Chapter 309

Under the night sky, a tiny foot, delicate as carved jade, bounced wildly with every jolt, its soft whimpers rising and falling continuously.

The daughter of Yu Danzong and the junior master of Lingjian Mountain had vastly different styles.

The junior master, possessing cultivation base, could still whimper and curse when under assault, while summoning whistling sword qi to heighten the moment—just as her forceful nature dictated.

But the daughter of Yu Danzong kept her lips tightly shut, uttering only breathy particles, and only when she could no longer bear it would she cry out a broken "Ji Young Master."

This was due to personality—her physical response to pressure was utterly different.

If Ji You were to judge, he found both reactions fascinating.

Yet purely from this perspective, Yan Shuyi truly seemed more like an elder sister, while Yuan Caimei felt more like a younger sister.

In the wild storm, the small flowers behind the house were battered, spraying water everywhere.

Until the last sliver of twilight outside the window faded, night surged in, filling Dan Shan completely.

In the quiet depths of the late night, the darkness was thick and heavy.

Ji You opened his eyes and looked down at the round, flat Yuan Caimei in his arms.

The tender daughter of Yu Danzong, unable to withstand the downpour, had slipped into a dazed sleep after the storm cleared, her breathing even, her expression peaceful—yet tears still clung to her long, curled eyelashes.

This wasn't him bullying her; he had merely employed a counter-breathing strategy on the seemingly dignified, greedy girl.

Ji You rose with a soft pop, tucked the blanket around her, dressed himself neatly, then pushed open the bamboo door and stepped out of Yuan Caimei's courtyard into the shadowed night.

After killing Chu Hong last night, he met Qi Zhengyang and asked what the Immortal Sect sought to refine; Qi Zhengyang gave no direct answer, only agreed to meet him below the mountain.

He had intended to descend at noon today, but back then he still couldn't use spiritual energy.

The Immortal Sect had returned empty-handed, suffering heavy losses—they might well have set ambushes below the mountain, so he could only go to meet him after nightfall.

The delay in between was mainly due to the boundless vigor of a young man.

Mountain wind, carrying moisture, struck his face, cool against his skin.

Dan Shan now lay in profound silence, save for scattered lights flickering in the distance, echoing the stars above.

Ji You closed the courtyard gate, then walked silently all the way to the front mountain.

After a day of cleanup, the bloodstains on the Nine Steps had been washed away, the shattered stones removed, leaving only the original earthen path—as if no brutal battle had ever occurred.

He descended the Nine Steps, then headed toward the mountain gate ahead on the path.

Yu Danzong was sealed off; the protective array remained active, but Ji You had killed and then gone to treat his wounds, never having returned the array's core—so he passed through the barrier effortlessly and descended the mountain.

Below Dan Shan lay a small town called Huichun Town, just like Nanhuacheng beneath Lingjian Mountain, inhabited mostly by descendants with faint blood ties to the families allied with Yu Danzong.

Thus, many shops in town bore signs reading "Dan" or "Yao," just as Nanhuacheng was filled with countless sword halls.

Ji You landed on the town's stone-paved road, then moved through empty alleys beneath the night, winding his way until he reached Yuelai Inn.

Though it was deep into the night, the inn remained partially open for lodging, leaving only a young servant at the counter.

But the servant now rested his head on his arm, nodding off under the dim candlelight.

Ji You made no sound, climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered a guest room, and spoke softly in a low voice.

"Senior Qi."

"Enter."

With a soft creak, the door opened.

Inside, Qi Zhengyang, chief swordsman of Lingjian Mountain, sat cross-legged on the bed in meditation, his aura faintly present.

Hearing footsteps beside him, he slowly opened his eyes; the golden light within faded, and his gaze settled on Ji You.

"How is your injury?"

"Fortunately, I was at Yu Danzong—after treatment, I recovered quickly; otherwise, I might have been bedridden for a long time."

"I never expected five Wujiang cultivators would all die at your hands."

Qi Zhengyang murmured, a trace of awe flickering in his eyes.

Years ago, Tian Shuyuan had come to Lingjian Mountain to seek the Dao; it was his first time seeing Ji You, then merely thinking him a rare sword talent—he never imagined that after just a few years, he had reached this level.

Yet he felt only a man like this might barely be worthy of their Lingjian Mountain's junior master.

Qi Zhengyang stirred from his meditation and rose from the bed: "Sit."

Ji You sat at the square table: "What treasure did the Immortal Sect ask Yu Danzong to refine? Why, after centuries of peace, did they suddenly launch an assault on the mountain yesterday?"

"This story begins with Xin Yuan."

"?"

Qi Zhengyang looked at Ji You: "You personally took part in the events of Dongping Mountains—you know all of it. The junior master spent winter with you in Shengjing; surely you're aware of the Immortal Sect elders' movements afterward?"

Ji You nodded: "They scoured the land for clues about the Bu family, and reportedly returned to Qingzhou."

"Correct. But you didn't know that after returning to Qingzhou, they opened a ruin hidden within Dahuang Forest."

"?"

Hearing this, Ji You slowly raised his head, his gaze deepening.

He had long suspected whether Yu Danzong's disaster stemmed from those elders searching for the Bu family discovering something.

But he hadn't anticipated that after so long a calm since Qiling, another ruin had been opened.

He remembered when Tian Shuyuan sent him to Qiling as cannon fodder—he had witnessed its horror firsthand.

Qi Zhengyang glanced at him: "You're thinking of Qiling?"

"Yes."

"This is different from Qiling."

"?"

Qi Zhengyang looked at him: "Since humanity rose, generations have tried to enter ruins—but never succeeded. This time, however, Dahuang Forest was entered with ease, and someone carried something out."

As he spoke, a glow appeared in his palm—a crimson fruit materialized.

The fruit was egg-sized, its surface translucent and gelatinous, with swirling crimson hues inside, radiating a mysterious aura.

Ji You took the fruit from his hand, his eyes slowly widening.

"Zhu Guo?"

"Correct. Zhu Guo—the very fruit that once sparked conflict in Qiling. Named for its crimson exterior, those with exceptional talent who consume it can ascend realms directly."

"Impossible. How could this have been brought out?"

Ji You's thoughts instantly flashed back to the night he fled Qiling's mine tunnel with Yuan Caimei and Yuan Chen.

On the road, they encountered robbers; following professional instinct, he showed them what true professionalism meant, and ended up with a storage gourd.

The situation was urgent—he had no time to inspect it, only to flee with them.

But as soon as they emerged, the gourd exploded.

All other items inside remained intact; only the two Zhu Guo the robbers had stolen were reduced to ash.

At the time, they realized: things from Qiling defied Heaven's Dao—they could not be taken out. Even forcibly removed, Heaven would erase them.

Yet now, in his hand, he held a real, tangible crimson fruit.

At this thought, Ji You instantly grasped a possibility—his face darkened.

Qi Zhengyang suddenly waved his hand, suppressing Ji You's qi: "The junior master told me to tell you—don't entertain killing intent. This fruit was brought out directly, not by the way you imagined."

"Things from ruins, if brought out directly, are annihilated."

"That's precisely why I say this is different from Qiling."

Qi Zhengyang stroked his beard gently: "The Immortal Sect elders, nearing the end of their lifespan, entered the ruin. Each sect sent disciples inside—but due to Qiling's lesson, none dared consume anything. Instead, they wrapped the items in cloth and carried them out—and astonishingly, Heaven did not obliterate them."

Ji You's eyes flickered with confusion: "Why?"

"I don't know. But in Qingyun Tian, rumors have long whispered that Heaven's Dao has changed—yet never any direct proof. Now that ruin items are being carried out, perhaps Heaven itself has truly changed."

"So the Six Immortal Sects came to Dan Shan to forcibly requisition alchemists—to refine this fruit?"

"Not just this. They brought back other rare flowers and fruits from the ruin—each one pulsing with divine energy like this."

Qi Zhengyang's tone turned serious: "No one knows what these ruin items truly do—so alchemists are needed to refine them. But this is divine fortune. The Six Immortal Sects want to monopolize it—that's why they're seizing alchemists back to their mountains."

Hearing this, Ji You looked again at the Zhu Guo in his hand.

The fruit glowed mysteriously, its crimson hue flowing continuously; the longer he stared, the more he felt an urge to swallow it whole.

"Just for a tiny fruit, they killed and stormed the mountain?"

"So what? You must understand: when the Six Immortal Sects allowed alchemists to return and rebuild Dan Shan, it wasn't out of repentance—it was because alchemists were nearly extinct. Now, after centuries of recovery, their numbers have grown again—perfectly sufficient in the sects' eyes."

Ji You raised his head: "Capture a batch, refine them, then kill them—as long as they don't damage Dan Shan's foundation?"

Qi Zhengyang fell silent for a long moment, then nodded: "That interpretation works."

"Can alchemists truly not cultivate the Immortal Dao?"