Chapter 638: Artifacts Divided into Nine Grades

"Fellow Daoist Mo, the Floating Cloud Mountains are now fraught with danger. Although your cultivation is not low, staying here is truly too perilous." Duan Yuzai said hastily.

Jingyang Shangren and the others also nodded in agreement and urged her to leave.

"Thank you all for your kindness, but I have sworn to wait here in Wild Crane Valley for someone to return." Mo Wuxue shook her head, her expression resolute.

Upon hearing this, Yu Ziqi's face suddenly turned pale, and he lowered his head.

Han Li noticed the subtle changes in their expressions, frowned slightly, but said nothing.

It seemed that Yu Ziqi had already revealed his feelings to Mo Wuxue, yet there appeared to be other emotional entanglements between them.

The three Heavenly Fire Immortal Venerables exchanged glances but also remained silent.

Matters of love between men and women were not something they, as outsiders, could easily comment on.

"I would trouble Fellow Daoist Jingyang to take Fellow Daoist Yu to the Hundred Creations Mountain and settle him properly. His injuries are not yet fully healed and still require a period of quiet recuperation." Mo Wuxue looked at Jingyang Shangren and said.

Jingyang Shangren was about to agree.

"Since you are unwilling to leave, I will stay and accompany you." Yu Ziqi suddenly stood up and said.

A complex look flickered in Mo Wuxue's eyes. She lowered her eyelids and sighed softly, but did not refuse.

The other four looked at one another, and for a moment, no one spoke.

"Since you two have decided to remain, we have nothing more to say. Later, I will set up a unique restriction of the Hundred Creations Mountain outside Wild Crane Valley, which I believe will serve as some deterrent. Take care, both of you." Jingyang Shangren paused, then said.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jingyang." Mo Wuxue showed a grateful expression, rose, and made a respectful bow to Jingyang Shangren.

Her decision to stay was not born of fearlessness of death. The Hundred Creations Mountain's reputation spread far across the Black Mountain Immortal Domain, and near Jukun City, it was as thunderous as a clap of thunder, deterring any from daring to offend lightly.

With this restriction in place, they would be much safer inside the valley.

Yu Ziqi also quickly stood up and expressed his thanks.

They talked for a while longer, then dispersed to prepare for departure. Jingyang Shangren flew out of the valley to begin setting up the restriction.

Mo Wuxue also rose and returned to her cave dwelling, leaving only Han Li and Yu Ziqi behind.

Yu Ziqi gazed longingly at Mo Wuxue's back until she entered her cave dwelling before withdrawing his gaze.

Seeing this, Han Li inwardly sighed at the other's deep infatuation.

However, he felt he should not involve himself further in the matter of their relationship.

Yet among those who had gathered here by chance, he still sensed a hint of warmth and friendship, which was rare and precious in the cruel world of immortal cultivation. This was also why he was willing to help these people.

Perhaps only when one lets go of the pursuit of desire and fame can one reclaim some lost precious things, yet these things are out of step with the world and fleeting.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, take these pills. They should help with your recovery." Han Li sighed inwardly, flipped his hand to produce a storage ring, and handed it over.

"I have already received much kindness from Fellow Daoist Li for saving my life; I cannot accept your pills. This injury will heal in a few more years of rest. The pills are precious; you should keep them for emergencies." Yu Ziqi hastily declined.

"These pills are of no further use to me. Fellow Daoist Yu, do not refuse. The sooner your injuries heal, the sooner Fellow Daoist Mo can be at ease." Han Li insisted, placing the storage ring beside Yu Ziqi.

Yu Ziqi was silent for a moment, then no longer refused. He muttered dejectedly, "In the end, it's still because my strength is insufficient..."

"Fellow Daoist Yu, do not be discouraged. Your aptitude is not poor; one day you may advance to Golden Immortal." Han Li patted Yu Ziqi's shoulder and said.

"Perhaps. Thank you for the compliment." Yu Ziqi smiled bitterly.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, let us part ways here. Until we meet again, take care." Han Li's eyes flickered slightly, and he cupped his hands to Yu Ziqi.

"You're leaving so soon?" Yu Ziqi was startled, surprised.

Han Li nodded silently, turned, and flew out of the valley.

Yu Ziqi watched Han Li disappear into the distance. Only after a long time did he withdraw his gaze, pick up the storage ring, and probe it with his divine sense. Suddenly, he froze.

Inside the storage ring, besides some healing pills, there was unexpectedly a Zhonggu Pill to stabilize the dantian, along with several other pills to aid in advancing to Golden Immortal.

So many precious pills were enough to help him overcome the bottleneck to Golden Immortal.

"Brother Li, I will not forget this kindness... If I survive this calamity, I will surely repay it." Yu Ziqi tightly grasped the storage ring, turned and walked toward the cave dwelling, thinking to himself.

……

Han Li flew out of Wild Crane Valley. Jingyang Shangren stood outside the valley, as if waiting specifically for him.

"Brother Li, leaving so soon?" Jingyang Shangren approached.

"Hmm, since I have to leave sooner or later, I always prefer sooner rather than later." Han Li hummed in acknowledgment and smiled.

"Brother Li, are you truly not interested in joining the Hundred Creations Mountain? If you have any conditions, just name them." Jingyang Shangren seemed unwilling to give up and asked again.

"Thank you for your high regard, Brother Jingyang, but compared to joining a faction, I still prefer freedom." Han Li said with a faint smile.

"Alas, from the moment I saw your eyes, I knew you were a man who sought freedom. Since people have different aspirations, I won't force you." Jingyang Shangren picked up his wine flask, took a big gulp, and shook his head with a wry smile, as if finally giving up.

Han Li stood with a smile, saying nothing.

"But you and I are good friends. The competition among the deputy mountain lords of Hundred Creations Mountain is extremely fierce. If there comes a day when I need your help, you must not refuse." Jingyang Shangren said bluntly.

"Of course." Han Li nodded.

"That's good. Oh, and there's one more thing that may disappoint you. The method to dispel baleful qi that you asked me to find—I have given orders, but still haven't found it." Jingyang Shangren said.

"No matter. Dispelling baleful qi is not so easily found. Please continue to search for me, Brother Jingyang. There is also something I would like to trouble you to collect for me." Han Li felt a slight disappointment but then said.

"Oh? What is it? Just say the word, Brother Li." Jingyang Shangren said.

"Items imbued with the power of the Law of Time, whether materials or immortal artifacts." Han Li stated directly.

Last time, he had increased his eight strands of Time Law Crystals, and the recovery speed of the time dao patterns on the True Word Wheel had improved again, now fully restored.

The recovery speed of the True Word Wheel's dao patterns was secondary; he wanted to see if further increasing the time dao patterns could truly affect the traversal of the Celestial Bottle.

"Items imbued with the Law of Time..." Jingyang Shangren raised an eyebrow, looked thoughtful, then raised his hand and took out an object—a pale golden small lock.

An extremely intense fluctuation of the Law of Time emanated from the pale golden small lock, far surpassing the Time Severing Pot, the green wooden ruler, and other items Han Li had obtained earlier.

Han Li's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the golden small lock.

"This is a time-law immortal artifact. Although it is only ninth-grade, it embodies one of the three supreme laws, making its value comparable to a seventh-grade immortal artifact. Last time I borrowed eighty thousand immortal spirit stones from you, and since you are leaving now, I shouldn't drag my feet on this debt. Let this golden lock serve as repayment." Jingyang Shangren's eyes showed a trace of reluctance as he handed the golden small lock to Han Li.

"Ninth-grade immortal artifact? Do immortal artifacts have grades? Why have I never heard of this before?" Han Li took the golden lock, first delighted, then startled, and asked.

"Brother Li, you don't know about this? Well, such matters are generally only known by Taiyi realm cultivators." Jingyang Shangren was slightly surprised, then smiled and said.

"Although any treasure of sufficient quality that contains law power can be called an immortal artifact, the differences between immortal artifacts are enormous. Our Hundred Creations Mountain has established nine grades based on the amount of law power contained in the artifact, with the ninth being the lowest and the first the highest. This golden lock is a ninth-grade immortal artifact." Jingyang Shangren paused and continued.

"This golden lock contains such intense Time Law power and is only a ninth-grade immortal artifact. Then most of the immortal artifacts used by immortals must be ungraded?" Han Li said in astonishment.

"Indeed. Graded immortal artifacts are extremely precious and are generally only obtainable by Taiyi realm cultivators. Those below the Taiyi realm possess ungraded immortal artifacts. After all, for cultivators below the Golden Immortal stage, obtaining one or two suitable immortal artifacts is already quite an achievement; why would they care about grades?" Jingyang Shangren laughed.

"I see. I am enlightened." Han Li nodded and looked at the golden lock in his hand.

The object contained an extremely intense Time Law power. In terms of the quantity of law power, few of the immortal artifacts on his person could compare. He would be willing to pay not just the eighty thousand immortal spirit stones it was meant to cover, but even an additional twenty thousand.

Jingyang Shangren's action was clearly an attempt to curry favor.

"Brother Jingyang, using this treasure to repay the eighty thousand immortal spirit stones is a bit of a loss for you. But this treasure is indeed what I need. I won't refuse it. Consider it a personal favor I owe you." Han Li put away the golden small lock, gave Jingyang Shangren a deep look, and said solemnly.

"Haha, no need to speak of favors. With your words, that is enough." Jingyang Shangren's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. By giving away the golden small lock, he had indeed intended to bestow a favor.

He understood Han Li's character: the less a person made promises, the more they valued their word. Given the other's status as a Heavenly Pill Alchemist, he would surely be of great help in the future.

The two chatted a bit more, then took their leave and parted.

Just as Han Li was about to fly away, a voice sounded in his mind: "No matter where you go, Brother Li, do not use the Fire Leaf Sect elder token I gave you again."

He suddenly halted, stopped, and looked toward Wild Crane Valley, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

That voice just now belonged to the Revered Fire Heat.

And inside the Revered Fire Heat's cave dwelling, there was now no trace of anyone, only a faint spatial fluctuation rippling, which soon vanished completely.

Although the Revered Fire Heat's cave dwelling was warded with restrictions, they could not block his Netherworld Demon Eyes.