Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 108: One hundred and eight - Out of the cave

Chapter 108: One hundred and eight - Out of the cave

"Kid, something like Stone Heart Marrow isn’t suited for a mere ant at the Meridian Gathering Realm Early Stage to possess. Coveting it will only bring trouble upon yourself!"

Seeing that Yun Xiao didn’t take his words to heart at all, Bi Luo’s expression grew even more gloomy, and this time, the threatening tone in his voice was completely undisguised.

"Heh, I’m afraid of many things, but trouble isn’t one of them!"

Yun Xiao gracefully put the Jade Bottle containing the Stone Heart Marrow into his Waist Storage, chuckled lightly, and then cupped his fist saying, "If Brother Bi Luo has no further business, then I’ll take my leave!"

As his voice fell, Yun Xiao didn’t pay any heed to the faint fluctuations of Meridian Qi emanating from Bi Luo’s body. He believed that after Li Shan’s statement earlier, this fellow would absolutely not dare to pilfer his Stone Heart Marrow.

Yun Xiao had made the right gamble this time. Until his figure disappeared into the distance on the third floor of Jade Pot Cave, Bi Luo had not made any move. Indeed, as he had thought, no matter how domineering he was among the younger generation, he wouldn’t dare to challenge the bottom line of Li Shan, one of the four elders of the Jade Pot Sect.

"That kid... seems to be named Yun Xiao, right? I, your brother, will remember you!"

A long while later, the gloominess on Bi Luo’s face lightened somewhat, replaced by a slight smirk of chilliness. It seemed that Yun Xiao’s actions today had genuinely infuriated the second elder of the Poison Vein of the Jade Pot Sect.

Having walked a fair distance away, Yun Xiao, sensing that Bi Luo did not follow, let out a big sigh of relief. But in the next moment, he extended his right hand, and in the center of his palm, the blood-red crescent mark was still emitting a pale blood-red light.

Under Yun Xiao’s gaze, these lights seemed to resonate, involuntarily making him lift his head and stare at the empty ceiling of the third floor of the Jade Pot Cave.

"What exactly... is up there?"

Yun Xiao looked somewhat confused, muttering meaninglessly to himself. At this moment, he could clearly sense that at the very top of the Jade Pot Cave, there definitely was something calling out to him, or rather, calling to the Blood King Jade that had transformed into a blood-red mark.

However, Yun Xiao didn’t plan to venture deeper into the Jade Pot Cave at this time. The Vein Demons inside this third layer were already Third Rank Advanced. Going further up, wouldn’t that mean encountering Fourth Rank Vein Demons?

Fourth Rank Vein Demons, those were comparable to the level of human Cultivators in the Meridian Rushing Realm. Even if Yun Xiao was confident in himself, he didn’t dare say he could withstand creatures of such level.

Moreover, deep within the third layer of the Jade Pot Cave, there was also Bi Luo, a Meridian Rushing Realm talent of the Poison Vein, with unknowable intents. It’s possible that Bi Luo could be the guardian of the fourth layer, and forcefully charging through might mean that Elder Li Shan’s words might not be taken so seriously.

Yun Xiao was confident, but not reckless. Everything must be based on his own strength. Like Guan Hu, who was at the Meridian Gathering Realm Late Stage, Yun Xiao wasn’t too afraid of him now. However, a cultivator like Bi Luo at the Meridian Rushing Realm, especially a Poison Vein talent, was not somebody he could contend with now.

Having obtained a treasure like the Jade Bottle in his Waist Storage, Yun Xiao picked up some good herbs while exiting the third layer of the Jade Pot Cave.

After all, he was extremely familiar with Stone Heart Marrow. It was not something to be consumed crudely, like the Purple Energy Flower Lotus he initially had, and definitely required other herbs to be used in conjunction.

The third layer, the second layer, the first layer!

Soon, Yun Xiao had already exited from the entrance of the first layer. However, the outside area, which would normally have the presence of Elder Li Shan guarding the Jade Pot Cave, only had Mo Qing and Yin Huan, along with the new Outer Disciples emerging from the cave.

The Jade Pot Cave exploration time was just for one day, and furthermore, it was free of charge. If Yun Xiao and others wanted to enter the Jade Pot Cave in the future, they would have to spend their own points to gain entry.

The points of the Jade Pot Sect can be obtained through completing tasks, exchanging with the sect using Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, or even won through betting on fights between two Jade Pot Sect Disciples. The sources were numerous.

Of course, these newly joined Outer Disciples had not even the points to enter the first layer of the Jade Pot Cave. Hence, this free opportunity was by far their greatest boon.

As Yun Xiao emerged from the Jade Pot Cave, leveraging the dim light from outside, what he felt was a touch of the scent of blood emanating from the new Outer Disciples.

Moreover, Yun Xiao noticed that out of the original hundred people, there now seemed to be only a little more than eighty left. And those who hadn’t emerged from the Jade Pot Cave by now might never be able to come out.

Thinking of a certain possibility, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but sigh. Clearly, those young talents who hadn’t made it out might have already died inside the Jade Pot Cave. This was a place that did not prohibit life and death, an extremely cruel location.

In all honesty, if it wasn’t for Yun Xiao’s multiple skills, he probably wouldn’t have been able to make it out of the Jade Pot Cave. But for cultivators in this world, if you want to gain some strength, you must make sacrifices, which sometimes could even be one’s own life.

Jade Pot Cave is the most unique place of the Jade Pot Sect, filled with heavenly materials and earthly treasures, something that a minor sect like the Shang Family could never produce. Obtaining even one such treasure could significantly enhance one’s strength.

Yun Xiao did not concern himself with the pitiful state of these young talents. In his previous life, as the Long Xiao Battle God of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, he had seen too much life and death and had long become numb to it. Such minor skirmishes were trivial to him.

Thus, Yun Xiao only cared about those related to him. In the blink of an eye, he spotted Tan Yun and Ling Wan. Compared to Tan Yun, who was looking lethargic as if suffering from internal injuries, Ling Wan seemed to be in a better state.

"Big brother Yun Xiao!"

As Yun Xiao walked out of the cave and surveyed the scene, Ling Wan, with keen eyesight, caught sight of him and immediately called out joyfully, drawing everyone’s attention.

At this moment, Yun Xiao was like a dazzling figure in the eyes of the newly joined outer disciples, but their gazes towards him held a trace of something peculiar.

Especially a few gazes, filled with resentment and venom, including those from Cao Luo and Cao Ju of the Cao Family, and Zhao Ningshu of the Zhao Family. The geniuses from these two families had suffered losses during this expedition to Jade Pot Cave.

Cao Jun, the third son of the Cao Family, was injured by Yun Xiao and fell at the hands of a Vein Demon. Zhao Xingwu from the Zhao Family was mysteriously killed by Ling Wan. Naturally, Zhao Ningshu could not possibly show a pleasant face towards Yun Xiao, who had some connection to Ling Wan.

Of course, Zhao Ningshu and Cao Luo both knew they were no match for Yun Xiao as he was now, so this grudge had to be deeply buried and saved for another day.

Hearing Ling Wan’s shout, a faint smile appeared on Yun Xiao’s face. He paid no attention to those peculiar gazes and walked straight over, but the next moment, he noticed the group seemed somewhat gloomy.

"Yun Xiao, Zhao Kan... is dead!"

Tan Yun lifted her pale face and spoke softly with a touch of sorrow, upon seeing Yun Xiao’s unusual gaze. Zhao Kan was one of the young talents in their group.

Yun Xiao did have some recollection of Zhao Kan. Although he was not as familiar with him as he was with Tan Yun and Ling Wan, he had fought side by side with him in the same team for several days, leading Yun Xiao to feel a momentary sense of regret.

"Jade Pot Cave is fraught with danger. Mourn him properly!"

Yun Xiao didn’t know how to comfort them and could only speak softly. Today, over a dozen young lives had perished within Jade Pot Cave, and it wasn’t just Zhao Kan.

"Big brother Yun Xiao, I killed Zhao Xingwu!" After Yun Xiao finished speaking, Ling Wan excitedly interjected, causing Yun Xiao’s gaze to shift instantly toward him.

However, Yun Xiao was not surprised by the outcome. Zhao Xingwu was only at the Peak of the Meridian Introduction Realm, while Ling Wan was truly at the Early Stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm. If Zhao Xingwu provoked him further, his death would be expected.

"Big brother Yun Xiao, I found that I can barely control the Mixed Element Qi now!" Truthfully, Ling Wan was quite bewildered by killing Zhao Xingwu, but since the spontaneous eruption of the Mixed Element Qi, he had figured out some of its intricacies.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Just as Yun Xiao was about to say something, a clear voice suddenly came from somewhere, making the atmosphere in the area become somewhat serene.

When everyone turned to look, they saw Mo Qing of the Jade Pot Sect standing up. Her beautiful eyes briefly scanned a roughly dressed young man before she announced loudly, "The time has come. Please mount the Wolf Hawks and leave Jade Pot Cave immediately!"

The sky had turned extremely dim, signaling the end of the day, and thus the end of the free exploration time in Jade Pot Cave. No one dared to defy Mo Qing’s words, and they began to board the backs of the Wolf Hawks.

Whoosh... Whoosh...

With the howling wind, the Wolf Hawks soared into the sky. As they flew out of the range of Jade Pot Mountain, Yun Xiao involuntarily turned his head, staring at the giant gourd-shaped cliff, seemingly sensing something.

In that brief moment when Yun Xiao turned his head, a faint ice-blue color suddenly appeared at the top of Gourd Mountain, specifically at the Gourd Mouth. However, the ice-blue color flashed by so quickly that even Yun Xiao, with his powerful soul, wasn’t quite sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

What the eyes see may not always be real, but Yun Xiao was certain that somewhere inside Jade Pot Cave, there had to be something related to the Blood Moon Jade, because even at such a distance, the blood-red crescent mark on his right palm was still emitting bursts of heat.

The Wolf Hawks flew far away from the bounds of Jade Pot Cave, while the remaining Mo Qing and Yin Huan stayed silent, their eyes harboring a peculiar light as they remained fixed on the increasingly distant Wolf Hawks, each lost in their own thoughts.