"A friend? Could it be the person fellow Daoist is seeking spirit herbs for, to save their life?" Han Li asked, though inwardly he was secretly delighted. He had been worrying about how to steer the conversation toward that formation master, and now that such an excellent opportunity had presented itself, he naturally would not let it slip away.
Qi Yunxiao was startled by Han Li's question and hesitated for a moment.
But then he seemed to remember something, nodded as if making up his mind, and said:
"Senior speaks truly. This spirit tea was indeed made by my dear friend. Come to think of it, it was thanks to senior's thousand-year spirit herb used as the medicinal guide that his life was saved. However, although his life is no longer in danger, his injuries still refuse to heal. So... so this junior was thinking of shamelessly asking whether senior has any more aged spirit herbs? Even without a thousand-year spirit herb, one of seven or eight hundred years would give my friend great hope of recovery. I am also willing to exchange various formation flags for the spirit herb."
After saying this, Qi Yunxiao's face was full of expectation as he gazed at Han Li with total concentration.
Hearing Qi Yunxiao's words, Han Li was somewhat surprised, but inwardly he breathed a great sigh of relief. Since the other party still had a favor to ask of him, it seemed that asking him to repair the teleportation array would be a matter of course. Naturally, though, he still had to put on a troubled expression on his face, so the other party would owe him a favor!
Thinking of this, Han Li put on a pensive look, and only after a good while did he reluctantly say:
"I do indeed still have a little spirit herb on hand. But these, I intend to use for refining a batch of pills. It is truly..."
Although Han Li did not finish his words, the hesitation written all over his face already told Qi Yunxiao how difficult this matter was.
After all, what a batch of top-grade pills meant to a cultivator, the other party should understand very well.
And as soon as Qi Yunxiao heard that Han Li really did still have spirit herbs, he immediately showed an expression of wild joy. But upon hearing what followed, he became extremely anxious, and even before Han Li could finish speaking, he immediately said in a half-beseeching tone:
"This junior knows that asking Senior Han to give up his spirit herbs is somewhat making an unreasonable demand. But seeing my dear friend in pain day after day, I am truly heartbroken! If senior is willing to part with these spirit herbs, I am willing to let senior choose freely from all my formation tools—even if you take them all, this junior will have no complaints whatsoever."
Hearing the other party say this, Han Li's heart was greatly moved.
Qi Yunxiao's other formation tools, even if not as extraordinary as the "Inverted Five Elements Formation," were surely rare and exquisite items. If he could acquire several more sets, his own defenses would certainly increase considerably. Moreover, some formations were extremely powerful in attack; if he could trap powerful enemies within them, that would also be a sharp method of killing foes.
However, Han Li's main goal on this trip was to have the other party repair that damaged teleportation array. If he took the formation tools, it would probably be awkward to bring up this matter, or he would surely leave an impression of insatiable greed on the other party. Han Li had no desire to make enemies of these two.
After weighing the matter, Han Li was about to refuse this exchange and instead raise the matter of the teleportation array. But at that moment, a flustered shout from a young woman suddenly came from outside.
"Young Master Qi, it's bad! Something has happened to my young miss! Please hurry and save my young miss!"
As soon as the woman's voice entered the room, Qi Yunxiao's face changed drastically.
He hurriedly rose and rushed outside, without even taking the time to greet his guest Han Li. The shopkeeper standing nearby also ran out in a panic.
Han Li's eyebrows twitched slightly. His expression did not change, but he was somewhat puzzled. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked out as well.
In the open ground outside, Qi Yunxiao and the shopkeeper were listening nervously to what an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old woman was saying.
This woman had fair skin and a pretty face. As she recounted what had happened, her face was full of anxiety. But when she saw Han Li, a stranger, walk out of the room, she was startled and immediately shut her mouth, a look of wariness flashing through her eyes.
Seeing this, Han Li smiled indifferently and stood where he was, not walking any closer.
But Qi Yunxiao, the moment he turned and saw Han Li, rushed over to him as fast as flying, as if he had grasped a life-saving straw, and beseeched him with an agitated expression:
"Senior, my friend has been trapped somewhere by a group of cultivators with malicious intent. Now only senior can save her. If senior is willing to make a move, this junior will certainly repay you handsomely!"
"Can Fellow Daoist Qi explain in more detail? Could it be that the young miss this girl speaks of is that dear friend of yours skilled in formations?" Han Li frowned slightly and asked slowly, somewhat surprised.
"Precisely! The Inverted Five Elements Formation tools that senior used were made by that dear friend of mine and Miss Xing together!" Qi Yunxiao stared at Han Li eagerly and said hurriedly.
Only then did the pretty woman realize that with her cultivation at the fifth layer of the Qi Condensation stage, she could not discern the depth of Han Li's cultivation at all. She opened her small mouth in shock and gazed at Han Li with some fear.
But Han Li turned to the woman and said in a deep voice:
"Miss, could you recount what happened from the beginning?"
Although Han Li knew this was the perfect moment to bestow a favor, he still needed to understand the number and strength of the enemies. He had no intention of failing to save the person and getting himself dragged into the mess instead.
"...Oh! Here is what happened. Today my young miss and I went to the nearby..." Being asked by Han Li, the pretty woman, somewhat flustered, recounted the whole story once again.
It turned out that the fine tea leaves the young miss had used to brew spirit tea had run out two days ago. Following her usual habit, she went to Green Cloud Mountain, not far from here, to gather some more. But on that mountain she unexpectedly encountered a group of male cultivators, also at the Qi Condensation stage. When mistress and maid saw so many cultivators appear, they already felt something was wrong and planned to go down the mountain and return immediately.
Who would have thought that one of these cultivators had seen this woman set up a formation for some minor clan before, and recognized her identity as a formation master. He immediately told his companions, and the whole group instantly conceived evil intentions, preparing to capture her alive and then force her to teach them her insights into formations.
But the young miss was exceptionally clever. Before the others could make a move, she fled the mountain with the maid beside her, retracing their path. But halfway through their escape, she discovered that these people were still in hot pursuit and getting closer and closer. If things continued like this, they would surely be caught.
Left with no choice, she could only use a set of formation flags she carried with her to hastily set up a simple formation in a forest, protecting herself for the time being. Then she had the maid leave ahead of the enemies' arrival to come here and seek help from Qi Yunxiao.
Han Li listened to the woman's account while pondering in silence.
According to the woman, the enemies were only seven or eight Qi Condensation stage cultivators. It seemed there was nothing to worry about—he would definitely help with this.
Thinking of this, Han Li nodded and said:
"Miss, point out the path in a moment. We leave now!"
With that, amid Qi Yunxiao's grateful gaze, Han Li flicked his sleeve, and a small white boat appeared before their eyes, growing from small to large.
"Everyone come aboard! Saving a life is like fighting a fire. Though this tool is a bit small, it flies extremely fast—it can carry four or five people without any problem." Han Li swayed his body, stood at the bow of the boat, and turned to say to the others.
Only then did Qi Yunxiao and the young woman suddenly understand, and they jumped onto the boat together. When the shopkeeper also tried to climb aboard, Qi Yunxiao stopped him and said:
"Uncle Lin, your cultivation is too low! If you go, something dangerous might happen. Stay here! We will hurry back as soon as we have saved her!"
Hearing this, the shopkeeper's face showed hesitation. But knowing that Qi Yunxiao truly meant well for him, he reluctantly stayed behind.
Thereupon, Han Li and the others piloted the small boat, which turned into a streak of white light and vanished at the edge of the sky.
The Wind God Boat sped rapidly southward. Under Han Li's full control, its speed was so astonishing that the two of them were dumbstruck. In no time at all, they were flying above the forest where the formation had been set up.
At this moment, on one side outside the forest, those seven or eight people had not yet left. They were directing various magic tools in a relentless assault, and the thin layer of azure light covering the forest was already on the verge of collapse.
Seeing this, Qi Yunxiao's eyes reddened and he was about to jump down immediately, but Han Li grabbed him and said calmly:
"Do not be hasty! The magic tools these few use are all quite good. It seems they must all be from some cultivation clan. Since they already know this young lady is a formation master, I fear that even if we drive them off this time, they will pester you endlessly in the future. Why not let me eliminate them once and for all!"
Hearing that these people would continue to be a nuisance in the future, Qi Yunxiao nodded involuntarily in his anger.
Seeing this, Han Li smiled faintly, glanced down at the several cultivators who were still blissfully unaware, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly raised both hands, and in an instant two streaks of black light and six streaks of golden light shot out. In the blink of an eye they were before these people. Then, under the terrified gazes of these cultivators, the lights circled around them lightly, and they all toppled to the ground one after another without even having activated their protective shields—killed by Han Li simultaneously in an instant.
Qi Yunxiao and the maid stared at this scene in horror. Although they knew that Qi Condensation cultivators were certainly no match for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they had never imagined Han Li could kill several people so effortlessly. One must know, the highest cultivation among these people was already around the eleventh or twelfth layer of their fundamental technique. And Qi Yunxiao himself was only at the ninth layer.
Paying no heed to the awe on their faces, Han Li flew down on his tool.
Before the Wind God Boat had even fully landed, Qi Yunxiao impatiently leapt out, rushed hurriedly toward the forest, and shouted over and over in extreme anxiety:
"Yin'er!"