Chapter 1265: Entering the Node

Han Li stood beneath the glowing sphere, gazing solemnly at the sky with a grave expression.

Nan Gongwan stood silently by his side, not uttering a word.

The others remained equally silent, as if waiting for something. Among them were Tian Qin’er and another disciple, Shi Jian, who had become the leader of the Thousand Bamboo Sect.

“Master, will Senior Feng really arrive today? If we delay lifting the seal past noon, it might cause some trouble,” Tian Qin’er, standing behind Han Li and Nan Gongwan, whispered after an unknown length of time.

“Don’t worry. Fairy Feng sent word a month ago that she would definitely arrive today,” Han Li replied without turning his head.

Hearing this, Tian Qin’er fell silent and continued to wait.

A short while later, Han Li’s brows twitched, and he suddenly turned his head to look toward the sea mist in one direction.

The others, noticing his movement, stirred uneasily.

Moments later, a clear, melodious cry came from the direction Han Li was staring at. The sea mist churned, and from within emerged a several-zhang-long, crystalline-white ice phoenix.

The phoenix moved with astonishing speed, its wings flapping only a few times before it soared above the crowd. Then, in a flash of cold light, it transformed into a silver-robed woman who descended gracefully from the sky.

“Am I not too late?” she said casually, her gaze sweeping over the group before settling on Han Li.

“Of course not! Qin’er, begin lifting the seal. Fellow Daoist Feng, let’s set up mutual restrictions over there,” Han Li instructed with a smile before turning into a streak of azure light and vanishing into the thick mist.

The silver-robed woman arched an eyebrow and transformed into a silver streak, following him.

Nan Gongwan remained where she was, watching the direction they had disappeared with a trace of worry in her expression.

Meanwhile, Tian Qin’er directed over a dozen cultivators to rise into the air, positioning themselves beneath the massive glowing sphere in an intricate formation. With flashes of spiritual light, they each produced formation disks, formation flags, and other magical tools.

At Tian Qin’er’s command, the cultivators raised their formation flags and disks high, releasing beams of light or streams of radiance that vanished into the glowing sphere.

Under her guidance, the group began dismantling the seal on the node.

Time passed slowly as the seal gradually loosened. The once indistinct sphere grew clearer and more dazzling, its color shifting from gray to a blinding white, like a scorching sun emerging in the sky.

The brilliance was so intense that even Nan Gongwan, a high-level cultivator, had to squint and avoid prolonged direct gaze. The cultivators tasked with lifting the seal, including Tian Qin’er, had already closed their eyes, relying solely on their spiritual senses to manipulate their tools.

At that moment, a large hand rested on Nan Gongwan’s shoulder, and a deep male voice spoke beside her ear, “Still worried?”

Startled at first, Nan Gongwan quickly relaxed and forced a smile as she turned around.

Behind her stood Han Li, looking at her warmly.

“Of course I’m worried. But pursuing the Great Dao has always been defying the heavens, seeking that sliver of life amidst death. There’s nothing to regret. By the way, have you and Fellow Daoist Feng finished setting the restrictions?” Nan Gongwan sighed softly before asking with concern.

“The restrictions are in place—dead restrictions that only the caster can undo. That way, neither of us can scheme against the other,” Han Li replied with a bitter smile.

“Hmph, as long as you don’t play tricks behind my back, why would I scheme against you?” A flash of white light appeared behind Han Li as the silver-robed woman tore through space and emerged.

“Fellow Daoist Feng, it’s best not to use spatial abilities carelessly now. Save your energy for the dangers within the spatial node,” Han Li frowned.

“Don’t worry, I know my limits,” the ice phoenix replied, her tone noticeably milder than before, perhaps due to the mutual restrictions.

Han Li smiled slightly and said no more, stepping forward to stand beside Nan Gongwan as he looked up at the ongoing seal-breaking.

The silver-robed woman also fell silent.

After a full quarter-hour, when the glowing sphere reached its brightest, a low rumble of thunder echoed. The white light dimmed, and the sphere transformed into a pitch-black hole, unfathomably deep and devoid of any light—like the maw of a beast ready to devour its prey.

A chill ran down Han Li’s spine. The silver-robed woman’s phoenix eyes gleamed with an unusual light, but she declared without hesitation, “Fellow Daoist Han, let’s go.”

With that, silver light shimmered around her as she drifted slowly toward the black hole.

Han Li’s lips twitched. He slapped his storage pouch, and a silver flash later, another “Han Li” appeared before him—his humanoid puppet.

Without a word, Han Li raised his hand and struck the puppet’s head like lightning.

With a *pfft*, a pitch-black Nascent Soul emerged from the puppet’s head, vanishing into Han Li’s body in a streak of black light.

Han Li then tapped the puppet lightly, causing it to shrink rapidly into a wooden figurine a few inches tall.

At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, releasing two small blue cauldrons and a three-colored flame, which hovered before him.

“Wan’er, these treasures won’t be of much use to me in the spatial node. You might face trials in the human world, so take them—they’ll help you.” With a wave of his sleeve, a gust of azure mist swept the four treasures toward Nan Gongwan.

Then, Han Li soared into the air, transforming into an azure streak as he pursued the ice phoenix.

Nan Gongwan clenched her teeth and summoned the puppet and treasures into her hands, gazing at Han Li’s retreating figure with a pale face.

The ice phoenix paused before the unfathomable black hole, waiting until Han Li’s azure light dissipated behind her before asking without turning, “Aren’t you going to say a few more words to Fellow Daoist Nan Gong? I’m not in a hurry to enter—I can give you two more time.”

Rarely did this Deity Transformation-stage demon show such human consideration.

“No need. Wan’er and I have already said everything. Now, our only focus is passing through the node,” Han Li replied calmly after taking a deep breath.

He then patted the top of his head, and a small azure cauldron emerged in a flash of light. Stepping lightly, a green ruler appeared beneath his feet, spinning slightly as silver lotus shadows bloomed.

With another flick of his sleeve, a silver talisman shot out, transforming into a three-colored battle armor that clung to his body. Seventy-two golden flying swords erupted from him, forming a swirling golden radiance around him.

Simultaneously, he flipped his hands, revealing a golden ring and a jade umbrella, each a few inches in size.

The silver-robed woman’s eyes flickered with surprise, but she calmly shook her shoulders, releasing over a dozen white streaks that paused mid-air, revealing crystalline feathers.

They circled briefly before descending, forming a white barrier around her. Meanwhile, her silver robe shimmered with spiritual light, depicting a miraculous scene of countless birds paying homage to a phoenix. Most astonishingly, she opened her mouth and spat out a translucent ice boat.

Initially only a few inches in size, the boat rapidly expanded to over ten zhang, hovering before them.

“This Cave Heaven Boat was forged from my own frost essence over ten thousand years—a top-tier defensive treasure. It should protect us initially, saving us some trouble,” she said lightly, stepping onto the boat before glancing back.

Without hesitation, Han Li stepped onto the boat behind her and said gravely, “Since you have such a treasure, allow me to assist as well.”

With that, a vast expanse of gray mist erupted from his back, within which a small black mountain, about a zhang tall, materialized—unremarkable at first glance.

The ice phoenix blinked in confusion, but before she could react, the mountain spun out of the mist and settled firmly onto the boat.

Han Li formed a hand seal, and the mountain released a wave of gray light, enveloping the entire boat.

Though unsure of the gray light’s properties, the silver-robed woman sensed its extraordinary nature. Without a word, she willed the boat’s silver barrier to rise within the gray mist. Then, with a *whoosh*, the boat shot into the black hole and vanished.

Below, the crowd stirred.

All eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the sky.

But soon, most grew disappointed—the black hole remained as still as ever, showing no signs of change.

“Qin’er, leave two disciples to guard this place. The rest may leave—there’s no point staying,” Nan Gongwan finally said, withdrawing her gaze and speaking calmly to Tian Qin’er.

“As you command!” Tian Qin’er replied respectfully, summoning two Core Formation cultivators to remain while the others followed Nan Gongwan back to the island.

A month later, with no changes at the node’s entrance, Nan Gongwan ordered Tian Qin’er to reseal it with a formation, leaving a few disciples behind before returning to the Scattered Star Seas with the rest.

Han Li had left no soul lamp behind, so no one—not even Nan Gongwan—knew whether he had successfully reached the Spirit Realm or, like Xiang Zhili and the others, had perished in the spatial storm and boundary-crossing forces.

This was one reason Han Li had chosen not to leave a soul lamp—for those close to him, a sliver of hope was better than none.

**Volume 8: Entering the Spirit Realm**