Han Li, now at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, could activate a Talisman Treasure many times faster than he could during the Qi Refining stage.
In just a moment, the cyan talisman in his hand emitted a clear hum and transformed into a jade ruler a few inches long, small and exquisite, with a flowing fluorescent light.
At this moment, the Four Friends of Meng Mountain had also reached their limits. Under the fierce claw of the mutated giant, the White Phosphorus Shield flew backward as if struck by a heavy hammer, and the group immediately slumped, their faces turning ashen.
"Senior, hurry!"
The dark-faced elder had already spotted the strange phenomenon of Han Li's Talisman Treasure and couldn't help but urge him anxiously.
Han Li had no time to pay attention to the elder. After seeing the mutated giant repelled by the beam of light, he immediately poured all his spiritual power into the jade ruler.
In an instant, the small ruler floating in his hand emitted a dazzling cyan glow. It split from one into two, two into four, and four into eight... in the blink of an eye, it conjured hundreds of identical small rulers. Each ruler emitted a buzzing hum as they hovered around Han Li, trembling ceaselessly.
This astonishing scene left the Four Friends of Meng Mountain gaping, thinking they were caught in an illusion, hardly daring to believe their eyes.
Han Li didn't delay at all. With a solemn expression, he pointed at the mutated giant. Immediately, the densely packed small rulers surged forward like a flood bursting through a dam, vast and mighty.
Although the bald giant seemed to have lost some of his clarity after the mutation, facing Han Li's Talisman Treasure attack, he seemed to sense the danger. Fear appeared on his face, and a red glow suddenly flashed. The entire figure shot backward like a shooting star, his speed not at all inferior to the Divine Wind Boat.
Seeing this, Han Li was slightly stunned. While he hesitated for a moment, the opponent had already fled over a hundred zhang away, and only his retreating back could be vaguely seen.
With a sigh, Han Li did not give chase. Instead, he pointed a finger, recalling the Talisman Treasure jade ruler. It merged back together into a cyan talisman and floated down into his hand.
It wasn't that he didn't want to eliminate future threats and achieve a perfect victory, but because the remaining power of this Talisman Treasure jade ruler was truly not much. If he were to chase and struggle with the opponent for a long time, Han Li wasn't sure he could sustain it. Moreover, he already had a captive alive, so it was better to play it safe.
Seeing their formidable enemy scared off by Han Li, the Four Friends of Meng Mountain also felt relieved and helped each other stand up.
Seeing how terrible the others looked, Han Li thought for a moment, then took out a small medicine bottle from his storage pouch and tossed it to them.
"Take one each. It will be very beneficial for your injuries." Han Li said with a slight smile.
Regardless of anything, these people had been helpful in today's battle. He naturally had to show some appreciation, so they would know he wasn't a stingy person.
Sure enough, the Four Friends of Meng Mountain showed grateful expressions. The dark-faced elder respectfully took the small bottle and gently tipped it, producing four pills the size of longan fruit in his palm. They were fiery red, and their medicinal scent was so potent that a mere sniff invigorated the spirit.
The elder was an experienced man and immediately realized with delight how precious this medicine was. After repeatedly thanking Han Li, he and the others took the pills.
As soon as the pills entered their stomachs, they dissolved into a warm current that dispersed throughout their bodies, making the four feel their injuries lighten immediately. They were overjoyed in their hearts.
"Let's go. This is no place to stay long. If the Black Fiend Religion's reinforcements arrive, it'll be trouble." Han Li glanced at the captured young prince and Steward Wang, and said in a deep voice.
The Four Friends of Meng Mountain naturally had no objections. They threw the two captives into the Divine Wind Boat, and Han Li set off at high speed with them.
The sky above the ruined temple returned to tranquility once more. No one could tell that a fierce battle between cultivators had taken place here.
...
Han Li and the others returned to the Qin residence without incident and landed directly from the sky at their quarters.
Fearing that time would drag on and complications might arise, Han Li made only brief adjustments before beginning his interrogation of the young prince and the other captive late that night.
Han Li intended to question only the young prince himself, leaving Steward Wang to the Four Friends of Meng Mountain to handle. He believed that with the dark-faced elder's shrewdness, he would surely provide a satisfactory answer.
Making a cultivator tell the truth might be troublesome for others, but for Han Li, who had a basic grasp of mind-confusion techniques and was proficient in the ways of medicine, it was no problem at all. Especially since the opponent's cultivation level was vastly inferior to his own.
Although the young prince initially put on a defiant act, refusing to speak, Han Li merely asked his questions calmly once. Seeing the prince's refusal to cooperate, he ruthlessly poured a bottle of liquid medicine down his throat without ceremony. The result left the prince dazed, his consciousness slipping into a hallucinatory state.