Beside it were drawn several distorted symbols, like some kind of warning.
The handwriting in the booklet was scrawled, mostly recording details about demonic energy concentrations and the distribution of demonic beasts. One page mentioned, “At the bottom of the abyss lies the remnant soul of an ancient demon, adept at bewildering the mind,” causing his brow to furrow almost imperceptibly.
“When do we set off?” Hu Mazi could hardly contain himself.
“Three days from now,” Chen Ping said, folding away the map. “We need to prepare.”
Youyue had no objections, arranging accommodations for them and assigning two demonic clan cultivators to be at their disposal, though in truth, they were also there to monitor.
Back at their lodgings, Hu Mazi immediately shut himself in his room, poring over the booklets repeatedly, searching for any trace related to the Hu clan.
Chen Ping stood alone by the window, gazing at the distant outline of Jiupan Mountain, shrouded in demonic energy. His divine sense quietly extended, assessing their current situation.
The Black Fiend Demon Palace was a deep and murky place; the hidden auras of those powerful figures were far from ordinary. Youyue’s willingness to send them to the Demon Burial Abyss likely wasn’t just for the treasure. She might also intend to use them as pawns, testing the true dangers at the abyss’s depths.
But at this point, they had no way out. Hu Mazi needed the truth, and Chen Ping himself had grown somewhat intrigued by the so-called “opportunity.”
Three days later, at dawn, Chen Ping and Hu Mazi met Youyue at the entrance of the demon palace.
Youyue, still clad in purple, was accompanied by ten demonic clan cultivators with refined auras, each carrying a black parcel.
“These are resources and pills prepared for you. They may not be top-tier, but they’re sufficient to counter the demonic energy erosion at the abyss’s bottom.”
Youyue gestured for her subordinates to hand over the parcels. “The entrance is at a ravine in the middle of Jiupan Mountain. I’ve arranged for someone to guide you there.”
Chen Ping opened a parcel to find several jade pendants inscribed with demon-repelling patterns and a bottle of dark green pills emitting a faint herbal fragrance, far less pungent than the tea from before.
He casually handed the pendants to Hu Mazi but kept the pills. His Mind Condensation Technique could absorb demonic energy, so the pills might not be necessary.
Following the guiding demonic cultivators through the dense forest on the outskirts of Jiupan Mountain, the deeper they went, the thicker the demonic energy in the air became. The trees twisted and blackened, and massive beast bones littered the ground, clearly gnawed by powerful demonic creatures.
“That’s the ravine ahead.”
The guide pointed to a bottomless chasm ahead, where grey-black miasma roiled, faintly accompanied by eerie, howling wails.
Hu Mazi stood at the edge of the ravine and suddenly shuddered. He pulled a broken jade pendant from his chest, which now emitted a faint white glow, resonating with some aura within the ravine.
“This… this is my Hu clan’s ancestral jade pendant. It’s never reacted before, but now it’s showing signs here!”
Chen Ping examined the pendant, noting symbols similar to those on the beast-hide map. He nodded, “It seems your ancestor did come here. This pendant might be the key to unlocking the outer restrictions.”
He checked the map again, pointing to a relatively narrow section on the ravine’s left. “We go down from here. According to the map, after passing through the miasma layer, there’ll be a stone path.”
Hu Mazi gripped the pendant tightly and took a deep breath. “Chen Ping, I’ll go down first to scout.”
“We go together.”
Chen Ping placed a hand on his shoulder, circulating his spiritual energy to form a faint golden barrier enveloping them both. “This miasma is toxic. Better to be cautious.”
The two leapt into the ravine. The miasma wrapped around them like viscous mud, its foul stench seeping into their senses. Without the spiritual barrier, they’d likely have been dizzy in moments.
The light from Hu Mazi’s pendant grew brighter, and the miasma ahead parted automatically to either side, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person.
