“It seems this Spirit King is truly enigmatic! Brother Mo, do you know what deal the Stoneheart Ancestor made with him that he was willing to exchange such a treasure as the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman?” Han Li pondered for a moment before finally asking the question that concerned him the most.
“Shameful! I know everything else, but I truly have no information about this particular deal. I only know that the Spirit King seems to have asked the Stoneheart Ancestor to do something, something extremely dangerous. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have offered the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman as a reward,” Mo Jianli hesitated before replying.
“Do something?” Both Han Li and Venerable Ao Xiao showed expressions of surprise.
“That should be the case, but the specifics are unclear. In truth, if I hadn’t suffered some damage to my vitality in the demon realm and if approaching the Spirit King alone wasn’t too reckless, I might have gone to the Spirit Tribe immediately after returning from the demon realm,” Mo Jianli said with a bitter smile.
“Brother Mo, why didn’t you mention this to me? If we had joined forces, we might have found a way to obtain the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman from the Spirit King,” Venerable Ao Xiao frowned.
“What use would it have been to tell you earlier, Fellow Daoist Ao? You also suffered significant vitality loss in the demon realm, and soon you’ll need to prepare for your tribulation. If you were further injured for this matter, even obtaining the talisman wouldn’t be worth it. However, Fellow Daoist Han is different. If I’m not mistaken, his aura has become even more unfathomable since entering the demon realm. If he’s willing to accompany me, we might have a real chance of obtaining a few Three Pure Thunderbolt Talismans,” Mo Jianli’s expression shifted before he finally revealed his plan.
“What? Brother Mo, you plan to go to the Spirit Tribe with Fellow Daoist Han?” Venerable Ao Xiao’s expression changed slightly.
“Indeed, I’ve been considering it. First, with Fellow Daoist Han and me working together, even if the Spirit King holds no goodwill toward our two races, he wouldn’t dare act rashly against us and would likely agree to a fair trade. Second, even if I don’t go now, I’ll have to visit the Spirit Tribe eventually. Our heavenly tribulations aren’t far off, and I have no confidence in surviving the next one. I also greatly desire the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman, and it would be immensely useful for Fellow Daoist Han as well. It might save his life during a future tribulation,” Mo Jianli spoke frankly, not hiding his own desire for the talisman.
Venerable Ao Xiao’s face flickered with uncertainty, and he remained silent for a moment.
Han Li also fell into deep thought.
“Senior Mo! If the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman is truly so precious, the task the Spirit King demands must be extremely perilous, possibly even life-threatening,” Silvermoon couldn’t help but interject.
“Dealing with the Spirit King naturally carries risks. But which step on our path of cultivation hasn’t been fraught with danger? Of course, if the risk is too great, Fellow Daoist Han, who isn’t facing a tribulation, doesn’t need to agree to the Spirit King’s terms. I only ask that he accompany me,” Mo Jianli replied without hesitation, as if he’d already considered this.
Silvermoon glanced at Han Li, then at Venerable Ao Xiao, her expression growing complex as she fell silent.
“If we obtain one Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman, how much would it increase Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao’s chances of surviving his tribulation?” Han Li asked slowly.
“At the very least, it should raise the odds by one and a half times,” Mo Jianli said solemnly.
Venerable Ao Xiao remained silent, tacitly agreeing with this assessment.
“One and a half times—that’s significant. Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, if you deliberately delay your tribulation, how much longer can you hold it off?” Han Li turned to Venerable Ao Xiao.
“At most ten years. Any longer, and I won’t be able to suppress it,” Venerable Ao Xiao replied, his face twitching slightly.
“Ten years… That gives us some buffer time,” Han Li murmured, his eyes flickering as if he’d reached a decision.
“Fellow Daoist Han, what are you thinking…?” Mo Jianli pressed.
“Since there’s a way to aid Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, and this matter also benefits both you and me greatly, I naturally won’t let it pass. Brother Mo, catch!”
Han Li smiled, flicking his sleeve to send a ball of white light flying toward Mo Jianli. Mo Jianli instinctively caught it and opened his hand to reveal a milky-white vial emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.
“This is…?” Mo Jianli narrowed his eyes in surprise.
“A bottle of Huifen Pills, highly effective in restoring vitality. If you take these and seclude yourself for a year, you should recover most of your lost vitality. By then, we’ll have a better chance when we meet the Spirit King,” Han Li said calmly.
“If these pills are so miraculous, I won’t stand on ceremony,” Mo Jianli said joyfully, inspecting the vial briefly before storing it away.
With his injuries, ordinary pills would have taken several times longer to restore him.
Venerable Ao Xiao’s expression shifted at the sight.
Han Li turned to him and said, “Fellow Daoist Ao, if I’m not mistaken, your vitality loss is far worse than Brother Mo’s, and your soul seems to have suffered damage as well.”
“You noticed! When I was trapped in the seal, several extremely powerful insects attacked my soul with psychic techniques. Restoring it will take considerable effort, and I’m not certain I can fully recover before my tribulation. If my soul remains damaged, my chances of surviving the tribulation would be less than half,” Venerable Ao Xiao sighed after a pause.
“Grandfather, is this true?” Silvermoon paled.
“At this point, what’s the use of hiding it?” Venerable Ao Xiao said helplessly.
“Brother Han, do you have…?” Silvermoon turned urgently to Han Li.
“Don’t worry. Since I asked, I have pills to heal soul damage as well,” Han Li reassured her with a smile, producing several differently colored vials and tossing them to Venerable Ao Xiao.
“Thank you, Brother Han! I knew you’d have a way,” Silvermoon said gratefully, her eyes shining.
Venerable Ao Xiao’s eyes brightened as he caught the vials, inspecting them before expressing his thanks with mixed joy and surprise.
“Haha, it seems we both owe Fellow Daoist Han a debt for these pills!” Mo Jianli laughed heartily.
Venerable Ao Xiao chuckled and nodded.
“You’re too kind. When I was still weak, both of you helped me greatly. This is merely a small repayment. In a year, once Brother Mo has recovered, we’ll set off for the Spirit Tribe to secure as many Three Pure Thunderbolt Talismans as we can. Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, you should rest and prepare for your tribulation. We’ll return as soon as we obtain the talismans, ensuring we don’t delay your tribulation,” Han Li said solemnly.
“I’ll remember your kindness. But if the task proves too dangerous, don’t push yourselves. Our two races only have three Great Ascension cultivators left. Losing any one of us would be an irreparable loss. Even with the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talisman, my chances of surviving the tribulation aren’t high. It’s not worth excessive risk,” Venerable Ao Xiao sighed, standing to bow deeply to Han Li and Mo Jianli.
Han Li quickly returned the gesture, while Mo Jianli remained seated, laughing.
“Haha, I’m not doing this for you. If the Spirit King didn’t have more than one talisman, I might not have bothered.”
“After tens of thousands of years of friendship, do you think I can’t tell when you’re being sincere?” Venerable Ao Xiao said, his gratitude undiminished.
Mo Jianli paused, then smiled without another word.
“Thinking back, Senior Mo’s earlier insistence that I stay in the clan was likely a ploy to bring this up. Not entirely honest, were you?” Han Li teased.
This time, Mo Jianli’s face reddened slightly with embarrassment.
Silvermoon, seeing this, relaxed and allowed herself a small smile.
If Han Li and Mo Jianli could bring back the Three Pure Thunderbolt Talismans, her grandfather might yet have a chance to survive his tribulation—a thought that filled her with hope.
The conversation then shifted to the reconstruction efforts of their two races.
From the two elders, Han Li learned that the human and demon races had largely recovered from the losses inflicted by the demon invasion. In recent years, a new generation of exceptionally talented disciples had emerged, with a few even catching the attention of these Great Ascension elders.
Han Li listened with interest, asking questions about these rising stars.
They spent the better part of the day in the hall before finally parting ways.
That evening, in a cave abode on the Sacred Island brimming with spiritual energy, Han Li met with his disciples, including Hai Datie and Qi Lingzi.
As his gaze swept over them, he nodded in satisfaction—until it settled on his youngest disciple, Bai Guo’er. A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
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