Li Qingshan glanced back at the Gate of Life and also took a step forward. He chose a path and ventured into the "blood maze" with determination.
Every single blood palace had several entrances. As a result, he advanced step by step, creating an equal number of clones that led to different blood palaces.
The voices of people rang out from up ahead. Li Qingshan became even more careful as he approached slowly, entering a new blood palace. As far as the eye could see, there was actually a demonfolk settlement inside.
Even though he was already mentally prepared, he still widened his eyes, struggling to hide his surprise.
The demonic city he had passed by earlier that could hold hundreds of millions of demonfolk was much larger than any city he had seen in his past life. It basically seemed like a post-modernist sci-fi novel.
The demonfolk settlement before him was even more primitive than cannibal tribes. There were no decent buildings at all. More accurately, there was not even a shack. Whether they were men, women, young, or old, they did not have a single piece of clothing on them.
Naked, they were either walking or standing, lying or lying on flesh and blood.
Several thousand demonfolk were scattered across the large space in groups of three to five. Fungi grew everywhere here, all of them bright red and plump, glistening with light.
A few demonfolk were currently harvesting, but it could not really be called "work". They plucked them and shoved them into their mouths. They would be full after a few bites, lying there and resting lazily. Presumably, this was their source of food and water.
There were also a few demonfolk who were doing it, squeaking and moaning. The others did not even look at them. They did not feel embarrassed, nor did they feel tempted. Some of them even found it noisy, hiding in a corner and sleeping as they cursed.
However, whether they were eating, sleeping, or even mating, all of the demonfolk seemed to be veiled. Their expressions were unclear.
"Perhaps I can find someone to lead the way."
Li Qingshan pondered. He chose the demonfolk who seemed to be the oldest, and his Great Freedom soul lunged over.
The old demonfolk was all skin and bones. His back was hunched as he slept in a corner in the distance. His body was covered in age spots and gave off a foul smell. He seemed like he did not have long to live either. His body stiffened slightly, but no one noticed it.
Li Qingshan activated the Soul Searching Technique and easily obtained everything he wanted, but the result disappointed him.
The old demonfolk had lived for a total of eighty-nine years. He had wandered around his entire life, and he had indeed visited quite a few blood palaces. He seemed to be living in search of water and grass. Once he finished off the fungi in a blood palace, he would move on to the next one.
However, throughout his life, apart from "eating" and "fucking", he would occasionally fight other demonfolk for some inexplicable reason. His luck was not bad, as he was not beaten to death. That was all.
Li Qingshan suddenly understood what the veil covering their faces was.
That was the color of ignorance, ignorance, and thoughtlessness. That kind of ambiguous expression was not something that a human or even a beast should have.
At the very least, the demonfolk outside had to compete for the sake of survival. They had to scheme against one another and kill one another. In particular, the demonfolk at the very bottom would be dragged into war and invade other worlds. They had to obey orders, or they might even be tortured to death.
It was impossible for powerless old demonfolk like them to live so long. Once they passed the prime of their lives, they would definitely be eliminated, or they might even become food for other demonfolk.
In this blood palace, the demonfolk did not have to take part in the war between the twelve Demon Gods, nor did they have to face the threat of hunger and cold. The climate here was always suitable, and there was always plenty of food. To their taste buds, it was even quite delicious. They could eat and sleep every day. Who knew how easy it was. It could basically be described as a "miniature paradise" in the Demon domain.
However, it was fundamentally different. The people in the paradise were all kind-hearted people chosen by the buddha. They had all been tempered by the mortal world and endured the torment of suffering. No matter how fertile the land of the paradise was, it still required a period of labour and waiting.
However, the demonfolk in the blood palace only migrated between the blood palaces, eating wherever they went. When they were tired, they would lie down and sleep, and when they woke up, they would work. They were like infants, living in their mothers' wombs from birth to death.
When the Great Freedom soul left his body, the old demonfolk died silently. In the moment before his death, his expression was still ambiguous, as if he did not understand what "death" was. It was just a routine rest.
Life was fleeting, and death was like rest.
Of course, no one noticed it either.
The flesh and blood squirmed, and his hunched body gradually merged with it, vanishing very soon. Afterwards, even more fungi grew out, clusters of bright red, glistening and thriving.
"That's a lifetime too!" Qian Rongzhi sighed.
Li Qingshan suddenly felt a chill. The flesh and blood around him squirmed violently as it pressed over from all directions. It was suffocating. He gripped the hilt of his sword firmly, wanting to cut through it.
Suddenly, he shook his head and discovered that the blood palace was just as spacious as before. The demonfolk lived with ease, and the moaning demonfolk had all quietened down too. They relaxed their bodies and closed their eyes, falling asleep.
There was no land of dreams. There was nothing to think about during the day and nothing to dream about at night.
Li Qingshan fished out his alcohol pouch and gulped down a few mouthfuls before letting out a long sigh. "This place really is terrifying."
Actually, it was not that he did not fear death, but he was even more afraid of living like this, completely unaware, without dreams or thoughts. That was why he had to fight and kill. He had to go through numerous painful blows before recovering from heavy injuries and being reborn from despair.
"Hiss, I've heard that people already possess senses and memories before they're even born. They don't remember after they're born, but they're actually buried deep in their sea of consciousness, which is why people spend their entire lives searching for a peaceful and comfortable state like this. When cultivators reincarnate, what they fear the most is the mystery of the womb. That's not just because the frail bodies of infants can't bear their consciousness, but also because they might become intoxicated, unable to extricate themselves. "
"Hmph, you're talking nonsense. Are you talking about yourself?" Li Qingshan snorted coldly. "When I leave, if you don't want to leave, I can make you stay here. Perhaps Jiu Ying would be willing to accept you as his adopted daughter."
"Daughter? Hehe. " Qian Rongzhi sighed with a smile. "These muddle-headed demonfolk are actually luckier than many people in the world."
"In other words, not being born is the luckiest?" Li Qingshan did not agree.
"Yeah, not being born is the luckiest." Qian Rongzhi actually nodded in agreement.
"Then why don't you just die?" Li Qingshan answered with a question.
"Because I want the world to understand this," Qian Rongzhi said matter-of-factly. Determination and fervor actually appeared in her ice-cold, snake-like eyes.
Li Qingshan really felt like he was out of his mind to try and communicate with a madwoman. As a result, he said nothing more and continued forward with his clone.
"You should be questioning me …" Qian Rongzhi mimicked Li Qingshan's voice and said gruffly, "Oi, bitch, you're contradicting yourself. Aren't you actually still trying to survive?!"
Li Qingshan shot a vicious glance at her, but she answered her own question. "I'll answer you. Hiss, I'm contradicting myself, and so are you."
Li Qingshan suddenly stopped and enunciated each word clearly, "If you mention me in the same breath as you again …"
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