“The Asura Sacred Flame! Of course, Silvermoon remembers it—the demonic flame hailed as the sacred fire of the ghostly path. If Xuan Gu had truly mastered it, while he might not have been invincible across the realm, few would have been his match. Could it be that Master has fused with this flame? It doesn’t seem quite the same as what we saw back then,” Silvermoon said with a hint of surprise.
“This is naturally not the Asura Sacred Flame. Even I don’t know the origin of this fire, but its power clearly surpasses that of the Dry Blue Ice Flame. If my guess is correct, as the frost breath of the Six-Winged Frost Centipede evolves, absorbing it will only make this flame grow stronger. In the end, it may not be much inferior to the Asura Sacred Flame. This was something I discovered by chance after inadvertently absorbing the centipede’s frost breath—a stroke of serendipity, one might say.”
As he spoke, Han Li’s fingers twitched slightly, and the small purple flame bird circled his fingers twice before swiftly vanishing into his palm.
Silvermoon was momentarily stunned before her face lit up with delight.
“Then this servant congratulates Master. The Dry Blue Ice Flame alone was something ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators dared not touch. Now, with this newly fused demonic flame, Master’s dominance over the South Sky is all but assured!” Silvermoon bowed gracefully, her smile radiant and enchanting.
“Dominance over the South Sky? That’s quite the bold claim. The South Sky alone has countless mid-to-late Nascent Soul cultivators, each of those old monsters having survived for who knows how many years. How could they not have their own trump cards? It’s entirely possible we might encounter something that counters my demonic flame,” Han Li shook his head, speaking gravely.
“Master is too modest. Such coincidences are rare in this world,” Silvermoon pursed her red lips, her eyes betraying a dismissive expression.
“That’s hard to say. Take the Gold Devouring Beetles—they’re formidable, ranked in the teens on the Exotic Insect Ranking, yet the Blood Jade Spider, ranked far below, happens to counter them perfectly. If we encounter cultivators who know their origins and possess treasures like Jade Wood, the situation could turn dire. This demonic flame will surely have its counters as well. In this realm, there’s no such thing as a truly invincible technique or treasure,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
“Master is truly cautious and meticulous. If that’s the case, we should indeed prepare several trump cards to guard against being countered by opponents,” Silvermoon’s expression shifted slightly as she nodded thoughtfully.
Han Li seemed to have more to say and continued leisurely, “I never took disciples before because my cultivation was insufficient, and I was constantly on the move, never settling down. Taking disciples would have been a burden. But now that I’ve settled in the Falling Cloud Sect, it’s only natural to cultivate some of my own forces. In the world of cultivation, personal strength is paramount, but being truly isolated brings many inconveniences and dangers. At the very least, news becomes blocked, and we miss timely intelligence that could be useful—like the upcoming trade fair in Yu Country two years from now, which no one has informed us about. Though I suspect the two elders will eventually notify us, it leaves us no time to prepare in advance. As for Liu Yu, though her cultivation isn’t high, she doesn’t strike me as someone who only focuses on solitary cultivation. Once she joins the Falling Cloud Sect, she’ll likely strive to build her own influence without my prompting.”
“Master has placed the Soul Restriction Technique on her. Unless her cultivation surpasses yours in this lifetime, she cannot betray you. Her influence will naturally become yours, making her far more reliable than a disciple taken under normal circumstances,” Silvermoon added with a chuckle.
Han Li glanced at her and said indifferently, “As long as you understand.”
Then his gaze shifted to the rhinoceros beast. The spirit beast had staggered back to its feet, but its ferocity had greatly diminished, its eyes now betraying a hint of fear as it looked at Han Li.
“This spirit beast is of no use to me, but since it’s a family beast, it can be directly controlled with artifacts without needing refinement. It’s the perfect item for trade. Once you’ve tamed it sufficiently, lock it in the beast room. We’ll see if we can exchange it for something rare at the upcoming Yu Country trade fair. I’ll go and place the Soul Restriction Technique on Liu Yu,” Han Li said, pulling a black token from his storage bag and tossing it to Silvermoon.
“As you command, Master!” Silvermoon caught the token and replied respectfully.
Han Li stood and left the hall without another word.
Silvermoon fiddled with the token in her hands, lost in thought as she pondered Han Li’s words. After a moment, she suddenly raised the token with a smile and aimed it at the beast within the barrier. A burst of yellow light shot forth, enveloping the rhinoceros beast.
The hall echoed with a series of shrill, agonized cries.
After placing the Soul Restriction Technique on Liu Yu, Han Li brought her to the silver-haired elder. Of course, he didn’t reveal the full truth, merely stating that the girl had some connection to him, which was why he had brought her from the Spirit Beast Sect to Xi Country and intended to take her under his wing for minor guidance.
The elder was initially stunned but soon burst into laughter, his expression one of sudden understanding.
“So that’s why Junior Brother Han ventured into the demonic path’s territory and returned so quickly—it was for Disciple Liu! Excellent, very good. Having another Core Formation female cultivator in our sect is something I’d welcome with open arms,” the elder readily agreed to Liu Yu joining the Falling Cloud Sect.
Pleased with this outcome, Han Li chatted with the elder for a while longer before leaving with the girl. Soon after, Liu Yu officially changed her name to Liu Mei and became Han Li’s nominal disciple.
Though Han Li had said he wouldn’t personally guide her cultivation, he wasn’t stingy during the formalities. He presented her with two magic treasures and several bottles of demon beast pills suitable for Core Formation cultivators.
If Liu Mei had initially been reluctant about becoming Han Li’s disciple, the sight of such generous gifts quickly dispelled her reservations. She bowed deeply in gratitude, feeling for the first time that leaving the Spirit Beast Sect to follow Han Li might not be such a bad thing after all.
Ever the clever one, she later copied all the insect-controlling techniques she knew onto a jade slip and handed it over to Han Li along with the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes. Han Li accepted the gifts with his usual calm demeanor.
After leaving Han Li’s cave, Liu Mei moved into the White Phoenix Peak of the Falling Cloud Sect, establishing her own cave and joining the ranks of the sect’s high-level cultivators.
Perhaps out of respect for Han Li, the silver-haired elder even appointed her as deputy peak master of White Phoenix Peak, assisting the female cultivator surnamed Song. When Han Li heard of this, he merely smiled.
Once he obtained the centipedes, Han Li used the Rainbow Skirt Grass to accelerate their maturation. If the grass worked on the Gold Devouring Beetles, it should be equally effective on the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes. He then secluded himself in his chamber to study the newly acquired insect-controlling techniques and the Mysterious Infant Transformation Art left to him by Xin Ruyin.
Han Li sat motionless on the ground, his eyes lightly closed, his body enveloped in a swirling green light as if practicing some profound technique. After a long while, his eyes snapped open, their clarity shining briefly before he grabbed the spirit beast pouch at his waist and flung it into the air without a word. With a single gesture and the utterance of the word “Activate,” thousands of tri-colored Gold Devouring Beetles surged forth, swiftly forming a massive cloud of insects several meters wide, buzzing and circling above his head.
Han Li didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he rose to his feet, stepping in an arcane pattern while chanting under his breath. Suddenly, his hands shot forward, releasing a wave of green light that enveloped the insect cloud. The beetles fell silent, as if entranced, weaving through the light in an intricate dance without a single collision—an eerie and mesmerizing sight.
Han Li’s sharp gaze remained fixed on the cloud. After a moment, he formed a seal with one hand while the other made a grasping motion toward the insects, accompanied by a low growl.
The glowing green insect cloud plummeted downward, encasing Han Li in an instant. The beetles whirled around him at blinding speed, forming an impenetrable shield.
A faint smile touched Han Li’s lips, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He then uttered another series of cryptic syllables, and the beetles surged inward toward him in unison. A blinding green explosion of light erupted, too intense to look upon directly.
When the light faded, a suit of ancient-looking armor adorned with tri-colored patterns materialized around Han Li. The armor shimmered with a green radiance, its surface smooth and flawless, exuding an aura of indestructibility.
Han Li’s smile deepened as he ran a hand over the armor’s surface, marveling at its seamless perfection. “Impressive! To think that the Spirit Beast Sect had already developed what I once imagined in the Void Sky Hall—using Gold Devouring Beetles to form protective barriers and armor. Truly worthy of their reputation as the demonic sect renowned for insect control in the South Sky. Far beyond my wildest speculations,” he murmured with a sigh, his admiration evident.
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