"Senior Brother Han, you're here again. Whenever Senior Brother Wu lectures on the five-element spells, you're always the keenest to attend."
This ordinary-looking, dark-skinned young man was none other than Han Li, the protagonist of the original novel!
Han Li had already been in Yellow Maple Valley for a year, and his cultivation had risen to the tenth level of Qi Refining.
Han Li had Four Spiritual Roots and struggled to grasp spells. Fortunately, he had a good attitude and was eager to learn. Whenever Senior Brother Wu gave a lecture on spells, he attended and listened very carefully.
After joining the sect, Lin He had also shown great enthusiasm, attending lectures whenever he had time. After seeing each other repeatedly, he and Han Li had become familiar faces to one another. But because of his past experiences and the mysterious little bottle, Han Li was highly wary of others, so they remained no more than ordinary fellow disciples.
Sure enough, Han Li merely smiled politely at his words, showing no particular familiarity. Lin He was not surprised.
Senior Brother Wu had little talent and had long since given up hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. Having two faithful listeners was already enough to satisfy him. In high spirits, he spoke for a long time, his words pouring forth like a cascading river.
Only when his mouth and throat had gone dry did Senior Brother Wu stop. Han Li had gained a great deal from the lecture and was about to leave when Lin He suddenly said,
"Senior Brother Han, we joined a little too late. If we'd joined earlier, we could have caught the last Sect Conference."
The Sect Conference was held once every ten years. Only disciples who performed exceptionally well at the conference earned the opportunity to take a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Yellow Maple Valley had at least several thousand disciples, but only a few hundred would ultimately qualify to take a Foundation Establishment Pill. Of those few hundred, only twenty or thirty succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment after taking one, showing just how difficult it was.
When Han Li had joined a year ago, the Sect Conference had only recently ended. To obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill through it, he would have to wait another ten years. As Lin He put it, that was rather a pity, but Han Li shook his head and said,
"I don't have Dual Spiritual Roots like you, Junior Brother Lin. With my aptitude and cultivation, I'd be at the bottom even if I entered the Sect Conference. There's no way I could qualify to take a Foundation Establishment Pill."
Han Li saw things clearly and did not mind, but a strange expression suddenly appeared on Lin He's face as he said,
"Senior Brother Han, you certainly take it in stride. But although we missed our chance at the Sect Conference, that doesn't mean we have no other chance to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills."
"Hmm?"
Han Li frowned at this, seemingly catching on to something. He gave Lin He a searching look, then suddenly said,
"Junior Brother Lin, you must have something in mind to bring this up out of nowhere. I don't like beating around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it."
"Good. You really do speak your mind, Senior Brother Han, so I'll be frank," Lin He said bluntly. "With your Four Spiritual Roots, even if you obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill, reaching Foundation Establishment would still be difficult, wouldn't it?"
Han Li frowned, but did not interrupt. He knew there was more to come.
"By chance, I came across some information. I know of a place where you might be able to obtain two Foundation Establishment Pills, or even more. It's just that..."
Han Li was sorely tempted by this news. In fact, he had planned to ask around about pill formulas as soon as he joined the sect. The reason he had yet to act was that his entry using an Ascension Token had caused a great stir and drawn considerable attention. Because of the mysterious little bottle, Han Li did not want to attract notice.
Han Li had intended to wait another year, until everyone had completely forgotten the matter, before making his move. By then, he would no longer draw attention. He had never expected to hear news about Foundation Establishment Pills from Lin He. How could he not be excited?
But Lin He was far too crafty. After barely a couple of sentences, he immediately shut his mouth and looked at Han Li with a silent smile.
Han Li was no longer the ignorant child he had once been. Naturally, he understood what the other man meant and said directly,
"Your information is important to me too, Junior Brother Lin. As you said, if I could obtain two Foundation Establishment Pills, my chances of reaching Foundation Establishment would improve considerably. Just tell me what you want."
"My cultivation has been stuck at the peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining, and I haven't been able to break through. If you have any pills that improve cultivation, Senior Brother Han, give me five bottles so I can break through this bottleneck and advance to the eighth level."
"Five bottles?"
Han Li laughed in anger. "I don't have that many pills on me. Do you think I run a pharmacy?"
"Heh, is that so? Then there's nothing to discuss." Lin He chuckled and made as if to leave.
"Wait, Junior Brother Lin!"
Having finally obtained a lead on Foundation Establishment Pills, how could Han Li possibly give up now? With pills such as Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills, he could have as many as he wanted if he spent a little time. He felt no pain at parting with them. By contrast, news about Foundation Establishment Pills concerned his pursuit of immortality. It went without saying which mattered more.
He had only acted so angry because he did not want the other man to open his lion's maw and fleece him, nor did he want to casually reveal his wealth.
With that thought, Han Li stopped Lin He and said solemnly, "I only have five bottles of pills altogether. Naturally, I'm reluctant to let you take them all in one go. But... but for the sake of Foundation Establishment Pills, I have no other choice. I'll give you all of them."
Han Li wore an expression of deep pain at the loss, making Lin He suppress a laugh.
Keep pretending. Go on, keep pretending. You only have five bottles of pills altogether? Tell that to the ghosts! If I didn't know the plot inside out, your superb acting really would have fooled me.
Lin He sneered inwardly, but outwardly went along with him. "Senior Brother Han, you have to give something up to gain something. Don't worry. This information is definitely worth making you bleed a little."
Han Li took out five bottles of pills: three of Yellow Dragon Pills and two of Golden Marrow Pills. The moment a bottle was opened, a distinctive medicinal fragrance wafted out. One sniff left Lin He feeling refreshed and clearheaded.
After allowing their authenticity to be confirmed, Han Li remained cautious and handed over only two bottles. He clearly intended to give Lin He the remaining three only after hearing the information.
"Senior Brother Han, have you ever heard of the Forbidden Land Trial?"
"The Forbidden Land Trial?"
Han Li looked utterly bewildered. Having used information that many people knew to swindle him out of five bottles of pills, Lin He patiently explained it all. After hearing him out, Han Li handed over the remaining three bottles with a gloomy expression, then left alone in a daze.
Watching Han Li's retreating figure, Lin He was delighted and put the five bottles of pills into his Storage Bag.
Now that I have the pills, I can try breaking through my bottleneck first. But just to be safe, I should wait until I've saved up three drops of spirit liquid before setting off for the Heavenly Star Sect Market. After all, if I
run into danger, I'll still have something to keep me alive.
With that thought, Lin He headed back to his lodgings, preparing to break through the bottleneck at the seventh level.