312: Chapter 310 Peach Tree and Green Bottle

The moment Yun Ming stepped into the cave, the world before him suddenly changed.

No longer were there dark branches and nest chambers, nor the spirit-light flickering Yao Race sleeping quarters.

Beneath his feet was a soft, endless sea of clouds, a vast expanse of white stretching into infinity. The clouds churned like a real ocean, with peaks, troughs, and undercurrents. In the distance stood a few solitary cloud peaks, towering into the sky, whether real or illusory. The air was crisp and cool, carrying a hint of sweetness, like the fragrance of some spiritual flower. The sky was pale blue, without a sun, yet the light was abundant, its source unknown.

The Nine Nether Roc walked ahead, his black-and-white armor striking against the cloud sea. He suddenly stopped, and two slits split open in his shoulder blades, from which a pair of massive wings unfurled. The wings were pitch-black like ink, spanning several zhang, each feather gleaming with a cold, dark luster. With a slight flap, he shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring, instantly covering tens of thousands of li. The clouds exploded behind him, leaving a long white trail.

Yun Ming frowned. He glanced at Jiu Jiu, who looked back at him. Jiu Jiu was not slow; as a Golden Core Perfection Five-Light Heavenly Sparrow, flying tens of thousands of li in a day was no problem. But the Nine Nether Roc covered tens of thousands of li with a single flap—Jiu Jiu could not keep up.

"Don't move," Yun Ming said softly, reaching out to wrap his arm around Jiu Jiu's neck. He activated the Tahua Zizai Escape Technique, and five-colored spiritual light exploded beneath his feet. His entire form turned into a streak of light, skimming across the surface of the cloud sea. The Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record was constantly in operation, completely masking their aura.

After flying for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scenery of the cloud sea suddenly changed. A massive shadow appeared in the clouds ahead—not a cloud, but a tree. A peach tree. Its trunk was thick, the bark dark brown and cracked, like an old tree weathered by time. The canopy spread like an umbrella, branches lush, covered in pink-white peach blossoms. Petals drifted down with the wind, spinning slowly in the cloud sea, beautiful beyond reality. The roots of the peach tree plunged deep into the cloud sea, extending who knows where, with faint spiritual light flickering at the tips of the root hairs.

The Nine Nether Roc landed beneath the peach tree, folded his wings, and stood with his hands behind his back.

Beneath the peach tree, a young girl was imprisoned by chains. The chains were silver-white, extending from the roots of the peach tree—four of them, binding her hands and feet. The chains were covered in dense runes, which flowed with a deep blue light, flickering occasionally. The girl's robes were tattered, a coarse gray-white cloth garment with many tears, revealing her thin body beneath. Her hair was disheveled, her face haggard, with sunken eyes, cracked lips, and not a trace of color on her face. There was a deep wound on her wrist that had not healed; blood seeped slowly from the wound, drop by drop, into a small green bottle beside her. The small green bottle was only the size of a thumb, entirely emerald green, with fine patterns on its surface, glowing with a warm luster in the faint light of the cloud sea. The liquid inside had accumulated to about half a bottle—not red, but emerald green, like the purest jade melted into water, emitting a faint spiritual light.

The girl's cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment Late Stage. In this place teeming with Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators, this level of cultivation meant nothing. Yun Ming recognized her face. Though she was thinner, haggard, with sunken eyes, he would never mistake that face.

The Nine Nether Roc walked to the girl's side, crouched down, and pinched her chin with two fingers, lifting her face. His movements were not rough, but far from gentle. The girl did not struggle or speak; she only looked at him with dull eyes. The Nine Nether Roc took a Medicinal Pill from his sleeve and forced it into her mouth. As the pill entered her stomach, her complexion visibly improved; a trace of color returned to her pale face, and her cracked lips healed somewhat. Her breathing steadied, and her eyes grew clearer.

The Nine Nether Roc released his grip, picked up the small green bottle from the ground, and held it up to his eyes, examining it closely. The liquid inside was a vivid emerald green, exuding vibrant vitality. He opened his mouth and poured the liquid in, but only a single drop came out. That drop of emerald liquid landed on his tongue, instantly transforming into a stream of pure Life Qi, surging through his limbs and bones. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. Then he put away the small green bottle, turned, and looked at the girl.

"What race are you, exactly?" the Nine Nether Roc spoke. His voice was not loud, but in this quiet cloud sea, every word was clear. His tone was flat, as if asking about something ordinary, but his eyes held a scrutinizing, probing light.

The girl raised her head, looked at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly, as if smiling or sneering. "I am of the Human Race." Her voice was hoarse, as if she had not drunk water for a long time.

The Nine Nether Roc shook his head, crouched down, and looked the girl in the eye. "I have examined you countless times. No matter how I look, you are human. From Bloodline to bones, from Spiritual Root to Divine Soul, there is not a trace of the Yao Race or any other race. But—" He paused, reaching out to pick up the small green bottle, shaking it in front of the girl. "Only your blood can make this small green bottle condense such pure spiritual liquid. One drop of that liquid is worth a fifth-grade healing Medicinal Pill."

The girl lowered her eyes, looking at the wound on her wrist that was still bleeding. "Easy for you to say. It's not your blood." Her voice was very soft, as if talking to herself.

The Nine Nether Roc did not get angry. He stood up, looking down at the girl from above. "Until I figure this out, I'll have to trouble you a while longer." His tone remained flat, but there was no pity in his eyes. The girl looked up at his back. She knew that the day he figured it out would be the day she died. She had to find a way to escape. But she was a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, locked in the Small World of a Soul Transformation Yao, her hands and feet bound by chains, surrounded by an endless cloud sea. She did not even know which direction to run.

The Nine Nether Roc placed the small green bottle back beside the girl. He reached out, took her wrist, and lightly traced his fingertip over the wound. Blood gushed out and fell into the bottle. The girl gritted her teeth, making no sound. The Nine Nether Roc watched the scarlet blood drip drop by drop into the bottle, nodded slightly, and turned to leave. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, looked back at the girl, and said,

"I am going on an expedition in a couple of days. Before I leave, I will come to see you." With that, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the depths of the cloud sea.

The cloud sea returned to calm. The peach blossoms continued to fall, the runes on the chains still flowed, and the wound on the girl's wrist still seeped blood. She lowered her head, watching the blood drip into the bottle drop by drop, a bitter smile forming at the corner of her mouth. She did not know how much longer she would be here, how much longer she could hold on, or if she could ever leave alive.

She raised her head and looked at the cloud sea. In the cloud sea, a figure was walking toward her. Moon-white robe, long hair tied back, a young face. The girl froze. She blinked, and the figure was still there. She blinked again, still there. She thought she had lost too much blood and was hallucinating.

"Yun Xi." That person spoke, his voice not loud, very calm.

The girl's body trembled violently. It was not a hallucination. A hallucination would not call her name. She stared wide-eyed at the approaching figure, watching him walk up to her, crouch down, and meet her eyes. She saw his face, his eyes, the faint smile at the corner of his mouth. Tears burst forth instantly, streaming from her dry eyes, washing two white streaks down her dirty face. Her lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.

Yun Ming reached out and ruffled her hair. "I've come to take you home."