Chapter 324: Refinement

Before long, Han Li's figure appeared on a somewhat secluded street within White Jade City.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I need to set up a formation immediately to refine this Thunder Soul Crystal," Crab Daoist's voice echoed in his mind.

"What do you need me to prepare?" Han Li replied through divine sense without pausing his steps.

Immediately after, a stream of information entered his mind—a formation method and a list of required materials.

"I understand. I'll gather them as quickly as possible and then arrange a secret chamber for you back at Red Cloud Peak," Han Li said after a brief deliberation.

Although the list contained many materials, including several rare spiritual ingredients that would normally be quite difficult to find, now that White Jade City had gathered forces and merchant associations from all over Ancient Cloud Continent and even nearby continents, coupled with his backup through the Everlasting盟, he figured that as long as he spent enough immortal essence stones and spirit stones, it shouldn't be too hard to collect them all.

As for the formation to be set up, though it appeared somewhat complex, it was nothing difficult for him.

"No need for such trouble. A secret chamber in the inn will suffice. I've also nearly resolved the issues with that puppet; it should be done within a few days," Crab Daoist said.

Han Li nodded and flew toward the nearest material shop.

It wasn't until nightfall that he returned to the secret chamber of the inn where he had been staying.

Han Li first flipped his hand and produced a stack of formation flags. With a seemingly casual wave, all the flags flew out in all directions, landing in various spots around the room, forming a peculiar array.

As he chanted incantations, five layers of barrier light screens, some thin and some thick, alternately appeared, enveloping the room layer upon layer, sealing it as tight as an iron bucket.

After doing this, Han Li waved his hand, emitting a burst of green light that sent all the tables, chairs, and beds in the room to one corner, clearing a large space in the middle. He then took out some Thunder Restraint Wood and a large pile of various colored items.

"Oh?"

Han Li's expression shifted slightly. He flipped his hand again and retrieved a purple talisman from his storage bracelet, densely covered with silver patterns—the Azure Wind Immortal Binding Talisman.

While taking out the items, he happened to spot this talisman in a corner of the storage bracelet, and something suddenly occurred to him.

Wasn't that veiled woman in red the same Gan Jiuzhen who had given him this Azure Wind Immortal Binding Talisman?

Although her aura was slightly different from the Gan Jiuzhen he remembered—likely due to deliberate alteration—he hadn't recalled it until now.

"Gan Jiuzhen... Jiao San... a high-ranking member of the Everlasting盟 who, like Lin San, wears a crimson mask. I didn't expect her to come to Candlestick Dragon Dao as well," he murmured to himself, then shook his head, put away the talisman, and dismissed the matter.

He had never been close to Gan Jiuzhen, and he had no interest in why she had come to Candlestick Dragon Dao. He figured it had nothing to do with him.

After calming his mind, Han Li began to inscribe on the ground.

This busywork lasted a full two or three hours. By dawn, the previously empty space in the middle of the room was covered with a circular formation about ten zhang in diameter, densely packed with spiritual patterns. The Thunder Restraint Wood around it faintly glowed with lightning, as if ready to be activated.

Han Li let out a long breath. He patted his storage pouch, and a golden light shot out, landing in the center of the formation, revealing Crab Daoist's current body.

Crab Daoist glanced around briefly, nodded at Han Li, and sat down cross-legged.

"Fellow Daoist Crab, do you need me to act as a护法 during this process?" Han Li asked.

"No need. I can handle this alone," Crab Daoist declined directly.

"Then take care," Han Li said with a nod.

There were still a few days before the first principal speaker's lecture, and he wanted to take this opportunity to try to gather more Dao pill materials. Unless necessary, he didn't want to waste time here.

Crab Daoist wasted no time either. He immediately formed hand seals with both hands and began to chant incantations.

Crackle!

Thick arcs of golden lightning emerged from his chest, rapidly spreading across his entire body.

The formation on the ground also emitted golden lightning arcs, coalescing into profound lightning runes that resonated with the golden lightning on the puppet's body. Soon, they intertwined and began to rotate slowly.

In the blink of an eye, a golden lightning sphere flickering with electric light formed around Crab Daoist. Arcs of electricity danced on its surface, and occasionally, thick bolts of lightning would fly out, striking the surroundings.

Fortunately, the entire room had been layered with five barriers, which blocked all the leaked lightning.

Han Li did not leave immediately but stood in a corner of the room to observe.

With a series of crackling explosions from Crab Daoist's head, dazzling purple lightning, like electric serpents, emerged, enveloping his head.

Within the purple lightning, a faint crystalline shadow could be seen—the Thunder Soul Crystal.

This purple lightning was slightly different from the lightning power previously emitted by the clam pearl; it was more crystalline and translucent.

Rumble!

As the purple lightning leaped, it rapidly spread across Crab Daoist's body. Wherever it passed, the light emitted by various parts of the puppet grew brighter, as if key nodes were being unblocked.

Seeing this, Han Li nodded slightly and was about to turn and leave.

Just then, the crystalline shadow above Crab Daoist's head suddenly pulsed. The purple lightning surged violently, accelerating its spread across the body. Streams of purple lightning shot out and merged with the golden lightning sphere outside.

The previously calm golden lightning sphere suddenly fluctuated, and a huge bulge protruded from its surface.

With a loud bang!

A bulge burst open violently, and streaks of golden lightning mixed with purple lightning scattered in all directions, striking the first layer of cyan restrictions within the room.

Crackle!

The cyan restrictions held for only a breath or two before being shattered and torn apart.

The remaining two-colored lightning shot out further, striking the second layer of yellow restrictions.

The light of the yellow restrictions rapidly dimmed and thinned, on the verge of shattering again.

Not only that, but a second huge bulge on the massive golden lightning ball burst open with a bang.

A thunderous roar erupted as even thicker bolts of two-colored lightning blasted in all directions.

Watching the series of drastic changes before him, Han Li furrowed his brows slightly.

The next moment, he spun around on the spot, and four giant sacred beast phantoms—Xuanwu, Roc, Giant Ape, and Divine Dragon—materialized around him.

At the same time, the four sacred beast phantoms opened their mouths wide, each spewing black, silver, yellow, and red light, which merged into the four layers of restrictions around them.

The four layers of restrictions, as if having taken a potent tonic, immediately blazed with light and thickened several times. The originally dim yellow light screen also instantly regained its brightness, and a faint giant ape phantom emerged on its surface.

Crackling!

Thick bolts of lightning struck the yellow light screen, producing loud clanging sounds like metal striking stone.

The yellow light screen flashed wildly again, the giant ape phantom on it quickly dimmed, and the once thick screen visibly thinned once more.

Han Li looked solemn, muttering incantations under his breath while his hands formed hand seals like spinning wheels.

As the four layers of restrictive light screens flickered, with a "crackle," rings of four-colored halos rolled out from them, rippling in all directions.

Amidst the flickering light, the four layers of restrictive light screens merged into one, transforming into a four-colored light screen several feet thick, emitting a metallic four-colored radiance.

As soon as it took shape, streaks of gold-and-purple mixed lightning snakes struck the screen, but under the flow of four-colored spiritual light on its surface, these originally violent lightning bolts dissipated like mud oxen entering the sea, vanishing without a trace.

The four-colored light screen merely trembled slightly, with no signs of cracking.

Han Li's expression relaxed, but he did not release the hand seals in his hands.

As time passed, the four sacred beast phantoms on his body became increasingly clear, and the continuously spewed four-colored light pillars merged into the four-colored light screen, making it more and more stable.

From beginning to end, the Crab Immortal sat cross-legged in the center of the formation with his eyes tightly shut, surrounded by swirling electric light, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

Han Li was somewhat speechless at this sight; if he had not intercepted in time, the power of the lightning just now would have been enough to tear apart the remaining four light curtain barriers.

If that happened, the entire inn would likely be destroyed, and the secret of the Golden Immortal puppet would be exposed.

After a brief deliberation, Han Li inquired about the situation via voice transmission.

However, the Crab Immortal did not respond at all, as if he had not heard anything.

Han Li did not say anything more, but his original intention to leave immediately naturally changed; he decided to stay and see what would happen.

Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, two or three hours had gone by.

The purple lightning emerging from above the Crab Immortal's head showed no sign of diminishing; instead, it grew denser and brighter.

The golden lightning balls around him became increasingly unstable, churning violently, as even thicker bolts of gold and purple lightning shot out in all directions with no intention of stopping.

In a corner of the room, Han Li maintained the four-colored light curtain with hand seals, his expression somewhat gloomy.

Under these circumstances, he obviously could not leave.

Three days later.

Han Li sat cross-legged on the ground, still maintaining the four-colored light curtain with hand seals.

At the center of the formation, the Crab Immortal was now entirely enveloped in purple lightning, at first glance resembling a suit of purple lightning armor.

The golden lightning ball formed by the formation had also expanded greatly, nearly filling half the room, with golden lightning currents swirling, showing no signs of ending.

Seeing this, Han Li's expression grew even darker.

The lecture assembly was to begin today, and it was unknown when the Crab Immortal would finish; if he delayed any longer, he might miss the entire lecture assembly.

Had he known this would happen, he would have brought the Crab Immortal back to Red Cloud Peak that day; the restrictions at his cave dwelling, built up over years, were far more powerful than here, and even without someone to assist, they should be able to withstand the overflowing lightning power.

It was too late to say anything now; under no circumstances could he leave rashly at this moment, or else all his efforts might be wasted.

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

The lightning formation suddenly blazed with light, and countless lightning runes emerged all over the formation.

This scene caught Han Li's attention, and he quickly looked toward it.

After a series of crackling explosions, the purple lightning originally distributed around the Crab Immortal suddenly flared brightly, then flashed and vanished into his body in an instant. The surrounding golden lightning ball also fluctuated violently, and then tens of thousands of golden lightning bolts, like a giant whale drinking water, flowed back and rushed into his body one after another.