Seeing the veiled woman truly leave the Starry Sky Hall, the sinister man let out a long sigh of relief. He and the old man straightened up, still shaken, and then cast a glance at Wen Siyue and the others, their eyes flashing with anger.
If not for these people, he wouldn’t have been caught red-handed and now faced the punishment of the lightning whip.
Just as the sinister man stiffened his expression, about to utter some harsh words, the old man beside him suddenly clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and spoke to Wen Siyue with unusual politeness:
“Esteemed couple, what extraordinary fortune you possess to have ties with Senior Han! Such an opportunity is truly a once-in-a-millennium blessing! With even a little guidance from this senior, advancing to the Nascent Soul stage should be no difficult feat.”
The old man’s previously cold demeanor toward Wen Siyue and her companions had completely vanished.
The sinister man was initially stunned, but after hearing the old man’s words, he suddenly understood. The words he had been about to speak were swallowed back, and his expression transformed into a beaming smile.
How could he have forgotten? These people had connections to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—someone far beyond the reach of mere newly formed Golden Core cultivators like themselves.
“Indeed, Brother Huang speaks the truth. In the future, my brother and I may well have to seek favors from you two fellow Daoists. Please take back these spirit stones! The cost of this teleportation will be fully covered by us.”
With a pained expression, the sinister man retrieved the storage pouch filled with spirit stones from his waist and handed it back with both hands, though his tone remained forcibly enthusiastic.
The refined man hesitated, glancing at the pouch before him, but Wen Siyue gave a gentle smile and said,
“The fact that you two are willing to teleport us to the Outer Sea is already a great kindness. How could we be so ungrateful as to take back the spirit stones? Please keep them. However, I must now hurry to catch up with Senior Han. I hope you two can allow us to proceed immediately.”
“No problem! I’ll replace the spirit stones right away, and we can teleport immediately!”
Seeing that Wen Siyue truly had no intention of reclaiming the spirit stones, the sinister man awkwardly agreed and quickly moved to the teleportation array. Bending down, he began replacing the depleted spirit stones.
Meanwhile, the old man surnamed Huang engaged Wen Siyue and her husband in conversation, subtly probing for information about Han Li, the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
The refined man was utterly clueless, knowing nothing at all, while Wen Siyue responded with vague pleasantries, naturally unwilling to disclose anything.
Soon, the spirit stones in the teleportation array were replaced.
Eager to catch up with Han Li, Wen Siyue wasted no more time on pleasantries. She immediately affixed a teleportation talisman to herself and led the others into the array.
A flash of white light later, the seven figures vanished.
Witnessing this, the old man and the sinister man exchanged glances, sighing in relief before sharing a bitter smile.
At the other end of the teleportation array, in a stone chamber spanning over ten zhang, the teleportation array flickered with white light as Wen Siyue and the others materialized.
Moments later, the seven recovered from the dizziness of teleportation.
Wen Siyue swiftly scanned the surroundings, her heart sinking.
The vast stone chamber was empty—not a soul in sight.
“Wait here for me. I’ll check if Senior Han is still nearby,” she said urgently to the refined man before hurrying toward the stone door without waiting for his reply.
The refined man hesitated, wanting to ask something, but ultimately remained silent, merely frowning slightly as he watched Wen Siyue’s slender figure depart.
Stepping through the stone door, Wen Siyue’s vision brightened. The stone house stood atop a broad stone platform, itself perched on the summit of a treacherous peak surrounded by sheer cliffs—impossible for mortals to scale.
But what thrilled her was the sight of Han Li standing at the edge of the platform, conversing with a loose-haired cultivator dressed in Star Palace attire. His hands were clasped behind his back as he spoke leisurely.
The burly mid-Golden Core cultivator, who had initially appeared fierce, now acted as docile as a lamb before Han Li, nodding and bowing incessantly, answering Han Li’s questions with visible trepidation.
This man was likely the Star Palace cultivator guarding the teleportation array here.
Calming herself, Wen Siyue didn’t approach immediately but stood quietly, observing their conversation.
After a while, Han Li waved his hand, seemingly finished with his inquiries.
The burly man bowed deeply before retreating several steps and striding toward the stone house.
Only then did Wen Siyue glide gracefully toward Han Li.
“Thank you, Senior, for speaking up for us earlier! Without your intervention, my husband and I wouldn’t have made it to the Outer Sea and might have faced serious trouble instead,” she said with a respectful bow.
“It was nothing. You were implicated because of me, and it was merely a small effort on my part. But why have you come in such haste? Is there something else?” Han Li replied calmly, his tone indifferent as he studied her.
“I know I’m being greedy, Senior. You’ve already helped me multiple times, and I should be content. But my daughter is gravely ill, her life hanging by a thread. I beg you to show mercy and aid her once more!”
As she spoke, Wen Siyue’s eyes reddened, tears threatening to fall—proof of her deep maternal love.
“That girl afflicted with the strange poison is your daughter?” Han Li’s gaze flickered, his expression unreadable.
“Exactly! Senior’s insight is unparalleled, discerning my daughter’s ailment at a glance!”
Hearing Han Li pinpoint the root of her daughter’s condition, Wen Siyue’s spirits lifted, hope shining in her eyes.
“I overheard some of your conversation. Haven’t you already found a cure? Why come to me?” Han Li remained noncommittal.
“So you knew, Senior! Indeed, we once received guidance from an expert who said the inner core of a white egret demon could refine a pill to counteract the poison. But this pill can’t fully cleanse the toxin. Even if it saves her life temporarily, her constitution will be ruined, cutting off any future progress in cultivation. As a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, Senior must have other methods. I implore you to show compassion!”
“I see,” Han Li murmured, falling into brief contemplation.
Wen Siyue waited anxiously, not daring to press him, her beautiful face a picture of desperate pleading.
Han Li looked up at the blazing sun overhead, then back at the lovely woman before him. Unexpectedly, he asked a question that caught her off guard:
“When did Brother Wen pass away? Was it through natural death or dissolution?”
Wen Siyue was momentarily stunned before replying with a shadowed expression:
“When I returned to the Inner Sea, my father had already vanished. I searched for decades but found no trace. If he failed to form a Golden Core, he must be long gone by now.”
“The path of cultivation is fraught with thorns. No one knows how far they’ll go. If a stranger asked me to save someone, I’d likely refuse. But since fate has brought us together repeatedly, and you’re the descendant of an old acquaintance, I’ll take a look at the girl. It’s still early—bring her to me.”
“Thank you, Senior, for your mercy!” Overjoyed, Wen Siyue immediately moved to kneel.
“This isn’t the place for healing. I’ll wait at an inn in the town below the mountain. Bring her there.”
With a flick of his sleeve, an invisible force prevented her from kneeling. Then, enveloped in azure light, he shot off the platform like a streak of light.
Wen Siyue paused briefly before hurrying back into the stone house.
Soon, the group of seven transformed into streaks of light, chasing after Han Li’s vanished figure.
—
“Han Li has advanced to late-stage Nascent Soul?”
In a cavern within the Heavenly Star City’s sacred mountain, countless miles away in the Inner Star Sea, a disbelieving male voice boomed, shaking the entire cavern.
The speaker was the male half of the Heavenly Star Twin Saints.
“Indeed. I could scarcely believe it myself, but after scanning multiple times, it’s undeniable,” a serene female voice responded.
The veiled woman, Wen Qing, had removed her veil, revealing a pale but beautiful face as she sat cross-legged on a luminous jade platform.
“So his talent surpasses even ours?” the man’s voice grew somber, steadying after the initial shock.
“Likely so. From what I know, he was under two hundred years old before his disappearance. No previous master of Star Palace has advanced so swiftly. It took us around five hundred years to reach late-stage Nascent Soul.” Wen Qing sighed, a trace of melancholy in her voice.
Discovering that one’s supposed genius was merely a frog in a well was never a pleasant realization.
“With the Void Heaven Cauldron, even as a newly advanced late-stage cultivator, he could rival either of us. No wonder you let him go. But what impression did he leave on you?”
“Impression? He’s exceedingly cautious yet bold—no, not bold, but…” Wen Qing’s brows furrowed, her gaze flickering uncertainly.
“Hard to describe?” the man asked, surprised.
“Not that. Upon reflection, I noticed something peculiar.”
“Peculiar?”
“Yes. Looking back, he knew I was one of the Twin Saints and that we were in Heavenly Star City, yet he faced me with unshakable confidence. Even with the Void Heaven Cauldron, that’s unusual. At the time, I felt an inexplicable dread, as if he were something terrifying. It’s been ages since I last felt that.”
“Your Spirit Insight Art grants you premonitions that rarely err. If you sensed danger, it’s likely real.” The man’s voice turned grave.
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