Dan Xuanzi shook his head slightly and hurriedly tossed a few healing pills into his mouth. Then he leaned down and stuffed several pills into the mouth of the severely injured, unconscious Golden Core cultivator beside him. After that, he channeled his magical power, using a special alchemy technique to help the man rapidly refine the medicine.
Only after finishing all of this did he let out a long, weary sigh.
His gaze drifted toward the eastern horizon, and his voice carried obvious weakness. Clearly, he was heavily injured, his magical power greatly depleted, to the point where even speaking seemed strenuous.
"You see, Brother Jiuyou, it's like this. Grand Elder Gu needs to stay behind in the alliance to guard against sneak attacks from other factions, so he couldn't easily get away. Thus, he sent Elder Wei and Elder Zhong, both Nascent Soul cultivators, to accompany me."
"Old me was already a dead man walking, my lifespan nearly spent. In the remaining years I have, if I didn't personally brave Heavenly Abyss Mountain, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. Senior Brother Gu understood this and wanted to fulfill my wish..."
He paused, coughed twice, then continued.
"So Elder Wei, Elder Zhong, two Golden Core elders, and I entered Heavenly Abyss Mountain together. But not long after we got in, we ran into Elder Wei's mortal enemy—Zhou Xuanzhen, also known as Jade Clarity Superior."
At this point, Dan Xuanzi's voice dropped a few notes.
"As soon as Zhou Xuanzhen saw me, and since Elder Wei was already his sworn enemy, he struck without the slightest hesitation. He wanted to take the chance to kill me. I only managed to escape under the cover of the two Nascent Soul elders. But not long after I got away, those four Righteous Path Alliance Golden Core cultivators trapped me here... I'm truly ashamed to say it."
He shook his head, his expression dejected.
"I've lived for nearly five hundred years now, yet because of my obsession with the Dao of alchemy, I've remained stuck at Late Golden Core, unable to break through. Today, I've made a fool of myself before you, brother."
As he spoke, he looked toward the direction in which the Nascent Soul cultivator had just fled, and his tone grew heavier.
"That Nascent Soul cultivator from before was my enemy before he even formed his Nascent Soul. He is a nephew of Jade Clarity Superior, named Zhou Jin, known as the Golden Sword Superior. Brother Jiuyou must be cautious of his vengeance in the days to come."
Hearing this, Jiuyou's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed again.
Good thing I didn't recklessly chase after him earlier. If I had really run into Zhou Xuanzhen, I wouldn't have been able to take on two opponents alone, especially when one of them was at Mid-Nascent Soul. Better to avoid trouble than invite it. Letting Zhou Jin go was a bit of a shame, but it wasn't a bad move.
Canfeng stood behind Jiuyou, his eyes wide, staring straight at Dan Xuanzi. Seeing his own ancestor addressing a Golden Core cultivator as a peer, his face was filled with shock.
At the same time, listening to the conversation between his ancestor and the Golden Core cultivator, he quickly formed a guess and lowered his voice to ask.
"Ancestor, could this be Elder Dan Xuanzi of Endless Island?"
"I've heard he's the foremost authority on the Dao of alchemy in the entire Tianyuan Sea over the past few millennia. Behind him stands the only Late Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator in our alliance. Many Nascent Soul seniors have asked him to refine pills for them, so they owe him favors."
"In fact, his status within the entire Demonic Path Alliance is even a bit higher than some Early Nascent Soul cultivators."
Jiuyou nodded slightly, stroking his beard, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Heh, since Canfeng knows who he is, why haven't you come over to greet your Uncle-Master Dan?"
"Yes!"
Canfeng answered quickly. Getting the chance to meet such a legendary figure naturally filled him with ecstatic joy. He clasped his hands to Jiuyou, then turned to Dan Xuanzi, bowing respectfully.
"Junior Canfeng greets Uncle-Master Dan!"
Dan Xuanzi, seeming long accustomed to such treatment, waved his hand. Then he took a bottle of pills from his storage pouch and handed it to Canfeng.
"This is a bottle of pills I casually refined. I see that you, little friend, seem to have been stuck at Mid-Golden Core for quite some time. This can help you quickly break through the bottleneck and reach the late stage."
"Thank you, Uncle-Master, for the gift!"
Canfeng hurriedly accepted with both hands, his demeanor growing even more respectful, excitement blazing in his eyes.
He secretly glanced at Jiuyou, and seeing that his ancestor's expression remained calm, he carefully stored the pills in his storage pouch. Being able to connect with a figure like Dan Xuanzi through his ancestor was not something just anyone could do.
Jiuyou took in this scene, his own plans already turning in his mind. He looked into the distance, and his tone suddenly turned serious.
"Elder Dan, this place is not safe to stay. Who knows if that fleeing Zhou Jin will bring other Nascent Soul cultivators back. We should find a safe place first, and quickly."
As he spoke, he shot a glance at Canfeng behind him. Canfeng understood immediately and quickly stepped forward to support the unconscious Golden Core cultivator beside Dan Xuanzi.
Dan Xuanzi let out a sigh of relief and nodded heavily.
"I have a tracking jade token on me. Once Elder Wei and the others have freed themselves, they will naturally come to find us. Thank you for your help today, Brother Jiuyou. I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."
Hearing this, Jiuyou burst into laughter, a flash of delight in his eyes, and his tone grew even warmer.
"Hahaha, you're too kind, Elder. Speaking of which, if you hadn't refined that furnace of Nether Soul Pills for me a hundred years ago, helping me quickly master the Nether Soul Devourer, I might not have reached my current level of cultivation. How else could I have scared off that brat Zhou Jin so easily today?"
As his words trailed off, he swept his sleeve, and a surging wave of cyan mist rolled out, wrapping the group within it. The thick mist churned forward at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary Early Nascent Soul cultivator, racing into the distance, leaving only a faint cyan trail on the horizon.
Enveloped in the mist, Canfeng felt only the roar of the wind in his ears.
He stole a glance at Dan Xuanzi. Seeing the famed alchemy master of the Abyssal Sea pale-faced and with a weak aura, he was secretly astounded. Even someone of this caliber had nearly perished here. The danger of Heavenly Abyss Mountain far exceeded his imagination.
On the way, Dan Xuanzi's voice drifted slowly through the mist.
"Oh, and Brother Jiuyou. I came to Heavenly Abyss Mountain this time not only to see this greatest of secret realms for myself, nor solely for the Life-Extending Fruits."
He paused, a note of gravity entering his voice.
"According to ancient records, the summit of Heavenly Abyss Mountain also produces a high-grade spiritual herb for aiding cultivation, called Myriad Spirit Grass. If this herb is used as the main ingredient, along with other thousand-year-old spiritual materials, it can be used to refine a top-tier auxiliary cultivation pill called the 'Myriad Spirit Pill.' This pill can help Nascent Soul cultivators break through cultivation bottlenecks."
At this, Jiuyou's heart pounded fiercely, though his face remained impassive.
Dan Xuanzi continued, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.
"I have no way to repay your life-saving grace today. Once I refine the Myriad Spirit Pill in the future, I will definitely present you with one. Perhaps it can help you, brother, break through the Early Nascent Soul bottleneck and step into the Mid-Nascent Soul realm."
Jiuyou suppressed the joy in his eyes, coughed lightly, and put on a deliberately serious tone with his aged voice.
"Hehe, you jest, Elder Dan. Those righteous cultivators have wolfish ambitions. I simply couldn't stand by and watch those hypocrites dare to scheme against my fellow Demonic Path Alliance cultivators, so I chose to act. As for the Myriad Spirit Grass... if I happen upon it, I will naturally keep an eye out for you, brother."
Dan Xuanzi nodded slightly, the corner of his mouth curling up, but he said nothing more.
Both men understood without words. Everyone knew this favor wasn't free, but taking what each needed was the firmest foundation of friendship among demonic cultivators.
Canfeng listened on the side, his heart burning with excitement.
Mid-Nascent Soul?
If his own ancestor could break through to Mid-Nascent Soul, Soul Wraith Island's status within the Demonic Path Alliance would surely rise accordingly. As the "Young Island Lord," he would also bask in the reflected glory. He silently resolved to perform well on this journey and never bring shame to his ancestor.
Several hours later.
The group's figures halted above a stretch of plains.
This plain was wide and flat, with a few low hills in the distance and sparse spiritual herbs. It was a decent place to rest temporarily.
Jiuyou swept his Divine Sense across the surroundings, confirming there were no anomalies, before slowly descending his flying light.
The moment Dan Xuanzi landed, he suddenly touched the storage pouch at his waist, as if sensing something. He jerked his head up, looking in a certain direction, a flicker of joy in his eyes.
"Elder Wei and the others are here."
Jiuyou followed his gaze and saw two streaks of flying light racing toward them from the distant horizon at tremendous speed.
He nodded slightly, clasping his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
Canfeng, meanwhile, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Reinforcements had finally arrived. Things should be safer from here on out.