"My head feels so heavy!" That was Han Li's first sensation upon regaining consciousness.
After he and Qu Hun began the teleportation within the yellow light, he felt a tremendous pressure suddenly pressing in from all sides in the hazy yellow glow. Fortunately, the Greater Teleportation Token in his hand emitted a faint green light in time, and the pressure vanished at once. But the meager spiritual power in his body began draining wildly into the token.
Han Li had long prepared himself for this, so he wasn't particularly panicked. All these changes had been mentioned in the texts he'd read about the Greater Teleportation Token.
In the next instant, the artifact stopped absorbing spiritual power, and the yellow light faded away. He and Qu Hun had appeared in a pitch-black place.
It was far too dark for Han Li to make out anything around him. But everything was utterly silent—there shouldn't be anyone else here, which eased his mind somewhat. He lifted a leg, ready to step out of the teleportation array.
But the moment his foot landed outside, the world spun violently around him. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, nearly retching on the spot.
Han Li knew this was the discomfort caused by long-distance teleportation. The fact that his reaction was so severe was entirely due to his low cultivation level at the moment.
But he couldn't be bothered with that right now. Instead, he immediately issued Qu Hun the command to destroy the teleportation array.
Qu Hun, expressionless as ever, drew the massive silver sword Han Li had given him and hacked away at one corner of the teleportation array, reducing it to smithereens with several strikes.
Only then did Han Li finally relax.
He sat on the ground and rested for a while, gradually adjusting to the darkness around him.
By now, he could faintly sense that this place seemed to be an abandoned room—not only pitch black, but also filled with a strong smell of decay.
He casually groped along the ground with his hand and found a thick layer of dust covering the floor.
Somehow, this actually made Han Li feel more at ease. At the very least, there didn't seem to be any immediate danger.
After a good while, once the discomfort had faded, he propped himself up with one hand and slowly rose to his feet.
Then Han Li fished a moonlight stone out of his storage pouch, and the interior of the room became clearly visible.
Just as he'd suspected, this was a stone chamber that hadn't been visited in ages—completely empty save for a stone door standing before him.
Han Li glanced back at the ruined teleportation array, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the stone door and gave it a tentative push.
To his surprise, the door swung open easily.
"This is…" Han Li's face filled with astonishment.
Before him stretched a long flight of bluestone stairs, ascending gradually upward into the unknown. The stairs were also blanketed in dust—clearly, no one had walked here in a very long time.
Han Li turned back to look at the chamber he'd emerged from and realized the so-called stone room was really just a small cave carved into the rock.
He pondered briefly, then shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and began climbing the stairs at a slow pace. Right behind him followed Qu Hun, never more than a step away.
The stairs looked like they would be long, but after rounding a single bend, Han Li spotted the exit.
A massive boulder was blocking the circular opening.
Han Li frowned at this, then ordered Qu Hun without hesitation:
"Split it open."
As soon as he spoke, Han Li stepped back.
Qu Hun surged forward in a single great stride, raised the silver sword high overhead, and cleaved the boulder into several pieces as effortlessly as slicing through tofu.
Blinding sunlight poured in from outside, accompanied by a breath of fresh, slightly humid air.
Han Li took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Ever since he'd arrived through the teleportation and caught the strange smell in the air, he hadn't dared to breathe at all, holding his breath the entire time. Now he could finally let go.
Still, something puzzled him. Why was the air here so humid, with a faint hint of salt? It was nothing like the air he was used to!
Carrying that question with him, Han Li walked past Qu Hun, then squinted against the blazing sun hanging high overhead and looked around.
The sight that greeted him left him frozen in place.
All he could see, in every direction, was an endless expanse of deep blue water stretching to the horizon with no end in sight.
Han Li stared blankly for a long time before he finally came back to his senses.