"Three hundred and sixty?"
Sensing Yu Ci's bewilderment, Old Daoist explained, "The Fish-Dragon has been delivered to the mountain, Brother Lu is extremely pleased. He was on the verge of giving up, your Fish-Dragon was indeed a timely rain, hence, he is willing to pay an extra twenty percent, amounting to three hundred and sixty merits. You must keep this token safe. It will make transactions within the sect more convenient."
Upon hearing Yu Ci's sudden gain of sixty merit points, Bao Guang, standing by, admired Yu Ci even more, his eyes filled with awe and respect.
The unexpected merit points were a pleasant surprise. However, after expressing his gratitude, Yu Ci also took this as a reminder. He said, "I have been bothering the temple for many days. Now that everything is settled, I should bid farewell to the Temple Master."
"Oh? So urgent?"
Yu Ci smiled, "The Immortal Path is long and arduous, a few days of rest is already considered slacking."
Although his words seemed to cater to the listener's preference, they indeed reflected his thoughts, albeit slightly embellished, yet sincere. As expected, Old Daoist nodded in approval.
"At such a young age, you understand the urgency of seeking immortality, very good. What are your plans?"
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Ci revealed his thoughts honestly.
"To be frank, Temple Master, I have some insights on herb gathering. The discovery of Fish Dragon Grass last time was not purely luck. I have looked into it at the One Mind Hall, even without merit points information, a Fish Dragon Grass is worth five merits, a natural one might be worth more. Therefore, I plan to return to Sky Rift Valley, I might be able to find enough medicinal grass before winter. If not, I have seen some requests for Sky Rift Valley specialties, if possible, I can take care of that on the way."
Aside from this, there was another reason which he chose not to mention, but Old Daoist should understand - with Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi setting off to Lichen Sect's Mountain Gate a few days ago, the spies who had been lingering outside the Daoist temple had left yesterday. Although he was unsure about White Sun Mansion's intentions, if not now, then when?
However, Old Daoist's reaction was somewhat peculiar. He stared at him for a long while, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter. This unexpected laughter left Yu Ci somewhat bewildered, "Why is Temple Master laughing?"
Old Daoist pointed at him and then at himself, still laughing, "We are destined!"
What does that mean?
Just as Yu Ci was trying to understand, he saw Old Daoist take out a Jade Slip and handed it to him, "Coincidentally, I need a few herbs that are unique to Sky Rift Valley, unavailable elsewhere. I would like you to help me find them."
Looking at the very pleased Old Daoist, Yu Ci sent his consciousness into the Jade Slip, and saw six types of herbs listed, each with detailed illustrations and descriptions, the images were vivid, and the descriptions were extremely detailed, including the habits of the medicinal grass, possible growth locations, harvesting methods, and whether there were any dangerous beasts or poisonous insects guarding them.
This document was so detailed that it left one speechless. Yu Ci had initially planned to pick other medicinal herbs along the way to earn merit points, so this request didn't conflict with his plans. Naturally, there was no reason to refuse. However, there was one thing he didn't understand: "Although the Sky Rift Valley is vast, it's only so for us juniors. Given the Temple Master's capabilities and such detailed information, why doesn't he pick the herbs himself?"
"Sky Rift Valley is different from other places. The Lichen Sect and Sunset Sect have placed a 'No Entry Stele', prohibiting cultivators above the Golden Elixir Stage from entering the valley. I am no exception."
Yu Ci was puzzled, "Why is that?"
The Old Daoist responded with a question, "Do you know what lies beneath Sky Rift Valley?"
Why did that sound so familiar? Yu Ci wanted to laugh, but held back. He still replied, "Could it be the Underworld?"
The Old Daoist laughed heartily, "Although not entirely accurate, you're not far off. What lies beneath isn't the underworld of mortal tales, but a place incredibly similar and even more dangerous. Cultivators call it the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion."
A thought struck Yu Ci; he had heard this name before. Upon reflection, it was mentioned by Immortal Ye Bin atop Sky Rift Valley, but he still didn't understand its true nature.
The Old Daoist explained, "The so-called Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion is a place where all the violent and murderous energies of the world condense and materialize. It's boundless and has given birth to countless demons over millions of years. These demons are all brutal and bloodthirsty, endlessly fighting each other within the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion. In terms of cruelty, it far surpasses the so-called underworld."
"This realm is not connected to our world by any land or water routes, but it's not entirely disconnected either. In the vast universe, there are places that occasionally resonate with the violent energies, tearing the void and forming a passage between the two sides. Sky Rift Valley is one such place, and perhaps the largest."
"There are such places in the universe?"
After listening to the Old Daoist's explanation, Yu Ci felt his worldview had expanded significantly. He thought for a moment and asked, "So, the rumors of demons appearing in Sky Rift Valley aren't baseless?"
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
The Old Daoist sighed, "It shouldn't have been this way. You should know that our world and the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion are vastly different. We breathe naturally in this world, but for the demons of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, it might be a deadly poison, and vice versa. This largely isolates the two realms.
"However, Sky Rift Valley is so vast that it almost forms a world of its own, mixing the Primordial Qi of both sides. Gradually, some demons adapt to the environment and grow within it. These demons can freely traverse both realms. Originally, this wouldn't have been a problem, as all creatures have their natural enemies. Sky Rift Valley also has some naturally occurring strange species that are mortal enemies with the demons, blocking their way to our world, preventing our world from being invaded by demons."
"But some seventy years ago, two individuals possessing the Great Mystical Powers, comparable to earthly immortals, battled fiercely in the valley. Their fight was so intense that it seemed to tear the sky and shatter the earth, casting the sun and moon into darkness. The relatively stable ecosystem of the valley was severely disrupted during the war, especially in the area adjacent to the Broken Realm Mountain Range, spanning over ten thousand miles. The lower section of the Sky Rift Valley was almost unrecognizable, yet the Demons living at the very bottom were only minimally affected. With their natural predators gone, they naturally began to stir."
Yu Ci was deeply moved by the story, but his emotions were not dominated by fear, but an indescribable yearning.
To conceal his feelings, he said softly, "But haven't there been no Demons causing trouble in these decades?"
"They were suppressed!"
Old Daoist scoffed coldly, "Those two Great Immortals finished their battle and left, but they dumped the trouble here. For the first twenty years after the war, our side and the Sunset Sect across from us had to redirect most of our manpower every year, even inviting help from allies millions of miles away, to barely fend off the Demons' invasion. During those twenty years, many disciples of the Sect fell in the Sky Rift Valley. The Sunset Sect even lost a Taoism Immortal, a heavy loss indeed.
"Merely fending off was not enough, we had to make every effort to relocate suitable species here, re-establishing the ecosystem. This work only concluded a decade ago. Otherwise, why do you think the Sect, with its power, still needs the help of White Sun Mansion to collect Shrimp Whisker Grass…? In the past decades, the medicinal grass, minerals, and other resources that used to be readily available in the Sky Rift Valley have been almost completely depleted. If it weren't for the deep resources of the Sect's Mountain Gate, the consequences would be unthinkable!"
Old Daoist seemed to harbor deep resentment, which was quite different from his usual self. Perhaps his close friends died in this war that lasted for twenty years?
Yu Ci speculated in his heart, but did not dare to interrupt, it was Old Daoist who first noticed his own mood was a bit off, so he laughed, "I digressed, forgive me, forgive me!"
"It should be a good opportunity for the young to gain knowledge. If it weren't for the Temple Master's explanation, how would I know that such a world exists?" Yu Ci actually hoped that Old Daoist would talk more about this.
Old Daoist, however, seemed preoccupied and quickly revealed the ultimate reason, "I mentioned earlier about the newly established ecosystem. This system was finally completed in its initial form ten years ago, capable of operating naturally and resisting the invasion of Demons. But after all, it was transplanted forcefully, with shallow roots. Perhaps an inadvertent action by people could disrupt its overall balance, and that would inevitably cause trouble.
"Therefore, our Sect and the Sunset Sect decided to postpone the removal of the 'No Entry Stele' that was erected during that time to prevent Demons from harming people and banning entry into the valley. We planned to reopen it a few decades later, once the ecosystem stabilized. But this only applies to Cultivators above the Golden Elixir Stage, because only those at that level of cultivation could possibly descend to the lower section of the Sky Rift Valley and affect the ecosystem.
"Besides, we have a guess that Cultivators above the Golden Elixir stage, with their Qi radiating too far, and their flesh and Divine Soul being a great tonic for Demons. Some Demons can sense this Qi from hundreds of miles away. If they follow the trace and swarm here, the consequences would be worrisome. This is the most concerning issue!"
These demons truly have vast magical powers!
Yu Ci couldn't help but exclaim. However, this had no impact on him, so he simply listened and let it go.
After talking about the matters of the Sky Rift Valley, the Old Daoist pointed at the Jade Slip, "These six types of medicinal grass are all rare items. None of them is easier to find than the Fish Dragon Grass. I don't expect you to bring them all back at once. I just want to see your luck, do you understand?"
Yu Ci could tell that there was a deeper meaning to the Old Daoist's words. However, this was not important. The Old Daoist had helped him a lot in the matter of the Fish-Dragon. He was troubled and didn't know how to express his gratitude. Now that he had this request to find the medicine, it was exactly what he wanted.
Moreover, he had the Divine Map on him, which could cover a search range of fifty miles, reaching up to the sky and down into the ground. What would be extremely difficult for others was actually his strength.
"Please rest assured, Temple Master." Yu Ci only said this one sentence, but it was more decisive than any promise.
The Old Daoist was pleased with his attitude and said, "These medicinal herbs are all for winter. Even if you haven't found enough Fish Dragon Grass before winter comes, there's no need to rush back. You can stay longer and see if you can gain something from this. It won't conflict with your matters..."
He never mentioned the issue of rewards from beginning to end, which made Yu Ci feel even more comfortable. To be honest, until now, he found it hard to accept the Merit Points transactions in the One Mind Hall. It was too different from the cultivation world he had imagined and longed for.
After finishing the important matters, the two chatted for a while. Yu Ci admired the Old Daoist's swordsmanship and steered the conversation towards it. Although the Old Daoist didn't really teach him anything, his casual theories benefited Yu Ci a lot.
When the night deepened and it was confirmed that he would leave early the next morning, Yu Ci finally excused himself. The more he talked with the Old Daoist, the more he liked him. As he recalled the Old Daoist's profound swordsmanship, he had not walked far from the courtyard gate when someone called his name from behind. It was Bao Guang who had caught up with him.
"Brother Yu, please take this."
Without saying anything, Bao Guang handed a neatly folded item into Yu Ci's hand. Just by the gentle touch, Yu Ci knew that it was the Ghost Yarn Cloud.
Yu Ci was stunned. Looking back, the young Taoist was grinning, looking oddly like he was either heartbroken or laughing. "Given the time constraints, when can you reach the Sky Rift Valley on foot? This thing of mine may not be good for anything else, but it's the best treasure for long-distance travel. It will definitely save you a lot of time. Just remember to return it to me when you come back!"
His pretentious bravado was laughable, but Yu Ci understood his intention.
It was not just the Old Daoist who was worth befriending.
Yu Ci was silent for a moment, then laughed. He patted Bao Guang's shoulder, everything was understood without words.
***************
I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e