"That's not necessarily true." Jun Bugu lowered his head and grinned, acting just like a child. "I spotted some people from the Yao Feng Sect heading towards Yunwu Peak last night. Perhaps we could grab a couple of them and interrogate them."

"Where? Take me there quickly." Ye Xiu became instantly agitated and was about to drag Jun Bugu toward that Yunwu Peak. "Stop dawdling; take me while you're still in this persona."

"Oh, Ye Xiu, you have to let me finish speaking first." Jun Bugu's gentle demeanor was a world away from the destructive force he had been moments before. He pulled Ye Xiu closer and explained carefully, "It's not just the Yao Feng Sect; I've also noticed people from the Yao Chong Sect, and even the Yao Shou Sect, gathering towards Yunwu Peak."

Hearing about the other two sects, Ye Xiu couldn't help but consider the entire structure of the Corpse Demon Forest. These three sects, seemingly of the same lineage, didn't appear to be as harmonious as imagined. "What treasure is on Yunwu Peak that has drawn so many people?"

"The Ten Thousand Poisons Stone!" Jun Bugu nodded, applauding himself. "I truly am the omniscient scholar of the Boundless Realm; even something like the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone, I thought of it."

Ye Xiu had never met anyone so narcissistic. He figured that even if Old Liu was greedy for treasure and lustful, this Jun Bugu was a true oddity in both cultivation and personality. "Hey, tell me what the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone is used for."

Jun Bugu held out his hand and drew a circle in front of Ye Xiu. "The Ten Thousand Poisons Stone is a rare spirit stone in the Boundless Realm. It is the origin of all poisons and a coveted treasure for cultivators of the Poison Path."

"So, are the people from those various sects heading to Yunwu Peak all after this Ten Thousand Poisons Stone?" Ye Xiu listened, captivated, eager to join the fray. "Is this Ten Thousand Poisons Stone just a rock?"

Jun Bugu signaled Ye Xiu not to interrupt and continued, "The Ten Thousand Poisons Stone is a strange stone born from absorbing the blood-light of the sun and moon. Its primary condition for growth is the moment the sun and moon shine together. That's not all; the sun and moon required for the Poison Stone are not ordinary—they must be the Blood Sun and the Blood Moon. The appearance time for every Ten Thousand Poisons Stone occurs only in the instant the blood-light of the sun and moon manifests. If it isn't plucked within that moment, the stone instantly becomes waste, utterly useless."

"Damn, that's complicated. What are the Blood Sun and Blood Moon? I've never heard of them." Ye Xiu couldn't help but glance at the sky. Although it was twilight, the current weather made it seem unlikely the moon would appear anytime soon.

Jun Bugu followed his gaze and couldn't help but start counting on his fingers, muttering to himself. The sky appeared normal, showing no signs of anything unusual.

"Are you trying to calculate destiny or something?" Ye Xiu was suspicious, thinking he was just being pretentious. If he hadn't been in unfamiliar territory, he would have left long ago.

"It's correct! Tonight is the time of the blood-light of the sun and moon!" Jun Bugu exclaimed with joy and started to rush forward. "Yunwu Peak isn't far from here. It seems we need to go wait there too; we can't let those others get the advantage."

Ye Xiu followed close behind Jun Bugu as the two instantly traversed the dense forests. He watched Jun Bugu's every move; the man could practically fly when moving. However, his own current strength wasn't too shabby. Since those strange changes occurred on his feet earlier, he could now move freely between heaven and earth without needing the Dark Flame. Had he finally mastered the speed cultivation from the Phantom Shadow Thousand Years technique?

On Yunwu Peak, strange rocks jutted out, and the mist was thick. Even though it was evening, the air was still shrouded in vapor. A gentle breeze stirred the smoke, and strange movements seemed to stir within the woods.

"Jun Bugu, did you hear something?" Ye Xiu, always alert, scanned the surroundings, feeling that something was hidden within the dark clumps of grass.

Jun Bugu turned back and scoffed, "What could there be in these desolate mountains? Are you afraid of the dark? Hahaha."

Ye Xiu had nothing to say and merely gestured for him to lead the way. This Jun Bugu, despite his eccentricity, was a relatively reliable companion. If he and Old Liu ever met, would they form a pair of living jesters?

The mountain path twisted and coiled endlessly. After winding around for nearly half the night, the two finally reached the summit. The peak of Yunwu Peak was now shrouded in dark clouds, and what was even more magical was that not a single blade of grass or tree grew on the summit. The only bright spot was the ground covered with strange stones. It seemed Jun Bugu hadn't been wrong; now, all they needed to wait for was the magnificent spectacle of the sun and moon's blood-light.

"Hoo..." A north wind swept by, and Ye Xiu felt his limbs growing stiff. Looking at Jun Bugu beside him, despite wearing thin, simple red robes, he showed no signs of shivering from the cold.

"Jun Bugu, aren't you cold?" Ye Xiu was somewhat puzzled. Did masters of the Boundless Realm ignore seasonal changes? "How are you doing this? Not trembling at all in this north wind."

Hearing Ye Xiu's words, Jun Bugu remained coolly standing in place, showing no reaction.

"Jun Bugu, you..." Ye Xiu raised his voice and roared, "Are you really not cold?"

Jun Bugu remained standing without acknowledging him.

Ye Xiu finally lost patience, reached out, and tugged at Jun Bugu, shouting, "What are you doing? I'm talking to you!"

"..." At this moment, Jun Bugu stiffly twisted his neck, looking at Ye Xiu with a face full of terror, unable to utter a word. He slowly opened his mouth, and all that emerged between his teeth was a chattering, gnashing sound as his jaw moved up and down.

"Damn it, what's wrong with you!" Ye Xiu sensed something was amiss upon seeing this and immediately revealed the Dark Flame in his hand, a wave of comforting warmth washing over him.

"So... so cold, I'm too cold to speak," Jun Bugu said innocently, barely squeezing the words out.

"..." Ye Xiu was utterly speechless. Jun Bugu’s high cultivation and power seemed greatly diminished at this moment. "You better calculate again and make sure the blood-light of the sun and moon is indeed tonight."

Jun Bugu stared blankly at Ye Xiu, then slowly reached out a finger to point at the moon in the sky, murmuring flatly, "Can't you just look? It's right now!"

"Now, what!" Ye Xiu felt thoroughly toyed with. He looked up at the sky; the crescent moon directly above him had already begun to show a blood-red mark. "Blast it, even the moon has turned blood-colored."

"It's so cold, I'm freezing and can't speak!" Jun Bugu clutched the hem of Ye Xiu's robes and urged him, "Look behind you; that's the Blood Sun!"

Ye Xiu spun around. Sure enough, a faint solar image flickered on the other side of the sky. Suddenly, a trace of bloody energy surged, dyeing it red as well. "Where is the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone? Why hasn't it appeared yet?"

Jun Bugu rubbed his icy face repeatedly with an innocent look. "I'm so cold; you find it yourself."

Ye Xiu couldn't worry about that and immediately searched the surroundings for stones on the peak. The sky had changed, the blood-light of the sun and moon was present, but upon careful inspection, the stones looked no different from before. "They're just ordinary rocks. Is the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone not among them?"

"No rush, we're a little early!" Jun Bugu said unhurriedly, beginning to rub his hands together and hop slightly.

"If the people from the Yao Feng Sect really came for the Poison Stone, they should have shown themselves by now," Ye Xiu dared not delay. His main goal for this trip was to gather intelligence on the Yao Feng Sect; the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone was optional.

"Ye Xiu, now!" Jun Bugu suddenly shouted, pointing at the sky. At that moment, boundless dark clouds obscured the Blood Moon and moved toward the faintly red sun. When the thick clouds finally passed, the red light from the Blood Moon was cast upon the sun. That crimson radiance descended from the heavens and scattered directly onto the peak of Yunwu Peak.

Seeing such a miraculous sight, Ye Xiu's heart naturally shook. Following the crimson light, he looked down. Among the scattered stones on the summit, green flashes erupted from within. "Are these flashing green stones the Ten Thousand Poisons Stones? There are so many..."

"What are you waiting for? Grab them quickly, or this chance will be gone for who knows how long," Jun Bugu fiercely shoved Ye Xiu, nearly knocking him over.

"Ah!" Ye Xiu never expected the shove from Jun Bugu to be so powerful. He felt as if he had been catapulted forward, sprawling onto the ground. He managed to snatch a handful, but when he tried to find other Ten Thousand Poisons Stones, the vibrant green glow had vanished without a trace. "Gone so fast?"

"That's how it is," Jun Bugu shrugged helplessly, acting as if he didn't care much for the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone himself.

"That's enough for now; hand them over to me!" At that moment, a sharp shout cut through the air like the wind. A black panther shot out from behind a rock, flying straight at Ye Xiu, intending to snatch the Ten Thousand Poisons Stones in his grasp. Ye Xiu tried to evade, but the panther was too fast. Before he could even move his hand away, the panther slammed heavily into him, knocking him to the ground. The handful of Ten Thousand Poisons Stones flew out of his palm.

"We must have the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone!" Several strange birds circled overhead, snatching the stones in their beaks. They were enormous but looked very different from common eagles.

"Yao Feng Sect..." The people Ye Xiu was waiting for had finally appeared. At this moment, his Sky Gaze Sword shot out, sending a streak of red light towards the black panther. No matter how fast the panther was, its leg was injured, and it let out miserable cries. "Jun Bugu, help me take care of this one; I don't have time to play with it."

"Mm."

Instantly, the will to fight flared fiercely on Yunwu Peak. Ye Xiu leaped up and grabbed the leg of a Yao Feng Sect member, shaking him down. The Ten Thousand Poisons Stones in the air scattered, their green light swirling like Dragon Pearls.

"Whoosh!" A strong gust of wind passed, and the Dragon Pearl was instantly secured. It turned out Jun Bugu, with minimal effort, had already retrieved a Ten Thousand Poisons Stone and was turning it over in his hand while facing away from the other two. "Hmm, indeed a beautiful stone. Is it this rare because a crowd rushes to fight for it every time it's born? Everyone, come out."

As the words fell, various factions hidden among the rocks on the summit revealed themselves. Ye Xiu drew his sword and immediately gained the upper hand. It turned out these people were all from the Corpse Demon Forest: some were black tigers, some were wildcats, some were mosquitoes, and some were mantises—every land and sky creature imaginable was present.

"I'm not interested in fighting you for the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone. If you tell me how to enter the Yao Feng Sect, I'll give them all to you. How about this deal?" The situation on the field was clear: Ye Xiu faced the Yao Feng Sect members alone, while the others seemed to have found Jun Bugu.

"You want to know the entrance to my Yao Feng Sect?" The large-winged bird-man glanced dismissively at Ye Xiu. Spikes suddenly emerged from his body. "I wonder what the consequences will be if we don't tell you?"

"Consequences?" Ye Xiu gave a cold laugh, drawing his sword. The Sky Gaze Sword moved freely, flashing behind the bird-man in an instant. "If you just tell me, not only will you live, but you can also have all the Ten Thousand Poisons Stones. This trade should be quite favorable for you."

"Not die? You will all die!" A piercing cry echoed across the desolate mountains, and the arrogant sword's edge reflected against the vast sky. Under the blood-light of the sun and moon, Jun Bugu's expression grew grave, his eyes deep crimson.

"Seeking death!" At that moment, the only thing in the eyes of that group was the Ten Thousand Poisons Stone, and they all lunged toward Jun Bugu. The entire mountainside stirred, filled with monstrous bodies and the glint of various claws, swords, and strikes.