Chapter 2338: Mountain and Sea Pearl

"Acknowledge me as your master! Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps joking? Your esteemed clan has only met me for the first time today. You don't even know my origins or my character, yet you intend to pledge allegiance to me. Aren't you afraid I might be a tyrannical person?" Even though Han Li was usually calm and collected, he was momentarily stunned by the words but then quickly understood and chuckled softly.

"A few days ago, those Asura Spiders' scouts that appeared outside, it was senior who dealt with them, wasn't it?" The elder did not rise but instead looked up and asked.

"Although I didn't personally take action, it was close enough," Han Li replied noncommittally.

"So, senior, you must have some understanding of my clan's current situation, correct?" the elder said gravely.

"I do know a bit. However, situations like your clan's are far too common across hundreds of thousands of realms. For beings like us, it's not a reason to intervene. Furthermore, I don't see any benefit in taking you in. Why would I risk offending other beings of my cultivation level to do this?" Han Li said with a faint smile.

"Since senior dealt with those scouts and personally honored us with your presence here, there must be something our clan can do for you, isn't there? As long as senior is willing to accept our Empty Fish clan, no matter what you request, our clan will ensure your satisfaction. Our Empty Fish clan also has considerable experience in manipulating spatial power. While we may not be able to assist senior in defeating powerful enemies, we believe we can certainly be of service in managing your immortal abode and opening up small spatial areas," the elder said with utmost sincerity.

"Heh heh, you've certainly presented many reasons, and quite cleverly too. I did come here with something in mind. How about this: we'll discuss the matter of allegiance later. First, take a look at this item and see if you recognize it." After a few unhurried words, Han Li flipped his palm, and a pale blue crystal orb immediately appeared in his hand.

The moment the orb appeared before the elder, it immediately emitted a humming sound, remarkably producing an extremely strange resonance with him.

"The Mountain Sea Orb. As expected, our clan's sacred artifact has truly fallen into senior's hands!" To Han Li's surprise, when the elder saw the crystal orb in Han Li's hand, he didn't show much astonishment. Instead, he let out a long breath, as if a great burden had been lifted from his heart.

"The Mountain Sea Orb, your clan's sacred artifact? It seems you already knew this treasure was with me," Han Li asked, narrowing his eyes.

"This junior did indeed learn of it not long ago. Senior, please take a look." The elder suddenly raised an arm, revealing a strange mark on his wrist.

The mark was precisely the same shape as the crystal orb in Han Li's hand, and it glowed with a faint blue light, seemingly in an activated state.

"This sacred mark is something only the clan leaders of the Empty Fish tribe throughout history can possess. Besides indicating identity, its most important function is to sense the location of this clan's sacred artifact. With my current cultivation, as long as the Mountain Sea Orb is within a hundred-mile radius, I can sense its precise whereabouts. This is also one of the reasons why, as soon as I met senior, I was immediately willing to acknowledge you as our master. This junior believes it is a divine premonition for our clan; otherwise, how could the sacred artifact so easily fall into the hands of an outsider?" the elder said solemnly.

"That's quite interesting. Please stand and speak. I also obtained this item by chance. As your clan's sacred artifact, besides the power of laws it contains, it should have other important uses, correct?" Han Li finally showed a trace of interest.

"Senior is insightful. The Mountain Sea Orb indeed has another astonishing use: it is itself a unique grotto-heaven, an exceedingly rare grotto-heaven treasure! However, many years ago, when our clan showed signs of decline, powerful individuals within the clan sealed this treasure with a secret art. For this junior, it was merely a legendary item," the elder said respectfully, standing up obediently.

"A grotto-heaven treasure? Such a supreme spatial treasure. Do you know that this treasure was sealed in that cold pond?" Han Li's expression hardened slightly upon hearing this, but a trace of surprise appeared on his face.

"This junior does know. But the reason our ancestors did so was out of fear that the Mountain Sea Orb, if left in the hands of our descendants, would bring disaster rather than fortune. After all, such a precious treasure, without sufficient power to guard it, would simply invite calamity. Therefore, successive ancestors of our clan left a dying injunction: as long as our clan did not regain its strength, this sacred artifact was not to be retrieved. Yet, to our shame, today, our clan has not only failed to prosper again but has nearly reached the point where our bloodline can no longer be passed on. This sacred artifact, for our clan, is naturally of no use." The elder explained with a look of helplessness.

"It seems your clan's ancestors did a wise thing. Otherwise, with such a valuable treasure in your hands, the Asura Spiders would likely have already seized it. However, I personally saw the Asura Spider Matriarch obtain another stone containing spatial laws from the cold pond. What was that item?" Han Li nodded, then remembered something else and asked.

"Replying to senior, what you described should be our clan's other sacred artifact, the Carved Spirit Stone. Apart from assisting powerful beings in comprehending spatial power, it truly has no other uses."

"So that's how it is."Han Li lowered his head, looking at the crystal orb in his hand, and fell into contemplation.

"Senior, as long as you are willing to accept my junior clan, our clan is willing to contribute our essence blood to help senior erase the ancestral imprints left on the Mountain Sea Orb, allowing you to truly refine it for your own use. Because this sacred artifact has been refined by powerful individuals in our clan throughout generations, outsiders using ordinary refining methods would simply be unable to gain its acknowledgment. This junior also knows a secret art specifically for refining this treasure, which will allow senior to easily control it. Of course, the prerequisite for all of this is that senior must also be a powerful cultivator at the Mahayana stage. Otherwise, it will be difficult to suppress the orb's backlash! As for the Asura Spider clan, for some special reason, they cannot easily leave this realm. Senior need not worry about offending them," the elder said, seeing Han Li's hesitant expression, gritting his teeth and directly revealing his plan.

"Hmm, I am indeed very interested in this grotto-heaven treasure. However, accepting your entire clan as a condition makes things a bit difficult. My method of entering this realm is rather unique, and it would be challenging to return across realms with so many people. I can't possibly treat all of you as spirit pets and store your divine senses in a spirit beast ring, can I? As for those Asura Spiders, I don't even consider them a threat. Even if they truly intend to come looking for trouble, I will deal with them myself," Han Li said with a slight change in expression, yet sighing.

"So senior was troubled by this matter! In that case, it's much simpler. As long as you, senior, refine this grotto-heaven treasure, all of us can hide inside it and easily leave this place with you," the elder exclaimed, greatly pleased.

"That is indeed a viable method. However, can the grotto-heaven within this Mountain Sea Orb hold so many of your clan members? How long will the refining process take? I only have a few days left to stay in this realm," Han Li pondered, finding it somewhat feasible.

"Senior, rest assured. This treasure's name itself implies its capacity; it is said to be able to contain even mountains and seas. Its internal space is vast, ranking among the very top of all grotto-heaven treasures. As for the time... if this junior mobilizes the entire clan's strength, it will only take two or three days for senior to successfully refine it," the elder replied without hesitation.

"Such a vast internal space is indeed a pleasant surprise. Two or three days is acceptable... Very well, then it's settled. As long as I can refine this grotto-heaven treasure, I will forever protect your Empty Fish clan for as long as I live." Han Li considered it carefully, found no major issues, and finally smiled, nodding his head.

For him, bringing such a weak foreign race into the human cultivation world was indeed not a difficult matter.

"Thank you for your great benevolence, senior! Without further delay, this junior will immediately mobilize the clan to prepare everything. Please wait a moment, senior," the elder said, ecstatic upon hearing this, and bowed again, kneeling.

For the Empty Fish clan leader, although he didn't know how Han Li would treat their clan once they left this place, it was infinitely better than their people constantly living under the Asura Spiders' slaughter, with the entire clan facing the danger of their bloodline being cut off at any moment.

"You go prepare. I'll stay here and study this treasure for a while longer," Han Li instructed, waving his hand.

"Yes, this junior will take his leave now," the elder said, then rose and respectfully backed out of the main hall.

Several hours later, in an open area amidst more than a dozen triangular buildings, a gleaming silver magic array was slowly taking shape, as countless Empty Fish people busily worked on it.

On the other side, on a newly built high platform at the edge of the magic array, Empty Fish clan members queued up to ascend the platform, using sharp blades to cut their wrists and squeeze out clusters of essence blood, which then dripped into a half-man-tall bronze cauldron.

A pungent smell of blood emanated from the cauldron, and the essence blood already occupied a significant portion of its internal space.

In the center of the crimson liquid, a pale blue crystal orb floated and undulated, shimmering with a faint spiritual glow.

Han Li, meanwhile, was suspended above the large magic array, his arms crossed, his gaze constantly surveying everything below.

The Empty Fish people were indeed working very quickly; the originally complex preparations were already mostly complete.

It seemed that refining the Mountain Sea Orb truly wouldn't take three full days.

In his heart, he was naturally very much looking forward to possessing his first grotto-heaven treasure and was eager to know what its internal space looked like.

In the Spirit Realm, on the Blood Sky Continent, a sudden roar erupted from an ancient altar buried deep underground. A strange fluctuation appeared out of nowhere, forcefully pushing aside all the surrounding earth and rubble.

Following this, a five-colored glow flashed, and a five-colored light array emerged in the space. Vaguely, a crystalline figure became visible.