No need to ask; passing through this square passageway must lead to the Mirage of Sublime Wonders. With the Great Development Art and the Brahman Pearl Bracelet temporarily lent by Ji Yin, clearing this stage would be an effortless task for him.
Thinking this, Han Li no longer paid attention to the passage and instead focused on studying the two ancient treasures in his hands. If he didn’t first understand their functions, he wouldn’t be able to wield them effectively when the time came.
First, a flash of bloody light, and the cloak vanished from his hand, leaving only the five interlinked bronze rings. Each ring was about the thickness of a normal person’s arm, engraved with mysterious runes that gave off an exceptionally enigmatic aura.
Han Li picked up one of them with one hand and gave his wrist a gentle shake. Multicolored light shimmered and shifted unpredictably across the rings, accompanied by faint phoenix cries. A sharp glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes as he lowered his head in contemplation, slowly channeling spiritual power through his fingers into the ring.
At this moment, he didn’t even blink, his expression grave. With another flash of multicolored light, the five bronze rings in his hand abruptly vanished.
Startled, Han Li immediately recalled something and jerked his head upward to look. There, floating not far above his head, the five bronze rings flickered in and out of sight like ethereal ghosts, appearing somewhat eerie.
Frowning, Han Li raised a hand and shot out a cyan incantation. The rings immediately spun rapidly before suddenly striking a nearby stone wall. Several dull thuds echoed as white light flashed on the wall, leaving it completely unscathed, while the five bronze rings were sent flying far back.
It seemed these rings weren’t meant for direct attacks.
Han Li’s expression remained unchanged as he beckoned with one hand, calling them back to float above his head. Without hesitation, he spat a mouthful of essential energy onto them. The rings suddenly swelled violently, instantly transforming into five massive bronze hoops, wrapped in radiant light and drifting runes, too dazzling to look at directly.
If ring-type magic treasures weren’t used for direct attacks, they were mostly for trapping enemies or defense—this was something Han Li had some insight into!
Glancing at the imposing giant rings, Han Li tilted his head and slowly uttered the word, “Go.”
As the word left his mouth, the giant rings whistled down, overlapping and encircling Han Li within them. Then, the rings began spinning mid-air, their speed increasing rapidly until they formed a blurred, five-colored light screen, completely shielding Han Li inside.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li’s face. It seemed these bronze rings indeed possessed defensive capabilities, though their effectiveness would only be tested in actual combat. With this thought, Han Li flicked a finger, sending an incantation strike at the light screen. Instantly, the screen shattered into fragments, reverting to the form of the giant rings.
But after a violent tremor, the rings flashed with light and vanished from around him once more.
This time, Han Li calmly extended a palm. With a flash of five-colored light, the five palm-sized bronze rings obediently reappeared in his hand.
Han Li gazed calmly at the rings, a contemplative look in his eyes as if pondering something.
Soon, an obscure chant spilled from his lips, and the five rings vanished eerily from his hand, only to reappear the next moment around his limbs and neck, contracting sharply with a burst of light.
Han Li lost his balance, toppling over stiffly like a log. Fortunately, he had been prepared and quickly sent a mental command, causing the rings to loosen immediately.
After steadying himself, Han Li rubbed his slightly sore neck, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes.
This ancient treasure was perfect for ambushing others—utterly unpredictable. Even with his powerful spiritual sense, he had only detected something amiss the moment the rings restrained him, leaving no time to react. Han Li believed that even Core Formation late-stage or even Nascent Soul stage cultivators, if caught off guard, could easily fall victim to this sneak attack. Of course, how long these five rings could restrain the opponent was another matter.
Even so, the abilities of this treasure far exceeded his initial expectations, filling him with secret delight. Satisfied, Han Li stored the rings in his storage pouch and took out the dark red cloak.
Testing this ancient treasure was naturally much simpler. Han Li directly donned it and channeled a bit of spiritual power into it. A bloody radiance burst forth, accompanied by a scorching sensation on his body, while his spiritual power uncontrollably surged into the cloak.
Startled, Han Li hurriedly cut off the flow of spiritual power, causing the cloak’s glow to dim and return to normal.
Han Li paused, then took off the cloak and examined it again, his brows furrowed tightly. Moments later, he put it on once more and carefully channeled spiritual power into it slowly.
The same torrential drain of spiritual power occurred again, but this time, prepared, Han Li remained calm. Instead, he narrowed his eyes to carefully observe the changes in the cloak. Now, dozens of feathers on the outer layer transformed into long, blood-red plumes, enveloping the entire cloak in a thick, bloody glow.
After staring for a moment, Han Li waved both hands and slowly levitated. Glancing around, he suddenly vanished into thin air.
But the next moment, a dull thud echoed. A bloody light exploded against the right stone wall, and Han Li’s figure was sent flying backward, staggering a few steps before nearly collapsing to the ground.
His face was full of astonishment! He hadn’t used his full strength earlier, merely employing the most basic levitation technique, yet he had teleported instantly and crashed into the wall. This left Han Li utterly horrified!
Unbelieving, Han Li tried several different movement techniques, but without exception, after each flash, he was sent crashing into the wall, dazed and unable to control his direction. It was as if, once he donned this treasure, he was locked into this astonishing speed, utterly incapable of slowing down even slightly.
Han Li stood silently in place, his face full of bewilderment. This cloak was truly bizarre. In terms of speed alone, it was undoubtedly a top-tier ancient treasure for preserving one’s life. Han Li believed that, with such speed, even if a Nascent Soul stage cultivator were to pursue him, he could evade for a period, leaving the opponent temporarily unable to catch up.
However, the cloak’s flaws were equally significant. Not only was the spiritual power consumption staggering, but its uncontrollable, wild nature also left Han Li deeply regretful.
Clearly, this cloak was a defective top-tier ancient treasure; otherwise, it wouldn’t have appeared in the outer hall. Regardless, it seemed highly useful in desperate escapes.
With mixed feelings, Han Li stored the cloak away, lowered his head with a few bitter laughs, and then sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to meditate and replenish his energy. In that short period, this ancient treasure had drained a significant amount of his spiritual power—he certainly wouldn’t leave the stone room in this state.
Han Li rested for the better part of the day. Feeling that his depleted spiritual power had mostly recovered, he opened his eyes, glanced at the square passage, and solemnly rose to his feet.
He touched the Brahman Pearl Bracelet on his wrist, circulated the Great Development Art within his body, and then slowly stepped into the passage.
Upon entering, Han Li realized the square passage was quite short. After turning a right angle, he reached the exit.
A bright scene unfolded before him: an open-air corridor, exquisitely beautiful and elegant, stretched endlessly into the distance, its full length unknown. Beyond the corridor, white clouds drifted lazily, accompanied by ethereal immortal melodies, and in the hazy distance, jade towers and pavilions could be glimpsed, resembling a celestial paradise.
At this sight, a cold smirk tugged at Han Li’s lips, and he strode onto the corridor without hesitation.
The moment he stepped onto it, Han Li focused his spiritual power and confirmed what others had said—this stage also restricted flight, forcing him to proceed step by step on foot.
Han Li paid no mind to this, instead gazing deeply beyond the corridor. The faint immortal melodies seemed to grow clearer after he entered.
His expression impassive, Han Li listened intently to the so-called immortal melodies. Before long, a trace of mockery surfaced on his face. He clicked his tongue twice, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked forward.
Han Li moved without a hint of urgency, as if strolling leisurely through his own garden. Yet, the immortal melodies beyond the corridor grew increasingly distinct, more melodious and enchanting, tempting listeners to pause and linger. Simultaneously, elegantly shaped white cranes began to appear amidst the clouds outside, lifting their necks to the music and dancing gracefully, compelling onlookers to fix their gaze upon them.
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