Furthermore, he was only making a few points about the formation, but all of them were extremely valid and applicable, so he certainly didn't seem to be lying.
Thus, the white-robed man still maintained a smile, but it had become slightly forced.
Han Li paid no heed to this and merely continued onward in an unhurried manner.
Han Li's group was led by the two groups of young beauties to a massive hall at the center of the mountain range.
There was a pair of elderly men who bore a strong resemblance to one another waiting for them there.
"Senior Han, let me introduce to you my two grand-uncles. They were originally in seclusion, but they came out to greet you upon hearing about your arrival," Xu Jiao immediately introduced to Han Li.
"Juniors Xu Huo and Xu Yan pay their respects to Senior Han!" The pair of elderly men hurriedly extended respectful salutes toward Han Li. One of them was at the early-Spatial Tempering Stage, while the other was at the mid-Spatial Tempering Stage, and it was quite astonishing to see two beings of this caliber in a normal family of cultivators.
After all, some of the smaller cultivation families could be established even with just a single Deity Transformation cultivator among their ranks.
It seemed that Xu Qianyu hadn't been exaggerating when she said that her Xu Family was relatively renowned in the Tian Yuan Region.
"There's no need for such formalities, fellow Daoists; I'm only here to fulfill a request assigned to me." Han Li waved a hand in response and was quite benevolent toward these two powerful Xu Family cultivators.
They then briefly exchanged some pleasantries before the two elderly men led Han Li into the massive hall.
After everyone had taken a seat, a group of Qi Condensation Stage servants immediately offered cups of spirit tea to everyone present.
Xu Jiao said, "Due to the time constraints, my daughter only briefly disclosed to me the purpose of your visit. I heard that Senior Han has something that needs to be passed on to Fairy Ice Soul or her descendants; is that correct?"
"Indeed. I agreed to run this errand as I owe someone a favor. However, I heard from Fellow Daoist Qianyu that Fairy Ice Soul's descendants aren't just limited to this branch alone. Hence, I'll need to verify your connection to Fairy Ice Soul before I hand over the items," Han Li said in a straightforward manner.
"How would you like us to prove this to you, Senior? All of the other nearby families are aware that we are descendants of Fairy Ice Soul," Xu Huo said after clearing his throat in a slightly stumped manner.
"That shouldn't be too difficult. Anything left behind by Fellow Daoist Ice Soul, such as cultivation arts or treasures that belonged to her, will be sufficient proof of her connection with the Xu Family," Han Li replied in a calm manner.
Chapter 1776: Glacial Flame and Golden Talismans
Xu Jiao paused momentarily before replying, "Treasures? Prior to her disappearance, Fairy Ice Soul took all of her treasures with her and didn't leave any behind for her descendants. As for cultivation arts, our Xu Family does have a few secret techniques that our matriarch had once used during her days of dominance in the human race. However, the conditions required to cultivate these secret techniques are extremely stringent, and only several people in our family have been able to cultivate them. Thankfully, my granduncle, Xu Yan, is one of them. Granduncle, please demonstrate some of your abilities to Senior Han."
The elderly man hesitated momentarily before nodding in response. "In that case, I'll display some of my abilities as proof."
He then raised an arm to reach a thin and wrinkled hand out of his sleeve, then spread his five fingers slightly before turning his palm upward.
All of a sudden, a ball of blue flames appeared over the center of his palm before transforming into a translucent blue lotus flower. The lotus flower was extremely life-like, and it was as if a real flower had blossomed in his hand.
"Celestial Blue flames!" Han Li murmured to himself.
"Indeed, Senior. This glacial flame was our matriarch's signature ability, and full mastery of it would allow one to seal a vast area in ice within mere moments. Of course, I'm still far from reaching that level," Xu Yan said with a smile on his face. The blue ice lotus revolved within his hand before suddenly surging forward as a burst of blue light, and the space in its wake instantly began to twist and warp, as well as shimmer with blue light.
At this moment, Xu Huo tossed his teacup through the air, and it instantly flew into the shimmering blue space
As soon as the teacup came into contact with the blue light, it was transformed into an ice sculpture that hung within the light in a completely still manner.
Han Li's pupils contracted upon seeing this, and his expression remained unchanged, but a hint of surprise had surfaced in his eyes.
He didn't think that the Celestial Blue flames would possess such an ability. However, upon closer consideration, he decided that this made sense.
The Celestial Blue Flames he had obtained from the Heavenvoid Cauldron hadn't been cultivated by him. As such, the powers of those flames hadn't improved through his cultivation.
In contrast, Xu Yan's glacial flames had been developed purely through cultivation, and he also had the relevant cultivation art, so he would naturally be able to improve the power of these flames over time.
Both of these methods had their own sets of advantages and disadvantages.
Absorbing glacial flames that already existed allowed one to directly attain that ability without having to spend time to cultivate it. However, if they wanted to make the ability more powerful in the future, then they'd only be able to rely on the powers of external items or fuse other glacial flames into the existing one.
In the examples of Xu Yan and Fairy Ice Soul, who had attained these flames through cultivation, the process had taken them a very long time, but as long as they continued to cultivate according to the cultivation art, they would be able to eventually maximize the powers of these flames.
The Celestial Blue flames that Han Li had absorbed had been found by him back in the human world. The Celestial Blue flames that Fairy Ice Soul had left behind at the time were only at the Deity Transformation Stage at most, so they naturally couldn't compare with Xu Yan's glacial flames.
After quickly pondering the situation, Han Li understood everything, and the surprise in his eyes faded.
However, the blue light in front of Xu Yan only lingered for the span of a few breaths before shattering like glass, and the teacup that was suspended in mid-air began to fall.
Xu Huo was already prepared for this, and he immediately waved a hand to draw the frozen teacup back into his grasp.
At the same time, crimson light flashed from his hand, and the layer of blue ice around the teacup instantly melted away, returning it back to its original condition.
"What do you think, Senior Han? Does my granduncle's demonstration prove that we're direct lineal descendants of Fairy Ice Soul?" the white-robed man asked with a smile.
"Those are indeed Celestial Blue flames, and Fellow Daoist Xu Yan has mastered them to an exceptional degree. His ability to control the glacial power without allowing any of it to seep out is truly remarkable," Han Li replied with a smile and a nod.
Xu Jiao was quite pleased to hear this. "Then..."
"Hehe, rest assured, Fellow Daoist, seeing as you are indeed a directly lineal descendant of Fellow Daoist Ice Soul, I'll naturally hand the items over to you," Han Li chuckled before sweeping a sleeve over the table beside him, and azure light flashed, following which two items appeared on the table.
They consisted of a faint blue jade slip, and a pristine white jade box.
Both of the items were sealed tightly with a shimmering golden talisman each, and that was sufficient proof that Han Li hadn't examined these items at all.
The white-robed man glanced at the two items with a serious expression, but instead of reaching out for them right away, he asked in a cautious manner, "Would you be able to te
ll us who entrusted you with these items now, Senior?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you; it's just that even if I were to tell you, you wouldn't know who he is. All I can tell you is that this senior isn't from our human or demon race, and his powers are far beyond my own," Han Li said with slightly furrowed brows.
"So he's a foreign being with powers that far surpass even yours?" It was quite apparent that this reply came as quite a revelation to the members of the Xu Family present.
Bewildered looks appeared on all of their faces, and Han Li wasn't surprised by their reactions.
A contemplative look appeared in Xu Jiao's eyes, and he said, "Prior to Fairy Ice Soul's departure, she had only just progressed to the Body Integration Stage, so it's possible that she ventured into the primordial world to explore the entire Tian Yuan Continent. In that case, it certainly wouldn't be implausible for her to acquaint herself with a few seniors from foreign races. Could it be that these two items contain information regarding her whereabouts?"
Xu Yan and Xu Huo exchanged an elated glance, and they said, almost in unison, "It's certainly possible."
Xu Qianyu and the burly man were also quite excited at this prospect.
The white-robed man took a deep breath before drawing the two items on the table into his hands, then said, "I'm only making baseless assumptions here, so don't get too excited. Please wait here for a moment, Senior; I'll be back soon. In the meantime, I'll get Granduncle Yan and Yu'er to keep you company."
"Go ahead, Fellow Daoist Xu," Han Li replied with a nod.
Thus, Xu Jiao departed with Xu Huo and the burly man while carrying the two items, leaving only Han Li, Xu Qianyu, and Xu Yan in the hall.
After chatting with Han Li for a while, Xu Yan cupped his fist in a salute, and said, "Senior Han, I heard from Yu'er that it was only thanks to your guidance back in Deep Heaven City that she was able to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage so quickly. I must thank you on behalf of Yu'er as a senior of hers."
"I didn't do much; Fellow Daoist Qianyu's outstanding aptitude is the main reason behind the speed of her progression. I merely looked out for her from time to time," Han Li replied in a calm manner.
"Speaking of which, I heard from Qu'er that you seem to have some kind of connection with our matriarch; is that true, Senior?" Xu Yan asked in a curious manner.
"I haven't ever seen Fairy Ice Soul before, but there is indeed a connection between us. Otherwise, that elder wouldn't have entrusted these items to me. If you still have some doubts, then I'm sure this will dispel them." Han Li pointed a finger upward as he spoke, and a burst of blue flames erupted from his fingertip, then transformed into a blue ice flower.
"Celestial Blue flames!" the elderly man exclaimed as he stared intently at the blue ice flower with astonishment in his eyes.
Xu Qianyu was also quite stunned to see this, and she murmured, "Could it be that you're also..."
"It's not what you think; I merely came across some of the glacial flames that your matriarch left in a lower realm," Han Li explained with a smile.
"I see!" An enlightened look appeared on Xu Yan's face, and there was still a slight hint of suspicion in his eyes, but it wouldn't be appropriate for him to ask any further questions.
After all, Han Li was a Body Integration cultivator, and was not someone to be interrogated by a Spatial Tempering cultivator like him.
Meanwhile, Xu Jiao, the burly man, and Xu Huo were situated in a secret chamber behind the hall. The secret chamber had many layers of restrictions around it, and all three of them were intently scrutinizing the two items on the stone table inside the chamber.
"These talismans truly are very profound; even with our powers, we're unable to force them to peel off. It seems that these items really have been passed onto Senior Han by a foreign Grand Ascension Stage being." Xu Huo seemed to have already attempted to remove the talismans, but the resigned look on his face clearly indicated that he had failed.
"If these really are talismans from a Grand Ascension Stage being, then it only makes sense that we're unable to remove them by force. If we use the power of certain treasures to forcibly destroy these two talismans, we'll most likely damage the two items as well. There has to be another way to do this," Xu Jiao mused as he stroked his chin with a contemplative look on his face.
"If you have an idea, then why not give it a try? We can just try something else if it doesn't work," Xu Huo urged. He was clearly quite eager to access the two items.
Only after a long while did Xu Jiao nod in response in a solemn manner. "You're right, Granduncle. Let me give this a try, then."
He then suddenly raised an arm before opening his mouth to expel a burst of white light.
The white light quickly revolved around his wrist before returning into his mouth in a flash.
However, in the next instant, a faint gash appeared around his wrist, and several drops of blood essence slowly dripped down onto the talisman that sealed the jade slip.
Crimson light flashed momentarily, and the blood essence almost instantly seeped into the talisman.
Immediately thereafter, bright golden light suddenly erupted from the talisman, following which golden runes of different sizes surged forth in a frenzy.
However, all of these golden runes then vanished in an instant. At the same time, the astonishing spiritual Qi erupting from the talisman receded, and the spiritual light also faded.
Xu Jiao was ecstatic to see this, and he knew that he had most likely guessed correctly. Sure enough, only those who had the inherited Fairy Ice Soul's bloodline could safely remove these talismans.
He took a deep breath before gently blowing on the jade slip, and the golden talisman shuddered before silently drifting off the jade slip.
Chapter 1777: Blood Soul
Xu Huo and the burly man were also ecstatic to see this.
Xu Jiao repressed his own excitement and replicated the same procedure to remove the talisman on the jade box as well.
After glancing hesitantly at the two items for a brief moment, he reached out and grabbed the blue jade slip, then gently pressed it against his forehead before closing his eyes.
Time slowly passed, and the white-robed man's initially calm expression gradually became tinged with a hint of confusion, then slowly transitioned toward astonishment.
Xu Huo and the elderly man glanced at one another upon seeing this, and they couldn't help but grow a little nervous.
Around 10 minutes later, Xu Jiao finally exhaled before removing the jade slip from his forehead in a rather forlorn manner.
"What does it say?" Xu Huo immediately asked.
An urgent look also appeared on the burly man's face.
Xu Jiao returned to his senses before tossing the jade slip over to Xu Huo, seemingly unwilling to say anything. "You should take a look for yourself, Granduncle Huo."
Xu Huo was naturally slightly bewildered as he caught the jade slip, but after a brief hesitation, he also injected his spiritual sense into it.
Meanwhile, Xu Jiao's gaze fell upon the jade box, and after a brief pause, he swept his sleeve over it, upon which the lid of the box flew off on its own.
A swath of black light was swirling within the jade box, and it contained a small red vial that was several inches tall.
There was a strange pattern on the surface of the vial, and it was releasing a faint odor of blood and gore.
Upon catching sight of the red vial, a hint of surprise appeared on the burly man's face, and he seemed to have been able to identify it. "Hmm? That seems to be our family's..."
"Indeed, this is the Blood Soul Vial that has been passed down in our Xu Family for generations. There was originally a pair of these treasures, but one of them was taken away by Fairy Ice Soul. I didn't think that the two treasures would have a chance to reunite someday," Xu Jiao said in a brooding manner.
"So it really is that treasure," the burly man murmured to himself.
Xu Jiao instructed, "Take my
badge and mobilize all of the secret guards in our family right away. Surround the mountain that our ancestral shrine is situated on, and activate all of the nearby restrictions; make sure that not even a single fly is allowed to leave. After that, rouse our eldest granduncle from his seclusion and ask him to wait in the ancestral shrine for now."
"What? Mobilize the secret guards and rouse our eldest granduncle from seclusion?" The burly man was stunned to hear this.
The white-robed man gritted his teeth as if he were making a difficult decision, then confirmed in an implacable manner, "That's right. This is an extremely important matter that concerns our matriarch, so even if our eldest granduncle is at a critical juncture in his cultivation; he'll have to come out of seclusion to address this."
"Have you really found the whereabouts of our matriarch? I'll go right away!" The burly man was ecstatic to hear this, and he immediately rushed out of the secret chamber.
Following his departure, Xu Jiao's gaze returned to the small red vial, and a contemplative look appeared on his face.
Not long after that, Xu Huo exhaled as he finally finished reading the contents of the jade slip before also opening his eyes.
"I see. So our matriarch really did venture into the primordial world, and she even went to a foreign continent. However, something seems to have happened to her, and only a wisp of the blood soul that she refined was sent back to us," Xu Huo murmured with furrowed brows.
"Aside from that blood soul secret technique enclosed in the jade slip, all of the other information is very vague. We'll have to use the blood crystal to reawaken the wisp of blood soul before we can figure out what happened. It's a good thing that Fairy Ice Soul refined that Blood Soul Coffin and the pair of Blood Soul Vials prior to her disappearance. Otherwise, we would be at a complete loss right now," Xu Jiao said in a grim manner.
"Indeed. However, the jade slip says that once the talismans are removed, the awakening ceremony must be held within a few days. Otherwise, even the wisp of blood soul in the Blood Soul Vial will dissipate. After all, this blood soul has been sealed in the vial for far too long." A concerned look appeared on Xu Huo's face.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1023