Автор: sergey

Jin Yuan was doubtful when he heard Han Lis explanation, but he didnt pursue the matter. Instead, he chatted a bit more with him before taking his leave.

After Jin Yuan walked out of the room, Han Lis smile slowly faded away to reveal a gloomy expression. Shortly after, he took the jade box out and silently looked at it.

Monarch Soul Divergence calmly asked, What? Do you plan on truly taking a look at that ancient tomb?

Of course not, Han Li sneered, Although I dont know if his words were true, Im not about to brave this danger like some novice. However, I am quite curious about this monarchs tomb. After I restore my cultivation, I might delve to take a look. However, it is clear that he didnt tell me this out of the kindness of his heart. Saying that weve become quick friends, does he believe me to be a child? How could an old man like him easily tell others of this secret matter, let alone a stranger he just met. Given how eager he was, it is certain to be a trap!

Thats right. But if it were those young fellows that have just left the sect, they will certainly be tricked by such people with ease. He believed that he managed to gain your trust and wouldve likely betrayed you in the future! Reminds of when I… Monarch Soul Divergence then sighed and his voice came to a sudden stop.

Oh? Was Senior deceived by such a trick in the past? Han Li asked with a chuckle.

Monarch Soul Divergence snorted several times out of embarrassment. I was young once too. It isnt so strange.

Its alright. This Junior wont ask Senior about his past shames. However, it seems the Weeping Soul Beast is interested in this item. It does seem quite strange! Han Lis face blanked and he slapped the spirit beast pouch at his waist, releasing a streak of black light. It landed on the table and revealed itself to be a miniature foot-tall monkey covered in jet-black fur.

As soon as the monkey appeared, it began to sniff the air and began to stare at the golden bubble with a hesitant expression.

Baffled, Han Li joined his spiritual sense with the Weeping Soul Beast.

From its response, it seemed the monkey simultaneously felt somewhat fearful and excited of the golden bubble.

Whats going on? Before Han Li realized what was happening, black Yin Qi suddenly covered the Weeping Soul Beasts body and it charged into the golden bubble headfirst. Soon after it entered, the golden bubble brilliantly shined with light and produced a wisp of grey flame that wrapped around the beasts body.

The Weeping Soul Beast wore an expression of pain and remained still as it continued to release a pitch-black Qi around its body to counter the grey flame.

Han Lis brow tightly frowned when he saw this.

Although he didnt know what was happening, it appeared that the Weeping Soul Beast wouldnt be emerging from the bubble anytime soon and was drawing on support from the grey flame to cultivate something. But what baffled him the most was how the golden bubble was suddenly overflowing with astonishing spiritual Qi fluctuations out of seemingly nowhere with the grey flames appearance.

Monarch Soul Divergence yelped in surprise and said, Wait, wait! Ive seen something like this before.

Has Senior recalled something? Han Li asked in surprise.

Let me think, Monarch Soul Divergence replied with a solemn voice, It was a very long time ago.

When Han Li heard this, he remained silent and turned his gaze to the Weeping Soul Beast in the bubble, pondering about what was happening.

A long while later, Monarch Soul Divergence finally broke his silence with a tone of astonishment, I remember now! When I was journeying around, I saw something similar on a ten-thousand-year-old corpse monarch that was once a senior monk of a Buddhist sect. After he became a corpse monarch, he refined his crystal relic into an incredibly powerful protective treasure. It would render him invulnerable for a short period of time after it was released from his body. Ive suffered quite a bit at the mercy of its might. However, this was something from a long time ago and the protective barrier was silver. Furthermore, this type of treasure should be hidden within the corpse monarchs body. How did a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Jin Yuan get his hands on it?

You were at its mercy! Since it is so powerful, it could be considered an extremely precious treasure. Han Li then asked with a tone of worry, But leaving aside how it was acquired, do you think it poses any danger to the Weeping Soul Beast?

Monarch Soul Divergence muttered, You still havent realized it? Your spirit beast is currently absorbing the corpse flames contained in the relic. Not only are you an abnormality, but all of your spirit beasts are marvels as well with this one specialized in restraining ghosts and spirits. In the many years Ive been alive, Ive never heard of a beast like this.

Absorbing the corpse flame? Han Li examined it for a moment and found that the Weeping Soul Beasts Yin Qi was slowly consuming the grey flames, much to his relief. After recalling Monarch Soul Divergences words, he couldnt help but wryly smile and say, To tell the truth, this beast has greatly deviated from its original cultivation method and had evolved several times already. Its hard to say if it is still a Weeping Soul Beast.

Oh? So its a spirit beast variant? I was wondering why there was the design of a demon ghost on its back. And given the light grey color of the flames, they are certain to be pure corpse flames that are over ten thousand years old. Common cultivators and spirit beasts would perish upon contact, but this beast dares to consume it. Tch tch, how truly unordinary. However, it appears that the treasure isnt still completely refined and doesnt have a master, or it wouldve been tracked down by the corpse monarch that created the treasure, no matter the distance. This in itself is quite odd.

After a moment of silence, Han Li smiled and said, It still hasnt recognized a master? In that case, after the Weeping Soul Beast is done consuming the corpse flames, I will have acquired a treasure for free. Tch tch, I didnt think that Id acquire a precious Buddhist treasure before being able to acquire a Buddhist technique. I truly wish to see the power of the relics barrier form.

Monarch Soul Divergence sighed and explained, I must also mention that this isnt a mere crystal relic but a vajra relic. A vast majority of crystal relics are white with a few being other colors. Only golden relics receive the name of a vajra relic and there are rarely ever seen.

Normally, Buddhist cultivators that refine a vajra relic are all given the role of a vajra protector of the sect. It is a position most comparable to the title of enforcement elder in other sects.

Han Lis eyes flickered and he asked, Then you mean to say that this relic should be even more formidable than the one you encountered in the past?

After some hesitation, Monarch Soul Divergence replied with a somewhat uncertain tone, That should be the case given the illustrious reputation of vajra relics in other sects, but Ive never had the chance to test them so it is hard to say.

Han Li smiled and thought to ask something else when the golden bubble suddenly trembled and a grain-sized speck of green light suddenly shot out from it.

Alarmed, he concentrated his spiritual sense onto it. Suddenly, the green light seemed to knock into something and began to bounce around in the air. This was caused by the concealed spiritual sense that Han Li surrounded it in. Then, the Weeping Soul Beast snorted and released a mist of light from its nose, dragging the green light back into the bubble and into its stomach.

Han Li tightly frowned when he saw this and stared at the golden bubble before faintly guessing something.

… rewebnol.cm

In a grave room over a thousand kilometers away, there were three stone coffins arranged next to one another. The room was remarkably large, spanning over three hundred meters wide with walls engraved with ancient murals, and was faintly illuminated by huge copper jars standing at each corner, all of them brimming with raging green flames.

At the moment that the green ball of light was consumed by the Weeping Soul Beast, a pained yell sounded from one of the coffins and a large bang rumbled, followed by the heavy lid of the coffin shooting ten meters in the air before falling onto the floor.

Black Qi gathered from the coffin and a tall silhouette suddenly rose up from within it.

My royal son, what happened? Why are you angry? The voice of a middle-aged man sounded from the coffin in the middle of the room. It was calm, deep, and resounding.

The tall silhouette wrapped in black Qi roared several times before managing to collect itself to utter some words. My… my… thread… of spiritual sense… is gone!

Your thread of spiritual sense is gone? A womans smooth voice suddenly sounded out from the smaller coffin nearby. Perhaps someone saw the incarnation you sent out and dispatched it? Its no matter. It isnt some serious affair. So long as you continue to cultivate the Underworld River Corpse Arts your lord father gave you, youll be able to restore it soon enough. No need to fly into a rage. Are you still unable to control your temperament?

The tall silhouette then beat his chest with his fists and groaned, B… But… my… vajra… barrier!

Vajra barrier? You mean the barrier I refined from the monk I killed the last time I awakened? Didnt I already help you refine most of it before handing it over to you? Why havent you already made it recognize you as its master? The middle-aged mans voice turned sullen and icy.

I… The black silhouette grew flustered when he heard this and for a time, he found himself at a loss of what to say.

Great King, please dont blame the prince for this. Ive already spoken of this matter with him. A groan sounded out from the smaller coffin and its lid slid open. A slender body sat upright from it, but it was difficult to clearly see the womans appearance in the dim room.

Whats going on? The middle-aged voice asked with a softer tone, Beloved concubine, explain it to me. That vajra barrier was an extremely precious treasure. I saw that my sons magic power was still shallow so I had given it to him for his protection, or I wouldve used it for myself.

Han Li tightly frowned for a long while before sending a voice transmission to Monarch Soul Divergence, Senior, have you seen this before?

Do you truly believe that there is nothing that I havent experienced and nothing I dont know? Monarch Soul Divergence bluntly asked. No, I dont know what it is, but since it is able to block your spiritual sense, it could be considered a rare treasure. Ask him in detail where he acquired this item. Then you can decide whether or not youll take it.

Han Li inwardly chuckled when he heard this. Then with a flicker of his eyes, he withdrew his spiritual sense from the bubble and put the box back on the table.

How was it? Did Fellow Daoist recognize it? Jin Yuan quickly asked.

Apologies, my experience is still too lacking. I couldnt recognize it. Han Li said with a sorrowful expression.

Even Fellow Daoist wasnt able to recognize it, Jin Yuan dejectedly said, But from the way the item reacted, I had believed Fellow Daoist found out how to use it.

Han Li smiled and casually said, That strange reaction was something that I was only able to produce when wrapping a large amount of spiritual sense around it. Although I dont know what it is, it does qualify as a rare treasure.

Oh! So it was like that. Jin Yuan appeared skeptical and then his gaze focused on the golden bubble on the table before he released his spiritual sense.

Han Li calmly observed Jin Yuans actions, and after a moment, golden light began to flash from the bubble and faintly pulse. The old man then let out a long sigh and wore a tired expression as he withdrew his spiritual sense.

It seems Ive made a fool of myself. Fellow Daoists spiritual sense is far stronger than mine. He spoke with a tone of admiration.

He originally believed that Han Li possessed cultivation on par with his own. However, his greatest efforts were barely enough to stir the bubble at all while Han Lis minor efforts were able to induce a powerful reaction. This solidified his assumptions that Han Li was a heavily nurtured sect disciple that possessed countless prospects.

Han Li simply smiled and didnt refuse his claims.

Brother Jin, where did you acquire this item? From its peculiar nature, does it come from a particular origins? Of course, if Brother Jin finds it difficult to say, you dont have to answer. Han Li said with an indifferent tone.

Jin Yuan initially appeared hesitant before wearing a bitter smile and saying, It is no secret where this item came from, but I fear you wouldnt believe me if I told you. The matter is rather incredulous.

If you dont say it, how am I supposed to believe it. If you tell me where it came from, I might be able to recognize this item. Perhaps Ill be reminded of similar items of this nature. Han Li said with a grin. From Jin Yuans tone, it seemed he had quite the story.

Jin Yuan sighed and said, It isnt anything worth hiding. But in order to acquire this item, many of my good friends had died and I didnt want to have the memory fresh in mind.

Han Li was stunned when he heard this, but when he saw that Jin Yuan wore a pensive expression, he knew that Jin Yuan was thinking about what to say.

Fellow Daoist mightve guessed, but I am a loose cultivator, one who cultivates an earth attribute cultivation art. My other abilities may be unremarkable, but it just so happened I was given an earth spirit constitution and am obviously talented in earth movement techniques. If it werent for my poor spiritual roots, many large sects wouldve competed to take me in as a disciple. Once that was said, he wore a regretful expression before continuing.

When my cultivation reached a certain point, I became fond of looking for ancient cultivator ruins or other curiosities in the wilderness in hopes of finding some good fortune. However, ancient cultivator residences and items werent so easy to find. Although it could be said I made some gains, my efforts also took up a great amount of time. That is, until three years ago…

Jin Yuan suddenly paused for a moment before his tone turned sullen, Three years ago, I was given an invitation by a good friend of mine, saying that he discovered the huge tomb of an ancient cultivator. He planned on drawing the support of my earth movement techniques to probe into it and see if there was any treasure that could be acquired. Naturally, he would give me a portion of the treasures. I was elated to hear this and promptly agreed. As a result, we went together with a few of our other close friends. By then, I realized that the ancient tomb was greatly unordinary. It was only after we entered that we discovered… At that moment, his voice began to tremble.

We discovered that the tomb actually belonged to an illustrious mortal monarch during ancient times. He was widely known as the Glorious Blaze Monarch while he was alive and was said to be a legendary character. When we saw this, we were greatly disappointed, fearing that our trip was in vain. After all, no matter how grand a mortal may be, their treasures are of little value to cultivators like us. But who couldve known that we wouldve discovered many magic tools and precious cultivator materials buried with the king in his grave room. We were overjoyed by our newfound gains, but the decayed husks in the room suddenly began to come to life and became invulnerable soldiers. No matter the magic tools or techniques we used to attack them, they were of no use. Most of my companions were unable to protect themselves and were torn apart by the undead soldiers. And then, a strange sound came from the monarchs coffin as if the Glorious Blaze Monarch himself was about to come to life. Fortunately, I was able to flee with my earth movement techniques when things turned for the worst, or else I wouldve perished there. The others didnt have such luck. Jin Yuans complexion turned pale when he was done talking as he recalled the frightening scene.

Feeling somewhat moved by the story, Han Li pointed to the box and said, Then that item is…

It was one of the offerings on top of the monarchs coffin. I took it just as I left. I originally thought since the item was peculiar, it would be a great treasure, but when I brought it to various market cities, none were able to identify it. Although they all knew it was an unordinary item, none were willing to purchase it at a high enough price so it had remained in my possession ever since. Jin Yuan answered bluntly and wore a clear gloomy expression.

With an odd look on his face, Han Li said, Since it was an item buried with an ancient monarch, it isnt strange that no one can recognize it. After all, there are countless items during ancient times that are now lost to the cultivation world. However, there are questions to be had if a mortal monarch possessed cultivator items and turned into a walking corpse. Didnt you have anyone else to explore the tomb?

Of course I did. I even brought a large group of high-grade cultivators with me. But who couldve known that the ancient tomb would miraculously disappear when I arrived, only to be replaced by wilderness. Even more unbelievable was that the secret mark I placed at the entrance of the tomb was still clearly present. With that said, Jin Yuans expression became particularly sullen.

Han Li frowned. If this was all true, then Jin Yuan was the sole survivor of the group and he wasnt able to later find the place. Needless to say, his life afterwards cant have been good.

After a moment of thought, Han Li calmly said, Fellow Daoist, could you tell me where the ancient tomb was?

Jin Yuan gritted his teeth and said, If it was still there, itd be deep into the Snowmound Mountain Range.

A glint flickered from Han Lis eyes and he slowly asked, The Snowmound Mountain Range? If I remember correctly, you stated that cultivators often disappeared in the mountain range. Could this have anything to do with it?

After some hesitation, Jin Yuan answered, Its possible. If Fellow Daoist is interested, I can give you the location of the tomb. Perhaps you can discover something there! Afterwards, he took out a jade slip and imprinted something onto it before handing it over to Han Li.

After a moment of silence, Han Li took the jade slip and calmly said, Good. If I have the time, Ill be sure to take a look.

Jin Yuan chuckled with a beaming smile and said, It seems weve become quick friends and it has been a long time since Ive been able to talk about my bitter experiences with someone else. How about this? Since you seem so interested in it, how about I sell it to Fellow Daoist? It will only cost you a hundred spirit stones. How about it?

A hundred spirit stones? That is quite cheap, but I cant have Brother Jin suffer a loss. How about I give you two hundred spirit stones instead? Han Li said wearing an embarrassed smile. Afterwards, he touched the storage pouch at his waist and handed two mid-grade spirit stones over to the old man.

When Jin Yuan saw the spirit stones, he couldnt help but smile. Then after uttering a polite word of thanks, he took the spirit stones and handed over the jade box containing the golden bubble.

Han Li received it and promptly placed it into his storage pouch, completing the transaction, much to Jin Yuans satisfaction as if in fear that Han Li would change his mind

But at that moment, a spirit beast pouch at Han Lis waist began to stir and release a strange cry.

This is… Jin Yuan looked at Han Lis spirit beast pouch in shock.

Han Li took a glance at his spirit beast pouch and calmly said, Its only a few low-grade spirit beasts that I nurtured. They mustve thought the box was a treat and were excited.

The old man Jin Yuan chuckled and said, Relax, Fellow Daoist. I went through quite some danger to obtain it. It is definitely unordinary.

Han Li nodded and said nothing else as he led Jin Yuan to a building at the side.

After entering the building, they arrived at a huge hall that was over a hundred meters wide. It was empty apart from a middle-aged Foundation Establishment woman sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat. When she saw Han Li and Jin Yuan enter, she immediately opened her eyes and stood up.

Since Fellow Daoists have arrived, it seems you either wish to look at some of the halls collection of magic techniques or perhaps you require a hidden room to exchange cultivation experiences with one another.

A hidden room is what we want. Han Li calmly said. He didnt have the slightest interest in looking at the records there. After all, techniques that foreign cultivators were allowed to see were likely all ordinary.

That will be one spirit stone. In addition, you will lose your room when you leave the hall. The middle-aged woman said with a smile. She then reached for her waist and took out several inch-sized miniature rooms into her hand.

Han Li was momentarily stunned when he saw this and casually took out a spirit stone and traded it for a miniature room. He then curiously examined it.

When the middle-aged woman saw his curious expression, she keenly asked, Is this the first time that Fellow Daoist saw a Hidden Fortune Room?

Thats right. Is this a magic tool? Han Li weighed the item in his hand and felt that it was light as a feather.

The Hidden Fortune Room can be considered both a magic tool and not a magic tool, the woman explained, But it is very simple to use: you only need to pour in enough spiritual Qi to use it. Of course, a low-grade Hidden Fortune Room is only able to expand to a certain degree and doesnt have much other uses. It is difficult to call it a true magic tool. However, higher grade Hidden Fortune Rooms can have spell formations and restrictions placed within them and could even be considered to be on the level of magic treasures. Of course, the one I gave you is a more common type, but there should be no problem in stopping others from eavesdropping on your conversation.

When Han Li heard this, he felt a wave of shock. Although he was told that there would be hidden rooms being rented here, he didnt think they were actually these strange items. Such an item didnt exist in the Heavenly South.

Many thanks for the explanation, Fellow Daoist. Han Li then walked to the side chamber the woman had pointed out.

Jin Yuan closely followed behind him and after a short moment, he couldnt help but say, It truly came as a surprise that this is the first time Fellow Daoist saw a Hidden Fortune Room. But this isnt too much of a shock considering that they are normally only sold to loose cultivators and high-grade cultivators that travel often. Given your young age and current cultivation, it seems you are a meticulously nurtured disciple of a sect and wouldve had little need for something like this. Furthermore, they are actually quite expensive. The spirit stones would better be used for magic tools and medicines.

Oh? Then whats the price of an ordinary Hidden Fortune Room? Han Li casually asked.

When Jin Yuan saw his interest, he explained what he knew, saying, A low-grade room would cost a little over a hundred spirit stones. And while a high-grade room would have spell formations and restrictions, they cost much more than magic tools of the same grade. With that being said, theres a large variety of Hidden Fortune Rooms ranging from pagodas, pavilions, and courtyards. It is said that the greatest of Hidden Fortune Rooms are small-scale cave residences.

A small-scale cave residence? When Han Li heard this, he was shocked.

When the Jin Yuan heard him, he chuckled and said, Brother Han, dont jump to conclusions. The simplest Hidden Fortune Room on the scale of a cave residence will cost you several tens of thousands of spirits stones. They arent something that cultivators like us can dream of.

Han Li nodded, his expression returning to normal.

At that moment, they had already arrived at the side chamber. There were six stone rooms that sparkled with white light scattered around the place. They appeared to be enlarged versions of the miniature stone room Han Li held in his hand.

Han Lis heart stirred and he casually probed one of the rooms with his spiritual sense. As expected, there was a restriction that prevented his spiritual sense from contacting it. This was a rather simple restriction and could be easily broken, but the master of the room would immediately detect this and realize that they were being eavesdropped on. This was a rather secure way of preventing others from spying on you.

With that thought, Han Li tossed the miniature room into the air and his hand sparkled with azure light. After pouring spiritual power into it, the room grew hot and trembled. Then, in a flash of white light, a muffled bang sounded out, followed by the appearance of a ten-meter-wide stone room.

He glanced at the stone room and then politely said, Brother Jin, please enter! feewebnove.co

Then Ill be heading in first. But I must say that although Ive seen Hidden Fortune Rooms before, I havent had the opportunity to enter many. Jin Yuan stroked his chin and chuckled before going in.

Han Li smiled and followed him inside before swinging the door shut.

The room wasnt large but was well decorated. At the center, there was a stone table and stone chairs, and even a stone couch nearby. Jin Yuan had already taken a seat in one of the chairs.

Han Li pressed his hand against the wall and activated the restrictions before joining Jin Yuan by taking a seat across from him.

With a stiff expression, Jin Yuan spoke first, asking, I heard you mention before that you had a few things you wanted to be explained. What did you want to know?

Its not much, Han Li calmly answered, I just wanted to prepare for a short stay in the Guanning Prefecture. However, I wasnt able to find out much about the local noble clans. From your tone, it seemed that you are a native and would be able to tell me about them.

Jin Yuans expression relaxed and he said, So it was like that. That will be no problem. I dont mean to boast, but I know much about not only the Guanning Prefecture but the entirety of the Liao Province. What would Fellow Daoist like to know about it?

With a content tone, Han Li asked, Since the masters of Guanning Prefecture are the three noble clans, how about you give me an introduction on them and tell me any great events that have happened in the past few years?

Where should I start on the noble clans of the Guanning Prefecture? This land could be considered to be under the rule of Confucian Sects as many noble clans hail from them. But the great four clans of this prefecture came from different origins with the exception of the Kong Clan.

Han Li curled his lips and casually asked, The four great noble clans? Didnt the Guanning Prefecture have three great noble clans?

Hehe! It turned into three noble clans only recently. Ten years ago, there were still four. However, the Feng Clan had committed an unknown offense against the other three clans and as a result, they overthrew them in a single night, exterminating all of the direct disciples. At the time, I heard the Feng Clan was discussing something of great importance and had gathered together all of their direct disciples… Jin Yuan then continued with the rest of the story.

Han Li sat down and calmly listened to what had happened to the Feng Clan. When he compared it to what Feng Yue had told him, there were a few parts that were rather strange.

Following that, Jin Yuan began to introduce the various clans in the Guanning Prefecture. He was clearly well traveled and know about the many prefectures in the province with great detail.

Han Li was satisfied by what he heard and now had some understanding of the cultivation world of the Liao Province. This was far more detailed than what Cao Mengrong was able to tell him.

Jin Yue spoke in a flurry without stopping, only occasionally pausing to state his own take on the matter.

About half an hour later, he eventually said all that he wanted and Han Li smiled, saying, Thank you for the trouble of telling me all of this, but now lets move on to the topic of your strange treasure. Could you take it out and allow me to broaden my experiences?

The treasure? Of course. I still wish for Fellow Daoist to help me inspect it! Jin Yuan replied with a satisfied tone.

Then under Han Lis gaze, he took out a jade box from his storage pouch and placed it on the table.

Han Li swept his gaze past the box and wrapped his spiritual sense around it. Soon, he felt his heart stop. The item in the box released a strange power that repulsed his spiritual sense, in turn greatly captured his interest.

Jin Yuan carefully opened the box and revealed a fist-sized ball of dazzling golden light with hazy surface. He pushed the box towards Han Li and eagerly said, Fellow Daoist, please take a careful look and see if you can recognize it.

Han Li raised his brow and brought the box to his eyes before taking a careful look. It appeared like a bubble with a transparent center and a surface that sparkled with golden light. However, it didnt possess the slightest spiritual Qi as though it were an ordinary object.

After examining it for a long while, he extended his finger and wrapped it in a layer of azure light. Then he poked the object with it, finding it to be soft and flexible as though it were truly a bubble.

Han Li revealed an expression of shock, and after a moment of thought, he attempted to wrap his spiritual sense around it, but it was repelled to the side as the bubble flickered with light.

He then unconsciously responded by increasing the intensity of his spiritual sense, attempting to force threads of spiritual sense into it.

Suddenly, a strange scene occurred, golden light repeatedly flickered on the surface of the bubble and it began to expand one moment and contract in another, resembling the beating of a vigorous heart.

Han Li pondered to himself for a moment before calmly saying, Its nothing. It wont be too late to mention it in the future. Since there is an extensive gathering here, Ill take a look at there first.

After the two white-robed youths glanced at one another, the shorter youth smiled and said, Thats good. Let us lead the way, Senior.

Soon after, each of them took out a disk magic tool and tossed them into the air before leaping onto them. When Han Li saw this, he tossed a sparkling flying sword and appeared on top of it in a blur.

Having seen the sword, the shorter youth revealed an expression of admiration and said, Seniors magic tool is a high-grade flying sword. You must be an inner disciple of a large sect, right? There is no way a master or sect would give a magic tool of that quality to a low-grade disciple.

Han Li chuckled and answered, My sect has a rule where were not allowed to reveal the identity of our affiliation while were on a journey. I hope you two Fellow Daoists will refrain from asking these questions.

The two youths felt somewhat embarrassed, but now they felt even more certain that Han Li was a disciple from a large sect and their expressions grew even more respectful.

The three cultivators then headed south of the village on their magic tools.

The Snowmound Mountaisn wasnt very far away from the village. As they flew towards it, they could faintly see a line of black mountaintops in the distance. It was more appropriate to call it a mountain range than a mountain. The mountain range spanned over five hundred kilometers and was one of the several great mountain ranges in the Liao Province. Additionally, it was reportedly said that there were demons and ghosts lurking deep into the mountain. Let alone mortals, even lower grade cultivators would occasionally disappear in the mountains.

The friends and sect of the cultivators who disappeared formed search parties and scour through half the mountain range only to find no sign of them. After this, more cultivators would disappeared regardless.

Fortunately, disappearances only rarely happened and most of those that disappeared were low-grade cultivators native to the Liao Province. As a result of these repeated incidents, few cultivators ever tread too deeply into the mountains and the disappearances slowly stopped as well.

Of course, the Grand Assembly that was hosted by the three great clans of Guanning wasnt being held deep into the mountain range. It was located at a town on the top of a lofty mountain at its edge.

When they eventually arrived, Han Li saw beautiful towering buildings erected on top of this mountain. His eyes flickered and he was able to see that the mountain was newly constructed. He couldnt help but wear a pensive expression at the sight.

Senior, weve arrived, the taller youth pointed at the town down below and said, All of the Foundation Establishment cultivators that arrive are given their own room. As for the Seniors at Core Formation stage and above, they are given their own building. This way, all Seniors are given a proper place to rest.

Han Li nodded and remained silent, only releasing his spiritual sense to carefully look at the town below them. He unconsciously frowned and sensed that there was a Nascent Soul cultivator in the town. It was unknown whether he was a cultivator joining in the gathering, or if he was the Eccentric Kong that Feng Yu had mentioned before he died.

The noble clans of the Great Jin were not to be underestimated as rumor had indicated. In the Heavenly South, cultivation clans had late-Core Formation cultivators within their ranks at most and werent capable of producing a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But to his surprise, the Nascent Soul cultivator he sensed on the mountain, faintly emitted the aura of a corpse. Although it was very faint and well concealed, Han Li was able to clearly see through it with his overwhelming spiritual sense. No matter how well it was hidden, it wouldve been detectable with some careful observation.

Could it be this person cultivated a Devilish Dao or a wicked heretical technique?

If he remembered correctly, the Kong Clan hailed from the famous Confucian Sect known as the Heavenly Sage Sect and the clan still received the sects backing. Regardless of whether or not this Nascent Soul cultivator was the Kong Clan ancestor, it would be inappropriate for a sect of their standing to either practice this technique or have a guest of this nature.

As he pondered this, they descended to the village gates and were immediately welcomed by four blue-robed cultivators.

…

At nearly the same time in a secret room over seventy meters deep underground, the lid of a pitch-black coffin suddenly moved and a pure-white hand suddenly emerged from the gap. Then it pushed the lid of the coffin completely off to reveal a yellow-robed man wearing a kings crown. He appeared in his thirties and wore an odd expression of bewilderment.

Whats going on? I suddenly felt a wave of trepidation. Could it be that someone was spying on me? The man muttered to himself. After some hesitation, he carefully released his spiritual sense and swept past the entire mountain, particularly focusing his attention on the many cultivators in the village above.

After a long while, he found no trace of any other Nascent Soul cultivators and tightly knitted his brow.

Perhaps it was just an old fart that journeyed nearby and swept his spiritual sense. The Blackjade Coffin shouldve concealed my corpse Qi so it shouldnt attract any attention. The crowned man muttered to himself before returning into the coffin. The lid then slid back in place of its own accord and sealed the coffin, causing silence to fill the room once more.

…

Back on the surface, the blue-robed cultivators recommended Han Li to go to the huge plaza at the center, which was spralling with half a thousand variously dressed cultivators.

However, these cultivators were divided into several groups and each gathered into clearly different areas of the village. There were some that were talking and others that were selling items. The plaza was also covered in variously-sized vendor booths with some that have set up tables and others that had their items arranged the ground. It made for quite a lively scene.

Han Li smiled and recalled the first time he entered the cultivation world at the Great South Meeting1. He felt a bit emotional over the memory.

1 Chapter 128.

But to hiss surprise, there was a huge tent that was erected at the center of the plaza. It was sparkling with white light, revealing itself to be a magic tool, and it spanned over three hundred meters wide. There were many people walking in and out of its openings.

His eyes stirred and he looked at the rest of the plaza. There were stone buildings that were flickering with light with people occasionally flowing through them, but they received far less traffic than the tent at the center. There were even a few cultivators that were pacing back and forth around the buildings or were chatting with their companions.

Apart from the few Qi Condensation cultivators from the three clans, there were only cultivators at Foundation Establishment stage and above. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, he found that there were over a dozen Core Formation cultivators present. Even without the Nascent Soul cultivator, the cultivators present were beyond in number of what large clans in the Heavenly South could produce. And this was only a trade fair that a few of the local noble clans in the Great Jin were hosting.

When Han Li thought this, he couldnt help but sigh.

As he was informed by the disciples that had welcomed him, he knew that morning was the time for free trade and the afternoon was when the auction would start. If he had rare materials, magic tools, or other items, he would be welcome to exchange them before the auction. Additionally, the trade fair was planned to only span three days and on the last day, the thousand-year-old Monarch Ginseng would be auctioned. It was likely that the Core Formation cultivators had come solely for this item.

After glancing around for a while, he began to stroll around the plaza.

Han Li was currently a Foundation Establishment cultivator that had joined the trade fair on its second day. Although his face was unfamiliar, no one took notice of him, he was just another ordinary cultivator in the crowd.

The items around the vendor booths were all common as expected and were of little interest to Han Li. There were items that would prove to be attractive to Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators, but he already had countless precious materials in his possession. The only vendor booths to catch his attention were selling particularly odd magic tools and materials.

But after some careful observation, he easily recognized them. Past that point, there was no further value in investigating them.

After spending quite some time roaming around, he didnt end up purchasing anything, and just as he thought to enter the tent at the middle of the plaza and see what was being sold there, his expression suddenly changed and he vigilantly turned around. He saw an old man with pointed ears and thin cheeks looking at him with amazement. He possessed cultivation at early Foundation Establishment stage.

With an icy glint in his eye, Han Li coldly said, Fellow Daoist, youve been following me for quite a while. Could it be that you recognize me?

Please dont misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. The old man wore an embarrassed smile and calmly explained, My name is Jin Yuan and I dont mean any harm to you. I was simply curious. This is the first time weve met, but you seem to have a great understanding of many of these tools and materials. I hold you in quite some admiration!

Oh! I didnt know Fellow Daoist was so observant, Han Li calmly said, But since youve been following me for so long, surely you have more business with me than just a chat.

Hehe! It seems youre quite sharp. In truth, I actually have something to request of you.

Please go ahead and state it! Han Li crossed his arms and wore an indifferent expression.

The old man examined the storage pouches at Han Lis waist and chuckled with narrowed eyes, saying, I have a strange treasure here and Ive been unable to make any sense of its uses and origins. I was hoping Fellow Daoist could appraise it. Of course, if Fellow Daoist is able to read through it, I may as well sell it to you. With your background, you will certainly be able to purchase it.

A strange treasure? Han Lis brow stirred and his gaze wandered around the old man for a while. He eventually nodded and pointed to a room at the side, Fine. Since Fellow Daoist has been following me for a while, it seems you hold good intentions. I may as well took a look. Lets go to that hidden room and have a chat. I also have a few things I wish to have explained as well.

A hidden room? You have to pay a spirit stone for that. Thats quite luxurious. The old man hesitantly said.

Han Li mysteriously smiled and said, Thats fine, I will pay the spirit stone. I simply hope that your strange treasure isnt to my disappointment.

When the three girls saw that Han Li and the middle-aged man named Ma Yulin were about to fight, they all unconsciously took a step back and held their breaths.

In their point of view, a battle between two high-layer Qi Condensation cultivators was something rarely ever seen, but to Han Li, dealing with a Qi Condensation cultivator was hardly worth any interest. He simply stood in place with his hands behind his back as he waited for his opponent to attack.

Ma Yulin grew furious upon seeing Han Lis careless attitude and raised the small pitchfork in his hand, muttering an incantation and forming a hand gesture with his free hand. Then after a moment, the small pitchfork trembled several times before releasing a flash of light as it shot towards Han Li in a yellow streak.

Han Lis expression remained calm and showed no intention of using a magic tool. Instead, he raised his hand and released a dozen talismans, each of them combusting into a fist-sized fireball as they charged towards the yellow streak.

When Ma Yulin saw this, he inwardly sneered. The Yellow Wind Fork was a mid-grade magic tool that his master had personally given him. A few fireballs werent going to be able to block it.

Despite these thoughts, he wasnt willing to meet the attack head-on and potentially damage his magic tool. He promptly formed an incantation gesture and had the yellow streak made a sudden turn and avoid the fireballs in an arc before streaking back to attack Han Li.

Han Li smiled and pointed at the fireballs. Suddenly, the fireballs came to a stop and condensed together to form a cloud of flame the size of a wheel. It promptly turned into a three-meter-long fire snake and shot towards the flying pitchfork, coiling around it and completely restraining it.

Ma Yulin was greatly shocked and hastily poured the entirety of his magic power into the magic tool in an attempt to break it free, but as a result, the pitchfork simply glowed with brilliant yellow light and became further tangled with the fire snake. As the struggle continued, the magic tool suddenly dimmed and released a series of hums, a clear omen of its destruction.

The middle-aged man saw that things were turning for the worse. Unwilling to have his magic tool destroyed, he quickly shouted out, Stop! Fellow Daoists magic power is outstanding. I concede defeat!

When Han Li heard this, he smiled and pointed at the fire snake, having it relax its grip before disappearing into embers of flame.

Han Lis effortless battle against an opponent of seemingly higher cultivation came as a delightful surprise to the three women in the pavilion.

Wu Xiaoyu wore an unsightly expression when he saw this and hesitantly muttered, Senior Martial Brother Ma, this…

Enough, Junior Martial Brother Wu! Ma Yulin quickly interrupted, Youve clearly seen that I am no match against him even with my Yellow Wind Fork. The life of your nephew has been decided.

He retrieved his magic tool and felt relieved after finding that it wasnt damaged. However, he now had a newfound fear towards Han Lis abilities and was unwilling to meddle with him any further.

Wu Xiaoyu was brimming with resentment upon hearing this, but if his tenth layer Qi Condensation Senior Martial Brother didnt prove to be Han Lis match, then he wouldnt either.

Afterwards, there was nothing to say and the two Sharp Spirit Sect disciples flew off the mountain with anger in their hearts. As for the other three women, they had gathered around Han Li and were asking him about the magic techniques that he used.

He gave them a practiced excuse, explaining a bit about the small tricks he used to control the low-grade magic techniques. Then, the two senior martial sisters sincerely requested Han Li to answer a few questions about their cultivation problems, to which he casually agreed.

As time slowly passed by and the day turned to night, the three found it awkward to stay and reluctantly departed.

When the three women returned together on the next day, they found that Han Li had disappeared, only to leave behind a letter of farewell. After Cao Mengrong read the letter, she blankly stood in place. For some unknown reason, Han Lis sudden departure had caused her to feel an indescribable pain.

When her two senior martial sisters saw this, they couldnt help but look at each other in dismay.

…

Over a hundred kilometers away, Han Li was slowly flying through the air on a flying magic tool and was chatting with Monarch Soul Divergence with his spiritual sense.

Youngster Han, have you truly decided to first head to the Guanning Prefecture and open the Feng Clans secret cave?

Of course, Han Li replied, I dont know when the Pestilence Demons Soullock Seal will stop being effective. Naturally, I will first need to find a Buddhist technique to dispel my baleful Qi, or else the matter will always be lingering on the back on my mind and I wont be able to focus on restoring my magic power.

I urge you to not put too much hope into this. Monarch Soul Divergence indifferently said, I dont fully believe that a trifling small clan of Buddhist cultivators could possibly possess a high-grade technique to dissolve baleful Qi.

Han Li frowned and replied, I know, but the Feng Clans secret cave is the easiest way. It would be for the best if I happened to find it there. Otherwise, Ill have to head to a famous Buddhist Sect, and with my current cultivation, it will be quite difficult to resolve the matter there.

Monarch Soul Divergence snorted several times in succession and said, After you cultivation dropped, these many simple matters have become far more complicated. If you still had your mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivation, you couldve found a Buddhist Sect and have them sell you such a technique on behalf of your status as a Nascent Soul cultivator.

When Han Li heard this, he could only shake his head with a bitter smile.

It was said that Buddhist Sects are prejudiced against outsiders. Even if he was still a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, how could the sect easily allow their high-grade techniques to leave the sect? If it truly couldnt happen, he could only infiltrate a Buddhist sect and see whether or not he would be able to steal the technique he needed.

However, when he thought of the oaths and shaved head he needed to enter a Buddhist sect, he felt somewhat gloomy.

Perhaps it would be easier to find a method to dissolve the baleful Qi in a Confucian sect, he sullenly thought.

…

The Liao Provinces Wuyuan Prefecture was on the west border of the Guanning Prefecture. As a result, it only took Han Li a couple of weeks before crossing into the Guanning Prefecture.

Along the way, he hadnt encountered any high-grade cultivators. He only saw a few Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators flying from a distance. He didnt have any reason to call out to them, so he kept his distance and focused on his journey.

After flying for a few days, the mortals became less frequently sighted and the land became wild and overgrown as though uninhabited. But two days later, Han Li arrived at Falcon Cloud Village and descended from his flying magic tool before slowly entering on foot.

The village was far more crudely constructed than the other villages he had seen on his way. Not only was it smaller but also only had four roads crossing one another. The buildings were also all constructed from yellow mud and scorched wood.

He frowned and glanced around him as he walked on the road.

As of that moment, the weather was exceptionally chilly, but he simply strode in with his neat Confucian robes. The mortals didnt appear particularly surprised when they saw this.

Han Li wore a pensive expression, and just as he felt that something was odd, his expression stirred as a pair of white-robed men approached him, one tall and one short. They were both around the age of twenty, but their bodies possessed spiritual Qi fluctuations, displaying cultivation at the eighth and seventh layers of Qi Condensation.

When the two saw Han Li, their expressions revealed a trace of alarm and approached him until they were ten meters away.

The tall, skinny youth respectfully saluted him and asked, Might I know Seniors esteemed name? Surely he mustve come to participate in the Grand Assembly.

Han Li was stunned for a moment before speaking with obvious surprise, The Grand Assembly? Im not aware of it. Im only in the area in search of spiritual herbs.

Didnt I say? The taller white-robed youth said to his shorter companion, The assembly had started yesterday. If Senior wished to take part in it, he would already be at Snowmound Mountain. It seems he was only passing by.

That doesnt matter! The shorter youth said, Senior still has the time to enter the Grand Assembly. This assembly is being jointly conducted by the three great clans of the Guanning Prefecture. Not only are there many common spiritual herbs on sale, but also many that are several of hundreds of years old, and there is even a thousand-year-old Wild Monarch Ginseng on sale. The gathering should be about halfway through and the final auctions are about to begin. Surely this will be much better than trying to find herbs on a barren mountain. There are also many loose cultivators and a few small sects trading medicine herbs and materials as well. Our three clans doesnt place taxes on any of the revenue.

Due to Han Lis many storage pouches at his waist and his Foundation Establishment cultivation, the two white-robed youths didnt dare to slight him.

Han Lis eyes flickered and he asked with surprise, The three great clans? Could they be the Kong, Zhao, and Dong Clans?

Thats right, the taller youth said with a smile, We are disciples of the Kong Clan. We are here to receive any cultivators that were rushing over. Originally, we didnt think that there would be more guests and were thinking of participating in the gathering ourselves, but it turned out Senior just happened to arrive on time.

Instead of agreeing, Han Li glanced around and asked, This village is already under the direct supervision of the Kong Clan? These mortals seem rather accustomed having cultivators nearby. This is quite rare.

The taller youth explained, Senior is quite intelligent. Six years ago, the village entered the ownership of our three clans and was filled with our clans mortal descendants. As a result, they dont hold much fear towards cultivators like us.

So its like that. This will be troublesome. Han Li muttered, revealing an unsightly expression.

The shorter youths expression stirred and he eagerly asked, What? Does Senior have some other affairs? Could he tell us? Perhaps we can be of assistance!

In the Liao Provinces Wuyuan Prefecture, there was a small town in the west known as Xinan. Nearby, there were two slender women dressed in azure Daoist robes that were heading towards a small remote mountain.

As their feet shined with white light, they stood on their toes before effortlessly floating a foot off the ground. Then, their gowns lengthened and they gracefully flew through the air at a low altitude.

The younger woman of the two appeared to be eighteen years old and gloomily spoke to the somewhat older woman at her side, Senior Martial Sister Lu, will Master truly not assist us? Even if we were to add on Junior Martial Sister Cao, I fear we wont be able to deal with the Sharp Spirit Sects Wu Xiaoyu. He is at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation, and it is said that the Sharp Spirit Sect Master holds him in high esteem. We are only a pair of sixth and seventh layer cultivators. With our combined strength, we wont stand a chance even if we had help. And if we lose, Junior Martial Sister Cao will have no choice but to allow Wu Xiaoyu to rescue that heavy criminal which I fear will bring disaster to her father.

There is nothing we can do about it, the older of the two martial sisters sighed, Cultivator sects have always left matters of the mortal government alone. And Junior Martial Sister Cao is only an in-name disciple of our Profound Jade Sect and was only imparted a few shallow magic techniques by the Master. Thats why nothing had been said to her. After all, the government holds a few low-grade loose cultivators in order to have them deal with a few matters of the cultivation world. However, Wu Xiaoyu has a deep relationship with the person he wishes to save and knows that Junior Martial Sister Cao has a relationship with our sect. When he personally came to knock on our door, we couldnt continue to turn a blind eye to this affair.

Nevertheless, Master had used her status as an in-name disciple to avoid having to punish her, instead sending off that person to handle it instead. After he left, Master immediately called us over to inform us that this person most likely will be challenging Junior Martial Sister Cao in order to force her to retreat. Master knows that our relationship with her is quite deep and sent us to warn her, its clear that she wants us to lend her some strength. Otherwise, she wouldve simply used a spirit bird to deliver the message instead of us. Although Senior Martial Sister Yu has a deep cultivation, she doesnt have a strong relationship with Junior Martial Sister Cao and will not risk offending the Sharp Spirit Sect over the matter. And Master has her hands tied since the Sharp Spirit Sect has friendly relations with our own sect. As a member of the senior generation, she finds it awkward to interfere.

The younger of the two couldnt help but say, I recall that when Junior Martial Sister Caos father, Country Officer Cao, was stationed near our temple, he appeared quite strong and was very respectful towards the Master. If he is truly implicated because of this matter, it would be a disaster!

If that is true, there is nothing that can be done over it. But even if he were to lose a criminal, he would only lose his position as a country officer at most. He wont die. But since Junior Martial Sister Cao appeared so calm, could it be that she already has a plan?

The younger woman smiled and said, There is no need for Senior Martial Sister to trouble herself over the matter. Everything will be clear once we get to the mountaintop.

Junior Martial Sister is right! The older woman nodded.

The two quickly hurried on their way and after the time it took to finish a meal, they arrived at the mountaintop and yelped with surprise when saw an unexpected straw cottage three hundred meters away.

In front of the straw cottage, there was a simple stone pavilion with a young man and a girl sitting at a stone table and chatting. The mans appearance was rather ordinary, but he had a pale complexion. The girl had a dainty appearance and was attentively listening to him.

When the two women arrived on the mountaintop, the man immediately sensed them and stopped talking. He turned to the girl he was talking to and said, Fellow Daoist Cao, your guests have arrived. The man then smiled and stood up.

The girl glanced over and stood up with a smile, saying, Senior Martial Sisters have arrived! Its good to see you!

The older of the two senior martial sisters beamed when she saw Cao Mengrong and said, Junior Martial Sister, you appear to be doing well! Yi! Your cultivation has risen by an entire level. Congratulations!

Ive only managed to make a breakthrough in the past few days. I am still quite lacking compared to you two! Cao Mengrong smiled and spoke with an excited tone.

The younger senior martial sister curiously examined the Confucian-robed man and asked, Junior Martial Sister Cao, which sect is this Fellow Daoist from? His cultivation is quite high, at what seems to be the tenth layer.

The man calmly answered, I am Han Li, a loose cultivator. I am Lady Caos guest.

The older senior martial sister smiled and said, So it was like that. I was wondering why Junior Martial Sister was so calm. It appears that an expert like Fellow Daoist Han was her guest. When Wu Xiaoyu gives the challenge, he will only make a fool of himself.

Senior Martial Sisters, please sit and let us talk, Cao Mengrong happily said, Although Brother Han is a loose cultivator, he is very experienced in the path of cultivation. I was able to break through in such a short time only because of the guidance that Brother Han had provided me.

Oh, then well want to talk with Fellow Daoist Han… Just as the older of the two was about to sit down, she suddenly heard a series of deep shrieks from below the mountain.

Hes arrived!

How did he know of this place? Hes arrived so quickly! The two senior martial sisters stood up in alarm and turned to look.

Senior Martial Sisters, please dont be alarmed, Cao Mengrong explained with a calm tone, I was the one who invited Wu Xiaoyu over. Fellow Daoist Wu had sought me out several days ago and with Brother Hans agreement, I invited him over for this meeting.

So it was like that. Although we were making haste, it seems we were still too slow. The younger senior martial sister quickly calmed down. After all, they had a tenth layer cultivator to deal with the eight layer Wu Xiaoyu.

At that moment, a ball of white light arrived on the top of the mountain, revealing the silhouette of two people within it.

A flying magic tool! And he has another person escorting him! The younger senior martial sister cried out in alarm. Cao Mengrong and the other woman exchanged a glance before revealing a trace of worry.

After all, flying magic tools were rarely ever seen. Even the low-grade ones were far beyond the price of other mid-grade magic tools. Low-grade cultivators such as themselves couldnt afford to buy them, let alone mid-grade magic tools. Any magic tools they had were gifted to them by the sect. If they didnt advance in their cultivation, it was likely they would only possess one magic tool throughout their lifetime.

Additionally, the cultivators that were bestowed flying magic tools most likely had backers behind them. This is particularly true for small sects such as theirs.

When the new arrivals appeared at the mountaintop, Han Li glanced at them and revealed no change of expression.

As of current, it had already been nine months since Cao Mengrong had rescued him. Perhaps because his injuries werent as severe as he thought or his pills were more effective than anticipated, he was able to recover a portion of his strength during his time as Cao Mengrongs guest, allowing him to recover his Foundation Establishment cultivation. Although his vitality was still injured and he still had yet to recover most of his blood essence, he now had the power to defend himself in the cultivation world.

Of course, Cao Mengrong didnt have the cultivation to see through this astonishing change and she would often ask him a few questions about problems she had on own her cultivation.

As a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Li was overqualified to give this Qi Condensation cultivator some guidance and managed to clear the girls doubts with just a few words. With much joy, Cao Mengrong began to treat Han Li with greater respect. Han Lis pointers had allowed her to ascend to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, bringing her closer to becoming an official disciple.

While this happened, he was already preparing himself to depart in a month. After all, the girl had already given him an explanation of the general circumstances of the Great Jin cultivation world.

And while he did have some medicine pills for Qi Condensation cultivators, they werent so trivial that he could give them to others. After all, there were countless opportunists and robbers in the cultivation world, even more in the Great Jin than the Heavenly South. rewebnovel.com

But unexpectedly, Cao Mengrong received a letter of warning from her master and in the girls alarm, she sought out Han Li. When Han Li heard that there was an eighth layer Qi Condensation cultivator looking to fight her, Han Li indifferently agreed to duel the opponent on her behalf. Afterwards, he would make use of this opportunity to leave.

Although the two new arrivals were surrounded by the brilliant glow of their magic tools, he was able to clearly see them. They were cultivators at the eighth and eleventh layer of Qi Condensation. They were below his notice.

As the three women were all lost in shock, Han Li slowly walked out from the stone pavilion and raised his head to look at them, saying, I will be fighting on Fellow Daoist Caos behalf. Do you plan on having a match or do you wish for this to be an all out battle?

The ball of white light descended on the ground and in a flash of white light, two people were revealed. A middle-aged man with slender eyes and a wood board magic tool in hand snorted and said, It was fortunate that Ive come or Junior Martial Brother Wu wouldve suffered a loss. Your face is quite unfamiliar but your cultivation is high. I will be your opponent. Let us fight now and save the words for later.

The other man was tall and appeared over thirty years of age. From the way he coldly stared at Han Li and the others, he appeared to be Wu Xiaoyu.

The older senior martial sister wore an expression of shock and asked, Ma Yulin! How could it be you? You are an enforcer of the Sharp Spirit Sect. How are you able to easily take part in the affairs of others?

The middle-aged man spoke with a harsh tone, It seems that Fairy Lu doesnt know that I am not an outsider. Junior Martial Brother Wu and I have mutual family. Assisting him is no problem.

The younger senior martial sister revealed an expression of apprehension when she heard this. Cao Mengrongs expression wavered and she found herself at a loss of what to say.

Han Li then took another glance at the middle-aged man and mysteriously smiled, saying, Then let us quickly start. When we are done, I have some urgent business to attend to.

When the middle-aged man heard him, he coldly smiled and put away the wood board magic tool in his hand before taking out a small yellow pitchfork from his storage pouch.

Of course I have no objections in letting Senior examine the Heavenvoid Cauldron once I recover. Han Li calmly replied.

Good! Monarch Soul Divergence said with a relaxed tone, Since youve agreed, the matter is done. As for any nearby cultivators, there is only one on board this ship, a girl at the third layer of Qi Condensation. You dont need to pay her much mind.

The third layer of Qi Condensation? Han Li felt somewhat surprised and then he opened his eyes.

Han Li looked to the side of the bed and saw a girl of only fifteen years of age. When she saw Han Li open his eyes, she joyfully shouted out, Yi! Old scholar, hes awake! The girl was quite adorable with wide bright eyes and fair skin.

Yes, I can clearly see. Sitting in a chair at the girls side sat a grey-robed old man. He appeared around the age of sixty and had a kind face. He was examining Han Li with a calm expression.

Old scholar, look after him. I will go and inform the Young Miss! Before Han Li could say anything, the girl quickly chattered to the old man and quickly ran off.

Han Li was stunned by the sight of this, but the old man simply chuckled as he shook his head. He kindly smiled at Han Li and said, I hope you dont take offense at the girls temperament.

Han LI returned the smile and sat up, slowly saying, I dont dare to. Are you the two who saved me? Where is this place? I…

Were on a boat in the Mystic River. While your life laid uncertain inside the river, my clans Second Young Miss gave the order to save you. As for me, I am He Wen, a scholar that the Clans Mistress hired.

Han Li cupped his fist and said, So it was like that. My surname is Han and I will have to thank this Young Miss for saving my life.

With a smile on his face, the old man curiously asked, Our Young Miss certainly does have a compassionate heart, but it is hard to say whether or not she will see you. Will Mister Han say how he was sealed inside a block of ice and still lived? I am quite curious.

This… Han Li hesitated for a moment before saying, I dont wish to deceive you sir, but it is inconvenient for me to say.

Thats fine. Everyone has their own difficulties. The old man waved his hend in a kindly manner and let the matter go.

At that moment, the girl rushed back with a spring in her step and said, Scholar, the Young Miss will have this man rest for the time being. Shell leave the rest for later. The girl then curiously examined Han Li.

When Han Li saw this, he smiled at her. As a result, the girl slightly blushed and lowered her head, thinking, This person is a bit unremarkable. He is a bit lesser than the Young Miss past friends. Why is she treating him with such consideration?

Since its the Young Miss command, how about Sir Han rest for now? Ill be taking my leave. The old man stood up and then walked out of the room.

Han Li naturally uttered another word of thanks before the old man left the room with the girl. Now that Han Li was alone, he looked up to the ceiling for a short while before letting out a sigh.

In the following two days, no one had disturbed him apart from a maid bringing three meals a day. This was to Han Lis satisfaction as it gave him more time to take medicine pills and meditate.

As for the girl at the third layer of Qi Condensation that Monarch Soul Divergence had mentioned, Han Li had examined her a bit with his spiritual sense. The girl was beautiful and behaved in a humble manner. She was the Second Young Miss that gave the order to save him. She shouldve seen through his identity as a cultivator.

And from the idle chats of the others on board, Han Li found the general circumstances on the boat.

The people on the boat belonged to the clan of a military officer surnamed Cao of the Liao Province. He was rushed to be mobilized in order to replace his predecessor and his clan slowly followed after him. There were only a few members of his clan: His original wife, two concubines, and three children.

The Second Young Miss was born from the original wife and was said to have a weak and sickly body when she was young. She was fostered by another woman during her childhood and had only recently returned to the clan. The other two children were born from the concubines. The eldest daughter was already married away to a suitable clan. As for the son, he was the youngest of the children at twelve years old.

The other noteworthy individuals included Scholar He, Master Zhou, and an icy-eyed Steward Wang who was in charge of the other servants. There were also two guards on board, Wang Tieqiang and Gao Dashen.

When Han Li paid close attention to these individuals, Han Li felt a strong circulation of true Qi from the body of Steward Wang, far deeper than the superficial martial arts of the two guards.

Although Han Li found this somewhat odd, he withdrew his spiritual sense once he figured out the circumstances on the boat and focused his attention on cultivation.

Two days later, the Second Young Miss sent a young maid to invite Han Li over. Of course, Han Li didnt refuse and he was led to one of the larger rooms on the boat.

When the Second Young Miss saw Han Li, she sent away the others in the room and smiled at him.

Brother Han must also be someone from a Daoist sect! My name is Cao Mengrong, a disciple of the Profound Jade Sect. Might I know which sect Brother Han is from? The girl spoke with a polite tone. It seemed she concluded that Han Li originated from a Daoist sect since she wasnt able to detect any devilish Qi, Buddhist light, or the strict Qi of Confucian sects.

The Profound Jade Sect? Han Li frowned. He hadnt heard of this name before, but it didnt come as a surprise. There were innumerable smaller sects in the Great Jin.

When Cao Mengrong saw that Han Li was hesitant, she smiled and said, My sect is merely a small obscure sect in the Liao Province. It is natural for you to not know of it.

Fellow Daoist Cao is quite modest. I am but an unaffiliated cultivator. Ive only recently entered the cultivation world of the Great Jin and I am not familiar with the sects here. Im afraid Ive made a fool of myself. Han Li cupped his fist and assumed an embarrassed appearance.

So it turned out Brother Han had recently come back to society, Cao Mengrong sweetly smiled with bright eyes and said, Ive also only left my apprenticeship recently, but my sect is truly a small one. However, Brother Han is so young and possesses a particularly profound cultivation. This is truly worthy of congratulations!

Its nothing much, Han Li casually replied, Ive only managed to reach this stage through luck.

When she saw that Han Li didnt go into detail, she wore an understanding smile and dropped the matter. She instead changed the subject, asking, Why was Brother Han floating in the river inside a block of ice? Could it be that you were attacked?

That is mostly the case. And I must thank you for saving me! Han Li bitterly laughed, unwilling to go further into detail.

With a firm expression, the woman said, It was only a trivial affair. In truth, I saw that Brother Han wouldve escaped from the ice sooner or later, with or without my help. However, it is quite startling to the mortals for you to float in the river like that so I decided to mettle. In addition, it is only natural for unaffiliated cultivators and small sect cultivators to assist one another.

When Han Li heard this, he felt somewhat surprised and gave the girl an appraising glance. He then silently nodded his head and said nothing more.

Ah yes, how is Brother Han recovering? If Fellow Daoist would like, you may stay on the boat for a few more days. I also hope youd be willing to provide me with some cultivation guidance.

Han Li pondered for a moment before answering, I dont have more important matters on hand, so I may as well stay for few more days. However, providing you guidance will be out of the question, but we can exchange our cultivation experiences.

Cao Mengrong was overjoyed to hear this. She had left her apprenticeship earlier because of her limited aptitude. As a result, she hadnt learned any deep magic techniques. Having a superior cultivator such as Han Li to provide some guidance was exactly what she had wanted.

After setting up a time for the occasion, Han Li chatted with the girl for a moment before he respectfully took his leave.

Once Han Li returned to his room, Monarch Soul Divergence asked, Youngster Han, why did you agree to remain behind. Dont you wish to find a spirit vein to help restore your magic power?

Naturally, I will be looking for a spirit vein, but they will certainly be occupied by the various sects of the Great jin. Furthermore, there seems to be more cultivators in the Great Jin than I expected. If I rush out at my current cultivation, it will prove dangerous. I dont wish to carelessly walk into death while I dont have the power to protect myself.

Oh! So you plan on…

I have enough medicine pills on hand and several spirit well objects, Han Li slowly said, A year will be enough for me to recover my Foundation Establishment cultivation and will still give me plenty of time to find a method to dissolve my baleful Qi. As for the girl, she seems quite shrewd, but her cultivation is shallow and she holds no malicious intent. Ill have her make a few things clear about the Great Jin cultivation world before I head on my way. And since Ive only just arrived at the Great Jin, I can afford to wait a year.

Do as you wish, but I dont have much time left, Monarch Soul Divergence worriedly said, After a few more years passes, I fear that it will be too late for me. After all, it will take you quite some time to collect the materials for my puppet body.

Senior, dont worry. Han Li explained, As I look for the method to dissolve my baleful Qi, I will also look for the materials. However, the best method would be to acquire the assistance of a sect. This way, we can cut down on the time needed.

Acquire their assistance? This isnt the Heavenly South where we can draw on your fame and title. It wont be so easy. The larger sects wont pay attention to you and the smaller sects dont have the capability. After all, the materials that I want are rarely ever seen in this world.

The specifics have yet to be determined, so lets take this a step at a time. Perhaps I wont even need to find them and theyll just come knocking on my door, Han Li jokingly replied.

Afterwards, he ceased talking to Monarch Soul Divergence and took out a set of formation flags from his storage pouch. Then, he placed down a simple restriction around him before taking a medicine pill and meditating on the bed.

When Wang Tieqiang heard this, he was stunned for a moment. The voice sounded very much like the maid named Huang Ying. However, it was quite odd for there to be ice floating in the river during flood season, not to mention the days warm weather.

He couldnt help but take a look above up at the sky and make sure that the sun was blazing in the middle of the sky. He felt on the verge of sweating even as he wore his thin clothes. Could it be there was someone on the ice? Despite the many years spent in the world of Jianghu 1, this was the first time he had heard of such a thing. He then reached behind him to grab the two short iron short spears he kept on his back before walking over to the source of the commotion with silent steps.

When he arrived at the side of the boat, he saw seven men and women gathered there, consisting of maids, servants, and boatmen. They were all talking and pointing at something in the river.

He glanced over and saw something about fifteen meters away. There was a sparkling white object floating on the surface of the river. He focused his gaze on it and found that it was a sparkling crystal block of ice containing someone inside.

Wang Tieqiang wore an expression of surprise and couldnt help but mutter, How strange. Could it be that someone had fallen in the river and is now trapped in a block of ice?

He heard footsteps from behind him and a hoarse voice asked, Brother Wang, whats the matter?

Brother Gao, youve come. Without turning his head, Wang Tieqiang already knew that the owner of the voice was his partner of many years, Gao Dafeng. He cultivated a body hardening technique for many years and was somewhat famous for his boxing techniques.

The large man with a full beard casually walked to Wang Tieqiangs side and clicked his tongue in wonder. Oh! There really is someone in the ice. How rare.

Wang Tieqiang coldly laughed and said, It is only a single dead person. No matter how odd the circumstances, there isnt much to say about it.

Gao Dafeng stroked his beard and chuckled. Definitely! At the very least, the corpse hasnt come to rob us.

A middle-aged man in Confucian robes walked towards them with a sullen expression and scolded the servants, What are you making an uproar about? Didnt you know the mistress had just gone to sleep?

This person was Master Zhou, the person who was reportedly the trusted confidant of an important government official. He was currently employing Wang Tieqiang and his partner to guard the said officials family.

Master, in the river… The young maid named Huang Ying shyly extended her finger and pointed in the river.

When Master Zhou saw Wang Tieqiang and Gao Dafeng, he felt somewhat baffled. Then when the young maid said something, he unconsciously glanced where she was pointing to find a block of ice with a person inside of it. He wore an odd expression on his face before he frowned and said, It is only a dead person. There is no point in looking at it any further. Go back to your duties. Could it be that you want me to call over Steward Wang? The mans final words were spoken with a harsh tone.

When the servants heard the name Steward Wang, their expressions immediately changed and they immediately scattered. The three boatmen also made a discreet departure.

Wang Tieqiang and Gao Dafeng exchanged a glance and were about to leave as well, feeling that it would be unwise to remain there any longer. But after Gao Dafeng took a few steps, he glanced at the river and shouted out in alarm, How is this possible?! That person is still alive!

Wang Tieqiang and Master Zhou were both alarmed when they heard this and they looked at the block of ice to find that it remained completely still.

Master Zhou glared at the large man, but Gao Dafeng stood firm and said, I am not mistaken. I saw the person in the water move his eyes.

Brother Gao wouldnt fool us. It seems he is still alive. Wang Tieqiang spoke with complete trust in his partner.

Master Zhou still felt a bit of doubt after he heard this, but after some thought, he shook his head and said, It doesnt concern us if that person is alive or dead. There is no need to attract any trouble to the Mistress and her daughter. And since other boats havent done anything with the ice, there is no need for us to mettle with it either.

When Wang Tieqiang heard this, he didnt feel any anger or injustice over the matter. It was odd for there to be someone inside the ice, but that didnt give him any intention of allowing him on the boat. After all, as one who had tread in Jianghu for many years, he found these odd situations to be more difficult to guard against than ordinary people.

However, a trace of hesitation had appeared on Gao Dafengs face.

Master Zhou, please wait! A sweet voice suddenly sounded from across the boat. The act of saving a life is greater than any mountain. And my mother has a merciful heart as well. Since this person is still alive, can we save him? Then a young woman in embroidered robes soon approached them, followed by the maid Huang Ying who was walking with a dropped head. It appears that she was the one who told the young lady about the matter.

When Master Zhou saw this woman, he respectfully saluted her and hesitantly said, Young Miss! This isnt very wise. Having a stranger on the boat…

Whats unwise about it? Since he has survived catastrophe and encountered us, it will be considered a display of our clans virtue to save him. We even had an empty room on the boat. Could it be with so many of us that we have something to fear from a dying man? The young woman spoke with a soft voice, but her expression clearly displayed that she wouldnt change her mind.

After a moment of thought, he could only agree with a salute. Very well. Since the Young Miss had given the command, I will send out men to rescue this person. The young woman responded with a smile and then walked back with her maid in tow.

Master Zhou tightly frowned as he glanced in the direction of the ships hold and then he wryly smiled, saying, You heard her. Since this person must be saved and is trapped in a huge chunk of ice, I fear I will have to trouble you two to go make the trip.

Its no problem. We have little else to do and have the strength to break this person out. Gao Dafeng said with a casual tone. Wang Tieqiang then examined the huge block of ice and slowly nodded, raising no objections.

…

After spending an unknown amount of time in the darkness, Han Li woke up to a splitting headache. Before he even opened his eyes, he heard a young womans voice sounding out, Old scholar, when will this person awaken? Its already been two days. Has nothing truly happened to him? The Young Miss is waiting for my reply!

A snort sounded out and an old mans voice sullenly said, What does a servant like you know? I only have a cursory understanding of the medicinal arts. How can I know when he will awaken? However, this persons disease is truly strange. His complexion is clearly pale and he shows signs of great loss in blood and Qi. However, his blood vessels and meridians appear to be far stronger than an ordinary person. This is truly beyond my understanding!

The woman chuckled and teasingly said, It seems the old scholar most likely read the blood vessels wrong!

Nonsense. Have I ever been wrong when I was looking after you all when you were sick? Perhaps this person encountered a strange sickness that hadnt been seen before. Since I am no great doctor, I am baffled by this. The old man seemed embarrassed but he spoke boldly nonetheless.

As Han Li heard this, he realized that he was lying down on a very comfortable bed. There was a smooth blanket on top of him and a thick mattress beneath him.

Han Li felt somewhat at ease when he heard the two speaking in the language of the Great Jin. It seems not only had mortals rescued him, but that he was also inside the borders of the Great Jin. However, his current situation was far from good.

In the instant he awoke, he used his spiritual sense to look deep into his body. As a result, he felt his blood run cold.

After he escaped from the Endless Sky Saintess pursuit and put thousands of kilometers between them, the Soullock Seal had gone back into effect. At the time, he had fallen into the river and used the technique for feigning death that Monarch Soul Divergence had taught him, sealing himself in a block of ice and allowing him to escape pursuit from the Soaring Tribes as he floated down the river current.

However, his bodys present conditions were as worse as could be. The excessive use of the Bloodshadow Evasion had caused a massive loss of blood essence and immensely weakened his body. Additionally, his severe loss of True Essence had caused his cultivation to violently drop to Qi Condensation stage. Under such circumstances, he would need to properly recover for five to six years if he had any chance to recovering his original cultivation.

Han Li gloomily sighed in his heart and suddenly thought of something before examining the flying swords inside of his body. He then found the primal soul of a greatly weakened and unconscious Silvermoon, much to his relief.

However, he felt quite a headache over the fact that his second Nascent Soul had yet to return. Although he was too far away to know its true location, he was still able to feel an extremely faint connection to it, affirming that his second Nascent Soul had exceed his expectations and managed to survive. If he couldnt call back the Nascent Soul after a certain amount of time, it would not only become independent but it would likely attempt to dominate him.

The only good point was once he restored his original cultivation, his second Nascent Soul wouldnt stand a chance against him. It wouldnt be difficult for him to retrieve it at that point.

With that thought, he spoke through his spiritual sense to the bamboo container he was carrying, Senior, how long was I unconscious since Ive arrived at the Great Jin? Are there any Great Jin cultivators nearby?

Oh! Youre finally awake. Youve been floating in the river for a year already. Once your magic power ran out, the block of ice began to flow on the surface of the water. But I must say Youngster Han, your current situation is far from good. Monarch Soul Divergence responded with a lazy tone.

Han Li smiled and contently said, How could I not know how terrible my bodys condition is in? However, my fortunate survival could be said to be a great escape from calamity. There isnt much to complain about. After all, few couldve escaped from the hands of several late-Nascent Soul cultivators in that situation.

Monarch Soul Divergence snorted and gloomily said, Well, arent you carefree? However, I must ask you why youve never mentioned your Divine Spirit Treasure to me. It was no wonder why you placed me outside your room while you were in seclusion. Ive always wanted to personally investigate a Divine Spirit Treasure. Forget the excuses, when you are able to take out the cauldron again, hand it over to me for examination.

1 Jianghu is the world of mortal martial artists operating beyond the reach of the government.

Han Li narrowed his eyes and began to circulate the first layer of the Heavenvoid Cauldrons Artifact Imprint Technique.

A dragons cry roared out from the cauldron and the cauldrons lid launched into the air in a streak of blue light, revealing the rainbow light that shined from within it. Then the sea of azure light the Saintess used to freeze Han Lis movements was quickly absorbed into the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

They were both shocked to see what was happening.

The Saintess huge cauldron had released a strange hum and suddenly shot down in a streak of light.

The Saintess turned deathly pale at this sudden change and hastily formed a hand incantation, ordering the cauldron to stop, but her commands were ineffective and the cauldron disappeared into the Heavenvoid Cauldron down below.

Furious alarm filled the Saintess mind, but it didnt stop there.

The Heavenvoid Cauldron suddenly flew out from Han Lis grasp and spun in the air before pointing its mouth towards the white mist at the side. As the cauldron faintly glowed with light, a roar of terror sounded out from the mist, followed by a black silhouette shooting out from it into the sky. It was a flood dragon with a bulls head, the Endless Sky Beast.

Then, an enchanting azure mist shot out from the Heavenvoid Cauldron and chased down the Endless Sky Beast with incredible speed, instantly wrapping around the beast. The Endless Sky Beast wildly howled and struggled with all its might, but the blue mist held firm as if unaffected by the beasts attacks. The mist spun around and quickly shank itself along with the beast before flying back into the cauldron. Then, the cauldrons lid spun once more before slamming into the cauldron and sealing it shut.

This strange turn of events had occurred all in the blink of an eye.

The Saintess expression turned completely pale in complete disbelief. It was clear that she was initially winning the battle. How was it that she had fallen into the abyss of defeat so quickly? Not only did Han Li escape from her cocoon of sand, but he seized both the holy cauldron and the incarnation of the holy beast.

However, the woman was someone of unordinary character and still retained her composure. Her gaze then dropped down to the Heavenvoid Cauldron in Han Lis grasp.

She clearly understood that the change of circumstance in the battle was due to that cauldron. The loss of control over the holy cauldron mustve been due to a connection between it and Han Lis cauldron, or something so great wouldnt have occurred. She had to acquire that cauldron!

In the blink of an eye, the Saintess resolved herself.

Han Li was delighted by this sudden turn of events, but when the womans icy gaze flickered past him, he smiled, knowing precisely what the woman was thinking. Then, his wings flapped, he disappeared in a flash of silver lightning, only to reappear a hundred meters away.

He then recalled his condensed flying swords without any hesitation and his fingers blurred as they formed a series of strange hand gestures. Azure light flashed around his body as astonishing spiritual Qi was emitted from his body. He then opened his mouth and spat several mouthfuls of blood essence into the air. They transformed into threads of blood mist before turning into a strange azure-red color. Additionally, his complexion turned from dark red to a blood-crimson in an astonishing display and his figure grew indistinct inside the mist of blood.

Not good! When the Saintess saw Han Lis actions, she immediately thought of something and she cried out in panic. She raised her hand and released two beams of silver light, turning into countless silver threads in midair in an attempt to cover Han Li.

But by the time the huge sword returned to Han Li, his image inside the crimson mist began to blur and he disappeared from view. In the next moment, crimson light glowed from the horizon before fading away.

The Saintess heart sank and she quickly released her spiritual sense, but Han Li had already escaped the limits of her spiritual sense with his Bloodshadow Evasion. The woman remained floating motionless in place with an ashen complexion.

…

In that same moment, over five hundred kilometers away, the elegant man was glancing down at the vast borderless plains with a strange expression as nine humming dark green wheels fluttered around him.

Wood movement techniques? It was still had the strength to use the vegetation to conceal itself after I injured it to that degree? And that devil artifact is extremely powerful and troublesome, but it risked backlash when using it. However, it has no hope for survival. It is merely a Nascent Soul. With the injuries it sustained, its body will soon vanish. Nevertheless, I have the feeling that something bad had occurred. Could it be something to do with the others? The youths eyes flickered as he muttered to himself before raising his head in another direction. After some hesitation, the nine wheels joined together as one and he shot back in a dark green streak of light.

Under an unremarkable bush, a shining black flag was embedded in the earth. There was a half-foot-wide hole that faintly emerged from it where there was an inch-large black-green Nascent Soul laying inside of it unconscious. Black Qi roiled around its body as it quietly absorbed the pure devilish Qi in the flag to restore its wounds.

…

In another area of the plains, a beautiful purple-haired woman had used a jade ancient treasure to trap several thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles. And she blocked an attack from a bead of lightning before easily piercing through the body of the foreign cultivator with a single attack. However, the foreign cultivators body then glowed with silver light to reveal the body of a charming woman. Then, she completely disappeared in specks of starlight.

The purple-haired woman stood in place with shock.

…

Four hours later, the elegant man, purple-haired woman, and the Endless Sky Saintess met together once more. They gave each other an account of what happened and looked at each other with dismay.

The elegant man frowned and sullenly said, You mean to say that not only did we not acquire the method to nurture the Gold Devouring Beetles, but we also lost the holy cauldron and the Holy Beast?

The purple-haired woman wore an unsightly expression and said, The holy cauldron isnt significant as we have another alternative to summoning the Holy Beast. However, I fear that having the Holy Beasts incarnation captured will invoke the fury of the Holy Beast in the realms above. We must reclaim it. freewebnvel.co

We were far too careless, the Saintess said with an exceptional calm, I didnt think this person would have a method of restraining the holy cauldron and cause this to happen. I will have to go to the Great Jin to reclaim the Holy Beast incarnation. And that strange small cauldron that was used to control our holy cauldron is nothing to underestimate either.

I suspect that cauldron is the Divine Spirit Treasure that our holy cauldron was modeled after. It cant be explained any other way.

Divine Spirit Treasure? That isnt very likely, the purple-haired woman doubtfully said, Those treasures arent something that can appear in this world. There were treasures that ancient cultivators brought down from the realm above. The refinement method for the holy cauldron was something that a unique genius ancestor had acquired after using a secret technique to communicate with the Holy Beast. How could the Divine Spirit Treasure still remain in the mortal world?

The elegant man shook his head and said, That might not be certain. Since Elder Devils were able to appear in our mortal world, it is possible there are several Divine Spirit Treasures that exist in our world as well.

When the Saintess and the purple-haired woman heard the Elder Devil being mentioned, their expressions changed.

The purple-haired woman snorted and said, It was said the Elder Devil was extremely fearsome, but it is a shame we didnt have the opportunity to fight it. However, the Devils movement techniques are truly wondrous. It was easily able to cross our plains and enter the Great Jin.

The elegant man sighed and spoke with a wry smile, That is because the Elder Devil was gravely wounded. If it were to were to encounter us, we would give chase, preventing it from finding the time to heal. If it werent for that, the devil couldve spread chaos throughout the plains.

Gloominess worn on her face, the Saintess said, Regardless of whether that cauldron is truly a Divine Spirit Treasure, he had killed many of our Immortals and seized the Holy Beast. We cannot allow this to be. Since the holy cauldron was seized away from me, I must make the trip to personally find it and the Holy Beasts incarnation. Otherwise, we will not be able to answer the Holy Beasts questions the next time we summon it.

When the other two heard this, they exchanged a glance as if communicating their opinions.

The elegant man then nodded and said, Since the Saintess feels strongly about this, she may as well make the trip to the Great Jin. However, many cultivators sects of the Great Jin are prejudiced towards our Soaring Tribe Immortals. You had best keep your identity a secret. After all, those of the Great Jin should possess vast abilities. You should first take a look at the Yin Sifting Sect and see if that person is truly a Yin Sifting Sect Elder. After making his identity clear, you should immediately return to the plains and we will lend you our power.

I understand. Since that persons abilities are likely beyond mine, I wont rashly take action. The Saintess said with a grave expression.

Thus, the three promptly returned. After the Endless Sky Saintess finished handling her affairs, she set off to the Great Jin to search for Han Li.

…

The Great Jins Liao Province was one of the hundred and eight provinces of the empire. It was split into ten prefectures, but a majority of them were located in a vastly snowy area where few lived. The more prosperous of these prefectures were still somewhat destitute.

The Liao Provinces Mystic River is the provinces second largest river and it was one of the few rivers that wouldnt freeze during flood season. As a result, whenever the time came, merchants and travellers would all use this river to travel as it was far more convenient than carriage or horse. And at every portion of the river, there would be empire vessels making their patrols.

But regardless of this, there were many ships on this vast stretch of river. Naturally, there would be many criminals that would take the risk of seizing the ship of worse. As a result, there would be a few larger ships that would hire skilled martial artists as guards.

Wang Tieqiang was a common example of such a guard. And as his name would suggest 1, he was somewhat skilled with spears, but this was secondary to his vast experience as a guard. He has been a guard for over twenty years, turning from a hot-headed youth to an experienced and profound Jianghu practitioner.

At the moment, he was steadily standing at the bow of the ship with a hand resting on the boat railing. He was examining the nearby waters with a calm expression.

On this journey, he was a but a common bodyguard. The only thing exceptional about this job was that the ships owner was rumored to be the trusted confidant of a very important government official.

That being said, most bandits would be unwilling to take action against a ship, even if it were lightly guarded. And this was shown across their long journey, where not even a single event had occurred.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, he recalled how generous the ships owner had paid him. The silver could afford his wife several good fabrics to make several sets of good clothing. With that thought, Wang Tieqiang couldnt help but smile as he thought about his seven-year-old son.

But then a womans voice suddenly cried out, Quick come! There a huge block of ice there. It… It seems to have someone inside.

1 The qiang in his name means spear.

With a large clap, the silver threads struck the ice wall and created a dense grouping of holes. It nearly appeared as if the ice wall was on the verge of collapsing from the damage.

When Han Li saw this, he raised his hand and struck the ice wall with a spell seal.

Purple light flowed across the ice wall and released an astonishing glacial Qi. Not only did was the damage from the silver threads repaired, but the wall condensed another layer of thick purple ice around it, quickly turning it even more difficult to destroy. In addition, the glacial Qi turned into purple flames in the blink of an eye and spread across the silver threads towards the embroidered scarf magic treasure. It appeared almost as if thin purple snakes were fiercely pouncing towards it.

With an expression changed from shock, the Saintess thought, What is this vicious technique?

Despite her surprise, her actions didnt slow in the slightest. She held her hands in an incantation gesture and then gracefully pointed at the embroidered scarf floating in the air. The portrait of the silver silkworm opened its mouth once more and spat out a puff of white flame. It traveled along the silver threads and rush towards the purple flames to meet their attack.

Both of the flames quickly struck each other on the silver threads and the purple-white flames weaved together, and after a short moment, the purple flames massively overtook the white flames and quickly gained ground.

When the Saintess saw this, she unconsciously frowned and spoke a few words in an ancient language. Suddenly, the Soaring Sky Beast let out a low roar from underneath her and spat a stream of azure flames to merge with the white flames. Joined together, the azure-white flames were able to block the purple ice flames for the time being.

In the gap of delay, the Saintess waved her hand and summoned an octagonal metal pendant into her grasp before tossing it into the air. The metal pendant then instantly transformed into a huge bagua diagram 1 blazing with scarlet flames and launched itself in Han Lis direction.

Han Li curled his lips at the sight of this. Without a change of expression, thunder clapped from his back, summoning a pair of silver wings. As the bagua diagram was about to strike him, he blurred and disappeared in a flash of silver lightning.

With the bagua diagram missing its mark, Han Li reappeared over a hundred meters away with a flap of his wings before disappearing once more.

Lightning movement! When the Saintess saw Han Li draw closer to her, she muttered the name of this famed technique with a solemn expression. She then grasped her hands in an ancient incantation gesture and had the Soaring Sky Beast spit out a vast sea of white mist before they quickly took cover within it. In the blink of an eye, they completely disappeared into the mist.

Another clap of thunder soon rang out and Han Li reappeared at the mists side with an expression of surprise.

He wasnt able to find any trace of the Saintess within the white mist as it completely blocked his spiritual sense from entering it. However, he didnt have the time to allow the two to continue hiding away.

Han Li waved his hand with an icy expression, summoning an ancient purple mirror in front of him. Then with the mirror held in his hands, he poured the entirety of his spiritual power into it, causing it to pulse with light and release a beam of sparkling purple light through the mist.

The beam of purple light caused the white mist to roil before soon scattering it away, soon to leave no further cover for the Saintess. But at that moment, an azure flame spat out from a portion of the remaining mist, blocking the purple light from pressing any further.

Han Li quickly focused on the source of this flame and faintly saw the lone silhouette of the Endless Sky Beast deep in the mist. However, there was no trace of the Saintess standing on top of it.

Han Li rejoiced at the sight. He was originally planning of a way to separate the woman from the holy beast, but now that she took the initiative to abandon it, an extremely rare opportunity had appeared before him. Although he didnt know where the Endless Sky Saintess was hidden or what technique she was preparing, he couldnt allow this opportunity to pass him by.

With that thought, Han Li sent out a mental command without the slightest hesitation. The huge sword hidden away in the clouds up above suddenly let out a sharp howl and parted away the clouds with a flash of lightning as it chopped down at the Endless Sky Beast with astonishing speed.

Ablaze with purple flames and golden lightning, the sword left claps of thunder in its wake, it was only moments before splitting the beast into two.

Han Li watched with delight, but soon his expression twisted with disbelief. The Soaring Sky Beasts body turned into rolls of white mist before disappearing from sight. Losing his judgment in his excitement, Han Li wasnt able to see through the beasts illusion and had impulsively taken action.

Not good! Han Li shouted out in alarm. No longer attempting to look for the Endless Sky Beasts true body, he quickly withdrew, but a large sparkling azure light shined above him and immediately slowed his movements. At that same moment, he could hear the Saintess chanting an incantation.

Ha hastily looked up in alarm and saw a ball of silver light. The Saintess was floating a hundred meters above him and ancient silver patterns appeared on her forehead. As she continued chanting, a small cauldron appeared in her hand. The cauldron then released a large expanse of silver light that enveloped an area of a hundred meters around it.

The Heavenvoid Cauldron!? Han Li shouted out its name in alarm and his face completely paled.

He hastily looked inside of himself to find the Heavenvoid Cauldron safely stored. What was happening? Could there be a second Heavenvoid Cauldron in this world?

Yet to recover from his bewilderment, the small cauldron above him began to glow with light and surge in size. In the blink of an eye, it grew to twelve meters in size. Then under the command of the Saintess spell seal, the cauldron dazzlingly glowed and release an unending stream of sparkling azure sand. The stream of sand gathered together into a cloud before moving to envelop Han Li.

When Han Li saw this, his wings flapped without another thought and silver lightning sparked from his back.

But then, faint roars of thunder could be heard from the white mist. The soundwave of the thunder swept past Han Li and caused the silver lightning of his wings to flicker and completely disappear, disabling his lightning movement for the time being.

What ability is this? Han Li hastily glanced at the mist in alarm and saw the faint silhouette of the Endless Sky Beast at the edge of it, but he was unable to tell if it was its genuine body.

With the cloud of sand only thirty meters above him, Han Li was helpless to escape it. He could only point at the Bluelight Shield and have it wrap around him in a large blue barrier.

As soon as the sand and blue light barrier made contact, the azure sand brilliantly shined and massively expanded in size, each grain turning into the size of a boulder as it smashed down on the blue light barrier.

A series of booms echoed through the air. No matter how formidable the blue light barrier may be, it wasnt able to withstand such a vast number of powerful strikes. In an instant, it blurred and dimmed. In addition, the cloud of sand split into two and transformed into two flood dragons, wrapping around the light barrier to restrict Han Li.

Without another thought, Han Li opened his mouth and spat out a small cauldron. He flicked his finger against it and a blue icy flame appeared on its surface. It was the Divine Spirit Treasure he cultivated to its first layer, the Heavenvoid Cauldron!

Although he was only able to make use of only a small portion of the cauldrons power, Han Li had no choice but to use it after being pushed to the brink. He swept his hand past the surface of the cauldron and a wave of blue light flew out from it, tightly wrapping around him.

Han Li then spread out his arms and flicked his fingers at the two sand flood dragons. A dozen streaks of azure sword Qi were released, weaving through the air and fiercely striking the flood dragons. As a result, a dozen thumb-sized holes appeared in the flood dragons heads but to little effect.

Han Li felt his heart grow tense. Just as he thought to avoid the incoming attacks, his body felt as heavy as a mountain and his actions were brought to a standstill, restricting his movements in their entirety.

The flood dragons appeared before him and charged into him, collapsing into clouds of sand on impact in two muffled groans. Then with bright light glowing around Han Lis body, the cloud of sands condensed into a giant cocoon around him, soundly sealing him inside.

The Saintess had been initially shocked when Han Li brought out a small cauldron similar to her own holy cauldron, but when she saw how easily Han Li had been trapped by the sand, she simply smiled.

The might of the holy cauldrons sand was immensely powerful. So long as someone was trapped in it, they would be completely disabled and at her mercy. Even late-Nascent Soul cultivators wouldnt be able to escape in a short time.

A huge bang sounded out as Han Lis blue light barrier was shattered and another layer of sand immediately wrapped around his body.

In that moment, the woman felt at ease and floated down as she stood on top of her huge cauldron. But after descending only thirty meters, a massive changed occurred.

Countless beams of light suddenly penetrated from within the hardy cocoon from every direction. Before the Saintess could give another command, the sand cocoon collapsed back into a cloud and floated motionlessly in the air. At the center of the sand cloud was a large dazzling blue light. Han Li was inside of it, holding a small cauldron in his hand as he stared at the Saintess.

The Saintess came to a sudden stop and looked at Han Li with an unsightly expression, disbelief flooding her mind.

A cold snort could be heard from Han Li as he slapped the lid of the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Ripples upon ripples of blue light clearly resonated from the cauldron and soon spread around him, causing the surrounding sand to vanish as soon as the ripples of light passed by them, appearing almost as if the light had consumed it.

The Saintess was wildly alarmed by the scene and hastily formed a hand incantation, ordering the sand to resume its attack. However, the sand quietly remained in place as if having completely lost connection to the Saintess spiritual sense.

Suddenly, the Saintess betrayed panic from her face and stamped down on the huge cauldron. It continued to revolve for a time before spouting out a blinding azure light to envelope Han Li.

1 Bagua, also known as the eight trigrams. It is most often represented as a Yin-Yang symbol with eight different trigrams surrounding it in an octagon.