining, standing together with somewhat fearful expressions.

Liao Zhanbo and Le Jingxuan kept a distance from everyone else, clearly indicating that they had come alone.

In addition, there was a beautiful female cultivator wearing a lychee-red short jacket, a butterfly-yellow long skirt, and a jade-carved gourd and bat necklace with a longevity lock hanging on her chest. She held a round fan in her hand, like a lady on a spring outing. She was accompanied by two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who looked like her attendants.

Yin Congyi frowned slightly, immediately sensing that something was amiss. After a moment's thought, he exclaimed, "Strange!"

"There are twelve people here in total, but when I was outside with my men just now, there was clearly no one around."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the others, and he asked in a low voice, "Are you all candidates this time as well?"

(End of this chapter)