Although Han Li did not voice all his thoughts, the old man Xu naturally understood his implication and couldn’t help but frown slightly. “Fellow Daoist, why not just tell me what treasures you require in exchange? Even if I don’t have them on hand, I have a wide network and can help you find them.”
Upon hearing this, Han Li fell into silent contemplation.
It wasn’t that he lacked desires. Far from it—the rare materials required by Qing Yuanzi alone were numerous. Yet precisely because of this, he found it difficult to speak up.
Exchanging the True Kirin Essence for just a few of those materials would hardly be worth it. But if he asked for too many, Old Man Xu might suspect him of taking advantage, needlessly turning the other party hostile.
After all, only Han Li himself truly understood the value of the True Kirin Essence. Yet he couldn’t openly explain this, leaving him in a dilemma.
“Fellow Daoist Xu, the items I need are quite obscure. Even with your connections, they would be hard to come by, so it’s best not to mention them. As for the heaven and earth spiritual energy…” Han Li sighed lightly, his face still clouded with hesitation.
Seeing Han Li’s troubled expression, Old Man Xu’s expression also darkened. However, after glancing at the youth behind him, he gritted his teeth and pulled out a deep-blue jade box from his robe, his expression solemn. “Brother Han, take a look at this. Its value surpasses even the previous items. Originally, I intended to present this to an elder of my clan in exchange for another favor. But for the sake of my junior, I can no longer hold back. Even if this isn’t what you seek, it should more than compensate for your loss.”
Han Li wasn’t particularly surprised by Old Man Xu’s actions. If he were the one pleading, he wouldn’t have revealed his most precious item upfront either.
As for the claim that it was meant for a clan elder, Han Li dismissed it as a mere excuse and didn’t take it seriously.
With a calm nod, Han Li reached out and summoned the blue jade box to his hand. The moment his fingers touched it, an intense chill surged through him, startling him.
The jade box was crafted from some unknown spiritual jade, far colder than even the profound jade he knew of.
Intrigued, Han Li opened the lid with a flick of his finger.
A flash of golden light revealed a fist-sized, glass-like crimson metal inside, radiating a dazzling golden glow.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with a mix of recognition and disbelief.
Suddenly, he flipped his palm, summoning a pale-white short sword. Though it gleamed sharply, it was clearly just an ordinary magical tool.
With a flick of his wrist, the sword shot toward the crimson metal in the box. The moment the blade touched the metal, it dissolved like wax, vanishing into thin air.
“Flamegold Essence! You actually found this!” Han Li’s expression shifted, his voice slightly hoarse.
“Brother Han has keen eyes indeed. This Flamegold Essence is the pinnacle material for crafting fire-attribute treasures. Even a trace of it can imbue ordinary treasures with fire-based powers. No matter how precious your consumable treasure is, this should suffice as compensation,” Old Man Xu said slowly, watching Han Li’s reaction.
“You’re truly willing to part with this? I do have a use for the Flamegold Essence. But given its rarity, I won’t let you suffer a loss. How about I compensate you with five million spirit stones? Consider it half purchase, half exchange,” Han Li said after a moment of thought, his initial shock fading into a smile.
“Very well, it shall be as you say,” Old Man Xu replied, visibly relieved. Though parting with the Flamegold Essence pained him, his junior’s future mattered more.
“But what of the treasure you mentioned…” Old Man Xu probed as Han Li stowed the jade box away.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Xu. Take this bag of spirit stones first and wait at the mountain peak. I’ll soon activate the treasure to summon the celestial phenomenon again. You can collect the spiritual energy there,” Han Li explained with a chuckle, tossing a spirit stone pouch to Old Man Xu.
“Excellent! I’ll await your good news on the mountain,” Old Man Xu said, pleasantly surprised by Han Li’s promptness. He promptly took his leave with the youth, heading straight for the peak.
Han Li watched their departing figures from his cave entrance, barely containing his excitement as a faint smile curled his lips.
“To obtain the Flamegold Essence so quickly… With the Golden Marrow Crystal Worms and Blood Apricots I already have, the main materials for refining the Vajra Demon Physique are complete. Once I gather the supplementary materials, I can begin forging a corporeal Dharma Form,” Han Li murmured, his eyes gleaming.
He closed the stone door and returned to the main hall.
What followed was straightforward. Han Li summoned the Soul-Crying Beast again, extracted another True Kirin Essence crystal, and deliberately refined it with spiritual flames.
As before, the crystal transformed into a golden beam, piercing through the roof and triggering a celestial phenomenon atop the mountain, stirring the surrounding spiritual energy.
Old Man Xu, already waiting eagerly, promptly released his crimson gourd, which morphed into a fiery flood dragon that devoured the energy in moments. The spectacle ended even faster than last time, barely disturbing the other cultivators in the spiritual mountain.
With the gourd restored, Old Man Xu departed in high spirits.
Han Li observed everything through a bronze mirror in his hall before ceasing the technique and issuing instructions to the puppet child. He then left his cave again.
This time, he visited several major material shops in Cloud City, spending a staggering sum to acquire over thirty rare materials before returning.
Only a metropolis like Cloud City could supply such uncommon items.
Half a month after Han Li resumed seclusion, a little-known but significant event unfolded in Cloud City.
Security at the city gates tightened further, patrols doubled, and recent arrivals faced intense scrutiny by mysterious figures. Some with questionable backgrounds vanished without a trace.
In a hidden hall within the city, over a dozen prominent figures sat solemnly in two rows.
Among them were familiar faces like the Ten-Thousand Ancient Clan’s Qian Jizi, the Crystal Clan’s Cai Liuying, and the Stone Cocoon Clan’s Duan Tianren. The others, though unfamiliar, exuded the same imposing presence.
At the center of the hall sat a white-robed young man and a golden-haired elderly woman, her face deeply wrinkled.
Had Han Li been present, he would have been shocked—the young man was none other than the Great Ascension-stage cultivator surnamed Weng from the Four-Clan Auction.
His expression was icy, radiating an oppressive aura.
“After all this time, the intruder from the Horned Race remains at large. Either they’ve fled or hidden beyond our reach. Fellow Daoist Bai, your Water Spirit Clan has been overseeing this. What do you make of it?” Weng asked coldly.
A white-haired, youthful-looking man in brocade robes rose with a grimace. “Senior Weng, we’ve mobilized all our soul-searching experts, interrogated every suspicious entrant in the past six months, and even uncovered hundreds of spies from other races. Yet the Horned Race infiltrator remains elusive. I believe they’ve likely left the city—otherwise, they couldn’t have evaded our thorough search.”
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