After listening to Han Li’s words, the young woman blinked her eyes and was completely stunned. Instead of agreeing to join the Gu Family, he wanted to obtain their technique for refining True Spirit bloodline, which left her utterly speechless.
Her expression shifted several times before she finally managed a forced smile and replied,
“Senior Han, I’m afraid I cannot agree to this proposal. Our Gu Family’s bloodline technique is not something we casually share with outsiders. No matter how tempting the cultivation methods or treasures you offer, I cannot comply—unless you agree to our earlier proposal.”
“In that case, let’s not discuss joining the Gu Family any further. Not just the Gu Family, but I won’t be joining any other factions either. It seems this trip has been in vain for both of you,” Han Li said calmly, unfazed by her refusal.
The young woman could only sigh softly, her eyes flickering as she fell silent.
Beside her, Qi Xubing also frowned deeply and refrained from further attempts to recruit Han Li.
The three then shifted to discussing cultivation techniques and insights, and the initially awkward atmosphere gradually eased.
A few hours later, the two visitors stood and announced their departure.
Han Li naturally offered a few polite words of farewell, but since the elder and the young woman were determined to leave, he personally escorted them out of his residence.
Not long after, two streaks of light shot out from the misty sea. As the radiance faded, the figures of the green-robed elder and the young woman reappeared at the edge of the mist.
“Senior Qi, it seems we’ll be returning empty-handed this time. I’ll be heading straight back to the Gu Family. Will you be returning to Tianyuan City?” the young woman asked with a faint smile.
“Fellow Daoist Xiaofeng, you may go ahead. I won’t be returning to Tianyuan City just yet. I’ve heard that a newly advanced Body Integration cultivator resides in the Xuanwu Domain. Though it’s said they’ve already accepted an invitation from the Tyrant Emperor, I still plan to pay them a visit,” the green-robed elder mused before replying.
“In that case, I’ll take my leave first,” the young woman nodded, offering a respectful bow before transforming into a silver streak that vanished into the horizon.
In the blink of an eye, the silver radiance disappeared without a trace.
The green-robed elder stood still for a moment, gazing in the direction the young woman had vanished, then sighed softly. He summoned a jade-green flying boat, stepped onto it, and with a single hand seal, the vessel transformed into a streak of emerald light that streaked across the sky.
In an instant, the area was left empty and silent.
However, less than half an hour later, the silver streak reappeared at the horizon, circling once before landing again at the edge of the misty sea.
As the light dissipated, the young woman emerged, her expression calm. She whispered a few words toward the mist, and immediately, the sea of mist churned, parting to reveal a path once more.
Without hesitation, Xiaofeng the Fairy transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the mist, which then closed seamlessly behind her.
Time passed slowly. Two full hours later, the path through the mist reappeared, and the silver streak shot out, flickering a few times before disappearing completely.
At the same time, Han Li sat in the main hall of his cave abode, holding a silver-white jade plaque in his hand. His fingers traced its surface repeatedly as he pondered deeply.
The plaque gleamed with a silver radiance. On one side was inscribed the character “Gu,” while the other bore the image of a crimson three-headed beast.
The creature’s body resembled that of a steed, covered in scarlet scales. One of its three heads was indeed that of a horned horse, while the other two were a black tiger and a blue lion—precisely the legendary True Spirit “Li Hou.”
Though ranked only mid-tier among True Spirits, this beast was said to wield three distinct elemental powers simultaneously, each possessing unfathomable divine abilities. These powers were not only formidable in battle but also held miraculous auxiliary effects.
This jade plaque had been given to him by Xiaofeng the Fairy upon her unexpected return. The Gu Family, it turned out, inherited the bloodline of the True Spirit Li Hou.
Han Li had been surprised by her reappearance, and now he recalled her words.
As soon as she saw him, she had tossed the jade plaque to him and proposed an offer he found hard to refuse.
She stated that he need not formally join the Gu Family for ten thousand years—only temporarily align with them during the upcoming True Spirit Ceremony, where numerous True Spirit families would gather, and assist them once.
If he could secure enough benefits for the Gu Family, she would personally authorize the transfer of some of their bloodline refinement techniques to him.
Of course, she clarified that while these techniques were not the Gu Family’s core secrets, they were still invaluable and not something other families would casually part with. Hence, they were willing to exchange them for his temporary assistance.
Hearing that he wouldn’t be bound to the Gu Family long-term and only needed to help once, Han Li was genuinely tempted.
Though he possessed the bloodline refinement technique from the “Awakening Moon Art,” it had been created for the Feathered Spirit Race and had certain imperfections when applied to humans.
Before advancing to the Body Integration stage, he hadn’t noticed anything amiss. But during his recent consolidation of cultivation, he had inadvertently discovered remnants of the True Spirit blood he thought he had fully refined—hidden deep within his flesh.
This revelation alarmed him, prompting immediate and thorough investigation.
He found that, for now, he could suppress these remnants with his own spiritual power. However, if he continued absorbing other True Spirit bloodlines, unpredictable and severe complications could arise—either the remnants rebelling against his body or rendering him unable to use the Awakening Moon Art’s transformation techniques.
Thus, while consolidating his Body Integration cultivation, he had been contemplating solutions. That was why the Gu Family’s refinement technique had piqued his interest earlier.
Though their technique wouldn’t directly help him fully refine the remnants, it would undoubtedly serve as a valuable reference.
Had he not mastered the Awakening Moon Art, relying solely on rudimentary refinement techniques would have been futile. But with the art as a foundation, identifying the differences between human refinement methods and the Feathered Spirit technique could resolve this critical issue.
That said, as he had mentioned earlier, he wouldn’t bind himself to the Gu Family for ten thousand years over this matter.
Even if he failed to obtain the Gu Family’s technique, he could resort to unorthodox means to acquire similar methods from other True Spirit families—though doing so would invite trouble and possibly provoke their enmity.
Thus, after hearing Xiaofeng’s explanation of the True Spirit Ceremony—where he would only need to compete against cultivators from other families to secure benefits for the Gu Family—he nodded in agreement, much to her delight.
As for the jade plaque in his hand, it served as temporary proof of his status as an honorary elder of the Gu Family.
After carefully reconsidering the arrangement and finding no flaws, he set the matter aside and returned to his secluded chamber to continue consolidating his Body Integration cultivation.
In the following days, several major factions approached him, including an envoy from the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor.
Having made up his mind, Han Li politely declined them all.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several years had passed.
Three years later, Han Li emerged from his chamber and transformed into a streak of azure light, leaving his cave abode.
After this relatively short period of seclusion, he felt he had fully mastered his physical and spiritual power, and thus set out to attend to matters weighing on his mind.
The nearest major location, Tianyuan City, was naturally his first destination.
The journey was uneventful, and two months later, Han Li appeared above the city’s towering walls. After a brief pause, he flew toward a specific direction.
Among the numerous pavilions nestled between two towering stone pagodas was a well-known lodging area in Tianyuan City, catering primarily to visiting cultivators.
Lower-level cultivators with limited resources, such as Nascent Soul or Golden Core cultivators, often shared a single pavilion among several or even a dozen individuals. Higher-level cultivators, like Void Refinement experts, could occupy an entire pavilion alone.
One such pavilion had been rented by a group of four Nascent Soul cultivators.
These four were reputed to possess considerable strength and had resided here for over a century. Their repeated forays into the untamed wilderness and safe returns had earned them a modest reputation in Tianyuan City.
However, in recent years, they had rarely left their pavilion, spending most of their time in seclusion.
Some well-informed neighbors had heard rumors that, a few years prior, the group had ventured deep into the wilderness and suffered significant losses, depleting their vitality—hence their reclusive behavior.
But such occurrences were commonplace in Tianyuan City. After a brief moment of reflection on the dangers of the wild, the matter was quickly forgotten.
Yet on this day, the two men and two women in seclusion suddenly heard a calm voice in their ears:
“Fellow Daoists, may Han pay you a visit?”
The voice bypassed all the restrictive formations around their pavilion, reaching them with perfect clarity.
Startled, they immediately recalled a certain individual and rushed downstairs in alarm.
The leader, a scholar who had previously lost an arm—now fully restored—swiftly opened the pavilion’s door.
Outside stood a composed young man in green robes—Han Li.
“Junior greets Senior Han! We were unaware of your esteemed presence and beg your forgiveness!” the scholar exclaimed with a mix of surprise and reverence, bowing deeply and inviting Han Li inside.
Han Li nodded and stepped in without ceremony.
The red-armored man and the two women also appeared, bowing respectfully upon confirming his identity.
“No need for such formalities. We are old acquaintances, after all,” Han Li said with a slight wave, taking the seat of honor.
The four, however, remained deferential, standing to the side with utmost respect.
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