“Is this jade slip from the inner thirty-six pages or the outer seventy-two pages of the Jade Book?” Han Li ran his fingers over the jade slip, watching as the silver runes flickered with an almost sentient glow, and finally couldn’t resist asking.
“The outer pages are inscribed with Silver Kho Script, while the inner pages use Golden Seal Script—a spiritual script even fewer can recognize,” the boy replied, evading the question with a faint, enigmatic smile.
“Silver Kho Script? So what I have is an outer page, and just a fragment at that?” Han Li didn’t seem particularly disheartened, his expression indifferent. Even if the Golden Que Jade Book was as miraculous as the other party claimed, for a human realm cultivator like him, who hadn’t even reached the Nascent Soul stage, it was far too distant. To him, there was no difference between the inner and outer pages. He certainly wouldn’t start worrying about cultivation in the Spirit Realm now.
The boy’s gaze swept over Han Li’s face, as if discerning his thoughts, and he chuckled lightly. “Actually, given your current realm, obtaining an outer page isn’t bad. If it were an inner page, without Void Refinement cultivation, attempting to practice it would be unthinkable. After all, immortal techniques involve manipulating the primal qi of heaven and earth. Only at the mid-level of the three great realms can one truly command the energies of the world. Even Nascent Soul cultivators are merely scratching the surface—attempting such techniques would only bring harm. The outer pages, however, don’t involve cultivation methods. If you can comprehend even a fraction and apply it, you’ll still benefit greatly. Though, with only half a fragment left, it’s hard to say how much you can glean from it.”
“Most likely, it’s about talisman-making,” Han Li speculated, glancing at the golden talisman in his other hand.
“Not necessarily. No human realm cultivator could recognize Silver Kho Script. That Golden Flower Ancestor probably stumbled upon the Jade Book by chance and, sensing its mystery, used it haphazardly. After all, even crude imitations of immortal artifacts can possess incredible powers,” the boy countered, shaking his head.
“If that’s the case, I’ll have to study it carefully when I have time. Fellow Daoist Tianlan, why not teach me the Silver Kho Script now?” Han Li blinked and suddenly proposed.
“No problem. But I have a condition—once you’ve deciphered the Jade Book, I’d like to borrow it. After all, the outer pages can benefit us demons as well,” the boy stated bluntly.
“Agreed! But since you’re a Spirit Realm cultivator with far greater knowledge and experience, if I gain nothing from it, you’ll have to share your insights with me,” Han Li replied leisurely.
“Naturally. But Silver Kho Script and Golden Seal Script are also called True Spirit Script, said to be immortal runes passed down from the True Immortal Realm. Each character holds incredible power—carving them onto ordinary jade slips would cause them to shatter. They can’t be transmitted through mental communication either. I’ll have to teach you the old-fashioned way, character by character. It’ll take some time,” the boy explained after agreeing.
“Time isn’t an issue. We have at least two months before reaching Kuixing Island. You can teach me slowly.” With that, Han Li flipped his hand, returning the jade slip to the wooden box, sealing it with a talisman, and storing it away. Then he gazed at the boy atop the cauldron, smiling wordlessly.
The boy gave a slight, resigned chuckle. “Very well, let’s begin now. Silver Kho Script first appeared on immortal artifacts that fell from the True Immortal Realm to our Spirit Realm. Our Spirit Realm’s great sages spent countless effort deciphering and annotating them. The interpretations may differ slightly from the original immortal meanings, but they’re close enough. I’ll start with the hundred most commonly used runes in talisman-making…” The boy’s voice, oddly mature for his appearance, began to resonate within the flying light as he commenced the lesson.
Han Li naturally seized this rare opportunity, listening intently and asking questions without hesitation whenever something was unclear. The boy, transformed from the Tianxie Beast, showed no impatience, answering each query thoroughly.
Thus, two months passed in a flash. By the time Han Li had mastered most of the Silver Kho Script from Tianlan, they finally arrived in the waters near Kuixing Island.
One day, after finishing a lesson, Han Li was quietly contemplating the teachings when a small black dot appeared on the horizon. With a flicker of his flying light, he approached swiftly—it was a tiny island, barely sixty or seventy li in area, dwarfed by the islands he’d seen before. Yet, this minuscule land emitted a faint spiritual aura, housing a meager spirit vein of the lowest quality.
Hovering hundreds of feet above the island, Han Li gazed at the mountain range below, his expression calm yet his eyes revealing a trace of reminiscence. This was “Little寰 Island,” his former home. When he departed, he hadn’t even formed a Golden Core. Now, returning as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the flow of time seemed almost illusory. Back then, despite his unwavering determination, he had never envisioned ascending to such heights.
After lingering for the time it takes to eat a meal, Han Li’s expression settled, and he soared away on a streak of azure light. With Little Huan Island behind him, Kuixing Island wasn’t far.
Indeed, within half a day, the massive silhouette of Kuixing Island came into view. This time, Han Li didn’t bother entering through the port. Instead, he found a deserted spot, flashed through the island’s protective barrier with a thunderous crash, and calmly flew on. By the time a group of flustered Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived to investigate, he was long gone.
A short while later, Han Li landed on a mountain peak a thousand li away, producing a milky-white array disk. He exhaled a wisp of azure qi onto it, chanting softly. The disk glowed brilliantly before settling into a mirror-like clarity, revealing a blinking red dot. Satisfied, Han Li took to the air again, following the signal.
Soon, he hovered above a secluded estate, his eyes widening in disbelief. “This… this is the Gu Family Manor? Why would Wen Siyue’s family be living here?” he murmured, perplexed.
His prolonged presence naturally caused a stir among the mortals below. Moments later, two streaks of light shot up from the estate, revealing an elderly man and a middle-aged man—both at the Foundation Establishment stage.
“It’s you two?” Han Li frowned, recognizing them as two of Wen Siyue’s disciples. The pair, realizing who he was, immediately bowed in reverence.
“Greetings, Senior Han! We had no idea it was you, venerable one. Please forgive our oversight!”
“Why are you living here? Where are your master and mistress?” Han Li cut straight to the point.
“This is the residence of a nominal disciple I took in, so I arranged for Master and the others to stay here. But they found it too noisy and moved to a temporary cave in the nearby hills with Little Junior Sister,” the elder explained respectfully.
“A nominal disciple? A descendant of the Gu Family?” Han Li’s expression turned odd.
“Yes! Senior knows of the Gu Family?” The elder grew uneasy.
“The former head of the Gu Family and I had some… history. But that was over two hundred years ago,” Han Li said slowly.
“What? That long ago?” The elder gaped in shock.
“Since fate has brought me back here, it seems there’s still a connection. I’ll visit your master first. Later, bring that Gu Family disciple to see me,” Han Li commanded firmly.
“Of course! We’ll obey without question!” The elder replied, both startled and delighted. Though unsure of Han Li’s past ties to the Gu Family, the tone suggested it wasn’t hostile.
Nodding, Han Li scanned the area with his spiritual sense, locating Wen Siyue and her family in the nearby hills. With a flash of azure light, he streaked toward them.
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