Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 143 Heading to Qingyang Prefecture
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Ye had already packed up and arrived at the east gate of Yu Huo County.

When he arrived, Su Yuan had not yet come.

Chen Ye wasn't in a hurry. He leaned against the wall of the city gate and closed his eyes to rest, while planning his trip to Qingzhou Prefecture.

To be honest, traveling with Su Yuan, such a wicked and unpredictable little vixen, is quite stressful.

God knows when she might suddenly go crazy.

But as he himself analyzed, the benefits are equally obvious.

Su Yuan's strength was unfathomable. Her unpredictable Gu technique even manipulated Tao Yong, who was at the Sea Condensation Realm, and in the end, he was devoured until not even bone fragments remained.

Having such a powerful henchman by your side will undoubtedly make you much safer on the road.

After all, the world is not peaceful. In the wilderness, who knows what kind of demons or monsters might jump out from some nook or cranny.

Moreover, going to Qingzhou Prefecture to broaden his horizons is indeed the most important thing he needs to do right now.

Although he has now changed his class to Asura Blade and his strength has increased dramatically, he still has no idea about his next cultivation method.

Although the Golden Toad Swallowing Qi Technique is good, it is ultimately just a basic technique, which can only support him to cultivate up to the Sea Condensation Realm at most.

To go further, one must find a higher level of cultivation technique.

As for his needle-point knife technique, if he wants to continue to improve, he can't work behind closed doors; he needs to communicate with others more.

These things are definitely not available in a small place like Yuhuo County; they can only be obtained in a large place like Qingzhou Prefecture.

Therefore, he absolutely had to go to Qingzhou Prefecture.

As for Su Yuan, this uncertain factor, we can only take it one step at a time. We should try not to offend her and keep our distance. There shouldn't be any major problems.

As Chen Ye was thinking this, a light footstep approached from afar.

He opened his eyes and, sure enough, saw Su Yuan skipping and hopping towards him.

She was still wearing a light green dress, her hair was styled into two cute buns, and she was carrying a small bag. She looked just like a girl next door who was going on a long trip.

"You're here so early!" Su Yuan smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents, when she saw Chen Ye.

"You're late," Chen Ye replied casually.

"No, it was clearly the agreed time."

Su Yuan stuck out her tongue, then took out an oil paper package from her small bag and handed it over.

"Here, I brought you breakfast, meat buns from Wang Ji in Chengnan. They're delicious."

Chen Ye stared blankly at the steaming hot meat bun handed to him.

He didn't expect Su Yuan to pull this stunt.

This little vixen's thoughts are truly unfathomable.

However, he didn't take it directly. Instead, he activated his Asura Eye to take a look and confirmed that it was just an ordinary steamed bun before taking it and taking a bite.

I must say, the taste is really good. The meat filling is tender and juicy, and the dough is very chewy.

"How is it? Is it delicious?" Seeing that Chen Ye actually took it and ate it, a hint of surprise flashed in Su Yuan's eyes, and then she asked with a smile.

"Not bad," Chen Ye mumbled, finishing off a large meat bun in no time.

"Should we head straight there, or go buy something first?" Chen Ye asked, wiping his mouth.

The journey from Yuhuo County to Qingzhou Prefecture is quite long; even traveling at full speed would take several days. It is essential to prepare some dry food and water for the journey.

"I've bought everything." Su Yuan patted her small but bulging bag, looking quite proud.

"I've prepared food, drinks, and some other fun things. It's enough for us to last for more than ten days."

Chen Ye glanced at her with some surprise.

This little girl seems unreliable, but I didn't expect her to be so thoughtful.

"Okay, let's go."

Now that everything was prepared, Chen Ye was happy to save himself the trouble.

The two walked out of the city gate side by side.

Early morning pedestrians and caravans were already on the official road.

Many people cast curious glances at Chen Ye and Su Yuan, who looked to be quite young.

After all, these days, it's not common to see two people setting off on the road like this.

Chen Ye ignored these stares and continued walking silently.

Su Yuan seemed very excited, chattering incessantly the whole way, pointing at the wildflowers by the roadside one moment and chasing after fluttering butterflies the next, her liveliness was almost a headache.

Chen Ye mostly listened quietly, occasionally humming or nodding.

The two continued walking, soon leaving the outline of Yuhuo County behind.

The official road gradually became desolate, with fewer and fewer pedestrians around, replaced by continuous wilderness and forests.

A faint sense of danger began to permeate the air.

Chen Ye's expression turned serious. He turned to look at Su Yuan, only to find that the girl was still carefree, humming an unknown tune and holding a foxtail grass in her hand, teasing a plump, snow-white silkworm that had crawled out of her sleeve.

The silkworm wiggled between her fingers, looking adorable.

But Chen Ye knew that this thing was definitely not a kind person.

It's obvious that a silkworm that could be kept as a pet by a demoness from the Gu Saint Sect couldn't possibly be an ordinary silkworm.

Just then, Su Yuan seemed to sense his gaze, turned her head, and gave him a bright smile.

"What's wrong? Do you want to play too?" She handed the fat silkworm to Chen Ye.

Chen Ye's lips twitched, he silently turned his head away, and quickened his pace.

"Hey, don't walk so fast! Wait for me!" Su Yuan called out from behind and quickly chased after her.

The two of them walked and stopped at a leisurely pace.

They endured the elements during the day and slept outdoors, finding a cave or dilapidated temple to spend the night.

Three days later, they entered the real wilderness, where the official road became even more rugged and difficult to traverse.

The road was lined with dense trees that blocked out the sun, making the already gloomy sky appear even darker.

The forest was deathly silent; not even the chirping of birds or insects could be heard. The only sound was the rustling of the two people walking on the fallen leaves.

"Something feels off about this place," Su Yuan muttered to herself, abandoning her playful mood.

"Be careful, don't stray too far," Chen Ye said in a deep voice.

As he spoke, he activated the Eye of Asura, taking in everything around him.

In his bloodshot vision, a thin layer of gray-black mist permeated the mountain forest.

This fog was not ordinary water vapor, but rather formed from resentment and deathly energy, carrying a chilling and ominous aura.

Clearly, many people have died in this place.

"Oh." Su Yuan responded obediently, silently following half a step behind Chen Ye.

While keeping a wary eye on his surroundings, Chen Ye tentatively asked, "Are you familiar with Qingzhou Prefecture?"

He wanted to get some useful information out of Su Yuan.

"Not familiar with her," Su Yuan shook her head.

"This is my first time here too."

"Then how did you know there was a trade fair?" Chen Ye asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I heard it from someone else," Su Yuan said matter-of-factly.

"Qingzhou Prefecture's annual trade fair is famous throughout the south. I've wanted to come and see it for a long time, but I've never had the chance."

“My master just sent me out to gain experience, so I came here to have some fun.” She said it casually, but Chen Ye gleaned some key information from it.

The fact that Su Yuan was sent out to gain experience suggests that her status is probably higher than he imagined.

The fact that her master was sent out to train without any protectors means either that her master is very generous or that he has absolute confidence in her abilities.

Chen Ye prefers the latter.

"Where does your Gu Saint Sect usually hide?" Chen Ye asked casually.

“In the mountains of southern Xinjiang,” Su Yuan replied casually, seemingly not keeping this information a secret.

"The place is full of poisonous insects and miasma, as well as all sorts of strange and monstrous beasts, making it the perfect place for us to raise Gu."

Chen Ye nodded, having a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Southern Xinjiang is one of the most remote and chaotic regions. It's far from the reach of the emperor, and it's home to all sorts of people, including demons and monsters.

The fact that the Gu Saint Sect could establish itself in such a place and become a major sect speaks volumes about its strength.

They walked along, exchanging questions and answers, and the atmosphere became somewhat more harmonious than before.

Chen Ye also took the opportunity to learn a lot about this world.

For example, after the seventh level of Qi Refining, there are even higher realms.

For example, besides Qi cultivators like them, there are various other cultivation systems such as Buddhism, Taoism, and the Demonic Sect.

For example, Qingzhou City is the core of the entire Qingzhou, jointly governed by the imperial court and Tianjian Manor, the largest sect in Qingzhou. It is a place teeming with experts and hidden talents.

This information was not available in the files of Yuhuo County.

Su Yuan seemed happy to showcase her erudition, speaking freely and without reservation. Of course, only she knew how much of it was true and how much was just made up.

Just after the two had ventured into the forest for about ten miles, the surrounding gray-black fog suddenly became thicker.

What was originally just a light layer has now become like thick, indissoluble ink, enveloping the entire mountain forest.

Visibility dropped to less than three meters in an instant.

"Something's not right." Chen Ye suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp.

"What's wrong?" Su Yuan wasn't nervous at all, playing with the plump white silkworm in her hand.

“There’s something strange about this fog,” Chen Ye said in a deep voice.

Under the Asura's Eye, he saw countless twisted, ghostly figures moving about in the thick fog.

They have no physical form; they are composed entirely of resentment and negative emotions, emanating a chilling aura.

Moreover, these ghostly figures seemed to be rapidly converging on their location.

"Is it miasma?" As she spoke, Su Yuan took out a small medicine bottle from her bag, and after opening it, a faint fragrance wafted out.

“It’s not miasma.” Chen Ye shook his head solemnly.

“It’s something more troublesome.” He had barely finished speaking when he said that.

A faint sobbing sound suddenly came from the thick fog all around.

The cries were shrill and desperate, sometimes near, sometimes far, like countless wronged souls whispering in one's ear, full of bewitching power.

"Playing tricks!" Chen Ye snorted coldly, his divine soul power trembling slightly, dispelling the decadent music that had invaded his mind.

Su Yuan, standing beside her, remained completely calm, as if she were unaffected.

Just then, Chen Ye let out a low shout and drew half of his long sword.

The cold blade gleamed, reflecting in his equally cold eyes.

Su Yuan then took out several strangely shaped insects from her sleeve and held them in her palm.

Some of the insects looked like beetles, some like scorpions, and some like spiders; each of them exuded a dangerous aura.

Waaaaah...

The cries around me grew closer and louder.

The thick fog churned more and more violently.

Chen Ye's Asura Eyes could clearly see the ghostly figures formed by resentment, which had surrounded them.

They have no fixed form, sometimes taking on human shape, sometimes beast shape, their distorted faces filled with pain and resentment.

They stretched out their illusory claws and let out silent roars, as if they were about to pounce at any moment.

"They're here!" Chen Ye shouted in a low voice.

He was preparing to draw his sword and use the condensed bloodthirsty energy of his blade to shatter all these demons and monsters.

However, at that moment, Su Yuan behind him suddenly moved first.

Su Yuan stepped forward, blocking Chen Ye's path, her face full of excitement.

"My babies are hungry." With that, she suddenly opened her palms.

The strangely shaped Gu worms she was holding in her hand buzzed and transformed into streaks of light, instantly rushing into the thick fog.

Immediately afterwards, a tooth-grinding squeaking sound came from the depths of the thick fog.

The vengeful ghosts that were baring their fangs and howling in agony suddenly became even more shrill and miserable the moment they came into contact with the Gu worms, as if they had encountered their nemesis.

Chen Ye's Asura Eyes saw it clearly.

A beetle-like insect flew in front of a ghostly figure, suddenly opened its mouth, and generated a huge suction force, which directly sucked the ghostly figure made of resentment into its belly.

The scorpion-like venomous insect flicked its stinger, shooting out a beam of dark light. Any ghostly figure struck by the light immediately melted away, as if splashed with concentrated sulfuric acid, emitting black smoke.

The most terrifying thing was that spider-like worm.

It unleashed an invisible net that instantly covered an area of ​​several meters in radius.

All the ghostly figures caught in the net were like insects stuck in a spider web, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as their bodies were gradually broken down and absorbed by the net.

In just a few breaths.

The surrounding fog began to thin at a visible speed.

The number of those ghostly figures also decreased dramatically.

They seemed to sense the fear too, and instead of charging forward, they let out terrified screams and began to scatter and flee.

Su Yuan quickly formed several strange hand seals while chanting incantations.

The few Gu worms that were wreaking havoc suddenly emitted different colored lights.

Their speed and aggression instantly increased to a new level, like tigers among sheep, unleashing a one-sided slaughter amidst the remaining ghostly figures.

Chen Ye stood behind Su Yuan, watching all of this with a somewhat numb expression.

Just how many kinds of Gu worms does this guy have?

Although these resentful ghostly figures have little physical attack power, their mental impact and illusions are enough to give even ordinary cultivators in the Unobstructed Realm a headache.

But in front of Su Yuan's Gu worms, they were like lambs to the slaughter, powerless to fight back.

Is this the strength of the Gu Saint Sect?

Soon, the thick fog around them completely dissipated.

Those resentful ghosts were completely devoured by Su Yuan's Gu worms, leaving not even a trace.

The mountains and forests returned to their previous deathly silence.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the ground and dispelling the last trace of chill.

Su Yuan waved her hand with satisfaction.

The several Gu worms, their bellies bulging from eating, transformed into streams of light and flew back into her palm.

She carefully tucked them into her sleeve, a hint of lingering satisfaction on her face.

"Hiccup~"

With a soft thud, a jet-black beetle actually let out a human-like burp.

Chen Ye's lips twitched again.

"It's done." Su Yuan turned around, clapped her hands, and said to Chen Ye with a relaxed expression.

"Your Gu worms specialize in devouring souls and resentment?" Chen Ye looked at her and couldn't help but ask.

“Yes.” Su Yuan nodded, as if she were showing off her treasure.

"These few of my precious pets are the result of a lot of hard work in raising them. They love to eat these ethereal things the most."

"These ghostly things are a great tonic for them."

She said with a grin, "So the more they eat, the stronger they become."

"Aren't you afraid they'll eat too much and turn on their owner?" Chen Ye asked again.

"How could that be?" Su Yuan looked at him strangely.

“I raised them with my own blood and essence, and they are connected to my heart, just like my children. How could they turn against me?”

As she spoke, she stretched out her finger, and a small scorpion obediently crawled out from her sleeve, gently rubbing its stinger against her fingertip in a very affectionate manner.

Chen Ye watched this scene, unsure of what to say.

For him, power is power, a tool for fighting and saving his life.

For Su Yuan, these terrifying Gu worms that could kill silently were like her children and pets.

"Alright, let's keep going." Su Yuan retracted the Gu worm, regained her innocent and carefree demeanor, and pulled Chen Ye's sleeve to walk forward.

After dealing with the ghostly figures in the mist, the rest of the journey became much calmer.

Su Yuan continued to chatter away, while Chen Ye remained silent.

After walking for another day, as evening approached, the two found an abandoned mountain god temple and decided to spend the night there.

The mountain god temple was small, and the statues had collapsed, covered in dust and cobwebs, indicating that it had been abandoned for a long time.

"Let's rest here tonight." Chen Ye tidied up the temple briefly and then lit a bonfire.

Su Yuan then took out all sorts of things from her precious bag.

There was dried meat, flatbread, water pouches, and even a small jar of fruit wine.

"Come on, have something to eat." She shared some food with Chen Ye, then took a sip of wine herself.

The firelight illuminated her round face, making her look less sinister and more adorable.

Chen Ye silently ate the dried meat, never letting his guard down.

The Asura Eye would open from time to time to observe whether any sinister entities were approaching.

In his bloodshot vision, the flow of energy around the mountain god temple was crystal clear.

He could even see a faint wisp of yin energy lingering under an old locust tree dozens of meters away, seemingly a small, insignificant ghost.

(End of this chapter)