Chapter 1297: Silver Core Stone and Heaven’s Core Pill

“One is a material called Silver Core Stone, and the other is something I myself don’t recognize. You’ll have to see for yourself,” the old man said indifferently, casually opening one of the brocade boxes to reveal a pale silver stone the size of a fist.

He then closed the lid and, with a flick of his hand, sent both boxes flying toward Han Li.

“Silver Core Stone! Wait, we two want that item!” The elegant woman standing nearby suddenly exclaimed with a mix of surprise and excitement upon hearing the name. The young man beside her was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, reaching out with one hand to summon a surge of azure light that rolled toward the box containing the stone.

When Han Li heard the name “Silver Core Stone,” his expression flickered slightly. As the young man made his move to snatch the box, his face darkened.

With a mere twitch of his arm, a faint *snap* sounded as his arm extended several feet in an instant, seizing both boxes in his grasp.

By then, the azure light had just reached him, showing no signs of stopping as it surged toward Han Li, clearly intending to forcibly reclaim the boxes.

Han Li snorted coldly, his body sliding backward like a spring as he retreated several yards. At the same time, he raised a golden palm and punched straight into the azure light.

With a *pfft*, the azure light was pierced through as if made of paper, instantly dissipating into nothingness.

“A high-level body cultivator!” The young man, who had already begun forming hand seals, hesitated slightly upon witnessing Han Li’s display of skill, his expression shifting uncertainly.

“Senior Brother Qian, hold on. There’s no need for violence. Shopkeeper, this Silver Core Stone hasn’t been sold to this fellow Daoist yet, has it? Whatever the price, I’m willing to pay double. Could you let us have it first?” The woman surnamed Lü called out to the young man before turning to the old man with a clever smile.

“No. Even if Fairy Lü is a descendant of Senior Huangliang, you cannot break the rules of my Sky Vault Pavilion. This shop is not an auction house—we don’t sell to the highest bidder but follow the principle of first come, first served. Unless this fellow Daoist truly doesn’t want it, only then can you purchase the Silver Core Stone.” Whether this was truly the shop’s rule or the old man was deliberately making things difficult, his tone remained indifferent.

Fairy Lü was taken aback and instinctively turned her gaze toward Han Li.

But Han Li didn’t even lift his head, instead opening the other brocade box to reveal a dull gray rectangular ore. Its surface was unusually smooth, resembling fine jade, yet its color was so muted it seemed almost eerie.

“My master is the Venerable Flood Dragon. This Silver Core Stone is something Junior Sister Lü must obtain. I’ll pay double the price on her behalf—hand it over.” The young man surnamed Qian stared at Han Li, speaking slowly. Though his words were polite, his tone was rigid, as if Han Li were already getting an incredible deal.

“No.” Han Li rubbed the gray stone with a finger, not even bothering to look up.

“What did you say?” The young man’s face twisted in anger, clearly not expecting Han Li to refuse outright without a second thought.

“Perhaps this item is truly precious to your companion, but how do you know I don’t need it as well?” Han Li glanced at the young man, his voice calm.

“I said I’m willing to pay double!” The young man’s gaze turned icy, his words laced with a hint of threat.

Fairy Lü frowned but made no move to stop him this time.

“I’m not lacking in spirit stones. If you’re willing to turn around and leave, I’d rather pay *you* a sum of spirit stones.” Han Li sighed, murmuring under his breath.

Though the man and woman before him seemed to have powerful backers, Han Li was confident in his solitary status. He was about to enter the Sunset Tomb and wouldn’t emerge until he had broken through his bottleneck and restored his magic power. He had no reason to fear two mere Core Formation cultivators. Once his magic power was restored, the gap between their cultivation realms would be vast. Even if their backers intervened, he was confident he could escape if he couldn’t win.

However, his blunt refusal not only left Qian Xing pale-faced but also drew a look of surprise from the previously expressionless old man.

Could this man also have a formidable background, to dare show no deference to the disciples of Venerable Flood Dragon and True Monarch Huangliang?

Old Xu, however, had begun to overthink things.

Hearing Han Li’s response, the young man surnamed Qian darkened completely.

Fairy Lü, on the other hand, seemed to share the old man’s suspicions. After scrutinizing Han Li several times, she suddenly spoke: “May I ask your honorable surname and which senior you study under? Perhaps your master knows my ancestor.”

“I’m just a wandering cultivator with no master. As for my name, it’s not worth mentioning.” Han Li smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.

“Is that so? If you don’t wish to say, then forget it. However, how about I trade you a bottle of ‘Heavenheart Pills’ for the Silver Core Stone? These pills can temporarily enhance divine sense, compensating for the natural deficiency body cultivators have in that regard. They’re extremely beneficial when breaking through bottlenecks.” After a brief hesitation, Fairy Lü flipped her hand, producing a small green porcelain bottle, her tone calm and composed.

“Heavenheart Pills? Junior Sister Lü, these are True Monarch Huangliang’s exclusive secret medicine! Trading them for a mere Silver Core Stone is far too wasteful!” The young man surnamed Qian immediately protested in shock.

Even Old Xu, who had remained silent until now, showed a flicker of emotion upon hearing this.

As for Tian Xing, he seemed utterly clueless about the pill’s reputation, his expression blank.

“Temporarily enhancing divine sense—does it work on cultivators as well?” Han Li’s interest was piqued, and he blurted out the question.

“Cultivators already possess strong divine sense, so the effect would be negligible.” Fairy Lü was slightly taken aback but answered honestly.

“In that case, Fairy Lü may keep the bottle. I won’t make the trade.” Han Li shook his head again.

This time, even Fairy Lü’s expression darkened.

Old Xu was utterly baffled.

The reputation of Heavenheart Pills was unparalleled—they were considered a supreme medicine for breaking through bottlenecks. How could this man refuse such an offer for the sake of a mere spirit tool material? If not for the fact that the pills had no effect on the strange poison afflicting him, Old Xu might have even been tempted to reclaim the Silver Core Stone and trade it to Fairy Lü himself.

The fact that she could casually produce a bottle of Heavenheart Pills suggested she was highly favored by True Monarch Huangliang.

While the old man was lost in thought, Han Li had already begun inquiring about the prices of the two items.

Wary of Han Li’s possible background, the old man refrained from gouging him but still quoted a price that would be exorbitant for an ordinary cultivator.

Han Li nodded, flipping his hand to produce a storage bracelet. With a swipe of his spirit ring, a pile of high-grade spirit stones tumbled out—more than enough to cover the cost.

These were stones Han Li had exchanged along his journey, converting the low- and mid-grade spirit stones he had brought from the human world.

In the Spirit Realm, low- and mid-grade spirit stones were nearly useless for his cultivation, so it was only natural to trade them for high-grade ones.

Without another word, the shopkeeper collected the spirit stones with his own storage bracelet, finalizing the transaction.

Han Li stowed the brocade boxes and strode toward the door, with Tian Xing hastily following, his heart pounding.

The young man’s expression shifted between dark and uncertain for a long while. Ultimately, unable to discern Han Li’s true identity, he refrained from stopping him. However, he silently resolved to investigate this man’s background as soon as he returned.

Fairy Lü, meanwhile, stared at Han Li’s retreating figure, biting her lip in frustration.

Once outside the shop, Han Li was in high spirits, thoroughly pleased with the two materials he had acquired.

In truth, the gray stone was the more valuable of the two.

It was a rare variant of a spirit tool material.

Had Han Li not studied spirit tool refinement techniques and, with his eidetic memory, read through most of the books in Yuyang City’s libraries, he might not have recognized it at all.

For ordinary spirit tool artisans, this material was hardly useful—inferior to standard high-quality materials. However, for refining certain special magic treasures, it had unique applications.

But for an outlier like Han Li, this material held boundless potential, leaving him immensely satisfied.

Over the next few days, Han Li followed Tian Xing to several other material shops in Sunset City, acquiring a few more items before dismissing him. He then rented an inconspicuous spirit tool workshop and secluded himself inside, refusing all visitors.

…

A month later, Han Li calmly left Sunset City. Half a month after that, he arrived alone before a massive canyon.

This was the entrance to the Sunset Tomb.

The canyon was several miles wide, its ground and walls covered in bizarre crimson stones that tinted even the nearby sky a blood-red hue, creating a startling sight.

Near the canyon’s mouth, small groups of cultivators and body cultivators had gathered. Some whispered among themselves, while others sat cross-legged in silence. Most were mid-tier cultivators and body cultivators of modest strength, only daring to enter the canyon after forming temporary teams.

From time to time, prearranged groups would arrive in a rush, entering without pause.

A few high-level cultivators and body cultivators, confident in their abilities, also strode in without hesitation.

Yet none—whether cultivator or body cultivator—dared fly too high, staying no more than a dozen yards above the ground.

Anyone with sense knew that flying too high in these lands was tantamount to offering one’s life to demonic cultivators or other ill-intentioned individuals. Moreover, the Sunset Tomb was home to countless avian ancient beasts, turning the skies into a de facto no-fly zone.