Chapter 451: Space

The woman's expression remained calm as she listened to Han Li's first two questions, as if she had already anticipated them. But when she heard the last question, she paused, and a hint of panic finally flickered in her eyes. She forced a smile and said:

"Fellow Daoist, what you're saying is truly amusing. What kind of big trouble could I get myself into? I was only panicking at first because..."

"Miss Yuan, since you don't intend to tell the truth, there's no need to speak further. I have no interest in insincere words!" Han Li said flatly, waving his hand before she could finish.

"You..."

Seeing Han Li's unyielding demeanor, Yuan Yao finally showed annoyance in her eyes. She stamped her foot decisively and left in a huff.

Han Li's expression remained unperturbed as he watched the woman's retreating back. However, he then glanced towards Fairy Zi Ling in the distance. He saw her calmly speaking with the young male cultivator. Noticing Han Li looking over, she gave him a light smile before turning back to whisper to the man.

Han Li withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged. But before he could ponder anything, a voice transmission from Venerable Xuan Gu reached his ears.

"Your movements are a bit too slow, aren't they? I thought you wouldn't even be able to get through a mere ghostly mist! Did you encounter a ghost king?" Venerable Xuan Gu's voice carried a hint of displeasure and doubt.

Hearing this, Han Li turned to look at the distant ghostly mist and replied indifferently:

"I did encounter a fierce ghost on the way, but I dispatched it without much effort. Later, though, I ran into a large group of Soul-Reaping Flying Spirits, and it took quite a bit of effort to shake them off."

"Soul-Reaping Flying Spirits?" Venerable Xuan Gu's words betrayed surprise.

"Oh? Elder, since you cultivate the Demonic Path, do you also fear these creatures?" Han Li asked calmly, subtly probing.

"How could I fear such things? I'm merely curious how the three of you escaped that peril," Venerable Xuan Gu replied evasively.

Han Li sneered inwardly, while outwardly stating with equal casualness:

"There's not much to say. We were just lucky and managed to escape the ordeal."

As soon as Han Li spoke, it went without saying that Venerable Xuan Gu inwardly cursed him as a "little fox," but after a moment of silence, he had no choice but to continue via voice transmission:

"Alright! If you don't want to talk about it, I have no interest in pressing the matter. When Lin Lei and the others prepare for the next transmission, we two will act together. I will help you obtain the 'Nine-Curved Spirit Ginseng' first. Afterward, you must lend me a hand and help me eliminate that traitorous disciple of Extreme Yin."

"No problem! As long as you can truly deliver the Nine-Curved Spirit Ginseng into my hands, I will risk acting," Han Li replied without the slightest hesitation.

It seemed he had long made up his mind on this matter. Such a straightforward reply pleased Venerable Xuan Gu greatly, so he chuckled softly and said nothing more.

However, what he didn't see was the hint of mockery that appeared at the corner of Han Li's mouth after speaking, while his eyes, gazing into the distance, occasionally flickered with a cold glint.

Suddenly, Han Li felt someone watching him. He couldn't help but casually turn his head to look. As a result, he saw Grandmaster Extreme Yin's predatory gaze and a hint of joy in his eyes.

Han Li turned his face back expressionlessly, his expression immediately turning into a bitter smile. It seemed that even if he didn't want to settle things with Grandmaster Extreme Yin, he couldn't avoid it. The other party truly seemed intent on pursuing him relentlessly. He really had no idea why this person was targeting him. However, Grandmaster Extreme Yin seemed to have his own concerns, otherwise he would have started controlling him back in the main hall, rather than patiently enduring until now.

Feeling vexed, Han Li sat directly on a patch of grass, crossing his legs. He had expended a considerable amount of spiritual power in the ghostly mist. Naturally, he needed to recover to his best state as soon as possible to deal with any future troubles.

The black-robed woman, Yuan Yao, was still standing far away, looking at Han Li with a hint of reluctance. Her gaze contained both annoyance and a sense of loneliness. Although Fairy Zi Ling was smiling and speaking under the male cultivator's eager attention, her gaze would subtly drift towards Han Li for a moment or two, as if she had something else on her mind. Han Li, however, ignored the actions of both women, focusing only on cultivating and meditating with his legs crossed.

Time flew by, and another full day passed. Just as many people were starting to get impatient, a dazzling white light erupted from a bare stone slab in the center, surrounded by several jade pavilions, drawing the attention of all the cultivators. Having experienced the initial teleportation, these cultivators didn't show much surprise.

Sure enough, after the white light faded, a teleportation array appeared on the flat ground, identical in appearance and size to the previous one. This time, the two white-robed elders from the Star Palace still leisurely approached. After a brief inspection, the kind-faced elder slowly addressed the crowd:

"This teleportation array is the only path to the next trial, the Icefire Path. Before entering the second stage, you will have some time to gather spirit herbs and fruits as a reward for passing the first stage. If you feel the next stage is too dangerous, you can also choose to return here and wait. After a month, a teleportation array will appear directly leading back to the main hall, allowing you to return on your own."

"However, whether you intend to challenge the second stage or are content with what you've achieved so far, you only have one full day to collect spirit medicines. If you remain inside out of greed past this time, you will be permanently trapped. To my knowledge, no cultivator who has been trapped inside has ever been seen again when the Void Sky Temple reopens. The reason for their disappearance remains unknown to this day. Therefore, I urge you all not to rely on chance and intentionally linger within."

The white-robed elder's voice was not loud, but it resonated throughout the entire area, ensuring every cultivator heard him clearly. Among those present, some who already knew were nonchalant, while those who didn't were visibly surprised. As soon as the elder finished speaking, he and another elder in charge of enforcement stepped onto the teleportation array and vanished.

This time, the other cultivators didn't hesitate, rushing forward one after another. After all, time was limited; more time spent searching for spiritual items naturally meant a greater chance of acquiring them. Following a casual glance from Venerable Xuan Gu, Han Li also blended in with the others and hastily teleported.

However, just as he was about to be teleported, Han Li once again sensed Grandmaster Extreme Yin's predatory gaze. This made Han Li uneasy and filled him with anger. His expression turned extremely grim the instant the white light flared. After all, knowing someone meant ill but being powerless against them—this feeling of helplessness involuntarily rekindled a fierce resolve within Han Li that had been forgotten for many years.

After the light subsided, Han Li instinctively stepped out of the teleportation array, walked a few paces, and then looked around. The sight before him left Han Li dumbfounded. A sapphire-blue sky, fluffy white clouds, endless emerald grasslands stretching in all directions, distant mountains faintly visible, and the intermittent fragrance of flowers and plants carried on the breeze. This was clearly no longer within the Void Sky Temple; it was unmistakably a beautiful, scenic location on land!

Han Li stared blankly for a long while, not uttering a word. Just then, Venerable Xuan Gu slowly emerged from the teleportation array. Seeing Han Li's shocked expression, he couldn't help but say with a cold smile:

"What, surprised? My reaction wasn't much better than yours when I first came here. But this isn't an illusion; it's a truly existing realm. And it doesn't seem to be a place in the outside world, because not only is the spiritual energy abundant here, there's also an ineffable, fresh scent."

After speaking, he took a deep breath, savoring the air as he slowly continued:

"This must be a small spatial realm created by ancient cultivators of great divine power during the desolate era. It's a pity, but none of us descendants can ever replicate such world-shaking, ghost-wailing divine abilities." Venerable Xuan Gu sighed, a hint of longing for the ancients appearing in his eyes.

"Creating a world single-handedly!" Hearing this, Han Li looked horrified, appearing somewhat disbelieving.

Perhaps seeing through Han Li's thoughts, Venerable Xuan Gu calmly continued:

"What's so surprising about that? The divine powers of ancient cultivators were far beyond what we, their descendants, can imagine, let alone compare to. It's just unknown why these ancient cultivators all vanished without a trace at some point! It's only since then that our cultivation world has become so desolate!"

Han Li didn't retort. Instead, his eyes fell upon a small path before him. This path was overgrown with unknown wild grass, making it somewhat indistinct, and it wound its way into the unseen distance. To him, the astounding divine powers of ancient cultivators and the mystery of their disappearance were irrelevant to his current situation. It was better to deal with the matters at hand before worrying about ancient cultivators!