Chapter 950: Unexpected Encounter

**Volume Six: Spirit Treasures of the Heavens**

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality VIP Volume Six: Spirit Treasures of the Heavens

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After the time it takes to eat a meal, Han Li reappeared in front of the cave dwelling, flying up the hillside. His expression was calm and showed no signs of abnormality.

Elder Wang frowned, then quickly relaxed. As soon as Han Li flew back onto the rocky slope, he asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Han, what do you think of this treasure? Are you satisfied?"

"The cave dwelling isn't large, but it has everything: an alchemy room, a beast stable, and more. Nothing seems to be missing. However, there's one thing I don't understand, which I'd like Brother Wang to clarify first."

"As long as it's related to the Heavenly Secret Mansion, feel free to ask, Fellow Daoist. I will not conceal anything," Elder Wang replied cheerfully.

"In that case, I won't be modest. I know the greatest advantage of the Heavenly Secret Mansion is its ability to be expanded or shrunk at will, making it easy to carry. But I'm not sure if, like a storage pouch, items can be placed in or taken out of it while it's shrunken. Does it have the function of a spirit beast pouch? Can the spirit beasts in the stable shrink and expand with the cave dwelling without harm?" Han Li asked slowly, staring at the silver-robed cultivator.

"This treasure can transform inanimate objects like the dwelling itself, and tables and chairs that were refined with it. However, it is powerless over living creatures like spirit beasts. Even if your spirit beasts possess profound transformation abilities, they cannot withstand the immense spatial pressure exerted by the Heavenly Secret Mansion's transformations; they would be instantly annihilated. Furthermore, even if a spirit beast could somehow endure this pressure, once the Heavenly Secret Mansion is shrunken, the dwelling immediately becomes sealed and cannot absorb any spiritual energy from the outside. Over time, the spirit beasts inside would naturally face certain death."

Elder Wang had no intention of concealing anything, explaining everything clearly and in detail. After all, these facts could be easily verified.

"So, does that mean I'd have to transplant the spiritual herbs from the medicinal garden each time I put away the dwelling? Otherwise, they wouldn't survive either," Han Li pondered for a moment, then pressed for clarification.

"Brother Han is absolutely right; these are indeed unresolved issues with the Heavenly Secret Mansion. However, even so, the value of a cave dwelling that inherently comes with restrictive abilities and can be summoned anywhere, anytime, is still incomparable to ordinary treasures," Elder Wang said, his brows furrowed slightly, then his expression turned serious.

"Indeed, that's why I'm interested in the Heavenly Secret Mansion. If it truly possesses all the functions mentioned earlier, I probably wouldn't even dare to hope to own it," Han Li chuckled lightly.

"So, Brother Han intends to acquire this item!" Elder Wang's eyes lit up, and he said with some delight.

"I still have some unused rare materials on hand. Fellow Daoist, please first provide me with a list of items that can be exchanged for it. I'll see what I can offer, and then we can discuss how many materials are needed to acquire this treasure," Han Li said with a relaxed smile, his expression at ease.

"Of course. All the materials our pavilion requires are in this jade slip. Fellow Daoist, please take a look." The silver-robed cultivator smiled broadly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a white light shot towards Han Li.

Han Li caught the object, which was indeed a white jade slip. He immediately began examining it there on the rocky slope, holding the slip in his hand.

An hour later, Han Li appeared at the entrance of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, and Elder Wang saw him off with a broad smile. Han Li turned, clasped his fist towards Elder Wang, said a few farewell words, and then floated away. Elder Wang, with a satisfied expression, only returned to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion after watching Han Li's figure disappear into the distance.

Meanwhile, Han Li touched the bulging storage pouch at his waist. After his eyes flickered twice, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. After spending a large sum of unused rare materials to acquire the Heavenly Secret Mansion, he then sold some demon cores and spiritual herbs directly to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, obtaining an astonishing amount of spirit stones.

He recalled Elder Wang's astonished expression when he produced so many materials. While Han Li found it slightly amusing, his vigilance was greatly heightened. The saying "Man dies for wealth, birds die for food" is a timeless truth. He knew that as long as there was something worth pursuing, his status as a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't necessarily deter others from making a move against him. Even though the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was highly reputable, revealing his wealth while posing as an overseas rogue cultivator meant he needed to be extra careful, just in case Elder Wang harbored any ill intentions. Therefore, as soon as he exited the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, Han Li released a portion of his spiritual sense to survey the surroundings, checking for anyone secretly observing him.

A short while later, after confirming no one was tracking him and reaching a blind spot behind another pavilion, his figure blurred. His body suddenly grew an inch taller, and his appearance and clothes transformed simultaneously amidst a flash of green light. When he emerged from behind the pavilion again, he had transformed into a middle-aged Confucian scholar in blue robes, with a three-strand long beard and a distinguished appearance. With his current cultivation, no one could see through his true identity unless they were a late-Nascent Soul cultivator. Only then did Han Li feel at ease and walk towards other commercial pavilions.

After visiting several more establishments, Han Li was greatly disappointed to find nothing of interest. It wasn't that these large establishments had no treasures at all; Han Li was indeed very tempted by some ancient artifact materials proactively recommended by the shopkeepers in some pavilions. However, unfortunately, none of the materials were required for refining puppets or the Three-Flame Fan. As for ordinary ancient artifacts, he had no shortage of them. After careful consideration, he didn't purchase anything.

"It seems I'll just have to wait for the auction to begin," Han Li mused a short while later, standing at the end of the street and gazing at a magnificent stone hall before him. This ancient-looking, colossal hall was the "Radiant Treasure Hall." It indeed looked different from ordinary halls, being divided into three stories, each over twenty zhang high, resembling a gigantic pagoda-like structure. Presumably, only such a massive building, capable of accommodating thousands of cultivators at once, could host an auction.

At the entrance of the grand hall, several Foundation Establishment cultivators stood guard, preventing ordinary cultivators from entering. They appeared to be preparing for the upcoming auction. Besides Han Li, several other cultivators were also pointing at the stone hall, apparently aware that it would serve as the venue for the grand auction. Han Li took a few deep glances at the Radiant Treasure Hall, preparing to turn and leave.

Just then, four cultivators, two men and two women, suddenly emerged directly from the hall. Han Li casually glanced at them, but his expression suddenly changed. He quickly feigned calmness, turned his body, and started walking back the way he came.

"Wait, fellow Daoist, please stop." He had barely taken two steps when a pleasant and melodious voice sounded from behind him. Han Li's heart sank, and a muscle twitched in his face, but he abruptly stopped.

"Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist?" Han Li asked calmly, turning around. Six or seven zhang behind him, a white-robed woman with a white veil covering her face and skin as fair as snow was sizing him up, her beautiful eyes flickering. Beside her stood another woman and two men, all similarly staring at Han Li in surprise. A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed that all these individuals were Nascent Soul cultivators. In particular, the white-robed woman and a black-robed cultivator who appeared to be in his forties, standing beside her, were both mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, just like him. Han Li's heart sank slightly.

"Oh, nothing much. I simply noticed Fellow Daoist's extraordinary cultivation and wished to make your acquaintance. You don't mind, do you?" The white-robed woman scanned Han Li from head to toe, her gaze lingering for a moment on the long, cylindrical package on his back before she smiled charmingly, her eyes flowing like autumn ripples.

Although the woman's face was obscured, her figure was tall and graceful, and her every movement was alluring. Despite such a beautiful woman inviting him, Han Li felt no flattery; instead, he desperately wanted to turn and leave immediately. For this woman was none other than the Tian Lan Saintess, whom he had fought once on the grasslands.

"Make your acquaintance? Fellow Daoist must be joking. With your character and cultivation, that would truly be an honor for me. However, I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot stay here," Han Li muttered inwardly, but outwardly he remained cool and aloof, cupping his hands before turning to leave again.

"Why the hurry, Fellow Daoist? I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. Would Fellow Daoist be willing to answer one or two of them?" The woman's white figure flickered, moving quickly to block Han Li's path, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she spoke.

"What, Fellow Daoist, are you interrogating a subordinate?" Han Li's expression darkened, and his tone became stiff.

"Miss Lin, do you have some previous entanglement with this fellow Daoist?" The black-robed cultivator finally couldn't help but speak. This person's face was covered by a faint black mist, indicating that he had cultivated some demonic art to an extremely profound level.

"No. Although this is the first time I've met this fellow Daoist, for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that he resembles the person I've been searching for in the Great Jin. Brother Ge, you know very well that I've been staying in the Great Jin for several years just to find this person. Therefore, I need to clarify whether this is just a fleeting illusion of mine." The Tian Lan Saintess gently smoothed the hair on her shoulder, her gaze towards Han Li turning cold.

"What? You mean this person is the one who possesses our sect's Ghost Luo Banner!" The black-robed cultivator's normally rather handsome face suddenly became clouded with gloom, and he glared fiercely at Han Li.

"I can't be certain if he is that person. Although his appearance and build are somewhat different, he gives me a similar feeling, and that person also carried a bamboo tube of a similar shape on his back," the Tian Lan Saintess said unhurriedly, her bright eyes slightly narrowed.

"Embroidered tube!" The black-robed demonic cultivator was startled upon hearing this, and his gaze also fell on the long, cylindrical package on Han Li's back, which indeed looked like a thick bamboo tube. However, when he attempted to penetrate the package with his spiritual sense to investigate, he was unceremoniously repelled by another powerful spiritual sense. His heart jolted, and he quickly withdrew his spiritual sense, his face becoming even colder.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Ge Tianhao of the Yin Luo Sect. Would you be so kind as to open the package on your back and allow us a look? As long as it's not what we imagine, we naturally won't bother you further," Ge Tianhao said slowly, a hint of wariness appearing on his face. Not only him, but the other two cultivators, a man and a woman in similar attire, exchanged glances and then, with a flicker of their figures, positioned themselves on either side of Han Li, forming a menacing encirclement.

Han Li stood expressionless, his hands clasped behind his back, remaining silent. Although none of them cast spells or activated magic treasures, a chilling aura surged into the sky, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.