After hearing the other party's words, Han Li did not say anything. His single hand, still wreathed in white light, continued to grip the other's Primordial Spirit tightly as he lowered his head in thought!
A good while later, Han Li finally raised his head and spoke in a cold voice: "If I had been caught off guard and had your Primordial Spirit invade me just now, would you have let me go? Your Magical Power is far greater than mine — a mere junior brother who has only just reached Foundation Establishment. Nine times out of ten, I would have ended up devoured by you."
The hostile intent in Han Li's words was unmistakable!
"I can tell you a secret, give you a peerless technique!" Senior Brother Lin panicked and hurriedly transmitted through his Primordial Spirit.
"A secret? A technique? Could it be the Great Development Technique of your Thousand Bamboo Sect?"
Han Li's casual remark immediately caused the green light on the Primordial Spirit to flicker wildly, and a stammering, astonished voice came through: "How do you know about this? You... you were the one who was spying yesterday!"
Only then did Senior Brother Lin suddenly realize the truth.
"Fine, since you know I'm not entirely in the dark about your affairs, you might as well tell me everything honestly. I don't suppose you want me to destroy your Primordial Spirit right now!" Although Han Li spoke in an offhand manner, his words made Senior Brother Lin's Primordial Spirit tremble violently in his grasp for a long while.
"What is there to say? Didn't junior brother already hear most of it yesterday?" Senior Brother Lin let out a long sigh and said in a faint, desolate voice.
Meanwhile, the Thousand Bamboo Sect members outside the formation, seeing that there was still no response from within after their words had been relayed, flew into a rage and launched a new wave of attacks with their numerous puppets. Outside the formation, things grew lively once more, but inside it remained calm and still — save for the muffled sounds and vibrations that filtered through.
"Junior brother, what kind of extraordinary formation is this, that it can withstand such a fierce assault? It's truly incredible!" Seeing this, Senior Brother Lin deflected the conversation, putting on a look of surprise.
"Hmph, don't bother asking about my formation, and don't try to change the subject. I have absolutely no interest in the dog-eat-dog affairs of your Thousand Bamboo Sect. What I want to know is whether you know anything about the cultivation methods of the Great Development Technique and what powers come from practicing it. If you're deliberately trying to stall for time, I'll destroy you right now." Han Li frowned, his voice suddenly turning icy.
He then intensified the white light in his hand and applied slight pressure with his fingers, immediately drawing a scream of agony from Senior Brother Lin's Primordial Spirit, who cried out in surrender without hesitation!
"The Great Development Technique is a secret art created by the founding ancestor of our sect. It is specifically designed to strengthen the Spiritual Sense and cultivate the art of splitting one's consciousness. It is also a mandatory technique for us Thousand Bamboo Sect members to use our puppets — only by mastering it can one project one's Spiritual Sense onto numerous puppets and control them freely! Otherwise, no matter how many puppets we refine, what use would they be if we couldn't manipulate them simultaneously?" Having tasted what Han Li was capable of, Senior Brother Lin no longer dared to drag his feet and hurriedly spoke in one breath.
"If it's a fundamental technique of the Thousand Bamboo Sect, then why did you need to scheme to obtain it? And it seems there was talk of half of it — what was that about?" Han Li continued pressing, his expression unchanged.
"There's nothing to hide. Although the Great Development Technique is our sect's foundational method, it is also the very bedrock of the sect and cannot be freely passed on to all members. So the version that current Thousand Bamboo Sect disciples cultivate is merely a simplified rendition of the first layer of the authentic Great Development Technique. While it's easy to practice, even when fully mastered, it is far inferior in power to the first layer of the original. The authentic Great Development Technique can only be cultivated by the sect's upper echelons."
"The people outside have each mastered the first two layers of the authentic Great Development Technique, which is why they can each control nearly a hundred mechanical puppets at once! I have mastered the third layer, so I can control over three hundred, surpassing them. But beyond the third layer, only the Sect Master and the designated successor have ever been qualified to cultivate it!"
"Back then, a rebellion erupted within the Thousand Bamboo Sect. My father was secretly plotted against by the current Sect Master, Jin Nantian, who even seized the complete Great Development Technique. At the time, as the Young Sect Master, I was outside handling sect affairs. When I received the news, knowing I couldn't contend with him, I had no choice but to find a body double, fake my death, and flee thousands of miles away to the Yue Kingdom. Though I didn't possess the complete Great Development Technique, as the Sect Master's only son, I already knew the first four layers, so I compiled them into the upper volume of the Great Development Technique."
"I had intended to live out the rest of my days here in peace, but recently the Great Development Technique suddenly surged with momentum, on the verge of breaking through the third layer. This reignited my desire for vengeance. In a moment of poor judgment, I contacted some of my former loyal subordinates, wanting them to steal the formulas for the final three layers — but I never expected to end up in this state! I don't know whether they failed the theft and were captured, or whether they betrayed me from the start!"
Senior Brother Lin recounted all of this in painstaking detail. But by the end, his voice was filled with fury and unwillingness!
Han Li watched the other's Primordial Spirit vent its grievances with a cold gaze, making no move. Only after the other party had calmed down somewhat did he press on without politeness: