As the Immortal Ship landed outside White Tiger Market on White Tiger Peak, both the Foundation Establishment Stage Elder leading the group and the Qi Refining Stage Disciples participating in the trial mission unconsciously breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Being back within the sect's boundaries brought a renewed sense of security.
Han Yi disembarked with the others and headed away from the market.
"Junior Sister Chu, Junior Brother Shen, Junior Brother Han," He Fengdi called out as they walked, "you should all return to your residences and rest. In three days, we'll meet at White Tiger Palace to submit our mission, sell the remaining Demon Beasts we hunted, exchange them for points, and distribute them according to our contributions."
Submitting missions related to the New Policy could be done at any Management Hall on the Inner Peak. Han Yi had no objections.
During their reckless rampage through the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, they had primarily hunted low-tier Demon Beasts. However, they had also slain seven Seventh-Tier Demon Beasts and three Eighth-Tier Demon Beasts. After converting these kills into points and distributing them according to their pre-arranged plan, Han Yi, who had contributed less than the others, would still receive a share, however small.
He Fengdi, Chu Jinmo, and Shen Ru, all disciples of White Tiger Peak, dispersed after passing White Tiger Palace. He Fengdi and Shen Ru headed outward, while Chu Jinmo walked toward the palace.
Han Yi stood motionless for a moment, glanced at White Tiger Palace, then turned and began his descent.
An incense stick's worth of time later, he arrived at Azure Dragon Peak as usual. He nodded in greeting to fellow disciples he recognized along the path as they passed.
Only when he stepped into his courtyard did his body and mind completely relax.
Moments later, he retrieved four storage pouches and six items from his person, arranging them before him.
Three of the storage pouches belonged to cultivators at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, while the fourth belonged to a burly cultivator at the Ninth Layer, who had wielded a halberd.
Han Yi attempted to break the restrictions on the pouches using his divine sense, but the seals remained stubbornly intact, requiring prolonged effort to erode.
Time was his most precious resource, so he reluctantly abandoned the attempt and stowed the pouches away.
Next, he turned his attention to the six items.
The first was the Wind Demon Dagger—seven of them, their dark, cold blades glinting faintly at the tips, revealing their razor-sharp edges capable of slicing through hair without resistance.
Han Yi was most pleased with the Wind Demon Daggers' exceptional sharpness and inherent wind attribute.
"Four daggers alone were enough to trap that Spirit-Body Dual Cultivator," he mused. "If I truly mastered all seven, even Han Xuxiao wouldn't be a match for me."
He rejoiced, considering the Magic Artifacts' performance during the Myriad Demon Mountain Range mission far exceeded his expectations, filling him with immense satisfaction.
Of course, wielding all seven daggers was still a distant aspiration. He estimated that at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, he could manage at most five, while full mastery would only come at the Eighth Layer.
"What a pity," he lamented, shaking his head with regret. "The Shadowless Sword's maiden battle ended so anticlimactically."
The Shadowless Sword had pierced the Demon Tiger's throat but became lodged in its throat bones, leaving only the hilt exposed. Even Han Yi dared not face the enraged beast, especially given its Innate Divine Ability to freeze space. Even with all his strength and the Yin Thunder Talisman, victory seemed impossible.
Forced to abandon the sword, Han Yi turned his attention back to the Wind Demon Daggers.
This set of daggers was an absolute steal. Han Yi now realized he might have misjudged He Fangwei of the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild. The guild likely made little profit on these Magic Artifacts, and in fact, had secured them at a discount by leveraging their reputation.
He owed them a debt of gratitude.
After carefully stowing the daggers away, Han Yi turned his attention to the second item: a halberd nearly two meters long, entirely gilded in gold, radiating an aura of supreme nobility. He hadn't forgotten how the burly cultivator had conjured a phantom golden serpent from this weapon, using it to effortlessly ensnare all four of his daggers. That spell was terrifyingly powerful.
Moreover, the halberd had withstood the full force of an Yin Thunder Talisman without a scratch, proving its extraordinary craftsmanship.
In Han Yi's expert judgment, this was undoubtedly a top-tier High-Grade Magic Artifact.
"I don't know the halberd's name, but it's definitely no weaker than the Silverlight Pearls I sold earlier—perhaps even stronger."
After all, the Silverlight Pearls weren't the Cold Youth's primary weapon; that honor belonged to his Golden Light Shuttle. This halberd, however, was the signature weapon of the burly cultivator, a Spirit-Body Dual Cultivator.
Han Yi stored the halberd in his storage pouch. Though an extraordinary weapon, it didn't suit his fighting style, so he planned to sell it and purchase a new sword—this time aiming for a blade surpassing the Shadowless Sword in quality, a High-Grade Magic Artifact.
He turned his attention to the third item: a silver folding fan, confiscated from the refined middle-aged cultivator he had slain.
This fan was likely another top-tier High-Grade Magic Artifact. During their battle, the refined cultivator had transformed it into a razor-sharp disc, capable of shattering Han Yi's full-powered Fire Shield Technique with a single strike—a demonstration of power that had truly impressed him.
Han Yi stowed the fan away, intending to sell it alongside the halberd to raise enough funds for a truly exceptional sword.
Next, he examined the fourth item: a partially shattered Blood Soul Banner, wielded by the refined cultivator's companion. With over half of the banner destroyed, its value was significantly diminished, but it was still something to salvage and add to his gains.
Next, Han Yi turned his attention to the fifth item. Calling them "items" might not be entirely accurate, as it was actually three Mid-Grade Magic Artifact-level Body-Protecting Inner Armor pieces.
Two were in perfect condition, taken from the refined middle-aged cultivator with the fan and the cultivator accompanying him. The third, slightly damaged, had been taken from a Blood God Sect cultivator whom the refined cultivator had previously slain.
Since Han Yi already possessed a High-Grade Body-Protecting Inner Armor, he decided to sell these newly acquired pieces.
He then examined the sixth item: a small, black pouch, no larger than the palm of his hand. Han Yi suspected it might be a Cosmic Pouch.
In the Cultivation World, there were various methods for storing items. The most basic was the Storage Pouch, commonly used by cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage and even some in the Foundation Establishment Stage.
More advanced than Storage Pouches were Cosmic Pouches, said to contain their own miniature cosmos. These pouches not only offered greater storage capacity but could also house living creatures, such as certain Demon Beasts or even people.
However, living beings trapped within a Cosmic Pouch would find themselves confined to a dark, silent space. Time would continue to flow, and their minds would remain active, but their bodies would be utterly immobile—a fate more terrifying than mere imprisonment.
This was it—the Cosmic Pouch.
"Based on what I've learned, the divine sense restrictions on Cosmic Pouches are the same as those on Storage Pouches. If this is indeed a Cosmic Pouch, its restriction should also be a divine sense restriction, meaning it should be safe to touch."
After a moment's thought, Han Yi decided to test it. He slowly extended his divine sense toward the black pouch lying on the floor of the Meditation Chamber and immediately felt an invisible force pushing it back.
Far from being alarmed, Han Yi's eyes lit up with delight. "It is a divine sense restriction! This must undoubtedly be a Cosmic Pouch."
"Moreover," he continued, "the divine sense restriction on this Cosmic Pouch is surprisingly weak—even weaker than those found on ordinary Storage Pouches used by cultivators at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement."
What Han Yi didn't know was that the true owner of this Cosmic Pouch wasn't the burly youth Liao Yan whom he had killed, but rather a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator from the Blood God Sect.
The Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator had temporarily lent the Cosmic Pouch to Liao Yan for collecting spirit plants secretly cultivated within the Myriad Demon Mountain Range. Beforehand, he had erased his own divine sense restriction. Liao Yan, aware that he would need to return the pouch to his Martial Uncle upon returning to the sect, had only applied a superficial layer of divine sense restriction.
He had never imagined he would fall in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range. He believed that even if he encountered top-ranked Peak Qi Refining Stage cultivators from the Profound Pill Sect, he could at least retreat unscathed.
Unfortunately for him, he had crossed paths with Han Yi—a cultivator wielding cheat-like abilities.