“Oh, its nothing much. I just cultivated a bit of lightning, so I am curious about this item.” Han Li fiddled with the lightning branch and calmly asked, “What did you plan on trading this for?”
When the old man heard that Han Li thought about purchasing it, the old man was startled and gave Han Li an appraising glance. He hoa.r.s.ely said, “I have yet to find a true use for the lightning wood, so its price is hard to estimate, but it is lightning turned wood. How about this? Recently, I’ve wanted to refine a Sky Essence Pill, but I’m missing a five-thousand-year-old medicine herb. If you can give it to me, the wood is yours. Of course, I won’t refuse top-grade spirit stones if you have them.”
“How did you know I have medicine herbs?” Han Li’s heart trembled and his expression behind the white mist sank.
“There is no need to be shocked,” The old man softly said, “I’ve cultivated a minor ability that grants me an extraordinary scent of smell. During your trade with the demon woman, I caught a whiff of a medicinal scent coming from that wooden box. It belonged to a three-thousand-year-old medicinal herb. If you can easily take that out, then it is likely you can bring out a five-thousand-year-old medicine herb.”
Han Li was left speechless.
He heard Buddhist sects’ grand techniques were able to strengthen a cultivator’s five senses. Legend mentioned myriad distant sight, flawless hearing, penetrative sights like his Brightsight Spirit Eyes. From what he said, his abilities must’ve reached an inconceivable realm mentioned only in rumors.
Having realized this, Han Li’s expression relaxed and he slowly said, “That is so. Since you’ve pointed it out, I do have such a medicine herb. Take a look and see if it’s suitable.”
Han Li had no intention of bargaining. He raised his hand and white light flashed. He tossed a narrow wooden box over to him.
The old man was surprised. He didn’t think that Han Li would truly agree to his condition. He happily took the box and took a quick glance at its interior before covering it back up.
“Not bad, a genuine five-thousand-year-old spirit herb. I can use it.” The old man happily said.
Han Li smiled and his hand blurred, putting away the branch. Then he saluted him and silently departed.
In front of old cunning foxes, the less said the better.
After he left the hall, he took another trip through the market, but with his spirit treasures and countless medicine herbs, there was little that could temp him. Several hours later, he returned to the huge stone paG.o.da.
When he walked in his squad’s seclusion room, Han Li waved his hand, striking at the door with a spell seal. He didn’t wish to be disturbed.
But Han Li still wasn’t at ease. He raised his hand and released several differently-colored streaks of light that disappeared into corners of the room.
His two hands formed a spell seal and a white barrier of light appeared on the walls, thoroughly protecting him from view.
As a result, Han Li was able to take a seat on the meditation mat and take out the half-foot-long lightning branch.
It was only about as thick as a thumb, but its color was exceptionally green. There was also a fine vortex pattern on its surface, but on closer inspection, it looked more like a flame.
He hadn’t closely inspected the branch while he was in the Profound Zenith Hall. Now, he brushed his finger lightly past every inch and he closed his eyes.
Underneath the branch’s surface, the wood was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with violent lightning. It was inconceivable for such a thing to have solid form.
As he mulled over this, he opened his eyes once more and azure light flashed from his hand. He injected some spiritual power into the branch.
The branch trembled and the magic power came back to him, completely repelled.
A trace of astonishment appeared in his eye and he poured in magic power with more force.
The branch trembled and a layer of white light appeared on it. It clashed with the azure light from Han Li’s hand, appearing entirely incompatible.
A while later, a slight drone sounded from the light.
Han Li frowned and he waved his hand, vanis.h.i.+ng the azure light.
It was clear that forcefully injecting more spiritual power into the branch would cause it to explode.
With Han Li’s experience, he had other ways of examining it.
He grabbed the branch and released several arcs of golden lightning onto it.
The lightning jumped on the branch’s markings and remained completely still.
Han Li didn’t appear dejected. If this branch was easily researched, its previous master wouldn’t have sold it at such a low price.
Han Li then tossed it into the air, where it immediately floated in suspension.
He flicked his finger at the branch, and a golden swordlight flew out and chopped at the center of the branch.
A deep clap of thunder sounded. White light arced out and the branch was easily split into two. It then gently fell to the ground.
Han Li then reached out for the two halves and took them into his hand.
Han Li swept his gaze past them and saw silver light s.h.i.+ning from the split ends.
Blue light s.h.i.+ning from his eyes, he closely looked at it and discovered that the so-called silver light was actually countless thin arcs of lightning waved together in some sort of pattern. It formed an inconceivable design.
It was meticulous and complex.
If it weren’t for his spirit eyes, he wouldn’t have been able see through it.
In the blink of an eye, a layer of green wood immediately formed over the cut ends, creating two independent branches.
Han Li was truly shocked by this.
Controlling lightning and condensing it together was originally something he considered a skill of his. But lightning of this elaborate detail was beyond his abilities and something he never considered.
This was countless times more complex than his nets or condensed b.a.l.l.s of Divine Devilbane Lightning. And those methods already required an outstanding degree of control with his spiritual sense.
Han Li took the branches in hand and lowered his head in thought.
Suddenly his gaze flickered and he flicked his finger at once of the ganches.
Golden light flashed and it was again cut into two.
This time, Han Li was prepared and his spiritual sense stirred. He looked at the bared silver opening.
Blue light brightly s.h.i.+ned from his eyes and he completely focused on the branch’s opening.
This time, however, the designs of the lightning from the opening was vastly different.
A short moment later, the opening was covered again by green wood.
He slowly closed his eyes and began to think about what he saw.
Suddenly, his finger flicked and another piece of the wood was split open. Again, a completely different pattern was revealed and he looked at it with complete focus.
Soon, the branch half was cut into countless small pieces, all lying on the ground.
As Han Li began to show a face of understanding, he spat out a thin swordlight and cut through the center of the other branch half. In a flash of silver light, it split into two even pieces.
He closely examined it once more and he released countless more golden streaks, splitting the wood into thin pieces.
The thinnest pieces were like paper.
Even so, the lightning wood remained extremely stable. It clearly contained a fearsome amount of lightning to not burst out.
Han Li suddenly flipped his hand and took out a white jade slip.
He held onto the jade slip and began to imprint all the patterns that he saw.
Finally, he let out a long breath.
Even with his astonis.h.i.+ng level of memory, the many meticulous and complex patterns would be difficult to remember.
With that freed up from his mind, he began to comprehend the lightning designs.
For some reason, why he saw the lightning patterns, he felt a grasp of it, knowing the patterns had to do with the formation of the lightning wood.
He sat down for an entire day, unmoving as he completely looked at the patterns.
Suddenly, Han Li’s eye stirred and he flicked his finger. Lightning rang!
A streak of golden lightning shot out and immediately burst, scattering into countless thin arcs.
He chanted an incantation as fingers began to flick through the air.
The arcs of lightning stopped and suddenly condensed together. They began to weave into a strange design, faintly resembling what Han Li saw from the branch.
Just as it was about to take the form of cloth, it ruptured.
The weaved lightning disappeared like a firecracker.
Han Li let out a deep sigh and he couldn"t help but show a trace of disappointment, but excitement was still strong in his eyes.
His thoughts were correct. The golden lightning cloth he weaved with the lightning patterns possessed a vague power.
It was a shame that he made an error in weaving the cloth, leading to its eruption before he could research it.
Han Li took a deep breath and he twisted his hands together. A dense bolt of golden lightning shot out, letting out a rumbling sound.
It burst into countless thin arcs of lightning and condensed together again. The threads now appeared in far greater number.