Chapter 733: Fire Toad Ancient Beast

"It's simple," Marquis Nanlong said, his eyes flickering and his expression remarkably calm. "Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi and I wish to join forces with Fellow Daoist Han again. The three of us will go to Devilfall Valley to retrieve a treasure. Once we find it, our strength will naturally increase significantly, and we'll no longer have to fear anyone."

Han Li didn't immediately reply. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, silently observing the two individuals opposite him.

Upon hearing that the black ring was the fabled Two-Form Ring, he immediately recalled the other ring he had received from Senior Sister Nangong Wan.

If his guess was correct, that one must be the Yang Ring.

He hadn't expected to learn their purpose so soon after finally gathering both rings.

Han Li secretly let out a few bitter laughs, finding the timing to be an astonishing coincidence.

Han Li sighed, his voice tinged with hesitation. "From Fellow Daoist Nanlong's words, it seems you've already found a way to enter Devilfall Valley. I wonder, even with the assistance of the Two-Form Ring, how confident are you that we can locate the treasure and escape unharmed? Devilfall Valley is renowned as the most perilous place in Tiannan; this is no laughing matter. I have no desire to meet the fate of a person who dies for wealth or a bird that dies for food."

Hearing Han Li's words, Marquis Nanlong and Xuanjizi exchanged glances. A moment later, Marquis Nanlong spoke in a deep voice:

"Since Fellow Daoist Han has asked, I won't conceal anything. According to the message left by Revered Master Cang Kun, Devilfall Valley is indeed fraught with peril. One could easily be pulled into unpredictable spatial rifts, and many ancient restrictions remain in various areas, making them impossible to guard against. Honestly, taking you inside won't be an issue; there's at least an eighty to ninety percent chance of entering the valley safely. However, when it comes to treasure hunting, the situation is less certain. The more perilous a place, the greater the likelihood of finding treasures. Even I can't say what we might encounter inside, let alone Revered Master Cang Kun himself. He didn't venture too deep into the center of Devilfall Valley back then because his cultivation was severely damaged; he only searched for treasures in the outer regions. Yet, this also implies that the valley's true treasures, from ancient times to the present, have never been acquired by anyone. Taking a slight risk would almost certainly ensure we return with a bounty."

As he spoke, a subtle hint of temptation began to creep into Marquis Nanlong's words.

"Of course, if you truly don't wish to take this risk, you could also sell the Two-Form Ring to us," Xuanjizi, who had been silent, suddenly interjected. "We may not have much else, but we can certainly provide some spirit stones. However, I must tell you frankly, ancient cultivators possessed many elixirs with incredibly miraculous effects. If obtained, breaking through to the mid or late Nascent Soul stage would be within reach. Perhaps, we might even uncover the secret behind the disappearance of cultivators at the Deity Transformation stage. After all, once cultivators enter the Deity Transformation stage, did they truly ascend to the legendary Spirit Realm, or did some other unforeseen event occur? No one in our Tiannan cultivation world has known for a long time. Don't you want to find out?"

Han Li's eyes flickered with intelligence. After a moment of contemplation, he uttered a few words that greatly surprised the two men facing him:

"If I'm not mistaken, it seems both of you are very keen for me to join this expedition to Devilfall Valley," Han Li began. "Could you perhaps tell me why? After all, there are plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators out there. Why insist on involving me?"

The moment these words left his mouth, Marquis Nanlong and Xuanjizi's expressions stiffened, followed by a hint of awkwardness.

Marquis Nanlong pursed his lips and let out two bitter, helpless laughs before speaking:

"Actually, even if you hadn't asked, I was going to bring this up," Marquis Nanlong said with a helpless expression. "Besides the dangers of restrictions and spatial rifts in Devilfall Valley, there are also several ancient savage beasts that have survived there to this day. One of them is an ancient Fire Toad beast that should have been extinct long ago. Although this Fire Toad is not sentient, it has lived for countless millennia. Its body is covered in Heavenly Scaled Demonic Flame, which is incredibly powerful. According to the last words of Revered Master Cang Kun, it's several times more potent than the Infant Fire of our Nascent Soul cultivators. And the blue cold flame you displayed that day was able to instantly freeze the Dharma body of a Nascent Soul cultivator, far surpassing ordinary ice-attribute cultivation methods. It should be able to restrain this Fire Toad."

"What do you mean by that?" Han Li asked with a strange expression after a moment of surprise. "Is that Fire Toad blocking your path into the valley?"

"Not exactly," Xuanjizi replied, his expression returning to normal. "This ancient beast is connected to the remains of an ancient cultivator. The location of these ancient remains is extremely safe; there are no ancient restrictions or spatial rifts nearby. However, that Fire Toad coincidentally made its nest right next to those remains. Back then, Revered Master Cang Kun also intended to claim these remains, but after a brief skirmish with the Fire Toad, he knew he was no match and quickly retreated. Even then, he suffered from fire poison and barely made it out of Devilfall Valley alive."

"I understand," Han Li muttered with a few bitter laughs. "You two want me to deal with this Fire Toad so you can seize the treasure."

"Dealing with the Fire Toad beast is far safer than confronting ancient restrictions and spatial rifts," Marquis Nanlong added with a hint of excitement. "As long as we use the right method, coupled with your ice-attribute cultivation, it will be completely fine. Furthermore, we're not asking you to slay the beast; simply luring it away will also allow us to obtain the treasure. As long as we get the ancient cultivator's storage pouch, the treasures inside will be more than enough for us to share."

"So, according to your explanation, if we only focus on dealing with the Fire Toad after entering the valley and avoid venturing into other areas, it should be relatively safe?" Han Li asked noncommittally, tilting his head in thought.

"If we're lucky, the treasures from the remains might be sufficient, and we naturally wouldn't need to take any further risks," Marquis Nanlong confirmed with a nod.

"Even so, you could easily leverage the power of the Heavenly Apex Sect for this task," Han Li said, a peculiar half-smile playing on his lips. "The strength of an entire sect is far greater than the three of us fighting alone. I refuse to believe that the Heavenly Apex Sect couldn't find other cultivators proficient in ice-attribute cultivation methods."

"Hmph!" Marquis Nanlong coughed, his previously dull eyes suddenly flashing with a cold light as he spoke, somewhat stiffly. "It seems Fellow Daoist is still unaware of the power of the North Pole Primordial Light. Even if the three of us possess the Two-Form Ring, its power can at most protect three individuals. Even one more person would be beyond its capabilities. As for the Heavenly Apex Sect, Fellow Daoist should be even clearer. After what happened with the Ghost Spirit Sect and others, how could I easily trust others again? Even you, Fellow Daoist Han, if you hadn't refrained from attacking me in the Mulan Grassland and even lent me a hand before leaving, I wouldn't have sought your cooperation."

"So, Brother Nanlong actually trusts me more? I am truly honored!" Han Li said, showing no unusual expression, merely smiling silently.

"Fellow Daoist Han, we have explained everything," Xuanjizi said, letting out a light breath, then staring at Han Li without blinking. "Shouldn't you make a decision now?"

"When do you two plan to go to Devilfall Valley for the treasure?" Han Li didn't answer directly, instead posing another question. "Is it going to be soon?"

"Not exactly," Marquis Nanlong replied without hesitation. "Although most of the spatial rifts in Devilfall Valley open unpredictably, every fifty years there's a relatively stable period lasting a full year. Before entering the Mulan Grassland, I specifically observed it once. The next stable period is at least three or four years away. Before then, we'll have ample time to prepare."

"Since there's still so much time, I must carefully consider it," Han Li said, stroking his chin, his mind finally made up. "How about this: I'll give you a definite answer one year before the Devilfall Valley's spatial stability period. Even if I don't go to Devilfall Valley at that time, I will still lend the Two-Form Ring to you both."

Hearing such an ambiguous reply, Marquis Nanlong and Xuanjizi were naturally not entirely satisfied.

However, Han Li would not commit definitively nor rashly agree to venture into such a perilous place.

After all, he was different from the two of them. Marquis Nanlong and Xuanjizi clearly appeared to be nearing the end of their lifespans; for a final opportunity, they were naturally willing to risk everything. Han Li, however, considered himself still young, and he felt considerable hesitation about undertaking such an extraordinary danger. Thus, he opted to delay for as long as possible.

After all, circumstances change rapidly, and it wouldn't be too late to assess the situation then before making a final decision.

Fortunately, Han Li eventually promised to definitely hand over the Two-Form Ring to them when the time came. The two men found it difficult to press him further. After discussing a few more details about Devilfall Valley, Han Li wisely took his leave.

Before Han Li departed, Xuanjizi handed him a token.

He explained that with this token, any disciple of the Heavenly Apex Sect could contact him.

Han Li accepted the item without ceremony, then left the underground stone chamber and returned to the general store above ground.

Then, with the middle-aged shopkeeper respectfully seeing him off, Han Li exited the shop and stepped onto the street.

He was confident that the two men would not linger long after his departure.

Marquis Nanlong, in particular, was still severely injured and would be keen to find a safe place to heal and restore his vital energy.

However, with such severe injuries, it would likely be difficult for Marquis Nanlong to fully recover in just a few years. It was even possible that his great loss of vital energy might cause him to drop a cultivation realm.

Han Li secretly shook his head, temporarily putting the matter aside, and calmly made his way towards his residence.

The matter of Devilfall Valley was still somewhat distant for him, but the invasion of the Mulan spellcasters was imminent.

This was not something he could simply walk away from and avoid. Han Li pondered this matter as he slowly walked away.