The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

With a loud "boom," the golden bell shattered, revealing numerous cracks.

Jiang Chuan was somewhat shocked; the power of this demonic ape was truly immense.

Without a second thought, he drew his black jade sword and slashed at the demon ape's head.

With a "thud," the sword blade pierced the demonic ape's arm, but only penetrated a third of the way before being blocked by the hard ape bone.

The demonic ape roared in pain, and its other arm retaliated swiftly, grabbing Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan had no choice but to abandon his sword and hurriedly dodge the demonic ape's attacks.

At this moment, the cave shook violently under the attack of the demonic ape, and stones from the ceiling kept falling, clearly facing collapse.

The demonic ape seemed to have gone mad, grabbing a huge rock and hurling it at Jiang Chuan, blocking his escape route.

He strode forward, grabbed Jiang Chuan's ankle, and slammed him hard to the ground.

Jiang Chuan felt as if his internal organs were shifting, his blood and qi surging, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The ground was smashed into a large crater, and he was completely trapped in it.

But Jiang Chuan was resilient by nature, and in this critical moment, he endured the pain and summoned the Demon Prison.

A flash of cold light from the Demon Prison pierced the eyes of the Tongbei Demon Ape.

The demonic ape let out a miserable cry, covered its eyes with its hands, and staggered.

With the power of the dragon and elephant, Jiang Chuan roared, "Strike the Heavenly Bell!"

It slammed into the demon ape's belly.

The demonic ape staggered and fell to the ground after being struck by this heavy blow.

But this commotion caused the already crumbling cave to collapse completely.

With a "crack," the ground snapped, and Jiang Chuan found himself in a dark abyss, realizing that this was the sinkhole.

Jiang Chuan was swept away by the boulders and plunged into the abyss.

The Tongbei Demon Ape also roared in terror in mid-air and fell down with it.

After falling into the sinkhole, Jiang Chuan was relieved that he had used the Spirit Void Shield Armor beforehand, so although his body was injured, he was not seriously hurt.

He struggled to push away the rubble on his body, got up to check, and discovered that the Tongbei Demon Ape was buried next to him.

Jiang Chuan's gaze turned fierce. "Hmph, you beast, I'll make it up to you today."

Having said that, he unceremoniously dug into the demon ape's dantian and took out a demon core.

This demonic core emitted a faint glow, equivalent to the golden core of a fourth-tier or higher magical beast, making it a rare find for cultivators.

Jiang Chuan put away the magic core and got up to look around.

In the valley of the sinkhole, there were many colorful fluorescent lights, like twinkling stars.

He lifted his foot, intending to go over and find out what was going on.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly felt something under his feet. Looking down, he saw Cao Jiang.

At this moment, Cao Jiang was weak and on the verge of death.

Jiang Chuan touched his stomach, which was completely empty.

"Cao Jiang, Cao Jiang, you've finally met your match."

Let me see if you have anything edible on you.”

As he spoke, he searched Cao Jiang's body.

After searching for a long time, they found no food, but unexpectedly dug up Ah Gui.

Ah Gui was seriously injured, with multiple fractures, dislocated bones, and numerous bloody cuts that stained his clothes.

Jiang Chuan was somewhat embarrassed: "How did this girl fall down too?"

He had a different stance from Ah Gui, and seeing how miserable she was, he still felt somewhat sorry for her.

"Alright, alright, let's save this life."

Jiang Chuan decided to save A Gui first.

He first treated Ah Gui's fractures, dislocations, and other external injuries. His technique was not particularly skilled, but he tried to be as gentle as possible.

After treating the external injuries, Jiang Chuan took out his last Great Rejuvenation Pill and fed it to A Gui.

Afterwards, Jiang Chuan found a secret manual on Cao Jiang's body, with the title "Collection of Flower Picking" written on the cover.

He curiously opened it, and his face immediately darkened; it contained nothing but disgusting things.

Cao Jiang actually used that Shadow Cloak technique to peep on women bathing, which is truly despicable.

Jiang Chuan spat and threw the manual aside angrily. "Cao Jiang is such a scoundrel, utterly shameless!"

At this time, Ah Gui's condition was not good.

She was already seriously injured, and now she had developed a fever. Her face was flushed, her forehead was covered in sweat, and she kept making painful murmurs in her delirium.

Jiang Chuan knew nothing about medicine, so he could only take out a robe from his bag and cover it with A Gui, saying, "Girl, just hang in there."

Unable to tell how much time had passed in the sinkhole, Jiang Chuan got up and gathered firewood, intending to find something to eat.

Seeing the corpse of the Tongbei Demon Ape, its flesh might be enough to fill one's stomach.

So they skillfully disposed of the corpses and set up a fire to roast the meat.

Before long, the aroma of meat filled the air. After Jiang Chuan had filled his stomach, he grilled some more to keep in case he needed them later.

While grilling the meat, Jiang Chuan glanced at A Gui and noticed two short horns sprouting from her forehead.

He hurriedly called out to the ghost general, "Ghost general, come and take a look, why are horns growing on this girl's forehead?"

The ghost general drifted over, examined her for a moment, and said, "Master, this girl is probably a member of the ghost clan."

The demon race is a special race, with demon blood flowing through their veins.

Its origins lie in ancient shamans who used secret arts to summon the spirits of their ancestors. Over time, these spirits would bear ghostly marks that eroded the human bloodline, giving rise to ghostly blood, which was then passed down through generations, thus creating the ghost race.

Jiang Chuan never expected that A Gui's background was so special.

After a long while, Ah Gui slowly woke up.

Seeing that she had woken up, Jiang Chuan quickly handed her some roasted monster meat, saying, "Girl, eat some to replenish your strength."

Ah Gui looked at the meat, hesitated for a moment, and then took it.

Jiang Chuan took the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, but A Gui remained silent and just kept eating.

After Ah Gui finished eating, Jiang Chuan got up to check the surrounding glowing plants.

The moment he moved, Ah Gui reached out and grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Jiang Chuan looked over in confusion and saw that A Gui had written the words "Poisonous, don't go" on the back of his hand.

It turns out these plants are poisonous.

He guessed that Ah Gui might have been here before, otherwise how would he know?

I'm increasingly finding the sinkhole strange. My second senior brother shouldn't have taken so long to deal with the old man from the Demonic Sect.

The oppressive force of the suppressing formation is still there. Could it be that my second senior brother has encountered some misfortune?

Jiang Chuan sat down again, looked at A Gui, and decided to have a serious talk with her.

"Girl, do you have a way to leave this place?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Gui nodded.

Jiang Chuan quickly said, "Tell me quickly, what's the solution?"

Ah Gui wasn't in a hurry. He wrote in his palm, "Don't ask any questions. I'll take you out myself."

Jiang Chuan had no choice but to suppress his doubts for the time being.

He then asked, "Why are you associating with those people from Thousand Caves City? Cao Jiang treated you like that, yet you still listen to him?"

Ah Gui, with a pained expression, wrote in Jiang Chuan's palm: "I don't like Cao Jiang, but I obey Hu Meier's orders. If I don't, Cao Jiang will beat and scold me."

If you disobey the fox spirit's orders, she will be angry.

Jiang Chuan said, "How can you blindly listen to others like this? If this continues, when will it end?"

Jiang Chuan looked at A Gui and, recalling his experiences at the Jixia Academy, decided to tell her about them.

“I once studied at the Jixia Academy, where the Master lectured and told the story of Wusheng and Duan from the State of Zheng.”

Wusheng was Duke Zhuang of Zheng. His mother, Wu Jiang, favored her youngest son, Duan, and sought to obtain a fiefdom for him. Duan recruited soldiers and horses in the fiefdom, intending to rebel.

Duke Zhuang appeared to be lenient, but in reality, he had been preparing for it all along, and Duan's rebellion ultimately failed.

At that time, the Master asked us to express our opinions on this story. A student named Chen Shouren put forward the view that "rites and music have collapsed," which won the Master's praise.

This story teaches us that we should not blindly follow others, but rather have our own judgment.

Ah Gui listened attentively.

Jiang Chuan continued, "I also faced a choice. My master wanted to pass on the Taiyi Ziwei Record to me, which is an extremely profound cultivation method. But I ultimately refused and chose the Pure Yang True Scripture instead."

I feel that the Pure Yang Manual suits my taste better, and only by following my own path can I stay true to myself.

You're the same; you can't always listen to others, you need to find your own direction.

Ah Gui suddenly asked, "Are you... afraid of the ghost horns on my head?"

Jiang Chuan immediately used his disguise technique to conjure a pair of horns: "Now that I'm just like you, why would I be afraid of you?"

Ah Gui then dispelled his concerns.

Jiang Chuan chatted with A Gui and learned that there were no other ghosts in Thousand Caves City. A Gui had wandered here because his clansmen were afraid of him.

He felt pity and said, "Agui, since you are in the land of humans, I will give you a human name."

Ah Gui nodded happily.

Jiang Chuan said, "How about calling him Zhang Bailu? I hope that once you leave this sinkhole, you can forget your past in Thousand Caves City and find your own path."

Ah Gui murmured the three words "Zhang Bailu" and a smile appeared on his lips.

Late at night, Jiang Chuan was awakened from his sleep by a rustling sound.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that the corpse of the Tongbei Demon Ape was crawling with insects.

These insects, with their bellies shimmering green and resembling centipedes, swarmed densely, turning the entire canyon into a green ocean that sent chills down one's spine.

Ah Gui was also awakened and bit his wrist without hesitation, drawing blood.

Strangely, the insect retreated frantically.

Ah Gui gestured for Jiang Chuan to follow, and without saying a word, Jiang Chuan carried Ah Gui on his back and ran wildly.

Wherever it went, the insects all fled.

After escaping danger, Jiang Chuan saw that A Gui's wrist was bleeding and quickly said, "A Gui, let me bandage it for you."

Ah Gui said, "Insects are afraid of my blood, so there's no need to bandage them."

Jiang Chuan insisted, "Even so, the wound still needs to be treated."

After saying that, he carefully bandaged Ah Gui's wound.

After bandaging, Jiang Chuan noticed A Gui's exposed thigh due to the fracture and quickly and considerately covered it with his clothes, adding instructions:
"Wear skirts from now on, and make sure the hem is longer."

Ah Gui blushed slightly and nodded.

After that, Jiang Chuan carried A Gui on his back and trudged through the sinkhole with great difficulty.

Under the blazing sun, Jiang Chuan was parched and hurriedly asked A Gui, "A Gui, is there a water source nearby?"

Ah Gui pointed, and Jiang Chuan looked in that direction and hurried over.

Before long, they found a mountain spring.

Jiang Chuan and A Gui bent down and drank their fill of spring water, then prepared to find containers to store the water for later use.

Jiang Chuan suddenly saw figures moving on the hillside and initially judged them to be members of the Righteous Alliance.

He thought that these people might have seen his second senior brother, Lin Xiao: "A Gui, they might be from the Righteous Path Alliance, and they might know something about his second senior brother."

Having said that, he carried Ah Gui on his back and hurried toward the figure.

As they drew closer, Jiang Chuan sensed something strange about these figures; they walked unsteadily, as if they were seriously injured.

He shouted, "Hey, are you from the Righteous Path Alliance? Have you ever seen my second senior brother, Lin Xiao?"

Five figures on the hillside turned to look at them, but no one responded.

Jiang Chuan didn't stop, and continued to approach.

At this moment, Ah Gui suddenly showed unease, tugging hard at Jiang Chuan's clothes, signaling him to run quickly.

Jiang Chuan looked back and saw five figures rushing towards him at high speed, their movements twisted and strange.

He immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to run.

But he was caught up with before he got very far.

The first person let out an inhuman roar, and a strong stench of corpses assaulted the nostrils.

They realized there was no escape, and they had no choice but to fight to the death.

Jiang Chuan quickly put A Gui down, drew his Moyu sword, and stood ready for battle.

As the figures drew closer, Jiang Chuan realized that these five people were actually corpses transformed from members of the Righteous Alliance after their deaths.

These ghouls were incredibly strong. When Jiang Chuan slashed at one of the ghouls' arms, the blade got stuck.

At the same time, a powerful force struck from behind, sending him flying. Jiang Chuan felt a tightness in his chest and almost vomited blood.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the corpse demon in front of him grabbed Jiang Chuan and opened its mouth to bite his neck.

Jiang Chuan smashed the head of the lunging corpse demon to pieces with a single palm strike.

Rotten flesh and bone fragments splattered on the rock walls, but more bluish-gray figures surged in from all directions, filling every inch of space at the bottom of the sinkhole.

"What the hell!"

He drew his lightning sword with a backhand motion, and the electric sparks from the blade tore a gap in the horde of corpses.

The charred corpse fell, only to be immediately devoured by its own kind.

Crimson ghost fire flickered in the eye sockets of the ghouls that were devouring their companions, and the parts that had been eaten were regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The stench was so strong that Jiang Chuan's vision went black.

He leaned against the rock wall, panting heavily, his inner energy emitting a dry, mournful cry from his meridians.

The blood oozing from the wound on his right arm was an eerie dark green—these monsters' claws and teeth were poisonous!

"Jiang Chuan!"

The girl's scream pierced the ghoul's howl.

Ah Gui tore open the animal skin wristband, and blood gushed from his pale wrist.

She swung her arm, scattering blood droplets in a fan shape. Suddenly, the ghouls in the front row let out a baby-like cry, their rotting faces twisting into expressions of terror.

"go!"

Jiang Chuan seized the opportunity to grab the girl's waist, and his lightning sword swept across, forcing back the monsters on both sides.

They ran wildly across the slippery fungal carpet, with scratching sounds echoing behind them.

Those bloodthirsty ghouls kept their distance, like a pack of jackals waiting for their prey to run out of strength.

Ah Gui suddenly staggered.

"They...are manipulating the miasma..."

The drops of blood dripping from the wound on her wrist froze into ice crystals in mid-air.

Jiang Chuan then noticed that a pale purple mist was floating around him. Each breath felt like ice shards piercing his throat, the chill and pain shooting straight to his lungs.

"hold onto!"

He picked up the girl and leaped over the protruding stalagmite, but his vision went black.

He only realized he was kneeling when his knees slammed into the sharp stalactites.

Black stains began to seep from the edges of my vision, and I heard Ah Gui's tearful call in my ears.

"It's not corpse poison..."

Jiang Chuan stared at his intact arm, recalling how spores had gotten onto his skin when he passed by the clump of glowing mushrooms.

He tried to warn Ah Gui not to touch him, but instead spat out a mouthful of bloody foam containing fungal hyphae.

Before darkness fell, he heard a conversation coming from deep within the cave.

"The live sample Mr. Shi requested..."

"The bloodline of the demon race can indeed suppress zombie transformation..."

The sound seemed to come from near and far.

Jiang Chuan felt his body being bound by rough ropes, and cold fingers examining the Spirit Void Shield Armor around his waist.

In his remaining consciousness, he heard Ah Gui whimper like a young animal.

"Lord Tenki... will not... forgive you..."

The jolts kept Jiang Chuan alert even while he was unconscious.

He sensed the changes in the firelight through his eyelids, and his nostrils were filled with the pungent smell of sulfur mixed with animal fat.

When the demon carrying him suddenly stopped, he took the opportunity to open his eyes a crack.

The uneven thatched roofs swayed in the view.

The demon carrying him was nearly two meters tall, his bare back covered with totem-like scars. (End of Chapter)