Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

"The decay and malevolent energy in this space seem to be some kind of qi, and it becomes more concentrated the closer we get to the location you mentioned. Do you know what this is?" Mo Juren asked with a furrowed brow as he sensed his surroundings during his journey.

"You felt it!" Ancestor Chi Yun chuckled, then continued.

"If my guess is correct, this should be the legendary 'Netherworld Qi,' but it is not pure enough and contains some other things."

"Netherworld Qi?" Mo Juren looked slightly surprised. He had a wide range of knowledge, but he had never heard of Netherworld Qi before.

But then I thought about it again and it seemed quite normal. After all, he had only lived for a few hundred years. Although he seemed to know and see a lot, it was just the tip of the iceberg in the vast world. He was still far from being a true expert.

"The so-called Netherworld Qi is similar to the legendary Yin-Yang Qi, Absolute Evil Qi, and so on. All are unique energies containing negative energy in the world. Of course, each type of energy has its own distinct characteristics and cannot be generalized, but their overall nature is largely the same..." Seeing the other party's interest, Ancestor Chi Yun didn't hide anything and continued to explain.

"According to records, the ancient true spirit 'Nine Void Devouring Crocodile' has its own world within its body, which is based on this 'Netherworld Qi'. My previous speculation that this strange beast is a descendant of the 'Nine Void Devouring Crocodile' was also based on this consideration."

"Of course, the Nine Void Devouring Crocodile is the embodiment of the Netherworld's origin, and the Netherworld Qi contained in its main body is much purer, unlike these impurities present before us..."

"I see." Mo Juren's face immediately showed realization. Sensing the decaying energy around him being repelled by the golden light and continuously purified, his expression grew somewhat solemn.
"This Netherworld energy is almost inexhaustible. If we stay here for too long, we will probably not be able to hold on sooner or later."

"Your concerns are not unfounded. We certainly can't afford to delay any longer; we need to find a way to leave as soon as possible." Ancestor Chi Yun nodded in agreement, then asked again...

"Based on your estimate, how long can it last?"

"If it's only this level, it can last for a year or two without any problem, but as you know, the concentration of the Netherworld Qi changes all the time."

"It is indeed somewhat troublesome, but fortunately the Netherworld Qi here is not pure enough, otherwise it would be even more dangerous," Patriarch Chi Yun sighed, then continued.

“In that case, let’s search as soon as possible and try to leave as soon as possible. Fortunately, I estimate that this space is not very large, and since you and I can use our magic power and divine sense, it shouldn’t be too difficult…”

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Speaking of the Qi of the Netherworld, I am reminded of something. In ancient times, there was a very special elixir in the cultivation world called the 'Nine Revolutions Spiritual Ruins Pill'."

This pill is a top-tier treasure pill that even cultivators in the late stage of the Void Refinement realm covet. Refining this pill requires three main ingredients, one of which is the legendary 'Netherworld Devouring Fruit'.

According to records, this spiritual fruit was born in a place where the 'Netherworld Qi' was extremely abundant.

The aura of the Netherworld is extremely rare in the world, with an extremely low probability of existing in the natural environment. Even if it exists, its quantity and concentration are far inferior to that of this space.

"Nine-Turn Spirit Void Pill? Late-stage Void Refinement cultivators are flocking to it? What's going on?" Mo Juren almost instantly thought of a possibility and immediately asked with anticipation.

"It seems you guessed it too. That's right, this is a top-grade pill that helps cultivators at the peak of the late-stage Refinement Realm advance to the Integration Realm. It can increase the chances of advancement and its value is immeasurable."

Although you are only at the peak of the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and are still far from the late stage of the Void Refinement realm and the breakthrough to the Body Integration realm, since you have this opportunity, it is always good to get your hands on it in advance, just in case.

Besides, your talent is absolutely monstrous. At the age of several hundred years old, you have already broken through to the peak of the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. This is a rare sight among all cultivators.

If this can be maintained, then reaching the Integration Realm in the future may not be too long..." Ancestor Chi Yun didn't keep anyone in suspense and gave the answer directly, his words full of praise.

"Senior, do you think this space can give birth to the 'Netherworld Devouring Fruit'? Also, do you know the formula and refining method of the 'Nine Revolutions Spirit Void Pill'?" Mo Juren was also very surprised and quickly asked again.

"The aura of the Netherworld here is so dense that the possibility of the Netherworld Devouring Fruit being born is extremely high. As for the recipe and refining method of the 'Nine Revolutions Spirit Void Pill,' you may be disappointed, as I do not know it."

"Don't you know?" Mo Juren couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he quickly recovered. He was still in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his priority was to break through to the Void Refinement realm. As for the Body Integration realm, it was still a long way off, so there was no rush.

Now that we know this place may be the birthplace of the so-called 'Netherworld Devouring Fruit', we should naturally find it. As for the recipe, the method of refining it, and other necessary spiritual herbs, we can find them later.

"This junior is not familiar with this spiritual fruit, and my divine sense cannot detect it. I will have to rely on your help to find it in the future."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it. Besides, I'm also quite interested in that 'Netherworld Devouring Fruit'." "..."

As the two flew, they communicated telepathically. Meanwhile, wherever they went, Ancestor Chi Yun would tirelessly search again and again, making sure not to miss any clues.

Unfortunately, after flying over a hundred miles and reaching the target location, they still found nothing.

This shows that the 'Netherworld Devouring Fruit' is truly rare, and even in an environment with such abundant Netherworld energy, the chances of it existing are not high.

However, at this moment, Mo Juren had already stopped and then flew down to the top of a certain mountain peak.

He focused his spiritual energy into his eyes and looked straight down into the valley below, where a sizable, ancient manor came into view.

The manor boasts a variety of features, including artificial hills, stone pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water, and is also frequented by human women dressed as maids.

But that's not the most crucial point. The manor was built in the center of an even larger pond, and the surrounding water was completely surrounded by dense pink lotus flowers, creating a vibrant and lively scene.

"A waterfront manor, pink spirit lotuses, petals speckled with red... Could it be the Bewitching Lotus? This... could this be the place you explored outside before, senior..."

"I also find it strange. It's one thing for you and me to be swallowed by the mysterious beast, but how did these five mountain peaks, as well as the pools and manor within them, also come in?" Ancestor Chi Yun reappeared, but shrunk to a height of only an inch, landing on Mo Juren's shoulder, still hidden within the golden light.

As a soul entity, it is naturally easy to change its size at will. It was obviously also somewhat puzzled, and while speaking, it immediately released its divine sense to carefully investigate.

After a long while, he finally withdrew his divine sense and then explained with some helplessness,
“I have carefully investigated for a long time and found nothing unusual. Moreover, the pool, the spirit lotus, the manor, and even the human women living there all appear to be genuine.”

"This...this is impossible!" Hearing the other party's answer, Mo Juren became even more puzzled. Not to mention here, even inside the Yin Wind Swamp outside, there was no way that a manor inhabited by humans could exist. It was too absurd.

“Before, when we were outside, the distance was too great, and my divine sense was suppressed and interfered with, so I couldn’t be sure. But now that we’re so close, with my divine sense, it’s impossible for me to be wrong,” Patriarch Chi Yun said, his brows furrowed.
“I know what you’re thinking, that everything below is just an illusion. That’s certainly not impossible, but if that’s the case, then it’s even more troublesome!”
At such close range, if I can't detect anything unusual, how terrifying must this illusion be? Or perhaps an even more terrifying being is lurking here…”

At this point, he suddenly thought of a possibility, and his expression changed drastically.

"What's going on, senior?" Mo Juren sensed something and quickly asked the other party via telepathy.

"We've both overlooked one crucial point: the mysterious beast that swallowed us isn't inanimate; it's alive. While it can't be the true form of the 'Nine Void Devouring Crocodile,' its strength is definitely not weak—at least at the Integration Realm or even the Mahayana level."

Such beings are naturally highly intelligent. If they deliberately make a move, coupled with the harsh environment here, it would be incredibly easy for them to evade my divine sense.

"A mysterious beast?" Mo Juren reacted instantly, his expression also turning grim. If it was indeed the work of the other party, then things were in serious trouble.

If the other party insists on keeping them here, there's really nothing they can do. After all, this is their home turf, where they have all the advantages of timing and location, which the other party simply cannot match.

"What should we do?" Gathering his thoughts, Mo Juren quickly asked, but Patriarch Chi Yun simply sighed.
"Now that things have come to this, we can only wait and see. I speculate that the manor below is real, and there may be an owner there. Why don't we go and pay him a visit? Then everything will become clear."

Moreover, things aren't so bleak. If such a being intended to harm us, how could we possibly resist? We would likely have perished long ago.

“That’s true, but should we go and pay a visit directly?” Mo Juren pondered. If the other party’s guess was correct, then this was indeed the only way to deal with it.

There was nothing we could do; our side was simply too weak.

He himself was only a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and there was also Zi Dian, a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator. As for Ancestor Chi Yun, he was just a remnant soul and was even less useful.

In this situation, if one were to actually face the true form of the mysterious beast, especially on its home turf, there would be absolutely no chance of victory.

Rather than making a futile struggle, admitting defeat is the wisest choice, and he feels no psychological pressure or loss of dignity in this regard.

After all, what does face matter compared to one's own life?
Thinking this, he no longer hesitated and immediately flew rapidly down into the valley, stopping at the edge of the pool in front of the manor. He then respectfully bowed and said:
"May I ask if the host is home? This junior, Mo Juren, has unwittingly ended up here and has come to pay my respects." (End of Chapter)