The Divine Nine-Dragon Cauldron

Su Yu understood everything when he heard Yuan Wanbi’s explanation. It was an impressive system of missions.

The high-level members of the Severed Fairy Cliff would issue missions that the other members would execute. In this way, even if someone who had ulterior motives joined them, he would not have access to the other members. Su Yu was so impressed, he had to wonder…

What kind of great person is behind such a strict organization?

“Senior, you won’t have any trouble killing Xiao Tao, as she isn’t even a true member of the Severed Fairy Cliff. But, you should still be prudent in the future, as the Severed Fairy Cliff has great influence. In fact, all of the prefecture’s kings who tried to get rid of it failed. Even Jiuzhou the Emperor was forced to make compromises with it,” she said.

Su Yu nodded as he took back the purple badge. He was wondering is this was the sign that Xia Jingyu had mentioned. After all, since it was purple and extremely powerful, it seemed like it coincided with the Severed Fairy Cliff.

“Let’s leave.” Su Yu turned around and left, Yuan Wanbi following after him.

Yuan Yingying, who was outside the courtyard, had already become anxious from waiting for so long, as had the Yuan Family’s Master. The two guards who had followed Yuan Wanbi were found dead in an alleyway, and it was only after this matter was reported that they noticed that she had disappeared. This had alerted them that the situation was much more serious than they had first thought.

Yuan Yingying’s eyes lit up when she saw the two of them returning, and she even forgot about her quarrel with her sister and ran to hug her. “Sister, it’s good that you are okay. Father and I really feared that you may have suffered some mishap!”

Yuan Wanbi’s body stiffened, after experiencing Xiao Tao’s betrayal, as well as people’s ruthlessness and heartlessness, she realized how precious Yuan Yingying’s pure and kind feelings for her truly were. She felt her heart warming as she extended her hands and embraced Yuan Yingying’s tightly.

She felt ashamed of herself as she said, “I’m sorry, sister. I’m really sorry for treating you so badly in the past, and…”

As she thought about her past actions, she realized how ridiculous and stupid they were. Her face became red and she was even too embarrassed to continue speaking.

Yuan Yingying was somewhat overwhelmed by this change in Yuan Wanbi, as this was the first time that Yuan Wanbi had ever hugged her. As she enjoyed her older sister’s embrace, Yuan Yingying felt her heart filling with warmth.

“You don’t need to mention it. I understand. From today onward, let’s support each other and be close to each other,” Yuan Yingying said as she looked at her older sister.

Many emotions welled up in Yuan Wanbi’s heart as she looked at the pair of pure and honest eyes in front of her and wondered… Was I possessed by a demon in the past? Why did I treat her in such a way?

As she thought of the past once more, she was both ashamed and touched, and two streams of tear flowed down from her eyes. Yuan Yingying also wept, as she had finally gotten her older sister’s approval and love.

This pair of sisters continued hugging each other for a long while before separating. Yuan Wanbi’s face was filled with shame as she saluted the Yuan family members and said, “I’m sorry for making you all worry.”

The Yuan Family’s Master wore a warm look as he said, “It’s fine. But now, you must get along with your sister.”

Her father had already forgiven her in his heart. As Yuan Wanbi swept the surroundings with her gaze, it fell upon Shangguan Yunque. By that time, she had already lost most of her desire to cling to such a powerful and rich person.

“Shangguan, I was young and ignorant and made many mistakes. For this reason, I’m too ashamed to ask to be your wife, so just follow what my father said and cancel the engagement. I’m sorry for troubling you.” After she had apologized, she felt herself becoming more light and relaxed. It was as if she had just been reborn.

However, she was startled just after this by Shangguan Yunque’s reply. He wore a faint smile as he asked, “Who said that my father-in-law requested to cancel the engagement?”

He then said with a smile, “Recognizing one’s mistakes and changing for the better is one of the greatest achievements. I expected that you would try to use my power to kill your sister, but in the end, you gave up on that scheme. So, it’s obvious that you still have some kindness in your heart.”

He continued to gaze at her warmly as he said, “Now, you have even given up on harboring grudges in your heart and have reconciled with your sister. As such, your heart should have already become serene and peaceful, right?”

Not waiting for her reply, he concluded, “I, Shangguan Yunque, am not a person who looks at people’s pasts. What’s important is who you are now, and the current you is already qualified to become the future young mistress of the Shangguan family. In fact, I already left the engagement gift for your family, so this marriage is happening!”

Such a sudden and nice surprise startled Yuan Wanbi greatly. The engagement, which she had schemed to attain in the past, had flown to her by itself, just like this!

“Everything seems to have well for everyone.” The Yuan Family’s Master became quite carefree and happy, as he was finally freed from all worries about his daughters, which had plagued him for more than ten years. “Haha, today, as we have received five pieces of good news, we must all drink and celebrate!”

Shangguan Yunque became curious, so he asked, “What are those five pieces of good news?”

The Yuan Family’s Master clapped his hands as he said with a smile, “The first one is that our Yuan family is no longer suppressed by anyone, and we now have control over the whole Blue Mountain Range. The second one is that Yuan Yingying became a Soul Seizing Palace’s disciple!”

He clapped once more, then continued, “The third one is that Yuan Wanbi’s marriage into the Shangguan family was finally settled. The fourth one is that an intermediate alchemist appeared in the Yuan family, and the last one is that my daughters finally reconciled.”

Those five pieces of good news delighted all of them, and at such a moment, Su Yu said with a smile, “Yuan Family’s Master, I’d like to inform you of a matter, which will probably be considered the sixth piece of good news…”

All eyes turned to Su Yu at this moment, eagerly awaiting his next words. “The sixth piece of good news is that the intermediate alchemist who you are looking for is none other than your own daughter, Yuan Yingying!” he said.

His words caused a great uproar. Even the Yuan Family’s Master found such matter unbelievable!

Su Yu then took out a jade bottle, which had a fourth-grade Fairy Expansion Pill within it, and said, “She has refined three of these. One of them flew away because the furnace exploded, while the other two were divided between the two of us.”

The Yuan Family’s Master’s expression changed gravely as he looked at Yuan Yingying and asked, “Yingying, are you truly an intermediate alchemist? When did you start studying alchemy?”

Yuan Wanbi covered her mouth in surprise. “Father, since about two years ago, I knew that Yingying was always trying to refine elixirs. But, I never knew that she could refine fourth-grade spirit elixirs!”

All of the Yuan family members went into an uproar, all commentind amongst themselves…

“Oh my god! Not only does the Second Miss possess great talent in martial arts, but she also possesses an even more astonishing talent in alchemy!”

All of the people were shocked, and they encircled Yuan Yingying and started questioning her. After all, this was the first time such a young intermediate alchemist had appeared in the Blue Mountain Range!

Yuan Yingying quickly explained, “Uncle Su helped me. In fact, my alchemy skills are just… Well… Where is Uncle Su?”

As everyone looked around, no one could find him. It was as if he had disappeared among the sea of people.

Yuan Wanbi felt empty for some reason, as if she just lost something. She muttered, “He left.”

“No! He can’t leave! I can’t live without him!” Yuan Yingying’s eyes were brimming with tears as she rushed out of the Yuan family’s manor and started looking for Su Yu.

In some secluded alley, a white-haired old man clasped his hands behind his back as he disappeared among the mist.

“Brother, is it fine to leave like this?” A voice suddenly transmitted from the room of some house in the street.

As Su Yu raised his head and looked up, he saw a handsome young master, who wore magnificent white clothes and was illuminated by the moonlight, leaning against the wall.

Su Yu asked him calmly, “Brother? Shouldn’t you respectfully be calling me grandpa?”

The youth couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, lad, you are younger than me, yet you want to take advantage of me in such a way?”

Su Yu was surprised. “Well, do you know how old I am? Or, did you once see a picture of me?” A cold glint flickered in Su Yu’s eyes.

The youth shook his head, while still laughing. “I didn’t, but my Shangguan family’s bloodline is somewhat special, so it can accurately judge people’s ages. Hence, I can sense that your body lost most of its life span, so you became old overnight, while you are actually no older than nineteen. I’m not mistaken, am I?”

Su Yu replied, “But… So what? I’m sure you didn’t come here just to chat with me under the moon? Wouldn’t it be better for you to accompany your fiancee?”

The person before him was obviously none other than Shangguan Yunque!

“Hehe, I obviously have a reason for looking for you. I know what occurred in the Yuan family this past month… An Almighty Divine Master, an uproar caused by Fairy Expansion Pills, the transformation of the Second Miss from mediocrity to a peerless genius, the destruction of the Elixir Production Alliance… All of those matters had your shadow all over them.”

He shook his head, then continued, “It’s really difficult for me to believe that you are just nineteen, which is even younger than me, as you possess such astounding capabilities! I hope that you can come back with me to the Shangguan family, as I will recommend you to the Red Blood Palace.”

The Red Blood Palace? Su Yu raised his brows, as this was one of the two greatest palaces that ruled the Eighteen Blessed and Heavenly Lands!

“I will also invite Yuan Yingying. As she is now a young intermediate alchemist, those old alchemists of the Red Blood Palace would surely fight over her,” he promised Su Yu.

Su Yu squinted his eyes slightly, as he was really tempted by this offer. Lately, he had felt more and more that a great crisis was on the horizon. So, joining a powerful faction, while being able to cultivate patiently within it as he hid would be his best choice.

Moreover, the Red Blood Palace was the most powerful faction in the Eighteen Blessed and Heavenly Lands, which meant that it was many times safer than the outside world. Thus, joining it was exactly what he needed!

“What’s your reason behind this generous offer? Surely you wouldn’t invite me for no reason…” Su Yu wondered aloud.

Shangguan Yunque chuckled. “Brother Su, you think too much! Recommending talented people to the Red Blood Palace is the responsibility of all of the factions in the Eighteen Blessed and Heavenly Lands, and just like the Blue Mountain Range sends talented people to the Soul Seizing Palace, my Shangguan family also recommends the most talented people in our territory to the Red Blood Palace.”

He then added, “If the people we recommend meet the criteria and manage to successfully join it, then, as the faction that recommended them, we get rewards from the Red Blood Palace. Those rewards may be useless in the eyes of wandering cultivators like you, but they are the lifeblood of our Shangguan family.”

Su Yu was instantly relieved when he heard his explanation. He then asked, “Okay, I agree to it. When will we leave?”

Shangguan Yunque chuckled. “Only after drinking our fills tonight!”

Just like this, Su Yu had agreed to return to the Yuan family.

Back at the banquet, Shangguan Yunque announced the seventh piece of good news, which was naturally that he would recommend Yuan Yingying to the Red Blood Palace. Such news shocked all of them, and they were overjoyed. They started bustling with noise and excitement, celebrating until midnight.

In the outskirts of the city at daybreak, the Yuan Family’s Master and Yuan Wanbi bid farewell to Shangguan Yunque, Su Yu, and Yuan Yingying, who were going to the White Cloud Lake. As the Yuan Family’s Master noticed that Su Yu was going with them, he was quite surprised. “Wanbi, why is Yingying taking this old man with her?”

Yuan Wanbi chuckled when she heard him. “Father, you should really be asking why this old man is bringing Yingying along with him!”

As she noticed that her father’s face became filled with confusion, Yuan Wanbi explained, “Father, did you really believe that my sister’s great changes, as well as the Elixir Production Alliance’s destruction, were both caused by some baffling Divine Master teacher? In fact, it was all done by this old man, Su Yuxian.”

She then added, “He’s a peerless expert, who hid his power! If it wasn’t for him, then Shangguan Yunque wouldn’t be bringing Yuan Yingying along with him at all!”

The Yuan Family’s Master was dumbfounded by her words, and he widened his eyes until they became big and round. “What? It’s him? This old man, who always kept a low-profile, was behind all of this?”

The Yuan Family’s Master had always felt that there was someone manipulating everything that happened during the past month, but he never once had expected that it would be this old man!

Yuan Wanbi took a deep look at Su Yu’s back as she chuckled softly and murmured, “Many thanks, old man…”

Outside of the city, a black-robed old man went into the forest. He was Elder Liao, and he was now executing the task that had been assigned to him by Su Yu. At the moment, he was trying to gather the Heart Refining Mortal Dust Liquid’s ingredients.

Meanwhile, a beautiful woman was standing in the Elixir Production Alliance’s hall, which had already collapsed and turned into rubble. It was in this place where Zhao Yin, Zhao Yinghao, and the red-nosed middle-aged man had been frozen in time and instantly killed in one move.

The woman possessed a tall yet curvaceous body, and her fluttering purple robe was incapable of hiding her alluring body’s charm. She seemed to be just a teenager, and she was extremely beautiful, yet flames of hatred were burning in her eyes.

She extended her finger, then streaked it across the air, gathering a faint Time Power as it went.

“This Time Power… It’s revealing that it was obviously Su Yu who which killed Uncle Blood Emperor…” The young woman raised her head and looked in the direction of the White Cloud Lake with her ice-cold gaze. “I found you,” she murmured.

The Yuan family experts, which were protecting this place, immediately came in, as they had heard some disturbance. “Who’s here?” they asked in unison.

However, they found the hall empty. Only a faint, sweet fragrance lingered in the air.

…

After they traveled for five days, Su Yu and the others finally reached the White Cloud Lake. In those five days, Su Yu had managed to finally completely heal his internal blood energy channels, so now, he just needed to find a place where he could try to advance to the Fairy Realm.

“What a great lake!” Yuan Yingying cried out in surprise, as she looked at the vast white lake in front of her.

Shangguan Yunque stretched lazily and said, “We still need to continue traveling for another day, but let’s descend for now, as there is one of my Shangguan family’s relay birds stations here, so we exchange our birds.”

Their current birds were extremely exhausted by now, as they had already flown for more than five days. As such, their speeds had become slower. So, if they wanted to quickly reach the Shangguan family, it would be wise for them for exchange their original birds for new ones.

Their eagles cried loudly as they rushed down, and they could gradually see an island on the silver-white lake. It wasn’t big, but many spirit fruits were planted on it, which caused the island’s Spiritual Energy to be quite intense.

They were many wooden piles that had been constructed in every corner of the island, and they had many transplanted trees around them. These were all places that had been made for different species of birds to live within.

When Su Yu swept the place with his senses, he was quite startled, as he felt the aura of many powerful birds there, the weakest among them being at the Level One Fairy Realm, while the strongest was even at the Level Seven Fairy Realm!

“Those are all birds that have been raised by my Shangguan family, and there is someone in charge of looking over them here. He’s also in charge of exchanging birds for the Shangguan family members who are traveling. The White Cloud Lake has ten relay stations like this. This one happens to be the smallest one,” Shangguan Yunque explained to Su Yu.

He then added, “The person in charge of this place is one of my family’s elders, Uncle Lan. He will change our mounts.”

He then descended from his bird and shouted, “Uncle Lan? Are you here?”

After getting no response, his brows furrowed as he murmured, “That’s odd.” There was no trace of his Uncle Lan anywhere.

As they looked around, they could clearly see that all of the birds were all peacefully staying in their nests, motionless. They were asleep! In fact, the whole island was silent.

“Why are they all asleep?” Yuan Yingying found the island’s absolute silence eerie.

Shangguan Yunque shrugged his shoulders. “Do you even need to ask? All of those birds have a control charm in their bodies, and as long as it is activated, then they will all fall asleep. Only when they are needed will they be freed from it and wake up.”

He then added, “If they didn’t put them in sleep, since many of the birds still retain some of their wild nature, they would surely rebel. This actually happened in the past, when they actually killed the person who was in charge of them. That is why keep such strict control over them now.”

Hearing this, Su Yu squinted his eyes. This island gave him a restless feeling. Then, all of a sudden, a faint smell of blood assaulted his nostrils.

He was slightly surprised by it, and when he looked up, he saw an ordinary blue bird, which didn’t seem any different than the other ones. It was peacefully sitting on the ground, and it seemed like it was asleep.

Su Yu then used his Soul Eyes, which possessed the power to see through all matters. He then asked, “Shangguan, what’s the cultivation of your Uncle Lan?”

Shangguan Yunque was startled by his question. “He’s quite powerful. He’s, at the very least, a Level Eight Fairy. Otherwise, how could he keep such a group of birds under control?”

A Level Eight Fairy?

Su Yu’s expression became gloomy. Then, as he held Yuan Yingying’s hand, the two flew away immediately. His actions were quite sudden, leaving the rest of the group with no time to even react.

However, Su Yu’s grave voice transmitted to Shangguan Yunque’s ears at the same time, “Quickly escape, all of the birds are awake! They are just pretending to be asleep! They have eaten your Uncle Lan!”

When Su Yu looked at that bird with his Soul Eyes, he saw a human’s head in that giant bird’s belly, and there were other parts of a human’s body in the other giant birds’ bodies!

What frightened Su Yu even more was that those birds’ souls were lively and spirited, and they weren’t asleep, but were just faking as they waited for some unaware person to come to them, like prey! As there were more than a hundred birds on the island, even a Level Eight Fairy could be torn to shreds by them, let alone a group of people like them!