Han Li absentmindedly twirled the jade slip in his hand for a moment before a flash of cyan light made it vanish. After determining his direction, he strode away.
Traversing most of Dantian City, Han Li arrived at a secluded corner of the massive city and stopped before an unremarkable-looking general store. Above the shop’s entrance hung a black wooden signboard with the flamboyant characters “Yu He Xuan” inscribed upon it.
After a brief glance, Han Li stepped inside. The interior was modest—a small hall no more than twenty feet wide—stocked mostly with common items like talismans and raw materials. A small side door led to the rear quarters.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man in gray robes, poring over what appeared to be an account book. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Han Li discerned the man’s cultivation level to be extremely low, merely at the Qi Refining stage. The shopkeeper’s ordinary appearance made him utterly forgettable in a crowd.
Upon seeing Han Li enter, the middle-aged shopkeeper immediately rose with an ingratiating smile and hurried forward.
“Esteemed Senior, what might you be looking for? Our shop has all manner of goods to meet your needs,” the man recited the standard shopkeeper’s spiel.
Han Li smiled faintly, flipped his palm, and produced the green jade slip, pressing it directly into the shopkeeper’s hand. The man’s expression shifted slightly as he quickly stowed the slip away and asked respectfully, “Might I inquire as to your esteemed name, Senior?”
“Han,” came the offhand reply.
“So it truly is Senior Han! Our Patriarch mentioned your impending visit, though we hadn’t expected you so soon. Please follow me, Senior Han.” The shopkeeper bowed deferentially before gesturing toward the side door. Han Li nodded silently and proceeded inside.
To his slight surprise, the rear chamber resembled a warehouse—filled with various cabinets and chests lining the walls so densely they obscured them completely.
The middle-aged cultivator stepped forward to a wooden cabinet and pressed lightly on one corner. Immediately, two adjacent chests slid apart to reveal a bare wall.
“To prevent occasional customers from sensing the restrictions, we’ve employed mundane mechanisms for the surface-level security,” the shopkeeper explained as he moved forward.
Han Li’s expression remained neutral, showing no surprise.
The man stepped on a bluestone slab before the wall, which emitted a dull creak before slowly parting to reveal a sinister downward-sloping passage.
“This junior is unqualified to proceed further. Senior must continue alone,” the shopkeeper said, stepping aside with an apologetic smile.
Han Li frowned slightly and extended his spiritual sense into the passage. Faint spiritual energy fluctuations were detectable, growing weaker with depth until blocked by a restrictive barrier. With his expertise in formations, Han Li immediately recognized it as a simple spiritual perception barrier—easily breached by force, but doing so would alert those within.
He hesitated momentarily.
While he doubted the Tianji Sect elder would be foolish enough to attempt anything under Dantian City’s watchful eyes, he remained wary of plunging blindly into an unknown, enclosed space at the behest of potentially hostile parties.
As Han Li hesitated, those inside seemed to anticipate his concerns. The barrier blocking his spiritual sense abruptly dissipated. Realizing this was a gesture of goodwill, Han Li unceremoniously scanned the area below thoroughly, his face momentarily registering surprise.
“So it’s him. This is rather interesting,” Han Li murmured before stepping decisively into the dark passage.
Only after Han Li’s figure disappeared into the passage did the shopkeeper reseal the entrance, restore the cabinets to their original positions, and return nonchalantly to the front hall.
The passage descended dozens of yards underground—clearly designed for secrecy. After some time, Han Li spotted a glimmer of white light ahead and quickened his pace, emerging into a square stone chamber.
The spacious room was nearly empty save for several meditation cushions. Two figures sat cross-legged on cushions facing the entrance, smiling at Han Li’s arrival. Without a word, Han Li took a seat on a cushion in the corner.
“I never imagined it would be you seeking me out. Meeting you here is truly unexpected,” Han Li said with a light smile toward one of the figures.
The man—wearing a tall crown and blue robes—responded with a bitter smile: “Indeed, even I thought escape impossible. After parting from you, I believed I’d gotten away, only to discover they’d placed a tracking spell on me. They caught up at the edge of the Mulan Grasslands. But fortune smiled upon me—a group of high-level spell warriors searching for us created enough chaos for my escape. Those who attacked me will pay in due time.” The mid-Nascent Soul cultivator’s voice carried a veiled ferocity.
This was none other than Marquis Nanlong, who had fled from pursuing treasure hunters. His ashen complexion and lifeless eyes betrayed severe depletion of vitality. The other figure was naturally the white-robed Tianji Sect elder who had summoned Han Li.
“To escape under such circumstances commands admiration, Marquis Nanlong. But why seek me so urgently instead of recuperating in seclusion? Even resorting to having this fellow’s disciples harass my concubine—this puzzles me.” Han Li’s smile faded, his tone carrying subtle displeasure.
“Ah, a misunderstanding, Fellow Daoist Han. This was a last resort. You should know your situation mirrors mine—we’re both marked for death by those people. I feared you might walk into an ambush unaware, hence this unorthodox approach. This is my sworn brother, Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi of Tianji Sect. I’d wanted him to join our treasure hunt initially, but sect affairs prevented his participation.” Nanlong offered both explanation and introduction.
Marquis Nanlong’s attitude toward Han Li had shifted markedly from their first meeting, now carrying distinct deference—a consequence of Han Li’s demonstrated ability to slay a Nascent Soul cultivator.
The white-robed elder clasped his hands apologetically: “My methods were indeed offensive. I beg Fellow Daoist Han’s forgiveness—it was truly necessary.”
“Let it pass, given the circumstances. But Marquis Nanlong mentioned earlier—is this about the jade box I took?” Han Li waved dismissively before posing the question.
“Precisely. From what I know, the Ghost Spirit Sect paid dearly to bribe those treasure hunters—they’re absolutely determined to obtain the method and route map for entering Devilfall Valley left by Frost Li the Transcendent. What you hold is one essential component—only when combined with Marquis Nanlong’s route map can one bypass most valley dangers to potentially claim the treasures.” Xuanjizi spoke with grave seriousness.
“An essential item for Devilfall Valley? That black ring?” Han Li paused momentarily before recalling.
“So the Yin-Yang Rings are indeed in Brother Han’s possession! Excellent!” Nanlong’s spirits visibly lifted, color returning to his pallid face.
“Yin-Yang Rings?” Han Li frowned, the term vaguely familiar until realization struck. He stared sharply at Nanlong: “The rings forged by Mystic Yellow Elder from celestial meteorite iron? I’ve heard they’re ordinarily useless, but can manipulate Arctic Essence Light to kill invisibly—considered rather impractical in cultivation circles.”
“Fellow Daoist’s knowledge impresses. Indeed, those very artifacts. The rings come in yin and yang pairs—the yin ring protects against the light’s harm while the yang ring controls it offensively. You must possess the yin ring. Frost Li the Transcendent relied on it to traverse the valley’s light zone and escape intact. While other methods exist to bypass Arctic Essence Light, they either require large groups maintaining protective formations or depend on lost artifacts.” Nanlong explained calmly.
“And your proposal is…?” Han Li studied both men while internally weighing pros and cons.
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