Ren Qing glanced at the high platform in the center of the camp.
The foundation of the platform had already been laid, and traces of technique usage could be seen.
It was likely that the Restraint Officer had already tried to observe Qingxu Palace at close range, must have realized something, and therefore, to be cautious, did not continue building.
After Song Zongwu finished speaking, he used the Restraint Officer token to head to Avici Hell, and Li Tiangang also frowned and took Sha Shanzi away.
Ren Qing was just about to find a stone house to settle in when Huang Ziwan came over.
The other Restraint Officers had already confirmed that Ren Qing had advanced to the Yin Runner Realm. Thinking of those notorious reputations that had spread widely, none dared to come forward to befriend him.
For a Restraint Officer to come out of the Stomach within the Stomach, not only did one have to regularly consume Eerie Dust to suppress aberration, but their temperament inevitably became strange as well.
Not to mention that Ren Qing could transform into a giant wolf tens of meters long and easily tear apart eerie creatures with his bare hands. How could such a thing be merely described as aberration out of control...
Clearly, Ren Qing was no different from an ordinary person, but in their eyes he was already comparable to the Shui Hulu.
Huang Ziwan's expression was complicated. Not long ago, he had still been smug about his second aberration, but now he felt like he was nothing.
"Brother Ren, you... really are... I don't even know how to describe it."
Ren Qing smiled and shook his head, put his arm around his shoulder and asked: "Want to go drink?"
"Let's go, let's go."
The two entered the camp one after the other, and soon arrived at the stone house where Huang Ziwan lived. Ren Qing took out a few jars of Drunken Life, Dreaming Death.
Huang Ziwan was overjoyed, tore off the clay seal, and impatiently drank.
The heat born of the blazing sun immediately dissipated, and at the same time it opened his chatterbox, and he began to talk endlessly about his experiences.
Huang Ziwan was still somewhat envious of Ren Qing's advancement to the Yin Runner Realm, and sighed: "I fear this old brother of yours is stuck at the second aberration. The aberration of my body and soul has become too severe."
The Dream Seed appeared on Ren Qing's forehead.
He carefully examined Huang Ziwan inside and out, and indeed found it as the latter had said , most likely his foundation had been damaged due to aberration.
"Old Huang, you can try cultivating another technique. Maybe it will help."
Huang Ziwan was about to shake his head and refuse, when he suddenly remembered that Ren Qing was already at the Yin Runner Realm, and his expression immediately became serious.
"Let's hear it."
Ren Qing sipped some wine: "Your aberration is mainly focused on flesh and part of the soul. It would not affect cultivation of techniques involving the bones."
"In the Great Dream Technique Hall, there is a technique called Poison Bone Art, which should suit you fairly well."
"Really..."
Once Huang Ziwan received a definite answer, he became impatient.
He didn't drink much longer before hastily taking his leave, using his Restraint Officer token to go to Avici Hell, and even took a jar of Drunken Life, Dreaming Death with him.
Ren Qing shook his head helplessly. He reckoned that Huang Ziwan's sudden determination was probably stirred up after seeing him reach the Yin Runner Realm.
He simply stayed in the stone house to contemplate techniques while waiting for Song Zongwu's Restoration.
Ren Qing was quite happy to be idle, but the entire Restraint Officers' Hall was in an uproar. The news of another Yin Runner Realm left everyone shocked.
Those Restraint Officers who didn't know the details of Ren Qing's experience simply could not believe someone could advance to the Yin Runner Realm in just a few years.
In contrast, Lin Cheng and the others were much calmer, their expressions showing it was only natural.
The Restraint Officers could vaguely see the arrival of a great era of strife.
Ever since Ksitigarbha had summoned souls, not only had the Great Dream True Person advanced to the Yang God Realm, but the number of Yin Runner Realm cultivators had also been steadily increasing.
In the past, it might take twenty or thirty years for even one Yin Runner Realm to appear.
It was said that Song Zongwu had already laid the foundation for the complete Yin Runner Realm path, and could step across at any time.
The storm Ren Qing had stirred up grew more and more intense, even causing several Ghost Envoy Realm cultivators who had lost their fighting spirit to actively apply for seclusion in order to break through their bottlenecks.
Just as the Restraint Officers were discussing whether the balance of power would change, all Yin Runner Realm cultivators were summoned by the Great Dream True Person.
Ren Qing arrived at Avici Hell and looked into the distance at the Dream Tree. The trunk seemed to have grown thicker.
But the ghost market was empty.
Fog sealed the road to the ghost market, leaving more than a dozen Restraint Officers standing at the foot of the tree, looking at each other in confusion, unable to make sense of the situation.
A middle-aged Restraint Officer weighed a blood crystal in his hand, just about to buy a jar of Drunken Life, Dreaming Death, when he was driven out of the ghost market, and in the blink of an eye appeared here.
Zhang Qiu was among the crowd, waved his hand and said: "No doubt the Great Dream True Person has matters to attend to, let's come back tomorrow."
"It seems that's the only way..."
They were just about to leave when suddenly a figure stamped the ground and shot straight toward the ghost market. Looking closely, it was none other than the four-armed Song Zongwu.
Then Li Tiangang came flying on paper, also bringing along the bitter-faced Sha Shanzi.
Sha Shanzi looked all around.
"This seems like a living hell."
On the ground grew strange fungal trees, and the rocks and soil all appeared fleshy. The more he looked, the more it felt inexplicably familiar.
It was as if he had once been in a similar environment, though he could not quite remember.
Seeing this, Zhang Qiu could not help but mutter to himself: "What is going on with the Restraint Officers' Hall, why are all the Yin Runner Realm gathered in the ghost market?!!"
The low caw of the Nether Crow had already sounded, and in a few breaths it landed on the branches of the Dream Tree.
Its claws were still holding the Jar Head.
Not long after, countless vines rolled in like waves, finally delivering the half-human, half-plant Muyi into the ghost market.
Miss Bai followed closely, stepping on a flying sword.
She had advanced to the Yin Runner Realm, but her outward appearance had not changed much. However, the flying sword beneath her feet had grown flesh, its gaping mouth dripping saliva.
The blood-red eyeballs of the sword stared fixedly at the Restraint Officers, and if Miss Bai had not forcibly restrained it, it would likely have rushed into the crowd.
Zhang Qiu's breathing grew heavy, when suddenly a hand clapped his shoulder.
"Excuse me."
Zhang Qiu quickly turned his head, only to see Ren Qing disappear into the fog.
His mind was still lingering on that fleeting glimpse just now, when he saw the mysterious patterns formed by Double Pupils in Ren Qing's eyes, and he could not help but fall into thought.
It was only when the noisy voices of the surrounding Restraint Officers sounded again that Zhang Qiu snapped back.
Zhang Qiu knew that the Restraint Officers' Hall was about to change, and that perhaps from the moment they had stepped into the Marsh, the future had been destined to be turbulent.
He just did not know what role Ren Qing would play in it.
Inside the ghost market, all the buildings were tightly shut, except the Great Dream Pavilion, which stood open, with the shadows inside distorted.
The Yin Runner Realm cultivators gathered at the gate of the Great Dream Pavilion.
And Ren Qing's arrival made the atmosphere awkward, for the other Yin Runner Realm had not been prepared for his sudden advancement.
Muyi greeted Ren Qing, his temperament having become more gentle.
Miss Bai, however, was constantly suppressing the flying sword, for if she was even a little careless, it would injure her.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Li Tiangang coughed a few times, and was the first to break the silence, saying: "Let us go in first. It is not good to keep the Great Dream True Person waiting."
Only then did everyone move into the Great Dream Pavilion. Inside, the original counters were gone, replaced by decorations resembling a teahouse.
The Nether Crow's body began to shrink, until it was like an ordinary crow.
Perhaps thinking that the form of a walking chicken was disgraceful, it said angrily: "What are you looking at? I have cultivated for over a hundred years , how could I not have some transformation techniques."
"Isn't that right, Ren Qing?"
"Yes, yes, yes, Senior Nether Crow, please take a seat."
Ren Qing smiled awkwardly and nodded in response, deliberately sitting next to Song Zongwu.
Sha Shanzi was the most terrified. As a newly entered Martial Practitioner Realm, being among a group of Yin Runner Realm made him feel worse than death.
The crowd had just begun to warm up, and before they could say a few words, the image of the Great Dream True Person descended.
The Great Dream True Person extended a finger and pointed in midair, and a few cups of tea appeared on the table, the faint fragrance of tea spreading.
Ren Qing scrutinized the tea. It was certainly formed of dream, but it was difficult to discern more.
Li Tiangang gathered his thoughts for a moment, then said: "Thanks to Ren Qing, we were able to clarify the situation in the Marsh."
"You can all take a look."
When Sha Shanzi heard this, his dark face turned pale.
Li Tiangang grabbed his head and twisted, breaking his neck. Immediately his head turned into a book filled with memories.
Sha Shanzi was clearly still alive, but his body could not help trembling. Having one's head turn into a book was not a pleasant experience.
Li Tiangang handed the book to Song Zongwu, and they began reading it among themselves.
The Great Dream True Person had already heard from Li Tiangang beforehand, and now merely stood silently by, showing no emotional fluctuation.
Li Tiangang could not help but ask: "Ren Qing, do you have anything to add?"
Ren Qing hesitated for a few breaths, then said: "Actually, by chance I already came into contact with Qingxu Palace, and found that the situation in the Marsh is very complicated."
He explained how by accident his split soul had transformed into a Ze Person and ascended to Qingxu Palace, discovering a corpse on the clouds that was neither fully dead nor alive.
In his words, to hide the flow of information, he deliberately spoke vaguely.
Song Zongwu, who had mastered the Divine Listening Technique, could indeed perceive the lies mixed in, but because it only concerned Ren Qing, he did not expose them.
The Jar Head spoke in a deep voice: "This is troublesome. The corpse on the clouds has characteristics similar to fungal species, likely of the Heavenly Abomination Realm."
"And the Heavenly Dao Worm that parasitized the corpse may very well have come from Jingzhou."
As Li Tiangang spoke, he passed several sheets of paper to the newly advanced Yin Runner Realm. The papers contained mainly information about Jingzhou, though not much.
The Nether Crow nodded and said: "With the Marsh cut off from the forbidden zone, the situation can still be contained..."
The group discussed the situation in the Marsh, focusing on investigating Huang Sand City, hoping thereby to bring tens of thousands of Gobi people under the Restraint Officers' Hall.
Ren Qing shook his head secretly. It seemed a bit too optimistic.
Clearly, they had never truly come into contact with outside powers, and had no idea how perilous this world was.
That was a world governed by the law of the dark forest.
At this moment, the Great Dream True Person spoke: "Avici Hell is no longer limited to Xiangxiang. If the situation gets out of control, be prepared to migrate."
"We are standing at the wellmouth. There is no way to go back anymore."
The Great Dream Pavilion fell silent. Everyone realized how severe the situation was, which showed that something extremely terrifying was hidden in the Marsh.
Ren Qing decided he needed to take initiative. At present, while it had not yet come to the point of needing to move hundreds of thousands of people, the worst outcome had to be considered.
He took out a miniature sand boat artifact and placed it on the table.
"It is possible to refine large artifacts. Sand boats are indeed very suitable for the terrain of the Marsh."
This was equivalent to Ren Qing indirectly admitting that the Great Dream Artifact Refinery was operated by him.
Li Tiangang and the others inwardly exclaimed at his audacity. No wonder the light-shadow within the Great Dream Artifact Refinery had seemed unreal.
But Ren Qing's courage was greater than they had imagined.
Ren Qing tentatively said: "Great Dream True Person, the Great Dream Artifact Refinery is somewhat cramped, it is really inconvenient for refining artifacts."