I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

Black Stone Forest?
Upon seeing the request for help on the note, Chen Lin couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

Previously, at the Qingding Heavenly Palace Trade Fair, the Silver Fairy said that she was in this place, and that it was extremely chaotic and had a complex web of power struggles.

He had planned to go and take a look after finishing his mission here.

This request can actually be fulfilled.

I pondered for a while.

Chen Lin felt that this was just a coincidence, rather than someone manipulating things, since no one knew about his communication with the Silver Fairy.

So I stopped thinking about it.

Continue the investigation.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, we've been looking for you for ages!"

After wandering around for a while, Chen Lin couldn't find a way to enter the Marquis's residence, but instead encountered Qingmian and his group.

Green face, Monteli, Awen.

There are also Si Guang and Ximen Yu.

Those who hadn't become idols all gathered together.

This made him very happy.

The more people there are, the greater the chance of completing the task.

Moreover, these people must all possess powerful supernatural abilities to have survived this long. If they really can't find a way to break the rules of this place, they can join forces and launch a strong attack, which would give them a chance to live.

"Greetings, Lord Green Face."

Chen Lin nodded to the others, then walked up to Qing and greeted her.

He then asked, "Sir, shouldn't you tell us now who we need to rescue? The situation here is strange, and that Di Hou is extremely powerful. If things get too difficult, we should abandon the mission, find the person, and leave."

Qingmian sighed softly.

"I underestimated the danger of this place, which caused everyone to suffer. I will compensate you all after the mission is over."

He looked left and right.

He transmitted his voice to Chen Lin, saying, "We need to rescue the young patriarch of the Purple Wood Clan, named Herta, as well as the other survivors of the Purple Wood Clan. This mission was issued by the Purple Wood Clan using contribution points."

talking.

Qingmian raised his hand and gently tapped.

The image of a young man from another race with a purple glow between his eyebrows appeared in Chen Lin's mind.

Chen Lin looked slightly disappointed.

He thought he was going to save the courtesan Qin Nianjun.

If so, there's no need to search everywhere; a rescue can be launched at any time, and you'll also receive two points as a reward.

"Has the lord found out about this person?"

Chen Lin continued to ask questions.

"No."

Qingmian shook his head.

“I’ve searched everywhere around here, but there are no members of the Purple Wood Clan. They are most likely in the Marquis’s mansion in the center.”

Chen Lin looked towards the Marquis's residence.

That place is forbidden.

No matter where you come from, you must pass through one of the four temples, and once you enter the temple's area, you may be pulled into the divine realm.

It's not a possibility.

They will definitely be pulled in.

I thought about it.

Chen Lin also asked telepathically, "Is there anything special about the Purple Wood Clan, or is there something special about Horseshoe Mountain? Why did Marquis Di want to invade this place?"

This is a point of contention.

According to Ye Sheng, the strange creatures invaded the Star Ruins to collect energy for the Divine Seal. Since the cultivators here have already been affected, there is no need to continue occupying it.

and so.

There must be something that attracts Nadihou.

Qingmian paused for a moment.

A moment later, the voice transmitted again: "The Purple Wood Clan has a strange tree that has sprouted. The aura it emitted was discovered by Nadi Hou, which is why he came to invade."

“The strange tree took root and sprouted here, becoming bound to Horseshoe Mountain, making it impossible to transplant. So Dihou simply stayed here.”

"in addition."

Since he had already said it, Qingmian would no longer hide it.

"The Purple Wood Clan possesses a special talent that allows them to resonate with that wondrous wood. Di Hou must have imprisoned them within the City Lord's Mansion, using their innate abilities to extract energy from the saplings to provide energy for the so-called gods."

Chen Lin frowned.

If that's the case, then there's no shortcut to this task.

To save the person, you must go to the Marquis's residence; to get to the Marquis's residence, you must pass through the temple.

Not only will they fall into the temple, but they will also surely alarm Dihou.

We'll still have to resort to arms then.

"How confident are you, sir, in killing Nadihou?"

Chen Lin asked directly.

Qingmian's face twitched.

He smiled wryly and said, "Before I came in, I felt I had at least a 70% chance of success, but now I have no chance at all. Let alone killing the opponent, even getting through the temple will not be an easy task."

"I just tried to fly over there, but I was pulled directly into the divine realm and am besieged by a group of gods."

"It took a near-death experience to break through."

Qingmian's expression was solemn.

He pondered for a moment and said, "We still need to abide by the rules here and collect the points first. The reason why strange creatures are so troublesome is because they have mastered a high level of rules. As long as we can overcome the restrictions of the rules, they are not a threat."

"How many points are you still short, sir?"

Chen Lin immediately asked.

What the other person said makes a lot of sense.

Based on his countless experiences exploring the Nightmare Realm, the strange creatures are products of the rules. As long as one acts in accordance with the rules, even a guardian cannot do whatever they want.

This should be roughly correct.

"Ten points short."

The man with the green face answered in a deep voice.

Then he recounted, "After I entered, I was not bewitched by the strange creatures here, which earned me ten points. I also gained ten points by using my divine sense to explore the unknown area."

"besides."

"In the four areas of wine, women, wealth, and power, I got 20 points in Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School, Bai Mei Lou, and Zhong Sheng Tavern. Only the Money Shop was a bit worse, with only 10 points."

"But I'm confident."

"We can also get the other ten points from the gambling den, and then we can make a total of one hundred. Let's see what changes happen before deciding on the next step."

"And you."

"How many points did you get?"

Qingmian looked at Chen Lin.

Chen Lin then explained his situation.

This was not a secret; no telepathy was used, and others were also involved.

Finally, Chen Lin learned the truth.

Apart from Si Guang, the rest all received 90 points.

Even old Xiu Awen was no exception.

Moreover, while others were stuck on exploring unknown areas with their divine sense, the other party completed this most difficult task. Instead, they were hindered at the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts Hall and only got ten points there.

Chen Lin thought it was because of the Silver Fairy Jade Talisman.

Upon inquiry, it was found that this was not the case.

Although the jade talisman can suppress the eerie atmosphere of this place, it cannot resist the backlash of the power of the rules in the unknown area.

What neutralizes the backlash is the opponent's own innate talent.

The same goes for green noodles.

It's all about talent, not treasure.

In this way, it's impossible to help each other, and everyone has to accomplish everything on their own.

After some discussion.

Chen Lin and his men split into four groups.

Qingmian went to the Money Shop, Awen went to the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School, and Chen Lin went to the All Beings Tavern. After the shops reopened, they each went to try to earn the remaining ten points.

Monteli and Siguang continued to explore, looking for other places to gain points, and provided support from the center.

After the others left, Chen Lin called out to Lao Xiu Awen.

He took out an attack talisman and handed it to the other party, saying, "Take this talisman. You can use it to fight against that master. If things don't work out, don't force it. If we can get out, we won't leave you behind."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Awen happily accepted it.

Then he tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist, you are so kind to me. Is there any connection between us, or is there anything you need from me?" "I am just doing this on someone's behalf."

Chen Lin did not give a clear answer.

If the other party knows the situation, they will understand after hearing this. If they don't know, there's no need for them to point it out. Perhaps Bai Lingyu doesn't want the other party to know.

"Entrusted by someone?"

Awen looked bewildered, but before he could ask any questions, Chen Lin had already walked away.

The Tavern for All Beings.

Ye Sheng was sitting at the door, bored.

Upon seeing Chen Lin approach, he immediately asked, "Have you seen your companions? To be honest, although they are all very strong, they are probably no match for that Di Hou."

"Oh?"

Chen Lin scrutinized the other person in surprise.

"What made your judgment? Those people's cultivation levels are at least as strong as mine, and one of them is a Dominator-level expert. How could you see through their strength?"

"No need to check cultivation level."

Ye Sheng shook his head.

“Although my cultivation level is not high in reality, my perception is infinitely enhanced whenever I am in places related to the strange kingdom. Your team leader is definitely not as strong as Nadihou.”

"At least in this place, the other party is no match for Nadihou."

"But it's you, Fellow Daoist Chen."

Ye Sheng's gaze swept over Chen Lin.

"I can't quite see through your strength. You don't seem very strong in my perception, but you have a kind of heart-palpitating feeling, just like that Di Hou gave me."

"Fellow Daoist Ye has excellent eyesight."

Chen Lin smiled.

The topic was not continued.

He glanced at the empty street and leaned against a stone bench.

He casually asked, "If we can break free from this place, where do you plan to go, fellow Daoist? Will you head to the Star Ruins, or return to the Boundless Realm?"

"There's no going back to the days of boundlessness."

Ye Sheng sighed softly.

"To get back, I have to go through the Nightmare Realm. Not only do I no longer have a special travel permit, but to get back to the Nightmare Realm, I also have to go through the Divine Realm, which is too dangerous. I really don't have the courage to go through it again."

Upon hearing this answer...

Chen Lin's eyes flashed and he said, "Is the divine realm you're talking about different from the one you enter from here? Several of my companions have entered because they failed to pass the challenges in the shops, but they all came out successfully."

"It doesn't seem that scary."

"It's a divine realm, but the circumstances are different."

Ye Sheng hesitated for a moment before offering an explanation.

"Failure in the store simply means being pulled into a specific scenario to continue the assessment. Successfully completing the assessment allows you to escape, and the difficulty is not very high."

Even if you go in from the temple.

"As long as you don't wander around, you only need to resist the attacks from the gods enshrined in the temple. The level of danger depends on whether there are any particularly powerful beings among the statues in the temple."

"But if you want to move around inside."

"The danger, however, is uncertain."

"That place is a bizarre and fantastical place. Not only do you have to face all sorts of strange gods, but you also have to endure the erosion of powerful rules. Every step you take could lead to a fall of ten thousand feet..."

"what!"

As he was speaking, Ye Sheng suddenly let out a scream.
He then collapsed to the ground, a strange aura emanating from his body, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.

But immediately.

A white light appeared in his palm, growing brighter and brighter. Under the light, the eerie aura around him gradually faded away and was eventually completely eliminated.

That's all I can say. I hope it helps.

Ye Sheng stood up and said.

Thank you.

Chen Lin glanced at the other person's severed arm.

"Your arm must be affected by some strange rule, which is why it can't grow back, right?"

"Ah."

Ye Sheng didn't answer, he just hummed in response.

Chen Lin didn't press the matter further.

The other party has provided a lot of information, which can lead to many deductions and will be very useful for him when he enters the strange realm in the future.

In general

The eerie realm is divided into two spaces.

One is a place inhabited by strange creatures, and the other is a divine realm.

Chen Lin thought so.

The Divine Realm is the true 'Mysterious Kingdom,' while the so-called Mysterious Kingdom is merely a space that has been influenced by the Divine Realm.

Just like the Nightmare Realm is a branch of the bizarre kingdom.

If that's really the case.

Chen Lin touched his chin.

That divine realm must be connected to the 'outside world', or it must be outside the Book of Creation itself!

After his thoughts wandered for a while, Chen Lin suppressed them.

It's too early to think about these things now. After we get out of this predicament, we should go to the Black Stone Forest, find the Silver Fairy, and discuss it further. Perhaps we can get more secret information that way.

Time passed slowly.

More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, the entire space was completely silent, and nothing changed. Even the common people had all disappeared without a trace.

It resembles a dead city.

Chen Lin and the others did not take any further action and waited quietly.

"Crench."

This morning.

The tavern door was finally opened.

"Hehe, you two seem to really enjoy the wines at our tavern. You've come so early, why don't you come in and have a couple of drinks?"

The hunchbacked shopkeeper poked his head out and spoke with a smile.

"Then I'll take my leave."

Chen Lin didn't stand on ceremony and stepped inside.

Ye Sheng did not move.

He had already obtained all the achievements in this tavern, and drinking there would not bring him much benefit. On the contrary, he might be sent to the Divine Realm. Therefore, he had hardly come here in the past ten years.

"A cup of 'No Thoughts', please."

After finding a seat, Chen Lin tossed out a seven-colored nightmare coin and began to speak.

He had already learned from Ye Sheng that this tavern had three kinds of wine: Pudu Zhongsheng, Zui Hongchen, and the last one was Wunian.

To get all 20 points, you must taste all three types of wine.

"What courage you have, sir!"

The old shopkeeper gave a thumbs up.

Instead of taking the Seven-Colored Nightmare Coins, he turned around, took out a small wine jar, and walked directly to Chen Lin without opening it.

"This wine is somewhat special."

"It must be consumed within three breaths after opening, without interruption, without leaving a single drop, and without being poured into other containers."

That concludes the introduction.

He placed the wine jar on the table.

He said in a strange tone, "No thought gives rise to a myriad of thoughts; one thought gives birth, one thought takes death. I hope you can taste the flavor of it all and not waste this good thing."

Chen Lin did not speak.

He grabbed the wine jar, swept off the mud seal with one hand, quickly sensed it, and then drank it all in one gulp.

I've already understood everything, so there's no need to worry about it anymore.

The old shopkeeper walked back behind the counter, wiping the countertop with a cloth while glancing sideways at the situation.

Then I discovered...

Chen Lin remained motionless, showing no abnormalities except for his slightly closed eyes.

He was slightly taken aback.

That's all it takes.

Chen Lin had already opened his eyes.

He frowned.

He said in a deep voice, "The taste is good, but it's still lacking. Do you have anything stronger?" (End of Chapter)