Upon actually manipulating the gray light in practice, Han Li discovered that while the Object-Drive Art imbued the talisman's transformed energy with extraordinary sharpness—capable of slicing through nearly anything—and could be directed with hand gestures to attack opponents, there were still several notable limitations.
First and foremost, the gray light consumed an alarming amount of magic power.
A cultivator who had reached the eighth layer of the Art of Eternal Youth, like Han Li, could conjure over a hundred complete fireballs of the Fireball Technique in succession without issue. Yet when driving the gray light, his magic power was exhausted in a mere quarter of an hour.
Looking back, Gold Light Immortal had not chosen to refrain from using the gray light from the start out of any sense of restraint. His magic power had simply been too limited, and the amount of time he could sustain the talisman's power must have been pitifully small.
This also explained why the resistance Han Li had faced when seizing the item had been so feeble. The dwarf had most likely burned through the majority of his magic power during his earlier use of the gray light. When he then encountered Han Li—whose magic reserves far exceeded his own—it was no wonder the dwarf crumbled so easily, allowing Han Li to claim the prize without significant struggle.
Beyond this, the gray light carried another disadvantage: its effective range was strictly limited. It could be controlled freely only within a radius of twenty paces centered on Han Li. Beyond that boundary, it grew sluggish and unstable, frequently losing responsiveness. Once it flew past thirty paces, the gray light reverted completely to the talisman's original form and fell to the ground.
If the two shortcomings above were ones Han Li believed would gradually improve as his magic power deepened, then the final problem was a fatal flaw inherent to the talisman itself.
After using the talisman several times, Han Li noticed that the cold glow emanating from the small gray sword inscribed on its surface was slowly dimming with each use, as though its lifespan was steadily dwindling. In other words, the talisman had a fixed number of uses and a limited duration. Once those uses were exhausted, the talisman would lose all its mystical properties and perish for good.
This was one of the reasons Han Li had stopped practicing immediately after mastering the basics of the Object-Drive Art. He intended to preserve such a formidable tool for a critical moment—perhaps it could even save his life in some future crisis.
By the same reasoning, Han Li suspected that the golden talisman capable of forming a protective barrier of golden light carried the same restriction. He simply did not yet know the incantation required to activate it, so he stored it carefully away for future use.
As for the triangular token and the Qin family genealogy, Han Li studied them during his rest periods but found nothing of particular value.
By the fifth day, Han Li had just removed his "no visitors" sign when Li Feiyu burst in with an eager grin. The moment he laid eyes on Han Li, he launched into an animated retelling of the rumors that had begun circulating—how Han Li had been transformed in the public imagination into a demonic figure of legendary proportions.
These tall tales left Han Li torn between laughter and exasperation. He maintained a straight face and regarded Li Feiyu with an unamused expression as the latter made absolutely no effort to conceal his amusement at his friend's expense.
At last, Li Feiyu's laughter subsided. He gradually composed himself and addressed Han Li in a serious tone, "I trust you can guess the reason I've come here?"
"Mm. Those influential figures from the sect still haven't settled their concerns about me, so they've sent you to sound me out," Han Li replied, his tone indifferent.
"Heh, heh. As long as you understand," Li Feiyu said, letting out a long, relieved breath as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
"But tell me—how exactly am I supposed to report back to those people?" Li Feiyu's face split into a mischievous grin once more. "You should know, they've already promised to promote me from Vice Hall Master of the Outer Edge Hall to full Hall Master, if I can bring you around."
Han Li frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and murmured, "It seems I will have to meet with Sect Leader Wang and the others in person and clear the air. Otherwise, they'll never rest easy."
"Very well. Go back and tell Sect Leader Wang that I will visit Sunset Peak at noon tomorrow to speak with him. He needn't worry," Han Li said with a faint smile.
"Good. With that assurance, I can deliver my report," Li Feiyu replied with a shrug, adopting a noncommittal expression.
The two friends then chatted for a while longer. Han Li even performed the Fireball Technique at close range, giving Li Feiyu a firsthand look that left him thoroughly impressed and envious for quite some time.
Not long after, Li Feiyu took his leave of the valley and departed to report back to Wang Juechu and the others.
Han Li stood at the doorway of his dwelling, watching Li Feiyu's retreating figure, lost in thought for a long while. Then, without warning, a mysterious smile crossed his face. He looked rather pleased with himself as he stepped inside and closed the door.
The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Li Feiyu made his way to Sunset Peak under cover of darkness and slipped quietly into Sect Leader Wang's quarters.
When Wang Juechu woke to find a figure standing rigidly at the foot of his bed, his expression turned unspeakably ugly. Nevertheless, he forced a smile onto his face and asked with some unease,
"Doctor Han has come? I apologize for not greeting you at the gate! But I was under the impression we agreed to meet at noon—why have you arrived so early?"
Han Li regarded Sect Leader Wang with a cold, penetrating gaze that made every hair on the man's body stand on end, his face feeling as though it were being sliced by a blade.
When he saw the flicker of terror in Wang Juechu's eyes, Han Li felt a quiet twinge of satisfaction. That look had been the result of the Spirit Eye Art, a newly discovered use of the technique he had only recently uncovered. It allowed the practitioner to project spiritual pressure through their gaze, unsettling an ordinary person's mind and inducing panic—a power not unlike the legendary Soul-Pressing Art that circulated among martial artists.
"No particular reason. I simply felt that an early morning meeting might result in clearer thinking on both sides, ensuring that neither party does anything the other might find disagreeable," Han Li replied, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever, though his tone carried an unmistakable edge.