Starting with the Earth God, the path to immortality is deduced!

Zhou Yuan stared intently at the line of words, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

After anger comes extreme calm.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

Although Li Xiuwen escaped, the mess on the ground has not yet been cleaned up.

Within these ruins lie countless fragments of vengeful spirits, scattered and broken.

To others, this is something filthy and something to be avoided at all costs.

But for Zhou Yuan, who possessed "Strange Tales of Gods and Monsters," this was a feast for the senses!

"receive!"

Zhou Yuan silently recited in his heart.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the ancient and weighty book, "Strange Tales of Gods and Monsters," suddenly emitted a dim light.

slam-la-

The sound of pages turning was like a death knell from the underworld.

Those fragments of vengeful spirits, drifting above the ruins and not yet having dissipated, seemed to be drawn by some kind of fatal attraction.

They transformed into countless strands of black light, rushing to enter Zhou Yuan's brow!

[Offering 360 remnants of the vengeful scholar's soul!]

[Gained Yin Energy: 3,600 strands!]

[Unlock Character Profile: Vengeful Scholar (High-Grade Mortal)]

[Gained Supernatural Power: Netherworld Insight (Beginner)!]

A massive flow of information instantly flooded Zhou Yuan's mind.

This harvest even exceeded the sum of all his previous accumulations!

A cool, refreshing current swirled wildly around his eyes.

Zhou Yuan felt as if a hazy veil had been lifted from the world before him.

The originally dark and desolate ruins suddenly changed in his eyes.

The sound of the wind was no longer just the sound of the wind, but had become countless tiny whispers.

Those previously unseen, lingering emotions have now transformed into colorful yet distorted lines.

This is the [Tong You]!

Connecting the heavens above and the netherworld below, listening to the whispers of ghosts to discern yin and yang!

"Zhou Yuan, are you alright?"

Seeing Zhou Yuan standing there in a daze, Ma Ling'er approached him with some concern.

Gun Gun shrank back to its original size, hugged Zhou Yuan's leg, and rubbed against him with soft whimpers.

Zhou Yuan snapped out of his daze, a fleeting glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He shook his head, his voice a little hoarse:

"I'm fine."

"I just... heard some sounds."

Ma Ling'er was taken aback and subconsciously rubbed her arms:

"A sound? What sound? Don't scare me. We've leveled this ghostly place, there wouldn't be any ghosts left!"

Zhou Yuan offered no explanation.

He turned around, his gaze passing over the broken walls and ruins, and looked towards a half-collapsed lecture hall deep inside the academy.

In his [penetrating vision], there was a very faint white light, but it was filled with a sense of desolation.

That was the last bit of clarity for Qingyun Academy.

"Come with me."

Zhou Yuan lifted his foot and walked towards the lecture hall.

Although Ma Ling'er didn't understand why, she followed closely because she trusted Zhou Yuan.

The two entered the lecture hall.

This place was once a place for preaching, teaching, and resolving doubts, but now it is a mess, with broken desks and blood-stained portraits of saints.

In the very center of the lecture hall, a wisp of a broken soul drifted aimlessly.

He was an old man dressed in a Confucian robe.

His soul was almost transparent and could dissipate at any moment.

But he stubbornly lingered there, holding the long-gone ruler in his hand, as if still waiting for the students to begin class.

"That is..."

Ma Ling'er covered her mouth, staring in astonishment at the remnant soul.

"It's Fang Zhengqing, the former headmaster of Qingyun Academy."

Zhou Yuan recognized the highly respected old man in Fengzhou City at a glance.

Unfortunately, the old man now only has one persistent thought left.

Zhou Yuan stepped forward and formed a strange hand seal, which was the [Tong You] technique.

"Old sir, wake up."

His voice carried a strange rhythm that penetrated straight to the soul.

The old mountain chief's remnant soul trembled slightly.

A sliver of clarity gradually returned to those cloudy, bewildered eyes.

He looked at Zhou Yuan with a blank expression, then at the ruins around him.

That kind of unforgettable grief instantly welled up in my heart.

"That's all..."

"They're all gone..."

The old mountain chief's voice trembled, and two lines of bloody tears slid down from the corners of his illusory eyes.

"My students...my academy..."

Zhou Yuan asked softly:

"Sir, who did this?"

Although he already had a suspicion, he needed solid evidence.

What we need to know is exactly how Li Xiuwen did it!

A flicker of extreme fear and resentment flashed in the old mountain chief's eyes.

"It's Xiuwen..."

"It's that beast Li Xiuwen!"

Even as a ghost, the old abbot still trembled uncontrollably at the mere mention of his name.

"He was once the most talented student at my Qingyun Academy."

"He could read at three, compose poetry at five, and passed the imperial examination at ten."

Everyone thought he would surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors and bring glory to his ancestors.

"But……"

The old mountain chief's voice became hoarse:

"Fate is cruel; despite his exceptional talent, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations!"

"Once, twice, three times..."

"A full ten years!"

"From a spirited young man, he's become a white-haired madman!"

"He couldn't stand being looked down upon by others, nor could he bear the ridicule from his classmates."

"His heart is twisted."

Hearing this, Ma Ling'er couldn't help but interject:

"Kill someone for failing the imperial examination? What kind of reason is that? There are plenty of people in this world who fail the exams!"

The old mountain chief gave a bitter laugh:

"If that's all there is to it, then so be it."

"He suddenly disappeared six months ago."

"When he came back, he was a completely different person."

"He became gloomy and evil, and always had a nauseating earthy smell about him."

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed as he grasped the key point:

"Earthy smell?"

The old mountain chief nodded, and his soul began to fluctuate violently, clearly recalling the most terrifying scene.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

"He gathered all the teachers and students in the lecture hall, saying it was a final thank you to the teachers."

"He poisoned the drink..."

"We were struggling in agony, while he stood by laughing maniacally!"

He said…

He said the world is unjust, and even saints are blind!

"Since studying the classics can't save him, he'll go and cultivate the ways of ghosts and gods!"

He said he had become the disciple of a powerful sorcerer known as the "Ghost Land God"!

"As long as all the students in the academy are sacrificed to help that great figure master divine skills, he can defy fate and become a superior being!"

"He peeled off our skin and painted it into painted skin demons."

"They extracted our souls and refined them into vengeful spirits!"

"A total of one hundred and thirty-six people!"

"Not a single one survived!"

boom!

An uncontrollable rage surged up to Ma Ling'er's head.

"brute!"

"They're worse than animals!"

Ma Ling'er trembled with anger, and the small bone knife in her hand hummed loudly.

"For their own selfish desires, they actually harmed so many innocent lives!"

"Is this even human?!"

"This is simply a demon in human skin!"

The panda sensed its master's anger, let out a low growl, and smashed a large rock next to it with a paw.

Zhou Yuan's face was even more gloomy.

Ghost land!

It's that name again!

First it was the Wukong Sect, and now it's this mysterious ghost land.

The sky over Fengzhou City was darker than he had imagined!

That so-called "ghost land spirit" was actually able to instruct Li Xiuwen to set up such a heinous formation.

Their schemes are definitely not as simple as just a few vengeful spirits!

"Old sir, you've suffered."

Zhou Yuan looked at the old mountain chief who was about to disappear and said softly.

The old mountain chief looked at Zhou Yuan with a pleading look in his eyes:

"My lord, my death is not a pity."

"But those children... they're still young."

"Their souls are trapped here, tormented day and night by that resentment, unable to be reborn."

"Please, sir, save them!"

As he spoke, the old mountain chief slowly knelt down in front of Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan quickly turned aside, refusing the bow.

He looked around.

Under the [Tongyou]'s vision, he could see clearly.

Although the great formation has been broken, the thick, unyielding resentment still seeps into every corner of this land like a bone-deep infection.

The earth's veins have been polluted.

Qingyun Academy was originally a place where the cultural heritage of Fengzhou converged.

Now, however, it has become a deathly place of utter darkness!

If left unchecked, new evil spirits will soon emerge here.

It could even affect the feng shui of the entire Fengzhou city.

As the "Earth God" of Fengzhou City, it is his duty to govern the local energy!

"Ling'er, step back."

Zhou Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

Ma Ling'er was taken aback, but seeing Zhou Yuan's solemn expression, she immediately pulled Gun Gun away from the lecture hall.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath and sat cross-legged in the center of the lecture hall.

That is the node of the entire academy's geomantic veins.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes."

"Since you are already dead, why linger?"

The Azure Lamp in Zhou Yuan's hand slowly rose again.

This time, the lights no longer exuded a sharp, menacing aura.

Instead, it transformed into gentle ripples, spreading outwards in concentric circles.

【A Mantra for Soothing and Saving the Soul】!

"By imperial decree, your lonely soul is exorcised..."

"All ghosts and demons, all living beings are blessed..."

Zhou Yuan's voice echoed in the silent night sky.

Each word uttered transformed into a golden Sanskrit character in the air.

Where the golden light passed, the black blood on the ground began to fade, and the gloom in the air began to dissipate.

Those broken, vengeful spirits hiding in the crevices of the ruins, trembling with fear, sensed this warm aura.

They cautiously poked their heads out.

The moment they saw that green lamp, the ferocity and fear in their eyes gradually disappeared.

What replaced it was a long-lost tranquility.

One by one, they emerged from the shadows and bowed deeply in the direction of Zhou Yuan.

Then, they turned into specks of firefly light and disappeared into the world.

Ma Ling'er stood outside, watching this scene, her eyes slightly red.

"This guy..."

"When he gets serious, he can actually be quite convincing."

She could sense that this once eerie and terrifying ghost realm was rapidly returning to calm.

That oppressive, suffocating feeling is disappearing.

however.

Just when the purification process reached its most critical moment.

Zhou Yuan's brows suddenly furrowed.

Something is wrong!

As the surface resentment is stripped away and purified.

A more subtle, deeper, and even ancient and decaying evil force is seeping out from the depths of the earth!

That is……

A shared aura!

It has the exact same aura as Li Xiuwen!

No, it should be said that the evil aura on Li Xiuwen's body is only a tiny fraction of this power!

There's something down there!

Alarm bells rang in Zhou Yuan's mind.

He originally thought that the academy was just a place for Li Xiuwen to set up his formation.

But now it seems that Li Xiuwen's choice of this place was not accidental!

Beneath the ground of this academy lies something far more terrifying!

Even... the real backup plan laid out by that "ghost landowner"!

"We need to figure out what's down there!"

A resolute glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

With my current [Penetrating the Netherworld] supernatural power, I can only see the surface and cannot penetrate that thick layer of earthly evil energy.

An upgrade is necessary!

Without hesitation, he immersed himself in "Strange Tales of Gods and Monsters".

The massive amount of Yin energy he had just obtained from slaying the vengeful scholar was still churning within his sea of ​​consciousness.

Three thousand six hundred strands of yin energy!

That's enough!

"Deduce it for me!"

"Target: Supernatural Power [Communication with the Netherworld]!"

"Pour in all your Yin energy!"

boom!

Within his mind, the Book of Gods and Monsters trembled violently!

Those three thousand strands of Yin energy were instantly ignited, like fuel!

Each wisp of yin energy represents a month of arduous cultivation.

Three thousand six hundred strands, that's equivalent to three hundred years of deductive power!

At this moment, time seemed to accelerate countless times in Zhou Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness.

Countless insights about the soul, yin and yang, and the earth's veins surged forth like a tide!

His [Netherworld Connection] supernatural power is undergoing a qualitative transformation at an alarming speed!

Beginner... Minor Success... Major Success... Perfection!

In fact, it's still breaking through!

Om-!

Zhou Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.

At this moment, his pupils had completely disappeared, replaced by two bottomless black vortexes!

[Advanced Supernatural Power!]

[Penetrating the Netherworld] --> [Netherworld Divine Eye]!

"open!"

Zhou Yuan let out a low shout, and his gaze instantly pierced through the lecture hall floor, through the thick rock layer, and reached deep underground!

Upon seeing this, even Zhou Yuan, with his calm and composed nature, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine!

All that could be seen was a hundred meters underground at Qingyun Academy.

It was actually occupied by a huge "root system" made of black silt!

The roots, as if alive, slowly wriggled, emitting a suffocating stench.

And the end of this root system is actually connected to the 108 ground stakes of the academy!

Li Xiuwen killed people to refine their souls, not just for the [Hundred Ghosts Night Parade Formation].

He is using the blood and resentment of more than a hundred lives to "irrigate" this evil root underground!

And deeper within those black roots, faintly visible, lies an even larger, colossal entity.

That aura... vast, profound, yet filled with a fallen divinity!

That's divine power!

It is corrupted divine power!

"Ghost land..."

Zhou Yuan squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth.

He finally understood.

This is not at all Li Xiuwen's personal act of revenge against society.

This was a meticulously planned sacrifice!

Li Xiuwen was merely a puppet on the table, a gardener responsible for watering the plants.

The real mastermind, the so-called "Ghost Land God," is hiding in the shadows, using this method to steal the earth vein energy of Fengzhou City in order to restore his own evil god power!

"puff!"

Zhou Yuan withdrew his gaze and spat out a mouthful of blood.

For him now, spying on beings of that level would have a huge backlash.