Now that they were the only two left on the journey, Han Li and the Song woman naturally didn’t exchange many words at first. However, as they caught sight of Tianyi City in the distance, the woman hesitated before suddenly asking in mid-flight, “Uncle Han, since ancient times, countless Nascent Soul old monsters have entered the Fallen Devil Valley and never returned. Is it really possible for us Core Formation cultivators to find the Spirit Fruit and exit safely?”
Hearing this, Han Li was slightly taken aback. His cyan glow flickered as he slowed his flight speed, then turned his head to look at her with a hint of surprise. It was unexpected that the Song woman would ask such a question at this moment.
After a brief silence, Han Li replied indifferently, “In terms of cultivation and techniques alone, you are far inferior to the treasure-seeking cultivators who entered the valley before. It’s only natural that your chances of survival in the face of danger are much smaller. However, the reason those cultivators perished in the valley was mostly due to their own greed. Otherwise, with so many Nascent Soul cultivators entering, it’s impossible that none could safely obtain one or two treasures. Most likely, they were tempted by the treasures—after obtaining one, they sought another, or they were solely focused on finding spiritual medicines that could extend their lifespan or allow them to break through realms in a short time. As a result, venturing into multiple dangerous areas inevitably led to their downfall sooner or later.”
“So, according to Uncle, entering the valley would still be a near-death gamble for us?” The Song woman frowned, her expression troubled.
“Without a method to enter the valley and a relatively safe route, it’s not just a near-death gamble—among all the cultivators who entered before, aside from Frost Li the Transcendent, how many ever walked out alive? Without these two conditions, I wouldn’t even consider entering the Fallen Devil Valley. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be treasure hunting—it would be suicide. Although your cultivation is lower, as long as you aren’t greedy and investigate the exact location of the Spirit Candle Fruit beforehand, heading straight for it upon entering the valley would give you a chance of success if luck isn’t too bad. Of course, the Fallen Devil Valley is known as the most perilous place in the South Sky. No matter how well-prepared you are, you must be ready to perish inside. If the Spirit Candle Fruit were so easy to obtain, the Ghost Spirit Sect, who also knows about it, wouldn’t have waited until now to act. Their current move to enter the valley is likely because they saw that Marquis Nanlong also obtained a method to enter and feared he might take the treasures first, forcing them to take the risk. Their entry method is probably quite dangerous.” Han Li hesitated before voicing his speculation.
“If Uncle suspected the Ghost Spirit Sect’s entry method was flawed, why didn’t you…” The Song woman’s eyes flashed with surprise at Han Li’s words.
“Why didn’t I say it in front of Violet Spirit and the others? Do you think I had ulterior motives?” Han Li chuckled, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
“No, I wouldn’t dare suspect Uncle,” the Song woman quickly clarified, startled.
“Don’t worry. It’s natural for you to have doubts. But the reason I didn’t say these things wasn’t out of malice. While these words might be useful to you and Mei Ning, they likely wouldn’t have much effect on Violet Spirit. The Creation Pill is indeed extremely precious, but for Core Formation cultivators, it’s somewhat wasteful. Mei Ning aside—if she takes the pill, she has a great chance to reach Core Formation, making it worth the risk. After all, reaching Core Formation extends one’s lifespan by centuries. But you and Violet Spirit are only at early Core Formation, and your aptitudes are far from ordinary. Even without the pill, you’d likely break through to mid-Core Formation safely. Taking the pill would only save you a century of bottleneck contemplation. On one hand, you save a century of cultivation time; on the other, you risk your life in the Fallen Devil Valley. The choice depends entirely on the individual. I don’t know what you’d choose, but Violet Spirit would likely take the risk for that century. She doesn’t want to remain a Core Formation cultivator—saving a century of arduous cultivation would greatly increase her chances of reaching Nascent Soul.” As Han Li spoke, a meaningful expression crossed his face.
“Uncle means that Violet Spirit is determined to become a Nascent Soul cultivator, so no matter the danger, she’d take the risk?” The Song woman murmured, her expression turning peculiar.
“Exactly. Violet Spirit’s experiences differ from yours and Mei Ning’s. She’s been coerced by powerful cultivators multiple times, even losing the sect her mother passed down to her. Though she escaped and never speaks of it, I can faintly sense that her desire for strength is stronger than most.” Han Li gazed at the reddish evening glow in the distance, recalling past events.
Then, under the Song woman’s astonished gaze, Han Li seemed to grow more talkative. After a pause, he continued, “If the Spirit Candle Fruit truly exists in the valley, I’d likely take the risk too. Advancing even a single step at the Nascent Soul stage is incredibly difficult. Missing this opportunity might mean being stuck at early Nascent Soul for life. But unless entering the valley becomes absolutely necessary, I won’t waste time with pointless warnings. If the time comes, I’ll emphasize the dangers and point out the flaws in the Ghost Spirit Sect’s method. However, this is just my speculation—it’s possible their method is even more refined than Frost Li the Transcendent’s. That’s another reason I didn’t voice my suspicions immediately.”
The Song woman fell silent, her eyes showing a glimmer of understanding.
“Enough. I hadn’t planned to say this now, but since you asked, I’ve shared a few thoughts. Now that you’re in Tianyi City, your priority is surviving the upcoming battle. If you’re unlucky and perish in the fight, there’s no need to worry about the Fallen Devil Valley. The same goes for me—once I return to Tianyi City, this matter will be set aside.” A trace of self-mockery flickered across Han Li’s lips.
“Thank you for your guidance, Uncle!” The Song woman straightened her robes and bowed in gratitude, her heart chilled by his words.
“It’s not guidance. You’d realize this with a little thought. Let’s enter the city—it’s getting late.” Han Li waved dismissively, his expression calm.
“Yes, Uncle!”
The cyan glow surged forward at full speed, streaking toward the city gates.
—
Several days later, in a heavily warded secret chamber within the Drifting Cloud Sect’s Tianyi City residence, Han Li sat cross-legged in the center, frowning as he held a massive sword over five feet long. The blade burned with strange violet and azure flames—his Purple Apex Flames and the eerie azure lamp flame.
After returning from Violet Spirit’s place, Han Li had spent the following days being dragged by Lu Luo to meet numerous Nascent Soul cultivators friendly with the Drifting Cloud Sect. Under normal circumstances, meeting even one of these high-ranking cultivators would be difficult, but in just a few days, Han Li had met over a dozen—a rare experience.
These cultivators, aware of Han Li’s reputation, treated him with respect, and he even hit it off with a few. But once these meetings ended, Han Li immediately secluded himself in this chamber to deal with the aftermath of the Yellow Dragon Mountain battle—the persistent azure flame burning on his Emerald Swarm Sword.
The flame remained stable on the sword only due to the balancing suppression of his Purple Apex Flames. This azure lamp flame, of unknown origin, was a terrifying demonic fire with power rivaling his own. Though Han Li had barely restrained it through sheer quantity, refining it was a headache.
If left unchecked, not only would the Emerald Swarm Sword be unusable, but his Dry Blue Ice Flames and Purple Apex Flames would also be difficult to deploy in battle—an intolerable situation.
Han Li’s eyes flickered as he studied the sword. After a long moment, he tossed it into the air and sent a cyan spell onto it. The sword circled above the chamber before splitting into dozens of smaller flying swords. With a thought, most of them shot into his body as streaks of cyan light, leaving only one hovering horizontally before him.
Staring at the violet and azure flames on the sword, Han Li narrowed his eyes and suddenly spat out a stream of purple fire onto the blade. The violet flames surged, suppressing the azure flames.
He then manipulated the flames, forcing the azure fire toward the sword’s tip until it condensed into a pea-sized ember.
Despite this progress, Han Li’s expression grew graver. Taking a deep breath, his fingers danced as he fired a rapid succession of multicolored spells at the sword. The violet flames intensified, forming wave after wave of pressure against the azure ember.
The azure flame flickered precariously at the sword’s tip, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing. Yet, under the relentless assault, it instead grew brighter, stubbornly clinging to the blade.
A trace of anxiety flashed in Han Li’s eyes as he increased the spellcasting tempo.
After a while with no improvement, his face darkened. With a cold glint in his eyes, he raised a hand, coating it in dazzling violet flames, and reached out to pinch the azure ember directly.
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