Chapter 95: The Abyssal Mountains

Old Mo quickly composed himself.

With a flattering smile, he approached Li Changsheng and said:

"Young Master, your talent is truly peerless. I've seen many so-called prodigies in the Immortal Realm, but compared to you, they're simply insignificant."

Li Changsheng didn't pay much attention to the praise. He merely glanced at Old Mo and said:

"I'm going to the Northern Marquis's Estate to deliver some items, and then I'll be leaving for a while. During this time, stay in Pearl City and make sure the Grand General's Estate doesn't cause any trouble for the Herbal Pavilion."

"Yes!" Old Mo responded promptly.

Li Changsheng first went to the Northern Marquis's Estate.

Lin Ruoxi was not at the estate, but she had already instructed the steward to receive him.

After checking the goods, the steward handed over the remaining spirit stones without delay.

Once Li Changsheng received the spirit stones, he didn't waste any time and immediately set off for the Demon Abyss.

Although in the simulation he had successfully killed Xiao Zhengyan by setting up formations outside the Demon Abyss, and now his Nine Revolutions of Divine Demon technique had reached the eighth revolution, he still decided to visit the Demon Abyss first.

He needed to retrieve the Blood Spirit Ginseng and survey the terrain inside the Demon Abyss so that he could tailor his formations accordingly.

Li Changsheng concealed his presence as he made his way toward the Demon Abyss.

The Demon Abyss was located deep within the Abyssal Mountains in the northern part of Ming Province, a place filled with demonic energy.

Due to the constant exposure to demonic energy, the beasts and plants in the Abyssal Mountains had undergone mutations. Even a tree or a blade of grass could become deadly.

As a result, the Abyssal Mountains were quite notorious in Ming Province. However, since the mountains were rich in rare spiritual materials, many cultivators risked entering them each year, hoping to find a precious herb and change their fortunes.

Although the mortality rate among those who entered the Abyssal Mountains was alarmingly high, there were also many who emerged with valuable herbs, becoming wealthy overnight.

Thus, the number of cultivators entering the Abyssal Mountains each year was not insignificant.

However, the depths of the Abyssal Mountains, where the Demon Abyss lay, had always been a forbidden zone for cultivators in Ming Province. It was rumored that the Demon Abyss housed fearsome beasts at the Transcendence Realm or even beyond, and those who entered the abyss rarely returned.

Four days later, Li Changsheng arrived near the Abyssal Mountains.

"Fellow cultivator, are you planning to enter the Abyssal Mountains?"

"We have professional guides here. Would you like to learn more?"

As soon as Li Changsheng stepped into the small town closest to the Abyssal Mountains, several cultivators with only Foundation Establishment cultivation approached him, eagerly offering their services.

These individuals were part of the unique feature of the Abyssal Mountains—the brokers.

They typically provided newcomers with information on team formations and introduced professional guides, earning a small fee in the process.

Although their annual income wasn't high, it was enough to sustain their cultivation, and they didn't have to risk entering the Abyssal Mountains themselves.

"I need a guide."

Li Changsheng pointed directly at a middle-aged broker who seemed slightly more trustworthy.

The middle-aged broker's eyes lit up, and he quickly said:

"Senior, please follow me."

The broker led Li Changsheng to an ancient building in the town and explained in a low voice, "Senior, this is the Abyssal Pavilion. You won't find another organization in this town more familiar with the Abyssal Mountains than they are."

"However, their fees are a bit higher compared to other freelance guides."

"That's fine," Li Changsheng said indifferently.

Seeing Li Changsheng's nonchalance, the broker's face lit up with joy.

Although the Abyssal Pavilion charged high fees, they also paid their brokers relatively more.

"Manager Qin, a distinguished guest has arrived."

Inside the Abyssal Pavilion, there was only an elderly man dressed as a manager, meditating with his eyes closed.

Manager Qin glanced at Li Changsheng and the broker, stood up, and smiled:

"Esteemed guest, do you need a guide or bodyguards? Our Abyssal Pavilion can provide both, but the fees vary depending on the service you require."

"I need to go to the Demon Abyss. How much will that cost?" Li Changsheng asked directly.

Before coming here, he had altered his appearance, so even his acquaintances wouldn't recognize him. There was no need to hide his intentions.

"Enter the Demon Abyss?" Manager Qin's face showed a troubled expression. "Young Master, although our Abyssal Pavilion is quite familiar with the Abyssal Mountains, no guide here dares to take on the task of entering the Demon Abyss."

"Not only are we unwilling, but no other organizations in the town dare to take it on either. The Demon Abyss is simply too dangerous."

"Even Great Ascension cultivators can't guarantee they'll make it out of the Demon Abyss. Not long ago, someone encountered a Great Ascension-level beast near the entrance of the abyss."

Li Changsheng remained calm and said, "I don't need a guide to accompany me into the Demon Abyss. I just need someone to take me to the vicinity of the entrance."

He had a partial map that covered the area from the Demon Abyss entrance to the location of the Blood Spirit Ginseng, but it lacked details about other parts of the abyss.

"Taking you to the entrance of the Demon Abyss is doable."

After some thought, Manager Qin said, "However, Young Master, you may need to join another group. We have three guides at the Abyssal Pavilion who are confident in leading people to the Demon Abyss entrance. One is already in the mountains, another is injured and can't enter, and the last one is still in town but has already agreed to guide another group."

"That group's destination is also the Demon Abyss, so it coincides with your route. Since you'll be traveling with others, the cost will be slightly lower, at 15,000 spirit stones. If you were to go alone, it would normally cost 23,000 spirit stones."

"Alright." Ten thousand spirit stones were nothing to him.

Li Changsheng tossed a storage bag to Manager Qin and asked, "When does that group set out?"

"They'll depart in half a day. You can rest here in the pavilion, and I'll notify you when it's time to leave." Manager Qin checked the spirit stones in the storage bag and nodded in satisfaction.

Half a day later.

Li Changsheng set off with the group into the depths of the Abyssal Mountains.

However, the size of the group surprised Li Changsheng. Besides him and the silent guide, there were dozens of guards, the weakest of whom were at the Nascent Soul Realm. There were even two guard captains at the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm protecting the group.

At the center of the group were a young man and a young woman, both dressed in luxurious robes.

"Our journey to the edge of the Demon Abyss is to gather Phoenix Blood Vines. Will this person following us interfere with our plans?" The young man, Liu Yuan, frowned as he glanced at Li Changsheng, who was trailing at the back of the group.

"The Abyssal Pavilion's strength isn't weak. The guide is at the late stage of the Soul Transformation Realm. Let's not cause unnecessary trouble. We'll part ways with them once we reach the Demon Abyss," Liu Lu said calmly.

The Liu family's ancestor had once found a cliff near the Demon Abyss where Phoenix Blood Vines grew and had brought back a significant amount, allowing the Liu family to flourish for hundreds of years.

Now it was time to harvest the Phoenix Blood Vines again.

Phoenix Blood Vines were the main ingredient for refining the Light Spirit Pill, which assisted Great Ascension cultivators in their cultivation. They were extremely valuable. According to the family's ancestor, the vines from that cliff alone could fetch over a hundred million spirit stones.

If it weren't for a major upheaval in the Liu family and the loss of the ancestral map, they wouldn't have needed to hire a guide from the Abyssal Pavilion to take them to the Demon Abyss.