Talking About Grass

The fervent atmosphere continued, but Yu Ci himself detached from it, staring at the leaping bonfire with a slight daze. He was drunk on how easily he'd spoken the truth.

Or was his inner desire already at this point?

The young Yu Ci didn't understand the true meaning of "immortality," but he clearly knew the price of it – the countless white bones beneath the Twin Immortal Palace were the best testament.

At first, it was merely fear, but as he grew older and bolder, the fear gradually faded, leaving only a deep trace etched in his heart. Furthermore, the Twin Immortals' divine abilities of summoning wind and rain, flying through the air, and burrowing underground became like a seed, buried deep within the imprint, sprouting and growing during his long days of wandering until it became a towering tree deeply rooted in his heart.

Unknowingly, "immortality" had melted into his very blood, becoming an instinct. An instinct to pursue, without thinking about the so-called "meaning," because immortality itself was the collection of all meaning.

This was how Yu Ci understood it.

The strong liquor stirred his blood. He intensely wanted to rush into that world, his qi and blood boiling, intending to break through that invisible barrier, but it was always just a sliver short. He could already hear the lid above his head rattling.

Ever since entering the Bright Aperture Upper Stage, opening his "spirit apertures" in the unseen, and sensing his own spirit and soul, this feeling had grown daily. During his days in Sky Rift, it had reached the point of a boiling cauldron, ready to burst forth.

Yu Ci knew this was a precursor to a breakthrough, but he lacked a catalyst. With his current strength alone, he was always a little short. Fortunately, he had ample patience and resilience, accumulating strength at this level until the moment he would break through the top.

While he was lost in thought, the people around the bonfire had emerged from their discussion of his "immortality fantasies" and returned to their most pressing questions. But after discussing for a long time, they still couldn't figure out the true purpose of the Shrimp Whisker Grass or the Fish Dragon Grass. Frustrated by their lack of progress, everyone began to lose interest, and the conversation was about to die down when someone suddenly sneered:

"Who cares what its use is? What matters is how much it's worth."

That was a blunt statement. Yu Ci also came back to his senses. He had initially thought it was Li Hong spouting more of his grand theories, but he quickly realized something was wrong. The person's voice was sonorous and powerful, with a metallic resonance, vastly different from Li Hong's muffled tone earlier.

Shifting his gaze, he suddenly understood. It was Daoist Yan.

This person was also part of the group from Juebi City, but he wasn't a professional herb collector. He had joined midway, which was somewhat similar to Yu Ci's situation. He was also dressed in Daoist robes and claimed to be a Daoist, but his face was rough and unrefined, with a full beard and round, bell-like eyes that held a sharp gaze. Yu Ci had previously estimated that among these herb collectors, this person's cultivation was the most advanced, likely also in the Bright Aperture Upper Stage, a notch above the others.

Everyone's attention was focused on him. Someone laughed, "Can this grass compare to the Three Yang Talisman Sword?"

When introducing himself earlier, Daoist Yan had admitted his goal was the Three Yang Talisman Sword, the same as Yu Ci's, hence the question.

Daoist Yan grinned, "The Three Yang Talisman Sword? That's hard to say. I only know that ten stalks of Fish Dragon Grass can be exchanged for one Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pill."

When he said this, everyone around was bewildered, finding Daoist Yan's words nonsensical. Only Li Hong, his drunkenness seemingly subsiding, began to feign thoughtfulness again, adopting a contemplative posture. "Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pill... I think I've heard of it somewhere."

"You must have heard of it in Bai Ri Mansion."

Daoist Yan grinned widely. "Bai Ri Mansion can produce hundreds or thousands of Three Yang Talisman Swords every year, and as for this Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pill, only the Mansion Lord still possesses a few liang of it. He keeps it very carefully, stored in a secret chamber with dedicated guards, for fear of thieves stealing it... Heh heh, that's the idea."

"Hiss!"

The sight of over twenty people gasping in unison was quite spectacular, but Yu Ci was somewhat distracted. For some reason, seeing Daoist Yan's smile made him uneasy. A peculiar scent also entered his nostrils, and before he could identify it, Daoist Yan chuckled again, "However, although the Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pill is good, it's also something unattainable. Unlike the Three Yang Talisman Sword, which can be exchanged for just a thousand stalks of Shrimp Whisker Grass. It's better for me to be down-to-earth and take it one step at a time."

Hmm? What did he mean by that?

Yu Ci keenly grasped the change in Daoist Yan's tone. The inserted word "me" was truly strange. He wasn't the only intelligent one; Lu Bing also looked up, observing Daoist Yan with a confused gaze.

At this moment, the scent in his nostrils intensified to the extreme.

"Careful!"

Yu Ci suddenly shouted. While the others were still bewildered and helpless, he suddenly leaned back, lying flat on his back. A moment later, a scorching red light flashed past his eyes, and a wave of heat washed over him, making the skin on his forehead feel stiff.

What followed were a series of screams and Daoist Yan's unrestrained laughter.

"Bastard!" That was Lu Bing's voice, accompanied by the clanging sound of a sword.

Yu Ci rolled again, moving ten feet away, and then jumped up from the ground. During this process, the screams continued unabated.

He looked up and saw a tragic scene of corpses scattered by the fire. By the bonfire, the people who had been discussing so animatedly were now mostly lying dead on the ground. The herb collectors who had shared wine with him moments ago were now split in half, not yet dead, writhing and groaning on the ground. The massive cut surfaces were charred black as charcoal, and not a drop of blood flowed out, yet it was more terrifying and chilling than a scene of blood splattering five steps.

The cause of all this was none other than Daoist Yan.

The man was laughing uncontrollably, red light spewing from his hand. His true form, at first glance, resembled a glowing short club, round and without a point, but upon closer inspection, one could see that the light within was condensed, and its aura was as sharp as a sword. As the light radiated outwards, torrents of fire surged forth. Wherever it passed, the grass and trees on the ground ignited spontaneously, quickly forming a large, fluctuating fiery circle.

Within the fiery circle, Lu Bing's face was contorted, appearing demonic as he relentlessly attacked Daoist Yan. The long sword in his hand shone with cold light, clearly no ordinary item. His swordsmanship was like a storm, powerful and imposing. However, Daoist Yan didn't seem to pay much attention. He didn't move an inch from his spot. The red light in his hand swayed slightly, easily blocking Lu Bing's desperate sword light.

Moreover, Daoist Yan even had the leisure to turn his head and smile at Yu Ci, "You are quite vigilant. Daoist master only had to think it, and you detected it. Otherwise, your pretty little face would have been split in two by me..."

Yu Ci's eyebrows shot up. This brute was excessively arrogant.