It was precisely Han Li who threw out four of the thunder pearls he had refined in one go.
These thunder pearls, after being condensed through the Thunder Rune Technique, were each nearly equivalent to a full-force strike from a Void Refinement cultivator. Combined with their innate lightning power, they possessed such astonishing destructive force.
Looking back now, this move had indeed been the right one.
Had he not used these treasures to momentarily halt the giant lizard and the Thousand-Eyed Giant, even if he had teleported away, he would not have been able to escape in the next instant.
The giant lizard and the Thousand-Eyed Giant, furious at having their spiritual fruit stolen, were temporarily trapped in place by the thunder pearls’ power.
Seeing the devastating might of the thunder pearls, Long Dong and the young woman were also startled, but they quickly rejoiced and fled at full speed, activating concealment techniques mid-flight to obscure their presence.
In an instant, the area was empty except for the thunderous explosions and the roars from within.
Han Li, meanwhile, pushed his Wind Lightning Wings to their limit, flashing several times before appearing at the horizon.
To ensure his safety, he even spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood, activating the Blood Shadow Escape technique, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
By the time the giant lizard and the Thousand-Eyed Giant finally broke free, everyone had already disappeared. Though they roared in fury, they had no hope of catching up to Han Li.
Several hours later, atop a distant mountain peak tens of thousands of miles away, a muffled thunderclap sounded as Han Li emerged amidst crackling blue-white lightning.
Glancing back, a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.
Though the journey had been perilous and had cost him some vitality, he had finally obtained the spiritual fruit.
Still cautious, Han Li swept the area with his divine sense, ensuring no anomalies before descending onto the mountaintop.
With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a jade vial and poured two crimson pills into his palm, swallowing them in one motion.
Though he had only briefly activated the Blood Shadow Escape, being in such a dangerous place, it was best to replenish his lost vitality immediately.
The pills dissolved instantly, sending a cooling energy coursing through his meridians.
Relaxing slightly, Han Li then summoned an ice-crystal jade box into his hand.
Gently opening the lid, he revealed a cluster of purple berries, each the size of a fist and strikingly vibrant.
His gaze unwavering, he plucked one of the berries with two fingers, examining it closely.
After a long moment, he exhaled deeply.
Indeed, it was the Flood Dragon Fruit—one of the few Void Refinement-level spiritual medicines that could be repeatedly ripened from preserved seeds. It was one of the rare treasures he had long sought.
Otherwise, why would he have taken such a risk?
Now that the fruit was in his hands, Han Li allowed himself a small smile.
If he could just obtain another rare material called “Soaring Cloud Gel,” combining the two with supplementary ingredients would allow him to refine the Dragon Soaring Pill—a treasure even Void Refinement cultivators would covet.
Lost in thought, a glint of excitement flickered in his eyes.
But then, his brow furrowed as he suddenly turned his head toward a distant point in the sky, his expression quickly returning to calm.
Moments later, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air as a streak of white light shot toward him.
In a few flashes, the white light halted above Han Li, dissipating to reveal a young man—Long Dong.
The yellow scaled armor he had worn earlier was gone, but his eyes lit up with delight upon spotting the spiritual fruit in Han Li’s hand.
“Haha, Fellow Daoist Han, your escape technique is truly remarkable! You’ve actually managed to bring this treasure here safely. Let me see—is this truly the Flood Dragon Fruit?”
As he spoke, the mole-marked youth landed on the mountaintop, stepping closer.
“Brother Long, there’s no need to rush. Let’s wait for the others to arrive before examining it in detail,” Han Li replied with a faint smile, making the jade box vanish with a flicker of spiritual light.
“Ah… you’re right, Fellow Daoist Han. I was a bit too eager,” Long Dong said, his expression shifting imperceptibly before he forced a smile and retreated a few steps, sitting cross-legged on a rock about ten zhang away.
Han Li remained standing, hands clasped behind his back, waiting silently.
After the time it took to finish a meal, the white-browed youth and the young woman arrived together. Upon hearing that Han Li had indeed retrieved the fruit, they were overjoyed.
However, with one person still missing, they suppressed their excitement and sat down to wait.
Nearly an hour later, just as impatience began to stir among them and Long Dong’s expression darkened, a streak of golden light shot across the sky, circling once before stopping above them.
“Apologies for keeping everyone waiting. I happened upon a ten-thousand-year-old Emerald Spirit Wood in a dense forest and took some time to uproot it,” the white-robed girl said with a light laugh as she descended.
“Ten-thousand-year-old Emerald Spirit Wood? That’s a top-tier wood-attribute refining material. You’ve been quite fortunate,” Xiao Hong remarked in surprise.
“Giggle, Sister Xiao flatters me. Compared to the Flood Dragon Fruit, a mere piece of Emerald Spirit Wood is nothing. Brother Han, you’ve secured the fruit, haven’t you?” The girl’s gaze shifted to Han Li.
“Indeed. Fellow Daoists may inspect it first,” Han Li replied calmly, retrieving the jade box and opening it for all to see.
The faint fragrance wafted through the air as everyone’s eyes locked onto the cluster of spiritual fruit, their divine senses meticulously examining it.
“It seems genuine—this is indeed the medicine,” Xiao Hong declared with a pleased expression.
One by one, the others withdrew their divine senses, nodding in satisfaction.
“Now that we’ve confirmed its authenticity, let’s divide it. However, there are six fruits here. Even if we each take one, there’s still one left unclaimed,” Han Li remarked coolly.
The others frowned at this.
“Six fruits do complicate things, but let’s distribute the first five first,” the white-browed youth said impatiently.
“Brother Li is right! Fellow Daoist Han, please distribute the fruits,” Xiao Hong agreed with a smile.
Long Dong and the white-robed girl voiced no objections.
Han Li nodded and approached Xiao Hong first, plucking one fruit and holding it out to her.
The young woman eagerly produced a wooden box, but Han Li did not release the fruit immediately, instead giving her a meaningful look.
After a brief pause, she understood. With a flick of her sleeve, she retrieved a small golden sword sealed with two talismans—Han Li’s Emerald Swarm Sword.
Tearing off the talismans, she tossed it to him.
Han Li inhaled sharply, and the sword vanished into his mouth as a streak of golden light. Only then did he release the fruit into her box.
After Xiao Hong happily inspected her prize, Han Li moved to the white-browed youth, who, having witnessed the exchange, promptly handed over another sealed sword without needing to be prompted.
In this manner, Han Li soon held only two fruits.
Keeping one for himself, he placed the jade box on the ground between them and stepped back, observing coldly.
For him, one fruit was sufficient—any more would be of little use.
His tactful withdrawal softened the others’ gazes toward him.
“For the last fruit, why don’t we hold an auction? Whoever offers the most spirit stones can claim it, and the proceeds can be divided among the rest,” Long Dong suggested.
“Humph! Brother Long’s plan is too convenient. Everyone knows the Long Family is wealthy—the four of us combined likely couldn’t match your spirit stones,” the white-browed youth retorted coldly.
“Oh? Then what do you propose?” Long Dong asked, unfazed.
“Those who want the fruit should trade for it. Whether it’s pills or materials, the offering must be valuable enough to satisfy the rest of us. Does that sound fair?” Xiao Hong suggested, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead with a coy smile.
The white-browed youth nodded vigorously, while the white-robed girl tilted her head in thought before agreeing.
Han Li, of course, had no objections.
“Since the majority agrees, we’ll proceed as Sister Xiao suggests,” Long Dong conceded reluctantly.
An hour later, a ten-zhang-long azure flying carriage soared into the sky above the mountain before streaking into the distance.
Within moments, it had traversed hundreds of zhang, vanishing from sight after a few more flashes.
Seated at the rear of the carriage, Han Li idly twirled a foot-long segment of emerald-green wood in his hand.
The wood shimmered faintly, its surface translucent, with silvery threads flickering within.
“Emerald Spirit Wood… With enough time to nurture it, this might prove quite useful,” Han Li mused placidly.
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