Chapter 557: Evil Spirits and the God-Demon Illusion Realm

Duan Rong and Lv Zhongtang had been keeping watch outside the Cave Abode. By the sixth day, both of them looked gaunt and haggard.

On the afternoon of this day, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly rang out beside their ears. "You two, come in."

Duan Rong was suddenly stunned; he suspected he had misheard and could not help but look toward Lv Zhongtang not far away.

As soon as he saw the dazed look on Lv Zhongtang's face, he knew that he had heard it too, which showed that it was not because he was severely sleep-deprived and starting to hallucinate, so he said, "Let's go, we're being called inside!"

Only then did Lv Zhongtang come back to his senses and struggle to stand up. Having not closed his eyes for six consecutive days, he was already feeling faint, and when he rose abruptly, he staggered and nearly fell, but fortunately, Duan Rong caught him.

"Be careful!"

Lv Zhongtang gave a response, and only then did he and Duan Rong walk into the Cave Abode together. The Space Wall that had originally shrouded the cave entrance had already vanished, and the two of them walked into the Cave Abode without any obstruction.

They walked into the depths of the Cave Abode and saw Lv Yinlin sitting there with a weary look on his face.

At this moment, this Lv Yinlin was actually just like the two of them, with his eyes also slightly reddened; he had actually also stayed awake for a full six days without closing his eyes for even a moment.

The green, ghostly light of the mushrooms illuminated the three of them, and all three had bloodshot eyes, like ghostly spirits.

The two had just seen Lv Yinlin and had not yet paid their respects, but Lv Yinlin had already stood up, his voice hoarse as he said, "Follow me!" As he spoke, he had already risen and was walking toward a corner in the depths of the Cave Abode.

Duan Rong and the other immediately hurried to follow.

Lv Yinlin pressed a mechanism on the stone wall, and a stone door on the wall rumbled as it sank down, revealing a passageway permeated with green, ghostly light.

Inside that passageway, the stone walls on both sides were covered with those strange mushrooms.

Lv Yinlin stepped inside with long strides, and the two immediately followed him in.

The further they walked into the depths of the passageway, the more they felt a dense chill assailing them.

Soon, they followed Lv Yinlin into a cramped stone chamber at the very depths of the passageway.

Upon entering this stone chamber, the heavy, frigid air felt even more bone-piercing.

Lv Zhongtang could still endure it, but Duan Rong already needed to use his Qi to resist.

They saw a Black Jade Coffin of no small size resting in the center of the stone chamber, with wisps of visible frigid air floating around the Black Jade Coffin...

Lv Yinlin flicked his sleeve, and the lid of the Black Jade Coffin drifted down lightly, like a falling leaf.

A large amount of frigid air surged out from within the coffin, and on the ceiling of the stone chamber, it even condensed into a layer of pale frost.

Duan Rong's brows twitched; Lv Yinlin would not bring them to see a Black Jade Coffin for no reason.

"Inside that..."

Duan Rong seemed to have thought of something; his heart tightened slightly, and he walked slowly toward that Black Jade Coffin.

Lv Zhongtang also followed behind Duan Rong with a terrified look in his eyes.

The two stood beside the opening of the Black Jade Coffin and looked inside, only to see that under the illumination of the green, ghostly light, a person was lying there.

Lv Qingzhu's face and hands were covered in a layer of fine frost, and under the eerie, ghostly light, she looked like a living corpse.

Lv Zhongtang's throat bobbed, his legs went weak, and he knelt to the ground.

"Ancestor! Please save Qingzhu!"

Lv Zhongtang had originally been full of hope, but seeing Lv Qingzhu in this state, clearly not knowing whether she was dead or alive, his mental defenses shattered instantly.

Duan Rong also felt unbearable, his tears streaming down.

Lv Yinlin glared at Lv Zhongtang and said with indignation, "As long as I am here, she cannot die yet!"

After Lv Yinlin finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, and the lid of the Black Jade Coffin was already closed.

Then, Lv Yinlin walked toward the outside. He walked to the entrance of the stone chamber, turned his head, and seeing that Duan Rong and Lv Zhongtang were still standing there, he said, "Come out! I have something to tell you."

Duan Rong helped Lv Zhongtang up, and the two took one last look at the Black Jade Coffin beside them before walking out.

Both of their hearts felt as if they were being pressed by heavy stones; although Lv Yinlin said Qingzhu could not die, the state they had just seen Lv Qingzhu in was truly heart-wrenching.

They walked out of the passageway permeated with green, ghostly light.

Lv Yinlin was already seated before a Stone Table, and they saw him pick up a Bamboo Tube and take two sips of clear water.

The two hurried over and knelt down, calling out, "Ancestor!"

Lv Zhongtang's throat moved, and he seemed to want to say something, but he looked at Lv Yinlin's gloomy expression and ultimately could not say anything.

Lv Yinlin did not tell them to rise either, but said directly, "You have also seen the condition of that girl, Qingzhu."

Lv Zhongtang said, "Qingzhu, she..."

Lv Yinlin interrupted him, saying, "The Black Jade Coffin can seal her injuries and prevent them from spreading. But her internal organs are damaged, and although I have used my cultivation to help her repair a portion, the damaged origin cannot be repaired in a short time. Given her state, if this drags on for too long, I fear it will not be good..."

Hearing this, Lv Zhongtang felt as if something were stuffed in his throat, and he was so distressed he could not speak...

Duan Rong said, "Ancestor, do you have a way to save her? Whatever we need to do, Ancestor, just give the order!"

Duan Rong knew that Lv Yinlin would not tell them these things so patiently for no reason.

Lv Yinlin looked at Duan Rong and said, "I do indeed have a way to save her. However, it requires two types of medicine! Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass!"

"Red Arrow Flower?! Green Flame Grass!?"

Duan Rong's expression was one of shock; he could identify a hundred herbs, yet he had never heard the names of these two medicinal herbs. Since he had never heard of them, could it be...

Lv Yinlin said, "These two medicinal herbs are Divine Medicines that originate from within the God-Demon Relic."

"God-Demon Relic? Divine Medicine?" Duan Rong looked at Lv Yinlin with a dazed expression.

The God-Demon Relic was a true secret of this realm!

In the various texts within the Scripture Repository, the descriptions regarding the God-Demon Relic were mostly vague and glossed over in a single stroke. Regarding information in this area, Duan Rong had always known very little.

Lv Yinlin said, "Information about the God-Demon Relic has always been a taboo within the Sect. It is normal that you do not know."

As soon as Lv Yinlin saw Duan Rong's expression, he knew that he was still very unfamiliar with the God-Demon Relic. In fact, it was not just him who was unfamiliar; even what Lv Zhongtang knew was very limited.

Only those who had entered the God-Demon Relic knew the situation inside, and news regarding the inside could not be spoken of recklessly to outsiders. Just as Lv Yinlin had said, this was a Sect taboo.

Lv Yinlin said, "You two, rise first."

The two had already been kneeling for quite some time, and only now did Lv Yinlin let them rise.

Duan Rong helped Lv Zhongtang stand up.

Lv Yinlin took another sip of clear water, and only then did he continue speaking in a hoarse voice.

"The Eight Sects of the Jiuzhou Continent all take the God-Demon Relics as their foundation; there are only eight of them in total."

"Apart from the eight God-Demon Relics, there are actually more than ten other God-Demon Ruins in this world. But only these eight can become sect strongholds, precisely because the Law Power within these eight God-Demon Relics is preserved intact, thus giving rise to a continuous flow of Heaven and Earth Qi, which is what enabled the sect's cultivation."

"It is also for this reason that Divine Medicine grows within these eight God-Demon Relics, and these Divine Medicines possess many miraculous properties. This is another reason why the Eight Sects can dominate Jiuzhou."

"As for the other ten-plus God-Demon Ruins, their Law Power is all broken and chaotic, far more dangerous than these eight God-Demon Relics, and there is very little Divine Medicine inside, nor is the Heaven and Earth Qi dense."

"However..." Lv Yinlin suddenly changed the subject and said: "Precisely because the Law Power within these eight God-Demon Relics that serve as sect strongholds is intact, the pressure of the Law Power within them is also very severe. Cultivators above the Dongming Realm cannot step inside at all. Because the Dongming formed by the Law Power of Dongming Realm cultivators is comprehended in this world, it is completely incompatible with the Law Power inside the God-Demon Relics. Once a Dongming Realm cultivator steps into a God-Demon Relic, they immediately find it difficult to move, and if they are the slightest bit careless, their Dongming will shatter and they will die!"

When Lv Yinlin said this, he looked at Duan Rong with profound meaning and said: "Since the founding of our sect, those who have been able to enter the God-Demon Relics have all been cultivators of the Qi Cyclone Realm."

"Qi Cyclone Realm? Isn't that him?" Duan Rong understood after hearing this. Lv Yinlin's meaning must be for him to enter the God-Demon Relic to retrieve Divine Medicine to save Lv Qingzhu.

Duan Rong asked directly: "Ancestor, I wonder if there is any danger inside that God-Demon Relic?"

Lv Yinlin smiled; he saw that Duan Rong reacted quite quickly and had already understood his meaning. "Danger naturally exists. There are two main dangers inside the God-Demon Relic: Evil Spirits and God-Demon Illusions!"

"Evil Spirits?!" Duan Rong's expression changed slightly. Aren't Evil Spirits just ghosts?

Lv Yinlin said: "The Law Power inside the God-Demon Relic is different from this world; Evil Spirits will be bred inside the God-Demon Relic. However, these Evil Spirits cannot walk out of the God-Demon Relic; once they walk out of the relic, they will immediately perish under the Law Power of this world!"

Duan Rong least wanted to face this kind of thing, and his expression suddenly became somewhat ugly.

Seeing Duan Rong's bitter expression, Lv Yinlin said: "Entering the God-Demon Relic also has immense benefits. Within the God-Demon Illusions, if one obtains the recognition of the God-Demon Will, one will obtain a God-Demon Mark! A God-Demon Mark is often accompanied by some kind of Supernatural Ability! The ancestors of the Eight Sects of this world, all the old monsters who have advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm, all obtained God-Demon Marks back in the day and can use some kind of Supernatural Ability!"

"If it weren't for the existence of Supernatural Abilities, it would be extremely difficult to reach the pinnacle in this world! Duan Rong! I have deep feelings about this point!"

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly; there actually existed Supernatural Abilities in this world.

He looked at Lv Yinlin; according to what Lv Yinlin just said, Lv Yinlin himself possessed some kind of Supernatural Ability.

Lv Yinlin did not mention what kind of Supernatural Ability he possessed, but continued: "This is only one. However, the probability of obtaining a God-Demon Mark is still very low."

"But this second benefit is almost available to everyone. As long as one can walk alive to the Central Altar of the God-Demon Relic, one can receive the blessing of the God-Demon Whisper to nourish the Divine Soul."

"The nourishment of the God-Demon Whisper is a fundamental enhancement for a cultivator's Divine Soul. According to the records since the founding of our sect, all cultivators who have been nourished by the God-Demon Whisper, as long as they could come out alive, all advanced to the Dongming Realm!"

"All advanced to the Dongming Realm?" Duan Rong's expression was one of astonishment. He only now understood why these eight God-Demon Relics were the foundation for the Eight Sects' dominance over Jiuzhou.

This God-Demon Whisper alone could allow the sect to produce many Dongming Realm cultivators. And how could those forces that did not occupy or control a God-Demon Relic compete with the Eight Sects? Other forces would eventually be unable to compete with the Eight Sects and would slowly perish!

Therefore, for tens of thousands of years, in the Jiuzhou Continent, only the Eight Sects have dominated the world!

Lv Yinlin continued: "After each blessing of the God-Demon Whisper, it needs time to recover! The Divine Medicine inside the relic also needs time to grow after being picked! Moreover, using a Symbol Array to open the passage into the God-Demon Relic requires the sect to pay a huge cost! Therefore, it is the ancestral rule of the sect that the God-Demon Relic is opened once every thirty years!"

"Opened once every thirty years?!" Duan Rong was surprised in his heart and asked: "Has it already been thirty years now?"

Lv Yinlin said: "It has been twenty-nine years since the last time the God-Demon Relic was opened."

"Is there still one year left?" Duan Rong's expression was dazed; if he had to wait another year, Lv Yinlin would surely not have told him so much right now.

Sure enough, Lv Yinlin suddenly stood up and paced, saying: "I am prepared to open the God-Demon Relic one year early! The condition of that girl Qingzhu is afraid it cannot wait a year. Because the Law Power is different, the Divine Medicine picked from inside the God-Demon Relic is usually difficult to preserve. Even if refined into pills, only a portion of the medicine can be well-preserved for extended use. Most Divine Medicine is used immediately upon picking. The two Divine Medicines needed to save that girl Qingzhu, Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass, cannot be preserved. There is no stock in the sect; one must enter the God-Demon Relic to pick them."

"Duan Rong, this matter depends on you!" Lv Yinlin suddenly turned his head to look at Duan Rong and said in a grave tone.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered as he looked at Lv Yinlin and asked: "Ancestor, I won't be the only disciple entering the God-Demon Relic this time, right?"

Based on what Lv Yinlin just said, Duan Rong had already faintly heard that every time the God-Demon Relic was opened, the sect would pay a considerable price, and there were many benefits, so how could he be the only one to enter?

Lv Yinlin said: "Of course not. Although disciples are lost inside every time one enters the God-Demon Relic, the benefits are also enormous, and the quotas for each entry are fought over by all parties!"

Duan Rong thought to himself: As expected. The God-Demon Mark and the nourishment of the God-Demon Whisper—these benefits are too great!

Lv Yinlin said: "However, picking the Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass may be quite dangerous. After all, for the sect disciples entering the God-Demon Relic, picking Divine Medicine is not the most important thing; it is usually just picked as fate allows, and if there is danger, they will give up! But this time, in order to save that girl Qingzhu! Duan Rong, you must find a way to pick these two Divine Medicines and bring them back!"

Duan Rong said: "Ancestor, rest assured! The Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass—I will definitely obtain them on this trip!"

At this moment, his thoughts were churning like the tide; to save Lv Qingzhu, he would definitely find a way to pick the Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass. But he would also never let go of the God-Demon Mark and the nourishment of the God-Demon Whisper.

Especially that God-Demon Mark; according to Lv Yinlin's account, the probability is very low, but the ancestors of the Eight Sects all possess the Supernatural Ability of the God-Demon Mark, which shows the extraordinary nature of this God-Demon Mark.

Lv Yinlin said: "In these few days, after the list of those entering the God-Demon Relic is finalized, there will be centralized training for you all. As for the specific situation, someone will guide you in detail at that time. You only need to remember the task of the Red Arrow Flower and Green Flame Grass!"

Duan Rong said: "This disciple will definitely keep it in mind!"

Lv Yinlin said: "Alright! You all withdraw first. I need to rest for a while."

"Yes, Ancestor!"

After Duan Rong and Lv Zhongtang knelt and bowed, they withdrew from the Cave Abode.

Lv Yinlin sighed with a weary expression, sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, and instantly entered meditation!

(End of chapter)