A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

"The Underworld?"

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat; he had never heard of this name before.

"What is the Underworld?"

"An ancient ruin, said to contain the legacy of the 'True Lord of the Underworld,' which grants access to the underworld and the attainment of immortality..."

The golden-eyed servant's voice was flat, but when he mentioned the word "immortality," even though he had become a ghostly servant, a trace of instinctive longing still flashed in his eyes.

"Commander Wang secretly received orders to find the entrance. We were initially unaware of this, thinking it was simply a matter of reinforcing the seal..."

"And then?"

"On the tenth day after entering the mountain, we found the entrance, beneath an altar, but it requires a 'blood sacrifice' to open..." The golden-eyed servant paused, "Envoy Wang intends to use the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Demon from the outer mountain as a sacrifice, but... but..."

At this point, the golden-eyed servant suddenly became dazed, as if a machine had jammed, and stammered for a long time without being able to say anything more.

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed, and a thought flashed through his mind. Knowing that the other's memory was incomplete, he asked, "Why did you betray us?"

"No... it was Deputy Envoy Chen who started the treachery!" the golden-eyed servant said. "He secretly made a deal with the tiger demon. If the tiger demon helped him obtain the inheritance, he would help the tiger demon escape. Envoy Wang noticed this and wanted to suppress the traitor. Deputy Envoy Chen opened the altar in advance, and ghosts emerged from the ground and began a massacre. I took advantage of the chaos to take Envoy Wang's 'Blood-Guiding Pearl'... and escaped into the outer mountains..."

Blood-Guiding Bead? Xu Yuan recalled the blood-red bead that the Golden-Eyed Old Ghost used to control the tiger demon.

Who was Vice Envoy Chen? What happened to him afterward?

"Deputy Envoy Chen, named Chen Xuan, possessed eight orifices and was skilled in formations. He should be dead. Before his death, Envoy Wang detonated the 'Demon Suppression Token,' perishing together with the vengeful spirits underground..." the golden-eyed servant recalled with difficulty. "When I escaped, I saw Envoy Wang's remnant soul strike a beam of golden light into the ground, resealing the altar..."

So that's how it is! Xu Yuan recalled the records in the incomplete book he had obtained before, and everything made sense!

"What about Xu Changming? There was a villager named Xu Changming who went into the mountains back then. What happened to him?"

The golden-eyed servant was silent for a moment, seemingly searching for fragmented memories: "Xu Changming was that mountain hunter. Envoy Wang took a liking to his physique... the 'Spirit-Communicating Physique,' and wanted to recruit him into the Demon-Suppressing Division... but later..."

"What happened next?"

"When the Demon Suppressor Wang detonated the Demon Suppressing Decree... Xu Changming was right next to the altar... A Demon Suppressor surnamed Li pushed him into the entrance to the Netherworld, his fate unknown..." the golden-eyed servant added, "However, he possesses a Netherworldly constitution, naturally drawn to the Netherworld..."

If that's the case, then Xu Changming is very likely still alive!

Xu Yuan was shocked. The old village chief's son, who had disappeared twenty years ago, might still be alive, and the person who had just made a move in the valley might very well be him!

"Where's Li Ergou? Li Ergou from Shuangshan Village, what does he have to do with this?"

A hint of confusion flashed in the golden-eyed servant's eyes: "Li Ergou...who is that? I don't remember...there was no such name among those mountain people twenty years ago..."

Xu Yuan frowned. The golden-eyed servant's memory was incomplete; he might not really remember Li Ergou.

But the aura in the valley just now was somewhat similar to the mark left in Li Ergou's house...

Could Li Ergou not be an ordinary villager? What secrets lie behind his disappearance?

Xu Yuan suppressed his doubts and continued to ask:

"Where is the entrance to the Underworld? Is it still possible to enter?"

"The entrance... is deep in the back mountains, and can only be opened through a 'blood sacrifice' or a 'Netherworld Decree'..." the golden-eyed servant said. "I tried several times afterward, but I was never able to enter due to insufficient strength..."

Insufficient strength? The Golden-Eyed Old Ghost is at the Condensation Realm, even he couldn't get in?

"What level of strength is required?"

"The Condensation Aperture is merely the threshold; the cave dwelling is protected by restrictions, and only those at the Divine Power Realm can venture deep within..." the golden-eyed servant said. "Furthermore, the depths of the cave dwelling only open once every sixty years, and the next opening will be in three years..."

Three years!

Xu Yuan noted down this time. At this point, he wasn't even at the Qi Condensation stage, and he couldn't even fully explore the depths of the back mountain. Exploring the Netherworld Palace was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

"Have you stayed in this area all these years without ever leaving?"

"Yes, my lord, I have been lurking in the mountains, healing my wounds while monitoring the altar seal, attempting to break it using the tiger demon's blood sacrifice..." the golden-eyed servant said. "Unfortunately, the altar seal is even more solid than I anticipated... the remnant soul of Envoy Wang remains suppressed within it..."

Xu Yuan finally managed to roughly figure out the situation.

Twenty years ago, the mission was ostensibly to reinforce the seal, but in reality, the Demon Suppression Division was there to explore the Netherworld.

News leaked that the traitor Chen Xuan had colluded with the tiger demon. Wang Zhenshi launched a counterattack before his death, resealing the entrance to the altar. The Golden-Eyed Old Ghost escaped in the chaos and lay low for twenty years, waiting for the tiger demon to break the seal so he could use its blood sacrifice to reopen the altar's seal.

Xu Changming, on the other hand, was trapped inside the cave, his fate unknown.

As for Li Ergou... he remains a mystery.

Xu Yuan even recalled the message and secret letter that Zhang Biao, the bandit leader of Black Wind Stronghold, revealed before his death. The ancient relics that the Xiongnu were looking for might also be related to the Netherworld deep in the back mountains.

As more and more clues emerge, the truth hidden behind them becomes increasingly astonishing.

Xu Yuan knew that with his current strength, he was not yet capable of delving into these secrets.

The most urgent task is to enhance our strength and defend Qingyang County.

He put aside his thoughts, and seeing that he could not get any other useful information, he ordered the golden-eyed servant to hand over all his belongings.

Besides a Devil May Cry bow and a thin booklet, there was also a black cloth bag about the size of a palm.

The cover of the booklet reads "The Three Arts of Archery," which is the archery technique practiced by the old ghost with golden eyes.

"My lord, this is a storage bag. It can be bound to its owner by dripping blood..." the golden-eyed servant mechanically said.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected that the palm-sized black cloth bag would actually be a storage artifact.

Without hesitation, Xu Yuan bit his finger and dripped blood onto the cloth bag. Soon, the bag's surface began to glow faintly, establishing a connection with him.

Xu Yuan probed the space with his consciousness and found that it was indeed a hidden world inside. It looked like the size of a palm, but it could hold a full cubic meter of things. Inside were some miscellaneous items: some bottles and jars, a few special arrows, and a dozen stones that emitted a faint glow.

After packing everything away and regaining his composure, Xu Yuan risked returning to the valley to retrieve the corpse of the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Demon.

Although the tiger demon was dead, its body, which was at the level of a demon general, was still priceless. He took out his dagger and began to dissect it with practiced ease.

Tiger skin is tough and can be used to make armor; tiger bones are hard and can be used in medicine; tiger meat contains vital energy and blood and can be eaten.

The most precious ingredients are tiger gall and heart blood, which are excellent materials whether consumed directly or used to make elixirs.

Xu Yuan finished dividing the tiger demon and put everything he could carry into his storage bag.

After doing all this, Xu Yuan glanced at the golden-eyed servant, and with a thought, the latter transformed into a wisp of black mist, disappearing into his sleeve and becoming a mark resembling a tattoo.

This is one of the characteristics of high-level cougars: they can switch between reality and illusion, making them easy to carry.

Xu Yuan determined the direction and began to return the way he came.