The Bell of Annihilation

Han Li had thoroughly examined the contents of the storage pouch, and without any pretense of courtesy, transferred everything into his own storage pouch. As for the original pouch, he chopped it into pieces with a few slashes of his sword.

Although this storage pouch was clearly of much higher quality than his own, Han Li would never dare to carry it on his person. Who knew if some mark he couldn't detect had been placed on it?

The next day, after another day of rest, Han Li judged that enough time had passed. He changed direction with Qu Hun and flew toward Yellow Maple Valley, bypassing the Seven Sect Coalition encampment entirely.

Han Li’s reasoning was simple: if something had truly gone wrong at the encampment, the sects would be the first to know. It would be more efficient to first gauge the situation at the Valley. If all was well, he could still make it back to the encampment in time.

And so, Han Li and Qu Hun flew for five or six days, their path peaceful and uneventful, until they reached the Taiyue Mountain Range.

Without alerting anyone, Han Li first slipped back into his own cave dwelling.

Once inside, he reactivated the grand formation that sealed the entrance. A wave of relief washed over him. At least here, on his own turf, he was safe.

Without pausing to rest, Han Li went straight to the Spirit Eye Spring chamber.

As expected, both spider eggs had successfully hatched. Floating within the spring were two fist-sized white spiders. Though not large, they were crystalline and translucent, clearly no ordinary creatures.

The moment the two little spiders saw Han Li, a pair of white flashes shot out of the spring water.

Han Li was momentarily startled, but then he remembered something and did not dodge.

Both spiders landed steadily on his shoulders, crawling playfully over him as if they had known him for a long time.

A faint smile crossed Han Li’s face.

It seemed the soul-control restriction he had placed using his Essence Blood had indeed taken effect. These two little spiders regarded him as their parent, which was why they acted so affectionately.

Delighted, Han Li plucked one of the white spiders from his shoulder and placed it on his palm for a closer look.

Spiders usually evoked an unpleasant, ugly impression, but this little creature was a dazzling, pure white. It was remarkably beautiful, and one could not help but feel attached to it at first sight.

What surprised Han Li the most, however, was that the little spider’s spiritual power was already at the third or fourth layer of Qi Condensation. It was a genuine first-rank lower-grade demon beast.

Its future potential seemed truly considerable.

As it happened, the white spider was listed in the Strange Insect Register, known as the “Blood Jade Spider,” ranked around one hundredth place. Though not as formidable as the Golden-Back Demon Mantis, it was still a rare variety.

Han Li played with the two little spiders for a while, then placed them in a leather pouch and carried them on his person. Since he didn’t know when he would return, it was only natural to bring them along and slowly train them.

Next, Han Li went to his bedroom and pulled out a small chest from under the bed.

Inside the chest were over a dozen storage pouches filled with various talismans. Han Li casually picked two and took them with him. His previous stock of talismans was nearly depleted; he needed to replenish his supplies.

After handling these matters, Han Li left Qu Hun in the cave dwelling and flew openly toward Yellow Maple Valley.

Perhaps because most of the personnel had already been dispatched to the Seven Sect Coalition encampment, Han Li encountered only a few scattered Qi Condensation disciples along the way. He casually stopped one of them and inquired about the situation in the Valley.

The answer brought no bad news, which put Han Li slightly at ease.

But this was only a Qi Condensation disciple. Han Li would not stop there. After a moment’s thought, he flew straight toward the Hundred Medicine Garden.

Given that the little old man was at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, he should have more concrete information.

A short while later, Han Li arrived above the Hundred Medicine Garden, but a hazy white formation blocked his way. He had long since returned the entry token he had once borrowed from the little old man, so he could no longer freely enter.

After witnessing the power of the Reversed Five Elements Formation, this crude illusion array of the little old man’s was no longer of any consequence in Han Li’s eyes.

Still, Han Li had no intention of forcing his way in. He took out a transmission talisman, muttered a few words, and turned it into a streak of fire, tossing it into the white mist below.

Not long after, the white mist churned, revealing a passage about a zhang wide.

Seeing this, Han Li chuckled softly and floated lightly downward.

At the end of the passage was the center of the Hundred Medicine Garden, where two people were already waiting for his descent.

“Brother Ma, it’s been a while!” Han Li said cheerfully to one of them.

The man was the master of the Hundred Medicine Garden—the little old man.

“Hmph! Even though we haven’t met, you’ve certainly caused me plenty of trouble!” The little old man did not give Han Li a friendly face but rolled his eyes instead.

“Hehe, surely you’re not dissatisfied with a disciple as obedient as Miss Xiao?” Han Li said, unconcerned, and smiled at the other person.

That person, her face slightly flushed, bowed to Han Li and spoke with grateful respect:

“Xiao Cuier pays respects to Uncle-Master Han. Thank you, Uncle-Master, for your great kindness!”

She was a young girl, the granddaughter of old man Xiao.

Hearing Han Li’s words, the little old man wore a vexed expression. He was about to say something more, but Han Li cut him off:

“Brother Ma, I’ve come today to ask you about something important. It’s truly a matter of great urgency!” Han Li’s expression suddenly turned serious.

Seeing Han Li’s solemn demeanor, the little old man frowned, then turned to Xiao Cuier and instructed:

“Go stand guard at the garden gate. Your Uncle-Master Han and I have things to discuss.”

“Yes, Master!” the girl replied respectfully, then, without a word, walked toward the garden gate.

Xiao Cuier’s obedient behavior clearly pleased the little old man, and a hint of fondness flickered in his eyes.

Seeing this, Han Li found it secretly amusing. This Brother Ma talked about how troublesome it was, but in his heart, he clearly doted on Xiao Cuier. He really was the type to put up a tough front!

The little old man led Han Li into the main hall, and they each took a seat. Then, in an unhurried tone, he asked:

“Junior Brother, weren’t you at the border camp? How do you have the time to come here to ask me questions? If it’s something important, let’s hear it!”

Brother Ma wore an indifferent expression.

“Ahem, it’s a long story!” Han Li sighed and smiled bitterly.

Han Li had known the little old man for many years and knew that, although this man’s words were often sharp-tongued, he was actually not a bad person at heart. So Han Li gave a rough account of the encounter with the Imperial Spirit Sect cultivator on his way back. Of course, he glossed over the specifics of the fight, focusing on the possibility that Spirit Beast Mountain might be secretly allied with the demonic path.

The little old man’s carefree expression froze completely as he listened.

After a long silence, he finally asked slowly, his face full of disbelief:

“Junior Brother Han! You destroyed a Core Formation cultivator’s primordial soul? And Spirit Beast Mountain might be a demonic path agent?”

He looked as though he was hearing a fairy tale.

Seeing this, Han Li put on a bitter face.

It was no wonder the man reacted this way. Anyone hearing such news would find it hard to believe at first.

But Han Li still frowned and said:

“That’s exactly why I’m here. I wanted to see if any news had come from the encampment. If not, I’d feel safe enough to go back.” Han Li made no effort to hide his true concern, showing a very natural, self-preserving attitude.

“No such news has come. The only reports are about large shipments of supplies and spirit stones. There’s been no bad news at all—everything is normal,” the little old man said seriously.

Hearing this, Han Li let out a light sigh and, rubbing his nose, muttered to himself:

“So, it means I was completely fooled by that guy. Should I curse three times to vent my frustration, or should I laugh three times to celebrate that the encampment is safe?”

The moment these words left his mouth—

“Dong! Dong!”

An enormous bell toll rang out from the direction of the main hall.

Han Li and the little old man exchanged a glance, their faces both changing color.

The bell continued ringing for a full fifteen minutes before finally stopping.

The little old man’s expression was extremely grim. After taking a deep breath, he said in a heavy voice:

“Eighty-one tolls. It seems your news is most likely true. Things are really turning bad now.”

“Let’s go find out what’s actually happening. It might not necessarily be related to my news,” Han Li said after a moment of silent contemplation, his tone flat.

“Hmph! It would be strange if it weren’t!”

“If there hadn’t been a major defeat on the front, why would they ring the Dragon-Alarm Bell eighty-one times, a signal of imminent sect-wide annihilation?” the little old man sneered.