Published: August 25, 2025
Chapter 297: Cracks and Ominous News
Han Li saw the disappointment etched across the young girl’s face, then suddenly smiled and softly said, “Although I can’t take you as my disciple, don’t lose heart! I can introduce you to another senior brother who is also at the foundation establishment stage to be your master. But whether you can successfully apprentice under him depends on whether he finds you satisfactory.”
“Really?” The girl’s previously disappointed expression instantly brightened upon hearing this.
Without another word, Han Li took out a communication talisman from his body. After whispering a few words to it, he handed the talisman along with a jade token to the girl.
“You take these talismans and the jade token, and go to the Garden of a Hundred Medicines in Yellow Maple Valley to find a senior named Ma. Whether you can become his disciple will depend on your own fate,” Han Li said indifferently.
The girl hadn’t expected that although Han Li refused to accept her as a disciple, there was still another chance. A glimmer of hope rekindled in her, and she hurriedly bowed to thank Han Li. The elder with her was similarly excited.
“Since I’m not sure if the apprenticeship will work out, I’ll give you two more advanced magical artifacts as compensation for the feelings you have for your ancestor’s talisman manuals,” Han Li said as he pulled a piece of emerald green brocade and a small blue sword from his storage pouch and casually handed them to the elder.
The elder’s face lit up with surprise.
He originally thought that just the introduction of a master for the girl was a generous favor, but unexpectedly Han Li had given them even more benefits, which made him deeply grateful.
The elder hurriedly offered repeated thanks before respectfully accepting the magical artifacts, his face full of delight. Advanced magical artifacts were rare for him—after cultivating for so many years, he only had one. Now he suddenly had two more. What was there to complain about?
After this, Han Li didn’t linger. He casually withdrew the two spiritual power orbs he had concealed inside the elder’s body, then, with the gaze of the grandfather and granddaughter respectfully seeing him off, he floated away.
Only after Han Li was truly out of sight did the elder happily hand the brocade to the girl and keep the small sword for himself. He planned to set out soon to Yellow Maple Valley to find Senior Ma and see if his granddaughter had the opportunity to apprentice under one of the Seven Sects.
However, Elder Xiao was also puzzled. Why was Han Li entangled with the Qin Family’s people? Those were truly mortals!
…
Setting aside Elder Xiao’s wild speculations, Han Li finally returned to the Qin Residence in high spirits.
Because he used a magical artifact to directly descend into his dwelling, his return did not attract anyone’s attention. He appeared quietly in his bedroom without a soul noticing.
Han Li found the newly acquired nameless qi-concealing formula extremely practical, so he stayed up all night poring over the ancient book studying it.
The formula was just a set of small techniques for manipulating spiritual power, and with Han Li’s profound magical power backing, mastering it wasn’t difficult.
In just one night, he had comprehended most of it.
The next morning, just as Han Li began to meditate and refine his spiritual power, feeling that his luck had been pretty good lately, a muffled “bang” suddenly came from his storage pouch. It sounded like something had shattered.
Han Li’s expression immediately darkened, his face turning grim. After a moment, he reached into the pouch and pulled out a purple pearl—exactly the same as the magical artifact he had given to that white-haired elder. But the pearl’s crystal-clear smooth surface was cracked with several fractures of varying depths.
Han Li was silent for a while, then wordlessly left his room. After scanning the courtyard and seeing no one, the Divine Wind Boat floated out from his hand, and he quickly boarded it, silently disappearing from the Qin Estate.