‘There is no need for Old Brother Bone Sage to be so angry! I won’t mention it again. However, you cannot renege on our agreement to find a suitable living body. Why else would I have given you a trace of my soul essence and willingly allowed you to leave the ghost mist!’ This person seemed fearful of the Bone Sage’s rage, but in the end, he couldn’t help but remind the Bone Sage of their agreement.
‘Don’t worry. Since I need your help to deal with my traitorous disciple Zenith Yin, I will get you a physical body before I act. Furthermore, as fellow sufferers that were forced to cultivate the Ghost Dao, how could I possibly renege on our agreement?’ The Bone Sage indifferently said.
‘Hehe! Your words have truly put me at ease.’ After that was said, the resounding voice disappeared from the Bone Sage’s mind.
The Bone Sage sighed with relief and and sat against a small tree before dozing off.
After some time had passed, an increasing number of cultivators left the ghost mist with increasingly heavier damage. Quite a number of them had even sustained great injuries to their Origin Qi that would require many years of dedicated treatment, else their cultivation level would suffer as a result. But even in this sorry state, they all wore expressions of unconcealable happiness. After all, so long as they passed the ghost mist trial, they would still be able to acquire a few rarely seen spiritual medicines.
After about seventy more cultivators arrived at the garden, the rate of new arrivals greatly decreased. In the coming day, only a sparse few cultivators had arrived.
The youth that had accompanied Fairy Violet Spirit at the beginning was amongst them. His clothes were damaged and his face was pale as if he had suffered through hardships on the way there.
Upon entering the garden, the youth swept his gaze past the garden and revealed worry upon seeing that Fairy Violet spirit wasn’t there. His expression was indecisive.
At that moment, Grandmaster Zenith Yin and the Bone Sage both became uneasy upon seeing that Han Li had yet to arrive.
The Bone Sage was the calmer of the two. Although he felt irritation, his face still maintained peacefulness. However, Grandmaster Zenith Yin was unable to endure. He occasionally opened his eyes and gloomily swept his gaze past the ghost mist, unable to calm down.
In truth, this person’s gloomy temperament would’ve normally prevented him from displaying his impatience. However, Han Li possessed something that was vital to his treasure hunt, leaving him in a hopeless situation.
A majority of people didn’t take notice of these actions, but the confucian-robed old man that was meditating nearby had opened his eyes. With a light cough, he slowly asked, “Could Fellow Daoist’s unease be due to concern for someone that has yet to arrive?”
The old man stared at Grandmaster Zenith Yin with doubt.
When Zenith Yin heard this, his expression became calm once more, and he indifferently replied, “It couldn’t be considered concern. It’s just a very interesting Junior that I’ve met once before!”
A strange glint flashed through the confucian-robed old man’s eyes. He said with a mysterious smile, “An interesting Junior? Fellow Daoist Wu must introduce me to him. I too am quite fond of guiding inexperienced Juniors that hold potential.”
‘Old bastard! He is far too suspicious.’ Zenith Yin was extremely annoyed that Han Li had yet to appear, and was unwilling to deal with the old man’s schemes. As such, he bluntly closed his eyes and forced himself to meditate.
At that same time, the resounding voice could be heard once more in the corner of the Bone Sage’s mind.
‘Bone Sage, your assistant still hasn’t arrived? Could he have been devoured by ghosts? Such an assistant would prove too weak to be useful.’ The voice’s tone contained a trace of schadenfreude.
The Bone Sage sighed. Given its temperament, it was truly impossible to keep him silent. It was also impossible for him to kill it as it would prove far too useful to him.
Until now, there also hadn’t been anyone that had glanced at him with a baffled gaze. It seemed that their short talks didn’t arouse any suspicion.
With that thought, the Bone Sage unhappily said, ‘This person is exceptionally mysterious. Although he is young and his cultivation is only at early Core Formation, it is absolutely impossible for him to have fallen to any fierce ghosts. Even if you came across him, you’d turn tail and flee if your soul didn’t scatter first. Do not underestimate him.’
‘Early Core Formation? Isn’t Bone Sage underestimating me too greatly? Against such a cultivator, I’d only have to opened my mouth, and his blood essence would already be absorbed.’ The deep voice spoke with disbelief.
‘Did you enjoy my Devil Extinguishing Arrow? What would you do if he possessed flying swords also made from Golden Lightning Bamboo?’
The deep voice grew silent for a moment before speaking with great skepticism, ‘Flying Swords made of Gold Lightning Bamboo? Are you joking? There was only ever one stalk of Gold Lightning Bamboo, and you refined it into the Devil Extinguishing Arrow. How can there be other Gold Lightning Bamboo magic treasures?’
‘Hehe! You’ll find out whether or not this is true sooner or later. And before you say I didn’t warn you, apart from his Gold Lightning Bamboo magic treasure, he also possesses a few other troublesome techniques. Why else would I, the Bone Sage, join hands with an early Core Formation cultivator?’ With that said, the Bone Sage didn’t pay any further attention to the voice and closed his eyes into oblivious meditation.
The deep voice tactfully kept silent and was pondering whether or not the Bone Sage had spoken truthfully.
Six hours later, the Bone Sage now appeared irritated and wondered why Han Li was taking so long to arrive. At that moment, an area of the ghost mist rolled away and made a path, revealing three people walking side by side.
The three were Han Li’s party. As for the gorgeous woman Yuan Yao, she was back to concealing her breathtaking beauty with her black robes.
Han Li was stunned for a moment after having seen that there were so many people present. He soon glanced at the scene and walked towards an uninhabited area without hesitation. Fairy Violet Spirit and Yuan Yao then gave each other a tacit glance before going their own ways.
At that moment, a silhouette appeared with a blur. A handsome, azure-jacketed youth had rushed over and earnestly spoke to Fairy Violet Spirit, “Great! Violet Spirit, you’re safe! I was so worried.” After this was said, he hastily approached her and carefully examined her for any injuries.
“Brother Li, I’m fine.” When Fairy Violet Spirit saw him, she stopped and forced a smile. Her expression continuously shifted.
After Yuan Yao took a deep look at those two, she went to another location with fluttering clothes.
Han Li, who had found a lone place to stand, turned around to see Yuan Yao following him. With slight surprise, he immediately frowned and said, “Lady Yuan, we’ve already left the ghost mist. For what matter have you followed me?”
Although this woman’s breathtaking beauty had touched his heart, he didn’t have any plans to work together with any strangers and immediately spoke with a cold intent of rejection.
Han Li’s blunt words didn’t cause Yun Yao to become angry. Instead, she sighed and said, “Please don’t take offense, Brother Han. I’ve only followed you because I have no choice! Fellow Daoist should know that my magic treasure had suffered great damage in the fight against the ghost king, and I am not capable of using it any further. And with the great dangers in the Heavenvoid Hall, this woman only knows of Brother Han. Coming here was a stupid decision. Please do not leave me here to die!”
With that said, the black-robed woman’s eyes turned slightly red as if she were about to weep tears. The scene caused Han Li to intensely frown.
“Lady Yuan! Since you’ve said this, I will need to ask some questions. But first, I’d like to make it known that I am not an upright gentleman, nor is my heart filled with benevolence. I am especially unwilling to be ignorantly use
d in vain.” Han Li calmly spoke as if he hadn’t seen the woman’s sad expression.
“Fellow Daoist Han, please don’t hesitate to ask. So long as the questions don’t touch on any secrets, I will definitely give a satisfactory answer.” This woman felt somewhat annoyed that Han Li hadn’t revealed any pity or sympathy towards the fairer sex. However, there were items that she must acquire and she had no choice but to agree.
After placing his hands behind his back, Han Li unhurriedly asked the woman without blinking, “My questions are quite simple. What is Fellow Daoist Yuan’s objective? Up to which trial do you intend to challenge? Also, from the panic you had shown earlier, it seems you’re hiding something. Do you carry any great troubles on you? I don’t wish to be involved in any of your quarrels by association.”
Preach.
Chapter 447: Different World
The woman remained calm when faced with Han Li’s questions, giving the impression that she had anticipated them. However, his last question caused her to reveal slight panic. She answered with a forced smile, “Fellow Daoist’s last question is quite meaningful. What great trouble’s could I have provoked? The reason why I was so panicked at the beginning was because...”
Without waiting for her to finish, Han Li insipidly interrupted, “If Lady Yuan doesn’t wish to tell the truth, then leave it be. I have no intention of listening to any empty words.”
“You...” Seeing that Han Li was unmoved, Yuan Yao had finally revealed a trace of anger. She forcefully stomped her foot and left in a fit of resentment.
Han Li’s face didn’t reveal the slightest change upon seeing the woman leave. He soon turned his gaze towards Fairy Violet Spirit, who was currently talking with a male youth with an easy expression. When she saw Han Li looking at her, she gave him a light hearted smile and muttered something to the youth.
After seeing that, Han Li turned his gaze away, but before he thought of anything else, he heard the Bone Sage’s voice.
“Why were you so slow? This master had believed you weren’t able to deal with a trifling ghost mist! Could it be you came across a ghost king?” The Bone Sage’s voice contained dissatisfaction and doubt.
Having heard that, Han Li gazed into the distant ghost mist and indifferently replied, “On my way here, I encountered a fierce ghost. However, that didn’t take up much time. It was the large group of Souleater Spirits that came afterwards that wasted much of my time.
“Souleater Spirits?” The Bone Sage revealed an expression of shock.
“What? Does Senior fear those things despite cultivating the Ghost Dao?” Han Li asked with a calm tone, but his words carried a trace of mockery.
“How could I possibly fear them? However, this old man is quite curious to know how you three managed to escape such a calamity.” The Bone Sage quickly changed the topic.
Han Li inwardly sneered as he casually gave an explanation, “Junior doesn’t really have anything to say. We merely had good luck and were able to avoid disaster through a fluke!”
‘Little sneak!’ Needless to say, the Bone Sage inwardly cursed at him. After a moment of silence, he had no choice but to ask a different question, “Fine! Since you’re unwilling to explain, I won’t continue to pry. The next time I’ll talk with you, we’ll go together to fetch the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng. Afterwards, you will lend me your assistance in exterminating my traitorous disciple Zenith Yin.”
“No problem! So long as you hand the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng to me, I will take the risk of helping you.” Han Li agreed without the slightest hesitation. It seemed he had long made up his mind.
The Bone Sage was satisfied by his decisive answer. After a light chuckle, he spoke no more.
However, he didn’t catch sight of Han Li’s mocking smile and the cold light that occasionally flickered from his eyes.
Han Li suddenly felt another person looking at him. He couldn’t help but raise his head. As a result, he caught sight of Grandmaster Zenith Yin looking at him with a trace of joy that reminded Han Li of a tiger eyeing its prey.
Han Li expressively turned his head around and bitterly smiled. It seemed that avoiding a confrontation with Grandmaster Zenith Yin was impossible. Zenith Yin clearly had no intention of letting him go for a reason he was completely unaware of.
However, Grandmaster Zenith Yin seemed to have his own misgivings. Why was he waiting so patiently and hadn’t made a move to restrain him within the hall.
Han Li gloomily sat down on a patch of grass and meditated. He had consumed quite a bit of magic power in the ghost fog and needed to recover to his peak state for the troubles that were soon to come.
Staring from a distance, the woman Yuan Yao glanced at Han Li with unwillingness. While her gaze contained resentment, it also held a trace of loneliness.
Although Fairy Violet Spirit was chatting to the earnest and concerned man with a smile, her gaze unconsciously turned in Han Li’s direction as if she were worried. As for Han Li, he was meditating, appearing oblivious of the two’s gazes.
Time quickly passed by, and the next day arrived.
At this point, many of the cultivators were already impatient. They surrounded a bare stone slab lying at the center of the jade pavilions.
With their experience from the first hall, these cultivators were particularly shocked to see the stone slab reveal a transportation formation with a flash of white light. Its appearance was exactly the same as the one from the first hall.
At that moment, the two white-clothed elders from the Star Palace calmly walked towards it. After examining it, the old man with the kindly face slowly said, “This transportation formation will take you to paths of ice and fire where you will enter the second trial. Before entering the second trial, everyone will have some time to gather spiritual herbs and spiritual fruit as rewards for passing the first trial. If you feel that undergoing another trial is too dangerous, you may return here. In a month, a transportation formation will appear here to take you back to the main hall.”
“But regardless of whether you decide to undergo the second trial or to return here, you only have one day to pick the spiritual herbs throughout the next area. Past that point, nothing else will appear, and you will be stuck there. To the best of my knowledge, cultivators that have remained there have never returned at the reopening of the Heavenvoid Hall. As for the reason of their disappearance, it is still unknown to this day. So don’t believe that you’ll come across fortune by deliberately staying there.
The white-clothed old man’s voice wasn’t very loud, but his voice was resounding and was heard by all those there. Those that already knew this were inattentive while the others who were ignorant were greatly surprised.
After this was said, both of these enforcement elders stepped through the transportation formation and disappeared without a trace.
This time, the other cultivators showed no hesitation, and each of them rushed through. After all, time was limited. They only had a short amount of time to search for the spiritual items. They had best make good use of it.
Han Li unconsciously turned his gaze towards the bone sage before hastily entering the crowd of cultivators that were hurrying towards the transportation formation.
But just as he walked towards the transportation formation, Han Li felt Grandmaster Zenith Yin’s covetous gaze fall upon him once more. Fury and apprehension stirred in his heart, and he sourly grimaced as he passed through the white light.
Despite knowing that someone harbored malicious intentions towards him, he was powerless to do anything about it. This feeling of helplessness awakened a feeling of an intense vengeance that he had forgotten many years before.
After the light faded away, Han Li walked a few steps outside of the transportation formation and examined his surroundings, discovering a sight that left him dumbfounded.
The sky was dark blue and was filled with clouds. An endless expanse of emerald-green grass surrounded him, accompanied by a wind that carried a strong scent of plants. Ther
e was also a mountain range that could be faintly seen in the distance.
How were they still in the Heavenvoid Hall? This graceful environment clearly belonged on land!
For a long while, Han Li remained in a silent daze.
At that moment, the Bone Sage walked out of the transportation formation. Scoffing at Han Li’s shocked appearance, he said, “Isn’t it amazing? The first time I came here, I didn’t appear much better than yourself. But this isn’t an illusion; it is a genuine existence. With its abundant spiritual Qi and its indescribable smell of pure nature, this isn’t a place that exists in the outside world.”
He then took a deep breath and slowly savored it before continuing, “This small world should be the result of a great divine ability of some cultivator from the desolate era. Unfortunately, those of us in the later generation never again witnessed their grand, marvelous abilities.” The Bone Sage sighed and revealed a desire to witness the ancient cultivators.
“Splitting apart the Heavens and Earth by oneself?” Han Li was overwhelmed with disbelief.
Guessing what Han Li was thinking, the Bone Sage calmly continued, “There is nothing strange about it! The divine abilities of ancient cultivators far exceed what we can even imagine. But for some unknown reason, these ancient cultivators completely disappeared from this world. It was after this that our own inferior cultivation world came into existence.”
Han Li didn’t further question this, and his eyes suddenly fell down to a small road in front of him.
The winding road was overgrown with unknown, wild plants. It was hard to discern, and it led into the unseen distance.
In Han Li’s eyes, the mystery of the ancient cultivator’s amazing abilities along with their disappearance had nothing to do with the matter at hand. He’d be better served by addressing the matter at hand before considering any matters having to do with ancient cultivators.
Chapter 448: Small Mountain
“After following this road for several hundred kilometers, you will see a canyon surrounded by a barrier. It is narrow and very long. Upon entering the canyon, you will be in an entirely different world. Within this world, there will be two paths to choose from: the Path of Profound Crystal and the Path of Molten Rock. The Path of Profound Crystal is chilling to the bone, and if you are not careful, your body will turn to ice. As for Path of Molten Rock, it is scorching hot where one may find themselves easily turned to ash. Only after reaching the end of the canyon will you find the next transportation formation. Once you pass through it, you will have completed the second trial: the Paths of Fire and Ice. As the two from the Star Palace have said, everyone will have a day to search for spiritual medicines before they must enter the canyon. As for what everyone will find, it will depend on their own luck!” The Bone Sage finished indifferently.
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