The person who walked in was a tall, purple-haired woman in her twenties, with a dignified and graceful demeanor and a white horn several inches long on her forehead. She looked at Han Li with a faint smile.
The true appearance of the Bai Family’s ancestor was truly astonishing!
“What’s the matter? Did Fellow Daoist Han not know beforehand that I am a woman?” the purple-haired woman chuckled as she addressed Han Li.
“Fellow Daoist Bai Yunxin indeed never mentioned this matter to me. I was somewhat taken aback, and I must have appeared rather foolish in your eyes,” Han Li replied. After all, he was no ordinary person. With a slight bow, his expression quickly returned to normal, though a trace of surprise still lingered in his eyes.
“It’s nothing. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered such a reaction. After all, the title ‘Futian Jushi’ is quite misleading. But this name has been passed down through over a dozen generations of our Bai Family’s ancestors, so even though I’ve mastered formidable demonic arts, I cannot change it lightly,” the purple-haired woman explained with a gentle smile.
This made Han Li suddenly understand.
In some families, it was indeed common to preserve certain titles and positions across generations to strengthen cohesion and heritage.
Though such practices might seem trivial, from what Han Li knew, they often proved quite effective.
By now, the purple-haired woman had already taken a seat opposite Han Li. With a wave of her hand, the maids standing nearby obediently withdrew from the hall and quietly closed the doors behind them.
“From what my incompetent junior told me, Brother Han is a dedicated cultivator who seldom ventures outside. No wonder I had never heard of your name before. However, your demonic arts seem exceptionally refined—you must have reached the Demon Venerable realm quite some time ago. Otherwise, how could I fail to discern the depths of your cultivation?” The woman’s divine sense swept over Han Li almost imperceptibly as her bright eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“I cultivate the Path of Slaughter and prefer to train in desolate lands teeming with demonic beasts, so I rarely interact with outsiders. As for my advancement to the Demon Venerable realm, you are mistaken. I only reached this stage a few hundred years ago. The reason you cannot discern my cultivation level is simply due to the unique nature of my demonic arts,” Han Li replied with a faint smile, his words ambiguous.
At the same time, he probed the woman with his own divine sense, only to find it dissipating like a clay ox entering the sea—utterly ineffective. This made him slightly wary.
It seemed this woman either possessed a powerful protective treasure or cultivated an esoteric technique capable of concealing her aura.
As for the possibility that her cultivation far surpassed his own, that was highly unlikely. Han Li’s current foundation was already nearly twice as profound as that of ordinary peers. He refused to believe this woman’s cultivation could be even more formidable than his.
“The Path of Slaughter! Though I have little experience with such demonic arts, I know that cultivators of this path typically surpass their peers in combat prowess by a significant margin. In that case, I must apologize for my earlier disrespect!” The purple-haired woman was visibly startled by Han Li’s words. Though some of her doubts dissipated, a faint trace of delight flickered across her face.
“Demonic arts of the Path of Slaughter may be powerful, but they are also exceptionally difficult to cultivate. If not for the fact that secluded cultivation and slaying demonic beasts alone could no longer help me break through my current bottleneck, I would not have ventured out,” Han Li said indifferently.
“I do not cultivate the Path of Slaughter, but I, too, have been stuck at a bottleneck for nearly a thousand years. Once one reaches the Demon Venerable realm, further progress becomes exceedingly difficult—often requiring serendipitous opportunities to advance.”
Han Li’s words seemed to strike a chord with the woman, who sighed in agreement.
“I have long heard that the Illusory Roar Desert is one of the most infamous forbidden lands in the Sacred Realm. That is why I came here—to rest in the city for a while before entering the desert to temper myself. If I can find some opportunities within, that would be even better,” Han Li nodded before abruptly shifting the topic.
“Our Bai Family may not be the most prominent, but we hold considerable influence in this region and possess extensive knowledge of the Illusory Roar Desert. If you have any needs, feel free to voice them. I will instruct my clansmen to provide you with every convenience,” the purple-haired woman said, her eyes glinting.
“Since you are so generous, there is indeed one matter in which I would like the Bai Family’s assistance,” Han Li said, lightly tapping his knee with a faint smile.
“Oh? Please speak freely. As long as it is within our means, the Bai Family will not refuse,” the woman replied solemnly.
“I’ve heard that no matter how powerful one’s abilities, once inside the Illusory Roar Desert, no movement techniques can be employed. Traveling on foot across the entire desert would take fifty to sixty years. Though I wish to temper myself there, I have no desire to waste so much time merely traversing it. Thus, I wish to purchase an Eight-Legged Demon Lizard from the Bai Family as a mount. Would that be possible?” Han Li stared directly at the woman as he made his request.
“An Eight-Legged Demon Lizard! I knew you would ask for this. To be honest, I had already heard of this from Yun’er,” the purple-haired woman sighed deeply.
“Oh? Does this truly trouble you so much, Fellow Daoist Futian?” Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
“Trouble is an understatement! If you were not a Demon Venerable, I would have shown you the door the moment you mentioned it,” the woman shook her head.
“I had heard that the Eight-Legged Demon Lizards are of great importance to the major families of this city and are never sold to outsiders. Could you enlighten me as to why?” Han Li stroked his chin, his demeanor calm.
“This is no secret, so I will explain,” the woman agreed after a brief pause.
“The intrinsic value of the Eight-Legged Demon Lizard goes without saying. Not only its demon core and bones, but even its flesh can be used to refine a rare qi-nurturing pill. But that alone is not why our families hold them in such high regard. You must know that Illusory Night City was built here due to the unique minerals and spirit herbs found nearby. The sale of these resources brings immense profits to the city each year, sustaining our families’ operations. However, after tens of thousands of years, the nearby deposits have long been exhausted. The resources we now provide are mined from newly discovered veins deep within the Illusory Roar Desert. Though these new sites yield ample materials, transporting them safely back requires the Eight-Legged Demon Lizards. Without them, navigating the desert’s dangers on foot would be nearly impossible. Given that this desert is one of the Sacred Realm’s most notorious forbidden lands, ordinary individuals cannot traverse it easily. What our families truly value is the lizards’ ability to move freely through the desert. Losing even one could drastically affect our annual profits. Under such circumstances, how could we possibly sell them?”
Han Li frowned slightly upon hearing this, realizing the situation was far more complicated than he had anticipated.
If it were any other reason, he might have found a way, but when it concerned the prosperity of an entire family, obtaining an Eight-Legged Demon Lizard through conventional means seemed unlikely.
As he pondered, his gaze flickered over the woman, noticing a subtle glint in her otherwise calm expression. A thought struck him, and a faint smile curled his lips.
“Fellow Daoist Futian, since you did not outright refuse my request, there must still be room for negotiation. Please speak plainly—what would it take for you to part with one of these lizards? I assume mere monetary compensation is not the issue.”
“Brother Han has seen through me. I knew I couldn’t hide it from you!” The woman blinked in surprise before chuckling lightly.
Han Li remained silent, watching her intently.
Seeing his unwavering gaze, the woman’s smile faded slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke gravely:
“Three years ago, no condition would have persuaded the Bai Family to relinquish an Eight-Legged Demon Lizard. But now, the situation is different. Our family is facing a crisis, and we require the assistance of someone as formidable as you to resolve it.”
“A crisis? Surely the Bai Family has more than one Demon Venerable ancestor. What trouble could be beyond your capabilities?” Han Li’s expression flickered briefly, but his tone remained steady.
“If it were an ordinary matter, I would not have brought it up so soon. To be frank, a critical mineral vein of ours in the Illusory Roar Desert has been seized by a Demon Venerable-level beast. Its power is immense, and our family alone cannot expel it. We have already sought help from allies, but with your strength, our chances of success would increase significantly. If you aid us, I can promise you an Eight-Legged Demon Lizard as compensation.”
“How many Demon Venerables have you already enlisted?” Han Li asked after a thoughtful pause.
“Two, in addition to myself and another Bai Family elder. That makes four in total,” the woman replied without hesitation.
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