Chapter 39

How vast is the Nanzheng Nether Region?

After nearly six hours of running, Chen Xi still felt as if he was walking in a fog. Apart from the occasional demonic beasts that leaped out, he saw nothing else.

This time, over ten thousand cultivators entered the Nanzheng Nether Region, but until now, apart from Du Qingxi, Duanmuzhe, and Song Lin by his side, Chen Xi hadn't seen anyone else.

Clearly, when entering the Nanzheng Nether Region, everyone was teleported to different locations!

"Take a break. In about an incense stick's time, we will leave this Gray Nightmare Zone and enter the Blood Mountain Range."

Du Qingxi suddenly stopped, looked at the sky, and then at the map in her hand. She turned and suggested, "In the Blood Mountain Range, countless demonic beast herds rampage, and there, we will also encounter other cultivators. For survival, for the demonic cores, or for the Sword Immortal's cave, the true competition and slaughter will soon begin."

Her usually cold and icy voice carried a rare sense of gravity, which was extremely uncommon for Du Qingxi. This clearly showed that the danger of the Blood Mountain Range was a thorny issue even for her.

"Indeed, among the demonic beast herds, there are sometimes demonic beast leaders, whose strength is equivalent to the initial stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, which is extremely terrifying. However, these demonic beast leaders never attack humans proactively, but if someone provokes them, it will definitely be a disaster for us, whose strength is limited to the peak of the Innate Realm."

Duanmuzhe's expression was solemn as he pondered and spoke, not boasting or talking at length as he usually did.

Seeing the gravity in both their expressions, Chen Xi, who was calculating the number of demonic cores, also shifted his attention. A demonic beast leader at the Purple Mansion Realm? True slaughter is about to begin? Is the Blood Mountain Range really that terrifying?

"Actually, I think the most dangerous are the other cultivators who came with us." Song Lin rubbed his sleepy eyes and interjected.

Is he talking about Su Jiao and the others? Chen Xi pondered inwardly.

Du Qingxi and Duanmuzhe seemed to realize something and looked at Song Lin together. They both knew that despite this guy's slovenly and sleepy appearance, his mind was as clear as a mirror, and he was aware of any slight changes in the surroundings. If he was speaking like this, did he discover something?

"Don't look at me like that. Anyway, before entering the Nanzheng Nether Region, I had a feeling of unease, as if there were some powerful figures among those cultivators that we don't know about." Song Lin shrugged and said helplessly.

Hearing Song Lin's words, Du Qingxi's expression became even more serious.

"Qingxi, don't worry too much. No matter how powerful these hidden figures are, once they enter the Nanzheng Nether Region, their strength will also be limited to the peak of the Innate Realm. The three of us working together can handle anything." Duanmuzhe gently consoled her.

Du Qingxi, however, didn't listen. She found a place at random, sat down cross-legged, and closed her eyes in deep thought.

In this Nanzheng Nether Region trial, the majority were unfamiliar cultivators. To obtain more demonic cores or the Sword Immortal's cave, these people would do anything.

All of this was within Du Qingxi's expectations, but after hearing Song Lin's words and thinking about the many powerful figures hidden among the cultivators, how could she be complacent?

Song Lin's cultivation was on par with hers, but the cultivation method he practiced was extremely unique, allowing him to敏锐地察觉到周围可能存在的危险。能让宋霖感到危险的人物，其修为该会有多恐怖？

没想到，这次南蛮冥域闹出的动静如此之大，单是苏娇等人已经够让人头疼了，如今又多出一些隐藏的强者，也不知到谁是最后的赢家……

杜清溪心中轻轻一叹，原本胜券在握的心不禁产生一丝动摇。

“还傻愣着干什么，做饭啊！”

端木泽瞪了一眼陈汐，转身来到杜清溪身边，声音温柔地说道：“清溪，赶了这么长时间的路，想必累坏了吧？要吃点什么，让那小子帮你做。”

陈汐已经学会无视这个时不时就要撩拨自己两下的公子哥，很自然地把目光投向杜清溪。

“也好，陈汐你看着做吧。”杜清溪睁开眼，想了想吩咐道。

南蛮冥域中灵气枯竭，煞气充盈，若无丹药元石补充，别说杀死煞兽搜集煞珠了，生存下去都是一件极为困难的事情。她之所以带着陈汐，便是因为陈汐能够烹饪出灵气充沛的美味佳肴。

“那就做一些缓解疲乏的菜肴，补充一下体力吧。”陈汐点点头。

“我也要吃！”宋霖在一旁大叫道，提起吃东西，这个一直睡不醒的邋遢家伙简直就像打了鸡血一样，斗志昂扬。

“别忘了做我那一份，再敢耍滑头，我要你好看！”见陈汐拿出食材准备烹饪，端木泽似是想起什么，冷声警告道。

“哎，干嘛对咱们的灵厨师这么凶呢，不就是上午没喝到百珍粥么，端木兄你想想，万一他朝你碗里放点毒药……哈哈”宋霖笑嘻嘻调侃道。

端木泽一愣，对啊，一路走来自己对他又是讥笑又是挖苦，他若是记恨在心，还真有可能这么做。

“唔，不下毒也可以，朝你碗里吐点口水，扔些鼻屎……”邋遢不堪的宋霖似乎对重口味的事情很感兴趣，越说越兴奋。

太恶心了！

端木泽嘴角狠狠一抽，看了看远处的陈汐，只得在内心咬牙决定，吃饭的时候，若敢被本少爷察觉出一丝异味，麻痹的，一定要把这家伙撕碎成渣渣！

陈汐没那么无聊，也不像宋霖那么重的口味。马上就要进入穷凶极恶的血腥山地，他就是想恶心恶心端木泽，也得视情况而定。

毕竟端木泽如今跟陈汐是一伙的，彼此之间哪怕再看对方不顺眼，在目前的情况下，也不得不暂时放下这段恩怨，共同面对即将来临的危险。

烧鳜鱼、煎巴果、炸桂丸、生葱爆炒肥楠虾、翠菇油焖红烧肉……很快，一盘盘色泽诱人的菜肴新鲜出锅。

一座画着花鸟虫鱼的屏风内，屏风灵气缭绕，里边传出一串犹如淙淙溪水般叮咚悦耳的丝竹之声，端木泽、杜清溪、宋霖围着一张青玉圆桌坐下，看着如同流水般呈上来的各色佳肴美味，嗅着空气中飘散的各种诱人香味，心情顿时大好。

能够在这灰霾重重，风沙漫天，荒芜如同废墟的南蛮冥域内，吃上一顿如此丰盛又充满灵气的宴席，无疑是一件让人很开心的事情。

“想不到清溪准备的如此周全，连屏风桌椅都准备充足，置身此处，不闻风沙呼啸之声，不见灰霾阴暗之景，眼中鼻中尽是可餐秀色，曼妙丝竹，真是懂得生活啊。”端木泽捻着雕玉小酒杯一饮而尽，发出一声满足的感慨。

“享受吗？”杜清溪怔了怔，眼底深处涌出一丝怅然。

“吃饭吃饭，聊什么天啊，唔，这道拔丝龙蕉果太好吃了……”宋霖饿死鬼投胎一般，双手开工，筷子如雨点落下，吃得满嘴流油。

陈汐掀开屏风走了进来，放下一盆鲜嫩清香的珍果汤，便即转身离开。

“你不一起吃？”杜清溪抬头问道。

“我在烤肉，你们先吃吧。”陈汐头也不回地答道，他可不想跟端木泽坐在一个桌上。

“清溪，他喜欢就呆在外边，再说他一个仆役，哪有跟咱们在一起吃饭的道理。”见杜清溪还要开口，端木泽连忙劝解道。

杜清溪冷冷道：“他是灵厨师，我们是雇佣关系！”

端木泽撇撇嘴，不以为意道：“哦，是这样啊。”

……

没有时间去艳羡杜清溪三人的奢华生活，陈汐坐在极远处的沙砾地上，狼吞虎咽般消灭掉一个烤熟的狍子后腿，填饱肚子，便即朝远处灰雾重重的地方奔行而去。

他要搜集煞珠。

这一路行来，虽说已搜集到将近三千颗煞珠，但是这还远远不够，按照季禺的说法，起码得需要提取十万颗煞珠的玄冥煞气，才能凝结出一个涅槃轮。

十万颗煞珠，就意味着必须猎杀十万头煞兽，这绝对是个令人感到无望的数字。不过，陈汐好不容易进入南蛮冥域一次，不搜集到足够的玄冥煞气，他怎会甘心？

然而就在陈汐奔出去不到三里地，远处重重灰雾中猛地响起一声凄厉的呼喊。

“快跑，煞兽群来了！”

声音中透着无尽惊恐，不旋即，数个修士从远处灰雾中仓惶奔跑而来，他们头发凌乱，衣衫破裂，身上血迹斑斑，神态极为狼狈。

煞兽群？这些人难道遭到袭击了？

陈汐顿住脚步，强大的神魂之力扩散而出。

“快跑啊，煞兽群来了！”

在阵阵凄厉的呼喊声中，那些人已经临近，却不料意外陡然发生。

只见为首那名中年大汉，在快要与陈汐擦肩而过的时候，猛地腰肢一拧，五指微张，探手朝陈汐的脖颈抓去！

其他人见状，也一改狼狈状态，神色狠戾地朝陈汐围拢而来。

这哪里是被煞兽群袭击之后狼狈逃命的可怜人，分明就是一群谲诈狡猾的歹徒！

陈汐站在原地一动不动，看上去像是被突然的变故吓傻了。

看到这一幕，中年大汉满是血渍的脸上浮起一丝狰狞得意的笑容，多傻的小肥羊，一看就是个雏儿啊。

嗯？好像有点不对劲……

中年大汉甫一对上陈汐冷静如冰的眼睛，只觉一股莫名的惊悸从脊椎骨倏然涌遍全身。