Автор: sergey

A month later, within the Xuan Wu Hall of the Great Truth Sect, which is the self-proclaimed number one righteous sect in the Heavenly South Region, there stood an elderly Daoist priest with a set of infantile facial features, yet hair and beard that were completely white. He was staring at the white jade slip in his hand with furrowed brows, and there was an indecisive look shimmering in his eyes.

A short while later, he heaved a long sigh and called out, Come!

As soon as his voice fell, two middle-aged Daoist priests walked in from outside the hall.

The two Foundation Establishment Daoists priests bowed, and asked, What can we do for you, Sect Master?

The Daoist priest handed over the jade slip with a grave expression, and instructed, Send this invitation to the Golden Iridescent Valley. Tell them that a fourth great cultivator has appeared in the State of Xi, and that the Drifting Cloud Sect has extended invitations to their celebratory ceremony. As the grand elder if hes going to attend the ceremony in person or if other seniors will attending in his stead.

The two Daoist priests expressions changed slightly upon hearing this before both of them said in a respectful manner, Yes, Sect Master. Well be sure to deliver the message.

The two of them then took the jade slip and left the hall as two streaks of light.

…

At the Heavenly Yang Pond, a renowned restricted area of the Harmonious Bond Sect. This was not a very large pond, only several thousand feet in size. However, the pond was enshrouded under dense mist all year-round, and no one was allowed to enter the mist without permission, even the Nascent Soul Stage elders of the sect. Normally, there would be barely any people around in a radius of 10 kilometers around the Heavenly Yang Pond. However, at this moment, there were five or six cultivators standing side by side over 100 feet away from the mist. All of them wore different attire, and there were both men and women among them, but the one thing they had in common was that all of them were looking at the mist before them in silence.

The fourth great cultivator, eh? That Han brat sure is progressing quite fast in his cultivation. I knew that he would get to this point sooner or later, but I didnt think that he would ascend to the heights in just a century. Seeing as this is the case, it looks like Ill have to attend this celebratory ceremony in person, a faint sigh sounded from within the mist.

The cultivators outside the mist continued to stand rooted to the spot, and none of them dared to say anything in response.

…

On a certain island among the Seven Spirit Islands, there was an azure-robed elderly man with a set of plain features standing at the edge of a cliff. His hands were clasped behind his back and he had cast his gaze out calmly across the boundless ocean.

However, in one of his hands was a white jade slip that was shimmering with faint spiritual light.

…

Within a pavilion on the State of Beiliangs Gemcut Mountains, there was a man with a set of refined features sitting across from a portly elderly man, both of whom were seated in wooden chairs.

The elderly man wore a careful expression as he asked, Senior Wu, will you be attending the Drifting Cloud Sects celebratory ceremony in person? That man has reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age and with his remaining lifespan, hell be able to stand at the pinnacle of the Heavenly South Region for seven to eight more centuries. If we re-establish good relations with him, then our six sects have nothing to worry about.

What do you suggest, Martial Niece Lei? Youve taken over the sect, so you want to invite that man back to your valley? the man asked in an indifferent voice.

Youre misunderstanding me, Senior. With his current lofty status, how would be willing to return to our measly Yellow Maple Valley? However, he does have some ties with our valley and if we can strengthen those bonds, it would undoubtedly be beneficial to our six sects.

The man was silent for a moment before saying expressionlessly, Dont expect me to be able to contribute to this matter. I was once rather close with Junior Martial Sister Nangong, but Ive never contacted her again ever since she left with that man. However, Ill be representing the Masked Moon Sect to attend this ceremony.

It would be great if youd be willing to make the trip in person, Senior Wu. The elderly man was ecstatic to hear this.

Hmph, its no wonder that your Yellow Maple Valley is so nervous about this man. Ever since Fellow Daoist Linghu passed away, no other Nascent Soul cultivator had appeared in your valley. If it werent for the fact that Fellow Daoist Linghu once made an agreement with this man and notified our five sects about it, your Yellow Maple Valley wouldve most likely been banished from the Stage of Beiliang already, the man chuckled.

I apologize for our incompetence, Senior. An awkward look appeared on the elderly mans face upon hearing this.

…

Within a span of two months, the entire Heavenly South Region had erupted into a frenzy.

All of the cultivation sects of decent scale in the entirety of the Heavenly South Region had received the invitations sent out by the Drifting Cloud Sect. They were claiming that one of their elders had reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, and they were holding a grand ceremony to celebrate this event, which was why these invitations had been sent out.

It wasnt made clear on the invitation which elder they were referring to, but Han Li had established himself long ago as the number one cultivator in the Heavenly South Region beneath the late-Nascent Soul Stage, so it wasnt difficult to guess that Han Li had to have been the elder in question.

Thus, all of the sects were in a state of uproar.

Some of the sects were completely overawed and immediately agreed to attend the ceremony. Some of the larger sects were rather suspicious about the authenticity of this news, but they also all agreed to send at least an elder to attend the ceremony.

Thus, Han Lis name shook the entire Heavenly South Region once again. Regardless of whether one was an itinerant cultivator who had been dwelling in seclusion for many years or a member of a prominent cultivation sect, it was extremely likely that they had heard Han Lis name at one point or another.

Everyone was discussing spiritedly about the fourth great cultivator of the Heavenly South Region, who had ascended to the late-Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age.

Thus, three months passed, and the Drifting Cloud Sects ceremony was held.

There were over 100 Nascent Soul cultivators in attendance, and several times that number in Core Formation cultivators who had also arrived at the Dreamcloud Mountains.

The star of the show, Han Li, only appeared for a short while on the first day of the ceremony and delivered a simple address before inviting the dozen or so elders from all of the sects, who were at the mid-Nascent Soul Stage or above, to a smaller gathering in an obscure hall within the Drifting Cloud Sect. Among them, there were two late-Nascent Soul great cultivators, namely Old Devil Concord of the Harmonious Bond Sect, and Wei Wuya of the Flowing Mind Sect.

After three days and three nights, all of these Nascent Soul cultivators finally re-emerged from the hall, all of them with horrified expressions on their pale faces. Wei Wuya and Old Devil Concord were also quite disheartened and wore strained expressions on their faces. fгeewbnoel.cm

Some of the cultivators present at the ceremony naturally noticed this, and tried to inquire about what had happened during their gathering. However, the Nascent Soul cultivators being questions either remained silent with wry smiles on their faces, or shook their heads with fearful expressions, or completely ignored the questions being directed toward them in general.

That made all of the cultivators even more curious.

The ceremony lasted half a month, during which time Han Li made no further appearances. To everyones surprise, the dozen or so most powerful Nascent Soul cultivators present took no offense to this whatsoever and as soon as the ceremony came to a conclusion, all of them fled the Drifting Cloud Sect as if they were escaping from something extremely fearsome.

Thus, all of the remaining cultivators were even more curious about what had taken place in that obscure hall. What could have possibly petrified so many powerful Nascent Soul cultivators to such an extent?

Even though none of the Nascent Soul cultivators in question were willing to disclose any information to those who had attended the ceremony, all of them had a few close friends and relatives whom they revealed the situation too. Thus, the news that everyone had been dying to hear was leaked in the end anyway.

However, the contents of the news shook the entire Heavenly South Region again.

It was revealed that this new great cultivator of the Drifting Cloud Sect had challenged Wei Wuya and Old Devil Concord to a sparring match during the small gathering. This was quite a normal request. After all, this Elder Han had just reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, so he was taking this opportunity to test out his abilities as well as to intimidate all of the other mid-Nascent Soul cultivators.

However, what came as a surprise to everyone was that he had challenged both Wei Wuya and Old Devil Concord at once.

Furthermore, the result of the sparring match had everyone even more flabbergasted.

Han Li unleashed several incredible techniques and summoned a few absurdly powerful treasures to easily defeat the two great cultivators.

Wei Wuya and Old Devil Concord had stood at the pinnacle of the Heavenly South Region for several hundred years, yet even after joining forces, they were still swept aside with ease by Han Li, and both of them had sustained some injuries during the sparring match.

What was even more astonishing to everyone who had witnessed the match was that Han Li didnt even appear to have unleashed all of the tricks up his sleeve.

All of the Nascent Soul cultivators were completely speechless.

During the remaining time, Han Li held a discussion with all of the Nascent Soul cultivators about cultivation experiences and insights. However, all of them felt as if they were sitting on a bed of nails the entire time, and the last thing they wanted to was to remain in Han Lis presence for any longer.

Thus, all of them fled the obscure hall at the conclusion of the three days, looking as if they had just seen a ghost.

This astonishing news spread like wildfire and it was naturally the case that most people didnt believe this to be true. However, the news continued to spread and all of the Nascent Soul cultivators who had been present during the sparring match chose to remain silent, and not even a single one of them stepped forward to refute these claims.

Only then did everyone realize that this news could indeed be true, and the entire Heavenly South Region was completely stunned.

Thereafter, anyone who discussed any topic concerning Han Li spoke in hushed tones, regardless of where they were and to whom they were speaking, and they didnt dare to extend any disrespect toward Han Li with their words.

Thus, Han Lis reputation as the number one cultivator in the Heavenly South Region slowly began to spread.

…

In the air above the sea close to the Seven Spirit Islands, a middle-aged Daoist priest with pristine and translucent skin was facing an azure-robed elderly man from afar. Both of them wore dark expressions and remained completely silent.

After a long while, the azure-robed elderly man stirred as he broke the silence.

Why have you suddenly come here and invited me to this place through voice transmission, Brother Sunreach? Youre not here to challenge me to a staring contest, are you? If you have something to say, then just say it. This azure-robed elderly man was none other than one of the three great cultivators, Wei Wuya.

Brother Wei, why are you asking a question that you already know the answer to? Can you not guess why I would invite you to meet me out here? the middle-aged Daoist priest asked calmly.

Hehe, looks like even you cant sit still any longer after hearing the news, Brother Sunreach! A hint of a deriding sneer appeared on Wei Wuyas face.

A grave expression appeared on the Daoist priests face as he asked, Does that mean the rumors are true? You and Old Devil Concord really did fall to a disadvantage against that man?

Ive already placed a restriction on you, so dont even think about using your magic power. Youre now no different from a mortal. A lazy voice suddenly sounded, drawing the horrified gaze of Song Yu.

In the corner of a cave, there was a tall and broad shadowy figure sitting with his legs crossed. Due to the fact that he had been sitting completely still, Song Yu had failed to notice him initially.

Almost at the exact same moment, she discovered that she was indeed unable to draw upon any of her magic power. It appeared that a powerful restriction really had been placed upon her, and her heart sank upon making this discovery.

Who are you? And why have you captured us? Song Yu looked around to discover Mu Peiling and Liu Yu lying next to her. Even though they were both unconscious, they appeared to be largely unscathed, and she was very relieved to see this.

Hehe, I didnt think that I would encounter the three of you in the inner valley. You can only blame your terrible luck for running into me, and doing so right at a juncture when the three of you could prove to be useful to me. Martial Niece Song, if the three of you stay here without trying to pull any shenanigans, I wont hurt any of you. However, if you try to escape, then dont blame me for hurting you, the humanoid figure threatened in a cold voice.

Song Yu faltered slightly upon hearing this. Martial niece? I dont recall having a senior like you in our sect. You must have the wrong person, Senior.

Its no surprise that you dont recognize me. All you have to know is that youre my martial niece. Hows that little brat, Violet Spirit? the humanoid figure asked.

You know Violet Spirit?! Who are you? Song Yu yelled with alarm.

Its simple for me to show you who I am, the shadowy figure murmured before suddenly rising to his feet and making his way toward Song Yu.

After just a few steps, the humanoid figure had emerged from the darkness and revealed himself to Song Yu.

He wore a set of long black robes with a skeletal head on his shoulders. There was also a pair of large tusks protruding from his mouth, creating an extremely terrifying sight to behold. Furthermore, the man had an arm exposed, and that arm appeared to have been constructed from shimmering metal, which was also very unsettling.

Song Yu repressed the horror and disgust in her heart as she asked, Who are you? I definitely havent met you before. гeewbnovel.com

Really? In my current state, its no surprise that you dont recognize me, the black-robed figure mused calmly. However, a peculiar look suddenly appeared in his eyes as he turned toward Song Yu.

As their eyes met, Song Yu was abruptly struck by a sense of familiarity, and a thought suddenly occurred to her.

You… Youre… Thats impossible! Song Yu exclaimed.

Youve finally recognized me. Dont be so alarmed, the current me isnt that man yet. However, it wont be long before Ill become him. The black-robed figure chuckled eerily before his body swayed, and he sat down in his original spot with his legs folded, no longer paying any heed to Song Yu.

Song Yus eyes were filled with incredulity and waves of shock were surging through her heart. The figure of a youth appeared in her mind, combining with this black-robed figure, then separating into two again.

Could it be that this man really was Martial Uncle Han? But he clearly didnt look like this in the past. Could it be that something happened to him during his journey, so he had been forced to resurrect himself through possession? But that couldnt be the case, either. Even though this martial uncle of hers was only at the mid-Nascent Soul Stage, his combat prowess was not inferior to that of late-Nascent Soul cultivators, so how could he have been reduced to such a pitiful state? Furthermore, even if his body really had been destroyed and his Nascent Soul was forced to possess a new vessel, why didnt he return to the sect to rest and recover? Why would he hide in this Devilfall Valley instead, and why would he attack the three of them? What do you mean by that? Song Yu was an extremely intelligent woman, but even her brain was unable to keep up with what was happening.

The black-robed man suddenly opened his eyes, and harrumphed, Hmph, you two are clearly already awake, so why do you continue to pretend to be unconscious.

Song Yu faltered slightly upon hearing this, and before she had a chance to look beside her with elation, Mu Peilings voice sounded from behind her.

Youre not my Lord, youre his second Nascent Soul! How were you able to escape from my Lords control and attain a sentient will of your own? Where is my Lord right now?

Her words were extremely peculiar, and from the tone of her voice was filled with concern and horror.

Youre right, Junior Martial Sister Mu, this man is indeed the second avatar that Master refined! Liu Yu suddenly chimed in in a startled voice. She also wore an incredulous look on her face.

Song Yu turned to discover that both of the women beside her had sat up, and Liu Yu had her hand pressed over her face, leaving only her astonished eyes visible.

Mu Peiling stared intently at the shadowy figure as she said, I dont know the specifics, but Ive heard that my Lord cultivated an extremely rare secret technique in our human world that can allow him to materialize a second Nascent Soul. However, this is an extremely perilous endeavor, and the one using this technique could easily suffer backslash from this second Nascent Soul after it attains sentient will of its own.

Song Yu and Liu Yu both looked at one another upon hearing this.

Im surprised you were able to recognize me. Oh, I remember now, youre the girl that Silvermoon once mentioned to me. In any case, I dont plan on hiding anything. I was indeed once that mans second Nascent Soul, but after I engulf his soul, he will be me, and I will be him. The three of you had better stay here and not try to escape. If everything goes smoothly, then Ill release all of you. This is an extremely obscure location in the inner valley and even if that man were to search for you in person, theres no way that he would be able to find this place, the black-robed man willingly admitted.

He was none other than Han Lis second Nascent Soul, which had gone missing during his battle with the Illustrious Grand Immortal of the Soaring Tribe.

At the time, the Nascent Soul had been severely wounded by an Illustrious Grand Immortal, and it shouldve been completely destroyed. However, the second Nascent Soul had cultivated in the Profound Yin Devilish Qi that Han Li had bestowed upon it, which activated the protective ability of the Ghost Sifting Banner, which had been injected with Myriad Depth Devilish Qi. As such, the Nascent Soul was sucked into the banner, where pure devilish Qi had been injected into it as part of emergency treatment.

If Han Li werent too far away from the Nascent Soul, once the second Nascent Soul awakened, it would automatically return to Han Lis side.

However, Han Li had also been severely wounded at the time and was forced to seal himself in ice before drifting all the way to the Great Jin.

As such, after the second Nascent Soul as completely healed, it was unable to find Han Li, and began to roam the grasslands.

About two or three decades later, it finally developed a hint of sentient will and immediately returned to the Great Jin. It then traveled to the Devilfall Valley nad easily found the Sovereign Devil Corpse, which was stumbling around in the inner valley like a zombie.

Even though the devil corpse had been severely damaged by an ancient devil before, it was able to slowly recover to its former state.

However, it was moving around completely instinctively as it had lost Han Lis guidance. If several centuries were to pass, it wouldnt be impossible for the devil corpse to attain sentient will of its own.

However, after being discovered by the second Nascent Soul, it was able to use the restriction that Han Li had used in the past to easily take over the devil corpse and engulf the tiny hint of essence within.

This was why the second Nascent Soul hadnt possessed any other cultivator, and instead headed straight for the Devilfall Valley.

After all, it would be very difficult to possess a Nascent Soul cultivators body, and there was a good chance that the roles would be reversed, and the prey would kill the hunter. This devil corpse had the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but it just so happened to not have any sentient will, so it was the ideal possession target.

Thus, the second Nascent Soul sought it out without any hesitation.

The Nascent Soul drew upon the residual devilish Qi left behind by the ancient devils body in the spatial rift, then used the Sovereign Devil Corpses corpse Qi as a foundation, and recruited the assistance of the Ghost Sifting Banner, allowing it to cultivate most of the Profound Yin Devilish Qi in just a short few decades. As such, it was able to reach the mid-Nascent Soul Stage.

After that, it discovered a few treasures within secret locations in the valley and refined them before preparing to exit the valley, and it just so happened to bump into Mu Peilings trio.

Initially, he didnt know that it was these three women that he was hunting down. However, due to the fact that it had cultivated the Profound Yin Devilish Qi, then been injected with pure devilish Qi, and finally engulfed the Sovereign Devil Corpses essence, the Nascent Soul had become completely different from Han Li. It was extremely aggressive and vicious, and it immediately attacked these three Core Formation cultivators. On the one hand, killing them would completely eradicate any possibility of them revealing its location to anyone, and on the other hand, it would be a good way to vent its ferocious tendencies. However, after sifting through Han Lis memories, the second Nascent Soul was able to identify the three women, and after a brief hesitation, it changed its mind. Instead of killing them, it captured the three women and set up a restriction to detain them here.

Mu Peiling was lamenting over her misfortune, but she still mustered up her courage, and asked, How long do you plan on holding us captive?

The reason why she was able to immediately recognize this second Nascent Soul was because when Silvermoon had been delivering pills to her, she had also given Mu Peiling a nameless jade pendant, which she had always carried with her since.

At the time, Silvermoon had hidden a wisp of the second Nascent Souls aura in that jade pendant, thereby allowing the carrier of the pendant to detect the second Nascent Souls presence at close quarters.

Mu Peiling had always been quite perplexed about why Silvermoon had done that, but she suddenly understood the reason behind this now.

She had most likely anticipated that there was a possibility that the second Nascent Soul would escape from Han Lis control, and she had given her this jade pendant to avoid any potential mishaps. As such, she was able to use this treasure to immediately identify who their captor was.

Upon hearing Mu Peilings question, the black-robed figure glared coldly at her, and replied, Of course its when theres only one Han Li left in this world!

After making sense of the situation, Song Yu had also recomposed herself, and she asked in a calm voice, With Martial Uncles abilities and rate of cultivation, do you really think you have a chance?

The current me is indeed no match for him, but I have a good chance of being able to escape with my life. Besides, with the three of you held captive, hes going to be a lot more wary, so that gives me even better chances. As for how Im going to be able to bring him down, thats not something for you three to worry about, the black-robed figure chuckled, yet didnt reveal anything.

Then… Liu Yu was just about to say something, but the black-robed figure suddenly cut her off, Alright, I know what you three are plotting, but dont even think about it. The only scenarios in which you three will be able to escape from here will be when I engulf that mans soul, or he wipes away my sentient will and reduces me to his second Nascent Soul again. For now, all three of you should just take a long nap.

The black-robed figure suddenly made a hand seal and began to chant something.

Spiritual light of all colors suddenly began to shimmer on the ground around the three women as large swaths of black Qi emerged.

Only then did the three of them discover that they were situated at the center of a massive formation.

The trio was inundated by black Qi, and fell unconscious again.

Only then did the black-robed figure sitting in the corner stop his chanting and undid his hand seal. However, there was a complex and indecisive light shimmering in its eyes as it looked at the black Qi.

Martial Uncle Han? Youre referring to… Mu Peiling faltered upon hearing this and was beginning to stutter a little.

Thats right, I mentioned him to you once before, Junior Martial Sister Mu. Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit once ventured into this valley with Martial Uncle Han, which is how they were able to map out this safe route, Song Yu replied with a gentle smile.

I met Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit once several decades ago. She really was an exquisite beauty, even a woman like me was entranced by her beauty. I heard that many prominent male cultivators have pursued her and many intense battles have taken place as theyve attempted to compete over her. Shes even being referred to by some as the most beautiful female cultivator in the Heavenly South Region. However, this woman is rather mysterious and Master seemed to have made her acquaintance very early on, so shes kind of like a close confidant of his. Youre going to have to be careful, Sister Mu! Liu Yu giggled in a teasing manner.

A faint blush appeared on Mu Peilings face as she scoffed, What do I have to be careful about?

Song Yu adopted a serious expression as she asked, Stop teasing Junior Martial Sister Mu, Junior Martial Sister Liu, lets get back to business. Are we going to venture into the inner valley or not?

Mu Peiling and Liu Yus smiles faded and they looked at one another to find their own hesitant expression mirrored in each others eyes.

Senior Martial Sister Song, is the map that this Violet Spirit gave you really a map of the route that Master once took? If thats the case, then we could certainly try it. After all, the Illusionary Spirit Herb is very important for both of our upcoming breakthroughs, and I really dont want to go back emptyhanded, Liu Yu said with furrowed brows.

Mu Peiling was rather hesitant, but she succumbed to the temptation in the end, and sighed, If were only searching for the herb close to the entrance of the inner valley, then I can come along as well.

Song Yu nodded before extending words of caution. Alright, now that thats settled, it looks like well be taking a risk. Let me make this clear in advance, though, well only be searching the area within several hundred kilometers of the entrance, and if we still cant find the Illusionary Spirit Herb there, then well immediately exit the inner valley. No one is allowed to venture in any further. The pill is important, but not as important as our lives.

Of course. If we were to venture deeper into the inner valley, even with a map at our disposal, it would still be akin to suicide for mere Core Formation cultivators like us. I heard that there are some ancient beasts within the inner valley that even Nascent Soul cultivators wouldnt dare to face in battle, Liu Yu said with a smile.

Those ancient beasts normally lurk within the depths of the inner valley, so we should be fine if we stay near the entrance. Lets not waste any more time with words, weve already spent a lot of time here so we should make haste, Mu Peiling said in a decisive manner.

The other two women didnt want to delay any longer, either, and the three of them shot forth as streaks of light toward a certain direction.

Five days later, at the border of the inner valley, amid a world of ice and snow, three women appeared in the bone-chilling wind. Not far behind them was a massive ice crystal, and they were situated on the very same path that Han Li and Violet Spirit had taken with the other Ghost Spirit Sect disciples all those years ago.

The three women had already conjured up dense light barriers around their bodies, so they didnt have to fear these biting winds.

After discussing quietly among themselves for a while, the three women rose only several tens of feet above the ground before flying slowly toward the distance, not daring to speed up in the slightest.

This realm of ice and snow wasnt very large in area, so it only took the three of them less than half a day to fly out of this region, upon an extremely lush mountain appeared before their eyes.

The three of them were ecstatic upon seeing this, and they split up to search for the herb again.

A day and a night later, the three women gathered once again on the mountains summit. After looking at once another, wry smiles appeared on all of their faces.

There are many spiritual medicines here on the mountain that cant be found in the outer valley, but there are no Illusionary Spirit Herbs here, Liu Yu said in a gloomy voice.

Same story on my end. I didnt find the Illusionary Spirit Herb, but I gathered all of the ingredients required for another pill that Im trying to make. At the very least, I wont be leaving this place completely empty-handed. Mu Peiling didnt know whether she should laugh or cry.

It looks like we wont be finding the Illusionary Spirit Herb on this trip. Lets return to the sect, Song Yu heaved a dejected sigh.

Lets do another thorough search. Perhaps we mightve missed some places. Liu Yu was unwilling to give up.

Song Yu shook her head as she said in an implacable voice, Let it go. Dont try to force the issue. The inner valley is too dangerous and even if we only stick to an area near the entrance, accidents could still happen if we stay here for too long. Were leaving right away.

A hint of reluctance appeared on Liu Yus face and just as she was about to say something, a loud rumbling thunderclap suddenly erupted in the distance.

The three women faltered upon hearing this and they all turned toward that direction in unison.

There, they discovered a shadowy mass of dark clouds that were rapidly flying toward them, moving at such an incredible speed that it was expanding in their field of vision at a rate that was discernible to the naked eye. The dark clouds were tumbling erratically and loud thunderclaps were erupting from within, creating a very intimidating sight to behold.

The three women were naturally able to identify that something was amiss with that mass of dark clouds, and Song Yu immediately exclaimed, This is bad! Theres something wrong with those clouds! It could be an ancient beast!

Thus, the three of them leaped into the air and immediately flew toward the direction they had come in.

The rumbling creature within the dark clouds seemed to have caught sight of the three women, and it sped up even further as it hurtled toward them. At the same time, a burst of cold cackled rang out from within.

Its not an ancient beast, it appears to be a Devil Dao cultivator! Liu Yus roots lay in the Devil Dao herself, so she immediately managed to identify what these dark clouds were upon hearing the cold cackling.

Regardless of what it is, it definitely doesnt harbor any benevolence toward us. We cant engage it in a direct battle! At the sight of the approaching dark clouds, Song Yu was starting to get quite flustered. She hurriedly patted the storage pouch hanging from her waist, and a white bead appeared in her hand.

She then began to chant something, and the bead swayed before transforming into a ball of white clouds and mist that enshrouded the three of them within.

The white cloud then shuddered before flying through the air like a shooting star, traveling at a speed that wasnt inferior to that of the dark clouds behind them.

You dare to use these pitiful tricks against me? An eerie voice sounded from within the dark clouds before they tumbled and materialized into a massive black hand.

The hand disappeared in a flash, transforming into a streak of black light over 100 feet in length. Its speed also increased drastically and just a few flashes later, it had already gained significantly on the three women.

Thats a Nascent Soul devil cultivator behind us! We have to think of a way to impede him, Song Yus urgent voice sounded from within the white cloud.

Ill release my spirit insects. Even if I have to sacrifice my centipedes, Ill make sure to stop him in his tracks for now, Liu Yu offered.

As soon as her voice fell, seven or eight snowy white centipedes that were around half a foot in length shot forth from within the white cloud before throwing themselves at the pursuing black light.

Huh? Six-Winged Frost Centipedes! Haha, if it isnt Liu Yu, you little brat! Are you trying to use these little bugs to hold me off? The man within the black light began to chortle with amusement.

Several thin pitch-black tendrils suddenly shot forth from within the black light, puncturing the bodies of the white centipedes in a flash. Meanwhile, the streak of black light itself simply skirted around the centipedes without any pause or hesitation.

The centipedes were completely stationary as they hovered in mid-air. Only after a short while were they completely engulfed in black flames and were incinerated into nothingness.

The Six-Winged Frost Centipedes were somehow completely unable to withstand these peculiar black flames.

The three women within the white cloud were horrified upon seeing this. In particular, Liu Yu was extremely stunned. She didnt know who this devil cultivator was and his voice sounded very unfamiliar to her, but he had somehow managed to glean her identity just from seeing her centipedes.

The black streak of light was simply far too fast and before the three women could think of any strategies to keep it at bay, it was already upon them.

It circled through the air before transforming into a massive black hand again, reaching out toward the white cloud without any inhibition.

The three women cried out in unison as three swords, a long halberd, and a scepter shot forth from within the white cloud at the same time.

Black light flashed over the surface of the massive hand and it grabbed ahold of all of those treasures. When it spread open its fingers again, all of the treasures had disappeared.

However, in that split second of delay, the white cloud suddenly exploded and three streaks of light hurtled toward different directions.

The three women were splitting up so that at the very least, not all of them would be doomed. However, an incredible sequence of events then unfolded!

A large swath of black light suddenly erupted from the massive hand, sweeping toward all three women at once, and dragging them back despite the fact that they were all flying in different directions. Thus, the massive black hand captured all three of them at once.

The three women were stunned and horrified, and protective spiritual light was flashing desperately over their bodies as they attempted to free themselves with all their might.

However, right at this moment, a cold harrumph sounded beside their ears.

Bursts of black Qi wafted out from the massive hand, spraying the three women directly in the face, upon which all three of them immediately fell unconscious.

Only then did the black hand release the three women and transform into a vast expanse of black Qi. The black Qi then converged toward the center to form a tall and broad humanoid figure.

The humanoid figures entire body was pitch-black in color, yet its eyes were shimmering with a harrowing green light.

The black figure looked at the three women and cackled, Who wouldve thought that it would be these three? This is good, if I can capture them, then that man will be even more wary of me. Hehe, all three of these women are closely related to you, you probably wont sacrifice yourself to save them, but Im sure Ill be able to extort you a little.

After an indeterminate period of time, Song Yu, who was the most powerful among the three women, awakened first.

She looked around to find that she was lying on the cold hard ground with stone pillars that were shimmering with white light all around her. A jolt of shock ran through her heart and she immediately sat up. At the same time, she made a hand seal in an attempt to unleash her protective spiritual light.

However, a cry of surprise erupted, and Song Yu slumped to the ground once again.

Han Li was in seclusion in the secret chamber for four days and four nights.

When he finally emerged from the secret chamber with a pleased look on his face, he discovered that L Luo was sitting with his legs crossed outside the restriction of his cave abode, and it was unclear how long he had been waiting out there.

Han Li contemplated the situation for a moment, and he could roughly guess the purpose of L Luos visit. As such, a faint smile appeared on his face as he opened the restriction outside his cave abode and strode out to meet him.

L Luo was ecstatic to see Han Li, and he hurriedly rose to his feet as he cupped his fist in a salute. Junior Martial Brother Han, I heard from Martial Niece Tian that you went into seclusion to refine your treasures. I thought Id have to wait a few more days, but youve come out already!

I obtained some things in the Great Jin, so I decided to refine my treasures again. I initially planned to be done in two or three days, but it took a little longer than I expected. My apologies for keeping you waiting, Senior Martial Brother. Have you come here to speak to me about the Ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion? Han Li asked in an unhurried manner.

Thats right. Almost all of the elders from those two sects have been deployed, and it seems that some of them dont believe youve actually reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, L Luo replied with a smile.

Alright, then let me meet them to dispel their suspicions, Han Li said in a calm manner.

That would be best. L Luo was naturally very pleased with this proposal.

As such, the two of them immediately flew toward the Drifting Cloud Sect.

A short while later, the two of them appeared outside the main hall on the main peak of the sect.

There were a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Stage disciples guarding the hall, and all of them immediately rushed forward to greet Han Li and L Luo in a respectful manner. However, there were a few of them who couldnt but steal a few glances at Han Li.

Han Lis brows furrowed in response, and he harrumphed lightly.

The harrumph could easily be construed as Han Li merely clearing his throat, but to the disciples who were stealing furtive glances at him, it felt as if a thunderclap had erupted right beside their ears, and shivers ran down their spines as they hurriedly buried their heads into their chests.

L Luo paid no heed to Han Lis gesture as he asked, Are he fellow Daoists still in the hall?

Yes, the seniors from the Ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion have been meditating within the hall this entire time, and nothing has happened, one of the disciples quickly replied.

L Luo nodded in response.

Meanwhile, Han Li had already ascertained the cultivation bases of everyone in the hall with his spiritual sense.

There were two mid-Nascent Soul cultivators and three early-Nascent Soul cultivators in there. It appeared that the grand elders from both secs had arrived in person.

At his current power level, even a normal late-Nascent Soul cultivator would be no match for him, so he naturally didnt regard the cultivators in the hall as a threat.

Thus, he didnt say anything and strode directly toward the hall.

L Luo faltered slightly upon seeing this before hurriedly following along, making sure to walk a step behind Han Li as a gesture to highlight who the star of the show was.

L Luo had only taken a few steps when, to his surprise, he discovered that Han Li had disappeared.

He could physically see Han Li, but if he were to use his spiritual sense to try and detect Han Lis presence, he would discover nothing but empty air.

L Luo immediately drew a sharp breath, yet at the same time, he was feeling slightly concerned.

This type of complete aura concealment technique could only be used by high-grade cultivators against cultivators of a lower caliber, whose spiritual sense were far inferior to their own.

As an early-Nascent Soul cultivator, even though he could clearly see Han Li walking right in front of him, he was still completely unable to sense his presence. This meant that if Han Li wanted to assassinate early-Nascent Soul cultivators like him, he could literally sneak up right next to them without drawing any attention to himself.

Of course, he was also rather concerned. After all, Han Li was unleashing this type of secret technique in order to intimidate the grand elders of the Ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion, but he had only recently reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, while the two grand elders were both seasoned mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. If it turned out that his spiritual sense wasnt powerful enough, his concealment technique would be seen through, and far from being intimidated, the two grand elders would scoff at him for playing a childish trick. At times, there was only a fine line between stamping ones authority and making a fool out of oneself.

Of course, L Luo was aware that Han Li wouldnt dare to use such a technique unless he had a high degree of confidence in his ability to pull it off.

Even so, he was still feeling rather uneasy, and his emotions were quite conflicted.

There was only a short corridor leading up to the hall, and before long, Han Li and L Luo had arrived at their destination.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to L Luo, then turned to appraise Han Li with astonishment in their eyes.

L Luo was greatly relieved upon seeing this.

It appeared that none of the five Nascent Soul cultivators had been able to detect Han Lis presence, after all.

The five cultivators expressions changed drastically as they rose to their feet in quick succession.

An elderly man with a head of messy hair stood up, and the astonishment on his face was replaced by a slightly grave smile as he said, Fellow Daoist Han really has become a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator already. Even with my mid-Nascent Soul Stage cultivation base, I was unable to detect your presence.

This man was none other than the grand elder of the Ancient Sword Sect, Eccentric Jin!

A purple-robed man quickly came to his senses as well as he said, Indeed. Its only been just over a century, yet Brother Han has already reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage. The rate of your cultivation is simply unheard of.

This man was Eccentric Pyre of the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion.

Han Li had encountered both of these men back when he was attending a ceremony at the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion, and he had even fought Eccentric Jin once before.

In response, Han Li merely smiled, and said, I was only fortunate to have stumbled upon some opportunities during my journey. I was unaware that all of you will be visiting, and I apologize for making you wait so long, Fellow Daoists.

Haha, dont mention it. To cultivators like us, days pass by in the blink of an eye, Eccentric Jin chuckled.

Han Li smiled upon hearing his as he turned his attention to the other three cultivators. Two of them were new Nascent Soul cultivators from the two sects, while the final one was a young woman with a set of gentle facial features. This was the female Ancient Sword Sect cultivator he had also encountered during the ceremony at the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion.

This was quite a haughty woman who had once attempted to use a rather profound secret technique on him, but completely failed to assess the limits of his abilities. However, it did leave Han Li with a rather deep impression of this woman.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward her, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face as he said, You look well, Fairy Brightscent. I can see that youve already reached the early-Nascent Soul Stage bottleneck. You should be able to progress to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage in about a decade.

The young womans expression was slightly strained at the sight of Han Li turning his gaze toward her, and her face paled significantly upon hearing Han Li diagnose her recent cultivation progression to a fault.

Prior to meeting Han Li, the most skeptical among the five Nascent Soul cultivators about Han Lis progression to the late-Nascent Soul Stage wasnt Eccentric Jin or the other mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. Instead, it was none other than this young woman.

Over a century ago, during the ceremony held at the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion, this young woman had also only recently reached the Nascent Soul Stage. However, she possessed a treasure that allowed her to cultivate at several times the speed of a normal cultivator. Through the use of this treasure, she had made several breakthroughs in a short period of time, thereby allowing her to reach the Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age, and she was lauded as an exceptional prodigy in the Ancient Sword Sect.

However, during the ceremony, she had encountered Han Li, who had apparently been cultivating for a shorter span of time than her, yet possessed a superior cultivation base. As such, she couldnt help but want to test out Han Lis abilities. In the end, she was completely unable to verify the extent of Han Lis power, but she still wasnt willing to concede and settle for second-best. She thought that with the assistance of her special treasure, it would only be a matter of time before she caught up to Han Li.

However, only a century had passed by, and Han Li had returned from his travels as a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

Fairy Brightscent was stunned upon hearing this, and refused to believe it to be true.

However, Han Li had just displayed the might of his spiritual sense, and when he cast his gaze toward her, the young woman had been struck by a sense of asphyxiation. Furthermore, he was able to easily identify her cultivation situation with unerring accuracy.

All of this was extremely shocking to her, and only after a few seconds did she manage to force a smile onto her face.

As expected of Brother Han, your assessment of my cultivation base is completely spot on. Looks like you really have become a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator. With Brother Han overseeing the Dreamcloud Mountains, no one would dare to offend our three sects.

Haha, indeed, Fairy Brightscent. At Junior Martial Brother Hans current age, our Dreamcloud Mountains will be safe for at least 700 to 800 years. As for other forces offending our three sects? Hehe, on the contrary, I think its time for our three sects to expand out of the Dreamcloud Mountains, L Luo suddenly said.

Everyone stirred upon hearing this.

Han Li remained silent with a smile on his face, but he slowly withdrew his secret technique, and his aura reappeared before becoming more and more powerful. He was most definitely displaying the spiritual pressure of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator!

The five cultivators in the hall were feeling rather unsteady on their feet in the face of such devastating spiritual pressure, and there was no doubt in their hearts that Han Li had indeed reached the late-Nascent Soul Sage.

After that, L Luo began to discuss his plans for expansion with the cultivators from the other two sects. At the very least, they were planning to take over the entire cultivation world in the State of Xi.

From his words and mannerisms, it was clear that he was already regarding the Ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion as subsidiaries to the Drifting Cloud.

Eccentric Jin and the purple-robed man looked at one another, and they could both see their own resignation mirrored in each others eyes. L Luo pretended to be completely oblivious to their dismay.

…

Somewhere within the outer valley of the Devilfall Valley, Mu Peilings trio emerged from a rather obscure cave, and all three women wore urgent expressions of concern on their faces.

Liu Yus footsteps faltered as her brows furrowed, and she said, This is already the last possible place where Illusionary Spirit Herbs could be growing, but we still havent found any. Could it be that all of the Illusionary Spirit Herbs on the outskirts of the valley have been picked already?

The woman with the Song surname was also finding it difficult to maintain her former composure, and she replied, Thats not entirely impossible. If we were to enter the inner valley, we should definitely be able to find some of this herb.

No, we definitely venture into the inner valley. It would be far too dangerous for us with our cultivation bases. Mu Peilings expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

Song Yu blinked with a contemplative look on her face, and said, Not necessarily. I know and old friend of Martial Uncle Hans, and she gave me a map of a safe route into the inner valley. As long as we dont stray from that route, we should be able to minimize the risk of encountering spatial rifts in the inner valley.

Another two streaks of light shot forth from within the bamboo forest, reaching the woman in white in the blink of an eye. Two other beautiful women were then revealed and one of them, a yellow-robed woman, asked, Big Sister Liu, have you gotten the herb?

I did, but its not what were looking for, its just a Purple Flame Flower! the white-robed woman replied with a wry smile.

The final woman to complete the trio wore an azure palatial dress, and she smiled as she said, Theres no need to feel disheartened, Junior Martial Sister Mu. Weve only searched through a small area of the outer valley, perhaps the Illusionary Spirit Herb were looking for could simply be elsewhere!

These three gorgeous women were naturally none other than Liu Yu, Mu Peiling, and the woman with the Song surname.

They had been scouring the outskirts of the Devilfall Valley for close to half a month and during the process, they had found some spiritual herbs that grew in obscure locations, but they Illusionary Spirit Herb that they were searching for continued to elude them. Liu Yu and Mu Peiling were starting to get quite impatient. In contrast, the woman with the Song surname appeared to have the patience of a saint.

Thats true, but if we venture into any other places, its going to get dangerous. Those areas could have residual spatial rifts and if we fall into one, well be dead for sure. Liu Yus brows furrowed with concern.

Most of the spatial rifts in the outer valley have disappeared long ago. As long as we keep our guard up, theres no way wed bump into one. Besides, this pill is very important to Core Formation cultivators like us, and cultivation is always a path thats fraught with peril. If we dont even dare to take risks like this, then we might as well just stay in constant seclusion at the sect and not go anywhere, the woman with the Song surname chuckled.

Mu Peiling was silent for a while before heaving a forlorn sigh, Senior Martial Sister Song is right. Ive reached the mid-Core Formation Stage bottleneck and without this pill, its going to be very difficult for me to make a breakthrough.

A smile appeared on Liu Yus face as she said, Seeing as Senior Martial Sister Song and Junior Martial Sister Mu are both in support of this decision, I can only accompany you two.

Thus, a decision was reached the and the three women shot forth toward another area in the outer valley, disappearing in a flash.

At the same time, in the forbidden area of the Drifting Cloud Sect, the door to the stone chamber was opened again and Han Li emerged from within with a hint of elation in his heart. However, he immediately discovered that L Luo was waiting outside for him along with Tian Qiner, and that discovery made him falter momentarily.

Junior Martial Brother Han, how is Sister Nangong? fгeewebnovl.com

Shes doing well. I used the curse dissolving method that I obtained in the Great Jin, and lifted the Soul Seal Curse on her again. There should be no further mishaps arising now. However, Waner is at a critical juncture in her cultivation of the Youthful Celestial Moon, so she wont be able to leave the ice wall for the time being. Its probably going to take several years for her to master the cultivation art. Its a pity that my cultivation art is of a different attribute to hers. Otherwise, Id be able to lend her some assistance, Han Li sighed in a forlorn manner.

L Luos expression eased as he joked, Theres no need to hurry, Junior Martial Brother. Sister Nangong is unable to come out of the ice wall right away, but shes already woken up on her own and itll only be a matter of a few years until she regains her freedom. When that time comes, you have to make sure to invite me to your wedding!

A rare blush appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this, but his expression quickly reverted back to normal.

L Luo hesitated momentarily before asking, By the way, youre already a great cultivator now, so its inappropriate for you to continue living on this mountain. How about you move back to the sect, and Ill construct a new cave abode for you on the main peak?

Han Li contemplated this offer momentarily before shaking his head as he said, Theres no need for that. My cave abode isnt very large, but its very peaceful. Even if Waner were to come out from the ice wall, it would be large enough to house the two of us.

A reluctant expression appeared on L Luos face and he hesitated momentarily before continuing, Alright, then well do as you say, Junior Martial Brother. Oh, right, I still have your Nascent Soul Stage puppet, I…

Ive already reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage, so that puppet wont be very useful to me. Ill give to the sect as a present and you can continue using it, Han Li said with a nonchalant smile.

Thank you, Junior Martial Brother! L Luo was overjoyed to hear that. The puppet was slightly redundant for Han Li, but it was extremely useful for him.

Han Lis brows furrowed as he suddenly said, Waner is at a critical juncture during her breakthrough, I dont want anything to disturb or disrupt her during this time.

So what youre saying is… L Luo was a little perplexed.

My cave abode is rather far away from the forbidden area and even though I dont plan to go into seclusion for long periods of time in the near future, I do have some treasures that I have to refine, and Ill perhaps need to make a few trips. Hence, I want to enhance the restriction here so its completely inaccessible to anyone else. What do you think, Senior Martial Brother? Han Li asked with a serious expression.

Haha, theres no need for you to ask my permission about that, just do whatever you please. I was planning to hand over the reins on this forbidden area to you after you came back anyway, L Luo replied with a smile.

A smile appeared on Han Lis face and a thought suddenly seemed to have occurred to him as he pointed to Tian Qiner, and said, Thank you, Senior Martial Brother. Also, I might have to trouble you to look after this disciple of mine from time to time.

He then divulged the information regarding Tian Qiners Dragon Cry Physique, as well as the fact that she could be a reincarnation of a good friend of his.

L Luo immediately understood Han Lis intentions, and he nodded without any hesitation as he promised, Tsk tsk, so reincarnation truly does exist. Dont worry, if youre not around to administer timely treatment, Ill be sure to repress the Yang energy backlash in Martial Niece Tians body.

Hehe, then Ill have to trouble you, Senior Martial Brother L. In the meantime, Ill try to find some Yin-type spiritual pills and if theyre potent enough, theyll also be able to temporarily repress her Dragon Cry Physique so you wont have to always step in, Han Li assured.

In response, L Luo waved his hands in a nonchalant manner.

Tian Qiner was quite touched by Han Lis gesture. She had always been concerned about what would happen to her if her master were to go on a long journey or into extended periods of seclusion.

Who wouldve thought that Han Li already had everything planned in advance?

L Luo then spoke to Han Li about the upcoming celebration, and the potential visits from the Ancient Sword Sect and Hundred Possibilities Pavilion before departing.

As soon as L Luo exited the forbidden area, Han Li immediately pulled out several formation flags and formation plates from his storage pouch in order to alter the restriction around the entire stone chamber.

Han Li had slain many Nascent Soul cultivators in the Great Jin, and he had obtained many powerful formation tools from their storage pouches. As such, the restriction around this forbidden area was far too feeble in his eyes, so he decided to revamp the whole thing.

In that case, even if he werent by Nangong Wans side, he wouldnt have to constantly be fretting over her safety. He didnt want his companion to come to harm because he wasnt by her side.

With these ready-made formation tools available, setting up the formation was an extremely quick and easy task.

A short while later, all of the formation spells had been set, and Han Li turned to Tian Qiner with a smile before dusting himself off and entering the stone chamber again. Only after spending a short while in there did he re-emerge with a smile on his face.

Han Li was in a rather good mood as he said, Lets go. Ill take you to my cave abode, and Ill construct a separate one for you as well. Ive also got many spell formation tomes in my collection, and you can take all of them as well.

Azure light then flashed over his body, sweeping up Tian Qiner with him as he departed from the forbidden area, flying toward the interconnected mountains where he once lived.

A short while later, the azure streak of light flew out of the restriction formation around the Drifting Cloud Sect. Han Li traveled to the interconnected mountains to the east of the sect and circle around in the air before landing on one of the mountain peaks down below.

He swept a sleeve through the air and over ten golden flying swords shot forth, transforming into streaks of golden light that were over 100 feet in length, which disappeared in a flash.

Han Li then sat down with his legs crossed, making hand seals in silence. However, loud rumbling was erupting incessantly halfway up that mountain peak.

Tian Qiner stood behind him with curiosity shimmering in her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings.

At Han Lis current power level, constructing a small cave abode naturally wouldnt take too much time. Less than 10 minutes had passed when he abruptly opened his eyes, and said, Alright, the cave abode is complete. You can arrange the interior however you like. Lets go in first and if theres something you dont like, I can make some adjustments for you. If youre missing some things, you can take my elder badge to the sect and get everything you need. Im going to be in my cave abode refining a few treasures in the next few days, so you can familiarize yourself with the sect first.

Yes, Master! A hint of excitement appeared on Tian Qiners face upon hearing this.

Han Li flipped his hand over, and several shiny objects appeared over his palm. There was a badge, a flag, a bead, a flying sword, a bronze mirror, as well as six or seven other treasures of remarkable appearance. You should be able to use these treasures, and theyre all pretty decent. Refine them and use them to protect yourself. That badge is a treasure to activate the restriction around these mountain peaks, refine that one first before you leave this place.

Thank you, Master! Your kindness will not be forgotten! Tian Qiners parents were both Core Formation cultivators, so she could immediately identify that these treasures were far better than pretty decent. All of them appeared to be either high-grade or top-grade treasures, and she would definitely be able to make use of them even after reaching the Core Formation Stage. As such, she immediately expressed her gratitude before accepting the treasures with elation.

Han Li chuckled as he flew toward another mountain peak as an azure streak of light, flashing a few times through the air before disappearing from view.

Meanwhile, Tian Qiner was extremely excited as she fiddled around with her treasures for a long while before joyfully heading to her own cave abode.

On the other side, Han Li had already returned to the cave abode that he had been absent from for close to a century.

Everything was still in an identical state to when he left them, and a strong sense of nostalgia welled up in his heart. He then pulled out the spiritual herbs, spiritual medicines, spirit beasts, and spirit insects from his storage pouch, planting the medicines and herbs in the medicine garden, then placing the beasts and insects into the appropriate rooms.

He then entered the secret chamber without any hesitation to refine his second batch of Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, preparing to infuse them with his newly obtained Auric Essence.

However, that was only the first step. Han Li was also planning to infuse the Myriad Year Profound Jade he had obtained from the North Night Palace into the swords as well. In that case, all of his flying swords would possess glacial powers, thereby making them even more formidable.

Han Li was very much looking forward to seeing how his magic treasures would turn out following this refinement process.

Han Lis heart eased slightly upon hearing this.

It appeared that the situation was just as he had anticipated, even without lifting the seal on Nangong Wans body, she would still be fine. However, seeing as he had already obtained the method to lift the seal, he was naturally not going to waste it. It would be best to alleviate Nangong Wans condition in case she was to be afflicted by any unforeseen troubles in the future.

Thus, Han Li quickly made his decision.

While chatting with one another, the three of them had already reached the restriction formation around the Drifting Cloud Sect.

On the way there, L Luo had already released a voice transmission talisman, so as soon as the two of them reached the formation, the mist permeating throughout the entire restriction tumbled before slowly dissipating.

The entire formation around the sect was being deactivated.

Han Li stirred slightly upon seeing this, but before he had a chance to say anything, hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators had been led out of the mountain by a dozen or so Core Formation cultivators, and they arranged themselves into orderly rows as they yelled in unison, The disciples of the Drifting Cloud Sect pay our respects to Elder Han, and extend our heartfelt congratulations to your progression to the late-Nascent Soul Stage.

All of the cultivators then bowed toward Han Li with excited expressions on their faces. It was quite clear that L Luo had already disclosed the news of Han Lis progression to the late-Nascent Soul Stage in the voice transmission talisman that he had just release.

That was why these disciples had gathered together to present such a grand welcome to this Elder Han.

After all, all of the Drifting Cloud Sect disciples were well aware of what it meant for a great cultivator to emerge in their sect. Their sect would immediately become one of the few super sects in the Heavenly South Region and as a result, the cultivation resources they would be entitled to would be far superior to what they had received in the past. As such, how could they not be ecstatic?

Han Li turned to L Luo with a wry smile, and said, Senior Martial Brother L, was there really a need to kick up such a big fuss?

Haha, of course, Junior Martial Brother Han. Youve become a great cultivator, so the sect disciples naturally have to gather here to present a warm welcome. Were also planning to hold a grand ceremony to celebrate this event, and were going to invite all of the elders from the other sects to attend. Otherwise, it would be an insult to your lofty status, Junior Martial Brother, L Luo chortled.

Do whatever you want, then. Dont expect to me participate in preparing these events, though, the most Im willing to do is to be in attendance on the day, Han Li sighed in a resigned manner.

As per convention in the Heavenly South Region, if a cultivator were to reach the late-Nascent Soul Stage, a grand celebration was mandatory in order to inform the entire region of this news. In doing so, all of the other sects would be alerted to this news, and the Drifting Cloud Sect would establish itself as a super sect.

Han Li wasnt opposed to bolstering the reputation of the sect, so he didnt state any objections.

Thus, Han Li descended upon the Drifting Cloud Sect right before the admiring eyes of countless disciples, and entered a spacious hall within the sect.

Han Li sat in the main seat within the hall and L Luo sat next to him, but his seat was positioned slightly off-center, thereby indicating that Han Li was the star of the show.

Han Li didnt make any remark upon seeing this.

He was the only late-Nascent Soul great cultivator in the sect and if he werent willing to take up the mantle, then major problems would arise. Not only would the disciples of the sect be concerned about whether Han Li was abandoning the sect, the other sects would also become suspicious about the situation in their sect. Sooner or later, trouble was going to be brewed.

As such, Han Li willingly sat down in the main seat within the hall, but he refrained from saying anything.

After all, it had been many years since he had returned to the sect and he was completely unfamiliar with the situation within the sect, so it was best to leave the logistics to Senior Martial Brother L.

As it turned out, L Luo was nowhere near a standout among Nascent Soul cultivators, yet he was very good at managing the sects internal affairs. He organized all of the new Core Formation disciples in the sect to pay their respects to Han Li one after the other, then officially announced the news of Han Lis progression to the late-Nascent Soul Stage again. Then, he began to hand down some missions to all of the ecstatic disciples in preparation for the upcoming celebration.

Han Li said in his seat with an indifferent expression as he swept his gaze nonchalantly over the disciples before him.

Most of the disciples who had the right to be here were Core Formation disciples, and the rare Foundation Establishment disciples among them were all responsible for important duties within the sect.

No matter which disciple he turned his attention to, the disciple would always lower their head in order to avoid Han Lis gaze as a sign of respect.

After a while, Han Li discovered that his in-name disciple, Liu Yu, and that woman with the Song surname werent present.

Han Li stirred slightly with a peculiar look on his face upon arriving at this realization.

After L Luo had finally finished delivering a long list of instructions to everyone, all of the disciples exited the hall in a respectful manner to make preparations for the upcoming celebration.

Senior Martial Brother L, I dont think I saw Martial Niece Song, there, has she gone out on a mission? Han Li asked.

L Luo chuckled in reply, Hehe, Martial Niece Song has gone to the Devilfall Valley. Shes trying to refine a type of pill, but shes missing a rare herb. This herb is already extinct, yet someone has recently discovered some in the Devilfall Valley.

She went to the Devilfall Valley? Han Lis expression changed upon hearing this.

Dont worry, Junior Martial Brother, this type of herb can be found in the outskirts of the Devilfall Valley. Also, due to some unknown reason, ever since you last visited the Devilfall Valley, the inner valley is still fraught with peril, yet the restrictions in the outer valley are growing weaker year by year, and almost all of the spatial rifts there have also disappeared. On the outskirts of the valley, there are only a few areas where demon beasts may be lurking, but overall, its not very dangerous. Many cultivators have traveled there in the past several decades and emerged from within with bountiful hauls. By the way, Martial Niece Liu and that servant also went together with her. The three of them are all Core Formation cultivators, and they brought several powerful treasures with them, so they should be fine, L Luo hurriedly explained.

Is that so? Liu Yu and Mu Peiling also went to the Devilfall Valley? Han Li was rather surprised to hear this.

Indeed. I dont know what kind of miracle pill you left behind, but your servant was able to reach the mid-Core Formation Stage in just a century. The rate of her cultivation was quite shocking, even to me. Perhaps shell also have a chance to reach the Nascent Soul Stage. L Luo clicked his tongue in wonder.

The pills I left behind was only a secondary factor, Peilings attitude has always been exceptional, Han Li replied as he stroked his chin.

Back when he first left, he had thought that he would be able to return from the Great Jin in around a decade or so and as a result, he hadnt left behind all that many pills for her that would advance her cultivation base. Otherwise, if she had been given a larger supply of those pills, it was very much possible that she couldve been able to reach the late-Core Formation Stage within a century.

However, he had now reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage and the Copulation Essence Arts were only effective for Nascent Soul cultivators, so he would have to think about what to do with this woman.

After all, everyone knew that this woman was his servant, so even if he were to release her right away, there would be very few male cultivators who would dare to risk irking a great cultivator just to take her for themselves.

After chatting with L Luo for a while longer, Han Li suddenly got up and took his leave so he could visit Nangong Wan.

L Luo naturally wasnt going to try and stop him.

Thus, Han Li left Tian Qiner in the hall for now while he headed to the forbidden area within the sect.

A short while later, Han Li appeared in front of the stone chamber within the forbidden area. His emotions were feeling slightly unstable as he lifted the restriction and slowly pushed the stone door open.

The stone chamber had been maintained in a pristine condition, and looked completely identical to when he had last left it. The shimmering wall of ice was still situated directly across from the stone door.

The only thing that was different was that Nangong Wan had turned from a little girl into an exquisite beauty again. However, her eyes were shut, and she appeared to still be in a deep slumber.

Han Lis body swayed and he instantly appeared in front of the ice wall.

He stared intently at the woman within the ice with a complex expression on his face.

Right at this moment, Nangong Wans eyelashes tremored and she slowly opened her eyes, meeting Han Lis gaze with her own.

The two of them stared at each other in silence.

A short while later, a faint smile appeared on the womans face as she said in a gentle voice, Im glad to see that youre back.

…

Within the depths of the Devilfall Valleys inner valley, an earthshattering boom suddenly erupted halfway up an unidentifiable mountain.

A burst of dense black Qi emerged from a cave before tumbling erratically, and proliferating over an area of several thousand feet in the blink of an eye. Almost half of the entire sky had been obscured by this black Qi, and it was as if an almighty fiendcelestial were descending into this world.

Hehe, through the use of the devil Qi left behind by that ancient devil, I was able to reach the mid-Nascent Soul Stage in just over a century. Ive even mastered the last two layers of Profound Yin Devil Qi. It looks like it really was the correct decision to take such a big risk in coming to this Devilfall Valley. Next, I just have to find a few powerful treasures within the valley and Ill have nothing to fear, even if that man comes again. After that, Ill find a way to enter the Myriad Depth Devilish Abyss, then draw upon the devilish Qi there to nurture this devilish corpse body. In that case, it wont be impossible for me to reach the late-Nascent Soul Stage. Haha, other devil cultivators are afraid of self-detonation from absorbing too much devilish Qi, but I have the body of a devilish corpse, so I have nothing to fear! When the time comes, Ill reach the late-Nascent Soul Stage and kill that man, then engulf his soul. Ill be only Han Li in this world, then, and thats how it should be…

A coarse voice rang out from within the black Qi, followed by a burst of deranged laughter. All of a sudden, the black Qi surged violently toward a certain direction, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

…

Within a bamboo forest on the outskirts of the Devilfall Valley, a ball of red light suddenly shot forth before fleeing rapidly into the distance.

However, a delicate cry erupted and three streaks of lights of different colors hurtled through the bamboo forest at an even more incredible speed, catching up to the red light after just a few flashes.

The three streaks of light flashed toward the ball of red light, and a peculiar cry erupted from within as a strange bird over 10 feet in size plummeted to the ground.

A white streak of light then flew through the bamboo forest, reaching the fallen bird in a flash before revealing a beautiful woman in a white dress.

The woman feigned a grabbing motion, and a purple herb rose up from the birds carcass before landing in her hand.

Master, what do you mean by that? Tian Qiner was starting to feel a little unsettled.

What did you feel during your time in the bamboo building? Han Li answered her question with another question.

I dont know, but it was a very strange feeling that I cant put into words, Tian Qiner murmured in reply.

That was the past residence of one of my old friends. She also possessed the Dragon Cry Physique and was a natural formation spell master. However, she passed away at a very young age, Han Li said in a slow voice.

Tian Qiner faltered upon hearing this before asking, Didnt you try to save her, Master?

I hadnt even reached the Core Formation Stage yet back then, how was I supposed to save her? Besides, her heart had already died due to other factors. The formation spell book I left to you was something that she had given me. I first came into contact with Fellow Daoist Xin Ruyin through another fellow Daoist by the name of Qi Yunxiao. Back then, I had only just reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, and attended an underground auction. Han Li began to give Tian Qiner a recount of past events, from how he had encountered Qi Yunxiao by chance, then encountered Xin Ruyin, then the reasons for their eventual deaths.

His story only concluded after he told Tian Qiner about he had met Xin Ruyins servant following his departure.

However, by this point, Tian Qiner was completely dumbstruck by the story. Only after a long while did she exhale as a complex look appeared on her face, and she said, I see. So you think Im a reincarnation of that person, Master?

I was rather skeptical initially, but after seeing your reaction in that bamboo building, Im at least 50% sure that this is indeed the case, and thats enough for me. It appears that reincarnation most likely does exist, after all, Han Li chuckled.

Then the reason why you accepted me as your disciple… Tian Qiner was becoming rather uneasy upon hearing that.

Dont worry, I genuinely wish to take you under my wing. Fellow Daoist Xin was a good friend of mine, and I admired her greatly for her aptitude in formation spells. I accepted you as my disciple partly because you could very likely be the reincarnation of my old friend, but I also want to raise you to become a true formation spell master, as you could prove to be very useful to me in the future. Of course, if you change your mind and no longer wish to be my disciple, I can take you back to the Scattered Star Seas right away, Han Li said calmly.

I dont know if Im a reincarnation of Masters old friend, but even if that were the case, I cant remember anything about my past life. I am extremely fortunate that a great cultivator like Master has decided to accept a Qi Condensation Stage disciple like me, how could I possibly give up on such a brilliant opportunity? Tian Qiner hurriedly shook her head with a panicked expression, as if she really were afraid that Han Li would change his mind about taking her under his wing.

After all, no official disciple acceptance ceremony had been held yet, so she was only an in-name disciple of his.

Good. I cant guarantee you much else at the moment, but at the very least, Im confident in my abilities to get to you to progress safely to the Core Formation Stage, Han Li said with a smile.

Qiner is willing to serve her master wholeheartedly. Tian Qiner immediately pledged her loyalty to Han Li.

Alright, when we get back to the Drifting Cloud Sect, Ill officially take you as my disciple. Ive never officially accepted any disciples in the past, but I do have an in-name disciple, youll be able to see her at the sect, Han Li continued with a smile.

Tian Qiners heart stirred upon hearing this, and an elated smile appeared on her face.

After that, Han Li accelerated even further, and the two of them disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

A few months later, Han Li and Tian Qiner reached the State of Xi.

Several days after that, a streak of piercing azure light appeared near the Dreamcloud Mountains. When they were roughly 50 kilometers away from the mountain ranges, an earsplitting cry suddenly erupted from within the azure light.

The cry was like the roar of a dragon, but also like the cry of a phoenix, and even the nearby clouds were disturbed by the powerful resulting soundwaves.

The streak of azure light was traveling at an incredibly fast speed, and covered a distance of several tens of kilometers in just a few flashes. The immense spiritual power imbued within the cry had alerted all three of the major sects within the Dreamcloud Mountains.

Everyone within those sects, from ordinary Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples, to Nascent Soul elders, were all stunned upon hearing this cry from afar.

All of the Nascent Soul cultivators sprang into action at once, emerging from their respective sects to see which powerful being was declaring his arrival at the Dreamcloud Mountains in such a reckless manner.

Thus, when Han Li was still close to 10 kilometers away from the mountain ranges, five streaks of light had already come out to meet him, and they appeared to be Nascent Soul cultivators from the three sects.

Han Lis heart stirred up seeing this. His emotions had been in a state of disarray at the thought of being able to see Nangong Wan again soon, but he was forced to calm himself down here.

The azure light receded and the loud cry subsided as Han Li revealed himself with Tian Qiner by his side. He then turned his attention to the five streaks of light hurtling toward him.

Moments later, a rare smile joyful smile appeared on his face.

When the five streaks of light were around 300 to 400 feet away from him, the lights receded to reveal five cultivators, most of whom Han Li recognized.

A blue-robed middle-aged man identified Han Li from afar, and following a split second of stunned inactivity, he yelled with surprise and elation, Junior Martial Brother Han!

He was none other than L of the Drifting Cloud Sect, the very same Elder L who had invited Han Li to join the sect many years ago.

You look well, Senior Martial Brother L! Han Lis smile widened as he cupped his fist in a salute.

So its Fellow Daoist Han Li, I was wondering who would be capable of putting on such a mighty display of power. Huh? Brother Han, have you already reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage? The next person to speak was a cultivator in a set of red robes. He was none other than Child Fire Dragon of the Ancient Sword Sect. At this moment, he wore an expression on his face that suggested that he had just seen a ghost.

Han Li took a glance at Child Fire Dragon as he said with a smile, Brother Lan, youve also reached the mid-Nascent Soul Stage, havent you?

Child Fire Dragon gulped before replying drily, Surely you jest, Brother Han. How can my progression to the mid-Nascent Soul Stage compare with your breakthrough to become a great cultivator?

His words sent waves of shock surging through everyone elses hearts and they all swept their spiritual sense toward Han Li in unison, upon which the same dumbstruck expression appeared on their faces. L Luos voice trembled as he asked, Is that true? Have you reached the late-Nascent Soul Stage already, Junior Martial Brother?

My trip was quite bountiful and I managed to progress to the late-Nascent Soul Stage by chance, Han Li replied calmly.

L Luo was naturally ecstatic to hear this, and he was temporarily at a loss for words, but there was a beaming smile on his face.

Congratulations, Brother Han. Who would have thought that after a mere century apart, Fellow Daoist Han would make such massive strides on your cultivation path? Looks like our Dreamcloud Mountains will also be a force to be reckoned with in the Heavenly South Region from now on. The man who had just spoken was none other than Elder Feng, the man whom Han Li had once encountered in the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion. Following a brief stunned stupor, the man immediately put on a warm and enthusiastic expression.

Han Li nodded with a smile, but didnt say anything in response.

Even though early-Nascent Soul cultivators and late-Nascent Soul cultivators were both Nascent Souls, and referred to one another as equals, both of them were well aware of the massive disparity between the two.

As such, everyone else was naturally struck by a sense of inferiority when standing before Han Li.

As for the other two unfamiliar men present, they were new elders of the Ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion.

In the presence of Han Li, these two were feeling even more uneasy, and after extending a greeting toward Han Li, both of them refrained from saying anything else.

Brother Lan, Fellow Daoist Feng, you two can go back for now. Ive been away from the sect for a long time, so I plan to stay there for a few days before visiting the Ancient Sword Sect the Hundred Possibilities Pavilion. How does that sound? Han Li proposed.

Child Fire Dragon and Elder Feng immediately replied by expressing that there was no need for Han Li to visit their sects. Instead, they were going to gather their fellow elders to visit the Drifting Cloud Sect instead. They secured Han Lis agreement to pay the drifting cloud sect a visit in three days before taking their leave.

Thus, the only one that remained from the initial five was L Luo.

After the other four cultivators disappeared into the distance, Han Li turned to L Luo with furrowed brows, and asked, Senior Martial Brother L, the other two sects have all recruited new Nascent Soul cultivators, does our sect still not have a new Nascent Soul elder? Why do you have to go to the trouble to come here and welcome me in person?

Im quite ashamed to admit this, but with your resounding reputation, we were able to recruit many disciples with good aptitudes. However, their cultivation bases are all rather lacking, and there arent that many whore even close to reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. However, Im sure theyll all develop into pillars of our sect in the future. By the way, whos this? An awkward expression appeared on L Luos face at first, but that soon gave way to befuddlement as he turned his attention to Tian Qiner.

This is a disciple that I accepted during my travels. I havent held an official disciple acceptance ceremony yet, Han Li replied with a smile.

Tian Qiner was very clever and she immediately stepped forward before extending a respectful curtsey, Tian Qiner pays her respects to… Martial Uncle L. She was only a Qi Condensation cultivator, but after being accepted by Han Li as his disciple, she was naturally different from all of the other sect disciples, whose position in the sect hierarchy was determined by their cultivation base.

Haha, I didnt think that Junior Martial Brother Han would be accepting disciples so quickly. As your martial uncle, I dont really have anything good to give you. Heres a protective treasure that Ive used in the past. L Luo laughed heartily as he patted the storage pouch hanging from his waist, upon which a shimmering red crystal ball appeared in his hand, which he offered to Tian Qiner.

Tian Qiner faltered upon seeing this before extending another delighted curtsey, then accepted the treasure with a joyful expression.

Han Li smiled upon seeing this exchange before the two of them flew toward the Drifting Cloud Sect with Tian Qiner in tow.

On the way there, L Luo gave Han Li a rough recount of what had happened in the Drifting Cloud Sect during the past century. However, the most important events were naturally the death of Senior Martial Brother Cheng, and Nangong Wans perilous situation.

Han Li had anticipated that Senior Martial Brother Cheng was close to the end of his lifespan, but he was still struck by a hint of grief upon hearing about his demise.

After all, Han Li was once very close with this Senior Martial Brother Cheng.

Upon learning the fact that Nangong Wan was still afflicted by her seal, Han Lis heart sank as a tense look appeared on his face.

However, L Luo smiled, and explained, Not to worry, Junior Martial Brother. Even though Sister Nangongs seal still hasnt been lifted, shes already woken up and shell be fine. Its just that shes practicing a cultivation art in the ice wall, and if she were to break out from it now, her prior efforts would be wasted.

Youre calling for me, Master? The elderly man by the name of Feng Zhi hesitated before confirming the situation, in fear that he had misheard.

Yes, Im calling for you! Hurry up and get over here! This senior has some things to ask you. Didnt you live in this place before we came here? the scholar urged in a stern voice, in fear that Han Li would be irked by this slow disciple.

Yes, Im coming right away. After confirming that he hadnt misheard, the Foundation Establishment Stage elderly man could only muster up his courage and fly over to the scholars side.

Han Li turned his attention to Feng Zhi, and asked, You lived in this place before? freewbne.com

Yes, Senior. Prior to joining this sect, I did indeed live in this place, as had many generations of my forefathers, Feng Zhi replied in an uneasy manner.

Han Li nodded before raising a question that came as quite a surprise to everyone. I see. How did you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage?

Feng Zhi was also puzzled by this question, but he still hurriedly replied, My mother encountered a powerful senior many years ago, and he gifted my mother a Foundation Establishment Pill, which allowed me to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.

So that means youre Xiao Meis descendant. Han Lis expression eased slightly.

Feng Zhi faltered momentarily upon hearing this before a thought seemed to have occurred to him, and he exclaimed, Xiao Mei? Could you be referring to my maternal grandmother, Senior? Are you the one who gifted my mother the Foundation Establishment Pill all those years ago, Senior?

Youre pretty quick-witted, after all. Han Li confirmed this notion indirectly with a chuckle.

Thank you for your kindness, Senior! Ive always wanted to meet you and thank you in person! The elderly man hurriedly fell to his knees in mid-air with an expression of surprise and elation on his face.

Meanwhile, the scholar and the dark-skinned elderly man were completely stunned.

Han Li allowed the elderly man to extend a salute to him before continuing, Back then, I was nowhere near as powerful as I am today, and I met your forefathers on several occasions. After that, I encountered your mother and gifted her a Foundation Establishment Pill. However, your cultivation base seems to have stalled at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, so it appears your aptitude isnt all that great. Youve also reached quite an old age now, so your cultivation path will most likely end here.

My apologies for disappointing you with my mediocre aptitude, Senior, Feng Zhi replied with a shameful blush on his face.

Hehe, I have nothing to be disappointed about. By the way, how did this Wing Transformation Sect move into this place? This is the place where the master of your maternal grandmother once resided, are you not aware of this? The master of your maternal grandmother was once a good friend of mine. Han Lis expression suddenly darkened as his voice turned cold and forbidding.

The expressions on the faces of the scholar and the dark-skinned man immediately changed drastically.

Feng Zhis heart jolted upon hearing this, and he hurriedly replied, I am indeed aware of this, which is why I made sure to move the bamboo buildings that Senior Xin once resided in to the other side of the mountain. Theyve since been kept in their original condition, and Ive allowed no harm to come to them. This is one of the conditions I stated before allowing the sect to settle here.

Is that so? Han Li turned to the two Core Formation cultivators with a cold light in his eyes.

The scholar seemed to have identified the reason for Han Lis displeasure, and he hurriedly explained, That is indeed the case. This place is not where our Wing Transformation Sect is actually situated. Instead, its only a temporary dwelling for us. The reason why so many of our disciples are here is because we have to take care of a few matters in the State of Yuan Wu, so we had no choice but to stay here for the time being. After transferring Fellow Daoist Xins bamboo buildings to the other side of the mountain, we havent touched them at all.

I see. Regardless of all that, this is the past residence for an old friend of mine, and I dont want to see any other cultivators here. I trust the two of you are aware of what you should do next, Han Li said in a cold voice.

The dark-skinned man shuddered, and immediately said, Of course. Well move out of this place with our disciples right away.

The scholar nodded eagerly in agreement.

That would be great. Ill leave you to it, then. Take me to Fellow Daoist Xins bamboo buildings. Han Li turned his attention to Feng Zhi and asked him to lead the way.

Right away, Senior. Feng Zhi naturally didnt dare to delay as he gave a respectful reply. He bowed toward the scholar before activating his treasure and flying toward the other side of the mountain.

Azure light erupted from Han Lis body, sweeping up Tian Qiner within as he flew along behind Feng Zhi.

The scholar heaved a sigh of relief before transmitting his voice to the dark-skinned man as he asked, Is that man really a late-Nascent Soul cultivator? We havent made a mistake here, have we? Why is it that he doesnt look like any of the three legendary great cultivators?

Even from so far away, he still didnt dare to communicate directly with words.

That should be the case. The spiritual pressure he released just then was several times more terrifying than even our masters. That man is indeed not one of the three legendary great cultivators, perhaps a fourth great cultivator had finally appeared? the dark-skinned man speculated.

If thats really the case, then news of this man shouldve spread through the entire Heavenly South Region already, the scholar murmured.

Forget about it. No matter who he is, hes definitely someone whom our master wouldnt even dare to mess with. Lets hurry up and evacuate this place. If were too slow in moving out and he decides to change his mind, well be in big trouble, the dark-skinned man said with a grave expression.

Youre right, Senior Martial Brother. Ill start the evacuation process right away. What a pity that we have to give up such a fantastic dwelling, though, the scholar sighed reluctantly.

Hmph, were already extremely fortunate. Thank heavens you recruited Feng Zhi into our sect. Without him here, I feel like that man wouldve destroyed our sect in a fit of rage. How come I didnt know that this disciple of yours has ties with such a powerful senior? Were you aware of this, Junior Martial Brother? And who was the person that lived here in the past? To think that they were once the acquaintance of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, the dark-skinned man sighed.

Youve stumped me there, Senior Martial Brother. You already know this, I accepted Feng Zhi as my disciple very early on, but that was only because he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In terms of aptitude, his is very mediocre, so I didnt pay much attention to him and dont know a lot about him as a result. I did ask him about the former owner of the bamboo buildings here once. After all, the restrictions here are rather crude, but theyre very practical and useful. However, Feng Zhi told me that this person was only a Qi Condensation cultivator, so I paid this matter no heed. The scholar was also becoming quite confused.

A Qi Condensation cultivator and a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, even if this were many years in the past, surely the disparity between them is a little too large. The dark-skinned man was feeling rather speechless.

The scholar could only give a wry smile upon hearing this.

After that, the two of them didnt dare to delay any longer, and immediately led the other cultivators back to the buildings down below. At their behest, the 300 to 400 disciples present all began to pack up their belongings in preparation to vacate this site.

At this moment, Han Li had made his way into a green jade building with Tian Qiner by his side.

The jade building was very clean and well-maintained, but its age was very apparent.

Feng Zhi led the way, and explained in a fawning manner, After these bamboo buildings were transferred to this place, I did as I was told by my mother, and cast some spiritual light on them at regular intervals to prevent them from rotting, and also cleaned them regularly.

Thats good to hear. Han Lis lips twitched as he strode into the main hall of the jade building before surveying his surroundings.

If he recalled correctly, this pavilion was the one that Xin Ruyin had once resided in. Everything here was still the same, yet she had already passed away.

Han Li heaved an internal sigh as he turned his gaze toward Tian Qiner, upon which his heart stirred slightly in response to what he saw.

Tian Qiners eyes were completely glazed over as she stroked the bamboo tables and chairs within the hall. As she began to slowly walk around the room, she appeared to have fallen into a trance.

A complex expression flashed through Han Lis eyes upon seeing this.

He was silent for a while before waving Feng Zhi away as he instructed, Leave us alone in this place. Im going to spend a day here with my disciple, and you can come back again tomorrow.

Han Lis voice was completely implacable, and Feng Zhis heart stirred slightly as he nodded respectfully before departing. Han Lis body swayed and he appeared in a corner of the hall, where he sat down with his eyes closed and began to meditate, leaving Tian Qiner to slowly wander Xin Ruyins past residence.

The next morning, Feng Zhi came to the bamboo building uneasily to meet Han Li again, only to discover that he and his disciple were nowhere to be seen. However, there were two vials of unidentifiable pills left on the bamboo table.

Feng Zhi was ecstatic upon seeing this.

Pills left behind for him by a late-Nascent Soul cultivator were naturally prized treasures in his eyes.

He carefully stowed the pills away and at the same time, he had made up his mind, he was going to maintain these bamboo buildings to the best of his abilities. If this senior decided to visit this place again, perhaps more cultivation resources would be bestowed upon him for his efforts.

Han Li was, of course, oblivious to Feng Zhis thoughts as he was already hundreds of thousands of kilometers away.

However, the entranced look in Tian Qiners eyes refused to fade. Instead, she was becoming even more absentminded and unsettled.

Tian Qiner hadnt spoken a single word ever since they left that mountain, but she suddenly said, Master, why did you take me to that place? Did those bamboo buildings have something to do with me?

I couldnt be sure whether they had something to do with you or not, but I can almost be certain now that they are indeed related to you, Han Li replied calmly.

What do they —

Do you believe in reincarnation?

Tian Qiner was just about to ask another question, when Han Li cut her off with a question of his own.

Upon hearing this, Tian Qiners expression changed drastically.

So Elder Cheng mustve passed away already, Han Li murmured to himself. He stared up at the roof of the cave and seemed to have fallen into the deep thought.

The roof of the cave up above seemed to have been punctured by Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators in the past but after 100 years, there were no noticeable signs at all indicating it had been repaired.

The brawny man could see that Han Li was rather absentminded, but he still didnt dare to do anything and maintained a respectful expression on his face.

All of a sudden, Han Li raised a sleeve without any premonition and burst of azure light swept toward the brawny mans head.

The latters heart jolted with shock upon seeing this, but before he could do anything, he had already fallen onto the ground, having been completely knocked out.

Han Li took a glance at the unconscious man on the ground before suddenly flicking his fingers in quick succession, sending several streaks of golden sword Qi flying into the formation behind them.

A loud boom erupted and the formation was completely destroyed. Aside from the large crater that had been left in the ground, nothing remained to suggest that the teleportation formation had ever existed.

Seeing as the formation over in the Scattered Star Seas had been repaired by him, there was no need for the teleportation formation on this side to continue to exist. Otherwise, if someone else possessed a Greater Teleportation Medallion like the did, they would also be able to teleport to the Scattered Star Seas.

Han Li wanted this to be a shortcut that was exclusively available to him and had no intention of sharing it with anyone else. He was already extremely familiar with the structure and construction process of teleportation formations so if required, he could erect the same teleportation formation again in this place at any time.

In any case, with his current staggering wealth, the costs of materials for setting up teleportation formations, which had once seemed astronomical to him, were no longer a problem.

After doing all of that, Han Li reached out and feigned a grabbing motion toward the brawny man on the ground.

An immense suction force dragged the latters head firmly into Han Lis hand. A flash of light then appeared in his eyes as he began to unleash his secret technique.

After a while, Han Li released his five fingers and the brawny man tumbled to the ground once again. Han Li murmured to himself expressionlessly, Youre lucky that you told the truth. Im not a man who likes to eat his words, so I wont kill you, but I naturally have to wipe away your memories of seeing me appear from this teleportation formation.

Han Li had unleashed a secret technique to alter this mans memories. As such, he could only recall that an unidentifiable high-grade cultivator had seemingly descended from the heavens before killing all of the Devil Flame Sect cultivators, and the ancient teleportation formation had been unintentionally destroyed by the shockwaves radiating from their battle.

At Han Lis current cultivation base, unless if a Deity Transformation cultivator were to step in, no one would be able to break the restriction that he had set, so he could naturally rest assured.

After that, Han Li released a few fireballs to incinerate the bodies of the Devil Flame Sect cultivators into ashes. Brilliant azure light then erupted from his body, sweeping up the young girl behind him as they shot forth, directly upward.

An earthshattering boom rang out and the roof of the cave that had been repaired by the Ghost Spirit Sect was punctured again. The streak of azure light flashed once, and Han Li had already reached the surface of the ground up above. The streak of azure light then hurtled into the distance, completely disappearing after just a few flashes.

After a while, all of the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators were drawn to the scene by the massive commotion that had just ensued, only to find the unconscious brawny man, and the limestone cave where he was located, which was in a state of complete turmoil. Unbeknownst to them, a sneak attack that the Devil Flame Sect had planned against the Ghost Spirit Sect had been foiled, just like that. Meanwhile, Han Li was already on his way to the State of Xi.

At Han Lis current cultivation, he was capable of traveling at extraordinary speeds. Even though he hadnt unleashed his full speed, the rate at which he flew was still quite astonishing.

Along the way, Han Li would encounter the occasional cultivator, and all of them felt as if they had only just seen a spot of azure light flash several times in the distance before it had passed them by in the blink of an eye, an observation that left many of them completely dumbstruck.

These cultivators were all naturally given a fright upon seeing this. Some of the cultivators with superior cultivation bases were aware that they had just encountered an unfathomably powerful senior, while the low-grade cultivators began to speculate about supernatural activity, thinking that they had just encountered some kind of monster in broad daylight.

It only took Han Li several days to fly out of the State of Yue and reach the State of Yuan Wu.

After flying for a further two days in the State of Yuan Wu, a thought suddenly occurred to Han Li, upon which he hesitated momentarily before flying in another direction with Tian Qiner in two, temporarily altering his itinerary.

Near a secluded mountain on the border of the State of Yuan Wu, a spot of azure light flashed in the distance. A dazzling streak of azure light over 100 feet in length then shot forth and reached the air above the mountain in the blink of an eye, upon which the azure light receded. Han Li and Tian Qiner were revealed as a result.

Han Li looked down at the mountain peak and a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes. He swept his spiritual sense downward, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

This was the mountain where Xin Ruyin had once resided in hiding. The mountain itself looked no different compared to how it did back then, but Han Li could sense the auras of many cultivators down below, most of which were at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Stages, but there also appeared to be two Core Formation cultivators among them.

Some of the formation spell restrictions that Xin Ruyin had set up were still in place, creating a dense layer of white mist down below that made it impossible for anyone to see what was going on down below.

Han Lis eyes narrowed as he fell into deep thought.

Master, is something wrong? Tian Qiner blinked and asked carefully.

Not really. Its just that I havent been here in a few years, and it seems that some welcome guests have settled in this place, Han Li replied indifferently. However, the young girl could see hints of displeasure on Han Lis face, and she immediately knew that it was best not to pry further into the matter.

However, Han Li suddenly turned to her, and asked her something that caught her completely off guard.

What do you think of this mountain?

Tian Qiner was very confused by this question, and she carefully examined the small mountain down below before replying hesitantly, This mountain? The spiritual Qi here isnt very abundant, but the scenery isnt bad.

This was the residence of one of my past acquaintances. A hint of disappointment appeared on Han Lis face, but he soon recomposed himself before raising a hand.

A spluttering sound rang out as a crimson fireball abruptly emerged.

Right before Han Lis expressionless eyes, the fireball began to revolve incessantly above his palm, and it began to expand drastically at a phenomenal rate. Within the span of a breath, it had become as large as a washbasin. This was quite a startling transformation.

Han Li looked down with a cold expression before waving his hand through the air, upon which the fireball came hurtling down from above like a shooting star, disappearing into the mist in a flash.

The mist began to tumble violently as a loud boom erupted. A fiery cloud exploded within the white mist as waves of fire surged aggressively, puncturing a hole into the restriction that was over 100 feet in diameter, and this hole was still rapidly expanding, while the mist was reduced to water vapor.

The entire restriction had been destroyed by Han Li with ease using a mere fireball.

The white mist dissipated and the scenes down below were gradually revealed. A series of buildings and pavilions had been constructed on the mountain, yet the bamboo buildings that Xin Ruyin had constructed were nowhere to be seen.

Han Lis expression darkened upon seeing this.

All of the cultivators down below had naturally been alerted by such a loud commotion, and all of them instantly discovered Han Li and Tian Qiner hovering in the air up above.

A dozen or so cultivators immediately rose into the air atop their treasures as they headed straight for Han Li.

However, right at this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out from down below.

Which esteemed senior has come to visit our Wing Transformation Sect? My name is Guan Qing, and I apologize for failing to offer a proper welcome. Just as this voice faded, a streak of red light shot forth from the mountain. The red light outsped the Foundation Establishment cultivators down below and instantly reached Han Li. The light receded to reveal a middle-aged man in a set of scholar robes.

This was one of the Core Formation cultivators that Han Li had detected earlier.

From within the tallest pavilion down below, a ball of yellow light also emerged. The yellow light was traveling just as quickly as the streak of red light and quickly reached Han Li as well before revealing a dark-skinned elderly man with an extremely well-built physique.

This was naturally the other Core Formation cultivator.

Only then did the Foundation Establishment cultivators reach converge at the scene, and all of them stayed behind the two Core Formation cultivators with grim expressions on their faces.

Wing Transformation Sect? Ive never heard of it. Is this a newly-founded sect? Han Li raised an eyebrow as astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from his body, crashing directly toward the two Core Formation cultivators.

The scholar and the elderly mans expressions changed drastically, and they stumbled back several steps before finally arresting their momentum.

A Nascent Soul cultivator? the scholar exclaimed.

Senior, youre a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator? The dark-skinned elderly man swept his spiritual sense toward Han Li, upon which an incredulous look appeared on his face.

Han Li made no attempt to hide his cultivation base and this elderly man had quite a powerful spiritual sense for a cultivator of his caliber, so he was naturally able to detect Han Lis power.

A late-Nascent Soul cultivator? The scholar was given another fright as he also swept his spiritual sense toward Han Li.

Meanwhile, Han Li stood with his hands clasped behind his back, surveying the two of them expressionlessly.

After the scholar had ascertained Han Lis cultivation base with his spiritual sense, his expression had also become very strained. The two Core Formation cultivators glanced at one another before extending respectful bows in unison, and the elderly man said, We pay our respects to the esteemed senior! Our sect is indeed a newly-founded one, may I ask for the purpose of your visit, Senior? If theres anything I can help you with, Ill be sure to do my best.

The scholar also wore a respectful look on his face.

This was a great cultivator that could destroy their entire sect with ease, and the two of them were feeling extremely uneasy.

After all, Han Li had just destroyed the restriction down below in an extremely violent manner, and that certainly didnt bode well for them.

Upon seeing their masters concede in such a tame manner and hearing the words late-Nascent Soul cultivator, the Foundation Establishment cultivators behind them were also completely petrified.

After all, to low-grade cultivators like them, late-Nascent Soul cultivators were at the upper limit of power in the human world. It was everyones dream to be able to reach such a lofty cultivation base.

Seeing as this is a newly-founded sect, then you should have a Nascent Soul cultivator among your ranks. Where is your master? Han Li asked coldly.

The elderly man mustered up his courage, and replied, Our master is Huang Yao the Enlightened, and he left to visit a friend a month ago. The two of us are currently looking after the sect in his stead.

Hes not here? So be it, it doesnt matter anyway. When did all of you move into this place and wheres the person that used to live here? Han Li asked.

The elderly man was slightly taken aback by this question, and he turned to the scholar beside him as he replied, Our sect moved here 70 years ago. As for the person who once lived here…

The scholar was also surprised by this question, but without even turning his head, he immediately yelled, Feng Zhi! Come here, this senior has something to ask you.

Right as his voice fell, all of the Foundation Establishment cultivators turned to one of their members in unison.

This was an elderly man with refined features who appeared to be over 60 years of age.

This cultivator by the name of Feng Zhi also wore a stunned look on his face.

Only then did the brawny man turn around. He looked at the body of the elderly man with a complex expression before heaving a faint sigh.

Fellow Daoist Meng, are you still feeling attached to the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Among the Qi Condensation cultivators, a mundane looking middle-aged cultivator suddenly spoke. He then raised a hand and waved it toward the silvery-white flying sword in the air. The sword flashed before transforming into a silver streak of light and returning to his hand.

The elderly man had been slain by none other than that flying sword, which had attacked him from behind. The Qi Condensation cultivator had actually been concealing his cultivation base this entire time, and only now did he reveal his late-Foundation Establishment cultivation base.

Ive already decided to switch my allegiance to your Devil Flame Sect, so I naturally wont hold any attachments to this sect. However, this man may not be a friend of mine, yet weve met on numerous occasions in the past, so its only normal for me to feel bad in a situation like this, the brawny man replied.

Im glad you think that way, Fellow Daoist Meng. Ever since the Ghost Spirit Sect lost two Nascent Soul cultivators and a large number of Core Formation cultivators over 100 years ago, theyve been weakened significantly, and no longer deserve to rule over an entire empire. This time, our Controlling Spirit Sect, Devil Flame Sect, and the newly-arisen Blood Slaughter Sect have joined forces to bring down the Ghost Spirit Sect, and theres absolutely no way that it can survive. In the future, the Blood Slaughter Sect will take the place of the Ghost Spirit Sect in our Devil Dao. Youve made a really wise decision to jump ship at this juncture, the middle-aged cultivator chuckled.

The auras of the other black-robed cultivators also abruptly changed as they revealed their Foundation Establishment cultivation bases. All of them were also Devil Flame Sect cultivators.

As long as your sect upholds their promise, Ill naturally do everything in my power to assist you, the brawny man replied with a fake smile.

Haha, dont worry about that. You have decent aptitude, Brother Meng. After we secure victory here, my master will welcome you into our sect in person. Youll have a much better future there than in this Ghost Spirit Sect, where you have to cultivate on your own with no one to turn to for guidance. Speaking of which, this place really is very secluded. This is the perfect place to hide our troops without drawing attention from the Ghost Spirit Sect. Thankfully, Master provided me with these aura concealment talismans. Otherwise, it wouldve been difficult to fool this mans spiritual sense. The middle-aged cultivator looked at the body on the ground with a smug look on his face.

Its also a good thing that this ancient teleportation formation was here as well. Its given me an excuse to lure him into this secluded place. Otherwise, even if we succeed in killing him, there are over 100,000 Qi Condensation disciples here, and if any one of them were to raise the alarm, wed be in a lot of trouble. Now that this mans dead, we can forcibly gather all of the other disciples and kill them at once. A cold expression appeared on the brawny mans face as a hint of killing intent flashed through his eyes.

Thats a good idea, Brother Meng, well do as you say. A hint of approval appeared in the middle-aged cultivators eyes upon hearing that.

At this moment, one of the other cultivators had already taken the elderly mans storage pouch before blasting forth a fireball to incinerate his body in the blink of an eye.

Everyone then prepared to leave this limestone cave.

However, right at this moment, a buzzing sound suddenly rang out from the ancient teleportation formation that no one was paying any attention to. It had somehow been activated, and it appeared as if someone were teleporting over from the other side.

This sudden turn of events had everyone completely dumbstruck.

Hadnt the elderly man just told them that the formation was dysfunctional? Why had it suddenly resumed function? And why now of all times?

The middle-aged cultivator reacted very quickly as he yelled, Destroy the formation! No matter whos teleporting over from the other side, we cant allow them to foil our plans!

All of a sudden, the flying sword that he had just stowed away flew toward the formation again as a cold streak of light.

The other cultivators also came to their senses and summoned their treasures in quick succession, attempting to destroy the teleportation formation before them.

Several loud rumbling booms erupted and the piercing white light erupting from the teleportation formation repelled all of the treasures being hurled at it.

A jolt of shock ran through everyones hearts upon seeing this.

Unbeknownst to them, an ancient teleportation formation could be easily destroyed by any low-grade cultivator as long as it hadnt been activated. However, once a teleportation trip had been set into motion, a vast amount of spiritual power would be injected into the teleportation formation, and no one would be able to destroy it unless they were at least at the Core Formation Stage.

Otherwise, ancient cultivators wouldve been in deep trouble had other people attempted to sabotage their teleportation from the other side.

Thus, a man and a woman appeared within the teleportation formation right before everyones astonished eyes. Their bodies were swaying slightly, indicating that they were still recovering from the dizziness of teleportation.

The middle-aged man could see that the man appeared to be over 20 years of age, while the woman seemed to be only in her teens. He swept his spiritual sense toward the woman first and was immediately greatly relieved to find that she was only at the Qi Condensation Stage.

In the cultivation world, the life lesson of not judging a book by its cover was particularly important. It was not uncommon for a young girl who appeared to be in her teens to be a high-grade cultivator who had lived for centuries. As for the man, he only appeared to be in his twenties, so his cultivation base most likely wasnt very advanced. After all, very few male cultivators would go to the trouble of altering their appearance to make themselves seem younger.

He was just about to sweep his spiritual sense toward the young man, but he suddenly shook his head from side to side and appeared to be close to recovering from his bout of dizziness. In his urgency, he could only relinquish his attempt to ascertain the mans cultivation base as he yelled, Kill them!

In his mind, this womans cultivation base was very pitiful and this man seemed to be very young, so he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator at most. As such, the best course of action was to take them by surprise and kill them during their bouts of dizziness.

However, an expression of horror suddenly appeared on the brawny mans face at the sight of the young man, and he hurriedly urged, Wait! Dont do it!

However, the other Devil Flame Sect cultivators answered only to the middle-aged cultivator. Even though they could hear the abnormally high level of fear and panic in the brawny mans voice, they still attacked the duo in the teleportation formation without any hesitation.

As for the middle-aged cultivator, he was simply under the impression that this duo may have been the brawny mans acquaintances, so he intentionally ignored him.

Just as their treasures were about to strike the duo within the teleportation formation, a frosty voice suddenly sounded, Looks like all of you want to die!

Right as his voice fell, an earthshattering boom erupted as a ball of piercing azure light exploded within the teleportation formation. It was so bright that it appeared as if an azure sun had emerged in the cave. All of the treasures were immediately shattered as soon as they came into contact with this azure light.

Several streaks of golden sword Qi then shot forth from within the azure light, and all of the Devil Flame Sect cultivators, including the middle-aged cultivator, were instantly killed before they could even utter a single sound.

The brawny man with the Meng surname remained completely unscathed, but he was too petrified to even move, and his face was deathly pale with horror.

You recognize me? The young man slowly walked out of the formation and turned to the brawny man with a frosty expression. The young girl who was in her teens followed behind him respectfully, putting on a very obedient display. It was quite clear that she was this mans junior.

The young man was naturally none other than Han Li, who had repaired the teleportation formation on the other side in the Scattered Star Seas, and finally returned to the Heavenly South Region after over a month.

As for the young girl behind him, she was naturally Tian Qiner, whose formation spell aptitude was very much satisfactory to him.

The brawny man immediately fell to his knees in front of Han Li and hurriedly replied, When I was younger, I was with a senior from my family and witnessed you in action during the invasion of the Moulan people. Ive committed your appearance to memory ever since then, Senior!

The Moulan invasion? Hehe, that was an event of the distant past, Im surprised you still remember what I look like. Youre a Ghost Spirit Sect disciple, right? Were these people fellow martial brothers of yours? Han Li asked nonchalantly.

The brawny man hesitated momentarily, but the cold look in Han Lis eyes sent a shiver running down his spine, and he was intimidated into telling the truth. I am indeed a disciple of the Ghost Spirit Sect, yet these cultivators were from the Devil Flame Sect.

The Devil Flame Sect? Its a good thing that youre honest, if youd told me that they were your fellow martial brothers, I wouldve killed you on the spot! The cultivation art fluctuations from their bodies clearly indicate that theyre not from the Ghost Spirit Sect. Han Lis cold words made the brawny man feel as if he had been plunged into a glacial pit, and any inclination he had of lying his way out of this situation immediately disappeared.

Tian Qiner stood behind Han Li and surveyed her surroundings with a curious light in her eyes.

I have no interest in knowing why a Ghost Spirit Sect disciple like you would appear here with cultivators from the Devil Flame Sect, but I do have some questions for you, and youd better answer them truthfully, Han Li continued.

Ill be sure to tell you everything I know, Senior, the brawny man hurriedly replied.

Its been some years since I was last in the Heavenly South Region. Give me a recount of what happened in the cultivation world of the Heavenly South Region in the past century, Han Li commanded.

Yes. In terms of significant events, theres none more significant than an incident from 80 years ago, where the Mystical Sect of the Tian Lu Nation destroyed the entire Fire Spirit Sect in one night. What happened there was… The brawny man immediately launched into a tale at Han Lis behest. The vast disparity in their cultivation bases had the brawny man in constant horror, and he didnt dare to fabricate any false tales.

Han Lis expression remained completely unchanged as he listened to the brawny mans story, and he would only interject with a question from time to time when something caught his interest. The brawny man naturally provided the best answers he could, trying his best to satisfy Han Li.

After around two hours, the brawny man had delivered a recount of all of the significant events that had taken place in the Heavenly South Region for the past century, and his mouth fell closed as he wore a nervous look on his face.

Hows Drifting Cloud Sect going at the moment? Has anything significant happened to it? Is Elder Cheng still the one in charge at the moment? Han Li suddenly asked after a brief silence.

The brawny man hesitated momentarily before giving a shaky response, The Drifting Cloud Sect? That sect is quite far away, so I dont know much about it. However, I do recall that the one in charge of the sect is now a senior with the L surname.