Hearing this, Han Li didn't agree right away. Instead, he absently furrowed his nose, and after thinking for a moment said: "Brother Jin, how about you give me some time to think it over? In two days, I'll give you my answer."
"Of course! Take all the time you need to think it through, Fellow Daoist Han. If it really won't work out, I'll try asking around to see if there are other rogue cultivators who understand formations," Jin Qing said with great understanding.
He then exchanged a few more pleasantries with Han Li before cupping his fists and taking his leave.
Han Li watched Jin Qing's receding figure, standing motionless for a good while, a contemplative expression on his face.
Truth be told, places like ancient cultivator ruins had indeed been discovered quite often in the Chaotic Star Sea.
They could be completely empty inside, or they might yield the cultivation insights of ancient cultivators, rare materials that had long since gone extinct, or treasures like spiritual artifacts.
All in all, most ruins yielded at least some harvest — though how good or bad it was depended entirely on the discoverer's luck.
However, in Han Li's honest opinion, he really didn't want to go out looking for any ancient cultivator ruins.
The Chaotic Star Sea was currently turbulent under the surface, and things outside Tianxing City weren't exactly peaceful. Moreover, his Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords hadn't been cultivated for very long, so they couldn't be considered particularly powerful.
Given all this, he was genuinely reluctant to head out right now.
If it were anyone else, Han Li would have refused outright. But Jin Qing had always been on fairly good terms with him, had once offered him some cultivation guidance, and this was the first time he'd ever asked for a favor — so it was hard to turn him down.
Standing there deliberating for a while, Han Li finally raised his head and let out a soft sigh.
"There are still two days. He might as well think it over a bit more!"
With that thought, Han Li shook his head, took a light step, and drifted back into his residence.
Two days later, Jin Qing indeed came to the cave residence again, and Han Li ultimately agreed to make the trip with him.
Partly to repay the favor, and partly because he was genuinely a bit curious about those ancient cultivator ruins — who knew what good things they might find inside?
Jin Qing was naturally delighted. The very next day, he, Han Li, and Qu Hun set out from Tianxing City together, heading toward the ancient cultivator ruins.
The fact that Qu Hun was Han Li's clone had long since been tacitly figured out by the nearby cultivators through all their years of interaction with him, so Jin Qing had no objections.
…
Two months later, Han Li, Jin Qing, and the others were hurtling at great speed over a remote stretch of the Chaotic Star Sea.
According to Jin Qing, after flying for so long, they should be arriving not far ahead.
Sure enough, after flying for a little over half a day, they finally spotted a large island.
The island was enormous, spanning well over a thousand li across. But it was mostly hills and earthen slopes — as far as the eye could see, everything was a dull grayish-yellow.
"Is this the island?" Han Li gazed down from above and asked Jin Qing beside him with some surprise.
"That's right. Following the map's directions, we found this island. I asked the nearby mortals about it, and it turns out this is a genuine wasteland. Not only is there no spirit vein to be found anywhere nearby, but for some reason, even ordinary trees can't survive on the island," Jin Qing said, a trace of puzzlement on his face.
Han Li blinked in mild surprise upon hearing this, but after a moment's thought, he smiled and said: "The more unusual this island is, the more likely it is that ancient cultivator ruins really are here. That should count as good news."
"Heh! That's exactly what we thought at the time, which is why we searched the entire island and found the most likely spot," Jin Qing said with a hint of pride.
Han Li smiled faintly at this, glanced around, and then asked casually: "So, where exactly is this place you mentioned that's covered by a formation?"
"Fly another hundred-some li to the west, and there's a massive earthen mountain. One of its slopes is sealed by a grand formation," Jin Qing replied without hesitation.
"Then let's head over. Maybe your associate has already arrived and broken the formation," Han Li said with a smile.
"Heh heh! If that's really the case, that'd be great — it would save us a lot of trouble. At most, we'd just let them take a few more items," Jin Qing said, rubbing his chin with a sly look crossing his face.