Chapter 284: "Several Upper Immortals, Please Save Us!"

Chapter 284: "Several Upper Immortals, Please Save Us!"

"Let's not discuss these matters for now."

Chen Qiu glanced at the Bai Family Patriarch and whispered, "You mentioned that the Netherworld Collapse gateway is located in this city below? According to my knowledge, although the Netherworld Collapse isn't a major event, it's highly unlikely to occur in such a densely populated city."

"It's approximately like that."

The Bai Family Patriarch shook his head, "The Bai Family isn't omnipotent. It's impossible for us to have an intelligence network covering so many continents. At most, we have people stationed in some marginal continents, who have been living there for a long time and regularly report the latest news."

"In the Peihong Continent, there's a city called Hongcheng below, where a family named Li Family resides. It's said that recently, several deceased members of this family have resurrected, causing quite a stir."

"This is a clear sign of the Netherworld Collapse gateway."

"I'm not sure about the exact location of the gateway, but I'm certain that the Li Family must know."

"I'll send someone to inquire with the Li Family."

"There's no need for that."

Chen Qiu shook his head, and suddenly, an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy erupted, accompanied by a storm of wind and rain. His divine sense extended, enveloping the entire city below.

Under this intense and terrifying might, everyone in the city felt as if the heavens were collapsing. Their bodies suddenly bore an unresisting weight, pinning them to the ground, unable to move.

With his cultivation base...

In a First Rank Continent like this, even with the constraints of the Heavenly Dao Shackles, he couldn't unleash his full power, but his existence was far beyond what this continent could withstand.

In a continent where the strongest cultivators were at the Spirit Transformation Stage, he, a Body Integration Period cultivator, stood before them with absolute dominance.

A mere glance from him was enough to crush these people.

Even if everyone in this continent was born with three Tier-Skipping Entries, in the face of such a power gap, these entries had lost all meaning. They were simply not on the same level.

Just as a Qi Condensation cultivator with ten thousand layers could never defeat a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

Once a qualitative change occurs, it cannot be compensated by quantitative changes.

"Where is the Li Family Patriarch?"

Chen Qiu's calm voice reverberated throughout the entire city. The once bustling city instantly fell silent, and everyone's faces turned red as they struggled against the unknown gravity pressing down on them. Instinctively, they looked towards the direction of the Li Family.

After Chen Qiu scanned the area with his divine sense, he unleashed his spiritual energy, lifting nearly a thousand members of the Li Family and bringing them before him.

"Supreme Immortal."

Among the thousand people, a middle-aged man with trembling legs and a quivering voice said, "This humble one is the Li Family Patriarch. I'm at your service, Upper Immortal."

In his life, he had faced life and death countless times, but never had he felt such fear as he did now. He was at the initial stage of the Nascent Soul, already considered an absolute expert in this city.

However, before this man, he couldn't even think of fighting back. His dantian was completely frozen, making it difficult to breathe. Above his head, within the dark clouds, the faintly visible Heavenly Thunder contained a terrifying might. A mere strand of it could destroy the entire city, leaving nothing behind.

The Peihong Continent wouldn't give birth to such a formidable figure.

This person must have come from a higher-tier continent.

But why would someone from a higher-tier continent specifically seek him out by name? He had never provoked such powerful figures, and even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the chance. Could it be the doing of a spoiled young master from the Li Family? Impossible.

He knew his own children well; they were just a bunch of small brats. Even stealing a mortal's chicken was enough to make them feel thrilled and nervous, keeping them awake for days. How could such timid and cautious people dare to provoke a figure like this?

"Good."

Fat Dragon, standing to the side, put his hands in his pockets and looked at the Li Family Patriarch, who was only at the Nascent Soul Stage. He sighed, "I suddenly feel like a max-level player returning to the newbie village to grind monsters."

With their current cultivation bases, coming to a First Rank Continent was like bullying the weak.

Forget about Brother Qiu.

Even they, all at the Spirit Transformation Stage, could effortlessly dominate a First Rank Continent.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and casually said, "I have some business with you. Your Li Family should know about the Netherworld Collapse gateway, right? Take me to its location."

"This..."

The Li Family Patriarch was slightly startled. He hadn't expected the Upper Immortal to come for this matter. Instinctively, he replied, "What gateway? I'm afraid the Li Family doesn't know anything about a Netherworld gateway, Upper Immortal."

"Sigh."

Chen Qiu let out a soft sigh and waved his hand, indicating for Fat Dragon to step forward and ask. These people were too stubborn; some force was necessary.

"Let me handle this."

Fat Dragon grinned, rolled up his sleeves, and strode towards the Li Family Patriarch.

"Wait, wait!" Seeing this, the Li Family Patriarch panicked. His face turned pale with fear as he pleaded, "Upper Immortals, the Li Family truly doesn't know anything about the Netherworld gateway. I believe you must have heard that some members of the Li Family have died and come back to life."

"Yes, I admit that it's true."

"But this has nothing to do with the Netherworld gateway. It's a separate destiny for the Li Family, a blessing bestowed by the Deceptive Buddha!"

"Deceptive Buddha?"

Chen Qiu, who had just turned to leave, raised his eyebrows.

"Upper Immortals."

In the ancestral hall of the Li Family in Hongcheng, the Li Family Patriarch respectfully led the way, guiding Chen Qiu and his group to the Buddha statue sitting cross-legged on the offering table. His eyes were filled with reverence as he spoke in a low voice.

"This Deceptive Buddha can fulfill any request as long as you offer blood and flesh as a sacrifice to it."

"But the prerequisite is that you can only use your own blood and flesh."

"These resurrected members of the Li Family are my relatives. I've longed for them over the years, and for that, I'm willing to pay a price to bring them back to life.

"That's right."

The Li Family Patriarch undid the inner lining of his chest, revealing his body. His entire body was covered in gaping wounds, and even the white bones were clearly visible. It was evident that the Patriarch had taken the knife to his own flesh, cutting off a significant portion of his blood and meat to ensure the rebirth of his family members.

On the offering table, there was a statue of a deceptive Buddha.

It had a round face and a protruding belly.

Bloodstains seeped from its eyes, and at first glance, its smile appeared gentle. However, upon closer inspection, one could sense the sinister intent within. Especially when placed in an ancestral hall, a place not particularly bright, a chill would rise on one's back.

The statue's left palm was flat, while the right played with a string of Buddha beads. The beads were crafted from human eyes, or at least they appeared incredibly lifelike.

The Buddha beads in its hand totaled 31, and at this moment, 17 of them were lit up, emitting a faint red glow. The remaining beads were dull and lifeless.

"Honored Immortals."

The Li Family Patriarch, slightly panicked, knelt on the ground and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "If the honored Immortals see this opportunity, it would be my honor. Just take it, but this deceptive Buddha bound itself to me upon our first meeting. It can only be satisfied with my blood and flesh, and not with that of others."

"This is quite interesting."

The Fat Dragon, standing nearby, mused, "Death is irreversible, a law of heaven and earth. Resurrection through the Netherworld Gateway is already a loophole in the Heavenly Dao rules. And this deceptive Buddha can actually resurrect people through sacrifice?"

"Can your blood and flesh really resurrect a person?"

"Setting aside whether it's possible or not, according to the law of conservation of energy, sacrificing a bit of flesh and resurrecting a dead person—these two things should not have the same cost and difficulty."

"Why don't I kill one of your clansmen right now, and you can resurrect them on the spot to prove it."

"This..."

A glimmer of fear flashed in the Li Family Patriarch's eyes as he knelt on the ground and turned to Chen Qiu. It was clear that Chen Qiu was the leader of this group.

"Master Chen."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu, who had been following Chen Qiu, spoke in a solemn tone, "I recognize this thing. The deceptive Buddha has a reputation in the Heaven-reaching Continent that is not too small. After all, the deceptive Buddha absorbs blood and flesh, and the cultivators in the Heaven-reaching Continent have an abundance of organs, perfectly meeting the demands of the deceptive Buddha."

"Although the deceptive Buddha doesn't appear frequently in the Heaven-reaching Continent, it's not rare either. From time to time, one can hear of its birth. And all those who have obtained the opportunity of the deceptive Buddha have quickly risen to prominence within a short period."

"However, not a single person has had a good ending. They all disappeared without a trace, and their whereabouts remain unknown. But one thing is certain: it's definitely not a good thing. After all, whether it's the appearance of the deceptive Buddha or the method of sacrifice, they don't seem like the ways of the righteous path."

"That's true." Fat Dragon suddenly realized, "If it can only absorb the blood and flesh of those it's bound to, this thing is indeed very much in line with the Heaven-reaching Continent."

"Yes."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu nodded solemnly, "Countless years have passed, and even with the Bai Family's current intelligence network, we still don't know what became of those who obtained the opportunity of the deceptive Buddha. Where did they go? This is enough to prove the mystery of the deceptive Buddha."

"My suggestion is that since this place has nothing to do with the Netherworld Gateway, we should leave as soon as possible to avoid any entanglement with this deceptive Buddha."

It's not that he was cowardly.

As one of the strongest in the Heaven-reaching Continent and the leader of the most powerful family, he wouldn't be overly timid. It's just that the existence of the deceptive Buddha was a bit too eerie, beyond the realm of human understanding. Even in death, one should know how and where they died.

But they didn't know.

They knew nothing. All those who once possessed the deceptive Buddha disappeared without a trace in the end.

The Li Family Patriarch, standing nearby, now understood the situation. The news of the Li Family's recent deaths and resurrections had spread widely. This group probably thought it was due to the opening of the Netherworld Gateway.

Although he didn't know what the Netherworld was or what the Netherworld Gateway was, he understood one thing: this group was likely here to resurrect someone.

Since that was the case...

"Honored Immortals."

The Li Family Patriarch cautiously suggested, "I don't know who the honored Immortals wish to resurrect. How about letting a junior like me make the sacrifice to help you revive that person?"

If they could use this opportunity to climb the ladder, the Li Family's future would be boundless.

"You little..."

Fat Dragon gave the Li Family Patriarch a strange look. This guy was really going all out, offering himself even when he barely had any flesh left. He turned to Chen Qiu, waiting for his decision.

After all, they didn't come here to resurrect someone.

Moreover, Fat Dragon narrowed his eyes slightly. When he entered the Li Family, he felt something was off about some people. Although they didn't have the aura of death and seemed no different from living people, they gave off an unusual vibe, as if they were wooden.

The deceptive Buddha was definitely suspicious.

The method of sacrifice was even stranger. If someone resurrected through this means could be normal, that would be a miracle. It was hard to say if they would even be the same person.

". . ."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qiu waved his hand and summoned Xing Dou. He instructed Xing Dou to take out some high-grade healing medicine, weaken its medicinal properties, and hand it to the Li Family Patriarch. "There's one more thing. If you don't need to resurrect anyone, just ask if there's any continent of our grade level that has experienced a Netherworld collapse recently."

"No problem."

The Li Family Patriarch absorbed all the medicinal properties. His flesh began to regenerate rapidly. Medicine of this grade was not available in the Peihong Continent. He then took out a knife in front of Chen Qiu and the others. He cut off a large piece of flesh from his body and placed it on the deceptive Buddha's left palm.

"Elder Deceptive Buddha, may I ask which of our series' continents with the lowest rank has experienced a Netherworld Collapse recently?" He spoke respectfully, although he didn't fully understand the implications of his words. But since his senior had instructed him to say this, he did so without changing a word.

After he finished speaking, the ancestral hall remained silent, and the Lord of the Li Family didn't find this strange. Once again, he cut off a piece of flesh from his body and placed it on the left palm of the Deceptive Buddha statue, then repeated the same words.

This process was repeated five times.

Finally, when the Lord of the Li Family's face turned deathly pale, a dull bead in the Buddha statue's palm suddenly glowed, and soon, a panel wrapped in clouds appeared before them.

"Eighteenth Vow."

"With their blood and flesh, fulfilling their wishes, Qiong Wang Continent's Netherworld collapsed yesterday!"

"Qiong Wang Continent." Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly. Wasn't this the 'hanging continent' that the Bai Family Patriarch had just mentioned? Was this continent part of their series? If not, he wouldn't be able to go there.

"I'll look into the details of Qiong Wang Continent." The Bai Family Patriarch immediately took out a telepathic bracelet from his pocket, his expression turning solemn. He had only learned about Qiong Wang Continent through casual conversations and hadn't investigated it thoroughly.

But now that it concerned the Netherworld, he couldn't afford to be careless.

He naturally understood why Chen Qiu was searching for the Netherworld gateway; it was for his daughter's sake. In such a situation, he couldn't afford to lag behind. If there was an opportunity for him to contribute, he wouldn't hold back.

After a hundred breaths, more detailed information arrived.

"Master Chen."

"I have the specific information about Qiong Wang Continent. It's a Fourth Tier Continent, and together with Jiang Taiping Continent, they belong to the Fifth Rank Immortal World. However..."

Chen Qiu sighed lightly. He naturally knew what 'however' meant; he just couldn't go there.

The title 'Heavenly King' only allowed him to visit lower-ranked continents and those one rank lower. In theory, he could only go to the lower-ranked continents of Heaven-reaching Continent and the upper-ranked continents of Jiang Taiping Continent.

A continent like Qiong Wang Continent, which was on par with Jiang Taiping Continent, was beyond his reach.

Unless he ascended to the Immortal World in the future, then he could freely enter Qiong Wang Continent.

But that was impossible for now.

With so many lower-ranked continents, none of them had experienced a Netherworld Collapse recently. Moreover, a Netherworld Collapse often indicated that a continent was on the verge of collapse, and Qiong Wang Continent was a Fourth Tier Continent. If it started showing signs of collapse, it would be a sensational event.

To his knowledge, the highest-ranked continent that had collapsed so far was a Third Tier Continent.

If Qiong Wang Continent collapsed, countless other continents would follow suit, leading to an astronomical number of deaths. It would be an extremely devastating disaster.

The Bai Family Patriarch also realized this, his expression turning complex as he spoke softly, "At least it's not the Netherworld of Jiang Taiping Continent."

If the Netherworld of Jiang Taiping Continent collapsed, it would mean that all its lower-ranked continents would also collapse and vanish from the world. For now, they had escaped this fate, but what about later? What if the Netherworld of Jiang Taiping Continent collapsed as well?

Or what if the Fifth Rank Immortal World collapsed? What if the Ninth Rank Immortal World collapsed?

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't avoid being annihilated along with the collapsing continent unless they reached a high enough position, the highest rank. Otherwise, whether their cultivation was high or low, it made no difference; they were all destined to perish.

"It shouldn't be like this."

Fat Dragon's face darkened as he shook his head. "There must be something wrong here. The operating rules of a world can't be this elimination-based. This isn't a normal world operation. If this continues, given enough time, there might only be one highest-ranked continent left in the world."

"Everyone else would be eliminated."

"Take Pingxi Continent, for example."

Among this group, he was the one most deeply affected by this event. He had been to Pingxi Continent, where he had some conflicts with others. He had even spread the name of Qiu'er there. But not long after he returned, Pingxi Continent collapsed.

This incident had left a lasting impression on him.

He couldn't imagine how a continent could just disappear like that.

What about the living beings on that continent who cultivated daily, and the cultivators who fought for a bit of destiny? Was it a joke? Like crickets in a cage, no matter how powerful they became, when the entire cage was crushed, they had no say in the matter.

"Don't dwell on these thoughts."

Chen Qiu shook his head, interrupting everyone's thoughts. "Thinking about this will only lead us into the heart demon's trap. We'll keep moving forward. At least when the disaster strikes, we'll be on the road, not at home."

He turned around and walked out of the house.

He had just asked the Deceptive Buddha about the lowest-ranked continent that had recently collapsed, and surprisingly, it turned out to be a Fourth Tier Continent.

This was strange.

Logically, the Netherworlds of many First Rank Continents should collapse from time to time. Could it be that recently, among the low-ranked continents, only Qiong Wang Continent's Netherworld was in a state of collapse?

"Master Chen."

The Bai Family Patriarch hurriedly followed, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes. "Logically, it shouldn't be like this. Many First Rank Continents' Netherworlds were collapsing recently, but for some unknown reason, none of them are now."

"Well..."

He hesitated, biting his lip. "Master Chen, I have a way to send you to Qiong Wang Continent."

"Oh?"

Chen Qiu was taken aback and turned to look at the Bai Family Patriarch, "Does the Bai Family have such means?"

"Master Chen, you're joking." The Bai Family Patriarch's face turned awkward as he said, "The Bai Family is, after all, the overlord of the Heaven-reaching Continent. We've accumulated some methods over the years. I wonder if Master Chen would be willing to explore the Qiong Wang Continent?"

Although his daughter was afflicted with Immortal Cancer, she wouldn't die for several decades. There was plenty of time to wait for the Netherworld of the First Rank Continents to open and contact Chen Qiu.

It wasn't necessary to pay such a high price. To travel to a higher-ranked continent outside of this series would be a significant cost for the Bai Family.

But based on his life experience, if someone wanted to help him, it was best to get it done quickly. Once the timeline was extended, many things could change—a prolonged wait often led to unexpected twists.

"Of course," Chen Qiu nodded. "Since the Bai Family has the means, I'm also quite eager to visit the Qiong Wang Continent. I'm willing to give it a try."

"Okay."

The fat dragon, who was at the back of the group, took out a storage ring from his pocket and tossed it to the Li Family Patriarch before saying, "You've worked hard," and then quickly caught up with Chen Qiu's pace.

The Li Family Patriarch watched as Chen Qiu and his group walked away, his eyes filled with awe, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

He had encountered a true High Immortal.

The group's conversation had been completely open, and he had heard it all clearly. They talked about high-level concepts like the Fourth Tier Continent, the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm, and the Netherworld Collapse. These were not topics he could discuss at his level.

He had originally wanted to associate with them, but now it seemed impossible. The gap between them was too vast, and he had nothing of value to offer them.

Utilization value was the greatest weapon for a person's surrender.

And his greatest value had been used up just now. He probed the storage ring in his hand with his divine sense and found that it was indeed quite full. He respectfully bowed three times to the deceptive Buddha on the offering table before leaving the ancestral hall and closing the door.

The doors and windows of the ancestral hall were all sealed, and not a hint of light could be seen.

The deceptive Buddha disliked light.

But as the Li Family Patriarch walked out of the ancestral hall, he stood there in a daze, pondering. These people knew he had the ability to resurrect the dead, so why had they never mentioned it? Did these High Immortals not have deceased family or friends they wanted to revive? Why had they completely ignored his ability?

Moreover, from their conversation, it seemed they were here to cure a patient. But with his ability, why bother with treatment? They could just kill the patient and then revive them. Why go through such detours? He didn't think the High Immortals were foolish enough not to consider this.

But if it wasn't foolishness, then it was...

The Li Family Patriarch's face grew complicated as he looked at a woman standing in the courtyard watering flowers. She was his wife from years ago, who had died several years prior and was recently resurrected by him. Her appearance, physique, and even her habitual small gestures were exactly the same.

She also loved watering flowers.

And she also loved drinking peach juice tofu.

She was exactly like his wife from years ago, without any issues, and they were very affectionate.

But he always felt something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He attributed it to his wife having been in the dark for too long, and her sudden resurrection might have caused some discomfort. But just now, that group had clearly mentioned the existence of the Netherworld, confirming that there was indeed another world for the dead to be resurrected.

They were inquiring about the Netherworld gateway, as if they also planned to bring someone back from there. But if it was so difficult for these High Immortals to bring someone back from the Netherworld, why was it so easy for him?

On top of that, the middle-aged man had said that those who possessed the deceptive Buddha never had a good ending.

This made his heart wary.

"Fei'er," the Li Family Patriarch called out to his wife, who was watering flowers with her back to him. He placed his palm on the hilt of his sword and took a few steps back, his eyes already filled with murderous intent. But his voice remained as gentle as ever as he softly asked, "Don't turn around, I have a few questions for you."

"Mhm," the woman replied in a low voice, like a fly, and continued watering the flowers without turning around.

"Where did we first meet?"

"In the master's alchemy room. You were a mortal then, seeking to become an alchemist."

"What's your favorite food?"

"Peach juice tofu."

"What was my favorite activity with you?"

"Playing on the swing."

The Li Family Patriarch asked several questions in rapid succession, all of which only he and Fei'er would know. The woman answered them all fluently, without any issues or changes in her voice, remaining calm and composed.

She seemed flawless.

But the more she was like this, the more the Li Family Patriarch felt something was off.

After asking several more questions in quick succession, the Li Family Patriarch suddenly said, "You used to say you hated flowers the most. Why do you like watering flowers now?"

The woman's body visibly stiffened for a moment, but she quickly turned around and looked at the Li Family Patriarch with confusion in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? I've always liked planting flowers."

"Did you forget?"

"No, I didn't forget."

The Li Family Patriarch suddenly burst out laughing, and his laughter grew louder. He took a deep breath, and his spiritual energy surged out without hesitation as he sprinted after the few High Immortals who had just left the mansion. At the same time, he shouted, "High Immortals, help me!"

"Help me!"

The woman's answers were flawless, without any loopholes. But that was the biggest problem. With his wife's temperament, she would have started sweeping him with a broom after the third question.

Instead of continuing to answer.

All the answers were correct, but the temperament was all wrong.

His wife was not one to be reasoned with.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end