The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-138

At the foot of Blazing Mountain, there were many tents set up all around.

At noon, most of the warriors would be having their lunch. There were also some people resting in the shade after their meal.

"Mmm, Gu Shiyou, the Young Sovereign from Qing Hu Island, is out!" Wu Dai was elated. He had been keeping his eyes on where the Qing Hu Island had set up their tents and he immediately went over. Right now, Gu Shiyou was holding a long spear and leaning against a shorter tree to rest with his eyes closed.

The moment Wu Dai wanted to get near, the two experts next to Gu Shiyou immediately looked toward him coldly.

However, Wu Dai was not afraid at all. He continued walking.

No other people would dare to get within ten Zhang near the place where the Young Sovereign Gu Shiyou was resting. They were all afraid that the Qing Hu Island's experts would be unhappy.

"Scram off." One of the experts bellowed.

"Young Sovereign," Wu Dai called out.

Gu Shiyou opened his eyes, threw a glance toward Wu Dai, and broke into a faint smile, "I don't think I know you!"

Wu Dai lowered his voice and said, "Young Sovereign, I have a great secret to tell you!"

"What secret?" Gu Shiyou seemed interested and walked over.

Wu Dai grinned and said in a soft voice to Gu Shiyou, "The secret to where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is located!" Gu Shiyou's eyes narrowed and he locked his gaze which was cold as a blade onto Wu Dai. However, Wu Dai shrugged and smiled, "Young Sovereign, I'm just an unimportant character. Right now, I don't even have a secret manual for weapon based arts. Even my secret manual for the acquiring of inner strength isn't something good."

Gu Shiyou gave it some thought before saying, "What kind of weapon based arts do you want?"

"It'll be best if it's for a scimitar!" Wu Dai quickly said, "Like this one that I have."

Wu Dai showed Gu Shiyou the scimitar he had at his waist.

"Scimitar..." Gu Shiyou smiled, "If what you say is the truth, mmm, one of my guards happen to have a Human Class secret manual for the "Hurricane Blade". This secret manual has a matching cultivation technique for the inner strength."

Wu Dai was overjoyed.

A Human Class secret manual?

He had been traveling in the world and the secret manual which he trained in was a low-grade inner strength secret manual. As for his blade arts, he had casually picked some stances up after peeking at other people's practice. Someone of his abilities... Would be considered at the lowest tier amongst warriors. Even Third Rated Warriors who had a trick or two up their sleeves could be of a threat to him.

"Bring me there first. If the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is really there, I'll give you the secret manual." Gu Shiyou said.

"Actually, I'm not 100% confident if the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is there."Wu Dai said. He wanted to make things clear beforehand.

Gu Shiyou's face immediately darkened as he shouted, "You're trying to make a fool out of me!"

"No, no!" Wu Dai immediately said. "I accidentally came across Gui Yuan Sect's Commander Ji Hong, Lieutenant Teng Qingshan, as well as a lady secretly entering a concealed place. And they appeared to be very careful when they entered, making it seem very mysterious. Instead of looking for the Black Fire Spirit Fruit, they went into such a hidden location. There's a high probability that the place is where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is located."

It was only then did Gu Shiyou's expression seem a little better.

"Gui Yuan Sect..." Gu Shiyou then immediately looked toward Wu Dai, "Where's that hidden location?"

"Young Sovereign, that secret manual..." Wu Dai quickly said.

"Of course I'll give it to you." Gu Shiyou snorted. "It's just one manual. I don't care about it. I will give it to you when we reach the place."

Wu Dai grinned and said, "Young Sovereign, you're a person of a high position while I'm just a nobody. Is there a need for you to worry that I'd lie to you after you've given me the secret manual?"

Gu Shiyou spoke in a deeper voice, "Alright! Come with me into my tent first… You will lead us there when we enter the mountain areas in the afternoon!"

"Yes, yes." Wu Dai quickly agreed.

In his heart, Wu Dai was overjoyed, "Haha, I, Wu Dai, have finally gotten my hands on a good inner strength cultivation technique and a good scimitar secret manual! I'll be able to change my fate completely now. Previously, Old Third Wang had humiliated me. D*mn it. After I've mastered the scimitar technique, I'll definitely seek my revenge from him!" He then followed after Gu Shiyou, entering the Qing Hu Island's tent.

...

In the afternoon, a total of four people stood at the bottom of the valley. Other than Wu Dai, there were also Gu Shiyou, a slightly plump middle-aged man, as well as an elderly man with a pair of triangular eyes and a balding head. The soldiers from Gui Yuan Sect's Black Armored Army had only lied amongst the grass on the very first day, waiting for that skinny man to appear. At a later time, in order not to arouse suspicion, the members of the Black Armored Army did not dare to constantly hang around here.

If people noticed that the Black Armored Soldiers were always staying around the valley, they would be suspicious.

Therefore, they continued to pretend as if they were searching outside the valley.

"Look, it's over there!" Wu Dai pointed upward.

"A hidden cave? There?" The white-haired old man with triangular eyes and a balding head looked upward. Then, he leaped out just like an eagle and arrived on the cliffs. He grabbed onto the vines and did a quick check. He soon discovered the big cave that was hidden behind the vines and nodded to the people on the ground.

"Haha, there's really a hidden cave. Such a secretive place! He might really be telling the truth."

The plump middle-aged man grabbed onto Wu Dai, kicked onto the cliffs a few times, and flew into the cave. Gu Shiyou quickly followed after.

******

Wu Dai had never been in this place before and the four of them could only progress carefully. They first followed the crack to the underground, and then arrived at the shores of the molten lava river after passing through the mist. They did not dare to barge into the dark and unfathomable passageway at the side and only headed forward.

They continued to progress until they arrived at the magma lake!

"Blub blub~~" The piercing white magma continued to flow outward like spring water with that huge black rock in the middle of the lake as the center. The boiling steam caused all four of them who were on the shores of the magma lake to sweat profusely.

That plump middle-aged man looked at the Black Fire Spirit Fruit on the black stone in great surprise and said, "Haha, it's the Black Fire Spirit Fruit! It really is the Black Fire Spirit Fruit!"

That balding old man also smiled coldly, "Hmph, that Gui Yuan Sect is really freaking lucky to be able to discover this first!

However, this Black Fire Spirit Fruit belongs to our Qing Hu Island." Just then, a voice rang out, "Sir, there's something I have to say." A trembling voice spoke out.

The three of them turned their heads. The one who had spoken was Wu Dai, who had revealed the news to them.

"There's no need to leave this person alive." The balding old man was all ready to take action.

Dead people definitely would keep your secrets safe…

"Lords of Qing Hu Island! Earlier on, I was afraid that this might happen. Therefore, I kept a trick up my sleeves." Wu Dai smiled awkwardly. "If I'm unable to return alive tonight, then... The secret of where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is hidden will definitely be discovered and spread out!"

The countenances of Gu Shiyou and the other two men changed.

"Please have mercy on me! I had gauged the hearts of gentlemen with my own mean measure!" Wu Dai quickly said. "If I get to return, then this news will definitely not leak out!"

"Hmph," The balding old man snorted coldly.

In this day and age, none of them were fools! The balding old man, Gu Shiyou, and the plump middle-aged man would all be able to kill Wu Dai with great ease. However, they did not dare to do it now. No one knew... What kind of trick Wu Dai playing? If the news were to really spread out…

Then all their trouble would be for naught.

"We're people from Qing Hu Island. Of course we won't go back on our words." The balding old man snorted coldly. "However, before the Black Fire Spirit Fruit matures, you must stay in our Qing Hu Island's tent."

"Sure, sure." Wu Dai quickly nodded.

"Martial Uncle! Martial Granduncle!" Gu Shiyou looked at that Black Fire Spirit Fruit with a scorching gaze, "Gui Yuan Sect are also aware that the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is here. When that time comes... What will we do if the people from Gui Yuan Sect were to fight with us for the Black Fire Spirit Fruit?

"I dare them to try!" The white-haired balding old man snorted coldly, a cold gleam flashing in his triangular eyes, "A small Gui Yuan Sect dares to fight with our Qing Hu Island? If they really don't know what's good for them, then we'll deal with them ruthlessly. In the fight for the Black Fire Spirit Fruit, even if they were to die, it's only because they are inferior to others. If they were to lose three of their men, would the Gui Yuan Sect dare to challenge out Qing Hu Island?"

Gu Shiyou and that plump middle-aged man nodded in approval. This time around, although it was announced to the public that Gu Shiyou was the one to lead the group, the best expert amongst them was Gu Shiyou's Martial Granduncle, Du Jiu.

...

At that moment, Teng Qingshan, Ji Hong and Guan Lu followed the great cracks, grabbing onto the vines that were linked together and sliding down rapidly.

The place was pitch-black.

Hu!

The three of them landed consecutively, entering the white fog with great familiarity while smelling that sulfur smell in the air.

"Qingshan, I think that the Black Fire Spirit Fruit will soon be matured in a few days' time." Ji Hong spoke as he walked on, his face full of smiles. He was clearly in a good mood.

"Mmm, if we can make it through the next few days carefully, we'd have hope to get our hands on the Black Fire Spirit Fruit." Teng Qingshan and the others continued to advance on.

...

Blob~blob~~

The magma continued to flow while scorching air currents gushed out in all directions.

Gu Shiyou wiped off the sweat off his head and said, "Martial Granduncle, Martial Uncle, let's head back first."

"We'll come here twice a day from now on." The white-haired balding old man also turned as he said this. The three of them, together with Wu Dai, headed back the way they came from. However, they had only taken a few steps when they saw Teng Qingshan, Ji Hong, and Guan Lu appearing before them on the corner in front. The trio from the Qing Hu Island was stunned.

Teng Qingshan and his two companions were stunned as well!

Wu Dai looked at the people from both sides, completely shocked!

"I did not expect them to enter at a time like this!" Gu Shiyou had not expected that the people from the Gui Yuan Sect would also come in at this time.

Although the three men from the Qing Hu Island were astonished, they were at least mentally prepared.

However, Teng Qingshan and the other two had no mental preparation at all. To them, the Black Fire Spirit Fruit had seemed to be already within grasp. However, the most critical moment, the people from the Qing Hu Island had gotten involved.

"The people from the Qing Hu Island got in here as well!" Ji Hong's countenance changed drastically.

"It'll be troublesome now." Teng Qingshan frowned.

"Haha..." That white-haired balding old man laughed, "Ji Hong, you guys are pretty lucky! To think that you are able to discover this place as well. However, our Qing Hu Island has found this place for over half a month. First come, first served. This Black Fire Spirit Fruit should belong to Qing Hu Island!"

Gu Shiyou and the plump middle-aged man each stood on one side of the balding old man.

"Old Du Jiu!" Ji Hong bellowed furiously, "You said that you got into this place half a month ago? Let me ask you. How did you come down from the crack that has a depth of one hundred Zhang?"

The balding old man was stunned. The had come down through those vines!

"Old Du Jiu, you don't even blink when you lie! Those vines had been woven by our men!" Ji Hong's voice was very loud as he glared at that balding old man. Wu Dai watched as both parties quarreled and he thought to himself, "Even the vines had been woven by them. How could you people from Qing Hu Island possibly enter earlier than the people from the Gui Yuan Sect? Even your lies are immediately exposed!"

The balding old man's countenance immediately turned grim.

"Our people were the ones who weaved those vines. So naturally, our Gui Yuan Sect is the first to come in here." Ji Hong said coldly, "Earlier on, you were the one who said first come, first served!"