Demon, come and cultivate for me.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Xiangzi nodded, confirming Chen Ji's statement.

This hillside didn't exist originally; it only "grew" out in the last few years.

Zhou Chu thought that, based on his geographical knowledge from his previous life, mountains are generally formed when tectonic plates overlap during crustal movements.

In that case, it makes perfect sense that a not-too-high mountain "grows" here.

"Have there been any major earthquakes here in the past few years?" Zhou Chu asked.

Chen Ji said, "I know what you're thinking, but I can tell you it's not what you think. If it were, things would be simple."

What do you mean by "this" and "that"? Do you know what I want?

Before Zhou Chu could speak again, Chen Ji continued:

"This mountain is like grass and trees, growing slowly from the ground. It grows an inch or two every day, and no one notices until it grows into a high slope, a small mountain."

Having said that, no one could help but believe it.

Chen Xiangzi forced himself to calm down and asked, "Since Uncle knows the reason for this matter, he must also know how to resolve it, right?"

Chen Ji did not answer directly, but instead reached out and said, "Give me the map."

"What picture?"

"The Mountain and Sea Map you brought out from the Mountain Lord's Cave."

Chen Xiangzi took the Mountain and Sea Map out of his satchel and handed it to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji took it, shook it, and then let go.

The Mountain and Sea Map floated automatically in mid-air and slowly unfolded.

Seeing this, Zhou Chu secretly admired him: He's got some skills.

Chen Ji stared at the Mountain and Sea Map, pondered for a moment, then pointed to a point in the Hundred Thousand Mountains region on the map and said:

"The answer should be hidden here. If we want to solve the problems of our people, we must find the answer here."

The crowd looked in the direction he pointed, and there were three words written on it: Qilin Mountain.

Chen Ji's explanation was unclear, leaving everyone completely confused.

However, no one objected to his suggestion to go to Qilin Mountain.

Because the locations marked on the map that the Crown Prince gave Zhou Chu and the others included Qilin Mountain.

Knowing that Chen Xiangzi was worried about his family, Chen Ji comforted him:

"Don't worry, this kind of demonic pollution is different from demonization. As long as we find the right way, we can save everyone."

After discussing it, everyone decided to stay in the dilapidated temple and prepare to set off the next day at dawn.

Chen Xiangzi told everyone to go to sleep first, and he would keep watch alone at night.

Chen Ji was still worried about him, so he stayed up all night with his nephew.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Chen Ji and Chen Xiangzi went back to Chenjiazhuang together.

Chen Ji was going back to get the equipment he needed, while Chen Xiangzi was going back to visit his parents and family.

It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't gone, but when Chen Xiangzi went home and saw Zhou Chu and the others again, his expression became even more unpleasant.

My younger siblings are still young and have been less affected by the demonic influence.

Adults are different; the older they get, the more deeply they are affected by demonic influences.

When he got home, his family was having dinner.

When his parents saw him return, their eyes showed no emotion whatsoever; they simply lowered their heads and ate their food.

The adults ate with great relish at the table full of food, while the younger the children ate less and less, and their expressions became increasingly unpleasant as they ate.

Chen Xiangzi hasn't eaten anything since she saw her uncle yesterday.

Seeing all the dishes he liked on the table, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, only to almost vomit on the spot.

Those things looked appetizing, but when you ate them, they tasted worse than dirt.

He didn't stay at home for long; after saying a few words, he packed his things and left.

When his parents heard that he was leaving, they not only did not try to stop him, but they also did not see him off. They just sat there and kept eating.

Looking at the family's "happy and harmonious" appearance, Chen Xiangzi couldn't help but sigh, mounted his horse, and left Chenjiazhuang without looking back.

Chen Ji and Chen Xiangzi arrived at the dilapidated temple together, and after meeting up with Zhou Chu and others, they embarked on their journey south.

According to the map, Chenjiazhuang is still more than 30 miles away from entering the Shiwan Mountains.

The closer they got to the Ten Thousand Mountains, the more nervous and excited they became.

After all, in legends from various places, the Ten Thousand Mountains are as terrifying as a death trap.

The poisonous miasma is merely the most basic of the many dangers lurking in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Besides the poisonous miasma, this place is also home to countless venomous insects and ferocious beasts. Many of these creatures are unique to the Hundred Thousand Mountains and can never be seen outside.

These are not the worst parts.

The most terrifying thing about the Hundred Thousand Mountains is that most people who come here will be corrupted by demons and become something neither human nor ghost.

Xu Yuan and Zhou Chu had both witnessed the demonization of those around them, but they didn't know what they had done in the Hundred Thousand Mountains to trigger the demonization switch.

No matter the era, the unknown has always been the source of human fear.

The best way to eliminate fear is to bravely face and explore the unknown.

This was Zhou Chu's inner thought.

Zhou Chu and the others discussed what they might encounter after entering the Ten Thousand Mountains and how to deal with it.

Chen Ji remained calm, occasionally pointing out flaws in the statements made by the others.

The taciturn man rode at the back of the group, not participating in the discussion, as if it had nothing to do with him.

After walking for most of the day, the outline of a continuous mountain range came into view in the distance.

Milky white mist enveloped the vast mountain range, like a giant blanket covering it.

Chen Ji reminded everyone that the white mist was poisonous miasma.

Inhaling too much can cause irreversible damage to a person.

He took out a small porcelain bottle, removed the stopper, poured out a few small pills, and said:

"This medicine can neutralize the poisonous miasma. After entering the Ten Thousand Mountains, one pill should be taken every twelve hours."

Zhou Chu said, "If you follow me, you might not need to take medicine and won't be harmed by the miasma."

The crowd was puzzled.

"You'll see when we get there," Zhou Chu said without offering further explanation.

Not far ahead, Zhou Chu saw wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.

As I walked closer, I saw a group of people cooking something on the spot.

Seeing Zhou Chu and his group pass by, a young man in the group stepped forward and called out, "Gentlemen, please wait."

Zhou Chu looked at the man warily and asked, "What is it?"

The young man clasped his hands in greeting and asked, "May I ask if you gentlemen are heading south?"

Zhou Chu nodded.

It goes without saying that everyone who comes here is going to the Hundred Thousand Mountains to seek martial arts techniques and treasures.

Normal people wouldn't be here unless something serious happened.

The young man took the initiative to invite him:

"We're also heading south. If you don't mind, why don't we travel together? That way we can look out for each other on the road."

Zhou Chu was about to refuse when Chen Ji gently tugged at his sleeve.

Turning his head, he saw Chen Ji nod slightly.

Zhou Chu didn't understand what Chen Ji was planning, but considering his experience, he listened to him this once.

So he accepted the invitation.

The young man warmly invited Zhou Chu and his companions to dismount and share some hot meat soup. He then trotted over to the leader and whispered a few words to him.