Chapter 900: Astonishing Turnaround

Han Li narrowed his eyes, activating the first layer of the Tongbao Technique, and raised the small cauldron above his head.

A dragon’s roar echoed as the cauldron lid transformed into a streak of blue light, shooting into the sky. Then, multicolored spiritual light erupted from the cauldron, and the cyan glow released by the Heavenly Lasso Saintess converged like rivers flowing into the sea, turning into a beam of cyan radiance that vanished into the cauldron in a flash.

The silver-robed woman was stunned, and Han Li was equally taken aback.

At that moment, the giant cauldron beneath the Heavenly Lasso Saintess’s feet emitted a strange hum before transforming into a cyan rainbow and shooting downward.

The silver-robed woman paled in alarm, hurriedly forming hand seals to recall the giant cauldron. However, her spells failed, and the cyan light ignored her commands, plunging directly into the small cauldron below and disappearing without a trace.

The Heavenly Lasso Saintess was both shocked and furious, but the ordeal was far from over.

The Void Heaven Cauldron in Han Li’s hand suddenly flew out on its own, spinning once before its opening aligned with the nearby white mist, faintly shimmering with radiance. A terrified beastly roar erupted from the mist as a black shadow shot out—the ox-headed, flood dragon-bodied Heavenly Lasso Sacred Beast—attempting to flee into the sky.

But a dazzling blue radiance burst from the cauldron, catching up to the beast at an unbelievable speed and instantly enveloping it. The beast roared and struggled desperately, but the blue radiance seemed to be its natural bane, rendering its efforts futile. After a brief swirl, the beast’s body rapidly shrank before being dragged into the cauldron. The lid spun in the air before descending and sealing the cauldron shut, trapping the beast inside.

All these bizarre events occurred in the blink of an eye.

The silver-robed woman’s face turned deathly pale. She could hardly believe how quickly the tables had turned—from overwhelming advantage to utter defeat. Not only had her opponent broken free, but both the Sacred Cauldron and the Sacred Beast’s avatar had been captured.

However, she was no ordinary woman. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the Void Heaven Cauldron in Han Li’s hand.

She understood that the source of this upheaval lay in this object, which bore a striking resemblance to the Sacred Cauldron. Given how the Sacred Cauldron had lost control, this cauldron must share a deep connection with it. Otherwise, such a shocking reversal would not have occurred. She had to seize it at all costs!

In that instant, she made up her mind.

Han Li, though elated, noticed the cold gleam in her eyes and immediately guessed her intentions. With a loud laugh, he flapped the silver wings on his back, transforming into a silver arc and appearing dozens of feet away.

Without hesitation, he summoned the giant sword with a gesture, then rapidly formed a series of intricate hand seals. A surge of astonishing spiritual energy erupted from his body as he spat out several mouthfuls of blood essence, dispersing into fine crimson mist. His spiritual light instantly shifted to an eerie mix of cyan and red, while his exposed hands and face turned an alarming shade of crimson. Within the blood mist, his figure blurred indistinctly.

“No!” The silver-robed woman, recognizing his actions, cried out in alarm. She flung both hands forward, releasing two bursts of silver light that transformed into countless silver threads, blanketing the area in a dazzling silver net.

But as soon as the giant sword returned to Han Li, his figure flickered within the blood mist before a crimson shadow shot out and vanished into thin air. Moments later, a flash of bloody light appeared on the distant horizon—Han Li was gone.

The Heavenly Lasso Saintess’s heart sank. She immediately released her spiritual sense, but by the time she detected Han Li a hundred miles away, he had already escaped beyond her range with another Blood Shadow Escape. Her face darkened as she hovered motionless in the air.

—

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a refined young man stood before an endless grassland, watching nine buzzing emerald flying wheels circling in the air. A peculiar expression crossed his face.

“Wood Escape Technique? Even after sustaining such severe injuries, he can still use vegetation to conceal himself and flee? That demonic artifact is quite formidable—its desperate counterattack was truly troublesome. But he shouldn’t have the strength to possess another body now. With his Nascent Soul so heavily injured, it should dissipate soon. Still, I’ve had this uneasy feeling since earlier… Could something have happened to the others?”

Muttering to himself, the young man glanced back in the opposite direction before hesitating briefly. Then, with a wave, the nine wheels merged into a single emerald streak as he flew back the way he came.

In an inconspicuous patch of low shrubs, a small, pitch-black banner stood embedded in the ground, its surface flickering with dark light. A half-foot-wide hole was faintly visible on its surface, and within it lay an unconscious black-green Nascent Soul, no more than an inch tall. Rolling black energy surrounded it as it silently absorbed the pure demonic energy hidden within the banner, healing itself.

—

In another direction, the purple-haired beauty had finally subdued thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles with an ancient jade treasure and blocked a shocking thunder pearl before effortlessly piercing the chest of the young man before her. But in a flash of light, his body transformed into a seductive woman before dissolving into motes of light and vanishing.

The beauty froze in disbelief.

—

Several hours later, the refined young man, the purple-haired beauty, and the Heavenly Lasso Saintess reconvened. After exchanging their accounts, they exchanged bewildered glances.

“So, not only did we fail to obtain the Gold Devouring Beetle cultivation method, but we also lost the Sacred Cauldron and the Sacred Beast,” the young man said grimly.

“The Sacred Cauldron can be replaced—our clan has a spare, and we can still summon the Sacred Beast. But losing its avatar will surely enrage the upper-realm Sacred Beast. We must retrieve it,” the purple-haired beauty added, her expression equally grim.

“This was my fault. I underestimated him and didn’t expect him to have a way to counter the Sacred Cauldron. I’ll go to the Great Jin myself to recover the avatar. Moreover, that small cauldron of his is far too unusual—it can control our Sacred Cauldron. This is no trivial matter. I suspect it might be the original spiritual treasure that our Sacred Cauldron was modeled after. Otherwise, this wouldn’t make sense,” the silver-robed woman said calmly.

“A spiritual treasure? Impossible. Such artifacts shouldn’t exist in this realm—they were all taken to the upper realm by ancient cultivators. Our Sacred Cauldron was only replicated by a genius immortal of our clan through secret communication with the Sacred Beast. How could the original remain in the human world?” the purple-haired beauty retorted skeptically.

“Who knows? If even ancient demons can appear in this world, it’s not impossible for a few spiritual treasures to remain,” the young man countered with a shrug.

At the mention of “ancient demons,” the two women’s expressions darkened.

“Hmph! Everyone says ancient demons are terrifying, but we never had the chance to test that. Still, that demon’s escape technique was truly extraordinary—it crossed the grasslands without even confronting us, heading straight for the Great Jin,” the purple-haired beauty said, somewhat resentfully.

“That’s because it was already severely injured. The moment it entered the grasslands, we happened upon it and pursued relentlessly, denying it any chance to recover. Otherwise, who knows what chaos it might have caused?” the young man sighed, a bitter smile on his face.

“Regardless of whether that man’s treasure is truly a spiritual artifact, he killed so many of our immortals and took the Sacred Beast. We cannot let this slide. As the Saintess, I lost the Sacred Cauldron—I must retrieve it personally. Otherwise, when we next summon the Sacred Beast, we’ll have no answer for its wrath,” the silver-robed woman declared coldly.

The young man and the beauty exchanged glances, silently weighing her words.

“If you’re determined, a trip to the Great Jin is acceptable. But many sects there hold prejudices against our clan’s immortals. You must conceal your identity. Given that man’s abilities, he likely holds significant influence there. Start by investigating the Yin Luo Sect—see if he’s truly one of their elders. Once you confirm his identity, return to inform us. We’ll assist you then,” the young man said with a nod.

“Understood. His abilities are no less than mine—I won’t act recklessly,” the silver-robed woman replied solemnly.

With that, the three departed. The Heavenly Lasso Saintess would settle some affairs before immediately setting off for the Great Jin to track down Han Li.

—

Liao Province, one of the Great Jin’s 108 provinces, ranked among the top ten in size. Unfortunately, most of its land lay in frigid regions, perpetually blanketed in snow, resulting in sparse population and middling prosperity.

The Shun River, Liao Province’s second-largest waterway, was one of the few rivers that didn’t freeze during flood season. Thus, every year at this time, merchants and travelers alike would take boats downstream—far more convenient than riding horses or carriages. Official patrol boats regularly monitored the river.

Yet despite the heavy traffic, the river’s length and the presence of desperate outlaws meant that larger vessels often hired skilled martial artists for protection.

Wang Tieqiang was one such guard. His name hinted at his proficiency with the spear, but his true value lay in his decades of experience—from a brash youth to a seasoned veteran.

Now, he stood steadily on the bow of a large ship, gripping the wooden railing as he surveyed nearby vessels with an impassive expression.

This escort mission was routine, save for the fact that the ship’s owner was reportedly a high-ranking official’s family—adding a layer of prestige.

Such semi-official vessels were rarely targeted by river bandits, making this an easy job. True to expectations, the journey had been smooth so far.

Wang Tieqiang mused about the generous payment—enough to buy fine cloth for his wife and child. The thought of his young son brought a faint smile to his lips.

But then, a woman’s startled cry broke his reverie:

“Come quick! There’s a huge block of ice here—and… there’s someone inside!”