Chapter 13: Strange Phenomenon Emerges

Due to Han Li's injured foot, Zhang Tie personally brought dinner to his hut. Han Li watched, both amused and touched, as Zhang Tie clumsily rearranged chairs and tables.

Over the meal, they swapped sect gossip and cultivation insights. Zhang Tie groaned about the **Elephant Armor Technique**—its first layer alone had subjected him to foul medicinal baths and brutal beatings from Doctor Mo.

"It's a nightmare," Zhang Tie muttered, recalling nights spent writhing in pain.

Han Li, though sympathetic, envied Zhang Tie's progress. Meanwhile, Zhang Tie marveled at Han Li's mantra cultivation, mistaking its meditative calm for ease.

After dinner, Zhang Tie left with a reminder to rest. Alone, Han Li retrieved the mysterious bottle, determined to unravel its secrets.

Exhaustion soon overtook him. Clutching the bottle, he drifted into a fitful sleep.

A cold sensation jolted Han Li awake. His eyes widened.

The bottle, glowing softly, drew silken threads of moonlight through the skylight. White specks swirled around it, coalescing into a radiant halo.

Panicked, Han Li flung the bottle aside. When no danger arose, he crept closer, entranced.

The light particles surged into the bottle like living fireflies. Han Li touched one—cool, harmless.

Sneaking outside, he found an empty clearing and placed the bottle on the ground.

Moonlight cascaded anew. Countless white specks erupted, forming a basin-sized vortex around the bottle. Han Li's pulse quickened. *This isn't just a trinket—it's something extraordinary.*