With a more pressing matter at hand, Han Li knew it wasn’t the time to research the demon core and put it away with a flip of his hand.
Then he tossed out three of his empty spirit pouches into the air and pointed to the Gold Devouring Beetles. They screeched and immediately split into three different clouds as they returned to the spirit beast pouches.
With the beetles returned, Han Li mentally commanded the thirty-six Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords back into his sleeve, dissolving the Aureate Sword Formation surrounding the lake.
“Let’s go pick the fruit and be quick about it. I don’t know how long the illusion formation will delay the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators.” Han Li then flew across the lake in an azure streak.
When Violet Spirit saw this, she closely followed after him and the two arrived six meters above the plant.
After sweeping his gaze across the plant, Han Li turned his head to Violet Spirit and said, “You go ahead and pick them first but be careful! These spirit fruits are rather peculiar. You will need to contain them in wood-attribute materials, or their medicinal power won’t last over the next few days.”
“Many thanks for your warning, Brother Han. I will be careful.” Violet Spirit forcefully suppressed her excitement and smiled to Han Li. Then without a trace of hesitation, she waved her sleeve and summoned a dark-green box into her hand. Then with a flick of her hand, a white streak flashed by and a fruit disappeared without a trace.
With the wooden box already prepared and in the woman’s hand, the white streak flew into the box, carrying a Spirit Kindle Fruit inside of it. She closed the lid of the box and let out a long sigh, then placed it in her storage pouch.
“What? Will Violet Spirit not take another?” When Han Li saw that she only took one, he was stunned.
Violet Spirit answered with a sweet smile, “Many thanks for Brother Han’s kindness, but one will be enough. Apart from the information I acquired, I did little else to find this place. It was all due to Brother Han’s abilities that I was able to acquire this fruit. Although I do have something of a friendship with you, I still can’t have an equal share of the fruit with you. Brother Han should take the remaining ones. After all, in addition to being refined into Nature Origin Pills, these fruits can be used to increase your cultivation.”
Han Li was quite surprised to hear her say such deferential words.
To tell the truth, although she was famed for her beauty in the Scattered Star Seas and was the most beautiful woman he had seen, she was also quite shrewd. But after the Exquisite Sound Sect was seized from her, her temperament had taken a turn for the worse and Han Li had kept his distance as a result.
Now that she spoke with reason, regardless of whether her words were a result of sincerity or deliberate calculation, Han Li’s impression of her vastly improved. Restraining one’s greed when facing a worldly Spirit Fruit wasn’t an easy task.
“Since Violet Spirit has said this, I won’t be polite.” Han Li nodded and slapped his storage pouch. In a flash of white light, a wooden box he had prepared beforehand appeared in his hand. He flicked the box open with his free hand and an azure light glowed from it. The three Spirit Kindle Fruits trembled and fell off before being bound by the azure light and were drawn into the box.
With the box safely put away, Han Li said, “Let’s go! We can’t stay here for long. We don’t know how long until the Ghost Spirit Sect finds us. Although I have no fear of fighting them, the pills must be refined quickly.”
Violet Spirit pursed her lips and said, “Of course. The fruits won’t hold for long. However, we cannot return the way we came or we will encounter them. Wouldn’t it be better to pick a direction and find a secret area a few thousand kilometers away to refine the pills? As for where, it will be up to Brother Han of course.”
“Where to go…” Han Li frowned and took a look around him.
Something suddenly came to mind and he slapped his storage pouch. A piece of worn and rough silk appeared in his hand, the map of Devilfall Valley that Han Li acquired from the azure silkworm robes.
He carefully looked at the map and took measure of his surroundings and position, revealing an expression of surprise. The position of this desert wasn’t too far away from an area that the map marked. They should be able to arrive in two day’s time.
After taking a look at the crude mark on the map, Han Li grew pensive.
Seeing that Han Li didn’t immediately reply to her and was instead looking at a tough piece of fabric, Violet Spirit couldn't help but grow curious. But since she was clever, she decided to silently wait in place until Han Li came to a decision.
“Follow me. We will first refine the medicine pills before deciding anything else.” With that said, Han Li put the map away. He then glanced at the plant behind him and frowned. With a chop of his hand, a streak of azure light flashed out and severed one of its twigs, but as soon as the twig touched the ground, it instantly withered and turned to ash.
A trace of sadness appeared in Han Li’s eyes. It appeared that the records were true. The tree of the Spirit Kindle Fruit was different from other trees. It was one of the few spirit roots that were incapable of being moved. Any attempt would result in the tree’s immediate death.
Without any further hesitation, he raised his hand and released the Wind Riding Chariot in a streak of light. The two boarded the chariot and took off in a flash of light, streaking through the sky until it appeared only to be a white speck.
Before he took off, Han Li already made plans to first find somewhere to refine the Nature Origin Pill and quickly consume the pill’s medicine power. With that done, he would then take a look at the map and look for the secret treasures.
Any treasures that the map revealed must be extraordinary given how mysterious the map was. So long as it wasn’t too dangerous, Han Li would definitely pay a visit to the areas that the map marked.
About two hours later, the party of Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators arrived at the oasis. However, the lake had turned to ice and the plant that laid at the center of the lake was lacking any fruit. The Ghost Spirit Sect disciples glanced at each other in dismay when they saw this. Elder Zhong appeared particularly pale.
At that moment, Han Li had already traveled over five hundred kilometers towards the area marked on the map. Not long after, they left the desert and appeared in an area consisting of green-yellow plateaus of varying heights.
Han Li couldn’t help but sigh in amazement when he saw the new scenery.
Devilfall Valley seemed to include different terrain for every corner of it. It appeared almost as if every terrain that existed was present in the valley.
After half a day, Han Li pressed the Wind Riding Chariot forward before eventually arriving at a mountainous area.
Seeing that these mountains weren’t very tall, Han Li traveled a hundred kilometers deep into the mountain range and eventually stopped above a small ordinary mountain.
Han Li floated at low altitude beside the mountain and said, “Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit, we’ve arrived. We will refine our pills separately. I’ve already swept my spiritual sense around here and there shouldn’t be any ancient restrictions or spatial tears here.”
Violet Spirit glanced around and immediately replied with a smile, “Many thanks, Brother Han. Then I will set off first.” Then, she flew off to a nearby mountain and began to create her own hidden cave residence in preparation to refine her medicine pills.
When Han Li saw her disappear into her mountain, he blurred towards the Wind Riding Chariot. Standing ten meters away, he clasped his hands in an incantation gesture and waved it towards the chariot. Once it shrank and returned to his sleeve, he flew off to a small mountain in front of him.
Soon, Han Li had carved out a simple cave residence with tens of his flying swords. He arranged a small-scale spell formation outside of its entrance before walking into the cave residence. He even put eight Core Formation grade puppets to stand guard at the cave’s entrance to ward against surprises.
Finished, Han Li finally felt at ease and entered a secluded room. He tossed his storage pouch in the air and pulled out the many materials he had prepared for the Nature Origin Pill with his spiritual sense, spilling them onto the floor in a white mist.
Soon after, Han Li summoned the wooden box that contained the Spirit Kindle Fruits along with a unique azure cauldron, both floating in front of him.
Han Li squinted as he stared at them and deeply sighed before sitting on the ground.
Although this would be the first time he would refine the Nature Origin Pill, he had received masterful attainments in pill refinement techniques and he was already prepared for the task at hand. Additionally, Han Li had made particular preparations for his journey to Devilfall Valley. Not to mention his multiple Spirit Kindle Fruits, he also had plenty of extra supplementary materials for the Nature Origin Pill, allowing him to fail a couple of times without consequence.
As for whether or not Violet Spirit would be able to refine the Spirit Kindle Fruit into the Nature Origin Pill, Han Li wasn’t entirely sure. She had never revealed her pill refinement techniques in front of him. However, since she only took one spirit fruit, she seemed confident in her success.
With that thought, Han Li focused his gaze on the small cauldron twirling in front of him.
He opened his mouth and blew out a stream of Nascent Flame. It coiled once around the cauldron before entering its center and igniting it with roiling flames.
