Chapter 229: Dayan Decision

Han Li remained silent after hearing the man speak. He simply kept a firm grip on the man's primordial spirit and pondered deeply.

After a long moment, Han Li looked up and said coldly, "If your primordial spirit had caught me off guard and invaded me, would you have let me go? Your magic power is far greater than mine, a mere Foundation Establishment junior. Most likely, I would have been swallowed by you."

Han Li's ill intent was unmistakable.

"I can tell you a secret, and give you peerless cultivation methods!" Senior Brother Lin cried out in fear, hastily transmitting his thoughts via his primordial spirit.

"A secret, cultivation methods? Are you referring to your Thousand Bamboo Sect's Grand Derivation Art?"

Han Li's casual remark immediately caused the green light on the primordial spirit to flicker, and a stammering, astonished voice replied: "How do you know about this? You... you were the one spying yesterday!"

It was then that Senior Brother Lin finally realized.

"Alright, since you know I'm not entirely ignorant of your affairs, just tell me everything honestly! You wouldn't want me to immediately destroy your primordial spirit, would you?" Han Li's words were light, but they caused Senior Brother Lin's primordial spirit to tremble violently in his hand.

"What is there to say? Didn't you hear most of it yesterday, junior brother?" Senior Brother Lin sighed deeply, speaking faintly.

Meanwhile, outside the formation, the Thousand Bamboo Sect members, seeing no reaction from within after their message, angrily commanded their numerous puppets to launch a new wave of attacks. The area outside the formation became lively once more, but inside, it remained calm and peaceful, save for faint sounds and vibrations.

"Junior brother, what an extraordinary formation this is! To withstand such a fierce attack, it's truly incredible!" Seeing this, Senior Brother Lin interrupted, feigning surprise.

"Hmph, don't concern yourself with my formation, and don't interrupt me. I have no interest in your Thousand Bamboo Sect's internal squabbles. All I want to know is whether you have any knowledge of the Grand Derivation Art, and what special abilities one gains from cultivating it. If you try to deliberately stall for time, I'll destroy you instantly." Han Li frowned, his voice suddenly chilling.

Then, the white light in his hand flared intensely. With a slight squeeze of his fingers, Senior Brother Lin's primordial spirit immediately let out a cry of agony, repeatedly exclaiming that he wouldn't dare refuse.

"The Grand Derivation Art is a secret technique exclusively created by our sect's founder, specifically for strengthening spiritual sense and cultivating the art of spirit division. It's also an essential cultivation method for our Thousand Bamboo Sect to use puppets. Only by cultivating this art can one attach their spiritual sense to numerous puppets and control them freely! Otherwise, no matter how many puppets we refine, what good are they if we can't control them simultaneously?" Having experienced Han Li's methods, Senior Brother Lin dared not delay further and spoke in a rush.

"Since it's a fundamental cultivation method of the Thousand Bamboo Sect, why did you feel the need to scheme for it? And there's talk of only half of it? What's going on?" Han Li continued to ask, his expression unperturbed.

"There's nothing to hide. Although the Grand Derivation Art is a basic cultivation method of our Thousand Bamboo Sect, it's also the very foundation of our sect, so it cannot be easily passed on to all disciples. Therefore, the Grand Derivation Art currently cultivated by Thousand Bamboo Sect disciples is merely a simplified version of the first level of the original Grand Derivation Art. While easy to practice, its power, even when fully mastered, is far inferior to the first level of the original. The complete Grand Derivation Art can only be cultivated by high-ranking members of the sect."

"Those outside, for example, have mastered the first two levels of the original Grand Derivation Art, allowing them to control nearly a hundred automaton puppets at once! I, however, have mastered the third level, which allows me to control over three hundred, far surpassing them. The Grand Derivation Art beyond the third level has historically only been accessible to the Sect Master and their designated successor!"

"Years ago, a rebellion broke out in the Thousand Bamboo Sect. My father was ambushed by the current Sect Master, Jin Nantian, who also seized the complete Grand Derivation Art. At the time, as the young sect master, I was handling sect affairs outside. Upon hearing the news, unable to contend with him, I had no choice but to find a substitute to feign my death and flee thousands of miles away to Yue State. Although I didn't have the complete Grand Derivation Art then, as the Sect Master's only son, I had prior knowledge of the first four levels of the cultivation method and compiled them into a volume of the Grand Derivation Art."

"Originally, I intended to spend the rest of my life here, but recently, the Grand Derivation Art surprisingly showed signs of breaking through the third level, igniting my desire for revenge. In a moment of folly, I contacted some of my loyal subordinates from back then, hoping they could steal the incantations for the last three levels. I never imagined it would lead to such a predicament! I don't know if they failed and were captured, or if they simply betrayed me!"

Senior Brother Lin recounted the story slowly and in great detail. But by the end, his voice was filled with anger and indignation.

Han Li coldly watched the other's primordial spirit vent its frustrations, making no move. Only after the other party had calmed down a little did he unceremoniously press on with his questions: "What is this secret you spoke of?"

"This...? I hope to first..."

"Ah! Stop, I'll tell you, I'll tell you now!"

Senior Brother Lin's primordial spirit hesitated slightly, seemingly wanting to propose a condition. However, Han Li gave him no chance to speak, immediately inflicting another great torment, nearly crushing Senior Brother Lin's primordial spirit. This made the other party tremble with fear and instantly change his tune.

"Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! It's best not to propose any conditions before I've heard everything I want to know." Han Li's voice was chillingly cold.

For a moment, Senior Brother Lin was completely stunned by Han Li's ruthless methods and hastily said in fear: "Actually, this secret is still related to the Grand Derivation Art, and it has long been circulating among the high-ranking members of the Thousand Bamboo Sect. It's just that no one knows if it's true or false! However, when my father was still alive, he secretly told me that there's a fifty to sixty percent chance this secret is true!"

"I don't know when it started, but a rumor has been secretly circulating among the high-ranking members of our Thousand Bamboo Sect throughout history: anyone who cultivates the Grand Derivation Art to an advanced level finds forming their Core far easier than ordinary cultivators, and they break through cultivation bottlenecks more readily. This is because the success rate for forming a Core among past Sect Masters and their successors has been extraordinarily high." He paused before finally revealing this secret.

"It can increase the chance of entering the Core Formation stage?" Han Li, who had been indifferent, finally showed a change in expression.

"Yes, as long as junior brother is willing to help me find a body so I can possess it and resume cultivation, I'm willing to first share the incantations for the first four levels with you. Then, you and I can join forces and find a way to seize the remaining cultivation methods from that Jin scoundrel. Wouldn't it be wonderful to form a Golden Core together!" He began to use his persuasive words, trying to tempt Han Li.

Han Li snorted, saying nothing. Instead, he lowered his head once more, lost in thought, making Senior Brother Lin's heart suddenly feel uneasy.

"Only a fifty to sixty percent chance of increasing the probability of forming a Core?" Han Li suddenly looked up, muttering with tightly furrowed brows.

"Junior brother, a fifty to sixty percent chance is not small! This is about forming a Golden Core, after all; it's worth a try!" Seeing this, Senior Brother Lin hastily tried to persuade him again. In truth, his father had not told him a fifty to sixty percent chance, but only a thirty percent possibility! But now, coming from his mouth, the probability had immediately doubled.

"Is this Grand Derivation Art easy to cultivate? Besides strengthening spiritual sense, can it also increase one's cultivation level? Also, Senior Brother Lin, when did you successfully reach the Foundation Establishment stage, and how long have you been cultivating this Grand Derivation Art?" Han Li suddenly raised an eyebrow and asked coldly.

"The cultivation speed is alright, and it seems to increase one's cultivation level a little... As for successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, that was over a hundred years ago, when I was just over twenty! I started cultivating the Grand Derivation Art after reaching Foundation Establishment. Huh, why are you asking these questions, junior brother?"

Senior Brother Lin hadn't expected the other party to suddenly ask such a series of questions. Taken aback, and unprepared, he could only stammer out answers to the first two questions, though he answered the latter two very clearly.

Han Li's expression softened, seemingly pleased with the answers. However, his right hand, which was gripping Senior Brother Lin's primordial spirit, suddenly flared with bright white light, then his five fingers clenched tightly! Instantly, the primordial spirit in his hand could only let out a single shriek before dissolving into specks of starlight, completely vanishing from this world.

"How unfortunate! Throughout my life, what I detest most is being possessed by others; it brings back some unpleasant memories. Furthermore, while it's true I'm interested in the Grand Derivation Art, this cultivation method is not easy to practice, and it doesn't even enhance one's magic power. How could I possibly use it as my main cultivation method?

You see, if my magic power hasn't even reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, what good would it do to cultivate the Grand Derivation Art to its utmost perfection? Your talent is decent, having cultivated this Grand Derivation Art for over a hundred years, yet you've only reached the peak of the third level, and your magic power, due to divided attention, only hovers around the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. How can one have their cake and eat it too? And for the past Sect Masters of the Thousand Bamboo Sect to have successfully formed a Golden Core while balancing both, that's not surprising. After all, anyone capable of becoming a sect master must possess extraordinary talent, a once-in-a-million cultivation prodigy. This makes the credibility of the Grand Derivation Art increasing the chance of Core Formation even lower! And I certainly don't consider myself such an unparalleled prodigy; I have absolutely no confidence in cultivating both the Grand Derivation Art and my magic power to a profound level!

The worst part is, you don't even possess the complete Grand Derivation Art, and you want to drag me into a confrontation with an entire sect. Isn't that just seeking death? Furthermore, even if I were to spare you, who could guarantee that you wouldn't bear a grudge over today's events and scheme against me behind my back?

Tell me, with so many reasons, how could I possibly let you go?" Han Li gazed at his right hand, which had just ended the life of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and murmured to himself.

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