Chapter 960

Han Li twitched his lips slightly at Tianfu Sect’s cautious proposal, letting out a faint smile.

“You want me to serve as your three sects’ guest elder? Do you think I’d agree?”

“We know such a small sect as ours has no right to retain a senior like you. But we only ask you to resolve this immediate trouble—afterward, your name alone will suffice; we dare not trouble you further.” The Wen elder, originally anxious, felt relief upon seeing Han Li showed no anger, and hurried to explain.

“So you mean, I only need to act once, and then Han Mou need never trouble himself again?” Han Li’s eyes flickered.

“Precisely. And our three sects won’t let you act for free. Since you’re interested in talisman crafting, Tianfu Sect offers you the secret technique of the Spirit-Transforming Talisman. Jinxia Mountain and Mingyang Valley each have a secret lineage technique they’re willing to let you study. We’ve also prepared tens of thousands of spirit stones—hope you’ll accept them.”

At this point, the Wen elder simply laid all his cards on the table. He knew any further scheming might anger the other, so honesty was better.

“Tens of thousands of spirit stones?” Han Li offered a faint smile.

“These spirit stones are indeed few. But our three sects will continue to offer you a yearly tribute. Moreover, our sect is willing to gift you the Spirit-Transforming Talisman personally forged by our founding ancestor. Surely with your prowess, you can subdue it.” The Wen elder gritted his teeth and revealed his final offer.

“Founding ancestor—do you mean Tianfu True Person?” Han Li’s expression finally shifted slightly.

“Correct. This talisman. To be frank, though it once displayed great power in our ancestor’s hands, our later disciples are useless—none have ever managed to subdue it. Thus, this talisman has been passed down for countless generations, and we can only watch helplessly as its spiritual essence fades. If you can claim it, it would be a win-win.”

“Your sect possesses such a treasure? Han Mou would like to see it first!” Han Li’s interest stirred.

“Yue Zhen, bring out the talisman for the elder to inspect.” The Wen elder, seeing Han Li’s interest, was overjoyed and immediately ordered. Though he was the highest-ranked among Tianfu Sect, the talisman once used by Tianfu True Person could only be held by successive Sect Masters—hence his words.

“Yes, Master!”

Yue Zhen, perceptive as ever, immediately slapped his storage bag. A flash of green light appeared, and a pale yellow wooden box materialized in his hands, which he offered respectfully to Han Li.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and made no pretense of modesty. With a casual gesture, the box floated into his grasp. He glanced at it briefly.

The box’s surface was unremarkable, ancient and plain, with a golden talisman pasted on its lid.

Han Li raised one hand and brushed it lightly over the lid. A flicker of spiritual light, and the talisman drifted down silently.

Other cultivators nearby paid no mind, but the three Foundation Establishment elders of the Wen family all gasped in shock.

To remove a sealing talisman with such ease required not only immense cultivation, but also an almost inconceivable mastery over magic power. They’d only heard of such skill in legends. Seeing Han Li accomplish it without a flicker of effort, their awe deepened.

As soon as the lid opened, a misty green glow emerged from within, followed by a wave of pure wood spiritual energy.

Han Li felt a surge of surprise.

According to the Wen elder, this talisman should have lost most of its spiritual power after so many years—yet its current potency proved it was no ordinary artifact. Even more pleasing to Han Li: this Spirit-Transforming Talisman was of wood affinity—perfectly aligned with his own cultivation, making its refinement far easier.

As he thought this, he clearly saw the talisman within the green glow.

A palm-sized talisman, emerald green and dripping with vitality, its edges shimmered faintly with alternating gold and silver runes, exuding mystery. But what caught Han Li’s attention was a small, pale purple dot slowly rotating at its center, flickering constantly.

Han Li raised his palm. Instantly, a layer of green light enveloped his hand as his fingers reached toward the talisman.

A flash of light—the talisman trembled, then shot out like a streak of green light from the box.

Han Li’s face darkened. He reversed his hand and grabbed.

A spectral hand appeared, snatching the talisman mid-flight. Before the other cultivators could even cry out, the hand dissolved—yet the talisman was already firmly in Han Li’s grasp.

“So this is the Spirit-Transforming Talisman. Indeed, there’s something to it. I’ve heard Tianfu True Person was a late Nascent Soul cultivator. The true essence sealed within this talisman must be too potent for ordinary cultivators to subdue. Even if one succeeds, the talisman’s power weakens drastically—you must reforge it with your own true qi. That’s no task for decades. A hundred years or more is likely. And failure is probable.” Han Li chuckled as he watched the talisman twist and writhe like a living fish between his fingers.

“Then… what do you think of this talisman?” The Wen elder and the others exchanged glances, their hearts sinking.

“But that’s for Nascent Soul beginners. I’ve advanced to mid-stage, and my main cultivation is wood-affinity—subduing this is easier for me. It’s still useful to me.” Han Li shifted tone, expression unchanged. He didn’t add: such a talisman, once re-forged, would surpass its original power.

“So you agree?” The Wen elder exclaimed in delight.

The other cultivators in the hall also looked on with eager anticipation.

“Whether I agree or not isn’t urgent. First, tell me what trouble you want me to resolve. If it’s not too troublesome, I might lend a hand once.” Han Li replied noncommittally, then flicked his wrist. A wisp of spiritual energy wrapped the talisman and returned it to the box. He gestured, and the lid closed again.

“Naturally. This matter is trivial for you. It concerns a marketplace jointly managed by our three sects. Recently…” Seeing Han Li’s willingness to consider, the Wen elder beamed and began recounting the details of the marketplace and the Shanyang Sect.

Han Li listened in silence.

An hour later, Han Li became a streak of green light and departed from Baizhu Mountain, flying northward.

Several days later, a modest but notable incident spread through the cultivation world of Huayun Province.

A Han cultivator, claiming to be Tianfu Sect’s guest elder, suddenly appeared at the Shanyang Sect’s mountain gate. With astonishing Nascent Soul mid-stage power, he easily defeated Shanyang Sect’s sole Nascent Soul elder in a friendly duel, then departed without a word.

The next day, Lingfeng Sect—long backed by Shanyang Sect—hastily relocated its marketplace from near Kaijiang Town to a distant location ten thousand li away. Other small and medium sects, upon hearing this, were stunned. After confirming the details, they all swiftly withdrew their influence from the entire ten-thousand-li region centered on Kaijiang Town, voluntarily ceding the area to Tianfu Sect and its two allies.

Instantly, Tianfu Sect, Jinxia Mountain, and their allies basked in renewed prestige. All their cultivators rejoiced. The Sect Masters and Elders felt their previous offerings had been worth every spirit stone—having a Nascent Soul mid-stage guest elder on their rolls, they believed, would triple their sects’ power within a century.

At this moment, the Great Dragon-Slaying Assembly, convened by Huayun Province’s top sect, Nanhai Sect, finally began. Within days, over two hundred cultivators of Foundation Establishment rank and nearly ten Nascent Soul cultivators gathered. Under Nanhai Sect’s organization, they split into several groups to sweep nearby seas, searching for the hiding places of the poisonous dragons.

Low-rank beasts were occasionally found and slain. Human cultivators’ morale soared, as if victory were imminent.

But the dragons were cunning. As soon as they sensed danger, they remained hidden. For months, the cultivators searched fruitlessly. Eventually, some grew weary and left.

A month later, only a hundred or so cultivators remained searching the seas. Even among the Nascent Soul cultivators, several had departed, leaving only seven, led by Nanhai Sect.

Under these circumstances, each group’s manpower became critically insufficient. The dragons, sensing opportunity, stirred. They began frequently attacking lone cultivators—and the Level Eight Blue Dragon even launched direct assaults on small, undermanned teams.

Though each team had a Nascent Soul leader, the Blue Dragon’s mastery of water Dun was unparalleled. After each strike, it vanished instantly into the sea, refusing to engage further. The result? Not only did they fail to harm it, but it devoured several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Now, the remaining human cultivators were all terrified. Nanhai Sect found itself trapped between a rock and a hard place. Helplessly, they merged several groups to strengthen their forces before daring to send anyone out again.

On this day, a group of over ten cultivators, led by a Nascent Soul cultivator, slowly flew across a stretch of sea, each carefully extending their spiritual sense to scan the surroundings—especially the water’s surface.

Among this group, Han Li had transformed into a pale-faced middle-aged cultivator, flying calmly at the rear. Though his expression was composed, he was inwardly seething.

When the Dragon-Slaying Assembly first convened, Han Li had infiltrated it under the guise of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, hoping to profit from the chaos. But he never imagined he’d gain nothing until now.

The first few months were understandable—no gains were normal. But since the dragons reappeared, every other group had encountered one or two attacks. Only his own group had suffered none.

Han Li was utterly baffled. Was his luck too good—or too bad?

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