"It has been a long time since we had concrete information about the condition of Jade Island, except for the recent news regarding the map," Su Yan explained.
Her demeanor was cold, yet she possessed the necessary leadership skills to explain things clearly to her team members.
"How long is 'a long time'?" Icaros questioned.
This time, Li Han answered. "Unlike other danger zones where one can find some form of fortune, Jade Island is different."
"How so?" Icaros asked, his expression suggesting he already had a guess, though he needed confirmation.
Even Nelly, who was sitting beside Su Yan, hadn't seemed interested in the conversation until now. After all, she was the one supposed to lead the remaining participants on their own mission. However, she now wore a look of genuine curiosity.
Icaros inferred that Su Yan had left the explanation to Li Han, not necessarily because he had more experience, but perhaps to let him take the lead this time.
"As you all may have guessed, unlike other danger zones that offer benefits for cultivators-beast cores, treasures, naturally formed heavenly materials, or magical items-Jade Island has none of that," Li Han continued. "It offers nothing but danger and vast deposits of ordinary jade, a material already abundant in the world and essentially worthless."
"As such, cultivators lost interest in the place. None, or extremely few, venture there anymore. Only mortals occupy that danger zone."
"Mortals?" Icaros frowned, clearly confused.
The other two girls seemed to know the mystery already. Nelly even revealed a proud expression, as if saying, 'Are you finally aware of your ignorance?' Even Su Yan allowed a faint smirk to appear on her face.
Li Han did not let Icaros dwell in his confusion for long. "Some mortals who found their way there chose to stay. Even though the environment is incredibly dangerous, it serves as a protective barrier against the horrors of the outside world. To them, it is a sanctuary-free from demonic beasts, wars, and the threats of powerful cultivators."
"As for how they survive... the main threats there are the hordes of Jade Monsters."
"Jade Monsters?" Icaros questioned.
"Yes," Li Han replied. "Using the island's huge deposits of jade, during certain times, the stone itself turns into living creatures of immense power that hunt humans. It is almost like a mechanism. The mortals memorize their patterns and strive to survive by outwitting them. Although the danger is ever-present, they manage to endure. Also, the island is quite difficult to enter, but we can find our way through."
Icaros breathed in deeply, taking in everything Li Han had just said. A thought brought a smile to his face regarding those mortals.
'Humans are quite resilient.'
'I guess I am stuck with this mission,' he thought. 'I just hope the abilities I have revealed so far are enough. Although I read that Jade Island is considered a weaker danger zone compared to others, a danger zone is still a danger zone.'
Icaros nodded to show his understanding. Li Han smiled back and said, "Since he has no more questions," he pointed at Icaros, "Su Yan will take command."
"We will arrive just outside Jade Island. Nelly will drop us off and proceed with her own mission. The three of us," he said, pointing to himself, Icaros, and Su Yan, "will complete our task and return to the Li Sect."
Everyone nodded, thinking it was a solid plan, though complex.
But just then, Icaros interrupted, making Li Han's face darken. "I still have a question."
Li Han tried to suppress his rising anger, his face turning slightly green. Nelly giggled silently at his misfortune, and even the cold beauty Su Yan allowed herself a faint smile.
"What is it, son?" Li Han asked, calming himself down and putting on the air of an elder.
However, Icaros was not one to be trifled with. "You old fart! Who's your son?"
"Old fart? I am not even that old!" Li Han hastily retorted, and the room exploded with stifled laughter.
Icaros couldn't help but smile as well.
Later, just before he drifted off, Icaros thought about the answer Li Han had given him after the banter.
He had explained that Spirit Realm cultivators were essentially Body Refinement cultivators who had gained access to manipulating Spirit Qi. That single difference made them entirely superior.
In the Body Refinement Realm, cultivators used the Spirit Qi in the environment to temper their bodies through the stages: Blood Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Flesh Refinement. This enhanced their physical prowess to superhuman levels, but nothing truly magical.
However, upon entering the Spirit Qi Realm, they unlocked their Dantian-the core where they could store Spirit Qi absorbed from nature or Spirit Stones.
They could use this stored Qi to enhance their physical stats-strength, durability, stamina, and speed-to truly god-like levels. Although this consumed their reserves, it was vital in battle. They could move at insane speeds, punch with devastating force, or reinforce their skin to resist damage. They could even release bursts of Qi to deflect weaker attacks, though maintaining these abilities came at the cost of their energy.
These features alone placed them in a league far above Body Refinement cultivators.
However, Li Han revealed that since the Li Sect focused on the Orthodox path of Qi mastery, they possessed secret techniques. These techniques allowed them to manifest special abilities at the cost of their Spirit Qi-like the energy wings Li Han had used earlier, or energy swords. This was why his energy attacks were purple; Spirit Qi, when condensed, was naturally blue, but the secret technique altered its appearance. The same applied to Su Yan and Nelly.
Another thing that interested Icaros was the use of magical treasures. Spirit Realm cultivators could infuse items with their Qi to unlock special abilities, such as Su Yan's flying handkerchief, which could grow or shrink in size and carry them through the air.
But what truly amazed Icaros-and left him feeling a little envious-was the last ability.
Divine Sense.
Spirit Realm cultivators awakened this ability. It was a manifestation of their mental and soul energy. They could use it to send messages directly into someone else's mind, allowing for secret conversations that others could not hear (though those with stronger Divine Sense could still eavesdrop). They could also inscribe messages onto Jade Slips for others to read later.
Even the magic treasures, like Su Yan's handkerchief, would return to her automatically because she had imprinted her Divine Sense into them. Some cultivators who specialized in this could even use it to attack invisibly, damaging the soul or mind directly-though such experts were rare, and those with strong wills could resist.
Compared to all this, Icaros felt lacking. It left him with a heavy doubt in his heart.
'Can I actually cultivate?'
