Chapter 641: Obtaining the Spiritual Root

Volume 5: Becoming Renowned

“How dare you!” the boy exclaimed. Seeing an embodied spirit dare to kill someone in front of him, he raised his eyebrows. The startled crimson glow in front of him shimmered, transforming into countless crystalline red threads that shot towards True Monarch Tiansha.

The old man surnamed Jiang also paled, hastily spitting out a yellow flying sword to protect himself. He then lightly tapped his feet and retreated in a panic. He dared not directly confront such a swift attack from a sect leader.

A strange smile appeared on True Monarch Tiansha’s face. His direction suddenly shifted, and in a flash, he ricocheted to the side of the white-clad young woman, grabbing her arm without hesitation with his purple claw.

The white-clad young woman was already distracted by the scholar’s betrayal. Struck by True Monarch Tiansha’s sudden sneak attack, her face immediately lost color. Without thinking, she threw the long-faced old man to the ground. She formed a hand seal, and a green glow shot out from her sleeve, intending to desperately block the attack.

But amidst a burst of wild laughter, True Monarch Tiansha feinted again. His massive hand snatched at the long-faced old man on the ground, effortlessly pulling him into his grasp. Then, clenching his single hand into a giant fist, purple light flickering wildly, he unleashed a backhand strike that met the incoming fiery red sword threads head-on.

A muffled groan followed. The old demon’s body involuntarily recoiled two steps, but he used the momentum of the strike to lightly land back in his original position, still holding the long-faced old man.

The long-faced old man, having undergone some manipulation by True Monarch Tiansha, subsequently jumped up and bowed to him, saying:

“Thank you, True Monarch, for saving my life!”

“Hmph! If there weren’t so few people here, and if I wasn’t afraid of ruining important matters, why would I save a junior from the righteous path? Whether you can keep your life depends on your own ability,” True Monarch Tiansha said with a cold snort. He then moved, blasting towards the blue-robed boy again. This time, he truly intended to entangle the boy to create an opportunity for Du Dong and the others to escape.

“Let’s go. I’ve tampered with the restrictions outside. Their power is less than one-tenth of normal. We can easily break through,” the long-faced old man, seemingly decisive in battle, shouted to Du Dong and the other two. He then took the lead, charging towards the old man surnamed Fu and others near the stone gate.

Du Dong and the scholar were delighted to hear this. One released two white flying swords, while the other was enveloped in black light. The three combined their efforts and surged forward.

The old man surnamed Fu and his companions were unwilling to let them escape so easily. They unleashed all their magic treasures and fiercely met the charge.

Immediately, the cultivators inside the cave divided into two groups and began to fight. Angry shouts and explosions intensified amidst various flashes of light.

Seeing this, Han Li judged that the time was right and no longer hesitated. He shook the wolf-head ru-yi scepter in his hand. A yellow light flashed around him as he swiftly used his Earth Evasion technique, silently burrowing towards the roots of the Spirit Eye Tree.

At this moment, the cultivators in the cave were all busy fighting their enemies. Naturally, no one suspected that someone else was playing the role of a fisherman, waiting to profit.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Han Li reached the base of the Spirit Eye Tree, where a faint golden barrier blocked his path. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Han Li raised both hands, and a brilliant green light emanated from his ten fingers as he silently pressed them against the barrier.

Immediately, golden and green lights intertwined, causing the entire barrier to tremble slightly. Normally, if there were no disturbances, such a tremor in this gold-attribute barrier would have been noticed by the cultivators guarding the spirit tree. But now, they were locked in fierce combat, so naturally, no one paid attention to the minute changes in the barrier.

A moment later, seeing that his hands had forcibly penetrated the golden light, a hint of joy flashed across Han Li’s face. The green light around his hands intensified, and he suddenly pulled them apart. The barrier instantly split, forming a thin, elongated opening.

With a whoosh, Han Li’s body strangely elongated. In a flash, he escaped into the barrier, and the golden light silently closed up again.

Looking at the roots of the spirit tree before him, a rare look of contentment appeared on Han Li’s face. Although the main trunk of this Spirit Eye Tree didn't resemble a typical tree, its spiritual roots were similar in shape to ordinary tree roots, just an unusually vibrant green color.

A huge explosion echoed from above ground. Following that, shattered stones rained down. Even the ground around Han Li vibrated violently. It seemed someone had used a powerful technique.

At this time, the exasperated voice of the old man surnamed Fu rang out from above. “Quickly chase them! We absolutely cannot let them escape like this!”

The sound of soaring flight followed, and then True Monarch Tiansha’s loud laughter carried down. “Daoist Lan, how do you like the power of my Purple Luo Profound Art? Although I'm using a borrowed body, as long as I don't spare this body's essence and blood, it's easy to entangle you for a moment or two.”

“Old Demon Tiansha, you’re even abandoning your own disciple! If this beloved disciple of yours survives, his cultivation will be mostly ruined,” the boy’s voice, though still cold and emotionless, conveyed a hint of extreme rage that Han Li discerned.

“My disciple? Does this traitor still consider himself a disciple of the Tiansha Sect? From his words, it sounds more like he views himself as a disciple of the Luoyun Sect. This is good; it gives me fewer reservations. Eh! Old Ghost Lan, where are you going?” True Monarch Tiansha, who had been completely at ease, suddenly changed his tone, shouting in surprise.

“Hmph! I have no interest in tangling with an avatar. Those demonic brats better not think they can take the concentrated liquid from our Cloud Dream Mountain!” The next moment, the boy’s voice faintly carried from a distance, indicating that he had already fled outside the cave.

“If you want to leave, it won't be that easy!” True Monarch Tiansha roared, seemingly pursuing him out of the cave.

In a blink of an eye, aside from Han Li, there was no one else left in the vicinity. Han Li finally relaxed completely.

At this moment, he no longer hesitated. He flicked a finger, and a several-inch-long green light shot from his fingertip, retracting and flickering erratically. With a flash of green light, a small section of the spirit root was easily cut off. Immediately, a few drops of milky-white spiritual liquid oozed from the severed end. A fragrant scent wafted out!

Han Li ignored these details. Instead, a yellow light flared around him. Holding the spirit root, he directly used his earth evasion to surface above ground, appearing within the light barrier on the cave’s exterior. His gaze swept around, revealing a several-zhang-wide hole blasted through a wall, surrounded by fragments of spirit-infused stone.

It seemed this was the damage caused by True Monarch Tiansha’s single strike. Even the stone wall, hardened like iron by restrictions, could be shattered by his single blow—his divine abilities were truly impressive. It was because of this that Du Dong and the other two were able to seize the opportunity to escape!

Han Li did not hesitate further. He patted his storage bag at his waist, and a box carved from beautiful jade appeared in his hand. He carefully placed the section of spirit root into the jade box, then solemnly put it away.

Having completed all this, Han Li’s face showed satisfaction. He then intended to break through the barrier and see if he could catch up to the fleeing long-haired cultivator and his companions. After all, he had obtained the spirit root, but he still needed to see if there was a chance to acquire the refining methods for the Bright Clarity Spirit Water and the Spirit Stabilization Pill. While True Monarch Tiansha had temporarily possessed the long-haired old man, this possession couldn't last forever; he would surely be defeated by the boy and wouldn't get far.

Just as Han Li’s hands flickered with green light, about to press against the barrier again, his expression suddenly shifted slightly, revealing a hint of surprise. He frowned slightly, then turned and moved behind the spirit tree. There he saw a yellow cushion, a square stone platform about a foot long, and on the platform, a jade slip emitting a faint green glow.

Han Li pondered for a moment, then carefully scanned these items with his spiritual sense. There were no hidden restrictions on them. He raised a hand, and a wave of green light shot from his palm, instantly coiling around the green jade slip and bringing it back into his fingers. Han Li gazed at the jade slip, motionless, as his spiritual sense began to probe the information recorded within.

After a long while, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense from the green jade slip, his face filled with surprise. It actually contained the cultivation technique and some insights on alchemy of the long-haired cultivator. The refining methods for the Spirit Stabilization Pill and the Bright Clarity Spirit Water were prominently among them.

Han Li held the jade slip, feeling a little confused. Could it be that this old man, surnamed Wei, had sensed his end was near and thus left this jade slip for someone? However, the jade slip was placed openly behind the spirit tree, seemingly intended for the cultivators of the Luoyun Sect. Did this imply some special meaning?

Han Li looked at the jade slip, then thought for a moment. Suddenly, he took out another blank jade slip from his storage bag and quickly copied the contents of the green jade slip. With Han Li's current cultivation, the copying was completed in a mere moment. Han Li returned the green jade slip to its original place, then placed the copied jade slip into his storage bag. He then strode towards the golden barrier on the side.

Who knew when the cultivators from the three sects would return? It was best to leave this place as quickly as possible. In any case, he had accomplished his mission!

No longer needing to worry about anyone seeing him, Han Li unleashed his full spiritual power. With a flash of green light, his Green Essence Sword Qi directly cleaved a large opening in the barrier. Han Li instantly left the barrier, transforming into a green rainbow that shot out.

(There will be another chapter tonight!)