"All right, enough nonsense. Help me find that Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng first. Then we can kill that brat and you'll have your body." Xuan Gu's voice turned cold as he cut the other short.
"No problem! With our combined Spirit Searching Grand Technique, tracking down a spirit ginseng will be child's play." The man spoke with undisguised contempt.
"Then let's begin!" With that, Xuan Gu's expression darkened as he flicked his sleeve downward.
Two slender threads of black qi shot from his sleeve in a flash, burrowing into the ground the instant they touched the surface, vanishing without a trace.
At the same time, beneath Xuan Gu's feet, an impossibly faint green light flared briefly and disappeared.
Xuan Gu himself hovered at low altitude, eyes closed, brow lowered, his body perfectly still.
……
On the other side, in a clearing near the stone mountain, Han Li toyed with a yellow formation flag in his hand. His expression was calm, but his gaze flickered uncertainly, as though he were mulling over something. A hint of hesitation creased his brow.
Suddenly he raised his hand, and a streak of yellow light flew forth. The small flag in his hand planted itself firmly in the ground.
"Even if I can't see anything wrong with this formation flag, did you really think I'd take no precautions at all?" Han Li murmured to himself, a faint cold smile playing at the corner of his lips.
Then he reached into his storage pouch, and to his hand came over a dozen remarkably similar yellow small flags, each radiating a dense aura of earth spiritual energy.
Staring at those gleaming little flags, a strange look flickered across Han Li's face.
……
Not long after, Xuan Gu on the opposite side stirred. His eyes snapped open.
Two threads of black qi and one beam of green light shot up from the ground simultaneously, flying back into Xuan Gu's body.
"Found it. That Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng really knows how to hide. It had anchored its main body in a hollow on a massive boulder. Without careful inspection, it would be nearly impossible to spot." The deep-voiced man spoke inside Xuan Gu's mind, sounding rather pleased with himself.
"Good — that's all I needed. Now let me see whether that brat has finished setting his flags and walked into the trap. Be careful; don't reveal yourself carelessly. Whatever you do, don't let the other party detect you." Xuan Gu's tone was grave.
"Relax. The Transformation Technique I'm using would require the spiritual sense of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to penetrate. There's no chance he'll find me. As for later — if you somehow can't handle him, don't expect me to lift a finger! His Gold Lightning Bamboo is the bane of formless spirits like me. I have no intention of being struck into annihilation by the Exorcism Divine Thunder." The man adopted a tone that made clear he was stating the ugly truth upfront.
"Hmph! Dealing with an early-stage Core Formation junior doesn't require your help. I wouldn't move against this person unless I were absolutely certain of victory. And you needn't fear the Exorcism Divine Thunder. A few days ago, when he fought me, those Gold Lightning Bamboo flying swords of his had only just been unleashed. Even if the weapons still held some residual divine thunder, it should have been exhausted passing through the Ghost Mist. His Gold Lightning Bamboo flying swords are no longer a threat. What did give me pause was the swarm of gold-and-silver beetles he released during our battle. Despite all my experience, I couldn't identify those insects. That was rather peculiar. I don't know what spirit insects they are, but I'd wager they're more formidable than ordinary ones." Xuan Gu's expression was indifferent.
"Oh! Without the Exorcism Divine Thunder, that man poses no real threat. I'll assess the situation and decide then whether to intervene." The man's tone relaxed.
Xuan Gu's lips twitched slightly at the corners, but he said nothing more.
Though he held a sliver of the other's vital spirit essence, he knew full well that this alone was not enough to truly control him.
The man had immersed himself in the ghostly arts for countless years, and when it came to means of manipulating souls, he was at least a step or two more skilled than Xuan Gu. At worst, the man might suffer severe damage to his foundations and break free of his control entirely.
He had no desire to push too hard.
Xuan Gu cast a glance around, then transformed into a wisp of dark cloud and drifted toward Han Li's position.
Moments later, he found Han Li and descended.
Though the ground was relatively flat, wild grass grew thick and tangled. Behind it stood a small cluster of dozens of sparsely scattered trees forming a thin woods.
"Done setting up?" Xuan Gu materialized before Han Li without a change in expression and asked calmly.
"Of course I'm done. Right over there." Han Li leaned against a large tree, lazily pointing behind him.
Xuan Gu focused his gaze. Sure enough, in the woods behind Han Li, there were clear fluctuations of earth spiritual energy.
Lord Xuan Gu was secretly delighted.
He then drew a jade box from his storage pouch and opened the lid in front of Han Li.
"What is that?"
The moment the jade box opened, a revolting stench assailed them. Han Li shot to his feet in an instant, immediately held his breath, and retreated a few steps with an alert expression, regarding Xuan Gu warily.
"Don't be suspicious. It's the droppings of a Musk Orchid Beast. Nasty as it smells, this substance is extraordinarily enticing to the Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng. Simply place it within the formation, and the spirit ginseng's avatar will certainly come seeking it. Once we restrain that avatar, we can calmly dig up the main body without fear of it transforming and fleeing." Lord Xuan Gu glanced at Han Li sideways, his expression unchanged.
"Musk Orchid Beast droppings?"