This was something Han Li had stumbled upon only after spending time before his entry into the Demon Realm, poring over countless ancient texts about that place.
According to those writings, Blood-Tooth Rice appeared to be produced in only one location within the Demon Realm—a place called Blue Waterfall Lake. It was staggeringly far from Phantom Night City. Not even the local demon clans had enough for themselves, so it never left the region. How had the Bai family managed to obtain a single high-grade grain of the stuff?
Han Li's thoughts raced, but he did nothing to hide the surprise on his face.
"What's this? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Han and Fellow Daoist Han are also interested in this Blood-Tooth Rice? A pity—it was claimed by this Heavenly Lord long ago. If you want some, you'll have to ask Brother Bai for a bit." Luanlong Heavenly Lord glanced at Han Li and Han Qizi, his eyes shifting as he spoke. With that, he snatched the Blood-Tooth Rice from the jade box, bit off more than a third in a single bite, and began chewing slowly with a swaying, satisfied look on his face.
A rich, exotic fragrance immediately filled the entire hall.
"Oh? Does Brother Bai have more Blood-Tooth Rice?" Han Li asked, his expression shifting.
Han Qizi's gaze also snapped toward the burly man and the purple-haired woman.
"Fellow Daoist Luanlong jests. This single grain is all I have—where would a second one come from?" The yellow-haired giant smiled bitterly, denying it flatly.
"With respect, Brother Bai, I'm afraid few would believe that. Everyone knows the more Blood-Tooth Rice one consumes, the greater the improvement to the physical body. Since you were able to obtain this rice, it's hard to believe you have only one grain." Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone perfectly calm.
Han Qizi's gaze turned faintly cold, clearly indicating he was equally unconvinced.
"I won't hide it from you, Fellow Daoists. Our Bai family did happen to acquire several grains of Blood-Tooth Rice, but the rest have already been consumed by Fifth Sister and me. The one gifted to Fellow Daoist Luanlong was originally being kept as a seed—to be used as an ingredient for alchemy. Otherwise, not even a sliver would have remained." The yellow-haired giant hurried to explain.
"The Bai family was able to obtain Blood-Tooth Rice once, so naturally it can be obtained a second time. As long as Brother Bai can help me acquire some as well, any price will do." Han Li pondered for a moment, then continued at an unhurried pace.
"If Brother Bai can help me secure a hundred jin of Blood-Tooth Rice of this quality in a single purchase, the next time the Bai family finds itself in trouble, I will lend my aid once more." Han Qizi spoke coldly for the first time, his voice rough and hoarse, as though he truly had not used it in a very long time.
Hearing what Han Qizi and Han Li had said, the purple-haired woman's expression shifted subtly—she seemed somewhat tempted—but the giant refused without hesitation.
"Obtaining a few grains of Blood-Tooth Rice this time was nothing more than a stroke of fortune. Fifth Sister and I happened to run into a Fellow Daoist from Blue Waterfall Lake a few years back. We exchanged treasures, and that's how we got this small amount. Our Bai family has no means to acquire such an extraordinary item again. There's no need to discuss the matter further—it is absolutely impossible."
Seeing the yellow-haired giant so resolute, Han Li and Han Qizi exchanged a glance and dropped the subject.
Although Luanlong Heavenly Lord's mouth had not stopped chewing, a flash of disappointment was clearly visible in his eyes.
For the remainder of the time, the group sat in meditation and rested within the hall. Roughly one hour after Luanlong Heavenly Lord finished consuming his grain of Blood-Tooth Rice, the aura within his body suddenly surged. His face flushed as red as blood. It was only after a long while and sustained circulation of energy that his complexion returned to normal.
Watching all of this from the side, Han Li found himself marveling inwardly. At the same time, his interest in Blood-Tooth Rice grew even stronger.
It seemed the effects of the rice exceeded even what the ancient texts had recorded.
During this period, the yellow-haired giant and the purple-haired woman quietly communicated via voice transmission, discussing the unexplained disappearance of their clan members. However, no clues had been left at the outpost, and in the end they were unable to reach any reliable conclusion.
For the time being, they could only set the matter aside and begin conserving their strength.
After all, the only ones stationed here were mid-tier disciples. Relative to the Bai family as a whole, they had never been considered particularly important.
The group remained at the outpost for an entire day and night. Once everyone had adjusted their bodies and minds to their peak condition, they mounted the eight-legged demon lizards and departed from the oasis, heading due west.
After half a day, the yellow-haired giant leading the way ahead looked up at the murky sky and the gray sandstorm that seemed to have grown stronger on all sides. He suddenly turned his head to address Han Li and the others: "Fellow Daoists, that demon beast's abilities are truly formidable. From here on, we must exercise caution. Everyone needs to suppress your auras and put away your demon lizards!"
Knowing this was the critical moment, Han Li and the other Integration-stage cultivators naturally had no objections. One by one they dismounted and stored the lizards in their spirit beast rings, then followed the giant's lead, continuing forward in low-altitude flight.
Though all manner of escape techniques were rendered useless in this desert, maintaining a slow, low-altitude flight was still within their abilities. However, doing so cost them several times more Magical Power than usual.
Fortunately, the Bai family's mineral vein was no longer far away. After flying low for roughly an hour, a colossal sand dune suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.
The dune rose several thousand zhang into the sky, like a massive mountain peak standing sentinel—except its entire surface was blanketed in gray sand, and from within came faint, ghostly wailing sounds.