Chapter 533: A Gift
After looking through the slips with tool refining and spell formation information, the young woman was quickly sweeping through a jade slip that introduced medicine pill formulas and demon beasts. After she was done with it, she moved on to the next jade lip on the table. Immediately after immersing her spiritual sense into it, she was stunned.
It contained a cultivation art known as the “Golden True Arts”. Out of curiosity she read through it for a moment before her attention was completely drawn in. She read the jade slip for no less than an hour before withdrawing her spiritual sense in a daze. She wore an expression of fear on her face.
This Golden True Arts was the precious top-grade cultivation art of a sect. Why was its cultivation incantation so casually placed on a table without any restrictions guarding it?
Although the young woman knew the cultivation art’s value, she still reluctantly put it back in its original place after some hesitation. Now she was even more interested in looking through the rest of the jade slips on the table.
Half a day later, the young woman had finished browsing through all of the jade slips on the table. A vast majority of the jade slips contained teachings about either formation spells or medicine pills. Only a small number contained cultivation arts, but there wasn’t a single one present that wasn’t top grade. There was one particular cultivation art, the “Coiling Jade Arts”, that left her particularly tempted.
The Azure Spirit Sect was only a tiny sect in the Scattered Star Seas. Its main cultivation art, the Azure Spirit Arts, was merely a standard cultivation art. It couldn’t possibly compete in terms of might with the Coiling Jade Arts.
After glancing through the jade slips, her mind wandered for a moment before recalling that there were still other places that she had yet to explore. She left the stone room and walked back to the large hall.
Of the remaining three arched doors, there were two that were guarded by puppets, leaving her with only one that she could enter. As a result, the young woman entered the only unguarded door.
After entering, she was left stunned and remained motionless for quite a while.
There was a sixty meter wide hall with a thirty meter wide spell formation placed at its center. The spell formation released a barrier of translucent, faint-red light. The light fluctuated and sparkled intermittently, revealing a magnificent sight.
The light barrier contained dozens of variously fashioned swords, spears, and other such items. There were a few that released a clear ring, and some that chased after one another, but all of them appeared to possess intelligence.
Outside of the light barrier, there were two layers of crude wooden racks lining the walls. Each of the racks held a variety of magic tools. Although they didn’t have a light barrier blocking them, they each flickered with brilliant light and contained vigorous amounts of spiritual Qi.
Although the young woman hadn’t seen any of them before, she was able to tell that the items contained inside the light barrier were like the magic treasures from legend with the intelligence that they displayed.
The young woman had always yearned to look at such magic treasures, but unfortunately there were just far too many before her. Eyes filled with amazement, she couldn’t bring herself to believe what she was seeing.
A long while later, she finally came to her senses. After further looking at the light barrier with a strange expression, she hesitantly walked towards the wooden racks. She casually took a pitch-black ruler and examined it, discovering that the unremarkable item was actually a high grade magic tool.
But having already experienced far too many surprises before this, she hardly revealed any shock at the discovery.
She then began to look through each of the magic tools on the racks, all of which were either high or top grade. There was nothing of inferior quality present.
Had the young woman managed to acquire one of these magic tools in the past, she would’ve been immensely excited. Now after glancing at the many magic treasures and hundreds of magic tools, the young woman left the room with empty hands, after recalling that she was now but a cultivation vessel.
Two days later, inside the stone room with the jade slips, the young girl was sitting down on a round stone block. She was concentrating on the contents of the jade slip in her hand.
“The Coiling Jade Arts are quite suitable for a female cultivator, though they were acquired by male cultivator, namely me.” A man’s gentle voice suddenly came from the doorway.
The young woman felt her heart tremble and quickly withdrew her spiritual sense. She then flusteredly turned around.
She saw a blue-robed youth with an ordinary appearance standing by the door. He was looking at her with a smile.
Gongsun Xing hesitantly asked, “You, you’re Senior?”
Although his voice was somewhat similar, this gentle-faced youth was truly too young. It was completely different from what she had imagined.
Having experienced so many astonishing things, the young woman had come to expect the Senior to be an old man with profound, mystical abilities. She even apprehensively guessed that he was a tempermental eccentric!
“What? Am I not as expected?” The youth was Han Li who had just left seclusion. He walked into the room with a faint smile.
“Senior, these cultivation arts, I…” For some unknown reason, she inwardly felt relieved upon discovering that Han Li was the owner of that expert’s voice. However, she still stuttered trying come up with an explanation.
Han Li indifferently said, “It doesn’t matter. Since I didn’t forbid you from entering, I was allowing you to chose a cultivation art.”
“Many thanks to Senior!” The woman expressed unconcealed happiness with delightful charm.
Upon seeing the young woman’s excitement, Han Li unconsciously felt a tinge of emotion.
Han Li smiled and casually asked, “It’s been a while since I’ve been to the outside. Would Lady Gongsun happen to know anywhere in the seas that one might be able to trade?”
The young woman’s smile vanished as if she had thought of something. After quickly taking a peek at Han Li, she lowered her head and softly said, “If one wishes to trade… about half a month south, there is a barren island with a market city. The nearby cultivators conduct trade there. I heard that there were several Core Formation cultivators that joined hands to keep the peace there. Does Senior require a map?”
Han Li confidently said, “I must make a trip there. Naturally, a map would be good.”
The young woman flusteredly took out a jade slip from her storage pouch and handed it over to Han Li with a red face.
Han Li smiled and reached out to take the jade slip. At the same time, a strange expression flickered from his eyes when he saw the young woman’s flushed, tender face. He suddenly reached out to touch her soft, luscious hair.
Gongsun Xing’s heart trembled with slight fear, but she didn’t shrink back. She only unconsciously turned her head away.
At that moment, Han Li’s soft voice entered her ear, “Don’t be afraid. Come to my bedroom tonight. Don’t forget.”
After he said this, he left the room without further hesitation.
When Gongsun Xing heard these dubious words, she felt her heart jump and her face turned crimson, revealing an adorable appearance of complete embarrassment.
When night arrived, she arrived outside Han Li’s bedroom in a complicated mood. She entered the stone room as she nibbled on her lips, but she was left surprised by what she saw.
The bedroom had no one inside. There was only a stone desk with an unfurled scrolled on it.
After a moment of hesitation, Gongsun Xing walked over puzzled and lowered her head, reading, “Your filial behavior is quite laudable. I give all the remaining treasures in the cave residence to you. Don’t show them to others, or you will attract calamity upon yourself. Do your best!”
There was nothing else after that, leaving the young woman at a complete loss. She could only feel blank confusion along with an indescribable emotion.
At that moment, Han Li had already flown five hundred kilometers away from the small island in a streak of azure light.
Smiling, Han Li leisurely thought, “I’m sure that girl must be completely baffled. Anyone going through such an unpredictable experience should be left amazed for at least half a day!”
When he had left the sea mist, he had stripped the cave residence of everything apart from the jade slip containing the Coiling Jade Arts, numerous unwanted magic tools, along with a few medicine pills and two looted magic treasures that he left behind specifically for the girl. These items would surely allow the young woman to tread to future heights that are rarely reached on the path of cultivation!
This rare showing of immense generosity wasn’t due to a sudden feeling of tenderness towards the fairer sex. But rather, the young woman’s resolve to sacrifice herself for her father had deeply moved Han Li.
If Han Li had any regrets before setting foot on the path of cultivation, it would be that he was unable to fulfill his filial duties to his parents after reaching adulthood. Although he had secretly made arrangements with the Seven Mysteries Sect Master for his family, it didn’t offset the sense of loss he felt deep in his heart.
Additionally, the young woman’s appearance had reminded Han Li of the last he had seen his little sister when she had gotten married.
As such, he had deliberately used the pretense of having the woman as a cultivation vessel in order to give her a few benefits. Of course, the magic tools and treasures that Han Li had left for her posed little to no value to him.
Since the items would remain useless on him, it would be better for him to take the opportunity to give them to the girl, providing her the assistance to tread farther on the path of Immortal cultivation. The woman’s spiritual roots were also inferior, just like his own had been.
As for Han Li’s cave residence, he had already decided that he would abandon the island the next he left, long before these people had arrived.
