Under the lead of Elder Fu and his two companions, Han Li and the others passed through the restriction grand formation and entered the airspace above the Hundred Treasures Court. This time, they did not descend into the central plaza surrounded by mountains on all sides, but were instead guided directly to an enormous platform built against the mountainside.
In the middle of this platform stood a pavilion roughly a hundred zhang tall, with a full five stories. At first glance it did not resemble a tower so much as an enormous stone pagoda.
And on the seemingly endless mountain wall behind the pavilion, there were dense clusters of large and small cave openings everywhere. Disciples of the Hundred Treasures Court drifted in and out of them constantly, giving the entire cliff face the appearance of a giant honeycomb.
Elder Fu did not lead the three to the pavilion, but flew straight toward the uppermost section of the mountain wall.
"Deep beneath this mountain lies a top-grade Earth Lung Fire Pool. It not only makes artifact refining twice as effective, but it also offers considerable benefits to cultivators who practice fire-attribute techniques. That is why the Hundred Treasures Court has built so many refining chambers along this cliff face, and why quite a few high-ranking disciples have also carved their cave abodes into the heart of the mountain." Senior Brother Cheng was clearly very familiar with the Hundred Treasures Court, and he casually offered the explanation to Han Li as they flew.
He spoke without thinking much of it, but Han Li listened with keen interest. The words stirred something in his mind, and a thoughtful look flickered across his face.
In the blink of an eye, after flying upward for over a thousand zhang, they finally came to a stop before an isolated, massive cave entrance. This was clearly not a place that low-ranking disciples were permitted to visit. Unlike the bustling activity below, the only figures present here were two elders who stood waiting to greet them.
"Brother Cheng, Daoist Lu! I have been expecting the three of you for some time. I did not go out to greet you properly — I hope you two will not take offense. And this must be Daoist Han? Truly young and with limitless potential. Wait — Daoist Han has already advanced to mid-stage Nascent Soul?" The moment the three touched down at the cave entrance, an elder with fiery red hair and dark skin greeted Senior Brother Cheng and Lü Luo with a warm smile. Then his gaze swept over Han Li, and his expression changed drastically as he blurted out in shock. Beside him, another elder — gaunt-faced and sharp-eyed, with a severe air — showed a similar look of astonishment.
"You flatter us, Brother Feng. Junior Brother Han only recently advanced to mid-stage Nascent Soul. We will be counting on the two of you to offer him your guidance in the future." Senior Brother Cheng chuckled, a genial smile on his face.
"Our guidance! Brother Cheng, surely you jest." The two Hundred Treasures Court elders finally recovered from their shock. They exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile wryly. Elder Feng replied at a loss for words.
"You two needn't be modest. I cultivate a bit faster than most, but my foundation is still unstable. Should any issues arise in my future cultivation, I will truly need the two of you to help point me in the right direction." Han Li cupped his fists and spoke politely, without a trace of arrogance.
The two Nascent Soul cultivators opposite him hastily declared themselves unworthy. Their impression of Han Li, naturally, became exceedingly favorable. They then invited the three inside to talk.
Elder Fu and the others took their leave and departed.
"Originally, Senior Brother Liehuo also wished to come out and greet the three of you together, but he is making the final preparations for the ownership recognition of a newly refined magic treasure. He cannot come just yet. I hope the three of you will not take offense," the other elder explained.
"Brother Ding, there is no need for such pleasantries! I have been friends with the three of you for centuries. Why stand on ceremony? But what treasure could possibly be so important as to warrant a formal recognition ceremony? Can you two not give us a little hint?" Lü Luo asked curiously as they walked.
"Heh, it is nothing all that extraordinary. It merely took my senior brother and me three months to refine another Cosmos Pagoda." Though Elder Ding's words dismissed it as nothing special, a hint of unmistakable pride flickered through his eyes and brows.
"A Cosmos Pagoda? Truly this treasure? It is one of the Three Guardian Treasures of the Hundred Treasures Court, is it not? If I recall correctly, your court has not produced a new Guardian Treasure in nearly a thousand years." Senior Brother Cheng's previously smiling expression froze, and he spoke in genuine surprise.
"That is precisely why we are inviting you all to witness the ownership recognition ceremony. Of course, while the Cosmos Pagoda may be a Guardian Treasure of our Hundred Treasures Court, it would not be considered so remarkable to the two of your sects. I won't speak for the Ancient Sword Sect. But I have heard that Brother Cheng brought back some rare treasures from the Valley of Fallen Demons. And as for how Daoist Han advanced so quickly to mid-stage, I suspect he too must have found extraordinary opportunities in the Valley of Fallen Demons." Elder Feng grinned and probed cautiously.
"Found rare treasures? Brother Feng, you must have heard rumors. I am not too familiar with Junior Brother Han's situation. As for my own last trip into the Valley of Fallen Demons, I did obtain two ancient treasures, but their power was thoroughly ordinary — hardly comparable to the Cosmos Pagoda." The silver-haired elder shook his head vigorously.
"I did not obtain any formidable ancient treasures either. On the contrary, I destroyed quite a few of them in the Valley of Fallen Demons. If not for a stroke of good fortune that allowed me to advance one level in cultivation, my venture into the valley would have been entirely in vain." Han Li naturally had no intention of going into details about the Spiritual Mist Garden, and he passed over the matter with a sentence that was half true and half false.
"Daoist Han's cultivation advanced a full level — what need is there for treasures? If I could advance even one level, I would gladly trade away every last treasure I possess." Elder Feng let out a bitter laugh, his tone carrying equal parts self-mockery and envy.
Han Li heard this and simply smiled faintly without responding.
Passing through a vast garden brimming with flowers in full bloom, they were led into an extraordinarily large hall. The hall was at least a hundred zhang wide, and its four walls were inlaid with glittering golden crystal blocks, each one the size of a fist. Not only did they ensure the hall was far from dim, but they also gave the entire space an air of resplendent grandeur.