Chapter 1736: Taking Treasure from the Cauldron

That item was also gleaming golden. It was rectangular, with a dragon head carved into one end, resembling a seal.

After his gaze circled the item, Han Li shifted his eyes to look at Liu Shuier. Understanding Han Li's implication, she calmly raised a hand, revealing another glittering golden item held between her fair fingers. At first glance, it seemed very similar to the item in the big man's hand. It was roughly the same size and similarly slender, but one end was engraved with a lifelike golden phoenix head.

After observing them, a thoughtful expression appeared on Han Li's face.

At this moment, Liu Shuier began to explain: "These two items are called the 'Exquisite Keys.' They are likely the only things that can open this golden cauldron, and neither can be missing. Although neither of us knows the exact situation inside the hall, my master said that whatever these Exquisite Keys open is very likely where the Void Spirit Pills are stored."

"Indeed, my master said the same," Shi Kun admitted frankly, seeing that Liu Shuier had revealed everything and no longer bothering to conceal it.

"Since that's the case, why don't you two fellow cultivators open this cauldron and see if it truly contains what you need?" Han Li said with an unconcerned smile. "By the way, I wonder how many Void Spirit Pills there are. If there are more than two, then you two don't need to quarrel; just split them."

Hearing this, Liu Shuier and Shi Kun exchanged glances, a peculiar look in their eyes.

"Brother Han makes a good point. The treasure cauldron must be opened sooner or later. Fellow Daoist Shi, let's each insert our Exquisite Key into the cauldron. Although there appears to be only one Void Pill, if there truly are more than two, then we genuinely don't need to quarrel." Liu Shuier said calmly to the big man, without much hesitation.

"Opening this cauldron immediately is certainly not a problem," Shi Kun said, "but I believe we should both hand our Exquisite Keys to Brother Han simultaneously. Let Fellow Daoist Han retrieve the treasures from the cauldron, and then we can jointly decide how to distribute them. What do you think of this suggestion, Immortal Liu?" Shi Kun seemed to have thought something through, and with a grin, he spoke words that momentarily stunned the cloaked woman.

For a moment, the woman didn't know how to respond.

"What's wrong, Immortal Liu? Are you perhaps uneasy about Brother Han?" The big man's face showed a peculiar expression.

"Brother Han's powers are vast; this junior sister naturally has no objection to him helping us retrieve the treasures. Brother Han, please take this Exquisite Key from my hand." Liu Shuier's reaction was swift. After a few quick thoughts, she made her decision with a light laugh and, with a flick of her hand, sent the Phoenix-headed Exquisite Key flying towards Han Li.

On the other side, Shi Kun scoffed and, without hesitation, tossed out the item in his hand.

Han Li swept his sleeve; a green light flashed, and the two Exquisite Keys simultaneously landed in his hand. He glanced at the two items in his hand, then let out a wry smile.

"You two doing this truly think highly of me..." Han Li said with a wry smile.

"Haha, of course," Shi Kun grinned and gave a dry laugh. "Only by having Fellow Daoist Han safeguard the treasures first will Immortal Liu and I avoid immediate disputes. Otherwise, no matter who retrieves the treasures first, the other won't feel at ease."

"This junior sister also trusts Brother Han completely," Liu Shuier said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled sweetly.

"Heh heh, but I find these things quite hot to handle," Han Li said, weighing the two Exquisite Keys, a helpless expression on his face as he shook his head.

Nevertheless, Han Li didn't return the items. After a moment's thought, he took a step and actually walked towards the golden cauldron. His calm demeanor naturally stemmed from his confidence that his strength was more than enough to overpower both of them. In the face of absolute power, sometimes there truly is no need for further deliberation.

Seeing Han Li's actions, both Liu Shuier and Shi Kun showed a hint of tension in their eyes, but they were quite sensible, remaining rooted to their spots without moving an inch.

When Han Li was about a zhang away from the golden cauldron, he stopped again. After sweeping his gaze over the grooves on both sides of the golden cauldron, he abruptly channeled his magic power into the items in his hand, then flicked his wrist. The pair of Exquisite Keys shot out, but mid-flight, they suddenly emitted a clear chime and, in a flash of golden light, transformed into a golden flood dragon and a golden phoenix. The two merely circled the golden cauldron once before shooting towards its sides and disappearing into the cauldron. Instantly, after a flash of golden light, two perfectly sized and shaped items appeared in the golden cauldron's grooves. Both Exquisite Keys were mostly inserted into the grooves, with only the dragon and phoenix carvings at their ends visible. They fit perfectly, as if tailor-made, with no gaps whatsoever along the edges.

The moment the two items entered the golden cauldron, a long, drawn-out sound like a dragon's roar emanated from it. Golden light burst forth, and the spiraling patterns on the cauldron's surface began to rotate as if coming alive. Even the golden light itself took on a strange, swirling form. Han Li only looked for a moment, then felt his mind tremble, as if he was about to be directly sucked into these vortices.

His heart tensed! However, since this cauldron was ultimately an inanimate object with no one controlling it, he naturally wouldn't truly fear it. As the Great Evolution Art rapidly circulated within his body, and a blue light flashed in his eyes, the discomfort vanished without a trace.

At the same time, Han Li let out a low shout, and with a single-handed incantation, a hazy green spell shot out, vanishing instantly into the cauldron. The next moment, the dragon's roar from the cauldron changed, becoming the pleasant sound of a phoenix's cry. From afar, the dragon and phoenix heads on either side of the golden cauldron seemed to come alive, raising their heads and writhing.

The cauldron lid, releasing myriad golden rays, suddenly shot skyward and vanished into the void in a flash. From within the cauldron, wind and thunder roared loudly. After a sudden clap of thunder, several golden orbs of varying sizes shot out from below. After a few flashes, they, too, tried to escape skyward. But Han Li, having already prepared, would not let them succeed. He immediately flicked a sleeve before him. A hazy grey mist surged out, swiftly coiling in the air like lightning, simultaneously enveloping the golden orbs.

But the golden orbs spun, then suddenly scattered in all directions. Wherever their golden light passed, the grey mist dispersed and receded, offering no resistance as they broke through. Han Li, seeing this from below, was also surprised.

With a single-handed incantation, he suddenly opened his mouth and sprayed out a cluster of green light, from which a small green cauldron vaguely emerged. It was precisely the Void Heaven Cauldron. He lightly slapped the small cauldron with a blurred hand. The cauldron lid automatically flew open, then with a "whoosh" sound from within the cauldron, a burst of green threads shot out, scattering across the sky. A "whooshing" sound of tearing air resounded throughout the entire sky. The countless green threads, like a vast green net, enveloped all the golden orbs. The golden orbs, upon hitting the net, were all bounced back.

Han Li then activated another incantation, pointing his single hand slightly towards the sky. The massive green net suddenly tightened; the myriad green threads instantly contracted, tightly wrapping the golden orbs within their countless strands. Ultimately, they could no longer move an inch in the air.

Han Li then calmly waved his hand towards the sky. Immediately, the green threads in the air became blindingly bright, causing Shi Kun and Liu Shuier, who were intently watching the scene from behind, to subconsciously blink their eyes. The green threads, still encasing the golden orbs, transformed into a cloud of green mist and shot towards the small cauldron below, disappearing into it after a flash. The green cauldron lid immediately dropped down, firmly sealing the Void Heaven Cauldron.

Han Li reached out and grabbed towards the small cauldron in the air. With a flash of green light, the small cauldron mysteriously appeared in his hand. Then, holding the cauldron in one hand, he turned and said to the two behind him: "Fellow Daoists, the treasures are now in hand. Whether they contain what you seniors desire, you two will need to verify for yourselves..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li flicked his wrist again, and the Void Heaven Cauldron once more flew into the air, hovering motionless in the low air before him. He himself crossed his arms, gazing at the two opposite him with a faint, enigmatic smile.

Liu Shuier and Shi Kun heard this and couldn't help but exchange glances. But immediately, the cloaked woman nodded with a light chuckle and gracefully walked over. As for Shi Kun, he stroked his chin, glanced at the small green cauldron, then lightly coughed and approached. Both stopped about a zhang away from the small cauldron, halting their steps.

Before the two could speak, Han Li calmly extended his arm and swept a sleeve towards the small cauldron in the air. Immediately, the small green cauldron spun around, and its lid vanished in a flash again, revealing faint green light flickering within.

"Brother Han, this treasure of yours is a spiritual treasure. May I ask its name?" Shi Kun suddenly asked.

"Oh? Brother Shi is interested in my spiritual treasure?" Han Li's expression remained unchanged; he didn't answer directly but instead asked a rhetorical question.

"No, not really. I once had the good fortune to see a copy of my clan's 'Chaos Myriad Spirit List,' and it seemed to have an item very similar to your treasure, Fellow Daoist," Shi Kun said, his eyes glinting.

"'Chaos Myriad Spirit List'!" Han Li's brows furrowed instinctively.

"What? Has Brother Han never heard of this list?" Shi Kun looked somewhat surprised.

"I have heard some mentions, yes," Han Li replied, a pensive look on his face. "But they were just rumors, and I'm not really clear about the true nature of this list. I would have to ask Fellow Daoist for some pointers."

"This list is nothing special," Shi Kun began frankly. "In fact, any non-human race, regardless of size, that occupies a certain area in the Spirit Realm will find a peculiar extraterrestrial stone falling from the sky, on which the Chaos Myriad Spirit List is imprinted. The list records various natural spiritual treasures and acquired supreme treasures appearing in this realm, and it updates constantly. Every item on the list is extraordinary. Heavenly Spiritual Treasures are merely the lowest-ranked category of acquired treasures... I happened to see a copy of the list back then, which is why I remember an item similar to your cauldron, Fellow Daoist. However, that item was ranked quite low, so I didn't pay much attention. Perhaps I remembered it incorrectly."