“Mastery of the cultivation art? Heh, that’s nothing but the delusional fantasy of those two old freaks. Have they ever considered how many years the Divine Essence Magnet Light technique has been circulating throughout the Scattered Star Seas? Has anyone actually succeeded in cultivating it? Of course, one could say those two were lucky to stumble upon a small Essence Magnet Mountain deep in the ocean and move it back to Heavenly Star City. But let’s be real—how could anyone master the Divine Essence Magnet Light just by relying on an external object? I even suspect this technique might have been a joke created by the master who devised it. What kind of technique in this world can truly overcome all five elements? Besides, even without cultivating this method, those two are already among the rarest experts in this realm. They’re just making unnecessary trouble!” Patriarch Ji Yin spoke dismissively.
“I hope it turns out as you say, Senior!” Although Chi Huo still had some concerns, he could only reply in this manner.
“However, aside from Fairy Violet Spirit and the other female cultivators, it’s quite surprising that two others managed to escape from the Eighteen Heavenly Corpse Fiends!” Patriarch Ji Yin suddenly stroked his sparse beard, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
“Indeed. Fairy Violet Spirit had the Wood Dragon Stele, the treasure of the Mystic Sound Sect, with her. That’s how the three of them relied on it to shield themselves and escape the Heavenly Corpse Fiends’ attacks. But the other two are rather peculiar. From a distance, I saw them releasing numerous puppet-like constructs. Although their offensive power was minimal and their defense weak, the fact that they could control over a hundred at once is rather bizarre.” Old Freak Chi Huo nodded in agreement, equally puzzled.
“Never mind, those two are just small fish. Not worth our attention! If it weren’t for the limited power I can wield after possessing this body and some other restrictions, I would never have let those juniors slip away right under my nose. But the main target—that traitor—didn’t escape. I still need to retrieve the stolen fragment of the Void Heaven Diagram from him.” Patriarch Ji Yin spoke indifferently, as if Han Li and Qu Hun’s escape meant nothing to him.
Seeing this, Old Freak Chi Huo decided not to press the matter further. Shortly after, he took his leave from Patriarch Ji Yin, transforming into a dark cloud and flying away.
Patriarch Ji Yin watched the disappearing speck of Old Freak Chi Huo in the distance, a cold smirk curling on his lips. He slowly extended a hand, fingers uncurling to reveal a small segment of white spider silk, several inches long, lying in his palm.
Looking at the silk, a complex, enigmatic expression flickered in his eyes.
“Bloodjade Spider! I never thought I’d see this again. It seems Heaven never seals off all exits—I still have a chance!” Patriarch Ji Yin murmured to himself before suddenly bursting into wild, skyward laughter. The force of his laughter shook the nearby Elder Zhao and the others, their faces pale as they swayed unsteadily in the air.
“Let’s go! Back to the island.” Patriarch Ji Yin’s laughter ceased abruptly as he barked the order. With a casual grab, the floating middle-aged cultivator flew into his hand. Holding the man aloft, he led the group away from the area.
Unaware of the events unfolding a hundred miles away, Han Li remained buried underground for a full month, his nerves frayed with paranoia. Only after cautiously using his spiritual sense to confirm no ambush awaited did he emerge from the soil. Without a word, he and Qu Hun flew back to Heavenly Star City.
This expedition had left him battered and nearly cost him his life. To add insult to injury, despite taking such great risks, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the Golden Lightning Bamboo. He suspected it had fallen into Patriarch Ji Yin’s hands, dashing any hopes he had. Dejected, he returned to Heavenly Star City.
The city was as bustling as ever, and the Star Palace cultivators guarding the gates treated him with the respect due a senior. But having just narrowly escaped death, Han Li found it impossible to lift his spirits. With a gloomy expression, he entered the city.
When he reached his cave dwelling on the thirty-ninth floor, he was taken aback.
A message talisman floated quietly within the restrictions at the entrance, causing Han Li’s face to darken.
Frowning, he retrieved his restriction token and reluctantly gave it a slight shake. A green light shot from the token into the restrictions, and the message talisman transformed into a flame, flying out with the green light to hover before Han Li.
With a flick of his finger, a white light struck the talisman, causing the flames to flare. A charming female voice emerged from it.
Recognizing the voice, Han Li was first stunned, then furious.
It was Madame Fan’s voice! After causing him so much trouble, she had the audacity to seek him out again.
The pent-up anger of the past few days ignited within him. A red glow flashed in his hand as a fist-sized fireball materialized, ready to destroy the talisman. But the next words from the woman gave him pause, and he hesitated.
After a moment, Madame Fan’s message ended. Han Li extinguished the fireball with a casual wave and stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Truth be told, he was surprised that the three female cultivators had escaped alive. But now, he had no goodwill left for anyone from the Mystic Sound Sect.
Yet, the message invited him to a meeting at an inn and mentioned the Golden Lightning Bamboo again, hinting that they might still possess it. This stirred something in him despite his anger.
After some consideration, he decided to go and see for himself. If they brought up revenge or asked for his help, he would simply refuse. At most, he could offer a higher price in spirit stones to buy the bamboo. He believed that aside from himself, no one else would have much use for such a small segment.
After all, rare wood-attributed materials like this were typically used as the main component for crafting specific magical treasures. According to Madame Fan’s description, the segment was only a few inches long—hardly enough to craft even a dagger after impurities were removed.
With this in mind, Han Li felt a renewed sense of purpose and flew with Qu Hun toward the inn.
Half an hour later, Han Li arrived at the “Longxing Inn” and made his way to a third-floor guest room with Qu Hun.
The inn was meticulously arranged, with the first two floors housing mortals and the third reserved for cultivators passing through.
Han Li easily found the room mentioned in the message. A faint white light shimmered over the door, indicating that someone inside had set up minor restrictions as a warning.
Seeing this, Han Li couldn’t help but smirk wryly. It seemed these beauties had also been badly frightened, just like him.
Shaking his head lightly, he flicked a finger, sending a white light to strike the restriction, causing ripples to spread across its surface.
There was no immediate response, but a moment later, a thread of spiritual sense swept over him and Qu Hun before retreating into the room.
The white light on the door flickered and vanished as the restrictions dissolved. Then, Fairy Violet Spirit’s cool voice sounded from within: “So it’s you two, Seniors. Please come in. We’ve been waiting for you for several days.”
Hearing this, Han Li pushed the door open expressionlessly and entered slowly with Qu Hun.
The room was sparsely furnished, with only a redwood table and a few antique rattan chairs. To Han Li’s surprise, however, there was no sign of the Mystic Sound Sect women. Instead, a languid-looking young woman stood in the center of the room.
She wore a yellow robe, her face as pale as jade, with large, clear eyes that regarded Han Li with a slight smile.
“Are you Lady Violet Spirit?” Han Li asked after a moment of stunned silence, his tone laced with disbelief.
Although he had never seen Fairy Violet Spirit’s true appearance, her legendary beauty couldn’t possibly match the girl before him. While the yellow-robed girl was pretty and charming, she hardly lived up to such a renowned reputation. Could this be a disguised form?
Han Li blinked, feeling somewhat perplexed.
“Senior seems surprised! Does Wang Ning’s appearance disappoint you? Unfortunately, this is indeed my true face,” the yellow-robed girl said lightly, as if reading his thoughts.
“True face?” Han Li studied her features for a moment before shaking his head without comment. Although he couldn’t detect any signs of illusion or disguise, he remained skeptical.
After all, this world was full of rare treasures, and it wasn’t unheard of for some to alter one’s appearance or conceal one’s true face.
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