The cold smirk on the shopkeeper’s face vastly changed.
With his cultivation, he was able to sense the immense power of the projections behind him as well as the incisiveness of the glowing treasures. The Weeping Soul Beast’s sinister ghost form was a clear threat as well from its huge size and appearance.
After a moment of silence, the shopkeeper harshly shouted, “Who are you? I know a bit of the outstanding disciples of the Tian Peng Race, but none are as outstanding as you.”
Han Li stared at the shopkeeper and indifferently said, “Who I am isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about my proposal? Your cultivation has dropped from late Great Spirit General stage to early stage. Even if you are keeping any contingency plans, I am half certain I will defeat you. However, I am not interested in a life or death battle. So long as you give me what I want, I will immediately go away.”
When the shopkeeper heard this, he sized Han Li up. Then after a moment of hesitation, he wryly chuckled.
The shopkeeper pursed his lips and probingly said, “Good, very good. The strength you revealed does give you the qualifications to say that. But it is a pity. Even if I agree, I have no Azure Sifting Fruits to give you. The treasures you saw in the box was an illusion and was produced the secret technique that is unique to our Pentaluster Race. You should’ve had some doubts about it.”
“Hehe, an illusion technique! I cultivate a technique that can see through illusions. However, the thing I want is in that box. No matter how formidable your illusion techniques are, if you didn’t have that item, you wouldn’t be able to create such believable illusions.” Han Li said with a deep tone.
“You want that item?” The shopkeeper said with a surprised face.
“That’s right! It can’t be considered too steep a price.” Han Li smiled.
“If you want it, I’ll give it to you.” Without taking any time to consider, the shopkeeper promptly flipped his hand to produce a wooden box and tossed it over.
Blue light flashed from Han Li’s eyes and he reached out for it.
A wave of blue mist flew out and wrapped around the box, suspending it in the air.
Han Li swept his spiritual sense past it and he opened it with a trace of joy on his face.
A wave of medicinal scent assailed his nose and he saw the Azure Sifting Fruit.
Han Li silently opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of blood essence, instantly sweeping over the wooden box.
A rainbow light flashed from the box, and the emerald green fruit began to shrink like an illusion. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a crimson fruit the size of a thumb.
The box didn’t contain an Azure Sifting Fruit, but another.
When the shopkeeper saw the joy on Han Li’s face, he felt some relief and smiled, saying, “Many years ago in a dangerous depth, I unintentionally acquired an Azure Sifting Fruit. In order to rear the Lightning Beast, I used it for medicine. Otherwise, I definitely would’ve given it to you.
This is the fruit’s pit, but it isn’t worth much and it is very different from the fruit’s body. But I won’t let you take a loss. I’ll give you several top-grade spirit stones as compensation.”
Afterwards, he shook his sleeve and launched an azure leather pouch through the air.
Han Li raised his brow. Rather than rashly catching it, grey light swept out from his back and wrapped the pouch in Divine Essensefused Light.
The grey light suspended the pouch in the air as it harmlessly twirled in place.
Han Li instantly swept his spiritual sense into the pouch and faintly raised his lip, “In that case, I’ll accept your offer.”
In a gust of wind, the pouch vanished and Han Li put away the fruit core in the box.
The shopkeeper’s face faintly changed when he saw Han Li’s strange display, but it was soon replaced with a smile, “Brother Han’s abilities are truly unordinary. What does Brother Han plan on doing next?”
Han Li leisurely said, “Since I’ve acquired what I want, I won’t involve myself with you any further. But if it is possible, I hope you’ll hand over the other two to me. After all, we’ve come here together. If they disappear, it will be difficult for me to explain to the Tian Peng Race. As for what happens next, you’ll most likely be unable to stay in the holy city.”
Not finding Han Li’s words odd, the shopkeeper softly chuckled and said, “I can do that. However, their character is rather poor. Since they didn’t acquire what they wanted and suffered a loss, I fear they wouldn’t be appeased. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they were gone?”
“Although I’d like that as well, I have matters tying me to the Tian Peng Race for some time. I’ll also think of a way to appease them.” Han Li answered with a casual tone.
“Since Brother Han had said this, I’ll leave them to you.”
At nearly the same time, four-colored lightning flashed around the Lightning Beast and disappeared from Han Li’s back. A short moment later, thunder sounded behind the shopkeeper.
As Han Li looked at the Lightning Beast, a flash of realization appeared from his eyes. “It seems Senior didn’t plan on taming the beast, but rather use it as an external incarnation.”
The shopkeeper chuckled and vaguely said, “Brother Han saw through it.”
Han Li smirked and through to say something else when a humming sound filled the air. The black cloud the shopkeeper summoned had been scattered by a gale. The entire sky was shining faintly yellow and a soft cry sounded from the air.
The nearby space had begun to warp.
Han Li narrowed his eyes.
The skinny man glanced around and ground, “That’s the Xumi Paradise’s worldly essence Qi. Its already reached its limit and it will soon scatter. Let's quickly leave.”
“Yes, I’ll have to trouble Senior Yu to open the way.” Han Li promptly agreed.
“Hehe, you flatter!” The shopkeeper ironically said. He swept his eyes past the rainbow phoenix on Han Li’s back.
Soon after, he muttered to himself a moment and he grabbed at the air.
Rainbow light flickered and a scroll appeared with glowing light.
The scroll spread out and a pillar of light rushed out from it.
A three-meter-tall light gate appeared in front of them, revealing a mist of white light behind it, as if it led to paradise.
Han Li’s expression stirred and his shoulders shook, releasing two waves of grey light, sweeping up an unconscious large man and youth on the ground. The Weeping Soul Beast transformed into a human-tall black ape and stood behind him.
Seeing that Han Li collected the large man and the youth, a fierce look appeared from the shopkeeper’s eyes, but he eventually decided to take no action. He simply called out, “Brother Han, let’s go.”
The two blurred and flew through the light gate one after another.
Han Li’s surroundings lit up for a moment and he found himself in the shopkeeper’s residence. It was normal as if nothing had happened.
On the wall behind them was the Xumi Paradise painting.
Han Li felt his heart relax.
With his abilities, he had nothing to truly fear from the shopkeeper, but he was no ordinary Great Spirit General-grade being. With his bizarre secret techniques, Han Li was unwilling to have a true fight to the death with him.
A crackle then sounded and the ancient painting trembled. It silently turned to ash.
Han Li’s heart jumped and his face stirred.
When the shopkeeper saw this, he wore a sad expression. It was clear he was saddened by the treasure’s destruction.
Having smoothly returned to his residence, he bluntly said, “From your actions, I would think you aren’t a very meddlesome person. I’ll leave those two to you. As I am injured, I won’t be seeing you out.”
Han Li gave him a quick salute, showing no intention of staying there any longer, and he shook his sleeve, withdrawing the Weeping Soul Beast before walking out in a blur.
Behind Han Li were two clouds of grey light, pulling along the youth and the black-armored man.
From a distance, it looked as if the two were flying closely behind Han Li.
When the shopkeeper saw Han Li and company leave, his smile faded.
At that moment, two of his subordinates walked in from the outside and respectfully stood to the side.
One of them carefully asked, “Martial Ancestor, are you truly leaving those three alone? Will they not cause trouble?”
The shopkeeper snorted, “What trouble could they bring? Even if they come back, they won’t find anyone here. Let’s tidy up our things and use the underground teleportation formation. We’re leaving the holy city immediately. We can’t stay with the Tian Peng anymore, only the Pentaluster Race will do. With the identity I prepared in the Pentaluster Race, no one will come find me.”
“Yes, Ancestor!” With the shopkeeper’s order, the two Tian Peng beings raised no objections and immediately acknowledged him.
The two quickly entered the other rooms.
The shopkeeper stood in place and looked at the large door. A dark expression briefly appeared on his face.
“Unless it is for something significant, I don’t want to take any risks. With my previous temperament, I might’ve had you stay behind.” The shopkeeper muttered. He then took out a medicine bottle from his robes and he swallowed two dark green medicine pills. Soon after, he swiped his hand past his face and a blinding white light shined from it.
After the light faded, he now had the appearance of a skinny middle-aged scholar.
Both his face and his mannerisms were completely changed as if he were an entirely different person.
He walked to a corner of the main hall in a stride and placed his hand against the wall. An underground passage was revealed.
…
Meanwhile, Han Li brought the youth and the large man to a nearby building. With a quick look around, he found that no one appeared to be there.
He promptly released his Divine Essensefused Light and immediately dropped them on the ground.
After a brief look at the two, Han Li helplessly sighed, “You’re quite lucky. If I wasn’t scared of being implicated with your deaths, I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble."
As he said this, he flipped his hand and summoned tens of silver needles in his hand.
Air tore as the needles sank into their bodies.
