Setting aside the Azure Guard warrior, who wore the same stupefied expression after hearing the old man's words—
After leaving the stone tower, Han Li pondered briefly before flying off toward the marketplace.
Although he had entrusted the task of gathering supplementary spirit herbs to the four scholars, there was no reason not to make a trip to the marketplace himself to secure whatever could be collected early on.
He had been to the Heavenly Abyss City marketplace several times already and once again sought out the same material shop from his last visit, handing over his list to the shopkeeper and asking him to acquire as much as possible on his behalf.
Then he left the shop and headed straight for the massive hall at the center of the marketplace.
With humans looking after his interests on one side, there was no need for him to worry. But among the demon beasts, there was a strong chance they possessed materials he lacked.
He intended to take a look and see whether he might find anything else of use.
However, having to personally make a trip to the marketplace just to procure some supplementary materials — in that respect, it was indeed far inferior to joining one of the major powers. At least tasks like these errands could be fully delegated to others.
Of course, compared to being constrained by others, having direct control over one's own faction would naturally be better.
With Han Li's current cultivation and abilities, establishing his own power base was entirely feasible. But the process would inevitably demand considerable mental effort and greatly interfere with his own cultivation.
In the long run, the costs would outweigh the benefits.
Given that, actually securing the position of Spirit Emperor seemed like a rather appealing option.
After all, the Three Emperors' factions were different from ordinary sects and clans — most of their authority derived from the Three Emperors' own positions. Whoever could ascend to the throne of one of the Three Emperors would instantly become one of the great powers of the human race.
As Han Li mused silently, he arrived before the enormous hall where the human and demon beast races conducted their trade.
Just as he paid a few spirit stones and stepped through the hall's entrance, in a hidden underground cavern far from the human territory, a massive spell formation guarded by over a dozen puppet warriors suddenly hummed to life, spirit lights of various colors flashing brightly.
The puppet guardians, previously motionless, immediately sensed the disturbance. Their eyes flickered with red light, and the great blades in their hands slowly pivoted toward the formation's center.
Almost simultaneously, a flash of spirit light appeared at the cavern's entrance, and a hazy figure wreathed in silver light materialized there.
The next moment, a burst of white light blazed at the heart of the teleportation formation, and two silhouettes emerged.
When the teleportation glow subsided, the two figures became perfectly clear.
One was a tall, broad man in black robes, and the other was an elegantly poised woman in white.
The man appeared to be in his thirties, with dark skin and a fierce, ugly visage.
The woman's complexion was fair as snow, her dark eyes bright as stars.
"Who are you? You are not of our Silver Race. How dare you activate our clan's teleportation formation?" The figure in the silver light cried out in a sharp voice upon seeing the pair, clearly startled.
"Oh? There's a Silver Race guardian here too. Holy Ancestor, shall I devour this one for you?" The black-robed man glanced at the silver figure, a look of eager covetousness spreading across his face.
"This Silver Race cultivator is no weakling — his strength is comparable to yours. Are you not afraid he'll break your teeth?" The woman in white swept her gaze over the silver figure and spoke calmly.
"Heh heh, with the Holy Ancestor here, what can a mere Silver Race Sacred Realm cultivator do? He couldn't possibly turn the heavens upside down." Upon hearing this, the black-robed man grinned obsequiously and showered the woman in white with flattery.
"Insolent!" The silver figure, having heard their exchange, naturally realized these were enemies. A furious shriek escaped him.
At the same time, the great blades in the hands of the surrounding puppets slashed toward the center of the formation.
A hissing chorus erupted as over a dozen streaks of silver light shot forth in a flash.
"Tricks!" The black-robed man sneered at the sight, flicking his sleeve. A wave of dark, misty radiance unfurled before him like a shield.
Booming explosions rang out in rapid succession.
The silver light struck the dark barrier as though slamming into a wall of copper and iron, detonating one after another in brilliant flashes.
Then the man did something that truly shocked the Silver Race guardian.
He opened his mouth, and a beam of black light shot forth, sweeping up all the detonating silver light and swallowing it into his belly.
The man's body moved again, and a massive dark shadow suddenly swept out from behind him.
Thunderous impacts sounded once more!
All over a dozen puppets were struck by the shadow simultaneously, then shattered one by one — they crumbled as if made of clay, utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow.
The Silver Race guardian was horrified, his eyes darting to fix upon the shadow.
He saw that the object was pitch-black, its surface covered in thick, coarse scales — it was a colossal black tail.
It stretched a full ten-odd zhang in length, coiled several times around the black-robed man.
At this point, the black-robed man let out a sinister laugh, and a flash of dark light flickered across his body. A powerful aura — one that only a Sacred Realm cultivator could possess — surged from within him.
The figure in silver light was gripped by terror!
Against the black-robed man alone, he had no confidence he could prevail. And the woman in white standing beside him appeared even more formidable.
No — he absolutely could not fight them head-on!