"Don't worry about that, Fellow Daoist Long. Our lives are precious too — we won't act rashly." The white-browed young man chuckled.
"Then do any of you have a plan?" Long Dong asked.
"We could conceal ourselves and launch surprise attacks from both sides — one group hitting the lizard below, the other hitting the giant. Let them each think the other attacked them. Wouldn't that work?" The white-browed young man seemed to have already considered this, and answered without hesitation.
"Easy enough to say, but we have no idea how powerful the spiritual sense of those two creatures below might be. If our concealment techniques are seen through, whoever makes the move will be in immediate danger. That doesn't seem very reliable." The young woman pondered briefly, then shook her head.
"If it's concealment you're worried about, I happen to have two 'Void Clarity Talismans.' As long as they're fully activated, even most mid-stage Deity Transformation cultivators would find it difficult to see through them. I'd be willing to contribute them." The white-robed young girl pressed her lips together lightly and smiled.
"Void Clarity Talismans — those are a type of Silver Toad spirit talisman. Against these two creatures, they'd certainly be effective. However, to be safe, there's no need for us to act in person at the start. I have two 'Silver Flood Dragon Puppets' on hand, each capable of performing at the level of a Nascent Soul cultivator. We attach the talismans to the puppets and let them do the fighting. That would be much safer." Long Dong's expression brightened, and he spoke with delight.
"An excellent idea. Even if the puppets don't succeed, we can split into two pairs, each pair revealing themselves to lure and pin down one of the creatures. Then we leave behind one fellow Daoist skilled in evasion techniques, concealed off to the side, to strike at the right moment and snatch the spirit fruit. The instant the fruit is in hand, everyone uses a secret technique to flee immediately. Those two creatures may rival Deity Transformation cultivators in strength, but if we're truly determined to escape, I doubt they could stop us. The only catch is that whoever makes the grab must be extraordinarily fast. Otherwise, given the speed of that mutated lizard's tongue, it would be extremely dangerous." Xiao Hong's eyes darted about as she laid out her own thoughts.
"Miss Xiao makes a fair point. However, the person who snatches the fruit faces tremendous danger, and more importantly, we all need to be confident that they won't simply grab the treasure and flee. Otherwise, the whole plan falls apart." A cold glint flickered through the white-browed young man's eyes.
"It is rather thorny. I wonder which fellow Daoist here is willing to take on that final role. After the treasure is secured, we'll all need to regroup. Of course, this person will also have to provide some way for us to feel at ease." The white-robed young girl spoke in an unhurried tone.
Hearing her words, the other four exchanged strange looks.
Just as the girl said — whoever ultimately snatched that cluster of Dragon-Zhi Fruit would have to withstand the furious counterattack of both creatures. The danger went without saying, and who could trust another person to walk off alone with such precious spirit herbs?
This sort of dilemma was truly hard to resolve.
"If none of you mind, I'm willing to be the one who makes the final move," Han Li suddenly said with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Han, you're only at mid-stage Deity Transformation — don't you think that's too dangerous?" Long Dong's eye twitched, and he raised an objection.
"Indeed, Brother Han's cultivation is a bit lacking." The white-browed young man sized Han Li up and down, shaking his head repeatedly.
"My cultivation may be insufficient, but I happen to possess a top-grade teleportation treasure approaching the grade of a spirit treasure, and my techniques are somewhat unique. I have a fair degree of confidence in my ability to keep myself alive." Han Li smiled faintly, seemingly unconcerned.
"Oh? If Brother Han is that confident, entrusting it to you wouldn't be out of the question. But how can you make us believe that you won't run off the moment you get your hands on the spirit fruit?" Long Dong's voice turned heavy.
"Well, I don't really have any good solution for that. But if you all think I'm unsuitable, anyone is welcome to volunteer and take on this task themselves. I really don't mind either way." Han Li let out a hearty laugh, his expression caught somewhere between a smile and something else.
His words left the others momentarily stunned.
Everyone wanted the treasure, of course, but not a single person truly wanted to be the one snatching fruit from the jaws of two Deity Transformation-level beings. One slip, and they could end up gravely injured — or even face the risk of permanent death.
"If Brother Han is willing to let me place a restriction on him, I have no objections," the white-robed young girl said directly.
"I agree — I had the same thought." Xiao Hong stared at Han Li for a moment before saying the same.
Long Dong and the white-browed young man exchanged a glance but said nothing.
"Placing a restriction on my body — of course that's fine! But you must each accept the same type of restriction from me." Upon hearing the word "restriction," Han Li's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly shot back with a cold laugh.
"Hmph. What if something goes wrong while you're trying to grab the treasure? Would we all have to go down with you?" The white-browed young man snorted coldly.
"Heh, that's exactly what I'm worried about too." Han Li replied without any courtesy.
In truth, even if these people actually agreed to such terms, he would almost certainly refuse.
His previous experience of placing mutual restrictions with the Ice Phoenix had led to the horrifying consequences of having his Magical Power sealed and his Nascent Soul destroyed. The memory still sent chills down his spine — there was no way he was going to walk down that path again so easily.
Hearing Han Li's words, Long Dong and the others exchanged bitter smiles.
"Tell you what — if you're willing to leave something behind as collateral, we could trust you. For example, you could hand over your life-bound treasure to us temporarily, and also accept a tracking mark placed on you. That way, we wouldn't need to worry about you snatching the treasure and running off." The white-robed young girl blinked her bright, clear eyes, a hint of slyness appearing on her face.
"A life-bound treasure and a tracking mark — I can accept those terms. However, we should all place marks on each other. That way, when we're moving while concealed later, I'll be able to sense where all of you are as well. Heh — if Brother Long's Silver Flood Dragon Puppets work out, it might not even be necessary for me to take any risks at all." Han Li mulled it over for a good while before finally nodding with a more relaxed expression.
Mutual tracking marks!
Long Dong and the young woman all felt a stir in their hearts. They exchanged several glances before finally giving slow nods.
It seemed this was the most practical approach. Of course, the main reason they were willing was that Han Li was only at mid-stage Deity Transformation and appeared to be the weakest of them all — there was no real fear of him successfully fleeing with the treasure.
The group then discussed the matter in detail once more, finally settling on the specific steps of their plan. Han Li opened his mouth and spat out four streaks of golden light, each several inches long. They circled briefly around his body before transforming into four small golden swords, which drifted into the hands of the other four.