The woman’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing Han Li’s first two questions, as if she had anticipated them. But when the last question was posed, a flicker of panic finally surfaced. She forced a smile and said, “Fellow Daoist, what an interesting thing to say. What major trouble could I possibly have stirred? My initial panic was only because—”
“Since Lady Yuan has no intention of speaking the truth, there’s no need to continue. I have no interest in hearing insincere words,” Han Li interjected coolly with a wave of his hand before she could finish.
“You—!” Frustrated by his unwavering demeanor, Yuan Yao’s eyes flashed with anger. She stamped her delicate foot in vexation and stormed off.
Watching her retreating figure, Han Li’s face betrayed no emotion. He then glanced toward Violet Spirit in the distance, who was calmly conversing with a young male cultivator. Noticing Han Li’s gaze, she offered him a graceful smile before turning back to whisper to the man.
Han Li withdrew his gaze impassively, but before he could ponder further, the voice of Mysterious Bone Sage echoed in his mind.
“You’re rather slow! I was beginning to think you couldn’t even handle a mere ghost mist. Did you run into a Ghost King?” The voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction and curiosity.
Turning to look at the distant ghost mist, Han Li replied indifferently, “I encountered a malevolent spirit along the way, but it didn’t take much effort to deal with. However, I later ran into a large swarm of Soul-Snatching Flyers, which proved rather troublesome to shake off.”
“Soul-Snatching Flyers?” Mysterious Bone Sage’s tone revealed surprise.
“What? As a cultivator of the ghost path, are you afraid of such creatures?” Han Li probed subtly, testing the waters.
“Afraid? Of course not. I’m merely curious how the three of you managed to escape such a predicament,” Mysterious Bone Sage deflected.
Han Li smirked inwardly but replied lightly, “There’s not much to say. I was merely fortunate enough to narrowly escape.”
Unsurprisingly, Mysterious Bone Sage silently cursed him as a “cunning fox.” After a brief pause, he continued, “Very well. If you’re unwilling to elaborate, I won’t press further. When the next teleportation occurs, we must act together. I’ll lead you to capture the ‘Nine-Curved Spirit Ginseng.’ After that, you must assist me in eliminating that traitor, Extreme Yin.”
“No problem. As long as you truly deliver the Nine-Curved Spirit Ginseng into my hands, I will take the risk and assist you,” Han Li replied without hesitation, having long made up his mind on the matter.
Pleased with his straightforward response, Mysterious Bone Sage chuckled lightly and fell silent.
Unbeknownst to him, however, a trace of mockery flickered at the corner of Han Li’s lips, and his distant gaze occasionally gleamed with a cold light.
Suddenly, Han Li sensed someone watching him and casually turned his head. He met the predatory gaze of Extreme Yin Patriarch, whose eyes held a hint of delight.
Han Li’s expression remained stoic as he turned away, but it soon twisted into a bitter smile. It seemed unavoidable—he would have to settle matters with Extreme Yin Patriarch. The man was persistently fixated on him, for reasons unknown.
Yet, Extreme Yin Patriarch seemed to have his own reservations; otherwise, he would have attempted to control Han Li back in the hall rather than biding his time until now.
Frustrated, Han Li sat directly on a patch of grass, assuming a cross-legged position. The ghost mist had drained much of his spiritual power, and he needed to recover promptly to face the challenges ahead.
The black-robed woman Yuan Yao stood far away, gazing at Han Li with a mix of resentment and loneliness, unwilling to concede.
Though Violet Spirit engaged in cheerful conversation under the young male cultivator’s attentive care, her eyes occasionally drifted toward Han Li, as if preoccupied with other thoughts. Han Li, however, paid no heed to either woman, focusing solely on his meditation.
Time flew by, and another full day passed.
Just as many were growing impatient, a blinding white light erupted from a barren stone slab at the center of the jade pavilions, drawing the attention of all cultivators.
Having experienced this before, none showed surprise. As the light faded, a teleportation formation identical to the previous one materialized.
Once again, the two Star Palace Elders in white robes approached unhurriedly. After a brief inspection, the kindly-faced elder addressed the crowd, “This teleportation formation is the only path to the next trial: the Path of Ice and Fire. Before entering the second trial, you will have some time to gather spirit herbs and fruits as rewards for passing the first trial. Those who find the next trial too dangerous may teleport back here and wait. In a month, a formation will appear to teleport you directly back to the main hall.”
“However, whether you intend to challenge the second trial or are satisfied with your gains here, you have only one day to collect spirit medicines. Those who greedily remain beyond this time will be trapped forever. To my knowledge, no cultivator left behind has ever been seen again when the Virtual Heaven Palace reopened. The reason for their disappearance remains unknown, so do not entertain any foolish hopes of staying behind.”
Though the elder’s voice was soft, it carried clearly to every cultivator present. Some listened indifferently, already aware of the rules, while others wore expressions of astonishment.
After his speech, the elder and the other law-enforcing elder stepped onto the formation and vanished.
This time, the cultivators did not hesitate, swarming toward the formation. With limited time, every moment counted for increasing their chances of finding valuable resources.
Following a subtle glance from Mysterious Bone Sage, Han Li mingled with the crowd and hurriedly teleported away.
Yet, in the instant before teleportation, Han Li once again felt the predatory gaze of Extreme Yin Patriarch. A mix of unease and fury surged within him, and his expression turned sinister as the white light engulfed him.
After all, knowing someone harbored ill intentions toward him yet being powerless to counter it stirred a long-forgotten ferocity within Han Li.
As the light receded, Han Li instinctively stepped out of the formation. After a few steps, he surveyed his surroundings, and what he saw left him utterly stunned.
A azure sky dotted with white clouds, an endless expanse of emerald grasslands, distant majestic mountains, and the fragrant scent of flowers and plants carried by the breeze.
This was no longer the interior of the Virtual Heaven Palace—it was a breathtakingly beautiful stretch of land somewhere in the mortal world!
Han Li stared in disbelief for a long time, rendered speechless.
Just then, Mysterious Bone Sage emerged leisurely from the formation. Seeing Han Li’s astonished expression, he sneered, “What, surprised? I was no better when I first came here. But this is no illusion—it’s a real, existing world. It’s unlikely to be a location in the external world, for not only is the spiritual energy here abundant, but it also carries an indescribable freshness.”
He took a deep breath, savoring the air, and added, “This must be a miniature space created by the ancient cultivators of the primordial era with their immense supernatural powers. Sadly, we descendants can no longer replicate such earth-shattering abilities.” Mysterious Bone Sage sighed, a hint of yearning for the ancients in his eyes.
“Creating a world alone!” Han Li exclaimed in awe, struggling to believe it.
Perhaps sensing his disbelief, Mysterious Bone Sage continued calmly, “There’s nothing strange about it. The powers of the ancient cultivators far surpassed anything we can imagine or achieve. The mystery is why they all vanished without a trace after a certain period. Since then, our cultivation world has declined into its current state.”
Han Li offered no rebuttal, his eyes instead falling upon a small path before him.
Overgrown with unnamed wild grass, the path appeared faint and winding, stretching into the unseen distance.
For him, the astonishing powers and mysterious disappearance of the ancient cultivators were irrelevant to his present circumstances. His priority was to handle immediate matters; the ancients could wait.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage