The Protagonists' Chat Group: Beyond the Boundaries — Chapter 398

Chapter 398: Han Li Finds the Balance of the Dao

Han Li’s initial confusion regarding the System’s demands did not last long.

Soon after, he found a perfect, pragmatic method that satisfied both his deepest instincts and the System’s ostentatious requirements for an “Invincible War God.”

He was inspired while Cultivating with the Seven Wonders Hall Master. His Zhengyang Scripture had already reached Perfection, and his Leisha Saber, bolstered by the Black Tiger Saber Technique, had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Han Li dared not display all of his immense strength, showing only a calculated portion of it during training sessions.

But even displaying only a tiny fraction of his power, those around him—including the Seven Wonders Hall Master—still reacted with overwhelming praise for his Aptitude.

The Seven Wonders Hall Master even directly called him an absolute Genius.

A profound realization struck Han Li at that time: he didn’t need to display all of his strength at all.

Whatever Rank the mission required, he would display just enough to meet that Rank, and then meticulously “hide” everything else!

For example, currently, his core power included: Zhengyang Scripture at Perfection, Black Tiger Saber Technique at Major Achievement, and Leisha Saber at Initial Mastery.

When he completed the System’s Sequence Two mission, there was absolutely no need to expose his full combat power.

He could simply expose his Zhengyang Scripture at Initial Mastery and his Leisha Saber at Initial Mastery, and complete Mission Two at that low Rank.

Not only would he efficiently complete the mission and claim the reward, but he would also successfully hide the vast majority of his true strength.

Others would think his Zhengyang Scripture was just at Major Achievement level, a remarkable but manageable achievement.

But in reality, his cultivation had already reached: Zhengyang Scripture at Perfection, Black Tiger Saber Technique at Major Achievement, Leisha Saber at Initial Mastery, plus the soon-to-be-received Vajra Undestructible Divine Skill at Major Achievement.

In this way, if he were to act outwardly ostentatious and truly invite some trouble from external foes, those targeting him would be fatally misled.

They would absolutely not expect that he was, in reality, a hundred times stronger and exponentially more of a Genius than what he displayed on the surface.

This strategic deception was a calculated trap for those who harbored ill will towards him. To only display a mere portion of his talent yet still conform to the System’s concept of an “Invincible War God” would be extremely difficult for any normal person.

However, recalling his experiences during this period, Han Li felt that with the System, this miraculous, power-granting entity, it didn’t seem to be difficult at all!

With this dual-path plan firmly in mind, Han Li was not in a hurry. If he wanted to display the Major Achievement Cultivation of the Zhengyang Scripture, he would have to execute the plan step by step, gradually building the deception.

Han Li’s life suddenly stabilized into a methodical routine. He Cultivated methodically and patiently for several days in a row.

The Heaven-Grasping Bottle

One day, after finishing his routine training at the ground and heading back to his residence, Han Li suddenly collapsed, half-lying on the ground and clutching his right toe tightly.

It hurt terribly, a sharp, profound pain. His face even turned noticeably pale.

“What did I kick? My Zhengyang Scripture is at Perfection, and my Physical Body has been refined to the level of steel. Splitting stones with a palm is nothing! How could kicking something hurt this much?!”

Han Li scanned the ground furiously, searching for the mysterious culprit that had caused him such unexpected pain.

Amidst the monotonous colors of withered yellow leaves and messy trees, a fist-sized, conical, round object finally came into his view.

It was a small, unassuming bottle, heavily covered in mud and debris.

“Why is there a bottle here?” Han Li became deeply interested in the bottle, even momentarily forgetting the pain in his foot. He carefully picked up the bottle.

After being wiped clean, he saw it was exquisite in craftsmanship. He was about to examine the bottle when an unexpected voice suddenly spoke in his ear.

[Ding, Long-Term Series Mission Issued]

[As an Invincible War God, you should possess all precious treasures in the world. Please, Host, collect worldly treasures as your spoils of war.]

[This mission is a permanent long-term mission.]

[After the Host collects a certain amount of treasures, a mission reward can be claimed.]

[Mission rewards are determined by the preciousness of the treasures obtained by the Host during the mission period.]

Han Li stared blankly at the sudden mission pop-up.

After this period of subtle interaction with the System, he had roughly figured out its eccentric mechanisms.

This System rarely issued missions out of nowhere. It would only issue missions after he came into contact with certain things of significance.

Now, the System suddenly issued a mission requiring him to collect treasures.

Most likely, it was because he had just come into contact with what the System considered a treasure.

And the only object he held was the bottle. Han Li calmly slipped the bottle into his clothes, then walked quickly back to his residence.

Upon returning to his courtyard, he grabbed a rag and wiped the bottle perfectly clean. The true appearance of the bottle was finally revealed.

The bottle was not large, fitting perfectly into the palm of one hand. It was a light green color throughout, with dark green, intricate patterns printed on its surface.

It felt substantial and surprisingly textured, carrying a weight that defied its size.

“After wiping it clean, it does look somewhat like a treasure after all!” Han Li mused to himself, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

He held the bottle, studying it for a long while. The cap would not budge, and he couldn’t figure out anything about its function.

After hesitating for a calculated moment, he chose to claim a treasure collection mission on the System interface, using the bottle as the claimed item.

[Ding, Host has collected the supreme treasure, the Heaven-Grasping Bottle. Congratulations, Host, for receiving the Empty Spiritual Root reward.]

[Heaven-Grasping Bottle: The first Profound Heaven item born from the nascent Heavenly Dao and Chaos. It not only encompasses all the laws of the Heavenly Dao but also contains remnants of Chaos, possessing an incredible ability to seize the fortune of heaven and earth!]

[Current unlocked function: Can absorb moonlight to condense green liquid, with the ability to ripen Spirit Medicine and assist Cultivation.]

[Annotation: Only a supreme treasure like the Heaven-Grasping Bottle is worthy of the Host, an Invincible War God!]

A dense series of messages flashed by, leaving an expression of profound incredulity and satisfaction on Han Li’s face.

He had merely premonitioned that the small bottle might activate a System mission, but he hadn’t expected the small bottle to be such a profoundly powerful, unique treasure.

What nascent Heavenly Dao, what first Profound Heaven item, what laws of the Heavenly Dao, what remnants of Chaos? Han Li didn’t really understand any of the cosmic jargon.

But he knew one thing with certainty: This was definitely very powerful and highly dangerous.

“Empty Spiritual Root… I wonder what kind of reward this truly is?”

Looking at this completely incomprehensible reward, Han Li was deeply confused. He was cautious about mysterious body changes.

After hesitating for a necessary moment, he chose to accept the System reward. A mysterious, profound power acted upon his body.

Han Li felt pleasantly warm all over, a comforting heat deep in his core.

However, this feeling only lasted for a moment before disappearing entirely. Coming back to his senses, Han Li carefully sensed his own body but found that the changes were not significant or immediate.

He was bewildered, unsure what this Empty Spiritual Root actually was meant to accomplish.

The System told him that this was the highest-level Aptitude required for Cultivation—the perfect Dao Body.

But wasn’t he Cultivating now, and hadn’t his Physique already been transformed by the Body-Cleansing Pellet before?

Han Li tried practicing the Zhengyang Scripture. He found no obvious changes in speed or efficiency.

He was confused about the practical use of this Empty Spiritual Root. But after failing to understand, he quickly stopped thinking about it. Understanding can come later; safety comes first.

Instead, he began to meticulously study the small green bottle. He held the Heaven-Grasping Bottle in his hand, examining it carefully.

The System proclaimed this thing a supreme treasure, but to his naked eye, he only saw that its exterior was somewhat exquisite. He truly couldn’t tell why it was a supreme treasure.

“The System said this Heaven-Grasping Bottle can now absorb moonlight…” Han Li recalled the system’s initial introduction.

He quickly walked into the courtyard and casually placed the bottle in an inconspicuous, cleverly tricky-angled spot where it could still be illuminated by the moonlight but would be missed by casual observers.

Then, he began practicing his saber technique diligently in the courtyard, maintaining a facade of routine. While practicing, he simultaneously paid minute attention to his surroundings and the bottle.

After a long while, he allowed himself to briefly glance at the small green bottle.

After more than a quarter of an hour, the small green bottle indeed underwent some peculiar changes.

Some faint white light spots near the small green bottle seemed to come alive, desperately squeezing and flowing into the bottle’s core.

Seeing this subtle validation, Han Li’s heart swelled with controlled joy. This thing truly could absorb moonlight, just as the System said!

Han Li became even more cautious. While observing the bottle’s situation, he also had to pay strict attention to his surroundings. It truly wore him out mentally.

After half the night, the bottle suddenly underwent a unique, visible change. Strange, ancient symbols appeared fleetingly on the bottle, shimmering and moving like insects, but it only lasted for a moment.

Han Li casually picked up the bottle and returned to his room, maintaining a calm exterior.

He tried to twist the cap again. He had twisted the cap several times before, but it never came off, sealed by some ancient force.

This time, very unusually, it came off effortlessly. The seal was broken.

Han Li peered cautiously into the bottle’s opening. Inside the bottle, a single drop of emerald green liquid, the size of a soybean, slowly flowed.

“Is this the Spirit Liquid the System mentioned? It can ripen medicinal ingredients and also promote Cultivation?”

Han Li wasn’t familiar with medicinal ingredients yet, but he instinctively knew this stuff was immensely precious. The older the medicinal ingredient, the more valuable it was—a fact he had only recently learned.

Han Li was unfamiliar with medicinal ingredients, so he naturally couldn’t test the green liquid’s ability to ripen Spirit Medicine.

He opted instead to try the green liquid’s function of assisting Cultivation.

“Assisting Cultivation, how does this assist Cultivation? Do I drink it directly?” Han Li pondered in his heart, his caution warring with his ambition.

He carefully dipped a tiny bit of the green liquid with his finger, tasting the edge of the power.

Then, he quickly licked it off. A moment later, he felt his whole body heat up intensely, and a mysterious, surging power grew within him.

It took him a great deal of effort to refine this sudden, massive power into the stable Zhengyang Scripture’s True Qi…

Looking at the sudden, significant increase in True Qi within his body, Han Li’s eyes lit up with profound satisfaction.

The effect of this green liquid assisting Cultivation was truly amazing. He had only licked such a tiny bit, yet it increased his True Qi so significantly!

This ultimate tool would definitely be one of his major, game-changing trump cards in the future. With the System in existence, plus the help of the small green bottle, he would surely be able to leave others in the dust and far surpass ordinary people in the future.

Even just displaying a mere portion of his true sharpness would be more than enough to crush his unsuspecting opponents.

Having obtained the small green bottle, Han Li became even more convinced of his original, cunning idea.

He would strive to achieve the “Invincible War God” status required by the System by only displaying a fraction of his true, terrifying strength!

Strategic Breakthrough

After receiving the immense help of the small green bottle, Han Li’s Cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. In just a few days, the quantity of True Qi in his body increased significantly.

Currently, although his Zhengyang Scripture was still only at Perfection (the highest internal level), the amount of True Qi had increased by several tenths.

His combat power correspondingly improved a great deal, far exceeding what his exposed Realm would suggest.

Ten days later, Han Li felt the time was strategically right.

So he subtly revealed the information that his Zhengyang Scripture had successfully reached Minor Achievement (his first displayed breakthrough).

The Seven Wonders Hall Master was suitably astonished, and once the news spread, it immediately caused a stir among the younger generation.

Initial Mastery in one day. Minor Achievement in ten days. Simply terrifying talent.

Han Li suddenly attracted even greater attention. He met many high-ranking members of the Seven Mysteries Sect, all keen to investigate his meteoric rise.

Among them was the mysterious figure called Doctor Mo. It was said that this person was personally invited into the Sect by the Sect Master himself.

He was skilled in medicine and had treated many injured people in the Seven Mysteries Sect. Han Li felt that this Doctor Mo was indeed quite capable and dangerous.

After exposing his Minor Achievement Cultivation Technique, Han Li then suppressed his thoughts and focused on Cultivating for another month, accumulating even more True Qi from the bottle.

Then, feeling that the time was truly ripe, he performed another “Breakthrough,” displaying True Qi at the Major Achievement Rank of Zhengyang Scripture!

And, as the final part of his plan, he began to boldly challenge the core members of Seven Wonders Hall for experience and reputation.

In just a few days, he decisively defeated the entire Seven Wonders Hall cohort.

The displayed Major Achievement level Zhengyang Scripture, coupled with the Leisha Saber which had already reached Minor Achievement, and the Major Achievement level Black Tiger Saber Technique, made him unbeatable among his peers.

Moreover, after Cultivating with the green liquid from the small green bottle, Han Li felt his Physique had been continuously changing and growing stronger. Therefore, he was able to achieve victory so easily.

After achieving this easy victory, he claimed the System reward.

The reward was the Major Achievement level Vajra Undestructible Divine Skill.

Once this ultimate Cultivation Technique was activated, his entire body became as hard as profound iron—utterly indestructible by conventional means!

After obtaining this life-saving Cultivation Technique, Han Li let out a long sigh of relief.

He truly loved this Cultivation Technique. After all, in his opinion, the most powerful Cultivation Technique was always the one that best preserved life.

With the Major Achievement level Vajra Undestructible Divine Skill, plus the Perfection level Zhengyang Scripture, and the Leisha Saber and Black Tiger Saber Technique—several methods stacked—he was a fortress.

Han Li now had the quiet, absolute confidence to defeat his nominal master, the Hall Master of Seven Wonders Hall itself!

The Seven Wonders Hall Master, in order to display his strict master’s authority before Han Li, had once unleashed his full strength.

Besides that, he had also sparred with Han Li for short periods. Han Li had hidden himself very well, and even, in turn, thoroughly learned his master’s capabilities.

The Zhengyang Scripture is a top-grade Cultivation Technique. His master had Cultivated it to the Major Achievement Realm.

Then he began Cultivating the advanced Cultivation Technique of the Zhengyang Scripture: the Great Sun Skill!

The Great Sun Skill was the true core Cultivation Technique of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

However, this Cultivation Technique was too overbearing and dangerous. One must first achieve Initial Mastery in the Zhengyang Scripture, using its True Qi as a buffer, before attempting to Cultivate the Great Sun Skill.

Forcibly Cultivating it would lead to immediate death by Meridians being burned by the Great Sun Skill’s overbearing True Qi.

His master had also Cultivated the Great Sun Skill to the Major Achievement Realm. His True Qi was incomparably overbearing and potent.

However, Han Li estimated that his nominal master’s True Qi was inferior to his in quantity, though superior in quality.

Han Li’s confidence stemmed entirely from the Vajra Undestructible Divine Skill. This Vajra Undestructible Divine Skill and the Great Sun Skill were Cultivation Techniques of the same Rank.

His nominal master was at Major Achievement. Han Li was also at Major Achievement.

But for the base Zhengyang Scripture, Han Li was at the secret Perfection level. The raw durability advantage was his.

“I heard the Gang is currently fighting the Wild Wolf Gang. If the Wild Wolf Gang learns of my existence, they will definitely move against me as a rising Genius…”

“In their eyes, I’ve only just reached Major Achievement in Zhengyang Scripture!”

“But in reality, my combat power rivals that of a Hall Master-level figure. If they move against me, they will surely receive a huge, painful surprise!”

“The Wild Wolf Gang shouldn’t be a problem, but this Doctor Mo… randomly giving me a strange Cultivation Technique…”

Han Li fell into deep thought, looking at the nameless, strange Cultivation Technique he received from Doctor Mo—an unknown variable that needed cautious analysis.

(Han Li’s arc in this segment is now concluded, having established his core development tone: Cautious King + War God.)