Since Han Li deliberately chose to avoid nearby cities, his route took him through desolate and remote areas. For the first few days, he encountered no trouble, only occasionally spotting foreign cultivators flying past in the distance on their escape lights, heading toward the nearby cities.
Han Li could only shake his head inwardly, with no intention of intervening.
These cultivators had extremely low cultivation levels—mostly at the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stage. Faced with the sudden attack by the Jiao Chi Clan in this region, they naturally sought refuge in the cities, either to use teleportation arrays to escape or to rely on the protection of high-level experts within the cities.
However, after traveling alone for over ten days, Han Li finally encountered a patrol of Jiao Chi Clan warriors.
The group was small, consisting of only about a dozen warriors, each riding a snow-white, two-headed eagle. The strongest among them was at the Nascent Soul stage, while the rest were at the Core Formation level.
When Han Li saw them, his heart sank.
As far as he recalled, there were no cities nearby. Where had these Jiao Chi Clan warriors come from, appearing in such a remote place?
Though suspicious, Han Li was unimpressed by their strength—eliminating them would be effortless.
Yet, having detected them early, he concealed himself and waited until they passed before reappearing.
With a grim expression, he watched the patrol disappear into the distance, then immediately resumed his journey.
But after encountering the first patrol, he soon ran into a second, then a third, and a fourth…
The frequency of these encounters gradually increased.
Though none of the patrols could detect him due to the vast difference in cultivation, Han Li began to feel uneasy.
Had this entire region truly fallen into the hands of the Jiao Chi Clan?
Just as Han Li grew more alert, in a recently conquered city—several times larger than Green Light City—three high-ranking Jiao Chi Clan members were discussing the matter in a grand hall.
A red-haired woman and a withered, elderly man stood on either side of a golden chair, upon which sat a young woman who appeared to be in her twenties.
Her features were delicate, but her skin had a faint metallic silver hue. Her eyes, with their purple-gold irises, seemed to pierce through anyone who met her gaze, causing a faint stinging sensation.
A small, crystalline horn, several inches tall, adorned her forehead, giving her an exquisite yet otherworldly appearance.
Both the elderly man and the red-haired woman were at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, yet they stood before her with utmost deference.
“Well? Still no trace of that person?” the silver-skinned woman asked coldly, her voice crisp but devoid of warmth.
“Reporting to Venerable Yin, none of the patrols have found any leads. It’s possible he has hidden himself in a secluded location. If so, locating him will be extremely difficult,” the elderly man replied respectfully.
“Unlikely. If he knows our clan has launched a full-scale attack on this region, he should understand that once we fully control it, even with his cultivation, he will have no escape. I never expected to stumble upon such a valuable target so soon. Capturing him alive would be a great achievement,” the woman said, frowning slightly.
“Given his importance to the Thirteen Heavenly Cloud Races, we will ensure he does not escape. I have deployed numerous forces to seal off the entire region. Additionally, two reserve teams are on standby—they will teleport in the moment we receive any news. Though such teleportation is costly and limited by distance, it is worth it for this target,” the red-haired woman added respectfully.
“Good. That puts me at ease. By the way, didn’t Envoy Tu recently request our assistance in intercepting someone?” the silver-skinned woman suddenly changed the subject.
“Yes. Envoy Tu did send an image, instructing all city patrols to be on the lookout for a seventh-tier upper-race cultivator who possesses something crucial to their mission,” the elderly man replied after a brief hesitation.
“Hmph. How incompetent. Two half-step Sacred Race existences, yet they let a mere upper-race cultivator slip away. If not for our existing plan to seal off this region, I wouldn’t have entertained their request,” the woman said disdainfully.
The elderly man and the red-haired woman remained silent, not daring to comment.
“Still, I am curious. What could the Elder Council have sent them to retrieve that was so important? They even demanded one of our two fortress-class warships, forcing us to alter our original plans. This region still isn’t fully under our control,” Venerable Yin sneered, clearly displeased.
“Venerable, the allocation of the fortress-class warship was a direct order from the Elder Council. We could not refuse. Given their emphasis on this matter, the target must hold great value for our clan. As for the manpower shortage, the clan has recently dispatched a batch of war puppets, which should allow us to fully secure this region. Only two cities remain unconquered, but they are already surrounded,” the red-haired woman explained cautiously.
“Those puppets are useful for large-scale battles but not for patrols or pursuits. With most of our forces tied up in sealing the region, the remaining two cities—well-defended as they are—have yet to fall. We cannot delay any longer. Before the next wave of reinforcements arrives, we must fully control this region to establish our main camp. It seems I must intervene personally, lest the Elder Council hold us accountable,” the woman said, her eyes glinting coldly.
“If the Venerable takes action, those two cities will surely fall without resistance!” the elderly man quickly chimed in with a flattering smile.
“Then it’s decided. Once matters here are settled, we depart on the warship tomorrow,” Venerable Yin commanded, sweeping her gaze over her subordinates.
“Yes!”
“As you command!”
The red-haired woman and the elderly man bowed deeply in acknowledgment.
—
Half a month later, Han Li stood beneath a dense tree at the foot of a small hill, draped in a black veil that concealed his aura completely. His expression was grave as he stared at the sky.
Hovering in the distance were two identical silver islands—smaller versions of the one above Green Light City, each only a few hundred feet in size. Around them swarmed countless silver-armored warriors and two-headed eagles.
The Jiao Chi Clan had deployed such a massive force to encircle a single foreign cultivator.
The man had wild, grayish-white hair and an aged, peculiar face. He stood motionless on a shuttle-shaped flying vessel, flanked by two beast-like puppets.
One was a winged, horse-bodied creature with a flood dragon’s head, its body shimmering with green light and spanning several yards. The other was a bizarre, seven-headed lion—one large head and six smaller ones—its ferocious form towering over twenty yards tall.
These puppets radiated formidable auras, one at the mid-Void Refinement stage and the other at the late-Void Refinement stage.
The surrounding Jiao Chi warriors, treating the situation as a grave threat, dared not act rashly.
Han Li watched with deep curiosity.
Initially startled by the presence of the warships and so many Jiao Chi warriors, he had cautiously approached upon realizing none among them were at the Void Refinement stage or higher.
The foreign cultivator’s own cultivation was only at the Deity Transformation level, yet his puppets were shockingly powerful.
What puzzled Han Li was why the man didn’t simply command the puppets to annihilate the Jiao Chi warriors and eagles, instead of remaining in a standoff.
The only real threats were the two silver warships, whose capabilities were unknown.
As Han Li pondered, the foreign cultivator suddenly moved.
With a hand seal, the two puppets sprang into action.
The winged flood dragon-horse spread its wings, transforming them into massive blades that sliced through the air, instantly bisecting over a dozen eagles and warriors.
Meanwhile, the seven-headed lion unleashed a torrent of fireballs, engulfing another section of the enemy forces in a sea of flames.
The Jiao Chi warriors, after a moment of shock, rallied under their leaders’ commands, launching a barrage of attacks toward the puppets. The eagles surged forward as well.
In an instant, the battlefield erupted into chaos, filled with explosions and screeches.
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