"Daoist Lu, please speak. I'm all ears." Han Li was startled for a moment before he replied with a smile.
"It's not a big deal. A few days ago, I and a few fellow daoists found a relic deep in the northern Tianyue Mountain Range. However, there are many powerful restrictions and other dangers. Therefore, we went back and invited some powerful people to explore it again.
Daoist Li's strength is one of the best in the nearby valleys. I wonder if you're interested in exploring it together? "Lu Guanzi said with a smile.
Han Li frowned slightly after hearing this and didn't speak for a while.
Lu Guanzi's smile faded when he saw Han Li's expression, but he didn't urge him.
"Thank you for your invitation, but I have some other matters to attend to recently. I'm afraid I can only decline your kindness." Han Li said after a moment of silence.
"Oh, since you have other matters to attend to, I won't force you."
Lu Guanzi saw Han Li's tone and knew that he had made up his mind. He felt a little regretful, but he still stood up and said goodbye.
Han Li sent the person out of the cave residence and closed the door. He walked back to the secret room and sat down cross-legged.
In fact, he didn't refuse Lu Guanzi because he had to busy himself with the Spirit Refinement Art.
While thinking, he made a hand seal and his body emitted a golden light. The Mantra Treasure Wheel appeared behind him, and the 720 dao patterns on it were all dim.
The time dao patterns were all dim, and his strength was greatly reduced. At this time, no matter how tempting it was, he wouldn't choose to go treasure hunting.
He waved his hand to disperse the golden light and closed his eyes.
A layer of crystal light appeared on Han Li's forehead and flickered gently.
The door of his cave residence was tightly shut and didn't open.
The others in Wild Crane Valley didn't disturb him when they saw this.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, more than 30 years had passed.
On this day, a stream of light flew from afar and landed in front of Han Li's cave residence. A white-haired old man with disheveled hair appeared. It was the Hot Flame Immortal.
Before he could speak, the door of the cave residence opened from the inside.
"Fellow Daoist Hot Fire, sorry for not coming out to greet you …" Han Li walked out of the door with a smile on his face.
"Oh you, our grotto-mansions are only so far away from each other. What's the difference between distant and close?" Hot Flame Immortal Monarch said with a smile.
"Come on, let's go into the cave and have a chat." Han Li stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.
"There's no need to enter the manor. I came here today to give you something.
You have been in seclusion for a long time, so you could only come today. "Hot Flame Immortal Venerable quickly waved his hand and said.
When Han Li heard that, his brows suddenly raised and he cried out in surprise, "Could it be that you found the Profound Zhi Crystal?"
"How can such a treasure be found so easily? I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Fellow Daoist Li." Immortal Hot Flame smiled helplessly.
"Oh?
Since it's not this item, then … "Han Li was puzzled.
A white light flashed in the palm of Immortal Hot Flame Immortal Venerable. He threw something forward and it flew up.
Han Li raised his hand and took a look. It was a palm-sized white jade token with a pattern of a red leaf engraved on it. On the left side of the pattern were the words "Outer Sect Elder Token" written in ancient seal script.
This item was the outer sect elder token of Hot Flame Immortal Venerable's current sect, the "Flame Leaf Sect".
On the other side of the token, in the middle of a circle of small runes, the words "Li Han" were engraved in large characters.
"Fellow Daoist Hot Flame, this is …" Han Li looked at the white-haired old man and said.
"With this little thing, you will be a recorded cultivator of our Flame Leaf Sect in the future. In the future, you can freely enter and exit Jukun Inner City.
However, this is only a title. There will be no outer sect elder for you. Our family is small and can't afford a Golden Immortal level outer sect elder, "Immortal Hot Flame Immortal Venerable said half-jokingly.
Han Li cupped his fist in a salute, and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Hot Fire… Don't worry, now that I'm an outer sect elder of the Flame Leaf Sect, I can't just sit around doing nothing. From now on, I'll be producing a batch of true immortal-grade pills every three hundred years. Of course… the sect will have to provide the materials."
"Fellow Daoist Hot Flame, isn't this place where we live in seclusion for leisure?
I didn't give you this token to make a deal with you. I didn't give you this token to make you fall into the trap of the sect, so you really don't have to do this … "Immortal Hot Flame's expression turned solemn and he said seriously.
"It's just refining a furnace of pills. It's nothing to a pill master like me. It'll just take some effort. But you must have spent a lot of effort to get this elder token for me, right?" Han Li waved his hand and interrupted Immortal Hot Flame.
Although Immortal Hot Flame said he had no intention of negotiating, how could he not understand the principle of returning a plum for a peach?
Moreover, how could he not see the joy hidden in the corner of his eyes?
A furnace of True Immortal level pills every three hundred years might not be much in the short term, but after tens of thousands of years, what kind of scene would it be?
Although it wouldn't be enough to make the Flame Leaf Sect a large sect, it was enough to widen the gap between them and the other sects that were once on par with them.
How could they truly return to nature after being in the cage of the sect for so long?
At the end of the day, Immortal Hot Flame still couldn't let go of the sect and couldn't forget to plan for the sect.
In the territory governed by Jukun City, all official personnel changes of large and medium-sized sects were not only internal affairs of the sect, but also had to be investigated and registered at the palace set up by Black Mountain Immortal Palace.
Outer sect disciples were not considered official. From inner sect disciples to outer sect elders, from core disciples to inner sect elders, the higher the rank, the greater the inspection.
"I have some old relations with Black Mountain Immortal Palace, so it didn't take much effort to register." Immortal Hot Flame said.
"In any case, I still have to thank you." Han Li bowed to him again.
"Daoist Li, if you continue to be so polite, I'll have to take back this token." Immortal Hot Flame said.
"Haha, then I won't be polite …" Han Li laughed.
After the two chatted for a while, Hot Flame Immortal Supremacy bid farewell and flew away.
Han Li played with the jade token in his hand. After thinking for a while, he turned around and returned to his cave residence.
…
Two months later.
Jukun City's streets and alleys were crisscrossed. Rows of shops and carriages pulled by strange beasts could be seen everywhere, mixed with the bustling crowd and shouting. It was an extremely lively scene everywhere.
In the sky, huge merchant ferries could be seen flying up and down in an orderly manner along some fixed void trajectories. They landed at the ports in the city, transporting all kinds of goods.
At the boundary between the inner and outer city, there was a huge wall more than a hundred feet high. There were patrolling cultivators stationed on it. There was a magnificent city gate in the east, south, west, and north, and there were also Perfected Immortal cultivators stationed there.
There were relatively few people at the northern gate of the inner city. Aside from a few people who were passing by in a hurry, there were only about a hundred or so people who stayed there in a long queue. They were inspected by the cultivators stationed there and then entered the city.
At the very back of the group was an azure-robed Han Li, who was currently examining the city gate from head to toe.
The top of the entrance and the inside of the wall were engraved with formation runes. Every time someone entered the gate, a green light would light up. It seemed to be used to check the cultivation of the people entering the city.
Whenever the green light lit up, it meant that the person's cultivation was above the Early-stage of Perfected Immortal. As long as the identity was verified and confirmed to be a registered cultivator of the local sect, they would be able to enter the inner city smoothly.
Han Li followed behind the crowd and slowly moved forward with the queue.
At this moment, a figure suddenly swept past the crowd. He did not line up, nor did he show any identification. He did not seem to be afraid of the guarding cultivators and just walked directly into the gate.
Just when everyone was puzzled, the runes engraved on the wall of the gate suddenly shone brightly, releasing bursts of dazzling golden light.
"Taiyi Jade Fairy …"
When the surrounding people saw this, they could not help but be shocked and amazed.
Although Jukun City was the largest city in the north of the Black Mountain Mystic Domain, in the past, most of the people were Perfected Immortals and Golden Immortals. There were not many opportunities to see a Taiyi Realm cultivator, but at this moment, there was one in front of everyone.
Just when everyone came back to their senses and wanted to see the person's face clearly, he had already floated into the city and disappeared without a trace.
After a small commotion, the queue became quiet again and continued to move toward the city gate.
After about a quarter of an hour, Han Li came in front of the gate, and the runes above his head also lit up, releasing bursts of bright white light.
"Golden Immortal cultivator …" A middle-aged cultivator who was guarding the city gate looked up at Han Li.
Han Li responded with a smile as he handed over the Fire Leaf Sect elder's badge to him.
The middle-aged cultivator nodded slightly and after receiving the token, he put it on a stone platform beside him.
The small talisman formation on the stone platform immediately operated, releasing a brilliant light.
After a moment, the middle-aged cultivator handed back the jade token and said, "No problem, senior, please come in."
After Han Li received the command medallion, he nodded to him and walked into the cave.
When he walked out of the gate, as soon as he stepped into the inner city, he suddenly felt that the surrounding light became brighter, and the spiritual energy contained in the surrounding air seemed to have become thicker.
Han Li looked around and found that the surrounding ground and walls and buildings were engraved with shallowly strange runes, which were connected to each other and seemed to cover all the streets.
Han Li couldn't help but click his tongue in praise, and said, "What a lavish design. The inner city has been constructed to resemble an immortal sect. It's no wonder that even though those guys on Idle Cloud Mountain rarely have the opportunity to enter, they're all so eager to enter the inner city."
After saying that, he walked along the wide street in front of him and walked toward the inner city.
Compared to the bustling outer city, the inner city was much quieter. There were not many pedestrians on the street, and most of them were shuttling between one shop after another, walking in a hurry.
Han Li didn't waste any time. He picked a large three-story pavilion from among these shops and entered it.
But not long after, the shopkeeper sent him out apologetically.
According to the shopkeeper, this "Xuan Zhi Crystal" was a top-grade spiritual material, and there would not be more than three shops in this Jukun City that might have this item, and it was very likely that they would not take it out to sell.
Han Li had already anticipated this, so he wasn't all that disappointed. As such, he decided to try his luck in the city.