Han Li stood on a stone platform halfway up Mount Wujun. At the end of this several-dozen-zhang-wide terrace paved with mountain rocks was a massive cave dwelling completely concealed by formation spells—the “Yuelu Hall.”
This Yuelu Hall was the specialized repository for Huangfeng Valley’s artifacts, formulas for refining tools and elixirs, books, and related secret techniques. It also provided various auxiliary tools for alchemy and artifact refining, as well as some commonly used raw materials. It could be said to be one of the most important places within the entire sect. Consequently, not only were there numerous restrictions and layers upon layers of formation spells, but over a hundred disciples were often stationed nearby to patrol and guard against external invasions. There were even rumors that a Core Formation stage grandmaster uncle was permanently in secluded cultivation within this hall, stationed there to prevent any powerful experts from invading.
After running through the relevant information he had gathered in his mind, Han Li calmly walked forward.
When he had first landed here, he had sensed several wary gazes scrutinizing him multiple times from the shadows. However, perhaps because they saw that Han Li’s cultivation level was ordinary, they quickly withdrew their attention. Even so, it made Han Li inwardly startled.
The fact that these individuals could remain undetectable to him meant they either possessed high-quality artifacts capable of concealing their presence, or their cultivation levels were genuinely above his—elite disciples at the twelfth layer or higher. How could this not make Han Li even more cautious!
After taking a few steps forward, he stopped. Then, he softly recited an incantation and raised his hand, sending a red beam of light flying from his palm toward a seemingly empty space ahead.
As a result, a spatial fluctuation occurred, and a glowing red barrier suddenly appeared before him. Immediately after, two red-robed disciples emerged from behind the light barrier.
“Was it you who broke the restriction?” one of the red-robed disciples asked coldly.
“I am Han Li, and I—”
“Who cares who you are? Since you’re not at the Foundation Establishment level, you must have a guarantor. Hand over the guarantor’s token!” The disciple impatiently cut off Han Li’s explanation.
Hearing the disciple’s rude tone, Han Li showed no anger and calmly retrieved a jade talisman from his robe. He then placed it on the ground in front of him, separated by the light barrier.
At this, the cold-speaking red-robed disciple pointed at the light barrier, and a palm-sized circular hole appeared out of thin air.
The other red-robed disciple, who had remained silent until now, gently beckoned with his hand. As if growing wings, the jade talisman flew through the small hole and landed in his hand.
“Elder Brother Ma is your guarantor?” The red-robed disciple who had examined the talisman spoke up, somewhat surprised.
“Indeed, Elder Ma gave me this token,” Han Li replied honestly. But inwardly, he was astonished—these two red-robed disciples were young, yet they were also Foundation Establishment experts. This was no small surprise!
In the world of cultivation, seniority was not determined by how early one joined the sect but by the depth of one’s cultivation realm. After all, on the path of immortality, those with ability were the teachers!
“Is it that Elder Brother Ma who’s obsessed with alchemy all day?” The other red-robed disciple also expressed surprise.
“Exactly! Would he actually vouch for someone? That’s truly surprising! You’re not his personal disciple or a nephew or something, are you?” The red-robed disciple holding the jade talisman, after confirming it several times, grew somewhat curious.
“No, this junior merely tends Elder Ma’s herb garden. But in exchange for this token, I’ve already agreed to take care of the garden for free for a year!” Han Li did not dare neglect and quickly answered respectfully, though a bitter smile appeared on his face.
His words were entirely true.
In fact, when Han Li first considered obtaining a formula, he had thought of this Elder Ma. Since the old man grew so many medicinal herbs, he must be well-versed in alchemy and undoubtedly possessed numerous elixir formulas. So, several months ago, when the old man came to collect herbs, Han Li had subtly broached the topic.
To Han Li’s astonishment, the old man immediately shook his head like a rattle drum upon hearing this, firmly refusing. According to Elder Ma, the formulas in his possession were ones he had personally refined through countless failures as an alchemy master. How could he simply give them away? It was absolutely impossible!
But when Han Li earnestly explained that he only wanted the original, unaltered formulas, the old man rolled his eyes and impatiently told Han Li to just go to Yuelu Hall and find them himself. Why bother troubling him with such a hassle? Thus, Han Li had to exchange a year of free labor for the old man’s guarantor token, leading to today’s trip to Yuelu Hall.
“Haha! So that’s how it is. I thought the legendary Elder Ma had suddenly changed his temperament!” The two red-robed disciples exchanged a smile upon hearing this, and the one holding the jade talisman spoke up with a chuckle.
“Alright, you can come in now!”
The two red-robed disciples simultaneously cast a spell onto the light barrier, forcing open a zhang-wide passage just large enough for one person to pass through.
Seeing this, Han Li did not hesitate. In a flash, he entered.
However, the scene behind the light barrier greatly surprised him.
Previously, outside, the red light barrier had blocked his view of the interior. But now that he was inside, what appeared before him was a barren mountain face with nothing but a small circular formation spell—no buildings at all! This left Han Li utterly perplexed.
“Take good care of this jade talisman. Every time you come here, routine inspections will still be required. It’s the rule of this place,” said the disciple who had inspected the token, returning the jade talisman to Han Li after withdrawing the spell from the light barrier.
“Thank you, two uncles!” Han Li withdrew his wandering gaze, doing his best to appear respectful and polite, hoping to leave a good impression on the two. After all, he would need to come here often in the future.
“Mmm, follow me!”
Clearly, Han Li’s efforts were not in vain. The two men’s expressions softened considerably. After all, most people who came here were their peers, who naturally wouldn’t be as polite as Han Li. This had earned them a favorable impression of him.
“However, Nephew Han, why did you think of coming to Yuelu Hall? Whether it’s alchemy or artifact refining, Foundation Establishment level is most suitable. Isn’t it a bit too early for you to come here now?” one of the red-robed disciples asked casually as they led Han Li toward the circular formation.
“This junior has seen and heard much about alchemy at Elder Ma’s place. Plus, while tending the herb garden, I’ve accumulated some materials. So, I thought I’d come here to try my luck, to see if I can find a suitable formula to refine some pills that enhance cultivation. After all, this nephew’s aptitude is rather poor, and I can only rely on some external help,” Han Li replied, his answer half-truthful, intentionally lagging half a step behind the two.
“I see! But Nephew’s hopes might not be too high. You’ll understand what I mean once you go inside,” the other said, shaking his head slightly, not optimistic about Han Li’s goal for this trip.
By now, the three had reached the circular formation. One of the red-robed disciples gestured for Han Li to stand in the center of the formation, while the two of them stood on either side.
“Normally, using the teleportation formation requires one low-grade spirit stone. But since it’s your first time here, we’ll waive the fee this time. Next time, though, we’ll strictly follow the rules,” one of them said with a light laugh.
As soon as he finished speaking, the two skillfully cast red beams of light onto the formation. The several spirit stones embedded in the formation lit up.
Before Han Li could thank them, he suddenly felt a dizzying spin, and the surrounding scenery blurred. Then, with a flash of light before his eyes, Han Li found himself in an unfamiliar great hall, standing on a formation identical to the previous one.
So this is the legendary teleportation formation. It’s truly marvelous! Han Li marveled inwardly. Once the discomfort from the teleportation faded, he began to survey the astonishingly large hall.
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