Ninth In the World

Di Jiu did not possess the capabilities to stop anyone from hunting the Search Lake Mythical Bird but he swore to never hunt them himself. Sometimes, birds might be even nobler than humans. He had great respect for the love of the Blue Devout Mythical Birds.

Two days passed quickly. Xue Yu kept his word and sought out Di Jiu before the latter could send him a message. “Let’s go, Daoist Di. We will go to the trade meeting. You can join me on my flying boat if you don’t mind.”

Xue Yu was only saying this out of courtesy. Only a fool would sit on a stranger’s flying boat. Di Jiu and Xue Yu could only be considered strangers, as they had only met once.

Therefore, Xue Yu said this casually and did not think that Di Jiu would take him up on his offer. He felt that it would be natural if Di Jiu took out his own flying boat later.

“Thank you, Daoist Xue.” Di Jiu thanked him and joined him on his flying boat. This was something Xue Yu had not expected to happen.

Xue Yu, who was momentarily stunned, asked in surprise, “Daoist Di, do you believe in me so much?”

Since Di Jiu’s cultivation level was lower than his, by joining him on his boat, Di Jiu was practically surrendering his life to Xue Yu.

Di Jiu smiled. “Of course! I trust that you are a very good friend, or you would not have treated a low-level cultivator who had just arrived at the Search Lake like me so warmly.”

“Ha ha…” Xue Yu laughed and clapped Di Jiu on the shoulder. “Just because of these words alone, I have decided to make you my friend. Let’s go. It is alright if you have yet to find a place to stay. I will help you find one when we return from the trade meeting. It is still very easy to find a safe place nearby.”

…

Xue Yu had evidently been to the trade meeting many times before. The speed of the flying boat was fast. Di Jiu could tell by looking at the path the boat was flying in that Xue Yu was confident that this path was safe.

A day later, the flying boat landed on an average-sized island. Di Jiu spread his Spiritual Force out and saw a flying boat coming in their direction.

“Brother Xue Yu, why did you bring someone along today?” said in greeting the person who alighted from the flying boat that had just arrived.

Xue Yu cupped his fists and greeted them before introducing Di Jiu as someone who had just come to the Search Lake.

“You are very patient, Daoist Xue. I don’t have the same amount of patience,” said a blue-robed scholar who held a fly-whisk in his hand teasingly as he laughed.

He was clearly saying that Xue Yu was not afraid of trouble since he had brought along someone with such an unsightly cultivation level as Di Jiu.

Di Jiu was left a little speechless. The speaker was only at the Dao Transformation Realm, yet he had laughed at Di Jiu’s cultivation level. After all, Di Jiu was at the perfected Dao Birth Realm.

“This new friend seems to have an extraordinary background. He he…” said another Dao Transformation cultivator out of nowhere with a chuckle as his gaze scanned Di Jiu.

“Brother Di, these two are Daoist Yuan Hui and Daoist Shu Bu.” Xue Yu hurriedly introduced them to each other, sensing that the words they said seemed to show that they were not welcoming Di Jiu.

Di Jiu finally reacted. He had been wondering why these two fellas were speaking in such a peculiar tone ever since he had arrived there, although he had done nothing to provoke them.

He he… It was because, as a junior, he had not actively greeted them. That was wishful thinking on their part, given that they were only at the Dao Transformation Realm. They most likely were still living in their own daydream. Di Jiu would have greeted them if they’d spoken politely. The two of them most likely wanted to gain some confidence by putting him down as a newcomer, as they had been trapped in the Search Lake for a very long time.

“Brother Xue, is the trade meeting held here?” Di Jiu asked a very meaningless question and did not act on Xue Yu’s hint to actively go over to greet the two men.

Xue Yu understood that his previous evaluation of Di Jiu seemed to be wrong, as the man had his own pride and temper.

Xue Yu laughed. “That is right, it is here. Let’s go, I will take you inside.”

The faces of the two Dao Transformation cultivators hardened when they saw that Di Jiu continued to ignore them despite Xue Yu’s introduction.

There was nothing wrong with newcomers. After all, many newcomers were joining them. The main problem was that this newcomer had a low cultivation level and was arrogant to boot.

With Di Jiu by his side, Xue Yu walked into a hall made of stone, where several dozen people were already present. Di Jiu was relieved when he did not spot any Primordial Dao cultivators.

It seemed that the two Dao Transformation cultivators did not look down on him without a reason. Cultivators segregated themselves according to their cultivation levels after all. Di Jiu refused to believe that no Primordial Dao cultivator would come here, as he thought that there should be another clique made of Primordial Dao cultivators.

Di Jiu and Xue Yu sat down. Meanwhile, cultivators kept entering the hall. Half a day later, there were more than 30 people present. Shu Bu was not wrong about his prejudice. After all, everyone other than Di Jiu was at the Dao Transformation Realm.

Di Jiu finally saw two half-step Primordial Dao experts. They sat down in the main seats the moment they entered the hall. They had to be the leaders of this meeting.

One of the half-step Primordial Dao cultivators had sinister eyes. Perhaps it was because he had lived in the Search Lake for many years. Given the water-element aura shrouding him, he should possess a Water Spirit Root.

The other half-step Primordial Dao cultivator was tall and broad and had narrowed eyes and a domineering aura of bloodlust. He evidently had killed countless demon beasts.

“We have a newcomer, Xue Yu?” asked the sinister half-step Primordial Dao cultivator.

Xue Yu hastily stood up, cupped his fists, and replied, “Greetings, Brother Huang Quan and Brother Feng Binglu. This is Brother Di Jiu, who just entered the Search Lake and happened to encounter me when he got lost. I brought him along since he heard that there is a trade meeting here.”

Di Jiu cupped his fists before the two men. He was not afraid of two half-step Primordial Dao cultivators. It was only expected of him to take the first step in greeting them since he had gone there to get information.

“This youngster has confidence,” commented Feng Binglu coolly. He was a little displeased that Di Jiu had only cupped his fists from afar and would not stand up or bow.

“That is enough. This time, we will follow our traditions and trade items first. Brother Binglu, you may start.” Huang Quan, who was sitting in the main seat, waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unbothered by Di Jiu’s lack of respect.

Feng Binglu laughed. “Alright, I will start. Today, I brought something good. Take a look, everyone.”

Then, Feng Binglu took out a cage.

Di Jiu almost stood up when he saw this cage. Inside was the pair of Search Lake Mythical Birds he had let go two days ago. There was no way he was seeing things, as he sensed and recognized the aura of the two mythical birds.

“Eh? Brother Feng, you actually managed to capture the Search Lake Mythical Birds alive and in a pair? This is unseen and unheard of. This is indeed good stuff!” a late-stage Dao Transformation Realm cultivator exclaimed. He urgently needed a live Search Lake Mythical Bird. Di Jiu recognized this fella as Shu Bu, whom Xue Yu had introduced him to previously.

All the other cultivators were also staring at the two caged Search Lake Mythical Birds fervently. This was something they wanted as well. A Search Lake Mythical Bird’s inner core was an excellent item to use when one was cultivating. However, the effects of directly consuming the warm Blood Essence of a living Search Lake Mythical Bird while using its warm inner core would increase exponentially. If both mythical birds were obtained, there was a 60 percent chance of breaking through to the half-step Primordial Dao Realm.

Feng Binglu chuckled. “I dare say that opportunities to capture a live Search Lake Mythical Bird, let alone a pair, are extremely few and far between. I would never have offered them up if I had not already attained the half-step Primordial Dao Realm. Let the bidding start then. I will accept anything that I feel suits me or is useful to me.”

Huang Quan looked at the pair of Search Lake Mythical Birds in shock as well. He then asked, “Brother Feng, it is the hardest to capture the Search Lake Mythical Bird alive. Plus, you caught a pair. How did you do it?”

They all knew that the Search Lake Mythical Bird would kill itself once one encountered it, even if it was restricted. It was almost impossible to capture one alive.

“He he… I can only say that I was lucky. When I entered the nest, these two Search Lake Mythical Birds seemed to already be injured, so I got lucky,” explained Feng Binglu as he chuckled again.

Everyone knew that Feng Binglu did not want to explain further and no one cared. They would have done the same if they had been in his shoes after all.

Di Jiu clenched his fists tightly, as he now understood what had happened. He had thrown a ring to the two Search Lake Mythical Birds because he had been moved by their love, which had reminded him of Nong Xiuqi. The ring had contained two Corral Spirit Divine Fruits and a pile of Divine Essence Pills.

The Corral Spirit Divine Fruit was a Dao fruit. Consuming it would allow a Search Lake Mythical Bird to swiftly advance by one level, thus increasing their intelligence significantly as well.

Feng Binglu must have taken action and captured them when the two Search Lake Mythical Birds had been in the process of advancing. Fortunately, his strength was limited, as he had failed to sense that the two Search Lake Mythical Birds had lost their mobility only because they had consumed the Dao fruit. Otherwise, this bastard would have sliced open their stomachs.

“I offer a wood-element nomological fragment…” The first bid made everyone look over in astonishment. The value of a wood-element nomological fragment was quite high.

“I have an egg from a level-five Superior Wind Beast…”

Di Jiu suddenly stood up and said bitingly, “No one can take this pair of Blue Devout Mythical Birds away…”