The remaining jade boxes were opened by
One contained a small green porcelain bottle. Another held a purple, misty object roughly the size of a fist.
He casually popped open the green bottle and brought it beneath his nose for a light sniff. A sharp, acrid odor assaulted his nostrils.
Han Li's expression changed drastically. He hastily jammed the stopper back in as though he had seen a venomous scorpion, then studied the small bottle with a peculiar look on his face for several more moments before carefully tucking it into his storage pouch.
Finally, his gaze settled on the object radiating purple light. He picked it up and gave it a gentle squeeze between his fingers — it was incomparably soft. The instant his fingers pressed in, threads of light flickered within the glow, bright and dazzling.
"Oh?"
Han Li let out a soft exclamation of surprise. He focused his spiritual sense into a fine point and probed the object.
A moment later, understanding dawning on his face, he gave his hand a single shake. The ball of light in his palm dissolved into a cloud of purple mist that hovered above his head. But after a incantation seal struck it, the mist collapsed and the object fell back into his hand, revealing its true form.
It was a purple silk net, layer upon layer, as thin as fine gauze. The threads composing it were so delicate they seemed almost invisible, yet they gleamed with a crystalline luster — clearly a rare and extraordinary treasure.
"Isn't that the Purple Cloud Net? It was a rather famous ancient treasure during the primordial era," Silver Moon blurted out the moment she got a clear look at the purple crystalline web.
"You know about this? It's well-known — could it be a Heaven-defying Spirit Treasure?" A flash of delight crossed Han Li's eyes as he fought to keep the hint of excitement out of his voice.
"Not quite. The Purple Cloud Net is indeed a top-tier existence among ancient treasures, but when compared to Heaven-defying Spirit Treasures, it falls far short. That said, in terms of defensive capabilities alone, its uses are truly extraordinary. Depending on the power with which it was refined, once deployed, this treasure can cover an area of a hundred or even a thousand zhang — a rare treasure capable of large-scale defense. It's said that the very finest Purple Cloud Nets could shield every living being within a hundred li from harm at once. Whether that's true or not, I couldn't say! Of course, this treasure is also devastatingly effective for trapping enemies. It can unleash 'Jade Sun True Fire' on its own, more than enough to destroy even formidable opponents." Silver Moon rattled off the information as though reciting from memory.
"Silver Moon, you seem to know quite a lot about this Purple Cloud Net. Have you seen one before?" A flicker of disappointment passed across Han Li's face, but he hefted the purple net in his hand and asked with a peculiar expression.
At these words, Silver Moon fell silent. After a long pause, she smiled ruefully.
"Now that Master mentions it, I've only just realized — in my fragmented memories, before I was refined into a weapon spirit, it seems I once possessed a Purple Cloud Net ancient treasure. That must be why I know so much about it."
As she spoke, a thoughtful gleam flickered in her eyes, as if something had surfaced in her mind. But she shook her head moments later and gave up with a frustrated sigh.
"If this Purple Cloud Net is so impressive, there's no record of Master
He understood all too well that while learning Demonfall Valley's secrets would present future opportunities to enter and claim its treasures, doing so would also — nine times out of ten — paint a target on his back. The moment word leaked, who knew how many old monsters and great factions would come knocking at his door.
The pros and cons of the matter were genuinely difficult to weigh.
"Master, was there nothing in that jade slip?" Silver Moon finally couldn't help asking.
"That jade slip contained Master Cang Kun's cultivation techniques and divine abilities. Although the main cultivation method recorded in it — the Moon Gazing Art — isn't something I can practice, there are several secret techniques and insights on cultivation that I can draw upon. They'll be quite useful to me." Since Silver Moon had asked, Han Li saw no reason to conceal anything and answered matter-of-factly.
Silver Moon sighed upon hearing this and seemed to lose some of her energy.
At that point, Han Li gathered all the items back into the jade boxes, gave Silver Moon a brief instruction, then closed his eyes and settled into a cross-legged meditation.
Silver Moon curled up beside him in her fox form without the slightest reservation, her dark, luminous eyes staring blankly at an empty corner of the cart.
The Mulan caravan inched forward little by little, and Han Li and Silver Moon remained safely inside the cart for two days and two nights.
During that time, the caravan was stopped twice for inspections by Fa Shi.
Each time, Silver Moon woke Han Li, who cast a simple spell. These low-ranking Fa Shi naturally found nothing and departed.
This cart was designated for carrying unimportant supplies, and none of the ordinary Mulan people in the caravan had ever so much as glanced inside it.
The moment the caravan cleared the Mulan grasslands, Han Li seized Silver Moon and slipped away from the group without a soul being the wiser. He took a different route into the wasteland, heading straight for Tiannan.
Relying on the formidable range of his spiritual sense, Han Li could detect Fa Shi presence from over a hundred li away, allowing him to easily avoid unnecessary trouble. He passed through the wasteland without incident and entered Fengyuan Country of the Nine Nations Alliance.
Fengyuan Country was one of the three nations closest to Mulan. Ordinarily, numerous cultivators from the Nine Nations Alliance were stationed on several spirit mountains along the border.
Yet in the days since Han Li had entered Fengyuan Country, he hadn't spotted a single cultivator along the way. What he did find, scattered everywhere, were the roaming spiritual signatures of Fa Shi on patrol.