Chapter 17: A Journey Brought to Fulfillment

Li Ji'an's blunt request caused Liu Jiuchan's eyes to narrow slightly.

A promise!

In the world of cultivation, promises are not easily given. While they may not carry the extreme consequences of heart-demon oaths or soul contracts—which inevitably bring backlash upon violation—they are still tied to the mysterious threads of karma. Unless under special circumstances, a cultivator will not lightly break a promise.

"What kind of promise do you want?" Seeing he could demand benefits so directly, Liu knew he was no ordinary, inexperienced rogue cultivator. Realizing he would not be easily brushed aside, she decided to drop the pretense.

"I hope that one day, Li may seek Fellow Daoist Liu to purchase a beast pill from your noble clan." Li Ji'an did not specify a blood pill; that would have been too obvious. Before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, it was not the time to expose his trump card, Guagua.

"Purchase a beast pill?" Liu Jiuchan’s expression softened. She then used the Spirit Controlling Technique unique to her beast-taming family to sense the surroundings, finding no trace of any spirit beast near Li Ji'an.

"Fine. As long as you are not a wanted criminal in this territory, nor a demonic or evil cultivator, I can give you this promise. In the future, I will sell you one beast pill."

Li Ji'an bowed and pointed to the three Spirit-Trapping Talismans in Xiao Changfeng's hand. "Fellow Daoist Liu is generous. I will sell these three talismans to you at a twenty percent discount."

With Li Ji'an's consent, Xiao Changfeng handed the talismans to Liu.

"No need!" Liu declined the favor, took the talismans, and tossed fifty spirit stones toward him.

Spirit-Trapping Talismans were quite niche and not particularly difficult to craft. These were only mid-grade versions, and the market price capped at fifteen spirit stones each. By giving fifty, she was paying a slight premium.

"Fellow Daoist Liu is very magnanimous," Li Ji'an complimented.

"Farewell!" Having secured the talismans, Liu did not waste another moment and flew away.

Observing the shift in Liu Jiuchan's attitude before and after obtaining the talismans, Xiao Changfeng frowned slightly, a flicker of new appreciation appearing in his eyes as he looked at Li Ji'an. If he had followed his own subconscious impulse—gifting the talismans as a favor in hopes of being remembered—it would have been quite naive. It was far inferior to Li Ji'an’s approach, which secured actual profit and a concrete promise. After a moment of silence, he felt he had learned something.

"Brother Xiao, I will head that way to try my luck," Li Ji'an said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Very well. Take care, Brother Li."

***

Separating from Xiao Changfeng again, Li Ji'an took Xiao Qiao and followed the direction indicated by Guagua.

Three days later, just as they were about to enter the forbidden zone of the Flaming Mountains, the small spirit flame finally stopped, curling up weakly beside a rock deep underground. Guagua kept its distance, watching silently.

Upon reaching the area, Li Ji'an did not act recklessly. Instead, he advanced cautiously, burying Spirit-Trapping Talismans in a circle. He still had six mid-grade and three high-grade talismans—more than enough.

Moments later, with the spirit flame at the center, he buried mid-grade talismans at various points within a thirty-zhang radius. The combined range of four mid-grade talismans was enough to wrap the entire area; even if the spirit flame were startled, it would have nowhere to escape.

"Whoosh!" Once everything was ready, Li Ji'an stood twenty zhang away and abruptly activated a mid-grade talisman toward the flame.

As the talisman shot into the ground, the spirit flame was startled, but its reaction was too slow.

"Activate!" As Li Ji'an triggered the talismans with his divine sense, a ripple of energy radiated from the center, instantly shrouding the motionless flame.

"It worked!" Li Ji'an felt a surge of joy and stepped forward quickly. Through Guagua’s vision, he saw that the moment the flame was encased, its fire-spirit power plummeted, its aura weakening by seventy or eighty percent.

Guagua immediately tunneled out of the earth, carrying Li Ji'an and Xiao Qiao underground with it.

"Huh?" Yet, in the blink of an eye, when they reached the spot, the flame was gone.

"What happened?" Li Ji'an frowned. According to ancient texts, spirit flames lacked intelligence and acted only on instinct. Once they lost their spiritual sensory connection, they should have petrified on the spot, ready to be collected in a jade bottle inscribed with containment runes. How could it have escaped after being trapped?

There was no time to ponder. He immediately triggered the four buried talismans.

"There!" Xiao Qiao suddenly pointed in one direction.

"Chase!" Guagua hurriedly accelerated.

The next moment, they saw a dimmer spirit flame struggling with all its might to escape the perimeter of the previous containment zone.

"This isn't right!" Seeing it move while still within the range of the talismans, a thought struck Li Ji'an. "Could this not be a spirit flame?"

He had no time to think. He pulled out all three high-grade Spirit-Trapping Talismans from his storage bag.

"Trap!" Seeing the flame about to escape the range of the mid-grade talisman, Li Ji'an did not hesitate to activate a high-grade one.

*Hum~*

Compared to the mid-grade ones, the high-grade talisman had a wider range and a stronger ability to isolate spiritual energy. The moment the flame was shrouded, its aura dropped by another thirty percent. Yet, it still had the strength to move forward, struggling to break free.

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an’s expression hardened. Theoretically, a high-grade talisman could trap a second-tier spirit flame. This tiny spark, clearly weaker than a first-tier flame, was still moving.

"Trap!" He activated the second high-grade talisman. The spark’s aura weakened again, yet it continued to move, albeit with a stumbling gait.

Li Ji'an stepped forward to observe closely. The spark was only as tall as a palm, with a single core, and its fire power was weak. "Aside from its power and color, it is identical to a first-tier spirit flame..."

After a long inspection, Li Ji'an was even more confused. "Could the ancient texts be wrong?"

"Wait? What is this..."

Just as he began to doubt the records, an unexpected scene unfolded. As the spirit flame struggled and eventually gave up, it suddenly lowered its flame by half in front of Li Ji'an, bobbing up and down.

"This... is it bowing? This thing has intelligence!" Li Ji'an was truly shocked.

He immediately released his divine sense to probe. "Indeed!" After a few attempts, he sensed a faint soul power emanating from the flame. It proved that this spirit flame possessed intelligence—and though weak, it seemed no less intelligent than Guagua.

After nearly an hour of effort, Li Ji'an finally established a basic resonance. The revelation was staggering: "It is not a discarded, soulless spirit flame, but a Fire Saint Spirit born in this place nearly a hundred years ago!"

Saint Spirit! A legend from the ancient era! They took a hundred years to form and a millennium to mature. Born of heaven and earth, they possessed power far exceeding other races, invincible among their peers.

Li Ji'an did not hesitate to use a soul secret technique to establish a soul contract. "Little Fire Spirit, follow me. I will raise you. You won't have to be afraid here, and you won't need to worry about a lack of spiritual energy. I have fire-attribute mana and can find you fire-attribute treasures..."

While trying to suppress it with his divine sense, he sincerely tempted it. He even used his own fire-attribute mana to wrap around the spirit, encouraging it to absorb the energy.

*Whoosh, whoosh.* Though nearly a hundred years old, the Fire Spirit was like an infant. It felt the warmth of Li Ji'an’s mana, and while it lacked the pure essence of its home, the energy was plentiful. As it absorbed the mana, Li Ji'an’s soul imprint slipped in unnoticed.

*Hum~* The Fire Spirit stiffened as a grand, clear voice echoed in the depths of its soul, accompanied by an irresistible force.

"I am your master now. You must listen to me, and I will treat you well."

With the mark set, Li Ji'an felt immense joy. It was a weak control compared to a true soul-pet contract, but for a one-year-old equivalent, it was enough.

"Retract!" With a thought, the Fire Spirit’s power vanished. Li Ji'an reached out and touched it; it felt only like a gentle warmth, with no burning sensation. He then wrapped it in his mana and pulled it into his dantian.

Back in his dantian, the Fire Spirit felt satisfied, greedily absorbing his fire-attribute mana. Being still small, it didn't need much.

"What a massive surprise!" Li Ji'an let out a long breath, a smile spreading across his face. As long as it had sufficient fire-attribute nourishment, it would soon recover its true first-tier strength. Once it did, he would have a second-tier alchemist’s flame to assist him.

"This trip is complete!" Li Ji'an ordered Guagua to take him back to the surface.

"Uncle Li, that rock is special," Xiao Qiao suddenly tugged at his sleeve as he prepared to send a message to Xiao Changfeng.

"The rock?" Li Ji'an looked at the stone where the Fire Spirit had resided. Could there be more? He communicated with the spirit.

"You were born from that rock?" Li Ji'an’s breath hitched. A stone that could give birth to a Fire Saint Spirit could not be simple. He descended back underground. The rock looked like any other scorched stone, but after probing it with all his might, he found nothing.

"Guagua, swallow it into your inner space." He would study the secret of the Saint Spirit's birth when he returned to the Immortal City.

"Now it is truly perfect!" Back on the surface, Li Ji'an patted Xiao Qiao’s head. "Xiao Qiao, Uncle Li wants to thank you. What do you want?"

Having known her for eight years, Li Ji'an had seen her transition from timidness to acceptance and then to attachment. Before this trip, she had proactively told him of her talent: she could sense special things underground since she was a child.

"Don't leave me behind," Xiao Qiao said, staring at him with her large eyes.

Li Ji'an paused, then affirmed, "Good! I promise."

He collected Guagua, picked up Xiao Qiao, and sent a message to Xiao Changfeng. They soon rendezvoused.

"Brother Li, perhaps what we saw earlier wasn't a spirit flame, but some kind of fire-attribute beast," Xiao Changfeng said, his thoughts turning toward leaving.

"Brother Xiao is right. It’s time to give up and return," Li Ji'an replied.

A month and a half later, they passed the Ma family territory, but Xiao Changfeng did not stop. It had been five and a half months since the bandits left, and he had received a message from Yan Qingwan. She thanked him for the warning; the bandits had indeed arrived and attempted to attack a Foundation Establishment family. Thanks to the advance preparation, the five families had ambushed them. While they hadn't dealt a lethal blow due to the presence of three Foundation Establishment leaders among the bandits, the situation in the wasteland was becoming increasingly chaotic.