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From the day that the formation core was completed, Han Lis trio had begun meditating at the foot of the giant tree instead of residing on the massive cloud to guard against sneak attacks by high-grade devilish beings.

The backup holy tree was the foundation of this formation core, so the core would remain intact as long as the tree still stood.

As for the thousands of warriors accompanying Han Lis trio, they had been distributed onto the nearby mountains surrounding the formation core.

Daoist Xie had been instructed to reside within a certain building on the massive cloud, and with his incredible powers, it was naturally a simple task for him to replicate the aura of a mid-grade human cultivator.

Aside from Grand Ascension Stage beings, it would be virtually impossible for other cultivators to glean his true cultivation base, so even though Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxi had seen Daoist Xie on several occasions, they paid no heed to him and simply regarded him as a member of Han Lis entourage.

Ever since the completion of the formation, news surrounding the battle between the united and devilish armies had been constantly pouring in, and Han Lis trio was carefully monitoring the situation.

According to the news theyd received, the battle between the united and devilish armies had been extremely fierce, and only after both sides had expended close to 20% of their troops did the united army begin to retreat.

On this occasion, three Sacred Ancestors had appeared in the devilish army alongside over 20 Sacred Ancestor clones and hundreds of devilish lords, thereby giving them a clear advantage when it came to high-end power.

Through the fierce battle that had taken place thus far, the united army had managed to fool the devilish army, and the latter immediately set off in pursuit as the united army began to retreat. Meanwhile, the united army was retreating as it battled, engaging in battles of different scales against the devilish army every day while gradually shifting the battlefield toward the formation in a discreet manner.

Time slowly passed, and the frequency of news arriving from the battlefield was steadily increasing as the two armies drew closer and closer to the formation.

Atop a giant mountain within the formation stood Elder Han of the Wood Tribe on a massive platform that had only recently been erected.

Not far ahead of him was a formation that was only around 40 feet in size, around which sat eight Wood Tribe elderly men, all of whom had their eyes closed and were holding a white wooden disc in one hand, while constantly making hand seals with the other hand.

Beams of white light would occasionally be released by the wooden discs before converging above the formation to form a large light screen. At present, Elder Han was staring intently at the scene unfolding on the light screen.

There were countless specks of light spread all over the screen, all of which were either purple or green in color.

The specks of light would occasionally intertwine before quickly separating like a pair of armies constantly clashing with and retreating away from one another. However, all of the specks of light were gradually moving toward a certain direction, and when they finally entered a giant diagram, all of the specks of light suddenly vanished at the same time.

At this moment, the eight elderly men opened their eyes, and the wooden discs in their hands dimmed while the light screen disintegrated into nothingness.

Everything is progressing smoothly. Thank you for your hard work, masters, Elder Han said with an extremely polite smile.

Theres no need to thank us, the survival of our Wood Tribe hinges on this battle, so its only to be expected for us to give everything that we have. However, I must remind you that this simulation was based on the current circumstances, if anything were to change, then the result could immediately be altered, one of the elderly men replied.

Im well aware of that. The next few days will be of vital importance, so Ill have to trouble you to simulate the movement of the armies every day to prevent the direction of the battle from straying out of the realm of our control, Elder Han replied as he cupped his fist in a serious salute.

All eight of us have some aptitude when it comes to divination, but there are countless powerful beings involved in this battle, so there are far too many volatile factors. As such, we can only do our best, and the results of our simulation should only be referenced rather than fully trusted, the elderly man said with a shake of his head.

Im aware of that as well, but doing something will surely be better than doing nothing, Elder Han replied with a wry smile.

Even though there was no way to glean the outcome of a battle of such a massive scale through divination, it was very plausible for one to simulate the progression of the battle through divination to make some accurate judgments.

These eight elderly men were the most renowned divination masters of the Wood Tribe, and they had made countless important contributions to the Wood Tribe.

They were granted the title of the Eight Wood Spirit Disciples by the panel of elders, and due to the overexertion of their life force through many years of divination, they had become extremely wizened in appearance.

It was exactly due to this that the Wood Tribe had refrained from employing the services of the Eight Wood Spirit Disciples prior to this, but as a result, their grand elder fell into a trap sprung by the devilish army, and not only was he severely wounded, most of the Wood Tribes territory was lost to the devilish army.

Thus, in this vital battle, the elders of the Wood Tribe had no choice but to enlist the services of the Eight Wood Spirit Disciples in case any further mishaps occurred.

Following the departure of the Eight Wood Spirit Disciples, several Wood Tribe elders immediately approached Elder Han from nearby, and they began to discuss some important matters.

……

Meanwhile, high up in the air above the border of the Wood Tribes remaining territory and the territory claimed by the devilish army, Mo Jianli was hovering as a faint silver shadow within a dark cloud that was around an acre in size.

Countless arcs of silver lightning were flashing in and out of the cloud before hurtling into the distance, where a giant inky black sword that was over 1,000 feet in length was plunged firmly into a mountain close to 10 kilometers away.

Standing atop the hilt of the sword was a thin devilish man in a dark green cloak, and he was releasing streaks of glacial sword Qi with both hands.

Each streak of sword Qi was several hundred feet in length, and they eradicated all of the oncoming bolts of silver lightning.

……

In the air above a massive lake, two mountainous wolf projections were locked in a ferocious battle.

One of them was silver in color and around 4,000 feet in length with streaks of white light flying out of its mouth, while the other was completely inky black and had balls of baleful Qi erupting out of its mouth in retaliation.

The pair of giant wolves were able to slice massive gashes into the air with swipes of their claws, and conjure up bursts of powerful shockwaves and fierce winds to attack one another.

The battle taking place between the two giant wolf projections was extremely brutal, but regardless of what injuries they sustained, they were able to instantly regenerate.

Their battle had razed everything within a radius of around 100 kilometers to the ground, and within the belly of a nearby small mountain, Patriarch Ao Xiao sat within a temporary formation with his eyes tightly shut.

His entire body was giving off a faint silver light, and he was making a hand seal with both hands.

Thousands of kilometers away, Yuan Cha was seated in a temporary secret chamber over 10,000 feet below a swamp. The entire secret chamber was enshrouded in complete darkness with the exception of the purple devilish patterns on her body, which were flashing with a faint light.

……

Within a mysterious space, two gigantic beings were facing one another from several kilometers away.

One of them had crimson skin with a pair of black curved horns on its head and a pair of fleshy wings on its back. Its pupils were of a light golden color, and it had its arms crossed with a cold look on its face.

It was appraising another giant with inky-black skin that was riddled with golden and silver devilish patterns. This giants upper body was completely bare, and the only item of clothing it wore was a beasthide loincloth.

The two giants were glowering at one another with their massive eyes, and astonishing auras were emanating from their bodies.

In the air between them, a pair of crimson monsters that resembled both wolves and apes were battling a massive three-headed golden tiger.

The three creatures were also locked in an extremely fierce battle, and they appeared to be evenly matched.

……

Just as the united army had planned, the three Sacred Ancestors within the devilish army were being kept at bay by the three Grand Ascension Stage beings of the united army.

As such, all of them were occupied and unable to assist their respective armies.

Meanwhile, tens of millions of devilish beings were being slowly led toward the formation by the united army.

If the devilish army were to enter the super formation without any Sacred Ancestors to lead it, it would undoubtedly be severely ravaged, and it seemed that everything was progressing in the united armys favor.

However, there were currently over 1,000 devilish flying carriages traveling rapidly around the united army along the outskirts of the battlefield.

These flying carriages were all triangular in shape and completely grey with peculiar devilish patterns engraved onto their surfaces.

There were close to 10,000 devilish beings on these carriages, and every single inch of their bodies were covered in masks and robes, revealing only pairs of cold crimson eyes.

What was even more unsettling was that despite the large number of devilish beings on the carriages, the entire group was traveling in a completely silent wraith-like manner.

Over half a month later, Han Li was standing expressionlessly atop a pagoda on the giant azure cloud, looking down toward a lush mountain range.

Fei Xiaoxi and Cao Ji stood slightly behind him on either side, and they were also casting their eyes downward.

Aside from over 100 flying carriages and battle arks patrolling the nearby area, all of the other giant clouds were nowhere to be seen.

The mountain range wasnt a very large one and only had a radius of less than 100 kilometers, but there were countless humanoid figures traversing through it as one tall platform after another rose up from the ground.

These stone platforms were all of different heights with silver spirit patterns engraved upon them, and there were green flags that were shimmering with faint spiritual light situated all over them.

However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that all of these platforms had risen up over the few spirit veins in the mountain range.

At the center of the mountains was a valley, within which a gigantic tree was growing rapidly at a rate that was discernible to the naked eye. With each passing moment, it would grow by around a foot, and it was already virtually as tall as the mountains around it.

On the ground around the giant tree was a green formation that was around 100 acres in area, and there were over 100 Wood Tribe beings seated within the formation. All of them were at or above the Nascent Soul stage, and they all had their eyes closed while making different hand seals.

All of the stone platforms were connected around the valley, causing all of the worlds origin Qi in the entire mountain range to converge toward the valley in a frenzy, forming a series of extremely exuberant five-colored rainbows in the nearby air.

There were several small mountain ranges close to 100,000 kilometers away, where a series of massive trees were also rapidly growing in obscure locations, and there were countless tall platforms being erected near them as well.

If one were to look down from a high altitude, theyd discover that there were 36 of these formations that had been set up within an area with a radius of around 500,000 kilometers.

Even though they werent all complete yet, they had been arranged in an extremely profound configuration to form a super formation that presented a spectacular breathtaking sight.

At this point, all of the worlds origin Qi within the super formation had already been activated, and all types of energy fluctuations were beginning to appear in the air, filling the entire area with a sense of menace and peril.

Standing atop the azure cloud, Han Li suddenly said, At this rate, the formation core will be complete in a few days. Once its completed, well descend this Azure Light Island into the formation core and activate all of the protective restrictions to adopt a fully defensive stance.

Fei Xiaoxi cast a glance toward Han Li before replying in a slightly cold voice, I have no objections to that. However, its rather surprising that the formation is taking so long to set up. Ive heard that the progress at the other two formation cores is even slower than in our one, thats not going to be an issue, is it?

According to the information I received yesterday, the battle between the united army and devilish army has just commenced, and theyre trying to lure the devilish army into our formation. At the very least, it would take the devilish army over 10 days to get here, and by then, the formation will definitely already be complete. What Im worried about is whether the formation will actually be powerful enough to deal the devilish army a heavy blow, Han Li replied.

Rest assured, fellow daoists, even without using the backup holy trees, the Wood Realm 36 Extremes Formation possesses unfathomable power. Now that the 36 holy trees are being used, even a Grand Ascension Stage being would struggle to escape from the formation on their own. As for the ordinary devilish beings, they stand no chance in the face of the formations power, Cao Ji reassured with a confident smile.

Im sure the 36 backup holy trees will significantly bolster the formations power, but at the same time, the devilish army is nothing to be scoffed at. In particular, all of the Sacred Ancestors possess immense power and many clones, all of which will be very difficult to deal with, Han Li said.

The Sacred Ancestors are indeed powerful, but the grand elders will be responsible for facing them, so whats there for us to worry about? Fei Xiaoxi countered.

Hehe, Senior Sang and the others would perhaps be able to hold off the true bodies of the Sacred Ancestors, but they most likely wont be able to deal with the clones, those clones will most likely be deployed by the devilish army to break the formation cores, Han Li replied with a smile.

Sacred Ancestor clones? Both Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxis expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.

Have the two of you crossed paths with Sacred Ancestor clones in the past? Han Li asked as a meaningful look appeared in his eyes.

A hint of hatred appeared on Cao Jis face as he replied, I had once encountered a Sacred Ancestor clone with a fellow daoist of roughly the same cultivation base as myself, and that fellow daoist perished during the battle, while I managed to escape with severe injuries.

I havent encountered a Sacred Ancestor clone in person, but many of my loved ones have perished by their hands. If theyre sent to our formation core, Ill be sure to give them a taste of their own medicine, Fei Xiaoxi also said with a cold expression.

Fairy Fei, if you were to encounter a Sacred Ancestor clone on your own, then Id advise you to turn and run. Otherwise, youll only be sacrificing yourself for nothing, Cao Ji advised with a wry smile.

However, Fei Xiaoxi merely gave a dismissive harrumph, clearly not intending to heed Cao Jis advice.

Theres no need to be alarmed, Fellow Daoist Cao. If this formation really is as powerful as you say, then we should be able to contend with those Sacred Ancestor clones by drawing upon the formations power. Of course, if too many of them come here at once, then well have to think of some other way, Han Li said in a calm voice.

Think of some other way? Have you prepared some type of trump card, Fellow Daoist Han? Cao Ji asked as his eyes lit up, and Fei Xiaoxi was also rather taken aback to hear this.

I have indeed made some preparations, but I cant guarantee that theyll be effective, Han Li replied in a nonchalant manner.

I see. Its quite a relief that youve made some preparations in advance, Brother Han, Cao Ji said as his expression eased slightly.

It sounds like youre quite familiar with Sacred Ancestor clones, Fellow Daoist Han, have you faced some in the past as well? Fei Xiaoxi suddenly asked.

I have indeed faced such clones on several occasions, Han Li replied in a calm manner.

How did you fare against them? Ive heard that theyre far more powerful than the average late-Body Integration Stage being, Fei Xiaoxi asked.

Ive killed a few, but I was also once forced to flee for over a year straight by few of them, Han Li replied with a nonchalant voice, but both Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxi were astonished to hear this.

Youve killed Sacred Ancestor clones before? Oh, I see, you mustve killed those clones with the assistance of your human races army, right? Cao Ji quickly arrived at a conclusion that he thought to be reasonable, and Fei Xiaoxi was also enlightened upon hearing this.

Indeed, with Han Lis late-Body Integration Stage powers, it wouldnt be impossible for him to kill a Sacred Ancestor clone with the assistance of an army.

Instead of replying to Cao Jis question, Han Li chuckled with a confident smile, Hehe, thats all in the past now. If multiple Sacred Ancestor clones arrive at our formation core, then all you have to do is hold off one of the clones each and leave the rest to me.

In that case, Ill be counting on you, Brother Han. Cao Ji was still feeling rather bewildered, but a respectful tone had unconsciously crept into his voice, and he was clearly conceding the leadership role to Han Li.

After all, it was an extremely remarkable feat that Han Li had slain Sacred Ancestor clones in the past, even if it had been with the assistance of the human army.

Fei Xiaoxi hesitated for a short while before finally replying with a slight bow, If you have a way to deal with the other Sacred Ancestor clones, then Im also willing to follow your instructions.

Alright, Ill be sure to repay your trust, fellow daoists, Han Li said with a smile.

Thus, Han Li officially assumed the leadership role at the second formation core.

During the next few days, Han Lis trio took turns overseeing the completion of the formation core.

Five days later, the second formation core was finally completed, and all of the Wood Tribe guards and formation masters flocked onto the giant azure cloud.

Under Han Lis control, the azure cloud descended from above before landing right beside the valley where the giant tree was situated.

At the same time, all of the worlds origin Qi around the massive tree was stirred up as countless green specks of light surged out of thin air in a frenzy, then vanished into the entire mountain range.

A string of rumbling booms rang out as all of the formation flags on the tall platforms tremored violently, following which a series of light barriers appeared in the air. Immediately thereafter, bursts of green Qi surged out of all parts of the mountain range, instantly inundating the mountain range in its entirety.

All of the protective restrictions at the second formation core had been activated at this point, and there would be no chance of escape even for the average Body Integration Stage being if they were to enter the formation core.

Half a month later, the entire Wood Realm 36 Extremes Formation was finally complete, setting up a deadly trap of massive proportions for the devilish army.

The gigantic objects included massive palaces, mountainous beehive-shaped islands, and massive clouds of green light.

All of them were also filled with troops of the united army, and they stopped momentarily in mid-air before flying away from Cottonwood City, surrounded by throngs of flying carriages and arks.

Close to half of the united armys elite forces had departed, including the three Grand Ascension Stage beings. They were going to unite with the troops deployed by other cities to form a formidable force that could truly contend with the devilish army.

Han Li didnt depart with this group. Instead, he merely looked on as Mo Jianli and the others departed, then returned calmly to his pavilion to continue cultivating.

Five days later, Cottonwood City erupted into a frenzy again as another branch of the united army that was comprised primarily of Wood Tribe beings gathered together in preparation to leave the city as well.

Han Li was currently meditating on the top floor of his pavilion at this point, and his expression changed slightly as he opened his eyes.

Not long after that, the sound of footsteps rang out from the stairwell, and Zhu Guoer arrived with a respectful look on her face. Senior Han, the Wood Tribe has extended an invitation toward you.

I see. Youre still too weak, so stay in Cottonwood City for now. Once the battle is over, Ill take you back to our human race, Han Li said.

There was an implacable tone in Han Lis voice, and Zhu Guoer immediately lowered her head before giving an affirmative response. Yes, Senior.

Thus, Han Li rose to his feet in an unhurried manner before walking down the stairs.

Upon arriving in the hall on the first floor, he discovered that Daoist Xie was seated in a corner in a completely expressionless manner, while a green-skinned young man from the Wood Tribe was standing at the center of the hall with an uneasy expression.

Han Li immediately detected that this young man was only at the Nascent Soul stage, and had only recently manifested a Nascent Soul.

As soon as Han Li arrived, the young man hurriedly rushed over to him before extending a deep bow. I pay my respects to Senior Han. I was sent here by our grand elder to invite you to join us.

Your grand elder? Isnt he resting in the holy tree? Han Li asked.

Elder Han has temporarily taken over the role of grand elder, the young man explained.

I see, lead the way then. Lets go, Brother Xie, Han Li replied before turning toward Daoist Xie.

Daoist Xie offered no response, but he suddenly appeared completely silently behind Han Li in a blur.

The Wood Tribe young man was naturally quite startled by this, but he didnt dare to ask any questions and hurriedly exited the room.

Thus, Han Li and Daoist Xie were led out of the pavilion, where they caught sight of a dozen or so giant azure clouds hovering in mid-air. Each of these clouds was over 1,000 acres in size, and there were some pavilions and buildings that could be seen on them.

Furthermore, there were many warriors from all races rushing atop the clouds, seemingly transporting some things from Cottonwood City onto the clouds.

Han Li merely took a brief glance at the situation unfolding before his eyes before following the young man toward the largest of the azure clouds.

Moments later, Han Li appeared on a platform that was constructed from yellow wood atop the massive cloud. At one end of the platform was a green hall that was over 1,000 feet tall, and at the entrance of the hall were around a dozen fully armed Wood Tribe guards.

Senior Han, our stand-in grand elder is currently waiting for you inside the hall, the young man carefully explained.

Han Li took a glance at the hall before sweeping his spiritual sense into it, upon which he immediately sensed a few powerful auras. He motioned for the young man to continue leading the way, and the guards in front of the hall granted them passage, clearly indicating that they were all familiar with the young man.

However, they sensed the unfathomable spiritual pressure emanating from Han Lis body as he passed by them, and a hint of fear crept into their wooden expressions.

Some of them even unconsciously bowed and lowered their heads as Han Li was walking past them.

Even though they were from different races, a respect for power was something that was universal across the entire Spirit Realm.

Right at this moment, Han Li suddenly said something to Daoist Xie through voice transmission, and Daoist Xie immediately stopped in his tracks before making his way toward one side of the halls entrance.

The Wood Tribe guards were all quite surprised to see this, but they didnt dare to ask any questions.

Meanwhile, Han Li followed the young man through a corridor and entered the hall before casually inspecting his surroundings, upon which he discovered that there were only three people in the hall, which was several hundred feet in size.

The one sitting on the main seat was a purple-haired elderly man from the Wood Tribe. This was a thin late-Body Integration cultivator who was wearing a set of green robes and a golden and silver belt around his waist.

On either side of the elderly man were seated a silver-armored burly man from the Wood Tribe and a tall and lithe young woman in black, both of whom were at the mid-Body Integration Stage.

The burly man was very imposing and significantly taller than the average Wood Tribe being. There were several deep wrinkles on his forehead, and his eyes were completely wooden and soulless.

As for the young woman, she appeared to be around 18 years of age with a pair of short black horns on her head. She was quite beautiful, but she currently wore a cold expression.

All three of them immediately fell silent and turned toward Han Li upon his arrival.

Upon verifying that Han Li was indeed at the late-Body Integration Stage, a wide smile appeared on the elderly mans face, and he stood up before cupping his fist in a salute. Brother Han, Ive heard much about you from Senior Mo, our Wood Tribe is immensely fortunate to have you on our side.

Greetings, Fellow Daoist Han, my name is Cao Ji.

So youre Han Li. As expected, you seem to be far more powerful than Fellow Daoist Cao and myself. I am Fei Xiaoxi of the Yaksha Race.

Upon detecting Han Lis cultivation base, the other two beings in the room also stood up before extending salutes.

Sorry to keep you waiting, fellow daoists, Han Li replied as he returned a salute of his own.

Please take a seat, Brother Han, we are currently discussing the protection of the formation core. Fellow Daoist Cao and Fairy Fei will team up with you to protect the same formation core, the elderly man said with a smile.

As for the young man, he had already backed out of the hall in a respectful manner.

With Fellow Daoist Cao and Fairy Feis assistance, Ill be better equipped to protect the formation core, Han Li replied, clearly already treating Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxi as his subordinates.

His cultivation base was superior to theirs, so there was no need for him to be overly polite. Otherwise, it could lead them into thinking that they could challenge his authority.

Cao Ji displayed no reaction to this, but Fei Xiaoxis expression changed slightly, and she couldnt help but give a cold harrumph.

Haha, with your powers, Im sure the formation core will be safe. However, aside from protecting the formation core from devilish attacks, the three of you will have another important task to complete, the elderly man said.

Another important task? Why did I not hear about this from our grand elder? Did you add this task on a whim? Fei Xiao Xi asked as her brows furrowed slightly with displeasure.

Of course not. The important task Im referring to is something that Fellow Daoist Cao will have to complete, you and Fellow Daoist Han will still only be responsible for protecting the formation core, the elderly man explained.

Oh? Would you be able to elaborate on what exactly this task is? Han Li asked in an intrigued voice.

Due to the intricacies of the formation, our united army will most likely have to borrow some power from the three formation cores. When that time comes, the people situated at the three cores will have to cooperate with the united army. Ive already informed Cao Ji of how to do this, but hell require your protection while hes activating the power of the formation core, the elderly man said.

I see, thats not an issue. The formation was set up by your race in the first place, so its only right for Fellow Daoist Cao to operate it, Han Li replied with a nonchalant smile.

I also have no objections to this, Fei Xiaoxi chimed in with a nod.

Great! I knew you two would be willing to lend Cao Ji your assistance. Once the formation is set up, the second formation core will be left to the three of you, the elderly man said as he rose to his feet before extending a salute toward Han Lis trio.

Han Lis trio naturally also stood up and returned the salute. Rest assured, Elder Han, well be sure to do our best.

After that, Elder Han informed them of some other matters that required their attention, then gave each of them a jade slip, within which were contained some of the different forms that the formation could take on.

If enemies were to make it to their formation core, they would be able to use the power of the restriction to oppose them.

Elder Han then summoned three Wood Tribe beings to organize a place to stay for Han Lis trio in the buildings on the giant cloud. After all, there was still quite a long journey ahead, and prior to arriving at their destination, Han Li and the others naturally had to prime themselves into the best condition possible.

Half a day later, a burst of rumbling rang out in the air once again, and the dozen or so giant clouds also departed from Cottonwood City, accompanied by thousands of flying carriages and battle arks, heading directly toward the territory that had been taken over by the devilish army.

After that, Patriarch Ao Xiao and Mo Jianli began to discuss some finer details in preparation for the battle against the devilish army. During this time, they would occasionally ask for Han Lis opinion, clearly making an effort to include him in the discussion.

Han Li was aware that he couldnt compare with these two Grand Ascension Stage beings when it came to tactical acumen in battles that concerned several races, so he didnt take the initiative to interject and only offered his opinions when requested to do so.

Daoist Xie and Silvermoon were also in the hall, but both of them were completely expressionless and disinterested.

As for Zhu Guoer, she was standing off to the side in an obedient manner.

Thus, time slowly passed by, and Han Li stayed in Mo Jianlis cave abode for close to half a day before the discussion finally drew to a conclusion.

Patriarch Ao Xiao departed with Silvermoon first, while Mo Jianli and Han Li chatted for a while longer before the former summoned one of his disciples to organize a temporary place for Han Li to stay.

The disciple naturally did as he was told in a respectful manner, setting up a pavilion that was situated on a branch of the giant tree less than 10 kilometers away from Mo Jianlis cave abode.

The spiritual Qi here was nowhere near as abundant as that in Mo Jianlis cave abode, but it was still far better than anywhere else in Cottonwood City, so Han Li was quite pleased with it and moved in with Daoist Xie and Zhu Guoer.

The next half a month was quite uneventful, and Han Li stayed in the secret chamber of his pavilion, cultivating the spiritual sense secret technique that had been given to him by Patriarch Ao Xiao.

However, this was the first time that Zhu Guoer had been to a city in the Spirit Realm, and she would go out almost every day to explore the city.

She had somehow managed to convince Daoist Xie to accompany her on her long trips around the city, so Han Li wasnt concerned about her safety at all.

However, from what Zhu Guoer had been telling him after she returned from her daily outings, Han Li could clearly sense that the army within Cottonwood City was in a very tense state. freewebnvel.cm

It seemed that the higher-ups of all the races had made a decision to battle the devilish army, after all.

In that case, it was clear that these uneventful days wouldnt last much longer.

Sure enough, Mo Jianli arrived at his pavilion only several days later.

After detecting the arrival of Mo Jianli with his spiritual sense, he immediately welcomed Mo Jianli into the hall. They each took a seat, and after exchanging some pleasantries, Mo Jianli revealed the purpose for his visit.

Weve decided on the main strategies well be adopting in the battle against the devilish army. The most powerful beings among our united army are myself, Brother Ao, and Sang Hai of the Yaksha Race, so we should be able to handle the Sacred Ancestors in the devilish army. However, due to the heavy defeats the Wood Tribe has suffered, they dont have any Grand Ascension Stage beings left, so well have to reinforce them in that area. With your powers, youll undoubtedly be assigned an important duty, Fellow Daoist Han.

This battle is just as important for our human race, so Im naturally more than willing to offer my services. Feel free to issue me any instructions that you have, and Ill do my best to complete them, Han Li replied with a smile.

Your powers rank below only us three Grand Ascension Stage beings, so youll be playing an extremely important role in this battle. Has Fellow Daoist Xie recovered his powers yet? Mo Jianli asked.

Im afraid not, Senior, Brother Xie wont be able to make a full recovery without at least half a year of rest and recuperation, Han Li replied.

Thats quite a pity. If Fellow Daoist Xie can recover to his full power, then our chances of winning this battle will improve by at least 10%, Mo Jianli sighed in a forlorn manner.

Brother Xies powers are indeed not inferior to those of the average Grand Ascension Stage being, but its not easy to employ his services. If I didnt have some special assets up my sleeve, I wouldnt have been able to convince him to come back with me, Han Li said.

Ive heard about the rules stipulated by Fellow Daoist Xie, but regardless of the price, its definitely a good deal to be able to bring him to our Spirit Realm. Even if he doesnt do anything, the presence of a Grand Ascension Stage Faux Immortal Puppet on the battlefield will be very intimidating to the enemy, Mo Jianli replied.

I certainly hope so, Han Li could only reply with a wry smile.

Seeing as Fellow Daoist Xie hasnt fully recovered, we wont be sending you to the front lines. Heres what well do: there are three cores in the Wood Realm 36 Extremes Formation, if any of them is destroyed, the formation would become significantly less powerful, and if all three were to be destroyed, then the entire formation would collapse altogether, so these cores are extremely important. Having said that, due to their importance, the three cores are all very heavily guarded, so theyll be very safe places to stay. Brother Ao and I have decided to assign you to one of those cores, what do you think, Fellow Daoiast Han? Mo Jianli proposed.

I have no issues with that, Ill be sure to ensure the safety of the core, Han Li replied without any hesitation.

However, Mo Jianli shook his head, and said, If the cores were to be destroyed, the outcome of the battle could be affected, but in comparison, your safety is far more important to our human race. If you really do encounter some insurmountable enemies, then retreat and prioritize your own safety above all else. Otherwise, if something were to happen to you, even a victory wouldnt be worth it.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before immediately nodding in response. Thank you for holding me in such high regard, Senior, I understand what I have to do now.

Just remember that your top priority is to keep yourself safe, and only after that comes the safety of the formation. With Brother Xie by your side, Im sure you wont encounter any issues unless you encounter the true body of a Sacred Ancestor. Ive heard from Brother Ao that you and Brother Xie have even managed to fight on equal footing with that Sacred Ancestor Yuan Cha, Mo Jianli said with a smile.

Senior Ao Xiao is far too kind! Brother Xie and I were only just barely able to ensure self-preservation, and it was Senior Ao Xiao who drove Yuan Cha away in the end, Han Li replied in a modest manner.

In any case, you and Fellow Daoist Xie are able to dominate virtually all beings below the Grand Ascension Stage. The Wood Tribe and the Yaksha Race will also be sending some Body Integration Stage beings to protect the formation core with you. Fellow Daoist Ao and I are of the opinion that you and Fellow Daoist Xie will be more than enough, but those two races are unaware of your powers, so they insisted on sending some more people, Mo Jianli said.

Han Li wasnt surprised to hear this, and he asked, I see, but who will be the leader of the group?

Hehe, for cultivators like us, whoever is most powerful will naturally be the one to call the shots. I dont know who the Wood Tribe and Yaksha Race will be sending, but Im sure they wont be more powerful than you. Having said that, the high-grade beings of the Wood Tribe will definitely be quite familiar with the formation, so it would be wise to enquire them if any issues arise, Mo Jianli replied.

I understand. When will I be required to set off? Han Li asked.

With the Wood Tribes 36 backup holy trees, itll be a lot easier to set up the formation, but itll still take some time. Most importantly, we have to lure the entire devilish army into the formation first. Hence, Fellow Daoist Ao and I will be setting off with the united army to lure out the devilish army, while youll be setting off with the second group to set up the formation. Once the formation is complete, youll stay in the formation core in preparation for the upcoming battle, Mo Jianli replied.

Han Li saw no issues with this, so he nodded and gave an affirmative response.

After that, Mo Jianli didnt remain in Han Lis pavilion for much longer and quickly departed.

……

Half a month later, all types of energy fluctuations suddenly erupted within the entirety of Cottonwood City, and streaks of dazzling light erupted into the air from all levels of the city, accompanied by resounding booms.

The streaks of light contained war carriages and giant arks, and there were countless warriors from all of the races of the united army gathered on those flying treasures. These warriors were all standing ramrod straight on the flying treasures, giving off an astonishing baleful aura.

More and more of these flying treasures began to fly out of the city, and soon, the entire sky had been concealed behind a mass of tens of thousands of carriages and arks.

Right at this moment, the string of resounding booms suddenly ceased, and the entire city tremored slightly before over 100 gargantuan island-like objects emerged.

These objects were all of different shapes and forms, presenting a very chaotic sight to behold.

That is indeed true, but who knows if the devilish beings have thought of some unforeseen way to bypass our setup? If the true bodies of the patriarchs manage to descend into our realm while were away, then our two races will be plunged into a dire situation, Mo Jianli said in a concerned voice.

After a long pause, Patriarch Ao Xiao nodded in agreement. In that case, we really do have to exercise more caution. Looks like well have to return to our races as soon as possible.

Seniors, I dont think theres much of a chance that the patriarchs will all be able to descend into our realm. Even if they manage to do so, it would most likely only be one or two of the three, Han Li interjected.

Mo Jianli faltered slightly upon hearing this before his eyes immediately lit up. Oh? It sounds like you know something that we dont, Fellow Daoist Han. You did just come back from the Elder Devil Realm, is there some information youd like to share with us?

Han Li paused for a moment before asking, Have you heard of the tribulation of the Elder Devil Realm, seniors?

Tribulation of the Elder Devil Realm? We have indeed heard of this, but we didnt get a chance to gather any detailed information, Patriarch Ao Xiao replied as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Indeed, back when I ventured into the Elder Devil Realm, I also heard about this from a devilish lord, but it seems that only the Sacred Ancestors know the full story. Have you managed to find out more information about it, Fellow Daoist Han? Mo Jianli asked in an eager voice. гeewbnovel.com

I did indeed manage to gather some information about this tribulation. Have you heard of the Stemborer Queen? Han Li asked as a serious look appeared on his face.

Stemborer Queen? I dont recall ever hearing this term. Do you know anything about this, Fellow Daoist Ao? Mo Jianli replied with a perplexed expression.

It sounds rather familiar. I seem to have heard of it a very long time, but its been too long, and I cant remember the exact details, Patriarch Ao Xiao replied as his brows furrowed slightly.

Its no surprise that you havent heard of the Stemborer Queen, seniors, this is an insect queen that was sealed by true immortals back in ancient times, so very little people currently know of it, Han Li replied with a smile.

Ah yes, I remember now! The Stemborer Queen is the ancient insect said to be capable of devouring entire realms, right? Could it be that its at the center of the tribulation that the Elder Devil Realm is facing? Patriarch Ao Xiaos face paled slightly as he spoke.

Capable of devouring realms? What kind of insect is this? Wouldnt that make it even more terrifying than true spirits? Mo Jianlis expression also changed significantly upon hearing this.

True spirits simply arent comparable to this thing, in ancient times, several powerful true spirits had been devoured by this insect queen. I heard about it while traveling through another continent prior to reaching the Grand Ascension Stage, and apparently, the Stemborer Queen was born…

The Patriarch Ao Xiao began to provide a backstory on the Stemborer Queen with a grim expression, and the content of the story was much the same as what Han Li had heard from Violet Spirit.

The only difference was that according to what Ao Xiao had heard, the Stemborer Queen had vanished following its battle with the true immortals, and no seal was mentioned.

Mo Jianlis expression darkened even further upon hearing this.

The tribulation of the Elder Devil Realm is indeed related to this insect. According to the information I was given, the Stemborer Queen was sealed in a certain part of the Elder Devil Realm. It awakened not long ago and has begun attacking the seal. The majority of the Elder Devil Realms power has been focused on containing it, so I think theres a very slim chance that all three devilish patriarchs will descend into our Spirit Realm, Han Li said.

If that insect queen really has awakened, then the Elder Devil Realm isnt the only one thats in trouble, even our Spirit Realm could eventually be devoured by that thing! Patriarch Ao Xiao murmured as he fell into deep contemplation.

Has this information been verified, Fellow Daoist Han? Can you vouch for its authenticity? Mo Jianli asked in a cautious manner.

The information has come from a reliable source, and Im 80% sure that its true, Han Li replied.

In that case, its most likely true, but as a safety precaution, well have to send someone into the Elder Devil Realm for verification. What do you think, Brother Ao? Mo Jianli asked.

This is a very important matter, so it would indeed be necessary to send someone to verify the situation, Ill send a trusty subordinate of mine to investigate the matter. If it really is true, then it makes sense that the devilish beings have been so desperate to claim some territory for themselves in the Spirit Realm, they must be doing this so they can mass migrate to our Spirit Realm once the Stemborer Queen breaks out of its seal, Patriarch Ao Xiao said with a cold expression.

Judging from the number of devilish beings that have appeared in our Spirit Realm, the three devilish patriarchs clearly havent given up on containing the Stemborer Queen. Otherwise, more forces wouldve poured into our Spirit Realm at this point. Hence, Im assuming that their plan to conquer our races is only a backup option, Mo Jianli said in a contemplative manner.

Having said that, more devilish reinforcements have appeared in our races, suggesting that the devilish beings are struggling to keep the Stemborer Queen contained, which means that we should return to our races as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the devilish beings transfer most of their forces into our Spirit Realm, then even all of our races combined most likely wouldnt be able to oppose them, so we have to think of another strategy, Patriarch Ao Xiao said in a grim voice.

Whats there to think about? This matter concerns the Stemborer Queen, so it wont just be up to us to address it. If we release this information, Im sure all of the other Grand Ascension Stage beings all over the Spirit Realm will join us, Mo Jianli replied with a smile.

Patriarch Ao Xiaos eyes immediately lit up. Thats a fantastic idea!

But before that, we have to make sure that the matter about the Stemborer Queen is indeed true. On top of that, we cant just abandon the Wood Tribe and return to our races in this current situation. Otherwise, the alliance that we painstakingly built up would most likely instantly collapse, making it easy pickings for the devilish army, Mo Jianli said in a contemplative voice.

In that case, well abide by the Wood Tribes request and battle the devilish army. Well inflict as much damage as we can on the devilish army, and after that, well have an excuse to return to our races. Perhaps thats Old Man Sangs idea as well. Hes the only Grand Ascension Stage being in the Yaksha Race, Im sure hes concerned about his own race as well. During this time, well verify the information about the Stemborer Queen while gathering our own forces. After all, if the devilish army really does launch a big attack, well have to save ourselves before we can do anything else, Patriarch Ao Xiao decided.

Alright, well do as you say, Fellow Daoist Ao. Defeat is not an option in this battle, so well have to borrow Fellow Daoist Han and Brother Xies powers. Having said that, once the battle concludes, you can return to our human race right away, Fellow Daoist Han. I can see that your magic power is far more abundant than that of the average late-Body Integration cultivator, so youll have a decent chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage once you go into seclusion, the same applies for Junior Ling Long as well, Mo Jianli concluded.

Patriarch Ao Xiao nodded in response, and Han Li also agreed with this arrangement.

As long as none of the true bodies of the devilish patriarchs descended into Wood Tribe territory, he had nothing to fear.

After that arrangement was made, a thought suddenly occurred to Patriarch Ao Xiao, and he said, The Wood Tribe has proposed a counterattack, so they must have support from other than from Old Man Sang. Youve stayed in this city this entire time, have you heard anything, Fellow Daoist Mo?

I have. With the arrival of the devilish reinforcements, the grand elder of the Wood Tribe seems to be aware that he wont be able to keep us here for much longer. As such, he made the decision to bring out all 36 of the Wood Tribes backup holy trees. With those trees, hes going to set up the Wood Realm 36 Extremes Formation for one final battle against the devilish army. If we were to join forces with Sang Hai and have this formation to assist us, there should be at least a 70% chance that well be able to win this battle, Mo Jianli replied.

Ive heard of the Wood Realm 36 Extremes Formation, its said to be a formation thats emulated the Profound Heavenly Spirit Domain ability of the True Immortal Realm. Apparently, it possesses enough power to kill even Grand Ascension Stage beings, but the Wood Tribe has never even used it once, so no one knows whether this is true or not, Patriarch Ao Xiao said.

Hehe, in any case, the fact that the Wood Tribe is willing to bring out those 36 backup holy trees indicates that theyre making a final roll of the dice. If we can take advantage of this and deal the devilish army a heavy blow, well be able to buy more time for our two races, Mo Jianli replied with a nonchalant smile.

Hehe, thats true, Patriarch Ao Xiao chuckled in response.

Even though Han Li had recently returned from the Elder Devil Realm, Mo Jianli didnt even consider the possibility that Han Li had managed to enter the Spirit Cleansing Pond.

After all, countless powerful beings from many different realms had ventured into the Elder Devil Realm in pursuit of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus, but barely any of them had ever succeeded. Han Li was indeed an exceptional prodigy among those of the human and demon races, but he may not be all that special when it came to the prodigies of the other realms.

However, unbeknownst to Mo Jianli, Han Li was no ordinary late-Body Integration cultivator. His physical body and spiritual sense were virtually as powerful as those of the average Sacred Ancestor, and after unleashing his Second Nirvana Transformation, he could even match a Sacred Ancestor in battle.

On top of that, all of the high-grade devilish beings had been in a state of turmoil in the face of the tribulation of the Elder Devil Realm, so none of them were able to focus on stopping Han Li and the others. Otherwise, it wouldve only taken several Sacred Ancestors to pay some attention to them, and there wouldve been no way that they couldve made it to the Devilish Origin Sea.

That is indeed fantastic news! With Fellow Daoist Hans brilliant aptitude and the effects of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus, theres at least a 30% to 40% chance that hed be able to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage with our unreserved assistance! Mo Jianli said with glowing eyes.

Hmph, hes a cultivator from your human race, why should I give him my unreserved assistance? Patriarch Ao Xiao harrumphed coldly.

Our human and demon races are one unified entity in the Spirit Realm. If Fellow Daoist Han can progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, hell be a powerful backer for your demon race for tens of thousands of years to come, so why insist on differentiating between our two races? If someone from your demon race had hopes of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage, I would also offer them my unreserved assistance, Mo Jianli replied.

Is that a promise, Old Man Mo? Patriarch Ao Xiao asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

Of course! Hold on, are you saying theres someone from your demon race with a chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage? Mo Jianli asked with a stunned expression.

Hehe, youve met my granddaughter a few times already, but did you know that she possesses the Seven Star Moon Physique? If she can progress to the late-Body Integration Stage, her chances of becoming a Grand Ascension Stage being would be slightly lesser than those of Fellow Daoist Han, but there definitely wont be too much of a disparity, Patriarch Ao Xiao said in a proud manner as he gestured toward Silvermoon.

Ling Long possesses the Seven Star Moon Physique? Why didnt you tell me this before? Do you not trust me? Mo Jianli asked with an astonished expression as he turned toward Silvermoon.

Of course I trust you, its just that Linger wasnt born with this physique, and she only awakened it not long ago, so I certainly wasnt intentionally keeping it a secret from you, Patriarch Ao Xiao explained.

Hmph, even so, I can tell youre clearly plotting something by revealing this in conjunction with all of this good news about Fellow Daoist Han, Mo Jianli harrumphed in a displeased manner.

Youre right. Linger possesses the Seven Star Moon Physique, but shes encountered some trouble in her cultivation, and Ill require your assistance to resolve the issue, Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed.

Whats the problem? Ill do everything in my power to assist you, Mo Jianli immediately replied.

Patriarch Ao Xiao nodded in response before his lips began to tremor in a soundless manner as he transmitted his voice toward Mo Jianli instead of speaking directly to him.

Mo Jianli listened intently to what Ao Xiao had to say, and as time passed, a grim look began to appear on his face.

Following the conclusion of Ao Xiaos voice transmission, Mo Jianli hesitated momentarily before making a decision. I understand, Ill give you everything you asked for. However, if Fellow Daoist Han requires anything for his future breakthrough to the Grand Ascension Stage, you have to do your best to satisfy those needs as well.

Of course. Regardless of whether Fellow Daoist Han or Linger can progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, our human and demon races will have an additional powerful backer, Patriarch Ao Xiao replied with a smile.

Thank you for your kindness, seniors, but Im not that confident in my own ability to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, and I dont want to disappoint you if I were to fail, Han Li suddenly interjected.

Who can say that theyre absolutely confident in their ability to successfully progress to the Grand Ascension Stage? Back when I made the breakthrough, it was mostly down to luck. At the time, I had several good friends who possessed superior aptitude to my own, but I was the only one who succeeded, so there really is no need to put any pressure on yourself, Fellow Daoist Han, Mo Jianli reassured.

Indeed. The two of us are willing to assist you because theres no one in our two races with a greater chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage, and this has always been the convention. Whenever a Grand Ascension Stage being among our two races is reaching the end of their lifespan, they are obligated to gather the resources within their race to nurture the brightest talents of the next generation. Were not the only ones doing this either, those on the holy island are also doing the same thing, and this is one of the reasons why the holy island was founded in the first place.

However, compared to those cultivators on the holy island, were more confident in you. If it werent for the special nature of your situation, you wouldve most likely been invited to the holy island long ago. Even now, if you wish to cultivate on the holy island, we can send you there, Patriarch Ao Xiao explained.

I wasnt aware that the holy island had such a duty. Ive grown accustomed to cultivating on my own, so I wont go to the holy island for now. Perhaps Ill pay the island a visit when I get a chance to do so in the future, Han Li quickly decided.

Alright, in that case, we naturally wont force the issue. By the way, theres something else I wanted to ask you, have the Long Family patriarch and that girl from the Ye Family both perished in the Elder Devil Realm? Mo Jianli asked with a serious expression.

They did indeed perish in the Elder Devil Realm, Han Li replied.

Thats quite a pity. The Long Family and Ye Family are the two most powerful true spirit families, so their deaths will most likely impact the true spirit families and our human race very severely. Having said that, once Brother Xie recovers his powers, hell be more than enough to make up for this loss. A dejected look initially appeared in Mo Jianlis eyes, only to be replaced by one of hope and excitement as he cast his gaze toward Daoist Xie.

The high-grade cultivators of the true spirit families are indeed more powerful than normal high-grade cultivators of the same caliber, but similarly, its a lot more difficult for high-grade cultivators to emerge from those true spirit families, so if you ask me, theres no need to pay too much heed to them, Patriarch Ao Xiao said in a dismissive manner.

I beg to differ! The true spirit families may have their fallacies, but the fact of the matter is that they have ties with ancient true spirit beings. Body Integration Stage beings that emerge from those families are very formidable, so I think we can still count on them to bolster our two races in the future, Mo Jianli countered with a shake of his head.

That may be true, but if you ask me, the true spirit families are nowhere near as valuable as the premier branches of our demon race. After all, many more Body Integration Stage beings have emerged from those branches than in the true spirit families, Patriarch Ao Xiao said with a cold smile.

The premier branches of your demon race do indeed produce far more talent than the true spirit families, but theres no point in discussing this now. I had hoped that someone wouldve returned from the Elder Devil Realm aside from Fellow Daoist Han, but it looks like I was being too optimistic, Mo Jianli said with furrowed brows.

Are you lacking people? Is the united army plotting something? Patriarch Ao Xiao asked.

The Wood Tribe is currently preparing a plan to counterattack the devilish army, and its received support from Fellow Daoist Sang of the Yaksha Tribe. Theyre hoping that this plan will allow them to recover all of their lost territory in one go, Mo Jianli replied with a grim expression.

Have they gone insane? If the lost territory were that easy to recover, we wouldve done so long ago! Setting aside the Wood Tribe for now, has Old Man Sang gone senile? Did you not object to this plan? Patriarch Ao Xiao immediately flared up with rage upon hearing this.

There was a new development around half a year after you left the united army, and if you knew about it, perhaps you would have a different opinion right now. Three months ago, we received news that the Elder Devil Race has suddenly sent in a huge influx of troops to the territories of all of our races. Without us Grand Ascension Stage beings present, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, so we have to take care of matters in the Wood Tribe as soon as possible, we cant afford to just hold on and wait until our two realms separate, Mo Jianli said with a grim expression.

What? The Elder Devil Realm has sent more troops into our Spirit Realm? Did you verify this news? Its not a bluff, is it? Patriarch Ao Xiaos expression darkened significantly upon hearing this.

I contacted the holy island to verify this, and I was told that not only is this news genuine, there have even been clones of the three devilish patriarchs sighted within the new devilish reinforcements. However, we dont know if the true bodies of any of the devilish patriarchs have descended into our Spirit Realm, Mo Jianli replied with a wry smile.

Thats impossible! Normal Sacred Ancestors may be able to enter our Spirit Realm, but theres no way that devilish patriarchs can do the same. Everything we set up over all these years was prepared precisely to prevent this from happening! Patriarch Ao Xiao immediately said.

The giant silver ship was noticed by the guards on the city wall once it reached within 50 kilometers of the city, and a group of demonic cultivators immediately rose up into the air before flying toward the ship.

We pay our respects to our patriarch!

These demonic beings wore suits of armor of different colors, and most of them were at the Core Formation Stage or Nascent Soul Stage. After flying to around 500 meters away from the ship, all of them stopped before falling to their knees in a fervent manner.

No need for formalities. Im going back to my cave abode, so you can continue with what youve been doing, Patriarch Ao Xiao instructed in an implacable voice from inside the ship.

Yes, Patriarch!

Patriarch Ao Xiao had ruled over the demon race for tens of thousands of years and was worshipped as a god by normal demonic beings, so the guards naturally didnt offer any objections.

All of them immediately parted to open up a path, and the flying ship continued to fly toward Cottonwood City as a ball of silver light.

All of the restrictions up ahead also parted on their own, thereby granting the ship passage straight into the top level of the city, where it slowly descended onto a heavily guarded plaza.

Almost at the exact same moment, a white-haired elderly man emerged from a teleportation formation on the corner of the plaza amid a flash of spiritual light, then immediately made his way over to the ship with a faint smile on his face.

The elderly man had a very benevolent appearance with a pair of remarkably long earlobes that almost trailed down to his shoulders. With each step he took he covered a distance of over 100 feet, and after just a few flashes, he had arrived beside the silver ship.

All of the guards on the plaza immediately extended deep bows, seemingly filled with respect and admiration for the elderly man.

Hehe, you finally came back, Ao Xiao. Youve been away for a very long time, if you had been away for much longer, I wouldve been worried that you may have been killed by the devilish army, the white-haired elderly man chortled in a boisterous voice.

Hmph, those devilish brats arent enough to pose a threat to me. Having said that, it sounds like you were genuinely worried about me, Patriarch Ao Xiao harrumphed coldly in response from within the ship.

Immediately thereafter, the ship began to rapidly shrink amid a flash of silver light, and once the light faded, the ship also disappeared, only for several humanoid figures to take its place.

These were none other than Han Li, Silvermoon, and Patriarch Ao Xiao, as well as his entourage.

The white-haired elderly man smiled as he cast his gaze toward Ao Xiao, and said, Brother Ao Xiao, our human and demon races have always been close allies, if you had gone missing under these circumstances, I would struggle to hold down the fort on my own.

That is indeed true, but rest assured, I may not have much time left, but I wont be dying anytime soon. At the very least, I have to last through this devilish tribulation. By the way, this is Fellow Daoist Mo, Im sure youve heard of him, Fellow Daoist Han, Patriarch Ao Xiao said as he motioned toward Han Li.

Junior Han Li pays his respects to Senior Mo Jianli! Han Li immediately stepped forward before extending a respectful bow toward the white-haired elderly man.

Even though Patriarch Ao Xiao hadnt mentioned the elderly mans name, his Mo surname and Grand Ascension Stage cultivation base, as well as the fact that he was a human, were sufficient factors for Han Li to deduce his identity.

Mo Jianli faltered slightly upon hearing this before an elated look quickly appeared on his face. Han Li? Are you the cultivator from our human race who only took less than 1,000 years to reach the Body Integration Stage? I heard that you entered the Elder Devil Realm with that Long brat and the others, did you just return from the Elder Devil Realm?

It was clear that he had also been keeping tabs on Han Li. fгeeebove.cm

Han Li was rather taken aback to hear this, but he immediately replied, Indeed, Senior Mo. I only returned from the Elder Devil Realm not long ago, and I just so happened to run into Senior Ao Xiao in the Wood Tribe territory.

Haha, its extremely impressive that you were able to survive in the Elder Devil Realm for so many years, you really are an incredible talent! Mo Jianli praised.

Hold on, Old Man Mo, take a look at who this is, Patriarch Ao Xiao suddenly interjected.

Mo Jianli turned toward Daoist Xie upon hearing this, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes. Hmm? This aura seems to be really familiar somehow.

Hehe, take a closer look Old Man Mo, Patriarch Ao Xiao chuckled.

Mo Jianli was even more curious upon hearing this, and golden light flashed through his eyes, upon which his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, Youre not a living being! Could it be that youre that golden crab from the Elder Devil Realm?

I remember you. Tens of thousands of years ago, you tried to enter the Bitter Spirit Island with some other Spirit Realm beings, but you were severely wounded by the sea of lightning and forced into retreat, Daoist Xie said in an expressionless manner.

A slightly awkward look flashed through Mo Jianlis eye, and he asked, So it really is you! Why did you take on a human form and leave the Devilish Origin Sea? And why has your cultivation base plummeted to the Body Integration Stage?

Hehe, Brother Xie has taken a liking to Fellow Daoist Han, and they made an agreement for Brother Xie to stay with Fellow Daoist Han for some time, Patriarch Ao Xiao replied.

Is that true, Han… Fellow Daoist Han? Mo Jianli was ecstatic to hear this, and he was even referring to Han Li as an equal.

There were some other circumstances involved, but thats the gist of the matter. As for the fall in Brother Xies cultivation base, this is a result of a special ability that he used a while ago, and his powers will recover soon, Han Li replied with a smile.

Thats great to hear! Fellow Daoist Xie has remained in the Elder Devil Realm for countless years, and many powerful beings from a whole host of different realms have tried to recruit him as an ally. There have even been Grand Ascension Stage beings among them but all of them have failed, who wouldve thought that you would succeed? Looks like I have an exceptional successor! Mo Jianli said with glowing eyes.

Theres another piece of good news I have to tell you, but if I reveal it to you here, youll most likely make an absolute fool out of yourself, so lets head to your abode first, Patriarch Ao Xiao said.

Theres more good news? Im very much looking forward to hearing it. Come, I have two flagons of Immortal Leaf Wine offered to me by the people of the Wood Tribe in my cave abode, lets sample the wine together as we talk, Mo Jianli said in an excited manner.

Han Li and the others naturally had no objections to this, and they all left the plaza using the teleportation formation.

Around an hour later, everyone arrived in a hall constructed entirely from purple spirit wood. Mo Jian occupied the main seat, and Patriarch Ao Xiao, Han Li, and Daoist Xie were also sitting in chairs, while Silvermoon and Zhu Guoer were standing behind them.

Silvermoons expression was completely aloof and indifferent, while Zhu Guoer was virtually brimming with excitement.

Han Li was currently downing a cup of viscous nectar-like spirit wine, and as soon as the wine slid down his throat, it immediately transformed into a burst of pure energy that spread through his entire body, striking him with a sense of comfort and warmth.

This is exceptional wine! Han Li couldnt help but praise with a hint of surprise on his face.

This Immortal Leaf Wine is brewed from the sap that flows from the holy tree of the Wood Tribe, and the entire Wood Tribe can only produce around 100 flagons of this wine per century. If it werent for Fellow Daoist Han and Brother Xies arrival, I wouldnt have been willing to bring out something so precious, Mo Jianli said with a smile.

Its a pity that the holy tree had to be moved during the invasion of the devilish army, and the tree was harmed quite substantially during the process, Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed in a forlorn manner.

Not only that, but the grand elder of the Wood Tribe is currently also resting in the holy tree, hoping to draw upon the trees spiritual Qi to recover to his former Grand Ascension Stage powers, but if you ask me, even if he manages to recover, itll take many years, and he most likely wont be able to play a further in this devilish tribulation, Mo Jianli also sighed in response.

The Wood Tribe is currently sorely lacking in top-tier powerful beings as a result of its battles against the devilish army. Its only with the assistance of our races that its just barely able to maintain its current situation, so we never expected much from them in the first place, Patriarch Ao Xiao said with a cold smile.

In the Wood Tribes current state, its hard to say whether its even going to be able to continue to maintain its independence in the Spirit Realm, but that has nothing to do with us. Now then, can you tell me this good news that you were referring to earlier, Fellow Daoist Ao Xiao? Mo Jianli sighed before changing the subject.

Hehe, the good news is that Fellow Daoist Han managed to enter the Spirit Cleansing Pond and consume the Clean Spirit Lotus in the Elder Devil Realm, something that even we were unable to do, Patriarch Ao Xiao chuckled in response.

Mo Jianlis expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he immediately rose to his feet as he exclaimed, What?! Is that true?!

All of a sudden, Silvermoons smile faded, and she asked in a serious manner, Brother Han, I heard from Grandfather that you have a way to decrease the influence of the Art of Indifference, but I have to remain by your side for a certain period of time, is that true?

Has Senior Ao Xiao already told you about this? It is indeed the truth. Senior Ao Xiao has a spiritual sense secret technique that can counter the Art of Indifference and allow you to continue cultivating, but this secret technique will only be effective for you when I cultivate it. Hence, youll have to stay with me for some time, Han Li explained with a smile.

Does my grandfather really possess such a secret technique? Why have I never heard him mention it before? And why is it that you have to cultivate it for it be effective on me? Silvermoon asked with furrowed brows.

In the words of your grandfather, the one who made the knot in the first place is required to undo the knot. I am the root cause of your inner demons, so you can only benefit from the secret technique when its cultivated by me. This secret technique was something that Senior Ao Xiao created over 100 years ago precisely as a backup plan in the situation that something goes awry in your cultivation of the Art of Indifference. Once I cultivate the secret technique, youll simply have to remain by my side, and the effects of the Art of Indifference will gradually be stripped away, Han Li explained.

Is it really that simple? If I were to continue cultivating the Art of Indifference, its impact on me would only become exacerbated further and further, will this spiritual sense secret technique really be able to repress it? Silvermoon was rather skeptical about this.

I cant be sure of that as I havent begun cultivating the secret technique yet, but it had been created after extensive arduous efforts were made by Senior Ao Xiao, so Im sure it should be effective. On top of that, this spiritual sense secret technique should resemble the Art of Indifference in that the further I progress in it, the greater its effect will become, Han Li replied.

Alright, but even if that secret technique does prove to be effective, how long would I have to stay with you? What if the effects of the Art of Indifference are never completely nullified? Would I have to stay by your side for the rest of my life? Silvermoon asked.

According to Senior Ao Xiao, youll be able to undo the effects of the Art of Indifference on your own once you reach the Grand Ascension Stage, Han Le replied.

The Grand Ascension Stage? Thats an extremely distant goal for me. Looks like Ill have to stay with you for a very long time, Silvermoon said as a hint of a gleeful smile appeared on her face.

You possess the Seven Star Moon Physique, which will grant you a greater chance than normal cultivators to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, so dont be disheartened. Besides, during this process, perhaps Senior Ao Xiao will find another solution that wont necessitate progression to the Grand Ascension Stage, Han Li said with an encouraging smile.

Thats true, but it looks like Ill be staying with you for at least the next few centuries! Silvermoon said with an elated smile.

After that, the two of them discussed some other things and even exchanged some cultivation insights and experiences.

Time quickly flew by, and as night was beginning to set in, Silvermoon rose to her feet to take her leave. Its getting late, and my Art of Indifference is about to take effect again, so Ill have to go back to rest and meditate. Please forgive me if I display any rudeness toward you while the Art of Indifference is in effect.

Rest assured, I wont take any offense to that, Han Li said with a smile as he also rose to his feet.

Thus, Silvermoon departed, and the door of the secret chamber was closed amid a flash of white light.

Han Li sat down with his legs crossed again, and his smile faded as a grim look appeared in his eyes.

……

After exiting the secret chamber, Silvermoon turned a few corners and arrived at a rather secluded corner before suddenly stopping in her tracks. Come out Liao Ying, I have something to ask you.

Before she had even finished her sentence, spatial fluctuations erupted nearby, and a semi-transparent figure appeared before gradually attaining a substantial form, revealing it to be a slender black-robed woman.

The woman wore a copper wolf-head mask, and her hands were sheathed in a pair of black leather gloves. Not even a single inch of her skin was exposed, and she was hovering around a foot above the ground. freewebnvel.cm

What would you like to ask me, Young Mistress? the masked woman asked.

Liao Ying, you were in the hall during my grandfathers conversation with Brother Han, right? At the time, did my grandfather raise any other conditions to Brother Han aside from asking him to cultivate that spiritual sense secret technique? Dont keep anything secret from me, Silvermoon asked in a serious voice.

The masked woman smiled, and replied, Master Ao Xiao transferred my contract to you, so Im now a shadow guard of yours, I wouldnt keep any secrets from you. Initially, Senior Ao Xiao proposed for him to marry you as opposed to immediately mentioning the spiritual sense secret technique. Master promised that as long as Fellow Daoist Han agreed to this, not only would he share with Fellow Daoist Han his experiences and insights from his Grand Ascension Stage breakthrough, he would give Fellow Daoist Han most of the treasures in his collection as a dowry. However, Fellow Daoist Han refused that offer and only agreed to cultivate the spiritual sense secret technique.

So Grandfather really did make such a proposal. He was most likely of the opinion that once I married Brother Han, the flaws in my mental state would be mostly repaired. However, with Brother Hans personality, there was no way that he was going to agree to this. If he had, I wouldve been rather disappointed in him. Im sure Grandfather wasnt happy about being turned down, right? Silvermoon asked.

Master Ao Xiao was indeed rather displeased, but Fellow Daoist Han is no ordinary late-Body Integration cultivator, so Master Ao Xiao didnt say anything about the matter, Liao Ying replied.

Of course. Brother Han is currently the most likely cultivator among the human and demon races to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, so Grandfather wouldnt do anything to harm him no matter how displeased he was. Alright, you can go now, Liao Ying, Silvermoon sighed.

Ill be taking my leave then. Liao Ying extended a slight bow before vanishing into thin air.

Silvermoon lingered for a while longer before also departing. The Art of Indifference was about to take effect soon, so she didnt dare to delay any longer.

……

In the secret chamber, Han Li was also reminiscing about his conversation with Patriarch Ao Xiao.

During their conversation, not only had Ao Xiao proposed for him and Silvermoon to get married, he also revealed something that came as quite a surprise to Han Li.

It turned out that Silvermoons former dao companion, Wolf Monarch Tian Kui, had perished during a battle against the devilish army several decades ago, where he was ambushed by several devilish lords at the same time.

With him out of the way, Patriarch Ao Xiao no longer had any inhibitions about proposing a marriage between Han Li and Silvermoon, but Han Li had turned down the offer in a euphemistic manner.

In his heart, Silvermoon was more like a soulmate and a sister than a lover, so he naturally wasnt going to agree to marry her. 1

However, he had made a decision that if Patriarch Ao Xiaos spiritual sense secret technique couldnt undo the effects of the Art of Indifference, then he would find a solution on his own.

With that in mind, he didnt think about the matter any further and closed his eyes to meditate.

Thus, during the next few days, Han Li began to cultivate the spiritual sense secret technique given to him by Patriarch Ao Xiao.

According to Patriarch Ao Xiao, once he cultivated this secret technique to a certain extent, he would automatically release a type of spiritual sense fluctuations that would repress the effects of the Art of Indifference.

Of course, this secret technique could also enhance ones spiritual sense, but obviously to nowhere near the extent that the Spirit Refinement Technique could.

Patriarch Ao Xiao had proclaimed the secret technique to be very difficult to cultivate, but much to Han Lis surprise and elation, he felt it to be extremely simple and straightforward.

After thinking about why this was the case, he realized that it most likely had something to do with his Spirit Refinement Technique.

The Spirit Refinement Technique was a secret technique from the True Immortal Realm, so in comparison, this spiritual sense secret technique was naturally extremely simple to cultivate.

In the short span of just two months, he had mastered the first few stages of the secret technique and achieved initial mastery.

During this time, Silvermoon had come to see him on several occasions during which she wasnt affected by the Art of Indifference, and they shared extensive conversations on each occasion.

After close to another month had passed, the ship finally entered the Wood Tribe territory that was still under the control of the united army.

However, it continued onward until it reached Cottonwood City, which was where the united army headquarters was situated.

Along the way, the ship encountered many patrol squads from different races, but all of them clearly recognized Patriarch Ao Xiaos flying treasures, and they all extended respectful bows from afar, not displaying any intentions to intercept it for examination.

Around half a month later, around a dozen gargantuan trees appeared in the distance.

Each of these trees was around 50,000 to 60,000 feet tall with diameters of around 300 to 400 feet, and they were all shimmering with a layer of green light.

These trees acted as pillars for a massive city that was split up into over 10 different levels. The entire city was constructed from all types of wood without any traces of stone or other construction materials to be seen, and atop the wooden city walls stood groups of guards from all races.

This was none other than the second largest city of the Wood Tribe and the headquarters of the united army, Cottonwood City.

1. In case anyone is confused, a soulmate doesnt necessarily always mean a lover. It can also just be a very close friend or something similar.

Han Li fell silent upon hearing this, but a hint of surprise appeared on Daoist Xies face as he repeated, Seven Star Moon Physique?

Have you heard of this physique, Fellow Daoist Xie? Patriarch Ao Xiao asked.

I heard my former master mention it once. This is quite a special physique thats very rare even in the True Immortal Realm, Daoist Xie replied.

Your master mustve been an extremely powerful being to have refined a Faux Immortal Puppet like yourself, so Im sure theyre right. There arent many people who know about the Seven Star Moon Physique in the Spirit Realm, but its not a secret among some of the realms most powerful beings. However, its exactly because of this that Ive become so invested in Ling Long. With this physique, even without entering the Spirit Cleansing Pond and consuming the Clean Spirit Lotus, shell still have a chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage, Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed.

The Seven Star Moon Physique will indeed grant her a greater chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage than normal cultivators, Daoist Xie said in an expressionless manner.

Han Li suddenly asked, Senior, is there any way that I can help reverse Ling Longs current situation?

Patriarch Ao Xiao was ecstatic to hear this, and he hurriedly replied, I knew you were a man who holds past ties dear to your heart, Fellow Daoist Han. After realizing that Linger wasnt compatible with the Art of Indifference, I did indeed manage to think of a way to minimize the effect that the cultivation art would have on her and perhaps even to undo it in its entirety at some point.

Han Li immediately prompted, Please tell me what I can do, Senior. As long as its within the realm of my capabilities, Id be happy to lend you my assistance.

Instead of immediately replying to Han Li, Patriarch Ao Xiao turned to Daoist Xie with an apologetic expression, and said, Brother Xie, Ill have to speak to Fellow Daoist Han in private about this matter.

Daoist Xies expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he cast his gaze toward Han Li.

Even though there was no clause in their agreement that stated that he had to obey Han Lis orders, he was dependent on Han Li for the Faux Immortal Elixir that Han Li could provide, so he reflexively followed Han Lis lead in most matters.

Han Li considered the situation momentarily before giving a slight nod. Please give us some alone time, Brother Xie.

What Patriarch Ao Xiao wanted to discuss with him was clearly going to concern secrets surrounding Silvermoon, so he didnt want anyone else to be present, even if that third party were only a puppet.

Daoist Xie nodded in response before rising to his feet and exiting the hall.

Once he left, the door was closed on its own amid a flash of white light, and he made his way over to Zhu Guoer, who had been waiting outside this entire time.

Zhu Guoer was alerted by the sound of his footsteps, and a hint of elation appeared on her face at the sight of him.

Several hours later, the door was opened once again amid a flash of white light, and Han Li emerged with furrowed brows, seemingly quite troubled by something.

However, his expression quickly returned to normal as he caught sight of Daoist Xie and Zhu Guoer, and he said, Lets go, Senior Ao Xiao has already arranged a place for us to stay, well remain on this ship until it returns to the territory of our united army.

After that, he led them toward the staircase that led to the lower levels.

Daoist Xie naturally had no objections to this and immediately followed along.

Zhu Guoer was rather curious about what Han Li and Patriarch Ao Xiao had discussed, but she didnt dare to ask and could only repress her curiosity as she trailed along behind the two.

Over half a day later, Han Li was seated on a futon in an empty silent chamber on the second level of the ship. There was faint golden light emanating from his body, and his eyes were closed in a meditative state.

All of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and the golden light around his body faded as he said, Come in, Fellow Daoist Ling Long.

Its only been less than 2,000 years since we last met, but youve become so distant, please continue to refer to me as Silvermoon, Brother Han, Silvermoon sighed from outside the secret chamber.

If you insist, then Id be happy to oblige, Fellow Daoist Silvermoon, Han Li said as he swept a sleeve toward the door of the secret chamber.

In the next instant, light flashed from the door, and the restriction set up on it vanished as it swung open on its own, revealing none other than Silvermoon standing outside.

However, at this moment, her cold and aloof expression had completely disappeared. Her eyes were currently rippling with emotion, and there was a faint blush on her face that further accentuated her beauty, lulling even Han Li into a momentary bout of entrancement.

Silvermoons expression changed slightly at the sight of the door being opened, and she strode into the secret chamber before stopping around 10 feet away from Han Li. She then suddenly smiled, and said, Please forgive me for the rudeness I displayed while I was under the influence of my cultivation art.

After that, she drew another nearby futon into her grasp before also taking a seat across from Han Li.

A faint smile also appeared on Han Lis face as he replied in a gentle voice, Its alright, I certainly wont blame you for the behavior you exhibit when its outside of your control. Having said that you shouldve taken some more time to rest and adjust your mental state instead of coming to see me so soon.

Its alright, the effect of the Art of Indifference is very minimal when Im in my lucid phases. I was concerned that if I came too late, we would only be able to share a brief conversation before I become as cold and emotionless as a log again, and that would be very disappointing for both of us, Silvermoon replied with a smile.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before a wry smile appeared on his face. Your personality hasnt changed at all during all these years, you still just blurt out whatever is on your mind.

Hmph, youre one to talk! This personality of mine was something that I had to adopt while I was being enslaved by you! Otherwise, if you had become suspicious that I was hiding something from you, you wouldve immediately killed the frail little spirit beast that I was! Silvermoon chuckled as she rolled her eyes at Han Li.

Ahem, thats all in the past now, so lets leave it there. I didnt know who you were at the time, I just thought you were an ordinary fox demon! Han Li cleared his throat in an awkward manner in response.

Is that really the case? Perhaps you did indeed think that during the first few years, but Im sure you became suspicious of me thereafter, yet you still didnt treat me any better! Silvermoon accused with a hint of a smile on her face.

An earnest look appeared on Han Lis face as he said, My cultivation base was very lackluster at the time, and it was all thanks to you that I was able to survive many perilous ordeals. Without your help, theres no way I wouldve even made it to the Spirit Realm at all.

Hehe, Im not here for revenge, Brother Han, I was really surprised when you asked that good friend of mine to relay a message to me in secret. I didnt think that you would be able to ascend to the Spirit Realm. After all, the spiritual Qi in the human world is far too sparse, and its already very incredible for someone to reach the Deity Transformation Stage, let alone ascend to the Spirit Realm, Silvermoon said.

I was merely lucky, and thats something else that I have to thank you for, if you hadnt revealed the location of that spatial node to me, I wouldnt have been able to ascend to the Spirit Realm so smoothly, Han Li replied in an earnest manner.

The two halves of my soul had only just fused as one again at that point, and I had to return to the Spirit Realm right away, so that was the only thing that I couldve done for you. However, its really not worthy of a mention considering you saved my life, Silvermoon said in a nonchalant manner.

Youre being far too modest, Silvermoon, Han Li countered with a shake of his head. frewebnoel.o

Instead of discussing this matter any further, an excited look suddenly appeared on Silvermoons face as she abruptly changed the subject. By the way, did your enemies continue to pursue you after you escaped from Kunwu Mountain? And how did you progress to the Deity Transformation Stage later on?

Hehe, thats quite a long story. After I escaped from Kunwu Mountain, I traveled to the island of the North Night Palace in the Great Jin known as… Thus, Han Li launched into a recount of his past exploits.

He spoke for over an hour, recounting not only his experiences in the human world after the Kunwu Mountain ordeal, he even gave her an account of his experiences in the Spirit Realm.

Compared to the average cultivator, Han Lis experiences naturally made for a far more enthralling tale, and Silvermoon was thoroughly enraptured by his story.

After he concluded his recount, Silvermoon also provided him with a recount of what had happened to her after her return to the Spirit Realm.

To Han Lis surprise, she made no effort to hide the details about Wolf Monarch Tian Kui and the inner demons that led to her decision to turn to the Art of Indifference, and Han Li found himself slightly entranced by her glowing smile.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this before immediately returning to normal as he asked, Do you think I succeeded, Senior?

Patriarch Ao Xiao momentarily before replying, The Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus are extremely renowned, and many powerful beings from several realms have tried to obtain them, but Ive never heard of anyone whos actually succeeded. Youve returned safely from the Elder Devil Realm, but theres still a very low chance that youve obtained those two things. However, for some reason, I cant help but feel like youve encountered greater opportunities than I imagine, so Im going to go with my instinct and say that youve succeeded.

Your instincts are very sharp, Senior, Han LI replied with a smile.

In the past, he wouldnt have revealed this information to such a powerful being, but now that he had cultivated his Holy Nirvana Physique to the Second Nirvana Transformation and he had the Profound Heavenly Spiritslash Sword and Daoist Xie as trump cards, he no longer had such inhibitions.

Furthermore, Han Li was very curious to see how Ao Xiao would respond to this news.

Thats fantastic! Seeing as youve already entered the Spirit Cleansing Pond and consumed the Clean Spirit Lotus, theres a very good chance that youll be able to reach the Grand Ascension Stage in the future. In that case, it looks like Ive made a grave mistake. If I had known that this would happen, I wouldve allowed Silvermoon to meet you rather than encourage her to use that cultivation art, Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed in a remorseful manner.

What do you mean by that? Han Li asked as his brows furrowed slightly.

I was the one who made the choice to cultivate the Art of Indifference, so youre not to blame, Grandfather. If I hadnt used this cultivation art, how would I have been able to overcome the flaws in my mental state to progress to the Body Integration Stage? On top of that, after using this cultivation art, Ive realized that emotions are completely superfluous and will only inhibit ones pursuit of the Great Dao, Silvermoon finally said in a calm manner.

Art of Indifference? Why did she turn to such a cultivation art, Senior? Did an issue arise in her cultivation? Han Li asked.

This is what I wanted to speak to you about. However, this is not a good place to talk, and Ive completed my mission here, so lets go back to the territory of our united army, Ill explain the situation to you along the way, Patriarch Ao Xiao replied.

Thus, Han Li could only repress his curiosity for now as he nodded in response.

Fetch Fellow Daoist Han and Fellow Daoist Xie some tea, and set off for Cottonwood City right away. Take a seat, fellow daoists, Patriarch Ao Xiao said.

Yes, Master! Several mechanical voices rang out in unison outside the hall, following which the silver ship began to move.

Han Li and Daoist Xie sat down as they were told, and almost at the exact same moment, several silver-haired female servants made their way into the hall with platters in their hands, then poured cups of fragrant green tea for everyone.

Han Li was still thinking about Silvermoon, so he had no interest in tasting the tea and only took a customary sip as a polite gesture before setting the teacup down onto the table beside him.

In contrast, Daoist Xie appraised the tea momentarily before downing the entire cup in one go before asking, This tea contains a special type of spiritual power that seems to be rather beneficial to me, do you have any more of this, Fellow Daoist Ao?

Haha, youre a straightforward man, Brother Xie. Rest assured, this Green Dragon Tea is quite rare, but I have a good supply. If you like it, you can take some with you, Patriarch Ao Xiao chuckled in response, clearly interested in establishing good relations with this powerful Faux Immortal Puppet.

You have my thanks, Daoist Xie replied with a nod before falling silent.

Patriarch Ao Xiao naturally didnt take any offense to Daoist Xies aloof attitude, and he turned to Silvermoon with a sympathetic look in his eyes as he said, Linger, youve only recently begun cultivating the Art of Indifference, so your mental state isnt very stable yet. As such, you should go back to rest so no mishaps occur, Ill attend to our two guests here.

Yes, Grandfather, Silvermoon replied before extending a slight curtsey toward Han Li and Daoist Xie, then departed from the hall.

Throughout this process, her expression remained completely aloof as if Han Li were nothing more than a stranger to her.

Han Li opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it in the end as a slightly dejected look appeared in his eyes.

A wry smile appeared on Patriarch Ao Xiaos face, and following Silvermoons departure, he continued, Fellow Daoist Han, Im sure youve already learned about Ling Lings life before she met you, right?

I have indeed heard about it from some other fellow daoists, but Ive also heard that she seems to have remained by your side ever since she returned to the Spirit Realm, Han Li replied.

That is indeed the case. After she returned from the human world, she went to the place where I was cultivating in seclusion and knelt outside for seven days and seven nights. I can still recall how thin and frail she looked when I finally caved and opened the restriction to let her in… Thus, Patriarch Ao Xiao began to divulge a recount of events, and Han Li listened intently.

Time slowly passed by, and Patriarch Ao Xiaos account also progressed very slowly.

Even the most mundane parts of his story were elaborated on with great detail, and Han Lis emotions were constantly fluctuating during this time, but his expression remained unchanged.

By the time I sensed that something was wrong, it was already too late. Linger had already attained initial mastery in the Art of Indifference, and even though she hadnt completely cut off her emotions yet, I didnt dare to allow her to leave my side, so I brought her along with me even on this dangerous mission. However, never did I think that you would be able to return from the Elder Devil Realm alive and run into me here, it seems that the heavens have brought all of us together, Patriarch Ao Xiao sighed as he finally completed his account.

Han Li was silent for a long while before he finally asked, So the reason for Fellow Daoist Ling Longs indifference is the Art of Indifference? On top of that, only after she reached the Body Integration Stage did you discover that shes actually incompatible with this cultivation art, and if she were to ever attain full mastery of the Art of Indifference, she would suffer magic power backlash and lose her entire cultivation base. At the same time, Art of Indifference is a cultivation art that will regress if progress isnt made, so even if she gives up on it, she will still suffer from a host of negative after-effects.

Patriarch Ao Xiao was silent for a moment before replying, Not only that, but due to her incompatibility with the Art of Indifference, its had far less of an effect on her than expected. In her current state, she can return to her true self for around a third of a day, while the rest of the day would be spent in a state of complete indifference as you saw earlier. As she continues to progress, this window of time will only continue to dwindle until it completely disappears.

So what youre saying is that Silvermoon can return to her true self for some time each day? I was wondering why her expression had differed so drastically from when she first saw me, Han Li said in an elated manner.

However, Patriarch Ao Xiao was far less optimistic. Do you think its a good thing for ones emotional and mental state to fluctuate violently every single day? If someone with lesser willpower were in her place, they would most likely go insane over time. Currently, I have to use a secret technique to forcibly mask the wounds on Ling Longs psyche once every few days, and thats why I cant allow her to leave my side.

Han Lis expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, Isnt there some way to undo the Art of Indifference? With your powers as a Grand Ascension Stage being, surely this wouldnt be too difficult a task, Senior.

Patriarch Ao Xiao hesitated momentarily before finally revealing, If I had a way to undo all this, I wouldve undone everything long ago. Having said that, if it werent for the fact that she had awakened her Seven Star Moon Physique, I wouldve been able to reverse her Art of Indifference. However, the situation has become extremely complex due to the incompatibility of her physique with this cultivation art, so theres nothing I can do.