“Yes, Senior Brother Wu has a brilliant idea!” The elderly man surnamed Ye’s eyes lit up with excitement.
He then turned to Zhong Lingdao with an eager expression and said, “Sect Leader, could you allow me to meet the owner of the Ascension Immortal Token? I wish to negotiate a trade with him, persuading him to voluntarily give up the Foundation Establishment Pill!”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Lingdao pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. However, he once again cautioned the old man against using any unscrupulous means to force a transaction. Only then did he instruct Junior Brother Wang to take him to meet the unexpected guest.
The old man and Junior Brother Wang left the main hall and immediately stepped onto leaf-shaped magical instruments, soaring into the sky as they flew toward the Welcome Pavilion of Yellow Maple Valley.
In a room at the Welcome Pavilion of Yellow Maple Valley, a young man lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was none other than Han Li, who had arrived at Yellow Maple Valley along with the winners of the Ascension Immortal Assembly.
After killing the two cultivators who had ambushed him, Han Li had traveled without further incident to a hidden mountain range in Lanzhou, where he participated in the recently held Ascension Immortal Assembly. There, he witnessed the arena battles, which were even more brutal than what Hu Pinggu had described.
After a series of life-and-death struggles, each arena finally determined its ultimate victor. At that point, the guides from the seven major immortal sects finally appeared, and the guide for Yellow Maple Valley was none other than Junior Brother Wang.
Upon meeting the guide from Yellow Maple Valley, Han Li, after careful consideration, decided to take a risk and handed over the Ascension Immortal Token for the guide to inspect, greatly astonishing him.
The guide immediately stated that he could bring Han Li back to the sect, but the specific handling of Han Li and the token would be up to their sect leader, as the last recovery of an Ascension Immortal Token had occurred four to five hundred years ago!
Naturally, Han Li did not object, as finding the Yellow Maple Valley mountain gate on his own would have been arduous enough.
Thus, under the astonished gazes of other cultivators, Han Li and the ten winners boarded a massive boat-shaped magical instrument and were escorted back to Yellow Maple Valley by Junior Brother Wang. Han Li was settled here to await further instructions, while the other ten were taken elsewhere, separated from him.
Han Li had been staying here for three or four days without even stepping out of his room. Apart from an eleven- or twelve-year-old servant who brought meals on time each day, he had seen no one else.
This wasn’t because Han Li was particularly obedient or well-behaved. Rather, after arranging his accommodation and testing his spiritual attributes, the guide surnamed Wang had explicitly informed him that, as he was not yet a disciple of Yellow Maple Valley, the room had been sealed with restrictive spells. He was temporarily forbidden from leaving, as doing so would trigger the restrictions and trap him.
Hearing this from the guide surnamed Wang, Han Li naturally had no intention of causing trouble. Moreover, after learning that he possessed a four-attribute pseudo-spiritual root, he had been in low spirits for quite some time.
Although Han Li had long suspected that his aptitude for cultivation was poor, hearing it confirmed firsthand left him disheartened for an entire day. It seemed that if he wished to achieve anything on the path of immortal cultivation, he would have to rely on external aids such as elixirs.
However, after reaching the ninth layer of the Long Spring Technique, he noticed that the effects of the “Yellow Dragon Pill” and “Golden Marrow Pill” had significantly diminished, no longer providing the same level of assistance as before. It seemed he would need to find other spiritual medicine recipes to concoct pills truly suitable for cultivators, lest his progress be hindered.
As Han Li was lost in thought, footsteps suddenly sounded outside his door—more than one person. His spirits lifted; it seemed that after days of waiting, he had finally received the news he had been anticipating.
“Young friend, are you settling in well here?”
The door was gently pushed open, and the voice of the guide surnamed Wang rang out. He stepped into the room, followed by a red-faced elderly man.
“Immortal Master Wang, greetings!” Han Li immediately jumped off the bed and bowed respectfully. He knew that excessive courtesy was never a mistake, and adopting a humble attitude would only benefit him.
“And this is…?” Han Li glanced at the elderly man, somewhat puzzled.
“This is my senior brother, surnamed Ye,” Junior Brother Wang explained with a slight smile.
Surnamed Ye? Han Li was startled. Had his killing of the Golden Light Superior and seizing of the token been exposed? Had someone from the Ye family come for him? But the elderly man, though not looking particularly pleased, did not seem to be clenching his teeth in anger. It seemed there was more to the situation. Han Li pondered inwardly, though his expression remained unchanged. He immediately bowed with equal respect and said, “So it’s Immortal Master Ye!”
The elderly man had already scrutinized Han Li from head to toe. No matter how he looked at him, Han Li appeared utterly ordinary, with no remarkable qualities. This bolstered his confidence in achieving his goal.
Hearing Han Li’s greeting, the elderly man softened his expression and said with a smile, “Hehe! Young friend Han, there’s no need for such formality! Since you’ve come to our Yellow Maple Valley with the Ascension Immortal Token, you are already a disciple of our sect. So, you can call me Uncle-Master Ye. There’s no need to be so reserved!”
Hearing this, Han Li felt somewhat relieved, though he also grew more puzzled.
Since the other party was speaking so politely, it seemed this wasn’t about seeking revenge. But the degree of politeness was somewhat excessive. What did he mean by “not an outsider”? Han Li was baffled.
“Young friend Han, Senior Brother Ye is right! Our sect leader has agreed to allow you to join Yellow Maple Valley as a disciple. Moreover, a Foundation Establishment Pill has been set aside for you!” Junior Brother Wang said with a light laugh.
“Really?” Even though Han Li was usually calm and composed, he couldn’t help but feel exhilarated upon hearing this news. He nearly danced with joy to vent his excitement.
Seeing Han Li’s reaction, Junior Brother Wang smiled, seemingly unsurprised, as if he had anticipated this response.
“Junior Brother Wang, I’d like to speak with Nephew Han alone. Would you mind stepping aside?” The elderly man grew impatient and finally voiced the request he had intended to make upon entering the room.
“Of course. I’ll return to the sect leader then. After you finish speaking with Nephew Han, please come together.” Junior Brother Wang sighed inwardly, glanced at Han Li, and spoke calmly before leaving the room.
Now, only the elderly man surnamed Ye and Han Li remained in the room.
Han Li stared in astonishment at the turn of events. Why had the man surnamed Wang left so abruptly? And why had he left behind someone who claimed to be his uncle-master to discuss something with him? Although he didn’t know what this Uncle-Master Ye wanted, Han Li had a faint sense of foreboding.
The elderly man noticed Han Li’s unease but paid it no mind. He was confident that what he could offer would surely astound this young man, who had likely seen little of the world, and ensure the success of their transaction.
“Nephew Han, your uncle-master here is straightforward, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll speak plainly. The matter I wish to discuss concerns the Foundation Establishment Pill allocated to you. I’d like to purchase it from you. What do you think?” The elderly man came straight to the point.
“He wants to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill meant for him? Was he hearing correctly? Who would ever give up their Foundation Establishment Pill?” Upon hearing this, Han Li was initially stunned, but his expression quickly darkened.
“Nephew Han, rest assured, I won’t ask you to hand over the Foundation Establishment Pill for nothing. I can offer seven or eight mid-grade spirit stones, some intermediate and high-grade elementary spirit talismans, and a few top-quality magical instruments. If that’s not enough, I also have some pills that enhance spiritual power. Though they can’t compare to the Foundation Establishment Pill, they are rare medicines within the sect! As long as you agree, all of these can be exchanged for the Foundation Establishment Pill.” The elderly man, noticing the change in Han Li’s expression, hurriedly explained.
After hearing this, Han Li’s expression softened considerably. He sensed sincerity in the other party’s words. It seemed this uncle-master had no intention of seizing the pill by force and genuinely wished to purchase his Foundation Establishment Pill.
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