Chapter 1012: Kunwu Hall, Lingbao Pavilion, Demon Suppression Tower

So, Fellow Daoist Han actually comes from Tiannan. Cultivators from your region are not particularly well-regarded in our Great Jin, regardless of the reasons. Since you killed an elder of the Yinluo Sect and took his Ghost Luo Banner, this grudge will be difficult to resolve.” Hua Tianqi said with a surprised expression, near the stone pavilion.

He had just finished listening to the general account from the elderly man surnamed Fu, and was genuinely quite shocked.

The others also stirred, eyeing Han Li with strange expressions. Tiannan was truly quite distant for them. In the eyes of the Great Jin cultivation world, it was almost an insignificant place. How could they not be curious that the person before them hailed from such a place and had even provoked the Yinluo Sect?

“I was merely acting in self-defense. If the Yinluo Sect elder hadn’t actively sought trouble with me, why would I have encountered this?” Han Li said calmly.

“Alright! Regardless, since the three of you have been here for a while, you should know what this mountain is, right?” The large man in the Nascent Soul stage seemed utterly uninterested in the affairs between Han Li and Old Devil Qian, and instead asked somewhat impatiently.

“I do know a bit. It’s the legendary Kunwu Immortal Mountain of your Great Jin!” Han Li replied impassively, his eyes flickering.

“Kunwu Mountain!” The Nascent Soul cultivators were stunned for a moment, then greatly rejoiced. Old Devil Qian was also similarly surprised upon hearing this.

The four from the Poison Saint Sect, however, had already known this and merely exchanged glances.

“According to that, some people have already gotten ahead of us. We just don’t know how many cultivators there are, or which faction they belong to. But since they could open such a large seal, their strength is definitely extraordinary. Brother Qian, no matter what conflicts you have with Fellow Daoist Han and the other two, now is not the time for conflict. How about we all join forces to expel those people from this mountain, and then divide the treasures of Kunwu Mountain based on our individual fortunes? As for your grievances with Fellow Daoist Han, let’s find another opportunity once we leave this mountain.” Hua Tianqi stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over a few white figures before speaking.

“Join forces?” Old Devil Qian fell silent upon hearing this.

As for the Loose Immortal Zheng Wei and the other five large men, upon hearing this, their hearts stirred. They began to discuss through silent voice transmission, their lips barely moving.

Seeing this, the elderly man surnamed Fu and Bai Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were confident that their combined strength would not lose to Old Devil Qian in such a baffling hard fight, it was naturally best not to fight at all.

No one noticed Han Li’s brow subtly furrow. He sighed softly in his heart.

Realizing he couldn't act, his plan to acquire the Soul Sealing Curse unraveling technique would apparently have to wait for another opportunity.

Thinking of this, Han Li looked up at the silver light barrier where Hua Tianqi and the others had emerged, and asked:

“Fellow Daoist Hua, how badly damaged is the exit after the illusion array self-destructed? Is it still possible to enter and exit through it?”

“How bad is it? Brother Han, why don’t you go see for yourself? I can’t say for long, but at least in the short term, this passage is impassable.” Hua Tianqi sighed and said without concealment.

Han Li pursed his lips, and after a brief hesitation, he unceremoniously shot towards the silver light barrier.

In a flash, he vanished into the shimmering silver light.

As it concerned them as well, the elderly man surnamed Fu and Bai Yaoyi couldn't help but look over.

However, after only a moment, Han Li flew out from the silver light again, his expression grim. He shook his head when his gaze met those of the old man and Bai Yaoyi.

“It is indeed impassable. However, it doesn’t seem like it will take too long to return to normal. In the meantime, let’s first explore this mountain.” Han Li said indifferently.

The subsequent events unfolded simply.

Even though Old Devil Qian was incredibly arrogant, upon learning that this was the renowned Kunwu Mountain, he dismissed the idea of fighting for now. Given the opportunity to enter such a blessed land, he didn't want to return empty-handed and reluctantly agreed to temporarily set aside his grievances with Han Li.

The five individuals who had temporarily allied also agreed without hesitation after their discussion.

“With us joining forces, even if that group consists of cultivators from the Ten Great Sects, we can still contend with them. Let’s go at once. We mustn’t let them claim the treasures first.” Once everyone agreed to the alliance, Hua Tianqi immediately let out a loud shout, leading the other elders of the Poison Saint Sect to shoot up the stone steps towards the mountain.

Old Devil Qian snorted coldly, and five white figures, enveloped in gray light, flashed forward, their escape lights merging as they closely pursued.

Han Li and the others also silently rose into the air and followed.

Meanwhile, the Ye Family members on the other side were already standing on the white jade plaza.

This plaza measured a hundred mu in size, its ground entirely paved with crystal-clear, pristine white jade. Around it stood colossal white jade pillars, ten zhang tall. Each pillar was carved with lifelike depictions of rare spiritual beasts and celestial birds, inspiring awe in those who beheld them.

However, the Ye family members weren't looking at these jade pillars at the moment; instead, they were gathered at the other end of the plaza.

There, in front of each stone staircase extending from the plaza, stood tall jade steles, each inscribed with names such as "Jinshi Pavilion," "Xiangyun Hall," and others. This caused the Ye family members to frown in speculation.

“The Jinshi Pavilion, without a doubt, must be a place for storing materials. The name Xiangyun Hall sounds somewhat ethereal; it's probably not a place for quiet cultivation, nor is it a place of great importance. As for the Qilingyuan, it’s clearly...” A Ye family cultivator analyzed the approximate uses of these places slowly, while observing them.

The others nodded in agreement, finding it quite reasonable.

“Therefore, the most likely places to store heavenly spiritual treasures are these three. One is the central Kunwu Hall, which leads directly; another is the adjacent Spiritual Treasure Pavilion; and the third is the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, located off to the side.” The Ye family cultivator finally selected these three paths.

The scholar and the big-headed eccentric said nothing, but fell into thoughtful silence, clearly contemplating whether the Ye family elder's words were correct.

“The Kunwu Hall, needless to say, must be the core of this mountain. The Spiritual Treasure Pavilion, by its name, is clearly a place where ancient cultivators stored treasures, so it's not surprising for heavenly spiritual treasures to be kept there. As for the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, it should be where ancient cultivators suppressed demons. Considering the strange circumstances of this mountain being sealed, it’s highly probable that heavenly spiritual treasures were placed here. After all, ancient cultivators had a habit of using the power of treasures to suppress formidable demons.” The Ye family cultivator explained further.

“Hmm, what you said is good. I also believe the heavenly spiritual treasures should be stored in one of these three places. However, with our capabilities, we can’t explore all of them simultaneously; at most, we can only take two paths to investigate.” The scholar finally spoke.

“Two paths? Which two do you intend to choose?” the eccentric asked with some hesitation.

“The Spiritual Treasure Pavilion and the Demon Suppressing Pagoda!” the scholar said after a moment of thought.

“These two? But I think Kunwu Hall is far more likely than the Demon Suppressing Pagoda!” The big-headed eccentric shook his head.

“Hehe! The Spiritual Treasure Pavilion goes without saying; even if there are no heavenly spiritual treasures, obtaining other treasures would still make our trip worthwhile. As for Kunwu Hall, it’s precisely because it’s too obvious that I didn’t choose it. I always feel that since this mountain was sealed here, and two heavenly spiritual treasures were deliberately left behind, they wouldn’t simply be enshrined in Kunwu Hall as mere decorations. In comparison, using these treasures to suppress some demons is highly probable,” the scholar said calmly.

“While there’s some logic to what you say, I still believe Kunwu Hall, as the core structure of this mountain, must be explored.” The eccentric nodded first, then shook his head.

“Seventh Uncle, how could I not know what you mean? But we only have this many people in total. Dividing into two teams is already a bit strained; if we were to divide into three, our strength would be too thin,” the scholar said with a bitter smile.

The other Ye family cultivators also started discussing, some thinking the scholar's approach was stable, while others found the eccentric's words reasonable. For a time, they couldn't reach a conclusion.

Seeing this scene, the eccentric's expression flickered with a strange light. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

“How about this. There are exactly nine of us. You and I will each take three people to explore the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion and the Demon Suppressing Pagoda. Finally, we’ll find a more astute elder with advanced escape techniques to make a trip to Kunwu Hall. If there are indeed powerful restrictions that cannot be broken individually, they can return immediately. This way, you and I will have a clearer idea. Whichever of the other two paths goes more smoothly might still have time to make another trip to Kunwu Hall.”

The eccentric actually proposed this.

“This… alright, let’s follow Seventh Uncle’s suggestion! However, since this disciple will be alone, he must be careful of the Lion-Bird Beast and the Silver-Winged Yaksha. Have him bring the Mitean Bracelet.” The scholar thought for a moment and found it feasible, so he agreed. However, he added two more sentences.

“The Mitean Bracelet! With this treasure, even if this person encounters danger, he can protect himself.” The eccentric nodded, not objecting.

Immediately, the Ye family party briefly split up into two groups. The ancient demon silently stood behind the eccentric. As for the cultivator who went to explore Kunwu Hall, it was the square-faced middle-aged man who volunteered.

After all, among the Ye family cultivators present, it seemed only this person had the highest cultivation, apart from the eccentric and the scholar. So, after a slight hesitation, the scholar agreed, and immediately took a bracelet made of white bone from his storage pouch, handing it to the man.

“Each time the Mitean Bracelet is activated, it requires your own vital essence blood. Second Brother, if you can avoid using this treasure, please don’t.” The scholar earnestly cautioned.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” the square-faced cultivator replied in a deep voice, taking the item.

“Legend has it that the Demon Suppressing Pagoda is specifically used to imprison ferocious demons, ghosts, and evil spirits. I’ve long heard of its reputation; I wonder what demonic creatures are still inside. I’ll go to that side then.” The eccentric said casually.

“Haha! Seventh Uncle, you actually thought of the same thing as me. I was originally quite interested in that Demon Suppressing Pagoda too. However, since Seventh Uncle has said so, then Seventh Uncle can go on that trip. I’ll take the other three and search for treasures in the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion.” The scholar was startled upon hearing this, but then casually agreed without a second thought.