Chapter 588: Stone Symbol and Beast Crystal

Han Li stood on the empty high platform, gazing at the unusually strange circular stone disc before him, a hint of surprise on his face.

The disc was about ten feet in diameter and lay flat. It was inscribed with peculiar patterns and numerous seemingly profound runic spells. Although no one was currently performing any rituals there, a faint purple mist still emanated from it, curling upwards and merging with the purple clouds above the village.

Han Li himself had considerable expertise in array formations, so he immediately squinted his eyes and began to study the stone disc.

Before long, Han Li's expression became erratic, at times showing enlightenment, at others a deep frown. His mind was completely immersed in it.

"Well, fellow Daoist, have you discovered any profound secrets?" Just as Han Li was utterly absorbed, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind him.

Han Li was startled and inwardly cursed himself for being so careless, allowing someone to approach him from behind unnoticed. If this person had ill intentions, wouldn't he be in danger?

However, his carelessness wasn't entirely to blame for this situation. Having been accustomed to controlling everything around him with his spiritual sense, he naturally couldn't adapt quickly now that his spiritual sense and magical power were suddenly gone.

Han Li remained secretly vigilant but turned around without showing any emotion.

Before him stood a white-haired old man with a long beard. His face was full of wrinkles, yet his eyes were sharp and lively as he smiled at Han Li.

"Are you also a cultivator?" Han Li guessed hesitantly, as he had lost his spiritual sense.

"I am Bao Huanzi of Five Dragon Sea. You must be one of the two newly arrived cultivators, Daoist friend," the old man replied with a smile.

"Five Dragon Sea?"

Hearing that name, Han Li's heart stirred. The Grand Elder seemed to have mentioned it before. He became somewhat interested in conversing.

"So it's Daoist Bao Huanzi. My surname is Han; I'm a rogue cultivator from the Scattered Star Seas," Han Li said, his expression softening.

"Scattered Star Seas? We once had a fellow Daoist from there, but unfortunately, they perished during a mission, encountering a powerful Yin beast. However, there aren't many fellow Daoists in the cultivation world who are skilled in the path of talismans. Seeing how intently you're studying this stone talisman, it seems your accomplishments in this area must be considerable!" The old man first sighed, then changed the subject and asked.

"Stone talisman? Are you referring to this disc?" Han Li showed a peculiar expression. This time, it wasn't a deliberate act; he genuinely heard the name for the first time.

"Haha! It's understandable that you don't know about this item, Daoist friend. Stone talismans, jade talismans... These things are likely long lost in other places. Only a few sects in our Five Dragon Sea still know how to craft such ancient talismans," the long-bearded old man said, his eyes narrowing and the wrinkles on his face trembling slightly, appearing quite proud.

Upon hearing this, the peculiar expression on Han Li's face disappeared.

"I have indeed never heard of stone or jade talismans existing in this world. However, I did study the path of talismans for a while, and I was quite surprised to see runic inscriptions on this disc. Your words have indeed cleared up some of my confusion. But this stone talisman also seems to exhibit characteristics of an array formation. Could I be mistaken?" Han Li said, frowning slightly as he looked at the old man.

"I never imagined, Daoist friend, that you are skilled in both array formations and the path of talismans! I truly admire you! Daoist Han, you are not mistaken. This Sandalwood Cloud Stone Talisman is indeed somewhat different from a true stone talisman. To harness Yin Nether energy, it has undergone special modifications, similar to an array formation, allowing it to possess some effects of both talismans and array formations. Although this significantly reduces its power," the long-bearded old man said, initially a little surprised, then he clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

Han Li nodded thoughtfully, but then looked back at the stone disc and suddenly asked:

"I heard the Grand Elder say that you can use Yin Nether energy here by combining Yin Nether beast crystals with array formations to cast spells. But I don't see any beast crystals embedded in this stone talisman. Is there something else unusual about it?" Han Li's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt.

"That, Daoist friend, you wouldn't know. You must have seen that savage beast today, right? Although most villagers here practice some martial arts and are far more capable in close combat than ordinary people outside, if such a powerful Yin beast were to charge forward, no matter how skilled in martial arts, a single person would absolutely not be its match. Even if we could defeat them by relying on numbers, the villagers would suffer heavy casualties, which we simply cannot afford. Therefore, using Yin Nether energy to cast spells and trap enemies becomes crucial for the village's survival. And the quantity of stored Yin Nether beast crystals, which are consumed during spellcasting, is the standard by which the village's strength is measured," the old man said with a faint smile, then paused slightly and continued, as if still having more to say:

"However, these beast crystals are incredibly difficult to find! Generally speaking, the more powerful a Yin beast, the higher the probability of finding a beast crystal in its head, but this isn't a certainty. Sometimes, a seemingly mighty Yin beast that we expend great effort to eliminate will have an empty skull. And then there are villagers, like those who brought you back today, who merely killed a few weak Fire-Scaled Beasts on the way and surprisingly found a small beast crystal. It's truly unpredictable."

"But overall, the village frequently needs to cast spells to repel enemies and maintain daily defenses, so the demand for beast crystals is very high. Yet, the total Yin Nether beast crystals collected annually are usually only about ten or so, barely enough for our needs. Therefore, beast crystals are typically managed separately by several elders in the village. They are only handed over to a few of us when spells are needed to drive away enemies. And once a battle ends, they are immediately taken back. As for this stone talisman, it is usually pre-filled with several days' worth of energy to sustain daily consumption. Beast crystals are not directly embedded in it. This has made the several embedding slots specifically left during the talisman's creation somewhat wasteful." The long-bearded old man seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the elders' approach; he bent down, touched the various diamond-shaped indentations around the stone disc, and showed a hint of self-mockery.

Han Li didn't respond to the old man's words, merely smiling faintly without speaking.

Although he didn't know the old man's intention in speaking so freely, he guessed it likely involved some power struggle within the village. He had no intention of staying in this village long-term and naturally didn't want to get involved.

It seemed that once cultivators were cut off from their cultivation path, they became like mortals, resorting to power struggles and schemes.

Han Li sighed inwardly, finding it somewhat pathetic.

Seeing that Han Li didn't engage further, a hint of disappointment flashed in the old man's eyes. But he quickly returned to his usual demeanor and chatted with Han Li about other matters.

"As you know, Daoist friend, this cursed place has existed for countless millennia. Although few cultivators are drawn into it, over so many years, there must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivators who perished in this Yin Nether land. And I've heard that some even include Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators who were trapped and died here." The old man mentioned casually.

"Nascent Soul cultivators have been here?" Han Li was somewhat moved by this statement.

"Yes. Although I don't know how many years ago it was, this esteemed individual lived out his days in this very village after being drawn here. He likely encountered an outburst of spirit-severing qi at the same time as you two Daoist friends. Otherwise, ordinary strange mists couldn't possibly affect someone of such great divine ability," the old man sighed softly.

"Perhaps. But this spirit-severing qi is truly terrifying. I suppose only cultivators at the legendary Spirit Transformation stage are unaffected by it," Han Li said with a wry smile.

"Spirit Transformation stage! Haha, Daoist friend, you're thinking quite far ahead. However, although that Nascent Soul senior perished, he left behind some ancient texts during his idle moments. Some of them even contain his cultivation experiences. If these were outside, they would naturally be exceptionally precious. But now, heh heh..." The long-bearded old man shook his head, showing a hint of regret.

"Cultivation insights! I am indeed interested. Do you know where these items are, Daoist friend?" Han Li's face showed a flicker of interest upon hearing this.

The insights of a Nascent Soul cultivator were naturally of no small matter. He certainly intended to take a look.

"Haha! Your reaction is just like mine when I first heard about this. But after staying here for a few years, you won't be interested in these things anymore. Without magical power, no matter how many such items there are, they're just useless. But if you're truly interested, you can certainly go and look. They, along with other relics from cultivators, are stored in a special warehouse," the old man said noncommittally, stroking the wrinkles on his face. Then he turned slightly and pointed to a very dilapidated stone house in a corner of the village.

Han Li suppressed the excitement in his heart and calmly thanked the old man.

After the long-bearded old man exchanged a few more words with Han Li and noticed his slightly distracted demeanor, he smiled faintly, bid farewell, and departed.

Han Li watched the old man's retreating back, pursed his lips, and after a brief moment of contemplation, shook his head and stepped down from the stone platform as well.

He then walked briskly towards the dilapidated stone house.

Along the way, he encountered several villagers. Finding Han Li's face unfamiliar, they glanced at him curiously, but no one approached to question him.

Han Li reached his destination easily.

Looking at the extremely old, dark stone house before him, Han Li hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and giving the stone door a slight push. But the door didn't budge.

Could there be some mechanism on this door? Han Li was slightly surprised. But he took a deep breath and exerted all his strength with both arms.

Although he hadn't practiced any external martial arts, after the bone cleansing and marrow transformation from Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, he still possessed hundreds of jin of strength.

A heavy creaking sound was heard. Though very slowly, the door finally opened inch by inch.

Seeing this, Han Li's heart filled with joy.

Only then did he realize that, for some unknown reason, this door was more than twice as thick as an ordinary stone door. It was so heavy, no wonder he had almost thought there was a mechanism on it earlier.

Han Li's figure flickered as he stepped into the house, and a rotting, damp scent immediately assailed him.

His expression tightened, and Han Li quickly held his breath.

A moment later, outside air rushed in, and the atmosphere inside gradually returned to normal.

Only then did he exhale softly and, using the faint light from outside the door, surveyed the interior of the room.

The place was exceptionally simple: aside from rows of stone tablets of similar size lining the walls, there was only a crude stone table in the center of the room.

The stone tablets were about ten feet wide and twenty feet high, quite massive. Han Li couldn't help but be startled upon seeing them.

On the stone table, there were no ancient texts or bamboo slips. Only a few seemingly dim and lusterless magical artifacts.

The surprised look on Han Li's face quickly faded. Instead, after a moment's thought, he couldn't help but laugh wryly.

This wasn't the outside world; where would one find paper and bamboo? As for jade slips and similar items, they naturally couldn't be used without spiritual power.

These stone tablets were clearly the local records and texts. They presumably contained the insights left behind by those cultivators.

As for the magical artifacts on the stone table, it seemed they were like his flying swords: their owners hadn't put them away, and thus both the cultivators and their items were brought here together. Naturally, they couldn't be stored back into their storage bags.

However, Han Li didn't see any storage bags inside the room. It seemed their owners had a different way of dealing with them, and they weren't displayed here.

After surveying the room, Han Li casually walked to a stone tablet and glanced at it.

It was covered in a thick layer of dust, hazy and unclear, making it impossible to discern what was inscribed.

Frowning, Han Li didn't mind the dirt and leaned closer. Then he tore off a piece of his robe and gently wiped the surface.

A moment later, clear and visible inscriptions appeared before his eyes.

These weren't the characters currently prevalent in the cultivation world but a rather rare ancient script. Fortunately, Han Li's knowledge was extensive, so he recognized them easily.

However, after only a few glances at this stone tablet, Han Li lost interest.

This was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator's miscellaneous writings recounting their life experiences. Han Li naturally had no interest in reading more and immediately turned to other stone tablets.

There were over twenty stone tablets in the room. As Han Li wiped the sixth tablet, his expression finally changed, and he paused. This was precisely what he was looking for: the cultivation insights left by that Nascent Soul cultivator.

Han Li stood motionless before the stone tablet for an unknown duration. Finally, he exhaled a long breath, a complex expression on his face.

"So many taboos when forming a Nascent Soul! It seems that if I didn't know these things, even with the aid of the Nine-Turn Spirit Ginseng, my chances of success wouldn't be very high. Falling into this Yin Nether land this time... it's truly a mixed blessing!" Han Li murmured to himself.

Although this stone tablet didn't contain any specific cultivation methods, the nameless Nascent Soul cultivator had meticulously recorded their entire experience, from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation and then to forming the Nascent Soul. Upon reading it, Han Li was overjoyed. The guidance from a Nascent Soul cultivator's experiences would help him avoid many detours and correct some previous misconceptions about forming a Nascent Soul.

After reading this stone tablet several times and confirming there were no omissions, Han Li turned his head with satisfaction and looked at the remaining tablets.

He had originally intended to leave, but on second thought, since he had already read a good portion, he might as well finish reading the rest of the tablets. It would be good to gain more knowledge.

Thus, Han Li casually proceeded to read them one by one.

As expected, the remaining stone tablets contained nothing useful to him. Even if there were some cultivation techniques and chants inscribed, they held no appeal to him, possessing the Profound Yin Scripture as he did.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Han Li reached the last tablet.

He distractedly brushed off the dust, and after a brief glance at this stone tablet, an expression of unexpected astonishment appeared on his face.

The stone tablet before him was completely different from the previous ones. It was densely inscribed with countless tiny characters, the size of rice grains, far smaller than those on the earlier tablets.

Furthermore, with a single glance, Han Li saw that the inscriptions were in two distinctly different scripts: one was the common ancient script he recognized, and the other was the beast script he had seen many times before.

Han Li's curiosity was greatly piqued, so he immediately stepped forward and began to study it carefully.

After only reading a little, Han Li became slightly excited.

This stone tablet actually contained a scripture specifically teaching the Monster Race script. Moreover, it was extremely detailed, explaining every single character, clearly inscribed by a cultivator who had a thorough mastery of the beast script.

While Han Li couldn't immediately master it just by reading, if he memorized the entire text and slowly comprehended it later, it wouldn't be difficult to truly grasp the Monster Race script.

This way, he would finally understand what Monster Race cultivation methods were recorded on the Monster Race copper plate and the beast skin scroll he had acquired earlier.

As for whether humans could truly cultivate Monster Race techniques, Han Li didn't dwell too much on it.

Even if those cultivation methods proved useless to him, learning the Monster Race script could only benefit him, with no downsides. Who knew if it might have another use in the future?

After all, this was truly a rare opportunity!

Spending a considerable amount of time, Han Li relied on his photographic memory to silently transcribe every single character from both sides of the stone tablet.

Only then did he let out a long breath and leave the room. As for the magical artifacts on the table, he didn't even glance at them.

After leaving the stone house, Han Li walked around the village a few times. When he saw particularly unusual buildings, he would approach for a closer look and chat briefly with nearby villagers.

Fortunately, the indigenous villagers seemed quite simple and honest. While not overly enthusiastic towards a stranger like him, they answered all his questions.

Through this, Han Li quickly learned some common knowledge about the Yin Nether land.

For instance, since there were no iron ores or similar resources here, they had to use the exceptionally hard bones of certain Yin beasts to craft weapons.

Of course, these bones couldn't be used directly as weapon materials; they first had to be soaked in a liquid called "Sunken Water."

This treatment made the bone materials a third harder than before and imbued them with some Yin Fire energy, giving the resulting weapons a special destructive power against Yin beasts.

However, because the Yin Fire wasn't permanent, these weapons had to be re-soaked in "Sunken Water" periodically to maintain their lethality.

This sparked Han Li's curiosity about the so-called "Sunken Water"!

Furthermore, the Yin Nether land experienced a few "Yin Wind Days" each month. During these days, biting cold black Yin winds swept through most areas, making it impossible for humans to venture outside. Covered by these Yin winds, humans would surely turn into black ice sculptures. Only within the village, protected by certain spells, could the villagers remain safe.

Conversely, Yin Wind Days were when Yin Nether beasts were most active. It was common for single beasts or groups of them to attack the village, as had happened today, causing the villagers constant anxiety.

Han Li inquired about many such pieces of information. On a whim, he even asked about the identity of the narrow-eyed, pale-faced man who seemed hostile towards him.

He then learned that this person's surname was Feng, and he too was an outsider who had been drawn in a few years prior.

It was unknown what this man did before, but he possessed astonishing martial arts skills and had killed powerful Yin beasts several times. He had contributed greatly to the village, which was why he was recommended as an elder at such a young age. He was specifically responsible for teaching martial arts to the village's youth and seemed to have considerable prestige among them.

Upon hearing this, Han Li wasn't exactly afraid, but he subtly frowned, finding the situation somewhat tricky.

After strolling around the village for a bit longer, seeing all there was to see, Han Li slowly made his way back to his house.

Just as he reached the doorway, Han Li heard a man's voice from inside the house.

"How about it? What I just said was truly from the heart. As long as Miss Mei is willing to marry me, Feng, not only will you never have to worry about food again, but you also won't have to frequently leave the village and risk your life. And I, Feng, have been single for so many years; I am not a philanderer, but truly have fallen for you." It was the middle-aged man surnamed Feng, who had arrived in the house at some point.