Chapter 24: Gu Worm

Day Three.

Still without a chance to escape, Chen Lin could only honestly finish refining the remaining materials, obtaining another Blood Demon Pill in the process.

This time, Yu Yuehai was the one guarding the outside. Just as the pill was finished, the man arrived at the door with a sudden movement and pushed his way in.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing the round, dark-red pill within the cauldron, Yu Yuehai let out a delighted laugh.

With a wave of his hand, the pill flew up and landed in his palm.

He held the pill beneath his nose in ecstasy, nodding repeatedly as he inhaled the scent.

"Not bad, this is the exquisite aroma. Good, good, good!"

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

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

Chen Lin retreated behind the cauldron, one hand hidden in his sleeve tightly gripping two Thunderbolt Beads, while the other held a stack of Fireball Talismans.

He was ready to fight to the death at any moment.

As for the method to resolve the side effects of the Enlightenment Pill, or the information regarding the red threads that the man had previously promised, he no longer dared to hope.

Yu Yuehai seemed to be in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen's skills are indeed exquisite. 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 Abnormality, and that thing is about to take shape."

"An Abnormality?"

Chen Lin froze, and his heart sank.

He had actually suspected it before, but he had been unwilling to believe it. Now that it was confirmed by the man's mouth, he had no choice but to believe.

An Abnormality was a peculiar existence, each possessing incredible and terrifying abilities.

In the original owner's memories, Abnormalities were not numerous; some people might not encounter even one in their entire lifetime. He hadn't expected his luck to be so "good"—not only to encounter one immediately upon transmigrating, but a massive one at that.

"Indeed, it is an Abnormality. You are a veteran cultivator, so you should know what an Abnormality represents. As a reward for your successful refinement of the Blood Demon Pill, I will tell you one more piece of news."

"What news?" Chen Lin asked instinctively.

Yu Yuehai's expression turned serious. "This Abnormality grows by absorbing the nourishment of the cultivators in this city. It has been doing this for over a decade. According to my estimation, it will take shape within the next month or so. Once it does, everyone in this entire city will be devoured!"

Chen Lin's heart grew heavy.

Given the man's experience and cultivation level, his estimation was likely very accurate.

Yu Yuehai glanced at Chen Lin. "You might not know, but for many years, this city has actually been a place where one can enter but not leave. Once you leave a certain radius of the city, you will be sensed by that Abnormality. It will either manipulate your thoughts to force you back, or simply devour you prematurely!"

"There is such a situation?"

Chen Lin felt a wave of lingering fear.

He had previously thought about leaving early; fortunately, he hadn't done so.

"Hmph, do you think an Abnormality is that easy to resist? Fortunately, it hasn't fully formed yet, otherwise, there wouldn't be a single chance of survival."

Yu Yuehai's expression also became solemn. "To leave this place, one must first sever the connection of those red threads to cut off the entity's perception. Once the red threads are severed, you must leave the range controlled by the Abnormality within a certain timeframe; otherwise, if discovered, it will reconnect the threads."

Having said that, he glanced at the bronze bell in the corner. "I know you have secrets and can see the existence of the red threads. However, unless you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you cannot sever them. Without my help, you cannot leave here."

Chen Lin also glanced at the bronze bell but said nothing.

He had thought that because the sound was set so low, no one would hear it, but he hadn't expected there to be an existence in this courtyard with such powerful perception, at the late stage of Qi Refinement.

However, if someone could not see the red threads, even if they heard the bell, they wouldn't care. He could only say his luck was terrible—he hadn't landed in a good place at the start.

"If you are willing to help me, what must I pay?"

There is no love in this world without reason.

Chen Lin did not believe the man was being so kind as to not only refrain from killing him but also offer to help him escape.

Sure enough, Yu Yuehai gave him a look that suggested he was a teachable student and said, "What you pay, of course, is yourself!"

Before Chen Lin could react, Yu Yuehai's eyes suddenly brightened, and two beams of light, almost tangible, instantly surged into Chen Lin's eyes.

Chen Lin felt a buzzing in his head, and he immediately lost all self-control.

Then, he saw Yu Yuehai take a round bottle from a storage bag, pour out a black insect about the size of a small finger, walk up to him, pry his mouth open, and shove the writhing insect into his mouth.

The entire process took place under Chen Lin's gaze, but he could only watch helplessly.

The insect slid down his throat into his stomach. First came a sensation of numbness, then a sharp pain in his dantian, and then all sensation vanished.

He immediately returned to normal.

"What did you feed me?"

Chen Lin was shocked and furious, feeling a sense of nausea as he repeatedly gagged.

At the same time, his mind raced to devise a countermeasure.

"Do not panic. This is a Black Essence Insect, a Gu insect specifically targeting the spirit. It can alleviate the side effects of using the modified Enlightenment Pill."

Yu Yuehai maintained a calm demeanor.

Chen Lin stopped gagging, his expression shifting unsteadably.

He wanted to trigger the Thunderbolt Beads and fight the man to the death, but he knew that his meager means were nothing in the eyes of the other, and would only serve to provoke him further.

"By doing this, are you not afraid of the backlash of a Heart Demon?"

Chen Lin regained his composure.

Futile rage was meaningless; to live, one had to endure.

Yu Yuehai chuckled. "While the Heart Demon Oath is powerful, do not be overly superstitious. There is nothing in this world that is unsolvable. If I wanted your life, I have plenty of ways."

Chen Lin remained silent.

Compared to the man, his own cultivation was like that of an infant. Their levels of cultivation, knowledge, and methods were not even on the same plane, which filled him with a profound sense of powerlessness.

Yu Yuehai unhurriedly put the cauldron into his storage bag and spoke leisurely.

"One more thing to remind you: this Black Essence Insect was nourished with my essence blood. Aside from me, anyone who touches it will self-detonate. But if it is well-fed, it will actually be somewhat beneficial to the growth of your spiritual power. Therefore, this is not detrimental to you."

Having said that, he left on his own.

He didn't even spare him a glance.

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

The purpose of the man's actions was clearly to better control him, treating him as a tool.

This outcome was hard to call good or bad.

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

Only by living was there hope.

After dazing for a while, Chen Lin began to check his body again.

He checked thoroughly, but could find no trace of the insect's existence. In the end, he could only let out a helpless sigh.

(End of Chapter)