In the VIP pavilion, Han Li was idly toying with the Wood Spirit Pearl in his hand, about to store it away along with the other two treasures when a faint voice suddenly reached his ears.
“Fellow Daoist Han, do you truly intend to keep this pearl as it is?”
“Hmm? Is there something wrong with this Spirit Gathering Pearl?” Han Li frowned slightly, taken aback.
“Heh, the pearl itself is fine. But did you know that the Spirit Gathering Pearl is actually a failed semi-finished treasure? While cultivating with it may grant rapid progress in the early stages, once you hit a bottleneck at higher levels, its drawbacks will become apparent. High-level cultivators who rely on this pearl find breaking through bottlenecks twice as difficult as others. By absorbing only a single type of spiritual energy to boost your cultivation, you inadvertently weaken your sensitivity to other spiritual energies. For cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, this flaw isn’t obvious. But for someone like you, who needs to sense various types of natural spiritual energy to advance, the trade-off is simply not worth it. That’s why, despite its uniqueness, the Spirit Gathering Pearl is mostly used in the Spirit Realm by low-level disciples with poor aptitudes for quick cultivation. High-level cultivators would never resort to such a shortcut,” the child explained carefully.
“Such a thing exists? So, this treasure would hinder my advancement to the Deity Transformation stage, making it essentially useless to me?” Han Li’s expression darkened as he stared at the emerald-green pearl in his hand, a flicker of anger crossing his face.
“Didn’t I just say it’s a semi-finished treasure? If you can gather a few other rare wood-attribute materials, it can be transformed into another treasure—the Wood Life Pearl. While it won’t speed up your cultivation, once fully refined, it can grant you the ability to manifest an Indestructible Body once, potentially saving your life in a critical moment,” the child said leisurely.
“Indestructible Body?” Han Li was stunned.
This was an ability he had long coveted. However, he had only witnessed it in certain ancient demons, demonized corpses, or legendary beasts. He had never heard of a human cultivator possessing it.
“Indeed. A single Wood Life Pearl allows you to activate the Indestructible Body once. Even if your head is severed or your body split in two, you can fully recover,” the child chuckled.
“Such a thing exists? But if it can only be used once, isn’t it just a consumable treasure?” Han Li asked, both amazed and skeptical.
“Having the Indestructible Body even once can save your life in dire situations. Isn’t that enough? Besides, aside from the Wood Spirit Pearl, the other required materials are likely hard to find in the human realm. Whether you can even refine it remains uncertain,” the child snorted dismissively.
“What materials are needed? I’ve collected quite a few wood-attribute resources,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
“I’ll provide you with a list. But in exchange for the refinement method, you’ll need to offer me something in return,” the child stated bluntly.
“Oh? What does Fellow Daoist Tianlan require? Feel free to name your terms,” Han Li relaxed slightly upon hearing this.
If the Tianlan Sacred Beast had offered the method without asking for anything, he would have grown suspicious. Despite their prior camaraderie during the lightning tribulation, the relationship between humans and demons was inherently transactional. He remained wary, knowing that the beast’s cooperation was likely due to its dependence on the Void Sky Cauldron, which Han Li controlled.
“My conditions are simple. Although I’ve successfully taken human form, I still need certain spiritual medicines to stabilize my cultivation. Given your status in the South Sky, acquiring these should be trivial for you,” the child said slowly.
“No problem. Include the list of required items along with the refinement method,” Han Li agreed without hesitation.
“Good. Once you return to your cave, I’ll provide both the list and the method,” the child replied, pleased with Han Li’s straightforwardness.
Han Li smiled, returning the Wood Spirit Pearl to its box before storing all three treasures in his pouch.
“Fellow Daoist Tianlan, do you think the Ghost Spirit Sect is aware of the pearl’s drawbacks?” Han Li’s voice turned cold as a glint of frost flashed in his eyes.
“Hard to say. From what you’ve said, this pearl was abandoned by ancient cultivators long ago, and its flaws weren’t passed down. If a Ghost Spirit Sect elder cultivating wood-attribute techniques has used it, they might have noticed the issue. Otherwise, they’d have no way of knowing. Are you suspecting those three deliberately gave you this pearl to hinder your advancement?” the child quickly grasped his implication.
“I considered that, but upon reflection, the Ghost Spirit Sect has no motive to do so. Even if I were stuck at the Nascent Soul stage, I’d still be the strongest cultivator in the South Sky. Wouldn’t they fear my retaliation if I discovered their scheme? There must be more to this. Think about it—whoever manipulated the Ghost Spirit Sect must be a local South Sky cultivator. What difference would it make to others if I couldn’t advance to Deity Transformation? Even without it, no one in the South Sky could rival me. The only consequence would be my lifespan remaining limited to a thousand years, shortening the time the Falling Cloud Sect dominates the region. But for most sects, it wouldn’t matter who holds the top position. Only a few major sects—like the Illusionary Flame Sect, the Harmony Joy Sect, or the Great Unity Sect—would care enough to orchestrate this. Perhaps they’re even colluding behind the scenes,” Han Li mused, stroking his chin.
“Your reasoning makes the murky details seem crystal clear. Are you suggesting the other three late-Nascent Soul cultivators are involved?” The child was taken aback by Han Li’s analysis, letting out a wry laugh after a pause.
“Possibly. But this is just speculation. Without proof, I can’t be certain,” Han Li stood up and paced the room before glancing at the ceiling with a cold smile.
“If you want the truth, just capture those three and use soul-searching techniques,” the child suggested with a low chuckle.
“Capturing them is easy, but it might yield nothing. Even with the truth, without solid evidence, I can’t recklessly attack any sect. Moreover, seizing three Ghost Spirit Sect elders would make me a target. While my reputation as the South Sky’s strongest cultivator commands respect, it also invites envy and fear. Others might use this as an excuse to rally the entire South Sky against me. No matter how powerful I am, I can’t fight an entire realm alone. Such precedents have happened before,” Han Li’s expression darkened, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head.
“You’re being too cautious, Han boy. Back in the Spirit Realm, I’d have… Well, it’s your call. As long as you keep yourself alive, I won’t interfere,” the child said lazily.
“Don’t worry. Now that I know someone’s scheming against me, I’ll be vigilant. For now, I’ll pretend ignorance. If they stop here, so be it. But if they try anything else, I’ll catch them red-handed. With evidence in hand… Hmph! They’ll learn what true suffering means,” Han Li’s tone was calm, but the icy edge in his words was unmistakable.
The child chuckled but said nothing more.
Han Li lingered in the pavilion a while longer before finally stepping out. He raised his head, gazing at another nearby tower, his brow furrowing slightly.
Hanyunzhi’s visit was understandable, but why had Dong Xuan’er come? Their past interactions hadn’t been pleasant. Despite her stunning beauty, she’d left a poor impression on him.
Yet, one thing puzzled him. Years ago, he’d heard from a rogue Harmony Joy Sect disciple that Dong Xuan’er had sent people searching for him after forming her Golden Core. Why?
His eyes flickered as he stared at the distant tower. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked toward it.
Inside the tower, two young and beautiful female cultivators stood in silence—one seated, the other standing.
The seated woman wore a yellow robe, her delicate features exuding a gentle, refined charm. The standing woman was clad in white, her enchanting beauty marred only by a trace of weariness, which somehow made her even more captivating.
Han Li’s arrival drew their immediate attention.
“To have both Fellow Daoists visit at once is quite a surprise. But since you’re both old acquaintances, I must admit this reunion stirs some emotions,” Han Li said with a faint smile as he approached.
“Brother Han! No… Senior Han, I hope my visit hasn’t caused you any trouble,” the yellow-robed woman—Hanyunzhi—exclaimed, her dark eyes shining with joy as she rose nervously.
The white-robed woman, Dong Xuan’er, remained silent, her gaze complex as she studied Han Li.
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