"I have heard a powerful figure speak of the Shura Spider once or twice," Mo Jianli said slowly. "Even as newborns hatched in the Shura Realm, these creatures possess cultivation no less than Nascent Soul. As they grow, their abilities rise ceaselessly. By the time they reach true adulthood, their strength approaches that of a Mahayana existence almost without limit. Some exceptionally talented Shura Spiders could even become beings rivaling True Spirits in power. The ones you speak of — the ones capable of yielding Threads of Time — must be adults at the very least, correct?"
"Brother Mo is remarkably well-informed about these Shura Realm monsters." The Spirit King replied without concealment. "I won't hide it from you, fellow daoists — it is true that only adult Shura Spiders can yield Threads of Time. Moreover, it generally takes three spiders to produce a single strand. Of course, if one encounters the kind of powerful Shura Spider Brother Mo described, a single crystal core would suffice." A peculiar expression flickered across the Spirit King's face.
Mo Jianli gave a bitter laugh and asked nothing more.
Xue Ran and Hei Lin heard this, and their expressions darkened further.
After a long pause, Xue Ran finally spoke in a cold voice: "The Minor Shura Realm is already fraught with danger. Adult Shura Spiders possess bizarre abilities that border on manipulating time itself — even without Mahayana-stage Magical Power, they would be no easier to deal with than an average Mahayana cultivator. To extract Threads of Time, each of us would need to slay at least three of them. Brother Spirit King, don't you think it's rather unfair to ask us to risk our lives in exchange for a single Thunderclap Talisman?"
"Unfair? I don't see it that way." The white-robed old man's expression remained unchanged. "In addition to the Thunderclap Talisman, I have also produced two Shura Hearts. Given their rarity, their value is only slightly less than the talisman itself. Besides, the Minor Shura Realm has been renowned for its many rare resources for untold millennia. Even if you fail to find the Shura Spiders, you will undoubtedly reap a handsome harvest from other treasures. You are free to keep everything you find — I will not take a single piece!"
"That's not the same thing at all!" Xue Ran let out a hearty laugh, speaking without courtesy. "The Shura Hearts are already a prerequisite for entering the Minor Shura Realm. No matter who Brother Spirit King enlists, he would provide them of his own accord — so how can they count as part of the compensation? Furthermore, once the Shura Heart is split in two, we have barely a dozen days in that realm. With our attention focused on hunting the Shura Spiders, when would we have time to search for other treasures? Heh heh — why bother with such empty words to put us off, Brother Spirit King? Even if we somehow got lucky in the Minor Shura Realm and stumbled upon some decent treasures, how could that compare to the risks involved? At our level of cultivation, personal safety is paramount. The reason my brother and I want that Thunderclap Talisman is precisely to avoid perishing during our future tribulations."
Mo Jianli's gaze flickered several times, clearly in agreement with this alien Mahayana cultivator's words.
Han Li wore an ambiguous half-smile, while Hei Lin sneered coldly.
The white-robed old man listened, his brow furrowing. His gaze swept across Han Li and the others' faces, and he hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Speaking the last few sentences, a look of gravity appeared on the old man's face.
"Three other treasures? Fine — it's a deal. But the inter-realm teleportation array for the Minor Shura Realm — has that been prepared, Brother Spirit King? My brother and I cannot wait here for long." Hearing this, Xue Ran's face broke into a grin, and he agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Rest easy, Fellow Daoist Xue. The teleportation array has long been prepared, and it is located right here on the Holy Mountain. The moment you are ready to depart, you can be sent to the Minor Shura Realm immediately. Brother Mo, Fellow Daoist Han — what is your decision?" A faint smile appeared on the old man's face, and he spoke with evident confidence.
Mo Jianli's expression shifted back and forth for a good while before he clenched his teeth and replied: "I must obtain the Thunderclap Talisman. I am willing to enter the Minor Shura Realm to try."
"Since Brother Mo is willing to go to the Minor Shura Realm, I will naturally accompany him. However, I have one additional condition — the return coordinates from the Minor Shura Realm, I will set those myself. I won't trouble Brother Spirit King with that." Han Li stroked his chin and said lightly.
"Fellow Daoist Han — what is the meaning of this? Don't you trust me?" The old man's gaze sharpened as he fixed it on Han Li's face, a trace of displeasure in his eyes.
"It's nothing. I simply have a habit of keeping all unknowns within my own control. I hope you can accommodate me. I am quite knowledgeable about teleportation arrays — making a minor adjustment to the return coordinates using a magical tool should not be too difficult." Han Li's expression remained unchanged.
"Fellow Daoist Han speaks my mind exactly." Xue Ran clapped his hands and burst into laughter. "I'm also fairly well-versed in array theory, so I'll set my own return coordinates as well. If Brother Spirit King refuses, I'll have to question whether you're being sincere." He said this to the old man with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You gentlemen are overthinking this." A sharp gleam flashed through the old man's eyes, but he did not press the matter. "Since you all feel this way, then the return coordinate discs will be configured by each of you. Just make sure you don't wander outside our Spirit Clan's territory. If you return late, I might assume something has gone wrong and be forced to dispose of the Thunderclap Talismans through other channels. You should understand very well how delicate these talismans are. Once word of their existence leaks out, no doubt many more cultivators will come knocking — I cannot keep them in my hands for long."
"Ha ha, rest easy, Brother Spirit King. With our bloodline power, we have at least a seventy or eighty percent chance of finding the Shura Spiders. In just over ten days, we will each get what we came for." Xue Ran said with a look of satisfaction, laughing heartily.
"Fellow Daoist Han and I will also do our utmost once we enter the Minor Shura Realm," Mo Jianli said with a light exhalation.