Chapter 454: Enticement
The expansive black clouds appeared to be reacting to Han Li’s hostile vigilance. They started to quickly swiveled and started pulling back at the center of the clouds with a grand flourish of devilish Qi.
Han Li’s heart trembled. Just as he was about to impatiently order his puppets to attack, he heard the Bone Sage’s cold voice in his ear.
“Youngster, don’t attack him. He is merely giving you a show of his strength. He doesn’t wish to truly kill you. Let’s see what my traitorous disciples wants from you, before you do anything else!”
The Bone Sage’s voice transmission surprised Han Li, giving him a sudden realization. He then forcefully suppressed the restlessness in his heart and asked, “Great Senior Zenith Yin, for what reason has Senior come to find this Junior?” Han Li’s voice was gloomy and serene, possessing neither arrogance nor humbleness.
“You’re still calm despite receiving my attack. It seems you are quite courageous.” Grandmaster Zenith Yin answer was besides the point. Han Li was unsure whether his words were that of praise of contempt.
“As a Nascent Soul cultivator, if Senior wishes to exterminate Junior, my courage wouldn’t make a difference.” Han Li unconsciously frowned and replied with a calm expression. He felt slightly more at ease, knowing that the Bone Sage was hiding not far away.
If he were to act together with the old devil who knew the weakness of the Profound Yin Arts, it would be possible to fight against Zenith Yin. Naturally, that would require the Bone Sage to assist him, which was something Han Li couldn’t guarantee. As a result, he didn’t possess the slightest intention of angering the Bone Sage.
At that moment, the black clouds eventually billowed away and flashed several times. Woosh. The clouds disappeared to reveal a middle-aged man and a short, thin, and ugly youth — Zenith Yin and Wu Shou.
“You are Han Li, a rogue cultivator from Heavenly Star City?” The middle aged man looked at Han Li with interest.
“That’s correct. I am Han Li, although it seems Senior already knows this.” Han Li revealed a bitter smile and spoke with a tone of helplessness.
“Don’t be anxious, I’m not here to look for trouble. It’s not about that matter with the Exquisite Sound Sect either. The previous attack was merely because I felt that formation spell was in the way, so I sought to break it.” Zenith Yin spoke with an indifferent smile.
‘What was in the way? Did you not merely wish to intimidate me with your immense strength?’ Han Li thought, completely aware of the truth. But contrarily, he respectfully asked, “Then, Senior is here for…?”
As Han Li clearly understood that Zenith Yin was waiting for him to ask that, he could only hold his nose and play along.
Zenith Yin chuckled upon hearing Han Li’s question. After closely examining Han Li, he was able to sense his inward restlessness.
“Do you recognize what this is?” Zenith Yin raised his hand, revealing a dense white ball. Without giving him a chance to clearly see what it was, he lightly tossed it towards Han Li.
Han Li revealed slight confusion. When the item flew in front of him, he caught it with his sleeve and carefully brought it before his eyes.
The item wasn’t large and was badly damaged, but Han Li recognized it at a glance. It was a small amount of the pure white threads from the Bloodjade Spiders.
Han Li blankly stared at it, baffled at why Zenith Yin had given this to him. But after some thought, he immediately recalled the battle that had occurred with the Hidden Fiend Sect. When he was trying to escape the entrapment, he had used the Bloodjade spiders to deal with a demon corpse that was blocking his path. That should’ve been when Zenith Yin had acquired this object.
‘Why is he asking about this item now?’ Han Li’s expression slightly changed as suspicions began to come to mind.
However, as Zenith Yin wasn’t going to give him much time to think, he could only answer honestly, “I undoubtedly recognize this item. They’re threads that my spirit beast shootout. Why has Senior mentioned this?” Han Li’s expression was doubtful as if he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
Zenith Yin revealed a smile upon hearing this.
“Good, very good! I came to look for you because I wish to see your spirit beasts. How about you take them out and let this Grandmaster take a look at them?” Grandmaster Zenith Yin revealed a trace of excitement and spoke with a surprisingly gently voice.
This caused Han Li to grow even more vigilant. This was because Han Li had caught a trace of well-concealed greed contained in his smile. It was only revealed for an instant before it faded away.
Showing such an expression at the mention of his Bloodjade Spiders wasn’t a good omen by any means. Although he felt even more restless underneath Grandmaster Zenith Yin’s gaze, Han Li could only hesitantly force himself to agree.
‘Well, no point in dragging this out!’, Han Li gloomily thought.
He then raised his arm and lightly patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist. A white light then flew out and landed in front of Han Li. The light faded away to reveal a white spider the size of a millstone, fiercely observing its surroundings.
When Zenith Yin saw the Bloodjade Spider, he continuously stared at it as if it were an extremely precious treasure. His expression gradually became happier.
“Great! It truly is a Bloodjade Spider! Hehe…” After a long while, Grandmaster Zenith Yin broke into wild laughter as he faced the sky, causing the nearby air to tremble. Han Li’s expression involuntarily changed. The cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator was truly profound!
However, Han Li soon wore a cautious expression. He knew that Zenith Yin was about to mention the true heart of the problem.
But before Grandmaster Zenith Yin could speak, the Bone Sage’s apprehensive voice was transmitted to Han Li’s ear.
“How did you get that Bloodjade Spider? Why haven’t you told me about this?” The Bone Sage’s voice was filled with regret and furious alarm.
“Why would I have told you that I possessed it?” Han Li grew sullen.
But he immediately calmed his mind and had second thoughts. Since the Bone Sage was also moved by it, it seems the Bloodjade Spider possessed a great mystery. Would the appearance of this unknown matter prove to be a benefit or detriment to him?
As Han Li was inwardly mulling this over, the Bone Sage urgently sent him another voice transmission, “That traitorous disciple Zenith Yin will definitely invite you to go with him into the Inner Halls. Do not hesitate to go with him. I will be secretly following after you and provide assistance.” Perhaps sensing that Han Li’s tone was unsettled, the Bone Sage’s voice became much more gentle.
When Han Li heard this, his heart became even more uneasy, contrary to the Bone Sage’s intentions. He faintly felt that he was about to be dragged into a great maelstrom where he would meet a terrible death if he weren’t careful.
As these suspicions stirred in Han Li’s mind, Zenith Yin eventually spoke as the Bone Sage had predicted, “Han Li, do you wish to go to the Inner Halls? If you do, I will bring you through safely!” Zenith Yin voice was amiable and his words were filled with great enticement.
“Go to the Inner Halls?” Han Li was astonished.
It was a place that was said to be too dangerous for a Core Formation cultivator, but the treasures that it contained were far more precious than in other areas of the Heavenvoid Hall. But after Han Li came to know of the particulars of that place, he had decided not to go. He was even more averse to braving the dangers of the Inner Hall now that he had just acquired the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng, an item that greatly helped when congealing a Nascent Soul.
Zenith Yin’s offer to safely bring him through the Inner Halls, and the Bone Sage’s exhortations for him to agree were met with complete disdain and distrust from Han Li.
He only had one life, after all!
After a moment more of pondering, Han Li declined with a forced smile, “To this Junior, the Inner Halls are truly out of reach. Junior will be satisfied with passing only two trials. As such, Junior will forgo going to the Inner Halls. His luck isn’t that good!”
Grandmaster Zenith Yin’s expression sank, and his eyes became stern.
At his side, Wu Chou loudly rebuked him with a scowl, “Han Li, my ancestor didn’t chase after you for your offenses during that previous matter. Now, you use excuses to refuse his kind offer to bring you into the Inner Halls. Could it be that you hold our Zenith Yin Island in contempt?”
Although Grandmaster Zenith Yin didn’t stop Wu Chou, he wore a displeased expression and looked at Wu Chou with a cold gaze.
Han Li grew silent once more. He again heard the Bone Sage exhort him to agree, causing even more distrust to swell in his heart.
“I won’t go. Although I do not know why Island Lord Wu plans on bringing me into the Inner Halls, it definitely won’t be a matter of only broadening my experiences. It would be better for me to use my time to look for treasures in safer areas.” Han Li spoke with an indifferent expression.
