Chapter 1634: Incitement

But the next moment, the young man continued, a hint of excitement in his voice: "The person injured by the Ganoderma Immortal said that his Golden Origin Restrictive Light could contain the immortal's illusory form for two months. And because the immortal has this restrictive light inside it, he can also directly refine a tracking plate that will immediately reveal its whereabouts within a hundred miles. This Ganoderma Immortal possesses astonishing evasion and concealment techniques, along with some special divine abilities. However, its actual combat methods are not particularly sophisticated. Moreover, being injured, it surely wouldn't dare venture deep into the Demonic Gold Mountains, but would only hide in some outer area. This means the next month is the perfect opportunity to capture it. Those of us temporarily residing in town hadn't initially intended to enter the mountains during the demonic energy eruption period. But now that such a good opportunity has arisen, we naturally want to go in and try our luck. As for those from farther away, even if they rush here, they would have already missed the opportune moment." Only after hearing this detailed explanation did Han Li and the other two begin to understand. After a brief moment of contemplation, Yue Zong still spoke with extreme caution:

"Humanoid spiritual medicines are extremely rare, but there are no records of their specific medicinal properties, nor is it certain that they are truly superior to some top-tier sacred medicines. It's just that such sentient entities are incredibly rare to hear about. If that were the case, it wouldn't have attracted so many people willing to risk entering the mountains during the demonic energy eruption in just a few days. After all, entering during this period increases the danger by severalfold compared to normal times. Even if one only operates in the periphery, there's still a chance of encountering powerful demonic beasts."

"Brother Yue, you don't know about this. On the very day the Ganoderma Immortal appeared, a senior from the Saint Race arrived at our inn, offering three Myriad Wonder Pills, three Ten-Thousand-Year Azure Lotus Flowers, and an astronomical sum of spirit stones in exchange for this Ganoderma Immortal. They don't care whether it's alive or dead. This senior is currently residing at the inn and has stated they will only leave after the Demonic Gold Mountains open for a month. Oh, and those few drops of Ganoderma Immortal blood were also purchased by this senior," another palace-dressed woman with a beautiful face also explained. "Saint Race?" Han Li asked, surprised this time.

"That's right. This senior's surname is Gu, and their cultivation is unfathomable. They don't appear to be from our Tianyun region." The palace-dressed woman glanced at Han Li, finding him unremarkable, and replied indifferently. "It seems everyone here is actually after Senior Gu's generous reward," Xian Xian said with a charming smile upon hearing this.

"Most cultivators who come to this town, regardless of their cultivation level, have no choice but to be here. They are all severely lacking in spirit stones; otherwise, they wouldn't be willing to risk entering the Demonic Gold Mountains. With such a high reward, if we succeed, we won't have to live in this inn anymore, nor will we have to risk hunting demonic beasts." The palace-dressed woman snorted, seemingly displeased by Xian Xian's words. The Crystal Clan woman smiled faintly and remained silent. "Ni'er, don't be rude. These two fellow cultivators are friends of my virtuous nephew Yue." The elderly man surnamed Yan, seemingly the palace-dressed woman's direct elder, his eyes glinted, and he lightly chastised her. The palace-dressed woman looked unhappy but mumbled an affirmation and said no more.

"Since this happened several days ago, why are so many people still gathered here? Hasn't Senior Liao been in charge here anymore?" Yue Zong still seemed to have unanswered questions. After glancing around, he frowned and asked about something else.

"Brother Yue, you guessed correctly. Senior Liao left over ten years ago. The new steward is very strict, even reinstating the previous access test. Those who don't pass the test are refused a Thunder-Averting Umbrella. Moreover, unlike Senior Liao, they are not easy to deal with and will absolutely not issue Thunder-Averting Umbrellas in advance. Brother Yue, you've arrived at an opportune time; today happens to be the first day the test is open. That's why so many people are gathered here," the pale-faced young man said with a sigh of complaint.

"Alright, some things shouldn't be said carelessly. The new Steward Min restarting the test can also prevent those whose strength is insufficient from dying in vain at the hands of demonic beasts," the old man said calmly.

"But this kind of test was a regulation from a long time ago. It was established because too many fellow cultivators perished in the Demonic Gold Mountains in the past. Nowadays, only a handful of people are willing to enter the mountains each year. Isn't holding this test completely redundant now?!" The young man scoffed, clearly dismissive of the idea.

"There's no use arguing about it. Without a Thunder-Averting Umbrella, one cannot enter the mountains, and Senior Liao is no longer in charge of approving them. Naturally, the rules have changed," the elderly man surnamed Yan said meaningfully.

Seeing that even the elder with the highest cultivation among them had spoken in such a manner, the others found it difficult to say anything more about the matter.

"Regardless of what Brother Yue intends to do in the mountains this time, since you've encountered such an opportunity, you shouldn't give it up, should you? Why not act together with us? With Brother Yue, the renowned demonic beast hunter, and the tracking plate, our chances of capturing the Ganoderma Immortal should be significantly higher than anyone else's. If we truly catch the immortal then, Brother Yue can receive a portion of the entire reward. The rest we will divide equally among ourselves. What do you think, Brother Yue?" the palace-dressed woman smilingly tried to persuade Yue Zong.

Upon hearing this, Yue Zong's expression shifted, but he didn't immediately reply...

"Brother Yue, our time is not abundant, and we cannot spare any effort. As for the reward, one is already secured, while the other is still unknown. Surely, fellow cultivator, you will make a wise choice," the Crystal Clan woman said, noticing Yue Zong's temptation, and gently reminded him.

"Fellow cultivator Xian, rest assured. Since I have already received part of the reward, there is no reason for me to change my mind. Senior Yan, I have other matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I won't be able to act with you all." Yue Zong's expression fluctuated for a moment before he finally made a significant decision.

"It's alright. To be honest, many of us entering the Demonic Gold Mountains this time are also gambling on opportunities. While the outer reaches of the Demonic Gold Mountains aren't overly vast, finding the Ganoderma Immortal's whereabouts amidst the demonic energy is no easy task. No one can really say how these things will turn out. Perhaps the less one intends to find it, the more likely one is to stumble upon it unintentionally. How about this, Ni'er, give my virtuous nephew Yue a description of the Ganoderma Immortal's appearance and a tracking plate," the elderly man surnamed Yan instructed indifferently.

Upon hearing this, the palace-dressed woman indeed retrieved a white stone tablet and a blue tracking plate from her storage bracelet without hesitation. "Thank you, Senior Yan." Yue Zong hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't decline, accepting the two items. "Heh heh. Don't mention it. In any case, your father and I had some friendship back in the day," the old man said with a low chuckle. Han Li, with his hands clasped behind his back, watched this scene, his lips twitching slightly into a half-smile. Almost at the same moment, Han Li's telepathic voice suddenly sounded in the Crystal Clan woman's ear: "Fellow cultivator, is there anything you haven't told me about before we set off? What is this 'demonic energy eruption,' and how can powerful demonic beasts appear in the periphery?"

Xian Xian's expression subtly changed upon hearing this, but with a serene look, her lips slightly parted, and she silently transmitted a reply:

"Senior, please forgive me! Although this demonic energy eruption will affect our journey somewhat, there won't be a major problem as long as we don't venture deep into the mountains. I originally intended to discuss this after we entered. How about this: after we secure that Saint-tier demonic beast, in addition to its true blood and demonic core, I'll yield a small portion of its other materials? I hope Senior won't blame me for this!"

Xian Xian proved quite clever; upon hearing Han Li's interrogation, she immediately adopted a very deferential posture and proactively offered to increase the compensation.

Silence fell in the Crystal Clan woman's ear for a moment, but then Han Li's suddenly icy voice rang out:

"Throughout my life, I've hated nothing more than people intentionally setting traps for me. I'll let it go this time, but if I discover another instance, our cooperation will end immediately. Even though I greatly desire to repair the Fiendish Armor from beyond the heavens, I will never allow anyone to repeatedly make a fool of me."

Hearing the chilling severity in Han Li's words, the Crystal Clan woman paradoxically felt a sense of relief, knowing she had finally passed this hurdle. Meanwhile, Yue Zong and the elderly man surnamed Yan began chatting about old times, appearing to be enjoying their conversation. However, at that very moment, something unexpected even to Han Li occurred.

The two other highest-cultivated Void Refinement peak stage cultivators present were not only outsiders but also among those who had shown no reaction upon hearing Yue Zong's name earlier.

However, now that they had heard the telepathic messages from the others, they finally understood the source of Yue Zong's fame. Their eyes lit up almost simultaneously.

After the two secretly conversed for a few more moments, one of them, a middle-aged man with a square head and disheveled green hair, suddenly stood up and strode purposefully towards Yue Zong and the others.

"You are the most famous demonic beast hunter at this inn, and you must be very familiar with the Demonic Gold Mountains." As soon as he reached a few dozen feet from Yue Zong, he asked with an unfriendly tone.

"My fame is a thing of the past. I haven't entered the Demonic Gold Mountains for over a hundred years, so I can hardly be called familiar with them now. Senior, do you have some business with me?" Although Yue Zong's heart sank, he managed to reply neither humbly nor haughtily.

"Whether you're truly familiar or feigning ignorance, Fellow cultivator Miao and I will be entering the Demonic Gold Mountains tomorrow to search for the Ganoderma Immortal. You will accompany us." The green-haired foreigner narrowed his eyes and spoke with an unusually domineering tone.

Upon hearing these words, not only did Yue Zong and the palace-dressed woman's expressions change drastically, but Xian Xian and Han Li also looked startled. The elderly man surnamed Yan, however, maintained his composure, but looking at the other party, he asked with a somber expression, "What do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean? Naturally, I intend to utilize this young friend's abilities. What, do you find that inappropriate, fellow cultivator?" It was unclear what the green-haired foreigner was relying on, but he spoke just as impolitely to an elder of his own cultivation level.