The Poison Saint Sect cultivators naturally had no idea that the “Junior Brother Yuan” they mentioned had long perished in the mouth of the Silver-Winged Corpse Fiend. After chatting briefly, they accelerated their flight, moving even faster than before.
Arriving a day earlier would be greatly advantageous for them.
At the location of the small lake in Puyun Prefecture, hundreds of cultivators of varying cultivation levels had already gathered, clustering in small groups. Many had even taken to the skies, silently searching around the seven beams of light at the center.
On the ground, a few cultivators who possessed Earth Evasion Talismans or knew rudimentary earth evasion techniques occasionally burrowed in and out, excitedly discussing something with their companions.
Clearly, the massive seal hidden beneath had already been discovered.
However, compared to the sheer size of the seal, the crack forcibly opened by the Ye Family using an array had yet to be precisely located.
Even so, the cultivators were already brimming with excitement. Many had sent message talismans to their respective clans or sects, while others had even departed overnight to personally report the matter.
Most of the cultivators present were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with few at the Qi Condensation or Core Formation levels. The majority were rogue cultivators who had stumbled upon the anomaly by chance, while the rest were scouts from various factions who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
As for Nascent Soul cultivators, none had been spotted yet.
This was hardly surprising. The small lake was located in a desolate area, far from any famous mountains, major rivers, or prominent clans and sects. Nascent Soul cultivators had no reason to visit such a remote place.
Even the Poison Saint Sect cultivators, who had set off immediately upon receiving the news, were still two days away.
However, most of the cautious, low-level rogue cultivators, upon realizing the unimaginable scale of the underground seal, reluctantly chose to leave despite their reluctance.
They understood that no matter what treasures lay beneath the seal, they stood no chance in a struggle of this magnitude. Lingering any longer risked being caught in the crossfire of high-level cultivators, which would spell disaster.
Of course, a few hot-headed young cultivators refused to leave. Some wanted to see what lay beneath the seal, while others clung to the hope that, despite their low cultivation, they might still get lucky and snatch an opportunity. They were essentially gambling.
Thus, the area became a chaotic mix of individuals, many harboring ulterior motives.
But all of this had nothing to do with Han Li, who was already deep within the sealed mountain.
At that moment, he and Bai Yaoyi were intently watching the seated Elder Fu in the cave, their eyes unblinking.
To be precise, they were focused on the golden cauldron floating three feet above the ground in front of the elder, slowly rotating in mid-air.
Elder Fu exhaled streams of emerald-green Nascent Soul flames while forming mysterious hand seals, continuously directing them at the cauldron. Each seal struck the cauldron, wrapped in green flames, causing multicolored lights to shimmer brilliantly.
A rich, intoxicating medicinal aroma wafted from the cauldron, refreshing the mind and invigorating the spirit.
The elder’s hand seals grew increasingly rapid, his expression grave—clearly, the pill refinement had reached a critical juncture.
Han Li appeared calm, but inwardly, he was also tense.
The Shadow Horse Mushroom and other rare materials had been added to the cauldron over the past few days. If this batch failed, they had no second Shadow Horse Mushroom to attempt another refinement.
Though Elder Fu had expressed great confidence in refining the Nascent Nurturing Pill, now that the moment of truth approached, Han Li couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Bai Yaoyi, though maintaining a composed demeanor, betrayed her nervousness through the eager flickers in her bright eyes.
Suddenly, the cauldron stopped rotating, emitting a resonant hum. The medicinal fragrance intensified threefold.
Elder Fu’s eyes lit up as he halted his hand seals and flames. With a flip of his hand, a small vermilion gourd, no more than four or five inches tall, appeared in his palm.
With his other hand, he flicked a finger, sending a white light bullet that struck the cauldron lid with a *bang*.
The lid slid off with a shudder.
The cauldron’s hum ceased, and five fist-sized orbs of light shot out, each containing a thumb-sized green pill, vibrant and gleaming.
The orbs circled above the cauldron before scattering in all directions, attempting to flee.
But Elder Fu, prepared, swiftly shook the gourd, releasing a radiant light that enveloped all the orbs and drew them inside.
“Done! A complete success!” The elder exhaled deeply and turned to Han Li with a smile.
“Thank you for your efforts, Elder Fu. I never expected five pills to be refined. I was worried the yield would be too low!” Bai Yaoyi stood up, her face flushed with joy, radiating charm.
“The ingredients I prepared according to the formula were sufficient for five or six pills. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have invited only five fellow Daoists. It’s a pity that Junior Sister and Daoist Yuan met their ends because of this.” The elder’s smile faded.
Clearly, he had been close to the black-robed woman. Despite cultivators being accustomed to life and death, seeing the pills completed while his junior sister had perished left him somber.
Hearing this, Bai Yaoyi also sighed softly, her joy dimming.
Han Li remained expressionless but silent.
“Fellow Daoist Bai, do you have a wooden box? Ordinary jade boxes may cause the medicinal properties to dissipate. The potency of these pills is immense—consuming them immediately would require at least half a year of secluded cultivation to fully absorb their effects. Otherwise, their efficacy would be greatly diminished.” Elder Fu quickly shook off his melancholy and spoke seriously to Bai Yaoyi, holding the gourd.
“Of course I have a wooden box. Given how precious these pills are, I wouldn’t consume them right away.” Bai Yaoyi smiled sweetly, producing a yellow wooden box with a flick of her hand.
The elder nodded and tapped the gourd’s base, releasing a red mist that propelled a white orb toward Bai Yaoyi.
She caught the pill with a grasp of her hand, guiding it into the box.
After carefully inspecting the pill and sensing its astonishing spiritual energy, she beamed with delight and stored the box away, thanking the elder profusely.
Elder Fu chuckled and retrieved a green wooden box from his storage pouch.
Under Bai Yaoyi’s surprised gaze, he poured another pill into the box and sealed it. Then, with a dry laugh toward Han Li, he tossed the entire vermilion gourd to him.
Han Li caught it reflexively but raised an eyebrow.
“What does this mean, Fellow Daoist? I only requested two Nascent Nurturing Pills,” Han Li said slowly, frowning.
“I am not a greedy man. Surviving this ordeal and obtaining these pills was entirely due to your efforts. With my junior sister gone, one pill is enough for me. If you don’t mind, take the remaining three.” The elder spoke earnestly.
Han Li examined the gourd and the elder, then chuckled softly.
He could guess the elder’s intentions. Having completed the pill refinement, the elder likely feared Han Li might turn hostile. Thus, he sacrificed an extra pill to appease him—both as a goodwill gesture and to minimize any reason for Han Li to harm him.
As long as Han Li wasn’t the type to betray allies without cause, accepting the pill would likely deter any murderous intent.
Faced with such an offer, Han Li saw no reason to refuse.
“Since Elder Fu insists, I won’t decline.”
With a flash of light, the gourd vanished into his storage. Refusing it would only make the elder more suspicious.
“Haha, Fellow Daoist Han, you deserve it,” Elder Fu laughed, visibly relieved.
Bai Yaoyi, understanding the subtext, smiled without comment.
The tension between the three eased significantly.
“Now that the pills are complete, we should find a way out and explore this mountain. There may be other treasures,” Elder Fu suggested, glancing toward the cave entrance.
But as soon as he spoke, the entire cave trembled slightly, followed by a deep, rumbling noise echoing from the walls, unceasing.
The three exchanged startled glances.
“Are there others in this mountain?” Bai Yaoyi gasped, biting her lip.
“Not necessarily. It could be the escaped Silver-Winged Corpse Fiend,” Elder Fu said grimly, his face darkening at the memory of his junior sister’s death.
“Regardless, we must proceed with caution. Together, we need not fear much,” Han Li said calmly after a pause.
With a flick of his sleeve, azure light swept through the cave, dismantling all the restrictions. Array flags and disks flew out from the walls and floor, vanishing into his sleeve.
“Let’s go. We’ll discuss this outside.”
Han Li retracted the light and transformed into a green streak, shooting out of the cave without hesitation.
Elder Fu and Bai Yaoyi exchanged a glance before following swiftly.
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