Chapter 146: Exact Information on Nine Sun Mountain

The dark-skinned, burly man's expression changed drastically. Spiritual light flared between his eyebrows as his Nascent Soul prepared to leave his body and flee.

But before the Nascent Soul could detach, a bone-piercing chill surged backward through his meridians, instantly filling his limbs and bones. Nether Cyan Ghost Fire ignited out of thin air. It carried no heat at all; instead, it froze him so deeply that even his soul seemed to stagnate.

Trapped within its physical shell, the Nascent Soul dashed left and right but failed to break through the icy barrier. Like a bug trapped in amber, it struggled desperately yet could not move an inch.

The burly man finally panicked.

He had cultivated for hundreds of years and killed countless people. He had survived many life-and-death crises, but never once had he been left like this—unable to even run. With his Nascent Soul locked inside his flesh, his mana stagnated like a frozen river. His proud physique seemed no different from paper in his opponent's eyes.

"Wait... Senior! I can tell you whatever you want to know! I only beg that you let me go!"

He desperately pushed his divine sense to send a voice transmission, speaking so quickly he was almost incoherent.

Jiuyou did not answer immediately. He first glanced down at the low-level cultivators fleeing in all directions from the collapsed tents, showing no intention of chasing them. Only then did he return his gaze to the burly man, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"Alright. I will give you a chance. As long as you honestly answer my questions, letting you off isn't impossible. But if you dare to prevaricate or deceive me..."

He paused, his tone flat.

"I will make you understand a fate worse than death."

A trace of hope flashed through the burly man's eyes, and he hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! Please ask, Senior! This junior will say everything he knows!"

Jiuyou glanced at him and spoke at a leisurely pace, "Nine Sun Mountain. Where is it? What forces are nearby? How are the defenses?"

The burly man did not dare hide anything and confessed everything he knew.

Nine Sun Mountain was one of the few massive volcanoes on this plain. It stood over two thousand li tall, and its base covered an incredibly vast area. Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator stood at its peak, it would be difficult to take it all in at a single glance.

The entire volcano spewed thick smoke and magma year-round, and the fire-attribute spiritual qi there was exceptionally active. Ordinary cultivators were unwilling to stay for long, but because it produced an abundance of fire-attribute ores and demonic beast materials, it attracted many Northern Plains tribes to station there permanently.

Among them, the two largest were the Heavenly Fire Tribe and the Yellow Sand Tribe. Each was overseen by a Middle Nascent Soul Stage grandmaster, along with over a dozen Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivators, making them a major force even in the Northern Plains. The remaining small and mid-sized tribes mostly attached themselves to these two, and the bulk of the ores they mined fell into their hands.

After explaining the main points, the burly man hurriedly supplemented a few details. He clearly outlined the encampments of the nearby tribes and the distribution of their cultivators, terrified that omitting something might displease this Grand Cultivator.

Once he finished speaking, he carefully watched Jiuyou's face, waiting for judgment.

Jiuyou listened and gave a slight nod.

"Good. I highly appreciate someone who understands the times like you do. Rest assured, I have roamed the cultivation world for nearly a thousand years, and I always keep my word."

With a gentle wave of his sleeve, the ice encasing the burly man shattered on cue, and the man's physical body exploded into several pieces along with it.

The burly man's Nascent Soul broke free from its confinement. Startled at first, he soon discovered he could actually still move. A wave of ecstatic relief at surviving the disaster immediately surged through him.

He hurriedly bowed to Jiuyou, speaking incredibly fast. "Thank you for sparing my life, Senior! This junior will take his leave!"

Before his voice even faded, a flash of blood light shone from his Nascent Soul as he prepared to tear through the air and flee.

Jiuyou stood in place with his hands behind his back, watching him flee into the distance.

The burly man desperately pushed his escape speed, shooting dozens of li away in the blink of an eye. At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

Facing a Grand Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, he couldn't even muster half a thought of revenge. Escaping alive was already a tremendous stroke of fortune.

A hundred li.

Two hundred li.

That cyan silhouette had not pursued him.

The burly man breathed a slight sigh of relief and glanced back.

The very moment he turned his head, the void ahead rippled slightly.

That cyan silhouette he never wanted to see again in his life shockingly appeared before him once more. The man was standing directly in the path of his escape, as if he had been waiting there all along.

The burly man's head-sized Nascent Soul stiffened instantly, despair welling up in his eyes. He desperately tried to brake, but carried by his momentum, his Nascent Soul still drifted forward several zhang, stopping less than three zhang in front of Jiuyou.

Jiuyou looked down at him, his tone as calm as ever. "We meet again, heh. It seems you didn't take my words to heart at all."

The burly man opened his mouth, his Nascent Soul's phantom form trembling slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word. He knew there wouldn't be another chance.

Jiuyou didn't spare him another glance. He opened his palm, and a dark cyan cape flew out from his sleeve, unfurling in the wind. Blotting out the sky, it swept down over the burly man's Nascent Soul. Before the Nascent Soul even had time to dodge, it was wrapped up tightly. After a few muffled thumps, it went completely still.

Jiuyou withdrew the cape and calmly turned his gaze into the distance.

In less than half an incense stick of time, he intercepted several Northern Plains Golden Core Cultivators who had just scattered from the camp, questioning them one by one about Nine Sun Mountain. Their information perfectly matched what the burly man had said.

After confirming there were no discrepancies, he sent all of these people into the Nether Capital Gate together.

Several days later, among a stretch of rolling hills, there was a hidden cave.

At the entrance lay the massive corpse of a bear demon. Its fur still held some residual warmth, making it clear that this cave had originally been the demonic beast's lair before being occupied by someone else.

"Fuck your mother, I will never tell you anything!!!"

A hoarse roar echoed from within the cave, but before it could even fade, it was followed by a mournful, bloodcurdling scream.

"Ahhhhh—!!!"

Deep inside the cave, the light flickered.

Above a stone platform, a crimson orb of light hovered silently. Enveloped within the orb was a Nascent Soul with a remarkably weak aura, clearly having been tortured severely. Scattered around the orb of light were remnants of Nether Cyan Ghost Fire and platinum flames; they had not completely extinguished and were still slowly dancing across the stone surface.

Jiuyou sat cross-legged opposite the stone platform, his expression calm. He raised his eyes to glance at that insignificant Nascent Soul, his tone mild.

"Brat, I advise you to stop struggling. I've already cleaned off those little tracking marks on your body. The people from your sect won't be able to track you here."

He withdrew his gaze, casually plucking a wisp of Nether Cyan Ghost Fire. He twirled it around his fingertip before pinching it out.

"I heard your previous conversation with that barbarian loud and clear. Your Great Elder is presumably nearby, and you should know where he is. Speak frankly, and I can give you a quick end. But if you continue to stubbornly resist..."

He flipped his palm, and a wisp of Golden Sun True Flame ignited silently, casting flickering shadows across his face.

"There's no rush. Soon enough, you'll regret it."

The Nascent Soul trembled slightly inside the orb of light, but it still did not speak.

Jiuyou waited for a few breaths. Seeing that the other party was still holding on stubbornly, he wasn't in a hurry. With a gentle flick of his finger, a wisp of platinum flame drifted over, brushed past the edge of the Nascent Soul, and was then pulled back. The Nascent Soul in the orb violently recoiled, letting out an extremely low, muffled groan.

The cave fell silent for a moment.

Jiuyou did not press the issue. He merely shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and leaned against the stone wall, as if waiting.

The firelight slowly danced on his fingertips, illuminating his profile in flickering shadows that made his emotions impossible to read. Outside the cave, the occasional cry of a bird rang out, only to be quickly suppressed by the howling of the wind.