Myriad Male Cultivators Cannot Be Counted, the True Scripture Beneath the Earth Hides an Ancient Hall

Chen Dengming glossed over Senior Sister He's subtly suggestive question with a half-joking tone, then steered the conversation back to the secret realm, asking if Senior Sister He could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and condense a pseudo- Foundation Establishment Perfection after obtaining her desired item from there.

If that's the case, then he's fallen behind again. He can only hope that one day he can catch up with his senior sister, or even surpass her.

The sudden shift in topic, coupled with Chen Dengming's optimism and confidence when he talked about 'catching up,' allowed the intelligent He Yingyu to accurately grasp Chen Dengming's true feelings, making her admire him even more.

There are countless male cultivators in the world, and many are even more outstanding than her Junior Brother Chen.

However, within the Evergreen Sect, there are absolutely no people like Junior Brother Chen who possess such formidable strength, humility, extraordinary talent, humor, helpfulness, integrity despite poverty, loyalty and righteousness, and the ability to remain unyielding in the face of power and corrupted by wealth.

There have been, and still are, many Foundation Establishment cultivators who have pursued her.

Even the Longevity Sect had a Golden Core immortal who was disrespectful to his elders, who had expressed some interest, but she politely declined them all.

This gave her great confidence; as long as she revealed her feelings, almost no male cultivator at the Foundation Establishment could resist, and they would inevitably launch a fierce pursuit.

But Junior Brother Chen was an exception. In fact, this Junior Brother clearly did not want to become a gigolo who lived off women, as some gossips in the sect suggested. He had ambitions for immortality and the desire to attain the Dao.

This stubbornness, though a bit hard and unpleasant, ironically won her over.

Perhaps it's true that the easier something is to obtain, the less we cherish it; and the more unattainable something is, the more we yearn for it.

Thus, she tacitly accepted this situation, allowing this reserved and understated emotion to slowly ferment and persist, supporting each other, achieving mutual success, and excelling together, naturally sprouting and blossoming.

Three days later.

A spirit boat sped through the churning clouds, heading straight for a secret place two thousand miles away from the Evergreen Sect.

Inside a side room of the spirit boat.

Chen Dengming observed his own condition and fell into deep thought.

"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator [Chen Dengming]"

Lifespan: 87/338/729

Spirit Root: Metal, Wood (Superior Grade 50/100)

Martial arts: Omitted

Daoist Techniques: <Evergreen Merit> (Level 6, 416/30000), <Chen Family Daoist Magic Chapter> (Master, 68/100), <Reverse Glory Spring Return Technique> (Beginner, 73/100), <Hundred Ghosts Banquet Travel> (Beginner, 65/100), <Hundred Ghosts Yin Record Spirit Refining Art> (Master, 19/100), <Weapon Refining Techniques - Qi Refining Chapter> (Master, 24/100), others omitted.

Compared to a little over a year ago, his Lifespan Limit has increased by another forty-five years.

The thirty-year limit is due to the increase brought about by the advancement of the "Evergreen Merit" by two levels, while the other fifteen years are due to the increase brought about by the advancement of the "Golden Gang Spirit Venerable Technique" and the "Reverse Glory Spring Return Technique".

As for the improvement of techniques and spells such as the Golden Spear Technique, the Hundred Ghosts Night Banquet, the Hundred Ghosts Yin Record Refining God Technique, and the Weapon Refining Technique: Qi Refining Chapter, since the levels of these techniques already overlap, they did not bring an increase in lifespan.

Chen Dengming patted his Storage Bag and took out the Spirit Subduing Bottle and Law Artifact for detecting bone age.

He activated the bone age detection Law Artifact and performed a self-examination.

The detection light from the Law Artifact stayed in the orange area, and the color was very deep.

"It seems my bone age hasn't changed much, but it's now roughly in line with my actual bone age, around my eighties or nineties."

Chen Dengming pondered for a moment, removed the Law Artifact for detecting bone age, glanced at the Spiritual Root Potential on the panel, and temporarily suppressed his restless thoughts.

No rush, there's plenty of time.

He still has so many years to live, so he can just be steady in his actions and there's no need to be rash.

To be on the safe side, it's best to wait until after officially entering the Longevity Sect to further improve one's Spiritual Root Potential, or perhaps to have more secret lightning cultivation sessions in the valley with Senior Sister He in the future, using the pure yang lightning power to temper the body and reduce bone age.

After he consumed a century of his lifespan to further enhance his Spiritual Root Potential, his bone age soared to over 140 years old.

As a result of the benefits given by He Yingyu, she used the pure Yang lightning power to temper her body, which made her bone age much younger again.

I should take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the benefits as much as possible in the future, whenever I have the chance.

Chen Dengming put away the Bone Age Testing Artifact, then activated the Spirit Subduing Bottle, summoning the Soul Guiding Banner stored inside.

In an instant, the temperature inside the cabin seemed to drop sharply, Yin Wind blew, and strange sounds, like whispers, could be faintly heard.

Chen Dengming waved the banner, activating it and unleashing a burst of dark light. Instantly, the whispered voices transformed into Yin Wind that howled like ghosts.

A black whirlwind-like ghost flew out from the banner with a 'whoosh'. Its face was full of scars, and it floated around with a grinning mouth. When it saw Chen Dengming, its fierce expression disappeared and it became blank.

"After more than a year of training, Fellow Daoist Zhu now possesses the Qi Cultivation Ninth Level Yin Soul."

The cultivation of this Yin spirit relies entirely on consuming other souls. The more it consumes, the faster it improves. It doesn't primarily depend on Spiritual Root Potential, but rather on the strength and talent of the divine soul. The speed of its strength improvement is much faster than when Fellow Daoist Zhu was a cultivator.

Could it be that this Fellow Daoist Zhu only truly opened the door to cultivation after becoming a ghost? Does he possess the potential to become a ghost immortal?

Chen Dengming stared at Zhu Xun's ghost, a mocking chuckle creeping onto his face. He laughed for a moment, then fell silent, knowing the hope was slim.

Since Zhu Xun has not shown any signs of regaining his intelligence, it means that it would be very difficult to cultivate him into a Foundation Establishment Soul.

Chen Dengming tried to communicate with Zhu Xun's spirit for a while, but Zhu Xun's spirit would sometimes Zhu Xun its teeth and sometimes frown and groan, showing no further signs of intelligence.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, if you wish to restore his spiritual light, you must start with some of his habits during his lifetime."

Because ordinary memories may be forgotten, but subconscious memories formed through habit will not. Memory is the key to illuminating the light of wisdom.

Inside the Soul House in his arms, the Little Array Spirit stuttered as he reminded him that half a year ago, the Little Array Spirit had further broken through its strength by devouring a large number of Yin souls within the Soul Guiding Banner, reaching a spiritual level comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Since then, the Little Array Spirit has been in a long slumber. It recently awoke, but it has reverted from the third-generation little devil spirit to the first-generation little stutterer. Chen Dengming feels that it is much more useful now.

At this moment, after being reminded by the Little Array Spirit, Chen Dengming looked suspiciously at the stunned Zhu Xun.

"Her habits before she died?"

He hadn't really paid much attention to Zhu Xun's habits during his lifetime.

At this moment, while pondering, I tried calling out to Little Zhu to remind him that the price of Demon Beast meat had dropped, but there was no response.

"The price of Demon Beast meat has dropped, and even if a demon hunter fails in his duty, it won't bother him. It seems we really have to start with his habits."

A thought flashed through Chen Dengming's mind. He Zhu Xun's old dog language, pursing his lips and making a "hehehe" sound.

"Huh?"

The Black Cloud Leopard, curled up in a ball by the hatch, suddenly pricked up its ears, looked up at Chen Dengming, and a look of suspicion flashed in its eyes.

Zhu Xun's spirit also suddenly stopped in mid-air, its blank eyes fixed on Chen Dengming's mouth. It pursed its lips but made no sound.

Chen Dengming was taken aback.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Xun actually responded, which amused him and piqued his interest, so he immediately pouted again.

"Chehehe"

Zhu Xun's spirit swayed, pursed his lips, and hissed.

"Gee!"

"Clang clang clang!"

The Black Cloud Leopard's ears stood up high, and it propped itself up halfway from the ground, completely dumbfounded.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, it seems you have awakened some of his memories and habits. Perhaps, in the future, he will be able to regain his spiritual wisdom through these memories."

Chen Dengming looked at Zhu Xun, who had started circling around him and making incessant "ch-ch-ch" Zhu Xun, but had stopped yelling. He was both amused and exasperated.

This is considered to have triggered its habitual memories? Isn't this child's play? Fellow Daoist Zhu is indeed a master of dog language, a level ten dog language expert. It has been deeply ingrained in its soul, and even as a ghost, it will not forget it.

In this light, if this continues, Zhu Xun might very well become Foundation Establishment ghost spirit, transforming himself from Qi Cultivation Cultivator into Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator?

Chen Dengming was satisfied and put it into the Soul Guiding Banner.

It is rumored that evil spirits may also exist within the secret realm, and these Soul Guiding Banner and Zhu Xun may come in handy then.

For ordinary cultivators, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators, evil spirits are extremely troublesome creatures. Without learning the corresponding Technique Method to counter them, even with their cultivation level and magical Law Power, they still find it quite difficult to deal with them.

But Chen Dengming is clearly not among them.

"Junior Brother Chen, we've arrived."

Just then, He Yingyu's voice came from outside.

Chen Dengming immediately stepped out of the cabin. The wind outside brushed against his face, his long hair fluttered, his tiger-like eyes flashed with light, his robes fluttered in the wind, and his straight and strong body, like a spear shaft, made He Yingyu's beautiful eyes light up. Then she casually looked away and pointed to a deep mountain Old Lin shrouded in mist below.

"Look, that's the secret territory jointly controlled by our multiple sects."

The Three Yang Crystal I need are in the secret area below. If we can collect more this time, Junior Brother, you will be able to use them when you break through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection in the future."

"I'll prioritize you, Senior Sister! It's still too early for me to break through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection and become False Core Great Cultivator. Let me first rely on you, a False Core Great Cultivator, for support."

Chen Dengming nodded half-jokingly, looking down at the lush forest and the mist-shrouded peaks below, his eyes gleaming.

A secret place is a hidden treasure land that a sect discovers and then seals off with a special Formation combined with a field.

Some of these treasure lands are completely free of danger and are full of resources needed by the sect. After a certain number of years have passed, the sect will send cultivators to mine them.

Some are quite dangerous, filled with Demon Beast and evil spirits.

However, the existence of these Demon Beasts and evil spirits also leads to the creation of some strange resources in the environment, making them quite valuable.

Sects often use such secret places as training grounds. Disciples who enter and collect the corresponding resources and materials are considered to have passed the trial.

Chen Dengming and He Yingyu came here by consuming Sect Contribution. They could enter the secret place by passing through the Formation field's blockade with the sect token.

The two exchanged a glance, then activated their spiritual light, instantly leaving the spirit boat. The spirit boat rapidly shrank and flew back into He Yingyu's sleeve. The two then swooped down together, heading towards the secret place that was usually rarely visited by people.

In the Cultivation World, there are countless places, countless different hidden corners, all places rarely visited by humans.

These places may have long been forgotten; the traces of all those who once lived there and the history seem to be gradually eroded by the passage of time.

But as the saying goes, look where others can't see, and you might find a treasure trove hidden there, because no one has been there, so no one has discovered it.

The Western Regions, a barren and desolate desert, is a place of bleakness and scarcity, where even birds and beasts are rare, resembling a forbidden zone for life.

But deep underground lies a buried, ancient stone palace steeped in history.

Although the Spiritual Qi in the desert is extremely thin and it is definitely not a place for cultivation, the stone palace beneath the desert is filled with a misty Spiritual Qi.

This is because the entire stone palace was actually constructed from a primordial Spirit Vein.

Those dark rocks were filled with sparkling, shimmering Spiritual Qi crystals, but they were all imprisoned by a mysterious force.

As you can see, the walls of the stone temple are engraved with many wonderful murals and sculptures, revealing a primitive and rugged beauty. In some corners, there are also ancient and mysterious symbols, which seem to be some mysterious words and patterns from ancient legends.

A tall, robust figure stood quietly in the center of the hall.

He exuded an indescribable sense of power. Even when still, he seemed like a volcano ready to erupt with astonishing force at any moment.

His gaze was filled with intense confidence and an arrogant disdain for the world. Even when scanning the ancient and mysterious characters around him, he exuded a domineering and supreme aura, as if few things in the world could make him bow his head.

But no one could see his specific appearance or features, because he was shrouded in endless light, dazzling and making it impossible to discern his true form.

At this moment, an astonishing beam of light streaked across the sky beyond the desert and suddenly appeared in the desert, revealing the figure of an old man in a cloak. The spiritual power emanating from him was even more terrifying than that of Golden Core Cultivator.

The old man quickly withdrew his spiritual power and sent a Divine Sense deep into the desert.

"My Venerable Lord, shall I resort to some extraordinary means to find that brat?"

The powerful figure inside the stone hall at the bottom of the desert suddenly looked up, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the stone hall and the sand, landing directly on the old man.

The old man immediately bowed even lower, as if he were kneeling deep underground, even though he was standing on the ground.

The powerful being's Divine Sense emanated, his calm tone filled with undeniable authority.

"No need. I have already made arrangements. You don't need to ask or interfere."

The old man was taken aback. "But... both the Wonderful Sound Sect and the Hidden World Sect are looking for that kid. With the methods of these hypocritical old men, finding someone wouldn't be so troublesome."

The powerful figure in the stone hall chuckled coldly, "It's alright. Some things, if they're meant to be experienced, will eventually be experienced."

The old man was helpless, knowing that once this person made a decision, they would never change it, at least not by his persuasion.

After bowing respectfully, he vanished in a flash.

The powerful figures inside the stone hall remained silent, their gazes continuing to sweep over the numerous murals and reliefs within the hall.

As you can see, the reliefs seem to be conveying many mysterious messages in different ways.

The walls inside the stone hall are covered with thousands of symbols and patterns, every detail of which seems poised to unleash unpredictable power at any moment.

Since discovering this place a century ago, he has frequently come here to study this stone hall for over a hundred years.

It wasn't until recent years, when he suddenly felt some symbols and characters vibrating inside the stone hall, as if his Dao had been touched, that he finally found the true key to unlocking the secrets of this great hall and the opportunity to break through to the next level.

Originally, he was puzzled as to why a symbol that hadn't vibrated for over a hundred years suddenly started vibrating on its own, a mystery he remained perplexed by.

Only recently has he gradually found the answer.

Just then, the symbols and patterns on the wall behind him suddenly burst forth with mysterious textures and spiritual light, as if some mysterious power had been awakened.

The main hall began to shake, and the ground trembled slightly, as if some mysterious force was surging within it.

The powerful figure had already turned around, his gaze fixed intently on the wall, quietly sensing the changes around him.

Finally, he took a deep breath, a hopeful smile appearing on his face, knowing that having come this far, these mysterious symbols and patterns would guide him to the true answer.

In the mountains and forests within the secret realm.

The chilling sounds of bones Flesh and Blood being torn apart, accompanied by the agonizing screams of Demon Beast, echoed through the air.

A sharp, swirling current of air, accompanied by a flurry of gleaming blades, reaped the lives of numerous ferocious Demon Beast like wheat being harvested in autumn, strangling them on the spot. The scene was terrifying, causing the Black Cloud Leopard to blink repeatedly, his hair standing on end in horror.

In just a few breaths, six or seven Demon Beast died on the spot, startling dozens of Demon Beast further away and some powerful demonic creatures that were spying, causing them to tremble with fear and immediately scatter in terror.

"Junior Brother, the power of your Qi cultivation Technique Method is indeed remarkable, but the scene you created was far too bloody."

He Yingyu flashed over from the side, pinching her nose and frowning.

Chen Dengming waved his sleeve, creating a gust of wind that dispersed the stench of blood, and shook his head, saying, "Since we came in, we have already encountered three waves of Demon Beast."

These are clearly just Qi Refining level Demon Beast, yet they dare to attack us directly. I've only encountered a similar situation before, when I faced a Hyena Demon Beast.

It seems this secret place has been deserted for a long time. The Demon Beast here aren't afraid of humans stronger than themselves; you can't completely intimidate them without being ruthless.

He Yingyu sensed the dissipating energy from all directions and nodded, saying, "You're right. This secret place is quite strange. According to the brochure given by the sect, there are evil spirits and the bloodlines left by demons within, including beings comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Let's obtain the Three Yang Crystal and then leave."

"Um."

Chen Dengming didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he summoned the Soul Guiding Banner, activated the second scroll, and collected the Soul Spirit of the many Demon Beast below into the banner.

Upon seeing this, He Yingyu couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

This Junior Brother's behavior is so strange, it's like that of Devil Cultivator.

However, she also knew that Chen Dengming had already been raising a female ghost, and had even found a deceased friend who had become a spirit. This friend was a person of strong character and loyalty, and indeed had a need to restrain spirits as food to feed them.

And the fact that the other party is willing to openly reveal this need to her is itself a great sign of trust.

As for her hobby of playing with Little Female Ghost, as her senior sister, she couldn't interfere too much for the time being, so she turned a blind eye and didn't expose it.

Men, especially outstanding men.

It's impossible for her to have only one woman, let alone a female ghost who isn't very competitive; she's quite philosophical about it.

After cleaning up the Battlefield, the two quickly left.

Perhaps due to the presence of Sha Qi from hunting Demon Beast, coupled with the gusts of Yin Wind created by the Soul Guiding Banner clearing the way, the two were free from the disturbance of Demon Beast and evil spirits along the way, and soon arrived at their destination, a valley emitting a faint spiritual light and filled with sparkling crystals.

The place was bizarre and fantastical. Within the valley, some enormous and powerful figures stood silently, shrouded in a hazy light, appearing very mysterious.

(I'm still short 100 monthly votes today, so I'll be adding an extra long chapter tonight! Please vote with your monthly votes to urge me to update!)