A Pact Sealed in Whispers

Han Li weighed the information he had just gathered, silently asking himself whether he truly wanted to wade into these troubled waters.

He had no idea what lay ahead, but this bizarre floating palace in the sky was clearly the same kind of place as the "Blood Forbidden Trial" back in Yue. All of them had been built by ancient cultivators from the primordial era.

There would certainly be treasures inside, but the danger would be just as plentiful.

And that strange expression on Extreme Yin Patriarch's face earlier had really sent a chill down his spine. Han Li had no idea what the man was plotting.

Perhaps the wisest move was to leave this place immediately, regardless of what was happening here.

But listening to these old monsters talk, this place only opened once every three hundred years. If he retreated now, he might never have this chance again.

Han Li found himself hesitating.

Just as he was struggling to make up his mind, the Profound Bone Saint's voice reached his ears.

"Kid. Is there something on you that Extreme Yin wants badly enough to show that face? If I'm not mistaken, you're in for a heap of trouble." The Profound Bone Saint's tone was flat, but the mockery in it was unmistakable.

Hearing this, Han Li gave a cold snort in his heart and shot back:

"If the Extreme Yin Island Master knew you were here, I imagine he'd be even more delighted. He and you could have a proper reunion—master and disciple."

"Are you threatening me?" The Profound Bone Saint's voice turned dark and cold at Han Li's words.

"Of course not. With your status and methods, how would I dare do such a thing? But it would be better if you didn't gloat either, Senior. If my life is in danger, I might slip and say something I shouldn't, dragging you into the light with me." Han Li's face was expressionless as he spoke.

The Profound Bone Saint was silent for a long time.

Just as Han Li thought the man had been angered into silence and would not bother him for a while, a freezing cold statement suddenly rang in his ears. The content first stunned him, then filled him with surprise.

"Do you want to form a Nascent Soul?"

"Senior, what do you mean by that?" Han Li suppressed the excitement rising in his chest and asked calmly.

"Heh. What do I mean? It's simple. I know of something that can greatly increase your chances of forming a Nascent Soul. That object is inside this Void Heaven Palace. There is no other way. If you're willing to join forces with me and take this chance to eliminate that unfaithful disciple of mine, I'll tell you where to find that object and how to claim it. What do you say to that? If it weren't for the fact that I practice the ghostly path and have no use for it, I would never give it up. And even if you refuse to join me, Extreme Yin will still come for you on his own. When that happens, heh..." The Profound Bone Saint spoke slowly, layering temptation with threat, making no effort to hide his absolute desire to kill Extreme Yin Patriarch.

Han Li did not immediately agree or refuse. He sat there in silence, his brows slightly furrowed, his face full of deliberation.

The youth who was the Profound Bone Saint's avatar remained perfectly at ease, unhurried.

He believed that no Core Formation cultivator could refuse such a temptation. He only needed to wait for Han Li's answer.

Meanwhile, Extreme Yin Patriarch and Wu Chou flew over to an empty pillar beside the elderly Confucian scholar and began chatting with him. Occasionally, they would toss a line or two toward the warm-faced beauty surnamed Wen.

But after polishing her sword, the woman simply put it away and closed her eyes to rest, not even raising her eyelids. She clearly had no intention of responding.

Extreme Yin Patriarch, despite being so coldly snubbed, showed no anger or embarrassment. He continued to smile and talk, revealing a deep and calculated composure.

Han Li caught all of this out of the corner of his eye, and his wariness toward Extreme Yin Patriarch only grew.

This man was not only powerful in cultivation but also possessed a cunning far beyond ordinary men.

No wonder the old demon Xuan Gu had been tricked by him back then, forced to abandon his body and cultivate through the ghostly path, his path to reincarnation completely sealed off.

The hatred was enough to make Xuan Gu want to grind Extreme Yin's bones to dust.

But regardless of the feud between the old demon Xuan Gu and Extreme Yin, Han Li himself had now been marked by this man.

This was very bad news.

He couldn't say he had zero chance of escaping if he faced an Nascent Soul cultivator.

But the probability of successfully slipping away in a direct confrontation was pitifully low.

The gap between early Core Formation and Nascent Soul was simply too vast.

Even with his magic treasures and Gold Devourer Beetles, he would most likely only be killed.

After thinking it over for a while, Han Li finally sent a voice transmission to the Profound Bone Saint:

"Tell me a bit about this thing you mentioned. I can't just agree to fight an Nascent Soul cultivator based on your word alone." Han Li's lips barely moved as he spoke.

"Of course. As long as you're willing to join me, I would tell you anyway even if you didn't ask." A faint hint of joy flashed across the Profound Bone Saint's face, and he secretly replied.

Han Li said nothing more in response.

He simply sat down, gently closed his eyes, and pretended to be circulating his qi.

"That thing is called the 'Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.' It is a being formed from the world's spiritual energy. Though its true body is a spiritual herb, it possesses extraordinary intelligence. From the moment of its birth, it takes the form of various animals or insects, able to move freely, and is especially skilled at burrowing into earth and wood. Many years ago, I once saw this thing inside the Void Heaven Palace. But at the time, my cultivation was too low, and I had no suitable magical tool to capture it. I had to give up. By the time I came a second time, I had already formed my Nascent Soul, so I didn't bother. Now, it seems I'll have to let you have it." The Profound Bone Saint's voice carried a hint of reluctance.

"Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng?" Han Li drew in a sharp breath.

He had long heard of this herb.

It was a legendary immortal herb!

Though he had seen its name in many herbals and manuals, Han Li had always assumed that even if such a thing had ever appeared in the mortal world, it must have been back in the primordial era.

Could it be that this Void Heaven Palace still held such a treasure?

But then again, it wasn't impossible for one or two immortal herbs to be found in the ruins of ancient cultivators.

Still, he had never heard that the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng was so useful for forming a Nascent Soul.

All the books he had read were vague about its specific uses, never mentioning this.

Was the old demon just making this up to trick him into forming an alliance? Han Li grew somewhat suspicious.

Perhaps sensing Han Li's doubts, the Profound Bone Saint continued:

"Don't worry. When we break through the trials, I'll help you capture it at the second barrier. Then, after we deal with that unworthy disciple of mine, I'll give you an alchemical recipe. Follow the steps on that recipe, and you can make full use of this ginseng to greatly increase your chances of forming a Nascent Soul. But I also have something I'm determined to get from this Void Heaven Palace trip, something that will be very useful for my future cultivation. When the time comes, you'll need to lend me a hand as well. That way, my odds will be better." The Profound Bone Saint voluntarily dispelled Han Li's doubts, then added a moderate condition that removed most of Han Li's remaining suspicion.

"Fine. If you truly have confidence in killing Extreme Yin, I don't mind helping you." Han Li finally agreed, forming a temporary alliance with the Profound Bone Saint.

But this alliance was fragile indeed. How long it would last was anyone's guess.

Most likely, the moment Extreme Yin Patriarch was destroyed, their relationship would fall apart.

Still, Han Li breathed a long sigh of relief.

From the old demon Xuan Gu's tone, he had been to this Void Heaven Palace more than once. Having an ally who knew the way was far better than stumbling around blindly.

At the very least, he could learn some basic information about the Void Heaven Palace from the man. And until Extreme Yin was dealt with, the old demon could still be trusted.

And so, after forming a verbal pact with the man, Han Li began to probe him for general information about the Void Heaven Palace.

After secretly talking with the old demon Xuan Gu for most of a day, Han Li's expression turned sour.

It seemed opportunity and danger always went hand in hand. This trip to the Void Heaven Palace was going to be extremely perilous.

He let out a soft sigh.

Then, he sank his mind into meditation and began to circulate his qi.

In this great hall, Han Li didn't have to worry about anyone suddenly attacking him.

He had already tested it: aside from minor spells like levitation, using more than a certain amount of magical power caused the energy to leak out of his body, making spellcasting impossible.

Even the magic treasures inside his body were completely inert here, as if they were dead objects.

The restrictions in this place were truly profound.

Over the next five or six days, more and more cultivators entered the hall, gradually reaching over a hundred in number.

The tops of the jade pillars had long since been occupied by cultivators.

Those who arrived later simply found a spot on the hall's floor to rest temporarily.