Junior Brother Han

Purple Rainbow returned not long after it left.

The moment Yan Xiuming landed, he tossed a green bead to Luo Hong.

"This bead is called the Azure Water Pearl. It contains the essence soul of an Azure Water Crocodile, a First Grade Top Stage demon beast. Whoever holds this bead while casting Water Element Spells will imbue their spells with a trace of the might of Primordial Heavy Water, greatly increasing their power.

"The Azure Water Pearl is yours. Hand over the wine gourd!"

With the exchange complete, both sides got what they wanted. Yan Xiuming let out a shrill laugh and hurried back to go into seclusion and cultivate.

Yan Shouyi rose with a wry smile. After bidding everyone farewell, he followed after him.

Yan Xiao had long since gone, utterly despondent, to the buildings of Blade Transformation Dock.

Obtaining the Azure Water Pearl was an unexpected delight. Luo Hong was very interested in the Primordial Heavy Water Yan Xiuming had mentioned, but this was clearly not a good time to study the bead, so he could only suppress his curiosity.

After the incident involving Han Yunzhi's match, no further surprises occurred during the Ascension Competition. Before long, the Seven Great Sects had each selected their ten candidates.

Then, just as expected, Old Demon Han, who had not appeared for many days, approached Yellow Maple Valley's receiving disciples with an Ascension Token in hand. After causing a minor stir, he followed the Yellow Maple Valley disciples back to the Taiyue Mountain Range.

Luo Hong naturally caught a ride back to Yellow Maple Valley with them.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, this disciple Han Li considers his aptitude poor and voluntarily relinquishes the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"That should be how he put it."

Standing in a secluded corner outside Yellow Maple Valley's main council hall, Luo Hong watched Old Demon Han, who was doing his utmost to hide his unwillingness, leave with Old Man Ye.

Luo Hong had never interfered in Old Demon Han's forced sale of the Foundation Establishment Pill. Though, given his relationship with Liu Jing, intimidating an ordinary Foundation Establishment stage cultivator with no Core Formation Stage Elder backing would not have been difficult, doing so would have made him seem far too eager.

After all, Old Demon Han currently owed Luo Hong a debt. There was no reason for the creditor to rush to help the debtor.

On the other hand, Old Demon Han himself might not have wanted it either.

With the little bottle's aid, he believed refining Foundation Establishment Pills would not be difficult. Thus, compared to offending a Foundation Establishment stage senior in the sect, he would rather lose one Foundation Establishment Pill in exchange for cultivating in peace.

A few days later, Luo Hong figured that Old Demon Han had likely settled down in Hundred Herbs Garden, so he prepared to pay him a visit.

In order to have more reasons to drop by Hundred Herbs Garden, Luo Hong had specifically spent over three hundred Spirit Stones to buy a Wine Fruit Tree with four hundred years of cultivation, entrusting Martial Uncle Ma with raising it.

"Brother Han—oh, no, I should call you Junior Brother Han now. Who would have thought the two of us were so fated? We were apart for less than a month, yet we have met again."

After entering Hundred Herbs Garden and finding Han Li tending to Spiritual Herbs, Luo Hong put on a delighted expression and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Senior Brother Luo has come to check on your Wine Fruit Tree, I presume. I truly did not expect that, besides being skilled in the art of talisman crafting, Senior Brother was also proficient in brewing Spirit Wine. Wine fruits are famously difficult to refine."

Since Martial Uncle Ma had specifically told him beforehand, Han Li was not at all surprised by Luo Hong's visit.

If they were not so difficult to refine, a Wine Fruit Tree with four hundred years of cultivation would not have sold so cheaply.

Luo Hong had bought it to explain the source of his high-quality Spirit Wine. Every wine fruit it had produced so far was still safely stored in his Storage Bag.

"I can hardly call myself proficient. By the way, I heard a few days ago that a rogue cultivator surnamed Han entered the sect with an Ascension Token. That would not happen to be you, Brother Han?"

Luo Hong knowingly asked.

"That is indeed this Junior Brother."

The moment Luo Hong mentioned the Ascension Token, Han Li could not help recalling the Foundation Establishment Pill he had painfully lost. However, he had long mastered the ability to keep his emotions from showing on his face. Though bitter inside, he wore a genial expression as he invited Luo Hong to sit and have tea.

"Then the one who was forced to sell his Foundation Establishment Pill was also you, Junior Brother Han."

Luo Hong deliberately brought up the sore subject. Even with Old Demon Han's temperament, having the wound so directly ripped open made his hand pause as he poured tea.

"It was not forced. This Junior Brother sold it willingly," Han Li explained, deceiving himself.

"Haha, there is no need to hide it from this Senior Brother, Junior Brother Han. The Foundation Establishment Pill is something every Qi Refining Stage cultivator treasures as dearly as life itself.

"Furthermore, in our Yue Kingdom Cultivation World, there is only one place to obtain the Spiritual Herbs needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, and it can only be entered once every five years. Therefore, the number of Foundation Establishment Pills produced is extremely limited. Every pill consumed means one less pill remaining. No one could possibly be willing to give one up.

"Speaking of Spiritual Herbs, have you found any leads on the lotus-type Spiritual Herb I asked you to seek last time?"

Luo Hong deliberately revealed that the Spiritual Herbs needed for Foundation Establishment Pills could only be found in a designated location. While sipping his tea, he secretly glanced at Old Demon Han and indeed saw his expression change, as though this had greatly exceeded his expectations.

When asked about the lotus-type Spiritual Herb, Han Li hesitated at first. Then, seeming to make up his mind, he cupped his hands and said:

"Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Luo."

Not bad, Old Demon Han. I underestimated your caution before. If I had not pressured you with the Foundation Establishment Pill, you really would not have planned to take out this Spiritual Herb.

Very soon, Han Li returned carrying a Jade Box. Opening its lid revealed a white lotus Spiritual Herb with roughly six hundred years of cultivation inside.

It was indeed the most common Righteous Qi Lotus, but six hundred years of cultivation was more than sufficient.

"Senior Brother Luo, it was quite a coincidence. After the Southern Small Gathering ended that day, this Junior Brother was pursued and killed by two rogue cultivators of unknown origin. Though I narrowly escaped thanks to Senior Brother's talismans, I fell off a cliff. I found this lotus in a pool at the bottom of that cliff."

Han Li made up nonsense with a completely serious expression, and Luo Hong listened with equal seriousness.

Make up whatever you want, Old Demon Han. As long as you dare to make it up, I, Luo Hong, dare to believe it.

"Excellent, excellent! It seems this lotus is truly fated with me. Junior Brother Han, what would you like in exchange for it? Spirit Stones, Magic Artifacts, and talismans are all acceptable. Just name your price."

Luo Hong was genuinely overjoyed. With this six-hundred-year Righteous Qi Lotus, he had hope of perfectly laying the foundation of his Great Dao.

"Senior Brother Luo, if possible, I would like to exchange it for a Pill Formula for a pill that can increase the cultivation of Qi Refining Stage cultivators."

Han Li had noticed long ago that the effects of Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills were growing weaker and weaker. He urgently needed to switch to a new pill.

"Certainly. This is the Pill Formula for the Qi Harmonizing Pill. Take it, Junior Brother."

Luo Hong had always planned before acting. Since he knew very well what Old Demon Han currently needed, he had naturally prepared for it.

The Pill Formula for the Qi Harmonizing Pill was not especially valuable, as it was such a common pill. Compared to a six-hundred-year Spiritual Herb, Luo Hong had still made a small profit.

Han Li froze for a moment. He had not expected something he had sought for years to be resolved so easily, and he felt an Unreal Feeling.

Seeing Han Li put away the Pill Formula, Luo Hong rose and made as though to take his leave. This time, it was Han Li who stopped him.

"Senior Brother Luo, may I ask where exactly the Spiritual Herbs for refining Foundation Establishment Pills can be gathered? Why can the place only be entered once every five years?"

There was nothing to hide, so Luo Hong immediately explained the matter of the Bloody Forbidden Zone to Han Li, as well as the important news that it would be sealed for Sixty Years after its next opening.

Han Li was shocked. He felt immensely fortunate that he had learned of this from his conversation with Senior Brother Luo. Otherwise, he might have waited in vain for Sixty Years!

This Senior Brother Luo seems like a decent person. I should observe him a while longer.