It was precisely Han Li who flung four of the thunder pearls he had forged in one breath.
Each of these thunder pearls had been refined through the Thunder Pattern technique, making virtually every single one equivalent to the full-force strike of a Void Refinement stage cultivator. On top of that, the pearls themselves contained the power of lightning — which was precisely why they could unleash such astonishing might.
Now it seemed his decision had truly been the right one.
Had he not used these treasures to momentarily hold back the giant lizard and the Thousand-Eye Giant, he would have been unable to escape even after teleporting away.
The giant lizard and the Thousand-Eye Giant, seeing that the spirit fruit had been stolen, were clearly thrown into a thundering rage. Yet the power of the thunder pearls pinned them firmly in place for the time being.
Seeing the devastating power of the thunderstorms, Long Dong and the young woman were also badly startled, but they quickly recovered their composure and rejoiced, each one unleashing escape techniques to flee at top speed. At the same time, they activated concealment arts mid-flight, shrouding their figures and flight light.
Apart from the roiling thunderclouds and the furious roars emanating from within, the clearing was emptied of all people in an instant.
Han Li drove the Wind Thunder Wings on his back to their absolute limit. After several frantic flickers, he had already appeared at the horizon.
To be safe, he even spat out a mouthful of vital blood and activated the Blood Shadow Escape secret art, vanishing without a trace in the span of a single breath.
By the time the giant lizard and the giant finally broke free after exhausting tremendous effort, every last person had disappeared without a trace. Though their bellows of rage shook the heavens, they had no way of catching up to Han Li.
Several hours later, atop a rocky mountain peak tens of thousands of li away, a muffled clap of thunder sounded as Han Li materialized in midair, wreathed in arcs of blue-white lightning.
He turned his head and swept a glance behind him, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Though this excursion had been perilous and cost him a bit of his vital essence, the spirit fruit was in his hands at last.
Still, to be cautious, Han Li extended his spiritual sense and carefully scouted the mountain's surroundings. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he let himself drop onto the peak.
With a flip of his single hand, he produced a jade bottle and tipped out two crimson pills, tossing them into his mouth without ceremony.
Though he had only activated the Blood Shadow Escape once, finding himself in dangerous territory, it was best to take a spirit pill first and replenish the vital essence he had lost.
The pills dissolved the instant they touched his tongue, and a cool, refreshing energy flowed through his meridians.
Han Li's expression relaxed. Only then did he move his hand once more, and a jade box as crystalline as ice materialized in his palm.
He gently lifted the lid to reveal a string of purple berries, each one the size of a fist and strikingly vivid in color.
Without blinking, he examined the spirit fruit, then suddenly picked up one of the berries between two fingers and studied it closely.
After a long while, Han Li finally let out a long breath.
It was genuine — this was indeed the Zhilong Fruit. This particular spirit fruit was one of the few Void Refinement-level medicinal ingredients that left behind seeds, allowing them to be repeatedly stimulated into growth. It was one he had long had his eye on.
Otherwise, why would he have risked so much for it?
Now that the ingredient was in hand, a smile crept back onto Han Li's lips.
As long as he could also find another rare substance called "Tengyun Resin" and combine the two along with various auxiliary medicines, he would be able to refine the Soaring Dragon Pill — a treasure that even Void Refinement cultivators would covet.
As Han Li turned this over in his mind, a flicker of excitement crossed his eyes.
But just then, his brows furrowed. He suddenly turned his head and gazed toward a distant point on the horizon, his expression returning to calm in the blink of an eye.
Moments later, the sound of something cutting through the air echoed from the edge of the sky, and a streak of white light shot toward him at tremendous speed.
After several flickers, the white beam arrived directly above Han Li's position. The light contracted to reveal a young man.
It was Long Dong.
The yellow scale armor he had been wearing earlier was now gone without a trace. His gaze swept across the spirit fruit in Han Li's hands, and his face lit up with delight.
"Ha ha! Fellow Daoist Han truly lives up to his reputation for extraordinary escape techniques — you actually managed to bring this item here safely. Let me take a look and see whether this fruit really is the Zhilong Fruit."
As the youth with the birthmark spoke, his figure swayed and he descended onto the mountain peak, moving as if to draw closer.
"There's no rush, Brother Long. Let us wait for the other fellow Daoists to arrive, and then we can examine it properly," Han Li replied with a placid smile. A flash of spiritual light flickered in his hand, and the jade box vanished.
"Ah… Fellow Daoist Han makes a fair point. I suppose I was a bit hasty." At these words, Long Dong's expression shifted. A trace of sharp, barely perceptible ferocity flashed through his eyes, but he quickly recalled himself and his face returned to normal.
With a smile, he walked a few paces away and settled himself cross-legged on a boulder more than ten zhang from Han Li, looking perfectly composed.
Han Li remained where he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, quietly waiting for the others.
After the time it took to finish a meal, the white-browed young man and the young woman arrived together. Upon hearing that Han Li had truly secured the spirit fruit, they were equally beside themselves with joy.
But until everyone had assembled, they too could only restrain their excitement and sit quietly nearby, waiting for the last person to appear.
A full quarter of an hour passed. Everyone was growing somewhat uneasy, and even Long Dong's expression had begun to shift — when finally a ball of golden light shot in from the horizon, circled once, and came to a stop above the group.
"My apologies for making you all wait so long," the young woman said. "I happened upon a ten-thousand-year-old Bilin Tree while passing through a dense forest, and it took quite some effort to uproot it."