Soul Stones and the Ancient Puppetry Arts

Chapter 693: Fame Shakes the Region – Soul Stones and Ancient Puppetry Arts

When Han Li entered the tower, Mu Peiling was meditating in the main hall on the first floor. Seeing him enter, she immediately rose to greet him with a curtsy, her graceful figure on full display.

Han Li waved a hand for her to rise and said, "In the future, when I am not here, there is no need to wait for me. During the trade fair, it is inconvenient for us to be seen together. You may act on your own. Here is a pair of linked heart pendants. Wear one of them. If you encounter something urgent or dangerous, simply infuse it with spiritual power. It will generate a protective barrier, and I will sense it from a thousand li away."

With that, he produced a pair of azure jade pendants from his person and handed one to her.

"Thank you for the gift, Master!" Mu Peiling was momentarily startled, then a faint blush crossed her jade-like face as she quietly accepted. She fastened the pendant to her waist sash.

Han Li instructed her to return to her room to rest, then headed up to the second floor. Mu Peiling watched his receding figure, then lowered her head to fiddle with the pendant at her waist, a flicker of complex emotion in her eyes.

On the second floor, Han Li found a bedroom, sat cross-legged on the bed, and closed his eyes to meditate.

After resting for just over an hour, his eyes snapped open. He turned his head to glance at the night outside the window and muttered to himself, "It's about time. I should go pay that person a visit."

Having said this, he immediately got up and left the bedroom. He slipped out of the tower silently and headed straight for a familiar location in Tiantian City.

Before long, Han Li appeared before a building he had visited earlier that day. He looked up at the plaque bearing the gilded characters "Crystal Dragon Pavilion," rubbed his chin, and glanced into the now pitch-black doorway. Without further hesitation, he walked inside.

"Welcome back to my humble pavilion, Fellow Daoist! I see you are a punctual man. It is precisely the appointed hour." The moment Han Li entered, the entire interior of the hall burst into brilliant light. Heaven Crystal True Person was seated behind a long table, smiling at him, just as he had been during the day.

"Since it was I who initiated this meeting, how could I possibly be late, True Person? But judging by your demeanor, it seems you have been waiting for some time. I am truly flattered!" Han Li said impassively. He casually waved a hand behind him, and an invisible force gently pushed the main doors shut.

Heaven Crystal True Person chuckled softly before speaking. "When you left during the day, you sent me a voice transmission claiming you still had more Soul Stones. I must ask, are these words true or false?" Having asked this, the old Daoist narrowed his eyes, appearing somewhat skeptical.

Han Li did not immediately reply. Instead, he tapped his storage pouch. His hand flipped over, and a crystal appeared in his palm—identical in size to the Soul Stone from earlier, a shimmering green, emitting a shocking amount of Yin energy.

Han Li stared at the old Daoist, saying nothing.

"So, your words were true after all. May I ask, Fellow Daoist Han, how many more Soul Stones of this quality do you have in hand? I am willing to exchange for all of them. Spirit stones? Materials? Name your price!" The moment Heaven Crystal True Person saw that Han Li truly had another Soul Stone of such caliber, a flash of excitement appeared on his face, and he spoke almost eagerly.

"Heaven Crystal, there is no need to be so hasty. The reason I took out this Soul Stone was naturally to do business with you. However, before that, there are two questions I would like to ask. If they satisfy me, consider this Soul Stone a gift." Han Li spoke unhurriedly, then casually tossed the stone to the other man without changing his expression.

A bit taken aback, Heaven Crystal True Person caught the Soul Stone. He looked at the object in his hand, a flicker of suspicion on his face. After a long moment of silence, he let out a long sigh. "You are truly generous, Fellow Daoist! It seems the questions you intend to ask are far from simple. However, if they are within my ability to answer, I will ensure you are satisfied." Having said this, he carefully put the Soul Stone away, his face returning to a calm composure.

"Since you've said as much, I'll be blunt. Do you, by any chance, know anything about the whereabouts of Geng Essence? When I mentioned exchanging information on Geng Essence at the trade meeting, your expression shifted slightly. It suggests you might know something." Han Li got straight to the point.

"Indeed, I do know a little about the whereabouts of Geng Essence. However, the information is uncertain, which is why I didn't mention it at the meeting. If you truly wish to know, I can, of course, tell you." Heaven Crystal True Person didn't look surprised; he replied calmly.

"Even if the information is inaccurate, I still intend to hear it. Please, speak freely." Although Han Li had anticipated this, a faint smile still appeared on his face.

"Actually, even if I didn't tell you, you would likely learn of it in a few days. According to a friend of mine who manages affairs at the auction house, a piece of Geng Essence might be put up for auction during the trade fair. However, my friend said the owner seems to want to trade it for other items and hasn't yet formally decided to participate in the auction. So, it's still uncertain. But if it does go to auction, those sword-cultivation sects will beggar themselves to bid for it. Your chances are truly slim, Fellow Daoist!" Heaven Crystal True Person said.

"A single three-thousand-year-old Vermilion Spirit Mushroom sold for a hundred thousand spirit stones. Something as rare as Geng Essence, which hasn't appeared in centuries, would naturally fetch an astronomical price. At auction, it could easily double." The hint of joy on Han Li's face gradually faded, replaced by a wry smile.

He was realistic enough to know that while his personal wealth was considerable, it was nothing compared to the resources of an entire sect.

However, after speaking with that bitter smile, Han Li adjusted his mindset and asked calmly, "In any case, I thank you for the early warning, Heaven Crystal. This gives me some time to gather spirit stones. By the way, do you know who the owner of that Geng Essence is? I would like to pay them a visit in advance."

"I'm not certain of their exact identity. I only know they are a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Nine Nations Alliance, currently residing in a small hill outside the West Gate. You can search for them yourself; it shouldn't be too difficult." The old Daoist stroked his long beard, smiling amiably.

"Thank you for the guidance, True Person. That settles the matter of the Geng Essence. What I wish to ask next is related to the Soul Stone. I hope you can enlighten me on this matter." Han Li nodded, then his expression suddenly turned mysterious.

"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist? I don't understand!" The old Daoist, who had appeared so benevolent moments ago, suddenly changed his expression. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as he asked in a low voice.

"To be honest, I also know a little about puppet refining. I have even discovered the remains of ancient puppet beasts in some ancient cultivators' cave dwellings. Hidden within those remains were exactly these Soul Stones. If I'm not mistaken, Soul Stones were the key component used by ancient cultivators in their puppetry arts. It seems you, True Person, have obtained the refining method for ancient puppets and are collecting these stones to craft a formidable ancient puppet yourself. Is my guess correct? If so, could you share a little about it?" Han Li stared at the old Daoist without blinking.

The moment these words left his mouth, he raised his guard threefold. Although it was unlikely, he had to be prepared for the old Daoist to lash out in shock or anger.

Upon hearing this, Heaven Crystal True Person's face became expressionless, but his gaze was exceptionally cold. He stared at Han Li with his lips pressed tightly together, not uttering a word.

Seeing this, Han Li became even more cautious, but his expression remained unchanged. He reached into his storage pouch again and produced a palm-sized jade box. He opened the lid and placed it on the table before the old Daoist. Inside the box lay two crystals, each a size larger than the Soul Stone from before.

Heaven Crystal True Person was finally shaken by the cold look on his face. A look of utter shock appeared in his eyes.

"Soul Stones this large… where did you obtain them? Are there more?" The old Daoist asked in a low, solemn tone.

Han Li smiled at Heaven Crystal True Person but did not answer.

"Hmph! I can answer your question. But in exchange, you must tell me how you obtained these Soul Stones." The old Daoist tapped the table twice with a finger before fixing his gaze on Han Li and speaking coldly.

"Agreed!" Han Li seemed to have expected this and replied without hesitation.

"As you surmised, a few fellows and I discovered some ancient puppetry arts at a site belonging to an ancient cultivator. According to the records, these puppet beasts are extremely powerful, but the required materials are equally precious and rare. They must be refined together with Soul Stones to have any chance of success. Soul Stones, however, are incredibly difficult to find. I haven't managed to gather many myself, which is why I was forced to trade so recklessly at the exchange. Now, it's your turn. How did you come by so many Soul Stones?" Heaven Crystal True Person said coldly.

"The origin of my Soul Stones is quite simple. I didn't know they were called 'Soul Stones' by ancient cultivators before this. I only knew they were produced from the bodies of a type of demon beast called the Yin Beast. It took me tremendous effort to acquire a few." Han Li replied calmly.

"Yin Beast? I've never heard of that. Where can this demon beast be found?" A flash of excitement passed through the old Daoist's eyes, and he asked somewhat eagerly.

"Which type of ancient puppet do you intend to refine, True Person? And could you lend me a copy of those puppetry arts you found, for my perusal?" Han Li asked, his expression unchanging, speaking with deliberate composure.