A Record Of A Mortal's Journey To Immortality

by S.H.A aifu

A poor and ordinary boy from a village joins a minor sect in Jiang Hu and becomes an Unofficial Disciple by chance. How will Han Li, a commoner by birth, establish a foothold for himself in his sect? With his mediocre aptitude, how will he successfully traverse the path of cultivation and become an immortal? This is a story of an ordinary mortal who, against all odds, clashes with

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The golden light manifested from his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords danced like wagon wheels, keeping all of the surrounding demonic Qi at bay.

Seeing as the demonic didn't appear to be as difficult to deal with as he had imagined, Han Li heaved an internal sigh of relief. However, his expression was still quite grave as he looked around incessantly.

Unfortunately, there was nothing around him aside from murky darkness.

"Your flying swords aren't bad at all. I'll take them and play with them for a while." A surprised elderly voice sounded from somewhere within the darkness. It was quite clear that the being who had held Han Li captive in this treasure had developed an interest in his swords.

Han Li faltered initially upon hearing this before a cold smile appeared on his face. He raised his hands and a ball of three-colored lightly abruptly slid out of his sleeve. The spiritual light receded and the Triflame Fan was revealed in his hand.

His opponent was clearly quite powerful, so Han Li had no choice but to take this battle seriously.

Right after the Triflame Fan appeared in his hand, the demonic Qi overhead suddenly began to tremor violently amid a loud howling sound. Demonic Qi tumbled like turbulent waves, creating a massive vortex in mid-air.

The vortex was completely pitch-black in color with a radius of over 100 feet. As soon as it emerged, it immediately began to rotate rapidly while emitting a sharp screeching noise.

A vast expanse of black light then shot forth from the center of the vortex, sweeping directly toward Han Li.

Han Li's heart jolted with shock upon seeing this and he knew that he had been plunged into a perilous situation. As such, he immediately made a hand seal to activate his sword arts.

A crisp ringing sound erupted from the golden light around him and the golden swords suddenly converged, forming a golden lotus flower that was constantly swirling with light as it slowly began to rotate.

Right at this moment, the black light came tumbling down and inundated the entire golden lotus flower.

As soon as the two made contact with one another, the sound of countless swords and blades clashing erupted, creating a very disturbing chorus of chaotic sounds that disrupted one's cognitive functions.

Han Li was abruptly struck by a sense of dizziness and at the same time, an immense force began to draw the golden lotus formed by his flying swords upward, trying to wrest it away from Han Li's control.

Han Li's expression changed slightly as he began to circulate all of the magic power within his body.

If he were an average mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he really wouldn't be able to prevent his magic treasure from being wrenched away by this enormous suction force. However, after cultivating the Azure Essence Sword Art, his cultivation base was a lot more powerful than that of cultivators of the same stage. Furthermore, his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword had been refined on several occasions with rare materials added each time, thereby making it a treasure that normal magic treasures simply couldn't hold a candle to.

As Han Li activated his magic power and sword art with all his might, the golden lotus was finally able to withstand this burst of suction force. Even so, it was tremoring violently as it rotated incessantly, keeping the black light erupting from the vortex at bay.

At this moment, Han Li brandished his feather fan without any hesitation before waving it toward the vortex up above with a grave expression.

Three pillars of fire erupted from the fan amid a spluttering sound, crashing directly into the black light descending from above.

A quick succession of explosions rang out as the three-colored flames struck the black light, creating an effect that was akin to cold water being poured into hot oil.

It was clear that the three-colored flames were far more powerful than the black light and the pillars of fire were only stalled for a split second before easily vanquishing the black light. The flames then shot forth into the vortex up above, upon which they abruptly disappeared.

Han Li's brows furrowed as he looked up at the vortex overhead with rapt focus.

Moments later, a ringing sound began to emit from the center of the vortex and the black light around it began to swell and contract. An earthshattering boom erupted from its center.

All of the demonic Qi in a radius of several hundred feet surged toward it as if in a maddened frenzy, and the vortex disappeared amid a burst of brilliant black light.

Han Li's expression was quite grim as he stowed away is Triflame Fan. Even though he had vanquished the black vortex, there was no hint of joy or triumph on his face.

After all, that attack alone had expended close to 20% of his magic power and it didn't appear to have hurt his opponent at all.

"That's a spirit treasure replica? So it's you! Is your surname Han?" The elderly voice sounded again, this time tinged with a hint of surprise.

"How do you know about me?" Han Li's expression stirred slightly. He felt like he already knew the answer to that question, but he still decided to ask it anyway.

"Hehe! Your feather fan spirit treasure is far too easily recognizable. I heard you foiled one of my plans back on the Kunwu Mountain; what are you doing here in the North Night Palace now?" the elder voice asked.

"Kunwu Mountain? You're Fellow Daoist Che from the Myriad Demon Valley?" Han Li's heart jolted and his expression changed upon making that realization. He didn't know much about the Myriad Demon Valley, but it was naturally impossible for him not have heard about this valley master of the Myriad Demon Valley. Most people were oblivious to his true cultivation base, but even that Myriad Year Corpse Xiong was at the late-Nascent Soul Stage so according to Han Li's estimation, this old demon was most likely one of the few Deity Transformation cultivators in the human world.

Otherwise, the Myriad Demon Valley would've been wiped off the face of the Great Jin countless times already.

"That's right! I heard from Master Xiong that you have some sort of connection with Fairy Ling Long, who is an acquaintance of mine, and that you went to the ninth level of the Devil Suppressing Pagoda with her. Now that the perfect devil Qi on the ninth level has been sealed again you've appeared here safe and sound, Fairy Ling Long must have returned to the Spirit Realm already." At the mention of the Spirit Realm, the elderly voice trembled slightly as if with excitement as well as a hint of fear.

"Ling Long has indeed returned to the Spirit Realm using the Star Defying Plate. You know her?" Han Li asked with an uncertain expression on his face. At the same time, spiritual light flashed in his hand as he surreptitiously summoned the green wooden ruler. In his other hand, the fire cauldron that had been shrunk to only several inches in size also appeared.

The elderly voice suddenly cooled as it said, "I was just a nobody in the Spirit Realm who saw her occasionally from afar. Fairy Ling Long must have left something with you, right? I presume that you also have the Eight Spirit Ruler spirit treasure, right? Don't try to tell me the ruler was taken to the Spirit Realm by Fairy Ling Long. Unless it's been refined by the Artifact Imprint Technique, there's no way it could be taken to another realm through the boundary between realms."

Han Li's eyelids twitched but he didn't say anything. However, he unconsciously tightened his grip around the green wooden ruler in his sleeve.

"So what is it? Is my question difficult to answer or are you simply unwilling to answer?" The elderly voice became even more forbidding. At the same time, a burst of powerful spiritual Qi erupted from the surrounding demonic Qi, pressing down upon Han Li with immense force.

This fearsome cultivation base was something that could only belong to a true tenth grade demon beast, but Han Li's spiritual sense wasn't inferior to that of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator. As such, his body only swayed slightly before he was able to right himself and withstand the pressure crashing down from above.

"Hmm? You..." The elderly voice was slightly surprised this time.

Upon sensing this burst of vast spiritual pressure, Han Li narrowed his eye as a streak of light erupted from his pupils.

Han Li exhaled as a peculiar look appeared on his face, and he said, "I heard that you've been in seclusion for countless years in the Myriad Demon Valley and wouldn't leave unless if it were to take care of matters of the utmost importance. As such, the being here is not your actual body, am I correct? After all, how could the mightly Old Devil Che possess only so little spiritual power?"

"So what?" The elderly voice was completely cold and expressionless.

"I have no interest in your conflict with the North Night Palace and I have no intention of interfering with this matter. I only want to leave this place using the teleportation formation here. If you don't want me to join forces with the North Night Palace cultivators, then I suggest you let me go!" Han Li had also discarded all pretense of politeness as he threatened in a cold voice.

As long as there weren't any Deity Transformation cultivators around, he had nothing to fear.

Old Devil Che burst into raucous laughter before threatening in a sinister voice, "Haha, I haven't been threatened like this for many, many years. I heard from Master Xiong that our Divine Devilbane Lightning is quite powerful, but Divine Devilbane Lightning is only effective against demonic Qi. Do you really think you're a match for me now that you're trapped in my Myriad Demon Flag? If you don't want your body and soul to be destroyed, hand over the Eight Spirit Ruler and everything else that Fairy Ling Long left to you. If I'm in a good mood, I might consider letting you live."

Han Li heaved an internal sigh. It appeared that this Old Devil Che didn't see him as a threat at all and wouldn't let him leave without a fight.

The Myriad Demon Flag was something that he had heard about on many occasions. It was an extremely renowned replica that was closest to a true Divine Spirit Treasure. As such, it was no wonder that this old devil would be so confident in his ability to crush Han Li.

Seeing as negotiations were clearly going to get him nowhere, Han Li didn't waste any more time with words. He immediately raised his hand a ball of red light shot forth. It spun in the air before hovering several tens of feet above his head, where it remained, completely stationary.

That ball of red light was none other than the nameless fire cauldron.

Han Li made a hand seal and began to chant something.

Brilliant light erupted from the cauldron as it swelled drastically in size, reaching several tens of feet in diameter in the blink of an eye. At Han Li's behest, the lid of the cauldron came flying off. A ringing sound erupted from within the cauldron, following which fist-sized Fire Ravens rushed into the air. There were over 1,000 Fire Ravens summoned at once and they surrounded Han Li to create a vast expanse of red light.

Han Li didn't dare to underestimate the Myriad Demon Flag's power, so he unleashed all of the fire cauldron's power at once.

Not only that, but the Greatyin Fire Raven on his shoulder had also disappeared as it mingled with its brethren. Its appearance was completely identical to all of the other Fire Ravens, so no one else would be able to tell the difference.

Right at this moment, Han Li's chanting came to a halt. He let loose a low cry and all of the Fire Ravens began to blast crimson flame out of their beaks.

In the blink of an eye, waves of fire that were several tens of feet tall swept up around Han Li before crashing toward the nearby demonic Qi.

The entire space was transformed into a crimson sea of flames, elevating the surrounding temperature drastically!

As the demonic Qi made contact with the sea of fire, they immediately began to clash amid explosive booms akin to thunderclaps. Slowly but surely, the sea of fire was able to force back the surrounding demonic Qi.

"You think you can escape from my Myriad Demon Flag with such a pitiful trick? Stop daydreaming!" Old Devil Che chuckled coldly before unleashing a long howl that was surely audible even high up in the heavens.

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Upon hearing this sharp howl, all of the demonic Qi that had been forced back into retreat immediately gathered together, converging to form balls of black Qi.

A series of pitch-black demon beasts and monsters appeared within the demonic Qi.

They were all snarling viciously and came in all shapes and sizes. The largest ones were over 300 feet in size, while the smallest ones were only several feet in size. However, all of them wore the same ferocious expression as they appraised Han Li, who was situated in the middle of the sea of fire.

Han Li's heart jolted upon seeing this.

He cast his gaze out into the distance to find that there were seemingly countless demonic beasts gathered amid the turbulent demonic Qi, stretching as far as the eyes could see.

A sharp howl erupted as these demon beast puppets came pouncing at him from all directions.

Han Li's eyelids twitched as he silently raised a hand, casting several azure Celestial Technique up toward the fire cauldron hovering above his head.

The cauldron tremored before radiating scintillating red light as the entire cauldron was enshrouded in crimson flames, transforming it into a massive fireball.

Countless bursts of scorching flames flew through the air from the cauldron, joining the sea of fire. The air temperature within the entire space was abruptly raised once again as the sea of fire surged forth with even greater ferocity. At the same time, fireballs that were roughly the size of human heads flew out from within the sea of fire.

There was a large Fire Raven encapsulated in each and every ball of fire and they borrowed on the power of the sea of flames to charge toward the surrounding demon beast puppets.

Crimson fireballs of different sizes began to explode within the extremely dense demon beast puppet army. Over 1,000 Fire Ravens danced violently through the air, clashing with the demon beasts around them.

Flames and demonic Qi surged as fiery light and black Qi intertwined with one another. Countless clashes took place in the blink of an eye and an impasse ensued.

It was a rather peculiar situation as the demon beasts were able to materialize their bodies over and over again after being vanquished by the Fire Ravens, while the Fire Ravens were able to be reborn from the sea of fire after being destroyed. It was as if there were no end to either of the two armies.

A frosty harrumph sounded from within the demonic Qi. The sound of chanting then rang out from all directions and it was none other than Old Devil Che's voice.

Han Li's eyes flashed and he suddenly looked upward, upon which his expression abruptly changed.

At the spot in the air where the vortex had originally been situated, demonic Qi began to tumble violently as a massive paw slowly extended from within the demonic Qi.

The paw was pitch-black and reflected an oily sheen. It was around 300 to 400 feet in size and attached to it were five sharp claws, all of which were several tens of feet in length. They were shimmering with a cold sinister light, presenting a very intimidating spectacle to behold.

Even though the massive paw was yet to descend, Han Li was still struck by a powerful sense of pressure and oppression, as if there were nowhere for him to run.

The chanting came to a halt and the massive paw came crashing downward.

A gust of demonic wind was swept up, howling through the air like a hurricane and causing the sea of fire around Han Li to waver and flicker erratically.

Even the massive monk staff was disproportionally tiny in the face of this black demonic paw!

An earthshattering boom erupted as the massive staff clashed with the demonic paw. It wa as if the monk staff had struck a gargantuan fortress constructed from steel essence, and it was only able to slow down the demonic paw for a split second before it was sent flying.

The colossal demonic paw then came crashing down toward Han Li.

Han Li pursed his lips and the 36 golden flying swords around him emitted a ringing sound in unison, before converging above his head at his behest.

Brilliant golden light erupted as the flying swords instantly combined to form a massive golden sword that was 50 to 60 feet in length.

The sound of thunderclaps then rang out once again as a series of thick golden lightning arcs erupted from the surface of the massive sword. The lightning arcs converged to form a dazzling streak of golden light, which hurtled directly toward the descending paw.

The huge sword had been materialized from 36 Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords and with the violent injection of magic power from Han Li, it was able to destroy virtually anything and everything. Golden light flashed and the gargantuan paw was forcibly sliced in half.

A muffled groan sounded from within demonic Qi, seemingly indicating that Old Devil Che had sustained some type of injury from that clash. The two halves of the demonic paw dissipated in the wind and disappeared as balls of demonic Qi.

Upon hearing the muffled groan, blue light abruptly flashed through Han Li's eyes as he stabbed a finger toward the golden streak of light in the sky. The golden light immediately circled around at his behest, transforming into a golden serpent as it bit down on a certain spot in the air.

A loud thump erupted as a ball of piercing black light erupted at that location without any premonition. An inky-black shield then appeared, which the golden serpent was unable to bite through.

Right at this moment, black light flashed from behind the shield as a short figure appeared.

This figure was a small child with three small braids on his head pointing up at the sky and an unidentifiable silver lock hanging in front of his chest. This was the form that Old Devil Che had taken outside the city of ice.

The small child was currently standing behind the black shielding, looking on with a hint of surprise as the golden serpent continued to tear viciously at the shield.

"Auric essence! To think that you added such a rare material into your flying swords; no wonder you were able to break through my Heavenly Demon Paw!"

The small child reverted back to his normal calm expression as he turned to appraise Han Li.

Han Li completely ignored what the small child was saying, and murmured to himself, "Looks like I was right as well; this really isn't your actual body!"

The small child was furious at Han Li's display of arrogance, and he was so enraged that he burst into laughter.

He then abruptly feigned a grabbing motion and black light flashed in his hand, upon which a murky grey flag appeared in his grasp.

"Hehe! I only displayed 20% of the Myriad Demon Flag's power just then, yet you're arrogant enough to think that you've got the better of me. I'm going to destroy your body and soul with this next attack and show you the true might of the Myriad Demon Flag!"

At the conclusion of his sentence, Old Devil Che unfurled the small flag in his hand seemingly preparing to unleash some type of powerful attack.

A focused expression appeared on Han Li's face as he suddenly pointed a finger at the sea of fire.

All of a sudden, several tens of Fire Ravens shot forth from within the sea of fire, flying directly toward the small child.

The huge golden sword also emitted a long cry as he activated his swords arts, and it tremored before splitting back up into 36 golden flying swords.

Each and every one of the swords was around a foot in length and they were all emanating dazzling golden light. The swords then replicated in the hundreds amid a ringing sound, before circling through the air and flying toward the small child in a wild frenzy.

The child pursed his lips and set aside his flag for now as he pointed a finger toward the small black shield in front of him.

The shield trembled slightly before transforming into a misty barrier of light that encapsulated the small child within.

Golden and black spiritual light began to flicker wildly as countless swords came crashing into the light barrier. However, the sustained assault was only able to send ripples of black light flashing across the barrier, but was unable to even harm it in the slightest.

This unremarkable-looking black light barrier was like an indestructible fortress!

As for the several tens of Fire Ravens flying through the air, the small child completely ignored them and began to activate the small flag in his hand again.

Those Fire Ravens were manifested from fire essence, but they still weren't enough to pose a threat to the small child. In his eyes, his shield would be able to keep these Fire Ravens at bay.

Thus, the small grey flag was waved through the air, upon which the entire space tremored violently. Bursts of murky grey mist suddenly emerged from the demonic Qi around Han Li's sea of fire. This mist-like substance then began to exude a peculiar spatial fluctuation. Four black holes abruptly appeared in mid-air, each of which was around 10 feet in diameter, and it appeared as if something were going to emerge from within.

However, Han Li completely ignored those black holes as a loud thunderclap erupted from behind him. Just as the Fire Ravens were about to reach the black light barrier, silvery-white wings surfaced on his back and his entire body disappeared amid a flash of silver light.

Almost at the exact same moment, the crimson flames gushing out from the beaks of the Fire Ravens struck the black light barrier, where they exploded into scorching balls of fire. All of the golden swords were also crashing into the black light barrier over and over again, but it was just as the small child had anticipated; the black light barrier was able to withstand all of these attacks with ease!

The small child looked on as Han Li disappeared from within the sea of fire and his expression changed slightly, but a cold smile then appeared on his face as his chanting faltered momentarily. He flipped over his other little hand and a length of black rope appeared. He whipped the rope through the air and it shot forth like a snake before manifesting seven or eight more ropes, all of which wound themselves around a certain spot in the air that was around 50 to 60 feet away from the small child.

In the next instant, a silver arc of light flashed as Han Li's body emerged amid a clap of thunder, right at the spot that the black ropes were binding around.

Before he even had a chance to react, a peculiar light flashed from the ropes as they abruptly contracted to completely immobilize him.

A sinister smile appeared on the small child's face as he opened his mouth, within which a black light was flashing. He seemed to be waiting for Han Li to be bound by the ropes before blasting some sort of treasure out of his mouth to attack him.

This development was something that Han Li didn't anticipate. Never would he have thought that his opponent would have such a mysterious treasure that would be able to predict the exact location he would appear at after using his lightning movement technique. Thus, his expression changed drastically as he let loose a low roar before making a hand seal.

Brilliant green light erupted from his body, clashing with the black ropes. Immediately thereafter, Han Li's body disappeared again, leaving only an azure talisman bound within the ropes. Han Li's body then surfaced over 100 feet away and his face was a little pale, seemingly from overexertion.

In that perilous situation, Han Li had expended a vast amount of magic power to use the Spiritform Talisman that he was still yet to refine, thereby using it as a body double to help him dodge that bullet.

The azure talisman wavered within the ensnarement of the ropes before dissipating into specks of azure light. Those specks of light shot forth toward Han Li and disappeared into his body in the blink of an eye.

The small child's expression became a little strained upon seeing that. The black light in his mouth flashed a couple of time, but he still harrumphed coldly before slowly closing his mouth in the end.

Right at this moment, several tens of feet away from the black light barrier in a certain direction, silver light flashed and an azure humanoid figure emerged. It was none other than the humanoid puppet, and it had managed to approach the small child without him noticing.

It raised its hands and the red bow appeared. Dazzling red light erupted, following which countless fiery arrows shot forth from an extremely close range.

At the same time, an inky-black dagger appeared above the small child's head. It was intermingled within the countless streaks of crimson flames and came stabbing downward viciously and silently.

Even though this wasn't Old Devil Che's true body, from a spiritual sense perspective alone, this demon was far superior to the old man that had been transformed from the Azureback Wolf. In the face of this abrupt turn of events, the small child was startled, but he immediately identified the black dagger above his head as the lethal threat. As such, his hand flew up at an incredible speed before slamming into the shield in front of him.

He then raised his head and opened his mouth again, upon which a coin-like treasure was sent flying upward amid a burst of black Qi.

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The countless flaming arrows overhead converged to form a thick pillar of flames, which struck the black light barrier. At the same time, the small child's hand made contact with the shield before him, and the thickness of the light barrier instantly increased by severalfold.

Following a resounding boom, an astonishing explosion of flames erupted on the barrier, causing it to tremor in an alarming manner. The Devil Essence Dagger up above also struck the tip of the light barrier soundlessly.

The dagger was able to slice a thin slit in the light barrier, through which it continued downward toward the small child.

However, right at this moment, the coin-like treasure that was enveloped in black Qi arrived just in the nick of time, clashing with the dagger to create a crisp ringing sound.

A peculiar light flashed once again and both treasures disappeared at the same time.

Han Li's heart jolted with surprise upon seeing this. Thankfully, the humanoid puppet informed him through a spiritual sense message that the Devil Essence Dagger hadn't actually disappeared. Instead, it had simply been trapped someplace nearby.

Han Li focused his attention back on the battle at hand and unleashed his other trump card.

Among the several tens of Fire Ravens who had been kept at bay outside the black light barrier, one of them suddenly spread their wings and let loose a loud cry. Its body swelled to several times its original size in the blink of an eye before a burst of white glacial Qi was blasted out of its mouth.

This was none other than the Greatyin Fire Raven that had absorbed a large amount of Profound Jade's glacial Qi in the Profound Jade Cave.

Without careful refinement over a period of months or even years, there was naturally no way that this glacial Qi could be converted into the essential fire of the Greatyin True Flame. However, a lot of it had just been released at Han Li's behest.

The white glacial Qi struck the light barrier, creating a stark contrast between the black light and the white Qi. A thick layer of translucent ice began to spread over the light barrier it took only a split second before a massive ball of ice was formed, sealing the black light barrier and the small child within.

A hint of elation appeared on Han Li's face upon seeing.

However, he was naturally aware of the fact that just an ice seal wouldn't actually be able to restrict a tenth grade demon beast. As such, he was only using this attack to try and temporarily immobilize him. At the same time, he immediately made a hand seal while pointing toward the golden swords hovering near the huge ball of ice. He began to chant as the golden swords flew into the sky in unison, circling around in the air before dispersing and beginning to vanish one by one.

Old Devil Che was proving to be a very troublesome opponent to deal with, so Han Li decided to set up the Aureate Sword Formation in order to slay this demon.

However, he only managed to set up half of the formation before the massive ball of ice began to shudder violently. Immediately thereafter, countless strands of silver thread pierced through the ice before slicing the ball of ice into slabs of different sizes.

Through the semi-transparent layer of ice, Han Li could see that the black light barrier within had already disappeared. It had reverted back to the pitch-black shield, while the small child was holding a treasure in his hand that was emanating piercing silver light. The countless thin strands of silver threads were coming from none other than that ball of light.

Within that ball of light was the silver lock that was hanging in front of the small boy's chest.

Han Li heaved a faint internal sigh upon arriving at the realization that he wouldn't be able to finish setting up his sword formation.

He immediately flipped his hand over with a grim expression to summon the green wooden ruler, before gently waving it at the small child from afar.

Spiritual light flashed above the small child's head as a silver lotus with a diameter of roughly a food appeared. The lotus spun in mid-air before sending a vast expanse of seven-colored Buddhist light raining down from above. The small child had just broken out of the ball of ice when the Buddhist light shone down upon him, momentarily stunning him.

Right at this moment, the humanoid puppet rubbed its hands together, upon which brilliant flash of silver light erupted and a spear that was several feet in length appeared in his hand.

The small child's eyelids twitched upon seeing this and the small grey flag in his hand flew up of its own accord before gently waving in the air. He was somehow able to ignore the Buddhist light's restrictive effect and activate the Myriad Demon Flag in his hand.

The space around the small child immediately began to twist and warp as a murky grey barrier appeared with him at its very center.

Right at this moment, the humanoid puppet also raised an arm.

The silver spear transformed into a streak of silver light as it screeched through the air.

At such close quarters, the spear struck the barrier in front of the small child almost as soon as it left the puppet's hand.

A peculiar scene then unfolded. The silver spear was easily able to puncture the barrier, but somehow missed the small child by over 10 feet before puncturing the barrier again and emerging on the other side.

Han Li was rather taken aback upon seeing this. The humanoid puppet's spiritual sense had clearly already locked onto the small child, so how could it have missed by so much? However, he was soon struck with a sense of enlightenment.

This barrier manifested by the Myriad Demon Flag possessed the ability to warp space! This was not some ordinary barrier that could be dispelled in a minute or two.

Behind the barrier, the small child held the Myriad Demon Flag in one hand and the silver lock in the other as he glowered at Han Li with a cold expression.

Black demonic light flashed incessantly over his body, slowly repelling the Buddhist light as he tried to struggle free of the restriction.

Han Li's heart sank upon seeing this. It appeared that the opponent he was facing really was incomparable to a normal late-Nascent Soul cultivator. Furthermore, battling such a powerful opponent within the Myriad Demon Flag placed him at a further major disadvantage.

With that in mind, he turned his attention to the four black holes that had appeared near the sea of fire. Even though the small child had been temporarily immobilized by him, the four black holes were still gradually expanding. Furthermore, the sound of indistinct beastly roars could be heard coming from within, as if there were some types of demon beasts that were about to emerge.

Han Li's brows furrowed as he harrumphed coldly and he immediately decided on a course of action.

He put away his Eight Spirit Ruler and made a hand seal.

All of a sudden, the fire cauldron, Fire Raven, humanoid puppet, golden swords, and all of the other treasures tremored violently before hurtling back toward him. Only the Greatyin Fire Raven remained, flying in circles around the spatial barrier as it unleashed one breath of glacial Qi after another. Even though most of the glacial QI had been diverted elsewhere by the spatial barrier, the remaining glacial Qi that actually struck their target was still able to seal the small child within ice again.

However, the silver threads from the silver lock in his hand were able to immediately sliced through the ice again, so the Fire Raven's efforts weren't bearing much fruit.

At this moment, the Greatyin Fire Raven also flew back toward Han Li.

At the same time, a yellow talisman suddenly appeared in his hand. There was spiritual light shimmering from the runes on the talisman, and it was none other than the Worldbreaker Talisman that Fairy Ling Long had given to him prior to her departure.

This talisman was extremely effective for breaking through restrictive spaces like this, but Han Li didn't want to waste such a valuable talisman so he didn't use it from the get-go.

However, he didn't know what other troublesome abilities the Myriad Demon Flag had, so he finally decided to bring out this talisman.

What he intended to use this talisman for was not to break through that spatial barrier, but instead, to escape from this space.

After all, his opponent was still able to use the Myriad Demon Flag so even if he could break that barrier, it would still be a difficult task for Han Li to kill him. As such, it was a wiser decision to escape from this restrictive space first.

Thus, he pinched the talisman between two fingers and waved it toward the empty space right in front of him.

Piercing yellow light erupted from the talisman as a burst of spatial fluctuations emerged. The space before him immediately began to twist and warp before revealing a transparent white ball of light.

Han Li was ecstatic upon seeing this and he immediately summoned all of his nearby treasures to him.

The flying swords, Fire Ravens, and humanoid puppet all began to attack that spot in the air.

A resounding boom immediately reverberated throughout the space as an image of the Spirit Void Hall in the outside world became visible through the white hole.

In the distance, the small child was still struggling to break free from the restriction placed upon him and an urgent look appeared on his face as he caught sight of what Han Li was doing.

He immediately injected his power into the Myriad Demon Flag as a pillar of grey light shot forth from the flag, crashing directly into the silver lotus in the air above.

The two clashed amid a muffled thump, upon which both dissipated into nothingness.

As soon as the small child freed himself, a burst of azure light erupted around Han Li's body. He had already transformed into a streak of azure light before disappearing into the white hole. All of the nearby treasures followed closely behind him.

The small child held the small grey flag in his hand with a thunderous look on his face.

The azure light receded and Han Li appeared in mid-air in the outside world. Right at this moment, the sound of thunderous explosions suddenly traveled into his ears.

Han Li hurriedly summoned his flying swords to him to create a barrier of golden light before surveying his surroundings.

What he saw made him draw a sharp breath.

The main hall of the Spirit Void Hall was extremely vast, appearing to be over 10,000 feet in length and width. Several hundred feet away from him, there was a gargantuan object over 2,000 feet in length hanging in mid-air, and it was completely identical to the small grey flag he had seen in the demonic Qi space.

The only difference was that this flag was countless times more massive. Furthermore, demonic Qi was tumbling incessantly over the surface of the colossal flag, and there were also flashing demonic runes of different sizes inscribed on the face of the flag. The entirety of the entrance that he had just passed through had been enshrouded under the Myriad Demon Flag.

It was no wonder that Han Li had been drawn into the restriction without any chance for evasion as soon as he had entered the hall.

This was true Myriad Demon Flag, while the small flag wielded by Old Devil Che was most likely just a manifestation of a wisp of the flag's spiritual nature.

With shock surging through his heart, Han Li turned his attention to the very center of the main hall, where an extremely fierce battle seemed to be taking place.

Most of the hall over there had been transformed into a glacial land.

Howling white glacial Qi was almost omnipresent in the air and the tall pillars on the hall had all been covered in a thick layer of ice. There were also a series of ice mountains ranging from several tens to several hundreds of feet tall lined up next to one another around the battlefield.

In the air above the glacial land, there was a pristine white Ice Phoenix over 100 feet in size. Its entire body was covered in white glacial flames and it was wreaking havoc to its heart's content.

It was facing off against a beautiful middle-aged woman and two white-haired elderly men from the North Night Palace. All of them were wielding their treasures as they fought desperately to withstand the Ice Phoenix's attacks. The cultivators were all extremely powerful in their own right, but in the face of the Ice Phoenix's devastating power, they were still firmly on the back foot.

Han Li's heart jolted with shock again as he looked at the layer of white glacial flames all over the Ice Phoenix's body.

These glacial flames were extremely similar to Bai Mengxin's Glacial Phoenix Flames, except they were countless times more powerful.

Even after cultivating the Glacial Phoenix Flames to their most powerful extent, there was no way that it could be this fearsome.

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Even though Han Li was a little suspicious about how this Ice Phoenix was related to the Glacial Phoenix Flames, he didn't think too much about this matter. Instead, he felt that it was rather strange how Old Devil Che wasn't helping out the Ice Phoenix, but had chosen to suck himself into the Myriad Demon Flag instead.

That woman was clearly the palace master of the North Night Palace, the other late-Nascent Soul cultivator of the North Night Palace.

It appeared that she was significantly weaker than Master Arctic Dragon. At the very least, she had never cultivated any glacial flames. Otherwise, with the assistance of two mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, they wouldn't be struggling so arduously against a tenth grade Ice Phoenix.

The Ice Phoenix's white glacial flames were simply far too powerful. After the three North Night Palace cultivators were swept up in the flames, their powers were immediately debilitated drastically.

This was quite an eye-opening sight for Han Li. It was the first time that he had been made aware of the fact that glacial flames could be so powerful. The flames being unleashed by this Ice Phoenix were almost powerful enough to defy the natural order of heaven and earth!

In such a perilous situation for the three North Night Palace cultivators, Old Devil Che could easily step in and crush the three of them with the phoenix by his side.

Could it be that the Ice Phoenix and Old Devil Che didn't see eye to eye, so he didn't dare to emerge from the Myriad Demon Flag?

That was the only plausible explanation that Han Li could think of.

However, right at this moment, a surprising incident took place.

The demonic Qi around the massive flag in the air began to tumble as a section of a dead body and several damaged treasures fell from the flag, plummeting straight down into the hall.

Han Li was caught by surprise and given a fright, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that the incomplete corpse was clothed in North Night Palace attire, and it appeared that they had been quite a high-ranking cultivator in the palace; most likely a Nascent Soul elder.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Li's eyes upon seeing this. Only then did he realize that he wasn't the only one to have been trapped in the Myriad Demon Flag; there were other North Night Palace cultivators trapped in there as well. It was no wonder that the flag was hovering in mid-air, but was only guarding this entrance.

Han Li was wondering how long those North Night Palace cultivators had been trapped in the flag.

Those who had lasted until this point without being killed in the Myriad Demon Flag had most likely unleashed some types of secret techniques that allowed them to temporarily contend with the might of the flag. Otherwise, with the might of Old Devil Che in conjunction with the power of the Myriad Demon Flag, there was no way that those cultivators could've lasted this long.

However, as long as there were still cultivators left unkilled in the flag, Old Devil Che most likely wouldn't be able to use the flag to pursue Han Li.

With that in mind, Han Li was greatly relieved as he continued to carefully examine the rest of the hall.

It didn't take long before he caught sight of a tall jade platform.

The platform was over 1,000 feet in width and 60 to 70 feet tall. From a distance, Han Li could see that there were three teleportation formations lined up next to one another on the platform, one of which was large while the other two were relatively smaller.

Han Li was ecstatic and just as he was about to spring into action, a peculiar look suddenly appeared on his face.

The humanoid puppet standing behind him abruptly feigned a grabbing motion toward a spot in the air.

Over 100 feet away from Han Li, the space there warped and twisted before a black dagger shot forth from within. It was none other than the Devil Essence Dagger that had gone missing in the demonic Qi space. The dagger had somehow managed to break free of the restriction on its own and returned to Han Li.

The puppet raised an arm and the Devil Essence Dagger disappeared in a flash into his sleeve.

Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't exhibit much of a reaction to this. Spiritual light flashed around his body as he transformed into an azure streak of light, hurtling directly toward that platform with the horde of over 1,000 Fire Ravens, his flying swords, and other treasures.

As long as he could escape from the Spirit Void Hall, he couldn't care less about whether the North Night Palace or the demon beasts emerged victorious!

Moments later, the azure streak of light reached the center of the hall. However, Han Li didn't pass through that area ostentatiously. Instead, he circled around toward the platform in a long arc.

However, due to the fact that most of the hall had been affected by the Ice Phoenix's glacial flames, Han Li had no choice but to activate a layer of Purple Apex Flames over his body as he passed through.

Thus, all of the white glacial Qi was repelled by the purple flames and were unable to affect Han Li.

"Celestial Ice Flames! You're a North Night Palace cultivator as well! Don't think that you can fool me just because your ice flames have mutated!"

At the center of the hall, the Ice Phoenix had witnessed Han Li escape from the Myriad Demon Flag while it was crushing the three North Night Palace cultivators. It was shocked that Han Li had been able to escape from the flag, so it had been paying some attention to Han Li this entire time.

As Han Li began to fly through the air as a streak of azure light, it became extremely wary, but seeing as Han Li was skirting around them, seemingly traveling toward an alternate destination, it decided to ignore him.

After all, the fact that Han Li was able to escape from the Myriad Demon Flag indicated that he was definitely no ordinary cultivator. If he didn't want to interfere in their battle, then there was no need for it to take on such a powerful enemy for no good reason.

However, as soon as the purple flames emerged from Han Li's body, the Ice Phoenix's eyes immediately turned crimson in color as it let loose a sharp cry. It seemed to have somehow been irked to the extreme by the Purple Apex Flames, and it had abruptly turned on Han Li.

Han Li faltered upon seeing the Ice Phoenix's newly-developed animosity toward him and before he had figured out what was happening, an extremely resentful cry erupted from the Ice Phoenix's beak as it violently flapped its wings toward him.

The ice feathers on its wings instantly shot forth like countless arrows before transforming into translucent flying swords, each of which was around half a foot long. There were about 500 to 600 such swords and they came flying toward Han Li like a torrential storm.

Han Li was given a massive fright at the sight of the oncoming attack.

Regardless of how powerful these translucent swords were, just the sheer quantity of them was enough to strike fear into one's heart. Furthermore, these flying swords had been transformed from the ice feathers of a tenth grade Ice Phoenix, so there was no way that they would be lacking in power.

Han Li didn't have much time to think. Not only did he not stop, he accelerated even further instead. At the same time, over a hundred golden swords and a dense horde of crimson Fire Ravens shot forth toward those translucent swords.

A series of resounding booms erupted as golden and white light shimmered and intertwined. Balls of crimson flames exploded one after another amid the vast expanse of white glacial Qi as the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword and Fire Ravens were able to keep the flying swords at bay.

With this split second of delay, the azure streak of light that Han Li had transformed into shot past the center of the hall, heading straight toward the platform in the corner.

"Huh?" The Ice Phoenix was rather taken aback. it didn't think that its attack wouldn't even be able to delay Han Li in the slightest.

However, this demon beast was far more resentful toward cultivators using Celestial Ice Flames than anyone could imagine. It had already equated Han Li with that man it had encountered in the past and as killing intent welled up in its heart, its massive body began to blur, creating three avatars that were completely identical to its true body.

Two of them immediately flew toward the three North Night Palace cultivators while the third spread open its ice wings, upon which brilliant white light erupted before it disappeared on the spot.

Han Li was naturally also keeping an eye on what the demon beast was doing and his heart jolted upon seeing that. He immediately forced himself to an abrupt halt and stopped in mid-air.

At this point, he was only just over 1,000 feet from the teleportation formations.

He didn't want to accidentally plunge into the mouth of that Ice Phoenix that had just disappeared in a moment of carelessness.

He rubbed his hands together with a dark expression before raising them both at the same time.

The sound of thunderclaps erupted as several tens of golden lightning arcs shot forth from his palms, each of which was around as thick as a thumb. The arcs of lightning unfurled to create a golden net that encompassed an area that 200 to 300 feet in radius with Han Li at its very center.

Almost at the exact same moment, roughly 100 feet away from Han Li, the space there warped and twisted before the Ice Phoenix emerged amid a burst of white light.

A ferocious look appeared on Han Li's face as he made a hand seal.

All of the golden arcs of lightning shuddered before immediately converging toward the demon beast.

The Ice Phoenix was slightly surprised to see this, but it wasn't flustered in the slightest as it opened its sharp beak.

A gust of white gale-force winds erupted from its mouth, which howled through the air, causing the golden net to be knocked off course and preventing it from descending.

The golden net was then torn apart by the powerful winds and disappeared moments later.

Han Li was astonished to see this and hurriedly tried to bring out the Eight Spirit Ruler that he was hiding up his sleeve.

However, the Ice Phoenix took the initiative this time as it spread open its wings and flapped them violently toward Han Li.

The sound of howling wind and explosive thunder erupted as a vast expanse of white glacial flames appeared in the air. The glacial flames took a split second to condense before transforming into a massive wave over 300 feet tall that came crashing down toward Han Li.

As for the Ice Phoenix itself, it had already dove headfirst into the white glacial Qi.

Its enormous body then disappeared into the glacial Qi amid a burst of white light, nowhere to be seen.

Han Li's lips twitched upon seeing this as blue light flashed through his eyes. He raised a hand to summon a ball of purple flames, which he hurriedly hurled in front of him.

A spluttering sound rang out as purple flames rose into the air, positioning itself in front of Han Li.

The glacial wave struck the Purple Apex Flames barrier without any reservation. The white and purple glacial flames clashed and intertwined. They were both glacial flames but they were completely intolerant toward one another, like water meeting fire. However, it was quite clear that the white glacial flames were far more powerful than the Purple Apex Flames. Moments later, the purple flame barrier began to tremor violently before falling toward Han Li.

Han Li's expression darkened further upon seeing this as he gritted his teeth. The Eight Spirit Ruler in his sleeve abruptly disappeared while he pressed his palms against the purple barrier of flames. All of a sudden, it was as if all of the purple flames over his body had found a vent as they surged over his arms and into the barrier in a frenzy. In the blink of an eye, the falling purple barrier was righted once again.

However, right at this moment, a white light flashed within the massive wave as a pair of talons that were over a foot in length appeared from the glacial flames, grabbing down toward Han Li's arms like lightning.

The talons were shimmering with glacial light and Han Li could tell that they were extremely powerful just by looking at them. Even though Han Li had cultivated the Brightjade Arts in the past, if those talons were allowed to strike their targets, his arms would be permanently disabled for sure.

However, Han Li seemed to have anticipated this attack in advance. All of a sudden, two clumps of azure threads shot forth from his sleeves, managing to keep the shape talons at bay.

Azure light then flashed as the threads rapidly wound themselves around the pair of talons, locking them firmly in place.

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A faint cry of surprise sounded from within the glacial flames. However, what transpired next was even more astonishing.

In the air several tens of feet above Han Li, white light suddenly flashed as a spatial rift was torn open. A translucent beak half a foot in length emerged from the spatial right before pecking down toward Han Li's head like lightning.

In the face of a surprise attack from such a close range, even if Han Li were able to react in time, there was simply not enough time for evasion.

Furthermore, he had been focused entirely on the glacial flames in front of him and hadn't set up any defensive measures. However, what was strange was that even as the beak was about to pierce through the layer of purple flames over his body, his expression remained completely unchanged and he didn't even raise his head.

A loud thump erupted as a silver first appeared, seemingly from thin air, before slamming into the beak.

Silver light flashed during the clash and the beak was knocked off course by several feet.

Spiritual light then flashed beside the beak as an azure figure emerged, in the process of withdrawing a silver fist.

This was none other than the humanoid puppet.

As soon as Han Li realized that a clash with the Ice Phoenix was inevitable, he had instructed the humanoid puppet to protect him, which was why it was able to divert that lethal attack just in the nick of time.

After having its surprise attack thwarted, the sharp beak immediately disappeared. The white glacial flames before Han Li suddenly shrank back before converging to form the body of that tenth grade Ice Phoenix.

At this point, the demon beast was only around 20 to 30 feet in size, significantly downsized from its original stature.

It looked down at the azure threads binding its talons and harrumphed coldly. Its talons suddenly expanded in size by severalfold as it attempted to struggle free from the threads.

However, azure light flashed over the surface of the threads and they remained firmly in place despite the Ice Phoenix's best efforts.

A hint of surprise flashed through the Ice Phoenix's eyes upon seeing this. However, it then abruptly opened its mouth to blast out two blinding streaks of white light, which circled around its talons.

As the white streaks of light flashed through the air, the azure threads were severed like wilted grass.

Only then did the white light pause in the air and reveal their true form.

They were two small white swords that were emanating faint glacial light.

"Myriad Year Profound Jade!"

Han Li immediately recognized the material that the two flying swords have been crafted from. At the same time, his brows furrowed with concern.

Those azure threads were a manifestation of the light shimmering on the surface of the Heavenvoid Cauldron in his sleeve. It appeared that even Divine Spirit Treasure wouldn't be able to do anything to a tenth grade demon beast if he couldn't unleash the treasure's full power.

However, he had no intention of engaging in a prolonged battle with this opponent. All he had to do was to travel a further 1,000 feet or so, upon which he would be able to flee into one of the two smaller teleportation formations that would take him away from this place.

Just as this thought flashed through Han Li's mind, the Ice Phoenix spread open its ice wings again as if it were going to attack. Han Li's expression darkened as the purple flames over his body receded, and his body also blurred before splitting into three.

Thus, three identical projections appeared, all of which were completely azure in color, so there was no way to identify which one was Han Li's true body.

The Ice Phoenix was surprised to see this and the white light shimmering along its wings immediately faltered. Right at this moment, the three projections transforming into three streaks of azure light and fled in different directions. All of them were traveling so quickly that they were covering over 100 feet in the blink of an eye. On the other side, the golden flying swords and Fire Ravens that were engaged in battle with the hundreds of translucent flying swords also abruptly flew away, heading straight for the teleportation platform in the corner of the hall.

The Ice Phoenix faltered slightly upon seeing this before flying into a thunderous rage. It let loose a sharp cry as white light flashed over its body, which shrank drastically, transforming it into a young woman who appeared to be just over 20 years of age in the blink of an eye.

This was a woman in silver palatial robes with the beauty of a celestial maiden!

As soon as the transforming was complete, the woman immediately patted the spirit beast pouch hanging from her waist, upon which a hissing sound erupted from within. Two balls of white light shot forth before spinning through the air, transforming into a pair of pristine white centipedes, each with four wings on their backs. Their emergence summoned two bursts of bone-chilling winds. The centipedes were each over 10 feet in length and had an extremely sinister appearance.

These were two Six-Winged Frost Centipedes that had already evolved to the four-winged stage.

Han Li turned to glance back over his shoulder and was abruptly given a massive fright upon seeing this.

Before he had a chance to devise a course of action, the two four-winged centipedes spread their wings open in unison, upon which both of them abruptly disappeared amid the sound of something hurtling through the air. In the next instant, one of the centipedes emerged beside Han Li's true body while the other appeared near one of his projections. Both of them opened their mouths and blasted out bursts of white glacial Qi from within.

Han Li naturally wasn't going to allow himself to be struck by this glacial Qi. Thus, he adjusted his trajectory slightly to easily evade the attack. However, the other projection continued onward robotically along a set trajectory, only to be vanquished into nothingness by the glacial Qi rushing toward it.

The silver-robed woman swept her hand through the air before her expressionlessly upon seeing this. A white spatial rift opened up before her as a result. The fact that she was able to tear open space with such ease was another indication of her power.

Her body then swayed into the spatial rift as she, along with the rift, both disappeared.

Meanwhile, Han Li was fleeing with all his might and had already reached the air directly above the platform. After evading another blast of glacial Qi from the four-winged centipede, he began to descend at full speed.

However, right at this moment, white light flashed nearby and the silver-robed woman appeared from thin air. Her body then flashed over to the platform, where she looked up at Han Li with a pair of frosty eyes.

Han Li's heart sank upon seeing this. He didn't dare to force his way into the teleportation formation as an attack launched from outside the formation while he teleported could result in catastrophic consequences.

Han Li glowered at the silver-robed woman with a dark expression, and said coldly, "I'm not a North Night Palace cultivator and nor do I have a vendetta against the demon beasts. Do you really insist on fighting me to the death?"

"Hmph! I don't care who you are, anyone who has inherited Fairy Ice Soul's Celestial Ice Flames is a sworn enemy of the Ice Phoenixes. You're not getting away from me!" A frosty expression appeared on the silver-robed woman's face. She was not backing down in the slightest.

At the height of his rage, Han Li burst into laughter, and said, "You sure are one to talk! Do you really think you can stop me just because you possess spatial powers? If you're determined to battle me, then I won't hold back either. Let me see if you have the power to back up that big mouth of yours!"

He raised a hand and all of the golden swords and Fire Ravens immediately began to circle around him. Sword Qi and crimson flames swirled amid bursts of resounding booms, creating an astonishing spectacle to behold.

At the same time, silver light flashed beside Han Li as the expressionless humanoid puppet emerged.

He then patted his storage pouch and a pitch-black vial emerged, upon which he cast several Celestial Techniques onto the vial.

The vial immediately shuddered before five bursts of grey-white Qi emerged from within. Five sets of skeletons then began to take shape, all of which had shimmering green flames in their eye sockets. A burst of unsettling screeching rang out from the five devils' mouth as all of them turned to appraise the Ice Phoenix with bloodlust in their eyes.

"The Unbroken Cinque Devils!" The Ice Phoenix's expression stiffened momentarily upon seeing this. She then took a glance at the humanoid puppet beside Han Li and her expression became even grimmer.

After a brief silence, the woman said in a slow voice, "Since when did cultivators of the human world gain the ability to refine puppets of this caliber? With that puppet and the five devils by your side, it would indeed be rather unlikely for me to be able to kill you even if I were to summon my other two avatars to assist me. However, I'm confident in my ability to force you to remain here. If you're not afraid of mishaps during teleportation, then you can give it a shot!"

Han Li didn't even have to turn around to assess the situation as he could sense what was going on at the center of the hall using his spiritual sense. As such, he sneered, "Summon your avatars? Without you there to control them, your avatars are most likely already struggling with self-preservation against those three North Night Palace cultivators! Let me see how long you can last against the five devils and this puppet!"

Indeed, those two Ice Phoenix avatars were clearly inferior in power to the three North Night Palace cultivators and had been forced firmly onto the back foot.

If it weren't for the fact that those two avatars were also capable of using glacial flames, they would most likely have been destroyed long ago. Even so, they were still only barely holding on. The palace master even had the spare capacity to watch Han Li's battle as she fought the two avatars. Her expression was very indecisive as she looked on from afar, but she had no intention of lending Han Li her assistance.

It appeared that she was using Han Li to divert the main body of the Ice Phoenix away while they slew these two avatars.

Han Li wasn't very angry about this. After all, if he were in her shoes, he would most likely do the exact same thing.

Upon hearing Han Li's words, the silver-robed woman merely chuckled coldly, seemingly completely undeterred by Han Li's threats.

Han Li heaved a faint sigh and finally relinquished any attempt to settle this with words. He made a hand seal and prepared to attack the Ice Phoenix with both his puppet and his five devils. Only by severely wounding or killing this woman would he be able to teleport away without fear of interference.

However, right at this moment, a peculiar look suddenly flashed through her eyes. It seemed to be a mixture of surprise and relief.

Han Li's heart jolted with shock upon seeing this. Before he could identify why such an expression would appear on her face, the space around him suddenly dimmed as a familiar sinister voice sounded.

"Get in here, you little brat!"

As soon as the voice fell, a layer of grey light surfaced around him and the surrounding scenery began to blur.

Han Li's heart jolted with shock as he immediately whipped a sleeve through the air.

The Worldbreaker Talisman abruptly shot forth and the surrounding scenery returned to normal following a flash of yellow light. At the same time, the golden swords and Fire Ravens around Han Li were sent flying downward.

A series of resounding booms erupted as the grey light was completely vanquished.

Only after raising his head did Han Li discovered that the massive Myriad Demon Flag had somehow appeared several hundred feet in the air above him. The grey light raining down from the flag was descending straight toward his head.

Thankfully, he hadn't completely exhausted the power of the Worldbreaker Talisman when he had first escaped from the Myriad Demon Flag. Otherwise, he would have been in a lot of trouble.

Even so, his expression had become very strained.

It was not going to be anywhere near an easy task for him to escape now.

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Han Li was naturally unwilling to be enshrouded under the Myriad Demon Flag. As such, he immediately pointed a finger toward the five devils while chanting to activate his devil control arts.

The five devils rose into the sky and as silver light flashed, the five skeletons combined to form a single massive skeleton over 300 feet tall.

Green light then flashed within the skeleton's eye sockets as it reached out with its bony hands. Two of its ribs also flew out from its body and instantly transformed into two bone blades each over 100 feet in length. It then tilted its head back and let loose an almighty roar before grabbing the two rib-bone blades and violently slashing them through the air.

A cross-shaped blade of radiance swept through the air, shimmering with astonishing glacial light as it hurtled toward the massive flag upon above. In the process, it sliced through all of the silver light descending from above before striking the Myriad Demon Flag.

An earthshattering boom erupted as demonic Qi and glacial light intertwined with one another.

The massive skeleton then abruptly rose into the air and slashed its twin sabers wildly through the air. A series of crescent-shaped streaks of glacial light were unleashed as it attempted to destroy the massive flag in one fell swoop.

Old Devil Che's enraged roar rang out from within the Myriad Demon Flag as the falt instantly began to shrink, reducing itself to only around a foot in size in the blink of an eye.

The small child emerged in a flash before grabbing onto the flag. His body then swayed as he instantly teleported several hundred feet away.

At its massive size, the Myriad Demon Flag was very cumbersome to move around and also presented a huge target for the giant skeleton's twin blades. Old Devil Che as clearly also aware of this, so he decided to revert the flag back to its original size.

Upon seeing this, the massive white skeleton also began to shrink amid a cloud of grey-white devil Qi. In the end, it shrank down to only around 20 feet tall before letting loose an unsettling screech. Grey-white devil Qi came spilling out of its mouth as it wielded the minimized bone blades, rushing directly toward the small child.

The Unbroken Cinque Devils were proving to be quite a headache for the small child as well.

Due to the special refinement method used to create the five devils, they were immune to the restrictive effect of the Myriad Demon Flag. Furthermore, unless he had a specialized devil-taming treasure or if he could kill their owner, the five devils were almost unkillable No matter how many times they were shattered or destroyed, they would simply be able to respawn again.

The Myriad Demon Flag was an extremely powerful treasure, but only when applied to human cultivators. In the face of these powerful devils, it really wasn't very effective at all. Even if he could take care of these devils through his own power, it would definitely require quite a lengthy process.

In the face of the oncoming skeleton, Old Devil Che could only furrow his brows and use his Myriad Demon Flag to unleash bursts of inky-black demonic Qi, attempting to keep the skeleton at bay. However, 60% of his spiritual sense was focused on Han Li, leaving only 40% focused on dealing with the five devils.

At this moment, Han Li was standing shoulder to shoulder with his humanoid puppet. His expression was very dark and indecisive and he remained standing on the spot.

The silver-robed woman was also standing firmly on the platform, seemingly without any intention of attacking him.

It appeared that she wished for this impasse to continue or perhaps she was afraid that if she were to move, Han Li would be able to sneak around her and escape using the teleportation formation.

As for the two four-winged centipedes, they were hovering over the two smaller teleportation formations while appraising Han Li with threatening looks.

This Ice Phoenix knew that the two teleportation formations were the only ways out of the hall.

In contrast, the reason that Han Li wasn't initiating an attack was very simple; he was rather wary of the Ice Phoenix's spatial manipulation abilities.

He had many tricks up his sleeve himself, but he was struggling to think of a way to force back this demon beast before escaping safely from this place.

However, right at this moment, a burst of wild cackling suddenly erupted from the center of the hall behind him.

"Haha! I've finally come out! I'm going to have some fun this time. You promised me you wouldn't make me go back until I've had my fun."

The cackling voice sounded like a female one, but it was extremely coarse and unpleasant to listen to.

Han Li faltered slightly before sweeping his spiritual sense behind him, upon which a surprised look appeared on his face.

The palace master who was originally battling the two Ice Phoenix avatars suddenly abandoned that battlefield to rush toward Han Li. The two elderly men were left behind to take care of the Ice Phoenix avatars.

Behind the woman was a cloud of dark green Yin Qi that followed her like a shadow. There was an indistinct female figure swirling within the green Qi, and the cackling had also erupted from there.

Han Li could sense that the woman in this cloud of ghostly Qi possessed extremely powerful Yin energy, and was another late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, the Yin energy emanating from her body suggested that she was an extremely powerful ghost cultivator!

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Han, I won't allow them to gang up on you! I'm here to lend you my assistance!" the palace master said.

Han Li was a little speechless upon hearing this.

This woman was clearly just afraid that he would be slain by these two demon beasts before they turned on the North Night Palace. However, she was making it sound as if she were joining this battle solely to help him.

From the very beginning, these tenth grade demon cultivators had been targeting the North Night Palace.

However, Han Li was rather surprised by the fact that the woman was able to immediately identify him, and he certainly wasn't going to object to her help.

Having two late-Nascent Soul cultivators joining him in battle would be a brilliant turn of events. Even though this palace master was far weaker than these two demons, the ghost cultivator within the cloud of green Qi was far more powerful and struck Han Li with an immense sense of pressure. She was most likely at the pinnacle of the late-Nascent Soul Stage!

Upon catching sight of the woman in the green Qi, the small child who was battling the huge skeleton suddenly cried, "Infernal Ghost Mother! Don't go poking your nose into my business!"

An extremely unpleasant burst of cackling escaped from the woman's mouth as she retorted fearlessly, "Hehe, if your true body were here, then I naturally wouldn't dare to intervene, but you're just a mere avatar; what are you going to do? Eat me?"

"Infernal Ghost Mother? You're that ghost cultivator who destroyed several cultivator sects on your own!" The silver-robed woman's expression also changed slightly upon hearing this name. She was clearly also aware of who this woman was.

"It's an honor that the master of the glacial sea has heard of my name! Even back when my body had first disintegrated, I had heard that you possessed the power to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage. The fact that you're still only at the tenth grade must be because you're afraid of creating an imbalance in the human world's origin Qi, thereby inflicting backlash on yourself! But restricting your own cultivation base like this must be a very bad feeling. Besides, even though you Ice Phoenixes have extremely long lifespans, you shouldn't be able to live much longer if you don't progress." The woman in the ghostly Qi seemed to be very familiar with this tenth grade Ice Phoenix, and had just revealed her the biggest secret in her heart.

The silver-robed woman's expression immediately darkened.

In contrast, Han Li drew a sharp breath in shock. He finally understood why this Ice Phoenix was so difficult to deal with.

The palace master suddenly harrumphed coldly, and said, "I didn't release you so you could catch up with some old friends!"

"Don't worry, I can easily ensure your survival as long as there aren't any Deity Transformation cultivators around. But don't forget what you promised me! Also, you forcibly summoned me even though you didn't have any spirit stones; after this, Yin Qi is going to enter your body and you're inevitably going to suffer a severe illness as a result," the Infernal Ghost Mother cackled.

The palace master's expression darkened upon hearing this, but she didn't say anything in response.

In the blink of an eye, the palace master and the Infernal Ghost Mother had reached the platform, where they faced off against the two demon beasts by Han Li's side.

The palace master turned to Han Li with an amicable expression, and suggested, "Brother Han, what do you say we join forces and get rid of this Ice Phoenix first?"

"I've got no objections to that!" Han Li stroked his chin and nodded in response.

The palace master was ecstatic to hear this, yet just as she was about to attack with the Infernal Ghost Mother, the silver-robed woman down below suddenly chuckled coldly before unleashing a streak of white light.

Following a resounding boom, one of the small teleportation formations was sliced cleanly in half.

Both Han Li and the palace master's expressions changed drastically upon seeing this.

"If you're planning to gang up on me, then I'm going to destroy this formation as well!" the silver-robed woman threatened.

The palace master forcibly calmed herself down before asking, "Why would you do that? If you destroy that teleportation formation, then none of you will be able to leave the Spirit Void Hall either!"

"Have you forgotten how I managed to infiltrate the Spirit Void Hall in the first place?" The silver-robed woman chuckled coldly.

Han Li's expression was slightly strained.

The palace master contemplated the situation momentarily before turning to Han Li as she said, "There's no need to pay any heed to her threats, Fellow Daoist Han. Even if this accursed beast really does destroy the teleportation formation, we can join forces to break through the restriction and exit through the main gate of the hall. It will take some time, but it definitely can be done."

Han Li's brows furrowed as an indecisive look appeared o his face.

If he hadn't killed those three North Night Palace cultivators in the Profound Jade Cave, then he could naturally join forces with the palace master to kill these demon beasts first before breaking through the restriction to escape this place. However, that was clearly a course of action that would take a long time and by then, the North Night Palace cultivators would have definitely discovered the situation in the Profound Jade Cave. He couldn't afford to waste any more time!

The palace master was initially slightly perplexed by Han Li's expression before a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Han Li had appeared before her, yet none of the other Nascent Soul cultivators that he had entered the Profound Jade Cave with had re-emerged. That had already struck her with a sense of foreboding. However, in the face of such powerful enemies, she could only pretend to be oblivious to the situation.

A decisive light suddenly flashed through her eyes as her lips tremored, as if she were transmitting her voice.

The Infernal Ghost Mother behind her suddenly flashed within the cloud of green mist and her body abruptly became blurry and insubstantial.

Immediately thereafter, a thin green thread shot forth soundlessly from within the mist before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Even though the green thread was traveling in an extremely stealthy manner, the Ice Phoenix down below still caught on to the fact that something was amiss as she let loose a sharp cry.

"Don't you dare!"

She then flicked her fingers toward the other smaller teleportation formation, sending five bursts of white sword Qi hurtling toward it. At the same time, the four-winged centipede in the air above that formation also abruptly lowered its head, blasting out a cloud of white glacial Qi that completely enshrouded the teleportation formation within.

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Han Li's expression changed drastically upon seeing this. A loud thunderclap erupted from behind him, upon which he disappeared as an arc of lightning.

On the other side, green light flashed in front of the teleportation formation that was being attacked and a murky green woman appeared; it was none other than the Infernal Ghost Mother.

In the face of the surging sword Qi and glacial Qi, the Infernal Ghost Mother cackled before launching her palms toward the oncoming attacks. She did so in an extremely gentle manner, as if she were merely absentmindedly pressing her hands against the air rather than offering up any retaliation.

The five bursts of sword Qi abruptly shattered and crumbled before disappearing into nothingness around 10 feet away.

As for the glacial Qi descending from above, it seemed to have been impeded by some type of invisible force before being swept backward, forcing the four-winged centipede into a frenzied defense.

Right at this moment, silver light flashed as Han Li appeared within the smaller teleportation formation. He immediately raised a hand without any hesitation to launch a Celestial Technique into the edge of the formation, then made a hand seal as he quickly chanted something in a low voice.

Almost at the exact same moment, a humanoid figure appeared from behind him as the humanoid puppet unleashed countless flaming arrows with its red bow, which came raining down on the silver-robed woman like a torrential storm.

Meanwhile, a crimson light suddenly flashed in the eye sockets of skeleton, which was attacking the small child with all its might, and it suddenly reverted back into five ghostly heads without any premonition. Those five ghostly heads then tumbled through the air and disappeared in unison.

In the next instant, five bursts of grey-white Qi appeared above Han Li's head before transforming into five ghostly heads once again.

They had been forcibly summoned back by Han Li.

At this moment, white light began to flash from the entire formation. Han Li stood at the center of the formation, staring intently at the silver-robed woman with a grave look on his face.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

Han Li's actions had clearly taken both the palace master and the silver-robed woman by surprise.

The palace master's expression changed drastically as she hurtled through the air as a streak of silver light. At the same time, she let loose a loud cry, "Destroy the formation; don't let him get away!"

Even though she wasn't making it very specific whom she was referring to, it was quite clear that she was directing her words toward Han Li.

After all, regardless of whether Han Li had actually killed the North Night Palace cultivators in the Profound Jade Cave, the palace master required his assistance in this battle. If he were to leave, even with the help of the Infernal Ghost Mother, she wouldn't be able to take on these two powerful demon beasts at once.

Upon hearing this, the Infernal Ghost Mother cackled as she opened her mouth before swooping down toward the teleportation formation, seemingly preparing to unleash some kind of attack.

However, right at this moment, Han Li suddenly raised an arm and a green wooden ruler appeared in his hand. A silver lotus then began to blossom as seven-colored Buddhist light surged toward her.

"That's a Buddhist!"

The Infernal Ghost Mother's confident expression gave way to one of horror as she let loose a sharp scream. Her body then disappeared on the spot as a flash of green light as if she were a cat that had just had its tail trodden on.

At this moment, white light was glowing from the entire formation.

The palace master was flying toward the formation as quickly as she could, but she clearly wasn't going to be able to get there in time.

A hint of elation appeared on Han Li's face, but his expression soon changed drastically as he caught sight of the silver-robed woman tearing open a spatial rift before disappearing on the spot.

Han Li's heart sank upon seeing this, but he was prepared well in advance and countless golden swords shot forth from his body, making him appear as if he were a golden hedgehog. If that tenth grade Ice Phoenix dared to appear near the formation, she would definitely have to contend with these swords first, thereby rendering her unable to prevent Han Li from getting away.

However, much to his surprise, the silver-robed woman didn't appear close to the formation he was situated in. Instead, she appeared in the air above the larger teleportation formation over 200 feet away.

A cold smile appeared on her face as piercing white light emanated from her body. At the same time, she feigned a grabbing motion toward Han Li from afar.

A burst of spatial fluctuations appeared above Han Li's head, following which a massive transparent curtain of light surfaced before slowly descending toward him.

Han Li's expression darkened as he unleashed his spiritual sense.

All of the golden sword Qi on his body changed direction in unison and flew toward the air up above. Thus, blinding golden light instantly flashed in the air above as the sword Qi intertwined with one another.

However, a peculiar scene then ensued.

As the golden sword Qi struck the transparent film of light, they passed right through as if they had struck nothing more than an illusion.

Han Li's heart jolted with shock upon seeing this and he immediately tried to use his Eight Spirit Ruler to ward off this film of light.

In the distance, the silver-robed woman's face paled as she brought her five fingers together before slowly pulling her hand toward her, as if she were trying to drag an extremely heavy object her way.

The film of light in the air immediately disappeared, but it appeared right in front of Han Li in the next instant, encompassing the entire teleportation formation within.

A sense of foreboding welled up in Han Li's heart, yet before he had a chance to react, he heard a ringing sound as the white light around him began to flash wildly.

In the next instant, Han Li disappeared from the teleportation formation. The Unbroken Cinque Devils and the humanoid puppet also vanished along with him.

The entire teleportation formation was suddenly empty and the white light was naturally also snuffed out.

The palace master's heart sank upon seeing this. She stopped cold in her tracks before turning to the silver-robed woman with an expression of shock and wariness, trying to figure out what was happening.

However, the silver-robed woman was still dragging something toward her. Her cheeks were heavily flushed and white light was flashing wildly over her body, clearly indicating that she was expending a lot of effort.

Upon seeing this, the palace master no longer hesitated. She raised a hand and around a dozen or so streaks of silver light flashed through the air, transforming into a series of extremely sharp silver nails that hurtled straight toward the silver-robed woman.

The Ice Phoenix was greatly enraged upon seeing this. She had forced her body beyond its limits to unleash that secret technique. Even with her inherent spatial aptitude, that was still a secret technique that she should have only been able to unleash after reaching the Deity Transformation Stage. However, Han Li was about to get away and in her moment of urgency, she forcibly unleashed the technique.

Now that the palace master was launching an attack against her, there was no way for her to maintain the technique while defending herself, so she could only release what she was pulling and swing it into the ground below her.

A resounding boom erupted amid a flash of white light. Han Li, the puppet, and the Unbroken Cinque Devils appeared in the large teleportation formation, while the white light was snuffed out in a flash.

Han Li's body swayed slightly, seemingly still recovering from the dizziness brought on by spatial teleportation.

However, the silver-robed woman had already unleashed a shimmering blue robe to ward off the silver nails before whipping both of her sleeves downward. All of a sudden, translucent flying swords came surging forth in a frenzy, seemingly with no end to their vast numbers, encompassing Han Li's entire body and leaving him with no avenue for escape or retreat.

Han Li steadied himself before raising his head and opening his mouth, upon which an antiquated little cauldron emerged from within.

The cauldron spun in the air before countless thin azure threads flew forth from its surface, intertwining with one another to form a massive net that shielded Han Li below. At the same time, the ghostly heads that were the Unbroken Cinque Devils began to screech incessantly, blasting grey-white devil Qi out of their mouths. They broke through the white light and rose into the air while the humanoid puppet also disappeared.

At this moment, the small child had been freed from his battle against the five devils and unleashed his Myriad Demon Flag again. The flag swelled drastically in size once again as demonic Qi tumbled in the air around it. A series of pitch-black demon beast projections were being manifested by the flag, and they appeared to be close to taking on a substantial form.

However, Han Li paid this no heed as he spread open his Thunderstorm Wings again, attempting to rush back to the small teleportation formation.

Even though he had missed the best opportunity to teleport away from this place, he still had to gain control over the teleportation formation in order to prevent it from being destroyed by others.

However, just as Han Li thought that he would have to engage in a battle with the two demon beasts as well as the North Night Palace cultivators again, an unexpected turn of events suddenly struck.

The Heavenvoid Cauldron that was blasting out countless strands of azure thread suddenly shuddered violently, despite no instructions from Han Li for it to do so. Immediately thereafter, it began to emanate scintillating azure light, following which Han Li immediately lost his spiritual connection with the cauldron. The azure threads that were meant to ward off the swords descended from above suddenly disappeared into the large teleportation formation that Han Li was standing in.

A loud rumbling boom then erupted from the large teleportation formation as azure spiritual light shimmered over the entire formation. A film of azure light also appeared, encompassing Han Li and the Unbroken Cinque Devils within.

"That's the Heavenvoid Cauldron!" An incredulous look appeared on the palace master's face as she immediately diverted her attention away from the silver-robed woman. She turned to the teleportation formation that Han Li was standing in and flicked her all ten fingers at it in a frenzy, as if she had lost her sanity.

Ten streaks of piercing silver light instantly shot forth.

The silver-robed woman above the teleportation formation was also extremely shocked to see this. She didn't know where the teleportation formation was going to take Han Li, but she naturally didn't want to let him get away.

Thus, all of the countless translucent swords in the air came crashing down from above at her behest.

However, the azure film of light enshrouding the teleportation formation was seemingly indestructible; the ten silver streaks of light and hundreds of translucent swords came crashing down upon it, but didn't even create so much as a ripple on its surface.

The palace master and silver-robed woman were both flabbergasted upon seeing this.

Not only them, but even Han Li himself was stunned, particularly after he tried and failed to slice open the azure film of light with his golden flying swords.

After searching Master Arctic Dragon's Nascent Soul, if his memory served him correct, then the teleportation formation he was situated in was an ancient one-way teleportation formation that had been always been in disuse.

He didn't know where this formation led to and nor did he know how to activate it. However, seeing as it was a one-way teleportation formation, Han Li naturally wasn't willing to take the risk. If he were teleported to a lethal region like the Umbra Realm, he would be in deep trouble.

As such, he tried to break free from the azure film of light with all his might upon arriving at the realization that he had been trapped in the teleportation formation. Seeing as the flying swords had failed, Han Li gritted his teeth as a ball of three-colored light appeared in his hand, quickly revealing itself to be a feather fan.

He was going to use the Triflame Fan to attack this film of light.

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However, in such close quarters, Han Li naturally didn't dare to use the fan at its full power. Otherwise, he would be swept up in the attack as well. He only waved the fan slightly and a layer of three-colored flames appeared on its face, which then crashed into the film of light like a blade of fire.

A sizzling sound erupted as the fire made contact with the barrier. As expected, the might of the Triflame Fan was not to be scoffed at. An incision had been torn into the seemingly indestructible film of light and even though it was only around a foot in length, it was sufficient in size for Han Li to be able to escape through.

Han Li was ecstatic, yet just as he was about to rush out of teleportation formation when white light suddenly flashed from the gash that he had just inflicted. The silver-robed woman had torn through space and appeared outside. She raised a hand and one of her arms transformed into a sharp and translucent talon, forcing its way into the gash as if she were trying to drag Han Li out from within.

Han Li was struck by a sense of urgency upon seeing this. He wanted to leave this teleportation formation, but he didn't want to fall into the grasp of this tenth grade Ice Phoenix as a result. Just as he was about to attack his assailant with his Triflame Fan, his expression suddenly changed drastically. He put away the Triflame Fan in his hand, but it was replaced by a shimmering blue medallion; that medallion was none other than the Greater Teleportation Medallion.

As soon as Han Li produced the medallion, spiritual light erupted from within the ancient teleportation formation. At the same time, the azure film of light began to crumble.

After the light faded, Han Li and the Unbroken Cinque Devils within the film of light disappeared, as did the silver-robed woman, who was originally standing at the edge of the teleportation formation. It appeared that she had been teleported away with Han Li.

The palace master faltered initially upon seeing this before a mixture of elation and vexation appeared on her face. She was overjoyed that a powerful enemy had been teleported away, but very frustrated by the fact that the spirit treasure carried by the matriarch of North Night Palace, Fair Ice Soul, had appeared and disappeared right under her nose.

In the distance, the small child wore an extremely dark expression. A vicious light flashed through his eyes as he glowered at the palace master before letting loose a long howl that punctured the clouds. He then abruptly pointed up at the Myriad Demon Flag in the air, upon which the demonic Qi surging from the flag immediately swelled by severalfold. Countless demonic projections of different sizes then began to surge forth in a frenzy, encompassing a large section of the hall in tumbling demonic Qi which rushed toward the palace master.

The palace master's expression changed upon seeing this, but green light suddenly flashed before her as the Infernal Ghost Mother positioned herself in front of her. She looked up at the countless demonic projections in the sky and a cold smile appeared on her face. She spun around on the spot, sending a vast expanse of green Qi sweeping forth in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding area had been transformed into an infernal hell amid ghastly wails and bone-chilling cries. A vast expanse of Yin Qi that was not inferior in quantity compared to the demonic Qi in the sky spread along the ground before sweeping upward as a series of massive waves.

The green mist and black Qi clashed and intertwined with one another. Demonic projections and ghostly beings could be indistinctly seen within, engaged in a heated battle. This Infernal Ghost Mother was able to combat Old Devil Che's avatar with her body as a ghost cultivator, and she was not being forced onto the back foot.

The palace master was ecstatic upon seeing this. She immediately set aside the matter regarding Han Li and rubbed her hands together before raising them up in the air, uopn which balls of crimson lightning flames were sent crashing toward the demonic Qi overhead.

Loud rumbling booms rang out incessantly within the hall as the woman, the demon, and the ghost all disappeared within the vast expanse of demonic and ghostly Qi.

Only the occasional earth-shattering clash could be heard from the outside...

Within a stone chamber that was over 300 feet in size, there was a formation that was quite similar to the teleportation formation located in the Spirit Void Hall. Han Li supported the Heavenvoid Cauldron with one hand as he faced off completely expressionlessly with an exquisite beauty.

The humanoid puppet behind him was completely stationary, yet the ghostly heads that were the five devils were hovering in the air, looking at the woman with bloodlust in their eyes. They would let loose a low snarl from time to time, looking as if they would immediately pounce on the woman as soon as Han Li gave the command.

The woman standing before Han Li was naturally the tenth grade Ice Phoenix that had been accidentally swept up into the teleportation formation.

In reality, this Ice Phoenix was rather unlucky. She had sensed that something was amiss when the azure film of light was shattered and she immediately tried to tear open space to get away from the formation. However, to her surprise, the spatial powers she unleashed resonated with the spatial powers in the formation, thereby sucking into the teleportation sequence as well.

It was quite clear that this wasn't some kind of short-distance teleportation. If it weren't for the fact that she was extremely proficient at spatial manipulation, she would've most likely been torn into pieces by the spatial power on the way here.

Even so, her situation was clearly not very optimistic. She was currently standing in one corner of the stone chamber with white spiritual light flashing all over her body as she glowered coldly at Han Li.

According to her estimation, if she were to engage in a battle to the death with this human cultivator, the win-loss ratio would stand at around 40:60. What was very depressing to her was that her opponent was the one with the 60% chance of securing victory.

On had to realize that she had been restricting her cultivation base to the semi-Deity Transformation Stage for a long time and that if she wanted to, she could've progressed to the Deity Transformation Stage a long time ago.

However, this human was one of the most difficult opponents she had ever had to deal with. He possessed power on par with her's even though he was only at the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. Furthermore, he possessed the Unbroken Cinque Devils and that untraceable humanoid puppet. Those two were extremely powerful in their own right and could be counted as two late-Nascent Stage cultivators.

Thus, no matter how arrogant she was, there was no way that she would be optimistic about her chances in battle against Han Li. However, she wasn't fearful toward Han Li either. Even if she couldn't match him in battle, her spatial powers would ensure that she would at least be able to escape.

Han Li's eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman before him and he was also rather indecisive about what to do. A short while later, he finally harrumphed coldly as he raised a foot into the air, upon which he hovered out of the formation and made his way straight over to one of the bluestone walls of the stone chamber. This stone chamber was rather peculiar. There wasn't a single door to be seen and the stone walls were extremely smooth with not even so much as a hint of a gap to be exploited.

In such a strange and unpredictable place, Han Li really had no interest in battling this Ice Phoenix. As long as she didn't attack him, he couldn't be bothered to engage in a battle with her that would sure expend a lot of magic power. After all, her spatial powers were also very difficult for him to deal with.

Upon seeing what Han Li was doing, the silver-robed woman's expression changed as she heaved an internal sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Han Li was already using his spiritual sense to carefully scan over the stone walls. However, what he discovered as a result made his brows furrow with concern.

As soon as his spiritual sense seeped into the stone walls, it was repelled by a powerful force. There had clearly been some type of powerful restriction cast on the walls and this was the worst possible discovery to make.

Han Li's expression darkened and he suddenly stabbed a finger toward the stone wall. Azure light flashed on his fingertip as a glacial light half a foot in length appeared before stabbing into the bluestone.

However, only a small section of the glacial light pierced into the wall before it was also repelled.

Han Li nonchalantly flicked his fingers and three streaks of azure sword Qi struck the other three walls, only to result in the same effect. Han Li's eyes narrowed as he stared silently at the stone wall. As he did so, a flash of faint blue light shimmered through his eyes.

"Hmph!" The silver-robed woman chuckled coldly upon seeing this.

She then waved a hand through the air and a flash of white light appeared, following which she disappeared from the chamber. She had unleashed her spatial powers to escape from this place.

Han Li completely ignored this as he continued to stare silently at the stone wall. All of a sudden, the humanoid puppet behind him suddenly raised a hand, sending a black dagger streaking through the air. The dagger instantly struck a certain nondescript spot on the wall amid a dull thud.

The bluestone wall before him suddenly crumbled and his eyes immediately lit up. He appeared in what seemed to be an empty hall, and the silver-robed woman was still nowhere to be seen.

However, upon closer inspection, Han Li's lips twitched as an incredulous look flashed through his eyes.

This was a reaction to the stone gate that lay before him, which was square in shape with over 100 feet in both length and width. There were strange runes carved onto the gate and faint white light was shimmering along its surface, clearly indicating that some type of restriction had been cast on it.

However, Han Li was very familiar with this stone gate and he almost identified it at first glance. He felt as if he had been dealt a heavy blow upon making that realization and astonishment surged through his heart.

After taking a deep breath, Han Li recomposed himself and strode directly toward the stone gate.

Golden light flashed as a flying sword that was over a foot in length appeared in his hand. He slashed it through the air and a streak of golden sword Qi flew forth.

White light flashed over the surface of the stone gate, but it was still sliced in half by the sword Qi amid a resounding boom, revealing an intersection that was paved with bluestone.

Han Li's body swayed and in the next instant, he appeared at the center of the intersection. He hurriedly looked around at his surroundings before his body fell completely stationary.

There was a series of bluestone paths leading toward the north, south, east, and west directions. There were identical tall and thick stone walls on either side of the paths, looking as if they had been constructed from the same mold.

After a long while, Han Li exhaled and murmured to himself in a forlorn voice, "There's no mistaking it, it really is this place!"

This place was none other than the massive five-story bluestone tower within which he had obtained the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

He had been teleported from the northernmost region of the Great Jin to the Scattered Star Seas. From the bluestone paths alone, he was unable to determine which level of the tower he was situated in.

"So the Heavenvoid Hall and Spirit Void Hall really are related!" Han Li murmured to himself as his expression finally eased.

At his current power level, it wasn't an issue even if he were situated in the Scattered Star Seas. As long as he could make his way out of this hall, then repair the teleportation formation that he had destroyed after it had taken him to the Scattered Star Seas, then he would be able to return directly to the Heavenly South Region.

With that in mind, Han Li examined his surroundings before deciding to take a certain bluestone path, upon which his body shot forth as a streak of azure light.

However, after flying for only ten minutes, Han Li discovered that he hadn't encountered even a single one of those puppet guards that were supposed to roam the tower.

Upon further contemplation, he figured out why this was the case. It was still a long time until the next opening of the Heavenvoid Hall, so those puppets had most likely been withdrawn by the restriction in the hall for now.

Not only that, Han Li wasn't impeded by any other restrictions or traps along the way either. It was as if the tower had been reduced to a completely inanimate object!

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However, Han Li still underestimated these maze-like paths in the tower. Even though most of the restrictions and puppets had been withdrawn, the restriction on his spiritual sense was still in effect.

After taking countless wrong paths and using his Brightsight Spirit Eyes to break through countless illusions, he finally entered the teleportation formation on the next level. It was no wonder that Man Huzi had forcibly restricted everyone's cultivation bases in the past, thereby forcing them to hold back their arrogant tendencies and obediently follow Zenith Yin's duo.

On the way here, Han Li had already put away the Unbroken Cinque Devils and the humanoid puppet. He also broke through several stone gates leading to treasure rooms that were yet to be accessed, but he didn't discover any treasures, nor trigger any restrictions that teleported him out of the tower.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that he didn't use the Heavenvoid map fragment to open the stone gates, or perhaps because the Heavenvoid Hall wasn't open yet. In any case, these treasures had been sealed away elsewhere and even the teleportation restrictions had lost their effect.

Han Li was unwilling to give up as he searched carefully through each and every one of the treasure rooms. However, he had to admit that the formation master who had set up the formations in the Heavenvoid Hall was far more proficient in the art of formations and restrictions than he could imagine. He clearly knew that there were other mysterious restrictions in these places, but his search still proved to be completely fruitless.

As such, he had no choice but to exit the treasure rooms and relinquish his ambition to secure all of the treasures in the Heavenvoid Hall in one fell swoop.

Even though his efforts thus far had proven to be futile, it was often the case that the most important control formation in a building was situated in its core region. In the case of the Heavenvoid Hall, the more important core region in there was naturally the fifth floor. Back when Han Li was last here, Zenith Yin and the others were fearful of the restrictions on that level and only wanted to obtain the Heavenvoid Cauldron anyways, so they didn't dare to explore that level.

However, with his current cultivation base and his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, perhaps he could find something useful up there.

As for the tenth grade Ice Phoenix, Han Li didn't know where she had teleported herself to, but he wasn't concerned in the slightest that she would have escaped from the tower or even the Heavenvoid Hall.

This was because he had already found one of the outermost walls of the tower and there, he discovered over ten types of restrictions.

He was unable to identify most of the restrictions but among the few that he did recognize, there just so happened to be a few that restricted spatial powers. Unless she were to use a special teleportation formation within the Heavenvoid Hall, it would be impossible to leave this tower through her spatial teleportation abilities.

Even at his current cultivation base, he could still sense that the other restrictions on the wall were extremely fearsome and unfathomable. Otherwise, he would have been able to blast his way out of the tower through brute force, rather than have to search for some control formation.

After teleporting through two levels, Han Li finally reached the fifth level of the tower, and appeared before the Frozen Dragonâs Terrace, where he had obtained the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

When he thought about it, he realized that the past grand elders of the North Night Palace had always been referred to as Master Arctic Dragon. That was another piece of evidence suggesting that there was a connection between the North Night Palace and the Heavenvoid Hall.

However, after the Heavenvoid Cauldron had been taken, the stairs here had already been ruined, completely preserving the signs of the battle between Zenith Yin, Wan Tianming, and the others.

To Han Li's surprise, the silver-robed woman was also standing on the terrace. She was looking at the altar with a contemplative look on her face.

Han Li's arrival had clearly drawn her attention.

She took a cold glance at Han Li before her body suddenly swayed, transforming into a streak of light that flew away from the terrace, disappearing into one of the many bluestone paths in the blink of an eye.

Han Li looked on in silence as she rushed away from the scene. He had no intention of stopping her whatsoever. Only after she had truly disappeared from view did he slowly make his way over to the altar. He took a glance into the cave from which he had obtained the Heavenvoid Cauldron before slowly expanding the scope of his search.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that the control formation was hidden extremely well or perhaps Han Li was in the wrong place altogether. In any case, his search proved to be fruitless once again.

Days passed one after the other and Han Li had searched through the entire fifth level. His expression grew darker with each passing day and even after over half a month had flown by, he still hadn't found the control formation.

On that day, Han Li made his way out of a certain corner following another fruitless search. He leaned against a pillar nearby and began to space out.

"Could it be that the control formation of the Heavenvoid Hall isn't on this level, but on one of the other four levels?" Han Li murmured to himself.

Just as he was contemplating this possibility, a white light suddenly flashed nearby as the space there was torn upon, upon which the silver-robed woman emerged.

Han Li turned his gaze toward her, but didn't say anything.

He knew that she wouldn't seek him out for no reason and he was interested in hearing what she had to say.

After all, she hadn't appeared on the fifth level at all during the past few days, so perhaps she had discovered a way out on one of the other levels.

"Have you found a way out yet, Fellow Daoist Han?" the silver-robed woman asked.

"If I have, why would I still remain here? By the sounds of it, you seem to have discovered something?" Han Li replied calmly as if there had never been any conflict between them.

"I've searched through this entire place and discovered that it would require the combined powers of at least two or three Deity Transformation cultivators to break through the restrictions here by force. There are only two of us here, so that's clearly not an option," the silver-robed woman said in a slow voice.

"I'm aware of this already." Han Li stirred internally, but still put on an aloof and nonchalant expression.

"Hmph! Are you not looking for the control formation of this place?" The silver-robed woman was clearly growing rather impatiently, and she harrumphed coldly as a frosty look flashed through her eyes.

Han Li's expression changed as he admitted, "I am indeed searching for the control formation. Would you happen to know where it is?"

The silver-robed woman took a deep breath and her expression abruptly darkened as she said, "That's all I need to hear. I've found the control formation, but leaving this place won't be an easy task. Prior to this, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions first; how is this place related to Fairy Ice Soul and is that little cauldron in your hand the Heavenvoid Cauldron?"

"Fairy Ice Soul? Who's that? As for this small cauldron, if you say it's the Heavenvoid Cauldron, then I guess that's what it is!" Han Li was initially slightly taken aback by these questions before deciding to play dumb.

A cold light flashed through the silver-robed woman's eyes upon hearing this and only after a long while did she explain, "Fairy Ice Soul is the ancient cultivator who created the Celestial Ice Flame, and she's also the matriarch of the North Night Palace! It appears that you really do know nothing about this. As for the Heavenvoid Cauldron, let me make this clear to you; if you have the Heavenvoid Cauldron, then you'd be able to use it to activate the control formation. If not, then you're completely useless and there's no point for me to tell you anything."

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Li's eyes and after a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to come clean. "If you put it that way, then I'll admit that this cauldron is indeed the Heavenvoid Cauldron! Where is the control formation?"

"Good. Seeing as you've admitted to it, you can come with me. If we want to leave this place, then we'll have to join forces this time. Prior to getting out of this place, I suggest we set our differences aside. Otherwise, neither of us would be able to get out of here on our own," the silver-robed women replied calmly, seemingly completely unsurprised by Han Li's admission. Her body then swayed as she flew toward a certain bluestone path as a streak of light.

Han Li's brows furrowed, but he didn't have an opportunity to think too deep into the matter as he transformed into an azure streak of light to follow the silver-robed woman.

However, after only flying for a short while, a surprised look appeared on Han Li's face.

He discovered that the silver-robed woman was clearly leading him to the Frozen Dragon's Terrace. That was a place that he had searched countless times, all to no avail.

However, the silver-robed woman had no intention of stopping, so Han Li could only repress his curiosity as he followed close behind her.

After some time, the silver-robed woman finally descended onto the altar on the terrace.

After also landing on the terrace, Han Li was finally able to voice his query as he asked, "Are you sure this is the right place, Fellow Daoist Phoenix? Is the control formation really here?"

"Is this the right place? Hehe, I can find the control formation here even with my eyes closed!" the silver-robed woman scoffed in a disdainful manner.

"What do you mean by that? Have you been here before?" Han Li's heart jolted with surprise.

"How could I have ever been here? It's just that on the Ice Wave Island where we Ice Phoenixes reside, there's a place that's completely identical to this stone terrace. Come to think of it, the cauldron you have is somewhat connected to our Ice Phoenix race," the silver-robed woman chuckled coldly.

Before Han Li could express his surprise upon hearing this, the silver-robed woman suddenly hovered into the air before abruptly pointing to several spots in the air above the altar.

The crisp sound of cracking chinaware suddenly rang out in mid-air, following which several balls of blinding white light appeared. These balls of light shuddered before expanding drastically, reaching the size of half of a wagon wheel in the blink of an eye. They began to flash in the air like scorching white stars before finally combining as one again, transforming into a huge ball of light that began to slowly rotate on the spot.

Han Li pursed his lips and made no effort to hide the expression of shock on his face.

The silver-robed woman glanced at Han Li out of the corners of her eyes before continuing with what she was doing. Her fingers flashed through the air as she cast one Celestial Technique after another, all of which disappeared into the ball of light.

In the end, a loud boom erupted from the massive ball of light and it transformed into a dozen or so snowy white formation flags.

Each and every one of the flags was roughly five to six feet in length with some ancient runes and mysterious patterns embroidered upon them.

Those formation flags spun in the air before transforming into streaks of dazzling white light that flew outward, disappearing into the ground without a trace.

Han Li's eyes flashed upon seeing this and a hint of enlightenment appeared on his face.

Right at this moment, a loud burst of rumbling erupted from the entire Frozen Dragon's Terrace. A massive formation spell emerged from the center of the altar and the formation almost encompassed the entire stone terrace with lights of all colors flashing incessantly over its surface.

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In the instant that the formation spell emerged, the two of them hovered into the air before looking down at it from above.

Han Li could determine after a brief glance that the formation in front of his eye was indeed the Heavenvoid Hall's control formation. Furthermore, at the very center of the formation, he saw a diagram that was completely identical to the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

This immediately evoked within him a recollection of the scenes back when he had opened the Profound Jade Cave in the Spirit Void Hall.

The formation that sealed the Profound Jade Cave also seemed to have employed a similar restriction. However, this formation was over ten times the size of that one and it also seemed to be more complex and profound.

The silver-robed woman noticed the flash of recognition in Han Li's eyes, and as she withdrew her Celestial Techniques, she asked, "You've also seen this formation before?"

"I've seen a similar one somewhere in the North Night Palace," Han Li replied.

The silver-robed woman didn't ask for any further details from Han Li. Instead, she urged, "I see! That's a good thing. In that case, you should also know how to control this formation, right? Perhaps you can see if the Heavenvoid Cauldron can be used for that purpose."

Heavenvoid Cauldron hesitated momentarily before nodding as he opened his mouth. A ball of azure light emerged from within before hovering straight toward the center of the formation. That azure object was none other than the Heavenvoid Cauldron, which was currently only several inches in size.

Of course, during this process, Han Li was constantly guarding against the silver-robed woman. If she expressed any intention of stealing the cauldron from him, then he would immediately withdraw it.

The Heavenvoid Cauldron flew over to the center of the massive formation, where it stopped at Han Li's behest, right over the image of the massive cauldron down below.

Right at this moment, the entirety of the cauldron diagram lit up as a pillar of azure light erupted into the air, encompassing the Heavenvoid Cauldron within.

Han Li sensed a disturbance within his spiritual sense and he lost his connection with the cauldron again. His expression changed drastically as he stole a glance at the silver-robed woman beside him. He was relieved to see that the silver-robed woman hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, and he turned his attention to the Heavenvoid Cauldron again.

Within the azure pillar of light, the Heavenvoid Cauldron began to emit a ringing sound as it swelled drastically in size.

Moments later, the cauldron had become the same size as the diagram down below. At the same time, all of the diagrams of the flora and fauna on the cauldron began to manifest themselves. Han Li felt his spiritual sense stir as he regained his connection with the cauldron. However, his magic power then began to surge toward the cauldron in a wild frenzy, a turn of events that made Han Li's expression change drastically.

Right at this moment, the silver-robed woman suddenly made a hand seal before pointing toward the center of the formation.

A white pillar of light shot forth, disappearing into the giant cauldron diagram in a flash.

Han Li immediately felt his rate of magic power loss slow down to an acceptable degree and his expression eased slightly.

If the silver-robed woman hadn't have done that, he would've cut off his flow of magic power immediately and withdrawn the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

However, the Heavenvoid Cauldron was like a bottomless pit, relentlessly engulfing his and the silver-robed woman's magic power.

A short while later, half of Han Li's magic power had been lost and his expression darkened once again.

At this moment, a low rumbling sounded from the formation. Some of the runes began to light up, but they were only glowing very feebly, as if they had only just been activated.

"This won't work! Our magic power isn't sufficient to activate this formation!" The silver-robed woman's expression changed as she withdrew her hand seal, upon which the azure pillar of light immediately crumbled.

Han Li's brows furrowed as he also snapped off his flow of magic power before waving a hand toward the cauldron in the distance.

The Heavenvoid Cauldron swayed as a pillar of light shot forth from within. It then rapidly shrank to its original size in the blink of an eye before disappearing into Heavenvoid Cauldron's sleeve.

"It's not just a matter of insufficient magic power; this control formation can only be used by a Deity Transformation cultivator. I'm a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator while you're at the late-Nascent Soul Stage, so there's no way we can succeed!" Han Li looked down at the formation below with his brows tightly furrowed.

Following the disappearance of the Heavenvoid Cauldron, the pillar of azure light erupting from the giant cauldron diagram also vanished. The rumbling and the flashing lights from the formation down below also receded before everything fell completely silent.

After a brief silence, the silver-robed woman said, "It's not necessarily the case that only a Deity Transformation cultivator can use this formation. If several late-Nascent Soul cultivators were to join forces, that would also suffice."

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before turning to her with an incredulous look. "Surely you jest, Fellow Daoist Phoenix! Even four late-Nascent Soul cultivators are no match for a single Deity Transformation cultivator. You should be well aware of the disparity between the two!"

"In terms of combat prowess, a Deity Transformation cultivator is able to draw upon the world's origin Qi, so a late-Nascent Soul cultivator is naturally no match. However, I have a secret technique that can temporarily combine the magic power of several cultivators as one. If we use this secret technique to fuel the Heavenvoid Cauldron, we should be able to activate this formation," the silver-robed woman replied confidently.

"Really, now? Could it be that you want to use my Unbroken Cinque Devils and my puppet for this secret technique?" Han Li asked with a contemplative look on his face.

"Hehe, you sure are a smart man, Fellow Daoist Han. That was exactly my intention! With the combined form of the Unbroken Cinque Devils, that puppet, and myself, there's a good chance that we'll succeed." The silver-robed woman chuckled and her icy cold demeanor was replaced by an inviting and seductive one, as if she had transformed into a completely different person.

However, Han Li paid no heed to her exquisitely beautiful features. Instead, he was contemplating something in deep thought.

"You didn't mention my name just then; am I not able to take part in this secret technique?" he asked.

"That won't work. This secret technique can only be unleashed by cultivators of the same cultivation base. Furthermore, the one who can control this combined magic power must be the participating cultivator with the highest cultivation base. You are far more powerful than any other mid-Nascent Soul cultivator I've seen, but there is still a large disparity between you and a late-Nascent Soul cultivator," the silver-robed woman explained with a smile.

Han Li's expression suddenly changed as he harrumphed coldly, "Hmph! In order to control the Heavenvoid Cauldron, you must master the Artifact Imprint Technique first. Are you asking me to hand over my Heavenvoid Cauldron?"

"A spirit treasure is very valuable, but this is the only way out unless you want to be trapped here forever!" the Ice Phoenix replied calmly.

"Don't even think about it; I won't agree to this no matter what!"

The silver-robed woman was rather surprised by Han Li's complete lack of hesitation. She raised an eyebrow and was just about to say something when Han Li cut her off coldly, "Let me tell you something: this place will open once every 300 years. Even if we don't do anything, we'll still be able to get out; we'll just have to stay here for a while. I've changed my mind now. I'm not in a hurry to leave this place. Instead, I'm going to stay here and cultivate. Hehe, I'll come and find you if I end up progressing to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. Farewell for now, Fellow Daoist Phoenix!" At the conclusion of that sentence, Han Li transformed into an azure streak of light as he flew away from the stone terrace, disappearing into a bluestone path in the blink of an eye.

"This place opens once every 300 years?" The silver-robed woman was overjoyed to hear this and she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Even though she had missed out on the chance to snatch away his spirit treasure, it was undoubtedly good news that she wouldn't be trapped here forever after all.

She didn't have to worry about Han Li deceiving her as a mere 300 years was completely negligible for a heavenly spirit beast like her, whose lifespan numbered in the tens of thousands of years.

She was originally planning to use a secret technique with self-mutilating side-effects that could temporarily grant her Deity Transformation Stage power, thereby allowing her to easily kill Han Li and take his Heavenvoid Cauldron.

However, using a secret technique like that was extremely taxing to her body.

Not only did the user of the secret technique have to be a tenth grade Ice Phoenix, unleashing it would inflict severe damage to the user's essential Dao foundation, making it almost impossible for her to progress to the Deity Transformation stage in the future. Even for a semi-Deity Transformation cultivator like her, who had satisfied the prerequisite conditions for making a breakthrough long ago, the consequences were still bound to be catastrophic.

As such, she had been very reluctant to employ this course of action. Due to the fact that she was approaching the end of her lifespan, she was planning to make her breakthrough during this recent period of time. However, Old Devil Che's avatar had then alerted her to the news regarding the spatial node, so she had been recruited to attack the North Night Palace with him, thereby forcing her to set her breakthrough aside. That was why she was still at the late-Nascent Soul Stage.

Of course, progressing to the Deity Transformation Stage in this place wasn't a bad option, either. If she could successfully make her breakthrough, not only would she be able to kill Han Li, she would also be able to take his Heavenvoid Cauldron and escape from this place. Unfortunately, Ice Phoenixes were rather special in that they could only make breakthroughs during a special ceremony held in the holy land of the Ice Phoenixes, the Ice Abyss Island.

Otherwise, even if a breakthrough were to be successfully made, the Ice Phoenix in question wouldn't be able to make any further breakthroughs in the future. The silver-robed woman didn't dare to take such a risk before she could escape from this place.

Of course, Han Li wasn't aware of these things, but he revealed to her the fact that the Heavenvoid Hall opened once every 300 years in fear that she would turn on him out of sheer desperation. As long as she could see a glimmer of hope, she wouldn't be inclined to engage Han Li in a battle to the death.

What Han Li had said in the end about making a breakthrough to the late-Nascent Soul Stage was, of course, nothing more than an errant comment.

The silver-robed woman didn't take him seriously either.

It was not an easy task to make a breakthrough to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. There were countless mid-Nascent Soul cultivators in this world who were unable to make this breakthrough and were confined to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage until their deaths.

The silver-robed woman stood on the stone terrace and contemplated to herself for a long while before murmuring, "So be it. I have a few secret techniques I haven't yet fully mastered. This is a good opportunity to hone them now. If I can successfully master them, my chances of victory would improve if I were to engage that man in battle."

With that in mind, she stomped a foot onto the ground and abruptly transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the opposite direction that Han Li had gone in.

She was also planning to find a suitable stone chamber for her to go into seclusion and cultivate in.

Half a day later, Han Li found himself in a secret chamber around 400 feet both in length and width. He sat on the ground with his legs folded in front of him and there was an off-white pond over 100 feet in diameter situated before him. Spiritual Qi intermingled with a fragrant aroma wafted forth from the pond; this place was the mysterious secret chamber on the second floor where Han Li had last met Yuan Yao.

Not only was this an extremely well-concealed place, there was also a large spirit well in here, making it an outstanding cultivation venue. However, in order to avoid unforeseen circumstances, Han Li sealed the teleportation formation on this level, making it temporarily ineffective, then used some formation flags to conceal the entire secret chamber.

With those measures in place, it would be difficult to find him, even for a tenth grade Ice Phoenix.

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In all honesty, Han Li didn't want to stay in this place. Instead, he wanted to return to the Heavenly South Region as quickly as possible to undo Nangong Wan's Soul Seal Curse.

However, lending the Heavenvoid Cauldron to the silver-robed woman was no different from committing suicide. A late-Nascent Soul cultivator like the Ice Phoenix was powerful enough to master the second layer of the Artifact Imprint Technique. In that case, with the cauldron under her control, he would be no match for her in battle even with the puppet and the Unbroken Cinque Devils on his side.

He was naturally not going to put himself in such a perilous situation.

Thankfully, Nangong Wan had already consumed the inner core of the Ancient Flame Toad. Even though that couldn't completely undo the curse, it would definitely be able to delay the outbreak of the curse, thus ensuring her survival for the next 300 years.

In that case, he could only set aside his original objective and cultivate in this place instead.

Han Li currently had his eyes tightly shut and if it weren't for the steady rising and fall of his chest, he would like an inanimate object.

At the same time, the white mist emanating from the spirit well was slowly drifting toward him, enshrouding him in a veil of mist before transforming into a ball of white mist that completely obscured him within.

One day, one month, one year... Time slowly passed by and the white mist continued to drift toward Han Li. The white ball of mist remained completely stationary around him without exhibiting any changes, as if it had been born with the creation of the world and would exist for all of eternity.

In the blink of an eye, 80 years had passed. On that day, a series of ships of all different sizes were entering and exiting the dock of a certain island in the Scattered Star Seas. There were also some cultivators with advanced cultivation bases flying to and from the island. Aside from this single point through which one could arrive or depart, the rest of the island had been completely sealed by a restriction.

Thus, a lively and bustling scene was presented at the dock.

Close to the shore, there were several small mountains of different sizes scattered erratically over the land. On the tallest of those mountains, there was a white pavilion, which wasn't exactly intricately-crafted, as the entire structure had been built using massive rocks, but it possessed a rather unique and rough charm.

On the top level of this three-story pavilion, there was a blue-robed Daoist priest and a white-robed scholar discussing something with one another as they looked out at the dock.

"Senior Martial Brother Ming, I heard the Starfall Coalition and the Star Palace have clashed in battle again near the Starfall Island. This time, A Core Formation cultivator from the Starfall Coalition perished during the battle. It appears that the Starfall Coalition has suffered a heavy loss," the scholar said in a slow voice.

"The conflicts between the Star Palace and the Starfall Coalition have been increasing in regularity in the past few years. Looks like we won't be too far away from the next major battle. Come to think of it, the situation is rather strange. The Starfall Coalition has clearly gained the ascendancy in this tug-of-war, claiming over 20 of the 20 islands in the inner sea. However, the Star Palace has won most of the battles between the two powers," the blue-robed Daoist priest sighed.

"Hehe, what's so strange about that? The Heavenly Star Sages have cultivated the Divine Essencefused Light so as long as they don't stray far from the Heavenly Star Island, they're virtually invincible. Didn't you hear about what happened in the battle before the last one? The Archsaint of the Six Paths joined forces with Wan Sangu, but were still comprehensively defeated near the Heavenly Star Island. However, the Heavenly Star Sages don't dare to leave the Heavenly Star Island for long as their cultivation bases would be severely hampered as a result. Hence, both powers are wary of one another and the victims of this stalemate are small sects like ours," the scholar chuckled coldly.

The blue-robed Daoist priest pursed his lips with a gloomy expression, and said, "That's true. In the past, these two powers only conscripted troops from surrounding sects, which wasn't too difficult to deal with as we could just send over a few low-level disciples. But back then, we only had to pay taxes to one side, yet we have to pay taxes to both powers now. Times are getting a lot harder."

"Haha, you sure like to burden yourself with unnecessary concerns, Senior Martial Brother Ming. These matters are not for Foundation Establishment disciples like us to think about; our Martial Seniors will take care of those matters. As long as our patriarch is still around, those two powers wouldn't dare to exert too much pressure on us. We just have to last through this two-year period. After that, we can go back and focus on cultivation. Speaking of which, when I came out of my last period of seclusion, I could sense that I was about to progress from the early-Foundation Establishment Stage, so I must be close to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage." A smug expression suddenly appeared on the scholar's face.

The blue-robed faltered upon hearing this before an envious look appeared on his face as he said, "If you can progress to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage within 100 years, then your aptitude is exceptional. I've been stuck at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage for several decades already, yet there hasn't been any inkling to suggest an imminent breakthrough."

The scholar waved his hands modestly, and said, "You're far too kind, Senior Martial Brother Ming. Everyone knows that the early-Foundation Establishment Stage bottleneck is completely incomparable to that of the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage. After I progress to the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, there's a good chance that I won't even be able to match your progress."

A wry smile appeared on the blue-robed Daoist priest's face upon hearing this and just as he was about to say something, an earth-shattering boom erupted, immediately following which the entire pavilion began to tremor violently.

Both of them were stunned by this sudden turn of events and after taking a glance at one another, they immediately turned their gaze toward the dock.

In the air over five kilometers away from the dock, there was a vast expanse of cloud and mist that was surging and tumbling incessantly, and a thunderous noise akin to that of countless rumbling horse hooves could be heard coming from within.

Just as this noise erupted, a massive wave over 1,000 feet tall suddenly appeared on the surface of the ocean as a silvery-white line hurtled rapidly toward the dock.

All of the ships near the dock were immediately thrown into a frenzied panic as they sped toward the dock with all their might. Countless mortals began to abandon their ships as they scrambled onto the shore.

In the face of such an astonishingly massive wave, anyone could see that staying on their ships was akin to committing suicide.

As for the merchandise and stock on those ships, their fate would be decided by the gods.

The blue-robed Daoist priest and the scholar completely ignored this monstrous wave. Instead, they were staring intently at the tumbling clouds and mist in the sky with tense expressions on their faces.

Only a short while had passed and the two of them were already sweating profusely.

Not only them, but the expressions on the faces of all of the cultivators on the dock had also changed drastically. Some of them low-level cultivators weren't even able to activate their treasures in order to flee the scene, forcing them to descend unsteadily from the air above.

The spiritual pressure emanating from the cloud and mist was simply far too astonishing. Even though the two of them were situated so far away, they were still petrified by those spiritual Qi fluctuations. It was as if some sort of primordial demon beast were about to descend upon them.

At this moment, not only were the buildings near the dock beginning to tremor, the entire massive island was starting to quiver and quake.

The blue-robed Daoist priest and the scholar felt as if all of their saliva had run dry, leaving them unable to speak.

Right at this moment, three streaks of light suddenly flew forth from within the island, appearing above the pavilion in the blink of an eye before rushing separately into the top floor.

The light receded, revealing a woman and two men.

There was a brawny man in a set of long robes, an elderly azure-robed man with a troubled frown on his face, and a woman with a seductive figure.

The Daoist priest and the scholar were finally snapped out of their stunning stupor following the arrival of their martial seniors, and they hurriedly rushed over to pay their respects.

"What happened?" the brawny man asked with a grave expression on his face.

"I'm afraid I do not know, Martial Senior. This cloud and mist phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky over there and we were just about to contact you using our voice transmission talismans," the blue-robed Daoist priest quickly replied.

The three Core Formation cultivators also began to stare silently into the sky upon hearing that.

"What is that thing? Is there some type of high-grade demon beast exhaling that cloud and mist?" the woman asked with furrowed brows.

The azure-robed elderly man shook his head with narrowed eyes as he replied, "No. There's no demonic Qi within that cloud and mist, so it can't be a demon beast. Also, a demon beast capable of creating such a phenomenon would at least have to be at the metamorphosis stage. There's no way that a demon beast of that caliber would appear here."

"Then, could it be a Nascent Soul Stage Senior casting a technique?" the brawny man asked with a bewildered look.

The elderly man took a deep breath, and solemnly said, "That doesn't seem very plausible, either. As far as I'm aware, aside from a few Nascent Soul devils who are proficient in the devilish arts, there aren't any who use cultivation arts that would produce this kind of phenomenon. In my opinion, it looks more like the heavenly premonition indicating that a certain treasure is about to appear."

An eager expression appeared on the face of the brawny man upon hearing this.

At this moment, an elderly voice suddenly reverberated throughout the entire room. "What's this nonsense about a treasure? You're going to get yourselves killed if you keep thinking like that!"

The elderly man was startled by this voice before hurriedly standing up straighter.

A blue light abruptly appeared, immediately following which a thin middle-aged man emerged in the room.

"We pay our respects to Martial Uncle," the three of them greeted in unison.

Both the blur-robed Daoist priest and scholar were surprised to hear this before they also paid their respects to the middle-aged man.

Only then did they catch a clear glimpse of the middle-aged man to find that he had an unhealthy yellow pallor and a pair of greyish-white eyes, making him appear as if he were blind.

The middle-aged man turned his expressionless gaze toward the distance as he said in a cold voice, "Hmph, you sure are full of yourselves. Even if this really is a heavenly premonition indicating the appearance of a treasure, do you think a treasure of this caliber is something you can lay your hands on? Even if by some miracle you were to actually obtain the treasure, you would only be killed for it later on anyway. As far as I know, Old Devil Hun is somewhere nearby and there's no way he'd ignore this phenomenon."

As he looked at the tumbling cloud and mist in the sky, a solemn expression appeared on his face.

All three of the Core Formation cultivators instantly dejected at the mention of this Old Devil Hun.

"Even if we can't obtain this treasure, wouldn't you be able to do so, Martial Uncle?" The seductive woman was still unwilling to give up on this opportunity.

"If it really is some type of treasure, then I'll naturally try to secure it for myself. Other people may be fearful toward Old Devil Hun, but I wouldn't mind battling him. It's just a pity that this is most likely not a heavenly premonition indicating the emergence of a treasure," the middle-aged man replied.

Right at this moment, a blinding white light suddenly erupted in the sky in the distance. The colorful cloud and mist were instantly reduced to nothingness and every in the pavilion aside from the middle-aged man were forced to close their eyes.

However, at the exact same moment, the space in the above suddenly began to twist and warp, following which enormous spiritual pressure that was several times more intense than before abruptly descended.

A pristine white palace emerged amid the white light, emanating a faint light as it hovered in the air.

As everyone in the pavilion opened their eyes again, they were immediately dumbstruck by this scene that greeted them.

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The middle-aged man's facial muscles spasmed upon seeing this as he exclaimed, "That's the Heavenvoid Hall! Impossible! It hasn't been 300 years since it last opened!"

He immediately managed to identify the palace in the distance.

The blue-robed Daoist priest and the scholar didn't exhibit any reaction to the mention of the Heavenvoid Hall, but the three Core Formation cultivators were all stunned to hear this. The burly man's voice began to tremble as he exclaimed, "The Heavenvoid Hall? The secret realm containing unfathomable ancient treasures?"

"What else could that palace be? It's a little strange that it's appeared before it's time, but even if this really is the Heavenvoid Hall, no one would be able to enter it without the Heavenvoid map fragment anyway. Hmm? What's that? Someone seems to be approaching it."

Just as the middle-aged man was musing to himself in bewilderment, a vast expanse of fiery clouds suddenly came rumbling over from the distance at an incredibly fast speed. The caster of the fiery cloud seemed to have also discovered the phenomenon in the air, and was traveling to the palace to gauge the situation.

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly upon seeing the fiery cloud. He had also intended to travel to the palace, but he immediately changed his mind as a cold light flashed through his eyes.

Just as the fiery cloud was about to reach the palace, a burst of five-colored light suddenly flashed from the palace and an extremely thick pillar of azure light shot forth directly into the ocean.

An unfathomably large black hole suddenly appeared on the surface of the ocean. The seawater parted to accommodate the pillar of light, creating a large vortex.

However, an even more incredible scene ensued!

At the center of the azure pillar of light, a white formation that was several tens of feet in radius emerged without any premonition. White light then flashed from the formation, upon which a man, a woman, and a massive azure cauldron materialized out of thin air. Both of them were still rooted to the spot, seemingly having been temporarily trapped in the pillar of light.

At this moment, the fiery cloud was already almost upon them, but it suddenly faltered slightly as if its caster were also at a loss for what to do.

However, all of a sudden, an earthshattering boom erupted from within the white ball of light, sending tremors running through the massive palace. Spatial fluctuations immediately radiated forth and the palace disappeared amid a burst of piercing white light.

The azure pillar of light flashed wildly several times before also crumbling and disappearing, leaving only the man, the woman, and the massive cauldron hovering in the air.

The caster of the fiery cloud seemed to have sensed a hint of peril as the cloud immediately swerved around, flying away in the opposite direction amid a resounding boom.

However, the woman raised an eyebrow upon seeing this before waving a sleeve through the air.

Over 100 translucent swords shot forth from her sleeve, filling the entire sky with eerie glacial light, before sweeping directly toward the fiery cloud.

The swords were traveling at an incredible speed and caught up to the fiery cloud with ease before unleashing a violent bombardment.

A roar of shock and rage erupted from within the fiery cloud, following a frosty light flashed in its depths. The cultivator in the cloud seemed to have brought out some kind of treasure.

However, the translucent swords seemed to be the bane of the fiery cloud's existence as the latter quickly crumbled and dissipated. The treasures that had been summoned were also sliced in half before they could unleash any of their power, tumbling from the sky like pieces of scrap materials.

The cultivator within the fiery cloud was horrified to see this and he tried to unleash an evasion technique, but it was already far too late.

All of the translucent swords fell at once and a howl of anguish rang out as the cultivator body and soul were completely destroyed.

Clumps of blood and flesh came raining down from above as the cultivator was slain in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.

Not only were the Core Formation cultivators horrified to see this, a fearful expression had even crept onto the face of the perpetually calm middle-aged man.

The brawny man's lips trembled as he forced a smile onto his face, and said, "Martial Uncle, was the cultivator in the fiery cloud one of Old Devil Hun's disciples?"

The middle-aged man took a deep breath, and replied drily, "That was no disciple; that was none other than Old Devil Hun himself! Otherwise, who else would've been able to unleash such a powerful Scorching Flame Technique?"

Even though the three Core Formation cultivators had suspected this to be the case, they still couldn't help but draw a sharp breath in unison upon having the notion confirmed by the middle-aged man.

"But Old Devil Hun is a Nascent Soul cultivator just like you, Martial Uncle; how could he have been slain so easily? It looks like not even his Nascent Soul had a chance to escape!" The seductive woman was completely dumbfounded.

The azure-robed elderly man and the brawny man were also incredulous.

The middle-aged man didn't say anything in response. Instead, he was staring intently at the events unfolding in the distance.

At this moment, the man and the woman in the air seemed to have exchanged a few words, upon which the woman chuckled coldly in response. She then summoned all of her flying swords back to her before disappearing into the distance as a streak of light over 100 feet in length.

The man shook his head before turning his attention to the dock. He then transformed into a rather unremarkable streak of azure light as he flew toward the island, and the speed of his movement wasn't all that astonishing either.

However, the middle-aged man's expression changed upon seeing this, and he urgently instructed, "You three stay in here and keep your guard up. I'll be back soon!"

As soon as his voice fell, the middle-aged man shot forth out of the pavilion as a blue streak of light to meet the oncoming streak of azure light.

All of the people left in the pavilion began to look at one another.

They had just witnessed that woman slay a cultivator of the same caliber as their martial uncle as if she were crushing an ant. This man had accompanied her out of the Heavenvoid Hall, so his cultivation base was most likely nothing to scoff at either.

As such, all of them were feeling very nervous.

Not only them, but even the middle-aged man flying toward the azure streak of light was also feeling very uneasy.

However, after witnessing that woman in action from afar, he immediately made up his mind. That woman was most likely a late-Nascent Soul cultivator comparable to the likes of the Heavenly Star Sages and the Archsaint of the Six Paths. If they had harbored ill intentions toward them, then there was no way he would've been able to escape.

After all, he was merely an early-Nascent Soul cultivator and there was simply too large a disparity between their power levels.

As such, the best course of action was for him to voluntarily greet them in person instead of trying to flee.

Thus, after making up his mind, this early-Nascent Soul cultivator mustered up his courage and flew toward Han Li.

The two streaks of light converged together in a few moments.

The azure light receded, and Han Li was revealed.

The middle-aged man also stopped over 100 feet away before turning his gaze toward Han Li.

He discovered that the person standing before him was a young man in a set of azure robes. His looks were average and his skin was slightly dark. He currently wore a hint of a smile on his face and was also looking back at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man unleashed his spiritual sense to detect Han Li's cultivation base, upon which his pupils contracted minutely as he joined his hands together in a salute.

"I am Elder Gan Lin of the Yellow Sand Sect! May I ask for your esteemed name? And do you require any assistance from me?" Even though the middle-aged man was speaking to Han Li as equals, his tone and choice of words were extremely respectful.

Han Li examined the middle-aged man upon hearing this before smiling as he said, "My surname is Han. I recall hearing about the Yellow Sand Sect once, but it's been too long and I can't remember it too well. Is this island under the sect's ownership?"

"Our sect is merely a small insignificant sect in the Scattered Star Seas, so it's not strange for you to have not heard of it, fellow Daoist. If you'd like, you can come to visit our sect." The middle-aged man was very relieved to see that Han Li seemed to be quite benevolent and amicable. However, he still didn't dare to show any dissent.

He had just verified with his spiritual sense that Han Li was indeed a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, so he had to be extra careful.

Following an extended period of cultivation lasting more than 80 years, Han Li had finally escaped from the Heavenvoid Hall.

In the beginning, he had spent 60 years cultivating with the assistance of the spirit well to reach the pinnacle of the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. He then used the next 20 years to fortify his cultivation base in order to achieve the prerequisites for a breakthrough. After that, he had attempted to break through the bottleneck, hoping that he would get lucky.

The result left him rather speechless.

He discovered that his attempt to make a breakthrough encountered no impediment whatsoever, taking to the late-Nascent Soul Stage with ease.

Even after he had become a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, he was still in disbelief.

After all, it had been an extremely arduous process for him to make the breakthrough to the mid-Nascent Souls Stage and he had only succeeded after preparing all types of pills and medicines to assist him during the process.

For this attempt at breaking through to the late-Nascent Soul Stage, he had only prepared some ordinary pills and didn't really harbor any high hopes, but the process had been as simple as breathing air.

The ease with which he had made the breakthrough left him extremely perplexed. He pondered the process over and over again, but still couldn't make sense of the situation.

Perhaps this was because the Great Development Technique he had cultivated in conjunction with the Nascent Cultivating Pill that he had consumed had finally taken effect; perhaps the rainbow bead manifested from his consumption of the Heavenmend Pill had improved the aptitude of his spiritual roots; perhaps the Azure Essence Sword Art he had cultivated made it much easier for him to progress to the late-Nascent Soul Stage; perhaps his cultivation base was simply far superior to other cultivators of the same level...

All of the aforementioned factors were plausible possibilities, and it could also be the case that a combination of those factors was the answer he was seeking. In the end, Han Li gave up on trying to identify the underlying reasons.

After all, it was impossible to replicate the conditions for any successful breakthrough to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. Otherwise, great cultivators would have been a lot more common in the human world.

After making his breakthrough, Han Li naturally refined his Eight Spirit Ruler and Heavenvoid Cauldron again, then easily mastered the second layer of the Artifact Imprint Technique before setting off in search of the silver-robed woman, who had also been cultivating in seclusion the entire time.

When they met, her jaw dropped to the ground upon making the discovery that Han Li had become a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

As a result, she completely relinquished any thoughts of attacking Han Li. Through the use of the secret technique that she provided, the two of them, in conjunction with the five devils and the humanoid puppet, really were able to activate the control formation, thereby forcing the Heavenvoid Hall to temporarily reveal itself over the Scattered Star Seas.

The two of them then used the control formation to teleport themselves out of the hall along with the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

As for the cultivator who had unleashed the fiery cloud, he was simply very unlucky. The Ice Phoenix had been trapped in the Heavenvoid Hall for close to a century and had been very flustered by Han Li's easy progression to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. Just as she was at the height of her frustration, Old Devil Hun delivered himself to her doorstep as a living punching bag, an offer which she naturally wasn't going to refuse. After that, she left Han Li behind to search for a way back to the Great Jin.

Even though Han Li's cultivation base had taken a significant stride forward, he still didn't like his chances in battle against her, so he let her leave.

Of course, he wasn't going to tell her about the ancient teleportation formation that led to the Heavenly South Region.

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After Han Li separated with the Ice Phoenix, he stowed away the Heavenvoid Cauldron before flying toward the island.

He naturally wasn't going to cause trouble for the cultivators on the island. Instead, he simply wanted to gauge his current location and gain an understanding of the situation in the Scattered Star Seas. He would then figure out how to return to the Stalwart Star Island, where he would be able to find that ancient teleportation formation.

The fact that this middle-aged man was taking the initiative to come to him, and was extending such a warm invitation, was rather surprising to Han Li. However, his intention was to visit the island anyway, so he decided to accept this man's invitation.

At this current power level, he wasn't afraid of a mere early-Nascent Soul cultivator trying to plot against him.

The middle-aged man was both surprised and elated to see Han Li accept his invitation, and he hurriedly sent a message to his three juniors using his voice transmission talisman, before guiding Han Li toward the island in a respectful manner.

Han Li began to inquire about the surrounding area to discover that the island before them was named the Bitter Gate Island. It was quite a large island with several cities inhabited by mortals alone, and the entire island was completely under the Yellow Sand Sect's control.

Several million kilometers to the north of the Bitter Gate Island lay the Star Climb Island, one of the twelve Inner Star Islands.

Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing this.

With his exceptional memory, he still had a remarkably clear recollection of the map depicting the Scattered Star Seas. If he weren't mistaken, then the place he was currently situated at wasn't far away from the Heavenly Star City. However, it was quite a distance away from the Stalwart Star Island, and he would be passing by the Heavenly Star City on the way there.

The vast number of demon beasts in the Scattered Star Seas was completely incomparable to that of the Heavenly South Region and the Great Jin. However, Han Li wasn't interested in the demon cores of low-grade demon beasts anymore. In contrast, the demon cores of metamorphosis stage demon beasts at the eighth grade or above have all attained intelligence, so it would be impossible to lure them with the Rainbow Skirt Grass.

Otherwise, he wouldn't mind making another trip to the Outer Star Seas.

With that in mind, Han Li allowed himself to be led by the middle-aged cultivator over the dock. Then, after traveling several thousand kilometers into the island, they arrived in the air above a tall mountain with gorgeous scenery and an abundance of spiritual Qi.

At the mountain's peak was a series of grand and lavish palaces and pavilions. There were even a few unidentifiable, yet exceptionally beautiful creatures circling and dancing in the air above, creating a scene that resembled an immortal paradise.

Han Li turned to the middle-aged cultivator with a smile, and said, "Your sect seems to be thriving, Fellow Daoist Gan!"

"Haha, I'm glad you like it, Brother Han. We're just a bunch of nobodies setting up a base here," the middle-aged man chuckled with a wry smile.

He knew that to a Nascent Soul cultivator, these illusions would be easily seen through.

Han Li smiled but didn't say anything. However, before the two of them could descend, heavenly music began to play from the mountain peak. Two groups of beautiful female cultivators wearing palatial dresses of all types of colors made their way out of the palaces down below. They were led by none other than teh three Core Formation cultivators from earlier, all of whom were looking up at Han Li with awe and veneration in their eyes.

Han Li couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing this, but he still descended in front of the welcoming party down below.

Everyone made way to create a path for him leading to one of the main halls on the mountain peak. To Han Li's surprise, the decor inside was rather plain and simple, certainly not as lavish as he had expected.

The middle-aged man and Han Li sat down at the table, while the other three stood off to the sides.

Han Li cut straight to the chase and began to inquire about the recent situation in the Scattered Star Seas.

The middle-aged man was rather taken aback by these questions, but he merely regarded Han Li as a certain powerful being who had been in seclusion for many years, and naturally disclosed everything that he knew.

When Han Li heard that the Scattered Star Seas was in far more turmoil than when he had left, he couldn't help but fall silent to digest that information.

After contemplating for a long while, the middle-aged man finally decided that Han Li didn't seem to be a cruel and violent person. As such, he mustered up his courage, and asked, "Brother Han, was the place that you emerged from the legendary Heavenvoid Hall? How did you come out of that place?"

Han Li's expression changed upon hearing this and he was snapped out of his train of thought.

"You sure are knowledgeable to be able to recognize the Heavenvoid Hall from a single glance, Fellow Daoist Han. I was trapped there for a period of time and have only just escaped," Han Li replied nonchalantly.

The middle-aged man could tell that Han Li didn't want to elaborate on this matter, so he didn't dare to pry any further. Instead, he changed the subject to the Ice Phoenix. "I see. May I ask who that woman with you was?"

"She was a fellow Daoist who had been trapped in the hall with me. She had some important matters to attend to, so she had to leave," Han Li replied indifferently.

"I see! Was she also a late-Nascent Soul cultivator like you, Brother Han?" the middle-aged man asked carefully.

"Hehe, she reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage long ago! I cannot hope to compare with her," Han Li chuckled in response.

The middle-aged cultivator's heart stirred upon hearing this and his mind scrambled through the list of renowned female cultivators in the Scattered Star Seas. However, he simply wasn't able to identify that silver-robed woman.

As for Han Li, his appearance was far too plain, making it even more difficult to identify him.

However, that wasn't a cause for any alarm or confusion. It was very common for cultivators of their caliber to go into seclusion and cultivate for centuries at a time.

"Fellow Daoist Gan, I'm currently in dire need of a batch of mid-grade spirit stones and materials. Of course, it would be best if you had high-grade spirit stones. I currently have two treasures which I'm not using at the moment, and I'd be happy to offer them for exchange," Han Li suddenly said. He then swept a sleeve over the wooden table beside him, upon which a green light swept past and two items appeared on the table, one of which was silver while the other was yellow.

They were a silver ring and an ancient yellow halberd!

These were none other than the ancient treasures he had obtained after killing those high-grade demon beasts in the Spirit Void Hall.

Treasures of this caliber were naturally useless to Han Li, but in a place like the Scattered Star Seas, where refinement materials and treasures were very rare, these treasures would be extremely sought-after.

From the spiritual power emanating from the two treasures alone, one could determine that they were high-grade treasures that were rare even among ancient treasures.

"You're far too kind, Brother Han. We'll have no issues sourcing mid-grade spirit stones and materials for you. We have extensive stock on both here in the sect and even if there are some materials that we don't have, I can get people to source them from the markets on the island. As for high-grade spirit stones, I'm afraid there are only about seven or eight of them on the entire island. If you require them, we'd be happy to exchange them with you."

Flames of desire had also been ignited in the middle-aged man's heart upon seeing those two ancient treasures, but he wasn't surprised at all in Han Li's ability to bring out treasures of this caliber so easily.

Seven or eight high-grade spirit stones? A peculiar look appeared on Han Li's face upon hearing that.

According to his knowledge, the shortage of spirit stones in the Scattered Star Seas was even more severe than in the Heavenly South Region. How could this Yellow Sand Sect alone possess so many high-grade spirit stones?

The middle-aged man was initially rather concerned to see the contemplative look on Han Li's face. However, a thought quickly occurred to him along with a sense of enlightenment.

"Haha, apologies for the confusion; it's my fault for neglecting to mention this to you. Over 100 years ago, someone discovered an extremely large spirit stone mine on an island in the outer sea. There were many high-grade spirit stones excavated from that mine so even though they're still quite rare, the shortage is nowhere near as severe as it was in the past. Almost all of the sects have a few in storage now."

"A high-grade spirit stone mine! A mine of that caliber exists in the human world?" Han Li was very surprised to hear this.

"Indeed. Everyone thought that these were merely fake rumors in the beginning. However, the Star Palace and the Starfall Coalition then engaged in a massive battle for ownership rights over the island. Only then did we realize that the news had been true. I heard that the mine had even drawn the attention of high-grade demons beast from the Outer Star Seas and they also joined in on the battle. Many cultivators and demon beasts perished as a result and now, the mine has been split between the two sides to accommodate a temporary truce." the middle-aged man explained.

Han Li nodded but didn't say anything.

This was good news for him. After using his humanoid puppet on the previous few occasions, his supply of high-grade spirit stones was about to run dry, and this presented a good opportunity to obtain some more.

Thankfully, this region wasn't very far away from the Heavenly Star City and he would be passing it on the way to his ultimate destination anyway. As such, it wouldn't take him too much time to make a detour and use the Star Palace's teleportation formation to travel directly to that mine.

Thus, Han Li immediately made up his mind.

He immediately pulled out a jade slip from his storage pouch and copied a list of required materials into it.

The brawny Core Formation cultivator then accepted the jade slip and went away to source those materials at the middle-aged man's behest.

After that, Han Li began to make small talk with this grand elder of the Yellow Sand Sect.

The middle-aged man was clearly trying to be respectful and hospitable, so Han Li naturally conversed with him in an amicable manner as well.

It was a rare occasion for the middle-aged man to encounter a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator, so he naturally raised a few questions about his own cultivation.

Han Li only just reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, but he had seen a vast array of cultivation arts and had cultivated in both righteous and devilish secret techniques. As such, his experiences really were able to provide inspiration to the middle-aged man, which made him even more respectful toward Han Li.

As for the azure-robed elderly man and the seductive woman standing off the sides, they were also listening intently to this conversation. This was an extremely rare opportunity for them as well, after all. Several hours later, a streak of light flashed into the room and the brawny man returned with a bulging storage pouch in his hand.

"Senior, there are a few materials on the list that are missing on this island, but I've gathered everything else. I've placed all of our high-grade spirit stones into the pouch as well."

The brawny man strode forward and offered the storage pouch to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li accepted the storage pouch and scanned through its contents with his spiritual sense, upon which a content look appeared on his face at what he saw.

"I still have some matters that I must attend to, so I won't stay any longer. I'll be taking my leave now." Han Li put away the storage pouch before nodding at the middle-aged cultivator sitting across from him. He had no interest in making further conversation with these Yellow Sand Sect cultivators, so he transformed into a streak of azure light and disappeared into the distance in a flash.

"That senior has finally left! I thought our Yellow Sand Sect was in big trouble this time! That Senior Han doesn't appear to be a bad person." After Han Li had disappeared into the distance, the seductive woman heaved a long sigh of relief and fanned her chest with an expression that suggested that she had just survived a perilous ordeal.

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The middle-aged man glared at the woman upon hearing this before transmitting his voice to all of the cultivators present.

"Don't speak nonsense like that! That man is a late-Nascent Soul cultivator and his spiritual sense encompasses a far greater area than you can imagine! What you say next could still be sensed by him."

The seductive woman was given a fright upon hearing this and immediately fell silent.

The brawny man and the azure-robed man exchanged a glance with one another and also remained silent.

The middle-aged man sat in his chair with his head lowered slightly and a cold light flashing indistinctly in his greyish-white eyes.

Ten minutes later, the light in his eyes receded as he said, "He should be over 500 kilometers away now, so he won't be able to detect what's going on here anymore. However, it's still better to be safe than sorry." As his voice fell, he flicked a finger and a spot of green light shot forth, disappearing into a thick pillar nearby.

The pillar emitted a rumbling sound as faint green light appeared over its surface. The pillars nearby also began to resonate with that pillar, creating a barrier of green light that encompassed the small area within which the four cultivators were situated.

"We can say whatever we wang now!" The middle-aged man's expression finally eased after doing all that.

"You sure are cautious, martial uncle." The seductive woman gave a wry smile.

"When dealing with such a fearsome being, you can never be too safe," the middle-aged man harrumphed coldly.

"Martial uncle is right. It's also often the case that cultivators of that level have rather peculiar personalities. If we unintentionally offend him with our words, then our entire sect could be destroyed in a fit of rage. Come to think of it, I can't seem to recall these two among the renowned Nascent Soul cultivators in our Scattered Star Seas, but that man seems to have extensive knowledge of our Scattered Star Seas, so he doesn't seem like a foreigner. Perhaps he really has been in seclusion for a long time," the brawny yellow-robed man mused hesitantly.

Meanwhile, the azure-robed man's brows were tightly furrowed and he remained completely silent with his head lowered.

The middle-aged man noticed this, and asked, "What are you thinking, Shi Xuan?"

"I have a feeling that this man is rather familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before," the elderly man raised his head and said in a slow voice.

"You've seen him before?" Everyone turned to him with surprised expressions upon hearing this.

"His appearance was very ordinary; could it be that you're mistaking him for someone else?" the seductive woman asked.

"His looks are indeed quite plain, but I'm sure I've seen this man a long time ago. I've got it! His surname is Han and he was the man who was being hunted down by the Starfall Coalition all those years ago!" The elderly man finally managed to identify Han Li.

The middle-aged man was initially stunned to hear this before his expression darkened, and he asked, "The Starfall Coalition was hunting down a Nascent Soul cultivator? Why do I not know of this?"

"You're misunderstanding me, martial uncle! At the time, they were hunting down a Core Formation cultivator, not a Nascent Soul cultivator. You were away at the time, while Junior Martial Brother Quan and Junior Martial Sister Jing hadn't yet reached the Core Formation Stage. As such, Senior Martial Brother Ma and I were responsible for looking after the sect. We didn't think this was an important matter at the time, so we didn't report it to you. This was close to 200 years ago; I still have the wanted jade slip with me," the elderly man was sweating profusely as he explained. He rummaged through his storage pouch before producing a jade slip, which he handed over to the middle-aged man.

"Nonsense! You're telling me this man went from the Core Formation Stage to the late-Nascent Soul Stage in less than 200 years?" The middle-aged man's expression only grew darker upon hearing this. However, he still accepted the jade slip and used his spiritual sense to scan through its contents, upon which an incredulous look immediately appeared on his face.

There was a projection hovering within the jade slip depicting a man in a set of azure robes with a faint smile on his face. It was completely identical to Han Li in every way, and there was absolutely no chance that it was someone who merely resembled Han Li.

Waves of shock immediately surged through the middle-aged man's heart. He read through the accompanying message in the jade slip before withdrawing his spiritual sense. A contemplative look appeared on his face as he sat in silence.

The three Core Formation cultivators also remained silent at the sight of the grave expression on the middle-aged man's face. They were waiting for a verdict from the latter.

A decisive look finally appeared on the middle-aged man's face as he instructed in a cold voice, "Looks like I really did aim a false accusation at you, martial nephew. The man wanted by the Starfall Coalition really is that man. Listen up; keep this matter strictly confidential. The Starfall Coalition is a colossal force, but this man isn't the Core Formation cultivator that he once was, either. I don't want our sect being swept up in their conflict. Otherwise, we could easily be crushed by either side."

"Yes!" the three Core Formation cultivators hurriedly replied.

The middle-aged cultivator seemed to have gone through a period of extensive contemplation before he delivered a series of instructions, "The three of you are prohibited from leaving the sect for 30 years. Go back and focus on cultivation. I have a really bad feeling about this. Two great cultivators have suddenly appeared and one of them has bad blood with the Starfall Coalition. The Scattered Star Seas is most likely going be plunged into even more chaos from now on. Tell all of the other disciples to exercise more restraint as well, and tell them not to leave the island unless they absolutely have to. Our sect has to go into hiding for now!"

The other three cultivators were stunned to hear this, but they could only do as they were told.

After that, the three of them left the hall to enact his orders.

The middle-aged man was the only one left sitting in the hall. His expression was extremely conflicted and indecisive, as if he were grappling with a difficult decision.

After a long while, a self-deprecating look appeared on his face as he sighed, "So be it. Even if he really is the cultivator who obtained the Heavenvoid Cauldron all those years ago, and that giant cauldron really is the Heavenvoid Cauldron, what does it have to do with me? There are perhaps people in this world who can take treasures from great cultivators, but I'm certainly not one of them. If I were to spread news of this, I would most likely be killed!"

He then swept his sleeve through the air and disappeared as a streak of blue light.

The hall was completely empty again.

At this point, Han Li had already left the island and he was naturally unaware of the fact that a mere Yellow Sand Sect had managed to identify who he was, and that the middle-aged cultivator had even managed to determine that he was in possession of the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

However, this made sense as the fact that the Heavenvoid Cauldron had been taken was not well-known among normal cultivators, but the news had spread like wildfire among Nascent Soul cultivators.

If it weren't for the fact that Han Li had teleported into the Umbra Realm and just so happened to return to the Heavenly South Region thereafter, he would have most likely been hunted down by a bunch of Nascent Soul cultivators had he remained in the Scattered Star Seas.

As for the Starfall Coalition's attempts to hunt down Han Li, that was simply borne from the frustration of Zenith Yin and the other old monsters following their fruitless search. They wanted to force Han Li to reveal himself, but he had already left the Scattered Star Seas, so their plans naturally concluded in failure. After the passage of so many years, the events surrounding the Heavenvoid Cauldron had already become myths and legends. The order to hunt down Han Li had never been withdrawn, but everyone had already forgotten about it.

However, news of the Heavenvoid Hall's appearance still quickly spread through the Scattered Star Seas.

It turned out that the vast majority of the cultivators who had witnessed the phenomenon on the Bitter Gate Island were nondescript low-grade cultivators, but there were two Core Formation cultivators who were passing by and just so happened to have seen a passage about the Heavenvoid Hall in a tome they had read. As such, they naturally spread this news.

As the rumors began to spread, the story naturally became a little shaky over time. For example, the story about the Ice Phoenix slaying the Nascent Soul cultivator in cold blood transformed into a version where Old Devil Hun had just endured a grueling battle before being slain by two Nascent Soul cultivators together.

Thus, this piece of news was still quite shocking, but nowhere near as impactful as the true sequence of events.

In contrast, Han Li attracted a lot of attention as he had been seen manipulating the giant cauldron that was suspected to be the Heavenvoid Cauldron, thereby influencing many people to draw a connection between him and the man from all those years ago.

As such, many Nascent Soul cultivators were itching to spring into action.

Han Li wasn't even aware that an order to hunt him down had been passed by the Starfall Coalition, nor did he know that most Nascent Soul cultivators possessed a portrait of him. Otherwise, he would've altered his appearance and traveled in a more secretive manner.

At his current power level, he naturally wasn't afraid of being attacked by ordinary cultivators, but he didn't want to draw any trouble to himself either as that would be a waste of his time.

At present, he was flying toward the Heavenly Star City as a streak of azure light according to the map in his hand.

Han Li passed by several islands along the way and on each occasion, he had exchanged for all of the high-grade spirit stones on the island using treasures or rare materials. In doing so, he had obtained over 20 high-grade spirit stones.

Han Li was naturally ecstatic and was even more eager to reach the spirit stone mine.

Han Li also encountered many cultivators along the way, but most of them were low-grade ones and none of them dared to get in his way, so he was granted free passage for the entire journey thus far.

Among those cultivators, there were only two or three of the more powerful ones casting confused glances toward Han Li. Aside from that, no one else paid him any heed. Most of them were oblivious to the fact that they had just flown past a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

After flying for over a month, a black spot appeared on the horizon. After flying for a few more hours, Han Li finally saw the Heavenly Star city int the distance, extending all the way into the clouds, and a smile appeared on his face.

Right at this moment, a dozen or so streaks of light suddenly hurtled toward Han Li from the distance.

Han Li scanned through these approaching streaks of light with his spiritual sense, and he was rather surprised by what he discovered.

The streaks of light were all cultivators and in the oncoming group, there were four or five Core Formation cultivators and even an early-Nascent Soul cultivator. Furthermore, the aura of the Nascent Soul cultivator struck him with a sense of familiarity and a suspicious look immediately appeared on his face. However, he chose to remain standing on the spot and didn't take any evasive measures.

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The group of cultivators before him were clad in Star Palace attire, clearly indicating that they had just come from the Heavenly Star Island. Han Li was flying through the air without any intention of obscuring his own presence, so he was naturally spotted by this group of cultivators.

As such, they immediately flew toward Han Li.

However, Han Li had used a technique to completely obscure his cultivation base. Thus, regardless of whether a Foundation Establishment or Core Formation cultivator tried to ascertain his cultivation base with their divine sense, they were struck by the feeling that Han Li was like a ball of cloud and mist, thereby preventing them from being able to determine his cultivation base.

Right at this moment, a cry of surprise rang out from the group.

Han Li's expression changed as he turned toward the cultivator with the snowy white cloak obscuring their features. This cultivator's entire body was enshrouded in a massive cloak, making it impossible for Han Li to determine their gender. Furthermore, even Han Li's powerful spiritual sense was unable to see through the cloak.

This was quite a surprising discovery to him.

However, the aura emanating from this person was rather familiar to Han Li, and they were the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the group, so he was naturally determined to find out who this person was.

As such, a blue light flashed through his eyes as he attempted to use his Brightsight Spirit Eyes to forcibly see through the cloak.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Han. Long time no see; how have you been?"

However, right at this moment, an attractive chuckle sounded from beneath the cloak, following which the hood of the cloak was lifted to reveal a set of gorgeous porcelain-like features that carried a hint of a smile.

"Ling Yuling!" Han Li exclaimed upon seeing the face beneath the hood.

This person was none other than the beautiful Star Palace cultivator whom he had saved all those years ago outside the Heavenly Star City.

Han Li laid a finger on his own nose as a smile also appeared on his face.

"To think that you would still recognize me after so many years apart; I feel extremely honored! Also, I must congratulate you on progressing to the Nascent Soul Stage!" Ling Yuling smiled as he appraised Han Li carefully, upon which a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

He was also unable to ascertain Han Li's cultivation base, but he knew that Han Li's cultivation base was definitely not inferior to his. Upon establishing that, the smile on his face became even warmer and more inviting.

"You're far too kind, Fellow Daoist Ling. Haven't you also progressed to the Nascent Soul Stage?"

Ling Yuling smiled but didn't reply right away. Instead, he turned his head and instructed in a cold voice, "You guys go on ahead first. I have some things I have to discuss with Fellow Daoist Han, and I'll catch up to you guys later."

"Yes, Elder!" The other Star Palace cultivators all bowed respectfully upon hearing this. From the respectful expressions on their faces, it could be seen that they were extremely obedient and reverent toward this "elder".

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Li's eyes upon seeing this, but his expression remained unchanged.

Those cultivators continued on their way, led by a late-Core Formation Stage elderly man, and disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Ling Yuling turned back to Han Li, and sighed, "Sorry about that, Brother Han. I've received orders to reinforce an island that's being attacked by the Starfall Coalition, so I won't be able to stay here for too long."

"I've also heard on my way here that the Star Palace is engaged in battle with the Starfall Coalition again. It's no wonder that you're burdened by these duties," Han Li replied in a slow voice.

A wry smile appeared on Ling Yuling's face upon hearing this. However, he quickly turned his attention to Han Li again, upon which a peculiar look appeared on his face.

He hesitated momentarily before asking, "Brother Han, you've gone beyond the early-Nascent Soul Stage, haven't you?"

In response, Han Li chuckled and gave an ambiguous reply, "Haha, I've only gone slightly ahead. With your aptitude, it's only a matter of time before you exceed your current cultivation base."

Ling Yuling's expression faltered slightly upon hearing this as waves of shock churned through his heart.

It was incredible to him that Han Li had already become a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. It had only been less than 200 years since they had last met, yet Han Li had progressed from the Core Formation Stage to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. That was simply unheard of.

After a brief stunned silence, Ling Yuling finally managed to recompose himself, but his expression was still filled with envy as he said, "Looks like you really are an extraordinary prodigy, Brother Han. To think that you've been able to make such drastic improvements in such a short time; I am truly in awe!"

"I'm no prodigy; I've simply been lucky and encountered many opportunities," Han Li gave another ambiguous reply.

Ling Yuling didn't linger any further on this topic. Instead, a smile appeared on his face as he asked, "Is there something you want to do here, Brother Han? I'd be happy to offer my assistance if required."

"I'd like to take a trip to the Outer Star Seas, so I was hoping to be able to use the Star Palace's teleportation formation." Han Li didn't try to hide his intentions.

"If that's the case, then it's a good thing that you ran into me, Brother Han. Due to the fact that we're trying to guard against Starfall Coalition cultivators infiltrating the palace from the outer seas, most of the teleportation formations leading to the outer seas have been shutdown. There are only two left that are currently in use; I'll give you a badge and with it, you'll be granted access to the teleportation formations."

Ling Yuling gave Han Li a gentle smile and he appeared to be completely identical to an exquisite beauty. However, the way in which he spoke and acted wasn't feminine in the slightest. The combination of the two presented a unique and indescribable allure.

At his current cultivation base, Han Li was naturally immune to the effects of Ling Yuling's beauty. Furthermore, he was confident that he would be able to take care of the guards and restrictions standing between him and the teleportation formations he wanted to access. However, it was always a good thing to be able to avoid such troubles and hindrances.

Thus, Han Li accepted the badge with a smile.

The two of them chatted for a while longer before Han Li bade farewell to Ling Yuling, transforming into a streak of azure light as he hurtled toward the massive island in the distance.

Ling Yuling looked on in the direction that Han Li had disappeared in, and the smile on his face gradually faded. He lowered his head and contemplated momentarily before suddenly patting his storage pouch to produce a silver voice transmission talisman.

He said something in a low voice into the talisman before raising his hand into the air. The talisman transformed into a ball of light before disappearing into space.

After doing all that, Ling Yuling heaved a faint sigh with a resigned expression before putting on his hood again. He then transformed into a streak of light in pursuit of his subordinates, who had gone on ahead.

After Ling Yuling had flown away into the distance, a silver light flashed in the air nearby as an azure figure emerged from thin air. He turned toward the direction that the voice transmission talisman had flown away in before disappearing once again.

Ten minutes later, at a certain location several tens of kilometers away, there was a man hovering in the air. This man was none other than Han Li himself.

He currently had his hands clasped behind his back and was completely expressionless.

A humanoid figure suddenly flashed before him, upon which his puppet appeared. It raised a hand to reveal what appeared to be a fiery snake scrambling over his palm. However, it was sealed within a ball of silver light and was unable to escape.

Han Li raised an eyebrow before reaching out to grab the fiery snake. The latter immediately exploded on its own, transforming into a ball of raging fire.

Han Li quickly scanned through the fireball with his spiritual sense, upon which a dark expression appeared on his face.

A cold light flashed through his eyes before he abruptly brought his five fingers together, crushing the fireball as he did so. He turned toward the massive island upon which the Heavenly Star City was situated, and his eyes narrowed.

"So everyone in the Scattered Star Seas knows that I have the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Looks like I'll need a disguise," Han Li murmured to himself. His face was then abruptly enshrouded under a layer of light, making his facial features blurry and indistinct. At the same time, a series of crackles and pops rang out from all over his body, instantly making him around a foot taller.

A short while later, he had transformed into a burly man with a dark complexion. He put away his puppet and flew toward the Heavenly Star City.

Unbeknownst to Han Li, in the instant that he had crushed the voice transmission talisman, someone sitting in a dim underground cave of the Heavenly Star City's sacred mountain was alerted to what he had done. The humanoid figure abruptly rose to his feet before feigning a grabbing motion. Spots of fiery light then began to appear in the air nearby before converging to form the very same fireball that Han Li had just crushed.

The humanoid figure scanned through the information in the fireball with his spiritual sense before flipping his hand over, upon which the fireball instantly disappeared.

"What's going on? Why is Yuling using voice escape talisman we gave him? These talismans are very rare and he wouldn't use them for no good reason. Did something happen to him? He's only just left the Heavenly Star City." A voice suddenly sounded from another corner of the cave. The voice was very pleasant and enticing and it sounded as if a young woman had just spoken.

"He's fine. It's just that he encountered a rather interesting person nearby and alerted us of this. He wants us to try and recruit this man to our side!" the first humanoid figure replied. However, his voice was a little slow and stiff, as if he didn't speak very often.

"Oh? Who is it? It's not often that Yuling develops an interest in anyone." The woman's heart was immediately put at ease upon learning the fact that Ling Yuling was not in danger. As such, she began to develop a curiosity toward this "interesting person" in question.

"You still remember what happened with the Heavenvoid Cauldron over 100 years ago, right?"

"Of course I do. Does this person have something to do with the cauldron?" the woman asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"The man who had taken the cauldron right under the noses of Man Huzi and Wan Tianming is actually the same person as the cultivator who saved Yuling all those years ago. Now, he has arrived outside our Heavenly Star City and wants to use our teleportation formation to get to the outer seas. Yuling just so happened to bump into him on his way here," the man explained.

"I see. If I recall correctly, this man's surname seems to be Han, and he was only a Core Formation cultivator back then. How is he worth recruiting?" The woman was rather perplexed.

"Hehe, you might not believe this, but Yuling suspects that this man has already become a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator! If that really is the case, then this man is truly an extraordinary talent," the man chuckled.

The woman seemed to be very familiar with the situation in the Great Jin, and she immediately said, "When the Heavenvoid Cauldron was first taken from the Heavenvoid Hall, we had sent people to investigate the person who had obtained the cauldron. Didn't they determine that he was most likely a foreign cultivator who went back to where he had come from after the event? Could it be that he's a cultivator from a certain major sect in the Great Jin? Otherwise, even if he is an extraordinary prodigy, without the support of a large sect, there's no way he would be able to become a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator in such a short time."

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"Regardless of whether he's a Great Jin cultivator or not, the fact that he was able to take the Heavenvoid Cauldron is a sufficient indication of his powers. If it weren't for the fact that the Divine Essencefused Light we cultivated rejects treasures of the five elements, and that Heavenvoid map fragment doesn't work for late-Nascent Soul cultivators, how could the spirit treasure have fallen into the hands of a foreign cultivator?" A forlorn look appeared on the man's face.

However, a wry smile appeared on the woman's face upon hearing this, and she said, "Full mastery of the Divine Essencefused Light would allow us to use the power of the five elements, so how could we have been unable to secure a treasure of the five elements? We can only blame ourselves for missing out on this opportunity."

After a prolonged silence, the man said in an apologetic voice, "Indeed. If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have dragged you along with me to cultivate this Divine Essencefused Light. This is my fault."

The woman shook her calmly, and said, "It's not your fault. If we hadn't tried to find a shortcut, we would've never been able to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage. As things were, if it weren't for that hiccup in the final juncture, you and I would've successfully progressed to the Deity Transformation Stage already. At the very least, our lifespans would've been prolonged by over 1,000 years."

"Indeed. Who would have thought that a five elements spiritual root was required to cultivate the Divine Essencefused Light to the final stage? If someone were to truly possess such a spirit root, they most likely wouldn't even be able to reach the Foundation Establishment and Core Formation Stages, let alone the Nascent Soul Stage; how would they be able to cultivate this Divine Essencefused Light? It's no wonder that this cultivation art had been created so long ago, but no one has ever been able to successfully cultivate it. I was able to reach the late-Nascent Soul Stage within 500 years and in my opinion, my cultivation aptitude is definitely not inferior to the past masters of the Star Palace. I even managed to resolve the so-called three insurmountable hurdles to cultivating the Divine Essencefused Light, but never did I think that I would suffer a fate like this. The ancient cultivator who invented the Divine Essencefused Light was clearly intentionally setting up a trap for people to fall into. I don't know what his intentions were to create such a self-contradicting cultivation art. If I had known about all this in advance, I would've never dabbled in this accursed cultivation art." The man's voice was becoming more and more worked up as he spoke, clearly indicating that he was extremely resentful toward the creator of this Divine Essencefused Light.

The woman heaved a long sigh. After a brief silence, she offered some words of consolation. "So be it. Regardless of whether this cultivation art was invented as a joke by that ancient cultivator, it's a good thing that we discovered these things in the nick of time and didn't continue down that path. Otherwise, if we had continued to cultivate on the Essencefused Mountain, the power of the five elements within our bodies would've imploded and we would've died. Come to think of it, we have to thank the Archsaint of the Six Paths and Wan Sangu. If they hadn't forced us out of our seclusion early, we would've never noticed these things."

"Hmph, those two are just not worthy of a mention. If it weren't for the restriction of the Essencefused Mountain, I would've stormed their base and killed all of them long ago! Furthermore, this problem is not one that cannot be resolved." The man's voice became a little peculiar as he spoke.

"What do you mean by that? Have you really found a way to change our spirit roots?" The calm woman also couldn't help but get excited upon hearing this.

After a brief hesitation, the man revealed, "Ever since we discovered this issue, I've been reading through all types of ancient tomes in the past century, trying to find a way to overcome this problem. During the process, I discovered an ancient spiritual power that we could use. The technique can't change one's spirit root completely, but it does involve putting a pure-attribute treasure through a blood sacrifice, thereby using it to replace the missing spirit root in order to gain control over the power of the five elements."

"It's that simple?!" The woman was shocked to hear this.

"Of course, there are certain conditions that must be fulfilled with regard to the sacrificial process and the treasure used, but those aren't problems to us. Most importantly, this method can only grant us control over the power of one element, but we won't be able to sacrifice a second treasure. Otherwise, our Nascent Souls would be unable to handle the influx of power and our physical bodies will also crumble due to backlash. As such, unless we possess four attribute spirit roots in the first place, this method won't work for us," the man said in a resigned manner.

"I see. Then it really is completely useless to us as we only have two attribute spirit roots."

The woman's heart sank upon hearing this. The flames of hope that had just ignited in her heart were doused once again.

"So be it. We should stop being so fixated on mastering the Divine Essencefused Light. Even if there were other ways to resolve this issue, there's not enough time for us given our remaining lifespans of less than 100 years. Let's focus more on Yuling. After our combined efforts, she has finally progressed to the Nascent Souls Stage. Once her cultivation base is fortified in a few more decades, we'll inject him with our power to forcibly take him to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. In that case, with his mid-Nascent Soul Stage cultivation base, he should be ready to take over the Star Palace. Of course, we have to get rid of the Archsaint of the Six Paths and Wan Sangu before that." The woman's voice suddenly turned extremely cold and forbidding at the mention of these two enemies.

"It won't be a difficult task for us to get rid of those two as long as we put our lives on the line," the man said nonchalantly.

"What do we do with that cultivator with the Han surname? He possesses the Heavenvoid Cauldron and he might be a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. If you and I were to leave this world someday, he could prove to be an extremely volatile element in the Scattered Star Seas. From the tone of Yuling's voice transmission, she seems to have a rather good impression of him." The woman was quite hesitant.

"He's a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator with exceptional aptitude; he really is worth recruiting if possible. We'll see if he wishes to join our Star Palace. If he does, then everything will be smooth sailing from there. We'll set up a restriction to take his Heavenvoid Cauldron for Yuling to use when making a breakthrough to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage, and we'll give him some other treasures as compensation. If he's unwilling to join us, then we'll just have to kill him!" The man's voice had become extremely cold.

"That seems to be the only way." The woman heaved a faint sigh, but stated no objections.

"However, this voice escape talismans has already been destroyed once, so he must be aware that we're onto him. Ordinary elders won't be able to subdue him, so it looks like we'll have a make a trip in person," the man said in an indifferent voice.

"Even if he possesses a spirit treasure, he's just mid-Nascent Soul cultivator; it won't require both of us to subdue him. I can take care of him myself. On the Divine Essencefused Mountain, he definitely won't be a match for me even if he's a late-Nascent Soul cultivator." The woman was very confident in her own abilities.

"Alright, that works too. You have to be careful, though; that Heavenvoid Cauldron is not something to be scoffed at." The man didn't object to this course of action.

"As long as its a treasure of the five elements, its power will be severely debilitated in the face of my Divine Esscencefused Light, so what are you worried about?" the woman chuckled nonchalantly.

This time, the man in the cave didn't reply. He had clearly acknowledged what the woman was saying.

At this moment, Han Li had already arrived at the Heavenly Star City.

The city really did live up to its name as the number one city in the Scattered Star Seas; Han Li was able to easily secure the missing materials from the markets here.

He also sold a few treasures that were useless to him, earning him a large amount of spirit stones in the process, before settling down in an inn.

Seeing as Ling Yuling was already aware of the fact that he possessed the Heavenvoid Cauldron, he naturally wasn't going to head straight to the sacred mountain's teleportation formation with that badge. Instead, he was going to infiltrate the Starry Sky Palace at night.

If it weren't for the fact that the Heavenly Star Sages were guarding the teleportation formations, he naturally wouldn't be wary of the guards there.

Of course, if this legendary pair really did appear, it would be yet to be seen whether they'd actually be able to stop him.

In order to attract the least amount of attention, he intentionally chose a small inn and briefly revealed a mid-Core Formation Stage cultivation base. As such, the Qi Condensation inn manager was naturally extremely respectful toward Han Li, offering him the best room in his inn.

That night, Han Li snuck out of the inn without anyone noticing.

He could still clearly recall the location of the Starry Sky Palace and he shot forth directly toward the place where it was situated on the massive mountain.

Along the way, most of the guards he encountered were at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Stages. There was the occasional Core Formation cultivator as well, but Han Li was still able to easily sneak past them.

He arrived at the 50th level of the sacred mountain in the blink of an eye, upon which the massive palace appeared before him.

The passage of time hadn't left any signs on the palace; it was completely identical to how it had been in the past.

A sense of nostalgia welled up in Han Li's heart and just as he was about to unleash a secret technique to break through the restriction on the door, his expression suddenly changed as he abruptly disappeared.

A short while later, a few indistinct humanoid figures arrived soundlessly from another direction. Their bodies were rather blurry, almost completely blending into the night. Without careful examination using one's spiritual sense, it was impossible to notice them.

Who are these people? Are they from the Starfall Coalition?

Han Li looked on with a hint of surprise and curiosity in his heart.

These human cultivators could already be considered to be quite powerful. Among them, there were four Foundation Establishment cultivators and two Core Formation cultivators, but there was also a third or fourth layer Qi Condensation cultivator with them. All of their faces had been obscured by a layer of grey Qi, as if they were trying to hide their appearance from prying eyes.

However, the two Core Formation cultivators leading the way clearly consisted of a man and a woman.

Han Li immediately lost interest upon making the discovery that there were no Nascent Soul cultivators among them. As such, he couldn't be bothered to use his spiritual sense to determine what these people looked like. All he did was stand still in mid-air, looking on with his arms crossed.

These people approached the door to the Starry Sky Palace in the blink of an eye before stopping in unison.

One of the Core Formation cultivators suddenly flipped his hand over, upon which a green formation plate appeared over his palm. He gently cast a Celestial Technique on it and the formation plate began to emanate faint white light.

The other Core Formation Stage woman also flipped over her hand to produce a small yellow flag. She waved it through the air and a cloud of yellow mist rapidly wafted forth from the flag, instantly enshrouding their group within. Immediately thereafter, the cloud of mist and that group of people all disappeared.

Han Li faltered slightly before a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes at the sight of the yellow flag.

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He felt as if he had some recollection of that formation flag. He seemed to have possessed a treasure like this once upon a time, but had since given it to someone else. However, that wasn't a cause for alarm. For low-grade treasures like this, as long as one had mastered the refinement method, refining an identical one would be an easy task.

Even so, Han Li had still developed an interest in that Core Formation Stage woman. Their group had seemingly disappeared into thin air, but such a mediocre concealment technique was completely useless in the face of Han Li's spiritual sense.

Thus, a blue light flashed through his eyes, immediately piercing through the layer of grey Qi obscuring the woman's face.

"Huh? That's..." A peculiar instantly appeared on Han Li's face.

Right at this moment, two streaks of light, one azure and one yellow, shot fort from the Starry Sky Palace. A certain restriction seemed to have been triggered and the sound of footsteps erupted from behind the palace doors, following which a white-robed cultivator slowly emerged from within.

This was a tall and thin man who appeared to over 40 years of age. He wore a slightly dark expression on his face and was a Core Formation cultivator.

This man was clearly the Star Palace cultivator tasked with guarding this palace. He emerged from the palace and looked around, only to discover that there was no one in the general vicinity. Upon making this discovery, his expression darkened further with a hint of displeasure on his face.

Yellow light flashed and that Core Formation Stage man from earlier voluntarily showed himself. The grey Qi over his face also faded, revealing a set of graceful and refined middle-aged features.

The man cupped his fist in a salute as he asked in a respectful voice, "Brother Zhang, have there been any mishaps? Will my wife and I be able to teleport away tonight?"

"Fellow Daoist Tian, as long as you have enough spirit stones with you, teleporting your group away is naturally just a piece of cake. All of the guardians of the teleportation formation have done the same thing at some point; are you worried that I would go back on my word and refuse to grant you access to the teleportation formation?" The Star Palace cultivator's expression eased after the man appeared, but he still spoke in a rather cold and impolite tone.

"Of course not; I have absolute trust in you, Brother Zhang. It's just that my daughter really has fallen seriously ill and we have to head out to the outer seas to find the White Yang Demon Fish's demon core to save her life. The situation is extremely urgent and we can't afford to be delayed," the graceful man said with a smile. He then waved his hand toward a certain direction behind him.

A spluttering sound was heard, following which a ball of yellow mist dissipated, revealing the remaining members of the group. The Foundation Establishment cultivators had all revealed their faces, leaving only the female Core Formation cultivator and a thin and frail female Qi Condensation cultivator with their faces still concealed under grey Qi.

"This must be your wife! I've heard much about you, Moon Maiden."

The Star Palace cultivator completely ignored the other Foundation Establishment cultivators as his attention was drawn to the female Core Formation cultivator. His gaze scanned across her face several times and he even put on a rare smile for her.

"Thank you for doing this, Fellow Daoist Zhang. I am forever grateful to you!" The female cultivator's voice was very gentle and delicate, yet she spoke in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble.

"It's a shame that Moon Maiden refuses to show your face here. I must say, I'm a little disappointed. Come with me." The Star Palace cultivator chuckled as a slightly wistful look appeared on his face. However, he then immediately turned and strode into the palace.

The graceful man exchanged a glance with that female Core Formation cultivator, before also entering the palace with the Qi Condensation Stage woman sandwiched between them.

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators were clearly their disciples, and they also hurriedly rushed in in pursuit of their masters.

Of course, none of the cultivators noticed that an azure light suddenly flashed outside the palace again. In the instant right before the restriction was reactivated, a faint figure, whom they were completely unable to detect with their cultivation bases, strode in along with them. The figure moved in a completely soundless and stealthy manner, as if he were nothing more than a wisp of smoke.

After passing through a convoluted system of corridors, everyone arrived in a hall, within which were many teleportation formations. There was an elderly man with a face as tender as that of an infant waiting inside.

Once the group of people walked in, a cold light flashed through the elderly man's eyes before instantly receding again.

"That's everyone, right? Seven people is just the right number for a single batch!" the elderly man remarked indifferently.

"Indeed, they are the fellow Daoists wishing to be teleported away this time. Fellow Daoist Tian, which island would you like to travel to?" The Star Palace cultivator answered the elderly man's question first, before turning to inquire the man behind him.

"We'll go to Silver Shark Island. Due to the fact that a high-grade min was discovered there, most of the cultivators in the outer seas have gone to that island. Perhaps we'll be able to find a White Yang Demon Fish's demon core there," the man replied after a brief hesitation. At the same time, his gaze swept over the row of teleportation formations before settling on one of the formations.

"Brother Huang, deactivate the restriction on that teleportation formation. Fellow Daoist Tian, it's time for you to pay up," the Star Palace cultivator said to the graceful man expressionlessly.

"Of course!" After the elderly man cast a few Celestial Techniques to withdraw the barrier of white light around the teleportation formation, the graceful man's heart danced with elation. He immediately pulled off one a storage pouch hanging from his waist and tossed it to the Star Palace cultivator.

The latter caught the pouch and scanned through its contents with his spiritual sense, upon which a content expression appeared on his face.

"The amount is just right. Here, these are you teleportation talismans." After verifying the number of spirit stones in the storage pouch, the Star Palace cultivator didn't delay any further as he pulled out seven teleportation talismans.

The graceful man accepted the teleportation talismans before distributing one each to everyone in his group. They were then led by the Star Palace cultivator toward the teleportation formation that his gaze had rested on before.

This teleportation formation was already shimmering with faint white light and everything appeared to be normal.

"You sure have some guts! How dare you teleport people away to the outer seas behind my back? Are you not afraid that the Enforcement Hall will put you through the torture of the lightning whips?" All of a sudden, an enticing female voice erupted. The voice wasn't very loud, but it exploded like claps of thunder in the hearts of all of the cultivators present.

The Star Palace cultivator and the elderly man's faces immediately turned deathly pale. The graceful man and the female Core Formation cultivator were momentarily stunned before abruptly turning around. Light erupted from their bodies, wrapping up the frail female Qi Condensation cultivator in a cocoon of light before the two of them transformed into streaks of light, one red and one blue, as they hurtled directly toward the teleportation formation.

A cold harrumph rang out!

A vibrant streak of light suddenly flew through the air from one corner of the hall, appearing in front of the formation in the blink of an eye. Spiritual light swept through the air, swatting the blue and red streaks of light aside with ease.

The two streaks of light were sent flying for 70 to 80 feet before dissipating, revealing the disheveled figures of the graceful man and the female Core Formation cultivator.

Both of them had also turned deathly pale and they opened their mouths in unison to throw up mouthfuls of blood essence. In contrast, the Qi Condensation Stage woman that they strove to protect was completely unscathed. At this moment, the grey Qi obscuring the faces of the two women disappeared at the same time, revealing their true features.

The female Core Formation cultivator appeared to be around 25 or 26 years of age with skin as fair and fine as warm jade. She was an exquisite beauty. The Qi Condensation Stage woman beside her appeared to only be around 15 to 16 years of age with a sickly yellow pallor, and an extremely thin figure. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that her features bore a startling resemblance to those of the female Core Formation cultivator. Furthermore, her eyes were as clear as water and even in such a dire situation, there wasn't much panic or alarm on her face.

"We pay our respects to the palace master!"

The two Star Palace cultivators were completely petrified after seeing that streak of light and they immediately fell to their knees.

The two Core Formation cultivators glanced at each other upon hearing that, and both of them could see their own shock mirrored in one another's eyes. They were initially holding onto some hope that they would be able to escape from this woman, but that hope had been completely dashed. They stood rooted to the spot, unable to even muster up the courage to flee.

Right at this moment, light flashed in the corner as a lithe and graceful figure emerged before hovering toward the center of the hall.

This was a white-robed woman wearing a white scarf that obscured half of her face.

Her eyes were as bright as stars and her brows were thin and long. This was clearly another stunning beauty.

However, this woman didn't even look at the cultivators gathered around the teleportation formation. Instead, she turned her attention toward the entrance of the hall, and said, "Fellow Daoist Han! Why are you sneaking around in the presence of these juniors? Would you be so kind as to reveal yourself and have a chat with me?"

Her words immediately sent waves of shock surging through the hearts of the other cultivators present, and they all turned toward the direction she was facing in unison. In their eyes, there was nothing but empty space there; how could there possibly be anyone there?

Just as everyone was caught in a state of suspicion and bewilderment, a gentle chuckle was suddenly heard from that spot.

"I didn't think that I would encounter one of the Heavenly Star Sages here. You didn't come here just to meet me, did you?"

As soon as that voice fell, azure light flashed and an azure-robed cultivator emerged from thin air. He had his hands clasped behind his back and was looking at the woman before him with a hint of a smile on his face.

This man was none other than Han Li!

The woman scanned over Han Li's body with her spiritual sense, upon which her expression changed drastically. A wave of incredulity swept through her bright eyes as she exclaimed, "Late-Nascent Soul Stage!"

This woman was naturally the woman in the cave of the sacred mountain.

Everyone else in the hall was flabbergasted to hear the words "late-Nascent Soul Stage".

Half of them were Core Formation cultivators, but encountering a Nascent Soul cultivator was still a rare opportunity for them, and encountering a late-Nascent Soul cultivator was something that almost never happened. However, not only had one of the Heavenly Star Sages just revealed herself to them, another unknown late-Nascent Soul cultivator had also appeared. This made everyone feel as if they were stuck in a dream.

Among those cultivators, the Core Formation Stage woman referred to as Moon Maiden was more stunned than everyone else to see Han Li. Her mouth gaped open in shock and when she heard that Han Li had become a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, she was completely rooted to the spot in astonishment.

Under normal circumstances, her reaction would've drawn the attention of the people beside her. However, all of the cultivators were completely focused on these two late-Nascent Soul cultivators, so no one had the spare mental capacity to pay any heed to her reaction.

Funnily enough, the young Qi Condensation Stage woman was the first and only one to notice her stunned expression. Due to the fact that her cultivation base was pitifully low, the Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stages were too far beyond her to evoke any reaction within her. After taking in the Core Formation Stage woman's reaction, she couldn't help but take a curious glance at Han Li.

"Are you really Han Li?" The Heavenly Star Sage's calm and collected expression had already faded, and was replaced by a particularly grave one.

"Do you think you were waiting for the wrong person this entire time?" Han Li didn't give a direct reply. Instead, a smile appeared on his face as he looked at the woman before him.

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The masked woman was looking right back at Han Li without showing any weakness, but there were waves of shock surging through her heart.

She had thought that Han Li would be easy prey for her to capture, only to discover that he was far more powerful than he anticipated. As such, she was starting to become rather hesitant.

With the assistance of the Divine Essencefused Light and the Divine Essencefused Mountain, she was confident that she would have at least a 70% chance of victory if a battle were to ensue.

However, it would be close to impossible for her to kill or capture Han Li on her own.

If she were to do so, there was a good chance that Han Li would be able to escape and thereafter, the Star Palace would have earned itself a late-Nascent Soul Stage enemy. Thus, even as one of the Heavenly Star Sages, she didn't dare to act rashly in this situation.

As such, both Han Li and the woman fell silent. The entire palace was immediately enshrouded in a suffocating atmosphere that struck one with a sense of asphyxiation.

All of a sudden, Han Li's expression darkened as he raised his hand and feigned a grabbing motion.

Spiritual light immediately flashed as a large azure hand emerged. The hand flew through the air like lightning, plucking a streak of fiery light out of thin air before clamping it firmly within its palm.

The masked woman raised her eyebrows upon seeing this and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes.

"I'd advise you not to go sending out voice transmission talismans, fellow Daoist. I don't want to be attacked by two cultivators of the same cultivation base as mine at the same time. As far as I'm aware, I haven't done anything to offend the Star Palace, so why do you harbor so much enmity toward me?" Han Li asked in a cold voice. At the same time, a layer of azure flames surfaced along the large azure hand, instantly reducing the streak of fiery light into nothingness.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding, Fellow Daoist Han. I have no intention of harming you. I'm merely attempting to express my gratitude toward you for saving my daughter all those years ago." The masked woman fell silent for a moment before a smile suddenly appeared on her face. The heavy atmosphere within the palace was suddenly relieved with her words.

"Daughter? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Ling is..." Han Li faltered slightly before an enlightened look appeared on his face. His expression also eased in response.

He knew that this woman's true intention clearly wasn't to express gratitude to him, but he decided to defuse the situation by playing along with her lies.

Han Li didn't consider it to be a problem to engage a late-Nascent Soul cultivator in battle. After all, he had slain late-Nascent Soul cultivators in the past and now that he had progressed to that cultivation base himself, he was far more powerful than he once was. However, at the same time, he was not interested in making enemies everywhere he went.

Furthermore, he was currently situated in the Heavenly Star City and was naturally rather wary of the Divine Essencefused Light.

"It seems you've already guessed it; Yuling is our only daughter and if it weren't for your help all those years ago, she would have most likely perished already. My Dao Companion and I have always been very grateful toward you," the masked woman said in a warm voice.

"No wonder Fellow Daoist Ling's aptitude is so exceptional; it makes sense that she's the daughter of the Heavenly Star Sages!" Han Li smiled in response.

"Surely you jest, Brother Han. In terms of cultivation aptitude, no one is a match for you. You've progressed from the Core Formation Stage to the late-Nascent Soul Stage in less than 200 years. That's simply unheard of! No one has been able to cultivate at such a phenomenal rate in the history of the human world; Yuling cannot compare to you." The masked woman chuckled as she shook her head.

She was very stunned by Han Li's insane rate of progression, and was trying to indirectly prompt him to reveal how he had made such extraordinary strides.

Han Li could naturally read between the lines and sense the indirect questions being posed, but he merely gave an ambiguous smile and didn't speak any further on this topic.

"I've heard a lot about the two Heavenly Star Sages and I would love to have a good chat with you, but I still have important matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I would like to use the Star Palace's teleportation formation; you don't mind, do you?"

Han Li glanced at the teleportation formation before turning back to appraise the masked woman.

"Of course not! I have a guest elder badge here that you can take if you'd like. I know that with your status, you wouldn't actually want to become a guest elder at the Star Palace. This is just something that I'm lending to you on behalf of my Dao Companion and myself. With this badge, you'll be able to summon and use all of the resources of the Star Palace in the outer seas. Please accept it as a gesture of our gratitude." The masked woman immediately accepted Han Li's request and pulled out a shiny golden badge from a storage pouch hanging from her waist, which she tossed toward him.

Han Li was rather surprised by this gesture and he reflexively caught that golden badge being tossed at him. He examined the badge with a cursory glance before replying, "Thank you for your hospitality." After a brief hesitation, Han Li placed the badge into his storage pouch.

A hint of elation flashed through the masked woman's eyes upon seeing him accept the guest elder badge. She then took this opportunity to say, "When you return from the outer seas, my Dao Companion and I want to extend a formal invitation for you to come join us at our cultivation spot and discuss some experiences on our paths to the Deity Transformation Stage. Would you be interested in that?"

"Deity Transformation Stage? I've only just progressed to the late-Nascent Soul Stage and I would love to exchange cultivation experiences with cultivators of the same level, but my top priority is to fortify my cultivation base for now. However, if I do get the chance, I would visit you and your Dao Companion for sure." Han Li contemplated momentarily before turning down her invitation with an apologetic expression.

Late-Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely rare in the human world and to be able to hold a discussion with such cultivators was indeed a rare opportunity. However, he didn't want to plunge himself into a perilous situation for this opportunity. With his current power level, he would confident that he would be able to take on several late-Nascent Soul cultivators at once and emerge from the battle unscathed. However, that didn't mean that there was nothing in the human world that could pose a threat to him aside from Deity Transformation cultivators.

If he weren't careful, he could be trapped in an ancient restriction so some kind of powerful large-scale formation spell. If he were to be attacked by late-Nascent Stage cultivators in that situation, the outcome may not fall in his favor.

Thus, he immediately decided to euphemistically turn down her invitation to visit their cultivation spot. A hint of disappointment appeared on the masked woman's face upon hearing this.

As for whether she actually harbored ulterior motives in the invitation that she had extended to Han Li, even she couldn't be sure of that herself.

However, seeing as Han Li had turned her down, she was naturally not going to force the issue. Instead, she merely moved on to other conversation topics and continued to chat amicably with him.

Han Li gave a few polite responses before taking his leave.

The masked woman didn't try to stop him. Instead, she stepped away to the side, allowing him access to the teleportation formation. At the same time, she drifted away even further into the distance as a gesture of reassurance to Han Li, indicating that she wasn't going to disrupt his teleportation.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face and he paid this no heed as he strode on ahead.

The two Star Palace cultivators hurriedly stepped aside in a respectful manner, granting Han Li free passage to the teleportation formation.

However, as they did so, the Core Formation Stage couple and their disciples were revealed to him.

The graceful man didn't dare to say anything, either, and he immediately tried to drag his daughter away to get out of Han Li's path. However, to his surprise, the Core Formation Stage woman with whom he had been happily married for over 100 years suddenly made her way over to Han Li, before extending a respectful bow.

"Wen Siyue pays her respects to Senior Han! Congratulations on progressing to the late-Nascent Soul Stage, Senior! If it weren't for your help all those years ago, I wouldn't be standing here today." This Core Formation Stage cultivator was none other than the woman who had almost become Han Li's servant in the Outer Star Seas, Wen Siyue.

"Siyue... You... You Recognize this senior?" The graceful man was rather flabbergasted.

Han Li turned toward the woman and said calmly, "Long time no see. I see you've also reached the Core Formation Stage; looks like you haven't been slacking off with your cultivation. Otherwise, with your aptitude, it would've been slightly difficult for you to reach this stage."

"It's all thanks to the pills you left for me, Senior. Otherwise, I would've never reached the Core Formation Stage!" Wen Siyue replied in a respectful manner.

"Your father and I are old acquaintances, so it was only right for me to help you out; you don't need to thank me. You look like you're in a hurry to get to the outer seas as well. Let's go together. This woman is an acquaintance of mine; you wouldn't mind if I took these people with me to the outer seas, would you?" Han Li turned and asked the masked woman.

"Of course not! Feel free to take them with you." the masked woman replied without any hesitation.

"You have my thanks."

Han Li nodded and didn't say anything further to Wen Siyue. Instead, he merely raised a leg and somehow appeared in the teleportation formation after taking just a single step. He had clearly just employed the "Distance Minimization Technique" that only late-Nascent Soul cultivators were capable of unleashing.

Wen Siyue and the others were all startled to see this before turning to Han Li with awe and veneration in their eyes. Only the thin and frail young woman's eyes lit up with curiosity as she looked at Han Li.

Han Li cast a Celestial Technique toward the edge of the formation before pulling out his Greater Teleportation Medallion. Just as white light began to glow within the formation, he turned to the masked woman with a smile, and asked, "By the way, I don't seem to have learned your name yet. Would you be so kind as to disclose it to me?"

"My name is Wen Qing." The masked woman was slightly taken aback by this question initially, but she still replied with a smile.

Right in this instant, Han Li and the others disappeared amid the white light, and it was unknown whether he had heard her response or not.

The smile on the masked woman's face immediately disappeared.

She said in a frosty voice, "For granting them access to the teleportation formations, both of you will receive 20 lightning whiplashes each as a punishment. If you dare to do this again, I won't be so kind."

"Thank you for sparing our lives, Palace Master! We definitely won't ever do it again!"

The two petrified Star Palace cultivators were both horrified and elated upon hearing the punishment dictated by the woman. They were elated as the punishment was a lot less severe than they had thought it would be, but also horrified in that 20 lightning whiplashes would most likely make them bedridden for an entire month.

After delivering this verdict, a flash of light erupted from the masked woman's body and she disappeared on the spot.

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Chapter 1136: A Helping Hand

After the masked woman left the Starry Sky Palace, the two Star Palace cultivators heaved a collective sigh of relief. The younger of the two glanced at Wen Siyue and the others, and a hint of anger flashed through his eyes.

If it weren't for these people, they wouldn't have been caught red-handed and have to suffer the torment of the lightning whips.

The Star Palace cultivator put on a stern expression and was just about to hurl some insults at the group to vent his frustration, when the elderly man suddenly turned to Wen Siyue with a respectful look, and said, "You sure are fortunate to have been able to make Senior Han's acquaintance. This is an extremely rare opportunity. With Senior Han's guidance, you'll be able to easily progress to the Nascent Soul Stage in the future."

The elderly man's cold demeanor toward Wen Siyue and the others had completely disappeared.

The other Star Palace cultivator was initially stunned by this turn of events, but he was then enlightened by the elderly man's words. He immediately swallowed the insults that he was about to hurl before plastering a smile across his face.

In his fit of rage and frustration, he had forgotten that these people had a connection to a late-Nascent Soul cultivator. They were not people that measly Core Formation cultivators like them could mess with.

"Indeed, Brother Han is right. Perhaps we'll be counting on you two for assistance in certain areas in the future, fellow Daoists. Here are your soul stones. We'll cover your teleportation costs this time!"

The Star Palace cultivator plucked the storage pouch that was full of soul stones off his waist and offered it up to the Core Formation Stage couple. Even though his heart was throbbing with pain, he still forced an enthusiastic and hospitable look onto his face.

The graceful man took a glance at the storage pouch and hesitated momentarily. However, Wen Siyue decided to turn them down with a warm smile. "My Dao Companion and I are extremely grateful to you two that you're willing to teleport us to the outer seas; how could we take back our soul stones? Please accept them as repayment for your kindness. I'm in a bit of hurry to catch up to Senior Han, so I hope you can teleport us over as quickly as possible."

"Of course. I'll change the soul stones and you'll be able to teleport immediately." The Star Palace cultivator could tell that Wen Siyue really didn't' want to take back the soul stones, so he could only put them away again in a sheepish manner.

His body then flashed over to the teleportation formation, where he leaned down and began to change the soul stones that had just been used for the previous bout of teleportation.

Meanwhile, the elderly man was still conversing with Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion, trying to indirectly dig up more information about Han Li.

The graceful man knew absolutely nothing, so he couldn't provide any answers. As for Wen Siyue, she merely smiled and provided ambiguous replies, clearly reluctant to disclose any information.

A short while later, the soul stones on the teleportation formation had been swapped over.

Wen Siyue really was in a hurry to catch up to Han Li, so she could only turn down the two Star Palace cultivators' further attempts to make converstaiong, plastering the teleportation talisman onto her body before leading everyone else into the formation.

White light flashed again as all seven of them disappeared.

The two Star Palace cultivators glanced at one another and sighed in unison before wry smiles appeared on their faces.

On the other end of the teleportation formation, within a stone chamber over around 100 feet in size, Wen Siyue and her group emerged amid a burst of white light.

Moments later, the seven of them recovered from the bouts of dizziness that always struck following teleportation.

Wen Siyue hurriedly looked around, upon which her heart immediatley sank.

The stone chamber was completely empty, thus devoid of Han Li's presence.

"Wait here for me; I'm going to see if Senior Han is still nearby," Wen Siyue hurriedly instructed before rushing out the stone door without waiting for a reply from her Dao Companion.

The graceful man wanted to say something, but swallowed his words in the end after a brief hesitation. However, his brows were slightly furrowed as he looked on at Wen Siyue's departing figure.

Wen Siyue walked out of the stone chamber, and her eyes immediately lit up. The chamber was situated on a broad stone platform and the platform was, in turn, located on the peak of a steep mountain. The platform was surrounded entirely be sheer cliff faces that no mortal would have been able to climb up.

However, the cause for her elation was that Han Li was standing in a corner of the stone platform, conversing with a cultivator in Star Palace robes.

He stood with his hands behind his back and was speaking in a leisurely manner.

The burly and menacing mid-Core Formation cultivator was like an obedient lamb in the face of Han Li, nodding and bowing incessantly while providing answers to Han Li's quetions with a fearful expression.

It appeared that this man was Star Palace cultivator guarding the teleportation formations on this end.

Wen Siyue took a moment to compose herself, but she didn't immediately approach Han Li. Instead, she waited in silence as Han Li conversed with that Star Palace cultivator.

After a while, Han Li waved a hand and seemed to have asked all of the questions that he had.

The burly man extended a deep respectful bow before striding toward the stone chamber.

Only then did Wen Siyue make her way over to Han Li.

"Thank you for your help back there, Senior Han. If it weren't for you, not only would we have been unable to make it to the outer seas, we could have been in deep trouble as well," Wen Siyue said with a respectful bow.

Han Li wore a calm expression as he glanced at the woman, and asked, "Don't mention it. You were only caught because of me, so it was only right for me to lend you a hand. Your trip here seems to be rather urgent. Is there some important matter you have to attend to?"

"You have helped me a lot already and I should be content with the assistance I've received, but please forgive me for being greedy. My daughter is severely ill and could die at any moment. Please lend me your assistance again, Senior." Wen Siyue began to shed tears as she spoke and it was quite clear that she really was extremely concerned for her dauhghter.

"That poisoned little girl is your daughter?" A flash of light appeard in Han Li's eyes, but his expression still remained calm and collected.

"She is! You truly have an exceptional eye to be able to identify the cause of my daughter's illness, Senior Han!" Wen Siyue turned to Han Li with a hopeful expression upon hearing Han Li words.

"I overheard some parts of you conversation already. Haven't you already found a way to cure the poison? Why are you still coming to me?" Han Li asked.

"Indeed, my Dao Companion and I received guidance from a great man, telling us that the demon core of the White Yang Demon Fish could be used to create a pill that would cure this poison. However, this pill can't completely eradicate the poison. Even if it can temporarily save my daughter's life, her physique would be ruined and her cultivation path would be as good as over. You're a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator, Senior, so you must have a better solution. Please help us, Senior," Wen Siyue urgently explained.

"I see." Han Li didn't immediately agree to help her. He merely fell silent as a contemplative look appeared on his face.

Wen Siyue's heart was extremely uneasy, but she didn't dare to rush Han Li for an answer. She could only stare up Han Li with a pitiable beseeching look on her face.

Han Li looked up at the dazzling sun in the sky, then down at Wen Siyue's gorgeous features, and to her surprise, he said, "When did Brother Wen pass away?"

Wen Siyue was slightly taken aback to hear this, but a dejected look then appeared on her face as she replied, "When I returned to the inner seas all those years ago, Father had already disappeared. I've searched for him for several decades, but am still yet to find any leads. Unless Father has reached the Core Formation Stage, he has most likely already left his world."

"The path of cultivation is always fraught with peril; no one knows which step they'll be able to reach. If you were a stranger requesting for my assistance, then I would most likely ignore you. However, you've encountered me on more than one occasion, so it appears we have affinity with one another. Seeing as you're the daugher of my past acquaintance and I still have some time on my hands, I'll take a look at your daughter," Han Li finally agreed with a nod.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senrio!" Wen Siyue was overjoyed to hear this and was about to fall to her knees in gratitude.

"This is not a place to be administering treatment. I'll wait for you in the inn in that small twon at the foot of the mountain. Come on over when you and your compmanions are ready."

Han Li swept a sleeve through the air and an invisible force carried Wen Siyue's body, making her unable to fall to her knees as she intended. An azure light then flashed around him and he shot forth down the mountain as a streak of azure light.

Wen Siyue faltered momentarily before rushing toward the stone chamber with an elated expression.

Moments later, the seven of them all rushed toward the direction that Han Li had disappeared in.

"That Han brat has already reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage?"

In the Inner Star Seas countless kilometers away, within the cave on the Heavenly Star City's sacred mountain, an incredulous male voice rang out, causing the entire cave to tremor.

The man who had spoken was none other than one of the Heavenly Star Sages.

"He has. I was also in disbelief, but I used my spiritual sense to verify his cultivation base several times, so there's no mistaking it," a female voice sounded in reply. The woman named Wen Qing had already taken off her scarf, revealing a set of beautiful yet slightly pale features, and she sat down on a translucent and glittering jade stone platform in the cave.

"That means his cultivation aptitude is even superior to yours and mine." The man seemed to have recovered slightly from his initial astonishment.

"That does appear to be the case. As far as I know, he wasn't 200 years old yet when he disappeared. His cultivation progress is unmatched by any of the past masters of the Star Palace. You and I only managed to just barely reach the late-Nascent Soul Stage at about 500 years of age." Wen Qing heaved a forlorn sigh.

She had thought that she was a superb cultivation prodigy, only to find that she was merely a frog sitting in a well, and the stark contrast struck her with a sense of loss and sorrow.

"If that's the case, even if he's only just advanced to the late-Nascent Soul Stage, with the Heavenvoid Cauldron on his side, he should be able to match either one of us in battle. No wonder you changed your mind and let him go in the end. What's your first impression after talking to him?" the man asked with furrowed brows.

"First impression? He's very cautious and bold. No, not bold. Instead, he's..." Wen Qing's brows suddenly furrowed as an indecisive light flashed through her eyes.

"Is he difficult to describe?" the man asked.

After a brief hesitation, Wen Qing replied, "No, it's not that. It's just that thinking back now, I've discovered something a little suspicious."

"Suspicious?"

"Yes. Now that I think about it, he clearly knew that I was one of the Heavenly Star Sages and that he was situated in the Heavenly Star City, but he showed no fear or concern about his situation. Even with the Heavenvoid Cauldron, he shouldn't have been that confident. Also, when I was facing him, I was struck by this indescribable sense of fear, as if he's an extremely fearsome person. I haven't had such a feeling in a very long time," Wen Qing mused as she recalled the situation.

"You cultivated the Spirit Premonition Art, so your instincts are correct the vast majority of the time. That means that he really must be fearsome in some way." The man's voice had also become quite grave.

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"Perhaps he really is as fearsome as my instinctive impression of him suggested. Otherwise, how could he have been so calm and collected in my presence?" Wen Qing speculated.

"If that's the case, then the situation really is quite troublesome. We won't be able to kill him easily, so all we can do is try to recruit him with all our might. But with his immense power, if he were to join the Star Palace, how is Yuling going to be able to control him? Once one of us passes away, he could easily turn on us and take over the entire Star Palace!" A hint of killing intent was seeping out of the man's voice.

"So what you're saying is, we still have to get rid of him! But what if this man is too powerful for us to kill and he ends up escaping? We'll be making an enemy fearsome enemy for Yuling; the consequences of that will be catastrophic." Wen Qing was a little hesitant."Hmph, if we don't think of a way to get rid of this man, he's going to stir up the entire Scattered Star Seas sooner or later. We have no chance of making any further advancements on our cultivation paths, but we can't let the Star Palace fall by our hands. People who we can't recruit to our side must be killed! Even if it's going to be quite risky, we still have to try nonetheless," the man harrumphed coldly without any hesitation.

"You do have a point, but this is an extremely important matter. In my opinion, it's best to think carefully before we act." Wen Qing shook her head, clearly in disagreement with the proposed course of action.

"Are you really that wary of him? If we join forces and use the Divine Essencefused Mountain, there's no way he'd be able to escape!" the man declared in a haughty manner.

"If we join forces and use the Divine Essencefused Mountain, we do indeed have a 7o to 80% chance of killing him. However, he's a very cautious man and most likely wouldn't come to visit our sacred mountain voluntarily. Furthermore, the Divine Essencefused Mountain is extremely useful in defense, but very maladroit when used to attack and pursue enemies. If we really want to catch him off guard, we'd have to use the Divine Essenfused Mountain to enshroud the entire Starry Sky Palace in the exact instant that he teleports back from the outer seas. Only then can we ensure that he won't be able to escape. Otherwise, if he tries to get away, it'll be very difficult for us to kill him," the woman mused.

"I'm well aware of that. I heard you gave him a guest elder badge, right? That's a great idea. If he uses the badge, we'll be able to track his location and get a rough estimate of when he'll return. In that case, it won't be impossible to set up an ambush at the Starry Sky Palace," the man said in a sinister voice.

Wen Qing's brows furrowed and she didn't give a reply. Instead, she suddenly changed the topic and said something that was very surprising to the man.

"Almost all of the past masters of the Star Palace have consisted of a couple. Yuling is already an early-Nascent Soul cultivator, yet she still doesn't have a Dao Companion yet. Only by using the Star Palace's secret pair cultivation technique will she have a high success rate when progressing to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. Also, as long as one of the cultivators in the couple is a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, the Star Palace will remain a dominant force in the Scattered Star Seas. That was how we were able to become the masters of the Star Palace. There are only two or three Nascent Soul cultivators in the Star Palace of a similar age to Yuling, and she doesn't seem to have developed an interest in any of them. That's rather troublesome. What do you think of that Han brat? If he agrees to marry Yuling, how about we hand over the Star Palace to him? In that case, it would the same as handing the Star Palace over to Yuling. Also, with his astonishing rate of progression, there's a good chance that he'll be able to reach the Deity Transformation Stage. Under his protection, Yuling could also reach that level someday," Wen Qing offered her alternative.

"Have him become Yuling's Dao Companion? That's a good idea. However, this man is already a late-Nascent Soul cultivator at such a young age, so there's a good chance that he already has a Dao Companion, and he could even have a large number of concubines already." The man was still rather hesitant.

"So what even if that is the case? How can any of them compare to Yuling? We're handing over the Star Palace to him as a dowry; it should be apparent to him who's more important. In the worst-case scenario, he'll just have to abandon his concubines or make them his servants instead. This is not an uncommon occurrence in our cultivation world," Wen Qing replied with an indifferent smile.

The man nodded before saying in a solemn voice, "Alright, we'll do as you say, then. But if he turns us down, we'll have to join forces to get rid of him."

A peculiar look suddenly appeared in Wen Qing's eyes as a cold smile surfaced on her face. "Even if he doesn't agree, he won't be able to do anything to us. I have a plan that will make him become his worst enemy. When that time comes, he's going to slowly destroy himself and he won't be able to even think about touching our Star Palace."

"How are you going to do that? Make sure it doesn't backfire on us. The fact that this man was able to progress to the late-Nascent Soul Stage shows that he won't be easy to swindle." The man was rather surprised to hear this.

Wen Qing chuckled before her lips tremored, transmitting her voice to the man rather than speaking directly to him.

"You want to do that? No, I absolutely won't agree to this!" After listening for only a short while, a shocked look abruptly appeared on the man's face before his expression darkened.

However, Wen Qing paid him no heed and continued to transmit her voice to him. After listening for a while longer, the anger on the man's face gradually disappeared.

When Wen Qing finally concluded her voice transmission, the man fell into deep thought with his narrowed in contemplation.

Wen Qing waited patiently for him in silence with a smile on her face.

After a long which, a decisive look appeared on the man's face as he said, "We'll do as you say. If we don't succeed, then we'll employ other methods. In any case, we have to get rid of the Archsaint of the Six Paths, Wan Sangu, and any other people who could pose a threat to our Star Palace. Only then will we be able to hand over the Star Palace to Yuling!"

"Of course. Both of us still have over 100 years left of our lifespans. That's more than enough to take care of these matters, so we don't have to rush things. Hehe, as long as he wants to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage, there's no way he won't fall for this trap." The woman seemed to be very confident in her own plan.

Just as the Heavenly Star Sages concluded their discussion in the cave on the sacred mountain, Han Li was sitting in a peaceful wooden cabin on the Silver Shark Island. He was holding onto the wrist of a thin and frail young woman in his hand, and a wisp of his spiritual power was roaming through her body, searching for something.

This was none other than Wen Siyue's daughter, a young woman by the name of Tian Qin'er.

She was seated on a wooden bed with her legs folded in front of her, and her face was slightly flushed as she raised her exposed arm for Han Li's examination. As for Han Li himself, he sat by the edge of the bed with no expression on his face.

Nearby, Wen Siyue and the graceful man were standing completely still, not even daring to breathe too loudly as they stared at the young woman with concern in their eyes.

Meanwhile, their four Foundation Establishment Stage disciples were standing guard outside to prevent anyone from disrupting the diagnosis process.

Han Li finally released Tian Qin'er's wrist as he said, "The situation is indeed a little troublesome. This poison is constantly engulfing the spiritual power within her body, and it's rushing through her meridians in an extremely unpredictable manner. It's no wonder neither of you were able to do anything about this. You must've fed her a lot of pills, right? Otherwise, she would've perished a long time ago. Even so, pills are only a temporary fix and the spiritual power they offer will only provide more fuel for the poison. If things continue like this, she'll be dead in three months unless the poison is cured."

The couple was stunned to hear this and the graceful man asked in a trembling voice, "Senior Han, even you're unable to eradicate this poison?"

"I only said the situation was a little troublesome; when did I ever say I couldn't get rid of this poison?" Han Li glanced at the man and asked coldly.

"Apologies for my rudeness; please forgive me, Senior!" Only then did the man recall that Han Li was a great cultivator and was not someone he could voice his doubts against. Upon arriving at this realization, a sheen of cold sweat immediately surfaced on his forehead.

Han Li didn't say anything else. He turned toward the young woman sitting on the bed and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

The young woman had been completely silent ever since she entered the room. Her cheeks had been slightly flushed when he had grabbed onto her wrist but aside from that, she was remarkably calm.

This was not the reaction he expected from a normal person! Even most cultivators couldn't pay so little heed to whether they lived or died as she did.

What was even more surprising to Han Li was that he was struck by an indescribable sense of familiarity whenever he looked at her. This feeling was both familiar yet rather foreign, making him wonder if it were just a figment of his imagination. If it weren't for that fact that he had recently progressed to the late-Nascent Soul Stage, thereby significantly increasing the sensitivity of his spiritual sense, he most likely wouldn't even have been able to detect that ambiguous feeling. As for the poison that this young woman was afflicted by, taking care of it was a simple task to him.

Han Li was very perplexed and he fell into deep thought as he stared the young woman before him.

Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion were both also rather puzzled to see this, but they merely looked at one another and didn't dare to disrupt Han Li with their words.

All of a sudden, Han Li shuddered as a thought occurred to him. An extremely peculiar look appeared in his eyes as he appraised this "Tian Qin'er" again.

"Are you well-versed in formation spells?" Much to their surprise, Han Li asked a question that was completely unrelated to the poison that Tian Qin'er had been afflicted by.

The young woman turned to Han Li with astonishment in her eyes upon hearing this, as did Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion.

"Senior Han, how did you know that my daughter is well-versed in formation spells?" Wen Siyue couldn't help but asked.

"There was an acquaintance of mine who was also quite proficient in formation spells and she bore some resemblance to your daughter," Han Li replied as he quickly composed himself. At the same time, a lithe and graceful figure surfaced in his mind.This lithe and graceful figure was of none other than Xin Ruyin, the fiery woman whom he had met countless years ago.

The two of them were actually completely different in physical appearance, but their dispositions were astonishingly similar.

Could it just be a coincidence? Han Li had an unfathomable premonition that this was not the case.

A light flashed through his eyes as he suddenly grabbed onto the young woman's hand before flipping it over to reveal her palm.

There was a small red birthmark at the center of her palm and it was as vibrant as fresh blood.

"Impossible!"

Han Li exclaimed with an astonished expression.

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Han Li's outburst gave Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion a massive fright. Before they had a chance to inquire about the situation, a burst of light suddenly flashed from Han Li's fingertip as he tapped it toward the red birthmark on the young woman's palm.

A small ball of azure light then immediately disappeared into her palm.

Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion had no idea what was going on, but they didn't dare to disrupt what Han Li was doing.

An incredible scene then ensued.

After the azure light disappeared, the red birthmark became even more vibrant in color before beginning to elongate. Gradually, it transformed into a crimson dragon pattern that surfaced on the center of her palm. The dragon was extremely vivid and life-like, as if it were an actual living creature.

"I knew it!" Han Li murmured to himself. He turned to appraise Tian Qin'er again, and his expression became even more peculiar.

Wen Siyue's heart immediately clenched up with concern upon seeing this, and she asked, "Senior Han, is my daughter..."

Han Li exhaled, and asked, "It's alright, I've discovered why your daughter's condition is so strange. I heard from your conversation earlier than she was bitten by an unknown venomous insect before falling ill, right?"

Wen Siyue's heart stirred, and she hurriedly replied, "That's right, our daughter was indeed afflicted by a venomous insect. However, we managed to get the insect to bite us as well, and its venom was indeed rather difficult to eradicate, but definitely not as difficult as in our daughter's case."

Han Li pointed at the red dragon pattern on the center of the young woman's palm, and said, "Hehe, that's only natural. The venom is only a red herring, leading you to believe that it's the root cause for your daughter's condition when in reality, the thing that's actually posing a threat to her life is her Dragon Cry Physique! She's a female cultivator with a special physique unique to men. Furthermore, the insect most likely possessed extremely potent Yang-type venom as well, and the combination of those two factors culminated in her current condition! The venom is merely a catalyst; even without it, her vitality will gradually fade and she won't live past 40."

"Dragon Cry Physique? That's impossible! My Dao Companion and I checked our daughter thoroughly after she was born, and we didn't discover any abnormalities within her body." Wen Siyue's face immediately turned extremely pale.

"Her Dragon Cry Physique is very rare, and it's a type of recessive physique. Unless an external catalyst is introduced or it begins to take effect on its own, it's very difficult to detect. Those with such a physique would be able to progress quickly in their cultivation, but as their rate of progression increases, the Yin and Yang energies within their bodies will be thrown into imbalance. In the end, they'll inevitably perish before reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage," Han Li replied calmly.

"So that means even if this poison is eradicated, our daughter still won't be able to continue cultivating!" A panicked look appeared on Wen Siyue's face and her Dao Companion's expression had also become quite grave.

"We'll talk about those things later. Let me get rid of the poison within her body first. You two, leave this cabin for now, I'll call you two back in when I'm ready," Han Li instructed.

"Yes!" The couple naturally didn't dare to object and could only exit the room.

Upon seeing this, a hint of unease appeared on the young woman's face for the first time. Han Li turned toward her and abruptly swept a sleeve through the air.

Azure light flashed and Tian Qin'er felt her vision blur before she slumped onto the bed, completely unconscious.

Han Li began to carefully examine her again, as if he wanted to find out something by assessing her.

After a while, Han Li sighed and murmured to himself, "She has the same aura, she's also a woman with the Dragon Cry Physique, and she's well-versed in formation spells... Is this really just a coincidence or does reincarnation actually exist?"

He then brought his hands together before separating them again, upon which a dozen or so shiny silver needles as thin as threads of silk appeared between his fingers.

Han Li waved his hands through the air and the silver needles shot forth, piercing into certain spots on the young woman's body with unerring accuracy, before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Han Li then made a series of hand seals as his fingers danced in an erratic manner. Bursts of light of all different colors flew forth from between his fingers, instantly transforming into a five-colored net of light that encompassed the young woman beneath it...

Outside the wooden cabin was a small courtyard, within which Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion were standing. They were constantly staring at the door of the wooden cabin with concern flashing through their eyes.

It appeared that the two of them really were extremely loving of their only daughter.

The four Foundation Establishment disciples stood off to the sides, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

The wooden cabin was completely silent and this silence was only further fueling the graceful man's anxiety.

However, despite his concerns, he didn't dare to transmit his voice to Wen Siyue. He knew just how powerful a late-Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual sense was, and he was well aware that there was no way his voice transmission would escape Han Li's notice. If he said something to irk Han Li, then the consequences could prove to be disastrous.

Just as his concern and anxiety were reaching a boiling point, Han Li's voice suddenly sounded in his ears.

"Alright, you can come in now."

The graceful man immediately rushed toward the cabin's door upon hearing this. As he did so, he took a glance at Wen Siyue.

She was also wearing a delighted expression, thereby indicating that she must have received the voice transmission as well. Thus, the man immediately pushed open the door and walked in without any hesitation.

Wen Siyue followed closely behind him.

Han Li was still sitting on the same chair, and his head was lowered as he examined a ball of fist-sized azure flames in his hand. Within the flames were enveloped a few wisps of twisted and erratic black threads.

Those threads seemed to possess a spiritual nature. Meanwhile, the young woman was lying completely still on the bed, seemingly sound asleep. The room was filled with an indistinct and peculiar fragrance that was extremely faint.

"Senior Han, my daughter..."

"I fed her a Dream Return Pill. You two can go and have a look at her for yourselves," Han Li cut off Wen Siyue inquiry as he rose to his feet and left the wooden cabin.

Wen Siyue was greatly relieved to hear this and after expressing her utmost gratitude, she and her Dao Companion hurried over to the bed to assess their daughter's condition.

Meanwhile, Han Li was playing with the balls of flames in his hand as he walked into the courtyard outside.

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators were stunned by Han Li's emergence, and immediately attempted to extend salutes toward this unfathomably powerful man.

However, Han Li casually waved a hand at them, indicating for them to be at ease. He then made his way over to a corner of the courtyard and glanced at the ball of azure light in his hand, before abruptly rubbing his hands together.

Golden light immediately erupted between his two hands amid the sound of rumbling thunderclaps.

The azure ball of light only shimmered several times before it was reduced to wisps of smoke by the golden light. The twisted black threads also suffered the same fate as they were reduced to nothingness.

An extremely foul and putrid odor wafted through the air, striking one with the urge to retch.

Han Li's brows furrowed as he swept his sleeve through the air, sweeping up a powerful gust of wind that blew the horrible odor away.

He then clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky with his eyes narrowed, seemingly in deep thought.

After a long while, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind him.

Han Li turned around, and said in an indifferent voice, "I've already eradicated the majority of the poison in her body, but it's best that you find the White Yang Demon Fish's demon core, then get her to consume it raw. After that, if there are any remnants of poison within her body, it'll be expelled as well."

"Thank you for your great kindness, Senior. In my next life, I'll be sure to serve you as your most loyal servant to repay this debt!" The person who was approaching Han Li was none other than Wen Siyue.

"Next life? Do you really believe in reincarnation for us cultivators?" Han Li asked in a rather peculiar voice.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Senior." Wen Siyue was rather perplexed by this random question.

"Forget about it, I was just thinking out loud. Let me issue you a warning; I injected some of my Profound Yin spiritual power into your daughter's body, which has temporarily repressed the backlash from her Dragon Cry Physique. However, that's only a temporary fix. If she gives up on cultivation, she'll be able to live as long as a normal person with the assistance of some pills. However, if she does continue to cultivate, even if the Yang-type energy in her body becomes just slightly more powerful, the spiritual power I planted in her will lose its effect and the backlash will commence again. Do you understand?" Han Li warned with a stern expression.

"Is there really no way to eradicate the effects of the Dragon Cry Physique? Please tell me if there's a way, Senior. I really wouldn't be able to bear the pain of outliving my daughter!" Wen Siyue's face was slightly pale as she sank to her knees again.

On this occasion, Han Li didn't stop her. Instead, he merely said in a calm voice, "There is a way, but it'll be very difficult for you to achieve it."

Wen Siyue gritted her teeth with a determined expression, and said, "As long as my daughter can cultivate again, I'll do anything, even if it means giving up my life!"

Han Li seemed to have been touched by Wen Siyue's maternal love, and his expression eased as he revealed, "This is not something that can be done by a mere Core Formation cultivator. However, if you had a Nascent Soul cultivator readily available to lend you their services, then this method can be achieved. It's actually quite simple; all you need is a Nascent Soul cultivator to inject some Yin-type energy into your daughter's body every once in a while. In doing so, the Yang-type energy in her body will be counteracted against and she'll be able to continue cultivating. However, the prerequisite to that is that you must have a Nascent Soul cultivator who will come and go and your behest. Otherwise, you must get your daughter to constantly stay with a Nascent Soul cultivator. Of course, pills will need to be consumed during this process as well and as her cultivation improves, the pills required will be more and more precious. If she reaches the Foundation Establishment Stage, you and your Dao Companion most likely won't be able to afford the required pills."

"I need a Nascent Soul cultivator that comes and goes at my behest?" Wen Siyue's face immediately paled.

Her heart sank as soon as Han Li described this method to her. No matter how much she loved her daughter, she knew that this was simply impossible.

At most, she and her Dao Companion would perhaps be able to beg a Nascent Soul cultivator to administer treatment to their daughter on one or two occasions, but who would be willing to essentially become a slave to two Core Formation cultivators? As for the other alternative of having a Nascent Soul cultivator constantly stay with their daughter, that was even less plausible.

After all, Nascent Soul cultivators generally only accepted Core Formation Stage disciples. Of course, if Tang Qin'er was extremely beautiful and had extraordinary aptitude, it was possible that a Nascent Soul cultivator would make an exception for her. However, with her current sickly looks and her cultivation physique, how could they expect her to catch any Nascent Soul cultivator's eye?

With that in mind, Wen Siyue was plunged into complete despair!

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Her Dao Companion had also made his way out of the wooden cabin just in time to hear Han Li's proposed solutions, and his face also paled with despair.

However, he took a deep breath to muster up his courage before making his way over to Han Li. He extended a deep bow toward Han Li, and said in an earnest voice, "We're not asking for much; we only want our daughter to live a little longer. Even if she only makes it to the Foundation Establishment Stage, that's enough. Would my Dao Companion and I somehow be able to combine our powers to repress the backlash from our daughter's Yang-type energy, just so we can help Qin'er reach the Foundation Establishment Stage?"

Han Li glanced at the man before shaking his head as he said, "At your current early-Core Formation Stage cultivation bases, it would definitely be impossible. However, if you can reach the late-Core Formation Stage and be willing to sacrifice some of your cultivation base, you can give it a try."

Even the man fell completely silent this time.

They wanted to ask for Han Li's assistance, but they didn't dare to ask for more.

Han Li had already provided them with more help than they had any right to ask for. No matter how much the two of them loved their daughter, they knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to keep pressing Han Li.

After all, this was not an issue that could be resolved on a one-time basis. The solution would be for Han Li to constantly keep the young woman by his side, and it was quite clear that no high-grade cultivator would be willing to carry such baggage with them.

However, to their surprise, Han Li provided them with an alternative arrangement, one that shocked them to such an extent that they couldn't help but think that they had misheard him.

"I have a formation spells book here for your daughter. If she masters the contents of this book to a satisfactory degree the next time I see her, I can consider taking her under my wing. Of course, in that case, I'll also help her reach the Foundation Establishment Stage and perhaps even the Core Formation Stage. However, it's up to her to convince me to take her first. Let me make this clear now; this book is only for your daughter to read. If you two try to master the contents of the book, then attempt to teach her, I'll definitely be able to see through your tricks and I'll leave right away!"Han Li's voice wasn't very loud, but his words exploded like claps of thunder in the hearts of Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion.

"Senior Han, are you being serious right now?" Wen Siyue was in complete disbelief.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face as he swept a sleeve through the air. A jade box shot forth from within, hovering slowly toward the couple.

"That box contains the book 'Formation Spell Essentials'. The formation spells depict in the book aren't very complex, but there are some unique aspects that I'll be focusing on to test your daughter's aptitude in formation spells," Han Li said.

The "Formation Spell Essentials" book in the jade box was one of the books that Xin Ruyin had bestowed upon him all those years ago. Han Li felt that it was only fitting for him to give this book to Tian Qin'er.

Wen Siyue was overjoyed as she carefully accepted the jade box.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior! Qin'er is quite talented in the way of formation spells, so she definitely won't disappoint you! May I ask when you'll meet our daughter again?" Wen Siyue asked with an urgent expression.

"That's hard to say. If everything goes smoothly, maybe I'll see her again in a year or so. If not, it may take several years. Let me reinforce this; during this period of time, she absolutely cannot use any cultivation arts. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, she won't be able to live until she sees me again. Here is a vial of Purple Yin Pills. Feed her one of these per month and she won't require any other pills for the next few years." Han Li patted his storage pouch to produce an azure vial that was several inches in height, which he tossed to the couple.

This time, the graceful man was the one who accepted the vial with elation and immediately began to express his gratitude.

"Alright, after you find the White Yang Demon Fish's demon core, go to the Stalwart Star Island to wait for me a year from now. As long as you stay on that island, I'll be able to find you. I still have important matters I must attend to, so I won't stay here any longer." After providing this series of instructions, spiritual light flashed around his body and he shot forth into the distance as a streak of azure light, not affording the couple an opportunity to keep him.

The couple's expressions were slightly surprised by Han Li's sudden departure, but they still hurriedly bowed into the distance toward the direction he had just disappeared in.

The streak of azure light quickly disappeared from their line of sight, and only then did they dare to stand tall again. They took a glance at one another and both of them could see their own joy mirrored in each other's eyes.

If it weren't for Han Li's help, even if they could cure the poison in their daughter's body, she would still most likely perish in the near future. Furthermore, Han Li had also helped Wen Siyue in her cultivation in the past, and the couple was extremely grateful toward him.

After returning to the wooden cabin, the two of them began to discuss how they were going to search for the White Yang Demon Fish's demon core, as well as how they were going to organize for Tian Qin'er to study that formation spell book.

At this point, Han Li had already left Silver Shark Island. He abruptly changed directions and flew deeper into the ocean.

He wore a contemplative look on his face as he streaked through the air.

It was a spur of the moment decision for him to give this Tian Qin'er this opportunity. He wanted to meet her again mostly because he wanted to determine her true origin. After all, the fact that she possessed the Dragon Call Physique in a female body and that familiar disposition she had made it very difficult for him to believe that everything was merely a coincidence.

If her formation spell aptitude was also quite exceptional, thereby allowing her to easily glean the essence of that Formation Spell Essentials book, then there was a good chance that she really was a reincarnation of Xin Ruyin or possessed some other mysterious origin.

There were actually past instances of reincarnations in the cultivation world, where the reincarnated person had retained some of their traits and memories from their past lives. These cases were extremely rare, but there definitely were precedents.

However, none of those cases could actually be verified with evidence and were only rumors that seemed to be somewhat plausible. Due to those rumors, legends regarding the underworld also began to circulate and it had somehow become a mysterious existence akin to the Spirit Realm.

Some speculated that the underworld was an independent realm, while others gandered that the underworld was a mysterious location in the human world. Of course, there were also those who were of the opinion that the underworld didn't exist and was only a figment of popular imagination.

Han Li had always been sitting on the fence when it came to this matter.

To him, there was no way to verify either side of the argument, so there was no point in thinking about it as it would just be a waste of time.

However, Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin were good friends of his. In particular, he admired Xin Ruyin's fiery nature greatly. Now that he had become an immensely powerful cultivator, if this Tian Qin'er really was Xin Ruyin reincarnate, then he wouldn't mind taking her under his wing.

Furthermore, Xin Ruyin had only been a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the time, yet she could already assist Qi Yunxiao in developing low-grade formation tools. If she had lived a long enough life, had sufficient formation spell books to reference, and saw more of the world, her achievements in the formation spell field would have been immeasurable.

His main priority was to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage, so he definitely wouldn't be able to focus much attention on studying formation spells. If he could take in a disciple with exemplary formation spell aptitude, and raise her to become a formation spells master, she would definitely be able to provide much assistance to him in the future.

After grappling with these thoughts for a long while, Han Li heaved a faint sigh and decided to set aside this train of thought for now. He suddenly flipped a hand over and a white jade slip suddenly appeared.

He scanned through the jade slip's contents with his spiritual sense, upon which the image of a massive sea chart appeared in his mind. This was the map that the Star Palace cultivator guarding the teleportation formations had given him.

Prior to coming here, he had already verified the location of the island that housed the high-grade spirit stone mine. This was once a nameless island that had since been named "Green Spirit Island". Apparently, this was because most of the spirit stones discovered there were wood-attribute spirit stones.

According to the sea charts, this Green Spirit Island was located extremely far north of Silver Shark Island. Even a Core Formation cultivator would have to fly several months without rest to get there, and it was almost the farthest point that normal cultivators could reach, which was why the spirit stone mind on the island had only been discovered recently.

It was said that this island was extraordinarily massive and was originally only inhabited by some demon beasts. The mines were distributed all over the island and they had been split among the Starfall Coalition, the Star Palace, the demon beasts in the sea.

As large amounts of high-grade spirit stones were excavated from the island, the few islands nearby also began to thrive. Gradually, some smaller powers and itinerant cultivators gathered together, constructing a few small towns and markets that people could stop by on the way to Green Spirit Island. As such, a colony of human cultivators was established in what was once the middle of nowhere. Furthermore, it was said that the Star Palace the Starfall Coalition were both looking into setting up new teleportation formations near the island.

Han Li assessed all of the information he had attained on Green Spirit Island again and after deciding that he wasn't missing anything, he put away the jade slip and accelerated through the air.

By his estimations, it would most likely take him three months to get the Green Spirit Island at his current speed.

The scenery over the ocean was naturally extremely bland. There were only vast expanses of blue stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions, and there was nothing else to punctuate the stretches of seawater.

Han Li continued on his journey and more than a month had passed by in the blink of an eye.

Along the way, he stopped by some islands to recover his magic power and the journey had gone very smoothly. He hadn't encountered any mishaps or unexpected accidents thus far. He would occasionally pass by a few cultivators, but he merely flew past them without paying them any heed.

Most of these cultivators were at the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation Stages, and upon witnessing the speed at which Han Li was traveling, they naturally stayed out of his way in the knowledge that he was far too powerful for them to mess with.

He did encounter an unidentifiable sixth grade demon beast that sprang out of the ocean and tried to eat him.

However, that demon beast was sliced in half by a stroke of his sword, and he plucked away its demon core for good measure.

He had only slain the demon beast as it was of a relatively high grade. Otherwise, he couldn't even be bothered to swing his sword.

On this day, Han Li encountered another small island that was piled up from black rocks. Aside from some seaweed, there was nothing living growing on the island. However, he descended upon it without any hesitation and sat down on a relatively flat rock, before closing his eyes to recover his energy.

Half a day passed and the sky gradually began to darken. The crimson sun set beneath the horizon and the air temperature instantly dropped significantly.

However, none of that was enough to faze Han Li. He merely summoned a layer of azure light to shield his body from the cold.

When the final ray of sunlight disappeared, the entire surface of the ocean was plunged into complete darkness.

Right at this moment, the entire small island that he was situated on suddenly tremored violently. Immediately thereafter, a loud roar that sounded like a muffled thunderclap erupted from the bottom of the ocean nearby. It was somewhere between the moo of a cow and the roar of a tiger!

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Han Li's eyes immediately sprang open upon hearing this roar, and a surprised look appeared on his face.

With the power of his current spiritual sense, even without intentionally releasing it, he could gauge the situation in a radius of several thousand feet around him as if it were second nature. Furthermore, prior to landing on this island, he had made sure to scan through the surrounding area in a radius of close to 50 kilometers, but was unable to find any demon beasts.

However, now was not the time to consider these things. He immediately unleashed his spiritual sense with all his might toward the seabed around the small island.

The roar had come from directly down below!

Mere moments later, Han Li's expression changed and he suddenly shot forth into the sky as a streak of azure light. He reached an altitude of several thousand feet in the blink of an eye before stopping there, looking down below with a grave expression.

Almost at the exact same moment, gusts of sea wind intermingled with a foul odor were swept up. Countless vortexes of different sizes appeared on the face of the nearby ocean and rows of massive waves, each over 100 feet tall, emerged one after the other. Loud rumbling booms erupted as the gargantuan waves crashed into each other, sending vast amounts of seawater spraying into the air above.

A horrifying doomsday-like scenario ensued.

Han Li spread his spiritual sense even further and to his astonishment, he discovered that the sea in a radius of roughly 50 kilometers had all been plunged into the same state of turmoil.

As his spiritual sense descended toward the seabed, it was forcibly sucked away by something after reaching depths of over 10,000 feet.

Even though he reacted just in time to withdraw his spiritual sense, a small wisp of it had still been forcibly taken.

A wave of shock surged through his heart as he hurriedly flew higher up into the air, awaiting the emergence of the creature in the ocean in a solemn manner.

Could it be that there was some almighty demon beast down there? But even a tenth grade demon beast seemed to be unable to stir up such a terrifying commotion. Perhaps this was a legendary Deity Transformation Stage demon beast, but that didn't seem to be the case either.

If he wasn't mistaken, once a demon beast exceeded the tenth grade, they would also be negatively affected by the lack of the world's origin Qi in the human world, so how could it display its might with such reckless abandon?

In doing so, it would be inflicting self-harm!

As such, Han Li was rather perplexed.

Theoretically speaking, once a demon beast exceeded the tenth grade, they would be assigned the same cultivation base titles as human cultivators. Of course, it was also acceptable to continue to refer to them as eleventh grade of twelfth grade beasts. It was just that human cultivators normally wouldn't refer to them as such.

After all, once a demon beast exceeded the tenth tier, they would become one of the most powerful beings in the human world. How would a human cultivator dare to regard such a fearsome being as just an ordinary demon beast?

In any case, the commotion raging down below was simply far too intense! Even as a late-Nascent Soul cultivator who had been through countless ordeals, Han Li was starting to get a little uneasy.

However, whatever it was that was lurking in the depths of the ocean simply refused to reveal itself. Instead, it was only sweeping up winds and waves of greater intensity, to the extent that there were even colossal waves over 1,000 feet tall rising out of the water.

Han Li's expression changed slightly as he finally made a decision. Regardless of what it was that was stirring up such terrifying phenomena, the best course of action for him was to refrain from taking any risks and getting away from this place as quickly as possible.

With that in mind, he turned around and prepared to fly away from the small island down below.

However, right at this moment, an extremely sharp screech suddenly erupted in his ear.

He was caught completely off guard and his head began to ring as a result. He was struck by a sense of dizziness and vertigo, causing him to plummet straight down from the air above.

The protective barrier of azure light around his body was completely unable to keep out this ghastly noise.

However, Han Li only plummeted down over 100 feet before a resounding boom erupted from his body. Purple flames exploded forth for several feet around him and at the same time, arcs of golden lightning danced through the flames, completely shielding him within.

Only then did the sense of dizziness disappear and Han Li was able to arrest his downward momentum before hovering in the air again.

However, his expression was extremely dark. He raised his head to look up into the sky as he could clearly detect that the sharp screeching noise had come from up above.

A massive black shadow had obscured the murky grey sky completely without him noticing. There was no end in sight to this black shadow, but it was extremely blurry, giving one the sense that it was a mere illusion, thus creating an immensely unsettling sight to behold.

That sharp screech had erupted from deep within that black shadow!

Han Li looked up at the cloud and mist that had appeared overhead with a dark expression.

He had been extremely careful and alert, yet such a massive phenomenon in the sky had completely escaped his notice. That was very strange in itself.

He didn't have time to think too much about this matter as he carefully swept his spiritual sense upward. However, before his spiritual sense had even come into contact with the black shadow, it was rebounded by an invisible force, preventing it from being able to infiltrate so much as a single inch.

That made him even more wary of what lay up above.

After drawing a sharp breath, Han Li's body instantly transformed into a streak of azure light as hurtled into the distance.

He didn't know what was going on, but it was naturally a good idea to get away from this place.

At his current power level, he was able to travel close to 10 kilometers in just a few flashes when flying at full speed.

Right at this moment, the sharp screeching noise coming from above suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and a burst of violent spatial twisting took place in the air above the island on which Han Li had previously been resting.

In a certain section of the massive black shadow, a vast expanse of white light flashed and a dazzling spatial rift emerged from thin air.

A gargantuan creature then slowly emerged from the white light before descending toward the ocean.

Han Li just so happened to catch sight of this when he turned back in the distance, and his heart immediately jolted with shock. He then carefully assessed the situation, upon which his expression changed drastically.

That unidentifiable gargantuan object was clearly the claw of a certain demon beast. Not only was it entirely green in color, just the section that was revealed was several thousand feet in length. It was as if a huge mountain had appeared out of thin air.

However, the claw seemed to be making extremely arduous progress as it was emerging from the white light in a very slow manner.

Even so, before the gargantuan claw had fully emerged, the vast spiritual power emanating from it was already making the waves down below clash more violently. Fearsome hurricanes were swept up on the surface of the ocean and colossal waves over 1,000 feet in height had become a common sight.

The black shadow in the sky was definitely obscuring a demon beast that was unfathomably huge. Furthermore, it seemed to be attempting to attack this world through a layer of space.

Using the gargantuan claw as reference, this demon was at least tens of thousands of feet in length. Such an insanely gargantuan beast had only been heard of occasionally during the primordial desolate era.

There was definitely no beast of such a mind-numbingly fearsome size residing in the human world at present!

Han Li gulped nervously before immediately spreading open his Thunderstorm Wings. A loud thunderclap erupted as he transformed into a silver arc of lightning and disappeared on the spot.

After flashing about a dozen times in rapid succession, Han Li finally caught sight of a hint of murky greyness at the edge of the black shadow, upon which a slight sense of relief welled up in his heart.

However, before he had a chance to turn around, the beast at the bottom of the ocean suddenly let loose a loud roar that was filled with violent rage.

Han Li's heart sank as he twisted around to look behind him.

A resounding boom erupted as the small island that he had been situated on not long ago rapidly sank into the ocean. At the same time, a massive vortex with a radius of over five kilometers appeared on the surface of the ocean.

Immediately thereafter, inky-black mist began to waft out from the center of the vortex.

There were initially only a few wisps of this mist, but it instantly began to expand drastically, turning gargantuan in size in what seemed like mere moments. The entire vortex had been filled by pitch-black mist before long, and not only could ghostly wails be indistinctly heard croming from within, there were also peculiar arcs of black lightning that were flashing incessantly within the mist.

What was even stranger was that all of the fish, shrimp, and other living creatures near the vortex were being sucked into it! All of them rapidly traveled toward the mist like moths to a flame before being engulfed into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

"That's ghost mist!" Han Li exclaimed after identifying the black mist in the vortex.

The substance that had surfaced from the bottom of the ocean was none other than the ghost mist, which had engulfed him once before. Even as a late-Nascent Soul cultivator now, the sight of it still sent chills running down his spine.

Even to this day, he still had a clear recollection of the sense of complete powerlessness he had been afflicted by in the Umbra Realm!

Thankfully, the ghost mist on this occasion seemed to be slightly different compared to last time in that it was only tumbling and churning within the vortex instead of spreading in all directions. Han Li temporarily set aside his plan to flee the scene upon seeing that.

At his current power level, even if the ghost mist were to spread once again, he would be fast enough to outrun it from such a far distance away.

Thus, he stared silently into the massive vortex. He was certain that the beastly roar he had heard earlier had come from the ghost mist, which struck him with a sense of bewilderment.

At this moment, the gargantuan azure claw had completely emerged from the white light and just as Han Li had thought, it really was the claw of a certain beast. Azure spiritual light was flashing incessantly over the claw and it had expanded to more than twice its original size, creating quite a harrowing sight for Han Li to behold.

The sharp screeching that had cut off earlier erupted from within the black shadow again, immediately following which the colossal azure claw shuddered before five thick pillars of light shot forth from the tips of the claws, hurtling down below. The pillars of light were remarkably green and immediately disappeared into the ghost mist down below. As the giant claws began to move, the five pillars of green light began to stir up the ghost mist, causing the beastly roar erupting from within the vortex to falter momentarily before becoming even more thunderously enraged.

The mist tumbled before converging to form a massive inky-black mouth filled with sharp fangs, which took up the entire vortex.

The five pillars of azure light were immediately swallowed by the massive mouth.

Han Li was dumbstruck by what he was witnessing.

Right at this moment, the huge black mouth closed, biting the five pillars of light in half before abruptly opening again.

A thunderous boom erupted from within the massive mouth as an inky-black bolt of lightning shot forth, vanquishing the five pillars of light with its fearsome might.

The huge bolt of lightning then transformed into a pitch-black flood dragon before disappearing without a trace.

In the next instant, the gargantuan lightning flood dragon appeared beneath the black shadow before plunging into the air above.

An earthshattering thunderclap erupted, following which the flood dragon forcibly tore open a white spatial rift before disappearing into it.

Arcs of black lightning flashed wildly through the rift amid explosive claps of thunder. A howl of anguish then erupted as an azure feather that was over 10 feet in length fluttered down from the white light. The huge azure claws that had extended from the other side of the rift also abruptly withdrew themselves.

Both spatial rifts began to seal over following that agonized howl. The black shadow that seemed to have obscured the entire heavens had also disappeared.

The murky grey sky was revealed once again as a result.

Almost at the exact same moment, the colossal vortex down below began to tumble violently, compressing all of the black mist together before absorbing it into the bottom of the ocean through an immense suction force. At the same time, the vortex rapidly shrank and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Not long after that, peace and tranquility resumed over the surface of the ocean. Aside from the fact that the island Han Li had been resting on had disappeared, there was no evidence to support the fact that such an ethereal earthshattering battle had just taken place!

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Han Li hovered in mid-air in the distance and was not in the hurry to return to that spot. Instead, after a brief hesitation, he closed his eyes and released his powerful spiritual sense, which encompassed an area with a radius of around 50 kilometers.

There were no other phenomena to be seen. The unfathomably massive creature had indeed disappeared.

Han Li didn't hesitate any longer as he sent his spiritual sense plunging into the ocean attempting to assess the situation down below.

A short while later, Han Li abruptly opened his eyes as a hint of bewilderment appeared on his face.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he suddenly patted the storage pouch on his waist. A silver light flashed and an azure figure appeared before him; it was none other than the humanoid puppet.

"Go."

Han Li issued a command as he swept his sleeve downward.

The humanoid puppet immediately transformed into a streak of silver light and hurtled toward the ocean, covering several kilometers in just a few flashes.

A short white later, the silver streak of light reached the location where the ghost mist had appeared earlier before plunging downward without any hesitation. The humanoid puppet immediately disappeared deep into the ocean.

Han Li sat in mid-air with his legs folded in front of him, using his spiritual sense to form a connection with the humanoid puppet, thereby allowing him to manipulate it as if it were an avatar of his.

The seabed nearby was far deeper than the seabed in the surrounding ocean. Only after plunging down to a depth of around 40,000 to 50,000 did the humanoid puppet reach the bottom.

However, there was absolutely nothing there. Not only were there no demon beasts around, there wasn't even any coral or seaweed around. Furthermore, the terrain was far too flat to be normal without any undulation in the topography at all.

The humanoid puppet searched through the surrounding area before suddenly rushing toward a certain direction.

After a short while, it discovered a ball of azure light hovering in the water several kilometers away.

The ball of light was rising and sinking erratically, as if it possessed a spiritual nature.

Golden light suddenly shot forth from the humanoid puppet's eyes as the speed at which it was traveling increased severalfold. After just a few flashes, it was only just over 100 feet away from the ball of light.

At this point, it was finally able to identify that there was a feather roughly 10 feet in length within the ball of light. The feather was shimmering with faint spiritual light, as if it were a living creature.

Silver light flashed from the humanoid puppet's body once again, taking it directly above the feather. It immediately reached down for the feather without any hesitation in an attempt to grab it.

However, a surprising turn of events unfolded!

The puppet's fingertip was flashing with silver light and soon as it came into contact with the azure light, the light around feather suddenly intensified as it blurred into nonexistence, seemingly as if it had disappeared into thin air.

As a result, the puppet only managed to grab ahold of empty space!

The humanoid puppet faltered slightly, seemingly also a little shocked by this development.

However, in the next instant, azure light flashed over 300 feet away, and the feather reappeared, as if it had always been there.

This time, the puppet chose to observe the azure feather as opposed to acting recklessly. However, the feather began to drift into the distance again.

The puppet didn't let it drift far, however, as it sprang into action again when the azure feather had drifted just over 1,000 feet away.

Silver light flashed as the puppet transformed into a silver streak of light before appearing above the feather. However, on this occasion, it didn't make a grab for it with its hand. Instead, it waved its hand through the air.

A shimmering silver hand of light appeared before reaching for the feather in its stead.

The same thing happened again; the azure light shuddered slightly before the feather teleported away again.

However, when it reappeared again this time, loud thunderclaps suddenly erupted above it as golden lightning came crashing down from above, instantly ensnaring it in a net of golden lightning.

The feather flashed violently and teleported several times in quick succession, but it would always be rebounded mercilessly by the golden light as soon as it reappeared, rendering its teleportation ability completely useless.

At this moment, a humanoid figure appeared in the air above the golden net of lightning. This was none other than Han Li himself, who had also ventured down into the bottom of the ocean.

Han Li looked at the azure feather trapped in the golden net and clicked his tongue in wonder.

This item appeared to be simply extraordinary!

Not only was it emanating azure spiritual light, upon closer inspection, Han Li discovered that the patterns on its surface were constructed from all types of mysterious runes were layered on top of one another and only faintly discernible.

However, a small section of the feather's tip had been charred black and there were a few crimson marks on its end, within which wisps of golden light were flashing.

Han Li was naturally aware of the fact that this was definitely some sort of rare treasure! Thus, and elated expression appeared on his face as he patted his storage pouch, instantly producing several talismans in the process.

He raised a hand and one of the talismans shot forth toward the net. However, azure light flashed and the feather seemed to have adopted an insubstantial state of being, allowing the talismans to pass directly through it.

Han Li's expression faltered upon seeing this, and rather than being enraged by this development, he was ecstatic.

This item possessed an extremely potent spiritual nature, thereby lending further support to the notion that it was an extraordinary treasure.

Thus, he immediately made a hand seal and began to chant something.

The golden lightning net contracted drastically to a radius of around 10 feet at his behest, affording the azure feather no avenue for retreat or evasion.

He then opened his mouth to expel a mouthful of blood essence onto the talisman in his hand. At the same time, he cast a series of incantation seals in quick succession, all of which disappeared into the talisman.

After releasing that talisman, the azure feather in the golden net attempted to evade it again, but the talisman stuck to it like glue.

The azure light receded and the feather took on a much more mundane appearance.

Only then did Han Li withdraw his Divine Devilbane Lightning and feigned a grabbing motion, upon which the hovering azure feather was drawn to his hand.

Upon careful inspection, he abruptly raised his eyebrows as he gently tapped the feather with his finger.

An incredible scene ensued!

Faint spiritual light began to shimmer around the azure feather and it rapidly shrank to around a foot in length in the blink of an eye.

Furthermore, the talisman that was stuck to the feather had also shrunk along with it. That was quite an interesting observation.

Han Li's stirred slightly as he held onto the shaft of the feather and waved it gently.

Azure light instantly erupted from the feather, sweeping up an extremely powerful gust of wind-attribute spiritual power.

The spiritual power was extremely pure and Han Li was delighted to make this discovery!

However, this wasn't the time to be contemplating how to use this treasure. As such, Han Li stored it into a jade box before putting it into his storage pouch. He then deployed the humanoid puppet again to search for any other noteworthy items in the surrounding area.

However, Han Li was already very satisfied. As such, he didn't linger any longer in this area. He withdrew the humanoid puppet and flew away from this place as a streak of azure light.

During the rest of his journey to Green Spirit Island, Han Li began to carefully contemplate the incident surrounding the giant beast and the ghost mist.

It was quite clear that the battle he had just witnessed was far beyond something that any cultivator in the human world could interfere with. That giant beast seemed to be a powerful demon from the Spirit Realm or some other alternate realm. Furthermore, that ghost mist seemed to be alive and also appeared to be more powerful than the giant beast.

That was quite a shocking revelation to Han Li at the time.

The only living beings in the human world that could be so astonishing had to those legendary devils.

Back when he had been trapped in the Umbra Realm, he had suspected that the Umbra Realm had somehow been related to Devil Luo Mian. After all, only half-spirit half-demon beings like them would possess the incredible ability to easily tear through space and travel throughout the realms.

That unfathomably massive beast appeared to also possess power that defied the natural order. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to forcibly attack the ghost mist through the boundary between realms.

With Han Li's vast reserves of experience, in conjunction with the knowledge he had gleaned from reading the many ancient tomes that he had, he could roughly make sense of what he had just witnessed.

However, no matter how spot-on he was with his speculation, fearsome beings like Luo Mian were far too powerful for him to do anything against. As such, he could only treat that as a bizarre experience.

Two months and a day later, Han Li was just flying over the ocean when his expression suddenly changed, and he shot forth in a certain direction.

He had only traveled a few kilometers when bursts of explosive booms erupted up ahead.

In the distance, not too far away from his current location, spiritual light was flashing incessantly as three cultivators were fighting for their lives, trying to ward off a high-grade demon beast. Among the three of them, one was an early-Core Formation cultivator, while the other two were only at the late-Foundation Establishment Stage. Unfortunately for them, that demon core was at the sixth grade. Even after the three of them combined their powers, they could only just barely ensure self-preservation.

Han Li stopped in mid-air and began to carefully appraise this battle.

The Core Formation cultivator was a middle-aged man wearing a conical bamboo hat that obscured most of his face. His skin appeared to be quite dark and he was manipulating a yellow flying sword, with which he was taking on most of the demon beast's attacks. As for the other two late-Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of them was an elderly man with white hair while the other was a young woman who appeared to be around 17 or 18 years of age. They were wielding an azure flying trident and a fiery crimson wheel, respectively, and they seemed to be rather powerful as well.

The sixth grade demon beast before them had white mist enshrouding its entire body, and the sound of a crying infant could be heard coming from its mouth. Furthermore, balls of blue lightning were shooting forth from within the white mist. This was the first high-grade demon beast he had encountered in the Scattered Star Seas, an "Infant Carp Beast".

However, this beast was significantly larger than the one he had seen before. Furthermore, it had four fair and tender arms, and the four treasures that it was wielding were also quite remarkable.

They consisted of a saber, a sword, a drum, and a flag.

Among the four treasures, the saber, sword, and flag were only relatively rare top-grade treasure. However, that small yellow drum was a powerful ancient treasure that was able to summon silver ripples, which appeared to be quite powerful.

Han Li's arrival had clearly attracted the attention of both parties. Upon identifying the fact that Han Li was a human, the man wearing the conical bamboo hat was overjoyed, and he yelled, "I am Chen Jing of Lightning Sky Island! If you're willing to lend us your assistance, I'll be sure to reward you handsomely following this battle!"

Due to the fact that most of his attention was focused on handling the demon beast, the man didn't even have the spare capacity to use his spiritual sense to detect Han Li's cultivation base. As such, he merely assumed that Han Li was just another Core Formation cultivator who just so happened to be passing by.

After all, the speed at which Han Li had been traveling was similar to that of a Core Formation cultivator.

However, the sixth grade Infant Carp Beast had already developed some level o intelligence. After using its spiritual sense to detect Han Li's cultivation base, a horrified expression immediately appeared on its face.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face and before he had even given a response to those cultivators, the beast suddenly let loose a ghastly cry. All of a sudden, over 100 balls of blue lightning shot forth from its white mist in unison, flying toward the three cultivators. At the same time, it had already emerged from the mist and was plummeting like a shooting star toward the ocean down below as quickly as possible.

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The three cultivators were thrown into a slight panic in the face of so many balls of lightning, and they were completely unable to pay any heed to the escaping Infant Carp Beast.

However, Han Li's expression darkened upon seeing this, and he swept his sleeve through the air in the demon beast's direction.

A flying sword that was around a foot in length shot forth from his sleeve, shuddering slightly before transforming into a streak of golden light over 100 feet long, which flew through the air.

The sword was so fast that the Infant Carp Beast only saw a flash of golden light, followed by a split second of excruciating pain, before it was unable to feel nor see anything ever again.

The golden light sped around the demon beast a few times and large clouds of blood mist erupted into the sky, slicing the beast into seven or eight pieces. Even its soul didn't have a chance to escape before it, too, was destroyed.

The segments of its body came plummeting down from above.

At this moment, Han Li reached out a feigned a grabbing motion.

One section of the demon beast's body suddenly exploded and a blue bead shot forth from within its flesh and blood, flying toward Han Li as a streak of blue light.

Han Li closed his five finger's and the Infant Carp Beast's demon core had already ended up in his hand.

He looked at the demon core in a nonchalant manner without any hint of emotion in his eyes.

A demon core of this caliber naturally wasn't going to catch his eyes.

Following the death of the demon beast, the balls of lightning frantically attacking the three cultivators also disappeared in the flash.

The three of them heaved a collective sigh of relief before turning to Han Li with awe and veneration in their eyes.

They were unable to chase down the Infant Carp Beast earlier, but they had clearly witnessed the scenes in which Han Li destroyed that sixth grade demon beast with ease.

It was not difficult to imagine their astonishment.

They had thought that at most, Han Li would only be a Core Formation cultivator who just so happened to be passing by, but who would have thought that he would be a Nascent Soul cultivator?

However, this place was already quite far into the outer seas. Cultivators of Han Li's caliber were still rare here, but three of them had encountered a few in the past, so they weren't overly flustered. Thus, the three cultivators hurriedly stowed away their treasures before drifting over to Han Li.

Before they had even reached the Han Li, the man in the conical bamboo hat extended a deep bow toward him.

"Chen Jing of the Azure Yang Sect pays his respects to Senior. Thank you for your assistance, Senior. We've been tangled up in a battle with this demon beast for a long time and it would've been very difficult for us to escape on our own. May I have the honor of knowing your name, Senior?" The man was surreptitiously sizing up Han Li as he spoke. His expression was quite respectful, but he spoke in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble.

"Azure Yang Sect? You're Lord Three Yang's disciple?" Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

"Lord Three Yang is indeed my master. Do you recognize him, Senior?"

The man scanned over Han Li's body with his spiritual sense, but was unable to detect his cultivation base. He was most likely a Nascent Soul Stage powerful being. He found it slightly perplexing that he was unable to ascertain Han Li's cultivation base, but automatically assumed him to be an early-Nascent Soul cultivator.

After all, mid-Nascent Soul and late-Nascent Soul cultivators were all extremely renowned.

"Hehe, I've heard of your master, yet never seen him!" Han Li chuckled.

At the mention of the Azure Yang Sect and Lord Three Yang, he naturally thought back to Yuan Yao's experiences with them. She had slain the young master of the Azure Yang Sect, which led to her being hunted by the entire sect. Even though Lord Three Yang was quite a renowned figure in the Scattered Star Seas, in Han Li's eyes, he was merely a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator who wasn't worthy of his attention.

Aside from that, he had no vendetta against the Azure Yang Sect, so he certainly wasn't going to kill these three in cold blood. Next, he began to ask them some questions.

"The three of you must be quite familiar with this area, right? Do you know the specific location of the Green Spirit Island?" Han Li's sea charts were very detailed, but it was no easy task trying to find an island in this boundless ocean.

As such, he certainly wasn't going to give up on the opportunity to make an inquiry to these three cultivators.

At the mention of Green Spirit Island, smiles appeared on the faces of the Azure Yang Sect cultivators.

"Senior, you're trying to get to Green Spirit Island to obtain high-grade spirit stones, right? If that's the case, then there's no need for you to travel all the way to Green Spirit Island. You can purchase spirit stones from the markets nearby. Of course, if you're familiar with the mine guards from the Starfall Coalition or the Star Palace, you'll naturally be able to get a better price."

"Markets? How many high-grade spirit stones can be found there? I require more than just one or two," Han Li replied in a skeptical manner.

"I'm sure the markets will be able to satisfy your needs, Senior. High-grade spirit stones are technically equivalent to over 10,000 spirit stones but in reality, the price at which they're sold is over twice that amount. As long as you're not looking for more than 30 or 40 high-grade spirit stones at once, those markets will be able to provide them," Chen Jing replied with a smile.

"In that case, then take me to the markets first. If there aren't enough spirit stones there, then I'll make a trip to Green Spirit Island. You can take this demon core as remuneration for leading the way." Han Li tossed the Infant Carp Beast's demon core toward them as he spoke.

Chen Jing caught the demon core and was immediately ecstatic.

"Don't worry, Senior, we've been residing around this area for over 10 years so we know everything there is to know about these markets. We'll be sure not to disappoint you." The Azure Yang Sect cultivators were still rather confused about Han Li's identity, but a sixth grade demon core would rake in a large sum of spirit stones for a Core Formation cultivator, particularly when all they had to do in exchange for it was to lead the way to the market. They were naturally overjoyed.

As for the elderly man and the young woman, their cultivation bases were inferior to Chen Jing's, so he naturally made all of the executive decisions for their group. However, they were even more fearful when they looked at Han Li now.

After all, the disparity between Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul cultivators was simply massive!

Thus, Han Li was led by Chen Jing's trio away from this place. According to their description, this location was only about half a month's travel away from Green Spirit Island and on the way there, they would pass by the island on which the three of them inhabited.

They flew toward the eastern direction almost without any pause for rest and after flying for over 10 days, an unknown island finally appeared up ahead.

This island appeared to be quite large; several thousand kilometers in radius. The island had an undulating terrain filled with lush hills and mountains.

"This is Lightning Sky Island. I have a simple abode here, so I'm very familiar with the markets in this area. The market here is also one of the largest near Green Spirit Island, so I'm sure it won't disappoint you, Senior," Chen Jing explained with a smile on his face as he flew through the air.

"The spirit vein on this island is not bad. It's no wonder that so many cultivators are staying on this island." Han Li nodded as he looked into the distance.

"Not only is the spirit vein on Lightning Sky Island the best among the surrounding few islands, the island also produces several types of rare medicines. Both the Starfall Coalition and the Star Palace have set their eyes on the island before, but they were both wary of one another and allowed other powers to take joint ownership of the island instead," Chen Jing said in a slightly boastful manner.

"Those so-called other powers include your Azure Yang Sect, right?" Han Li chuckled.

"Ahem... Our Azure Yang Sect does have a few people living on this island, but we wouldn't dare to claim ownership over any part of it," Chen Jing chuckled drily. There seemed to be some hardships involved that he was reluctant to talk about.

Han Li naturally wasn't actually interested in the Azure Yang Sect. As such, he merely smiled and set the topic aside.

After that, Chen Jing began to introduce the powers on the island, as well as the several Nascent Soul cultivators here.

Han Li heard the name of a familiar person from Chen Jing's description, and he faltered lightly before exclaiming, "Daoist Master Swift Crane! The one from the Jade Cloud Sect? He's also on this island? I heard that he was severely wounded many years ago."

Chen Jing's heart stirred slightly, but he still gave an honest response. "You know about Senior Swift Crane as well, Senior? His body was once destroyed many years ago, but he was saved by the Jade Cloud Sect and managed to recover his cultivation base through possession. I heard that he had intentions of taking over the island for the Jade Cloud Sect, but he wasn't the only one with such intentions so in the end, the island was split among several powers."

"Hehe, I see!" Han Li replied in a neutral manner, making it impossible for Chen Jing to glean his thoughts.

Before they knew it, the four of them had reached the island and were flying directly toward the center of the island.

After flying for a short while longer, a small city nestled between several tall mountains appeared before their eyes.

It was quite clear that this city had only been constructed not long ago. It wasn't very large in area; only around a dozen or so square kilometers, and all of the buildings in the city were constructed from large grey-white stones, creating a pristine and orderly sight to behold. There appeared to be city gates on all four sides of the city, but only Qi Condensation cultivators used those gates. All of the more powerful cultivators capable of flight chose to take aerial routes. It appeared to be a lively and bustling city.

Han Li's eyes narrowed as he suddenly asked, "How many cultivators are there living on this island? Are they all here in this city?"

Chen Jing faltered slightly upon hearing this before replying after some contemplation, "There are no exact population figures, but if the Qi Condensation cultivators are taken into account as well, then there are probably 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Most of them live in this city while others are distributed over other spots on the island. There are even some powerful cultivators who have blasted cave abodes for themselves into the faces of mountains."

"I see." Han Li nodded with a thoughtful expression and didn't raise any other questions. The three of them reached the city a short while later.

At their altitude, they were able to clearly see everything within the small city.

Han Li swept his gaze down below and developed a slight interest in the stone towers situated at the center of the city, which were extending into the sky like eight heavenly pillars.

The stone towers were circular in shape and each and every one of them appeared to be around 500 to 600 feet tall. Their surfaces were bumpy and uneven, with many mysterious runes and formation spells carved into the stone. These runes and formations were shimmering with feeble spiritual light and were extremely attention-grabbing.

Even Han Li couldn't help but take a few more glances at the towers.

"Those eight stone towers can activate the city's protective formation. They were designed by a renowned formation master in our Scattered Star Seas. Once activated, the formation's power is definitely not inferior to the protective formation of the major sects. The towers have Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in them 24 hours a day in order to ensure that they can be activated at any moment. This formation has saved the city from destruction on several occasions and has proved to be extremely useful."

Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing this as he asked, "Oh? Are there demon beasts attacking this island?"

"Hehe, please be at ease, Senior; I'm referring to events that took place many years in the past. Ever since the mines on Green Spirit Island were split among us humans and demon beasts, those demon beasts have never attacked this island again. Let's get down now. The market is just over there and I happen to know a few shops that specialize in selling high-grade spirit stones. I can introduce them to you, Senior," Chen Hing replied with a smile before pointing toward the southern region of the city, awaiting further instructions from Han Li.

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Han Li turned toward the direction that Chen Jing was pointing to find that there were some buildings there that were indeed different from others. All of them were remarkably tall and large, with the smallest pavilions being two or three levels tall, and the largest at four or five levels in height. There were steady streams of cultivators entering and exiting the doors of these pavilions, creating a much more lively scene than anywhere else in the city.

Han Li nodded but to the three cultivators' surprise, he said, "There's no need for an introduction. I'll get down there and have a look for myself. You three can go now."

"Yes!" Chen Jing was slightly taken aback, but he didn't dare to object as he bowed respectfully.

Han Li turned to the three of them and suddenly said in a cold voice, "I don't want anyone else to know about the fact that I came to this island. You know what you should do, right?"

"Please rest assured, Senior; we won't tell anyone anything!" Chen Jing's heart jolted with shock, but he still maintained a respectful expression.

"Hehe, I hope you're telling the truth!" Han Li chuckled in response, but he suddenly flicked a finger that was hidden in his sleeve. Immediately thereafter, his body swayed and he disappeared amid a flash of azure light.

The three cultivators' expressions changed drastically and they hurriedly looked around, only to find that Han Li was nowhere to be seen.

"Martial Uncle Chen, we..."

"Don't say anything! Let's go back first!"

The young woman wanted to say something, but Chen Jing cut her off with a dark expression. He then gestured for the two of them to follow him as he transformed into a streak of light traveling out of the city.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators were still a little shell-shocked, but they could only follow their leader.

The two of them had flown over 50 kilometers before they knew it, and they descended on a nondescript little mountain.

At an obscure location at the foot of the mountain, there was a small cave abode.

Chen Jing led the two into the abode and activated all of the restrictions within before sitting down in the hall to meditate with his eyes closed.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators glanced at once another, but neither of them dared to say anything.

A long while later, Chen Jing finally opened his eyes and exhaled as his expression eased slightly.

"I can confirm now that that man's spiritual sense isn't spying on us here. Even if his spiritual sense can reach this place, it won't be able to bypass the cave's restrictions. What did you want to say, Martial Neice Yan?" Cheng Jing turned to the young woman and asked.

"I just wanted to say that this Senior Han's origins are a little suspicious. He's a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet we've never heard of someone like him. That's really strange. Should we report this matter to our sect so they can investigate this man? Perhaps our patriarch will know who he is?" the young woman replied hesitantly.

The elderly man nodded in agreement with this proposal.

"Hmph, so what if we find out who that man is? Our patriarch is currently in seclusion to make a breakthrough to the late-Nascent Soul Stage. No matter who this man is, he's not important enough to disrupt our patriarch's seclusion. If our patriarch can't do anything to him, why would we risk irking him just to find out who he is? From what he said earlier, it appears that he has some knowledge about the Scattered Star Seas, so he's most likely just come out of an extended period of seclusion. This is certainly not unheard of in our Scattered Star Seas. He warned us not to reveal his location; do you think he wouldn't dare to do anything to us just because we're from the Azure Yang Sect? Even if he kills us, without our patriarch to stand up for us, the sect can't do anything to him. Why would we do something that incurs so much risk for no worthwhile reward?" Chen Jing harrumphed coldly.

A chill ran down the young woman's spine upon hearing this and she hurriedly agreed.

"Also, no matter who we reveal this information to, it doesn't benefit us in any way. Instead..." Chen Jing was getting slightly carried away and continued in his tirade. However, what he failed to notice was that a faint golden light was shimmering beneath one of his shoes. The golden light flashed before silently departing from the sole of the shoe, then disappearing soundlessly into the stone floor of the hall.

Moments later, the golden light reached deep into the ground, where an azure barrier of light abruptly stopped it in its tracks.

This was the cave abode's protective restriction.

The golden light faltered slightly before receding to reveal a thumb-sized golden beetle.

It was one of Han Li's Gold Devouring Beetles.

As soon as the beetle reverted back to its original form, it rushed toward the light barrier and began to take large bites out of it.

The restriction wasn't some sort of high-grade restriction. Instead, it was extremely crude and the beetle was able to pass through it almost instantly, appearing on the other side of the barrier.

The restriction wasn't triggered throughout the entire process. Chen Jing's trio was not alerted at all to this sequence of events.

The bug flashed before disappearing underground. A short while later, a flash of light suddenly appeared in the eyes of a tall and thin old man, who was walking along a certain street in the southern region of the city. A spot of golden light shot forth from the ground before silently disappearing into his sleeve.

The old man's expression remained completely unchanged, but the corners of his lips had turned upward ever so slightly.

This man was none other than Han Li, who had altered his appearance.

That spot of golden light was naturally the Gold Devouring Beetles, within which he had imbued a sliver of his spiritual sense.

After reaching the late-Nascent Soul Stage, even though his spiritual sense was still vastly inferior to that of a Deity Transformation cultivator, it was still far more powerful than that of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

As such, he was already capable of imbuing a wisp of his spiritual sense into an object. Of course, this wasn't a permanent arrangement. That wisp of spiritual sense could only maintain itself for a certain period of time, and it could only be imbued within a sentient living being.

Furthermore, the Gold Devouring Beetles were spirit insects that were connected to his soul, so he was able to use his spiritual sense to directly control them.

When Han Li separated from the three cultivators, he didn't immediately kill them to silence them, but he imbued a wisp of his spiritual sense onto one of his Gold Devouring Beetles, then snuck it onto Chen Jing's body for him to take back to his cave abode.

With Han Li's current power level in conjunction with the Gold Devouring Beetle's abilities, it naturally wasn't going to be noticed by a mere early-Core Formation cultivator.

Han Li had made up his mind; if these three people followed his instructions, then he would naturally leave them alone. However, if they decided to play tricks behind his back, then he would immediately use this Gold Devouring Beetle to kill all of them.

Gold Devouring Beetles that were yet to reach full maturity wouldn't be able to do much to Nascent Soul cultivators, but with their indestructibility and engulfment powers, it would be a very simple task for it to take care of an early-Core Formation cultivator and two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Following the Gold Devouring Beetle's return, Han Li immediately withdrew that wisp of spiritual sense. The conversation between Chen Jing's trio was instantly replayed back to him and he smiled internally before paying no further heed to those three.

He turned his attention to the pavilions situated on either side of him.

He was clearly in the so-called market already. Not only were there many cultivators here, there were also some high-grade cultivators who rose up into the air or descended from above from time to time. There were also some cautious cultivators who rushed their way through the pavilions on high alert, seemingly constantly in fear of being identified.

Han Li was sizing up other cultivators with reckless abandon and his actions naturally attracted the attention of some cultivators. However, after detecting his cultivation base with their spiritual sense, all of the cultivators were immediately horrified. All of them either rushed away immediately or forced a smile onto their faces before turning away.

Han Li had restricted his cultivation base, feigning a late-Core Formation cultivator. Even so, that was already enough to scare off all of the other cultivators.

After taking a few more steps, Han Li suddenly faltered as his gaze fell on several pavilions, upon which a hint of surprise appeared on his face. These were six two-story pavilions lined up next to one another by the side of the street. There was a long and thin flag set up in front of each of the pavilions and there were different diagrams on those flags, comprising of a blue monster, a small golden sword, an azure spirit herb, and several other designs.

"Are those the Six United Palaces?" Han Li was surprised to see this.

If he recalled correctly, many of the powers in the Scattered Star Seas had already joined the Starfall Coalition. As such, it was very surprising to see another power set up a shop in such a bold manner on this island.

It appeared that the Starfall Coalition was indeed quite powerful. Even though they weren't able to dominate the entire Green Spirit Island, the other powers on the island still don't dare to set up shops in the city.

Han Li had been in conflict with many of the old Nascent Soul monsters in the Starfall Coalition, so he naturally wasn't going to seek them out. As such, he shook his head and decided to make his way toward the shop in front of him.

However, before he had even begun to approach the shop, several cultivators suddenly emerged from one of the Six United Palace pavilions. Han Li caught sight of the cultivator at the forefront of the group, upon which his expression changed slightly.

This was a yellow-robed old man who appeared to be over 50 years of age. There was a Daoist priest in a set of crane robes beside him. The latter appeared to be around just over 20 years old and both of them were early-Nascent Soul cultivators.

There were four Core Formation cultivators behind them, as well as a middle-aged manager wearing a set of attire from the Six United Palaces. The manager wore a fawning smile on his face and was clearly trying to curry favor.

That was to be expected. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators were revered beings everywhere and it was quite an occasion to have two of them visit the same shop at once.

What made Han Li's expression change slightly was none other than that young Daoist priest in the crane robes.

The man appeared to be very young but no matter how Han Li looked at him, he was clearly the very same Daoist priest who had hunted him down many years ago and almost taken his life, Daoist Master Swift Crane. It was just that he appeared to have reverted back to a far younger age. Despite that, his appearance hadn't changed much.

This was the Daoist Master Swift Crane who had been resurrected from the dead!

As for the fact that his appearance had remained largely unchanged, Han Li didn't find that be all that strange. There were countless secret techniques in the cultivation world that could allow one to permanently change their appearance and figure.

Most cultivators who were resurrected through possession would unconsciously revert back to their original appearance in order to make everyone forget the fact that they had secured a new body through possession.

After all, possession wasn't prohibited among high-grade cultivators, but it was still bad for their reputation.

The fact that Daoist Master Swift Crane had reverted back to his original appearance, yet was much younger before, was a clear indication that he had only just used an appearance-altering secret technique not long ago. As such, he hadn't yet had a chance to alter his age as well.

After all, appearances could be altered in a short time, but age was a different story.

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