Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 259 First Exploration of Guixu
"poison?"

Chen Ye was quite surprised when he heard Chen Guang say that.

Seawater is flowing; what toxins can permanently pollute an area?
Unless there is some kind of magical restriction, or the poison is not the kind Chen Ye thought it was.

Chen Guang explained, “The Ruins of Return are actually ruins. I have never been to the deepest part of the Ruins of Return, but there are obvious ruins of pavilions and towers in the area where we mirage demons live. We are like guests who came later and parasitized it, not the original owners of the Ruins of Return.”

"As for the poison I mentioned, it is naturally not an ordinary poison, but more like a residual formation in the Guixu Cave Heaven. All living beings that enter Guixu will slowly be infected with the cold poison, and after a long time they will be frozen. Our Mirage Demon Clan can condense this cold poison into Mirage Pearls, and after being nurtured, they will become our natal magic treasures, which is why we can survive in Guixu."

Chen Ye then asked, "This kind of cold poison only freezes living things, but it doesn't freeze seawater?"

"That's right. Actually, Guixu isn't that cold. In fact, it's warmer than the deep sea above Guixu. But once this cold poison enters the body, it will cause living things to freeze. I don't know why, but the Mirage Sect doesn't dare to go deep into it. Every time, they just grab a few of my clansmen and then leave."

Chen Ye thought for a moment. If this cold poison only worked on living things, then his Eight-Nine Arcane Arts could indeed help him resist it.

Chen Ye is no longer a being of flesh and blood; when his body disintegrates, he is essentially no different from ordinary spiritual energy.

He simply integrated his divine soul and consciousness into the runes within his body, which is why the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts can be so versatile—it can transform into an inanimate object or a wild beast at will.

Chen Ye could become like the seawater, and then he would not be affected by this cold poison.

However, he hasn't mastered the art of transformation yet. He'll probably need to practice for a few more days to at least learn the first type of transformation.

However, there was no need to rush. Chen Ye should first inquire about more information about Guixu.

According to Chen Guang, Guixu is actually very large, a huge underwater palace comparable to the 800-li-long Qingguan Mountain.

However, since the disciples of the Incense Burning Sect live in Green Coffin Mountain, the buildings are designed according to human dimensions.

Guixu was probably prepared for some huge marine creatures. The spaces inside were enormous. Judging from the remaining ruins, the former owner of Guixu was at least a colossal creature with a height of ten zhang.

Moreover, the overall layout of Guixu is very strange. It is not like a palace complex in the human world, but more like a giant conch shell, with a spiral shape that extends layer upon layer into the depths of the sea.

Chen Ye asked in confusion, "This sounds like the nest of some kind of giant sea creature. Could it be that the master of Guixu is actually a demon?"

Chen Guang shook his head and said, "I don't know. Although I was born in Guixu and developed my intelligence here, I have never been to the deepest part of Guixu and do not know what secrets are hidden there. However, there are indeed many deep-sea monsters in Guixu. We Mirage Demons are just a very ordinary kind of them. The Mirage Sect does not dare to provoke the truly powerful sea monsters."

Chen Ye then asked, "You said that the mirage demons fled in large numbers because of the strange changes in the Void. What do you mean by these strange changes?"

According to Chen Guang's previous statement, a mirage demon as powerful as her should not have been captured by the Mirage Sect. The Mirage Sect members could not enter her location, and those who tried to force their way in were turned into ice sculptures.

It was only because the Mirage Demon Clan was forced to flee Guixu that Chenguang fell into the trap of the Mirage Sect.

Even the deep-sea cold poison couldn't affect the mirage demons, so what was it that scared them into running out?

Chen Guang recalled carefully for a moment, then said, "I can't quite describe what it was, but at that time, I heard a tremendous roar coming from the depths of the Ruins of Return, as if it were the roar of a colossal beast I had never seen before. Even though I had never heard such a sound before, the moment I heard it, I trembled all over, as if I had seen the most terrifying ferocious beast."

"It wasn't just the mirage demons; many sea beasts in the Ruins of Return were like that. Even the giant Kun, which was bigger than a mountain, was terrified and fled the Ruins of Return. I was the same. At that moment, we didn't dare to stay in the Ruins of Return at all; we only thought about escaping. Unfortunately, our mirage demon clan wasn't very mobile to begin with, so we couldn't escape with those deep-sea behemoths."

"When we escaped from the Ruins of Return, we Mirage Demons were captured by the Mirage Tower Sect. Now that I think about it, the Mirage Tower Sect may have known about the changes in the Ruins of Return all along, so they had set a trap, just waiting for us Mirage Demons to walk into it."

Chen Ye nodded and said, "That's certainly very possible. After all, the Mirage Sect also has diviners. They would definitely sense something about such a major event concerning the survival of the sect and calculate it in advance. It's not surprising that they wiped out your Mirage Demons in one fell swoop. But what happened after that? You never returned to Guixu after that. How many of your clansmen are still left there?"

When talking about his people, Chenguang's tone became more excited.

“We mirage demons are oviparous. Although we escaped due to the strange events at Guixu, many young mirage demons were left behind because they were unable to move. I just don’t know if they are still alive… No, they must still be alive, because Guixu only let out one strange roar. According to the investigation by the Mirage Sect, nothing seems to have changed inside. My people must still be alive. Hundreds of years have passed, and they have all grown up, waiting for me to return!”

Chen Guang had initially considered against taking the risk, but Chen Ye stirred up his homesickness, and he suddenly longed to return to the Ruins for a final look, even if it was just to see if those little creatures from back then had grown up well. But he was also afraid, afraid that if he returned to his homeland, all he would find were broken eggs scattered everywhere, and rotting empty shells left behind by his people.

Chen Guang couldn't help but ask, "Sect Master, are you planning to go to Guixu now?"

Chen Ye laughed and said, "It seems you're not going to try to persuade me after all?"

Chen Guang honestly said, "I don't know. I also want to go back, but Guixu is ultimately fraught with danger. If anything happens to the sect leader, the only protection for my Mirage Demon clan will be gone, and we will only become livestock of the Mirage Sect again."

Chen Ye said, "It's alright. We can go and investigate first. If we can't even enter the Ruins of Return, we'll turn back. Just be careful and don't go too deep in right away. And it's best to go as soon as possible. The world is changing too fast these days. If the Mirage Sect wants to protect itself, they might also set their sights on the Ruins of Return. If we fall behind, your clansmen might suffer again."

Now, none of the five righteous sects have a Dao Integration Realm cultivator to suppress the world. According to Chen Ye, that Soul Fire Little Man must be a Void Returner. The demon who used his voice to sow discord must also be quite powerful. In addition, there is the Nirvana Sect Master who is still alive even after death. Their power may not be much weaker than that of the five righteous sects.

It is conceivable that a great battle will inevitably take place between the righteous and the demonic.

If the Mirage Sect isn't stupid, they'll definitely try to improve their strength, and the Ruins of Return is their best option.

Therefore, Chen Ye should explore the Ruins of Return as soon as possible, rather than delaying it.

Chen Guang was also persuaded by Chen Ye and nodded, saying, "Since you, Sect Master, are preparing to go to Guixu, then I will guide you. However, some preparations need to be made." "If you need anything, just let me know."

Chen Ye knew that this place was fraught with danger, so he naturally listened to Chen Guang's advice.

Chen Guang took out paper and pen and wrote down a lot of supplies that needed to be prepared. Chen Ye looked at it and asked in confusion, "Why are they all kinds of medicinal herbs and spices?"

Chen Guang explained, "These medicinal herbs can also delay the symptoms of the cold poison. I learned about the prescription from the Mirage Sect. But the most dangerous thing in Guixu is not the cold poison, but the various deep-sea monsters inside. Guixu is dark and gloomy. These monsters mostly sense things by the vibration of water waves or hunt by smell. So these spices can be used to deal with these deep-sea monsters."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye burst out laughing: "As expected, the locals know the ropes. With your help, this trip to Guixu should be fruitful."

Chen Ye then talked with Chen Guang for a long time to confirm the various details that needed to be paid attention to on this trip. Then he asked Qu Heng to break through the void for them and send them directly into the depths of the sea.

"If you encounter any danger, you can call me for help."

Qu Heng left these words behind and returned to the Yellow Springs Sect.

At this time, the sect cannot do without this patriarch; only with him can the Northern Frontier remain stable.

However, Chen Ye can communicate with Qu Heng at any time through thought. He only needs to pray to the Crimson Dragon Buddha. With his Golden Body of Merit and the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, he should not encounter any danger.

It was precisely because of these confidences that Chen Ye dared to explore this Ruins of Return.

Chen Ye circled on the sea for a moment, and when the morning light confirmed his position underwater, he leaped off the Black Whirlwind and into the sea.

The morning light transformed into a radiant glow, enveloping Chen Ye.

They had experienced this "fusion" before at Zhuguang Port, so this time the two merged again, which wasn't unfamiliar. After a moment, they cooperated perfectly and sank into the depths of the sea.

At first, Chen Ye was quite interested in watching the underwater scenery.

Various strange and wonderful schools of fish swam by, and several snarling sharks were spotted, curiously wanting to take a bite out of Chen Ye.

But with just a slight illusion, the morning light disoriented the sharks, causing them to spin in circles.

They sank to a dark and sunless location without any incident.

Chen Ye began to feel a chill and couldn't help but ask, "Have we arrived at Guixu so quickly? I'm starting to feel cold."

Chen Guang laughed and said, "We're still far from there. Guixu is a hundred miles deep in the sea, and we've only sunk a few miles. But this place has been shrouded in darkness for years, so it's naturally very cold. It will be warmer once we get to Guixu."

Chen Ye had no choice but to continue waiting patiently.

In the dark depths of the ocean, Chen Ye had no idea where he was. He only felt his body getting colder and colder, and the pressure on his body was increasing.

This power comes from all directions, and not even a single hair can escape it.

At first, Chen Ye was able to hold on, but soon he felt as if his body was being crushed by several mountains, as if he was about to be shattered to pieces at any moment.

Chen Ye couldn't help but ask, "Now, how far is it?"

Chen Guang replied, "There's still half left."

Chen Ye sighed, "The Mirage Sect truly lives up to its reputation as one of the five major sects. They even managed to set up a trap at the entrance of Guixu. Ordinary cultivators would be shattered to pieces before they could even reach the depths of this ocean."

"Is the sect leader unable to hold on any longer? Then let's go back."

Although Chen Guang really wanted to go home to visit, Chen Ye was the most important person. If he really couldn't hold on any longer, it would be better to turn back in time.

Chen Ye said, "An ordinary physical body couldn't withstand it, but luckily, I practiced before I left."

Chen Ye smiled slightly, and his physical body slowly turned transparent.

A moment later, only a thin set of clothes remained in the deep sea. Chen Ye's physical body had completely turned into seawater, and the previous pressure was reduced by more than half.

Chen Ye spoke to Chen Guang telepathically: "I am a beginner in this transformation technique and need to concentrate fully to keep my form from disintegrating. I can only rely on you to guide me."

Chen Guang quickly wrapped Chen Ye's clothes around himself and continued to sink into the deep sea.

The sinking seemed to last for a long time until a hazy glimmer of light appeared below. Then Chen Guang said to Chen Ye, "Sect Master, we have arrived. Below is the Ruins of Return."

(End of this chapter)