After the giant wave receded, the entire pond split down the middle. The pale silver water was forcibly cleaved in two, revealing the whitish pond bed beneath.
The power behind Han Li’s single finger strike was truly unfathomable!
The next moment, with a thunderous *boom*, the waters on both sides surged back toward the center, once again concealing the pond bed.
“Not bad. My magic power has also increased significantly. But most importantly, my divine sense and Spirit Infant have grown at least a third stronger than before. As for other benefits, I’ll have to experience them gradually.” Han Li murmured with a smile after scanning his body with his divine sense. Suddenly, he let out a long cry.
In an instant, ripples spread across the surrounding restrictions as a golden shadow and a mass of green light shot toward him from two directions. With a flash, they landed steadily before Han Li.
It was the Leopard Qilin Beast and the Ganoderma Immortal Spirit Body!
“I’ve completed my marrow-cleansing and meridian-refining. It’s your turn to soak in the pond.” Han Li commanded without hesitation.
The Leopard Qilin Beast was naturally overjoyed. After thanking him in human speech, it and the spirit body controlled by the second demon infant plunged into the spiritual pond in a flash.
Next, Han Li released Qu’er, the transformed Nine Bend Spirit Ginseng, and over a dozen Gold Devouring Beetle Kings, allowing them to enter the pond as well.
Finally, he flicked his wrist and released the spirit beast ring filled with mature Gold Devouring Beetles.
With an incantation, tens of thousands of spirit insects surged out in a frenzy. At Han Li’s low command, instead of flying toward the Cleansing Spirit Pond, they split into over a dozen swarms and swept toward the towering trees and vegetation beyond the restrictions.
Wherever the insect swarms passed, vast stretches of spiritual herbs and trees were devoured clean. Even the slightly exposed spirit stones and ores hidden beneath the soil vanished without a trace, revealing fresh earth beneath that carried the scent of damp soil—as if the very ground had been scraped away.
The once lush and verdant scenery nearby turned barren in the blink of an eye, and this desolation spread outward at a visible pace.
Han Li smiled faintly at the sight.
He had already scanned this space with his divine sense earlier and found no rare medicinal herbs. Either this place had never contained such treasures, or they had long been harvested by the powerful beings who had come before.
Even so, given the density of spiritual energy here, even ordinary plants, having grown for countless years, held far greater value than the rare spiritual herbs found in the outside world. Though he possessed the mysterious small vial and had little use for such things, abandoning so many resources brimming with pure spiritual energy would be a waste. It was far better to let the Gold Devouring Beetles consume them all to enhance their power.
With his current divine sense, he could now command the entire swarm for a considerable time without worrying about excessive depletion.
Moreover, this space spanned only a hundred or so *li*. Given the devouring capabilities of mature Gold Devouring Beetles, it wouldn’t take long for them to strip the land bare.
During this time, Han Li had no intention of idly waiting. With a solemn expression, he flipped his palm, revealing a small violet-gold vial sealed with a restriction talisman.
He raised the vial and blew lightly on it. The talisman silently fell away.
With a flick of his wrist, the vial inverted, its lid popping open as a clear cry rang out from within.
A golden flash!
A fist-sized golden firebird shot out, circling once before soaring into the sky.
Han Li, clearly prepared, spread his fingers and made a grasping motion in the air. An invisible force surged forth, instantly trapping the golden firebird.
Despite the firebird’s frantic wingbeats, under the immense pressure, its light dimmed, and it transformed into a thumb-sized golden pill hovering silently in the air.
This golden pill, its surface covered in intricate patterns, was none other than the “Void Spirit Pill.”
Without hesitation, Han Li flexed his fingers slightly.
With a *whoosh*, the Void Spirit Pill shot toward him like a golden streak, landing steadily in his palm.
Han Li examined the pill, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
The jade slip he obtained from Bao Hua made no mention of when to take the Void Spirit Pill after the marrow-cleansing.
But logically, a pill like this—akin to an antidote—would be most effective the sooner it was consumed.
While this might mean he couldn’t fully refine the pill in a short time, the benefits of taking it early outweighed the drawbacks.
With this in mind, Han Li tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it without further delay.
The medicinal effects dispersed instantly, followed by a warm current flowing slowly through his limbs and meridians. Though far gentler than the violent potency of the Cleansing Lotus petals, this warmth left Han Li feeling extraordinarily comfortable throughout his body.
Delighted, Han Li realized the Void Spirit Pill was indeed highly beneficial to his current condition. He immediately sat cross-legged by the pond, beginning to refine the pill’s energy bit by bit.
An unknown amount of time later, the dozen or so Gold Devouring Beetle swarms finally returned with a buzzing hum, gathering into a golden cloud above the pond.
Han Li’s eyelids twitched as he opened his eyes, scanning his surroundings before curling his lips slightly.
By now, the vast space had turned utterly desolate. As far as the eye could see, the land was a barren yellow, resembling a desert.
Yet the spiritual energy in the air remained incredibly pure and dense. In a few centuries, this place would regain its former lush greenery.
However, the powerful spiritual energy that once infused the plants would take tens of thousands of years to replenish.
Having devoured so many spirit-rich materials, the Gold Devouring Beetles now gleamed slightly brighter than before.
And this was before they had fully refined what they had consumed. The benefits they would gain in the future would far surpass what was visible now.
Han Li had no intention of recalling the swarm just yet. After calculating how long his divine sense could sustain them and how much time he had left in this space, he let out a low whistle.
The golden insect cloud descended into the pond, vanishing beneath the water.
Han Li, however, did not resume refining the Void Spirit Pill. Instead, he gazed at the pale silver water, his eyes flickering as if deep in thought.
After a moment, he suddenly raised his hand, summoning a yellow gourd with a flash of yellow light.
Holding the gourd, he gave it a slight shake toward the pond.
The gourd shimmered before rapidly expanding into a massive object over ten feet tall.
Han Li tossed the gourd into the air and formed a hand seal, pointing a finger at it.
With a *pfft*, a stream of black-and-white qi sprayed out, swirling toward the water’s surface.
Amidst flashing rays of dual-colored light, a pale silver water column was drawn up and sucked precisely into the giant gourd.
On a whim, Han Li had decided to collect some of the pond water. Whether anyone had attempted this before was anyone’s guess.
Standing with his hands behind his back, Han Li watched expressionlessly as the gourd absorbed the water.
After the time it took to finish a meal, he flicked his sleeve toward the gourd, sending a green incantation streak shooting into it.
The giant gourd trembled, its black-and-white qi retracting as it rapidly shrank back to its original miniature size.
Han Li caught the gourd and scanned it with his divine sense, only for his expression to darken. He flipped it over, and clear, spiritless water poured out.
His face twitched slightly as a faint, bitter smile appeared.
The Cleansing Spirit Pond was indeed enigmatic. The moment its mysterious water left the pond, it lost all efficacy.
Though disappointed, he had half-expected this outcome and thus wasn’t overly disheartened.
Han Li began pacing slowly around the pond, as if trying to decipher something from it.
On the exposed pond walls were natural patterns resembling either mystical runes or ancient script.
Of course, he was also silently counting the time he had left in this space, planning to leave as soon as his three-day limit approached.
He had no way of verifying whether Bao Hua’s claim about the three-day restriction was true, nor did he wish to test it personally.
Time passed steadily. The auras of the Leopard Qilin Beast and others in the pond fluctuated between weak and strong, clearly benefiting greatly. Due to time constraints, they couldn’t undergo a complete marrow-cleansing like Han Li, but this was still an unparalleled opportunity.
A short while later, Han Li, who had been studying the pond’s edge, suddenly raised his head and sighed regretfully.
“It’s time to go. What a pity. If I could stay here for a month, I might have truly uncovered some secrets.”
With that, he let out a clear, dragon-like cry.
The tranquil pond erupted as several figures shot out, followed by a dense rain of Gold Devouring Beetles that swiftly reformed into a golden cloud.
Han Li beckoned to the Leopard Qilin Beast and the others, then flicked his sleeve.
The beasts, Qu’er, and the spirit body rapidly shrank before disappearing into his wide sleeves.
However, when his gaze swept over the golden insect cloud and the still-full pond, his brow arched. With a thought, he commanded the swarm.
The golden cloud buzzed before plunging back into the pond, vanishing beneath the surface—along with the dozen or so candidate beetle kings.
Han Li’s expression remained impassive as he stared fixedly at the water.
Moments later, something astonishing occurred!
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