Chapter 46: The Great Power of the Abyss

Several days later.

Inside the cave dwelling, the faint cyan light gradually retracted. Jiuyou inhaled deeply, his magical power twisting sharply in his hands as he absorbed the last trace of Old Ghost Qingshan’s Nascent Soul-origin power into his body.

A warm current of energy flowed along his meridians and finally fused deep within his dantian.

He closed his eyes and looked inward. His nascent soul was seated in the dantian, its surrounding spiritual radiance noticeably denser than before, its form subtly larger. Even the bottleneck that had plagued him for centuries seemed to loosen a little.

“Old Ghost Qingshan, this old man really must thank you.”

Jiuyou opened his eyes, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“Not only did you help this old man obtain the Ten-Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit, you also went through great hardship to present me with two high-grade ancient relics, and now you’ve used your own nascent soul to help my bottleneck loosen—heh heh. If I get the chance, I should take a stroll over to your Green Mountain Island and give you a little assistance...”

He reined in his mind, fingers lightly brushing the storage pouch as he kept calculating.

“Now that I’ve absorbed Old Ghost Qingshan’s nascent soul, plus the three level-eight beast pills of the same attribute as mine, and with the Tranquility Herb in hand, plus my solid foundation from lingering in Early Nascent Soul for centuries and constantly tempering myself... if I broke through to Mid-Nascent Soul right now, I’d still have about an eighty percent chance.”

He shook his head slightly, brow furrowing.

“No. I’ve been stuck for centuries. If I act it must be foolproof. I can’t gamble on that twenty percent.”

With a thought, Jiuyou took out the three-thousand-year Myriad Spirit Grass from his storage pouch and examined it for a moment. After thinking it over repeatedly, he decided to plant it now and cultivate it to a higher age before handing it to Dan Xuanzi for refining.

After all, the older the herb, the stronger the pill it produces.

He carefully planted the Myriad Spirit Grass in a corner of the cave’s spiritual soil, then drew out the Little Green Bottle from his bosom and let a drop of its jade-green elixir fall onto the herb’s roots.

The instant the green liquid entered the soil, the Myriad Spirit Grass twitched, its branches and leaves stretching and shooting upward at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the medicinal fragrance gradually intensified.

Jiuyou did not intend to cultivate it to an extremely high age. Time was pressing—he still urgently needed to refine the Ten-Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit. Moreover, if the age got too high, it would inevitably attract the attention of the scheming. Five thousand years was neither too high nor too low, just right.

Several days later.

Inside the cave dwelling, the Myriad Spirit Grass had already grown to the size of a human forearm, its branches spread, its whole body silver-white, veins streaming with faint spiritual light. The rich medicinal aroma filled the entire cave, so fragrant that a single inhalation invigorated the spirit.

Fortunately Jiuyou had prepared in advance and had laid several layers of isolating formations within the cave, locking the scent tightly within that small space so none of it leaked out. Otherwise, given the intensity of that aroma, cultivators within hundreds of miles would likely be alerted.

“Five thousand years exactly, not too high, probably won’t draw attention.”

Jiuyou looked at the spirit-light flowing Myriad Spirit Grass and nodded in satisfaction.

He carefully removed the herb from the soil with gentle movements, cautious not to damage a single root. He then placed it into a specially made jade box, affixed several Spirit-Suppressing Talismans, sealed it layer by layer, and finally stored it in the storage pouch.

A moment later, a cyan streak of light shot up from Soul Wraith Island and vanished into the sky above the sea in the blink of an eye. None of the island’s disciples noticed, and even Canfeng and Gu Qing failed to detect their ancestor’s quiet departure.

Over ten days later.

Endless Island.

This island was the Demonic Path Alliance’s foremost stronghold, the whole land suffused with spiritual qi, from afar resembling an ancient behemoth crouched on the sea.

Peaks towered across the island, pavilions rose in rows, an atmosphere of strictness pervaded every corner. Here was where the alliance’s sole Late Nascent Soul grand cultivator maintained his station.

Jiuyou’s streak of light paused at the perimeter of Endless Island.

His divine sense had already scanned ahead—there were two extremely obscure yet chilling auras on the island; one was unfathomable, like an abyss or a prison. That was the pressure of a Late Nascent Soul grand cultivator. Even a hundred miles away, it made Jiuyou wary.

His expression remained composed, but inwardly he narrowed his aura and dared not show the slightest arrogance.

Just as he was about to use the Communication Jade Slip, suddenly—

Three streaks of light shot out from the island and intercepted him. Three Golden Core cultivators in Endless Island’s distinct dark brocade robes hovered before him, their manners respectful yet tinged with caution.

The one leading them, a middle-aged man, cupped his hands and asked.

“May I ask your honorable name, senior? What brings you to Endless Island?”

Jiuyou stood with his hands behind his back, casting a cool glance at the three. His presence commanded authority without anger.

“I am Jiuyou of Soul Wraith Island, come to pay respects to Alchemist Elder Dan Xuanzi. Please inform him.”

At his words, the three Golden Core cultivators’ faces changed simultaneously.

Grand Ancestor Jiuyou of Soul Wraith Island was a notorious hard man among all Early Nascent Soul cultivators, and a prominent figure within the Demonic Path Alliance.

The middle-aged man hurriedly bowed deeper, his tone several degrees more deferential than before.

“So it is Senior Jiuyou of Soul Wraith Island! I failed to recognize such an esteemed guest. Please forgive my ignorance! I will report at once—please wait here!”

Before his words finished, he transformed into a streak of light and sped back toward the island’s interior. The other two Golden Core cultivators stood aside stiffly, not daring to draw a breath, fearful of offending this decisive demonic ancestor.

But they were not truly terrified; after all, their island housed the Grand Elder, a Late Nascent Soul grand cultivator, and they trusted that Jiuyou would not act recklessly on Endless Island.

Jiuyou was in no hurry. He hovered with his hands behind his back, calmly scanning the surroundings with his eyes while his divine sense deliberately avoided the highest peak.

That peak was where the Grand Elder’s closed-door cultivation lay.

Before long, a white streak of light flew out from the island at a respectable speed.

The streak condensed to reveal an elderly man in white robes with a lean face—Dan Xuanzi himself.

“Brother Jiuyou, your arrival honors us. Forgive our poor reception!”

Dan Xuanzi greeted him with a genial smile and came forward to bow.

Jiuyou returned the bow, his tone plain but courteous.

“Elder Dan is too polite. I’ve come this time to ask a favor.”

“Brother Jiuyou, please come in. Let us sit and speak at leisure.”

Dan Xuanzi gestured aside and the two moved into the island. Only then did the three Golden Core cultivators visibly exhale and wipe the cold sweat from their brows.

Endless Island, inside Dan Xuanzi’s refining chamber.

They took seats as host and guest. Dan Xuanzi personally brewed a pot of spirit tea, the fragrance curling up, spiritual qi suffusing the room.

“Brother Jiuyou, what brings you here on this visit?” Dan Xuanzi lifted his cup and took a small sip, curiosity in his gaze.

Jiuyou wasted no time and spoke his purpose directly.

“I have come regarding the Myriad Spirit Pill. Elder Dan previously said that if one could find Myriad Spirit Grass, the pill could be refined.”

Hearing this, Dan Xuanzi set down his cup and spoke seriously.

“That is correct. In the Tianyuan Mountain secret realm I managed to find two stalks of Myriad Spirit Grass—one eight-hundred years, one a thousand years old. Using those as the main medicine, supplemented with other spirit materials, there is a fair chance to refine the Myriad Spirit Pill. However...”

He paused and shook his head slightly.

“The ages are still lacking; the pill’s efficacy might not be ideal. I cannot guarantee success.”

Jiuyou smiled faintly and took the jade box from his storage pouch, lightly placing it before Dan Xuanzi.

“Elder, take a look at this.”

Dan Xuanzi opened the jade box in puzzlement. A dense silver-white spiritual radiance and a rush of medicinal aroma poured forth, filling the refining chamber.

His pupils constricted abruptly. He stood up in alarm, his voice trembling.

“This... this is a five-thousand-year Myriad Spirit Grass?!”

Dan Xuanzi snapped the jade box shut and stared at it for a long moment, shock written all over his face.

“Brother Jiuyou, you actually found a Myriad Spirit Grass of this age?! I have lived for centuries, and even in ancient records I have never seen Myriad Spirit Grass of such quality!”

Jiuyou’s expression remained calm; he smiled inwardly: ever since he possessed the Little Green Bottle his standards had risen considerably. It seemed this forced ripening had been a bit too effective; next time he would be more cautious.

“Just luck. Elder Dan, with this five-thousand-year Myriad Spirit Grass, the Myriad Spirit Pill...”

“Can be refined!”

Dan Xuanzi cut in decisively and urgently, eyes flashing with brilliance and full of confidence.

“And I dare assert it will not only be successful, it will far exceed expectations! Five-thousand-year Myriad Spirit Grass has a medicinal strength nothing like ordinary thousand-year herbs. A pill made with it as the chief ingredient will aid a Nascent Soul cultivator to break through a bottleneck at least twice as effectively as a normal thousand-year herb!”

Jiuyou felt joy in his heart but kept a neutral face, nodding slightly.

“Then I’ll trouble Elder Dan. Once the pill is refined, I will reward you handsomely.”

Dan Xuanzi carefully re-sealed the Myriad Spirit Grass, taking a deep breath to steady his excitement before his expression grew solemn.

“Brother, there is something I think I should tell you so Soul Wraith Island can prepare for the coming situation in the Abyssal Sea.”

Seeing his grave expression, Jiuyou removed his smile as well.

“Please speak.”

Dan Xuanzi walked to the window and looked out across the sea, then began slowly.

“Since the Ten-Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit surfaced in Tianyuan Mountain, the three major alliances have all become restless. Especially the Righteous and Demonic factions—several small clashes have erupted in recent days, with casualties on both sides. The Heaven and Earth Alliance has remained relatively quiet, as if waiting to see how things unfold.”

Jiuyou’s brow twitched, but he remained silent.

“Additionally, there is a strange matter.”

Dan Xuanzi’s voice dropped a notch.

“The Tianyuan Mountain secret realm has experienced anomalies. Scouts report that the realm is actually expanding outward. Something unseen in tens of thousands of years. In the past people could only see a faint shadow at Tianyuan Mountain’s edges; now that shadow is gradually solidifying.”

Jiuyou’s expression hardened.

“And low-rank exotic beasts have already escaped from the Tianyuan Mountain secret realm. Those creatures are somehow affected; each one is crazed and violently aggressive, attacking any who approach with no reason.”

At Dan Xuanzi’s words, Jiuyou’s mind flashed back to the level-nine sandworm he had encountered in the secret realm—likewise insanely violent, as if its mind had been twisted by some force. He felt a quiet alertness but merely nodded slightly.

“It looks like the Abyssal Sea will be anything but peaceful.”

Dan Xuanzi sighed and shook his head.

“Indeed. I only hope to quietly refine pills and not be dragged into these disputes. But being in the midst of it, how could I stay out?”

They chatted a little longer, then Jiuyou rose to take his leave.

He did not linger on Endless Island.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit remained in his storage pouch and the three major powers were frantically seeking it. Such a supreme treasure could only be secure once refined and absorbed into one’s body. Every extra day was another day of risk.

A streak of light cut across the sky as Jiuyou returned alone to Soul Wraith Island.

Along the way his face was calm, but his mind churned with thoughts.

Dan Xuanzi’s words before departure kept echoing in his head—the Ten-Thousand-Year Life-Extending Fruit’s appearance has stirred the three alliances; Righteous and Demonic clashes intensify; Tianyuan Mountain is extending outward; crazed exotic beasts are escaping the secret realm...

All of it felt like the harbingers before a storm.

Jiuyou inhaled deeply, suppressed the distracting thoughts, and accelerated his streak of light a bit more.