Chapter 1127: Cultivating in Seclusion in a Remote Area

The moment the formation appeared, the two of them floated into mid-air on their own, looking down from above.

Han Li examined it briefly and confirmed that the formation before him was indeed the control formation of the Void Sky Hall. At the center of the formation, he spotted a pattern identical to the Void Sky Cauldron.

He suddenly recalled the scene when he had once opened the Profound Jade Cave in the Void Spirit Hall. The formation sealing that cave had used a similar restriction, though the one before him was over ten times larger and appeared far more intricate and profound.

“Have you seen this formation before?” The silver-robed woman seemed to notice a flicker of recognition on Han Li’s face. She withdrew her hand seal and asked him directly.

“I’ve encountered something similar in a certain place within the Small Extreme Palace,” Han Li replied plainly, not bothering to hide the truth.

“I see! That’s good, then. Do you know how to operate this formation? You can try and see if the Void Sky Cauldron is truly the artifact that controls it.” The silver-robed woman didn’t press further and instead urged Han Li to proceed.

After a brief hesitation, Han Li nodded and opened his mouth, releasing a sphere of azure light that floated toward the center of the formation. Inside it was the Void Sky Cauldron, only a few inches in size.

Of course, throughout this process, Han Li remained extremely wary of the silver-robed woman. If she showed even the slightest intention of seizing the treasure, he would immediately recall the cauldron.

As soon as the Void Sky Cauldron reached the center of the massive formation, Han Li halted it under his control, positioning it directly above the giant cauldron pattern below.

At that moment, the giant cauldron pattern lit up brilliantly, and a pillar of azure light suddenly shot out from it, enveloping the Void Sky Cauldron in mid-air.

Han Li felt his spiritual sense tremble, and once again, he lost contact with the cauldron. His expression darkened, and he quickly glanced at the silver-robed woman beside him. Seeing that she hadn’t made any unusual moves, he calmed down slightly and continued observing the changes in the formation and the cauldron.

Under the azure light’s envelopment, the Void Sky Cauldron began emitting a low hum and rapidly expanded in size.

Within moments, it grew to match the size of the pattern below. At the same time, the various floral, avian, and aquatic motifs on the cauldron began to float and transform. Han Li suddenly felt his mind stir—he had regained connection with the giant cauldron. However, he immediately sensed his own magic power draining rapidly into it.

His expression changed drastically.

But just then, the silver-robed woman suddenly formed hand seals and pointed toward the center of the formation.

A beam of white spiritual energy shot out and vanished into the giant cauldron pattern in a flash.

Han Li immediately felt the rate of his magic power draining slow to a manageable level, and his expression eased.

Had it not been for this intervention, he would have severed the connection and recalled the Void Sky Cauldron at once.

Yet now, the Void Sky Cauldron seemed like a bottomless pit, continuously devouring the magic power of both Han Li and the silver-robed woman.

Before long, Han Li’s magic power had been depleted by more than half, and his expression darkened again.

Meanwhile, the formation emitted a low rumble, and some runes began flickering into existence, though their glow was extremely faint—as if only a fraction of the formation had been activated.

“This won’t work. Our magic power isn’t enough to activate this formation!” The silver-robed woman’s expression shifted as she withdrew her hand seal, causing the azure light pillar to dissipate.

Frowning, Han Li also cut off his magic power and beckoned toward the distant giant cauldron.

The Void Sky Cauldron trembled, then shot out of the light pillar, rapidly shrinking back to its original size before vanishing into Han Li’s sleeve.

“It’s not just a matter of insufficient magic power! This control formation was originally meant to be operated by a Deity Transformation cultivator. With one of us at mid-Nascent Soul stage and the other at late stage, there’s no way we can control it!” Han Li stared at the formation below, his brow furrowed.

At the center of the formation, the giant cauldron pattern dimmed after losing contact with the Void Sky Cauldron, and the azure light pillar disappeared. The rumbling and flickering spiritual lights across the formation gradually faded until everything returned to complete stillness, as if lifeless.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean only a Deity Transformation cultivator can operate it. If several late-stage cultivators join forces, they should be able to control it,” the silver-robed woman said after a long silence.

“Are you joking? Even four late-stage cultivators wouldn’t stand a chance against a Deity Transformation cultivator’s mere hand. The gap between them is enormous—you should know that well!” Han Li was taken aback and looked skeptical.

“In terms of divine abilities, a Deity Transformation cultivator who can manipulate heaven and earth’s spiritual energy is indeed beyond a late-Nascent Soul cultivator’s reach. But I possess a secret technique that can temporarily merge the magic power of several cultivators. Using this method to control the Void Sky Cauldron, we might be able to activate the formation.” The silver-robed woman’s phoenix-like eyes gleamed with confidence.

“A secret technique like that? Are you eyeing my five demonic heads and that puppet?” Han Li mused.

“Haha, you catch on quickly! That’s exactly what I mean. With the five demons combined, that puppet, and myself, we might have a chance,” the silver-robed woman chuckled, her icy demeanor melting into a captivating charm, as if she had transformed into a different person.

Han Li, however, remained indifferent to her stunning beauty and instead fell into deep thought.

“You didn’t mention me earlier. Does that mean I can’t participate in this technique?” he finally asked.

“I’m afraid not. This technique requires cultivators of the same realm to combine their power, and the one controlling the merged magic power must be the strongest among them. Although your cultivation far surpasses that of an ordinary mid-stage cultivator, you’re still far from a late-stage one,” the silver-robed woman replied with a faint smile.

“Hmph, to control the Void Sky Cauldron, one must master the Treasure Control Art. Are you suggesting I hand it over?” Han Li’s expression darkened, and he snorted coldly.

“Spiritual treasures are precious, but unless you wish to be trapped here forever, this is the only way,” the silver-robed woman—Frost Li—replied calmly.

“Don’t even think about it. I’ll never agree to that!”

Seeing Han Li’s resolute refusal, the silver-robed woman’s eyes flashed with surprise, but a trace of hostility soon surfaced on her jade-like face as she prepared to retort.

But before she could speak, Han Li coldly interjected:

“Let me tell you something, Fellow Daoist Feng. This place opens on its own every three hundred years. Even if we do nothing, we’ll only be trapped here for a few years at most before we can leave safely. I’ve changed my mind—I’m in no hurry to leave. I’ll cultivate here instead. Heh, if I’m lucky enough to break through to the late stage, I’ll come find you then. Take care, Fellow Daoist Feng!” With that, Han Li’s body shimmered with spiritual light, and he transformed into an azure streak, shooting down from the stone platform and vanishing into a distant passage.

“Opens every three hundred years?” The silver-robed woman’s heart surged with mixed emotions, and the words on her lips died away. Though she had lost an opportunity to seize the spiritual treasure, knowing she wouldn’t be trapped here forever extinguished her other schemes.

She wasn’t worried about Han Li lying—after all, a mere two or three hundred years meant nothing to a primordial spirit beast like her, whose lifespan spanned millennia.

Originally, she had planned to use a self-destructive secret technique to temporarily attain the terrifying power of a Deity Transformation cultivator, allowing her to easily kill Han Li and claim the Void Sky Cauldron.

But this technique was extremely demanding and came at a great cost.

Only a tenth-grade Frost Phoenix could perform it, and it would severely damage her foundational cultivation, likely cutting off any chance of advancing to Deity Transformation. Even for someone like her, who was already on the verge of breaking through, the consequences would be dire.

Truth be told, she was deeply frustrated. She had originally planned to advance to Deity Transformation soon due to lifespan concerns, but after learning of the spatial node from Elder Che’s incarnation, she had been preoccupied with attacking the Small Extreme Palace and delayed her breakthrough. Now, she remained stuck at the late stage.

Of course, attempting to break through here was also an option. Success would allow her to kill Han Li and leave with the Void Sky Cauldron. But the Frost Phoenix clan had a peculiar requirement—they could only advance in their sacred land, the Frost Abyss Island, after performing a special ritual.

Otherwise, even if they succeeded, their cultivation would stagnate. With hope of escape now in sight, she dared not take such a risk.

Naturally, Han Li knew none of this, but he feared she might act desperately. By revealing the Void Sky Hall’s three-hundred-year cycle, he gave her a glimmer of hope, ensuring she wouldn’t recklessly fight him to the death.

As for his claim about breaking through to the late stage, it was merely a bluff.

The silver-robed woman, the tenth-grade Frost Phoenix, paid it no mind.

Breaking through to the late stage was no easy feat. Countless mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators had spent their entire lives stuck at that bottleneck.

After pondering for a long time on the stone platform, the silver-robed woman murmured, “Very well. I still have a few secret techniques left to master. I might as well use this time to practice them. If I succeed, I’ll have a better chance against him next time.”

With that, she stamped her foot and transformed into a crystalline streak, flying toward a passage opposite Han Li’s.

She, too, intended to find a suitable chamber for secluded cultivation.

Half a day later, Han Li sat cross-legged in a secret chamber about thirty to forty zhang wide. Before him was a milky-white pool spanning over ten zhang, its spiritual energy swirling and emitting a refreshing fragrance—the very same secret chamber on the second floor where he had once encountered Yuan Yao.

Not only was this place exceptionally hidden, but it also housed a spiritual eye spring, making it an ideal cultivation spot. To be safe, Han Li temporarily sealed the teleportation array, rendering it inactive, and set up barrier flags to conceal the entire chamber.

With the divine sense suppression still in effect throughout the giant tower, even the tenth-grade Frost Phoenix would find it difficult to locate him.