Chapter 2307: Ice Peak

"I've heard a powerful being mention the Asura Spider once or twice," Mo Jianli said slowly. "Even as a newborn in the Asura Realm, this creature possesses formidable strength, surpassing that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. As it matures, its power grows continuously, reaching a level almost equivalent to a Mahayana cultivator when it becomes a true adult. Some exceptionally gifted Asura Spiders might even become extraordinarily powerful beings, comparable to true spirits. The Asura Spider you mentioned, capable of extracting Threads of Time, must at least be an adult, right?"

"Brother Mo is indeed exceptionally knowledgeable about this creature from the Asura Realm," the Spirit King replied, a hint of surprise on his face. "I won't hide it from you, fellow Daoists; only adult Asura Spiders can yield the Threads of Time. And generally, it takes three Asura Spiders to extract a single thread. Of course, if we encounter one of the powerful Asura Spiders Brother Mo spoke of, just one crystal core would be enough."

Mo Jianli gave a wry smile and asked nothing further.

Upon hearing this, Bloodflame and Black Scale's expressions grew somewhat grim.

After a while, Bloodflame asked in a cold voice:

"The Minor Asura Realm is inherently fraught with danger, and adult Asura Spiders possess strange time-manipulating abilities. Even without Mahayana-level magic power, they're likely no easier to deal with than typical Mahayana cultivators. To extract Threads of Time, each of us would need to kill at least three of them. Brother Ling, don't you think it's a bit unreasonable to ask us to risk our lives for just one Sky-Thunder Talisman?"

"Unreasonable? I don't see it that way," the white-robed elder said, his expression unchanged. "Besides the Sky-Thunder Talisman, I've also offered two Asura Hearts. Given their rarity, their value is only slightly less than that of the talisman. Moreover, the Minor Asura Realm has been renowned for its abundant rare resources for tens of thousands of years. If you enter it, even if you can't find the Asura Spiders, you'll still gain significant other treasures. You are free to keep all of those; I won't take a single cent from you!"

"That's different!" Bloodflame scoffed impolitely. "Asura Hearts are essential items for entering the Minor Asura Realm. Brother Ling would offer them regardless of who he sought help from, so how can they be counted as compensation? Furthermore, after dividing the Asura Hearts, we'll only have about ten days in that realm, and we'll need to focus on finding Asura Spiders. Where would we find time to search for other treasures? Heh heh. Brother Ling, why bother using such empty words to brush us off? Even if we were incredibly lucky in the Minor Asura Realm and found some decent treasures, how could that compare to the risks involved? At our cultivation level, our personal safety is paramount. The reason my brother and I want that Sky-Thunder Talisman isn't just to avoid perishing in future heavenly tribulations, is it?"

Mo Jianli's eyes flickered several times, clearly agreeing with Bloodflame's words, the non-human Mahayana cultivator.

Han Li's expression was a subtle half-smile, while Black Scale sneered continuously.

After listening, the white-robed elder frowned, then swept his gaze over Han Li and the others before speaking thoughtfully:

"Fellow Daoists, since you feel this transaction is unfair, how about this: if you can retrieve the Threads of Time from the Minor Asura Realm, besides the Sky-Thunder Talisman, you may also choose three items from the catalog of treasures I just presented. This is my final offer. If you are still unsatisfied, then please leave. I would rather seek help from others."

As he spoke the last few sentences, a hint of solemnity appeared on the elder's face.

"Choose three other treasures! All right, it's settled then. Brother Ling, is the cross-realm formation for the Minor Asura Realm ready? My brother and I cannot wait here much longer." Upon hearing this, Bloodflame's face broke into a smile, and he agreed without hesitation.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Blood," the elder said, a confident smile also flashing across his face. "The teleportation formation is already prepared and located on the Sacred Mountain. As soon as you are ready to depart, you can be teleported to the Minor Asura Realm. Brother Mo, Fellow Daoist Han, what are your decisions?"

Mo Jianli's expression fluctuated between dark and light for a moment before he grit his teeth and replied:

"I must obtain the Sky-Thunder Talisman, and I am willing to try my luck in the Minor Asura Realm."

"Since Brother Mo is willing to go to the Minor Asura Realm, I will naturally accompany you," Han Li said, stroking his chin nonchalantly. "However, I have one more condition: I wish to set the coordinates for my return from the Minor Asura Realm myself. There's no need for Brother Spirit King to trouble himself with it."

"Fellow Daoist Han, what does this mean? Do you not trust me?" the elder asked, his gaze fixed on Han Li's face, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

"Nothing at all," Han Li replied, his expression unchanged. "I simply prefer to keep all uncertainties under my own control. I hope you can accommodate me. I am quite familiar with teleportation formations, and slightly altering the return coordinates with a magical artifact shouldn't be too difficult."

"Fellow Daoist Han's words deeply resonate with me," Bloodflame said, clapping his hands and laughing heartily, then speaking to the elder with a mirthless smile. "I, too, am quite knowledgeable about formations, so I'll set my own return coordinates. If Brother Ling doesn't agree, then I'll have to question your sincerity."

"You're all overthinking it," the white-robed elder said, a flicker of light in his eyes, agreeing without further argument. "Since you all wish for it, you may set your own return coordinates. However, it's best not to exceed the boundaries of our Spirit Race's territory. Otherwise, if you return late, I might misunderstand that something unforeseen has happened to you and might dispose of the Sky-Thunder Talisman otherwise. You should be well aware of how 'hot' these talismans are; once I reveal their existence, more fellow Daoists might soon come knocking, and I cannot keep them in my possession for too long."

"Haha, rest assured, Brother Ling," Bloodflame replied with a satisfied expression and a hearty laugh. "With my brother's and my bloodline power, we have a seventy to eighty percent chance of finding the Asura Spiders. In just over ten days, we shall each have what we seek."

"Han Li and I will also do our best once we enter the Minor Asura Realm," Mo Jianli said with a soft sigh.

"Very well. Since none of you have any further issues, please stay here for the night and prepare yourselves. Tomorrow morning, I shall send you four into the Minor Asura Realm." The white-robed elder regained his composure, then clapped his hands several times.

Immediately, a side door opened, and several young women in palace attire emerged. After bowing to Han Li and the others, they respectfully stood on either side.

Bloodflame nodded, then he and Black Scale stood up and followed two of the women towards the side door.

In an instant, their figures vanished from the hall.

At this point, Mo Jianli clasped his fist at the white-robed elder, called out to Han Li, and prepared to go rest as well.

After rising from his chair, Han Li did not immediately leave. Instead, he suddenly smiled and said to the white-robed elder:

"I have another matter that puzzles me, and I'd like to ask you about it, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate."

"Oh, feel free to ask, fellow Daoist," the white-robed elder said, looking somewhat surprised but maintaining his composure.

"I've heard some rumors outside, claiming that since the Spirit Race established itself in the Spirit Realm, every Spirit King throughout history has actually been the same person. I wonder if this is true or false, and what is Brother Ling's true lifespan?" Han Li asked with a smile, his words causing Mo Jianli, who was beside him, to be momentarily stunned.

"Haha, I've heard some of these rumors myself," the white-robed elder chuckled, adding a brief explanation. "But they are, of course, groundless. Our Spirit Race has existed in this realm for millions of years. Even if the heavenly tribulations for our kind are spaced further apart than for other races, how could one possibly live for such a long time? However, it is true that a few generations of Spirit Kings in our history reigned for an extended period, which likely led to some uninformed outsiders spreading these rumors."

"So that's it," Han Li said with a slight nod and a smile. "I thought to myself, the Spirit Realm isn't the True Immortal Realm; how could there truly be beings with lifespans exceeding a million years?" He then, along with Mo Jianli, followed two other Spirit Race women towards another side door.

As their figures also vanished behind the door, the white-robed elder, who had been watching their backs, suddenly saw the faint smile on his face disappear.

"Heh heh, the True Immortal Realm!" the white-robed elder murmured in a voice too low to be heard. "Has this young man sensed something? But he's far from the only one who has asked me such direct questions."

Then, the white-robed elder suddenly formed a hand seal with one hand. After a flash of misty white light around his body, his figure blurred and vanished from the spot.

A moment later, deep within the Fuling Mountain, in a pitch-black isolated space, a milky-white light formation flashed in the void, and the white-robed elder's figure silently appeared.

The elder's gaze swept across the pitch-black void around him. He frowned, but immediately flicked his sleeve upwards.

Immediately, over a dozen orbs of light flew out. After swirling around, they hung suspended high in the air.

Then, the elder formed a hand seal with one hand and activated it, causing the orbs of light to suddenly become dazzling, illuminating the entire space with unusual clarity.

About thirty to forty zhang away from the elder, there stood a thousand-zhang-high crystalline ice peak, its surface shimmering with faint blue light, and its greater part enveloped by a massive golden rune.

Through the translucent ice, one could vaguely discern a handsome young man in golden robes, lying unconscious and bound by numerous runic chains.

On his brow, there was a golden pattern identical in shape to the rune on the ice wall.

Seeing this, the white-robed elder, without hesitation, flashed forward several times. Extending his arm, he pressed a palm against the ice wall in front of him.

Streams of white light surged forth from his palm.