Devour

Chapter 270: Hidden Secret

The Smoker stepped forward and said, "Let me tell you. The hair of a Suanni is a rare treasure that can be used to break through the bottleneck of fire cultivation."

Hei Long said: "In this case, the True Dragon Marrow is also a treasure for breaking through the fire element cultivation. There are very few people who know about it."

Cheng Bai nodded silently.

It is recorded in the inherited magic cube that the hair of a lion and the marrow of a real dragon are two of the main ingredients used to refine the Fire Soul Huanji Pill. They are extremely valuable to cultivators who practice fire-related martial arts. The formula and ingredients are all regarded as treasures, but there are very few spiritual pharmacists who can master them.

What they said could be considered a secret, but it was not a good idea to reveal it.

As expected, the belly ghost had never heard of it before, and said with great satisfaction: "Very good, go on."

Ju Gong smiled and said, "My family's private money is hidden in the crotch of my underwear. I smell it every night. It is my treasured secret."

Everyone showed contempt.

Lu Xiaoxi covered her ears, really not wanting to hear such a disgusting secret.

She pondered for a moment and said, "Ten thousand years ago, the Doomsday Madman Pirates plundered the various tribes of the Star Sea and committed all kinds of evil. They were so bold that they rushed into the Lost Sea, where they were almost wiped out. One of my ancestors was a member of the Doomsday Madman crew. He returned home with serious injuries and died, leaving behind a secret, a total of twenty words, 'Stone dragon against stone bell, gold and stone weighing a million pounds, break through the stone formation map, buy out all the sects and mansions.'"

The star sea is divided into thirty-six gates and seventy-two caves. Among them, the sect star field is the star field where the Lost Sea is located, and the so-called palace refers to the life star in the star field.

Cheng Bai thought to himself, "This is a treasure riddle that has been passed down through the ages. I guess the Dingling people must have been completely disappointed in finding it, so they revealed it."

The belly ghost was so excited that he couldn't contain himself and shouted, "Big secret, this is great!"

Finally it was Gou Yifan's turn. He thought again and again and said, "I discovered a huge secret. One of the candidates for this year's examination is definitely not human. I am from the Dog Sealing Clan. My sense of smell is much more sensitive than that of ordinary people. I can definitely distinguish the smell. He is A Pu who calls himself the Xi Yu Sword School."

The Smoker asked curiously, "The human race has many branches, so it's not surprising that some of them inherit the blood of the demon race and the devil race. Aren't you also a non-pure human race, so you smell a bit strange?"

Gou Yifan said seriously, "You don't know. Most of the disciples of Xiyu Sword Sect are from the Chilang tribe. They do have some demon blood, but they are still classified as a different kind of human. And Apu doesn't smell like a human at all, only the demon aura that can't be concealed. He calls himself a demon fire spirit body, which is confusing. You should know that there are some strange secret techniques in the world that can disguise as human form. Those who are good at it can't even detect the demon aura... unless the demon aura is too strong and can't be concealed at all."

Cheng Bai thought to himself, "A Pu? He has a close relationship with Yao Shuang and the others. The Nan Tian Palace stone tablet yesterday was as huge as a mountain. I couldn't move it under normal circumstances, but he pulled it up. Isn't his skill level higher than mine? The examination does not prohibit the demons from participating, but he mixed in with the famous and upright human candidates. It is indeed suspicious when I think about it."

After all the secrets were told, the three belly ghosts jumped for joy and dispersed, leaving behind a ground full of glittering moonstone ore, weighing hundreds of thousands of kilograms.

Cheng Bai collected all the mineral materials into the Sumeru mustard seed and embarked on a long journey.

……

When the candidates from Shanhui City entered the Nine-Layered Abyss again, they were divided into several small teams. Each team had different goals. Some were ambitious, some went with the flow, and some had long-term plans.

"The Nine-Layered Abyss is so dangerous. We encountered the Hellworm Queen yesterday and some of our people were killed or injured. This is only the first layer. The lower you go, the more difficult it will be. Our team of five must tread carefully and avoid any losses."

Xu Buwei gave some instructions and took off first on his sword.

Yao Shuang and others followed closely behind.

The surrounding monks dispersed and moved on their own. A Pu saw that his team of five had separated and asked, "I wonder which level Junior Brother Xu plans to break into?"

Xu Buwei initially planned: "With our strength, we can only reach the third level at most. If we go deeper, it will be difficult to find the protection of the city-state, and we will not be able to survive in the dark wind. But in terms of benefits, it is not suitable. The goal of the test mission only requires the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum produced in the Jiaoshi Mountains, so we can just reach the second level."

Duanmu Qi continued, "I heard that Longmai Sect is very careful in calculations and has the same plan."

A Pu lowered his voice and said, "My fellow brothers and sisters, I have a more brilliant plan to gain huge profits in the Nine-Layered Abyss! Are you interested?"

Zhen Yizhe asked expectantly, "What do you think, Senior Brother A Pu?"

Seeing his teammates gathered around him with great concentration and no one around, A Pu said, "You must exchange points to get the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum, so it's hard to keep it. According to the scriptures of my Xiyu Sword Sect, the fourth-layer Abomination Swamp produces a strange spiritual root that needs to be secretly nourished by the Nether Wind to grow. It's called 'Purple Bell'. This medicine is more precious than the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma Lucidum. It can heal inner demons, help people overcome disasters, and can be refined into a magic pill. It can even allow people to survive in the Nether Wind!"

Yao Shuang was surprised and said, "Brother A Pu is very knowledgeable. I have never heard of such a treasure. From the fourth level of the Nine-Layered Abyss, only a few wise earth immortals have explored it. A treasure that can resist the underworld wind is so precious. How can we get it with our cultivation level?"

Xu Buwei always acted prudently, and said hesitantly: "It's a pity that we can't explore the depths of the secret realm after entering it. But we can't be too adventurous. If the difficulty is too high, it's better to come back after we have cultivated successfully in the future."

A Pu said with a smile: "Brother Xu, don't worry. I have the wisdom of our predecessors and have made careful arrangements. It will definitely not be difficult and you will not regret it. The key to playing in the Nine-Layered Abyss Secret Realm is that the faster you act, the higher the value."

Duanmu Qi was very interested and suggested: "After completing the examination mission, how about going deeper into the lower levels and trying something else?"

Zhen Yizhe said, "Among us, Senior Brother A Pu has the longest experience, and Senior Brother Xu has the greatest reputation. You guys lead the team and take charge, and I will go through fire and water for you."

Xu Buwei asked cautiously, "Where exactly is the purple bell produced? What dangers are there? How confident are you, Senior Brother Apu?"

A Pu said sincerely, "To be honest, the Grand Elder of my Xiyu Sword Sect once went deep into the Nine-Layered Abyss and recorded the places where the purple bells were scattered. There is not much danger. The five of us will work together and we will definitely win. Don't worry."

Xu Buwei thought for a moment and reluctantly agreed: "This time, Senior Brother Apu will be the leader, and I will be the assistant. Thank you for your guidance."

……

Cheng Bai and others walked out of the dark cave and appeared in another city.

It is similar to the Steel City, also a cave city scattered among the rolling mountains, but its scope is much smaller, so this layer is not named after the city.

Cheng Bai threw three ingots of black gold weighing ten taels each into the hands of the green-faced ghost.

Ju Gong weighed the items and said happily, "Thank you for the reward, sir! Jiaoshi Mountain Range is not the territory of the Green-faced Ghost, and I failed to take good care of them. If you ask for a 'Huianju' in Jiaoshi Town, tell them that Ju Gong introduced it to you, and you will definitely get something."

After sending the Green-faced Ghost away, Cheng Bai began to observe the town next to the abyss.

Thousands of miles away in the sky is the land where the first layer of the Steel City is located, like hazy clouds covering the sky and the sun.

The lower abyss was bottomless, and an incredibly thick column of smoke wrapped in tiny dots of white and blue fire shot straight into the sky, reflecting a circle of shimmering halo on the inner edge of the dark upper abyss, like an alternative ring-shaped moon.

Seventy-two towering stone pillars connected the upper and lower continents, but I didn't walk out from near any of them just now.

Cheng Bai pondered and said, "Judging from the situation of coming in and out, there is a Netherworld cave in the belly of the gatekeeper ghost that connects the upper and lower lands. There should be many passages in and out."

Jiaoshi Town is brighter than the upper level. Part of the light source does not come from the smoke column and a strange-looking "moon", but from the surrounding volcanoes, rolling heat waves and glowing flames. The name "Jiaoshi" comes from this.

The human-shaped mountains located in the corner of the town are slightly smaller than their counterparts on the upper levels. There are only three of them, silently guarding this safe area.

Occasionally, two kinds of ghosts can be seen wandering around in the town.

The small one in a red robe is the Waste Ghost, with a wretched appearance and ugly face, and a body shape similar to that of an ordinary person. He has appeared in the Ladder of All Things before.

The big one is called Xuwang Ghost. He has a slender body and is slightly taller than the White-faced Ghost. He is wearing a gray and black tattered hooded robe. His face is difficult to make out under the shadow, and he seems to be wandering around aimlessly.