“And more?” The old man was taken aback at first, but then grew even more delighted, grinning from ear to ear for quite a while.
Though he didn’t know what materials Han Li would produce next, it was only natural to save the best for last. Unable to contain his anticipation, he fixed his gaze on Han Li with heightened eagerness.
Although Han Li had some doubts about the shopkeeper’s artifact-forging skills, he couldn’t find a more reliable blacksmith at the moment. Hesitantly, he began placing the materials from the Ink Flood Dragon on the table one by one.
However, he had already made up his mind: if the old man couldn’t even identify the origin of these materials, it would indicate a severe lack of knowledge and skill. In that case, he would only entrust him with refining the sturdy shell from earlier.
As for the valuable parts of the Ink Flood Dragon, he would seek out a more skilled blacksmith elsewhere.
With this plan in mind, Han Li paid even closer attention to the old man’s expressions and actions.
Just as the old man was raising a cup of tea to take a sip, he caught sight of the materials Han Li had produced. In shock, he spat out the mouthful of tea he had just taken, spraying it all over the floor in front of him.
“This is flood dragon skin! And a horn, fangs, and even an eyeball! Heavens, did you single-handedly slay a vicious flood dragon, Senior?” The white-haired shopkeeper was so astonished he lost his composure, staring at the items before him with an incredulous gaze while muttering to himself incessantly.
No wonder the old man was so shocked! Not only had flood dragons, these legendary demonic beasts, long disappeared from the nearby cultivation world, but even if one did exist, a second-stage evolved flood dragon like this would be comparable to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator in strength.
Aside from Core Formation cultivators, ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would stand no chance against it! And even if a group of cultivators joined forces, the flood dragon materials before him were far too complete—it was as if an entire flood dragon had been dismembered and brought here directly.
Could it be that he single-handedly took it all for himself without sharing any with other cultivators? Or did this person possess some extraordinary means to defeat the flood dragon alone?
As the old man excitedly touched and examined the materials, his mind raced with wild thoughts. It was at this moment that he truly began to feel awe and reverence for Han Li.
The shopkeeper’s immediate recognition of these materials somewhat surprised Han Li.
He had assumed that even if the old man could identify them, it would take considerable effort. Yet, he had appraised the materials so effortlessly, which instilled a bit of confidence in Han Li.
“Shopkeeper Xu, since you recognized them so quickly, I feel much more at ease. Please proceed with the refinement,” Han Li said politely after a moment of thought.
“Of course! Of course! Senior, rest assured. I once refined flood dragon materials with my father during my apprenticeship, so I have considerable confidence in handling them!” The old man nodded repeatedly, still clutching one of the Ink Flood Dragon’s sharp claws, reluctant to put it down.
Seeing this, Han Li found it somewhat amusing, but he understood that the old man was likely the type who was obsessed with artifact forging. Otherwise, no matter how precious the materials, he wouldn’t have lost his composure like this. This, however, made Han Li feel even more reassured, as it suggested the old man’s forging skills were likely quite proficient.
Thus, the old man gathered the materials and led Han Li into the backyard.
…
Half a month later, Han Li finally stepped out of the shop’s entrance. He glanced back with a smile before slowly walking away.
Once he was beyond the market’s no-fly zone, Han Li raised his hand, and a small, exquisite white boat shot out from his sleeve, hovering several feet in front of him, gently swaying.
After gazing at it fondly for a moment, Han Li flicked his finger, sending a green spell onto the boat. Instantly, the boat began to enlarge, and within moments, it transformed into a realistic canoe capable of carrying several people. Han Li and the boat vanished from their original spot, reappearing dozens of feet in the air.
“This Divine Wind Boat, forged from the Ink Flood Dragon’s fin and tail, is truly an extraordinary flight artifact. Although it’s far inferior to the Masked Moon Sect’s Heavenly Moon Boat in terms of passenger capacity and lacks any defensive capabilities, its speed alone makes it a rare flight artifact. With this, I no longer have to rely on that sluggish leaf-shaped artifact!” Han Li murmured to himself, standing at the front of the boat, a faint smile gracing his lips.
As Han Li channeled spiritual power from his feet into the boat’s hull, the Divine Wind Boat emitted a brilliant white light and instantly transformed into a white streak, shooting forward at an astonishing speed that would leave ordinary cultivators gaping in disbelief.
Seated at the bow, Han Li closed his eyes lightly, savoring the unprecedented sensation of extreme speed.
He estimated that even at half its maximum speed, the Divine Wind Boat would take little more than an hour to return to his cave abode. Once there, he planned to set up the significantly weakened Five Elements Reversal Formation to ensure absolute safety for his secluded cultivation.
Just as Han Li was lost in thought, he suddenly sensed a powerful surge of spiritual energy rushing toward his Divine Wind Boat from the ground below! Though he didn’t know what it was, the sheer magnitude of the spiritual energy suggested that if it struck the boat, it would undoubtedly result in its destruction and his death.
Startled and furious, Han Li snapped his eyes open! At the same time, the boat beneath him accelerated abruptly, doubling its speed and darting several dozen feet away in an instant.
Simultaneously, a massive yellow beam of light shot through the spot where Han Li had just been, flying far into the distance without dispersing. Han Li’s expression darkened.
“Could it be that someone knew I would pass through here and set up an ambush?” Han Li wondered, his mind racing with shock and anger. Without hesitation, he retrieved two round orbs, one green and one red, and gently clinked them together.
With a dull thud, a thick cloud of green and red smoke billowed from the orbs, swiftly enveloping Han Li. The smoke continued to expand, transforming into a massive green-red cloud about thirty feet in diameter within moments, completely obscuring Han Li’s figure within the mist.
Protected by the green-red cloud, Han Li felt slightly more at ease and calmly peered down at the ground.
Upon seeing the situation below, Han Li’s jaw dropped, and he was left speechless for a long time. Because, on the ground, a group battle was underway!
Four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators, clearly at a disadvantage, were fighting against nearly a hundred enemies surrounding them. Their opponents, however, were expressionless and lifeless—mechanical beasts like puppet tigers and leopards, interspersed with humanoid puppets similar to the archer puppet Han Li possessed.
Although these puppets appeared slow and seemingly easy to handle, every time one was struck down or destroyed by the cultivators’ magical artifacts, several new ones would emerge from the nearby forest to replenish their ranks, sustaining the relentless pressure of the siege.
Moreover, the puppets’ attacks were exceptionally fierce! The mechanical beasts would occasionally open their mouths to shoot out massive beams of light as thick as a bowl’s mouth, identical to the one that had nearly struck Han Li. However, their beams came in various colors, representing different attributes.
It seemed Han Li had been accidentally caught in their crossfire!
As for the humanoid puppets, they were even more formidable! Some, like Han Li’s archer puppet, shot streams of finger-thick multicolored light arrows from their longbows. Though these arrows weren’t as powerful as the mechanical beasts’ beams, they made up for it with their endless, uninterrupted volleys.
If not for the massive barrier the cultivators jointly maintained, they would have long perished under the relentless bombardment of beams and arrows.
But what troubled them most were the close-combat puppet warriors wielding swords and spears. Not only were these puppets clad in heavy armor, but their weapons shimmered with light, proving to be genuine low to mid-grade magical artifacts.
Though there were only about a dozen of them, they surrounded the barrier, slashing and stabbing incessantly, causing the protective shield to flicker and waver precariously! If not for two cultivators constantly channeling their spiritual power into the barrier to reinforce it, it would have shattered countless times already.
This wasn’t to say the cultivators were entirely helpless against these puppets!
After all, they were Foundation Establishment cultivators, possessing abundant spiritual power and powerful artifacts. In just a short while, they had already incapacitated thirty to forty puppets.
However, no matter how potent their artifacts were, the puppets emerging from the forest seemed endless, continuously replenishing their numbers and engaging them in a war of attrition. The cultivators grew increasingly apprehensive as the battle dragged on.
Hidden within the green-red cloud high above, Han Li watched in stunned silence! For the time being, it seemed no one had noticed his presence—the earlier beam had likely been a mere accident.
Finally, one of the cultivators lost his composure. He layered several protective spells onto himself and, brandishing a banner-shaped defensive artifact, broke away from the main barrier, attempting to flee the scene!
The other cultivators cursed vehemently at his desertion.
But no sooner had their curses left their lips than a massive beam of light, several yards in diameter, shot out from the forest. It struck the fleeing cultivator mid-air in a flash, reducing him to a fiery ball without so much as a grunt. He plummeted to the ground, his fate unknown.
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