Han Li focused his gaze. It was precisely that transparent mass and the pitch-black eyeball.
“What? Fellow Daoist Tianlan recognizes them?”
“How did you obtain these two items, Fellow Daoist Han? Tell me first.” The childlike figure glanced at Han Li with a hint of suspicion.
“One was obtained from a fire cauldron that had been burning for who knows how many years, and the other is the eye of a three-eyed demon beast,” Han Li replied without concealment, briefly explaining.
“That makes sense. It aligns with my thoughts.” The childlike figure revealed an expression of confirmation. He first weighed the transparent gelatinous substance in his hand and said, “The item from the fire cauldron is called Fire Spirit Silk, the best material for crafting fire-attribute battle spirit armor. Even in the Spirit Realm, it is rare. Its original form is an even rarer yin-attribute ore. If it remains unmolten after years of burning in intense flames, it can transform into this material.”
“Fire Spirit Silk?” Han Li stared at the gelatinous substance in the child’s hand, his expression slightly odd.
Though this was the first time he had heard of it, it bore no resemblance to any “silk” he could imagine.
“Naturally, this isn’t its final form. A cultivator proficient in fire-attribute techniques must refine and spin it into silk. Heh, you wouldn’t be able to do it. The Fire Spirit Silk itself is also a rare treasure—it can be used as material or directly refined and wielded. In terms of power, it rivals ordinary flying swords. However, it’s strange—this Fire Spirit Silk should typically be light blue, but yours is translucent, differing slightly from my memory.” The childlike figure seemed hesitant.
“Oh? Generally, how long must it be refined to obtain this material?” Han Li’s expression shifted as if recalling something.
“The rarity of this material stems from the lengthy refinement process—at least a hundred years, sometimes several hundred. Typically, the longer the refinement, the smaller and purer the material becomes,” the child explained.
“I see.” A glint of understanding flashed in Han Li’s eyes.
“What? Did you think of something?” The child stared at Han Li curiously.
“Nothing. Tell me about the other item.” Han Li smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, his gaze shifting to the eyeball.
The childlike figure fell silent for a moment but ultimately did not press further. Instead, he glanced at the pitch-black eyeball and said calmly, “This item has a far greater origin. Even I am somewhat tempted by it. Unfortunately, what descended into this realm is merely a wisp of my divine sense, and this item’s attributes conflict with mine. Refining it would offer limited benefits but could damage my divine sense.”
“This eyeball has such a significant background?” Han Li was taken aback, somewhat skeptical. When he had slain the three-eyed demon beast, though he had sensed some power in its eye, it was far from what the Tianlan Sacred Beast described.
“Hmph! Do you know of true spirits like the True Dragon or the Qilin?” The child snorted disdainfully.
“Of course. Though such beings no longer exist in our human realm, legends and records mention them. Could the owner of this eye be related to such true spirits?” Han Li was genuinely surprised.
“Not exactly, but close. This is the third demonic eye of the Cilie Beast, a mortal enemy of the True Dragon, renowned in the Spirit Realm as the Annihilation Eye. This beast has three heads and five tails, with the central head bearing only this single eye. Normally, the Cilie Beast keeps this eye shut, but once opened, it can tear through space and annihilate enemies unseen. Of course, if only the eye remains, it loses such divine power. But if refined through secret techniques, it can still unleash bizarre spells, penetrate illusions and concealment, and even lock onto enemies using teleportation. Thus, cultivators specializing in clairvoyant techniques prize this eye as a supreme treasure.” The child spoke with utmost gravity.
Han Li inhaled sharply, staring dumbfounded at the demonic eye in the child’s hand.
“If this were a pure Annihilation Eye from a true Cilie Beast, its value would nearly rival the Golden Jade Book. However, this one seems impure. The three-eyed beast you slew was likely not a true Cilie Beast but a variant inheriting partial bloodline. Moreover, this eye was plucked before fully maturing. Heh, I can’t decide whether you’re lucky or unfortunate.” The child clicked his tongue.
“What do you mean?” Han Li’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“Simple. If this were an adult Cilie Beast’s eye, refining it at your current cultivation would be impossible. But since it’s immature, you might succeed—though its power would pale in comparison. However, as it’s not from a true Cilie Beast, its abilities may deviate from the Annihilation Eye’s original prowess.” The child spoke earnestly.
“Are you saying the variant beast’s eye is vastly inferior to the true Annihilation Eye?” Han Li’s gaze flickered.
“Generally, yes. But exceptions exist. I recall the Blazing Sky Demon King of the Nine Spirit Mountains in the Spirit Realm inherited a fraction of the Fire Qilin’s bloodline, yet his flame techniques surpassed even the true Fire Qilin’s. Such cases are rare, though. But if I recall correctly, you plan to sneak into the Spirit Realm through a spatial node. If so, you must refine this Annihilation Eye.” The child smirked.
“Why?” Han Li’s brow twitched in surprise.
He had long since consulted this Spirit Realm demon about spatial nodes, but the latter knew little, having descended to the human realm for the first time. Now, the sudden mention puzzled him.
“Though the Cilie Beast cannot traverse spatial rifts like the Sky-Soaring Kunpeng or the Rahu Beast, its abilities can mitigate the force between realms. The extent depends on the refinement and the eye’s inherent power.” The child spoke leisurely.
“This eye truly has such power?” Han Li was visibly moved.
“Heh! Once you refine it successfully, you’ll know. Why would I deceive you?” The child spoke with an aged tone.
Han Li lowered his head in contemplation.
The child smiled faintly, idly toying with the two items, allowing Han Li to ponder.
“Enough about these. Do you recognize the other two materials, Fellow Daoist Tianlan?” Han Li raised his head, his expression calm, as if dismissing the Annihilation Eye matter entirely.
The child’s eyes flickered with surprise but he replied indifferently, “The three crystals are Dreamsever Crystals. Though peculiar, they’re only useful for crafting illusionary artifacts, worthless to ordinary cultivators. However, the Spirit Realm’s Illusory Sect once offered exorbitant prices for them before abruptly retracting the offer. Whether they have other uses, I don’t know. As for the black-and-white demon core, I can’t identify its origin. Its attributes seem unique. Could you describe the beast?”
“That beast was strange…” Han Li frowned, recalling the fleshy monstrosity he slew in the Fallen Devil Valley’s lake, and began describing it.
After listening, the child pondered before shaking his head.
“I’ve never heard of such a beast. Likely another variant. But from your description, it wasn’t powerful, so its core is probably useless.”
“Yet it excelled in concealing its aura. Perhaps its core could be used for artifact refinement.” Han Li mused, then reached out, summoning the black-and-white core into his palm. As it spun, streams of black and white qi emanated, starkly distinct.
“To compensate for your Wind Lightning Wings’ loss, I’ll teach you how to refine the Fire Spirit Silk and the Annihilation Eye. Whether you succeed is up to you. What say you, Fellow Daoist Han?” The child ignored the core, narrowing his eyes at Han Li.
“Agreed.” Han Li accepted instantly, as if awaiting this offer.
The child paused, then sighed, his form dissipating into mist.
The two items fell toward the cauldron, but Han Li snatched them mid-air.
Simultaneously, the Tianlan Sacred Beast’s voice echoed in his ears, relaying the refinement methods.
Han Li focused intently, memorizing every word.
Half a day later, in a pavilion beneath a mountain in the Falling Cloud Sect, several Foundation Establishment stewards were sorting materials when a red streak shot inside, landing in a blue-robed steward’s hand and bursting into flames.
A jade slip and a token tumbled out.
The steward snatched them, paled upon seeing the token, and plunged his hands into the flames.
Moments later, the fire vanished, but his expression grew graver.
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