“Impossible! Although my master’s cultivation is slightly inferior to that thief’s, how could he not even have the chance to escape or call for help?” The young man’s face turned deathly pale as he spoke with disbelief.
“Hmph, what do you know? Even an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn’t stand a chance. That man is a ruthless killer who has slain peers of his own level. Your master being caught off guard and killed by him is hardly surprising. But tell us again, exactly what did Old Man Xiao say to you? Be thorough.” Ge Tianhao snorted coldly, his tone impatient.
Meanwhile, Lin Yinping released her spiritual sense to swiftly scan the area. Suddenly, her slender waist swayed, and she appeared nearly ten meters away, picking up an object from the ground with a flick of her hand. Upon closer inspection, her expression darkened.
“My master didn’t say much. He only entrusted me with his lifebound artifact and instructed me to inform you seniors immediately if the artifact showed abnormalities or if he failed to return within a set time, so you could rescue him from danger,” the young man muttered.
“No need to say more. Your master is undoubtedly in trouble. Is this something from your master’s ancient treasure?” Lin Yinping flicked her wrist, sending an object flying toward the young man.
The young man hurriedly caught it. Upon seeing it, his heart sank. It was a small fragment of yellow wood, emitting a faint but familiar spiritual glow—a remnant of the old man’s wooden shield.
“This is from my master’s shield. That shield was exceptionally sturdy, with astonishing defensive power. How could it have been destroyed?” The young man’s face grew even paler.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, it seems Old Man Xiao is no longer with us. I initially doubted your claims about that man’s ability to kill peers, but now it appears he’s even more formidable than expected. Though Old Man Xiao was only an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he was skilled in several extraordinary escape techniques. Yet he was killed without even a chance to cry for help. This suggests that man’s abilities rival those of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. With just the few of us, capturing him will be difficult,” Ge Tianhao said gravely, ignoring the young man and addressing the Heavenly Lasso Saintess directly.
“What? Brother Ge, surely you don’t intend to abandon your sect’s treasure? Since the Ghost Luo Banner has fallen into that man’s hands, your sect’s Fourth Elder is most likely dead as well,” Lin Yinping said slowly, her delicate brows furrowing.
“Heh! Killing our Yin Luo Sect elder and stealing our sect’s treasure—even if he were a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, our sect would never let him go. But it seems he has deep grievances with your Heavenly Lasso Grasslands as well. Otherwise, why would you, as a tribe’s Saintess, linger in our Great Jin for years solely for him?” Ge Tianhao chuckled dryly, his words laced with implication.
“If we can kill him, I can increase the terms promised by our Holy Temple by twenty percent. However, our temple must first select one item from his possessions,” Lin Yinping said with a faint smile, her red lips pursed slightly.
“Thirty percent! Capturing such a formidable cultivator will cost our sect dearly. As for the treasures, we originally agreed to your temple’s terms and won’t dispute them now,” Ge Tianhao replied without hesitation.
“Our temple accepts these terms,” Lin Yinping agreed after only a brief pause.
“Excellent. As the Saintess of the Ugu Tribe, I trust you won’t go back on your word. Junior Brother Hu, send out a message talisman immediately, summoning all our sect’s elders and disciples in Jinjing to search for this man. Since he visited the market, he will surely attend the grand auction—our best chance to capture him. But we must act covertly to avoid alerting other sects. Low-ranking disciples must not engage him, and elders should avoid confronting him unless gathered in force. The safest approach is to lure him into a formation before striking,” Ge Tianhao instructed another male cultivator from the Yin Luo Sect.
“Should we inform Sect Leader Fang? After all, the Fourth Elder was sent out under his orders before his demise,” the man asked.
“Since the Ghost Luo Banner restoration plan was only half-completed and the Fourth Elder perished, Sect Leader Fang has already drawn the displeasure of the Grand Elders. I heard he’s currently in seclusion refining a powerful treasure. Even if he rushed here now, he wouldn’t make it in time for the auction. But we can send him a message talisman. If we fail to capture that man, we can enlist his faction’s help,” Ge Tianhao said after a moment’s hesitation.
After further discussion, the group departed in streaks of light, concealing themselves midair to avoid alarming mortals. Though Jinjing prohibited flying for cultivators, major sects like the Yin Luo Sect paid no heed to such rules.
—
At the same time, Han Li strolled down a sparsely populated street over twenty li away, using his spiritual sense to inspect the old man’s storage pouch in his sleeve. It contained a jumble of items, requiring careful sorting.
Suddenly, he paused, a look of surprise crossing his face.
“What is it? Found something?” the Great Divination Immortal asked lazily.
“What’s this? I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Han Li murmured, producing a slender, six-inch-tall jade vial. It was emerald green and exquisitely crafted.
Running a finger along its neck, he felt a needle-like chill. Frowning, he shook the vial gently, hearing the faint sound of liquid inside.
“Is this some kind of spiritual liquid? But it’s strange—my spiritual sense can’t penetrate it,” Han Li muttered, studying the vial.
“Curious? Examine it properly later. This is a mortal street—don’t open it recklessly and cause trouble,” the Great Divination Immortal warned.
“Of course.” Han Li flicked his wrist, and the vial vanished.
“Since you’ve exposed your identity, be extra cautious in Jinjing. The Yin Luo Sect and the Heavenly Lasso Saintess won’t let you go easily. They’ll likely guess you’ll attend the auction.”
“No matter. I doubt Jinjing has another spirit beast that can see through illusions. As long as I avoid late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, I’ll be fine. This auction is my only chance to gather the materials I need. Even if it’s risky, we must take the chance,” Han Li replied calmly.
“True. But since this is for puppet materials, if danger arises, I’ll make an exception and assist you with the ‘Soul-Piercing Spike’ from the Great Divination Arts,” the Great Divination Immortal said indifferently.
“Thank you, Senior. With your assurance, I’m much more at ease,” Han Li replied gratefully.
An hour later, Han Li returned leisurely to the Taoist temple, chatting idly with the abbot before retreating to his room. After setting up temporary formations, he retrieved the jade vial for closer inspection.
After a long pause, he gripped the lid and pulled it open. A burst of cold light shot out, plunging the room into freezing temperatures. Even with his mastery of the Violet Flame Cold Art, Han Li shivered violently.
Startled, he enveloped himself in violet flames, repelling the cold light. The room’s surfaces instantly frosted over. Without the protective formations, the chill would have seeped outside.
Though not as potent as his Violet Flame, this cold seemed nearly on par with the legendary Dry Blue Ice Flame.
“What in the world is this?” Intrigued, Han Li shook the vial again, releasing another wave of cold light. As it dispersed, intensifying the room’s chill, he peered inside. Through the misty cold, a dazzling silver glow flickered.
“This seems like… Pour a drop onto a jade dish. Let me examine it closely,” the Great Divination Immortal said, his voice tinged with excitement.
Han Li retrieved a small jade dish and tilted the vial. A single silver droplet fell with a clear, musical chime, solidifying into a tiny silver bead that rolled effortlessly on the dish. Surprisingly, the bead emitted no cold.
“No mistake—this is Cold Marrow, born only within Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade,” the Great Divination Immortal said after a sigh.
“I’ve heard of Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade, but what is Cold Marrow? Is it valuable?” Han Li asked curiously.
“Cold Marrow is a variant of the common jade marrow used in alchemy and artifact forging. But this type only forms within Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Jade, making it exceedingly rare. As far as I recall, only the North Night’s Tiny Extreme Palace in the northwest of Great Jin possesses a small vial, treasured as a generational heirloom. Your Snow Crystal Pearl was also crafted from Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Jade,” the Great Divination Immortal explained calmly.
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