Chapter 227: Jiujiu, Spitting Fragrance (3000)
Lower Layer of Snow Dragon Cave—
Pu pu—
Bubbles continuously rose from the surface of the scalding lava.
A huge platform made of obsidian was suspended above the lava lake by iron chains as thick as an adult’s arm. In the center of the platform sat a three-layered alchemy furnace, with flames burning fiercely at its base and waves of white mist billowing from its top.
Centered around the alchemy furnace, cultivators in the Core Formation Stage were seated in six directions, meticulously using their spiritual power to fuel the furnace fire. Behind each Core Formation Stage cultivator, about ten Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators assisted, channeling spiritual energy to them.
Ye Anping, wearing the sect uniform of Sword Sect disciples and with his face covered by a veil, was currently seated on the ground like the other Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators around him, wholeheartedly sending his spiritual energy to the Core Formation Stage cultivator in front of him, whose back was towards him.
Feng Yu Die held his left hand, sitting obediently beside him with her legs tucked.
After Ye Anping had smuggled her into Snow Dragon Cave, he worried her silver hair was too conspicuous. So, he found another secluded spot and wrapped several bandages around her head, making her appear injured.
As for holding his hand, it was to conceal their cultivation and identities using the jade talisman given by Si Xuanji.
Likely bored, and with others around, Feng Yu Die couldn’t speak much and could only turn her head to look around.
Seeing her restlessness, Ye Anping glanced at the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator to his right, who was closer to him, and whispered:
“Shui Ting, if you have nothing else to do, wipe my sweat. Stop looking around; it’s too noticeable. Elder Zhuang will spot you as soon as he arrives.”
“… …”
“Yu Shui Ting…”
“Oh…”
Only when Ye Anping called her for the second time did Feng Yu Die suddenly remember that she was Yu Shui Ting. She paused, glanced at the others nearby, and then cautiously raised her right hand to wipe the sweat beading on Ye Anping’s forehead.
However, after wiping for a while, Feng Yu Die paused and suddenly lifted her right sleeve, stained with Ye Anping’s sweat, to her nose, sniffing it up close.
“Sniff—sniff sniff—”
?
Ye Anping looked at her actions, confused. “What are you doing?”
“Woo—mm hmm~”
Feng Yu Die remembered Ye Anping had told her not to speak once they were inside, so she could only nod and shake her head to convey her meaning.
After a series of head shakes and eye signals from her, Ye Anping seemed to understand that she was asking:
—I’m just smelling if you have that “manly scent.”
“… …”
Ye Anping remained silent for a long time before remembering that Feng Yu Die had always equated “manly scent” with the smell of sweat. He was unsure how to react, so he raised an eyebrow and asked:
—Well, do I?
Feng Yu Die twisted her eyebrows, took another deep breath, and slightly shook her head:
—No.
Ye Anping rolled his eyes and ignored her.
He then looked towards the platform above, where several high-level cultivators were supervising the alchemy. They seemed tired, with several of them yawning.
Seeing this, Ye Anping secretly changed the Wood spiritual energy he was channeling to Water spiritual energy.
The Fiendish Pill being refined in the furnace was a Fire attribute fiendish pill.
It required sixty percent Fire spiritual energy, twenty percent Wood spiritual energy, and ten percent Earth spiritual energy.
As for the remaining ten percent, it was for the buffer of Water and Metal spiritual energy.
After all, Zhuang Yan couldn’t find sixty single spiritual root cultivators to supply energy to this cauldron. Also, dual and three spiritual root cultivators couldn’t completely control their output to send only one type of spiritual energy into the furnace.
And if this buffer exceeded its limit, especially if there was too much Water spiritual energy, it would combine with the most abundant Fire spiritual energy within the furnace.
The result would be a furnace explosion.
And this cauldron now held the combined spiritual energy of six Core Formation Stage cultivators and over sixty Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.
If it exploded, the sound would be heard for hundreds of miles.
At that time, apart from the Core Formation Stage cultivators present, any Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators who didn’t react quickly and protect themselves with spiritual energy would surely perish under the spiritual fire.
Simultaneously, the light from this furnace explosion could provide an accurate location for their junior sisters who had arrived at Qiong Peak but couldn’t find Snow Dragon Cave.
This was Ye Anping’s first planned retreat.
Although he had a few backup plans, a furnace explosion was undoubtedly the simplest and most effective.
Roaring—
The sound of a stone door opening echoed. Ye Anping immediately switched the Water spiritual energy he was channeling back to Wood spiritual energy and looked towards the entrance above.
Zhuang Yan entered through the stone door, hands behind his back. He stepped out from the edge of the cliff and floated onto the platform.
Two sword sect disciples in the Core Formation Stage, holding iron chains, carefully landed on the platform with Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu, who had shackles on their feet and their hands bound by chains.
Zhuang Yan walked to the alchemy furnace, peered into the hole at the top, and observed the black fiendish pill condensing on a golden needle inside. He then frowned slightly and raised his right hand, flicking his finger.
A streak of spiritual light shot from his fingertip, hitting the chest of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator beside Ye Anping.
“Cough—”
The cultivator coughed violently, maintained his cross-legged posture, lifted into the air, and was directly flung out of the platform into the lava lake below.
“Ahhh—”
Screams instantly filled the entire cave.
After the person fell silent, Zhuang Yan frowned and scanned the group around him, saying:
“If this pill isn’t refined, I’ll have all of you take a bath! Everyone be more serious. If I catch anyone mixing spiritual energy into the furnace again, the person just now is your example!!”
After his words, the seventy-odd people around immediately perked up with 200% focus, straightening their backs.
” ” “Yes…” ” ”
Ye Anping clicked his tongue slightly, noting how sharp Zhuang Yan’s eyes were.
The person he had just sent down was a cultivator with Three Spirit Roots of Water, Wood, and Earth. He had dozed off for a moment and lost control of his spiritual energy output, which Zhuang Yan had detected.
It seemed his plan to secretly channel Water spiritual energy into the furnace wouldn’t work.
He would have to resort to the backup plan—finding an opportunity for Feng Yu Die to break the furnace’s restriction with her sword art and create a hole.
He had a pure Water spiritual pearl in his bag. If he threw that in, the furnace would explode just the same.
It was a shame about the Water spiritual pearl; he had originally prepared it for his junior sister’s cultivation. It was quite expensive, costing him almost two hundred thousand spirit stones, and Liang Zhu had taken a considerable kickback…
Huala huala—
At this moment, the iron chain wrapped around Yun Jiujiu’s wrist suddenly made a light sound.
The next moment—
“Hya—!”
With a roar, her face instantly turned red. The Core Formation Stage cultivator holding her hand didn’t react in time as she flung him into the air with the chain on her wrist.
“What?”
The Core Formation Stage cultivator’s eyes widened. He tried to pull the iron chain hard but found that Yun Jiujiu’s strength was considerably greater than his.
As if throwing a shot put, Yun Jiujiu, using the chain on her wrist, whirled around and hurled the Core Formation Stage cultivator directly towards the formation of cultivators near Ye Anping.
Ye Anping’s eyes widened in surprise.
He truly hadn’t expected Yun Jiujiu to be so reckless.
Watching the Core Formation Stage cultivator being thrown towards him, Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, thinking Zhuang Yan would surely come to catch him. However, he saw Feng Yu Die beside him enthusiastically giving him signals, asking:
“Mmm mmm mmm?”
It seemed that seeing Yun Jiujiu make a move, she also wanted to act.
You two are truly a perfect match… Ye Anping turned and glared at her, warning her with his eyes:
—Stay put! It’s not time to act yet!
Just as Ye Anping predicted, as the Core Formation Stage cultivator was about to crash into him, Zhuang Yan, standing before the alchemy furnace, instantly flashed behind the cultivator and supported his shoulder, stopping him steadily.
Then, he snatched the iron chain from the cultivator’s hand.
“Second Miss, you’re quite impatient.”
Saying this, Zhuang Yan tightened his grip on the chain and gave a sharp tug. Yun Jiujiu was instantly pulled off the ground and flew towards him.
Zhuang Yan raised his right hand, lightly grasped, and caught the flying Yun Jiujiu by the neck, suspending her in mid-air.
“Cough—”
Yun Jiujiu coughed up blood and struggled, kicking her legs towards Zhuang Yan. But no matter how hard she tried, Zhuang Yan remained unmoved, as solid as a mountain.
Seeing that her kicks were ineffective, she let out a “heh.”
“Ptooey—”
A mouthful of spit flew directly towards Zhuang Yan’s face. Zhuang Yan reacted quickly, dodging to the side. Coincidentally, they were standing next to Ye Anping and Feng Yu Die.
That mouthful of spit traced a parabolic arc in the air and landed precisely on Feng Yu Die’s forehead, closing her eyes.
Feng Yu Die wiped her face, her eyes twitching, but seeing Ye Anping’s gaze, she could only endure it reluctantly.
Yun Jiujiu glared at Zhuang Yan’s smiling old face, her teeth almost grinding to dust, and cursed angrily:
“Old man Zhuang!! I fucking…”
However, before she could finish speaking.
Swish—
A splash of blood flew out.
Zhuang Yan held a dagger, sharp as a spike, and thrust it into Yun Jiujiu’s chest, but it did not pierce through her back.
Yun Jiujiu coughed up more blood, her bloodshot eyes widening:
“I…”
Boom—
Before she could finish speaking, Zhuang Yan forcefully swung his hand that held her neck. Yun Jiujiu’s back slammed onto the ground, creating a pit in the obsidian platform and sliding to Yun Yiyi’s feet on the other side.
Yun Yiyi’s eyes widened slightly. Although her expression remained calm, she hadn’t expected Zhuang Yan to go for their lives.
That blow had pierced Yun Jiujiu’s heart.
With that one strike, Yun Jiujiu had only a twenty percent chance of survival.
Yun Yiyi looked at Yun Jiujiu, curled up at her feet, blood trickling from her lips as she fainted. She gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed on Zhuang Yan, but she remained silent.
“… …”
Feng Yu Die, witnessing this, also widened her eyes and gripped Ye Anping’s shoulder, her eyes asking if he wasn’t going to act yet. Yun Jiujiu was almost…
Ye Anping calmly shook his head: No.
He felt Feng Yu Die’s fingers digging into his shoulder, seeing how anxious she was. He soothed her with his eyes: Trust me.
“… …”
Looking into Ye Anping’s eyes, Feng Yu Die pursed her lips. She glanced again at Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu, took a deep breath, and relaxed once more.
“Mm…”
… …
