Gu Worm

The third day.

Still no opportunity to escape had come. Chen Lin could only honestly finish refining all the remaining materials, obtaining another Blood Demon Pill.

This time, Yu Yuehai was standing guard outside. The moment the pill was refined, he flashed to the door, pushed it open, and entered.

"Hahaha!"

At the sight of the round, dark-red pill in the pill furnace, Yu Yuehai let out a delighted laugh.

With a beckoning gesture, the pill flew up and landed in his hand.

He held it beneath his nose in rapture, sniffing it while nodding again and again.

"Not bad. This is exactly that exquisite scent. Good, good, good!"

Only after saying "good" three times in succession did Yu Yuehai put away the pill and look at Chen Lin.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, the pill has been refined. I may leave now, correct?"

Chen Lin retreated behind the pill furnace, one hand hidden in his sleeve and tightly gripping two Thunderclap Beads.

His other hand held a stack of Fireball Talismans.

He was ready to risk his life at any moment.

As for a way to remove the aftereffects of the Enlightenment Pill, as well as the information about the red Fine Line that the other party had promised earlier, he no longer dared hope for either.

Yu Yuehai seemed to be in a fine mood. Smiling, he said, "Fellow Daoist Chen, your skill is indeed superb. But do you truly not wish to leave this place with me? I will tell you the truth: everything here was created by an unformed Strange Entity, and that thing is about to take shape."

"A Strange Entity?"

Chen Lin froze, and his heart immediately sank.

He had actually suspected it before, but he had refused to believe it. Now that Yu Yuehai had confirmed it, he had no choice but to believe.

Strange Entities were Unique Beings, each possessing unimaginable and terrifying abilities.

In the original owner's memories, Strange Entities were not numerous. Some people might go their entire lives without encountering even one. Yet his luck was just that good—he had run into one the instant he transmigrated, and not merely one, but a big one at that.

"Correct, a Strange Entity. You are also an experienced cultivator, so you should know what Strange Entities signify. As a reward for successfully refining the Blood Demon Pill, I will tell you one more thing."

"What is it?"

Chen Lin asked instinctively.

Yu Yuehai's expression turned solemn. "This Strange Entity has been growing by drawing nourishment from the cultivators in the city for more than a decade. According to my estimates, it will take shape within the next month or so. Once it does, everyone in the entire city will be devoured by it!"

Chen Lin's heart sank.

Given the other man's knowledge and cultivation, his estimate was surely right nine times out of ten.

Yu Yuehai glanced at Chen Lin. "You may not know this, but for all these years, this city has only allowed entry, never exit. Once someone leaves a certain range around the city, that Strange Entity will sense them. It will either control their thoughts and make them return, or devour them ahead of time!"

"There's such a thing?"

Chen Lin was seized by lingering fear.

He had previously considered leaving early. Fortunately, he had not done so.

"Hmph. Did you think Strange Entities were so easy to resist? Fortunately, this one has yet to fully take shape. Otherwise, there would not be the slightest chance of survival."

Yu Yuehai's expression also grew grave. "To leave this place, you must first sever the red Fine Line's entanglement and cut off its perception. But once the red Fine Line is severed, you must leave the area under the Strange Entity's control within a certain time. Otherwise, if it discovers you, it will reconnect the red Fine Line."

Having said that, he glanced at the Bronze Bell in the corner. "I know you have a secret that allows you to see the red Fine Line. But unless you reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, you cannot sever it. Without my help, you cannot leave this place."

Chen Lin also glanced at the Bronze Bell but said nothing.

He had thought the sound was set low enough that no one would hear it. He had not expected there to be a Late Qi Refining cultivator in this courtyard with such exceptionally powerful senses.

Still, anyone unable to see the red Fine Line would not have paid any attention even if they heard the bell. All he could say was that his luck was terrible—he had not landed anywhere good from the very start.

"You are willing to help me. What must I give in return?"

There was no love without cause in this world.

Chen Lin did not believe the man was so kind-hearted that he would not only spare him, but also help him leave this place.

Sure enough, Yu Yuehai gave him a look that said he was teachable. "What you must give, of course, is yourself!"

Before Chen Lin could react, Yu Yuehai's eyes suddenly lit up. Two beams of light, almost tangible, instantly charged into Chen Lin's eyes.

Chen Lin only felt his head buzz, and he lost all control over himself.

Then he watched Yu Yuehai take out a round bottle from his Storage Bag, pour out a black insect the size of a little finger, walk over to him, pry open his mouth, and stuff the frantically writhing insect inside.

The entire process unfolded under Chen Lin's gaze, yet he could only watch helplessly, powerless to do anything.

The insect traveled down his throat into his stomach. First came a wave of numbness and tingling, then a sharp pain in his dantian, after which he felt nothing more.

He immediately returned to normal.

"What did you make me eat?"

Chen Lin was shocked and furious, with nausea churning within him as he dry-heaved repeatedly.

At the same time, his mind raced for a countermeasure.

"Do not panic. This is a Black Su Worm, a type of Gu Worm that specifically targets the spirit. It can alleviate the aftereffects of the modified Enlightenment Pill."

Yu Yuehai looked utterly calm.

Chen Lin stopped dry-heaving, his expression shifting uncertainly.

He too wanted to activate the Thunderclap Bead and fight the other man to the death, but he knew that in the other's eyes, his little tricks amounted to nothing. They would only make the man even angrier.

"Aren't you afraid of suffering a backlash from your inner demon by doing this?"

Chen Lin regained his composure.

Helpless rage was meaningless. If he wanted to live, he could only endure.

Yu Yuehai chuckled. "An inner demon oath may be formidable, but don't put too much faith in it. There is nothing in this world without a solution. If I want your life, I have plenty of ways to take it."

Chen Lin fell silent.

Compared with the other man, his meager cultivation was no different from that of an infant. Their cultivation, knowledge, and methods were not even on the same level, filling him with a profound sense of powerlessness.

Unhurriedly, Yu Yuehai put the pill furnace into his Storage Bag, then spoke at a leisurely pace.

"There's one more thing I should remind you of. This Black Su Worm has been fed with my essence blood. Other than me, anyone who touches it will cause it to self-destruct. But if you raise it properly, it can also somewhat benefit the growth of your spiritual power, so this is not to your detriment."

With that, he left on his own.

He did not even spare Chen Lin a glance.

Chen Lin stood in the room, his face devoid of either sorrow or joy.

The other man's purpose in doing this was obvious: to control him more effectively, treating him as a tool.

Whether this outcome was good or bad was hard to say.

Being a tool was miserable, but it was still better than being dead.

As long as he lived, there was hope.

After standing there in a daze for a while, Chen Lin resumed examining his body.

He checked himself over carefully from head to toe, yet could not find the slightest trace of the worm. In the end, he could only let out a helpless sigh.