“Are you the Zhao brothers from the Golden Sea Sect?” The young man in the center suddenly smiled at the three and asked.
“Who are you, sir? Fellow Daoist Hou, what’s going on here?” The burly man’s face showed a hint of wariness.
“Brother Zhao, don’t be rude. This is our sect’s Grand Elder! The other is Junior Brother Lin.” The old man also spoke, but his words immediately startled the three.
“Grand Elder? Could it be Senior Han from your esteemed sect?” The leading burly man blurted out in disbelief.
“Indeed, I currently hold the position of Grand Elder in the Falling Cloud Sect. It was rather abrupt of me to have Junior Hou invite you all here.” The young man smiled, revealing a set of snow-white teeth.
This was none other than Han Li, who had traveled all the way from the Falling Cloud Sect to the Eastern Yu Country.
“We dare not! If it is Senior’s summons, it is our brothers’ honor!” The leading burly man, after carefully scrutinizing Han Li and confirming his resemblance to the rumored figure, hastily bowed with utmost respect.
The other two also hurriedly followed suit.
“No need for formalities. Since the three of you are not disciples of our sect, there’s no need for such courtesy. I heard from Junior Hou that you once encountered female disciples of our sect in the valley. Is this true?” Han Li waved his hand and asked calmly.
“Senior, are you referring to Fairy Bai and the others? Indeed, we briefly met them in the Devilfall Valley,” the leading burly man replied honestly after a brief pause.
“Oh? Could the three of you recount the details of that encounter to me?” Han Li asked gently.
“Of course. A few months ago, my brothers entered the Devilfall Valley in search of a rare material for refining artifacts. We found nothing in the outer valley and were about to leave when we happened upon Fairy Bai and her companions. Due to past acquaintances, I exchanged a few words with her. However, the three of them seemed anxious, as if searching for something, and quickly departed. We left the valley shortly after and never saw them again,” the burly man recounted cautiously.
“Could you mark the approximate location where you met them on this map of the outer valley?” Han Li flicked his sleeve, sending a prepared green jade slip toward the burly man.
“The place where we met Fairy Bai was deep into the outer valley,” the burly man explained as he caught the jade slip and immersed his consciousness into it. Moments later, he withdrew and respectfully handed it back to Han Li.
Han Li retrieved the jade slip with a wave, scanning it briefly before raising an eyebrow.
“Indeed, it’s very close to the inner valley. Thank you for your assistance. Junior Hou, Junior Wu, keep our guests company. I must take my leave.” Han Li stored the jade slip, smiled at the three, and casually instructed the old man and the scholar.
“Farewell, Uncle Han!” The scholar and the old man bowed halfway, while the three burly men also adopted respectful postures.
Han Li’s body radiated green light as he transformed into a dazzling green streak, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
“Brother Hou! Was that truly Senior Han Li, the one who ascended to Nascent Soul stage?” Only after the green streak disappeared did the previously silent burly man exhale deeply, still seeming incredulous.
“Who else could it be? Meeting Uncle Han is no small opportunity. Despite his fame, he rarely meets with sect disciples. I’ve only seen him a handful of times myself,” the old man surnamed Hou replied with a wry smile.
“Indeed, Uncle Han seldom interacts with disciples. Though I formed my Golden Core decades ago, I’ve only glimpsed him from afar during grand ceremonies. If not for the matter concerning Senior Sister Bai and the others, the Grand Elder likely wouldn’t have left his cave,” the scholar added.
“So, Fairy Bai and the others truly disappeared in the Devilfall Valley? We’d heard rumors but dismissed them as baseless,” the leading burly man said gravely after a long pause.
“At this point, there’s no need to hide it. Junior Sister Bai and the others are indeed missing,” the old man sighed.
“All three of them were at Core Formation stage. How could they vanish so easily? Did they enter the inner valley?” the burly man asked, shocked.
“Most likely. We can only hope they’re merely trapped somewhere inside. With Uncle Han personally intervening, rescuing them shouldn’t be an issue,” the scholar said worriedly.
“Does Fairy Bai have some connection with Senior Han? From your tone, it seems Senior Han isn’t usually involved in such matters,” the burly man probed.
“Rumor has it that Senior Sister Bai has known Uncle Han for a long time, but the main reason likely lies with the other two. Senior Sister Liu Yu is said to be Uncle Han’s nominal disciple, while Senior Sister Mu Peiling is his concubine. With all three in trouble, how could Uncle Han not act?” the old man chuckled.
Realization dawned on the three burly men.
Meanwhile, Han Li was already speeding toward the Devilfall Valley.
Within his flight light, he toyed with a milky-white jade tablet, deep in thought.
“What troubles you, Fellow Daoist Han? Concern for your disciple and concubine, or frustration over failing to decipher the Golden Parchment?” A childlike voice whispered in Han Li’s ear.
Han Li’s gaze flickered toward his sleeve before replying coolly, “They’ve likely entered the inner valley. If they’re unharmed, rescuing them won’t be difficult. But the Silver Script you taught me—are there gaps? The text is incredibly obscure. It’s definitely about talisman crafting, but the specifics are baffling.”
“Naturally. This scripture records immortal-level talisman techniques. If a mere mortal could decipher it easily, I’d doubt its authenticity. Moreover, you only possess half a page—no wonder it’s challenging,” the child chuckled.
“Fair enough. There’s no rush; I’ll study it further when time permits.” Han Li nodded and stored the tablet away.
“Fellow Daoist Han, I’ve taught you the Silver Script, the Fire Spirit Thread, and the Annihilation Eye techniques. Will you now assist me in overcoming my tribulation?” the child asked calmly.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Tianlan. I keep my promises. Once this matter is resolved, I’ll find a secluded place to help you complete your transformation,” Han Li replied firmly.
“Good. Your word suffices.” Satisfied, the child fell silent.
Han Li, too, ceased speaking, focusing solely on his flight light. With a few flashes, he vanished from sight.
Half a day later, at the entrance of the Devilfall Valley in the Ten-Thousand Mountains Range, the teleportation array built by the Ghost Spirit Sect still stood, though thick dust suggested years of disuse.
This was unsurprising. Once surrounded by dense restrictions and spatial rifts, the valley’s outer perimeter now had only sporadic remnants of barriers. Any Core Formation cultivator could bypass them easily, rendering the teleportation array obsolete.
Still, the valley’s mouth remained the primary entry point for most, given its established safety.
Near the array, five or six Core Formation cultivators in varied attire were discussing their plans to enter the valley.
Suddenly, faint whistling sounds came from the distance. Alarmed, they looked up to see a green streak flash across the sky before vanishing inexplicably.
Before they could react, the green light reappeared mere yards above them, streaking past and disappearing into the valley in an instant.
Stunned, they exchanged bewildered glances, none having glimpsed the figure within the light.
The green streak’s owner was, of course, Han Li, who paid the Core Formation cultivators no mind as he sped toward the location marked by the Golden Sea Sect’s burly man.
If memory served, the spot wasn’t far from the inner valley entrance he and Zi Ling had once used with the Ghost Spirit Sect. Given that Song-surnamed woman and Zi Ling were close, Han Li naturally prioritized searching there first.
At his current speed, and with the outer valley’s spatial rifts mostly gone, he reached the massive ice crevice leading to the inner valley in less than a day.
With a swift turn, Han Li descended into the crevice without hesitation.
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