Chapter 1174: Arrangements

“Sister Liu, did you get the spirit herb?” Two other streaks of light shot out from the bamboo forest, arriving beside the white-robed woman in the blink of an eye, revealing two other beautiful women. One of them, dressed in yellow, asked eagerly.

“We got it, but it’s not what we were looking for—just a Purple Flame Flower,” the white-robed woman replied with a bitter smile.

“Don’t worry, Junior Sister Mu. We’ve only searched a small part of the outer valley. The Illusion Spirit Grass we’re looking for might still be elsewhere,” the last woman, clad in a light-colored palace gown, said with a gentle smile.

These three stunning women were none other than Liu Yu, Mu Peiling, and the Song-clan woman from White Phoenix Peak.

They had been in the outskirts of the Fallen Demon Valley for nearly half a month. Though they had found some other hidden spirit herbs, the Illusion Spirit Grass they sought remained elusive. Liu Yu and Mu Peiling were growing anxious, but the Song-clan woman remained calm and composed.

“That may be true, but the other areas are more dangerous. There might still be remnants of spatial rifts. If we accidentally fall into one, we’d be doomed,” Liu Yu frowned, her delicate brows furrowing with concern.

“Most of those spatial rifts have already dissipated. As long as we’re careful, it’s unlikely we’ll encounter one. Besides, this pill is crucial for Core Formation cultivators, and the path of immortality is fraught with danger anyway. If we’re too afraid to take risks, we might as well stay in the sect and meditate in seclusion,” the Song-clan woman chuckled lightly.

“Sister Song is right. I’ve reached a bottleneck at the mid-stage. Without this pill, breaking through will be extremely difficult,” Mu Peiling sighed after a moment of contemplation.

“Well, if both Sister Song and Junior Sister Mu agree, I suppose I’ll have to accompany you all the way,” Liu Yu said with a radiant smile, her bright eyes gleaming.

With their decision made, the three women transformed into streaks of light and shot toward other parts of the outer valley, vanishing in an instant.

At the same time, within the restricted area of the Falling Cloud Sect, the stone chamber’s door slowly opened once more. Han Li stepped out with a faint smile, only to find Lü Luo and Tian Qin’er waiting for him with smiles of their own. He was momentarily taken aback.

“Junior Brother Han, how is your wife doing now?”

“She’s fine. I used the curse-breaking method I obtained from the Great Jin to remove the Soul-Sealing Curse again. There shouldn’t be any more mishaps. However, Wan’er is currently at a critical stage in her cultivation of the Charming Moon Art and can’t leave the ice wall for now. We’ll have to wait a few more years. It’s a pity my cultivation attributes don’t match hers, or I could assist her immediately,” Han Li sighed, his smile fading as a trace of regret crossed his face.

“Don’t worry, Junior Brother. Though she can’t break free immediately, she can awaken on her own now. It’s just a matter of waiting a few more years. When the time comes, I’ll definitely attend your wedding feast,” Lü Luo said with a relaxed expression, teasing Han Li.

Han Li’s face reddened slightly at the remark, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled without responding.

“By the way, Junior Brother, now that you’re a Great Cultivator, staying at the Twin Peaks might not be appropriate. Why not return to the sect? I can have a new cave residence built for you on the main peak,” Lü Luo suggested hesitantly.

“That won’t be necessary. Though the Twin Peaks aren’t large, they’re secluded. Even when Wan’er comes out, they’ll be spacious enough for the two of us,” Han Li replied after a moment’s thought, shaking his head.

“If that’s what you prefer, then so be it. Oh, and the Nascent Soul-level puppet you left with me—” Lü Luo hesitated, a hint of reluctance in his expression as he brought up the puppet Han Li had entrusted to him.

“Now that I’ve reached the late Nascent Soul stage, that puppet isn’t of much use to me anymore. Consider it a gift to the sect—you can continue to control it,” Han Li said with a light chuckle, his eyes flickering.

“Then I must thank you, Junior Brother!” Lü Luo exclaimed, overjoyed. The puppet would be of great use to him.

“However, Wan’er is at a critical juncture in breaking through her mid-stage bottleneck. I don’t want any accidents affecting her final cultivation,” Han Li suddenly said, his brow furrowing.

“Junior Brother, you mean…?” Lü Luo looked puzzled.

“The Twin Peaks are quite far from the restricted area. Though I won’t be in long-term seclusion these next few years, I do need to refine a few treasures and might have to leave the sect occasionally. I plan to modify the restrictions here, strengthening them to seal this place completely. I hope you don’t mind,” Han Li said solemnly.

“Haha, is that all? Go ahead and do as you see fit. Ever since your return, I’ve intended to leave the restricted area entirely under your control,” Lü Luo laughed.

“Then I thank you, Senior Brother. By the way, I may need you to look after my disciple from time to time,” Han Li said with a faint smile, gesturing toward Tian Qin’er.

He briefly mentioned her Dragon’s Cry Physique and the possibility that she might be the reincarnation of an old friend.

“So the cycle of reincarnation truly exists. Don’t worry—if you’re unavailable, I’ll help suppress the backlash of her yang energy,” Lü Luo immediately understood and agreed without hesitation.

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Senior Brother Lü. But rest assured, I’ll do my best to gather some yin-attribute spirit pills. If they’re potent enough, they might temporarily alleviate her condition, sparing you the need to intervene frequently,” Han Li said confidently.

Lü Luo waved his hand dismissively, unfazed.

Tian Qin’er, hearing Han Li’s words, felt deeply moved. She had been worried about what would happen if her master went on long journeys or entered seclusion.

She hadn’t expected Han Li to have already considered her situation so thoroughly.

After discussing some matters regarding the upcoming ceremony and the possible visits from the Ancient Sword Sect and Hundred Craft Academy, Lü Luo took his leave.

Once Lü Luo had left the restricted area, Han Li immediately took out seven or eight sets of formation flags and disks, rearranging the restrictions around the stone chamber.

Having slain numerous Nascent Soul cultivators during his time in the Great Jin, Han Li had acquired many powerful formation tools from their storage pouches—far superior to what he had before. Dissatisfied with the original restrictions, he decided to upgrade them.

This way, even if he wasn’t by Nangong Wan’s side, he could rest easier. He didn’t want a repeat of the past, where his absence had led to his loved ones being harmed.

With pre-made formation tools, setting up the arrays was incredibly fast.

In less than the time it took to finish a meal, Han Li had completed the arrangements. After smiling at Tian Qin’er, he clapped his hands and re-entered the stone chamber, emerging shortly after with a satisfied expression.

“Come, let me show you where I live. I’ll also carve out a separate cave residence for you. And I’ll entrust you with all the formation-related texts I’ve collected,” Han Li said cheerfully.

With a flash of azure light, he and the girl transformed into a streak of light, leaving the restricted area and heading straight for his old residence at the Twin Peaks.

Moments later, the azure streak passed through the sect’s protective formation and arrived above the eastern Twin Peaks. After circling once, it descended onto one of the subsidiary peaks.

Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing over a dozen golden flying swords that vanished in flashes of light.

He then sat cross-legged, forming hand seals in silence. Soon, thunderous booms echoed from the mountainside.

Tian Qin’er stood behind him, looking around curiously.

With Han Li’s current cultivation level, carving out a small cave residence was effortless. Within half an hour, he opened his eyes.

“Done. As for the interior, you can decorate it as you like. Go take a look—if anything doesn’t suit you, feel free to change it. If you need anything, use my elder’s token to retrieve it from the sect. I’ll be refining some treasures in my cave these next few days, so you can take this time to familiarize yourself with the sect.”

“Yes, Master!” Tian Qin’er replied excitedly.

Han Li suddenly flipped his hand, revealing several glowing objects—a token, a small banner, a bead, a flying sword, a bronze mirror, and other high-grade magical tools.

“These tools are of decent quality, suitable for your current cultivation level. Refine them for self-defense. My disciples must be capable of protecting themselves. Oh, and that token controls the Twin Peaks’ restrictions—refine it first before leaving,” Han Li said calmly.

“Thank you, Master! Qin’er will remember your kindness!” Tian Qin’er’s parents had been Core Formation cultivators, so she recognized these tools as top-grade or even peak-grade—usable even at the Core Formation stage. Overjoyed, she bowed deeply before accepting them.

Han Li chuckled and transformed into a streak of light, shooting toward the main peak and disappearing into its depths.

Tian Qin’er, thrilled, examined her new treasures for a while before happily flying off to inspect her new cave residence.

Meanwhile, Han Li had already returned to his cave, untouched for nearly a century.

Seeing everything just as he had left it, he sighed with emotion. He then transplanted spirit herbs into his garden and placed his spirit insects and beasts in their respective chambers.

Without delay, he entered his secret chamber to refine his second set of Emerald Swarm Swords, planning to incorporate the newly acquired Geng Gold into them.

But this was only the first step. He also intended to blend the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Jade from the Small Extreme Palace into the swords, granting them icy powers and further enhancing their might.

Even Han Li himself couldn’t help but eagerly anticipate the reforged might of his lifebound treasures.