Chapter 900: Golden Flame Stone

However, Han Li's gaze was not on the bat, but rather on the figures standing on its immense back.

Although they were still quite far away, the blue light flickering in his pupils allowed him to clearly discern their appearances. He couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise.

There were eight people in this group—four men and four women. The men wore ornate brocade robes and jade belts, their attire splendid. The women were clad in white robes with bare feet and golden sashes around their waists, clearly not wearing the customary attire of the Tuo Wu people.

Han Li was somewhat bewildered.

However, what put his mind at ease was that, apart from the two leaders who possessed Core Formation stage cultivation, the rest were only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. It seemed they weren't targeting him.

As Han Li's thoughts raced, the gigantic bat, some five to six zhang in size, flew above the caravan. After a few powerful flaps of its colossal wings, it instantly came to a stop.

A gust of hurricane-force wind surged directly towards the caravan, instantly overturning several carriages in its path. Leather bags, boxes, and other items were flung from the vehicles, breaking open. Many minerals, herbs, and similar goods scattered across the ground.

As for the mortals knocked down by the fierce wind, there were many of them.

At this, the Tuo Wu immortal masters, whose expressions had already subtly changed, were now even more terrified, exchanging uneasy glances.

"Which one of you is in charge? Speak up." A man in his forties, standing on the giant bat, scanned the caravan below and spoke coldly in the Tuo Wu language. This man was one of the Core Formation cultivators; the other was a twenty-something woman in white, who, though somewhat attractive, had an icy cold demeanor.

Upon hearing this, Ying Lu's heart sank. He immediately stepped out from the crowd, bowed, and was about to speak.

"I wasn't referring to mortals. I meant you immortal masters," the man said impatiently, his face darkening. The giant bat beneath his feet suddenly flicked a wing, unleashing another gust of fierce wind. This instantly unbalanced Ying Lu, sending him staggering back repeatedly, almost causing him to fall to the ground.

Seeing this, the other Tuo Wu immortal masters grew even more alarmed.

The intentions of these newcomers seemed hostile.

The next moment, all of their gazes turned towards Han Li.

After all, in the cultivation world, it was generally understood that the highest-cultivated individual naturally became the leader.

Observing this situation, Han Li felt a wave of frustration.

However, he also noticed something else.

Even now, Feng Yue and another Tuo Wu cultivator had not yet emerged from their carriages.

Feng Yue's absence was somewhat understandable. Since his demise was imminent, he might have adopted a self-abandoning attitude, unafraid of offending high-level cultivators. But the other person, someone Han Li had previously been curious about, also only had Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, yet he, too, remained confidently hidden. This was highly suspicious!

"Could these people be after him?" Han Li wondered.

"May I ask what brings the two seniors and fellow Daoists here? Are you looking for someone or something, or do you have another request? This junior and my companions will do our best to cooperate," Han Li said calmly, stepping forward out of necessity.

Hearing such a neither humble nor arrogant reply, a cold glint flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. After his gaze circled Han Li's hood, he suddenly said expressionlessly,

"If you want to speak with me, remove your hood first. I want to see your face."

Han Li felt a surge of annoyance at these words. However, he reassured himself that he had never revealed his true appearance when fighting against Tuo Wu immortal masters before, so this was not a major issue. Without further ado, he took off his hood, revealing his ordinary face.

The men and women on the giant bat simultaneously fixed their gazes on Han Li's face. Han Li even felt waves of spiritual energy emanating from the man's eyes, as if he were employing some secret art to observe him.

"It's his true face. Not that traitor," the man said to the Core Formation stage woman beside him a moment later, the cold light in his eyes receding.

The woman nodded in agreement. After her gaze swept over the other Tuo Wu cultivators, she likewise shook her head.

At this point, the man turned back to Han Li and spoke indifferently:

"Call out all your companions. We are looking for someone we suspect is hidden within your caravan. Once we find them, we will leave. We won't harm any of you."

As the man spoke, after a brief whispered transmission, he immediately waved his hand.

The other six Foundation Establishment stage men and women on the giant bat instantly shot out, stopping above the carriages where Feng Yue and the other hidden Tuo Wu person were, clearly having pinpointed their targets.

And yet, the two carriages remained utterly silent.

Seeing this, the others didn't dare to breathe.

The burly man named Ba and the tribe who had hired the other person instantly turned pale.

Han Li frowned but said nothing.

Seeing no movement from the carriages, the man on the giant bat let out a cold sneer. He flipped his palm, and several fist-sized fireballs appeared.

With a gentle flick, all the fireballs shot directly towards one of the carriages.

Just then, a wry laugh finally came from within that carriage.

"Commander Gu! I've fled all the way to the Tianlan Grasslands, hiding so far away. Why must you insist on a complete slaughter? Do you truly wish to put me to death?" Before his words had even finished, the entire carriage exploded, and a misty white surge of cold air met the incoming fireballs. Instantly, the fireballs flickered and extinguished within the cold air.

A robust young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, holding a crystal-clear, snow-white spherical pearl, appeared where the carriage had been. His expression was grim and fluctuating.

Upon seeing this, the cultivators on the giant bat all revealed expressions of delight.

"Jiang Jianying, the Snow Crystal Pearl is indeed in your hands. The Palace Master ordered you to take this pearl and invite Elder Beixuan of North Cold Mountain. Yet you dared to abscond with it. What do you have to say for yourself now? If you're sensible, come back with us obediently. Perhaps you can still keep a remnant of your soul," the man said menacingly, his joyous expression receding.

At the same time, the six Foundation Establishment stage cultivators shifted their positions, blocking both sides and the rear escape route of the robust young man.

"You wanted me to invite Elder Xuanbing just to make me a blood sacrifice! Don't think I don't know that you assigned me this task because I have an ice spirit root, perfect for the North Profound Heavenly Demon to refine this pearl. If I hadn't run, I would truly have been utterly annihilated!" The young man, hearing this, became enraged and laughed in defiance.

"Even if that's true, so what? Don't forget, the cultivation and realm you possess today were all accumulated by the Palace through various spirit pills and elixirs. Otherwise, decades ago, you were just a beggar, and you would have long since turned into a pile of white bones. How could you have become a cultivator? Moreover, the Palace even arranged for you to marry and have children, leaving you descendants. Is there anything wrong with repaying the Palace with your life?" the other Core Formation stage woman said coldly.

"Nonsense! It should be said that if I, Jiang, hadn't possessed an ice spirit root, would the Palace have taken me in? With my unique spirit root, even if the Palace hadn't adopted me, I would have eventually become a disciple of some major sect. As for marriage and children, you think these minor favors are enough for me to sacrifice my life? The Palace certainly has grand schemes, don't they?" the young man sneered. Then, without hesitation, he lifted the snow-white crystal pearl in his hand. A misty white fog emerged from the pearl, transforming into a twenty-odd-zhang cloud of cold mist that enveloped him.

"You've harbored rebellious thoughts for a long time, no wonder you abandoned your wife and children. We will simply capture you and hand you over to the Palace. Do you truly think you can contend with us using just this Snow Crystal Pearl? What a delusion," the woman said expressionlessly. With a wave of her hand, the six Foundation Establishment stage cultivators simultaneously raised a single hand. A reddish-orange magical banner appeared in each of their hands, then shot out, transforming into six spheres of crimson flames that merged into one.

A fire cloud, about an mu in size, appeared above the cold mist, slowly pressing down.

From the moment the young man revealed himself, these individuals had been conversing in the Jin language. The other Tuo Wu people were completely bewildered, not understanding what was being said, while Han Li, who had long learned the Jin language, listened in stunned silence.

"What Palace? Commander? It sounds completely different from ordinary cultivation sects, more like the various powers in the Scattered Star Seas. Could the Jin cultivation world also be as chaotic and complex as the Scattered Star Seas?"

Although the other Tuo Wu people couldn't understand the Jin language, they knew the situation was dire. The mortals had already secretly retreated, hiding themselves.

The Tuo Wu cultivators, however, feared causing any misunderstanding and dared not leave rashly. They could only cast protective shields upon themselves to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

The fire cloud and the cold mist below collided, hot and cold energies intertwining and flowing, transforming into waves of chilling steam that swept in all directions.

It looked astonishing.

Although the Snow Crystal Pearl was wondrous, the robust young man was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator and didn't even possess the ability to refine it, let alone fully control it at will. Upon the first clash, the cold mist immediately fell into a disadvantage. The robust young man within the cold mist clearly knew he was in trouble and desperately tried to control the cold mist to break out of the fire cloud, but he was always trapped by the combined efforts of the six cultivators within the fire cloud.

Before long, the cold mist gradually shrunk. The robust young man desperately poured his magic power into the pearl, but it still couldn't withstand the erosion of the fire cloud. After about the time it takes to eat a meal, it finally shrank to only a few zhang in size.

"Commander Gu, please make your move. He still has some use, and must be captured alive," the Core Formation stage woman suddenly turned to the man and said upon seeing this.

"Don't worry. Leave this to me, Gu," the man nodded coldly. He transformed into a white rainbow and shot into the cold mist.

Seeing this, the six Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously cast their spells, dispelling the surrounding fire cloud.

The cold mist churned violently for a moment, then a loud bang and a muffled groan echoed out. The cold mist then gradually receded, revealing the scene within.

The man stood proudly, holding the unconscious young man in one hand and the Snow Crystal Pearl in the other.

With the opponent's cultivation greatly diminished, the man, acting with his Core Formation stage cultivation, indeed easily succeeded in one strike.

The Core Formation stage woman's face also showed satisfaction at this sight.

"Watch him carefully. This trip wasn't in vain after all," the man instructed, throwing the young man to one of his subordinates. Then his gaze shifted, looking at Han Li and the others who had been observing the battle, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Don't cause any more trouble. This is the Tianlan Grasslands, not our Nine Immortal Palace. Although we've already informed the Tianlan Sacred Hall, it's best not to provoke trouble. The Tuo Wu tribe is very protective!" the woman said with a frown upon seeing this.

"Understood, let's go, then... wait," the man nodded, about to fly back onto the giant bat, when his gaze unintentionally swept across something scattered on the ground. He let out a light gasp of surprise.

Han Li looked in the same direction and saw a translucent, pebble-shaped stone resting there.

This stone was somewhat peculiar; its exterior was crystalline and transparent, but within it, a flame-like golden light subtly flowed, emitting a unique glow. Most of the stone's surface was dirty, making it inconspicuous earlier. But after being washed by the hot steam, part of its original appearance was revealed.

"Golden Flame Stone! It's actually a Golden Flame Stone! Han boy, your fortune is truly extraordinary." Han Li was just thinking it looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, when Lord Da Yan's surprised exclamation sounded in his mind.

Only then did he remember that this item was precisely the most crucial material required for refining the imitation Seven Flames Fan! It had been extinct in Tiannan for many years, and even Lord Da Yan wasn't fully confident it could be found in the Jin.

At this moment, the man also seemed to have recognized the stone's origin. With a flash of his figure and eyes filled with wild joy, he arrived beside the Golden Flame Stone, bent down, and excitedly reached to pick it up.

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