Han Li slowly walked out of Spirit Hand Valley, following the mountain path. Habitually, he headed towards the dimly visible Crimson Water Peak.
He had nothing important to do at the moment. For the past few days, he had been punctually visiting Zhang Tie, primarily to witness Zhang Tie's odd, grimacing expressions while practicing under the waterfall.
The "Elephant Armor Art" was truly unbearable for ordinary people. Even the first layer inflicted such torment; later layers would surely make one shed several layers of skin.
"Zhang Tie must be regretting it by now, right?" Han Li thought as he walked, carelessly kicking fallen leaves and twigs on the ground. "The oppressive nature of this 'Elephant Armor Art' far exceeds the imagination of young kids like us."
"In a few more days, we'll both plead with Doctor Mo to let Zhang Tie switch to practicing other martial arts, sparing him this living hell." Han Li thought, feeling a little invigorated by the prospect of finding a way out of his friend's current suffering.
Han Li looked up at the trees lining the path. It was late autumn, and all the tree branches were bare. A thick layer of fallen leaves and dry branches covered the path, making it soft and uncomfortable to walk on.
Just then, from a nearby mountain peak, faint sounds of clashing weapons could be heard, interspersed with occasional loud cheers.
Hearing these sounds, Han Li looked at the mountain peak again, and his mood, which had just begun to improve, soured once more.
These were the senior instructors from the Hundred Forging Hall, training the newly admitted junior disciples in weapon combat.
Whenever Han Li saw other disciples gathered for real weapon training, he felt a pang of discomfort. He, too, longed to pick up a real saber or spear and practice fiercely. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, ever since he formally became Doctor Mo's disciple, Doctor Mo had strictly forbidden him from touching such items. He was also not allowed to learn other martial arts from different instructors, as Doctor Mo claimed it would hinder his progress in cultivating the mantra.
Therefore, Han Li could only watch enviously. Occasionally, in private, he would borrow a few weapons from some friendly fellow disciples and practice with them for a few rounds, just to satisfy his craving.
Honestly, what was so great about the mantra he was cultivating? So far, he hadn't seen any use for it. Other disciples who started at the same time were improving by leaps and bounds, their martial arts getting stronger with each practice, while he remained stagnant, showing no discernible change.
Even Zhang Tie, who had only practiced the "Elephant Armor Art" for two months, had become tough-skinned, more resilient to blows, and significantly stronger than before.
However, if Doctor Mo hadn't taken him in, he probably wouldn't have passed the probationary disciple test two months ago, let alone stayed on the mountain and been able to send so much money home.
If he couldn't learn other things, so be it!
Han Li complained inwardly while also comforting himself.
Han Li brought his gaze back from the distance, his mind still grumbling. His spirit became even more listless, and his unfocused eyes stared at the sides of the path; he wasn't even sure what he was looking at.
Suddenly, Han Li gasped, his expression contorting strangely, his mouth stretching almost to his ears. He reflexively crouched down, pressing his right big toe firmly with both hands. Then, in pain, he half-lay in the grass. This sudden, excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed him, turning his face pale as a piercing ache shot repeatedly from his big toe.
It appeared he had accidentally kicked a very hard stone hidden within the pile of leaves.
Han Li bent over, clutching his ankle with both hands. Instinctively, he blew hard on his injured toe through his cloth shoe, while secretly worrying if the injury was severe and if his big toe would immediately bruise and swell, affecting his ability to walk.
After a long while, Han Li recovered from the pain. He lifted his head and scanned the nearby pile of leaves at his feet, searching for the culprit that had caused him such suffering.
The scattered leaves on the ground were all the same monotonous withered yellow, making it impossible for him to find his target among the messy piles.
Han Li frowned. He haphazardly fumbled on the ground, then picked up a relatively thick, long branch. Leaning on it, he carefully stood up on his tiptoes.
Then, as if unwilling to give up, he vigorously poked around in the thick piles of leaves with the branch in his hand.
"Huh!" A fist-sized object was dislodged by the branch.
Han Li carefully examined the culprit behind his "glorious injury." It was a round, bottle-shaped object with a slender neck. Its surface was completely covered in dirt, turning it earth-gray, with no trace of its original color visible.
Han Li had initially thought it was a small porcelain bottle, but upon picking it up, he realized the weight was wrong; it was surprisingly heavy.
"It must be made of metal, right?" he wondered. No wonder this small object caused such intense pain when he kicked it. However, metal bottles were rarely seen.
Han Li was now so interested in the small bottle that he temporarily forgot the pain in his foot.
He rubbed the dirt off the bottle's neck, revealing its original color: a beautiful, shimmering green. The surface also featured exquisite, dark green leaf-shaped patterns, and a small cap tightly sealed the opening at the top.
Was there anything inside? He held the bottle to his ear and gently shook it, but felt nothing moving within.
He placed his hand on the cap and twisted it firmly, but it wouldn't budge.
Han Li's curiosity grew even stronger. Just as he was about to make his next move, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his foot.
"Oh no!" How could he have forgotten the unpleasant consequences his foot still bore from its intimate contact with this object?
With this injury, it seemed he couldn't go to Zhang Tie's place. He should first return to his dwelling, apply some wound medicine, and then properly examine this unexpectedly acquired small bottle.
With this thought, and to avoid being seen by others, Han Li, not minding the dirt, tucked the bottle into his bosom, turned around, and limped back the way he came.
[34 seconds ago] Chapter 641: Two Great Rivers
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 792: Destiny Begins
[9 minutes ago] Chapter 1443: 龘
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