On that day, the Nascent Soul-stage Immortal Master of the Ulan Tribe, whose physical body was destroyed, managed to escape with a portion of his split Nascent Soul. However, the mature Gold Devouring Beetle connected to his mind, lacking its master’s command, was easily captured by Han Li, who was well-versed in the habits of these insects. Using his Second Nascent Soul, Han Li subdued the beetle and sealed it in a jade box.
Originally, Han Li had planned to study the differences between this mature Gold Devouring Beetle and his own during his leisure time. But now, with his cultivation greatly diminished, he had to deal with the beetle as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the mature beetle’s abilities far exceeded his expectations and it broke free from its restraints, the consequences would be dire. Given his current cultivation level, recapturing it would be nearly impossible.
With this in mind, Han Li took a deep breath and suddenly flipped his palm, revealing several formation flags of varying colors. With a flick of his fingers, the flags shot out and formed a protective barrier about ten feet in diameter inside the carriage.
Han Li placed the jade box on his knees and slowly closed his eyes. A black-green Nascent Soul emerged from the top of his head, holding the pitch-black Yin Luo Banner in its hands. This demonic banner, originally refined and controlled by his Second Nascent Soul, was now the only treasure unaffected by the Five Ghosts Locking Divine Technique.
The Gold Devouring Beetle’s body was impervious to water, fire, and weapons. The only way to destroy it was to extract its soul using the pure demonic energy from the Yin Luo Banner and refine it into a demonic spirit within the banner. Han Li had obtained the specific refinement method from the memories of the Yin Luo Sect elder.
This process couldn’t be completed quickly. In fact, if the beetle’s master hadn’t suffered severe soul damage, leaving the beetle weakened, Han Li wouldn’t have dared attempt this. He was deeply wary of mature Gold Devouring Beetles, which was why he had set up the formation flags beforehand to prevent any mishaps.
The black-green Nascent Soul tossed the small banner above its head, transforming it into a foot-wide demonic cloud. The Nascent Soul then leaped into the cloud, disappearing from sight. The cloud descended, enveloping the jade box on Han Li’s knees.
From inside the box came a series of furious “squeaking” sounds—soft but filled with rage. The demonic cloud churned violently around the box, the beetle’s cries growing shrill and piercing. Han Li remained unmoved, his hands forming seals as he focused entirely on extracting the beetle’s soul. Within the barrier, he had no fear of the noise alerting the Heron Tribe’s mortals outside.
Thus began a grueling refinement process.
Outside, the Heron Tribe members were deeply curious about this “Frost Immortal Master.” However, since he had entered the carriage, he hadn’t emerged, leaving them with no chance to see him. The tribal chief, Ying Lu, strictly forbade anyone from disturbing the immortal master’s cultivation, much to the disappointment of the others.
Over the next ten days, whether due to the blessings of Frost the Transcendent or sheer luck, the caravan not only encountered a herd of wild sheep in a canyon, securing ample prey, but also traveled without incident for half a month. This greatly relieved the anxious Ying Lu.
Calculating the distance, he estimated they would reach a safe resting spot in a few days—a temporary outpost established by the Heavenly Lantern Sacred Hall for tribes traveling long distances to gather and rest. Once the Spirit Awakening Ceremony ended, the outpost would be dismantled.
As Ying Lu pondered this, a sharp sound suddenly echoed overhead. Instinctively looking up, he saw a blinding white streak cutting through the sky, faintly revealing a human figure before vanishing in an instant.
The young men of the Heron Tribe stirred with excitement, but the elder frowned, his mind unsettled. Based on his past experience in the Sacred War, such lights were the trails of high-ranking immortal masters flying at low altitudes—a rare sight, as they usually soared too high for mortals to notice.
Yet, if his memory served, this was the fourth such trail he’d seen in recent days. Had something major happened? Had a tribe’s tribute been stolen?
Though puzzled, the elder felt more at ease about the journey ahead. With high-ranking immortal masters patrolling, the caravan should remain safe for a while.
With this thought, Ying Lu turned and urged the caravan to pick up its pace.
Unbeknownst to him, the white streak that had flown overhead had been circling the area within a hundred-mile radius for some time before finally giving up and heading south. Shortly after, a red streak approached from another direction.
The two streaks met, their light dissipating to reveal a man and a woman. The man, in his forties, wore simple yellow leather clothing and had an ordinary face. The woman, in her late twenties, was quite attractive.
“Ah, it’s Immortal Master Xiu. I found nothing on my end. Any traces of that person on yours?” the man asked with a smile, clasping his hands in greeting.
“Brother Li, do I look like I’ve found anything?” the woman replied coldly, her expression grim.
“Sigh! I’ve searched everywhere within two thousand miles these past few days—nothing. Either he’s not here, or his concealment techniques are beyond my detection. Should we team up and search again? Maybe question those tribute caravans we passed,” the man suggested eagerly.
“Seems Brother Li is truly tempted by the reward of ‘Venomous Dragon Pills.’ But don’t let greed cost you your life,” the woman sneered, her tone laden with implication.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you interested in the pills?” the man asked, startled.
“What did the Nascent Soul-stage masters tell you when assigning this task?” the woman countered coolly.
“They said an outsider Nascent Soul cultivator had intruded into our Heavenly Grasslands, severely injuring one of our high-ranking masters. He’s already been heavily wounded by others, so capturing him shouldn’t be a problem for us Golden Core cultivators,” the man replied hesitantly.
“Hmph! Brother Li, you arrived late, so you don’t know the full story. If it were me, I wouldn’t be so eager to hunt this outsider,” the woman said with a mocking smile.
“If Immortal Master Xiu says so, there must be a reason. Could you enlighten me?” the man asked seriously.
After a pause, the woman sighed. “We’ve known each other for years, so I’ll be blunt to save your life. I arrived earlier and heard from a senior that this outsider is indeed a Nascent Soul cultivator and was severely injured—but not by any high-ranking master. It was the Great Immortal Master Hu himself who struck the final blow.”
“What? The Great Immortal Master intervened?” The man paled.
“Exactly. And I heard the outsider was surrounded by several high-ranking masters when the Great Immortal Master ambushed him. Before that, he’d already killed three high-ranking masters. They say his techniques are ruthless—every strike is fatal. Even after being gravely wounded, he still escaped right under the Great Immortal Master’s nose. To me, this outsider is likely of the same cultivation level as the Great Immortal Master. Even if injured, killing two Golden Core cultivators like us would be child’s play. I won’t risk my life for two Venomous Dragon Pills!”
“Moreover, I suspect the high-ranking masters sent us as cannon fodder. Before we left, they cast Soul-Guiding Spells on us—supposedly to track us if we’re in danger. But I think they just want us to flush out the outsider. Once we die, they’ll use our souls to locate him,” the woman said darkly.
The man gasped, his face twisting in fury. “They’re using us as bait? What should we do?”
“It’s simple. We’ve already searched once—that’s enough. No need to push further. This way, we fulfill our duty without undue risk. Let others find the outsider. If someone else does, great. If not, so be it. By the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, all immortal masters must gather at the Sacred Hall, and we’ll be recalled,” the woman said decisively.
“Then I’ll follow your lead. The pills aren’t worth my life. Thank you, Immortal Master Xiu,” the man said firmly.
“Good. Let’s head to the Sacred Hall outpost to rest. Many tribute caravans will gather there soon—we might even find what we need. Then, every few days, we’ll pretend to search a bit,” the woman said with a light laugh.
The man agreed without hesitation.
With that, the two transformed back into red and white streaks of light, flying southward.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage