Chapter 947: Yu Xinghai

Yan Buji's fingers lightly tapped the tea table, producing a crisp rhythmic sound. A half‑smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were as cold as a frosty star, staring straight at Yu Xinghai, and he said slowly, "Yu, the building master, merely talking won't be enough to persuade people, I'm afraid."

Sweat beads began to seep from Yu Xinghai's forehead, and he felt an invisible pressure bearing down. The "Daoist of Accumulation" before him seemed affable on the surface, but every word was as sharp as a knife, leaving no room to parry.

Yu Xinghai clenched his teeth, finally resolved, and carefully took a Jade Box from his bosom, then gently pushed it before Yan Buji, saying, "Daoist, please have a look."

Yan Buji's gaze fell on the Jade Box; inside lay a pill entirely jet‑black, its surface wound with seven blood‑red veins like fine spider silk. His divine sense swept over the pill like lightning; instantly his pupils contracted slightly, and he was inwardly startled: this pill actually contained a trace of the Nether Law!

"This is the 'Seven‑turn Dark Nether Pill', a pill unique to the Morning‑Dusk Hall," Yu Xinghai whispered, as if fearing others might hear, "After ingesting it, a cultivator can comprehend the Way of the Nether, which greatly aids breaking the bottleneck of the Fusion stage."

Yan Buji expressionless closed the Jade Box, as if indifferent to the so‑called 'Seven‑turn Dark Nether Pill', and said lightly, "Is that all?"

Yu Xinghai, seeing this, quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained, "Of course not. In the Beichuan Sub‑Hall's storeroom there are three ancient relics, all rare treasures. If you are willing to take on this matter, those three relics are at your disposal."

"Oh?" Yan Buji showed interest, "What relics?"

"The exact list can only be consulted after you assume the post," Yu Xinghai smiled wryly, "But it is said one of them is the 'Xuan Yin Seal', supposedly a Seven‑turn Immortal Accumulation, and the storage also holds many rare celestial pills that the Morning‑Dusk Hall once supplied."

A flash of brilliance flickered in Yan Buji's eyes, as if he had spotted a crucial clue. He mused silently that if this thing were truly as he imagined, perhaps it could unveil Zhang Xungui's true identity and background.

He deliberately pretended to be deep in thought, remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Beichuan is riddled with countless dangers and variables; such a meager price may hardly put anyone at ease…"

However, before his words finished, Yu Xinghai suddenly interrupted via a transmitted voice, "Add one more piece of information!" He then lowered his voice, "The origin of the 'Soul Path'."

Yan Buji, who had been lightly tapping the table, froze as if struck by a binding spell. His brows twitched slightly, clearly surprised by the sudden condition.

Yu Xinghai, seeing this, felt a surge of joy; he knew he had finally hit Yan Buji's weak point. He hurriedly pressed on, continuing, "Centuries ago, someone discovered an ancient great‑being's corpse deep within Beichuan's Ice Abyss. The corpse was not only impeccably preserved, even faintly breathing, yet oddly it possessed no soul. Moreover, that corpse… merely by the oppressive aura of its flesh had already reached the Great Vehicle realm!"

The atmosphere in the tea room instantly grew heavy, a dead silence falling. Yan Buji remained silent, seemingly pondering Yu Xinghai's words. After a long while he let out a light laugh, then nonchalantly slipped the Jade Box into his sleeve.

"Where is that corpse?"

"It has been taken by the Heavenly Cold Palace of the Beichuan Ice Domain."

"Very well, tomorrow at noon, I hope to see the complete order and the formation key of the Beichuan Sub‑Hall." Yan Buji's tone was calm, yet it carried an unmistakable resolve.

Hearing this, a great weight finally lifted from Yu Xinghai's heart; he exhaled a long breath, ready to thank Yan Buji. Yet at that moment Yan Buji leisurely added, "Oh, by the way, that 'Seven‑turn Dark Nether Pill'… give me ten bottles first."

"Ten bottles?!" Yu Xinghai nearly jumped up, "Th‑this…"

"What's the matter?" Yan Buji squinted, "The lives of those Beichuan Sub‑Hall people not worth this price?"

Yu Xinghai's complexion shifted, and finally he bowed his head despondently, "... Ready in three days."

"Straightforward." Yan Buji rose, brushed his sleeve, and as he left said meaningfully, "By the way, tell your hall master that if I find the information false, there will be no cooperation or trust left between us."

Yu Xinghai shivered all over, and when he looked up, the space before him was already empty.

Not long after, the shop attendant slowly approached Yu Xinghai, eyes full of suspicion, hesitated, then finally asked softly, "Sir, is this Daoist of Accumulation truly trustworthy?"

Yu Xinghai stared expressionlessly at the attendant and replied lightly, "Whether one can be trusted isn't the real issue. After all, the situation in the Beichuan Ice Domain has long been a hollow name; no one inside the hall wants to go there. Finding a lone cultivator at the Void‑forming stage and sending him over is already a big trouble solved for me."

Yu Xinghai sighed helplessly, thinking to himself. Originally the Morning‑Dusk Hall asked him to personally investigate the Beichuan Ice Domain to find out what was happening, but he had no interest in that place at all.

Besides the extreme climate of the Beichuan Ice Domain, its cultivation resources are controlled by the Heavenly Cold Palace; indeed the Palace is the sole sect in the Ice Domain, its power vast, its strongmen numerous—one can imagine!

Yu Xinghai couldn't help worrying about those people in the Sub‑Hall; perhaps they had inadvertently touched some secret of the Heavenly Cold Palace, causing them to lose contact, maybe even meeting disaster.

Yan Buji naturally knew that Yu Xinghai bore no good intentions.

But he was quite interested in the 'living corpse' Yu Xinghai mentioned.

"Back then Zhang Xungui was probably a great being reincarnated, or perhaps a special constitution that could borrow a body to be reborn; the Soul Path also involves the mystery of rebirth, yet unlimited rebirth is impossible… I am not a Soul Path cultivator, but if I could study it a bit, perhaps I could find a way to deal with Zhang Xungui."

Thinking this, Yan Buji, after receiving Yu Xinghai's news a few days later, set out for the Beichuan Ice Domain.