Chapter 2145: Escape

Then, Han Li clasped his hands behind his back and quietly waited in the air.

After a few moments, a faint light flashed in the distant sky, as if a streak of escape light had appeared.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, and a few dozen yards away, two disturbances appeared simultaneously as a cloud of pink light and a mass of black mist silently materialized.

Within the pink light, a massive illusory flower tree flashed and disappeared, and Baohua and Black Crocodile revealed themselves.

Meanwhile, the mass of black mist swirled and condensed, transforming into a cold-faced young man in a black robe, who was none other than Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor.

The moment they appeared before Han Li, they silently sized him up from head to toe.

After a long moment, a hint of surprise appeared on Baohua's face, and she spoke with a light chuckle.

"Fellow Daoist, you came out so late; I was truly a bit worried. But now, seeing how well you look, you must have gained considerable benefits in the Spirit Cleansing Pond. In that case, I am relieved."

"Senior Baohua, you're not worried about me, but rather the spirit medicine in my hands, aren't you?" Han Li replied calmly with a faint smile.

"Is there any difference?" Baohua responded with a charming smile, utterly unconcerned. "If you were truly trapped in the Spirit Cleansing Pond and couldn't get out, the spirit medicine would naturally be out of the question."

"Senior, you certainly speak frankly," Han Li said, unable to help but let out a wry laugh.

"Enough chatter!" the black-robed youth said, glaring at Han Li, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "Human boy, now that you've come out, it's time to hand over the spirit medicine. If you intend to go back on your word, don't blame me for taking it by force."

"Don't worry, both of you; I won't break my promise!" Han Li's lips curved slightly, then he suddenly flipped his palm, revealing two jade boxes. With a flick of his wrist, he unhesitatingly tossed them towards the two demons opposite him.

Whether it was Baohua, with her smiling face, or Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor, with his stern expression, the moment they saw this scene, their hearts leaped!

Almost instinctively, one swept a sleeve while the other made a grabbing motion in the air.

After a flicker, the two jade boxes landed securely in their respective hands.

The black-robed youth could no longer conceal the excitement on his face; he didn't even bother to open the lid but swept his divine sense into the box. A moment later, his face was replaced with an expression of wild joy.

"Haha, it truly is the Demon Refining Grass!" he exclaimed. "I've been painstakingly cultivating this grass in isolated lands for tens of thousands of years without success, and yet, here I've obtained the genuine finished product... Hmm, wait, what did you leave on it?"

Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor, laughed heartily with immense delight for a few moments, but then his laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by an expression of extreme shock and fury.

At this moment, Baohua also finished examining the spirit grass in her jade box with her divine sense; the smile on her face vanished without a trace, and she spoke with chilling coldness:

"Fellow Daoist Han, what is the meaning of this? Do you really think these petty tricks on the spirit medicine can deceive me?"

The gazes of the two immediately turned extremely hostile towards Han Li.

"Seniors, there's no need to be angry," Han Li said, showing no trace of fear. "May I first ask if the spirit medicine in the boxes is incorrect?"

"Indeed, the spirit medicine is genuine," the black-robed youth roared sternly, glaring directly at Han Li. "But don't tell me you haven't tampered with it!"

"The spirit medicine is genuine, but I also require an explanation," Baohua said grimly. "Otherwise, Fellow Daoist, I fear you won't be able to leave this island."

"Since the items are genuine, and I have personally handed them over to you two seniors, I believe I have fulfilled my initial promise!" Han Li continued, unfazed.

"Even if that's the case, so what?!" Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor, laughed in fury. "Human boy, you don't actually think playing word games will get you off the hook!" He suddenly took a large step forward. Instantly, a swirl of black mist erupted from his body, and an astonishing aura of malevolence shot skyward.

Large stretches of the nearby void became distorted and buzzed loudly.

Under the Demon Ancestor's furious rage, he seemed intent on striking fiercely at the slightest disagreement.

"Seniors, you've misunderstood!" Han Li said, waving his hand with great composure. "What I left on the spirit medicine isn't some complex restriction, but merely two temporary separated thoughts. They will dissipate on their own before long and won't harm the spirit medicine."

"Temporary separated thoughts! You mean...?" Baohua asked, her expression changing after she examined the spirit medicine in the jade box several more times and finally confirmed that Han Li's words were true.

"I meant nothing else," Han Li said, his eyes sparkling, enunciating each word. "I wouldn't dare truly wager my life that you two would allow me to leave safely after obtaining the spirit medicine. Therefore, I could only embed a wisp of a separated thought in each of the two spirit medicines. As long as I can leave the Thunder Sea safely, the spirit medicine will naturally remain unharmed. If you two seniors make any unusual moves, these two separated thoughts, upon sensing it, will immediately self-detonate. Whether the spirit medicine can still remain intact, that will be up to fate."

"You dare threaten me?!" Before Baohua could reply, Yuan Yan instantly flew into a rage.

"I wouldn't dare," Han Li said, his expression unchanged. "I merely wish to temporarily protect myself. The moment I leave the Thunder Sea, the separated thoughts will immediately vanish. You two also don't need to worry that I would still detonate the separated thoughts to harm the spirit medicine after I leave. After all, the consequence of doing so would be to truly forge a mortal enmity with you two seniors, leading to a relentless pursuit. I wouldn't do such a foolish thing."

"Hmph," Baohua said, a strange light flashing in her beautiful eyes, and she let out a cold snort after hearing Han Li's words. "Do you really think a mere self-detonation of separated thoughts can destroy the spirit medicine in the jade boxes? This spirit medicine is a rare treasure of heaven and earth; even flying swords and flying daggers can barely harm it in the slightest."

"Whether it can truly be destroyed, I bet neither of you would dare to genuinely try," Han Li said with a light chuckle, speaking with profound meaning. "Besides, Senior Baohua, do you truly think the temporary separated thoughts I left are merely ordinary divine sense?"

These words finally caused both Baohua and Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor, to change their expressions once more.

"Good, very good," the black-robed youth said coldly, putting away the jade box in his hand. Somewhat to Han Li's surprise, the seemingly enraged youth instantly regained a composed expression, as if his previous fury had never existed. "In tens of thousands of years, this is the first time I've been so utterly restrained in front of someone else. Now, get lost. If you truly dare to cause even the slightest damage to the Demon Refining Flower afterward, I will absolutely make you know what it means to be unable to live and unable to die!"

"This old demon is quite the actor..."

Han Li's heart tensed, but his expression remained unchanged. He then asked Baohua:

"Senior Baohua, you..."

"There's no need to say anything more; I agree as well," Baohua said. "As you said, even if there's just a tiny possibility of damaging the spirit medicine, I won't risk it. You may leave now, but if the separated thoughts on the spirit medicine haven't vanished after you leave the Thunder Sea, then don't blame me for turning ruthless." After a moment's contemplation, she also nodded expressionlessly.

"Thank you both," Han Li said, narrowing his eyes. He cupped his fist towards the two opposite him, stamped his foot, and then transformed into a streak of green light, breaking through the air and departing.

After a few flashes, the escape light vanished into the horizon.

In the blink of an eye, only the three solitary demons remained in this place.

"Lord Baohua, should I follow him?" Black Crocodile, who had been standing behind Baohua, couldn't help but step forward and cautiously asked the white-robed woman.

"No need," Baohua said indifferently, shaking her head. "This person's divine sense is so strong that it's almost not inferior to mine and Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan's. Your meager concealment arts would absolutely not be able to hide from him."

"What? When did you become so timid?" the black-robed youth said, rolling his eyes upon hearing this.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan, your courage is certainly not small if you truly dare to follow him," the white-robed woman replied expressionlessly, glancing at Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor. "I would certainly admire you greatly."

"Hmph," the black-robed youth said, his face darkening and somewhat through gritted teeth, "my most capable subordinate is not by my side; otherwise, how could I have let this human boy leave so easily?"

"You mean Ying Sha, right?" Baohua said, a light flashing in her eyes and a faint hint of sarcasm flickering across her face. "If she were truly here, would you really dare to take the risk?"

"You're right," the black-robed youth said with a wry smile, his facial muscles twitching slightly. "I probably still wouldn't dare let her make a move. The Demon Refining Grass is too important to me; I wouldn't take the slightest risk."

"The same applies to me," Baohua replied. "This person precisely calculated our weaknesses, which is why he managed to tie our hands."

"It's fine that this Han boy got away," the black-robed youth said, nodding first, then suddenly with some doubt, "but the divine sense he left on the spirit medicine, there's truly no problem with it, is there?"

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Baohua asked, blinking.

"No, I didn't," Yuan Yan replied honestly after a moment of hesitation. "If I had, I wouldn't have let this boy leave like this."

"I'm much the same; I also couldn't discern anything special about this wisp of separated thought on the spirit medicine," Baohua said slowly with a sigh. "If neither you nor I could find any issues, then it truly must be fine. Let's just wait."

"If you were to use your divine ability to dispel the separated thought from the spirit medicine right now, how confident would you be?" Yuan Yan asked again, seemingly still somewhat unwilling.

"My magic power has not yet recovered," Baohua replied softly, showing no surprise. "If it truly were just an ordinary separated thought, I'd have about a 60% chance of success before it self-detonates."

"Sixty percent, that is indeed a bit low," Yuan Yan replied helplessly, a strange expression flashing across his face. "I, on the other hand, have over 80% confidence, but I still wouldn't dare to take the risk."

Baohua chuckled a few times, and just as she was about to say something more, a buzzing, ancient voice suddenly resonated simultaneously in both demons' ears:

"Hmph, since neither of you two dares to make a move, then let me do it. As for the other spirit medicines on this boy, I'll unceremoniously take them all."

"That voice..."

"Nirvana! It's that old fellow Nirvana!"

The moment Baohua and Yuan Yan, the Sacred Ancestor, heard the telepathic message, they simultaneously exclaimed in great alarm.