Inside an elegant private room at the Listening Rain Pavilion in Yellow Maple Valley's market.
An antique sandalwood table stood in the center. Wisps of steam rose slowly from the teacups on it, swirling between Jing Wen and Han Li like a gauzy, ethereal curtain.
Jing Wen sat upright at the table, his expression composed, the fingertips of his right hand tapping lightly against the tabletop in a steady rhythm.
In an instant, his aura changed dramatically. Like a towering mountain, deep and immovable, his immense Foundation Establishment Stage pressure surged toward Han Li like a raging tide, overwhelming enough to topple mountains and overturn seas.
Han Li felt an invisible, crushing pressure strike him head-on. It was as though a boulder had pinned his chest, making even breathing difficult.
Yet in the blink of an eye, Jing Wen's aura receded like melting spring snow. It swiftly became that of an ordinary mortal, and even the faint sound of his breathing was barely audible.
At the sight, Han Li's pupils abruptly contracted, as though he had suffered a terrible fright.
A chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat instantly soaked the back of his robes.
Shocked to his core, Han Li wondered, How can Jing Wen shift the aura of his cultivation realm so effortlessly?
Could Jing Wen actually be a Golden Core senior?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Han Li instinctively tightened his grip on the Little Green Bottle hidden in his sleeve.
Han Li swallowed, doing everything he could to suppress the shock churning within him. His face filled with respect as he said:
"Senior Brother, your cultivation is truly unfathomable. I bow before you in utter admiration."
Jing Wen waved a hand, his expression calm. "Don't tease me, Junior Brother.
"To tell you the