Chapter 971: Evil Flood Dragon

Hearing the Heavenly Talisman Sect's cautious proposal, a faint smile touched Han Li's lips.

"You want me to be an honored elder for your three sects. Do you think I'd agree to that?"

"This junior understands that small sects like ours are not qualified to retain an expert of your caliber," the elder surnamed Wen explained, feeling a sense of relief when he saw Han Li wasn't angered. "However, our few sects only need your assistance to resolve an immediate problem. After that, you'll simply hold the title, and we would never presume to trouble you again."

"You mean, I only need to act once, and then I won't have to bother anymore?" Han Li said, his eyes flashing.

"Yes, that's exactly what we mean," the elder replied. "Of course, our three sects wouldn't ask for your help for nothing. Since you are interested in talisman crafting techniques, our Heavenly Talisman Sect is willing to gift you the secret art of the Spirit Transformation Talisman. Golden Cloud Mountain and Bright Sun Valley also each possess a unique inherited secret art, which we are willing to let you study. Additionally, we have prepared tens of thousands of spirit stones, and we hope you will graciously accept them."

Given the situation, the elder surnamed Wen simply laid out all the conditions at once. He was well aware that trying to play any more tricks might provoke Han Li; it was better to be frank.

"Tens of thousands of spirit stones?" Han Li said, a faint smile on his face.

"These spirit stones are indeed a bit few," the elder continued, gritting his teeth as he revealed his final offer. "However, our three sects will continue to offer some spirit stones annually as tribute. Furthermore, our sect is willing to gift you the Spirit Transformation Talisman personally refined by our founding patriarch. With your powerful abilities, you will surely be able to refine this item."

"The founding patriarch? Could that be the True Person of Heavenly Talismans?" Han Li's expression finally changed slightly.

"Yes, it is that very treasure," Yue Zhen said, volunteering the information. "To be honest with you, although this spirit talisman once displayed great power in the hands of our patriarch, unfortunately, none of our subsequent disciples have been capable enough to refine it. Therefore, this spirit talisman has been passed down in our sect for countless years, and we have watched helplessly as its spiritual essence gradually faded. If you can take it for your own use, it would be a win-win situation."

"Your sect still possesses such a treasure? I would like to see it first!" Han Li said, growing interested.

"Nephew Yue, bring out the spirit talisman for the senior to examine," the elder surnamed Wen quickly ordered, overjoyed to see Han Li was somewhat swayed. Although the elder was the most powerful person in the Heavenly Talisman Sect, that spirit talisman, once used by the True Person of Heavenly Talismans, could only be held by successive sect masters. That's why he gave the instruction.

"Yes, Uncle-Master!"

Yue Zhen was very astute. He immediately patted his storage bag, and with a flash of green light, a pale yellow wooden box appeared in his hand. He respectfully handed it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and didn't stand on ceremony. With a casual gesture, he drew the wooden box into his hand, then lowered his head to examine it.

The wooden box's surface was unremarkable, exceedingly ancient, and a golden talisman was affixed to its lid.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, and with a single hand, he swept over the lid. Spiritual light flashed, and the talisman silently floated down.

While the other cultivators watching this scene didn't react, the elder surnamed Wen and the two other Core Formation stage elders were simultaneously startled.

The ability to use spiritual energy to easily remove a restrictive talisman like this was not something ordinary cultivators could achieve. It required not only a certain level of powerful cultivation but also an incredibly subtle control over one's magical power. They had only ever heard of such methods in rumors.

Now, seeing Han Li accomplish it effortlessly, they naturally felt even greater awe for him.

As soon as the lid was opened, a ball of green light appeared in the box, followed by a surge of pure wood spiritual energy.

Han Li felt a wave of surprise.

According to the elder surnamed Wen, after so many years, this spirit talisman's spiritual essence should have greatly diminished, yet it still possessed such might. It truly was no ordinary item. What pleased Han Li even more was that this Spirit Transformation Talisman was actually a wood-attributed spirit talisman, which would complement his cultivation method, making its refinement much easier.

As he thought this, Han Li clearly saw the talisman within the green light.

It was a palm-sized talisman, glistening emerald green, but around its edges, gold and silver runes shimmered in and out of sight, making it appear exceptionally mysterious. What caught Han Li's attention, however, was a small cluster of faint purple light slowly rotating and flickering in the center of the talisman.

Han Li raised one hand, his entire palm suddenly enveloped in a layer of green light, and his five fingers reached for the spirit talisman in the box.

A flash of light, the spirit talisman trembled, and suddenly transformed into a streak of green light, shooting out of the box.

Han Li's expression darkened, and he grabbed with a backhand.

A phantom-like hand of light appeared and instantly snatched the spirit talisman into his grasp. Before the other cultivators could even exclaim in surprise, the hand of light dissipated, but the spirit talisman had already been drawn directly into Han Li's hand.

"So this is the Spirit Transformation Talisman," Han Li chuckled, gazing at the spirit talisman twisting and swaying between his fingers like a live fish. "It indeed has some tricks to it. I heard that the True Person of Heavenly Talismans was also a Grand Cultivator of the late Nascent Soul stage back then, so presumably the true essence of the True Person of Heavenly Talismans within this Spirit Transformation Talisman is too powerful, which is why it's not easy for ordinary cultivators to refine it. Moreover, even if successfully refined, the talisman's power would be greatly diminished, and one would need to use their own true essence to re-cultivate it. This cannot be done in just a few decades; it's very possible it could take over a hundred years."

"Then, senior, do you think this talisman..." the elder surnamed Wen asked, his heart sinking as he and the others exchanged glances after hearing Han Li's words.

"However, that is for cultivators at the early Nascent Soul stage," Han Li said calmly, changing his tone. "I have already advanced to the middle stage, and my main cultivation method is also wood-attributed, so refining this item is easier. This item is still useful to me."

In truth, Han Li had something else he didn't mention: while this type of re-tempered talisman takes an extremely long time to refine, its power would certainly surpass its former state once successfully re-cultivated.

"So, senior, you mean you agree?" the elder surnamed Wen replied in pleasant surprise.

The other cultivators in the hall, hearing this, also had faces full of anticipation.

"Whether I agree or not, there's no rush," Han Li said noncommittally. "First, tell me about the problem you want me to solve. If it's not too troublesome, it's not impossible for me to act once." At the same time, with a slight flick of his wrist, a ball of spiritual energy, wrapping the talisman, shot into the wooden box. Then, with a wave of his hand, the lid closed again.

"Naturally," the elder surnamed Wen replied, overjoyed to see Han Li seemed to be considering agreeing. "Actually, this matter is just a trivial effort for you, senior. It mainly concerns a market city of our three sects. A few days ago..." He quickly began to recount everything about the market city and the Fiery Sun Sect in detail.

Han Li listened quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, Han Li transformed into a streak of green rainbow and left White Bamboo Mountain, flying directly north.

Several days later, a matter of moderate importance spread throughout the cultivation world of Huayun Province.

A cultivator named Han, claiming to be an honored elder of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, suddenly appeared at the mountain gate of the Demonic Fiery Sun Sect. With the astonishing divine abilities of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he easily defeated the Fiery Sun Sect's only Nascent Soul elder under the guise of a friendly spar, then gracefully departed.

The very next day, the Spirit Wind Sect, which had always been fully supported by the Fiery Sun Sect, suddenly relocated its market city from its original location near Kaijiang Town, hastily moving it to a place tens of thousands of miles away. Not only that, but other small and medium-sized sects were also greatly alarmed upon hearing of this. After a little inquiry into the details, they all withdrew their influence from the area tens of thousands of miles around Kaijiang Town, automatically yielding this large area to the Heavenly Talisman Sect and the other two small sects.

For a time, the Heavenly Talisman Sect, Golden Cloud Mountain, and the other sects naturally felt a sense of triumph, and all the cultivators within their gates were extraordinarily joyful. The sect masters and elders of these few sects felt even more that their original tributes had not been in vain. With such a mid-Nascent Soul honored elder on their roster, their three sects' influence would surely double within a century.

Just then, the Demon-Slaying Convention, convened by the "Southern Sea Sect," the foremost sect in Huayun Province, finally began. In just a few days, this convention gathered over two hundred cultivators of the Core Formation stage and above, including nearly ten Nascent Soul cultivators. Then, organized by the Southern Sea Sect, they began to sweep through various nearby sea areas in groups, searching everywhere for the hiding places of those venomous flood dragons.

Some low-tier demonic beasts were found from time to time and were killed one by one. For a time, the morale of the human cultivators soared, and they seemed intent on achieving complete success in one go.

But those wicked flood dragons were exceptionally cunning. As soon as they sensed something was amiss, they always remained hidden, leaving these cultivators busy for several months yet still unable to find any trace of the demonic dragons. Eventually, some cultivators grew impatient and dispersed.

After another month or so, only about a hundred cultivators were still searching for the wicked flood dragons on the sea. Even many Nascent Soul cultivators had left, leaving only seven, mostly from the Southern Sea Sect.

In this situation, the numbers in each group naturally became severely insufficient. Those wicked flood dragons, seeing an opportunity, immediately became restless. They not only began to frequently attack lone cultivators, but even the Level Eight Blue Flood Dragon directly attacked groups of cultivators with sparse numbers.

Although these groups were led by Nascent Soul cultivators, the Level Eight Blue Flood Dragon was indeed remarkably powerful, displaying its water evasion technique with supreme skill. After each attack, it would immediately dive into the seabed and flee, not engaging in prolonged combat. As a result, not only did they fail to injure the dragon, but several Core Formation cultivators were devoured by it instead.

At this point, the remaining human cultivators individually began to panic, and the Southern Sea Sect found itself in an even more difficult situation, like riding a tiger. Helplessly, they could only try their best to merge several groups of personnel before daring to continue sending people out to sea.

And on this day, another group of over ten cultivators, led by a Nascent Soul cultivator, was slowly flying over a certain sea area. Each one cautiously released their spiritual sense, searching all around. The direction of the sea surface, in particular, was the primary area these cultivators' spiritual senses swept.

In this group of cultivators, Han Li was currently disguised as a pale-faced middle-aged cultivator, flying unhurriedly at the very rear of the group. Despite his calm demeanor, he was inwardly feeling greatly depressed.

When the Demon-Slaying Convention had just begun, Han Li had infiltrated it as a Core Formation cultivator, planning to fish in troubled waters. But he never expected that he would still have gained nothing until now.

The previous few months were understandable, as it was normal to have no gains. But ever since the wicked flood dragons reappeared, other teams had encountered one or two sneak attacks from the wicked dragons, yet the cultivator group he joined had not encountered one even once.