Outside the cave dwelling, a dozen or so foreign beings were waiting. The four at the forefront wore yellow robes and were all at the Void Refinement stage, while the rest were armored warriors holding silver halberds, standing in strict formation.
“Fellow Daoist Han, we brothers have been sent by Senior Qian Jizi to escort you to the rendezvous,” said the leading yellow-robed man, cupping his fists as soon as Han Li emerged from the cave.
“Then I must trouble you all,” Han Li replied without showing any surprise, his expression calm.
Previously, only a few high-ranking officials in Cloud City knew that he was the one who had activated the Moon Order. But now, with the Moon Realm about to open, many more were likely aware of his identity.
Naturally, Qian Jizi feared that someone might cause trouble by kidnapping or killing him at this critical moment, hence the heavy escort.
The yellow-robed man smiled at Han Li’s words and waved to the armored warriors behind him. Immediately, the dozen or so warriors parted, revealing a shimmering green spirit carriage.
Pulling the carriage were two enormous green birds with emerald feathers, exceptionally beautiful. At a glance, it was clear this carriage was no ordinary item!
Seeing this, Han Li stepped into the carriage without hesitation.
The four yellow-robed foreigners also flew onto the carriage, skillfully positioning themselves at its four corners, effectively shielding Han Li.
With a few clear cries, the two green birds spread their wings and lifted the carriage into the air.
The silver-armored warriors each released a silver disk, stepping onto their magical tools to follow.
Moments later, the green spirit carriage soared hundreds of feet into the sky, speeding toward a specific location in Cloud City.
Clearly, the entire city was on high alert. Not only were the streets sparsely populated, but patrols of armored warriors could be seen everywhere, both on the ground and in the air.
Han Li also noticed faint ripples of restriction energy from certain usually important areas, as if all the defensive formations had been activated.
It seemed the city’s leaders were taking the opening of the Moon Realm extremely seriously.
The spirit carriage flew smoothly without incident, arriving near the inn where Han Li had activated the Moon Order.
Now, the area was completely sealed off by layers upon layers of restrictions. Dozens of towering pillars, each a hundred feet high, rose from the ground, forming a circle that enclosed everything within a ten-mile radius centered on the inn.
These pillars emitted multicolored spiritual light, forming a radiant canopy that obscured everything inside, making it impossible for outsiders to see anything.
Approaching the area, it was immediately apparent that the number of guards here was ten times that of other places, with the entire perimeter tightly secured.
Additionally, over a hundred unknown puppets, some pitch-black and others fiery red, stood motionless at various points.
Han Li’s face flickered with surprise.
The guards here were at least at the Core Formation stage, with most at the Nascent Soul stage. A quick sweep of his spiritual sense revealed two or three Void Refinement auras nearby, not to mention the layers of restrictions woven like a net. The security here was formidable!
The green spirit carriage bore some identifiable mark, allowing it to pass unhindered without any checks or stops.
However, as it neared the radiant canopy, several armored warriors riding wolf-like beasts with wings emerged from the light barrier to greet them.
“Commander Tie! Has Fellow Daoist Han arrived?” A middle-aged man in green armor, riding one of the winged wolves, called out from a distance.
“Indeed. Senior Qian sent you to welcome us, Brother Hua. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han is already in the carriage. Please open the restrictions,” the yellow-robed man replied from within the carriage.
“Good that nothing went wrong. I’ll open the restrictions now,” the wolf-riding man said with relief.
He and the others each pulled out a restriction token and waved it at the light barrier.
Several beams of light shot from the tokens, striking the barrier and forming a ten-foot-wide array.
The nearby barrier shimmered and split open with a hum, creating a passage. Inside, swirling multicolored lights gave it an air of mystery.
The yellow-robed man urged the green birds forward, and the carriage flew into the passage, followed by the welcoming party and the armored warriors.
What seemed like a single-layer barrier turned out to be a spatial restriction. The carriage flew for nearly the time it takes to eat a meal before finally reaching the exit.
Han Li was inwardly startled.
This barrier contained spatial restrictions. Anyone attempting to sneak in without knowledge would be trapped, no matter how ingenious their technique. The delay would give the defenders ample time to detect them. Han Li quickly processed this realization.
As the green spirit carriage emerged from the exit, the scene before him brightened, revealing everything below.
Two enormous arrays, each dozens of feet in diameter, dominated the ground. Their surfaces were embedded with countless fist-sized crystals, and their edges bore intricate, glowing patterns, creating a dazzling display.
Between the arrays stood a newly built hall covering several acres, with no other structures in sight.
The area around the arrays and the hall teemed with thousands of foreign beings, mostly guards, while several hundred others wore varied attire, all exuding formidable auras.
They surrounded the arrays and the hall in silence.
As the green spirit carriage appeared in the air, many below noticed and looked up.
Ignoring the gazes, the yellow-robed man guided the carriage in a loop before landing in a cleared space before the hall.
Han Li noticed an identical carriage nearby, except it was pure white.
“Fellow Daoist Han, Senior Qian Jizi and the others await you in the hall. Our duty ends here,” the yellow-robed man said, cupping his fists respectfully once the carriage stopped.
“Thank you, Brother Tie, for your escort,” Han Li replied with a slight bow and a faint smile.
He then floated down from the carriage and walked unhurriedly toward the hall.
The dozen or so guards outside the hall watched him descend but only glanced curiously, making no move to question him.
Han Li ignored them and entered.
Passing through a corridor lined with guards, he arrived in a spacious hall.
Forty to fifty people stood or sat in two groups.
In the center sat a white-robed man in his twenties—the young man surnamed Weng.
Qian Jizi, Duan Tianren, Cai Liuying, and seven or eight other Saint Tribe elders sat scattered below him.
Behind them stood men and women of various appearances, all at the peak of the Void Refinement stage.
When Han Li entered, Qian Jizi was speaking to the Weng youth, while the others listened quietly.
As Han Li stepped in, most eyes turned toward him.
“Greetings to all Seniors!” Han Li said, bowing deeply to the elders, though inwardly startled by the Weng youth’s presence.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve arrived. Good. The Moon Realm will open in a few hours. I’ll introduce you to your fellow travelers shortly,” Qian Jizi said with a smile.
“As you command, Senior,” Han Li replied, knowing better than to object.
“So you’re the young Han who inadvertently activated the Moon Order,” the Weng youth said, scanning Han Li with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“Reporting to Senior Weng, it is indeed this junior,” Han Li replied respectfully.
“You recognize me?” The youth seemed surprised.
“I had the honor of witnessing your presence at the Four Races Auction,” Han Li answered frankly.
“The Four Races Auction. I see. Then we share some fate. Though you’re only at the seventh rank of the upper clan, your spiritual power and divine sense far surpass your peers. I have a treasure called the ‘Heavenly Seal,’ obtained by chance in my youth. It consumes much spiritual power and divine sense but is highly effective for those below the Saint stage. It suits your current needs, so I’ll give it to you,” the Weng youth said after a thoughtful pause, surprising everyone.
With a flick of his sleeve, a silver object shot toward Han Li.
Han Li was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed. He quickly expressed gratitude and reached out, releasing a green mist to catch the object.
In his hand was a five- to six-inch silver seal with an ancient design.
Turning it over, he saw three tiny purple characters at the bottom: “Heavenly Seal.”
It was an exceedingly rare ancient script, but Han Li had studied it in his eclectic pursuits and recognized it immediately.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage