The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 458 Harbor “Ghost Fetus”!

Chu Xun looked around but could not see anything for it was totally dark.

He tried to explore the place with his divine sense, but he was shocked to find that there seemed to be some kind of restraint that his divine sense could only cover the area within ten meters.

He realized that the owner of this ancient relic had to be a Taoist Almighty.

Chu Xun began to take the owner seriously.

Taoism had a long history, and Chu Xun thought he should show his respect to the owner of this relic with awe in his heart.

After all, in his heart, Taoism was worthy of respect.

He could look down on anyone but those who killed the evil and monsters and who upheld justice.

Observing through his divine sense, he chose a direction and groped his way forward in dark.

The place seemed to be boundless, and he had walked for a long time but hadn’t reached the end.

He started pondering. Taoism highlighted correspondence and unity between man and nature and selfless dedication but no competition, which went against what cultivators believed in. Cultivators did things as they pleased and went against God’s will; they loved freedom and fought against the rules of heaven.

“In that case, I’ll go against the Taoist philosophy as a cultivator.”

Chu Xun started to step back instead of moving forward.

As he expected, the moment he took a step back, he felt a strong force pushing him forward and found it hard to step back.

“I respect you, but I’m not afraid of you. The Taoist rules can’t restrain me,” Chu Xun shouted in a low voice.

Boom!

He ran his Hong Meng Immortal Qi wildly, giving off dazzling purple light like a lamp in the dark.

Bang!

Chu Xun took a step back and stepped on the ground, causing it to crack.

He was fighting against an invisible rule.

The rule was not from the outside world but from his heart.

“No one can stop me,” Chu Xun murmured.

The Hong Meng Immortal Qi rotated around him at a higher speed, cutting the invisible rule into pieces.

Plop! Plop! ...

Chu Xun took several steps back in succession, leaving clear footprints on the ground.

“I’m not an Immortal Emperor, but I’m afraid of nothing.”

Chu Xun shouted in a low voice. Purple light surged around him, and strong purple airflows surrounded him.

Plop! Plop! ...

He took a dozen steps back again, causing the ground to tremble and stone floors to crack.

Suddenly, he felt like he had come to an open space, and his surroundings emitted red light.

He finally got out.

But he did not know where he had reached.

He looked at the pools and lakes full of surging magma in front of him and could smell the pungent odor of sulfur.

The red magma seemed to be boiling with enormous bubbles, which exploded and made the surroundings look bright red.

Chu Xun looked up only to find that the roof of the cave was dozens of meters high above the ground. There were strange rocks, and the walls were bright red as well. The cave seemed to have covered an area of more than tens of thousands of square meters.

“Is it an Illusory Formation?” Chu Xun wondered, but he could not check it out because he could not spread his divine sense there.

He kicked a stone into the magma lake. With a puff of white smoke, the stone was melted.

At this time, he heard some noises from behind. He looked back and what he saw stunned him.

He saw that the powerful figures of the Lost Races, Gao Mohan, and other people all looked awkward and terrified as if they had met something horrible.

They groped around the place that was less than 100 square meters as if they were blind. Nevertheless, they didn’t bump into each other. Every time they were about to bump, invisible forces separated them to brush past each other.

All of a sudden, Liu Jiuyuan slapped in the air wildly with his cultivation surging around him like crazy.

At this time, Chu Xun’s eyes narrowed sharply as he saw a person, more exactly, a black human shadow, on the back of Huang Hai.

Huang Hai seemed to have sensed the shadow that he slapped backward crazily, with energy surging around him. However, Chu Xun saw clearly that the moment Huang Hai raised his palm, the black shadow suddenly wormed into his neck and disappeared.

Chu Xun’s hair stood on end as the shadow even shot a glance at him before worming into Huang Hai’s body.

Chu Xun shivered subconsciously. The shadow had a face that was like those of humans’, but it was a flat face without any facial features, yet Chu Xun could feel that it was looking at him just now.

“What the hell is this?”

Chu Xun quickly activated his internal vision. He had encountered this kind of thing before, and he was afraid that a shadow had gone into his body.

He ran his Hong Meng Immortal Qi inside his body and checked thoroughly several times. He didn’t let out a sigh of relief until he was sure that there was nothing suspicious in his body.

The fact that ten powerful figures were trapped in such a small place and could not touch each other was terrifying.

Chu Xun guessed that if they couldn’t find a way to solve it, they would never be able to get out of the place.

At this moment, Chu Xun noticed that a black shadow looking like a child hung on Kong Liqun’s thigh.

Kong Liqun suddenly stopped walking, looking a little panicked. A glow flickered in his palm as he hacked toward his thigh with the palm.

Chu Xun’s hair stood on end again. The glow lit up the shadow’s face, which was flat without eyes or nose but had a mouth full of sharp fangs. In the blink of an eye, it wormed into Kong Liqun’s thigh through his pores.

“Be careful!” Chu Xun suddenly shouted.

That was because he suddenly saw another black shadow on Gao Mohan’s back.

Gao Mohan and the others had helped Chu Xun to prepare resources and collected 300 high-grade spiritual herbs for him, so Chu Xun owed them a favor.

Moreover, in Chu Xun’s eyes, Gao Mohan was a straightforward and honest man and did not have any hostility toward him.

However, as if Chu Xun’s voice could not reach them, Gao Mohan didn’t respond at all. He obviously knew that there was something on his back, and he slapped backward.

Bang!

Gao Mohan reacted very quickly. He hit the black shadow with his palm, crushing the lower part of its body and causing green blood to splatter on the ground, while the shadow’s upper body warmed into his body.

Chu Xun decided to save Gao Mohan and the others.

At this moment, he saw that Ge Zhan had reached the edge of the place and only needed to take one step to get out.

However, the next moment, Ge Zhan changed his direction and turned to head toward the inner part of the place.

Chu Xun stepped to the edge of the platform and grabbed at Ge Zhan at a lightning speed, trying to pull him out.

But with a bang, he felt like he had hit a piece of transparent glass, and his hand couldn’t reach an inch forward.

“Damn it, it’s a formation.”

Chu Xun clenched his fist, which was surrounded by purple light. He punched out fiercely, causing a wind in the air.

Bang!

The purple light burst out, its energy spreading in the air. However, Chu Xun failed to break the formation still.

Ge Zhan seemed to have noticed something. He turned around in suspicion but soon continued to move forward.

Chu Xun’s eyes narrowed, and the Hong Meng Immortal Qi swirled around him. His both fists were shining, giving off multicolored light.

But just as he was about to continue punching, he suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something.

With a flip of his hand, he took out a dazzling white stone, which, in fact, was a Keystone.

Holding the stone in his hand, he grabbed at Ge Zhan. This time, he successfully passed through the formation and grabbed Ge Zhan by the shoulder.

Ge Zhan was obviously startled. His cultivation surged in an instant, and he wanted to shake off Chu Xun’s hand.

Chu Xun’s Hong Meng Immortal Qi surged in his palm as he tried his best to suppress Ge Zhan’s cultivation. It was not easy to suppress the cultivation of a cultivator at the Immortal Level. Fortunately, as Ge Zhan didn’t expect the sudden attack, he was taken aback for a moment, which gave Chu Xun a chance to suppress his cultivation.

Swoosh!

Chu Xun pulled Ge Zhan out of the place.

Ge Zhan suddenly felt that the surroundings became bright, and he saw Chu Xun at once. He immediately understood that it was Chu Xun who saved him.

“Thank you, Taoist friend.” Ge Zhan cupped his fists and thanked Chu Xun. If it weren’t for Chu Xun, he would still be wandering inside that place.

Chu Xun shook his head and said, “You have done me a favor before, Brother Ge, and you know, I’m a person who will definitely return the favor and take my revenge.”

Ge Zhan chuckled. His eyes narrowed as he turned back and saw the black shadow.

“What is that?” he asked in shock.

Chu Xun shook his head.

At this moment, a black shadow in human shape crept into the back of Hei Zong’s neck.

Ge Zhan’s hair stood on end, and he hurriedly checked his body. His expression suddenly changed when he found a mass of black mist lying dormant in his dantian. The mist was about the size of a fist, but it was in human shape, just like those black shadows.

“When did it get into my body?” he wondered. He ran his cultivation, tried to force the black mist out of his body but failed.

“Taoist friend, check on yourself quickly.” Ge Zhan reminded Chu Xun. He looked pale as he didn’t know what the black mist actually was and could not force it out or refine it.

“I’ve checked a long time ago and I’m fine,” Chu Xun turned to look at Gao Mohan and continued, “But Brother Gao has been attacked by a black shadow, and it’s in his body now.”

“Let’s help them out quickly,” Ge Zhan said.

Chu Xun nodded and released a Reincarnation Line at his fingertips. He then said, “Brother Ge, this thing can be used as a sound transmission tool. I’ll enter that place, and I need you to guide me to approach them and bring them out.”

Ge Zhan was surprised, but he also knew that the cultivators at the Immortal Level more or less possessed some little-known skills and tools. He grabbed the other end of the Reincarnation Line and nodded at Chu Xun.

Chu Xun turned around and walked toward Gao Mohan. Holding the Keystone in his hand, he easily passed through the formation.

Under Ge Zhan’s guide, Chu Xun approached Gao Mohan.

“Brother Gao,” Chu Xun shouted at him.

However, Gao Mohan walked past him directly as if he could not hear Chu Xun.

Chu Xun shouted at him a few times, but Gao Mohan didn’t respond at all, as if he had lost his sight and hearing.

Ge Zhan was shocked by the scene. Holding onto the Reincarnation Line, he could hear what Chu Xun said.

“Taoist friend, what’s going on?” Ge Zhan asked.

“I don’t know. This place is weird. I’ll try again,” Chu Xun replied and pondered at the same time.

He approached Gao Mohan once again and reached out his hand to grab him. However, something strange happened. He could not touch him though he was right in front of him.

Despite being so close to each other, they were separated by the rule of the place.

Chu Xun’s eyes glittered. He suddenly understood that the place was like a maze with countless paths, but there was an invisible formation between every two paths that could change them.

He finally understood why he could save Ge Zhan so quickly—they were on the same path just now.

His cultivation followed his heart, and his divine sense spread out.

Though his divine sense could only cover the area within ten meters, it was enough.

He closed his eyes slightly and carefully sensed the sequence of the paths. He took a step sideways and then two sideways at a strange pace.

Ge Zhan was confused. He didn’t know what Chu Xun was doing, and he didn’t dare to make a sound, afraid of he would disturb him.

Chu Xun took a step forward in the end. He suddenly opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. He made it.

Everything had its own rules. As long as one mastered them, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to crack them, on the condition that they knew formations.

Chu Xun stood still and watched Gao Mohan walking toward him.

Gao Mohan could not see or hear at the moment, and after taking a step forward, he bumped into Chu Xun.

“Who is it?” Gao Mohan was scared out of his wits. He felt that he had bumped into someone.

“Brother Gao, are you trying to play ‘Crash for Cash’ with me?” Chu Xun chuckled.

Gao Mohan was a little stunned, and then he asked tentatively, “Is that you, Taoist friend?”

“It’s me,” Chu Xun replied, “Follow me, and I’ll bring you out.”

Gao Mohan hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Chu Xun could understand why he hesitated. In such a case, it was natural that Gao Mohan would hesitate. After all, they met by chance and didn’t know much about each other.

Gao Mohan grabbed Chu Xun by the bottom of his shirt and followed behind him like a man without sight.

All of a sudden, he felt that everything brightened up in front of him, and he was surprised to find himself out of that place.

“Brother Gao.” Ge Zhan walked to him.

Gao Mohan was surprised. “When did you get out, Brother Ge?”

“A little earlier than you, and it’s all thanks to our Taoist friend,” Ge Zhan replied.

Gao Mohan thanked Chu Xun gratefully, and he was stunned by what Chu Xun was capable of.

“No problem,” Chu Xun waved his hand.

Chu Xun brought Diao Xingyi out the same way.

“What the hell is this place? I couldn’t see or hear, and it almost drove me crazy.” Diao Xingyi still felt a little terrified.

Ge Zhan and Gao Mohan shared his feeling. Just now in that place, they could not see and even could not hear their own breathing or heartbeat, and could only feel their way forward. They hadn’t broken down just because they had a strong will as cultivators at the Immortal Level.

Ge Zhan told them about the black shadow.

Diao Xingyi and Gao Mohan were shocked. They turned to look at the powerful figures of the Lost Races and indeed saw the strange black shadows.

The two of them hurriedly ran their cultivation to check their own status. Just like Ge Zhan, there was also a black shadow about the size of a fist in their dantian.

They tried to force them out and refine them but failed.

“What the hell is this?” Diao Xingyi was a little irritated.

They could not shatter or refine those shadows in their dantian, which was the source of their power, so they were naturally worried.

The three of them tried to use their power to refine the black shadows again and again, but it was all in vain. These black shadows were like a mass of mist, but also seemed to have become a part of their bodies.

“Can I have a look?” Chu Xun asked.

The three of them were slightly stunned. If they let Chu Xun check it, they needed to allow his Internal Breath to enter their bodies. Once Chu Xun launched an attack by then, with a gentle strike, he could shatter their internal organs, and they would be as defenseless as a baby and could not resist at all.

They all hesitated. After all, it was a matter that concerned their lives, so they had to be cautious.

“I believe in you.” Gao Mohan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. Among them, only Chu Xun managed to defend himself against the black shadow, so maybe he really knew how to help them.

“I believe in you, too.” Ge Zhan said. That damn thing was like a fishbone stuck in his throat. If he could not get rid of it, he wouldn’t be able to sleep and eat well.

Diao Xingyi also chose to believe in Chu Xun. No one knew whether that thing would have a bad effect on them or not.

“Thank you, Taoist friend!” Gao Mohan stepped forward and restrained his aura. However, if one took a close look at him, he would find that he was still a little nervous.

A gush of Chu Xun’s Internal Breath left him and entered Gao Mohan’s body, flowing toward his dantian.

Gao Mohan felt that his blood almost froze. If Chu Xun launched an attack at this time, he would die without a doubt.

Chu Xun began to check on the black shadow, and his brain ran quickly. He found that this shadow had no fixed shape or any soul. It was no wonder that they could not refine it. Chu Xun felt that he had seen this thing somewhere else before, but he could not remember exactly where it was.

Chu Xun withdrew his Internal Breath from Gao Mohan’s body and pondered for a while.

Gao Mohan heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Just as he was about to ask Chu Xun what he had found, Ge Zhan stopped him and motioned for him to be quiet.

“It turns out to be this thing.” Chu Xun’s eyes lit up.

“You know what it is?” Gao Mohan asked hurriedly.

Ge Zhan and Diao Xingyi also looked expectant.

“It is called Evil Shadow. They have no fixed shape or any soul, but they like to imitate other creatures out of their instinct,” Chu Xun replied.

When he was just an ordinary cultivator in the other world, he had once seen someone get infected with this shadow. But it was so long ago that he almost forgot about it.

“Evil Shadow? And they like to imitate other creatures?” Gao Mohan muttered, his face full of confusion.

“Evil Shadows come from an extremely cold place. They are masses of energy and have no consciousness. They depend on their instinct to behave. They would change their own shapes into that of whatever living creatures they see, including humans,” Chu Xun paused for a moment and continued, “They are very dangerous because they could parasitize a living creature and slowly absorb the essence and soul of the host. This is a very slow process, and it may take ten or a hundred years. When those shadows become strong enough, they will take control of the body of the host and occupy it in the end. They are also known as ‘Ghost Fetus’ to ordinary people.”

Diao Xingyi, Gao Mohan, and Ge Zhan turned pale and shuddered upon hearing the words, especially at the mention of “take control of the body of the host and occupy it”.

“I’ve never done anything evil, why would I get a Ghost Fetus in my body?” Gao Mohan was a little irritated.

Ge Zhan and Diao Xingyi also looked grave. “If we cannot refine it, is there nothing we could do but to wait for death?”

Gao Mohan looked at Chu Xun, and his eyes were burning with excitement. He asked with an expectant face, “Do you know how we can get rid of it, Taoist friend, since you recognized this thing?”

Ge Zhan’s and Diao Xingyi’s faces brightened up at the words. “Yes, since he knew this thing, he possibly has a solution,” they thought.

“Yes, but it may cause you pain in the process,” Chu Xun replied.

His words lit up the eyes of the three men. Compared with their lives, pain was nothing.

“Please help us, Taoist friend. We will bear your kindness in our mind and repay you double,” Gao Mohan said seriously.

Chu Xun nodded slightly.

“Do you have any object like ancient jade with you? A Spirit Stone would be better,” Chu Xun said.

“How many do you need?” Gao Mohan asked.

“Of course, the more, the better,” Chu Xun said.

Bang!

The three men waved their hands, and a pile of ancient jade stones appeared in front of Chu Xun. Among them, there were more than a dozen Lower-grade Spirit Stones.

Chu Xun’s eyes were shining. “They are indeed cultivators at the Immortal Level. They have so many precious things and even have Spirit Stones.”

He thought of the Spirit Stones beneath the Spirit Vein on Qianlong Mountain. In a few more years, he would be able to harvest a lot of them.

“Step back, all of you,” Chu Xun said.

He observed the terrain. The place was full of magma, and it was scorching hot in it, which was perfect for setting up a formation.

He set up a Flaming Lotus Enchantment of Purification, which was a fourth-grade magic formation.

With a strange pace, Chu Xun took several steps and threw out pieces of ancient jade stones, causing invisible Qi to wander in the air.

“Get in the formation,” Chu Xun said.

Gao Mohan and the other two didn’t dare to delay and hurried into the formation.

Chu Xun threw out the Spirit Stones in his hand, which fell in eight directions respectively. Then he pulled his hands forward from behind, with his movement, the magma lake boiled, and gushes of scorching air gathered toward the magic formation.

With a buzzing sound, he threw out the last Spirit Stone. The formation was set up and enveloped the three of them.

Chu Xun quickly made a magic signet, and then beams of purple light shot into the formation, which trembled and was shining with different colors.

“Guys, hold on no matter what happens. You can’t be distracted, and you can’t duck out.”

Before the three of them could respond, Chu Xun stretched out his finger and pointed in the air; the formation started to shine with flowing light.

At the same time, some purple lotuses of flames appeared in the formation. They rotated slowly, splitting into beams of purple light that were as long as a finger and as thin as a needle.

“This is the purifying power of the purple lotus. Absorb it quickly and activate it to refine the Evil Shadows in your bodies,” Chu Xun said.

The three of them didn’t dare to be careless. They hurriedly sat cross-legged and ran their cultivation, producing a strong sucking force around them. The purple light was sucked over and disappeared into their pores.

They couldn’t help but groan at the moment, and they looked in pain.