Chapter 616: Black-Clothed Young Woman

Han Li didn't need to search; the speaker was seated cross-legged on a stone platform about ten *zhang* in front of him.

It was a young woman dressed in black, her hair styled with a wooden hairpin. Though beautiful, her face was pale, and her eyes shimmered with a subtle luminescence. Han Li was surprised to see that one of her sleeves hung empty, revealing a missing arm.

Before Han Li could speak, the young woman noticed his released magic treasure and let out a small gasp of surprise.

"So, you're not a junior Qi Condensation cultivator after all, but a Core Formation one," the young woman said, her eyes shimmering as she chuckled. "Tsk, tsk, your qi concealment technique is excellent; this old woman almost didn't notice."

A Snowcloud Fox was curled comfortably on her crossed legs, observing Han Li with curious, intelligent eyes.

"So this is your secluded cultivation spot, Senior. Please forgive my intrusion," Han Li said, his heart tightening as his divine sense swept over her.

Her presence felt like transparent air; his divine sense passed effortlessly through her, detecting no spiritual energy fluctuations whatsoever. This meant either she possessed a rare treasure that concealed her cultivation, or her cultivation far surpassed his. Her tone and the methods she had just employed suggested the latter. Han Li's vigilance heightened.

"You're quite young to have already reached the late Core Formation stage. That's truly rare," the young woman remarked leisurely, stroking the Snowcloud Fox on her lap with a wrist as white as jade, as Han Li considered his next move.

"Senior flatters me. This junior merely reached this realm by chance," Han Li replied calmly, exhaling softly. "May I ask for your esteemed name?"

"My name is nothing special, and even if I told you, you wouldn't recognize it," the young woman said with a slight sigh. "In fact, few, if any, Nascent Soul cultivators of your generation would even know who I am."

Han Li was startled by her words, then felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Could this young woman truly be a reclusive, unworldly ancient monster? A chill ran through him, but he kept any hint of panic from his face. After all, as his cultivation advanced and he mastered more secret techniques, Han Li no longer harbored the same excessive fear of Nascent Soul cultivators. The "Blood Shadow Escape" he had recently learned, in particular, had significantly boosted his confidence. He knew he couldn't win a direct confrontation, but he was confident he could escape, though the severe depletion of his vital essence would undoubtedly require several years of arduous secluded cultivation to recover.

On another note, what were the intentions of such a mysterious figure hiding right under the three sects' noses? Was she like him, simply drawn to the dense spiritual energy of this place and had secretly infiltrated it? With these thoughts, Han Li subtly scanned the stone chamber, and a wave of surprise washed over him. This mountain cave was a single, isolated room, with no other connecting passages or doors. Aside from the stone platform where the young woman sat, there was no furniture—not even a table or chair. The entire space was utterly empty, giving off a cold, desolate feeling.

Han Li also keenly observed that the stone chamber's walls were incredibly rough, unlike the smooth, neatly cut surfaces of typical cultivator abodes that were shaped by flying swords or magical artifacts. These walls appeared to have been hewn haphazardly by a giant axe, leaving them extremely uneven and pitted. A peculiar glint appeared in Han Li's eyes as he took in these subtle details.

As if sensing Han Li's unspoken questions, the young woman suddenly chuckled and said: "Since you're so perplexed, Fellow Daoist, why not touch the surrounding stone walls? That should clear up your confusion."

Han Li's interest was piqued by her words. "Since Senior insists, this junior will take the liberty." Han Li was genuinely curious; he had already probed the walls with his divine sense and found nothing unusual; they appeared to be ordinary bluestone. He slowly approached the stone wall to his left. However, he remained cautious, his divine sense constantly monitoring the young woman, wary of any sudden, malicious move. While she had shown no malice so far, Han Li's many years of experience had instilled in him a level of caution far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators.

When he reached the wall, he touched it and felt nothing out of the ordinary. After a moment's thought, he extended a finger. With a flash of green light, a several-inch-long green sword aura materialized at its tip. Han Li reversed his hand and thrust, and an astonishing scene unfolded. The sword aura struck the bluestone wall with a crackling sound, but was completely repelled, failing to leave even the slightest mark. Han Li was inwardly stunned, yet a touch of defiance sparked within him. He abruptly channeled his spiritual power, and the sword aura instantly elongated to about a foot, then he fiercely slashed it against the wall. The stone wall remained perfectly intact, without a single scratch.

With a peculiar expression, Han Li said nothing. He pointed at a flying sword hovering above him, which transformed into a streak of green light, piercing straight down before humming softly and flying back to its position. The result was a shallow hole, only about an inch deep, which appeared on the stone wall. Yet, it immediately began to smooth itself out, disappearing without a trace moments later.

"What is this? How can it repair itself?" Han Li gasped, turning to her with a shocked expression. "Did Senior cast some forbidden spell on it?"

"Casting forbidden spells? You overestimate me," the young woman said calmly. "This is Azure Gold Stone, also known as Spirit-Absorbing Stone, an extremely rare refining material. Besides being damaged by immense physical force, the spiritual power of any spell or magic treasure is completely ineffective against it."

"Azure Gold Stone? This junior is unlearned; I've truly never heard of such a material," Han Li said slowly, a slight frown on his face as he turned from the wall and returned to his original spot.

"Hehe, of course, you wouldn't know about this, Fellow Daoist," the young woman said nonchalantly. "This material was incredibly rare even in ancient times. Now, I doubt more than a handful of people still recognize it."

Han Li felt a touch of surprise at her words and was about to speak further, but the young woman offered a charming smile and continued: "Although your cultivation is nearing the False Nascent Soul stage, I observe that your aptitude seems rather poor. No, it's actually abysmal. To have cultivated to this extent, you must have encountered some extraordinary opportunities. Otherwise, no matter how much arduous effort you put in, you would only reach the Foundation Establishment stage. For you to meet me here, it must be fate. If you don't mind, this old woman has a treasure that can assist you."

"Lend this junior a treasure?" Han Li was taken aback, a peculiar expression appearing on his face.

"Of course, I have conditions for doing so," the young woman said coolly, her expression hardening as if she had perceived Han Li's skepticism. "Firstly, this item is merely a temporary loan; you must return it as it is afterward. Secondly, once you accept this treasure, you must perform a task for this old woman. Consider it the compensation for the loan." She then reached into her robes and produced a square jade box.

The jade box was dark, roughly the size of a fist. Its surface appeared crude and rough, with hints of yellowish-black, indicating considerable age. Han Li glanced from the young woman's expression to the dark box, his own face unreadable, offering neither acceptance nor refusal. After a long moment of contemplation, he gravely asked: "Senior, could you first tell me what this treasure is? Then this junior can consider your offer."

Noticing Han Li's hesitation, the black-clad young woman showed a hint of impatience, raising an eyebrow as she pointed to the dark box. "Presumably, you know about Spirit Eye Stones, yes? What's in this box is the ultimate form of Spirit Eye Stone: 'Spirit Eye Jade.' The spiritual energy it provides can, at the very least, stabilize your False Nascent Soul realm by a third for a period before you form your Nascent Soul. When you eventually condense your Nascent Soul, it will naturally be much easier. This treasure has been with me for many years. If my current cultivation didn't require more than just arduous cultivation to advance, I wouldn't lend it to you so easily." As she finished speaking, the young woman gently stroked the black jade box with her slender hand, a faint look of reluctance hidden on her face.

"Spirit Eye Jade!" Han Li's expression shifted several times. With this item, the time it would take him to reach the False Nascent Soul stage could be shortened by more than a third. The words of refusal that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.

"May I ask what Senior wishes this junior to do?" Han Li asked with a sigh after a moment of hesitation. "If even with your cultivation you cannot achieve it, how could this junior possibly help?"

"Don't worry! I'm not asking you to kill or commit arson," the young woman said, her face instantly lighting up with joy as Han Li finally agreed. "I simply need you to run an errand. Although my cultivation is extremely high, for certain reasons, I cannot leave this stone chamber even a single step. However, I have a letter that needs to be delivered to someone."

"Just deliver a letter?" Han Li was greatly surprised by this.

"Naturally. Did you really think this old woman would ask you to kill or commit arson?" The black-clad young woman covered her mouth, suppressing a soft chuckle, her charm momentarily overwhelming.