"Accept me as your master? Is this some sort of joke, friend? Your clan has only just met me today. You don't know my origins, my temperament—nothing at all—yet you're already offering to take me as your master? Aren't you afraid I might be a cruel and violent man?" Even Han Li, who was typically composed and levelheaded, was momentarily taken aback by these words, but he quickly grasped the gist and chuckled lightly.
"A few days ago, the Asura Spider scouts that appeared outside—those were dealt with by you, Senior, correct?" The elder did not rise from his seat. Instead, he looked up and posed a question.
"I didn't deal with them personally, but it was more or less my doing," Han Li replied noncommittally.
"In that case, Senior must have some understanding of our clan's current predicament," the elder said, his expression grave.
"I do know a few things. But the plight of your clan is hardly unique—it plays out across hundreds of realms. For beings of my level, that alone isn't reason to intervene. Besides, I fail to see what benefit I would gain by taking you under my wing. Why should I risk offending a fellow Grand Ascension cultivator for no clear advantage?" Han Li smiled faintly as he spoke.
"Senior went to the trouble of dispatching those scouts and has even honored us with your personal visit. Surely there must be something our clan can assist you with. As long as you are willing to take in our Voidfish Clan, no matter what you ask of us, we will make certain that you are satisfied. Our clan has considerable insight into the manipulation of spatial power. Perhaps we cannot match your enemies in open combat, but when it comes to managing a cave abode or creating small pocket spaces, we are confident we can be of service," the elder said with absolute sincerity.
"Heh, you certainly have plenty of reasons, and you're quite clever. It's true that I did come here with something to attend to. Very well—let's put the matter of accepting me as master aside for the moment. First, see if you recognize this." After a few casual remarks, Han Li turned his hand over, and a pale blue crystal bead materialized in his palm.
The instant the bead appeared before the elder, it began emitting a low hum, and a bizarre resonance immediately formed between it and the old man—faint but unmistakable.
"The Mountain-Sea Pearl! Our clan's sacred artifact really did end up in your hands, Senior!" To Han Li's surprise, the elder did not show any particular astonishment when he saw the crystal bead. Instead, he let out a long, deep breath, as though some tremendous burden had finally been lifted from his heart.
"The Mountain-Sea Pearl? Your clan's sacred artifact? And you seem to have already known it was in my possession," Han Li said, narrowing his eyes.
"Indeed, I learned of it only recently. Please, Senior—observe." The elder abruptly raised one arm, baring a peculiar mark on his wrist.
The mark was identical in shape to the crystal bead in Han Li's hand, and it emitted a faint blue glow, as though it were currently activated.
"This sacred seal is something only successive patriarchs of our Voidfish Clan can bear. Beyond signifying our status, its most important function is to sense this sacred artifact. With my current cultivation, so long as the Mountain-Sea Pearl is within a hundred-li radius, I can pinpoint its exact location. This is one of the reasons why I was willing to submit to you the moment I saw your face. I believe this is a sign from the heavens for our clan—otherwise, how could the sacred artifact so easily fall into an outsider's hands?" the elder said solemnly.
"Interesting. You may stand and speak. I obtained this item by chance. Since it is your clan's sacred artifact, beyond the law power contained within it, there must be other important uses as well, correct?" At last, a flicker of genuine interest appeared on Han Li's face.
"Your insight is keen, Senior. The Mountain-Sea Pearl does indeed have another remarkable function—it contains its own pocket dimension. It is a rare Heaven-Hollowing treasure! However, this treasure was sealed away by a mighty ancestor of our clan using a secret technique, long ago when our clan first showed signs of decline. To me, it was nothing more than a legend." The elder obediently rose to his feet and spoke respectfully.
"A Heaven-Hollowing treasure? A spatial treasure of that caliber? And you know it was sealed inside that cold pool?" Han Li's expression sharpened, though a trace of surprise also crossed his face.
"I do know. The reason our ancestors did this was precisely because they feared the Mountain-Sea Pearl would become a curse rather than a blessing in the hands of their descendants. A treasure of such magnitude, without sufficient power to guard it, would only invite disaster. Every generation of patriarchs left behind the same decree: until the clan grows strong once more, the sacred artifact must never be retrieved. And yet… how shameful. By today, our clan has not only failed to rise again—we can barely even pass on our bloodline. This sacred artifact is, naturally, of no use to us anymore." The elder's face was tinged with helplessness as he explained.
"It seems your ancestors made a wise decision after all. If a treasure of this value had remained in your possession, the Asura Spiders would likely have seized it long ago. But I personally witnessed the Asura Spider matriarch retrieve another stone containing spatial law power from the same cold pool. What was that?" Han Li nodded, then recalled something and asked further.
"Reporting to Senior—that would be the other sacred artifact of our clan, the Spirit-Carving Stone. Aside from assisting powerful cultivators in comprehending spatial law, it truly has no other function."
"Is that so."
Han Li lowered his gaze to the crystal bead in his hand and fell into contemplation.
"Senior, if you are willing to take in our clan, we are prepared to offer our essence blood to assist you in erasing the ancestral imprint left on the Mountain-Sea Pearl, so that you may truly refine and wield it as your own. Because this artifact was refined by successive powerful ancestors, a stranger attempting ordinary refinement methods would never gain its acknowledgment. I also know a special cultivation technique specifically for refining this treasure, which will allow you to control it with ease. Of course, all of this is premised on the condition that you yourself are a powerhouse at the Grand Ascension stage. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to suppress the artifact's backlash. As for the Asura Spider Clan—due to certain special circumstances, they cannot easily leave this world. You need not worry about offending them." When the elder saw Han Li's hesitant expression, he gritted his teeth and laid out his entire plan without reservation.
"Hmm. I am indeed quite interested in this Heaven-Hollowing treasure. But making my acceptance of your clan the condition—that does make things difficult. I entered this world through rather unusual means, and it will be very difficult to bring so many people back with me when I leave. I can't exactly seal all of your divine senses into a spirit beast ring and carry you off as spirit pets. As for those Asura Spiders, I'm not particularly concerned about them. Even if they do come knocking, I'll deal with them easily enough." Han Li's expression shifted slightly, but he let out a soft sigh as he spoke.