A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 124 Playing hard to get, hero saves damsel in distress

The other end.

"Senior, Yunmeng Pavilion is just ahead. It's the largest shopping mall on Kuixing Island."

Yanli led the way and explained the directions.

The three of them walked along the street and soon arrived at a square that was several acres in size.

The plaza was paved with long strips of pure white jade, making it appear exquisitely magnificent. The center of the plaza was empty except for the Cloud Dream Pavilion, which floated in mid-air. However, the pavilion appeared to be tightly closed, showing no intention of receiving or entertaining guests.

Around the square, six palaces of different styles stand tall, evenly arranged, seemingly facing each other.

Besides these six shops, there are no other shops in the plaza area.

"Senior, this is another major power on Kui Xing Island, the Six Connected Halls. The six halls are Shan Hai Pavilion, Bai Shui Tower, Yu Huan Residence..."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that these six shops are facing each other; they are actually one company."

"The six categories respectively contain materials from demonic beasts, magical artifacts and weapons, spiritual herbs and pills, talismans and formations, and spiritual beasts and insects..."

Each of the six shops had a flag displayed outside.

The banners of Shan Hai Ge (山海阁) bear blue patterns of mythical beasts. The banners of Bai Shui Lou (白水楼) feature a small golden sword. The banners of Yu Huan Ju (玉环居) are embroidered with a green lingzhi mushroom…

Clearly, different patterns represent different store styles.

"Senior, if you want to buy pills and magical artifacts, it is best to go to Yu Huan Ju and Bai Shui Lou."

Yanli suggested.

Han Li nodded upon hearing this.

Then, instead of immediately leading the two women into the Six-Linked Hall, he smiled faintly and said:
"Alright, you two, thank you for showing me the way. Here are ten spirit stones, a small token of my appreciation. Now that you've gotten rid of your troubles, it's time for us to say goodbye."

These words, when they reached Yuan Yaoyan's ears, immediately caused both women to widen their eyes.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

Han Li frowned slightly when he saw that the two women remained unmoved.

"Is it not enough?"

"No, no, thank you.

Yanli quickly accepted the spirit stone and then expressed her gratitude.

Ten spirit stones are quite a lot; enough for the two of them to buy several bottles of low-grade pills to improve their magical power. Keep in mind, a Foundation Establishment Pill only costs a little over two hundred spirit stones.

After they parted, both women inevitably felt a sense of loss.

Especially when he saw the ten spirit stones in his hand, this feeling of loss became even stronger.

Just now, the two of them had hesitated because Han Li was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage, worrying about his character and background. After all, their initial preferred partners were in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and they hoped to become Daoist partners with a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage who they could respect.

But now, they're not stingy with spirit stones, yet they completely look down on the two of them. The contrast is stark…

"Sister."

Yuan Yao bit her lip lightly and looked at Yan Li.

Yanli also gently bit her lip with her pearly teeth, then shook her head slightly:

"It's alright, let's wait for Senior to come out of this White Water Tower."

As Han Li entered the hall, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The two women are too cautious. If he wants to learn from Wen Tianren and recruit female cultivators he finds attractive as sword attendants, and make them open their hearts to him and be devoted to him, he must lower their guard against him.

Appropriate displays of affection and feigned indifference are necessary.

It's unrealistic to expect to achieve everything in one step.

As for why he wanted to recruit these two women?
Without him.

The inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace.

He was too busy to bring out all the hidden benefits of the inner palace of the Void Heaven Palace on his own.

For example, if he chose the second-floor room where the Soul-Nourishing Wood and the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid were located, he would not be able to plan any cave dwellings in the other rooms.

He not only wanted the Soul-Nourishing Wood and the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid, but also the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo on the fourth floor of the Void Heaven Palace's inner hall, the Spirit Eye Tree on the third floor, and the Golden Magnetic Spiritual Wood on the first floor, among other spiritual items. He even wanted to scheme for the Void Heaven Cauldron on the fifth floor.

In this situation, it would be impossible to do it alone without the assistance of others.

He and his external avatar cannot be too far apart.

Furthermore, the power of the external avatar was insufficient to break through the restrictions of the inner hall and retrieve the treasure.

therefore.

Having companions is essential.

This way, one can better utilize the foresight and intelligence they possess to gain more benefits.

Joining the White Water Sword Sect would grant them an additional identity, allowing the two law enforcement elders of the Star Palace to show them leniency during the second and third trials. This would prevent them from being tricked and killed prematurely by those two old villains in the outer hall of the Void Heaven Palace.

In short, it's about planning for the Void Palace dungeon.

"Actually, the best partners would be Master Hongfu and the others. But I don't want to have any more entanglements with Huangfeng Valley," Han Li thought to himself.

As for Yuan Yaoyanli, she is more of a tool.

And because of the filter effect in the book, the person's character is relatively reliable, which makes him even more favored.

Enter Baishuilou.

What came into view was a hall that was twenty or thirty feet long and wide.

The hall is lined with rows of shelves.

The shelves were filled with hundreds of glittering magical artifacts of various colors.

Although they were only high-grade magical artifacts, they were all of very high quality.

Baishuilou has seven floors.

The first three levels are prepared for the Qi Refining stage.

The first layer contains high-grade magical artifacts, the second layer contains top-grade magical artifacts, and the third layer contains the finest examples of top-grade artifacts.

The fourth level is for Foundation Establishment cultivators and contains mostly rare and precious items.

Five layers, a minor gem.

Six layers, top-grade magic artifact.

Moreover, the number of top-grade magical artifacts on the sixth floor was quite substantial, with at least twenty or thirty pieces on each shelf, all crafted from materials from high-level demonic beasts! This clearly demonstrates the wealth and resources of Bai Shui Lou.

"Fellow Daoist Cao, this seventh level...?"

After browsing the fifth floor and spending several hundred spirit stones to purchase a minor top-grade magic artifact, Han Li arrived at the sixth floor, looked at the shopkeeper in charge, pointed upwards, and asked curiously.

"The seventh floor of this building contains items used by Core Formation cultivators, such as materials for magical artifacts, and even finished magical artifacts and ancient treasures. A senior cultivator is stationed there, so fellow Daoist, it's best not to ask too many questions..."

The Cao family shopkeeper, who was in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, stopped there and said no more.

Han Li nodded, his expression changing as well.

After leaving Baishuilou, we went to Yuhuanju next door.

This is a pharmacy.

The architectural style is very different from that of Baishuilou.

However, there is still a wealth of medicinal herbs and elixirs available.

Here you can find medicinal herbs ranging from several decades to three hundred years old. There are also a few medicinal herbs that are four or five hundred years old.

Regarding elixirs, there are only elixirs suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage, but none suitable for the Core Formation stage.

Some of them were bought by those guys from Kuixing Island.

There is absolutely no way there could be any extra.

of course.

The most anticipated item is the most famous elixir of the Six-Linked Palace: the Dust-Reducing Pill.

This elixir can reduce the difficulty of forming the golden core.

The character "降" in "降尘丹" (Jiangchen Dan) comes from this.

However, the Dust-Subduing Pill was useless to him after his second transformation, and it had no effect on his original body after his first transformation, let alone on him after completing his second transformation. It was only somewhat useful for those in the pseudo-core stage with three or two spiritual roots.

"Buy two, for Fengnu and Quhun."

Even if it's useless, it can at least offer some comfort.

"Fellow Daoist Ouyang, does your shop currently have Dust-Clearing Pills available for sale?"

Han Li asked the question.

“In the past hundred years or so, our store did sell one Dust-Reducing Pill every month. However, recently, the two elders in the hall have to go on a mission and need the help of six fellow cultivators at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage to set up an array. All the Dust-Reducing Pills have been taken by the two elders. Even in the auctions of the following three months, it will be difficult to find Dust-Reducing Pills. This is disappointing for you.”

The burly man with the bushy beard shook his head.

"I see, that's a real shame."

Han Li nodded, bought a bottle of pills suitable for the early to mid-stages of Foundation Establishment, and then left.

He didn't cause any trouble.

The scheming among high-level cultivators is not something he can interfere with.

It would be best to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

...

After leaving Yunmeng Pavilion Square, Han Li spread his divine sense, scanned the surroundings, and then chose a direction.

And so, by sheer coincidence, they ran into Yuan Yaoyanli again.

They ran into the two beauties who had just bought low-level pills.

"Huh? Senior, what a coincidence, we've met again."

Yanli's eyes lit up.

Han Li unconsciously took a half step back.

This retreat caused the smiles on the two women's faces to freeze slightly.

"What a coincidence, you two."

It wasn't a coincidence at all.

It's simply because his divine sense can perceive things from a greater distance.

From a distance, I could see the two women entering the nearby pharmacy.

He controlled his footwork, and just as the two women came out, he appeared.

A chance encounter can undoubtedly deepen the impression.

After a quick farewell, Han Li left Tiandu Street.

Yuan Yaoyan also left the area with a slight sense of disappointment.

The two women remained quiet throughout the journey.

finally.

As they approached their temporary lodgings, Yuan Yao broke the silence first:
"Senior sister, are we not charming enough?"

As she said this, the girl looked at herself rather awkwardly.

Upon hearing this, Yanli turned her head in confusion: "Huh? Why do you say that?"

"If we're so charming, why is that Foundation Establishment senior so distant from us? But if we're not charming, why are those Qi Refining cultivators so eager to please us, their eyes practically blazing with hatred..."

Many Qi Refining stage cultivators were practically paralyzed by their presence, their eyes filled with blatant possessiveness. Even some Foundation Establishment stage cultivators harbored strong aggression towards them.

But Han Li, who seemed unremarkable, remained unmoved by the two of them.

This made her start to doubt herself.

In particular, that subconscious act of taking half a step back was the most frustrating thing for her mentally.

"Perhaps, that senior had a clearer purpose and a firmer Dao heart, unlike the other cultivators who cultivated in a muddled way."

Yanli also seemed a little insecure.

Meanwhile, Han Li, who was staying at an inn on another street, said that favoritism that is too easily obtained is often not cherished. The favored party often takes it for granted. Wailing to fawn over someone is a waste of effort and a sign of inferiority. No matter how high or arrogant one's posture, one will be subconsciously looked down upon and seen as an ATM. Once the two women achieve something in the future, and the hierarchy shifts, they might very well turn against him, and he could simply give them a little more charity to complete the breakup.

Therefore, one cannot rush. One cannot take the initiative. It's the unattainable that stirs the heart. First impressions are crucial. Since his looks are already average, he must improve in other ways. He needs to make both women remember him well, then convince themselves before they come running to him. Only then can he gain almost complete control in terms of body, mind, and resources.

In short, he needs to work on the two women's underlying arrogance and wear away their arrogance of "thinking that they can control men just because they are pretty".

Yanli suffered a great loss in this regard from the young master of Qingyang Sect.

Only by shedding this arrogance can the two women truly learn to be grateful.

Why did the two women, who had suffered calamities in the original story, have such affection and concern for the original owner? A large reason is that the original owner initially kept her distance and was unmoved by beauty. Later, they maintained a friendly relationship with clear boundaries, cooperating for mutual benefit. Finally, she stood up for her friends and fought a great battle against Wen Tianren, the first Core Formation cultivator in the Chaotic Star Sea.

He instantly won her over.

Which girl doesn't yearn for love?

Which girl wouldn't want a hero with such a steadfast heart, loyalty, and great strength as her Daoist partner?
Without this process, when the two women take off in the future, why would they remember his kindness?
He didn't want to be seen as a burden later on.

That's just human nature.

...

I stayed there for more than ten days in a row.

Seeing that the team from the Six-Linked Palace was about to set off to capture the Level 6 Infant Carp Beast, he also prepared to leave this place.

This team led by Liu Lian Dian will most likely encounter Wu Chou again this time. Kui Xing Island will probably change hands soon, and he doesn't want to get involved in such a major event.

Therefore, after leaving the two girls waiting for half a month, he decided to take them to Tianxing City to broaden their horizons.

This is also the time.

The two women refined the elixir, which improved their cultivation. They decided not to stay on Kui Xing Island any longer, but to go out and seek opportunities.

No sooner had the two women left than several streaks of light followed them as they went out into the northern part of the city. Two of the women had met them once before.

This scene stunned Han Li, who was also planning to follow.

Completely confused:
"Come with us?"

wrong.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li were probably targeted as soon as they arrived at Kui Xing Island.

A beautiful furnace cauldron at the tenth level of Qi Refining is highly sought after by many Foundation Establishment cultivators, and there is no shortage of market for it.

Some Core Formation stage cultivators, if they happen to encounter such individuals, are not concerned about nurturing them to the Foundation Establishment stage before absorbing their essence to accelerate their cultivation.

In other words, the two women's beauty ultimately caused trouble.

Especially Yuan Yao.

She's so ugly it's a disaster for the country and its people.

He hadn't seen Zi Ling's beauty yet, so he wouldn't comment on it. But he always found Yuan Yao's fiery beauty pleasing to the eye.

"Follow me."

Only when the two groups were about to leave the range of his divine sense did he pilot his flying boat to follow at a distance.

Several Qi Refining stage cultivators only have a perception range of two hundred feet.

The range of divine thought controlling artifacts is one hundred feet.

Even the Spirit Eye can only see up to ten miles away.

Therefore, as long as he maintains a distance of more than ten miles and uses some concealment methods, he will definitely not be discovered.

"The range of divine sense perception for an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator is five to ten miles, while mine is over twenty miles. Although this is not as far as the thirty or forty miles of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, it surpasses the vast majority of late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators..."

Han Li made an estimate.

This kept the distance at least 20 miles.

Once outside Kuixing Island, the sea remained as blue and vast as ever.

After flying northeast for over an hour, Yuan Yao and Yan Li encountered a small island. They landed on the island, intending to meditate and recover some of their magical power before continuing their journey. Unexpectedly, just as they landed on the island, a whooshing sound came from mid-air.

Three figures then descended.

It was the same young man in the scholar's robe and the burly man from a while ago, along with another ugly and fierce-looking man with a face full of pockmarks.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, Fellow Daoist Yan, what a coincidence."

The young man said with a smile.

Upon seeing that smile, Yuan Yao and Yan Li both shuddered and immediately became extremely wary.

...

"One is at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, and two are at the eleventh level of Qi Refining..."

"Yuan Yao and Yan Li are only at the tenth level of Qi Refining..."

"If the two women don't have their own methods, they might be in danger."

More than ten miles away, in the clouds, Han Li stroked the head of the Jade Mantis and murmured.

He initially had two plans.

One option was to have the two women arrested and sold by human traffickers, then he would reappear and buy them. However, he had to consider that some cultivators who specialized in this area might become his competitors. In that case, losing money would be a minor issue; the bigger trouble that would come his way would be a real headache.

With Yuan Yao's beauty, she is highly likely to attract high-level cultivators.

The reason we haven't provoked them yet is simply because there are too few high-level cultivators in the Kui Xing Island sea area, making this a small stage. The fact that Wen Siyue, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was noticed by Miao He, a Nascent Soul cultivator, shows just how risky this profession is.

He was worried that he had gone too far.

The situation couldn't be salvaged, and the consequences couldn't be contained.

The second idea was to have Mo Jiao cooperate with him to stage a hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario.

The attack of the level 3 peak Ink Dragon, appearing as a Star Sea Monster, will surely plunge the two into a life-or-death situation.

He appeared just in time and rescued the damsel in distress.

With overwhelming strength, they defeated the demonic beast and subdued this "unruly" black dragon...

Although it's a bit cunning, it's a win-win solution.

of course.

The most perfect scenario would be if the two women were to actually encounter a level two, three, or four sea monster, then he could make his move.

Now, there's no need for all those petty calculations.

On the island.

The struggle has begun.

The two women were in grave danger.

"Senior sister, you go, I'll hold them off; they're mostly looking at me."

Yuan Yao gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes.

"No, we should go together."

Yanli had no intention of escaping alone.

"Hmph, none of you are leaving..."

The three of them formed a pincer movement, with the advantage in numbers, cultivation level, and magical artifacts. They also had far more combat experience than the two women.

It was clear that the two women were about to give up.

Just then.

The sound of flapping wings cutting through the air could be heard in the distance.

The five of them stopped their magical duel at the same time.

Turning their heads, they saw Han Li, clad in golden cloud armor, soaring through the air. Because he deliberately flapped his wings rapidly to create a commotion, his flight was detected by the five people even though they were more than ten miles apart.

"It's that senior..."

Yanli was overjoyed.

The three human traffickers who had robbed the cultivators were naturally terrified.

The burly man, however, had sharp eyes and immediately noticed the direction of Han Li's flight path:
"No, that senior didn't come this way. He just happened to be passing by and didn't notice anything happening here."

"That's right, he's only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. The range of divine sense at the early stage of Foundation Establishment couldn't possibly extend beyond ten miles. That's the level of divine sense possessed only by cultivators at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment..."

The divine sense of someone in the early stages of Foundation Establishment cannot perceive this place?
The two women realized this as well, and their faces turned pale.
"Senior, take a look back!"

However, they also knew that the senior was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment and theoretically could not perceive their predicament at all.

As Han Li passed through a layer of clouds and flew into the blind spot obscured by the highest mountain on the island, the pockmarked man grinned:
"He's gone, and he really didn't notice this side."

"Hey hey hey..."

His lewd smile only made him more repulsive.

The three exchanged a glance, then looked at the two women, and smiled again.
"You two shouldn't count on that person."

From despair to a glimmer of hope, and then from hope to endless despair, Han Li has done something truly inhuman this time.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li's eyes were filled with sorrow and bitterness:
"Fly, flew away?"

How did it fly away?
just.

Just as the three men were gloating, and the two women were in a sorry state, about to be defeated and captured alive by the three robber cultivators, their magical artifacts were knocked away.

"Cough cough..."

A soft cough was heard.

The five of them paused again in unison.

The three cultivators turned their heads and saw Han Li, who had silently appeared not far from the edge of the battle. Disbelief and terror appeared on their faces.
"how is this possible?"

The three of them turned deathly pale.

The pockmarked man slowly retreated.

Yuan Yao and Yanli were overjoyed to see Han Li. The sweet-looking Yanli was so excited she almost cried.

"senior!"

Yuan Yao also bit her lip tightly, overwhelmed with excitement.

Saved.

"escape…"

The three men—the scholar in the scholar's robe, the burly man, and the pockmarked man—unanimously dispersed and fled on their swords.

There was not a trace of wishful thinking.

Seeing this, Han Li patted his spirit beast pouch and summoned the Jade Mantis and the Howling Eagle:
"Go."

"Two level 2 spirit beasts?"

The two women and the three cultivators gasped in surprise again.

(End of this chapter)