The Nascent Soul bore a striking resemblance to Han Li. The moment it appeared, it immediately waved its small hand toward the physical body below.
With a crack of thunder, a sphere wrapped in countless golden threads flew out of Han Li's body. After circling once, it hovered in midair.
The Nascent Soul extended one pale, slender finger and tapped the sphere lightly.
Instantly, lightning flashed across the sphere's surface as crackling sounds erupted. The countless golden threads shattered inch by inch, revealing the milky-white wooden box sealed within.
The Nascent Soul's small face broke into a faint smile. Its lips moved in silent incantation, and fluctuations rippled through the surrounding air. Over a dozen five-colored beads materialized soundlessly, and with a flash of spiritual light, they transformed into strange eyeballs whose five-colored radiance blazed intensely.
…
An hour later, a projection formed from a sliver of Han Li's divine sense materialized in the low sky above an endless grassland.
He swept his gaze in all directions first. Not finding any sign of Che Qigong, his expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly raised his head to stare upward into the high sky.
Ten thousand zhang overhead, a blazing sun radiated fierce white light, its heat seemingly unbearable.
Han Li stared at the sun without blinking, his face utterly expressionless, and spoke not a word.
After a full half-hour had passed, a strange man's voice finally erupted in hearty laughter from high above.
"Tsk tsk, as expected, you're no ordinary cultivator. A mere divine-sense projection managed to detect my presence. No wonder Old Che placed his hopes in you and was willing to cooperate with you."
Before the voice had faded, a dark shadow flickered within the sun. A mass of black light shot forth from it, and with a single flash, it abruptly appeared less than twenty zhang from Han Li.
It was none other than a burly, full-bearded man clad in black battle armor.
Wearing a broad smile, he sized Han Li up and down the moment he appeared, his expression one of great interest.
"Who might you be? And where is Senior Che?" Han Li's heart tightened at the sight, but his face remained composed as he asked calmly.
"Old Che is currently occupied with urgent matters. Getting down here will take him a fair bit of time. Why don't Fellow Daoist Han chat with me first?" The burly man blinked and stroked his beard as he spoke.
"Chat with you? I don't believe we've ever met, and I've never heard Senior Che mention that anyone else existed within this Demon-Sealing Lock." Han Li narrowed his eyes and studied the man for a long while before replying slowly.
"Old Che naturally wouldn't mention my existence. But what I can tell you is this — anything he can offer you, I can offer as well. And I demand a lower price." The burly man spoke with supreme confidence.
"Oh? Then by all means, let's hear it." Han Li's expression stirred slightly, neither accepting nor refusing.
"Simple enough. Old Che offered to trade you the method for extracting and refining Chaos Qi, yes? As it happens, I happen to know this art too. I don't need half of your extracted Chaos Qi — just one-third will do, and I'll make the same deal with you." The burly man answered without the slightest hesitation.
"That sounds reasonable, but I've already sworn a Heart Devil's Curse to Senior Che. I'm afraid I cannot break my oath so easily." Han Li's expression shifted several times, but he ultimately shook his head.
"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Han hasn't actually received the method for using Chaos Qi from Old Che yet, has he? How then could you be considered in violation of your oath?" The burly man seemed to have anticipated this response. He tilted his head back and yawned as he spoke.
"There's some truth to that, but I've had no prior dealings with you. To expect me to break my oath based on a few words alone — don't you think that's rather frivolous?" Han Li's thoughts were unknowable, but his tone remained indifferent.
"Since I've appeared here, I naturally intend to win your confidence. Setting everything else aside, the method for extracting Chaos Qi from this Demon-Sealing Lock — I will tell you right now. And moreover, afterward I can offer you an additional, tremendous benefit!" The burly man's eyes darted about, a glint of cunning crossing his face.
"An additional benefit?" Han Li's heart stirred, and a trace of hesitation inevitably appeared on his face.
But at that very moment, rumbling sounds erupted from the surrounding void, and the verdant grassland beneath them blurred before all the scenery abruptly transformed into a vast, wind-swept desert of yellow sand and swirling dust.
Simultaneously, dark clouds packed the sky, and countless silver serpents of lightning writhed wildly into view!
"Impossible! How could that old fool have broken free so quickly?" The burly man's expression changed, and he blurted out in disbelief.
Han Li, seeing this turn of events, was equally stunned.
But in the very next instant, a voice filled with fury rumbled forth from the dark clouds above.
"Feng Xie! You dare scheme against me behind my back — did you truly think I would let it go at that!"
It was Che Qigong's voice, and its force shook the entire sky into a humming roar.
Then the dark clouds above swirled violently, condensing in an instant into a colossal black hand a hundred zhang across. It hurtled downward toward the burly man with ferocious momentum, clawing downward to seize him.