Suddenly, a bizarre scene unfolded. The transparent liquid began to split and deform on its own, eventually forming six silver beads the size of thumbs, spinning slowly in midair.
Han Li took a deep breath, abruptly bit the tip of his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of vital blood. As soon as the blood touched the beads, they absorbed every drop without exception. Instantly, the beads underwent a drastic color change, turning golden yellow, as if forged from pure gold.
Seeing this, Han Li’s spirits lifted. He opened his mouth again, and a streak of green light shot out, hovering before him after a brief swirl. It was a miniature sword, about an inch long, shimmering with spiritual light.
Han Li pointed at one of the golden beads transformed from refined gold. The bead instantly shot toward the small sword as a streak of golden light, melting and coating the sword’s surface evenly. In an instant, the small sword gleamed brilliantly, dazzling to the eye.
Han Li’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he pointed at the ground several times. Various supplementary materials flew toward the sword one after another, merging into it in an uncanny manner. Then, with a beckoning gesture, the sword flew into his palm. With a soft *puff*, a ball of cyan infant flame materialized out of thin air, enveloping the sword.
Han Li slowly closed his eyes, using his spiritual sense to manipulate the infant flame and begin the refinement process. Only when the refined gold infused with his vital blood fully fused with the sword, becoming indistinguishable, could the refinement be considered complete.
Days passed one after another. Han Li remained in the secret chamber, refining the Emerald Swarm Swords one after another without a moment’s rest. If not for the ten-thousand-year spiritual liquid that replenished his expended mana, he would never have been able to endure such an intense schedule in such a short time.
Outside the cave abode, as the day of the black-robed man’s appointment drew near and Han Li still hadn’t emerged, those aware of the matter grew increasingly anxious. Among them, the silver-haired elder was the most restless. Just the day before, someone had sent a jade slip into the Falling Cloud Sect via flying sword, detailing the exact location of the meeting with Han Li. The place was not only treacherous in terrain but also extremely far from the Yunmeng Mountains. If Han Li didn’t emerge soon, he would miss the deadline.
Just as the silver-haired elder was pacing restlessly in the side hall of the council chamber, Han Li’s figure silently appeared at the entrance.
“Junior Brother, you’ve emerged! Have the magic treasures been refined?” The elder turned around, sensing his presence, and exclaimed in pleasant surprise upon seeing Han Li at the door.
“They’re barely complete. Senior Brother, I heard that man sent another jade slip with the meeting location. Is it true?” Han Li’s demeanor was calmer than a month ago as he asked solemnly.
“Indeed. He’s summoned you to the summit of Tianzhu Mountain. Here’s the jade slip he sent. Take a look.” The silver-haired elder nodded and tossed a green jade slip toward him.
Han Li caught it and immediately immersed his spiritual sense into it, scanning its contents swiftly.
“Hmph! He demands I go alone and insists I bring the Golden Lightning Bamboo treasure. It seems he’s thoroughly investigated me and knows about my relationship with Wan’er. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so confident.” Han Li snorted coldly, a trace of ruthlessness flashing across his face.
“Given his abilities, it would be effortless for him to uncover your affairs with Junior Sister Nangong without anyone noticing. After all, low-level cultivators can’t keep anything secret from such a powerful demonic cultivator. But Junior Brother, I can’t let you take this risk alone. I’ve already contacted Fire Dragon Child and five or six other trusted allies. You’ll go ahead, and we’ll follow discreetly. The moment he appears, we’ll ambush him together and capture him. We’ll show him that the State of Xi isn’t a place he can come and go as he pleases.” The silver-haired elder spoke with resentment.
“Your plan is sound, Senior Brother, but he’s likely prepared for such a move. Still, having you and the others as backup is wise. If he’s careless or overconfident, it’ll be his downfall.” Han Li pondered briefly before nodding in agreement. Having allies was naturally something he welcomed.
“Good, it’s settled then. Though Tianzhu Peak is incredibly high, it’s nothing to us cultivators. I’ll place a tracking mark on you. If the opponent proves too formidable, just stall for time, and my allies and I will arrive promptly.” The elder added earnestly.
“I appreciate your efforts, Senior Brother. I won’t forget this favor.” Han Li, who rarely accepted others’ kindness, spoke these words with rare sincerity.
“Haha, Junior Brother, you’re part of our Falling Cloud Sect. No need for such formalities. Time is short—you should prepare quickly. You must depart tonight to reach Tianzhu Mountain on time.” The elder chuckled dismissively. Han Li nodded and took his leave.
Watching Han Li’s retreating figure, the silver-haired elder sighed softly, a knowing smile crossing his face. Hearing such words from Han Li meant his efforts hadn’t been in vain. Even after his own lifespan ended, this Junior Brother Han would likely remember this debt and support the Falling Cloud Sect wholeheartedly.
Feeling a weight lift from his heart, the elder patted his storage pouch, retrieving several talismans. He tossed them into the air, and they transformed into streaks of red light, shooting out of the side hall.
These message talismans would summon the allies who had been staying in the guest pavilion for days. They would likely gather here shortly.
The elder sat in contemplation, motionless. After informing the silver-haired elder, Han Li left the Yunmeng Mountains and headed straight for Tianzhu Mountain, a full day’s journey away. An hour after Han Li’s departure, the elder, along with Fire Dragon Child and several other Nascent Soul old monsters, quietly followed.
To conserve mana, Han Li’s cyan light flew at a moderate speed. As he traveled, he toyed with a two- to three-inch-long golden sword—one of the thirty-six Emerald Swarm Swords infused with refined gold.
For some reason, the swords had turned completely golden after the refinement. Han Li recalled that refined gold typically altered a treasure’s surface color during refinement but reverted to its original hue once fully integrated. Yet these thirty-six swords retained their golden sheen, never fading, which puzzled him slightly.
Their power, however, remained unaffected. In fact, Han Li sensed that the refined gold seemed even more effective than rumored. Tests showed the swords’ power had increased by nearly thirty percent, with their sharpness far surpassing before. Han Li believed that any slightly inferior magic treasures clashing with these swords would likely be destroyed in a single strike.
Though delighted, Han Li was also perplexed. Eventually, he attributed it to the Golden Lightning Bamboo and the rare material, Refined Crystal, previously incorporated into the swords. These materials were exceptionally rare—perhaps their interaction with the refined gold had produced unforeseen effects. After much thought, this was the only explanation he could devise.
Since the outcome was favorable, he chose not to dwell on it further, focusing instead on the Great Geng Sword Formation. This technique required no special training—Han Li could execute it effortlessly. A brief test of its power in the secret chamber left him utterly stunned.
The formation’s might confirmed the golden page’s claims were no exaggeration. Though he could only deploy a simplified version, its ingenuity already astounded Han Li, bolstering his confidence for the upcoming encounter. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to meet the black-robed man so readily.
Freeing Nangong Wan from the Soul-Sealing Curse was imperative, but without the Great Geng Sword Formation, Han Li wouldn’t have walked into a trap willingly.
As for whether it could contend with a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Li had no basis for comparison, having never fought one. But against a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he was eighty to ninety percent certain the formation could trap or even kill them. With this technique, he could at least ensure his safety against late-Nascent Soul opponents.
The real challenge, however, was extracting the curse’s countermeasure from the black-robed man. Han Li could only improvise upon meeting him.
With a soft sigh, the golden sword vanished from Han Li’s hand in a flash. He swept his spiritual sense behind him but found no trace of the silver-haired elder’s group. This didn’t surprise him—to avoid detection by the black-robed man, they would stay far back, relying on secret arts to track him. Given the opponent’s suspected late-Nascent Soul demonic cultivation, extreme caution was necessary to avoid tipping him off.
Tianzhu Mountain stood west of the Yunmeng Mountains—a solitary, precipitous peak towering over ten thousand zhang, hence its name, “Heavenly Pillar.”
From afar, a third of the mountain vanished into the clouds, appearing majestic and perilous. Surrounded by low hills, one could survey the entire area from its slopes—likely one reason the black-robed man had chosen it.
When Han Li approached within a hundred li of the mountain, a spiritual sense immediately latched onto him. Though it seemed no stronger than a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator’s, Han Li dared not underestimate it—the man could be concealing his true strength to mislead him.
Pretending ignorance, Han Li continued his unhurried flight toward the summit. Simultaneously, atop Tianzhu Mountain, a black-robed man seated on a boulder opened his eyes and gazed coldly in Han Li’s direction.
“You’ve finally come. It seems my intelligence was correct—your relationship with that female cultivator is indeed extraordinary,” he murmured to himself.
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