Storm Brewing Off the Shores

Two months later, Han Li finally emerged from the secret chamber.

Though his face showed signs of exhaustion, his heart was filled with elation.

Every time he thought of the seventy-two "Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords" now absorbed into his body, the corners of his mouth would involuntarily lift, unable to conceal his joy.

He had spent over twenty years of his life on this set of intrinsic magical treasures, and in the end, they had been refined without a single mistake.

He had yet to test their true power, but he was certain that once they were properly nurtured, even a single flying sword would far surpass an ordinary magical treasure like the Green Emperor Sword.

As he basked in this quiet satisfaction, a report came through his spiritual sense from Qu Hun: the Gold Devourer Beetles had laid eggs.

This was an unexpected bonus on top of his earlier success.

Han Li returned to his bedchamber to rest for a single day, then went straight to the insect chamber.

The chamber was a sea of white—everywhere he looked, snow-white Gold Devourer eggs covered the ground.

Without hesitation, Han Li excavated a second insect chamber next to the original, making it identical in every detail. On the floor of the new chamber, he carved a massive Spirit Control Array and infused it with a large quantity of his essence blood.

Then he transferred the majority of the eggs into the new chamber's array to undergo the spirit-binding ritual.

In the original chamber, he left behind nearly a thousand of the most vigorous eggs.

Only after all this was done did Han Li finally relax. He began visiting the nearby cultivation caves of a few fellow cultivators he had befriended, gradually returning to his normal cultivation routine.

During the years Han Li had spent in seclusion, the entire Starfall Sea cultivation world had been shaken by a series of major upheavals.

The most significant was that seven or eight powers, including the Six Serenity Hall, had suddenly suffered internal revolts among their subordinates or disciples overnight. Their leaders and sect masters were overthrown, replaced by people who had previously been complete unknowns.

At the same time, a few obscure minor sects were wiped out to the last man, their most treasured heirlooms stolen.

In a short time, every faction in the Starfall Sea became paranoid. Almost simultaneously, they pulled back their forces and began to suspect one another.

But the worst was yet to come. A rumor began to circulate, originating from an unknown source, that the Twin Saints of the Stars had long ago succumbed to cultivation deviation and lost all their cultivation. It was said they had been reduced to puppets by a handful of their subordinates and could no longer control the Star Palace.

When this news broke, the entire cultivation world was thrown into an uproar.

Nearly everyone with a stake in the matter watched closely for the Star Palace's reaction.

To everyone's surprise, the Star Palace did nothing. It issued no denial and made no admission.

This silence made the chaos even worse.

Hidden ambitions that had been dormant for decades began to stir. Certain factions started plotting in secret, while others forged unspeakable pacts of mutual defense.

But on the surface, in the days following the rumor, all the open turmoil vanished as if it had never happened.

Anyone with insight knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

Whenever Han Li visited his acquaintances and the conversation turned to these events, they all wore expressions of deep concern.

Han Li, however, was not particularly bothered.

To him, it did not matter whether the Star Palace continued to dominate the Starfall Sea or whether some other power rose to take its place.

He was a lone wanderer. As long as he was careful and did not get dragged into the conflict, everything would be fine.

According to his own plan, he intended to spend the next few years nurturing his flying swords and refining several sets of formidable array instruments.

After that, he would go out to sea and hunt sixth-grade demon beasts.

For a Core Formation cultivator, only pills refined from sixth-grade demon beast inner cores could noticeably improve his cultivation.

And so the days passed. By day, Han Li refined tools and studied formation arts. By night, he sat cross-legged, slowly tempering the seventy-two Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords within his dantian with his core flame.

Before long, the Gold Devourer eggs hatched.

Han Li happily collected the bound beetles into several high-grade spirit beast pouches, and in his spare time, he gradually trained them to follow his commands for future combat use.

In his heart, Han Li was quite satisfied with this stable, peaceful cultivation life.

Now that he had successfully formed his core, he naturally set his sights on the Nascent Soul stage. He wanted to see if he could one day reach that realm.

But one day, as he was refining his flying swords within the cave, his expression suddenly shifted. He rose and walked slowly outside.

Standing at the entrance of his cave dwelling was a middle-aged man of around forty. The man had fair skin, narrow eyes, and long eyebrows, giving him a refined and gentle appearance.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I apologize for the sudden visit," the man said warmly as soon as Han Li emerged.

"Brother Jin! What brings you to my humble abode? Please, come in!" Han Li replied without delay, returning the greeting before inviting the man inside.

This man was named Jin Qing, a Core Formation cultivator who lived near Han Li. He was generally considered upright and had even given Han Li some guidance shortly after he formed his core. Among the cultivators Han Li associated with, Jin Qing was the one he got along with best.

The last time Han Li had visited, Jin Qing had been away from his cave. Han Li had learned that he had gone on a journey and had not returned for several years.

Seeing him now was a pleasant surprise.

"There is no need. I will say what I need to say here. I have other business to attend to shortly," Jin Qing said with a faint smile, waving his hand.

"If you have something to say, Brother Jin, please speak freely. I am all ears," Han Li said in a half-joking tone.

Hearing this, Jin Qing gave a slight smile and began to speak slowly.

"I only returned recently, and I heard from other fellow Daoists that you have been studying the art of formations all these years and have achieved considerable skill. That is truly commendable. As it happens, I encountered a difficult problem during my travels—I need to break through a certain formation restriction. I came here today to ask for your expertise in formations. I hope you will not refuse."

"A restriction? Where is it?" Han Li was caught off guard, but quickly composed himself.

"Take a look at this."

Instead of answering, Jin Qing pulled an object from his storage pouch and handed it to Han Li.

Han Li took it. It was a white pearl the size of a thumb.

"What is this?" Han Li asked, a look of surprise crossing his face as he glanced at Jin Qing.

"Inject a little spiritual power into it, and you will see," Jin Qing said with a light laugh, his expression mysterious.

Frowning slightly, Han Li reluctantly channeled a thread of spiritual power into the pearl.

The moment the power entered, a dazzling white light burst forth from the pearl.

To a mortal, this light might have been blinding enough to harm the eyes. But to a Core Formation cultivator like Han Li, it was merely ordinary light. He fixed his gaze on the pearl and stared intently.

Then his expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

Something had appeared inside the pearl.

This time, without waiting for Jin Qing's prompting, Han Li extended his spiritual sense into the pearl. As the moments passed, his expression grew serious.

"An ancient cultivator's ruins?" Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense, took a deep breath, and asked the middle-aged cultivator.

"I am not entirely sure. But to preserve a map using such an ancient method… only those old cultivators would do that," Jin Qing said, a spark of excitement flashing across his face.

Han Li nodded.

Using pearls, shells, and similar items to store important information was indeed a common practice among the ancient cultivators of the Starfall Sea.

Inside this pearl was half of a map-like image.

Jin Qing continued from the side:

"There are two such pearls in total. Put together, they form a complete map. I discovered them together with another fellow Daoist in a small shop. They were strung on a necklace with ordinary pearls, so we each took one and agreed to search for the place marked on the map together."

"So you found the place?" Han Li stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"Yes. It took us five or six years, on and off, but we finally located it not long ago. Unfortunately, the entire place is sealed within a great formation. Neither of us knows the first thing about formations, so we had to return empty-handed."

"We agreed that upon returning, each of us would find a formation expert to help break the seal. As you know, Fellow Daoist Han, among us rogue cultivators, those who study formations are extremely rare. Even if there are one or two, I am not acquainted with them. I was at my wit's end when I heard about your skill. I had no choice but to come and ask for your help. Do not worry—once the formation is broken, whatever appears in the ancient ruins, I will make sure you get your share," Jin Qing said earnestly, seeing Han Li's hesitation, and quickly explained the situation in detail before making his promise.