Since he was in the Spirit Realm, he naturally had no interest in something like a beast tide. His only concern now was how to restore his magic power and break the Frost Phoenix’s restriction on him, so he could regain his original abilities.
This was an urgent matter!
According to what the Tianlan Beast’s avatar had once told him, in the Spirit Realm, Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation cultivators had to endure a Minor Heavenly Tribulation every three hundred years. Although his magic power was gone, his cultivation realm remained. Who knew whether the tribulation would still descend upon him—or when it would strike?
If a Deity Transformation-level Heavenly Tribulation were to descend now, with his mere fourth layer of the Vajra Art and no ability to wield any treasures, he would undoubtedly be unable to survive it.
At the thought of this, Han Li’s expression darkened once more.
The best solution to this problem was naturally to find that Frost Phoenix as soon as possible and mutually release the restrictions they had placed on each other.
When he and that woman had encountered an accident in the spatial node, the Frost Phoenix, relying on her spatial talents, had escaped the node before him. She should also be in the Spirit Realm now. Since he had lost all his magic power due to the restriction, the restriction he had placed on the Frost Phoenix must have taken effect as well. And he knew all too well how severe his own restriction was—that demoness was probably in an even worse state than he was.
But the Spirit Realm was vast. Even if his magic power were intact, finding her in a short time would be utterly impossible. In the Three Realms and Seven Lands, there were likely many beings whose power far surpassed that of a Deity Transformation cultivator.
Now, with no means to protect himself, the idea of immediately finding her was nothing more than a pipe dream.
If he wanted to restore his magic power, he had to rely on himself.
But given that he couldn’t absorb even a trace of spiritual energy and was unable to use any of his secret techniques despite knowing them, cultivating his magic power anew seemed impossible. As for seeking help from other high-level cultivators—given the many secrets he carried—that was tantamount to suicide, so he wouldn’t even consider it.
Han Li sat in his chair, his expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty for a long time.
“It seems the only way is to follow the original path,” he murmured softly, his eyes flickering as his face darkened.
During the month-long journey to Anyuan City, Han Li had already carefully considered ways to restore his abilities. After much deliberation, he had indeed come up with a feasible method—though it was far from ideal and would take a considerable amount of time. Initially, due to his lack of understanding of the Spirit Realm, he had hesitated.
But now, after gaining a preliminary understanding of the Spirit Realm and further analysis, it seemed he had no choice but to adopt this method.
That was to fully cultivate the Vajra Art—the only technique he could currently practice—to its peak.
According to the Vajra Art’s manual, mastering all seven layers would allow his physical body alone to rival a Nascent Soul cultivator. At that point, his powerful physique would naturally expel the Frost Phoenix’s restriction from his body.
Once that was done, he could begin cultivating magic power and reforming his Nascent Soul, which would be much simpler.
Although reforming a Nascent Soul typically took a hundred years, if he could recover even a fraction of his magic power, he could retrieve his storage pouch. Then, by secluding himself in a remote location and using the vast quantities of spiritual pills and medicines inside, he could shorten the process by several times.
In short, if he wanted to restore his abilities, he first had to remove the restriction within his body before he could reform his Nascent Soul and fully regain his original powers.
Based on his estimation, if a Minor Heavenly Tribulation were to occur in his current state, it would most likely happen three hundred years later. But this was merely speculation—for the sake of his life, it was best to master the Vajra Art as soon as possible.
Han Li already knew full well from the Tianlan Beast’s avatar how difficult it was to cultivate the Vajra Art.
Even in the Spirit Realm, where spiritual energy was exceptionally dense, and one could forcibly use secret techniques to infuse the body with energy, very few mortal body refiners ever managed to master the Vajra Art completely.
An ordinary person, no matter how talented, would never dare to be so confident.
But Han Li was no ordinary person. Not only had he ascended step by step from a mere mortal to the Deity Transformation stage, making his willpower far stronger than that of the average Spirit Realm cultivator, but his body had also been tempered by refining baleful energy and consuming spiritual fruits like the “Corpse Bead” and “Dragon Scale Fruit.” His physique was already extraordinarily robust—especially due to the Dragon Scale Fruit and the Bone Tempering Art, which had made his body no weaker than that of an average demon beast.
After arriving in the Spirit Realm, he had also dispersed the essence of his two Nascent Souls—including his second Nascent Soul—into his body, further enhancing his physical potential.
With all these factors combined, it was no wonder Han Li was so confident.
The only things he had to consider now were the inhuman pain he would have to endure while cultivating this technique and the amount of time it would take.
Since remote areas were often prowled by mid- to low-level demon beasts and various beast hordes, it wouldn’t be wise for him to train alone in his current state. Moreover, the later layers of the Vajra Art seemed to require insights gained from combat to increase the chances of breaking through bottlenecks.
Given that, it might be better to stay with the Tiandong Trading Company for a while. If he found it inconvenient or unsuitable, he could always leave later.
As for the blood curse on the contract—the moment it entered his body, the powerful essence within him had already dissolved it. It couldn’t constrain him in the slightest.
Having made his decision, Han Li didn’t linger. Before long, he left the tavern with the books and found a secluded spot where he crushed them between his palms.
Instantly, the thick tomes turned into a flurry of paper scraps, scattering across the ground.
Next, he found a blacksmith’s shop in the city. After inspecting the place, he handed over the Earth Flood Dragon’s sinew to one of the blacksmiths, pointed to several materials in the shop, and gave a few low instructions before tossing the man two low-grade spirit stones.
The blacksmith was initially stunned by Han Li’s request, but upon gripping the spirit stones, he immediately nodded with a wide grin.
Han Li left the shop with a faint smile and hailed an empty beast-drawn carriage on the road—pulled by two creatures that resembled a cross between deer and horses.
Without caring about the carriage’s origin, he tossed a sizable piece of silver at the driver and uttered, “Ruyun Inn,” before stepping inside and closing his eyes to rest.
Such carriages, pulled by docile beasts, were common on Anyuan City’s streets. Given the city’s size, traveling from one district to another on foot could take hours without transportation.
This particular carriage was quite ornate, clearly not meant for public hire but rather belonging to some wealthy family.
The driver, initially furious at being stopped, hesitated upon seeing the silver before driving straight to the western part of the city.
Han Li dozed in the carriage for a while before the driver announced, “Sir, we’ve arrived at Ruyun Inn!”
Han Li opened his eyes and stepped out without a word.
Before him stood a large complex of pavilions and courtyards. At the forefront was a tall building with a grand plaque inscribed in golden-pink ancient script: “Ruyun Inn.”
On either side of the building were rows of wooden sheds housing various beast-drawn carriages, crowded together and occasionally emitting strange cries.
Han Li’s gaze swept over the scene before settling on a few attendants greeting guests at the entrance. He raised a hand and beckoned one over.
The attendant, sharp-witted, immediately scurried to him.
“Honored guest, how may I assist you? Are you looking for lodging?”
“Has anyone from the Tiandong Trading Company checked in today? Do you know where they’re staying?” Han Li asked calmly, tossing the attendant a piece of silver.
“Ah, so you’re looking for the gentlemen from Tiandong Trading Company! Allow me to guide you personally,” the attendant said, beaming as he pocketed the silver.
He then led Han Li through the main building toward the rear courtyards.
“The Tiandong gentlemen have reserved the entire West Courtyard—our finest accommodations—since there are so many of them,” the attendant chattered enthusiastically as they walked.
Han Li listened with an indifferent expression, showing little reaction.
“Ah, Brother Han! You’ve finally returned! Excellent—Brother Zhang instructed us to bring you to see Madam as soon as you arrived. Come with me!” Before they reached the West Courtyard, a young man approached. Recognizing Han Li, he brightened and strode forward, reaching out to grab Han Li’s arm.
Han Li’s brow twitched, and his shoulder shifted slightly, causing the young man’s hand to miss inexplicably.
The youth blinked in surprise.
“So it’s Brother Luo. By ‘Madam,’ do you mean Madam Fang?” Han Li asked mildly with a faint smile.
This young man was none other than “Xiao Qi,” one of the Tiandong Trading Company’s riders.
“Indeed, Madam Fang. She’s heard about you and is quite curious—she wishes to meet you,” Luo replied, his momentary astonishment fading into a smile.
“Since I’m now part of the company, I naturally must comply if Madam summons me. Please lead the way, Brother Luo,” Han Li said casually.
“Of course, of course!” Luo, now aware of Han Li’s superior skills after his failed grab, no longer dared to act presumptuously and quickly agreed with a deferential smile.
Han Li dismissed the attendant and followed Luo into the West Courtyard.
Along the way, they encountered many of the company’s guards and riders, exchanging brief greetings.
After several twists and turns and passing through over a dozen courtyards, they finally arrived at a secluded smaller courtyard.
The surroundings were quiet and elegant, with two unfamiliar, bare-handed guards standing at the entrance.
As Han Li and Luo approached, four cold gazes swept over them, sending a slight chill down their spines.
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