Chapter 2073: Counter Calculation

One day two months later, in a temporary cave dwelling outside the city, Han Li once again gathered with the Long Family Ancestor, the Eternal Saintess, and the others.

They looked at the last man with disheveled hair who had barely arrived within the agreed time, their expressions varying.

This Lin Family Body Integration cultivator now had grayish-white hair and withered skin. His originally robust middle-aged appearance had completely transformed into that of a frail old man, resembling someone in their seventies or eighties.

Even more alarming was that one of his eyes was missing.

The empty socket suggested that the eyeball had been forcibly gouged out.

Moreover, the aura emanating from this Lin Family Body Integration cultivator was now less than a third of his peak strength, carrying an unmistakable sense of decay.

“Fellow Daoist Lin, how did you end up like this?” After the initial shock, the Long Family Ancestor finally spoke gravely.

“To my shame, I encountered a pack of Soul-Sucking Beasts in the wasteland and carelessly lost most of my vitality. I barely escaped by detonating several of my most precious treasures,” the Lin Family man coughed weakly, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

“Soul-Sucking Beasts? Those creatures aren’t particularly high-level. How could they have forced you into such a state?” the Eternal Saintess asked in surprise.

“Ordinary Soul-Sucking Beasts wouldn’t have troubled me. But if it’s a mutated Body Integration-level Soul-Sucking Beast, that’s another matter,” the Lin Family man replied slowly, his eye twitching slightly.

“A mutated Soul-Sucking Beast!” The group’s expressions darkened at this revelation.

“Indeed. It hid among the pack, indistinguishable from the others, and caught me off guard with a sneak attack. Otherwise, no matter how weak I was, I wouldn’t have ended up like this,” the Lin Family man said, his face growing even more grim as he recalled the incident.

“Fellow Daoist Lin, this misfortune is truly regrettable. What are your plans now?” After a moment of contemplation, the Long Family Ancestor asked solemnly.

“I’ve lost too much vitality, and my magic power is less than a quarter of what it was. It’s unrealistic for me to enter the Illusionary Roar Desert now. I must return to the Spirit Realm immediately and seclude myself for centuries to recover my cultivation. Thus, I no longer intend to pursue those two heaven-and-earth spiritual treasures. After resting here briefly, I’ll use a technique to stimulate my remaining potential and return to the Spirit Realm the way I came,” the disheveled man said reluctantly after hesitating for a while.

“That’s for the best. In your current state, continuing this venture would indeed risk your life. Let’s stay here for another month to allow you time to recuperate before proceeding with our plans,” the Long Family Ancestor said without surprise, as if he had anticipated this outcome.

“That’s all we can do. Our Spirit Race has no objections. Fellow Daoist Lin, please focus on recovering here first,” the Eternal Saintess nodded after a brief silence.

Meanwhile, the Taoist surnamed Hui and the feathered-robed girl exchanged glances, a hint of melancholy flashing in their eyes.

Among the human cultivators present, one was already injured, while the other’s cultivation was far inferior to Han Li and the Long Family Ancestor. It was possible that one of them might be the next to withdraw.

However, as seasoned Body Integration cultivators, they quickly suppressed such thoughts and regained their composure.

Han Li’s expression flickered slightly as if he had thought of something, and he suddenly addressed the disheveled man, “I happen to have a pill that might benefit your current condition, Fellow Daoist Lin. Please take it.”

With a flick of his sleeve, a small white jade vial flew toward the man.

The Lin Family cultivator was momentarily stunned but instinctively caught the vial, his gaze filled with suspicion.

This was understandable.

Though they had traveled together for some time, Han Li and he had little interaction, let alone any friendship. For Han Li to suddenly offer him a pill naturally aroused his wariness.

After a brief hesitation, the Lin Family man opened the vial, releasing a rich medicinal aroma that filled the room.

Everyone present felt invigorated by the scent.

The disheveled man quickly brought the vial to his nose and sniffed. His face lit up with joy as he turned the vial over, letting a pill covered in emerald-green patterns roll into his palm.

“A Refined Essence Pill! This is a Refined Essence Pill!” he exclaimed in disbelief, his face alight with excitement.

This pill was not only extremely rare but also perfectly suited to his current condition, capable of replenishing much of his lost vitality and preventing a permanent decline in his cultivation.

Even the Long Family Ancestor and the Eternal Saintess couldn’t help but show astonishment at the sight of the pill.

For Body Integration late-stage experts like them, such a pill was equally invaluable. Under different circumstances, they might have even considered seizing it.

“Fellow Daoist Han, this pill is indeed of great use to me. But I cannot accept such generosity without reason. Please state your intentions plainly,” the disheveled man transmitted his voice to Han Li after calming his initial excitement.

Han Li smiled faintly and replied via voice transmission, “Since you’ve asked, I’ll be direct. There is a small favor I’d like to ask of you. Would you be willing to help?”

“With such a pill at stake, how could I refuse? Speak your request. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t decline,” the Lin Family man replied after a moment of thought.

“There’s no need for such resolve. The favor is a simple one. Recently, I rescued a young human girl in the city who has some connection to me. I’d like you to take her with you when you return to the Spirit Realm and look after her until I return to claim her. Given the dangers ahead, I cannot bring her along. This should be an easy task for you,” Han Li transmitted calmly.

“If it’s that simple, then of course I agree. I assure you, as long as I return safely, the girl will be unharmed,” the disheveled man replied without hesitation.

“Good. Then I can rest assured,” Han Li nodded slightly and said no more.

With his concerns alleviated, the Lin Family man wasted no time swallowing the pill. The sooner he took it, the better his chances of minimizing his cultivation loss.

The Long Family Ancestor and the others had noticed the silent exchange but tactfully refrained from interfering. They understood that Han Li wouldn’t offer such a precious pill without reason.

With the Lin Family man’s matter settled, the group turned their attention to the Eight-Legged Demon Lizards.

The Long Family Ancestor calmly recounted his recent dealings with the Zhao Family.

The Eternal Saintess and the feathered-robed girl frowned upon hearing his account.

“So, the Zhao Family is truly making outrageous demands. A single Eight-Legged Demon Lizard for Ten-Thousand-Year Purple Blood Mushroom and Ice Crystal Heart—materials almost impossible to find in a realm? It seems they have no intention of trading in good faith!” the Eternal Saintess said coldly.

“I suspect the Zhao Family never intended to trade at all,” Han Li interjected lightly.

“Oh? What do you mean, Fellow Daoist Han?” the feathered-robed girl asked curiously.

Han Li merely smiled without answering.

“Indeed. The Zhao Family likely has no intention of giving me the Demon Lizards. Instead, they’re eyeing my possessions. My initial offer was enough to tempt their two Demon Venerables,” the Long Family Ancestor sneered.

“It seems you’ve already devised a plan,” the Eternal Saintess remarked with a faint smile.

“Correct. Since the Zhao Family refuses to trade, the other three families likely won’t either. So, we’ll turn their scheme against them. While the two Zhao Family Demon Venerables plot against me, I’ll lure them away while the rest of you infiltrate their estate and steal the Demon Lizards. Then, we’ll immediately enter the Illusionary Roar Desert,” the Long Family Ancestor said with a ruthless glint in his eyes.

“Brilliant! Without the Demon Venerables present, the Zhao Family won’t be able to stop us. But have you located where they keep the Demon Lizards?” the feathered-robed girl asked eagerly.

“Of course. I haven’t been idle these past days. The Zhao Family keeps the Demon Lizards in two locations—one is their heavily guarded forbidden grounds, which would be difficult to breach even without the Demon Venerables. The other is a temporary holding area. I’ve learned that several Demon Lizards will return from outside in half a month and stay there for a few days. That’s our opportunity. Fellow Daoist Han already has two, so capturing these should suffice. However, there’s one thing to note:

“While we can act, we must avoid unnecessary bloodshed and conceal our true strength and identities. If we attract the attention of other powerful demons in the region, we’ll face trouble. After all, we must cross the entire Illusionary Roar Desert, while they could use teleportation arrays to intercept us on the other side,” the Long Family Ancestor said shrewdly.