The two streaks of light, one black and one purple, charged forward with intimidating momentum, arriving in an instant.
As the light faded, two figures emerged.
The leader was a white-haired old man with a gaunt face, steady eyes, draped in a black Daoist robe, his aura deep and profound like an abyss. This was Elder Wei, a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.
Behind him followed a cultivator with a gloomy expression who appeared as a young man, his cultivation at Early Nascent Soul. He was another elder surnamed Zhong.
After landing, their gazes quickly swept over Jiuyou and Canfeng behind him. Their eyes carried a scrutinizing quality, yet they did not rashly attack.
Scanned by those two stares, Canfeng felt a wave of discomfort all over. He instinctively hoisted the unconscious Golden Core cultivator beside him higher, forcing a strained smile, while unconsciously edging closer to Jiuyou’s side.
“Brother Wei, Brother Zhong. This is Fellow Daoist Jiuyou, the Grand Ancestor of Soul Wraith Island. If Brother Jiuyou hadn’t acted in time, this old man would have been…” Dan Xuanzi stepped forward, his voice tinged with lingering fear, but more so with relief.
Jiuyou nodded slightly, his expression calm, neither servile nor arrogant. He cupped his hands toward the two and spoke in a hoarse, steady voice.
“This old man is Jiuyou, Island Lord of Soul Wraith Island. Greetings to Elders Wei and Zhong of Endless Island.”
Elder Wei nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Jiuyou for a moment, as if confirming something. After a brief pause, a hint of amiability appeared on his face as he returned the greeting with cupped hands.
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Jiuyou of Soul Wraith Island. This old man is Wei Kun, and this is my junior apprentice brother, Zhong Huo. Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your righteous intervention in rescuing our island’s Elder Dan. If not for your help, Junior Brother Dan would have likely fallen to those righteous scoundrels today. Afterwards, Endless Island will surely offer a generous reward.”
Jiuyou smiled and waved his hand, his demeanor indifferent, as if it were merely a trivial effort.
He glanced sideways at Canfeng, giving him a signal. Canfeng understood immediately and quickly helped the unconscious Golden Core cultivator forward, treading cautiously with every step, afraid of any further mishap.
“Seeing that both elders have arrived safely, this old man can rest easy. Unfortunately, I arrived a step too late; one of the Golden Core juniors had already been slain by the righteous Nascent Soul cultivator Zhou Jin, and this young friend was gravely injured as well. Since you two elders are here, I’ll hand him over now.”
Wei Kun nodded slightly, raised a hand, and a gentle surge of spiritual energy lifted the unconscious Golden Core cultivator beside Canfeng, suspending him in midair. He extended a withered finger, gently touched the cultivator’s brow, and closed his eyes to sense for a moment.
After a moment, Wei Kun opened his eyes, shook his head slightly at Zhong Huo, his expression darkening.
Seeing this, Zhong Huo furrowed his brows, a flash of pain and anger in his eyes. He stared at the unconscious Golden Core cultivator, grinding his teeth, his voice filled with hatred.
“Zhou Jin? What kind of bullshit Golden Sword Superior is that! A dignified righteous cultivator, taking out his anger on juniors—truly a hypocrite! Don’t let me run into him, or I’ll make him pay for our island’s elder’s life! And that second uncle of his, Zhou Xuanzhen. Sooner or later, I’ll make them repay today’s grudge a hundredfold!”
Jiuyou remained silent on the side, but inwardly he took note of Elder Zhong’s explosive temper. This man was fiery in nature, with clear lines of gratitude and enmity. If he wasn’t an ally in the future, Jiuyou would need to be wary of him.
Wei Kun was clearly much more composed than his junior brother. He cupped his hands in a solemn salute to Jiuyou.
“Fellow Daoist Jiuyou, this time you’ve thwarted Zhou Jin’s—or rather, Zhou Xuanzhen’s—plans. Those two, though they claim to be righteous and upright, are accustomed to underhanded tactics. Our two brothers nearly fell into their trap earlier. If you’re uneasy, you can travel with us three brothers; we can look out for each other.”
Jiuyou chuckled lightly, stepped back half a pace, his gaze drifting into the distance, his voice hoarse and calm yet laced with confidence.
“Thank you for the kind offer, elders. But this old man is used to traveling alone. Even if I do run into that Zhou Xuanzhen, I have plenty of ways to escape. If both elders are willing, we can rendezvous later at the teleportation array at the base of Heavenly Abyss Mountain. This old man also has three friends traveling with me. At that time, we can form a temporary alliance. How about that?”
Wei Kun listened, nodded slightly, his expression unreadable, and offered no further persuasion. After a moment of thought, he replied decisively.
“Very well. After all, we are all members of the Demonic Path Alliance; we should support each other. Fellow Daoist Jiuyou, we’ll meet at the base of Heavenly Abyss Mountain in one year.”
With that said, the group exchanged cupped-hand salutes, sealing the pact.
Wei Kun wasted no more time. With a flick of his sleeve, a surge of spiritual energy wrapped around Dan Xuanzi and the unconscious Golden Core cultivator. He and Zhong Huo transformed into two streaks of light, shooting into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, the two streaks vanished at the horizon, leaving only faint ripples of spiritual energy slowly dissipating in the air.
Jiuyou hovered quietly in the air, hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance until the two streaks of light completely disappeared from sight. Then, he slowly turned to look at Canfeng, who had remained silent the whole time.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Ancestor.”
Canfeng replied respectfully, but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Standing face-to-face with two Nascent Soul cultivators, the invisible pressure had truly been suffocating.
A thick green mist once again surged up, enveloping the two figures. The mist flickered, and they vanished from the spot, leaving only a few wisps of faint green smoke drifting away in the wind.
Several days later.
Jiuyou led Canfeng to a place of jagged rocks and sheer cliffs.
The terrain was perilous. Looking down, one could see an endless abyss, deep and unfathomable, as if leading straight to the depths of hell. A faint mist lingered in the air, cold and damp, carrying an indescribable sense of unease.
Occasionally, wind howled up from below the abyss, like wailing cries, sending chills down one’s spine.
The two advanced slowly through the air when suddenly, a thunderous roar rang out in the distance.
The roar was deafening, echoing through the valley, making even the rocks beneath their feet tremble slightly. Canfeng’s expression shifted, and he instinctively moved closer to Jiuyou.
Jiuyou looked up, his Divine Sense instantly spanning a hundred miles, taking in the entire surrounding area.
In the distance, atop a jagged peak, there was a large cave. The entrance was pitch black and deep, with a faint glimmer of dark green eyes flickering in the darkness.
After a moment, a massive beast slowly emerged from the cave.
The beast had a pair of wings on its back, a horn on its head, a body like a lion’s, and was covered in pitch-black, scale-like armor. Its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws sharp as blades.
With every step it took, deep claw marks were left in the rock. It radiated a fierce and brutal aura.
“A seventh-tier demon beast, the Heavenly Lion Beast,” Jiuyou said flatly, as if discussing something trivial. “Its strength is decent, comparable to a Late Golden Core cultivator.”
He turned to look at Canfeng, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
“Canfeng, haven’t you been wanting to test out your Soul Wraith Puppet? This beast’s strength is adequate. Go ahead and give it a try.”
Canfeng’s eyes immediately sparkled with excitement. He quickly bowed, his voice brimming with eagerness.
“Yes, Ancestor! Watch your grandson handle it!”
Before his words even faded, his figure flickered, turning into a streak of cyan light charging straight toward the Heavenly Lion Beast.
At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and a pitch-black token appeared in his palm. As he infused it with spiritual energy, the token suddenly exploded into a cloud of black mist.
From within the mist, a gaunt figure slowly emerged. It was the Late Golden Core Soul Wraith Puppet refined from Canhuo. The puppet was wreathed in eerie cyan flames, its eyes hollow, yet radiating a chilling murderous intent.
The Heavenly Lion Beast sensed danger. It raised its head and roared to the sky, its wings spreading wide, whipping up a fierce gale as it charged toward Canfeng. Opening its massive maw, it shot out a pitch-black beam of light, imbued with a strong corrosive aura.
Canfeng’s face tensed. He quickly dodged aside while mentally commanding the Soul Wraith Puppet to engage. The puppet moved like a ghost, flickering unpredictably, its claws reaching for the beast’s vital points.
The Heavenly Lion Beast swung a claw, and Canfeng, unable to dodge in time, was grazed by the blast of air, stumbling backward. The Soul Wraith Puppet seized the opportunity to strike from the side, its claw piercing the beast’s shoulder, forcing it to pull back and defend.
In an instant, spiritual light scattered, and spiritual energy clashed. Man, beast, and puppet became locked in a fierce battle atop the peak. Rocks flew, dust billowed, and the roar was unending. Within several hundred yards, every blade of grass and every tree was flattened.
Jiuyou stood in the distance, hands clasped behind his back, watching the fight with a detached gaze. He neither intervened nor urged. To an old monster like him, a battle of this level was nothing more than child’s play.
He could see that although Canfeng was at a disadvantage, with the help of the Soul Wraith Puppet, he wouldn’t be defeated. The puppet moved swiftly, attacked ruthlessly, and each strike landed precisely on the beast’s weak points, forcing the Heavenly Lion Beast to retreat repeatedly.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
The Heavenly Lion Beast was ultimately overwhelmed by the combined assault. The Soul Wraith Puppet’s claw pierced through its throat, drawing out a miserable shriek. Its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Canfeng seized the moment, stepped forward, and with a swift slash of his blade, extracted the beast’s core. He flew back to Jiuyou’s side, his face brimming with excitement.
“Ancestor, it’s done!”
Jiuyou nodded slightly, his expression still indifferent, as if this outcome was well within expectations. He took the beast pill and casually stowed it in his Storage Pouch before saying calmly.
“Not bad. Let’s go. No time to waste here.”
“Yes!”