Seeing Bu Luo turn his head away like a small child who had, with great effort, just decided to give his candy to someone else, the corners of Li Yan's mouth lifted into a smile.
With a flick of his finger, Li Yan brought the Silver Page into his hand. It was cold to the touch, feeling like a thin sheet of silk paper, yet as hard as a sheet of silver foil.
Nearby, Bu Luo peeked over and saw Li Yan take the Silver Page. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief. He sat down cross-legged with some difficulty and closed his eyes. He didn't try to penetrate the two layers of formations with his Divine Sense to see if there were truly any cultivators outside. He wisely chose not to provoke the person before him.
Although Li Yan had the Silver Page in hand, he was still secretly observing Bu Luo's expression. Seeing that although the boy was reluctant, he had truly let it go, Li Yan couldn't help but admire Bu Luo's character for a moment.
Li Yan's Divine Sense plunged directly into the Silver Page. The moment it made contact, it was repelled by a powerful force, shocking him. Li Yan was inwardly startled.
Though he hadn't used his full strength, this outcome still stunned him. When exploring unfamiliar objects, he was naturally cautious, but the Divine Sense he had just released was by no means weak. He had used sixty percent of his power, retaining the rest as a precaution. If he encountered any danger, he would have more than enough power to protect himself.
His sixty percent Divine Sense far surpassed that of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet it couldn't penetrate this Silver Page in the slightest.
Sensing that the repulsive force from the Silver Page was purely for shielding and had no offensive properties, Li Yan finally relaxed.
He once again released eighty percent of his Divine Sense. This time, he wasn't repelled, but ripples spread across the surface of the Silver Page, pushing Li Yan's Divine Sense back layer by layer like waves, ultimately blocking it once again.
Seeing this, Li Yan's heart filled with joy. The more it resisted, the more extraordinary the item was. He immediately focused his mind, gradually increasing the strength of his Divine Sense. As its power grew, the silver light on the page shone brighter and brighter, eventually turning into a ball of blinding light that was impossible to look at directly.
It was fortunate that Bu Luo had already entered a state of cultivation. Aside from the light, there was no sound from Li Yan's side, otherwise, it certainly would have alarmed him.
A few more breaths passed, and Li Yan had pushed his Divine Sense to its absolute limit. The ripples on the Silver Page grew more intense, yet Li Yan was still unable to penetrate it at all. A brilliant light flared in Li Yan's eyes as he urged his Divine Sense once more. It was as if a storm swept over the page. The Silver Page trembled violently, like a flag whipped by the wind, and all the ripples expanded in an instant.
Li Yan felt a powerful force slam into his Sea of Consciousness. Struck as if by lightning, he couldn't help but let out a muffled grunt. His previously motionless body stumbled back four consecutive steps. His vision went black, and his head felt like it was splitting apart, a feeling of wanting to faint washing over him.
The feeling was incredibly hard to bear, but Li Yan remained calm in the face of crisis. He bit his tongue hard. A sharp pain shot through him, instantly clearing his head. He quickly let go of the Silver Page, and his fingers moved like the wind, tapping several points on his body. Only then did the nausea and the splitting headache subside.
"Brother Jiang, what's wrong with you?" Li Yan's actions had startled Bu Luo out of his cultivation. He looked at Li Yan in astonishment. Li Yan's eyes were somewhat dim, and there was still a trace of blood on his lips from where he had bitten his tongue.
Li Yan steadied himself before raising his head and giving Bu Luo a bitter smile. "I think I know why no news has spread about those who obtained the Silver Pages."
"This is simply not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator can open. But why would it appear on the second level of the Pagoda?"
Li Yan seemed to be explaining to Bu Luo, but also talking to himself. His Divine Sense was now slightly stronger than that of an Initial-stage Golden Core cultivator, yet not only had he failed to uncover the secrets of the Silver Page, but he had also suffered a backlash.
"Oh? Brother Jiang is saying that we Foundation Establishment cultivators can't open this? But…"
Bu Luo looked at Li Yan. After hearing him out, he thought for a moment and then said hesitantly. With his usual arrogant personality, he would have said whatever was on his mind. He had wanted to say that Li Yan was just a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, so it was possible that he couldn't open it because his cultivation was insufficient. But when the words reached his lips, he held them back, afraid of hurting Li Yan's pride.
"It probably can't be opened. You try it. See if you can discover anything." Li Yan naturally knew the meaning behind his words but didn't mind. With that, he flicked his sleeve, and the Silver Page, now restored to its original state, floated toward Bu Luo.
"This… this… I'd better not. I need to hurry up and recover." Seeing the Silver Page floating gently towards him, a flash of curiosity appeared in Bu Luo's eyes, but he still hesitated and declined. He had already gifted this item and didn't want to touch it again.
"It's no trouble. Treasures also depend on fate. Perhaps Fellow Daoist Bu Luo will discover something. I can't open it right now anyway. If you can open it, you can just tell me about it then."
Although Li Yan had never fought Bu Luo, in their few meetings, he had always been the first to discover the other, while the other knew nothing of him. That meant Bu Luo's Divine Sense was definitely not as strong as his own. If he couldn't open it, how could the other?
If Li Yan had simply put the Silver Page into his Storage Pouch to study later, it would have been fine. But to put it away immediately now would make him seem petty.
It would be as if he had deliberately failed to open it in front of Bu Luo, which would be a poor move. He had absolute confidence in his own Divine Sense; he was certain the other party could not open it.
Hesitation flickered in Bu Luo's eyes several times. Looking at Li Yan's face, which didn't seem to be feigning, he pondered for a moment before finally nodding.
Bu Luo's personality naturally made his curiosity stronger than others. Seeing Li Yan's indifferent attitude, he decided to take a look. If the green-robed Confucian scholar were here, he would surely have reprimanded Bu Luo for his actions. If Bu Luo had actually opened a great treasure, the outcome would be unknown.
But Bu Luo was Bu Luo. Li Yan hadn't killed him for his treasures earlier, which made him think Li Yan was a good person. Although it wasn't right for him to touch something he had already gifted, he was determined not to take it back. Besides, with all the fuss about the Silver Page, he wanted to see what it was all about. This was probably what they meant by 'a leopard can't change its spots'.
However, Bu Luo was overthinking it. In reality, Li Yan simply found the green-robed Confucian scholar too terrifying to offend, and since he was certain Bu Luo couldn't open the Silver Page either, he was just trying to have his cake and eat it too. When it came to matters of the human heart, ten Bu Luos tied together couldn't compare to one Li Yan.
After Li Yan had sorted out the flow of Spirit Power in his body, Bu Luo was only physically weak; his Divine Sense hadn't been depleted much.
He also cautiously sent out a small amount of Divine Sense first, and it was similarly repelled by the Silver Page. He didn't mind; this was within his expectations. It was just a preliminary test to get a feel for it. Then, he began to gradually increase the strength of his Divine Sense, but each time, it was immediately repelled upon contact.
Bu Luo's expression gradually became solemn. Finally, he unleashed the full power of all the Divine Sense he currently had. This time, the repulsion was even faster, causing his body and the bamboo basket beside him to slide back a short distance before stopping.
At this moment, Bu Luo was utterly horrified. What horrified him was not his own failure, but Li Yan's cultivation. When he had been startled by the other party earlier, he had seen the blinding silver light erupt from the page. Although his own Divine Sense was only at seventy or eighty percent of its usual strength, his final attempt had only produced a very faint silver glow from the page, and even the repulsive ripples were just a shallow layer.
"Brother… Brother Jiang, are you a Pseudo-Core cultivator? Look at how foolish I am… I couldn't see that Brother Jiang's background is so extraordinary. Your aura-concealing treasure is far superior to mine, achieving such a seamless effect. Even my young master could only tell that you were at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. It turns out your cultivation has reached such a level. No wonder you would appear here at the 'Flame Palace'…"
Bu Luo's body had not yet recovered, and after a few heavy breaths, he slowly sat up straight. The way he looked at Li Yan was now filled with admiration. This person before him was definitely not very old, so how had he managed to cultivate to the Pseudo-Core realm?
Bu Luo was now certain that the other party was definitely at the Pseudo-Core realm, and possibly not even half a step away from Core Formation, with only a thin sheet of paper separating him. Such a person was already a mountain among those in the Foundation Establishment realm. Otherwise, how could he have rescued him from those three, and come out completely unscathed?
Though he had his suspicions before, he thought Li Yan might possess some powerful magical treasure, just like him. Moreover, he had personally seen that Li Yan was a poison cultivator. Adding all that up, it was reasonable that he could be saved. Furthermore, Li Yan had appeared here at the Flame Palace. Weren't all who came here seeking a breakthrough? Could they be here to hunt for treasure?
Thinking back on Li Yan's past actions, it all made more sense if he was a top-tier Pseudo-Core cultivator.
Most importantly, when Li Yan spoke just now, his face was full of confidence. To be so certain that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could not uncover the secret of this Silver Page, it was because Li Yan himself was a peak existence among Foundation Establishment cultivators that he would say such a thing.
Hearing this, Li Yan was first taken aback, but then he didn't answer. After a light chuckle, he beckoned with his hand, and the Silver Page from the distance flew back to him. Since he couldn't open it now, he could only wait until his cultivation was sufficient in the future.
Thinking that Li Yan had tacitly confirmed his cultivation realm, Bu Luo shook his head slightly, it was unclear if he was dissatisfied that his own cultivation was so much lower, or for some other reason.
But just as Li Yan was about to put the Silver Page into his Storage Pouch, Bu Luo suddenly spoke again. "Brother Jiang, did you try using Spirit Power just now? Perhaps it's not what it seems on the surface."
Li Yan was stunned. He realized he might have been approaching it from the wrong angle. This Silver Page, no matter how you looked at it, seemed like a medium for recording some kind of text. Bu Luo was right; perhaps this thing was a magical treasure in itself.
After speaking, Bu Luo found a corner and began to cultivate again. This time, his face was relaxed, showing a carefree attitude.
Half an hour later, Li Yan helplessly put the Silver Page away. No matter how he infused it with Spirit Power or tried to damage it with Spirit Power, the Silver Page showed no reaction whatsoever. Under the infusion of Spirit Power, not even the ripples appeared anymore.
Of course, Li Yan didn't dare to attack the page with his full Spirit Power, afraid that brute force might accidentally destroy it.