I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

in the dark.

A cloud of blood mist appeared out of thin air.

After they dispersed, Chen Lin's disheveled figure was revealed, his face full of frustration.

"It really is a disaster, what a bad year."

He couldn't help but make a comment.

Then, he cautiously observed his surroundings and took out a "Pioneering Bird" talisman.

He used the last one when passing through the spatial rift. If it weren't for this talisman, he probably would have died in the spatial storm. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the ability to refine one yet, so this is the last one he has left.

"call!"

The moment the talisman was taken out, a dark shadow pounced on it.

It was menacing and terrifying.

Chen Lin flashed away from his original spot, but it was too late. He felt his body lighten as the monster grabbed his entire arm, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

The Beast of the Cold Season?
He ignored his injuries and looked at the monster with suspicion and uncertainty.

Although it differs somewhat from the statues on the Star Gate wall, it is of the same type overall, and coupled with its unique eerie aura, it must be the Frostbite Beast that Huang Yan mentioned.

Then.

This should be the dark area.

I never expected to end up in a place like this. I don't even know which direction it is. Now that the Zodiac Secret Realm is no longer a transit point, getting around is going to be a big problem.

While pondering.

The Frostbite Beast devoured the severed arm, its aura surging once more, and it arrived in a flash.

Its five fingers, like hooks, fiercely gripped downwards.

Chen Lin didn't dodge this time, nor could he. The opponent's speed was ridiculously fast, and he had an extremely strong lock-on ability. Dodging would easily put him at a disadvantage.

Moreover, he was also a criminal.

Point your finger.

A thick, eerie light met the opponent's sharp claws head-on.

As the two clashed, the Frostbite Beast let out a muffled groan, its claws sizzling and emitting black smoke as if they were being corroded.

The attack was also interrupted.

"uh-huh."

Chen Lin suddenly let out a muffled groan.

He looked surprised and bewildered. At this moment, his soul was also in excruciating pain, but he was not attacked by the other party. The other party had been using claws, which had nothing to do with the soul.

It feels... more like the damage from the Soul-Destroying Finger.

Could it be...?

After attacking the opponent, will you also suffer the same damage?

This idea came to mind.

Chen Lin made many connections, and without pausing, he flicked his fingers, sending out a string of eerie lights, interspersed with blue daggers.

The cold-blooded beast retreated repeatedly.

Without making any attempt to dodge, he simply endured the attack head-on, his energy waning until he became extremely weak in an instant.

But the same applies.

Chen Lin's face also turned pale.

His soul seemed to shatter at this moment, sprouting countless cracks. Each crack brought him indescribable pain, and his body was splattered with blood.

Compared to the physical and spiritual damage, the horror in my heart was even stronger.

Just as he thought, attacking the other party would also harm himself!
What exactly is the Suihan Beast?
A clone?

Mirror image?

projection?

They don't seem like anything, yet they are both very similar.

"Shh!"

After recovering, the Frost Beast pounced again, using the same tactics as before, its two sharp claws violently slashing down.

Chen Lin dodged.

It didn't work.

Another piece of flesh was taken from the severed arm that had already been torn off.

This is not counting.

Even the soul was torn open, and although it recovered immediately, it made the already damaged soul even more vulnerable. If it weren't for the existence of forbidden power, the origin would probably have collapsed.

"Humph!"

Chen Lin snorted coldly.

He had already tested it enough and was no longer wasting time with the other party.

With a swift grab, the Xuanjin Spear appeared in his hand, and as the opponent devoured flesh and blood, he unleashed a powerful strike!
The Frost Beast remained unmoved and unyielding.

The spear tip pierced through his chest, and with a slight tremor, his body vanished into nothingness.

Chen Lin did not sheath the spear, but held it flat, focusing his mind on sensing the changes within himself. Only after confirming that there was no backlash like before did he relax.

Put the spear away.

He released his spiritual senses and searched the surrounding area, but found nothing.

The Frost Beast appeared out of nowhere and disappeared completely after being killed, as if it were all an illusion.

After thinking for a while.

Chen Lin took out the colorful crystal marrow, drank a mouthful, then took out the Azure Shuttle, and disappeared in the spot as a streak of azure light.

It only stopped after an incense stick had burned.

Continue to ponder.

The Frost Beast is definitely not an ordinary creature, or even a living being. It feels like a derivative of itself, similar to a projection of the Nightmare Realm, but even more troublesome.

but.

The power of this thing's rules is not very high.

At least there was no way to 'imitate' the forbidden power. When he used the Xuanjin Spear, the opponent could no longer injure him and he was easily killed.

In addition, Chen Lin also felt that...

Even without forbidden power, the Soul-Destroying Finger alone can eliminate the opponent, but the user will also suffer severe injuries. If forbidden power is required, then no force will exist in the Dark Area.

and so.

This item is a manifestation of special rules. As long as you can withstand the suppression of the rules, you can successfully overcome the crisis.

Moreover, it only occurs once every hundred years, and its harmfulness is still within a tolerable range.

top priority.

It's about how to determine the direction and return to the developed area.

If we go the wrong way, it will be a huge problem, and we don't know how long it will take. The power of the rules in this dark area is stronger, and even the short-distance teleportation effect of the Azure Shuttle cannot be used. Going further and further away is not a good thing.

Thinking about this...

Chen Lin couldn't help but sigh.

Although we escaped unscathed from this exploration, we lost the Zodiac Secret Realm, which feels like a net loss.

of course.

There are also many benefits.

The first positive development.

He made an agreement with Xiao He, which meant he had a backer during the Heavenly Trial.

Furthermore, I gained a lot of knowledge.

However, it took more than two hundred years. If the flow of time were normal, the outside world would probably have changed drastically.

He sighed softly.

Chen Lin shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

He enlarged the Azure Shuttle, sat on it, and took out several items.

First, there are the mandarin duck rings.

According to Yuan Wumeng, this item is a sensory treasure; if two lovers wear it, they can sense each other no matter how far apart they are.

He hadn't refined it before, but now he really wanted to give it a try.

No hesitation.

After a brief examination, he used his refining technique to imprint his soul mark on it.

Then it is stimulated to its extreme state.

After half a cup of tea.

Chen Lin put the ring down in disappointment.

He didn't sense the presence of the little white snake, and he didn't know if it was because the distance was too far or because he didn't meet the conditions for using it.

After all, the requirement is that they are people who love each other.

However, he had no affection for the little white snake, and condensing the Eternal Love Bell was cheating. As long as the power of this object's rules was above or equal to that of the Eternal Love Bell, it could 'see through' this.

but.

The little white snake was deeply in love with him and could probably sense his presence.

I don't ask for anything else.

At least we'll know he's still alive, so we won't worry everyone.

Then Chen Lin picked up another object. It was a black spiritual plant, only the size of a chopstick, crystal clear, and segmented in shape.

This item is called Soul-Sounding Bamboo, a high-level auxiliary treasure for soul-soul liberation. It was mentioned in the soul-soul liberation books in the study, and its effects are extremely powerful. With this item, his chances of a second soul liberation will increase by at least 10%.

Chen Lin gently stroked it.

For a moment, I was hesitant to make a decision.

All the information he learned about the second soul-deliverance indicated that the matter was extremely dangerous, and the chances of survival were extremely slim.

Moreover, the conditions are very demanding.

If he intends to take this path, he will have to spend a lot of time and energy searching for the Soul-Solving Key, the Soul-Questioning Pearl, and other supporting materials.

It's hard to find time to cultivate other skills.

He was originally prepared to give up, or at least not make it his primary objective.

But now that the second soul release has become a necessary condition for using forbidden power, he has to reconsider. Xiao He is unreliable and cannot be relied on completely. If he wants to survive the trial of ascending to heaven, he still has to rely on himself.

"Some dangers seem unavoidable."

After much deliberation,

Chen Lin still leans towards the idea of ​​dispelling the soul.

Since he had no better option, he believed that the danger of the Soul Removal Trial was still lower than that of the Heavenly Ascension Trial.

No matter what.

The soul-deliverance ceremony is also conducted in the outside world, allowing for ample preparation and foreseeable danger.

No one knows what the trial to ascend to heaven will be like. This time it is different from the past. If your strength does not meet the standard, you will only be able to rely on luck to survive.

Determined.

Chen Lin carefully put away the Soul-Sounding Bamboo and held a bright red fruit in his hand.

It is also one of the spiritual plants that Xiaohe pointed out.

This fruit is called the Cloud-Clearing Fruit. Its function is to reveal the lines between self and others, to clear away the clouds and let the hidden lines between self and others be revealed.

This is also very useful.

Within the lines of self and others, if the corresponding target is powerful enough or special enough, the lines can be concealed. Many potential rulers are unable to sense the opportunity for advancement for a long time because they have not completely severed the lines of self and others.

But there's no rush to use it now.

It's not too late to use it after all the lines that can be sensed have been processed.

Otherwise, it might alert the enemy.

The third spiritual plant is a coconut-shaped fruit.

It is about the size of a human head.

It is dark milky white overall, with a very hard shell covered with dark red patterns, giving it a mysterious feel.

Chen Lin examined it carefully.

With a single thought, one can unleash their innate destiny, and the power of the rules will cover the fruit.

The patterns on the fruit immediately began to move, and in an instant, they resonated with his innate domain, and the changes in the patterns that appeared were exactly the same as the lines of fate in the domain!
This sight made Chen Lin's eyes light up.

According to the information Xiaohe provided, this coconut has no name and is not a normally grown variety. It is a hybrid variety that the other party is experimenting with. There is only one tree, and there is only one fruit.

The other party had tested it and found that this fruit had a unique response to the power of fate, so they gave it to him.

It seems quite mysterious now.

Its specific function is unclear and requires further research.

After checking all the items, Chen Lin began testing the Zodiac Secret Technique. The secret realm had collapsed, and he wondered if it would affect the use of the divine power. He needed to confirm this to avoid any accidents during the battle.

I tried it several times.

Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did he finally feel relieved.

In general.

Overall, the benefits of this trip to the secret realm outweighed the drawbacks.

There are many ways to travel quickly, it's just that some treasures are not easy to obtain, but they are not impossible.

However, the various theoretical knowledge left behind by the Shadow Scholar, as well as his anecdotes and stories, the secret information provided by Xiao He, and the spiritual plants, are all things that cannot be obtained from outside.

At last.

Chen Lin took out everything he had that involved communicating with the outside world and tried it out.

Final decision.

The Heavenly Palace at the Azure Peak and the Ferry of Life were not greatly affected, but the River of Destiny was somewhat suppressed, and the others were more restricted.

But that's enough.

As long as we can get in touch with the Azure Heaven Palace, that's fine.

There's no need to wait for the trade fair. As a Yellow-level worshipper, you can directly apply for help, but the cost is too high. For now, it's best to explore on your own and only consider it if you really can't get out.

After making some plans, Chen Lin urged the Azure Shuttle forward and began to move forward in the darkness.

It flies very slowly.

The defensive formation remains active, and the area covered by the Ninefold Armor is expanded to prevent attacks from dark creatures.

At the same time, unleash your soul perception to explore the exquisite treasure chest.

According to information gathered from various sources, the exquisite treasure chest is said to often appear in dark areas. Since we've come this far, we should naturally search for it carefully.

The scope is just too broad.

The dark area is boundless, and finding the exquisite treasure chest is almost like finding a needle in a haystack.

Shake.

Several months have passed.

Chen Lin stopped the Azure Shuttle and frowned in thought.

Although he slowed down, the distance he had covered after such a long time was still considerable, as his speed was beyond that of ordinary Eternal cultivators.

But they encountered nothing.

Forget about the exquisite treasure chest, there wasn't even a single living being, meteorite, or even a broken fragment of a treasure; all I could sense was deathly silence.

The environment remains the same.

He even felt as if he had never moved.

"No wonder no one wants to live in the dark area. It's not just the cold beasts and other dangers, but the loneliness and oppression are something that ordinary people can't bear."

it's here.

Distance has become a meaningless number.

Ordinary units of measurement are useless; we can only use '甲' to calculate. The reincarnation of that star lord, Huang Yan, was said to have come from Wangqi Mountain, three hundred jia outside Black Ring Mountain.

This distance is terrifying.

To know.

The unit "甲" corresponds to a light-year. It would take an ordinary eternal cultivator sixty years to reach that point by flying at full speed.

Three hundred armors.

That means it will take 18,000 years to fly!

Therefore, when Huang Yan said it, Chen Lin did not believe it at all, thinking that the other party was just talking nonsense.

Now it seems...

What the other party said may not be a lie.

The developed areas are but a drop in the ocean compared to the entire Star Ruins. Even if the Star Ruins have boundaries, they are at least the size of the Milky Way in the previous life.

Or the Virgo Supercluster.

It is more likely that it has no boundaries and belongs to the infinite universe.

of course.

The Star Ruins may have no boundaries, but the area covered by the Book of Creation definitely has boundaries. No matter how powerful a treasure is, it cannot change infinite space.

My thoughts wandered for a while.

Chen Lin once again urged the Azure Shuttle forward.

This time, I'll move forward at full speed, but without teleporting.

unconsciously.

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period.

Chen Lin finally encountered a dark creature, which was extremely strange and more troublesome than the creatures in the strange kingdom. Fortunately, the Soul-Destroying Finger could restrain it, and with the powerful Xuanjin Spear, he escaped unharmed.

But it also made him more cautious.

Instead of wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly, they made up their minds to use their remaining contribution points to exchange for something in the Azure Peak Heavenly Palace Treasury.

Positioning disc.

Open the treasure vault directory.

Chen Lin scrolled up until he reached the section where only Yellow-level Offerings had the authority to exchange items, and looked at the prices behind the positioning disk.

One thousand contributions!
He couldn't help but grin.

This positioning device is useless except for its high level; it can only point north without any other indication, and it needs to be charged every time it is used.

The lowest energy source is variegated crystal.

If the rules and power of a place are too strong, the required energy source must also be increased accordingly.

"Robbery!"

Chen Lin made a comment.

But having no other choice, I gritted my teeth and opted to exchange it. (End of Chapter)