Bai Yaoyi’s bright eyes shimmered as she swung her sword through the air with one hand, conjuring a blade light several feet long that slashed fiercely into the ice wall, leaving a deep gash.
Han Li’s expression shifted slightly upon seeing this.
“After so many years, this flying sword still retains its spiritual essence. It’s clear how much effort its owner once devoted to it. Judging by its power, the wielder must have been a mid-to-late Core Formation cultivator. That’s rather odd—someone of that level shouldn’t have been able to reach this place.” Bai Yaoyi examined the sword several times but found no useful markings, her face revealing a trace of puzzlement.
“May I take a look?” Han Li suddenly spoke up.
“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for courtesy. Please, go ahead.” Bai Yaoyi smiled sweetly and flicked her jade-like fingers, sending the sword flying toward Han Li.
Han Li caught it with one hand and lowered his head to scrutinize it. After a long moment, his brows furrowed slightly.
“What is it, Brother Han? Did you notice something?” Bai Yaoyi asked curiously.
“This sword is forged entirely from Blue Origin Crystal. However, crafting a flying sword solely from this material isn’t the wisest choice. Had other supplementary materials been incorporated, its quality could have been significantly improved. Yet, this method of forging was prevalent over ten thousand years ago. The technique of blending other materials was only developed later. Judging by the patterns and inscriptions, this sword is quite ancient. Its owner, though not an ancient cultivator, must have lived tens of thousands of years ago,” Han Li explained calmly.
“Brother Han’s expertise in artifact forging is truly impressive! I’m quite surprised,” Bai Yaoyi remarked, looking genuinely astonished.
“It’s nothing. I merely happened to have seen similar swords in some records. Let’s proceed into the cave—perhaps we’ll find something else,” Han Li said, turning his gaze toward the cavern entrance with an indifferent tone.
“Very well, Fellow Daoist, after you.” Bai Yaoyi nodded after a brief thought, summoning a white jade umbrella. With a graceful sway, she led the way into the cave.
Han Li smiled faintly, pointing at the flying swords above his head, which transformed into a golden radiance enveloping him before he followed leisurely.
The cave was pitch-black, with only the sound of wind and faint, distant shrieks echoing from within. The ghostly entities seemed to have sensed their arrival, growing increasingly violent. Yet, the noises didn’t seem too far away.
“It seems this place isn’t too large. That should make things easier,” Han Li murmured, flicking his wrist to summon a glowing Moonlight Stone above them. He then cast a spell onto it.
Instantly, the stone brightened, illuminating their surroundings clearly. However, due to the obstructing black yin winds, areas farther away remained indistinct.
After walking just fifty or sixty feet along the passage, they suddenly reached a brighter space. Ahead, an entrance emitted a faint green glow.
Han Li and Bai Yaoyi exchanged surprised glances. All the caves they had explored earlier were frigid and devoid of light, without exception abandoned mines of no value.
Though their vigilance heightened slightly, given their cultivation levels, they didn’t hesitate.
Bai Yaoyi positioned her jade umbrella in front of her and swiftly appeared at the entrance. Peering inside, her face instantly paled.
Han Li arrived beside her and, after a glance, also stiffened slightly.
The cavern was about thirty feet in diameter, its ceiling and walls emitting a pale green glow. At its center stood a rough, unremarkable stone pillar several feet tall, upon which a withered corpse was tightly bound by chains.
The corpse had grayish-white hair, its entire body blackened, its head hanging low to obscure its face. Its abdomen had been slit open, its internal organs completely missing.
The sight was so eerie that even Han Li, caught off guard, felt a chill.
Just as Han Li was about to speak, the blue flying sword in his hand suddenly emitted a sharp hum, trembling violently.
Without hesitation, Han Li tossed the sword into the air. A blue streak shot toward the pillar, reverting to a half-foot-long blade near it. It circled the corpse mournfully, emitting sorrowful cries.
“So this corpse is the sword’s owner? It seems not only was his golden core extracted, but his life was also taken,” Bai Yaoyi sighed, her expression tinged with pity.
“He didn’t just die—he was sacrificed alive through a sinister ritual,” Han Li said coldly.
“Alive?” Bai Yaoyi gasped, only now noticing a faint, dust-covered array on the cavern floor, about ten feet in diameter.
“To determine the exact type of sacrificial array, we’d need to restore it,” Han Li remarked calmly.
“That’s simple. Leave it to me.” Bai Yaoyi smiled lightly, spitting out a small ice-carved fan. With a flash of cold light, it expanded to a foot in length, and she gently waved it toward the ground.
A yellow gale surged forth, stirring up dust and debris, plunging the cavern into a murky haze.
Han Li and Bai Yaoyi, protected by their spiritual shields, ignored the chaos, focusing solely on the array.
At that moment, a dark figure silently emerged from the ground about ten feet behind them, its crimson eyes gleaming with malice.
Unnoticed, the creature lunged like an arrow, simultaneously spitting a black streak toward Bai Yaoyi—an ambush targeting both.
In an instant, Han Li suddenly turned and struck, summoning a massive cyan hand from above that seized the creature mid-air.
The black streak aimed at Bai Yaoyi was effortlessly deflected by her jade umbrella, embedding itself into the cavern wall with a faint *thud*.
Bai Yaoyi turned with a smile to examine the creature—a monstrous hybrid of snake and ape, covered in black scales, wielding two sharp bone spears.
Though restrained, it thrashed violently, its blood-red eyes filled with hatred.
“A Sin Ape? Such a ghost truly exists?” Bai Yaoyi murmured in surprise.
“Indeed. It’s said to form from human resentment in yin-rich lands, vicious and bloodthirsty, fond of devouring brains and mimicking ghostly sounds. The earlier corpse’s wails must have been its doing. Though I’ve only seen illustrations in texts, this is my first encounter. Still, it’s not particularly formidable—reckless to attack us,” Han Li remarked dismissively.
“Such a vile creature deserves no mercy,” Bai Yaoyi declared coldly, flicking her finger to send a streak of cold light that encased the creature in ice.
Han Li chuckled lightly, and with a thought, the cyan hand clenched, shattering the frozen creature into shards.
As the dust settled, the circular array was fully revealed.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and approached it, while Bai Yaoyi scanned the cavern, seemingly searching for something else.
“This array is a variant of a Soul Refining Formation, and an ancient one at that. Moreover…” Han Li mused aloud after a while.
“Moreover what?” Bai Yaoyi turned her gaze to the array, puzzled.
“Moreover, this array was inscribed here far earlier than the corpse—likely dating back to ancient times,” Han Li stated firmly.
“Really? How can you tell?” Bai Yaoyi asked, surprised.
“Just a hunch. I could be wrong,” Han Li deflected with a vague chuckle.
Bai Yaoyi blinked, then laughed softly, choosing not to press further.
“Regardless of the array and corpse’s mysteries, they’re irrelevant to us. There’s nothing else here—let’s leave,” she suggested, retrieving the blue sword and storing it away.
“Agreed,” Han Li nodded, and they headed for the exit.
As they neared the entrance, Han Li suddenly felt an inexplicable unease, pausing to glance back at the corpse.
“Is something wrong?” Bai Yaoyi asked, perplexed.
Han Li didn’t answer immediately. After a moment, he raised a finger and unleashed a thin golden lightning arc toward the corpse.
A low thunderclap echoed as the golden streak struck the withered figure.
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