Chapter 542

The shop is not normal.

Most of the pedestrians walking on the street also had cold, vigilant expressions, or flickering eyes full of calculation.

There were Nine Nether Sect disciples shrouded in black robes with cold auras.

There were desperate rogue cultivators with fierce faces and evil spirits.

There were enchanting women with exposed clothing and soul-stealing eyes.

There were also mysterious merchants in a hurry, covering their faces.

The air was filled with invisible tension and malice, as if conflicts could break out at any time.

Chen Mu turned a blind eye to this.

He converged his aura, like an ordinary bottom-level martial artist who came to seek opportunities or conduct transactions, walking silently on the dark streets.

But his spiritual sense was like invisible tentacles, quietly spreading out, capturing various information, conversations, and even earth vein fluctuations in the city.

Chen Mu did not directly inquire about the "Sword Soul" or the Nine Nether Sect's core inheritance.

He needed to first understand this city, understand how the Nine Nether Sect operated here, and look for possible breakthroughs or clues.

"Have you heard? Something happened at 'Blood King Cave' again a few days ago. It is said that a few rogue cultivators who wanted to pick up cheap goods ran in, and as a result, they triggered the restriction and were all sucked dry of essence blood, turning into dried corpses..."

"Heh, normal. Blood King Cave is an abandoned mine from the early years, where underground Yin veins gather, breeding quite a few evil things; only those who want money but not their lives dare to go there."

"The wind in the city has been a bit tight recently, and there seem to be a lot more patrolling Nine Nether Guards. Is there some big event in the sect?"

"Who knows, perhaps it's to guard against the other few causing trouble. I heard that the imperial court and the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect have been having constant friction on the border; don't let the war burn to our side."

"Forget it, if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. However, it is said that a batch of new 'goods' will arrive at the 'Black Market' tonight. I heard a few have good aptitude, heh heh..."

"Forget it, that kind of goods, is it our turn? They were booked by those masters in the inner sect long ago. However, it is said that a broken spiritual weapon dug out from an ancient tomb will be auctioned at the black market tonight, which seems interesting; we can go and see."

All kinds of messy information poured into Chen Mu's ears.

He focused on information about the Nine Nether Sect's internal movements, special events, and possible ancient inheritances or hidden places.

"Blood King Cave... abandoned mine, underground Yin veins gather..."

Chen Mu's heart moved slightly.

What exactly the Sword Soul left by the Heavenly River Sword Venerable is, there is no information, and Chen Mu couldn't guess; if he guessed blindly, it would be too broad.

"It seems the 'Nine Nether Trial' is about to open in the sect. It is said that the rewards this time are generous, and the top few even have the qualification to enter the periphery of the 'Nether Abyss Secret Realm' to comprehend..."

"Nether Abyss Secret Realm? That is a forbidden area of the sect, and only true disciples and elders who have made great contributions have the opportunity to enter. It seems this trial is not simple."

"Nine Nether Trial? Nether Abyss Secret Realm?" Chen Mu captured these two keywords.

The Nine Nether Trial is an important way for the Nine Nether Sect to select and cultivate core disciples; perhaps he can come into contact with some internal information.

And the "Nether Abyss Secret Realm," it sounds like an important secret place controlled by the Nine Nether Sect; could it be related to the "Sword Soul"?

Chen Mu wandered around the city for several days, seemingly at will, visiting several wine shops and teahouses with relatively well-informed and complex backgrounds.

He also went to places like "Shadowless Tower" to buy some rough intelligence about the Nether Mountain range geography, the distribution of the Nine Nether Sect's peripheral forces, and recent abnormal events.

The cost was not high, and what he got were mostly common goods, but enough for him to piece together a rough outline.

Taken together, the Nine Nether Sect seems to have indeed made moves internally recently, strengthening the monitoring of the periphery.

And that so-called "Nine Nether Trial" seems to be held in the near future.

As for the "Nether Abyss Secret Realm," it is one of the Nine Nether Sect's most core forbidden areas, closed all year round, and only in special periods or for those who have made major contributions to the sect do they have the opportunity to enter it for short-term cultivation or to complete some kind of trial.

The outside world knows very little about the specific situation inside the secret realm, only that the Yin evil energy inside is extremely heavy, suspected to be connected to some ancient underground Nether place, which is of great benefit to cultivating Nine Nether cultivation methods, but also full of dangers.

Without the Nine Nether Sect's exclusive token and a dedicated guide, going in is death.

Of course, even with a token and someone to guide, the mortality rate is also very high.

"Nether Abyss Secret Realm... underground Nether... Yin evil gathers..." Chen Mu pondered.

This environment sounds quite suitable for a special existence like the "Sword Soul" to hide.

Moreover, with the ability of the Heavenly River Sword Venerable back then, if he really had old ties with the Nine Nether Sect, hiding the "Sword Soul" in its core forbidden area seems to make sense.

But how to enter the "Nether Abyss Secret Realm"?

Participate in the "Nine Nether Trial" and get the top few?

That is too time-consuming and easy to expose his identity.

Break in?

Facing the Nine Nether Sect with a Myriad Phenomena ancestor sitting in town, it is no different from seeking death.

Just as Chen Mu was staying at a remote inn called "Ghost Shadow Residence" in the city, thinking about how to take the next step, his spiritual sense captured a conversation in an underground secret room in the inn's backyard, isolated by restrictions but still vaguely probed by him.

"...Is the stuff ready? 'That side' is urging tightly; this time it must be foolproof."

"Rest assured, three 'Rotten Heart Pills', ten 'Yin Thunder Seeds', and the 'Nether Soil' and 'Soul-Attracting Incense' you wanted are all here. However, the price..."

"The price is easy to talk about. As long as the stuff works and can help me pass the 'Black Evil Cave' assessment and enter the inner sect, money is not a problem."

"Heh heh, that's good. However, brother, I advise you, that 'Black Evil Cave' is not easy to break into; every year, those who die inside, or come out and become neither human nor ghost, are not few. Are you really going to take such a big risk for an inner sect disciple quota?"

"Hmph, what do you know! As long as I can enter the inner sect, I have the opportunity to come into contact with more profound cultivation methods and obtain more resources! I even have the opportunity to be selected into the 'Nether Abyss Guard'! That is the true path to the sky! What is a little risk?"

"Nether Abyss Guard? That is the elite direct line guarding the 'Nether Abyss Secret Realm'! It is said that the treatment is extremely high, and they can also enter the secret realm to cultivate regularly! Brother has great ambitions! Admire, admire!"

"Nether Abyss Guard... guarding the Nether Abyss Secret Realm..." Chen Mu's heart moved.

This is a potential entry point.

If he could find a way to replace or control a Nine Nether Sect disciple who is about to enter the "Nether Abyss Guard," perhaps he would have the opportunity to enter the vicinity of the secret realm legitimately, or even mix into it?

Of course, this is equally difficult.

The Nine Nether Sect's selection for the "Nether Abyss Guard" must be strict, and the means of identity verification are probably not few.

But compared to other methods, it seems more operable.

Just as Chen Mu was considering, the transaction in the secret room seemed to have been completed, and one of them, accompanied by subtle movements, quietly left the inn.

Chen Mu pondered slightly, stood up quietly, and like a ghost, followed...