Chapter 1966: Escape
Bao Hua merely made a peculiar hand seal in a nonchalant manner upon seeing this, and a dull thump rang out as two pillars of translucent light erupted out of the massive flower beneath the pair of stone giants.
The two pillars of light were as fast as lightning, and reached the two giants in a flash. The pair of giants were naturally greatly alarmed by this, and they tried to take evasive measures, but it was already too late.
The two pillars of light completely disregarded the protective spiritual light around them before vanishing into their bodies in a flash.
The two of them only had a chance to cry out in shock and fury before a series of crystalline flowers appeared over every single inch of their bodies.
The two stone giants had been instantly sealed within a layer of a mysterious crystalline substance and were completely immobilized.
Bao Hua raised a hand in silence as she appraised the two stone giants, and white light flashed from the crystalline substance over the bodies of the giants.
Immediately thereafter, the pair of giants began to rapidly shrink, and in the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to a pair of fist-sized objects that were stowed away up her sleeve.
"Congratulations on vanquishing those powerful enemies, Mistress!" Hei'e hurriedly rushed over to offer his congratulations.
"They were merely three clones of Xue Guang's; they can hardly be considered as powerful enemies. In contrast, Liu Ji's six clones are all very important allies to her. After being struck by that Sunset Arrow of mine, it'll take at least 100 years for her to recover to her former level of power," Bao Hua said in an indifferent voice.
"Then should we give chase and kill them all? This is a very rare opportunity!" Hei'e suggested in a careful manner.
Bao Hua contemplated this suggestion momentarily before replying, "There's no need for that. Liu Ji definitely has some type of life-saving movement technique up her sleeve; even if I were to pursue her with all my power, the chances of being able to catch her are still rather slim. My top priority now is the Celestial Cloud Flower. If I allow the flower to slip away, then it'll be very difficult to find it again in the future. Let's go."
"Yes, Mistress!" Hei'e replied in a respectful manner.
Immediately thereafter, the giant flower beneath Bao Hua rotated on the spot, releasing a burst of pink light that swept up both of them before teleporting them away.
Thus, peace and quiet returned to the area, and it was as if nothing had ever happened there.
...
In a secluded valley countless kilometers away, two shimmering silver lightning formations of different sizes appeared in mid-air amid a rumbling thunderclap.
The smaller of the two lightning formations was contained within the larger one, and at the center of both formations stood a pair of humanoid figures.
One of them was an azure-robed young man, while the other was a burly man with a pair of crimson wings, holding a silver formation plate in each hand.
These were none other than Han Li and Lei Yunzi!
"Are you ready, Fellow Daoist Han? Theoretically, I should have this dual lightning formation all figured out, but I've never actually tested it, so if something goes wrong, there's your disclaimer," Lei Yunzi chortled in an excited manner as arcs of lightning revolved around his body.
"Hehe, if something really does go wrong, then so be it; I'll just have to accept my fate. However, seeing as this is theoretically sound, I have nothing to fear. On top of that, I've already briefly studied this dual lightning formation just now, and to me, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it," Han Li replied with a smile.
"Hmph, you make it sound like you have a lot of trust in me, but you're just as meticulous and calculating as you were several hundred years ago. Alright, those two are probably close to tracking us down again; let's go." Lei Yunzi rolled his eyes before hurling his two formation plates through the air, and they disappeared in a flash into the two lightning formations.
Immediately thereafter, he made a hand seal and began to chant something. The two lightning formations were activated amid a rumbling thunderclap, and countless arcs of lightning sprang up within the formations.
Lei Yunzi let loose a loud cry, and several bolts of lightning that were as thick as water tanks erupted out of the center of the lightning formation to inundate both himself and Han Li at once.
The two of them then vanished from within the lightning formation, and around 15 minutes later, spatial fluctuations erupted nearby, following which the giant pink flower emerged out of thin air again.
The petals of the flower slowly spread open to reveal Bao Hua and Hei'e, and the former's expression changed slightly as she cast her gaze toward the spot where the dual lightning formation had once been situated.
"Why are the fluctuations completely different from those of his past teleportations? Even I can't sense their potential teleportation destination anymore!" Bao Hua murmured to herself in a surprised manner.
"That's impossible! Aren't you already close to figuring out that man's lightning formation? How did this happen?" Hei'e exclaimed.
"Not only that, but I'm also no longer able to sense the tracking mark I planted in him, which means that he's either dead, or really managed to teleport to millions of kilometers away," Bao Hua mused.
Hei'e's eyes widened drastically upon hearing this, and he didn't know what to say in response.
"Judging from the remnant spatial fluctuations lingering here, it's most likely the latter. Looks like I underestimated them; they really did have a way to teleport such a vast distance at once. So be it, the Celestial Cloud Flower is indeed quite useful to me, but it's not worth the energy required to conduct divination to track it down again. Let's go to the human territory; the spirit medicine that can completely heal me should be there. I'll only be able to obtain more detailed information once I get there and conduct divination again." Much to Hei'e's surprise, Bao Hua didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by this and remained as calm as ever.
Hei'e naturally didn't dare to offer any objections and immediately gave an affirmative response.
Just as Bao Hu was about to depart, a peculiar feeling suddenly welled up in her heart, and her brows furrowed slightly as she cast her gaze toward a certain direction. However, after peering into the distance for a long while, she shook her head to forcibly rid herself of the uneasiness in her heart before departing from the scene atop her giant flower.
Millions of kilometers away, countless silver arcs of lightning suddenly erupted out of thin air amid a loud thunderclap above a boundless lake. The arcs of lightning instantly formed a giant lightning formation, and following a flash of blinding silver light, Han Li and Lei Yunzi emerged.
The two of them inspected their surroundings, and elated looks appeared on both of their faces.
"It worked! This dual lightning formation really was able to teleport us to millions of kilometers away! That feeling of constantly being watched has finally disappeared. Let's part ways here, Fellow Daoist Han." The elation on Lei Yunzi's face faded, and he immediately took his leave without bothering to engage in any unnecessary pleasantries.
Han Li nodded in response before a slightly forlorn look appeared on his face. "It's a pity that this dual lightning formation requires two people with mastery in lightning formations to be used. Otherwise, it would be an exceptional life-saving ability."
"Hehe, nothing is perfect in this world. We're already very fortunate to have run into one another and managed to escape from our pursuers. As the saying goes, those who have survived the severest crisis can expect blessings in the days to come; perhaps there's good fortune waiting for us right around the corner," Lei Yunzi chuckled.
"You've already been blessed with immense fortune to have obtained that Celestial Cloud Flower, Fellow Daoist," Han Li also chuckled in response.
"Oh? Are you interested in the Celestial Cloud Flower as well, Brother Han?" Lei Yunzi asked with a hint of a smile on his face.
"You've misunderstood me there, Brother Lei. The Celestial Cloud Flower is indeed an extremely precious spirit item, but it contradicts with the cultivation arts that I'm using, so I have no interest in it. Alright, I'll be taking my leave now; I hope to see you again someday," Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a parting salute.
Lei Yunzi's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and he also returned Han Li's salute. "I wish you a safe and smooth journey, Fellow Daoist."
Han Li didn't say anything further and gave Lei Yunzi one final nod before flying away as a streak of azure light.
After Han Li had vanished into the distance, Lei Yunzi flew away in the opposite direction as a streak of silver light.
Han Li flew in the opposite direction from human territory for three days and three nights without stopping before finally arriving at a bleak and barren mountain.
The chances of being discovered by devilish beings were very slim in such a secluded area, so he stopped and descended halfway up the mountain.
He made a hand seal while chanting something, and a layer of yellow light enveloped his body before he vanished into the mountain in a flash.
Moments later, Han Li reappeared within a certain cave inside the belly of the mountain, and he swept both sleeves through the air to release several tens of formation flags. The flags then all transformed into specks of spiritual light that disappeared into the surrounding space in a flash.
In the next instant, a layer of faint white light appeared around the cave, and only then did Han Li heave a faint sigh of relief as he took a seat on a giant rock at the center of the cave.
He flipped a hand over, and several jade vials of different sizes appeared one after another before being tossed up into the air. He tipped the jade around a dozen pills of different colors out of these vials before consuming them all at once, then closed his eyes and began to meditate.
Not only did he have to recover his severely depleted magic power, he also had to refine the fierce medicinal effects of the spirit medicines he had directly consumed. It would be impossible to complete both of these objectives without spending at least two to three months.