When Han Li heard this, he was equally shocked. Three late-Nascent Soul cultivators had joined forces to deal with the ancient demon, yet it seemed they couldn’t subdue it quickly. This fully recovered ancient demon likely possessed abilities comparable to a Deity Transformation cultivator.
“Was this demon destroyed in that battle?” Han Li asked calmly.
“That, we juniors do not know. Some say the demon was gruesomely slain under the combined assault of the cultivators, while others claim it used an unimaginable secret technique to escape the encirclement. Our family’s influence is limited, so we cannot verify the truth. However, after that siege, the demon completely vanished from our Southern Sky Region—likely annihilated in body and soul,” Huang Yuanming hesitated before offering his speculations.
“Annihilated in body and soul?” Han Li stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, though inwardly he found it hard to believe.
If the demon had truly been destroyed, why would Wei Wuyan and the others remain so secretive? Most likely, something unexpected had happened, leading to mixed truths and falsehoods, and they deliberately avoided clarifying the matter. Still, the demon’s disappearance was strange. Had it been severely injured and forced into hiding to recover, or had it simply left the Southern Sky Region?
Han Li considered both possibilities but couldn’t determine which was more likely, so he set the matter aside for now.
“Fellow Daoist Huang, aside from the matters of the Fallen Demon Valley and the demon, what other events have occurred in the past twenty years? Feel free to share them all,” Han Li inquired calmly about other matters.
“Indeed, there have been other incidents in recent years, but compared to the Fallen Demon Valley affair, they pale in significance. The only noteworthy event, which also caused quite a stir, was the sudden appearance of a strange, massive whirlpool in the Endless Sea near the coast of the Xi Kingdom shortly after the demon vanished. This whirlpool spewed vast amounts of spiritual energy, purifying the surrounding seawater. Moreover, seven small islands emerged from the depths around it, each brimming with spiritual energy and possessing rare top-tier spiritual veins. The ownership of these islands led the three great cultivators to convene another Island Seizing Conference, with many sects participating. In the end, seven major immortal cultivation sects secured control of the islands.
“As for the whirlpool itself, it is said to be unfathomably deep. Many cultivators attempted to explore it, but the deeper they went, the greater the pressure became, eventually becoming unbearable. Even the Venerable Zhiyang, one of the three great cultivators, ventured inside once but had to retreat after descending about three thousand zhang, unable to withstand the crushing pressure equivalent to tens of thousands of jin.” Huang Yuanming recounted the tale after a brief thought.
“A massive whirlpool? Such a thing exists?” Han Li’s face showed a trace of surprise.
“How would this junior dare deceive you, Senior? This incident occurred several years ago and has since gradually faded. You can easily verify its truth by asking others,” Huang Yuanming replied with a respectful smile.
Han Li nodded, intrigued by the matter, but continued questioning them about other events, particularly the recent activities of the Mulan people and the orthodox and demonic factions. Huang Yuanming and the other two answered thoroughly, withholding nothing. Most of the responses came from Huang Yuanming, with the other two elders occasionally adding details to ensure Han Li was satisfied.
Soon, Han Li had a general understanding of the major and minor events of recent years, putting his mind at ease.
Aside from the ancient demon and the whirlpool, the so-called “major events” were merely discoveries of spiritual medicines or treasures, or conflicts between cultivation sects—none of which held much significance for Han Li. Still, he maintained a composed expression, listening attentively to their accounts.
As for matters concerning the Falling Cloud Sect, Han Li did not ask. Given the distance from the Xi Kingdom, these minor families would know little. If he wanted information about the sect, he would have to inquire at a market or return to the Xi Kingdom first.
After hearing all three men’s accounts, Han Li nodded in satisfaction. With a flick of his sleeve, a pair of golden short halberds appeared on the table.
“Thank you for enlightening me with so much information. I don’t have anything particularly valuable, but this pair of Severing Gold Halberds shall be yours as a token of my gratitude,” Han Li said calmly.
“Many thanks for your generosity, Senior! Are these… high-grade magic tools?” Huang Yuanming’s eyes gleamed as he inspected the golden halberds before bowing deeply in gratitude.
For their three families, high-grade magic tools were not entirely absent, but they were exceedingly rare—each one treasured. To receive such a gift simply for answering Han Li’s questions was an unexpected boon.
“Though these Severing Gold Halberds are only high-grade magic tools, when used in tandem, they rival top-grade magic tools. I obtained them by chance years ago and kept them out of interest. Now, I pass them to you—they won’t be wasted in your hands. Heh, since you’ve received your reward, I shall take my leave. Perhaps we’ll meet again if fate allows.”
After briefly explaining the halberds’ power, Han Li chuckled lightly. Spiritual light surged around him as he transformed into a green streak, shooting out of the hall and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
The three elders were stunned by his abrupt departure, their words of thanks left unspoken. Their gazes then fell upon the golden halberds on the table.
“Such generosity—to gift a pair of high-grade magic tools so casually,” the round-faced elder murmured, staring at the weapons.
“That depends on who you are. High-grade magic tools are rare treasures to us, but to a senior like him, they mean nothing,” the white-robed elder, who had spoken the least, remarked with a strange expression.
“Brother Wang, what do you mean? Do you recognize this senior?” Huang Yuanming asked, intrigued. The round-faced elder also turned to the white-robed elder in surprise.
“Brother Huang, you’re usually sharp-witted, but today you’re slow. He inquired about the Fallen Demon Valley and the demon, appeared young yet possessed such high cultivation, and introduced himself as ‘Han.’ Who else could it be? Remember, during the siege of the two demons in the valley, aside from the fallen Nascent Soul cultivators, wasn’t there another famous figure who went missing?” the white-robed elder said with a bitter smile.
“You mean… that person? Senior Han?” Huang Yuanming’s face paled in realization. The round-faced elder also gasped in shock.
“Now you understand. This senior is second only to the three great cultivators. No wonder he was so generous.”
“Brother Wang’s reasoning makes sense. But whether he is that Senior Han or not makes no difference to us. Even if we wished to ingratiate ourselves, cultivators of his level would never spare a glance for our families. Receiving these two high-grade magic tools is already a stroke of luck—likely compensation for the spiritual spring water we ruined. Now, let’s discuss how to divide these halberds.”
After a moment of silence, Huang Yuanming sighed, his tone tinged with resignation.
Though the opportunity was rare, someone like Han Li was far beyond their reach. Regretful as they were, there was nothing to be done.
At the mention of the halberds, the other two elders set aside the matter of Han Li’s identity and focused on the immediate benefit before them. The three then began a lengthy discussion on the distribution and use of the weapons.
Unbeknownst to Han Li, the three old men had guessed his identity. By then, he was already over a hundred miles away.
Emerging from the spatial rift without being flung to some distant land was fortunate. The weak points in space were unpredictable—he could have ended up millions of miles away without it being unusual.
“Kid, where to next? Straight back to the Falling Cloud Sect? Don’t forget, you still need to gather materials for my puppet. Some are still missing,” the Great Divination Sage’s voice suddenly echoed in Han Li’s mind.
“I know. But the materials you demand are all exceedingly rare. Even scouring the entire Southern Sky Region might not suffice. This isn’t something that can be done quickly,” Han Li replied with a frown.
“Hmph! Do you think I have another seventy or eighty years to wait? If you can’t find the materials here, go to the Great Jin Empire. There, as long as you have enough spirit stones, you can acquire anything! Let me make this clear—if you can’t craft the puppet in front of me, I’d rather destroy the method than leave it to you after my soul disperses,” the Great Divination Sage grumbled irritably.
“Relax, I intend to visit the Great Jin regardless. As you’ve said, the bloodthirsty aura from the Blood Devil Sword has deeply tainted me. If not purged soon, it will not only harm my body but also hinder my progress toward mid-Nascent Soul stage,” Han Li sighed in frustration.
“Good that you understand. When I first saw you, I was puzzled—how could someone so young carry such heavy bloodlust? Even in my ruthless days, my killing aura was less than a tenth of yours. Tsk tsk, truly unbelievable. Why not switch cultivation methods? This bloodthirst could actually boost your progress—though in the end, you’d ascend not to the Spirit Realm but to the Ancient Demon Realm,” the Great Divination Sage’s tone shifted unpredictably, now teasing Han Li with a strange laugh.
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