The white curtain of water had already descended. Han Li gazed at the woman, his eyes regaining their cool composure.
"Seems I won't be getting that privilege then. What a pity!" Han Li murmured.
Yuan Yao heard this, and a blush rose to her cheeks first, but after a few delicate laughs, she pressed her red lips together and said:
"Wasn't Brother Han heading to the fifth floor with those other experts? How did you end up here with this humble woman?"
As she spoke, she extended one jade-like hand and elegantly brushed her damp, lustrous hair.
After a flash of white light, her long tresses were instantly dried. A few wisps of dark hair grazed her cheek, set against snow-white skin, adding three more points to this woman's stunning beauty.
A hint of appreciation flickered in Han Li's eyes.
In terms of pure looks alone, this woman was absolutely among the top two or three women he had ever seen. Every gesture and movement was a pleasure to behold — enough to leave any man enchanted and spellbound.
"I simply triggered a restriction and was teleported here. I was actually hoping to ask Miss Yuan just where exactly this place is." Han Li's gaze lingered on her face, warm as jade, for a few moments before he spoke in a calm tone.
"Triggered a restriction?" Yuan Yao's eyes rippled with amusement, a half-smile playing on her lips. She clearly didn't believe a word of it.
But Han Li let out a carefree laugh and simply stared at her indifferently without another word.
A faint blush crept back onto Yuan Yao's face.
She was getting a headache from Han Li's shameless persistence. In terms of combat, she had personally witnessed the terrifying power of his insect-controlling techniques, and her most refined charm arts were completely useless against this man.
She furrowed her slender, elegant brows and had no choice but to say with some resignation:
"This is a secret chamber on the second floor of the Inner Hall. You actually came out of that decrepit teleportation array? If I'd known sooner, I would have smashed that array to bits first. Then I wouldn't have let you get such an enormous advantage." Having said this, Yuan Yao shot Han Li an indignant glare. She was clearly still resentful about the fact that he had seen her bare body.
Han Li listened to this but didn't so much as blush. He looked as if he'd heard nothing at all. Instead, he lazily stretched, drew his feet out of the pool, and put his boots back on.
That brief soak had already restored a portion of his Magical Power. Although he would have liked to stay in longer, he was even more eager to find a way out and escape the Void Heaven Hall as soon as possible.
So Han Li paid no further attention to this great beauty named Yuan. He turned and walked toward the stone exit to the south.
Standing at the entrance and taking a few glances, what met his eyes was a scene of utter disarray.
Beyond lay a larger stone chamber. Inside it lay a puppet that had been torn to shreds, and judging from the pockmarked ground nearby, Yuan Yao had clearly fought a bitter battle to reach this place.
On the opposite side of the stone chamber was a stone door, its surface shimmering with the same white radiant light that Han Li knew all too well. It was identical to the restriction glow on the sealed stone doors connecting the first through fifth floors.
Han Li hesitated for a moment, then walked over. After studying it for a while, he produced the incomplete Void Heaven Map from his body, channeled spiritual energy into it, and gently pressed it against the stone door.
After a flash of white light, the stone door remained utterly unresponsive.
Han Li sighed. Just as he'd suspected — once a person entered, using this fragment of the map to get back out was utterly impossible.
And he doubted he had the ability to break through this restriction on his own. Without a second thought, he immediately turned around and headed back toward the northern exit.
"What are you doing? There's a powerful formation in there — not something an ordinary person can break through. Don't tell me you're planning to crack the formation and claim the treasure?" Yuan Yao's gaze followed Han Li's movements. She blinked her lovely eyes, then suddenly spoke in a cold voice.
"I want to leave the Void Heaven Hall! Does Fellow Daoist Yuan perhaps have a better suggestion?" Han Li had already reached the opposite exit and spoke without turning his head.
"I don't. However, the treasures here were spotted by this woman first. Does Fellow Daoist Yuan intend to compete with Yuan Yao for them?" Yuan Yao's bright eyes flashed several times, and an unusual expression appeared on her face.
"Claim the treasure? You've been here quite a while, haven't you, Fellow Daoist Yuan? If you could really break through the restriction inside, it seems you would have succeeded by now!" Han Li stood at the exit, gazing at the greenish haze beyond, and spoke without a shred of politeness.
"After days of research, I already have a rough idea. Give me another three to five days and I'll definitely break through the restriction inside!" Yuan Yao's face flushed red for a moment, but her expression quickly darkened. She actually adopted a posture of refusal to yield.