Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man surnamed Gan glared at the woman, his lips moving slightly. A grave voice simultaneously reached the ears of every Core Formation cultivator present: “Stop your nonsense! This person is a late-stage cultivator whose divine sense can span hundreds of miles, far beyond your imagination. The words you just spoke might still be sensed by him.”
The bewitching woman was startled and immediately became extremely subdued.
The burly man and the green-robed elder exchanged glances and likewise fell silent.
The Gan cultivator sat slightly hunched in his chair, his pale gray pupils flickering with cold light.
After what felt like the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the middle-aged man’s sharp gaze finally dimmed.
“He should have already fled a thousand miles away. It’s impossible for him to sense us now. But to be safe, we should still exercise caution.” With that, he flicked his finger, and with a soft “puff,” a speck of green light shot into a nearby thick pillar.
The pillar rumbled, its entire surface glowing faintly green. The other pillars nearby also began to hum loudly, and soon a layer of green mist formed, enveloping a small area.
“Now we can speak freely!” Having done this, the middle-aged Gan cultivator finally relaxed.
“Uncle, you are truly cautious!” the bewitching woman said with a bitter smile.
“When facing such a terrifying existence, no amount of caution is excessive,” the Gan cultivator snorted coldly.
“Uncle is right! Moreover, cultivators who reach such a level often have eccentric temperaments. If any of our words inadvertently offend them, it could bring disaster to our sect. However, among the famous Nascent Soul seniors in the Chaotic Star Seas, I don’t recall this man and woman. Yet, judging by the man’s tone, he seems quite familiar with the Chaotic Star Seas, unlike an outsider. Perhaps they are indeed reclusive ascetics!” the yellow-robed burly man said hesitantly.
The green-robed elder, however, frowned deeply and remained silent.
“Shi Xuan, what are you thinking?” the middle-aged man noticed the elder’s unusual demeanor and asked.
“After careful consideration, this person seems somewhat familiar, as if I’ve seen him somewhere before,” the green-robed elder said slowly after raising his head.
“You’ve seen him before?” The others were shocked, their gazes fixed on the elder.
“His appearance is quite ordinary. Could you be mistaken, Senior Brother?” the bewitching woman couldn’t help but ask.
“Though his face is unremarkable, I’m certain I’ve seen him before—just a long time ago. Wait, his surname is Han! I remember now! This person was once hunted under the Starfall Coalition’s extermination order!” The green-robed elder’s expression changed abruptly as he exclaimed in a low voice.
“Extermination order? Hunting a Nascent Soul cultivator? How come I never heard of this?” The Gan cultivator was first astonished, then his face darkened.
“Uncle, you misunderstand! The extermination order clearly stated that this person was a Core Formation cultivator, far from forming a Nascent Soul. Moreover, you were in seclusion at the time, and Junior Brothers Quan and Jing hadn’t yet reached Core Formation. It was Senior Brother Ma and I who handled sect affairs. We merely dispatched some men to deal with it perfunctorily, so we didn’t report it to you. Ah, this was nearly two hundred years ago. I still have the jade slip from back then.” The elder wiped sweat from his brow as he explained, then rummaged through his storage pouch and produced a ghost-faced jade slip, handing it to the middle-aged man.
“Nonsense! Are you saying he advanced from Core Formation to late-stage Nascent Soul in such a short time?” The Gan cultivator’s expression grew even darker, but he took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense.
After just two glances, his face underwent several changes, revealing an expression of utter disbelief.
The illusion within the jade slip showed a figure in a plain robe with a faint smile—none other than Han Li, who had just left. The resemblance was exact, leaving no room for doubt.
The Gan cultivator’s heart surged like stormy waves as he absorbed every word in the jade slip. After withdrawing his divine sense, he remained silent for a long while, deep in thought.
Seeing his solemn demeanor, not only the green-robed elder and the yellow-robed man but even the bewitching woman fell silent, deferring to their uncle’s authority.
“It seems I wronged you, nephew. The person hunted by the Starfall Coalition was indeed the one who just left. But listen carefully—not a word of this is to be leaked. The Starfall Coalition may be powerful, but this man is no longer the Core Formation cultivator of the past. I don’t want our sect entangled in their grudges. If either side vents their anger on us, our humble Bitter Gate Island would be utterly incapable of withstanding their wrath.” The Gan cultivator’s expression turned resolute as he spoke coldly.
“Yes!” The three juniors replied hastily, their hearts trembling.
“For the next ten years, none of you are to leave the sect. Focus on your cultivation in your caves. I have a bad feeling—with two great cultivators suddenly appearing, one of whom has ties to the Starfall Coalition, the Chaotic Star Seas may become even more chaotic. Restrict the other disciples as well; unless absolutely necessary, they are not to leave the island. Our sect will quietly close its gates for a time!”
Having seemingly thought this through, the middle-aged man issued a series of orders that left the other three stunned, but they could only assent repeatedly.
Soon after, the three took their leave and exited the hall to arrange the sect’s closure.
Only the Gan cultivator remained seated on the main throne, his expression shifting unpredictably under the dim glow of the hall, as if wrestling with an unresolved dilemma.
“Forget it. Even if this man truly is the one who obtained the Void Heaven Cauldron back then, and that giant cauldron is indeed the Void Heaven Cauldron, what does it have to do with me? There may be those in this world who can seize treasures from great cultivators, but I am not one of them. If the news leaks, it would only bring death upon me.” After an unknown length of time, the Gan cultivator finally sighed, his face full of self-mockery as he stood up.
With a flick of his sleeve, he transformed into a blue streak of light and shot away, vanishing in an instant.
The hall was left empty and silent once more.
Meanwhile, Han Li, who had long since left the island, was naturally unaware that a minor sect like the Yellow Sand Sect had nearly uncovered his past identity—or that the Gan cultivator had even guessed the truth about the Void Heaven Cauldron in his possession.
This was hardly surprising. While few ordinary cultivators knew about the Void Heaven Cauldron’s escape from the Void Heaven Palace, the news had spread like wildfire among Nascent Soul cultivators.
Had Han Li not been accidentally teleported into the Ghost Mist and subsequently returned to the Heavenly South, lingering in the Chaotic Star Seas would have eventually led to his discovery by the old monsters of the Nascent Soul stage.
As for the Starfall Coalition’s extermination order, it was the result of the furious efforts of Patriarch Ji Yin and a few others to flush Han Li out after their prolonged search proved fruitless.
Of course, after so many years, the Void Heaven Cauldron had become little more than a legend, and the order for Han Li’s capture, though never rescinded, had long been forgotten by most orthodox and demonic cultivators.
Yet news of the Void Heaven Palace’s reappearance soon spread, gradually reaching nearby seas.
Among the low-level cultivators who witnessed the events on Bitter Gate Island, two passing Core Formation cultivators happened to recognize the Void Heaven Palace from ancient texts and spread the tale as a marvel.
As the rumors spread, the details of that day became increasingly distorted. The tale of Ice Phoenix ruthlessly slaying a Nascent Soul cultivator morphed into the story of Old Demon Hun being killed after a fierce battle with two Nascent Soul cultivators.
While still sensational, this version paled in comparison to the shock of two late-stage cultivators appearing simultaneously.
Instead, Han Li’s emergence from the Void Heaven Palace and his control of the giant cauldron—revealed to be the Void Heaven Cauldron—led many to connect him with his past identity.
Soon, many Nascent Soul cultivators began to stir.
Unaware of the extermination order or that most Nascent Soul cultivators and sects possessed his true likeness, Han Li naturally didn’t alter his appearance or take extra precautions.
Though his current abilities made him unafraid of ordinary cultivators, he had no desire to waste time on unnecessary trouble.
Now, as a streak of azure light, he followed the sea charts toward Starfall City.
Along the way, he passed several islands, clearing their markets of high-grade spirit stones—either through trade or barter—and amassing over twenty more.
This delighted Han Li, strengthening his resolve to visit the spirit stone mines.
During his journey, he encountered many cultivators, most of them low-level. With his current power, Han Li had no interest in engaging with them, soaring past unnoticed from high above.
Only two or three higher-level cultivators sensed his passage, while the rest remained oblivious to having brushed shoulders with a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
After over a month of flight, a black dot appeared on the horizon. Hours later, Han Li finally glimpsed Starfall City’s towering Sacred Mountain in the distance, a faint smile touching his lips.
Just then, over a dozen streaks of light appeared on the opposite horizon, flying in formation toward him.
Han Li’s divine sense swept over them, and he paused in surprise.
Among this group were four or five Core Formation cultivators—and one early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator whose aura felt strangely familiar.
His eyes flickering with suspicion, Han Li remained motionless, making no attempt to conceal himself.
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