Автор: sergey

When the shriveled old man heard the sect leader, he gloomily said, Capture him alive? Is Brother Fan joking? You should know that Fellow Daoist Zhong has already fought him once. Not only is he capable of lightning movement, but also a blood movement technique that hasnt been seen before. We are incapable of blocking him. With such vast abilities, even we are unable to restrain him. Fellow Daoists, do you believe this is possible. If the request is to kill this person and seize his Golden Lightning Bamboo magic treasure, it will be much more possible.

Since it is so difficult to capture him, then it is acceptable to kill him. To the old mans surprise, the black-robed man had quickly amended his condition. The shriveled old man exchanged a glance with the other spell warriors and had a quick exchange with them through voice transmission before agreeing to the matter. Afterwards, they began to discuss the specific details of the incoming battle.

…

Master Sunreach, Wei Wuya, and a few others were having a discussion about the war in a large hall. In addition to the three great cultivators and Long Han, there were also a beautiful red-clothed woman and a bald eagle-eyed old man.

The old mans eyes were narrowed, and he wore a glistening jade ring that was engraved with faint talisman characters. It appeared quite rare.

Fellow Daoist Heavenvenge, this war will depend on all of us. We will draw the main forces of the spell warrior army here. In the meantime, you and your men will steal into Soaring Heavens City and take everything from the citys resource depot. Even if the Moulan were able to make some use of it before the battle, if we draw this battle out, they will collapse without support form spirit stones or any other of their materials. Master Sunreach smiled at the old man before him, the renowned Eccentric Heavenvenge, as if nothing unpleasant had occurred between the two of them in the past.

So long as you are able to drag the Moulan Divine Sages to the border, it will naturally be no problem to infiltrate Soaring Heavens City. And with the transportation formation that Fellow Daoist Wei has given me, directly entering the city will prove even easier. However, my sole worry is why the Moulan would leave their resource behind in the city. Is this not a trap that was set behind for us. The eagle-eyed old man spoke with a voice reminiscent of clacking stones. It was rather uncomfortable to hear.

Devil Concord calmly said, Fellow Daoist Heavenvenge, please relax. According to our spies amongst the Moulan, although the Moulan Tribes have occupied the States of Feng Yuan and Ye, they have no other supply of resources, before we evacuated from those countries, we destroyed all the spirit stone mines and other material sources. In spite of the great efforts of the Moulan mortals to repair them, they werent able to accomplish much in such a short amount of time. As of current, they are consuming a joint reserve of spirit stones that were pooled together from each of their tribes. These spirit stones are all distributed from a secret storehouse that is guarded by a formidable grand restriction. Additionally, there are several sages guarding it for safe measure. With these measures in place, there will be enough time to transport those materials out of the storehouse before it is breached by a potential attack. It is reasonable to say that these resources are as safe as can be.

Wei Wuya coldly smiled and said, However, they hadnt expected that after the many years we spent at war, we were able to place spies in their ranks as they did with ours. One of the sages guarding the safehouse is precisely one of our own. When the time comes, he will deactivate the grand formation. Fellow Daoist Heavenvenge, so long as you and your people act with discretion, we will catch them entirely unprepared.

You Fellow Daoists seem so certain, but I cant help but ask what I will receive afterwards.

Long Han answered with a smile, Once this war is done, our four superpowers will agree to give a section of land in the State of Xu over to you. You may establish your own sect there and we will not interfere in the slightest. From then on, you will be known as a sect founder.

Good. Since you seem so confident, my good friends and I will make an attempt. Since it is already late, I will return first to make preparations. Well then set off the next day and infiltrate the State of Xu. Eccentric Heavenvenge appeared satisfied with these conditions, but he had little intention of speaking further with them. He took his leave and soon disappeared from sight.

Devil Concord frowned and slowly said, That eccentric has good odds of succeeding. He will be bringing those vagrant eccentrics with him as well, each of them possessing profound abilities. If the Moulan arent expecting it, there shouldnt be much reason for them to fail.

Long Hans expression stirred and said, Fellow Daoist Yi speaks truly. So long as we tie down the Moulan Divine Sages, Fellow Daoist Heavenvenge will most likely succeed. However, I didnt expect that this old eccentric would want to found a sect at his age, not to mention gathering together so many vagrant cultivators to form their own faction. It comes as quite a surprise.

Master Sunreach leisurely said, I would say otherwise! Eccentric Heavenvenge has entered mid Nascent Soul stage for at least three hundred years. After being unable to breakthrough to late Nascent Soul stage during this time, I reckon that he has admitted failure. In this case, it is no surprise that he has become committed to something else. Being able to become the founder of a sect will gain much glory for him. However, he has made many enemies out of various large sects and is taking this opportunity to discuss terms with us. His arrival has come as unexpected reinforcements.

Enough. Although we have Eccentric Heavenvenge handling some subterfuge, we cannot be careless at the start of this battle. We must prevail. If we are defeated, we will not we able to stop them, regardless of whatever resources they may possess. Master Sunreach paused before continuing, Brother Wei, will your Nine Nations Union have any problems blocking their grand spirit technique formations? This should be the spell warriors most common tactic for a melee.

Wei Wuya calmly said, In the many years weve fought them, weve gained an understanding towards spirit technique formations no less than that of their own masters. Were it not for the problem of techniques, our Nine Nations Union wouldve been able to employ spirit technique formations of our own. There is no need for Fellow Daoist Sunreach to worry over the issue.

Master Sunreach was satisfied by his answer and then he looked at the large black-robed man.

When Devil Concord saw this, he began speaking, Our Six Devil Dao Sects have already made preparations. Not only do we have the Controlling Spirit Sects three sect protecting beasts, our Harmonious Bond Sect has also made preparations to release the Dual Yin Yang Devils from their restrictions. The Ghost Spirit Sects Myriad Souls Formation is also ready for us. As for the others sects, they each have made various preparations of their own as well. Fellow Daoist Sunreach, have your Righteous Dao Alliance prepared killing maneuvers as well?

Our Righteous Dao Alliance had already started. Each sect has opened the halls of their founding ancestors, acquiring many ancient treasures of great power. They definitely wont leave Fellow Daoist disappointed. Master Sunreach spoke curtly, but Devil Concord nodded with a less tense expression as if already knowing of the existence of these ancient treasures.

Long Han revealed a trace of regret. Our Heavenly Dao Union is rather lax in this regard. Our various sects have begun preparation, but there isnt much that I specifically know about. As for our Phoenix Cry Sect, they have taken several ancient jade talismans out of storage. Their might will be quite eye-opening for the Moulan. But given all the time that has passed, their power has waned. After the battle, they will be completely exhausted. frewebnoel.com

Ancient jade talismans? I didnt think that the Phoenix Cry Sect possessed such treasures. I believe the other Heavenly Dao Alliance sects wont be disappointing us either. With that address, our sole worries are the black-robed men and the wagered battle. Master Sunreach pondered for a moment before hesitantly asking, Brother Yi, those black-robed men used Devil Dao techniques. Are you able to recognize what they were?

Devil Concord unhappily snorted. Their techniques may be Devil Dao, but this is the first time Ive heard techniques of this type. I cannot make an accurate judgement. But there is no doubt that their Devil Dao techniques are far more pure and ingenious than the Six Devil Dao Sects of the Heavenly South. Additionally, they appeared to resemble the Ghost Spirit Sects techniques.

The Ghost Spirit Sect? Master Sunreach pondered for a moment before continuing with a solemn expression, We dont know how many those black-robed men there are, but during the siege of Soaring Heavens City, eight of them appeared, all at Nascent Soul stage. There are clearly cultivators of the same sect. As for where this devilish sect has come from, could it be the Grand Empire of Jin?

When the others heard Master Sunreach, they didnt appear surprised. It seemed they had assumed the same.

At that moment, the red-clothed woman finally spoke, her voice cold and clear, Humph! So what if theyre Jin Empire cultivators? From how secretive theyve been acting, as if afraid of being seen, it is certain that they are only a single devilish sect, or perhaps only a single branch of one. What is there to be afraid of? We merely have to treat them as spell warriors and feign ignorance otherwise.

Master Sunreach agreed, Lady Feng words are reasonable. Even if a branch of the Jin Empires Devil Dao is fully supporting the Moulan, we wont be handing over the Heavenly South to them either despite how powerful they may be.

That is right. But we must take into account that not only will the Jin Empire devil cultivators have superior magic treasures, but that they will meddle in the wagered battles tomorrow through some hidden scheme. It will be troublesome. The Jin Empire possesses countless secret techniques, many of which are impossible to defend against.

It doesnt matter. Ive already considered this. Do you remember our Great Truths Sects Restriction Breaking Bead?

Long Han astonishedly asked, The Restriction Breaking Bead? The single-used magic tool that can destroy restrictions? Isnt it only useful against low grade restrictions? The barrier used during the wagered battles capable of resisting strikes from a Nascent Soul cultivator are capable of being dissolved with this magic tool?

Han Li calmly sat down in the room. As time obviously passed by, the spiritual power he consumed on his way here had slowly recovered.

When he opened his eyes once more, he wore a faint smile. Ever since his Azure Essence Sword Arts had been cultivated to the tenth layer, he could clearly feel his spiritual power returning far faster than normal. It had come as a pleasant surprise.

With that thought, Han Li muttered to himself for a moment and he took out a wooden box that shined with black light. The box had several restriction talismans sealing it as they sparkled with azure light. With a sweep of his hand, the talismans flew off the box and into his sleeve.

He then tapped the box and had it open to reveal what was inside. It was a palm-sized talisman that was covered in characters. There was also a small crimson flood dragon that could be faintly seen, roaming across its surface.

Han Li extended his hand and beckoned to the talisman, having it fly into his hand.

In the last few days, he had failed three times before finally refining the talisman. Although he didnt know how powerful it was, it was certainly weaker than what was described of the past Spirit Subjugation Talismans. After all, the flood dragon soul was greatly weakened from his three failed attempts, but in the end, he would only be able to test its true strength in battle.

Han Li gently stroked the various characters written on the talismans surface and sank deep into thought, his expressions changing with his thoughts.

As Han Li sat pondering in the room, there were several mysterious figures discussing something in a room underground, several tens of kilometers away in the Moulan Encampment.

There were five men and two women. Among them, there was one man and one woman who concealed themselves with black robes. Two of the unconcealed spell warriors were recognizable to Han Li: the woman surnamed Le the wielder of the ancient lantern who he had fought at the Yellow Drag on Mountains, and the middle-aged scholarly man who pursued him for several days without end, the Divine Sage. As for the other three, one was a shriveled old man with dark skin, a short man that wasnt even four feet tall, and a large embroidered-robed man with a majestic appearance.

Sage Le, how are the spirit oil preparations? You should know that the holy bird can only appear in this world as long as the sacred lantern burns. There cant be any mistakes. Despite the wrinkles on the old mans face, his eyes were bright and clear.

The green-robed woman surnamed Le respectfully replied, Divine Sage Zhu, please dont worry. My clan is treating this battle as a matter of life or death. Weve brought out all the spirit oil that my clan has produced for over a thousand years. It should be enough to employ the holy bird for the battle.

The old man then turned his questions to the middle-aged scholarly man. Brother Zhong, were there any problems with organizing the grand spirit technique formations? As our magic tools are inferior in number to the cultivators of the Heavenly South, we must rely on the spirit technique formations to suppress them.

The scholarly man calmly replied, There is no problem. The hundreds of years Ive spent researching spell technique formations werent in vain. Ive already organized several new grand formations for the assault. If the Heavenly South cultivators are expecting the spirit technique formations of the past, they will certainly suffer.

This will do. Brother Bi, once the melee starts, have the high-grade spell warriors summon the void spirit beasts to charge. Have them absorb the cultivators attacks and waste as much of their magic power as possible. The old man gave a quick word to the short man before turning towards the black-robed man and politely saying, Sect Master Fang, we will need your huge beasts cooperation.

Before the battle starts, I will give these huge beasts to you. However, I hope you will not back out of what we agreed on. The black-robed mans final words were laced with a deeper meaning.

The shriveled old mans expression stirred and he callously said, Back out? Brother Fang must be joking. How could we be so foolish as to offend your esteemed sect before the battle with the cultivators? In any case, your Sifting Yin Sect is one of the ten great devilish sects of the Jin Empire. When our Moulan Tribes seize the Heavenly South, we will pay back the debt as greatly as we can, as it isnt such a big matter to allow you to manage a few mortal countries. As for the mortals of the Yan Clan, we dont care about their lives in the slightest.

The black-robed man nodded and emotionlessly said, That is good. Were if not for those Righteous Dao fellows destroying our sect protecting treasure, we wouldnt need a large number of living souls to restore it. As such, we wouldnt have felt the need to participate in your war with the Heavenly South cultivators. Collecting a vast quantity of living souls in the Jin Empire will certainly attract trouble from the Righteous Dao. Although we have no fear of them, it would delay the treasures restoration.

The black-robed woman added on, Additionally, all the cultivators souls who die in this battle will belong to my sect. Surely Divine Sage Zhu wont have any objections to this? She spoke with a hoarse and raspy voice much in contrast to her petite figure, much to the shock of those who heard her.

When the old man heard him, his expression slightly stirred. Of course, we have little concerns with what will happen to the souls of cultivators, but will you be able to identify them differently from our spell warriors? While we have turned a blind eye to your unrestrained collection of souls lost in previous battles, we wish for this one to turn out differently. Well compensate you in other ways instead..

This is impossible. The souls of cultivators and spell warriors dont have any differences between them. Even if there was a method, there will be tens of thousands of lives lost tomorrow, yet you want us to differentiate each one. Do you three Divine Sages plan on breaking our agreement? The black-robed man narrowed his eyes and his eyes instantly glowed with green light. A sinister and cold Qi rose from his body.

When the scholarly man surnamed Zhong and the short man surnamed Bi saw this, they were inwardly furious. Although they didnt take any action, their bodies faintly shined with silver and red light respectively as they stared at the black-robed man. As for the large embroidered-robed man and the woman surnamed Le, they both stared daggers at the black-robed man as they wore displeased expressions on their faces.

They have long been resentful of the fact at having the soul of spell warriors being collected. It was perhaps inevitable that there would be a falling out with these Devil Dao cultivators from the Jin Empire.

The old man sighed and his face grew solemn. Cease! What are you doing? Sect Master Fang is a guest that I had personally invited. Could it be that you do not hold me in any regard?

The black-robed woman to the side sent a voice transmission to the black-robed man. When he heard this, the green light in his eyes withdrew and his strange aura faded away.

The others sighed upon seeing this and released the spiritual power in their bodies. They clearly understood that while these devilish cultivators were displeasing to the eye, they were a necessity, not to mention that it wasnt a good time for any internal strife.

With some further deliberation, he gritted his teeth and said, How about this? You can gather together the souls, but you must do so stealthily after the battle. You cannot allow this to be seen, no matter what. Otherwise, we cant guarantee what will happen afterwards.

The black-robed mans eyes flickered and he nodded. Alright, so be it. Our sect agrees.

The Moulan spell warriors were still displeased by this arrangement, but they had no choice.

At that moment, the large embroidered-robed man asked, Are your sects battle preparations truly feasible? Are you not overreaching yourselves? The Heavenly South also have their own devilish cultivators. Wont they see through you?

The black-robed man sneered with disdain. Devilish cultivators? Can they be considered as such? They merely cultivate some superficial techniques. Even if they hold confidence in their devilish techniques, they are merely the same on the surface. How would they know of the viciousness of true Devil Dao techniques from antiquity?

The short man surnamed Bi smirked and said, Is that so? But an elder of your esteemed sect was killed in an instant by a Heavenly South cultivator of the same grade. Are you not underestimating them?

The black-robed mans eyes coldly glinted and he said nothing further apart from a snort. But at that moment, the black-robed woman took the opportunity to say, I was just thinking of this matter. This cultivator with golden lightning is somewhat useful to our Sifting Yin Sect. I hope that you three Divine Sages would be able to hand him over to us. How about it?

The shriveled old man wore a puzzled expression. Hand him over to you?

What? Are you three unwilling to agree to a minor request? As if dissatisfied, the womans voice only grew more hoarse.

The shriveled old man stared at the black-robed woman with an odd smile on his face. If it was only an ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be no problem to hand him over to you. But if involves the magic treasure with the Golden Lightning Bamboo, it is a different story.

The black-robed womans mood grew sullen. Fellow Daoist Zhu has already guessed it.

The old man replied, Although our Moulan Plains have been somewhat destitute, I do know a bit about the three divine woods in the cultivation world. While there arent many people that know of the Divine Devilbane Lightning, they do not include us. frewenovel.com

Seeing through his intentions, the black-robed man icily said, Since you know of the Divine Devilbane Lightning, you must know that our Devilish Sects cannot allow this treasure to fall into the hands of others. Speak your conditions.

The old mans wrinkly face trembled to form a mysterious smile. It is quite simple. I heard that in addition to these huge beasts, your sect also refined many Copper-armored Corpses. I hope that in the crux of the battle tomorrow Brother Fang will command them to offer us some help. After all, we dont know how the cultivators will respond despite all our preparations. We will naturally wish to be more careful.

After some deliberation, the black-robed man replied. I didnt expect for Fellow Daoist Zhu to know so much about our sects secret techniques. The Copper-armored Corpses may be easily refined, but it will be troublesome for our sect if we lost too many at once. With these conditions, we will need you to bring back this cultivator alive.

Several days ago, on the border of the States of Yu and Beiliang, the armies of cultivators and spell warriors commanded a flurry of magic tools and treasures carve into the earth, forming an extension of their original fortresses into massive war camps several tens of kilometers away from each other.

In a single night, the area underwent a sweeping change. This deserted area was suddenly surging with men and murderous desire. There were even small groups of cultivators and spell warriors that patrolled around the war camps, wary of any surprise attacks the other side may bring.

Afterwards, even more cultivators and spell warriors began to gather here with each passing day, and various spell formations were placed along each side of the border, adding even more tension in the air. But at the center of the border, there would occasionally be spell warrior and cultivator patrols that encountered each other. Although they coldly glared at each other, they were able to restrain themselves from fighting. After all, fighting now wouldnt accomplish anything. As such, they begrudgingly stifled their bloodthirst and waited for the decisive day.

On the sixth day, the Heavenly South and the Moulan had finished placing down their grand formations, and they started to send their troops to probe the enemy, greatly decreasing the number of idle troops in camp. However, high-grade cultivators have also begun to accompany the patrols. Meanwhile, the higher echelons of both the Moulan and the Heavenly South began to nervously draft their plans for war.

As Skyfirst City was to the north of the cultivator war camp, it was natural that there were fewer restrictions placed there, but there were sentries and patrols placed there to a greater degree to compensate for it. As such, there was a group of over ten cultivators that was calmly patrolling an area over ten kilometers north from the war camp.

The cultivator in charge was a beautiful woman that appeared to be in her twenties. She was an early Core Formation cultivator and her subordinates were all Foundation Establishment cultivators. With the battle soon to come, none of them dared to be careless. Although this was only a routine patrol, the party was well alert. Only their leader appeared calm, but with her powerful spiritual sense, she was able to detect her surroundings clearly.

Suddenly, the womans expression stirred and she suddenly came to a stop. She glanced in the distant sky with an astonished expression, her subordinates soon following suit. Despite having not seen anything, they still maintained a lookout.

Senior Xiao, what Before the blue-robed cultivator could finish his question, a streak of white light suddenly flickered from across the sky, quickly traveling before them.

Such speed! One of the cultivators cried out in shock. In nearly the blink of an eye, the light streak grew far brighter and something could be made out from within it.

It should be that Senior who stayed behind. But according to our rules, we must question him. You can wait here for now. The young woman spoke without the slightest fear. She then flew forward in the flash of yellow light.

The subordinate cultivators blankly glanced at each other during this time and remained silent. They didnt belong to the same sect as the woman and they didnt dare to raise any objections due to their inferior cultivation.

The woman stopped after flying for a short while and waited for the streak of white light to arrive. When the white light stopped, she could see a strange carriage within it due to the short distance between them.

Junior is Yellow Maple Valleys Xiao Cuier. Greetings Senior. Junior is under orders to ask for your name. I hope for your understanding.

Yi! Xiao Cuier? A voice spoke with astonishment from within the white light.

Does Senior recognize this Junior? Xiao Cuier blinked and wore an expression of astonishment. His voice wasnt among the Nascent Soul cultivators that she knew, but it seemed awfully familiar.

As the woman gazed at the white light in shock, it faded away to reveal its true appearance.

It was a strange white carriage with a young man and woman standing within it. The man was wearing long azure robes and had a common appearance. The woman was gorgeous and wore white.

Martial Uncle Han! When she saw the azure-robed man, Xiao Cuier covered her mouth and shouted in surprise. Her eyes were in complete disbelief.

Little girl, youve grown. Youre quite different from when I last saw you. Han Li examined the woman and wore a faint smile.

Martial Uncle Han, it really is you! Although Senior Martial Sister Nie and Senior Martial Brother Lei had mentioned that Martial Uncle Han had formed a Nascent Soul, I had found it somewhat difficult to believe. Xiao Cuier spoke with delight, her expression reminiscent of when she was still young.

It was the only chance that I had encountered them at the time, Han Li said with a smile. In the past, he had recommended this woman to enter Yellow Maple Valley. Although he hadnt spoken with her much, he felt somewhat close to her unlike with Nie Ying and Lei Wanhe as she was the succeeding disciple of his Senior Martial Brother Ma.

When Cultivator Song saw this, her mind began to stir. She recalled hearing that her Martial Uncle Han was once a disciple of Yellow Maple Valley. It seemed he had encountered an old acquaintance. What relationship did they have?

Without heed of Cultivator Song, Han Li and Xiao Cuier had a warm chat of the past. She had mentioned how she had escaped pursuit from the Devil Dao with his Senior Martial Brother Ma and how they returned to Yellow Maple Valley, as well as how Senior Martial Brother Ma had passed away in meditation and how she managed to form a golden core. The conversation reminded how much the world had changed around Han Li.

But a short moment later, Xiao Cuier hesitated for a moment before asking, Martial Uncle, have you truly become a Drifting Cloud Sect Elder? Can you not return? She appeared to be faintly hopeful when she said this.

Yellow Maple Valley had found themselves in an awkward position. Although they still had Ancestor Linghu watching over the sect, there were no other Nascent Soul cultivators to succeed him. When he reached the end of his lifespan, Yellow Maple Valleys position among the Six Sects of Yue will surely fall. This is much to the worry of the Yellow Maple Valley Core Formation cultivators, Xiao Cuier not excluded.

Knowing that she had the best relationship with Han Li, the sect decided for Xiao Cuier to raise the matter the next time she saw him, hoping that their old relationship would stir him. She couldnt help but raise the matter again despite Han Lis previous refusal with Lei Wanhe.

Han Lis smile disappeared and he shook his head. I cannot return. The Drifting Cloud Sect has treated me quite well. Its better to not mention this matter any further.

Xiao Cuiers expression dimmed. But our Yellow Maple Valley will…

Han Li sighed. You dont need to worry too much. Ive already made an agreement with Ancestor Linghu. If Yellow Maple Valley encounters any danger, I will be able to help you if its within my abilities.

Xiao Cuiers spirits quickly returned after hearing him. So it was like that! Many thanks, Martial Uncle!

After some thought, Han Li took out an emerald ring and a bottle of medicine pills. Youre thanking me too early. Since you were Senior Martial Brother Mas sole disciple and I havent seen you for so long, I cant just leave you be. Take this. Its a magic treasure that I acquired after killing a Core Formation cultivator. Although you cannot use it as your bonded magic treasure, it will be effective in battle after you refine it. And here are some medicine pills for your cultivation. It is effective in breaking through bottlenecks.

Many thanks for Senior Martial Uncles gift! Xiao Cuier deeply bowed to him before happily receiving the two items.

Alright, I will be heading to the war camp now. Its best that I dont keep those old eccentrics waiting. If chance will have it, Ill see you again. Once he gave her the items, he bid his leave and streaked through the skies before Xiao Cuier had another opportunity to speak.

Farewell Martial Uncle Han! With the carriage having already left, Xiao Cuier could only curtsy in a hurry. Afterwards, she remained in the air as she watched the streak of light drift off into the horizon.

At that moment, her subordinates finally approached her.

Senior Xiao, who was that Senior? Was he a Nascent Soul cultivator?

However, he appeared to be quite young. The cultivators gathered around and began to curiously talk among themselves.

Xiao Cuier recalled her spiritual sense and her expression grew sullen. She icily swept her gaze past her subordinates and said, Dont speak further of it. He is a Nascent Soul Senior and he had treated me with great kindness in the past. He isnt someone to be gossiped about. Lets continue our patrol. Her subordinates immediate ceased speaking.

With the Wind Riding Chariots great speed, they arrived near the war camp border after a short moment. Disliking how eye-catching the chariot was, Han Li put it away and decided to enter the war camp using personal flight. During this time, Cultivator Song tactfully kept silent about the previous event, to Han Lis approval.

The two soon arrived before a huge light barrier. It was dense and brightly shined with various-colored light. It covered the entire war camp.

Before he released Cultivator Song from his flight light, a cultivator standing guard hastily welcomed him. Once Han Lis identity was confirmed, he promptly opened a passage for them.

Han Li parted ways with Cultivator Song once they entered. She went to report to Lu Luo before later joining the division of cultivators she was assigned to. As for Han Li, he went to the heart of the war camp where Master Sunreach and the others were waiting for him.

They were pleased to see that Han Li had arrived. After a few polite greetings, they informed him of a few of the arrangements in the coming battle. But since he wasnt particularly interested, he soon took his leave. He then headed to a temporarily stone room and sat cross-legged, honing his spirit and strength.

With the flood dragon soul absorbed by the spirit hide, Han Li flipped his hand, summoning a sparkling blue talisman brush into his palm. It was seven inches long and was exquisitely created. With his other hand, he beckoned to a blue jade box and summoned a ball of golden liquid from the case.

Han Li quickly dipped the brush in the floating liquid and his expression froze as he concentrated on the spirit hide. He then began to sweep his brush through the air with great familiarity.

Series of cryptic golden talisman characters began to flow from the tip of the brush and directly bore into the spirit hide. Soon after, various talisman characters began to emerge above the spirit hide in orderly lines, each glistening with golden light.

Just as these talisman characters began to appear, the spirit hide began to fiercely shake, emitting dragon roars from within. Protrusions then began to appear on the surface of it. Soon after the crimson flood dragon emerged from the spirit hide and attempted to escape with all its might.

But in that instant, the golden talisman characters on top of it brightly shined and contorted, tightly constricting the flood dragon soul and dragging it back.

Although the flood dragon soul has lost its intelligence, it was still the soul of a worldly spirit beast. Its instincts detected danger and continuously attempted to break free of the golden talisman characters. At that moment, Han Li began to draw talisman characters with increased speed and more golden talisman characters directly enveloped the flood dragon, quickly overpowering it and pushing it back into the spirit hide.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Han Li took out a bottle of purple liquid and dipped his brush in it. He then calmly began to write an odd symbol.

Following that, Han Li exchanged the cinnabar he used to write with his brush as he continued to write talisman characters. Not long after, the spirit hide talisman paper flashed with dense bursts of various colored light as it soared with spiritual Qi.

Han Lis expression grew increasingly solemn and his brush strokes started to slow, his eyes shining with blue light as he utilized the Brightsight Spirit Eyes to their greatest extent.

Just after a single crimson talisman character was drawn onto the spirit hide, a wave of increasingly frantic spiritual Qi fluctuations suddenly emerged from the half-finished spirit talisman.

Han Lis expression greatly changed as he began to inwardly curse. Without a further thought, he swept his sleeve sending out a cloud of azure Qi, instantly recalling all of the materials. At that same moment, he swept his other hand towards himself, summoning a small blue shield. It expanded in the blink of an eye and blocked his front.

As Han Li finished all of this, the crimson spirit hide exploded, releasing deafening dragon roars. Rainbow light dazzlingly shined as a huge wave of astonishing spiritual Qi struck the blue shield.

Glowing with light, the large shield unwaveringly blocked the attack, somewhat to Han Lis surprise. He reckoned that due to the spirit talismans immense power, the explosion that resulted from its failure would contain equivalently destructive force. It had been beyond his expectations for the attack to be so easily blocked.

During Han Lis bewilderment, a streak of crimson light shot towards the ceiling of the sealed room in an attempt to escape. But just as the red streak touched the ceiling, a layer of white light blocked its way, causing it to rebound.

Han Li was overjoyed at the sight of the flood dragon soul and raised his hand without any further thought. He grabbed at the air, summoning a hand of azure light to emerge above the flood dragon soul and grab it. He then pointed to the shield and had it quickly shrink with blue ripples of light before returning into his sleeve.

Afterwards, Han Li again examined the re-captured flood dragon soul with the Brightsight Spirit Eyes.

Yi! Han Li yelped with astonishment. Although it still appeared to have the original soul, its strength was far weaker. The crimson flood dragon soul also appeared listless.

Han Li glanced at the flood dragon soul and stroked his chin with a pensive expression. The failure to refine the Spirit Subjugation Talisman hadnt resulted in the immediate destruction of the soul, it merely caused it to suffer a slight loss in strength. But in this case, he could make several attempts to create the talisman despite how difficult it may be to refine it. Of course, after each attempt, the soul would grow weaker and the power of the spirit talisman was sure to decrease as well.

After pondering this, Han Li sighed with relief. Even if the soul decreased in power, it may prove easier to refine if the flood dragon soul was weakened. There was some fortune to be had from his failed talisman refinement.

Han Li wryly smiled and began to take out another set of supplementary materials, and exchange the spirit beast hide for a new one.

He then set his mind of refining a new spirit beast hide.

As Han Li painstakingly attempted to refine the Spirit Subjugation Talisman over the span of three days, the entirety of Skyfirst City began to mobilize.

All sects and cultivators knew that there was about to be a great and decisive battle coming in a few days. After a period of disorder, the cultivators in the city began to leave their sect encampments and solemnly brought themselves to the assigned divisions of the cultivator army.

They all knew that if they didnt win this battle and push back the Moulan, they would invade the Heavenly South. It would bring about the end of countless sects and legacies. As a result, their morale was at their peak without any need to rally them. As for the ten wagered battles, news of that had also quickly spread around.

Out of fear that Moulan spies would leak the identity of the cultivators who would fight in the wagered battles, the names of those fighting were kept confidential. Apart from the eccentrics that participated in the meeting, no one would know of the ten that would fight.

Of course, the identity of these ten Nascent Soul stage cultivators were of greatly discussed amongst many cultivators as well as their potential chances of winning. After all, the survival of about a thousand cultivators depended on them. Those who had fellow sect members among the cultivators were particularly concerned over the matter.

As for the Drifting Cloud Sect disciples, they left Skyfirst City along with the divisions they were assigned to with the exception of Cultivator Song who was ordered to stay behind and wait for Han Li. As for Lu Luo, he followed after the rest of the Drifting Cloud Sect with lack of a better choice.

Not long after, Skyfirst City was empty apart for a sparse few cultivators standing guard.

As a few more days passed by, Cultivator Song couldnt help but grow nervous. Han Li had yet to emerge and she could faintly hear dragon cries and explosions coming from his heavily protected residence, much to her worry.

On the fifth day, Cultivator Song decided that if her Martial Uncle Han didnt emerge from seclusion, she would have to summon the courage to force her way inside. If she waited another day, it was possible that they wouldnt make it to the battle.

At that moment, Cultivator Song was sitting in the main hall of the sect encampment as worried weighed on her mind. She occasionally looked outside the hall, and faintly saw the glow of the setting sun. Her expression wavered as the sky gradually grew darker. She then stood up and bit her lips with a frown.

But before she could leave the hall, she heard a series of clear bell rings from outside. She soon wore an expression of delight.

A short moment later, Han Li suddenly appeared in a flash of azure light.

I pay my respects to Martial Uncle Han! Cultivator Song quickly stepped forward and curtsied.

How many days has it been? Nearly all the cultivators in the city are gone. When Han Li emerged from the sealed room, he swept his spiritual sense past the city and discovered that there were only a few cultivators left. While he was in the room, he could only feel a loose passage of time. Although he felt that the scheduled date had yet to arrive, he felt it best to make certain.

Feeling much more at ease, Cultivator Song respectfully replied, Reporting to Senior, today is the fifth day.

Han Li decisively said, The fifth day. We have more than enough time, but it is better to be early. Lets go.

As you command!

Han Li waved his hand and a streak of white light flew out from his sleeve into the courtyard outside. The light faded away to reveal a winged white carriage, the Wind Riding Chariot. freewenovel.cm

Han Lis figure blurred and he reappeared inside. He turned to the woman and said, Come in. It will be faster to travel in this than flying with light.

Cultivator Song shot an appraising glance at the carriage and silently entered it with slight surprise on her face. Afterwards, Han Li lightly tapped his foot, causing the Wind Riding Chariot to glow and envelope itself in a layer of white light. Then with a tremble, it shot through the skies.

The Wind Riding Chariot was worthy of being a treasure specialized in flight. Not only did it consume a small amount of magic power, it flew far more quickly than an ordinary cultivator could. In the blink of an eye, they had already left Skyfirst City.

Cultivator Song was very relieved at the sight of this. She also couldnt help but wonder if this treasure was the reason why her Martial Uncle Han appeared so relaxed. Did this unfathomable martial uncle of hers managed to cultivate some formidable secret in the last few days? Just what were those explosions and dragon roars coming from the room?

Just as this woman pondered in silence and allowed her imagination to run wild, Han Li asked her a question, much to her surprise. Is Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit still where they previously were?

After a pause, Cultivator Song obediently replied, Violet Spirit and Mei Ning had decided to leave Skyfirst City for the time being and decide what to do once the war is over.

Hehe! That girl Violet Spirit is rather clever, this was a truly wise decision. If I were in her shoes, Id be doing the exact same.

Soon after, he poured more spiritual power into his foot and propelled the Wind Riding Chariot at even greater speeds. Cultivator Song revealed shock as they soon tore through the skies and disappeared past the horizon.

As Wei Wuya and Master Sunreach remained behind and had a casual discussion about Han Li, the person in question had already arrived outside. To his surprise, Han Li caught sight of Dong Xuaner.

The woman was standing outside the hall with a lowered head as if she were thinking about something. The cultivators standing guard had ignored her since she had arrived with Devil Cloudpart.

When she saw Han Li arrive, it stirred a reaction from Dong Xuaner. She wore an odd expression on her face and appeared to be at a loss. A trace of resentment could also be faintly made out.

Han Li felt somewhat bewildered and couldnt make much sense of the matter. Regardless, Han Li promptly walked past her as if he hadnt seen her and slowly walked towards the distant street. She simply stood in place, biting her lips, and watched Han Li in silence as he left.

After making a turn, he sensed her gaze had left him, and he shook his head with a frown.

Silvermoons puzzled voice echoed from the back of his mind. Master, you recognize that female cultivator?

Han Li casually replied, She was an old acquaintance. But our relationship couldnt be considered good.

Is that so? From her expression, it appeared your relationship with her was unordinary. Could it be Master once… Silvermoon smiled and deliberately trailed off.

Enough nonsense. I have a poor impression of the woman, and we were even once enemies. Han Li grew annoyed and coldly snorted.

Silvermoon wryly smiled in response and tactfully kept silent.

Ever since Han Li saved Silvermoon and remained silent on the matter of the Purple Cloudlace and the ancient flower basket being seized, Silvermoon grew far more intimate with Han Li. Although she didnt dare to be too imprudent with him, she spoke far more openly with Han Li. Of course, he also sensed this and felt more trustful with her in turn, resulting in a much closer relationship between the two.

After returning back to the Drifting Cloud Sect encampment, Han Li had a quick discussion with Lu Luo about the meeting.

Lu Luo wore a worried expression. There is no need for Junior Martial Brother to risk participating in the wagered battle. It is true that Auric Essence is rare, but you only has one life to lose. This is far from good!

Han Li smiled and carelessly said, Senior Martial Brother Lu, please relax. I am confident that Ill make it through the battle in one piece. Why else would I have agreed so quickly? However, I wont be able to pay much mind to the safety of our sect disciples before the battle. Senior Martial Brother Lu will have to look after them alone.

Having heard Han Li, Lu Luo wore a relaxed expression. In the battle next week, I will naturally look after the sect disciples. Please dont worry about them. Since Junior Martial Brother is confident in the wagered battle, I wont speak further of it. However, I must ask if there is anything that you would like any sect disciples to perform.

Han Li smiled. After a moment of thought, Han Li slowly said, For the coming battle, I will need to perform a few preparations. There are a few particular materials that Ill need my Junior Martial Nephews to gather for me. Han Li bluntly took out a jade slip he had already prepared and handed it over to Lu Luo.

Lu Luo took the jade slip and resolutely said, Rest assured. So long as they can be found in Skyfirst City, I will have these materials gathered for you.

Warmed by his words, Han Li nodded and chatted a bit before taking his leave.

The jade slip that he gave Lu Luo detailed the supplementary materials for the Spirit Subjugation Talisman1. On the way back to the encampment, he had came to a conclusion that while he should have no problem with the wagered battle given his current abilities, he always felt it best to tread with caution and that he should make what preparations he could, the Spirit Subjugation Talisman being one of them.

1 In the Umbra Realm, he received the talisman refinement method for a grand talisman. Chapter 591

It would be the sole killing move that he would be able to prepare within several days time. His only worry was the odds of success for refining it. As for tempering his flying swords with Auric Essence and cultivating the Aureate Sword Formation, that wasnt something that could be accomplished in a sparse few days.

He originally thought to find a satisfactory spirit talisman brush and have some more practice honing his talisman refinement techniques before attempting to create the Spirit Subjugation Talisman. But now that he only had a few days, he had to make an attempt despite the lower chances of success. If he could successfully refine it, he would have another killing move. If he failed, nothing could be done about it. Any other preparations he could make over the next few days wouldnt be able to increase his strength.

With that thought, Han Li calmly arrived at his assigned residence and entered his bedroom. He then sat cross-legged on his bed and closed his eyes.

In a mere two days, Han Li had acquired all of the materials that he had requested. He was delighted and felt reassured of his decision to become a Drifting Cloud Sect Elder.

With these materials on hand, Han Li moved to a sealed room. After taking a seat cross-legged at the center of the room, he placed each of the materials in front of him and carefully opened a black-green bottle that he took out from his storage pouch.

With a woosh, a streak of crimson light shot out from the bottle. Already prepared, Han Li calmly raised his hand and grasped at the air. A large hand of azure light appeared soon after and grabbed the crimson ball of light. The azure light hand then pulsed with light and trembled, revealing the crimson lights true form. It was a crimson flood dragon that was several inches long. It continuously swiveled at the center of the palm and would occasionally attempt to escape, but the surrounding walls of azure light firmly trapped the flood dragon like a bird to a cage.

Han Li narrowed his eyes and blue light shined from his pupils. He was able to instantly view every detail of the flood dragons soul. It appeared lively and exactly the same as when he had captured it tens of years ago. But with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, he was able to see something exceptional.

Although the power of the flood dragons soul still remained astonishingly strong, the light in its eyes had dulled. Clearly, its intelligence had waned. Now, the soul merely had power, but its mind was exactly the same as an unevolved flood dragon. Its attempts to escape were only born from instinct.

Han Li sighed and recalled the grade eight Venomous Flood Dragon and its immense abilities, it was now reduced to a feral soul only over the passage of tens of years. The contrast was so great that it nearly invoked pity! This led Han Li to be particularly mindful of immense challenges on the path of cultivation. If he were to one day lose his flesh body and his primal soul fell into the hands of an enemy he may find himself in the same situation as this Venomous Flood Dragon. rewebnol.cm

Han Li sat down in silence for a moment longer and sighed. With a shake of his hand, he had the crimson flood dragon appear three meters above his head, remaining trapped in place within a barrier of azure light.

Paying no further attention to the Venomous Flood Dragon soul, Han Li lowered his head to look at the materials before him. He pointed to the emerald-green hide of an unknown spirit beast and had it fly over towards him.

With a bright glint from his eyes, he opened his mouth and spat out a sliver of azure Nascent flame onto the spirit beast hide. Oddly enough, the flames didnt burn the spirit beast hide but enveloped it.

Han Li clutched both of his hands in an incantation gesture and began to continuously flick his fingers, striking the spirit beast hide with a barrage of spell seals. The Nascent flame continuously flickered and pulsed with light. Han Li then ceased his casting incantation gestures and pointed his finger at a white jade box. The box flew over to him and opened to reveal a pile of sparkling silver powder.

He flicked at the jade box, sending a small portion of the silver powder directly into the azure Nascent flames, bringing forth silver embers within the flames. With further control from Han Lis incantation gestures, the flames drew the spirit beast hide to its center, transforming the hide into a huge silver lotus flower that slowly swiveled in the flames.

Han Lis expression grew increasingly solemn and began to point to each of the containers in front of them, various materials dazzlingly burned as they entered the fire. As they burned, the spirit beast hide turned silver to black, then black to green. Then when it turned crimson, Han Li breathed out and ceased pouring in the materials, and instead began to mutter.

At the same time, several of his fingers trembled, shooting out several threads of slim azure light from his fingertips, directly striking the surface of the spirit beast hide. Now under the azure threads control, the spirit beast hide ceased revolving and began to sway with a strange momentum.

As Han Li continued his incantation, the spirit beast hide began to release slivers of black Qi and shrink by a small amount. When the black Qi touched the crimson Nascent flame, they burned and released a faintly fishy scent in the air.

Han Li seemed to ignore this and continued maintaining the flames for two hours. When the last sliver of black Qi from the spirit beast hide had been refined, Han Lis expression finally relaxed and he sighed with relief.

He tossed several more materials into the flame and had them burn for a moment more. Then as Han Lis gaze flickered, the flames were suddenly extinguished with a pop, revealing a crimson spirit hide. At this moment, it was only the size of the palm of a hand.

Han Li was satisfied to the chances to the spirit hide. He then pointed to the flood dragon soul above him without the slightest hesitation and had the barrier surrounding it scatter into specks of light. Then through some invisible force, it was sucked into the crimson spirit hide.

With a puff, it disappeared without a trace.

Just as Han Li pondered, he heard a long sigh from Wei Wuya.

Wei Wuya put away the jade box in a flash of light and happily said, Not bad. It is truly the scales of a metamorphosed Venomous Flood Dragon. This is very suitable for me. There is hope that my magic treasure will ascend to a whole new level.

Afterwards, he raised his head to shot Han Li an appraising look. To tell the truth, it is truly surprising to me that Fellow Daoist was able to produce such rare treasures. These Venomous Flood Dragon scales are particularly important to me. Although all weve done is trade for what weve needed, Fellow Daoist Han still must participate in the wagered battle on behalf of the Heavenly South. How about this? I still have one last piece of Auric Essence. I originally planned to give it to my descendants, but since Fellow Daoist Han requires it, I will give it to you. This way, I wont be accused of taking advantage of you. With a flip of his hand, he summoned an egg-sized piece of Auric Essence and tossed it to Han Li.

With the addition of this piece of Auric Essence, he would have more than enough to temper the thirty-six flying swords. His goals to taking out such rare materials had been achieved. It could be said these grade eight demon materials proved slightly more valuable than that of the Auric Essence. If they were take the materials and still have him fight in the wagered battle without further compensation, it would be rather unreasonable.

Of course, their intentions of acting so generously towards Han Li was obvious. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could simply pretend to agree and flee after taking the Auric Essence. If this were only a common trade that didnt involve the wagered battle, they wouldnt be able to do much else apart from complain.

At that moment, Master Sunreach finished appraising the item and he wore a slight smile on his face. It seemed he was quite satisfied with the tortoise shell. However, when he saw Wei Wuya give him another piece of Auric Essence, he hesitantly muttered to himself for a moment before bringing out a six-inch-long yellow rootstalk that was as thick as a thumb.

Master Sunreach solemnly said, From the wood attribute spiritual Qi that is overflowing from your body, I believe that Fellow Daoists main cultivation art is wood-attributed. I have nothing appropriate to give you, so I can only present to you a small piece of rootstalk from an ancient rattan palm. It will be greatly useful regardless of whether you refine it into a magic tool or use it to nourish your bodys wood-attribute spiritual Qi. It should be enough to compensate you for the grade eight demon tortoise shell.

Wei Wuya revealed an expression of astonishment when he saw this item. Yi! That is…

Han Li was initially disappointed, but when he saw Wei Wuyas change of expression, his mind stirred in thought. An ancient rattan palm? Could it be that Profound Goddess Palm that the Righteous and Devil Dao wished to resurrect with the Spirit Root Trees Wine Nectar? Han Li glanced at the item in his hand with astonishment.

Master Sunreach wasnt surprised to see that Wei Wuya recognized this item. He calmly said, With Brother Hans status, he should know of the Profound Goddess Palm that appeared in this world. It is a pity that despite our efforts, we were unable to bring it back to life. In the end, we were only able to divide up the pieces of the rattan palm with the Devil Dao and treat it as tool refinement materials. This is one quarter of the palms rootstalk.

The Profound Goddess Palm! Han Li caught the yellow rootstalk and muttered to himself with surprise.

Han Li learned of the Profound Goddess Palm from several ancient records. He now realized why the Righteous and Devil Dao had schemed to resurrect it.

Immortal rattan palms were only a general classifier for these plants. They were merely a vine-type spiritual root that were useful.

However, the Profound Goddess Palm was different. Only a few such ancient rattan palms had the qualifications to be named as profound. Profound rattan vines belonged to a completely different realm, and came into creation during times of antiquity. As such, any fruits or flowers it may produce possessed inconceivable effects that were truly heaven-defying.

However, the Profound Goddess Palm were one of such roots that possessed amazing effects, but as it had perished long ago, its husk was indistinguishable from other rattan palms. Were it not for the explanation that was left behind in the ancient cultivator burrow where it was found, it wouldve been assumed to be an ordinary rattan palm husk.

At the start, it was believed to be a precious treasure. Even the Righteous and Devil Dao has fought several times for the possession of the treasure. Later on, the higher echelon of the Righteous and the Devil Dao decided to first see whether or not the immortal rattan was able of being resurrected. After all, even if it was resurrected, it could take tens of thousands of years before it would bear fruit or flowers. freewebnvel.com

As a result, they first tried several different methods in their attempts to bring it back to life and they later used spirit water and milk to water it. They even used Wine Nectar from the Spirit Root Tree of the Dreamcloud Mountains. However, all these efforts were in vain as the immortal rattan showed no sign of coming back to life.

With dashed hopes, the Devil and Righteous Dao decided to divide the stalk and branches into tensome pieces and even divide them between each party. As for how Master Sunreach acquired a piece of the rootstalk, it was offered as tribute in an attempt to curry favor with him, the grand elder of the Righteous Dao Alliance.

As for how Wei Wuya recognized it, he also had a section of the immortal rattan, but it was only a small portion of its branch. Through a series of trades, it had eventually made its way into Wei Wuyas hands.

Since the pieces of the Profound Goddess Palm couldnt be resurrected, they could only be used as top grade materials at best, greatly decreasing its value in Master Sunreachs point of view. Additionally, since it was a wood-attribute material and wasnt well-suited for his own cultivation arts, he gave it to Han Li without much consideration.

Wei Wuya soon realized what Master Sunreach also thought, and his surprise soon disappeared.

Although he knew of the origins of the rattan rootstalk, Han Li only felt slight disappointment.

He currently had no lack of top grade tool refinement materials. He only desired to acquire more Auric Essence, and it was for that reason that he took out the grade eight demon materials. Since he didnt have the time to nurture his Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords nor the spiritual power to refine a new magic treasure, it was currently better for him to receive ancient treasures instead if Auric Essence was out of the question. But since Master Sunreach truly didnt possess any Auric essence, he offered the rootstalk of the Profound Goddess Palm, something that was also quite precious. As a result, Han Li simply took the box without another word and peered inside of it.

His current plan for it was to make use of the small green bottle when he returned to his cave residence and attempt to mature the rattan palm. The green liquid born from the small mysterious bottle was unfathomable, and was even able to mature the three divine trees. Perhaps it would be able to create a miracle of reviving the Profound Goddess Palm. Although the chances were small, it would be an enormous windfall if it succeeded. As a result, his initial disappointment faded away.1 Golden Lightning Bamboo, Soul Nurturing Tree, and the Spirit Well Tree.

Before Wei Wuya and Master Sunreach further spoke, Han Li sighed and tactfully said, Since Ive acquired the Auric Essence, I will naturally participate in the wagered battles in seven days. Since the hour is late, I will be returning first. I must make preparations for the coming war.

Master Sunreach smiled and politely said, I didnt think that Fellow Daoist Han would be such an impatient character. The war is important so it is only natural to want to prepare yourself. We wont keep you here any longer.

Han Li promptly nodded and saluted them before quickly heading to the halls exit. But before Han Li could made his way outside, Wei Wuya stared at him with a strange expression and moved his lips, sending a series of voice transmissions towards him. Fellow Daoist Han, on behalf of these Venomous Flood Dragon Scales, I will overlook the matter of you stealing away Fellow Daoist Nangong. As it wasnt meant to be between Fairy Nangong and my nephew, there was nothing that could be done!

When Han Li heard this, he couldnt help but stop in his tracks. He then felt a wave of delight, and quickly walked out the hall without turning around. Once Han Li could no longer be seen, Master Sunreach and Wei Wuya glanced at each other in silence.

A short moment later, Master Sunreach slowly said, What do you think? I found it truly inconceivable Han Li would actually bring out grade eight demon beast materials. Could it be in the time he disappeared through the ancient transportation formation, he acquired the complete legacy of an ancient cultivator? How else was he able to reach early Nascent Soul stage in such a short amount of time? Not to mention the many treasures he possesses.

Wei Wuya wryly smiled. It is possible! But this has little to do with us. He is not the only person that has inherited ancient cultivation arts and ancient treasures. Having such a rare chance is a truly envious matter. Dont tell me youre thinking about killing him to take his treasures?

Master Sunreach chuckled and shook his head. Kill him? Brother Wei can sure tell a joke. Let alone during a time of war, this cant be done during peacetime either. Based solely on his ability to escape a Moulan Divine Sage, Id be stirring up trouble without reaping any gains. Besides, his treasures may be precious, but would they allow me to breakthrough to Deity Transformation stage? Besides, the Heavenly Dao Union and those pair cultivators arent easily trifled with.

Once most of the others left, Devil Concord expressionlessly said, Junior Martial Brother, follow me! There is something I must say to you alone! He then walked out of the hall without turning back.

Devil Cloudparts gaze wandered for a moment and silently followed him after some hesitation. It seemed he greatly feared the large black-robed man.

Master Sunreach waited until the Devil Concord and Devil Cloudpart departed before facing Han Li and the pale woman. Fellow Daoists Han and Bai, lets have a proper chat. How about you first take a look at the items you want and then decide whether or not youll be participating in the wagered battles. This humble Daoist understands your reasoning. After all, this matter will be extremely dangerous. If there isnt a proper reward, no one would take the risk. But regardless if these items are to your satisfaction, I hope you two Fellow Daoists will be participating in the wagered battles.

Wei Wuya simply stood to the side and held his hands behind his back. He was calmly examining the two.

When they heard Master Sunreach, Han Li didnt reply. Rather, the gorgeous pale woman frowned and said, I am a woman who treads the solitary path. I do not care whether the Moulan invades the Heavenly South or the other way around. Were it not for your message speaking of this item, I wouldnt have emerged from seclusion. Lets get the ugly matters out of the way first. If what you have is not to my satisfaction, I will leave without reservations.

Master Sunreach wasnt angered at her cold words, and instead replied with a warm tone, Fellow Daoist Bai, there is no need for this! Although I was somewhat mistaken for what happened in the past, in truth I was doing what was best for you.

The womans expression sank and she coldly snorted, I am the judge of whether or not it was mistaken! Enough of the past, bring out the item.

When Han Li heard this, he felt shocked despite his calm exterior. This woman surnamed Bai seemed to have a dispute of some sort, perhaps due to a past relationship.

When Master Sunreach saw the womans angered expression, he could only helplessly shake his head and took out a white jade box from his storage pouch.

It appeared rather ordinary as if made of common materials. But in the instant it appeared, the entire room dropped in temperature as if they were in the dead of a harsh winter. Even Han Li, who had long grown unfazed by weather, couldnt help but feel unwell in the face of such cold.

The woman surnamed Bai revealed excitement upon sensing the icy cold that the box emitted.

At that moment, Master Sunreach wordlessly offered the jade box to the woman. After she took it into her hands, she opened it, revealing it clearly to Han Li.

They were a pair of transparent crystalline cocoons. They emitted a trace of cold Qi that caused Han Li to frown. They seemed to be cocoons of the Icefrost Silkworms, who were ranked last on the list of exotic insects.

Although this exotic insect wasnt very powerful in battle, it has an inconceivable divine ability that is difficult to find. If this woman truly required these insects, it was quite possible she would agree to fight in the wagered battle.

Why are they cocoons? These arent fully grown. To Han Lis surprise, the womans expression turned unsightly upon seeing them.

Master Sunreach replied with a calm expression, Fellow Daoist Bai, these Icefrost Silkworms were found a hundred meters deep inside a sheet of ice. They arent common, they are top grade Monarch Silkworms. Look at them with your spiritual sense. Youll find that there is something exceptional about them.

Monarch Silkworms? The womans expression stirred and she doubtfully swept her spiritual sense past the cocoons. A short moment later, her expression relaxed.

How about it? While these Monarch Silkworms are still in their cocoons, they should be more than enough for your uses.

After a moment of hesitation, the woman put away the box and said, With this, I will be able to fight in the wagered battle.

Master Sunreach sighed with relief and smiled, Good. With Fellow Daoist Bais Frostcloud Arts, shell be able to deal with those trifling spell warriors in a single move.

Afterwards, the woman expressionlessly said, Ill be taking my leave, before heading out of the hall.

Master Sunreach bitterly smiled and shook his head. When Wei Wuya saw this, he chuckled and said nothing else.

Once the woman left the hall, Master Sunreach focused on Han Li and asked with a smile, Fellow Daoist Han, just how much Auric Essence do you require?

With completely open intentions, Han Li said, I require much of it. It can be said that the more, the better. Of course, since Auric Essence is quite valuable, so long as you two Fellow Daoists bring it to me, Ill exchange it for an equivalent price. I definitely wont have you suffer a loss.

Master Sunreach chuckled. From Fellow Daoist Hans tone, it seems he possesses quite a bit of wealth. However, Fellow Daoist Han should know that at our realm, there are few items that are able to tempt Fellow Daoist Wei and I. Otherwise, we wouldnt have relinquished so many of our worldly possessions for this war.

Han Li smiled and said nothing else. Instead, Wei Wuya sighed and suddenly spoke, Fellow Daoist Sunreach, your tone may be bold, but Fellow Daoist Han was able to escape from a Moulan Divine Sage with only early Nascent Soul-stage cultivation. He is no ordinary cultivator.

Master Sunreach casually said, Hehe, Ive been rude. But regardless of what Fellow Daoist Han plans on using to trade for the Auric Essence, how about he first takes a look at it. If Fellow Daoist truly has an item that can tempt us, well have no objections trading it for the entirety of the Auric Essence.

He then reached for his storage pouch and a white light flew into his palm, revealing three various-sized chunks of golden rock that magnificently glowed. The middle-aged Daoist handed them over to Han Li in one move.

Han Lis heart pounded as he directly received the rocks, and he examined them with covetous desire.

The three chunks, one large and two small, were truly Auric Essence. The larger of the pieces was about the same size as the chunk that was auctioned off at the trade meet, about the size of a walnut. As for the smaller pieces, they were about half that size. This amount of Auric Essence should be enough for him to infuse tensome flying swords. However, it was somewhat lacking in quantity compared to what Han Li desired. Despite his calm expression, his eyes betrayed a trace of disappointment.

Master Sunreach was somewhat amazed to see this. Just how much Auric Essence did this man want? It was rather baffling. With that thought, he shot a glance at Wei Wuya.

Having seen Han Lis expression, he also glanced at Master Sunreach and calmly took out a fist-sized chunk of Auric Essence from his sleeve.

When Han Li saw such a large chunk of Auric Essence in Wei Wuyas hand, he grew delighted. Although this chunk of Auric Essence wasnt enough for all seventy-two flying swords, with luck, this along with three smaller pieces should be enough for at least half of them. With thirty-six flying swords supported with the Swordlight Reflection Technique, it would be just enough for a small-scale Aureate Sword Formation.

With excitement in his heart, Han Li caught the chunk of Auric Essence that Wei Wuya tossed to him. After examining it with a deep breath, he said, Although this may be all of your Auric Essence, it is still somewhat lacking. But it will be enough for me to participate in the wagered battle. Please take a look at these items and see if they are to your satisfaction.

After putting away the Auric Essence, he took out two differently colored jade boxes and handed them separately to Wei Wuya and Master Sunreach.

They each took the jade boxes and indifferently opened them. Wei Wuya weighted the box in his hand before opening it first.

One of the boxes had numerous scarlet fingernail-sized scales. The other box had a fist-sized jet-black tortoise shell. The two late Nascent Soul-stage cultivators were amazed by what they saw.

Whats this?

Demon beast materials!

Han Li explained, Thats correct. Fellow Daoist Wei has the scales of a grade eight Venomous Flood Dragon. As for Fellow Daoist Sunreach, he possesses the shell of a grade eight demon tortoise. Although I dont dare to say these items are heaven-defying existences, these metamorphosed demon materials are rarely seen in the Heavenly South. They should be more than enough to trade for Auric Essence.

Although Han Lis tone was calm, he held much confidence. Grade eight demon beast materials were extremely hard to come by even in the Scattered Star Seas. Although many cultivators head out to the Outer Star Seas, very few were able to see demon beasts of that grade, let alone kill one.

And in the Heavenly South, grade seven and six demon beasts were killed as quickly as they appeared. None are left to ascent to grade eight stage. And apart from a few areas that large sects control, all other areas are devoid of any high-grade demon beasts.

Although Master Sunreach was able to quickly recover from his shock, Wei Wuya couldnt help but shout in delight, The scales of a grade eight Venomous Flood Dragon!

Han Li was stunned for a moment before soon recalling that Wei Wuya cultivated a venomous cultivation art. As the body of a Venomous Flood Dragon is particularly deadly, these scales might prove to have other miraculous uses for him.

Just as Han Li hesitated as to what to say, Wei Wuya hastily extended his fingers and fiddled with one of the crimson scales. After carefully examining them, he began to ponder what there was to gain.

Master Sunreach felt somewhat amazed by Wei Wuyas loss of demeanor. But after a strange expression appeared on his face, he smiled at Han Li and said, Hehe! It seems Fellow Daoist Hans item is much to Brother Weis liking. I am also rather interested in the tortoise shell. If these are true grade eight demon beast materials, they will be a fair trade for the Auric Essence as they are optimal materials for refining defensive magic tools.

Although he felt that Han Lis words werent false, the sword-bearing Daoist found it hard to believe that an early Nascent Soul cultivator was able to acquire grade eight demon beast materials. He naturally had to determine whether or not the tortoise shell was genuine.

Master Sunreach sullenly said, We are well aware that there is something suspicious about this, but the Moulan had captured many cultivators on their warpath, a majority of them being Nine Nations Union cultivators. And in the process of providing assistance, many of sect disciples have also been captured. The envoy stated that they have about a thousand captives in total.

In his alarm, Old Man Kuang immediately asked, What did they say? Are they going to execute the captives if we do not agree to their conditions? Are the Moulan not afraid of our retaliation?

Master Sunreach quickly replied, The envoy didnt state as such. However, he did speak of a chance to rescue these cultivators. In addition to the materials that were wagered for each of the ten wagered battles, each battle will wager the freedom of a hundred captive cultivators.

The eccentrics in the hall looked at each other in dismay. A thousand cultivators arent particularly many and they will most likely be low grade cultivators. There wasnt a need to save them, but if someone were to propose to abandon them, they would become the butt of criticism.

While these cultivators didnt personally care about these captives, they were the representatives of various sects and clans of all sizes. There were particularly many cultivators that were captured in an attempt to slow down the Moulan armies. If they didnt rescue them, the morale of their forces would plummet, and the low grade cultivators were feel particularly disappointed and few of them would fight with all of their strength. The other cultivators inwardly swore at the Moulan for their cunning.

Long Han agreed with a sigh, Who would thought these grassland savages would be able to act so cleverly. They hardly used any strategy in their previous invasions, but now they act with complete guile. We cant help but feel somewhat uneasy at this sudden change.

Master Sunreach swept his gaze across the room and solemnly said, It seems that everyone realizes that this battle is something that we cannot refuse. Regardless of what they are planning, we must defeat the spell warriors in this battle, else it will strike at our morale. Moreover, this wagered battle seems to lack any tricks. They most likely hold other intentions. As a result, you Fellow Daoists need not worry about suffering any unexpected mishaps. If you have any doubts, well personally put a stop to these battles. Of course, since this is a battle to the death, we will not force anyone to join.

This is voluntary? When the eccentrics heard this, they coldly smiled and their eyes glinted as they remained silent.

Nobody was so foolish to accept. Even if there was nothing suspicious about these wagered battles, there were none wished to fight to the death. After all, one had to strenuously cultivate for several hundreds of years in order to reach this current stage of cultivation. They wouldnt easily expose oneself to danger.

Han Li also remained silent. Although he didnt mind exerting a bit of strength to fight in the war, he didnt wish to brave any unnecessary risks. In that last battle at the Yellow Dragon Mountains, he had nearly lost his life, he didnt wish to relive the experience.

Old Devil Concord grew sullen at everyones silence and coldly snorted. The bone-chilling sound caused the seated cultivators to feel a chill down their back. However, these cultivators still decided to remain silent.

Master Sunreach shook his head at the sight and also revealed a trace of helplessness. Wei Wuya also narrowed his eyes and said not a word.

Master Sunreach didnt allow this awkward silence to continue and said, Before we arrived, we had a bit of a discussion. Since these wagered battles will prove dangerous, we have decided that any of the spoils gained from these battles will belong solely to the victor. Doesnt this somewhat make up for the danger?

To the best of my knowledge, you Fellow Daoists should be lacking some rare materials, materials that youve been unable to find. We have some in our collection that we are able to persuade you with. Once this was said, his gaze swept past the room once more and his gaze stopped upon Han Li.

Han Li felt his heart tremble and he felt somewhat puzzled. The other cultivators in the room felt the same. Although the sword-bearing Daoist had mentioned some alluring conditions, much to the temptations to those present, none took the initiative to step forward and participate in the wagered battle.

But at that moment, Wei Wuya suddenly turned his head towards Daoist Shattered Soul and began to send him a voice transmission. The despondent Daoist Shattered Soul suddenly sat straight and wore an expression of delight. He then began to silently move his lips and converse with Wei Wuya through voice transmission.

A short moment later, Daoist Shattered Souls expression wavered with hesitation. At that same moment, Devil Concord began to send a voice transmission.

Devil Cloudpart appeared completely aloof since he had entered the hall, but when he heard his sects grand elders voice transmission, he immediately frowned with a gloomy expression. It was unknown what was said to him.

After a moment of thought, Daoist Shattered Soul eventually said, Fine. So long as you uphold what was agreed. I dont mind braving danger just this once. When the others heard this, they were absolutely stunned.

Then, Devil Cloudpart said, Since Fellow Daoist Shattered Soul is participating, I will go as well. It would be truly unfortunate if these rare materials were lost to me. The old devil coldly smiled, but a trace of anger could faintly be seen from his face.

The other cultivators glanced at each other. Although they didnt say anything, they were deeply startled. Regardless of what had convinced the two, it caused all the others to feel ill at ease.

As expected, the three great cultivators each began to send voice transmissions to cultivators in the hall one after another. Most of these cultivators would happily or worriedly agree to fight in the wagered in the battle. There were only two that coldly shook their head and refused.

When Han Li saw this, various thoughts began to swirl through his mind. But at that moment, Master Sunreachs voice had reached his ear. Fellow Daoist Han, I heard that you were currently searching for a large quantity of Auric Essence. Is this true?

When Han Li heard this, he felt his heart pound. It was no surprise that he knew of this. His request of the Heavenly Dao Alliances search for auric essence wasnt a secret affair.

After calming his heart, Han Li said, Thats right. I require some Auric Essence in order to refine my magic treasure. Could if be that Fellow Daoist Sunreach has a large amount of it?

Master Sunreach chuckled with a grin. Fellow Daoist Han guessed correctly. Fellow Daoist Wei and I have each acquired a large chunk of Auric Essence. Its quantity should be enough for Fellow Daoist to use. Are you interested?

After pondering to himself for a moment, he non-committedly replied, I would like to first see if the Auric Essence is to my satisfaction before I consider fighting.

Master Sunreach agreed with a smile. In such a brief amount of time, five cultivators had agreed to fight. They were all like Han Li. It was only after some thought that they readily agreed. But even as hesitant as they were, their responses were to Master Sunreachs satisfaction. He then promptly ceased his voice transmissions and began to make arrangements with how the Moulan armies should be dealt with.

In spite of the clamor of the eccentrics speaking of how to make use of spell formation tools and deal with the troublesome spirit technique formations of the Moulan, Han Lis mind had already wandered off as he pondered about the Auric Essence.

To tell the truth, Han Li had been dissatisfied with the might of the Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords. It wasnt that his flying swords were inferior to the might of his fellow cultivators, but rather they were too weak in the face of the enemies that he had encountered.

If he faced weak opponents, he wouldnt have to use them. He would use the Azure Essence Swordstreaks to deal with them. But against towering opponents, his flying swords would prove quite meager.

But with the Azure Essence Sword Arts last recorded divine ability, the Aureate Sword Formation, Han Lis Bamboo Cloudsward Swords would be able to contend against a late Nascent Soul cultivator for some time, even if he could only muster a small portion of its complete power.

As for the Heavenvoid Cauldron, he hadnt personally witnessed any of its actual power. As he only heard endless praise of it from Silvermoon, he started to grow doubtful of it.

Because the Aureate Sword Formation was a great divine ability that would allow him to establish himself in the cultivation world, he needed to acquire a large quantity of it in order to make use of the formation. However, Han Li felt uncertain about participating in the wagered match for it. With some thought, he decided to first see how much Auric Essence was being offered before deicing. If it was enough Auric Essence for him to refine the Aureate Formation, he may find himself agreeing.

So long as his opponent wasnt one of the Moulan Divine Sages, he felt he had nothing to fear. Even if the Moulan were to engage in any trickery during the wagered battles, he would be able to escape the trifling barrier with his Thunderstorm Wings and his Purple Apex Flames.

With this thought over, Han Li felt calm once more and began to listen to what was being planned.

This meeting was held for nearly two hours under the guidance of Master Sunreach. While Old Devil Concord occasionally added a few words in, Wei Wuya remained completely silent on the matter.

Something worthy of note was how both Master Sunreach and Devil Concord had highly valued Long Han. Whenever a matter related to the Heavenly Dao Alliance came up, they had always asked for his opinion. It appeared to be true that Long Han was able to contend against the three great cultivators together with his wife.

Just as the discussion was about to come to a close, the cultivators who werent participating in the wagered battle were given a few specific duties. Afterwards, Master Sunreach called the end of the meeting and bid everyone farewell, wishing them to properly prepare for what was to come. However, there were still three cultivators that hadnt left, one of them being Han Li.

As for the other two, they were Devil Cloudpart and a gorgeous woman with a bloodless complexion. The woman had remained silent in the previous discussion as Han Li did.

The three slowly walked towards the center of the hall and stood side by side. The large black-robed man with a sinister appearance spoke with a frigid tone, You should all know who we are. There should be no need for introductions. This meeting will be presided by us three. Are there any objections?

Once he was finished, his body sudden emitted a huge spiritual pressure, enveloping the entire room. When the cultivators in the room felt these profound spiritual Qi fluctuations, their expressions changed one after another.

Han Li felt a wave of astonishment from this persons amazing power. From his icy, demonic aura, he should be the Old Devil Concord. This old devils appearance was different from what he had imagined. In fact, his appearance was more in line with a cultivator from the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Unbeknownst to Han Li, each successive generation of the Harmonious Bond Sect grand elder was titled as the Old Devil Concord. Although the large black-robed man cultivated a devilish technique that had little relation to the Harmonious Bond Sect, he had no choice but to adopt the title.

At that moment, the others sensed the fearsomeness of the large man. Although they felt somewhat ill at ease, none of them dared to foolishly challenge the authority of the three great cultivators. For a time, silence reigned in the entire room as if in tacit approval of Old Devil Concords previous words.

The large black-robed man expressionlessly said, Good, since there are no objections, there will be no need to speak any rubbish. To tell the truth, we do not have the time. This morning, the Moulan had sent an envoy delivering an official challenge of war. If we do not comply with their conditions, there will be a battle to death in seven days.

An uproar occurred within the hall. A challenge of war? Seven days? What conditions?

The sword-bearing Daoist chuckled and calmly said, Brother Yis words are correct. Everyone should first look over the Moulans challenge of war before we discuss a plan with how to deal with them. Although the war is coming earlier than we anticipated, with the abilities of everyone present, do we still have anything to fear from the Moulan?

Although his voice wasnt very loud, it was clearly heard by everyone in the room, leaving a calming chill on their hearts. The other cultivators felt alarmed by this sensation, but their uproar immediately cased. Rather, there was somewhat who muttered, Sure enough, Great Truth Sects Meditative Arts are the way to do it.

The middle-aged Daoist ignored those contemptuous words and took out a glistening red jade slip before casually tossing it to an old man across from him. He smiled and said, This contains the Moulans challenge of war. How about Fellow Daoist take a look?

The old man was startled, but he soon swept his spiritual sense into the jade slip. With a sudden change of expression, he gloomily handed it over to the person at his side. As a result, that persons expression also grew unsightly after curiously reading through it.

As the war challenge was being passed through the various cultivators, Han Li shot an appraising glance at the sword-bearing, middle-aged Daoist and the azure-robed old man. The Daoist appeared to be about forty years of age but his skin was translucent and pure, and he had a face befitting of a scholar. He was the Righteous Dao Alliances Great Truth Sects Master Sunreach. As for the old man, he had a very ordinary appearance and plain clothes, revealing nothing particularly of note. But what caught Han Lis attention was the old mans long fingernails. They appeared exceptionally sharp and were a purple-black, occasionally shining with a faint black light. This person should be the Nine Nations Unions Grand Elder Wei Wuya.

When Wei Wuya sensed Han Lis gaze, he turned to look at him with a trace of surprise before smiling at him. Han Li awkwardly returned the smile, and he couldnt help but ponder whether or not he would still smile once he knew of what happened between him and Nangong Wan.

Just as he pondered this, Long Han had already finished looking through the jade slip and he passed it to Han Li with an unsightly expression. He grew quite curious having seen many people react the same way, and promptly delved his spiritual sense into the jade slip. A short moment later, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense with a frown and silently handed it over to another cultivator.

Not long after, everyone in the room read through the jade slip, each of them wearing an unsightly expression. Some of them even followed with a cold snort once they were done reading.

The Great Truth Sects Master Sunreach asked with a mysterious smile, Having read through the war challenge, what does everyone think?

A green-robed man wearing a sinister expression coldly said, They are rather arrogant to have us give them half of the Heavenly South Continent. Do they believe victory is already certain?

A plump old man wore a sly expression and said, Thats right. Who was it that said we could end hostilities by merely ceding a few lands? They clearly dont understand that Moulan are merely hungering vultures. Perhaps we do not need to fight a decisive battle. If we stall them, they may slowly submit to attrition.

A large tan man sitting at the plump old mans side angrily said, Fellow Daoist Lu, what do you mean by that? Is it because your Thousand Illusions Sect is deep within the Heavenly south that you dont care whether the rest of our sects live? A war of attrition might mean little to your sect, but how about ours?

Without any fear of the large tan man, the pump old man indifferently said, I was considering others when I said it. Any fallen sects can re-establish themselves, but lives cant be easily replaced.

Anther person coldly said, Humph! You speak of the matter quite simply. If our countries were abandoned, for what reason would we block the Moulan armies on behalf of your Devil Dao sects? We should simply move all of our sects into your State of Tianluo, that way, nobody will die.

You…

Thats enough. Weve already come to a conclusion of the matter of a war of attrition and we wont discuss it further. Now we must discuss how to deal with the armies of the Moulan spell warriors, not fight amongst each other. The black-robed cultivator grew sullen having heard this and rebuked them.

When the three heard Devil Concord, they all wanted object, but they obediently obeyed and kept silent. In the cultivation world, strength spoke the loudest.

Master Sunreach solemnly added, In truth, it isnt necessary for you three to discuss the matter. Weve already come to a decision. With the momentum of the Moulan armies and interference from outsiders, a war of attrition is impossible. If we do not gather together a majority of the Heavenly Souths power, we will be incapable of defending against the Moulans attack. If only a single countrys forces were to meet them, it would result in immediate defeat. Then when they are finished, they will most likely move on to the next of us. As a result, we must scatter the ranks of the Moulan in battle. We cannot rely on chance.

A quick series of whispers interrupted the silence, only for it to quickly return.

Soon, the Controlling Spirit Sects Dongmen Tu shifted his gaze and asked, Why not have the Moulan to reveal whatever tricks are first up their sleeve? Why must we first risk having a wagered battle, and with such a heavy stake as well? There are materials that even we cannot put up on wager. Isnt there even more to be said about the destitute Moulan?

Another cultivator then explained, We know of this well. The Moulan Plains may be truly , impoverished, but what they lack in common resources such as spirit stone mines, they are compensated by the rare materials located there. There are even a few rare materials that they possess in greater quantities than we do.

Wearing a pensive expression, Dongmen Tu slowly said, So it was like that. However, why is it that they are so confident of victory in this wagered battle. In addition to the late Nascent Soul cultivators, there are other cultivators that may join in this wagered as well. Up to ten wagered battles, all to the death. Could it be that they believe that we will simply abide by these terms?

Given the cunning of the characters in the room, they all knew the Moulan put forward this risky battle with some scheme or trick in mind. They couldnt help but ponder with unease.

Han Li was also puzzled by this. The war challenge clearly stated that the proposed battle will have both sides send their own forces and make no use of any dirty handed methods. Instead, the cultivators that battle will be able to directly wager their rare materials in battle, and the winner could directly seize the losers storage pouch.

What was particularly suspicious was that the war challenge also stated that these ten wagered matches must be held simultaneously, and any cultivators that are defeated will be incapable of running, they will die on stage. For this reason, the wagered battles will be held in a sealed spatial barrier. This barrier will be guarded by people on both sides, preventing either side from tampering with the battle.

However, regardless of any tricks the Moulan may hold, this will prove to be a great opportunity for us. If we are able to kill a few high grade spell warriors before our armies fight, it will be of great benefit to us.

Humph. I fear the Moulan holds the same intentions as you do. The hesitantly spoken statement was immediately rebuked.

Old Man Kuang of the Sailing Boundaries Study disdainfully said, What is there to think about. If the Moulan wishes to hold a wagered battle, we dont need to accept. In seven days, we will lay out our own arrangements. As a result, their plans will result in nothing.

Master Sunreach sighed and helplessly said, Unfortunately, while Brother Kuangs words are reasonable, we are required to participate in this wagered battle, and we must win.

Old Man Kuang frowned and discontentedly said, What? What does Master Sunreach mean? We cannot allow ourselves to be led by the nose by the Moulan!

Many of the other eccentrics in the room nodded in agreement.

Dong Xuaners expression remained somewhat baffled at the sight of Han Li, but she calmly replied, That person was an old acquaintance of mine. Since I hadnt seen him for many years, his sudden appearance had surprised me.

Old acquaintance? That early Nascent soul cultivator is allowed to enter todays meeting. And going from his youthful appearance, he should be the recently famous Drifting Cloud Sect Elder.

It is said he is surnamed Han, the same as the person you had mentioned before. Are they the same person? Old Devil Cloudpart wasnt angered by her stiff reply. Rather, he spoke calmly as if he had an unordinary relationship with the woman.

Dong Xuaners complexion turned somewhat pale at his words, but she remained silent. A cold glint flashed from Old Devil Cloudparts eyes. While he did drop the matter with a cold snort, a slight frown appeared on his face.

Cloudpart led her to the front of the palace hall and was promptly allowed in by the fearful Core Formation cultivators standing guard. Of course, Dong Xuaner wasnt allowed to enter. She was led to side room to rest for the time being.

Not long after Han Li entered the palace hall, he soon saw the entrance of the meeting room and hurried inside.

The meeting room was rather simply arranged. Apart from a few rows of huge stone pillars, there was a large empty space at its center with seventeen exquisitely crafted wooden chairs placed several a meters apart from one another.

Eight cultivators were currently sitting amongst the chairs in various places. When Han Li entered, there were a few that indifferently glanced at him, a few that ignored him as well as others that were currently meditating. They all acted without regard for any others.

However, there was one person who kindly smiled at him when he entered. He beckoned to Han Li and said, Fellow Daoist Han, youve emerged from seclusion. If you dont find it distasteful, how about you sit next to me? This man was the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the Phoenix Cry Sects Long Han.

Many thanks Brother Long! Han Li sat down at his side and began to silently examine the other cultivators in the room.

A short moment later, Old Devil Cloudpart entered the room. He glanced at the others within and chuckled before boldly taking a seat in an empty chair. He sat down in the seat next to a blue-robed old man who was holding a white jade wine cup and a small emerald-green pot, drinking by himself.

When Old Devil Cloudpart sat near him, his fragrant scent drifted towards old man, causing the him to glare at Devil Cloudpart and curse his own luck. He paid no attention to the old mans dissatisfaction, instead, glancing around him and examining Han Li with much interest, much to Han Lis unease.

With a frown, he bluntly closed his eyes and remained expressionless. However, he was still pondering what relationship this old devil had with Dong Xuaner

In the past, Dong Xuaner had been stolen away by the Harmonious Bond Sects young master and joined the sect. Although this old devils reputation was awful, he wouldnt prey on his own sects disciples. The two must have some other relationship, else he wouldnt have brought Dong Xuaner along to the meeting.

Just as Han Li mulled over this, a number of people entered the hall in succession. They were all mid Nascent Soul cultivators, many of which were recognized by those already sitting in the hall. With a few hateful grudges between them, there were quite a few mocking statements said in passing amongst the greetings that were uttered.

At that moment, Old Devil Cloudparts gaze finally left Han Li, but Han Li remained still regardless. As he recognized none of the other cultivators in the room, he didnt need to greet them.

Fellow Daoist Shattered Soul! I didnt think that you would come. I heard that you had already cultivated your Nine Souls Technique to transformation stage. Congratulations.

Shattered Soul! Han Lis heart stirred at the mention of this name and he unconsciously opened his eyes. He saw an exceptionally shriveled grey-robed old man being called by a black-robed cultivator in the hall in a familiar manner. When the grey-robed old man heard him, he walked over to the black-robed cultivator with a smile.

Taking note of Han Lis action, Long Han smiled and asked, What is it? Fellow Daoist Han has seen Daoist Shattered Soul before?

Having recalled slaughtering Shattered Souls disciples on his recent trip to the State of Yue, Han Li calmly replied, No. I simply heard Senior martial brother Cheng mention him once before. I heard his abilities are quite vast.

With another smile, Long Han said, Hehe, this comes as no surprise. I recall that Elder Cheng had fought him once before and he had suffered quite the loss. It is natural that a deep impression had been left behind. But with Fellow Daoist Hans current reputation, there is no need to fear him. However, there is one person amongst the mid Nascent Soul cultivators that you had best avoid offending. Even the three great cultivators have a headache dealing with him.

Han Li frowned and revealed shock. Someone that is able to cause a headache for even the three great cultivators? Such a person exists?

Long Han carefully explained, Of course there is. This person had fought Fellow Daoist Sunreach of the three great cultivators and inflicted heavy injuries onto Fellow Daoist Sunreach in order to escape. As such, he was known to be an existence on par to the three great cultivators. However, this cultivator often keeps to himself. Even with the invasion of the Moulan, its hard to say whether or not he will come. It would be of great help if he did.

Han Li pursed his lips and curiously asked, A cultivator able to injure a late Nascent Soul cultivator? It is no wonder why this person seems so exceptional! Could you tell me who he is?

Continuing his smile, Long Han said, You shouldve heard of his name before. His name is Eccentric Heavenvenge.

Han Li wryly smiled and said, Eccentric Heavenvenge! It is true, I have long heard of his vast reputation. He suddenly recalled what had happened when the sacred tree area was infiltrated. At the time, the Righteous and Devil Dao spies had been afraid to kill the low grade cultivators out of fear that one of them may have been a descendant of Eccentric Heavenvenge.

Han Li blinked and chuckled. However, it stands to mention that Brother Long and his wife are an existence equal to the three great cultivators as well.

When Long Han heard this, he shook his head and flatly said, Feng Bing and I may hold some power, but we wouldnt be able to stand against them alone. Of course, when we are together, it is a completely different matter altogether.

Han Li smiled and thought to speak of the matter when he felt someones gaze on him. It was icy and filled with ill intent. Vigilance filled Han Lis mind as his expression froze. He then turned his head to look at the source of the glare an unfamiliar green-clothed old man with a long beard.

When the old man saw Han Li glance at him, he withdrew his gaze and expressionlessly turned his eyes elsewhere as if nothing had happened. However, this didnt cause Han Li to relax. Instead, he continued staring at the old man for a long while.

Having seen what happened, Long Han asked with a smile, What? Does Fellow Daoist Han not recognize this person?

Feeling somewhat puzzled, Han Li replied, Brother Long seems to imply that I should know who he is.

This person is the grand elder of the Controlling Spirit Sect, Elder Dongmen Tu. He holds the most power in the sect. Although I hadnt spoken to this person before, I have heard his friendship with Gu Shuangpu was quite deep. While he might not say anything because of the irrefutable evidence that Gu Shuangpu was a Moulan Spy, he is certain to be resentful at you for having killed him. You have best be careful.

Han Li stroked his nose and wryly smiled before uttering a word of thanks.

A mere quarter hour later, most of the chairs in the room had been filled. There was quite a funny sight to behold at this point. Nearly all the Devil Dao cultivators were sitting on the right side of the room with most of the Righteous Dao cultivators sitting on the left. As the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Nine Nations Union cultivators, they casually sat on either side.

Among these cultivators, Han Li found a familiar face, the Sailing Boundaries Sects Cultivator Kuang. He was currently sitting on the Devil Daos side. When he saw Han Li look over at him, he smiled at Han Li, to which Han Li responded with a nod.

At that moment, Long Han was giving Han Li an explanation on the two other Heavenly Dao cultivators through voice transmission. One of them was a plainly-dressed woman with an ordinary appearance with the other being an old man with a miserable appearance. Han Li glanced at the two and committed their appearances to memory.

Perhaps due to the many people in the room, their expression began to turn grave and they remained silent as they coldly examined one another. These cultivators were all peak existences in the Heavenly South, each of them from opposing factions and holding various intentions and thoughts of their own.

Amongst these people, Han Li could be considered the most unusual. Han Li allowed the old eccentrics to sweep their powerful spiritual sense across Han Lis body. When they saw his comparatively shallow cultivation, they all figured out who he was. After all, Han Lis fame over the past half year had reached the ears of all these old eccentrics. However, they simply saw him resting in his chair with his eyes closed. He appeared entirely calm in spite of current circumstances.

Just as the room became silent and even somewhat grave, three people walked into the room one after another, instantly catching the attention of these old eccentrics.

There was a large black-robed old man, a green-haired old man, and a cultivator with a sword on his back.

Han Lis expression remained calm, but he felt his heart began to thump. These three were the three great cultivators of the Heavenly South, the only late Nascent Soul-stage cultivators on the continent. They were all over a thousand years old. With a few exceptions, a majority of the people present managed to retain their calm like Han Li and waited for the three to begin speaking.