Han Li examined the contents of the storage pouch and unceremoniously transferred all the items into his own pouch. The original pouch was then hacked to pieces with his sword.
Although this storage pouch was clearly of much higher quality than Han Li’s, he dared not carry it around carelessly. Who knew if it bore some hidden mark he couldn’t detect?
After resting for another day, Han Li felt it was about time to set off. Changing direction, he and Qu Hun headed toward the Yellow Maple Valley on their artifacts instead of going to the Seven Sects’ camp.
Han Li reasoned that if something had truly gone wrong at the camp, the various sects would be the first to know. It would be better to first return to the valley and gauge the situation. If all was well, he could still make it to the camp in time.
Thus, after five or six days of uneventful flight on their artifacts, Han Li and Qu Hun arrived at the Tai Yue Mountain Range. Without alerting anyone, Han Li stealthily returned to his cave dwelling.
Once inside, he reactivated the outer formation, and a sense of relief washed over him. After all, there was no place safer than his own territory.
Without delay, Han Li headed straight for the secret chamber housing the Spirit Spring.
As expected, the two spider eggs had already hatched. Floating in the spring were two fist-sized white spiders. Though small, they were exquisitely translucent, clearly no ordinary creatures.
The moment the two little spiders spotted Han Li, white shadows flashed as they shot out of the spring toward him. Startled at first, Han Li quickly remembered something and chose not to dodge.
The two spiders landed steadily on his shoulders and began crawling playfully all over him, behaving as though they had known him for a long time.
Han Li smiled faintly. It seemed the blood-based control restriction he had placed on them was indeed effective. The two little spiders already regarded him as their parent, hence their affectionate behavior.
Delighted, Han Li curiously plucked one of the white spiders off his body and placed it on his palm for a closer look.
Though spiders often evoked feelings of ugliness and disgust, this little spider was entirely pure white and glowing, incredibly beautiful and utterly captivating.
But what surprised Han Li the most was that the little spider’s spiritual energy was already at the third or fourth layer of Qi Refinement—a genuine low-tier Level 1 demon beast. It seemed to have great potential.
It was said that these white spiders were listed on the Rare Insects Ranking as “Bloodjade Spiders,” ranked just over a hundred. Though not as formidable as the “Goldback Demon Mantis,” they were still a rare breed.
After playing with the two little spiders for a while, Han Li placed them in a leather pouch to carry with him. He had no idea when he would return next, so it was best to take them along for gradual training.
Next, Han Li went to his bedroom and pulled out a small box from under his bed.
Inside the box were over a dozen storage pouches filled with various talismans. Han Li casually selected two to take with him. His previous stock of talismans was nearly depleted, so he needed to replenish his supply.
After handling these matters, Han Li left Qu Hun at the cave dwelling and flew openly toward Yellow Maple Valley.
Perhaps because most of the personnel had been dispatched to the Seven Sects’ camp, Han Li encountered only a few scattered Qi Refinement disciples along the way. He casually stopped one to inquire about the situation in the valley. Hearing no unfavorable news, he felt somewhat relieved.
However, since this was only a Qi Refinement disciple, Han Li wasn’t satisfied. After a moment’s thought, he headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Garden. Given the old man’s mid-stage Foundation Establishment status, he should have more accurate information.
A short while later, Han Li arrived above the Hundred Herbs Garden but was blocked by a hazy white formation.
The token he had used to enter the formation earlier had long been returned to the old man, so he could no longer freely enter the garden.
However, after witnessing the might of the “Inverted Five Elements Formation,” Han Li held the old man’s crude illusion array in low regard. Nonetheless, he had no intention of forcing his way in. Instead, he took out a transmission talisman, whispered a few words into it, and sent it flying as a streak of fire into the white mist below.
Before long, the white mist below churned and revealed a passage about ten feet wide.
Seeing this, Han Li chuckled lightly and drifted down.
At the end of the passage stood two people waiting for him in the center of the Hundred Herbs Garden.
“Senior Brother Ma, it’s been a while!” Han Li said with a smile to one of them. That person was none other than the master of the Hundred Herbs Garden—the old man.
“Hmph! Though we haven’t met, you certainly know how to cause trouble for me,” the old man retorted, rolling his eyes without giving Han Li a friendly look.
“Hehe, surely you can’t be dissatisfied with such a well-behaved disciple as Miss Xiao?” Han Li replied nonchalantly, smiling at the other person.
That person, a young girl with a slightly flushed face, bowed to Han Li and said gratefully, “Xiao Cuier pays respects to Uncle Han. Thank you for your great kindness!”
She was the granddaughter of Old Man Xiao.
Hearing Han Li’s words, the old man looked exasperated and was about to say something when Han Li cut him off. “Senior Brother Ma, I came here this time because I have important matters to discuss. This is truly serious!” Han Li’s expression suddenly turned grave.
Seeing Han Li so solemn, the old man frowned and turned to Xiao Cuier beside him. “Stand guard at the garden entrance. Your Uncle Han and I need to discuss some matters.”
“Yes, Master!” the girl replied respectfully before heading toward the garden entrance without another word.
Her obedient behavior clearly pleased the old man, and a trace of doting affection even appeared in his eyes.
Han Li found this inwardly amusing. Though Senior Brother Ma complained about the trouble Han Li had caused him, he clearly doted on Xiao Cuier. He was just putting on a tough front.
The old man led Han Li to the sitting room, where they both took seats. Only then did he ask indifferently, “Junior Brother, aren’t you supposed to be at the border camp? What brings you here to ask questions? What’s this important matter? Let’s hear it.”
He wore an expression of nonchalance.
“Ahem, it’s a long story,” Han Li sighed, smiling wryly.
Having known the old man for many years, Han Li was aware that despite his sharp tongue, he had a good heart. So, Han Li briefly recounted his encounter with the Beast Taming Sect cultivator on his way back. Of course, he glossed over the details of the battle, focusing mainly on the possibility that the Spirit Beast Mountain was acting as an insider for the demonic path.
The old man’s carefree expression froze completely after hearing Han Li’s account.
After a long pause, he asked slowly with a strange look on his face, “Junior Brother Han, you destroyed the soul of a Core Formation cultivator? And Spirit Beast Mountain might be an insider for the demonic path?”
He looked utterly incredulous, as though he were listening to a fantasy.
Seeing this, Han Li wore a pained expression.
It was no wonder the old man reacted this way. Anyone hearing such news would find it hard to believe immediately.
But Han Li pressed on with a furrowed brow, “I returned to the valley precisely because I wasn’t sure if this news was reliable. I wanted to see if there were any rumors from the camp. If there were none, I could rest assured and head there.” In front of the old man, Han Li saw no need to hide his extreme caution regarding his own life.
“No, all the messages from the front have been requests for large shipments of spirit stones and supplies. There’s been no unfavorable news. Everything seems normal,” the old man said seriously.
Hearing this, Han Li let out a slight sigh of relief and rubbed his nose, muttering, “So, it seems I was completely fooled by that guy. Should I curse three times to vent my frustration or laugh three times to celebrate that the camp is safe?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than enormous bell tolls—”Dang! Dang!”—echoed incessantly from the direction of the Assembly Hall.
The old man and Han Li exchanged glances, their faces paling simultaneously.
The bell tolled for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally falling silent.
The old man’s expression was extremely grim. After taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, “Eighty-one tolls. It seems your news is mostly true. The situation is very dire.”
“Let’s go see what’s happening. It might not necessarily be related to my news,” Han Li said calmly after a moment of silence.
“Hmph, I’d be surprised if it weren’t! If it weren’t a major defeat at the front, why would they toll the Alarm Dragon Bell eighty-one times—the signal for a sect’s annihilation?” the old man retorted coldly.
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