Chapter 866: Heavenly Southern Demon Shadow

Volume 3, Chapter 6: Spirit Treasures Reaching the Heavens

While cautiously facing Han Li, cultivators like Huang Yuanming couldn't help but cast furtive glances towards the pool.

It turned out that more than half of the spiritual spring water, which had been agitated by Han Li's sudden immersion, was now gone. Only a pitifully thin layer of water remained in the pool.

Upon seeing this, the three old men naturally felt immense heartache. However, facing the unfathomable cultivation of Han Li, they could only feign ignorance and force smiles. This was to avoid offending such a senior master and bringing great disaster upon their families.

The moment Han Li evaporated the water from his body, he also caught a whiff of the strange fragrance emanating from the spiritual spring. As his thoughtful expression faded, he instinctively glanced back at the pool.

Han Li’s seemingly casual glance immediately filled the three old men opposite him with apprehension for a long time.

Their three families had guarded this spiritual spring for so many years. What if this elder took a liking to it? If that were the case, they would have no choice but to offer it with both hands, not daring to refuse.

Han Li’s gaze merely swept over the pool; no hint of greed showed in his eyes. Instead, he turned back to the three men and spoke indifferently, "I haven't been in the mortal world for quite some time, and I'm somewhat unfamiliar with recent events in Tiannan. Would the three of you be able to briefly describe some of the major happenings in recent years?"

"Of course, senior, if you don't mind. Please follow this junior to our Huang family's main hall. I will serve you tea. Any questions you have, I will certainly answer." Seeing that Han Li had no interest in their spiritual spring whatsoever, Huang Yuanming felt greatly relieved and quickly spoke with respect.

The other two old men also let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Alright. I do have quite a few things I wish to ask. I'll trouble the three of you then." Han Li looked at the younger disciples of the three families in the distance, pondered for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.

"Nonsense! It is our Huang family's honor to host a master like you!" Huang Yuanming was overjoyed and said with a beaming smile. He then gave a few instructions to his disciples, telling them to quickly fly back to make preparations to ensure nothing was amiss and that Han Li wouldn't be neglected.

Afterward, he personally led Han Li away from the area, heading towards a cluster of pavilions in the middle of the mountain.

The other two old men similarly instructed a few of their clan members before hastily following, respectfully staying close by.

"Your three families live together. That's quite unusual, isn't it?" Along the way, Han Li asked a few questions, gaining a general understanding of the specific location and the situation of the three old men. He remarked with some surprise.

"Senior jests. We are merely confined to this place because we truly couldn't establish ourselves anywhere else," Huang Yuanming replied with a wry smile.

"I see some promising young disciples within your clans. Why haven't they been sent to those major cultivation sects? With their aptitude, becoming an outer disciple shouldn't be impossible," Han Li said, showing a curious expression, quite interested.

"Senior doesn't know. Although there are many cultivation sects in our Eastern Yu Kingdom, most of them have established cultivation families that supply disciples, or are simply controlled by several families jointly. Minor sects like ours aren't qualified to enter the eyes of these larger sects. Even if one or two particularly outstanding disciples occasionally emerge, we dare not easily let them join any sect. The clan still needs them to remain and support its facade." One of the two old men, a stout, somewhat plump-faced man, explained carefully to Han Li, a trace of helplessness on his face.

If these family elders had been willing to join a major sect when they were young, their cultivation might have advanced further by now. But for the continuation of their families, they could only sadly remain. This was the helplessness of smaller families.

Han Li's eyes flickered a few times, and he nodded faintly, not asking further questions as a towering pavilion emerged.

The old man led Han Li directly to the tallest pavilion.

A moment later, they arrived at the entrance of the pavilion. Two rows of young male and female disciples were already respectfully waiting there.

"Senior, please come in! Our Spirit Lin Mountain doesn't produce many spirit herbs or fruits, but we do have a spiritual tea that is quite good. Senior, please feel free to drink more." Huang Yuanming said as he entered the main hall of the pavilion.

Han Li did not stand on ceremony and strode into the pavilion.

The hall wasn't particularly large, only about twenty to thirty feet in area, but for a small family, it was more than sufficient.

Under the respectful gazes of the three men, Han Li calmly took the seat of honor. The three old men stood honestly before him, not daring to sit with Han Li.

Their cultivation levels and statuses were too far apart, and Han Li did not feign humility.

At this moment, a beautiful female disciple with captivating eyes approached, holding a tea tray. She brewed a cup of fragrant tea for Han Li on the spot, then carefully retreated.

Han Li picked up the teacup and casually took a sip. At first, it was somewhat bitter, but after a moment, his tongue filled with saliva, and the tea became wonderfully fragrant.

"Not bad, it is indeed a rare spiritual tea." Han Li's lips curved slightly, showing a hint of a smile, as he praised it.

"Senior's cultivation is unfathomable, but your face is somewhat unfamiliar. Could it be that senior is not from the Eastern Yu Kingdom?" The round-faced, plump old man could not help but ask.

"Han is indeed not a cultivator from the Eastern Yu Kingdom. You need not worry about anything; after I've clarified a few matters, I will leave this place immediately and return to my original destination. I won't linger here." Han Li did not state his name, merely glancing at the round-faced old man with a half-smile.

"Senior, you are too concerned. It is already a great fortune for us to meet you; how could we possibly harbor any disrespectful thoughts of wanting you to leave?" Huang Yuanming was startled and quickly spoke, his face changing significantly.

"Alright! I also started as a low-level cultivator. I naturally understand some of your apprehensions and expectations. As long as your answers satisfy me, I don't mind giving you some benefits. After all, your ability to meet me is also a kind of serendipity." Han Li, seeing the round-faced old man also trying to explain with a look of extreme deference, waved his hand and said with an indifferent expression.

"Whatever senior wishes to know, please ask. Although our families are not large, our information network is quite good. We will definitely satisfy senior!" Huang Yuanming's heart swelled with joy upon hearing this, and he became even more respectful.

Han Li smiled faintly. Even if he didn't offer any benefits, these people likely wouldn't deceive him with lies. But with some incentive, their answers would naturally be more diligent. They would probably volunteer information that could or couldn't be easily shared.

"The last time the Demon Sealing Valley opened, many cultivators entered the valley to seek treasures. Since you are so close to Changzhou, you should know something about it. Please tell me generally what happened." Han Li glanced at the three men and said calmly.

"Demon Sealing Valley? This junior naturally knows about that." Upon hearing Han Li inquire about this matter, Huang Yuanming, though a bit surprised, immediately spoke without a second thought. He then briefly organized the relevant information: "Masses of cultivators entering the Demon Sealing Valley to seek treasures happened more than twenty years ago. Because the Ghost Spirit Sect found a safe method to enter the valley, hundreds of cultivators above the Core Formation stage entered to search for ancient cultivators' relics. However, the Demon Sealing Valley is indeed extremely perilous. Many high-level cultivators entered the valley, but most only wandered in the outer valley. Still, a large number of cultivators tragically died in the outer valley's restrictions and spatial rifts. Less than half of the original number of cultivators managed to exit alive. Even worse, after the Ghost Spirit Sect group entered the inner valley, they unintentionally released two ancient demonic beasts that could devour Nascent Souls. The Ghost Spirit Sect Master and others perished on the spot. These two demonic beasts were truly formidable; it is said that the Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the inner valley jointly fought them, and even Senior Wei, one of the three great cultivators, and a Mulan Divine Master successively took action to slay one of the demons. Only then did they manage to kill one, while the other escaped the Demon Sealing Valley unharmed. The cultivators who participated in the siege suffered heavy casualties, and many renowned seniors perished in that battle. However, the Demon Sealing Valley lives up to its name as the burial ground of ancient cultivators. It is said that the cultivators who eventually left the valley alive all had some gains, more or less. Some seniors even truly found spirit pills and cultivation techniques that could extend lifespan and break through bottlenecks. This caused a sensation throughout the entire Tiannan cultivation world at the time. As a result, many cultivators became greatly envious and, despite the extreme danger of the spatial rifts in the valley becoming unstable again, re-entered the Demon Sealing Valley using the Ghost Spirit Sect's teleportation array. However, not a single one of those cultivators emerged. This finally deterred the other cultivators who had been eager to move. The Demon Sealing Valley once again became a forbidden land, and no one dared to enter it." Han Li's heart sank at this point, and his face immediately darkened.

"Regarding that demon, even if senior hadn't asked, I would have told you. Because it was that demonic beast that nearly brought another great catastrophe upon the entire Tiannan cultivation world," Huang Yuanming said, his expression subtly changing as he heard Han Li's question.

Han Li frowned but said nothing, quietly waiting for the other party to continue.

"Originally, when this demon first escaped, some seniors had stated that such demonic beasts could not long exist in our Human Realm and would eventually return to their own realm. Therefore, at first, no one paid too much attention to it. But unexpectedly, this demonic beast brazenly and repeatedly ambushed high-level cultivators, wantonly devouring their Nascent Souls to restore its vital energy. In just over a year, six or seven Nascent Soul cultivators had successively fallen victim to it, yet it showed no signs of returning. It was then that other cultivators realized this demon had somehow found a way to remain in this realm for an extended period. As a result, the three great cultivators all came forward and specifically gathered more than a dozen mid-Nascent Soul seniors to organize a demon-slaying squad to encircle and suppress this demon. However, this demon was extraordinarily cunning and absolutely refused to directly confront the demon-slaying squad. Instead, it specifically targeted solitary cultivators and even attacked Mulan people. This provoked the Mulan people to also dispatch a group of Grand Masters to join the demon-slaying squad. From then on, the demonic beast could no longer escape the combined siege of cultivators and spellcasters. It was forced to flee everywhere, looking utterly miserable. But this outcome only made the demon more frenzied. Ultimately, it not only attacked high-level cultivators but also frequently and madly struck at low-level cultivators. It is said that in its last few months, it single-handedly massacred more than a dozen cultivation families and several small cultivation sects. No one in these families and sects could stop this demon. However, because of this, it was finally branded with a secret technique by a dying elder from a demonic sect. The demon-slaying squad eventually tracked it down and surrounded it in the Falling Soul Mountain of Fengdu Country. It is said that this demon, with its vital energy fully recovered, had a cultivation level close to that of a Soul Transformation stage cultivator. Two great cultivators and one Mulan Divine Master collectively dealt with this demon. That battle was so intense that the sky and earth grew dim; other cultivators couldn't even interfere. The entire main peak of Falling Soul Mountain was leveled." Huang Yuanming paused here, a hint of horror still visible on his face.