At almost the same moment, Han Li found himself in a strange space, surrounded by a gray, misty expanse. In the distance stood a massive pitch-black gate, covered in densely packed golden and silver runes that flickered intermittently, exuding an air of profound mystery.
This gate was identical to the one he had seen earlier on the folding screen. It was as if he had been pulled directly into the painting.
“So this is indeed a space akin to the Xumi Cave Heaven,” Han Li muttered to himself, sweeping his gaze around before fixing it on the giant gate, his expression turning slightly peculiar.
Suddenly, he flipped one hand, and with a flash of spiritual light, a stack of multicolored array disks appeared in his palm. With his other hand, he swiftly formed a seal, activating the disks, which shot out in all directions.
The disks paused midair before transforming into glowing orbs that plummeted downward. The moment they touched the ground, they vanished without a trace.
Moments later, thick milky-white mist surged from where the disks had disappeared, forming an impenetrable fog wall that completely obscured Han Li and the giant gate.
Only then did Han Li relax slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, a ball of azure light flew out, carrying an object that hovered before him—none other than the Void Heaven Cauldron!
He pointed at the cauldron, and its lid flew open on its own. A flash of azure light later, a pale-white shadow shot out.
In midair, a white-robed girl about six or seven years old appeared, her hair tied in small braids, her round face utterly adorable. It was none other than Qu’er!
“Greetings, Master!” The girl curtsied playfully, grinning at Han Li.
“Well done! You managed to conceal yourself so thoroughly in the cauldron that even I couldn’t sense your presence. Naturally, those two wouldn’t have noticed either,” Han Li praised, his expression pleased.
“That’s all thanks to the treasures and talismans you bestowed upon me. Otherwise, with my meager abilities, how could I possibly hide from two peak Void Refinement cultivators?” The girl giggled.
As she spoke, a black light flashed, and a peculiar black veil flew off her body. At the same time, she reached into the air, summoning a violet Taiyi Concealment Talisman. Holding both items in her hands, she offered them back to Han Li.
“No need to return them. You excel in evasion and concealment techniques—these treasures will be far more effective in your hands. Even if I used them myself, I might not be able to deceive those two at such close range. Besides, I have spares. Keep them for your protection,” Han Li said with a wave of his hand.
“If Master insists, then this humble servant shall keep them,” Qu’er beamed, pressing the black veil and talisman against her body, where they vanished into her form.
Han Li smiled faintly before his expression turned serious.
“When I retrieved the treasures from the golden cauldron earlier, I deliberately made the spiritual light flare up to sneak you into the Void Heaven Cauldron. But the interval between opening the cauldron again was brief—did you have enough time to act?”
“Master, Qu’er is very quick! Look!” The girl grinned mischievously, flipping her small hand to reveal a golden pill.
“The Void Spirit Pill! Excellent!” Though Han Li had suspected as much, seeing the pill still filled him with joy.
He beckoned, and the golden pill flew from the girl’s hand into his own. After scrutinizing it carefully, he confirmed it was identical to the two they had obtained earlier.
Though he still didn’t know the pill’s exact effects, the fact that even powerful beings like Cai Liuying and Duan Tianren were willing to fight over them spoke volumes about their rarity.
“Since Master instructed me not to touch the artifacts and to focus on pill bottles and cases, I only had time to retrieve this one pill. You said that if there were more than two, I could take one. Qu’er followed your orders exactly—otherwise, I wouldn’t have left the other two behind,” the girl pouted, her expression tinged with regret.
Han Li burst into laughter.
“You’re being greedy. Managing to snatch this Void Spirit Pill from under their noses was already a stroke of luck. If you’d taken more, it might have caused trouble. Thankfully, there were three pills in the bottle. If there had been only two or even one, we’d have been in a real bind. I’d have had to abandon the idea entirely—I don’t want to provoke two furious Body Integration cultivators in foreign lands,” Han Li explained with a chuckle, retrieving the small purple-gold vial from his storage bracelet.
He dropped the pill inside, sealed it with several restriction talismans, and carefully stored it away again.
“If Master says so, then it must be true. But watching those pills fall into their hands still feels… unfair,” Qu’er grumbled.
Han Li shook his head with a smile, then suddenly remembered something. With a flick of his sleeve, hundreds of inch-long flying knives poured out, each gleaming coldly and razor-thin. In an instant, they filled the surrounding air—a staggering three to four hundred in total.
“Master, what are these…?” The girl gaped in astonishment.
“This set of flying knives was refined from the wings of that strange moth we encountered overseas—three hundred and sixty in total. Since you lack protective treasures, I’m giving them to you. They may not compare to supreme treasures like the Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures, but once fully refined, they’ll be more than enough to defend against ordinary foes. Consider it a reward for your efforts this time,” Han Li said, reaching out.
The knives streaked through the air, gathering into two thick stacks in his hands. He then extended them toward Qu’er.
“Thank you, Master!” The girl’s face lit up with joy. In a blur, she vanished, only to reappear right in front of Han Li, eagerly accepting the knives.
“Good. For safety’s sake, return to your true form and refine these knives. Don’t show yourself unless I summon you,” Han Li instructed sternly.
“Yes, Master! Qu’er will cultivate diligently,” the girl promised, forming a seal with one hand. In a flash of white light, she and the knives vanished into Han Li’s sleeve.
Han Li exhaled slowly, then turned his gaze back to the giant gate, his expression contemplative.
Meanwhile, back in the purple main hall, Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er stared at the folding screen, their expressions bewildered.
The azure light that had once shrouded the screen had completely dissipated, revealing the painting beneath. However, the image was now obscured by a thick layer of milky-white mist, hiding the giant gate from view.
Around the screen, a dozen or so yellow banners had appeared, emitting faint yellow light and forming a complex array. A faint spatial fluctuation still lingered above the formation.
Before Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er floated two or three glowing treasures, circling them slowly.
“Sister Liu, what should we do? We’ve used the power of the array and even tried several high-grade treasures, yet we still can’t break the screen’s spatial barrier. It’s clear we won’t be able to open it anytime soon. But how did Fellow Daoist Han enter so effortlessly?” Shi Kun sighed, turning to Liu Shui’er.
“Didn’t you notice?” Liu Shui’er asked after a moment of silence.
“Notice what?” The burly man was genuinely puzzled.
“That third black eye that appeared between Fellow Daoist Han’s brows—doesn’t it resemble a certain legendary artifact?” Liu Shui’er said coolly.
“You mean the Annihilation Eye!” Shi Kun, no fool, immediately grasped her meaning.
“Exactly. Aside from this demonic eye, I’ve never heard of any other ability that could so easily tear through spatial barriers and enter the screen,” Liu Shui’er replied calmly.
“If it truly is the Annihilation Eye, then unless we’re willing to destroy the entrance entirely, we have no chance of entering,” Shi Kun muttered, frowning deeply.
“By sacrificing some of our vitality, we might be able to force our way in. But if we fail, we’d effectively be cutting off Fellow Daoist Han’s escape route. Do you really want to risk angering him? With the Annihilation Eye, he could tear through space and come after us,” Liu Shui’er said with a light laugh, her eyes gleaming.
Shi Kun’s expression shifted slightly. After another glance at the screen, he forced a dry chuckle. “Sister Liu jokes. I’d never do something so self-destructive. If we can’t open the barrier soon, perhaps we should explore the side halls instead?”
“Brother Shi speaks my mind. I was thinking the same,” Liu Shui’er agreed with a charming smile.
Shi Kun grinned, casting one last reluctant glance at the screen before suddenly sweeping his sleeve outward.
A gust of yellow wind surged forth, sweeping up the halberds, axes, and suits of armor scattered across the hall, swallowing them all in one gulp.
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