244: Chapter 244 The Gray Realm Female Cultivator and Nine Nether City

The Gray Realm, Bone Burial Wasteland, beneath a precipice.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of metal clashing exploded abruptly in the deathly silent canyon.

Zhou Wannian (Li Feiyu) did not move an inch, his feet nailed to the rock as if they had taken root. Two of his fingers steadily clamped onto a gray scimitar that shimmered with a faint, cold light. The blade's edge was barely half an inch from his throat, yet it could not advance a hair further.

The one holding the blade was the mysterious cloaked figure who had dived down from the precipice.

At this moment, she was suspended in mid-air, her hands tightly gripping the hilt, her body beneath the cloak trembling slightly from excessive exertion. Bursts of gray Evil Qi surged frantically along her arms into the blade, attempting to break through the confinement of Zhou Wannian's fingers; the Evil Qi was even mixed with a nauseating power of the Law of Decay.

"Decent strength."

Zhou Wannian commented indifferently, his voice as calm as if he were giving pointers to a junior rather than engaged in a life-and-death struggle.

"Unfortunately, a bit slow."

Before his voice had even faded, the fingers Zhou Wannian used to clamp the blade suddenly jolted.

"Crack!"

A domineering and peerless physical force counter-shook back along the blade.

"Ugh!"

The cloaked figure let out a muffled groan, the webbing of her thumb and forefinger instantly splitting as blood splattered. She felt an irresistible surge of power hit her, and the scimitar in her hand almost flew out of her grasp.

Reacting extremely quickly, she used the force of the rebound to forcibly twist her body in the air, gliding backward like a boneless snake and instantly opening up a distance of thirty feet.

"You are no True Immortal!"

After landing, the cloaked figure knelt on one knee, panting heavily. She snapped her head up, revealing a pair of uncertain, startled eyes beneath the hood. They were pale purple eyes with vertical pupils, exuding an eerie beauty.

"How can a cultivation base at the Late Stage of the True Immortal realm have a Physical Body comparable to a Golden Immortal Body Cultivator?!"

The scimitar in her hand was still buzzing; surprisingly, two shallow finger marks had been pinched into it by Zhou Wannian's two fingers!

"Who I am is not important."

Zhou Wannian casually brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeve and shook the Soul-Cleansing Grass he had just plucked in his hand.

"What matters is that this grass belongs to me now."

"And..."

Zhou Wannian's gaze turned slightly cold as he looked at her.

"That arrow just now was meant to take my life. Give me a reason not to kill you."

"Whoosh!"

Just then, a golden light shot out from Zhou Wannian's sleeve, transforming into a golden beetle the size of a millstone that hovered over the cloaked figure's head. Golden Boy (Gold Devouring Insect King) opened its hideous mouthparts, its two large mandibles clicking; although its aura as a Tai Yi Realm Vicious Beast was suppressed, it was still an overwhelming force against a Late Stage True Immortal.

"Chirp chirp! Boss, this woman has the scent of 'sha yuan crystal' on her! Can I eat her?"

Golden Boy asked via Divine Sense transmission, its saliva practically dripping.

The cloaked figure's expression changed drastically. She could feel the fatal threat from the golden beetle above her head; it was an absolute suppression coming from the very level of their existence.

"Don't kill me!"

She grit her teeth and finally lowered her weapon, standing up.

"My name is Ling Yu, a Wasteland Hunter of the 'Black Tooth Tribe' in the Nine Nether Domain."

She took off her hood, revealing a pale but exquisite face. Her skin had a grayish, decayed hue, and a gray crystal was embedded in the center of her forehead, though it was much smaller and more delicate than those of the Gray Scale Race from before.

"This Soul-Cleansing Grass is the life-saving medicine I've been searching for for three years to suppress the 'Evil Decay' in my body. Since my skills are inferior, I don't want the grass anymore."

Ling Yu looked at the herb in Zhou Wannian's hand, a flash of despair in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"But I am very familiar with this area. You're an outsider, right? Looking at you, you probably want to go to 'Nine Nether City'?"

Zhou Wannian's brow twitched slightly.

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Your aura." Ling Yu pointed at Zhou Wannian. "Even though you've masked it with a Demonic Technique, the fluctuations of your immortal spiritual power in this world filled with Evil Qi are as obvious as a candle in the dark. For an outsider entering the Nine Nether Domain, there is no other path but to go to Nine Nether City to find the 'Xisha Pool' or a 'Teleportation Array'."

"You are quite clever."

Zhou Wannian put Golden Boy away, the killing intent in his eyes diminishing slightly.

Having just arrived, he truly lacked a guide. Although he had a map, that crude animal-hide map couldn't possibly mark the various hidden dangers of the Gray Realm.

"I can choose not to kill you."

Zhou Wannian threw the Soul-Cleansing Grass into his storage bracelet and took out two sha yuan crystal he had previously obtained from the Gray Scale Race leader, tossing them casually to Ling Yu.

"Lead the way. To Nine Nether City."

"If you perform well, once we arrive, I can give you half of this grass."

Ling Yu caught the sha yuan crystal, a flash of joy in her eyes. These two high-quality crystals, while not as good as the Soul-Cleansing Grass, were enough for her to temporarily suppress the Evil Decay in her body.

"Deal!"

She neatly stowed the crystals and put her hood back on.

"Follow me. There's a shortcut ahead that avoids the 'Gray Beast Tide'. But we must be quick; the 'Gray Wind' is about to rise."

...The two of them moved quickly across the wasteland filled with jagged rocks, one following the other.

Along the way, Zhou Wannian did not fully relax his vigilance, always maintaining a distance from which he could instantly kill her. Ling Yu indeed demonstrated her professional quality as a "Wasteland Hunter," leading Zhou Wannian around several quicksand traps that looked calm but hid deadly intent, and avoiding two sizable groups of Gray Beasts.

"The 'Gray Wind Pass' is just ahead."

Two hours later, Ling Yu stopped before a narrow canyon that was like a crack in the sky.

She pointed at the howling gray hurricane ahead, her expression grave.

"Pass through here, and after another three thousand miles, you'll see Nine Nether City. But 'Wind Evil' rages year-round in this Gray Wind Pass; it can not only tear apart a Physical Body but also freeze a Nascent Soul. Even a True Immortal would face certain death without a special protective Magic Treasure."

After speaking, she pulled a gray bone shield from her bosom. After infusing it with Evil Qi, it transformed into a screen of light protecting her entire body.

"Stay close to me, don't fall behind."

Zhou Wannian looked at the hurricane, which was strong enough to tear apart gold and stone, and did not summon any Magic Treasure.

"There's no need for such trouble."

He took a step forward, walking directly ahead of Ling Yu.

"Wind Evil?"

The Fan Sheng True Demon Art within Zhou Wannian's body operated at full power, and a layer of purple-gold scales instantly covered his entire body, making him look as if he had transformed into a demon god.

"The thing I fear least is wind."

He stepped into the canyon.

"Whoosh!!"

The violent Gray Wind was like countless sharp blades, frantically cutting at his body. But before that indestructible layer of purple-gold scales, it could only kick up strings of sparks, unable to leave even a white mark.

On the contrary, Zhou Wannian opened his mouth and took a breath.

"Sip—"

Those air currents, rich with the power of Wind Evil, were actually forcibly sucked into his body. After being converted by his Demonic Technique, they turned into strands of pure Body Refining energy.

"This..."

Following behind, Ling Yu watched, dumbstruck.

"Resisting the Wind Evil with just his Physical Body? And he can even devour Evil Qi?!"

"Is he a Human Race Cultivator or a high-level member of the Demon Race in disguise?!"

At this moment, her awe of Zhou Wannian deepened by several degrees. This outsider was simply a monster!

...After crossing the Gray Wind Pass, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

At the end of the wasteland, a giant city so majestic it took one's breath away lay prostrate on the earth like a sleeping primordial beast.

Nine Nether City.

The entire city was constructed from massive black bones and obsidian. The city walls, tens of thousands of feet high, pierced into the clouds as if they wanted to poke a hole in the gray sky. The walls were covered with dense gray runes, exuding an ancient, desolate, and domineering pressure.

In the center of the city, a black tower stood tall. At the tip of the tower hovered a giant crystal like a black sun, releasing a continuous shield that enveloped the entire city, isolating it from the outside gray mist and storms.

"That is the 'Netherworld Pagoda'."

Ling Yu pointed at the high tower, a hint of yearning in her eyes.

"The lord of the Nine Nether Domain—Lord 'Yin Hua' lives there. The legendary 'Xisha Pool' is also within the Forbidden Ground beneath the tower."

"Yin Hua?"

Zhou Wannian's gaze narrowed slightly.

"What is his cultivation level?"

"Great Luo." Ling Yu lowered her voice, her tone filled with awe. "A Great Luo Realm Gray Immortal. In this Nine Nether Domain, he is a god."

"Great Luo..."

Zhou Wannian felt a chill in his heart.

If a Great Luo Realm powerhouse was presiding there, the difficulty of sneaking into the Xisha Pool would be immense. Forcing his way in was definitely out of the question; he could only win by wit.

"Let's go, enter the city."

...At the city gate.

Two rows of guards, clad in full gray heavy armor and holding giant axes, were strictly inspecting those entering the city. The aura emanating from these guards was uniformly at the Middle Stage of the True Immortal realm!

"Entry fee, ten sha yuan crystal per person."

The guard's voice came through the visor, cold and heartless.

Zhou Wannian casually tossed over a leather bag containing twenty sha yuan crystal (spoils from along the way).

"Go in."

After the guard checked and found no errors, he let them pass.

As soon as they entered the city, a clamor of noise rushed toward them.

The interior of Nine Nether City was unexpectedly prosperous. On both sides of the wide streets, shops were lined up, and various oddly-shaped Gray Realm creatures came and went. There were Yakshas with wings, skeletons burning with ghost fire, and Gray Immortals who looked similar to the Human Race.

The currency here was sha yuan crystal, and the items traded were mostly various Materials with Evil Qi, demon cores, and even "outsider" slaves for sale.

"Lord Green Face, as per our agreement, I have brought you here."

Ling Yu stopped, looking at Zhou Wannian with some trepidation.

Zhou Wannian did not break his word. He took out the Soul-Cleansing Grass, his fingertip like a blade as he split it in two and tossed half to her.

"We're even."

Ling Yu caught the half-stalk of herb as if it were a priceless treasure and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, My Lord! If you need to inquire for information in the city, you can find me at the 'Black Tooth Workshop' in the west of the city."

After saying this, as if fearing Zhou Wannian might regret it, her figure flickered and she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Zhou Wannian didn't care about her departure.

He stood on the street, his Divine Sense cautiously extending out, sweeping over the surrounding shops.

"First, find a place to stay, then investigate the specific details of the Xisha Pool."

Just as he was about to step forward.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Wannian suddenly paused, his gaze instantly locking onto a building across the street called the [Nether-Pass Inn].

In his Divine Sense perception, a familiar spatial fluctuation faintly emanated from a window on the second floor of the inn.

That was not the spatial power of the Gray Realm.

That was... a resonance of the same Law as the heaven measuring ruler!

"Stone Breaking Void?"

A playful, cold smile curled at the corner of Zhou Wannian's mouth.

"What a small world."

"I didn't expect you to survive as well, and even arrive a step ahead of me?"

He had originally thought Stone Breaking Void was certain to die after being swept into the spatial turbulence, but he hadn't expected the fellow's life to be so resilient.

"However, since we've met, some debts... should be settled."

Zhou Wannian pressed down the bamboo hat on his head (which he had put on before entering the city) and restrained his aura, walking straight toward the [Nether-Pass Inn] like an ordinary passerby.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the inn.

A pale-faced, weak-looking man in black robes (Stone Breaking Void) sat by the window, clutching a transmission talisman tightly in his hand, his eyes full of resentment and anxiety.

"Why hasn't Third Uncle arrived yet..."

"That Li Feiyu... if he also reaches Nine Nether City..."

He suddenly shuddered and subconsciously looked out the window.

By chance, his eyes met a pair of deep, cold eyes that seemed to see through everything.

In the bustling crowd.

That man in green robes was facing him, revealing a 'kind' smile.

And he made a "throat-slitting" gesture.

!!!

The wine cup in Stone Breaking Void's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter."