76: A reward from the sect! Han Li goes into seclusion!

Chapter 76: Harvest! Sect Reward! Han Li Secludes Himself!

The pursuit battle between Core Formation Cultivators was far beyond the ability of Lu Qiu and the others to participate in.

After watching the escaping lights of Li Huayuan and Martial Uncle Nie disappear into the horizon, the four discussed briefly and decided not to linger, lest they attract unwanted trouble, and returned directly to Yellow Maple Valley.

Along the way, Han Li simply bid farewell to Lu Qiu: "Senior Brother Lu, this cooperation was successful. Junior Brother will return to my Immortal Cave first."

His expression was calm, but a hint of contemplation seemed to linger deep in his eyes.

Lu Qiu nodded: "Junior Brother Han, please do as you wish. We shall meet again."

Upon returning to the long-unvisited Chixiao Cave, Lu Qiu only truly relaxed after activating all the protective and concealment Formations.

During this trip to Jingzhou Prefecture, he spent most of his time with Han Li and Yu Kun, and he hadn't had the chance to carefully inspect the Storage Pouches he had acquired.

Now that he finally had free time, a sense of anticipation arose in his heart.

The first item he took out was the Storage Pouch obtained from Li Xian.

He wiped away the lingering imprint and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The first thing that entered his perception was a small mountain of Spirit Stones.

A rough count showed about five thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

This amount of Spirit Stones alone was quite valuable, showing the profound accumulation of the Li family over two hundred years, truly worthy of being a local magnate.

Neatly stacked nearby were over a dozen jade bottles and boxes, mostly containing Medicinal Pills suitable for the Foundation Establishment Stage to improve cultivation, heal injuries, and restore Mana. The quality was excellent, and one bottle of "Biyuan Pills" even offered slight assistance in breaking through minor Bottlenecks for Middle Stage Foundation Establishment, which was a pleasant surprise.

There were also dozens of Talismans of various types, mainly defensive and escape arts, including several Intermediate Low-Grade Talismans.

Regarding Magical Artifacts, besides the azure Flying Sword that had been melted by the Chixiao True Fire, the Storage Pouch also contained a small shield, completely black and engraved with tortoise shell patterns. It was brimming with Spiritual Qi and was a Top-Grade defensive Magical Artifact.

Furthermore, there was a Talisman sealed in a specialized jade box, resembling a small silver shuttle. Its spiritual energy fluctuations were restrained yet sharp. It was an offensive talisman treasure that had never been used!

It must have been the killer move Li Xian had prepared, but unfortunately, under Lu Qiu's lightning-fast assault, he didn't even have a chance to use it.

Finally, Lu Qiu's Divine Sense settled on a small box made of red sandalwood placed separately in the deepest part of the Storage Pouch.

The box itself had no Restriction, and he easily took it out.

Opening the lid, he saw soft silver silk lining the inside, upon which quietly rested a bead the size of a longan, completely black, lusterless, and seemingly capable of absorbing all light.

The bead felt cold and heavy in his hand, neither metal nor jade. Its surface was extremely smooth, without any patterns or Mana fluctuations spilling out. Even when probed with Divine Sense, it was like a stone sinking into the sea—he couldn't sense the slightest abnormality.

"Is this... the ancient treasure that Li Xian possessed?"

Lu Qiu held it in his palm, examining it carefully, yet feeling no contempt whatsoever.

The more ordinary something appeared, the more likely it was to contain profound mysteries.

He tried injecting a trace of Crimson Heaven Mana, but the Mana vanished like a clay ox entering the sea, yielding no reaction.

He also tried dripping blood and communicating with Divine Sense, all to no avail.

"It seems that without reaching Core Formation, without forming a Golden Core, and without the qualitative change of true essence, I truly cannot activate this treasure in the slightest."

Lu Qiu felt a slight regret, but this only further confirmed the extraordinary nature of the item.

He carefully placed the black bead back into the red sandalwood box and properly stored it in the deepest part of his gray spatial bead.

This was the most valuable harvest of his trip, promising great things for the future.

Next, he took out the Storage Pouch belonging to the skinny old Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

This person's wealth was far inferior to Li Xian's, with just over two thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and only three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

The Medicinal Pills and Talismans were mostly items commonly used by Demonic Path Cultivators, which were of little use to Lu Qiu for the time being.

Regarding Magical Artifacts, besides the main pole of the Soul Summoning Banner damaged by the Wu Sha Blade, there was still a strange short staff that was bone-white throughout, inlaid with a crimson gem at the tip. It exuded an ominous aura and was a Top-Grade Demonic Path Magical Artifact.

There was also another talisman treasure, sealed in a bone box, shaped like a ghostly claw, emitting powerful Evil Qi.

Lu Qiu had little interest in Demonic Path items. Most of these could only be disposed of later in exchange for Spirit Stones or Materials.

After finishing the inventory, Lu Qiu was quite satisfied with the material gains from his trip to Jingzhou Prefecture.

Besides the abundant Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, and talisman treasures, the biggest surprise was undoubtedly the mysterious black ancient treasure bead.

His thoughts couldn't help but drift towards the Golden-Backed Demonic Mantis that had briefly appeared.

The power and strangeness of that demon insect had left a deep impression on him.

"Number seventy-three on the list of strange insects, its mature strength is comparable to Core Formation... moving like lightning, its twin blades are incomparably sharp... I wonder if it's the same one that Han Li later trapped and killed in the original work after a bitter fight using a Formation?"

Lu Qiu rubbed his chin, pondering: "If it is the same one... then isn't the Core Formation Demonic Cultivator who fled today the same Yu Ling Sect Core Formation Cultivator from the original work whose Physical Body was destroyed, only his Primordial Spirit remained, and later performed Possession on 'the monster'?"

Thinking of this, a faint light flashed in Lu Qiu's eyes.

In the original work, Han Li only accidentally discovered the weak Primordial Spirit of that Demonic Cultivator possessing the monster, along with the trapped Golden-Backed Demonic Mantis, many years later during an outing, thus gaining a huge Opportunity.

If it truly was the same person and the same insect, then the Demonic Cultivator, heavily injured by Li Huayuan and Martial Uncle Nie, must be even weaker now. Perhaps there was a chance to find his hiding place sooner?

"Golden-Backed Demonic Mantis... Core Formation Demonic Cultivator. If I could get my hands on them early..." Lu Qiu was inevitably tempted.

However, he also knew that this matter could not be rushed.

Even if the Demonic Cultivator was severely injured, he was not someone Lu Qiu could easily deal with now, let alone if the Golden-Backed Demonic Mantis was guarding him.

He needed to plan long-term. Perhaps in the future, he could leverage Han Li's "Opportunity" to act accordingly, or wait until his own strength was sufficient before investigating.

"I must find an Opportunity to go deep into that mountain forest and inspect it carefully." Lu Qiu kept this matter noted in his heart.

---

Several days later, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew into Chixiao Cave. It was from Senior Brother Yu Kun, stating that Revered Master had returned to the mountain and summoned everyone to Green Wave Cave.

Lu Qiu tidied up and went to Huayuan Peak again.

Inside Green Wave Cave, the four individuals who participated in the Jingzhou Prefecture operation—Lu Qiu, Han Li, Yu Kun, and Wu Xuan—had all arrived.

During the waiting period, Lu Qiu asked Yu Kun: "Senior Brother Yu, what was the result of Revered Master and Martial Uncle Nie pursuing that Devil Head? Was that Devil Head brought to justice?"

Yu Kun was indeed well-informed. He lowered his voice, his face showing a mix of excitement and regret: "I heard they caught up. After a great battle, that Devil Head was already injured and was severely wounded by the joint efforts of Revered Master and Martial Uncle Nie. It's said even his Lifebound Treasure was damaged, and he was quite miserable! In the end, he seemed to have used some extremely damaging secret art of Blood Escape to narrowly flee. However... Martial Uncle Nie judged that the Devil Head suffered continuous injuries and forcibly activated the secret art, so his Physical Body is likely beyond saving. Even if his Primordial Spirit escaped, his Origin Qi must be severely damaged, and he won't recover for a hundred or eighty years; he's basically crippled."

He paused, his voice even lower: "It's just strange that Revered Master and the others searched the area carefully afterward but couldn't find the Devil Head's corpse or relics. Even the formidable Golden-Backed Demonic Mantis disappeared. Perhaps it escaped deeper and went into hiding."

Lu Qiu understood in his heart.

Physical Body destroyed, Primordial Spirit severely injured and fled... This basically aligned with the state of the Demonic Cultivator who possessed the monster in the original work.

It seemed likely that it was the same person.

As for the missing corpse, the Demonic Cultivator probably used a secret technique in his final moments to take away the remaining essence of his Physical Body and some items.

Not long after, Li Huayuan stepped into the Immortal Cave.

His expression was normal, and his aura was stable, clearly indicating he had not been injured in the pursuit battle.

"You are all here."

Li Huayuan glanced at the four people and nodded slightly: "You all performed well in this operation to clear out the Demonic Path spies in Jingzhou Prefecture. Lu Qiu and Han Li's preliminary investigation was meticulous, and they decisively locked onto the target; Yu Kun and Wu Xuan provided timely support, jointly eliminating the stronghold. Although we did not achieve complete success, allowing the Core Formation Devil Head's Primordial Spirit to escape, we inflicted heavy damage on him and eliminated his important pawns in Yue State. You all deserve merit."

Receiving Revered Master's affirmation, the four quickly bowed and expressed their gratitude.

Li Huayuan flicked his sleeve, and four streaks of spiritual light flew towards the four individuals. In front of each person hovered a small bag and a sparkling Magical Artifact.

"This is the Sect's reward for your actions. Ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones for each person, plus a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, which you may choose according to your own attributes."

Li Huayuan said: "I hope you all Cultivate diligently and raise your cultivation base as soon as possible. Demonic Path activity is becoming increasingly frequent. Although we severely injured a corner of their forces this time, it is hard to guarantee they won't stage a comeback, or even... harbor greater ambitions. Only by possessing great personal strength can you secure your place and protect the Sect during troubled times."

His tone was serious and contained a warning. The disciples felt a chill and replied in unison.

Lu Qiu looked at the several Magical Artifacts floating before him: a fiery red Flying Sword, an earthy yellow Great Seal, a cyan wood long whip, and a water-blue chest guard mirror.

After a brief assessment, he chose the fire attribute Flying Sword. Although it was not as good as his qingming sword, the quality was decent, and it was more compatible with his Crimson Sky Burning Heaven Technique.

Han Li chose a small cyan shield, Yu Kun picked the Great Seal, and Wu Xuan took the long whip.

After receiving the rewards, Li Huayuan gave a few more instructions and dismissed the group.

Leaving Huayuan Peak, Han Li walked alongside Lu Qiu for a while.

After a moment of silence, Han Li suddenly spoke, his voice calm but carrying a trace of imperceptible determination: "Senior Brother Lu, this trip to Jingzhou Prefecture has been very insightful for Junior Brother."

"Oh? What insights did Junior Brother Han gain?" Lu Qiu looked sideways.

"I witnessed Senior Brother's swift and decisive methods in slaying Li Xian, and I personally saw the monstrous power of Core Formation Cultivators." Han Li slowly said: "I feel even more strongly that my own cultivation base is shallow and my means are lacking. Compared to Senior Brother, the gap is huge. If things continue like this, let alone pursuing the Dao of longevity, I'm afraid I won't even be strong enough to cope with the possible future Demonic Path chaos."

He stopped walking and looked at Lu Qiu, a serious expression, which was usual for him, appearing on his dark face: "Therefore, Junior Brother intends to return and enter secluded cultivation. I will not come out until I Break through to Middle Stage Foundation Establishment. During this time, I may also try to refine some Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts to improve my self-preservation skills. I'm afraid I won't be able to carry out missions alongside Senior Brother for quite a long time."

Lu Qiu was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then realized the situation.

It seemed the strength he displayed, especially his rapid killing of a Cultivator of the same stage, had given the deep-thinking Junior Brother Han quite a stimulation and pressure.

In the original work, Han Li was the epitome of growing stronger when faced with strength and cultivating cautiously. Now, this pressure seemed to have arrived early.

He smiled and said: "It is good that Junior Brother Han has such determination. The Dao of Cultivation is inherently like sailing against the current. I merely took one step ahead. Junior Brother's Opportunity and Comprehension Ability are both excellent, and you possess great perseverance. This seclusion will surely lead to significant progress. When you emerge, we Senior and Junior Brothers can drink and celebrate together."

"Thank you for the auspicious words, Senior Brother."

Han Li cupped his hands, then bid farewell, turning into a streak of black-green light and heading towards the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Watching Han Li's departing back, Lu Qiu rubbed his chin, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"I didn't expect that my 'butterfly' wings as a Transmigrator would make Han Li's desire for seclusion more urgent... Pressure is also motivation, which is not bad."

He shook his head, also driving his escaping light back to his Chixiao Cave.

Inside the Immortal Cave, the light of the Formation flowed, isolating the interior from the exterior.

Lu Qiu sat down cross-legged. Before him were the newly acquired fiery red Flying Sword, the inventoried Medicinal Pills, and the cyan Jade Slip recording Xin Ruyin's insights on Formations.

Demonic traces had appeared, signaling an approaching storm.

Han Li was entering secluded bitter cultivation, and he naturally couldn't afford to be complacent.

"Next, it's time to properly improve myself. Whether it's my cultivation base, Formations, or Puppets..."

His gaze was calm as he looked ahead.

On the path to longevity, only strength is the foundation for dealing with all changes.