Chapter 1322: The Leopard Qilin Beast

Han Li’s current location was approximately twenty miles away from the Elder Tower.

Gazing at the towering azure stone pagoda in the distance, his eyes flickered with contemplation.

As far as he knew, regardless of the time, both human and demon races would station a Body Integration-stage elder within the tower.

Thinking about it, Han Li couldn’t help but feel a sense of sentimentality.

Back in the human realm, those Nascent Soul cultivators were elusive figures, rarely seen by ordinary people. Yet, here in Sky Abyss City, even Body Integration-stage cultivators were within such close proximity, and there would even be opportunities to seek their guidance in the future.

It seemed that staying here until the foreign aura on his body was completely cleansed wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Han Li silently pondered. As for the matter of competing for the spiritual land with the man with drooping eyebrows, given his combat experience—even against Void Refinement-stage cultivators—he naturally didn’t take it too seriously.

After watching for a while longer, a green light flashed around Han Li as he transformed into a streak of azure radiance, swiftly returning to the Flying Spirit Hall.

Upon returning to his residence, Han Li immediately activated the restrictions. After ensuring everything was secure, he entered the secret chamber and sat cross-legged.

Though he was quite confident about the battle three days later, he naturally wouldn’t go unprepared.

However, before that, he had a minor issue to deal with.

With a flick of his sleeve, a small silver bracelet appeared in his other hand. Exquisitely crafted yet incredibly light, it seemed almost hollow.

This was none other than the Spirit Beast Ring, as renowned in the Spirit Realm as storage bracelets. It was divided into multiple compartments, capable of housing different spirit beasts and insects simultaneously.

Since his journey to the Sunset Tomb, Han Li had stored his Gold Devouring Beetles and Soul-Crying Beast inside it, abandoning his previous spirit beast pouch.

Now, he lightly brushed the ring with his hand, and a fist-sized yellow light flew out, rapidly expanding into a small beast tightly bound by green ropes—about a foot in length.

It was the mutated Leopard Qilin Beast captured by the Spirit Tribe in the Sunset Tomb.

From the memories of the Flame Devourer, Han Li had learned that while this beast resembled an ordinary leopard, it actually carried traces of Qilin bloodline. Moreover, being a mutated variant, its strength was already comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator despite not yet reaching adulthood.

During his recovery period, Han Li had naturally considered taming it. However, the beast was fiercely wild and had developed a rudimentary intelligence, stubbornly refusing to submit even at the cost of its life.

Left with no choice, Han Li had stored it in the Spirit Beast Ring, intending to gradually wear down its ferocity over time.

Now, after decades of confinement, the beast had finally reached its limit. A few days prior, it had sent a message of submission from within the ring.

But due to a series of events, including his tribulation, Han Li hadn’t had the time to address it.

With three days to spare, it was enough to subdue the beast first.

As soon as the small beast emerged from the ring, it whimpered pitifully at Han Li, its pair of emerald eyes displaying a human-like pleading expression. Coupled with its cat-like petite body, it appeared exceptionally adorable.

“I’m going to place a restriction on you now. If you open your spiritual sense, I’ll release your bindings and even reward you. Otherwise, you’ll stay confined for another hundred years,” Han Li threatened bluntly.

Though the beast’s intelligence was limited, it clearly understood Han Li’s words. Trembling, it could only nod its furry head repeatedly.

Han Li smiled faintly, flipping his hand to reveal over a dozen slender silver needles.

With a flick, all the needles vanished into the beast’s body in a flash.

Next, he took out a crimson talisman, spat a mouthful of essence blood onto it, and lightly waved it between his fingers.

With a *puff*, the talisman transformed into a dense blood mist that hovered without dispersing.

Muttering an incantation, Han Li patted the top of his head. Amidst a flash of green light, a miniature Nascent Soul, standing atop a small cauldron, emerged.

As soon as the Nascent Soul appeared, it spat out a ball of green light.

The blood mist surged toward the green light, merging with it in an instant to form a green-red flame.

The Nascent Soul then formed hand seals, sending several spells into the flame.

Absorbing the spells, the flame trembled violently before churning fiercely, transforming into a fist-sized, ferocious ghostly face.

The Nascent Soul pointed a tiny finger at the small beast.

The ghostly face grinned, turned as if alive, and with a howl, plunged into the beast’s head, vanishing without a trace.

The beast let out a sharp cry before its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed unconscious to the ground.

Simultaneously, a layer of green-red light flickered intermittently across its body.

Satisfied, Han Li made a grasping motion toward the beast.

With a muffled *bang*, the green ropes binding the beast shattered into nothingness.

Han Li then ignored the beast, placing his hands on his knees and closing his eyes to meditate.

For the remaining time, Han Li didn’t leave the secret chamber once. Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Early on the fourth day, a fiery light bypassed the restrictions outside his door, flying straight into the hall before darting toward the secret chamber.

However, as soon as it reached the chamber’s door, a faint white glow rippled across the surface, blocking the fiery light.

After circling the door several times and failing to enter, the fiery light emitted a buzzing sound.

Suddenly, the chamber door flashed with green light as a figure emerged strangely from within, reaching out to grab the fiery light.

It was Han Li, who had been in seclusion for three days.

His expression calm, with a small cat-like beast perched on his shoulder, he leisurely immersed his spiritual sense into the fiery sphere in his hand.

It was a message talisman from the Jade Pavilion, summoning him to the spiritual land competition.

“Guangwu Hall,” Han Li murmured, rubbing his hands together to extinguish the fiery sphere.

He then strode toward the door.

Two hours later, high above an open plaza in a massive hall, Han Li floated gracefully within a vast white barrier. Outside the barrier stood a scar-faced man clad in golden armor, arms crossed, his expression icy.

Time passed slowly. After waiting motionless for the duration of a meal, even the golden-armored man showed signs of impatience, occasionally glancing at the seven blazing suns in the sky as if calculating the time.

Suddenly, a streak of blue light shot across the horizon, arriving near the barrier in an instant before revealing a cultivator.

“Forgive my tardiness, Senior! I was refining a treasure and arrived late. I hope I haven’t missed the competition,” the man said with an apologetic bow and a forced smile.

This was none other than the man with drooping eyebrows.

“Hmph! Had you been any later, you’d have been disqualified. Consider yourself lucky to have arrived at the last moment. Enter now,” the scar-faced man said impatiently.

Forming hand seals, he sent a golden spell toward the white barrier.

The barrier shimmered violently before splitting open to form a ten-foot-wide passage.

“Many thanks, Senior!”

The drooping-browed man grinned, transforming into a streak of blue light as he shot into the barrier.

Reappearing opposite Han Li, he scanned him before his face twisted into a sinister smirk.

“Good! You actually came. Seems you’ve got some courage, daring to face me at the early stage,” the man sneered.

Han Li merely curled his lips lazily, as if he couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Enraged, the drooping-browed man felt his suppressed killing intent surge once more.

“Listen well,” the scar-faced man said coldly. “There are no restrictions in this spiritual land competition. Any means are permitted unless one voluntarily surrenders. If you doubt your strength, it’s better to admit defeat early. While deaths are rare, severe injuries leading to a drop in cultivation are common. If there are no objections, we begin now.”

Han Li and the drooping-browed man stared at each other in silence.

The golden-armored man nodded. “Begin.”

In an instant, both Han Li and the drooping-browed man struck.

Facing an opponent even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators treated with respect, Han Li didn’t dare underestimate him. With a flick of his sleeve, seventy-two golden flying swords surged forth, transforming into golden lotuses that swirled around him.

Simultaneously, he spat out a small cauldron, which expanded into a ten-foot-tall giant cauldron emitting a resonant hum—the Void Heaven Cauldron.

Meanwhile, the drooping-browed man formed hand seals, summoning countless blue specks of light from his body.

These tiny blue dots, no larger than grains of rice, swarmed endlessly, soon enveloping him entirely.

With his other hand, he grabbed at the air, summoning a dazzling silver wheel—palm-sized yet ancient, its surface inscribed with layers of runes, clearly a formidable treasure.

Tossing the wheel into the air, it spun rapidly, expanding continuously as incantations echoed.

Moments later, the silver wheel had grown to thirty or forty feet in diameter, hovering like a miniature silver sun above the man’s head.

Finishing his preparations, the drooping-browed man glanced at Han Li and froze momentarily.

While the seventy-two golden swords were impressive, the sight of the humming giant cauldron sent a chill down his spine.