A Mysterious Senior

Han Li did not have to search far. The speaker was seated on a stone platform only ten-odd zhang ahead of him.

She was a young woman in black robes, her hair bound up with a wooden hairpin.

Her features were delicate, but her face was pale. Her eyes shimmered with an unusual luster, and a thin layer of glowing light seemed to cover her face. What surprised Han Li, however, was that one sleeve of her robe hung empty—she was missing an arm.

Before Han Li could speak, the young woman noticed the flying sword he had released and let out a faint, startled cry.

"So you're not a Qi Condensation junior after all, but a Core Formation cultivator. Heh, your Qi Concealment Art is quite impressive. Even I was nearly fooled." The young woman chuckled softly, her eyes shimmering with an enticing light as she spoke.

Curled up contentedly on her lap was the Snow Cloud Fox, staring at Han Li with a curious, intelligent gaze.

"So this is the secluded cultivation retreat of a senior. I apologize for the intrusion." Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward her and felt a chill run down his spine.

His divine sense passed through the space where she sat as if through transparent air, detecting not a single fluctuation of spiritual power.

This meant one of two things: either she possessed some extraordinary treasure to conceal her cultivation level, or she was simply far beyond his ability to gauge. Given her tone and the methods she had just displayed, the latter seemed far more likely.

Han Li's vigilance surged.

"It's quite rare for someone as young as you to have reached the late Core Formation stage." As Han Li was weighing his options, the young woman raised a jade-white wrist and gently stroked the fox on her lap, speaking in a leisurely tone.

"You flatter me, Senior. I merely succeeded through sheer luck. Might I ask for your esteemed name?" Han Li took a light breath and asked calmly.

"There's nothing worth saying about my name. Even if I told you, you wouldn't know it. In fact, not even the Nascent Soul cultivators of your generation would recognize me." The young woman let out a soft sigh.

Han Li was startled by these words, then felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Could this woman really be some ancient recluse who had not surfaced in generations?

A flicker of cold unease passed through him, but he kept his face still.

As his cultivation had advanced and his grasp of secret techniques had grown, he no longer feared Nascent Soul cultivators as much as he once had. The Blood Shadow Escape he had recently mastered, in particular, had bolstered his confidence considerably.

If it came to a fight, he knew he could not win, but escaping in one piece was still possible—though the price of lost essence blood would force him into seclusion for several years.

More importantly, what was a mysterious figure like this doing hiding right under the noses of the three sects? Did she have some agenda? Or, like him, had she simply been drawn by the dense spiritual Qi here and snuck in?

With these thoughts, Han Li swept his gaze around the stone chamber. What he saw only deepened his confusion.

The chamber was completely isolated. There were no connecting doors or passages leading elsewhere. Aside from the stone platform beneath the young woman, there was not a single piece of furniture. The room was utterly bare, giving off an atmosphere of cold desolation.

Han Li noticed something else. The walls of the chamber were extremely rough, nothing like the smooth, polished surfaces of an ordinary cultivator's cave dwelling, which were usually cut cleanly by flying swords or magical tools. Instead, they looked as though they had been hacked out haphazardly by a giant axe, covered in uneven ridges and bumps.

A flicker of curiosity passed through Han Li's eyes as he took in the details.

As if reading his thoughts, the young woman suddenly laughed lightly and said, "Since you're curious, fellow Daoist, why not touch the stone walls? That should clear up any doubts."

Han Li’s interest was piqued.

"Since you've given permission, Senior, I won't hold back." Han Li was genuinely curious. He had already probed the walls with his divine sense and found nothing unusual—they seemed to be ordinary blue stone.

He walked slowly toward the wall on his left.

To be safe, he never let his vigilance drop, keeping his divine sense locked on the young woman at all times, ready for any sudden attack.

She had shown no hostility so far, but after all these years of weathering storms, Han Li's caution was far beyond ordinary.

He reached the wall and touched it. Nothing felt unusual.

After a moment of thought, he extended a finger. A faint green light flickered at its tip as a beam of azure sword-light, several inches long, emerged.

Han Li thrust it forward. The result caught him completely off guard.

The sword-light struck the blue stone wall with a series of crackling impacts but was repelled, leaving no mark whatsoever.

A chill ran down Han Li's spine. He refused to believe it.

He channeled all his spiritual power, and the beam of sword-light instantly expanded to a foot in length, slashing fiercely against the wall.

The wall remained completely unharmed. Not even a scratch.

Without a word, Han Li pointed at the flying sword circling above his head. It shot down like a streak of green light, struck the wall, and then, with a clear hum, flew back.

A shallow hole, only an inch deep, appeared on the wall. But almost immediately, it began to smooth over, and within moments, it had vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.

"What is this? It can repair itself? Did you place some kind of restriction on it, Senior?" Han Li drew a sharp breath, his face filled with shock as he turned to ask.

"A restriction? You give me too much credit." The young woman said calmly. "This is Blue-Gold Stone, also known as Spirit-Absorbing Stone. It's an extremely rare refining material. No spell, no magical treasure, can damage it with spiritual power. Only raw physical force can break it."

"Blue-Gold Stone? I'm afraid I've never heard of such a material. My knowledge is lacking." Han Li frowned slightly, turned away from the wall, and returned to his original position, speaking slowly.

"Heh, it's no surprise you don't know about it. Even in the ancient times, this material was incredibly rare. Few people alive today would recognize it." The young woman said, unconcerned.

Han Li was about to say something more when the young woman suddenly smiled radiantly and continued.

"Your cultivation is close to the peak of the False Core stage, I see. But your talent… seems poor. No, I should say it's utterly terrible. For you to have reached this level, you must have had some extraordinary fortune. Otherwise, no amount of effort would have taken you past Foundation Establishment. Since fate has brought you before me, consider it karma. If you're not opposed to it, this old woman has a treasure that could help you greatly."

"A treasure? You'd lend me a treasure?" Han Li was taken aback, a strange expression flickering across his face.

"Of course, there are conditions. First, it is a loan, not a gift. You must return it afterward. Second, in exchange for this treasure, you will do one task for me. Consider it payment." The young woman's tone hardened as if she sensed his suspicion.

She reached into her robes and produced a square jade box.

It was dark, about the size of a fist. Its surface was rough and crude, tinged with blackish-yellow, as though it had survived many long years.

Han Li studied her expression, then glanced at the black box. He neither agreed nor refused, his face shifting through a series of contemplative looks.

After a long moment of deliberation, he finally asked in a heavy tone, "Senior, could you first tell me what this treasure is? Then I'll consider your offer."

The young woman's face showed a flicker of impatience at Han Li’s hesitation. Raising an elegant eyebrow, she pointed at the box and said, "I assume you've heard of Spirit Eye Stones. This box contains the highest-grade version of such stones: a Spirit Eye Jade. With the Qi this provides, even during the period before forming your Nascent Soul, you can reinforce your False Core stage by at least three parts. Forming your Nascent Soul will feel considerably easier. This treasure has been with me for many years. If my own cultivation could still be advanced by mere Qi-accumulation, I wouldn't be so quick to lend it out."

As she finished speaking, the young woman's hand caressed the black jade box, a trace of reluctance flashing across her face.

"Spirit Eye Jade!" Han Li’s expression shifted several times. With this treasure, the time needed to reach the peak of False Core could be cut by more than a third. The words of refusal he had been about to speak died in his throat.

"Might I ask what task you would have me perform, Senior? If someone of your cultivation cannot do it yourself, how could I possibly be of help?" Han Li hesitated for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.

"Relax. I'm not asking you to kill anyone or start a fire. I just need you to run an errand for me. My cultivation is high, but for certain reasons, I cannot leave this stone chamber even half a step. There's a letter I need delivered to someone." Seeing that Han Li had finally agreed, a look of delight spread across her face.

"Just delivering a letter?" This caught Han Li entirely off guard.

"Naturally. Did you really think I was going to send you on a murder spree?" The young woman covered her mouth with her hand and giggled softly, her face blooming with charm.