At the same time, beneath a high cliff at the center of the Sacred Island, Han Li gazed intently at the hundred-zhang crystal wall before him, his eyes flickering with thought.
Beside him, the Crab Daoist stood expressionless, also examining the massive crystal wall.
About seven or eight zhang away from the two, two green-robed elders stood with fearful expressions, their hands clasped respectfully.
These two were naturally the guards assigned to this place, both at the late-stage of the Void Refinement realm. However, the moment Han Li arrived and released even a trace of his Mahayana-level spiritual pressure, they immediately became deferential, not daring to obstruct him in the slightest.
By now, Han Li had already scanned all the golden characters flashing across the crystal wall from top to bottom. His gaze lingered for a moment before settling on the third-ranked set of ancient golden characters.
“Xuantian Slaying Spirit Sword!”
Han Li murmured the name several times under his breath, so softly it was almost inaudible. Unconsciously, he raised a hand and lightly stroked the opposite arm.
Where his fingers touched, a hidden pattern beneath his sleeve suddenly grew scorchingly hot, even faintly stinging.
Han Li exhaled deeply and, without turning his head, asked abruptly:
“Is the Xuantian Slaying Spirit Sword the newly ascended Xuantian Treasure? I heard that when it first appeared, it drove the various races of the Wind Yuan Continent into a frenzy for a time.”
“Reporting to Senior, when this Xuantian Treasure first appeared on the rankings, it wasn’t just the Wind Yuan Continent—even the superpowers of other continents sent envoys to search for it. But for some unknown reason, they failed to obtain it, and no further news has emerged since. However, it’s likely these great clans are still searching in secret.” After exchanging glances, one of the green-robed elders stepped forward cautiously to reply.
“Perhaps so. Brother Crab, we’ve seen enough of this ranking. Let’s go.” Han Li chuckled but said nothing more, simply calling out to the Crab Daoist before turning to leave.
“We respectfully bid farewell to the two Seniors!” The two green-robed elders hastily bowed in farewell.
“Brother Crab, do you know anything about this Chaos Myriad Spirit Ranking?” Once they had distanced themselves slightly from the ranking, Han Li suddenly asked the Crab Daoist, who had followed him.
“My memories contain no information about this object, nor have I ever heard my former master mention it. However, I sensed a trace of immortal spiritual energy from that crystal wall just now.”
“Immortal spiritual energy!”
Han Li, who hadn’t held much hope for an answer to his casual question, was momentarily stunned.
“Indeed. Though faint, it was extremely pure—no less refined than the immortal spiritual energy in the spirit liquid you previously provided.” The Crab Daoist replied woodenly.
“Interesting. It seems that even though our Spirit Realm has lost contact with the True Immortal World for many years, some connections between them cannot be completely severed.” After a moment of contemplation, Han Li let out a cold laugh and muttered to himself.
The Crab Daoist’s expression remained unchanged, and he said nothing further.
The Sacred Island wasn’t particularly large. With the map provided by Li Rong, Han Li somehow turned left and right before arriving before a small teleportation formation.
He stepped onto it with the Crab Daoist, then formed a single-handed seal.
The formation buzzed, emitting a milky-white spiritual light. Their figures blurred before vanishing without a trace.
In the next moment, before a seventy-to-eighty-zhang-tall pavilion, a flash of white light appeared as Han Li and the Crab Daoist emerged from another formation.
“Heavenly Script Pavilion!”
Han Li glanced up at the enormous plaque hanging above the pavilion’s entrance, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He turned to the Crab Daoist and said, “Brother Crab, wait here for me. I’ll return shortly.”
“Feel free to proceed, Fellow Daoist Han.” The Crab Daoist replied without hesitation.
Han Li nodded and walked toward the pavilion’s entrance.
Moments later, he stood before an elderly woman with an unusually pale face and calmly said:
“I’ve heard the Heavenly Script Pavilion houses countless secret techniques. I wish to enter and examine a few. Could you open the restrictions for me?”
“Your face is unfamiliar. Are you a newly arrived Fellow Daoist? Since you’ve come to the Heavenly Script Pavilion, you must be aware of its rules.” The old woman sat cross-legged in the center of the otherwise empty first-floor hall, scrutinizing Han Li with a frown.
The aura of the person before her was unfathomable—she couldn’t even discern his cultivation level. How could she not be inwardly shocked?
“To learn a secret technique, one must either pay a sum of spirit stones or exchange an uncollected technique of the same kind, correct?” Han Li smiled faintly.
“Indeed. I assume you intend to pay in spirit stones? Though the price for learning a single technique is astronomical, it’s still easier than exchanging an entirely new technique. This pavilion has collected over ten thousand techniques—finding one we lack is no simple matter.” The old woman let out a hoarse chuckle.
“Ah, but I happen to have collected quite a few techniques from other races. You may check which among them are uncollected.” After a brief pause, Han Li suddenly smiled.
Before the old woman could react in surprise, Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing a dense swarm of multicolored jade slips. They hovered motionless before her—nearly a hundred in total.
“Are all these jade slips techniques you’ve collected from other races?” The old woman stared dumbfounded for a long moment before swallowing hard.
“Indeed. Feel free to examine them carefully.” Han Li replied with a faintly amused expression.
“Then please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist. I’ll verify them immediately.” The old woman quickly regained her composure.
She grabbed one of the jade slips and scanned it with her spiritual sense.
“‘Dispelling Essence Light-Splitting Technique’! This is the renowned secret technique of the Feathered Race! I’ve heard only those of the purest bloodline among their core members can learn it. The Heavenly Script Pavilion indeed lacks this technique—it can be exchanged.”
After only a brief glance, the old woman’s face once again betrayed astonishment.
“Oh? It seems you’re quite knowledgeable about foreign techniques. I obtained this technique by chance during my time among the Feathered Race, but it wasn’t suited to my constitution, so I never cultivated it.” Han Li seemed mildly surprised.
“Heh, in my day, I was known as the most knowledgeable about secret techniques between our two races. Otherwise, those old fellows wouldn’t have assigned me to guard this Heavenly Script Pavilion.” The old woman’s wrinkled face couldn’t help but show a hint of pride.
She stored the jade slip and picked up another, scanning it as well.
“‘Nine Flames Demon Art’—this seems to be a demonic technique. The pavilion hasn’t collected this either.”
“‘Celestial Radiance Verdant Wood Art’—this is a technique from the Wood Race. The pavilion already has this one.”
As the old woman examined each jade slip, she could identify the origins of most. It seemed her earlier claim wasn’t an exaggeration.
However, after reviewing just over a dozen jade slips, her shock deepened.
Not only were the techniques’ origins wildly diverse, but two-thirds of them were uncollected by the pavilion. She could no longer suppress her astonishment.
Normally, even if someone exchanged techniques, they’d offer one or two at most. For Han Li to produce nearly a hundred at once was unprecedented in the pavilion’s history.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old woman finally finished reviewing all the jade slips. She exhaled deeply and said solemnly:
“Among the jade slips you’ve provided, sixty-one are uncollected by the pavilion. Do you truly intend to exchange all of them for techniques here?”
“Sixty-one—that’s a fair number. I’ll exchange them for sixty-one techniques from your collection.” Han Li stroked his chin and smiled.
“Very well. Since you’ve decided, I’ll open the pavilion’s restrictions for you to select your techniques. A word of caution: once you’ve chosen sixty-one techniques, you must leave immediately. Additionally, these techniques are for your personal cultivation only. You may not teach them to others or disciples. If the Sacred Island learns of such an act, enforcers will intervene.” The old woman said gravely.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. I study these techniques for reference—only a few will be cultivated, and I won’t casually teach them to others.” Han Li replied nonchalantly, flicking his sleeve to retrieve the unselected jade slips.
“Good. Then I’ll begin.” The old woman nodded slightly before opening her mouth and spitting out a golden token.
She formed a single-handed seal and pointed at the air.
The golden token trembled, releasing a silver mist that swept toward the staircase.
With a muffled *pfft*, several layers of invisible restrictions at the staircase were broken.
Han Li’s expression unchanged, he moved swiftly and vanished into the staircase.
In the blink of an eye, only the old woman remained in the first-floor hall, sitting pensively on the ground.
Han Li didn’t stay long in the pavilion. After the time it takes to eat a meal, he emerged with the same composed expression.
With a slight cupped-fist salute to the old woman, he strode out of the hall without looking back.
“Who is this man? He doesn’t seem like an ordinary newly arrived Body Integration cultivator. His aura is so profound even I can’t gauge it. To produce so many foreign techniques at once… could he be…?” The old woman stared at the hall’s entrance for a long while before muttering to herself, her eyes suddenly gleaming.
At the same moment, just as Han Li stepped out of the pavilion, a sharp whistling sound came from above as three golden streaks shot toward him.
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