Two months later, Han Li finally emerged from his secluded chamber.
Though his face appeared somewhat haggard, his heart brimmed with excitement. The mere thought of the seventy-two Emerald Swarm Swords now absorbed within his body made the corners of his mouth curl upward in irrepressible delight.
Reflecting on the two decades of painstaking effort poured into crafting this set of life-bound magic treasures, he felt immense relief that the process had concluded without any mishaps. Although he hadn’t yet tested their power, he was confident that after proper nurturing, even a single flying sword would far surpass ordinary treasures like the Green Glow Sword.
Just as he was basking in this self-satisfaction, his spiritual sense received a message from Soulshake—the Gold Devouring Beetles had laid eggs.
This news multiplied his joy exponentially!
After resting in his quarters for a day, Han Li visited the insect room. The chamber was now a vast expanse of snowy white, filled with countless pale eggs of the Gold Devouring Beetles.
Without hesitation, Han Li immediately carved out an identical insect room nearby. On the floor of this new chamber, he inscribed a massive soul-control spell formation and infused it with a significant amount of his essence blood.
He then transferred most of the eggs to the center of the formation in the new room to perform the ownership ritual. The original insect room was left with nearly a thousand of the most vibrant eggs.
With these tasks completed, Han Li finally allowed himself to relax. He began visiting nearby cave dwellings to reconnect with a few cultivators he had befriended, gradually returning to his normal cultivation routine.
During the years Han Li had spent in seclusion, the entire Scattered Star Seas cultivation world had been rocked by a series of major upheavals. The most significant event was the sudden overnight rebellion within seven or eight organizations, including the Six United Palaces, where subordinates or disciples overthrew their leaders. These heads or sect masters were replaced by previously unknown figures.
Additionally, several minor sects were completely annihilated, their treasured artifacts stolen.
For a time, every faction in the Scattered Star Seas operated in a state of paranoia, withdrawing their personnel and eyeing each other with suspicion.
But the most alarming development was the emergence of a rumor that the “Twin Saints of Heavenly Star” had suffered a cultivation deviation, losing all their powers. It was said they were now puppets under the control of several subordinates, utterly incapable of governing the Star Palace.
This rumor caused an uproar. Nearly everyone concerned with the matter watched closely for the Star Palace’s response. To everyone’s astonishment, the Star Palace remained completely silent—neither denying nor acknowledging the rumor. This silence only deepened the atmosphere of anxiety throughout the Scattered Star Seas.
Similarly, ambitious and previously hidden forces began to stir. Some plotted in secret, while others formed covert alliances. On the surface, however, the chaos seemed to vanish shortly after the rumor spread, as if everything had returned to normal.
But those with insight knew this was merely the calm before the storm.
When Han Li met with his fellow cultivators and discussed these events, they all wore expressions of concern.
Han Li, however, was largely indifferent. Whether the Star Palace continued to dominate the Scattered Star Seas or was overthrown by another rising power mattered little to him. As a lone cultivator, his only concern was to avoid being dragged into unnecessary conflicts.
According to his own plans, Han Li intended to spend the next few years nurturing his flying swords and crafting several powerful formation tools. After that, he would venture out to sea to hunt sixth-grade demon beasts. After all, for a Core Formation cultivator, only pills refined from sixth-grade demon cores could significantly enhance his cultivation.
In the following days, Han Li spent his days refining artifacts and studying formation techniques, while his nights were dedicated to cross-legged meditation, using his dantian fire to slowly temper the seventy-two Emerald Swarm Swords within him.
Not long after, the Gold Devouring Beetle eggs finally hatched. Delighted, Han Li stored the bonded beetles into several high-level spirit beast pouches, spending his spare time training them for future combat.
In truth, Han Li was quite content with his current stable cultivation life. Having successfully formed his golden core, he now set his sights on the Nascent Soul stage, wondering if he could one day achieve that realm.
But one day, as Han Li was tempering his flying swords in his residence, he suddenly paused, stood up, and walked slowly outside.
Standing outside his cave abode was a middle-aged man in his forties, with fair skin, narrow eyes, long eyebrows, and an elegant demeanor.
“Fellow Daoist Han, I apologize for the intrusion!” the man greeted warmly as soon as Han Li emerged.
“Brother Jin! What brings you to my humble abode? Please, come in!” Han Li responded courteously, promptly inviting the man inside.
This man, named Jin Qing, was a Core Formation cultivator who lived nearby. He was relatively upright and had offered Han Li some guidance when Han Li first formed his core, making him one of Han Li’s closest acquaintances.
During a previous visit, Han Li had found Jin Qing absent from his cave dwelling and later learned that he had been traveling for several years. Seeing him now brought Han Li genuine pleasure.
“No need. I can say what I need to here. I have other matters to attend to shortly,” Jin Qing declined with a faint smile.
“Please speak freely, Brother Jin. I’m all ears,” Han Li replied half-jokingly.
Jin Qing smiled slightly and began, “Shortly after my return, I heard from other nearby cultivators that you’ve been studying formation techniques over the years and have achieved considerable mastery. Congratulations! Coincidentally, during my travels, I encountered a challenge—I need to break a certain restriction formation. So I’ve come to seek your expertise in formations. I hope you won’t refuse.”
“A restriction? Where is it located?” Han Li asked, slightly surprised but maintaining his composure.
“Take a look at this,” Jin Qing replied instead of answering, retrieving an object from his storage pouch and handing it to Han Li.
Han Li took it and found it to be a pearl the size of a thumb.
“What is this?” Han Li asked, puzzled.
“Try channeling some spiritual power into it,” Jin Qing said mysteriously.
Frowning slightly, Han Li infused a trace of spiritual power into the pearl. Instantly, a blinding white light erupted from it.
While such light might harm a mortal’s eyes, Han Li, as a Core Formation cultivator, simply focused intently on the pearl. His expression shifted slightly as he noticed something forming within it.
Without waiting for Jin Qing’s prompt, Han Li probed it with his spiritual sense. As time passed, his expression grew increasingly solemn.
“An ancient cultivator’s ruins?” Han Li withdrew his sense and took a deep breath, looking at the middle-aged cultivator.
“Not entirely sure. But storing maps using such ancient methods is typical of ancient cultivators,” Jin Qing explained, his excitement barely contained.
Han Li nodded. Using pearls and shells to store important information was indeed a common practice among ancient cultivators of the Scattered Star Seas. This pearl contained what appeared to be half of a map.
Jin Qing continued, “There are two such pearls. Together, they form a complete map. I found them with a fellow cultivator in a small shop, strung together in a necklace among ordinary pearls. We each took one and agreed to collaborate in finding the location on the map.”
“So you’ve already found the place?” Han Li mused, stroking his chin.
“Yes. It took us five or six years, but we recently located it. Unfortunately, the area is completely enveloped by a grand formation. Neither of us knows anything about formations, so we had to return disappointed.”
“However, we agreed to each find a formation expert to help break the barrier. As you know, loose cultivators skilled in formations are exceedingly rare. Even if there are one or two, I’m not acquainted with them. Just as I was worrying about this after returning, I heard about your achievements. So I’ve come to ask for your help, though I feel somewhat presumptuous. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han, if we succeed in breaking the formation, any treasures found in the ancient ruins will be shared with you.”
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