Although the Horned Race had pushed the warfront close to Cloud City, as long as Cloud City remained unconquered, the rear regions were naturally still under the control of the Tianyun people.
Thus, as the flying carriage retreated toward the rear, no unexpected incidents occurred along the way.
After more than half a month, Han Li caught sight of another major city of the Tianyun people from the carriage—”Frostflood City.”
This city was entirely different from the floating Cloud City, nestled within an endless mountain range.
A significant portion of its walls were constructed by connecting towering peaks, while the city itself enclosed thousands of smaller and larger mountains.
On these peaks and in the valleys between them, buildings of varying sizes had been erected.
Encircling these mountains were densely packed, arc-shaped streets that sprawled outward in a rather peculiar fashion.
At this time, Frostflood City was evidently affected by the Horned Race army advancing from Cloud City. Even dozens of miles away, one could sense an atmosphere of tension.
Not only did waves of restriction fluctuations emanate from the city, but patrols of armored guards—some in groups of ten, others in hundreds—were constantly moving about the vicinity.
Even though Han Li and the others’ massive flying carriage bore the unmistakable insignia of the Tianyun people, they were stopped and inspected multiple times by several patrols.
Of course, after the dark-faced man carefully verified their identities with a token, the guards respectfully withdrew. The carriage then proceeded unimpeded to the city gates before finally descending.
“So it’s Senior Bing. These must be the fellow Daoists returning from the Coldflame Realm. The elders of Cloud City have already instructed us to escort you all to the Starcloud Pavilion as soon as you arrive,” said a Void Refinement-stage armored guard at the gate, recognizing the dark-faced man and speaking respectfully.
“Very well. In that case, you may enter the city directly. I have other matters to attend to and must return to Cloud City,” the dark-faced man replied without surprise, nodding to the guard before turning to Moon Fairy and the others.
Naturally, no one objected. After expressing their gratitude to the dark-faced man, they disembarked from the carriage.
With a low shout from the dark-faced man, the six spirit beasts took to the skies, and the carriage soared upward once more, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Once Han Li and the others passed through the city gates, they immediately noticed the bustling streets, teeming with activity. However, most people wore expressions of concealed anxiety and worry.
This was hardly surprising—Frostflood City was the closest major city to Cloud City, and a large portion of the Tianyun people who had evacuated from Cloud City had gathered here, causing the population to swell dramatically.
They hailed two snow-white beast-drawn carriages on the street and instructed the drivers to take them to the Starcloud Pavilion. The carriages swiftly made their way toward a certain spiritual peak in the city.
Han Li sat by the window of one carriage, occasionally glancing at the buildings and pedestrians along the street, his face expressionless, lost in thought.
Suddenly, his expression shifted, and his gaze fixed on a figure by the roadside.
The man wore a gray robe, his hair streaked with white, his face slightly sickly. He stood at the entrance of a shop selling materials, engaged in a hushed conversation with another man.
The other man wore a yellow robe, his face tinged with purple, his features rather fierce.
Han Li frowned, his expression flickering between uncertainty and contemplation before he abruptly called out, “Stop the carriage. I have something to attend to. Fellow Daoists, please proceed to the Starcloud Pavilion first. I will catch up shortly.”
The others in the carriage were surprised but had no reason to object.
The driver obediently halted the carriage, and Han Li floated down lightly, walking back the way they had come.
The two men by the roadside seemed to be arguing, their voices rising slightly.
“The spirit stones you owe must be repaid within three days, or don’t blame me for being ruthless,” the purple-faced man said coldly, his expression darkening.
“Fellow Daoist Huang, you know my circumstances. There’s no way I can gather so many spirit stones in three days,” the sickly-looking elder replied, shaking his head with a grimace.
“I don’t care about your circumstances. You know the consequences of failing to repay. If you truly have no spirit stones in three days… heh…” The purple-faced man sneered.
The elder’s expression shifted slightly, but before he could respond, the purple-faced man’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. A calm male voice spoke up from behind the elder:
“How many spirit stones does Senior Brother Xiang owe you? I’ll repay them on his behalf.”
The elder was startled—the voice had come from right behind him, yet he hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.
He spun around in alarm to see a green-robed man standing a few feet away, young and unremarkable in appearance, his expression faintly amused. It was none other than Han Li.
“Junior Brother Han?” The elder’s face lit up with joy.
“Senior Brother Xiang, it’s been a long time,” Han Li said with a faint smile.
The elder was none other than Xiang Zhili, whom Han Li had met briefly in Cloud City years ago before they parted ways.
“Junior Brother, you’ve come to Frostflood City as well? Before I left Cloud City, I tried to find you, but your whereabouts were too well-hidden,” Xiang Zhili said with a smile.
“My recent movements were indeed difficult to track. I appreciate your efforts, Senior Brother. By the way, how much does he owe you?” Han Li nodded to Xiang Zhili before turning to the purple-faced man.
The purple-faced man, whose cultivation was only at the Core Formation stage—similar to Xiang Zhili’s current level—had already paled when his spiritual sense failed to gauge Han Li’s unfathomable power. Now, hearing Han Li’s words, he trembled and bowed deeply.
“I wouldn’t dare! This junior had no idea Fellow Daoist Xiang had such ties to a senior like you. These few spirit stones are nothing—consider them a humble offering.”
“Do you take me for someone who casually accepts favors? State the amount,” Han Li said coldly, his expression stern.
The purple-faced man hastily named a sum that was trivial to Han Li.
With a flick of his wrist, Han Li produced a leather pouch and tossed it over. “Take it and leave.”
The purple-faced man bowed repeatedly before scurrying away without another word.
“How embarrassing—to have Junior Brother see me in such a state and even pay on my behalf,” Xiang Zhili said with a bitter smile, clasping his fists once the man was gone.
“It’s nothing. The spirit stones are insignificant. What surprises me is running into you here, Senior Brother. However, I recall you mentioning that if I were to return to the Wind Origin Continent, I should seek you out for further instructions. May I ask what that was about?” Han Li raised a hand, and a faint gray barrier flickered briefly around them before dissipating.
Under the temporary restriction formed by his Magnetic Divine Light, their conversation would not be overheard.
Though Xiang Zhili didn’t recognize the technique, he understood its purpose from Han Li’s demeanor. His eyes brightened with excitement.
“Junior Brother, are you saying you can return to the Wind Origin Continent?”
“Indeed. I recently performed a service for the Tianyun people, earning the right to use their super teleportation array. I’ll be leaving the Thunderstorm Continent soon,” Han Li replied calmly.
“Wonderful! However, I have something to give you, but I don’t have it on me now, and this isn’t the place to discuss such matters. How about this—in three days, meet me at Greenflood Peak, about a hundred miles outside the city? We can talk properly there,” Xiang Zhili said eagerly.
“Greenflood Peak? Very well, if that’s what you suggest,” Han Li agreed after a barely perceptible flicker of thought.
“It’s settled! By the way, Junior Brother, has your cultivation advanced again? Though I can’t discern your current realm, the pressure you exude is vastly different from last time!” Xiang Zhili studied Han Li with awe.
“Hardly a major breakthrough—just minor gains in my cultivation,” Han Li deflected with a light smile.
After exchanging a few more words, Han Li withdrew the Magnetic Divine Light, hailed another carriage, and departed.
Xiang Zhili remained standing, watching the carriage disappear into the distance. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, forming an unnatural, eerie smile…
Though Frostflood City was vast, it was slightly smaller than Cloud City.
Han Li’s carriage arrived at the base of a mountain in just over half an hour.
There, a sprawling complex of pavilions and halls encircled the entire peak.
Following the driver’s directions, Han Li ascended the mountain path. At the halfway point, the number of armored guards increased significantly, indicating tight security.
Fortunately, Liu Shui’er and the others had evidently passed through recently, so Han Li was quickly cleared after stating his identity.
Soon, he stood before a grand pavilion at the summit.
Above its entrance hung a golden plaque inscribed with three ancient characters: “Starcloud Pavilion,” gleaming silver and eye-catching.
Eight silver-clad guards stood rigidly on either side of the door, expressionless, swords strapped to their backs.
To Han Li’s surprise, a portly yellow-robed elder stood before the pavilion, hands clasped behind his back.
Upon spotting Han Li, the elder immediately approached with a smile—it was none other than the “Thousand Machines Sage” of the Wangu Clan.
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