Thus, under the manipulation of Han Li’s divine sense, the electric threads in the air continuously formed one identical thunder pattern after another, following the structure of lightning.
However, this control was evidently extremely difficult. Even with Han Li’s powerful divine sense and the delicate operation under the Bright Moon Spirit Eyes, failures occurred repeatedly, each resulting in violent explosions.
After seven or eight attempts, a golden “brocade handkerchief” finally materialized, floating motionlessly in the air.
This handkerchief was palm-sized, with a strikingly conspicuous thunder pattern engraved in its center, flickering with an enigmatic glow.
Upon seeing this object take shape, a peculiar expression flashed across Han Li’s face. With a wave of his hand, the handkerchief drifted down and was caught firmly in his grasp.
The handkerchief was extraordinarily soft, its surface smoother than real silk. Without the aid of the Bright Moon Spirit Eyes, one would hardly notice anything unusual about it.
Han Li stroked the golden handkerchief, studying it for a while longer before his eyes gleamed. Suddenly, he tossed it into the air and sent a spell seal toward it.
The handkerchief transformed into a streak of golden light, hovering above his head. With a low hum, thunderous rumbles echoed as the handkerchief shattered into fragments.
Amid the golden radiance, a translucent thunder pattern emerged, pale gold and semi-transparent. Simultaneously, an immense spiritual pressure erupted from the pattern, soaring into the sky—precisely the mysterious force he had sensed earlier.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, gazing intently at the golden pattern the size of a human head, his heart brimming with excitement.
Although he had yet to fully activate the thunder pattern with a spell, the spiritual power it contained was already more than ten times greater than the combined power of the Evil Warding Divine Thunder used to form the handkerchief. If this were an offensive force, even with the protective restrictions in place, the stone chamber would undoubtedly be unable to withstand it.
With these thoughts in mind, Han Li raised his hand and summoned the thunder pattern back.
A crack of thunder resounded as the pattern shimmered and reverted to the handkerchief, which he retrieved once more.
Subsequently, Han Li exhaled another golden arc and began refining a second thunder-patterned object using the Evil Warding Divine Thunder. After another series of failures, a new object materialized before him.
This time, it was not a handkerchief but a golden orb, its surface faintly shimmering with a similar thunder pattern.
Holding one object in each hand, Han Li carefully examined their differences with his divine sense.
After a moment, an idea struck him. He opened his mouth and spat out a ball of silver flames.
With a series of hand seals, he pointed at the flames.
A clear cry emanated from the fire, followed by a loud *bang* as the flames exploded, scattering countless silver sparks.
Han Li murmured an incantation, and under the guidance of his divine sense, the silver sparks coalesced and transformed into fine threads of fire.
The same phenomenon occurred—yet before the threads could fully intertwine, they erupted with a thunderous boom, reverting to a silver fireball.
Witnessing this, Han Li wore a contemplative expression. With a thought, the fireball morphed into a fiery bird, its wings spreading as it shot back into his body and vanished.
Next, Han Li attempted the same with his own spiritual energy, condensing it into azure threads. The result mirrored that of the Devouring Spirit Heavenly Flames—dispersing midway through the process.
Han Li ceased further attempts, sinking into deep thought.
Clearly, the mysterious forces within the two objects shared the same origin, yet their subtleties differed significantly. The thunder power in the handkerchief was stable and pure, while that in the golden orb was volatile and perilous, seemingly on the verge of eruption.
After pondering the two thunder-patterned objects for a while, a faint smile appeared on Han Li’s face.
If his conjecture was correct, these thunder patterns were likely natural, wondrous runes, each with unique effects—somewhat akin to the celestial scripts like the Silver Scale Script.
However, understanding their divine functions and mastering their application would not be achievable in a short time.
Han Li stored both objects in a jade box, carefully sealing them with several restriction talismans before placing them, along with the jade slip, into his storage bracelet.
For the remaining time, Han Li calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and entered true meditation to rest.
On the morning of the third day, Han Li opened his eyes, dispelled the chamber’s restrictions, and pushed open the stone door to step outside.
As soon as he left the chamber, following his usual habit, Han Li immediately released his divine sense, sweeping it across the entire hall.
Almost instantly, a voice reached his ears.
His head tilted slightly, and his brows furrowed.
Yet his footsteps did not falter as he strode toward the main hall.
Before fully exiting the passageway, Han Li suddenly heard a man’s raucous laughter: “Fairy Xu, a bet is a bet. Since you failed to fulfill the agreement, shouldn’t you honor my disciple’s marriage proposal?”
The laughter was utterly unfamiliar, grating like a broken gong.
Han Li emerged from the passageway expressionlessly, his gaze sweeping across the hall to take in the scene.
Four individuals stood in the hall, seemingly locked in a standoff—two on each side.
A man and a woman stood together—the woman being none other than Fairy Xu, her face deathly pale, while the man was the green-eyed Zhu Chong, whose expression was equally grim.
Opposite them stood two black-robed figures.
One was a gaunt, triangular-eyed elder clad in Azure Nether Armor. The other was a short, balding man with sparse, yellowish hair and a pockmarked face—a middle-aged dwarf.
The triangular-eyed elder was the one laughing uproariously.
“Senior Han!”
The moment Han Li appeared in the hall, Zhu Chong spotted him. After a brief moment of shock, he hurried forward as if granted amnesty, bowing deeply.
Fairy Xu’s face also lit up with joy upon seeing Han Li.
Han Li halted, his mind racing through countless thoughts, though his expression remained unchanged.
“So, you must be the newly arrived Fellow Daoist Han!” The elder’s laughter abruptly ceased as he scrutinized Han Li with surprise.
Simultaneously, Han Li’s divine sense swept over the elder, revealing him to be a mid-stage Deity Transformation cultivator—a realm higher than his own. His eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.
“Who are you two, and why are you causing a disturbance here?” Han Li asked coldly.
The triangular-eyed elder seethed inwardly at Han Li’s tone. Despite his higher cultivation, this newcomer dared to address him so dismissively—utterly disrespectful.
However, recalling Han Li’s status as an Ascension cultivator, the elder suppressed his rising fury and forced a smile. “This old man is Huang Bao, leader of the 27th Squad. I merely came to have a word with Fairy Xu. Fellow Daoist would do well not to interfere.”
“I have nothing to say. This matter concerns only your disciple. For a senior to intervene—doesn’t that smack of bullying the weak?” Fairy Xu bit her lip, enunciating each word clearly.
“Oh? Does Fairy Xu intend to renege on her promise to my disciple? She never stipulated that he couldn’t seek assistance. If you have the means, feel free to call upon your own allies. Otherwise, it would be unwise to bring calamity upon the Xu Family.” The elder’s tone turned icy, his viper-like gaze locking onto the woman.
“My affairs have nothing to do with the Xu Family! Senior must not implicate the innocent!” Fairy Xu’s eyes flashed with indignation and fear.
“Tsk tsk, how can they be unrelated? When you made the bet with my disciple, your entire clan bore witness. If you refuse to honor it, Huang must naturally seek redress from these witnesses.” The elder chuckled darkly.
Fairy Xu paled further, her gaze involuntarily shifting to Han Li. Though she remained silent, the plea in her eyes was unmistakable.
Beside her, Zhu Chong wore a helpless expression.
“What bet?” Han Li rubbed his nose, his tone indifferent.
Truthfully, were it not for Fairy Xu’s lineage as a descendant of Ice Soul Fairy—a connection he still held in regard—he wouldn’t have bothered asking.
By posing the question, he had all but signaled his intention to intervene.
The triangular-eyed elder’s expression darkened slightly.
“It’s simple. I proposed to Fairy Xu, but she boasted of her Frost Crystal Sword’s unparalleled cold. She vowed that if my lifebound treasure could withstand a strike from her sword without freezing, she would consent to the marriage. I succeeded, yet now she seeks to renege, even fleeing here to hide.” The dwarf grinned, his beady eyes darting about.
“Is this true?” Han Li turned to Fairy Xu.
“It is, but his lifebound treasure was tampered with! Otherwise, how could an early-stage cultivator withstand my strike?” Fairy Xu retorted angrily, shooting a resentful glance at the elder.
The elder said nothing, but a smug glint flickered in his triangular eyes.
“Regardless of the means, the fact remains—your Frost Crystal Sword failed to freeze my Green Wave Blade. Even you admit that, don’t you?” The dwarf smirked.
Fairy Xu’s face darkened, but she remained silent.
“I see. However, I find it hard to believe that Fellow Daoist Xu’s Frost Crystal Sword could fail against your treasure. Demonstrate it before me. If it truly holds, I’ll stay out of this. If not, I suggest you both leave. This is the 56th Squad’s territory, not the 27th’s.” Han Li’s eyes glinted coldly, his voice turning frosty.
“Senior, I—”
“Very well! Let it be so. I hope Fellow Daoist Han remembers his words.”
Fairy Xu gasped in shock, but before she could protest, the elder eagerly agreed, relieved to avoid direct conflict with Han Li given the latter’s Ascension cultivator status.
The dwarf promptly spat out a green flying blade, which hovered before him, its dazzling radiance and astonishing spiritual light marking it as no ordinary treasure.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, blue light flickering in his pupils as he scrutinized the blade.
The so-called “Green Wave Blade” contained two distinct spiritual forces—one weak, the other extraordinarily potent.
It had indeed been tampered with.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage