Chapter 1426: The Map of Sumeru’s Paradise

Apart from the gaunt shopkeeper and the burly man who spoke angrily, there was also a young man with delicate features, equally displeased.

Han Li discreetly swept his spiritual sense over them and discerned that both were at the early-stage of the Void Refinement realm.

“Hmph, I never said I’d only bring one person to help me subdue the spirit beast. If anyone isn’t willing, they’re free to leave—I won’t stop them. But if you want Iceheart Crystals, Purpleglow Iron, or Green Luo Fruits, forget about it,” the gaunt middle-aged man snorted, rolling his eyes.

The young man and the burly man exchanged glances at these words, while Han Li merely stood still, frowning slightly.

“Fine, three it is. But if one of us helps subdue the spirit beast first, won’t the others get nothing?” the young man asked with evident concern.

“Don’t worry. I never intended for you to act alone. The three of you will need to work together to unleash your lightning-based divine abilities. Based on past experience, your individual lightning powers alone won’t be enough to succeed. Once the beast is subdued, I’ll give you what you asked for as promised,” the shopkeeper said with a cold laugh.

Hearing that they would receive their desired items, the burly man and the young man relaxed, voicing no further objections.

Pleased, the shopkeeper nodded, but when his gaze swept over Han Li, he let out a surprised sound.

“Brother Han, it’s only been a few days, yet you’ve advanced from mid-tier Spirit General to high-tier. Truly unbelievable. I must congratulate you. With this, your lightning abilities should be even stronger now, right?” he asked with keen interest.

“I was merely fortunate. My lightning power has indeed increased somewhat,” Han Li replied with a faint smile, his words half-truthful.

Hearing this, the armored burly man and the young man also glanced at Han Li, their expressions showing surprise.

“Good. Since none of you have objections, follow me. The spirit beast has been placed in a hidden location, so you’ll need to accompany me there,” the shopkeeper said.

“Following Brother Yu is no issue, but before we act, shouldn’t we verify the items we’re after?” the delicate-featured young man said, his eyes glinting shrewdly.

The armored burly man was taken aback but quickly voiced agreement. Though Han Li remained silent, his expression conveyed approval.

“Inspecting the goods is no problem at all. I’ve already prepared them—take a close look,” the shopkeeper replied, as if he had anticipated the request. His unusually generous tone contrasted sharply with his earlier harshness, leaving the young man momentarily stunned.

With three soft whooshes, three wooden boxes of varying sizes flew out.

The gaunt man had actually thrown the items over without hesitation.

Delighted, the young man and the burly man flicked their sleeves, releasing a shimmering light to catch the boxes before them.

Han Li’s heart skipped a beat as he deftly caught the box flying toward him and carefully opened the lid.

A refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside the box lay a fist-sized, emerald-green peach-like fruit, resembling fine jade, resting on two pale-red peculiar leaves. Han Li narrowed his eyes and extended a finger to touch the fruit.

Similarly, the other two also reached for their boxes, intending to inspect the contents closely.

But then, the shopkeeper spoke coolly from the side:

“If I were you, I wouldn’t touch the items in the boxes. They’ve been placed under minor restrictions. If anything goes wrong, even if you bankrupt yourselves, you wouldn’t be able to compensate for the loss.”

Han Li and the other two froze mid-motion.

“Brother Yu, what’s the meaning of this? How can we verify their authenticity without touching them?” the burly man asked, startled and annoyed.

“With your cultivation, you should be able to identify them with about seventy to eighty percent certainty just by sight and spiritual sense. If you want absolute confirmation, wait until after the task is done. I can’t guarantee you’ll succeed in subduing the beast. If you fail, there’d be no need for hands-on verification anyway. Given my reputation in the clan, do you really think I’d deceive you?” the gaunt man replied indifferently.

“Fine. We’ll trust you this once. I doubt Brother Yu would tarnish his own reputation,” the delicate-featured young man said after scrutinizing the box for a moment. With a reluctant stomp of his foot, he tossed the box back.

After a thorough inspection, the burly man also hesitated but ultimately returned his box with visible reluctance.

With the two boxes safely retrieved, the shopkeeper, surnamed Yu, looked satisfied and finally turned his gaze to the other side.

At that moment, Han Li was intently studying the green fruit in the box, his pupils flickering with hidden blue light, his face deep in thought.

“What is it, Brother Han? Do you find something amiss with the Green Luo Fruit?” the shopkeeper asked, noticing Han Li’s expression.

“Nothing,” Han Li shook his head, closed the box, and tossed it back.

The gaunt man caught it, gave Han Li a penetrating look, then wordlessly led the way out the door.

Han Li and the other two followed closely.

The gaunt man flew at an incredible speed, but Han Li and his companions were no ordinary individuals, easily keeping pace as they left the trading hall and headed toward a remote part of the Holy City.

After flying for a full hour, they arrived at an extremely secluded corner of the city.

The area was sparsely built, with few Tianpeng people around, giving it a desolate air.

The shopkeeper brought them to a nondescript, low-rise building.

The structure was only about thirty zhang tall, with two grayish floors.

The moment the gaunt man landed, the door swung open on its own, revealing two men in their twenties who hurriedly bowed and greeted, “Welcome back, Grandmaster!”

“Guard the entrance. No one enters without my permission,” the shopkeeper ordered coldly.

“As you command!” The two men promptly took positions on either side of the door.

Han Li glanced at them, noting they were only at the Golden Core level, and paid them no further mind.

The shopkeeper called for them to follow and entered the building. After a brief hesitation, the young man and the burly man went in, with Han Li bringing up the rear.

The interior was modest, furnished plainly with three square wooden tables and over a dozen chairs occupying most of the space. Faded ancient paintings of beasts and landscapes adorned the walls, equally unremarkable.

“Brother Yu, is the spirit beast really here?” the burly man couldn’t help but ask, scanning the cramped space skeptically.

“Would I deceive you at this point? Follow me,” the shopkeeper retorted sharply before walking to an ancient landscape painting on the wall. With a flick of his sleeve, he produced another scroll.

Unfurling it gently, the scroll revealed an identical scene to the one on the wall.

The burly man and Han Li were momentarily baffled, but the delicate-featured young man’s face paled as he exclaimed, “A Xumi Cave Heaven Painting! You actually possess one of the Five Light Clan’s treasures!”

“A Xumi Painting? Impossible! The Five Light Clan only has seven sets. How could you have one?” the burly man gasped in disbelief.

Though confused, Han Li’s heart stirred at the mention of “Xumi.” He scrutinized the painting on the wall closely.

The slightly yellowed scroll depicted an ink-green mountain with a cluster of indistinct buildings, exuding an ethereal, dreamlike quality.

“You’ve got sharp eyes. This is indeed a Xumi Cave Heaven Painting, but it’s not one of the seven revered treasures of the Five Light Clan. It’s a flawed piece,” the shopkeeper chuckled.

“A replica?” The young man and the burly man were stunned.

“Correct. Few in the Five Light Clan know this, but when they crafted the Xumi Cave Heaven Paintings using the spirit bones of the Five-Colored Peacock, they didn’t make seven—they made ten. Unfortunately, three were flawed during production, reducing their efficacy. These three were concealed early on and never publicly acknowledged. Over time, they were lost from the clan and passed through various hands. As for how I obtained this one, that’s not for you to know,” the gaunt man said smugly.

“Even flawed, acquiring such a Xumi artifact requires immense luck,” the burly man said enviously.

The delicate-featured young man’s eyes flickered with greed as he stared at the paintings.

Though Han Li’s expression remained neutral, his heart burned with desire.

Xumi artifacts—this was one of the treasures he had most coveted since arriving in the Spirit Realm. Unlike the makeshift spatial pockets created from spatial fissures in the human world, these were genuine, portable spatial treasures.

“Enough talk. Let’s go. The spirit beast is inside the cave heaven,” the shopkeeper said, his smile vanishing as he shook the scroll in his hand.

An incredible sight unfolded: the scroll erupted in multicolored light, transforming into a radiant mist that merged with the painting on the wall.

Chanting under his breath, the shopkeeper pointed at the wall painting.

The painting shimmered and released another burst of radiant mist.

Under the shopkeeper’s guidance, the mist enveloped the group.

Han Li hesitated briefly but chose not to resist, allowing the mist to wrap around him while subtly reinforcing his protective spiritual light.

With a final flash, the room stood empty, its occupants vanished without a trace.