Jiuyou suppressed the faint trace of displeasure deep within him, then slowly let a shallow smile spread across his face as he spoke to the man opposite him in a calm tone.
"Brother Blood, why aren't you peacefully in seclusion on Blood Island? What brings you to my humble Soul Wraith Island? I've been remiss in my duties as host for not welcoming you properly."
He deliberately restrained the aura of his Nascent Soul cultivation, appearing completely unthreatening, yet not far outside the hall, several island-guarding disciples still hung their heads and held their breath, not daring to make a single loud exhale.
These disciples' highest cultivation was merely early Golden Core, with the lowest still at Foundation Establishment. Even though Jiuyou didn't release any pressure at all, they could clearly sense the terror of this demonic path grand ancestor, and could only obediently stand at a distance with hands lowered, not daring to lift their heads to peek, much less make any sound.
The Blood Vine opposite him, upon hearing this, immediately let out a loud, deep laugh—hoarse and raspy, carrying the unique world-weariness of an old Nascent Soul monster.
"Brother Jiuyou, why be so polite? We're both Nascent Soul cultivators of the Demonic Path Alliance, having trained under the same alliance for many years. Such formality only breeds distance."
His laughter instantly faded. Blood Vine's gaze toward Jiuyou turned serious, and his voice dropped as he stopped beating around the bush.
"We're both people whose lifespans are nearly exhausted. Some words are better said directly. I've been cultivating for over nine hundred years now. My lifespan has long since been mostly consumed. Now I have only a few short decades left to live—I'm at the point of complete exhaustion."
He paused, his eyes locking directly onto Jiuyou, his words carrying absolute certainty.
"The reason I've come is for the Heavenly Abyss Mountain's emergence twenty years from now. I plan to enter that secret realm and fight for a Life-Extending Fruit to prolong my life. I specifically came to invite Brother Jiuyou to join forces."
"I remember clearly that you've been cultivating for over eight hundred years as well, Brother Jiuyou. You have no more than a hundred years of lifespan left. If you don't obtain a thousand-year Life-Extending Fruit, within a century, you'll surely deplete your lifespan and sit in meditation to pass away. We both know this well in our hearts."
These words were brutally direct, making it clear that he was confident Jiuyou would agree to join forces for the sake of his lifespan and go to Heavenly Abyss Mountain to fight for the treasure.
Jiuyou lifted his gaze, casually sweeping a glance at Blood Vine, then slowly lowered his eyelids, appearing to be deep in thought, but in his heart, he already understood everything.
Sure enough, it was just as he had expected. Blood Vine hadn't come for an ordinary visit at all—it was all for the Life-Extending Fruit of Heavenly Abyss Mountain. He wanted to recruit Jiuyou, borrowing his cultivation to increase the odds of obtaining the thousand-year Life-Extending Fruit.
Heavenly Abyss Mountain—Jiuyou had already planned to go there.
Lifespan was the foundation of a cultivator. Without it, no amount of cultivation or treasures meant anything. He naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity that appeared only once every five hundred years.
However, he had another plan entirely. There was no need to fight alongside a Nascent Soul cultivator like Blood Vine for those thousand-year Life-Extending Fruits that everyone had their eyes on.
Hidden on his person was that mysterious little green bottle. This treasure could naturally ripen spiritual herbs of heaven and earth, with miraculous effects—it was his greatest trump card.
Moreover, everyone in the cultivation world knew that Life-Extending Fruits had an iron law: no matter the cultivator's cultivation level, only the first fruit consumed could extend lifespan. After that, no matter how many more one ate or how high their age, there would be no further effect at all.
Because of this, the thousand-year Life-Extending Fruits of Heavenly Abyss Mountain were the targets fought over by all the old Nascent Soul monsters. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators wouldn't even dare to get close. The battles would inevitably be brutal.
On the other hand, hundred-year Life-Extending Fruits weren't even worth a glance from Nascent Soul cultivators. The only ones fighting for them were Golden Core rogue cultivators whose lifespans were nearly exhausted—their strength was far below his, so snatching them would be effortless.
When the time came, he only needed to conceal his cultivation, fish in troubled waters to obtain a hundred-year Life-Extending Fruit, then use the little green bottle to ripen it. Its medicinal effects would be in no way inferior to a thousand-year fruit. He could avoid the bloody battles between Nascent Soul cultivators and save himself countless troubles.
Having made up his mind, Jiuyou lifted his eyes, a look of agreement appearing on his face, and he responded decisively.
"Alright, since Brother Blood has spoken, I'll agree to join forces. My lifespan is already down to just over a hundred years. I was already planning to go to Heavenly Abyss Mountain to fight for a chance at survival. Teaming up with Brother Blood is naturally the best possible outcome."
"We're both at Peak Early Nascent Soul cultivation. Working together, our strength is enough to match an ordinary mid Nascent Soul cultivator. When the time comes, obtaining a thousand-year Life-Extending Fruit won't be difficult."
His tone was calm but carried an unshakable confidence. The island-guarding disciples in the distance heard this and felt even more awed and reverent toward their grand ancestor.
Seeing Jiuyou agree, Blood Vine immediately showed a satisfied smile on his face. Clearly, this outcome had been expected all along.
He stroked his chin's beard and then gave instructions, his tone taking on a hint of seriousness.
"Right now, the Abyssal Sea situation is tense. The Demonic Path Alliance and the Righteous Path Alliance are as incompatible as fire and water. If the two of us go to Heavenly Abyss Mountain together, even if we encounter Nascent Soul cultivators from the Righteous Path Alliance, they'll be wary of our combined strength and won't dare act rashly."
"But we still need to be extra careful, especially with the Heaven and Earth Alliance. We can't let our guard down against them. Those people have vast and complex forces and always enjoy sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight. They're just waiting for our Demonic Path Alliance to clash with the Righteous Path Alliance so they can profit from the chaos. Don't let them exploit any openings."
Jiuyou nodded slightly without saying much, quickly sorting through the power structure of the Abyssal Sea in his mind.
The current Abyssal Sea region was a tripod standing on three legs—three major powers stood in opposition to one another.
The first was the Heaven and Earth Alliance, formed from countless islands, market towns, and cultivator cities. Their personnel were numerous and their influence vast.
The second was the Righteous Path Alliance, gathering all the major righteous sects of the Abyssal Sea. They always prided themselves on righteousness and stood in irreconcilable opposition to the Demonic Path Alliance.
Finally, there was the Demonic Path Alliance he belonged to, formed by a collection of demonic path sects and cultivator forces. His Soul Wraith Island and Blood Vine's Ten Thousand Blood Sect were both under its banner.
The foundations of these three major alliances ran deep, and each had a late Nascent Soul grand cultivator sitting at its helm.
In the current cultivation world, Divine Transformation realm cultivators had long since vanished. Late Nascent Soul was the highest combat power in the world and also the trump card of each alliance, maintaining the balance of power among the three sides.
As for the Heavenly Abyss Mountain secret realm, it happened to lie at the junction of the three major alliances—a special location. It emerged only once every five hundred years, and each opening attracted countless cultivators fighting for a chance.
After all, an opportunity to extend one's lifespan without paying an enormous price was rare in this dog-eat-dog cultivation world. No cultivator would casually let it slip by.
There were exactly twenty years remaining until the next emergence of Heavenly Abyss Mountain.
If he missed this chance, he would have to wait a full five hundred years. Given Jiuyou's current lifespan, he couldn't possibly survive until the next secret realm opening. This trip to Heavenly Abyss Mountain was absolutely necessary.
Blood Vine watched Jiuyou's pensive expression, casually swept his gaze over Jiuyou's figure, and glanced twice into the hall behind him, then suddenly spoke with a sly smile.
"Speaking of which, Brother Jiuyou, where is that greatly valued grand-disciple of yours, Canfeng? Could it be that you've already refined him to replenish your lifespan and boost your cultivation?"
Jiuyou's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before instantly returning to calm. He let out a light laugh with his uniquely hoarse voice.
"Brother Blood is joking. That's my most valued grand-disciple. I'm usually busy with seclusion and cultivation, and all the affairs of Soul Wraith Island, big and small, are left to him to manage. I treasure him too much to ever consider refining him."
After a pause, he casually added, "It's just that today is unfortunate. He went out on a training expedition earlier and likely won't be able to return to the island anytime soon."
His tone was calm, but it carried the unique authority of a demonic path grand ancestor. The disciples outside the hall, upon hearing this, kept their heads bowed even lower, not daring to make the slightest move.
Blood Vine chuckled twice. Seeing that Jiuyou didn't want to discuss it further, he didn't press the matter. His eyes shifted slightly as if remembering something, and he stepped forward, lowering his voice.
"Brother Jiuyou, I recently heard an interesting piece of news. That disciple who betrayed you back then is now enjoying tremendous glory. I heard he joined the Heaven and Earth Alliance, broke through to late Golden Core cultivation, and even became an executive in their War Hall. He holds a fairly high position within the alliance."
At these words, Jiuyou's originally calm gaze instantly turned icy cold. The aura around him momentarily condensed.
The Golden Core executive not far away felt a bone-piercing chill rush over him. His body trembled slightly as he instinctively lowered himself further, not daring to lift his head.
"That ungrateful traitor!" Jiuyou immediately let out a cold snort, his tone carrying undisguised, murderous intent.
"Back then, I taught him everything I knew and carefully nurtured him, treating him like a personal disciple. I never treated him poorly in any way. Who would have thought this man had a wolf's ambition? He betrayed me without a second thought, turned around, and joined the Heaven and Earth Alliance to oppose me."
"If I ever encounter him again in the future, I'll cut him into a thousand pieces and scatter his soul to the winds, making sure he never reincarnates for all eternity!"
His vicious, decisive words revealed the ruthless, merciless nature of a demonic path cultivator—no hesitation, no dragging it out.
Blood Vine watched Jiuyou's anger, stroked his beard, and didn't say any more provocative words, only letting out a cold laugh.
His purpose for this visit had already been achieved, and he had no desire to stay any longer. He immediately cupped his hands in farewell.
"In that case, twenty years from now, at the foot of Heavenly Abyss Mountain, we'll meet again. This old man won't disturb Brother Jiuyou's seclusion any longer. I'll take my leave now."
With those words, Blood Vine said no more. A thick, bloody gale instantly rose around him. With a flash of escape light beneath his feet, he transformed into a glaring blood-red rainbow that shot through the skies above Soul Wraith Island. Within a few breaths, he had completely disappeared beyond the horizon.
Jiuyou remained where he stood, not moving immediately. Instead, he stood silently for a moment, his divine sense spreading out silently, instantly covering an area of two hundred miles.
Every blade of grass and every tree on the island, the movements of all disciples and demon beasts—all were under his control. He probed repeatedly, confirming that Blood Vine had truly left without secretly returning to spy or leaving behind any hidden schemes, before slowly withdrawing his divine sense.
After confirming everything was safe, Jiuyou shifted his gaze and looked directly at the Golden Core executive standing with his head bowed outside the hall. His voice was indifferent and cold, carrying not a trace of unnecessary emotion, as he directly issued an order.
"You. Go immediately and summon Canfeng to my hall. No delays. Go quickly and return quickly."
The Golden Core executive, upon hearing this, shuddered sharply and immediately bowed in salute, his tone reverent to the extreme, not daring to show the slightest neglect.
"Disciple obeys the grand ancestor's decree! I'll go at once!"
He bowed and retreated several steps before daring to turn around, then swiftly rushed toward the interior of the island, his only thought to find Canfeng as quickly as possible, terrified that any delay might provoke the wrath of this decisive and merciless Nascent Soul grand ancestor.
Jiuyou watched the Golden Core executive's hastily retreating figure, then turned and slowly walked into the great hall behind him, his mind now focused on nothing else.
His thoughts were completely consumed by that mysterious little green bottle. He couldn't wait to test the true effects of this treasure in ripening spiritual herbs, so he could make thorough preparations for the trip to Heavenly Abyss Mountain twenty years from now.
In this dog-eat-dog, deceitful cultivation world, so-called alliances and cooperation were nothing more than temporary exchanges of interests—completely unreliable.
Only his own formidable strength and this mysterious little green bottle that no one knew about were his true foundation for securing a foothold, fighting for his lifespan, and standing tall in this world.
For the next twenty years, he had to move step by step, using the little green bottle to bolster his own confidence. He absolutely could not miss this sole opportunity to extend his life.