Chapter 2294: The Journey to the Spirit Clan

It seemed the Spirit King was indeed very mysterious. Han Li pondered for a moment before finally asking the question that concerned him most: "Brother Mo, do you know what kind of deal Patriarch Shixin made with him, that he was willing to exchange even a secret treasure like the Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman?"

Mo Jianli hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm ashamed to admit, I know about other matters, but I truly don't know the specifics concerning this transaction. I only vaguely know that the Spirit King seems to want Patriarch Shixin to do something that appears to be very dangerous; otherwise, he wouldn't have offered the Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman as compensation."

"To do something?" Both Han Li and Ao Xiao showed surprised expressions.

"That should be right, but I truly have no clear details about it," Mo Jianli said with a bitter smile. "In fact, if I hadn't lost some vital energy in the Demon Realm this time, and also thought it would be too reckless to face the Spirit King alone, I would have probably gone to the Spirit Race myself the moment I returned."

"Brother Mo, why didn't you mention this to me?" Patriarch Ao Xiao said with a frown. "If the two of us had joined forces, we might have found a way to obtain the Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman from the Spirit King."

"What would be the use of telling Fellow Daoist Ao about this earlier?" After a change in his expression, Mo Jianli finally revealed his plan. "You also lost a considerable amount of vital energy in the Demon Realm, and you will soon have to prepare for your tribulation. If you suffered any further harm because of this, even if you obtained the talisman, the gains would not outweigh the losses. However, if it were Fellow Daoist Han, it would be different. If I'm not mistaken, Fellow Daoist Han's aura is even more unfathomable than before he entered the Demon Realm. If he is willing to accompany me on this trip, there might actually be a chance to ask for a few Three Purity Thundercloud Talismans."

"What? Brother Mo, you plan to go to the Spirit Race with Fellow Daoist Han?" Patriarch Ao Xiao's expression changed slightly.

"Yes, I do have that intention," Mo Jianli said frankly, not concealing his own desire to obtain it. "Firstly, with Fellow Daoist Han and me joining forces, even if the Spirit King dislikes our two races, he wouldn't dare easily harbor ill intentions. He would most likely conduct the transaction honestly with us. Secondly, even if I don't go to the Spirit Race now, I'll probably have to make a trip there eventually. After all, our heavenly tribulations are not too far off. I have no certainty of passing my next tribulation, and I very much want this Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman. This talisman would also be of great use to Fellow Daoist Han; it might even save his life during a future tribulation."

Patriarch Ao Xiao's expression kept changing, and for a moment, he said nothing.

Han Li also showed a pensive expression, deep in thought.

"Senior Mo, if this Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman is so precious," Yin Yue couldn't help but interject, "I'm afraid what the Spirit King wants done is incredibly dangerous, perhaps even risking one's life."

"Dealing with the Spirit King naturally involves risk," Mo Jianli said without hesitation, as if he had considered this long ago. "But for cultivators like us, which step we take isn't fraught with countless difficulties? Of course, if the risk is truly extreme, Fellow Daoist Han has no immediate tribulation danger and doesn't need to actually agree to anything with the Spirit King. I just need him to accompany me on this trip."

Hearing this, Yin Yue looked at Han Li, then at Patriarch Ao Xiao. Her expression became somewhat complex, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

"If Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao were to obtain one Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman, by how much would his chances of passing the heavenly tribulation increase?" Han Li asked slowly.

"To say nothing more, there should still be a 15% chance," Mo Jianli said solemnly.

Patriarch Ao Xiao pondered in silence, evidently assenting to this statement.

"A 15% chance is indeed not small," Han Li asked Patriarch Ao Xiao again. "Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, if you deliberately try to delay the onset of your heavenly tribulation, how much longer do you think you can postpone it?"

Patriarch Ao Xiao's facial muscles twitched before he replied, "Ten years at most. Any longer, and I won't be able to suppress it."

"Ten years... That means there's still some buffer time," Han Li said, his eyes flickering slightly, as if he had already made a decision.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you implying...?" Mo Jianli couldn't help but press.

"Since there's a way to help Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, and this matter is also greatly beneficial to both Fellow Daoist Mo and myself, I naturally wouldn't let it pass. Brother Mo, catch this." Han Li said with a slight smile, then suddenly flicked his sleeve, sending a ball of white light flying straight towards Mo Jianli. Mo Jianli instinctively raised his hand and caught the white light. When he opened his fingers, it was a milky-white small bottle, from which a faint medicinal fragrance subtly emanated.

"This is..." Mo Jianli narrowed his eyes, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.

"This is a bottle of Fenghui Pill, which is very beneficial for restoring lost vital energy," Han Li said calmly. "Brother Mo, if you take this pill and then cultivate in seclusion for a year, you should be able to recover most of your original losses. When we go to see the Spirit King together then, I believe we'll have a better chance."

"This pill actually has such miraculous effects; then I won't stand on ceremony!" Upon hearing this, Mo Jianli was naturally overjoyed. He immediately opened the bottle, gave it a quick mental scan, and then put it away with a wide smile.

Given his original injuries, if he had taken ordinary pills, his recovery time would have been at least several times longer.

Patriarch Ao Xiao was somewhat moved upon seeing this.

Han Li, however, turned his head and spoke to the demon patriarch again:

"Fellow Daoist Ao, if I'm not mistaken, besides your vital energy loss being much more severe than Fellow Daoist Mo's, your soul also seems to be somewhat amiss."

"You noticed!" Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed after a moment of silence. "When I was trapped in the seal, I was ambushed by several extremely powerful strange insects using a soul-based secret art, and my soul indeed suffered some damage. If I were to fully recover, it would likely take a lot of effort, and I'm not entirely certain I could achieve it before the heavenly tribulation. If I can't fully mend my soul, I might not even have half a percent chance of passing the heavenly tribulation."

"Grandfather, is this true?" Yin Yue's face paled again.

"At this point, is there still a need for me to hide it?" Patriarch Ao Xiao said helplessly.

"Brother Han, do you have..." Hearing this, Yin Yue's heart pounded with anxiety, and she hurriedly turned to Han Li, about to say something.

"Don't worry," Han Li said, waving his hand at Yin Yue and chuckling softly. "Since I asked, I naturally have pills that can heal this kind of soul damage." With a flip of his wrist, several medicine bottles of various colors appeared in his hand, which he then tossed to Patriarch Ao Xiao.

"Thank you, Brother Han. I knew you were immensely capable and would surely have a way." Yin Yue was naturally overjoyed, and her gaze towards Han Li was filled with gratitude.

Patriarch Ao Xiao's eyes lit up. After sweeping the medicine bottles into his sleeve and inspecting them, he also thanked Han Li profusely, a mix of surprise and delight on his face.

"Haha, it seems now that both of us are indebted to Fellow Daoist Han for his pills," Mo Jianli said, appearing exceptionally pleased.

Patriarch Ao Xiao also chuckled and nodded.

"You two are too polite," Han Li said with a serious expression. "When I was still far from achieving the Great Dao, I received much care from both of you, Fellow Daoists. This is merely a small repayment for the kindness shown back then. After a year, once Brother Mo's vital energy recovers, the two of us will set off for the Spirit Race to try and acquire a few more Three Purity Thundercloud Talismans. As for Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao, please stay in the clan and recuperate well, and make more preparations for your tribulation. Once we obtain the items, we will immediately return to the clan, ensuring we don't delay your important tribulation."

"I, Ao, will keep your kindness in my heart," Patriarch Ao Xiao said with a sigh. He then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Han Li and Mo Jianli with clasped hands. "However, if the matter truly proves impossible, please do not push yourselves too hard, lest you encounter unforeseen dangers. Currently, our two races only have three Grand Ascension stage cultivators. Should any of us suffer an accident, it would be an irreplaceable and significant loss to our clans. Even if I were to obtain the Three Purity Thundercloud Talisman, my hope of passing the heavenly tribulation isn't great, and it's not worth taking too big a risk."

Han Li naturally also rose quickly and returned the bow.

Mo Jianli, however, remained seated and yawned, then said with a half-smile:

"Haha, I'm not doing this for you. If the Spirit King didn't have more than one secret talisman, I might not have truly made this trip."

Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed, his gratitude undiminished. "With our tens of thousands of years of friendship, do you think I can't tell if those words come from your heart?"

Mo Jianli paused slightly, then smiled without speaking.

"Now that I think about it, Fellow Daoist Mo's earlier words about not wanting me to leave the clan were probably meant to bring up this matter. You were speaking insincerely, weren't you?" Han Li suddenly chuckled, seeing this.

This time, Mo Jianli actually blushed, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face.

Seeing this, Yin Yue, who was standing nearby, felt her heart lighten and the corners of her lips curled slightly upwards.

If Han Li and the other person could truly bring back the Three Purity Thundercloud Talismans, her grandfather would finally have a sliver of a chance to pass his next heavenly tribulation. This naturally sparked a glimmer of hope in her heart.

For the rest of the time, the conversation shifted, and they began discussing matters related to the reconstruction of the two races.

From their accounts, Han Li learned that the human and demon races' losses from the Demon Race invasion had finally been largely recovered after years of effort.

During this period, a group of young disciples with astonishing aptitudes also emerged among the two races. The names of several of the most outstanding geniuses among them had even reached the ears of these two Grand Ascension stage patriarchs.

Hearing this, Han Li was naturally quite interested and asked several related questions.

Thus, the group stayed in the hall for half a day. Only then did they finally depart, thoroughly content.

That evening, in a cave dwelling on the Holy Island with extremely dense spiritual energy, Han Li met Young Master Hai, Qi Lingzi, and a group of his disciples.

When Han Li's gaze swept over his disciples, he couldn't help but show a satisfied expression. However, when his gaze fixed on Bai Guo'er, his youngest disciple, a hint of surprise flashed across his face.