Chapter 594: Luoyun Sect

"Brother Han, what do you think of my suggestion? With Sister Mei Ning's beauty, she is more than qualified to be your concubine. You wouldn't refuse such a good thing delivered to your door, right?" Zi Ling saw that Han Li didn't say anything and asked with a charming smile. (Net)

Han Li frowned inadvertently and looked at Mei Ning, this charming and clear beauty.

The woman lowered her head even further, and a faint blush dyed her exposed snow-white jade neck, looking extremely moving.

It seemed that this woman had indeed acquiesced to what Zi Ling said.

"With Miss Mei's beauty and character, let alone being my concubine, even being a dual cultivation partner for a high-level cultivator would be a sought-after beauty. However, I am not quite like ordinary cultivators. I once made a vow to pursue the path of immortality and eternal life with all my heart, and I will not easily be moved by affairs between men and women. Moreover, I am used to being alone and often find myself in dangerous situations and pursuits; how can I be qualified to take a concubine? It is really not a good thing for Miss Mei to follow me. Instead, she will be deeply implicated!" Han Li said slowly, his expression calm.

Hearing Han Li's words, Mei Ning's body trembled slightly, the blush on her neck quickly faded, and she slowly raised her head, her face looking somewhat pale.

"Brother Han's words are a refusal. Not to mention anything else, with your current late Core Formation stage cultivation, apart from those Nascent Soul stage old monsters, who else can threaten you? Moreover, perhaps you will condense a Nascent Soul successfully before long, and then you can go anywhere in this world. Can you not protect a weak woman like Sister Mei Ning?" Zi Ling said with a bit of reproach, as if she were very dissatisfied with Han Li pushing away such a great beauty.

"Fellow Daoist Zi Ling, you are not unaware that although I consider my cultivation to be a step higher than cultivators of the same rank, the enemies I have provoked have always been powerful people. Before I enter the Nascent Soul stage and truly possess sufficient power, I will not consider taking a concubine. Otherwise, if I cannot protect the other party, it will only be in vain," Han Li said coldly.

Zi Ling frowned, knowing that what Han Li said was true, and she also faintly felt that the other party seemed to be a bit displeased, so she could only sigh and stop mentioning it.

"Since Brother Han is not disgusted by my humble beauty, would you be willing to accept Mei Ning after you enter the Nascent Soul stage?" Mei Ning's beautiful face finally returned to normal, but after biting her lips, she looked at Han Li and asked unexpectedly.

"Nascent Soul stage? I don't have any certainty about whether I can enter this realm. And even if I can truly enter the Nascent Soul stage, I don't know how many years later that will be. Are you really willing to wait so long, Miss Mei? Perhaps even after a hundred years, I might not necessarily condense a Nascent Soul successfully," Han Li glanced at the woman and said indifferently.

"I..." Mei Ning couldn't continue after hearing this, her face changing between light and dark.

With her lifespan at the Foundation Establishment stage, let alone a hundred years, even twenty or thirty years was too long.

Although the other party was a good candidate for dual cultivation, she couldn't really spend such a long time waiting for an uncertain result.

After all, the cultivation world was inherently realistic and cruel, and although she had spent some time with Han Li and had a certain good impression of him, to say that she had truly fallen for Han Li and would have no regrets from then on was naturally impossible.

Seeing the hesitation on Mei Ning's jade face, Han Li sighed in his heart. He reached into his bosom and took out two small bottles, pushing them toward the woman.

"There are some pills refined from demon cores to improve cultivation inside. Miss Mei, instead of thinking about increasing your cultivation through dual cultivation, you might as well cultivate hard; perhaps you can form a Golden Core yourself, just like fellow Daoist Zi Ling," Han Li said leisurely.

These Foundation Establishment stage pills were no longer effective for Han Li, but considering the charming favor of the spiritual energy she had passed to him in the Yin Underworld, he didn't mind using them as a favor. In this way, he considered himself no longer owing this woman anything.

"Pills refined from demon cores?" Mei Ning revealed a look of being moved, subconsciously picking up a small bottle and opening the lid. A clear fragrance instantly filled the entire private room.

"These are top-grade pills!" The woman clutched the jade bottle, staring blankly at Han Li, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The other party had clearly been moved and flirted with her in the Yin Underworld, but just now he had refused to accept her as his concubine, and now he had taken out such precious pills for her.

She was a bit confused.

"Hee hee! Brother Han is really generous. Since fellow Daoist Han has said so, Sister, just accept them. Perhaps after collecting some more spirit herbs, you can really form a Golden Core yourself, just as Brother Han said. If that happens, our sisters can support each other and be carefree," Zi Ling saw the pills, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she immediately said with a smile.

Mei Ning looked at Han Li with a complex expression, and after thanking him in a low voice, she gently put the small bottle into her storage pouch.

Seeing the woman accept the pills, a faint smile appeared on Han Li's face. Afterward, he tilted his head slightly and looked at the street of the small town outside the window.

People were coming and going, bustling with activity.

This very familiar scene reminded Han Li of some things he had long forgotten, and his smile faded as he sighed lightly.

Seeing Han Li's expression, Zi Ling and Mei Ning looked at each other.

Nanzhou, the second largest prefecture among the seven in Xi Kingdom, located in the remote western part of Xi Kingdom. The terrain there was complex, with countless hills and dense forests, and swamps and miasma often appeared.

Therefore, apart from a few isolated cities and some official roads, few people walked in the wilderness.

As for those more remote high mountains and ridges, they were the world of poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts, and ordinary people dared not go deep into them.

Contrary to this, because of its unique environment and production of some rare herbs and precious beasts, Nanzhou was a place that cultivators of Xi Kingdom loved to visit.

More than half of the cultivator sects in Xi Kingdom were concentrated in this small prefecture, and some powerful cultivator sects occupied several places with the most abundant spiritual energy.

Among them, the Mount Yunmeng Mountains were famous throughout the Tiannan region as a sacred spiritual vein.

Deep in this mountain range grew a legendary Spirit Eye Tree, which was the last of the three divine woods in the cultivation world. In a sense, in the eyes of those in power in the cultivation sects, its value was even higher than that of the Heavenly Lightning Bamboo and the Soul-Nurturing Wood.

Because every two hundred years, this Spirit Eye Tree would flow out a kind of spiritual liquid called "Alcohol Liquid" from its roots.

Although this liquid could not be taken directly, it was an excellent raw material for refining several types of spirit pills.

And a legendary sacred medicine, the "Ding Ling Pill," must use this spiritual liquid as a medicinal guide.

As for the "Ding Ling Pill," also known as the Soul-Calming Pill, it could not only increase a cultivator's cultivation to a certain extent but also calm the mind and soul, reducing the invasion of a cultivator's inner demons. If one took one pill before condensing a Nascent Soul, it would absolutely make the process of condensing a Nascent Soul much easier for the cultivator.

Because condensing a Nascent Soul was not quite the same as forming a Core; apart from needing cultivation and a certain opportunity, one must also endure certain illusions and the harassment of inner demons. After all, the process of transforming a Core into an Infant was inherently a terrifying journey that tempered a cultivator's mind and determination.

With such heaven-defying treasures in the Mount Yunmeng Mountains, plus its abundant spiritual energy that far exceeded ordinary spiritual veins, naturally all sects wanted to settle there.

After a series of open and secret struggles, it was now jointly occupied by three sects: the "Ancient Sword Gate," the "Luoyun Sect," and the "Hundred Arts Academy."

The power of these three sects was originally top-notch in Xi Kingdom, and by joining forces, other sects could only extinguish their thoughts of seizing the spiritual veins of this mountain, staring with envy.

At the foot of a mountain peak in the Mount Yunmeng Mountains, Han Li walked on a stone staircase, pondering the information about the Mount Yunmeng Mountains while observing everything nearby.

On this mountain road, apart from him, there were several young men and women walking silently, all with a trace of excitement on their faces.

Han Li saw this and smiled slightly in his heart.

This was no wonder, as these few days were the days when the local great cultivation sect, the "Luoyun Sect," was recruiting disciples from the outside.

These young Qi Refining stage men and women were naturally excited.

And Han Li had his own reasons for appearing here half a month later.

He also intended to join this sect, which was famous for its alchemy.

However, naturally not with the identity of a Core Formation stage cultivator, but by mixing in as an ordinary Qi Refining stage disciple.

With his current cultivation and the magic of that nameless breath-restraining formula, apart from Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivators or above checking him carefully, others could not discover his true cultivation.

He had this as his reliance, so he dared to make this plan.

However, thinking of the situation after parting with Zi Ling and Mei Ning that day, he couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart.

According to his original intention, he naturally planned to find a place to open a cave dwelling, then take pills to raise his cultivation to the perfection of the late Core Formation stage. After all, although he had the increase in cultivation from the spiritual energy, he was still a bit short of the False Infant stage, which was the true beginning of Nascent Soul condensation.

But an unexpected event completely overturned his plan.

After taking a pill, he was shocked to find that the pills that could originally improve his cultivation had completely lost their effect. Whether it was refined from a level-six demon core or a level-seven demon core, the effect was the same—completely useless.

This left Han Li speechless.

(Net) ===== CHAPTER 595 =====