Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 648: Sizzle

Chu Liang led Jin Yuzhi to a hidden cave in the valley by the Bombax River. That was where they found Jin Mucuo's remains.

"So, he's here?" Jin Yuzhi asked.

She scattered three petals from the Life Blossom Tree into the air. The petals drifted down and landed on a patch of soil where several young plants, brimming with spiritual qi, were extending their branches and leaves.

From this, she confirmed the bones belonged to her brother, Jin Mucuo.

"It's him all right."

Chu Liang said solemnly, "Even after his death, Esteemed Senior Jin nourished spirit plants with his body, dedicating himself to helping his juniors. It's truly moving."

"It's nothing," Jin Yuzhi replied with a smile. "It's a family tradition. When a member of the family passes away, they are buried beneath the Life Blossom Tree of a younger member of the family. This strengthens the descendant's fate and karmic luck, allowing them to be full of vitality and thrive."

She dug up the golden skeleton and placed it in a coffin.

Chu Liang carefully uprooted the young plants with the soil still clinging to their roots. He hadn't had the chance to accelerate their growth with spirit herbs, so they had grown slowly. After six years, they had only sprouted into young plants.

Fortunately, Mount Shu still had half of Violet Gold Marquess' remains. If Chu Liang moved the young plants there, they would be nourished with spiritual qi just the same.

Just as Jin Yuzhi was about to shut the coffin, she paused, letting out a surprised murmur. "Hmm?"

"What's wrong?" Di Nufeng asked.

Jin Yuzhi pressed her fingers onto the vein-like patterns running across the golden skeleton's ribcage. "Before my older brother died... he cast the Life-Ending Profound Seal."

"Huh?" Chu Liang and Di Nufeng gasped in astonishment. They exchanged glances before asking, "What's that?"

Jin Yuzhi was rather dumbfounded. "Why are you two so astonished if you don't even know what it is..."

Di Nufeng chuckled. "Just from the name alone, it seems like it would be very powerful."

Jin Yuzhi explained, "It's a secret spell that's passed down in our family. The caster cuts their life short and transforms into the Life-Ending Profound Gateway[1], sealing away their enemy. This is a last resort that's only used when there's an enormous gap in cultivation level between the caster and their opponent. Once the spell is cast, the caster dies within moments, while the sealed enemy remains trapped for centuries on end until they perish within the seal."

"Within moments..." Chu Liang muttered, fixated on that timeframe.

"That's right," Jin Yuzhi replied. "My older brother most likely sealed Xuan Yinzi, the monster who was hunting him. Only a prominent diabolical cultivator like Xuan Yinzi, who had a much higher cultivation level than my older brother, could have forced him into using his life to create a seal instead of escaping."

"That means the sealed location can't be far from here," Chu Liang said quickly. "Assuming that Esteemed Senior Jin had been gravely injured, he couldn't have gone far before his death. It's likely he wasn't confident his seal could kill such a powerful enemy, so he hid in this cave..."

...And swallowed the part of the Divine Ruins scroll in his possession.

Chu Liang left that part unsaid.

If Jin Mucuo had more time before his death, it was likely he would have returned to Mount Shu instead of resorting to such a desperate method to hide the scroll part.

After a moment's thought, Chu Liang asked, "Is there a way to track down the location of the seal? Maybe we can find the monster and avenge Esteemed Senior Jin."

"I can try... But the sealed space is different from the outside world. There is no qi, blood, and spiritual qi necessary for sustaining life. Unless it's a celestial beast in its corporeal body or an eighth-realm Eminent One, it's pretty much impossible for anyone to have survived for so many years in there, draining off their qi, blood, and spiritual qi. If that monster hasn't escaped by now, it's probably dead."

Jin Yuzhi pulled out a twig and tapped the golden skeleton. She closed her eyes in deep thought and then raised the twig skyward.

"This way."

Jin Yuzhi took the lead, following the pull of the Life Blossom Tree.

The Jin Family's Life Blossom Tree was quite amazing, but its abilities had a limited range of effect. Otherwise, Jin Yuzhi would have found Jin Mucuo a long time ago. She could only get a general sense of the direction that would lead them to the seal. She needed to get closer before she could determine the exact location.

The three of them sped along, passing through a crevice in the valley until they reached the roaring downstream of the Bombax River.

"It's below," Jin Yuzhi said.

With a sweep of her twig, the river parted and revealed the wet riverbed.

Chu Liang and Di Nufeng followed closely behind Jin Yuzhi. The three of them treaded lightly until they reached the deepest part of the river, where a dark underwater cave lay.

Jin Yuzhi suddenly exclaimed, "He partially opened the seal! Be careful! That monster may still be inside!"

...

"It's here! It's here!"

Xuan Yinzi lay motionless, no different from a corpse. Yet, his spirit surged with excitement. He could feel it. The final Spirit-Slaying Jar he needed was approaching; it was almost within his reach. Freedom was only a breath away.

It's coming in!

Xuan Yinzi watched the dark, glossy jar enter the cavern through the small hole. Very soon, it would return to his side and replenish a bit more of his spiritual qi. With this last bit, he could finally break the seal!

Come on!

Just as he was filled with joy from the bottom of his heart, the jar suddenly slowed. Then it slid back out of the cavern with a whoosh.

Huh?

Xuan Yinzi stared blankly at the hole.

...

Moments ago...

Jin Yuzhi led Chu Liang and Di Nufeng to the deepest part of the underwater cave. The sealed space had initially been blocked off completely by a solid pitch-black wall, but that wall now had a hole, leading into the deep, dark unknown.

"This wall separates us from the sealed space. I can't break through it," Jin Yuzhi said. "It's quite possible that monster is right behind this wall. From the looks of it... if he's still alive, it won't be long till he makes an escape."

"Let's return to the mountain and notify the elders. We should prepare an enchanted formation before attempting to break the seal," Chu Liang suggested, erring on the side of caution.

If they hastily attempted to break the seal without making the necessary preparations, they might end up letting that monster escape. However, they couldn't just continue leaving him there either, as he might find a way to escape on his own.

While the three people were discussing what to do, a jar carrying an eerie aura drifted into the underwater cave. Guided by some unseen force, it drifted steadily toward the deepest part of the cave.

Chu Liang gazed at the black jar, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

So, this is where it came from.

In that instant, he understood the jars' purpose. The monster inside the cave couldn't escape on his own, nor could he replenish his spiritual qi. So, he had been using these jars to gather spiritual qi for him to regain his strength.

As the jar drifted into the depths of the underwater cave, Di Nufeng casually pulled it out. "What is this thing?"

"It seems to be a method for collecting spiritual qi," Jin Yuzhi answered. "He's using it to accumulate sufficient spiritual qi for him to have the power to escape!"

"In that case, we can't let him have it."

Di Nufeng raised her hand, burning the Spirit-Slaying Jar into nothingness.

As she turned around, another jar floated toward them.

"Huh?" Di Nufeng uttered, grabbing the jar.

She held the jar and pushed it into the dark hole. Then she pulled it back out almost immediately.

Di Nufeng laughed. "Look at this. My hand can't pass through the dark hole, but if I'm holding the jar, I can put my hand through."

She seemed to be having fun.

"Let me try," Chu Liang said. He took the jar, pushed it into the hole, and then pulled it back out. He grinned and remarked, "There's a pulling force inside, like something is trying to drag the jar further in."

Jin Yuzhi was next. "Let me have a look."

She took the jar, inserted it halfway into the hole, and then pulled it back out.

She concluded, "Indeed. That monster is still alive, but he's extremely weak. He's probably trying to absorb the spiritual qi inside this jar."

"I have an idea," Di Nufeng said.

She grabbed the Spirit-Slaying Jar and enveloped it in spiritual qi, igniting the spiritual qi with Samadhi True Fire.

In a flash, the jar became scorching hot. With the power of the Samadhi True Fire, the jar was now hot enough to melt gold and iron.

Di Nufeng then pushed the scorching hot jar into the hole.

...

"Arghhh!"

Inside the cave, Xuan Yinzi was about to explode with rage.

At the very moment when all he needed was one last Spirit-Slaying Jar to regain his freedom, that strange sensation returned. That unseen hand that messed with him before was back.

The Spirit-Slaying Jar had been about to return to the cavern, only to swiftly slide back out.

What is going on?

Xuan Yinzi froze in disbelief. Then, he saw another Spirit-Slaying Jar peek in, only to withdraw immediately. Moreover, that happened twice.

What is this? Just what the hell is this?!

Is this some kind of foreplay? What the hell??

Or are they trying to play with a dog? To lure it out?

Xuan Yinzi sensed something was off. Obviously, the Spirit-Slaying Jars wouldn't be able to mess with him like that. There had to be someone on the other side of the hole controlling the Spirit-Slaying Jars.

"Haah..." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Summoning his last bit of strength, Xuan Yinzi dragged himself to the hole. He raised his hand in agony, waiting to grab the Spirit-Slaying Jar that next it came in.

As long as the Spirit-Slaying Jar came in through the hole one more time, he could muster his remaining strength to grab the jar. If there really was someone on the other side of the hole who dared to toy with him, then he would drain their flesh and blood dry in an instant!

"Since you dare to offend this mighty being, you will pay in blo—AAAAHHH!"

Xuan Yinzi's deep voice changed into a shrill scream.

The moment he raised his hand earlier, a Spirit-Slaying Jar happened to pass through the hole, so he grabbed it. But as soon as his hand touched the Spirit-Slaying Jar, there was the sizzling sound of burning skin.

Xuan Yinzi had once ascended to the eighth realm. So, logically speaking, that meant his corporeal body was far superior to that of the average cultivator, even though he had not focused on physical cultivation in the past. Even after he died, few metals would be able to pierce his skin.

However, the heat radiating from this Spirit-Slaying Jar was far from ordinary. Even the divine fires of the world rarely reached such high temperatures.

The long-silent cave erupted with the loudest sound it had heard in decades.

"OOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!"

1. 玄门Profound Gateway has multiple meanings. The two that I think make sense here are: the gateway to a mysterious realm and the gate of a tomb. ☜