The space here wasn’t particularly high, and Han Li reached the top in an instant. Gazing at the gray mist above, he circulated his spiritual power, his eyes flashing with blue light as he halted his flight.
Under the effect of his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, the clouds appeared pale blue, but behind them floated a thin, silver veil-like barrier, motionless in the sky.
Could this be the restriction set up by the Spirit Realm cultivator? Han Li’s heart stirred. He raised a hand, fingers spread, and a green light sphere materialized in his palm. In the next moment, the sphere shot silently into the clouds.
Moments later, Han Li clearly saw the sphere pass through the silver restriction without issue, flying another dozen zhang before colliding with something and exploding on its own.
His expression relaxed. Immediately, green spiritual light flared around him as he transformed into a green rainbow and flew straight into the clouds.
Even after his earlier test, Han Li remained cautious as he passed through the silver restriction. Fortunately, he crossed safely without triggering it. It seemed this restriction in the ruins of the Spirit Herbal Garden was indeed only meant to target ancient demons. He wondered if the garden’s fragmentation was also related to them.
For some reason, this odd thought crossed Han Li’s mind.
Once past the restriction, Han Li felt at ease. He fully activated his spiritual sense and Brightsight Spirit Eyes, meticulously scanning a section of the spatial barrier several dozen zhang in size. After a while, he found nothing unusual.
Han Li had completely cooled from the excitement of obtaining spiritual herbs, realizing his troubles might be greater than expected. He glanced down at the shimmering silver restriction below, hesitating before ultimately deciding against studying it further. The memory of the silver flames’ power was still fresh, and he had no desire to provoke the restriction and invite disaster.
After two more thorough checks from the air, Han Li sighed and descended back to the ground, his face etched with disappointment.
“Master…”
“Nothing. It seems this place is completely sealed, with no exploitable weaknesses,” Han Li said impassively.
“Does that mean we might be trapped here forever? Tearing open space is something only Deity Transformation cultivators can achieve,” Silvermoon said uneasily.
Han Li didn’t refute her, but the furrow in his brow deepened. Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he walked toward one of the spatial walls. Silvermoon hesitated before following.
Stopping a few zhang from the wall, Han Li flicked his sleeves without a word. A golden light flashed as dozens of golden flying swords shot out, coalescing above him into a massive golden sword about a zhang long.
With another gesture, Han Li pointed at the sword. A thunderous roar erupted as golden lightning arcs crackled along its length—the Evil-Suppressing Divine Thunder activated without hesitation.
He then opened his mouth, exhaling a wisp of purple flame that landed on the sword. Instantly, purple flames and golden light intertwined, the thunderous noise intensifying as the sword’s power surged.
With a low shout, the giant sword circled once before transforming into a golden-purple streak, slashing fiercely at the spatial wall. A deafening explosion followed, a blinding light erupting as the entire space trembled violently.
Han Li quickly formed a hand seal, recalling the streak. The dazzling light faded as the sword reformed.
As the glare subsided, Han Li narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the wall. Silvermoon, watching from behind, saw that the point of impact showed no damage—only a brief distortion before returning to normal. Her delicate face fell slightly.
Han Li’s gaze flickered, deep in thought.
“Heh! Kid, thinking you can escape like this is pure daydreaming!” The Great Divination Sage’s lazy voice rang out, amused by Han Li’s futile attempt.
“Oh? It seems Senior knows a way out. Please enlighten me,” Han Li replied, not angered but instead hopeful.
“To leave, first understand how you got here. Did you really think your clash with that ancient demon soul could randomly open a spatial rift and send you to another space?” the Great Divination Sage sneered.
“Senior means…” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly.
“Simple. This spatial fragment barely survived a cataclysm. After all these years, it’s on the verge of collapse. You saw how the barrier shook from your strike. Ancient texts say gray-yellow, dim spatial walls are signs of instability. Your attack in the human world likely struck the weakest point between here and there, allowing you to break through by chance,” the sage analyzed coolly.
“The weakest point? Silvermoon and I have searched every inch of the barrier but found nothing unusual,” Han Li said after a pause.
“Foolish. The weakest point isn’t necessarily along the walls—it could be anywhere inside the space. Searching only the edges won’t help. Moreover, the instability means the weak point likely shifts constantly. Look carefully, and you’ll find it,” the sage retorted, his tone laced with mockery but pinpointing the crux.
“Any point in the space?” Han Li’s eyes lit up with realization. His limited cultivation and spatial knowledge paled compared to the sage’s millennia of experience, but the hint was enough.
Closing his eyes, Han Li expanded his spiritual sense, meticulously scanning the entire space. This time, it took only the time of a cup of tea to locate his target.
Without rising, Han Li transformed into a green streak, landing in the stone pavilion. As the light faded, he appeared, arms behind his back, blue light shimmering in his eyes as he stared at a point five or six zhang above.
To the naked eye, it was empty, but Han Li saw a faint blue speck—tiny as a grain of rice, dim and blurry. His spiritual sense detected faint spiritual energy fluctuations nearby.
This was it. A pleased expression crossed Han Li’s face. After a brief consideration, he flipped his palm, and a small crimson sword materialized.
“What? You’re using that?” the Great Divination Sage’s voice was tinged with surprise.
“Yes. My earlier strike proved that even at the weakest point, my natal treasure alone can’t breach the barrier. In terms of destructive power, this Blood Devil Sword is my best option. I’ll try it,” Han Li said calmly.
“Tch. Don’t waste your energy. You only opened the rift earlier by using that strange technique to boost your cultivation and clashing with the demon soul. Do you think you can replicate that now? Your only hope is advancing to mid-Nascent Soul stage, then using that interesting talisman and this sword. Even then, success isn’t guaranteed,” the sage said bluntly.
“Mid-Nascent Soul? That’s not something achieved overnight. Even with this place’s dense spiritual energy and elixirs, it’d take twenty or thirty years of hard work!” Han Li said, startled.
“Twenty or thirty years won’t collapse this space. What’s there to fear? Outside, with your aptitude, it’d take over a century just through meditation,” the sage snorted, seemingly annoyed by Han Li’s impatience.
Han Li’s expression darkened.
The elixir he referred to was the Crimson Cloud Pill. With it, he could reach peak early-Nascent Soul stage in thirty years before attempting the breakthrough. One of its key ingredients couldn’t be transplanted, meaning he had to refine all the pills here.
Decades of secluded cultivation here didn’t bother him—the spiritual energy was even denser than his cave with a spirit vein, making it a rare opportunity.
His only concern was Nangong Wan, still afflicted by the Soul-Sealing Curse. He longed to return and cure her with the Fire Toad’s demon core. But her jade slip mentioned her technique could delay the curse’s onset by a century. A delay of twenty or thirty years shouldn’t be an issue.
After careful consideration, Han Li sighed, forced to accept his long confinement here. A wry smile crossed his lips.
“Silvermoon, harvest all the spiritual herbs. We start refining pills today,” Han Li said firmly, lips pressed tight.
Having overheard the conversation, Silvermoon felt reassured. The thought of being trapped was unbearable.
With a bright smile, she took the vials from Han Li and flitted off to process the herbs.
Han Li sat cross-legged in the pavilion, retrieving the ancient pill recipe jade slip to study the Crimson Cloud Pill’s refinement. With limited herbs, he couldn’t afford the slightest mistake.
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