Before leaving, Han Li took Shi Jian with him back to Tiannan, instructing him to seize the position of the Thousand Bamboo Sect’s leader in the Far West, thereby inheriting the legacy of the Great Divinity Sage.
Shi Jian had long heard of the Great Divinity Sage from Han Li and had no objections to this arrangement.
Upon arriving in Tiannan via teleportation, he bid farewell to Han Li and set off alone for the Far West.
With his current Nascent Soul cultivation, taking over a mere Thousand Bamboo Sect was as easy as turning his hand. Han Li had no concerns about it.
Meanwhile, Han Li, who had returned to the Fallen Devil Valley, immediately began his Divine Transformation stage cultivation. Thanks to the spiritual medicine transplantation technique obtained from Feng Xi, he successfully moved all the previously untransplantable spiritual medicines from his mustard space to the outside world. This breakthrough allowed him to finally refine the previously unattainable Crimson Cloud Pills without restriction.
Although the Crimson Cloud Pills were originally intended for Nascent Soul cultivators, their potent effects also provided significant benefits for Divine Transformation cultivators.
With an unlimited supply of these pills, Han Li progressed at an astonishing speed through the early stage of Divine Transformation, which was typically extremely difficult to cultivate.
After over a century of arduous cultivation, he reached the peak of the early stage and fully mastered the final layer of the Azure Essence Sword Art.
Further consumption of Crimson Cloud Pills yielded no additional effects. Moreover, due to the sparse spiritual energy of the human realm, advancing to the mid-stage of Divine Transformation was nearly impossible.
Thus, he decisively ended his seclusion.
During his closed-door cultivation of the Magnetic Divine Light and his attempts to break through the Divine Transformation bottleneck, he had frequently communicated with Xiang Zhili and other ancient Divine Transformation cultivators from the Great Jin through the Ten Thousand Mile Talisman. He gradually revealed the information left behind by Silvermoon that he had not previously disclosed.
After relentless pursuit, Xiang Zhili and the others actually managed to locate a usable spatial node.
This discovery delighted these ancient cultivators, and Han Li was no exception upon receiving the news.
After over a century of preparation, Xiang Zhili, Elder Feng, and Elder Hu, following in the footsteps of Elder Che, jointly entered the spatial node.
However, not long after, two of the three life soul lamps they left behind in the human realm extinguished, leaving only Elder Hu’s lamp still flickering, albeit extremely dimly.
A few days later, Elder Hu’s lamp also went out.
It was unclear whether Elder Hu had successfully ascended to the Spirit Realm, severing the soul connection, or if he had perished within the node.
When Han Li learned of these developments through the Ten Thousand Mile Talisman from the disciples of the three, he couldn’t help but feel a chill.
The dangers of the spatial node exceeded his expectations—even with the formidable abilities of Xiang Zhili and the others, they had nearly been wiped out.
This unsettled him deeply.
It seemed Silvermoon had not exaggerated the perils of the spatial node—it was indeed a path of near-certain death.
Fortunately, Xiang Zhili had kept his promise and left the location of the spatial node for Han Li, sparing him the trouble of searching for it.
Now that his cultivation had reached a dead end, he decided to personally inspect the spatial node’s entrance to prepare accordingly.
After all, the more thorough his preparations, the greater his chances of successfully traversing the node.
Relying solely on descriptions via the Ten Thousand Mile Talisman was far from reassuring.
However, the spatial node was not located in the Great Jin or Tiannan, but in an unfamiliar sea region called the Five Dragons Sea.
This place was scarcely known even in the Great Jin, but the ancient Divine Transformation cultivators like Xiang Zhili possessed a teleportation array leading directly there. Han Li would first need to travel to the Great Jin to use it.
The round trip would take considerable time, so before departing, he resolved to return to the Chaotic Star Sea once more.
Having made his decision, Han Li left the humanoid puppet to guard the mustard space and quietly departed the Fallen Devil Valley.
—
On a picturesque small island, several Nascent Soul-level cultivators gathered in a stone pavilion atop a hill, chatting amiably.
“Fairy Bi, I heard you recently refined a batch of Fragrant Soul Pills—excellent pills for marrow cleansing and meridian purification. Might this old man trouble you for a few?” A white-bearded elder in a loose gray robe stroked his beard and smiled at a green-robed woman seated opposite him.
“Brother Kan, you jest! Everyone knows you are a master alchemist yourself. How could you possibly be interested in my humble Fragrant Soul Pills? On the other hand, I, Jun, would like to exchange for some of these pills for my disciples,” a blue-robed middle-aged scholar interjected with a light laugh before the woman could respond.
“Brother Zhao, you misunderstand! The pills I specialize in are mostly for cultivation advancement and spiritual power enhancement. I truly have no expertise in refining Fragrant Soul Pills. Now that such an opportunity presents itself, I naturally cannot let it pass,” the elder replied amiably, unperturbed.
“There is no need for contention, fellow Daoists. I have brought a substantial quantity of Fragrant Soul Pills for this exchange, enough for both of you. I only hope the items you offer in return will not disappoint me,” the green-robed woman said softly, her demeanor more akin to a refined noblewoman than a cultivator.
Hearing this, the elder and the scholar inwardly sighed in relief and began speaking more courteously.
The other two cultivators in the pavilion, who had remained silent, exchanged amused glances. Then, a sallow-faced burly man suddenly placed a golden wooden box on the stone table and pushed it toward the elder, saying gravely, “This item was obtained through the joint efforts of Brother Fan and myself. We wish to exchange it for your two ‘Dragon Transformation Pills.’ Only these pills can help my Gale Serpent evolve into a flood dragon.”
“Dragon Transformation Pills? Did I not say during our last exchange that these are not for trade? My own Emerald Spirit Snake also requires them,” the elder replied with evident displeasure, shaking his head repeatedly.
“Brother Kan, do not dismiss the offer so hastily. Examine what I have brought first,” Fan said with a confident chuckle.
“Unless you possess something like Azure Spirit Mushrooms, no matter how precious the contents of that box, I will not agree,” the elder retorted, though curiosity flickered in his eyes. Nevertheless, he waved his hand, summoning the box to his palm, and opened the lid.
Inside lay a thumb-sized, azure-blue orb.
“A Thunder Whale Beast’s inner core!” the elder exclaimed in shock.
The others gasped and turned their attention to the box.
“Brother Kan is indeed knowledgeable, recognizing it at a glance. This is indeed the core of a seventh-grade Thunder Whale Beast. Though only a seventh-grade beast, its rarity is well-known among fellow Daoists. Brother Sun and I pursued it for three days and nights before finally securing it. How does this trade sound to you?” Fan said proudly.
The elder stared at the core, clearly torn between his desire for it and the value of his Dragon Transformation Pills.
“Thunder Whale Beast cores are indeed rare. May I take a look?”
At that moment, a calm male voice, utterly unfamiliar, sounded from outside the pavilion.
“Who goes there?” The cultivators turned sharply toward the source.
A green-robed man in his twenties stood outside the pavilion. His features were unremarkable, but his eyes were exceptionally clear.
The cultivators exchanged bewildered glances. None recognized him. Moreover, the area was supposed to be concealed by formations—how had a stranger appeared? Yet, what gave them pause was that the man seemed devoid of any spiritual power, like an ordinary mortal. But if he were truly a mortal, how could he be here, speaking thus?
“And you are…?” Fan, seemingly the host, asked cautiously after a moment’s hesitation.
“Nothing of consequence. I merely came to ask for directions. I hope my intrusion does not offend,” the young man said mildly, cupping his hands.
This was none other than Han Li, who had teleported from the Great Jin to the Five Dragons Sea. Unfamiliar with the region, he needed directions and a sea chart.
The illusionary formations here, though sophisticated, were no match for his Brightsight Spirit Eyes. Spotting the gathering of high-level cultivators from above, he descended without hesitation.
“Directions?” Fan repeated, skepticism evident.
“If any of you happens to possess a sea chart of the vicinity, that would be even better. By the way, though this Thunder Beast core appears intact, its spiritual energy has mostly dissipated. Even if used for alchemy, its efficacy would be limited,” Han Li remarked casually, glancing at the box in the elder’s hand.
“Is this true?”
“Nonsense! How dare you spout such lies?”
The elder was startled, while Fan’s expression darkened with fury.
“Believe it or not, as you wish. I merely mention it in passing. However, if any of you is willing to sell me a sea chart and answer a few questions, I have a Thunder Whale Beast core of my own to offer. Though of a lower grade, it should suffice for alchemy,” Han Li said impassively, flipping his hand to reveal a similar core.
This one was slightly larger and emitted a brighter azure glow.
The cultivators in the pavilion were first stunned, then their expressions shifted—some with gleaming eyes, others with disbelief, and still others scrutinizing Han Li as if trying to decipher a hidden truth.
“Who are you, really? Did you come here to mock us?” Fan demanded harshly, tearing his gaze away from the core in Han Li’s hand.
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