Chapter 277: Out Action

Volume 3

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume 3

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"A friend? Could it be the person you're looking for spiritual herbs to save?" Han Li asked, secretly pleased. He had been struggling to find a way to bring up the subject of the formation master, and seeing this opportune moment, he naturally wouldn't let it pass.

When Qi Yunxiao heard Han Li's question, he paused, a hint of hesitation in his demeanor.

But then, remembering something, he nodded decisively and said:

"Senior, you're right. This spiritual tea was indeed made by my close friend. In fact, it was thanks to your thousand-year-old spiritual herb, which served as a medicinal primer, that his life was saved. However, while his life is no longer in danger, his injuries have been slow to heal. So... I was hoping I could presume to ask if you still possess any aged spiritual herbs? Even if not thousand-year-old ones, herbs that are seven or eight hundred years old would give my friend great hope of recovery. I'd even be willing to trade various formation flags for them."

After speaking, Qi Yunxiao looked at Han Li with an expression full of anticipation, completely focused on him.

Han Li was somewhat surprised by Qi Yunxiao's words, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Since the other party still needed something from him, it seemed asking them to repair the teleportation array would be a straightforward matter. However, he naturally had to feign some reluctance on his face to make the other party indebted to him!

Pondering this, Han Li assumed a thoughtful expression. After a considerable pause, he reluctantly spoke:

"Spiritual herbs, I do have a small quantity. But these, I intend to use them to refine a batch of pills, so it's truly..."

Though Han Li left his sentence unfinished, his hesitant expression clearly conveyed the difficulty of the matter to Qi Yunxiao.

After all, the other party should understand what a batch of high-quality pills means to a cultivator.

Upon hearing that Han Li indeed still had spiritual herbs, Qi Yunxiao immediately revealed an expression of wild joy. However, after hearing the subsequent words, he became extremely anxious, and without waiting for Han Li to finish, he immediately said in a half-pleading tone:

"Junior knows that asking Senior Han to give up the spiritual herbs is somewhat difficult, but I see my dear friend suffering in pain day after day. It truly breaks my heart! As long as Senior is willing to part with these spiritual herbs, I am willing to let you choose freely from all my formation artifacts; even if you take them all, I will have no complaints."

Han Li's heart was greatly stirred upon hearing these words from the other party.

Even if Qi Yunxiao's other formation artifacts weren't as exceptionally potent as the "Five Elements Reversal Array," they were undoubtedly rare and valuable items. Possessing a few more sets would significantly enhance his own defenses. Furthermore, some arrays possessed formidable offensive capabilities; if a powerful enemy could be trapped within one, it would be a sharp means of elimination.

However, Han Li's primary goal this trip was to have the other party repair the damaged teleportation array. If he took the formation artifacts, it would likely be difficult to bring up the matter again, otherwise, he would surely leave the impression of being insatiably greedy. Han Li did not wish to antagonize these two at the moment.

After weighing his options, Han Li decided to refuse the exchange and instead bring up the teleportation array. But at that moment, an exasperated cry from a young woman suddenly echoed from outside.

"Young Master Qi! This is terrible! Something has happened to my young mistress! Please, go save her!"

The moment the woman's voice reached the room, Qi Yunxiao's expression changed drastically.

He hastily stood up and rushed out, not even bothering to greet Han Li, his guest. The nearby shopkeeper, equally panicked, also ran out.

Han Li's eyebrows twitched slightly. His facial expression remained unchanged, but a hint of doubt arose in his mind, so he slowly walked out, hands clasped behind his back.

On the open ground outside, Qi Yunxiao and the shopkeeper were listening intently, their expressions tense, to what an eighteen or nineteen-year-old woman was saying.

The woman had fair skin and a pretty face. She was explaining something, her face filled with anxiety. But when she saw Han Li, a stranger, emerge from the room, she instantly fell silent in surprise, a wary look flashing in her eyes.

Seeing this, Han Li smiled indifferently and remained where he was, not walking closer.

However, when Qi Yunxiao turned and saw Han Li, he rushed towards him like he had found a lifeline, his expression agitated as he pleaded:

"Senior, my friend has been trapped somewhere by a group of malicious cultivators, and now only you can save him. As long as Senior is willing to intervene, junior will certainly repay you with great gratitude!"

"Fellow Daoist Qi, could you explain in more detail? Is the young mistress this girl mentioned your close friend who is skilled in formations?" Han Li frowned slightly and asked slowly, a touch of surprise in his tone.

"Precisely! The set of 'Five Elements Reversal Array' artifacts that Senior used was created by Young Lady Xing and me, working together!" Qi Yunxiao said hurriedly, looking at Han Li with anxious eyes.

Only then did the pretty young woman realize that with her fifth-level Qi Condensation cultivation, she couldn't discern the depth of Han Li's cultivation, causing her to gape in astonishment and gaze at him with some apprehension.

But Han Li turned to the woman and said in a deep voice:

"Young lady, could you please recount the events once more, explaining the full story?"

Although Han Li knew this was the best time to do a favor, he also needed to understand the number and strength of the enemies. He didn't want to get himself trapped instead of rescuing someone.

"Oh! It happened like this. Today, my mistress and I went to a nearby..." The pretty young woman, seeing Han Li address her, felt a little flustered but recounted the events once more.

It turned out that the young mistress, as referred to by the girl, had run out of the high-quality tea leaves used for making spiritual tea two days prior. Following her usual custom, she went to Mount Bi Yun, not far from here, to gather some. However, on the mountain, they encountered a group of male cultivators, all at the Qi Condensation stage. Seeing so many cultivators, the mistress and her maidservant felt uneasy and decided to immediately descend the mountain and return.

Unexpectedly, one of these cultivators had previously seen the young woman set up a formation for a minor family and recognized her as a formation master. This individual immediately informed his companions, and as a result, the group instantly conceived ill intentions, planning to capture her alive and force her to impart her knowledge of formations to them.

However, the young mistress was exceptionally quick-witted. Before the other party could act, she and her maidservant fled the mountain, returning along their original path. But halfway through their escape, she realized that these people were still in hot pursuit, steadily gaining on them. At this rate, they would surely be caught alive.

Thus, left with no other choice, she quickly used a set of formation flags she carried to set up a simple array in a nearby forest, protecting herself for the time being. She then instructed her maidservant to leave immediately before the enemies arrived and come here to seek help from Qi Yunxiao.

Han Li listened to the account, pondering silently.

According to the woman's account, the enemies were merely seven or eight Qi Condensation cultivators. It seemed there was nothing to worry about; he definitely had to help them.

With this thought, Han Li nodded and said:

"Young lady, please point out the path in a moment. We'll leave now!"

After speaking, Han Li, under Qi Yunxiao's grateful gaze, flicked his sleeve, and a small white boat rapidly grew in size before their eyes.

"Everyone, come aboard! Saving lives is like extinguishing a fire. Although this artifact is a bit small, it flies extremely fast; carrying four or five people is no problem." Han Li's body swayed as he stood at the front of the small boat, then turned to the others and said.

Only then did Qi Yunxiao and the young woman, enlightened, simultaneously leap onto the small boat. When the shopkeeper also tried to board, Qi Yunxiao stopped him, saying:

"Uncle Lin, your cultivation is too low! If you come, there might be danger. Please stay here! We'll return as soon as we've rescued her!"

The shopkeeper heard this and showed hesitation. But knowing that Qi Yunxiao was indeed looking out for his well-being, he reluctantly remained.

Thus, Han Li and the others controlled the small boat, transforming into a streak of white light that vanished into the horizon.

The Divine Wind Skiff flew rapidly southward. Under Han Li's full control, its astonishing speed left the two companions dumbfounded. In just a short while, they flew over the forest where the formation had been set up.

At that moment, on one side of the forest, the seven or eight individuals had not yet left. They were directing various magical artifacts in a relentless assault, and the thin layer of green light covering the forest was visibly weakened and on the verge of collapse.

Seeing this, Qi Yunxiao's eyes reddened, and he was about to jump down immediately, but Han Li grabbed him firmly and calmly said:

"Don't rush! The magical artifacts these people are using are quite good; they seem to be members of a cultivating family. Since they know this young lady is a formation master, even if we repel them this time, they will likely continue to cause trouble in the future. How about I help you eliminate them once and for all?"

Upon hearing that these people would continue to cause trouble, Qi Yunxiao, angered by the thought, involuntarily nodded.

Seeing this, Han Li smiled faintly. Then, he looked down at the few cultivators who were still oblivious below, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He suddenly raised both hands simultaneously. Instantly, two streaks of black light and six streaks of golden light shot out, reaching the cultivators in the blink of an eye. Then, under the horrified gazes of these cultivators, the lights gently encircled them, and without even having time to activate their protective shields, they collapsed to the ground one after another, instantly killed by Han Li.

Qi Yunxiao and the maidservant stared at this scene in horror. Although they knew that Qi Condensation cultivators were certainly no match for Foundation Establishment cultivators, they never imagined that Han Li could instantly kill several people with such ease. It was important to note that the highest cultivated among these individuals were already at the eleventh or twelfth level of basic cultivation techniques, while Qi Yunxiao himself was only at the ninth level.

Han Li ignored their awe-filled expressions and descended by controlling his artifact.

Before the Divine Wind Skiff had even fully landed, Qi Yunxiao, unable to wait, leaped out first and frantically rushed into the forest, continuously calling out with extreme tension:

"Yin'er."