Seeing that Han Li showed no intention of flatly refusing, the silver-haired old man was secretly delighted and said with even greater sincerity: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured — although we hold the title of Supreme Elders within the sect, in practice we need not do anything at all, nor are we burdened with any worldly affairs. We exist merely as a deterrent presence. We can devote ourselves entirely to our own pursuits. Each year, the sect's disciples offer us over a thousand spirit stones for our cultivation use. And should we have any special needs for spirit medicines or materials, we can simply instruct the junior disciples to procure them — no need to trouble ourselves with the search. In short, should you become an Elder of our Flowing Cloud Sect, your treatment will not be one bit inferior to what any other sect could offer."
"Senior Brother speaks truly," the middle-aged cultivator surnamed Lu chimed in slowly. "Moreover, although Brother Han has successfully condensed his Nascent Soul and entered the Nascent Soul stage, the refinement of the Nascent Soul itself must still be quite foreign and unfamiliar to you. I don't mean to boast on our behalf, but although my Senior Brother and I have been stuck at the early Nascent Soul stage for centuries without making further progress, we do have some unique insights when it comes to cultivation. If you are willing to join our sect, we would naturally share everything openly, so that Brother Han might avoid many a detour."
After all, adding a single Nascent Soul cultivator would almost immediately elevate the sect's strength by a significant margin. They still wouldn't rival the Ancient Sword Sect, but they would suddenly stand on equal footing with the Hundred Arts Institute. The Flowing Cloud Sect's position in the Yun Dream Mountains would become unshakably secure.
Listening to their invitation, Han Li felt some temptation at the conditions cultivator Lu had described.
He naturally understood what it meant to have someone who had been refining a Nascent Soul for centuries offer him guidance, now that he had just become a Nascent Soul cultivator himself. It could very well save him decades — even over a century — of bitter cultivation.
As for remaining at the Flowing Cloud Sect, it wasn't as though the thought had never crossed his mind. He simply hadn't seriously weighed the pros and cons. Now that they had raised the matter themselves, he had no choice but to consider it carefully.
Was it better to continue as an itinerant cultivator? Or to go with the flow and become an Elder of the Flowing Cloud Sect? Or perhaps to seek out a more suitable sect to join altogether?
After bowing his head in contemplation for a good while, Han Li raised his head and said with a serious expression: "I appreciate the kindness of you two Fellow Daoists. However, this is a matter of great weight, and I have only just succeeded in condensing my Nascent Soul. My mind is still somewhat unsettled. I hope you will allow me a few days to deliberate. Shall I give you my answer in three days?"
Hearing this, the silver-haired old man and cultivator Lu exchanged a glance. The old man considered for only a moment before answering with a touch of embarrassment: "How thoughtless of us! It seems my Junior Brother and I were a bit hasty. Naturally, you should be given proper time to consider. Very well — for the next few days, I will designate this area as a restricted zone so that no sect disciples disturb your cultivation. In three days, the two of us will pay you another visit together."
Having said this, the silver-haired old man and cultivator Lu exchanged a few more pleasantries with Han Li before tactfully taking their leave.
Han Li escorted them courteously to the entrance of his cave dwelling before returning to the main hall and sitting down, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
A white figure flickered past the entrance to the hall. Silver Moon had at some point reverted to her original form as a white fox and walked in with elegant grace.
"What's the matter — not enough magical power to sustain your human form again?" Han Li glanced at the little fox and said, not particularly surprised.
"That's right, Master! With my spirit body in the artifact combined with the spiritual energy of this fox body, I can only sustain a human form for such a short time. It will be another month before I can transform again." The little fox raised her delicate head and spoke in a dejected tone.
"Once you truly advance to the eighth stage, you'll be able to maintain a human form permanently. There's no need to be impatient now," Han Li said coolly.
"That's true. I've endured all those years inside the cauldron — a few more centuries won't make a difference. Besides, with Master's pills to aid me, it may well be sooner than I expect!" Silver Moon said earnestly.
Han Li nodded at her words, then suddenly asked in a low voice: