Chapter 856: If You Can't Win, Run

"So that's how it is. Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Chen. Fellow Daoist Shi and I are willing to enter Xuan City, and we ask you to recommend us." Han Li felt slightly reassured and cupped his hand to Chen Yang.

Shi Chuankong also stepped forward and bowed in salute.

"Good. From today on, you two are brothers of our Xuan City. Once this gale disaster ceases, I will immediately take you both to Qingyang City." Chen Yang was overjoyed and said hastily.

The red-haired man also came to the cave and stepped forward to greet them: "Welcome, fellow daoists, to join our Xuan City."

With this matter settled, the atmosphere among them became much more harmonious, and they chatted casually for a while, though outside the wind howled, piercing the heart, and waves of chilling force seeped in.

Soon they lost interest in talking and each found a place to sit, preparing to circulate their energy to resist the cold.

Fortunately, with the ground blocking it, the cold that seeped in was not strong, and for cultivators like Han Li, whose physical bodies were not weak, it was no great concern.

"Fellow Daoist Han."

Just as Han Li found an empty spot and sat down, the voice of Crab Immortal sounded in his mind.

"Fellow Daoist Crab, you were just sealed by Chen Yang's Dragon Whisker Needles. Are you all right?" Han Li's eyes brightened, glanced at Crab Immortal sitting not far away, and communicated with him via voice transmission.

Ever since being sealed by the Dragon Whisker Needles, Crab Immortal had not spoken. Han Li had tried to communicate with him via voice transmission, but Crab Immortal had not responded, which made him somewhat worried.

Now that Crab Immortal had taken the initiative to contact him, he was both delighted and somewhat surprised.

"It's nothing. Those golden needles actually stimulated my memory, making me recall some things." Crab Immortal's voice showed some fluctuation.

"Oh, is it about the Scale Accumulation Void?" Han Li's heart stirred.

"Some are, some aren't. This time I recalled quite a lot, and it's very mixed. I sorted it out for a long time before finding some clues." Crab Immortal said noncommittally.

"Oh, what exactly?" Han Li immediately pressed.

"Mostly about a place called the Carefree Palace deep in the Scale Accumulation Void, and two names: one is E Kuai, the other is Sha Xin." Crab Immortal said.

"E Kuai! That man is the city lord of Xuan City. Are you related to him?" Han Li was greatly startled.

"I don't know. The memories are too vague. I only recalled those two names; everything else is still unknown." Crab Immortal's voice was full of distress.

"Don't worry too much. Once we reach Xuan City, I'll find a way to investigate what you just mentioned." Han Li said.

"Besides these, I also recalled something else that might be helpful to you." Crab Immortal's spirit perked up slightly, then he looked at Han Li and showed a faint smile.

"Oh, what is it?" Han Li raised an eyebrow.

Crab Immortal did not speak this time. After a long while, he slowly stood up, came to Han Li's side, and pointed at the center of Han Li's brow.

A beam of golden light flew from his fingertip, merged into Han Li's mind, and then exploded with a bang, turning into countless golden characters.

Han Li's eyes widened sharply, revealing great joy, but then he immediately closed his eyes and sat cross-legged.

Those golden characters turned out to be a body-tempering technique called the "Feather Ascension Art." This technique contained eighteen profound acupoints, all located on the legs. Cultivating it not only enhanced physical strength but also elevated movement techniques to an inconceivable level, even allowing one to walk on air with sheer physical power, as if ascending like a feathered immortal.

Han Li's entire mind was absorbed by those golden characters, leaving no leisure. It was only after the time it takes to eat a meal that he opened his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Crab, thank you. This technique is exactly what I need." He suppressed his excitement and thanked him via voice transmission.

Although he knew little about body-tempering techniques, he could sense that while the Feather Ascension Art opened few acupoints, if mastered, it would greatly enhance his legs, which was perfect for the current situation where flight was impossible.

If you can't win, you can always run, right?

"Then try to cultivate it a bit." Crab Immortal nodded, sat down cross-legged nearby, and paid no further attention to Han Li.

Han Li breathed slowly, soon calmed his mind, and began to practice the Feather Ascension Art.

Like the Great Cycle Star Origin Art, this technique used the power of stars to temper the body and then open profound acupoints.

The Scale Accumulation Void was rich in star power, making it suitable for cultivating this technique.

Although he was now underground and could not draw star power, he had consumed many scale beast cores along the way, which were rich in star power and stored in his body, ready to be used.

Han Li carefully reviewed the Feather Ascension Art from beginning to end, confirmed it was correct, and slowly began to circulate the technique.

With a "boom!"

The star power stored in his body was fully mobilized, merging into a profound acupoint on his leg.

That acupoint greedily absorbed the star power, and an extreme tingling sensation spread from his leg, so comfortable he almost cried out.

As the acupoint continuously absorbed star power, it stirred restlessly, breathing like a mouth and nose, slowly opening.

Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, over half a month had gone by.

Han Li sat cross-legged, motionless, but a starlight spot now appeared on his calf, flickering incessantly and growing faster.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and the profound acupoint on his calf made a cracking sound, the starlight it emitted brightening by half.

After more than half a month of hard cultivation, this acupoint was finally fully opened.

Excitement showed in Han Li's eyes, but then he suddenly remembered something and looked around.

At this moment, Chen Yang and the others had entered the stone chamber to cultivate, leaving only him, Shi Chuankong, and Crab Immortal outside. Shi Chuankong was sitting cross-legged in the distance with eyes closed, seemingly also cultivating, and had not noticed the commotion on his side.

Han Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, dispersed the starlight from his calf acupoint, and showed a contemplative expression, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

According to the Feather Ascension Art, opening these acupoints was very difficult and required a lot of time, slowly tempering them with persistent effort.

Although he had consumed many beast cores and stored considerable star power in his body, which greatly aided the cultivation, opening an acupoint in just over ten days was too fast.

Han Li speculated on the reason but soon shook his head and stopped pondering.

Whatever the reason, being able to master this technique quickly was a good thing.

He concentrated and listened to the sounds outside. The howling wind had not stopped; the gale was still raging.

The yin-cold energy in the cave lingered, somewhat denser than at the beginning, but not by much.

Han Li had been immersed in cultivation these days, with his blood and qi fully circulating, so he had not noticed.

He glanced at Shi Chuankong and Crab Immortal; neither seemed affected by the cold. Slightly reassured, he soon closed his eyes again and continued cultivating the next acupoint.

In the blink of an eye, another seven or eight days passed.

Han Li slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

The star power stored in his body was now completely depleted.

Without star power, cultivation was naturally impossible.

Moreover, the howling gale had begun to weaken, and the cold energy within it had completely dissipated.

Chen Yang and the others also came out of the stone chamber, ready to set off.

The others were somewhat curious about the two newcomers, Han Li and Shi Chuankong, and after asking about the outside situation, they quickly accepted them.

The group soon left the underground cave and arrived in the valley.

Outside, the wind still howled, sand filled the air, and although the biting cold was gone, the raging wind still made their bodies sway slightly.

The valley outside had changed completely. The ground had been deeply plowed, full of gullies and a mess, and the nearby mountains were noticeably shorter, clearly broken off by the gale.

Seeing the scene before him, Han Li was once again secretly shocked by the power of the gale.

"The gale disaster seems to have passed. Let's set off now." Chen Yang looked at the sky and nodded.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, why not wait a few more days until the wind completely calms before setting out?" Han Li asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you may not know, but although this gale is a disaster, it has some benefits. Every time the gale passes, many stupid scale beasts fail to take shelter and die from falling or freezing. We need to go find them early; if we delay, the dead beasts will be devoured by other scale beasts, and we won't get the chance to pick up this bargain." Chen Yang laughed.

"I see. Truly, misfortune is where fortune depends. That's absolutely right." Han Li nodded in understanding and laughed as well.

"This time, we'll make a good haul!" Shi Chuankong rubbed his hands together, somewhat impatiently.

Chen Yang said no more. With a wave of his hand, the group entered the漫天沙尘 and soon disappeared.

...

The blazing sun hung high, and the wind and sand howled over the Gobi.

A hunting party returning from the hunt trudged forward with difficulty against the swirling dust. Several huge, blue-gray beasts covered in scales led the way, and about a dozen tall men walked among them.

Each of them had a thick face covering that wrapped all the way to their necks, yet they could still feel the rough sensation of sand and gravel hitting their faces, carried by the gale.

Under the spatial pressure, such sand and dust became extremely powerful, making every step they took quite difficult.

A man in a green robe walking in the middle of the team squinted ahead through the gaps between the beasts, seeing only a yellow haze in the distance, with a huge shadow deep within.

"Fellow Daoist Chen Yang, how much longer until we reach Qingyang City?" the green-robed man turned his head to look at a burly man beside him and asked, condensing his voice into a line.

"Not far now. We'll be there soon." The burly man's face was wrapped in thick cotton cloth, making his expression unreadable, but his tone carried a hint of joy, clearly indicating they were indeed close.

"Finally! Brother Li, don't worry. Once we're in the city, we'll find a way to get information about Fellow Daoist Zi Ling. After all, such a beauty—anyone who sees her will never forget!" said another white-haired man with a slightly teasing tone.

"I hope so." The green-robed man looked ahead with deep eyes and said.

This group was none other than Han Li, Chen Yang, and the others returning from the wilderness.