Chapter 713: Setting a Trap

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Li's eyes at the sight of the white-robed projection.

The man struck him with a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't recall exactly where he had seen this man before.

"Ah, I see, so you're a human cultivator from the Immortal Realm. How courageous of you to have ventured into the Gray Realm," the white-robed man remarked with a smile.

Han Li was astonished to hear this, and he immediately asked, "Who are you?"

His disguise was near-perfect, yet this man had managed to see through him in an instant.

Even though he had emerged from the black saber, the white-robed man didn't seem to harbor any ill will.

"Who am I? That's a good question. You can call me Shi Qinghou," the white-robed man replied with a faint smile.

"Could it be that you're the artifact spirit of this saber?" Han Li asked.

At the same time, he was thinking back over all of the Gray Realm scriptures that he had read, but he couldn't recall such a name, and he wasn't sure if he was being told the man's real name.

A hint of resentment flashed through Shi Qinghou's eyes upon hearing this, but it then immediately faded, and he replied, "Artifact spirit? I suppose so."

Han Li had noticed the minute change in Shi Qinghou's expression, but he made no comment about it.

Right as he was about to ask another question, Shi Qinghou raised a hand to stop him and said, "You've already asked me two questions, surely it's my turn to ask you some questions now."

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, then replied, "I suppose that would only be fair. Go ahead."

"My questions are similar to the ones that you just asked me. Who are you, and why are you here?"

A sharp gleam suddenly appeared in Shi Qinghou's eyes as he spoke, and a fearsome aura erupted out of his body.

The black light emanating from the saber also brightened significantly, and a giant twin-headed demon fox projection appeared within it, glowering intently at Han Li as if it were threatening to tear him to shreds.

Han Li remained completely unfazed by Shi Qinghou's display of intimidation, and he replied, "My name is Li Han, and I came to the Gray Realm purely by accident. I was sucked into a spatial vortex while exploring a secret area in the Immortal Realm, and that's how I ended up here."

Shi Qinghou's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and it seemed that he was trying to judge whether Han Li's words were trustworthy or not.

Shi Qinghou observed Han Li for a long while before finally replying, "I don't know if you're telling the truth, but it doesn't look to me like you were sent here by Yin Chengquan. In that case, we are not enemies."

At the same time, he swept a sleeve through the air, and the fearsome aura emanating from his body faded, as did the black light being released by the ancient saber.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He had no idea who this Yin Chengyuan was, but at the moment, he had more pressing questions to ask.

"I've answered two of your questions, it's my turn again to ask the questions. What is this black saber?" Han Li asked.

"You don't know what this is? I suppose that makes sense, considering you dared to place your spiritual sense in direct contact with it. That's further confirmation that you weren't sent by Yin Chengquan," Shi Qinghou replied as he nodded to himself, following which a contemplative look appeared on his face.

"You still haven't answered my question," Han Li reminded.

"This blade is called the Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber, and the souls of all of the people that it kills are eternally trapped within it, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation. It's claimed countless lives up to this point, and it's accumulated a tremendous amount of baleful qi and resentment as a result.

“You've already experienced that firsthand yourself, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you just how fearsome this blade is," Shi Qinghou explained.

It sounds like this is an extremely formidable treasure...

Han Li had many more questions that he wanted to ask, but he held off from doing so as it was Shi Qinghou's turn.

"I can make use of your time law powers. How about we make a deal?" Shi Qinghou suddenly proposed.

"What kind of deal?" Han Li asked as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Rest assured, I bear no ill will toward you. The deal that I'm proposing will be beneficial for both of us," Shi Qinghou assured with a smile, then swept a sleeve through the air to release a burst of white light that vanished into the ground near the Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber in a flash.

The ground immediately began buzzing, and the earth in a radius of over a hundred feet around the saber was slowly elevated by about half a foot to form a round stone platform.

The mud on the platform was quickly shaken off to reveal the gray stone material underneath, and there were countless black patterns engraved onto the surface of the entire stone platform to form a complex array.

Bursts of inky black light were rising up from the array before rapidly flowing outward in all directions, accompanied by harrowing shrieks and screams.

The Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber was plunged into the center of the array, and it seemed to have been sealed there.

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Li's eyes upon seeing this.

He had just scoured the area with his spiritual sense, yet he had completely failed to detect this array.

In complete contrast with the arrays of the Immortal Realm, this was a restriction that was unique to the Gray Realm. Han Li had read some books regarding the arrays of the Gray Realm, but his understanding of the subject was still quite rudimentary, so he was unable to fully comprehend this array.

Even so, he could still sense that the black array was extremely profound, and the restrictive powers within it were constantly intertwining and changing. It was clear to him that this restriction was not inferior to any that he had ever seen before.

"This is a sealing array. You're from the True Immortal Realm, so you may not be able to make sense of it, but the Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber and I are currently being sealed here by this array. My request is very simple: pull the saber out of the array. Of course, I won't ask you to do this for no compensation.

“I am able to control this Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber, and if you can get me out of here, I can stay by your side to assist you in battle for the next one hundred thousand years," Shi Qinghou said with a serious expression.

"You want me to pull the saber out of this array? I'm afraid you think far too highly of me. This is an extremely powerful restriction, and I certainly have no chance of breaking it," Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

"Of course it would be impossible solely through your own efforts, but I've been trapped in this saber for countless years, and through the saber, I've managed to refine much of the array, so I can disable most of its power for you," Shi Qinghou said with a smile.

"In that case, I can consider it, but I'm assuming there must be other obstacles to pulling the saber out of the array. Otherwise, surely you would've already freed yourself long ago," Han Li mused in a contemplative manner.

"Of course. I can disable most of the array's power, but at the very minimum, High Zenith Stage power will be required to pull out the saber. On top of that, while I'm suppressing the array, I won't be able to divert any attention to suppressing the Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber, so you'll be struck by backlash from the boundless resentment within the saber as soon as you come into contact with it, and only the three paramount laws will be able to protect you.

“The only reason why I'm proposing this deal to you is because you've mastered the laws of time," Shi Qinghou replied with a nod.

Han Li lowered his head in contemplation upon hearing this, and he was silent for a long while.

"What do you think of my proposal?" Shi Qinghou asked, trying to prompt a response from Han Li.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"While it's true that this is a mutually beneficial deal, I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else. My apologies," Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

Shi Qinghou's expression instantly darkened slightly upon seeing this, but Han Li paid no heed to this as he turned to depart.

"Hold on a second, do you know what the Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber entails? With this saber, your powers will be elevated by at least tenfold! I can see that you're at the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal Stage. With my help, you'll be unmatched across the Great Encompassment Stage! Is that enough to change your mind?" Shi Qinghou asked.

"This is a very tantalizing offer, but the saber is ultimately under your control instead of mine. On top of that, how do I know if you're telling the truth or not? I've only recently arrived in the Gray Realm, and I don't wish to take any undue risks," Han Li replied in a stoic fashion.

Shi Qinghou's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and he said, "So you're harboring doubts about my integrity. I suppose that's only normal. What do I have to do to make you believe me?"

Han Li considered the question for a moment, then replied, "If you want me to trust you, then you have to agree to two of my conditions."

"Go ahead," Shi Qinghou prompted.

"Firstly, I want to know your identity. I'm assuming that you're not the artifact spirit of this Heavenly Fox Bloodform Saber. On top of that, I want to know who Yin Chengquan is and what vendetta exists between the two of you," Han Li said.

"Why do you want to know all of this?" Shi Qinghou asked as his brows furrowed slightly.

"Truth be told, I can free you from this place, but I don't want to attract any trouble in the process. If you don't clarify these matters to me, then I won't agree to your proposal," Han Li replied.

A complex look appeared on Shi Qinghou's face upon hearing this, and he was silent for a moment before replying, "Alright, if you insist, I can answer your questions, but let me warn you that knowing too much isn't a good thing."

"That may be so, but I'd still like to hear your answer," Han Li said with a smile.