Chapter 199: A Transaction with an Ancient Demon

Regarding Yan Taibai's words, Xin Ruyin was naturally extremely surprised, her face full of confusion and bewilderment.

"Master, could it be that this Nanlong Hou has some connection to Cangkun Shangren?"

In contrast to Xin Ruyin's shock and confusion, Yinyue had guessed something and pursued the matter.

"As expected of a fox, truly clever."

Hearing Yinyue's follow-up question, Yan Taibai immediately praised her without hesitation.

"Master, Master, Master, this servant is of the Yinyue Wolf Clan; it is only because you found me a fox's body."

Hearing Yan Taibai's "praise," Yinyue was about to bristle with anger and hurriedly defended herself.

"Fine, fine, fine, Yinyue Wolf Clan, Yinyue Wolf Clan, is that enough! It's all the same anyway. Besides, you are right; this Nanlong Hou indeed has a significant connection to Cangkun Shangren. This Nanlong Hou is a descendant of Cangkun Shangren. That he could cultivate to the Nascent Soul Stage is inseparable from the relics Cangkun Shangren left behind in various places in the Tiannan Cultivation World. And that place just now was the most important one. If I hadn't been preparing to enter Falling Demon Valley and selling tokens to enter Falling Demon Valley, he probably wouldn't have come here for a long time to search for the things Cangkun Shangren left behind regarding Falling Demon Valley."

Yan Taibai nodded and smiled, resolving Xin Ruyin's doubts.

"So that's how it is, no wonder."

Xin Ruyin nodded her head slightly, feeling relieved.

"Mm! Alright, let's look at the other things! If there are good items, I will give them to you."

Yan Taibai chuckled and cast his gaze toward the remaining few boxes.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Taibai opened another jade box.

Inside was a pale blue Jade Slip.

Seeing this, Yan Taibai raised an eyebrow and, somewhat disappointed, took the Jade Slip into his hand, sinking his divine sense into it with a slightly solemn expression.

Sure enough, after finishing it, Yan Taibai sighed.

"What is it? Is there something bad inside?"

Xin Ruyin asked with some urgency.

"Inside is Cangkun Shangren's cultivation technique; for me, it is of little use."

Yan Taibai said casually, then handed it to Xin Ruyin.

Next, he opened the following jade box, which contained a small green porcelain bottle.

Seeing this, Yan Taibai knew he had finally found something useful.

Immediately, he picked it up and examined it cautiously.

"What is this?"

After Yan Taibai finished his inspection, Xin Ruyin asked again.

"It is Bijiou, one of the Ten Absolute Poisons. It is said to be refined from the saliva of the demonic bird, the Green-Mouthed Dove. Not only is it extremely poisonous, but it also has a pungent odor that is unforgettable; it is the favorite thing of the world's great poisonous insects."

"There is a strange insect in Falling Demon Valley called the Flying Purple-Patterned Scorpion, which loves this Bijiou the most. If we encounter one, we can use this thing to lure it over."

Yan Taibai explained unhurriedly.

"So that's it; this really has quite a bit of use."

Xin Ruyin realized with a start.

"Mm!" Yan Taibai nodded, then opened the next jade box, which contained a fist-sized, purple object.

Then, Yan Taibai smiled as he took it into his hand; it felt extremely soft to the touch and shimmered with wisps of light, bright and dazzling.

He then flicked his hand, and the ball of light instantly transformed into a purple mist, circling above his head, but after a spell technique was cast upon it, it revealed its original form and fell back into his hand.

It was actually a layered, thin-as-silk purple net; the threads on it were as fine as nothingness, crystalline and glowing.

"What a powerful treasure; could it be a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure?"

Seeing this scene, Xin Ruyin was both surprised and delighted.

"No, this should be the Zichen Dou, an Ancient Treasure with quite a reputation from the primordial era. It is far inferior to a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, but in terms of defensive divine abilities alone, it indeed has infinite wonderful uses. Depending on the power of its refinement, once this treasure is deployed, it can cover a range of a hundred to even a thousand zhang; it is a rare treasure capable of large-scale defense. It is said that the top-tier Zichen Dou Ancient Treasures can cover a hundred miles, protecting all living things within from harm. Of course, this treasure is also extremely sharp for trapping enemies and can autonomously release 'Yuyang True Fire,' sufficient to kill powerful foes."

At this moment, Yinyue explained to Xin Ruyin as if reciting a family treasure.

"Yinyue, aren't you an artifact spirit? How do you know so much?"

Xin Ruyin became increasingly curious about Yinyue.

"Indeed, this little fox of yours is truly quite special; this old man has never seen one before."

At this time, Dayan Shenjun also chimed in to agree.

"I am of the Yinyue Wolf Clan, Yinyue Wolf Clan, Yinyue Wolf Clan."

Yinyue said in a flustered rage.

But she quickly calmed down and explained.

"I remember that before I was refined into an artifact spirit, I seemed to have had such a Ziyun Dou Ancient Treasure, which is why I know it so clearly."

"So that's how it is."

Xin Ruyin said, relieved.

"Since you know it so well, I'll give this thing to you."

Yan Taibai handed the Ziyun Dou directly to Yinyue.

"Many thanks, Master."

Regarding this, Yinyue was naturally overjoyed, and Xin Ruyin felt no jealousy; after all, she had already obtained enough treasures from Cangkun Shangren's relics. There was absolutely no need to snatch the Ziyun Dou from Yinyue.

Subsequently, Yan Taibai opened the fifth jade box.

Inside was a scroll with a pattern similar to a map; as for the shape of the map, it was naturally Falling Demon Valley.

"As expected."

"Finally found it. I said so, what kind of person was Cangkun Shangren? How could he not leave something behind? Hahaha!"

Yan Taibai laughed loudly.

Although the map was relatively simple, it still outlined the dangerous areas within Falling Demon Valley. Most importantly, besides this content, it also contained information about the Blood Curse Gate.

"Hehe! The plan was quite well-made. How wonderful!"

After finishing the contents, Yan Taibai recalled the ancient demon split soul within the portrait of Cangkun Shangren.

"What is it? Is there a problem with this map?"

Seeing Yan Taibai's expression, Xin Ruyin asked with some urgency.

"A problem? That would be a question for Fellow Daoist Cangkun."

Yan Taibai said with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"What? Cangkun Shangren! Is he still alive?"

Hearing Yan Taibai's words, both Xin Ruyin and Yinyue were startled; they naturally believed Yan Taibai's words, and it was precisely because of this that they were startled.

As for why they believed him, the first reason was Yan Taibai himself, and the second was that they had the example of Dayan Shenjun, so how could they not believe it?

"Correct," he said with a nod.

"The portrait in the pavilion earlier?"

Yinyue thought of something and spoke up.

"It seems Master had already discovered the clues? You just didn't say anything at the time."

"Yes."

Yan Taibai nodded with a smile, then immediately took the scroll of Cangkun Shangren out from his Storage Bag.

This scroll was several feet long, shimmering with silver light, and looked exceptionally ancient.

Next, Yan Taibai tossed the scroll, and a cluster of spiritual light wrapped around it, holding it up in the low air; then, with a solemn expression, he formed a seal and tapped his finger lightly against the scroll. With a "Zzzzt" sound, the scroll opened rapidly, revealing the image inside.

The back of a Confucian scholar carrying a long sword and gazing up at the sky leaped out onto the scroll. "Fellow Daoist, are you not coming out yet?"

Seeing this, Yan Taibai's smile did not fade, and he said with full confidence.

"As expected of a figure who could make so many Nascent Soul cultivators extremely wary, truly impressive!"

Suddenly, a man's voice rang out from within the scroll.

Then, as the voice fell, the silver light on the painting flared brightly; the Confucian scholar, who had originally been facing away from them, suddenly turned his body, actually facing them, revealing the face of a refined middle-aged man with three long strands of beard, though his face showed a hint of surprise.

If a Mortal were to see this, they would surely think it was a haunting, but for them, it was merely surprising.

"Come out! It must be quite uncomfortable inside the scroll!"

Seeing this, Yan Taibai smiled again.

"What you say is not wrong, Fellow Daoist."

The Cangkun Shangren inside the scroll said.

Subsequently, the portrait on the scroll disappeared, and at the same time, spiritual light flickered on the surface of the scroll, turning it a shade of green as a curtain of light appeared upon it.

The next moment, under the surprised gazes of Xin Ruyin and Yinyue, a flash of light occurred, and a ball of green light shot out from the light curtain, transforming into a blurry human figure—it was the very person who had looked like the Confucian scholar in the scroll.

At this moment, the Confucian scholar's body seemed intangible, composed entirely of murky gray-white light and shadow, emitting a faint spiritual light as if a single breath could blow it out.

"So it is a split soul; as expected of Cangkun Shangren. After so many years, you have actually managed to keep a portion of your primordial spirit from dissipating."

Xin Ruyin said in shock.

"This is because this scroll is made from Soul-Nurturing Wood, one of the three great divine woods, which is why this strand of my split soul could be preserved for so long."

"Cangkun Shangren" explained.

"Enough, stop the nonsense. Can you tell us the situation inside Falling Demon Valley now?"

Yan Taibai continued to press.

"Naturally, that is no problem. I wonder if you have heard of Lingmiao Garden?"

Upon hearing this, "Cangkun Shangren" directly asked in return.

"Lingmiao Garden?"

"I have naturally heard of it. Judging by your meaning, is Lingmiao Garden inside Falling Demon Valley?"

Yan Taibai asked with feigned surprise.

"Correct. My original body entered Falling Demon Valley back then to search for Lingmiao Garden and the Ancient Cultivation Ruins, and the information regarding the Ancient Cultivation Ruins is in that map. I presume you have already seen it, so I will not say more about that; let us talk about this Lingmiao Garden."

"But before I speak, you must promise me one thing."

"Otherwise, I would rather die than speak."

The "Cangkun Shangren" split soul, which was actually an ancient demon split soul, said with great backbone.

"If you want us to help resurrect you, you can stop thinking about it; even a true immortal descending to the mortal world could not do it."

Yan Taibai said with a smile.

"I naturally know that. I only want you to promise me a few things."

"Cangkun Shangren" shook his head and said.

"Speak."

Yan Taibai asked curiously.

"First, I hope you will take care of my descendant. If possible, take him into Falling Demon Valley, find the Ancient Cultivation Ruins, and give him a portion of the treasures within. Let him advance further and break through to become a Great Cultivator of Nascent Soul Late Stage; that way, it will not tarnish my reputation from when I was alive."

"Cangkun Shangren" stated the first condition.

"Fine! I agree to this condition."

Yan Taibai nodded in agreement, vaguely understanding the other party's meaning and intent.

But he did not intend to expose it yet; he also wanted to learn all the information regarding Falling Demon Valley from the mouth of this "ancient demon" Cangkun Shangren.

After all, in the entire cultivation world, no one understood Falling Demon Valley better than the ancient demon split soul before him.

If not for this reason, he would not have come.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist."

"The second condition is that you need to help me wipe out a few enemies from when I was alive and obtain a few items; these items are of vital importance."

The ancient demon split soul "Cangkun Shangren" proposed a second condition.

"I can consider this; after all, if your enemy is not guilty of any great evil, I will not take action to annihilate them."

Yan Taibai thought for a moment and agreed.

"Good, that is naturally no problem," the Ancient Demon soul fragment "Cangkun Shangren" did not refuse either.

"Alright, this old man only has these two conditions. As for the situation in Falling Demon Valley, speaking of it is truly too slow. You give me a blank Jade Slip, and I will directly copy all the relevant information onto it."

"Fine, here you go."

Hearing this, Yan Taibai naturally would not refuse, and he directly took out a blank Jade Slip and handed it over.

Before long, the Ancient Demon soul fragment "Cangkun Shangren" had finished copying.

"Inside here is everything this old man knew about Falling Demon Valley during his lifetime. Once you have fulfilled the two things you promised this old man, I will then tell you about the matters concerning Lingmiao Garden and the Ancient Cultivation Ruins."

The Ancient Demon soul fragment "Cangkun Shangren" continued to speak.

"Very well, many thanks, fellow Daoist."

Taking the Jade Slip, Yan Taibai smiled slightly and agreed.

Seeing Yan Taibai agree, the Ancient Demon soul fragment "Cangkun Shangren" nodded in satisfaction.

Afterwards, he returned into the scroll.

Seeing this scene, Xin Ruyin's brows furrowed slightly; only after Yan Taibai had put the scroll away and sealed it with a Restriction did she speak.

"Brother Yan, my master said this Cangkun Shangren soul fragment is strange?" "Regardless of whether he is strange or not, as long as he can lead us into Falling Demon Valley to find Lingmiao Garden and the Ancient Cultivation Ruins, that is enough. As for being strange, how could someone who has lived until now not be strange?" Yan Taibai chuckled, appearing completely unconcerned.

He wanted to avoid being heard by the Ancient Demon soul fragment "Cangkun Shangren." Although it was sealed by a Restriction, one still had to be extra careful about such things.

"Mm!"

Seeing this, Xin Ruyin did not say anything more.

"Alright, it is time for us to return."

Yan Taibai nodded and smiled.

……

Sacred Hall of the Mulan Tribe

"Brother Zhong, do you mean that you and Le Shangshi encountered the number one person of the Tiannan Cultivation World? He did not take your lives, but simply took the Storage Bags from your bodies?"

A man in a black robe asked in disbelief.

"Does Sect Master Fang think it is necessary for Zhong Mou to lie to you? Or about such a shameful matter? His divine abilities and strength are far beyond what a Nascent Soul Late Stage can compare to, so I am afraid the matter of Sect Master Fang cooperating with our Mulan Tribe cannot be completed." The Great Divine Master surnamed Zhong was very clear about how terrifying Yan Taibai was, and naturally did not want their Mulan Tribe to be annihilated, so he could only politely decline the Yinluo Sect Master.

"Brother Zhong is not joking with this Sect Master, are you! Cannot be completed?" Hearing the words of the Great Divine Master surnamed Zhong, Yinluo Sect Master Fang suppressed his anger and said.

"Unless Sect Master Fang can deal with that True Master Taibai of the Tiannan Cultivation World, otherwise, if we rashly make a move against the Tiannan Cultivation World, it would be purely courting our own destruction."

The Great Divine Master surnamed Zhong said bluntly.

"Courting destruction? Just because of one Nascent Soul Mid Stage cultivator in the Tiannan Cultivation World. Utterly ridiculous."

Yinluo Sect Master Fang sneered.

(End of this chapter)