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

Chapter 97 Heartbreaking, Sense of Belonging Vanished in an Instant, Adjusting Plans
"Alright, the cultivation worlds of Jiang Kingdom and Cheqi Kingdom have been destroyed, and the six demonic sects are about to invade. You should all quickly return to your sects and prepare for the upcoming great battle."

Linghu Patriarch looked at the people from the six sects, including the Hidden Moon Sect, and gave them instructions.

This news was like a thunderbolt, leaving the heads of the cultivators from the six sects buzzing.

"Senior Linghu, is this really true?"

A Core Formation cultivator exclaimed in surprise.

Linghu the Elder snorted coldly:
"Would I lie to you? It was only because I happened to pass by the border between Jiang and Yue two days ago that I witnessed these scenes firsthand. Otherwise, if the armies of the six demonic sects hadn't been able to block the news and launched a full-scale attack, our seven sects might not have realized that danger was imminent."

This is truly a coincidence.

Huangfeng Valley, which is far from the eastern border of Yue Kingdom, was the first to know, thanks to Ancestor Linghu, that Jiang Kingdom's Cheqi Kingdom had been destroyed and that Tianluo Kingdom's demonic path was about to invade.

For this reason, the first person to come to recruit the Yan family was Elder Linghu, not the Nascent Soul stage monsters from the other six major sects.

"this…"

All the Core Formation stage cultivators from the six sects panicked.

They never expected that a war of annihilation was about to begin. They were used to a life of ease and were completely unprepared.

"If you have any doubts, go and consult your elders. Quickly return to the sect to organize your forces, and don't delay important matters."

Linghu Laozu, dressed in brocade robes, waved his hand, not wanting to say anything more.

The members of the six factions bowed and left.

Before leaving, Old Monster Qiong tossed him a bottle of pills: for aphrodisiacs and for promoting virility.

This made Master Hongfu very unhappy.

Once only a few people from Huangfeng Valley and the Yan family remained on the mountaintop, Patriarch Linghu summoned the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from the other participating countries and sects. He then informed them of the annihilation of Jiang Kingdom and Cheqi Kingdom, and the imminent large-scale attack by the six demonic sects.

The Nascent Soul Ancestor would naturally not joke about such a thing with a group of Foundation Establishment juniors.

"Your sects should have received the message I sent you soon. With important matters at hand, this treasure hunt cannot proceed as planned. Return to your respective sects immediately."

"... "

More than two hundred cultivators from several neighboring countries who had come to attend the meeting then took their leave.

However, before they left, the elder of the Yan family stopped the group and gave each of them two mid-grade spirit stones as travel expenses.

It's just a small token of my appreciation.

This also made many people who were originally feeling very unlucky feel much better.

Two hundred spirit stones is neither a lot nor a little.

Just right.

As for why the Yan family was so generous?

The reason is very simple.

In the upcoming great battle, the Yue Kingdom alone would certainly be no match for the Six Demonic Sects. Apart from the weakest, the Ghost Spirit Sect, which was only three points stronger than the Yue Kingdom's Hidden Moon Sect, each of the other five sects possessed the strength to single-handedly dominate the entire cultivation world of the Yue Kingdom.

In other words, the Yue Kingdom will definitely seek help from the cultivation world, such as the Yuanwu Kingdom and the Zijin Kingdom. At that time, the Yan family might even encounter this group of people again.

Leaving a good impression is always more beneficial to the Yan family than leaving a bad impression.

"Thank you very much, Senior Yan."

The foundation-building phase of each country has come to an end.

The treasure hunt organized by the Yan family also came to an abrupt end, a classic case of starting strong but finishing weak.

As for the Foundation Establishment stages of Jiang State and Cheqi State, the Yan family did not provide any further compensation.

These people should be grateful to the Yan family for hosting this treasure hunt. Otherwise, they would probably have been slaughtered and sacrificed by the six demonic sects by now.

"How much of your savings did your Yan family spend to appease all parties this time?"

Linghu Patriarch suddenly looked at the old man from the Yan family and said with a smile.

"Reporting to senior, the Yan family has contributed most of its savings this time."

In reality, it's only a small portion.

Aside from the Qiankun Tower magic treasure he gifted Hongfu, which still pains him to the core, the other supplies, worth hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, were really nothing special. After all, a top-tier heavy-grade magic treasure at the Qiankun Tower level couldn't be bought for hundreds of thousands of spirit stones.

"Okay~".

The patriarch Linghu, seated high above, nodded and stopped making things difficult for the Yan family.

"Ancestor, what should we do with the dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators from Jiang Kingdom and Cheqi Kingdom?" Lei Wanhe asked.

Upon hearing this, Linghu pondered for a moment, then sighed softly:
"The sect's spirit stones are about to be used as reserves for the great war and cannot be used lightly..."

As he spoke, he glanced around at everyone, finally settling his gaze on Han Li, who had the worst spiritual root aptitude but had reaped extremely rich rewards. More accurately, he focused his gaze on the two storage bags belonging to Wang Chan and Tian Buque.

He knew roughly what kind of wealth was in Wang Chan's storage bag.

Because he arrived shortly after Hong Fu made her move.

It was ahead of the other six sects in reaching the Core Formation stage.

The divine sense also witnessed the scene of this child refusing the little guy from the Ghost Spirit Sect, and was therefore gratified.

But so what?
This kid's spiritual root aptitude is too poor.

Not worth training.

Besides, if he had made a move then, how could this kid have had the chance to get away with it?

Is it too much to ask them to share some of their experiences to help the sect solve its problems?
"Have you distributed the profits? What benefits did everyone receive?"

The old ancestor asked with a gentle smile.

Hong Fu seemed to sense what Linghu Patriarch was planning to do, and immediately stepped forward, standing in front of Han Li:

“Uncle-Master, we have already distributed the funds according to the size of our contributions, and we all think it’s quite appropriate.”

"is that so…"

The old man in brocade robes looked at Nie Ying, Zhong Weiniang, and the others.

The seven people nodded repeatedly, clearly satisfied with what they had received.

It was at this moment that Hong Fu spoke up again:
“Uncle-Master, my Red Tassel Mountain lineage has gained a lot. Since the sect is experiencing financial difficulties, let my lineage contribute some spirit stones to settle the cultivators from both countries.”

Master Hongfu, who could have easily distanced herself from the matter, actually took on the most difficult and potentially unpleasant task.

This made Lei Wanhe sigh inwardly.

This left Li Huayuan momentarily stunned.

Even Linghu Laoguai unconsciously raised an eyebrow:

"Have you thought about it?"

That kid only has a pseudo-spiritual root; I've never heard of a pseudo-spiritual root that can form a core.

Is it appropriate, worthwhile, and reliable for Dong Jia Ni Zi to waste so many resources on a pseudo-spiritual root that will turn into a skeleton in a grave in a hundred or two hundred years?
"Please help me, uncle."

Hong Fu clasped her hands in a respectful bow.

She's determined to protect Han Li. So what if he has a pseudo-spiritual root? He deserves it through his own abilities.

Linghu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then relaxed his brows:
"Is it alright for me to handle these little devils from the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Joyful Union Sect?"

"It should."

Hong Fu and the other two had no objections.

Lei Wanhe and Li Huayuan were heartbroken.

Two major assets, two major opportunities... have flown away.

Linghu immediately nodded and smiled amicably:

"Alright, I'm relieved to have you in charge of the Foundation Establishment cultivators of both countries."

From then on, I stopped worrying about it.

Han Li remained outwardly calm, but a fleeting sense of sorrow crossed his heart.

This old ancestor almost snatched his prize; was it because Linghu was completely unaware of his efforts and sacrifices?

No.

It's probably because he took too much.

His total earnings exceeded 800,000 spirit stones, which would probably tempt even a Nascent Soul stage monster.

On second thought, if the interests represented by Wang Chan and Tian Buque could be taken away, and the interests of a dignified Core Formation cultivator could be openly intercepted, then his little grievances as a Foundation Establishment cultivator were nothing.

This shows that Huangfeng Valley is not as friendly as one might imagine.

The law of the jungle, where big fish eat little fish, has always existed.

It's just that he managed to avoid being bullied by associating with Master Hongfu, and incidentally gained connections with Sect Leader Zhong, the Chen family, Uncle Lei, and Uncle Li Huayuan.

That is why he has even greater respect for his master, Hong Fu, who stepped forward to help him.

“Master, let me pay for the spirit stones needed to recruit cultivators from both countries. I’ve made quite a fortune this time.”

Han Li said with a smile.

Master Hongfu waved his hand:
"No need to say more, you've done a great job."

What kind of behavior is it to make disciples use their profits to appease outsiders?

But it was her.

She acquired the Qiankun Tower, a magical treasure, making her the biggest earner among everyone. Moreover, she also obtained the storage bags of the Li brothers, both Core Formation stage cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect. The lion's share was all in her hands.

She spent tens of thousands of spirit stones to win over the hearts of dozens of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from both countries—a small cost and harmless act.

Han Li clasped his hands in a salute and said no more.

Linghu Patriarch looked down on the four pseudo-spiritual roots, feeling that it was a waste to use too many resources on a pseudo-spiritual root that was unlikely to succeed. He thought of a more rational way to use the many resources he had acquired. For example, he would first buy them off with benefits and then form a marriage alliance, using a combination of tactics to win over the promising young talents with excellent spiritual root aptitudes from both countries.

Little did she know, Hong Fu looked down on those handsome men with exceptional talent in cultivation. Her Dong Xuan'er wasn't particularly gifted, nor did she need a dashing young man by her side. Her Xuan'er only needed to be down-to-earth and honest; ordinariness was her blessing.

Linghu Laozu never expected that his actions would cause someone's sense of belonging to Huangfeng Valley to be completely wiped out overnight.

"I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter..."

...

From then on, Han Li remained silent throughout.

He didn't intend to share the Blood Spirit Technique of the Ghost Spirit Sect with the people of Yellow Maple Valley.

He had no desire to present the soul of the Yuling Sect cultivator for reward right now.

It feels like no matter how great the achievement, it might not be worth much in front of Elder Linghu.

At most, a few words of praise.

Then, it was gone.

Rather than doing that, it's better to be more "content" and let the overall situation remain unchanged. After all, what remains unchanged is what's most beneficial to oneself.

"How could I possibly feel such a sense of belonging to Yellow Maple Valley? How could I possibly think about making Yellow Maple Valley stronger? How could I possibly think about preserving more of Yellow Maple Valley's heritage?"

Inside his sleeve, Han Li's right hand was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Heartache, resentment, anger...

A mix of emotions.

"Ha, I'm just a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet I'm thinking about how Yellow Maple Valley can be better? How laughable."

Linghu Patriarch mistakenly believed that Han Li had taken advantage of Master Hong Fu and Uncle Lei, thinking that he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, had taken far too much.

Little did they know that they were mutually benefiting! It was actually the other people, including Patriarch Linghu, who benefited more from Han Li's success!

Without his mediation, what would have been the capture of Wang Chan and Tian Ershao, the hidden lineage of the Yan family, or the Foundation Establishment stage of the two countries? What would have been the slightest connection to your Huangfeng Valley?
In Yellow Maple Valley, one could obtain nothing.

The most realistic scenario is that Huangfeng Valley will lose seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators in the first round.

The seven sects of Yue Kingdom will lose many potential Core Formation cultivators, including Ma Yunlong. They will also lose dozens of Core Formation disciples with excellent innate talent and considerable cultivation.

Without him, the Yue Kingdom would have already lost its first battle.

There may not be a single new Core Formation stage cultivator for the next few decades.

As for him?
Even without anyone from Huangfeng Valley cooperating with him, he could still lure Wang Chan out along the original path, kill him, and obtain the storage bag. The only problem would be that he would miss out on the Qiankun Tower talisman, the storage bags of Young Master Tian and the dozen or so Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and incidentally, Huangfeng Valley would incur the formidable enemy of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

That's it.

He was striving to maximize the gains for both himself and Huangfeng Valley, aiming for mutual benefit and minimizing risks. But the result…

"Well, I might still be a little short on resources for the third job advancement. However, I probably don't need to gather enough resources for the third job advancement."

However, this Yellow Maple Valley ultimately rejects outsiders.

For a rogue cultivator like him who wasn't born into a family, apart from Master Hongfu, probably no one would truly respect him.
He understands the principle, and the principle is very simple.

It's a pseudo-spiritual root.

This limited his potential.

For ten thousand years, there had never been a pseudo-spiritual root capable of forming a Nascent Soul in the southern lands. Well, actually, there had never even been a pseudo-spiritual root capable of forming a Core. He was fundamentally looked down upon by everyone, including Master Hongfu.

"Although Master Hongfu is a good person, she is deeply mired in the quagmire of her family and sect, and it is impossible for her to fully invest in me. The fact that she can provide me with protection and occasionally provide me with cultivation resources is already very, very good."

Therefore, he should not expect anything from anyone else.

Only on your own.

Of course, he doesn't blame the others; that's just human nature.

He only blamed the increasingly harsh environment for spiritual practice in this era.

In ancient times, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant and the cultivation environment was excellent, even pseudo-spiritual roots could be used to establish a foundation or even form a core. Back then, the status of pseudo-spiritual roots was far higher than it is now.

From then on, Han Li became even more cautious.

"To be honest, neither Master Hongfu, nor Old Monster Qiong, nor Old Monster Linghu could discover the storage bag hidden inside the fragment of the silk handkerchief magic weapon..."

This was undoubtedly another test he had prepared in advance.

It was originally intended to test Qiong Laoguai and the others.

Unexpectedly, this accidental turn of events allowed Linghu Laoguai to test his true abilities.

Either way, that's fine.

...

Upon returning to his old cave at Red Tassel Mountain, Han Li met with Dong Xuan'er, asked her for a favor, and then took out a talisman, three pill bottles, and all the magical treasures he had acquired.

The talisman was obtained from Wang Chan and is the most powerful one in Wang Chan's possession. It is far inferior to Old Monster Qiong's Invisible Needle Talisman, but it is still passable.

Each of the three bottles contained three pills.

They are all different kinds of rare and precious elixirs:
"Senior sister, I'll leave those matters to you. Also, keep these pills for when you break through your bottleneck; they're quite effective."

"Aren't you going to keep some for yourself?"

"I still have quite a bit left."

Han Li smiled and took out more than ten pill bottles.

Seeing this, Dong Xuan'er nodded in satisfaction:
"Alright, leave it to me, no big deal. I'll help you exchange those two magical treasures as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Han Li breathed a sigh of relief and then returned directly to the Spirit Spring Cave.

"Junior brother, your senior sister can't keep taking yours. Here, take these." Dong Xuan'er took out a storage bag and handed it over.

"what is this?"

Han Li didn't answer at first, but asked curiously.

"Some puppets."

Puppet?

"Thank you, senior sister."

Han Li took it immediately.

Inside were the more than 300 Level 2 puppets that Huang Long and others had exposed back then, as well as the 25 Level 3 puppets that the Dong family had refined over the past year.

With the addition of these puppets, his explosive power and endurance will undoubtedly reach a new high.

After all, once he mastered the first level of the Great Evolution Technique, the number of puppets he could control at his limit was not just fifteen, but more than thirty.

He has always been hiding his true abilities.

"By the way, Senior Sister, before the news of the impending invasion by the demonic path spreads, quickly have the Dong family stockpile a batch of cultivation supplies in the nearby Yuanwu Kingdom and Shayun Kingdom. For example, healing medicines and top-tier magic artifacts, etc. In wartime, these things can definitely be sold at a premium," Han Li reminded her.

"The Linghu and Chen families are probably already eyeing this pie, so the Dong family needs to act quickly. If possible, it would be best to get the Lei family (Master Lei's family) and Master Li involved, and have them stockpile some as well..."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

After Han Li left.

Dong Xuan'er met Hong Fu.

"What did your junior brother say, and what did he give you?"

"He asked me to help him resell various supplies in exchange for mid-grade spirit stones, and he gave me these..."

The girl made no attempt to hide anything and took out all the items at once.

Hong Fu saw the pills and precious magical treasures floating beside her grandniece, and first smiled with relief, then sighed softly.

It's not hard to guess that their own disciples probably understood the meaning behind Elder Linghu's words when he was in the Yan family.

Otherwise, the journey wouldn't have been so incredibly quiet.

But she had done everything she could, so she couldn't possibly blame Uncle Linghu.

“Xuan’er, your junior brother… he gave you all the good stuff.”

"I know."

What do you think of him? Is he someone you can rely on?

"Why do you ask this, Master?"

The girl blinked in confusion.

Hong Fu then revealed some things that were unknown to outsiders:

"Do you know that the fellow Daoist from the Yan family wants to marry your junior brother Yan Ruyan, who has a Heavenly Spiritual Root, to him, and wants to bring the two of them together as Daoist partners?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Xuan'er felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.
"How is that possible? How could the Yan family possibly look down on a junior brother with a pseudo-spiritual root?"

A Heavenly Spiritual Root paired with a Pseudo-Spiritual Root?
Has the Yan family patriarch gone mad?

"I don't understand either, and I'm very unwilling..."

"and then?"

The girl asked nervously.

Hong Fu smiled and shook her head:

"I refused him and told him never to mention the matter again."

"Hmph, the Yan family is definitely plotting something."

Dong Xuan'er spoke with certainty.

Hong Fu smiled but remained silent.

If Han Li knew that his master Hong Fu had helped him get rid of a big problem, he would be overjoyed.

...

After returning to Lingquan Cave, Han Li immediately went into seclusion.

As arranged by Master Hongfu, he was not among the first batch of cultivators from the seven sects to be stationed in various mines and herb gardens, nor was he among the first vanguard to build a defensive line at Jingu Plain.

He still has plenty of time to prepare.

Just as he was feeling troubled, two small white dots shot out from the Spirit Eye Spring.

Han Li neither dodged nor avoided this.

The next instant, two tiny white spiders appeared in his palm.

"It's finally hatched?"

This was an unexpected surprise.

The two little creatures blinked their tiny eyes at the human who gave them a sense of closeness. Then they fluttered around Han Li, circling him, being incredibly lively.

The blood pact has an excellent effect.

As long as this relationship is cultivated continuously, even if your biological mother comes later, it won't matter.

"The Blood Jade Spider has already hatched, so the trip to the Chaotic Star Sea should be put on the agenda."

Han Li thought to himself.

I feel much better.

Then I glanced at the hatching status of a few golden-backed mantis eggs.

Within the Spirit Eye Spring, these few eggs were brimming with life, yet showed no signs of hatching:
"It seems we'll need some more time." Never mind.

"Let's take stock of the spoils first."

first…

[Magic Treasure], one item: the large gourd of the Li brothers.

Water and fire gourd.

Originally, the two magical treasures he obtained were a purple throwing knife and a jet-black long staff, both from Wang Chan's storage bag. However, Master Hong Fu had Dong Xuan'er make another trip, exchanging one of the Li brothers' golden cores and that gourd-shaped magical treasure for the two treasures.

He also taught how to use the power of the Golden Core to slightly activate the opponent's natal magic weapon.

It is extremely similar to the methods taught by the Core Formation cultivators of the Yuling Sect.

The only differences are in some details.

According to Dong Xuan'er, her master gave her the complete set of golden pills and natal magic treasures of the other Li brothers.

【Talisman Treasures】, three in total: one Qiankun Tower Talisman Treasure, one Moon Golden Wheel Talisman Treasure, and one Skull Talisman Treasure.

[Cultivation Techniques], two copies: one copy of the Hehuan Sect's "Yin Yang Revolving Technique," a top-tier dual cultivation technique; and one copy of the Ghost Spirit Sect's "Blood Spirit Great Technique," considered a top-tier demonic combat technique.

[Essences]: Four categories. One category is suitable for the early stages of Core Formation, and another category helps in the Foundation Establishment stage to condense the Golden Core. There are two types in total, obtained from Wang Chan and Tian Ershao respectively. There are also more than two bottles of rare essences and more than eight bottles of fine essences.

[Talismans]: 15 medium-to-high-level talismans, dozens of medium-to-low-level talismans, and a dozen or so basic-to-high-level talismans.

【Ironwood】 and other spirit woods: twelve portions of thousand-year-old ironwood that can be used to refine level 4 puppets, and more than seventy portions of six- to seven-hundred-year-old ironwood that can be used to refine level 3 puppets.

[Prescriptions]: More than ten kinds.

[Spirit Stones]: More than 300,000.

【Spiritual Herb】: More than 100 plants with medicinal value of over 300 years, which are quite rare on the market.

As for the remaining items he valued at 500,000 spirit stones, he handed them all over to Dong Xuan'er, hoping to use the Dong family's channels to process them and exchange them for mid-grade spirit stones as quickly and as much as possible. While the Dong family was difficult to work with in the war-prepared Yue Kingdom, they still had substantial trade channels in the Yuanwu Kingdom and Zijin Kingdom, which had not yet engaged in war.

One-tenth of the profits go to the Dong family, one-tenth goes to Dong Xuan'er, and eight-tenths goes to him.

It's like paying 20% ​​of the profits to buy a relatively safe channel.

In addition, some spiritual materials such as ironwood and fir wood were also given to the Dong family's weapon refiners, in the hope that the Dong family's weapon refiners would quickly refine a new level 3 finished puppet.

He did not take out the thousand-year-old ironwood.

He didn't quite trust some people in the Dong family.

He'd keep it in his hands, waiting until he was able to craft puppets himself before forging a Level 4 puppet. Giving it to the Dong family to forge now would likely put the Dong family's higher-ups, Master Hongfu, and Dong Xuan'er in a difficult position.

A level 4 puppet is comparable to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. If a cultivator below the Core Formation stage could have several level 4 puppets, they would undoubtedly play a significant role in self-protection on the increasingly brutal and fierce battlefield.

Who in the Dong family wouldn't want one?
If he dares to bring out a large amount of thousand-year-old ironwood, the Dong family won't mind stealing these level 4 puppets.

A level 3 puppet is only comparable to the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Without the Great Evolution Technique as a backup, it doesn't hold much appeal for the Dong family. A top-tier rare magic weapon would be far more practical and useful.

Time flies, and four months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Only after a series of battlefield news overshadowed his prominence at Yanling Fort did he begin to make any moves.

During this period, the Yue Kingdom suffered hundreds of small-scale attacks.

The attacks mostly targeted mining sites and medicinal herb gardens within the territory of Vietnam.

In cases where the attackers succeed in one fell swoop, they naturally reap a considerable reward.

There were also failures, with the attackers suffering heavy losses.

However, it was mostly the cultivation community of Yue Kingdom that was defending themselves using various means, while the vanguard of the demonic path was attacking.

"It seems that the overall situation has not changed because of my butterfly effect; only some minor details have changed."

Having learned the situation, Han Li crushed several jade slips containing messages that Chen Qiaoshan of the Chen family had repeatedly sent to him.

Then he looked at another jade slip.

This was sent by Dong Xuan'er.

It contains records about Wang Chan and Tian Ershao.

Wang Chan's third leg was crippled by Yan Ruyan, and the restrictions on both of them were lifted. And as expected, the young sect leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect and Tian Buque were redeemed by the old monsters of the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Joyful Union Sect, respectively.

This gave Linghu Laozu a windfall opportunity.

Of course, Linghu Laozu's eating manners can't be described as ugly, but rather as complicated.

Even Hong Fu's master only received a reward of spirit stones.

It's not that the amount of spirit stones given isn't much, but what's the use? At Master Hongfu's level, what's most important isn't a few thousand or tens of thousands of spirit stones. The two young masters can exchange them for cultivation items that are greatly beneficial to them.

Uncle Li from Bibo Cave was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to redeem someone and gain a great benefit, so that he could quickly advance to the mid-stage of Core Formation.

As a result, the patriarch only cared about himself and never considered those of us in the Core Formation stage.

He could have casually asked for some spiritual herbs suitable for improving cultivation during the Core Formation stage when trading with the old monsters of the Hehuan Sect and the Ghost Spirit Sect.

The ancestor did not.

As a result, Li Huayuan was depressed for a long time.

The more I think about it, the angrier I get, and the angrier I get, the more I feel cheated.

What a grievance.

It's so frustrating.

If it weren't for Master Hongfu giving all the tens of thousands of spirit stones bestowed by Ancestor Linghu to Uncle Li and offering words of comfort, Li Huayuan would probably have given up entirely.

If this person, who used to be very poor, could get tens of thousands of spirit stones without putting in much effort, they would be laughing in their sleep.

But times have changed.

Having earned two Invisible Needle Talismans, a Blood Thread Dragon Inner Core, and a large number of forbidden land spiritual herbs from two blood-red forbidden land gambling battles, Uncle Li was no longer interested in the spirit stones given to him by the ancestor.

You know, Liu Jingzhong and Wei Niang's three disciples each received 80,000 to 90,000 spirit stones worth of supplies. He, as their master, ended up receiving less than his disciples!
It would be a miracle if I felt comfortable with myself.

There's a saying: It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.

Another saying goes: "No comparison, no harm." Even Linghu Laozu probably didn't expect Han Li to be so generous with the spoils, right?
Of course, the elders in the sect also understood the little scheme of their sect's ancestor.

Linghu Laozu has been stuck at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage for over a hundred years.

I really want to improve!
Coincidentally, this person knew that two Nascent Soul stage experts from the two major sects of Jiang Kingdom and Cheqi Kingdom possessed the spiritual medicine he needed.

Previously, all my trades were unsuccessful.

Beaten again and again.

I can only watch.

Now that the ownership has changed hands, there's room for maneuver.

So, they decided to use the two young sect leaders to try to exchange with the two major demonic sects, requesting a precious spiritual fruit with an age of over three thousand years and a rare spiritual herb with an age of over three thousand years, respectively.

The Wang family of the Ghost Spirit Sect gritted their teeth and accepted the situation in order to preserve their lineage.

The Hehuan clan, for the sake of their beloved youngest son, also accepted it.

With the two major spiritual herbs in hand, Patriarch Linghu's anxiety caused by the demonic invasion was greatly relieved, and the smile on his old face became much more frequent. Combined with the other main ingredients he had, especially those left behind by his sect's predecessors, and some thousand-year-old spiritual herbs he had collected, planted, and cultivated since his Core Formation stage, refining a batch of pills that would help enhance the magical power of those in the early Nascent Soul stage was no problem.

After the elixir was completed, Patriarch Linghu immediately announced that he would go into seclusion.

Everything within the sect was left to Uncle Huiming, Master Hongfu, and Uncle Lei to handle.

Do not disturb them until the sect is destroyed.

Originally, Uncle Huiming wanted Master Hongfu to go to the front line to oversee the overall situation in Huangfeng Valley, but Master Hongfu stated that she needed to refine her newly acquired magic weapon and did not allow outsiders to disturb her. She completely ignored this uncle from the Linghu family.

Lei Wanhe was truly in seclusion, breaking through a bottleneck and rapidly advancing towards the late stage of Core Formation with the help of medicinal power, so he couldn't be disturbed. He also ignored the senior uncle from the Linghu family.

Unfortunately, Uncle Huiming of the Linghu family had no choice but to step in himself.

Fortunately, on the border battlefield, the Nascent Soul stage had its own stage, and the Core Formation stage didn't need to draw fire. The Core Formation stage also had its own stage, and the initial battle wasn't too intense. Uncle Huiming himself was a titled Core Formation cultivator, not considered a weakling among them.

For a time, they were able to manage to hold on for a while, albeit barely.

Then, there was a major battle every month and a minor battle every three to five days.

After enduring three months of hardship, he still returned to his clan, battered and bruised, to recuperate.

Subsequently, the Feng family's mid-stage Core Formation master uncle, along with Old Ancestor Chen and Old Ancestor Yan, led two to three hundred high-level Foundation Establishment disciples and more than two thousand low-level Qi Refining disciples at the twelfth or thirteenth level, joining forces with the other six sects to hold the fort at the forefront of Jingu Plain.

After reading the message from the talisman, Han Li smiled wryly:
"He really is just as stingy as Uncle-Master Li Huayuan."

Undeniably, Linghu Chong's strengthening of himself was a way to prolong the life of Huangfeng Valley, and he did indeed secure the greatest, or even the most suitable, benefits with the help of the two young masters, but in doing so, he lost a lot of people's hearts.

"Humph."

Sect ties?

I, Han Li, don't need it!
He crushed the jade slip and continued reading the rest.

One of the documents was a letter of thanks from the Dong family. Initially, because Hong Fu wasn't in the Dong family's territory on Red Tassel Mountain, the Dong family learned of the impending invasion of the demonic path late. Therefore, they didn't stockpile wartime supplies. Later, after being reminded, they stockpiled some and actually made a small profit.

Of course, compared to what the Chen family earned, it was much less.

As the patriarch of the Chen family was among the first Core Formation stage cultivators to learn the information, how could he miss this opportunity for his clansmen to make money?

"As expected, they are all smart people."

He put away the jade slip, took one last look at the cave dwelling, and then plunged into the underground secret passage.

Then they left Jianzhou through a secret underground passage hundreds of feet deep, sneaked into Xizhou, hundreds of miles away, and then went to Yuanwu Kingdom to the place where Xin Ruyin and her servant lived in seclusion.

He didn't do nothing during his early seclusion.

A project that covers three to five miles a day is not difficult for a dozen or so Iron-Armed Beasts.

Meanwhile, the cultivation world of Yuanwu Kingdom was still relatively peaceful. Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin had not yet provoked the Fu family, so these people were living a leisurely life.

"Are you two ladies alright?"

Han Li smiled.

Outside the grand formation of the secluded place, Xiao Mei, a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, nodded lively and repeatedly: "Senior, Miss and I are doing very well."

Xin Ruyin gracefully bowed.
"Thank you for your concern, senior. It has been more than a year since we last met, and your cultivation has become even more profound and unfathomable."

"My improvement is nothing, but Miss Xin, you've actually reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining."

Han Li carefully examined Xin Ruyin, then clicked his tongue in amazement.

"I was just lucky, and I owe it all to Brother Qi's great help."

"Just a fluke?"

Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and sighed inwardly.

Qi Yunxiao believed he was giving her true love, allowing her to cultivate recklessly, even giving her the Foundation Establishment Pill. Little did he know, this only hastened the stubborn girl's demise, like a moth drawn to a flame.

Little did they know that the higher their cultivation level, the more deadly the backlash from the dragon's roar would become.

What appears to be favoritism, what seems like giving the best of everything, is actually poisoning.

Once this woman reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, she will not be far from death.

Unless one joins a major sect and voluntarily reveals their secrets, their current level of array formation skills is insufficient to attract the attention of a Nascent Soul cultivator. It's simply impossible to have a Nascent Soul cultivator at their beck and call as a babysitter.

However, if this woman were to reveal her secret, she would only be subjected to soul-searching and die even faster.

This is a complete dead end.

unless…

"What are you thinking about, senior?"

Xin Ruyin keenly noticed the regret and complexity in Han Li's eyes.

"Miss Xin, is it really worth risking your life like this?"

"Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate. We've only dragged Brother Qi down, causing him to miss a precious opportunity to establish his foundation."

The girl gave a bitter smile.

She herself understood how risky her actions were.

But she still wanted to take the gamble.

Only by establishing her foundation before the Snow Cloud Pill runs out could she have more time and hope to showcase her talents, thus attracting the attention of some Nascent Soul stage elders and having a chance to achieve great things. Unfortunately, the Foundation Establishment Pill failed to help her succeed in one fell swoop.

In other words, she lost her gamble in her seclusion a few months ago.

"What are your plans next, fellow Daoist?"

Han Li could roughly guess some of the woman's thoughts and plans, and he had benefited a lot from her, which is why he asked this question.

Xin Ruyin didn't rush to reply, but took a deep breath and then boldly asked:
"Does the senior have any extra Foundation Establishment Pills?"

If she had one, she wouldn't mind taking another gamble with that inheritance.

Upon hearing this, Han Li remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

This is how effective baiting should be.

He was afraid that Xin Ruyin would always be pure of heart and have no desires.

it's good now.

Given a demand, especially two major demands, coupled with his good reputation, the woman will readily offer certain items to him in exchange for certain goods, even without his request.

The benefits of that Foundation Establishment Pill from last time have made this person a little obsessed.

"If I, Han, possess other Foundation Establishment Pills, what do you intend to offer in exchange? You are surely aware of the value of these pills. They are practically impossible to find in any country's market; they are monopolized by the major sects. I have already offered one out of consideration for Miss Xin and Fellow Daoist Qi's trustworthiness; I have already done more than enough. To ask me to offer another one would be difficult..."

Han Li frowned, looking troubled.

Upon hearing this and seeing this, Xin Ruyin's eyes lit up.

The subtext of these words is that there are still Foundation Establishment Pills available, but the price he and Qi Yunxiao offered was not enough.

“Senior, if that ancient teleportation array is repaired according to this procedure, it can definitely be restored.”

Xin Ruyin handed over a blueprint and a jade slip.

The drawings show the specific steps.

The jade slip is a sound transmission jade slip, containing Xin Ruyin's detailed explanation process.

"Furthermore, senior, please note that a large amount of spiritual energy is required to preheat the ancient teleportation array before it can be activated. If there is no spiritual vein or spirit stone ore vein at the location of the ancient teleportation array, then senior must provide a large amount of spiritual energy himself. Otherwise, the teleportation array will forcibly draw on the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making a huge noise. If senior does not want others to easily discover the exact location of the ancient teleportation array, he must pay close attention to this."

This is a well-intentioned reminder.

Han Li was also an honest person, and he truly listened to what he heard:

"Alright, thank you very much, young lady. Here is a Foundation Establishment Pill."

He said it was a fair trade, and he would never take advantage of anyone, ensuring that it was mutually beneficial and that each party got what they needed.

The repair technology for an ancient teleportation array can be exchanged for a Foundation Building Pill.

Indeed, everyone got what they needed in a happy way.

"Senior, if you could set up a better forbidden array around the teleportation array, such as this Reverse Five Elements Array which has been restored to more than 40%, theoretically it could also greatly conceal the noise during ultra-long-distance teleportation."

Xin Ruyin smiled and took out a large wooden box from her storage bag.

The box contained a complete set of array-setting tools.

“Senior, since Brother Qi and I promised to do our best to complete the Inverted Five Elements Formation, we will naturally keep our word. However, a more complete formation will require more mental and physical effort. For now, Brother Qi and I can only do this much.”

Receiving the box filled with array-setting tools, Han Li was deeply moved:

"Both you, young lady and Fellow Daoist Qi, are indeed people of your word."

This set of array materials is already the third set of array equipment he has acquired for the Inverted Five Elements Array.

“Senior, this set of array-setting equipment is only part of the last transaction, it’s nothing. By the way, senior, do you have any aged snow lotus? If so, I can exchange it for something else.”

Xin Ruyin asked another question casually.

Originally, even she herself didn't have much hope, because she didn't think the person in front of her could find three Iceberg Snow Lotuses in a row.

The first one could be an accident.

The second one could be luck.

The third one was such a surprise and such good luck.

But to her utter surprise, after hesitating for a moment, Han Li actually took out more than two bottles of Snow Cloud Pills and 20,000 spirit stones:

“Miss Xin, the spirit stones are for you two to continue purchasing materials to research the Reversed Five Elements Formation. As for these Snow Cloud Pills, they are the last and best quality Yin-cold attribute spiritual medicines I have. Use them sparingly. With these pills to help you with your Foundation Establishment, the process shouldn't be too troublesome.”

The only question is, will the second Foundation Establishment Pill really be enough for Xin Ruyin, who is at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, to enter the Foundation Establishment stage?
"Senior, this..."

"Although we exchange goods and services in the form of transactions, we have never cheated each other, so we can be considered trading partners or ordinary friends. I have always been very satisfied with Miss Xin and Fellow Daoist Qi, and naturally I don't want to lose you, a genius in the field of array formations with great potential, as a friend. Therefore, I will not hesitate to help you in any way I can within my capabilities."

While the Snow Cloud Pill is indeed precious, nothing compares to Xin Ruyin's sincere help in terms of cost-effectiveness.
"senior…"

"No need for further words, let's start with Foundation Establishment. With your cultivation at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, and with two more years of meticulous refinement, you should have a high chance of successfully establishing your foundation."

"Thank you, senior."

...

After obtaining the repair technology for the ancient teleportation array and a new set of formations, Han Li did not rush back to the mountain gate, but instead went to the border mining area where the teleportation array was located.

The mine was not far from the border between the Jiang and Yue kingdoms, only about 3,000 li away.

This distance is well within the effective strike range of the surprise attack teams from the Six Demonic Sects.

"This place will be attacked within two months. It's time to arrange some means to hide this mine."

Immediately, he took out several earth wall talismans and hardening talismans, and also cast earth wall and hardening spells on himself. He reinforced the cave where the ancient teleportation array was located without any blind spots, and blocked the exit.

The newly acquired Inverted Five Elements Formation also took two days to set up carefully.

Next came the restoration work on the ancient teleportation array.

The materials such as Yuan Yu that had been prepared in advance also came in handy.

It's perfect for repairing the damaged corner of this teleportation array.

Of course, he didn't completely repair it; a small part was left unrestored.

After finishing, he used an earth-遁符 (earth-遁符, a type of talisman) to leave from a pre-reserved corner. After exiting the mine, he plugged the gap.

He refused to believe that Xuan Le, Lü Tianmeng, and the others could find this place.
Back at the mountain gate.

Almost a month has passed.

At this time, the battle at the front was becoming increasingly intense.

Even Master Hongfu had to leave her seclusion and go to the front lines to take charge of the overall situation.

Unfortunately, both Elder Chen and Uncle Feng were wounded on the increasingly tense battlefield of Jingu Plain. Although they were not seriously injured, they were no longer suitable to lead the army.

Uncle Li's cultivation level is too low; he's too young, only at the early stage of Core Formation. An early Core Formation cultivator is fine as an assistant, but to lead the army would be demoralizing. It would make the demonic cultivators think that Yellow Maple Valley is helpless.

Of the seven major sects, only the Hidden Moon Sect, Yellow Maple Valley, Spirit Beast Mountain, and Blade Transformation Valley currently have four members at the late Core Formation stage.

The other three families still only have mid-stage Core Formation experts in charge.

Therefore, Master Hongfu went to the front line and quickly made a name for herself, also demonstrating the power of Huangfeng Valley.

"Master, why don't you call me to the front lines? With my puppet troops, dealing with two or three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators is more than enough."

Han Li plucked a communication talisman that was floating in front of his cave and sighed softly.

Forget it.

Since his master isn't assigning him any tasks, he should find something to do himself.

He immediately went to the Hundred Machines Hall to check the sect's recent garrison duties.

His gaze quickly settled on a task in the corner of the task list. The task location was only a little over a thousand miles away from Yuejing, the capital of Yue Kingdom.

Mission objective: Investigate the reason for the disappearance of Linghu Hao, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the sect, half a month ago.

Task timeframe: Two months.

Complete the task within the time limit to receive three mid-grade spirit stones from the Linghu family…

Linghu Hao was in a small mine.

Linghu Hao has been missing for half a month, neither alive nor dead.

This kind of non-battlefield casualties still annoyed the Linghu family.

Is it really true that once the demonic path arrives, any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to secretly attack the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators of the Seven Sects? Especially when they're targeting the Linghu family.

"Whether it's as I guessed or not, this mission is flexible enough, so I can take it."

...

three days later.

Han Li arrived uninvited in the capital of Yue.

His first instinct was not to seek trouble with the Emperor of Yue, but to search for the whereabouts of Xiao Cuier and her grandson.

Years ago, he posted a mission in the Hundred Machines Hall, asking his disciples to go and investigate the so-called Xiao family of Fenghejian. However, after the mission was accepted twice, both people said that the so-called Xiao family of Fenghejian did not exist at all.

Therefore, he had no choice but to come to Viet Kyung in person to try his luck.

(End of this chapter)