The great hall Han Li found himself in was quite peculiar — a cylindrical chamber of enormous proportions, roughly thirty zhang in diameter and four to five zhang tall. Pale reddish crystals were embedded into the blue rock walls on all sides, and a thin layer of fine white sand covered the floor, giving the entire hall an appearance of clean, pristine order.
But if anyone were to look up, they would be struck with astonishment: stalactites of white calcium hung from the ceiling in dense clusters, covering every inch overhead. This was, in fact, a rare stalactite cavern that had only been lightly modified to achieve its current form.
Three passageways were evenly spaced around the hall's perimeter. Two of them bore characters carved in ancient script — one inscribed with "Artifact" and the other with "Pill." The third passage sat empty, with no markings or signs of any kind nearby.
The hall was completely deserted. Han Li glanced around, hesitated briefly, then headed toward the passage marked with the Pill character.
The corridor was not long. After a dozen or so steps, it turned a corner, revealing a slightly larger room at its end. Inside, a long table occupied the center, and beside it stood a ruddy-faced old man who was grinning cheerfully at Han Li.
Behind the table, several dilapidated shelving units lined the wall, packed with all manner of cauldrons, raw materials, and various miscellaneous items Han Li had never even heard of.
Before Han Li could speak, the old man beamed and spoke first: "Young friend, you look unfamiliar — must be your first time here, eh? These days, fewer and fewer newcomers bother showing up to this wretched place! I've long grown sick of those same old deadbeat faces. Having a young new face drop by is truly wonderful!" The old man shook his head with relish, his expression carrying a distinctly improper air.
But Han Li had already attempted the Heavenly Eye Technique on the old man and found it completely ineffective — he could not gauge the man's depth in the slightest. This meant the oldman was yet another Foundation Establishment expert. How could he dare show any carelessness!
He promptly bowed and said, "This junior pays his respects to Martial Uncle. This nephew is indeed visiting the Yuelu Hall for the first time. I humbly ask for Martial Uncle's guidance!" Han Li lowered his posture as much as possible.
"If there's anything you don't understand, just ask away, young friend. The name's Xu — call me Uncle Xu or Elder Xu, either is fine. I don't care for all this 'Martial Uncle' this and 'Martial Uncle' that — I can't stand the sound of it!" The old man hurriedly corrected Han Li's form of address, seeming to care quite a great deal about the matter.
"Then… this junior shall obey!" Han Li hesitated for a moment, then agreed without further fuss, sensing the old man was truly a bit eccentric.
"That's more like it. Now then — what brings you here?" the Xu elder said with satisfaction.
"This junior would like to find some pill formulas and reference books to study the art of alchemy." Han Li tried to make his words as tactful and roundabout as possible, not wishing to draw the man's attention.
"Pill formulas and books? Just head up those stairs!" To Han Li's surprise, the old man made no move to press him further. He casually produced a black token, flicked a hand seal at it, and right there between his position and the shelves, a stone staircase materialized out of thin air, leading up to the ceiling.
Han Li was overjoyed. He quickly strode toward the stairs and was about to step up when the Xu elder suddenly adopted a crafty expression.
"Reading materials on the second floor cost one low-grade spirit stone per hour. Removing originals from these premises is strictly prohibited. If you wish to copy the contents, an additional fee of ten spirit stones per copy applies."
Before Han Li's foot had even touched the first step, the old man — now positioned behind him — delivered these terms in an unhurried tone, freezing Han Li in place and nearly provoking him into a tirade.
The price was outrageously steep! Setting aside the ten-spirit-stone copying fee, even the hourly browsing rate of one spirit stone per hour would make most cash-strapped disciples turn around and leave.
After all, an ordinary low-level disciple could only earn twenty or thirty spirit stones in an entire year through various chores and tasks! Factor in the daily expenses of cultivation and general living costs, and the spirit stones one could actually put aside amounted to a paltry few.
This kind of pricing was nothing short of highway robbery! Han Li's impression of the old man did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree reversal — the man was a consummate swindler!
Though a flicker of something unusual crossed Han Li's face, he did not pause even a moment longer in response to the oldman's words. Without so much as a backward glance, he tossed a low-grade spirit stone into the old man's hand and swiftly climbed the stairs to the second floor.