The emergence of such a bizarre incident led almost every high-ranking member of Star Palace to immediately conclude that it must be related to Han Li. The events from not long ago were still fresh in their minds, and it was clear to everyone that this great cultivator harbored deep enmity toward Elder Ximen.
However, suspicion aside, none of the Star Palace elders dared to confront Han Li openly. Instead, they all feigned ignorance, pretending as if nothing had happened.
This situation arose not only because Han Li was a great cultivator whom no one wished to provoke, but also because they had absolutely no evidence to prove his involvement. On the contrary, Han Li had a solid alibi—he had been engaged in so-called “experience exchange” with Elder Zhao during the time of Elder Ximen’s demise, never once separating. Of course, this was an obvious ruse, and anyone with a bit of cunning could see that Han Li had deliberately arranged it to silence any accusations.
Even though they knew the truth, the fact that Han Li could effortlessly make a Nascent Soul cultivator vanish without lifting a finger sent chills down the spines of all the Star Palace elders.
If it had been an ordinary cultivator, they wouldn’t have bothered with evidence—they would have simply captured the suspect and performed a soul search to uncover the truth. But Han Li was a late-stage great cultivator. Who would dare provoke such a figure? Even the few elders who had been close to Elder Ximen now remained silent.
Moreover, Star Palace would soon need Han Li’s strength in the upcoming battle. Offending him now was out of the question. From Ling Yuling down to the ordinary elders, everyone had no choice but to play dumb.
After spending half a day exchanging insights with Elder Zhao, Han Li returned to his secluded chamber to continue his closed-door cultivation.
Elder Zhao, upon hearing the news of Elder Ximen’s death, stood frozen in shock for a long while before finally letting out a bitter laugh, his face filled with resignation.
Soon after, he no longer bothered guarding Han Li’s secluded chamber. Instead, he summoned two Core Formation disciples and left without another word.
Since Han Li could effortlessly kill a Nascent Soul cultivator while appearing to be with him, further surveillance was pointless. It was better to distance himself before Han Li turned his murderous intent toward him.
Thus, an eerie scene unfolded.
Despite the death of a Star Palace elder, the high-ranking members merely conducted a perfunctory funeral before completely dropping the matter. Even Elder Ximen’s name became taboo overnight. Instead, everyone shifted their focus to the impending battle, preparing with renewed fervor.
Five days later, when Han Li emerged from his chamber and returned to the grand hall of the sacred palace, he found not only the usual group of Star Palace elders but also over thirty Core Formation cultivators.
Most of these cultivators were at the late Core Formation stage, clearly the backbone of Star Palace’s forces.
As Han Li strode into the hall, every gaze instantly locked onto him—most filled with awe, some with suspicion, but all shared one thing in common: the moment Han Li’s eyes swept in their direction, they immediately lowered their heads, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
Using his humanoid puppet to eliminate a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was a trivial matter for Han Li now, but it had the unintended effect of intimidating Star Palace’s leadership.
Previously, while they had acknowledged his status as a great cultivator, none had witnessed his true power firsthand. Many had doubted whether he could truly stand against Wan Tianming.
After all, Wan Tianming had slain numerous Star Palace elders in recent decades, his reputation unrivaled in the Star Sea. But now, after witnessing Han Li’s ability to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator with a mere doppelganger, the Star Palace members found their confidence in him greatly bolstered.
This was an outcome neither Ling Yuling nor Han Li had anticipated.
Ling Yuling, naturally, was pleased to see morale rise, while Han Li remained indifferent.
“Fellow Daoist Han, please take a seat. I will now begin arranging our assault on the Anti-Star Alliance,” Ling Yuling said respectfully as Han Li appeared.
Han Li nodded and sat on a stone chair below her. With a flick of his sleeve, he produced a pale white jade slip and began reading it, ignoring everyone else.
Ling Yuling smiled faintly, but when she turned to the other cultivators, her expression turned solemn as she began issuing orders.
Though Han Li focused mostly on the jade slip, he still kept part of his attention on her arrangements.
Star Palace’s strategy was straightforward. Although the Windfire Heaven-Severing Array had 108 pillars, they planned to attack only the 36 surrounding Heavenly Star City. According to Star Palace’s array masters, destroying most of these key pillars would collapse the entire formation—provided they first seized the central node guarded by Wan Tianming.
One by one, Nascent Soul elders and Core Formation cultivators rose to receive their assignments under Ling Yuling’s stern voice, the hall filling with an unspoken tension.
Each pillar was assigned a dedicated strike force, but the distribution of high-ranking cultivators varied—some locations had two or three Nascent Soul elders leading, while others had only a handful of Core Formation disciples.
Han Li found this puzzling at first, but soon realized that Star Palace must have spies within the Anti-Star Alliance, providing detailed intelligence on the enemy’s defenses.
Though he didn’t lift his head, a faint smile curled his lips.
Ling Yuling’s arrangements proceeded swiftly. Within the time it took to finish a meal, nearly every cultivator in the hall had received their orders.
Finally, she turned to Han Li with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Han, you, I, and Elders Ma and Zhao will lead the assault on the central node. Wan Tianming is personally guarding it.”
“No problem. However, I will only deal with Wan Tianming. Unless others provoke me, I won’t intervene,” Han Li replied coolly, meeting her gaze.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Ling Yuling’s eyes flickered with surprise. Though she knew more about Han Li through the Heavenly Star Twin Saints, she had never witnessed his true power. Worried he might underestimate Wan Tianming, she briefed him on the latter’s late-stage abilities and newly acquired treasures.
Han Li listened with an indifferent expression, offering no response.
Sighing inwardly, Ling Yuling refrained from pressing him further. After all, this battle would decide Star Palace’s fate—victory or annihilation.
“Move out!” she commanded coldly, and the hall emptied as cultivators surged toward the exits.
Low-level Foundation Establishment disciples had already gathered at the city gates, awaiting their leaders to launch the assault.
Han Li glanced at the jade slip in his hands, then pressed his palms together, causing it to vanish.
The incantation of the Magnetic Divine Light recorded within was truly profound. After days of contemplation, he had only grasped the fundamentals. He pondered what kind of marvel the Magnetic Mountain must be to aid in cultivating this technique.
Lost in thought, he followed Ling Yuling and the other elders out of the stone hall.
To his surprise, a massive beast-drawn carriage awaited them outside—a ten-zhang-long vehicle crafted from emerald-green wood, covered in intricate runes. Even more striking were the four jade-green beasts harnessed to it.
For the first time since arriving in Heavenly Star City, Han Li was genuinely taken aback.
Though only at the fifth or sixth rank, these four beasts were unmistakably flood dragons.
Given the flood dragon clan’s notorious protectiveness, how had Star Palace dared to use them as mere draft animals without inciting their wrath?
“Fellow Daoist Han seems surprised by these low-level beasts?” Ling Yuling remarked, amused by his rare display of astonishment.
“These bodies are indeed flood dragons, but their souls feel… different,” Han Li murmured, his pupils flashing with blue light.
“Your insight is as sharp as ever! These flood dragon bodies were won by my father in a bet with the Golden Flood Dragon King during his travels in the outer sea. Their original souls were replaced with those of deep-sea spirit pythons through a secret technique,” Ling Yuling explained, admiration in her voice.
“I see. But why bring this carriage now? Are we using it for the assault?” Han Li frowned slightly.
“This carriage was personally crafted by my father. Beyond the beasts’ abilities, the vehicle itself holds unique properties that will aid in breaking the enemy’s formation. I wouldn’t have brought it out if not for the gravity of this battle,” Ling Yuling said with a mysterious smile.
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