I Idle in the World of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 13: The Demon Abyss
Two days passed quickly.
Lin Luo didn't go anywhere. He just went back and forth between the Chores Hall and the mine shaft. During the day, he chopped wood, soaked up the sun, and looked at his phone. At night, he went to the mine to check the spirit field, harvest Glow Mushrooms, and adjust Bone One's and Rat One's idle commands.
Day 16 after transmigration. Early morning.
Lin Luo was woken by his phone vibrating. He squinted at the screen.
[Nine Cycles Mystic Art, Second Cycle training complete!]
A warm power rose from deep inside his body. Not violent, but deep. Lin Luo felt his bones tremble slightly. His muscle fibers seemed to be rewoven. A faint metallic sheen appeared on his skin, then faded after a few seconds.
He made a fist. His knuckles cracked – heavier and steadier than before.
He opened his status panel.
[Nine Cycles Mystic Art · Second Cycle: Physical strength greatly increased. Can withstand early Golden Core attacks.]
[Current Defense: 220 → 400 (boost from Nine Cycles Mystic Art) → 650 (Second Cycle complete)]
Defense jumped from 400 straight to 650. He could probably take a full-power early Golden Core attack now.
Lin Luo took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
He checked the idle countdown.
[Idle Cultivation in progress… Time until breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Layer 2: 24 hours.]
Tomorrow at this time, he would be at Foundation Establishment Layer 2.
He switched to Bone One's interface.
Bone One hadn't been idle these two days. He had killed the Iron Claw Mongoose over a hundred times. Now that mongoose ran away when it saw the skeleton – but Bone One's random explore range had expanded to the whole back mountain. The mongoose couldn't escape.
[Bone One (Demon · Skeleton Race)]
[Cultivation: Qi Gathering, Layer 5 ↑]
[Attack: 25 → 45]
[Defense: 30 → 55 (+20% physical reduction)]
[HP: 120 → 200]
[Spirit Stones: 210 → 480]
Bone One went from Qi Gathering Layer 3 to Layer 5. Two layers in two days. Not bad.
He switched to Rat One.
[Rat One (Beast · Treasure-Seeking Rat Race)]
[Cultivation: Spirit Gathering, Layer 4 ↑]
[Attack: 11+8=19 → 28]
[Defense: 13+8=21 → 35]
[HP: 48+8=56 → 85]
[Spirit Stones: 0 → 50]
Rat One also went up one layer. His treasure sensing range expanded to 1000 meters. Over the past two days, he had found two more Glow Mushrooms and a piece of low-grade spirit stone ore fragment.
Lin Luo checked the sect warehouse.
[Sect Warehouse · 100 slots]
[Spirit Stones: 300]
[Glow Mushrooms: 15]
[Demon Beast Cores (Low-Grade): 28]
[Iron Claw Mongoose Claws: 46]
[Golden Thread Talisman Cloth: 1]
[Low-Grade Spirit Stone Ore Fragment: 1]
The Glow Mushrooms were planted in the spirit field. They had grown from 8 to 15, and he could harvest a batch every day. The demon beast cores and claws had piled up. He could sell them at the market for Spirit Stones.
Lin Luo nodded with satisfaction, turned off his phone, and got out of bed.
Today, he was going to the Demon Abyss.
Qin Yun had sent word yesterday that he would wait for Lin Luo outside the mountain gate early this morning.
Lin Luo washed up, ate breakfast, and checked his gear.
Black Iron Axe, Spirit Recovery Pill ×8, Life Extension Pill ×1, Antidote Pill ×3, Light Talisman ×5, Teleport Talisman ×1. He also took 10 demon beast cores from the sect warehouse – to sell for Spirit Stones on the way if he had a chance.
He switched to Bone One's interface and gave him a new command: [Follow main account, keep 500 meters distance, stealth mode.]
Bone One stood up from the stream in the back mountain. His white bones stood out sharply in the morning light. He was afraid of light, so Lin Luo had bought him a low-grade [Shadow Cloak] – 50 Spirit Stones, blocks sunlight, but can't be worn in combat – only for traveling.
Bone One put on the cloak and became a moving cloud of black mist, following far behind Lin Luo.
Rat One didn't come along. Rat One's job was to stay at the Cangxuan Sect, keep finding treasures, planting Glow Mushrooms, and idling.
Everything was ready.
Lin Luo walked out of the Chores Hall, passed through the Cangxuan Sect's mountain gate, and saw Qin Yun already waiting outside.
Qin Yun wore black clothes today. A long sword hung at his waist. A backpack was strapped to his back. No attendants – just him.
"You're here." Qin Yun nodded when he saw Lin Luo. "Let's go."
"Just you alone?"
"Yes. More people wouldn't help. The Demon Abyss isn't a place where numbers matter."
Lin Luo said nothing and followed him.
The Demon Abyss was eight hundred miles west of the Cangxuan Sect. They had to cross two mountains and a desert to reach the entrance. Qin Yun flew on his sword. Lin Luo – he didn't have a flying sword yet – stood on Qin Yun's sword.
"You're at Foundation Establishment Layer 1 and you don't even have a flying sword?" Qin Yun couldn't help asking.
"The Chores Hall doesn't give out flying swords."
"…When we get to the Demon Abyss, I'll help you get one."
"Okay."
The sword shot into the air, wind howling. Lin Luo crouched at the tail end of the sword, hands in his pockets like last time, looking relaxed.
But he wasn't relaxed.
He was looking at his phone.
Bone One was following five hundred meters behind, not slow. The skeleton race was light – they ran faster than humans. With the Shadow Cloak's boost, he could barely keep up with the sword's speed.
Rat One was in the mine shaft at the Cangxuan Sect's back mountain, idling.
Everything was under control.
After about four hours of flying, Qin Yun landed at the edge of a desert.
"The entrance to the Demon Abyss is ahead." He pointed to a huge crack in the distance. "That crack – that's the Demon Abyss."
Lin Luo looked where he was pointing.
The earth looked like it had been split by a giant sword, leaving a gash that stretched for miles. The crack was bottomless. Black mist poured out of it, rolling and rising in the sunlight like a black river flowing backward into the sky.
"The Demon Abyss has three layers," Qin Yun said. "The first layer is the outer area. Mostly low-level demons and demon beasts. Foundation Establishment can handle them. The second layer is Blood Clan territory. There are Blood Clan members at late Foundation Establishment and early Golden Core. The third layer – no one has ever been down there. They say there are late Golden Core monsters."
"The Blood Soul Pearl is on the second layer?"
"Yes. In the Blood Clan Elder's lair."
"The Golden Core Stage Blood Clan Elder you mentioned – which layer is he on?"
Qin Yun was silent for a moment.
"The second layer."
"Didn't you say he wouldn't be there?"
"He's usually not there," Qin Yun said. "But the Blood Clan have been active lately. He might be there. So I'll be honest with you – we might run into him."
Lin Luo looked at him and said nothing.
"If you want to turn back now, I won't stop you," Qin Yun said. "You have a Teleport Talisman. If something happens, you can run."
Lin Luo thought about it.
His cultivation was Foundation Establishment Layer 1 right now. The second cycle of the Nine Cycles Mystic Art was complete. His defense was 650. He could take an early Golden Core attack. A mid Golden Core Blood Clan Elder – he couldn't win, but he could probably run away.
And Bone One was behind him. Two against one – not necessarily a loss.
"Let's go down."
Qin Yun let out a breath of relief and led the way into the crack.
Lin Luo jumped in after him.
The fall took longer than expected. Black mist closed in from all sides. Visibility got worse and worse. Lin Luo took out a Light Talisman and activated it. The talisman gave off a soft white light, illuminating the area ten meters around him.
Solid rock underfoot. He had landed.
The Demon Abyss, first layer.
It was like an underground cave, but much larger than any ordinary cave. The ceiling was impossibly high. Glowing moss covered the rock walls, giving off a faint green light. The air smelled of decay. In the distance, low growls echoed.
Qin Yun drew his sword and walked ahead.
"Stay close. The demons on the first layer aren't strong, but there are a lot of them."
Just as he finished speaking, three black shadows charged out from ahead.
[Abyss Hound · Foundation Establishment Layer 1 ×3. Demon, pack hunters, fast, venomous bite.]
The Spirit Eye Technique gave the information automatically.
Lin Luo didn't take out his axe. He switched to Bone One's perspective. Bone One had also jumped down and was about two hundred meters behind them, his Shadow Cloak covering his whole body, only the two green flames in his eye sockets visible.
Lin Luo controlled Bone One to sneak up.
The three Abyss Hounds were staring at Qin Yun, growling low in their throats. They didn't notice the black mist approaching from behind.
Bone One struck with his blade.
One stab into the hindquarters of the last Abyss Hound.
[-65]
The hound screamed and turned to pounce on Bone One. Bone One didn't dodge. He was knocked to the ground, two of his bones cracked.
[Bone One has died. Consume 1 Spirit Stone to revive.]
Bone One revived ten meters away and sneaked up again.
Qin Yun heard the noise and glanced back – he only saw a flash of black mist. The three hounds were in chaos. One was chasing the black mist, two were watching him warily.
"That skeleton of yours?" Qin Yun asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"Sneaky."
Lin Luo didn't respond. He controlled Bone One to keep harassing while he took out his Black Iron Axe and walked toward the remaining two hounds.
One axe swing.
[-280]
One hound was split in half.
The other one froze. Qin Yun took the chance to stab it through the throat.
Three Abyss Hounds, down in under thirty seconds.
Qin Yun looked at Lin Luo with a complicated expression.
"You're at Foundation Establishment Layer 1, and you split a Foundation Establishment Layer 1 demon in half with one axe swing?"
"Strong arms."
"…Fine."
They kept going deeper.
The first layer had more and more demons, but none were strong. Bone One scouted ahead. If he found a lone demon, he stabbed it. If he found a pack, he led them back to Lin Luo and Qin Yun. The three of them worked together and rolled through everything.
Four hours later, they found the entrance to the second layer.
A vertical shaft about three meters wide. Pitch black inside.
Qin Yun looked down, his face serious.
"The second layer is Blood Clan territory. Blood Clan members can see in the dark. They have the advantage in darkness."
Lin Luo took out two Light Talismans, activated them, and dropped them into the shaft. The talismans floated down slowly, lighting up the walls – which were covered in runes. Not righteous runes, but dark red, twisted runes that looked uncomfortable.
"I'll go first," Lin Luo said.
"You?"
"I can revive if I die."
Qin Yun opened his mouth but said nothing.
Lin Luo grabbed the rock protrusions on the shaft wall and climbed down. Bone One followed, just jumping straight down – died, revived, jumped again, died again, revived again. On the third try, he landed on something soft.
[Bone One has landed. Current location: Demon Abyss, second layer.]
Lin Luo switched to Bone One's perspective and looked around. A spacious stone chamber. The walls were embedded with dark red spirit stones that gave off a blood-red glow. No one in the chamber – no Blood Clan.
He switched back to the main account and kept climbing down.
At the bottom, he jumped off and looked around.
The second layer was smaller than the first, but more oppressive. The air smelled of blood. The dark red spirit stones on the walls seemed to breathe – pulsing on and off.
Qin Yun came down too, his face pale.
"The Blood Clan lair is at the deepest part of the second layer. We need to go through this passage."
He pointed to a passage at the end of the chamber. The passage was narrow – only wide enough for one person. A dripping sound came from inside – drip, drip, drip. Not water – blood.
Lin Luo went first, Bone One at the back, Qin Yun in the middle.
The passage wasn't long, but they moved slowly. Lin Luo scanned ahead with his Spirit Eye Technique every step of the way to make sure there were no ambushes.
After about fifty meters, the passage suddenly widened.
A huge cavern.
In the center of the cavern was a blood pool. Dark red liquid bubbled and churned inside. Beside the pool stood four figures in red robes – not human.
[Blood Clan · Foundation Establishment Layer 5 ×4. Blood Clan, fast, strong recovery. Weaknesses: silver and sunlight.]
Four Foundation Establishment Layer 5 Blood Clan members.
Qin Yun's face changed.
"Four at Layer 5… I can take two at most."
"I'll take the other two," Lin Luo said.
"You're at Foundation Establishment Layer 1—"
Before he finished, Lin Luo had already charged.
His Black Iron Axe, powered by Foundation Establishment Layer 1 spiritual energy, swung at the nearest Blood Clan member. The Blood Clan member was fast – it sidestepped – but Lin Luo changed direction mid-swing and struck sideways.
[-320]
The Blood Clan member's shoulder was split open. Dark red blood sprayed out. It screamed and backed away. The wound healed at a visible rate.
"Strong recovery…" Lin Luo frowned.
Bone One snuck up from behind and stabbed another Blood Clan member in the back.
[-45]
The Blood Clan member's health bar dropped less than one tenth.
"Too weak." Lin Luo switched to Bone One's perspective, controlled him to back off, and re-stealthed.
He switched back to the main account, took a deep breath, and pushed the Nine Cycles Mystic Art, Second Cycle to its limit. He poured spiritual energy into the Black Iron Axe. The blade hummed. He stopped testing and swung his second axe at the first Blood Clan member.
This swing – he used everything he had.
[-580]
The Blood Clan member's head flew off. Its body crashed to the ground. This time, no healing – with no head, it couldn't heal.
The remaining three Blood Clan members exchanged glances, then all lunged at Lin Luo at once.
Qin Yun intercepted one. His sword flashed as he fought the Blood Clan member.
The other two went for Lin Luo.
Lin Luo didn't retreat. He took a claw swipe from the first Blood Clan member head-on – the claws left three scratches on his chest, but only broke the skin.
[-120]
Defense 650 wasn't for nothing.
He swung his axe at that Blood Clan member. It dodged – but Bone One appeared behind it and stabbed it in the back of the neck.
[-60]
The Blood Clan member turned to grab Bone One. Lin Luo's axe came down.
Second one – dead.
The third one saw two of his companions dead and tried to run. Qin Yun stabbed its leg with his sword. It fell. Lin Luo finished it with one axe swing.
Four Foundation Establishment Layer 5 Blood Clan members, down in under three minutes.
Qin Yun was breathing hard, staring at Lin Luo. His expression wasn't complicated anymore – it was shock.
"You took hits from Foundation Establishment Layer 5?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of monster are you?"
"Chores Hall kind." Lin Luo wiped the blood off his axe. "Let's go. There should be something in the blood pool."
He walked to the pool and looked in.
At the bottom of the pool, faintly visible, was a dark red pearl.
The Blood Soul Pearl.
But next to the pearl lay a figure.
A young man in a red robe, eyes closed, like he was sleeping. But his skin was pale and translucent. His lips were red as blood. His chest rose and fell faintly.
[Blood Clan Elder · Golden Core Layer 6. Sleeping. Danger level: Extreme.]
Lin Luo's steps stopped.
Golden Core Layer 6.
Not early Golden Core. Golden Core Layer 6 – mid Golden Core peak, one step away from late Golden Core.
His defense was 650. He could take early Golden Core hits. But a Golden Core Layer 6 attack would do at least 1000 damage. He couldn't take that.
"Qin Yun," he whispered.
"I see it." Qin Yun's voice shook. "A Blood Clan Elder at Golden Core Layer 6. What is he doing here?"
"He's guarding the Blood Soul Pearl." Lin Luo stared at the sleeping Blood Clan Elder. "We can't fight him head-on."
"Then what do we do?"
Lin Luo thought for a moment.
He switched to Bone One's perspective. Bone One was crouched in the corner of the cavern, his Shadow Cloak covering his whole body.
Bone One could take it. If he died, the item would go into Shared Storage. The Blood Clan Elder would wake up, but the item would already be gone.
"I have a way," Lin Luo said. "You two back off."
Qin Yun pulled Lin Luo back toward the passage entrance. Lin Luo stood still – he was controlling Bone One.
Bone One stood up from the corner and silently approached the blood pool. The skeleton race was light. Their steps made no sound. With the Shadow Cloak hiding him, even the Golden Core Layer 6 Blood Clan Elder didn't notice.
Bone One reached the pool, crouched down, and reached his hand into the blood.
The liquid was thick and warm – like real blood. His hand bones felt around in the liquid, found the pearl, and grabbed it.
[Blood Soul Pearl · Mid-Grade treasure. Use: Make Blood Soul Pills to greatly increase vitality and recovery. Can also absorb directly for a large vitality boost.]
The pearl went into Bone One's backpack.
The next second, the Blood Clan Elder's eyes opened.
Dark red pupils, no whites, staring straight at Bone One.
"Looking for death."
One palm strike. A full-power Golden Core Layer 6 attack, charged with blood-colored spiritual energy, shattered Bone One's entire skeleton.
[Bone One has died.]
[Savings Ring effect activated. Items in Bone One's backpack have been stored in Shared Storage: Black Iron Short Blade ×1, Blood Soul Pearl ×1.]
Lin Luo felt something new appear in the Shared Storage.
He switched back to the main account, grabbed Qin Yun, and yelled, "Run!"
The two of them charged into the passage and ran for their lives. Behind them, the Blood Clan Elder's roar shook the whole cavern.
"Humans –! You dare steal my Blood Soul Pearl –!"
Lin Luo pulled out his phone while running and tapped to revive Bone One.
[Bone One revived. Consumed 1 Spirit Stone.]
Bone One revived outside the cavern, his white bones reassembled, the green flames in his eye sockets rekindled. Lin Luo controlled Bone One to run in the opposite direction to draw the Blood Clan Elder's attention.
The Elder indeed chased Bone One. The skeleton's aura was different from a human's, but a Golden Core Layer 6 divine sense could easily tell that Bone One wasn't the thief. Still, Bone One was running the opposite way from the main account – it would buy them at least a little time.
Lin Luo and Qin Yun burst out of the Demon Abyss second layer, climbed up the shaft, and made it back to the first layer. The demons on the first layer couldn't stop them now. The two ran all the way to the crack and took off on the sword.
When they were high in the sky, Lin Luo looked back at the Demon Abyss.
Inside the crack, a cloud of blood-colored mist churned and rose, like something trying to burst out.
But in the end, it didn't follow.
Lin Luo let out a breath and pulled out his phone.
In the Shared Storage, the Blood Soul Pearl sat quietly in the corner.
The corner of his mouth curled up.
Worth it.
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Current Status
Main Account · Lin Luo (Immortal Cultivation)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 1 (22h to Layer 2)
Nine Cycles Mystic Art: Second Cycle (Mastered), can withstand early Golden Core attacks
Defense: 650
Attack: 280 (+50 Black Iron Axe = 330)
HP: 1500/1500 (lost 120 in battle, recovered naturally)
Spirit Stones: 1850 (after buying consumables)
Possessions: Spirit Recovery Pill ×8, Life Extension Pill ×1, Antidote Pill ×3, Light Talisman ×4, Teleport Talisman ×1, Black Iron Axe ×1
Skill: Spirit Eye Technique
Alt Account · Bone One (Demon Cultivation · Skeleton Race) – Another Lin Luo
Cultivation: Qi Gathering, Layer 5
Status: Hosting · Demon Abyss first layer (stealth mode)
Attack: 45
Defense: 55 (+20% physical reduction)
HP: 200/200
Spirit Stones: 479 (after revive)
Equipment: Savings Ring, Black Iron Short Blade, Shadow Cloak, Spirit Recovery Pill ×3
Trait: Physical reduction 20%, afraid of light
Cumulative deaths: about 90
Alt Account · Rat One (Beast Cultivation · Treasure-Seeking Rat Race) – Another Lin Luo
Cultivation: Spirit Gathering, Layer 4
Status: Hosting · Cangxuan Sect back mountain (treasure hunting + farming)
Attack: 28
Defense: 35
HP: 85/85
Spirit Stones: 50
Equipment: Mini Backpack (5 slots)
Trait: Treasure Sensing (1000m range)
Current task: Spirit field management (15 Glow Mushrooms growing)
Sect · Idle Sect
Sect Leader: Lin Luo
Members: Bone One, Rat One
Level: 1 (EXP: 80/500)
Idle Bonus: +10%
Sect Contribution: 80
Sect Warehouse Capacity: 100 slots
Sect Warehouse Contents: Spirit Stones 300, Glow Mushrooms 15, Demon Beast Cores 28, Iron Claw Mongoose Claws 46, Golden Thread Talisman Cloth 1, Low-Grade Spirit Stone Fragment 1, Blood Soul Pearl 1 (new)
Daily Missions: Completed (Explore new map · Demon Abyss)
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Appendix: Special Cultivation Systems for Lin Luo and His Alt Accounts
Main Account (Immortal Cultivation)
Qi Refining → Foundation Establishment → Core Opening → Fusion → Heart Movement → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Soul Departure → Spirit Separation → Body Integration → Cave Void → Great Ascension → Tribulation Transcendence
Demon Cultivation · Skeleton Race (Bone One)
Qi Gathering → Body Refining → Core Condensation → Desire Embodiment → Devouring → Demon Infant → Soul Departure → Sense Separation → Body Fusion → Void Break → Great Ascension → Tribulation Transcendence
Beast Cultivation · Treasure-Seeking Rat Race (Rat One)
Spirit Gathering → Intelligence Awakening → Body Tempering → Bone Refining → Beast Core → Transformation → Soul Condensation → Spirit Roaming → Body Purification → Void Training → Great Ascension → Tribulation Transcendence
Note: The above are the exclusive cultivation systems for Lin Luo and his alt accounts. Everyone else (side characters, enemies, etc.) uses the traditional system: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Training, Body Integration, Great Ascension, Tribulation Transcendence.
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(End of Chapter 13 )
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