Chapter 273: The Venerable Jiu Yan, the Forbidden Land of Beast Mountain

Chapter 273: The Venerable Jiu Yan, the Forbidden Land of Beast Mountain

Upon hearing the robust man's words, Chu Ning was delighted.

After the man picked up the demon wolf, Chu followed close behind him.

Heading inland from the coast, they traversed several mountains and traveled nearly ten miles.

Chu Ning finally arrived at what appeared to be a stockade with this group of people.

The entire stockade was nestled on a mountainside, accessible only by a perilous mountain path.

"If cultivators could fly, this treacherous path would be nothing but a display.

But if no cultivator can perform flying spells, this place is easily defended but difficult to attack."

Chu Ning and the others reached the stockade gate. The robust man took out a conch-like object from his waist and blew into it.

Soon, a man poked his head out from the top of the stone gate. After recognizing the people below, he immediately shouted,

"Open the gate. It's Xie Yong and the others returning."

Xie Yong was the name of the robust man.

As his voice fell, the heavy stockade gate opened.

Chu Ning's eyes narrowed as he observed this scene thoughtfully.

"It seems that this island is not very peaceful. Otherwise, the people here wouldn't be so heavily guarded."

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Ning followed Xie Yong and the others inside.

Before them lay a square drill ground, spanning twenty zhang in width and length, adorned with various unfamiliar apparatuses to Chu Ning.

Faintly, he could make out several people practicing at different equipment setups.

At this moment, three people stood on each side of the stone gate.

All six of them had their hands on round objects embedded in the wall, apparently controlling some sort of mechanism for the stone gate.

"Hey, Brother Yong, did you really catch a Red Wolf?"

One of them, upon seeing the wolf carcass in Xie Yong's hand, exclaimed in delight.

Immediately, the six men also spotted Chu Ning walking among the group, and their faces involuntarily betrayed a hint of suspicion and vigilance.

At this moment, those training in the drill ground also turned their gazes toward them.

A sturdy middle-aged man with a cultivation base of Refining Body Fourth Layer, comparable to the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, emerged.

His eyes swept over the Red Wolf in Xie Yong's hand and then landed on Chu Ning.

Frowning slightly, he asked Xie Yong,

"Xie Yong, who is this person, and why are you bringing outsiders into the stockade casually?"

Hearing the sturdy middle-aged man's words, Xie Yong quickly explained, "Uncle Quan, this is Brother Chu Ning, an outsider with a matter to discuss with the Chieftain.

Oh, and this Red Wolf was caught with Brother Chu's help."

"An outsider?" The sturdy middle-aged man's frown deepened, and he immediately rebuked,

"Xie Yong, who gave you the guts to bring an outsider into the stockade so recklessly?"

As he spoke, the sturdy middle-aged man bellowed,

"Everyone, defend against the enemy!"

At the middle-aged man's command, the over ten people in the drill ground rushed out, brandishing their weapons.

Even from the buildings deeper within the stockade, figures dashed out.

Leading them was a white-haired elder with sharp eyes and an incredibly robust physique, despite the wrinkles on his face.

Chu Ning instantly recognized that the elder had attained the Fifth Layer of Refining Body, comparable to the mid-stages of Foundation Establishment.

At the same time, an excited shout rang out from outside the stockade.

"Chieftain, Father, look what I've caught!"

The people who had been glaring at Chu Ning moments ago now turned their gazes toward the stockade gate.

They saw a group of seven or eight people entering, led by a tall man who resembled the sturdy middle-aged man, whom Xie Yong addressed as Uncle Quan.

Chu Ning's eyes scanned the group briefly before landing on the figure sandwiched in their midst—a woman in a light purple robe, her fair and lovely face tinged with anxiety.

Her beautiful eyes surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, and when they landed on Chu Ning not far away, they lit up.

"Chu Ning!"

Chu Ning smiled and nodded at her.

Shi Xue'er.

Chu Ning hadn't expected to find Shi Xue'er here, also transported to this place.

Upon seeing Chu Ning, Shi Xue'er instinctively tried to rush over to him.

However, as soon as she moved, two burly men grabbed her by the arms.

Although she was a Golden Core cultivator who had tempered her body with Golden Core Force, her physical strength was limited as she had not specialized in body refinement, nor did she know any body refinement techniques.

Thus, despite their lower cultivation bases, she couldn't break free from these Refining Body Second Layer cultivators.

Seeing this, Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He turned to the white-haired elder, who had attained the Fifth Layer of Refining Body, and said,

"You must be the Chieftain of this place. We are outsiders who accidentally entered this island.

We mean no harm, and I request that you order the release of my companion."

Before the white-haired elder could speak, the sturdy middle-aged man (Uncle Quan) interrupted, "Enough nonsense! How dare an outsider intrude upon the East Forest Tribe! Capture him as well!"

As the middle-aged man's words landed, several Refining Body cultivators who had been in the drill ground earlier rushed towards Chu Ning.

But at this moment, Chu Ning's movements were far quicker than theirs.

Thunderstep!

Even without the augmentation of spiritual power, Chu Ning's Thunderstep, honed through his cultivation of the Jiu Yan Refining Body Technique's second volume and second yan (variation), surpassed the escape techniques of many cultivators.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his original spot, appearing instantly beside Shi Xue'er.

The two Refining Body cultivators who had been holding her back were now pushed away to a distance of over ten feet.

Among the onlookers, only the white-haired elder vaguely discerned Chu Ning's movements.

The rest didn't even catch a glimpse of how he had moved.

Everyone present, over a hundred people, wore shocked expressions.

The white-haired chieftain's face turned solemn, and he immediately cupped his hands in respect, saying,

"Esteemed warrior, I am Xie Xianhai, Chieftain of the East Forest Tribe. Please forgive our previous transgressions.

The robust middle-aged man and his son, who had been about to speak, remained silent after witnessing Xie Xianhai's subsequent actions.

They saw Xie Xianhai bow slightly and gesture to Chu Ning and Shi Xue'er, inviting them in.

"Please come in, esteemed guests."

This gesture was clearly a sign of him lowering his status.

The robust middle-aged man's expression changed slightly as he connected this action with Chu Ning's mysterious speed and skill from earlier.

"The Chieftain has attained the fifth layer of Refining Body, yet he's being so courteous to this man. Could he possibly be a Refining Body cultivator of the sixth layer or higher?"

With this thought, the robust middle-aged man's face grew solemn.

A Refining Body cultivator of the sixth layer was the absolute pinnacle of combat strength on this Spiritless Island.

Among the four major tribes on the island, only the chieftain of the Flat Sand Tribe had attained such a level.

Chu Ning had no intention of antagonizing this tribe. His actions earlier were partly due to Shi Xue'er, and partly to establish his dominance.

Seeing the chieftain, Xie Xianhai, being so polite, Chu Ning seized the opportunity.

He cupped his hands and said to the chieftain, "Apologies for the disturbance, Chieftain."

Then, he turned to Shi Xue'er, who was visibly beaming, and said, "Miss Shi, shall we go?"

Chu Ning didn't directly address Shi Xue'er as a fellow cultivator, and she followed his lead.

"Certainly, thank you, Brother Chu," she replied.

The fact that Chu Ning was skilled in the way of body refinement brought both surprise and joy to Shi Xue'er.

So, just like on the peak of White Mist Peak in the Spirit Realm, she stayed close to Chu Ning as they were led by Xie Xianhai through the drill ground and into a hall in the center of the stockade.

In addition to Xie Xianhai, the robust middle-aged man, and the white-haired elder, there was another older man who seemed slightly younger than Xie Xianhai, as well as a middle-aged man of similar age to the robust man but shorter in stature. Both of them had attained the fourth layer of Refining Body, comparable to the initial stages of Foundation Establishment.

Chu Ning scanned them with a glance, deducing that with one at the fifth layer and three at the fourth layer, these four likely represented the tribe's strongest fighters.

In this place devoid of spiritual energy, it was surprising to find so many body refiners with relatively high cultivation levels, which only served to pique Chu Ning's curiosity about this place even further.

After they entered the hall, Xie Xianhai invited Chu Ning and Shi Xue'er to sit down and offered them tea.

Then, he apologized once more, "Esteemed guests, please forgive our tribe's discourtesy earlier. We are unaccustomed to visitors, so please pardon our cautious behavior."

Chu Ning smiled faintly and replied, "Chieftain, there's no need to apologize. It's only natural for you to be cautious when strangers like us suddenly appear."

The tension in the air eased as they exchanged these pleasantries.

Then, Xie Xianhai asked, "May I ask where you two are from and how you ended up on this Spiritless Island? We rarely have outsiders visit us here."

Chu Ning's purpose for coming to this island was to gather information, so he was glad to hear Xie Xianhai's inquiry.

"Chieftain, there's no need to call me a guest. My name is Chu Ning; you can just call me that. We are from the Yunxiao Mountains in the Western Alliance Continent. May I ask where this Spiritless Island is located and how far it is from there?"

"The Yunxiao Mountains in the Western Alliance Continent?"

Xie Xianhai's face clouded with confusion at Chu Ning's words.

Chu Ning turned to the others and saw the same expression on their faces. He frowned slightly and continued, "You may not have heard of the Yunxiao Mountains, but have you heard of the Western Alliance Continent?"

Xie Xianhai shook his head. "I apologize, but we have never left this Spiritless Island nor had any contact with outsiders. We are unaware of the Western Alliance Continent."

Hearing this, Chu Ning's heart sank, and he shared a glance with Shi Xue'er, both of them looking surprised.

"Chieftain, have you never had any contact with people from outside this island?" Chu Ning asked.

"No," Xie Xianhai replied, shaking his head. "We've only heard about the existence of other worlds outside the island from our ancestors. I am one of the oldest people on this island now, and in my lifetime, I've never left, nor have I met anyone from outside. We don't know what lies beyond this island."

Chu Ning sighed inwardly upon hearing this. The situation was quite different from what he had expected.

Then, he asked, puzzled, "Chieftain, how did your ancestors know about the existence of other places outside the island then?"

"Are you cultivators?" Xie Xianhai asked, not directly answering Chu Ning's question.

Chu Ning nodded. There was no point in hiding that.

Xie Xianhai's eyes widened in surprise, and he continued, "I've heard that cultivators like you know other methods of cultivation and possess something called 'spiritual power.' Was the power you displayed earlier related to that, Brother Chu? Would you be even stronger if you used this spiritual power?"

Chu Ning nodded, seeing the curiosity in Xie Xianhai and the others' eyes. "You could say that, Chieftain. It seems that there have indeed been cultivators who visited this Spiritless Island in the past, as you seem quite knowledgeable about us."

Xie Xianhai looked at Chu Ning with a complex expression, his gaze conveying a mix of envy and sympathy, which Chu Ning found puzzling.

Then, Xie Xianhai slowly said, "Indeed, cultivators have come to this Spiritless Island before. The last time was a thousand years ago. That person, like you, arrived here by accident, but he didn't know how to refine his body."

As he spoke, Xie Xianhai turned his gaze towards Shi Xue'er.

"Many of our ancestors were deeply affected by his words, and after his death, they jumped into the Boundless Sea. After that, our tribes rarely spoke of the outside world to our people."

Chu Ning fell silent for a moment after hearing this tale, his mind racing. Then, he asked, "So, was it this cultivator who named this place Spiritless Island?"

"No, not quite," Xie Xianhai replied, shaking his head. "According to our ancestors, the name 'Spiritless Island' was given by a man named Venerable Jiu Yan..."

"Venerable Jiu Yan?" Chu Ning interrupted, his eyes widening in surprise. "Are you saying that Venerable Jiu Yan came to this island and named it Spiritless Island?"

Xie Xianhai's eyes narrowed as he noticed Chu Ning's reaction, and he continued solemnly, "Venerable Jiu Yan was the first outsider to discover this island, and he also taught the tribes here the art of body refinement. He is the revered deity of all the tribes on this island. Brother Chu, is Venerable Jiu Yan well-known in the cultivation world beyond?"

"Well-known?" Chu Ning echoed. "He is a household name."

Chu Ning's mind was reeling as he processed the information Xie Xianhai had just revealed. Venerable Jiu Yan had been to this island and named it Spiritless Island? According to legends, Venerable Jiu Yan had cultivated the Jiu Yan Refining Body Technique and was the first person in the Tian Yan world to ascend to immortality.

That meant that the founder of the Tian Yan world's cultivation path had been to this island and must have left afterward.

Chu Ning's eyes lit up as he made this connection, and he eagerly asked, "Then, how did Venerable Jiu Yan leave this island?"

Xie Xianhai shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know. It was a very long time ago, and the tribes on this island have changed countless generations since then. Our ancestors never spoke of it."

Before Xie Xianhai could finish, Shi Xue'er, unable to contain her anxiety, interjected, "How can you not know? Venerable Jiu Yan is the deity you all worship. Don't you have any records of his deeds?"

Shi Xue'er had clearly understood from their conversation that Venerable Jiu Yan had come from the outside world and somehow left as well. This was crucial to their own chances of escaping this so-called lost land, and her worry was evident.

Hearing her urgent tone, Xie Xianhai offered a bitter smile. "Miss Shi, this all happened in ancient times. From what we've heard, Venerable Jiu Yan's arrival and departure were both sudden and mysterious. Our ancestors had no idea of his whereabouts."

Chu Ning paused, realizing that finding a way out through this line of inquiry was unlikely. Otherwise, the island wouldn't have been isolated from the world for countless millennia, and the cultivators who had been stranded here a millennium ago would not have been trapped for life.

So, instead of pressing further, Chu Ning shifted the topic and began to ask Xie Xianhai about the island in greater detail.

From Xie Xianhai, Chu Ning learned that Spiritless Island was actually quite vast, spanning nearly ten thousand square kilometers. There were hundreds of tribes of varying sizes, with four major ones among them.

The East Forest Tribe, where Chu Ning and his companions currently were, was one of these four major tribes. However, due to the presence of a Refining Body Sixth Layer cultivator in one of the other tribes, the East Forest Tribe ranked relatively lower among the four.

Xie Xianhai, as the chieftain of the East Forest Tribe, was a Refining Body Fifth Layer cultivator, the highest among his tribe.

At this point, Chu Ning asked a question that had been puzzling him. "Chieftain, I sensed demonic energy in that Red Wolf earlier. Since there is no spiritual energy here, where do these demonic beasts derive their power from?"

"Oh, that's because of the beast crystals within their bodies," Xie Xianhai explained, signaling for Xie Yong to bring the Red Wolf they had captured into the hall.

In front of Chu Ning, Xie Xianhai proceeded to dissect the Red Wolf, a high-level first-stage demonic beast equivalent to the Qi Consolidation realm. From its skull, he extracted a thumb-sized crystal of fiery red color.

Chu Ning's eyes widened in astonishment as he took the crystal from Xie Xianhai. Although he couldn't use his spiritual sense to examine it, he could still feel the demonic energy emanating from it—similar to what one would find in the core of a fifth-stage demonic beast, but much weaker.

This discovery intrigued Chu Ning greatly. After all, demonic energy within demonic beasts was like the spiritual power within cultivators; it required spiritual energy to condense and form. How were these beasts able to generate demonic energy?

Chu Ning voiced his confusion, and Xie Xianhai shook his head once more. "We don't know how these beast crystals form within the beasts. We only know that the demonic beasts within the Beast Mountain forbidden land tend to have higher ranks and possess these beast crystals."

"Beast Mountain forbidden land?" Chu Ning's eyes gleamed, sensing that he had stumbled upon a crucial piece of information. "Where is this place?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end