Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 281 News from the Spirit World

Under the crimson moonlight, Chen Mo gave him a bright smile.

"I'll ask you questions, you answer them. Be good, and maybe you'll survive."

The short, stout man, kneeling on the ground, could see that smile clearly.

The skin on his body suddenly tightened at that moment, and he felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

That smile was devoid of warmth, emotion, and even a trace of malice.

"I'll tell you everything!"

"I dare not hide a single word!"

Chen Mo looked down at him and remained silent for a moment.

"name."

The short, stocky man froze for a moment, then reacted: "Zhao Santai... the other one is called Qian Liu. We are both outer disciples of the Xuan Yin Sect, numbered Dingxu Seventeen and Dingxu Eighteen."

He quickly added, "The numbers were assigned according to the batches in the morgue. Only those who survived were given numbers. There were more than forty people who went in together, and only six survived..."

Chen Mo interrupted his rambling: "Where is the Xuan Yin Sect's mountain gate?"

"exist...

Zhao Santai had just uttered a single word when he suddenly stopped.

The ashen, decaying skin on its face twitched twice, and the phosphorescent light in its eye sockets flickered, as if it were struggling violently.

"Your Excellency, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but the sect has placed a restriction on our souls. If I were to reveal anything..."

'

"I won't ask for the exact address," Chen Mo said calmly. "I'll just ask for the general area."

"We are in the spirit world."

Chen Mo's eyes narrowed slightly.

Sure enough, it was in the spirit world.

He had seen this term in the intelligence on the Moon Worship Cult, but there was very little information about it.

I only vaguely know that it is a place different from the present world.

I have no idea exactly where it is, how to get there, or what it looks like inside.

"We came from the exit of the Ten Thousand Mountains in Southwest China this time."

Before he could speak, Zhao Santai blurted everything out.

"There's more than one entrance/exit, but we always use that one because it's safer."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Chen Mo cautiously. Seeing that the other party did not speak, he quickly added, "Many of the entrances and exits to the spirit world have been occupied by the Great Evil."

"6

"Great Demons?" Chen Mo frowned slightly. "Are those Great Demons very powerful? Even your sect is helpless against them?"

Zhao Santai forced a bitter smile that looked worse than crying, and the phosphorescent light in his eyes shrank to the size of two pinpoints.

The night wind swept across the rocky beach, and he involuntarily shrank his neck.

Just mentioning those two words seemed to send chills down the other person's spine.

"Sir, let me put it this way."

"Our Xuan Yin Sect sounds impressive. We have two or three hundred outer disciples, thirty or forty inner disciples, eight Ning Sha stewards, four elders, and a Foundation Establishment True Person in charge. If we were in the Hua Realm, we would be able to walk sideways."

"But even all of these combined wouldn't be enough to fill a giant monster's teeth."

Chen Mo's eyes flickered slightly.

For a sect with a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge to say such a thing.

"The steward told us a story from the past."

"A long time ago, we actually had two Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"One is the current sect leader, and the other is his senior brother."

"Later, the sect leader went to explore the depths of the spirit world alone. He said that his lifespan was about to end and that waiting in the sect was just waiting to die. He might as well take a chance and perhaps find an opportunity to prolong his life."

"The sect leader couldn't keep him, so he gave him the protective magic weapon that he had refined for a hundred years and sent him on his way."

"And the result?"

"It took less than seven days to travel there."

"His soul lamp went out without any warning."

"The sect leader later personally went to investigate, following his senior brother's last trace all the way into the depths of the spirit realm, a journey that took a full month."

"After he came back, he didn't say anything and locked himself in a secret room for half a year."

"Six months later, he came out and issued two strict orders, which became the ironclad rules of the Xuan Yin Sect."

Which two?

"No one is allowed to explore the depths of the spirit world; violators will be expelled from the sect."

"No direct confrontation with the Great Demon is permitted; violators will be executed."

Zhao Santai held up two fingers. "The sect leader said personally that anyone who provokes the Great Demon should find a place to die on their own, and is not allowed to bring trouble to the sect."

"Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator can be wiped out silently. We ants are nothing but a dish in front of a great demon."

Chen Mo remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

The Foundation Establishment Realm is enough to make one walk freely in the mortal world, but when faced with a Great Demon, it didn't even leave a trace of resistance.

This means that Da Gui's strength far exceeds the scope of the cultivation system he knows.

"How many great monsters like this are there in the spirit world, according to your sect's records?"

"There is no number."

Zhao Santai shook his head. "Our Xuan Yin Sect alone has confirmed that there are no fewer than seven or eight powerful monsters entrenched in the surrounding area."

"This is only within a radius of ten thousand miles of Fallen Soul Ridge. Nobody knows what the scenery is like beyond that."

He paused for a few seconds, as if remembering something.

"However, the deacon said that there are relatively fewer powerful monsters in the outer areas of the spirit world, and the deeper you go, the more numerous and stronger they become."

"Our Xuan Yin Sect is located on the outer edge of the Spirit Realm, so it's relatively safe."

"But every few years, one or two big monsters would wander over. Each time, the entire sect had to be on high alert, activating the mountain-protecting formation to defend it until it left on its own."

"What exactly does the Great Ghost look like?"

"They're all different. Every single one is different." The phosphorescent light in Zhao Santai's eyes flickered. "I've seen one once, just a glimpse from afar."

"The deacon said that in the spirit world, if you see something moving that is taller than a mountain, don't hesitate, run."

Chen Mo frowned and asked, "Are there great monsters at both the entrances and exits of the Spirit Realm?"

Zhao Santai quickly shook his head: "Not every one of them has one, but at least six or seven out of ten have been taken by the Great Demon."

"Those things seem to particularly like blocking the entrances and exits; there might be something in the cracks at the junction that attracts them."

""

"What about the others that are safe?"

"They're all occupied by powerful forces in the spirit world."

Zhao Santai counted on his fingers, "The reason we can pass through that entrance in the Southwest Ten Thousand Mountains is because Tianwang Temple is nearby, and the monks there have erected a barrier that prevents the great demon from entering."

"Besides Tianwang Temple, the White Bone Temple in Yinshan also occupies one entrance, Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea occupies one, and there is another one that is said to be in Kunlun Mountain, but the steward did not say who is in charge of it."

"However, it's not easy to pass through the territory of these forces."

"Tennoji Temple is alright. Those monks just chant sutras and don't concern themselves with other people's business. Anyone can leave as long as they don't cause trouble on their turf."

"The White Bone Temple will start charging tolls now. Each time someone passes through, it will cost at least this much..." He held up five grayish-white fingers, "Five spirit stones, or equivalent rare and precious materials."

"As for Penglai Immortal Island, forget about it. They don't interact with the outside world at all, and anyone who trespasses will be killed without mercy."

Chen Mo mentally reviewed this information and then asked, "How big is the Spirit Realm?"

Zhao Santai remained silent for more than ten breaths.

It's not that I don't want to answer, but I just don't know how to answer for the moment.

"It's much bigger than the mundane world."

"specific."

"Our Xuan Yin Sect's mountain gate in the Spirit Realm occupies three entire mountain ranges, covering an area of ​​over a thousand miles."

"But this little bit of territory is nothing in the spirit world."

97

"The steward said that in the area where our Xuan Yin Sect is located, called Luo Hun Ling, there are more than a dozen other sects of varying sizes within a radius of ten thousand miles, in addition to us."

"What lies beyond that, I have no idea."

"I'm not even qualified to see a map of Fallen Soul Ridge; I've only heard about it from inner disciples when they were chatting."

They said that even if you rode a horse for three months from Luohun Ridge westward, you still wouldn't reach the end.

Now it was Chen Mo's turn to be speechless.

The area spanning tens of thousands of miles was just the tip of the iceberg; the vastness of the spirit realm far exceeded his imagination.

"Since that place is so big, why do you still need to come to the mortal world?"

Zhao Santai was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and an expression that was hard to tell whether it was mockery or self-mockery appeared on his ashen face.

"Your Excellency, the Spirit Realm is vast, but what use is its vastness?"

"The usable items in the spirit world have long been divided up by the major powers."

"Our Xuan Yin Sect is considered a prominent figure in Luo Hun Ridge, but once we leave Luo Hun Ridge, in the eyes of those truly powerful sects, we are no different from rogue cultivators."

What is the spirit world lacking?

"We lack everything." He shook his head. "The good things are all deep in the spirit world."

"The spirit stone mines on the outskirts were emptied out thousands of years ago. The best spirit herbs and plants grow deep inside, while the ones on the outskirts are all low-grade stuff."

"So that's why you came to the mortal world to plunder resources?"

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Mo slowly released his grip, letting the corpse in his hand slump to the ground.

Zhao Santai's face was still frozen in disbelief.

The phosphorescent light in his eye sockets had gone out, leaving only two dark, empty holes facing the sky.

The grayish-white skin of the corpse shrank at a visible rate.

Chen Mo watched this scene expressionlessly.

This person definitely cannot be allowed to live.

If the news of him killing the outer disciples of the Xuan Yin Sect were to leak out, even just a whisper, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Although Zhao Santai was cowardly, he was still a member of the Xuan Yin Sect.

As long as the other party is alive, they may spread the news of tonight's events.

It's just a pity that I can't capture their souls.

He had just tried it, and the other party's soul should also be under a restriction, as the Soul-Seizing Technique had no effect.

"But it's alright, I didn't reveal my true face at night, so I'm not afraid of being questioned about my soul."

Chen Mo squatted down and searched Zhao Santai's shriveled corpse.

Besides several talismans, there was also a jade tablet, which was exactly the same in shape as the one on the other person's body.

The only difference is that the bottom right corner is engraved with "Dingxu Seventeenth".

He put his things away, then took out a small bottle of gasoline and poured it on the two corpses.

Soon, the flames engulfed the entire corpse, burning it into a pile of grayish-white powder on the rocky beach.

Just as they finished doing all this, they saw the Ghost Banner Taoist carrying a bulging bundle on his back, stumbling and crawling towards them from the mass grave.

With each step, it made a clanging sound, as if it were carrying a whole set of tools for the road.

"Master Chen."

Ghost Banner Taoist's face was full of excitement at surviving the calamity. He shouted from a distance and ran over in three steps.

Halfway through the run, he saw two burning fires on the rocky beach, and his steps clearly faltered.

The firelight illuminated his old face, casting a flickering orange-red hue.

"Mr. Chen, what happened to the two who got away?"

"It's burning." Chen Mo gestured with his chin toward the fire.

Ghost Banner Taoist craned his neck to take a look. Grayish-white ashes were swirling and drifting in the night wind, and flames leaped high from the two withered corpses.

The air was filled with a burnt smell; it wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was definitely not pleasant.

"Everything is packed up."

He patted the bulging bundle on his back, which made a series of clanging noises.

"The spirits of those people have all been captured; not one escaped."

As he spoke, the Ghost Banner Taoist pulled a palm-sized gray banner from his sleeve and waved it in front of Chen Mo.

"If it's useful to you, Master Chen, I'll refine it into a Yin Soul Pearl for you later."

Chen Mo glanced at the banner and said indifferently, "I don't need it, you can keep it yourself."

"Okay then."

He responded and tucked the banner back into his sleeve, then pointed behind him and asked, "Master Chen, the bodies over there on the path haven't been dealt with yet. Should we burn them too?"

Chen Mo waved his hand and turned to walk out of the rocky beach.

"No need. It's not far from the Ghost Market. If there are any problems, the Ding family will handle them themselves."

Ghost Banner Taoist glanced at him, then realized what he meant, chuckled, and followed.

Indeed, whose territory is this?

Even if it turns into an evil spirit, that's a headache for the Ding family to deal with.

The two left the ghost market area one after the other and got into the black Ford.

The headlights bounced along the bumpy dirt road, illuminating a hazy expanse of dust ahead.

Ghost Banner Taoist sat in the passenger seat, clutching the bulging bundle tightly in his arms, his eyes glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then, as if checking to see if anyone was following.

"Mr. Chen, your car is really good."

He reached out and touched the leather interior of the car door, clicking his tongue in amazement. "It's much better than my old donkey cart. It's like riding in a sedan chair, and it's not bumpy at all."

Chen Mo didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

The dark red moonlight shone through the windshield, casting flickering light and shadow on his profile.

As the car passed through a cluster of low-rise houses and turned into the east entrance of the street, the buildings on both sides of the road became noticeably neater.

Shops with blue bricks and gray tiles lined up one after another.

It was past midnight, and most shops had closed up. Occasionally, one or two teahouses could still be seen with their lights on, and scattered voices could be heard coming from inside.

Chen Mo parked the car on the side of the street, extended his divine sense to scan around behind him, and then led Ghost Banner Taoist into the living room.

Spirit stones, magical artifacts, talismans, jade tablets, and a gray banner containing several ghostly spirits were all laid out on the table.

There were only three spirit stones, all of which were taken from the two outer disciples of the Xuan Yin Sect.

About the size of a thumbnail, crystal clear.

Under the warm yellow light from the ceiling, it shimmered with a faint blue halo.

Chen Mo reached out and picked up a spirit stone, weighing it in his hand. This was the first time he had ever seen a spirit stone.

I had seen this term before in intelligence about the Moon Worship Cult. I knew it was a hard currency in the cultivation world, which could be used for cultivation, setting up formations, and trading.

But words are words; touching the actual object feels completely different.

It was much heavier than an ordinary stone of the same size, and quite heavy.

Holding it in your hand, you can clearly feel a kind of attribute-less energy slowly flowing inside.