As the most important structure in the Artifact Refining Hall, the Earth Fire Hall was not particularly large in floor space—only about a hundred zhang across—yet it was divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower.
The upper level was used for storing materials. The middle level was where the subterranean fire was channeled in for refining materials and forging low-grade spirit artifacts. The lower level descended twenty to thirty zhang underground—a place reserved exclusively for harnessing the essence of the Earth Fire Pool to forge high-grade spirit artifacts.
The secret chamber where Han Li usually refined his materials was located in one of the rooms on the middle level.
Leading Princess Lüxiu along, Han Li calmly walked into the chamber. The room appeared somewhat cluttered, and he set about tidying up on his own.
"So this is where Senior Brother refines things?" The young woman looked around the small chamber with curiosity, her interest particularly drawn to the massive cauldron at the center and the eight gourd-shaped artifacts distributed on the ground around it. It seemed to be her first time seeing a place like this for refining materials.
"What, has the Princess never refined artifacts before?" Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly.
"I've been practicing cultivation techniques with Aunt Yu since I was a child—where would I have found the time to learn the way of artifact refining? I usually just train in the manor." The courtly-dressed girl reached out and patted the ear of the cauldron, smiling as she spoke.
"Training in the manor? Could it be that the princely estate is built atop a spirit vein?" Han Li asked casually while sorting through the material remnants inside the cauldron.
"Oh? So Senior Brother doesn't actually know my real identity? Don't tell me you really thought I was some commandery princess from one of the Great Jin's princely houses?" The girl blinked in surprise, then pressed her red lips together and burst into laughter.
"I've always been rather ignorant and uninformed—I truly don't know the Princess's real identity." Han Li's mind stirred, but he laughed it off casually.
"Ignorant and uninformed? Hehe, that's wonderful! Then I don't need to keep up this commandery princess act. Actually, I've never even met the Emperor of Great Jin—I just have a tiny bit of connection to the imperial clan. Before this, I've always been cultivating with my master in a cave dwelling in the mountains and have never set foot in any princely estate." A mischievous glint flashed in the girl's eyes, and her entire demeanor shifted—from a poised, dignified young lady, she suddenly became a spirited, quirky girl.
"Not part of the imperial clan?" A look of astonishment crossed Han Li's face—whether from the girl's sudden transformation or from the content of her words, it was hard to tell.
"What, I startled you? Actually, this commandery princess title isn't fake—it was personally bestowed by the current Emperor. If Aunt Yu hadn't insisted before I left that I mustn't disgrace the imperial clan's reputation, I wouldn't have bothered with this stifling act. And then I got entangled with those fellows on the road, and had to speak in that slow, deliberate manner all day—it was dreadfully boring. Now that it's just Senior Brother Han here, I can finally relax and be myself. You're not going to be so tactless as to go out and blab about this after, are you?" The girl flopped onto the only chair in the chamber, tilted her head, and said with a grin.
"Ahem... as the Princess wishes. I'll pretend I saw nothing. But your grandfather must not be an ordinary person." Han Li cleared his throat a few times, thoroughly speechless.
"Have you heard of the Four Great Independent Cultivators of Great Jin? My grandfather is one of them." The girl showed not the slightest intention of hiding anything, nodding her head with a look of evident pride.
"The Four Great Independent Cultivators. No matter how ignorant I may be, how could I not have heard of them? So the Princess is the descendant of such a distinguished figure—please forgive my discourtesy. This identity is in no way inferior to your commandery princess title, and your future must surely be boundless." Upon hearing this, Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and he was genuinely taken aback.
He had heard of these Four Great Independent Cultivators from Cao Mengrong before—among them were both late Nascent Soul cultivators and mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, but each possessed extraordinary powers, far beyond what ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators could match.
"Mm! Is that so? Almost everyone who knows my grandfather's name treats me this way. It must be true then!" The girl accepted Han Li's flattery without the least modesty.
Han Li rubbed his nose, feeling a headache coming on. He immediately paid the girl no further attention, formed hand seals with both hands, and launched several spell seals into the massive cauldron.
The cauldron immediately emitted a deep hum and began to rise slowly, wreathed in swirling red light.
The girl made no effort to hide her curiosity, staring with eyes as dark and lustrous as gemstones, watching Han Li's every move without blinking.
"Bring out the materials!" Once the cauldron was fully activated, Han Li turned to the girl and said.
"Here you go! But let me make this clear first—anything I said outside doesn't count. That was just me being polite in front of others. If you really do ruin the Blood-thread Silver I went to such trouble to find, you'll have to compensate me." The girl blinked her beautiful eyes and said this with a light laugh. Then she turned over her delicate hand, pulled a fist-sized object from the storage pouch at her waist, and tossed it straight over.
It was a gleaming piece that looked like ordinary silver ore, but was threaded throughout with countless fine lines resembling streaks of blood. Looking at the ore in his hand and hearing the girl's playful words, all Han Li could do was roll his eyes inwardly.
Such a rare material—forget about Qi Condensation stage disciples, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would be hard-pressed to obtain a piece. If he truly were a Qi Condensation cultivator, there was no way he could afford to compensate her.
Without another word, Han Li raised his hand and tossed the object into the cauldron. After adding several other auxiliary materials, he sat cross-legged on the ground.
He slapped a talisman against his body, and a layer of pale blue light emerged around him as incantations flowed from his lips.
The eight gourd-shaped artifacts on the ground simultaneously blazed with spiritual light. After flashes of red glow flickered at their mouths, they suddenly spewed eight pillars of crimson fire, striking the lower half of the cauldron.
Instantly, a scorching, suffocating heat pervaded the entire chamber.
……
While Han Li was busy refining the Blood-thread Silver, in a secluded and quiet pavilion at the mountain's summit, a cold-faced elderly Daoist nun and a beautiful middle-aged woman were conversing with grave expressions.
"The time is nearly upon us. Our imperial clan has been plotting this for over four hundred years—through seven or eight generations of emperors' painstaking efforts, not a whisper was leaked. But if we fail and fail to obtain those two treasures, I fear the entire imperial family will immediately bring disaster upon itself. Don't let it be thought that our Ye Family has been secretly accumulating strength over these years—in a true clash with forces like the Buddhist and Daoist sects, we would still crumble. And those ossified Confucians who profess to defend imperial authority—the moment their interests are truly threatened, they'll likely be the first to strike against our clan. I can't help but feel that our Ye Family is playing with fire this time." The Daoist nun spoke with a heavy expression.
"How could we not know what Aunt says? But this is also our Ye Family's best opportunity to break free from the stranglehold of the other powers. Don't forget how Granduncle Seventh and the others fell. Wasn't it because they saw our imperial family's power growing slightly, with a few more Nascent Soul cultivators emerging, that the great forces immediately joined hands—overtly and covertly—to strike against our granduncles? And afterward, they simply found some excuse to brush everything aside. If we don't escape this predicament, our Ye imperial clan may be called the foremost family in the cultivation world on the surface, but in truth we're merely a sacrificial pawn in the compromise of those great powers. As long as the rumors are true and we truly obtain those two spirit treasures, combined with the strength our Ye Family has painstakingly cultivated over these years, we can make the other powers hesitate—they won't dare act against our family so easily again. This risk is worth taking." The beautiful woman sighed softly and spoke in a measured tone.
"Hmph! Though the cultivation world has long spoken of the inconceivable might of Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures, I still find it hard to believe that two such artifacts alone could reverse the balance of power and place us on equal footing with the great forces. I fear we might bring disaster upon ourselves instead, thoroughly awakening their covetousness and inviting catastrophe through possessing something precious. Don't forget—even with Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures, behind those forces still lurk beings of that level. Though we don't know how many, if even a single one steps forward, they would have the power to annihilate our Ye Family." A cold gleam flashed in the Daoist nun's eyes, and she spoke with deep wariness.
"Beings at the Deity Transformation stage are truly invincible in our realm. Even if Granduncle Third and the others wielded Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures, facing such old monsters, they would likely be able to barely protect themselves at best. However, Aunt need not worry too much about this matter. Our Ye Family began secretly investigating these old monsters—their existence and weaknesses—a hundred years ago. After extensive analysis, we estimate that even if these old monsters' lifespans truly exceed those of Nascent Soul cultivators by over a thousand years as conjectured, over the past two thousand years of the Great Jin, very few cultivators have advanced to or had the potential to advance to the Deity Transformation stage. Moreover, among them, a small number have safely ascended to the Spirit Realm. Those remaining in the mortal realm number at most two or three. And these individuals who remain in the mortal realm have paid an enormous price—not only can they rarely afford to engage in combat, but even when they do, they must suppress their cultivation to the level of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Though we don't know the specific reasons, this means these old monsters are not as invincible as the rumors suggest. Furthermore, these old monsters are unlikely to involve themselves in matters as trivial as the rise and fall of any single power." The beautiful middle-aged woman furrowed her brow slightly before speaking in a solemn tone.
"How do you know all this? Don't tell me it's all speculation or intelligence you gathered yourselves. Over the years, countless cultivators have tried to uncover the secret of why Deity Transformation cultivators remain in the mortal realm—all to no avail. And you claim to have figured it all out in just over a hundred years, looking so confident about it. Do you really think I'm so senile that I can be easily fooled? What exactly are you still hiding?" Instead of being pleased, the old Daoist nun's face turned suddenly cold and dark.
"We have absolutely no intention of deceiving you, Aunt. Though these pieces of information weren't uncovered by members of our Ye Family themselves, we learned them from an elder the family took in a few years ago. We cross-referenced the information, and it matched all the other clues we had gathered. So it wouldn't be wrong to say the Ye Family uncovered it." Upon seeing her aunt grow angry, the beautiful woman hurriedly explained.