After hearing this, Han Li did not immediately agree. He unconsciously wrinkled his nose, thought for a moment, and then said, “Brother Jin, let me think about this for a bit. I’ll give you an answer in two days.”
“Alright! Fellow Daoist Han, take your time to consider it carefully. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll try to find other loose cultivators who understand the art of formations,” Jin Qing said understandingly.
After exchanging a few more casual words with Han Li, he cupped his hands and took his leave.
Han Li stood still for a long time, watching Jin Qing’s retreating figure, a contemplative expression on his face.
To be honest, ancient cultivator ruins like these were not uncommon in the Scattered Star Seas. Some turned out to be completely empty, while others contained cultivation insights of ancient cultivators, rare materials now extinct, or even treasures like magic tools.
Generally speaking, most ruins yielded some rewards, though the quality depended entirely on the discoverer’s luck.
However, Han Li’s initial inclination was not to go searching for ancient ruins. The Scattered Star Seas were currently turbulent, and areas outside Heavenly Star City were far from safe. Moreover, his “Emerald Bamboo Cloud Sword” had not been nurtured for long and could not yet be considered a powerful weapon.
Given these circumstances, he was hesitant to venture out now.
If it were anyone else, Han Li would have flatly refused. But Jin Qing was on decent terms with him, had once offered some guidance in cultivation, and this was the first time he had asked for a favor. It would be impolite to outright refuse.
After pondering for a while, Han Li looked up and sighed softly. “Well, there are still two days. I’ll think it over carefully.”
With that thought, he shook his head, turned, and drifted back into his residence.
Two days later, Jin Qing indeed returned to Han Li’s cave dwelling. In the end, Han Li agreed to accompany him.
On one hand, he wanted to repay the favor; on the other, he was somewhat intrigued by the ancient cultivator ruins. Who knew what treasures might lie within?
Jin Qing was naturally overjoyed. The next day, he, Han Li, and Qu Hun left Heavenly Star City and headed for the ancient ruins.
Nearby cultivators, after years of interaction with Han Li, had tacitly guessed that Qu Hun was his avatar. Jin Qing naturally had no objections.
…
Two months later, Han Li, Jin Qing, and the others were speeding across a remote stretch of the Scattered Star Seas.
According to Jin Qing, after such a long flight, they should be nearing their destination. Sure enough, after flying for a little less than half a day, they finally spotted a large island.
The island was vast, spanning over a thousand miles, but it was mostly covered in hills and slopes, appearing uniformly grayish-yellow from a distance.
“Is this the island?” Han Li asked Jin Qing in surprise as he looked down from above.
“Indeed. According to the map, this is the place. I asked the nearby mortals, and they confirmed this is a genuine deserted island. Not only are there no spiritual veins nearby, but for some reason, ordinary trees can’t survive here either,” Jin Qing explained with a puzzled expression.
Han Li was slightly taken aback but, after a moment’s thought, smiled and said, “The more unusual the island, the more likely it is that there really are ancient cultivator ruins here. That should be good news.”
“Heh! That’s exactly what we thought back then, which is why we searched the entire island and found the most likely spot,” Jin Qing said with some pride.
Han Li smiled faintly, glanced around, and casually asked, “So, where exactly is this formation-shrouded place you mentioned?”
“Fly west for another hundred miles or so. There’s a massive earthen hill with a slope sealed by a great formation,” Jin Qing replied without hesitation.
“Then let’s go. Perhaps your fellow Daoist has already arrived and broken the formation?” Han Li said with a smile.
“Heh! If that’s the case, it would save us a lot of trouble! At most, they can take a few extra items,” Jin Qing said, stroking his chin with a sly expression. It was the first time Han Li had seen him like this, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
They were both just speculating, as everyone knew that a great formation set up by ancient cultivators wouldn’t be easily broken without at least a month or two of effort.
“Let’s go, Fellow Daoist Han! We shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Jin Qing called out to Han Li before transforming into a blue-and-white streak and flying off.
Han Li smiled faintly and, along with Qu Hun, urged his magic tool to follow.
A hundred miles was nothing to Core Formation cultivators, and they arrived in moments.
A tall, yellow earthen hill came into Han Li’s view. It was about a thousand zhang high, entirely yellow without a hint of green, giving off an uncomfortable vibe as if it were entirely made of piled yellow earth.
As soon as Han Li and the others flew near the hill, a fierce wind suddenly arose, whipping up sand and stones.
The boundless gusts swept up layers of yellow earth from the ground, immediately plunging the area into darkness where one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face.
Naturally, Han Li and the others weren’t afraid of a little wind and dust. Protective spiritual light shimmered around them, shielding them as they continued steadily forward.
The sandstorm inexplicably vanished after they flew just over ten miles, and they soon found themselves at the foot of the earthen hill.
Jin Qing led Han Li around the hill for a short while before stopping in front of a few stone houses. These houses were extremely crude, clearly created using petrification magic, all uniformly grayish-white in color.
Before Jin Qing and the others could land, the stone door of one house swung open, and three cultivators—two men and one woman—stepped out. The men were at the Core Formation stage, while the woman was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
“Fellow Daoist Jin, you’ve arrived too! What a coincidence—we just got here ourselves!” one of the male cultivators, a refined young man in white robes, greeted Jin Qing warmly, appearing very hospitable.
“Fellow Daoist Hu, it’s only natural you arrived early. Unlike me, who had to return to Heavenly Star City to find Fellow Daoist Han,” Jin Qing replied amiably, seemingly on good terms with this person.
“Fellow Daoist Han?” The young cultivator’s eyes flickered between Han Li and Qu Hun, clearly unsure which one was being referred to.
“I am Han Li, and this is my senior brother, Qu Hun,” Han Li said with a slight cupping of his hands and a smile. On the way, Han Li had already discussed with Jin Qing that it would be best not to reveal Qu Hun’s true identity.
Han Li also noticed that although this cultivator surnamed Hu appeared young with smooth and elastic skin, the corners of his eyes were etched with fine wrinkles. It seemed he was merely well-preserved and likely not as young as he looked.
This cultivator surnamed Hu was likely the one Jin Qing had mentioned, the one who discovered the two pearls together.
“I am Hu Yue. Though we’re meeting for the first time, I hope we can exchange insights on cultivation in the future. After all, there are very few loose cultivators who reach Core Formation. Also, let me introduce you to these two fellow Daoists.”
Hu Yue was clearly skilled in social interactions. After just a few words, Han Li already had a favorable impression of him. He then introduced the man and woman to Han Li and the others.
“This is Fellow Daoist Shi Die and Fellow Daoist Jian. Fellow Daoist Shi is a renowned formation expert from Red Moon Island. I believe that with Fellow Daoist Han’s help, you’ll surely break this formation. Fellow Daoist Jian is already at mid-Core Formation and will certainly contribute greatly to breaking the formation,” Hu Yue introduced them with a smile.
“Let me be blunt upfront: I’m only responsible for helping you break the formation. If there are any dangers behind it, I, a mere Foundation Establishment woman, won’t intervene. Moreover, I must pick one item first from whatever we find!”
This female cultivator named Shi Die was average in appearance but carried herself arrogantly. Her blunt words took Han Li and the others slightly aback.
“Red Moon Island? Fellow Daoist Shi, may I ask how you are related to True Master Shi of Red Moon Island?” Jin Qing asked with a hint of hesitation.
“That is my father,” the female cultivator said coldly after glancing at Jin Qing.
“Heh, in that case, we’ll do as Miss Shi says!” Jin Qing immediately agreed without hesitation, surprising Han Li.
“Fellow Daoist Han, True Master Shi once showed me kindness in my early years. I hope you can bear with this,” Jin Qing’s voice transmitted into Han Li’s ear.
Han Li said nothing in response but offered Jin Qing a faint, casual smile.
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