Chapter 969: Kushu Island

A flash of spiritual light appeared in the distant sky, and a green rainbow, about twenty feet long, swiftly arrived above the mist-covered sea stretching for hundreds of miles. The radiance faded, revealing a young cultivator dressed in scholarly robes—none other than Han Li.

Carrying a bamboo tube on his back, he scrutinized the sea mist below, but his vision was obscured by a thick, white haze, making it impossible to discern anything clearly.

Han Li’s eyebrows arched slightly as a blue glint flickered in his pupils. Moments later, his expression darkened abruptly.

“This Bitter Bamboo Island truly has its tricks. Even with the Clear Sight Spirit Eyes, I can’t fully penetrate the formations below. The Ten Thousand Trees Grand Formation lives up to its reputation,” Han Li murmured to himself.

“Of course. However, the Black Phoenix Tail Feathers from Bitter Bamboo Island can enhance the power of your Seven Flames Fan. This trip is unavoidable. Moreover, the Bitter Bamboo Elder seems like the perfect opponent to test the puppet’s strength—killing two birds with one stone,” came the faint voice of the Great Divination Sage from the bamboo tube, sounding even weaker than when he had first split his soul.

“I know. That’s why I came here immediately after finishing the puppet. But how much longer can you hold on?” Han Li asked with concern.

“Don’t worry. With your Soul-Stabilizing Talisman, I won’t reincarnate easily until I see the puppet’s true power,” the Great Divination Sage chuckled softly.

Han Li nodded, then glanced down at the sea mist. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he slapped a storage pouch at his waist. A burst of green light swirled out, and a figure flickered into view—a middle-aged cultivator with a pale complexion, identical in stature to Han Li but with a cold, expressionless face.

The cultivator wore a yellow robe, his skin as smooth as jade. Upon closer inspection, his features were identical to the miniature puppet the Great Divination Sage had inhabited. However, his eyes gleamed with a chilling light, devoid of any warmth.

Though he had seen it many times before, Han Li couldn’t help but glance at the puppet the moment it appeared.

The Spirit-Summoning Soft Jade was truly miraculous. Originally dull and gray, after refining it with the method taught by the Great Divination Sage, its color had transformed to resemble human skin. Once all the soft jade was fused onto the puppet’s shell—primarily crafted from Hard Silver—it looked astonishingly lifelike.

Thanks to the Spirit-Summoning Soft Jade’s ability to freely change shape and the integration of a sliver of his own soul into the puppet, it could speak, change expressions, and behave indistinguishably from a real person under his control.

The only drawback was the issue of spirit stones. Such a high-grade puppet couldn’t function properly with mid-grade spirit stones. At full power, mid-grade stones would be depleted after just a few attacks. Only high-grade spirit stones could sustain its full combat potential.

However, high-grade spirit stones were exceedingly rare. Since arriving in the Great Jin, Han Li had scoured every market for them but had only managed to collect a handful. Each stone could power the puppet for merely a quarter of an hour at full strength.

“Begin,” Han Li said calmly. Regardless, since the puppet had been crafted, it had to be tested.

Without hesitation, the puppet raised both hands, fingers slightly spread. A green spiritual light rapidly gathered in its palms, forming two dazzling orbs the size of human heads, radiating an intimidating aura.

With two soft *pops*, the puppet flicked its wrists, sending the orbs shooting downward as beams of light. They vanished into the sea mist without a trace, as if swallowed by the ocean.

Han Li watched the mist expressionlessly, remaining silent.

Moments later, earth-shattering explosions erupted. The tranquil sea of mist churned violently as two massive wind pillars, each ten feet thick, surged upward, swirling and wreaking havoc. The surrounding mist cleared for hundreds of feet, resembling a ferocious flood dragon emerging from the sea.

Almost simultaneously, several shrill cries of alarm rose from below, filled with shock and fury.

Han Li’s gaze swept downward, where a massive island loomed faintly through the thinning mist. Above the island, a green light barrier shimmered, covering nearly half of its expanse.

At that moment, over a dozen streaks of multicolored light shot out from the barrier, charging aggressively toward Han Li’s position. Clearly, the attack had alerted the island’s cultivators.

Han Li immediately discerned that these cultivators varied in strength, ranging from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation. However, the leader was an elder at the late Core Formation stage.

“Who are you two, and why—? Ah, it’s two Seniors! May I ask what brings you to our island?”

The group flew up to Han Li, initially prepared to angrily demand answers. But after scanning Han Li with their spiritual sense and realizing he was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator—on par with the Bitter Bamboo Elder—while failing to gauge the puppet’s cultivation, their leader’s heart skipped a beat, and his tone softened considerably.

“I’ve long admired Fellow Daoist Bitter Bamboo’s reputation and came to pay a visit. Could you kindly announce my arrival?” Han Li replied with a faint smile, not batting an eye.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. My master entered seclusion years ago and no longer receives guests. If the Seniors have urgent matters, you may discuss them with me first. I have some authority over Bitter Bamboo Island’s affairs,” the leader said with an apologetic smile after a brief pause.

“Fellow Daoist Bitter Bamboo is in seclusion? What a pity. But since you have authority, that will suffice. I’ve heard your island keeps an ancient spiritual bird, the Black Phoenix. Is this true?” Han Li blinked, his expression unchanging.

“The Black Phoenix? What does the Senior mean by this?” The leader’s heart tightened.

“Nothing much. I’m crafting a treasure and require three tail feathers from the Black Phoenix. In exchange, I offer one seventh-rank demon core and three sixth-rank cores. Would you agree?” Han Li flicked his sleeve as he spoke, releasing four jade boxes that hovered before him.

With a casual wave, the lids opened, revealing four demon cores of varying sizes—one slightly larger and three smaller.

“Exchange for the feathers?” The leader was taken aback, momentarily bewildered.

“Indeed. Your island’s Black Phoenix is likely a seventh-rank spiritual bird. With so many demon cores, my sincerity should be evident.” Han Li’s smile faded, replaced by solemnity.

“Though the Black Phoenix is an ancient spiritual bird, these demon cores are more than sufficient compensation. However, I’m afraid I cannot agree to this,” the elder said after a long hesitation, shaking his head reluctantly.

Han Li’s gaze turned icy as he stared at the elder in silence.

Seeing Han Li’s displeasure, the elder quickly explained, “Senior, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I disrespect you, but our Black Phoenix is at a critical stage of advancement. Any loss of cultivation would be disastrous.”

“I see. But I must have those feathers. How about this—I’ll add another seventh-rank demon core to compensate for your losses.” Han Li frowned, then produced another jade box.

The Bitter Bamboo Island cultivators exchanged uneasy glances.

“What? Even this isn’t acceptable?” Han Li’s tone turned frigid, his gaze piercing.

“This matter is too significant for me to decide. How about this—I’ll risk my master’s wrath and send a message to his seclusion chamber, seeking his reply.” The elder shuddered under Han Li’s stare, then glanced at the humanoid puppet before gritting his teeth. If his mishandling provoked a powerful enemy for Bitter Bamboo Island, he’d face severe punishment regardless.

“Fine. I’ll wait.” Han Li nodded, his expression easing slightly.

The elder promptly released a message talisman, detailing the situation and Han Li’s offer before sending it off. Naturally, he emphasized Han Li and the puppet’s formidable cultivation to justify his actions.

Han Li didn’t wait long. As he stood with his hands behind his back, studying the island’s formations, a deep, aged voice echoed from the island.

“So, fellow Daoists of the Nascent Soul stage have come to visit. Forgive this old man for not greeting you properly. Please proceed to the Phoenix Welcoming Pavilion on the island. I shall emerge shortly to receive you.” The voice clearly belonged to the Bitter Bamboo Elder—the first half addressed Han Li, while the latter instructed his disciples.

“As you command, Master! Seniors, please follow me. My master has agreed to meet you personally,” the elder said, bowing respectfully before turning to Han Li with a smile.

“Very well. I’ve long admired your island’s reputation and would like to see it for myself.” Han Li glanced at the puppet beside him before agreeing calmly. He and the puppet then descended toward the island with the group.

With a puppet rivaling a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Li was confident that even the famed Ten Thousand Trees Grand Formation couldn’t trap him. Thus, he had no fear of the island’s forces turning hostile.

In moments, the group passed through a rift in the light barrier and entered the island.

As Han Li flew inside, a surge of spiritual energy greeted him. Below, towering trees stretched as far as the eye could see—each thirty to forty feet tall, of rare and exotic species seldom seen elsewhere.

Among them, over a dozen towering purple mulberry trees stood out, arranged in a pattern that seemed to resonate with the natural order.

“Are these your island’s Divine Mulberry Trees? I heard there was only one, yet there are at least a dozen here!” Han Li frowned, suddenly addressing the elder beside him.

The elder, who had been discreetly studying the humanoid puppet—wondering why this “Senior” remained silent and expressionless—startled at the question.