Chapter 2353

"What? That thing isn't the Ancestral Dragon's blood?" Han Li was slightly startled.

"Far from it; it can be said to have absolutely no relation to a true Ancestral Dragon's roots. Only you outsiders would easily mistake it. But that's not surprising, as the aura it carries is indeed what one could call True Dragon Qi; that part is not false in the slightest," the black-robed man said with a low chuckle.

"Judging by your tone, Fellow Daoist, you are very clear on the origin of this item. Could you tell Han a thing or two about it?" Han Li's heart stirred as he spoke.

"Of course. This thing is actually of great use only to the True Dragon race; to other races, it is fundamentally useless. It is indeed a drop of essence blood, but not Ancestral Dragon blood—it is Nightmare Dragon blood." The black-robed man did not hide anything and told him directly.

"Nightmare Dragon?" Han Li frowned; it was clearly the first time he had heard this name.

"It is not at all strange that Brother Han is unaware of the Nightmare Dragon. Even among us True Dragons, not many know of its existence. Simply put, the Nightmare Dragon is an Immortal World existence not inferior to the Ancestral Dragon, and it is the ancestor of the 'Demon Dragon' lineage, our True Dragon race's mortal enemy. Moreover, this Nightmare Dragon blood must have drifted down from the Immortal World, and there is not just this one drop, but seven or eight of them." The black-robed man's opening words gave Han Li a shock.

"Seven or eight drops? There are that many?" Han Li was truly astonished.

"Only by using special means through our bloodline power were the elders in the clan able to sense the number of these Nightmare Dragon blood drops. That is why they sent all of us clansmen out to various realms to find every single drop of Nightmare Dragon blood and bring them back. Although Nightmare Dragon blood contains an extremely vast amount of Nightmare Dragon true essence, it also carries its unique chaotic power. Aside from our True Dragon race having a way to slowly refine it, if others were to forcibly refine it, not only would they fail to obtain the Nightmare Dragon true essence within, but their entire magic power might be contaminated and directly transformed into a projection of the Nightmare Dragon. The elders in the clan suspect that this item appearing in the lower realms might be the original intention of that Nightmare Dragon. As the mortal enemies of the Demon Dragon race, our True Dragon race naturally could never allow this to happen," the black-robed man said seriously.

"If that is truly the case, this thing is not only useless to us outsiders, but also extremely dangerous. However, since your clan can obtain so much Nightmare Dragon blood at once, I imagine your strength will surely increase greatly before long, and perhaps even someone capable of ascending will appear," Han Li's expression changed slightly, but his thoughts turned rapidly as he spoke.

"Ascension? Fellow Daoist, you think too simply of refining Nightmare Dragon blood. Although this thing contains astonishing true essence power, just dispelling the chaotic power within would take an astonishing amount of time, not to mention that the true essence would also be lost in the process. It would be good if even one-tenth remained. Furthermore, after this true essence is refined, at most it would make one's magic power more profound and save some time in bitter cultivation. For existences of our True Spirit tier, ascension is a hundred times more difficult than for others. It would be better to give it to those juniors below the Mahayana stage; perhaps they could use the effect of the true essence to have a sliver of a chance to break through their bottlenecks and advance to True Spirits earlier," the black-robed man said, shaking his head repeatedly.

"In that case, your True Dragon race will have several more True Spirit-level fellow daoists in the future," Han Li asked after exhaling a breath.

"It is indeed possible. But whether it can truly be as wished is another matter. Our race is born with True Spirit bodies; even relying on the slow accumulation of time, becoming a True Spirit is not too difficult a matter. Alright, I, Tian, have told you everything truthfully. I wonder if Brother Han has considered what I mentioned earlier?" The black-robed man asked again, seemingly casually, after finishing.

"Since you are of the same clan as Fan Paozi, and immediately returned to the clan afterward to openly take responsibility for all the implications, it is hard for me to refuse," Han Li did not answer directly, but instead spoke slowly with hidden meaning.

"Fan Paozi gave Brother Han an invitation to the Guangling Dao Fruit Assembly, didn't he?" The black-robed man asked in return with a faint smile.

"You mean this?" Han Li flipped his hand, and a silver-bright dragon scale suddenly appeared.

"Not bad, it is exactly this thing. If Brother Han is willing to help this time, I can promise to provide some small assistance at the Dao Fruit Assembly to increase your chances of obtaining a Dao Fruit," the black-robed man said unhurriedly.

"Ever since I obtained the invitation, I have also made some inquiries about the Guangling Dao Fruit Assembly. Unfortunately, not many fellow daoists in the Spirit World know about this matter; I only vaguely know that this Dao Fruit Assembly invitation seems extremely difficult to obtain. That Dao Fruit also seems to have the title of the 'Number One Spirit Fruit of the Thousand Realms'? But I am not very clear on what its specific effects are," Han Li asked thoughtfully after his expression changed several times.

"Hehe, that is only natural. The Guangling Dao Fruit Assembly held by our Dragon Island only invites a thousand people among the powerhouses of the many realms. The only condition for these people to obtain an invitation is that they all possess strength approximating or exceeding that of an ordinary True Spirit. Senior Brother Fan Paozi's standards are exceptionally high; it is truly not an easy matter for Brother Han to obtain his approval. And while the title of 'Number One Spirit Fruit of the Thousand Realms' for the Guangling Dao Fruit might be a bit exaggerated, I imagine most people would not object to it being ranked in the top three. After all, anyone who consumes this fruit can possess a Guangling Dao Body within ten thousand years; whether in cultivation or comprehending techniques, the effect can be increased by seven or eight times or more compared to before," the black-robed man said with a chuckle.

"Guangling Dao Body, seven or eight times or more!" Han Li was truly shocked upon hearing this, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"Not bad. Although one can only consume one Guangling Dao Fruit in a lifetime, this single complete Dao Fruit can allow an ordinary person's body to temporarily transform into the legendary Guangling Dao Body. While this Dao Body cannot be used in combat or competition, it is truly miraculous when it comes to cultivation and comprehending techniques," the black-robed man said in a dreamlike tone, seemingly extremely eager for the Guangling Dao Fruit himself.

"If this Dao Fruit truly has such miraculous effects, calling it the Number One Spirit Fruit of the Thousand Realms is not too much of an exaggeration. However, judging by your tone, even if one attends this assembly, the Dao Fruit seems extremely difficult to obtain. How can you help me then? In front of such a treasure, even if you are a member of the Dragon race, you cannot be biased," Han Li's expression was greatly moved, but he still spoke calmly.

"Brother Han, rest assured. I, though untalented, have already been confirmed by the clan as one of the thirty-six deacons for this session of the Dao Fruit Assembly. While this identity cannot help you openly, it is more than enough to pass on information about others and some secret data that outsiders find difficult to access," the black-robed man replied calmly.

"Just this?" Han Li frowned slightly, seemingly not very satisfied.

"Fellow Daoist should be content. You must know that the Guangling Dao Fruit is so rare that the powerhouses from various realms attending the assembly are none of them weak. According to past customs, among those invited, only about a hundred people can obtain a real Dao Fruit. Others can only taste a little spirit juice diluted with Dao Fruit sap. Although this spirit juice is also extremely rare for cultivators like us, it is nothing compared to the Dao Fruit itself. Being able to provide some help with information is already an exception. Perhaps you, Fellow Daoist, will be able to win a Guangling Dao Fruit precisely because of this seemingly insignificant help," the black-robed man said with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Fellow Daoist Tian makes some sense; it is I, Han, who was a bit greedy. Then it is settled; I agree to this matter," Han Li nodded after turning the thought over in his mind several times and finally making up his mind.

"I knew Brother Han would agree. Then for these few days, I will hide here at your place for a while, so that we can leave this continent together when the time comes," the black-robed man became extremely happy.

"That is naturally fine, but I have one more question. I only managed to bid for three teleportation spots. If you want to go together, I'm afraid it won't be possible to hide it from the people of the Helian Alliance," Han Li said again.

"On this point, Fellow Daoist, rest assured. I once practiced a type of mimicry secret technique that can transform myself into an ornament; even if a True Immortal were face-to-face, I would have a few chances to deceive them," the black-robed man laughed and replied without hesitation.

"If that is the case, then I can truly rest easy," Han Li's expression finally relaxed.

"Since everything is settled, I, Tian, will not disturb you further and will go find a room to get some good rest. For these past few years, I haven't been able to truly sleep even once while inquiring about the whereabouts of this drop of Nightmare Dragon blood," the black-robed man...

Seeing that the matter was settled, he stood up, cupped his hands, said a few words of farewell, and immediately turned and walked toward the door.

"Fellow Daoist Tian... no, it should be Lady Tian. I hope that when we meet again, you will be able to show your true face," Han Li said, looking at the black-robed man's back, a strange look suddenly appearing on his face.

"So Brother Han had already seen through my disguise. Since you have such a request, next time I will meet you with my true face. By the way, my real name is Tian Feier; please keep it in mind, Fellow Daoist," the black-robed man's back trembled upon hearing this, but his voice changed immediately, emitting a silver-bell-like "giggle."

Then, his figure became blurred and vanished outside the door, carried away by the wind.

"Tian Feier, she must have some status within the Dragon race," Han Li touched his chin, a thoughtful look appearing on his face, and then he fell into deep contemplation.

Four days later, when Han Li was sitting cross-legged in his secret chamber, a streak of crimson flame suddenly flew in from outside and landed in his hand in a flash.

Within the raging red flames, Ming Zun's calm voice was transmitted out.

"Fellow Daoist Han, the teleportation array is ready. You can come over to depart."