The two streaks of radiant light continued to elongate and intertwine, gradually drawing closer to each other.
“Indestructible Body! This Fire Toad actually possesses such an innate divine ability?” Seeing this, Marquis Nanlong exclaimed in astonishment. The old man surnamed Lu also showed a look of shock after a moment of surprise.
“Indestructible? Nothing in this world is truly indestructible. It’s just that its vitality is stronger than that of ordinary demonic beasts.” Having read numerous ancient texts, Han Li naturally knew what the so-called “Indestructible Body” referred to. After severing the Fire Toad’s forelimbs and noticing the peculiarity of the severed limbs, he had already harbored some suspicion, which was why he had stopped Marquis Nanlong from rashly breaking the restriction. Otherwise, if the Fire Toad had seized the chance to revive and escape, all his previous efforts would have been in vain.
But now, Han Li sneered and pointed at the giant sword that had severed the Fire Toad’s head. The sword spun rapidly in the air before suddenly splitting into two, transforming into two golden streaks that shot downward simultaneously.
A flash of blue light followed, accompanied by two crisp “bang” sounds. The Fire Toad’s head and body were instantly frozen into ice sculptures by the sword’s icy flames, trapping the crimson light within. Then, the flying swords shattered them into countless sparkling fragments that scattered in the air. Where the body had been destroyed, a thumb-sized crimson orb remained—the Fire Toad’s demon core!
At the sight of the demon core, Marquis Nanlong and the old man surnamed Lu exchanged glances, each seeing a flicker of greed in the other’s eyes. After all, this was the demon core of an ancient beast with an Indestructible Body, and it might possess some extraordinary effects. However, recalling Han Li’s earlier display of power and his recent, thunderous reputation, the two quickly suppressed their desires.
They were well aware that Han Li’s abilities far surpassed theirs. Even if they joined forces, they might only stand a chance against him, and the odds of victory would be no better than fifty-fifty. To turn hostile over an unknown ancient beast’s demon core seemed foolish to them, especially since there would be plenty of other opportunities in the Fallen Devil Valley.
Though Han Li lacked mind-reading abilities, he could guess the thoughts of Marquis Nanlong and the old man. During the battle to slay the Fire Toad, these two Nascent Soul cultivators had clearly held back, leaving most of the work to him. After beheading the Fire Toad, Han Li appeared calm on the surface but had already heightened his vigilance against them, wary of any rash actions they might take out of greed.
Now, seeing their expressions flicker briefly before returning to normal, Han Li inwardly sighed in relief. While he wasn’t afraid of fighting them, avoiding conflict and unnecessary risks was always preferable.
Han Li reached out toward the water curtain, and the fiery demon core shot out with a “whoosh,” landing in his palm. The two flying swords let out clear chimes before splitting into over a dozen smaller swords, which flew back into his sleeves and disappeared.
Lowering his head to examine the demon core in his hand, Han Li exhaled deeply. At least one of his objectives for entering the valley had been accomplished.
At this moment, Marquis Nanlong suddenly spoke with a smile, “Brother Han, we owe the success of slaying this Fire Toad to you. But now, shall we check its lair? I’m sure you’re also interested in the treasures left on the remains.” “Naturally,” Han Li replied, storing the demon core and nodding impassively.
Hearing this, the old man surnamed Lu beamed with joy. The three then collected the nearby formation and headed straight for the cave at the base of the giant peak.
Truth be told, Han Li had considered secretly releasing Silvermoon to scout the cave for treasures beforehand. However, these two were cunning old foxes who had been watching him closely. Moreover, their cultivation levels were slightly higher than his, making it nearly impossible to conceal Silvermoon’s presence from their spiritual senses. Additionally, the ancient cultivator’s remains seemed peculiar, and Han Li had other reservations. After brief consideration, he dismissed the idea.
The three transformed into streaks of light and arrived at the cave entrance in an instant, flying inside without hesitation.
Upon seeing the lake of molten lava, Marquis Nanlong and the old man paused briefly before calmly surveying the surroundings. Their gazes quickly settled on the ancient cultivator’s remains wrapped in a green robe on the stone platform, and their expressions lit up with excitement.
“It seems this is the remains Senior Cangkun mentioned. Fellow Daoists, shall we proceed together?” Marquis Nanlong said, suppressing his smile but maintaining his composure. Han Li and the old man naturally agreed, and the three flew across the molten lake, landing before the stone platform.
Standing about ten feet away from the platform, Han Li examined the skeletal remains again, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Marquis Nanlong and the old man wasted no time. As soon as they steadied themselves, they extended their spiritual senses to locate the treasures. Seeing this, Han Li’s lips curled slightly into a faint smile, but he said nothing. Knowing the peculiarities of the ancient robe, he didn’t mind letting the two experience it firsthand.
Sure enough, as their spiritual senses enveloped the remains, a green light erupted from the robe, repelling their probing. Marquis Nanlong and the old man, never having encountered such a thing, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
“Hmm! This robe is unusual,” the old man, Lu Weiyin, muttered in astonishment.
“It’s nothing special—just a Green Silkworm Robe, woven from the silk of ancient spiritual silkworms. It can block spiritual sense detection. While rare in today’s cultivation world, it was quite common in ancient times,” Marquis Nanlong explained calmly, having regained his composure. He then reached out and grabbed the robe from a distance. With a flick, the robe turned into a streak of green light, flying into his hand and leaving the skeletal remains exposed.
Now, the remains were fully visible, with a small black leather pouch tied around the waist.
“There really is a storage pouch!” The old man’s face lit up with joy. Marquis Nanlong, equally excited, tossed the green robe aside without a second thought, his eyes fixed on the black pouch.
Han Li, who had been expressionless, twitched slightly at the sound of the robe hitting the ground but quickly regained his composure.
“If you two trust me, I’ll examine the contents of the pouch. What do you think?” Marquis Nanlong suggested, breaking the tense atmosphere with a smile.
“Of course. Please go ahead, Brother Nanlong,” Han Li replied lightly, glancing at the pouch. The old man hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.
Marquis Nanlong stepped forward, carefully picked up the storage pouch, and scanned it with his spiritual sense, his face betraying no emotion.
“Brother Nanlong, what’s inside? Why not pour everything out for us to see?” Lu Weiyin couldn’t help but ask.
Nodding, Marquis Nanlong flipped the pouch upside down, and a white light spilled out, revealing a pile of items on the ground.
“What in the world is this?” The old man frowned in confusion upon seeing the contents.
Most of the items were reddish iron blocks emitting a fiery glow, each radiating intense heat and appearing unusual. Among them, a few other objects stood out: a white jade box, a small purple mirror, a yellow short sword, a set of dark green flying needles, and two black medicine bottles.
Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, his interest piqued.
Aside from the jade box and medicine bottles, the other items were clearly extraordinary ancient treasures. As for the contents of the box and bottles, they intrigued Han Li even more, as his spiritual sense had been unable to penetrate them, suggesting they were made of special materials.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen this material before, but it seems like a semi-processed product,” Han Li said, frowning uncertainly.
“Calling it semi-processed isn’t entirely wrong. If I’m not mistaken, these iron blocks are legendary spirit materials—special substances ancient cultivators used to forge ancient treasures. The refining process is unique, often combining rare materials with natural forces to create these spirit materials. It seems this ancient cultivator intended to craft a powerful fire-attribute ancient treasure, hence the large quantity,” Marquis Nanlong explained unexpectedly, as if reciting from memory.
“Spirit materials!” The term immediately reminded Han Li of a mention in an ancient text. After a moment’s thought, he recalled the same information as Marquis Nanlong—these were indeed rare materials for forging ancient treasures, said to produce exceptionally powerful artifacts.
The old man, however, showed little interest in the explanation, his gaze shifting to the jade box and medicine bottles.
At that moment, Marquis Nanlong tossed the storage pouch toward Han Li.
Catching it reflexively, Han Li was momentarily startled but quickly understood the gesture. Without ceremony, he weighed the pouch in his hand, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and then tossed it to the old man.
After a brief inspection, the old man nodded, confirming there were no issues, and dropped the pouch to the ground.
“How should we divide these treasures? Just take two items each?” Lu Weiyin finally asked the question weighing on his mind, his expression serious.
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