Chapter 2259: Sanqing Thunder Sky Talisman

“Brother Mo, what do you mean by that…?” Han Li immediately caught the underlying implication in the old man’s words and asked with some surprise.

“Brother Ao’s next heavenly tribulation is likely to arrive in just a few years. By then, you and I may have to personally guard him.” Mo Jianli sighed and spoke gravely.

“What? Fellow Daoist Ao’s heavenly tribulation is coming?” Despite Han Li’s usual composure, his expression shifted slightly at these words, and his gaze turned toward Ao Xiao the Venerable.

“Grandfather, is this true?” Silvermoon, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly paled.

“Heh, the tribulation was originally due over a thousand years ago, but I delayed it using a special method. While this bought me some extra time, the next tribulation will undoubtedly be far more severe. But I never had much hope of surviving this tribulation anyway, so the benefits outweighed the risks. With these extra thousand years, you’ve finally reached the Body Integration stage, and with Han Li watching over you, I can rest easy.” Ao Xiao the Venerable chuckled after a brief silence.

“So, Grandfather, you did this for me, even though it was like drinking poison to quench thirst?” Silvermoon’s voice trembled slightly.

“Ling’er, this has little to do with you. Even without you, the demon realm had already shown signs of invading our spirit realm back then. I would have made the same choice regardless.” Ao Xiao the Venerable’s expression turned solemn.

Silvermoon shook her head repeatedly, clearly unconvinced.

“Fellow Daoist Ao, is there truly no hope of surviving this tribulation? If you need any treasures, I can try to help you find them,” Han Li said with a furrowed brow, deep in thought.

“If before delaying the tribulation I had a ten percent chance, now it’s less than five percent. As for tribulation-resisting treasures, I’ve already gathered most of what I need. The remaining few are so rare they’re practically impossible to find, so I’ve given up on them.” Ao Xiao the Venerable sighed.

“Five percent? That’s far too low. Grandfather, isn’t there any other way to increase your chances?” Silvermoon’s eyes reddened as she shook her head.

“Another way? If Han Li’s disciple with the Hidden Lightning Root were a Great Ascension cultivator, perhaps they could boost my chances by another ten percent. But as it stands, it’s useless for my tribulation.” Ao Xiao the Venerable replied without hesitation.

Silvermoon’s face grew even paler at this.

Han Li and Mo Jianli exchanged glances, both at a loss for words.

If they were to temporarily elevate Hai Da Shao’s cultivation to the Body Integration stage, these Great Ascension cultivators might have a way to manage it. But raising him to their own level? That was unthinkable.

As for Han Li’s Extreme Mountains, though highly effective against heavenly thunder tribulations, they had already been refined for his personal use and couldn’t be lent out.

“There is one thing that might help Ao Xiao survive his tribulation, perhaps increasing his chances by ten or twenty percent,” Mo Jianli said after a moment of hesitation, his expression shifting.

“Senior Mo, what is it?” Silvermoon perked up immediately.

Ao Xiao the Venerable, however, looked surprised, as if he’d never heard Mo Jianli mention this before.

Han Li also leaned in attentively.

“Fellow Daoist Ao, you must know of the Stoneheart Venerable, right?” Mo Jianli didn’t answer directly but instead redirected the question.

“Stoneheart Venerable? Of course. Wasn’t he the Cloud Ridge Great Ascension cultivator who entered the Primordial Demon Land with us? I spoke with him a few times, but he ultimately perished in the ancient seal. What does this have to do with him?” Ao Xiao the Venerable replied after a moment’s thought.

“While the Stoneheart Venerable didn’t possess any tribulation-resisting treasures, he did pass on information about such an item. It should be within the Spirit Race.” Mo Jianli’s expression flickered slightly as he explained.

“Before entering the demon realm, those foreign Great Ascension cultivators did visit the Spirit Race and stayed there for a time. So this is likely true. But Brother Mo, what exactly is this treasure you speak of?” Ao Xiao the Venerable’s eyes gleamed as he pressed.

“The Three Purities Thundercloud Talisman!” Mo Jianli hesitated briefly before finally revealing the name.

“What? That talisman? Isn’t it a legendary supreme secret talisman? Does it truly exist in the lower realm?” Ao Xiao the Venerable’s expression shifted dramatically, his excitement evident.

Han Li stroked his chin, equally intrigued.

The Three Purities Thundercloud Talisman was one of the few treasures renowned for its extraordinary efficacy against Great Ascension tribulations, documented in ancient texts and famous across realms.

Unlike other treasures, however, this so-called supreme Daoist talisman was a consumable item, and its existence had long been relegated to myth. It was said only true immortals of the immortal realm could craft it, so no one in the lower realms had ever confirmed its existence.

Over time, even Great Ascension cultivators had grown skeptical of its reality.

Now, Mo Jianli had suddenly named it, claiming it lay within the Spirit Race, not far from the human realm. Even a figure like Ao Xiao the Venerable couldn’t help but feel a mix of shock and excitement.

“Logically, the Three Purities Thundercloud Talisman shouldn’t exist in the lower realm. But the Stoneheart Venerable saw it with his own eyes among the Spirit Race, and I can guarantee his information was absolutely true. As for why, I cannot elaborate further.” Mo Jianli’s tone carried a weight of implication.

“If Brother Mo says so, then it must be true! But if the Stoneheart Venerable knew of its existence, why didn’t he seize it? Even if his next tribulation was far off, such a treasure is too precious to ignore.” Though puzzled by Mo Jianli’s certainty, Ao Xiao the Venerable didn’t press further. Instead, he pondered for a moment before asking seriously.

“If such a treasure were before me, I wouldn’t let it slip away either,” Han Li agreed.

“You two don’t know the full story. It wasn’t that the Stoneheart Venerable was willing to let the treasure slip by, but he had already struck a deal with its owner. He was planning to fulfill the transaction after returning from the demon realm to obtain the talisman.” Mo Jianli chuckled.

“Within the Spirit Race, the Stoneheart Venerable had to resort to a trade to acquire it? Could the talisman have fallen into that person’s hands?” Ao Xiao the Venerable’s handsome face darkened with wariness.

“If not that person, then who else?” Mo Jianli exhaled deeply and smiled wryly.

Silvermoon blinked her beautiful eyes, confused but vaguely sensing something.

Han Li, however, suddenly laughed.

“Are you two referring to the Spirit King of the Spirit Race?”

He recalled the scenes from his time in the demon realm, when the Spirit King had manifested through Bai Qi’s body before entering the Spirit Cleansing Pool.

Ao Xiao the Venerable and Mo Jianli’s expressions shifted slightly, and they exchanged glances.

“Indeed. We’re speaking of the Spirit King. The Three Purities Thundercloud Talisman is in his possession—and not just one, it seems.” Mo Jianli nodded frankly.

“Not just one?” Ao Xiao the Venerable was momentarily stunned but quickly dismissed the thought.

According to records, even if multiple talismans existed, only one could be used per tribulation.

“I’ve heard of the Spirit King’s reputation, but only as a Great Ascension cultivator of the Spirit Race. I know little else. From your tone, it seems you’d rather avoid provoking him.” Han Li narrowed his eyes and asked slowly.

“Avoid provoking him? If possible, Brother Ao and I would prefer to have no dealings with that old monster at all.” Mo Jianli replied with a bitter smile.

“Oh? Why is that?” Han Li pressed.

“Though the Spirit Race is small—far weaker than our combined human and demon races—their Spirit King is likely a true ancient monster who has lived for over a million years.” Ao Xiao the Venerable interjected.

“A million years? How is that possible?” Han Li blurted out, genuinely shocked.

“Heh, don’t be surprised. Even we were stunned when we first heard it.” Mo Jianli chuckled.

“If the Spirit King has truly lived for a million years, the number of tribulations he’s endured must be…” Han Li trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

“No one knows. No one has ever witnessed the Spirit King undergoing a tribulation, nor have there been any rumors about it. Some say he’s a unique existence whose tribulations occur every hundred thousand years. Others claim the title ‘Spirit King’ has been passed down through generations, with outsiders none the wiser. No one knows the truth.” Ao Xiao the Venerable explained gravely.

“If he truly is a million-year-old monster, even I would tread carefully around him.” Han Li’s expression shifted several times as he pondered.

“One thing is certain: over the past million years, the Spirit King’s aura and appearance, as attested by generations of our Great Ascension cultivators, have remained unchanged, as if he were the same person. Fortunately, the Spirit Race’s reproduction is extremely difficult. Despite the Spirit King’s unfathomable power, he cannot expand their territory and must maintain their current scale. Moreover, he rarely appears in public and has only acted a handful of times in all these years.” Mo Jianli added.