Even Jin Lao Guai, a self-important old monster, hadn't shown the slightest displeasure in the face of one of the Tiannan region's rare great cultivators, so Lie Huo naturally had no intention of offending Zhiyang Shangren. He immediately gestured to the other cultivators, and they all flew downward.
Senior Brother Cheng and Lu Luo exchanged a glance, a hint of puzzlement on their faces. However, Senior Brother Cheng had witnessed Han Li's abilities before, and although he was startled and wary, he wasn't overly concerned. So he too flew down.
Han Li looked at the cultivators who had already landed below, then raised his head and spoke:
"Shangren can speak now, I trust? Brother Zhiyang's solemn demeanor has piqued my curiosity."
"Heh heh! Before we discuss that matter, I must first thank you, Fellow Daoist, for holding off one of the ancient demon's main souls in the Valley of Fallen Demons. Had those two souls merged into one, the entire Tiannan region would have been in serious trouble." Zhiyang Shangren casually released a sound-isolating barrier, sized Han Li up and down, and said with a smile.
"You want to ask about the whereabouts of that ancient demon's main soul, don't you?" Han Li's lips curled slightly as he spoke with a soft chuckle.
"Fellow Daoist is truly perceptive. That is indeed one of the matters I wished to ask about." Zhiyang Shangren was momentarily taken aback, but quickly said, unconcerned.
"Brother Zhiyang can rest easy. My escape from the spatial rift was nothing more than luck. The ancient demon's main soul was utterly annihilated within the rift long ago. There is absolutely no need to worry about it." Han Li replied crisply.
"That puts my mind at ease. If that demon had escaped, it would surely have returned to the Tiannan region to devour the main soul and complete its fusion. But once the main soul is destroyed, the split soul would sense it immediately. Having suffered such a devastating loss here, it likely won't come back." Zhiyang Shangren exhaled a long breath, his expression visibly relaxing.
"Brother Zhiyang, was that ancient demon's split soul truly so powerful that even three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't destroy it?" Han Li asked, a trace of doubt appearing on his face.
"Fellow Daoist is still judging its strength based on what the demon displayed in the Valley of Fallen Demons?" Zhiyang Shangren didn't answer directly, but instead posed a question of his own.
"Oh? I heard that after leaving the valley, this demon devoured the Nascent Souls of quite a few cultivators. Could it really be that formidable once it recovered its strength?" Han Li remained somewhat astonished.
"Han Fellow Daoist, you may not yet know — in its final battle against us, this demon actually manifested the divine ability of three heads and six arms. Its cultivation instantly surged to more than double its previous level, already comparable to an early-stage Spirit Severing cultivator. If the three of us hadn't pre-established a grand restriction formation there, with over a dozen mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators providing support on the side, that battle to destroy the demon would likely have ended in failure. Even so, the three of us had to expend enormous amounts of vitality and repeatedly deploy secret techniques before finally severing two of its heads and several of its arms in the very last moments of the battle, allowing it to escape." Zhiyang Shangren spoke slowly, his expression grave.
"That demon was truly ferocious. No wonder you feared it might merge with the main soul again. If it had grown any stronger, there truly would have been no one in the Tiannan region capable of stopping it!" Han Li drew in a sharp breath through his teeth.
"Exactly so! Fortunately, the demon has most likely gone to Great Jin. That headache is now theirs to deal with!" Zhiyang Shangren suddenly beamed again.
Han Li glanced at the Daoist, sensing a note of schadenfreude in his words. It seemed the old Daoist's opinion of Great Jin was far from favorable.
"Shangren, since you said the demon's soul was only one of the things you wished to ask about, there must be something more important?" Han Li abruptly shifted the topic.
"Precisely. The demon soul matter was merely a side inquiry. I've sought out Han Fellow Daoist for something else entirely this time. But first, allow me to congratulate you on your significant progress in cultivation — you've finally advanced to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul." Zhiyang Shangren glanced at Han Li and said with a smile.
"I thank Shangren for his kind words. It was merely a fortunate coincidence." Han Li naturally offered a few modest replies.
"I heard Fellow Daoist Wei mention that Brother Han possesses Golden Lightning Bamboo treasures capable of commanding the legendary Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning. Is this true?" After asking this question, Zhiyang Shangren's expression turned solemn.
Han Li's heart jolted. His pupils contracted, and he fell instantly silent.
He didn't know what purpose the other party had in raising this matter, but after a moment's thought, he felt that possessing Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning was no longer much of a secret — there was no need to conceal it. He finally nodded and replied:
"That's right. I do possess several Golden Lightning Bamboo treasures. If you have something to say, Brother Zhiyang, please speak plainly. I'm not one for beating around the bush!"