Chapter 875: The Art of Sealing Apertures

"Scar's death was too coincidental... However, it can be seen that the one who put the heart-eating worms into my room that day was indeed him. But he was probably just a pawn, acting on orders from someone behind him." Han Li said thoughtfully.

"Regardless of who ordered him, being able to obtain heart-eating worms means that person's capabilities cannot be underestimated. It seems Fellow Daoist Li, you've stirred up some big trouble..." Poison Dragon frowned and said.

"What, is Fellow Daoist Poison Dragon afraid of being implicated by my troubles? If so, we can just call off the previously agreed deal." Han Li smiled and said.

What Poison Dragon said had already occurred to him.

But within Qingyang City, the only ones he had grudges with were Chen Yang and Scar. However, if the former wanted to kill Han Li, he wouldn't have thrown him into the arena in the first place. And now that Scar was dead, there was no way to investigate further.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Li, what are you saying? Of course I'm afraid of trouble, but I can't cancel our deal. Come on, let me give you some of the beast cores I promised, so you won't back out." Poison Dragon stopped at his door and laughed.

"That works too. I can teach you the method to open apertures from my cultivation technique, and then use my spiritual sense to help you resolve that隐患. However, I can't determine how many more treatments will be needed. But as long as you fulfill all your promises, I will definitely solve your problem." Han Li nodded and said.

"It's settled. Please!" Poison Dragon nodded and opened his door.

About half an hour later, Han Li returned to his room, took out the ten Taluo beast cores Poison Dragon had given him, picked one up, put it in his mouth, swallowed it, and began to cultivate the "Feather Ascension Art" with his eyes closed.

...

Time flew by, and more than six years passed.

Han Li participated in many arena battles, and through life-and-death struggles, his strength gradually improved.

Most of the arena points he won were exchanged for beast cores. Combined with those Poison Dragon gave him intermittently, the number was considerable, and he consumed them one by one in cultivation.

However, as he continued to cultivate, Han Li found that the speed at which he opened his apertures gradually slowed down.

He knew that this was because opening apertures later required more star power, and the star power contained in a single Taluo beast core was limited. Only by consuming more beast cores could he gather enough power to open one aperture.

Nevertheless, Han Li had already opened forty-nine apertures, which was an astonishing feat for anyone else.

He was deeply worried about this.

After all, the rate at which his apertures increased was too incredible. If someone with ulterior motives took notice and pressed him for the method of his rapid cultivation, it would inevitably lead to disaster.

As luck would have it, two years ago, after participating in an arena battle, he returned to his room exhausted and found that the Tianxing Shell placed in the room had been destroyed.

However, when he entered to check, he found that the furnishings were almost unchanged. Nothing was missing, but in a corner of the room, he discovered a leg bone of some unknown scaled beast.

On the bone, someone had carved many thumb-sized characters with a sharp tool. Though only a thousand words or so, after reading them, Han Li was overjoyed.

Because those characters recorded a secret technique that taught him how to use star power to seal apertures.

The secret technique had no name, and the carvings were fresh, but the handwriting was somewhat hasty, as if the carver was in a hurry.

At the end of the bone text, there were four additional words: Destroy after reading.

After reading it, Han Li did not hesitate and immediately crushed the bone into powder.

Although the bone text did not record who gave it, Han Li had no doubt in his mind. The only one who could urgently help him and send this at a critical moment was the Crab Daoist.

As for how the Crab Daoist knew he needed it and how he sent it, Han Li had no answers for now and would have to ask when he met the Crab Daoist later.

Afterward, Han Li tried to practice the secret technique and quickly grasped its key points. Since then, he sealed several of his apertures one by one, and the number of apertures he revealed remained at forty-three.

Until today, two years later, everyone still thought he had only forty-three apertures.

...

At this moment, in an arena in the Ninth District, a battle between a human and a Xuan-level scaled beast was underway. The spectators in the stands were excited, their shouts shaking the heavens.

"Phantom, Phantom, Phantom..."

Cries in unison rose in waves, echoing in the arena.

In the center of the arena, a huge black-scaled elephant covered in bloodstains charged on all fours toward a young man holding a white bone spear.

The man was quite tall, with ordinary features and deep eyes. Who else could it be but Han Li?

The bone spear in Han Li's hand was of a peculiar shape, with the spearhead almost as long as the shaft. Its surface shimmered with starlight, as if covered by a layer of starry luster, and it seemed to be made from the spike bone of some scaled beast.

The black-scaled elephant appeared fierce, but its steps were somewhat unsteady. As it charged, its two white bone tusks, like cold-light spears, thrust straight at Han Li.

Han Li held the spear with one hand. Though there were bloodstains on his body, his expression seemed quite relaxed.

As the black-scaled elephant rushed before him, he bent his knees slightly, and the apertures on his legs suddenly lit up. He leaped high into the air with incredible speed.

His figure blurred and suddenly appeared in front of the black-scaled elephant.

The elephant seemed startled by Han Li's move and did not charge recklessly. Instead, it swung its trunk horizontally toward Han Li.

Its speed was dazzling, and most spectators could only see a series of afterimages in the air.

Speed alone was not the only threat; the elephant's trunk was covered in blue-black scales, tougher than its body, and the force of its swing was even greater than Han Li's full-strength punch. If hit, the consequences would be dire.

However, just as the trunk was about to touch Han Li, the apertures on his legs lit up again. He contracted his body in a strange manner, then kicked off the swinging trunk, sending himself flying away.

But in the moment he flew off, the white bone spear in his hands had already pierced into the side of the elephant's face.

"Chi..."

A sound of flesh tearing came.

The white bone spear in Han Li's hand, propelled by the strong force, cut like a sharp sickle from the elephant's side face backward, slashing a huge gash in its abdomen.

A torrent of bright red blood gushed out like a spring, dyeing a small part of the arena red.

The elephant's massive body stumbled forward two steps, then could no longer support itself. With a "bang," it crashed to the ground.

Han Li pursued, leaping high into the air, raising the spear above his head. The muscles on his arms bulged, and all forty-three apertures on his body lit up. He threw the spear like a javelin.

"Swoosh"

A sharp sound of piercing air briefly sounded, then abruptly stopped.

The white bone spear pierced straight through the elephant's head and deeply into the stone floor of the arena. Han Li's figure then fell, landing heavily on the elephant's back.

"Phantom, Phantom, Phantom..."

...

The outcome was decided; life and death were seen.

The atmosphere in the arena finally exploded, with waves of wild cheers rising and falling, lasting for a long time.

In a hidden VIP room within the mountain wall above the stands, a fierce-looking, burly man in a black robe stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the scene below.

The half of his face with black scales showed no expression, while the other half, as if burned by fire, slightly wrinkled, and a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

This man was none other than Du Qingyang, the city lord of Qingyang City.

"It seems the technique you cultivate focuses on speed enhancement, and your movement changes still have some leeway. Interesting. But it looks like it's almost enough." Du Qingyang's gaze fell on Han Li as he murmured.

After saying this, he left the VIP room and returned directly to his cave dwelling.

About half an hour later, Hu Ben, clad in white bone armor, hurried through the city tunnels and arrived outside a meeting hall in the city lord's cave dwelling.

Before he could announce himself, the heavy doors of the meeting hall opened inward, and two words floated out:

"Come in."

Hu Ben did not dare to hesitate and quickly walked in. He saw four people already seated on both sides of the long table in the hall.

On the left, a bald man and a gaunt old man, like him, were the captains of the Third and Fourth Hunting Teams, respectively. On the right, a square-faced youth and a man with bound hair were both captains of the City Defense Team.

And at the main seat facing the door sat Du Qingyang.

"Greetings, City Lord." Hu Ben immediately saluted respectfully.

Du Qingyang was playing with a strange black stone statue with three heads and six arms. He nodded casually, signaling him to sit down quickly.

"I called you here today to tell you that the Garuda Blood Formation can now be set up." Du Qingyang stopped his movements, sat up slightly, and announced.

Hu Ben and the others' expressions changed, and almost everyone's eyes flashed with surprise and joy. They quickly clasped their fists and said, "We obey your orders."

"The time is near. There are some specific details I need to explain. Listen carefully, and don't make any mistakes..." Du Qingyang slowly began.

Everyone present showed a solemn expression.