Such minuscule runes were absolutely impossible to craft in the current Tiannan cultivation world—this must be a rare ancient treasure!
Han Li pondered this as a flash of silver light appeared in his hand, and he stowed away the two silver chains. He planned to see if he could repair them in the future and test their power.
After securing the chains, Han Li lowered his gaze to the grotesque corpse of the Corpse Demon, his expression darkening slightly. With a flick of his fingers, ten green threads shot out, piercing various parts of the corpse as he began a meticulous examination. After a while, a satisfied look crossed his face.
Aside from missing an arm, this Corpse Demon’s body was perfect for refining into a corpse puppet. Not only was its physique extraordinarily tough—impervious to ordinary magic treasures—but the Corpse Flame and Corpse Poison it harbored were exceptionally lethal. Even a trace of either could instantly kill a cultivator.
However, as Han Li stared at the severed arm, his thoughts shifted, and he fell into contemplation. Suddenly, he slapped the spirit beast pouch at his waist, releasing a swarm of three-colored Gold Devouring Beetles. They swarmed out, circled above his head, and buzzed loudly.
Han Li cast a spell, and under his divine sense, the beetles surged toward the Corpse Demon’s severed arm, gathering and reshaping it. Moments later, a smooth, three-colored arm appeared in place of the missing one. Aside from its color and lack of green fur, it was identical to the other arm.
Han Li smiled faintly, pleased with the result.
Next, he retrieved several stacks of formation flags and disks from his storage pouch and calmly began setting up an extremely profound formation within the stone chamber…
He remained in the mountain’s depths for over two months. When he finally emerged from the cave in the Twin Peaks, his face was deathly pale, as though he had expended a great deal of vitality. After summoning Silvermoon, he immediately entered seclusion again without mentioning the Corpse Demon.
A month later, the door to the meditation chamber opened once more, and Han Li stepped out with a composed expression.
“Master, the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes in the insect room have begun laying eggs,” Silvermoon, who had been waiting outside, reported respectfully the moment he appeared.
“Laying eggs? Let me see,” Han Li said, momentarily surprised before showing delight. He strode toward the insect room, with Silvermoon gracefully following behind.
Even before passing through the restricted entrance, Han Li could clearly see everything inside. The Six-Winged Frost Centipedes had grown nearly half their original size since Liu Yu had handed them over, having advanced through mutual devouring. The frigid air they exhaled was far more potent than before—though still incomparable to Han Li’s Dry Blue Iceflame, it was deadly to Core Formation cultivators. Of course, the Violet Heavenly Flame he had cultivated by fusing this cold energy had also grown slightly stronger.
The centipede eggs lay in the center of the room—jet-black, glossy, and fist-sized, encased in a shimmering block of ice that emitted wisps of cold air. Clearly, the centipedes had frozen them with their own breath.
As Han Li’s gaze swept over them, the massive centipedes in the room seemed to sense his presence. They raised their heads and hissed threateningly toward the stone door. Han Li remained unfazed, focusing instead on the eggs and examining them carefully.
“Twenty-four centipede eggs—that’s more than enough. Silvermoon, notify my nominal disciple to come and retrieve her spirit insects,” Han Li said with a satisfied nod.
“Understood. I’ll send a message talisman immediately,” Silvermoon replied, pulling out a talisman and murmuring a few words before tossing it into the air. It transformed into a streak of red light and shot away.
After inspecting the centipede eggs, Han Li took the opportunity to check on the Gold Devouring Beetles in the adjacent room. Since he had primarily been using the green liquid on the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes lately, he hadn’t observed these selected pure-gold beetles in some time.
The swarm of flying insects remained unchanged, gathered into a massive golden ball hanging upside down from a spirit tree Han Li had transplanted specifically for them.
Though he had expected as much, Han Li still frowned slightly. These beetles were one evolution away from reaching maturity, but even with the Dreamlight Grass’s catalysis, this final stage would likely take an astonishingly long time. He had never imagined that mere decades would suffice for their ultimate advancement.
“Silvermoon, how is the Profound Heavenly Vine? After several months, we should know whether that root can still be saved,” Han Li suddenly asked as he withdrew his gaze from the insect room.
“This… I’m not sure how to explain it, Master. It’s better if you see for yourself,” Silvermoon hesitated.
“What’s so hard to explain?” Han Li was puzzled but didn’t press further. Instead, he instructed her to lead him to the medicine garden.
At the sight of the half-buried Profound Heavenly Vine root, Han Li’s eyes widened in surprise. The once pale-yellow root had turned emerald green, yet it remained bare and unchanged in size, showing no signs of sprouting leaves.
“What’s going on? Is this vine alive or not?” Han Li asked after sensing no vitality from it—it still felt like an inanimate object.
“That’s what I wanted to tell you, Master. Initially, pouring the green liquid on it several times had no effect—it couldn’t be forcibly matured. Later, I tried using both the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid and the pure liquid, which finally caused its color to change. I thought it had revived, but aside from the color, nothing else about it has changed, and it still can’t be matured further. So I’m unsure whether it’s alive or dead,” Silvermoon sighed.
“If it reacted at all, there’s still hope—we just haven’t found the right method yet. But we don’t have time to continue testing now. We’ll deal with everything after returning from the Far West. It’s about time we set off,” Han Li said indifferently.
“Leave now?” Silvermoon blinked in surprise.
“We’ll depart tomorrow. First, I’ll bid farewell to Senior Brother Cheng, then seal the cave and take all important items. The Far West shouldn’t have many powerful high-level cultivators, so there’s little danger. The journey will just take a while, but we must return within three years to avoid missing the optimal time to enter the Fallen Demon Valley,” Han Li affirmed.
Silvermoon nodded in agreement.
Soon after, they left the medicine garden. Han Li went to find the silver-haired elder, while Silvermoon stayed behind to pack for their departure the next day.
At dawn the following day, after a night’s rest, Han Li and Silvermoon stepped out of the cave—only to find a graceful, beautiful woman standing silently outside, watching him.
“Why are you here? Didn’t I leave you enough pills for years of cultivation so you could focus on your training?” Han Li asked calmly, though a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
“Young Master, I’ve thought it over. My cultivation seems to have hit another bottleneck, so it’s better for me to accompany you. Besides, as your concubine, it’s only right that I attend to you on your journey. May I come with you?” Mu Peiling lowered her head slightly, her cheeks tinged with pink. Her stunning beauty and curvaceous figure made her especially alluring.
Han Li was taken aback, studying her for a moment before nodding. “If you wish to come, then join us. I can also guide your cultivation along the way. The sooner you reach Core Formation, the better it will be for me.”
“Thank you, Young Master!” Mu Peiling beamed with joy.
Han Li smiled faintly, then flicked his sleeve, releasing a white light that transformed into a winged chariot—the Wind Riding Chariot. Silvermoon grinned at the sight and, with a graceful sway, turned into a streak of white light that vanished into Han Li’s sleeve.
Mu Peiling gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her hand.
“I’ll explain Silvermoon’s situation later. For now, let’s depart,” Han Li said nonchalantly.
“Yes, Young Master!” Mu Peiling quickly regained her composure and floated onto the chariot with a sway of her slender waist.
The moment her feet touched the chariot, Han Li appeared beside her. With a few hand seals, a white barrier enveloped the chariot. A clear chime sounded, and the Wind Riding Chariot vanished from sight, transforming into a dazzling white streak that shot into the sky.
Before long, news spread throughout the Falling Cloud Sect that Elder Han, having suffered some vitality loss during his battle with the demonic cultivator, would be in seclusion for several years to recover and would not receive visitors during this time.
The other two sects of Cloud Dream Mountain sent envoys multiple times to inquire about Elder Han’s condition, but the silver-haired elder deflected their questions vaguely. Friendly sects also came to pay their respects but were similarly dismissed.
Thus, rumors quickly spread throughout the State of Xi that the newly renowned Elder Han of the Falling Cloud Sect had sustained severe injuries—even sects in neighboring countries took notice.
Most cultivators didn’t doubt the reports, as the demonic cultivator Han Li had slain was a mid-Nascent Soul elder from the Yin Luo Sect of the State of Jin. It was only natural that such a battle would drain his vitality. Nevertheless, in the eyes of many, Han Li had become a figure comparable to the legendary Old Monster Tianhen in terms of power.
The Falling Cloud Sect’s reputation soared, with many sects actively seeking its favor. Even powerful rogue cultivators journeyed to Cloud Dream Mountain to join its ranks.
In a short time, the Falling Cloud Sect began to exude the aura of the State of Xi’s leading sect, thrilling its disciples. Elder Han, who rarely appeared before ordinary disciples, became an unrivaled figure of reverence in their hearts.
Volume 6: The Profound Heavenly Treasure
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage