"From the way you speak, this one called Xue Guang is also a Sacred Ancestor. If the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi is so important, how could he hand it over to someone else so easily? Why not send an avatar to carry it personally, or simply wait until his true body descends before extracting the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi?" Han Li's expression shifted between light and shadow, and he spoke with deep suspicion.
"I've been trapped here for so many years, so naturally I can't know the specifics. Perhaps other Sacred Ancestors already suspect he possesses the Demon-Suppressing Lock and have sent people to watch his every move. Fearing this, he wouldn't dare handle it himself. Or perhaps his true body has run into some other major trouble in the Sacred Realm, or maybe he simply can't bring his true body down to the Spirit Realm at all. Those of the Sacred Ancestor level can send avatars here, but very few can bring their true body without fearing the repulsion force. After all, there are differences in strength among Sacred Ancestors — that scoundrel Xue Guang was never ranked particularly high among them. Oh, since you managed to seize the Demon-Suppressing Lock, those Venerables must have been killed by you. Tell me a bit about their techniques — let me see if any of them ring a bell!" After explaining a few things, Che Qigong suddenly asked with a change in expression.
"Now that you mention it, that does seem possible. The techniques of those Demon Lords I killed were quite bizarre. One possessed incomprehensible strength, with a physical body so powerful it seemed to rival that of a Sacred Ancestor. Another could use a strange treasure to directly summon Heavenly Ghosts from the Underworld. And the last one actually knew the legendary method of refining Parent-Child True Demons..." Han Li thought it over briefly, deemed it unimportant, and revealed the details bit by bit.
"Of the three, I'd only heard of one, and even back when I was first trapped here, he didn't seem all that famous. But he was already under Xue Guang's command at the time. It seems the Demon-Suppressing Lock was indeed handed over to them by that scoundrel Xue Guang.
"Then the demon leader who descended in this region is most likely this Sacred Ancestor Xue Guang." Han Li took a deep breath and muttered to himself.
"Unless my earlier judgment was entirely wrong, that must be the case. Li, from the way you speak, there really is a site of Yellow Springs Earthfire or a Yin-Yang Nether Pool nearby." The old man asked with equal gravity.
"In a canyon crevice about two months' travel from my current location, there is indeed a site of Yellow Springs Earthfire. Because this fire can only be used to refine yin-fire-type treasures, it is considered relatively unimportant by us human cultivators despite its rarity." Han Li's eyes flickered, and he replied slowly.
"Then I'm not wrong. That scoundrel Xue Guang definitely intended to send three of his subordinates all the way here to extract some of the Chaos Qis from the Demon-Suppressing Lock for his own use. But he never expected you to seize it instead." Che Qigong let out a wild laugh, clearly taking great pleasure in Xue Guang's misfortune.
Han Li, however, once again fell into deep thought, his expression shifting unpredictably.
"Judging by your expression, you seem to be harboring thoughts about the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi as well?" The green-robed elder suddenly cut off his wild laughter and asked coldly.
"If such a treasure truly exists, it would be hypocrisy of me to claim I'm not tempted. But how am I to know whether what you say is true or false?" Han Li asked with remarkable calm.
"Heh, what good would deceiving you do me? I've been trapped in this treasure for so many years that I've already broken through twelve of the thirteen layers of restrictions, with only the last three remaining. If I could have some of the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi extracted from the Demon-Suppressing Lock, I might still have a chance of breaking free and seeing the light of day again. Of course, I won't simply let a human cultivator reap such an enormous benefit for nothing. If you want me to tell you how to refine the Demon-Suppressing Lock, you must agree to several conditions!" Che Qigong yawned, then said with noncommittal indifference.
"You want to make a deal with me?" Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and his gaze locked firmly onto the old man's face.
"Indeed. Don't you wish to obtain the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi?" A cold smile crept across Che Qigong's lips.
"Of course I do. But I think I'll take my time to consider it before deciding whether to make a deal with you, Senior." A strange expression suddenly flashed through Han Li's eyes. With a soft "pop," his entire form burst apart into specks of golden light and vanished completely without a trace.
Seeing this, Che Qigong's face turned extremely ugly. After a long while, he muttered to himself:
"He actually withdrew his spiritual sense from here. Could this kid really not be tempted by the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi? If he truly refuses to go along with this, who knows how many ages it will be before I encounter someone else who can help me break free..."
The green-robed elder remained in place, his eyes flickering, his expression growing ever more uncertain!
……
At the same time, on the highest floor of Yitian City, above Han Li's physical body, his golden Nascent Soul was waving its tiny hands frantically. Specks of golden light flew out of the milky-white wooden box, flashing briefly before merging one after another into his body.
Pop, pop — the sounds rang out in succession.
The five-colored eyeballs circling nearby all burst apart, dissolving into clouds of fine powder that drifted away.
The golden Nascent Soul formed a one-handed seal, its body swayed, and it transformed into a streak of golden light that sank back into the physical body.
A long sigh rang out!
Han Li slowly opened his eyes. His gaze immediately shifted to the wooden box, and he stared at it in silence.
His face was filled with an expression of extreme caution!
"The Demon-Suppressing Lock, the Chaos Yin-Yang Qi! Who would have thought that a spoil of war picked up offhand would turn out to be something so extraordinary. But there's no such thing as pie falling from the sky in this world. The Chaos Qis may be tremendously useful, but I'd better think this through carefully first!"
Han Li muttered a few words under his breath, then raised one hand with a whoosh, drawing the wooden box toward him.
Then he stroked it gently, falling deep into thought.