Chapter 1516: Jade Platform

At the moment the black lightning struck Han Li, he felt the surroundings blur slightly before being teleported away in a dizzying whirl.

Fortunately, he was extremely familiar with teleportation. As soon as his figure emerged from the spatial distortion, he gritted his teeth against the disorientation, swiftly forming a hand seal to revert to human form while flicking a sleeve.

A hazy gray radiance surged forth, instantly enveloping both himself and Yanli, who was still dazed beside him.

Only then did he cautiously survey their surroundings.

They stood atop a high platform crafted from exquisite jade. Around it stood over a dozen cyan stone pillars, each intricately carved with faintly glowing runes swirling across their surfaces.

This platform turned out to be a small-scale formation.

The pillars shimmered, forming an exceptionally dense white light barrier that encased the entire platform. Outside the barrier, however, roiling black fog obscured everything from view.

Thankfully, the fog was entirely blocked out—even when looking upward, the same scene prevailed.

Han Li couldn’t help but frown.

“Brother Han, where is this…?” Yanli finally regained her senses from the teleportation’s disorientation. Upon seeing the eerie surroundings, her face paled slightly.

“It seems we’ve been snatched away by that ghostly mist to another place,” Han Li replied with remarkable calm.

“Does this mean we’re no longer in the Netherworld River?” Yanli’s face brightened with hope.

“That’s hard to say. Based on my past experiences with teleportation, this doesn’t feel like an ultra-long-distance or cross-realm transfer. We’re likely still within the Netherworld River,” Han Li shook his head, speaking cautiously.

Hearing this, Yanli’s expression fell, but she suddenly recalled something and gasped in alarm: “Oh no! Junior Sister Yuan was outside the black fog and wasn’t teleported here. She must be separated from us now.”

“Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist. With Sister Yuan’s wit, she’ll be fine even alone. Our priority is to figure out where we are. As long as we’re still in the Netherworld River, reuniting with her won’t be difficult,” Han Li reassured her firmly.

His words eased some of Yanli’s anxiety.

“Junior Sister and I have rarely been apart since we began our cultivation journey. Not seeing her just now made me panic—I hope Brother Han won’t laugh at me for it.”

“Not at all. The bond between you and Yuan Yao is only natural. But even if you’re worried about her, we must first address our own predicament,” Han Li replied with a wry smile. His gaze swept around before he strode toward one of the stone pillars.

Narrowing his eyes, he examined the runes etched on it before turning to peer intently beyond the light barrier.

A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes as he activated his Clear Spirit Sight.

Despite the dense black fog, his spiritual vision pierced through it effortlessly, revealing the scene beyond.

“Hmm?” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he let out a soft exclamation.

“What did you find, Brother Han?” Yanli approached, her voice laced with concern.

“Aside from this platform, there are six identical structures nearby, arranged in a circle. Moreover, we seem to be inside a mountain’s belly,” Han Li inhaled deeply before answering slowly.

“A mountain’s belly? If we’re still in the Netherworld River, who would build such things in a place like this?” Yanli murmured, her delicate brows knitting together.

“That’s indeed hard to guess. But what I’d really like to know is how someone manipulated the ghostly mist to teleport us here. Perhaps it’s related to the Rahu Beast in some way,” Han Li mused, though he sounded uncertain.

“Wild guesses won’t lead us anywhere. But we can’t just sit here waiting, can we?” Yanli sighed.

“Of course not. Who knows if the master of this place is friend or foe? This so-called protective barrier could just as well be a cage. We should leave first. Earlier, I examined the runes on those pillars—they’re incredibly profound. Most are beyond my comprehension despite my knowledge of formations. Our only option is brute force,” Han Li declared, stroking his chin.

“The restrictions are truly this mysterious? I once studied formation techniques myself. Let me take a look,” Yanli said after a brief pause, her tone confident.

“Oh? If Sister Yan can decipher this restriction, that would be ideal,” Han Li blinked in surprise before smiling and stepping aside.

Without hesitation, Yanli approached a pillar, focusing intently on the runes. Her gaze flickered as she became wholly absorbed in their intricacies.

Meanwhile, Han Li clasped his hands behind his back and continued scrutinizing the surroundings beyond the barrier, his eyes occasionally flashing with contemplation.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Yanli exhaled sharply, her face pale as she turned away from the pillar. She offered Han Li a strained smile. “Forgive my presumption, Brother Han. This restriction is far more complex than I imagined. I can’t make heads or tails of it—I’m afraid I’m powerless here.”

“No matter. Since that’s the case, let’s try my flying sword,” Han Li replied nonchalantly, as if he’d expected this outcome. With a flick of his sleeve, a clear chime rang out as a golden miniature sword shot forth.

The sword circled above his head before transforming into a three-foot-long blade, gleaming with golden light and exuding a chilling aura.

“Go!”

Han Li pointed at the white barrier and uttered a low command.

A golden streak flashed as the sword transformed into a dazzling rainbow, slashing fiercely against the barrier.

*Thud!*

Amidst the clash of golden and white light, the rainbow reverted to its sword form and was unceremoniously repelled.

Han Li’s expression darkened as he swiftly gestured, stabilizing the sword mid-air.

Though he’d suspected the barrier’s potency, he hadn’t anticipated it being this resilient—even his Emerald Swarm Sword seemed ineffective against it.

Witnessing this, Yanli’s eyes widened in astonishment. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and spat out a black palm-leaf fan, which she swung violently at the barrier.

Dark flames billowed forth, but the same scenario repeated—upon contact with the barrier, they were repelled by a flash of white light, utterly powerless.

Yanli gasped sharply. “How is this restriction so formidable? It’s nearly impossible to break!”

Han Li pondered briefly before raising an arm, revealing a pitch-black palm.

He pressed his five fingers against the barrier.

Almost instantly, waves of gray radiance surged from his hand.

The previously indomitable barrier emitted a low hum as the gray light washed over it, its surface rippling like disturbed water.

A faint smile tugged at Han Li’s lips.

Just as he’d thought—any restriction involving the five elements couldn’t resist the effects of his Magnetic Divine Light.

Channeling his full spiritual power, the radiance from his hand grew increasingly blinding, and the barrier’s undulations intensified.

The entire barrier began to warp and distort around Han Li’s palm.

Beside him, Yanli’s eyes widened further, her face alight with amazement.

Though she’d seen Han Li wield the Magnetic Divine Light before and knew its power, she hadn’t imagined it could be so effective against restrictions.

After a short while, a muffled *crack* echoed as the barrier finally shattered piece by piece under the relentless distortion.

The black fog outside immediately surged toward the jade platform.

Without hesitation, Han Li leaped up, transforming back into the azure roc. Yanli, prepared, waved her cyan feather, enveloping herself in a sphere of green light before soaring after him.

Having already observed their surroundings, Han Li-as-roc flew unerringly toward a specific direction within the fog.

After a few flashes, the scene before them abruptly brightened, revealing another barrier—this one alternating between cyan and yellow hues.

Recognizing it as a simple isolation barrier, the roc didn’t hesitate to slash downward with a talon.

*Rip!*

The barrier tore apart effortlessly.

Han Li’s figure blurred as he crossed over to a rocky expanse on the other side, then shimmered back into human form.

Yanli landed beside him without missing a beat.

Han Li quickly glanced back.

The breached barrier had already resealed itself, once again blocking the encroaching black fog.

Only then did he relax slightly.

At that moment, Yanli gasped softly: “Brother Han, there’s someone here! Should we go in?”

Han Li’s heart skipped a beat as he whirled toward where she pointed.

About thirty yards away, embedded in a cyan stone wall, was a passageway glowing with milky white light.

Han Li’s brow arched as he scanned their surroundings more carefully, suddenly realizing their position.

They stood on a protruding ledge of a cliff face, with the jade platforms presumably somewhere below.

Instead of approaching immediately, Han Li flicked two fingers from his sleeve.

*Puff! Puff!*

Two golden blossoms shot forth, morphing into fist-sized golden beetles that darted into the tunnel.

Han Li then sat cross-legged, closing his eyes in concentration.

Understanding he was using the insects to scout ahead, Yanli waited quietly.

After the time it took to finish a meal, Han Li’s eyes snapped open, his face draining of color as he leaped to his feet.

“Trouble! There’s someone inside—someone immensely powerful. They captured and trapped my spirit insects effortlessly.”

No sooner had he spoken than an ancient, rasping voice echoed from all directions: “So that’s why the Seven Gates Yin-Locking Formation had a minor hiccup. It seems we have guests. Since you’ve come this far, why not enter and converse?”