Chapter 1198: Volume 7 Across the Human World Chapter 1193: Gathering Spirit Bead

At Drifting Cloud Sect’s dozen or so prestigious guest buildings, Mu Peiling stood by one of them, occasionally gazing up at the sky.

Suddenly, a green light flashed on the horizon, and a startling rainbow shot forth, arriving above the building in the blink of an eye, then circled and descended.

“Greetings, my lord! People from the Ghost Spirit Sect are resting inside the building, and the other two ladies are in building ‘Bing’.” As soon as Han Li’s figure appeared in front of the building, Mu Peiling took a few steps forward and spoke in a soft voice.

“Understood, you may go.” Han Li glanced at the building behind Mu Peiling and then at another one not far away, subtly nodding his head without a word.

Upon hearing this, Mu Peiling respectfully bowed and turned into a streak of white light, departing.

With a flicker, Han Li suddenly appeared at the entrance of the building, sweeping inside with his spiritual sense before calmly entering.

In the hall on the first floor of the building, two men and a woman were sitting and talking. The men were a yellow-robed large man who was as thin as a rail, and an old man with an exceptionally pale complexion. The woman was a ravishingly beautiful young wife in her twenties, none other than Ruyan herself.

While the three were discussing matters, their brows could not hide a hint of subtle anxiety.

When Han Li appeared at the entrance of the hall, their gazes swiftly swept over. Once they clearly saw Han Li’s face, all three of them stood up in surprise to greet him.

“There’s no need for such formalities, fellow Daoists. Let us sit and talk,” said Han Li, appearing on a wooden chair opposite the three before they could speak. He gestured with a wave of his hand.

Ruyan and the others failed to catch even a glimpse of his movement.

“Then we won’t stand on ceremony,” said the pale-faced old man, his heart trembling, but he immediately responded with a smile plastered across his face.

The three of them took their seats again.

“Celestial Ni Chang, it has been many years since we last met. You have finally advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage. Now we can address each other as peers,” said Han Li as he looked over the even more charming Ruyan, suddenly smiling lightheartedly.

This former number one female disciple of the State of Yue, Ruyan, had also successfully condensed her Nascent Soul, becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator.

“Fellow Daoist Han jests. I have only recently broken through the bottleneck, while you are now the number one cultivator in Tian Luo. How can I compare with Brother Han? I have come here this time to seek help from Brother Han,” Ruyan carefully sized up Han Li, a complex expression on her lovely face.

Han Li smiled faintly, not picking up the conversation, his gaze shifting to the other two elders of the Ghost Spirit Sect, eventually resting on the old man’s face.

“You must be Elder Zhong. Back in Devilfall Valley, I caught but a fleeting glance of you,” said Han Li.

“I never imagined Brother Han would still remember Zhong. This old man is rather pleasantly surprised,” the old man responded with a dry laugh upon hearing this.

“Now the Ghost Spirit Sect seems to face formidable enemies. All three of you hold important positions within the sect and should be in the State of Yue confronting the enemies. Yet, you all came together to my sect, specifically to meet me. What urgent matter do you have?” Han Li asked, getting straight to the point.

Seeing Han Li’s no-nonsense manner, Ruyan and the others exchanged hesitant looks, seemingly unsure of how to begin.

Observing their reactions, Han Li’s brows furrowed as a displeased expression appeared on his face.

The three observers immediately noticed Han Li’s discontent, causing Elder Zhong and the large man’s hearts to skip a beat as their gazes involuntarily fell on Ruyan.

Ruyan hesitated, but finally parted her red lips to speak:

“Fellow Daoist Han, we have come here to seek help from your esteemed sect–or rather, to ask for Brother Han’s assistance, hoping that you will help our Ghost Spirit Sect overcome the great calamity at hand. Otherwise, our sect may really dissipate like smoke.”

“Help your sect?” Han Li asked in response, his eyebrows raising while a faint hint of sarcasm played on his lips.

“I am aware that our sect has gravely offended Brother Han in the past, but those were all the doings of the former Sect Leader Wang and his son. Sect Leader Wang has already fallen in Devilfall Valley, and the Ghost Spirit Sect is no longer controlled by the Wang Clan,” the other yellow-robed large man hurriedly explained on the side.

“Not controlled by the Wang Clan? But I’ve heard that Wang Chan seems to be quite free and at ease within your sect, isn’t he?” Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, noncommittally interjecting.

Hearing this, Elder Zhong and Ruyan’s faces slightly changed, whereas the large man, startled but still smiling, replied:

“Brother Han, rest assured, Wang Chan has committed a grave error recently. He has been stripped of his position as Law Enforcement Elder and is now confined to our Sect’s Reflection Cave, repenting for his mistake. There will be no involvement in any sect affairs for at least a century or so.”

“Repenting for his mistake? This fellow Daoist’s face is unfamiliar to me. May I ask your surname? You seem somewhat similar to Celestial Ni Chang at a glance,” Han Li said with some surprise, but after his gaze had swept over Ruyan and the large man’s faces in turn, he seemed to recall something and asked with a light chuckle.

“Brother Han truly has a discerning eye. I too share the surname Yan and am a paternal uncle to Ruyan!” The large man hesitated slightly, then sincerely replied.

Next to him, Ruyan also gently nodded.

“Oh, the Yan Clan actually has two Nascent Soul cultivators now. By the looks of it, the one currently in control of the Ghost Spirit Sect should be the Yan Clan, right?” Han Li stroked his chin, his words carrying significant weight.

“Hehe, it’s not wrong to say that our Yan Clan is in charge of the sect. This is all thanks to Elder Zhong’s modesty in deferring the position.” The large man glanced at Elder Zhong hesitantly before speaking.

“Since Martial Brother Wang and the others were not managing the sect well, it was only natural for the Yan Clan to take over. I can hardly speak of any modesty on my part,” the elder said with a wry smile.

“Is that so?”

Han Li casually remarked, and then his eyes slightly narrowed as he fell into silence.

The three from the Ghost Spirit Sect dared not urge him and could only sit quietly. Ruyan was fine, with bright eyes flashing uncertainly, unsure of what to think, while the large man and the elder were visibly anxious.

This great cultivator from Tian Luo, the foremost cultivator of his time, had once had considerable enmity with their Ghost Spirit Sect. Although they came under the auspices of offering congratulations, which meant the other party would not likely seek revenge against them, coming to see Han Li was still worrisome. If it weren’t for the Ghost Spirit Sect’s absolute inability to resist the combined pressure of the other sects, they likely would not have braved a visit to the Drifting Cloud Sect.

After all, the ability to speak out alone and potentially drive back several Immortal Cultivation sects was something only Han Li was capable of throughout Tian Luo. Other great cultivators might cause the major sects to be wary, but being able to reach this extent was a different matter.

“Even without the matters of the past, on what basis do you believe I would lend a hand to your Ghost Spirit Sect?” Han Li finally spoke, but his voice had turned somewhat chilling.

Upon hearing Han Li’s words, Ruyan’s gaze flashed as she looked over, while the large man and the elder rejoiced.

All three detected a hint of possibility in Han Li’s words.

“As long as Brother Han is willing to intervene on behalf of our sect, the Ghost Spirit Sect is willing to cede the State of Yue to the other sects, seeking only to preserve our own lineage. And as a token of thanks for Fellow Daoist’s efforts, we have specially brought several gifts for Fellow Daoist, hoping that Brother Han won’t find them too humble,” said the large man, taking a deep breath.

With that, he slapped his waist with one hand and a misty haze of white light erupted from his storage pouch. The light rolled towards the table in front of him, and suddenly three items appeared on top of it.

Han Li looked over indifferently.

It turned out to be a blood-red bracelet, a porcelain bottle, and a light green wooden box.

Han Li did not say a word, but reached out with one hand towards the items in the air, and with a tremor, they flew out of thin air, falling into his hand.

At that moment, Ruyan’s voice, as clear as a jade bead, suddenly rang in Han Li’s ear:

“The porcelain bottle contains our sect’s elixir, the ‘Blood Limb Pill.’ This pill has no other effects, but its healing powers are miraculous for bodily injuries. Even if an appendage is completely severed, as long as the pill is taken in time, regeneration is possible, identical to the original. As the spiritual medicines required to refine this pill are difficult to collect, our sect currently has only a dozen or so left. There are three in the bottle. As for the Blood Soul Bracelet, it’s an evil treasure seldom known to cultivators, initially the possession of the lineage heads of Ghost Spirit Sect. But since Sect Leader Wang fell in Devilfall Valley, Elder Zhong took it back. This evil treasure is different from ordinary ones; it can’t be directly used to overcome enemies but can be used to raise special beings like blood ghosts within the bracelet. Using the bracelet to absorb blood essence, it can rapidly enhance their strength, and then when confronting enemies, release them to catch the opponent off guard. As for the last item, this green wooden box, it is the most precious of the three.”

As Ruyan spoke, her voice paused slightly, and her bright eyes flashed towards Han Li.

But at this time, Han Li showed no change in his expression, as if the previous two items had not moved him at all.

With a light sigh in her heart, the woman maintained her composure and continued, “I hear Brother Han cultivates a wood attribute cultivation art, and inside this box is the legendary Wood Spirit Stone from the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Bead!”

“Gathering Spirit Bead? Is it the rare and valuable treasure that’s said to specifically absorb spiritual energy of a certain attribute from heaven and earth while rejecting other types of spiritual energy?” Han Li, initially appearing indifferent, now showed great change in his expression, seemingly asking in disbelief.

“Indeed, it is this treasure. Although the Gathering Spirit Bead shares a name with the most basic Array ‘Spirit Gathering Formation’ and their functions have some similarities, the difference between the two and the true efficacy of the bead are something I needn’t explain further, as Brother Han is likely very clear about. As for its comparison with other spirit well objects, if one’s cultivation art matches the attribute of the bead, even the finest spirit well object pales in comparison to this treasure,” Ruyan slowly said.

Han Li’s gaze grew more intense as he looked at the green wooden box in his hand for a moment. A pale yellow Daoist paper talisman was affixed to it, making it impossible for him to see inside.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth and lightly blew towards the wooden box.

Instantly, a swipe of green light brushed over the wooden box, and the talisman fluttered down of its own accord. Han Li’s other hand quickly tapped the lid of the box.

After a “click,” the lid of the wooden box opened on its own.

(Second update!)