Chapter 2438: Whereabouts

“Such a thing exists? Han Li, though unworthy, would like to give it a try. But before that, I’d like to test a soul-searching technique first. Brother Spirit King, I hope you have no objections.” Han Li stroked his chin, eyeing the handsome youth encased in the ice peak up and down before suddenly chuckling lightly.

Upon hearing this, the Spirit King was momentarily stunned. His gaze flickered for a long while before he replied with a trace of gloom in his voice:

“If Fellow Daoist truly has the ability to slay this fiend immediately, it would indeed be a great relief for me, removing a thorn in my side. But if it involves soul-searching, unless your divine sense is vastly stronger than his, there’s not the slightest chance of success.”

“Oh? And what if Han Li insists on trying?” Han Li frowned slightly before speaking indifferently.

At this, the Spirit King’s expression truly darkened.

“Very well. If Fellow Daoist Han truly believes in your own great powers, this old man naturally won’t stand in your way. But no matter what, this immortal was personally suppressed by me. If you insist on forcing the issue, shouldn’t you at least give me a reasonable explanation?” The Spirit King exhaled lightly, his face now showing a trace of killing intent.

“What explanation does Fellow Daoist Spirit desire?” Han Li’s expression remained utterly unchanged.

“I’ve heard rumors that Fellow Daoist Han is already the greatest Mahayana cultivator in the Spirit Realm. I, too, have lived a long life and pride myself on some abilities. If you can withstand three strikes from me without dodging, I’ll hand this immortal over to you without hesitation.” The Spirit King finally dropped all pretense of politeness.

“Haha, after all that talk, these words finally align with Han Li’s thoughts. We cultivators should naturally abide by the principle that the weak submit to the strong. If I can’t withstand even two of your strikes, I’ll turn and leave immediately, never bothering you again.” Han Li laughed instead of growing angry.

“Since that’s the case, let’s move to another location. Our battle shouldn’t disturb the seal here.” The Spirit King showed no intention of backing down.

“Naturally, I’ll follow Fellow Daoist Spirit’s arrangements.” Han Li nodded, his expression unreadable.

Seeing this, the Spirit King flicked his sleeve and transformed into a freezing rainbow, shooting toward the exit.

Han Li’s figure blurred as he turned into a faint shadow, following closely behind.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all the Spirit Race guards on Fuling Mountain suddenly felt two muffled booms resonating from deep within the mountain, shaking the entire sacred peak slightly. Stunned, the Spirit Race members exchanged bewildered glances.

Though they knew this must be related to Han Li, who had just entered, they couldn’t possibly imagine what had transpired inside.

And without direct orders from the Spirit King, none dared to investigate.

—

In a hall deep within Fuling Mountain, the restrictive light barrier that had enveloped the entire space shattered into countless white sparks.

At opposite ends of the hall, Han Li and the old man stood facing each other, their expressions starkly different.

Han Li appeared calm, his hands clasped behind his back, showing no signs of exertion.

Opposite him, the Spirit King’s aura had grown even more formidable than before. Behind him loomed a faint silver Buddha statue covered in eerie eyes, its expression twisted in agony. A circle of crystalline short blades surrounded him, forming a protective barrier.

Between them, suspended in midair, was a massive black blade over ten zhang long. Strangely, its tip was missing, the cut so smooth it seemed as though something had cleanly severed it.

“Fellow Daoist has already struck twice. You may deliver the final blow now,” Han Li said unhurriedly.

“No need. Fellow Daoist Han’s power is even more terrifying than the rumors suggest. If I strike again, it would only humiliate me further.” The Spirit King’s expression suddenly relaxed, revealing a bitter smile.

With a flick of his sleeve and a hand seal, the black blade, crystalline daggers, and silver Buddha statue vanished in a flash.

“Heh, Brother Spirit is too modest. You didn’t use your true trump cards earlier, or else I wouldn’t have withstood those two strikes so easily.” Han Li chuckled.

“I do have a few life-saving techniques, but you likewise haven’t revealed your full strength. Regardless, this old man is thoroughly convinced. That immortal I suppressed is yours to deal with. But I have one condition—if you truly have the power to slay him, you must do it in my presence. Otherwise, I won’t rest easy.” The Spirit King spoke solemnly.

“That’s no problem at all. I’ve recently refined a new treasure that might just prove useful here.” Han Li agreed readily, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Though puzzled, the Spirit King was pleased to see his condition accepted and didn’t dwell on it further. With a gesture, he led Han Li out of the hall.

—

Half a month later, the restrictions over Fuling Mountain suddenly parted as a green streak shot out, vanishing into a massive black airship hovering nearby.

Moments later, the black airship rumbled to life and flew into the distance.

At the same time, within the lowest chamber of the ship, Han Li sat cross-legged, idly turning a small green bottle in his hand, his expression shifting between contemplation and unease.

Two days prior, relying on his formidable divine sense, he had successfully performed a soul-search on the sealed immortal—or rather, half-succeeded.

Though he had breached the immortal’s consciousness, he discovered that most of the critical memories were locked away by some mysterious force.

The moment he brushed against those sealed memories, the immortal’s head exploded like a watermelon. Not only did his soul and essence vanish instantly, but his body also turned to ashes under the strange energy.

This outcome shocked Han Li and left the Spirit King utterly dumbfounded.

Still, from the fragments of memory he had accessed, Han Li pieced together the general relationship between the small bottle, Qi, Ma Liang, and the Jiuyuan Sect. More importantly, he obtained a crucial piece of information.

“That bottle spirit might actually be hiding in the Demon Realm,” Han Li murmured, sinking back into deep thought.

Though he hadn’t uncovered how the immortal had stolen the Heavenbearing Bottle or why he had defected from the Jiuyuan Sect, he now understood why the bottle had split into two parts and fallen into the lower realm.

While fleeing pursuit in the Immortal Realm, the immortal had used a high-grade teleportation talisman to escape to another immortal domain. But during the teleportation, an unknown force interfered, causing him to plummet directly into the lower realm instead.

In the chaos, the Heavenbearing Bottle—already barely sealed—broke free. Despite his desperate attempts to suppress it, the bottle spirit used some innate ability to split in two, escaping into different realms.

Fortunately, the immortal managed to cast a tracking spell on the fleeing spirit. Though he couldn’t immediately pursue it, the mark ensured he could eventually relocate it.

With the spirit found, he could use its connection to the bottle’s shell to recover the complete Heavenbearing Bottle.

However, upon arriving in the Spirit Realm, the immortal was severely wounded by the realm’s suppression force. His body was nearly destroyed, and his powers greatly diminished.

Forced into hiding, he slowly rebuilt his immortal body using substitute materials and painstakingly restored his strength.

During this time, he repeatedly activated the tracking spell, eventually confirming the bottle spirit was hidden in the Demon Realm, close to the Human Realm.

He had also sent temporary avatars across the Spirit Realm to gather rare medicines.

He had even infiltrated the Moonfrost Realm on the Thunder Continent once.

The silver lotus pod Han Li had taken from that realm was crucial for solidifying an immortal body, but it hadn’t been ripe for harvesting at the time.

Naturally, the immortal never imagined that years later, Han Li would brazenly waltz in and pluck it away.

This infuriated him beyond measure!

Thus, as soon as he reforged his immortal body—even before fully recovering his power—he rushed out of his underwater palace to hunt Han Li down. But in his arrogance, he underestimated the Spirit King, who was deeply knowledgeable about immortals, and was captured near the Human Race.

Recalling this, Han Li couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. With a slight flick of his wrist, the green bottle emitted a faint sloshing sound.

The liquid inside wasn’t the usual spirit-nurturing dew but a single drop of immortal blood painstakingly extracted from the sealed immortal.

With this blood, Han Li could now perform the same tracking spell.

If the bottle spirit truly was in the Demon Realm, he could locate it precisely.

The thought of restoring the Heavenbearing Bottle to its complete form and unlocking its legendary powers filled Han Li with fervent anticipation.

“The Demon Realm… It seems I must go there immediately,” Han Li mused.

Just then, a faint dragon’s roar emanated from his body.

Startled, Han Li quickly stowed the bottle and flicked his sleeve, sending a shimmering silver scale flying out. It hovered steadily before him, spinning lightly in place.