Chapter 4: Soul Absorption and Spirit Devouring

Zhu looked curiously at the black, thick fog-like portal, feeling as if behind the door lay a world overrun by monsters, where some strange object was rapidly crashing into this peculiar gateway

The old figure in the green robe, standing beside the portal with his hands behind his back, let out a cold snort. The two ghostly figures, floating just above the ground, immediately had their eyes shine with a green light as they opened their mouths wide and began to exert force, drawing energy from the portal beneath them

More than ten examiners clasped their hands together and successively stepped into the dark portal that connects to the realm of the dead.

The edge of the Demon Corpse Realm is primarily the activity zone of the Crimson Soul Corpses, which have been nurtured by a century of deathly energy. The method of identification is that the eye sockets of the corpses burn with a blazing crimson soul fire; the deeper the color, the stronger their combat power. These Crimson Soul Corpses are the targets you are to capture, and the Sea of Consciousness talisman you have just comprehended is the key to controlling and communicating with the corpses.

Only the old man in the green robe and a ball of blue flame remained in the great hall, along with two ghostly apparitions.

Clearly, the prior consumption of souls has provided them with significant benefits

Zhu Jiu stood beside the increasingly dark and profound portal, feeling a wave of bone-chilling cold surge up from beneath his feet, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

The old man in the green robe finished speaking, raised his eyebrows, and fell silent

The old man in the green robe let out a cold snort and said with a hint of self-satisfaction

The old man in the green robe lifted his eyelids, casting an expressionless glance at Zhu Jiu, while the two ghostly figures standing behind him stepped forward lightly.

A streak of bluish-purple light leapt from the thunderball, initially resembling a stream of blue water. Once it stabilized, it became apparent that it was a silently burning flame, the blue fire flickering softly, growing in a long, intense blaze.

The most advanced intelligent beings possess three souls and seven spirits, which together form a complete soul. The so-called corpse demons are malevolent entities that lack or are missing these three souls and seven spirits. They are not merely the result of human corpses transforming after death, as commonly imagined; rather, they represent just one type among countless corpse demons. In the realm of corpse demons, there exists an extreme variety, including ferocious beasts, humans, and even plants that may transform into corpse demons after death. These corpse demons are extremely violent due to their lack of a soul, and they are particularly drawn to living beings that possess a complete soul. The possibility of returning alive is also a factor we consider in our assessment.

The numerous examiners who were observing, upon seeing this unusual object, all displayed expressions of envy. The middle-aged man, who had previously been the most sycophantic, was the first to exclaim in surprise along with *Tu* *Shu*, exclaiming in admiration:

An increasing number of malevolent spirits are continuously emerging from the thick fog, violently colliding with the portal that connects the two worlds

A hint of light purple is interspersed within the blue, mysterious and beautiful. Such a blazing flame should have an extraordinarily high temperature, yet Zhu Jiu, standing beside it, felt not a trace of heat.

The old man in the green robe seemed somewhat satisfied with Zhu Jiu's composure, as he slightly pursed his lips, revealing a barely perceptible hint of a smile.

The numerous youths surrounding were startled by this sudden and terrifying change, and in the ensuing commotion, they all took a step back.

In a moment, only a few examiners remained in this grand hall. The old man snorted coldly and said

Within the portal, numerous exclamations and cries of alarm from various spirits echoed instantaneously, as strands of black mist were continuously drawn out, surging like a tide into the wide-open mouths of the two little ghosts.

This is the gateway to the realm of the undead, Zhu Jiu, you are prepared to be the first to enter

Disciple Zhu Jiu, here to collect the items required to enter the Demon Corpse Realm

The long river of blue flames, with a hint of purple, is this the seventh-tier flame corpse of the drought demon? Moreover, it is formless. How could there be such a divine object under the elder's command

Listening intently, a menacing and sharp wail, as if to pierce the soul, faintly emanates from the dark portal of about ten feet in size, surrounded by a chilling aura of ghostly energy.

Upon hearing that the results of the talisman assessment would determine the order of entry, Zhu Jiu's expression changed. He parted the crowd in front of him, quickly making his way to the front amidst the astonished or envious glances of the many youths present. He bowed and addressed the old man in the green robe and the various examiners.

Zhu Jiu Wuyan boldly stepped forward towards the Gate of Two Realms on the ground

The two little spirits adopted a lazy demeanor, yet the azure soul flames in their eye sockets grew increasingly bright and profound

Behind the door seemed to be an abyss without bottom. As Zhu Jiu stepped in, a chilling cold that eroded the soul surged forth, and his figure plummeted and disappeared, as if being devoured by a giant mouth that had opened in the ground

Zhu Jiu was slightly startled when he discovered that these two ghostly figures suddenly approached him, yet he forced himself to endure and did not move at all

Suddenly, the dark and deep ground portal bulged upward, revealing a distorted and deformed face of an unknown creature emerging from the thick mist, struggling to break free from within.

The blue-haired woman had an expressionless face as she extended a black box. Zhu Jiu raised his hand to receive it, and following the examiner's gesture, turned and walked about ten feet to stand in front of the old man in the green robe.

The old monster reached out and gently stroked, as the portal of the interface slowly closed, this deep blackness was gradually swallowed by the void, revealing the original grim green color of the ground. The old monster sat upright in his chair, lightly tapping his fingers, and the hundreds of unconscious eliminated youths in the great hall vanished together; he also closed his eyes again, silently waiting.

After the old monster finished speaking, he exerted force towards the ground, pulling against the otherworldly flames of blue fire that were about ten feet away.

On the grim green ground, there seemed to be an invisible mountain, exceedingly heavy. The old monster and this flicker of flame exerted considerable effort before the ground slowly began to exhibit strange changes. A section about ten feet in size gradually opened like a portal, with dense black death energy surging and rolling within. The blackness on the ground gradually deepened and thickened.

One by one, the youths timidly entered, most of them appearing disheartened and pale.

Zhu Jiu stood quietly beside, silently observing everything, his gaze filled with wonder, remaining silent.

The blue-haired woman's piercing gaze slowly shifted, and she added once more

The strange old man slowly extended his hands, drawing them apart as if to conjure something. In an instant, a sphere of dense blue light, emanating an astonishing aura, appeared between his hands

The old man in the green robe was extremely impatient; with a wave of his hand, the remaining youths began to fall in large numbers into the Two Realms Gate, their cries of surprise echoing endlessly

Standing beside the peculiar portal of m. hetushucomcom, the blue-haired protagonist observed that the ground had returned to calmness and coldly remarked

The blue-haired examiner paused slightly, allowing the crowd of young people to digest the information in his words, and then continued:

The levels of the demon corpses range from low to high, represented by the seven colors of soul fire: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Higher levels are still too distant for you to comprehend at this time, so there is no need to know about them for now. The method of communicating with the demon corpses will be provided, and before entering, items will be distributed, which will detail all relevant matters. Now, based on the results of the talisman assessment, please come to collect your items in preparation for entering the demon corpse realm

You may also go in and wait! Do you still want me, an old man, to take action, hehe!

The blue-haired female examiner responded coldly as soon as he finished speaking

A few minutes later, no more anomalies emerged from the portal on the ground, which became calm and smooth, resembling ink jade

The place you are about to enter is the extremely mysterious realm of the undead and demonic corpses. The realm is vast and boundless, and you will be randomly teleported to the outskirts of the realm of demonic corpses

The old figure in the green robe, who had been sitting quietly with closed eyes in the grand hall, suddenly opened his eyes and, in a calm tone, personally took over the conversation and said

You have a discerning eye; this Blue Flame Demon Corpse has accompanied me for over a thousand years, devouring countless souls and corpses. Unfortunately, it still lacks sufficient refinement and cannot yet be considered a Drought Corpse, merely ranking at the level of the King of Impermanence