“This…” Upon hearing this, Tianchan hesitated slightly and glanced at Heiyu the Transcendent.
“Hmm, Brother Han, as a top-tier existence among the human race, surely you wouldn’t act against our interests. Moreover, I’ve always felt that with just the two of us taking action, the odds of success aren’t particularly high. If Fellow Daoist Han is willing to lend a hand, the chances of success would naturally increase significantly.” After a moment of contemplation, Heiyu the Transcendent spoke with unusual decisiveness.
Han Li was even more surprised upon hearing this but remained silent, waiting for the two to continue.
Sure enough, after Heiyu the Transcendent’s words, the monk nodded with a smile and said, “This humble monk shares the same thought. In that case, I shall explain the matter to Benefactor Han. After hearing it, I hope Fellow Daoist will consider assisting us.”
“Master, you are too courteous! If this truly concerns the greater good of our human race, Han will naturally do his best.” Han Li replied cautiously, leaving himself some room for maneuver.
“In truth, the two of us came here under orders from the Sacred Island—specifically for the Netherworld Flame in this place!” Tianchan finally revealed the truth without further concealment.
“Netherworld Flame!”
Though Han Li had already suspected as much, hearing it confirmed still weighed on his heart. However, the monk’s next words eased his mind slightly.
“To be precise, it’s for a certain spiritual object within the Netherworld Flame.” Noticing Han Li’s subtle change in expression, Heiyu the Transcendent added.
“A spiritual object within the Netherworld Flame? I’ve never heard of such a thing!” Han Li’s thoughts raced, and he grew even more puzzled.
“Indeed, there is—one that takes fifty thousand years to form. Benefactor Han, have you heard of the ‘Dreamstone of Illusion’?” Tianchan said calmly.
“Dreamstone of Illusion! Isn’t that the top-tier material used for setting up large-scale illusion arrays?” Han Li frowned.
“Exactly. But what we seek isn’t an ordinary Dreamstone of Illusion—it’s a Dreamstone Spirit that has developed sentience. This spirit can only emerge from a Dreamstone, and the conditions for its birth are so stringent that they rival those of other renowned natural spirits. Hence, few know of its existence. The spirit here was discovered tens of thousands of years ago by a senior of our race. Unfortunately, that senior failed to capture it in time, and the spirit, frightened, has since refused to emerge from the depths of the Netherworld Flame. The Netherworld Flame is no ordinary place—even Great Ascension cultivators wouldn’t dare venture too deep. But this time is different. A mighty figure from the Sacred Island has divined that the Dreamstone Spirit is about to undergo its tribulation and can no longer remain hidden. This is our only chance to capture it.” Tianchan explained in detail.
“I see. No wonder I’ve never heard of it before. This Dreamstone Spirit has been hiding in the depths of the Netherworld Flame for tens of thousands of years. But even if it has gained sentience, its abilities shouldn’t be too formidable. Are the two of you truly unsure of capturing it?” Han Li showed a look of realization but still voiced his doubts.
“Brother Han, you may not know this, but the Dreamstone Spirit is vastly different from ordinary stone spirits. Aside from the usual abilities of spiritual stones, it can also cast illusions—almost instantaneously. Anyone who confronts it may fall into its illusions without realizing it. The human senior who discovered it was a renowned figure of our race, yet after encountering the spirit, he not only failed to capture it but was trapped in its illusions for half a year before barely escaping. He fell gravely ill afterward, losing much of his vitality. This time, we must capture the spirit alive without harming it, so even though Fellow Daoist Tianchan and I have prepared specific methods for this task, we still lack absolute confidence in success.” Heiyu the Transcendent added.
“Illusions! If it’s an innate ability of a natural spirit like this, it must indeed be extraordinary. No wonder the two of you are so cautious. By the way, since the Sacred Island sent you to capture the Dreamstone Spirit, do you know the reason behind it?” Han Li nodded and pressed further.
“Before setting out, I heard a little about it. It seems the spirit’s demon core is a crucial item for our race to counter the demonic calamity. Moreover, it was personally entrusted by Senior Mo Jianli through the Sacred Island. Beyond that, I don’t know the specifics.” The old man replied without hesitation.
“A matter entrusted by Senior Mo!” Han Li’s expression changed, and he couldn’t help but inhale sharply.
“Haha, if it weren’t for that, the two of us—figures of some renown and status among the human race—wouldn’t have come all the way here for no reason.” The old man chuckled.
“Since this concerns the greater good of our race, Han will naturally contribute his strength without hesitation. Fellow Daoists, please let me know how I can assist.” After a moment of contemplation, Han Li spoke solemnly.
“Haha, I knew Brother Han wouldn’t stand idly by. In truth, capturing this spirit won’t require anything too complex from you. Just assist us as the situation demands. If we overlook anything, we hope you can intervene to prevent the spirit from escaping back into the Netherworld Flame.” Tianchan was overjoyed upon hearing Han Li’s words.
Heiyu the Transcendent also expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
“By the way, since the situation in Tianyuan City isn’t favorable, Brother Han’s presence here can’t be a mere coincidence. Do you have business of your own?” Tianchan suddenly recalled something and asked.
“I did come here for my own reasons—to refine a few artifacts using the Netherworld Flame. But now that I’ve encountered your matter, my trivial task can naturally wait.” Han Li replied without changing his expression.
“Thank you for your understanding, Brother Han. The Netherworld Flame isn’t something to be approached lightly at the moment. If the spirit detects outsiders, it could cause complications.” Tianchan apologized and thanked him again.
After exchanging a few more polite words with the old man and Tianchan, Han Li joined them, sitting cross-legged by the giant pit.
His gaze swept over the pit’s depths, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The pit spanned several acres, but its interior was sharply divided into two distinct halves.
The upper half resembled ordinary grayish-white rock, while the lower half was black tinged with green, exuding a sinister chill. Its surface was smooth as jade.
At the bottom of the pit, rolling clouds of milky-yellow mist obscured the view, accompanied by occasional rumbling sounds and faint flickers of light, as if something alive lurked beneath.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and flipped his hand, producing a white jade disk.
With a flick of his wrist, the disk shot toward the pit’s depths as a streak of white light.
As it passed the upper half of the pit, the disk showed no reaction. But upon entering the lower half, the white light trembled violently, and layers of crystalline ice rapidly formed on its surface. Before it could plunge into the mist below, it was completely frozen and fell heavily into the fog.
Moments later, a crisp cracking sound echoed from the mist—the frozen disk had shattered.
“The reputation of the Netherworld Flame is well-deserved. The yin-cold energy here is truly astonishing!” Han Li murmured to himself, though his expression remained unreadable.
“Haha, it’s said this flame originates directly from the Netherworld below. Though it resembles fire, its frigid power is indeed extraordinary. Unfortunately, this cold is fundamentally different from ordinary ice energy and cannot be absorbed or refined by living beings. For our race, it’s only useful for crafting certain special artifacts—a true pity.” Tianchan chuckled, his tone equally regretful.
“The workings of creation, the balance of yin and yang, and the five elements are among the fundamental laws of heaven and earth. Since the Netherworld Flame contains such extreme cold, its utility is naturally limited. Otherwise, those cultivating ice-based techniques could absorb its energy freely, advancing their cultivation by leaps and bounds. For any race, such a windfall is simply too good to be true!” Heiyu the Transcendent added coolly.
“Your words hold great wisdom. But I’ve also heard rumors that the Netherworld Flame might be one of the entrances to the Underworld. If true, I’d be quite curious about this yin-flame.” Han Li smiled faintly.
“Such rumors have existed since ancient times. But the Netherworld Flame’s cold is too extreme—we can only venture a thousand zhang deep at most. Even Great Ascension tribulation cultivators can’t go beyond ten thousand zhang without risking their lives. Thus, the rumor remains unverified.” Tianchan’s eyes flashed thoughtfully.
“Haha, why dwell on such matters? Even if this flame leads to the Underworld, a realm teeming with vengeful spirits and demons is no place for cultivators like us. Our ultimate goal is to ascend to the Immortal Realm, where true immortality and harmony with heaven and earth await.” Heiyu the Transcendent disagreed.
“This humble monk holds a different view. Our Buddhist teachings emphasize karma and retribution. Even in this life…” Tianchan’s expression turned solemn as he shook his head in disagreement.
Heiyu the Transcendent chuckled and, once the monk finished, shared his own insights.
The two began debating fervently by the pit’s edge.
Witnessing this, Han Li was momentarily taken aback but soon laughed softly to himself.
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