Han Li took the map album and slowly unrolled it, only to discover it was actually a completed map. Golden light and white light shimmered on its surface, flashing with mysterious radiance.
However, the flashing light was concentrated in the large green area at the map's center.
Only then did Han Li realize that the area Greencloud Mountain occupied was far broader than he had imagined. The central green region took up more than a quarter of the entire island.
Han Li gazed at those twinkling white light points and narrowed his eyes, focusing intently to examine them.
Compared to the golden light, the white light points were more than twice as numerous. But their brightness varied considerably.
Some shone with intense brilliance, while others emitted only a faint glow.
The locations marked as mountain peaks were dazzlingly bright, but Han Li didn't even consider them. The middle-aged cultivator's supplementary words echoed in his ears:
"Cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage are not qualified to select mountain peaks. Other locations have no such restriction—as long as it shows white light, you may choose it!"
This matched exactly what the young cultivator surnamed Wen had told him.
The remaining options were natural valleys, caves, and similar locations where the white light was much dimmer.
"I'd like to ask—how large a cave dwelling can I establish at these locations? Are there any restrictions?" After studying the map for a while, Han Li suddenly raised his head and asked the middle-aged man in a solemn voice.
"With your cave dwelling as the center, everything within a ten-li radius is your private domain. You may freely set up formations and restrictions, provided you have the ability to secure such an area." The middle-aged cultivator looked somewhat surprised, but a hint of mockery quickly appeared on his face.
"Then may I choose this place? Since it also shows white light, there should be a spirit vein here, correct?" Han Li said calmly after hearing this.
Then he lightly tapped a certain spot on the map with his finger, and the white light at that location instantly turned yellow.
Han Li handed the map album back to the other party.
"This place!" The middle-aged cultivator's gaze swept over the spot Han Li had indicated, and a look of surprise appeared on his pale face.
What Han Li had pointed to was actually a location outside Kuixing Island, where a faint white light did indeed shimmer.
"This is Little Huan Island. The island is only sixty to seventy li in length, but it does possess a small spirit vein several li long. We've set up a small protective formation on the island and built a small town there. There are several hundred residents!" The middle-aged cultivator said with a half-smile, faintly tinged with ridicule.
Han Li remained silent. He knew that since the other party wore such an expression, this island was certainly not as simple as it seemed.
"For our Kuixing Island, this island is something of a chicken rib. Because it has a spirit vein, it would be a pity to abandon it. But its spiritual energy density is vastly inferior to other islands, and it's far too small."
"If you truly choose this place, you can cultivate there without other cultivators interfering or disturbing you. But the spiritual energy concentration is at least a third thinner than what Greencloud Mountain offers. In other words, your cultivation speed will be significantly slower than other cultivators'."
"In the past, several cultivators who, like you, preferred to occupy a solitary place for dedicated cultivation also chose this island. But none stayed for more than a few years before one by one returning humbly. They would rather pay a large sum of spirit stones to select a new cultivation location than continue staying on this island. After all, for us immortal cultivators, spiritual energy is what matters most."
"Furthermore, regulations state that cultivators who choose this island must also take on the duty of protecting it. That means the spirit stones for the island's protective formation must come from your own pocket."
"Of course, you may collect a certain amount of spirit stones from the island's residents as compensation. And you won't need to pay annual spirit stone tribute to the main island anymore. However, let me warn you first—the spirit stones the island residents contribute are far from enough to cover the daily consumption of the protective formation. The spirit stones consumed by this island have always been directly provided by Kuixing Island, which is how it has survived until now." The middle-aged cultivator tapped his finger rhythmically against the edge of the bed he lay upon, speaking in a languid manner.
"Can I understand this to mean that if I go to this small island, I would essentially become its lord?" After hearing the other party's lengthy explanation, Han Li pondered for a moment before softly asking.
"Heh heh. You could indeed think of it that way." The middle-aged man said with some surprise.
He had already explained the island's drawbacks so clearly, yet this young man still wanted to choose it. Well, that was no longer his concern.
At this moment, the middle-aged cultivator sized Han Li up once more with an inscrutable expression, secretly sneering several times.
By then, that enormous spirit stone expenditure alone would probably make the young man cry out in misery!
He believed that within one or two years at most, this young cultivator would slink back with his tail between his legs to select a new cultivation location.
Otherwise, if such a genuine island lord position were truly valuable, other cultivators would have fought tooth and nail for it long ago—it wouldn't have remained available until now!
"Very well, I'll choose this island!" After a moment more of consideration, Han Li spoke without hesitation.
Hearing Han Li's decisive tone, the middle-aged cultivator showed no reluctance.
He produced a golden pen from within his robe and lightly tapped the island on the map. The white light there instantly transformed into gold.
Then he took out a jade slip from his person, wrote several characters on it with the golden pen, and tossed it to Han Li.
Han Li caught the jade slip and glanced down at it. On its surface were two golden symbols that looked somewhat familiar—they appeared to be his name written in the local script.
"This jade slip serves as proof that Little Huan Island is your cultivation site. It also contains the registry of the island's residents. Take good care of it!" The middle-aged cultivator said flatly.
Then he rolled up the map album, reclined back onto the bed, and waved his hand at Han Li.
The intention to dismiss his guest could not have been more clear!
Han Li gave a slight bow and, understanding the situation, withdrew.
After leaving Ascension Pavilion, Han Li had no intention of staying on Greencloud Mountain to admire the scenery or make acquaintances among fellow cultivators. Instead, he immediately flew away from Greencloud Mountain on his flying sword and returned to Gu Family Estate.
Early the next morning, Han Li left a letter for Master Gu on the wooden table inside his room. Then he took Qu Hun and flew toward the nearest small town.
There, he purchased a map of Kuixing Island and its surrounding seas, then headed straight for the harbor.
According to Wang Changqing, on the western side of Kuixing Island stood the island's largest city—"Kuixing City"—where there was a "Tiandu Street" exclusively for Immortal Masters to trade and exchange goods.
Though Han Li very much wanted to visit and see what kind of items cultivators in the overseas regions traded, and what cultivation techniques they practiced, his current cultivation level was pitifully low. The thought of going to places where numerous cultivators gathered made him uneasy and ill at ease, so he suppressed the urge.
"It seems that when strength is lacking, courage shrinks as well," Han Li murmured self-deprecatingly during the flight to the harbor.
His decision not to choose a cultivation site at Greencloud Mountain and instead go to the spiritually thinner "Little Huan Island" was a carefully calculated choice made to protect the secret of his small bottle.
Only on a remote island far from other cultivators could he freely cultivate the spirit herbs he needed, and only then would his rapid advancement in cultivation not attract unwanted attention!
Though this meant his cultivation speed might be slightly slower, as long as the spiritual energy was sufficient for him to grow the spirit herbs he required, it would be enough.
After all, he primarily relied on consuming and refining medicinal pills to cultivate. A somewhat thinner spiritual energy concentration wouldn't have too great an impact on him.
Han Li flew out of the massive restriction that enveloped the entirety of Kuixing Island from the harbor, then followed the map's description and headed straight for Little Huan Island.
Though the island appeared right next to Kuixing Island on the map, Han Li flew on the Divine Wind Boat for an entire day and night before finally spotting it from the sky.
After circling the island once, Han Li at last spotted what appeared to be a small dock serving as the entrance to the formation.
He then descended slowly onto the dock.
There were very few people on the dock—only a dozen or so fishermen sitting in small boats at the dock's edge, resting.
The moment they saw Han Li and Qu Hun descend from the sky, they climbed out of their boats one after another and gathered around Han Li.
"This humble one is Hei Gui, and I greet the Immortal Master!"
Upon reaching Han Li, the group bowed respectfully. Among them, a dark-faced man who appeared particularly robust greeted him with even greater deference, seemingly the leader of these fishermen.
"This is Little Huan Island, correct?" Though Han Li felt he couldn't have made a mistake, he still asked cautiously first.
"Yes, Immortal Master! Has the Immortal Master come to replace the spirit stones? But it hasn't been long since the last replacement!" Hei Gui asked with a puzzled expression.
"I haven't come to replace spirit stones. But from today onward, the spirit stone expenditure for this island will be borne by me. This small island is now my cultivation site. From now on, you may call me Immortal Master Han!" Upon confirming this was indeed Little Huan Island, Han Li breathed a secret sigh of relief and smiled at the crowd before him.
Then, under the astonished gaze of these fishermen, he called to Qu Hun and once again flew toward the island's center on his flying sword.