Not long after activating the Ming Qing Spirit Eye, Han Li, who had been staring intently at the small cauldron, suddenly showed a flicker of emotion as if he had discovered something. He raised his hand and pointed solemnly at the cauldron, his fingertip glowing with a cyan light as several slender spiritual threads shot out and vanished in a flash.
The Void Heaven Cauldron shimmered with blue light, then rapidly expanded amidst the icy flames. The originally few-inch-tall cauldron grew to over ten feet in the blink of an eye, and the intricate patterns of flowers, birds, insects, fish, mountains, rivers, and trees on its surface became vividly clear.
Watching the massive object floating in the air, Han Li calmly stood up and beckoned. The giant cauldron descended several feet, stopping just a few feet in front of his chest.
After examining it once more, Han Li raised his hand without hesitation. With a *thud*, his palm pierced through the blue icy flames and pressed against the cauldron’s surface. A bizarre scene unfolded—the raging blue flames suddenly transformed into a swirling tornado that shot into the sky. A dragon’s roar echoed as a ten-foot-long blue flood dragon emerged from the whirlwind. After shaking its head and tail, the dragon abruptly plunged downward and vanished into the cauldron’s lid in a flash.
Simultaneously, the cauldron’s pale cyan surface turned a misty blue, and the creatures depicted on its walls—birds, beasts, and insects—suddenly came to life, moving and crawling across the surface in an astonishing display.
Han Li remained expressionless, but the hand pressed against the cauldron pulsed with spiritual light as streams of cyan energy flowed into the vessel. As the spiritual power surged, a low hum resonated from within.
Under Han Li’s watchful gaze, ancient blue runes emerged from the cauldron and floated into the air. After flickering chaotically, they arranged themselves into an arcane scripture three zhang above the ground. Han Li raised his head to study it, momentarily slowing the flow of spiritual energy into the cauldron. Instantly, the floating characters dimmed, on the verge of dispersing. Startled, Han Li hastily resumed the infusion, stabilizing the scripture once more as it emitted a faint glow.
The scripture was brief, only about a thousand characters long. After carefully reading it, Han Li’s expression shifted from delight to a bitter smile. It seemed there was no need for further deciphering—the scripture plainly detailed how to control the Void Heaven Cauldron.
The text stated clearly that two conditions were necessary to wield the cauldron: first, one must refine the accompanying Dry Blue Iceflame, and second, one must cultivate an ancient technique called the “Treasure Control Art.”
This art was specifically designed to command Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, and each such treasure passed down from antiquity possessed its own unique version. These arts were not interchangeable, as each Heavenly Spiritual Treasure had distinct properties and powers. Only the corresponding art could activate them.
Thus, the Treasure Control Art distinguished Heavenly Spiritual Treasures from ordinary ancient treasures. Only those with such an art could truly be called Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, as the technique allowed the wielder to seal the treasure within their body and gradually refine it.
Unlike ordinary magic treasures, which fused with the user’s mind, this process resembled demonic artifacts—temporarily storing the treasure within the body while the art subtly influenced its spiritual nature over time. Eventually, the treasure’s essence would align with the wielder’s consciousness, achieving perfect harmony and enabling its full power.
However, due to the overwhelming might of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, the user’s consciousness played only a supporting role in their activation. Unlike life-bound treasures, they could be stolen under the right circumstances. Yet, a thief would still need to cultivate the corresponding Treasure Control Art to overwrite the original spiritual imprint before using it.
The scripture briefly touched on these points, initially filling Han Li with excitement. But his expression darkened upon reading further.
Though the art appeared simple—divided into just three levels—mastering even the first required mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, while the second and third demanded late Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation stages, respectively.
This meant that even mastering the first level would grant only minimal control over the Void Heaven Cauldron, far below Han Li’s expectations. Frustrated, he withdrew his hand, cutting off the spiritual energy flow and causing the scripture to dissipate.
Han Li stared at the giant cauldron, his face grim. Though unsure of the extent of the “minimal power” mentioned, he held little hope it could surpass his Great Geng Sword Formation or Purple Aether Flame.
After a moment of contemplation, he sighed and resolved to study the first level of the Treasure Control Art. Even mastering just this would allow him to seal the cauldron within his body and begin refining it.
With this thought, he flicked his sleeve, releasing a surge of cyan light that enveloped the cauldron. The massive vessel shrank rapidly, returning to its original size in an instant. Han Li grabbed it and stowed it away in his storage pouch.
Sitting cross-legged once more, he closed his eyes and focused on the first level of the Treasure Control Art, silently meditating on its intricacies.
The technique was not overly complex—Han Li estimated it would take no more than a month to fully comprehend. However, the scripture provided no timeline for refining the cauldron’s spiritual nature. It could take a year, a decade, or longer. Fortunately, the Treasure Control Art operated autonomously once the treasure was sealed within the body, allowing the user’s consciousness to gradually influence it.
…
Over two months later, Han Li emerged from seclusion.
He had mastered the Treasure Control Art far faster than expected—in just over twenty days—and successfully sealed the Void Heaven Cauldron within his body. The remaining time was spent crafting a Nascent Soul-level puppet using materials provided by Elder Cheng and remnants from the Void Heaven Hall.
Regrettably, despite having enough materials for three or four puppets, only one succeeded due to the shockingly high failure rate. This left Han Li both disappointed and frustrated.
He couldn’t help but worry—if even this puppet was so difficult, the ones the Great Divinity Sovereign intended to create must be far more complex. Would their success rate be even lower? Did he need to gather several times more materials? That seemed impossible.
Fortunately, when he raised the concern, the Great Divinity Sovereign proudly assured him that his personally devised method had an extremely high success rate under his guidance. Failures would likely stem from flaws in the technique itself, not material shortages. Relieved, Han Li set the matter aside.
After leaving seclusion, he first visited the restricted area to check on Nangong Wan’s curse-breaking progress. Returning to his cave, he spent several days refining a batch of Core Formation-boosting pills for Mu Peiling before bidding farewell to Elder Cheng and Lü Luo to meet with the Supreme Yang Sage.
Though busy overseeing resource acquisitions, the two elders personally escorted Han Li to the edge of the Yunmeng Mountains, much to his amusement.
…
Leaving Falling Cloud Sect, Han Li transformed into a streak of light and soared northward.
The Seven Spirit Seas lay in the Boundless Ocean north of Xi Country. According to rumors, the massive whirlpool and seven spirit islands were just a day’s journey from the coast. Even without exerting full speed, Han Li’s current cultivation allowed him to traverse the distance astonishingly fast.
Seven days later, he arrived above the ocean. Even before spotting the Seven Spirit Islands, he sensed drastic changes in the surrounding waters.
The once-murky seawater had turned noticeably clearer, now tinged with blue. His spiritual sense detected small fish and shrimp—previously absent due to violent sea beasts, which had now vanished entirely. The ambient spiritual energy was also vastly richer than before, confirming the rumors.
After half a day, Han Li detected an immense spiritual source in the distance, radiating powerfully. Nearby, seven smaller fluctuations marked the Seven Spirit Islands.
Curious, he accelerated.
Just as a black dot appeared on the horizon, a group of cultivators intercepted him—six or seven, mostly at Foundation Establishment, led by a Core Formation-stage woman in palace robes.
Han Li made no effort to conceal himself, so the group immediately approached and bowed deeply.
“Greetings, Senior! This junior is a disciple of the Harmony Joy Sect, tasked with guarding these waters under orders from our elders. May I ask your purpose here? Should I report your arrival?” the woman asked respectfully after scanning Han Li’s aura and paling.
“Guarding? So Supreme Yang wasn’t exaggerating—there really is trouble here,” Han Li murmured, frowning.
“Are you Senior Han Li of Falling Cloud Sect?” the woman ventured cautiously after another glance.
“Indeed. I’m here at Supreme Yang Sage’s invitation. Must I wait for permission to proceed?” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
At his name, the group stirred in surprise.
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