Chapter 1199: Volume 7 Across the Human World Chapter 1194 Conspiracy

A fresh, herbal fragrance filled the air as the wooden box was opened. Inside was a gentle glow of green light, and within the radiance lay a thumb-sized jade-green bead, quietly resting in the box.

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Han Li discovered that the bead was neither stone nor wood, its material composition indiscernible at first glance.

When the bead was revealed, the surrounding area became instantly saturated with dense wood spiritual Qi. Taking a deep breath, Han Li couldn’t help but feel invigorated.

“It truly is the Gathering Spirit Bead! No mistake about it! However, such beads occasionally appeared in ancient times. Whether they are formed naturally or refined by cultivators is still unknown, but they have long since vanished from the realm of immortal cultivators. Unexpectedly, your sect possesses one of these treasures. But, Celestial Ruyan! Is the Ghost Spirit Sect truly willing to gift such a rare item? You must understand, any cultivator practicing wood attribute cultivation art who possesses this bead can halve their cultivation time compared to others.” Han Li pinched the bead between two fingers, gazed at it for a moment, then calmly lifted his head to look at the matronly woman across from him and asked coolly.

“Indeed, this bead is a rare treasure in the human world, but compared to our sect’s legacy, it pales in significance. Moreover, Han Brother should be fully aware that our Ghost Spirit Sect’s cultivation techniques rarely involve wood attributes, so this item is of little practical use to us. Instead, it might serve as a chance to ensure our sect’s survival.” Ruyan’s expression turned solemn as she spoke.

“The earlier items were acceptable, but this Gathering Spirit Bead is undeniably of great use to me. However, if you want me to intervene with the Controlling Spirit Sect and several other sects, the Ghost Spirit Sect must do one more thing for me. Otherwise…” Han Li shook his head faintly.

“What is it? As long as it’s within our abilities, we certainly won’t disappoint our esteemed Daoist friend.” The yellow-robed large man’s eyes lit up, his voice tinged with eagerness.

“I won’t interfere with matters regarding the rest of the Wang Clan, but Wang Chan–him, I do not wish to see again. Otherwise, I have absolutely no interest in saving a mortal enemy. Do you understand my meaning?” Han Li cast a sidelong glance at the large man and spoke with deliberate indifference.

The nearby elder surnamed Zhong’s complexion changed, while Ruyan’s face turned pale. The large man, however, fell silent, his expression unruffled.

“Han Brother’s meaning is clear to me. I don’t think this will be an issue. Senior Zhong, what do you think?” The large man turned his head and addressed the elder surnamed Zhong.

“If Han Brother insists, then for the sake of our sect’s legacy, I believe Senior Nephew Wang Chan will do what is necessary for our sect.” The elder’s expression alternated between light and shadow before he sighed and spoke.

“Since Senior Zhong has no objections, I, Ruyan, shall consent to this matter on behalf of our sect.” The large man nodded to Han Li, no longer hesitating.

Throughout, he never once glanced at Ruyan nor sought her opinion.

Ruyan’s complexion remained pale, but she said nothing.

“Very well, I will take the items. In several days, I will personally deliver letters to the Controlling Spirit Sect and the other sects.” Han Li nodded subtly, his expression composed.

The yellow-robed large man was overjoyed.

Following that, the three members of the Ghost Spirit Sect, having achieved their goal, chose not to linger further at the Drifting Cloud Sect and promptly rose to take their leave.

Han Li did not attempt to persuade them otherwise, merely watching them depart.

Ruyan was the last to leave the grand hall. When she reached the doorway, her steps faltered; her expression was complicated as she turned to glance back at Han Li.

Her red lips parted slightly, but ultimately no words came out. She sighed quietly, turned away again, and left the grand hall without a backward glance.

Witnessing this scene, Han Li’s expression shifted faintly. He looked at the three treasures on the table and fell into silent contemplation.

…

After the three members of the Ghost Spirit Sect left the Drifting Cloud Sect, they immediately transformed into streaks of light and began their journey back.

But not long after leaving the confines of the Dreamcloud Mountains, the elder surnamed Zhong suddenly sighed and turned to the yellow-robed large man beside him, asking:

“Ruyan Junior Brother, must we truly take action against Nephew Wang?”

“Senior Zhong, it’s not that I want to exterminate him, but this condition was unequivocally demanded by the other party. There’s no room for ambiguity. The other party hasn’t asked us to deal with the entire Wang Clan, and since Senior Zhong’s descendants don’t solely consist of Wang Chan, it won’t extinguish the Wang Clan’s lineage entirely. This, as far as he is concerned, is already a lenient condition. After all, the Wang Clan greatly wronged him in the past. It’s rumored that Wang Chan nearly injured him fatally before his cultivation path was established. Considering this, it’s no wonder he’s unwilling to let this go so easily. In my opinion, this might be a good opportunity to purge the Wang Clan’s influence within our sect. Otherwise, if this person harbors secret resentment against our sect despite his outward agreement, the consequences would be disastrous.” The yellow-robed large man argued with calculated reasoning.

“This…” The elder’s face showed hesitation.

“Ruyan, this time, you’ll have to endure some grievance. Even when the marriage agreement with the Wang Clan was established years ago, you must have had some inkling of such an outcome. Fortunately, you’ve now advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage, while Wang Chan failed to advance and no longer matches you. Besides, the Wang Clan suddenly attacked our Yan Clan back then, leaving no high-level Yan Clan cultivators unaffected, save for me secretly cultivating outside. Even you weren’t spared from their restrictive formations. Since Wang Chan disregarded his spousal bond with you, why should you need to consider his feelings?” The large man turned to the silent Ruyan and spoke apologetically.

“Uncle’s words, how could I not understand? But Wang Chan and I, after all, were husband and wife. How can I express agreement outright? After we return, I will enter seclusion for a century and no longer involve myself in sect affairs. Whether you deal with Wang Clan and Wang Chan as you see fit need not concern me.” Ruyan replied indifferently, before transforming into a streak of light that flew ahead at three times her previous speed, leaving the large man and elder far behind.

The yellow-robed large man looked after her and showed a hint of helplessness on his face.

“I won’t add much to this either. If it truly benefits our sect, then we can proceed based on Ruyan’s suggestion.” The elder surnamed Zhong pondered for a long moment before reluctantly agreeing to the large man’s proposal.

“Rest assured, Senior Zhong. I will act prudently and not take things too far.” The large man spoke with delight.

The elder simply shook his head and said no more, his mood evidently somber.

The large man paid little mind to this, understanding that his senior had forged bonds with Wang Chan and his father far earlier than with himself. It was entirely natural for him to display such emotions.

“Still, handing over a supreme treasure like the Gathering Spirit Bead to someone else remains a great pity.” After his excitement subsided, the large man clicked his tongue and lamented aloud.

“A pity? Do you truly believe this Gathering Spirit Bead belongs to our sect?” The elder surnamed Zhong let out a cold laugh, speaking words that left the large man in a stunned state.

“What do you mean? Wasn’t this bead retrieved from our sect’s treasury by Senior Zhong?” The yellow-robed large man looked thoroughly perplexed.

“Hehe, whether this treasure originally belonged to our sect is unclear to me, but one thing is certain–this bead was personally delivered to me by Old Devil Cloud Dew of the Harmonious Bond Sect.” The elder surnamed Zhong chuckled ominously.

“Old Devil Cloud Dew?” The yellow-robed large man was utterly dumbfounded.

“Indeed. Not long ago, that old devil sought me out, claiming this bead was loaned to the Harmonious Bond Sect by us in years past. He suggested that only Han Li, the Great Elder of the Drifting Cloud Sect, could save our sect. Using this treasure as leverage to secure his aid would yield the best results. Why, Junior Brother, does this sound too surprising to you?” The elder spoke with layers of meaning.

“Even if this bead truly belongs to our sect, why would Old Devil Cloud Dew so willingly return it? Could something be amiss with the Gathering Spirit Bead?” The yellow-robed large man reacted quickly, his face shifting to one of alarm.

“The treasure itself has no issues–I’ve examined it multiple times–in both appearance and effect, it matches the description of the Gathering Spirit Bead perfectly. It’s genuine. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have followed his suggestion so recklessly.” The elder shook his head solemnly.

“Still, that old devil wouldn’t undertake anything without ulterior motives. Senior Zhong should have discussed this with us earlier. If something goes awry, it could lead to our sect’s destruction.” The yellow-robed large man appeared deeply agitated.

“Hmph. Without following the old devil’s advice, what other treasures could compel Tian Luo’s foremost cultivator to intervene? Would discussing it in advance change anything?” the elder retorted coldly.

The yellow-robed man remained silent, unable to refute this.

“Forget it. The bead has already been delivered; there’s no turning back now. Since the bead itself is flawless, any consequences will be unrelated to us.” After a lengthy silence, the Yan Clan cultivator consoled himself.

“Junior Brother’s words are not incorrect. The Gathering Spirit Bead is a renowned rare treasure from ancient times; even if complications arise, we can easily feign ignorance. Moreover, the Tian Luo foremost cultivator personally verified the bead’s authenticity, easing our concerns further.” The elder’s eyes glinted coldly as he spoke.

“Fine. Since things have reached this stage, we can only hope for the best. But to err on the side of caution, once the sect overcomes this crisis and secures another foundation, we should seal off our mountain and close our gates for a century.” The large man finally conceded the point reluctantly.

“Indeed, Junior Brother’s suggestion is wise. Let’s proceed with this plan.” The elder nodded in firm agreement.

The two sect elders had nothing further to say. Without hesitation, they increased their speed, their streaks of light chasing after Ruyan, who had disappeared into the distance.

…

At the same moment, in the forbidden grounds of the Harmonious Bond Sect, deep within the Tianyang Pool shrouded in dense gray mist, a figure sat cross-legged on a massive stone, murmuring under his breath:

“By now, that treasure should have fallen into the hands of that Han brat. Hmph, the Wood Spirit Bead! While it will indeed speed up your cultivation significantly, when it comes time to break through the Divinity Transformation bottleneck, hehe…”

As he spoke, the figure broke into a sinister, malicious laugh!

(Second update!) (To be continued–if you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.wuxiaworld.site for more chapters and support the author through legal reading!)