Chapter 957

When the old man’s gaze naturally fell on Han Li, his facial muscles twitched, and he hastily bowed his fists and said:

“This junior has heard from other sect juniors that a high-level cultivator has graced our sect, but I never imagined it would be a Nascent Soul cultivator like yourself. I failed to go out to greet you—truly a grave breach of etiquette.”

The sole Elder of the Heaven Talisman Sect wore an expression of deep respect.

Yue Zhen and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators, upon hearing the old man’s words, were greatly shaken; their last lingering doubts vanished completely, and they gazed at Han Li with even greater reverence.

A Nascent Soul cultivator was an utterly unattainable presence for the Heaven Talisman Sect at present.

“I was merely entrusted by someone to deliver this item. No need for such formality,” Han Li said without changing expression, then added coolly:

“This item has been in my possession for some years. Now, coincidentally, I have business in Huayun Province, so I naturally came to return it. This object is specifically meant for your sect’s Sect Master.”

Saying this, Han Li slapped his waist, and a square bone box appeared in his hand, which he casually placed on the table before him.

Upon hearing this, the old man paused, then quickly turned his head and said:

“Yue sect junior, you heard the elder’s words—go and see what this item is. If it truly is something our sect lost, we must repay the elder generously.”

“Yes, Master,” Yue Zhen replied respectfully.

He stepped forward several paces, took the bone box in both hands, and opened it curiously.

Inside the box lay several bone fragments covered in tiny, dense script.

“What is this?” Yue Zhen picked up one fragment in surprise and examined it closely.

Han Li smiled but said nothing.

“Spirit-Subduing Talisman! This is the method for crafting the Spirit-Subduing Talisman! The handwriting is Master Yun’s!” After only a few glances, Yue Zhen exclaimed in delight.

“Master Yun? Are you certain you’re not mistaken?” The old man blinked, then his expression turned grave.

“Absolutely certain. Master Yun’s calligraphy still hangs in the Sect Master’s study—we face it day and night. How could I mistake it?” Yue Zhen replied without hesitation.

The other cultivators also looked stunned.

“Indeed, this item was entrusted to me by Master Yun. The Spirit-Subduing Talisman is one of your sect’s three secret talismans—there’s no chance of error.” Han Li spoke indifferently.

“Of course there’s no error. But when did you last meet Master Yun? Back then, I had not yet formed my Golden Core—my brother vanished without a trace while on a mission overseas, and for decades now, we’ve heard nothing of him. Has Master Yun met with misfortune?” The old man asked with concern.

"He should be fine. In truth, my meeting your Sect Master was pure coincidence. Decades ago, I suffered the same fate as your Sect Master—I..." Han Li briefly recounted the tale of the Ghost Mist and the Yinming Realm, glossing over details about himself and the Yinming Beast Crystals, speaking vaguely and sparingly.

"Are there such perilous places in the world? Truly unimaginable. No wonder, for many years, cultivators have periodically vanished mysteriously along the coast—it was the Ghost Mist all along," the old man gasped upon hearing that magic power could not be used in the Yinming Realm.

“Indeed. I barely escaped with great effort. This box’s contents were entrusted to me by your Sect Master to return to your sect if I ever had the chance. However, I have some interest in talisman crafting and have studied the Spirit-Subduing Talisman method slightly—surely none of you will take offense?” Han Li’s eyes flickered, and he smiled.

“The elder personally returning the talisman method to our sect is already a tremendous favor. How could we harbor such ungrateful thoughts? Though the Spirit-Subduing Talisman is said to be known only to the Sect Master, without the elder’s return, the secret technique would have been lost forever—there would be no rules left to speak of.” The old man spoke with deep respect.

Yue Zhen nodded vigorously beside him.

“With such open-mindedness among you, I feel somewhat embarrassed. But since the item has been delivered, I’ve fulfilled my promise—then I shall take my leave.” Han Li nodded in satisfaction and rose at once.

“We have yet to repay you for returning this item. Please stay a few more days at our sect—we’d be honored to offer you even modest hospitality,” the old man said hastily, thrilled to have recovered the Spirit-Subduing Talisman but even more eager to forge a connection with this sudden, high-level cultivator.

Without even mentioning other benefits, if word spread that their sect had befriended a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Heaven Talisman Sect’s status would skyrocket among minor sects—and perhaps even resolve the pressing issue before them.

“Stay a while longer!” Han Li’s lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile.

“Han Elder, aren’t you interested in talisman crafting? Our sect may lack much, but we’ve studied talisman-making extensively—our ancestors collected countless texts on talismans. If you’re not too proud to look, please examine them—and perhaps offer a few words of guidance to us juniors.” Yue Zhen’s eyes darted, and he suddenly spoke up.

“Talisman texts!” Han Li paused, then fell into thought, visibly intrigued.

The old man blinked, then nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Very well. I am indeed interested in talisman crafting—I’ll stay a few days at your sect.” Since learning the Spirit-Subduing Talisman, Han Li had grown deeply curious about the Heaven Talisman Sect’s secret techniques. After a moment’s consideration, he finally nodded.

“Wonderful! It’s an honor to have you stay, Elder. Would you like to rest first, and then…?” The old man beamed and spoke carefully.

“No need. Take me to the Scripture Hall now.” Han Li shook his head. With his current cultivation base, he could restore any minor spiritual energy spent merely by sitting in meditation while reading.

“Very well. Yang sect junior, take Han Elder to our Scripture Hall. Whatever he requests, fulfill it completely.” The old man beamed and immediately ordered a middle-aged cultivator.

“Yes, Master Yang. Han Elder, please follow me,” the middle-aged cultivator replied with utmost reverence.

Han Li nodded and followed him out of the hall.

“I never imagined Master Yun was trapped in such a hellish place. No wonder his disappearance was so strange. Recovering our Spirit-Subduing Talisman technique is indeed a great fortune for our sect,” the old man sighed after Han Li had left the hall for some time.

“But if we can use this chance to befriend Han Elder and spread the word, it will greatly benefit our sect. At the very least, our current market dispute can be resolved easily,” another cultivator, who had remained silent until now, said slowly.

“With a Nascent Soul cultivator as our patron, the Spirit Wind Sect will surely retreat, and even the Sha Yang Sect won’t risk angering a Nascent Soul cultivator over a small market. But from Han Elder’s tone, he seemed to have only a casual connection with Master Yun. Given his status, why would he help us for free? Even if we wanted to offer treasures to curry favor, our sect has nothing worthy of his attention. Yet to miss this opportunity would be a terrible loss,” Yue Zhen muttered bitterly.

“This is indeed tricky,” the old man frowned.

The other cultivators exchanged glances, all showing expressions of worry.

Meanwhile, Han Li had followed the middle-aged cultivator to an unassuming pavilion.

The pavilion had three stories, entirely shrouded in a pale blue barrier. As Han Li entered the first floor with the middle-aged cultivator, an old man sat cross-legged on a mat, head bowed, holding a jade slip as if studying its contents.

“Li sect junior, come meet Han Elder,” the middle-aged cultivator ordered bluntly, then turned to Han Li and explained:

“This Li sect junior is solely responsible for managing the Scripture Hall—he knows every text within it by heart.”

At that moment, the old man seemed to awaken from his study, quickly tucked away the jade slip, leapt up nimbly, and hurried over.

“So it’s Master Yang! This junior failed to greet you properly—please forgive me. This is Han… Han Elder!”

The old man’s face was lined with wrinkles, his eyes small and shrewd, radiating cunning. He smiled apologetically at the middle-aged cultivator, but when he stole a glance at Han Li, his voice trembled instantly, and his expression froze.

“Li sect junior?”

Han Li, upon clearly seeing the old man’s face, stared in shock, his expression filled with strangeness.

“How does the elder know this disciple?” the middle-aged cultivator asked, startled.

“Nothing. This cultivator strongly resembles an old acquaintance of mine from long ago—but upon closer look, he’s not the same. I must have mistaken him.” Han Li’s strange expression vanished instantly, replaced by a faint smile.

“Ah, I see. Then the elder may rest here alone. Li sect junior, you’re dismissed—come with me,” the middle-aged cultivator, though unconvinced, dared not press further, and instead turned to “Li sect junior” and ordered.

“Yes, this junior will…”

“No. Since this cultivator knows the texts so well, I may need his assistance—let him stay with me for a few days.” Han Li suddenly chuckled lightly, his gaze lingering meaningfully on the old man.

“Ahem… if the elder so commands, this junior will obey. Li sect junior, your fortune has arrived—obey Han Elder completely,” the middle-aged cultivator said, though suspicious of their earlier exchange, he was intensely envious—being alone with a Nascent Soul cultivator for days could yield boundless benefits, even a single word of guidance.

Yet Han Li’s words clearly signaled dismissal; he dared not linger, gave the old man two more instructions, then backed out with a trace of doubt.

Han Li watched the middle-aged cultivator’s back vanish from the pavilion, then turned to the old man and smiled with unmistakable depth.

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