The moment the Golden Radiance Sword was caught by the gloved hand, its glow flickered and diminished, yet the blade itself grew even colder and more piercing.
Watching this, Han Li kept his expression neutral, but inwardly he was genuinely shocked.
With those gloves on, the knight before him could actually wield this so-called "Spirit Tool."
This overturned everything he had believed until now.
He had heard from the Heavenly Skyline Sacred Beast's clone that outstanding mortals in the Spirit World might be able to stand against cultivators, but if these "Spirit Tools" were truly analogous to magical artifacts — and mortals could use them just the same — that was a truly alarming thought.
If that were the case, then ordinary mortals would likewise possess the ability to slaughter low-tier cultivators.
While Han Li was still reeling from this realization, the knight before him flicked the short sword and slashed it toward his wrist once more.
This time the motion was noticeably more deliberate.
Han Li frowned slightly and slowly circulated a mental incantation.
It was rather ironic — the Myriad Artisan Technique and the Diamond Body Technique were essentially the same cultivation method, only practiced in opposite ways. One drew upon the practitioner's own internal spiritual power, while the other forcibly channeled external spiritual energy into the body.
Back then, Han Li had naturally cultivated it via the Myriad Artisan method. But now, with all his Magical Power drained, the only option available when activating this technique was the Diamond Body's mental formula. Moreover, his mastery of the Myriad Artisan Technique had not stalled at the third stage — under the assistance of the Bone Tempering Art and the Dragon Scale Fruit, he had long since advanced it to the fourth stage.
In terms of sheer physical toughness alone, if he did not deliberately suppress the Diamond Body Technique's power, this Golden Radiance Sword would still be unable to so much as scratch him.
The instant the short blade met Han Li's wrist, the golden light stuttered for a moment before finally breaking through the skin, and a thin trickle of blood seeped out.
The knight quickly seized Han Li's other hand, dipped a finger in the blood, and began inscribing several strange runes onto the blood oath scroll.
The moment these blood-script characters took shape, they sank eerily into the paper and vanished without a trace.
Only then did the knight flash Han Li a smile and speak:
"All you need to do now is mentally review the terms of the contract, and then give your assent in your mind!"
Han Li raised an eyebrow but complied, doing as he was told.
The blood oath scroll erupted in a sudden burst of crimson light. One by one, the runes seemed to come alive, shooting out from the document and plunging into both Han Li and the knight before disappearing.
As for the scroll itself, with a soft "poof" it spontaneously combusted and was reduced to nothingness in a wreath of emerald-green flame.
"Haha, excellent! Brother Han, from today onward you are a man of the Tiandong Trading Company. Xiao Qi, go fetch a carriage. Brother Han is currently in no condition to ride a Suan Wolf Beast." The scar-faced knight's face broke into a broad smile, and his manner toward Han Li became markedly warmer.
The young man who had spoken earlier acknowledged the order and promptly urged his massive wolf beast galloping toward the rear.
The scar-faced giant, meanwhile, chatted amiably with Han Li and introduced himself.
It was only now that Han Li learned the man's name was Zhang Kui, captain of a guard detail belonging to the Tiandong Trading Company. He was escorting a shipment of valuable goods through the Qingluo Desert. This stretch of desert was no small expanse — just crossing it from one end to the other required the caravan to travel at a brisk pace for roughly a month.
While the two exchanged idle conversation, a massive cloud of dust rose in the distance, and an enormous shape was heading their way. Xiao Qi could be seen riding ahead of the dust cloud, leading the procession.
When it drew close enough for Han Li to make it out clearly, it turned out to be a colossal tortoise, roughly four or five zhang tall and seven or eight zhang long.
A carriage cabin of green wood had been constructed atop the tortoise's shell, and a seat was mounted at the front of the shell. A thin, dark-skinned old man in a gray robe sat in it like a driver.
The giant tortoise halted before the group of knights, and the carriage door swung open of its own accord. Out stepped a slender figure — a young girl of perhaps fifteen or sixteen, clad in emerald-green garments, with a round face and an altogether sweet appearance.
"Uncle Zhang, is this the one?" The girl's gaze swept over Han Li lying on the ground, and she asked with a smile.
"Lady Xiang'er! This Brother Han has already joined our company, but he's in no condition to travel under his own power. The other carriages are all loaded with cargo, so I'm afraid I must trouble you ladies." The scar-faced giant was remarkably courteous to the young girl.
"Oh, well, if he's joined our company then he's not an outsider. Taking care of him is only natural. Bring him up." The girl smiled radiantly. Though still young, she already showed a hint of feminine charm.
The scar-faced man thanked her repeatedly, then waved his hand. Two knights dismounted from their wolf beasts, pulled Han Li from the sand pile, and — one lifting his shoulders, the other his legs — carried him up to the tortoise via a suspended rope ladder.
The girl flickered and slipped inside the carriage first, after which the two knights deposited Han Li at the carriage door as well.
A single glance allowed Han Li to take in the entire interior of the carriage.
The cabin was spacious — large enough to seat more than ten people with room to spare. But aside from the emerald-clad girl, three other young girls sat inside, their ages ranging from twelve or thirteen to sixteen or seventeen. Every one of them was strikingly pretty, clearly not ordinary individuals.
The only furnishings were a table and long benches fixed along the four walls. Beyond that the cabin was entirely bare, giving it a rather spacious feel.
No wonder the scar-faced man had sent him here.
Han Li was ultimately settled onto a long bench in one corner of the cabin, cushioned by an unfamiliar yellow animal pelt covered in soft, downy fur. It was surprisingly comfortable.