Han Li followed Chen Jing’s pointing finger and saw that in the southern part of the small town, there was indeed a cluster of buildings that stood out from the rest. These structures were unusually tall, with some reaching four or five stories and others two or three. At the entrances of these pavilions, cultivators were coming and going, making the area far livelier than any other part of the town.
Han Li nodded but then said something that took the three by surprise:
“No need for introductions. I’ll go take a look myself. The three of you may leave now.”
“Yes!” Chen Jing was momentarily stunned but dared not voice any objections, bowing respectfully in response.
“I don’t want anyone else to know about my visit to this island. You understand what that means, don’t you?” Han Li glanced at the three, his tone suddenly turning cold.
“Rest assured, Senior. This junior will not speak a word of it!” Chen Jing’s heart raced, but his expression remained one of utmost reverence.
“Heh, I hope your words match your thoughts!” Han Li let out a loud laugh, but a finger hidden in his sleeve twitched slightly. Then, with a flicker of green light, his figure vanished without a trace.
Chen Jing and the other two paled, frantically scanning their surroundings, but Han Li was nowhere to be seen.
“Uncle Chen, should we—”
“Silence! Let’s return first!”
The young woman couldn’t help but speak up, but Chen Jing cut her off with a stern look. He then signaled the other two, and they abruptly changed direction, flying straight out of the city.
Though the young woman and the white-haired elder were puzzled, they had no choice but to follow.
In the blink of an eye, they had traveled over a hundred miles, landing at the foot of an inconspicuous small mountain.
Hidden in a secluded spot at the base of the mountain was a small cave dwelling.
Chen Jing led the two inside, activated all the cave’s restrictions, and then sat cross-legged in the main hall, meditating in silence.
The young woman and the white-haired elder exchanged glances but dared not speak further.
After what felt like the time it took to finish a meal, Chen Jing finally opened his eyes, exhaled deeply, and relaxed his expression.
“Now we can be sure that person’s divine sense isn’t monitoring us. Even if his spiritual awareness could easily penetrate here, it wouldn’t go unnoticed by the cave’s restrictions. Disciple Yan, what were you going to say earlier? You may speak now,” Chen Jing asked the young woman slowly.
“It’s nothing major. It’s just that this Senior Han seems rather suspicious. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, none of us have ever heard of him before, which seems quite unusual. Should we report this to the sect and investigate his background? Perhaps the Patriarch might know of his origins?” the young woman said hesitantly.
The white-haired elder nodded in agreement, seemingly sharing her thoughts.
“Hmph, what good would knowing his background do? Our Patriarch is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the late stage. Even if this man is problematic, it pales in comparison to the Patriarch’s breakthrough. If the Patriarch can’t intervene, why should we provoke this man unnecessarily? From his tone, he seems familiar with the affairs of the Scattered Star Seas. He’s likely a reclusive cultivator who’s just emerged from seclusion. Such cases aren’t unheard of here. But if we disregard his warning and leak his whereabouts, do you really think the name of the Qingyang Sect would protect us from a Nascent Soul cultivator’s wrath? Even if he killed us, without the Patriarch’s intervention, the sect would likely turn a blind eye. Do you think I’d do something so foolish?”
Chen Jing snorted, speaking bluntly.
The young woman shuddered at his words and could only murmur her assent.
“Besides, if we were to inform other Nascent Soul cultivators, we’d gain nothing but potential trouble…” Chen Jing continued his tirade, oblivious to the faint golden glow at the sole of his shoe. The light detached silently and vanished into the stone floor of the hall without a trace.
Moments later, the golden speck had burrowed deep underground, where it encountered a pale blue barrier—the cave’s protective restriction.
The golden speck paused, then dimmed its glow, revealing a thumb-sized golden beetle—one of Han Li’s Gold Devouring Beetles.
The moment it took its true form, the beetle lunged at the barrier and began devouring it voraciously.
The restriction was rudimentary at best, and the beetle quickly penetrated it, emerging on the other side without triggering any alarms or alerting the trio above.
With a flicker, the beetle disappeared into the darkness beneath the earth.
About the time it takes to finish a meal later, on a street in the southern part of the small town, a tall, lean old man walking leisurely suddenly narrowed his eyes. With a flick of his sleeve, a golden speck shot out from the ground and vanished into his robes.
The old man’s expression remained unchanged, but the corners of his lips curled slightly.
This was none other than Han Li in disguise.
The golden speck was the Gold Devouring Beetle he had just recalled, carrying a sliver of his divine sense.
Since reaching the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, Han Li’s spiritual power, though still far from that of a Deity Transformation cultivator, far surpassed that of ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
Thanks to his formidable divine sense, he could now attach a wisp of his consciousness to objects at will. Of course, this attachment wasn’t permanent—it lasted only as long as his spiritual power allowed and could only be placed on sentient beings. Generally, it couldn’t interfere with the host’s actions.
However, if the host was a spirit beast or insect like the Gold Devouring Beetle, which had been refined to resonate with its master, Han Li could directly control its actions with his divine sense.
When Han Li parted ways with Chen Jing and the other two, though he didn’t immediately silence them, he had attached a sliver of his divine sense to the beetle and sent it to secretly follow Chen Jing back to his cave.
With Han Li’s abilities and the beetle’s prowess, a mere early Core Formation cultivator like Chen Jing stood no chance of detecting it.
Han Li had made up his mind: if the trio behaved, he’d leave them be. But if they schemed behind his back, he wouldn’t hesitate to command the beetle to eliminate them.
A Gold Devouring Beetle that hadn’t yet reached maturity might be useless against Nascent Soul cultivators, but its indestructible body and insatiable appetite made it more than a match for an early Core Formation cultivator and two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Now that the beetle had returned, Han Li retrieved the attached divine sense and instantly replayed the trio’s conversation in his mind. Satisfied, he dismissed them from his thoughts.
With his sleeves billowing, he surveyed the pavilions lining the street.
He was clearly in the so-called market district. Cultivators bustled about, some high-ranking ones landing or taking off along the stone-paved street, while others hurried in and out of the pavilions. Yet, whether entering or exiting, everyone wore a wary expression, as if fearing they’d be targeted.
Han Li’s brazen scrutiny of the other cultivators didn’t go unnoticed. But when their divine senses brushed over him, their hostile gazes instantly faltered, replaced by panic. Some turned away immediately, while others forced awkward smiles.
Han Li had suppressed his cultivation to that of a late Core Formation cultivator—enough to deter anyone from provoking him.
After a few steps, Han Li suddenly paused, his gaze settling on a row of six two-story pavilions. Each had a slender banner out front, embroidered with distinct patterns: a blue beast, a golden sword, a green spirit herb, and three others.
“Six United Halls?” Han Li’s heart skipped a beat.
If he recalled correctly, this influential faction in the Scattered Star Seas had joined the Inverse Star Alliance. Yet here they were, openly operating shops under the noses of the island’s other powers!
It seemed the Inverse Star Alliance’s influence was formidable indeed. Even if they couldn’t seize Biling Island outright, the local forces dared not refuse their presence in the city.
Han Li had tangled with several Nascent Soul old monsters from the Inverse Star Alliance before and had no intention of walking into their den. Shaking his head slightly, he turned to explore another shop ahead.
But before he could take a step, a group of cultivators emerged from one of the Six United Halls’ pavilions. At the sight of the two leading figures, Han Li’s expression shifted subtly.
One was a yellow-robed elder in his fifties, while the other was a crane-robed Taoist priest who appeared no older than twenty. Both were early Nascent Soul cultivators.
Behind them trailed four Core Formation cultivators and a middle-aged shopkeeper in Six United Halls attire, who was bowing and scraping obsequiously.
This was no surprise—Nascent Soul cultivators commanded reverence wherever they went, let alone two appearing together at a shop.
What gave Han Li pause was the young Taoist priest.
Despite his youthful appearance, the man bore an uncanny resemblance to the Miaohe Zhenren who had once hunted Han Li down and nearly killed him. Though two decades younger, his features were unmistakable.
This was undoubtedly Miaohe Zhenren himself, reborn through possession!
As for his unchanged appearance, Han Li wasn’t surprised. In the world of cultivation, techniques to permanently alter one’s looks or physique were commonplace.
Most cultivators who possessed new bodies instinctively adjusted their appearance back to their original form, hoping others would forget the possession ever occurred.
While possession wasn’t strictly forbidden among high-ranking cultivators, it still carried a stigma.
Miaohe Zhenren’s youthful yet familiar face suggested he had recently used a rejuvenation technique but hadn’t yet fully adjusted his body’s apparent age.
After all, while facial features could be altered quickly, changing one’s perceived age took time.
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