The Wind Rises Overseas—A Gift

The ugly man immediately sensed something was wrong when Han Li’s tone turned so harsh. Then, seeing a severed head tossed toward him, his heart jumped.

Without a second thought, he dodged sideways, letting the projectile fly past.

But in that fleeting moment, he caught a clear look at the head. The face was pale and grim. It was indeed the old man from before—Brother Ding. A tremor shook him.

The Skull Head, watching from the side, was equally stunned.

Yet these two seemed well-accustomed to coordinating. The instant they sensed trouble, they quickly converged. With a point of their fingers toward the entangled treasures, the Mountain-Splitting Axe and the strange blade flew back.

Then, on full alert, they watched Han Li with cold, unblinking stares.

Although Han Li was a late Core Formation cultivator, the pair believed that together, they stood a fair chance against him. So there was no real fear in their eyes.

Yuan Yao, still hidden within the black mist, was baffled by the scene unfolding before her.

But the woman remained cautious. She did not take the chance to flee, nor did she dismiss the demonic arts surrounding her. She only kept the strange crimson hammer floating before her, watching Han Li and the other two with silent vigilance.

Han Li cast a meaningful glance toward Yuan Yao, then turned back to the Skull Head and the ugly man, a faint smile on his lips.

Without a word of explanation, he waved both hands. Over twenty small azure swords slid out from his sleeves. Their light flared, and in the next instant, they shot toward the pair like a school of fish.

The Skull Head and the ugly man could hardly believe their eyes. Utter disbelief painted their faces.

An ordinary Core Formation cultivator would have to sell off most of his possessions to forge a single lifebound magic treasure. And here was an opponent—who had just flipped sides out of nowhere—deploying over twenty flying swords.

Both understood instantly: this was no ordinary late Core Formation cultivator. They were no match for him.

The Skull Head’s expression contorted. He let out a guttural growl.

“Scatter! Save yourselves!”

The moment the words left his mouth, he transformed into a streak of black light and turned to flee. The ugly man, without a sound, recalled his massive axe and launched his own escape in the opposite direction, his speed just as fast. It was a practiced, well-rehearsed maneuver.

Han Li’s face darkened. His hands moved rapidly through a series of hand signs. He pointed lightly at the swarm of swords.

A flash of azure light. Each flying sword split into three identical copies. The original twenty-four streaks of green light swelled into ninety-six. The phantom army’s momentum doubled.

Then Han Li shook his sleeve and uttered a single cold syllable.

“Divide!”

At his command, the mass of sword lights obediently split into two streams.

The two waves of flying swords wove together at once, forming a unified screen of gleaming azure. Like a pair of furious wasp swarms, they tore through the air in opposite directions.

The fleeing Skull Head and the ugly man looked back and saw this display of the Split-Image Sword Technique. Their faces turned deathly pale. They abandoned all caution and channeled every ounce of their magic power into a desperate escape.

Han Li did not move. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes.

The combined speed of several dozen sword lights was not something an ordinary escape could outrun.

Unless they possessed some heaven-defying treasure like his blood-red cloak or his Wind Lightning Wings, the two stood no chance.

And indeed, moments later, the sword swarm overtook the pair, who had covered barely a thousand yards.

Left with no choice, the Skull Head and the ugly man turned and raised their magic treasures to resist. But under the relentless hail of dozens of sword lights—a furious, ceaseless storm of stabbing azure beams—they cried out in agony. One after the other, they fell, hacked to pieces by chaotic swords.

Only then did Han Li calmly cancel the Split-Image Sword Technique with a thought. He had his flying swords wrap up the storage pouches from the remains and bring them back.

As the swords flew back to his sleeves like homing birds, Han Li turned with an ambiguous smile toward the black clouds in the distance.

Before he could speak, a soft laugh came from within the gloom.

“Would that be Fellow Daoist Han? I didn’t expect your cultivation to have reached such a height after all these years. I am truly envious!” As the voice spoke, the black clouds gradually dispersed, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman standing gracefully in midair.

Her face—a mixture of charm and innocence—smiled at Han Li without a word, her bright eyes roving.

“I didn’t expect Miss Yuan to recognize me so quickly. I had hoped to surprise you a little.” Han Li chuckled and, without further concealment, dismissed the Shape-Shifting Art. In a flash of white light, his figure transformed back to its original form.

“With the sheer number of flying swords you possess, Brother Han, it is hard to imagine anyone else in the Chaos Star Sea commanding the same style of magic treasure.” The woman said this with a light smile, but she let out a small, secret sigh of relief when she saw his true face.

“I owe my life to you this time, Brother Han. Without your intervention, I fear I would not have escaped my fate.” Yuan Yao hesitated briefly, then flew closer and curtsied gracefully. Her thanks were sincere and warm.

She understood the situation perfectly. With Han Li’s current level of power, if he truly meant her harm, she had no chance of escape. Therefore, it was better to approach openly and try to build a friendly relationship.

Han Li understood her thinking, of course.

He smiled and waved his hand.

“It was pure coincidence that I arrived in time. A trivial deed. But it seems Miss Yuan’s techniques have advanced considerably over the years.”

“Brother Han, are you making fun of me? You have already reached late Core Formation, while I remain stuck at the early stage. What is there to say about advancing?” Yuan Yao tilted her head and gave Han Li a playful, reproachful look.

“Heh. You are too modest. I happened to run into you by chance, but there are actually a few matters I would like to discuss with you.” Han Li had no intention of dwelling on his own cultivation. With a casual remark, he shifted the subject and his expression turned serious.

“Of course! If Brother Han does not find my humble abode too simple, why not come to my cave for a chat?” A flicker of surprise crossed Yuan Yao’s face, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand and smiled.

Perhaps because he had saved her life, her attitude toward him had become noticeably warmer and more familiar.

“Then I will impose on your hospitality.” Han Li did not stand on ceremony. He cupped his hand in thanks.

With a radiant smile, the delighted woman guided Han Li down to the lush green mountain.

He followed her into her cave dwelling.

Yuan Yao’s cave was not especially large, but it was arranged with elegance and simplicity. Along both sides of the main passage, she had planted many rare flowers and exotic herbs, turning the originally cold, damp stone tunnel into a warm, fragrant corridor.

A gentle smile crossed Han Li’s face as he took it in.

Yuan Yao led him into a stone hall of about ten yards in size. Once Han Li was seated in the guest position, she personally brewed a pot of tea, then sat down across from him with a smile.

“Brother Han, your reputation in the Chaos Star Sea is not small these days. Everyone knows that the Vast Heaven Cauldron—the number one secret treasure of this sea—has fallen into the hands of a Core Formation cultivator named Han. And you have reached late Core Formation in such a short time. Could it be due to the legendary Heaven-Mending Pill you obtained? Is the pill truly that miraculous?” The moment she sat down, Yuan Yao brought up the matter of the Vast Heaven Cauldron, showing an undisguised longing for the Heaven-Mending Pill.

Han Li blinked, then gave a wry smile.

This woman was clever enough to bring up the Vast Heaven Cauldron and the Heaven-Mending Pill openly. By doing so, she was effectively signaling that she harbored no ill intent toward him.

Han Li could not help but feel a touch more goodwill toward her.

“Since you have raised the matter directly, Miss Yuan, I will not hide it. The Vast Heaven Cauldron is indeed in my possession. However, ever since I acquired it, my insight and cultivation were too shallow to open it. For now, it is nothing more than a chicken rib to me. My advancement in cultivation came from a different stroke of fortune. It has no connection to the Heaven-Mending Pill.” Han Li sighed softly and shook his head. Confident that he was far superior to her in cultivation and technique, he saw no reason to outright deny it. He admitted it openly.

“The Vast Heaven Cauldron has not been opened yet?” Yuan Yao was taken aback. But then she pursed her lips and smiled. Though she said nothing further, her expression was clearly one of disbelief.

Han Li frowned slightly. He could not be bothered to explain in detail to a woman like this. With a light cough, he got straight to the point.

“Do you still have some of the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid left, Miss Yuan? As you know, with the Vast Heaven Cauldron in my possession, my situation is precarious. The original supply I had has been mostly consumed by various incidents. If you have any left, I am willing to buy it at a high price. I will not let you suffer a loss.” Han Li stared at Yuan Yao as he spoke slowly.

On the open sea, if not for the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid, he would have lost his life. Having realized the vital importance of this substance, Han Li was not about to let the opportunity slip. He intended to acquire the other half of the bottle as well.

That way, should he face any future danger, he would have another trump card to save his life.

Yuan Yao was momentarily stunned. Her brow creased faintly, and she fell silent.

Then, without a word, her jade hand reached to her waist. She produced a small, azure bottle and placed it on the stone table between them. Without hesitation, she pushed it toward Han Li.

“This is the complete Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid. Not a single drop has been used. There is no need for any form of trade. I am giving it to you, Brother Han.” The woman stared at Han Li, her expression serene.

Her beautiful eyes were suddenly crystal clear.

(In all honesty, we had guests over at the house today, and it delayed things a bit. I only finished writing this chapter now. For the sake of my health, I don’t want to stay up late. So tonight, it’s just this one chapter. Everyone, please get to bed early. Early to bed, early to rise—that’s the way to stay healthy!)