Chapter 1289: Jiuxuan Mingyu Pond

With a sharp cry, a black flame shot out and instantly transformed into a glossy, pitch-black monstrous bird, over ten feet in size.

With a single flap of its wings, the bird inexplicably traversed over thirty yards in an instant, appearing behind the elderly man and pouncing upon him.

The black-robed elder was clearly no ordinary figure. Though he hadn’t turned around, he seemed fully aware of the threat behind him. Without hesitation, he roared, flicking one sleeve backward while his other hand touched the crown of his head. Instantly, a small gray banner and an emerald-green jade fan materialized behind him, transforming into dense, intertwined auras of gray and green that enveloped his body.

Yet, something unbelievable happened!

The moment the black bird struck the auras, it erupted into raging black flames. The seemingly formidable auras disintegrated with a *pfft*, as if made of paper. The elder’s protective spiritual light was then ignited by the black flames, turning an eerie shade of black in an instant.

Without so much as a sound, the elder—body and Spirit Infant alike—was reduced to ashes within the flames.

The black flames then coiled upward, reforming into the black bird, which swiftly flew back the way it had come.

Beside the corpse of the purple-robed giant, space rippled as a graceful figure emerged, beckoning toward the returning black bird.

The bird dissolved into a wisp of black smoke, vanishing into a bracelet on the figure’s wrist.

The figure was none other than the palace-robed young woman who had supposedly left earlier.

Her cold gaze flickered toward the spot where the elder had perished before settling on the eerily floating corpse before her, a trace of mockery curling her lips.

“A mere Spirit Infant cultivator from the Corpse Valley, incapable of even handling my spirit beast, dares to skulk after me? Though, the Corpse Valley’s corpse transformation technique is indeed remarkable. This hastily modified body will serve me well.”

With a muttered remark, she opened her mouth, releasing a fist-sized black light that vanished into the purple-robed giant’s corpse.

She then formed hand seals and began chanting under her breath.

Moments later, a layer of black radiance flickered across the corpse’s surface before disappearing.

The giant’s body twitched, then stood stiffly before her, its eyes dull and lifeless.

The young woman flipped her palm, revealing the blood-red pearl once more. With a flick of her wrist, it shot toward the giant, who mechanically opened his mouth and swallowed it.

A strange smile played on the woman’s lips as she mouthed silent words. Simultaneously, the giant’s face mirrored her expression, and his voice—identical to the original owner’s—spoke:

“Good, good. As long as no cultivators above the Spirit Infant stage appear, no one will detect this body’s anomaly. A sliver of my consciousness is more than enough to handle the current situation.”

With a soft, tinkling laugh, the woman’s figure blurred and vanished once more.

Only the purple-robed giant remained, motionless.

After an indeterminate time, his eyes flickered, and he strode away, disappearing into the dense forest.

The area soon returned to its former tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.

—

Meanwhile, in the wooden cabin where Lady Fang resided, Han Li had finished listening to her account, his expression pensive.

“From what you’ve said, you wish for me to assist Immortal Qin and the others in retrieving a spiritual herb called the ‘Seven-Leaf Yin Blood Mushroom’ from a demon beast’s lair. The only path to this herb is blocked by a metal-attribute restriction set by the beasts, requiring a physically resilient and immensely strong body cultivator to dismantle it. Is that correct?” Han Li spoke slowly.

“Exactly! While we could forcibly dismantle the restriction with our cultivation, using spiritual power would alert the guarding beasts, prompting them to consume the herb. Hence, we must rely on a mortal without spiritual power to dismantle it covertly. Of course, we won’t let Brother Han take this risk without compensation. You’ll be handsomely rewarded,” the brocade-robed man said earnestly.

“Reward?” Han Li’s eyes flickered.

“Indeed. Have you heard of our sect’s Nine Mysteries Jade Pool? The water in its depths possesses an inexplicable power. While it holds little value for us cultivators, it’s immensely beneficial for mortal body refinement techniques. It stimulates the entire body, aiding in breaking through a bottleneck—though this effect only works once. Many high-tier body cultivators maintain ties with our sect for this very reason. If you assist us in retrieving the herb, my fellow disciples and I will jointly petition for you to enter the pool once. What do you think?”

“The Nine Mysteries Jade Pool… This is my first time hearing of it,” Han Li mused, feigning hesitation.

“Given your origins, it’s unsurprising you’re unaware. Though our Golden Jade Sect isn’t a major power, nearby body cultivators are well-acquainted with this. A simple inquiry will confirm its validity,” Qin said with a smile.

Han Li fell silent again before finally asking, “So, my role is solely to dismantle the metal-attribute restriction? No further involvement?”

“Naturally. Your assistance is solely for the restriction. The rest falls to us. With the beast tide underway, the lair’s surroundings will be less guarded. The only regret is that Anyuan City fell too soon—the lair’s beasts may still be numerous.”

Han Li’s mind raced.

Truthfully, without the allure of the Nine Mysteries Jade Pool, he’d have no interest in fetching some Yin Blood Mushroom for juniors. Such herbs, useful only to Core Formation cultivators, held no appeal for him. But the chance to bypass a decade of arduous training in body refinement was tempting, especially given his urgency to master the Vajra Arts.

As for the restriction? For someone of his expertise, dismantling it without spiritual power was trivial.

“Very well. If you can guarantee my entry into the Nine Mysteries Jade Pool upon retrieving the herb, I’ll assist,” Han Li declared, his tone sharp and unyielding.

Seeing his shift in demeanor, Lady Fang and Pan Qing exchanged glances, though the former remained silent, her thoughts inscrutable.

“A guarantee is simple. Fellow disciples, bring them out.” Qin retrieved a faintly glowing white jade pendant from his storage bracelet.

Pan Qing and the other two produced identical pendants.

Qin gathered them and handed them to Han Li.

“These are…?” Han Li frowned slightly.

“Soul Jade Pendants, standard for Golden Jade Sect disciples. Each contains a trace of our souls, originally paired. When we leave the sect, one remains behind. Should we perish, our elders can track us through them. Destroying them would also harm our souls, hindering future cultivation. Entrusting these to you demonstrates our sincerity. If you still doubt us, we’ve no better recourse.”

Han Li’s eyes, refined by countless applications of Brightsight Water, detected the faint soul energy within the pendants. Satisfied, he smiled.

“I trust Brother Qin’s word. This arrangement suffices.” He pocketed the pendants.

Even if they harbored hidden mechanisms, reversing their agreement would be impossible against his capabilities.

With Han Li’s agreement secured, Qin and the others rejoiced. After finalizing their departure for the following day, they took their leave.

Han Li was assigned a smaller cabin nearby to rest.

—

A day and night passed uneventfully. By the next evening, the temporary settlement buzzed with activity—Anyuan City’s lord had arrived safely, stirring excitement.

Even Lady Fang left to pay her respects.

Upon hearing the news, Han Li briefly recalled the girl named “Dai’er” before dismissing the thought. She’d found her kin; her affairs no longer concerned him.

Yet soon, a summons arrived—the city lord wished to see him.

Having decided to seek refuge in Tianyuan City with his granddaughter, Lord Zhao wanted to thank Han Li personally before departing. The girl, “Dai’er,” had insisted on meeting him once more.

After a moment’s consideration, Han Li agreed and stepped out of his cabin.