Published: August 16, 2025
Chapter 174: Grandmaster Li
After listening to Sect Leader Zhong Lingdao’s encouraging speech, two attendant disciples each carried a tray into the hall.
On one tray was a storage pouch with golden threads edging it, while the other held a small pile of colorful mid-grade spirit stones. It seemed it was time to fulfill the prior promise—this could be considered a kind of pre-battle morale booster! Han Li thought with a hint of mischief.
The mid-grade spirit stones were generally taken freely according to everyone’s needs. Han Li already had an earth-element and a fire-element spirit stone, so he took a blue water-element stone from the tray. No one competed with him for it.
But when it came time to draw magical artifacts from the storage pouch, the expressions of the disciples became serious.
This storage pouch was different from ordinary ones. For other pouches, you only needed to extend your divine sense inside and then input spiritual power to retrieve an item. But this pouch blocked immortal cultivators’ divine sense from probing it, and no spiritual power input was needed—just reaching in with your hand could pull out a magical artifact shrunk dozens of times in size. However, exactly what was retrieved could only be judged by touch.
It seemed this pouch was specially forged just for drawing magical artifacts. Otherwise, its practical utility would be far inferior to an ordinary storage pouch—who would use it?
Although all the artifacts inside were high-grade, defensive artifacts were clearly rarer than offensive ones. And whether offensive or defensive, the quality and efficacy varied greatly.
Getting a suitable artifact would increase one’s chances of survival in the Blood Trial. Those who lacked artifacts, especially, were far more attentive.
Han Li didn’t pay much attention to this.
During his last trip to the market, he had swept up the treasures that the Wanbao Pavilion had collected over many years. He had acquired two top-tier artifacts alone, not to mention later obtaining the Azure Flood Dragon Banner as well as several other high-grade magical artifacts.
Adding one more high-grade artifact wasn’t something that would excite him much.
By the time Han Li stepped forward, most others had already drawn their artifacts. As for what kind of artifacts they got, everyone tacitly kept it to themselves and definitely wouldn’t show off to others.
Han Li reached into the pouch with one hand and blindly grabbed something. A strangely shaped object appeared in his palm. His heart stirred, and without thinking, he pulled it out of the pouch and took a secret glance.
He was slightly stunned before quickly putting it away.
At this moment, someone behind him eagerly stepped forward. Seeing this, Han Li tactfully yielded the spot and returned to where he had been standing.
As the artifact drawing ended, more people entered the hall. Many were managers Han Li had seen when he first arrived at Yellow Maple Valley, including Senior Disciple Uncle Wang and the despised Elder Ye.
These people were uncharacteristically solemn, respectfully gathering around a square-faced old man in the center. None dared to whisper casually.
The old man looked to be in his fifties or sixties, his hair graying but full of vitality and good complexion. His tiger-like eyes commanded respect even without anger—a sign of a fiercely strong character.
When his gaze swept over the disciples, Han Li immediately felt his internal organs being seen through, filling him with dread.
At that moment, Great Sect Leader Zhong hurried over to greet the old man, repeatedly calling him “Senior Uncle Li” with a hint of flattery, surprising the disciples.
But the other managers remained composed. After casually responding to Zhong Lingdao a few words, they seemed filled with admiration and jealousy. To be able to speak with this elder and call him “Senior Uncle” was considered a rare honor.
Amid the confused looks of Han Li and the others who didn’t understand, Sect Leader Zhong introduced the elder to everyone.