But the next moment, the young man continued with a hint of excitement,
“According to the person injured by the Spirit Mushroom Immortal, his Golden Yuan Restriction Light can trap the floating shadow of this Spirit Mushroom Immortal for up to two months. Moreover, because the Spirit Mushroom Immortal carries this restriction light within its body, he can also craft a tracking disk that can detect the Spirit Mushroom Immortal’s presence as long as it’s within a hundred miles. This Spirit Mushroom Immortal has astonishing escape and concealment techniques, along with some unique abilities, but its actual combat skills are not particularly formidable. Given that it’s also injured, it’s unlikely to venture deep into the Demon Gold Mountain Range and will probably hide somewhere on the outskirts. Therefore, this month is the perfect opportunity to capture it. Those of us temporarily staying in the town originally had no intention of entering the mountain range during the demonic energy eruption period, but with such a rare opportunity, we naturally want to try our luck. As for those from farther away, even if they rush here now, they’ll have already missed the chance.”
Han Li and the other two finally understood after hearing such a detailed explanation. After a brief moment of contemplation, Yue Zong still spoke with great caution, “Although humanoid spirit medicines are extremely rare, there are no records of their specific medicinal effects. It’s not necessarily superior to some top-tier holy medicines. It’s just that such sentient beings are rarely heard of. Given that, it shouldn’t have attracted so many people to risk entering the mountain range during the demonic energy eruption in just a few days. After all, entering during this period is several times more dangerous than usual. Even staying on the outskirts, there’s a chance of encountering powerful demonic beasts.”
“Brother Yue, you might not know this. On the very day the Spirit Mushroom Immortal appeared, a Saint Clan elder arrived in our town. He offered three Myriad Miraculous Pills, three ten-thousand-year-old Green Lotuses, and an astronomical sum of spirit stones in exchange for the Spirit Mushroom Immortal—dead or alive. This elder is currently staying in town and has declared he’ll wait until the month-long demonic energy eruption period ends before leaving. Oh, and those drops of the Spirit Mushroom Immortal’s blood were also purchased by this elder,” explained another woman in palace attire with a fair complexion.
“Saint Clan?” This time, it was Han Li who asked in surprise.
“Indeed. This elder’s surname is Gu, and his cultivation is unfathomable. He doesn’t seem to be a local of our Tianyun region,” the palace-attired woman replied indifferently after glancing at Han Li, finding him unremarkable.
“It seems the people here are actually drawn by Elder Gu’s generous reward,” Qianqian remarked with a light laugh.
“Most cultivators who come to this town, regardless of their cultivation level, are in dire straits and desperately short of spirit stones. Otherwise, they wouldn’t risk entering the Demon Gold Mountain Range. With such a high reward, if we succeed, we won’t have to stay in this town anymore or risk hunting demonic beasts,” the palace-attired woman retorted with a hint of displeasure.
The Crystal Clan woman smiled faintly and said nothing more.
“Nier, mind your manners. These two fellow Daoists are friends of Nephew Yue,” the elderly man surnamed Yan, seemingly a direct elder of the palace-attired woman, lightly reprimanded her with a flash of his eyes.
The palace-attired woman looked displeased but obediently fell silent.
“If this happened several days ago, why are so many people still gathered here? Isn’t Elder Liao in charge anymore?” Yue Zong, still puzzled, glanced around and frowned before asking another question.
“You guessed right, Brother Yue. Elder Liao left over a decade ago. The new overseer is very strict and has reinstated the old entry test. Those who fail the test are denied the Thunder Repelling Umbrella. Unlike Elder Liao, who was more lenient, this new overseer refuses to issue the umbrellas in advance. You’ve come at the right time—today is the first day of the test, which is why so many are gathered here,” the fair-faced young man sighed, complaining.
“Enough, some words shouldn’t be spoken carelessly. Overseer Min’s reinstatement of the test prevents those lacking strength from dying needlessly to demonic beasts,” the elderly man interjected calmly.
“But this test is an outdated rule from long ago, implemented because too many fellow cultivators perished in the Demon Gold Mountain Range. Nowadays, hardly anyone enters the mountains each year. Isn’t this test redundant?” the young man scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
“Arguing is pointless. Without the Thunder Repelling Umbrella, no one can enter the mountains. Since Overseer Liao is no longer in charge, the rules have naturally changed,” Elder Yan said meaningfully.
Seeing that even the highest-ranking elder among them spoke this way, the others refrained from further comment.
“Regardless of Brother Yue’s original purpose for entering the mountains, now that such an opportunity has arisen, you surely won’t pass it up. Why not join us? With your reputation as a renowned demonic beast hunter and the tracking disk, our chances of capturing the Spirit Mushroom Immortal would be much higher than others’. If we succeed, you can take a portion of the reward, and the rest will be split among us. What do you think?” the palace-attired woman coaxed Yue Zong with a smile.
Yue Zong’s expression flickered, but he didn’t respond immediately.
“Brother Yue, our time is limited, and we can’t afford distractions. As for rewards, one is already secured, while the other is uncertain. I trust you’ll make the wise choice,” the Crystal Clan woman said coolly, sensing his hesitation.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Qian. Since I’ve already accepted part of the payment, I won’t change my mind. Elder Yan, I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to and cannot join you,” Yue Zong replied after a moment of internal struggle.
“No matter. To be honest, our entry into the Demon Gold Mountain Range is partly a gamble. The outskirts aren’t vast, but finding the Spirit Mushroom Immortal amid the demonic energy won’t be easy. Who knows? Sometimes, the less you seek, the more likely you are to stumble upon it. Nier, give Nephew Yue a copy of the Spirit Mushroom Immortal’s description and a tracking disk,” Elder Yan instructed casually.
The palace-attired woman promptly retrieved a white stone slab and a blue tracking disk from her storage bracelet.
“Thank you, Elder Yan,” Yue Zong said after a brief hesitation, accepting the items.
“Heh, it’s nothing. After all, I had some ties with your father back in the day,” the elderly man chuckled softly.
Han Li, standing with his hands behind his back, twitched his lips slightly, wearing an enigmatic smile. At the same time, the Crystal Clan woman heard his voice in her ear:
“Fellow Daoist, you omitted some details when we set out. What is this ‘demonic energy eruption,’ and why might we encounter powerful demonic beasts even on the outskirts?”
Qianqian’s expression flickered briefly before she calmly replied via voice transmission, “Forgive me, Senior! Although the demonic energy eruption affects our journey, as long as we don’t venture deep into the mountains, it won’t pose a major problem. I planned to explain this once we entered. To make amends, aside from the true blood and demon core of the Saint-rank demonic beast, I’ll yield a small portion of the materials. Please don’t hold this against me!”
The clever Crystal Clan woman immediately lowered her stance and offered additional compensation upon hearing Han Li’s reproach.
Silence followed in her ear, but soon Han Li’s icy voice returned:
“I despise being deliberately misled. This time, I’ll let it pass. But if there’s a next time, our cooperation ends immediately. Though I’m eager to repair the Heavenly Devil Armor, I won’t tolerate repeated deception.”
Hearing the sternness in his tone, Qianqian inwardly sighed in relief, knowing she’d narrowly avoided disaster.
Meanwhile, Yue Zong chatted amiably with Elder Yan and the others about old times.
But then, something even Han Li hadn’t anticipated occurred.
Two of the highest-ranking cultivators present, both at the peak of the Void Refinement stage and outsiders who had shown no reaction to Yue Zong’s name earlier, suddenly perked up after hearing the others’ discussions.
After exchanging a few hushed words, one of them—a middle-aged man with a square head and unruly green hair—stood up and strode toward Yue Zong’s group.
“So you’re the famous demonic beast hunter of this town. You must know the Demon Gold Mountain Range well,” the green-haired man demanded in a hostile tone as he stopped a few paces away.
“My reputation is from the past. I haven’t entered the Demon Gold Mountain Range in over a century, so I can’t claim familiarity now. What do you need, Senior?” Yue Zong replied evenly, though inwardly uneasy.
“Whether you’re truly familiar or pretending ignorance, tomorrow Fellow Daoist Miao and I are entering the Demon Gold Mountain Range to hunt the Spirit Mushroom Immortal. You’re coming with us,” the green-haired man declared imperiously.
At this, not only did Yue Zong and the palace-attired woman pale, but Qianqian and Han Li were also taken aback.
Elder Yan remained composed but asked coldly, “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“What I mean is, we’ll be borrowing this young man’s expertise. Do you have a problem with that?” The green-haired man, seemingly unfazed by Elder Yan’s equal cultivation, spoke just as arrogantly.
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