170 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 170: Days and Nights of Reincarnation as the Malicious Senior Sister Among the world's celestial experts, few are as formidable as Si Dingyun. On the ship, none among the many demons could rival his strength. The young man in fine clothing from the demon clan had endured several blows and now lay trembling on the deck, groaning in pain. Blood flowed freely from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, gradually covering his entire face in crimson, a truly horrifying sight. A chilling wind swept across the sea's surface, intensifying the eerie stillness. Suddenly, an incongruous sweet fragrance enveloped the ship's bow. Caught off guard, the scent quickly seeped into everyone's senses. In mere moments, they felt their vision darken, and before they could react, they all collapsed. Si Dingyun, despite his profound cultivation, found himself involuntarily stepping back, clutching his forehead. Even with his formidable strength, he could only resist the strange aroma for a brief moment before losing consciousness. At the stern, Jiu Ying and Fu Ling also detected the peculiar sweet scent. Due to their distance, they didn't immediately succumb. "Sister, what is that scent?" "Why did those people collapse? Could someone have released a dispersing agent secretly?" Fu Ling covered her nose and mouth, furrowing her brows tightly. The cool breeze once again carried the fragrance towards them. No sooner had she finished speaking than a strong sense of dizziness overwhelmed her mind. Even with spiritual energy shielding her, her legs wobbled. Jiu Ying, being a dragon, possessed a divine body far beyond ordinary mortal or demon, so the scent's impact on him was less severe. Not having initially considered the source of the fragrance, Fu Ling's words promptly reminded him. To verify his own suspicion, he moved towards the center of the ship. As expected, the young man who had been lying prone on the deck was now encased in a thin layer of icy silk. The fragrance wafted from his blood. "It's not a dispersing agent—it's Tianya." Tianya? Fu Ling had never heard this term before today. As she grappled with confusion, Jiu Ying's voice broke through, leading her to a sudden realization. "Look at his blood." Astonishingly, the young man's blood had turned from red to green, then blue, and finally, it reverted back to red. Seeing this for the first time, Fu Ling disregarded the weakness coursing through her limbs, determined to witness the ever-changing hues of the blood firsthand. Tianya—a mythical herb from ancient times, known for its sap which changes color when separated from its stem. In dire circumstances, the sap emits a peculiar aroma that disregards one’s cultivation, inducing immediate unconsciousness upon inhalation. Ancient texts describe Tianya as rare, capable of growing only in pure spiritual environments, taking centuries to sprout and become a mature plant. A mortal consuming Tianya might gain a century's worth of cultivation, and if favored by fate, might even ascend to immortality. The young man, then, was no demon but a Tianya born among the demon clan. Jiu Ying eyed the crimson pool of blood, lips pursed. It baffled him how such a heavenly herb could manifest in the earthly realm and even take on human form. An extraordinary phenomenon. Just as he was about to approach, a subtle 'thud' resonated behind him. Turning, he found Fu Ling had also succumbed to the Tianya sap's scent and fainted. Though the scent induced unconsciousness, it bore no toxicity. Once it dissipated, those affected would naturally awaken. Si Dingyun's mission was to capture the Kun beast to prolong Si Qi’s life. If he discovered a Tianya on the ship, he would likely kill the young man to bring it back for Han Yan, given Tianya’s superior healing properties compared to the Kun meat. Without further pondering, Jiu Ying sprang into action. Today, no matter the reason, he couldn't stand idly by as another perished at Si Dingyun's hands. The closer he approached, the denser the fragrance became. Instinctively, the icy silk around the young man thickened as Jiu Ying drew near. Enduring the dizziness, Jiu Ying crouched and knocked on the icy layer with his right hand. "Wake up." The severely injured youth, driven by instinctual defense, remained oblivious to Jiu Ying’s attempts to save him, unaware of his surroundings. Seeing no response, Jiu Ying increased his efforts. Despite her resistance, the ice thickened further, its scent nearly overwhelming even him. Desperate times required desperate measures. With no hesitation, Jiu Ying transformed his right hand into a dragon claw and struck the icy covering. Though his cultivation hadn’t fully recovered, the force was formidable enough to shatter the ice instantly, revealing the blood-smeared face beneath. A mere strike wasn't enough to save Tianya from Si Dingyun's grasp. Jiu Ying, with a heavy heart, quickly gathered spiritual energy in his palm, pressing his fingertips to the young man’s forehead. Barely clinging to life, the Tianya rapidly absorbed the concentrated dragon spiritual energy. In the next moment, the young man vanished, replaced by a small, tender white sprout—the legendary Celestial Frost Tianya. Jiu Ying carefully placed the Tianya into his sleeve, then returned to the stern with weary steps. Having lingered too long in the aroma, he felt the dizzying effect, collapsing silently like Fu Ling once he reached his destination. Time passed slowly; it was uncertain how long before the bone ship began to drift out from the fog-shrouded chasm, waking those aboard from their deep slumber. Jiu Ying, as always, was the first to awaken, followed shortly by Fu Ling. She looked around at the bewildered faces on the deck, at a loss for what had transpired while they were unconscious. The ice melted, rinsing the blood clean, and the young man, who had been on the brink of death, was nowhere to be seen. Fu Ling was about to speak when sounds came from the bow. Si Dingyun had woken. His unexpected unconsciousness left him irate. Upon opening his eyes to find Jiu Ying at the stern, he instinctively assumed the disappearance of the young man was linked to him. Since none of the demons were yet conscious, he didn't worry about being overheard. "Where did he go? Did you save him? Hand him over!" His tone was urgent, and his eyes bore the rage of someone desperately concerned about the youth's whereabouts. This odd reaction led to only one assumption: he had known the young man's true identity all along and had boarded the ship for that very reason—to capture the Tianya. Fu Ling already disliked the Si family. Seeing Si Dingyun dare use such a tone with the one she cherished, her temper flared. "How should we know where he went? We just woke up, too. What, do you want a fight?" She dropped her gaze to the black knife at his waist, smirking mockingly. "Don't forget, this blade once bowed to me in defeat. Now, in my presence, it probably doesn’t even dare leave its sheath." Si Dingyun's face darkened at the mention. He vividly recalled how the girl before him had once used his own blade to kill his favorite nephew, Si Xiao. Offering no retort, he merely cast a silent glance at Jiu Ying. Beneath the snowy peaks, he'd nearly died by this man's hand; if conflict arose now, he indeed felt apprehensive. "You best have nothing to do with this." After a brief silence, he simply uttered that warning and left the stern. Meanwhile, the remaining six on the deck gradually awoke. Another member of the demon clan, alarmed by the young man’s absence, traced the melted ice to the ship's edge and, with disbelief, called out to the dark sea: "Young Master Yuping, Young Master Yuping!" No matter how much he called out, there was no response. Si Dingyun stood quietly on one side, neither showing remorse nor regret. To everyone present, it seemed as though he tacitly acknowledged that the young man had perished in the Nether Sea. "You drove Young Master Yuping to his death; you're doomed!" "Our masters won't spare you! You're dead! You're dead!" The realization that the young man might be dead agitated the demon, who revealed a pair of white bird claws in full view of everyone. Fu Ling watched from afar but recognized the demon's true form as a dove. The dove demon, leaning against the ship, pointed its massive bird claw at Si Dingyun, loudly repeating: "You're dead! You're dead! You're dead!" The frantic shouting, both urgent and loud, unnerved everyone, including Fu Ling and even Jiu Ying, who couldn't help but furrow his brow. Irritated by the baseless warning, Si Dingyun's face darkened further. Before the others could react, he advanced towards the demon. "I'm doomed? Let's see who dies first, you or me." It appeared he intended to silence the witness. The five from the demon clan held their breath, unsure if they should intervene to save the pitiful dove demon. While they hesitated, Si Dingyun reached the demon. But before he could attack, the dove demon transformed into a small white dove and took flight over the Nether Sea. Even in flight, it persistently cried, "You're dead." Perhaps in a fit of rage and humiliation, Si Dingyun struck the sea with his palm. The sudden force sent water splashing upward, and the small white dove was nearly hit. At the last moment, Fu Ling couldn't hold back any longer and cast a wind shield to block the miasma-laden seawater. "The Si family is the leading righteous clan, priding itself on chivalry and integrity. As the second in command of the Si family, you came here to capture the Kun beast. Why add unnecessary killings? Aren't you afraid of tarnishing your family's reputation if word gets out?" Before Jiu Ying could intervene, Fu Ling, filled with anger, moved towards the bow. The others on the ship were unaware of Si Dingyun's identity. With Fu Ling's words, they suddenly placed him in a position of authority, one that shouldn’t wield life and death indiscriminately. Si Dingyun's expression shifted as he considered her words. He narrowed his eyes, scanning each face on the ship without any hint of emotion, as if looking at the walking dead. "I'm not afraid of others knowing what I do if I dare to act." Upon hearing this, the demon clan members realized their impending fate. When killing, the goal was to leave no witnesses, to eradicate completely. Clearly, Si Dingyun never intended to let them survive. Fu Ling bit her lip, momentarily at a loss for a retort. At that crucial moment, a familiar, cool voice sounded behind her. Before she could turn, a hand slipped into her sleeve and gently grasped her wrist, silently placing her behind it for protection. "Oh? So, Senior Si, does that mean you're going to kill the two of us as well?"