Chapter 118: Yin Shadows and Ghostly Cries, Bloody Night Rain

A thick, foul stench of blood and the sound of ghostly wails surged upward, as if the entire Luo Xian Lead Boat had been dragged into the Yellow Springs of the netherworld!

The clusters of grey-black true fire covering the exterior of the lead boat kept the massive hull encased within a roaring ring of flame.

Yet, many yin spirits, fearless of death, were willing to endure the agony of their souls being scorched to ash just to take a single gulp of the living flesh and blood on the boat!

In an instant.

All sorts of chaotic sounds erupted incessantly.

Ghostly howls, the roaring of fire, the clashing of iron, startled cries...

It was as if a thunderstorm had arrived abruptly, lashing down until the fine trees were snapped and the banana leaves fell.

By one's ears, only violent, booming sounds could be heard, shaking one's Qi and blood until they went numb! One's soul felt dazed!

Under such desperate, suicidal pouncing by the ghosts of the Earth Abyss, even the clusters of grey-black true fire emitted by the Luo Xian Lead Boat possessed extraordinary power.

Any ordinary demon or monster that touched even a sliver of it would have its body torn apart as easily as tofu, then be burned into a wisp of drifting ghostly smoke.

Yet, like ants swarming a city wall, it was inevitable that some fish would slip through the net, break past the ring of fire, and luckily board the lead boat.

In a flash.

The stench of blood permeated the air!

A foul wind pressed upon the people!

Pools of crimson liquid flowed from unknown sources, staining the deck and the main hall in a horrifying hue, then, like flies chasing the scent of blood, they spread along the corridors, breaking open the cabin doors of the pavilions one by one.

With a short, sharp cry of alarm, the interior of the Luo Xian Lead Boat erupted into chaos.

Each cultivator employed their own methods.

Some spat fire from their mouths, their talisman artifacts dancing with spiritual light to slay the attacking yin spirits; others chanted the Daoist scripture for delivering the dead and eliminating karma, causing the yin spirits to tremble in fear and dare not approach.

Others directly affixed ghost-repelling talismans to their crowns, disrupting the spiritual senses of the ghosts, making them see without seeing and hear without hearing, drifting past them in vain.

Those who dared to come to the Earth Abyss to gamble their lives for wealth were mostly extremely confident, believing they could protect their lives and souls in this dark land.

On their persons, they also kept a few trump cards for self-preservation.

Thus, although these yin spirits were wreaking havoc inside the lead boat, acting with fierce and bloodthirsty abandon.

For the moment, there were no casualties, and they could still manage to cope.

And at this moment.

Chen Hang's cabin was also targeted by a few yin spirits.

He did not make many movements, remaining seated on the jade bed, simply offering up the Thunder-Fire Thunderbolt Pearl, which rumbled to protect his entire body.

Whenever a yin spirit could no longer suppress its violence and wanted to enjoy the flesh and blood of the cultivator before it, the pearl would emit a bolt of lightning, instantly shattering it to pieces!

Amidst the roaring sound of thunder, Chen Hang watched as one yin spirit after another fled, not daring to approach again, and a thought stirred in his mind.

His "Dispersing Scenery and Concealing Form Art" came from the hands of the Tribulation Immortal Ancestor; as long as his cultivation was sufficient, he could perfectly simulate thousands of Qi signatures without the slightest discrepancy.

Before this, he had once altered his Embryonic Breathing attribute to mimic the "Ingot Gold True Qi" of the Profound Heaven Sect, and even the Cave-Mystic Realm's Cave Master Huaiwu and the Evil-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon could not discern the truth in a short time.

Most of the ghosts in the Earth Abyss possessed incomplete intelligence, relying only on a breath of resentful Sha Qi to maintain their forms and chase after blood-food.

If he were to alter his own Qi signature to the form of these yin spirits and ghosts, perhaps he could deceive them.

To mix among them openly?

However, this thought flashed and vanished.

He was currently inside the Luo Xian Lead Boat, where there were many eyes, so there was no need to rush into acting immediately.

This battle between man and ghost continued for another half-moment.

Finally, a Qi Cultivator, due to negligence, had his Dharma robe torn open by several ghosts; with a single wrap and coil of their bodies, half of his flesh, blood, and essence were instantly brushed away.

That Qi Cultivator let out a miserable shriek, his face drained of color.

His previously firm and smooth skin suddenly sagged and softened at that moment, the essence in his eyes dissipated by more than half, and even his full head of black hair turned mottled and grey.

In a mix of shock and rage, he terrifiedly drummed up his Embryonic Breathing, desperately urging his profound art, and spat out a stream of murky yellow smoke from his mouth and nose, breaking free from the restraint of the ghosts.

He immediately shouted loudly for help, his terror knowing no bounds.

"What a piece of trash! Can't even deal with a few ghosts? With such meager cultivation, are you here in the Earth Abyss just to die?!"

In the main cabin of the Luo Xian Lead Boat.

Several Officer Daoists operating the Dharma boat heard the Qi Cultivator's cry for help; despite their utter contempt, they still picked up their command tablets, gave a cold shout, and simultaneously pinched a Dharma seal.

A beam of Profound Light shone forth!

Before long, the four Profound Soap Tiger God Flags, each a zhang high, standing at the four corners of the lead boat, trembled in unison, and from each flag face, a Tiger God essence spirit shook loose.

By one's eardrums, only a heaven-shaking, wild roar could be heard; a fierce wind swept past, and the four Tiger God essence spirits instantly scattered to slaughter.

In just a moment's time, they swept the yin ghosts on the lead boat clean!

"That is indeed a good treasure."

Chen Hang slowly relaxed his Dharma seal, beckoned with his hand, retrieved the Thunder-Fire Thunderbolt Pearl into his sleeve, moved aside the cabin door smashed by the yin ghosts, and cast his gaze outward.

He saw the four Tiger God essence spirits engaged in a great slaughter, cutting through the ghosts like chopping melons and vegetables; after clearing the ghosts from the lead boat, they pounced outside the boat to continue the fight.

With the assistance of the four Tiger God essence spirits, coupled with the clusters of grey-black true fire emitted by the lead boat itself.

After half a cup of tea, the ghosts that had swarmed like ants were finally completely eliminated, and the surroundings fell silent.

At this time, the Luo Xian Lead Boat did not wish to linger, fearing that the blood Qi of the nearly one hundred cultivators on board would attract even more formidable ghosts.

Simply retracting the true fire and the four Tiger God essence spirits, it continued to sink downward.

Two hundred zhang.

Five hundred zhang.

One thousand zhang.

Three thousand zhang...

The deeper the Luo Xian Lead Boat sank, the more a sense of murky, heavy yin wrapped around everyone.

Their torsos felt as if they had become much heavier, and with every movement, an invisible restraint was added to their bodies.

At this time, that sense of desolate, yin coldness grew even more intense.

Even on the tables and walls, a thin layer of frost quietly condensed.

Every breath taken was filled with a bone-chilling cold, as if one were standing naked on white snow in the depths of winter, swallowing a full pot of ice water!

It made one's internal organs ache!

One's scalp went numb!

The leaden boat of Luo Xian did not stop, but continued to sink downward, as if it had fallen into a bottomless giant abyss!

The cultivators on the lead boat could no longer resist this cold.

Some took out Small White Yang Pills, swallowing them immediately, waiting until a wave of warmth spread through their bodies, driving away the cold yin Qi within their organs, before they stopped.

Early on, when receiving the Earth Abyss Talisman Edict, Ai Jian had bestowed two bottles of Small White Yang Pills and eight hundred talisman coins as "life-buying" money for everyone.

It was precisely because of those two bottles of Small White Yang Pills that Chen Hang had temporarily suppressed the Cold-Battle True Qi raging in his body, protecting his life.

While all the other cultivators could not endure the bitter cold, he, due to his cultivation of the Supreme Jade Body, remained temporarily unaffected.

His powerful physical body prevented these shallow yin-cold Qi from staining him in the slightest; every drop of his blood at this moment carried a shimmering jade light, heavy as a small mountain stone!

If he were to fully explode his own blood Qi and let it permeate the air.

Chen Hang reckoned that even driving away the yin-cold Qi from this entire boat would be an easy task, not difficult at all.

"However, Ai Jian once said that the Luo Xian Lead Boat would only carry everyone to the shallow layer of the Earth Abyss before flying away, and would only return to pick them up after half a year."

He could not help but think to himself:

"We have been sinking for so long, and we still haven't reached the shallow layer of the Earth Abyss? And the yin-cold Qi in the shallow area is already this intense, requiring Foundation Establishment cultivators to take Small White Yang Pills to protect their internal organs.

If we were to go deeper, what kind of terrifying scene would it be?"

Thinking back to a strange anecdote he had discussed with Xu Zhi previously.

In ancient times, an outer-heaven Corpse-Dissection Immortal had died inexplicably after entering the Earth Abyss, which had provoked the heavens to respond, causing five full days of blood rain to fall in the Dong Mi Continent.

This Earth Abyss.

Was truly a place of unadulterated evil...

While he was lost in thought, the Luo Xian Lead Boat suddenly gave a light jolt, as if it had finally touched some heavy, solid object.

Then, a clear bell chime rang out, and after three tolls.

The people in the cabins gradually descended from the lead boat, landing on a vast, boundless, deep-black wilderness.

"The Sect Master has an order: anyone who can hunt either a Yin Horse or a Human-Face Mushroom for him will be recorded three hundred merits, rewarded with eight thousand talisman coins, eight mid-tier Daoist arts, three taels of jade marrow... There is no upper limit, the more the better!"

From the Luo Xian Lead Boat came the loud laughter of an Officer Daoist:

"Fellow brothers, this is a great opportunity to get rich! If you can earn a fortune here, your carefree life for the rest of your days will be secure!

Even if you don't want to taste the bitterness of cultivation anymore, with this wealth, whether you go to the Water-Sky Cloud Fall or the Dan Xun Great Abyss, you will be a person above others!

Opportunity knocks but once!

I hope you brothers will keep your spirits up, strive! Strive!"

These words were spoken loudly and ostentatiously, not without a sense of generosity and passion.

As for the cultivators on the wilderness, except for a few frivolous ones who showed slight joy on their faces and bared their teeth in smiles.

The rest were all as solemn as water, saying not a word.

The dangers of the Earth Abyss need not be mentioned; those willing to come here were all prepared to gamble with their lives.

Although the wealth promised by Profound Heaven Sect Master Ai Jian was good, one had to be alive to enjoy it.

Precious external medicines like Yin Horses and Human-Face Mushrooms only grew in lands with dense yin Qi.

The land they were standing on now, although it was the Earth Abyss, was still the shallow outer ring.

Even if they scraped the ground three feet deep, they probably wouldn't find a single leaf of a Human-Face Mushroom...

"Fatty Lu, stop spouting nonsense here! It's us men struggling to survive in this Earth Abyss, not you? You speak so lightly?! Is the Sect Master's reward so easily obtained?!"

A red-browed Foundation Establishment Daoist sneered and shouted in a deep voice:

"If you provoke me, don't even think about riding any lead boat out of this earth cave; just suffer through it here with the rest of us!"

Once these words were spoken, many people burst into laughter.

Inside the Luo Xian Lead Boat, the Officer Daoist had wanted to stir up more excitement, but now he could only smile awkwardly, his voice quite embarrassed.

"Since you brothers all have your own ideas, this poor Daoist will not waste any more breath... After half a year, I will drive the lead boat again to come here and pick you up back to the sect.

Remember! Remember! Do not forget the time; once missed, you might be trapped in this Earth Abyss for a lifetime!"

The final voice came from the Luo Xian Lead Boat, which then slowly flew into the sky.

In just a few breaths, it drilled through layers of yin barriers, a flash of light moved, and it vanished without a trace.

After the boat departed, the cultivators remaining in the Earth Abyss all wore different expressions.

Like the Qi Cultivator who had half his essence energy rolled away by the ghosts, his expression was extremely ugly, his legs trembling, as if he might faint and fall at any moment.

While some who prided themselves on their powerful Dao arts just sneered, their eyes showing a hint of complacency.

But regardless of what they truly felt in their hearts, none of them had any intention of staying long, and they soon scattered, fleeing in different directions.

Not to mention that if cultivators gathered in one place, the scent of their blood Qi would inevitably attract more powerful ghosts.

Even in this place without sun or moon, except for true sworn brothers, no one would feel at ease living day and night with others.

Everyone feared that while distracted or competing for treasure, they would be suddenly stabbed in the back...

After politely declining the requests of several female cultivators who wanted to travel with him, Chen Hang also set up his escape light and randomly chose a direction to fly.

After half an hour, he stopped at a craggy stone forest.

He pressed down his escape light and stepped onto a tall stone pillar in the center.

"Truly a place of Zhou Jue Yin, a forest of cold Qi."

He cast his gaze outward, and before him was nothing but pitch-black darkness, as if a pool of celestial ink had been smeared over it layer upon layer, completely covering all other colors.

Further away were massive, deep trenches in the earth, large enough to contain a small city; they were dense and crowded, and one could not tell where they led, appearing extremely deep and sinister.

Chen Hang only watched for a moment before waving his sleeve, sitting cross-legged atop the stone pillar, and silently regulating his breath to wait.

After the time it takes for three or four incense sticks to burn, he suddenly looked up and saw more than a dozen streaks of purple-green light connected together, coming through the clouds and piercing the sky; they were graceful and winding, like a rainbow bridge unfurled, and their momentum was quite impressive.

"Oh? Interesting, interesting!"

Among those streaks of light, Yan Ping suddenly halted his movement and waved a hand, signaling the Yan clan members beside him to stop as well.

He looked at Chen Hang on the stone pillar, observed him for a while, and then slowly spoke:

"You knew we were coming to kill you? Why not flee? Could it be that you feel you cannot defeat my divine abilities and intend to surrender without a fight?"

"What a pity..."

He let out a cold laugh:

"I certainly won't leave you with an intact corpse! You brat! When Yan Zhen was still alive, I always wanted to hack you into ten thousand pieces; this time, I have finally caught the opportunity!"

"Why would I flee?"

Chen Hang shook his head upon hearing this:

"However, I do have a question in mind; can you answer it for me?"

"Come, ask away! I'll let you be a ghost who knows the truth!" Yan Ping's gaze was icy.

"On your persons this time..."

Chen Hang slowly stood up and laughed, his moon-white wide sleeves trailing lightly on the ground, and said:

"How many talisman coins did you bring in?"

Thanks to Wanwu Bu Ji Dian Dian for the point reward, thanks to Fan Shi Guo Qu for the 1000-point reward, thanks to Shu You San Wen for the 600-point reward, and thanks to Jiu Tian Xing Kong for the 100-point reward.