“Elder?” Hearing this, Han Li was genuinely stunned.
“Indeed. To be frank with you, Junior Brother Han, when you were at the early Nascent Soul stage, I initially intended to appoint Junior Brother Lü as the Elder and have you assist him. But now that you’ve advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and possess such formidable abilities, not to mention the great contributions you’ve made to our sect, the position of Elder naturally falls to you. Junior Brother Lü has no objections either, as the Elder of any sect is typically the most powerful cultivator.” The elderly man surnamed Cheng said with a smile.
“Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother! But I’m afraid I must decline the position of Elder.” After a moment of silence, Han Li outright refused.
“Junior Brother, there’s no need for modesty. Only you are truly deserving of this position. Surely you wouldn’t have Junior Brother Lü, a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, serve as the Elder of the leading sect in the Xi Kingdom!” Lü Luo chuckled wryly before firmly pressing the matter.
“I’m not being modest—I genuinely have no desire to take on the role of Elder. Both of you know that I am a dedicated ascetic cultivator, and I avoid anything that might interfere with my cultivation. How could I possibly lead an entire sect under such circumstances? Moreover, I frequently go into long-term seclusion for cultivation, leaving me no time to manage the sect or guide the development of the Falling Cloud Sect. Another key point is that I joined this sect midway. Aside from the low-level disciples, I’m barely acquainted with even the Core Formation disciples. Under these circumstances, it would be even more inappropriate for me to serve as Elder. I’d rather remain an ordinary elder, and let Senior Brother Lü take the position instead.” Han Li rattled off a string of reasons without hesitation.
“But Junior Brother—” Senior Brother Cheng frowned, about to say more.
“If you continue pressing this matter, you’ll be forcing me to leave the Falling Cloud Sect.” Han Li’s expression turned serious as he cut him off with a hint of gravity.
“Very well. Since you’ve made your stance clear, we’ll revisit this matter another time.” The elderly Cheng and Lü Luo exchanged glances, realizing Han Li’s refusal was not mere courtesy—he truly had no intention of accepting the position. At a loss, they could only shelve the matter for now.
“That settles it. Though I won’t serve as Elder, as long as I remain a Falling Cloud Sect elder, I will naturally look after the sect. Barring any major unforeseen events, I should be able to ensure the sect’s prosperity for at least another thousand years.” Han Li relaxed slightly as he spoke.
Senior Brother Cheng could only sigh and drop the subject, instead asking about the purpose of Venerable Zhiyang’s visit.
There was no need to conceal this matter, so Han Li briefly recounted the events in a calm tone. He then asked the elderly Cheng, “From what I gathered in Zhiyang’s words, this matter might be related to the newly emerged Seven Spirit Islands and the Great Whirlpool. Since they’re not far from our Xi Kingdom, have you heard any unusual news about them?”
“Unusual news? Not that I know of. The rumors circulating now should be accurate. When the Great Whirlpool and Seven Spirit Islands first appeared, given their proximity to the Cloud Dream Mountains, our sect dispatched disciples to investigate. The findings matched the rumors—nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the abundant spiritual energy surging from the whirlpool and the rare spiritual veins on the seven islands. As for the meeting to divide the islands, our sect didn’t participate since you were still missing at the time.” Senior Brother Cheng replied with a frown.
“In that case, it seems we’ll have to wait until the meeting to uncover the truth. Let’s hope it’s as Venerable Zhiyang said—just a request to borrow the power of the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder, with no real danger involved.” Han Li sighed.
“Regardless, Junior Brother, you should still be cautious. If even the three great cultivators are mobilizing together and summoning mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, this is surely no ordinary matter.” Lü Luo added with concern.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but I doubt they’ll ask me to do anything too extreme.” Han Li suddenly smiled.
“That’s true. Given your youth and your advancement to mid-Nascent Soul stage, coupled with abilities nearly on par with theirs, even the three great cultivators wouldn’t dare provoke you lightly!” Lü Luo laughed heartily.
Han Li gave a faint smile and said no more.
For the remainder of the journey, the three spoke little. Soon, they arrived at the Falling Cloud Sect.
The elderly Cheng and Lü Luo parted ways with Han Li, heading straight to the sect’s assembly hall to announce the news of the sect’s rise to prominence in the Cloud Dream Mountains and discuss countermeasures.
Meanwhile, Han Li went directly to the restricted area where Nangong Wan was sealed. He remained there for several hours before emerging, looking somewhat weary. Without delay, he transformed into a streak of azure light and flew toward his cave dwelling at the Mother-Child Peaks.
Earlier, in the sealed chamber, he had expended considerable energy performing a secret technique to examine the Soul-Sealing Curse within Nangong Wan. The results left him both relieved and worried.
The good news was that the Fire Toad demon core had indeed weakened the curse slightly. The bad news was that its effect was noticeably weaker than expected, casting doubt on whether it could fully lift the curse. More observation would be needed.
Still, Han Li took solace in the fact that even if the core couldn’t fully break the curse, it could delay its onset and mitigate its effects—making his trip to the Devilfall Valley worthwhile.
—
Half a day later, Han Li sat motionless in his secluded meditation chamber, eyes lightly closed in deep concentration. Only through cultivation could he temporarily set aside his worries about Nangong Wan, lest they breed inner demons.
Having entered a meditative state upon arriving, he finally achieved a tranquil mind and slowly opened his eyes. With a slight exhale, a golden silk ball the size of a longan shot from his mouth, spinning briefly before hovering before his chest.
Expressionless, Han Li raised a hand and flicked a green incantation at it.
A thunderous crackle erupted as fine arcs of lightning danced across the golden mass before vanishing abruptly, leaving behind a tiny blue flame the size of a pea.
Without hesitation, Han Li exhaled another wisp of blue flame, which engulfed the small fireball before retracting into his mouth. He swallowed it immediately, forming a strange hand seal and closing his eyes once more.
He was refining the last trace of the Dry Blue Iceflame obtained from the Void Heaven Cauldron. If successful, wielding the cauldron would make him virtually invincible in this realm.
—
Over half a month later, Han Li awoke from meditation. His eyes flickered as he raised a finger, summoning a tiny blue flame at its tip.
He observed the flame in silence until, moments later, his finger trembled slightly. The flame morphed into a slender blue serpent, coiling tightly around his finger before sprouting wings and taking flight.
At his command, the serpent darted around the chamber with astonishing agility. After a full tea’s time, Han Li pointed, causing it to explode midair. The scattered flames rained down, vanishing into his body.
A faint smile crossed his lips. “The refinement of the Dry Blue Iceflame grows swifter. What once took half a year now takes mere weeks.”
Pondering briefly, he tapped his storage pouch, summoning a small, exquisitely crafted cauldron—the Void Heaven Cauldron.
After a moment’s contemplation, he tossed it into the air, where it stabilized. Rubbing his hands together, he conjured a blue fireball, which swelled to the size of a head before launching at the cauldron.
Instead of repelling it, the cauldron absorbed the flames, rotating slowly within the icy blaze. Han Li scrutinized it intently with enhanced vision, searching for any changes.
Yet, even enveloped in the fully refined Iceflame, the cauldron remained unchanged. Frowning, Han Li intensified his gaze, pouring spiritual power into his eyes until they gleamed piercing blue.
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