Hearing this, Han Li turned his gaze to Zhu Guo'er, his expression flickering uncertainly.
"Senior, I don't know when I was scanned. During that time, I was unconscious the entire time." Zhu Guo'er grew flustered and hurriedly explained.
"Given their abilities, it would be perfectly normal for you to have noticed nothing. I'm not blaming you, so there's no need to worry." Han Li shook his head and offered the girl a few words of comfort. But then his voice abruptly dropped, turning cold as he addressed Bao: "How do I know that what you've told me about Small Spirit Heaven is true? If you can't produce evidence that will convince me, expecting me to take such a tremendous risk to help you at a time like this is nothing but wishful thinking. I would rather spend my time slowly searching for another method than gamble on such grave danger based on nothing more than a few of your empty words."
Having said this, Han Li cast a casual glance toward both Blue Cascade Sacred Ancestor and the young woman.
The two women, seeing that Bao had stopped Han Li and was now discussing a deal openly, both darkened considerably.
However, neither was an ordinary demon, and they knew that Han Li had not yet truly decided to stay and aid Bao, so neither made any rash moves—they merely watched with somber expressions as the conversation continued.
"Since I've said it, I naturally have proof. I can show you something right now, and you can judge the truth for yourself." Bao's luminous eyes shimmered, her lips moving without any sound, as she transmitted her voice directly to him.
Han Li was momentarily taken aback. Then a ripple of spatial disturbance suddenly appeared before him, and a ball of pinkish radiance materialized out of thin air, streaking straight toward his face.
Sweeping his spiritual sense through it and finding it was merely a strand of ordinary spiritual sense wrapping something, Han Li reached out, seized the light sphere, rubbed it between both hands, then focused his gaze upon it.
"In this..."
In his hand was a short rod, pitch-black as ink, yet its surface faintly shimmered with a layer of golden luster.
Han Li's mind raced, but he found that he had absolutely no recollection of it—he had never seen anything of the sort.
"Oh! Isn't that Supreme Profound Hardwood?" Zhu Guo'er blurted out in astonishment the moment she laid eyes on it.
"You recognize it?" Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in an even tone.
"Senior, Supreme Profound Hardwood is a spirit wood unique to our Small Spirit Heaven. It grows only half an inch per century, produces a single leaf per millennium, and blooms once in ten thousand years. It is the rarest material used to refine all manner of treasures and magical artifacts. In Small Spirit Heaven, it has long been known as the Divine Wood. I've only ever seen a piece no bigger than a bean before. A piece this large—I'm hearing of it for the first time." Zhu Guo'er widened her eyes, staring at the rod in Han Li's hand with a look of genuine shock.
"Unique? Can you be certain that no identical spirit wood exists outside Small Spirit Heaven? Or could you have mistaken it—perhaps some similar material that you've confused with this wood?" Han Li furrowed his brow, a note of suspicion in his voice.
"According to our human elders in Small Spirit Heaven, Supreme Profound Hardwood did not originate from the outside world. It came into being through the hybridization of several spirit woods native to Small Spirit Heaven, combined with various fortunate circumstances, producing an entirely unique variant. There is absolutely no second specimen of this wood anywhere outside. In fact, the struggle over this very wood has been one of the reasons for the repeated wars between our human race and other alien races in Small Spirit Heaven. There is no way I could have misidentified it." Zhu Guo'er replied with a grave expression.
"So that's how it is!" Han Li ran a finger along the spirit wood in his hand, a contemplative look entering his eyes, though his face remained pensive.
"Fellow Daoist Han, if you still intend to leave, this passage won't remain open for much longer." At that moment, the young woman finally spoke in her characteristically detached manner.
A trace of murderous intent flashed through the blue-robed woman's eyes, and she let out a sharp cry: "If you truly have no intention of leaving, then you shall never leave again."
Simultaneously, the enormous green banner before the woman hummed, and the passage began to tremble, as though it could collapse at any moment.
"Go."
Han Li watched this unfold, his pupils contracting sharply, and without a moment's hesitation he uttered a single word.
The next instant, the flying chariot beneath his feet let out a clear cry and transformed into a ball of brilliant light, shooting forward at tremendous speed. It streaked through the passage in several successive flashes before plunging into the hole at its end and vanishing without a trace.
Seeing this, both the blue-robed woman and the young woman brightened with delight, while Sacred Ancestor Bao's gaze flickered briefly, her face betraying no emotion whatsoever.
The blue-robed woman then pointed forward once more. Immediately, arcs of green lightning blazed across the surface of the great banner, and with a thunderous roar, the passage and the spatial hole both crumbled inch by inch.
The entire world of lightning reverted to its original state.
The young woman watched this, then let out a soft laugh and addressed Bao: "Sister Bao, it seems you failed to move that human boy. Well, I suppose I wouldn't have been willing to take such a great risk either. Now then, your magical power can no longer be sustained, Sister. Allow the two of us to personally send you on your way."
Her smiling demeanor vanished without hesitation, and one jade-white hand slapped down upon the silver Buddha statue.