Chapter 1820: Hidden Spiritual Root

Han Li had stayed in his secret chamber for over ten days, and the Myriad Treasures Convention finally began.

On this day, Han Li, who had been sitting cross-legged on a futon, seemed to sense something. He suddenly flicked his sleeve, putting away the Ten Thousand Swords Diagram before him.

He then stood up and walked out of the secret chamber.

In the main hall, Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi were waiting respectfully.

As soon as they saw Han Li emerge, they immediately stepped forward to greet him. Hai Dashao then took out a gleaming golden invitation from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands as he spoke:

"Senior Han, this is the invitation from the Myriad Treasures Convention. Holding this allows you to freely participate in all levels of auctions and access any venue within the convention. Moreover, since today is the first day, the inaugural major auction will be held on Mount Feixian Peak. According to past custom, this is the most important auction of the convention, marking its official commencement. Many precious items from major powers and private collectors will be featured." Qi Lingzi added respectfully.

"Oh, you two seem to know quite a bit about this, don't you? It appears you haven't wasted your time wandering around these past few days," Han Li said with a smile. He casually took the golden invitation and scanned it.

The gleaming golden invitation bore the ancient characters "Myriad Treasures" on one side, while the other featured a silver pattern, emanating an aura of treasure, intricately formed by a series of runes. It was quite profound and ingenious.

"Have all seven Demon Kings arrived during my seclusion?" Han Li asked after putting away the golden invitation.

"Reporting to Senior, five of the seven Demon Kings have arrived, with the exception of the Heavenly Wolf King and the Heavenly Fox King," Hai Dashao replied respectfully.

"The Wolf King and Fox King haven't arrived? That's a bit strange. Generally, the Myriad Treasures Convention is highly regarded by all seven Demon Kings, and they wouldn't easily miss it," Han Li asked, his expression subtly hardening.

"This junior has heard some rumors about that," Qi Lingzi replied honestly, proving he did know some details. "I heard the Heavenly Wolf King is currently in seclusion, cultivating a powerful divine ability, which prevents him from attending. As for the Heavenly Fox King, it seems she's not even in Tian Gu Territory; she simply sent word that she has urgent matters to attend to, with no further information."

"I see! In that case, let's depart. While there are many different activities at the Myriad Treasures Convention, only a few truly interest me. I absolutely cannot miss this first auction. You two should come with me. Although this type of auction isn't open to just anyone, with this golden invitation, one should be able to bring several disciples or followers," Han Li said with a sudden smile, glancing at the two.

"Disciples? Senior, are you willing to accept us as your disciples!" Upon hearing Han Li's words, the two were initially stunned but quickly reacted. Hai Dashao asked, his face alight with excitement.

"Your cultivation levels are too low; it's unlikely I'd accept you as direct disciples," Han Li said, shaking his head with a somewhat solemn expression. "If you're willing, I can take you on as registered disciples. Only when you advance to the Deity Transformation stage will I acknowledge you as my official disciples. I hope you two won't disappoint me!"

"Registered disciples are fine too! Greetings, Teacher!" Upon hearing Han Li's words, Qi Lingzi prostrated without hesitation, bowing three times with solid thuds.

Beside him, Hai Dashao, still incredibly excited, also knelt down and performed the disciple's bow, calling out "Master."

Seeing the genuine sincerity on their faces, Han Li nodded, accepting their homage, then flicked his sleeve.

A surge of invisible immense force gushed forth, instantly lifting both Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi.

Han Li's calm voice then resumed:

"You two should know a little about your master's background. Before you, I accepted two disciples in the lower realms. Therefore, you are not my only two disciples; you have a senior brother and a senior sister. However, I am by nature serene and detached, not easily inclined to take on disciples, so as not to impede my own cultivation. So, whether it was accepting your senior brother and sister, or accepting you two, there were other specific reasons involved. Thus, there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand, lest you later harbor doubts or suspicions!"

As Han Li spoke his last words, his voice deepened, and the temperature in the entire hall suddenly plummeted, as if shrouded in an icy chill.

Given Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi's cultivation levels, this strange cold made them shiver, and they repeatedly stated, "We wouldn't dare."

"Hehe, there's nothing 'dare not' about it," Han Li chuckled nonchalantly. "If I were in the Foundation Establishment stage and a Body Integration cultivator offered to take me as a disciple, despite my happiness, I'd probably have a few reservations too."

Hearing Han Li's words, Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi exchanged glances. Feeling greatly embarrassed, they found it difficult to offer any further explanations.

"To be honest, if you two were merely ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators and body refiners, I wouldn't have possibly accepted you as registered disciples. The reason I decided to take you in today is, firstly, that you genuinely share some affinity with me, and I am quite satisfied with your character and conduct. But most importantly, it's because one of you possesses the legendary Hidden Spirit Root, and the other has an inherited artifact within them," Han Li said, his expression somewhat peculiar as he looked at them.

"Hidden Spirit Root!"

"Inherited artifact!"

Upon hearing this, Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi both looked utterly bewildered.

Given their cultivation levels, it was clear they couldn't possibly be familiar with such concepts, which even most high-level cultivators couldn't comprehend.

"Qi Lingzi, your 'inherited artifact' is easy to explain," Han Li began, pausing after his words. "It should be a spiritual tool containing the cultivation methods and secret arts of the Mist Sea Temple, sealed within your body. Once your cultivation reaches a certain realm, it will automatically unseal partially, granting you suitable cultivation techniques. Of course, this inherited artifact itself is also a rare treasure; if activated with the corresponding cultivation methods, its power should certainly not be underestimated."

"I always felt something strange inside me, and sometimes I'd have weird dreams. So it was all this thing's doing!" Qi Lingzi muttered to himself subconsciously, utterly dumbfounded.

Han Li smiled upon hearing this, then continued:

"Actually, your fortune is not small. Although the Mist Sea Temple is not widely known, from my observation, its divine abilities and secret arts are extraordinary and quite suitable for your cultivation. Therefore, there's no need to teach you any major cultivation methods; at most, when you achieve true mastery, I'll impart some secret techniques. Thus, the lineage of the Mist Sea Temple still needs you to carry it on. Once you achieve great success in your cultivation, you can even become the master of the Mist Sea Temple again and further develop this lineage; I will not interfere in the slightest. The reason I accepted you as a disciple is also because you already have an inheritance; with a little guidance, you can cultivate on your own. Otherwise, even if your aptitude were better, I wouldn't easily seek trouble for myself. Of course, now that you've joined my lineage, I will certainly not be stingy with various resources. If you feel unwilling or have any complaints about this, I can consider the disciple acceptance just now as if it never happened," Han Li said, staring at the young Taoist priest with unusual calm.

"I wouldn't dare. For this junior to be accepted as a registered disciple under Senior's tutelage is already an immense blessing. As for what cultivation method to practice, it naturally depends entirely on Senior's decision; I will never have any complaints," Qi Lingzi said, his expression changing drastically as he prostrated himself once more upon hearing Han Li's words.

"Hmm, since you feel you can accept it, then there's no problem," Han Li said, nodding in satisfaction. His gaze then shifted to the handsome young man. "As for Hai Dashao..."

"Master, just call me Hai Yuetian. 'Hai Dashao' is merely a jocular name from friends; I truly wouldn't dare use it in front of you," Hai Dashao quickly and sensibly interjected.

"It seems Hai Yuetian is your true name then. Alright, from now on, I'll call you Yuetian," Han Li said, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, Master!" Hai Dashao replied with natural deference.

"Your situation, however, is completely different from Qi Lingzi's. These past few days, I have thoroughly examined your body and even consulted some fellow cultivators of my level regarding some perplexing points. Now I can confirm that not only do you possess the rare Molten Gold Physique, but that peculiar lightning spirit root within you should be the legendary Hidden Spirit Root. No, it would be more appropriate to call it the Hidden Lightning Spirit Root."

"Hidden Lightning Spirit Root!" Hai Dashao muttered the words twice, but naturally, still looked bewildered.

"Although the Molten Gold Physique is rare, given the vast population base of humanity, there's always a certain probability of its appearance. It's also based on this that you've been able to cultivate body refinement techniques so quickly. As for the Hidden Spirit Root, that's a different story! From ancient times to the present, rumors about the Hidden Spirit Root have been extremely rare, almost completely submerged in various legends. That's why I didn't think of it at first and had to analyze and study it for a long time before I could truly confirm it. The Hidden Spirit Root is extremely difficult to discover, and the probability of someone being born with this type of spirit root is certainly no higher than those with special physiques or true spirit bloodlines," Han Li explained.

"Why is that?" Qi Lingzi, engrossed in the explanation, couldn't help but ask.

"Because this type of spirit root can only be possessed by individuals with special physiques or inherited special bloodlines. Only in them is there a certain chance that the spirit root might be obscured and weakened by the special physique or bloodline power, leading to the birth of a Hidden Spirit Root. However, even if some Hidden Spirit Root holders are discovered, they are indeed not very useful. General immortal cultivation sects would not accept such individuals. This is unless their special physique or bloodline is truly heaven-defying, or the spirit root they possess is also one of the few types, such as a Lightning Spirit Root or Dark Spirit Root. But even then, one must consider the duration of their Hidden Spirit Root's disappearance and appearance to judge whether they are truly worth cultivating. After all, if the Hidden Spirit Root disappears for too long, the difficulty of cultivation will multiply. Those with Hidden Spirit Roots can only cultivate magic power during the period when their spirit root is manifest," Han Li explained in detail to his two registered disciples.