Han Li sighed inwardly. Although he had obtained many spirit herbs from the ruins of the Lingmiao Garden, not a single one could extend his lifespan. There was nothing he could do about that.
"There's no need for Senior Brother to be so disheartened. Perhaps in the coming years, you'll stumble upon another opportunity!" Han Li could only offer words of comfort.
The old man shook his head, his expression serene. It seemed he had truly come to terms with life and death.
Han Li naturally didn't bring up the matter again. Instead, he turned his palm over, and a white jade slip appeared in his hand: "Now that the two of you have come, something just occurred to me. I happen to need some materials gathered from the various market towns across the region. There are quite a few different kinds, so collect whatever you can — as long as you do your best, that's enough. No matter how many spirit stones these things cost, so long as it's not too outrageous, just have the sect disciples grab them. They can come to me afterwards for reimbursement." Han Li handed over the jade slip as he spoke in a casual tone.
"Let me have a look!" Lü Luo's interest was piqued. He took the jade slip and swept it with his spiritual sense, a peculiar look gradually spreading across his face.
"Junior Brother, no wonder you said 'do your best' — most of these materials won't be easy to find at all. Several of them seem to be nothing more than legends. It's unlikely we'd have them here in Tiannan." Lü Luo said with a dazed expression.
"Oh? What kind of materials are they? Let me take a look too!" Senior Brother Cheng's curiosity was aroused. He reached out for the jade slip, looked through it himself, and was similarly taken aback.
"Indeed, these are all things that would be extremely difficult to track down. Junior Brother, are you planning to refine yet another magic treasure?"
"A magic treasure? Well, I suppose you could call it that!" Han Li offered a faint smile, with no intention of going into detail.
Senior Brother Cheng saw this and didn't press further. He agreed to the request readily, saying he would immediately arrange for sect disciples to search for these materials across Tiannan.
At this point, the old man and Lü Luo exchanged a glance. Then Lü Luo suddenly unhooked a bulging storage pouch from his waist and held it out in front of Han Li.
"This is?" Han Li was somewhat surprised. He instinctively took it and looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression.
"Could Junior Brother have forgotten? Back then, you once asked the sect to help you collect some peculiar materials and Geng Essence. Over the years, apart from one small piece of Geng Essence, everything else has already been gathered. I'd originally wanted to surprise you, but it seems Junior Brother needs even more materials now. Your accomplishments in artifact refinement must be quite extraordinary indeed." Lü Luo said with a smile.
"Another piece of Geng Essence was found?" Han Li's heart surged with delight. He hurriedly opened the storage pouch and took a look.
Among the miscellaneous jumble of materials, there indeed lay a small, walnut-sized piece of golden Geng Essence.
As for the remaining materials, they were precisely the ones he had been lacking to refine a Nascent Soul-level puppet. Otherwise, he would have long since forged his Nascent Soul puppets before entering the Valley of Fallen Demons.
"These are exactly what I need. Thank you both for your trouble. These materials must be worth quite a few spirit stones — I'm afraid it cost a great deal, and I..." A hint of joy appeared on Han Li's face, but when he mentioned the expense, the old man laughed and waved his hand to cut him off.
"What are you saying, Junior Brother? These materials may be worth some spirit stones, but during the Mulan invasion, you stepped forward and fought two consecutive battles on behalf of the sect. It's only right that the sect covers some costs for you. Just take them and use them freely."
"Since Senior Brother puts it that way, then Junior Brother won't stand on ceremony." Han Li was momentarily taken aback, but after a moment's thought, he smiled and readily tucked the storage pouch away.
Seeing that Han Li didn't refuse further, the old man's face showed a look of satisfaction.
"Oh, right — Senior Brother Cheng. Back when I was pulled into that spatial rift, I didn't have time to retrieve two of my flying swords. Did you happen to see them that day?" Han Li recalled something else and asked without hesitation.
When he had been sucked into the spatial rift, he'd lost track of their whereabouts. The old man had remained outside the whole time and should know where the swords ended up.
"That matter — even if you hadn't brought it up, I was meaning to tell you. The two flying swords you left behind, I didn't have time to collect them for you. That demon snatched them in one grab, and they fell into its hands. However, during the later siege against it, people reported that it never once used those flying swords in battle. It seems even the demon couldn't corrupt and wield your life-bound magic treasures. The only trouble is, with the demon's whereabouts now unknown, recovering those swords won't be easy." The old man seemed to have been expecting this question. He spoke with an apologetic look.
"With the Ancient Demon? That is troublesome. But it doesn't matter — they're only external possessions. I can simply forge two more." Han Li's expression flickered slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
"That's what I figured. With so many life-bound flying swords, losing two is no great matter. It's not worth risking your life again to hunt down that demon of unknown whereabouts." The old man's expression relaxed, and he sounded somewhat relieved.
When it came to fear of that demon, Senior Brother Cheng exceeded even Han Li by a considerable measure. He naturally didn't want Han Li, an Elder of the Luoyun Sect, to take any more risks. Han Li was the key to whether the Luoyun Sect could shine brightly in the cultivation world for years to come.
After that, Senior Brother Cheng and Lü Luo chatted with Han Li for a while longer about various matters within the sect, and then took their leave together.
Han Li rose and walked them all the way outside the grand protective formation before returning leisurely to his cave dwelling.