The white water curtain had already descended. Han Li gazed at the woman, clarity returning to his eyes.
“It seems I am not fortunate enough to have that visual feast. What a true pity!” Han Li murmured.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao first blushed, then let out a soft, charming laugh, pursing her red lips as she said, “Didn’t Brother Han go to the fifth floor with those esteemed seniors? How is it that you’ve appeared in this humble maiden’s chamber?” As she spoke, she elegantly brushed her damp, sleek hair with a jade-like hand. A flash of white light later, her long hair instantly dried, a few strands brushing against her cheeks, accentuating her snow-white skin and adding three parts to her allure.
A hint of admiration flickered in Han Li’s eyes. In terms of beauty alone, this woman was undoubtedly one of the finest he had ever seen. Every gesture and movement was a delight to behold, enough to intoxicate any man.
“I merely triggered a restriction and was teleported here. I was just about to ask Miss Yuan, where exactly is this place?” Han Li’s eyes lingered on her warm, jade-like face as he spoke calmly.
“Triggered a restriction?” Yuan Yao’s eyes sparkled with a teasing, almost mocking expression, clearly disbelieving Han Li’s words. But Han Li merely chuckled dismissively and stared at her without another word.
A faint blush rose to Yuan Yao’s cheeks. She found Han Li’s stubborn persistence rather vexing. In terms of combat, she had personally witnessed the terrifying power of his insect-controlling techniques, and her most skilled charm spells seemed utterly ineffective against him.
She furrowed her slender, delicate brows and reluctantly said, “This is a secret chamber on the second floor of the Inner Hall. You actually emerged from that dilapidated teleportation formation? Had I known, I would have smashed it to pieces earlier. Then I wouldn’t have had to suffer such a loss at your hands.” After saying this, she shot Han Li an unwilling glare, clearly still resentful about him seeing her unclothed.
Han Li, however, showed no sign of embarrassment upon hearing this. Instead, he lazily stretched, withdrew his feet from the pool, and put his boots back on. Even this brief soak had restored a portion of his magic power. Though he would have liked to soak longer, he was more eager to find a way out and escape the Void Sky Hall as soon as possible.
Thus, ignoring the beautiful Yuan Yao, he strode toward the stone exit on the south side.
Standing at the exit, he glanced out and was met with a scene of chaotic disarray. Outside was a larger stone room, where a dismantled puppet lay in pieces. The pockmarked surroundings clearly indicated that Yuan Yao had fought a tough battle to get here.
Opposite the stone room was a stone door shimmering with a white radiance all too familiar to Han Li—the same restrictive glow found on the stone doors from the first to the fifth floors.
Han Li hesitated for a moment but still walked over. After examining it for a while, he took out the Void Sky Fragment Map, infused it with spiritual power, and gently pressed it against the stone door. A flash of white light later, the door remained unresponsive.
Han Li sighed. As expected, once inside, it was impossible to exit using the fragment map. He also knew he lacked the ability to break this restriction. Without a second thought, he turned back and headed toward the northern exit.
“What are you doing? There’s a powerful formation inside that ordinary people can’t break. Do you intend to break the formation and seize the treasure?” Yuan Yao’s gaze followed Han Li’s movements. After blinking her beautiful eyes, she suddenly spoke coldly.
“I want to leave the Void Sky Hall! Does Fellow Daoist Yuan have a better suggestion?” Han Li replied without turning his head, already at the other exit.
“No! However, the treasures here were spotted by this humble maiden first. Does Fellow Daoist Han intend to compete with Yuan Yao for them?” Yuan Yao’s bright eyes flickered, her expression turning peculiar.
“Seize the treasure? Fellow Daoist Yuan has been here for quite some time, hasn’t she? If you could truly break the restriction inside, you would have succeeded long ago!” Han Li stood at the exit, gazing at the cyan radiance within, speaking bluntly.
“After studying it these past few days, I’ve made some progress. In three to five days, I will definitely break the restriction inside!” Yuan Yao’s face flushed slightly, but her expression quickly turned stern, revealing an unwillingness to yield.
Hearing this, Han Li turned around in surprise, half-squinting his eyes as he silently studied her.
Yuan Yao grew uneasy. After a moment, she finally conceded, “Fine! I admit that if I break the formation alone, I might gain nothing before the Void Sky Hall returns. But if you wish to break the formation now, I am willing to cooperate with you once. It should save you considerable time.”
Han Li stood quietly, his expression unchanged, waiting for her to continue. He knew well that this beauty had more to say.
“However, before breaking the formation, this humble maiden would like to propose a transaction with you,” Yuan Yao said slowly, her eyes fixed on Han Li.
“What transaction? I’m willing to hear it.” Han Li crossed his arms, adopting a listening posture.
“As long as Brother Han is willing to relinquish the treasures inside, I am prepared to offer compensation.”
“Compensation!” Han Li’s expression remained indifferent, showing no emotion.
Seeing his reaction, Yuan Yao hesitated. But after lowering her head in thought for a moment, she looked up with determination.
“I am willing to gift you some ‘Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk.’ What does Brother Han think?” Yuan Yao said gravely.
“Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk? The legendary spiritual liquid that can fully restore magic power with a single sip, a single drop of which is priceless even for ten thousand spirit stones?” Han Li’s expression shifted, visibly moved.
“Exactly, that spiritual item. I am trusting Brother Han’s character by revealing this. You won’t resort to killing me for treasure, will you?” Yuan Yao’s eyes shimmered as she stared intently at Han Li’s face.
After their encounters in the Ghost Mist and Molten Rock Path, she believed Han Li was no saint but also not a ruthless, merciless villain. Reluctantly, she had made this offer. Of course, if she had any other treasures to sway Han Li, she would never have mentioned the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk. Even so, her jade-like hands unconsciously rested on the storage pouch at her waist. Though no match for Han Li, she possessed one or two life-risking treasures powerful enough to deter him from evil intentions—one of her reasons for daring to make this offer.
Han Li touched his nose and remained silent, then suddenly turned to look at the dragon-head relief, a contemplative expression on his face.
“It seems Brother Han has guessed it. My Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk indeed comes from this spirit spring, accumulated over ten thousand years to produce just half a small bottle. But this way, you must understand that I have no intention of deceiving you,” Yuan Yao said softly, her tone shifting.
“Indeed! With such a large spirit spring here, if the design is clever enough and no one else has visited, it could indeed produce some spirit milk,” Han Li nodded calmly.
“Then what is your decision?” Yuan Yao’s face blossomed into a radiant smile.
“Can Miss Yuan tell me what treasure is hidden inside? Since you’re willing to pay such a high price, the treasure must be even more valuable,” Han Li asked unhurriedly, a chilling coldness in his eyes.
Seeing his expression, Yuan Yao felt an inexplicable coldness down her spine and a sudden panic.
“Brother Han must be joking! This is my first time here as well. How would I know what treasure lies inside? You overthink it! Alright… fine! I’ll be honest. I do know what treasure is inside. Although its value is no less than the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, it is far more important to me. That’s why I’m willing to exchange it for the spirit milk. Inside is an unused section of Soul Nurturing Wood!” Initially, Yuan Yao tried to laugh it off, but seeing the growing coldness in Han Li’s eyes, she hastily changed her tone and confessed. For some reason, the thought of Han Li turning hostile made her heart race.
“One of the Three Divine Woods, capable of nourishing the soul and divine sense when worn, gradually strengthening spiritual consciousness!” Han Li was stunned, only managing to ask in astonishment after a long pause.
“Exactly. However, what I value is not its soul-nourishing effect but its ability to host souls and preserve consciousness from dissipating,” Yuan Yao said softly, her expression dimming as if recalling something.
“Soul Nurturing Wood, Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk!” Han Li looked up at the stone chamber’s ceiling, murmuring to himself.
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