Chapter 313: Battle with the Old Demon, Encountering an Ancient Treasure

Chapter 313: Battle with the Old Demon, Encountering an Ancient Treasure

"The Spirit Clarity Fruit? Everyone was discussing it back in the Snow Mist Valley. But not everyone knew that it was just a lie fabricated by the demons!"

"Hehe!" Situ Yan chuckled at this moment.

"When that eighth-stage demon beast spoke those words, I thought the same. I even believed that my last glimmer of hope was gone. But I never expected that heaven would not forsake me entirely, and there truly was a Spirit Clarity Fruit in the Snow Mist Valley."

Situ Yan's voice rose with excitement.

"And it was found by Fellow Cultivator Chu, a Golden Core mid-stage cultivator who didn't venture deep into the valley."

Before Chu Ning could say anything, Situ Yan waved his hand, "Fellow Cultivator Chu, there's no need to rush to deny it. I've researched this Spirit Clarity Fruit for two to three hundred years. If I didn't have concrete evidence, I wouldn't make such a claim."

Chu Ning paused for a moment after hearing Situ Yan's words, but eventually spoke, "How did you come to know about it?"

He had wondered if Xi Menxia might have leaked the information. After all, she was the only Foundation Establishment cultivator who had entered his cave abode in the past decade. But upon further reflection, he dismissed his own speculation. Aside from the restrictions he had set up, Xi Menxia wouldn't have been able to see the Spirit Clarity Fruit's plantation.

This old demon had chosen to reside in a cave next to his even before he had invited Xi Menxia to his abode. It was impossible for the old demon to predict the future.

Hearing Chu Ning's question, a glint of fervor flashed in Situ Yan's eyes. Although he had long suspected that Chu Ning possessed the Spirit Clarity Fruit, the confirmation of his guess still excited him greatly. However, Situ Yan was, after all, a cunning old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, and his tone remained calm.

"Fellow Cultivator Chu may not be aware, but I was born with an unusual sensitivity to auras. Whether it's cultivators, demon beasts, or various spiritual plants, as long as they've appeared, I can sense them for a certain period. After that eighth-stage great demon declared that the Spirit Clarity Fruit was a lie, I decided to retreat. Later, when the two eighth-stage great demons wanted to get rid of the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Mysterious Spirit Sect, I found an opportunity to escape their entanglement."

Situ Yan paused here, his eyes gleaming strangely.

"But I never expected that as I flew out, I would inadvertently sense the aura of the Spirit Clarity Fruit. I followed its trail and discovered that shortly after the fruit burrowed underground, its aura vanished. At the same time, there was an additional aura of a human cultivator on the scene."

Hearing this, Chu Ning more or less understood the reason.

Situ Yan continued, "Initially, I stayed in the Icy Island Immortal City for almost ten days, but I didn't find that cultivator. Especially in the Long Kong Hall, most of the cultivators who had entered the valley appeared, but I still couldn't find him, and I was getting desperate. Then, Fellow Cultivator, you appeared!"

A smile appeared on Situ Yan's face as he spoke. "Heaven has not forsaken me after all, and has left me a way out."

Chu Ning sighed softly at this moment.

It seemed that this old demon's method of distinguishing auras was not as simple as that of ordinary cultivators. Otherwise, how could he have easily identified him when he had used the Yin Wood Spirit Body to alter his cultivation aura?

This person had been famous in the past and had managed to live for so long as a Golden Core cultivator. Indeed, he was no ordinary man.

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Ning asked slowly, "I wonder what Fellow Daoist intends to do now. Are you planning to take it by force?"

"Don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist," Situ Yan quickly shook his head and smiled. "If I intended to act directly, I wouldn't have said so much in the first place. I'm being so candid to show you my sincerity."

At this moment, Situ Yan's face was filled with a benevolent smile, making it hard to associate him with the terms "old demon," "heartless," and "murderer."

Situ Yan looked at Chu Ning, his voice filled with anticipation, "There should be two Spirit Clarity Fruits. For us cultivators, the fruit is only effective the first time we consume it. Whether it's Fellow Daoist or me, having more than one is useless. So, I'd like to propose a trade with Fellow Daoist for one of the fruits. Name your conditions, and I'm sure I have something that will interest you among the items I've collected over the centuries."

As if worried that Chu Ning still had misgivings, Situ Yan quickly added, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. After the trade, I will not reveal this matter to anyone, and I will leave Icy Island Immortal City immediately. In fact, I've already given up that cave abode."

Chu Ning sighed inwardly as he listened to Situ Yan. If it had been Wu Rongfeng, Chang Ling Shan, or another familiar cultivator proposing this trade, he might have agreed. After all, as Situ Yan said, the Spirit Clarity Fruit could only be consumed once in a cultivator's lifetime, and one fruit was all he needed.

However, this person was known as the Black Sha Old Demon. Although Chu Ning hadn't delved into the details of his deeds, he wasn't about to bargain with a tiger for its skin.

As for why the other party chose to discuss things at length before taking action, Chu Ning had his guesses. Firstly, his slaughter of demons in the Snow Mist Valley should still make the other party wary. Secondly, either the secret technique the other party cultivated had many restrictions on combat, or they wanted to get their hands on the fruit before making their next move.

However, regardless of the reason, Chu Ning would never believe that the old demon would simply give up after the trade was completed. And Chu Ning was well aware that if he refused, the old demon would definitely take action. Today, it seemed that neither party would back down.

Nevertheless, Chu Ning asked, "What if I'm unwilling to hand over the Spirit Clarity Fruit?"

"Hehe!" Situ Yan chuckled. "The Spirit Clarity Fruit is of utmost importance to me. If you refuse, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to take it by force."

Chu Ning sighed in response, "It seems I have no choice in the matter. If I truly refuse, I'll likely face death and the dissipation of my Dao. Fellow Daoist Situ has been at the peak of the mid-stage Golden Core for three hundred years. If I don't comply, I'll probably meet my end."

Chu Ning paused briefly before continuing, "However, Fellow Daoist Situ should also be aware of the value of the Spirit Clarity Fruit. If I were to proactively offer it for exchange, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of all late-stage Golden Core cultivators in the Northern Cold Region, perhaps even Nascent Soul cultivators. The items I could obtain in return would certainly be up to my discretion. Why don't you tell me what you're willing to offer first, and I'll consider it?"

"That's only fair," Situ Yan nodded, reaching into his storage bag and taking out several items. "I have here a rare refining material, the Black Mystical Earth Crystal. It's an excellent material for refining top-grade magical treasures and can be used with various attributes. It was one of the ten most popular refining materials in ancient times."

Chu Ning's eyes flickered at the mention of the Black Mystical Earth Crystal, a refining material renowned in ancient times alongside Black Mystical Metal. While Black Mystical Metal served to enhance a treasure's offensive power and amplify spiritual power, the Black Mystical Earth Crystal increased a treasure's resilience.

Situ Yan then presented a jade box, "Here is also the Mystical God Fruit. While this spirit fruit doesn't have the same effect as the Spirit Clarity Fruit in aiding Nascent Soul condensation, it is unparalleled in enhancing one's divine sense, even for Nascent Soul cultivators."

Chu Ning nodded, acknowledging the value of the fruit. He had heard of the Mystical God Fruit before but had never seen it.

Situ Yan then took out a jade slip, "This slip contains the location of the Great Void Abyss, the number one treasure site in the Northern Cold Region. It was left by ancient cultivators and opens up for entry every once in a while. Fellow Daoist, you are young and possess the Spirit Clarity Fruit. Condensing a Nascent Soul is only a matter of time for you. When the time comes, you can venture into this abyss and likely obtain one or two ancient treasures."

"The Great Void Abyss?" Chu Ning had never heard of this place and was momentarily taken aback. However, he quickly regained his composure, remaining unmoved.

Seeing this, Situ Yan's wrinkled brows furrowed even deeper. "Fellow Daoist Chu, could it be that these three treasures are still not enough to satisfy your needs?"

Chu Ning sighed softly, "Fellow Daoist Situ, your treasures are indeed valuable. But aside from the Mystical God Fruit, the other two items are of no use to me for a long time to come."

After a moment's pause, Chu Ning tentatively asked, "I don't suppose you have any ancient treasures or thousand-year spirit elixirs that would be of more immediate use to me?"

Hearing this, Situ Yan couldn't help but laugh, "You jest, Fellow Daoist. Ancient treasures are not something that even Nascent Soul cultivators necessarily possess. As a mere Golden Core cultivator, how could I have such things? As for thousand-year spirit elixirs..."

Situ Yan gave Chu Ning a meaningful look, "I do happen to have a few drops, but I can't give them to you now. Otherwise, you might take them and then change your mind, leading to a conflict between us. With the boost in spiritual power from the thousand-year spirit elixirs, this old bag of bones won't be able to handle it."

"Old fox!" Chu Ning muttered inwardly. He had been hoping to obtain something from Situ Yan that would enhance his immediate combat power, but it seemed the other party was one step ahead of him.

Thus, Chu Ning said, "In that case, please hand over the three treasures first, and I'll give you the Spirit Clarity Fruit." As he spoke, he reached into his storage bag.

Situ Yan watched Chu Ning's actions, a fleeting glint of surprise passing through his cloudy eyes. Nonetheless, he nodded, "Very well, Fellow Daoist. Please be careful not to play any tricks."

The next moment, Chu Ning struck out with a series of intricate hand seals, causing wisps of white smoke to appear on the jade boxes containing the three objects.

Seeing this, Situ Yan's eyes flickered, and he gave Chu Ning a meaningful look.

Chu Ning, on the other hand, expressionlessly placed the three jade boxes into an empty storage bag.

Meeting Situ Yan's gaze, Chu Ning said indifferently, "I've heard of an ancient secret talisman that, when applied to an object, becomes virtually undetectable. If the item is then stored in a storage bag, not only can the caster see the contents of the bag, but a skilled practitioner can even control the target's storage bag."

"Fellow Daoist, am I right?" Chu Ning added.

Hearing this, Situ Yan let out a dry laugh. "You jest, Fellow Daoist. I've never heard of such an ancient secret talisman. The marks on the jade boxes earlier were merely my way of keeping track of things, a habit formed from being too cautious. I've had these items in my storage bag for over two hundred years, so I forgot about them."

Chu Ning smiled faintly upon hearing this and didn't press the matter further. He had learned about this secret talisman from a book he found in Wolong Valley. While the book introduced the existence of such talismans, it didn't provide any instructions on how to create them.

Although Chu Ning didn't know how to make them, he certainly knew how to reveal and dispel them.

The next moment, Chu Ning took out an object and threw it towards Situ Yan. It was a wooden box.

"Catch, Fellow Daoist!"

Situ Yan's eyes flickered as he saw the wooden box flying towards him. He, too, conjured a large black hand and reached for the box.

As the hand appeared, Chu Ning felt a surge of sinister and powerful demonic energy.

"Hmph!" Situ Yan coldly huffed.

Suddenly, the wooden box opened, revealing not the Spirit Clarity Fruit but a ball of red flames with a faint hint of dark purple at its core.

As the box lid opened, the flames shot out directly at the Black Sha Old Demon, and his demonic energy-infused giant hand was unable to block it at all!

The old demon's demeanor changed as his body was enveloped in a dense layer of demonic energy. At the same time, he waved his hands, sending forth a surge of purple-black demonic energy to meet the tiny ball of flames.

However, the flames were incredibly overpowering. The purple demonic energy came into contact with the flames, only to be swiftly dissolved.

Just as the flames were about to reach two zhang in front of Situ Yan, the old demon opened his mouth and spat out a short dagger radiating black light. The dagger was immediately wrapped in the purple-black demonic energy and shot towards the ball of flames.

Under this attack, the flames scattered.

However, a tiny wisp of reddish-purple flame flew back and disappeared into Chu Ning's hand.

The Black Sha Old Demon's expression turned sour. "You've even refined the Earth Vein Spirit Fire! I've underestimated you."

Hearing this, Chu Ning smiled faintly and waved his hand, causing a fiery red flying sword to appear.

At the same time, he muttered to himself, "The power of the Earth Vein Spirit Fire is indeed formidable. I only infused a tiny wisp into an ordinary fireball, and it displayed such might. If I were to use it directly for attacks, my opponent probably wouldn't be able to withstand it. Although the Earth Vein Spirit Fire doesn't usually consume much spiritual power, after refining and integrating it with my essence, using it in large quantities, especially if it's damaged, might deplete some of my essence. So, it's better to use it in conjunction with spells and artifacts, unless it's a critical moment..."

Over the past ten years, Chu Ning had thoroughly familiarized himself with the uses of the Earth Vein Spirit Fire.

He infused the Fire Spirit Sword with a wisp of the Earth Vein Spirit Fire and then pointed, sending the sword flying towards the Black Sha Old Demon.

The old demon sneered at the sight of Chu Ning's artifact and waved his hand, causing the dagger enveloped in purple mist to intercept the sword.

"!"

When the two collided, the purple mist that had been wrapping around the dagger suddenly enveloped Chu Ning's Fire Spirit Sword.

"Hmm? This purple mist is strange!" Chu Ning's eyes narrowed in surprise.

But he quickly relaxed. The purple mist was formed from demonic energy, so it was probably meant to contaminate his artifact.

Even if he hadn't infused the sword with Earth Vein Spirit Fire, the Fire Spirit Sword, refined from Black Iron, wasn't something that could be easily tainted.

Situ Yan, however, didn't know that. As he watched the purple mist envelop the Fire Spirit Sword, he pointed, causing the dagger to change direction in mid-air and fly towards Chu Ning.

To Situ Yan's astonishment, a burst of crimson light suddenly erupted from within the purple mist.

At the same time, the Spirit Sword, engulfed in blazing red and purple flames, transformed into a streak of crimson light that slashed through the sky.

In the blink of an eye, it appeared before Situ Yan.

And just as Situ Yan was about to recall his black short dagger, a golden sword radiated a brilliant light as it blocked the dagger's path.

The sudden change in both offense and defense took Situ Yan completely by surprise.

However, this old demon, seasoned in countless battles, remained calm and collected.

Purple mist swirled around him, quickly gathering in front of him.

It transformed into a purple-black shield.

In an instant, it blocked the relentless Fire Spirit Sword wielded by Chu Ning.

At the same time, Situ Yan reached out and summoned the black magical artifact back to him.

But Chu Ning wasn't about to let him get away with it.

He made a hand seal, and a surge of jin metal energy shot out, landing on the Golden Spirit Sword.

"Screech!"

The Golden Spirit Sword suddenly erupted with a loud bird cry.

The next moment, the golden sword, infused with jin metal energy, slashed heavily onto the black short dagger.

"Ding!"

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the black short dagger was knocked down, its spiritual essence diminished by more than half.

In just one strike, Situ Yan's magical artifact, which he had cultivated for hundreds of years, was almost destroyed!

"There's something strange about your flying sword!"

Since the start of their battle, this was the first time Situ Yan had shown a loss of composure.

His beloved magical artifact, nurtured for centuries, was nearly ruined in a single strike, and this couldn't help but infuriate him!

However, at this moment, Situ Yan had no time to worry about his black short dagger.

Just then, Chu Ning waved his hand, and a ball of flame the size of a fingernail, reddish-purple in color, floated out.

It seemed slow, but in the blink of an eye, it had already landed on the Golden Spirit Sword.

With the aid of this Earth Vein Spirit Fire, the Fire Spirit Sword blazed with intense scarlet light.

The purple mist on Situ Yan's shield quickly dissipated.

And just as the shield vanished, the Fire Spirit Sword charged straight at Situ Yan!

But at the same time, purple mist swirled where Situ Yan stood, and the Fire Spirit Sword seemed to strike nothing but air.

"Not good!"

At that moment, Chu Ning's heart stirred.

He activated the Godly Wind Escape, and in a flash, he appeared ten zhang away.

At the same time, a figure emerged from the purple mist where he had just been standing.

Who else could it be but Situ Yan?

"What incredible speed!"

Chu Ning was slightly startled.

As he saw Situ Yan's figure disappear again, he couldn't help but snort softly.

He activated the Godly Wind Escape once more, and his figure also vanished.

At the same time, he pointed backward with his finger.

Void Finger!

Situ Yan, hot on Chu Ning's trail and about to launch an attack, was taken aback as Chu Ning suddenly unleashed a fierce strike.

By the time he sensed the power of the Void Finger, it was too late to dodge.

"Ugh!"

Situ Yan grunted as he forcefully took the hit, feeling a surge of destructive force penetrate his body.

He couldn't help but stumble backward.

But Chu Ning wasn't about to let his opponent off the hook just yet.

He waved his hand, and two flying swords shot out in pursuit.

Situ Yan, a renowned Golden Core late-stage cultivator in the Northern Cold Region, found himself overwhelmed by Chu Ning's oppressive might and could only rely on his exceptional escape techniques to dodge continuously.

However, Situ Yan's escape art was indeed remarkable. Chu Ning's flying swords were incredibly fast, yet Situ Yan managed to evade them time and again.

But for Situ Yan, a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core late stage for many years, to be reduced to fleeing for his life by a mere Golden Core mid-stage cultivator like Chu Ning was a humiliating turn of events.

His face grew increasingly unsightly.

Moreover, Chu Ning sensed that Situ Yan's escape technique seemed to consume a significant amount of spiritual power.

In just a short while, he noticed that his opponent's aura had weakened considerably.

"He must have something else up his sleeve, but I wonder why he hasn't used it yet."

As Chu Ning pondered, Situ Yan suddenly took out a small jade bottle from his storage bag, poured a drop of something into his mouth, and swallowed it.

Immediately, purple demonic energy surged around him, and his aura intensified.

"Thousand-Year Spirit Milk!"

Upon seeing this, Chu Ning immediately understood what Situ Yan had consumed.

He knew that the old demon was about to pull out all the stops.

Chu Ning quickly recalled the two flying swords and blew out a breath, summoning two more flying swords.

The four swords merged into one, forming a massive spirit sword.

And at that moment, Chu Ning saw Situ Yan wave his hand, and a black short dagger appeared, strikingly similar to the one he had been using earlier.

Chu Ning was slightly taken aback, but the next moment, he sensed a powerful force emanating from the dagger.

His eyes narrowed, and two words escaped his lips.

"Ancient Treasure!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end