Chapter 44: Yin Gu the Old Fiend

Several days later.

Over the vast ocean surface, a dark green rainbow streak tore through the air at lightning speed, leaving only a faint green trail across the sea.

Wherever it passed, cultivators within dozens of miles hastily made way, and the sea beasts below scattered in terror. The terrifying pressure emanating from the rainbow streak shrouded the surroundings like a tangible force, with no one daring to block its path.

Jiuyou stood with his hands behind his back at the very front of the streak, his robes fluttering, his expression calm. Canfeng and Gu Qing followed closely behind, one on each side, each pushing their own flight technique, yet they were constantly swept along by Jiuyou's spiritual power, ensuring they wouldn't fall behind.

Suddenly, Jiuyou's brow furrowed slightly.

He faintly sensed a presence directly behind him, chasing after him at an extremely fast speed, with no intention of concealing itself.

He extended his Divine Sense backward.

About two hundred miles away, a black streak of light was speeding toward him. That streak carried an aggressive momentum, pressing a deep water groove into the sea surface wherever it passed, and the distance between them was rapidly closing.

A flash of dark light flickered in Jiuyou's eyes, and he abruptly thrust his Divine Sense toward that black light.

Just as his Divine Sense was about to touch the black light, a powerful Divine Sense force erupted from within it, forcefully pushing his Divine Sense back!

The two Divine Senses collided mid-air, and an invisible shockwave spread outward, churning up massive waves across the sea surface.

Jiuyou felt a slight tremor in his mind, but only for an instant. Yet in that split second, he had already clearly seen the gaunt, sinister face within the black light.

“Yin Gu…?”

Jiuyou thought to himself, his expression unchanged, but the streak of light beneath him suddenly halted, steadying itself firmly in mid-air.

“What is this bastard following me for? Does he think I might have a Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit on me, and wants to kill me for the treasure?”

He mused inwardly, yet showed no trace of panic.

Yin Gu the Old Fiend was a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator; his strength could not be underestimated. But with Jiuyou’s current methods, he had no reason to fear the other.

However, if he were to fight here, regardless of who won or lost, the commotion alone would be enough to attract the attention of other Nascent Soul cultivators nearby.

Moreover, whoever won or lost would inevitably end up severely injured, with all their hidden cards exposed. No matter how he looked at it, it was a losing proposition.

Rather than fleeing and making the other suspicious, it was better to stop outright and see what this old bastard really wanted.

Jiuyou stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed straight on the approaching black light. His aura was as steady as a mountain, faintly radiating a dangerous intent.

Canfeng and Gu Qing also felt the immense pressure closing in, their breathing catching for a moment.

Canfeng instinctively tightened his grip on his skull giant hammer, while Gu Qing quietly placed his hand on his Spirit Insect Pouch. Both were on alert, yet neither dared to act rashly.

The black light came to an abrupt halt three hundred zhang away from Jiuyou.

Yin Gu the Old Fiend’s figure emerged from it. He was clad in a pitch-black robe, his face as pale as paper, yet his eyes gleamed with sharp light, flickering like two ghostfires in their sockets.

His gaze swept over Jiuyou’s face, then glanced at Canfeng and Gu Qing behind him, before finally landing on the Storage Pouch at Jiuyou’s waist, lingering there for a moment.

“Daoist Jiuyou, long time no see.”

Yin Gu the Old Fiend gave a slight bow, a faint, enigmatic smile curling at the corner of his lips.

“Congratulations to you, Daoist, for taking on another fine disciple. I hear you’ve also mastered the powerful technique of Nether Capital Ghostfire. Truly, congratulations are in order—you’ve taken another step toward the Great Dao.”

He paused, his gaze roaming over Jiuyou’s face. Seeing Jiuyou’s expression remain unchanged, he spoke frankly.

“I came here today to do some business with you, Daoist.”

“Congratulations? Business?”

Jiuyou’s expression remained unchanged, a slight smile tugging at his lips, but wariness flickered deep in his eyes. He stood with his hands behind his back, the white-jade bottle already quietly grasped in his hand, spiritual power quietly infused into it, ready to activate at any moment.

“If you have something to say, Old Fiend Yin Gu, just say it straight. That’s more your style. Beating around the bush doesn’t suit you.”

“You’re a man of direct speech, Daoist. Then I’ll speak plainly.”

Yin Gu the Old Fiend gave a dry chuckle, his eyes gleaming with cunning light.

“I do want something you have on you, sir. I have two eighth-level beast pills here, along with a thousand-year Mystic Mountain Grass, and I’d like to trade with you.”

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted again to Jiuyou’s Storage Pouch.

Jiuyou’s heart stirred slightly.

How could this old fiend be so certain he had something good on him? Either he was bluffing, or he had some special means of sensing the treasures in his Storage Pouch.

His expression remained unchanged, but countless thoughts were already racing through his mind.

“Daoist Yin Gu, I’m afraid you’ve found the wrong person. What valuable treasure could this old man possibly have on me?”

Jiuyou’s tone was calm, neither humble nor arrogant.

“Don’t try to fool me, you old ghost!”

Yin Gu the Old Fiend seemed to grow impatient, taking a step forward in mid-air as his aura surged suddenly. But then, he forcefully suppressed his agitation, sneered, and patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

The pouch’s mouth flashed with spiritual light, and a palm-sized rabbit leaped out—entirely golden with blood-red eyes. It crouched on his shoulder, its nose twitching incessantly as it sniffed in Jiuyou’s direction.

“My Golden Spirit Rabbit is most sensitive to heavenly spiritual plants, especially high-grade spiritual herbs of great age. Even if they’re sealed with restrictive spells, it can still sniff them out. When it sensed the aura from your Storage Pouch just now, its reaction was most intense. Do you still have anything to say, Daoist?”

Yin Gu the Old Fiend’s tone was confident, already prepared to make a move at any moment.

Jiuyou looked at the Golden Spirit Rabbit, then suddenly relaxed his aura and burst into loud laughter, his vigilant air receding somewhat.

“I didn’t expect you to have such a rare beast as a Golden Spirit Rabbit! Since that’s the case, this old man won’t hide it anymore.”

He shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

“That’s right, I do have a few high-grade spiritual herbs on me, and they’re all three-thousand-year-old… Tranquility Herbs.”

When Yin Gu the Old Fiend heard the first half, a flash of joy appeared in his eyes, and spiritual power had already quietly gathered in his palm. But when the words “Tranquility Herb” fell into his ears, his figure stiffened abruptly.

“Tranquility Herb?”

“Exactly. What did you think it was, Daoist? Did you think this old man had the ability to snatch a Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit from the hands of so many fellow mid-stage cultivators?”

As Jiuyou spoke, he took a Jade Box from his Storage Pouch and slowly opened it.

A rich medicinal aroma surged into the air, spreading in all directions. Inside the Jade Box lay a pale blue herb, dense with spiritual energy—indeed, a three-thousand-year Tranquility Herb.

“This item was obtained through a near-death struggle. Since you want to trade, Daoist, then take it under the terms you offered.”

Jiuyou’s words were filled with pain, as if he were taking a tremendous loss.

In truth, he knew full well that the price the other had offered far exceeded the value of a single Tranquility Herb. Moreover, he still had four more of the same herb in his Storage Pouch, and with the Little Green Bottle, he could ripen as many as he wanted in the future.

Yin Gu the Old Fiend’s expression turned sour.

He lowered his head to glance at the Golden Spirit Rabbit on his shoulder. The rabbit was still sniffing in Jiuyou’s direction, but not as intensely as before. He looked back at the Tranquility Herb in the Jade Box and fell silent for a moment.

Tranquility Herbs were indeed rare, especially a three-thousand-year-old one—long extinct in the outside world. This herb had the effect of calming the mind and soothing the heart, aiding in cultivation and breaking through bottlenecks. For a cultivator like him, nearing the end of his lifespan, it was far more precious than any eighth-level beast pill or Mystic Mountain Grass.

Moreover, today’s matter had been his fault to begin with. If other Nascent Soul cultivators found out he had used a Golden Spirit Rabbit to spy on someone else’s Storage Pouch, word would spread and tarnish his reputation.

Making the trade—he wouldn’t lose out.

Yin Gu the Old Fiend took a deep breath, retrieved two eighth-level beast pills gleaming with cold light from his Storage Pouch, along with a thousand-year Mystic Mountain Grass. He floated them with his spiritual power, pushing them slowly toward Jiuyou.

“I was too forward in this matter. These two beast pills and the Mystic Mountain Grass are yours in exchange for this Tranquility Herb.”

Jiuyou sneered inwardly but kept his expression neutral, merely nodding slightly.

“Good, you’re decisive, Daoist.”

The two each took their items, and the trade was concluded.

Jiuyou put the beast pills and Mystic Mountain Grass into his Storage Pouch, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

“Daoist Yin Gu, if you have free time in the future, feel free to visit this old man’s Soul Wraith Island. I’ll be sure to entertain you well.”

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently glanced at the spirit beast pouch on the other’s waist, a strange glint flickering in his eyes.

That Golden Spirit Rabbit was truly a fine thing.

Yin Gu the Old Fiend caught Jiuyou’s look, his expression darkening as he instinctively pressed his hand over the spirit beast pouch.

“No need. I have important matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

Before his words had even faded, he transformed into a black streak of light, moving even faster than when he had arrived, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

Jiuyou’s Divine Sense followed from afar until he was sure the other had truly left. Only then did his smile slowly fade, replaced by a profound look.

“What a formidable Yin Gu the Old Fiend.”

He murmured to himself, a chill in his tone.

“If I hadn’t happened to have a few three-thousand-year Tranquility Herbs as a cover, I might have taken a serious fall here today.”

He paused, dark light flickering in his eyes.

“And that Golden Spirit Rabbit… heh, sooner or later, it will be mine too.”

Canfeng quickly leaned in, his face brimming with a fawning grin.

“Hehe, Ancestor, two eighth-level beast pills! Congratulations, Ancestor! Congratulations!”

Jiuyou gave him a faint glance but didn’t respond. He just took a deep breath and waved his sleeve.

The Cyan Mist surged forth again, wrapping the three of them within.

“Let’s go, back to the island.”

As his voice fell, the dark green rainbow streak soared into the sky, speeding toward Soul Wraith Island.

The sea wind howled, and the streak of light was like lightning.

Behind them, the shadow of Heavenly Abyss Mountain had long since vanished. Ahead, there were still more matters awaiting Jiuyou’s attention.

Refining the Nascent Soul, consuming the Life-Extending Fruit, and that Myriad Spirit Grass…