Chapter 1631: Qilin

"Monster hunter? Does Fellow Daoist often enter the Demonic Gold Mountains?" Han Li's expression shifted slightly as he slowly asked. Yue Zong's facial scar twitched faintly, but he respectfully replied, "This junior has entered the Demonic Gold Mountains a total of thirty-seven times, and on seven of those occasions, I ventured deep into the range!"

"Thirty-seven times?" Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Since he had previously agreed to go into the Demonic Gold Mountains with Xianxian, he had naturally investigated matters related to the mountain range beforehand.

The dangers within the Demonic Gold Mountains were undoubtedly greater than what the Crystal Race woman had described. Those who still dared to enter the mountains were naturally bold and highly skilled. Even these individuals would not easily venture deep into the range, preferring to only eliminate relatively weaker monstrous beasts in the outer regions. Yet, this person, despite being only at the Mid-Spirit Transformation stage, had repeatedly ventured deep into the Demonic Gold Mountains. Although Han Li didn't know how far he had gone, it was certainly a shocking feat. Xianxian continued to explain:

"Although this trip doesn't require this junior and senior to venture deep into the mountains, our destination is still a considerable distance from the mountain entrance. It would be unfortunate if we encountered powerful monstrous beasts that had strayed to the outer regions. Therefore, to be safe, I specifically hired Brother Yue at a high price to be our guide for this journey. With him, it will be foolproof. Brother Yue is one of the few who can sense the location of powerful monstrous beasts in advance, even amidst the interference of demonic energy."

"Fairy Xian, you flatter me! I wouldn't dare claim it's foolproof. Besides, I haven't entered the Demonic Gold Mountains for quite some time. I don't know if there have been any major changes recently. After all, my last visit was a century ago." Yue Zong appeared unusually modest. "Only a century? What could be so different? Brother Yue, given your reputation back then, and since this time we're only staying in the outer regions, it should be exceptionally safe," Xianxian said with a smile.

"Fairy Xian, you may not know this. The danger of the Demonic Gold Mountains isn't solely due to the terrifying monstrous beasts; much of it stems from the almost daily shifting terrain and the accumulated demonic energy. Under the influence of this demonic energy, a place that might have been empty and extremely safe one day could transform into a large mountain the next, becoming the lair of some monstrous beast.

For some monstrous beasts, raising a large mountain, creating ordinary trees, and releasing demonic energy are all effortless tasks. This time, if it weren't clearly stated that we don't need to go deep into the mountains, and if I didn't genuinely need that bottle of ten-thousand-year Emerald Ganoderma Spirit Liquid, I wouldn't have agreed," Yue Zong said with a serious expression.

"Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yue. This trip genuinely only takes us to a specific location in the outer regions; there's absolutely no intention of venturing deep into the mountains. This junior's cultivation is far inferior to yours, so I wouldn't dare," Xianxian said with a gentle smile, her expression shifting slightly after hearing him elaborate on the dangers of the Demonic Gold Mountains.

"That's fine then. And as we previously discussed, apart from any monstrous beasts encountered on the way, I won't participate in any other actions of Fellow Daoist or Senior Han; I'll merely be responsible for guiding the way. Fairy Xian, you have no objections, right?" Yue Zong's expression softened as he added after a moment of thought.

"No problem. Should there genuinely be any other matters that require bothering Brother Yue, I will provide additional compensation; I would never force you," the Crystal Race woman agreed, though she didn't commit to it absolutely. This time, Yue Zong pondered for a moment before nodding, accepting the terms.

Han Li had remained silent and unmoving, simply observing Yue Zong. Now that he saw the two had finished their discussion, he finally spoke slowly:

"To be honest, my understanding of the Demonic Gold Mountains and its monstrous beasts is quite vague; I've only learned a few things from others' accounts and ancient texts. It's rare for Fairy to invite Fellow Daoist Yue, someone so familiar with the Demonic Gold Mountains, to join us. This is naturally for the best. However, I have a few questions concerning the Demonic Gold Mountains, which I believe Fellow Daoist Yue might be able to answer." "Senior Han, please ask anything you wish. This junior will answer everything I know without reservation," Yue Zong agreed without hesitation.

"Setting aside the high-tier monstrous beasts of the mountain range, have the mid- and low-tier monstrous beasts all gained sentience? And how does their level of sentience compare to ordinary spirit beasts? Also..." Han Li didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began to ask questions.

And this Yue Zong was clearly extremely knowledgeable about the Demonic Gold Mountains; after hearing the questions, he immediately provided detailed answers one by one.

The Crystal Race woman, listening to their conversation with interest, occasionally interjected a word or two.

The three continued their conversation in this harmonious atmosphere for well over an hour, with Han Li obtaining the information he desired. When the last question had been satisfactorily answered, Han Li said with a slight smile, "Now that I know these things, I believe this trip should proceed smoothly. But Fellow Daoist Xian, when do you plan to depart?"

"The Demonic Gold Mountains aren't too far from our Cloud City, but it's still about a month's journey. Although we have ample time, we can't delay too long. How about we depart three days from now, Senior?" Xianxian asked Han Li after a brief thought. Yue Zong nodded, raising no objections. "Very well, we'll do as Fellow Daoist says. We'll meet directly ten li outside the East Gate in three days," Han Li agreed after stroking his chin. Yue Zong also nodded, offering no objections. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back and make some preparations," Han Li said, not intending to linger further, and bid them farewell. "This junior has already explained everything that needs to be said. I respectfully see Senior off now," Xianxian said, respectfully, and then retrieved a formation disk with a flip of her palm.

With the two watching, Han Li stepped onto the teleportation array and calmly vanished amidst the spiritual light.

"Fellow Daoist Xian, is Senior Han reliable? You said he's a high-tier demonic cultivator, but I didn't sense any aura of demonic cultivation from him. I've roamed the Demonic Gold Mountains so many times; I'm quite confident in my ability to sense demonic energy," Yue Zong asked, instinctively letting out a small breath after Han Li had truly teleported away, then immediately frowning.

"Rest assured, Brother Yue. To be honest, if Senior Han wasn't a high-tier demonic cultivator, I might not have been able to persuade him. But then again, if this trip didn't specifically require a demonic cultivator, I wouldn't have waited so many years when our Cloud City has so many high-tier superior clans," Xianxian replied with a sigh, but affirmed her words.

"So, Senior Han must possess a mysterious cultivation technique that conceals demonic energy. Otherwise, he absolutely couldn't suppress it to such an extent. Also, while I don't know the exact purpose of Fairy's trip, since it requires a high-tier demonic cultivator to accompany you, it must be no simple matter. Furthermore, Fairy choosing to enter the Demonic Gold Mountains this year is really not a good idea. It should be the once-every-three-hundred-year period of demonic energy eruption in the Demonic Gold Mountains right now. Within these ten years, there's a significant chance that many powerful monstrous beasts will stray into the outer regions. Why doesn't Fairy wait another four or five years?" Yue Zong asked suddenly after a moment of contemplation.

"My apologies! This junior has other pressing reasons that make it inconvenient to disclose the full details. I must enter the Demonic Gold Mountains within these two years. Otherwise, I would have to wait several more centuries for the next opportunity.

This junior truly cannot afford to wait that long, so I can only take this slight risk. It's precisely for this reason that I offered a bottle of ten-thousand-year Emerald Ganoderma Spirit Liquid to hire Brother Yue. I won't hide it from you, Brother Yue; several people I approached before weren't confident they could safely guide us to our destination during the demonic energy eruption. That's why I came to you," Xianxian hesitated before giving a wry smile.

"Since Fairy Xian has put it that way, I can only risk my life for this one trip. However, let me be frank: entering the Demonic Gold Mountains during a demonic energy eruption, I only have seventy to eighty percent certainty of safely guiding you to your desired destination. But if, by chance, we encounter a powerful monstrous beast blocking our path, or if any other unforeseen incident occurs that poses a risk of death, I will immediately turn back. And the other half bottle of Emerald Ganoderma Spirit Liquid that Fairy promised must still be paid without fail," Yue Zong reminded her, adding a few more words.

"Of course. These are the conditions agreed upon with Brother Yue beforehand, and they naturally won't change," Xianxian said with a graceful smile. "However, I noticed that Fairy did not directly inform Senior Han about the demonic energy eruption. Will this cause any problems later?" Yue Zong subtly nodded, then narrowed his eyes and asked.

"The reason I brought Senior Han is to utilize his demonic cultivation techniques, and it has nothing to do with the demonic energy eruption. If even Brother Yue cannot safely guide the two of us in and out of the Demonic Gold Mountains, informing Senior Han would yield the same result. Besides, once we enter the mountains, Senior Han will naturally become aware of this matter. It's merely a question of sooner or later," the Crystal Race woman said, blinking her beautiful eyes with a hint of cunning.

"That's true. But if you had told him sooner, I'm afraid Fairy Xian might not have been able to persuade Senior Han with just the current compensation," Yue Zong said with a laugh, his expression showing understanding. Xianxian pursed her lips and smiled without speaking.

Afterward, Yue Zong discussed some further details with the Crystal Race woman, then also stepped onto the teleportation array and was transported away. In the blink of an eye, only Fairy Xian remained in the space.

The smile on the Crystal Race woman's face slowly receded, and after a slight twitch of her eyebrows, her brow subtly furrowed.

Suddenly, she flicked her long sleeve, and a ball of green light instantly flew out, transforming after a flicker into a fist-sized, pale green beast.

This beast was covered in scales, its four limbs had sharp claws, and it possessed two horns on its head and tusks protruding from its mouth, appearing exactly like a true Qilin spirit.

However, this small beast's form was indistinct and elusive; it was an ethereal body, looking as though it might dissipate and disappear with a mere gust of wind.