I, a Demonic Nascent Soul Patriarch, Begin by Snatching a Cheat

Jiuyou’s consciousness returned to his main body.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm and deep, looking up briefly toward the sky.

He lightly tapped his finger on the ground.

The Nether Capital’s Frozen Domain was instantly unleashed. Ice and fire intermingled, and in the blink of an eye, the earth was covered in pristine white frost. The cold surged like a tide, sweeping in all directions. The sea surface for several miles froze solid, the thick ice layer gleaming with an eerie blue light under the moonlight.

Jiuyou raised his hand, the tips of his fingers wrapped in chilling energy. He turned it over, examined it for a moment, and a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

After refining the essence soul of the Frostshell Tortoise, his cultivation had improved further. He was now only a step away from the Mid-Nascent Soul stage. If he could devour the complete Nascent Soul of another Nascent Soul cultivator, he might just break through this bottleneck.

He pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly, suppressing the thought.

Nascent Soul cultivators were too difficult to kill.

At that level, who didn’t have several life-saving trump cards? Besides, after the Nascent Soul left the body, its escape speed was extremely fast. Fellow cultivators at the same stage couldn’t even catch up, let alone completely annihilate it.

Even with his current strength, he wasn’t fully confident he could devour a Nascent Soul cultivator’s soul.

No rush.

Jiuyou withdrew his thoughts and scanned his surroundings. Recalling the Nether Capital’s Frozen Domain he had unleashed while possessing Canfeng, he muttered to himself.

“Though it’s only been initially refined, its power is still considerable. But if I want to use it against mid-stage cultivators, I’m afraid it’s still lacking.”

He paused, his eyes growing colder.

“To increase its power further, I either need to find more Coldwind Wood… or—”

His voice suddenly turned bitterly cold. On the snow-covered ground, one after another, eerie blue flames shot into the sky, casting the entire landscape in flickering shadows.

“Kill more living beings to nourish my domain!”

“Hahaha, that works! And on the side, I can replenish my Soul Wraith Puppets and boost my cultivation.”

Before the laughter faded, he waved his hand, stowing the remaining Coldwind Wood into his Storage Pouch. Then, turning with a sinister grin, he vanished into the darkness.

Moments later, a dark-blue streak of light cut through the night sky, moving at breakneck speed, disappearing above Coldwind Island in an instant.

This matter was settled—no need to linger. The Frostshell Tortoise’s beast pill had been used up, and every ounce of value on the island had been squeezed dry. Staying any longer was pointless.

Besides, Canfeng had used that avatar jade pendant.

That thing could save a life, but the cost wasn’t small—it consumed a massive amount of vital blood essence to activate.

By now, his grand-disciple Canfeng was surely in a terrible state. Without several years of recuperation, he couldn’t possibly recover. For the time being, it would be difficult for him to guard Soul Wraith Island.

He naturally had to go back and check, to make sure no petty opportunists tried to cause trouble.

The streak of light sped onward.

Half a day later, as Jiuyou was traveling swiftly, he suddenly froze, his gaze drawn to an unnamed island below.

He subconsciously extended his divine sense.

Deep within the island, the faint auras of several battle energies could be felt, each one no weaker than a Golden Core cultivator.

Jiuyou sensed those auras, pondered for a moment, and a thought stirred.

“Those two late Golden Core puppets were destroyed by the Old Ghost of Baiyuan’s disciple not long ago. I’m just short of some replacements. If these people have no backing, killing them and refining them into puppets wouldn’t be a bad way to bolster my cards.”

His decision made, his eyes darkened. The streak of light turned and plunged straight toward the nameless island.

Following those auras deeper into the island, Jiuyou discovered a hidden, deep pit beneath the surface. He descended all the way down and soon entered a massive underground cavern.

Inside the cavern, two factions were locked in a desperate battle.

Blue, red, gold… all sorts of spiritual lights flashed continuously. Every spell carried a thick, murderous intent. The auras of six Golden Core cultivators intertwined, fighting until the sky and earth grew dark.

Below them, on a small island surrounded by a pool of water, sat a skeleton in quiet meditation. A few scraps of cloth clung to the remains, and a Storage Pouch hung at its waist.

The skeleton was completely still, yet it faintly emanated a peculiar aura.

Jiuyou narrowed his eyes.

“The remains of a Nascent Soul cultivator?”

No wonder it had driven these Golden Core cultivators to fight to the death over it.

His gaze swept over those Golden Core cultivators, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent. With a slight probe of his divine sense, the faces, movements, and even breathing rates of those people were instantly laid bare before him.

The battle between Golden Core cultivators was nothing more than child’s play in his eyes.

However, Jiuyou’s gaze lingered a moment longer on one of them.

He was a young man in feathered robes, a late Golden Core cultivator, commanding a bowl-shaped artifact that could both attack and defend, moving with perfect rhythm.

The young man’s appearance and aura stirred a vague sense of familiarity in Jiuyou, and the spells he used seemed like something he’d seen before. After a moment’s thought, he recognized which sect’s style this was. A Golden Core cultivator from Demon Sea Sect?

Just then, the six combatants separated and noticed Jiuyou’s sudden intrusion.

On one side, the feathered-robed young man led two Golden Core cultivators. Judging by their injuries, they were clearly at a disadvantage.

On the other side stood a middle-aged man in a black robe, a peak Golden Core cultivator. The man narrowed his eyes, sizing up Jiuyou with a scrutinizing gaze, but found that he couldn’t see through this suddenly appearing old man at all. He only felt an unfathomable depth.

Wary, the man gave Jiuyou a perfunctory cupped-fist salute.

“May I ask who you are, sir? If there’s nothing else, I hope you will leave and not interfere in this conflict.”

Jiuyou couldn’t be bothered with him.

The air around them grew colder. Behind him, a thick mist silently emerged. One after another, cyan chains slithered out of the mist like spirit serpents, slowly coiling within, ready to strike.

Just as he was about to deliver a fatal blow—

The feathered-robed young man stared at Jiuyou’s face, scrutinizing him over and over. His expression shifted uncertainly, as if hesitating. But when he saw those cyan chains, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in his eyes. He quickly cupped his hands and spoke with extreme respect.

“May I ask, senior, are you Grand Ancestor Jiuyou of Soul Wraith Island?”

The three middle-aged men across from him changed color drastically at these words.

They looked at Jiuyou’s face again, and this time, the old man seemed increasingly familiar. The Grand Ancestor of Soul Wraith Island—the legendary old devil who had killed countless people, and every one of his victims had their souls drawn and refined into puppets, condemned to eternal suffering. The mere mention of him struck terror into hearts!

A chill gripped their throats instantly. They stood frozen, not daring to move, terrified of being targeted.

“Oh? Young man, you recognize this old man?”

Jiuyou’s voice came flat, devoid of any emotion.

Hearing the affirmative answer, a flash of joy crossed the feathered-robed young man’s face, but deep in his eyes, a trace of profound wariness remained. He quickly stepped forward.

“This junior is a personal disciple under Blood Sea True Person of Demon Sea Sect. Decades ago, I once had the fortune to see you, senior, alongside my master. Your reputation is awe-inspiring; I was deeply impressed after just one glance. To meet you again today is truly my lifelong honor!”

The feathered-robed young man spoke with flattery, all while carefully observing Jiuyou’s expression.

“Hahaha.”

Jiuyou laughed, a hint of satisfaction glimmering in his eyes, and his gaze toward the young man lost some of its cold edge.

Blood Sea True Person was a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, a fearsome presence whose name shook the region. The appropriate face had to be given, at least to some extent.

“No wonder this old man felt your aura was somewhat familiar. So it’s you. Decades gone by, and you’ve already reached the late Golden Core stage. Much better than that worthless grand-disciple of mine.”

“You flatter me, senior. I’ve merely been fortunate,” the feathered-robed young man quickly replied, cupping his hands with humble respect.

Then, he shifted his tone and turned to look at the middle-aged man opposite him. A trace of mockery and killing intent flashed in his eyes.

“But senior, this junior was on an expedition by my master’s orders. I discovered this cave abode with these few, and we originally agreed to divide the treasures equally. Unexpectedly, this man went back on his word, ambushed me while I was off guard, and tried to kill me. My two friends and I had no choice but to fight back with all our strength. I hope you, senior, can seek justice for me.”

He paused, then quickly added.

“All the treasures in this cave abode are at your disposal, senior. In the days to come, I and my master will certainly come bearing heavy gifts to thank you!”

Jiuyou’s heart stirred.

Blood Sea True Person was a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, and his Demon Sea Sect was a major demonic sect, with two more Early Nascent Soul elders within. It was far stronger than his Soul Wraith Island.

Saving his disciple’s life today would earn him a favor—a convenient deed. Why not do it? Besides, when the Heavenly Abyss Mountain trip came, if he could bring Blood Sea True Person as an ally, his chances of success would be much greater.

With this thought, Jiuyou’s gaze suddenly shifted to the three middle-aged men.

Behind him, countless cyan chains turned like tentacles, all pointing at the trio.

An overwhelming pressure bore down.

The three men felt every hair on their bodies stand on end. A wave of icy cold shot from the base of their spines straight to their crowns, and regret flooded their hearts to the extreme.

Jiuyou gave them no chance to beg for mercy. The chains poured down like a torrential rain, bringing bone-chilling cold wherever they passed.