"I understand, Junior Brother," Han Yi said, draining his third cup of Immortal Tea. The fragrance remained intense, but the mana-stirring sensation it had initially evoked was now barely perceptible.
After chatting for a while longer, Han Yi prepared to take his leave when Zhou Su stopped him. Zhou Su produced a blank jade slip, recorded information about the Fu Clan cultivation family into it using his Divine Sense, and handed it to Han Yi along with another jade slip.
"Junior Brother Han, the first jade slip contains information on twenty-seven Fu Clans. If all goes well, the Fu Clan you're looking for should be among them."
"The second jade slip is a detailed map of Shu Capital, but it only covers the area from the Ninth Immortal Ring to the Fourth Immortal Ring."
"I hope these jade slips save you some time in your search."
Han Yi accepted the jade slips, clasped his hands in a grateful salute, and turned to leave.
He understood that Zhou Su's gesture was an attempt to curry favor, which he didn't reject. Moreover, the information contained in the jade slips was precisely what he urgently needed.
After Han Yi departed, the shopkeeper on the ground floor remarked in awe, "Elder Han is truly understated. If this hadn't been his first appearance, I wouldn't have known the sect even had such an elder!"
Zhou Su instructed, "Han Yi's status is far from ordinary. If he visits the shop in the future, ensure he receives impeccable service and is treated with the utmost respect."
The shopkeeper nodded. "Elder Zhou, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is Elder Han's position?"
Zhou Su's expression turned serious. "Suffice it to say that Sect Leader Yuan Shun himself personally served as Han Yi's guardian during his Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Such a position is anything but ordinary."
The shopkeeper's face paled slightly. The Sect Leader's involvement made this the most important matter within the Profound Pill Sect.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Profound Immortal Pill Shop, Han Yi meticulously memorized the information from the two jade slips Zhou Su had given him.
Shu Capital was vast, with an extraordinarily detailed map.
There were twenty-seven Fu Clans in total: eleven in the Ninth Immortal Ring, nine in the Eighth Immortal Ring, five in the Seventh Immortal Ring, and the final two—both Golden Core families—in the Sixth and Fifth Immortal Rings.
No need to rush, Han Yi thought. I'll take my time and investigate thoroughly. I'll start by checking the nine Foundation Establishment cultivation families in the Eighth Immortal Ring.
Eighth Immortal Ring, Anyuan Road, Pudu District, Luoquan Street, Qinghe Ward—the Qinghe Fu Clan will be my first target.
The map of Shu Capital was divided into hierarchical administrative units: Immortal Ring, Road, District, Street, and Ward.
Han Yi carefully stowed the Jade Slip, found a secluded spot, and took flight on his sword. Reaching mid-air, he released his Immortal Boat, boarded it, and set course for Anyuan Road, Pudu District, Luoquan Street, and Qinghe Ward.
Even at the Immortal Boat's speed, it took over an hour for Han Yi to reach Qinghe Ward. After landing, he spent some Spirit Stones to inquire about the Qinghe Fu Clan's location and headed straight there.
Half an hour later, Han Yi emerged from the Qinghe Fu Clan, shaking his head.
This descent from the mountain to find Fu Canghai's clan hadn't been empty-handed. Han Yi carried a token: half of a crimson jade pendant given to him by He Fangwei. This pendant had served as Fu Canghai's identity tag when he was still part of the clan.
To improve his chances, Han Yi had also employed a subtle strategy. He claimed to be a descendant of Fu Canghai, seeking to reunite estranged clan members with their ancestral home.
If this was indeed the Fu Clan he sought, they would likely consider accepting him, given his Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level. Such a level represented mid-tier combat power within the Foundation Establishment Stage, making him a valuable asset.
The clan would naturally produce their own identity tags to verify their shared lineage with Fu Canghai. Even if they remained skeptical, they might insist on a bloodline verification ritual.
If the Fu Clan Han Yi was searching for turned out to be the wrong one, he would reject them outright. They wouldn't covet the combat power of a Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially since the man was a stranger whose motives were unknown.
This approach would allow Han Yi to roughly identify the true Fu Clan he sought. Only then would he hand over the Storage Pouch He Fangwei had entrusted to him, thus settling this debt of gratitude.
Naturally, finding the right Fu Clan would be ideal. If he failed, it likely meant the clan had already fallen. In that case, Han Yi would return to the Profound Pill Sect and give the Storage Pouch to He Fangwei.
However, this verification method was merely his initial plan. He would adapt his approach as needed during his search.
With this, his debt of gratitude could be considered settled.
Earlier, Han Yi had visited the Qinghe Fu Clan's residence. The Fu Clan Patriarch was absent, but the Supreme Elder was present. After Han Yi explained his purpose, the elder denied any connection, leaving Han Yi with no choice but to depart.
"The second location is Anyuan Road in Rongping District, Jiayu Street, Hongsong Ward—the same road, not far from here."
Han Yi summoned his Flying Boat and soared skyward once more. After determining his direction, the Immortal Boat transformed into a streak of light, hurtling across the sky at astonishing speed.
Seven days later...
Han Yi retreated from the Eighth Immortal Ring to the Ninth Immortal Ring, having already searched all eleven Fu Clan residences in the Eighth Immortal Ring without finding the one he sought.
Thirteen days later, Han Yi traversed the Ninth Immortal Ring, bypassed the Eighth Immortal Ring, and entered the Seventh Immortal Ring, as none of the nine Fu Clan residences in the Ninth Immortal Ring proved to be his target either.
However, the Shu Capital Immortal Ring was modeled after the Ninefold Immortal Court of the Great Qian Immortal Capital. Just as unauthorized flight was prohibited within the Seventh Immortal Court of the capital, the same restriction applied upon entering the Seventh Immortal Ring in Shu Capital.
"Unauthorized flight" referred to any air travel not conducted by cultivators affiliated with the Great Qian government or by Immortal Boats not sanctioned by the Great Qian Merchant Guild. Official Great Qian cultivators, such as those from the Six Ministries, and Immortal Boats registered to major Great Qian Merchant Guilds were exempt from this restriction.
Upon entering the Seventh Immortal Ring, Han Yi stowed his Immortal Boat and proceeded to a bustling market district. There, he asked a passing Qi Refining cultivator for directions to the nearest branch of the Flying Immortal Pavilion.
Han Yi then entered the pavilion, provided an address, and inquired about the next Immortal Boat departure.
The Flying Immortal Pavilion was a subsidiary of the Myriad Immortals Pavilion, specializing in Immortal Boat transportation services.
Of course, their business wasn't confined to the Seventh Immortal Ring; they had branches throughout Great Qian and even beyond, in the Great Qin and Great Yong Immortal Kingdoms.
Back when Han Yi was still in the Qi Refining stage, he had returned to the Profound Pill Sect from Tong City in Luofeng County aboard a Flying Immortal Pavilion Immortal Boat. He had traveled from Tong City to another major Immortal City in Nanyang County, and then continued his journey back to the sect.
Now, wanting to travel within the Seventh Immortal Ring, Han Yi once again chose a Flying Immortal Pavilion Immortal Boat. After all, the Myriad Immortals Tower's reputation for reliability would save him a great deal of trouble.
"Seventh Immortal Ring, West Copper Road, Universal Spring District, Fixed Pond Street, Peaceful River Ward."
"Fellow Daoist, unfortunately, the Immortal Boat to West Copper Road departed this morning. The next one won't leave for three days."
After a moment's consideration, Han Yi booked a seat on the Immortal Boat departing in three days, paid the deposit, and left the Flying Immortal Pavilion. He then rented a premium room at the nearest cultivator's inn to quietly await his departure.
Three days later, the Immortal Boat set sail for West Copper Road. Han Yi located the first Fu Clan branch in the Seventh Immortal Ring, but it proved to be the wrong one, leaving him disappointed.
Seven days later, Han Yi found a second Fu Clan branch, but it still wasn't his target.
A month later, Han Yi moved from the Seventh Immortal Ring to the Sixth Immortal Ring.
A month and a half later, Han Yi entered the Fifth Immortal Ring from the Sixth.
Another half-month passed.
Disappointed, Han Yi retreated from the Fifth Immortal Ring to the Eighth. He then summoned his Immortal Boat, boarded it, and set course beyond the borders of Shu Capital.
After nearly three months of searching, Han Yi had finally investigated all twenty-seven Fu Clan branches within the Shu Capital region, as indicated by the information Zhou Su had provided. None of them met his requirements.
Perhaps the Fu Clan he was seeking no longer existed.
Fu Canghai had left Shu Capital nearly three centuries ago. For a Foundation Establishment family, this wasn't an exceptionally long time. After all, an Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator could extend their lifespan by two Sexagenary Cycles, nearly two hundred and fifty years.
If the Fu Clan still existed, only two or three generations of Foundation Establishment cultivators would have passed. Their identity tokens and the names of clan members shouldn't have been so easily forgotten.
Yet, despite his exhaustive search, Han Yi found no trace of them.
Though disappointed, Han Yi harbored no regrets. He had put in the effort and believed he had fulfilled his obligation.
Upon returning to the Profound Pill Sect, he would return the Storage Pouch to He Fangwei. As for what He Fangwei chose to do with it, that would become a matter for Fu Canghai's disciples and descendants to resolve among themselves.
Having settled his karmic debts and rescued Zheng Hai, Han Yi's months of relentless travel were finally coming to an end.
Upon returning to the sect, he planned to focus on honing his skills and advancing his cultivation realm. Han Yi continued to strategize, envisioning his future plans.
The Immortal Boat smoothly departed Shu Capital and flew another twenty li before passing over a mountain range.
Suddenly—
Boom!
Thunder reverberated through the void as a bolt of lightning descended, striking Han Yi's Immortal Boat directly.
Crack!
Inside the boat's control core, all the spirit stones shattered simultaneously, their fragments scattering. At the same moment, a fissure appeared in the control core itself.
Han Yi, who had been meditating cross-legged on the boat, stared wide-eyed in horror as the lightning struck.
This sudden ambush, without the slightest warning, had caught him completely off guard.
He couldn't understand it. He had chosen this route randomly. If someone had been lying in wait, they couldn't possibly have known he was aboard the Immortal Boat. There was only one possible explanation: he had encountered robber cultivators again.
Moreover, anyone daring to attack an Immortal Boat must be a robber cultivator at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
A chill ran down Han Yi's spine. He immediately took flight on his sword, leaving the damaged Immortal Boat to plummet downward. With a wave of his hand, he stored it in his Storage Ring.
This was a Human Immortal-grade Immortal Boat bestowed by the Sect, an invaluable treasure even more precious than a Top-Grade Magic Artifact.
Although Han Yi's wealth had surged dramatically after surviving the Blood God Sect's ambush and receiving the Emperor Monarch's rewards, losing a Human Immortal-grade Immortal Boat still stung deeply.
If I patch it up, it should still be usable.
In the void...
High above, an Immortal Boat suddenly materialized.
Han Yi had sensed nothing before its appearance.
He abruptly looked up, his heart pounding, his expression shifting slightly. A boat capable of eluding his senses must be of a higher grade than his Human Immortal-grade vessel. Typically, such superior vessels were controlled by cultivators of advanced cultivation levels.
The moment the Immortal Boat materialized, Han Yi's mind raced, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
!
Then...
With a swift movement, he activated Sword Flight to flee.
However, just as he began to escape, two figures descended from the superior Immortal Boat above, landing before him and behind him to block his path.
In the next instant, a third cultivator, having secured the higher-altitude vessel, also descended on his own flight instrument, landing on the opposite side.
Instantly, Han Yi found himself hovering in the void on his sword, surrounded by three cultivators forming a triangular encirclement.
"Han Yi of the Heaven's Will Sect, you're as slippery as a rabbit! If we hadn't borrowed the Hall Master's Immortal Boat, you would have escaped us again."
Behind Han Yi to his left, a burly man with a thick beard spat contemptuously, a vicious grin spreading across his face. He wielded a massive two-meter-long broad black blade that looked immensely heavy. This man had been one of the first cultivators to descend, landing behind Han Yi.
Han Yi raised an eyebrow at the man's words. The information contained within that single sentence was profoundly intriguing.
Knowing his name indicated that these weren't mere Robber Cultivators; they had come specifically to hunt him down.
He had only acted under the Heaven's Will Sect's banner twice: once in the Great Qian Immortal Capital, and again in Jia Mountain City.
"This time's pursuit?" That implied there had been a previous attempt. But when could someone have hunted him without his knowledge?
This meant the previous pursuit must have occurred when he was acting in the name of the Heaven's Will Sect. The Great Qian Immortal Kingdom could be practically ruled out—Daoist Tianxin or Qin Wuxian had been by his side then. These three were merely Foundation Establishment cultivators; they wouldn't dare hunt a Nascent Soul True Monarch or a Golden Core True Person.
Only one possibility remained.
The last time Han Yi left Jia Mountain City, his pursuers had failed to catch him. Later, they borrowed a high-quality Immortal Boat from a so-called Hall Master, finally closing the distance.
Jia Mountain City?
The Six Ministries? The Li Family? The Fragrant Teachings?
The Six Ministries? Highly unlikely.
The Li Family is rumored to have only three Foundation Establishment cultivators. I've already killed two of them, leaving at most one remaining.
That leaves only one possibility.
The Fragrant Teachings.
His pursuer is a cultivator from the Fragrant Teachings.
Han Yi had studied the Fragrant Teachings' records. Their structure, under the Sect Leader, consisted of eight Great Protectors, thirty-three Hall Masters, and four hundred ninety-nine Preaching Envoys.
Since the man had mentioned "borrowing the Hall Master's Immortal Boat," this Hall Master must be one of the Fragrant Teachings' thirty-three.
The information aligned perfectly.
His pursuer is from the Fragrant Teachings, a Preaching Envoy.
In less than a finger snap, Han Yi had deduced the man's identity from a single sentence. This logical deduction, born from his meticulous information analysis, was both reasonable and sound.
However...
Back in the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, Han Yi could hold his own against Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Blood God Sect. Even against Yuan Changtian, though relying on Third-Tier Spirit Talismans, he had endured Yuan's furious assault and ultimately slain him.
Now in the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, he felt no fear facing even Late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
His pursuers were merely three Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, lacking any Late Foundation Establishment or Golden Core experts. How dare they chase him with such a weak force?
Han Yi's eyes shimmered with a faint golden light as he scanned the void, searching for any hidden cultivators. But all he saw were three swirling masses of different-colored Qi, encircling him like predatory birds. There were no other concealed presences.
Only then did a sense of certainty settle within him.
From the moment his Immortal Boat was destroyed and Han Yi prepared to flee, to the three cultivators flanking him in a pincer formation, and then the burly, bearded man speaking, Han Yi deduced their identities and activated his Qi Observation Technique to survey his surroundings.
All this occurred in a mere three breaths.
To a mortal, three breaths might barely cover a few steps. But for cultivators, especially those at the Foundation Establishment stage, it represented several rounds of silent, deadly exchanges.
"To become a Patrol Envoy with only Foundation Establishment cultivation, your innate talent must be exceptional," the bearded man said. "The Scent-Sniffing Pills you nurture will undoubtedly be high-grade, far superior to those of your fellow sect members."
"The Hall Master will be pleased, and your rewards will be substantial," the bearded man added.
The last cultivator to land, trailing behind the others on Han Yi's right flank, was a gaunt youth with a sinister aura, clearly not someone to be trifled with. His dark eyes fixed on Han Yi, a chilling smile spreading across his lips.
Scent-Sniffing Pills?
Fellow sect member?
Han Yi was now certain that his earlier deduction was correct: the individual before him was a Preaching Envoy of the Fragrant Teachings.
He turned to glance at the Yinjiu Youth, his eyes concealing a murderous intent as if staring at a dead man. Then, he faced forward again, focusing on the black-robed cultivator who had landed first and blocked his path.
The cultivator's entire head was concealed beneath the black robe, making it impossible to discern their features. However, under Han Yi's Qi Observation Technique, the lines forming their aura were not only black but also far denser than those of the other two combined.
Based on past experience, Han Yi knew that the denser the lines revealed by Qi Observation, the higher a cultivator's cultivation level. This meant the mysterious black-robed cultivator before him was far more powerful than the others—a peak Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, possibly even on the verge of breaking through to the Late Foundation Establishment stage.
Of the three, this enigmatic black-robed cultivator posed the greatest threat.
"The Hall Master wants him alive," a female voice echoed from within the black robe.
"I'll restrain him. You administer the Soul-Severing Pill."
In the next instant, the black-robed female cultivator extended a slender, pale arm from beneath her robe, her palm open and facing Han Yi.
In an instant, Han Yi, facing the outstretched palm, felt a sudden surge of dread, as if a great terror were about to descend upon him.
An invisible wave emanated from the Black-Robed Female Cultivator's hand, sweeping over Han Yi and instantly piercing his mind. It surged into his Sea of Consciousness Space, resonating within its depths.
At the center of his Sea of Consciousness, his newly awakened Divine Soul froze. A wave of utter confusion washed over it, and even the Soul Sword it had just conjured before itself rapidly dissipated, transforming back into divine soul energy that merged into his Soul Body.
Outside, Han Yi's expression, which had been one of shock, suddenly turned blank. A trace of bewilderment flickered in his eyes, as if he had forgotten who he was, why he was there, and the danger he faced.
Simultaneously, as the Black-Robed Female Cultivator unleashed this bizarre spell, the two cultivators behind Han Yi—the burly, bearded man and the sinister Yinjiu Youth—showed slight changes in their expressions. Both harbored immense apprehension toward the Black-Robed Female Cultivator, each taking several steps backward.
Then...
The Yinjiu Youth retrieved a jade bottle from his Storage Ring, uncorked it, and used mana to draw out a black Medicinal Pill. He then levitated the pill thirty meters through the air, aiming to force it into Han Yi's mouth.
This pill, known as the Soul-Severing Pill, was a Demonic Pill refined by the Fragrant Teachings. It was crafted from fragments of the Divine Souls of cultivators on the verge of death after being used to nourish the Scent-Sniffing Pill, combined with certain malevolent herbs.
Once ingested, the pill would sever the cultivator's Divine Soul from consciousness, plunging them into a profound coma. It was a common tool used by the Fragrant Teachings to capture cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and above.
Just as the Soul-Severing Pill was about to enter Han Yi's mouth, his Divine Soul within his Sea of Consciousness vaguely sensed a deadly peril. Driven by instinct, his soul shuddered violently and instantly transformed into a towering Ninefold Soul Tower.
The Soul Tower stood as tall as Han Yi's original Divine Soul. Now existing in the form of a Soul Tower, the strange fluctuations within his Sea of Consciousness Space were blocked at its base, clearing Han Yi's mind.
In that instant, a cold glint flashed in Han Yi's eyes.