111: Chapter 111 It seems like an old friend has come, but ten thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After hearing Yun Chenfei's words, Yan Qingying looked toward the table inside the bamboo house.

She saw a white porcelain cup on the table; one of the lids was open, and wisps of white steam were still rising from it.

"Could someone still be living here?"

Looking around, Yan Qingying spoke with doubt.

"I don't know if they are original inhabitants, but someone was definitely here just now. Otherwise, this cup of tea couldn't still be hot."

Touching the warm teacup, Yun Chenfei spoke.

"Does the master of this place not welcome us? Maybe we should leave, Brother Qiwu."

Pulling on Yun Chenfei's sleeve, Yan Qingying spoke worriedly.

"It's already dark outside. Since someone lives here, it means it's relatively safe at night."

Frowning slightly, Yun Chenfei spoke softly.

As the sky grew darker, the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling gradually began to drift in from outside.

"The sounds outside are so terrifying. Many people must have been attacked by wraiths. Those wraiths won't find this place, will they?"

Cautiously glancing outside the door, Yan Qingying whispered.

"Don't worry, I just checked. The bamboo used to build this small courtyard is all Golden Thunder Bamboo. Those wraiths wouldn't dare come here."

Patting Yan Qingying's small head, Yun Chenfei comforted her.

Hearing this, Yan Qingying immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then took out the large chest Yun Chenfei had just given her.

"Brother Qiwu, let's open this chest and see what treasures are inside, okay?"

Looking at the chest on the floor, Yan Qingying spoke excitedly.

"The chest was given to you, so open it if you want."

Yun Chenfei casually took out a night-luminous pearl he had dug up in the underground secret chamber and placed it on the bamboo table.

*Click!*

With a soft sound, Yan Qingying twisted off the gold lock on the outside of the chest and slowly opened it.

Inside the chest lay a set of Multi-colored Rosy Clouds women's clothing, along with a hairpin and a pair of jade bracelets.

"Wow!"

"This dress is so beautiful, and there's even a hairpin and jade bracelets."

Looking at the clothes emitting a colorful glow in the chest, Yan Qingying spoke happily.

"White Jade Immortal Vein Bracelets, Jade Phoenix Plum Blossom Hairpin, Rainbow Gossamer Exquisite Ruyi Skirt."

Suddenly, a voice full of vigor rang out from outside the bamboo house.

The newcomer had his hair tied with a strip of green cloth; his clothes were ragged and he reeked of alcohol. He had sharp, slanted sword-like eyebrows, long narrow dark eyes full of sharpness, and a well-defined profile.

His build was tall and slender but not coarse. He was cold, aloof, and solitary, yet also overbearing, exuding a powerful aura that looked down upon the world.

"Senior recognizes these treasures?"

Seeing that he couldn't see through the middle-aged man's cultivation, Yun Chenfei inconspicuously shielded Yan Qingying behind him.

"It feels like an old friend returning, ten thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye."

Casually taking the wine gourd from his waist, he held it to his lips, but after tipping it several times, not a single drop of wine fell out. The middle-aged man shook his head and murmured.

Hearing this, Yun Chenfei was greatly shocked. Could this alcohol-reeking middle-aged man be someone from the Holy Domain ten thousand years ago?

If he really was from the Holy Domain ten thousand years ago, how high must his cultivation be to have a Lifespan of over ten thousand years?

"If Senior does not mind, this Junior has some crude wine here."

Seeing that the middle-aged man seemed to want to drink, Yun Chenfei quickly took out two jars of spirit wine and placed them on the table.

Before Yun Chenfei could even finish speaking, the middle-aged man impatiently opened the wine jars.

"How many can find such peace in a chaotic world? Why should I grieve for my head of gray hair today?"

"Even a Nine-Revolution Spirit Pill cannot surpass wine; the pure joy of the five tones is not equal to poetry."

After drinking both jars of wine on the table in one go, the middle-aged man spoke, still wanting more.

Seeing this, Yun Chenfei silently took out a few more jars of wine and placed them on the table.

The middle-aged man picked up a jar and said nothing, merely gesturing for Yun Chenfei to drink with him.

Yun Chenfei, who was long accustomed to drinking with Wang Daoyi, didn't mind. He picked up a jar and began drinking with the middle-aged man.

"Uncle Jiugui, are you from the Holy Domain? How long have you been here?"

At this moment, Yan Qingying, who was nearby, asked curiously.

"I am but a Gravekeeper."

Hearing Yan Qingying call him Uncle Jiugui, the middle-aged man gave her a strange look before speaking.

"Gravekeeper?"

Yan Qingying looked at the middle-aged man in confusion.

"There are twenty-seven thousand eight hundred and sixty-six bamboos outside. Each bamboo is a grave."

Casually pointing outside the door, a deep sense of sorrow flickered in the middle-aged man's eyes.

"How can people be buried inside bamboo?"

Yan Qingying couldn't help but ask.

"If I'm not mistaken, the bamboo only houses a wisp of the deceased's remnant Soul; the Physical Body is not buried there."

Before the middle-aged man could speak, Yun Chenfei spoke up.

"Correct."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man gave Yun Chenfei an appreciative look.

"Sigh!"

"If it weren't for my guardianship over the past ten thousand years, they would have long ago become like those Puppets outside that only know how to devour Souls."

With a sigh, the middle-aged man continued.

"Those wraiths outside are Puppets?"

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Yun Chenfei asked in shock.

"Wraiths?"

"Your description is fitting. They are indeed formed from resentment, but they are merely Puppets of the soul devouring tree."

"The Souls they devour will eventually be transformed into nourishment for the soul devouring tree, which will then produce even more Puppets."

"The cycle continues until the soul devouring tree is laden with a hundred soul-devouring fruits. At that time, the soul devouring tree will give birth to a Soul Devouring Beast."

After downing half a jar of spirit wine, the middle-aged man continued.

"Uncle Jiugui, what is a Soul Devouring Beast?"

"I've only heard of the soul devouring tree and soul-devouring fruit, but I've never heard of a Soul Devouring Beast."

Yan Qingying, who had been listening intently from the side, suddenly asked.

"The Soul Devouring Beast is cruel and bloodthirsty. It can silently suck out the Souls of the living, killing without a trace and making it impossible to guard against."

"Every time a Soul Devouring Beast is born, the world will face a great catastrophe. Countless Cultivators will die miserably in its mouth."

"Furthermore, the Soul Devouring Beast has long since jumped out of the Three Realms and is not within the Five Elements. Once it takes form, it is very difficult to kill."

"Only a few auspicious beasts in the world are its natural enemies."

"Ten thousand years ago, a Soul Devouring Beast was born. In just a few days, it devoured the Souls of over a hundred thousand Cultivators. Among them, even some Saints and Saint King Cultivators fell victim to it while unguarded."

"Later, it was a Great Eminent Holy Monk from the Holy Domain, who had practiced Buddhist dharma for ten thousand years, who transformed his own Soul and Physical Body into a Sarira to finally slay that Soul Devouring Beast."

"It was precisely because of this matter that the Holy Domain provoked enemies it shouldn't have, and the entire sect was wiped out overnight."

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man clenched his fists. His expression looked very pained, as if he had fallen into his memories.