Chapter 86 The Abyss 1 Finding someone in the Abyss is harder than climbing to heaven.
The Abyss of Eclipse is located at the border between the Demon Realm and the Wilderness. Each level is inhabited by countless demonic beasts, and the interior is filled with demonic energy that can devour spiritual power. It is the most dangerous place on the Spirit Martial Continent.
Although cultivators from various races often venture to the Demon Sealing Battlefield, thousands of miles away from the Abyss of Eclipse, none dare approach it. For cultivators with long lifespans, it represents death.
Besides being the birthplace of magical beasts, it is also the place where cultivators from all walks of life who have committed heinous crimes are punished, especially the demon race.
But regardless of race, none of those banished to the Abyss escaped unscathed.
What's most bizarre about the Abyss of Eclipse is that regardless of whether you're a low-level Qi Refining cultivator or a powerful Mahayana cultivator, you'll be randomly transported to different locations upon entering. Rumor has it that the higher your cultivation level, the more dangerous the place you'll be transported to.
Therefore, finding someone in the 49-layered Abyss of Erosion is harder than climbing to heaven.
In a small inn in the northern lands, a haggard-looking Wen Yao stared worriedly at the closed door in front of her. Xu Xing had locked himself inside for five days.
Inside the room, Xu Xing sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring intently at the weapon-refining furnace in front of her, with the Xuan Yue Sword lying quietly beside her.
She had been trying to contact Tuanzi every moment these past few days, but their beast contract had been severed, and Xu Xing was completely unable to reach it. He could only vaguely sense that Tuanzi was still alive, but this was the best news he could get.
As for my senior brother, whether it was a sound transmission bead or anything else, without exception, they all sank without a trace, like stones sinking into the sea...
Xu Xing sat frozen for a long time until the furnace began to glow, at which point a glimmer of light appeared in her dim eyes.
It's done.
The demonic energy she obtained from the black hole using the spirit-gathering bottle came in handy so quickly. She worked tirelessly for the past few days, finally crafting a tracking artifact.
After being infused with spiritual power, the magical artifact emitted a long, light black line that only she could see, pointing towards the northwest.
A flame of hope ignited in Xu Xing's eyes. With this, she was sure she could find her senior brother and Tuanzi.
She carefully stored the ritual implements in her backpack. When she saw the pairs of ritual implements in the bag, her eyes stung with pain, and she gently closed them.
Master has given them a lot over the years, never showing favoritism. Each of them has their own magic weapon, but almost all of Senior Brother's spirit stones and magic weapons are with her.
The thought of his senior brother entering the Abyss of Corrosion all alone, without anything to defend himself, and even throwing out the Xuan Yue Sword to save her, filled Xu Xing with a deep sorrow.
Senior brother, wait for me...
"She still hasn't made a move?" Xiang Yuquan came to Wen Yao's side, his voice filled with worry.
"Senior Brother Xiang, are we really not going to send a message to that senior at Li Shuang Peak?" Xu Xing refused to tell his master about this matter and forbade them to tell them either, but Wen Yao was worried that he might do something foolish, so she hesitated.
Xiang Yuquan sighed softly, "You also know how treacherous the Eclipse Abyss is. Although Senior Fu Shuang has profound cultivation, even if she came in person, she would not be able to find Senior Brother Shen's whereabouts, which would only make Junior Sister Xu even more upset."
Zuo Qiuxu's eyes were swollen like walnuts, and his voice was hoarse, "But what if Xu Xu wants to go to the Abyss by herself?"
"I'm fine."
Xu Xing opened the door. Although her face was pale and her lips were chapped, her expression was unusually calm. Even Zuo Qiuxu, whose eyes were swollen from crying, looked much more distressed than her.
"I've thought it through. We'll go back to the sect tomorrow."
"There's no need to rush back now, lest the seniors worry. After we get back, I'll personally explain the whole story to Master. Perhaps Master will have a way to rescue Senior Brother."
But what can be done? I've never heard of anyone who has entered the Abyss of Eclipse ever coming out alive.
“Okay,” Wen Yao’s throat tightened, and she forced a smile. “You haven’t eaten for several days, why don’t you have a meal with me?”
Xu Xing had absolutely no appetite, but seeing Wen Yao's cautious look, she nodded nonetheless.
Wen Yao ordered all the inn's signature dishes, but Xu Xing, who usually had a great appetite, had no desire to eat. Even Zuo Qiuxu remained silent, and the dining table was deathly quiet.
In the end, it was Xiang Yuquan, who always only ate fasting pills, who picked up his chopsticks first. "Senior Brother Shen's swordsmanship is superb, he will definitely be safe and sound. It is Junior Sister Xu who needs to be extra careful."
Seeing Xu Xing looking at him, Xiang Yuquan's voice deepened, "I suspect that this black hole is after the Flowing Cloud Sword. It appeared in the Flowing Cloud Sect before, and this time it's targeting you. Its purpose is very likely to get the Flowing Cloud Sword from you."
"But……"
Xu Xing's voice sounded like he was sleepwalking, "But I've already given the Flowing Cloud Sword to my senior brother."
If she hadn't given the sword to her senior brother, would he not have been sucked into the black hole?
"What?"
Xiang Yuquan frowned slightly, gripped his chopsticks tightly, lowered his eyes to hide his embarrassment, and said softly, "This doesn't make sense. Does this mean that black holes appear randomly without any pattern?"
Wen Yao and Zuo Qiuxu were speechless when they thought of Senior Brother Shen Du's various misfortunes. Their faces were very unpleasant. Could it be that this time it was also because of Senior Brother Shen's strange physique that he was accidentally sucked into the black hole?
Although they had their doubts, they knew that saying these words would only make Xu Xu more upset.
Worried that Xu Xing would blame him for this and feel guilty, Zuo Qiuxu sniffed and said in a hoarse voice, "I don't think it has anything to do with the Flowing Cloud Sword."
While Xu Xing and Shen Du were in the secret realm, he and Wen Yao also heard some things about the Flowing Cloud Sword at the Flowing Cloud Sect. Although the sword was powerful, it was not to the point that the person behind it would go to great lengths to destroy the Flowing Cloud Sect in order to seize it.
"If it really was for the Flowing Cloud Sword, it should have been able to sense that Xu Xu didn't have it."
Wen Yao was also very surprised, but who would target Xu Xu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
"I'd like to go back and rest first. You guys can take your time eating."
Xu Xing gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, his face pale as he turned and went back to his room.
Zuo Qiuxu asked with a worried expression, "Is Xuxu really alright?"
"No, I think we should send a message back to the clan first. Her condition is very strange."
Wen Yao made a quick decision and informed her mother, Wen Lu, of the matter, asking her to pass on the message to Senior Fu Shuang.
Xiang Yuquan lowered his eyes and slowly took a bite of food. "There's no use in us speculating here. We need to report this matter immediately after returning to the sect. The incident involving Liuyun Sect and Qiyao Mountain may just be the beginning..."
The next day, when it was time to leave for the sect as agreed, Wen Yao knocked on Xu Xing's door, but there was no response for a long time.
"Oh no!" Wen Yao immediately realized something was wrong and tried to push the door open, but it was blocked by a barrier. She frantically pounded on the door and shouted, "Xu Xu! Xu Xu, are you in there?!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Xiang Yuquan's expression darkened. He gathered his spiritual power to break the seal, pushed open the door, and found the room indeed empty.
"Ayao, Senior Brother Zuoqiu, Senior Brother Xiang, I'm going to find Senior Brother. Don't worry about me, you all go back to Yuxiao first."
"Please don't come looking for me. If I cause trouble for you again, I will never be at peace."
The sound that Xu Xing had recorded beforehand with a sound-recording stone rang out.
Wen Yao's tears flowed instantly. "How could she be so foolish! The Abyss of Eclipse is so complex, there's no way she could find it!"
Does she love Senior Brother Shen so much that she'd risk her own life for him?
As Xu Xing embarked on his journey to find the Abyss alone, Chen Du awoke in one of its layers amidst a moist licking sensation.
He was hanging on a very tall tree, where the Iron-Eating Beast, which was already waist-high, was curled up close to him, its claws still trembling as it gripped the twisted black branches, as if afraid of falling.
Seeing that Chen Du had woken up, Tuanzi whimpered softly and licked the back of his hand.
Having never been treated so intimately by Tuanzi before, Chen Du was momentarily dazed. The next moment, seeing the thick, inky demonic energy around him, he remembered that before he fainted, he had been sucked into the Abyss by the black hole.
Shen Du immediately began to examine the surrounding environment. The Eclipse Abyss was shrouded in darkness year-round, and everything seemed to be covered by a layer of haze. Even the cultivators' excellent vision was affected, and they could only see the scene not far away.
Enveloped in a tangible darkness, this place was like hell.
Shen Du soon discovered that the "tree" he was on was not a tree at all, but a huge skeleton of a magical beast. Apart from the spot where he was lying, the rest of the place was covered with protruding bone spikes, leaving almost no place to step. Beneath the skeleton, several magical beasts of unknown level were lurking.
Shen Du thought to himself that it was probably lucky that he hadn't fallen directly into the mouths of the monsters.
He sat up, gently stroked the little dumpling's head, and noticed that its body was trembling slightly, so he said softly, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
The dumpling shook even more violently.
If the black and white fur on its face weren't so long, then Shen Du would have been able to see the conflicted expression on its face—a mixture of fear and timidity, a desire to leave but an inability to do so.
Noticing that his spiritual energy was rapidly draining away, Shen Du frowned slightly, raised his hand, and summoned the Flowing Cloud Sword. His immediate priority was to leave this place...
Few people know that cultivators other than magical beasts live in the Abyss of Eclipse. Most of them are sinners who have been thrown into the Abyss of Eclipse. People outside think that they will surely die if they enter the Abyss of Eclipse, but there are some people with strong vitality who have not died and have even reached a delicate balance with the magical beasts.
"Damn it!" A burly man with tangled hair covering most of his face spat. "The Nine-Soul Baku is simply insatiable!"
He was wrapped in a black animal skin, and at first glance he looked almost like a small, thin monster, making it impossible to tell whether he was human or demon.
This place is located somewhere on the thirteenth level of the Abyss of Eclipse, in a cave halfway up the mountain. Several cultivators live here, mostly demons. But here, it doesn't make much difference whether one is a demon cultivator or a human cultivator, since they all have almost no cultivation. It's just that compared to the fact that the spiritual power within the bodies of demons and humans is quickly devoured by the Abyss of Eclipse, the demonic power of demons disappears a little slower.
The burly man who spoke was a demonic cultivator named Yu Jiu, who was also the leader of this group of barely surviving cultivators.
He glanced at the man silently waiting in the corner and narrowed his eyes. "New guy, you'll deliver the magical beast to the Nine-Soul Beast tomorrow."
Monsters have no concept of kinship. Resources are scarce in the Abyss, and the only thing they can eat is monsters weaker than themselves. Occasionally, they can also eat a few cultivators who have fallen in for a snack.
If you encounter a monster that isn't too hungry and can offer it enough food, you might be lucky enough to survive.
The cultivators in this cave barely survive in this way. This is the territory of the third-tier magical beast, the Nine-Soul Beast. Third-tier magical beasts are usually no match for Golden Core cultivators, but what difference is there between these cultivators without cultivation and ordinary people in the Erosion Abyss?
Every two days they had to find a way to slaughter a first-tier magical beast and offer it as tribute. Moreover, the Nine-Soul Beast was not easy to talk to and had very picky tastes. If the magical beast they offered did not suit its taste, the unlucky person who offered the meat would become its new food.
And this "new unlucky guy" who was asked to deliver the Warcraft was none other than Shen Du.
Shen Du was also dressed in black animal skin, his head and face covered. He responded in a muffled voice, looking submissive.
Compared to the meager human, the plump and delicious-looking Iron-Eating Beast was far more conspicuous. In order to protect Tuanzi, when they first arrived at the Abyss, while they still had some spiritual power in their bodies, Chen Du found an abandoned cave and hid inside with Tuanzi.
The cave entrance was protected by a barrier and concealed by an array, making it very well hidden. However, hiding indefinitely was not a solution, so Chen Du tentatively searched for a way out. He encountered a first-tier magical beast as soon as he left the cave.
After killing it, they were run into by the group of cultivators who had come out to find food for the Nine-Soul Tapir.
Naturally, the first-tier magical beast also belonged to them.
Having had to stay with this group of people for five days, Shen Du could no longer bear it. He was very worried about Tuanzi's safety. This opportunity to deliver meat to the Nine-Souled Baku was a chance to leave.
The next day, Yu Jiu gave Shen Du a lump of rotten monster meat and said apologetically, "There's nothing we can do about it, this is all the meat we have left."
Even cultivators who have lost their cultivation need to eat to sustain their lives.
Shen Du didn't say anything, and silently led the meat away.
Giving such a thing to the Nine-Souled Beast is tantamount to suicide, and the spiritual energy he currently has is already barely enough to deal with a third-tier magical beast.
"Boss, he seems pretty skilled. Are we really not going to keep him?"
"Hmph, haven't you figured it out yet? He must be a cultivator who just arrived in the Abyss!" Yu Jiu took a bite of the demon beast meat, blood and foam flying from his mouth. Fires couldn't be lit in the Abyss, so they ate raw meat.
"You mean..."
Yu Jiu's eyes hardened. "When we went out to kill monsters together the day before yesterday, I saw a storage ring on his left hand. It was of good quality, and there must be something good inside."
Those who possess storage rings are not poor. Regardless of their skill level, they've all fallen into the Abyss of Eclipse and will inevitably perish in the beasts' jaws sooner or later. It's better to take out the items and let the brothers live a few more days.
When he realized he was being followed, Shen Du, who had originally intended to return to the cave, changed course and headed in an unknown direction. Faced with a three-way intersection, he chose the right-hand path without hesitation.
The cultivator who was following him hesitated. "Boss, that's the territory of the two-headed centipede. Should we still go?"
This guy was really unlucky. Neither the left nor the middle path was that dangerous, but he chose the right one. You have to know that the two-headed centipede was a fourth-order creature!
"Go!" Yu Jiu gritted his teeth. "If there's a magical artifact in his storage ring, we'll be rich!"
You can't shake them off.
Shen Du's heart sank. What were they planning to do? Sensing a powerful aura lingering in the deep darkness ahead, he stopped in his tracks.
"call out--"
At this moment, a silver rope shot out from behind, and Yu Jiu appeared with five or six people. "Don't go forward! There's a fourth-order two-headed centipede ahead. It loves to torture people. Dying here won't be so painful."
Knowing that a battle with them was inevitable, Shen Du remained silent and drew his Flowing Cloud Sword.
"You actually have such a fine sword!" Yu Jiu's eyes were greedy. With such a spiritual sword, even without cultivation, there was a chance to save his life.
"Kill him!"
The battle was about to begin. Chen Du drew his sword to meet the attack, and the sharp blade even illuminated a small part of the dim corner.
"He still has spiritual power!" Yu Jiu thought to himself that something was wrong. Almost everyone who fell into the Abyss of Corrosion would lose all their spiritual power in less than three days, but he had still preserved so much!
Seeing a brother being kicked far away by Shen Du, Yu Jiu no longer hesitated, raised his hand and threw out a handful of powder, and a rotten fragrance instantly spread.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The sound of arthropods touching the ground rang out, and a tentacle as long as two people emerged from the darkness.
"Get out of the way!"
Yu Jiu and his brothers rolled on the spot. They were familiar with the terrain and quickly hid in the crevices of the mountain wall.
However, Shen Du, who was covered in that strange powder, was completely exposed to the four pairs of eyes of the two-headed centipede.
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Author's Note: Thank you XiYing for the free ticket! [Sprinkling flowers]
Thanks to the following users for their nutrient solutions: ＆Visual灬Forbidden Zone, Rabbit Demon Osmanthus Cake, One Bite of Cheese, Smoked Rice, Crosie, Is It Three Thoughts Not Sour Silk, XiYing, hhh, Who's Dreaming, Lychee Without Peel, Chen Xiaoyang, 55482302, Fanma Hanma, Ten Years, Sleep a Little Longer, 44964824, and 65053565.
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