Chapter 101: The Whereabouts of the Jinli Stone

"Cold Ruins? Could it be that you, fellow Daoist, are also seeking the Soul Netherstone?"

Dong Yanwei's eyes shifted subtly, appearing to ask casually, yet an unusual glint flickered deep within them. He silently speculated that Jiuyou had most likely already refined that Soul Netherstone, tasted the sweetness of it, and was now eagerly inquiring about its source.

Jiuyou gave a slight nod, too lazy to beat around the bush.

"You're a perceptive man, fellow Daoist. This item holds great use for my ghost cultivation path, and I was hoping to acquire a few more pieces."

Dong Yanwei stroked his beard, as if recalling something. After a moment, he spoke with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Though the Soul Netherstone is precious, the place where it is born, the Cold Ruins, is an extremely perilous gathering place of chilling yin energy. A Tier 10 Demon King even lurks within its depths. Are you truly set on going, fellow Daoist?"

Jiuyou's expression remained unchanged, though inwardly he sneered.

He had crossed the entire Blood Demon Valley from Lingchuan to reach Qian Prefecture. There was more than one Tier 10 Demon King lurking within the Blood Demon Valley. His strength now was incomparably greater than before, and even a Tier 10 Demon Beast might not be beyond his ability to contend with. He would certainly not end up as miserable as he had been facing the Heaven Flood Dragon King back then.

His voice was cold.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Dong. Since I dare to go, I naturally have my own preparations. It's just that I don't know the exact location of the Cold Ruins, nor the situation within, which is why I've come to trouble you for information."

Hearing this, Dong Yanwei offered no further persuasion. He patted his Storage Pouch, retrieved a gray jade slip from within, and spoke with a smile on his face.

"Since you, fellow Daoist, are so confident, this old man will say no more. This jade slip contains the route this old man once took to the Cold Ruins, as well as a map sketched within. Consider it a gift to you, fellow Daoist."

He paused briefly, then hastily added, as if fearing Jiuyou might grow suspicious.

"If you, fellow Daoist, come across any more of those high-year spirit herbs in the future, you are welcome to bring them to Precious Heaven Pavilion. When that time comes, Dong will personally receive you, and you can be certain you won't be shortchanged."

"Naturally, I trust Precious Heaven Pavilion's reputation." Jiuyou gave a perfunctory reply, accepted the jade slip, swept his Divine Sense over it roughly to confirm its contents, then tucked it into his sleeve. He was about to take his leave with a word of thanks when a thought struck him, and he halted his steps.

"Fellow Daoist Dong, there is one more item I wish to inquire about."

"Please, speak, fellow Daoist."

"Jinli Stone. Have you, by any chance, heard of it?"

Dong Yanwei's brow arched at the question, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

"Jinli Stone? You know of this item as well, fellow Daoist?"

Jiuyou's heart tightened, yet his face betrayed nothing.

"I happened upon it by chance in some ancient books, and wasn't sure if it truly existed. Judging by your words, fellow Daoist, could it be that it is indeed real?"

Dong Yanwei stroked his beard and chuckled.

"Naturally, it is real. This item is extremely rare, born within a volcano in the Northern Plains called Nine Sun Mountain. It requires millions of years of earthly fire essence to condense into a single piece. This old man learned of it only a few hundred years ago, after slaying a Northern Plains barbarian and extracting his memories through soul search. That barbarian was an elder of a tribe near Nine Sun Mountain and knew the local mineral deposits like the back of his hand."

He paused, then continued.

"As luck would have it, roughly a hundred years ago, someone else also came to ask this old man about this item. The description that person gave was quite similar to what you, fellow Daoist, just described."

Jiuyou's heart stirred. A hundred years ago, that Ye-surnamed Nascent Soul cultivator from the Blood Abyss Sect. Most likely it was him.

His face remained calm as he gave a slight nod.

"I see. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Dong, for the information."

"You're too kind, fellow Daoist. However, the place where the Jinli Stone is found lies deep in the heartlands of the Northern Plains barbarian tribes, and its dangers are no less than those of the Cold Ruins. If you intend to go, fellow Daoist, you must exercise great caution."

Jiuyou raised his hand in thanks and lingered no longer. He turned and headed toward the door.

Just then, Dong Yanwei seemed to remember something and spoke in a low voice toward Jiuyou's retreating back.

"Ah, by the way, Brother Ghost. Earlier, that Soul Netherstone-elder Youluo of the Blood Abyss Sect also came seeking this old man, asking about the specific location of the Soul Netherstone. If you go to the Cold Ruins, fellow Daoist, you should remain vigilant."

Jiuyou's figure paused slightly, then he gave a slight nod and departed without looking back.

Dong Yanwei watched the distant figure disappear, then retracted the signature smile from his face, his gaze turning abruptly icy. He let out a cold snort and turned to step into the inner chamber.

Before long, a transmission jade talisman flew silently out from Precious Heaven Pavilion, transforming into a beam of rosy light that streaked across the sky, vanishing into the distance.

After leaving Precious Heaven Pavilion, Jiuyou did not rush back to his Cave Dwelling. He circled the city a few times, altering his appearance several times, and only after confirming that no one was following him did he leisurely return to the Cave Dwelling he had rented.

The stone door closed shut, and layers of Prohibition Marks activated one after another.

Jiuyou sat cross-legged on a Prayer Mat, took out the gray jade slip Dong Yanwei had given him from his sleeve, and probed it with his Divine Sense, examining it carefully.

The map was quite detailed.

Mountains, rivers, dangerous terrain, and vital passes were all marked one by one, and even the approximate areas where demon beasts roamed were outlined with red circles.

The location of the Cold Ruins was marked at the southernmost tip of Dayong, on the frontier of the southern border, bordering Southern Frost, and not even far from the Blood Demon Valley.

It was a desolate plain shrouded in cold fog all year round, devoid of human traces and overrun with demon beasts.

The map also specifically marked several warnings such as "Tier 8 Demon Python Nest" and "Tier 9 Ice Bear Territory," which looked rather alarming at a glance.

Jiuyou's gaze swept back and forth across the map, paying particular attention to the location where Dong Yanwei had collected the Soul Netherstone back then. It was an ice valley that extended several hundred li into the Cold Ruins, surrounded by markings such as "Extreme Cold" and "Demon King Roams."

"A Tier 10 Demon King..."

Jiuyou muttered to himself, his brow furrowing slightly.

A Tier 10 Demon Beast was comparable to a Late Nascent Soul cultivator. Back when he had faced the Heaven Flood Dragon King in the Tianyuan Sea, if not for Gu Xuanzhou's intervention, he would likely have been in grave danger. But now, at the peak of Mid-Nascent Soul with far more tricks up his sleeve than before, even against a Tier 10 Demon Beast, he might not lack the strength for a fight.

Moreover, his purpose this trip was merely to find the Soul Netherstone, not to lock horns with a Demon King. Avoid what could be avoided, go around what could be gone around. Only if he truly couldn't avoid it would he act.

He committed the map firmly to memory, repeatedly mapped out several routes in his mind, and only then stored the jade slip in his Storage Pouch.

For the next several days, Jiuyou did not rush to set out.

In his Cave Dwelling, he adjusted his condition to its peak and carefully inspected the several common ancient relics he carried. Golden Sun Heavenly Mountain, Golden Lotus Lamp, Heavenly Wind Robe, Hundred-Mile Inch Hairpin... each one was brimming with spiritual light, its power at full capacity.

Especially the Golden Lotus Lamp. Over the past few days, he had repeatedly refined and tempered it, and now it responded to his will like an extension of his arm, activated the moment his mind stirred. This treasure could both trap enemies and protect its master, making it perfect for a dangerous place like the Cold Ruins.

Everything was ready.

On this day, Jiuyou transformed into a withered-faced old man and stepped out of his Cave Dwelling. He glanced back at the mountain peak he had inhabited for several years, then looked down at the vast cultivator city in the distance, his expression devoid of emotion.

The next moment, he transformed into a rainbow of light that was dark green tinged with gray, shooting into the sky and speeding southward.

The streak of light tore through the sky, passing over the towering city walls of Thousand Leaf City in the blink of an eye. Cultivators came and went in the city below in a constant stream, yet not a single one noticed this streak of light quietly departing.

...

Within the Precious Heaven Pavilion branch hall in Thousand Leaf City.

Dong Yanwei's gaze was cold as he watched streak after streak of cultivator spiritual light shuttle across the distant skyline.

"Another one has gone. That old fogey from the Blood Abyss Sect probably won't be going alone either, heh."

The moment the words left his mouth, his entire figure vanished from before the window.