Chapter 137: Neither Human nor Monster, Neither Demon nor Spirit

Lin Qiu’s plan was not fundamentally flawed, yet a penchant for risk was part of his nature.

He had not even reached halfway into the depths following the monkey when a massive, elliptical pit plunging into the earth appeared before him. It was like a cave within a cave. Lin Qiu crouched down and shone his high-intensity military flashlight downward, but the beam could not pierce the darkness; it seemed as though the light were being refracted and blocked entirely.

Lin Qiu was struck with wonder. He was using a high-powered military-grade flashlight. What kind of darkness could possibly repel such a beam?

"It seems the true source of the calamity lies beneath. I must go down and see."

As he spoke, Lin Qiu glanced at the monkey beside him, only to see the creature scratching its ears and cheeks, bounding away toward the side. Before he knew it, the monkey had produced a long vine growing out of the rock wall. The vine seemed bottomless, disappearing directly into the abyss of the pit.

The monkey’s intent was clear. Emboldened, Lin Qiu stood up, walked over, and tugged on the vine. "This is a thousand-year subterranean vine. It is incorruptible and can grow to be ten thousand meters long. If it captures the essence of heaven and earth, it can grow into something like the ancient demonic vines. This place truly is teeming with rare wonders; no wonder it gave birth to a strange beast like you."

Lin Qiu looked at the monkey as he spoke; clearly, the "strange beast" he referred to was this very primate. He still could not identify what kind of monkey it was, and even Wang Xiaomeng could not discern its origins. If it were a common mountain ape, how could it survive in such a place, let alone possess such intelligence? There was even a faint, lingering trace of spiritual energy about it. Given a little more time, it would likely transform into a demon.

Strange beasts that achieve a demonic form can take on human shape. Unlike true demons, strange beasts possess a unique, innate spiritual energy rather than demonic aura. While any animal in the world can become a demon, a strange beast is a descendant of the creatures from the ancient primordial era. They are fundamentally and diametrically different from the demon race.

Lin Qiu descended rapidly. His light-footed agility played a part, but more importantly, the vine was sturdier than he had anticipated. It felt not like a rope that might snap under his weight, but like something unyielding. He did not know how long he had been descending, but he estimated he had been sliding down for over half an hour.

Only then did he see the flickering, starlike glow of phosphorescence in the gloom below. Suddenly, to his surprise, the monkey above him leaped off into the void. Ahead, there was nothing but absolute, impenetrable darkness!

Watching the monkey jump, Lin Qiu cried out, "Little monkey!"

But the monkey landed steadily amidst the starlike glow below and let out a chattering cry, calling out to Lin Qiu incessantly. It was beckoning him. Relieved, Lin Qiu let go and jumped down as well.

Once he landed, he turned on his flashlight and discovered that the floor of the pit was as smooth as polished ice. Lin Qiu crouched and touched the ground; it was devoid of any ruggedness or loose stones. It was as smooth as solid ice, yet it was clearly not ice, nor was it water. Puzzled, Lin Qiu stroked the surface and whispered, "System, scan."

"Scanning," the cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Then the system replied, "Anciently known as Profound Ice; currently classified as a pure carbon compound."

Lin Qiu could not help but smile at the answer. Profound Ice—it seemed this truly was a place for demonic cultivation. If he recalled correctly, Profound Ice was a substance capable of gathering spiritual energy. In a pit like this, even setting aside spiritual energy, the sheer concentration of cold subterranean Yin energy would make the practice of evil arts twice as effective with half the effort. It was no wonder the place could nourish something like an ancient demonic vine. As for the starlike lights, Lin Qiu realized they were subterranean mineral crystals that emitted their own glow.

Lin Qiu walked forward, his flashlight beam cutting through the dark. Ahead, there appeared to be another entrance, tunnel-like in appearance. Walking on the Profound Ice sounded just like stepping on crisp ice. The pit was vast, shaped like an inverted funnel that widened as it descended. The bottom was now as large as a small soccer field. Lin Qiu noticed that the thousand-year subterranean vines were also sprouting from the surrounding rock walls.

This place was clearly excavated with great care and reinforced with arrays. It was not a masterpiece of nature.

Watching the little monkey leading the way, it seemed completely unafraid, moving with the familiarity of one who had lived here for a long time. The monkey appeared happy, showing no signs of trepidation even as it entered the tunnel.

But as soon as Lin Qiu stepped into the tunnel, he felt an overwhelming pressure crush his spirit. Each step forward made it difficult to breathe. After only a dozen paces, cold sweat began to drip from his forehead.

In the narrow, long underground passage, he could see firelight at the far exit. Seemingly noticing that the human behind him was struggling, the monkey scampered back to his side and took his hand.

The moment the monkey touched his hand, the terrifying pressure that had been mounting vanished into thin air.

Astonished, Lin Qiu looked at the monkey, which was staring back at him. He paused, stunned. "Good fellow, it seems the array here knows how to recognize people!"

There was indeed an array here; he had realized it the moment he entered the tunnel. But he had not expected the little monkey to be able to exempt him from its effects, as if it were telling the array that he was a friend it had brought along.

With the pressure gone, Lin Qiu quickened his pace. At the far end of the tunnel, he saw a stone tablet, as tall as a man, standing in the center. Behind the tablet lay the end of the tunnel, which appeared to be a dojo lit by torches.

On the stone tablet were carved eight characters:

"Man is not man, and demon is not demon!"