"Yes, Senior." Jack Drake not only addressed him as Senior again, but also performed a somewhat awkward bow.
Joe Di wasn't surprised. Jack Drake was quite powerful—definitely a peak ninth-level Divine Beast, equivalent to a powerhouse at the Genesis Realm. The stronger a beast's cultivation, the less likely it was to take human form, which meant greater potential. But a ninth-level peak Divine Beast that still hadn't transformed—Joe Di had never seen that before.
He thought of Lightning, who remained in the Vast Chaos. Lightning was probably a ninth-level Divine Beast as well. Given Lightning’s roots, even at the ninth-level peak, it wouldn't transform unless it wished to do so early. Otherwise, only when it advanced to the tenth-level Divine Beast, or even beyond the Divine Beast class, would transformation occur.
To surpass the Divine Beast class meant, just like cultivators, stepping into the Fourth Step.
The only thing that puzzled him was how Jack Drake had appeared. The fact that he addressed him as Senior here clearly meant he had a request. Joe Di simply asked, "How did you suddenly appear just now, without me noticing at all?"
Jack Drake hurriedly replied, "That's my innate ability—Heaven Concealment. But this skill requires a Heaven Concealment Dao Fruit, and can only be cultivated under specific conditions, with my Divine Beast bloodline. I learned it purely by chance."
Joe Di could only sigh inwardly. If he could master such a skill, ambushing Chi Yao in the future would be a breeze. His own Earthshade Transformation, no matter what he became, could never fool Chi Yao. Earthshade Transformation hadn’t yet surpassed this vast realm, while Jack Drake’s Heaven Concealment was definitely a cosmic divine ability beyond this universe.
"What's your name? You must have a reason for seeking me out?" Joe Di sensed Jack Drake’s anxiety and deliberately softened his tone.
"Replying to Senior, my name is Jack Drake. I have a Dao companion who was abducted and is about to be forcibly blood-sacrificed. But my strength is limited—I simply can't rescue my companion. I wish to ask Senior for help. I am willing to do anything for you." Jack Drake even knelt down, showing how much his Dao companion meant to him.
Joe Di asked in confusion, "Why did you come to me? As far as I know, there are plenty of powerhouses in the Genesis Nest. Did you ask others and receive no help?"
Jack Drake hurriedly explained, "No, that's not it. That man cultivates the Dao of Poison—all his abilities are poison-based. No matter how strong the others are, they can’t get close to him. Asking anyone else for help would only put them in danger. Senior, you’re not even afraid of the Poison of Delusion at the center of this lake, so clearly you’re not afraid of his poison abilities. That’s why I dared to ask you."
Poison Dao? Joe Di quickly asked, "What’s his name? Do you have an image?"
Joe Di was worried about Ci. If it was Ci, he believed that just giving Jack Drake a token would prevent trouble. But from Jack Drake’s words, Joe Di also learned the name of the terrifying poison mist he'd encountered earlier—it was called the Poison of Delusion. He had no idea where it came from; he planned to ask Jack Drake about it later.
Jack Drake traced an image in the void. As soon as Joe Di saw it, he knew it wasn't Ci. The cultivator depicted by Jack Drake looked like a bamboo pole—extremely tall, and judging by the image, probably over 2.2 meters.
Just like all cultivators skilled in the Dao of Poison, this guy was also gaunt and frail, with sparse yellow hair on his head.
"Where is he?" Joe Di asked.
If it was nearby, he wouldn’t mind helping out. Jack Drake reminded him a bit of his pet Lightning—helping out was no big deal.
"His name is Evan York, and he comes from the Treasure Spring Universe. Rumor has it he’s the number one Poison Dao expert in the Vastness, and his poison can even dissolve an entire universe..."
Hearing this, Joe Di frowned slightly. Evan York’s poison Dao was so powerful, yet Jack Drake was asking him to save someone—clearly, Jack Drake wasn’t considering his own safety at all.
But Jack Drake continued, "Although Senior is knowledgeable about poison, I’m afraid even you may not be able to counter Evan York’s terrifying poison abilities. However, I do have an idea. Evan York has sealed my Dao companion, Jack Que, on White Coconut Mountain. He intends to use Jack Que’s blood to irrigate the Vast Iron Crystal, then strip the Vast Iron Crystal. Before Evan York finishes arranging the stripping formation, he won’t kill Jack Que. I have a way to hide, but if I try to rescue Jack Que, Evan York will definitely notice..."
Joe Di understood and said, "You want me to hold off Evan York while you rescue Jack Que, right?"
"Yes, Senior. Just hold him off for a moment, and I guarantee I can rescue Jack Que in the shortest time. After that, my life will be yours. Though I’m not strong, I possess a unique ability—Devouring Dao Rhyme..."
"You can devour Dao Rhyme?" Joe Di interrupted, surprised and delighted.
"Yes, Senior, I can devour Dao Rhyme," Jack Drake replied hurriedly.
Without hesitation, Joe Di summoned the Tiansuo Blade and unleashed his "Years Like a Loom" divine ability directly at Jack Drake. The blade’s curtain exploded, instantly enveloping this domain’s void.
In that instant, space and time changed; the years no longer flowed as before, but transformed into endless scenes, each falling like shooting stars, passing by in the blink of an eye.
A loom at work, weaving fleeting scenes that vanish like flying threads. See the flowers bloom and fall, as life’s hair turns gray with time!
Feeling the Dao Rhyme of fleeting years and the ephemeral nature of life, it seemed as if one’s hair would turn to snow in an instant, and the Dao itself would vanish in a heartbeat. If it were an enemy, perhaps they wouldn’t even have time to marvel at these meteor-like years before the blade curtain reduced them to mere dust in the flow of time.
But Jack Drake simply opened his mouth and bit down. Instantly, the passing years and space-time slowed, and the hazy space and time became clear.
The blade light remained blade light, the years remained years, and the space remained unchanged.
"Excellent!" Joe Di put away the Tiansuo Blade, gave a thumbs up, and said, "Jack Drake, your ability is truly remarkable—you can even devour the Dao Rhyme of my 'Years Like a Loom.' Let's go, I’ll definitely help you with this. But in the future, I have a powerful enemy. When I fight him with all my strength, I hope you’ll help me too. Just hide nearby, and when I give the signal, devour his Dao Rhyme ability."
Joe Di was overjoyed. If, during his battle with Chi Yao, Jack Drake could hide nearby and devour even a tenth, or just one percent, or a thousandth of Chi Yao’s Dao Rhyme, he would have hope.
With Jack Drake’s Heaven Concealment ability, hiding nearby, Chi Yao definitely wouldn’t notice.
"Ah..." Jack Drake exclaimed in surprise, then joyfully said, "Thank you, Senior! I’ll risk my life to help you!"
Joe Di patted Jack Drake. "That’s still a while away. I’ll explain everything in detail when the time comes. For now, let’s go save your Dao companion. Oh, and stop calling me Senior—I’m Joe Di, just use my name."
"Yes, Brother Di. Shouldn’t we make a plan?" Hearing Joe Di’s name, Jack Drake was even happier—it meant Joe Di considered him a friend.
Joe Di laughed heartily, "Plan for what? We’ll just go and demand your companion back. Does Evan York dare refuse? I actually hope he does. That Vast Iron Crystal is extremely useful to me—since there’s a piece here, I won’t let it go."
The Vast Iron Crystal was indeed useful to Joe Di. His Tiansuo Blade had reached its peak, but still couldn’t transform into three feet nine inches. After finding the Vast Iron Crystal, Joe Di decided to add a bit more material to the blade.
"Just like that, we’re going?" Jack Drake was stunned by Joe Di’s approach. Who was Evan York? Though not the strongest in the Genesis Nest, even the top experts didn’t dare provoke him casually. As the number one Poison Dao expert, you might be poisoned without ever knowing it if you crossed him.
Joe Di nodded. "Exactly. We’ll go just like this. Trust me—I really don’t see Evan York as a threat. I was planning to go into seclusion for a while, but with your help, our chances have improved considerably."
Hearing Joe Di’s complete lack of fear toward Evan York, Jack Drake responded decisively, "Alright, Brother Di, let’s go right now."
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)