"What? That thing isn't Ancestral Dragon blood?" Han Li was briefly taken aback.
"Not only is it not — it has absolutely no connection to the true Ancestral Dragon whatsoever. Only outsiders like yourselves would mistake it so easily. But that's hardly surprising; the aura clinging to this drop is indeed genuine True Dragon qi, that much is no lie," the black-robed man said with a low chuckle.
"Judging from Fellow Daoist's tone, you clearly know this thing's origins. Might you share a few details with me?" Han Li's interest was piqued, and he spoke up.
"Of course. In truth, this substance is only of great use to the True Dragon clan — for other races, it is utterly worthless. It is indeed a drop of essence blood, but not Ancestral Dragon blood. It is the blood of a Nightmare Dragon," the black-robed man said without any concealment, revealing the matter directly.
"Nightmare Dragon?" Han Li's brow furrowed slightly — this was clearly the first time he had ever heard the name.
"That you, Brother Han, are unaware of the Nightmare Dragon is perfectly natural. Even among our True Dragon clan, there are precious few who know of its existence. In simple terms, the Nightmare Dragon is an existence in the Immortal Realm that is in no way inferior to the Ancestral Dragon, and it is the ancestor of the 'Demon Dragon' bloodline — our True Dragon clan's mortal enemies. Moreover, these drops of Nightmare Dragon blood should have trickled down from the Immortal Realm, and it is not just this single drop — there are seven or eight in total." The black-robed man's opening words gave Han Li quite a shock.
"Seven or eight drops — that many?" Han Li was genuinely astonished.
"The Elders in our clan used a special technique that harnesses the power of our bloodlines to sense the exact number of Nightmare Dragon blood drops, and that is why they dispatched all of us clan members to travel across the various realms and retrieve every last drop. Although Nightmare Dragon blood contains an enormous reservoir of the Nightmare Dragon's true essence, it also carries with it its own unique chaotic force. Apart from our True Dragon clan, which has methods to slowly refine and purify it, anyone else who attempts to forcibly refine it will not only fail to obtain the true essence within — they may well have their entire Magical Power polluted, transforming them into a mere projection of the Nightmare Dragon. Our clan Elders suspect that this substance appearing in the lower realms may have been the Nightmare Dragon's own design. As the mortal enemies of the Demon Dragon clan, we True Dragons naturally cannot allow that to happen," the black-robed man said with a serious expression.
"If that is truly the case, then this substance is not only useless to outsiders like us, but extremely dangerous as well. Still, if your clan manages to obtain all these Nightmare Dragon blood drops, your strength should increase tremendously before long. Perhaps one of your clan might even Ascend," Han Li's expression shifted slightly, but his thoughts raced onward.
"Ascend? Fellow Daoist, you're thinking far too simply about the matter of refining Nightmare Dragon blood. Although this substance contains astonishing true essence, merely purging the chaotic force within it requires an astronomical amount of time — and during that purification, much of the true essence bleeds away along with it. If even a tenth of the original content survives, that would be considered fortunate. Moreover, once that essence is refined, it would at most bolster one's Magical Power somewhat and shave a little time off bitter cultivation. For beings of our True Spirit tier, Ascension is already a hundred times more difficult than for others. However, for junior cultivators below the Mahayana stage, consuming it might allow them to leverage the effects of the true essence — giving them a sliver of a chance to break through their bottleneck and advance to the True Spirit level," the black-robed man said, shaking his head repeatedly.
"Then in that case, your True Dragon clan will likely produce several more True Spirit-level fellow daoists in the future," Han Li exhaled and asked.
"That is indeed a possibility, but whether it will actually come to pass remains to be seen. Our clan already possesses innate True Spirit physiques, so even through the slow accumulation of time, reaching the True Spirit level is not terribly difficult. Well then — I, Tian, have told you everything truthfully. Has Brother Han given thought to what I proposed earlier?" The black-robed man finished speaking and then added, with an air of casualness.
"Since you are a clansman of Fan Paozi, and have agreed to return to the clan immediately afterward to publicly shoulder all responsibility for this matter, it would be difficult for me to refuse," Han Li did not answer directly, but spoke with a measured, meaningful tone.
"Fan Paozi must have given Brother Han one of the invitation tokens for the Broad Spirit Dao Fruit Assembly, correct?" The black-robed man smiled faintly and asked in return.
"You mean this?" Han Li flipped one hand, and a silvery dragon scale materialized in his palm.
"That's right — this very thing. If Brother Han is willing to lend his aid this time, I can promise to provide some small assistance at the Dao Fruit Assembly as well, improving your chances of obtaining a Dao Fruit," the black-robed man said unhurriedly.
"Ever since I received the invitation, I've made some inquiries about the Broad Spirit Dao Fruit Assembly. Unfortunately, there are not many fellow daoists in the Spirit Realm who know much about it — I could only gather that the assembly's invitation tokens are extremely difficult to obtain. And the Dao Fruit itself apparently bears the title of the 'Number One Spirit Fruit Among a Thousand Realms'? But its specific effects remain unclear," Han Li's expression flickered several times before he asked thoughtfully.
"Heh heh, naturally. The Broad Spirit Dao Fruit Assembly hosted by our Dragon Island invites only a thousand participants from among the powerhouses of countless realms. The sole qualification for receiving an invitation is possessing strength comparable to or exceeding that of an ordinary True Spirit. Elder Brother Fan Paozi's standards are exceptionally high — Brother Han earning his recognition is no small feat. The 'Number One Among a Thousand Realms' title for the Broad Spirit Dao Fruit may be somewhat embellished, but most people would likely agree that it ranks among the top three spirit fruits. After all, anyone who consumes this fruit will possess the Broad Spirit Dao Body for ten thousand years, during which their cultivation speed and comprehension of techniques can increase seven or eightfold over their previous rate," the black-robed man said with a chuckle.
"Broad Spirit Dao Body — seven or eightfold!" Han Li was truly startled upon hearing this, an expression of disbelief surfacing on his face for the first time.
"That's right. The Broad Spirit Dao Fruit can only be consumed once in a lifetime, but a single complete fruit can temporarily transform an ordinary person's body into the legendary Broad Spirit Dao Body. While this physique offers no advantage in combat, its wonders in cultivating and comprehending techniques are truly extraordinary," the black-robed man said in a dreamlike tone, as though he himself coveted the Broad Spirit Dao Fruit immensely.
"If the Dao Fruit truly possesses such miraculous effects, calling it the number one spirit fruit among a thousand realms is not an unreasonable claim. However, judging from Fellow Daoist's words, even participants at the assembly will find it extremely difficult to obtain one. In that case, how could you possibly help me? Before such a treasure, even someone of the Dragon clan would surely play favorites," Han Li's expression showed considerable interest, yet his tone remained composed.
"Rest assured, Brother Han. I have been modestly chosen by the clan to serve as one of the thirty-six stewards of this particular Dao Fruit Assembly. While this position would not allow me to help you openly, passing along intelligence about other attendees and providing access to restricted information that outsiders could never reach — that is well within my means," the black-robed man replied calmly.
"That's all?" Han Li's brow furrowed slightly, as if somewhat dissatisfied.
"Fellow Daoist should be content. Consider how precious the Broad Spirit Dao Fruit is — every powerhouse attending the assembly is no weakling. According to past convention, only around a hundred or so of the invited participants receive an actual Dao Fruit. The rest can only sample diluted spirit essence brewed from the fruit's juices. While that spirit essence is still extraordinarily rare for cultivators like us, it pales in comparison to the fruit itself. Providing some intelligence is already an exception. It may well be this seemingly insignificant help that allows Fellow Daoist to claim a Broad Spirit Dao Fruit," the black-robed man said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Chapter 1893. The Blood of the Nightmare Dragon (II) "Fellow Daoist Tian makes a fair point. It seems I was being a bit greedy after all. Very well, I accept these terms." After letting his thoughts race through several iterations, Han Li finally made up his mind and gave a nod.
"I knew Brother Han would agree. Then over the next few days, I shall hide here at your place for a while, so that we can leave this continent together when the time comes." The black-robed man grew visibly pleased.
"That is perfectly fine, but there is one more matter I should raise. I only managed to secure three teleportation slots. If you wish to go along as well, I'm afraid it won't be easy to hide it from the Helian Merchant Alliance." Han Li continued in this manner.
"Fellow Daoist can rest easy on that score. I once cultivated a secret technique that allows me to transform my body into an ornamental accessory. Even a True Immortal standing right before me would have little chance of seeing through the disguise," the black-robed man replied with a hearty laugh, without a moment's hesitation.
"If that is the case, then I am truly at ease." The tension in Han Li's expression finally eased for good.
"Since everything is settled, I shall not impose on you any further. I'll go find a room to rest properly. Over these past few years, in order to track down the whereabouts of this drop of Nightmare Dragon Blood, I can hardly say I have had a single night of real sleep." The black-robed man rose to his feet as soon as the matter was settled, cupped his fists, spoke a few words of farewell, and immediately turned to walk out the door.
"Fellow Daoist Tian… no, I should perhaps call you Miss Tian. I hope that the next time we meet, you will be willing to show me your true face." Han Li watched the black-robed man's retreating figure, and a peculiar look suddenly surfaced on his face as he spoke.
"So Brother Han saw through my disguise long ago. Since you ask, I shall show you my true appearance next time we meet. Oh, and my real name is Tian Fei'er — I ask you to remember it as well." Upon hearing this, the black-robed man's figure shuddered for an instant before his voice shifted entirely, letting out a crisp, bell-like giggle.
Then his form blurred and vanished into thin air beyond the doorway, carried away by the wind.
"Tian Fei'er… she must hold some standing among the Dragon Clan." Han Li stroked his chin, a contemplative look crossing his face, and then he sank into deep thought.
Four days later, while Han Li was sitting cross-legged in meditation within his secret chamber, a streak of crimson flame suddenly flew in from outside and flashed into his palm.
Within the blazing red fire, Ming Zun's calm voice emerged.
"Fellow Daoist Han, the teleportation formation is ready. It is time for you to come and set off."