76: Muddy Swamp Three-layer Formation

“Almost twenty thousand at once...”

“My wealth, I’m afraid, is barely enough!”

Han Li recovered, calming the thoughts in his heart. Then, he once again checked his various gains.

The silver notes and gold notes combined amounted to several hundred thousand taels.

There were also some Advanced items.

For example, Spirit Stones.

Spirit Stones have a wide range of uses.

Cultivation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and so on, all require their use.

Compared to money, the output of Spirit Stones is very low.

According to the Sect’s exchange rate, ten thousandMerits can only be exchanged for one Spirit Stone.

And it’s a Low Grade one.

It’s equivalent to ten thousand taels of silver to exchange for one Spirit Stone.

Its preciousness goes without saying.

Cultivating with Spirit Stones is basically only for big shots or Disciples with particularly abundant wealth.

Han Li did not Cultivate with Spirit Stones, because he had the Iron Plate.

The speed of Cultivation with the Iron Plate was no less than, and even faster than, Cultivation with Spirit Stones.

The Qingyuan Sect was able to become one of Qingzhou’s major Schools because it possessed a spiritual mine.

Han Li did not know the location of this spiritual mine; it was an absolute secret of the Sect.

It was also the foundation upon which the Qingyuan Sect stood.

For top-tier Martial Artists to Cultivate, relying solely on absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is very slow, unless their Aptitude is exceptionally outstanding.

However, even after entering the ranks of top-tier big shots, Spirit Stones are still needed to assist Cultivation to improve faster.

The Sect's exchange of Spirit Stones cannot be done with money, only withMerits.

Of course, private transactions are another matter.

However, they generally wouldn't be exchanged, though transactions are possible, but the price would only start from ten thousand taels of silver and go up.

Even in other places in the Wu Dynasty, it was the same; ten thousand taels of silver for exchange was just the base, it wasn't that you could exchange as much as you wanted.

In the black market, it could even reach a ratio of fifteen thousand, and only Low-Grade Spirit Stones could be exchanged. Higher-grade ones required Spirit Stones to exchange.

After counting, he only had thirty-two Low-Grade Spirit Stones in total.

This does not include the one used in the Pill Refining Room.

Spirit Stones activate the Formation to communicate with the Earth Vein Fire.

And it can be used for some time... Leaving Yuhua Peak, Han Li went directly to Heaven and Earth Peak to submit the mission.

He received nearly thirty thousandMerits.

After wandering around Heaven and Earth Peak, Han Li left.

He had intended to exchange for a good Spiritual Artifact, but after seeing the price, he could only temporarily hold back.

The lowest-priced Spiritual Artifact required a full one hundred thousandMerits.

High Grade Spiritual Artifacts were even more expensive.

The Dragon Pattern Spear was the first Spiritual Artifact his Master gave him. Although it was damaged and its spiritual power was greatly reduced, Han Li did not intend to discard it.

He could fix and upgrade it himself once he learned Weapon Crafting in the future.

Even if he didn't use it later, it could serve as a memento.

The meaning was different.

It was also to commemorate his Master... Qingyuan Sect, Demon Suppression Valley.

Han Li’s figure appeared here.

“What a coincidence, you’re also coming to Demon Suppression Valley?”

Just as he was about to step into Demon Suppression Valley, a voice came. Han Li stopped and looked back.

A graceful figure was approaching him.

One of the Disciples who joined the Sect at the same time as him, Yang Qi.

He still remembered her outstanding Aptitude.

The last time they met, he recalled it was after his Revered Master's demise, when she came with her Revered Master.

“Your Aura seems stronger than last time.”

Yang Qi spoke as she approached.

“You’re not bad either,” Han Li replied.

“Going to Demon Suppression Valley, how about we cooperate?” Yang Qi suggested.

Han Li glanced at her and asked, “Which layer are you going to?”

“The first layer, where else could I go?” Yang Qi said.

“Then we can’t cooperate. Next time,” Han Li said, then strode into the entrance.

“...”

“Looking down on me?” Watching Han Li’s retreating figure, Yang Qi felt indignant, gritted her teeth, and followed him into the entrance.

—

Demon Suppression Valley, deep within the first layer, at the entrance to the second layer, a figure strolled over.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the second layer passage, Han Li stopped and looked back.

Not far away, Yang Qi was also following him.

Seeing Han Li’s gaze, Yang Qi ignored it and stepped forward to follow.

“We’ve reached the bottom, why are you following me?”

Han Li looked at her and asked.

“It’s such a big place, who’s following you?” Yang Qi retorted righteously.

“...”

Shaking his head lightly, Han Li didn’t want to waste words. He stepped forward, raised his hand and clenched it, his True Qi erupted, and a fist, like lightning, struck the Formation at the entrance of the second layer.

“Bang—!”

Easily opening the Formation, Han Li flashed and disappeared directly in front of Yang Qi.

“!!!”

Watching this scene, Yang Qi’s pupils contracted.

“He… he can break the Formation so easily?” Yang Qi was stunned, and her bright eyes were filled with shock.

“Could it be that today’s Formation is somehow special?” A thought flashed through Yang Qi’s mind. The next second, she composed herself, activated her True Qi, and punched out.

“Bang—!”

“Oh my goodness…” Yang Qi’s body was pushed back a zhang, and she looked at her fist, which was already red.

Her Qi and blood surged within her, and looking at the Formation, the shock in her eyes grew even stronger.

“Monster!”

After a long while, she uttered two words and turned to leave.

It wasn't that the Formation was special, but that Han Li's strength was too great.

She couldn't break it even with her full-force strike. At this moment, she understood why Han Li had asked her.

They entered the Sect at the same time, and she was even stronger than him before entering, but now, the gap had widened.

They both had six-star top-grade Aptitude, yet there was still such a large disparity… Demon Suppression Valley, second layer.

Within the Black Mountain, an explosion rang out.

With a single punch, he blew up the head of a Chang Monster, absorbed its blood Qi, and then Han Li used his knife to cut open the corpse and extract the essence blood.

While his blood Qi was increasing, his Spirit Medicine Cultivation couldn’t fall behind.

Sealing the blood Qi, Han Li’s figure once again headed deeper.

—

After passing through Black Mountain and dealing with two Chang Monsters, Han Li arrived at the third dangerous area.

The Muddy Swamp!

This was a vast jungle region.

And a large part of it was swampy.

Demonic beasts also hid in the swamp.

Han Li also became alert.

If a Peak-level Demonic beast launched a sneak attack, he would still get injured.

It was even possible to capsize in a ditch.

With his perception fully open, Han Li intentionally stimulated the blood Qi within his body.

A Martial Artist’s blood Qi was more likely to attract the attention of Demonic beasts.

“Whoosh—!”

From within the muddy swamp, a black shadow shot into the sky, carrying a foul wind, and attacked Han Li.

A Demonic Crocodile.

Its body was four or five zhang huge, and its Aura was fierce.

“Roar—!!”

With a fierce tiger's roar, at the critical moment, Han Li instantly unleashed the Fierce Tiger Fist.

His Aura stacked, and with the combined burst of his Physical Body's strength and True Qi's power, one strike shattered the air.

“Bang!!”

The four-to-five-zhang huge Demonic Crocodile was directly sent flying, and cracks appeared on its dark armor.

With a force exceeding five thousand jun, plus the amplification of the Fierce Tiger Fist’s strike, it was severely wounded directly.

A mournful cry sounded as it heavily crashed into the muddy swamp.

Before it could sink, Han Li suddenly drew his sword, activating it with True Qi, and a substantial Sword Qi roared out.

Even without having Cultivated swordsmanship, with his True Qi’s enhancement, this sword strike possessed extremely terrifying power.

“Ch—!”

A single sword strike cut through, leaving a bloody mark.

Han Li flashed, stomping on the swamp to charge forward, a silver light flashed, lightning erupted, and the Ben Lei Fist struck directly, blasting towards the Demonic Crocodile.

The force entered its body, shattering its internal organs.

The Demonic Crocodile was already on its last breath. True Qi activated, pouring into the Spiritual Artifact, and with a single sword, he lifted the Demonic Crocodile. A whistling sound rang out as it crashed through several large trees before stopping.

“Whoosh—!”

Moving like lightning, he plunged his sword into its body. The Demonic Crocodile let out its final mournful cry, a surge of blood Qi emerged, and the Demonic Seed was instantly sealed.

At the same time, Han Li stored the Demonic Crocodile’s corpse into his cosmos ring.

The battle ended.

Letting out a breath, Han Li put away the Spiritual Artifact in his hand and continued deeper into the muddy swamp... Two hours later, Han Li arrived at the deepest part of the second layer.

During this time, he again killed two Peak-level Demonic beasts.

Looking at the Formation before him, Han Li's gaze sharpened.

This was the entrance to the third layer.

“Let’s try it!”

Han Li composed himself, his True Qi swirling and roaring within him. The next second, a roar echoed for dozens of miles; a fierce tiger emerged from the mountain, merging with his punch, and directly blasted towards the third layer Formation.

“Boom—!!”

An earth-shattering sound erupted, and Han Li’s figure was directly shaken back seven or eight zhang. His Qi and blood surged within him, and he looked at the third layer Formation, which remained completely intact.

“It’s far off…”

Han Li let out a breath, calming the surging Qi and blood within his body.

One try was enough to know the gap.

The difference of Innate was indeed a huge chasm!

And this was only the difference in strength; other differences were even greater.