"This is!"
Chu Xiu’s face showed a look of surprise and doubt. He focused his attention on the cave, and that cold feeling vanished in an instant, like a wisp of smoke drifting from afar.
But this still made Chu Xiu frown tightly. He was sure that it was not an illusion just now. If there was something here that could touch the secrets of the Abyss, then he would decisively abandon his own civilization.
After all, for Chu Xiu, his own cultivation was always the most important.
"A strange domain, resurrected corpses, and this aura identical to the Abyss..."
"What on earth is going on here?"
Even if Chu Xiu were duller, he could now realize that this world was definitely not as simple as he thought.
He suddenly became aware of something.
Theoretically, only a world where civilization is entirely extinct can be devoured by the Abyss.
There’s only one exception, that is, if that civilization is completely isolated, unable to touch the outside world in any way, just like humans in the Peach Blossom Spring, then the Abyss can ignore the impact of these people and devour it.
From this perspective, it means that after the Ghost King exterminated the Demon-Exorcising Race, some kind of upheaval occurred, leading to the complete isolation of the bottom of the Hundred Ghosts Melting Furnace, resulting in this world being devoured by the Abyss.
Otherwise, it would be nothing more than an ordinary civilization transition, merely a shift from Demon-Exorcising Race civilization to Ghost civilization.
Thinking further of the Holy Mountain towering a hundred thousand meters high, and the spatial vortex at the top leading to another world, along with the surging death qi emanating from that vortex...
"There are definitely great secrets here," Chu Xiu thought to himself.
Feeling the aura identical to the Abyss made him become much more attentive to this mission.
As he pondered silently, a ghost over eight meters tall, wearing heavy armor, with a head resembling the Ox Head in mythological legends, walked over with large steps.
"I am Black Cloud Zi, responsible for guarding the Carrion Secret Cave. Are you here to perform a mission, fellow Daoist?"
The ghost stepped forward to greet him.
Chu Xiu glanced at him; this ghost was powerful, comparable in strength to a Heroic Spirit. In the distance, there were still nine ghosts, each with a well-condensed Soul Body.
If measured by the Holy Mountain, this Black Cloud Zi could probably climb a third of it on his own, and with appropriate Dharma Artifacts aiding him, it wouldn’t be surprising to climb two-thirds. The rest could barely approach the Holy Mountain’s level.
"Are you also here on a mission?" Chu Xiu asked after returning the greeting.
"No, we are the Immortal Palace stewards responsible for guarding the secret cave," the Ox Head ghost said. "Carrion creatures often charge out of this place in groups. If they reach the Outer World, they might disrupt this realm’s order."
The Ox Head ghost chuckled, "In there, those creatures’ powers multiply. We dare not rush in recklessly."
"As you proceed, be cautious, fellow Daoist. The rewards from the Immortal Palace are generous, but for us cultivators, our lives come first, only then can we achieve Dao."
Chu Xiu nodded, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Daoist friend, I will certainly be careful."
The ghosts here were all kind and pure, so Chu Xiu became much more polite.
Then, without saying more, he walked towards the secret cave.
As soon as he reached the entrance, he felt a surge of dense death qi emerging, surprising him. This death qi was identical to that fallen from the Penglai Immortal Realm. Not far from the cave entrance, five ghosts sat cross-legged, refining death qi for cultivation.
Seeing him approach, the five ghosts rose to exchange pleasantries, displaying thorough courtesy.
Chu Xiu cupped his hands, greeted them simply, and then stepped into the secret cave.
The light behind him grew dimmer, gradually becoming a tiny dot, until it completely disappeared.
In an instant, it was as if he had entered another completely dark world, where human voices and animal sounds were isolated. Only the cold air remained, along with the "rustling" sound of poisonous insects crawling, as if some creature was lurking and watching in the darkness.
If an ordinary person were here, they’d probably be scared stiff on the ground, but with Chu Xiu’s current strength, he didn’t rely on his eyes to see. Extending his Divine Sense, the situation around him instantly appeared clearly and accurately in his mind.
This was an extremely vast cave, over fifty meters high, with no end in sight. On both sides were many branch paths, leading who knows where. Although called a cave, Chu Xiu felt it resembled a giant’s kingdom, with paths crisscrossing, densely interwoven, and incredibly complex.
Glancing at the map in his hand and conducting a simple comparison, Chu Xiu was shocked to find that this cave was unimaginably large. He had already traveled over five miles in, yet even on the map, he covered less than a percent of the distance, with the map’s unknown areas stretching on indefinitely.
"Looks like the money’s not that easy to earn."
Chu Xiu let out a light chuckle and didn’t mind, summoning Garuda, which sped straight towards the deepest part of the cave.
He made no attempt to conceal himself, immediately causing a huge commotion. Where Garuda passed, it was as if a giant storm swept to both sides, causing the rocks around to tremble.
Suddenly, Chu Xiu’s expression changed, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Have they come so quickly?"
In his Divine Sense, six extremely fast figures were rapidly approaching him!
In less than a breath’s time, a terrifying creature appeared before him!
It had sharp fangs, slender limbs, gray-white skin. Perched on a nearby rock wall, it climbed and leapt with astonishing agility!