Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Several days later, on the northern border of Qingzhou, deep within the ruins of the former Zhao family.

Shi Poshan personally led a highly skilled team of shadow guards to patrol the area.

The "Chaos Returning to the Void City Protection Array" led by Mo Heng has taken initial shape in the core area of ​​the imperial city. The phantom of the Xuan Turtle appears and disappears, and the heavy aura it exudes puts all the people of Qingzhou at ease.

However, the outer defense network still needs time to be built and patrolled.

The night was deep, and the starlight was obscured by thin clouds.

Shi Poshan swept across the broken walls and ruins like a ghost, his powerful divine sense like invisible tentacles, sweeping over every inch of the land. Suddenly, he stopped at the seemingly ordinary entrance to a collapsed cellar covered with withered vines.

A faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation, almost merging with the earth's yin energy, alerted him.

This fluctuation... was not purely filth, nor was it the Yin energy of the Xuanming Sect. Instead, it carried an ancient, desolate, seemingly accumulating resentment and... hunger? It was very subtle. If he hadn't recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, making him more sensitive to energy, and if the Guixu Sword Intent Seed bestowed by Yu Changsheng hadn't had a natural affinity for negative energy, he would have been almost unable to detect it.

He crouched down and carefully parted the withered vines, revealing a dilapidated stone slab covered in moss beneath. The eerie fluctuations were seeping out from the cracks beneath the stone slab, slowly drawing upon the faint life force dissipating from the surrounding earth's veins.

Shi Poshan frowned. This aura reminded him of the source of filth sealed deep within the Burial God Ruins that Yu Changsheng had mentioned, but it seemed different, more obscure and difficult to understand. It was like... some kind of forgotten, ancient "residue" or "byproduct" that depended on filth for life, which had quietly revived deep within the ruins of this once blood-soaked aristocratic family due to the energy impact of the dramatic changes in Qingzhou's ley lines and the successive battles.

He dared not delay and immediately took out a specially made Shadow Guard communication jade talisman, imprinting the location of the discovery and the characteristics of the strange aura in detail, marking it with the highest level of warning, and then crushed the jade talisman.

An invisible wave instantly pierced through space, heading straight towards the imperial city.

After doing all this, Shi Poshan did not leave. Instead, he signaled the Shadow Guard team to set up hidden guards in the distance, while he himself, like a stone statue blending into the shadows, stared intently at the entrance to the cellar, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He knew this was likely another small sign before a storm was brewing.

The sky over Qingzhou seemed temporarily clear because of Yu Changsheng, but the darkness buried deep underground and the greedy gaze from Zhongzhou never truly left.

Shi Poshan held his breath and focused his mind. His divine sense, at the Nascent Soul stage, was like an invisible spider web, layer upon layer covering the collapsed cellar hidden by withered vines.

That abnormal fluctuation was extremely weak, like the last breath of a dying worm. If it weren't for the sharp warning from the seed of Guixu sword intent bestowed by Yu Changsheng in his sea of ​​consciousness, it would have been completely covered by the cold earth energy emanating from the ground.

It was neither pure filth nor the signature deathly aura of the Xuanming Sect, but something deeper and more ancient. It carried the withered resentment accumulated over millennia, and an indescribable hunger. This feeling sent a chill down Shi Poshan's spine, as if he were facing not some residual energy, but a ravenous beast lurking beneath the dust of history, its instincts quietly awakened by the aftershocks of Qingzhou's successive upheavals and great battles.

"Captain?" A Shadow Guard member at the peak of the Golden Core stage asked from behind, using his internal energy to transmit his voice.

Shi Poshan didn't turn around. He slowly raised his left hand, spread his five fingers, and then suddenly clenched them—the highest level of alert hand signal for the action team!

All the Shadow Guard members' pupils contracted sharply, and they scattered like ghosts, each taking up a hidden corner. Their auras completely blended into the darkness, and the poisoned crossbows and concealment array plates in their hands were silently activated.

He himself, like a shadow blending into the rock, slowly approached the dilapidated stone slab covered in slippery moss. A barely perceptible wisp of the Returning Void Sword Intent gathered at his fingertips as he cautiously probed the edge of the slab, attempting to pry open a crack and peek into the depths of the earth.

The moment the sword intent touched the crack in the stone slab—

"Buzz!"

An indescribable aura of decay suddenly erupted!

It wasn't an energy surge, but rather an invisible, withering will!
The Guixu sword intent that Shi Poshan condensed at his fingertips emitted a piercing mournful cry, as if it had been scraped by an invisible, rusty blade, and its spirituality instantly dimmed by more than half!
Even more terrifying was that the wisp of his divine consciousness that he extended was like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil; with a hiss, it was forcibly "swallowed" and "digested" by that ashen aura!

All that came back was a void that devoured everything and a thirst that chilled to the bone!
"Retreat!!" Shi Poshan roared, his voice like a thunderclap.

late!

"Puff puff!"

Several strange, gray, withered roots, resembling giant earthworms covered with finely serrated suckers, suddenly pierced out from the cracks in the stone slab! They moved faster than lightning and possessed a bizarre characteristic of ignoring spiritual energy defenses!
Their target was not Shi Poshan, but two Foundation Establishment stage shadow guards who had just activated their defensive talismans not far behind him!
The light shields generated by the two "Golden Armor Amulets," which were powerful enough to withstand a full-force attack from a Golden Core cultivator, were as fragile as paper in front of the gray roots! The tips of the roots easily pierced the light shields, like blood-sucking leeches, and fiercely stabbed into the chests of the two shadow guards!
"Ugh—!"

A bloodcurdling scream, so shrill it was inhuman, instantly ripped through the deathly silence!

The two shadow guards' bodies shriveled up at a visible speed, their plump flesh becoming like sponges that had been drained of moisture, their skin quickly losing its luster, covered with wrinkles and gray spots, and even their bones made a soft cracking sound as they could not bear the weight!

The life force, spiritual power, and even the fearful souls that had just been awakened within them were greedily sucked and devoured by those terrifying roots!
In the blink of an eye, only two skeletons tightly wrapped in tattered skin remained on the spot, their empty eye sockets still showing extreme terror.

"Beast!" Shi Poshan's eyes were bloodshot, and his murderous aura as a Nascent Soul cultivator erupted! He took a step forward, and with a clench of his right hand in the air, a heavy battle blade, completely black and wrapped with wisps of blood-red murderous aura, appeared out of thin air—it was the "Mountain-Splitting Blade" that made him famous!
"Cut it off!"

The blade light surged, condensing the immense spiritual power of the early Nascent Soul stage and the fierce killing intent honed on the battlefield, fiercely slashing at those few withered roots that had absorbed the essence of life and were about to retract!

On the blade, the seed of Guixu sword intent bestowed by Yu Changsheng was fully activated, transforming into an extremely condensed gray line attached to the blade!
Clang——!
A piercing clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere!

The Rift Blade struck its target, but the feel of it was unusually stiff!

Those seemingly withered roots are far more resilient than you can imagine!
Shi Poshan's domineering blade aura only left a few charred slash marks no more than an inch deep on its surface!

The gray roots trembled violently, emitting a painful hissing sound. Thick, dark sap, like tar, seeped from the cut surface. Instead of retreating, it split into two branches like an enraged venomous snake, stabbing towards Shi Poshan's throat and dantian with lightning speed!

That withering will that devours everything, like an invisible tide, instantly enveloped him!
Shi Poshan's hair stood on end; the shadow of death had never felt so real! He roared, his Rift-Splitting Blade creating a blood-red light barrier that was impenetrable, while he retreated rapidly, trying to create distance.

However, that withered will seemed to be able to freeze space, and his movements were momentarily slowed down!

Just as the withered roots were about to reach his body— "Buzz—!"

On Shi Poshan's chest, the protective talisman, personally imprinted by Yu Changsheng and containing the power of chaos and the sword intent of the Returning Void, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling gray light!
A miniature chaotic vortex instantly formed in front of him, unleashing a powerful force of devouring and decomposition!

Chi Chi Chi!
The two withered roots that were stabbing at him crashed violently into the chaotic vortex!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a teeth-grinding, violent melting sound! The viscous, dark sap on the ashen roots was rapidly decomposed and purified by the power of chaos, and the roots themselves, like metal thrown into strong acid, became dull and shrunken at a visible speed! That terrifying will to wither was also forcibly dispelled by the domineering power of chaotic return to nothingness!
Taking advantage of this moment, Shi Poshan bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of his life essence blood onto the Rift Mountain Blade! The bloody aura of the blade soared into the sky, completely merging with the sword intent of Returning to the Void!

"Breaking Army - Blood Fiend Slash!"

The blade light transformed into a condensed, blood-red streak, carrying an indomitable and tragic momentum, and slashed fiercely at the charred slash mark that had been broken open by the Guixu sword intent!
Click!

A chilling cracking sound rang out! The neglected, withered root was finally severed from its wound by a violent force! A large amount of viscous, dark sap gushed from the cut, writhing and struggling like a living thing, emitting a silent shriek! The remaining root seemed to be startled and suddenly retracted under the stone slab.

Shi Poshan staggered back several steps, his face pale, and his hand holding the knife trembled slightly. The life-or-death moment of the explosion had almost drained thirty percent of his spiritual power, and the light of the protective talisman on his chest had dimmed considerably.

"Withdraw! Seal off this area! No one is allowed to approach!"

He was panting, his voice hoarse as he gave the order, his eyes fixed on the now deathly silent cellar entrance, still shaken.

This thing is no ordinary filth! It is more ancient, more bizarre, and more deadly than the ghosts of the Xuanming Sect!

In the heart of the imperial city, in a secluded meditation chamber.

Yu Changsheng, who was sitting cross-legged healing his injuries, suddenly opened his eyes! A fleeting chaotic divine pattern flashed in his deep pupils.

Almost at the same time,

The six chaotic beasts guarding the quiet room simultaneously let out a low, warning roar! The Xuan Turtle raised its head, its thick shell shimmering with a mysterious yellow light;

The Golden Roc's sharp gaze pierced the north; the Flame Dragon spewed scorching dragon breath from its nostrils;

The colorful star deer paced restlessly; the eternal night domain surrounding the evil demon surged violently.

The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword rang out three inches from its sheath, its deep purple blade pointing directly towards the ruins of the Zhao family!
The six beasts resonated together! This is unprecedented!

"Brother Changsheng?" Chen Xueqing, the protector outside the meditation room, sensed it instantly, pushed open the door, and entered with a solemn expression. Wang Cheng had also finished his deep comprehension, his domineering aura not yet fully subsided. He strode to Yu Changsheng's side and said in a deep voice, "Old Yu, what's going on? All six beasts roared?"

Yu Changsheng did not answer immediately. He slowly stood up, took a step, and his figure appeared on the highest star-gazing platform in the imperial city. Wang Cheng and Chen Xueqing followed closely behind.

To the average person, the northern part of Qingzhou might appear peaceful under the cover of night. But to Yu Changsheng, a peak-stage Void Refinement cultivator, the scene was different, thanks to his divine sense and the reflection of the Chaos Divine Runes.

That area was like an inkwell with pebbles thrown in—an extremely subtle yet eerie aura carrying the destructive power of "withering" and "devouring" the very essence, just like ink dripping into clear water, spreading out from the depths of the scorched ruins of the Zhao family, quietly eroding the life force of the surrounding earth veins!
This aura was ancient, deathly still, and greedy, carrying an eerie quality that sent shivers down one's spine. It was purer and closer to the negative aspects of some kind of "origin" than any filth he had encountered before.

“It’s not the Xuanming Sect.” Yu Changsheng’s voice was as cold as ice, his gaze piercing through the void and locking onto the core of the Zhao family ruins. “It’s the ‘Ancient Filthy Remnant’.”

"Ancient filth and remnant pupa?" Wang Cheng frowned, having never heard of this term before.

"The evils that accompany the ancient ruins of the burial of gods".

Chen Xueqing's face paled slightly, and the Life Gem emitted a wary emerald light in her palm, clearly indicating that her life senses instinctively abhorred and feared this aura.

"Legend has it that before the fall of the gods and the birth of the filthy source core, there were even older and more thorough 'annihilation residues' deep within the ancient ruins. They were not living beings, but 'entropy manifestations' that settled after the collapse of the universe's rules. Like maggots clinging to wounds, they absorbed the power of filth and death over the long years, condensing into a 'pupa'-like form and sleeping."

"Once awakened by a huge energy fluctuation or life force from the outside world..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the worry in her eyes said it all.

"The highest level of warning has been sent back from Shipo Mountain."

Yu Changsheng opened his palm, and a dim fragment of the Shadow Guard Jade Talisman floated on it, imprinted with fragments of what Shi Poshan had encountered: the strange gray roots, the Shadow Guard who was instantly drained, the chilling withered will, and the difficult resistance when the Chaos Talisman erupted.

"This thing is based on the laws of 'withering' and 'devouring'. It is not afraid of ordinary energy attacks. Spiritual power, ghostly energy, and even filth can be its resources. Its core... has probably already touched the level of 'rules' and cannot be broken by brute force."

His gaze swept across the imperial city below, where lights were gradually illuminating. Mo Heng was directing the artisans of the Hundred Crafts Workshop to work through the night, and the massive array base was shimmering with chaotic runes under the shadow of the Xuan Turtle.

Inside Lin Wanqing's Qingmu Manor, spiritual plants imbued with purifying power unfurled their tender buds under the starlight; the Qingzhou Guards, integrated by Shipo Mountain, drilled at their camp outside the city, their shouts carrying the vigor of new life.

"The Xuanming Sect is eyeing us covetously from the outside, while the ancient and defiled remnants are quietly reviving from within. Qingzhou's foundation has barely been established when it is already besieged on all sides." Yu Changsheng's voice was calm, yet it carried an immense weight.

"This pupa must be eliminated before it fully hatches and grows stronger by devouring the earth's veins! Otherwise, the entire Qingzhou will become a sacrifice for it as it emerges from its cocoon!"

"Wow!" Wang Cheng stepped forward, his newly broken half-step Void Refinement aura like a volcano about to erupt, the Overlord Blood Chaos Domain faintly visible on his body, flowing with a trace of chaotic true meaning.

"My domineering bloodline has merged with the power of chaos, and the essence of my power may be able to restrain its withering and devouring! In addition, with the mark you gave me, Lao Yu, it's a good time to test the blade!" His eyes burned with fighting spirit, and even more so with the rage to avenge the tragic deaths of the Shadow Guards.

"Don't be reckless." Chen Xueqing immediately objected, the light of the Life Gem reflecting on her worried face. "That thing has strange rules. Although your Overlord Body is strong, your vitality is too vigorous. To it, it's like a torch in the dark! Once you get entangled by its roots, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Yu Changsheng raised his hand to stop the two from arguing.

His gaze sharpened instantly, clearing his thoughts in a flash. (End of Chapter)