Chapter 867: Vortex

Han Li was equally shocked when he heard this. Three late-Nascent Soul cultivators had teamed up against an ancient devil, yet they apparently couldn't defeat it quickly. This ancient devil, having recovered its vitality, probably possessed powers comparable to a Soul Transformation cultivator.

"Was this devil eliminated in that battle?" Han Li asked calmly.

"We juniors are not sure about that," Huang Yuanming replied, hesitating slightly before offering some conjectures. "Some say the demonic creature was tragically killed on the spot during the cultivators' siege, while others claim it used an incredible secret technique to escape the encirclement. My family's capabilities are limited, so we couldn't verify the truth of this matter. However, it's true that after that siege, this devil vanished from Tiannan without a trace. It's likely truly destroyed, body and spirit."

"Destroyed, body and spirit!" Han Li rubbed his chin. After a brief thought, he inwardly dismissed the idea.

If the devil had truly been destroyed, Wei Wuya and the others wouldn't be so secretive. More likely, some unforeseen event occurred, causing the mix of truth and falsehoods, and prompting them to deliberately avoid clarifying the matter. However, the devil's subsequent disappearance was somewhat strange. Had it been too severely wounded after the battle and forced to hide and recover, or had it simply left Tiannan?

Han Li considered the possibilities and found both equally plausible. Unable to determine which was more likely, he temporarily set the matter aside.

"Fellow Daoist Huang," Han Li calmly inquired about other matters, "besides the matters of the Demonic Descent Valley and the demonic creatures, have there been any other major events in the past two decades? No matter which country it concerns, you can tell me."

"Indeed, there have been other incidents in recent years, but compared to the Demonic Descent Valley affair, they are hardly worth mentioning," Huang Yuanming replied after a brief thought. "The only other significant event that caused quite a stir was the sudden appearance of a strange, enormous whirlpool in the boundless sea near Xi State's coast, shortly after the demonic creature disappeared. A large amount of spiritual energy gushed forth from this whirlpool, even beginning to purify the nearby surface of the boundless sea. Furthermore, seven small islands emerged from the seabed around the whirlpool, each emanating powerful spiritual energy and possessing rare, top-tier spiritual veins. Regarding the ownership of these islands, the three great cultivators even joined forces once more to convene an island-claiming assembly. Many sects participated, and as a result, seven major immortal cultivation sects gained ownership of these small islands. As for the whirlpool itself, it's said to be unfathomably deep, and many cultivators have dived into it hoping to discover its secrets. However, a tremendous pressure appears as one delves deeper into the whirlpool, intensifying the further one descends until it becomes unbearable. I heard that Venerable Zhiyang, one of the three great cultivators, also investigated it once. But after descending about three thousand zhang, he couldn't withstand the pressure, which exceeded ten thousand jin, and had to return empty-handed."

"A great whirlpool! Something like that happened?" Han Li asked with a hint of surprise.

"How would I dare deceive Senior?" Huang Yuanming said with an ingratiating smile. "This matter caused a sensation for several years before gradually subsiding. Senior only needs to ask others, and you'll know if it's true or false."

Han Li nodded, quite interested in the matter, but continued to inquire about other things. He was particularly meticulous in asking about the actions of the Mulan people and both the righteous and demonic cultivation paths in recent years.

Huang Yuanming and the other two answered everything they knew, showing no intention of concealing anything. Huang Yuanming primarily answered the questions, while the other two elders occasionally interjected to add details, ensuring Han Li was satisfied.

Soon after, Han Li had a general understanding of the various events that had occurred in recent years and felt reassured.

Besides the ancient devil and the whirlpool incidents, other so-called major events merely concerned the discovery of spiritual medicines or treasures, or where two immortal cultivation sects had formed enmities and engaged in conflict. To Han Li, these matters were entirely insignificant. However, he maintained his usual calm expression, earnestly listening as the three recounted everything.

As for the matters concerning the Falling Cloud Sect, Han Li did not inquire about them.

After all, this place was too far from Xi State, and families of their low standing could not possibly know any specific details. If he truly wanted to inquire about the Falling Cloud Sect, it would naturally be better to visit a market or return to Xi State and then ask thoroughly.

After listening to all three's complete accounts, Han Li's face showed satisfaction. He suddenly flicked his sleeve across the table, and after a flash of green light, a pair of gleaming golden short halberds appeared on the table.

"I am much obliged to the three Fellow Daoists for explaining so much to me," Han Li said composedly. "I don't have anything overly valuable, so I'll give these two Gold Severing Halberd magic tools to the three Fellow Daoists."

"Thank you, Senior, for the treasure," Huang Yuanming said with great joy, bowing deeply after his gaze briefly lingered on the pair of golden halberds. "Are these... high-grade magic tools?"

With the combined power of their three families, they weren't entirely without high-grade magic tools. However, even combined, they only possessed a mere handful, each cherished as a supreme treasure. Now, having obtained such treasures simply by answering a few questions from Han Li, they were naturally overwhelmed with pleasant surprise.

"Although these Gold Severing Halberds are only high-grade magic tools, when used in conjunction, they are not inferior to top-grade magic tools," Han Li explained briefly. "I acquired them by chance many years ago and found them quite interesting, so I've kept them until now. Giving them to you now won't be a waste. Hehe! The benefits have been given, and I won't linger. If fate allows, perhaps we'll meet again." With a soft chuckle, his body erupted with spiritual light, and he instantly transformed into a green rainbow, flying out of the hall door. After a few flashes, he vanished without a trace.

The three old men were stunned, not expecting Han Li to leave so abruptly and without hesitation. The numerous words of thanks they were about to utter had to be swallowed back.

Afterward, their gazes simultaneously fell upon the pair of golden halberds on the table.

"This Senior is truly generous, to so easily give away a pair of high-grade magic tools," the round-faced old man muttered, staring at the golden halberds.

"That depends on who the person is," the white-robed elder, who had spoken the least among the three, suddenly said with a strange expression. "To us, high-grade magic tools are naturally rare and precious. But to this Senior, they are simply not worth mentioning."

"Brother Wang, what do you mean by that?" Huang Yuanming asked, his heart stirring. "From your tone, it sounds like you've recognized this Senior!" The round-faced old man also looked at the white-robed elder with surprise.

"Brother Huang, you two are usually clever, but you're being muddle-headed this time," the white-robed elder said with a wry smile. "As soon as this person appeared, he asked about the Demonic Descent Valley and the demonic creatures; he's so young yet possesses such high cultivation, and he calls himself Han. Don't you know who it is yet? Don't forget, during the siege of the two demonic creatures in the Demonic Descent Valley, besides the Nascent Soul cultivators who died in battle, wasn't there also a famous figure who went missing?"

"You mean that person, Senior Han?" Huang Yuanming blurted out, his expression changing dramatically as soon as he was reminded.

The round-faced old man also realized, his face similarly filled with shock.

"Now do my two brothers understand what I mean?" the white-robed elder continued. "This Senior is an existence second only to the three great cultivators, which is why he is so generous."

"Hearing Brother Wang say that, it really does seem quite likely," Huang Yuanming said with a sigh after a moment of silence, a hint of helplessness in his words. "However, whether he is Senior Han or not, it makes no difference to us. Even if we wished to attach ourselves to him, cultivators of his rank wouldn't care for our families. It's already an unexpected joy to have received two high-grade magic tools this time; it's likely this Senior granted them out of consideration for having disrupted the spiritual spring water. Now, let's discuss how to handle these golden halberds."

Although such an opportunity was rare, an existence of Han Li's caliber was simply too high for them to aspire to. Therefore, while they felt regret, they had nothing to truly lament.

Hearing Huang Yuanming mention the golden halberds, the other two elders also temporarily put the question of Han Li's identity aside and turned their gaze towards the halberds, for the ownership of the magic tools before them was the tangible benefit. The three immediately began a long discussion regarding the ownership and use of the two golden halberds.

While the three family elders discussed dividing their new treasures, Han Li, unaware that he had been recognized by them, had already appeared over a hundred li away.

This time, it was fortunate that after finally emerging from the spatial rift, he didn't instantly appear in Dongyu State. After all, the weak point where space was torn was unstable, and it wouldn't be surprising if he had ended up tens of thousands of li away.

"Boy, where are you planning to go next?" Grand Immortal Dayan's voice suddenly echoed in Han Li's mind. "Are you returning directly to the Falling Cloud Sect? Don't forget, you're still missing some of the materials I asked for to refine the puppet. You must collect them."

"I naturally know about this," Han Li said helplessly, frowning slightly. "However, every material you require is extremely rare in this world. It's estimated that even the entire Tiannan region wouldn't have all of them. This isn't something that can be accomplished in a short time!"

"Hmph! Do you think I can wait another seventy or eighty years?" Grand Immortal Dayan said, somewhat annoyed. "If the materials can't be found in Tiannan, then go to Dajin. There, as long as you have enough spirit stones, what rare materials can't you find? Let me tell you now, if you can't refine that puppet in front of me, I'd rather destroy the refining method than leave it to you after my spirit dissipates."

"Don't worry," Han Li said gloomily with a sigh. "Even if you didn't say it, I would still make a trip to Dajin. Didn't you say that I originally had too much baleful qi on me, and repeatedly using that Blood Devil Sword has caused demonic qi to deeply entangle me? If I don't remove it early, it will not only gradually harm my body but also hinder my progress in the mid-Nascent Soul stage."

"As long as you know," Grand Immortal Dayan said, a strange chuckle accompanying his voice as he teased Han Li, clearly being capricious. "When I first saw you, I found it strange. How could you, at such a young age, be tainted with such deep baleful qi? I wasn't soft-hearted in my younger years either, and even then, the baleful qi on me was less than a tenth of yours. Tsk, tsk, it's truly incredible. Why don't you just switch to cultivating demonic path techniques? This baleful qi could even help your cultivation advance further. Of course, by the Soul Transformation stage, you wouldn't ascend to the Spirit Realm, but rather the Ancient Demon Realm."