Cultivating in a Bizarre World

Ren Qing watched as the possum’s body swelled in the blink of an eye.

Its fur receded, and its appearance became more and more human. In the end, however, it remained half-man, half-rat, with bestial claws for hands and feet.

The mouse-man, Wang San, rushed toward Ren Qing, but his expression held no killing intent. Instead, it was dominated by fear.

Ren Qing frowned and swung his blade, decapitating Wang San.

The emaciated man in the Prison Cell instantly stopped breathing. His body was then absorbed by Abi Hell itself, as if he had never existed.

Ren Qing glanced around, his face expressionless, and then turned to leave.

But just as he disappeared around the corner, a throwing knife shot through the blood-vessel bars, embedding itself straight into the shadows in the corner.

A rat’s squeal rang out.

The hidden possum cowered in the corner, continuously making sounds of begging for mercy.

As Wang San watched in terror, Ren Qing used his Great Miao Blade to sever the blood-vessel bars and stepped into the Prison Cell.

Wang San was scared out of his wits. In order to speak human words, the possum’s body gradually transformed into a human shape.

But his rodent features only became more pronounced, making him look nearly identical to his other form.

Wang San fell to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly and muttering, "My lord, please forgive my transgressions and spare my life..."

Ren Qing placed his Great Miao Blade on Wang San’s neck and said with a strange expression, "What does your Magic Technique do? Tell me about it."

"Huh?"

Wang San froze for a moment, then felt a sharp pain in his neck as blood began to trickle out.

He hurriedly said, "My lord, this Magic Technique is useless. It can only split off some of my own flesh and blood to create a rat body, just as a way to cling to life."

"Can your Soul be transferred into the rat body through the Magic Technique?"

Ren Qing had guessed the function of the Rat Pest Technique.

’It must be a way to shed his skin like a Golden Cicada using the rat body. The side effect is that each possession causes an irreversible mutation.’

’If this Magic Technique allowed for Soul Possession, it would actually be quite excellent.’

Wang San replied with a confused expression, "What’s a Soul...?"

"The clone and the main body don’t interfere with each other?"

"That’s right, my lord."

"I see. The Rat Pest Technique transfers memories into the clone. The one left alive is essentially another version of yourself."

Wang San couldn’t understand a word Ren Qing was saying. His small eyes stared outside the Prison Cell, as if he were waiting for something.

"How do the Forbidden Guards select their reserves?"

Wang San replied, "My lord, as long as you can get out of the Forbidden Soldier Hall, you’re considered to have passed."

Ren Qing asked casually, "Then how does one get out?"

Wang San didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said vaguely, "My lord, I’m somewhat familiar with the Forbidden Soldier Hall. This place is..."

His tone was respectful, but he was simultaneously trying to find a way to get away from the Great Miao Blade.

Just as Wang San made his move, the heavy footsteps approached again.

The two Prison Guards had actually revived and were now charging toward Ren Qing’s Prison Cell.

A cunning glint flashed in Wang San’s eyes. He nimbly dodged the Great Miao Blade and lunged, biting at Ren Qing’s arm.

His buck teeth were about to make contact. Just a hint of his rat venom would be enough to paralyze even a Ghost Envoy Realm cultivator’s body.

SWOOSH!!!

Wang San suddenly felt his head become light, as if a cold gleam of light had flashed past him.

By the time he realized what had happened, his head had already hit the ground. After rolling a few times, his face was frozen in an expression of utter disbelief.

Ren Qing turned around, blade in hand.

The two Prison Guards charged into the Prison Cell. They looked a size larger, and their auras were slightly more imposing.

However, with Wang San’s death, the ball-of-flesh Prison Guard merged into the wall and disappeared.

Only the ape-like Prison Guard remained, tirelessly trying to attack Ren Qing.

Ren Qing paid the Prison Guard no mind, instead focusing his attention on Wang San’s corpse. Just as he expected, a Mysterious Object was forming.

It was a lump of cotton-like sludge, seemingly filled with countless scurrying rats.

Ren Qing kept his eyes on the Mysterious Object, his body instinctively dodging a strike from the ape.

He had a feeling that since the Forbidden Guards chose Abi Hell as the selection ground for their reserves, it must have a way to deal with the Mysterious Objects that form after a Cultivator’s death.

A few breaths later, a gaping, bloody maw materialized around the Mysterious Object.

A half-meter-long tongue wrapped around the Mysterious Object. No matter how it struggled, its efforts were futile as it was gradually dragged into the wall of flesh.

’Good grief, the Forbidden Guards are Cultivating Gu in here.’

Ren Qing casually chopped off the ape-like Prison Guard’s arm, the corner of his mouth twitching.

’Using a Yang God Realm’s Abi Hell to contain Mysterious Objects... aren’t they afraid that the forbidden zone formed after its death will become world-endingly destructive?’

’Who knows how many Mysterious Objects have accumulated over the past few hundred years...’

Then again, Ren Qing realized that the Forbidden Guards’ actions were understandable.

Although a forbidden zone becomes more terrifying after devouring Mysterious Objects, the effect might not be significant for a forbidden zone of the Yang God Realm.

Raindrops can affect ponds and rivers, but they cannot move the ocean. After all, its depths are already unfathomable.

Besides, Ren Qing had a hunch that the Forbidden Guards must have a way to retrieve the Mysterious Objects, which probably required going to a specific location within Abi Hell.

’But... is Abi Hell so bizarre because of the sheer number of Magic Techniques it has absorbed?’

The Mysterious Object was swallowed by the giant mouth.

Ren Qing had no reaction. He had already lost interest in the Rat Pest Technique the moment he figured out the secret behind Wang San’s possession.

The possums were just backups that held memories.

He would have to think twice even if it cost thirty days of Lifespan, let alone the full year of Lifespan it would cost to obtain it from the Half-Corpse Realm’s Mysterious Object.

ROAR!!!

The ape-like Prison Guard stomped its feet repeatedly, its skin turning beet red and its fur standing on end.

Ren Qing returned to his senses and glanced at the ape-like Prison Guard with contempt.

Even though the Prison Guard could revive by relying on Abi Hell, its increase in strength wasn’t significant. It would still be difficult for it to pose a threat to him.

He swung his blade.

The ape-like Prison Guard was reduced to pieces.

Ren Qing stepped out of the Prison Cell, planning to look around elsewhere.

Song Zongwu hadn’t told him a single thing.

Right now, Ren Qing only knew that leaving Abi Hell was the condition for becoming a reserve, but he had no idea what method was required to do so.

He planned to find another Cultivator to ask for information.

’And while I’m at it, I’ll see if there are any suitable Magic Techniques...’

Ren Qing walked through the corridors.

He soon used his Double Pupils to discover traces left by a Prison Guard, which seemed to be chasing a certain Cultivator.

Ren Qing followed the tracks, and the sounds of a fight grew closer.

He had intended to save the person to earn their trust, but the ape-like Prison Guard revived again and followed him, adopting a relentless posture that promised a fight to the death.

The Cultivator not far away was alarmed and suspicious. In his eyes, Ren Qing was clearly leading the trouble straight to him.

He had no choice. Gritting his teeth, he took a blow from the Prison Guard and used the momentum to turn into a side path, trying to shake Ren Qing.

Seeing this, Ren Qing quickened his pace.

’So, you’re a foe, not a friend? In that case, let me see your Magic Technique.’

The two of them sprinted furiously, one after the other. The surrounding environment began to change, as if they had entered a new area of Abi Hell.

The flesh was even more grotesque, now intermingled with the remains of giant skeletons.