Immortality Cultivation: I can use my clansmen’s energy and blood to add points.

Luo Chen nodded, a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes: "Okay, we can rest there for a while and find out about the situation in the market."

Qingshuang smiled slightly. She knew that Luo Chen always liked to explore unknown places, even if it was just a short stay.

The two walked side by side towards Nanheng City. The city gate was tall and solid, and it was engraved with traces of time.

When the guards saw them, they simply nodded as if they were used to passers-by.

Entering the city, there are all kinds of shops on both sides of the street, with hawking sounds coming one after another, making it very lively.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang strolled among the crowd, feeling the prosperity and hustle and bustle.

"Let's find a place to stay first." Qingshuang suggested.

Luo Chen looked around, and finally his eyes fell on an inn that looked quite elegant.

"That inn looks nice, let's stay there."

They walked into the inn, and the waiter greeted them warmly: "My two guests, what can I do for you?"

"Prepare a quiet room for us." Luo Chen said.

"Okay, sir, please follow me." The waiter took them upstairs and pushed open a door.

The room is simply and cleanly decorated. Outside the window is a quiet courtyard with a few birds singing happily in the treetops.

After Luo Chen and Qing Shuang settled down, they decided to go to the market town to see if there was anything they needed.

"There should be a lot of good things in the market, and we can use them to replenish some materials for cultivation." Qingshuang said.

Luo Chen nodded, and the two of them left the inn together and walked towards the market.

The market was bustling with people, and various stalls were filled with a wide variety of goods.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang walked and looked, stopping from time to time to ask about the price and purpose.

"Luo Chen, look at this." Qingshuang picked up an exquisite jade pendant, on which was engraved a lifelike phoenix.

Luo Chen took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and said, "This jade pendant seems to contain an extraordinary power. If you like it, buy it."

It seems that Qingshuang always has a special liking for things like jade pendants.

Qing Shuang heard this and showed a hint of joy on her face: "Really? That's great."

The two continued to stroll in the market, and before they knew it, the sky had gradually darkened.

Luo Chen looked up at the sky and saw a bright moon hanging high in the sky, casting a silver light.

"Qingshuang, it's getting late, let's go back." Luo Chen said.

Qingshuang nodded, and the two turned and walked towards the inn.

After returning to the room, Luo Chen planned to fall asleep with Qingshuang.

However, before the two of them fell asleep.

Outside the room, there were faint sounds of footsteps.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other and saw vigilance in each other's eyes.

Luo Chen gently signaled Qingshuang to stay where she was, and he walked quietly to the door, with his ear pressed against the door, trying to hear what was happening outside.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, as if someone was walking towards their room.

Luo Chen's hand had already grasped the hilt of the sword, ready to deal with any possible danger. Qing Shuang also quietly gathered his magic power, ready to support at any time.

Just as Luo Chen was about to open the door, a deep voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Two Immortal Masters, it's me."

Luo Chen was stunned for a moment, then he recognized the voice. It was the mayor they met in the town before.

He quickly opened the door and saw the mayor standing outside with an anxious look on his face, holding the bead they had left behind in his hand.

"Mayor, why are you here? What happened?" Luo Chen asked.

The mayor was breathing heavily, obviously having rushed here in a hurry.

"My two immortal masters, something happened in this town. The bead suddenly lost its light, and the black fog reappeared, and it is even thicker than before."

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang's faces turned serious when they heard this.

They knew that this was no coincidence, there must be some connection between the bead losing its light and the reappearance of the black fog.

"We have to go back and check immediately." Qingshuang said.

Luo Chen nodded and turned to the mayor: "You rest in the inn first, we will leave soon."

The mayor nodded gratefully, and Luo Chen and Qing Shuang quickly packed their belongings and prepared to leave.

They knew that time was running out and every minute of delay would put the residents of the town in greater danger.

The two traveled all night and finally returned to the town at dawn.

The scene in the town shocked them. The town that had originally regained its vitality was once again shrouded in black fog, and a suffocating evil atmosphere filled the air.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang ran straight to the basement and found that the stone box had been opened and the beads inside were gone.

They realized that someone must have taken the beads while they were away, causing the black fog to reappear.

"We must find the beads." Luo Chen said firmly.

Qingshuang nodded, and the two began to look for clues around the town.

After some effort, they found a set of footprints leading out of the town.

The two followed without hesitation.

The footprints extended all the way to a dense forest outside the town.

Deep in the jungle, they found a hidden cave.

There was a faint light coming from the cave, as if the bead was inside.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang entered the cave carefully and found an altar inside with the bead on it.

But there were several men in black standing around the altar, and they seemed to be performing some kind of ceremony.

"It seems that someone deliberately took the beads and wanted to use them to perform some evil ritual." Qingshuang said in a low voice.

Luo Chen clenched the sword in his hand, with a look of determination in his eyes: "Then we can't let them succeed."

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other, with a determined light flashing in each other's eyes.

They knew that the coming battle would be a tough one, but for the peace of the town, they had no choice.

"Qingshuang, are you ready?" Luo Chen asked in a low voice, gripping the hilt of the sword tighter in his hand.

Qingshuang nodded gently. There was no fear in her eyes, only persistence in justice.

"I'm ready Luo Chen, we can't let these men in black succeed."

The two men approached the altar silently, and the tip of Luo Chen's sword flashed coldly in the faint light.

Qingshuang began to chant a spell in a low voice, ready to attack at any time.

Just as they were about to launch the attack, the beads on the altar suddenly burst into dazzling light, illuminating the entire cave like daylight.

The men in black panicked and retreated one after another, obviously not expecting this sudden change.

"Now!" Luo Chen shouted, and rushed towards the nearest man in black as fast as lightning. The sword flashed like water, and he repelled the man in black with one sword.

Qingshuang's spell was also completed at this time. She pushed with both hands, and a powerful magic wave spread out, knocking the other two men in black away.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining men in black fled.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang did not pursue, they knew that the first priority was to ensure the safety of the beads.

Luo Chen quickly stepped forward and took the beads off the altar.

As soon as the bead left the altar, the surrounding light gradually dissipated and the cave fell into darkness again.

"It seems that this bead does have extraordinary power." Qingshuang said, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Luo Chen nodded and put the beads away carefully.

"Let's go back to town and see what the situation is."

The two left the cave and returned to the town. When the residents saw them, they gathered around them with expressions of gratitude on their faces.

“Thanks to you, the town can see the light of day again.” An old man said gratefully.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang responded with a smile, they knew that this was just a small episode in their adventurous career.

In the future, there will be more unknowns waiting for them to explore.

After resting for a day in the small town, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang decided to continue their journey.

They said goodbye to the residents of the town and then left.

In the blink of an eye, another month passed.

The two finally arrived outside the market where they lived before.

The market town is still prosperous.

It just seems that there are many more outsiders, many foreign cultivators.

Under normal circumstances, there shouldn't be so many outside cultivators, or people from family forces or sects coming to the market town!
What on earth happened?
Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at each other, and a hint of doubt flashed in each other's eyes.

They knew that the abnormal situation in the market town might mean that something big was happening or some crisis was brewing.

"We have to be careful." Luo Chen whispered to Qingshuang.

Qingshuang nodded. She had already gathered her magic power in her palm, ready to deal with any possible danger at any time.

The two walked into the market town and found that people on the street all had a hint of nervousness and uneasiness on their faces.

Luo Chen stopped a middle-aged man who looked like a local resident and asked politely, "Excuse me, why are there so many foreign cultivators in the market?"

The man looked around and said in a low voice, "Two immortal masters, you are outsiders and may not know that an ancient relic was recently discovered near the market. It is said that there are treasures hidden inside. Many immortal cultivators came here for this news."

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang were shocked after hearing this.

The discovery of relics is often accompanied by opportunities and dangers. They know that this may be an opportunity, but it may also be a huge challenge.

"Thank you for letting me know." After thanking the man, Luo Chen and Qingshuang continued on their way.

They decided to find an inn to stay in first and then slowly find out the news.

They rented a room in a place called Qingfeng Inn. The room was small but clean and tidy.

"It seems we have to be careful and not reveal our identities easily." Qingshuang sat on the edge of the bed and said thoughtfully.

Luo Chen nodded, he walked to the window, looked at the bustling crowd outside, and thought about his next plan in his mind.

"Let's first find out about the ruins and see if there are really any treasures there or if it's just a trap." Luo Chen turned around and said to Qingshuang.

Qingshuang agreed to Luo Chen's proposal, and the two decided to go to the center of the market first, where more information usually circulated.

They walked out of the inn and merged into the bustling crowd.

In a teahouse, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang found a seat in a corner and sat down, beginning to listen to the conversations around them.

"I heard that the ruins were left over from ancient times and there may be relics of immortals in them." A voice sounded in their ears.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. The ruins are full of dangers. Several cultivators have already gone missing there." Another voice retorted.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang exchanged glances. They knew that this relic was indeed not simple.

Just then, a young man in a gorgeous Taoist robe came over. He looked at Luo Chen and Qing Shuang, then sat down opposite them.

"My two fellow Taoists, I see you are unfamiliar faces. I guess you have just arrived at the market town, right?" the young man said with a smile.

Luo Chen looked at him warily and did not answer.

"Don't be nervous, I have no ill intentions. My name is Li Daniu, and I'm a disciple from a nearby sect. I noticed that you are interested in the ruins, and perhaps we can cooperate." Li Daniu continued.

Qingshuang looked at Luo Chen, who nodded slightly, indicating that she could listen to Li Daniu's proposal.

"Cooperation? What are your plans?" Qingshuang asked.

Li Daniu smiled mysteriously and whispered, "I know a secret passage leading to the ruins. We can go in together and explore it. Of course, we will split everything we get equally."

Luo Chen and Qingshuang looked at each other. They knew that this might be an opportunity, but it was also full of unknown risks.

"We need to think about it." Luo Chen said lightly.

Li Daniu nodded, left a sound transmission note, and then stood up and left: "This is my sound transmission note, please feel free to contact me when you have made up your mind."

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang looked at Li Daniu's departing back, each thinking in their hearts.

"Do you think his words are credible?" Qingshuang asked Luo Chen in a low voice.

Luo Chen pondered for a moment, then said: "We can't trust anyone easily, but we can't miss any opportunity. We can investigate secretly first to see if what he said is true."

Qingshuang nodded, she knew that Luo Chen was right to be cautious.

They decided not to respond to Li Daniu in a hurry, but to investigate it themselves first.

In the next few days, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang began to inquire about information inside and outside the market, while also secretly observing Li Daniu's actions.

They discovered that Li Daniu did often go in and out of some mysterious places and seemed to be planning something.

One night, Luo Chen and Qing Shuang decided to follow Li Daniu to see where he was going.

They followed Li Daniu carefully, passed through alleys, and finally came to an abandoned warehouse.

Li Daniu looked around and then walked into the warehouse.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang hid in the dark, observing the situation in the warehouse.

After a while, there was a faint sound of conversation coming from the warehouse.

Luo Chen and Qingshuang looked at each other and decided to venture into the warehouse to find out what was going on.

They carefully pushed open the door of the warehouse and found several cultivators gathered inside. Li Daniu was discussing something with them.

Luo Chen and Qing Shuang hid behind a pile of goods and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"The ruins do exist, but the danger inside is far greater than we imagined. We must be fully prepared." Li Daniu's voice came.

"We are ready. As long as we can get the treasure inside, what does it matter if we take a little risk?" another voice responded. (End of this chapter)