"To be honest, if you want help with treating this ailment, not to mention other places, I'm afraid there are only a few who could do it in the entire Qingyang City, and within this Ninth District, I am the only one." Han Li shook his head and said.

"Just based on the fact that Fellow Daoist Li was able to see through and point out the hidden problem within me, I believe that Fellow Daoist Li is the only one in Qingyang City who can save me. I just don't know, Fellow Daoist Li, how do you intend to administer the treatment?" Du Long nodded and said.

"Since your problem is due to an incorrect Aperture Opening method, then we should start with the Aperture Opening method first. I myself cultivate a secret manual called *Yu Hua Fei Sheng Gong*, which also opens Apertures in the legs, so I can impart the Aperture Opening method within to you." Han Li thought for a moment, then said.

"Aperture Opening method? My Acupoints were already opened before, is there any use in using the Aperture Opening method now?" Du Long scratched his head and asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, only using this Aperture Opening method will not work; it also requires the assistance of a powerful divine sense, and I happen to have a strong divine sense." Han Li shook his head and said with a smile.

Seeing this, Du Long revealed a complex smile on his face: "It seems that this matter cannot be accomplished without Fellow Daoist Li. I'm afraid Fellow Daoist Li's conditions will not be simple either?"

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Du Long is overthinking it. Apart from needing some beast cores for cultivation, I only have some small favors that I need Fellow Daoist's help with." Han Li chuckled and said.

"Fellow Daoist Li, feel free to speak your mind. If I can do it, I will not refuse." Du Long frowned slightly and said.

"I know that Fellow Daoist Du Long has extensive connections in this Ninth District, and can even contact other districts, so there are a few people I would like you to inquire about." Han Li's smile faded, and he said with a serious expression.

"Oh? Who?" Du Long asked, puzzled.

"To be honest, there were two others who came to Qingyang City with me earlier, one named Shi Kong, and one called Xie Daoren. After I was reduced to a Xuan Duelist in the Ninth District, I imagine their fates should be similar. I wonder if you have ever heard of them?" Han Li asked.

"I haven't heard of these two names, but I can help you inquire about them later. Although the turnover of Xuan Duelists is very fast, and many new people join, as long as it's people who entered the Xuan Duelling Arena at the same time as you, the scope can be narrowed down a lot, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find them." Du Long was relieved to see that Han Li's requests were not that high.

"Also, Fellow Daoist Du Long, you have been in this Xuan Duelling Arena for a long time, have you ever heard of a woman with extremely beautiful looks appearing in this city? She..." Han Li thought of Zi Ling and wanted to describe her appearance, but for a moment he didn't know how to start.

"Fellow Daoist Li, do you know? The most lacking thing in Qingyang City is not high-level beast cores, but women. Not to mention women with extremely beautiful looks, even those with decent looks are very rare. If a woman like you described really appeared, it should have spread throughout Qingyang City long ago." Du Long gave Han Li a strange look, shook his head, and said.

Han Li thought that Chen Yang, as a trusted aide of the City Lord, only had a female servant with mediocre looks by his side, so he believed Du Long's words by seventy or eighty percent, and stopped asking further questions, becoming somewhat silent.

"Fellow Daoist Li, could it be that the things you need me to do are just these?" Du Long looked at Han Li, somewhat disbelieving.

"Treating your hidden ailment is not something that can be accomplished overnight. I will inevitably have to take a large number of beast cores from you, which I'm afraid will be enough to make your heart ache." Han Li sighed and said.

"It's just some beast cores. If my hidden ailment is completely eliminated, I may have a chance to compete. If I can participate in higher-level Xuan Duels, the gains will not be comparable to what they are now." Du Long waved his hand after hearing this, and said with some longing.

"I wonder what Fellow Daoist Du Long is referring to when you say higher-level Xuan Duels?" Han Li asked, his heart stirred.

"It's not that I'm looking down on Fellow Daoist Li, but the number of your Xuan Apertures is still too small right now. You won't be able to come into contact with it for a long time, so there's no need to rush to understand it for now. You'll know it in the future." Du Long glanced at Han Li and said.

Han Li didn't mean to delve into this, and instead said: "Besides these things, I also want you to hand Dao Ba over to me for disposal."

"I wonder how Fellow Daoist intends to dispose of him?" Du Long frowned slightly and asked.

Han Li did not speak, but simply raised a palm, waved it casually, and made a killing motion.

"Fellow Daoist Li, although this Dao Ba is a bit cunning, and has offended you a lot before, and even my trouble with you this time was largely incited by him, he shouldn't deserve to die, right?" Du Long hesitated slightly and said.

"If it was just these things, of course he wouldn't deserve to die, but he shouldn't have tried to take my life with the Heart-Eroding Worm." Han Li shook his head and said.

"Heart-Eroding Worm? What exactly is going on?" Du Long asked in surprise.

A trace of doubt flashed in Han Li's mind, and he told Du Long about the ambush by the Heart-Eroding Worm in detail.

After listening, Du Long frowned and pondered for a long time before speaking:

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's not that I'm intentionally protecting Dao Ba, but this matter is a bit strange, and I'm afraid there's some misunderstanding in it."

"Misunderstanding... tell me about it." Han Li said slowly, his eyes flickering.

"This kid Dao Ba is indeed more capable than others, and can get some things that can't be obtained in the Xuan Duelling Arena, but that definitely doesn't include rare things like the Heart-Eroding Worm. Fellow Daoist Li may not know, but the value of this worm is as precious as the Black Tribulation Worm. Dao Ba simply doesn't have that ability. Moreover, before I went into closed-door cultivation, I had instructed him not to act rashly. He has always been afraid to disobey my orders, so how could he act on his own initiative and do such a thing?" Du Long spat and said.

"If that's really the case, then there's indeed something fishy about this matter." Han Li frowned and pondered.

"This matter is simple. Fellow Daoist Li, come with me to see Dao Ba, and we'll confront him face to face. If it's really him who did it, you don't need to do it; I'll kill him myself. If it's not, please give him a chance to live, after all, he's been with me for so many years." Du Long thought for a moment and said.

"If it's not him who did it, or if he was instigated by someone, I can spare his life." Han Li nodded and said.

"Good! Time is of the essence, let's go now." Du Long stood up and said.

As a result, as soon as the two arrived outside the passageway, Han Li heard a commotion coming from ahead.

He followed the sound and saw that many people had gathered in front of a house in front, all looking inside.

"Huh? It's Dao Ba's house. Could something have happened?" Du Long raised his eyebrows and said.

The two exchanged a glance and quickly ran over.

Seeing Du Long arrive, the crowd blocking the door stepped back and made way for him.

Du Long's face was gloomy, and he rushed into the house without saying a word, followed closely by Han Li in silence.

As soon as Han Li stepped into the house, he saw Dao Ba leaning against the corner of the stone bed, his chest exposed, his chest bloody, his eyes wide open, his eyeballs bulging, his face twisted and contorted, obviously he had been dead for a long time.

"Someone tell me, what's going on?" Du Long frowned, looked around, and shouted loudly.

"The thing is... is like this. A few days ago, I told Dao Ba that I wanted to get some White Glazed Stone Powder, and he told me to come to him today to get it. Just now, when I arrived, I found that his stone door was not closed, and no one answered when I called him. I pushed the door open and found that he was already in this state." A gnome man with high lips and a gray complexion said fearfully.

Han Li stepped forward in silence, and pulled Dao Ba's open clothes on his chest further open, and saw two thumb-sized holes on his left chest near his shoulder, one with a section of the tail of a black centipede exposed, and the other with half a section of a white thread exposed.

"This is a Black Tribulation Worm and a Heart-Eroding Worm..." Someone exclaimed, recognizing the two things.

The surrounding people heard the sound and retreated, looking as if they were afraid to avoid them.

Han Li turned his eyes and saw that there was also an open bone box next to Dao Ba's hand, which was as white as jade and looked quite delicate and small. He raised his hand, picked it up, and carefully looked at it.

"This seems to be made of the nasal bone of a Worm-Eating Beast. It is said that this beast lives in Heart-Eating Valley, lives next to the Heart-Eroding Worm, and its long nose can suck the Heart-Eroding Worm into the nasal cavity, and then melt it with the mucus produced in the nasal cavity. Therefore, its nasal bone can restrain the Heart-Eroding Worm, and is often used to make utensils for holding Heart-Eroding Worms." Du Long also came over, stared for a moment, and said.

"This Dao Ba is so bold, he dares to keep Heart-Eroding Worms, isn't this courting death?" The gnome man shouted.

"It's really playing with fire and burning himself, attacked and killed by the Heart-Eroding Worm he kept..." Another Xuan Duelist said.

"Now that he's dead, who am I going to ask for the Sword-Spine Beast bones he promised to get me? I gave him three Pro Beast Cores in exchange." A stout, gray-skinned man suddenly said.

"Yes, my Turtle Scale Armor is gone too..." Another person lamented.

At this time, a team of Xuan Duelling Arena guards also rushed over and forcibly drove all the Xuan Duelists out of the room.

The leading guard checked Dao Ba's body, then announced that the stone house was temporarily closed, and then ordered his men to lift Dao Ba's body and leave.

Seeing this, the onlookers looked strange and looked at Du Long.

Du Long exchanged a look with Han Li, and at the same time walked back to the former's room.

Looking at the backs of the two people leaving, the Xuan Duelists of the Ninth District realized that the two people who were still fighting each other before, when did they actually get so close?

Han Li and the two did not pay attention to the discussions behind them, and each fell into deep thought.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what do you think about this matter?" After a while, Du Long took the initiative to speak.