145: Scavenging for Taoist artifacts

“Buzz—!”

As the two stepped onto the tenth stair, light instantly bloomed.

Two light figures transformed into giant elephants and charged forward.

“Bang—!”

Having learned from their previous experience, the two were fully prepared, simultaneously unleashing their True Qi martial arts, striking out directly.

The light figure giant elephants trembled, collapsing in an instant.

The two exhaled, lingered on the tenth stair for a moment, then stepped onto the eleventh stair.

This time, the Formation's attack reappeared, condensing even more powerful light figure giant elephants that charged towards the two.

“It seems that stepping onto the tenth stair brings about a qualitative change…”

Looking at the few people ahead, Han Li's heart became clear.

Without stopping, he continued to step onto the next stair.

The powerful gravity doubled again.

However, Han Li still showed no signs of difficulty.

His Physical Body had already completely surpassed that of an ordinary Peak of the Acquired Realm Martial Artist.

Even without activating his Overlord Body, his Physical Body could easily withstand the attack of a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact.

The improvement from the Dragon Elephant Overlord Body Art was an all-encompassing one.

Every inch of his body's skin, not only gained strength, but also improved in defense, flesh, and physique.

It was no exaggeration to describe his Physical Body as being like a Dragon… “Buzz—!”

In an instant, Han Li stepped onto the tenth stair.

The powerful gravity instantly doubled, light figures condensed, and a giant elephant roared as it charged over.

“Bang—!”

With a raised fist, Han Li directly shattered the giant elephant and stepped onto the eleventh stair.

Close behind, the Second Prince, Third Prince, and others also successively stepped onto the tenth stair.

As the attacks manifested, they were already prepared, and no major incidents occurred.

—

Time flowed by.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Han Li had already reached the thirty-fifth stair.

At this moment, the gravity on his body had reached an astonishing degree.

It was enough to easily crush an Early Stage Innate Martial Artist.

It felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on him.

After destroying the Formation's giant elephant attack, Han Li did not rush forward. He slightly adjusted, paused for a moment, and then continued to step onto the thirty-sixth stair.

“Roar—!”

The roar of a giant elephant sounded, and the giant elephant attacked again. Han Li clenched his fist with one hand and shattered it with a single punch.

His shoulder trembled slightly.

Of the ninety-nine stairs, he had only covered a little more than a third.

The higher he went, the stronger the gravity became.

Although there appeared to be ninety-nine stairs, in reality, they were not so easy to surmount.

However, relying on his powerful Physical Body, Han Li still had no major problems.

Currently, he was in the first position.

Close behind him were the First Prince and the others.

They had also stepped onto the thirtieth stair.

The higher they went, the more time they spent pausing.

The main reason was the doubled gravity, which required adaptation.

This was an all-encompassing gravity.

It wasn't just like having a large mountain pressing on his body.

Even Han Li's Physical Body needed a little time to buffer.

The ninety-nine stairs were more like a world of gravity.

Han Li estimated that reaching the summit would likely take a very long time.

“There’s probably less than a day left. I must reach the summit quickly, otherwise, I’ll have to leave the ruins…”

Looking at the palace on the mountaintop, Han Li then looked at the few people behind him.

Taking a deep breath, in the next instant, his True Qi surged, and he simultaneously unleashed his Overlord Body Golden Body state.

He took a single stride, stepping onto the thirty-eighth stair.

Destroying the Formation's giant elephant attack, Han Li's figure flickered, and he directly stepped onto the thirty-ninth stair.

Forty, forty-one… In an instant, under the fully activated Overlord Body Golden Body state, Han Li directly stepped onto the fiftieth stair in one go.

“…”

Watching Han Li move as lightly as a swallow, the First Prince and the others' eyelids twitched.

They almost couldn't help but curse.

Good heavens, so you were hiding your strength all this time.

Climbing over a dozen stairs in one breath.

Your ease is a bit too much.

“I don’t believe it, I’ll try too!”

The First Prince took a deep breath, prepared himself, and took a step. But the next second, powerful gravity assailed him.

The Formation's giant elephant roared its attack, and a sharp aura swept forth.

The First Prince unleashed his True Qi, performed martial arts, and launched a blow. It didn't directly collapse the giant elephant; it took a second strike for the giant elephant to completely disappear.

However, in that short time, as the First Prince just caught his breath and looked at Han Li ahead, Han Li had already advanced three more stairs.

“Forget it, I can’t copy him. It’s better for me to be steady.”

Muttering inwardly, the First Prince faced reality and had to be cautious.

He couldn't replicate Han Li's rapid progress.

The main reason was this strange gravity.

Stepping onto a stair, the gravity continuously increased, requiring adaptation. Even with True Qi protecting his body, it was somewhat difficult to resist.

If he were to forcefully charge, he definitely wouldn't be able to bear it.

The Second Prince and Third Prince also tried it for a bit, then gave up on advancing quickly.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but their strength didn't allow it.

This strange gravity required adaptation; with each stair they ascended, their True Qi consumption doubled.

If they relied solely on their Physical Body to advance, it would probably be even slower… And as the First Prince and the others successively stepped onto the fiftieth stair, Han Li’s figure was already nearing the peak.

Ninety stairs.

Looking at Han Li's back, the few exchanged glances, but did not blindly rush forward. They took out Medicinal Pills, recovered for a bit, paused for a while, and then stepped onto new stairs.

“This gravity is a bit abnormal…”

On the ninety-second stair, Han Li's figure swayed slightly. After destroying the Formation's attack, he couldn't help but pause for a moment.

Stepping onto the ninetieth stair, the gravity had already become abnormally strong.

It could easily deform a Spiritual Artifact, or even crush it!

One could imagine how abnormal the gravity here was.

Without the aid of True Qi, relying solely on his Overlord Body, Han Li could still endure it.

However, that would definitely be very uncomfortable.

If he unleashed True Qi, it would be a bit easier.

But it was still not that simple.

After catching his breath for a moment, Han Li stepped onto the stair again.

A powerful roar came, and the condensed light figure giant elephant attacked. Unleashing his own power, Han Li once again shattered the light figure giant elephant.

His body swayed slightly. After more than ten breaths, Han Li once again stepped onto the ninety-fourth stair… The further back he went, the longer the time consumed.

Ye Xukong and the others also knew that time was running out, but rushing was useless.

Now, this gravity and the Formation's attacks greatly slowed their progress.

They could only take it slowly.

As the group stepped onto the fifty-ninth stair, Han Li’s figure had reached the last stair.

The sound of Dragon roars echoed, attracting the attention of the others.

On the ninety-ninth stair, light condensed into nine Dragon shadows that attacked Han Li. Powerful fluctuations spread, causing the entire stair to tremble.

Han Li's body shimmered with lightning, condensing a massive Thunder God Avatar. Electric light permeated, transforming into a thunder seal, and battled the nine Dragon shadows.

After a moment, the battle ended, and then, under the watchful eyes of all, Han Li completely reached the summit.

“He reached the summit!”

Their fists clenched.

Their hearts immediately grew anxious.

Han Li reaching the summit first meant that the Legacy of Great Sage Baoxiang would very likely fall into his hands.

With Han Li’s strength, if he obtained the treasures in the palace, they would be utterly helpless.

Besides a God Realm Supreme, who could suppress Han Li?!

“Third Brother, where did you find such a Prodigy?”

The First Prince couldn't hold back any longer and looked at the Third Prince.

The Third Prince had a helpless expression: “Big Brother, don’t say so much. Let’s reach the summit first. If we’re late, we won’t even get a sip of the soup.”

The expressions of the few changed slightly. Ignoring the discussion, they quickly recovered their internal consumption and once again stepped onto the sixtieth stair… “Comfortable…”

Stepping over the last stair, Han Li let out a long sigh of relief.

His whole body felt light and airy.

As if he was about to fly.

The refreshing feeling of ascending from the ground to the heavens.

His entire body, muscles and bones, felt much more clear.

“I have to say, cultivating under gravity and then improving is not bad. After I go back, I’ll set up a gravity Formation for my Cultivation.”

Han Li smacked his lips, looking at the magnificent palace before him.

With a movement of his figure, he directly rushed into the palace.

Resplendent and magnificent.

The entire palace seemed to be cast from gold, shimmering golden.

Upon entering the palace, Han Li first saw a divine statue.

A platinum divine statue over three meters tall.

It was carved in the likeness of Great Sage Baoxiang.

It stood over three meters high.

“This is… a divine statue cast from Geng Metal?!”

Looking at the platinum divine statue before him, Han Li's pupils contracted.

He looked closely and confirmed he wasn't mistaken; this divine statue, over three meters tall, was entirely cast from Geng Metal.

Just entering, and it was already a surprise.

Such a large piece of Geng Metal, its value was extraordinary.

Geng Metal was a top-tier Artifact Refining Materials.

“Swish—!”

Taking a step, Han Li arrived before the platinum divine statue.

“Senior, I apologize!”

Looking at the platinum divine statue, Han Li silently recited, and then he directly moved the Geng Metal divine statue into his cosmos ring.

Afterward, Han Li looked around.

The four main pillars of the great hall were also made of Geng Metal.

“There are still treasures inside. I’ll dismantle them after I come out.”

Han Li withdrew his gaze, then followed a door into a long corridor, arriving at the back of the palace.

This place was more like an imperial city's temporary palace, very large.

It wasn't just this one palace.

In the long corridor, Han Li strolled forward, carefully observing his surroundings.

Through a long corridor, Han Li arrived in a courtyard.

“This is… a three-thousand-year-old Vermillion Fruit!”

Looking at a Spiritual Tree in the courtyard, Han Li's heart pounded.

The Spiritual Tree was tall, over nine meters high.

“And a five-thousand-year-old Vermillion Fruit!”

“Hiss!”

Looking at this tall Vermillion Fruit tree, Han Li gasped.

This Vermillion Fruit tree, any of its fruits were at least two thousand years old.

There were a total of thirty-two Vermillion Fruits.

Among them, the oldest was a six-thousand-year-old Vermillion Fruit, and there was also one five-thousand-year-old Vermillion Fruit.

The rest were all below five thousand years, but above two thousand years.

For Vermillion Fruits, the longer the age, crossing a millennium meant a qualitative change.

Those over two thousand years old could already be called Immortal Fruits.

Their efficacy was extremely great.

“There’s a Restriction!”

Han Li quickly came to his senses, sensing the Restrictions covering the area around the Vermillion Fruit tree.

Immediately, he unleashed his martial arts, striking out with a Dragon Elephant Divine Fist, causing the entire courtyard to tremble.

After destroying the Restriction, Han Li arrived before the Vermillion Fruit tree, which was as thick as a person.

“Rise for me!”

Clenching some protruding parts with both hands, the veins on Han Li’s arms bulged.

The courtyard trembled.

This huge Vermillion Fruit tree was slowly pulled up by Han Li.

To better preserve the Vermillion Fruit tree, Han Li was very careful.

It took Han Li a moment to carefully preserve the roots of the Vermillion Fruit Tree, along with the soil, before finally pulling it out completely.

Activating his True Qi to envelop the entire Vermillion Fruit Tree, Han Li placed it into his cosmos ring.

In the courtyard, a large deep pit was left behind.

Having dealt with the Vermillion Fruit Tree, Han Li scanned the courtyard, finding nothing else. He then passed through the archway of the courtyard and arrived at the back.

This area looked like a garden.

There were many Spiritual Plants inside.

And all of them were over a thousand years old.

These were Heaven And Earth Treasures rarely seen outside.

Han Li left nothing behind, moving all the Spiritual Plants from the garden into his cosmos ring.

The entire garden looked even worse than if bandits had swept through a village, with the soil completely turned over.

Not a single Spiritual Plant remained.

After ransacking the garden, Han Li continued deeper, passing through the garden and arriving at a room.

There was almost nothing in the room, but a painting hung on the wall.

The mountains and rivers in the painting were clearly visible, as if real.

“No, this is a Dao Artifact!”

After a careful look, Han Li’s pupils constricted.

This painting was actually a Dao Artifact.

Han Li stepped forward, and as soon as he reached out, a powerful Spiritual Might emanated, and light burst forth from the scroll.

Han Li’s figure was forced back a step.

“There’s a Restriction!”

Looking at the glowing Dao Artifact Divine Diagram, Han Li frowned.

His True Qi surged, and the purple light on his body condensed.

“Crack—!”

With a punch, the air shattered, directly striking the Dao Artifact Divine Diagram.

“Boom—!”

Light waves bloomed, causing a tremor.

Han Li’s figure also retreated a step.

With his power, he couldn’t even shatter the Restriction with a single blow.

However, through this clash, Han Li also understood the general situation of the Restriction.

He unleashed the Dragon Elephant Divine Fist, with Sky Dragon Suppressing Prison erupting, and punched the Restriction.

After dozens of breaths, the Restriction instantly shattered.

A powerful Spiritual Might emanated.

It had just been covered by a Restriction; if not for his strong spirit and detection of the difference, he might have thought it was just an ordinary scroll.

Now, with the Restriction broken, its true form was revealed.

Han Li reached out, and the Dao Artifact automatically emitted spiritual light to resist.

However, the resistance was not strong, and Han Li easily broke through the defense and took the Dao Artifact into his hand.

Looking at the Dao Artifact Divine Diagram in his hand, Han Li’s eyes lit up.

This was not just a Dao Artifact; it was a Medium Grade Dao Artifact.

He only had two Dao Artifacts in total.

One was the champion’s reward from the Nine Provinces Tournament, the Zhuxian Bow, and the other was the reward given to him by the Sect Leader, the Shaking Heaven Seal.

This was his third Dao Artifact.

However, Han Li had not yet refined it and was unsure of its effects.

But a Medium Grade Dao Artifact’s power was definitely unparalleled.

Han Li temporarily put it away.

In the Space-Time Medicinal Garden, using Magic Treasures was forbidden, so he could only temporarily put it away and refine it after leaving.

Putting away the Dao Artifact Divine Diagram, Han Li looked around the room again.

Confirming that there were no other treasures, he didn’t waste time, stepping out of the room and heading to other places… At this moment, on the steps, an hour had passed, and Ye Xukong and several princes had only reached the eighty-eighth step.

“An hour has passed. Han Li must have gained a lot. At our speed, I’m afraid we won’t even get a drop of soup when we reach the top…”

The First Prince spoke in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the others looked at the palace not far away, with only nineteen steps remaining.

But these nineteen steps, in their eyes, were like a chasm.

With each step, the gravity increased.

Time was running out, and whether they could reach the top was a question.

“Big brother, what do you mean by that?”

The Second Prince asked the First Prince.

“My meaning is simple: with the remaining time, I’m afraid it will be difficult for us to reach the top; hope is slim.” The First Prince said.

“Hmm?”

Ye Xukong and the others looked at the First Prince.

They had come so far with such difficulty, and they were giving up before reaching the top?

“Third brother, after leaving the ruins, can you invite this person to Baoxiang City?” The First Prince asked the Third Prince.

“They’re going to seize Han Li’s gains!”

Ye Xukong’s heart trembled as he heard the First Prince speak.

Baoxiang City was the imperial family’s base camp.

If they sent a message to the God Realm Supreme of Baoxiang City in advance after leaving the ruins, then they would surely seize his gains.

Hearing this, the Second Prince and Third Prince instantly understood his meaning.

The Third Prince frowned.

The Second Prince’s eyes lit up.

“Big brother, this method is excellent!”

The Second Prince showed a brilliant smile.

He wished for nothing more than for Han Li to be plundered.

If a God Realm Supreme were to act, Han Li would surely be finished.

In that case, his gains in the palace could be divided.

Everything Han Li possessed would become theirs.

The Third Prince pondered, his gaze suddenly falling on Ye Xukong.

The First Prince and Second Prince also looked at Ye Xukong.

“…”

“Time is running out, I’m afraid I have no hope of reaching the top. Your Highnesses, Ye bids farewell.”

Ye Xukong turned around and headed straight down.

Going back, there were no Formation attacks, and besides gravity, there were no other effects.

Soon, Ye Xukong had descended dozens of steps.

The First Prince and Second Prince withdrew their gazes and looked at the Third Prince.

“Big brother, doing this, if something unexpected happens, it might be difficult to explain.” The Third Prince said.

“Explain? What explanation? To whom?” The First Prince said indifferently.

“Forcibly seizing, what if Han Li encounters an accident and runs away? Wouldn’t our Baoyue Country gain a great enemy?” The Third Prince looked at the First Prince and said.

“As long as he leaves the ruins, I will inform the Imperial Advisor, and he will definitely not be able to escape. Although this person is extremely powerful, no matter how powerful, he is only an Peak of the Acquired Realm. In the eyes of a God Realm, he is just a larger ant.”

The First Prince said.

The Third Prince frowned tightly.

The First Prince looked at him and said, “Third brother, no matter what, we are of the same lineage. If we take him down, we will divide it equally, how about that?”

“But if the force behind Han Li finds out, then our Baoyue Country will definitely be in trouble.” The Third Prince said.

“Third brother, this is Baoyue Country, not Wu Dynasty. Are you being too cautious? Even if they find out, does our imperial family not have experts?”

“The Grand Imperial Uncle and Imperial Father, both are God Realm, are we still afraid of dealing with the forces behind him?”

The Second Prince said.

“Third brother, if we don’t join forces, I’m afraid neither of us will have a chance to get the things above.” The First Prince said indifferently.

“Even if we give a portion to the Imperial Advisor, there will still be a lot left. This is the Legacy reward of a Supreme Paragon. Even if it’s just a portion, it’s not something ordinary people can imagine. Perhaps, the three of us can all use this opportunity to step into the God Realm.” The First Prince continued.

“Then… let’s try.” The Third Prince nodded.

“But big brother, if we fail, you should know what we will face. In the future, if Han Li steps into the God Realm, I’m afraid it will be a disaster for our imperial family.” The Third Prince said.

“Hahaha, don’t worry, you should know the Imperial Advisor’s strength; there will definitely be no problem. How about this, after leaving the ruins, I will immediately send a message to the Imperial Advisor. Even if he doesn’t go, as long as he delays for a little bit of time, when the Imperial Advisor arrives, he will be unable to escape.”

The First Prince said with a smile… Below the steps, Ye Xukong looked at the figures of the three princes.

Although he didn’t know what their plans were, he felt something unusual from the First Prince’s first sentence.

But even knowing this, he was helpless.

Unless he notified his Revered Master, but his Revered Master was not in Baoyue Country right now. If he notified him, the opportunity would have long passed.

Although the Heaven and Earth Sect was the only top power in Baoyue Country, compared to the imperial family’s power, it was still far inferior.

The imperial family, the current Baoyue Emperor, the Imperial Advisor, and an imperial ancestor, three God Realm magnates.

Even the Heaven and Earth Sect had to obey the imperial family’s orders.

“Most likely, there’s some conspiracy…”

With this thought, Ye Xukong’s figure moved, instantly disappearing from his original spot.

Even if he knew, he was helpless… “Then big brother, are we still going up?” The Second Prince asked.

“You two continue up and see the situation.” The First Prince pondered for a moment and said.

“??”

“Then what about you, big brother?” The Third Prince and Second Prince both looked at the First Prince.

The First Prince remained silent, and with a flip of his hand, light bloomed.

It was actually a Spirit Treasure.

“I will be waiting for you outside.”

The First Prince’s voice sounded, and as soon as his words fell, the Spirit Treasure in his hand instantly activated. In the next breath, the First Prince’s figure disappeared into thin air.

Seeing this, the Third Prince and Second Prince exchanged glances.

The meaning was already clear.

Thinking of this, the two continued towards the next step.

—

Deep within the palace, in a courtyard, Han Li’s figure appeared.

He had already visited more than half of the places, and his gains were astonishing.

There were many Heaven And Earth Treasures.

Han Li didn’t miss a single one, collecting them all.

However, as for treasures, he had only acquired one Dao Artifact Divine Diagram so far; Han Li hadn’t encountered any others.

Within the palace, Restrictions were everywhere, and Han Li couldn’t recklessly use his Divine Sense to probe.

After all, this was the palace of a Supreme Paragon, and special situations could arise at any time, so he naturally needed to be cautious.

Stepping out of this courtyard, Han Li looked into the distance, his figure moving as he continued to explore… Time passed little by little, and this palace was almost completely searched by Han Li.

The Heaven And Earth Treasures he obtained were all rare treasures.

Arriving outside another courtyard, rumbling thunder sounds emanated.

Han Li looked at the courtyard, immediately passed through the archway, and entered the courtyard.

“Sizzle—!!”

Purple light bloomed, and lightning flashed.

In the courtyard, there was a small pond, and in the center of the pond, there was a bamboo stalk.

However, this bamboo stalk was different; it was entirely purple and permeated with lightning.

“This is…”

“Tianlei Bamboo!”

Looking at this bamboo stalk, Han Li’s pupils constricted.

A piece of information instantly appeared in his mind.

Tianlei Bamboo.

This was an extremely special Spiritual Bamboo!

A rare Heaven And Earth Treasure.

It was an excellent Artifact Refining Materials.

Even rarer than Geng Metal.

Cultivating it was even more troublesome.

This thing only grew one foot in a thousand years.

Tianlei Bamboo under a thousand years old could only be considered an ordinary Heaven And Earth Treasure.

But once it reached over a thousand years old, it was completely different.