"What do you mean by that?" Han Li merely glanced at the bone box and did not reach out to take it. How could he possibly reach for it without knowing what was inside? "You needn't worry. Inside is the crafting formula for one of our Tian Fu Sect's three sacred spiritual seals—the 'Seal of Calming the Spirit.' Historically, only the Sect's abbot has been authorized to study and practice it. I have no other intention than to kindly ask you, if possible, to carry this formula back to our sect when you have the chance. I don't want our Tian Fu Sect to lose this invaluable art." The red-faced elder sighed and then opened the box himself, revealing several bone slabs inscribed with dense, intricate characters. "The Seal of Calming the Spirit? Only the abbot can learn it—so are you the abbot of the Tian Fu Sect?" Han Li's expression showed a moment of hesitation. "Indeed, I am. I am Yun, the 57th abbot of the Tian Fu Sect." Our sect in Huayun Prefecture of Jin State is merely a minor branch, so it truly is a great honor that I, at just a Foundation Stage cultivator, have been appointed as the sect's abbot—this must surely be a source of embarrassment to my esteemed friend." The elder, slightly flushed, acknowledged with a nod. Upon hearing the elder's words, Han Li's expression of surprise flickered only briefly before his brows furrowed slightly. After a moment, he slowly turned to the elder and said, "Since the method of crafting the Lowering Spirit Scroll is exclusively accessible to the abbot, it must possess certain unique qualities. Yet you've entrusted this method entirely to me—how can I be certain that I won't learn it as well? Moreover, though I've heard much of the great reputation of the Great Jin State, I have never actually visited there myself. I'm not even sure whether I'll ever have the chance to go in the future. Isn't that rather impetuous of you?" Upon hearing Han Li's questions, the elder did not appear surprised at all; instead, a look of admiration shone in his eyes. He replied, "Since I have entrusted this scroll to you, I am effectively allowing Moreover, honestly speaking, once the guest truly sees the method of crafting this seal, I suspect he will no longer have much interest in staying here. Although the method of crafting the Spirit-Calling Seal has been passed down through generations in our sect, it has only been practiced by a few senior ancestors during our sect's prosperous period—specifically, two or three of them crafted just a handful of seals. Since then, every successive abbot has treated it merely as a tradition, with no one actually attempting to craft it. Now that our sect has declined so greatly, it would truly be a dream of a fool to even attempt it. As for whether the guest will journey to the Jin State to return this seal-making technique—this is entirely up to the guest. I merely seek peace of mind. After all, this Spirit-Calling Seal is the unique seal-making method devised by our sect's founding patriarch. Should it be lost in the immortal realm, I shall feel deeply uneasy. Even if this technique cannot be restored to the Heavenly Seal Sect, its continuation through the guest's hands would be far better than its complete disappearance. Then, when I eventually reach the afterlife and meet my esteemed predecessors, I shall have something to say in my own defense. The elder Han Li felt a bit speechless at this point. It seemed that the abbot of Tian Fu Sect had merely sought peace of mind. In that case, Han Li truly only gained advantages—no losses at all. If he didn't go to the great Jin state, there would be no need to return the bone box. But if he did go to this famed empire, sending something would merely be a matter of simple effort. Moreover, what exactly was so miraculous about the Jiang Ling Seal? It seemed quite difficult to produce. This now sparked Han Li's curiosity. Based on his growing experience, he knew that besides ordinary five-element spells, the immortal realm indeed contained certain special seals with astonishing powers—known collectively as "mysterious seals" or "mystery seals." These seals were hard to classify under the five elemental arts and often had unique, exclusive methods of production within each sect, making it extremely difficult for others to replicate them. For instance, the manifestation seal that appeared when he was nearly killed by a covert attack from a Star Palace elder during the ceremony in the inner hall of the Xutian Hall, and the specially crafted transmission seal from the Star Palace, were two distinct types of secret seals. Of course, the former held far greater value than the latter. After a brief thought, Han Li no longer hesitated, reaching out to take the bone box with a solemn voice, and promised, "All I can offer to my friend is my best effort. Cloud Brother, please don't expect too much." "Hehe, that's more than sufficient! With Han Brother's words, I am truly grateful." Hearing Han Li's words, the red-faced elder seemed even more reassured, his face beaming with gratitude as he repeatedly expressed his thanks. After chatting a few more moments with Han Li, he gracefully excused himself and departed. Standing at the door, Han Li watched the elder's retreating figure, then gently held the bone box in his hands, feeling it light and unremarkable—seeming to hold no hidden significance. At that moment, Mei Ning, who had remained silent since standing behind Han Li, finally asked, "I've never heard of this 'Jiang Ling Seal' before. Is it truly a very powerful kind of scroll?" "Actually, I'm not sure, but I'd guess it's no ordinary one!" Han Li glanced at the young woman's face, smooth as jade, and smiled lightly. Then he returned to his seat by the table and picked up a bone tablet, scanning it carefully. "Hmm!" After just glancing at it, Han Li exclaimed in surprise. "Is there something wrong with the method of creating the seal?" Mei Ning also settled down across from him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, asking with a gentle gaze. Since that fateful kiss, the two had grown a little more intimate, their initial reserve gradually fading away. "There's nothing wrong. The materials required to craft this Jiang Ling Seal are truly extraordinary! That's why the Heavenly Scroll Sect, though skilled in scroll-making, has never dared to attempt producing this particular type of seal. Han Li finished reading the bone fragment in his hand and casually placed it into the box. "What materials are needed? Even Brother Han finds them extraordinary?" Mei Ning expressed her slight confusion. "The other materials aren't too surprising. But as the primary material for creating the seal, there's something that can't even be purchased with spiritual stones—something that requires the essence of a fully-formed stage (shenxing) immortal beast. To create this 'Lowering the Spirit Seal,' you need such a rare essence. Isn't that truly extraordinary?" Han Li picked up the next bone fragment, smiled gently. "The essence of a fully-formed stage immortal beast?" Mei Ning gasped, her clear eyes filled with astonishment. However, she didn't notice that, as she carefully examined the fragment in his hand, Han Li's face had subtly revealed a touch of mysterious expression. After resting overnight, Han Li and Mei Ning made no further announcements and simply left the village, drawing surprised glances from the guards. Standing once more at the edge of the scattered rocks, gazing at the yellowish, hazy desert before them, Han Li identified the direction and then led Mei Ning toward the nearest village among the others. His thought was simple: if the young lady's brother had arrived safely at this location, he would surely have reached one of the other villages as well. Once they found him, they would take him along together. Mei Ning found Han Li's plan perfectly reasonable and offered no objections. In a moment, the two were gone, vanishing into the vast expanse of yellow sand. Though they appeared grotesque, like a giant toad magnified in size, they were among the few阴兽 in this gloomy realm whose bodies contained no potent toxins and were thus suitable for human consumption. Naturally, the humans came to hunt these green toads in order to alleviate the food crisis in their village. Their movements were exceptionally agile, silent as a breeze, and as they closed in on the encircling formation, a sudden flash of crimson eyes opened in one of the green toads—fixing its gaze directly upon the humans just twenty or thirty paces away. The cry of "Attack!" from among the humans rang out simultaneously with the warning shriek emitted by the toad. In an instant, several dozen bone spears, glowing with a bright white light, shot swiftly toward the green toads. Most of the toads leaped upward, only to be pierced and fall to the ground by the spears. Only two of the most agile ones managed to evade the attack; though they were not entirely unharmed, they merely escaped injury because the spears grazed them as they darted out of the way. Among the Yin beasts, the Bi Chán creatures rank nearly at the lowest level, possessing only the ability to exhale a few bursts of Yin energy and lacking any particularly sharp offensive capabilities. Yet, in compensation, their agility and speed in leaping and evading are astonishing. Witnessing the remaining two Bi Chán beasts, they opened their mouths wide, launching two dense black clumps of Yin energy—each the size of their heads—directly at their opponents. Then, with a powerful backward kick, they leapt high, soaring seven or eight zhang into the air, and instantly broke free from the human encirclement. Though several individuals managed to hurl their reserve bone spears, they clearly fell behind and were unable to reach the beasts' forms. As the two Bi Chán beasts continued to leap and evade, eventually charging into a cluster of strange stones some distance away, they suddenly flashed with a vibrant green light—then, without a sound, plummeted straight down from the sky, crashing to the ground with a deep thud. Their emerald blood immediately stained the earth crimson. This sudden turn of events left the young and middle-aged men and women, who had been growing increasingly disheartened, utterly stunned.