Immortal Travel of Longevity

After arriving in the Underworld, Chen Changsheng walked into the Ghost City.

He had frequented this place long ago, back when he and Zhao Yuqing taught Jiu Fengchun in the Underworld.

It looked no different from a city in the Cultivation World. The only difference was that while those cities were mostly filled with ordinary cultivators, this place was populated by ghost cultivators—including those who walked the demonic path.

Fueled by its own expanding influence, the city continuously grew. As more and more souls entered, the Demon Gate steadily flourished.

This was no longer just a simple immortal sect. It was more like a small nation.

A nation belonging to souls and ghost cultivators.

It also provided a sanctuary for wandering, lost souls.

Sometimes, Chen Changsheng felt like he was one of them.

When Jian Shenghua saw Chen Changsheng again, he wasn't surprised.

"I had nowhere else to go," Chen Changsheng said.

Jian Shenghua glanced at him. "Where is your physical body?"

"I lent it to someone else," Chen Changsheng replied.

"Lent?"

"Yes."

Jian Shenghua frowned slightly. He had never heard of such a thing.

A physical body could be lent out?

He had only ever heard of a body seizure.

Chen Changsheng didn't elaborate. Instead, he said, "The Demon Gate is thriving right now. Having stepped into the world, it once again has the power to contend."

"It does."

Jian Shenghua nodded. "But looking only at our current prosperity isn't enough. When we fell into decline back then, it was truly miserable. The demonic path was never looked upon favorably to begin with."

"That is simply how it is," Chen Changsheng said. "Demonic energy does affect people's minds. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called demonic. Once such incidents happen frequently enough, the resulting stigma ultimately spreads to the entire group."

Jian Shenghua nodded. "True enough."

Chen Changsheng asked, "How did the Demon Sovereign resolve that issue back in the day?"

Jian Shenghua pointed at the Sand Sea.

"Right here," he said.

"Oh?"

"Even though its appearance has changed, I still remember that this place used to be the Demon Domain."

Jian Shenghua explained, "Back then, as the sword attendant by the Demon Sovereign's side, it was my duty to watch over this place. It wasn't actually a hiding place for demonic cultivators. It was a prison."

"Anyone who lost their minds to the demonic path's corruption was eventually thrown in here."

"They slaughtered each other, unable to distinguish friend from foe. In the early years, this place was nothing but a wasteland beneath a crimson moon and a sea of blood. The entire world was a gloomy red."

This perfectly matched Chen Changsheng's guess.

He asked, "What about the Demon Sword?"

"It used to be here too, hanging right against that crimson moon."

Jian Shenghua continued, "Now, it has been given to the Lord of the Underworld as a trade."

"I see..."

Chen Changsheng mused, "But trading that sword for a place to stay here shouldn't be enough, should it?"

"Of course not."

Jian Shenghua said, "Look at this city. Who knows how many souls have stepped onto the demonic path and become ghost cultivators because of it. When all is said and done, the vast majority of them will be absorbed into the Underworld, transforming into Nether Soldiers and Ghost Generals."

"That makes more sense."

"Indeed."

Jian Shenghua let out a sigh. "We're just using each other."

Chen Changsheng nodded, then asked, "Is the great shift coming soon?"

"Soon."

Jian Shenghua thought for a moment before adding, "Within the next hundred years or so."

"We will destroy the Mysterious Gate and return to the era of the Heavenly Demons."

"Or..."

"We will decline completely."

Jian Shenghua let out another long breath. "Regardless, this is my final attempt. There won't be a next time."

"What about Wang He? What does he think?"

"He is also prepared for a desperate, final struggle. Old grudges and new scores will be settled together."

Chen Changsheng said, "Once this tribulation passes, the world will have peace for a time."

A smile tugged at the corners of Jian Shenghua's mouth. "But for how long? A thousand years at most. That world can never be truly at peace."

Chen Changsheng didn't reply.

He no longer held any prejudice toward the Demon Gate. Perhaps, for the most part, it was merely a difference in stance.

The difference lay in the people themselves, not in where they stood.

He took a stroll through the Ghost City. Everything imaginable was sold here, but the most common good was long incense. This type of incense was condensed from the incense energy of the Mortal World. Such incense, typically used to honor the deceased, served as a powerful tonic for ghost cultivators.

The same went for the Sacrificial Meat Offering.

After becoming ghost cultivators, they could no longer feel heat or cold, nor could they taste food. However, they could still smell the fragrance of these two items, making them highly sought after.

Fights would sometimes break out in the Ghost City over a single stick of long incense.

The emergence of the Ghost City had also brought its share of chaos.

The Sand Sea no longer possessed its former tranquility. Ghost cultivators would block the roads to plunder, as some souls always arrived carrying valuable items.

Because of this, the Underworld's yin soldiers had clashed with the ghost cultivators.

Ultimately, it was Manyue who pacified the situation.

The person currently in charge of managing the Sand Sea was also an old acquaintance.

Tu Hu.

To survive back then, he had fled to this place, discarded his physical body, and become an underworld deputy. Relying on his Cultivation Base, he quickly gained a firm footing.

He looked down on these ghost cultivators. But truth be told...

He looked down on himself even more.

In fact, when he saw Chen Changsheng again, he said as much.

"I regret everything. I never should have taken your Token."

Chen Changsheng turned to look at him and said, "Perhaps you'll have a chance to leave later?"

Tu Hu shook his head. He had already abandoned that notion.

"I used to think I'd get a chance to leave too, but after witnessing the sheer power of the rules here, I simply gave up on the idea."

He said, "I have no chance anymore."

Chen Changsheng didn't remark on that, instead saying, "It's actually not entirely boring here."

"That's true."

Tu Hu said, "It's gotten much more interesting since the Ghost City appeared. Whenever I'm bored, I go look for trouble with the ghost cultivators. Getting into a good, fierce brawl always makes me feel a lot better."

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "No wonder the ghost cultivators in the Ghost City take detours to avoid you."

A smile tugged at the corners of Tu Hu's mouth as he said, "Naturally. Eventually, these people will all fall under my command."

"Is that so..."

Tu Hu continued, "I have a premonition that in the near future, the Underworld and the outside world will inevitably clash. Perhaps after that, there won't be a distinction between inside and outside anymore."

Chen Changsheng rubbed his chin. He felt that such a possibility was highly unlikely.

Shaking his head, he said, "This Chen believes the Underworld has no chance of rising."

"Unless yin and yang are inverted. It's more akin to a rule that cannot be changed."

Tu Hu pondered for a moment, finding some sense in Chen Changsheng's words.

Yet, he still held onto a shred of anticipation.

"Who knows?"

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