With a further motion of his palm, several scrolls were launched forth, their resplendent magical forces instantly enveloping the entire jade box. A sweep of his robe sent a cascade of emerald mist spiraling out. The jade box vanished silently within the mist, swiftly retrieved by Han Li. From the moment the sword-thread erupted until the box was secured, the process unfolded with the swift brilliance of lightning and flame, completed in the span of a single breath and exhalation. Only then did Han Li exhale, his complexion improving slightly. He glanced at the spirit trees in the herb garden, now bereft of their blossoms, and after a brief hesitation, decided against further action, turning instead toward the next herb garden. Thus, the following seven or eight medicinal plants were all treated in the same manner. Han Li carefully severed the fruit and other seed-bearing parts with the sword's light, rapidly freezing them, and then sealed them once more with magical scroll incantations. Through the combined application of these multiple techniques, the severed portions remained intact and did not perish. Even if there were still some seals embedded within these parts, as long as the activation could first be suppressed, they could be taken back for gradual study. He was confident that, given sufficient time, he could eventually unravel the seals step by step. However, when it came to the final elixir—a silver lotus floating above the spring's source—he encountered a major obstacle. As the sword filament struck the stem of the silver lotus, about the thickness of a human finger, a brilliant silver flash erupted, propelling the blade away. Yet the lotus itself remained untouched! Han Li naturally paused in astonishment. After carefully examining the gleaming silver lotus several times, he furrowed his brows and then simply pressed his ten fingers directly against it, launching successive pulses. Ten strands of green silk shot out into the air, only to suddenly converge and transform into a clear, translucent beam of jade-green light, which then struck the silver lotus. The same phenomenon occurred—the entire silver lotus emitted a brilliant silver glow, and the green light, under the impact, began to hum and crack, fragmenting piece by piece until it was completely reduced to ash. Han Li's eyes suddenly jumped with sudden vigor. How extraordinary was this silver lotus bud! He had always believed that the sharpness of the sword filaments formed by the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword was such that even ordinary Consolidated Stage beings would hesitate to withstand a direct strike with their bodies. Yet this very object not only deflected the sword filaments but also reversed and completely extinguished them—this was simply beyond belief. Han Li quickly scanned the silver lotus bud, then his gaze shifted swiftly to the spring below. Clearly, this spring was no ordinary spiritual spring—its water was crystal clear and constantly emitted delicate threads of white spiritual energy rising from the surface. At the base of the spring, several sections of lotus stems, each as long as a child's arm, lay there, gleaming silver and seemingly untouched. Yet upon closer inspection, Han Li noticed that the roots of the lotus stems were pure white as jade, yet they did not extend into the muddy substrate beneath. Instead, they curled into a compact mass, floating beside the stems, like a cluster of silver mist. "Then perhaps it could..." This unexpected discovery stirred him anew, reigniting his enthusiasm. This time, Han Li didn't hesitate—he made his decision swiftly. After only a brief moment, he resolved to take another risk. He flipped his hand, producing a blue jade bottle about a foot tall, which he then tossed upward, where it floated steadily in midair. Next, he shook his sleeve, sending out十几 colorful array flags that shot forth and swiftly vanished into the surrounding area of the spring. With a single hand gesture and the utterance of the character "Ji," several radiant columns of light erupted around him, soaring several zhang high. Each column shimmered with a luminous glow, and faintly, characters or symbols seemed to drift and pulse within them. Clearly, this was no ordinary array. Upon seeing this scene, Han Li immediately moved both hands, launching a continuous sequence of spells toward the front. Within a few zhang of space, dense clusters of blue light points appeared, and a thick, vibrant essence of water qi swiftly filled the entire array. The spring below seemed to sense something as well, its surface rippling in gentle, resonant waves. Though subtle, this was a world apart from the previously still, mirror-like calm. Han Li's eyes flashed with cold light as he issued a low command, pointing at the suspended jade vial in the air. With a soft "pffft," the vial's mouth instantly inverted, spewing out a cascade of bluish shimmering light. At once, several dozen luminous beams emitted a resonant hum, and the spell's energy surged powerfully. In the next instant, all the floating light points surged toward the gathering blue radiance, intensifying its glow so swiftly that the entire spring opening was swiftly engulfed. A thunderous roar echoed through the air, shaking the spring itself, and the water surged into turbulent waves, swirling rapidly around the silver lotus bud at its center. A vortex of about one zhang in diameter instantly formed, and the surging waves swiftly drew the silver lotus bud into its heart. At once seeing this scene, Han Li's hand movements grew increasingly rapid, and he began muttering words aloud. The lotus bud, together with the spring water from the well, surged upward swiftly, then transformed into a water dragon wrapped in waves of azure light, which quickly shrank until it was entirely drawn into the blue jade bottle. Seeing the silver lotus bud and the several silver lotus stems safely collected without any mishap, Han Li's heart leaped with relief. As soon as he stopped his hand gestures, he immediately reached out to the jade bottle. Instantly, the bottle erupted into a bright blue glow, rushing toward him before settling gently into his hands. With a mere thought, Han Li entered the bottle through the mouth and surveyed its interior. To his delight, the silver lotus bud and the lotus stems remained perfectly immersed in the spring water, showing no signs of change whatsoever. He was overjoyed. After sealing the jade vial with the talismans as well, Han Li carefully placed this single, intact treasure into his storage bracelet, stacking it alongside the numerous jade boxes. The frustration he had felt earlier over the loss of several medicinal herbs had somewhat eased. In the following time, Han Li collected every other medicinal herb he found scattered in the more remote corners of the garden, regardless of whether he recognized them or not. Though these herbs might have seemed ordinary to the garden's owner, they were still exceptionally rare in the spiritual realm. This visit to the garden had proven to be highly rewarding. Once he was certain there were no further medicinal herbs left uncollected, Han Li had no intention of staying any longer. He simply issued a command, and with a gesture, had the young Qu'er transform back into a shimmering white light and fold her into his sleeve, then strode steadily toward the garden's outer gate. At the very instant his figure appeared at the door, a deep, resonant rumble suddenly echoed from ahead of the main hall, followed by a powerful surge of spiritual pressure rolling in from the same direction—its force truly astonishing. Han Li heard the sound and immediately felt a spark of interest, yet his expression remained one of half-smiling, half-reflective amusement. It seemed that after such a long time, Shi Kun and Liu Shui'er had finally been driven to the brink of frustration by the illusions on the plaza, and had managed to break through the seal with sheer force. The spiritual pressure surge indicated that the illusion had indeed been forcibly dispelled. They must have employed techniques or artifacts far beyond what they currently command. Otherwise, given their earlier demonstrated capabilities, such a feat would have been impossible. With this thought in mind, Han Li glanced briefly at the other two side halls, paused slightly, and then, though his steps seemed slow, his movement was actually swift—directly heading toward the main hall. A moment later, when his figure reappeared before the main hall, he saw the main hall's gate pulsing with purple light, and Shi Kun gasping, retreating several dozen paces. Originally holding a pair of massive hammers in both hands, they rapidly dissolved and vanished in the flashing purple electric arcs, leaving only the handles behind. Shi Kun's face was pale, almost lifeless, his eyes filled with astonishment. Yet before he could summon any further defenses against the purple electric serpents, Liu Shui'er, standing some fifteen paces behind him, had already acted. Raising her hand, a silver mirror launched itself into the air, its surface vibrating and radiating several beams of pale green light, which momentarily held the several purple electric arcs at bay. Seizing this opportunity, Shi Kun roared, his body nearly skimming the ground as he launched himself backward, appearing instantly thirty paces away. At that moment, however, the green beams could not withstand the purple electric arcs and began to shatter, fragment by fragment, under the thunderous roar of the storm. A surge of purple electric light, following the direction of the beam's power, suddenly turned and shot straight toward Liu Shui'er. Naturally, she was startled, yet decisively raised a finger toward a celestial mirror floating in the air, urging it to reverse and intercept the electric arcs. As her body flickered, she unexpectedly dissolved into a series of shimmering shadows and vanished. Moments later, her graceful figure appeared at a distant point. A deep crack echoed, and several purple electric streaks struck the silver mirror, followed by thunderous cracks that shattered it into a radiant burst of silver light. With her target gone, the purple electric serpents flashed briefly before dissipating on their own. When Liu Shui'er reappeared, seeing her precious artifact destroyed—though she had anticipated this—her expression beneath her cloak betrayed clear concern. "Ladies, this seal appears to be quite exceptional. To dispel it, we may well need the combined efforts of all three of us," said Han Li, approaching slowly and speaking with calm assurance. Shi Kun and the two naturally also noticed Han Li's arrival. Upon hearing what was said, Shi Kun's facial muscles twitched slightly, his tone laced with a touch of subtle regret: "Han brother is indeed clever. You recognized that the seal here is difficult to break and thus went elsewhere first. You've been in the hall much longer than we have—surely you've gathered significant gains elsewhere." "There are certainly some gains, but how can they compare to what we find here? I believe the two of you and other important treasures should have been placed in this main hall." Han Li smiled gently, showing no particular concern. "This place once housed the abodes of immortals. What might be ordinary to them may prove quite valuable to us. Nevertheless, as we had previously agreed, this is truly Han brother's fortune and skill—my sister has no complaints. Moreover, in such a short span, Han brother has only managed to locate a few spots, and it's unlikely he has cleared everything. We, of course, still have ample opportunity." Li Shui'er was indeed able to look at the situation calmly, merely offering a light laugh, as if completely unconcerned about Han Li's proactive move to claim the treasures first.