Stirring the Seas from Abroad

Chapter 461: Stirring the Seas from Abroad

As if seeing Han Li’s hostility and the wariness on his face, the vast, sky-covering black cloud spun rapidly and began to contract toward its center. Black qi churned; demonic aura swelled.

Han Li’s heart tightened. He was about to order the puppets to attack preemptively when the Profound Bone Saint’s cold voice sounded in his ear.

“Boy, don’t make a reckless move. He’s just putting on a show of power, not actually trying to kill you. Wait and see what this unfilial disciple wants from you first!”

The Profound Bone Saint’s voice transmission startled Han Li, then cleared his mind in a flash of realization.

He forcibly suppressed the impulse in his heart and spoke in an unhurried yet courteous tone:

“Senior Extreme Yin has come in person. What instruction does Senior have for this junior?”

Han Li’s voice was low and steady.

“To remain so composed after weathering one of my strikes… it seems you have considerable nerve.” The voice of Extreme Yin Patriarch came from within the black cloud, answering the question with words that could have been either praise or contempt.

“Senior is an Elder of the Nascent Soul stage. If Senior truly wished to destroy this junior, what difference would a little more or less nerve make?” Han Li furrowed his brows imperceptibly, but immediately replied, his expression as calm as ever.

Knowing that the Profound Bone Saint had not gone far and was concealing himself nearby, his heart settled slightly.

If he joined forces with this old fiend, who knew the weakness of the Profound Yin Art, they might actually be able to fight the other side. That was, of course, assuming the Profound Bone Saint would truly help in a conflict between him and Extreme Yin. Han Li had no confidence in that at all. Therefore, he had no intention of provoking the other party in the slightest.

At this moment, the black cloud in the sky finally coalesced.

It flashed a few times, then with a puff sound, the cloud dissipated, revealing a middle-aged man and a short, ugly youth in mid-air. They were none other than Extreme Yin Patriarch and Wu Chou.

“You are Han Li, a rogue cultivator from Heaven Star City. Am I correct?” The middle-aged man looked at Han Li with considerable interest.

“That is correct. I am Han Li. It seems Senior is quite familiar with me.” Han Li gave a faint, bitter smile, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

“No need to worry. I am not here to cause trouble. Nor am I here to bear a grudge against you over the matter of the Sublime Sound Sect from that day. That attack just now… I merely found that formation somewhat inconvenient, so I broke it.” Extreme Yin Patriarch said with a bland smile.

‘Inconvenient? More like he wanted to intimidate me with overwhelming power!’ Han Li thought to himself, but he still asked with a hint of forced respect:

“Then Senior is here for…?”

Even though he knew the other party was waiting for him to ask this question, Han Li could only grit his teeth and ask it intentionally.

But upon hearing Han Li’s question, Extreme Yin Patriarch let out a heh laugh, his eyes carefully scanning Han Li up and down again, staring until Han Li’s hair stood on end.

“Do you recognize this?” The Extreme Yin Patriarch suddenly turned his hand over, revealing a small, white object in his palm. His face became serious.

Before Han Li could see what it was, the Patriarch lightly tossed the object, which flew directly toward Han Li.

A look of doubt flashed across Han Li’s face. When the object reached him, he flicked his sleeve, wrapping it inside the fabric before carefully bringing it before his eyes.

The object was small and incomplete. But Han Li recognized it at once.

It was a small segment of pure white spider silk spat out by the Bloodjade Spider.

Han Li was taken aback, wondering why the other party would have such a thing. But after a slight turn of his mind, he quickly recalled the battle at the Hidden Kill Sect that day. When he had broken out of the encirclement, he had used the Bloodjade Spider to deal with the blocking demonic corpse. The other party had probably obtained this item then.

What was the meaning of asking about this now? Han Li’s expression changed slightly as a host of speculations rushed through his mind.

However, the other party would not give him time to ponder at length. After a brief hesitation, Han Li could only answer honestly:

“This junior recognizes this object, of course. It is a piece of silk net spat out by my spirit beast. Senior has come because of this?”

Han Li’s face was full of suspicion, as if he still couldn’t quite believe it.

But upon hearing this, the Extreme Yin Patriarch in the sky revealed a smile.

“Good, very good! I came looking for you this time precisely to see your spirit beast. Release it and let me take a look!” The Extreme Yin Patriarch spoke with a hint of excitement, his voice remarkably gentle.

To Han Li, however, this only heightened his wariness.

In the other’s smile, he detected a trace of greed that was well-concealed, a flash that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

The fact that a Nascent Soul cultivator would show such an expression toward his Bloodjade Spider was, for him, an extremely bad omen.

Though his heart was filled with unease, facing the Extreme Yin Patriarch’s gaze, Han Li hesitated only for a moment before having no choice but to grit his teeth and utter a single word: “Alright.”

‘Stall for as long as I can, one moment at a time!’ Han Li could only think this with a sense of frustration.

Then he raised a hand and lightly patted a spirit beast pouch at his waist.

A streak of white light shot out from the pouch and landed before Han Li.

The light faded, revealing a millstone-sized white spider, which fixed its menacing gaze on its surroundings.

The moment the Bloodjade Spider appeared, Extreme Yin Patriarch’s eyes lit up. He stared at it unblinkingly, as if looking at a priceless treasure, the joy on his face growing stronger.

“Excellent! It really is the Bloodjade Spider. Haha…”

After a long moment, the Extreme Yin Patriarch withdrew his gaze, but suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter.

The sound vibrated through the surrounding air, causing a dull hum, and Han Li’s expression shifted involuntarily.

A Nascent Soul cultivator’s power was indeed unfathomable!

However, Han Li immediately adopted a cautious demeanor, knowing that the other party was about to get down to business.

But before the Extreme Yin Patriarch could speak, the Profound Bone Saint’s anxious voice transmission sounded in Han Li’s ear.

“How do you have a Bloodjade Spider? If you had this, why didn’t you tell me from the start?” The Profound Bone Saint’s voice was filled with regret and shock.

‘Why should I tell you I have this!’ Han Li’s heart flared with anger at these words.

But he quickly calmed down and reconsidered. If even the Profound Bone Saint was this shaken, then this pair of Bloodjade Spiders must indeed hold a great secret. He just didn’t know whether this situation would be a disadvantage or an advantage for him now.

Just as Han Li was pondering this, the Profound Bone Saint’s urgent voice transmission sounded again.

“That unfilial disciple is sure to invite you to the inner hall. Go ahead. I will follow in secret and support you.” Perhaps realizing his tone had been inappropriate, the Profound Bone Saint’s voice had softened considerably, but he still gave the instruction gravely.

Hearing this, Han Li only grew more uneasy.

He vaguely felt that, because of this Bloodjade Spider, he had been drawn into a massive vortex, and a single misstep could mean being ground to dust.

While Han Li was secretly in doubt, the Extreme Yin Patriarch finally spoke, uttering the very words the Profound Bone Saint had predicted.

“Han Li, do you want to see the inner hall? I can safely take you in and out once!” The Extreme Yin Patriarch spoke amiably, his words full of endless temptation.

“Go to the inner hall?” Han Li was startled by this.

That was a place extremely dangerous, even for Core Formation cultivators.

Although the treasures inside were equally far more precious than anything else in the Void Heaven Palace.

Han Li, who had known the full details of the place from the start, had been self-aware enough to never consider entering.

Now that he had just obtained the “Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng,” which was greatly useful for condensing a Nascent Soul, he naturally had even less desire to take such a pointless risk.

As for the other party’s talk of safely taking him in and out, and the Profound Bone Saint’s urging him to agree, he scoffed at the idea. He neither believed nor obeyed.

He only had one life, after all!

Thinking this, Han Li only deliberated for a moment before forcing a faint smile and declining:

“The inner hall is a bit too much for this junior to handle. I’ll be content just wandering through the first two halls. I won’t be going to the inner hall! This junior simply doesn’t have that good fortune!”

Hearing this, the Extreme Yin Patriarch’s face darkened, a sinister look flashing in his eyes.

Beside him, Wu Chou’s face filled with rage as he suddenly barked:

“Han Li! My ancestor is not holding the matter of your offense against him from that day against you, and now he kindly offers to take you to the inner hall. Yet you refuse in every way! Are you looking down on us, Extreme Yin Island?”

The Extreme Yin Patriarch did not stop Wu Chou’s outburst, merely watching coldly with a displeased expression.

Han Li remained silent.

Because in his ear, the voice of the Profound Bone Saint was once again urging him to agree. But how could Han Li be so easily coerced?

“No. I don’t know what business Island Lord Wu has in calling me to the inner hall, but I doubt it’s just to let me have a look around! I’d rather spend the time looking for a few more treasures in safer places.” Han Li said, his expression calm.