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Chapter 1342: Exploration

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Although the records on the fragmented pages are incomplete, the "Taiyi Hua Qing Fu" previously used has been refined through related insights into the "Jiugong Tianqian Fu," which creates the Wanlong Pearl, and a type of shadow puppet fu known as the "Jia Yuan Fu." The final fu, however, is the only offensive fu described in the fragmented pages—the "Tian Ge Fu." While the "Taiyi Hua Qing Fu" has been relatively straightforward to master, thanks to the insights gained from the jade scroll of the Tianlan Sacred Beast's avatar, Han Li now understands most of its principles, and though the success rate is low, it can still be produced with sufficient materials and effort. The "Jiugong Tianqian Fu," originally a celestial fu designed to encircle and hold enemies, has only been partially understood by him, allowing him to develop only simpler artifacts like the Wanlong Pearl. As for the "Jia Yuan Fu" and the "Tian Ge Fu," however, he had no prior insights or understanding of either. However, while reviewing other finished shadow puppets and scroll tablets in the market of Tianyuan City, Han Li unexpectedly grasped a crucial aspect of the Jia Yuan Scroll. With his already solid expertise in puppetry, he believed that with further careful study, he might truly comprehend its deeper essence. As long as the final type—the Tian Ge Scroll—was a metallic attack scroll. According to the records, when activated, it could manifest a genuine celestial sword blade from the True Immortal Realm, powerful enough to cleave through mountains and split the seas. Yet the scroll was exceptionally profound, and despite Han Li’s current stage of Huashen, he found himself completely at a loss, unable to even begin to understand its fundamentals. Han Li gently stroked the jade tablet, silently pondering. There were countless high-level cultivators in Tianyuan City, many of whom possessed far superior magical abilities and techniques. To ensure his own safety, he naturally wanted as many backup measures as possible. Yet unfortunately, most of the four scrolls were beyond what he could currently produce. Yet even the refined Taiyi Huaqing seals, which could only be crafted, managed to elude the senses of immaterial cultivators. If a few more could be produced and carried on one's person, they would surely prove invaluable in special circumstances. The other seals, however, need not be rushed; they could be gradually mastered and studied later. Thinking thus, Han Li flicked his wrist, and the jade storage bracelet emitted a brilliant azure glow, then rolled the light down to the ground. Upon the light subsiding, a number of varying-sized silk boxes and jade chests, along with several jars and vessels, appeared scattered across the nearby ground. With a single hand, Han Li reached out and grasped the air, and a silk box shot toward him. Opening the lid, he found inside a pale crimson, unidentified animal hide, shimmering with a luminous aura—clearly no ordinary beast's hide. Without looking at it, Han Li tossed the small piece of hide into the space above his head, then opened his mouth. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a series of hazy, emerald-like luminous spheres instantly enveloped the hide. With both hands pressing seals, the azure glow instantly transformed into a vibrant crimson flame, roaring to life. A strange phenomenon unfolded. The leather skin immersed in the flame did not immediately turn to ash, but instead emitted a brilliant luminescence, gradually becoming clear and transparent. At this moment, Han Li once again pointed at several jade boxes. The boxes immediately opened on their own, and several streams of powders of different colors shot out, swiftly dissolving into the flame. A series of crisp "crackling" sounds followed, as the powders transformed into radiant hues and adhered to the leather surface. The transparent leather now shimmered with an exceptionally splendid glow. Han Li continuously performed seals with his ten fingers, yet remained motionless and closed his eyes without expression. For a while, the only sounds in the chamber were the occasional bursts of sparks in the air. Thus, two months passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, a deep, resonant boom would inevitably echo from the inner chamber every few days. This pattern repeated over a dozen times before finally subsiding into silence. After another fifteen days, the door of the inner chamber suddenly opened. Han Li stepped out with a slightly furrowed brow, yet he did not pause, continuing straight toward the main hall. The magical array in the hall still emitted a gentle glow, but the pale silver light emanating from the octagonal platform had dimmed noticeably, and the glowing points displayed on it had grown blurred. Upon seeing this, Han Li immediately replaced a batch of high-tier spiritual stones around the array and reactivated it. The octagonal platform burst forth with a brilliant silver radiance, instantly making everything on the silver screen sharp and clear. As he scanned the screen, however, his expression grew increasingly uncertain. The four points that had previously separated from each other now converged again, and they were now only about four to five hundred miles away from his dwelling. And the reason he had finally stepped out of the sealed chamber was twofold: first, he had successfully crafted a Taiyi Huaqing Seal, and second, the golden-feeding insects he had dispatched to monitor the several individuals had unexpectedly vanished—either trapped or eliminated by the others. Previously, through the second Yuan-Conge that had been in charge of maturing the spiritual herbs within the abode, Han Li had learned that these glowing points represented cultivators who had been stationed here for several days. Could it be that they had already identified their target? Han Li's thoughts raced swiftly. After a while, he suddenly settled into meditation, sitting cross-legged before the luminous screen, silently gazing at the silver glow without a word. For three consecutive days, the glowing points remained motionless, showing no signs of dispersing or shifting. Finally, on the fourth morning, Han Li sighed gently and rose from his seat. It seemed clear that he would have to make the journey himself. Regardless of their intentions, if any misfortune arose within his spiritual domain, even if he remained safely within the abode, disaster might well strike from the heavens. After all, for these cultivators, a distance of several hundred li was nearly instantaneous. With these individuals lingering so close, how could he possibly remain at ease while continuing his cultivation? It would be better to go personally and keep a close watch. Of course, if there were genuine benefits and he could slip in unnoticed, he would not mind doing so. Since entering the Spiritual Realm and having fought several Xuangui cultivators, he had come to believe that even if he were to face them directly, he would be able to retreat safely, should he fall. Especially now, with his newly refined Thunder Robe and Thunder Pattern Jades, and having successfully crafted a Taiyi Huaqing Seal, his confidence in his own abilities has grown even stronger. Under the constant observation of his Wanlong Jade, these four individuals remained completely unaware—there was absolutely no possibility of a Consolidated Period cultivator being present. Thus, his greatest concern had now eased somewhat. After carefully weighing his thoughts, Han Li instantly radiated a surge of jade-green light, transforming into a streak of jade-green light, and swiftly departed from the hall, heading straight toward his dwelling. Immediately after exiting the abode, the trailing light spiraled once, and as韩立 murmured incantations, the color gradually faded, eventually becoming transparent. Though this form of concealment technique did not quite achieve the direct dissolution into pure void like the Taiyi Hua Qing Seal, it remained difficult to detect unless one carefully scanned with spiritual awareness. For a quiet, undetected journey, it was more than sufficient. As he advanced, Han Li tightly controlled his breath, drawing in every ounce of energy and making no trace of it escape. However, after traveling another dozen li beneath the ground, Han Li suddenly halted his movement, slightly narrowed his eyes, and silently chanted a few incantations without sound. Out of the dark stone and soil around, several points of golden light flashed abruptly, followed by a number of golden-devouring insects that shot forth, vanishing instantly and merging into the folds of Han Li’s sleeve. As he drew back the spiritual awareness clinging to the insects, Han Li’s gaze flickered several times, his face expressing a look of mild surprise. "They truly are searching for something. Yet the very thing they seek appears exactly where it does—this is truly unexpected. Nevertheless, since these individuals have not only detected the golden-devouring insects but have also eliminated one of them, it seems clear that there are indeed immortals of Lingxu level." Han Li murmured to himself, then lowered his head and pondered carefully. Suddenly, he brushed his hand over his storage bracelet, and instantly a flash of light revealed a purple scroll in his hands. This talisman shimmered like gold, with dense, fine silver characters pulsing gently—exactly the Taiyi Huaqing Talisman newly crafted by him. Unlike the one from last time, this Taiyi Huaqing Talisman, both in materials and in its crafting method, was entirely based on the methods described in the fragmented jade leaf, and its power far surpassed that of the half-finished version from before. Han Li, uncertain whether he could approach closer without being detected by the cultivators at the Lingxu stage, though slightly regretful, decided to use this freshly created talisman to dissolve his body into nothingness, then move in closer to verify the identities and cultivation levels of these four individuals. Though rare, the talisman was vital to his own life, so he was not hesitant to make use of it. Moreover, unlike the earlier, incomplete version, this Taiyi Huaqing Talisman not only possessed significantly greater potency but could also be reused as long as its power remained unspent. The purple talisman burst apart, and several bright silver characters—resembling silver tadpoles—emerged, swirling around Han Li in a continuous dance above and below. Han Li cast a series of solemn spell techniques. With a few soft "pffft" sounds, the seal transformed into clusters of silvery mist, which in an instant engulfed Han Li completely. After a brief moment, the mist dispersed, leaving the spot entirely empty. The now formless Han Li immediately sensed the difference between this seal and the previously fragmented "Taiyi Huaqing" seal. At present, he could still summon his internal法宝 and draw upon substantial spiritual energy. Of course, he could only partially mobilize them—should he truly command his treasures or perform a particularly powerful technique, the seal's power would inevitably begin to falter. Yet even thus, Han Li was thoroughly satisfied. At least, in this state of formlessness, he could launch an initial wave of attacks ahead of time. Thus, he activated his spell techniques, and his form immediately began to swiftly drift forward. However, after advancing several miles, Han Li's body began to gently rise upward instead.